Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A23606
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Precious promises the portion of overcomers. / By John Lougher, minister of the Gospel.
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Lougher, John, d. 1686.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing L3093B; ESTC R217742
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97,531
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281
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apparel The meaning then is Overcomers shall be covered all over with Christ clothed with his Merit and Righteousness and so be justified He is made of God to such Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 So some understand that of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 61.10 he speaking of God hath clothed me with the Robe of Righteousness he hath put upon me the Garments of Salvation meaning Christ salvatorem justificatorem nostrum who covers Believers with his own Righteousness as with a precious Robe of Salvation He doth not only redeem them with his Blood being a Lamb slain sed etiam lams operuit as one excellently saith He covers them with his Fleece with his Wool meaning his own Righteousness More particularly he covers the very Nature for no created Nature can behold God the very Seraphims with their Wings cover their Faces before his glorious Presence Isa 6.2 much less can the Nature of man stand before his Majesty without a Christ He covereth the sins of all Believers the loathsom habitual Sore of our natural deformity On which account Christ saith to his Church Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee All their Actual Sins also the ugliness and filthiness of them is by this covered together with all the Spots and Imperfections of their Holy Duties It 's observable That the Mercy-seat under the Law covered the two Tables of the Decalogue Exod. 25. This Mercy-Seat typified Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.25 as the Mercy-Seat is Heb. 9.5 The Cherubims covered the Mercy-Seat and the Mercy-Seat covered the Ark in which were the two Tables of the Law So Christ is that Covering-Mercy-Seat that covers all the sins of Believers against the Law of God so that he imputes it not to them They are likewise clothed with the Graces of Christ those Habitual Graces and Vertues in Christ are implanted into them He was full of Grace and of his Fulness they all do receive and Grace for Grace Joh. 1.14.16 Their Impatience is clothed with his Patience their Pride is clothed with his Humility their Frowardness with his Meekness their Ignorance with his Wisdom and Knowledg their Unbelief with his Faith and the like In a word He so covers them as they are secure from those hurts and mischiefs that otherwise they lye open to They are secured from Divine Wrath and Vengeance which else they can no more avoid than a naked man can fence off Fire Christ and his Graces are the Skreen between them and everlasting Burnings They are by this also secured from Satan's assaults to whose fiery darts they are liable to be exposed having no other way to evade the destroying dint and power of them but to be covered with the Armour of Light and Righteousness this put on by Faith quencheth the fiery darts of that wicked one Ephes 6.16 Secured they are also from the terrible stings and lashes of an accusing Conscience By his Blood their hearts are sprinkled from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 As our bodily Garments are Munimenta corporis a kind of a moveable Garrison as one stiles them in which the Body marches and is defended from many Inconveniences so is Christ to the Souls of all that Overcome The sum of this Promise then amounts to this in the General That Christ and his Righteousness shall be effectually applied to their particular persons The clothing of the Body is the application of Apparel to the Body so Christ is and shall be appropriated and applied to Believers whereby they shall be as fully possess'd of him as a man is of the Garments with which he is clothed they shall have him as their own to all holy and good ends appointed It 's a thing of high moment considering as hath been hinted how he is fitted every way to our condition As there must be a fitness between the Clothes and the person who is to wear them so there is in this case An High-Priest he is and such as became us as is suited and fitted to our circumstances we obnoxious to Wrath he is our Peace we unjust he Righteous we dead he is Life we poor he is Rich we deformed he Lovely we filthy he Holy With this clothing are Overcomers invested and continue ever thus clothed As the putting off the old man is so done as they never put him on again so the putting on Christ's Righteousness and Graces is so done as they never put it off more but stand before God in this clothing to all Eternity And that we may yet a little further see and be affected with the sweetness of this Promise it is said They shall be clothed with white Raiment which notes Purity Dignity Beauty and Festivity 1. It notes Purity White Garments are clean free from Pollution and Defilement We read of Joshua having filthy Garments upon him Zech. 3.3 The tattered Rags of the old Adam the nasty Filthiness and superfluity of Naughtiness that yet remained in him though in part regenerate and intermingled with his best works Should God break open that filthy sink of Sin that is in the best of us we should not only be loathsome to God and to men but to our selves also I have read of one Mr. Lever who desired of God he might see his utmost uncleanness who gave him his request He saw his Sins in such ugly colours as caused him to go down Mourning to his grave Now Joshua found Grace in the Lord's sight and had his filthy garments taken away from him and was cloathed with change of Raiment vers 4. His rags were changed into Robes his polluted garments into clean Clothing He was arrayed with that fine and clean Linnen which is the Righteousness of Saints Rev. 19.8 Thus the Lord takes upon him their sin and puts on them his pure and spotless Righteousness A blessed exchange indeed Christ puts upon Overcomers his own Comliness decks them with his own Purity to take away all their Defilements 2. It notes Dignity and Honour In old time when Men were dignified for any Service done to their Prince they were clothed with the White Raiment Thus when Ahasuerus the King would put Honour upon Mordecai he caused him to be clothed with a Garment of Royal Apparel White and Blue Esth 8 15. such as Kings and great Ones used to wear What shall be done to the man saies the forenamed King to Haman that the King delights to honour Who answereth thus Let the Royal Apparel be brought that the King useth to wear that they may array that man withal Esth 6.6 7 8 9. As if he had said Let the Keepers of the Wardrobe bring forth the Kings most Sumptuous Apparel that he useth to wear when he sitteth in State and put it upon him in the best manner they can Thus shall he that Overcometh be arraied with Honourable Clothing like the Favoutites yea the Children of the King of Kings The Everlasting Righteousness of Christ a Garment so Honourable as never
begin to boast and make Challenges saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make war with him We have heard of the Prophecy of the late Reverend Bishop Vher and what probability there is of its accomplishment any one may see by the present dark Providences going over us which if God shall order to come to pass O what terrible shakings will there be Not the Earth only but the Heavens will be shaken The Pillars of the Earth are the Lords saies Hannah and he hath set the world upon them 1 Sam. 2.8 Yet we read that the Pillars of Heaven and Earth tremble Job 9.6 and 26.11 By the Pillars of Heaven some understand the Angels by the Pillars of the Earth Political Pillars Kings and Princes and Ecclesiastical Pillars such as Peter and John were Whether they be State-Pillars or Church-Pillars if Antichrist once again prevail over us they will be terribly shaken Men and Angels will be filled with Amazement and Astonishment at the Providences of God I have read of one Simeon who is said to have been Prophetical that he passing through a Temple spake to the material Pillars and Prophecying of an Earthquake bid them Stand fast for they should shortly be shaken Things work in our days so strangely as without a Spirit of Prophecy I may say to all the Churches of Christ to all that seem Pillars in the Temple of God Stand fast for you shall shortly be shaken God will arise suddenly to shake terribly the Earth Stand sure therefore that ye be not worsted and overcome by the Adversary 3. Consider the Honour and Profit that will accompany this Victory if ye get it Great is the Reward laid up in all these Promses Everlasting Honour and Recompence will be the portion of all such Brevis est labor as one saith praemium vero aeternum Earthly Soldiers will purchase Honour and get their Pay with the hazard of Life the Commendation of their Captain the Applause of People or a little Money will make them courageous What hazard then Should not we run in fighting this good fight who shall have the commendation of Christ the Captain of our Salvation and the Praise of the blessed Angels who observe and look upon us how we quit our selves in this holy War If it were only the present Profit and Benefit which will accrue to us it should move us to fight how terrible soever it seems to flesh and blood For that is truely here verified Pax Belli filia Peace is the Daughter of War We no sooner enter the field to fight against these Enemies but presently we have Peace with God and Peace of Conscience if not the sense yet the ground of it What then should the receiving of a Heavenly Kingdom move us to do Satans pay to his Soldiers is but the Pleasures of Sin for a Season the Honour and Profit of the world for a moment and in the end everlasting destruction both of Body and Soul Whereas they who keep close to Christ's Standard and overcome the Enemy besides what they have here shall be filled with such Rewards and Joys as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor Heart of man can conceive Lastly We have sure grounds of Victory for our Enemies are already overcome to our hand Christ hath cooled their Courage and abated their Strength And he that calls us to the Fight will help us to Overcome Deficientes sublevat vincentes coronat When we faint he sustains us and crowns us when we overcome Besides God gives us to see the end from the beginning He shewed David the Victory before-hand This uncircumcised Philistine saies he shall be as one of them meaning the Lion and Bear he had slain 1 Sam. 17.36 We may say as the Church of old Rejoyce not against me O mine Enemy for though I fall yet I shall rise again She that is mine Enemy shall see it shame shall cover her that said unto me Where is the Lord thy God Mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be trodden down as the Mire in the Streets Mic. 7.8 10. Behold Earth's Triumph in the midst of the Enemies Insultations to see this before-hand is ground of hope of Victory Further every piece of Armour speaks them Conquerors It is the Armour of God the Armour of Righteousness and secures on the right hand and on the left Though Saul's Armour was too cumbersome for David yet this is fitted and suited exactly to all that rightly take it to themselves Their Girdle and Helmet of great Strength and Purity Their Breast-plate such as secures the Vitals of Godliness and Religion Their Shoes impenetrable though the way be strewed with Thorns and sharp Stones Their Sword better than Goliah's and it may be said of it most truely There is none like it Their Shield better than the Shields of the Mighty quenching all the fiery Darts the Enemy can throw upon them Moreover Whatever fights against us fight for us All these things are against me saies Jacob Gen. 42.32 yet found all for him whatever resists Believers in a Conflict doth encourage them Their former and present Trials beget future Trust Their former Assaults are their after Experiences By these they learn how to ward off such a Blow how to evade such a Snare and Stratagem how to withstand such a Temptation and to add no more In their Inability lies their Ability out of weakness they are made strong and wax valiant in fight as they of old Heb. 11.34 Many are valiant to fight at first but to grow strongest at the last piece of Service to so say as St. Paul When I am weak then am I strong this is encouraging indeed These and other grounds of Victory Believers have let all such stand and withstand in the evil day for you shall certainly overcome at last Assurance of Victory will make a Coward fight stoutly and courageously O let not your hands be weakned or your hearts faint and fail seeing you are sure to prevail There is a notable Speech of Charles the Fifth who venturing into apparent danger in War was disswaded from hazarding himself â—est if he were killed the whole Army should be routed and broken said An Emperour was never shot through with a Bullet Let the hearts and hands of Believers be strengthned by this A true Believer was never totally and finally overcome by the Enemies of his Soul but though foiled and his Weapons beaten out of his hand yet recovers and stands when they are fallen and destroyed Only be strong and of a good courage put forth your utmost endeavours to overcome Qui creavit te sine te non servabit te sine te was the Saying of an Antient. It is not Armour in the Magazine but put on and well used that defends us and offends our Enemies This Church of Philadelphia had but a little strength yet improving it well kept Christ's word and denied not his Name For to him that hath shall