Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	bear_v	spirit_n	wound_a	1,374	5	11.0872	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66076	Doctrine of contentment briefly explained, and practically applied in a treatise on 1 Tim. 6. 8. / by Henry Wilkinson ...	Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1671 (1671)	Wing W2235; ESTC R415	95,837	200

bid it welcome not onley of necessity I yeeld and submit to Gods providence but I submit with a ready and cheerful spirit because I know and acknowledge all Gods dispensations to be wise and holy and it is my obliged duty to rest satisfied and bow my self in submission to them We must know that it is a point of wisdom to learn contentment as well in an higher as in a lower condition in a great as well as in a mean estate in prosperity and confluence of riches to bear them without pride luxury and insolence is as difficult as to bear a mean estate without murmuring fretting and repining wherefore it concerns us both in prosperity and adversity to learn this excellent lesson of Contentation 1. We must be content in prosperity 1. We must be content in prosperity Object Answ But it will be objected who will not be content with a prosperous estate For answer there are many who notwithstanding they have abundance of riches and honours in this world yet they enjoy not themselves but are very strangers to this lesson of Contentment for the great share they have of outward things they vex and torment themselves more by casting about and projecting how to add to their estates and improve their revenues and advance themselves and their posterity to high promotions so that frequently it comes to pass that a day-labourer who hath not a peny but what he earns and enjoys onely enough to keep him alive from hand to mouth he I say lives more contentedly sleeps more sweetly eats though course diet more heartily then many great personages whose revenues are of several thousands per annum wherefore it is the duty of all such who are in a prosperous condition in the world to be thankful for the mercies they enjoy and to honour God with their substance in doing good and in distributing to ●he necessities of such as are in want and in the height of their riches to labour for a quiet fixed and composed frame of spirit 2. Let us be contented in adversity 2 We must be content in adversity Now is the time of trial amidst varieties of losses crosses poverty and disappointments to bear up the spirit with patience and learn the lesson of contentment An even sedate frame of spirit amidst variety of dispensations will much conduce to the learning of this choice art of Contentment for he that can moderate and bound himself in days of prosperity and not surfet of the sweetness thereof he will be the better inabled to bear the bitterness of adversity A heart fixed trusting in God hath made a good proficiency in this even frame and settled temper of spirit this man fears no bad news for his heart is above them The Psalmist gives him this character Psal 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. It is an observable saying of the Oratour Praeclara est aequabilit as Ci● Offic. in omni vita idem semper vultus eadémque frons Many trials we must expect and prepare for because afflictions are the common lot of Gods people and we must through many tribulations enter into Act. 14. 22. the kingdom of God Wherefore the duty incumbent on us is this That no man should 1 Thess 3. 3. be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto How many and manifold are the afflictions that befall mens estates many have sustained great losses by fire being burnt out of house and home many are impoverished by the rot of cattel others are undone by decay of trade others have been undone by perfidious careless servants and many have been great sufferers in times of war being spoiled of their goods by rapine and violence and others have been much losers by high-way robbers so that many of considerable estates before are reduced to poverty and may take up the complaint of Naomi Call me not Naomi call me Marah Ruth 1. 20 21 for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home empty again why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Times of affliction are times of trial and read unto us necessary and serviceable lectures of contentment Many sore afflictions befall our bodies and some are troubled with variety of diseases Every one meets with one disease or other as an alarm to warm him of the frailty and short continuance of his life upon earth When the stone strangury cholick gout tooth-ach feavers and such other like distempers rage in their extremity then patience meekness and contentedness afford great help and assistance to bear those burdens with more facility for hereby the disease is more mitigated and less painful But on the contrary raging fretting and vexing under pains and anguish adds more fuel to the flame and in stead of lessening aggravates the grief more and more But of all griefs and sorrows none are so sad and painful as inward wounds such as are wounds of conscience The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities Prov. 18. 4. but a wounded spirit who can bear Such a time especially when the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in a man and an awakened conscience cries loud against the sinner not excluding other times requires the exercise of faith and patience and setting of the spirit of prayer on working and resigning of our wills to the will of God in every thing The duty incumbent on us is fully express'd Isai 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Although for the present God may respite an answer of peace to his own children yet his deferring is no denial He will speak peace in his own appointed time after he hath prepared and seasoned his people for the reception of so great a mercy he will send it them Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints but let them not turn again to folly Though God may hide his face from his own people for a time and his hiding may cause much grief and trouble to them yet in his good time he will lift up the light of his countenance upon them Our duty then is to watch and pray and act faith on promises and quietly and submissively yeeld up our wills to the will of God Although at present there be no dawning of comfort yet a clear sun-shine will break forth Let us then make particular application of these Scripture cordials ●sal 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart There is some considerable interval of time between seed time and harvest wherefore as the husbandman must wait patiently for the appointed time

for they shall eat the fruit of their doings In all our troubles and afflictions and amidst slanders and calumnies heap'd upon us what can comfort us but the answer of a good conscience This is cause of rejoycing that our 1 Cor. 1. 12. conscience testifies for us Amidst storms and tempests Euroclydons and tossings and tumblings a God reconciled will bear up our spirits against all Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia But because many pretend to conscience who are meer strangers to conscience and quiet themselves with a false peace and content themselves with a carnal security I will make mention of those distinguishing characters which St Bernard mentions Bona est conscientia Bern. de inter domo cap. 27. si habeat in corde puritatem in ore veritatem in actione rectitudinem What is that which sweetens the most bitter pill of afflictions but the testimony of a good conscience And what is that which imbitters all the pleasures in the world but an evil conscience One grain of an evil conscience intermixt amongst the grandeur and affluence of riches of the great ones of the world will prove like that wild gourd which spoiled the whole mess of pottage Luther hath a rare saying to this purpose Una guttula malae conscientiae totum mare mundani gaudii absorbet If then you would enjoy true and solid mirth and an abiding contentment labour to keep this Fort-royal impregnable I Hic murus aheneus esto Nil conscire sibi nulld pallescere culpà mean the bulwark of a good conscience This was the Apostles grand exercise to keep a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Acts 24. 16. Faith and a good conscience are to be united 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience If we unite them and hold them fast together we consult our own peace and tranquillity but if we divide them we lay our selves naked to the assaults of Satan the temptations of the world and the prevalency of our own corruptions 2. Another cause of contentment from 2. The right government of the affections is a cause of contentment our selves is the right government of the affections when affections are rightly regulated and bounded they administer great contentment and consolation The affections are frequently to be compared to the swelling and boisterous waves of the seas which keeps neither bounds nor banks but cause an inundation The affections are usually inordinate extravagant impetuous and disorderly and they set the whole man in a tumult The perturbations and disorders of the affections sets all in a hurly-burly of confusion But when through the grace of God the affections are set upon the right object and disposed in a right order then there ariseth a wonderful calm and serenity upon the spirit When the love joy hope and desire are weaned from the world and fixed upon heavenly things then the heart is quieted and abundantly satisfied But the disorder and divisions of the affections causeth great discontent for when the heart hankers partly after earth and partly after heaven there can be no solid contentment and acquiescence amidst such divisions and distractions But when all those affections love joy hope and desire make God the Centrum quietativum then all is right for then the heart is comforted and the conscience pacified and the whole man set in a right frame and temper A third cause of contentment is from the 3. There is cause encouragement for contentment from the examples of others examples of others This is causae exemplaris The examples of others may in an especial manner when God sets them home prevail with us to contentment Now we are to have a double aspect upon examples partly such as are above us and partly such as are below us 1. As for such as are above us we may 1. Let us look upon examples above us upon enquiry find many great and noble Personages contented with a small pittance of this world For instance of Moses it is recorded Heb. 11. 24. By faith Moses when he was come to years or as the Original is when he became a great man refused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magna fides quae principatus spernit contemptis se aggregat Grot. Joseph l. 2. c. 5. to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Moses was so eminent in Pharaoh's Court as to be accounted the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter Josephus an Historian of good note relates this story that Thermusis Pharaoh's daughter was the onely child of Pharaoh and he had no son to inherit the kingdom and that this his daughter had no child wherefore after she had found Moses at the rivers side she kept him hid for so long a time as it might be supposed to be her own child to the intent and purpose that he might inherit her fathers crown This history may be questionable but the Text evidently sets forth Moses his self-denial and contentedness of spirit Heb. 11. 26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt I may add farther the contentedness and self-denial of those worthies of whom the world was not worthy They wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not Heb. 11. 37 38. worthy They wandred in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth Thus these holy men were contented with their mean contemptible condition in the world so they might obtain interest in a better life I question not but they might have worn better apparel then goat-skins sheep-skins and have lived in better houses then in dens and caves if they had complied with those times wherein they lived Galeacius Caracciolus left his Marquesdom of Vico and all his relations and contented himself to live in a retired private way at Geneva for he would not relinquish his Religion for the honours of the world but he resolved to hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering And he thunders out a dreadful anathema against such who make the wrong choice in these words Cursed be See the life of Galeacius Caracciolus the man who prefers all the gold and silver in the world before one days communion with Jesus Christ To this example I will add that of Hormisdas recorded by Theodoret. Theod. lib. 5. 131. This Hermisdas was a Noble-man of Persia and because he would not deny Christ he was degraded from his dignity stript of his clothes and compelled to wear rags and keep camels He was well contented with this mean condition and when afterwards the King of Persia sent for him and clothed him with silken clothes and perswaded him to deny Christ he presently tore his silken clothes in pieces saying If for these you think to have me deny my faith take them again Whereupon he was with scorn cast out Had this great man been willing to deny Christ he might have kept his temporal dignities and riches but he preferred Christ before all honours and he was rather contented to be a slave to the King of Persia and keep his camels then deny Christ for the greatest preferments 2. And as we must reflect upon examples 2. Let us look upon examples below us above us for our imitation so we must reflect upon examples below us and learn from them this excellent lesson of Contentment From the poorest we may learn this lesson Such as have no more then what they work for and can onely reserve something to keep them alive on the sabbath day for which they have wrought in hard labour all the six days in the week these I say eat drink and sleep with a great deal of contentment They are contented with course bread small drink and sometimes water and with a hard bed of straw and yet they eat and drink heartily and sleep quietly and they and their children look fat and well-liking They have not those cares fears and vexations upon their spirits as those have who have thousands of gold and silver With such as these we should compare our selves and if so little a portion content them why should not much more content us For a close of this Treatise let us be exhorted and O! that the Exhortation might take good effect to account God our portion riches treasure and all in all and having him who alone can quiet content and satisfie our souls we shall be abundantly quieted contented and satisfied I shall conclude all with Psal 4. 6 7 8. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their corn and their wine increased I will lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety FINIS