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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	according_a	judge_v	see_v	1,816	5	3.3060	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00643	The souls looking-glasse lively representing its estate before God: with a treatise of conscience; wherein the definitions and distinctions thereof are unfolded, and severall cases resolved: by that reverend and faithfull minister of the Word, William Fenner, B.D. sometimes fellow of Pembroke-hall in Cambridge, and late parson of Rochford in Essex.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.; Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1640 (1640)	STC 10779; ESTC S101939	116,565	318

not onely absolve him from th● guilt of those sinnes which he neve● committed but also from the guilt o● those sinnes which he hath committe● against God or against man It can tel● him he hath truly repented and trul● been humbled and truly got pardon Ye know David had committed dive● sinnes yet when he had humbled 〈◊〉 soul before God and obteined pardo● his conscience telleth him as much an● absolveth him Psal 103.3 Blesse t●● Lord O my soul c. who forgiveth 〈◊〉 thy sinnes Nay though a child of Go● have many infirmities dayly and hou●ly yet his conscience doth absol●● him It is no more I that do it saith 〈◊〉 conscience but sinne that dwelleth in 〈◊〉 If I distrust it is no more I for I fight ●gainst it if I be overtaken by any weak●esse it is no more I for I laboured against 〈◊〉 and do bewail it III. A misliking conscience THe third part of consciences office in things done is to mislike if we ●ave done ill There be imperfections in the best obedience of Gods dearest servants What I do I allow not Rom. 7.15 saith ●aul His conscience misliked some ●●ing done by him But that mislike of ●onscience which now I speak of is of ●●ings that are ill done that is not done in truth and sinceritie Thus it is 〈◊〉 all that are not renewed by the holy Ghost The office of their conscience ●●deed is to mislike what they do When they have prayed their consci●●ce can mislike it and say I have not ●ayed with a heavenly mind a holy heart When they have been at a Sacrament ●onscience can truly mislike it and say ● have not been a fit guest at Christs ta●●e c. When they are crossed and ●empted their consciences truly mislike their carriage and say I do not fight and resist but readily and willingly yield t● every invitation to evil Do ye no● think that Jeroboams conscience misliked his altering Gods worship hi● innovating religion his making Israe● to sinne do not ye think his conscienc● misliked him for these things Do no● ye think that Nabals conscience misliked his griping and Doegs conscience misliked his slandering and Pashurs conscience misliked his opposin● and misusing Jeremie and the old prophets conscience misliked his lying Who would have thought but Balaa● said well Whatsoever the Lord saith unto me that will I speak and I canno● go beyond the commandment of the Lor● to do lesse or more no not for Bala●● house full of gold who would hav● thought but that this was well said yet his own conscience could no● choose but mislike it being not spoke● in sinceritie Many a man hath goo● for a Christian twentie or thirtie years and every one liketh him and yet i● may be his conscience hath disliked him all the while IV. A condemning conscience THe fourth part of consciences office in this behalf is to condemne ●f we have done evil and contrarie to Gods law Conscience hath an office ●ot onely to mislike us but also to con●emne us nay it will hasten more to ●ondemne us then God We see it in Adam Gen. 3.7 When Adam had sinned his ●onscience condemned him before God did he knew he was naked that 〈◊〉 had made his soul shamefully naked ●●s conscience condemned him for an ●●ostate before the Lord came to passe ●●ntence upon him Nay it condemn●th us oftner then God God will condemne a sinner but once for all viz. 〈◊〉 the last day but conscience con●●mneth him many thousand times be●●re that Many men and women who 〈◊〉 seem godly in the worlds eyes God ●●oweth how many of them have con●●mning consciences in their bosomes 〈◊〉 all their civilities and formalities ●●d crying God mercie and patched●● hopes many who would say that man were uncharitable who should condemn them for such and such who it may be find conscience within so uncharitable and saying plainly Ye are so like the conscience of Pauls heretick Tit. 3.11 who is said to be condemned of himself Vse 1 I. This serveth for the praise of the justice of God That he may be just when he judgeth the Lord needeth no other witnesse against us but our own consciences they make way for the just judgement of God Ye may see this in this portion of Scripture which we have in hand Rom. 2.15 wherein is shewed both that God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world vers 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men according to my Gospel and then in the verse going before the Apostle sheweth that now in the mean while every mans conscience maketh way for this just judgement of God their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts in the mean time accusing or excusing one another At the last day every man shall be judged according to his conscience a child of God according to his a carnall man according to his The Lord shall absolve all his children and their own consciences shall absolve them The Lord shall condemn all the rest and their own consciences shall condemn them This is the book that every mans life is set down in Every passage of conversation both of the godly and the wicked is recorded dayly in this book And according to what is written therein will the Lord judge every soul at the last day as Rev. 20.12 The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book according to their works The Apostle there speaketh prophetically and putteth the past time for the future they were judged that is they shall be judged So that ye see that by the judgement of conscience way is made for the just judgement of God Vse 2 II. This should be a means to keep us from sinne and to keep us in a holy life for according to our works so will be the evidences of our consciences whether they be good or evil We had need to take heed what we write in our consciences for according to what is written there so shall we be judged Therefore if any sinne standeth upon record in our consciences we had need get it blotted out by the bloud of Christ Repent be humbled beg for pardon rest not till thou seest this debt-debt-book conscience crossed and thy sinnes stand there cancelled and discharged THus I have shewed you the offices of conscience about things heretofore done Now let me shew you the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices Ye have heard that conscience hath foure offices in things heretofore done 1. an office to approve 2. an office to absolve 3. an office to dislike 4. an office to condemne The two former when we have done well and lived well then the office of conscience is to approve and absolve The two latter when we have done ill and lived ill then the office of conscience is to mislike and to condemne Now followeth the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices and they are

light but onely the light of nature some have besides the light of ●s word which sheweth that which ●re sheweth and much more clearly ●eacheth many things more which ●e cannot teach And hence the ●cience of the illightned condem●● for such things as the naturall con●●ce never stirreth about ●econdly the knowledge of our ●●lves is needfull else conscience can●●t neither Though we know what ●s law requireth and what not ●t is good and what not yet un● we know whether we go with it 〈◊〉 against it conscience cannot accuse nor excuse As for example A close hypocrite he knoweth wel enough that the Lord hath condemned hypocrisie and that hypocrites must have their ●●tion in hell yet if he do not know ●●self to be an hypocrite his consci●●●e can never condemn him for being ●e And therefore both these know●●●ges are necessary as well the know●●●ge of a mans self as of Gods law ●any who had a hand in crucifying our ●●viour sinned grievously yet they sinned not against knowledge beca● they knew not what they did Luke 23.34 Fath● forgive them they know not what they 〈◊〉 Thirdly It is a contradiction to 〈◊〉 a blind conscience in act The cons●●ence cannot be blind and yet actual● condemn Indeed the conscience it s● may be blind but it can never act and 〈◊〉 blind If it truly accuse or excuse must have some light It is true it ma● erroneously excuse or accuse and y● have no true light Seeming light 〈◊〉 enough to do that seeming knowledg● is enough to make conscience erroneously excuse As they who killed th● Apostles John 16.2 their consciences excuse● them and told them they did Go● good service they seemed to know i● was good service to God and therefor● their consciences excused them c Thus ye see that the light that conscience workerh by is knowledge Vse 1 The use of this point is first to le● us see the infinite necessity of knowledge As good have no conscience a● all as conscience without knowledge for it cannot act and perform its office ●is is the reason why so many thou●ds go on in their sinnes without re●tance because being ignorant they ●e no conscience to prick them there●o as Jer. 8.6 No man repenteth him ●his wickednesse saying What have I ●e Why what was the reason that ●nscience did not prick them and say ●is thou hast done and that Thus ye ●e rebelled c The text answereth 〈◊〉 the next verse My people know not 〈◊〉 judgement of the Lord. The stork ●weth her time and the turtle and the ●llow but my people do not know their ●ies Vse 2 Another use is to exhort us that we would labour to perfect the light of ●onscience that it may be able to guide 〈◊〉 and direct us unto heaven Our con●●ience hath knowledge enough by the ●ght of nature to make us inexcusable ●nd to clear the justice of God though ●e should damne us for ever but there ●ust be a greater light then that that ●ust guide us to heaven O let us ●ray to Christ the true light to set up ●his light in us that we may never be at a losse in our way to happinesse n●ver step out of the right path but o● conscience may be able to put us in ●gain never go slowly but our cons●●ence may spurre us on faster that o● conscience may not be like the s●● of a candle in a socket that flameth 〈◊〉 now and then and then is dark aga● and again it flameth out and is dark ●gain A man may see his book by i● but he cannot see to reade he may se● his pen and ink by it but he cannot se● to write a woman may see her need● and cloth by it but she cannot see t● work so it is with some mens consciences Their light is so dimme tha● they can see the duties but they canno● see to do them they can see the commandments of God but they canno● see to obey them O labour to perfec● the light of your consciences that ye● may see to walk by them And thu● much also of the second proposition The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge Now I should come to the third proposition which as I first propounded ●hem was this The bond that bindeth conscience is Gods law But I will now a little ●ter the method and make the other ●hich was propounded last to be the ●ird in the handling and it is this Proposition III. ●he office of Conscience is to bear witnesse to accuse or excuse COnscience is put into this office by God himself It is Gods officer III. Proposition The office of Conscience is to bear witnesse ●ot onely his register-book that shall 〈◊〉 opened at the day of judgement ●herein is set down our thoughts words and deeds but it is a preacher also to tell us our duty both towards ●od and towards man yea it is a ●●werfull preacher it exhorteth ur●th provoketh yea the most power●ll preacher that can be it will cause ●e stoutest and stubbornest heart un●r heaven to quake now and then it ●ill never let us alone till it have ●ought us either to God or to the de● Conscience is joyned in com●ission with Gods owne spirit to be an instructour unto us in the way we should walk so that the spirit and it are resisted or obeyed together grieved or delighted together We cannot sinne against conscience but we sinne also against Gods spirit we cannot check our own consciences but we check and quench the holy spirit of God The office of conscience to our selves is Rom. 9.1 to bear witnesse My conscience beareth me witnesse saith Paul Conscience is alwayes ready to do this office if it shall at any time be invited unto it For conscience looketh sometimes for inviting sometimes it will not bear witnesse unlesse we invite it and call upon it so to do But there will come a time when it will do it and must do it and shall do it namely at death or at judgement then it will bear witnesse whether men invite it or no. Now it may be suppressed and silenced and kept under from witnessing but then it must bear witnesse and shall either excusing or accusing acquitting or condemning when God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts as the Apostle speaketh The properties that are given unto conscience in the discharge of its office are foure Foure Properties of Conscience 1. It is supreme 2. It is impartiall 3. It is faithfull 4. It is privie 1. It is supreme It hath highest authoritie it is the most uncontrollable and ablest witnesse that can be the greatest weightiest witnesse in the world better then ten thousand witnesses Though all the world do condemn us yet if our own conscience do not we need not fear And so on the contrary if conscience do condemn us it will be small comfort though all the world flatter and commend and excuse us It is a supreme witnesse Though