Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	end_n	faith_n	unfeigned_a	1,201	5	10.8215	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50683	A sermon preached before the King at White-hall July 30, 1676 by John Meriton ...	Meriton, John, b. ca. 1630.	1677 (1677)	Wing M1821; ESTC R744	12,431	32

Righteousness not for the Righteousness of our Work but his own Promise indeed what is there in us or our services worthy that Eternal Happiness which he hath promised as the reward of of his Grace to a sincere Repentance since both the Will and the Deed is from his Grace who works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure Philip. 2. 13. So that after we through God having done the will of God what remains for God to reward in us but his own Gifts and Graces c. who renders to every man according to though not for his works and with him is no respect of persons Evident with respect 1. To the Perfection of his Nature who is free from all such Defects and Imperfections as are incident to Humane Natures whereby Judgment is often turned into Gall and Righteousness into Hemlock the Wicked are justified and the Righteous condemned both which are alike Abomination to the Lord and Justice frequently impartially administred in this Life Thus Saul spared Agag and the best of the Spoil of the Amalekites when he should have destroyed them all out of Covetousness or Cowardise or both 1 Sam. 15. 8. Thus Eli slightly reproved his Sons when he should have recompenced their sin with death which was great before the Lord through natural sondness 1 Sam. 2. 23. But God is free from all such Weaknesses and Imperfections and therefore with him is no respect of persons which will yet more evidently appear with respect to the Immutability of his Will who is not as a Man that he should change or as the Son of Man that he should repent God is free from all such grounds and causes as render Humane Wills subject to alteration as Ignorance and Impotence Men often change their Wills for want of discretion to chuse no better and for want of a present clear discerning and interview of things Men are often forced to After-games of Prudence which is the proper Notion of Repentance but God hath an Intuitive Knowledge and sees all things as they are and shall be in time from all Eternity Men frequently change their wills whether they will or no the Rational Faculty of the Soul is sometimes captivated through force and violence but who can resist his Will who is Omnipotent to whom all Nations are as the drop of a Bucket and as the small dust of the Ballance and the concurrent strength of created Power but as the Wit hs wherewith the Philistines bound Sampson as a Thred of Tow when it toucheth the fire c. And as for that Objection which some urge against the Immutability of the Divine Will from such Scriptures as seem to ascribe Repentance to God as Joel 2. 14. Jonah 3. 10. Who knows if he may repent be it considered that the threatnings of God are conditional and when not expressed are ever implyed according to that Maxime of the Prophet Jeremy 18. 7 8 9. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil then I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them So that it being the Immutable Will of God to repent of the Evil of Punishment upon Man's repenting of the Evil of Sin Penitere est sententiam mutare to repent is but to change his Sentence but not the Will the Will still remaining without variableness or shadow of turning And the immutability of his Will establisheth the truth of his distributing Rewards and Punishments according to every man's work without respect of persons and that he regards not the Persons of men but the persormance of the Conditions upon which he hath established the Covenant of our Reconciliation and Happiness by Jesus Christ The proper Inferences now from this Discourse are First Encouragement and Secondly Caution First Encouragement for every man to make good his Interest in the Common Salvation Indeed who would sweat in the Exercise of Grace and bleed in Conflict with Sin if after he hath done the Will of God he must remain uncertain whether he shall inherit the Promise This is that detains the Devils in Impenitence who believe and tremble James 2. 19. because they are reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness to the Judgment of the Last Day Jude 6. But though Christ took not on him the Nature of Angels he hath of the Seed of Abraham and all that do the Works of Abraham are the Children of Abraham and Heirs according to the Promise Then let no man say with those in Jeremy 18. 12. There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and every man do the imagination of his evil heart But let the Wicked forsake his way and the Unrighteous man his thoughts and turn unto God for he is gracious and unto our God for he will abundantly pardon And let every man work out his own Salvation with fear and trembling lest a Promise being left any man seem to come short of it c. Secondly Caution 1 Pet. 1. 17. Since we call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and repose no more confidence of security from Succession from Holy men than as we are followers of their Faith and Virtues nor in the strict and zealous performance of all instituted Righteousness and positive Laws then as they are productive of the main end of purifying our hearts by faith renewing us in the Spirit of our minds and cloathing us with that New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness and the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. And as it follows the Law that is Positive Law is not for a righteous man in whom the Law of Nature lives and can perform the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dictates of it without the help of outward Laws for the design of all instituted Righteousness and positive Laws is but to conform us to the Duties and Obligations of the Law of Moral Righteousness and all obedience to them is no farther acceptable than as it is instrumental and serviceable to that great purpose And God is so far from being pleased with the performance of Instituted Righteousness in the guilt of Immoralities as it is the great aggravation of his displeasure and indignation Isa 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices bring no more vain Oblations your hands are full of blood Isaiah 66. 3. He that kills an Ox is as if he slew a Man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dog's neck he that offers an Oblation as if he offered Swine's blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol whilst they have chosen their own ways and their souls