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
A66062	Sermons preached upon several occasions by the Right Reverend Father in God, John Wilkins ...; Sermons. Selections	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.; Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.	1682 (1682)	Wing W2215; ESTC R21732	182,840	522

men who are the Authors of it yet perhaps there may be too much occasion given on our parts for want of that holiness and zeal and prudence and gravity which should accompany our profession besides that many of us do by our sloth and idleness let other men outgo us in those very gifts and abilities which are more peculiarly required to our Calling Now I say that which must promote both the usefulness and the reputation of our knowledge is when our practice and conversation is made suitable to it 'T is not an ability to talk or to dispute of Religion for in these times what man nay what woman almost is there who do's not pretend to skill in this But it is a holy and prudent conversation that must adorn our profession and provoke others to the love of it And there are stronger engagements upon us to this purpose than upon any others Because by our Callings we profess our selves to be amongst those servants who do not only know but are able to teach our masters will and therefore our disobedience shall be punished with many stripes It cannot be denied but that skill in Controversies the Tongues History Philosophy the Arts are all of them not only great ornaments and advantages to particular men but in some sense also necessary for the Church but yet when all is done 't is this practical Divinity that must bring us to heaven that must poise our judgments and settle our consciences and strengthen our comforts and save our souls This must be our rejoycing at the last day the testimony of our consciences 2 Cor. 1.12 that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversations in this world 2. A second Use shall be for exhortation that we would apply our selves to those means which may help to remedy the sorrows and dangers to which those things of themselves will expose us There are divers things of excellent use in Physick which yet cannot be safely prescribed without the addition of some correctives to abate their noxious qualities Such is the condition of this natural wisdom and knowledge which of themselves have many flatuous and corroding qualities but yet being mixed with some proper correctives may be made of singular use and efficacy But you will say what are these other ingredients Why the Apostle doth prescribe a large recipe of them 2 Pet. 1.5 6. Add to your knowledge faith virtue temperance patience goodness brotherly kindness charity The mixture of these other Christians Graces will make our knowledge exceeding wholesome and useful I must not insist upon the particulars only there are two Graces amongst all the rest which I cannot omit being in Scripture phrase styled by the name of wisdom and knowledge and therefore of all others the study of these must needs be the most proper remedies to be applied in this case namely 1. Faith in Christ 2. Fear of God These are properly the graces the other but the gifts of wisdom and knowledge 1. Faith is wisdom unto salvation the other is but wisdom unto grief this leads us unto a practical acquaintance with the Doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ in whom are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos. 2.3 Those are but the refuse and the husks of knowledge which are to be had amongst the Creatures the treasures of it are only to be obtained by an acquaintance with the virtue of Christs death and resurrection Though a man should be very well skilled in the way of secular business knowing how to bring about his own ends to raise himself unto power reputation estate yet such an one is but a fool if he be either ignorant or careless how to save his own soul. And therefore if we aim at true wisdom we should make it our chief business to grow in grace and in this knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. St. Paul was a man of as great abilities as any that we read of bred up at the feet of Gamaliel very well versed in the chief Authors of his time Epimenides Menander Aratus whom he cites upon several occasions of a very powerful and masculine Oratory as may be seen by the effects of it in his discourse with Faelix Agrippa Festus and the men of Lystra who for this reason called him Mercury And for his skill in Languages he spake with tongues more than they all 1 Cor. 14. And yet this learned man notwithstanding all these great abilities doth profess that he desired to know nothing but Christ and him Crucified that is nothing in comparison to that knowledg or nothing but what might lead him to it or further him in it nay he counts all things but loss for the excellency of this knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord. Philip. 3. ● 2. The second Grace I mentioned is the fear of God Job 28.28 The fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding This is that which Solomon after all his other enquiries do's at last pitch upon as the only remedy against those anxieties of mind which every thing else did expose him unto And he sets down as the utmost result of all his experience that whosoever would be truly happy he must make it his chief business to keep up in his heart a holy awe and fear of the divine Majesty and to apply himself with an humble conformity unto the will of God This he makes the conclusion of his whole Sermon and I shall shut up all with the same advice If you would have your other enquiries and learning made useful and comfortable unto you then fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The End of the sixth Sermon The Seventh Sermon PROV IV. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom AMongst that great variety of subjects which Solomon treats of in this and his other moral discourses there is none more frequently mentioned or more largely insisted upon than this of wisdom He himself when he was put to his choice having preferred this before all other things and being so very eminent above all other men for his great abilities in this kind He doth thereupon take all occasions to celebrate the praise of it and to excite others to the love and study of it It is one of his Proverbs to this purpose which I have now made choice to speak of Being a subject amongst all others the most difficult to be treated of partly for the abstruseness of it and partly for the copiousness of it being that which we are still to be learning all the days of our lives And therefore is it no easy matter either to explain the nature or contract the doctrine of it within a narrow compass which yet I shall endeavour to do with as much plainness and brevity as I can The Word here translated Principal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉