Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	judge_v	open_v	see_v	2,927	5	3.9041	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61853	The worm that dyeth not, or Hell torments in the certainty and eternity of them plainly discovered in several sermons preached on Mark, chap. the 9th and the 48. v. / by that painful and laborious minister of the gospel, William Strong ; and now published by his own notes, as a means to deter from sin and to stir up to mortification.	Strong, William, d. 1654.	1672 (1672)	Wing S6014; ESTC R32735	120,570	318

3.17 be it known unto thee O King we will not serve thy gods c. Acts 1.20 We cannot but speak a necessity is laid upon me I must preach c. Jer. 20 9. The Word was in him as fire he could not forbear it is the impulse of Conscience that was the cause there is a double necessity Externa interna c. Now according unto this order and subordination of the faculties so shall the torment be Conscience is subject to none but God therefore the spirit of bondage shall come into the Conscience and trouble that and this shall torment the whole man and as God does usually set up Governours and they become Instruments of wrath over the kingdoms where they dwell if they be good they are a special blessing they are the breath of our Nostrils the stay of our Tribes the Chariots and Horsemen but if they be wicked they ruine the kingdom Psal 75.3 Saul had even destroyed the Nation they are ravening Lyons and evening Wolves Zeph. 3.3 So it is in the government of the inward man if the Conscience be good it s the greatest blessing and if evil the greatest curse for as none has the Power the Authority and the Opportunity to undo a people like those that have the Rule over them so it is with the Conscience there is nothing hath that Authority and Oppertunity to undo a man like it because it is alwayes with him where soever he goes and therefore 〈◊〉 Mala domestica Austine compare an evil Wife and an evil Conscience because they are both intolerabl● burdensome evils a continual droping none have the Opertunity 〈◊〉 Torment like these Thirdly Conscience here has 〈◊〉 great hand in corrupting the who● man and therefore it is no wonde● if hereafter it should have the gre● hand in Tormenting him First Here Conscience is blin● and does not shew a man what is 〈◊〉 Duty and so many men Sin ig●rantly for want of an inlightne● Conscience when the eye of 〈◊〉 man is darkned Math. 6. Ho● great is that darkness Secondly Conscience is dead a spirit of slumber is upon it that though it know things to be evil yet it stirs not against them or if it does it is but faintly but a good Conscience exerciseth Authority over the whole man and smites him when ever he does evil as 1 Sam. 24.17 Thirdly it is erroneous and carries men unto evil violently under a pretence of good a zeal not according to knowledg Joh. 16.2 For zeal persecuting the Church Tantus eram Saulus ●hat he thought him worthy of eternal death that descented from the Authority of his Religion in any thing it is from a deceived heart an erroneous Conscience Fourthly Conscience will be bribed by Lust takes in carnal reason and corrupt principles and will be satisfied in them Rom 1. imprisons truths in unrighteousness 1 Tim. 4.2 And it is insensible of any thing and it is just with God that that Officer in the man that had the great hand in corrupting should also have the great hand in tormenting the whole man Quest 4. Fourthly Why is not Conscience a Worm here as well as hereafter in Hell First Because Conscience cannot work of it self unless the Spirit of God awaken it c. Secondly Here is the working time of Conscience its suffering time shall be hereafter Here Conscience has great workes to do and great talents to imploy Heb. 13.18 The charge of the whole Life lies upon the Conscience and the Lord ha● here a great house 2 Tim. 2.20 Understand it of the World or of the Church yet he has in it Vessek of Honour and some to Dishonour Now Why does God suspend the torment of the Devils It is because Christ has much work for them to do and they would have no pleasure in Sin if their Torments were fuller so it is with wicked men also and therefore the Lord has appointed a working time for Conscience to perform its viatory office and he has a pointed a suffering time for Conscience allo and he will not Torment them before that time Thirdly Hereby the Lord does exalt his own patience and long suffering so much the more for Sin being an infinite evil and a man that is but dust to provoke God to his Face and to do it the rather because God forbears them and sin the more because God forbears them and because of his patience because sentence is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set to do evil now that God should bear with much patience and long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and that the Lord should not stretch forth his own hand against them but that he should also suspend the working of their one Consciences and should not let loose the reins upon them which would bring them down in the midst of their galantry as Belshazer Felix Judas c. And that God should keep a hand upon their Consciences and withhold their own thoughts from flying upon them it does wonderfully set forth the patience of God The Lord knows how to reserve the wicked to the day of wrath Fourthly Many things here which stop the mouth of Conscience shall hereafter be removed and then Conscience will speak The Worm of Conscience is to the Soul as they say the disease of the Wolf is to the Body If it be fed with something from without will eat the less inwardly but take away all supplies from without and it destroys inwardly as all the good things of this Life will be gone and then the Soul turns in upon it self and will be its own Tormentor fo● ever Rev. 20.12 And I saw th● dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened● and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dea● were judged out of those things whic● were written in the Books according to their works It is an allusion to the day of judgment That 's granted by all The books opened are First the book of the Law and Gospel Secondly of Gods Omnisciency Thirdly of his Decre Fourthly the book of Conscience All those ancient Records that lay hid as Colours in the dark Rom. 2.15.16 or as something that is written with the juice of a Lemon you may read it when you bring it to the fire but not till then But we will now set forth those Tormenting acts of Conscience hereafter which shall be as the gnawings of this never dying worm but before we come to speak unto them perticularly it 's necessary that these four things be premised First That after this Life the Spirit of God shall come into the Conscience of a wicked man as a spirit of bondage fully for ever Conscience is but a subordinate power and acts allways with reference to a higher Law as a rule and a higher power as a Judge it is Regnum sub graviore Regno And therefore it never works by it self

pity us how ever No thou shalt have judgment without mercy in vengeance and recompence for ever he will laugh at your destruction and mock when your fear comes c. And therefore consider it Wo to you that laugh now for you shall weep the time of your sorrow hastens and when God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his people then shall your sorrow and tears begin and indure for ever Secondly In Hell there shall be perfect shame Dan. 12. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt I conceive it is spoaken of the calling of the Jews but in allusion to the day of judgment some shall arise to shame and everlasting contempt 1 Joh. 2.28 That we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comeing the shame of men in that day shall be great For First All a mans foolishness shall be laid open to himself and to the view of all the world for Cor. 2.5.11 We shall all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ for it will be a day of revelation before men and angels friends and enemies here men are not ashamed because their wayes are hid Jer. 2.26 The thief is not ashamed till he is found but then all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be all brought to light in that day now if men did but commonly know all that you know one by another or much more all that a man knows by himself then a man looking upon himself what an ugly creature he is and how the image of God is defaced and the image of the Devil is upon him how he has been taught as a beast and whipt as a slave when God does at first discover a man to himself in a mercy by a work of conviction Tanquam monstrum inter filios Dei slo calente me salem insipiisdum How does he loath himself in his own sight saying that he is hell it self a beast and no man And yet this is but a glimpse of himself he can see here how much self abhorrancy will it be hereafter upon a perfect discovery of a mans self Secondly For a man to be separated from God with detestation what a shame must this needs be Here every man bears up himself out of his self-love and the self flaterie of his spirit that he is as high in Gods esteem as other men and as much in Gods favour but if God should say to any man in this Congregation before you all this man I never knew I have separated him to destruction as a vessel of wrath whither could such a man cause his shame to go how hateful is Cain and Judas that are gone down to their own place and how hath the Lord made their very name a reproach so it will be with all ungodly men after this life at the last and great day 1 Co● 16.22 the utmost curse is Anathama Maran Atha cursed at the coming of the Lord and when the Lord shall say to a man at that day depart from me you cursed who are Tares and no Wheat Goats and no Sheep fo●lish and not wise Virgins those that I will never shew mercy to how must such men need lye down in their own shame and confusion for ever Thirdly A man shall be ashamed because he shall be derided and there is nothing in the world that goes against the nature of men more then shame First by God Pro. 1.26 I will mock when your fear cometh Secondly the Saints Thirdly The Devils Isa 14.9.12 Luk. 16.25 Son remember that in thy life time r●c●ivedst thy good things Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming c. Fourthly above all from a mans spirit Job 27.6 his heart will reproach him for his days there is neither men nor Devils can lay such bad reproaches on a man as his own heart and men have in some measure experience of it from day to day And hence shall follow an indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a revenge upon a mans self for ever because a man shall be covered with his own confusions as with a Mantle Thirdly There shall be perfect despair Job 11. last the hope of the wicked is breathed out his last hope is gone with his last breath and it must needs be perfect both in respect of good to be obtained and evil to be avoided First there is no hope of good to be obtained or to have any part in the happiness of the Saints for ever 1. The book of Gods decrees shall be opened and those deeps broken up and then a man shall see himself fore-ordained unto this condemnation Jude 4. Mat. 7.23 and God is not as man that he should repent it 's easier to weigh the fire or measure the wind and to call back yesterday then to call back the decree for with God is no variableness nor shadow of change Jans 117. Secondly after this life a mans eternal state is cast and his condition unchangeable for ever death is but eternitatis prodromus Luke 16. it is a gulf Mat. 25.9 the time of buying is past therefore the Saints send them to beg for they have no oyl to spare and of working there is no work in the grave c. Thirdly They shall try all means and avail nothing as they Mat. 7.22 plead with the judge Lord we have Prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils therefore open to us c. Secondly they shall mince and extenuate their sins and plead for themselves Mat. 25.44 Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst c. Thirdly They shall fall to their prayers Mat. 25.11 Lord Lord open unto us but the Lord shall say depart you workers of iniquity Fourthly They shall turn to the Saints Luk. 16.24 father Abraham send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue and give us of your oyl for our Lamps are out but there is neither oyl from the one nor water from the other and having tryed all means and nothing prevails the soul sinks into perfect despair for ever Secondly There is no hope of avoyding the miserie they lye under First There shall be no hope of pardon for their sin shall be seen in its greatness and thou wilt say with Cain my iniquity is greater then I can bear then can be forgiven thou hast fin'd all thy life time and to eternity thou hast the same dispositions for the fire of Hell can never purge sin and thy obligation to the Law is eternal and therefore the Angels that fell are reserved in everlasting chains Jude 6. and no mercy but judgment without mercy Jam. 2.13 fury without compassion for the time of mercy is past and the day of vengeance is begun and as here mercy hath rejoyced over judgment so

and filthy doctrines and by this means and by Satans assisting them in their doctrine and backing it with miracles and great works they shall gather together the Kings of the earth against the Church of God to their own destruction and final overthrow surely therefore there is a great deal of danger that a man may be deceived and his judgment may be corrupted because it is the last refuge of Satan that he has to uphold his kingdome by sending forth unclean spirits Thirdly Most men unto whom these spirits come Heb. 5.13 they find them children for he that is unskilful in the word of righteousness he is a babe and therefore being children in understanding Ephes 4.14 and not men grounded in the principles of the doctrine of Christ therefore they are tost to and fro with every wind of doctrine tossed as a wave and carryed about as a cloud and from these two the Metaphors are taken if the wind be this way the wave is born and the cloud carryed about and if the wind do turn it is blown the contrary way they lead captive silly woman omnes haereses ex gynecaeis is a proverb in the ancient Church and the more ingnorant any people are the easier are they turned away from the truth and the sooner do they give ear to fancies and fables and he that shall consider the ignorance of our people in the principles of Religion and that in a great many of those that profess Religion and think themselves to be knowing Christians and yet have but only a general and a smattering confused knowledge and a man would be far from wondering that so many were corrupted but rather he would wonder that all were not taken captive by Satan Fourthly False teachers use a great deal of artifice to that end that they may deceive and they do it under the fairest shows and the most specious pretences Antichrist Rev. 17.3 gives the wine of her formention in a Golden Cup that is that by which it is offered unto the world it is a very alluring and taking way and as a Harlot whose lips do drop as the hony-comb and all is under a show of love unto Christ and a colour of love to you a pity to see you so deceived there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.18 all under great pretences of holiness there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a great deceit as in the most deceitful Play and they are cunning Gamesters and there is a subtilty and deep craftiness of men that go by method and bring in one thing after another Eph. 4.24 and there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.3 feigned words some made words and a kind of coined language that sounds finely but put it together and it signifies nothing but the meaning is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do make merchandize of you and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.18 they give out something that shall be as a bait some pretences of liberty some shows of a greater Communion with God and a nearer approach unto Christ and with this bait you shall be taken when in the mean while the book is not seen and sometimes brought to you under great shows of holiness in the men they come to you in sheeps cloathing as if they were Sheep though they be Wolves and the Ministers of Satan transform themselves into the Ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor. 11.13 14. for such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light c. Rev. 13. and we know that Antichrist when he rose had two horns like a Lamb and Austin saith of Pelagius Nomen Pellagii non sine lande posui quia vita cita ejus à multis praedicabatur Yea Satan doth creep into Peter himself and he may be corrupted and Barnabas also with that dissimulation for they shall deceive if it were possble even the very elect though totally and finally it is not possible but yet they may far deceive them for indeed there be many that hold the foundation and whose souls may be saved in the day of the Lord yet may build Hay and Stubble upon the foundation and therefore we should leave room for charity towards some who have not had that touch of Satan upon their spirits that others have and endeavour to pluck them as firebrands out of the fire that they may not wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction but pray that the Lord would deliver them from the temptations and seducements of Satan c. discover his Wiles to them that they may say was there not an errour in my right hand and men are so much the rather to be pityed because being ignorant and unlearned they more easily become the prey of false teachers who are very industrious and laborious and lay out themselves to the utmost Math. they will compass Sea and Land to make a Proselite they compel you to be Circumcised that they may glory in your flesh that is multitudine sequacium in the multitude of their Desciples and followers some men think it is an excellent thing to be the founder of a new sect as they said of Paul Acts 24.5 he was a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes I know that many say this by way of reproach to the people of God that would walk out of conformity to the world that they are but sectaries and brand them dayly with new names and new light c. because they would not have their old darkness be discovered but this is but one of the fig leaves of Antichrists covering which shall fall off from him and he shall fly away naked and men shall see his shame notwithstanding Lastly There is a mighty power of Satan and an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that goes along with them 2 Thes 2.9 as soon as Antichrist did but appear in the world by and by all the world wandred after the Beast and received his Image and his mark in their right hand and in their foreheads men will he quickly engaged to profer themselves in such a way and having received the mark in the forehead they will receive it in their right hand to defend it and stand for it so that a man would wonder to see men so soon turn'd after another Gospel and their words fret as a Gangrene or a Cancer that doth quickly infect all that comes near it and we may see what strong poison this liquor of Antichrist is and what a deceit it is by the power of it not only upon the ignorant but upon the learned and not only upon them that were a lump fit to receive any leaven but even those that were counted and we may hope to be Godly men of eminent parts and great abilities and men that have done great services and shine