Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	heart_n	let_v	sprinkle_v	1,544	5	11.0654	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59934	[Evangelion aionion eis t aionch] doxotaton, or, A glimpse of gospel glory. The first part together with a short but pithie treatise of Mr. E.D. shewing that Peter was never at Rome : to which is subjoyned as an appendix some pregnant collections by ... H. Nelson ... to a like purpose.	Sherwin, William, 1607-1687?; E. D., Mr.; Nelson, H., 17th cent.	1661 (1661)	Wing S3404; ESTC R25256	86,334	226

discouragements againe theirs was more suitable to an Infant state ours more agreeing to a more growne estate their 's much in type ours more in substance theirs denoted good things to come ours good things that are present their 's much in bodily exercises ours mainly in spirituall theirs ordinarily lesse efficacious ours usually more efficacious their 's for the most part restrained within the narrow bounds of that Jewish Church ours largely extended to the utmost bounds of the true Christian Catholique Church Oh! did but Christians duly weigh these things and in some good measure were but suitably affected with them according to the greatnesse and excellency of the glorious Gospel grace in all such respects vouchsafed by the free and aboundant goodnesse of so glorious a God unto themselves above what he was pleased to grant unto his ancient people the Jewes how should it raise up their souls to large apprehensions of his goodnesse and fill their hearts with strong affections and earnest desires and endeavours both of thankfulnesse and obedience to his divine Majesty and how should it set all the parts and powers of the inward and outward man on work to act both diligently and faithfully therein how would this as a strong cord binde our souls unto the right observance of the new Law of love given by him that hath purchased this libertie and therefore shed it abroad into the hearts of his people Rom 5. 5. that none of his Commandements might be grievous unto them Joh 3. 5. But secondly let this be as an impulsive motive to us to be answerable in our dutifull and faithfull obedience unto our gracious God and heavenly father in reference to all that rich mercy that in this kinde particularly we receive at his hand above many of those that lived in those darke dayes before us now that his service is more spirituall let ours be more so too as his is more cleare shaddowed and typicall service being ceased let ours be suitable to Gospel light and therein let us walk as children of that light whereas the other was more agreeing to a childish state let us seek after that which is more suitable to a manly state in Christ Let us as the Apostle exhorteth Heb 10. 22. draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodyes washed with pure water It must be with the heart else all seeming devotion is grosse dotage it must be from an heart fraught with all kinde of truth a true heart it must be in full assurance of faith we must be sufficiently warranted and satisfied in all that concerns it in all our performance of it having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience the guilt and power of sin being taken from us by the improvement of our faith specially when we performe religious worship unto God and our bodies washed with pure water let not there be a purifying of the soul only but let our outward conversation also be agreeing to the Gospel in the sight of God and men Thirdly Hence likewise may appeare what great matter of deep humiliation and bitter mourning there is in our dayes that when such bright beames of Gospel glory shines before men there is so little enters into many of all sorts and conditions which may appeare by the raritie of such as shew they behold it by their right knowledge of it high prizing of it walk in the light and comfort of it improving the grace and excellency of it and by the multitude of such as understand it not regard it not owne it not improve it not yea would it might not be truly said despise it resist it oppose it and would substitute any thing in the roome of it rather then what the Spirit of God in the manifold evidences of Gospel grace clearly directs unto but I must hasten therefore Fourthly To warne all sorts of men that live under such glorious discoveries of Gospel grace to beware that because the burthen of Christ therein is light that therefore they should thinke lightly and slightly both of it and him That they should either preferre transitory things before it or conceive they can be happie enough in them without any true interest in it or are not affected with this choice mercy afforded to us above what the Church in the Old Testament attained unto and consequently make not suitable improvement of it it is such a talent as no man may think to wrap in a Napkin and not to be called to an account for it goodnesse will not beare neglect with equals friends familiars much lesse with superiours and by how much the goodnesse is greater or the superiory the more eminent so much the more is the neglect thereof offensive and provoking then how much more will the infinite free rich incompatable yea incomprehensible goodnesse of the eternall Almightie and most glorious God being despi●ed and neglected turne into fury against all such vaine and sinfull wretches that ungratefully shut their eyes against such excellence and clearness of Gospel grace much more if they seek to Eclipse and cloud it or any wayes to obstruct and hinder the efficaciousnesse thereof unto the weak brethren by casting stumbling blockes in the way Let them but lay to heart that terrour of the Lord the Saviour of such contemned despised little ones by the men of this present world in that most dreadfull denunciation of his and woe annexed upon that account Math 18. 6 7. Who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea And v 7. Woe unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh Lastly Hence take notice of the wilinesse of Satan that shews himselfe Gods Ape in this by seeking to promote an outward or seeming inward glory in any false way of Religion as God doth in the true Thus if God would worke wonders by Moses the Egyptian sorcerers shall do so too if God reveals secrets to Saul by his Prophet Samuel the Witch of Endor must doe so too if Judah have a costly Tabernacle and Temple Israel shall have Golden Calves to worship yea sometimes outward and inward too as in the Antichristian Church of Rome since that golden Priests and wooden Chalices were changed into wooden Priests and golden Chalices with all other outward splendor in the whorish Idolatry and superstitions accompanied with an inward seeming humble devotion and reverence with multitudes of prayers offerings frequent and macerating penances and pilgrimages metorious works of charitie and pietie And is not Satan his crafts-master like wise when in Gospel times too he will lay aside an outward appearance of glory to seek to delude by an appearing glory in inward strong delusions of spirituall Enthusiasmes Raptures

consideration of the manifold excellent effects of Gospel glory in regard of men and Angells good and bad here and hereafter a subject well worth weighing by the best mens best abilities for as the contemplation thereof will be a spring of comfort and happinesse to the one sort so the abundant conviction and experience of the realitie of the same will be the sting of the misery of all the other sorts it will so grinde and gnaw and torment the damned spirits and persons so to finde what they have lost for a shaddow for nothing yea for that which is worse than nothing even so unconceiveable good that it is Questioned in the Schools and not without cause whether Paena damni or paena sensus that is whether the punishment of the Damned in regard of what they have lost or the punishment of sence and feeling in regard of what shall be inflicted on them in Hell shall be as I may say the greater Hell unto them hereafter But I say at present we shall passe from this head to the next namely The third demonstration of this excellent truth in which and in the rest we purpose if God will to be more brief and that is to manifest Gospel Glory to be the great Glory of the Lord which his people discerne in this world in that regard it is the only and excellent yet generall meanes for them all to bring them to the reall participation of true spirituall glory here and the fruition of eternall glory hereafter and to make indeed grace and glory to be both gracefull and glorious to them Something we have spoken of this by way of comparison of its transcendent excellency with that which was lesse But here we are to take notice that as it is the efficacious way and appointed by God unto that high and happy end so it is the only meanes no other to be expected none else to be used directly in reference unto that end for as there is no name given under heaven whereby we can be saved but by the name of Christ so no other meanes to convey that salvation to us but by this Gospel of grace If any would be changed from evill to good Gospel grace must doe it if any would be freed from the evill One and owned by him that is only good Gospel grace must doe it if any would be freed from the mischiefe of sin and obtaine the blessing of Divine favour Gospel grace must doe it If any man would ascend up to heaven or descend down to hell or take the wings of the morning and fly into the utmost parts of the earth as Psal 139. 8. Either to escape Gods wrath or obtaine his favour any other way it were but all in vaine If any would try all the Mountebank Chyrurgery that Satan hath used in all the Ages of the world all his false Religions all the multitudes of his Hell-devised wayes of false worship all his strong delusions all his heartlesse except of seduced deceived hearts fruitlesse bootlesse ceremonies constitutions beggarly rudiments bodily exercises not warranted by the word of God to cure the festered wounds of their sin-polluted defiled consciences and that most industriously all their dayes they would but miserably all that time loose their own labour defeat their own hopes forsake their own mercy obstruct their own happinesse remedilesly plunge themselves into eternall misery So that by this men must be both sanctified and saved if at all and without this and besides this there is no other means to attaine the same All Gods brood of travellers have passed along in this roade till they came to appeare before God in the heavenly Zion and none can otherwise possibly attaine to that only desireable issue of their pilgrimage here upon earth I shall not here need to speak any thing of the freenesse of this now most necessary means in regard of men for there is neither necessitie of nature or of any coaction from creatures in respect of God but only the good pleasure of his most holy Will is the prime originall of all I need not touch upon the proportionablenesse of the meanes this only salve or Balsome so prepared by him to cure the souls wounds being every way fitted and suited for its soares I shall not need to insist upon the easinesse the amiablenesse the naturallnesse the familiarnesse of the way of dispencing and bestowing this Gospel grace I shall not need to insist upon the efficaciousnesse of this most gracious dispensation by the holy Ghost all which tend to demonstrate this particular that it is the excellent and only meanes to bring Gods people to the reall participation both of grace and glory here and here-after because under the former head we have touched upon divers things bordering upon these and we likewise study brevitie though here may be large and excellent matter for Christian meditation Only in a word I shall endeavour to touch upon the other branch namely that without this discovery of Gospel glory unto the soule grace would neither be rightly gracefull nor true glory truly glorious in the eyes of men even as such men who are guided by sense mainely live more like beasts than men like the mil-horse in his tract follow the desires of their own eyes and are led on by every vaine deludeing object and neither regard to know or pursue better things but wholly in a manner proceed to prostitute their reasonable souls to sensitive bruitish pleasures as if they were capable of no greater good and as those men that upon a better improvement of the like it may be a lesse and yet againe sometimes a greater abilitie are raised up to an higher attainment as many of the ancient Philosophers and Heathens Sages who by study contemplation and industry in the use of pertinent means attained to the discovery of an excellencie of morality in their kind which they called vertue wherein they did sometime seem to behold such lovelyness that it made them not only to commend it to others but deemed that men could not know the beauty and comliness of it and not be in love with it The like and much more we may say of the excellency of Gospel grace to such as obtain any competent discovery thereof O how are they inamoured with it How do their hearts run after it How highly do they prize it How earnestly do they pursue it How unwilling are they to part with it yea what high resolution do they take up not to part with it upon any termes they will buy the truth but not sell it as Pr. 23. 23. yea and rather to part with all besides then that but as on the other hand Morallists for all their discoveries and commendadations do not cannot prevail with sensual brutish persons to forsake their swinish lusts to love or like much less to pursue their vertues and yet those Sages knew the worth thereof to be incomparably above the other even so it is

fall by death into utter darknesse than to come to this light of life so that such as put this light from themselves or such as hinder and cloud it or hide it from others they must needs fall into a sad condemnation was there not only invincible ignorance but obstinacy prevalent upon the souls of men did they not willingly upon their own hearts and consciences Callum inducere draw such a brawnish hardnesse even to stand against the batteries which God many wayes makes against the strong holds of Satan therein so that they are not only Gospel-proofe but Law-proofe too so that neither the Boanerges or Barnabae the sons of thunder or the sons of consolation that are sent unto them can either pierce them or melt them bow them or break them but they will doe as they have done if they have made cakes for the Queene of heaven they will doe so still if they have served God out of custome more than conscience they will doe so still if they have added drunkennesse to thirst they will doe so still if they sacrificed upon the mountaines they will doe so still if they have hated such as beare the image of God upon them they will doe so still yea though the greatest and forciblest of Gods Ordinances play upon the Forts of their Hell-hardened Consciences they remaine impenetrable What cleare light hath shined long in this Nation above all her neighbours how hath God poured his Spirit remarkably upon many persons eminent amongst us for Divine endowments being greatly inlarged with the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit and as willing as able to improve their talents to their Masters advantage and the salvation of the soules of all sorts of people But if they come neere the soares of their soules how doe men kick and spurne against them then they are their enemies because they tell them the truth if they would take away the vaile of ignorance from before their eyes they will answer with the Pharisees those blind leaders of the blind that they see already and therefore as our Saviour told them so such likewise might be told therefore your sin remaineth if they would make them sencible of their lost estate they have good hearts and meanings and make many prayers and it may be if they were tryed through the whole Law of God as Christ tryed the young man in the Gospel they would be ready to plead for themselves not guiltie all these have we kept from our youth when their plea is as false as mistaken by them If Gospel grace be never so much discovered to them if the termes thereof be never so often and urgently pressed upon them they heare them not they receive them not they observe them not if Satan or men will offer any thing else vaine or foolish sencelesse or frivolous a little countenance from men a little ingagement in the world will prevaile for their seducement when Divine truth hath been little regarded for a long time in reference to their conversion as our Saviour told the Jewes when they would not regard his heavenly counsel If any shall come to them in his owne name him they would heare Joh 5. 43. And hath not Satan varieties of designes and agents to Eclypse or cloud or hide or even to guish if possible Gospel-glory now for many yeares brightly shining amongst us holding out varieties of strong and strange delusions sometimes really grosse and despicable to ordinary capacities sometimes more refined and seemingly more spirituall and appearing more neere to perfection and yet still wandering from the way of truth yea sometime to set up iniquirie by Law and to obstruct the most efficacious wayes and meanes to promote the advancement of Gospel glory Have there not been sad experiments of these things in our former and later Popish persecutions And let all reall and sound Christians earnestly pray there may not be any the like againe amongst us for shall we Question it That whilst with Capernaum we are lifted up unto heaven in Christs speciall approaches and intercourses amongst us so much neglected and opposed too by the generalities almost of men and women that we shall not be equally with her cast downe into Hell Let not any persons deceive themselves God is not mocked but as each man sowes so let him look to reape at his hands Mat 6. 7. If men weave the Spiders webs and hatch the Cockatrice eggs may they not justly expect that their webs should faile to become garments and that their eggs break forth into Vipers to sting or destroy themselves or others Isa 59. 5 6. Thirdly To admonish all good Christians as they desire to have much glory in heaven to labour much to behold the Gospel glory of the Lord in his Church upon earth and so to behold it as to be still more and more transformed into the same image yea in being so exercised heaven will more come down unto them and enter into their soules there will be such a glory as will make their souls truly delightfull comfortable happie such as they would not exchange or part with for the whole world let them be much taken up with the contemplation and admiration of such Gospel grace and glory and let their hearts and mouthes be filled with the high praises of God for it in all respects of the shining glory of it oh to what an height of divine excellency will it raise their spirits what large possession will it give the Lord the Spirit of their soules what earnest longings will it cause after more of the same grace what rejoycings and triumphings will it cause in the Lord of glory what resistance will it afford against worldly discouragements intanglements ingagements and all obstructions and oppositions whatsoever against it how will it sweeten troubles season every condition and administer unto them the oyle of joy even with the garments of heavinesse oh who would not drinke well of the wine of such sweet consolation to make them in ● good measure to forget their sorrow when by faith in the depth of sorrow they shall so see Christ a Saviour for them sitting gloriously and triumphantly at the right hand of God as Stephen did wonderfully while he was in stoning to death Acts 7. Fourthly Let this incite and stirre up all such as have any true spirituall discoveries of Gospel glory made unto their soules hence to learne spiritually to exult and triumph in the name of the Lord and in the power of his might and in the evidence of his divine grace for as our Saviour said unto his Disciples in another case the like may be said unto such Flesh and blood bath not revealed this unto their soules but the Lord the Spirit who is from heaven Doe not the Starres standing in the cleare aspect of the Sunne send forth their cleare and bright shining rayes in the view of the world Doth not the earth when it receives its seasonable and sweet showers and influences