Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A08173
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The countesse of Mountgomeries Eusebeia expressing briefly, the soules praying robes. By Ro: Nevvton.
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Newton, Robert, b. 1576.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 18509; ESTC S120357
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27,852
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151
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THE COVNTESSE OF MOVNTGOMERIES EVSEBEIA Expressing briefly THE SOVLES PRAYING ROBES By Ro NEVVTON Printed at London by George Purstow for A. G. 1620. TO THAT NOBLE ROOT OF HONOVR AND VERTVE THE LADY MARY COVNTESSE OF PEMBROOKE AND HER ILLVSTRIOVS BRANCHES WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROOKE LORD Chamberlaine to his Maiestie PHILIP EARLE OF MOVNTGOMERY WITH THEIR HONOVRABLE LADIES MARY COVNTESSE OF PEMBROOKE SVSAN COVNTESSE OF MOVNTGOMERY AND HER VERTVOVS Honourable Sisters ELIZABETH COVNTESSE OF DARBIE AND BRIDGET LADY NORRIS Right Honourable LEt it not I pray you seem strange that thus I vnite you in this Dedication God him selfe hath gone before mee vniting you in blood affinity and vertues and I hope it 's no offence to follow his example The subiect of this worke is Piety whereto as the world doth witnesse you All to bee adicted deuoting your selues most religiously to God in your owne persons being patternes to others of it so still to keepe burning that fire of Goodnesse kindled in your hearts flaming in your liues by the power of Gods Spirit shed abroad in your soules accept of such helpes as heere you shall finde drawn out of the Scriptures Gods Armorie which if you please to vse you shall finde how potent they are in prosperitie to keepe you in aduersirie to comfort you and in the day of the Lord to crowne you through the mercy of God with Happinesse and Eternity which Blessings with All else wishing to Euery One of you desiring the multiplying of All Graces in you Honour Health Children Life to his Glory Stedfastnesse in the Faith comfort and ioy in the Holy Ghost Patience Wisedome Hope and Perseuerance in All god lines to the end and the quiet Peace of Conscience at your end I humbly rest Euer deuoted to Your Honours in all duties Ro NEVVTON From my House at Gretford in Lincolnshire May. 20. 1620. THE COVNTESSE of Mountgomeries Eusebeia expressing briefly the Soules praying ROBES HOw pleasing and sweet in the sight of our glorious and mercifull God the seruice of Prayer and praise is how comfortable and profitable likewise to man in all estates and times whether of Affliction or Ioy the Scriptures which are the words Records of life the experience of such as God by his Spirit hath sealed vnto life doe most exactly and easily declare In the 50. Psalme God cals Prayer a Sacrifice and sayes Psal 50.23 that whoso offers it vnto him honours him And in the 14. verse layes a command vpon his seruants both to praise him and in the day of trouble to pray vnto him adding a most heauenly sweet promise to heare them Now Sacrifices in the Law were that peculiar worship of God which himselfe to serue him with And they were of two sorts Either Propitiatory to appease God for sinnes committed or duties omitted or Eucharisticall to praise God for blessings receiued In the first was acknowledged mans guiltinesse to God In the other Gods mercy loue to man By both mans obligation to God Such a Sacrifice Prayer is A Propitiatory sacrifice of a heart broken and pownded with sorrow for sinne which through the eternall sacrifice of Christ Heb. 9.28 who offered vp himselfe once a full and absolute Propitiatorie Sacrifice on the Crosse for the sinnes of all that truely repent is made acceptable in the sight of God Psal 51.17 Wherein in the lippes and tongue are the soules Interpreters to let men and Angels know the vnexpressible and vnsearchable grones and sights of Gods Spirit within vs. Psal 71.23 24. For it is not enough to haue the heart smitten thorow and wounded with griefe vnlesse the tongue likewise tell it out to God Psal 32.3 And as it is a Sacrifice Propitiatorie so is it also an Eucharisticall Sacrifice of a heart drawne out like Salomons Curtaines by the mercy of God and lifted vp and filled with the ioy of Heauen the presence of the Spirit of God in the soule making it daunce Psal 28.7 as Dauid speaks for ioy and forcing the tongue to breake out in songs and melodious reioycings for the pardon of sinnes past Psal 57.7 8 9 10 11. for the presence and feeling of celestiall grace for the assurance of Gods mercy for deliuerance from instant dangers and feares for graces and good motions internall as Faith Hope Loue hatred of sinne care to keep a good Conscience watchfulnes specially ouer the eyes tongue and heart for blessings externall as Health Liberty Plenty Peace Riches Honour Children Friends Seruants fearing God a good name long life For his workes of mercy generall and particular on his children our selues our Families for his Iustice iudgements and plagues vpon the wicked The Priests that offer this Sacrifice are not the sonnes of Aaron alone as once it was in the old Law but All the children of God euery-where redeemed by the bloud of Christ and sancrified through the power of his reuiuing grace for hee hath made vs not onely sonnes of God Iohn 1.12 Reu. 1.6 but giuen vs the honour to be Kings and Priests to God to sacrifice and offer through him odours and incense sweetly smelling and delightfull in the nosthrils of his Father yet as Aaron might not offer Exo. 40.13 14. Leu. 10.1 2 but in his sacrificing weedes and nothing but that which God commanded no more must wee either in the Congregation publiquely with the Saints of God where God enioynes vs to render this sacrifice Psal 100.3 Psa 96.8 9. Math. 6.6 Psal 111.1 or in our owne houses or closets priuately where Christ himselfe hath commanded vs to make it doe it so but that he that is in heauen may accept it and wee that are on earth may haue comfort of it That this may be done some things are required and necessary before wee offer some in the very time and instant of our offering some when wee haue offered this sacrifice to God Before it 2. Chro. 11.18 goe three duties like Dauids 3. Worthies breaking thorow the ranges of the Philistines The first is repentance of all our sinnes Psal 66.16 18. for If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith Dauid God will not heare me Because indeed God heares not sinners Ioh. 9.31 that is such as repent not but refuseth their sacrifice as hee did the Iewes Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15 16. because their hands were full of bloud and the incense of Sheba that is the best and most exquisite words that can be Ier. 6.20 because their hearts were stuffed with euil yea the very offerings of the Priests themselues Micah 6.6 7 8. Amos 5.21 22. plainely affirming that he that offered such sacrifice is as he that slayes a man vgly and abominable in his sight Esay 66.2 Therefore the holy men were wont in ancient time to practise Repentance ere they came to pray renting their clothes in signe of sorrow and detestation of sinne as did Ezra Ezra 9.3 5. and Daniel in the
that euery Petition which Faith puts vp must bee made according to the will of God So Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 5.14 Whatsoeuer wee aske in his Name according to his will we shall receiue Otherwise wee may aske Iam. 4.3 as Saint Iames sayes and not receiue because we aske amisse that is hauing neither commandement so to aske nor promise to receiue And so ask'd the Mother of Zebedees children promotion for her sonnes Mat. 20.23 was repell'd of Christ because she begged shee knew not what And so did Peter in Mount Thabor to build Tabernacles Luke 9.33 Mat. 12.38 And the Iewes to see a signe from Christ Wee therefore that sacrifice and that with faith must from God looke for both a cōmandement to warrant and a promise to fulfill our requests And here wee must obserue two Caueats First that all our requests to God are either for things spirituall or temporall And spirituall things are either absolutely necessarie to saluation as the knowledge of God in Christ the remission of sinnes Faith Hope Loue Humilitie Obedience a good conscience c. or else they are but onely such as are profitable as the vnderstanding of all Scripture all knowledge of Arts Tongues power to worke miracles and such like Those that are of absolute necessitie to saluation wee must aske them simply without condition So did Paul Ephes 1.17 Dauid Stephen and others Those that are but profitable and temporarie as health honour children life c. must alwayes haue a condition annexed Jam. 4.15 If it be for Gods glory If it be agreeable to his will Luke 22.42 Secondly wee must not binde God to any circumstances of time place Psal 130.5 6 7. meanes or otherwise but leaue all free to him and with patience attend his pleasure as Dauid did Psal 40.1 who waited patiently vpon the Lord till hee inclined to him For so God commands vs Psalm 37.3 4 5 6. Tarry thou the Lords leisure and hee will bring it to passe 5. Fiftly as we must pray from a liuely sence of our want with feruent desire and a liuely Faith hauing a warrant from the Word of God not asking things vnlawful Psa 99.5 6 Psal 86.7 8 9 10. Phil. 4.6 Esay 45.5 Ier. 23.24 Deut. 6.13 nor stinting God to any time so this sacrifice must bee offered onely to God sith He alone at all times and in all places is able and can heare All men which neither Angell nor Saints can doe Secondly because Prayer and Inuocation is from Man to God a peculiar part of Gods honour Mat. 4.10 And his honour he hath sworne not to giue to another Psal 97.7 In which respect the Angell refused adoration Reuel 22.9 commanding vs to worship God alone And GOD himselfe by Dauid speaking to all the Nations of the earth bids them trust in Him Psal 62.8 and powre cut their hearts before him And in another Psalme Dauid attributes it for a speciall tythe to God Psal 65.2 Thou that hearest the prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come For which cause that commandement is in the 50. Psalme 15. Call vpon mee not on any creature in the day of calamitie and I will help saith God And sure if the Angels must not bee honoured with this sacrifice of prayer and praise who are glorious spirits and more excellent by Creation and Grace than the Saints and are euer with vs Heb. 1.14 about vs for our good according to that of Dauid Psal 34.7 The Angell of the Lord tarryeth round about them that feare him to deliuer them and that of Christ touching little Infants Mat. 18.10 Their Angels alwayes behold the face of their Father which is in Heauen much lesse must we pray to any of the Saints who are neither so excellent nor so present with vs. Esay 63.16 Abraham knowes vs not saith God by the Prophet and Israel is ignornat of vs. And Saint Paul to the Romanes proues by demonstration Rom. 10.14 that wee must pray onely to God Thus Hee alone in whom wee must beleeue must bee prayed vnto Onely in God wee must beleeue To him onely wee must therefore pray And to whom else did the Fathers Patriarkes and Prophets Adam Seth Henoch Noah Abraham Dauid Daniel Esay Ieremy in the Old Testament Christ himself the Apostles and the Church in the new euer tender this sacrifice of Prayer praise but to the most Highest God Phil. 4.6 the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I haue cryed vnto thee O LORD Psal 130.1 Psal 146.1 Psal 5.1 2 3 7. sayes Dauid and vnto thee will I giue thankes for thou art my God And when Ezechia in his straitnesse and distresse prayed began hee not O Lord of Hosts Esay 37.16 God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims Could Moses or Abraham or the Angels haue holpen them or had they had any confidence in them they might as well haue prayed vnto them also as to God It is therefore a spirit of errour and delusion that perswades poore ignorants to pray to and trust in Saints And of such spirits we must take heede And if the power of Scripture cannot moue such as are simple to beware heare a little short discourse of Saint Austens which word for word I will set downe out of his Booke of taking care for the Dead the thirteenth Chapter If the soules of the dead could be or were present at or about the affayres of the liuing and speake vnto vs when we dreame in our sleepe wee see them surely my Holy Mother no night would forsake mee who followed mee both by Sea and Land to liue with me For God forbid that by obtaining a happier life shee should now become more vnkinde then she was insomuch as when my heart is vexed and filled vvith sorrow shee will not so much as comfort her aggrieued sonne whom she loued most dearly whom shee neuer could endure willingly to see sad But verily it it as the Psalmist sayes My Father and my Mother haue forsaken mee but the Lord hath taken mee vp If then our Fathers haue left vs how are they present and behold our cares And if our fathers bee not what other dead folkes are there that know what wee doe or what wee suffer And a little after The Spirits of the Dead are in such a place as they doe not see the occurrences things in this life If neither they see vs then nor know not what we doe sure heare vs they cannot and why then should wee pray to them Let Christs answer to the Diuel sticke in our hearts when wee are tempted to pray to them Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him onely thou shalt serue 6. Besides as God onely must haue this Sacrifice Heb. 13.15 so wee must offer it not in our owne but in the name and mediation of Christ Gen. 18. For we are