Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	evil_a	good_a	note_n	1,054	5	9.3782	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10010	The saints qualification: or A treatise I. Of humiliation, in tenne sermons. II. Of sanctification, in nine sermons whereunto is added a treatise of communion with Christ in the sacrament, in three sermons. Preached, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1633 (1633)	STC 20262; ESTC S115180	353,805	720

how in this respect thy nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Next we will come to the Memory and you shall finde that out of order likewise that the things God commands us to remember those we are exceeding ready to forget and the things we should forget we are too ready to remember wherein I will be briefe First for the things he commands us he doth command Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth In your youth you shall serve me and yet how apt is youth to forget God And for the Sabbath he bids us Remember to keepe holy the Sabbath day How apt are we to neglect it to disobey it it is out of our minds So Psal. 78.11 He would have his wondrous workes and the great Acts he did for the children of Israel Remembred but they remembred not saith hee his wonders in Aegypt And so we may go through any thing else Hebr. 12. You have forgot the Consolations c. Againe wee are ready to remember what God bids us to forget We are apt to remember Injuries yea one Injury will be thought on more than many yeares good service or many good turnes We should not do thus but should remember the benefits from God and man for the encrease of love So Idle tales we are ready to remember but good things though they be accompanied with the motion and quickening of the spirit goe out like sparkes in wet tinder they goe out againe quickly as if they had not beene So for hearing the Word Iam. 1. we are called forgetfull hearers when we are about that duty if a tale be told us in a Sermon that we can remember but what is profitable and wholesome that we forget Our minds are like strainers all the milke passes thorow them that that we should grow by that which is wholesome and necessary for nourishment runs thorow but the drosse remaines Trifles and vaine things we can remember and carry away with us and this is the sinfulnesse of our memories You may call it weaknesse of memory and may thinke that it is not so great a matter No it is not the infirmity of thy memory but the corruption of thy nature if we forget other things as much it were another case but because holy things are spirituall and the frame of the heart is nought our corrupt ill disposition makes us ready to forget them and more than that there is a carelesnesse in our minds we regard not the things of God but every vanity we regard and our minde is instant thereon and that is the reason we remember it but forget the things that concerne God and our Salvation Come we from the Memory to the Conscience The Conscience of a man is that which should have life It should be like Iobs last messengers to bring us word that all the rest is dead There should be a remaining light of Conscience to tell us that all the rest of our faculties are dead disordered and corrupted but looke upon the Conscience you shall see how short it is in that which belongs to it and it is a great matter to have that out of order There be but three Acts of the Conscience and it is disordered in them all The first Act of the Conscience is to be a Remembrancer to be a faithfull Register to set all downe and to present it to us but it is a false Register like the Steward in Luke that when there were hundreds set downe fifties So the Conscience sets downe things by halfes it thinkes not what is done it recals them not if it were as it should be it would recall our sins and their Circumstances in another manner than they doe And so is in that regard corrupt The second Act or office of Conscience is to instigate to good and to restraine from evill but in this you shall finde it exceedingly corrupted In this Act there be three Vertues which should be in the Conscience The first is Clearnesse the Conscience should be so cleare as to see all things that are amisse but in this it sailes exceedingly Tit. 1. It is said Their minde and Conscience are defiled marke that looke as in a Glasse which is in it selfe cleare when it shall be covered with dust it showes nothing it presents not things clearely for it is defiled so the Conscience of man should be cleare as a bright looking-glasse that should present every thing that is amisse in a mans heart or life but it is defiled and you can see nothing by it The second vertue in this Act of Conscience is as to see sins clearely so to feele them to be sensible of them like a fine flesh which is sensible of the least prick or like the eye that is sensible of the least mote Now in this it failes more than in the other there is a brawninesse growne over the Conscience and in some it hath lost all sense and therein you may see the Corruption of it If you looke to the Glasse and there finde swearing to be a sin you are not sensible of it you feele it not But there is a third Vertue wherein it failes more than in these two It should stir us up and give us no rest till it had constrained us to doe the good thing God commands and restrained us from the Evill he forbids it should awaken us but it being dull and sleepie stirres up sometimes good purposes thereby awaking us but it lets us fall asleepe againe we can rest in sin we can sin and our minds be quiet in it and can put off our turning to God This is a great Corruption of the Conscience which should amaze us This is the sinfulnesse of it which should perswade us that our natures are full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Last of all the third office or Act of the Conscience is to accuse aright and excuse and in this we shall see it failes as much as or more than in any of the other But you will say the Conscience is ready enough to accuse it is true but the light it hath by which it is able to see sin and to accuse us for sin it abuses and perverts to a wrong end for this you shall finde in the Conscience when we preach the Law and the Conscience should joyne with us to accuse then it excuses making every thing seeme small and little And againe when we preach the Gospel and the Conscience should excuse then it accuses my sins are so great and many that there is no mercy for me And this perverting of the light this excusing when it should accuse and this accusing when it should excuse causeth us Declinare Ictum to scape the blow of Law and Gospell and we are robbed of the fruit of both because the Conscience doth not his part aright And so you may see how farre off you are from a good Conscience But

you will say I doe many things in secret out of Conscience and I hope it is not so much corrupted I will adde this then to that I said before you must know it is not a good Conscience which only suppresseth and restraineth from evill The matter is in what termes it stands with God If it looke on God as a chast loving wife lookes on her husband or a son on the father that out of reverent loving respects feares to offend him because they prize their favour more than any mans favour in the world and after this manner restraines it is a good Conscience but if it restraine us as a servant is restrained under an hard master or as a theefe under the Iudge trembling at his word at his Iudgement this is not a good Conscience Your Conscience may restraine you from many things nay you may doe many things in secret between you and God alone and yet for all this have no good but an evill Conscience So you see the corruption of man in the Vnderstanding Will Memory and Conscience I will adde another and that is the sensuall Appetite And this you shall finde exceedingly out of order above all these faculties I have named it is ready to run over and beyond all measure By this I understand that appetite in a man by which he taketh pleasure in sensible things such as are conveyed by the eyes the eares or the taste set any object before it it is ready to run out quickly by inordinate affections as to women to meat and drinke to any kinde of sport or recreation or sensible thing How corrupt is this sensuall Appetite How prone to evill How ready to run out to breake over the Pale to goe aside the rule If any delightfull object be propounded how ready is it to embrace it But you will say and indeed it is Bellarmines quarrelling The rebellion of the sensuall Appetite is but naturall the same that is in beasts because before originall sin was committed he was in the same constitution there was such rebellion between the sensual appetite and reason as there is now and therefore being naturall it is not sinfull But this is his Errour though every man be hereby ready to excuse himselfe thinking the rebellion of the sensuall Appetite not to be so great a matter But to take his owne words he saith the same as it is in Beasts It is true if it were with us as it is with beasts it were no sin and so not a thing which gives us cause to be so much humbled for in beasts the sensual Appetite hath no superiour governour but is supreme To expresse it to you Take an horse in a pasture that is loose and free if he run up and downe and play we finde no fault with him for he is loose but if he doth this under the bridle when the rider is on his back will you not now reckon him a stiffe-necked horse and count it a fault in him for there is a rider on his backe So for this sensuall Appetite in beasts where there is liberty and no superiour command to keepe them in order the beasts are not to be blamed But take a man where God hath set reason above the sensuall Appetite and grace above reason to guide it in him this sensuall Appetite rebels against reason which it should obey and this shewes it to be a great sinne in men considering that reason should be the rule to guide and keepe in the sensuall Appetite for God hath giv●n it for that purpose Indeed some desires are naturall Christ desired life which was lawful and a right object of desire but take this withall it was perfectly subjugated and brought under and made obedient to the will of God as his will was holy and sanctified So we may desire meat and drinke but many times the Law of God may forbid it as in many cases it doth for it may differ from the will of God as it is holy and yet in it selfe it may be right Here is no more but subordination required But when this runnes out amisse affecting of things inordinately though you doe suppresse it yet that affection is sinfull and you must be humbled for it God sees it in you and it is hatefull and abominable to him These things I should make use of But I am lesse carefull of that because all these points are immediately usefull Why It is to make you know your selves and to be acquainted with the corruption of your nature And doe not you thinke it to be enough that this be as an hand in the margent pointing to the corruption of your hearts or that you may content your selves with the contemplative knowledge of these things so to cause a new light to shine in your understanding Our end is to make you examine the corruption of your natures your disobedience your rebellions to see how you have behaved your selves to be acquainted with your owne particular sins your owne particular failings and to labour to bee humbled for them Otherwise you may have a knowledge of these Truths but not a saving knowledge and such as wil be profitable But this you shal see when I come to make use of them And now for the Sacrament these things be of speciall use because as you heard before out of Levit. 23. On the day of reconciliation when an atonement was to be made he that afflicted not his soule was to be cut off from his people When we come to the Sacrament there is a reconciliation an atonement to be made in a speciall manner What must you do then Afflict your soules consider your sins see what debts you have run into see what corrupt natures you have and likewise know what you have in Christ and rejoyce therein for those must goe together an humbling of the soule for sin and rejoycing in CHRIST for your Deliverance from it The end of the Second Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The third SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse THe last faculty is The Affections and here you shall find exceeding great cause to say that they are full of unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse for they come like a mightie Tempest like a turbulent wind that carries us away even then when we are well set The disorder of them exceeds the disorder of all the rest for they are quickly moved nothing sooner and when they are moved they are exceeding apt to exceed to transcend their limits for such is the fullennesse the awkednesse and waywardnesse of our affections either they are not active not placed where they should be or if they be placed as they ought to be they are ready to run over to over-love and over-grieve and over-joy I say where we may love lawfully and rejoyce lawfully they are readie to exceed If I should come

tels us this must be done and this must not be done so there is a Treasure first of speculative then of practicall Truth But besides them there is in the third place another thing issuing from both these which shoots it selfe into the wil and affections And that is it which the Schoole-men call Synteresis that is a certaine Inclination to that which is good and a reluctance to the contra●y There is in naturall men not onely a light to know that this is good or not good and a Conscience to dictate this you must doe or not doe but there is even an Inclination in the will and affections whereby men are provoked to doe good and to oppose the Evill And therefore the proposition is true that naturall men have some truths because they have this Inclination remaining even in the worst of them As the aire though it be darke in the night yet there is a little light though it be very little by which we can discerne something So that thus farre men may go to know the Truths of God to have a practicall knowledge of them to have an inclination to that which is good and a dislike to that which is evill Secondly whence comes this knowledge It comes from IESUS CHRIST the second Person in the Trinity Ioh. 1. Iohn was not the Light but he was the true Light which enlight●neth every man that comes into the world It is he that infuses light into the heart of every man as he is the true good that makes good and as it is true fire that begets fire so it is true light that enlightens Iohn was not that Light neither is any Minister of the Gospell for they enlighten onely by way of propounding the object but Christ opens the understanding and puts light within therefore he is the true Light Now thirdly for the Extent of this to know how farre it reaches It enlightens every man that comes into the world none is excepted every man hath a part in this Light And if that be questioned hath every man such light such Truths revealed to him by which he knowes what he ought to doe in a great measure and what he ought not to doe the Apostle proves it by foure Arguments in this Epistle to goe no further for proofe First they must needs know much for they have meanes to know it The invisible things of God are made knowne by the things they see The heavens are the worke of his hands and they declare it and every man understands their language If we should preach in Greeke or Latine every man haply could not understand us but their language every man understands Secondly Every man hath thoughts excusing or accusing him saith the Apostle Rom. 2.14 which shewes that he hath this Light for that proceeds from Conscience and light shewing what is evill and what is good there is a secret remorse of Conscience in the worst Thirdly They doe the things contained in the Law therefore they shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts they doe many morall things which shewes that they have the Morall Law And last of all they judge other men they are able to finde fault with the best to spie out what is amisse in the most holy man and be ready to blame him for it Rom. 2.1 Thou which judgest another doest not thou condemne thy selfe All this makes the point evident that every man is enlightned And so you see what this Truth is where it is placed whence it comes and how farre it extends And now we come to the second particular to shew how it is with-holden It is with-holden saith the Apostle out of unrighteousnesse that is after this manner When men know that such things are true and that they ought to doe them yet out of their love to and delight in their unrighteous lusts they practice not according to knowledge they have some light in them but their darknesse will not suffer that light to shoot forth it selfe into their actions into their whole Conversation As it is excellently expressed in Iohn 5. a place worth your considering The light shone in darknesse but the darknesse comprehended it not or the darknesse received it not The meaning is this When Christ shines in the hearts and Consciences of men there the light stayes it goes no further it is shut up within the wals of their Consciences within the compasse of that one faculty it doth not shed it selfe into all the rest of the soule therfore it doth not enlighten the soule though there be some light yet it doth not turne the darknesse to light and thence it is that it is imprisoned for it is shut up and cannot put it selfe forth Thus the light in a naturall man is shut up As for example Take the light of a Starre in a darke night and compare it with the light of the Sunne the Starre will shew it selfe and no more it cannot turne the darknesse to light but the light of the Sunne though never so little look in what measure it appeares it scatters the darknesse from East to West So there is light in the mindes of men which is but as a Starre in a darke night which doth not take away the darknesse but if it be a sanctifying light it is like the light of the Sunne not shut within a narrow compasse but spreading it selfe into all the parts of the soule Or as if a candle be brought into a roome it lightens all the house but if it be a sparke of fire it shewes it selfe and glowes and does no more it doth not enlighten the house It is so in carnall men before Regeneration all the light they have doth but glow in their brest shewing it selfe there and making it evident that they have such knowledge but it is not a Candle that enlightens all the roome that enlightens all the corners of the soule Therefore in Matth. 6. Christ speakes of a single eye when the eye is right it makes the whole body full of light that is when the knowledge is right indeed when the knowledge a man hath is sanctifying and powerfull then it enlightens a man round about that he may see which way to goe but if it be a common light which he termes a double eye it will not sufficiently direct Like those holy men that the Apostle speakes of Philip. 2.15 that shine as lights in the world that is men see them they looke on them but they doe not change their darknesse into light or like that light spoken of by Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 that shineth in a darke place If you will know what is the reason that there should be a light in the Conscience and the minde of a man which neverthelesse worketh not on the will and affections but is shut up there I answer There is a double reason The first is that spoken of in 2 Thess. 2.10 They received the Truth but not the love of

that they have you shall finde a double difference First though in the Truths they know they goe exceeding farre as I have shewed you yet in this they fall short that they understand not the secrets of God There be certaine secrets which God reveales to none but to them that feare him There is something in these Truthes that civill men doe not understand Consider that speech spoken by our Saviour to Ierusalem O Ierusalem that thou hadst knowne the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes What was hid from them not the things themselves simply considered for they were fully revealed Christ himselfe Preached there there wanted no light to shine to them yet it was hid from their eyes that is there was a certaine secret which if God had revealed it would have perswaded them to have turned to him effectually but that was hid from their eyes and so they were strangers from the life of God So the life of holinesse and religion these men understand not there is something spirituall which they cannot comprehend There light goes as farre as it may when a man hath a naturall a common light it will apprehend common objects such as are sutable to it it apprehends but that which is spirituall it cannot reach unto 1 Cor. 2.14 A naturall man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned that is the very thing wherein the Image of God consists wherein true holinesse expresseth it selfe they do not understand Therefore it seemes a strange thing to them as in 1 Pet. 4.4 that others runne not into the same excesse of ryot It seemes strange now marke that word nothing seemes strange but when a man is ignorant of its cause is not acquainted with it and therefore he is still finding fault with it Therefore unholy men have a light that reaches to common Iustice and to a common care of serving God to common morall vertues and to an upright behaviour to men but further they cannot goe they know not what it is to be exact and strict in all things and that is the first difference they know not the secret of God they may goe thorow the whole course of Divinity and be acquainted with all the mysteries of Salvation but that secret of his they understand not Secondly there is this difference in the things they doe know they know them indeed I speake of them they doe know that are within their owne sphere their owne compasse but they have not the savour of what they know that is it which the Scripture cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the savour of these Truthes they want and therefore they receive the Truth but not the love of the Truth they doe not relish it they apprehend it not aright and for that cause they practise it not You have them excellently set downe in Iude 14. they speake evill sayes the Apostle of the things they know not You see there be some things they know not and therefore they speake evill of them And what things they doe know as be●sts without reason in them they corrupt themselves that is they doe not practice according to their knowledge though they are acquainted with the wayes of God in that measure that they know they ought to abstaine from these and these sins yet in these things that they know naturally they are corrupt So you see the difference betweene them and the truly regenerate in matter of understanding Secondly to keepe the same method I did in the other for matter of Conscience you shal finde this difference and in this they fall short Though they doe make Conscience of many things notwithstanding they have not a good Conscience for Conscience is good in two respects either because it witnesses good to us and so wee commonly use it or as it is subjectively good and so the love of God is good and the feare of God is good and in this they have not a good Conscience for it is required that the Conscience be inherently and subjectively good that a man make Conscience not out of slavish feare but out of willingnesse as a chaste wife desires to please her husband because shee loves him shee is loth to displease him will not lose his favour for any thing and therefore shee observes him exactly and will not offend him when the Conscience stands in this reference to God it is a good Conscience On the other side let a man make Conscience of never so many things yet if it be out of feare as a servant feares his Master or as the Theefe feares the Iudge his Conscience is not good So that the civil men cannot be said to have a good Conscience in the things they abstaine from out of Conscience because they doe it not willingly but as of necessity Now all God lookes to is to have what is done done willingly and therefore it is no wonder that Divines give this as a sure rule that Desire is a signe sure enough of Grace If a man hath a true desire to please God it cannot deceive him for the desire is more than the deed as Saint Paul saith in 2 Cor. 8. In matter of giving You have not onely beene ready to doe but to will and to be forward as if the will were more than the deed and so it is indeed A man may performe many actions of Religion abstaine from many sins reforme his life in many things but it is another matter to desire to please God according to that of Nehemiah 1.11 Let thine eare be attentive to the prayer of thy servants that desire to feare thy Name there is none but the servants of God that desire to feare him If others be asked whether they could not be content there were no law to restraine them that no necessity of holinesse lay on them they will answer they could desire that there were none that they were at liberty and therefore when they make Conscience of any thing it is not out of willingnesse but out of a slavish feare though it be out of Conscience yet the Conscience is not good and in this respect they fall short Thirdly for matter of morall vertues they may have many excellent vertues planted in their hearts which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost for the Holy Ghost doth not only enlighten the understandings of some that shall never be saved but also places many gifts in their will and affections But this defect they have they neither come from a right Principle nor tend to a right end they come from no higher a Well-head than Nature they be common to them that be only naturall and therefore it cannot be proper to them that shall be saved I say Nature is able to bring forth these vertues even as the earth for that similitude will expresse it is able to bring forth two things Weeds and Grasse You know weeds are unprofitable and many of

false grounds may be as secure as another that hath peace on the best grounds and this imitates true faith So a man that is naturally meeke may carry it better than one that hath true meeknesse therefore it is hard to finde the difference But if you looke to the principles whence they come the masters whom they serve you shall finde they may be good all the way but not at the journeyes end they have an ill scope they ayme at a wrong marke Let them have what they will Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availes nothing unlesse they be New Creatures else God regards them not And so much shall serve for Excuses Now adde this to the rest labour to aggravate your sin by removing the Excuses which the nature of man is witty to invent use the ordinance of God which hee hath appointed to humble you and to worke these things on your hearts and that is his Word Ier. 23.29 Is not my Word as fire and as the hammer that breaketh the stones The scope of the place is to shew the power of preaching the Word purely what is the chaffe to the Wheat you shall know my Word and distinguish it from the word of men my Word when it is right is as a fire which melts and thawes the hearts of men and as an hammer to break their strong and stony hearts Come to the Word powerfully preached as it is in its owne nature delivered in the Evidence of the Spirit as it should bee and it will bee a meanes to soften the heart and breake thy stubborne spirit as an hammer and fire not suffering thee to be at rest untill thou commest under the power of it And if with this thou art not satisfied goe one step further to the Spirit of God thou must have a spirit of Bondage else thou canst expect no power All that we have said in drawing this mappe of sin in adding these aggravations and removing these excuses is nothing if God give not a spirit of Bondage to cause you to feare for it is that that makes the Law effectuall as the Spirit of Adoption makes the Gospel no man without it can see sin with a saving and feeling sight But how doth it worke this effect in a mans heart Not by making him feare God as a slave for that the Holy Ghost will not doe therefore that is not an Act we can attribute to him but my meaning is The Holy Ghost by the spirit of bondage enlightens a man to see his sin and the sentence of the Law against it and to judge of his estate with a righteous Iudgement and when he sees things as they are hee knowes and feeles the bondage he was in before though before he felt it not I say the Holy Ghost enlightens us which enlightning discovers to us and convinceth us of sin and then we looke on the Law and there finde Cursed is hee that continues not in all these Commandements to doe them Then observing our hearts and seeing how farre wee are from that rectitude the Law requires our spirits begin to feare like a man in bondage that is shut up in prison and in danger of his life therefore as for the Word so labour for this Spirit the Word is a sharp sword but how can it wound us without an Arme to handle it And when you have done that you will easily doe the thing I have exhorted you to do that is you will then come to Christ you will not stand to cheapen the Kingdome of God but you will buy it though you give all you have for it and yet will thinke you have a good bargaine you will not seeke the Kingdome of God in such a lazie and laxe and remisse manner as you were wont to doe but will take it violently And if you come to God after this manner if you be driven out of your selves and see what your owne righteousnesse is that it will not serve your turne and therefore seeke for a righteousnesse at his hands you may be sure he will not deny you You may see what Paul saith Galat. 3.8 That you may be assured that seeking you shall obtaine saith he If an Angell from heaven preach another Gospell or if I my selfe should doe it beleeve not the Angell and let me accurst As if he had said I have made this Truth knowne that you shall be justified by meere Grace without workes that you are to come to Christ with an empty hand bringing nothing with you If any man now should question this Gospell and thinke to bring something of his owne and will not sticke to this cleare promise nay if an Angell come from heaven and contradict it let him be accursed This is the true Gospell and you may beleeve it If you can therefore doe as Paul did Philip. 3.9 That reckoned all as drosse and dung that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse of the Law but that which is through faith in Christ. That when you came to see your condition you desire the righteousnesse of Christ with that earnestnesse that he did when he reckoned all as drosse and dung even his own righteousnesse which he knew would not serve the turne If I say thou canst thus goe to Christ knowing that no antecedent condition is required but onely thirsting for him being fully perswaded that thine owne righteousnesse is unsufficient and having a saving and firme knowledge That mans nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Christ cannot deny thee he will receive the to mercy We will now briefly come to the next point and that is this There is a revelation of wrath against all unrighteousnesse of men And that is another thing that will humble us for there must be two things to doe it one is to see our sins to know that there is no worth no excellencie no worthinesse at all in us And the second is to have an apprehension of wrath due for sin and so his misery under the same Though a man be never so miserable yet if he have a bottome to stand on he will not goe to Christ but when hee sees his owne nothingnesse and withall that the wrath of God hangs over him so that he must sinke utterly and that there is no way to helpe him when both these concurre a man is humbled Men may have one without the other As the Scribes and Pharisees O yee Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come they were sensible of wrath and had so much to humble them but they did not see that viperous serpentine evill disposition that was in themselves Againe many men may see their sins and acknowledge the insufficiencie of all they have but they are not sensible of wrath God hath not charged sin upon their consciences nor revealed his wrath and therefore they goe on in a senselesse manner and are no more moved with the other

When it is done without Temptation or with small Temptation 5 What it is done against Vowes and Covenants 6 When it is done against much meanes 2 To quicken our desires after Christ take away the Excuses of sinne 1 Excuse Good meanings Quest. 2 Excuse Badnesse of nature Answ. 5 The times are times of the Gospell not of the law Object Answ. Object 4 Excuse The good things we doe will ballance the evill Answ. Object 5 Excuse Others are worse Answ. Means to arme us against these Excuses 1 The Word 2 The Spirit of bondage How it worketh this in a man Doct. 2. There is a Revelation of wrath against all unrighteousnesse of men 2 Things to be observed 1 The certaintie of this wrath Proofes of it 2 What this Wrath is Three things observable 1 It is a Treasure 2 The power of it 3 The suddennesse of it Vse 1. See what Sinne is Vse 2. Labour for a Sense of the wrath of God Vse 3. Goe to Christ. Of with-holding the Truth in unrighteousnesse Three things considerable Doctr. Object Answ. 1 What this Truth is A three-fold Truth 1 The subject of this Truth 2 The Author of it 3 The extent of it 2 How this Truth is withholden Quest. Answ. Foure wayes of imprisoning the Light How great a sinne it is to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Vse 1. Vse 2. Sheweth the misery of th●se men that are neare the kingdome of God but not in it Their misery is in three things 1 The good things that they have doe them no good 2 They do● them much hurt 3 How farre they goe and yet how farre they fall short of that which is proper to the godly 1 In inlightning 2 In their Conscience 3 In common gifts 4 In their actions 5 In their Conflicts 2 How farre they fall short 1 In light and understanding In two things 2 In their Conscience Note 3 Morall Vertues 4 In Actions In two respects Object Answ. 5 In their Conflict in foure things Vse 3. Men sinne not out of want of information but out of love of unrighteousnesse How the Truth is with-held in unrighteousnesse Vse 4. Consider the danger of disobeying the Truth Object May not a man be too scrupulous Answ. Vse 5. Give the Truth leave to rule 1 The danger of restraining it 2 The benefit of setting it at liberty Object Answ. Means how to set the Truth at liberty Prayer 2 Practice the Truth 3 Communion Saints Act. 21.13 1 That there is such a Truth proved foure wayes Object Answ. 2 That they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Object Doct. 1. That Truth or Law or knowledge by which every man shall be judged is made manifest by God himselfe 1 What this Truth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 How it is made knowne Foure wayes 1 By the light of Nature 2 By Gods workes 3 By the Scriptures 4 By the Saints 3 It is God that maketh this Truth evident Hence these Consectaries may be deduced Vse 1. To shew the hainousnesse of mens sinnes against this Truth Object Answ. Vse 2. Be thankfull for the Truth Vse 3. Doe nothing contrary to the Truth Object Answ. Seven Cases wherein men detaine this Truth in unrighteousnesse 1 In the Commission of knowne sins Case 2. In unwillingnesse to increase a mans Knowledge Two sorts of those Case 3. In not acting and practising the Truth by the use of meanes Object Answ. Case 4. In suffocating and suppressing it Two wayes Case 5. In removing impediments Case 6. Case 7. Object Answ. Vse 4. Object Answ. Object Answ. Point 3. There is so much revealed to every man as will make him inexcusable The Excuses whereby men endevour to purge themselves Excuse 1. Tha● they know not God Answ. Excuse 2. God requires more knowledge than men have of him Answ. The inexcusablenesse of ignorant Countrey people Pretence 3. We h●ve no ability to performe the things we know Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Pretence 4. From the corruption of nature which they cannot resist Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Pretence 5. From Temptations of company businesse c. Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Pretence 6. From the want of meanes Answ. Other particular Excuses First by denying the Fact Secondly By sleighting the Fault Ob. It is a smal sinne Answ. Ob. I fell into by infirmity Answ. 1. Ob. But I am sorry that I so sinned Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Vse 1. Object Answ. Object Answ. Vse 2. Means whereby men are kept in their old condition First Inconsideration 2 Some Lust. Fastiug is no Arbitrary dutie Which is proved by ●ex●s of Scripture The definition of a Fast. The defects which we are subject to in performing that duty 1 To rest in the work done 2 To doe it for a fit 3 Not to reforme upon the doing of it There is a double performance of duties 1 When they be performed as Fasts 2 When its affections are wrought upon in the duty Ver. 1.2 The Analysis of the Text. The Israelites disease Sin The consequent of sin is wrath Ver. 3. The effect of Gods wrath the Plague The remedy was the turning away of Gods wrath Which was done by zeale And that for two reasons Five generall points raised out of the text 1 Generall point God only doth good and evill Certaine convictions for demonstrations of the point 1 Conviction The frequency of our sinning A digression touching the Sabbath proving that it ought to be sanctified 1 Because it is a Holy Day 2 It is Gods day It is further convinced 1 From the hazard of Religion by leaving man at liberty 2 From the Antiquity of its celebration 3 From the usefulnesse of a Sabbath 2 Conviction is our neglecting of dutie 3 Conviction is our not fearing and trusting him alone Quest. Answ. Discovering the Nature of trusting in God which is to be content with God alone 2 To rely upon him in Exigents Which is instanced in Hester And Daniel 4 Conviction or not walking perfectly with the Lord. Reason 2. To prove the point Reason 1. If the creatures could do good or evill God were not God Reason 2. The Creature should be God Dan. 5.23 Object 1. From the operation of second causes Answ. 1. 1 The Lord workes by them Reason 1. Which is illustrate by some comparisons By their different effects By places of Scripture Vse 1. To labour to see God in his greatnesse Which would draw our affections to God The want of it carries us to the Creature and brings us upon the danger of Idolatry By advancing the creatures in our opinions Question concerning the use of the Creatures Answ. They are to be used with a subordinate affection To looke to God in all our businesse He doth instance in particulars Vse 3. Set Faith and the Spirit on work to judge of these things Two generall points Sinne c●uses Wrath. Which he illustrates by a Compa●●●●n Object From the