The Law Unsealed, Title page – Dedication
THE LAW UNSEALED: OR, A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. WITH A reſolution of ſeveral Momentous Queſtions and Caſes of Conſcience.
By the Learned, Laborious, Faithful Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. JAMES DURHAM, Late Miniſter of the Goſpel at GLASGOW.
Thy Commandment is exceeding broad.
Pſalm 119. 96.
The ſecond Edition reviſed and corrected, To which are prefixed the Commendatory Epiſtles of two famous Engliſh Divines, Dr. Owen and Mr. Jenkin: There is alſo affixed an Alphabetical Table of the principal matters handled in the whole Book; likewiſe the Errata that are eſcaped in the third Edition, they are printed and amended in their right place in this ſecond Edition.
LORD LET GLASGOW FLOURISH THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THY WORD.
GLASGOW, Printed by Robert Sanders, Printer to the City and Univerſity, and are to be ſold in his Shop. 1676.
To the Right Honourable, Truly Noble, and Renownedly Religious Lady, My Lady Marqueſs of ARGILE.
Nobleſt Madam,
HAD it ſo ſeemed good to the Soveraign, Holy, and Infinite Wiſe God, he might at the firſt moment of his Peoples Converſion, have quite expelled all, even the very leaſt remainders of indwelling Corruption, and perfectly conformed them to his own Image in Holineſs; but he hath in the depth of his inſearchable Wiſdome, otherwiſe diſpoſed for ends beſt known to himſelf: concerning which (what ever may be, even here, our ſtrongely-probable, and, in a good meaſure, quieting Conjecturs as to ſome of them) it will be our Wiſdom to make a reference for full ſatisfaction to the day of that great Solemn and Celebrious general Aſſembly of the firſt-Born, wherein all ſuch references ſhall be called and ſatisfyingly diſcuſſed: And ſeeing he hath thought it fit that ſome relicts of ſin (but exauctorated of its ringe and dominion) ſhould indwell; and that thereby the ſpiritual conſtitution of ſojourning-Saints ſhould be a mixture of Grace and Corruption (each of theſe, notwithſtanding, retaining ſtill its own natural irreconcileable Antipathy with the other, and luſting againſt the other; ſo that in all their actings, both gracious and ſinful, they are ſtill divided; and neither one, as they were before Regenerating Grace, nor as they ſhall be in Glory) its highly congruous and ſutable to the ſame inſ…nit Wiſdom, that there ſhould be a proportionable and correſpondent mixture in the diſpenſations of his Providence towards them while one this ſide, Heaven, ſome more ſmiling, and ſome more croſs: the Fleſh and Unregenerate part requiring croſſes to whip it up, and drive it forward; and the Spirit and Regenerate part calling for them alſo, to keepit awake and on its guard, againſt the ſurpriſing prejudice and hurt it may ſuſtain from the reſtleſs ill Neighbour, and troubleſome Companion, a Body of Death, that cleaveth cloſe to them, as a Girdle doth to the Loins of a Man, by reaſon of which they have not many hours, let be days, to do well to an end: When their Conſtitution cometh to be purely Grace, perfectly defecat and refined from all the dreggy and dro…ſy mixture of indwelling Corruption then will their Lot be pure Solace and Joy, even perfection & perpetuity of Joy, without any the leaſt mixture of Sorrow or Trouble of what ever ſort; but till then (and Bleſſed Eternally be God, it is not long to that, even but a moment) Trouble and Sorrow, leſs or more, will wait on them who through much Tribulation muſt enter into the Kingdom of God▪ Yet on a juſt reckoning there will be found no real nor well grounded Reaſon of diſſatisfaction with this wiſe diſpoſal of Divine Providence, ſince He never afflicteth, nor are they in heavineſs through one or more, or even manifold Temptations; but when there is Need, and ſuch need that a few ſerious reflections will conſtrain the Patient to acknowledge it, and to ſay, This ſame particular Croſs ſo and ſo circumſtantiated, could not well have been wanted without a greater prejudice; nay, conſidering the inſeparable connection that God in his Eternal and Unalterable Decree, hath eſtabliſhed betwixt the end and all the means that lead to it; When ever ſuch and ſuch a Croſs is actually met with, there is ground to think that it is as neceſſary as the Salvation of the Chriſtians is▪ that Croſs being appointed as one mean with others, to bring about the purpoſed end, to wit, the Salvation of ſuch a Perſon: which one conſideration (That they are appointed thereunto, as the Apoſtle, writing to the Theſſalon…ans, aſſerteth) well pondered, would contribut, not a little to reconcile the moſt ſadly Croſſed and afflicted Children of God, a great deal more to their reſpective Croſſes; and would make them to be taken up and borne more patiently, pleaſantly, and chearfully; and would with all make them to look out on them with a leſs formidable & more amiable Aſpect than ordinarily they do. And ſince, in the ſecond place, all there Afflictions are afflictions only of this preſent time, for a ſeaſon, and but for a moment, not protracted according to deſert one minute beyond Death, let be Eternities length; Since moreover the heavieſt Loads, and greateſt meaſures of them are but light and moderate Afflictions, and His ſevereſt correctings of them are in meaſure with Judgment and Diſcretion; He ſtayeth his rough Wind in the day of his Eaſt Wind, and doth in great Wiſdom ſuite and proportion the tryals of his People to their ſtrength and ſtanding; in His faithfulneſs, not ſuffering them to be tempted above what they are able, but with the temptation making a way to eſcape that they may be able to bear it: Its not his manner to put new Wine into old Bottles, nor to ſew a piece of new Cloath unto an old Garment. He that teacheth the Husband man diſcretion, about the fit time and ſeaſon of Plowing, Tilling, Sowing, Harrowing, and Reaping of every kind of Seed and Grain, according to its Nature; and how to Threſh out theſe ſeveral ſorts of Seed & Grain by fit means and inſtruments, can, being wonderful in Counſel, and excellent in Working, with infinitely more wiſdom, skill, judgment, diſcretion, and tenderneſs, pitch the fitteſt ſeaſons, kinds, meaſures and durations of his People Afflictions, according to their ſeveral Neceſſities, Diſpoſitions, Standings, Capacities, and Abilities. And ſince withal, our Soveraign Lord the King, the King of Saints, out of the abſoluteneſs of his Dominion, and the ſuper-aboundance of his richeſt Grace hath impoſed upon every Croſs that his People meet with, not excepting (to ſay ſo) Veſſels of the greateſt Burden of Affliction that Sail up and down the Sands, as it were, of the troubleſome Sea of this World, the Tole and Cuſtom of ſome ſpiritual Good to be Payed to them; Allowing, Warranting, and Commanding them by his Commiſſion granted to them under his Great Seal for that effect, to demand, require, and exact it from every occurring Croſs and Affliction: And if there ſhall be any demur or delay, let be ſeeming denyal to pay this Cuſtom to wait and ſearch for it, and with a piece of holy peremptorineſs, to perſiſt in the exacting of it, as being moſt certainly, without a poſſibility of miſgiving, to be got therefore which the Commiſſion (more and more endeavoured to be really believed and made uſe of according to the Granter's mind) ſhould be produced; wherein he hath given the higheſt ſecurity that All things (having a ſpecial look at all their Afflictions, as the context, in the confeſſion of moſt, if not all Judicious Commentators putteth beyond debate) ſhall work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpoſe; where he hath, to ſpeak ſo with reverence to his Majeſty, condeſcended ſome way, to abridge his own Soveraignty and abſolute Dominion, ingaging himſelf by Covenant, that though he may do what he will, yet he ſhall will to do nothing but what ſhall be for his Peoples good; ſo that in all his diſpenſations towards them, his abſolute Dominion and his good Will shall be commenſurable, & of equal extent, the one of them never to be ſtretched one hairs breadth beyond the other; and even in the moſt dark, involved, intricate, abſtruſe and myſterious providences wherein they can read and take up leaſt of his mind; and wherein he (ſeeming to walk either in the greateſt abſoluteneſs of his Dominion, or in the ſharpeſt ſeverity of his Juſtice) refuſeth to give a particular account of his matters and motions, hath wonderfully ſtooped & condeſcended to give this general, ſweetly-ſatisfactory Account, That they ſhall work for good, even their ſpiritual good and profit, The purging of ſin, and their further participation of his Holineſs: O! that all the graciouſly ſincere Lovers of God, and the effectually called according to his purpoſe, might from the lively Faith of this, be perſwaded and prevailed with, to ſet themſelves down at the Rece…t of theſe Cuſtoms from the many Croſſes and Afflictions that come in their way, with a fixed reſolution to ſuffer none of them to paſs without paying the Cuſtom impoſed by the King; The faithful, diligent, cloſe, and conſtant following of this imployment would inſpeakably inrich, and more than make up all their Loſſes, infinitly beyond what gathering in the Cuſtoms of the rareſt and richeſt Commodities of both the In…es could poſſibly do, were they all ingroſſed and monopolized to that moſt honourable Society of the Godly; and would help them to bear out a great ſpiritual rank and port, ſutable to the ſtate of the King, and as it becometh them that are priviledged to be Collectors of ſuch Cuſtoms under Him.
It is now, Noble Madam, a long time, not far from towards 30. years (what ever was before) ſince your Ladyſhip was known by ſome to be helped, through Grace, ſeriouſly to ſit down at the receit of theſe Cuſtoms from the croſs and afflicting diſpenſations which then occurred to yo…, whereby ye did obſervably improve, better, and increaſe your ſpiritual ſtock and ſtate, ſome-way to the admiration of Standers by; and ſince that time, for moſt part of it, you have been in the holy Providence of God, tryed with a tract of Tribulations, each of them more trying than another; and ſome of them ſuch, that I think (as once the bleſt Author of this Treatiſe on occaſion of a ſad & ſurpriſing ſtroak, the removal of the deſire of his eyes, his gracious and faithful Wi…e, after a whiles ſilence, with much gravity and great compoſure of ſpirit, ſaid, Who could perſwade me to believe that this is good, if God had not ſaid it:) if all the world had ſaid and ſworn it, they could very hardly, if at all, have perſwaded you to believe that they were good: But ſince God, that cannot lye, hath ſaid it, there is no room left to debate or doubt of it, let be to deny it▪ and if your Ladyſhip (as I hope yo… hauehave) hath been all this while gathering up the Cuſtoms … ſpiritual good and gain, impoſed upon theſe many, various, and great tribulations, wherewith the Lord, no doubt, on a bleſſed deſign of ſingular good to you, hath thought fit to exerciſe you beyond moſt perſons living, at leaſt of your ſo noble ſtation and extraction: O! what a vaſt ſtock and Treaſure of rich and ſoul-inriching precious experiences of the good and profit of all theſe Afflictions and Tribulations muſt you needs have lying by you? What humility and ſoft walking, what contrition and tenderneſs of heart; what frequency and fervency, what ſeriouſneſs and ſpirituality in Prayer? what ſitting alone and keeping ſilence becauſe he hath done it? what juſtifying of God, and aſcribing Righteouſneſs to Him in all that he hath done? what ſweet Soli-loquies communings with the heart one the Bed, ſelf-ſearchings and examinations? what delight-ſome meditations on God, and on his Law? what Mortification of Luſts, what deadneſs and denyedneſs to, and what weanedneſs from all Creature-comforts and delights of the ſons of Men? What ſolicitous ſecuring of the grand Intereſt amid'ſt theſe ſhakings-looſe of all other intereſts? what coveting of, and complacency in fellowſhip with God the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt, while your other fellowſhip is made deſolate? what accounting of all things, ſo much in account amongſt men, to be but loſs and dung in compariſon of the excellency of the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt the Lord? what growing diſconformity to the World, by the renewing of your mind? what transforming into the Image of God from Glory to Glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord? what examplary holineſs in all manner of converſation? what poſtponing of all particular & ſelf-intereſts to the publick intereſt of his Glory? what waitings and longings for the Coming of his Kingdom? what deſires and deſigns faithfully to ſerve your Generation according to His Will; and when that is done, what groanings to be uncloathed and cloathed upon with your Houſe from above? and what lively longings, with ſweet ſubmiſſions to his Will to be diſſolved, and to be with Jeſus Chriſt, which is beſt of all? How much in the mean time of a Stranger's and Pilgrim's deportement with publiſhed practical plain declarations to the world that this is not your Country? but that you are in expectation of one, even a Heavenly Country, ſo that God is not aſhamed to be called your God? finally, What practical and experimental knowledge of, and clear inſight in that notable and none-ſuch art of making out of God, and making up in Him what is miſſing amongſt the Creatures? a little of whom can go far, inconceivably far, to fill up much empty and voyd room, through the removal of many and moſt choice Creature-comforts? What poſſible loſs or want is it that cannot be made up in him? who is God all-ſufficient, and in whom, what-ever is deſirable and excellent amongſt them all, is to be found in an eminently tranſcendent, and infinitely more excellent way; and from whom, as the inexhauſtibly full Fountain, and incomprehenſibly vaſt, immenſe, ſhoarleſs, boundleſs, and bottomleſs Ocean of all delightful, deſirable, imaginable, and poſſible perfections, the ſmall drops, and little rivulets of ſeeming and painted perfections ſcattered amongſt the Creatures, iſſue forth: O! beautiful and bleſt fruits of afflictions, yet not brought forth by afflictions of themſelves, but by his own grace working together with, and by them; a part of whoſe Royal and Incommunicable Prerogative, it is (not communicate nor given out of his own hand to any diſpenſation, whether of Ordinances, or of Providences more ſmiling or more croſs, abſtractly from his Bleſing and Grace) to teach to profit. If your Ladyſhip be not thus inriched, and if your Stock and Revenue be not thus bettered, I take it for granted that it is your burden, and more afflicting to you than all your other Afflictions; & that it is with-all ſingly aimed at by you, and diligently driven as your greateſt deſign in the world. I could from my own particular certain knowledge and obſervation, long agoe, and of late (having had the honour and happineſs to be often in your company, and at ſome of the loweſt ebbs of your outward proſperity) and from the knowledge of others more knowing and obſerving than I, ſay more of your rich incomes of gain and advantage, of your improvements, of the countervailings of your dammage, and of the up-makings of all your loſſes this way, than either my fear of incurring the conſtruction of a Flatterer with ſuch as do not know you as I do, will permit; or your Chriſtian modeſty, ſobriety, and ſelf-denyal will admit; and to undertake to ſay all that might truly, and without complementing (too too ordinary in Epiſtles Dedicatory) be ſaid to this purpoſe, would be thought by your Lady-ſhip as far below you to crave, or expect, as it would be above me ſuitably to perform.
Now Madam, being fully perſwaded that this ſavoury, ſound, ſolid, ſoul-ſearching, and ſoul-ſetling Treatiſe, will be acceptable to, and improved by your Ladyſhip, for furtherance of this your ſpiritual good and advantage, beyond what it will be to, and by moſt others: I find no need of any long conſultation with my ſelf, To whom to addreſs its Dedication, you having in my poor eſteem on many accounts, the deſerved preference of many (to ſay no more) Ladys of Honour now living; and ſince with-all I nothing doubt, had the precious, and now perfected Author been alive, and minded the publication of it with a Dedication to any Noble Lady, Your Self would have been the Perſon, of whom, I know, he had a high eſteem, having himſelf, before his Death, ſignified his purpoſe of Dedicating his piece on the Canticles to your Lady-ſhips Noble and much noted Siſter in Law, my Lady V…-Counteſs of Kenmure. It needs no Epiſtles of commendation to you, who was ſo throughly acquainted with its Author; the reading of it will abundantly commend it ſelf, and as a piece, though poſthumous, of his work, commend him in the Gates. I ſhal only now ſay, which will much indear it to you, and to all the honeſt-hearted Students of Holineſs, that it is for moſt part, very practical (and what is polemick in it) at that time much called for) is by a true information of the judgement directly levelled at a ſuitable practiſe) and your Ladyſhip knoweth that the power, yea, the very ſoul & life of Religion lyeth in the dew practiſe of it; and indeed we know no more in God's account than we do through Grace, ſingly and ſeriouſly deſign and endeavour to practiſe; they all and they only having a good underſtanding, that do his Commandements, and to do, and keep them, being his Peoples Wiſdom and Ʋnderſtanding in the ſight of the Nations who here of theſe Statutes, and are conſtrained to ſay, Surely this is a Wiſe and Ʋnderſtanding People; The greateſt meaſure of meerly apprehenſive and ſpeculative knowledge of the Truths and Will of God, doth not make truly Wiſe, becauſe not Wiſe to Salvation, nor evidenceth the Perſons that have it to be really Happy, the Lord not having pronounced them to be ſuch that only know, but who knowing theſe things do them; though, alaſe, many not at all, or but very little conſidering this ſeek to know only, or mainly, that they themſelves may know, or that they may make it known to others that they do know (a notable diſappointment of the end of all ſound Scripture-Theologie, which is as to the Whole, and every Part, Head and Article thereof, Practiſe, and nor mere Speculation) the great Soul-ruining practical error of many Profeſſors of this knowing age upon the one hand; as there is another error in practiſe, lamentably incident to not a few well-meaning Souls, on the other hand, whereby deſiring and delighting only to hear, read, and know what ſpeaks to their preſent caſe and ſpiritual exerciſe, or immediatly preſſeth ſomewhat in practiſe, they much weary of, and liſten but little to what ſerveth for more full and clear information of their Judgments in the literal meaning of the Scriptures, in the Doctrinal part of Religion, and in what may increaſe, better, and advance their knowledge in the principles thereof, till they be ſound in the Faith, eſtabliſhed in the preſent Truth, and have their loins girt about with it; whereby it comes to paſs, that although ſome ſuch may, through grace, have choſen the better part which wil not be taken from them; yet they are not only through their ignorance filled with many confuſions, and with perplexing, and almoſt inextricable fears and doubts about their own ſpiritual ſtate and condition, but are alſo eminently expoſed to the dreadful hazard of being catched and carryed a away as a ready prey, by every error and Sect maſter, plauſibly pretending but any the leaſt reſpect to the practiſe and power of Godlineſs; which hath been very prejudical to the Church of God in all Ages, and moſt obſervably in this, as ther is much ground to fear it may yet further be, if we be tryed with warm and ſutable tentations. Happy therefore, yea, thrice happy they, who are by the skill and conduct of him that is given to be a Leader and Pilot to his People, helped to ſtemm the Port, and to ſteer a ſtreight & ſteddy courſe betwixt the Shelves & Rocks of theſe Extreams, on the right and left hand, on which thouſands have ſpilt and made Shipwarck; and to make it their buſineſs as to ſeek diligently after knowledge of the truths of Religion; to cry and lift up their voyce for it as for Silver and for hid Treaſure; and to run to and fro thorow the uſe of all Divinely appointed means that knowledge may be increaſed; ſo, vigorouſly to drive it as their deſign, to practiſe all they know, and to have their practiſe foot-ſide with, and marching up, the full length of their knowledge and profeſſion. That your Ladyſhip may more and more (as you, through Grace, already in a great meaſure do) thus ſtemm the Port, fetching ſome more Wind to fill your Sails from God's Bleſſing on this Judgement-inſtructing and affection-moving practical Treatiſe, till you arrive with a plerophory of Faith with up-Sails Top and Top-gallant, at that peaceful Port and Heavenly Harbour of Reſt, prepared for the People of God, is the ſerious Deſire of
Noble Madam, Your Ladyſhips much Obliged, and Devoted Servant for Chriſts ſake.