B02840:181
The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and through [sic]…The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and thorow [sic]…
The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and through [sic] him. Diligently searched into, clearly unfolded, and comfortably holden forth, in fourteen rich gospel sermons preached on several texts, at communions, in Glasgow. / By the late pious & powerful gospel-preacher in that city, Mr. James Durham.The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and thorow [sic] him. Diligently searched into, clearly unfolded, and comfortably holden forth, in fourteen rich gospel sermons preached on several texts, at communions, in Glasgow. / By the late pious & powerful gospel-preacher in that city, Mr. James Durham.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1685
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Uses are Four; The First whereof serves for Instruction and Infirmation to all that bear the Name of Christ; know from this, what is the high pitch of Holiness that ye are called to, It is even to be Heavenly in your Conversation; are there not many who have much need to be instructed in this? Who never walked under the Conviction of the necessity of this as a duty; otherwise, were it possible, that the most part of men and women, who are called Christians and profess a hope of Heaven, could or durst live as they do, some in ⟨p. 114⟩Profanity Riotousness and gluttony; others in mere civility and Moral Honesty; and others in Formality and Hypocrisy at the best? Let me ask you in good earnest, are ye not convinced that this is a duty? or do you think that Paul was scorning or complementing, when he exhorts to follow him in this? Or is it possible that ye can enjoy so many Heavenly privileges, or be to any purpose performing heavenly duties, except ye be Heavenly in your Conversation? And if so, Mistake not Christianity, as if when ye are exhorted to be Christians, ye were only bidden not to be profane; or only to go about the external duties of Religion; or only to have a sort of merely Moral sincerity, and seriousness in the performing of them; which are indeed things good in themselves, and we do not, we dare not disallow them, but rather commend them; but ye are called to more, to much more, and that is to be Heavenly-minded and to have your Conversation in Heaven. I know some are so profane, and others are so misbelievingly discouraged, that when they hear such doctrine as this, they will be ready, the one sort to say, We cannot all be Saints; and the other, Alas! we cannot be Saints: but let all such mouths be stopped; ye are called and obliged indispensably to be Saints: and if ye be not Saints here, ye shall never be Saints hereafter: There are also some of so distempered dispositions and humours, that they either put off all or most duties, or at least go very heartlessly about them, because they cannot attain perfection in them; but it's clear from the Scriptures, that there is a kind of Perfection to be win at here in this life, which is even this Holiness and Heavenliness of Conversation:
The Uses are Four; The First whereof serves for Instruction and Infirmation to all that bear the Name of Christ; know from this, what is the high pitch of Holiness that ye are called to, It is even to be Heavenly in your Conversation; are there not many who have much need to be instructed in this? Who never walked under the Conviction of the necessity of this as a duty; otherwise, were it possible, that the most part of men and women, who are called Christians and profess a hope of Heaven, could or durst live as they do, some in