The Great Corruption of Subtle Self, Title page – Dedication
THE Great Corruption OF Subtile Self, Diſcovered, and driven from it's Lurking-places and Starting-holes.
AND The contrary Grace, Self-Denyal commended, as an indiſpenſably neceſſary requiſite to the Acceptable and Succeſsfull performance of all Commanded-Duties, and as notably fitting for taking up of the Croſs, and following Chriſt.
In Seven Sermons
By Maſter JAMES DURHAM, late Miniſter of the Goſpel in Glaſgow.
EDINBURGH, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderſon, Printer to the King's moſt excellent Majeſty, ANNO DOM. 1686.
THE Epiſtle Dedicatory. To the Right Honourable and very noble Ladies, my Lady Dutches of Rothes, and her Graces Eldeſt Daughter the Counteſs of Rothes, who Chriſtianly ambitions it, as her greatest honour in following the Lord, to tread in the footsteps of her living noble Mother, and of her deceast Grand-Mother, the Counteſs of Crafurd, Sister-German to the two Illuſtrious Princes, James and William late Dukes of Hamilton, and of Her great Grand-Mother my Lady Boid, all three eminent Paterns of Piety in their day.
Moſt Noble Ladies.
THe incomprehenſibly Great and Glorious JEHOVAH, the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who is, and was, and is to come, the Firſt, and the Laſt, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the beginning of all without beginning, and the end to which all re…er without end, who hath eternally his beeing only, and altogether, in and from himſelf, wi…hout Participation with, or Derivation from any, other, and from whom, as the firſt Fountain, and Original Beeing, the Sole-ſelf-being, and Beeing of Beeings, all the Creatures Inanimat, Vegetative, Senſitive, and Rational, whether Angels or Men, are but derivated, and borrowed Bits of Beeing, in compariſon with whom, they are but up-ſtarts of yeſter-day, and (as it were) Time-nothings, hath (as it is highly rational, juſt, equal, and congruous he ſhould) made all things for himſelf; and hath in a more ſpecial manner, formed, and new-made his own choſen and peculiar People for himſelf that they might ſhew forth his praiſe; and hath bought them with a price, and redeemed them, not with corruptible things, as ſilver and gold from their vain converſation, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a a Lamb without blemiſh, and without ſpot, ſlain from the foundation of the world; who are th…refore not their own, but infinitly oblidged to glorify God both in their ſpirits and bodies which are Gods; none of whom beyond all living, ought to live to himſelf, nor die to himſelf, but living and dying ought to be the Lords; ſince the Lord Chriſt both died and roſt, and revived, that he might in a peculiar manner, be Lord of them both living and dead; It becometh them from the conſtraining power of the love of Chriſt to judge thus, that they ſhould not live to themſelves, but unto him, who out of love died for them, and to endeavour through Grace to be in a capacity, each of them, for him, and her ſelf, to ſay, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheleſs I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me, and the life that I now live in the fleſh, is by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved m…, and gave himſelf for me; and, to me to live is Chriſt, The very End and Scope that I propoſe to my ſelf, in deſiring life with any of the conveniencies, accommodations and comforts thereof, is the Honour and Glory of Jeſus Chriſt: as of all perſons in the world, it is moſt unworthy of them, and worſt becoming them, to be inordinat Self-lovers, Self-pleaſures, or Self-ſeekers, ſo it i… highly ſuitable for them (being ſingularly and ſignally oblidged thereto) to deny themſelves and to take up their croſs and follow him: and yet, notwithſtanding all theſe mighty, matchleſs, and marvelous obligations, they, even they, alas! are frequently, and not altogether without ſucceſs, inſinuated upon, by deceitful corrupt Self, that immixeth with their beſt, and moſt Spirituall Duties, and in part ſpoileth them; they are the more called and concerned, watchfully to guard againſt it, that it do…h, as a thin, ſubtile, ſpiritual humour very ſecretly, and inſenſibly diffuſe it ſelf thorow the whole Maſs and Body of the Duties of Religion, and by it's venemous quality, in leſs, or more, tinctures, and vitiats them all; The moſt ſoveraign antidot againſt which poiſon, and the moſt powerfull extracter, and ſuck…r out of it, is ſincere Love to Jeſus Chriſt, flowing from the Lively Faith of his Love.
Your Noble Ladyſhips, as his genuine and kindly Diſciples, have been a conſiderable time trained up in his School, and been by him, the great Teacher, taken much pains upon (I hope with good ſucceſs) that ye might be made to learn well, to take out, and be Spiritually Perqueer in that firſt great high and difficult Leſſon of Chriſtian Religion, Self-denyal (which, as i… is an abſolutely neceſſary, and indiſpenſably requiſite to the whole of it, ſo it is univerſally influential on the ſame, and more particularly, on patient, pleaſant and cheerful taking up, and bearing Chriſts Croſs after him;) as otherwiſe, ſo by the late great breaches that the Holy Lord hath thought good to make, and that within a very ſhort ſpace of time, upon ſeveral of your Noble near and dear Relations; thereby at once, laying very heavy loads of Croſſes and Afflictions upon you, and graciouſly inſtructing you, with a ſtrong hand to deny your ſelves, that ye may chriſtianly bear them, and be made obſervable proficients by them; taking his own infinit and all-ſufficient ſelf, to fill the empty rooms of theſe deceaſt dear Relations, which all the world cannot do (which is your great and highly valuable mercy, whatever ſtrangers to him may think to the contrary) yet he that hath filled Heaven and Earth can eaſily do it, O! bleſſed deſign; let him, with your moſt cordial allowance, and at your moſt earneſt deſires drive it vigorouſly, and ſucceſsfully about you; that when others of his People ſhall hear and ſee your ways and doings, they may be comforted, and made to ſay, verily God hath not done in vain, nor without precious and bleſſed Fruit, all that he hath done, to yonder Noble Ladies: which very excellent and ſingularly uſefull Grace of Self denyall is notably cleared and commended in theſe few following Sermons; as the contrary corruption of ſlie and ſubtile Self is by diligent ſearch found out, and chaſed from it's many lurking-places, and ſtarting holes, and the …uc and cry raiſed after it, as a common and notorious Thief, that is alwayes ſecretly and ſacri…igiouſly filſhing, pilfering, purloining and ſtealing ſomewhat from us, that is Gods due in all …hat we do; which therefore on the cry we would earneſtly and cloſly purſue, as one of his greateſt Enemies, which ſaucily and malapertly preſums to rival it with him, and lifteth it ſelf up to ſit on his Throne, and to bring him down to ſtand at it's Foot-ſtool, the very Image (as it were) of jealouſy provocking to jealouſy, making us ſo far as it prevails, to be groſs Idolaters, and alſo one of our own greateſt Enemies, whatever be it's plauſible pretence of friendſhip to us, and in whatever handſome-like dreſs and ſhape (for it can, in a manner, nimbly turn it ſelf into all ſhapes) it officiouſly offereth to commend it ſelf to us; it (as it were) eats much of the fat, and drinks much of the ſweet of our Sacrifices of praiſes, prayers, and of all our other Duties; it pitifully impoveriſheth us, when we might be rich, and ſeem to be ſo, and maketh us, when we appear to be very fruitful, to be almoſt utterly empty vines, becauſe, by it's means, a great part of our fruit is brought forth to our ſelves. Now heartily deſiring that theſe few very ſearching, but very ſweetly ſavouring Sermons of the ſingularly Self-denyed long ſince deceaſed Author, may come along to all the Readers of them, and to your Ladyſhips in particular, with a full bleſſing; and hopeing that you will not offend at my adventuring to ſhreud them under the umbrage of your noble Names, I am.
Moſt Noble Ladies Your Graces, and Your Ladyſhips Servant in the Goſpel. J. C.