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
A74987	The glory of Christ set forth in several sermons from John III.34, 35, 36 and V.25 : and The necessity of faith in order to pleasing God, from Hebrews XI.6 / by Mr. Thomas Allen, late pastor of a church in the city of Norwich.	Allen, Thomas, 1608-1673.; Finch, Martin, 1628?-1698.	1683 (1683)	Wing A1046; ESTC R43595	136,370	269

Abraham still So by Faith Sarah conceived it pleased God to give her conception when she was 90 Years old she had her infirmities and weaknesses she told a Lye in the hearing of the Angel but yet for all that she pleased God and so I might instance in others David pleased God by Faith David had his failings and did sometimes displease God but yet by his Faith he did please God And so look upon all those that have been believers by their acting and exercising of of Faith they have all of them come to please God and therefore we may take it up for a general conclusion and may be confident of it that by Faith we shall please God 2. The Holy-Ghost doth testifie in the Scripture again and again that a man or woman by Faith doth live What Life not a natural but a Spiritual life Now to live is not only to have the life of Justification and the life of Sanctification but to live is to have the favour of God to have God pleased with a person that is to live saies Abraham to God in the 17th of Genesis Oh that Ishmael might live in thy Sight what did he mean by that what that his Life might be lengthned out No but that he might find favour in thy Sight and saies the Prophet in Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life And so in Isaiah 6.55 Hearken unto me and your Soul shall live that is you shall please God and be accepted of God Now then this is frequent in Scripture that all that are Believers do live The just shall live by Faith both the Old Testament and New-Testament bear witness to it the same thing is in the Old-Testament Habakkuk 2.4 and repeated again in the new Hebrews 10.38 The just shall live by Faith therefore it is out of doubt and Question 3dly By Faith a Soul comes to have the guilt of sin taken away I pray what is that whereby a Man or Woman doth displease God Namely by his Sin guilt doth displease God Now then Faith is a means and instrument to take away that which is displeasing to God to take away the guilt of Sin In Acts 10.43 saies Peter there to Cornelius To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleiveth on him shall receive remission of sins And so in Chapter 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that beleived are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses By believing on him we come to receive remission of sins And so in Acts 26.18 That they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith which is in me Now then if so be that all believers all that have Faith in Christ and do exercise their Faith in Christ be justified from the guilt of sin then they are freed from all that makes them displeasing to God then by Faith they come to please God because by Faith the guilt of sin is removed which is the matter of Gods displeasure 4thly and Lastly to have done By Faith a Man or Woman comes to please God because by Faith now the very heart which is a fountain of uncleanness comes to be made clean this is the only way to have our hearts purified and cleansed Purifying their hearts by Faith saies the Apostle Acts 15.9 so in 1 Timothy 1.5 saies the Apostle there Out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Faith unfeigned is the means whereby the Conscience and the Heart is purified and truly hence it is that believers are called clean all that have Faith in Christ and do exercise their Faith in Christ they are all pure and every thing is clean to them Titus 1.15 To the pure all things are pure Who doth he mean by pure mark now by the contrary But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but their very conscince is defiled By Faith now a mans heart comes to be pure which is the Fountain of all his actions all that he performs and does it must come from the Heart if the heart be clean if the Fountain be clean then the water that flows from the Fountain is clean so now the Heart being purified by Faith now the Actions come to be pure in the sight of God through Christ To a believer every thing is pure all that he meddles with and undertakes if he doth act Faith in it he pleaseth God So now you have seen the 4th thing opened how we may be sure that by Faith we come to please God Now there is a further question remaining But may not a Man or Woman please God without Faith by doing the thing that God hath commanded as now to pray and perform duties to walk uprightly c As the generality of the World do think that this is the way and means to please God I do not deny but we should do those things and the things themselves as to the substance of them are pleasing to God but yet still without Faith it is impossible to please God How that appears follows to be spoken to in the next place and then come to the Application But thus much shall suffice for the present SERMON V. Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please Him YOU have heard the dependance of these Words upon the foregoing we came directly to open the Proposition as it lay before us in the Words Doct. That without Faith it is impossible for any Man or Woman alive ever to please God We have shewn you first what it is for a Man or Woman to please God Secondly we have proved to you that this pleasing of God is a matter of very great concernment it is a thing very desirable for a Man or Woman to be found pleasing God And then in the third place we came to enquire what Faith that is without which it is impossible to please God And then fourthly we came to clear it up to you that by Faith a Soul doth please God Thus far we have gone 5. Now we come in the fifth place to give you some demonstrations to make it evident to you if the Lord please to set in with it that it is impossible for any Man or Woman ever to please God without Faith It is not only said here that without Faith a man hath not pleased God or without Faith no man ever shall please God but he speaks a greater word without faith it is impossible to please God This is such a thing that it will hardly enter into the hearts of men and women to be perswaded of it What! not please God by doing what God requires why if I be diligent and faithful in my calling doth not that please God! if I perform the Duties that God requires doth not that please God! if I give

must be perswaded that they are sent and called by Christ to Preach or else we cannot hear them in Faith if we be not perswaded that they are called and sent by Christ What the Apostle speaks concerning eating of meats in Rom. 14.23 he would have people perswaded in their minds for says he He that doubteth or he that questions whether it be lawful or no he is damned if he eat That is he ventures upon a sin that does deserve damnation So in this case for hearing if we be not perswaded that such a one that we hear be sent by Christ we cannot hear the Word in Faith And to this purpose I pray consider that place in Rom. 10.14 15. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent Sent by whom by Christ they must be called and sent by Christ How can we hear them except they be sent Why cannot we hear a man except he be sent No not lawfully we cannot hear him in Faith if we be not perswaded that he is sent by Christ Object But you will say Suppose now that one that hath parts and abilities come and Preach the Truth that which is sound Doctrine may we not hear him is it not lawful to hear him Is it not sufficient if he be a man of abilities and do Preach sound Doctrine what shall we need to scruple to hear him Answ For answer Suppose now that an Idolatrous Mass-Priest should come and Preach sound Doctrine Orthodox Truths to a people do you think now that such a one is sent by Christ do you think that you may stand lawfully and attend upon his ministry as an ordinance of Christ not being sent by Christ Nay I will say further The Devil himself may Preach the Truth and yet notwithstanding not being sent by Christ we are not to hear him In Luke 4.33 34. the Devil there he would be Preaching of Christ what he said was Truth I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God But Christ would not suffer him in vers 35. And Jesus rebuked him saying hold thy Peace He would silence him this is that which possibly very few have minded in former times but have gone on in hearing one and other without making any Question whether they were sent by Christ or no but I say we cannot act in Faith if we should go on thus if we be not perswaded that they are called and sent by Christ Quest But you will say further How can poor weak People that are weak in understanding how can they discern and understand whether Ministers be called and sent by Christ or no Alas this is a hard thing for us to discern and therefore it is somewhat too hard to impose upon us that we must be perswaded that they are sent by Christ or else we cannot lawfully hear them Answ Brethren I suppose it is not so hard and difficult a thing to know whether a Minister be sent by Christ or no briefly thus Christ he ordinarily sends one of these two ways those whom he would have to Preach in his name either 1. In a way of institution or appointment in the way of his Ordinance namely thus when a Church of Christ following the Rules and Directions that Christ doth give in his Word doth chuse and call such a one that is so and so qualified and in such a way according to those Rules set him a-part for the work of Christ this is now according to Christs institution and Ordinance here is one that is called by Christ to Preach and dispense the Gospel 2. There is another way whereby Christ may also call namely a providential way in the way of his Providence when as a people finding and discerning a person qualified and gifted for such a work do thereupon call him and desire him to Preach to them here is now a providential call and Christ by this Providence doth call him and send him as we read in Acts 13.15 Paul there went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day and set down and after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation for the people say on Here was now a providential call being desired by the people So says the Apostle in Acts 16. when he was doubtful which way to go to Preach at vers 6.7 they would have gone to this place and the other but the spirit hindred them At last at v. 9.10 A vision appeared to Paul in the night and there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come over into Macedonia and help us And after he had seen the vision immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel unto them Why here was a beck of providence and here was a call by the people and God did discover it in a Vision so that one of these two ways God doth ordinarily now adays call Ministers to Preach the Gospel Now this is easie to be discerned and therefore we are to be fully perswaded in our minds that such as we go to hear are called and sent by Christ to Preach the Gospel or else we cannot attend upon it as an Ordinance of Christ nor expect the blessing of Christ upon it Object But you will say further But have not good Christians heretofore godly people been wont to attend upon such as did Preach sound Doctrine without questioning their call They never douhted whether they were sent by Christ or no but heard them and the Lord was pleased also to bless their hearing that they profited by their hearing therefore why should we need to scruple and question whether we may not hear one as well as another Answ Brethren for this I may say as the Apostle said in another case Acts 17.30 The times of this ignorance God winked at when he suffered them to go on in their erroneus ways in times of ignorance God winketh at But now says he he commandeth all men every where to repent and reform So now there being a further light though God might wink at former ignorance yet now he calls upon all to consider and understand whom they hear and what they hear and upon what grounds those that come to Preach the Gospel to us come we know that in point of worship there are many things that were heretofore practiced by the people of God and yet notwithstanding their former practises do not make those things to be lawful to us now as there were many things about the Government and Order of the Church that formerly Christians have yielded too and yet we cannot so freely and so safely with a good Conscience yield to them and though good Christians have formerly