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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69044	A sermon necessarie for these times shewing the nature of conscience, with the corruptions thereof, and the repairs or means to inform it with right knowledge, and stirre it up to upright practise, and how to get and keep a good conscience. To which is adjoyned a necessarie, brief, and pithy treatise af [sic] the ceremonies of the Church of England. By Anthony Cade Batch. of Divinitie.	Cade, Anthony, 1564?-1641.	1639 (1639)	STC 4330; ESTC S107399	57,371	130

thus The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1. Joh. 1.7 If we have a good Conscience either not having sinned against it Vse 3 or being cleansed from our sinne by faith and repentance so that in our Conscience nothing remaineth written up against us happy are we for 1. Joh. 3.21 If our heart condemne us not then have we confidence to God and whatsoever we ask of God we shall receive Rom. 8.15 16 17. Matth. 7.11 For as dutifull children receive all necessaries which they ask of their earthly fathers so shall we of our heavenly being his children by adoption But because the heart is deceitfull above measure take heed you be not deceived Jer. 17.9 for many men brag of a good Conscience but few men have it S. Bernard delivereth foure sorts of Consciences two not good two good 1. There is a Conscience quiet but not good 2. There is a Conscience neither quiet nor good 3. There is a Conscience good but not quiet 4. There is a Conscience both good and quiet 1. The Conscience quiet but not good Conscience quiet but not good See Mr. Slater upon Rom. may be a broad or large Conscience swallowing down any sinne without feeling or brawny seared senslesse or sleeping until God in mercie or the devil in policie awake it This is not good it proceeds from ignorance delight or custome in sinne or want of a sound faithfull ministerie a dangerous sicknesse not felt and therefore not desiring the cure 2. The Conscience neither quiet nor good Conscience neither quiet nor good is too stirring in small matters too senslesse of greater such is first the erroneous accusing more for the use of a ceremonie then for disobeying the Magistrate and secondly the superstitious disquieting more for breaking our fast on a fish day or omitting a few Ave Maries then for drunkennes cozening our neighbours or for treasons rebellions massacres of Princes and people but thirdly and especially the despairing conscience which for sinne against God afflicts too grievously and endlesly admitting no comfort of Gods mercie Christs merits This Conscience through the devils strong delusion or their own despair if so it continue is past physick These two are in the two extreams the one too carelesse and fearlesse the other too carefull and fearfull both dangerously evil Conscience good but not quiet 3. The Conscience good but not quiet accuseth for breach of Gods law and fills the heart with sorrows and fears yet grieveth more at his fault then at his punishment and therefore tends to good and seeks for comfort 2. Sam. 24.10 17. So Davids heart smote him for numbring the people as trusting to them rather then to God and prayed that he might be punished and they saved This is a good Conscience and is known by these signes First except in the violence of temptation it holds the principle Psal 73.1 Psal 42. and 43. Yet God is loving unto Israel and O my soul why art thou so disquieted within me hope in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And he seeks to the Lord in good time for reconciliation and pardon as David Psal 51.1 8 12. c. And he resolves with Job chap. 13.15 though the Lord should kill him yet to put his trust in him Secondly he is carefull to use the means and hungerly hangs upon the ministerie of the word no physician in the deadliest sicknesse more welcome then he that declares Gods mercie to one thus afflicted he receives him as the angel of God even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.15 Rom. 10.15 more deare to him then his own eyes Oh how beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Thirdly he continues in the wayes of Gods commandments usually with more strictnesse and zeal then others lesse troubled And this Conscience is blessed with a happy successe for such men are now in their physick they a Matt. 5.4 6. hunger after comfort and shall be satisfied These b Matt. 12.20 bruised reeds Christ will not break nor quench this smoking flax Into these c Luk. 10.30 34. wounded and half-dead travellers the good Samaritane will poure the oyl wine of his mercie These are they whom our Saviour so lovingly calls even them that d Matt. 11.28 labour and are heavie laden with the burden of their sinnes to give them ease and rest Therefore as they said to blinde Bartimeus by the way side e Mark 10.49 Be of good comfort for he calleth thee so I may say to all afflicted consciences labouring for pardon and peace Be of good comfort Jesus calleth you 4. The Conscience both good and quiet Conscience both good and quiet is that which after due knowledge of his own sinne repentance faith reconciliation findes and feels f Rom. 5.1 and 8.1 14 15 16. peace with God this is a g Prov. 15.15 continuall feast the Christians jewel worth all the world h 1. Joh. 3.21 heaven upon earth This ministreth comfort and joy both in life and death for i Rom. 14.8 whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords k Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to us l Rom. 8.18 Our sufferings in this world are not worthy to be compared to the glorie prepared for us in the next We have comfort in all judgements even in the expectation of the m 1. Joh. 4.17 2. Tim. 4.8 2. Cor. 1.12 great day Our inheritance is a n Luk. 12.32 kingdome o 1. Pet. 1.4 incorruptible undefiled immortall p 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor care heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Therefore when we have beaten our brains and imagined the greatest joy and felicitie that our hearts can think yet we may still say This is not it August in Psalm 26. Enarrat 2. for all a man can possibly think comes short of it as S. Augustine speaketh Such troubled and such quiet Consciences are both good the one feels the Lord is strong the other sweet the one in sharpnesse the other in sweetnesse runnes the wayes of Gods commandments the one is in the battell the other in the victorie the one in the way to peace the other in possession the one feeds hungerly the other is satisfied both are blessed Now to procure and preserve a good Conscience I commend unto you these means Means to procure and preserve a good Conscience First every morning before we rise to consider as good husbands do what businesse we have to do that day what company what temptations we are to meet withall then to look into our law-book of Conscience or

Ecclesiasticall histories to shew the rites and ceremonies beside the doctrine of the ancient Primitive Church in the best and purest times You may heare with much profit and comfort all Preachers even the youngest in their freshest wits memory and strength for points of salvation taught in the holy Scriptures within their reading and compasse of studie but for rites and ceremonies trust onely the graver and well-read Divines which have searched Antiquity that our Church-rites may come as neare the purest and ancientest Church as may be without any affectation of noveltie Hitherto I have spoken of the first part of my text The Law-book of Conscience with the properties causes uses manifold depravations and necessary reparations thereof Now I proceed to the second part The Chronicle of Conscience II. PART Their Conscience also bearing witnesse AS formerly witnesse to the truth and equity of the Law-book and thereby exciting us to the work thereof so now a witnesse to God and to our hearts whether we perform the Law or not For Doctrine Conscience preserves a memoriall of all a mans actions It is not a dead but a living book annexed to the soul and as it hath in one part the rules to guide our life so it writes in another part the course of our life and is as I said before Gods Lieger Ambassadour both to put man in minde of his duty and also to observe what he doth and whether a man look on his Law-book or not whether he minde his duty or not Conscience sits silent and close in a corner of his heart like a Register in his office continually noting and writing the mans courses plots devices with all their materiall circumstances how they swerve or agree with the instructions set down in the Law-book without any partiality as Gods true and faithfull witnesse and this is Saint Chrysostomes Codex Chrysostom on Psal 50. homil 2. in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur A book wherein our dayly sinnes are written The Conscience is an individuall or unseparable companion of a mans soul it walks though invisibly in the same gardens with him sits at the same table lies in the same bed Many men are unmarried but none lives single they may walk speak and think without other companions but never without their Conscience that is still partaker of all their counsels that not onely heares and sees but writes down and records as in a Chronicle all things done said or thought By this Chronicle of our lives we may finde written whether we minded it or no while it was in writing undeniable records testifying whether we did this or that or whether we did it not as in sinne David willingly forgot hid and covered his grievous sinnes 2. Sam. 12.13 thinking they should never come to light but after nine moneths Nathan opened his Conscience and compelled him to confesse it So it was with Judas Matt. 27.3 4. So the Conscience of Josephs brethren was not minded by them Gen. 42.21 22. till their affliction in Egypt made them look into it and then they saw their crueltie to their brother written in large letters and convicting them of sinne So of our innocency 1. Sam. 24.11 Davids Conscience shewed him he had not conspired against Saul Samuel could boldly say 1. Sam. 12.3 Whose ex have I taken or whose asse have I taken whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe Moses could say of Korah Dathan Abiram and their companies Num. 16.15 I have not taken an asse from them neither have I hurt any of them Let no man sinne then Vse 1 in hope to be hid for lack of witnesses He may blinde the world but neither God nor his own Conscience he carries mille testes a thousand witnesses in his own bosome or one as strong as a thousand which will testifie his own secretest sinnes to his own sorrow and shame when God cites it While traitours think their practises remain covered and unknown they are somewhat hearty to denie but when their own letters or other accusers privy to their facts are produced against them into the open light 1. Sam. 25.37 then their hearts like Nabals die within them Or as a murderer having left two men for dead and being afterward apprehended for suspicion and stoutly denying all now when he sees one of them brought in alive able to see him and to speak then he cries out Alas art thou alive then I am undone so a wicked man would deny all but when God brings forth his living Conscience to accuse him then he is stricken dumbe and findes he is undone I reade of a Philosopher that hearing his creditour was dead kept the money which he had borrowed without witnesses a night or two but after some strugling with his Conscience he carried it to his Executour saying Mihi vivit qui aliis mortuus est He is alive to me though he be dead to others Oh offend not thy Conscience which alwayes watcheth thee and writes up thine own sinne and shame against thee Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time O Ahab 1. Kings 21. how cunningly and closely contrivest and conveyest thou thy mischievous practises against a poore innocent Will not a palace a kingdome content thee where thou maist live in love in honour in wealth and pleasure but thou must have Naboths vineyard too and to get it rush headlong into such damnable courses as to counterfeit a Religious fast making a shew of Devotion a cloke to cover an odious sinne which is the height of impietie and to suborn false witnesses to accuse an innocent corrupt the Judges under colour of law to condemn him to take away his livelyhood and withall his good name and the pitie and compassion of his neighbours and beholders which is the height of Tyrannie yea worse if any thing can be worse then stoning him to death and depriving himself and his children of inheritance and life And doth not thy Conscience check thee for all this Surely Conscience had written it up but he minded it not for joy of his fine contrived excheat till coming from taking possession he met the Prophet Elias to whom he said Hast thou found me 1. Kings 21.20 O mine enemie Why his enemie Oh his Conscience now accused him of his wickednesse which had made both God and good men his enemies and now at last he found in stead of magnifying his house and establishing his posteritie what an evil covetousnesse he had coveted to his own house what a vengeance he brought upon himself and his posteritie Oh Absalom how well mightest thou flourish if the favour of a King the love of a kingdome the beauty of thy person wealth honour and pleasure with any moderation would content thee But thou art sick of the Father and ambition carries thee headlong into treasonable courses and untimely death Thou colourest thy foul practises

with him in this world but there follow a thousand in the other world that will never have end Bodily diseases may be cured or mitigated or the sense taken away by death sores may be helped by Chirurgerie povertie by friends imprisonment by libertie banishment by restoring reproach by time but all these were they the best in the world and in the highest degree cannot cure the Conscience afflicted with sinne Damocles sword hanging over his head ready to fall Balthasars hand-writing on the wall made all the musick harsh to their eares the meats unsavourie to their taste their attendants irksome and all things cumbersome to their eyes so the apprehension of present death or due deserved vengeance seizing upon their souls distastes all the pleasures that this world can afford A fearful thing when we have grievously offended the supreme Judge that we can neither pacifie him nor flie from him when he sends our own Conscience as his officer to arrest us there needs no other Apparitour to summon us no Bailiffe to fetch us no accuser to give evidence against us no nor judge to condemn us nor executioner to torment us our own Conscience will do all this alone and that in most terrible manner Thus Judas was continually dogged by his Conscience to death David said Psal 51.3 his sinne was ever before him A wofull thing he could not look off it nay it was ever before God also when he said vers 1. Blot out mine offences they stood written up before God as memorials Col. 2.14 and as hand-writings against him till blotted out Cornelius his prayers and almes ascended up before the Lord for a memoriall so do sinnes Alas Acts 10.4 that we will have our sinnes written up when we might have our prayers and good deeds written up both in our Consciences and before God also for memorials when we might have Angels sent as to Cornelius to guide direct Act. 10.3 4 5 6. Luk. 16.22 protect us and finally to carry up our souls to heaven as Lazarus we will have lying and damned spirits sent as to Ahab to deceive 1. Kings 22.21 22. destroy and bring us to hell Cain cried Gen. 4.13 My sinne is greater then can be forgiven and Whosoever shall finde me will slay me Ah wofull Innocent Abels bloud cried from earth to heaven for vengeance on the one side Gen. 4.10 13 and wicked Cains conscience cried within him for vengeance on the other side What shall the poore sinner now do Oh let us first take heed we sinne not against our Conscience Vse 1 for every sinne is a wound unto the soul and the continuance in sinne is a continuall stabbing of the Conscience Vastans conscientiam and though some feel not these wounds or grieve not at them presently through the senselesnesse or numnesse of their choked Conscience yet the often stabbing will breed such inward festring corruption and putrefaction that when the Lord toucheth it they will roar and gnash their teeth or grow unconsolable and often make away themselves as Judas did Therefore let us be carefull to keep our conscience waking tender sensible easily offended with the least touch of sinne by continuall meditation of Gods laws and of the necessity of sanctification and by consideration of our own frailties and suspicion of our own inclinations otherwise we may swallow down sinne without perceiving it and though our Conscience stirre not now to prevent sinne it may stirre hereafter to afflict us for it as in Cain Josephs brethren David Judas the evil of poysons is not felt in the going down their taste may be sweet and pleasant but their operation afterwards deadly Oh if thou knewest how that flattering and amiable face of sinne brings after it a deadly sting punishment and vengeance upon thee and thy posteritie thou wouldest hate thine evil courses as hel and damnation The providence of God is marvellous but just the just mans water of affliction he turns into wine most comfortable and cordiall the unjust mans wine he turns into water Sceleris est in scelere supplicium Wickednesse becomes a scourge unto it self but Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace But no man is perfect and upright as he ought to be Vse 2 By Gods generall restraining grace we may be kept from a As Noah Gen. 6.9 Job chap. 1.1 Zacharie and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 Saul Phil. 3.6 outward notorious grosse sinnes offensive to the world but none b 1. Joh. 1.8 Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 without sinne If we finde our Conscience accuse us and hath written up in our chronicle against us not onely sinnes of infirmitie but also some grosse sinnes offensive to God and men and to our selves is there no remedie but with Judas absolute desperation and destruction God forbid Yes the Lord be praised for his great mercie there is this one remedie By sound repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to get them wiped out for the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne but not without repentance on our part 1. Joh. 1.7 and faith taking hold of his mercie First let the Conscience be soundly wounded and truly sorrowfull for offending God let the sting of sinne be throughly felt and the wounds of sinne searched to the bottome though it be with much pain and grief for to skin over a sore before the deadly corruption be let out and cleansed is very hurtfull and so is ministring of comfort to a man not repentant Christ calls them onely that labour and are heavy laden with the burden of their sinnes Matth. 11.28 such onely he came to ease and heal Onely to the repentant faithfull the blessed promises of the Gospel belong Chrysost in Psal 50. hom 2. In codice scripta sunt peccata tua spongia peccatorum tuorum lacrymae tuae sunt grandis carum virtus The martyrs bloud-shed is precious so sinners tears Peter after 3 denials of Christ by bitter tears abstersit peccatum suum recepit pristinam dignitatem ibid. They onely may get the records of sinne cancelled or blotted out as repentant David Psal 51.1 prayed According to the Multitude of thy mercies O Lord blot out my transgressions and as S. Peter counselled Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out out of the book of Conscience which pricks you Acts 2.37 and out of all other Gods records standing as memorials against you Thus did a Luk. 22.61 62. S. Peter when Christ looked back upon him and put him in minde of his sinne he went out and wept bitterly delevit quod deflevit he wept and wipt out his sinne Thus b Psal 6.6 and 51. David washed his bed and made it swim And the woman-sinner Luk. 7.38 thereby procured that blessed absolution Thy sinnes are forgiven thee thy faith hath saved thee go in peace vers 48 50. and

Gods word how to carrie our selves purely and profitably therein This must be our a Psal 119.105 lamp and light our b vers 24. delight and counsellour to make us wiser then our c vers 98. enemies d vers 99. teachers e vers 100. ancients f Matt. 10.16 wise as serpents innocent as doves the onely way to g Psal 119.9 11. cleanse our wayes and make them h Josh 1.7 8. prosper This as David said was the blessed mans practise i Psal 1.2 day and night Shall the wicked k Psal 36.4 devise mischief upon their beds and shall not the religious meditate upon goodnesse to be performed sinne to be avoided Conscience to be kept cleare Shall men studie upon the Princes laws to live securely here and not Gods people upon Gods laws to live happily for ever God commandeth Deut. 6.7 8 9 Thou shalt talk of my laws when thou liest down and when thou risest up or sittest in thy house or walkest in the way they shall be in thy heart hand forehead posts and gates Therefore let us learn and consider our dutie beforehand and make vows to perform it resolving never to be withdrawn from it by fear favour lucre pleasure or any earthly thing and pray to God to give us his grace and Spirit for constancie heedfulnesse and good successe therein Secondly at night before we sleep let us look upon our chronicle and search in that book of our Conscience what we have said or done that day Psal 119.59 I thought upon my wayes saith David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments The golden verses of Pythagoras taught naturall men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. aur carm Chrysost in Psal 50. hom 2. Antequam veniat tibi somnus profer in medium codicem Conscientiam tuam reminiscere peccata tua si quid in verbo sacto cogitatione peccâsti Not to admit sleep into their eyes till they had thrice run over all they had done that day that they might detest and amend the evil delight in the good and continue in it S. Chrysostome teacheth the same to Christians Before the approach of sleep saith he produce thy book thy Conscience and remember wherein thou hast offended in word deed or thought And Eusebius Emissenus saith Let every soul speak to it self in the secret of his heart How have I spent this day without sinne without envie backbiting murmuring have I profited my self or any other by good deeds or edification have I not lied sworn amisse yeelded to my lusts done hurt to some body who shall restore me this day which I have lost in vanitie or spent in evil Optimus ille Trapezita saith Climachus He keeps his books evenest his layings out and his comings in that every night books all his receits and expenses and makes all straight before he sleep We should so search our Consciences and judge our selves without partialitie that when we come before the Judge Coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juven Domine noverim me noverim te Bern. Psal 132.3 4 5. he may say I need not judge this man for he hath judged himself alreadie 1. Cor. 11.31 And as David vowed I will not climbe up into my bed nor suffer mine eyes to sleep c. untill I finde out a place for the temple of the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob So let us resolve I will not sleep till I make my body the temple of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 Matt. 21.12 13. I will not rest till I have swept and cleansed it from all sinfull filthinesse as Christ did the temple at Jerusalem that I may sleep with a clean heart to my God and rest confident of safetie under his protection saying with David Lord Psal 4.8 9. thou hast now put gladnesse in my heart I will now lay me down in peace and take my rest for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety Thirdly when our seventh day dedicated to Gods service approacheth as God looked back upon all his works of the six dayes so let us look back upon ours that if we finde all well we may blesse God for it if any thing still amisse reconcile our selves to God more throughly and use this seventh day as it was ordained for sanctification for deprecation for information for excitation and stirring us up to all good duties yea and for almes and resolution of restitution for all wrongs done by us and pardoning offences done against us Thus having washed our selves seven times in the seven dayes of the week as Naaman did seven times in Jordan 2. Kings 5. by the Prophets appointment the leprosie of our sinnes may be cleansed away and our Consciences as the flesh of his bodie become pure and tender as of an innocent childe to our incomparable comfort And these things we should renew and perform most exactly in our preparation to the holy Communion 1. Cor. 11.28 and at the beginning of the new yeare looking back into the old how we have served God how he hath preserved us and wherein we have offended looking forward into the new with purpose to be new creatures as old things are past away and all things become new 2. Cor. 5.17 All this is as possible as it is profitable See it exemplified in an honourable man an exemplarie Christian This is written by a worthy Minister Mr. Jeremy Dyke in his Epistle dedicatorie before his brothers book entituled The deceitfulnesse of Mans heart the late young Lord Harrington be it ever remembred for Gods glory his honour and our imitation His course was to keep a catalogue or diarie of his sinnes against God and every night or the next morning to review the faults of the day past every seventh morning or night before to review the faults of the whole week and at the end of every moneth to surview the whole moneths transgression All this the better to know and humble himself and renew the practise of his repentance And the day before the receiving of the holy Communion he alwayes humbled himself with fasting prayer and confession The Lord of heaven finde us so alwayes occupied that at our death we may receive that blessed welcome for the well employing of our times and talents Matth. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithfull servant thou hast been faithfull in little I will make thee ruler over much Enter into thy Masters joy FINIS AN APPENDIX TO THE FOREGOING SERMON Concerning the Ceremonies of the Church of ENGLAND By the same Authour HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA Alma Mater Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1639. To the Reader DEare Christian Reader understanding that this Sermon hath done good to many that either heard it or read some notes of it and that if it were published with some Appendix added proving our