Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	eat_v	idol_n	weak_a	2,180	5	9.3570	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00940	A monomachie of motiues in the mind of man: or a battell betweene vertues and vices of contrarie qualitie Wherein the imperfections and weaknesses of nature appeare so naked, that anie reasonable soule may soone see by what spirit he is lead: herevnto also, besides sundrie deuout praiers necessarilie interlaced, diuers golden sentences of S. Barnard are annexed: and also a briefe conclusion of his vpon this theame, that victorie is obtained by resisting temptation. Newlie englished by Abraham Fleming.; De conflictu vitiorum et virtutum. English	Autpertus, Ambrosius, d. 784.; Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1582 (1582)	STC 11048; ESTC S102283	102,654	342

and painfull yet in consideration that they are preparatiues to health they are receiued well taken and suffered And therefore ô Lord vouchsafe vs the grace of thy holie spirit wherby we being guided conducted and gouerned may not murmur at the admonitions reprehensions and corrections of our brethren though they rebukes vs sharpelie but may most thankefullie take their reproofes knowing that the end and scope of their labour so imploied is for the edification of our soules in Christ Iesus to whom be praise for euermore Amen The tenth Combat 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vice insuing SWelling loftines is a selfe-liking of ones owne excellencie and hath attending vpon hir two waiting maids broken to hir owne bowe the one is blind pride the other vaine pride whereof the first is a fault of the vnderstanding the second of the will For by that the eie of reason is deceiued and by this the desire of will abused Blind pride maketh a man beleeue he is better than he is whereby he swelleth in the opinion of his owne excellencie boasting of himselfe and giuing no glorie at all vnto God Vaine pride bewitcheth a man in such sort that he braggeth not onelie in that which he hath but in that which he hath not and is more delighted in his owne commendation than in the praise of God But why swellest thou ô dirt and doong Why art thou loftie All flesh is grasse and all the glorie thereof as the flowre of haie He that planteth is nothing nor he that watereth What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and why then art thou so loftie 2 The ASSALT giuen by swelling LOFTINES O Man if thou haue anie busines to doo anie affaires in the world to deale in anie matter wherin to meddle to it with a good stomach and feare not the face or looking on of anie maner of person Followe thine owne counsell and determination For another mans wit is not so good but thine may be much better And therefore abase not thy selfe but compare with the best Let not thine opinion and iudgement bée schooled by anothers aduise and consultation What shouldest thou submit thy selfe to the censure of men Hast thou not God in heauen an eie-witnes and ouerséer of thy dealings Why then shouldest thou care what men suspect and misdéeme of thée in earth 3 A praier against the former vice O Mercifull God cast the light of thy countenance vpon vs which are nothing but mist darknes that the same shining vpon vs may illuminate vs outwardlie and inwardlie to the sanctifieng both of our soules and bodies which thou hast created to set foorth the glorie of thy most holie name And bicause good God there are manie conueiances of vices in our harts and manie holes and corners for sinnes of sundrie sorts to lurke in the least wherof deserueth death and condemnation we most humblie craue of thy diuine Maiestie that it would please thee to crush out of our entrailes as out of a sponge all such filthie and stinking defilings as haue euer since the daie of our natiuities lien there soking and soupling to the vtter putrifieng consuming both of soule and bodie Speciallie most mercifull Father be vnto vs so good a physician as to minister but one dram or scruple of thy grace that swallowing the same downe into the stomach of our soules we may vomit and spue out all swelling loftines which puffeth vs vp like wind blowne into a bladder O heale vs thou most carefull and cunning leach of mankinde which knowest and onelie vnderstandest what maladies are incident to this our mortalitie with what medicines they are to be expelled Suffer not so dangerous an humor to abound in vs least ouer-ruling vs it preuaile and carrie vs as it list from woorse to woorse till we be brought at last euen to the gates of hell as Nemroth Nabuchodonisor Pharao Antiochus Herod the rest of that ambitious proud race were euen at the verie ripenes of their pompe when they thought all things safe and in perfect securitie Wee craue it so much the more instantlie ô Father bicause thou hast threatened to cast downe the high mountains and to make them eeuen with the lowe plaines to lop the tall ceders of Libanus and to make them equall with the base bulrush that thou onelie maiest be honoured in thine excellencie and that all creatures stooping vnto thee may do homage and reuerence to thee their Creator Humble me ô Lord in this maner and pull downe the pinacles of my proud hart that my soule may be made a mansion for thy Maiestie to dwell in thy Sonne to abide in and the holie Ghost to continue in to whom be all honour and power for euermore Amen 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vertue following FOlowe after me saith Christ passe through me drawe neere to me after me bicause I am the truth through me bicause I am the waie to me bicause I am the life Againe he saith Who so will come after me let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse and followe me Wherein he laieth three things before vs bondage basenes hardnes Bondage in denieng himselfe basenes in taking vp the crosse hardnes in following Christ whose life was tempered with no kind of worldlie pleasure By this we are taught to humble our selues and to be lowlie in our owne eies to be reformed when we are rebuked and not to hold scorne of correction when we are blame-woorthie For the waie to be perfect is to learne how to amend that which is vnperfect if we neglect this we shall neuer come to that 2 The REPVLSE giuen by humble LOWLINES O Man thou must giue no occasion of slander or euill speaking no suspicion of priuie whispering secret talking but if thou be guiltie of such faults as thou art charged withall confesse them that thou maiest amend when thou art rebuked if not denie them with humble lowlines and cléere thy selfe by the true protestation of an vpright conscience bicause the Apostle admonisheth thée that thou oughtest not to giue anie occasion to the aduersarie of speaking slanderouslie Which thing the Apostle detested euen in them that knowing the Christian faith sat downe notwithstanding to eate meates offered vnto idols And although they estéemed an idol as a toie or a thing of naught yet taking vnto them and tasting idolatrous meates as altogither harmeles and nothing at all offensiue they did tie the weake consciences of their vnstaied brethren to the damnable rites and ceremonies of idols by this their euill and vnchristian déed 3 A praier for the former vertue O Almightie euerlasting God which from the beginning of the world hast throwne the thunderbolts of thy iustice and vengeance at such as obstinatelie haue continued in their sinne without remorse of conscience or feare of thy iudgements we most humblie beseech thee to heare the praiers of vs thy seruants and to grant the petition of our lips O

deliuer vs not ouer into the rule of Satan our ghostlie enimie least he make a spoile of our soules and feede on them as a falcon vpon a dooue or as a woolfe vpon a lambe Be thou the gouernor of our life and the directer of all our deeds that we may walke in the waies of thy lawe and tread the paths of thy cōmandements out of which when we wander and go astraie neglecting the conduction and leading of thy grace we fall into the temptation of the diuell and beecome outcasts from the Commonwealth of Israel exiles and outlawes from the testament of the couenant and haue our names scraped out of the register booke of euerlasting life Let vs intreate thee therefore ô most mercifull God by the mediation and intercession of thy Sonne our Sauiour to giue vs that which we aske euen an humble submission of mind which working in vs effectuallie may strike downe all kind of insolencie hawtines vaine-glorie ambition arrogancie and whatsoeuer else dooth hinder vs frō entering into thy heauenlie kingdome We knowe ô Father the commodities depending vpon this blessing to be not onlie singular but also manifold For when we offend it worketh in vs an inward sorowe for sinne a greefe for dishonor done to thy Maiestie a care of conscience a purpose to amend and a desire to be reconciled When we are rebuked it maketh vs take warning gladlie thinke vpon our offence sadlie lament the same earnestlie repent in hartilie craue pardon vnfeignedlie and walke euer after more circumspectlie through Iesus Christ our onelie mediator and aduocate Amen The third Section and eleuenth Combat 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vice insuing HEAVINES is bred in mans hart sundrie waies and is an affection naturallie graffed therein not blameable if it be meaurable but offensiue if it be excessiue And therefore to torment thy selfe with too much sorowe and to refuse comfort for the losse of things temporall which come and go like the tide is extreame madnes Awaie with that worldlie and vngodlie sorowe for God hath no pleasure therein If thou wilt knowe what sorowe pleaseth the Lord I tell thee it is sorowe for sinne which is ingendred of repentance begetteth righteousnes The remedie against this sorowe that it breake not beyond the bounds of moderation and so degenerate into despaire is Gods vnspeakable mercie euen his mercie which is aboue all his works As for heauines procured by the variable state of the world and the inconueniences belonging to this life esteeme of them ô man as they are outward chastisements and school-points to traine thee to amendement 2 The ASSALT giuen by vngodlie SOROWE or HEAVINES O Man thou hast manie occasions to bée heauie and sad and nothing in the world whereat to reioice or be merrie Not so much as thy neighbours and friends but are wearie of thée thine acquaintance haue forsaken thée and thou hast a weightier burden of cares and sorowes than thou art able to beare Consider thine owne heauines anguish by viewing of other in the like case imagine what hanging lookes what lamentable countenances what hollowe eies what thin chéekes they haue whom the passions of sorrowes and cares doo oppresse In this perplexitie where is thy comfort where is thy consolation thy lightnes of hart and mirth of mind It were much better for thée to forsake all and to die that these torments might cease than enioieng life to suffer a continuall increase of such coresiue and eating cares For he whom gréefe and heauines hath swallowed vp receiuing no delight in anie visible thing must néedes looke for a lamentable end 3 A praier against the former vice O Eternall God in whose power it is to make the weake strong the sicke sound the poore rich and the heauie merrie we knowe and by experience haue fealt this to be true that disordinate heauines hindereth that which is good and maketh entrance vnto that which is euill And therefore the wise mans aduise is woorthie not onelie to be learned but also to be followed namelie not to giue our minds to heauines nor to vexe our selues in our owne counsell For as the ioie of the hart is the life of man and his gladnes the prolonging of his daies euen so sorrowe is his death and heauines shorteneth his time Againe Salomon telleth vs that by sorowe of hart the mind is made heauie the bones dried vp and the bowels consumed as moths fret a garment and woormes eate into wood yea there is no plague like it no vexation comparable therewith no anguish of greater torment considering that it disquieteth the conscience and draweth manie a one into the pit of desperation as appeareth in Cain Saule Iudas other reprobates giuen ouer and cast out from thy fauour and grace From this heauines good Lord defend and deliuer vs for it is the waie to endles wo to perpetuall tribulation and irrecouerable miserie As for that sorowe and heauines which thine Apostle Paule by his preaching kindled in the Corinthians and reioiced that he had made them sad we beseech thee make vs partakers thereof that thereby wee may be led to repentance and drawe neerer and neerer to the benefit of our saluation This sorowe if it please thee to stirre vp in our harts we shall be so much the further off from desperation and death as we are neerer vnto hope and saluation repentance taking effect and breeding in vs a detestation of sinne Heare our praiers ô gratious God and grant our requests for thy mercie sake Amen 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vertue following IN all the changes and chances of this life which are manie and diuerse in all tribulation and anguish it is thy part ô man to hold fast the anchor of hope if thou wilt arriue at the port of peace And if thou wilt liue quietlie in Christ Iesu make full reckoning to suffer affliction and though thou bee sharpelie touched both in bodie and mind yet persuade thy selfe that after long sufferance commeth deliuerance and that these chastisements confirme thy conscience that thou art one of Gods houshold Reioice in aduersitie beare all casualties patientlie lament thy sinne sorowfullie but beware of being heauie desperatelie Comfort thy selfe with the memorie of Gods mercie who in due time will giue thee a Quietus est from all these earthlie troubles Finallie when thou art most greeuouslie assalted with sorowe lighten thine hart with thinking vpon these two notable consolations first Christs death and passion secondlie the vnspeakable ioies of the life to come 2 The REPVLSE giuen by godlie reioicing and spirituall COMFORT O Man I knowe that of heauines there are two kinds the one worketh to saluation the other to damnation the one draweth to repentance the other to desperation Thou art assaulted with one of them not with that which worketh vnto life but with that which worketh vnto death Thou maist not be sad and heauie in such sort as thou art persuaded but