Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65303
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The mischief of sinne it brings a person low / published by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing W1133; ESTC R38517
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38,157
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126
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15.24 Hell beneath Hesiod saith Hell is as far under the Earth as Heaven is above it If sin then brings a man to Hell it brings him low Consider 1. The plurality of Hell torments In bodily sickness seldom above one Disease at a time troubles the Patient the Stone or Gout but in Hell there is a diversity of torments There is 1. Darkness Jude 13. Hell is a dark Region 2. There are bonds and chains 2 Pet. 2.4 God hath Golden cords which are his Precepts tying men to duty and Iron chains which are partly his decree in ordaining men to destruction and partly his Power in bridling and chaining them up under wrath The binding the wicked in chains notes that the damned in Hell cannot move from place to place which might perhaps a little alleviate and abate their misery but they shall be tyed to the stake never to stir The wicked could go from one sin to another but in Hell they shall not move from one place to another 3. The Worm that never dyes Mar. 9.44 This is a self-accusing mind which is so torturing as if a Worm full of poison were gnawing at a mans heart Such as would not hear the voice of conscience shall be made to feel the worm of conscience 2. The severity of Hell torment It is expressed by a lake of Fire Rev. 20.15 Fire is the most torturing Element Nebuchadnezzars fiery Fornace was but painted fire to this It is called Fire prepared Matth. 25.41 as if God had been sitting down to devise some exquisite torment Dives cryes out O I am tormented in this flame Luke 16.24 3. The torments of Hell shall be in every part both of body and soul. 1. The body shall be tormented That body which was so tender and delicate that it could not bear heat or cold shall suffer in every part The eyes shall be tormented with sights of Devils the ears with the hideous shrieks of the damned the tongue that was fired with passion shall now have fire enough Luke 16.24 Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue 2. All the powers of the soul shall be tormented The mind to apprehend Divine displeasure the memory to remember what mercies have been abused what means of Grace have been slighted and what an Heaven is forfeited the conscience shall be tormented with self-accusations the sinner shall arraign himself for stifling and resisting the motions of the blessed Spirit 4. The wicked shall not only be forced to behold the Devil but shall be shut up in the Den with this roaring Lion and he shall spit fire in their faces 5. The wicked shall hear the language of Hell Revel 16.9 Men were scorched with heat and blasphemed the Name of God To hear reprobates cursing God and have ones ears chained to their Oaths and Blasphemies what an Hell will this be 6. The torments of Hell have no period put to them Origen fancied a fiery stream in which the souls of sinful men yea Devils and all were to be purged and then pass into Heaven but the Scripture asserts that whosoever are not purged from sin by Christs blood are to lye under the Torrid Zone of Gods wrath to all eternity Revel 14.11 The smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever This word ever burns hotter than the Fire At death all our worldly sorrows dye but the torments of Hell are as long-liv'd as Eternity Rev. 9.6 They shall seek death and shall not find it Alwayes dying but never dead Here the wicked thought a Prayer long a Sabbath long Amos 8.5 But how long will it be to lye in Hell for ever Vestigia nulla retrorsum 7. The pains of Hell are without intermission If a man be in pain yet while he is asleep he doth not feel it There is no sleep in Hell What would the damned give for one hours sleep Rev. 4.8 They rest not day nor night In outward pain there is some abatement the burning fit is sometimes off and the sick Patient is more at ease than he was But the damned soul never saith I have more ease those infernal pains are alwayes acute and sharp no cooling fits in those inflammations 8. In Hell the wicked shall see the godly advanced to a Kingdom and themselves devoted to misery Luke 13.28 Then shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out When sinners shall see those whom they hated and scorned to be set at Christs right hand and crowned with glory and themselves cast out to the Devils nay when the ungodly shall see those whom they censured and persecuted sit as their Judges and join with Christ in condemning them 1 Cor. 6.2 Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world How will this aggravate the misery of those hellish Caitiffs and make them gnash their teeth for envy 9. In Hell the wicked shall have none to sympathize with them It is some comfort to have friends condole with us in our sufferings but the damned have none to compassionate them Mercy will not pity them mercy abused turns to fury God the Father will not pity them he will laugh at them Prov. 1.26 I will laugh at your calamity Is not this sad for a damned soul to lye roaring in flames and have God sit and laugh at him Jesus Christ will not pity the wicked they slighted his blood and now his blood cryes against them The Angels will not pity them it is a desirable sight to them to see Gods Justice glorified The Saints in Heaven will not pity them they were continually persecuted by them and they shall rejoyce when they see the vengeance Psalm 58.10 Nay such as were their nearest Relations on Earth will not pity them the Father will not pity his Child in Hell nor the Wife her Husband the reason is because the Saints glorified have their wills made perfectly subject to Gods will and when they see his will is done they rejoyce though it be in the damning of their near relations Doth not sin then bring men low when it brings them to Hell Ezek. 32.27 They are gone down to Hell they have laid their swords under their heads but their iniquity shall be upon their bones Thus I have shown you how many wayes sin brings one low 2. Why sin must needs bring a man low 1. Because sin is a Disease and that brings low Take the healthiest Constitution the most sanguine Complexion yet if sickness get into it it brings the body low the beauty withers the Silver Cord begins to be loosed So it is in spirituals the soul which was once of an Orient brightness the mind angelified the will crowned with liberty the affections as so many Seraphims burning in love to God yet by sin is become diseased and
things unto thee this is thy wickedness As we use to say to Children when they are sick this is your green fruit ye have eat or your going in the Snow So saith God This is thy wickedness Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thy affliction because thy sins were encreased I have done these things unto thee The Sword that wounds thee is of thy own whetting the cords that pinch thee are of thy own twisting thank thy sin for all 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are sick and weak and many fall asleep The Church of Corinth was punished with corporal death because of coming unworthily to the Lords Table and prophaning the body and blood of the Lord. The abuse of holy things incenseth God Nadab and Abihu found the flames of wrath hot about the Altar So that still there is a propter hoc a cause why God brings any person low There is no reason why God should love us but there is a great deal of reason why God should punish us They were brought low for their iniquity 2. See from hence what a mischievous thing sin is it brings a person and a Nation low Hos. 14.1 Thou hast fallen by thy iniquity Sin laies men low in the Grave and in Hell too without repentance Sin is the Achan that troubles It is the Gall in our Cup and the Gravell in our Bread Sin and punishment are linked together with Adamantine Chains Sin is the Phaeton that sets the world on fire It is a Coal that not only blacks but burns Sin runs men into the briars Job 30.7 Among the bushes they brayed Sin conjures up all the winds all the crosses which befall us all the storms in conscience sin raiseth them Never let any one think to rise by sin for the Text saith it brings him low Sin first tempts and then damns 'T is first a Fox and then a Lyon Sin doth to a man as Iael to Sisera she gave him Milk but then she brought him low Judg. 5.26 27. She put her hand to the Nail and with the Hammer she smote Sisera she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his Temples at her feet he bowed c. Sin first brings its pleasures with delight and charms the senses and then comes with its Nail and Hammer Sin doth to the sinner as Absalom to Amnon when his heart was merry with wine then he killed him 2 Sam. 13.28 Sins last act is alwayes Tragical How evil a thing is sin that not only brings a people low but it makes God delight in bringing them low Ezek. 5.13 I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted God doth not use to take delight in punishing Judg. 10.16 His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel Like a Father that with tears chastiseth his Child but God was so provoked with the Iews that it seemed a delight to him to afflict I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted O what a venemous accursed thing is sin that makes a merciful God take comfort in the destruction of his own creature 3. See then what little cause any have to wonder that they are brought low As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4.12 Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal So think it not strange if you be as full of Eclipses and Changes as the Moon Wonder not if you are under the black rod. A sick man may as well wonder that he is in pain as a sinful man wonder that he is afflicted do not Vapours cause Thunder Is it a wonder after the hellish vapours of our sins have been sent up to hear Gods thundring voice Sin is a debt it is set out in Scripture by a debt of ten thousand talents Mat. 18.24 Is it a wonder for a man that is in debt to be arrested Never wonder God doth arrest thee with his judgements when thou art so deeply in arrears Sin is a walking Antipodes to God and if men walk contrary to God is it a wonder God walks contrary to them Levit. 26.17 If ye will walk contrary to me then I will also walk contrary to you and I even I will chastise you seven times more for your sins O sinner do not wonder it is so bad with thee but rather wonder it is no worse Art thou in the deep of affliction it is a wonder thou art not in the deep of Hell If Jesus Christ was brought low is it a wonder that thou art brought low Christ was brought low in poverty The Manger was his Cradle the Cobwebs were his Curtains He was brought low in temptation Mat. 4.1 He was led into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil No sooner was Christ out of the water of Baptism but he was in the fire of temptation Only his Godhead was too strong a bulwark for Satans fiery darts to enter He was brought low in his agonies he swet blood in the Garden he shed blood on the Cross. If Christ was brought low who knew no sin dost thou wonder thou art brought low who art so full of sin Lam. 3.39 Why doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin What a sinner and wonder or murmur that thou art afflicted Sin doth as naturally draw punishment to it as the Loadstone draws the Iron 4. See the Text fulfilled this day in our eyes sin hath brought our Nation low We are Cadent if not Morient we do not want for sin there is a Spirit of wickedness in the Land Ours are mighty sins Amos 5.12 bloody sins Hos. 4.2 The sins of Denmark Spain France Italy are translated into English we have many Sodoms among us and may fear to have the line of confusion stretched over us By our impieties and blasphemies we have sounded a Trumpet of Rebellion against Heaven Were our sins engraven upon our fore-heads we should be ashamed to look up Men invent new sins Rom. 1.30 Inventers of evil things Some invent new errors others invent new snares this Age exceeds former Ages in sinning As it is with Trades there may be old Trades but there are some Tradesmen now who are grown more dexterous and cunning in their Trade than they were in former times So it is with sin sin is an old Trade but there are persons now alive who are more skil'd in the Trade and are grown more expert in sin than those who are dead and gone Sinners in former times were but bunglers at sin to what they are now They are cunning at self-damnation Jer. 4.22 Wise to do evil The Devils Mint is going every day and sin is minted faster than money People sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with greediness Ephes. 4.19 They drink iniquity like water Job 15.16 They are grown Rampant in wickedness having laid aside the vail of modesty Zeph. 3.5 The unjust knows no shame We read