Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	duty_n	good_a	note_n	1,053	5	9.6415	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14923	The soules progresse to the celestiall Canaan, or heavenly Jerusalem By way of godly meditation, and holy contemplation: accompanied with divers learned exhortations, and pithy perswasions, tending to Christianity and humanity. Divided into two parts. The first part treateth of the divine essence, quality and nature of God, and his holy attributs: and of the creation, fall, state, death, and misery of an unregenerated man, both in this life and in the world to come: put for the whole scope of the Old Testament. The second part is put for the summe and compendium of the Gospell, and treateth of the Incarnation, Nativity, words, works, and sufferings of Christ, and of the happinesse and blessednesse of a godly man in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ. Collected out of the Scriptures, and out of the writings of the ancient fathers of the primitive Church, and other orthodoxall divines: by John Welles, of Beccles in the County of Suffolk.	Welles, John, of Beccles.	1639 (1639)	STC 25231; ESTC S119607	276,075	406

by the Apostles to be propagated throughout the world the Holy Ghost came downe upon them there was thundring and lightning and the lowd sound of the trumpet so that all the people were afraid Vers 16. because the Law doth thunder terrible things against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle wind where the Lord from heaven doth powre out his Spirit upon all flesh Acts 2.2.17 for the preaching of the Gospell doth lift up the soules that are cast downe with dispaire by reason of their sinnes there was feare and trembling of the people because the Law bringeth wrath Rom. 4.15 but here the whole multitude doe flocke together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the Gospell we have accesse unto God their God descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath therefore was the mountaine moved and did smoke but here the holy Ghost descended in the fire of his love so that the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but rather replenished Exod. 19.18 Acts 2.3 with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it that the holy Ghost bee sent from the Court of Heaven to sanctifie us seeing the Sonne of God was sent from Heaven to redeeme us But the holy Ghost came upon the Apostles when they were assembled together in prayer with one minde for he is the Spirit of prayer which moveth us to pray and is obtained by prayer Wherefore John 20.19 22. Zach 12.10 because hee is that bond by which our hearts are knit and united unto God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father for hee is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith in Christ but faith is the gift of the Spirit and is obtained by prayer but true prayer is made in the Spirit In the Temple of Salomon when Incense was offered unto God 1 King 8.10 11. the Temple was filled with the glory of the Lord so if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the grace and mercy of God Psal 50.15 Rom. 8.34 35. Gal. 4 6. the Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne intercedeth for us and the holy Ghost prayeth within us the Angels of Heaven carry our prayers unto God and the Court of Heaven is open to receive them God of his mercy doth give unto us the effect of prayer because he giveth unto us the Spirit of grace and prayer and doth alwaies heare our prayers if not according to our desire yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 for hee is the Spirit of love and concord Note that joyneth us unto Christ by faith and unto God by love and to our neighbour by charity because he is the Authour of all goodnesse and the fountaine of all grace and mercy Now the Spirit of God effects in man such motions as himselfe is for as the soule giveth unto the body life sense and motion so the holy spirit maketh man spirituall seasons his minde with divine saltnesse Note and directs all his members to the performance of all good duties towards God and towards his neighbours and proceedeth from all eternity he came in the type of breath and affordeth unto the afflicted conscience quickening consolation because wee live according to the flesh by the reciprocall breathing out and sucking in of the aeriall spirit he came under the type of spirit and breath because he giveth us to live according to the better part The winde bloweth where it lusteth Iohn 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit it was meete that he should come in the type of breath because hee proceedeth from both the Father and the Sonne by one incomprehensible breathing from eternity it was a powerfull breath because the grace of the holy Ghost comes with power and moveth the godly in whom he dwelleth to all that is good and so effectually moveth and strengtheneth them that they neither regard the threats of tyrants nor feare the trecheries of the Divell nor the hatred of the world Psal 19.3.4 hee conferreth upon the Apostles the gift of tongues because their sound was to goe into all lands and so the confusion of tongues which was the punishment of pride and rashnesse in the building of the tower of Babel was taken away and the dispersed nations Gen. 11 7 8 9. by the gift of the holy Ghost through the diversity of tongues were gathered together into the unity of faith Againe it was meet that he should come in the figure of tongues because holy men of God did speake as they were inspired by him For hee spake by the Prophets and Apostles and putteth the Words of God into the mouthes of the Ministers of the Church therefore the Prophets in the old time came not by the will of man 2 Pet. 1.21 but were moved by the holy Ghost for these great gifts blessed and praised be the holy Ghost together with the Father and the Sonne now and for ever Of the Love of God THis love of God is commanded by God to the Israelites by the mouth of Moses being then the select and peculiar people of God saying Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might and Christ himselfe in the Gospel doth alledge this Precept to the Doctor of the Law which tempted him saying Master which is the greatest Commandement in the Law He answering Matth. 22.36 37 38 39. said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy selfe this doth teach all Christians that without the knowledge of this love of God they can never attaine to the saving knowledge of God and without the love of God all knowledge is unprofitable For love is the life of Nature and the joy of Reason in the Spirit of grace where Vertue draweth affection the concord of sense makes an union unseparable in the divine apprehension of the joy of election it is a ravishment of the soule in the delight of the spirit which being caryed above it selfe into inexplicable comfort feeles that heavenly sickenesse that is better then the worlds health When the godliest of men in the swounding delight of his sacred inspiration could thus utter the sweetnesse of his passion my soule is sicke of love for love is a healthfull sicknesse of the soule it is a pleasing passion in the heart a contentive

this is when men give themselves over to commit sin with affectation and greedy appetite and oppresse their conscience with the multitude of their committings so that such conscience doth not remember us our sins for the outragious conscience in the Reprobate is when the conscience of the Reprobate hath for a time beene silenced and hath given the sinner an unchaste liberty in his ungodlinesse yet so as that once apprehending the knowledge of his sin and knowing the state of condemnation wherein it is it breaketh out into violence which wanting moderation urgeth the sinne● to execute upon himselfe some desperate vengeance such was the conscience of Judas the traitor which slept all the time hee was plotting and practising his treason but when his sinne was brought into act then his conscience though evill did upbraid his sin with such violence as made the griefe unsupportable and the traitor not able to indure the torment of his conscience thought as Caine that his sin was greater then the mercy of God and so despairing of mercy he desperately hanged himselfe Mat. 27.3 4 5. such is the conscience of the Reprobate their conscience is sleepy and doth reprove but seldome yet when it doth reprove it is then most terrible and without all comfort and though conscience in this life never afflict for sin but seeme senslesse and dead in its appointed offices yet in the day of judgement Rev. 20.12 when the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened then will their consciences that in this life have beene most silent be most loud and terrible in their accusations denouncing judgement Wisd 17.9 10 11. and inflicting a greater torment on the soule then the damned can have patience to beare this is both the office and end of an evill conscience A good conscience Now the conscience of the childe of grace is in full opposition to the conscience of the Reprobate for when God shall please to call his servants to the knowledge of themselves How God moveth the conscience and to a detestation of their sin the grace of his holy spirit moveth in the hearts of such and first awaketh the conscience and giveth it sense to understand the calamity of the soule and spirit to reprove and admonish it in needfull directions and this grace of God giving the conscience sence to understand sinne and spirit to reprove it is the first degree of our reformation and a preparation to our spirituall conversion God himselfe being the prime and principall author thereof When God doth stirre our conscience it continueth that holy motion to our reformation for when our conscience is once touched with this godly desire to examine the errors of our life God doth not then leave us but giveth us assistance continually to finish that needfull care without despaire without fainting the conscience being once instructed by grace understandeth that the soule is in danger of Gods judgement this knowledge causeth a desire in the soule to examine the particulars of our life then doth it compare our severall actions The manner how a good conscience worketh with the severall duties of the Law and thereby is made manifest the many and great defects and transgressions of our life and that therefore our soules and bodies are guilty and stand in the danger of condemnation From this knowledge doth arise the griefe of a wounded conscience for the statute Law of God condemning us for the trespasse of our lives The cause of the griefe of conscience the conscience then whose office is to excuse or accuse upbraideth our sinne and denouncing the judgement of the Law against us which is eternall damnation neither can we free our soules from these extremities untill God who is the judge of all the world shall please to offer mercy and the benefit of his cleargy which is nothing else but the story of the meritorious sufferings of Jesus Christ the Lambe of God which is in spirituall characters upon the crosse of his death and this booke being the testament and writ with the blood of Christ the most righteous God presents to all the world all the world in respect of themselves being guilty and condemned by the Law doth promise remission of sinnes How to quiet the trouble of ● grieved conscience a generall pardon to all them that with their eyes or faith shall be seene and read in the booke of life and apprehend and apply Jesus Christ the contents thereof to their salvation Thus and but thus it is possible to quiet the trouble of a grieved conscience the conscience being never satisfied for sinne before the justice of God be satisfied by the apprehensive righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 and therefore saith Saint Paul Being then justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ for before we can live to God wee must die to our selves neither is there a spirituall regeneration where there is not first a spirituall mortification and where grace would enter sinne must avoyd for he that would follow Christ must deny himselfe therefore let no man presume to apprehend the mystery of the righteousnesse of the Crosse of Christ before hee hath reformed his actions quieted the clamour of his conscience and utterly denyed the strength of his owne nature for how shall hee beare the Crosse of Christ No man can be able to apprehend Christ before his conscience hath thus prepared him that is laden with his owne infirmities or how shall hee be benefited by the promise of the Gospell that doth not first judge himselfe by the Commandements of the Law for hee that knoweth not his disease seeketh no physicke and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This doth admonish all men carefully to watch the behaviour of their lives Revel 20.12 for if the conscience of every man be a book wherein is writ the records of all his actions good and bad and that seeing this booke must be read at the day of judgement in the audience of all the world before God and his Angels and Saints what manner of men ought all to be in godly conversation This ought to move in every one a double care First that they avoyd carefully all ungodlinesse both in thought and action whereby they may suffer disgrace before God and all his creatures at the generall day of judgement when the booke of their conscience shall bee opened to every ones eye Secondly it doth perswade a diligence in all godly exercise and that all men contend with a holy emulation to exceede in godly actions whereby they may receive applause and generall reputation in the generall assembly of God and all creatures for as in earthly affaires men covet most desirously to gaine reputation and a generall good name There is no ambition lawfull but the covetous desire of heaven because it argueth an extraordinary degree of desert in him that hath

it so in contending for this spirituall garland Heaven it cannot but be an extraordinary degree of content and spirituall pleasure to be named in the ranke of best deservers And as malefactors that suffer publique punishment for their offence esteeme the shame more then the paine of their corrections so ought all men to feare the shame they must endure The booke of conscience cannot be defaced but onely by the precious blood of Christ when their conscience disgraceth them before so great a presence as will be at the generall day of judgement For let all men be perswaded that all their faults are so written in the booke of their conscience that there is no meanes to obscure their knowledge and to raze them out neither will the conscience though it bee our owne bee corrupted to connive and dissemble with God but even to our owne faces it will produce all our sinnes whose memory is not blotted out by the righteous blood of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God 1 Pet. 3.21 and seeing the witnesse of our conscience is the evidence whereby wee are all judged either to life or death wee all ought most carefully to avoyd the doing of ought that may offend our consciences Not to offend our conscience but rather to live in feare and awe of conscience because our eternall state dependeth upon the report and accusation of our owne conscience This ought to prevent all unconscionable actions in us and to move a dread in us to have a detestation of every sin because when we have committed sinnes wee have hired so many witnesses against our owne soules to urge our eternall condemnation The silent conscience will be most terrible and loud at the day of judgement Customary sinning duls the sence of conscience Lastly seeing that that conscience which in this life is most silent will notwithstanding at the day of judgement bee most terrible and clamorous it admonisheth all men not to rebell against their conscience and to runne on without checke in the committing of sinne but rather to yeeld themselves to the correction of their conscience left by their customary sinning they dull the sence of conscience and so runne on the race of all unlawfulnesse for though the reproofe of conscience bee very terrible to him that rightly understands it yet ought it to bee carefully apprehended and respected as a moving cause to reformation and repentance and let no man incourage himselfe with common example that because the common sway of mens actions respect greatnesse more then goodnesse and craft more then conscience that this can warrant any ones imitation but rather wheresoever we see unconscionable dealing if in our friends wee ought to admonish them and tell them of their fault if in our enemies we must hate the sin but pity the sinner and labour if it be possible The office of charity his conversion but not his imitation and this direction is both wisedome and charity for he that is wise shall be armed and not harmed by ill example and he that is charitable will doe all the good he can and wish the good he cannot doe Let us therefore constantly endeavour to reduce to memory the severall actions of our life past let us then compare them to the duty of our conscience Good conscience is in hatred with sin and thereby understand in what degree of sinne we are what our conscience shall approve let us continue what it condemneth let us hate be it our pleasure be it our profit be it our neerest or our dearest sin if our conscience call it sin let us despise it let there be nothing shall make us alter or suspend this resolution let us be constant in the love of conscience what we have done amisse let us reforme it by conscience what we have to doe let our conscience judge it lawfull before wee doe it if our conscience presents us profit let us despise it if it be not honest if pleasure and not lawfull let us loath it let us undertake no action nor entertaine no favour but by the direction of conscience in every judgement and in all our actions To consult with conscience let us consult and be led by the rule and voyce of conscience if the world commend a sin and our conscience condemne it let us condemne the world and commend our conscience let us credit our conscience more then common example because our conscience must judge us and not example if our conscience accuseth us secretly of sin wee shall certainly know there is cause let us not silence our conscience from all reproofe let us only avoid the cause of reproofe sin and that carefully when our conscience shall urge us the Law our sins and the condemnation of the Law we have deserved let us not despise our conscience nor despaire mercy but direct our hearts and our eyes of faith to Jesus Christ the strength of our salvation Rom. 5.1 by whose favour wee shall both satisfie the Law and our conscience the hope and comfort we have in his righteousnesse will quiet the trouble of our conscience and hee that hath reconciled God and us will also reconcile us to our conscience Conscience that did accuse will comfort and make it that was our accuser our comforter This direction I propose to my selfe and doe perswade all men as I propose and purpose that in all our actions and consultations we judge nothing convenient that is not lawfull and nothing may be thought lawfull but that which hath the warrant of a good conscience To avoid Security COnsider thou devout soule what a matter it is to be saved and thou shalt easily shake off all security at no time and in no place is there security neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the world Genes 3.17 An Angell fell in the presence of the divinity and Adam fell in the place of pleasure Adam was created after the Image of God and notwithstanding hee was deceived by the trecheries of the divell Solomon was the wisest of men 1 King 3.12 and 11.3 and yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. Judas was in the Schoole of our Saviour and did every day heare the saving Word of that chiefe Doctor Luk. 22.3 and yet was hee not safe from the snares of Satan hee was plunged headlong into the pit of covetousnesse and desperation and so into the pit of perpetuall punishment David was a man according to Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and was unto the Lord a most deare sonne and by murther and adultery 2 Sam. 12.6 7. hee became the sonne of death Where then and when is there security in this life Relie with an assured confidence of heart upon the promises of God and thou shalt be safe from the invasions of the divell There is no security in this life but in the life to come there is no securi●● in this life but

prevent him SEing the Divell is so apt and ready to assault and tempt the faithfull and the elect of God consider therefore thou devout soule in what danger thou art because the divell thine adversary is alwaies lying in wait for thee hee is an enemy for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtilty most cunning for engines well stored in sight indefatigable into all shaps changeable he intiseth us into many sinnes and having inticed us hee accuseth us before Gods judgement seate 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 11.14 hee accuseth God to men and men to God and one man to another hee exactly considereth every ones inclination and then hee layes for them the snares of temptations for the devill when he assaulteth the soule of man first sets upon that part he findes softest and best affected for his purpose for him the easier to worke upon and if hee once be withstood and overcome hee doth not presently remove nor give over but comes againe to tempt with greater force that so hee may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence and force of temptations he could not overcome Against whom will he not be bold to use his subtill trickes when hee was so bold to set upon the Lord of Majesty himselfe with his craft and subtilty Math 4.2 3. when hee had fasted forty daies and forty nights what Christians will he spare when hee sought to winnow Christs Apostles like wheate He deceived Adam in his nature instructed whom then can hee not deceive in his nature corrupted he deceived Judas in the schoole of our Saviour Luke 22.31 and whom will hee not deceive in the world Gen. 3.4 5. the schoole of errours in all states the divels trecheries are to bee feared In prosperity hee lifts us up with pride in adversity he drives us downe to despaire if he sees a man delighted with frugality he intangleth him in the fetters of insatiable covetousnesse if hee sees a man of an heroicall spirit hee sets him on fire with flaming anger if he sees a man somewhat merrier then ordinary hee incites him to burne with lust those whom he sees to be zealous in religion he labours to entangle in vaine superstition those whom he sees exalted to dignities hee prickes them forward with the spurres of ambition when hee allureth man to sinne hee amplifieth Gods mercy and when hee hath cast him headlong into sinne then he shewes and amplifies Gods justice first hee will lead a man to presumption and afterwards he labours to bring him to desperation sometimes he assaults outwardly by persecutions sometimes hee assaults inwardly by fiery tentations sometimes he sets upon us openly and by force sometimes hee sets upon us secretly and by fraud in eating he sets before us gluttony in generating luxury in exercising sluggishnesse in conversing envie in governing covetous extortion in correcting rage in dignity pride he possesses the heart with evill cogitations in the mouth he puts false speakings in the other members wicked actions when wee are awake he moves us to evill workes when we are asleepe he moves us to filthy dreames so then at all times in every place and in every thing we must beware of the divels trecheries wee sleepe but hee watcheth wee are secure but he goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Consider therefore thou faithfull soule the trecheries of this most potent enemy and seeke the ayd of spirituall armes to defend thee from his subtilties let thy loynes be girt with the girdle of truth Eph. 6.14 and covered with the brest-plate of righteousnesse put on Christs perfect righteousnes thou shalt bee safe from the divels tentations Iohn 14.30 as Satan hath no power over Christ neither hath he power over the faithfull his members Let thy feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace so the fiery darts of the divell shall not hurt thee take the shield of faith to defend thee from the assaults of this most wicked enemy Eph. 6.15 Math. 17.20 Faith is that which removes Mountaines which is to be understood the mountaines of doubts persecutions and tentations if thou hast faith neither shall any thing be unpossible unto thee Vers 20. Exod. 12.17.12.13 The Israelites whose doore posts were figured with the blood of the paschall Lambe were not smitten with the destroying Angell so likewise those whose hearts are by faith sprinkled with the blood of Christ shall not be hurt by this destroyer faith relies upon Gods promises in the mercy of the Almighty and Satan cannot overthrow them that believe faith is the light of the soule and hath a bright eye a holy eare a cleane heart and a sure foote shee is the strength of hope the trust of truth the honour of amity and the joy of love and Satan cannot prevaile against it and the tentations of this malignant spirit are easily discerned through this light Mich. 7.19 By faith our sins are throwne into the profound sea of Gods mercy and in that the firy darts of the divell shall be easily quenched we must likewise put on the helmet of salvation that is Ephes 6.17 holy Hope endure tentation and expect an issue thereof by hope and thou shalt find comfort thereby For God is an Assister of them that contend and the crowne of them that overcome Vers 19. wee must also take the sword of the spirit that is the Word of God For the consolations of the Scripture will prevaile against the contradictions of the divell Nazianz. for by the Word Christ overcame all Satans temptations Math. 4.4 c. 11. and still the faithfull shall overcome the divell and all his subtilties To conclude by prayer thou hast great aid against tentations for as often as the little ship of thy soule is ready to be overwhelmed by the waves of tentation awake Christ by thy prayers we overcome visible enemies with striking but wee overcome our invisible enemies by powring forth prayers unfained fight thou O Christ both in us and for us that so through thee we also may overcome our deadly enemy with victory that in thee and through thee we may triumph gloriously Of the Morall Law of God the ten Commandements THe Law of God The morall Law of God and the Law of nature is all one though it was not given to man with solemne promulgation before the time of Moses yet was there a generall sense thereof given to Adam in his creation For when God gave him his nature and endued him with the use of reason and discourse he gave him capacity to understand his duty the which duty is nothing else but the observation of the Law of God and therefore when Adam had transgressed the commandements of God and had eaten the forbidden fruit the reason of his naturall soule could tell him his offence and then his conscience judged him he was afraid

us enquire for him at the mercy of his Father let us enquire at his owne righteousnesse let us seeke him in his holy sufferings let us seeke him at the crosse of his death and when wee have there found him let us expose our griefe and implore his favour let us shew him what the Law hath done unto us what wounds and how dangerous it hath given our soules How to implore his favour let us therefore confesse our sins and professe our faith let us also promise to correct the errors of our life let us carefully endeavour every circumstance he hath commanded us and being thus rectified in our resolution let us reach our particular hand of faith to our salvation How to apprehend Christ apprehend him and apply him to our wounded conscience and by this blessed meanes satisfie the justice of the Law and restore our soules Of the purity of Conscience IN every thing thou takest in hand have a care of thy conscience if the Divell incites thee to any sin stand in feare of thy conscience for thy conscience within thee condemneth thee if thou art afraid to sin in the presence of men let thy conscience much more deterre thee from sinning the inward testimony of thy conscience is of more efficacy then the testimony of men for though thy sins could escape the accusation of all men yet can they never escape the inward witnesse of thy conscience Reve. 20.12 the register of thy conscience shall bee in the number of those bookes that shall be opened at the day of judgement the conscience is a great volumne in which all things are written by the finger of truth The damned cannot deny their sinnes at the day of judgement because they shall bee convinced by the testimony of their owne conscience they cannot flie from the accusation of their sinnes because the tribunall of the conscience is at home and with them a pure conscience is the cleare glasse of the soule in which she manifestly beholds God and her selfe this booke of thy conscience should indeed be written according to the copy of the booke of life Christs Gospell is the booke of life Reve. 13.4 Phil. 4.3 let the profession of thy faith be conformed according to the rule of Christs doctrine and let the course of thy life be conformed according to the rule of Christs life thy conscience cannot but bee good if there be purity in thy heart truth in thy tongue and honesty in thy actions these will avoide the judgement of thy conscience in which one and the same shall bee both defendant and plaintife witnesse judge tormentor scourge and executioner what escape can there be where it is the witnesse that accuseth thee and where nothing can be hid from him that judgeth thee what doth it profit thee to live in all abundance and plenty and to be tormented with the whip of conscience the fountaine of mans felicity and misery is in his minde what then doth it profit a man in a burning feaver to lie in a bed of gold what doth it profit a man to enjoy all outward felicity and to be tormented with the firebrands of an ill conscience as much as we regard everlasting salvation so much let us regard our conscience for if wee have not a good conscience we have not faith and if we have not faith we have not the grace of God and if wee have not the grace of God how can wee hope for everlasting life as the judgement of thy conscience is such judgement thou mayst expect from Christ Sinne whilst it is in the action doth blind the minde and like a thicke cloud doth obscure the brightnesse of true judgement but at length the conscience is roused and gnaweth more grievously then any accuser There are three judgements the judgement of the world the judgement of thy selfe and the judgement of God and as thou canst not escape the judgement of God neither canst thou escape the judgement of thy selfe although thou mayst sometime escape the judgement of the world nothing can hinder thy conscience from seeing all thy actions What excuse then can save thee when thy conscience within thee doth accuse thee Note the peace of conscience is the beginning of everlasting life for by Gods judgement and thine owne thou shalt be either saved or fall everlastingly the conscience is immortall as the soule is immortall and the punishment of hell shall torment the damned as long as the accusation of conscience shall endure no externall fire doth so affect the body as the inward fire doth inflame the conscience the soule tormented is eternall and so is the fire of conscience eternall no outward scourge is so grievous to the body as these whips of conscience are unto the soule Avoid therefore the guilt of sinne that so thou mayst avoyd the torment of conscience blot out thy sinnes out of the booke of thy conscience by true and hearty repentance that they be not brought forth and read at the day of judgement against thee that so thou mayst avoyd the feare of Gods dreadfull sentence against thee mortifie the worme of conscience by the heat of devotion that it doe not devour thee and beget eternall horrour extinguish the heate of this inward fire by the teares of repentance 2 Tim. 4.7 that so thou mayst attaine to the joyes of heavenly happinesse Grant O Lord that we may fight this good fight keeping faith and a good conscience that at length we may come safe and sound into our heavenly Countrey to our eternall joy and endlesse comfort Of the accusation of Conscience EVery man that would prevent the dreadfull danger of Gods generall judgement must in this life while he hath time arrest his owne soule examine his particular actions and by the evidence of his conscience judge himselfe and his transgressions against the Law of God 1 Pet. 4.17 Prov. 11.3 c. for as Gods judgement doth begin at his owne house because his principall care is for his owne the Elect so should men judge themselves and have principall care to examine their owne particulars and as Saint Paul saith When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 32. because wee should not bee condemned with the world So likewise we must judge our selves lest we be condemned with the world for as the Israelites because they wanted judges became idolaters Iudges 17.6 Eccle. 18.19 so our lives when they are not examined and judged by our consciences wee become remisse disobedient idolatrous and desperately runne on with licentious and lawlesse appetite in the common and curious committing of sinne And this necessary judging of our selves is well knowne to our reasonable soules who when we have committed sinne provoke our conscience to accuse and judge us as if without this judging of our selves wee could not prevent the judgement of God By judging of our selves we prevent the heavy judgement of God the manner

willingnes of Christ to bee apprehended of the faithfull who is alwaies willing and ready to bee apprehended and applyed to our soules by whom wee onely enjoy the peace of conscience and the hope of Heaven therefore no man ought to affy and have any confidence in the pardons of Popes dispensations indulgences and such trash and merchandise whereby the besotted and blinded people of this world is wonderfully delighted for such dangerous pedling stuffe Note must not bee thought to have equall vertue with the blood of Christ or that they have any power in the cure of soules but on the contrary they surfeit the conscience and poyson the soules of them that trust in them inlarging the wounds both in number and griefe Dangerous Physicke and maketh the soule incapable of cure and most unfit to have the precious blood of Christ Jesus applyed unto it Lastly seeing there is no meanes to apprehend and apply this Christ the physicke and Physitian of our soules but onely by a true and lively justifying faith Christ cannot be apprehended but by a true faith only therefore it most necessarily concerneth all men to have this meanes of apprehending Christ because as it is said The salve though most soveraine cannot profit the sore unlesse it bee applyed by faith that being the maine act of our spirituall health all other offices and duties being but circumstances to assist and forward this act Moreover the faith by which wee apprehend Christ must be more then a generall faith for it profiteth not to our health and salvation to know onely that Jesus Christ is the present cure of our soules unlesse we also by a confident and a lively faith apprehend and apply him to the sore of our soules Againe seeing Christ is our only salvation and seeing faith is the only meanes of apprehending him we ought not to seeke or appoint any other meanes or matter of salvation neither any other manner of applying it and therefore no man ought to ascribe righteousnesse to himselfe or his workes or to the supererogating workes of his friends but onely to Jesus Christ and that this Christ is onely apprehended by a saving faith for by faith we live Note by faith we walke by faith wee are justified and our hearts purified by it we vanquish the world and without it it is impossible to please God Let us therefore often meditate this doctrine of repentance what feare what care what affliction is in the soule at such occasion let us practise it in our selves and pity it in others let us condemne sinne to bee the greatest cause of such misery and let us condemne our selves to be the greatest cause of that sinne When wee exercise this spirituall office of repentance let us bee carefully busie in the duties thereof A necessary resolution let us search the wounds of our soules expell and empty the rottennesse and putrefaction thereof search and dresse them search them by a serious examination of our sins and dresse them by an humble and hearty acknowledgement How to dresse the wounds of our soules let us also examine the actions and particulars of our lives let us compare them with our duties and those that proportion not thereto let us call them our errors and our sinnes and the wounds of our soules let us by meanes of faith and prayer referre our defects to bee supplyed to the most absolute satisfactory righteousnesse of our Saviour Jesus Christ The righteousnesse of Christ must supply all our defects what we finde sin let us call it sin let us not flatter our errors nor smooth our deformities and defects in our selves let us not pretend health when wee are dangerously sicke nor safety when wee are mortally wounded We must not foster nor favour no sinnes let us not favour our sins be it a sin of profit or a sin of pleasure in this cause let us despise both let us be sorry for all acknowledge all and earnestly pray for the remission of all if we have gained possessions and wealth by theft extortion or forged cavillation let us restore as our present estate shall enable us let us be ashamed that Zacheus the Publicane shall restore his extortions foure-fold and we not to restore the principall Shun all such sin as the plague or leprosie because we know that salvation will not come to the house that is so infected but as of necessity all sin must bee cured All sinne of necessity must be cured otherwise there is no cure in our repentance let us hate all sin without dispensation of any otherwise we repent not but flatter our selves in presumption and vaine confidence and because nothing can apprehend and apply salvation to our soules but onely by the hands of saving faith let us therefore bee sure that our faith bee lively and stedfast faith let us trie it by the evidence of our workes they will beare us witnesse and testifie what it is and of what nature Workes must try our faith for as our faith in Christ doth justifie us before God so the workes of our faith doe justifie us in the sight of men If the fruit of our faith be good our faith it selfe then must needs be good and availeable to apprehend and apply Jesus Christ our salvation Let us therefore be plentifull in the exercise of good actions that our conscience may testifie our faith and that our faith may bee able to execute the holy office assigned it We must be plentifull in good workes and why when wee have the assurance of this faith let us then with stedfast confidence looke up to Heaven let us seeke him whom our soule loveth and when we have found him let us expose before him the calamity of our soules and our present condition wee are in let us lay open our sins discover our wounds declare our endeavour and report our faith when we have thus done wee may assure our selves that our Saviour will rejoyce at our recovery be glad of our conversion and returne and will shew us his righteousnesse and will also willingly yeeld himselfe unto our faith and give us free liberty in the use of his righteousnesse Apprehension of Christ Let us busily apply our cares to apprehend him in his righteousnesse and stretch our hands of faith to the altar of his Crosse and with a wonderfull degree of comfort apply his sufferings his wounds and his death to heale the wounds which sin hath made in our soules Note and infuse his most precious blood into them and with that blood shall enter the spirit of health and everlasting safety Thus in an instant shall wee finde the happy alteration of our soules and wee that but then were in spirituall griefe The happy alteration of our soules anguish and tribulation shall now finde joy and strength in our soules and our soules that were before wounded deformed and full of the markes of sinne shall now

God What fiery darts of the divell can be so mortiferous that they cannot be quenched in the fountaine of divine grace What so great a staine of the conscience that his blood cannot purge Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love here is the Sonne of righteousnesse Malac. 4.2 the present light of our soules our first Parents were brought into Paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden Gen. 2.8 the type of eternall beatitude behold the penitent conscience is here cleansed by the blood of the Sonne of God and by the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head the faithfull soule is fed with divine and heavenly dainties the sacred flesh of God which the Angels adore in the unity of person which the Arch-angels reverence Psalm 18. at which the powers doe tremble and which the vertuous admire is the spirituall food of our soules Let the heavens rejoyce Psal 96.11 let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soule upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Our most bountifull God Matth. 22.4 hath prepared a great feast hearts that be hungry must be brought unto it he that tasteth not thereof feeleth not the sweetnesse of this heavenly feast to believe in Christ is this heavenly feast but no man believeth Note unlesse he confesse his sins with contrition and repent him of the same Contrition is the spirituall hunger of the soule and faith is the spirituall feeding God gave Manna Exod. 16.4 the bread of Angels to the Israelites in the wildernesse In this feast of the new testament God giveth us the heavenly Manna that is his grace and forgivenesse of sins yea his Sonne Christ Jesus The Lord of the Angels is that spirituall bread which came downe from heaven to give light and life unto the world The desire is the food of the soule and the soule comes not to this mysticall feast unlesse it desires to come thereto Matth 25.8 Verse 10. and it cannot desire the heavenly sweetnesse if it be full of this worlds comforts at the comming of the Bridegroome the Virgins that had no oyle in their lampes staying too long were shut out so they whose hearts in this world are not filled with the oyle of the holy Spirit shall not be admitted by Christ to the participation of the joy of this holy feast but shall have the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope Rom. 5.20 the gate of grace and the gate of good workes shut against them Our Saviour Christ hath yet another kinde of calling and happy is hee that heares and obey it Christ often knocks at the gates of our heart by holy desires Note devout sighes and pious cogitations and happy is hee that openeth unto him as soone therefore as thou feelest in thy heart any holy desire of the heavenly grace assure thy selfe that Christ knockes at thy heart make haste let him in lest hee passe by and presently shut the gate of his mercy against thee as soone as thou feelest in thy heart any sparke of holy motions or godly meditations perswade thy selfe that it is kindled by the heat of divine grace and love that is of the holy Spirit cherish and nourish it 1 Thes 5.19 that it may grow to be a fire of love in thee and take heed that thou quench not the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.17 and hinder the worke of the Lord our heart is the Temple of the Lord hee that destroyeth the Temple of the Lord shall feele his severe judgement and he destroyeth it whosoever refuseth to give place to the holy Spirit inwardly calling him by the Word In the old Testament the Prophets could heare the Lord speaking inwardly in them and so all the true godly doe feele those inward motions of the holy Spirit drawing them unto goodnesse Ephes 4.3 therefore all men must endeavour to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace A preparation to the receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Iesus Christ THere is a hearing and a preparation before hearing there is a praying and there is a preparation before praying and there is a receiving and there is a preparation before receiving which if it be wanting the receiver receiveth uncomfortably the prayer prayeth vainly and the hearer heareth unfruitfully like those which doe eate before hunger or drinke before thirst this preparative before hearing praying and receiving for the health of our soules doth signifie the rules of physicke for preparatives are ministred alwaies before physicke Note and as the preparative which goes before maketh way to the physicke or else it would doe no good but hurt so unlesse examination goe before the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.27 29. wee seale up the threatnings which are pronounced against us in stead of the promises which are made unto us for the Sacrament is a seale and sealeth good or evill as every other seale doth therefore all men ought carefully to examine themselves but they that are suspected of a crime doe not examine themselves but are examined of others lest they should be partiall in their owne cause but a faithfull Christian should examine himselfe of his crime Verse 31.32 Note and be his owne judge his owne accuser and his owne condemner for no man knowes the spirit of man but the spirit which is in man which will condemne him if he be guilty and tell him all that he hath done and with what minde he did it and what punishment he deserveth for the same this is the close sessions or private arraignement when Conscience sits in her chaire to examine accuse judge and condemne her selfe Eccles 18.19 because she will escape the just condemnation of God Thus have holy men kept their sessions at home and made their hearts the fore-man of the Jury and examine themselves Note as wee examine others The feare of the Lord stood at the doore of their soules to examine every thought before it went in and at the doore of their lips to examine every word before it went out so shouldest thou sit in judgement of thy selfe and call thy thoughts words and actions to give in evidence against thee whether thou be a Christian or an Infidell a sonne or a bastard a servant or a rebell a sincere believer or an hypocrite if upon examination thou find not faith nor feare nor love nor zeale in thy selfe let no man make thee believe thou art holy that thou art godly Note that thou art sanctified that thou art a Christian that thou art a believer because thou art worse then thou seemest to thy selfe to be therefore if my heart tell mee that I love God whom shall I believe before my selfe 1 Cor. 2.11 No man can search the heart of another man so Paul saith No man knoweth the spirit of any man

to him will I give power over Nations Not hee that endevoureth the beginning the middle or a part of his life but hee that endureth to the end he shall be saved This salvation by Christ Jesus is the crowne of glory for which all men strive which none can gaine but he that runneth the race of his life faithfully and constantly 1 Cor. 9.24 therefore Saint Paul saith So runne that ye may obtaine that is endeavour your strength with your time to the utmost for though ye begin well it is nothing unlesse ye also end well for as the tree falleth so it lyeth Note and as men die so shall they rise to judgement for the grave can give no holinesse no perfection but doth onely continue us in the state it found us earth and corruption The manner of regeneration is how the children of God bee borne a new and how it is caused by the secret working of Gods holy Spirit in the children of grace John 3.8 he giveth an instance by the moving of the ayre that is when wee heare a whistling of the wind we know it bloweth yet doe we not know from whence it commeth so in the act of regeneration when we feele in our hearts the motion of Gods holy Spirit breathing salvation into our soules and when our workes and consciences give us an undoubted testimony that we are regenerated and borne of God it is then as vaine a care to search into the secret working of the Spirit of God was to enquire of the mind from whence it commeth or whether it goeth this thing is not necessary though regeneration is most necessary and not to be neglected upon paine of condemnation Seeing regeneration is of such absolute necessity to salvation Iohn 3.5 that Except a man be regenerate and borne anew of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God neither bee sonnes nay the servants of God though we never so much endeavour in the service of other Christian duties This doth admonish all men to have principall care to labour all meanes possible to have faithfull and sufficient witnesses both from their consciences and by testimony of their workes that they are the adopted children of God established in the assured hope of their salvation being knowne and sealed of God with the marke of regeneration for it must needs bee sufficient to resolve a conscience of Gods favour when we know we are his children it is a grounded cause to make us hopefull and confident in the trust of Gods mercy And seeing regeneration is an act of the holy Ghost every man ought so to rectifie and reforme the errors of his life as that the Spirit of God may not take loathing to enter our soules but rather that by mortification and holy excercise wee may be prepared to entertaine that sacred guest into our hearts least when hee commeth hee finde us as God will finde the reprobate in the day of judgement unprovided carelesse and secure and so not seale us for his sonnes but marke us the children of death and the friends of Antichrist Againe seeing the regenerate are made the children of God it ought therefore to be a principall care of every man to be regenerate because regeneration is the undoubted witnesse of the child of God 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore Saint Peter admonisheth all men to give diligence to make our calling and election sure which can be no way better assured us then by assuring our regeneration which is the certificat and testimony of our election and seeing the workes of regeneration must be both constant and faithfull by constancy is meant perseverance by faithfulnesse a choyce of lawfull particulars therefore every man ought to exercise his devotion and zeale in lawfull argument and that hee run in the spirituall race which God hath proposed him and not in the by waies of error of false and selfe opinion and that in this course he faint not in his spirituall courage but that hee hold out the race of his life with alacrity and hopefull confidence to win the garland of salvation which all shall both win and weare that constantly and faithfully endeavour themselves in godly actions The ordinary outward meanes to bring us to holy and godly action 2 Thes 2.14 is the preaching of the Gospel Saint Paul saith whereunto you are called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Law serves to prepare our hearts for grace but it is the oyly drops to the Gospel by the power of the Spirit that doe soften and mollifie the heart and makes it supple and pliable and like Balme it doth revive and comfort the heart and senses and makes them pliable to that which is good and godly Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is the power of God that is the instrument of Gods power unto salvation to all them that believe also good examples afflictions losses crosses want sicknesse and the like are by the blessing of God 1 Pet. 1.23 good preparatives to grace but the preaching of the Gospel is the proper instrument of the Spirit for the effecting of grace for by the word of the Gospel God speakes to the eares of the soule and by it as by a pipe hee conveyes his graces into the cisternes of our hearts Regeneration then being of such infinite excellent worth and of absolute necessity let us take off our cares and endeavours from worldly occasions and apply them to this holy purpose for being regenerate wee shall avoyd the danger both of sin and death and live in the favour of God and be graced with the honorable title of his Son then let us remember them that proudly vaunt and boast their pedigree and their descent from honorable parents let us pity their errour and despise their vaine glory let us compare such honour with the honour of Gods regenerate children wee shall find an infinit distance of their worth their 's to be transitory passable and of short continuance vaine and full of bitter mixture this without comparison to be eternall and infinite infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore despise that to gaine this let us desire no other honorable title then to be called the children of God To be the child of grace is the greatest honour in the world that will give us the most sufficient and greatest reputation that can be for that in the least degree will exceed and out-glory all earthly honour in the highest degree let us not care how base the world repute and esteeme us nay though the world persecute us let us not faint nor feare for wee know that our Saviours kingdome is not of this world neither is the glory of his children of this world but in him that hath begotten us by the grace of his holy Spirit is our glory and by him wee are made honourable let us therefore despise the world and the vanities

absolute act which admits neither increase nor decrease yet that man receives his pardon by such a faith or such a perswasion of faith as is not alwaies one but is sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker ebbing and flowing like the salt waters sometimes appearing and sometimes hidden like the sunne with a thicke mist or a duskie cloud Now our justification may be perceived and knowne three waies First by the suggestion of Gods Spirit Secondly by faith which is a certaine assurance of perswasion of Gods love in Christ Now a man may assure himselfe of faith if hee love God for God himselfe 1 Tim. 1.5 and his neighbour truely as himselfe for love accompanies faith as the light doth the sunne indeed it proceeds from faith for as one saith Gregory Such as is our faith such is our love a man may assure himselfe of a justifying faith if he doe strive against his doubtings and with an honest heart doe will to believe and unfainedly desire to bee reconciled unto God and withall doe use constantly the good meanes that God hath ordained to beget and increase it in himselfe Gal. 2.16 c. for God accepts the will to believe for faith it selfe and the will to repent for repentance the reason hereof is plaine for every supernaturall act presupposeth a supernaturall power or gift and therefore the will to believe and repent presupposeth the power and gift of faith and repentance is in the heart for a man may come to be assured of his justification by certaine infallible signes and tokens of it as when we see our selves by the righteousnesse of Christ of the free grace of God redeemed from death delivered from hell and freed from the fearefull condemnation of the wicked there is a joy most unspeakeable and glorious wherewith our hearts must needs be ravished The second is the peace of conscience while sin and the guilt of sinne remained there was no peace nor quietnesse to be found but feare within terrors without and troubles on every side But when our sins are once nayled to the crosse of Christ and forgiven us Note then the winds are laid the waves are settled the sea is calmed the soule is quieted and imparked within the pales of peace Againe wee may know that our peace is good and that our justification is past with God if wee shall find a promptitude and nimblenesse in our selves to doe that which is good For when a man doth finde favour from God for the forgivenesse of his sins then the love of God constraineth him that joy which hee receiveth and putteth new life into him Greenham and enforceth him to the performance of those things which are pleasing unto God then his understanding is enlightened his judgement is reformed his affections are bettered his joyes are in heaven his desires are to Christ-ward his progresse to Canaan his course to Ierusalem and his anger is consumed upon his owne corruptions For wee must know that when God doth impute righteousnesse unto us to prevent our damnation by sin then he doth also infuse righteousnesse into us to hinder the domination of sin therefore Saint Paul sath 1 Cor. 1.30 that Christ is made unto us righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption and he tels his Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 that they are washed sanctified and justified so then hee that circumciseth the fore-skin of his heart by true repentance hee that warreth against his owne lusts and truely striveth to serve the Lord in all his precepts he may know for certaine that God hath cut the cords of his sins and buryed them all in the blood of Christ but let the ungodly and uncircumcised heart know that so long as they addict themselves to their knowne enormities without repentance they are not of the Kingdome of Christ neither are they clothed with the robes of his righteousnesse but covered with the rotten rags of their owne wickednesse for those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 2. walke not after the flesh but after the spirit they that are his have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.2 but to live and continue in sin is to take sin downe from the crosse and to put life and spirit into it Luther For as one saith that a man may try and know whether hee be incorporated into Christ or not by this that as a man feeleth his heart cheered and sweetened by the sense and feeling of Gods promises and favour grounded and setled in his heart so such a man as no man is but he that is justified hath forthwith regard of his neighbour Note Lev. 19. Jam. 2.8 and helpeth him as his brother careth for him lendeth him giveth him comforteth and counselleth him yea hee is grieved if there be none towards whom hee may be serviceable hee is patient tractable and truely friendeth all men he doth not esteeme the temporall pleasure and pride of this life he judgeth no man he defameth no man he interpreteth all things for the best and when hee seeth not the matter goe well with his neighbour as that hee fainteth in faith waxeth cold in love hee prayeth for him hee reproveth him he is sorely g●ieved for him for any thing committed against God or his neighbour and all this proceedeth from the root and juice of Gods grace for that the bountifulnesse love and goodnesse of Christ hath sprinkled and replenished his heart with sweetnesse and love that it is a pleasure and a joy for him to doe good to his neighbour and is grieved for his sins as Samuel for Sauls 1 Sam. 15.35 by these and such like workes of grace a man may come to a certaine knowledge of his justification which how well worthy it is of our knowledge they can best tell which feele most the comfort of it and let no man thinke it impossible to be discerned by man because it is performed by God without man For though it be acted by God in heaven yet it produceth many notable graces in man upon the earth by which it may be perceived as a Vine by her grapes or as a Lampe by her light Besides Regeneration and Justification have such relation and neerenesse one to another as that they seeme to be almost but one act caused and effected at one instant of time for when we are regenerated then are we justified and when wee are justified wee are then regenerate and not before These two offices in our salvation being distinguished rather by their names then by any speciall marke of difference in their severall executions Againe the Apostle in his Sermon at Antioch Acts 13.38 concludeth saying Be it knowne unto you yee men and brethren that through this man Christ Vers 39. is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sinnes from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that believeth is justified so that hee absolutely denyeth the power of

unto men to bee justified therefore good workes doe not precede a man to bee justified but follow him being justified as the effect and fruit of faith that is our workes shall bee our witnesses what wee are in heart and what wee are in fayth Rom. 4 22.23 Eph. 2.10 but by faith wee are justified and made righteous in the sight of God Saint Paul saith not that wee are the creatures of God in Christ through good workes but that wee are created of God in Christ to doe good workes Againe you are saved by grace through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Vers 8 9. not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Math. 9.22 29. Marke 5.34 10.52 Luke 7.50 8.48 Acts 26.18 John 1.12 Our Saviour Christ as it is in sundry places of the Evangelists recorded saith often thy faith hath saved thee onely believe believe onely and thou shalt receive remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in mee as many as believe in me to them hath God given power to become the sonnes of God whosoever believeth in me shall not be condemned shall not perish but have everlasting life these be the words of our Saviour Christ now Saint Paul saith Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16 31. and thou shalt be saved Gal. 3.8 Rom. 4 3 c. God doth justifie through faith we are blessed by faith we are the children of Abraham yea we are the children of God by faith the righteousnesse of God commeth by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe If therefore thou confesse with the mouth of the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt bee saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse Rom. 3.24 c. and with the mouth man confesseth unto salvation Wee are freely justified by his grace through faith but justification is onely proper to Gods children so that all prophane and ungodly people are out of possibility to bee justified and made righteous in the sight of God this is proved by Saint Paul to the Romans Rom. 8.3 Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also be justified And againe justification is a righteousnesse in the sight of God that is such as have a true a living and a saving faith and by faith wee doe apprehend the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ God is content to accept of such in the righteousnesse of his Sonne and to obscure their sins and to make them to appeare and stand before him as actually and verily just by his imputative righteousnesse as if they had wrought it personally in the practise of their owne lives If any make demand how can these things be I answer with the Apostle Vers 33 34. Rom. 5.1 It is God that justifieth who shall condemne Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Thus farre Saint Paul whereby we may see that if justification and salvation should bee attributed to the merits of mans good workes it would occasion boasting and glorying in the flesh and challenging of our justification and salvation as due to the merit of our good workes and so much ab●te and abase the glory of Gods grace that grace should then no more deserve the name of grace The Scripture is full of proofes in this argument looke Gal. 2.16 Rom. 3.21.22.28 30. Act. 13.38 Rom. 1.29.30 31. but if Justification and Salvation be as it ought to be wholly given and ascribed unto Gods grace and mercy promised unto us in Christ Jesus which we doe apprehend and lay hold of onely by faith as the onely instrumentall cause under Gods grace then is all the glory and honour of our justification given onely unto God without any merit of man and so as it is said before is concluded that we meane not by faith onely to exclude the doing but the meriting of good workes Seeing that none can be saved but those that are first justified and seeing none can be justified but they that have a true living and a working faith It behoveth all men to have a principall care to have the assurance of this faith that so they may be sure to be justified that they may be sure to be saved And because all men are naturally prone to deceive themselves with flattery and favourable opinion of themselves and their owne actions because Saint James and so the Scripture James 2. in many places doth utterly dis-inable an idle dead and a fruitlesse faith from the office of Justification it therefore neerely concerneth all men seriously and without private respect to examine their faith and compare their faith and their workes together that their workes being good those workes may justifie their faith to be a living and a saving faith and that they content not themselves with a bare and common historicall faith the which the Divell and the damned soules may have but that their faith may be approved good by the sufficient testimony of their good works without which their faith cannot be good For as the tree is knowne by his fruit and as it is impossible to gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles even so is our faith judged by our workes and so it is impossible that good workes should proceed from an evill faith or that a good faith should not produce good works good works being a necessary dependance upon a good faith This ought to provoke all men to an emulation of godly exercise to contend to exceed in holy actions and to square and fashion all their workes by their faith Note and to make every act of theirs a testimony that they are truly faithfull For he that is not with us is against us and those workes of ours that witnesse not for us will be witnesses against us and will condemne us in the sight of all men that our faith is not good or not at all and that therefore wee are not justified neither can be saved This may judge all those actions of men that disproportion a good faith and a good conscience For though men flatter themselves and promise peace to their soules and thinke to be justified and saved by a bare acknowledgment of God and their common historicall faith yet in a time when they thinke not on 't Note their ungodly workes will make warre upon their soules and bring upon them a sure and a sudden destruction Againe seeing justification is a meanes ordained by God to bring us to salvation this ought to move all men to a faithfull acknowledgement of Gods love who onely is the principall and first moving cause in every circumstance of our salvation and that we doe acknowledge our selves in great humility to be altogether defective and unable in the worke of our owne salvation and that every grace in us is