Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	holy_a	sin_n	sin_v	2,051	5	9.4946	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69196	Foure sermons viz. 1. The blessednesse of peace-makers. 2. The aduancement of Gods children. Preached before the King. 3. The sinne against the holy Ghost. Preached at Pauls Crosse. 4. The Christian petitioner. Preached at Oxford on the Act Sunday. By Iohn Denison Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties Chaplaynes.	Denison, John, d. 1629.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Beati pacifici.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Sinne against the holy ghost plainly described.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Christian petitioner. Shewing how we must sue for reward and remission.	1620 (1620)	STC 6587; ESTC S120377	95,129	308

should be renewed by repentance Albeit affected ignorance is very lyable to the curse of God according to our Sauiours words Woe be to thee Corazin woe be to thee r Mat. 11.21 Bethsaida yet inflicted ignorance obtaines his conniuence as it is Act. 17. ſ Acts 17.30 The time of this ignorance God regarded not This circumstance doth much extenuate a sinne when a man may say for himselfe as the Lord said of Niniueh there are sixe score thousand persons that cannot discerne betwixt their right hand and t Ion. 4.11 their left And when a man can pleade for himselfe with Abimelech Lord wilt thou slea euen the righteous u Gen. 20.4 Nation as if he should say had wee knowne her to be his wife wee would neuer haue offered violence to him nor villanie to her And contrarily it doth much aggrauate the sinne when one can admire acknowledge and commend the graces of God in others yet be gracelesse himselfe When he is like the Athenians who knew what was good but would not doe x Athenienses scire quae c. Tul. de senect it and like the Scribes and Pharisees who had the key of heauen yet would not enter therein For as Saint Iames saith y Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe well and doth it not to him it is sinne that is sinne with a witnesse it is a sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a more eminent extraordinary manner then others As Bernard saith z Bern. in Cant. Serm. 36. Ac si diceret sumenti cibum at non digerenti perniciosum est As meate that is eaten and not digested so is knowledge receaued and not practised as the one breedes diseases in the body so the other brings destruction to the soule It was Adams great perfection that made his ruine so lamentable and the transcendent excellency of the Angels which made their sinne so damnable and their fall so vnrecouerable And no meruaile for it is absolute Iustice a Luke 12.47 that the seruant which knowes his Masters will and doth it not should be beaten with many stripes Saint Paul b Rom. 9. 10 speakes of the errours of the Iewes his Country-men with great compassion because they had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge But our Sauiour checks the wilfull blindnesse of the Pharisees with as great indignation telling them that if they were blinde they should haue no c Ioh. 9.39.41 sinne meaning not so haynous sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sinne remained that is it stuck close by them So that as Saloman saith d Eccles 1.18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow So may I say hee that increaseth knowledge and doth not vse it increaseth danger Men had need to consider what end they propound to their knowledge Some saith Bernard get knowledge Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 36. Et turpis quaestus est vt vendant that they may make merchandize of it and that is filthy gayne Some vt aedificent that they may edifie others and that is charitie Et charitas est Some vt aedificentur that themselues may be builded vp in grace Et prudentia est and that is wisedome And indeede it is great wisedome for a man to reape to himselfe the fruite of his owne knowledge and as great folly when he can teach another and not teach himselfe Rom. 2.21 Therefore Salomons counsell is good in this case e Pro. 5.15 Drinke thy water of thy Cisterne Hast thou a fountaine of knowledge to refresh others with the streames thereof yet thy selfe hast a thirsty soule and a barren life What an absurdity is this before men and danger in the sight of God O water and refresh thine owne soule make vse of the knowledge of the truth which thou hast receaued least after many gracious showers of instruction thy soule remaining bad and barren thou be exposed to the curse of God f Heb. 6.8 It had beene better for some not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse as Saint Peter saith then g 2 Pet. 2.21 after they had knowne it to turne from the holy Commandements giuen vnto them Had they not knowne then had their Audit beene more easie For behold where the Lord deliuers forth large talents of knowledge there he expects great reckonings of obedience to be brought in not looking for the like at their hands towards whom hee hath not beene such a bountifull Creditour This caused Peter when he taxed the people in the Temple for betraying and denying Christ in the presence of Pilate h Acts 3.17 not to leaue them comfortlesse in so hainous a crime but to giue them hope that they should obtaine remission and haue their sinnes put away at the time of the refreshing because they did it through ignorance This also was a staffe of comfort to Saint Paul whose cruelty towards the Saints and seruants of God was most extreame For hee was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor yea those outrages were prosecuted with violent fury and madnesse as himselfe ingenuously confesseth i Act 26.10.11 Yet these his mercilesse persecuting sinnes found mercy at Gods hands vpon his serious repentance as hee comfortably witnesseth k 1. Tim. 1.13 In a word this was the ground of our Sauiours prayer at the time of his passion l Luke 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe As though hee should say If they knew indeede that I am the Sonne of God and would offer me this indignity the Messiah and Sauiour of the world and yet would shew mee this cruelty the Lord of glorie and yet would crucifie mee I would neuer vouchsafe to open my mouth for them but now O Father for as much as these things haue not beene reuealed to the eye of their vnderstanding nor made euident to the view of their conscience vouchsafe them pardon and lay not this sinne to their charge The second bad Humour THE second bad Humour that feedes this mortall wound is willingnesse If we sinne willingly If the Pilote be not skilfull or carefull those that goe by Sea must needes sayle dangerously but if they also carry full sayle in the midst of a tempest they cannot choose but be ouerset Euen so it fareth with vs while wee flote in the sea of this present world If our vnderstanding which is our Pilote doe fayle vs after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth our case is dāgerous but if withall we giue our wills full sayle euery blast of Sathans temptations will be ready to sinke vs and this is the Apostles word here in this place If we sinne willingly which word implieth somewhat more then a simple and single will and importeth rather a resolute wilfulnesse So that this is not a mixt action wherein the sinner is partly willing partly vnwilling but an absolute resigning of that faculty for the performance

a sinner giues way to his owne corruptions and Sathans temptations hee becomes like the Image in Daniel i Dan. 2.45 whose head was gold his brest of siluer his belly of brasse his legs of iron his feete of clay thus doth he waxe worse and worse till at last as a stone cut out of a mountaine without hands smote the image and brake it in peeces So the iudgements of God not created in the beginning by the hand of God but cut out of the mountaine of mans transgressions doth beate him in peeces like a potters vessell For if our sinnes doe increase and come one in the necke of another like the messengers of Iob our punishments must needes follow like the plagues of Aegypt Therefore Woe be to them saith the Prophet that k Esa 5.18 draw iniquity in the cords of vanity and sinne as with cart-ropes Cordes are twisted of many small threds which seuerally haue very small force but vnited are very strong and so it commeth to passe that the threds of smaller sinnes being twisted by oft committing and drawne out by long continuance doe at last make this great gable of the sinne against the holy-Ghost wherewith the sinners hands and feete being bound He is cast into vtter darkenesse where is nothing l Mat. 22.13 but wayling and weeping and gnashing of teeth Be carefull to auoide the least sinne lest the same be an introduction to greater For as the Philistims came vpon Sampson and ouercame him by diuers insinuations first bound his hands then platted his hayre and at last shaued off his locks So doe sinne and Sathan winde themselues in by diuers inferiour temptations still proceeding and augmenting the same till the locks of grace be quite shaued off As it is said of Ninus Victores m Iustin 1. lib. 1 Quaeque sequentis victoriae causa fuit euery victory was the means of another conquest So euery smaller suggestion of Sathan becomes an instrument of a greater temptation Had king Dauid at the first beene perswaded to murder Vriah hee would haue said what murder Vriah my loyall subiect my faithfull seruant God forbid not for the one halfe of my kingdome Yet after that hee had sinned with Bathsheba adultry made way to cruelty Sinnes are like the sores of the body which at first are but vitious humours then tumours after that impostumate and at last become vncurable So the sores of sinne waxe greater and greater Mortem parit immortalem Chrys in Psal 6. Bern. de aduent Ser. 6. Et in Cant. Serm. 15. till they breede and bring eternall death And therefore Bernard doth very fitly call sinne morbum animae and mortem animae The soules sicknesse and the soules death Thus as robbers put some little villaine into the house which sets open the dores to all the theeues And as warriors by a smaller breach doe get into the besieged City and then doe rob and kill and burne and vtterly spoile it So doth the diuell get entrance and aduantage of men by some smaller sinne and preuaileth more and more till hee hath battered the foundation of their faith dispoyled them of the rich ornaments of grace and become euen Lord of the Soule If at any time you be cast downe by the temptations of the diuell as alas who can alwaies stand let him not keepe you downe That is good counsell of our Sauiour o Reu. 2.4 Remember whence thou art fallen repent and amend The prodigall childe is set forth a patterne to this purpose who p Luke 15 Ver. 18.21 said and did what he said that hee would rise and goe to his father confesse his sinnes and craue pardon for the same Redeat homo per quotidiana lamenta vnde corruit per vana delectamenta q Aug. de temp Ser. 182. saith Saint Austin Let a man returne by daily lamentations to that from whence hee is fallen by vaine delectations Repentance is the onely stay that holds vs from falling into hell Repent therefore and proportion your Repentance according to your sinnes like Manasses who hauing caused the streetes of Ierusalem to flow with blood made the prison in Babylon to runne with teares r Cyprian de Laps Ser. 5. Alto vulnere diligens medicina non desit saith Cyprian a deepe wound must haue a diligent cure Thus let euery sinner rayse vp himselfe by true and vnfayned Repentance lest his slippes of infirmity become the fall of Apostasie Take heede of backsliding reciduation in sinne is no lesse dangerous then a relapse in sicknesse The bone oft broken will hardly be set The tree that 's oft transplanted will scarcely prosper Hath Christ washed Å¿ Reuel 1.6 thee in his blood Cured thee with his stripes Esa 53.5 and healed thee with his wounds hath he paid thy debts cancelled the bond vpon the crosse and set thee vp being a t Col. 2.13 bankrupt in grace Returne not with the swine to wallow in thy filthy sinnes let not the diuell wound thee againe by fresh bleeding iniquities runne not into debt hy new transgressions Yea sinne no more lest a worse thing happen v Ioh. 5.14 to thee Thus all sinnes are carefully to be auoided yet some are more especially to be shunned as hauing a spice of this dangerous disease the sinne against the holy Ghost and some duties likewise are more especially to be practised as meanes and mithridates against that wofull euill Amongst many I will obserue some in both kindes It is dangerous to sinne against knowledge and more dangerous yet to sinne against the checks of conscience but most dangerous to sinne against the motions of Gods blessed spirit It is dangerous madnesse for the pilot to shut his eyes against the starres that should guide him And such is the case of all those who wilfully put out the light of knowledge and regard not the checks of conscience The Lord tels Israel in the second of Hosea I will stop thy way with thornes and so doth hee set the stings of conscience to stay the sinner if it be possible from his wicked courses and fearefull is the neglect thereof For he that regards not the cry of his sinnes to his conscience shall surely haue them crying to heauen against him for vengeance Take heede of scorning or vilifying the blessed word of God especially the Gospell of Peace When men shall be angry with the word 1 Reg. 22.8 as Ahab was with Michaiah because it reproues their corruptions it is with them as our Sauiour saith y Ioh. 3.19.20 They hate the light because their workes are euill and it argues their deformities that they cannot abide to looke into the glasse z Iam. 1.23 which discouers them When men doe thus disesteeme and shunne the Gospell of Christ it is a shrewd signe that the same is no pardon of theirs but rather their inditement There are some who haue scarce three sentences of Scripture yet of those they