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	pure_a	sprinkle_v	1,554	5	10.8871	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09999	The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in fiue sermons vpon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20251; ESTC S105990	87,396	182

coniugall affection vpon it that should be wholly the Lords this man is an vnholy man his heart is not holy ●…or it is not sequestred from other things and consecrated to him alone for that is to be holy And as the heart must be holy so must the prayer be holy When a man prayes to the Lord with respect vnto him and hath an eye vpon him and nothing else comes in to take away part of this prayer if by respect and worldly and carnall thoughts come in and set you on work to pray now these haue a portion and interest in your prayers they make your prayers pro●…e and common they are not peculiar to the Lord they are vnholy So that is the holinesse then in seeking the Lord when we are knit and wedded to him when one takes this resolution to him selfe I am the Lords servant and him will I serue I am not the servant of man nor of any creature I am married to the Lord and his will I be alone I will withdraw my heart from all things else So likewise when a man prayes so that his soule is intent vpon the Lord and vpon nothing besides when the whole streame of his affections are carried to him this is to seeke to him i●… holinesse this is to sanctifie the Lord in our hearts And lastly if there be any conscience of 〈◊〉 that phrase I finde vsed in Heb. 10 that is if there be an evill conscience if a man be conscious to himselfe of any sinne that is vnrepented of such a man cannot pray that makes him vnholy if there be any sinfull lust yet living in him that is vnmortified in him which is not washed away such a man is vnholy yea my Beloved the Saints themselues when they sin against God as you heard heretofore they are suspended from the covenant though they be within the covenant yet they are suspended from receiving the benefit by it that otherwise they might have till that sinne be washed away they are not holy A priest or one that was holy if hee touched any uncleane thing he remained vnholy till he was washed though otherwise he were holy habitualy vvholy dedicated to Gods service so it may be with those that are within the covenant though thou be a holy ●…an yet if thou touch pitch that is if thy heart be polluted with any sinne of one kinde or other as long as that remaines thou art vnholy If thou come now and seeke to the Lord you know wha●… the iudgement was in the olde law such a one was to be cut off from his people And therefore you shall finde this was the constant practise of the Saints when they sought the Lord for any speciall mercie they began with taking paines with their owne hearts with humbling themselues for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people as we know Daniel and Ezra and Davia in their prayers I neede not stand to giue you instances and indeed so should we alwayes when we come with any request and petition to the Lord. First let a man examine his heart and his life diligently looke backe to all his former wayes consider and goe through all the particulars see if there be any thing amisse if there bee any tincture of vncleannesse yet lying vpon him that is not yet washed away if there be any pollution any defilement of flesh or spirit and let him know that it is but labour lost it is but a provoking of the Lord to come as a man vnprepared to draw neere to him except hee be cleansed But you will say how shall we be clensed I answere you are clensed by renewing your repentance and sprinkling the blood of Christ when a man humbles himselfe for his sinne and entreth into covenant with God not to returne vnto it when hee makes his heart perfect and sincere with the Lord in that particular And secondly when he shall w●…thall belieue that it i●… forgiven through Christ when hee is sprinkled in his blood to wash ●…t away though thy sinne be great yet this will make thee pure now thou art washed as it is in the 1 Cor. 6. 9. Now you are washed now you are sanctified now you are iustified therefore let a man not be d●…scouraged in this case for I confesse there is nothing that giues such a checke to our prayers that giues so many stabb●…o them as it were that hinders vs in that duty as the conscience of sinne when a man remembers such and such a sinne he hath committed yet be not discouraged for the blood of Iesus Christ is able to wash them away Though a mans face be very fowle yet you know a basen of cleare water will wash it cleane and all the filth is gone now the blood of Christ is more effectuall to rench thy conscience and to purge it from dead workes to take away both the guilt of sinne and likewise the power and staine of it And therefore if thou haue any sinne labour to be washed from that that then thou maist come to the Lord having thy heart sprinkled from an evill conscience and thy body washed in pure water as it is Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere saith the Apostle in assurance of faith but how having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience as if he should say otherwise your drawing neere vvill be to no purpose you shall but provoke the Lord in dravving neere except you bee thus sprinkled and thus washed and thus purified I but you will say to me if this be required who shall be heard in his prayers for who can say his heart is pure and his hands are innocent and if this be required that we must lift vp holy and pure hearts or else we shall not be accepted what comfort shall we haue in calling vpon the Lord at any time To this I answere that to haue a pure heart is not to be free from sin and from da●…y failings for so indeed none should haue a pure heart but purenesse of heart holinesse of heart is to haue our hearts sprinkled from ●…n evill conscience and to haue our bo●…tes wash●…d with pure water that is to be purified before the Lord is nothing else but to haue such an habituall disposition which makes a man ready to wash himselfe still though hee be still spotted with sinne So that this is the disposition of a holy man if a man that drawes neere to the Lord with a pure heart though hee bee still spotted and polluted and defiled yet hee hath an habituall disposition hee hath a principle within hee hath a new nature within that is still working out that impurity and washing it away though still he he●…e opposed and assaulted tempted and sometimes foiled yet still hee resists it and fights against it as the Israelites had a charge never to make peace with Amalek such a disposition is in such a man he never makes peace with any

shooting by another that is when Sathan interrupts him when he is diligent to hinder him in such a dutie in this case God chargeth it not vpō him and doth not cast vs off nor reiect our pray ers because of that but on the other side when this wandring of minde shall rise from meere negligence on our part from profanesse from want of reverence because we doe not intend holy duties as we ought we come not to them with that conscionablenesse with that carefulnesse as we should doe in this case now it is a great sinne this moues the Lord to anger when we performe the duty in that manner when we doe not so much as set our selues about it with our strength but suffer our mindes to wander without any resistance Or secondly when we our selues be the cause of it by admitting of loose thoughts by suffering our selues to be worldly minded by suffering an indisposition to grow vpon vs and not labouring to resist it and cast it off againe You know when an instrument is out of tune if the lesson be never so good that is played vpon it yet it is vnpleasant because the instrument is out of tune and whose fault is that so when thou commest to God and sufferest thy heart to be distempered before and doest not looke to keepe it in order that i●… thy sinno as well as thy profanes and neglect in the very time of the performance and by this you may 〈◊〉 how to iudge of wandring thoughts in the performance of this duty and likewise you may see how to prevent them the way to prevent them is to keepe our hearts in tune before to haue them ready as the wise man hath his heart at his right hand that is he hath it ready when he hath it to vse When a man is to vse his horse he doth not suffer him to runne vp and downe in the pastures wildly but will haue him vnder bridle so we should keepe our hearts in frame that they may be ready to doe vs service in such a holy dutie when wee haue neede of them Secondly we must be diligent when we come to performe the duty that though our mindes doe wander yet we may be ready to recall them presently to set our selues to it with all diligence so much for answering of this first case The second case is what a man is to doe when hee findes a great indisposition to prayer such a dulnesse and deadnesse in him that hee knowes not how to goe about the duty and hee thinkes if hee doe it it were as good bee vndone To this I answere briefly that in all such cases a man is bound notwithstanding to performe it let his heart bee never so much out of temper let there be never so great a dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit vpon him yet hee is bound to doe it But you wil say why but I am altogether vnfit I answere that a man by setting himselfe vpon the worke shall gather a fitnesse though he were vnfit at the first you know members that are benummed yet by vsing them they get life and heate and come in the end to bee nimble enough so it is with the heart in this case when it is benummed the very vsing of it makes it fit for the duty You know wood though it bee greene yet if it be long blowed at the length it will be dry and take fire so it is with the heart a man may be long about getting it on the wing yet with much adoe he may doe it and therefore he ought to doe this duty in such a case yea so much the rather because there is never more neede of calling vpon God then at such a time for then a man lyes most exposed to temptation then if any sinne come he is ready to bee overtaken with it he is vnfit for any thing and therefore if ever he haue neede to call vpon God it is at that time But you will say it may be God will not accept it I answere briefly if a mans heart be so indisposed that when he hath done all he can yet hee can get no life hee can get no heate in the performance of such a duty yet God may accept that prayer as well as that which is most servent And that you may vnderstand this aright you must take it with this distinction This dulnesse and deadnesse in prayer it comes from one of these two causes One is when God withdrawes his owne spirit that is withdrawes not his spirit altogether for there may be a helpe when we perceiue it not but when hee withdrawes the liuelinesse and quicknesse of his spirit and in this case if wee doe our dutie if wee doe the best wee can the Lord doth accept it though hee hath not vouchsafed such inlargement of our hearts though hee haue not powred out his spirit vpon vs in the performance of the dutie as at other times but he giues a secret helpe that perhaps we feele not nor perhaps is so great as at other times yet I say when it ariseth from his owne withdrawing of that fitnesse we are not negligent but we doe our best in this case God accepts the will for the 〈◊〉 as wee haue often said to you that rule alway holds good when the impediment is such as we cannot remoue when the dulnesse of spirit is such as it is not in our power to remoue when wee haue vsed our vtmost diligence in that case it is no hindrance and therefore it is a great comfort vnto vs that we haue vsed our diligence in this duty when we haue vsed our best to quicken our hearts though it be not done yet God accepts our prayers as well as if they were performed in a more liuely and fervent manner The next case is what a man is to doe after he hath committed some great sinne after he hath wounded his conscience whether then not withstanding he must come keep his constāt course in prayer morning evening whether he shall be so bold as to come into Gods presence afte●… he hath so exceedingly offended him To this I answere that a man is bound notwithstanding any sinne that he hath committed be it what it will be to keepe his course constantly in prayer and not to omit it not to keepe off not to deferre it And my ground for it is because this is a duty it is a charge that God hath layed vpon all to pray continually that is at the least twice a day as we shewed before to keepe a constant course in it now it is certaine our failing in one thing must not excuse vs in another When the dute lyes on vs wee haue no dispensation to be negligent in it and therefore we are bound to doe it Againe consider this that a particular offence doth not offend so much

as if we grow strangers to God as if we grow to a generall rebellion against him As put the case a childe commits a great offence against his father yet if hee runne away from his fathers house and grow a stranger to him that is more then the particular offence for a generall rebellion must needs be more then the particular and to giue over calling vpon God to breake off that course to grow a stranger to him to runne away from his house and as it were to be ready to giue over all his ordinances a constant course of obedience to him this is a generall rebellion is worse then the particular yea such carriage after sin committed moues God to anger more then the sin it selfe as many times the contemptuous negligent rebellious carriage after an offence moues a mast●…r a husband or a parent more then the particular failing though it were exceeding great Besides consider when a man commits a great finne he makes a great gap in his conscience he makes a great breach there and will you haue that breach lye open is not that very dangerous is not that the way to bring in more ●…in and to suffer those good things that are in the heart to steale out I will giue you but one instance for this You see St. Peter when he had committed a great sinne in denying his master and forswearing of him too yet because he came in presently and repented and sought pardon as you know hee did you see hee was preserved from running into further arrerages for hee made vp the gappe hee made vp the breach We see on the other side when David had committed that sinne with Batb●…eba and did not come vnto God as he should haue done to keepe his constant course in sacrificing vnto him in repenting and renewing his repentance and praying to him you know how many sinnes he fell into and likewise that was the case of Salomon you know to what a height hee grew by not comming vnto God at his first failing and therefore I say there is reason that wee should doe it though the sinne bee great wee ought to come in and to keepe our course constantly But may I not stay till I bee more fitted till my heart bee more softened and more humbled Beloved to st●…y in this case is dangero●… for the heart commonly growes more hard in continuance the conscience is more tender immediately after the sinne is committed then it is afterwards and when thou stayest for more humility thou findest lesse and therefore while the wound is greene and when the fire hath taken newly holde it is then best to quench it before the wound be festered before it hath continued long for the heart will grow worse and worse as it is Heb 3. 12. Take heede that you be not hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne the meaning is this when thou committest a sinne you thinke if you stay a weeke or a fortnight or a moneth you shall come in as well as at the first no saith the Apostle while it is to day come in that is doe it presently for sinne will deceiue you it will harden your heart before you bee aware it will make a distance betweene God and you it will take you off from him it will leade you further on and therefore take heede that your hearts bee not hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that sinne doe not deceiue you and it will doe it before you thinke of it and therefore in this case you should doe as you doe with waters when waters breake out a little it is best to stop them presently if you suffer them they will make the breach greater till at length you be vnable to stop them so in this case when you have committed a great sin come in speedily But you will say what shall a man come into Gods presence who is most holy after he hath defiled himselfe with some great sinne is not this an vnreuerent thing I answer briefly it is very true if thou be bolde to come into Gods presence with the same d●…sposition wherewith the sinne was committed with a minde so fashioned and so framed in that case thou doest exceedingly provoke him this is a very high degree of pro●…unesse and therefore when we say thou must come in and keepe a constant course in prayer notwithstanding the meaning is you must come in with a disposition turned aside from your sinnes and brought home to God with a minde to abhorre that which is evill and to cleaue to that which is good there must bee this conversation of the minde to him thou must not come in with the same disposition that must be altered So much shall serue sor the answere to this case Another case is whether wee may vse a set forme of prayer and likewise whether it bee sufficient I need not say much to you for I thinke there is none here that doubt of it but that a set forme of prayer may be vsed you know Christ prescribed a forme you know there were certaine Psalmes that were prayers that were vsed constantly and therefore there is no doubt but that a set for me may be vsed wee haue that example for it And in the Church at all times in the primatiue times of the Church and all along to the beginning of the reformed ti●…es to Luther and Calvins 〈◊〉 ●…till in all times the Church had set formes they vsed and I know no obiection against it of weight One maine obiection is this That in stinted prayer the spirit is streightned when a man is tyed to a forme then he shall haue his spirit as it were bounden and limited that he cannot goe beyond that which is prescribed and therefore say they it is reason a man should be left to more libertie as he is in conceived prayers and not tyed to a strict forme To this I answere even those men that are against this and that vse this reason they doe the same thing daily in the congregation for when another prayes that is a set forme to him that heares it I say it is a forme to him for put that case that he that is a hearer that heares another pray suppose that his spirit bee more inlarged it is a straightning to him hee hath no libertie to goe out he is bound to keepe his minde intent vpon it and therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a man might not vse a set forme because the spirit is streightned a man should not heare another pray though it be a conceived prayer because in that case his spirit is limited it may be the hearer hath a larger heart a great deale then he that speakes and prayes so that there is a bounding and streightning and a limiting of the spirit And therefore that reason cannot be good Againe I answere though the spirit bee limited at that time

there is not onely a sense of the thing we want but also a hope of mercie a ground to beleeue that I shall haue the thing granted and out of this ground I am earnest and importunate now earnestnesse is a fruit of faith When Iesus Christ lived vpon earth when men came and cryed earnestly vnto him and were exceeding importunate some to be healed of their diseases some to haue devils cast out c. we see his answere was still to them be it to thee how not according to their importunity and fervencie but according to their faith as if he should say I heede not I regard not all this clamor and earnestnesse if they bee onely expressions of such wants if they be onely in the sense of such neede and no more but if they proceede from faith and that faith set you a worke to call vpon me Bee it vnto th●… according to that For indeede these two things make vp fervencie in prayer sense of neede and hope of mercie when a man hath faith and hope to increase his fervency and it ariseth from that ground as well as out of the other not that I exclude the other for it is a very great helpe and that which puts sticks on the fire as it were to make our fervencie the more I say from sense of our need when we consider seriously what want we haue and then adde this hope and faith when these two shall set you a worke this fervencie is a fruite of faith This is one caution that must be remembred Another caution is this that your fervencie be ioyned with sinceritie for a man may be fervent to obt●…ine such and such blessings as he may begg at ●…ds hand very earnestly hee may as●…e credit he may aske to haue guidance in such a businesse hee may aske wisdome to bring such an enterprise to passe hee may aske health and continuance of life but to what end if it be that he may bestow it vpon his lusts if it be that he may liue more deliciously that he may be some body more in the world that he may haue outward conveniences such as his flesh desires if this be all here this fervencie is ●…ot regarded not that these things are excluded for the Lord giues vs leaue to seeke out owne comforts and you may be earne●… and 〈◊〉 even for the comfort it selfe but yet all these if they be not capable of a further vse if that be not intended but the abuse of them and an intent to vse the●… another way the Lor●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is no tr●…e fervency and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. 1●… it is the exhortation of the Apo●…e be fer●… i●… spirit serving the Lord whe●… we m●…ny 〈◊〉 i●… may be are fervent in spirit ●…ving our sel●… we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a●…d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ends of our owne as when a man desires able gifts high gifts to get glory and to get wealth to himselfe and not to serue his master this is to aske the talent not for the masters vse but for his owne vse doe you thinke the Lord will heare such prayers can you expect it at his hands You shall see t●… contrary disposition in the Saints when they were earnest with the Lord for any thing sti●…l they expresse that to him and say Lord we desire not thi●… for our selues but for thy glorie that wee may vse it for some good purpose c. David when he was earnest for life when he was in sicknesse and doubted of his recoverie what argument doth he vse Lord saith he shalt thou haue glorie from the graue As if he should say if thou giue me life I will giue it thee againe I will improue it and husband it to thy advantage and not to mine owne And so Hannah when she was earnest for a sonne she makes this promise to the Lord that he shall be for him and his advantage shee would dedicate him to his vse and consecrate him to his service So Iacob when hee was earnest with the Lord to giue him meate drinke and clothes c. Lord saith hee if thou doe I will giue the tenth part to thee againe I say when the heart is thus disposed in our fervencie in our importunity when we aske any thing at the Lords hands that our conscience tells vs within that if wee had it wee would bestow it vpon the Lord we would not abuse it we would not spend it on our lusts it should not be to serue our selves but to serue the Lord withall then our 〈◊〉 is rightly ordered The next condition required is humility as lames 4. The Lord giues grace to the humble and 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people humble themselues and call vpon my name then will I heare in heaven and grant their requests And throughout the Scriptures you see that that is a condition that the Lord puts in every where hee hath respect to the low estate Is●… 66. 2. saith the Lord all these things haue my hands made looking vpon all the creatures the whole frame of them they are al good and I haue respect vnto them but saith he I regard not all these in comparison of an humble heart to him will I looke that is of an humble and contritespirit when the Lord lookes vpon our prayers if they come not from a broken heart they want that condition that he lookes for for he gives grace to the humble because such a man is little in his owne eyes and fit to be exalted fit to receiue a mercie at Gods hands You know it is a rule that the Lord keepes for those that are humble and low such hee exalts those that exalt themselues he puts downe Now when a man is little in his owne eyes that parvity that sense of his owne vnworthinesse is a prevailing argument with him and therefore Gen. 32. Iacob vseth that argument when hee comes to put up that petition to bee delivered from Esa●… Lord I am lesse then all thy merties that is take any of thy mercies and put them in one end of the ballance and p●…t me in the other and I am lesse then it and 〈◊〉 then it take●… the worth that is in me it is not heavie enough for the least mercio Now when hee was thus humbled and little and vile in his owne eyes the Lord bestowed that mercie on him hee was now fit to receiue it For David when the Lord sends him word by Natha●… that he would build him a house for ever you see how he expressed himselfe hee went into the house of the Lord and sate before him and said Lord what am I and what is my fathers house As if he should say I was taken out of the dust I was one of the meanest men of Israel and a man of no account of no worth and yet thou hast had respect vnto ●…e thus far not onely to make me King over thy