Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	ghost_n	sin_n	sin_v	1,582	5	10.1697	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07286	Grieving of Gods spirit Contayning the summe of a sermon preached at Saint Maries in Oxford. The chiefe points intreated on are, Viz. I. Of grieuing of Gods Spirit. II. Of resisting of Gods Spirit. III. Of blaspheming of Gods Spirit, in the highest degree commonly called, the sinne against the Holy Ghost. By Radford Mauericke, minister in Devon. Reade iudiciously, but iudge charitably.	Mavericke, Radford, b. 1560 or 61.	1620 (1620)	STC 17681; ESTC S102313	17,741	30

Christ And albeit some haue thought that those places of Scriptue in the sixt and tenth to the Hebrewes haue pointed at this sinne of grieuing of Gods Spirit Heb. 6. 10. and therefore could not bee renewed by Repentance yet it is certaine that in those places That great sinne against the Holy Ghost is touched vpon whereof wee haue promised and purpose God-willing to speake in its owne place I say therefore for the comfort of the godly afflicted in conscience but to flatter none in their sinnes That to grieue the holy Spirit of God or sometimes by sinning to quench as it were the good gifts and graces of Gods Spirit is a sinne oftentimes committed by the Children of God that are called by the preaching of the Gospell iustified by Faith and in some measure sanctified by the holy Spirit of God this I say is the sinne many times of Gods Children against which sinne as against all sinne they doe much labour and striue and daily yea almost hourely they doe repent for the same To resist the Spirit of God being the second pont I haue proposed to speake off is the proper sinne of such as are not yet effectually called nor sanctifyed but may be in time if God giue them grace to repent and beleeue the Gospell But to blaspheme the Spirit of God in the highest degree which is called the sinne against the Holy Ghost is onely that sin which cannot be renewed by Repentance And so much for grieuing of Gods Spirit in our selues and of the difference betwixt grieuing resisting and blaspheming of Gods Spirit Now there is moreouer A second sort of Greiuers of Gods Spirit another sort of grieuers of Gods Spirit but not in themselues but in others and these are farre different from the former and without speedie Repentance may come neere to the latter Such were many sinfull sinners of the olde World who did grieue the holy Spirit of God which was in Noah and such as Saint Peter saith vexed iust Lot 2. Pet. 27. with their vncleanly conuersation And such as grieued Saint Paul when hee said Phil. 3.18 Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping And such as Dauid complayned of when hee said Mine eyes gush out with teares because men keepe not Gods Law Such grieuers of Gods Spirit in others wee haue but too too many in our dayes and this Age is full of such vngodly persons which take pleasure to mocke and scoffe at all vertuous and godly exercises in others making but a past-time of sinne in themselues and the more they are reproued the more sinfull they are and the more outragiously they runne into all mischiefe to the high dishonouring of Almightie God euen in contempt of God and all goodnesse to the disgrace of Christianitie and finally to the great griefe of the godly specially of those who haue the cure and charge of their soules committed vnto them But for so much as those grieuers of Gods Spirit in others doe resist the same Spirit of God against themselues wee will here conclude our first proposed part of grieuing of Gods Spirit and so come to the next to shew what it is and who they are that doe resist the holy Spirit of God obseruing this not by the way that GODS Spirit is called the holy Spirit of God not because hee is holier then either the Father or the Sonne but because his proper office is to sanctifie and to make holy the Elect Children of God So come we now to speake of Resisting of Gods Spirit being the second generall part of our Text. TO resist the Holy Ghost The second part of this Sermon of resisting of Gods Spirit is on the one side to despise or to make little account of the good gifts and graces of Gods Spirit and of those good meanes which God hath appointed to bring vs vnto Saluation As the despising of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer prophaning of the Lords Sabbaths which he hath sanctified and especially ordained for holy exercises to mocke or iest at the preaching of the Word and of the Preachers thereof These are great sinnes and to bee repented off aboue many other sinnes because they manifestly fight against the first Table of Gods Law and against the whole worship and Seruice of God Furthermore to resist the Holy Ghost is to harden our hearts and to stop the eares of our soules against the Word of God as some Recusants will stop the eares of their bodies with Wooll when some inforcement bringeth them to Church To day saith the Holy Ghost Psal 95.7 if you will heare my voyce harden not your hearts This was the sinne of the Israelites in the Wildernesse when God proued them fortie yeeres whether they would obey him and heare his voyce but they would not at length God sware vnto them in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest that was into the Land of Canaan But behold a fearfull Iudgement of God of six hundred thousand no small number there were onely two persons Caleb and Ioshua Numb 14.30 that entred into that Land of Promise The rest were ouerthrowne in the Wildernesse These saith Saint Paul are examples vnto vs 1. Cor. 10.6 and are written to admonish vs vpon whome the ends of the World are come That wee should not lust after euill things as they lusted nor tempt God as they tempted him nor murmur as they murmured nor harden our hearts against the Word of God as they did lest the Lord sware in his wrath as he did vnto them that wee should neuer enter into his eternall rest the Kingdome of Heauen Yet surely this is the great and grieuous sin of too too many in our Land The hardning of their hearts against the voyce of God as the Iewes did in Ieremies time Ier. 18.28 to whom they said Let vs not giue eare to any of his words Let the Law and Curse of Gods Iudgements by the mouth of Gods Ministers bee thundred against obstinate and rebellious Sinners neuer so terribly nay let God himselfe thunder from Heauen neuer so hard and fearefully let fire and flashes of Lightning flye ouer them and vpon them Let Houses Townes and Villages with extraordinarie fire be quite burned into ashes let Warre Famine Plagues and Pestilences pursue vs and almost ouer-take vs Let some of this wicked sort escape these or any other Iudgements of God but one inch they 'l care for no more their hearts shall neuer be the softer nor yet their liues one whit the better They will be as sinfull as euer they were as vnmercifull as euer they were as full of malice and disdaine as euer they were as hard-hearted as euer they were and will not sticke to say Tush these things shall neuer come neere vs. On the othe otherside let the glad tydings of the Gospell be preached vnto them neuer so often and so comfortably let the sweet Mercies

because who so committeth this sinne against the Holy Ghost shall hardly acquit himselfe of any sinne whereunto finall impenitencie must be added before this sinne can be iudged by man to bee at the highest Now what this peculiar and proper sinne against the Holy Ghost is shall best be discussed and defined Mat. 12.31 out of the Gospell where our Sauiour Christ speaketh of the Sonne if wee duly and thorowly confider it as we should And first we must note and well obserue who and what manner of persons they were to whome our Sauiour obiecteth this sinne which is easily to bee collected out of the Historie it selfe For there it appeareth that they were of the worser sort of the Pharisies to whome Christ obiecteth this sin for when Christ Iesus by his diuine Power had dispossessed a Deuill out of the dumbe man these worser I meane more malicious sort of the Pharisies being present prying into his actions and being by no meanes able to reprehend him yet to the end the people should not beleeue in Christ they coyne a Blasphemie in the highest degree of meere malice and enuie and contrarie to their owne knowledge and conscience they spew out the same euen in despight of Gods Spirit saying and affirming with brazen browes that Christ had cast out that Deuil Mat. 12.24 through Beel●zebub the chiefe of Deuils which cursed calumnie and most slanderous Blasphemie after that our Sauiour had fully confuted for the godlies sake which stood by heard him hee presently turneth his speech to those Blasphemers And with sterne countenance no doubt as in such a cause was meete he reprooueth them with a propter hoc for this I say vnto you Euery sinne and Blasphemie shall bee forgiuen vnto men but the Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen vnto men and with all more sharply reprooues them calling them a generation of Vipers as doubtlesse they were of the vilest kind And Saint Marke in his discourse setteth out their sinne more plainly and fully Marke 3.36 saying For they said Hee that is Christ had an vncleane or impure spirit whereby that Euangelist would intimate vnto vs that it was they Pharisies that had blasphemed and so sinned against the Holy Ghost Howbeit wee must obserue that our Sauiour Christ doth not say openly and plainly though he gaue them so much to vnderstand closly by the conclusion of his speech that these Pharisies were sinners against the Holy Ghost By whose example we are admonished as before I haue noted not rashly rather not at all to iudge of such sinners howsoeuer the sinne doe appeare vnto vs what it is but our Sauiour like a sound Teacher and skilfull Logitian plainly putteth downe the maior Proposition What the sin of the Holy Ghost is The minor they themselues knew being conuicted in their own consciences that they had committed the same sinne The conclusion therefore followed of course such a sinne or blasphemie saith Christ is sinne against the Holy Chost Such a sinne or blasphemy saith their consciences haue we commited Therefore surely wee haue sinned against the Holy Ghost Moreouer we may not forget to note that these filthy Pharisies were before this time inlightned with some externall beames of Gods Spirit yea conuicted in their owne consciences by former Prophesies and by the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ concerning the Truth which he taught yet notwithstanding willingly maliciously and of purpose they did hate the knowne truth fearing or rather knowing and sometimes confessing so much that if Christ his Truth and Doctrine should be once publikely receiued then their Errours and Traditions like our Popish Traditions now should bee reprooued their couetousnesse and Hipocrisie discouered their credit and gaine diminished and finally all their worldly pompe and glorie should vtterly be extinguished and cleane put out Rather then this should come to passe they will euen oppose themselues Gigantum more to fight against God and therefore with indurate obstinacie renounce they the manifest truth and withall their might and malice oppose themselues against it by blasphemous and sophisticall cauilling and that not seruing their turne by most cruell threatnings excommunicating and persecuting vnto death euen Christ himselfe after him his Apostles as the Prophets before with many other of Gods deare Saints and Children professing Gods Truth How neere the practice of the Church of Rome hath and doth agree with the Synagogue of these high Priests Scribes and Pharisies euen a blind man may well see and perceiue Vpon all this that hath beene said and collected out of the Text and course of Scripture where Christ intreateth of this sinne ioyned with the practice of these proud Pharisies It shall not be ouer-hard to define what the sinne against the Holy Ghost is Peccatum in Spiritum sanctum saith a learned Diuine est veluntaria veritatis euidenter cognitae The fin against the Holy Ghost defined renunciatio rebellio ex odio veritatis nata coniuncta cum tyrannica sophistica hypocritica oppugnatione Sinne against the Holy Ghost is a voluntarie or wilfull renouncing and rebelling against the euident and knowne truth proceeding from hatred of the same truth ioyned with tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall fighting and striuing against the same and against the true Professors and Confessors thereof This briefe definition haue I chosen among many other both for the persipicuity and plainenesse thereof as also for the congruitie and agreement that it hath with that which hath beene before spoken of this sinae They which sinne against the holy Ghost may be known by foure marks From which definition wee may obserue that they which commit this sin against the Holy Ghost haue foure speciall markes to be knowne by First they haue some knowledge of the Truth Secondly for some sinister respect or other they conceiue a deadly hatred against the same Truth Thirdly they willingly renounce and fall from the knowne Truth Lastly they striue and fight against it and against the constant Confessors thereof both with tongue pen heart and hand spuing and belching out all Blasphemies to depraue the Truth vsing all Hypocrisie and Sophistrie to colour their falshood with executing all rigor and tyrannie against the true Professors thereof and this they doe with all the despight they can against that Spirit of grace which did first illumine their mindes with some knowledge of the Truth which they had once receiued If any doe thinke that no mortall man would oner oppose himself with such despight against God his Creator we must yeeld that none will or dare so to doe but onely such gracelesse Cast-awayes as through long custome of presumptuous sinnings ioyned with double Hypocrisies haue their hearts hardned their consciences seared and themselues altogether giuen vp into a reprobate sense For that their so greut boldnesse cannot but proceed from a ●r●●●ike blindnesse where in malice and poysonfull furie hath gotten the victorie Therefore we may see that it

other vnruly Ghests which were in that house before this good Ghest came thither the lusts and affections of the flesh I meane to beare rule and to keepe a stirre in that house to commit many shamefull and vngodly prankes by meanes whereof the good Ghest the good Spirit of God is not onely disquieted and troubled but letted and hindred from doing that good which he came to doe being woarie as it ware to tanie any longer in that House or Iune and therefore sometimes doth hide himselfe close in some corner of that House like fire couered in the Embers or ashes not making any comfortable meale with his Oast in many dayes and weekes together ● Sam. 11.12 And if the disorders be verie great such as the Adulterie and Murther of Dauid were he will hardly be found out in a whole yeere together so greatly is this good Ghest this holy Spirit of God offended and displeased with sinne or at least so odious and offensiue is sinne in his sight Nay which more is many times he will not be found out at all before euery corner of our hearts soules and consciences bee cleane washed with bitter teares of Repentance and these vnruly affections which made all the former disorders be in some sort tamed and subdued yea and vntill the Oast himselfe who suffered these parts to be played be seuerely punished in the House of GODS correction Psal 6.6 Luke 7.38 where hee must daily wash his wounds with the water of contrition As Dauid washed his Couch with teares as Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ Mat. 26.75 What it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God and as Peter went out and wept bitterly By this similitude so opened and explayned the verie simpliest I suppose may soone perceiue what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God namely after that by the preaching of Gods Word wee haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God and haue entertained him with ioy and gladnesse yet notwithstanding many times and often through to too much securitie carelesnesse and negligence and sometimes through bold presumption and wilfull wickednesse we suffer the vnruly lusts of the flesh to sway and to beare rule in vs so long till as length we breake out into grosse sinnes and enormities whereby wee doe euen grieue the holy Spirit of God or as our Apostle seemes to expound himselfe in another place 1. Thes 5. ●● Wee doe quench the Spirit of God and as much as in vs lyeth labour to extinguish and cleane put one the fire of Gods Grace with the cold water of sinne and vngodlinesse which water of wickednesse if it bee not in time dryed vp againe by Faith and true Repentance as it is euermore in the elect Children of God it would needs drowne our soules in that bottomlesse pit of destruction The vse then that we should make hereof is this Vse That learning hereby the detestation that God hath against sinne we should alwaies feare to commit it and therefore should make a conscience of euery sinne such sinnes as we account common sinnes and the Papists call veniall sinnes neuer weighing sinne in the ballance of our sinfull conceit but with the true waights of the Lords Sanctuarie and according to the account that God makes of it assuring our selues that euery sinne in its owne nature though neuer so small in our sense being committed against an infinite God doth iustly deserue an infinite punishment the ignorance whereof causeth so little conscience of sinning and so great prophanenesse to be in common Christians as is now to bee seene euery-where by meanes whereof they doe as our Apostle saith Constritare spiritum Grieue the holy Spirit and as one well noteth vpon that place quasi ex suo hospitio eum eijcimus euen cast him out of his owne habitation Contrariwise wee are here taught Vse how sweete and pleasing a thing it is to the holy Spirit of God that dwelleth in vs and to his holy Angels that watch and ward round about vs to liue and leade a holy life and godly conuersation For if sinne and vngodlinesse doe so grieue and offend the Spirit of God as surely it doth though we cannot conceiue the manner how then doubtlesse vertuous and holy liuing are most pleasing to the same Spirit And as the holy Spirit of God will not dwell in a soule subiected to sin so hee dwelleth with great delight and content in that soule which is sanctified by grace Therefore it is well said of one Oportet nos operam dare vt spiritus sanctus libenter in nobis habitet vt in domicilio laeto ac iucundo nec vlla tristitiae materia illi detur That it behooueth all Christians to giue all diligence so to liue as the holy Spirit of God may take delight for to dwell and remaine in vs as in a most pleasant Pauilion and that no cause of griefe be giuen vnto him through our carelesnesse and continuall custome of sinning So should it come to passe that as God takes delight in vs so should we haue comfort in him he through our holy obedience and wee through peace of conscience to our endlesse ioy and consolation Thus we see what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God in our selues or to quench the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit within vs which sinne I take to bee proper to Gods Saints and Children and therefore thinke it good to distinguish the three sinnes before named that is Grieuing Resisting and Blaspheming of God Spirit in this manner First I say to grieue the holy Spirit of God or to quench the Spirit is a sinne of Gods Children who by the preaching of Gods Word and inward working of Gods Grace haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God before which Spirit of Sanctification is giuen to none in that manner or measure but only to Gods Elect nor neuer taken vtterly from any to whom it is once giuen For those whom God once loueth to the end he loueth them Iohn 13.1 Rom. 11.29 And the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Therefore it is obserued in King Dauid after his fearefull falls That he prayes to haue this holy spirit renewed within him Psal 51.10 hauing layen still as it were a while without any comfortable motion but was neuer vtterly taken from him And this note I giue by the way the rather lest any of Gods Children that are to too much cast downe alreadie with the feeling of their sinnes shoul be ouer-whelmed with too much heauinesse as also to teach that they may bee daily renewed by Repentance for their daily relictions contrarie to that old Heresie of the Nouatians The Nouatian Heresie which held the contrarie For though to grieue the Spirit of God by sinning bee a great aggrauating of sinne yet being many times the sinne of Gods Elect Children it is pardoned and forgiuen in