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
A66556	The Scriptures genuine interpreter asserted, or, A discourse concerning the right interpretation of Scripture wherein a late exercitation, intituled, Philosophia S. scripturæ interpres, is examin'd, and the Protestant doctrine in that point vindicated : with some reflections on another discourse of L.W. written in answer to the said exercitation : to which is added, An appendix concerning internal illumination, and other operations of the Holy Spirit upon the soul of man, justifying the doctrine of Protestants, and the practice of serious Christians, against the charge of ethusiasm, and other unjust criminations / by John Wilson ...	Wilson, John, 17th cent.	1678 (1678)	Wing W2903; ESTC R6465	125,777	376

make them more watchful for the future or to magnifie his own Grace in upholding them under all their Agonies and reviving them after their violent Conflicts or for what other holy ends he may have in it which we are not now concern'd to discuss This Spiritual Desertion as it hath been hitherto called by sober Divines of all Perswasions as far as I know admits of degrees being not so sharp and dreadful to some as to others some are but for a while under it others for several months or years some have a taste of it in the time of their health and strength and outward prosperity others under bodily weaknesses or outward disquiets or upon a Death-bed The case of one in this distress of spirit must needs be sad Solomon tells us The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear So long as the spirit remains whole and untoucht it can bear up under all other pressures and troubles But when the wound reacheth the Soul when Conscience affrights the Sinner when this tells him whether truly or mistakingly that God hath forsaken him and cast him off that the Almighty reckons him his Enemy and sets him up as a mark whereon to spend the arrows of his indignation this breaks him all in pieces this proves a weight so heavy that the burden'd Soul would certainly sink under it were there not a secret support vouchsafed by God's gracious hand This makes David cry out My sin is ever before me and elsewhere Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Besides other instances that might be given Nor can this be a wonder to any were these few things consider'd 1. The loving kindness of God as the Psalmist speaks is better than life This is it that makes all a Christians enjoyments truly comfortable and that allays the bitterness of the most afflicting crosses that animates against the sharpest and most dreadful conflicts against all other evils Let a Christian live under the sense of Gods reconciling love and he passes cheerfully and undauntedly through whatsoever befals him Let this therefore be withdrawn and he is presently overwhelm'd with darkness the sweetest blessings are tastless the lightest afflictions are intolerable He looks upon God as an Enemy and now every thing appears to him as a messenger of death 2. As the love of God is highly valuable so who knows the power of his wrath If the sense of this when it fell upon the Innocent Son of God for the sin of Man made HIM shrink and drew from Him those doleful complaints Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say And My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death And again My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How can guilty Sinners think to grapple with these Terrors Well might Job cry out as he did in his distress O that my grief were throughly weighed and my calamity laid in the balances together For now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up For the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me And Heman Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves And again Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my Youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off How bitterly did Francis Spira express the dolors of his woful Soul O says he that I might but feel the least sense of the love of God but for one small moment as I now feel his heavy wrath that burns like the torments of Hell within me and afflicts my Conscience with pangs unutterable 3. In this case the poor distress'd Creature is his own Tormentor He musters up discouraging Arguments against himself and catches hold of whatsoever may strengthen his fears and increase his own suspicions of himself and studiously disputes against whatsoever comforts are offer'd him Whatsoever threats he finds in the Word against Hypocrites and Apostates he is ready to apply to himself Whatsoever dreadful Examples of God's fierce wrath upon the worst of Sinners he either reads or hears of he presently puts himself into their place and conceits their condition to be his The precious promises of God and the former experience he hath had of Gods goodness to him all are now turn'd into matter of terror and torment The presence of God is a trouble to him as Job says and the remembrance of God terrifies him as the Psalmist speaks and his Soul refuseth to be comforted 4. Satan by God's permission taking advantage of such a gloomy season endeavours by his horrid suggestions to heighten the tempest that is already raised in the heart of a Christian as violent winds increase the storms in a raging Sea It is the main design of that devouring Adversary to destroy utterly In order to which as he labours to encourage careless Sinners in their security and presumption so on the contrary he endeavours with all his might to drive distressed Souls into utter desperation And though he attain not the utmost of his aims yet thus much he usually accomplisheth to exasperate the present trouble and increase the disquietment by his bold and violent injections This is sufficiently intimated to us by the Apostles discourse concerning the incestuous Corinthian who had been cast out of Church-Communion whom he perswades them to receive and comfort lest he should be swallow'd up with overmuch sorrow adding afterward how ready himself was to forgive him lest Satan should take advantage c. Whence we may gather that this is one of Satans devices to tread down such as he finds already cast down with sorrow and to lay on more load where he sees the burden'd Soul now ready to sink 5. In such a condition as this till God himself be pleased to let in some beam of light into the disconsolate Heart no succour from the Creature how excellent soever can give any relief The wound is in the Soul and Spirit which none can come at to bind up and heal but the Father of Spirits and the God of all consolation If he hide his face saith Elihu who then can behold him As it is he who had the chief hand in giving the wound so it is he alone that can work the cure Now what is there in all this that is any way inconsistent with the