Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	knowledge_n	sin_n	sin_v	2,885	5	9.7377	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33270	A brief and pithy treatise about comfort which Gods children have, or at least earnestly desire, and long after whilst they are in this world : together with the observations of comfort and the removal of them / by John Clark ...	Clark, John, 1630-1669.	1670 (1670)	Wing C4467; ESTC R11148	24,538	144

at present they do not easily discern in themselves it raiseth some doubts and fears in them which eclipse their former comfort and disturb their peace till by looking again over their former evidences they find no cause of continuing those new raised jealousies But the notes of difference that are assigned between true and counterfeit saving and common grace a child of God and an hypocrite do not seldom raise these jealousies which sometimes may be occasion of long discomfort yet I say they are but of short continuance 2. An other grand hindrance of comfort is a suspicion of the unpardonableness of their sins or at least of some particular sin which they imagine was committed with such aggravating circumstances as do exclude them from the benefit of the promises viz. that it was committed wilfully against their own light and knowledge and against the checks and reluctancy of their own conscience c. This cloud though sometimes at first appearance it seems but small yet in process of time it so overspreads and darkens the soul that it becomes the principle of dismall trouble and confusion specially when it grows as frequently it doth to an imagination that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost Then they throw off all offers of comfort from scripture and promises as easily as Sampson broke the new cords wherewith he was bound They give themselves up for reprobates and account the scriptures and blood of Christ to signifie no more to them than to the damned in hell This is a sad condition indeed and commonly proves to be such a stuborn and untractable distemper that the means applyed for cure seems rather to encrease than abate the distemper and indeed many times is not perfectly and throughly cured till in the end of their days God bring them within sight of heaven 3. Sometimes poor Christians though they look not upon their sins as in themselves unpardonable yet they think that their day of grace and the accepted time for them is already past and therefore that there is no room left them for hope This proceeds from the review of time past wherein they see how many tenders offers and opportunities they have neglected and how unprofitable and barren they have been under the plentiful means of Grace that they formerly have enjoyed especially if God seem now to have deprived them of those means and opportunities whence they conclude that God will wait upon them no longer but hath concluded them in a state of unbelief and reprobation and that therefore it is a vain thing for them to strive and hope any longer seeing that time past cannot be called again nor neglected opportunities be redeemed 4. To these may be added another froward distemper of mind wherein the heart refuseth and slighteth all comfort which comes not in by the way of assurance Hence it comes to pass that so long as they find not their corruptions so perfectly subdued and their graces heigthened to that degree as may be to them a sufficient ground of full assurance they are to themselves the authors of a very disconsolate condition which many times as it needs must proves to be of long continuance For conclusion of this part of my discourse I shall only add that outward troubles and a melancholy disposition of body and mind are sometimes if not the primary inlets of disconsolateess yet they are at least efectuall obstructors and excluders of that comfort which otherwise might be asweet refreshing to their souls For although God bestow upon some such a cheerful lightsome disposition as easily admits every beam of comfort and goes more lightly under the burden of afflictions yet are the souls of others so grosly darkened with that black distemper of melancholly so deeply pierced by the dint even of light afflictions that no indifferent cause of comfort will suffice to expel the blackness of the one or heal the wounds which are made by the other Thus I have briefly discovered what those things are which do not only hinder comfort but also produce augment continue those inward troubles which many of Gods people fall into and so rob them of those sweet consolations which are their present portion which their heavenly father hath assigned them for their support in the midst of those many discouragements which they meet withall in their holy pilgrimage towards the heavenly Jerusalem SECT IV. The Authors of a Christians trouble HAving now spoken of the immediate causes of a Christians trouble it will be very useful to say something before we pass any further concerning the Authors of these troubles 1. It appears in the forementioned particulars how much the blame lies upon themselves either through ignorance not knowing where to seek comfort or through error going in a wrong way or through weakness though the way be plain before them yet cannot they walk therein or else through wilfulness when they with the Psalmist refuse to be comforted although there be sufficient ground whereupon to stay their souls So that if they enjoy not that refreshing and reviving light of Gods counnance they may in a great measure thank themselves as authors of that evil Neither may we excuse the Devil who no doubt hath an hand to the utmost of his power in all the troubles and discomforts that befall any of Gods people Questionless his implacable malice doth drive him on with utmost fury to endeavour the destruction of Gods people and therefore it is not to be doubted but that if he cannot turn them out of the way to happiness yet he will make it as uncomfortable to them as he can If he cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus yet he will interpose betwixt their souls and the light of Gods countenance as much as he can This he attempteth either by temptation whereby he endeavoureth to draw them to the commission of those sins whereby he knows that God will be provoked to withdraw his comforts from them or else by casting in suspicions and blowing upon the fuel of their own home-bred misconceived jealousies concerning their state that thereby he may bring them to put from them those comforts that do of right belong to them and are held out by God in his word to them 3. But is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Surely in these as well as in all other afflictions God also hath his hand though in a far different kind from our selves and the Devil we foolishly the Devil maliciously but God most righteously and wisely yea and compassionately too Yet may we for the most part thank our selves for Gods having any hand in our discomforts so far forth as they are evil and afflictive for he doth not willingly grieve the children of men but we by our security presumption sloth worldliness or some other particular sin do provoke God to hide his face from us and to let loose our enemies upon us yea and to deliver us