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
A94070	XXXI. select sermons, preached on special occasions; the titles and several texts, on which they were preached, follow. / By William Strong, that godly, able and faithful minister of Christ, lately of the Abby at Westminster. None of them being before made publique.	Strong, William, d. 1654.	1656 (1656)	Wing S6007_pt1; Thomason E874_1; ESTC R203660	309,248	523

commission from him in another manner than any other sinners doe being as Officers employed under him As it is in persecution it is the Devil that doth act persecutors immediately Revel 2.10 The devil shall cast some of you into prison So also it is in Heresie for it is a floud out of the mouth of the Serpent Rev. 12.15 And it appears to bee a highway of wickedness and that which brings all others with it because Satan did put more confidence in it then by any other way to carry on his design and when he was not able to uphold his power any longer in a way of persecution as he did in the first three hundred yeares now he thinkes to repaire all by a way of Heresie for let Christ cast the world into what shape he will Satan applyes himself unto that shape that so he may be the ruler of the darkness of it c. Now there being a great influence from Hell upon this and Satan putting a greater confidence in it it doth plainly shew that there are more depths of wickednesse in this than in any other way of sinning whatsoever and it must needs be if wee consider with our selves these three things First the Understanding is the leading faculty and therein are layd down the rules for the whole life In the practical understanding that is the common treasury of all the rules of practice and according unto these a mans whole life is formed corrupt but the principals of a man and his whole life will quickly be corrupt for no man is better than his principles neither can he be There 's many a man would be better if he had higher principles and therefore the Lord when he shews mercy to a man and doth increase his Grace he doth usually raise his principles and then as a mans light doth rise his Graces will increase for it is claritas in intellectu parit and every man will strive to live up to his principles a godly man doth and he blaming himselfe that he doth fall short and a wicked man shall daily be put upon it and therefore many of them they cannot be so wicked as their principles would lead them to they see there is so much flesh in them that they cannot yet bring themselves to be perswaded that there is no Resurrection of the dead nor no life after this life no punishments nor rewards but if the eye be darknesse how great is that darkness By the Eye is meant the Understanding or the practical Judgement which is the guide of a mans way as the Eye in the body is and if that be darkned in the principles of it the whole body the whole life must needs be full of darknesse the blindnesse in the Eye causeth a darknesse all the body over Secondly it must needs be so because this takes away whatever should restraine the lusts of men for there is a sea of corruption in the heart Isa 57.20 As the raging Sea onely there are bounds set to it and what is that but the light that God doth put into their consciences and men are overawed by it they cannot be so wicked as they would now if lust can once by a corrupt Doctrine cast off this bridle what kind of evill can they be withheld from What is it they dare not doe Rev. 92. The Su●ne and he aire were darkned by the smoak luce vintatis prersus extinera Neither in the Sunne nor in the Aire is there any light now all light being taken away that should discover the way of death to a man and there is an impulse of lust within that puts the man upon acting And whither will not that man run that hath no principle within to restrain him He will commit all iniquity with greediness Thirdly There is a just judgment of God upon them in it that they do dishonour God in his Truths God should give them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.26 to that lust which should bring that dishonour upon them that should make them vile and abominable and hateful before men Satan comes with the deceivableness of Unrighteousness because they had pleasure in Unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.10 they were such Doctrines as did in judgement draw out their lusts for God doth many times in judgement send men Teachers according to their lusts Micha If any man will prophesie of Wine and strong Drink he shall be a Prophet to this people So the Lord doth fit them with Doctrines according to their lusts that shall be a means to draw them forth Ezek. 20. I gave them Statutes that were not good It 's spoken of the statutes of Omri and all their Idolatrous commands which God gave them in judgement and their lusts were drawn forth by them and they perished in them For there is a reciprocation between the head and the heart and a constant communion An evil heart commonly makes an evil head and then an evil head doth very much add unto the ro●…enness of the heart And by this means Deceivers in Judgement grow worse and worse 1 Tim. 1.9 Faith and a good Conscience must be kept together and there is no hope of keeping the one without the other for a good Conscience is the vessel wherein Faith is preserved and if that be once split Faith that is the lading will suffer wrack There must be a mutual preservation of both for they must be kept together or they will surely be lost together Doct. 2. Men take special care that the Word of God should be brought in to patronize their lusts They will be wanton but they would also wrest and pervert the word of God the Father and have that countenance it First Carnal Reason is lusts Councellor and the strong Holds of sin lies therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a great Pleader for sin Men sought out Inventions Eccles 7.29 2 Cor. 10.5 there is a great contribution that corrupt reason gives to lust Secondly But never so much as when it is from the Word of God that being the rule of a mans actions let lust have somthing from it to satisfie it and then the man sins securely it 's true that of Rom. 10.18 the Lord hath stretched forth the Expansum of his Word and many men it may be will not dare to sin with freedom against the aspects of it c. but if the Word do seem to countenance it and they can catch at any thing it shall suffice They wrost the Scriptures to their own damnation 2 Pet. 3.16 The Divel himself will come with It 's written and the false Prophets with Thus saith the Lord and then men can sin securely and without fear because the Word doth justifie them and bear them out and therefore the first the most continued heresies that can never be stubb'd up but there are fibrae of them do appear in all ages as we see it in Arminianisme Pelagisme it is because they have much Scripture that they

it by this if you hate your own iniquity if that be your great care Psal 18.23 Ezech. 7.19 they shall not satisfie their souls because it is the slumbling block of their iniquity c. 13. neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life that is the whole comfort and delight of their lives doth come in by it it is all the pleasure and the joy they have men looking upon the vanity of the world every man hath his Treasure something that he doth chuse to himself either in his age Psal 119.9 or in his calling or in his acquaintance in his custom and if ever a man do meet with an opportunity of temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is then he is to take heed to himself as the exhortation is in Luke 8.13 you have been Conquerers take heed now you be not overcome with the Devil and you have fought for liberty take heed you be not the worst of slaves as that man is that is a servant to his lust You have asserted the liberty of others maintain your own liberty also and be not the servants to sin Fifthly if you be holy you will have respect unto all the commandments Psal 119.6 he that doth despise any one Commandment makes conscience of none it is universality that is the great note of sincerity now to live in the willing neglect of any known duty and the Law of God comes in against a man and the man is afraid to hear of such a duty because his guilt arises and his trouble is renewed thereby and therefore the man would shift it off would disburden himself of the sens of it surely then that soul has cause to fear holiness is not his aim but now when the commandment comes and the man is a co-worker with God as it were and is willing it should be set on upon his soul and is not willing to give himself a dispensation from it but he saith I must walk up to the extremity of the rule and observe it to the uttermost extent of it for I must be Judged by it God will lay Judgement to the line c. this is the sense of a holy heart Sixthly if you are holy your holiness will answer the Law of God for it is the Law written in the heart that you must come up to you have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered to you we are cast into it as into a mold and therefore it must be a perfect form there are the great things of the Law Rom. 11.17 Heb. 13.8,9 and it was the sin of the Pharisees that they only regarded lesser things and left the great things of the Law undone and it s the great sin of hypocrites whether it be in point of sin or in point of duty to be only zealous against lesser things therefore trie your selves by these rules for it is a matter of the greatest concernment of your lives c. By these may you know if you are in the way to the Beatifical vision by these may you judge of your holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Babylons utter ruine THE SAINTS Triumph At a Thanksgiving for the victory of Ireland against the Irish Aug. 29. 1649. REVEL 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. THE great works of the Saints in this life are to believe Gods promises and to serve his providence and reflect his praises and it is the great thing that God doth expect as the fruit of all his marvellous works that when his works do praise him that is give matter of praise his Saints should bless him Psal 145.10 and for this cause there are three titles given unto the Saints in the Scripture First they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that take delight in the works of the Lord they being all of them wonderful and glorious and only to be admired whereas other men only study the works of men and be taken with them but they only take pleasure in studying the works of God Secondly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in them they study them and search into them that they may find out all the excellency and glory that is in them which at first sight no man is able to find out Psalm 111.2 Thirdly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Recorders Isa 62.6 they received the promises of God and their accomplishment of these things the hearts of the Saints are a faithful Register his mercies are written in their hearts as well as his Laws the one that they may serve him and the other that they may rejoyce in him Now you that have pleasure in the works of God ye are come before the Lord this day to enter an eminent National mercy upon publike record and if ye search into it after a diligent scrutiny ye will find there are these six things specially to be observed therein First it is a return not only of late but of antient prayers It is one of the great Questions that the Saints of God have as matter to dispute in all the mercies that they receive whether they have them as effects of providence or as the heirs of the promise whether they have of them only a jus Politicum or Evangelicum the one indeed non fundatur in Gratiâ but the other is now if it be given in answer to prayers it is a birth of the promise which the prayers of the Saints help to deliver Isa 37.3 but specially when mercies have been long delayed and the answers of prayers have been long deserr'd whe● Abraham had prayed for a child twenty years then to have the promise speak and when thechildren of Israel had prayed 70. year then when they were even out of hopes and gave their prayers for lost now to be answered in them made them to be like them that dream to recover an old debt and to receive a ship safe home and richly laden that hath been long at Sea and we know not what was become of it it comes home with the greater joy Why doth the Lord delay the answers of the prayers of his people not that he doth not intend to grant them for Bernard Bernard Priusquam engr●ssa est oratto ex ore tuo ipse scribi jubet in libro suo But he doth wait to be gracious Now delaying of the mercy doth raise the price of it now ye come to reap of the harvest of many of your prayers that are past and gone that you even now gave for lost there is a twofold joy that the Scripture speaks of as transcendent the joy of harvest and the joy of souldiers when they divide the spoil and truly there is matter of both these joyes in this mercy administred to you for you divide the spoil of the enemie and with all you reap to your selves the harvest of all your former prayers and petitions Oh how did