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
A66819	The doctrine and practice of mortification wherein is discovered the matter, manner, and means thereof, together with the blessed event that comes by it : necesary for every Christian to know and practice, that will live comfortably, and die peaceably / by Thomas Wolfall ...	Wolfall, Thomas.	1641 (1641)	Wing W3249; ESTC R39135	86,981	287

over they are no such men so is it in this case all this combate is but a meere shew 2 In a true combate there are some scarres some thing that stickes to him after the battell and some booty is carried away as a testimony of his valour so a Christian that hath got some ground against his enemy hee hath got some strength against his lusts as it was said of the house of David and Saul that Davids house did increase and Sauls decrease so is it here grace it gaines something at every combate now after the combate is over the melancholy person is as he was there is no alteration if hee was prophane before so hee is still or if hee was civill before he is civill still 3 They differ in their cure a distempered body is cured with physicke good ayre and temperate diet but who is hee that can cure a sicke and distempered soule not all the Physitians in the world Nay let mee speake a bold word not all the Angels in heaven are able by all their wisdome to helpe a wounded spirit it must be no lesse than the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away sin and heales a sicke distressed destempered soule 2 Againe the seate of this warre is sometimes among the passions Num. 13.32 so as one standeth in opposition to another Nay as the spyes that went to view the land of Canaan said unto Moses that the land they went to search was a land that did eate up the inhabitants of it so it is with our lusts one lust is so predominant that it eates up another as you have an example in Herod who being ambitious did favour Iohn Mark 6. Euseb lib. 8. cap. 17. because hee look't at the applause of the people for all held Iohn as a Prophet yet such was his lust to Herodias Libido potias quam iracundia tenebat imperium paulo post dicit author quod Christiana continentia neque morte neque pecunia expugnari potest that for her sake hee cast him into prison and afterwards cut off his head So it is sayd of Maxontius that as hee was cruell so was he incontinent and sometime his lust of incontinencie prevailed against that of cruelty as instance is given in a Christian Virgin whom hee had attempted to have defiled in which case sayth my Author that his incontinencie got the victory of his fury but now this warre is not a warre amongst them but against them all as they that are Christs doe crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 and the truth is that when as a man doth suffer his lust to rule is as if a man should suffer his feete to guide his head or the handmaid to rule over the mistresse so is it in this case for our passion should be guided by reason and reason rectified by the spirit and then things would goe in a right order therefore our Apostle doth shew that the flesh lusts against the spirit not that the flesh lusts against the flesh for though the lusts of the flesh may be at discord one with another it is but like that which was betweene Pilate and Herod which albeit there was some contention betweene them Luk. 23.12 yet they both joyned together against Christ so that howsoever it be that one lust may in some cases overthrow another yet they will all conspire against Christ CAP. XI Showing certaine other differences that are betweene them in this relactancie of the flesh against the spirit 3 In the time 3 THirdly they differ in the time of their combate the naturall combate oft-times comes as soone as reason can make a difference betweene good and bad and it is that which may be in a very heathen Ro. 2.15 for the Gentiles that had no law to goe by besides that which was written in their hearts yet by that were a law to themselves their consciences either excusing on accusing of them now conscience according to that light that it hath is alway at hand to contend against the workes of sinne and that fleshly appetite that is in us howbeit conscience may trouble us yet it is commonly for greater sinnes and not for lesser as Pharaoh for his great cruelty confesseth I have sinned and so we read did Nero and others but now for lesser them they easily passe over Saint Paul cryes out of the body of sinne that was within him and David of the cutting off Sauls garment his heart smote him for that but in this case the naturall conscience hath little to say because it knowes little therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust except the Law had said thou shalt not lust that is his naturall conscience did not discover it unto him but it was given him by a higher and a clearer light Our Saviour Christ sheweth that while the strong man keepes the house all that a man possesseth is in peace but when a stronger than hee commeth then hee begins the combate so long as a man is in the state of nature the prince of the aire rules in his heart and hath quiet possession for although there may be a contention as hath beene shewed among the passions and lusts yet so as there is no hinderance to Sathan by that at all for the lesser footing hee hath in one lust the stronger hee is in another as it is among a company of gamesters looke what one loseth another winnes and suppose that they should be all losers yet the house where they game would be a gainer so is it here that as long as there is no other strife but amongst themselves men are still as bad or worse than they were and Sathan that keepes the house gaine● by them Againe suppose wee some strange man should come into this gaming house and should take away their money and burne the dice and cause the house to be pulled downe and bind the strong man and lay him in prison would not this breed hot blood and occasion strife So it is in this case for when the spirit comes then it comes with such might as beares downe all before it and overthroweth the strong holds of Sathan and every high thought that doth exalt it selfe against God by what as hath beene said you may easily see how this naturall combate differs from the spirituall in regard of the time 4 In the end 4 They differ in their ends that they have in their combate there are three ends for which a man doth undertake warre namely peace honour and terrour first this warre is undertaken for peace sake both peace of conscience and peace with God now howsoever a wicked man may seeme to humble himselfe for his sinne and to make up his peace with God yet it is but like those truces that are made in the warres for some short time for some private reasons knowne to themselves so is it in this case 1