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
A64834	Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins tryal and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1669 (1669)	Wing V226; ESTC R38391	212,020	400

done no wickedness she will sin to avoid the scandal of her sin When Gehazi had taken a reward by lying in his Masters name of Naaman the Syrian and was returned his Master askt him where he had been saith he thy servant hath been no where 2 Kings 5.15 16. He was so asham'd of what he had done he durst not own it and this is a clear discovery that sin is an ugly thing that sinners will not dare not stand to avow and justifie it But 2 It further appears that sin is an unpleasing thing and that which sinners are asham'd of that they dare not look into their actions nor call themselves to an account 'T is as troublesome a thing to sinners to look into themselves and to examine their lives as 't is for men that go backward in their estates to look into their books and cast up their accounts Jer. 8.5.6 Why is this people backsl●dden with a perpetual back-sl●ding and never look behind them nor within them no man said so much or little as what have I done They care not to be alone least the thoughts of their sins should stare them in the face they study divisions and pastimes and run into company least their sins like Ghosts and Devils should haunt and lay hold of them and when these are over they sleep away the rest of their time they cannot endure to be at home least a worse thing then a scolding woman an upbraiding Conscience should fall upon them they can afford no leisure to think how they have idled and sinn'd away and thereby worse then lost so much of their time Amos 6 3.-6 we read of persons on whose hands time lay heavy and as a burthen and therefore studied Arts and Methods of laying it aside that they may put the thoughts of the evil day far from them sometimes by lying on their beds and being weary of that they stretch themselves upon their Couches and then they fall to eating and drinking and so rise up to play and dance c. what doth all this speak but an unwillingness to have any sense of sin or but to look on its picture 't is so hellish a thing 3 It appears yet further by this that they will decry and punish that sin in others which themselves are guilty of the better to conceal their own or to compensate for it by being severe to others when a Thief hath stoln and robbed he is the first that makes Hue and Cry they are loth to be found the sinners themselves We read that though Judah was guilty of Incest himself yet how forward he was to punish fornication in Jamar his Daughter-in-law Genes 38. When our Saviour put the case to the Pharisees what the Lord of the Vineyard would do with the Husbandmen that had abused and beaten his servants and which was worse slain his son they could readily answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will miserably Gr. wickedly i.e. with a punishment great as their sin will be destroy these wicked men Mat. 21.41 Thus when they knew not whom they condemn'd they condemn'd themselves and their own sin ex ore tuo out of thine own mouth art thou condemn'd O sinner 'T is true the case was alter'd when he said that they were the men but by this we see that when men are not concern'd or seem not to be so how severe they are against sin yea when they do it to hide their own wickedness as John 8.7 8 9. 4 It s yet more apparent by this that they usually fly to the horns of the Altar to some fits of devotion and forms of godliness as if they would compound with God to save them What meant all the purifications sacrifices and attonements which the Heathens used but that a sense of guilt was too heavy to be born and what more common among men of better profession then to say just as soon as they have sinned Lord have mercy upon me God forgive me they kiss their Crucifix tell over their Beads and go to confession and what doth all this conclude but that they have even themselves being witnesses and judges they have been injurious to God and their own souls and that without reconciliation and pardon or one fancied at least they cannot be quiet 5. And lastly they fully declare against sin as sinful in that they desire to die the death of the righteous Balaam and others that lived not the life of the righteous but accounted their life madness yet reckon their end happy and therefore would that their own might be as theirs By this we see that no wicked man cares for sins wages and surely that work cannot be good whose wages is so bad that no man cares to receive it but oh that their after state may be with the righteous Numb 23.10 The wages of sin is death and the end of sin is death oh no such death no such wages says Balaam though they go hell-ward while they live yet they would fain go to heaven when they die and what is deduceable from hence more then this that sin is a damnable thing and though sinners seek their happiness in their misery yet 't is happiness they seek and when ever they find their disappointment they grow angry with themselves with sin the devil and all There is one exception that may be made against this witness true there are some pittiful sneaking sinners cowardly and timerous ones that are daunted at and asham'd of sin but there are others past shame fear and sense roaring Boys ranting and rampant sinners Rodomontado Blades that boast of their sin and glory in being wicked that take pleasure in things worthy of damnation and yet scorn to be frighted with terrible Preachers but will sin in the face of the Sun without a blush we will hear what these say and be judged by these brave Sparks and bold Fellows Be it so 1 With sorrow for them that have none for themselves 't is to be confest that there are some hardned sinners sunk into the image practise and it may be condemnation as well as snare of the devil himself yea they seem to outgo the devils for they believe and tremble which is more then some sinners do Godly men rejoyce with trembling but some ungodly men sin without trembling and rejoyce at it too But 2 This is a sad and dreadful judgment upon them worse then any affliction that could befall them of all judgments this the most terrible as being the Suburbs of hell it self to be punished for sin by sin is the worst of punishments when God saith of a person or people he will let them go they shall take their course and not be punished viz. by bodily and sensible plagues he punisheth them most and worst of all To denote the greatness of it 't is three times said in Scripture Rom. 1. that God gave them up and gave them over v. 24.26.28 'T is no wonder men act the devils part when they

with Chap 20.1 God will not allow Parents to provoke their children to wrath Eph. 6.4 As unhandsom words so ill and ill-becoming behaviours abuses and affronts tempt men to sin when Jacobs Sons had deceived and by it slew the Sichemites as the Law did Paul for so he speaks Rom. 7.11 they made this surly answer as an excuse to their Father should he deal with our Sister as with an Harlot Gen. 34.31 as if his sin justified theirs and they did well to be angry we could not put up such an abuse and dishonour Oh give no provoking language to put men upon sin 5. By sending others to insnare and trepan them they that employ such decoys are in part guilty of their sin and Christ Jesus called it Tempting when such were employed to intangle and insnare him The Pharisees sent the Herodians who should feign themselves just men and praise him into a snare and court him into crimen laesae majestatis a crime against Caesar They pretend a case of conscience but saith our Saviour to this sort of men Spies and Catchpoles Why tempt ye me ye Hypocrites They that were employed sinned and so did they that employed them See the story Mat. 22. and Luke 20. I shall name no more though there be too many more of this nature but add only one other thing whereby we may occasion other mens sins As 6. By declaring a thing otherwise then the truth is by mincing and equivocating there are instances more then enough wherein good men have been guilty in this kind which I speak that Saints as well as sinners may hear and fear and not do wickedly Abraham prevails with Sarah to say she was his sister whereby Pharaoh concluded she was not his wife and took her but when God plagued Phara●h for so doing he reasons the case with Abraham What is this that thou hast done to me Why didst thou not tell me she was thy wife so I might have taken her to be my wife c. a severe expostulation and an upbraid Gen. 12. and yet Chap. 20. Abraham is at it again and meets with a more plain and home rebuke and is charged with no less then sin by Abimelech vers 9. Thou even thou hast brought on me and my Kingdom a great sin thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done he lays the sin at Abrahams door and Sarah also for her suppleness had a reproof from him vers 16. yet after all this Abrahams Son Isaac is found tandy in the same thing and meets with the same rebuke and that from one who pretended not to such or so much Religion as Isaac did Gen. 26. Alas how many by taking false oaths and bearing false witness give occasion to Judges to justifie the wicked and condemn the righteous Much more might be spoken to these things but a word to the wise is sufficient 2. Of being partners in sin Take heed of being partners in others sins when they are committed as co-helpers and concauses of their production You may partake of other mens sins 1. As instruments to execute others sinful designs or commands as Doeg was in executing the Priests 1 Sam. 22. or as any others are that serve the lusts of men All persons that are to be obeyed as father and mother c. they are to be obeyed in the Lord Eph. 6.1 Whose ever will be left undone Gods will should be done and never left undone to fulfil that of another or our own They that put unrighteous Decrees in execution are under the same wo with them who decree them for without the execution the Decree would do no hurt to them against whom 't were made Isa 10.1.3 They are wicked and partners in the wickedness of them that command wickedness who put such wicked commands in practice and execution See 1 Kings 12.30 though it be light or fall heaviest on them that command 2. As Confederates with others though the sin be not committed by you that are Confederates yet your being such takes part of because with their sin Psal 83 3-9 the Counsellors and Combiners are judged equally with the Practisers Blessed are they that walk not in the counsel of the ungodly Psal 1.1 And saith the Prophet The Lord spake to me with a strong hand not simply the Word of the Lord came to me or the Lord spake to me but he spake with a strong hand what why say not a confederacy with them that say a confederacy Isa 8.11 12. The men of the League and Association speed because they sin alike Psal 2. with Acts 4 26-28 3. As Consenters giving your consent to others sin which if you had denied it may be they had not sinned Psal 50.18 when thou sawest a thief thou consentedst with him and wert partaker with the adulterer an adulterer is a thief he steals waters from anothers cistern and to consent with him is to be a partaker therefore Prov. 1.10 if sinners entice thee consent not enter thy dissent and let not thy soul have any thing to do with their secrets This consent may be 1. By symbolizing and complying actions as Paul speaks in what was once his own case Acts 22.20 he consented and gives for witness of it both that he stood by and that he kept the raiment of them that slew St. Stephen So many consent to the sin of others by standing Sentinel watching the door they not only wink at but incourage and embolden others to sin this way 2. Consent may be given by silent connivance when any see persons about to sin do not witness against it Silence we say gives consent it doth so often indeed though not always for the case may be such that it were but to throw pearl before swine to speak to some scorners yea some will speak a little gently as if 't were no great matter or of consequence but will not put forth the power they have to prevent it Pilate seemed to witness against the Jews when they cryed out for the crucifying of Christ Jesus and would wash his hands to testifie his innocency Mat. 27.24 and yet because he did not put forth his power he is reckoned one of the number of them that killed him Acts 4.27 3. Consent may be openly and notoriously given by word of mouth as Saul afterward Paul gave his voice Acts 26.10 his vote went with the rest and he gave it with a voice a loud voice If any bring false Doctrine and a man bid him God-speed this man is partaker of his evil deeds Epist of John 2.10 11. When men say as Jehosaphat did to Ahab I am as thou art and my people as thy people and we will be with thee in the war 2 Chron. 18.3 When we thus give consent 't is notorious 3. Of being accessories after sins commission To draw to a close be not accessory to other mens sins after they are committed which you may be guilty of many ways I shall