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	good_a	unfeigned_a	1,203	5	10.8412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07496	The sinne vnto death. Or an ample discouery of that fearefull sinne, the sinne against the holy Ghost together with the signes, degrees and preservatiues thereof. In a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse. August 26. 1621. By Tho: Bedford ...	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1621 (1621)	STC 1788; ESTC S101417	81,812	112

take great heede of this for what knowest thou wretched man whether euer thou shalt come out of the same againe Thou hast not Repentance in thine owne hand yea what knowest thou whether this bee not the first steppe that thou steppest on to finall Apostalie Thirdly Holding faith and a good Conscience In which words the Apostle doth exhort Timothy to stand manfully against all lets and impediments and being called to the ministery to fight a good fight id est to bee vigilant and diligent in his office vigilant to watch against all enemies diligent to expell them And not without cause doth he thus stirre vp Timothy for the office of the ministery is a kinde of warfare in which Sathan Hereticks Schismaticks lewde-liuers and false brethren doe in hostile manner oppose the Church of God Against all which the Ministers who are the Ancient bearers and Captaines must oppose themselues Now that he may the better make resistance and performe the office of his Ministery with ioy the Apostle sheweth with what armour it is fit that he should bee furnished viz. Faith and a good Conscience Faith that is to say wholsome doctrine which cap. 3. 9. he calleth the mistery of Faith the mistery of godlinesse that is the doctrine of the Gospell which must bee kept in a pure Conscience And certainely those two are wonderfull requisite in a Minister Faith and a good Conscience nor are they of lesse consequence for euery Christian. I can compare them to nothing so well as to a precious pearle and a rich carquenet both must bee regarded Faith the doctrine of the Gospell the forme of wholsome words a rich pearle an incomparable treasure better than thousands of gold and siluer wherfore how much ought we to feare lest it should bee taken from vs For what is this wholsome doctrine but like the starre that led the wisemen to Christ which when they lost into what by paths were they driuen and how much trouble ere they found it againe So here keepe the patterne of wholsome words and it will guide you in the right way suffering you to decline neyther to the right hand nor to the left neyther to suspition nor to prophanenesse neyther to Schismes and Heresies nor to Atheisme and Epicurisme This is the precious pearle The rich Carquenet is a good Conscience a pure Conscience in this must we keepe Faith else it will bee lost For whence commeth it that so many continually doe reiect the truth and fall into wicked sects and damnable heresies but because they were not carefull to keepe the sound doctrine in a pure Conscience and therefore God iustly punished their hypocriticall dealing with this iudgement sending them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies who delighted not in the Truth Two fearefull examples doth Paul here alleadge of two men who casting away the Carquenet lost also the Pearle putting away a good Conscience as concerning Faith made shipwrack id est were quite depriued of it For saith Beza they who keep not a good Conscience doe also by little and little loose the gift of vnderstanding Wherefore loe here another excellent meanes to preuent Apostasie Hold Faith depart not from it for whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne keepe a good Conscience vnspotted vndefiled transgresse not against that keepe the forme of godlinesse and deny not the power thereof As we professe to know God so in workes deny him not for what is the end of the Commandement but loue out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith vnfayned But amongst all the parts of holy Scripture there is not any one booke so well furnished with variety of exhortation tending to stirre men vp to perseuerance and to take off reuolting as the Epistle to the Hebrews wherein the Author doth hoc agere in a manner ayme at nothing else wherefore whatsoeuer prescripts of Phisick I haue else to giue shall thence be deducted Fourthly Let there be no fornicatour nor Prophane person c. The words of Paul prescribing a caueat to take heede of this our sinne id est neyther in the second table nor in the first giue way to any grosse sinne and namely not to these whereby the Spirit might bee grieued and by which that Communion of Saints that ought to be in the Church might be violated Three reasons I suppose may be giuen why Paul instanceth rather in Fornication for the second Table than any other sinne First Our bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and fornication is a sinne against a mans owne body by this then should the habitation of the holy Ghost be defiled his Temple prophaned yea and himselfe driuen forth by our vncleanenesse and pollution Secondly Fornication is a sinne of a pleasing nature to voluptuous persons and they who place happinesse in pleasure doe most easily yeelde to this sin and hauing once yeelded it is so clammy that like pitch or birdlime it sticketh and cleaueth to them and so cleaueth that it rather brings them to renounce the Gospell and the doctrine of it then to giue ouer this filthinesse and vncleanenesse Thirdly Fornication found in any member of the Church is such a sinne as may not be tolerated in the congregation without manifest danger of infection so that in necessity the Congregation must proceede to excommunication as Paul prescribeth by which the party delinquent is deliuered vp to Sathan who is ready presently to possesse him with a roote of bitternesse against God his truth and the professors of it for these causes I take it doth hee instance in Fornication and the like might bee said for prophanenesse The summe is this Harbour no sinne wilfully and by name not this for it is a poyson to the Soule and infection to a Christian profession Fiftly Keepe the profession of our hope without wauering Another excellent Antidote prescribed by our Apostle as we haue hope in heauen and haue beene called to the hope of the Gospell and thereupon haue professed the same before men so must wee hold it fast without wauering not doubting of it or calling it into question after that we haue beene perswaded of it For he that hauing once beleeued the truth of the Gospell and professed his beleefe doth afterwards begin to question it and dispute against it doth iustly deserue to be giuen vp to a Reprobate sense that as hee would not hold fast when he had time and opportunity so now he should for euer loose the hope of happinesse manifested in the Gospell Siztly Prouoke one another to loue and good workes exhorting one another id est in season out of season publiquely in the Church priuately from house to house in all places at all times be ready to stirre vp one another to constancy and perseuerance aedifying one another in that most holy Faith And certainly not without cause doth St. Paul praescribe this as a meanes to preuent Apostasie for good

of mens soules And to the end that all true holy-minded Christians may better keepe watch and ward against Satans sleights and subtleties this one secret is worthy obseruing To take great heede continually by all meanes to nourish and increase the peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost For as these are the last and principall graces men attaine vnto by the preaching of the Gospell so are they the first which such as fall away doe commonly loose whereupon the blessed Apostle with very great reason encouraging the Philippians against imminent troubles assureth them that the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be a guard or Garison to their hearts and to their minds implying that peace with God and ioy in the holy Ghost are present rewards of holinesse effects of true Faith and Repentance earnest pennies of the rewarde to come and therefore principall encouragements vnto Constancie and Perseuerance in all well d●eing wherefore in a word this is it I would say that our aduersary the Deuill will especially labour and vse his whole cunning to bereaue men eyther of these very Graces themselues or of the sence of them which is easily done by drawing them into wilfull sinnes which defile the Conscience and disturbe the peace therof Vpon the losse of the reward as labourers and souldiers doe more negligently applie themselues when they are doubtfull of their pay so men grow lesse carefull of holy duties and doe not so much delight in them why But euen because by the defiling of their Consciences they doe not finde their wonted comfort in such exercises So the meanes of renewing their Repentance dis-vsed or lesse frequented by neglect of the meanes the heart growes into hardnesse sinne into custome and disquietnesse of Conscience into a ●umbdnesse or non-sense then must needes both Faith and Hope faile the losse whereof that it might be lesse felt Satan offereth carnall delights in sensualitie and pleasures then God and the world to come beginne to be forgotten sinceritie and strictnesse of Life beginne to be intollerable Loosenesse and liberty plausible admonitions odious all manner of lewdenesse iustifiable Gods word hated and messengers persecuted and how little differeth this fearefull reuolt from the sinne against the holy Ghost The effect whereof and iust punishment can be none other but finall despayre in the man and horrible blasphemies against God and his Christ with a despighting of his spirit of Grace and so at last euerlasting torments in hell fire Behold then both the ladder as I may say whereby menascend and the rope whereby they fall or descend into this Dungeon men climbe and attaine to some taste and smack of the powers of the world to come which I call peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost by these steppes First their mind and vnderstanding by the preaching of the word is enlightened with the knowledge of the Mysterie of Christ. Secondly the will and reason consenteth Thirdly the heart imbraceth and applieth vnto a measure of Faith and of Repentance Fourthly the affections beginne to frame into obedience Fiftly the life and conuersation is fashioned to the outward forme of Godlinesse Sixtly the Conscience is at peace and the inward man ioyeth Now the manner of relapse or descent is downe the same way Ioy and peace of Conscience are lost through some wilfull sinne Secondly the life and conuersation growes worse and worse Thirdly the affections are altered from delight in holinesse and loosed from obedience Fourthly Faith fayleth and Repentance giuen euer Fiftly the benefit by Christ despised Sixtly a great decay of knowledg followeth through the contempt of the meanes and so the man is giuen vp vnto a Reprobate sense whereby God and goodnesse and all their worshippers despighted and persecuted As euery one therefore loueth his soule and longeth for saluation in Christ and delighteth in the assurance thereof so let him beware and take heed of defiling and disquieting his cosc●ence with wilfull sins or if he be fallen by Satan circūuented let him giue way and diligent heed to the word for his recouery by repentance let him in no case suffer himself to be transported from the company and fellowship of faithfull admonishers let him vse the helpe of their prayers vnto God for him let him abandon carnall companions and worldly vanities and delights to the end that he may more humble his soule before God let him euen force himselfe vnto spirituall and heauenly meditation and other godly exercises of Religion and if not withstanding all this his heart should still incline to despaire let him not be ashamed to bewray and confesse vnto some one or two whom he dares trust and thinketh able by his or their counsell and godlinesse to helpe into what temptation hee is fallen that he may not beare the brunt of the assault alone And whatsoeuer befaileth let him not flie to carnall delights or worldly myrth and vanitie for remedy which brings a forgetfulnesse of this guiltinesse and so a secure benummednesse of Conscience to his vtter vndoeing rather then a true cure and helpe for his dangerous disease vse only those meanes which may recouer true peace of Conscience with God and the battaile is sought and the field wonne For very often times as by euil Chyrurgerie acurable wound groweth to a gangren euen so the wound of Conscience which might haue beene to the increase of Grace and better certaintie of saluation by forsaking the true and right cure becommeth desperat carnae●itie incurable security But now for as much as many are in feare of hauing committed this sinne which indeede haue not but through Satans policies to disquiet their Consciences are illuded and afrighted It shall bee good to consider for their comforts these short positions and Maxim●s found certaine and most true by the Scripture by the iudgement of learned writers by ●●●ly experience of those that haue to deale with afflicted Consciences First that such as feare least they haue thus sinned are vndoubtedly as yet free from this sin or from falling ●●●o it so long as that feare remayneth in them Secondly that such as are sorry for their offences towards God are farre off from this sou●e offence Thirdly that who so hath a desire to be reconciled to God and could wish himselfe pardoned shall surely obtaine pardon if he seeke it at Gods hand according to his word Fourthly that whosoeuer would not that another should fall into his wretched plight and condition hath ●ome portion of loue both to God and man left in him and therefore is not vtterly fallen from Grace nay more Fiftly whosoeuer hateth not all other whom he thinketh not to be in his owne damnable case is not come to the height and perfection of this sinne and therefore Sixtly whosoeuer taketh pleasure and delight in the company of any of Gods men and seruants may through their endeauour by Gods grace be reduced and recouered Seuenthly If any place