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	sin_n	smite_v	1,347	5	9.5535	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48398	The life and death of Mr. Vavasor Powell, that faithful minister and confessor of Jesus Christ wherein his eminient conversion, laborious successful ministry, excellent conversation, confession of faith, worthy sayings, choice experiences, various sufferings, and other remarkable passages in his life and at his death are faithfully recorded for publick benefit : with some elogies and epitaphs by his friends.	Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.; Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1671 (1671)	Wing L2003; Wing B418_CANCELLED	114,187	204

first conviction upon me by another they were so much the more observable and as a second wedge clave my heart somewhat more made deeper entrance and caused further resolutions in me to seek to perform those particulars and to that end I began to read the Bible to pray often in private and to hear the strictest Preachers and to leave off my old Companions and to chuse others who professed Religion with whom I went to private and publick fasts held Christian conferences c. Upon further hearing concerning the old heart and body of corruption and that every man had some master and beloved sin and that there was a necessity of having the heart changed and corruption mortified and subdued the Lord shewed me hereby the sad and lost Estate my soul was in for want thereof and now the work of compunction and contrition began in me with many deep sighs and bitter tears self-loathing and self-abasing confessing of former sins sorrowing and judgeing my self for them and striving against them and seeking to kill them by long abstinence from Meat by much watchfulness by drinking cold water onely many Months together by tying up myself to eat so many bits of Meat and that of the coursest sort too at every meal some times six some times eight and twelve was a great meal with me and by this means I thought to overcome the Flesh and flying sometimes to the holy command of God against sin by which I found no other relief than a School-boy doth who complains to his Master against the hardness of his Lesson Rom. 7.9 for the Commandement came stirred and revived sin and so I began to dye and despair the Law telling me I was a condemned sinner the justice and terrours of God did seize upon my Conscience and the spirit of fear and bondage as the fruit of the Law and an effect of Gods wrath did bind me like a Prisoner to answer every breach of the Law Rom. 11.32 Not leading me to Christ but restraining me from him and shutting me up in unbelief And when sometimes through energy and earnestness of spirit in Prayer I called God Father had checks upon my Conscience for my over-confidence and presumption and to pacifie and silence this charge I was forced to confess my sin of misbelief or false faith and watch my tongue from uttering any such boldness for the time to come Thus finding no relief from the Law or command of God but the threats and Judgements thereof scorching whipping and wounding my soul I looked out for some suitable promise not any promise of Justification but of Sanctification as Ezek. 36.26.18 Mich. 7.19 That God would give a new heart and would subdue Iniquities So I fell a praying over these and the like promises but finding no answer of prayer my heart no more sanctified nor my corruptions subdued The next work at the instigation of Satan was to conclude that I had no right to any promise being out of Christ and that all my prayers were an abomination to God and so I began to question whether it was best for me to continue in prayer or to forbear But I was not long under that temptation considering that prayer was a moral duty and to be performed by all and that the sin of or in a duty should not make a man neglect his duty for upon the same account a man must leave plowing because the Scripture saith the Plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 Hereupon I purposed to be more diligent to get into Christ and to have a new heart that so I might perform my duty acceptably I also resolved to prepare my self more for prayer to search and keep my heart more carefully and closly in my duty to God and if vain thoughts hardness or streightness of my heart c. did prevaile then after the duty I had as the Apostle saith Heb. 10.2 conscience of sin or my conscience smiting condemning and disquieting me sending and driving me to prayer again immediately it may be twice thrice or oftner together yea making me often times to rise out of my bed several times in a night and forcing me on my bare knees on the cold floor as if that had been more pleasing to God But all this being done in my own strength under a covenant of works and to work a self righteousness both to please God and to pacifie my own conscience as it was unacceptable to God so unprofitable to me Then hearing that Christ was sent from and tendered by God his Father to sinners I thought of coming to Christ but durst not through a mistake in the meaning of some Scriptures as that invitation of Christ Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and those words Luke 19 10. I came to seek and to save that which was lost from whence I concluded that none were invited by Christ but those that are weary and heavy laden and such as see and feel their lost condition whereas it is meant that they in an especial manner are invited I concluded I was not yet fit nor qualified for Christ but must have a precious work wrought in me to that end I supposed a greater and clearer sight of sin was needful therefore I often and earnestly prayed that God would perform that promise Ezek. 6.9 They shall loath themselves for the evil they have committed in all their Abominations Yea I desired though not understanding what I said that God would let Satan appear in some shape to terrifie me that by that means I might see my danger so much the more to induce me to fly to Christ Hereupon Satan took advantage and opportunity and as he did formerly to Saul so he appeared several times and in several wayes to me as once like a house stood directly in my way with which sight I fell upon my face as dead and after a while crying unto the Lord I had a little strength by which I was enabled to go home but was thereupon sick several dayes after Another time being alone in my Chamber late at night at Prayer and the door shut I continued in Prayer till the Candle went out and as I went on I sensibly perceived a strong cold wind to blow my hair was like to Eliphaz Job 4.14 15. and had the same effect for it made the hair of my flesh to stand up and caused all my bones to shake and on the suddain I heard one walk about me trampling upon the Chamber floor as if it had been some heavie big man upon which I grew so fearful and unbelieving that I ran down shutting and hasping the door after me and called up some of the family telling them there was a thief in the room but it proved in the end to be no other than that spiritual thief and murderer Satan who did both then and at several other times greatly affright and terrifie me not onely by his secret workings in the conscience but

that you shall shortly reach Immortality but never Eternity Make Christ your all and you will be sure to lay down your self all Consider that when you are not assaulted with Temptaions Satan is damming and pounding and and he will suddenly draw up his Sluce and let loose upon you Satan doth not like God warn before he strike Christ work is Wages his Service perfect freedom The Love of the Master the sweetness of the Service and the greatness of the reward are sufficient incouragements to serve Christ A Christians security and safety is in doing his duty and he should study his duty more then his safety He that loves not Christ more then his Lust or his Life is like to lose Christ and his Life but he that loves Christ more then his Life shall be sure to save and keep both Strive greatly to have and to exercise a good Conscience towards God and Men and commit by Soul Life and Cause to the Lord and to ex●●ct the worst of Men and the best of Christ Christ is ●●●o the Soul as the Loadstone to the ●on drawing it to it self or the Cristial to the other ●tones putting Beauty and Lustre on them A Christian beholds Christ in the deepest Afflicti●n as well as in the most spiritual Ordinance Corruptions are like Worms in the Maw or Sto●ach which will eat through the Soul unless scat●red killed and purged out The only way some times for a Christian to avoid the force of Temptation is Souldier Like to fall down on his face when he sees the Cannon or Musket fired against him Make haste to do thy work Christian and God will make haste to give thee thy Wages Thou must dye once whether thou suffer or no and thou canst dye but once if thou suffer The sins of Saints are new sufferings to Jesus Christ and the sufferings of Saints are the Wounds of Christ Reading the Scriptures helps Meditation Meditation Prayer and Prayer every good work Men may come too late to God when the Door is shut but God never comes too late to Men. Let the Child be contented to take the Breast the Mother will give it and then it shall have both so be contented with what Christ gives you and you shall want nothing To see the want of Grace is much the worth of Grace more T is hard to get Grace hard to get assurance of Grace hard to use it and not abuse it T is very hard to behold our own Gift without Pride and the Gifts of others if they excel ours without Envy Do not commend thy Freind nor discommend thy Foe too much least thou be judged to be partial He commands most and best that commads in Love Humility and Self-denyingly He hath not learned to rule that hath not learning●ed to obey An even through Paced Self-fearing Heart melt-Christian is always best The world is a great nothing deluding the bad disturbing and distracting the good Satan works more upon men by sleight then by might avoid his cunning and thou wilt avoid his cruelty Hypocrites Hearts are like stinking Ponds wherein Frogs live and Fish dye Lusts feed and Grace if it were there starves The Devil is like the Turkycock or Crocodile if you turn upon him he will fly from you but you fly from him he will pursue you It is better sometimes to sleight the Devil then to fight him Thoughts of our own death will tend much to deaden sin God hath set the Tongue between the Brains and Heart that it may advice with both and within two Guards to keep it in and yet it is unruly Prayer is a good preparative to suffering when Christ had prayed he went out to meet Judas Ioh. 18.4 Ruffling opinion sowing and Church railing Persons and Professors have commonly more Self then Grace It is the duty of a Christian to suppress and search himself when he doth not know Evil by himself Christ and Sin are most magnified in the Eyes of Believers in their afflictions but in a different manner and to a different end and then Christ is most desired and Sin most dispised A Christian should earnestly desire that his sin might sit in a white Cloud and that he might go out of the World as a Perfume and not as a Snuff The holy Law of God teaches a Man to see his own Deformity and requires from him a Conformity Sin is like a sleepy Lion in the Soul which Temptation soon awakens Christ puts most of his Oyle in broken Vessels in broken Hearts there is most Grace and best kept The less a man strives for himself the more will Christ strive for him Oh my Soul look for death hourly long for it greatly prepare for it carefully meet and welcome it joyfully for it is Christs part to direct his Spouse the Soul to him and thy Freind that comes to set thee at liberty from thy sins discharge thee from thy P●ison dismiss thee from thy Debts and bring thee at once to enjoy all thy desires Oh Lord as a sign that I shall be able to dye for thee let me find my Corruption dying in me by power from thee He that will not take Example shall make an Example Afflictions are Christs Love Tokens Jer. 12.7 Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.9 and Christians are never more tendred then when most afflicted as Ephraim Jer. 31.20 A Christians Soul should be like the Dial going according to the Sun or following Christ Small sins yeilded too make way for greater and one sin for another He that converts a Sinner covers a world or multitude of sins and gains more then a World to wit a Soul Saints should labour to Lord it over their Corruptions as their Corruptions did formerly Lord it over them God hath given a Man a little Mouth and a narrow Throat that Man may not exced in eating To take pains about unnecessary and unprofitable things is laboriously to mispend time Zeal without Knowledge to guide it is like mettle in a blind Horse which stumbles and overthrows the Rider Young Christians commonly want a Curb and old Christians a Spur. Be not ambitions of Love and thou shalt not be so soon an object of Envy It is good to curb natural and acquired Gifts but to give the Reins to Grace and let alwayes Grace lead rule and master Gifts A Heart unconverted is contended with nothing but what is helping it unto Hell and it hath never enough of that very sin and the Heart converted is never satisfied but with what helps it towards Heaven and yet thinks he hath never enough thereof viz. Christ and Grace Welcome thou thy Landlord Christ into thy Cottage now and he will welcome thee into thy Palace hereafter Get Christ and Christian to bind thy Conscience to the peace and thy Affections and Flesh to the good behaviour Spend all thy Grace against thy Lust but none for it Thy hardest duty in Christianity is to deny self and to destroy sin As the Martyr

that I resolve some things I have not power to do This day I learned in the morning three things 1. His coming into the World 2. His walking before and living in this world rightly 3. His departure out of this world also this day in the Evening the Lord shewed me kindness in some degree and I had the consideration of the state to others upon my heart yet I was convinced that I wanted more softness of Heart Though this day was somewhat painful to my body yet I had some refreshing thereon to my Soul for 1. I observed out of Heb. 12.16 Encouragement to suffer also inquiries into Beleive●s building upon the true Foundation from Math. 7.24 withal many comforts from Christs carriage between his Resurrection and Ascention from this day to the 29. I observed not much save that my heart was in an ordinary Frame not much elivated in good nor cast down with evil God moved my heart to praise him for his mercy the night before and indeed it was worthy of praise and I found a very great encouragement in my spirit to the Lord for it this day I received divers Letters from my Freinds in the Country which were very refreshing and the Lord came very seasonable into my Soul through many expressions in Psal 91. It pleased the Lord this day to draw forth and to inlarge my heart much in Prayer with many tears and from the 1. Kings and Ier. 50.20 To comfort me much in respect of the p●●●●n of sin also to consider four Lessons 1. To be think my self more of the sins I had committed 2. To confess th●m more sensibly 3. To turn from them more effectually 4. To look upon it as a work of Christ a it was to the Preists under the Law to cleanse the Sanctuary either the Churches of God of the hearts o● his People 2. Chron. 29.16 This day did God tenderly afflict me in my head yet wonderfully whilst I was at Prayer removed it I perceived it in the midle of Pr●yer departing from me I heard also from Christians in the Country which much refreshed me I observed two comfortable words from Ier. 50.33.34 51.53 For the Church of God and methought according to that Scripture Psal 102.14 I had some pleasure in the Stones and did favour the dust of Z●on and from Hos 8. I observed son Lessons 1. To take heed of leaving to take heed to the Lo d especially in an evil time 2. Of short repentance 3. Of being a Vessel of no delight in Goes sight 4. Of being giving up to sin Being the Lords day I think I may say it was a sweet day to my Soul in ●ivers ●espects This day was good to the outward man but I sound a carnal rickling of self conceitedness in some thing I had done and was doing and I was convinced that my time stole away insensible I observed that the Character of bad profession are out of Hos 10. are 1. To bring forth Fruit unto themselves 2. To have a divided Heart 3. To be worse by affliction 4. To have the evil of evil verse 14. This day I would ever remember because of my great folly in my great frowardness towards my Wife and another my Conscience reproved me for it and I was convinced from Prov. 14.17.29 What evil I did thereby Being a day of Prayer I found my heart by Gods goodness much enlarged sorrowing much for the faults of the former day I learned from Exek 10. Three duties 1. To know the time 2. To redeem it and 3. To consider how soon it may be at an end Being the day my Wife went to W. I found an inclina●ion in me to ●owardness but God restrained it and I found that Evening a continued sence and sorrow of and for my former evil I learned from Eccles 11. 1. That a man should hasten to do what good he can because of the evil that is coming upon the Earth 2. Put away evil from my Flesh This day and night following I was much troubled with temptations out of Eccles 12. I observed many things that should move to mind their mortality and that there is a time when the days will be so evil that they will not be desired also in the 9. 10. it is said twice that the Preacher sought out 1. Matter 2. Words This day I had power to repulse temptation also a consideration that the blessed and righteous man 1. Doth not go in sin presumptuosly 2. Nor continue in sin carelesly nor 3. Give way to sin con●ivingly I also considered that God in affliction doth no more to a Child of his then the Angel did to Peter Acts the 5. Smite him to awake him out of Sleep Being the Lords day I was refreshed in the morning with the presence and spirit of God in Prayer and from the consideration of the wisdome watchfulness and inweariedness of Satan in deceiving and tempting I should learn to be watch ul and careful in keeping from the same The following Week my Book being from me I did not write my observations only I remember that upon the s●atch day I had comforts both by power I had against temptations and from a Letter I had which came from several Freinds in Wales Also the last day of the week I found my heart much intent upon preaching and with tears I did both study my Sermon and pray for a blessing thereon yet had not liberty to preach it Also the following week wherein I was in wards I had not my Book only I remember 1. That I was well contented with my condition 2. Very cheerful and comfortable 3. Had a greater mind to do good 4. Free from temptation 5. Resolved to let the Lord himself bring me out in his time and way 6. When I came out was stird up to praise the Lord yet was not without temptations afterwards Some Lessons that I hope I have learned or gained more experience in since my imprisonment 1. To be more sober and serious in my carriage and to shun and loath more jesting jearing and foolish laughter vain speaking and unbeseeming behaviour 2. To prize secresie or being in secret for private Meditation Self-examination and Prayer more then before 3. I have gained more power against passion and anger besides some other corruptions and more moderation in discoursing with men of differing judgements 4. A very great and earnest desire that there may be a general Union between the Saints of God at least a forbearance towards one and other wherein they cannot agree 5. And especially a Heart really to pray for and to pardon my worst and greatest Persecutors 6. To justifie God willingly and fully in all that he hath done and to acknowledge that it is not without cause nor so much as mine iniquityes have deserved God dealing with me under the Covenant of Grace and as a Father 7. To look more at the good and gain I have received from the Lord in and by sufferings then