Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A64974
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A warning given to secure sinners to prepare for judgement, to flee from wrath to come, and turn from all sin but especially the sin which does most easily beset them / by Nathanael Vincent ...
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Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing V424; ESTC R5754
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48,160
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81
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how transforming and satisfying is this sight Psal 17. ult As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness But the Damned are not never shall be admitted to such a View they are banished that glorious Presence where there is fulness of joy and where there are pleasures for evermore God has fixt a great gulph between himself and them and through that 't is impossible for them to pass Luk. 16. 26. 3. They in Hell are deprived of all hopes by a Mediator Our Lord tells us That he came not into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved and has given a large Commission to Preach the Gospel to offer that Grace and Salvation whereof he is the Author to every Creature Mark 16. 15. The Lord Jesus now encourages all to come to him that they may have rest to their Souls and life through his Name and them that come to him he will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. and when they refuse to come he expresses great sorrow he wept over Jerusalem because she knew not the time of her gracious Visitation But when Sinners have finn'd away the day of Grace and ended all their days on Earth and by their final Impenitency brought themselves to Hell then the same Chains are clapt on them in which the Reprobate Angels ly fetter'd and Christ will no more save them than these Oh dreadful to lose all hope in Jesus never to be called to come to him more Astonishingly scarful to be in a place where the glad tidings of the Gospel are never heard where the Spirit never strives and where the Redeemer never stretches forth an hand to save 4. They in Hell are deprived of the glory of the new Jerusalem 'T is a mighty loss to lose such a weighty thing as a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Suppose a Rich Man worth Millions should break and not be worth a Farthing suppose all the Kings and Emperors breathing should lose their Crowns in one day this would be but a petty Loss compared with the loss of a Crown of Life In Heaven there is such a Crown and the Damned might have had it if they had but valued it but alas that Crown they must never wear In Heaven there is a Kingdom where they in Hell must never reign When they see what they have lost and how foolishly wilfully and for the sake of what poor thing they lost it how will they be fill'd with Heart-tearing vexation and be quite overwhelmed with sorrow Luk. 13. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven and you your selves thrust out 2. As in Hell there is a Deprivation of good so there is an Infliction of evil pain and torment 1. There is in Hell great torment in the Conscience A wounded Conscience in this World has been found intolerable Spira he signifies that Racks Gibbets Flames of Martyrdom were nothing to what he felt and in a Pang of Despair attempts Self-murthering but being hindred he breaks out into Blasphemy I wish I were above God for I know he will not have Mercy on me here was Hells language in his Mouth and much of Hell-torment in his Heart Judas his Conscience was wounded could he bear it No he becomes his own Executioner with his own hand ends his Life and sends his Soul to his appointed place And yet the torment of Conscience in this World is but the Preoeludium the beginning of sorrows Every Conscience in Hell will be thoroughly awake and keep it self for ever waking it will be exactly sensible not a Sin that has been Committed all the life-time but will have made a Wound in the Conscience and not Wound but will be intolerably smarting without hope of any ease Conscience will be in a perpetual Agony in this Agony 't will rage and raging it will reproach the Damned It will tell them of their presumptuous sinning of their rejecting Christ their neglecting great Salvation and how all its checking of them was in vain And now 't is incurably wounded it can never be quiet but they shall always find it a tormented a tormenting Fury within them 2. There is in Hell not only torment in the Conscience but also torment in the Mind and Heart What rueful thoughts will posses their Minds whatever they think of will be torturing a pleasing a delightful thought can never enter into them more If they think of Sin it will be bitter to consider how they have been deceived and ruin'd by it If they think of their present Misery and the remedliness of it and that themselves had the greatest hand in bringing themselves into it these thoughts like daggers must needs pierce their Souls If they think of God Oh how will they be troubled how will his Justice Jealousie Fury Holiness Truth irresistible Power and Vnchangablenâ—ss terrifie them Thoughts on Earth were their Sins and Thoughts in Hell will be their Racks and Sorrows their Hearts will always be brim full of Grief Shame and Confusicn of face will add to their Misery when all their wickedness shall be known to all which will make the justness of their Punishment evident And how will they be tormented with Anger at the very heart and Indignation against themselves because though the Devil was their great Enemy yet they themselves were far greater Enemies to themselves than he 3. There will in Hell be torment in Sinners Mâ—mories I wish that none of you that hear me thiâ— day may in that place of Woe remember thâ— Warning now given you to your Confusion becausâ— you would not take it heark what was said Luâ— 16. 25. Son remember thou in thy life-time received thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now 〈◊〉 is comforted and thou art tormented Really the remembrance of what he had what he was and what he did on Earth was in Holl very tormenting to this wretched Rich Man. The Damned there will remember their delicious Fare and how sensual and bruitish they were in pleasing of their Appetites they will remember the time they spent in Adorning of themselves taking much Pains to dress and trick the Carkass but no Pains at all to purge the Heart they will remember their Feasts their Mirth their carnal Jollity which quite stupified their Hearts and banished all thoughts and care about another World and Eternity they will remember all the Mercies they enjoyed which they did nothing but abuse to their own harm as well as to the dishonour of that God who gave them Above all they will remember what Pains were taken to have prevented their Destruction The Lord was unwilling they should Perish but Death was that which themselves preferr'd before Life Oh how long did Christ come Sabbath after Sabbath and knock at the door
Confusion that a Redeemer does pronounce it 4. After the Judge has pass'd the Sentence Conscience will pronounce it over again and will be a Judge to the Wicked always condemning them Conscience will be filled with unspeakable remorse it will continually be upbraiding them with their madness and folly in keeping their Sins and losing their Souls and will ever be telling them that the Lords ways towards them are equal but their own ways according to which they are Judged have been unequal and full of Iniquity Ezek. 18. 29 30. The Conscience of Sinners will side with their Judge against them It will tell the most wretched among the Damned that they cannot complain of God or of the least injury he has done them all that they suffer they suffer justly and what they suffer they have brought upon themselves The horrible and perpetual remorse of Conscience will prove that the Worm never dies that does torment them 5. When Sinners come to be condemn'd at the last day how many things will rise up in judgment against them pray mind this and minding tremble and trembling turn to God this very instant Thousands of Mercies will come and as it were plead thus Lord we have been all abused we never met with any thing but abuses and never could lead these men to Repentance The Rods of Affliction will have a Voice against them too Lord we have stricken Sinners often we have made them Bleed and Groan and smart exceedingly for their Iniquities but could never make them leave off Sinning against Thee and against their own Souls How many Sermons will rise up in judgment against them because they either slept them away or if they were awake they suffer'd them to slip out of their Memories and never applyed them to their Hearts And as for us the Ministers of the Gospel our Testimony against them will be true and terrible Lord we lifted up our Voices like Trumpets we gave them the Watchmans Warning we told them of the Sword that was coming and that if they turned not from Sin it would surely slay them we wooed them to come to Jesus that under his Wing they might be secure but nothing would prevail their Ears were deaf their Hearts they hardened they would not be converted and made clean they would rush on in Sin still they would needs Dye and there was no helping it The Condemnation must needs be dreadful when so many things rise up against them that are condemned VSE IV. Of Consolation to the Saints I must speak to them in another strain Lift up your Heads and let your Hearts be filled with Joy all ye believing repenting humble holy heavenly-minded Ones for the Day of your Redemption draws nigh with an earnest expectation wait for it and Triumph at the Thoughts of your great and everlasting Jubilee You will indeed behold the greatest part of mankind turned into Hell but what Joy will it be to find your selves for ever safe and fully blessed A dark Shadow sets off a beautiful Picture The sight of the Rich man in Hell Flames must needs make Lazarus to find a greater sweetness in Abrahams Bosome Two Grounds of Consolation I shall propound to you and so conclude 1. He is to be your Judge that is your Husband and your Head. The very same whom you now find interceding for you in Prayer whom you see walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks and blessing his Ordinances to you The very same whom you have found pitying and healing your Wounds with his own Blood succouring you in your Temptations and telling you that you are the Beloved of his Soul And since he is to Judge you be comforted He will behold you with an aspect that is highly favourable His own Spouse whom he has ransomed with his own Life Christ will not turn into devouring Fire He will not take the Members of his own Body and throw them into everlasting Burnings Having Redeemed them by his Blood having renewed and Sanctified them by his Spirit having raised them up at the great day certainly he will receive them to himself and they shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17 18. wherefore be comforted with these words 2. You that are true Believers whose Faith purifies your Hearts and works by Love know that there is a Crown designed for you The Diadems that Monarchs have upon their Heads the Triple Crown of Him at Rome is but a Trifle to the Crown of life This Crown is purchased 't is promised 't is prepared and shortly you shall put it on and never put it off more How Splendid how Bright how Sparkling will that Crown be 'T is called a Crown of Life for Death shall be no more A Crown of Glory for the Saints shall be more than Conquerours and Triumphant over all Enemies and be advanced to the highest Honour and State whereof they are capable Finally 't is called a Crown of Righteousness 't is a Righteous thing with God to bestow it through Christ Jesus and perfect Righteousness and Purity will be a great part of the happiness of Saints in Glory This Crown the Apostle saw to his great encouragement and he would have all other Believers comforted with the same sight 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing MAT. 11. 23. Form. Part. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell Our Lord Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World But in this Lamb there is Wrath and that Wrath is very terrible Oh the weight of the Mediatours Vengeance This Wrath is threatned against the impenitent and unbelievers who refuse to be Saved from their Sins resolving to live tho they Dye in them The Light of the Gospel being neglected highly aggravates the Works of Darkness makes them more inexcusable and a greater provocation None shall fare worse at the Day of Judgment than those that have had the longest and the clearest day of Grace but would not know in that their day the things which belonged to their Peace Thou Capernaum which are exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell. These words which I have read do speak Christ's sorrow and his displeasure wherein you may take notice 1. Of the Persons with whom he is displeased Thou Capernaum the City is put for the Inhabitants of it 2. Here is the Reason of Christs displeasure they did not understand the great priviledge of being Exalted unto Heaven they did not improve the advantage they had of getting thither 3. Here is a Punishment threatned a sore evil and that is no less than Hell it self 4. Here is the manner specified of their going to Hell thou