B02840:243
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.
What a foul fault and fall was that of Israels, After their so Solemn engagements, and fair undertakings. Exod. 19. When within forty ⟨p. 166⟩days they detestably and damnably danced before the golden Calf: & what a foul fall was that of Peters, to forswear Christ, by denying him with an oath? And of the rest of the Disciples, unkindly & unworthily to forsake him and flee? And who knows, but shortly after this occasion, many of you that have been tipplers, may grow worse, it may be, even to be found staggering in the streets? And that others of you who prayed not before, may be heard cursing? Ye who are believers and Saints indeed, would Observe this, and know that there is need, great need of watching and Prayer, that ye enter not into Tentation: And if there hath been any idleness, lightness, vanity, misspending of Precious time, or the like; guard, O guard against those: The reason why Believers fall so often in Gross sins, is their playing (as it were) with their Petty Idols; little things given way to lead on to greater and worse. Thirdly, Am I now speaking of any strange, uncouth or unprecedented thing? Have ye never Observed, how ye carried and behaved after Communions before? Can ye say, but that, as many Communions as ye have been at, there have been as many breaches? If ye have never failed before, ye may be secure now; but if ye have failed and Mis-carried formerly, be the more wary and watchful now. Fourthly, Have ye any knowledge of, and acquaintance with your own hearts? Is your corruption dead? Are your Idols quite slain? or are they not rather like to those strange wives, in Nehemiahs time, (who were put away) crying on you for pity, (O! cruel pity) and weeping on you to be admitted to come home again? And have none of you so much foolish, fond and cruel Pity, as to side with them? Hath a Communion-day, thrust out the devil fully? Are there no living lusts, nor strong corruptions within you? Do ye not ⟨p. 167⟩see what a ready welcome Tentations to sin are like to get? And find ye not a woeful propension to be glad, that the restraint and awe-band of a Communion day is over and by? And doth not this press you to watch? Fifthly, Try but how it hath been with you since the Sabbath, Is not the bent ye had then, already very much slacked? Is not much of that seeming or really good frame of Spirit gone? Is not the great part of your work yet before you?