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	sin_n	sprinkle_v	1,192	5	10.9545	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12190	The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is shewed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorne and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Grayes Inne, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his owne permission before his death.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22500; ESTC S117394	275,564	592

and washed with the blood of Christ Ionah 1.4 Sinne is like Ionas whilst he was in the ship there was nothing but tempest Iosh 7.11 12. like Achan in the Armie whilst he was not found out Gods judgement followed the campe Sinne is that which troubleth all therefore it must be taken away first and therewith all evill is taken away therefore the first mercy is a forgiving pardoning and quieting mercy When the blood of Jesus Christ by the hand of faith is sprinkled upon the soule God creating a hand of faith to sprinkle and shed it upon the soule Christ loved mee and gave himselfe for mee then the soule saith though my sinnes be great yet the satisfaction of Christ is greater God hath loved me and gave his owne Sonne for me and I apply this to my selfe as it is offered to me and take the offer this pacifieth the soule as it is written The Blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Heb. 9.14 is that which purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God To a Repentant sinner this Blood of sprinkling speakes better things then the blood of Abell Heb. 12.24 not as his blood cried for vengeance but mercy mercy When the soule is thus pacified there is the foundation of all other mercy whatsoever The Order is this when God is reconciled all is reconciled when God is at peace with us in the Forgivenesse of sins then all is peaceable at home and abroad conscience is in peace within and all the creatures at peace without all which with all that befalls us have a command to doe us no hurt as David gave charge to the people of Absolom When God is reconciled and at peace all things are at peace with us for is not he Lord of Hosts who hath the command of all the creatures therefore this grace of forgivenesse is the chiefe grace To shew it in one instance more David was a King and a Prophet a comely and a valorous person but what esteemd he most did he say blessed is the man who is a King or a Prophet or a valiant Warriour or hath Dominion Obedience or great possessions as I have O no Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Psal 32.1 and whose iniquities are covered You see wherein this holy man David sets and pitcheth happinesse in the forgivenesse of sinnes Blessed is such a man Though he were a great King he knew well enough that if his sinnes were not pardoned and covered he had beene a wretched man Therefore this should teach us to desire of Vse 1 God continually the pardon of our sinnes and wee should make it the cheefe desire of our soules that God would shine upon them in Jesus Christ pardon and accept us in his beloved they goe together Vse 2 And blesse him for this above all other blessings Psal 103. as it is Psal 103.1 3. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name c. Why Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases We should blesse God most of all for this that he hath devised a way by Christ to receive satisfaction for sinne to pardon it and say unto our soules I am thy salvation this is the greatest favour of all Quest But you aske How shall I know that God hath healed my soule in regard of the forgivenesse of sinnes Answ How to know that God hath pardoned our sinnes The answer is if together with pardon of sinne he heale sinne for God when he takes away the venome of a wound that indangers death the deadly disease he takes away also the swelling of the wound and glowing of it 1. If with pardoning there be subduing When hee ceaseth to make it deadly he heales the soule withall and subdues our iniquities as his Promise is So there is together with pardoning mercy curing mercy in regard of Sanctification Where God is a Father to make us Sonnes he is a Father to beget us anew so where Christ comes by Blood to wash away our sinnes hee comes by Water also and the Holy Ghost where he is a Comforter in the forgivenesse of sinnes he is a Sanctifier And the soule of a distressed sinner lookes to the one as well as the other Aske the soule of any man who is truly humbled what doe you chiefly desire O that God would pardon my sinnes But is that all No That he would also heale my sinnes and subdue my Rebellions that I may not any longer be under the government and tyrannie of my lusts but under Gods gratious governement who will guide me better then before Hos 2.7 This we see to be the Order in the Lords Prayer after we are taught to say Mat. 6.12 13. Forgive us our trespasses it followes And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill which is for the time to come So David Psal 19.12 13. Cleanse me from my secret sinnes and keepe me that presumptuous sins have not dominion over me c. So that this is the desire of an afflicted conscience truly humbled curing as well as covering of sinne This is a sure evidence that our sins are pardoned Then againe when there is peace 2. By Peace Rom. 5.1 when the soule feeles this it is a signe that God hath heal'd the soule For saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ the Blood of Christ hath a pacifying power in forgivenesse of sinnes When Ionas was cast out there was a calme So when sinne is cast out and pardoned there is a calme in the soule which comes from the forgivenesse of sinnes Againe Healing is knowne by this 3. When we are willing to be searched if wee have hearts willing to be searched for then our will is cured which in the state of grace is more then our Obedience when we would be better then we are then certainely our will is not in league with corruptions Now where the will is so much sanctified I resolve to be better I would be better and I use all meanes being glad when any joynes with me against my corruptions I am glad of all such advantages here is a good signe As now when a man goes to Church and desires O that my corruptions might be met withall O that I might bee laid open to my selfe and know my selfe better then I have formerly done this is the desire of an ingenuous soule Where there is no guile of soule a man is glad to have himselfe and his corruptions discovered whereas another frets and kicks and rageth against the Word of God which is a signe that there is some league betwixt him and his sinne You have some that above all things in the world they would not have such and such downe-right Ministers O take heed this is a signe of a hollow heart and that

of aversation abhorring hatred griefe and the like Thus hath he framed the soule for these maine ends without which affections the soule were as Mare mortuum that dead sea The affections are the wings and the winde of the soule that carrie it unto all which it is carried unto especially when the winde of Gods Spirit blowes upon it then it is carried out of it selfe for of it selfe it cannot love or hate as it should but God must raise the affections and lay them downe againe Wee have not the managing of our owne hearts grace teacheth us to doe all The particular then here is indignation and hatred What have I now any more to doe with Idols So that the proper affection in Gods children which should be conversant about that which is ill and sinnefully ill is hatred and indignation here is hatred with indignation the extent of the affection Reason 1 The reason whereof is when Gods children are once converted they have a new nature put into them like unto Christ whose Spirit they have what he hates they hate Hee hates all sin and nothing but sin hee hates the Divell himselfe for sin and no further Reason 2 Then againe when once they are Gods children they have a new life put into them which hath antipathie to all that is contrary to it Every life in any creature hath antipathie to every enemy thereof There is antipathie in Doves to Birds of prey and in the Lambe to the Wolfe because they are enemies to the life and being of them So in the soule of a Christian so farre as grace is renewed there is an antipathie aversation and abhorring of that which is contrary What have I to doe with sinne in any kinde when grace hath altered the disposition of a mans heart then sinne and he are two two indeed in the most opposite tearmes that may be what have I any more to doe with my former delightfull sinnes we are two now for we were before nothing but sinne And indeed where this hatred is not there men may leave sinne because sinne leaves them but this is not enough God would have us to hate it with indignation what have I now any more to doe with it Quest But how should we come to have this true hatred of sinne as Ephraim should have Answ 1. Helps to hate sinne Amongst those helpes formerly named this is a maine one to represent to the soule as the soule is quicke and nimble in such apprehensions the odiousnesse of sinne that it is a truly hatefull thing and therefore that our affection of hatred cannot be better set nor imployed upon any object then that of sinne For let us consider that it is not onely ill in it selfe defiling the soule and hindering communion with God but it is also the cause of all ills being the ill of ills as God is the good of goods For our troubles and terrors of conscience wee may thanke sinne and for all that we suffer every day in our conditions of life what is all but the fruite of our owne wayes Wherefore suffereth living man L●m. 3.39 ●●r 4.18 saith the Prophet man suffereth for his sinne Thine owne inventions have brought these things upon thee therefore they are bitter unto thee they shall pierce thy bowels Shall we not therefore hate that which is the cause of all mischiefe to us If we had an enemy especially if he were a soothing false enemie that under pretence of love should seeke our bane and ruine and joyne with our worst enemies would we not hate such an enemy Sinne is the greatest enemy which we have in the world and doth us more harme then the Divell himselfe for it betrayeth us to the Divell and under pretence of favouring and pleasing our nature betrayes us It is a false deceitfull enemy which commeth not in an ugly shape but closes with the soule in a kinde of conjugall love Dalilah like inticing and alluring us whereby it hath the more advantage and strength in that it appeares in a lovely pleasing and not in an imperious commanding manner therfore it should be the more hatefull to us Shall we not hate such an enemy as alwayes dogs us and hinders us hinders us from doing any thing well and puts us on to all that is ill It is such an enemy that we cannot goe about to pray or doe any good thing but it hangs upon us and clogs us in all our performances If a man knew that such a one as made love to him and all his were his great grand enemy aiming at his destruction would a man ever love such a man thy ba●e false revengfull covetous worldly heart it joynes with Sathan without which hee could not hurt thee Shall a man cherish that which betrayes him to his worst enemy the Divell and then should he cherish that which makes a breach betwixt him and his best friend If a man saw one so maliciously evill towards him as to sow dissention by all meanes hee could betwixt him and his best honourable friend by vvhom hee vvas maintained in all things vvould not a man hate such a one vvhat doth sinne else but breed division and emnity betvvixt God and us and further vvhen it hath mooved us to doe ill it cryeth for vengeance against us at Gods hands Conscience soundly avvakened is alvvayes clamarous to pull somevvhat from God against us Are not sinners justly called fooles either men must be Atheists to deny all or else if they cherish sinne they must needs be fooles and starke mad if they confesse this that they joyne vvith that vvhich is their chiefe enemy Therefore learne to be vvise to salvation make not vvith Salomons foole a sport of sinne Pro. 10.23 of svvearing of defiling our selves and others seeing God threatneth damnation unto such And then againe avoide all parly and intercourse with sinne in the first suggestions or with wicked persons that may draw us away Use sinne ruggedly and harshly as they doe here what have I to doe with Idols doe but intertaine parly with it and it is of such an insinuating nature that it will incroach daily and spread over the soule suddenly betraying it to the Divell Therefore use it hardly in the first beginnings and avoid Satan in the first suggestions if we love the peace of our soules as Ephraim here what have I any more to doe with Idols for as we say in the case of honesty They come to neare that come to have the refusall They should not have so much hope from a chast person there should be such a modest carriage as should not give any one the boldnesse to adventure in that kind So if a man carry himselfe remotely from sinnfull courses he shall have a great deale of peace from wicked men who dare not so much as adventure to draw away such a one they know he is resolved Therefore constant resolution against all sinne and wicked men will breed a great

faith heere is an evidence if we can live by it How is that Every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ as every day we run into sinne Be sure we have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that as we increase new guilt so we may have a new pardon therefore every day labour to see God as reconciled and Christ as our Advocate with the Father Christ is now in Heaven if we sinne make use of him this should be the life of a Christian to make use of Christs righteousnesse when you finde nature polluted goe to God and say Lord my nature though foule in it selfe yet is holy and pure in Christ He tooke the weaknesse of the humane nature unto him that hee might communicate the worth and efficacy of his divine nature unto me and for my actions I am a sinner but Christ hath fully discharged all my debts and is now in Heaven he hath performed all righteousnesse for me Looke not upon mee as in my selfe but looke upon me in Christ He and I am one This should bee every daies exercise to see our selves in Christ and so see him and our selves one I should inlarge the point further but I will speake a word of the reason What is the reason why the Comforter may and shall convince of righteousnesse Because I go to the Father what strength is there in that reason why this Christ took upon him to be our surety and he must acquit us of all our sins ere he can go to his Father If one sinne had beene unsatisfied for he could not have gone to his Father but now he is gone to his Father therfore all our sins are satisfied for so that now the Ascention of Christ is a sufficient pledge to me that my person is accepted and my sins pardoned because he is gone to his Father to appeare before the Father for us which he could not have done had he not fulfilled all righteousnesse But wherefore did he go to the Father why to make application of what he had wrought If Christ should not have gone to the Father he could not have sent the Holy Ghost to us Therfore there is great use of this going to his Father Satan pleads before God we are such and such I but saith Christ I have shed my blood for them and there he perfumes all our weake prayers if we were not imperfect what need we a Mediator in Heaven Therefore he is gone to Heaven to disanull all Satans accusations and to provide a place for us die when wee will our place is ready Then againe he is gone to the Father to cloath us with a sweet relation to make the Father our Father For he saith Iohn 12.17 I goe to my Father and to your Father So that he is not ashamed to call us Brethren by vertue of this wee may goe to God and call him Father and when wee die wee may without presumption say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit for the Father loves us as hee loved Christ with one and the same love though in a farre different degree What a comfort is this that when we die we goe to our Father that is better then any earthly Father Therfore it should joy us when the time of our departure comes We see old Iacob when he saw the Chariots come out of Aegypt how his heart leaped because he should go to see his Sonne Ioseph So when death is sent to transport us to Christ to Heaven had we a strong faith we should be exceeding glad And let us learne here the art of faith from Christ I go to the Father saith he there was a great deale of time yet to passe no lesse then forty daies after his Resurrection before hee went to the Father yet he saith I goe to the Father to shew that faith presents things future as present Faith sees Heaven as present and the day of judgement as present and doth affect the soule as if they were now existent If we had a Spirit of faith it would thus present things farre off as nigh at hand Therfore when we meet with any thing that may make our way to Heaven seeme long or troublesome exercise your faith and make your terme present to your spirit though remote from sence say I goe to the Father what though I goe through blood and a shamefull death yea perhaps a tormentfull death yet I goe to the Father when a man is once perswaded that God is his Father in Christ it will make him walke to Heaven before his time Let us make Use of this point of Christs going to the Father Beloved there is not a point of Religion but hath a wonderfull spring of comfort and it is want of faith that wee doe not draw more comfort from them When therefore wee part with our friends by death thinke they are gone to their Father If yee loved me saith Christ ye would rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father If we love our friends we should rejoyce when they die Beloved this should comfort us Christ is gone to his Father O what welcome was there of Christ when he came into Heaven the same welcome will there be when we goe to the Father How joyfull intertainement shall we have of the Father and the Sonne Therefore death should not bee troublesome to us say Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I know I shall go to the Father what care I then what kind of paines I goe through If a man be going to a desired place howsoever the way be troublesome the sweetnesse of the end will make him forget the discouragements of his passage Perhaps wee must wade to Heaven through a Sea of blood it matters not the end will recompence all though we lose our limbes by the way It is better to limpe to Heaven then dance to Hell FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Index of the Speciall points contained in this Booke A Actions ACtions that are good are ever accompanied with comfort Page 294. Adulterers Adulterers corporall and spirituall hardly reclaimed p. 359. Affections Affections their use p. 308 309. Affections ought to be placed on their right objects pag. 325. Affections why planted in the soule page 366 367. Afflictions Afflictions how to know they are not in wrath though they continue page 194 195. Afflictions not to complaine of them page 13. Afflictions profitable to Gods children page 280 283. Almes-deeds Almes-deeds a Sacrifice p. 47. Amity Amity with Papists dangerous page 342. Anger Anger of God what it is page 183. Anger of God what effects it hath against signe page 184. Anger of God the speciall thing in Afflictions page 185. Anger of God makes the least crosse most terrible page 186. Anger of God turned away by Repentance page 188 c. Anger of God the meanes to avoid it page 195 196 c. Humility a certaine way to avoid Gods Anger page 197. Annoyance No Annoyance in this life or

of God which passeth all understanding to guard them within Therefore let us not betray and loose our comforts for want of making use of them or for feare some should call us Hypocrites and on the other side let us not flatter our selves in an evill course but make the conscience good which will beare us out in all miseries dangers and difficulties whatsoever Nothing makes losses crosses banishment imprisonment and death so terrible and out of measure dreadfull unto us but the inward guilt and sting in the inside Gen 42.21 the tumults of conscience Cleere this well once make all whole within let conscience be right and straight let it have its just use and measure of truth and uprightnesse and goe thy way in peace I warrant thee thou shalt hold up thy head and winde thy selfe out of all dangers well enough nothing shall daunt or appale thy courage for saith Salomon Pro. 28.1 The Righteous is bold as a Lyon what can what should he feare who is heire of all things whose all things are Revel 21.7 and who is reconciled to God in Christ Heb. 1.14 having all the Angels and Creatures for his servants for whose sake Rom. 8.28 all things must needs work together for good The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON HOS 14.4 J will heale their backesliding J will love them freely for mine Anger is turned away from him THE superabounding mercies and marvellous loving kindnesses of a gratious and loving God to wretched and miserable sinners as we have heard is the substance and summe of this short sweet Chapter wherein their ignorance is taught their bashfullnesse is incouraged their deadnesse is quickned their untowardnesse is pardoned their wounds are cured all their objections and petitions answered so as a large and open passage is made unto them and all other miserable penitent sinners for accesse unto the throne of grace If they want words they are taught what to say if discouraged for sinnes past they are incouraged that sinne may be taken away yea all iniquity may be taken away Take away all iniquity if their unworthinesse hinder them they are taught for this That God is gratious Receive us gratiously if their by-past unthankfullnesse be any barre of hinderance unto them they are taught to promise thankfullnesse So will wee render the Calves of our lips And that their Repentance may appeare to be sound and unfained they are brought in making profession of their detestation of their bosome sins of false confidence and Idolatry Ashur shall not save us wee will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods And not onely doe they reject their false confidence to cease from evill but they doe good and pitch their affiance where it should be For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy None must therefore be discouraged or run away from God for what they have beene for there may be a returning God may have a time for them who in his wise dispensation doth bring his children to distresse that their delivery may be so much the more admired by themselves and others to his glory and their good He knowes us better then we our selves how prone we are to leane upon the creature therefore he is faine to take from us all our props and supports whereupon we are forced to relie upon him If we could doe this of our selves it were an excellent worke and an undoubted evidence of the child of God that hath a weaned soule in the midst of outward supports to injoy them as if he possessed them not not to be puft up with present greatnesse not to swell with riches nor be high minded to consider of things to be as they are weake things subordinate to God which can help no further then as he blesseth them But to come to the wordes now read I will heale their backesliding and love them freely c. After that the Church had shewed her Repentance and truth of returning to God now in these words and the other verses unto the end of the chapter saving the last verse which is a kind of acclamation issuing from all the rest of the foregoing verses Who is wise and he shall understand these things c. is set downe an answer unto that prayer Repentance and reformation which the Church made all the branches of which their former suit the Lord doth punctually answer For they had formerly prayed Take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously doe good unto us unto which he answers here I will heale their backesliding c. Which is thus much I will pardon their iniquities I will accept gratiously of them I will love them freely and so of the rest as will appeare afterwards and in summe God answers all those desires which formerly he had stirred up in his people Whence ere we come to the particulars observe in generall Observ Where God doth give a spirit of prayer hee will answer It needs no proofe the point is so cleere and experimentall all the saints can say this much from their experience of Gods gratious dealing with them and the Scriptures are full of such instances and promises which we all know To name a place or two for all the rest Call upon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me So in another place And it shall come to passe that before they call I will answer Isa 65.24 and whilst they speake I will heare It hath beene made good to Persons as Daniel Elias Salomon Iaakob and others and it hath beene and is made good unto all ages of the Church from time to time and shall be unto the end of the world And therefore the Prophet sets downe this as a conclusion undeniable from the premises Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come whence he drawes this excellent consolation Iniquities prevaile against mee as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Reason The Reason is strong because they are the motions of his owne Spirit which he stirs up in us For hee dictates this Prayer unto them Take with you words c. and say unto the Lord take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously So that where God stirs up holy desires by his Spirit hee will answer exactly there shall not a sigh be lost Likewise saith the Apostle the Spirit also helpes our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Therefore there cannot a groane be lost nor a darting of a sigh whatsoever is spirituall must bee effectuall though it cannot be vented in words That God hath an eare in mans heart For God hath an eare not onely neere a mans tongue to know what he saith but also in a mans heart to know what