from the challenges of the Law and from the terrours of justice and of the Conscience even â—rom all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses outward means and misâ—aken law Christ being miskend and past by cannot give freedom but by Christ Jesus ye may have freedom A 3d. Ground of conâ—irmation is taken from the consideration of the excellency of Christ Jesus and the efficacy of his blood from the consideration of the excellency of the Person who steps in and 〈◊〉 his blood for a ransom which being applyed the Conscience ought to be quiet and should not to speak so have a face to lay any thing to the Believers charge And this is prest in these two Scriptures on these grounds How much more shall the blood of Iesus Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge the conscience In which words we have three things to hold out the excellency of this sacrifice 1. The excellency of the sacrifice it self it s a Sacrifice without spot all these Sacrifices under the Law were but types of this Sacrifice and there was alwayes something to be said of them which argued their imperfection but no such thing can be said of his He was never polluted by his wonderful conception by the Holy Ghost he was kept free from the least tincture or touch of that pollution that all Adams Sons and Daughters the Mother of the Lord not excepted descending from him by ordinary generation are defiled with and so was a sacrifice against which severe justice had nothing to object being most exactly conform to the Law of God to the Covenant of Redemption transacted betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator on which this is mainly founded but he was compleatly satisfied therewith as we may see Psal. 40. 6 7â— Where he is brought in saying Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire all these things were rejected as having no equivalent value or worth in them for aâ—oneing and satisfying provocked divine justice as is clear from the beginning of the following 10. Chap. and down-ward Where the Apostle cites improves and applyes the words of the 40. Psalm Then I said lo I come in the volumn of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O! my God And sayeth he v. 10. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus The good will of God willing such a thing and accepting thereof makes that we are thus purged and made clean But 2ly Beside the excellency of the Sacrifice we have the excellency of the Preist that offered it O! what pertinent and powerful reasoning doth the Apostle use Heb. 7. To prove the excellency and pre 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ our great high Priest above and beyond all the Levitical Preists These Priests were temporal he is eternal They were but servants he is the Son They were consecrated without an oath he with an oath according to the order of Melchisedeck They offered many Sacrifices and often He offered but one Sacrifice and buâ— once as it is v. 27. of that 7th Chapter and chap. 9. v. 28. and chap. 10. v. 12. and 14. Whereby he hath for ever perâ—yted them that are sanctified And sayeth he such a high-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separaâ— from sinners and made higher then the heavens 3ly There is the excellency of the Altar on which the Sacrifice was offered up and the Altar is as the Lord sayes that which sanctifies the sacrifice This was the God-head of our blesâ—ed Lord Jesus He through the eternal spirit offered up â—imself Though as man he had a beginning yet as God he had no beginning and through the God-head he offered up his humane nature which had its worth and efficacy from the divine nature to which it was united in his blessed person in these three the worth value and transcendent excellency of this Sacrifice is held out The Sacrifice it self is Christ as man offered up both in his body and Soul The Altar on which it is offered which makes the Sâ—crifice savour so very sweetly to God to be of such value and worth and to be so highly acceptable is the eternal spirit the God head of the second person of the glorious dreadful and adorable Trinity Therefore Acts 20. 28. God is said to purchase or redeem the Church with his own blood not with silver or gold or any corruptible thing as Peter sayes and the Priest is Christ God and man in one person He is the Sacrifice in respect of his humane nature The Altar â—n respect of his divine nature giving value and virtue to the humane nature For though his humane nature was in it self unspotted yet being as such a finit creature the divine nature to which it was united in his person did add thereto such a value as made it in this respect to be of infinit worth and value and he was the Priest in respect of both natures as God man and Mediator for sinners Now these three being put together what imaginably can be more desired for quieting the Conscience then may be had and is here Especially iâ— we add the nature of Christs offices and his continuance in them Having such a High priest over the house of God a Priest living for ever to make intercession for all that come to God by him let us draw near with full assurance of saith For he who cloathed himself with the vail of our flesh hath â—orn the vail and taken down the pertition wall that was betwixt God and us and by his sufferings hath made a new and living way to us through it into the holy of holies and from this that sweet word follows which we have 1 Iohn 2. 1. If any man â—in we have an advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous A high-Priest that hath offered himself in a Sacrifice to satisfie divine â—ustice and a high Priest that lives for ever to interceed for the application thereof hence also most comfortably follows that he is able to save to the uttermost these that come to God through him able to save them from sin from wrath due for â—in from challenges for â—in from unbelief and disquietness of Conscience and to give solid and perfyt peace The 4th and last ground of confirmation which we shall name is drawn from the consideration of the nature of the covenant of redemption in the reality legality efficacy and extent thereof in reference to sinners if there be such a Covenant and paction betwixt God and the Mediator transacted to speak so â—n the eternal counsel of the God-head wherein it is agreed that Christ shall come into the world and take on the sins of the Elect who shall all in time in due time flee unto him for refuge And that they upon their fleeing to him shall have their sins pardoned and that his satisfaction shall be accepted for them as really as if
HEAVEN upon EARTH In the serene Tranquillity and calm Composure in the sweet Peace and solid Joy of a good CONSCIENCE sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus and exercised always to be void of offence toward GOD and toward MEN. Brought down and holden forth in XXII very searching Sermons on several Texts of Scripture to that purpose Wherein many weighty and momentuous Cases of CONSCIENCE greatly influencing a tender Christian walk are Soberly Solidly Succinctly and Satisfyingly Discussed Several of which are not readily to be met with in the Wriâ—ngs of other Divines on this Subject By that Learned and eminently Conscienscious Minister of the Gospel Mr. IAMES DURHAM Some-time Preacher thereof at GLASGOW 1. Pet. 3. v. 16. Having a good conscience that 〈◊〉 they speak evil of you as evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ. EDINBURGH Printed by the Heir of Andrew 〈◊〉 Printer to the Most Sacred MAJESTY ANNO DOM 168â— ERRATA Courteous Reader PLease ere thou read to correct these few escapes of the Press as page 12. line 36. read grossest for greatest p. 22. l. 36. r. inclination p. 26. l. 20. r. dictateth p. 30. l. 22. r. as for its p. 33. l. 29 delet no more p. 57. l. â— r. of â—ascination l. 2. d. conceat l. 20. r. on for one p. 61. l. 22. r. first for 2d p. 74. l. 4. r. thought p. 75. l. 29 r this for all p. 87. l. 21. r. ordinary p. 99. l. 10. r. thus for think p. 104. l 37. r. only for any p. 119. l. 28. r. not left p. 136 l. 2. r. ere for if p. 142 l. 26. r. persons for people p. 15â— l. 34. r. consideration p. 151. l. 4. r. censor p. 156. l. 29 d. divine p. 182. l. 15 put a point after testimony p. 195 l. 34. r. bâ—ings p. 204 l. 30. r. as for is l. last r. is for s p. 234. l. 20. r. rational creature p. 235 l. 4. r. concerning them by self-examination p. 256. l. 4. r. some way for some nay l. 25. r. had for hand p. 270. l. 5. r. as if he said p. 303. l. 3. r. our selves l. 10 r. repentance p. 308 l. 4. r. allowed p. 309. l. 7. d. full p. 311. l. 11. d. so p. 325. put after sacrifice p. 338. l. 12. r. observe more especialy p. 342. l. last r. persons p. 343. l. 1. r. their for his p. 344. l. last r. them for it p. 348. l. 20. r. a mistaken law p. 353. l. 8 r. he l. 18. d. is p. 358. l. 29. r. creature p. 361. l. 6. r. for making p. 364. l. 8. r. fain Any other lesser literal escapes mis-pointings or misplacings of some very few parentheses as thou wilt pardon so thou wilt easily correct GEneroso virâ— amico suo multis nominibus plurimum Colendo Domino Alexandro Durhamo Domino de Largo Clarissimi Authoris Filio Germano ex multis quos illi Deus gratiosé dederat liberis nunc tantum superstiti qui defunctum patrem virum illum non tantum apud Nostrates sed etiam apud Exteros Celebrem vere magni nominis quamvis non passibus aequis pro suo tamen modulo in vijs Domini serió sequitur egregias has de Conscienscia Conciones Conscionatoris consciensciam tenerrimam plane divinitus illuminatam suaviter spirantes in sinceri amoris tesseram perpetuae observantiae testimonium D. D Johannes Carstares TO THE READERS And more particularly to the Inhabitants of the City of GLASGOW THE Micro-cosme or little World Man a notably curious Compend and â—abridgement as it were of the larger one and the great Master piece of all the visible works of GOD wâ— when he came from under the haâ—d of the Omnipotent Creator in the first Edition a little Model and Representation of the Divine Perfections having impressed on him that blessed and beautiful that amiable and admirable conformity to the Image and likenesse of GOD wherein consisted the preheminency of His Nature above that of all other Creatures in the Visible â—r Sublunary World being one of the great excellencies that a created nature is capable of and a clearer ray of Divine Majesty then his dominion over the other Creatures and which only made him capable of the enjoyment of God as being that which assiâ—ilated to him and brought him to the nearest approaches to Glory All the faculties and powers of his Soul carried this glorious Character vâ—vely ingraven on them His Body also had somewhat of the same Image stamped on it tho not in respect of its figure and shape or natural uâ—e but as an esseâ—l part of his nature it was interested therein by a participaâ— on of original righteousnesse For it was mans person that was made holy tho his Soul was the first proper Subject of that con-created habit and principle of holinesse yet his body as I said as an essential part of his nature did participat thereof by a peculiar communication of that holinesse to 〈◊〉 as far as it was to be influential on moral operations and hereby were the Parts and Members of his Body in that state of innocency and integrity made Instruments and Servants unto righteousnesse and holinesse His Understanding was a lamp of clear and pure light without any the least measure or mixture of culpable darkness or ignorance it was able clearly and distinctly to represent all objects competent for him to know with wonderful readinesse and facility His Will was to say so straight as a rush without any the least sinful crook oâ— sinister byass inclining only and perfectly to that which was good and altogether averse from every thing that was evil there being a thorow agreement betwixt his will and the will of God so that he willed whâ— he willed and â—illed what he â—illed All his Affections moved only and constantly towards right and commanded objects and that with perfection of regularity in all their motions His Memory was of strong retention neither knew he while he remained such what it was â—o forget any thing that was suitable and incumbent for him to remember His Conscience was in excellent case â—o reflect and there being no ground for any challenge reproof or 〈◊〉 it did only commend and applaud in a word it did most faithfully and exactly act the part of God's Deputy following his orders punctually and precisely and so was keeped in an indisturbed calm and perfectly serene tranquilliâ—ie The Members of his body were servants only to righteousness and with holy â—lacrity subâ—erued the soul in all its operations But ah the entring in of cursed sin made a sad sorrowful and stupendious Caâ—astrophe setting oâ— fire as it were the whole coâ—e of nature and putting its very foundations some way out of course and deplorably deâ—acing the curious stately magnificent beautiful and glorious Fabrick of this little 〈◊〉 Man quite vitiaâ—ing and corrupting all the faculties powers and parts
willing afterward more largely to insist in not only the necessity of coming to Christ but of knowing certainly that ye are got out of black Nature into him and have gotten your Consciences purged by his Blood Think ye it a small or little concerning matter to be lying in a â—est house where thousands dy at your right and left hand and not to know if ye be cleansed To have the Plague in your bosom and not to know whether ye be cured of it or oâ— not and yet such is the state and condition of all of you while ye are in corrupt Nature And if ye would as ye are mightily concerned have some Evidences whereby ye may be helped to know if ye be as yet purged from this total pollution there are some things that may be gathered from this Verse to that purpose And 1. Did ye ever know and acknowledge your Conscience to be defiled It can hardly be ex-expected that a man having such a Botch and Plague running on him can think seriously of let be seriously seek after washing before he know that he is thus defiled and thereby in such a depâ—orable state I speak not now of what gracious change may be wrought in some persons more early and in their younger years nor how secretly and little discerâ—ibly the work of Conversion may be wrought in some that are come to age But I speak of Gods more ordinary way of dealing and reclaiming and converting of sinners When Paul speaks of himself Rom. 7. He tels us that He was alive once without the law he was a clean man as he thought and in his own eyes before the Lord discovered Sin and wakened a Challenge for it in his Conscience But when the Commandment came sayeth he sin revived and I died Now can we think with any shadow of reason that after God called him effectually by his Grace that he had more of a 〈◊〉 nature in him than he had before sure no but the body of death the corruption of his nature was now clearly discovered to him and became loathsom Challenges came to be quick and sharply piercing and his Conscience began to be touched with the lively sense of its own Defilement he was before alive or rather seemed to himself to be so but now he became a dead man in his own esteem as he was most really before the gracious change was wrought and sin to his sense revived and he as to any account of his own righteousness 〈◊〉 O! siâ—s do ye understand this Doctrine We are afraid that many of you do not understand it at least in your own experience and for as abominable as corrupt nature and sin is that yet ye are â—leeping securely in it and are often returning with the Dog to lick up that â—ile vâ—mit It s a very shrewd and evil token of a defiled and unclean Conscience where there was never any Challenge for nor any the lest kindly sense of its defilement and pollution 2. Was the Conscience ever waâ—hen with the Blood of Christ for alwise till that be it is defiled and polluted Did ye ever find your Conscience 〈◊〉 polluted that ye could not get lived with it 〈◊〉 ye was made to run to the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness spoke of Zâ—ch 13. 1. â— suppose several of you have had now and then your own Challenges for sin but what course 〈◊〉 ye to 〈◊〉 did ye strive to close and stop the mouth of your Conscience by betaking your selves to passe â—ime and to good company as ye use to call it looking on such exercise as too many do as a fit of Melancholy or did 〈◊〉 go â—ther to betake your selves for silencing your Conscience to Prayer and Reading good in themselves only without going to the Blood of Christ That will not â—e an evidence of a clean and purged Conscience but there must be a bringing of iâ— to the Fountain to Jesus Christ to be cleansed and calmed Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7. who when he saw his pollution even in but a small remander of it and was challenged for it Rom. 7. Câ—yes O wretched man that I am â— who shall deliven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of this death and subjoyns I thank God 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ our Lord He can quiet himself no where 〈◊〉 nothing but in Christ It is a good token when persons can admit the thought of no other way of cleansing and â—ing their Consciences but by bringing them to Christ and his Blood especially when the sense of 〈◊〉 and the â—aith of the efficacy of his Blood hath brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring them to him as the Fountain 3. We would ask you if the effect of a clean Conscience has followed your betaking of your selves to Christ and that is a clean Life and honest Walk and Conversation for a purged Conscience will have a purged and honest Walk following on it and if men have once gotten a cleansed and purged Conscience they will be very cheary of it and loath to pollute it again and their great work will be to live so as they may not pollute it But â—h how few how lamentably few have attained to this effect There are many purgings of Conscience which are like the sweepings and garnishings of that house spoken of in the Gospel that made it ready for the Devil to re-enter into with seven spirits worse than himself many after Light and transient touches of Challenges become more hardned and presumptuous more secure and carnal than they were before and their Conscience digests as it were greater sins better and more easily than it had wont to do and it fares with them according to that Proverb 2 Pet. 2. â—lt often cited The Dog is returned to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire Their corrupt and filthy Nature being still to the â—ore they fall a licking up that which formerly they seemed to have vomited out and return to their former louse carriage 4. What discord and war is there with any remainder 〈◊〉 it be yet come to a remainder of corruption and pollution that is bâ—hind What resenting and loathing is there of it If the Conscience be purged and endeavoured to be keeped pure new defilements will be very unwelcome Guests and exceedingly troublesome to your peace The bond womans Son to say so must not abide with the free-womans in the house but must be cast out and will be endeavoured to be cast out While a man is in black Nature sin is at home and any motion to sin is entertained and even in a manner invited and wowed but when a man comes to be renewed in his staâ—e and Grace gets the dominion his great care and work is to get the remainder of corruption cast out and if any thing of it come back or stay still within that he cannot get cast out he loaths it and cannot bear with it nor dwell satisfiedly in the