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	let_v	sprinkle_v	1,147	5	10.8315	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91481	David restored. Or An antidote against the prosperity of the vvicked and the afflictions of the iust, shewing the different ends of both. In a most seasonable discourse upon the seventy third Psalme, / by the right Reverend father in God Edward Parry late L. Bishop of Killaloe. Opus posthumum.	Parry, Edward, d. 1650.	1660 (1660)	Wing P556; Thomason E1812_1; Thomason E1812_2; ESTC R209776	187,261	357

both kindes it is Good 1. That we esteem Goodnesse which carries a consonancy to Justice and right reason In this Approach there is true Judgement here there is no failing or deceit and in Reason whome can the creature better draw nigh unto then its maker or a Son then to his indulgent Father or the sheep but to the protection of their shepheard under whose wing can we shelter our being with better security then his who gave it to us 2. That is lookt upon as good which according to Gods commandement which is absolutely Holy Just and Good Rom. 7. and this is such Come unto me Math. 11.28 draw nigh unto God Iam. 4.8 Thirdly that is Good which brings benefit and profit with it This is the common measure of Goodnesse of which there are few that pronounce any other Verdict If then as the Prophet formerly assures us They that withdraw themselves findes Ruine and Perdition to be their portion and lot It must follow that they that draw nigh to him finde the greatest security whilst the heathen cries Procula Jove procul a fulmine Christians experimentally evidence That the neerer to that shelter the further from stormes and that hand which wicked men feel to their destruction underprops these from danger and although temporall calamities overtakes them yet no more shall burden them then they can beare Those waters shall not overwhelme them The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations 2 Per. 2.9 and being that contrariorum contraria sunt consequentia That Positive Good those full influencies of mercy and favour which they enjoy those that are a far of are deprived of and this the relation of these words to the former cleer up They that are far of from thee shall perish But it is good for me to draw neer Good by such a positive goodness as is contrary to their evill of misery Thus the very description of wicked mens calamities give notice of Good mens blessednesse and oft times the peculiar contrarieties are expressed Isa 65.13 14. They shall sing for Joy but ye shall houle for vexation of Spirit How highly beneficiall this approach is we need not goe farther then this Psalm to finde out Good for God is good to Israel and teaches them out of his sanctuary to overcome and triumph over the greatest temptations Good for he is the strength of their hearts aand their Portion for ever Good for they are present with him and he with them He upholds them by their right hand and will receive them into Glory In confidence of all which the Apostle Heb. 10.29 We are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul The blessing of security is not only their Portion but they are happy in the addition of the positive blessing of salvation It doth therfore highly concern us not to be befooled out of these high benefits nor to be inticed from these mercies which are our own by eternall appointment and temporall Promise our own by possible interest and certain Purchase by Christ Mercies in number many tender in exhibition and perfectly good and therefore we may safely conclude that It is good to draw nigh unto God And the Apostles exhortation Hebr. 10.21.22 may be very seasonably entertained here Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that Promised That which follows is The Prophets second Resolution which is practicall and declared by matter of fact I have trusted in the Lord. I have doe and will continue to trust in him It is familiar with the Hebrews to expresse the Tence past present and to come under one notion and verbe and good men oft utter their Resolutions in the Preter tence Thus Jacob I have waited Gen. 49.18 wherein he reflects not only upon what He had done but resolves upon the same to the end Pilat to signifie his unalterable minde cries What I have written I have written Ioh. 19.22 There is in man a double Resolution one of that which he will do the other of that which he is a doing That is antecedent this Consequent to the act That is of the beginning this of the continuance Resolution of Good is to be joynd with immediate practise In matters prescribed by God the former is alwaies good never evil and occasion may oft require that some time may be interposed between the determination of the heart and the execution Yet it is more safe and commendable not to linger and deferre but to joyne action to Resolution for he that once begins hath done more then halfe his duty And there are some precepts of God concerning which though the resolution be alwaies good yet the interposall of time and the not actuating thereof with a present execution proves both dangerous vicious and disobedient God commands the love of himselfe to resolve this is vertuous but to delay and in the interim to turne to the Creature is perniciously sinfull God Commands all men every where to repent And although I believe there is no heart so gracelesse but resolves to repent before he dies and hopes he shall have time to do it yet too many delay and put off so necessary a worke which is exceeding sinfull It concernes us therefore in wisdome to cast a diligent eye upon those duties whereof the Apostle saies Now is the accepted time as faith Repentance and casting off of sin in which as delay is not to be admitted so no time to be interposed in the execution but to determine in doing and to do in determining and to joyn practise and resolution that our resolutions may not herein be of what we will doe but of what we do of what we may in part be said to have done To those that linger defer let their pretence be never so specious Eliahs word may be put to them How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him 1 Kings 18.21 In the Prophets Resolution two things are to be treated of first the Act which is trust in God The nature of trust in God Secondly the specification of the object by such notions as render him an object worthy of this trust For the first which is the applying The difference between assent and Trust fixing setling of his trust in God It is an act somewhat more then beliefe of assent and reacheth farther then a meer Conclusion of the Judgement For 1. Assent may be where this Trust is not Thus the Devils are so fully convinc't of the maine of there being a God as they cannot but assent thereunto yet do not they trust in him nor doe they expresse any such thing in their actions for otherwise they would not

rocks which he was like to have split against and how thankfully dos he point out those quicksands wherein he had almost shipwrackt both his faith and conscience And lastly with how great a Triumph does he own that happy starre that lead him out how Ingeniously does he acknowledge his owne buritish folly Ignorance how gratefully doth he Kisse that hand that guided him out of that Labyrinth being full of thanks he empties himself in a Preface which a sence of Gods goodnesse pathetically forced him to and from those particular occurrencies to inferre a Generall observation Verily God is good unto Israel and to such as are of a cleane heart Preface Which words if we reflect upon the passage and good Davids thoughts thereupon are an Inference made of Gods goodnesse to his Glory but if we we respect the Psalme they are a divine Preface or a Peremptory position made good and proved by a subsequent discourse Curiosity of a division is superfluous We finde here 1. Elohim the Almighty God mentioned with his active relative Goodnesse 2. The object 1. Indefinitely expressed 2. More particularly explained Lastly a Patheticall asseveration Truely which Implies the certainty and truth of the thing affirmed recommending it to the beliefe of others Gods Goodnesse may be considered either as absolute in Himself or relative towards others Thou art good O Lord and dost Good Psal 119. This carries a difference from each other The 1. is his essence the 2. a streame running from that fountaine upon the creature 2. The first is absolutely necessarie it not being possible that God should be otherwise then good the second is free as being an act of that will which is absolutely free Thirdly Gods essentiall goodnesse is ever equally perfect and admitts of no degrees either of Intention or Remission more or lesse Whereas that which is relative is Imparted in a thousand varieties and expressed in an unequall diversity Thus though all Gods creatures be good yet they are not equally so those claiming the Prerogative and out shining the rest who doe the more neerly resemble their Creator This later Goodnesse is that which the Psalmist mentions and which is founded in the former because God is good in himselfe therefore he doth good to others This is that which God proclaimes himselfe Rich in and most delightfully to plead with of those 13. Glorious Attributes which God is pleased to cloath himselfe withall Exod. 34. nine are of Goodnesse From which it may be concluded Aplic that if we carry Gods Image as men and be conformed to Christ as Christians we must testifie so much by the relative expressions of our Goodnesse to others None comes so neere that heavenly patterne as he whose goodnesse in a cheerefull and more noble streame flows downe upon others Mat. 5.44 45. Though God be truly good yet are not we left at our libertie and to a cold indifferencie of being so or no. For there are strict obliging preceps which bind us to mutuall love and endearements and we cannot do harme without the unhappy contracting of guilt and consequently of Punishment Men may by an imaginarie reflexion upon their Majestie or conceited Parts fancie themselves more then ordinarily high yet the Apostle assures us 1. Cor. 13. that though he had an Angels tongue and were accomplished with what ever knowledge his soul was capable of yet still without charitie he is nothing He therefore who ambition 's the similitude of his maker and aimes at a pleasing sacrifice let him cheerfully do good and freely communicate for as he acts like God in these so he performe what is truly acceptable to him by so heavenly Imployment The object upon whom this peculiar goodnesse descends would claime our next thoughts Truly but that the Psalmists Truly his earnest asseveration interposes it selfe in this observation Doct. Obs That the Doctrine of Gods Relative goodnesse is not only in it selfe true but also such as man may abundantly be perswaded of Those rayes of goodnesse wherewith he inlivens all that 's without are so eminently visible as that they are capable of being entertained with the certainty of a Truly with an undoubted Asseveration Man may be assured of truth 4. ways The assurance of any Truth represented to mans understanding may be gained either 1. By demonstration 2. By sense 3. By Experience or 4. By Scripture the three former being common unto all the last only to Christians Scripture 1. As for Scripture every Period almost ends in his mercy and goodnesse every Page takes it for the burden of its song and the whole composure of that heavenly fabrick seems to aime at nothing more then a peculiar discovery of Gods Goodnesse to the Creature and therefore it might be endlesse to run into particulars 2. Demonstration 2. As for Demonstration which is by causes and effects that is fully evidentiall here For to be God is to be fully perfect and Alsufficient and therefore as the Suns being light and the fountaine of light proves that all light is from the Sun so Gods essentiall goodnesse evinceth every good and perfect guift to be from him 3. Sence As for the effects they are undeniable as upon our Reflection upon the Object will shortly appeare 3. The third way of certain perswasion is sense which God has been so indulgent to as not to impose a beliefe of any thing contrary thereto if rightly disposed David assures us that he had instantly fainted had not seen the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27.13 and he Kindly invites us to Tast how good the Lord is This of sence and demonstration is so universally evident That all who ever believed a God did believe him good Tertullian repeates it as a Testi-of the soul Deus bonus homo malus The blindest Heathens stile ran Jupiter Optimus Maximus from goodnesse their reason inferred a God and its notion was so fixtly impress't as that by occasion of it some fell to Idolatry for Goodnesse being owned by them as Proper to God they thence inferred that what ever is good is a God and so ran to their knees to the Sun and adord the Moon and Starrs which though it were but a sottish conclusion from the premises yet it is an argument with how great a certainty they were perswaded of Gods Goodnesse Lastly Gods Goodnesse may be had by a personall experience 4. By Experience This the Ancient Patriarcks and Prophets are a cloud of witnesses of This oft kept tired David from fainting unlesse I had seen and a sence of its sweetnesse streaches forth his loving hand to others O Tast and here it forct him to a Preface Truly God is good unto Israel This the Blessed Apostles happily maistered themselves and Rom. 8.38 and earnestly press't the attainment thereof unto others Ephes 1.18 Ephes 3.18 1. From hence it may be concluded Aplic 1. that they who have no