Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A34724
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A Narration of the grievous visitation and dreadfull desertion of Mr. Peacock, in his last sicknesse together with the sweet and gracious issue, in his comfortable restauration, to the joy of Gods salvation, before his most blessed end and heavenly death, Decemb. 4, 1611.
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escape safe to that land of righteousnesse (r) Psal 143.10 And thither also must we arrive through the streights of death and therefore that we may looke that King of terrours (Å¿) Iob 18 14. undauntedly in the face it stands us all in hand to watch Here wee may see the Lords champion this blessed servant of God in the lists resisting (t) Heb. 12.4 unto blood combating and encountering with most dreadfull temptations whose turne may be the next wee know not God may call any of us out unto the duell and turne Satan loose upon us hand to hand we had need therefore before hand learne the use of all our spirituall armour (u) Eph. 6. as Saul taught Iudah the use of the bowe * 2 Sam. 1.18 The strength we must stand and withstand by is not our owne not from nature no nor grace it selfe it is God that must teach (w) Psal 144.1 our fingers to fight he must cover our head in the day of battell (x) Psal 140.7 We are here all militant and must bid battell and abide it or else no victorie Satan reserves his most dangerous ambushments and desperate assaults to the last Here thou maist perceive how where and when he useth most mortally to strike and so stand upon thy guard To keep thy conscience safe shot-free and unwounded is the maine-service Herein I exercise my self (z) Acts 24.16 to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men If that bird of the bosome sing sweetly in our brest it makes no matter what dirdams and stirres be from the world Therefore make much of conscience it must stand us in stead and be our best friend another day Walke in the light thereof It is a blessed thing to keep it tender But alas how doe men muzzle stifle and choke it up how doe they noise and drum in its eares that the cries thereof may not be heard 2 King 23.10 Ier. 19.2 as the Idolatrous Jewes in the burning of their children to their Idols O Brethren saith Francis Spira take a diligent heed to your life Relation of Francis Spira pag. 112. make more account of the gifts of Gods Spirit than I have done learne to beware my misery thinke not you are assured Christians because you understand something of the Gospell take heed you grow not secure on that ground be constant and immoveable in the maintaining of your profession confesse even untill death if you be called thereto he that loveth father mother brothers sisters sons Luk. 14.26 daughters kindred houses lands more than Christ is not worthy of him pag. 104 105. And in another place Take heed to your selves it is no light or easie matter to be a Christian it is not baptisme or reading of the Scriptures or boasting of faith in Christ though even these are good that can prove one to be an absolute Christian There must be a conformity in life a Christian must be strong unconquerable not carrying an obscure profession but resolute expressing the image of Christ and holding out against all opposition to the last breath he must give all diligence by righteousnesse and holinesse to make his calling and election sure Many there are that snatch at the promises in the Gospel as if they undoubtedly did belong to them and yet they remain sluggish and carelesse and being flattered by the things of this present world they passe their course in quietnesse and security as if they were the only happy men whom neverthelesse the Lord in his providence hath ordained to eternal wrath as you may see in S. Lukes rich man Luke 16. thus it was with me therfore take heed Thus he And that I may keep thee no longer from this so fruitfull a Treatise Reade advisedly this following Narration and thou shalt reape much good thereby To which end it is now published and presented to thy view by thy wel-wisher in the Lord I. C. MASTER PEACOCKS Visitation MAster Peacock the servant of God in the beginning of his Visitation for the space of two weekes and foure daies was full of most heavenly consolations shewing by sweet meditations and gracious ejaculations the entertainment he found with his God in his sicknesse with whom he so much desired to be acquainted in his health We are saith one comming to visit him miserable comforters Iob 16.2 Nay saith he you are good for this is ever the priviledge of Gods children that their very presence affords comfort Sometimes hee craved pardon for his actions and for the circumstances of them badly observed Otherwhile he desired to have some matter given him to meditate on Finally hee said his hope was firmly setled on the rocke Christ Jesus he hoped that the Lord would give him a place though it were in the lowest roome of his Saints and he thanked God that hee had no trouble of Conscience The Lord did not suffer Satan to vexe him insomuch that one seeing his great comfort feared lest hee would be overtaken with sorrow before his death He much rejoyced that the Lord had so disposed of him that he had seene his friends in the Countrey Here first was his yeelding unto death suspected and his hoped recovery doubted I thought said he I had been in a good estate but I see it now far otherwise for these things my Conscience laies against me 1. I brought up my Schollers in gluttony This some endeavoured to pull out by putting him in minde of 1. The preventing of many inconveniences 2. His well knowne moderation 3. The great care hee tooke for good conference when they were at Table with him But saith he while I was talking they did undoe themselves and further I did unadvisedly expound places of Scripture at the table many times and for these now I feele a hell in my conscience 4. Againe I have procured my own death by eating and drinking often like a beast when I was joysting up and downe to my friends in the countrey and now I see before my face those dishes of meate wherewith I clogged my stomack Well saith one to him if all these things that you accuse your selfe of were undone would you doe them againe Nay then doubt not but a reprobate would desire to be saved if a desire would serve the turn Indeed he may have a desire but of bare willingnesse not with an intent and purpose in using the meanes Another time a worthy friend of his asking him how he did he cryed out Sin Sin Sin What doth any lie on your conscience Yea. What My inconsideratenesse I did eat too much of such meat at breaking my fast such a morning my selfe being witnesse of his great abstinence could not but admire the tendernesse of his selfe-accusing conscience well said he God be thanked there is no greater as we must not extenuate our sins so neither must we too much aggravate them Let drunkards and gluttons have those most
A NARRATION OF THE GRIEVOVS VISITATION AND DREADFVLL DESERtion of Mr. PEACOCK in his last sicknesse Together with the sweet and gracious issue in his comfortable restauration to the joy of Gods salvation before his most blessed end and heavenly death Decemb. 4. 1611. PSAL. 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace PSAL. 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upheldeth him with his hand PSAL. 71.20 Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the Earth PSAL. 102.18 This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. LONDON Printed by R.H. for Robert Milbourn at the signe of the holy Lambe in Little Brittaine 1641. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THose foure leprous men at the gate of Samaria 2 Kings 7.3 When they had eaten and drunke and carried away Silver and Gold and Raiment from out of the forsaken tents of the flying Syrians and had hid the same their Conscience eftsoone gave them the checke for so engrossing to their own use and particular benefit what the God of ISRAEL had in mercy intended and by miracle provided for that whole City and Kingdome Ver. 9 Then they said one to another WEE DOE NOT WELL THIS DAY IS A DAY OF GOOD TIDINGS AND WEE HOLD OUR PEACE Even so this Narration of Mr. PEACOCKS Visitation comming happily to my hands and I upon through-reading and serious perusall thereof finding it to set forth a most singular president and rare example of GODS correcting Iustice in giving over this deare Saint his faithfull servant this MAN OF GOD for so a late reverend Divine * M. Bolton Instruct for afflicted consc p. 84. worthily enstyleth him to the buffettings of Satan terrours of hell conflicts of a selfe-accusing Conscience and likewise to hold forth the tender mercies and melting bowels of the LORDS Fatherly compassion in bringing him even to the suburbs of bell the gates of death (a) Psal 9.13 seemingly yeelding him up into the pawes and jawes of the devill himselfe and yet then plucking him as a brand (b) Zech. 3.2 out of the fire recomforting his dejected soul binding up his broken spirit pouring in a more pretious Balme than that of (c) Ier. 8.22 Gilead into his wounded and bleeding conscience I say hereupon my thoughts forthwith suggested this unto me that I SHOULD NOT DOE WELL to conceale any longer this Mirror of Gods Iustice and Mercy being as well an Antidote against DESPAIRE that dangerous whirle poole and gulfe into which FRANCIS SPIRA seemed irrecoverably to fall to sinke and perish in on the left hand and also to bee a curbe of restraint unto a warning piece and counter-poyson against PRESUMPTION on the right hand the Rocke that so many millions of men everlastingly miscarry and split themselves upon for as the women sang of Saul and David 1 Sam. 18.7 that Saul had slaine his thousands and David his ten thousands so where some few upon an awakened and rouzed conscience die despaireingly infinite is the number of presumptuous sinners who like the Fish in Jordan friske and play and take their pastime in the sweet silver-streames of this lifes comforts till they be unawares suddenly engulfed into the Dead Sea arrested by grimme death Gods Serjeant and haled by devils unto the disobedient soules (d) 1 Pet. 3.19 20. now in prison reserved in chaines under darknesse (e) Iude 6 unto the judgement of the great day without baile or mainprise Doubtlesse whosoever is wise will seriously and seasonably consider of this (f) Psal 107.43 and other like remarkable administrations of divine providence and being carefull of his owne standing in the state of grace will worke out his owne (g) Phil. 2.12 salvation with feare and trembling This surely is the use God would have men to make hereof not to be a nine-daies wonder or a naked subject of fruitlesse discourse but to learne righteousnesse (h) Isa 26.9 thereby for if these things were done in the greene tree (i) Luk. 23 31. what will become of the drie And if the righteous scarcely bee saved (k) 1 Pet. 4.18 where shall the ungodly and sinner appeare It is a fearefull thing (l) Heb. 10.31 saith the Apostle to fall into the hands of the living God That (m) Ioh. 1.29 Lamb of God our blessed Saviour himselfe when he stood in our stead upon the crosse was ready even to sinke under that unsupportable weight and burthen (n) Psal â—8 4 of our sinnes and the feeling apprehension of his Fathers fierce wrath for the same and cries out in that perplexed agonie and dereliction (o) Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oâ— the terrours and intolerablenesse of a Conscience wounded by sinne The spirit of a man may sustaine (p) Prov. 18.14 his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare Not only the desperate cries of Cain Iudas Latomus Bolton p. 83. and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare children discover the unsupportable horrours of a galled Conscience yelling and crying out with the stinging sense of the arrowes of sinne (q) Iob â— 4 the poyson whereof drinks up mens spirits Thus Hezekiah Isay 38.13 Thus Iob Iob 13.26 Iob 6.4.8 Iob 7.14 15. Thus David Psal 32.3 4. And into the like depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times were plunged and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne 1. Blessed Mistris Bretergh upon her last bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death See the discourse of the holy life and Christian death of Mistris Katherine Bretergh the very pains of hell laid hold on her soule she said her sinnes had made her a prey to Satan she cryed out Woe woe woe A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman with teares continually trickling from her eyes 2 Master Peacock that man of God in that his dreadfull visitation and desertion recounting some smaller sinnes burst out into these words And for these saith he I feele now an hell in my conscience But thou shalt reade more concerning him in the following Narration 3. What grievous pangs and sorrowfull torments what boiling heats of the fire of hell that blessed Saint of God Iohn Glover felt inwardly in his spirit saith Master Foxe no speech outwardly is able to expresse Acts Mon. in the story of Master Robert Glover pag. 1557. Being yong saith he I remember I was once or twice with him whom partly by his talke I perceived and partly by mine owne eyes saw to be so worne and consumed by the space of five yeares that neither almost any brooking of meat quietnesse of sleepe pleasure of life