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
A62118	Two treatises The first is, A plain platform for preaching: whereby the word of truth may be rightly divided; and he that speaketh, speak as the oracles of God. Digested into 20. propositions. The second is, The destruction of in-bred corruption. Or, An antidote against fleshly lust. By A. Symson minister of Gods word.	Simson, Alexander, 1570?-1639.; Simson, Alexander, 1570?-1639. Destruction of inbred-corruption.	1658 (1658)	Wing S6369; ESTC R221898	80,628	321

with us in every good worke and dutie though on our part in great weaknesse and infirmitie as well in abstaining from evill as performing of that which is good is no small injury to God as vvho hereby hides his manifold benefits bestowed upon us and thus either in censuring the dispensation of his grace because it is not according to our wishes or according to our sense and feeling or as we have received of his Majestie in times past or as others receive or not acknowledging the same with thanksgiving How dangerous it is for us rashly to condemne our selves Thus I say to judge our selves as it is dangerous So is it no lesse unprofitable neither furthers it our Spirit in progresse to Life eternall nor doth it provoke the good Spirit of God to help us since his Majestie getteth such an evill reward at our hand nor get we hereby our consciences pacified either yet obtaine our hearts desire It were best then as is manifest by the light of the Word and I have found by experience deare bought to let our soules keepe silence to God and to thank his Majestie every day for the least measure of grace Note for indeed the least blast of the winde of the Spirit is not onely miraculous and above deserving but also above the highest measure of thanksgiving either in this world or in the world to come Let then murmuring depart and thanksgiving keepe her roome whereby we shall obtaine as greater peace of conscience so greater encrease of grace to Gods both approbation and acceptation Againe What we are to doe when the Conscience doth justly accuse us for crimes committed if after triall the conscience doth justly accuse us in such and such points of blemishes inwardly and outwardly unknowne to any in ward unknowne either to Angels or Devils outward unperceived even by the most judicious Spirits for of grosse sinnes or such others as holy men of God would judge worthy of censure I doe not now speake wee are in no wayes to flatter or justifie our selves In these blacks and blemishes I would counsell thee poore soule not to flatter thy selfe but deeply to accuse thy selfe with great remorse Thus censuring thy selfe thus repenting for the sinnes of the day past yea the sinnes of thy best holiest and most zealous actions thou shalt goe to bed with the voice of joy and gladnes of praises and thanksgivings After that thou hast felt and uttered that which Ieremy speaks Ier. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not They are new every morning thou liest downe with an assurance of pardon thou liest downe as it were without sinne as who both grievest for thy sinnes committed and resolvest to lead a new life Hast thou performed this Psal 127.2 joyfull will thy nights rest be unto thee God giving his beloved sleepe They certainly that have tasted this and of this wil say Amen to it But this tryall is yet to be abridged into a narrower roome An exact and compendious forme of selfe examination Ere the evening come we may not onely forget the dayes wandrings as in like manner the good influences of Gods goodnesse towards us but also wee may be many times hinder'd from this great necessary profitable and commendable triall what by our selves through sleepines and what by others it being likewise a maine policie of Sathan to make us put the same off from one time to another whence it commeth to passe that the worke becommeth more difficult this dongue requiring to be swept out every day and we unable to remember two or three dayes wandrings It is then most requisite for the good both of soule and body for the obtaining of that precious jewell tranquillitie of mind for the weakning and overthrow of the Divels forces to turne dayes into houres as houres into minutes If in praying reading conferring Meditation hearing of Gods word and the like wee be unfaith full The delay of selfe tryall how dangerous by the least delay of this self-triall and self-judging Sathan getteth too much advantage towards the troubling of our tender Consciences contrarily If at all times in all places in all companies and upon every occasion out of our particular secret separate walking with God we shall take our selves to doe demanding of our selves as it were What we said What we thought Whether we edified our selves and others Whether wee glorified GOD or not Whether we remembred our selves the Church our end the great day our heavenly inheritance though but by one ejaculation or some Pilgrims looks wee should quikly perceive the benefit much good would it worke to our selves and others Thus should we find vvhat good wee have received by others how we have been affected with the company of the ungodly as whether wee have vexed our soules or not whether we have reproved sin with boldnes or failed herein in vvhat state our conscience standeth as whether or not wee have had mercy to keepe the same undefiled and the tendernesse thereof continued the same being in us both at home and abroad as a sweet companion Hereunto if we be attentive thus if wee doe employ our time gathering withall the good things vvhich wee have seene and heard abroad as in like manner making use of all good provocations to sharpen us though this sort of iron to sharpen iron is very rare the good which we shall reap hereby by will much ease our soules and augment our spirituall treasure Thus if wee would doe I will not boast or whisper that I have exactly thus done yet others have with all their might endevored herein and mind through the assistance of Gods good Spirit so to doe unto the end of their Christian Race wee should thus doing get great aboundance of extraordinary Christian joyes and ravishments as pledges or the earnest of the Spirit given to us under the hope of the fulnesse of eternall joyes If we have left off those glorious exercises not any wayes hindring either praying reading meditating or any other spirituall worke in the Vineyard but rather much furthering the same If I say we have omitted them doe we blame our selves if vve have gotten dumb tongues in stead of open withered harts in stead of mollified dirt for gold blindnes for eye-salve poverty of grace for riches beggerly cloathes for rayment of white linnen for a feasting a troubled conscience a shew of godlines for the power therof small mire and dew in place of great waters senslesnesse for watchfulnes and tender feelings If this be thy state dolefull is thy change fearfull this desertion Thou must repent in time getting thy heart and endeavours inlarged mightily and sincerely renewing thy Covenant with God vvhereby thou shalt at the length perceive why the Lord hath absented himselfe so long and againe enjoy his sweet presence and the glorious tokens of his affectioned love 7. Wee doe further and further hate

To which purpose the Lord by the Prophet Ieremiah Ier. 2.33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seeke love therfore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy wayes The Creatures The creatures Hos 4.2 As upon whom judgements are inflicted for mens sinnes and which being for our cause made subject to vanitie Rom. 8.20.21 groane for the day of Redemption when they shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God I may adde The Devill himselfe The Devil himselfe As who shall thus displease him Gods adversary and our most deadly enemy Yea else Notwithstanding of our outward Profession our Religion is but vaine Rom. 2.29 for hee is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Thus why the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof is to be encountred and so of the fourth particular CHAP. V. After what manner the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof is to be encountred AS in temporall warfare so in this Spirituall skill is no less requisit then strength Skil requisite in encountring the Flesh especially having to do with such a cunning deceitfull and subtile adversary as the Flesh is who for the most part prevailes more by secret cunning then open force Experience also shweeth that our mightiest Enemies have received most notable foyles of the weakest Christians but else carefull and skilfull in the use of their armour Now that wee may know how to warre against the Flesh we are first to take notice how the Flesh warreth against us Whereby we shall be the better enabled both to defend our selves and offend it How the FLESH warreth against us How the Flesh warreth against us This may be specified especially in three particulars First Covertly that somtime its manner of warre is covertly and under colour of vertuous affections that thereby wee may be intrapt at unawares So did the Flesh deceive both the Daughters of Lot Gen. 19.31 And the first-borne said unto the younger our Father is old and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth Come let us make our Father drink wine and we will lie with him that wee may preserve seed of our Father A goodly bait to draw on Incest Not unlike was NABALS answer unto Davids messengers 1 Sam. 25.10 There be many servants now adayes that break away every man from his master Shall J then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my sheerers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be Agreeable hereunto was the ground of Ahabs desire of Naboths Vineyard 1 Kin. 21.2 Give me thy Vineyard said hee unto him that I may have it for a garden of herbs because it is neere to my house and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard then it or if it seeme good to thee I will give thee the worth of it in money Herein doth the Flesh resemble Harlots The Flesh an harlot as they garishly attire themselves that they may draw affections so doth fleshly concupiscence garishly adorne and paint over the things desired 1 Thes 2.5 that by their seeming beauty as Paul speaketh of a cloke of covetousnes they may bewitch us Gen. 3.6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise shee took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and hee did eate Oh how glorious seems wealth to a covetous eye It is the way to reputation Note the best proof-armour of defence from wrongs the only self-sufficient condition here on earth Oh how goodly things are high Places Honours and Dignities in the eyes of the Ambitious No vitious desires doe so insinuate themselves into well-disposed natures as those which are coloured and cloaked with the shew of vertues Goliahs sword lay hid under an Ephod 1 Sam. 21.9 as much wickednes doth under the pretence of Religion Secondly By faigning flight That at other times it saineth flight that therby for the present it may draw us into its ambushes and for the time to come into carelesnes Security Presumption throwing our selves into occasions of evill and the like When the Flesh may seeme to be mortified but is not The Flesh indeed may seeme to bee mortified as when the occasion is removed when it is not violent but quiet when it is removed but from one sinne unto another when through terror in the conscience it is restrained from desired acts and the like but herein putteth it tricks upon us Iosh 8.15 and as Josuah by his flight from the Inhabitants of Ai Iudg. 20.39 and the Israelites from the Benjamites getteth no small advantage against us Thirdly With open force that when It cannot prevaile against us by any of the former wayes then as a roaring Lyon setteth it upon us with all its force yea and at some times so prevaileth that the very best and strongest of Gods Children are for a time brought into very great straits as S. Paul instanceth in himselfe in the seventh to the Romans Adde hereunto that It 's not in jest with us Other considerations about the manner of its fight it doth not drouzily or unwillingly fight against us It s at no time idle neither through delay or negligence letteth slip any opportunity wherby it may in any sort get the mastery It 's not partiall see king the mastery over this man but in the meane time willingly vanquished by another yea it useth no small discretion in its fight seasonably laying hold of all opportunities as time place company complexion age and such like Thus how the Flesh warreth against us How wee are to warre against the Flesh How wee are to warr against the Flesh It must be sincerely impartially discreetly cheerfully forcibly seasonably and constantly Sincerely Both in respect of the qualitie Sincerely and quantitie of those things which wee are to oppose Both in respect of the quality quantity qualitie we are not to mortifie actions either naturall or indifferent we are not to oppose the motions of Gods good Spirit we are not to strive against the meanes of grace but against our sinful and fleshly Lusts quantity we must not oppose one alone Iam. 2.10.11 but as well all as one for whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet faileth in one point hee is guilty of all for he that said Thou shalt not commit adultery said also Thou shalt not kill yea who so alloweth of one cannot but allow of others howsoever one sin