Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	blood_n	soul_n	sprinkle_v	1,209	5	10.9438	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43586	A new creature: or, A short discourse, opening the nature, properties, and necessity of the great work of the new creation upon the souls of men Being some plain discourses on Galatians vi. 15. By O. H. an unworthy minister of the Gospel.	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1695 (1695)	Wing H1774; ESTC R221314	109,851	208

the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and are in continual ecstacy in the admiration of O the Love of God in sending Christ of Christ in becoming Man 1 Joh. 3.1 in taking any of the Sons of Men to be the Children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Rom. 11.33 There there only is something to be admired all the Glories of the World are but meer contemptible Pageantry he can trample them under his Feet with a better disdain then Diogenes trampled on Plato's bravery for he is in a sort crucified to the world Gal. 6.14.2 Cor. 4.18 And can pass by things seen with an holy scorn compared with things unseen which are Eternal This is the New Creature in the Mind 2. The New Creature is also manifest in the Conscience which though it be not a distinct Faculty but a compound of more yet it is of great use in the Soul of Man and its necessary that the Heart be sprinkled from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 which is done by the Blood of Christ and that the Conscience be purged from dead Works to serve the living God and this is effected by the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 Now there are Four Offices of Conscience which the New Creature doth in good measure rectifie 1. As it is Index a guide a discoverer of Duty a bright Star in a dark Night an Hand in the Margin to shew us what is worth our observing a Schoolmaster to teach us a Monitor to shew our Mistakes and it must be regulated by the Word of God for Conscience is corrupted and is apt to be deceived and deceive us it is but an under-Officer and must it self be subject to God's Law hence the Christian seeks to regulate its dictates by the Word of Truth and Grace brings it to the rule What saith my Supreme Lord and Master I must follow thee no further than God's Law allows now the New Creature brings the Conscience to the Word and saith Thus far thou must go and no further the End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 These are always Companions this is a good Conscience 2. Conscience is liber 't is a Book wherein are noted and writ down all a man's Actions Expressions yea his Thoughts and Imaginations so it is a wise and faithful Register to produce them as a faithful Witness for or against a man another day the Books were opened Rev. 20.12 One of those was the Book of Conscience Conscience is as a thousand Witnesses if good the Holy Ghost joyns with it my Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 And this is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 If the Person have done any thing amiss Conscience brings it to the man's remembrance as the Sin of Joseph's Brethren made them say We are verily guilty Gen 43.21 Now a faithful Witness will not lye A rectified Conscience will give in a true Testimony to promote Repentance which is therefore called a bethinking our selves 1 King 8.47 or Heb. a bringing back upon our Hearts Conscience hath a tenacious Memory and will speak true in its Excusings or Accusings Rom. 2.14 15. which is proper to Conscience as a Conscience but Grace regulates it and adds some force to it 3. As Conscience is judex a Judge to pass the Sentence upon a man as the verdict is brought in It 's true it is but a petty Judge under the Supreme Judge yet the Great God confirms its judicial Sentence 1 John 3.20 If our Hearts i.e. our Consciences condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things Every man may and must keep a privy Sessions within preparatory to the Great Assizes if he be but passive and is loath to hearken to this Sentence he is self-condemned and this is but praejudicium judicij a sad prognostick of his being condemned at God's Tribunal which he seeks to escape as Felix did but cannot But if he joyn issue with this Sentence and condemn himself actively and voluntarily he shall not be judged or condemned 1 Cor. 11.31 Now Grace in the Heart makes a Man do this I am the Man saith Conscience I confess both the Fact and Fault A●rtthou so saith Conscience I must needs pass the Sentence upon thee according to God's righteous Law Well I yield saith the Soul I am convicted in this Court and cannot escape the Judgment of God I must flye to the City of Refuge 4. Conscience is vindex an anvenger a self-tormenter a guilty Person is one that torments or afflicts himself some do this sinfully by worldly Sorrow which causeth Death 2 Cor 7.10 The Christian must do it penitentially either for his own Sins or other mens so Lot vexed his righteous Soul with the Sodomites Sins 2 Pet. 2.7 8. The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beat and Bastinado'd his righteous Soul The Godly Man must take the Whip of Conscience with the Hand of Grace and whip himself for his Sins or God will take it with his Hand and scourge him with it as he did David whose Heart smote him for numbring the People 2 Sam. 24.10 The Worm of Conscience gnawing at the Heart is an acute Pain and will be one of the Torments of the Wicked in Hell Mark 9.44 But the Godly Man prevents that by joyning issue with executing God's Sentence by self-excruciating trouble for Sin here this is a profitable use of Conscience by a free and voluntary seconding its severe Lashes to promote Godly Sorrow This for two parts of the New Creature that concern first the Mind secondly The Conscience Chap. X. A further tryal of the New Creature as to the Will and Affections the subjects of it and its Properties 3. ANother Subject wherein this New Creature resides is the Will and this is Cardo animae the hinge of the Soul the Master-Wheel upon which the whole Soul turns as an old Bowl receives a new Byas that turns it quite another way then what it had gone now the change of the Will is the main work of converting Grace There are Four Motions of the Will wherein the New Creature shews it self 1. In its Designs Aims Intentions The world and it self were the main drift of the VVill in a natural state all seek their own Phil. 2.21 the gratifying of the Flesh sensual Appetite and carnal Interest the universal Inquest is Who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 Oh for a good Bargain a cheap Purchase Another is for strong Drink or sweet Meats Plays or Pleasures another for Cap and Knee and Titles of Honour But the New Creature post-pones and scorns all these and designs the glorifying of God enjoyment of him let Chrst be magnified and my Soul glorified Phil. 20. And I can hate all other things God hath twisted them together and the Soul cannot part them

live Thou dost reckon thy self to be as in the Belly of Hell with Jonah while thou art yok'd with such thoughts and sendest many a deep groan to Heaven against them and at somtimes dost obtain some help against them and gettest near thy God in duty But I shall add no more of these Cases but only add two VVords as a Close of this Discourse That if poor doubting Souls would instead of their Complainings and Objections but do these two things it would tend more to their Satisfaction and the Glory of God 1. That they would spend that time in examining their own Consciences which they take up in fruitless Complaints Alas many Professors have got an Art of whining and complaining to Ministers and Christian Friends and think to be better thought of for such complaints but this is a sad Judgment of God for Persons to pine away in their Iniquity and yet mourn one towards another Ezek. 24.23 If poor Souls would spend that time in searching their own Consciences and Conversations it would tend more to the clearing up the Sincerity of their Hearts and Saving Work of Grace Fall to this Sirs enter into your Closets commune with your own Hearts deal faithfully and effectually put not off your selves with unproved Conceits and groundless Imaginations but go through-stitch with the Work ransak your Hearts they are your own be not put off with such mannerly Excuses as Rachel's Take such an Account as you must give to God let no lust escape your view or the least Grace be belyed or denyed with any scorn or disregard When David thought of God he was troubled and expresseth many discontented Murmurings but when he communed with his own Heart Psal 77.36 40. he clears God and condemns his Unbelief indites the Thief and clears his Conscience of that troublesome Jonah in his Bosome Thus plaindealing evidenceth a Christian's State sooner then wrangling and yet still thou art at a loss Appeal to God and say as Job Thou knowest that I am not wicked Job 10.7 Or as Peter Thou knowest that I love thee John 21.15 Or as David Do not I hate them that hate thee Search me O God and know my Heart Psal 139.21 23. As wise Physicians trust not their own Judgment about their own Health so the Saint knows God's Line reacheth lower then his own and to his Judgment he will stand 2. Instead of complaining fall vigorously upon the work of Sanctification to mortifie beloved Lusts to cut off a right Hand and pluck out a right Eye Matth. 5.29 When you have search'd out the Leaven purge it out 1 Cor. 5.7 Lay aside every Weight and the Sin which doth most easily beset you Heb. 12.1 Run the Sword of the Spirit to the Heart of every Lust Lay the Ax to the root of the Tree stub up Sin by the Roots if a vain Thought a proud lustful worldly passionate Thought arise in your Hearts suppress it militate against it crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 So will you evidence your selves to be Christ's 2 Cor. 7.1 be daily perfecting Holiness in the fear of God Observe wherein you missed it in such a Duty and be still mending it as Apelles when he had drawn a Picture was ever and anon spying Defects and then mended it with his Pencil so do you Observe what Conscience said Oh my Soul in such a Duty thou wast cold distracted unbelieving hard vain-glorious in such an Affliction thou wast froward peevish discontented in such a company thou spakest idlely or wast guilty of sinful silence In the enjoyment of such a Mercy or in thy posperous state how proud secure self-conceited slighting others wast thou Oh mourn for this Fault watch against it for the future walk more closely with God maintain daily Intercourse with God and thine own Conscience thereby you will be better acquainted with God and your own Souls and discern better how your Principles are stated For if you walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon you Gal. 6.16 Hence the blessed Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not in fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World Dying Hezekiah could plead this with God in his Appeal Isa 38.1 Oh Sirs learn to e●ercise every Grace to every Duty the Exercise of Grace is the clearest Evidence of Grace both to our selves and others as he confuted his Antagonist that disputed against Motion by starting up and walking So do you walk with God hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2.3 6. If you walk as he walked you evidence that you abide in him as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 If you expect that God's Spirit will witness with your Spirits and so subscribe your Certificate for Heaven you must be uniform and universal in your course of Godliness both in your Worship and Walking walking before God and with God Gen. 5 24-17.1 Then indeed will you be found upright or perfect But if thou have any close Box in the Cabinet of thy Heart wherein thou layest up and hidest any beloved Lust or if thou roylest these Waters by any uneven walking or stoppest thy Travels in Heaven's Road by idleness sleeping or stepping back and losing thy first Love then no wonder if thou canst not discern this Stamp of God's Image upon thy Soul but callest thy very state into question Yet above all I advise thee to stop the Mouth of Conscience with that only that satisfied the Justice of God Nothing can reconcile a Man to himself but that which reconciled God and Man It was Dr. Sibs Advice When the Water of Sanctification runs muddy betake your selves to the Blood of Justification There there must lie your Comfort and Confidence by this only must you answer all the Objections raised by Satan and Conscience from Justice Law or whatsoever opposeth your Peace rising from the Defects and Imperfections of Grace or this New Creature within you And indeed the best of us must anchor and center here as to out Justification Acceptation with God or composedness of Conscience Come then let us go in this Gospel-way to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel Heb. 12.24 〈◊〉 So be it FINIS