Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	accuse_v	evil_a	excuse_v	1,813	5	9.4788	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68204	Spirituall preseruatiues against the pestilence. Or Seuen lectures on the 91. Psalme First printed in Anno. 1593. And now reuised, corrected, and published, as generally for the instruction of ignorant people: so specially for the confirmation of the weake seruants of Iesus Christ; descibing the most diuine and most soueraigne preseruatiues against the pestilence. By H. Holland. Hereunto is added a sweete prayer of M. R. Greenhams, neuer before published.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.; Greenham, Richard.	1603 (1603)	STC 13589; ESTC S117101	86,406	214

faith that albeit all the world went from God in these extremities to many vnlawfull meanes yet he would sweetly rest in God and seeke for lawfull meanes onely here hee speakes of euery other faithful beleeuer as of himselfe that he also must haue this particular faith For a man must not onely haue faith concerning Gods prouidence as at other times but I must also beleeue that God in this speciall visitation hath a most speciall care of me and hath commanded his Angels to watch ouer me And for this cause all the promises are particularly applyed to this beleeuer from the beginning to the ende of this Psalme verse 3. Surely he will deliuer thee from the s●…are c. verse 4. Hee will couer thee with his wings and his truth shall bee thy shield verse 5. Thou shalt not be afraid c. verse 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and it shall not come neare thee verse 8. Thou shalt onely see the reward of the wicked verse 11. Hee will giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee verse 12. They shall beare thee c. verse 13. Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion c. Wherefore thou must striue to haue this particular and speciall faith in troubles The 10. verse seemeth vnto me to containe this argument Hee that with all good conscience watcheth ouer his wayes and so endeuoureth with all his might to walke with his God in sinceritie of life and soundnesse of heart hee shall be deliue●… redin the Pestilence Thou art one of them which striue with all good conscience to serue the Lord thy God and doest endeuour that no cause be giuen that thy father now in his anger shall s●…ite thee with the Pestilence Therefore hee will deliuer thee THe Lord saith in an other place that when the dayes of famine come he will not famish the soule of the righteous and to the true worshipper which serueth him in truth of spirit he saith The Lord shal blesse thy bread and thy water I will take away all sicknesse from the mids of thee The Prophet here teacheth vs as the Apostle that Gods children must auoyd all occasion of sinne or to speake yet more strictly as the holy spirit speaketh all shadow all likenesse or appearance of sinne So some godly Interpreters vnderstand that place The Psalmist as I iudge here compareth vs to wise and faithfull children which are most watchfull least by any the least meanes they giue cause of offence to their good parents And surely all arguments of our heauenly fathers loue and mercie considered in our election creation redemption regeneration adoption continuall preseruation euerlasting saluation we are of all other the most foolish and vnkind childrē if we study not chearefully to obey and carefully to auoyd the offence of so mightie so louing so gratious and so bountifull a father vnto vs. Againe if this watchfulnesse must be found alwaies in vs how much more euen then when our almightie Father in the continuance of his anger as Ieremie saith consumeth his enemies and chasteneth his owne people Therefore at this time specially all the wise sonnes of God tremble to displease him and studie to please him Psal. 2. 4. Question That a good conscience is a speciall preseruatiue against the Pestilence A Good conscience saith Augustine very well is the paradise of the soule and surely so an euill conscience is the very hell of the soule And Chrysost●…me calles the good conscience the good countenance of the soule because this conscience alone can approch boldly to the throne of grace Wherefore this good conscience is one of the greatest blessings wee haue on earth Now for as much as it is a thing most dangerous to bee deceiued in our greatest treasure and to take drosse for gold good for euill and euill for good let vs therefore be the more circumspect and carefull first to know and learne what this great grace is Secōdly let vs wisely examine ourselues whether we possesse it haue it in truth or ignorantly be deceiued as most mē be Lastly after iust triall and examination had of our owne hearts if we finde it in our selues let vs labor with all our strength to cherish it preserue it if we finde we haue it not let vs neuer giue our selues any rest but contend in all the meanes appointed to come to Iesus Christ that he may giue it vs for he alone can giue it and strength to keepe it Conscience is described of some to be a liuing lawe in our hearts which stirreth awaketh driueth vs vnto good things I suppose wee may truly describe the conscience first generally on this manner Conscience is an inward remembrancer in our minds and hearts witnessing eyther with vs or against vs of all our thoughts wordes and workes The cause wherefore the Lord hath put this remembrancer in man is this a small light and weake knowledge would soone lve hid and be as buried in him by reason of the corruption of our hearts and affections therefore the Lord hath left him this feeling as a keeper and a watch to awake him to marke and espie all his secrets and continually to present him vnto the iudgement seate of God that nothing may be lost in obliuion and this keeper men say to be as a thousand witnesses to testifie with vs or against vs euen of of all our secrets a great controller of Atheists euen in their secret chambers The seate of this remembrancer is the vnderstanding yet for that it is found sensibly to smite the heart therefore the holy Ghost euer seates him there So Salomon noteth speaking to Shimei Thou knowest all the wickednesse wherevnto thine heart is priuie that thou didst to Dauid my father And the Apostle saith that the great peace keepeth the heart and mind in Christ Iesus And the Author to the Hebrewes Your heart being pure from an euill conscience Eccles 7. 24. Lastly that this witnesse or remembrancer will be with vs or against vs at all times and that in Gods presence the Apostle testifieth Rom. 2. 15. The Gentiles shewe the effect of the Lawe written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one an other or excusing before God The first diuision of the conscience is this the conscience is either 1. Good or 2. Euill 1. Of the good conscience SAint Peter 1. 3. 21. saith that a good conscience is a quietnesse of mind after we be perswaded of the grace of God in Christ being then readie without feare to present our selues before him Heb. 10. 2. The holy Ghost to the Hebrewes calleth it a conscience purged from dead works to serue the liuing God If the Heathens did so much reioyce in their good consciences which were but counterfeit in respect of the consciences of the faithfull how much more should we desire to know and reioyce to finde and endeuour to keepe

many A●…heists and prophane beastes are driuen not for any trouble of conscience but as that myser by the spirite of couetousnesse some by the spirit of fornication corporall and spirituall to hang and drowne themselues because they cannot obtaine that which they purposed desired as we see in Achitophel Therfore these worldly sorrows must be wisely discerned from the good sorrowes of the troubled consciences of the faithfull Wee must euer desire the light of Gods louing countenance which we may be assured of if we keepe faith a good conscience but if we make shipwracke of these the least thing shall greatly amaze vs yea the shaking of a leafe but if we haue this nothing shalt dismay vs. This paine is like to other griefes and no doubt accompanied with many other euils out of the body losse of goods name honour c. In the body sundrie diseases goe before and follow it melancholy c. But if worldly sorrow alone turmoyle the heart as for riches goods lost let these be recouered and all teares are soone gone and past but the troubled conscience is not so quieted And as for melancholy and other paines in the body they are cured wee see with medicines and good diet but nothing can appease this euill till Christs bloud be applyed 2 The griefe of conscience smites the heart Cant. 5. 6. My heart was gone when hee did speake I sought him but I could not finde him Againe Esay speaking of this troubled conscience saith I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart And Dauid A contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Thus then we see this griefe is in the hart melting it as fire doth mettals in what measure it pleaseth the Lord to humble his children 3 This sorow presseth downe the soule so Dauid complaineth Why art thou cast downe my soule and disqui●…ted within me wai●… on God Psal. 43. 5. 4 Lastly I adde the troubled consciences of the faithfull can neuer finde ease but in Iesus Christ. There streames from him a most sweete liuing water as from a fountaine dayly to purge and wash our running sores and to heale the paine and griefe of our hearts By his stripes are wee healed 2. The Saints euer sought to Christ and none other to case them of this paine Psalme 51. 1. Cant. 5. 6. 7. 3. If by any other meanes the conscience be falsely quieted it will afterwardes rage farre worse then before much like vnto Sauls spirit which for some moment of time could b●…e quieted by some sweete melodie but when the musicke was ended he fell into his old furious phrensies againe The troubled consciences of the faithfull most appeare 1. In their calling 2. After 1 When God doth separate his elect by the preaching of the G●…spell that they may be sanctisied by his spirit and come to the profes●…ion of his faith 2. Thess. 2. 13. 14. There must bee then great and many perturbations in the hearts soules of such as the Lord effectually calleth vnto his grace for the heart before was chained and fastned to Sathan sinne and the world and this league and fellowship can not easily be broken Secondly the heart which before was stony and slintie must now be softened Ezech. 11. 19. I will take away the stonie hearts out of their bodyes and will giue them an heart of flesh Thirdly examples teach this Paule is stricken downe from heauen greatly humbled The good hearers Act. 2. when the Lord began to awake their consciences they were picked in their hearts and cryed saying Men and brethren what shall we do Fourthly some maister sinne and inueterate custome in sinne will breed great wrastling and strife at this time Fiftly some enormious sinnes will cause many to bleed at the heart and to dispaire 2 After the Lord hath vouchsaf●…d to giue his elect his spirit of grace and hath giuen them heartes to beleeue in Iesus Christ and after peace obtained with God in Christ after accesse to grace and the blessed reioycing in the hope of the glorie of God the old enemies may yet amaze disquiet and cast downe the soules of Gods elect Dauid saith hee felt some terrors and troubles of minde euen from his youth The reasons are first they haue dayly falles and therefore their repentance humiliation and sorow must dayly be renued Secondly they must otherwhiles againe be humbled for their olde sinnes to proceed on in repentance and least they fall into them againe Psal. 25. 6. Iob. 13. 26. Thirdly God layeth a grieuous hand vpon them when they giue cause through great sinnes that his enemies blaspheme his holy name for the example doth much harme it imboldens the wicked makes faint the heartes of his children Therefore hath Dauid suffered more torments of conscience then any other 2. Sam. 12. verse 14. Remedies and helpes for troubled consciences are these which follow FIrst pray earnestly for the restoring of the holy comforter Psal. 51. 10. and for a clean heart Ioh. 14. 16. Lu. 11. 13. 2 With prayer striue to ioyne much weeping and fasting if thy strength will beare it Psal 69. 10. 3 With prayer fasting comfort thy self with a meditation of the vse of all the afflictions of the faithful Ioh. 7. 13. Psal. 77. for thou hast no tentation nor affliction of conscience but they haue had the same or the like 1. Pet. 5. 9. 4 When thine owne cries and teares cannot finde Christ aske the watchmen and the daughters of Ierusalem for him and so neuer rest but by all good meanes finde him Cant. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 If all this will not helpe thee seeke to the Elders of the Church and acknowledge thy sins to one or moe most discreet wise godly righteous mē fearing God that they may haue compassion on thee thē be perswaded their cries vnto God shall preuaile for thee Confesse your selues one to another and pray one for another for the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and if he hath committed sinne it shall bee forgiuen him So farre for the good conscience of Gods children quieted and troubled now the euill conscience of the wicked followeth AN euill conscience is a conscience neuer purged by the blood of Iesus Christ. An euil conscience is either 1. Liuing or 2. Dead The first is the naturall conscience of the naturall man retaining naturall sight and naturall feeling and this liuing conscience is euer 1. Accusing 2. Excusing The naturall man hath left in him sundry generall motions of good and euill which are most crooked corrupt rules being tried by the first Table of the Lawe of God but his knowledge is not so much darkene●… and corrupted in the generall heads of the second Table This man in all points that

may bring him to the kingdome of heauen is most blind and counts all these holy meanes meere foolishnes 1. Cor. 2. 14. The wisedome of the fl●…sh is en●…tie against God so the Apostle speaketh The conscience handwriting or watchman in this man is giuen him of God partly to conuince him because hee walketh not according to the generall motions and naturall knowledge he hath of good things partly to bridle and keepe vnder his wild and disordred affections 1 This conscience excuseth euer falsly because of ignorance corruption of the minde and all affections as first when it doth excuse those works which in the generall are good indeede but are sinnes in him and all naturall men as Vzzas fact mentioned 1. Chron. 159. Secondly whē it excuseth and couereth any inward sin and hypocrisie by an outward false obedience An example of this wee haue in Mark 10 20. 2 This conscience first truly accuseth and citeth a man before God for that which is euil indeed as 10. 9. the wicked accusers were accusea by their own consciences Many are thus cited and sent for by this Parator and confesse it with shame as Saul did to Dauid and yet are neuer the better a dangerous signe Secondly this conscience citeth a man falsly for that which is not euill in it selfe but superstitiously thought to be euill Col. 2. 21. As for the committing or omitting of any thing against the superstitious traditions of men Touch not taste not handle not Thus much of the feeling conscience the dead conscience followeth A dead conscience is a heart and conscience voyd of all naturall sense or naturall feeling This conscience of all other is most fearefull and daungerous and commeth after multiplying and heaping of greeuous sinnes together or long contempt of the holy truth or both The Apostle speaketh of some of the prophane Gentiles that first from vanitie of minde they come to blindnes from blindnes they fall to hardnes of heart then they become past feeling and the last degree of euill is they giue themselues vnto wantonnesse to work●… all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse And of Antichrist and his disciples hee sayth First they depart from the faith secondly they giue heed to spirits of error thirdly to doctrines of diuels fourthly they giue heede to such as speake lies through hypocrisie lastly their consciences is seared with a hot iron Signes of a deadly frozen and benummed conscience are these FIrst a dangerous signe to multiply sins without feeling Ephes. 4. 18. 19. Rom. 1. 22. 30. 2 A dangerous signe to regard neither the curses nor blessings of GODS lawe Deut. 29. 19. But to flatter himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubburnnesse of my heart so adding drunkennes vnto thirst the Lord will not be merciful vnto that man This heart is poysoned by the spirit of slumber Rom. 11. 8. 3 To make a mocke of sinne and of the Ministrie of Gods most holy Word Ezech. 33. 30. 31. 32. 33. 4 When vexation of spirit commeth to lay violent hands vpon themselues as to hang themselues with Iudas and Achitophel to kill themselues desperately with Saul and many others Lastly these are most fearfull signes of a most wicked prophane conscience to haue some notable horror of minde and trembling of bodie when some of Gods iudgements appeare blaspheinies in great extremities and passions of death Nero was wonderfully terrified with visions flashings of fire and terrible dreams after he had murthered his owne mother Belshazzar King of Babylon hauing the spoyles of Gods Church and in great contempt of the true God sporting himselfe and praysing the gods of gold and siluer of iron wood stone at the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand which wrote ouer against the candlesticke vpon the plaister of the wal of the kings pallace and the king saw the palme of the hand that wrote Then the kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his l●…ynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another And this trembling had Felix when Paul disputed before him of righteousnes and temperance which he wanted and of the fearfull iudgements wherin all sinners must appeare before Iesus Christ in the end of the world and receiue a heauie sentence of condemnation The troubles of reprobates breede in them often desperation the causes of this are either secrt or open Secret Gods reprobation knowne to himselfe and not to be searched manifest causes in the ende finall impenitencie hardnesse of heart Here it is wisedome to hope the best of men Crastinus dies ignoratur wee knowe not what shall be to morrow if an open blasphemie with an abnegation of the trueth appeare not And thus much of an euill conscience Now to make in a word some vse of this sweet doctrine aforegoing and to apply it vnto our present purpose First in the time of pestilence and all other calamities wisely examine thy selfe as is afore shewed If thou doubtest of thy conscience how it may stand in the euill day make hast to purge it least euill preuent thee And if after sound tryall thou findest thy selfe to possesse a blessed cleane conscience well purged by Iesus Christ and sanctified by his holy Spirite then mightily keepe watch ward as it were that no enemy may steale this pearle frō thee for it is of inestimable value and surpassing vertue to preserue thee in the pestilence I giue thee here none other counsel then the holy Ghost hath giuen vs all For it is written Keepe thine heart with all diligence for thence proceed the actions of life and leese this thou shalt make shipwrack also offaith and spirituall vnderstanding And Christ saith that vnlesse the heart be purged and watchfully preserued and kept cleane it sends foorth euill thoughts adulteries c. Iob therfore was very carefull of his heart and conscience and very watchfully kept it My heart saith hee shall not reproue me of my dayes And so was Dauid for assoone as he had sinned and gaue occasion of that Pestilence before the Prophet Gad came vnto him it is said Dauids heart smote him after hee had numbred the people And examine thy selfe also truely how thou standest in the faith and how Iesus Christ is in thee Take heed of a false faith as thou beleeuest so so shall it be done vnto thee For like as the true faith brings many blessings to the beleeuers so a false faith breedes many euill effects in the vnbeleeuers And as the heart chiefly must be regarded so the outward sences and partes of the body must in no wise bee neglected in this watch The eye is a dangerous sence and most quicke and suddenly doth stirre vp euill motions in the heart wee must as Iob make a couenant with our eyes The ●…are must diligently first heaken and then consider how to beleeue and obey