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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02722	Tvvo sermons vvherein we are taught, 1. Hovv to get, 2. How to keepe, 3. How to vse a good conscience. Preached in Alldermanbury Church, London. Not heretofore published. By Robert Harris.	Harris, Robert, 1581-1658.	1630 (1630)	STC 12854; ESTC S105942	21,197	47

thou canst not claime kinred of Paul vpon such a Conscience with Turkes and Heathens thou maist Ob. The third ground is this My Conscience doth not onely checke me for what 's past but curbs and reins me in before sin be committed I dare not doe as the most doe nay I dare not omit good duty Should not I reade pray euery day I could not sleepe in the night c. I answere Sol. It must be considered whence that feare arises for t is certaine that very custome and education will make a child afraid to omit his deuotions when he goes to bed if we will establish the heart with comfort wee must make good two things First that we worke vpon right motiues not onely because such hath beene our custome such our education so is the will of our Parents c. but because wee need such helpes God loues such seruices and we finde strength comming vpon such performances Secondly that we heed the manner of performing as well as the matters performed not resting in the worke done but mourning for our dulnesse distractions coldnesse and other failings in the doing for this is once there 's nothing more shames and humbles an vpright man then his ouert and slight performance of his Masters worke Obiect The third ground they settle vpon is their peace their sinnes doe not daunt them nor their Consciences dampe them all is quiet within and they haue no doubts of their saluation Sol. I answer There is the Diuels peace and Gods peace there is a negatiue peace or cessation onely of torment and a positiue peace or fruition of comfort Therefore examine first the source and raising of thy peace for some are quiet because the conscience is either blinde and sees not the sword against it like Balaam or slothfull and sleepy and a very sore man may feele little in his sleepe or else either seared or deluded a deluded sence thinkes it feeles or sees what in truth it doth not and seared flesh doth not smart like other flesh not because it hath more life but lesse sence so here Secondly The meanes how thou commest by it there is no peace but in Gods wayes if I winne it not by praver digge it not out of Gods sauing wels and ordinances finde not the Word speaking peace to my soule I cannot haue it our peace comes in at the eare as the Church speakes and out of Gods mouth God creates peace by his word and lippe as Esay speakes vnlesse it beare his stampe and haue Holinesse to the Lord written vpon it t is not right t will not passe as currant Thirdly The effects of it holy peace workes thankfulnesse to Christ humility in vs mercifulnesse towards bruised spirits Obj The fourth ground is this I cannot abide vnconscionablenesse in others I can with no patience see men goe against Conscience Sol. I answer The Diuell is a great rifler and accuser of others consciences but a conscionable man is busiest at home mildest abroad be so or be nothing Obiect But I straine at the least sinne Sol. So did the Pharisee Conscience is not right vnlesse it straine at all sinne endeauour all duty as Paul speakes in both tables consider compare and so passe sentence and here an end of this Vse now to Instruction And here would all that heare me this day were as Saint Paul his bonds excepted It shall not be needfull to say much to those who haue felt heauen and hell both in their consciences they see the difference as for others what can I say when as men cannot beleeue me without experience If they would receiue others testimonies they may well conceiue that a good conscience is beyond all created goods and a bad worse then all positiue euils for first What so desireable to all liuing things as life What will not men part withall for life though it be from skin to skin yet conscience is such a thing as wise men prize aboue life they 'le dye a thousand deaths rather then lose conscience and whilst they liue they liue no longer then Conscience speakes peace Looke vpon an experienced man and when he hath lost his peace no meate no place no wealth no company no life is pleasant he onely liues because he dares not dye Secondly for an ill conscience What more terrible and hatefull to Nature then death yet death is sweet to a wounded Conscience did hee thinke that death would end his torments he would not liue nay though he apprehends a iudgement a hell at the heeles of death yet many times hee rushes vpon it and concludes that certainly hell can be no worse and probably better then an ill conscience Loe my Brethren what Conscience both wayes is one so sweet that Heauen would be no Heaven without it the other so bitter that Hell is no Hell to it in the iudgement of experience I can say no more to perswade mee thinkes now nothing should remaine but direction And the way to set you in Pauls circumstances is to guide you first to the getting secondly to the keeping of a good Conscience For the first resolue first on the thing and thus conclude What-euer it cost me what shift soeuer I make I must haue a good conscience It is not necessary to haue wealth a poore man may be honest here happy hereafter It is not necessary to haue health a weake man may to heauen Nay it is not necessary that I must liue my happinesse is not confined to this life but t is necessary to get a good Conscience without this I can neither liue nor dye be neither rich nor poore sicke nor well in few I cannot subsist I cannot be vnlesse this be a being to wish I neuer had beene without a good conscience and therefore what-euer it colt me I le goe to the price thus first resolue and this done then hearkē to the means which are these First goe to the right meanes there 's but one Physician for soules and consciences and that is God he onely made and hee onely re-makes good Consciences none else can come at Conscience can take out the poyson that 's there take off the guilt that is there and therefore wee must carry our wounded soules to him alleadge his owne covenant and hand and say Lord thou hast said that thou wilt take away our euill heart and giue vs a better now for thy truths sake make good this Word this Scripture This done thou must attend his method and run his course and dict he prescribes thou must follow this method First make thy Conscience bright and lightsome hee hath written a phisicke for conscience no physicke booke for conscience but his from this Booke thou must gather knowledge for darkenesse defiles the vnderstanding as Paul faies and darkenesse is timorous and staggering a man can haue no true no positiue peace whilst hee liues in darkenesle either all things or nothing shall be lawfull and where t is

lesuites leaue of his saluation and vprightnesse but what are his grounds First his Conscience was and had beene good in all secondly his bent and resolution for the future was right hence he did hence we must assure our estates Secondly as we must examine Conscience about our estate so also about actions past was this well did I well said I well otherwise there may be deceit For first many matters lye hid from men with their circumstance secondly the motiues that set the wheele a going vsually doe here then happy is he who condemnes not himselfe in what he hath done Thirdly when slandred censured or accused whether by men or diuels Thus Iob when Satan accuseth when friends doe foes doe when good men doe and bad men doe he repaires homeward casts vp his bookes and finding all right hee triumphs in his Conscience and weares their libels as a Crowne Like vse must we make of our Consciences when accused first see whether the charge be iust if so reforme amend secondly if not so cleare thy selfe to men if worth while and if they will be satisfied if not enioy thy selfe and thine owne innocency Here the rules be two first if thine owne heart condemne thee reioyce not against the truth though all the world applaud thee secondly if vpon a true search thy heart acquit thee neuer for sake thine owne innocency Let not men nor diuels nor frownes nor censures robbe thee of thy comfort but set this wall of brasse against all as Paul Say what you will my conscience is good and I make this good by these and these proofes Fourthly when wee become suiters to God and man for assistance being affronted by men and diuels and seemingly deserted of God and man then we must flye to Conscience as Paul doth and Dauid and all the Saints now calling vpon God as Hezekiah O Lord thou knowest I haue walked c. Now vpon Christians as Paul Pray for me for I haue kept a c. Now vpon our selues with Dauid Why art thou cast downe O my soule c. There is truth in thee beare vp And this not onely for the present but for future times when we are threatned as the Apostles were with many stormes with much hardship first make good thy Conscience secondly rest in the comfort thereof for come what will come if we bring a good conscience to a good cause these two bladders will hold our heads aboue water My brethren till wee haue tryed we cannot conceiue what the comfort courage strength and resolution of a good conscience is make vse of it enioy it and enioy your selues your estate all persons all things all times onely be sure first that Conscience be regular that is that it speake Law and sentences all according to the Word written Secondly that it speake the whole truth written and nothing but the truth Conscience hath nothing to doe with secret counsels that must speake to the action or present estate but for reprobation or finall destruction that conscience can say nothing to as not reuealed it hath nothing to doe either with absolute condemnation or absolution Let it keepe it selfe within its Spheare and let me keepe my selfe to my time FJNJS Doct. Doct. 1. Precepts 2. Reason 1. Ab●oaesto 3. A necessitate 3 Ab vtili 〈◊〉 Tim. 1.19 Esay 32. Hic murus abeneus est c. Vses 1. Luk. 1.6 1 Cor 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vers ●6 Satis est principem externa specie pium Videri c. de princ c. 18. Differences betwixt conscience and conscience from the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 51.8 Esa 57 19. Iob 2 4. 1. How a good Conscience is gotten Videatur Aug. is Ps 30. c. 2. How 〈◊〉 ●ept Doct. 1. Cap. 1. 2. Psal 4.4 1 Cor. 11. 2 Cor. 13. c. Reasons 1. Vse I. The causes of this disuse The consequences Vses 1. Vse 2. Conscience how tearmed good VVhen and in what cases conscience must most be consulted