Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	2,525	5	10.8527	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14923	The soules progresse to the celestiall Canaan, or heavenly Jerusalem By way of godly meditation, and holy contemplation: accompanied with divers learned exhortations, and pithy perswasions, tending to Christianity and humanity. Divided into two parts. The first part treateth of the divine essence, quality and nature of God, and his holy attributs: and of the creation, fall, state, death, and misery of an unregenerated man, both in this life and in the world to come: put for the whole scope of the Old Testament. The second part is put for the summe and compendium of the Gospell, and treateth of the Incarnation, Nativity, words, works, and sufferings of Christ, and of the happinesse and blessednesse of a godly man in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ. Collected out of the Scriptures, and out of the writings of the ancient fathers of the primitive Church, and other orthodoxall divines: by John Welles, of Beccles in the County of Suffolk.	Welles, John, of Beccles.	1639 (1639)	STC 25231; ESTC S119607	276,075	406

and hid himselfe from Gods presence If therefore wee compare his sin to the Commandements of the Law wee shall find it to be a direct breach of some and a consequent breach of all For Gods first Commandement saith Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no other Gods but mee Adams sin by the eating of the forbidden fruit by the temptation and perswasion of the divell doth contradict the Commandement of God and saith Nay but my wife and I will both be gods Gen. 3.5 Againe Caine the second man he committed murther and thereby directly broke the sixt Commandement which when God and his conscience made him to understand Gen. 4.8 hee made a most desperate acknowledgement of his sin Vers 13. so that the Law being nothing but a reasonable duty which the creature oweth to his Creator there was therefore a generall knowledge of this Law in the reasonable nature of man at his creation and so to the succession of them of the old world unto the time that the Law was given to Moses by the ordinance of Angels Gal. 3.19 the old world then from Adam to Moses were not lawlesse and free from the service of the Law but had the law of nature for their direction which being grounded upon reason was even the very same with the law of the ten Commandements and the law of the ten Commandements before it was given to Moses was in the ages before going commonly transgressed and that law did both judge and condemne them the which law God gave man when he gave him his nature every man having the knowledge of this law in the naturall use of his reason This was the state of the old world before Moses all sinned and all were judged by the law of nature Now when iniquity began to raigne and be strong in the hearts of men and that their conscience became senslesse of sin neither would they admonish and judge their transgressions then God thought convenient to publish to mankinde this law binding the consciences of men to a strict and dutifull observation of every particular statute of the law Baruch 4.1 denouncing the judgement of condemnation to all them that transgresse against the least breach and particular of those Commandements A second reason why God ordained the Law Reason 2 was that men might rightly understand themselves and thereby know in what degree of holinesse they were because that men are often partiall in their owne judgement and willingly blinde themselves in the view of their owne calamities wherefore then serveth the Law Gal. 3.19 it was added because of transgressions that by the Law men might know wherein they have transgressed A third reason of the ordination of the Law is Reason 3 to provoke men to endeavour themselves with all diligence in a holy course to travell in godly exercise and to avoid both evill actions and idlenesse the Law giving every man sufficient matter of imployments wherein he is bound to spend his houres 4. Esd 9.31 his daies nay his life in the carefull service of his God For behold I sow my Law in you that it may bring forth fruit in you and that yee may be honoured by it for ever Fourthly the reason that the Law was given Reason 4 is that by the severity thereof we might be disciplined and made fit for the mercy of the Gospell for the judgement of the Law will humble us make us understand our misery Gal. 3.24 and provoke us to implore mercy for by the documents and directions of the Law wee are led to salvation in Jesus Christ wherefore the Law is our Schoolemaster to teach and bring us to Christ that wee might be made righteous by faith in him Lastly the Law was given for the glory and Majesty of God that all the world might judge of his infinite mercy to mankind In this respect that notwithstanding all men are judged and condemned by the law of nature and by the Law of his Commandements yet in the greatnesse of his love hee is content to forgive the trespasse and the judgement therefore due unto mankind Gods admirable mercy and finally to entertaine these transgressors his enemies into the bosome of his mercy giving them Mercy in stead of Justice and eternall life Rom. 5.20 when they deserved death and damnation 21. Moreover the Law entered thereupon that the offence should abound neverthelesse Where Sinne abounded there Grace abounded much more that as Sinne had raigned unto death so might Grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord and this is an admirable degree of love in God that he will decline or lay by his Majesty and to miserable wretched nay sinfull creatures exercise his Mercy in restoring and advancing us that have so highly offended his Majesty and abounded in transgressions for these causes was the Law given and delivered to man Deut. 27.26 The matter of the Commandements God thereby commanding every mans absolute obedience upon forfeiture of his soule to the paines of everlasting condemnation In the Law of the ten Commandements is to be considered the substance which is the matter of the Law and the circumstance which is the manner of the delivering it The matter is contained in ten Commandements the first foure teacheth us directly our duty to God the six last our duties to our neighbour In the manner of giving the Law we may principally consider these circumstances First the principall giver of the Law God Secondly the servants attending this office the Angels Thirdly to whom it was given to Moses Fourthly for whom it was given for the children of Israel who were then the people of God and by consequence to every people that professe themselves the servants of God these are the maine particulars in the circumstance of giving the Law First Exod. 20.1 Exo. 19.18 c. God was the principall authour of this worke to give it countenance and authority for who dare quarrell his worke and the operation of his hands therefore did God himselfe speake all the words of the Commandements he also spake in a fearefull and terrible manner to gaine the businesse a fearefull estimation Vers 9. he spoke in the hearing of the people that they might know it was Gods owne act and to prevent the distrust they might have in his servant Moses Secondly the Angels attend this holy service to declare the most excellent Majesty of God who in all his occasions is served and attended by an infinite number of that excellent nature Againe the Angels were there because they are most desirous of the good of mankind Heb. 1.14 Luke 15.7 10. and doe willingly attend the service of our salvation having joy among themselves in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner they were also to be witnesses betweene God and his people that the covenants might remaine established for ever therefore S. Paul saith The Law was ordained by the

us enquire for him at the mercy of his Father let us enquire at his owne righteousnesse let us seeke him in his holy sufferings let us seeke him at the crosse of his death and when wee have there found him let us expose our griefe and implore his favour let us shew him what the Law hath done unto us what wounds and how dangerous it hath given our soules How to implore his favour let us therefore confesse our sins and professe our faith let us also promise to correct the errors of our life let us carefully endeavour every circumstance he hath commanded us and being thus rectified in our resolution let us reach our particular hand of faith to our salvation How to apprehend Christ apprehend him and apply him to our wounded conscience and by this blessed meanes satisfie the justice of the Law and restore our soules Of the purity of Conscience IN every thing thou takest in hand have a care of thy conscience if the Divell incites thee to any sin stand in feare of thy conscience for thy conscience within thee condemneth thee if thou art afraid to sin in the presence of men let thy conscience much more deterre thee from sinning the inward testimony of thy conscience is of more efficacy then the testimony of men for though thy sins could escape the accusation of all men yet can they never escape the inward witnesse of thy conscience Reve. 20.12 the register of thy conscience shall bee in the number of those bookes that shall be opened at the day of judgement the conscience is a great volumne in which all things are written by the finger of truth The damned cannot deny their sinnes at the day of judgement because they shall bee convinced by the testimony of their owne conscience they cannot flie from the accusation of their sinnes because the tribunall of the conscience is at home and with them a pure conscience is the cleare glasse of the soule in which she manifestly beholds God and her selfe this booke of thy conscience should indeed be written according to the copy of the booke of life Christs Gospell is the booke of life Reve. 13.4 Phil. 4.3 let the profession of thy faith be conformed according to the rule of Christs doctrine and let the course of thy life be conformed according to the rule of Christs life thy conscience cannot but bee good if there be purity in thy heart truth in thy tongue and honesty in thy actions these will avoide the judgement of thy conscience in which one and the same shall bee both defendant and plaintife witnesse judge tormentor scourge and executioner what escape can there be where it is the witnesse that accuseth thee and where nothing can be hid from him that judgeth thee what doth it profit thee to live in all abundance and plenty and to be tormented with the whip of conscience the fountaine of mans felicity and misery is in his minde what then doth it profit a man in a burning feaver to lie in a bed of gold what doth it profit a man to enjoy all outward felicity and to be tormented with the firebrands of an ill conscience as much as we regard everlasting salvation so much let us regard our conscience for if wee have not a good conscience we have not faith and if we have not faith we have not the grace of God and if wee have not the grace of God how can wee hope for everlasting life as the judgement of thy conscience is such judgement thou mayst expect from Christ Sinne whilst it is in the action doth blind the minde and like a thicke cloud doth obscure the brightnesse of true judgement but at length the conscience is roused and gnaweth more grievously then any accuser There are three judgements the judgement of the world the judgement of thy selfe and the judgement of God and as thou canst not escape the judgement of God neither canst thou escape the judgement of thy selfe although thou mayst sometime escape the judgement of the world nothing can hinder thy conscience from seeing all thy actions What excuse then can save thee when thy conscience within thee doth accuse thee Note the peace of conscience is the beginning of everlasting life for by Gods judgement and thine owne thou shalt be either saved or fall everlastingly the conscience is immortall as the soule is immortall and the punishment of hell shall torment the damned as long as the accusation of conscience shall endure no externall fire doth so affect the body as the inward fire doth inflame the conscience the soule tormented is eternall and so is the fire of conscience eternall no outward scourge is so grievous to the body as these whips of conscience are unto the soule Avoid therefore the guilt of sinne that so thou mayst avoyd the torment of conscience blot out thy sinnes out of the booke of thy conscience by true and hearty repentance that they be not brought forth and read at the day of judgement against thee that so thou mayst avoyd the feare of Gods dreadfull sentence against thee mortifie the worme of conscience by the heat of devotion that it doe not devour thee and beget eternall horrour extinguish the heate of this inward fire by the teares of repentance 2 Tim. 4.7 that so thou mayst attaine to the joyes of heavenly happinesse Grant O Lord that we may fight this good fight keeping faith and a good conscience that at length we may come safe and sound into our heavenly Countrey to our eternall joy and endlesse comfort Of the accusation of Conscience EVery man that would prevent the dreadfull danger of Gods generall judgement must in this life while he hath time arrest his owne soule examine his particular actions and by the evidence of his conscience judge himselfe and his transgressions against the Law of God 1 Pet. 4.17 Prov. 11.3 c. for as Gods judgement doth begin at his owne house because his principall care is for his owne the Elect so should men judge themselves and have principall care to examine their owne particulars and as Saint Paul saith When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 32. because wee should not bee condemned with the world So likewise we must judge our selves lest we be condemned with the world for as the Israelites because they wanted judges became idolaters Iudges 17.6 Eccle. 18.19 so our lives when they are not examined and judged by our consciences wee become remisse disobedient idolatrous and desperately runne on with licentious and lawlesse appetite in the common and curious committing of sinne And this necessary judging of our selves is well knowne to our reasonable soules who when we have committed sinne provoke our conscience to accuse and judge us as if without this judging of our selves wee could not prevent the judgement of God By judging of our selves we prevent the heavy judgement of God the manner

this is when men give themselves over to commit sin with affectation and greedy appetite and oppresse their conscience with the multitude of their committings so that such conscience doth not remember us our sins for the outragious conscience in the Reprobate is when the conscience of the Reprobate hath for a time beene silenced and hath given the sinner an unchaste liberty in his ungodlinesse yet so as that once apprehending the knowledge of his sin and knowing the state of condemnation wherein it is it breaketh out into violence which wanting moderation urgeth the sinne● to execute upon himselfe some desperate vengeance such was the conscience of Judas the traitor which slept all the time hee was plotting and practising his treason but when his sinne was brought into act then his conscience though evill did upbraid his sin with such violence as made the griefe unsupportable and the traitor not able to indure the torment of his conscience thought as Caine that his sin was greater then the mercy of God and so despairing of mercy he desperately hanged himselfe Mat. 27.3 4 5. such is the conscience of the Reprobate their conscience is sleepy and doth reprove but seldome yet when it doth reprove it is then most terrible and without all comfort and though conscience in this life never afflict for sin but seeme senslesse and dead in its appointed offices yet in the day of judgement Rev. 20.12 when the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened then will their consciences that in this life have beene most silent be most loud and terrible in their accusations denouncing judgement Wisd 17.9 10 11. and inflicting a greater torment on the soule then the damned can have patience to beare this is both the office and end of an evill conscience A good conscience Now the conscience of the childe of grace is in full opposition to the conscience of the Reprobate for when God shall please to call his servants to the knowledge of themselves How God moveth the conscience and to a detestation of their sin the grace of his holy spirit moveth in the hearts of such and first awaketh the conscience and giveth it sense to understand the calamity of the soule and spirit to reprove and admonish it in needfull directions and this grace of God giving the conscience sence to understand sinne and spirit to reprove it is the first degree of our reformation and a preparation to our spirituall conversion God himselfe being the prime and principall author thereof When God doth stirre our conscience it continueth that holy motion to our reformation for when our conscience is once touched with this godly desire to examine the errors of our life God doth not then leave us but giveth us assistance continually to finish that needfull care without despaire without fainting the conscience being once instructed by grace understandeth that the soule is in danger of Gods judgement this knowledge causeth a desire in the soule to examine the particulars of our life then doth it compare our severall actions The manner how a good conscience worketh with the severall duties of the Law and thereby is made manifest the many and great defects and transgressions of our life and that therefore our soules and bodies are guilty and stand in the danger of condemnation From this knowledge doth arise the griefe of a wounded conscience for the statute Law of God condemning us for the trespasse of our lives The cause of the griefe of conscience the conscience then whose office is to excuse or accuse upbraideth our sinne and denouncing the judgement of the Law against us which is eternall damnation neither can we free our soules from these extremities untill God who is the judge of all the world shall please to offer mercy and the benefit of his cleargy which is nothing else but the story of the meritorious sufferings of Jesus Christ the Lambe of God which is in spirituall characters upon the crosse of his death and this booke being the testament and writ with the blood of Christ the most righteous God presents to all the world all the world in respect of themselves being guilty and condemned by the Law doth promise remission of sinnes How to quiet the trouble of ● grieved conscience a generall pardon to all them that with their eyes or faith shall be seene and read in the booke of life and apprehend and apply Jesus Christ the contents thereof to their salvation Thus and but thus it is possible to quiet the trouble of a grieved conscience the conscience being never satisfied for sinne before the justice of God be satisfied by the apprehensive righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 and therefore saith Saint Paul Being then justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ for before we can live to God wee must die to our selves neither is there a spirituall regeneration where there is not first a spirituall mortification and where grace would enter sinne must avoyd for he that would follow Christ must deny himselfe therefore let no man presume to apprehend the mystery of the righteousnesse of the Crosse of Christ before hee hath reformed his actions quieted the clamour of his conscience and utterly denyed the strength of his owne nature for how shall hee beare the Crosse of Christ No man can be able to apprehend Christ before his conscience hath thus prepared him that is laden with his owne infirmities or how shall hee be benefited by the promise of the Gospell that doth not first judge himselfe by the Commandements of the Law for hee that knoweth not his disease seeketh no physicke and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This doth admonish all men carefully to watch the behaviour of their lives Revel 20.12 for if the conscience of every man be a book wherein is writ the records of all his actions good and bad and that seeing this booke must be read at the day of judgement in the audience of all the world before God and his Angels and Saints what manner of men ought all to be in godly conversation This ought to move in every one a double care First that they avoyd carefully all ungodlinesse both in thought and action whereby they may suffer disgrace before God and all his creatures at the generall day of judgement when the booke of their conscience shall bee opened to every ones eye Secondly it doth perswade a diligence in all godly exercise and that all men contend with a holy emulation to exceede in godly actions whereby they may receive applause and generall reputation in the generall assembly of God and all creatures for as in earthly affaires men covet most desirously to gaine reputation and a generall good name There is no ambition lawfull but the covetous desire of heaven because it argueth an extraordinary degree of desert in him that hath

and I shall speake and let the earth heare the words of my mouth for I will publish the name of the Lord and ascribe honour unto our God Acts 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoever amongst you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent Psalm 34. Come yee children and hearken unto mee and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. O praise the Lord with mee and let us magnifie his name together A perfect Table to finde readily all the branches contained and treated of in the first and second Part of this Booke OF the Essence of God what God is in his Essence and how he is to be understood in his holy attributes so farre as he hath revealed himselfe in holy Scripture for otherwise no man is able to define what God is page 1 Of the majesty greatnesse and quality of God page 19 Of divine directions declaring the variable state and misery of man from the time of his creation to the time of the Gospel or the new Covenant of Grace page 30 Of the creation of the world page 34 Of the Angels their nature their office their fall page 40 Of man his first beginning page 51 Of the state of mans innnocency before his fall page 58 Of originall sin the fall and apostacy of man page 64 Of the Divells trecheries and how to prevent him page 74 Of the morall law of God the ten commandements page 77 Of the purity of conscience page 89 Of the accusations of conscience page 91 To avoyd security page 102 Of the knowledge of mans corruption and state of misery in this world and the miserable state and condition in the life to come without we be renovated by Christ. page 105 Of the meditation of the misery of the body and soule in this life page 109 Of the meditation of the misery of man after death which is the fulnesse of cursednesse page 116 Of the meditations of the grievousnesse of the torments of Hell p. 120 The Branches contained in the second part of this Booke OF the Covenant of the Gospell or the Covenant of grace pag. 127 Of the incarnation of the word Christ pag. 141 Of Christs Nativity pag. 150 Of Christ Iesus the summe or compendium of the Gospell pag. 154 Of the Crosse of Christ and his holy sufferings for our sins pag. 164 Of repentance or sorrow of the soule for sinne pag. 168 Of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper pag. 182 Of the Lords Supper the institution of Christ pag. 184 Of the preparation to the receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Iesus Christ pag. 199 Of the ordinance of Christ concerning the translation of the holy and blessed Sabbath pag. 205 Of Christs ascension pag. 208 Of the comming of the holy Ghost pag. 210 Of the love of God pag. 213 Of the properties of Charity and true love to our Christian brethren pag. 217 Of Gods eternall election and predestination pag. 222 Of mortification pag. 234 Of Regeneration pag. 246 Of Sanctification pag. 255 Of Justification pag. 262 Of Faith pag. 267 Of Hope pag. 294 Of Patience pag. 301 Of Prayer pag. 313 Of Afflictions pag. 326 Of generall rules directing a Christian in a godly life pag. 336 Of Gods glory pag. 347 Of the uncertainety of mans life and the expectation of death pag. 351 Of temporary death and of the severall state of salvation and damnation pag. 355 Of a sweet contemplation of the beatificall joyes of Heaven and of heavenly things and the blessed state of a regenerated Christian pag. 364 The Conclusion pag. 373 Esay 40.3 A Voice cryeth in the Wildernesse of this wicked world prepare the way of the Lord make straight the path of our God in the Desert Esay 58.1 Cry now as loud as thou canst leave not off lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet and shew my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes Psal 36.1 My heart sheweth me the wickednesse of the ungodly that there is no feare of God before his eyes Vers 4. He imagineth mischiefe upon his bed and hath set himselfe in no good way neither doth he abhorre any thing that is evill Esay 59.2 3 4. But your mis deeds have separated you from your God and your sinnes hid his face from you that he heareth you not for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with unrighteousnesse your lips speake leasing and your tongues set forth wickednesse no man regardeth righteousnesse and no man judgeth truely every man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceit conceiveth weaknesse and bringeth forth evill Vers 7. Their feet run to evill and they make hast to shed innocent blood their counsels are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their waies Ierem. 9.8 Their tongues are like sharpe arrowes to speake deceit with their mouth they speake peaceably to their neighbour but privily they lay waite for him And like as a net is full of birds so are their houses full of that which they have gotten with falshood and deceit Ier. 5.27.28 hereof commeth their great substance and riches hereof are they fat and wealthy and are more mischievous then any other they minister not the law they make no end of the fatherlesse cause yea they judge not the poore according to equity They are corrupt Psal 53.2 4. and become abominable in their doings there is not one that doth good no not one For though they can say the Lord liveth yet they sweare to deceive Ier. 5.2 Their throate is an open sepulchre Psal 14.5 with their tongues have they deceived the poyson of aspes is under their lips Their mouthes are full of cursings and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed blood Vers 6. For when ye have stollen Ier. 7.9 murdered committed adultery and perjury when yee have offered unto Baal following strange and unknowne gods shall ye be punished Have they no knowledge that they are all such workers of mischiefe Psal 14.7 8. eating up my people as it were bread destruction and unhappinesse is in their waies and the way of peace have they not knowne Should I not punish these things Ier. 5.29 saith the Lord should I not be revenged of all such people as these be Heare thou earth also behold I will cause a plague to come upon this people Ier. 6.19 even the fruit of their owne imaginations for that they have not beene obedient unto my words and to my law but abhorred them Psal 28.4 5. Reward them according to their deeds and according to the wickednesse of their owne inventions recompence them after the works of their hands and pay them that they have deserved Eccles 8.11 Because now that evill workes are not hastily punished the heart of man giveth himselfe over unto wickednesse Esay 5.14 Therefore gapeth hell marvellous wide

that as he hath performed the Law in all sincerity and righteousnesse so we should endeavour a strict imitation of his vertuous doings for such faith only hath the benefit of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ as is proved by the testimony of holy life Workes the testimony of faith and hath the witnesse of vertuous living therefore it doth needfully behove all men carefully to endeavour in the exercise of the Law of God for though no man can be justified by the workes of the Law so no man can declare and approve himselfe to be justified but by the workes of the Law for it is God that doth justifie effectually faith doth justifie apprehendingly and good workes doe justifie declaringly Againe By the Law we may judge our selves the knowledge of the Law of God may give every man a true understanding of the state of his life whereby to know in what condition hee standeth whether in the favour or displeasure of Almighty God for the Law is the revealed Will of God to which all men owe conformity upon paine of grievous forfeit and therefore whosoever shall examine the behaviour of his life and compare his severall committings and omittings with the duties of the Law for all ought so to doe shall be well able to understand and judge himselfe The Law a patterne to a Christian life for the Law is the patterne of our lives to which wee ought to square our actions So then when wee find a dissimilitude betwixt the Law and our lives we cannot but judge our selves to be disobedient and rebellious to God and his Lawes and consequently to forfeit our soules to the state of damnation This judgement ought to cause humiliation in all men and so it will in them that God shall make gracious who when they know themselves to be in the disease of sin How the Law doth humble us and that the Law doth wound their consciences with guiltinesse and that themselves have a naturall pronenesse rather to cause then to cure their infirmities this maketh them to deny themselves and their owne power which is but weaknesse and with humblenesse to resort to the mercy and merits of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and the Physician of our soules Christ the Physician of our soules who only hath beene able to satisfie the justice of the Law and who onely hath beene able to worke the Redemption of mankinde and to repossesse them of Gods favour who had lost it by their transgressions and this our Redeemer hath done by assuming our nature Christ hath fulfilled the Law for us that could not bearing our sins satisfying our contempts and finishing our neglects who in our nature hath fulfilled the Law for us that could not who hath triumphed over sin and made conquest of hell and by his death hath slaine death which but for him had seized our soules into everlasting condemnation Thus will the knowledge of the Law admonish us and thus it will remember us This knowledge presents our soules with matter of serious meditation wherein wee may have a full view of the miserable condition of our life what strength is in our nature what endeavour in our actions for when wee finde an impossibility of our dutifull and strict obedience to the Law wee shall then acknowledge our defects and the corruption of our nature when we examine the particulars of our life and compare them with our duties we shall acknowledge the neglect of our endeavours and that wee have failed not onely in the maine performance of the Law of God which our nature could not performe but in our desires and carefull endeavours to doe well The effects in the Reprobate issuing from the meditation of the Law which our nature might And from this meditation doth necessarily follow one of these two effects in the Reprobate and gracelesse it causeth desperation and a hopelesse distrust of their salvation for when the divell and their consciences expose before them the justice of God the severity of his Law and the infinite measure of their offence the extreme terror and sense of their wickednesse doe so confound their understandings that often they execute upon themselves torment and death despising and despairing of the mercy of Jesus Christ in whom if they had reposed trust The effect of grace in the Regenerate believed and apprehended his righteousnesse their sins had not beene imputed neither had their soules perished But in the children of grace this meditation doth produce a contrary effect for when they by the Law understand the misery whereinto their sins have brought them it causeth in them a wonderfull degree of feare but not desperate for though the divell presents their sinnes in most ugly formes and urge them to a desperate apprehension yet the Spirit of God in thē doth withstand this temptation God supporteth the Elect against temptation and giveth them holy motions to devise the meanes of their salvation presenting them in their spirituall sorrowes with the mercy and merits of Jesus Christ then giving them grace to understand the mysterie of his death and the promise of the imputation of his righteousnesse which when the grieved sinner understandeth he allayeth and mitigateth his sorrow and affieth in the mediation and merits of Jesus Christ his Redeemer The divers effects of the Law Thus the Law produceth contrary effects in contrary spirits it damneth the Reprobate without hope it condemneth the Elect but not damneth them but instructeth and giveth him hope them it judgeth without mercy these it teacheth admonisheth and bringeth them unto Christ therefore though the Law condemne us Resolution let it not condemne our hope for though wee cannot our selves performe the righteousnesse of the Law yet there is one hath done it for us our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ in whom let us confidently repose our hope and respire new life The worke of Faith because we know that his righteousnesse is ours by imputation and that our sins were nailed upon his crosse and suffered death with him when he wrought our redemption Let us therefore enlarge our love without limits to this our Saviour who for our salvation hath beene pleased to undergoe so great a travell Let us admire the admirable degree of his love that for our sakes did descend from his Majesty to take and dignifie the basenesse of our nature Christ hath freed us from the judgement of the Law let us with unspeakable joy meditate his most holy sufferings whereby we are released from the condemnation of the Law let us despise our selves and our owne righteousnesse and apprehend him the onely staffe of our confidence let us never despaire because we know our Redeemer liveth the hope of our salvation but in all the extremities of our life and in all the sorrowes of our conscience To whom repentant sinners should resort let us resort to Jesus Christ the Physician of our soules let

it so in contending for this spirituall garland Heaven it cannot but be an extraordinary degree of content and spirituall pleasure to be named in the ranke of best deservers And as malefactors that suffer publique punishment for their offence esteeme the shame more then the paine of their corrections so ought all men to feare the shame they must endure The booke of conscience cannot be defaced but onely by the precious blood of Christ when their conscience disgraceth them before so great a presence as will be at the generall day of judgement For let all men be perswaded that all their faults are so written in the booke of their conscience that there is no meanes to obscure their knowledge and to raze them out neither will the conscience though it bee our owne bee corrupted to connive and dissemble with God but even to our owne faces it will produce all our sinnes whose memory is not blotted out by the righteous blood of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God 1 Pet. 3.21 and seeing the witnesse of our conscience is the evidence whereby wee are all judged either to life or death wee all ought most carefully to avoyd the doing of ought that may offend our consciences Not to offend our conscience but rather to live in feare and awe of conscience because our eternall state dependeth upon the report and accusation of our owne conscience This ought to prevent all unconscionable actions in us and to move a dread in us to have a detestation of every sin because when we have committed sinnes wee have hired so many witnesses against our owne soules to urge our eternall condemnation The silent conscience will be most terrible and loud at the day of judgement Customary sinning duls the sence of conscience Lastly seeing that that conscience which in this life is most silent will notwithstanding at the day of judgement bee most terrible and clamorous it admonisheth all men not to rebell against their conscience and to runne on without checke in the committing of sinne but rather to yeeld themselves to the correction of their conscience left by their customary sinning they dull the sence of conscience and so runne on the race of all unlawfulnesse for though the reproofe of conscience bee very terrible to him that rightly understands it yet ought it to bee carefully apprehended and respected as a moving cause to reformation and repentance and let no man incourage himselfe with common example that because the common sway of mens actions respect greatnesse more then goodnesse and craft more then conscience that this can warrant any ones imitation but rather wheresoever we see unconscionable dealing if in our friends wee ought to admonish them and tell them of their fault if in our enemies we must hate the sin but pity the sinner and labour if it be possible The office of charity his conversion but not his imitation and this direction is both wisedome and charity for he that is wise shall be armed and not harmed by ill example and he that is charitable will doe all the good he can and wish the good he cannot doe Let us therefore constantly endeavour to reduce to memory the severall actions of our life past let us then compare them to the duty of our conscience Good conscience is in hatred with sin and thereby understand in what degree of sinne we are what our conscience shall approve let us continue what it condemneth let us hate be it our pleasure be it our profit be it our neerest or our dearest sin if our conscience call it sin let us despise it let there be nothing shall make us alter or suspend this resolution let us be constant in the love of conscience what we have done amisse let us reforme it by conscience what we have to doe let our conscience judge it lawfull before wee doe it if our conscience presents us profit let us despise it if it be not honest if pleasure and not lawfull let us loath it let us undertake no action nor entertaine no favour but by the direction of conscience in every judgement and in all our actions To consult with conscience let us consult and be led by the rule and voyce of conscience if the world commend a sin and our conscience condemne it let us condemne the world and commend our conscience let us credit our conscience more then common example because our conscience must judge us and not example if our conscience accuseth us secretly of sin wee shall certainly know there is cause let us not silence our conscience from all reproofe let us only avoid the cause of reproofe sin and that carefully when our conscience shall urge us the Law our sins and the condemnation of the Law we have deserved let us not despise our conscience nor despaire mercy but direct our hearts and our eyes of faith to Jesus Christ the strength of our salvation Rom. 5.1 by whose favour wee shall both satisfie the Law and our conscience the hope and comfort we have in his righteousnesse will quiet the trouble of our conscience and hee that hath reconciled God and us will also reconcile us to our conscience Conscience that did accuse will comfort and make it that was our accuser our comforter This direction I propose to my selfe and doe perswade all men as I propose and purpose that in all our actions and consultations we judge nothing convenient that is not lawfull and nothing may be thought lawfull but that which hath the warrant of a good conscience To avoid Security COnsider thou devout soule what a matter it is to be saved and thou shalt easily shake off all security at no time and in no place is there security neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the world Genes 3.17 An Angell fell in the presence of the divinity and Adam fell in the place of pleasure Adam was created after the Image of God and notwithstanding hee was deceived by the trecheries of the divell Solomon was the wisest of men 1 King 3.12 and 11.3 and yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. Judas was in the Schoole of our Saviour and did every day heare the saving Word of that chiefe Doctor Luk. 22.3 and yet was hee not safe from the snares of Satan hee was plunged headlong into the pit of covetousnesse and desperation and so into the pit of perpetuall punishment David was a man according to Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and was unto the Lord a most deare sonne and by murther and adultery 2 Sam. 12.6 7. hee became the sonne of death Where then and when is there security in this life Relie with an assured confidence of heart upon the promises of God and thou shalt be safe from the invasions of the divell There is no security in this life but in the life to come there is no securi●● in this life but

doting vanities and take a view with mee of thy dolefull miseries which duly surveyed and truly considered I doubt not but that thou wilt conclude with mee that it is farre better never to have natures being then not to bee by grace a practitioner of religious piety consider therefore the miseries in thy life and first of thy infancie Of the wretchednesse of man being conceived in sinne brought forth in uncleannesse and his dayes miserable What wast thou being an infant but a bruit and a lumpe of sinfull flesh conceived in the shape of man and thy body conceived in the heate of lust the secret of shame and staine of originall sinne and thus wast thou cast naked upon the earth all imbrued in the blood of filthinesse filthy indeed so that thy mother was ashamed to let thee know the manner thereof What cause then hast thou to boast thy birth which was a cursed paine to thy mother and to thy sel●e the entrance into a dangerous and troublesome life the greatnesse of which miseries because thou couldest not expresse in words thou didst shew forth as well as thou couldst in weeping teares Secondly of the miseries of thy youth What wast thou in thy youth but like a wild and untamed beast all whose actions are rash and rude not capable of any good counsell when it is given thee and Ape-like delighting in nothing but toyes and baubles foolish and vaine things therefore thou no sooner begannest to have a little strength and discretion but forthwith thou wast kept under the rod of correction by feare of parents and masters as if thou hadst beene borne to live alwaies in subjection and discipline of others rather than to be at the disposition of thine owne will no tyred horse was ever more willing to be rid of his burthen then thou wast to get out of the servile state of this bondage Thirdly the miseries of manhood What is mans state but a sea wherein as waves one trouble ariseth in the necke of another the latter worse than the former no sooner didst thou enter into the affaires of the world but thou wast enwrapped about with a cloud of miseries The miserable state condition of man in his midle-age thy flesh provokes thee to lust the world allures thee to pleasure and the divell tempts thee to all manner of sinnes feare of enemies affrights thee suits in law doe vexe thee wrongs of ill neighbours doe oppresse thee cares of wife and children doe consume thee and disquietnesse twixt open foes and false friends doe in a manner confound thee finne stings thee within Satan layes snares before thee within thy conscience accuseth thee thy sinnes past dogge behind thee now adversity on the left hand frets thee anon prosperity on thy right hand flatters thee over thy head Gods vengeance due to thy sinne is ready to fall upon thee 2 Cor. 11 25 c. and under thy feet hell mouth is ready to swallow thee up and in this miserable estate whither wilt thou goe for rest and comfort the house is full of cares the field full of toyles the Countrey of rudenesse the City of factions the Court full of envie the Church full of sects the Sea of Pirats the Land of robbers that thou canst be no where safe or free from danger or in what state wilt thou live in seeing wealth is envied and poverty contemned wit is distrusted and simplicity is derided superstition is mocked and religion is suspected vice is advanced and vertue is disgraced Oh! with what a body of sinne and misery art thou compassed about in a world of wickednesse what are thine eyes but windowes to behold vanities what are thine cares but flood-gates to let in streames of iniquity what are thy senses but matches to give fire to thy lusts what is thy heart but the anvill whereon Satan hath forged the ugly shape of all leud affections Art thou Nobly descended thou must put thy selfe in perill of forraigne warres to get the reputation of earthly honour oft times hazzard thy selfe in a desperate combate to avoyd the aspersion of a coward Art thou borne in meane estate Lord what paine and drudgery must thou endure both at home and abroad to get thee maintenance and all perhaps scarce sufficient to relieve thy necessity and to supply thy want and when after much travell service and labour a man hath got something how little certainety is there in that which is gotten seeing thou seest by daily experience that hee who was yesterday rich to day is a begger How sudden is change of state hee that yesterday was in health is to day sicke hee that a yesterday was merry and laughed hath cause to day to mourne and weepe hee that yesterday was in great favour is to day in as great disgrace hee that yesterday was alive and in health is to day dead and thou knowest not how soone and in what manner thou shalt dye thy selfe and who then can innumerate the losses crosses griefes disgraces and calamities which are incident to sinfull man and to let passe the death of wife children and friends which seemes oft-times to be farre more bitter unto us then present death it selfe Fourthly the miseries of old age What is old age but the receptacle of all maladies The condition of old age for if it be thy lot to draw thy daies to a long date in comes bald-head●d old age stooping under dotage with his wrinckled face rotten teeth stinking breath testy with choler withered with drinesse dimmed with blindnesse obsurded with deafenes overwhelmed with sickenesse diseased and pained with bone-ach decrepid with age and almost bowed together with weaknesse having scarse use of any sense but the sense of paine which so racketh every member of his body that it never easeth him of griefe till it hath throwne him downe into his grave for the earth is the wombe that hath bred us and the earth is the tombe that must receive us Thus endeth the miseries of the body in this life Of the Meditation of the misery of the body and soule in this life SInfulnesse in man is an universall corruption Ephes 2.3 Genes 6.5 Rom. 12.2 1 Cor. 2.14 Phil. 2.3 Rom. 3.12 Rom. 7.19 both of nature and actions for by nature wee are infected with a pronenesse to every sin continually the mind is stuffed with vanity the understanding is darkened with ignorance the will affecteth nothing but vile and vaine things all her actions are evill yea this deformity is so violent that oftentimes in the regenerate soule the appetite will not obey the government of reason and the will wandreth after and yeelds content to sinfull motions How great then is the violence of the appetite and will in the Reprobate soule which still remaines in her naturall corruption Hence it is that thy wretched soule is so deformed with sinne defiled with lust polluted with filthinesse outraged with passions over-carried with affections pining

prevent him SEing the Divell is so apt and ready to assault and tempt the faithfull and the elect of God consider therefore thou devout soule in what danger thou art because the divell thine adversary is alwaies lying in wait for thee hee is an enemy for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtilty most cunning for engines well stored in sight indefatigable into all shaps changeable he intiseth us into many sinnes and having inticed us hee accuseth us before Gods judgement seate 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 11.14 hee accuseth God to men and men to God and one man to another hee exactly considereth every ones inclination and then hee layes for them the snares of temptations for the devill when he assaulteth the soule of man first sets upon that part he findes softest and best affected for his purpose for him the easier to worke upon and if hee once be withstood and overcome hee doth not presently remove nor give over but comes againe to tempt with greater force that so hee may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence and force of temptations he could not overcome Against whom will he not be bold to use his subtill trickes when hee was so bold to set upon the Lord of Majesty himselfe with his craft and subtilty Math 4.2 3. when hee had fasted forty daies and forty nights what Christians will he spare when hee sought to winnow Christs Apostles like wheate He deceived Adam in his nature instructed whom then can hee not deceive in his nature corrupted he deceived Judas in the schoole of our Saviour Luke 22.31 and whom will hee not deceive in the world Gen. 3.4 5. the schoole of errours in all states the divels trecheries are to bee feared In prosperity hee lifts us up with pride in adversity he drives us downe to despaire if he sees a man delighted with frugality he intangleth him in the fetters of insatiable covetousnesse if hee sees a man of an heroicall spirit hee sets him on fire with flaming anger if he sees a man somewhat merrier then ordinary hee incites him to burne with lust those whom he sees to be zealous in religion he labours to entangle in vaine superstition those whom he sees exalted to dignities hee prickes them forward with the spurres of ambition when hee allureth man to sinne hee amplifieth Gods mercy and when hee hath cast him headlong into sinne then he shewes and amplifies Gods justice first hee will lead a man to presumption and afterwards he labours to bring him to desperation sometimes he assaults outwardly by persecutions sometimes hee assaults inwardly by fiery tentations sometimes he sets upon us openly and by force sometimes hee sets upon us secretly and by fraud in eating he sets before us gluttony in generating luxury in exercising sluggishnesse in conversing envie in governing covetous extortion in correcting rage in dignity pride he possesses the heart with evill cogitations in the mouth he puts false speakings in the other members wicked actions when wee are awake he moves us to evill workes when we are asleepe he moves us to filthy dreames so then at all times in every place and in every thing we must beware of the divels trecheries wee sleepe but hee watcheth wee are secure but he goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Consider therefore thou faithfull soule the trecheries of this most potent enemy and seeke the ayd of spirituall armes to defend thee from his subtilties let thy loynes be girt with the girdle of truth Eph. 6.14 and covered with the brest-plate of righteousnesse put on Christs perfect righteousnes thou shalt bee safe from the divels tentations Iohn 14.30 as Satan hath no power over Christ neither hath he power over the faithfull his members Let thy feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace so the fiery darts of the divell shall not hurt thee take the shield of faith to defend thee from the assaults of this most wicked enemy Eph. 6.15 Math. 17.20 Faith is that which removes Mountaines which is to be understood the mountaines of doubts persecutions and tentations if thou hast faith neither shall any thing be unpossible unto thee Vers 20. Exod. 12.17.12.13 The Israelites whose doore posts were figured with the blood of the paschall Lambe were not smitten with the destroying Angell so likewise those whose hearts are by faith sprinkled with the blood of Christ shall not be hurt by this destroyer faith relies upon Gods promises in the mercy of the Almighty and Satan cannot overthrow them that believe faith is the light of the soule and hath a bright eye a holy eare a cleane heart and a sure foote shee is the strength of hope the trust of truth the honour of amity and the joy of love and Satan cannot prevaile against it and the tentations of this malignant spirit are easily discerned through this light Mich. 7.19 By faith our sins are throwne into the profound sea of Gods mercy and in that the firy darts of the divell shall be easily quenched we must likewise put on the helmet of salvation that is Ephes 6.17 holy Hope endure tentation and expect an issue thereof by hope and thou shalt find comfort thereby For God is an Assister of them that contend and the crowne of them that overcome Vers 19. wee must also take the sword of the spirit that is the Word of God For the consolations of the Scripture will prevaile against the contradictions of the divell Nazianz. for by the Word Christ overcame all Satans temptations Math. 4.4 c. 11. and still the faithfull shall overcome the divell and all his subtilties To conclude by prayer thou hast great aid against tentations for as often as the little ship of thy soule is ready to be overwhelmed by the waves of tentation awake Christ by thy prayers we overcome visible enemies with striking but wee overcome our invisible enemies by powring forth prayers unfained fight thou O Christ both in us and for us that so through thee we also may overcome our deadly enemy with victory that in thee and through thee we may triumph gloriously Of the Morall Law of God the ten Commandements THe Law of God The morall Law of God and the Law of nature is all one though it was not given to man with solemne promulgation before the time of Moses yet was there a generall sense thereof given to Adam in his creation For when God gave him his nature and endued him with the use of reason and discourse he gave him capacity to understand his duty the which duty is nothing else but the observation of the Law of God and therefore when Adam had transgressed the commandements of God and had eaten the forbidden fruit the reason of his naturall soule could tell him his offence and then his conscience judged him he was afraid

how to judge our selves which would prove much more terrible unto us the manner of this judgement is thus when the Spirit of God moves in any mans heart a desire to understand themselves the soule assembles the powers of his understanding and exerciseth the severall faculties in severall assignements and within himselfe by serious meditation can frame the order of a court the man body and soule hee is the prisoner at the barre hee is also both the witnesse and the judge the matter of his inditement is sinne his conscience is his accuser Conscience is our accuser his memory doth produce the witnesses his judgement doth pronounce the sentence and the divell attend the execution thus are the faculties of the soule disposed in judging of it selfe the soule against the soule producing the Law proving the forfeit and urging the penalty Now that which hath most busie care in this spirituall and most serious examination and judgement of our selves is the conscience by which the soule hath true intelligence and understanding in what condition it is 1 Cor. 11.31.32 and by whose authority the judgement of that spirituall Court is swayed the conscience giving testimony of all our actions good and evill whereby our judging part is directed without errour and to make a just proceeding without all parriality and therefore saith the wise man Eccles 14.2 Blessed is he that is not condemned in his owne conscience For if there be any just matter of condemnation against us there is no favour can bribe our conscience for that will to our selves accuse our selves of every sinne and reduce to memory many our sinnefull actions which but for our conscience we could not remember and therefore the Scribes and Pharises that brought the woman taken in adultery to Christ John 8.9 and demanded what judgement shee deserved were remembred and accused by their owne conscience of their owne guilt of sinne whereof they seemed to bee innocent or ignorant when ●s Christ said Let him that is without sinne Vers 7. cast the fi st sto●e at her so that they that were so busie in the c●●●demnation of another were condemned themselves by the testimony of their owne conscience their conscience making them apply their accusations to themselves which but then they had urged against anothe● And doubtlesse The spirituall power of the conscience it is a wonderfull degree of power the conscience hath in the spirituall triall of our soules in two respects First it knoweth all our sins both secret and open no man being able to hide them from the knowledge of his conscience Secondly it spareth no man neither any sin but without respect of any it urgeth all against all men yea the very sinnes of our thoughts are not privileged but are even in the knowledge and hatred of our conscience therefore saith Sai●t Paul Rom. 2.15 Their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another and Almighty God when hee shall gather together all flesh to judgement and expose before the Saints and Angels the severall actions of every mans life whereby they may be judged accordingly either to mercy or justice He hath devised in his wisedome Our conscience shall reprove us in the day of judgement that every one should have a witnesse in himselfe which is their conscience the which in our life time doth register both our good and evill actions and at our judgement doth both witnesse and declare them and at that day the booke of every mans conscience is opened wherein is writ a true circumstance of every particular action of every mans life and these records these consciences are they that give evidence for and against our selves at the day of Gods generall judgement Rev. 20.12 c. And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened that is all mens consciences wherein was writ the report of all their actions Thus wee may see what the office of our conscience is both in respect of our owne spirituall judgement which is our reformation and in respect of the generall judgement of God which must be to every one The manner of the accusation of conscience either eternall salvation or damnation Now the manner that conscience useth in this administration is worth our consideration that all men generally have a conscience the which God hath united inseparably to our reasonable natures And therefore not onely they that are of Christian beliefe and have the rules of Religion to teach them but men meerely naturall and ignorant of divine worship doe suffer the affliction of their wounded conscience which though it be in a farre inferiour degree of that of understanding Christians yet it doth in some proportion exercise a judgement on the soule and doth both remember and terrifie them that grossely offend against the Law of nature which to them is the Law of reason and Religion this is proved by the same place of Scripture before alledged that the Bookes of all the dead were opened Rev. 20.12 the word all excludes none from them the accusation of conscience all are then afflicted by conscience but not all alike effectually The Infidells that know not God The difference in the conscience of Christians and Infide●ls but onely as they are taught by the wisdome of nature their conscience doth but remember the offender his great sins only and that sparingly and with favour a Christian conscience is more severe for it remembers all men all their sins without favour without exception there is this difference also that of Infidels and wicked men doth often remember the offender his sin but afflicts him not A Christian conscience hath griefe neither provokes him to repentance but the conscience of Christians doth fearefully remember the sinner his sinne and doth wound the soule of the offender with sorrow and spirituall griefe making him pursue the meanes of his reformation and hate the cause for which his conscience doth so afflict him The difference of conscience among Christians this is the difference betwixt the conscience of a Christian and an infidell There is also great difference of conscience amongst Christians for as in the common sort that professe the Christian Religion the greater part is by much the worse and the choice particulars being the true worshippers of God are but few drawne out from an inf nite number of people so also though all that have a Christian name professe to have a Christian conscience The conscience of a Reprobate yet their conscience is no better then their Christianity onely a bare name whereof they have no spirituall use nor comfort Conscience in the Reprobate is either silent or outragious the silent conscience in the Reprobate is when custome and long continuance of sinning doth dull the sense of conscience Looke to your conscience what conscience yee have for conscience will damne and conscience will save and