Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	godly_a	rejoice_v	simplicity_n	1,031	5	9.5439	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56812	The great concern, or, A serious warning to a timely and thorough preparation for death with helps and directions in order thereunto / by Edward Pearse.	Pearse, Edward, 1633?-1674?	1674 (1674)	Wing P983A; ESTC R24450	97,407	255

and have gone off the Stage with much comfort and so should we Fourthly Would you indeed have all right all in order in your souls for a dying hour then be true and faithful to your own Consciences that you may have them for you and not against you both while you live and when you die Conscience my Beloved is Christs Deputy or Vicegerent in the Soul it is both a Judge and a Witness for God within us it either accuses or excuses acquits or condemns Rom. 2.15 and according as Conscience is either for us or against us so we are either ready or not ready prepared or not prepared for Death and Judgment If we have the Witness and Judgment of our Consciences for us then have we boldness and comfort both in life and death then we can welcom Deaths approach to us but if the Witness and Judgment of Conscience be against us then Death cannot but be terrible to us This is our rejoycing saith the Apostle the testimony of our Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 And again If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things but if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3.21 O my beloved as a peace with God so a sound and holy peace with a mans own Conscience that is to say to have the witness and judgment of a mans Conscience for him and not against him is highly requisite for a right disposing and preparing of us for a dying hour As ever therefore you would have all ready and in order against such an hour mind this and look after this be sure you carry it so to your own consciences as that you may have them always for you and not against you while you live and for you and not against you when you come to die In order to which mind these two things First Labour to get your Consciences well inlightned and informed and be much with God in prayer in order thereto beg and implore God for a true and faithful Conscience a Conscience that will bear a true and faithful witness in your souls and that will pass a right judgment upon things both upon your state and actions In Heb. 10.21 we read of a true heart or a true conscience that is a conscience rightly informed a conscience that bears a true and faithful witness and that passeth a true and faithful judgment upon things such a conscience should we beg of God and labour by all means possible to attain unto O my Beloved it is a dangerous thing to have an erroneous conscience a mistaking conscience a conscience not rightly inform'd For pray mark this is what leaves a man under a necessity of sinning and so of grieving the Spirit of God on the one hand and it endangereth his peace and comfort on the other hand for having an erroneous conscience whether we obey it or obey it not we sin if we obey it we sin because conscience commands what is not agreeable to the Word of God if we obey it not we sin because we rebell against the light and dictates of Conscience omitting that which Conscience tells us is a duty though it be not a duty or doing that which Conscience tells us is a sin though it be not a sin Labour therefore to get your Consciences well informed and inlightened Secondly Be sure you do nothing against the light and dictates of Conscience being rightly informed but obey it in all things In Job 24.13 we read of some that rebel against the light that is that do sin against their own Consciences with is a double sin a sin cloathed with great aggravations and greatly discomposeth us for a dying hour but we must take heed of this and listen to the voice of Conscience Conscience regulated by the word of God God speaks to us by our Consciences he speaks to us through his word by our Consciences and he speak to us through his providences by our Consciences and we should take heed of violating the Dictates or speaking of Conscience in the least Doth not Conscience many times tell us such as such ways which we walk in are not good and must be turned from or we are undone for ever And now we should be true and faithful to our own Consciences and speedily turn from those ways we should have nothing to do with any thing that Conscience condemns us in and for Again Doth not Conscience many times tell you that such and such duties are totally neglected or else seldom or slightly performed by you which yet you ought to be conversant and diligent in the performance of Now you should herein also be faithful and true to your own Consciences living up to the constant diligent spiritual performance of those duties Again Doth not Conscience many times tell you that things are nor right with you that it is an evil frame of spirit you live in that you are too carnal too light too vain too frothy too eager in your pursuits of this World and too remiss in your pursuits of Heaven and Eternity Now as ever you would be ready for a dying hour you should be faithful to your own Consciences setting that right which is amiss and hastening out of that evil frame into the contrary gracious frame Oh my Beloved if you be true and faithful to Conscience Conscience will be true and faithful to you witnessing for you and not against you both while you live and when you die In a word in all things labour to keep a good conscience this was Paul's great care and exercise Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man O this will be a sweet and blessed exercise and the more we are found in it while we live the more comfort will it afford us when we come to die Fifthly Would you indeed have all things right and in order in the matters of your souls when a dying hour comes Then labour for much purity of heart and life and by no means admit of any sin any corruption whatsoever the more pure and holy we are the more ready are we and in the better posture things are with us for a dying hour Without holiness saith the Apostle no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 Holiness is necessary unto happiness holiness is the way unto happiness holiness is what sits and prepares us for happiness and brings us unto happiness yea holiness is a part of our happiness a great part of the happiness of Heaven it self lies in holiness accordingly the more holy we are the more we are suited to and prepared for the future happiness and so for Death and Judgment for that which prepares us for the future happiness that also prepares us for death which is but an in-let into

which was wrought in me by the Law of God I was made to see my self lost and miserable and awakened out of my security Secondly when the soul is under some smart and notable affliction from the hand of God This is evident in that instance of Joseph's Brethren whose consciences were awakened when they were in distress and charged them with the guilt of their sin in selling their Brother Gen. 42.21 Thirdly when a man comes to die when the visions of death and the grave are before him Oh you little think how strict Conscience will be in its search how sharpe in its charge and how severe in its censure in a dying hour then if there be but the least frown in God's face towards the Soul the least flaw in his peace the least blot or blur in his Evidences for Heaven if there be but the least stain upon the Spirit the least sin unpardoned unrepented of it is a thousand to one but conscience will take notice of it and charge the Soul with it O Sirs you will find a great deal of difference between Conscience upon a bed of ease and Conscience upon a sick-bed between Conscience in an hour of health and worldly prosperity and Conscience in a dying hour in the one great things bear but little weight but in the other little things usually bear great weight in Conscience then the Language of Conscience to the Soul is these and these things hast thou done thus and thus things stand with thee at best grace is thus and thus weak corruptions thus and thus strong temptations thus and thus prevalent the heart thus and thus out of frame the spirit thus and thus alienated from God and the like Hence 't is that at death there are such confessions as you have sometimes from men and women that now they will send for some godly Minister or Christian to pray with them and for them though perhaps they could not endure Prayer all their life-time before Now if in a dying hour Conscience be thus quick and smart in its threats and charges against the Soul then surely we had need and 't is greatly our concern to have all ready all in order against that hour comes The fourth Proposition is this That in a dying hour we shall have to do with God in a very stupendious and amazing way in such a way as may well startle and affright us to think of it we are said to have to do with God here Heb. 4.13 we have here to do with God in Duties in Ordinances in Mercies in Afflictions indeed we had as good never have to do with these unless we have to do with God in these but though we have to do with God here while we live yet know we shall have to do with God in another-guess way when we come to die in such a way as may well overwhelm us to think of it I shall give it you in three steps then we have to do with God immediately with God immediately as our Judge with God immediately as our Judge for Eternity And O how loud do these things call upon us to get all in order in the matters of our foul against a dying hour comes 1. When a man comes to die he has to do with God immediately and that is an astonishing thing In death the body crumbles to dust but the soul returneth to God that gave it so the Holy Ghost-tells us Eccl. 12.7 The body which came from the dust crumbles to dust again but the soul that goeth into God's immediate presence to deal and to treat with him as it were face to face The soul is alwayes with God and cannot possibly be out of his presence Psalm 139.7 And yet here the Holy Ghost tells us when we die the soul returns to God intimating that then the Soul goes into the immediate presence of God and has more immediately to do with him then here he was ever wont to have then he beholds his naked Majesty and Glory Now what an astonishing thing is this You will find if you observe that the Saints of God yea the holiest of them when they have dealt with God in a more immediate way than ordinary they have been overwhelmed by it Take for an instance Daniel who upon receiving Visions from God tells us there remained no strength in him That his comliness was turned into corruption Dan. 10.8 I might instance also in John who upon a view of and converse with Christ that was a little more immediate than ordinary fell down at his feet as dead Revel 1.17 Also that of Jacob I have seen the Lord face to face and yet my life is preserved sayes he intimating it was a wonder that he could so immediately see God and live Gen. 32.10 Now if we are to deal with God immediately when we come to die we had need have all in order before a dying hour comes 2. When a man comes to die he has to do with God immediately as his Judge as one that is to try him for his life to pass sentence upon his Soul to determine his state in righteousness measuring out life or death happiness or vengeance to him in the other world And is not this an astonishing and an amazing thing Then saith Solomon speaking of death shall the dust return to earth as it was and the spirit return to God who gave it Eccl. 12.7 At death the Spirit returns to God but it is to God as a Judge to determine his future condition for him We must all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ and every one must give an account of himself to God so the Scripture tells us Rom. 10.12 And it is appointed for all men once to die and after that the Judgment Heb. 9.27 When a man comes to die that which is immediately before him is the Judgement of God the strict the righteous the impartial Judgment of God then away goes the Soul into the immediate presence of God as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment to pass a sentence of life or death salvation or damnation upon him And believe it we had need have all things set right and well ordered in our souls when we come thus to deal with him we had need have all things well ordered and set right in the matters of our souls when we come to deal with God but as sitting upon a Throne of Grace but much more when we come to deal with him as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment to conclude and determine our future condition what it shall be Judgment is an astonishing and terrifying thing the hearing of it made Felix tremble or as the Word is it turned him into terror or affrightment Acts 24.25 And the Apostle calls it the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 Now when a man comes to die then he sayes or may say Now I am to deal with the great God the Judge of all Now I must appear before his righteous Tribunal and