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
A91367	The vvay to heaven discovered: and, the stumbling-blocks (cast therein by the world, flesh, and devill) removed. Or, The ready way to true happines: leading to the gate of full assurance. With a word of reproof to the scattered, discontented Members of the late Parliament. And a word of advise to the present supreme authority of England. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1653 (1653)	Wing P4243; Thomason E1489_2	94,272	222

cups out of which you drink on the bed-steeds where you lye on the wals of the house where you dwell on the garments which you wear and on the foreheads of all them whom ye meet and on your own selves in every member of your body and faculty of the soul Psal 39. 5. Every man at his best estate is vanity Where is the glory of Solomon the sumptuous buildings of Nebuchadnezzar the nine hundred Chariots of Sicera the power of Alexander the authority of Augustus that commanded the whole world to be taxed all these at their best estates we●e but vanity nay take Solomon for beauty Samson for strength Achitophell for policy Haman for favour Ahasael for swiftnesse Alexander for great conquests and yet all these at their best estate are altogether vanity Wherefore centre not in any creature comfort take not up thy rest in any thing be this side God the God of rest and peace for all is mutable that hath the name of creature upon it only the Creator is immutable and unchangeable in all that he saith or doth if he be once a Father he will be ever a Father if once a Friend he will be ever a Friend if he once love thee he will never hate thee and for this ground it is we are commanded to love him with a supreme love if we love father mother wife or children more then he we be not worthy of him nay we cannot be his disciples unlesse we in a sense hate all the●e for his sake Luk. 14. 26. Moses desired to see the Lord that he might know him more perfectly and the Lord told him Exod. 33. 20. Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live and Paul renders the reason of this 1 Tim. 6. 16. who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see in a word man is so vailed and clouded and narrow spirited that at the highest degree he can know God but only in his attributes and that but in part neither for he is wonderfull in every attribute and as the Prophet saith such knowledge is too wonderfull for me wherefore to winde up all and for the removing of this stumbling block endevour to beleeve in one God Father of all and in one Lord Jesus Christ redeemer of all and in one sanctifying Spirit of grace it is the office of the Father to Elect the office of th● Sonne to Redeem and the office of the Holy Ghost to Sanctif●e those and only those whom the Father hath elected and the Sonne redeemed Endevour in the Name of the Lord to see the Father love thee freely and the Sonne manifesting that unto thee and the Spirit beginning to evidence it in thee further endevour to see that the Father loves thee as redeemed by the Sonne the Sonne looks upon thee and loves thee as being given by the Father for him to redeem and the Holy Ghost seeing the love of the Father in choosing thee and the love of the Sonne in redeeming thee he also sets his love upon thee and will shortly manifest it unto thee and evidence it in thee this is that intenall eternall Word by which all things were made supported ruled quickned enlightned and judged this glorious infinite wisdome was vailed in flesh and so God manifest in the flesh was the mirror of Angels the terrour of Devils the expectation of the new creation in a word it is as easie to compasse the heaven with a span and to contain the sea in a nut-shell as to apprehend or comprehend this internall eternall being in the fulnesse thereof we may as soon fill a bag with wisdome and a chest with virtue and a circle with a triangle as the heart of man with the knowledge of God man may have some glimerings and know him in part and this is life eternall but dark man is so narrow spirited that in all things God is above him he saith of himself to man My waies are not your waies nor my thoughts your thoughts for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my thoughts above your tho●ghts and my waies above your waies Isai 55. 9. as if the Lord had said there is as vast a difference between my knowledge of you and your knowledge of me as there is distance between the heaven and the earth my dispositions and dealings both for mercy and goodnesse and for firmnesse and faithfulnesse are as farre above your understanding as the highest heavens are above the very centre of the earth and farre higher for the one is unmeasurable yet finite whereas the other because infinite is for greatnesse and amplitude and immensity inconceivable The best of men that have bowels of compassion some tender heartednesse some ingenuity and readinesse to remit a wrong or some firmnesse or faithfulnesse in making good what they promise what is all this to that which is in God for so much as God is above man in point of Majesty so he is above man in mercy he is a guide to lead you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you a plaister to heal you he will stand you in stead when friends forsake you he is as swift to shew mercy as he is slow to anger he will carry you through the hardest services with the greatest swiftnesse if he give us more knowledge of him we shall live more upon him and delight more in him and be more conformable unto him true happinesse lies only in our injoyment of a sutable good a pure good a totall good an eternall good and God is only such a good the treasure of the Saints is the knowledge of God the presence of God the favour of God union and communion with God the pardon of sin the joy of the Spirit and peace of conscience all which c●mes into the soule by the knowledge of Christ and is clouded again in the absence of Christ a man wi●hout this knowledge of Christ and God is as a workman without hands a painter without eyes a traveller without legs a ship without sails or a bird without wings or as a body without a soul all our discouragements doe flow from our ignorance and want of faith in this Almighty God viz. it springs from our ignorance of the riches freenesse fulnesse and everlastingnesse of Gods love or from our ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and of the sufferings of Christ Jesus our Lord or from our ignorance of the worth glory fulnesse and compleatnesse of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ or from our ignorance of that reall close spirituall glorious and inseparable union that there is between Christ and our precious souls To drive further into this mystery time would fail me strength fail me light would fail me I doe rather lispe then speak in the things of God and therefore must I needs stammer in so mysterious a point as this

13. 1. 2. A good Conscience purged from dead workes to serve the living God 3. Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now faith may be said to be unfained when it hath the true nature of faith of assenting to the truth revealed and applying particularly those truthes assented to 3. For forme and manner do things required in such sort as God requires them not only doing good things but doing them well 1. Spiritually and heartily with heart and spirit not with body only this God requires Proverb 23. 26. My sonne give me thy heart and let thine eyes observe my wayes Joh. 4. 24. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Rom. 1. 9. God abhorres all other services Matth. 12. 7 8. Ezek. 33. 31 32. 2. Sincerely and uprightly as in the sight of God Gen. 17. 1. God said to Abraham Walke before me and be perfit 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 3. Constantly perseverance in well doing crownes well doing Psal 1. 2. In his law doth he meditate day and night Psal 92. 14. They shall still bring forth fruite Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patience continuing in well-doing 4. Obediently because God commands it therefore in conscience and love to the command obedience is performed as in Noah Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God prepared an Arke Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went So we might instance in David Psal 40. 8. and Paul Rom. 7. 22. 5. Vniversally without reservations and exceptions Hypocrites may doe many things as Jehu 2 Kings 10. 30 31. Herod Marke 6. 20. But an upright heart hath respect to all things required as we may see and read in David Psal 119. 6. Caleb Num. 14. 24. Zachariah and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. Now O Christian dost thou practise or performe the things required spiritually sincerely obediently universally and constantly If so then thy righteousnesse in the practicall part doth exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees 4. And Lastly dost thou do the thing commanded for right ends viz. Gods glory primarily 2 Cor. 10. 41. Thine owne and others spirituall or eternall good Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 2 3 4. Low and base ends spoyle the highest undertakings as we may see in Jehu 2 Kings 10. and the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 6. 15 16. and Saul 1 Sam. 15. 30. Now then lay these foure things together upon thy heart and state the question to thy owne soule Soule I charge thee in the presence of the Allmighty God as thou shalt answer at the last dreadfull day of Judgement dost thou looke to the principle from which thou dost act and to the matter and to the manner and to the ends and art thou pure in all this in some measure then let me tell thee thy righteousnesse doth exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees both in the doctrinall part and in the practicall part for they act from a corrupt principle and for base ends to be seen of men and so the righteousnesse of the Scribes cannot justifie a poore soule because it doth crosse the ends of the Lord in giving the Law the Lord gave the law to shew people their sinne and the judgements thereunto due Again it cannot justifie a sinner because then it would frustrate the death of Christ then Christ dyed in vaine XIX The nineteenth stumbling block Oh! but for all this I feare I have but a forme of Godlinesse and so shall not be saved for I find my selfe apt to look more upon gifts then upon grace upon law then upon Gospell upon a forme more then upon the power of Godlinesse Oh! I shall b●tray Christ with Judas or embrace the present world with Demas I have but only tasted of the Heavenly gift Heb. 6. 4. Note it is not said to have eaten or drunken but only tasted that is I have had some kinde of relish or small sense by a temporary faith of the excellency of Christ I have but onely tasted of the good word of God as those cast-awayes did Heb. 6. 5. And so again I have tasted of the powers of the World to come but alas I see I have only a name to live though in truth I am dead I live in a forme but I want the power of Godlinesse I have deceived my selfe and others have been deceived by me and the Lord alone knowes what will become of me Answ The Devill hath many wayes to keep poor soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition sometimes by suggesting that their graces are not true but counterfeit sometimes by tempting men to cast off all formes as things too low for strong Saints at least to make use of and sometimes by making men to rest or satisfie themselves in a forme without the power and by this Dragons taile a third part of men and women are deceived see Revel 12. 4. All men that would walke with God and worship him in spirit take heed of formality in all holy duties take pains with your hearts in them labour for the power of Godlinesse strive to get up to God in them it were well if when we did performe holy duties we did but keep close to the duty it selfe few goe so farre but it is one thing to keepe close to the duty and another thing to keep close to God in the duty to finde God in all duties that we wait upon him in and in the use of all ordinances to take paines to finde God there and not to satisfie and quiet our hearts except we finde God in the duties that we performe We have a full Scripture for this Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee that is where ever there is any Ordinance or any holy duty to be performed there is a recording of Gods name and saith he I will come unto thee and there I will blesse thee if you would finde God you must goe where God is promised to be manifested and that is in the way of his ordinances when men come to rest in a forme as most do they never honour their profession they have little comfort to their own souls they goe on in a dead heartlesse condition they know not what it is to have communion with God It may be thou hast prayed preached conferred meditated but have you been in heaven that while what converse with God have you had there Oh take heed of formality it will drown men in perdition even when they expect salvation but now a Christian that can but chatter to God and speake a few broken words and halfe sentences yet if he doth not rest in formality he may have much converse with God whereas others that have excellent parts yet resting in the worke done never knowe what the meaning is of having communion and fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and Saints in the spirit they are just such a people spoken to in

so the Will of man is wholly depraved it is contrary to God in all things it will not depend nor wait on God it is unconstant in good resolutions the Memory also is full of corruption being apt to forget the things we are commanded to remember and to remember the things we are commanded to forget Jam. 1. 25. So likewise the Conscience is corrupted it abuseth and perverteth the light it hath to make sinnes small where it should accuse it great and sometimes to make sinnes so great as to say there is no mercy for them whereas it should rather excuse and comfort And so for our Affections how are they corrupted being misplaced and ready to run over either to over-love over-grieve over-joy or to hate what it should love and to love what it should hate as our lusts why else do we lodge them and turn enemies to those that reprove us Behold here is a taste of mans corrupt nature and the Apostle saith if a man live and die in this condition he cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. the whole sense is no man can know the mysteries of the Kingdome of grace without a regenerate minde and therefore no man can be saved by adoption without regeneration and renovation of the whole man for as hath been proved we are born aliens from the kingdome of God Ephes 2. 1 12 13. and meer enemies Rom. 5. 10. untill we are born again of water and of the Holy Ghost hence it is that the Apostle requireth a new creature a new man 1 Cor. 5. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. The unregenerate man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he because they be spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Wherefore wait at the pools of Bethesda at the ordinances of God being the pipes of conveyance for the finishing of this great work in thy soul I say wait upon God in hearing reading conversing and inquiring and that diligently and constantly this work deserred will be still greater the time to doe it in will be shorter the strength to doe it will be lesse therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice Heb. 3. 15. 13. to day lest any of you be ●ardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Now thou being throughly and powerfully convinced of sinne which is the stumbling blocke that seems to lie in thy way consider that this conviction is the first step towards heaven Joh. 16. 8. 1. Then consider that these sinnes of thine were laid on the Lord Je●us Christ Isa 53. 6. God laid on him the iniquities of us all and he hath suffered the judgements due to them I●a 53. 7 8 9. And the Lord saw the travell of his soul and was satisfied 2. Consider that God hath promised to pardon them and those promises are of two sorts some conditionall and some free without conditions first some conditionall Matth. 11. 28. Prov. 28. 13. If we confesse and forsake our sinnes we shall finde mercy Then secondly there be some promises without conditions Isa 43. 25 26. Heb. 8. 12. I will doe it for my owne names sake freely 3. Consider that this God is mindfull of his promise Psal 111. 5. He will ever be mindefull of his covenant that is he looks n●t at their sinnes but at his own promise I●a 49. 15 16. Can a Woman f●rget her suck●ng ch●●de that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee for I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands c. 4. Consider he is able and willing to make good what he hath promised Rom. 4. 20 21. He staggered not at the promises of God 21. For he was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe Again he is willing he doth not afflict willingly Mica 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercy 5. Consider he is faithfull he cannot lie Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 24. 2 Thes 3. 3. In a word he is so faithfull that he cannot but make good every title promised Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised the best of men may promise and lie but it is God that cannot lie that hath promised us life 6. Consider that he hath entred into covenant to us to make it good Now a Covenant giveth strength to the truth of any ingagement when we have but a promise we use to say we have nothing but a bare promise for such and such things now God hath made many promises all sealed and made sure to us by an unchangeable Covenant see 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal 89. 28 to the 37. compared with Heb. 8 9 10. 7. Consider that he hath sworne to us that he will make good his Covenant to us because he delights not in the destruction of us Ezek. 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the the wicked Heb. 6. 17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things we might have a strong consolation 8. He hath sealed his Promise Oath and Covenant c. with the bloud of his Sonne Rom. 5. 6. Heb. 9. 23. Revel 1. 5. In a word to winde up all the Lord hath taken away all the stumbling blocks that lay in our way either from the truth of him that maketh the promise or from his ability to make good his word or of his sincerity to intend really what he speaketh or of his constant memory of taking the opportunity of doing the thing promised or of his stablenesse to be still of the same minde XVII The seventeenth stumbling block that doth many times lie in a Christians way may be this about the Trinity I having received satisfaction in all the former things thought all was well with me saith another Christian but behold I see a greater mountain lying in my way then any of the former and I have no hope either to get over it or to have it removed and that is I doe not know God and He will come in flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that doe not know him 1 Thess 2. 8. Nay it seems to be a paradox to me that there should be three Gods and yet but one God nay some of our Ministers do say that there are three persons and if so there must be there distinct beings others say again that there is but one God and the Scripture saith O Israel the Lo●d thy God is one Lor● and whom to beleive

wages but in the Gospell the yoke of personall obedience is translated from beleevers to their surety there is nothing for them to pay all that they are to doe is to hunger and feed their happinesse is free to themselves though costly to Christ who purchased for them whatsoever they would obtaine and by his Spirit freely worketh in them whatsoever he requires of them and this the Lord doth freely First that none might boast but only glory in the Lord. Secondly that none might challenge it as due but receive it as free grace Next that it might be sure to all the seed whereas by the Law and the fulfilling thereof none can be saved because we fail in our obedience either in the principle from which we act or else in the matter acted or in the manner of our acting or in the ends we have in so doing but the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. our husband Isai 45. 5. our King Priest and Prophet Mat. 21. 11. our new and living way the true only way the safe and sure way the peaceable and pleasant way Act. 4. 12. Prov. 3. 17. Now whosoever hath faith in Christ doth look upon himself according to the measure of that faith as he is and stands before God the Father in and upon the account of an others not his owne obedience or righteousnesse and so judges of himself according to the measure of righteousnesse that is made over to him in his head Christ and so although he finde nothing but sinne in himself from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Isai 1. 6. Yet as he is in Christ by faith he seeth himself cloathed with the robe of Christs righteousnesse so he looks upon himself to be compleat in him Col. 2. 10. that is wanting nothing because all things is made over by covenant by God his Father through his Sonne and the great mystery of the Gospell lyeth much in this point as appears by the testimony of Paul Col. 1. 22. to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight now no man can be thus presented holy unblamable and unreprovable before God the Father but he only that is cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ for so the 28. verse doth expound this that we may present every man perfect in Christ Peter beareth witnesse to the truth hereof 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found in him without spot and blamelesse Ephes 5. 27. that he might present it holy a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish so Jude 24. Again 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin unto Christ not having spot or wrinkle Ephes 5. 27. By spots we may understand greater sinnes which defile the conscience and stain the reputation by wrinkle lesser sinnes those of infirmity which are some blemishes to our spirituall beauty and this is that righteousnesse that doth exceed the Scribes and Pharisees spoken unto by Christ Mat. 5. 20. from which this question was raised Now we are further to consider that all our own righteousnesse as the Prophet Isay saith Isai 64. 6. Is as filthy rags and we all doe fade as a leaf and our iniquity like the winde have taken us away Jer. 2. 22. For though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much soap yet thine iniquity is marked Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self with snow water yet mine owne cloathes shall abhorre me Isai 28. 20. The bed of mans owne righteousnesse is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Isai 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow Phil. 3. 8 9. Paul saith Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse and dung that I may winne Christ Vers 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of god by faith and yet this Paul had as many fleshly priviledges as any man for he saith Phil. 3. 4. If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eight day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law and profited in the Jewish Religion above many my equals and for my conversa●ion as touching the righteousnesse of the Law I was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. But all this is but dung Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord and doe account them but dung that I may winne Christ and be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse of God by faith Phil. 3. 10. That so I may live out of my self in the Spirit upon Christ unto God above the world under ordinances looking to election behind and perfection before 2. The righteousnesse of a Christian doth exceed the righteousnesse of a Heathen yea and the Scribes and Pharisees also in this he endeavours to walke more by rule then by example whereas the Scribes walke more by example then by rule again a true Christian is willing to be searched in all things the other is not again he is not only willing to do but to suffer for the name of Christ so is not the other again he mournes in secret when God is dishonoured the other mournes when selfe is dishonoured lastly an upright heart doth all things to the glory of God when he hath done any good thing if he doth not apprehend God glorifyed by it he is not satisfyed 1 Cor. 10. 31. So then a Christians righteousnesse doth exceede that of the Scribes and Pharisees in these foure ensuing things 1. In the matter 2. In the ground 3. In the forme 4 In the erd he propoundeth to himselfe in the performance of every duty 1. For matter that may be sometimes good when the manner and circumstances are naught but nothing can be good if the matter be naught such as are mens principles within such are their practises without Matth. 12. 33 34. Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for a tree is known by his fruit Jehu did for matter that which God required but not from a right principle 2 Kings 10. 30 31. 2. Now the right ground and principle from which all holy and righteous acts should flow is threefold 1. A pure heart purifyed by the bloud of Christ by the way of justification Zech.