Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	faith_n	good_a	timothy_n	1,872	5	11.8568	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01452	a pearle of price or, The best purchase For which the spirituall marchant Ieweller selleth all his temporalls. By Samuel Gardiner, Batchellor of Diuinitie.	Gardiner, Samuel, b. 1563 or 4.	1600 (1600)	STC 11578; ESTC S118892	98,748	224

ioyned and vnited to another and as a sword that is right cannot be put into a scabberd that is crooked so the cold affections cannot be so neere conioyned as they ought to duties of deuotion and crooked consciences are not fit cases to hide and keep in them the sharp and two edged blade of Gods spirite If there were a lettice into which we might but peepe into the hidden heart of man we should soone perceiue how few of those many to whom this treasure of Gods grace is offered and who come vnto the word come in this good spirit to this good godly end to benefit themselues by it to hide it with this good Merchant in the secret closet of his heart Some come like Somners and hollow hearted Math. 22 Herodians to trippe and intangle the preacher in his words and if he can catch any thing that by his misconstruing it may but seeme offensiue to the present state he writes it in his tables and he runneth as Doeg the Edomite to Saul 2. Sam. 21. and maketh a great tale of it such a one is a diuell called in the Scriptures the accuser of our brethren A similitude Such hide the word indeed but only for a time and that part which maketh for them and they resemble brood hennes who pecke vp barley carnells with their beake but they keep them not but let them fal again to their yong chickens of their feather Othersome heare to please their itching eares and obserue only figures and colours of Rhetorike cōceited inuention histrionical discoursing a fine phrase or two that they carry with them Hoses 1● Such are fedde as Ephraim with the wind with round periods square wordes without any substance or shew of any matter A similitude Plutarch compareth such vnto those who carry nose-gayes about them only for the smell and outward shew of them and not for any vertue that is hidden in them Others are new-fangled Actes 17. A similitude like vnto Athenians and doe listen after newes and if the Preacher be a like man to discourse of nouelties he is a lure vnto them Some come to scoffe others for their fancie A similitude others for a fashion for they do no good no more than yoong children whome wee leade with vs to church and carry home with vs for either their thoughtes are dispersed to and fro so as they are like the starlings and doues that flie about the Church or else they fall asleepe and are for a time like a dead corps without any motion They thinke as Samuel 1. Sim. ● that it is not God that speaketh vnto them and therefore deuoutly they returne vnto their sleepe Thus our greatest sorte of hearers if we diuide them aright either haue no pitchers or else they leaue their pitchers behinde them or else if they bring them they are crackt and broken pitchers that will hold no water in them But the good sort of hearers as bees out of floures gather hony out of the flowers of the word A similitude and as skilfull A potecaries make many good confections for diuerse kinds of sick nesses of such simples as they gather so these out of the field and garden of Eden and such simples as that yeeldeth make such electuaries and phisicke for the soule as shal be restoratiue and shall cure the soule The godly heare the Preacher as the patient the physitian A similitude who aduiseth and remembreth his precepts giuen vnto him If we knew what rubs doe lie in our way to keepe vs from the heedefull hearing of the worde and the hiding and laying it vp as wee should what thornes what tares what tetters do spring vp to choake and stifle the towardly growth of the good seede of the worde in vnsetled heartes more then the necessitie of this point would be confirmed and apparant vnto vs. A similitude It is as impossible to winne all vnto the word as it is for the wood-reeue and wisest husbandman to alter the condition of euery wilde tree or for the Huntes-man to tame and keepe vnder euery wilde beast The brackish water of the sea though it be not good for drinker A similitude yet it serueth well for sundry other vses it is good for fishes that do liue in them and to transporte bring in our wares and necessities The worde of God is vnsauourie vnto many but to the godly man who liueth by it as the fish by that element findeth very wonderful reliefe by it The word of God that is preached in our eares is by the diuell taken out of our hearts Iudg 6. who destroyeth this good seede as the Madianites destroyed the corne groundes of Israel Mens hearts are like vnto the high way A similitude vpon which all the seede that is scattered is lost we see how a fruit tree that groweth by the way can not preserue her fruits till they be ripe for euery passenger hath a fling at them But such as are farre remooued from the eie and grow solitarily by themselues such do reserue their fruites to due season Wherefore depart from the high way of this world and haue no doings with it but hide such fruit as this tree of Life yeeldeth thee secretly from such as would robbe thee of it and thou shalt keepe iustice and righteous dealing faith and good conscience the fruits of a good christian vnto the very end There is also hard ground A similitude into which this immortall seede cannot enter hard and stony consciences which admit not wholsome doctrine and they are like such who hauing corrupt and putrified members their senses are so senslesse and benummed as the Surgeons Sawe or other yron instrument is not felt of them Psal 22 Therefore before wee can doe our selues good our heartes as Dauids must be like melting waxe or else it receiueth not the impression of the word But the thorne that pricketh and choaketh this good seede that it cannot abide and bee hiddē in our harts is the wealth of this world which wee will haue wee are so set vpon it though we pierce our selues through with innumerable sorrowes Like desperate lewde boies hat wil venture to go through a quick A similitude set of thornes briars and brambles to rob an orchard plot Moses seeth a burning bush Exod. 3 which consumeth not in burning so worldlings are in the midst of burning thornes and yet are not consumed wherefore vnlesse wee remooue these blockes that lay in our way and subdue these enemies and sinfull affections and haue our harts like to good ground capable of this seede and of vertue to retayne it all our preaching and your hearing is in vaine and this poeticall inuention fitteth vs. Quid facis Oenone quid arenae semina mandas Non profecturis littora bobus aras Take not in hand to sowe such land as is but sandy flore It quites not cost

holy Apostle Oh the deepenesse of the counsailes and wisedome of God! Rom. 11. how vnsearchable are thy wayes and thy paths past finding out One Plato is woorth a thousand vulgar men the Scriptures surpasse all the writings in the world Loe thou that arte so highly conceited of thy selfe and thinkest thou canst see farre beyond the Moone imagining that a Preacher can speake nothing vnto thee but that thou knewest before or that he is not able to stirre thy affections 2. Sam. 11. 2. Sam. 12. I wish that Dauid might bee a president vnto thee to reforme thy iudgement who being mightily inspired with the Spirit yet for al his wisedome dwelt stil in the damnable ignorance of his sinne without remorce of conscience vntill the liuely voice of Nathan the Preacher pierced his heart opened the eyes of his vnderstanding and taught him knowledge Nabuchadnezzar hadde a vision of a tree Dan. 4. which was a figure of his fortune but all his wisards in court and country coulde not lay it open but he tormented himself with the hidden mysterie of it vntill Daniel did vnfolde it Paul was a choice man Actes 22. of very rare parts and induments of mind traded vp in learning at Gamaliels feet Actes 9. a doctor of the law mightily read and checked by his aduersaries openly for ouermuch studying of himselfe yet for al ●●s priuiledge of his wisedome and learning ●●e was sottish and senslesse vntill hee entred ●●to Christ his schoole his learning was but a ●ead letter vnto him vntil the spirit quickned ●im and he was sent to Ananias who informed him what to do If the Spirit openeth not the doore of thy ●ppes thou speakest like a Parrot A similitude thou canst ●ot tell what as Caiphas who prophecied and ●reached of Christ but didde not know so much Trust mee there is no estate of life more miserable than to remaine in ignorance of the word and no estate happier than to haue the knowledge of it What say I of this Pearle ●hat it easeth panting hearts dizzie heads and theereth vitall spirits this word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all in all vnto vs. If Saul be madde thorow melancholy 1. Sam. 16. if Dauid play these songs and ditties vppon the harpe his frensie leaueth him and his minde is againe quieted This charmed the very diuell and made him swell he did burst when he did set vpon our Sauiour putting him to shame Matth. 4. and to his heeles sodainly This curbled and so ratled the ruffians that were sent from the Scribes and hie Priests Iohn 7. to attach and arrest Christ as they had no power ouer him It exhorteth it threatneth it inciteth it reclaymeth it instructeth it conuinceth it singeth it mourneth it praieth it detesteth it commendeth it disalloweth it recounteth things past foretelleth things to come it singeth of mercy and discourseth of iudgement It bendeth euery way like to soft waxe to bend our stubborne consciences Paul in this especially commendeth his Timothie 2. Tim. 3. that he hadde spent his time in the study of the Scriptures from his tender age wherby he was able to shew himself a workman to cut the word aright to doe the worke of an Euangelist to be prompt and furnished to euery good worke Thrice happy was the state and gouernement of Israel Exod. 28. which by Vrim and Thummim asked counsaile of the Lord wee are nowe in blessed case who haue the light and lanterne of Gods word set vpon an hill set out in our pulpits as in a candlesticke by which wee haue Gods counsaile and direction for our doings so as hauing this Iewel and Pearle vpon our breasts voyde of all feare and trembling at the heart freed from al wauering and vnstable wayes and finaly reuiued in our vitall spirits wee take vp the songs and sayings of Gods saints As with diuine Dauid who merrily maketh this melody on his harpe and humble bandore Psal 27. The Lorde is my life and my saluation whome then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my life of whome then shall I be afraide What if hostes of men beset me Psalme 23. yet shal I not feare and though there rise vp war against me yet shall I put my trust in thee And with Daniels consortes shew our heroicall and inuincible stomackes with faithfull heartes saying Beholde the God whome we worship Dan. 3. he shall deliuer vs out of the fiery furnace And wyth peerelesse Paul commune the case and challenge all aduersary power into the field and expostulate thus with them Rom. 8. Who shal seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde And wyth hym when wee haue seene all that they can doe be of this courage and resolution with our selues that nothing shal be able to sunder and diuorse vs from the fauor of the Lord. But all this while heere is but one Pearle spoken of to which the word of the kingdom ●s compared And not without good cause For there is but one at one time ingendred in ●he fish and it seemeth that the name that is giuen vnto the Pearle which is called Vnio expresseth this his nature which signifieth One. In this it hath a fitte allusion vnto Christ who is our sole and alone mediator and hath no other either Angel or Saint to share and partake wyth hym 1. Tim. 2. There is but one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus Neither is there saluation in any other else Actes 4. For there is no name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Iohn 6. but the name of Iesus For whither elso shall we goe Lorde thou hast the wordes of eternall life As all the light and brightnes of the starres proceede from one Sunne A similitude so all our righteousnes proceedeth entirely from one Sonne of righteousnes Iesus Christ only As Pharao sayd to Ioseph which name in the Egyptian language is a Sauior I am Pharao Genesis 41. and without thee shal no man stirre his hand or his foote in all the land of Egypt So may it be sayde of Christ that wythout him wee are able to do nothing of our selues Math. 28. For all power is giuen by his father vnto him both in heauen and earth One sunne alone chaceth away the foggy darkenes of the night A similitude there are infinite other starres but all of them shining and glistering together and putting to their power are not able to dispell it I graunt that they are to vs as lampes and burning torches and minister great light but yet the blacknes of darknesse doth remayne and is not expelled by them The only sonne of God hath done away our night and hath turned the darkenesse of our grosse ignoraunce into the day-light of his glorious gospel shining into our hearts God hath also giuen vs many helpes besides