Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A11604
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The sick souls salue. By William Sclater. Batchelar of Diuinity and minister of the word of God at Pitmister in Somerset
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Sclater, William, 1575-1626.
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1612
(1612)
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STC 21845; ESTC S116861
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21,761
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40
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or likely to afford them comfort and resolue what ever the prescription be to giue way to it in their practise a Luk. 3.12 14. what shall we doe say souldiers people all affrighted with Iohn Baptists thundring sermon b Act. 2.37 what must we do to be saved say the distressed Iewes c as if they had said prescribe what thou wilt be it never so harsh to flesh and blood never so crossing to profit pleasure reputatioÌ any thing we are resolved to do it that we may obtaine comfort that a castaway ever comes to so peremptory or steddy resolution thou shalt hardly finde 2 To a child of God c Iob 33.23.24 the Interpreter that one of a thousand that declares to a man thus perplexed Gods righteousnesse wil be for ever welcome d Rom. 10.15 his feet beautifull that brings the tidings of peace recoÌcilement with God Is it thus with an alien longer then he hath vse of a minister 3 The wound once felt makes for ever feareful to offend Gods childreÌ once scortcht with the flame of Gods wrath for ever e Heb. 12. vlt. dread that consuming fire from others whiles they are vpoÌ the rack we may hear soÌe good speeches seldome see performaÌce wheÌ Gods haÌd is removed 4 Such yee shall see wonderfull f Mat 5.3.7 compassionate towards others in like miserie what they haue felt themselues they caÌnot but commiserate pitie in others by experience of sorrowes they learne compassion 5 Such yee shall see of all others men of strictest practise and those little sinnes as some tearme them which others swallow without scruple they carefully fly from as odious in the sight of God More might bee annexed but this shall suffice for explaning the nature of this evil A wounded spirit The attribute followes which is intolerablenes Who can beare it that is to say none without speciall and extraordinary grace sustaining The intolerablenes of this evil I meane not at large to amplifie hearts that feele it easily acknowledge it and I am loath to multiply their feares those that never felt it till they feele will not beleeue Only take taske 1 by the fearefull extremities it hath driven many into g Mat. 27.5 Iudas was not alone in his discomfortable end but hath had alas for pitty and hath daily many followers h Iob. 2.4 skin for skin all that a maÌ hath he wil giue for life but life yea if it were teÌ thousand liues meÌ that feel this wouÌd in extremity with out hope of release wil prodigally cast away to be rid of this torture 2 The feares it affrights withall are strange i Prov. 28.1 They flie saith Salomon when none pursueth even k Levit. 26.37 at the noise of a leafe shaken tremble at their owne shadow yea are l Ier 20 4. a terror to themselues Affraid saith David and affrighted m Psal 53.5 where no feare is 3 Yea what extremities hath it brought Gods deare Saints vnto Iob the mirrour of patience yet vnder this cross so impatieÌt so vnlike himself that n Iob 6.8.9 he wisheth for death o Ps 77.8 9. David the maÌ after Gods own hart it draue if not to blasphemy yet to some thing neer of kin to blasphemy The like or greater might be instaÌced of others Heathens to expresse the horrour of it set it out in that fiction of hellish furies following the flagitious with burning firebrands and torturing with all extremities It may perhaps seeme strange this evill shoulde be so intollerable paines of the body many by fortitude haue outborne yea paines of fire some not only Martyrs but miscreants haue endured other griefes of the minde time or counsell or necessity or something digests What should be in this point of conscience to make the wouÌd so intolerable Respon There are in this evill two things eminent more then in other First whereas in all other afflictions man hath to doe with man or at worst with Devils in this man coÌflicteth immediatly with God himselfe fraile man with the Almighty God sinfull man with the holy God p Hab. 1.13 whose eies are pure and can endure no vncleane thing to stand before him that is in his wrath q Heb. 12.29 a consuming fire 2 Whereas in all other evils a man is still a friend to himselfe in this he is at warre with himselfe a scourge to himselfe r Ier. 20 4. a terrour to himselfe And whatsoever he is or hath all conspire to work his torture vnderstanding memory senses members whatsoever is within him with out him what he thinks of remembers sees hears all turnes to his torment and therefore no marvell if it be so intolerable To draw now to conclusion of these generals thus applying making vse of this attribute of intolerablenes given to this evill We haue a company of gallants in the world men for the present as Paule speakes Å¿ Eph. 4 19. past feeling and given over to worke wickednes even with greedinesse that laugh at the sheepishnes of Gods children who of scruple abstaine from idle yea from profane speech yea from lewdest and most vngracious actions oathes periury whoredome so do my bloud any thing alike to them heaven and hell God and Devill peace and trouble of conscience all are with them but fables They talke of Hell say they and torments thereof as preachers will haue them intolerable the t Mar. 9.43 44 worme never dies and the fire never goes out Now if this be al their hel the gnawing of a worme c. who would be so foolish as for it to barre himselfe of the pleasures of this life Now Lord that thou wert pleased to graÌt such Atheists but one houres sense of that worme which they so much scoffe at I am perswaded it s neither poverty nor prison nor sword nor fire nor any other torture but they would choose to make exchaÌge for it al the world said one once for a good conscience wonder we at the wish The wound of conscience saith Salomon who can beare Let vs all therefore be admonished to take heed how we wound conscience and bring on our selues this vnsufferable evill Of all blessings of God incident to this life pray for this the peace of a good coÌscience u Phil. 4 7. it passeth saith Paule all vnderstanding of all mischiefes keepe thy selfe from this a torturing and accusing conscience saith Salomon who can beare it Wouldest thou knowe what makes it It is sinne any sinne be it but a scruple or dram never so little it frets like poison in the bowels It may be indeed custome of sinning as a callum or brawny skin makes conscience senslesse for the time but that callum once removed no flesh so tender But especially beware of sinnes against Conscience that is sins against knowledge a and recoyled against by conscience these are the torturing sins indeed that racke conscience wheÌ God