Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	good_a	pure_a	unfeigned_a	2,187	5	10.9762	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56307	A serious exhortation to an holy life, or conversation With a clear discovery of the nature of it, what it is. The means of attaining it. The trials of it, how it may be known. The motives, or inducements to it. Or, a profitable companion for conversion. Confirmation. Illumination. Consolation. By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4240; ESTC R222001	22,777	109

four things about an holy Conversation 1. The nature of it what it is 2. The means of attaining it 3. The trials of it how it may be known 4. The motives or inducements to it The nature of it what it is It is an heedful observing the word of God to be our Rule and his glory our aim in all our thoughts resolutions words and actions or ● life ordered according to the Word of God in holiness and righteousnesse Psal 119. 9. Luke 1. 75. In a word an holy Life is the product or effect of a Work of Grace in our hearts whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to dye unto sin and to live unto righteousness Ephes 4. 14. compared with Rom. 6. 4 6. An holy Life and Conversation hath two companions Universality and Sincerity 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Out of a pure heart not absolutely and compleatly purified from all sin but comparatively by way of justification Psal 51. 7. when we finde conscience give a comfortable testimony of the hearts simplicity and godly sincerity in whatsoever it doth Of a good conscience that is not naturally good but spiritually and supernaturally good being purged by Christs Blood from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Of Faith unfeigned without hypocrisie now faith is then unfeigned when it hath the true nature of faith in it when it purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. and when it doth overcome the Devil and the world 1 John 5. 4. so that in all our walkings be sure to have an eye upon these three things Be sure you do what you do from a right ground or principal otherwise it may be said both of thee and me as it is said of Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Be sure you act by a right Rule some make their own Wills their rule others make the Traditions and Examples of men their rule others make the Light within the rule but a Christian is to make the Word of God his Rule and so walk and act as we have Christ the Prophets and Apostles for our Example that we may go out by the foot-steps of the Flock Be sure thou hast right ends low base ends spoil the highestundertakings so for proof hereof 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whatsoever you do let all be done to the glory of God compared with Col. 3. 17. Phil. 1. 16. and so we shall act from a right ground by a right rule to a right end 1. We should keep our hearts with Solomons diligence Prov. 4. 24. 2. We should keep our eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. 3. We should keep our Tongues with Davids Bridle Psal 39. 7. 4. We should keep our foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. In a word we should not trust any member without its keeper that so we might carry our selves in all estates in all conditions under all administrations both to God and his People and our relations as becometh an obedient Christian Consider we are his workmanship let us not defile it or deface it we are in his presence let us not pollute it by unholy and impure actions Consider we are of the same houshold with God he is with us in our natural actions to preserve us in our recreations to restrain us in our publick actions to approve or reprove us in our private to observe us in our steps to watch by us in our watching to refresh us The means of attaining an holy Life and conversation I might instance in many but I shall reduce all to these five heads Be throughly convinced and fully perswaded of the necessity of it Pray earnestly and frequently to the Lord to put thee upon it and to help thee in it Meditate daily of the hour of Death the day of Judgement the joyes of Heaven the torments of Hell and the eternity of both Think much on the great dishonour which an unholy life doth cast upon God Keep thy watch and endeavour to abstain from all appearance of evil Be throughly convinced and fully perswaded of the necessity of it viz. ground this in the bottom of thine heart that without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. No unclean person shall enter into the Kingdom of God Rev. 21 27. c. Because holiness and sanctification is the way in which the Lords people shall be saved I do not say that this is the way by which but the way in which he hath chosen us to salvation saith the Scripture through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2. 13. Pray earnestly and frequently to the Lord to put thee upon it and to help thee in it Psal 119. 5. Oh! that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Jer. 10. 23. We have need to seek to the Lord for help for it is not in man to direct his steps Prov. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart may devise his way but the Lord directeth his steps without whom we can do nothing 2 Cor. 3. 5. Meditate of the hour of Death day of Judgement Torments of Hell and the Joyes of Heaven and the Eternity of both if the love of Christ doth not or will not constrain if the fear of punishment will not compell Lord what will become of us If great love great mercy great forbearance great entreaties great and long waitings great wages will not prevail with us to lead an holy Life I know not what will surely we can never serve such another Master as God is for he doth not onely give us wages but doth our work for us Think much upon the great dishonour that an unholy life doth cast upon God In a word it doth cast a treble dishonour on God viz. In its malignity as being most contrary to the pure unspotted perfect and holy nature of God sinne is as contrary to God as light to darkness and Hell to Heaven In its obstinacy it opposeth the command of God slights the will of God and contradicts the design of God and brings externall internal and eternal misery upon the creature upon persons and Nations In its choice a sinner in living an unholy life chooseth a base lust a venomous sin a crooked way before the new and living way the sure and safe way the true and only way that leadeth unto life and blessednesse In a word an unholy life puts God upon complaining the Spirit upon grieving and Christ upon bleeding besides it opens the mouths of enemies and grieves the people of God Let us keep up our watch and stand upon our guard and at least

it For drawing others to sin by your bad examples and courses For not reproving others for their sin as if thou wast afraid to speak for God against those that dishonoured him For a world of precious time which thou hast mis-spent in the world For a multitude of secret unknown sins committed in thy childe-hood youth and man-hood all thy omissions and commissions will then come into thy minde There comes in a long Bill which thou never dreamedst of much less couldest repent of ignorance will be no plea in this Court all our sinfull thoughts resolutions words and actions together with all our commissions and omissions stand up and bear testimony against thee Oh! consider if ever any Bill were like unto this I could almost say to the Reader as Nathan to David Thou art the man It is true that in Courts of Justice exceptions against Witnesses are sometimes allowed but thou canst except against none here unless it be the devil but if thou cashire his testimony what canst thou say against thy partners in sin do not they know all thy wayes what canst thou say against good men that with grief of heart beheld thy sinful courses what canst thou say against good Angels that will not belye thee what canst thou say against thine own conscience what canst thou say against the true and all-knowing God that cannot lye Then hear the sentence Mat. 25. 41. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 3. Let us a little consider the torments which he is like to suffer in Hell there shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torment without ease where the worme dieth not and the fire is never quenched in which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dye but here thou shalt be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power and so here for want of an holy Conversation thou hast changed Heavens felicity for Hells fury it is better to creep towards Heaven though through the valley of tears than to gallop towards Hell upon the mountains of pleasure Consider the duration of that miserable estate Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire this eternal condition admits of no alteration decay or consumption future hopes or expectation waste or diminution mans eternal condition admits of no mixture or moderation events or issues of Providence mans eternal condition admits of no comparison or revocation there is no sounding a retreat after we are lanched into this Ocean millions of ages past away yet not a minute wasted this is utter darkness and blackness of darkness weeping and gnashing of teeth the worm that never dyeth the fire that never goeth forth c. and all this is but the effect and product of an unholy Conversation I hope by this time the Reader of these lines findeth a necessity of a serious exhortation to an holy life and conversation Now to avoid all these miseries consider what is before written and these few things following after and so I close up this little piece not doubting but by Gods blessing thou mayest gain much by it Now then if thou wouldst avoid Hells misery and obtain Heavens felicity learn these few things and put them in practice Keep thy heart with Solomons diligence Pro. 4. 24. Keep thine eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. Keep thy tongue with Davids Bridle Psal 39. 7. Keep thy foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. That thou and I may do so let us put on the whole Armour of God and not trust any member without its keeper Have a care of spending precious time about things unprofitable or impossible for mans idle time is the Devils busie time Therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let thy thoughts which are the first blossom of thy soul be awful and godly 2 Cor. 10. 5. Let thy speech and talk be seasoned with grace let it be little and true profitable seasonable and savoury Prov. 10. 21. Let thy works be profitable holy charitable and measurable Let thy carriage or manners be grave courteous and chearful Let thy diet be moderate and temperate bring thine appetite under a rule of reason that it exceed not the bounds of moderation when thou makest a feast be not like Dives who fared deliciously nor like Martha troubled about many dishes or varieties Be content with thine allowance if thou canst not raise thy estate to thy minde let us stoop our mindes to our estates Let thy apparel be sober neat and comely be rather too sparing then over lavishing rather abridge thy self of somewhat thou mightest have then abound rather come short of thine allowance then any whit at all to exceed it Let thy recreation be lawful brief seldom and seasonable Let thy companions be chiefly those that are godly beware of too deep familiarity with wicked ones for they will talk much to little purpose see Prov. 4. 14. Let thy sleep be moderate quiet and seasonable lie not down to sleep in thy sins neither sinne in thy sleep Let thy prayers be short fervent frequent and devout remember Christ prayed often and briefly and commands us to learn of him Have a care of spending so much time and pains about the form of godliness as to neglect the power Charge thy memory to retain the best things not forgetting Death Judgement Punishment or Glory If thou wilt live and dye in a continual peace maintain a continual warre against the world the flesh and the Devil if ever we come to Heaven we must fight our every step of our way step by step as a Ship cuts out its way in the Sea Endeavour alwayes to keep thine heart in such a frame that thou mayest be ready to receive or do good Endeavour to warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak be patient towards all men 1 Thes 5. 14. Let the Word of God be thy rule his glory thy aim his Spirit thy guide his Angels thy guard his Promises thy support his People thy companions his Ordinances thy delight As we do approve of the end which the Almighty aims at which is the glory of his Name and the good of his people so we should like and assent to the way which he doth act in to accomplish the same which is sometimes by means sometimes without means sometimes contrary to means sometimes by small means and inconsiderable Seriously consider that general which takes in all the former particular rules Phil. 4. 8. Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things so as to walk in them or observe and do them so shalt thou have prudence to guide thy thoughts to order and grace thy speech to help thee to understand things present to guess at things to come to recall matters past to possess that you do want to live long in a little time and to carry thy self in all states in all conditions under all administrations both to God and his people and thy relations as a righteous obedient Christian It is reported of Alexanders body that it was of such an exact and excellent constitution that it gave a sweet scent like a perfume so should a Christians conversation be a sweet smelling savour both to God and man so then thou shalt not be afraid to dye nor ashamed to live Therefore let us spend more time and pains about that which will make us live happily and dye comfortably and reign with Christ eternally We may assure our selves it is not the knowing man nor the talking man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man for if our knowledge be not turned into practice the more knowledge we have the more miserable shall we be Although no man merits assurance by obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance An unholy Professour shall alwayes want these things viz. Comfort and Content Confidence and Assurance Read and consider these Scriptures and I have done leaving thee to him that never forsakes his The Scriptures follow viz. Hebrews 6. 8. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Matthew 3. 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the tree therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire 1 Thessalonians 4. 1. Furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more for this is the will of God even your sanctification verse 3. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour Hebrews 13. 20. 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen