Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A12100
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Lectures or readings vpon the 6. verse of the 22. chapter of the Prouerbs concerning the vertuous education of youth: a treatise very necessary for all parents in this corrupt and declining age of the world.
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Shelford, Robert, 1562 or 3-1627.
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1602
(1602)
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STC 22401; ESTC S114782
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69,487
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141
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liued here vpon earth with vs. Here euery one may wash away all his sinnes bee they neuer so many and filthie This is that riuer of Iordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie and his flesh shall come vnto him againe like the flesh of a yong child And this is that poole of Bethesda where euery one may bee cured if hee wash lawfully of whatsoeuer disease hee hath Oh let vs blesse God for this fountaine of liuing waters 5. Fiftly if the law of God terrifie thee and threaten thee with the sentence of death and condemnation then appeale thou to the Gospel and to the law of faith this law is the law of life and is aboue the law of wrath and the law of death this law is like vnto the court of Chancerie which mitigateth the rigour of all other courts this is the law of mercie this is the new law which Christ brought with him from heauen and therfore he would not condemne the woman that was taken in adulterie here euen here thou maiest finde succour and reliefe whensoeuer thou art oppressed with the law of wrath if thou wilt appeale vnto it 6. Lastly whensoeuer the paines of hell catch hold vpon thee and the worme of conscience begin to gnaw within thee for some haue euen here in this life a taste of the torments of hell euen now I say after thou hast felt the sting if thou canst cast thine eyes vpoÌ the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus and looke vpon Gods mercie all thy horrour and feare shall presently flye from thee For hee is our redemption as the Apostle sayth Ephes. 1. By whom we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenes of our sins and being redeemed ioy and peace of conscience must needes followe Wherefore sayth the Apostle being iustified by faith wee haue peace towardes God They therefore that being not content with a moderate and lawfull sorrow for sinne will by no meanes be brought to receiue the comforts that Christ hath purchased with his most pretious bloud are as much to be blamed as mad meÌ and contemners of this blessed work of our redemption For what man except hee were mad when hee is redeemed from his prison would goe and chaine vp himselfe againe and bight his owne flesh and so be a prison vnto himselfe I know beloued if God would and if hee were willing with it wee should bee tormented with the sight of our sinnes and with a guiltie conscience continually if hee should streightly marke what were amisse in vs euery moment O Lord who should stand wee should fall vpon our sinnes and our sins should fall vpon vs and wee should both fall vnder Gods reuenging hand and then all comfort should flye from vs but the Lord beloued hee is a God of mercie he would not the death of a sinner as the Prophet Ezechiel teacheth in his 18. chapter I desire not the death of him that dyeth sayth the Lord God With God is mercie with God is ioy with God is comfort with God is light oh who would not embrace this mercifull and sweete God And on the contrary if we fall away from him and if we now neglect his bountiful mercie in offering his grace so freely to redeeme vs from al our sinnes and miseries then it cannot be auoyded but we must needes be whurled into the pit of desolations and one destruction shal follow another Now beloued seeing that wee know our owne miserie and that there is nothing in vs which is found as I haue alreadie shewed vnto you from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and soresful of corruption they haue not beene wrapped nor bound vp nor mollified with oyle within are horrible desolatioÌs without are terrors the sound of mightie iudgements and our destruction is like the ouerthrow of straungers oh why do we then sit still while we perish vtterly Is there no baulme at Gilead saith the Prophet Ieremy is there no mercie in God wherefore now beloued I witnes vnto you al here this day that the Lord is innocent from the death of you all and that if you will not lay hold vpon his mercie so freely proclaimed in your eares by the mouthes of his messengers your bloud shall bee vpon your owne heads for with God is mercie with God are all meanes of your saluation if you will sue vnto him for it Now you good fathers of families make these things knowne vnto your children that they may teach the same again vnto their children after them that God may haue the praise of his mercie through al ages and that all Israel may bee saued as it is written Make your houses little sanctuaries for Gods worship and bee telling of his louing kindnes from day to day let the mercie of God in Christ Iesus be as wel known to your familie as their meate and drinke be not ashamed to speake Christ Iesus because you cannot speake eloqueÌtly the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle telleth you standeth not in words and wisedome of men but in power euidence of the spirite the Lord open your mouthes and fill your hearts with all heauenly wisedom that you may be helpers of Gods ministers to build vp his temple with spiritual stones and that you may lay your children and seruants the polished corners thereof Now after you haue taught your children the remedie against their own miserie which is Gods mercie for there is no other helpe besides this whether we looke to the East or to the West to the North or to the South theÌ you must shew them also the meane whereby they may come by this and how this mercie of GOD may bee profitable vnto their soules This meane is the hand of faith and without this hand of faith Gods mercie shall profite vs nothing at all God is mercifull in deede yea his mercies are infinite they are a multitude of mercies as the Prophet Dauid speaketh but if thou hast not a hand of faith to lay hold vpon them Gods mercies abide still in himselfe and they shall nothing auaile thee For all the benefit of Christs Gospell is in the vse and application of it Christ is called Emmanuel that is to say God with vs. Alas beloued though God be neuer so good yet without vs he doth vs no good Wherefore wee must get vs faith to draw him into our hearts and this is as the hand that layeth the playster vpon the wound and euen as it little profiteth the wounded man to haue the best medicine lying by him except he had a hand to lay the playster vpon the sore euen so the mercies of God can doe vs small good except wee had a faith to applie them vnto our sinfull soules This then you see is a speciall poynt and therefore most carefully to bee called vpon yea this is euen as necessarie for the life of the soule as