Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A74977
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The vvorld conquered, or a believers victory over the world Layd open in several sermons on I. John 5.4. By R.A.
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R. A. (Richard Alleine), 1611-1681.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing A1009A; ESTC R230092
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210,189
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352
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even wrought our selves out of work or else how quickly are we discouraged by the greatness of our work the least straw is a stumbling block the least Molehill a Mountain every duty is a difficulty and every difficulty an impossibility How shall I stand under so much work Who would venture on so great difficulties Am I God and not man spirit and not flesh the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak No no thy spirit is weak too this spirit is but flesh How weak is thine heart that it is so soon discouraged O Brethren where is the victorious spirit where are the Heroes of Christianity the Nobles that set their necks to the work of the Lord What designs have you for advancing in holiness for magnifying the grace of God in you for exalting his name in an heavenly life Where are the Trophies of your prowess bring forth the Captives you have taken Can you shew your lusts in Chains your pride in Chains your covetousness in Chains Here are the prisoners I have taken Behold houses and honors and dignities and pleasures behold my feet upon the necks of them all This little I have done for God Yet not I but the grace of God that was with me This little have I done for God the weights are laid aside and now will I run with patience the Race which is set before me Now for a fruitful life for labouring and abounding in the work of the Lord for growing rich unto God rich in good works I cannot sit down by that little I have done he is worthy he is worthy for whom I should do other manner of things then these for whom I should live another manner of life then this O were I all soul all wing all life all action how little would this my all be to what I would it were Rise up O my soul shake off thy ashes open thy sluces let run all thy streams what wilt thou do for thy good I have done for my flesh I have done for my family I have done for my friends what shall I do for my God Read O my soul in the Book of Records as that King did Ester 6. 2. and search what the Lord hath done for thee how he hath pardoned thee and sanctified thee and subdued thine enemies under thee how he hath brought thee out of thine house of bondage and redeemed thee from the house of servants And then ask What honour hath been done the Lord for all this O Brethren how are we straitned we walk as if we were still in our fetters if we were still Vassals to this earth we could hardly be less active for heaven Whilest we tell one another what the Lord hath done for our souls how little have we to tell what our souls have done for the Lord Empty vines we are that bring forth our fruit to our selves that sow for our selves and reap for our selves and thresh for our selves and live to our selves and how little to him And that little we do for God how hardly are we brought to it Am I bound to do this am I bound to do that bound to give so much to the poor bound to spend so much time in prayer bound to such constant care and labour May not less suffice will not less be accepted may I not be a Christian at a cheaper rate And if our flesh can but make us believe that less may serve how glad are we to sit down and save our labour Brethren is it not thus with the most of us must we not be drag'd and driven on to duty what do we more then bare necessity forces us to if fear would let us alone if Conscience would let us be quiet how little is it that love to Christ would put us upon Oh where are the large hearts to God the flowing souls that freely offer themselves to the Lord Woe to us this earth still sucks up our streams 2. Fortitude By this we stand against the fury of the world That 's a magnanimous spirit that delights in difficulties and despises danger a bold soul that not only loves to serve but dares to suffer that is not careful about this matter Dan. 3. Whom none of all these things move Act. 20. 24. that is strong and of good courage Victory attends the valiant and makes more valiant a little Conquest fleshes the faint This Christian fortitude comprehends in it these three things A boldness With God In God For God 1. A boldness with God A free and confident access to God a coming boldly before the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. And this arises from a sense of Reconciliation with God from an inward acquaintance with God from a conscience of uprightness before the Lord Heb. 10. 19. 22. Having therefore boldness by the blood of Jesus let us draw near with a true heart with an heart sprinkled from an evil conscience There 's no coming before God with a guilty or guileful heart 't is Innocence that gives boldness the conscience of guilt or guile makes us afraid and ashamed to appear before God We are afraid of our Bibles asham'd to look towards our Closets when God hath a quarrel with us We go into our Closets as the Thief to the House of Correction We sneak in ashamed and afraid and shuffle over in haste and are glad when we get out again We cannot pray we scarce dare to lift up our eyes to heaven we blush before the Lord and cannot be free and open-hearted with him Guilt stops our mouths or at least the heart keeps silence where this cryes in its ears How can I go before the Lord What am I like to hear if I speak to him What will he answer me if I call upon him Why eryest thou to me Go to the Gods whom thou hast served go to thy pleasures go to thy companions go to thy Mammon which thou hast served thou art privy to thy treacheries to the Whoredomes thou hast committed with thine other Gods why cryest thou to me in thy distress go to the Gods after which thou hast loved to wander how will that heart hang down the head and give it self the repulse that 's conscious to such treachery When the soul can reply I have no other God to go to this Flesh is not my God this World is not my God my heart is with thee my desire is to thee and I have kept me by thee thou knowest Lord it hath been my care to keep me from the way and from the lusts of this world and to walk before thee in mine integrity then will it lift up its face with confidence in his presence Now he that can thus be bold with God that can with openness of heart make his appeal to God as the witness of his integrity and that can hereupon make his request to God make known his want and his straits and distresses and be bold to leave it upon him to relieve and support him he that
well to be a self-seeker you would answer him as Jonah did Jonah 4. 9. when God ask'd him Dost thou well to be angry it may be you would answer as he yes I do well to be angry I do well to be covetous or proud or sensual but do ye think you shall say thus at death shall you then think you say I have done well I have done wisely for my self I have coveted a good covetousness 't is well for me that I did not hearken to these preachers that I have lived in pleasure that I have heaped up treasure for these last daies if I were to begin the world again and were to live over my life the second time I would take the same course I have taken and I could wish every friend I have in the world every companion I have every child I have to take example by me and to live as I have lived would you say thus would you wish thus in that day Sometimes we hear a dying Worldling to wish all his friends Take warning by me O take heed as you love your souls that you spend not your daies as I have done but do you ever hear them say Take example from me follow my steps now I find the comfort of my earthly-mindedness now I find the comfort of my lusts and pleasures O that you might all have the comfort at your dying day wherewith I am now comforted when did you hear of such an instance Speak worldling let thy Conscience speak when death comes to arrest thy soul and to carry it hence immediately before thy Judg there to receive thy sentence according to what thou hast done in the body is this the state thou wouldst be found in reeking in thy worldly lusts soaked in sensuality eaten out of worldly cares loaden with worldly goods and as empty of the knowledg and grace of God as thou art at this day wouldst thou be content to say in respect of divine grace as thou must in respect of worldly goods Naked I came into this world and naked I must go out of the world would you that death should carry you thus before your Judg would you have that written on your forehead when you come to stand before that dreadful Tribunal which was written on the Tomb of that Edomite Psa 52. 7. Lo this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness Do not your hearts tremble when ever you give them leave to think of that day do not the fore-views of death and those anticipations of Judgment you sometimes feel in the Court of Conscience use to shake you But how will it be when it comes when the pale horse comes to your door and you are just mounting for the other world when your Judge whose eyes are as flames of fire his feet as burning brass with his sharp two edged sword in his mouth when your Judge shall be set on the bench and your guilty Souls be brought to the Bar when he shall make inquisition for bloud for the bloud of Christ which hath been trampled under foot for the bloud of the poor which hath been suck'd out of their hearts for the bloud of your Souls which hath been sold and sacrificed to lust when all your oaths and lyes your frauds and oppressions your unrighteousness and unmercifulness when your profaned sabbaths your neglected duties your wasted consciences when either the rust and the canker of your riches which you have wickedly gotten or the wast and the ashes of them which you have as wickedly spent when the roul wherein all these things are written shall be spred and read before the Lord and your Souls struck dumb and speechless in his presence Judg Oh Judg what your thoughts will then be of your present wayes Lastly will you now become enemies to the world Be enemies and you are conquerours will you deal with the world as an enemy will you fear it as an enemy will you fly from it will you fight against it as an enemy shall the Lord be your God shall the Lord be your friend shall the Lord be your treasure will you cast away all your Idols and will you come and be reconciled to God what say you will you be crucified to this and make an adventure for the other world Now becavse this is so great a question and such as on the answering thereof the whole issue and success of all that hath been said depends I shall give you the opportunity to pause a while here and deliberate upon it ere you give in your answer Before you answer this question consider yet farther 1. Doth not God call you off from the world 2. What is there in your denyal 1. Doth not God call you off from the world who is it that said 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world Consider and compare these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God and Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world it enmity against God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God What is the errand upon which the Ministers of the Gospel are sent from the Lord unto you I it not to perswade you to be reconciled to God the word which they preach is therefore called the word of reconciliation Can you be reconciled to God whilest you hold in with the world Can any thing be spoken plainer then this He that will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God when we therefore warn you be ye reconciled to God do we not therein call you to make war with the world and doth not God himself call you by us warn you by us But besides the call of the word do not both the goodness and severity of God call upon you 1 Doth not the goodness the mercy and kindness of God call upon you Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and long suffering and forbearance not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 12. 1 2. I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and be ye not cenformed to this world Worldly men mind worldly things having their conversation in the flâ—sh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind But will you be conform to them I beseech you be not I beseech you by the mercies of God be ye not conformed to this world If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercies be ye otherwise minded You profess that Christ is your consolation that the love of God is your comfort that the fellowship of the Spirit is your