Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A61667
|
The voice of the rod, or, God's controversie pleaded with man being a plain and brief discourse on Mich. 6, 9 / by Samuel Stodden.
|
Stoddon, Samuel.
|
1668
(1668)
|
Wing S5716; ESTC R26260
|
166,900
|
354
|
his Word but warming us with his Rod how near should it go to our very hearts to think what a strange and unpleasing work we have put God upon Oh methinks we might hear the sounding of his Bowels within him◠how loath is he to part with us or to depar◠from us How shall I give thee up Ephram 〈◊〉 how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall 〈◊〉 make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Hos 11.8 What dear ingagements of love hath God laid upon us When Israel was a child then I loved him I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by the arms But they knew not that I healed them The people that will not consider are nigh unto Cursing oh that God would now awaken us that we might know the things that belong to our Peace When Parents correct their children they do or should reckon with them and remember them of those old scores which have been past by with an angry look o◠a bare threatning This is that my Brethren which God is now insisting on with us no◠but that the present Provocations are high enough to have exhausted a far greater proportion of wrath but he will have us to know that this is not all he hath to reckon with us for there are old miscarriages behind which wer◠never yet accounted for Exod. 32.34 a thousand debts and trespasses which it may be were never once entred on your Books How many years war how many years peace how many years scarcity how many years plenty and how many thousands of Items are there set under every one of these heads O! methinks the very thought of these things is enough to amaze us and strike us dead 2. We should consider our Duties This was good Hezekiah's practice 2 King 20.3 I beseech thee O Lord Remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Christian these are things that require thy exactest examination and the rather because on these thou art apt to lean When all thy outward comforts lie at the mercy of thine enemies hither thou thinkest to flie and beginnest to look big on thy Duties not as to their Merit but as to their Evidence Don't all thy hopes seem to hang on this pin Besides by these God hath been more immediately honoured or dishonoured Nothing reflects so much on his honour either to the praise or dispraise as that which participates or pretends the nearest Relation to him Now make the case Suppose thou shouldst be mistaken in thy duties as 't is possible thou mayst what if there should be a Flaw found in them at last which will spoil all in what a case art thou then Canst thou believe that there are none so mistaken O Christian let me tell thee Hell is called the place of Hypocrites even such as were for the most part thus mistaken Nay the best of Saints may in a great measure be mistaken too they may overween their duties and miss of much of that peace and support they expected in a day of tryal therefore bring thy duties to the Test and try them these three waves 1. By the Principle from which they have proceeded Canst thou truly say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity and not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world 'T is possible there may be a carnal rejoycing in a false supposition but art thou sure thy rejoycing is not in vain Hath Duty proceeded from a Principle of Love and Obedience and filial awful Respect unto God Hath his Sovereign Command and the conscience of Duty been the Terminus à quo◠Can you look back on your duties and appeal to God that all this hath been done in an humble obedience to his command Had Self-love or Blind Custom or Slavish Fear no◠hand nor interest in them Those are questions that God and Conscience can bes◠answer 2. By the Rule by which they have been directed Hath the Word of God been thy Rule in all thy duties not only of Solemn Worship but of thy Calling and Relation in all the transactions of thy Common and Civil Affairs And hath this Rule had a Casting-Voice against all the Votes of carnal Reason and Interest Hast thou us'd the Word of God as thy Rule As many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them Gal. 6.16 Hath it been your Walking-staff a Rule at hand where-ever you go A Carpenter you know is distinguished much by the Rule he carries in his hand which is not only for his support but for the measuring and trying of any work he may meet with in his walk And shall a dry stick be of more use and service in the hand of a Carpenter than this Olive-tree whose labour never fails in the hand of a Christian But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt sayes the Psalmist until I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end Psal 73.2.17 This is a tryed staff in such cases thou mayst depend upon it and trust thy life and soul with it if it break under thee or start aside with thee or any way deceive thee without thy horrible abuse of it then never believe God more As for God his way is perfect the Word of the Lord is tryed he is a Buckler to all those that trust in him Psal 18.30 And again Is not thy whole life one continued course of work Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do ye must do by rule eat and drink by rule and sleep by rule talk by rule and work by rule Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 Those that will work for God must work by Gods Rule Ghess-work will never vse under a crocked and blind eye and in a crocked and unhappy hand Now consider how have you employ'd your Rule the Tradesman will understand every Figure and Point in his Rule and the use of it have you thus improv'd your Judgments about it doth the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 Hath it been a Commanding a Transforming Rule have you with open face beheld your selves in this Glass that you are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Ha'nt it been a Rule to talk and to reprove others to censure your brethren and to condemn your enemies rather than to reform your selves by Hath it been your only rule han't your own habituated Lusts and Wills and Customes been as much your rul as this Han't the Genius of the Times the Examples of Great ones or thy Byas of thy Interest been as much
scour of that dust and filth they had contracted No wonder if our Dust hath brought us to the Dust that we are fallen among the Potts and caused to lick the Dust we were so greedy of Sirs I hope you will not censure my plainness and liberty of speech I have taken upon me to speak to such as can far better instruct both themselves and me and I confidenth perswade my self that these are no strang motions with you nor Wounds that wiâ— ranckle 2. Starrs are ordained for light Ye are the Light of the World sayes Christ Matth 5.14 And Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works ver 16. You are the Lamps of the Sanctuafie whose oyl was to be pure oyl-olive Levit. 24.20 Num. 8.4 Rev. 3.18 and the Candlesticks for Light which were to be of beaten Gold We are God's Apothecaries whom he hath sent with his Eye-salve to recover a poor blind World Now I beseech you let us consider what Lights have we been in the Sphears wherein God had plac't us Did we study to enlighten those that sate in Darkness To speak to the Capacities and Consciences in the Convicting Evidence and gospel-Gospel-simplicity of the Spirit Han't we too many at least and too often endeavoured to imblazon our own Parts or Learning Han't we been more affected with our own words than with our Master's Work and drest up the pure and simple Truth as an Harlot Han't we set the Lords Candle under the Bushel of our private Honour or Interest No wonder then that God hath remov'd his Candlestick and caus'd our Candle to go out Hive we been constant burning and shining Lights or too-like poor dwindling Tapers or the faint Flashes of an Ignis lambens rather burdensom than useful Have we been like Stars indeed that appear brightest in the most told and bitter night Oh my Brethren that we could sit down now and consider as we sit by our Lahai-roi where thou God seest us Why is my Sun set at Noon Why have the black Shades of the Night prevented me Is not this much my own doing Of what nature or kind was my Light Had I any other than what I bare in my hand Of what use was my Light either to my self or others What can my people witness for me What can my Family my Wife my Children my Sojourners my Servants say for me have they or might they have walk't in my light nay have I even forc't them to light their Candles at mine Hath the Word of God dwelt richly in my Head in my Heart in my House in all wisdom or han't my Family been much like other mens as Ignorant as Idle as Proud and it may be as Prophane as many others Han't the Springs of Knowledg been too much confin'd to and lockt up in my Pulpit as if I were a Minister no where but there And is not this much of the matter that God hath now lockt up the Pulpit from me that he hath cast me out of his Eden and planted his Flaming Sword which turneth every way to keep the way of this Tree of life 〈◊〉 Oh that such thoughts might pierce our hearts now that we are sitting with out broken Pitchers by those Waters of Affliction 3. Starrs are appointed for Influence Tâ—â— are the Salt of the Earth saies Christ Math 5.13 Oh! what a savoury and seasoning Influence have we had on those with whom we have had to do Salt you know hath a virtue to suck out corrupting humours and to preserve from putrefaction Alas can we say that our Patients have never Gangrenated under our hands for lack of proper savory and seasonable Preservatives In Rev. 8.11 We read of a Starr whose name was Wormwood which fell from Heaven as it were a Lamp it fell on the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters and the third part of the waters became wormwood Now hath our influence been like that of the Tree at the Waters of Marah Exod. 15.25 of a â—leansing healing nature or too much like his Star whose Name and Nature was wormwood Hath our Communication and Conversation both in publick and in private â—een so seasoned with Salt that our very Presence hath daunted the Impudence of Sin And our Countenances been a rebuke to a Wanton Licentious Prophane World May 〈◊〉 be said of us as of John the Baptist that â—erod feared him and observed him Hath â—he austerity and holiness of our lives been â—â—ch as could command respect from an Heâ—d and fasten Convictions with Authorial on the hearts of the proudest Sinners Have we been like the Pleiades whose sweet â—â—fluence hath overcome those malign Iob 38.31 and saturnine Spirits over which God hath made 〈◊〉 vertical Or rather han't we been like the Moon whose growing big and full hath â—een fatal to the sick and weak in our Flocks And now that we are cast out as unsavoury salt to be trodden under foot of men the Lord â—umble us pity us spare us 4. Starrs are ordained for Direction Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 No Sea in the World is so dangerous and fatal to Mariners as this Sea of the World to Man So many Rocks and Shoals and Quick-sands and Hirricane-Storms as every Passage and Step is attended with what need is there of faithful and skilful Pilots 'T was a sad Voyage for Paul and his Companions Act. 27.20 When neither sun nor Starrs in many dayes appeared and no small tempest lay on us all hope that we should be saved was then taken away God hath set us for Sea-marks because the Road is dangerous that scarce one of a thousand comes sale to Land Or as the Star in the East for the direction of those that are so wise as to steer by such a Point Alae how many rich Vesselâ— of precious Merchandise have there miscarried irreparably and eternally and it may be much through our sinful Neglects either we have been obscur'd and not to be seen when we should have appear'd for God in the desperate hazzard of poor souls or have been so general and uncertain that the purblind World could not apprehend us or else have been out of the way and deviated from our sacred Sphears and so led them by an evil Example either directly or accidentally on the very neck of ruinâ— Oh! how should it cut our hearts to consider how many brave and hopeful Vessels we have sad cause to fear have for ever miscarried under our Conduct and that in serene and Halcion Floods The Lord convince us forgive us and have mercy upon us 5. Lastly The Seven Stars are an united Constellation Therefore Christ compares the Breasts of his Church to two young Roes that are Twins Cant. 7.3 And to a company of horses in Pharaoh's charriots Cant. 1.9 Not only for their Strength and Beauty but for their Union and Oneness of Work and Way And is not