Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	david_n	heart_n	smite_v	1,341	5	9.6931	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45344	A sermon preached at Mercers-Chappel, on the 13th of January, 1688/9 by Timothy lord bishop of Oxford.	Hall, Timothy, 1637?-1690.	1689 (1689)	Wing H444; ESTC R42065	24,800	45

way meet for his work Good Counsel from a bad man must not be slighted Balaam was a bad man yet he had a good wish and uttered a most excellent Prophesie A diseased Physician may prescribe good Medicines a lame Steward may distribute his Masters Alms Ungrounded is that Doctrine both of the Romanists and several others who tell us That the Benefit of God's Ordinances depends upon the goodness and right intentions of the Priest and Minister What shall I not be saved by hearing unless the Preacher be saved whom I hear Is the Grace of God tied to the Ministry of man Shall the Servant share the Honour and part stakes with his Master Our Lord and Great Prophet taught the people to observe their Doctrines that sate in Moses Chair tho without breach of Charity he called them Serpents and Hypocrites Sampson did not disdain the Sweets because he found them uncleanly laid in the Lions Carkass His diet was strict enough he might not eat that which savoured of Legal Impurity yet refused not a Honey-comb because found in the belly of a dead Beast Honey is Honey tho in a dead Lyon. Having inserted this necessary Caution I shall in the Close subjoin Two or Three Things by way of Inference Reproof and Advice by way of more particular Application 1. I hence infer That if it be the Duty of Ministers Parents and Governors of Families to give Reproof then it is the Duty of People Children and Servants to take it You are as much obliged to have a willing Ear as we are to use a faithful Tongue But woe unto us we have stopped our ears against the loud and reiterated Rebukes of Heaven God at sundry times and divers manners hath both in times past spoken and still doth speak in very Reprehensory Language and has let us know his mind in very broad and legible Characters so that if we were upon the wing flying or on our feet running we may plainly read it There are four ways in a more singular and eminent manner by which God has reprehended us 1. By his Word 2. By our Consciences 3. By the Examples of Good Men. 4. By his Judgments on Bad Men. 1. By his Word That is profitable for reproof for reproof of Errors and false Doctrines for correction of sin and evil manners Every one that doth evil hates this sacred Torch neither cometh to this light lest his deeds should be reproved Moreover by them i. e. by thy Statutes is thy servant warned But men seal up this Book to themselves and spend more time in Romantick Discourses than in these Sacred Oracles 2. He reproves by our own Consciences How often do they check and chide us 'T is said of David as soon as he had cut off the lap of Saul's Garment his heart smote him that is his Conscience recoil'd upon him Conscience is the great Register and Recorder of the World it hath the Pen of a ready writer not a word or thought escapes its swift Pencil It is God's Historiographer which writes not only Anuals but Diaries it hath its Book and Table wherein it indelibly writes mens Transgressions and Swervings It is man's private Notary his Bailiff to arrest him and seize upon every miscarrying habit and act It is his Judg sifts and scrutinizes the Offender convicts and then condemns the Malefactor Their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And how many secret Lectures hath this read to us What Artifices have we used to rock it to sleep Play and Gaming Musick and Feasting Company and many diversions of the same nature have been cast in to still this importunate and offensive babler whose tongue will never lye still 3. God reproves by the Examples of Good Men. Noah condemned the old world for their security by his preparing an Ark. A good man leads a convincing life and there is an Elenctical Power in his holy deportment Those that stood with the Lamb had the Father's name in their foreheads as Holiness to the Lord was upon the High Priest's We must answer not only for sinning against the Light of God's Word and our own Consciences but the light of good example also The faithful are called Witnesse so Lot witnessed against the sinners of his age A Good Man's life is the best Scripture-Commentary and hath a Magnetical Virtue a hidden Excellency to allure to Goodness The Godly shine like Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation 4. God reproves by his Judgments on bad men he reproves both by his Word and Rod as by the testimony of his mouth so by the works of his hands Thou hast rebuked the heathen thou hast destroyed the wicked That act of destruction was a smart Reprehensory Lecture to them they were taught with Briars and Thorns God will get his lessons in at mens backs if they will not kindly receive them at their ears he will whip them into better manners and shew them their faults by their stripes Reproof is frequently in Scripture put for chastisement Lot's Wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt looking back contrary to God's command and that this Pillar of Salt was for the seasoning of all that would cast an eye behind to Sodom appears by our Saviour's general application of it Remember Lot's wife Remember What Not so much the Miracle which every cursory Reader of the Scripture has at his fingers ends and poor Children like Parrots can recite to you but Remember the Moral the Doctrine and Instruction which lies more covertly under it But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first an see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel The Ancient Philosophers as Gellius noteth assigned Three Grounds for punishment of offenders 1. That which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when punishment was inflicted for amending of the party punished and to put him in mind of the committed offence 2. The second they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for preservation of the honour of him against whom the offence was committed lest indulgence should occasion contempt of his figure and dignity 3. They call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when an Offender was punished for Example sake to deter others from the like offence Some notorious Malefactors are hanged up in Chains to warn and affright others This was the aggravation of Belshazzar's Pride that he humbled not his heart tho he knew the judgment inflicted on his Father for the same sin Mark God's own method of Arguing I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwelling should not be cut off howsoever I punished them