Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	draw_v	evil_a	sprinkle_v	1,134	5	10.3564	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46526	Compunction or pricking of heart with the time, meanes, nature, necessity, and order of it, and of conversion; with motives, directions, signes, and means of cure of the wounded in heart, with other consequent or concomitant duties, especially self-deniall, all of them gathered from the text, Acts 2.37. and fitted, preached, and applied to his hearers at Dantzick in Pruse-land, in ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. sermons. With a post-script concerning these times, and the sutableness of this text and argument to the same, and to the calling of the Jews. By R.J. doctor of divinity.	R. J.	1648 (1648)	Wing J27; ESTC R213600	381,196	433

the streams when the fountain and spring is muddy In a word it is the next way to hypocrisie in conversion it s but an acting of humility not a being humble a shew onely of humility and devotion not the having of the grace of the same in the heart I say then Humble your souls and hearts before the Lord if ye would enter into the Holiest Heb. 10.19.22 draw neer with a true heart and have your hearts first sprinkled from an evil conscience and then your bodies washed with pure water first be renewed in the spirit of your mindes and then shew your reformation without as Ephes 4.23 with 24 c. and 28. Let him that stole steal no more This is the right order This is the right order first to change the heart and then the life first to hate sin in heart and then to leave it first to fear an oath and then to forbear swearing rashly first to loath drunkennesse in heart and to be touched with remorse of soul for it and then withal to give over drunkennesse Till this be done that the conscience inwardly be pricked and convinced of the vilenesse of every or any sin the life will never be thorowly or constantly reformed otherwise sin will break out again Simil. if then It is but as with the hand to hold down the water in a spring which will ever be springing up or as by force to hold a blown bladder under water which will be bolting up again whereas if it once be pricked it will with little ado be kept under or sink of it self This is the reason why we Preachers who truely intend and seek your true and thorow conversion in our applications and otherwise do still aim at your hearts it is the mark the butt The heart the butt and white which godly Ministers chiefly aim a● yea the white which we chiefly shoot at and direct the point and edge of the sword of the Spirit the Word of God against till we pierce and hit that we think we have done nothing Though when we do onely civilize you and that you through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 escape the common pollutions of the world it be also the work of our Ministery and tend to much outward order peace and comlinesse yet alas this makes little for your inward peace and comfort when thus by the over powering force of the Word you are curbed kept in and constrained as it were through fear or shame to bite in your sins where this is onely you will be ready to be again intangled and overcome and so your later end will be worse then the beginning Therefore our aim is still at the heart as knowing that unlesse it be pierced and wounded sin still lives in you and like a bitter and venemous root or corrupt spring will ever be sprouting and sending out bitter fruit and muddy waters but if the heart once be savingly wounded mortified cleansed we know the outward man and conversation will soon be reformed as when the root is deaded the fruit and leaves fall of themselves and the branches wither if the fountain be once stopt the streams soon dry up which makes them not so eager against the outward carriage and fashions of men always Will you then know why wise and discreet Preachers do not in their Reproofs insist so much and so long and frequently at least in inveighing against mens wearing of long hair womens cut locks men and womens garishnesse in their attire and fashions gestures and outward unseemly behaviour some kindes of sports and abuse of lawful sports Is it because they allow and applaud you in such things Nothing lesse make not that ill use of our silence or more sparing reproofs But know the true reason hereof is because we are assured that if these things were outwardly reformed and yet the heart not touched or pricked they like Samson's hair once clipt would soon grow again the heart not mortified all vice would be sprouting again yea to cry out against such things and not to convince the heart of the sinfulnesse and danger of them would never have any good effect Nay we may I know as well hope to rob a bear of her whelps as to make you leave such fashions so long as your hearts are set thereon experience shews it No arguments perswasions disswasives threatnings though out of Gods Word will prevail with men to leave such fashions and customs till the heart be wounded and pierced And when this is done all these will in great part fall of themselves and people will not be ashamed to be out of the common and corrupt fashions and customs of the time Give us leave then to preach such Doctrines and make such Applications as may be as hammers shall I say yea as goads and nails as pricks and the point of a sword to prick your hearts and to touch you even in your best beloved sins that so we may take your hearts from off them and make them bitter and loathsom to you The heart must indeed first be humbled and then there will follow moderation in outward things and reformation of life and conversation and the outward behaviour will suit well with the inward disposition of the humbled heart the heart as the first or master-wheel in the clock being well set will order both the tongue as the bell and conversation and outward behaviour as the hand and pointer there will be a consonancie among them Let no man then deceive himself and tell me he thanks God his heart is good to God ward and he hath a good heart and meaning howsoever he outwardly frame to the times and common customs of the world if the heart were so good as is pretended the hand tongue eye and generally the whole outward conversation would not be so dissonant at least so much and so constantly as is in many who yet brag much of that which few sees of their good hearts Now as saving Conversion must begin at the heart so it would not be much out of our way to observe that it and all the consequents of it all the comforts of a regenerate condition and all the happinesse of heaven All Comforts begin with some sorrow as All Sin ends in sorrow begins with pricking and wounding with sorrow and compunction Wherein God is contrary to the devil the world and sin which make offer and promise of much pleasure gain and honour at the first and men finde some such like thing at first as gives content to their sensual desires and corrupt taste but all at the last ends in bitternesse and sorrow endlesse and easelesse Neither do such things long enjoyed See this in Dives and Lazarus Luke 16.25 give that content they promised as on the other side such as make trial of the ways of God finde much more content in and comfort from them then they could have

the nail home to the head that thou mayst at length be fast and close joyned to Christ if God have met with thee by the reproof of the word or stung thee by his threatnings see his mercy in it let the sting remain till his work be wrought let him have enough even his fill of thee till thy proud heart be fully humbled Lest else wee get hurt by such prickings and thy corruption drawn and purged out otherwise look for no ease but greater sorrows Wee have a little venemous flie or midge * At Dantzigk where this was preached here you know that if when it seiseth on the flesh hand face or legs you let it alone till by sucking it be filled with your blood it will leave you of it self and leave behinde it little or no venome at all Simil. onely if you put it off before and seek ease by scratching the place affected wil swell with the poyson of it and put you long to pain especially if you be bit in divers places neer together This is soon applyed to our purpose here Prickings of conscience in sight and sense of sin and judgment being suffered to have their full work in our deep humiliation whilest wee maintain the power of them and seek not ease too soon are so far from hurting that they purge us and draw out our corruption whereas the sudden and too hasty healing of them causeth the wound to fester the soul to swell with self-conceit and security and greater sorrows in the end at least to seise on it As God then by such legall terrours of conscience begins with thee so follow God in his work think not the work done when it is onely begun Go not which is an holy mans expression raw from Gods school through fear of the rod and go raw out of Gods school and service lest thou prove a bad proficient in the Universitle buy not out your time and yeers of service before you have well learned your trade lest you be forced to come and be brought again under servitude to the Law and under the spirit of bondage In a word comfort not your selves too soon If it be natural sorrow in the loss of friends wealth good name liberty c. which hath taken hold on thee first cease not till thou turn it into sorrow for sin that it may be more lasting If it be legal terrour that is a sorrow for sin not as it is sin but as it presents thee with displeasure from God and with punishment see that it end in sorrow for sin as it is sin and learn to grieve for the offence of God though there were no hell to punish thee hereafter no shame reproach pain or punishment on earth to follow it sorrow most for that which is the cause of all sorrow We must see that Compunction end in Contrition c. See that thy compunction end in true contrition that the pricking and breaking of thy heart which may stand with hardness may end in bruising and melting in some apprehension of Gods love and hope of mercy whiles it is softned melted and made pliable to Gods will See that despair in thy self send thee to hope in God that self-judging send thee to seek absolution and pardon from God that seeing thine own damned condition thou look to Christ and esteem of him above many worlds that fear of wrath make thee more earnestly desire mercy that sense of wrath make thee at least consult and cast about what to do to be saved as it did these here who being pricked in heart said What shall we do SECT 4. Divers Reasons why men are not to take up with legall qualms till they be humbled enough Why we are not to rest in every slight sorrow NOw why are we thus to do why are we not to take up onely with some few whorish tears or legall terrours but to see that we be humbled enough 1 Because it is but a preparative to Conversion in the elect 1. Because all the fore-named works of the Law are but preparations to Conversion and far off degrees thereof and indeed common to many reprobates to Pharaoh Ahab Herod Felix Cain and Judas and to many others now in hell as hath been said even to the Divels themselves who have such stings in their consciences and tremble but without hope though in and to the elect these prickings are truly preparative to their Conversion and yet but preparative 2. These prickings being common to the reprobate and elect tend as well if good use be not made of them to the hurt of the one as health of the other 2 because being not followed home in others God is provoked to give them up either yea they are but beginnings of mens damnation both furthering and increasing the same But how and why is this Because where such woundings and prickings are neglected and not followed home it is just with God yea and usual to give men over either to senselesnesse and hardnesse of heart which is the first entrance into Hell or to anguish of soul when they most stand in need of comfort yea to utter desperation so that when such men come to die it is either like Nabal as a stone and blocke or as Judas in despair 1 to senselessnes and deadnesse 1. If when conscience smites stingeth pricketh and accuseth it be neglected and that men so fairly called on and admonished by so good a friend otherwise proceed not on to godly sorrow and repent not it will ere they be aware give over its office of accusing checking and awaking them by jogging as it were and pricking yea be quiet and silent in effect saying as God himself saith Why should ye be stricken any more This is when being smitten in heart with David for sin they do not repent and seek mercie with David A wounding conscience saith one neglected will prove a dead conscience as an ungracious childe after many corrections is hardened thereby and at length quite given over and cast off A wound neglected or falsely healed festers the more and often causeth mortification of the flesh numnesse deadnesse rottennesse Neglect we not then the first stingings and prickings of conscience by which God comes near and makes some offer to us You may perhaps make light account of the rebukes of men or of us Ministers and so especially do great men rich noble and generally proud men yet if ye be wise neglect not conscience if it accuse you to your selves do you accuse your selves much more to God least otherwise he give you up to deadnesse and securitie Or 2. to anguish of conscience in their death 2. Or if not that and that is bad enough and more dangerous because more pleasing then to anguish of soul on your death-beds at least when conscience which lay asleep before and the guilt of your sin which only lay at the doore like a sleeping lion or a