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	faith_n	sprinkle_v	1,168	5	10.6414	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59036	The doubting beleever, or, A treatise containing 1. the nature, 2. the kinds, 3. the springs, 4. the remedies of doubtings, incident to weak beleevers by Obadiah Sedgwick ...	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1641 (1641)	Wing S2369; ESTC R19426	113,906	390

and contributes unto it It is granted that the Radicall principle of thy doubts is originall sinne but then the immediate principle of it is remaining Infidelity Out of it immediately come all thy staggerings and reelings and questionings and doubtings That is it O weak beleever which disables thy apprehension of the Covenant of Christ of the Promises of thy Title That is it which perverts thy judgment and mis-perswades it with cunning reasonings so that either thou canst not discerne the full truth of Gods Promises or thou canst not see prevailing reasons to perswade thy selfe that they belong to thee Therefore let the main care and work of thee be to strike at unbeliefe Be humbled much for it beseech the Lord to cure thee more and more of it to remove the ignorance of the Covenant out of thee and to cast downe carnall and proud reasonings which give the lye to the way of Gods free and full Grace which would have thee to be first and of thy selfe that which thou canst never be without Christ and to doe and bring that which God never imposed on thee to doe or to bring but hath told thee plainly the working of it in thee belongs onely to himselfe and hee is also really and graciously willing to bestow upon thee 3. As for the third demand What way thou mayst take for the mortifying of all this sin I answer 1. Generally touching all of it Do but insist in the ways on which already thou art falne Did any vertue in the death of Christ laid hold on by faith did that heretofore help against sinne It will doe so still Did any love of God help thee the more to hate sin It will doe so still Did any assurance of a reconciled God in Christ freely and abundantly pardoning of thee weaken sin in thee It will doe so still Did solemne confessions of sin selfe-judgings speciall mournings sufficiently help thee with conquest of sinnes They will doe so still Did the humble application of thy self to the Ordinances of Jesus Christ through which he is pleased to reveale his arme confer any strength against thy sins It will help still Did any holy feare any tendernesse in conscience any declining of occasions Did vehement wrestlings with God in Prayer Did serious meditation and consideration Did close society with the Saints Did studies of farther holinesse Did frequent reviewings of thy condition and renewings of Covenant with thy God in his strength Did holy watchings Did resistings of the first births of sin Did these any of these all of these or any other spirituall course besides these cause thy sinfulnesse to be vile unto thee to be abhorred by thee to be cast downe in thy judgement to be cast out in thy affections to be cast off in thy life Goe on with these and sinne will then be more and more mortified and doubts will be more and more weakned the more that thy conscience is thus sprinkled from dead works the more shalt thou be able to draw neere unto God in assurance of faith 2. Particularly for the mortifying of remaining Infidelity doe three things 1. Study exactly the Covenant of Grace in the Author of it foundation of it matters contained in it and all the adjuncts and termes of graciousnesse sutablenesse fulnesse faithfulnesse c. appertaining to it 2. Study JESUS CHRIST throughly know him distinctly in the person of a Mediator and offices and effects and works Then 3. To much meditation in these abound in Prayer that God in particular would cause thee by faith to set thy seale unto them But more of this will follow in answering some other causes of doubtings 2. The second spring was weaknesse and imperfection in faith The cure and remedy of which is to perfect and strengthen faith put more strength more growth more ripenesse into faith and your doubtings will be lesse The Simile more purely the fire burnes the lesse smoke it hath and when the light and heat of the Sunne are greatest then the clouds and misty vapours are fewest Faith and Doubtings are like a paire of scales where the waight of the one beares away the other The Disciples I remember prayed Lord increase our faith and so did he of whom you heard in Mark 9. Mar. 9. 24. Lord help my unbeliefe You will say No man can Ob. deny that if his faith had more strength then his heart should have lesse doubting But how may that be done How may faith be strengthened I answer Sol. 1. God who gave faith can strengthen it for every grace depends upon him not onely for birth but also for complement his strength must lead us on frō strength to strength from faith to faith he who is the Author is also the finisher of it And therefore if thou wouldst have a strong faith thou shouldst goe to a strong God and beg of him Lord increase my faith My knowledge is dim lighten that candle open mine eyes yet more that I may see thy truths My assents many times shaking but do thou establish and comfirm my heart in thy truths My embracings applications very trembling and broken and interrupted but doe thou guide mine eye to look upon my Saviour do thou guide my hand to lay hold on him doe thou Doe thou perswade me and I shall be perswaded enable my will and affections to embrace all the goodnesse of thy selfe of thy Christ of thy Word It is Gods method to lay in at the first weak faith that we might beg for more faith and give him the honour of all Had we it strong at first he should not heare of us but he dispenseth it by degrees that in all our gettings and in all our victories over doubtings c. his strength may-have the glory Therefore goe to God and say Lord I would have more faith thou wouldst have me to perfect it but all perfection is in thee and I cannot by my meere strength ripen what thou givest but thou canst water what thou plantest though it be sowne a weak body yet thou canst make it rise a strong body though faith at first be but as a graine of mustard-seed yet thoucanst cause it to blossome and to spread it selfe into a high measure Therefore thou who alone canst doe it doe it for thy weak servant Thou must take charge of thine own graces and if thou givest my faith more strength my beleeving will bring thee in the more glory c. 2. The studying of Christ and the Promises more will bring more strength and perfection to faith It is with the Christian as it is with the Scholar let the Scholar study Simile more the objects of knowledge and then his knowledge will grow to be more large So let the Christian study more the matters of faith and his faith will rise to be more full Hence the Apostle prayes that the Ephesians Chap. 3. 19. Eph. 3. 19. might know the love of Christ that they might be filled

from the Spirit which shines in the renewed heart by an unspeakable light 1 Cor. 2. 12 and manifests unto it the things given unto it of God and so seals and witnesseth the truth and goodnesse of our particular interests in God and Christ according to the word of God 2. Another is from faith which doth testifie the interests of the soule in that happinesse which it finds revealed in the Word For that which faith beleeves by a direct act in the Word it may testifie of the same to the person by a refexive * By assurance act 3. A third is from Conscience which beholding the simplicity and godly sincerity of the heart testifies unto it against all opposition that this blessed frame is in the soule and this testimony being concordant with that of the word the soul is thereby greatly sustained forasmuch as this is knowne before viz. A sincere temper is happy and now Conscience clearing that temper the soule hereupon is much cheered 2. Our condition falls under a three-fold consideration A threefold estate 1. Sometimes under the accusations of Conscience Conscience doth speak and testifie but it is either that our hearts are totally base and sinfull and corrupt or that in such and such a particular it is not right it was not perfect but sinfull and degenerating 2. Sometimes under the excusations of Conscience where Conscience testifies and acquits and speaks peace either As in Paul loc cit As in David about Saul about the frame of the heart or rectitude of some particular action and course 3. Sometimes under a neutrall act or work of the Conscience i. The Conscience like Absolom to Ammon 2 Sam. 13. 22. speaks unto a person neither good nor bad It doth not accuse him nor doth it excuse him it doth not speak terror nor doth it speak peace it doth not charge any speciall guilt nor doth it give us a particular discharge of any Now this is the time of fears and doubts I will shew you why because 1. A negative state satisfies not a tender Christian It doth not satisfie a tender soule that God looks not like an enemy unlesse also he looks as a friend or that Conscience doth not check but that it should excuse It doth trouble us many times that in our exemptions from trouble wee yet find no Peace-speaker 2. It gives suspicion of a neutrall estate because Conscience seems to behave it selfe as a neutrall neither against us nor for us I call that a neutrall estate which is not eminently evill it hath some good in it and doth some good but is not so good as to be gracious therefore the civill estate is a neutrall it doth not rise to be so bad as the worst nor to be so good as the best people are Now this estate absolutely considered is bad it is an evill estate it is an estate in which if a man lives and dies and goes not beyond it he cannot be saved 3. It may breed an expectation of the worse testimony of Conscience for withdrawments are sometimes the forerunners of some bitter intentions It fell out ill with Saul when God withdrew himselfe from him So when Conscience withdraws perhaps my Conscience hath found matter against me and as it doth not now speak peace so perhaps shortly it may speak bitter things unto me 4 Nay Conscience is Gods Vice-gerent it is his Deputy and therefore in the silences and withdrawments of it wee look through and feare the disposition of God himself towards us because the servants do ordinarily expresse the conceits and inclinations and affections of their masters And this is certaine that we doe in an angry conscience behold Conscience is the looking-glasse alwayes an angry God and so in a cheerfull conscience a gracious God and so shall we in a silent conscience suspect a doubtfull God We doe ordinarily judge how God is towards us by what we find and feele Conscience to be towards us This is the glasse in which we see his favours or frowns These are the springs of Doubtings which I have enlarged in their opening unto you it is likely there may be more then these I could also deliver you more about the temporall estate but that is out of our scope and compasse now It now remains that I descend to the closing up of these springs to the cures and remedies of these Doubtings which is the last thing proposed CAP. V. The Cures and Remedies of Doubtings HEre lies our next and greatest work And therefore as Physitians in this part are more cautelous to administer things which are in their qualities most proper and in their measures most convenient so must we in the healings and closings of the spirituall distempers of the soule And therefore that this work may be happily performed I shall desiring Gods grace to assist and blesse prescribe unto you 1. The particular cures which Two sorts of cures Particular Generall shall answer all those particular springs of doubtings before mentioned Then 2. The generall Cures and Remedies which may extend to the help of all or most of our doubtings if time and leasure hold out The particular Cures 1. Naturall corruption was The first cure answering the first cause of doubtings the first spring of Doubtings and Mortification is the first help and remedy That is the Disease and this is the Cure I may say that of our faith which the Apostle speaks of our persons Rom. 8. 13. If yee Rom. 8. 13 through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The more our sinnes doe die in us the more our faith will live in us We are diseased men take us in our best condition Similies and you know the more any disease doth lose of its strength the more doth our health rise up and thrive and so we are as a garden which hath many plants and severall weeds the abating of these the rooting up and killing of these contributes the greater reliefe and strengthning to our plants The Apostle Heb. 10. 22. Heb. 10. 22 would have them to draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of Faith he would have them to cast out their doubtings in their approaches unto God he would have them to come with assurance with a full assurance to come so as verily to be perswaded of Gods acceptation of them not indifferently to come with May be I shall be accepted may be I shall not this is a doubtfull approaching But what doth he adjoyne to this exhortation Observe the next words Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience d. As long as your hearts are evill as long as Conscience can charge you for entertained evill you will be wavering and doubtfull But if your hearts were sprinkled if the evill of sin were washed from them then you might come with a full assurance of faith i. Then faith might fully perswade you to come confidently unto God for

neglects of his Word by the silences of our consciences And assuredly something is ordinarily amisse when Conscience speaks unto us neither good nor bad 3. Sometimes Conscience is silent to make us look higher then Conscience and that wee might know there is a higher Court to which wee must make our addresses 4. Sometimes Conscience is silent to make us see upon what bottomes our faith is grounded whether we can beleeve because God saith as well as rejoyce because Conscience speaketh 3. But to make Conscience speak what must we doe We have had its gracious testimonies by which we have been much comforted and supported How shall we recover it to speech againe I answer 1. Speak to God and then The waies to recover conscience to spee●h againe God may speak to Conscience and Conscience will speak to thee God hath a greater command over Conscience then it hath over us It is with God and Conscience as with a King and his Courtiers let the King speake kindly to a Petitioner the Courtiers will then imbrace him lovingly and indeed Conscience will carry Gods face and expresse his dispositions of love Therefore this doe speak to the Lord 1. To shew thee the cause of Consciences silence 2. To give thee the testimony of his owne Spirit which will draw with it againe the testimony of thine owne conscience Rom. 8. 16. 2. Speak to duty Be sure thou doe not displease Conscience If thou hast repent and adde no more to make Conscience displeased or silent 4. But how may we support our selves in the times of silence I answer thou mayst comfort thy selfe if 1. The Word can approve thee the testimony of the Word is ever open though that of Conscience be not What is the reason Because men may have a constant audience and tryall of their estates And take one thing by the way If the Word which is alwayes open and speaking if it acquits thee Conscience though now silent whensoever it speakes will cleare thee 2. Thou hast and dost approve the Word How is that That is If the Word be thy rule thy light by which thou hast and dost walk for when Conscience comes to speak it gives its sentence from the Word by which thou walkest and of thy frame and course which thou preservest in an upright answerablenesse to the directions of the Word An Addition of foure other causes of Doubtings with a briefe resolution of them 1. SEnse of sinfull workings O! saith a distressed soul Certainly my condition is stark naught and I have no right to Christ nor to any mercy I may not beleeve Why Because I never found such vile workings of heart as of late I feele a wonderfull rebellion in my heart I cannot think on any good nor set upon any good but an army of evill is in me opposing and hindering me To a soule in such a condition Sol. I would for his help prescribe these five subsequent considerations 1. When grace comes in truth it is ever of that power to make such discoveries and to raise such stirs as the soule never felt before for Grace is a new nature and a new light and a new active principle It is put into the soul for that very end to find and lay out sin yea and to expell and thrust it out The judgement was never so convinced before nor Conscience so qualified before nor the will and affections so spiritualized before therefore never marvell at the strange workings When a child is conceived in the wombe it is not now with the woman as in former times and whensoever Christ is formed in the soule it is not with that soule as in old times There is that now falne in which must purge thee and rule thee 2. If good be wrought evil will work and 〈◊〉 When Christ was born all Jerusalem was troubled so when grace is wrought sin will stir Indeed if grace came into the soule either by a finall and totall cessation of sin that there were no sin residing in the soule into the which grace comes then thou shouldst feele no stir at all Thus it shall be in heaven Grace there shall be alone Holinesse and nothing but holinesse there and therefore no combat no stir But thus it never will be on earth Sinne may be alone in some mens hearts but grace is never alone in any mans heart in this life Or if grace came into the soule by a peaceable resignation if sinfull flesh would without any more adoe make a full and free surrender and give it possession without any dispute and cavill then also thou mightst expect a calmnesse and a cessation of armes no vile stirrings But O Christian Grace and sin The Spirit Gal. 5. 17. and the flesh are contrary one to the other and therefore they lust one against the other Fire and water will not lie quiet Sad indeed were thy condition if thou hadst such a frame of vaine good against which no sinfull part in thee would oppose Every regenerate man hath a double man in him the new man and the old man that would doe good this would not doe good that would pray this would not that would mourn this would not that would beleeve this would not 3. But then thirdly thou who feelest such a rebelling and opposing flesh in thee what is that which thou dost oppose It is true thou feelest an untoward rebellious nature yet within thee but what side takest thou It is not I said Rom. 7. Paul but sin that dwelleth in me Sin in him opposed good but Paul himselfe approved good and delighted in good and willed good The same Apostle speaking of the co-habitation and the co-operation of flesh and spirit in regenerate persons that the one did lust against the other and the one was contrary to the other and that by reason of the rebellion and unrulinesse of the one we could not Gal 5. 17. doe the good which we would he yet comforteth them in such a condition in the next words If ye be led by the Spirit ver 18. ye are not under the Law As if he had said Notwithstanding all this rebellious opposition of your flesh if yet ye yeeld not to be servants to it but approve of and incline unto and follow in your hearts courses the rules of the Spirit the condition is very good safe So that though the evill remaining in us doth oppose the good in us yet if we our selves oppose not the good our condition may be good 4. Fourthly as there is evill in thee opposing of thee in any good so there is something in thee also opposing of that evil Dost thou not condemne that hardnesse which hinders thee from mourning and sheddest many a teare because thou canst not mourne Dost thou not strive with the Lord by many prayers and in the use of all his ordinances against that unbeleeving and rebelliously working nature of thine Dost thou not with Paul conflict with it