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
A86270	Repentance and conversion, the fabrick of salvation: or The saints joy in heaven, for the sinners sorrow upon Earth. Being the last sermons preached by that reverend and learned John Hewyt, D.D. Late minister of St. Gregories by St. Pauls. With other of his sermons preached there. Dedicated to all his pious auditors, especially those of the said parish. Also an advertisement concerning some sermons lately printed, and presented to be the doctors, but are disavowed by Geo. Wild. Jo. Barwick.	Hewit, John, 1614-1658.; Wilde, George, 1610-1665.; Barwick, John, 1612-1664.	1658 (1658)	Wing H1637; Thomason E1776_1; ESTC R209722	86,537	249

whence they had their birth so we say that in the book of Scripture divers matters histories examples judgements threatnings laws instructions and exhortations which like little rivers rejoyce the City of our God and serve to divers uses in the Church But after all Jesus Christ is the mark whereat all aim the Centre whither all return and guide our faith in him to find and obtain rest So Moses and the Prophets give their testimony Luk. 24.27 and the end of the Law is Jesus Christ Rom. 10.4 and to this intent speaks St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 that he will know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified because that is the summary and principal end of all the knowledge of the Scriptures which faith not onely beholds as a thing to be consented to but embraces it as the only subject where to find salvation and life Certainly faith believes the creation of the world the genealogy of the fathers the confusion of tongues in Babel the captivity of Israel in Egypt the exploits of the Judges and Kings given to the people of God for Liberators and from all these things there may be gathered divers instructions for this life but to find in this recital the means of our reconciliation with God of the remission of sins and the eternal glory it is not possible because it is not in any of these properly Where the Eternal offers and presents the gifts of his heavenly grace that is a Word of God which he pronounced to Adam with his own mouth after he had transgrest the commandment Thou shalt dye the death in the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread Gen. 3.19 These things were conformable to the Law and Word of God all these fearful menaces which the friends of Job with so much preparative denounced to the hypocrites and wicked but these are so far from begetting or keeping up faith which as 't is requisite should be accompanied with peace and consolation that contrariwise they put the conscience into trouble they fill the sinful soul with fear and in stead of giving us access to God go chasing and banishing us behind his face as we read of the people of Israel who not able to abide the thundring voice of the Eternal giving his Law upon the mountain stood afar off and said to Moses Exod. 20.19 Speak thou with us and we will hear thee but let not God speak with us for fear we dye This very part of the word that commands obedience and prescribes a rule for works proposing blessing and life to those that accomplish it Do this and thou shalt live Luk. 10.28 Whosoever doth these things shall live by them Levit. 18.5 is not that where our faith rests because as it promises life to the observers so it denounces malediction against all those that do not abide in all the words of the Law to fulfil them And thus our conscience guilty of many transgressions cannot find nor affirm her assurance nor seek for remission of sins where there is nothing presented but wrath and judgment And therefore the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans and in that which he writes to the Galatians retires our faith from the Law and tells us openly that the Law is not of faith Gal. 3.12 that all they that are of the works of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3.10 11. that the Law was not given to quicken but contrary that it is the minister of death and of condemnation none being able to be justified before God by the works of the Law declaring with David those to be blessed to whom God imputes justice without works Psal 32.1 2. Nevertheless it ceases not to serve faith because by it comes the knowledge of sin and that it serves as a School-master to lead us to Christ Rom. 3.23 in whom we are freely justified by the grace of him by the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath proposed a mediator by faith in his blood by whom the remission of sin is announced to the end that in whatsoever we could not be justified by the Law whosoever believes might be justified by him Act. 13.39 For to him all the Prophets give testimony that whosoever shall believe in him shall have remission of sins by his name Act. 10.43 Hither it is properly that our faith is invited Whosoever is thirsty let him come to me and drink Joh. 7.37 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loden and I will refresh you Matth. 11.28 So that this Gospel of peace this word of reconciliation ministry of spirit and of life power of God unto salvation to all that believe Rom. 1.16 Which opens to us the Abysses of compassions of love grace and the good pleasure of God which deduces to us the coming the incarnation the suffrances the justice and the death of the Redeemer of the world and which represents to us the Holy Spirit applying and sealing by the preaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments these divine and heavenly benefits in our souls and rendring us assured of our reconciliation with God of the abolition of our offences of the imputation of the justice of Christ and of the gift of heavenly life The Gospel is the word of life saith St. Paul Rom. 10.8 It looks at the whole word of God but it embraces only his good will It approves all his truth but it runs only after his gratuity and then 't is best pleased and content when both are met in Christ in whom gratuity and verity are met justice and peace have kissed each other Psal 85.11 by whom the gratuity of God is multiplied upon us and his truth endures for ever Psal 117.2 We do not then reject any part of the word nor we do not tear the faith in pieces but in this general object we observe what is most proper and most particularly belongs to it by reason of the differing parts of it Be then the Word of God a Paradise to the faithful soul but so as among so many fruits of different tast and vertue she may find one tree of life that may fully satisfie the hunger of justice that she so seeks for let the Scripture be her Orchard but yet let there be one apple-tree whose shadow she desires sitting down under it and the fruit sweet to her palate let the truth of God be her garden of aromatique drugs but let there be one Rose of Sharon whose sweet smell may recover her fainting heart and which she may put in her bosome no otherwise then a bundle of myrrhe Cant. 1.13 He knows well enough that his Redeemer is living But if the Gospel be the particular object of faith from whence shall we say that Job learned this science and from whence he could draw the foundations of an assurance so firm since this was not but many ages after his death that the Gospel was publisht to the world or that the Saviour of the world was come to

men now adaies like the Pellaean Hero Alexander the Great do Aestuare angusto limite mundi Sweat for want of room in the world there is not space enough for the flight of their soaring thoughts that are wing'd with ambition but this is according to the Wiseman nothing but vanity vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas They fish after impossibilities and grant they could subdue the whole world and reduce it into their own possession 't would not it could not satisfie their heart or give them any real solid content for the world is a Circle the heart of man a Triangle now we all know that a Circle cannot fill a Triangle Cease then all you that aim at the hilling up of fatal gold and employ your hours in a more noble traffick in procuring the riches and treasures of Jesus Christ that may serve you and be of use to you in the day of wrath to get your Sins pardoned all your crimes expunged with the Spunge of Oblivion that the Lord may nevermore lay them to your charge and this must be by an unfeigned repentance though none of the five forementioned ways Now that you may know how to gain the salvation of your souls how to be eternally blessed and sing Hallelujahs to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost world without end which felicity will undoubtedly be attained unto by all true penitent souls And that you may know affirmatively what it is to be true penitents take it in these following Considerations The five steps of ascention by Repentance To this felicity we must ascend by 5 degrees or steps of true and unfeigned repentance 1. The first step whereof that leads and conducts to heaven is for a man to have an internal regret for sin to be grieved and perplexed for it to be wounded in conscience for it for till a man see his Sins in the glass of repentance and weigh them and meditate upon the curse of God that hangs over his head in a judgment for them he will never repent This is the godly sorrow that leadeth unto repentance never to be repented of This compunction or pricking of the heart is a clear demonstration of repentance sincere and sound and is the first step to heaven and so per consequens to the salvation of the never dying soul And if it be so that this is the first step to heaven Use 1 how sad a thing is it to see men in such a miserable estate as many are in these distracted times how many are there that have not set one foot forward in the way to heaven and you know the old saying Non progredi est regredi Not to go forward is to go backward How many are there that never have been humbled never touched never wounded in conscience for their Sins Wilful impenitency or a careless neglect of Repentance very dangerous O what a miserable condition what a deplorable estate do they lye in Now apply this to your selves Beloved did the sacrificing Knife of Gods Word never wound your conscience nor extract one tear from your eyes for the deluge of your Sins that will overwhelm your soul eternally without Gods infinite mercy if you have not been thus and thus grieved for your trespasses and transgressions you are in a desperate condition and there is very little hope or probability of your salvation Vse 2 This serves then for a Use of Consolation to all the Children all the Sons and Daughters of God for if you feel your hearts wounded for your Sins and you bath your soul in true penitent tears for the many hainous crimes that you are conscious of it is a true indicium or sign of being in the state of grace and that Gods spirit hath met with us and his Word hath cut the throat of Sin which otherwise would have ruinated you nay aims at God himself for peccatum saith Parisiensis est Deicidium Sin is the Cut-throat of God with holy reverence be it spoken Sin strives to dethrone God therefore let us endeavour to cast Sin down the precipice of our hearts and nevermore afford it house-room since it offends so merciful so gracious and so kind a God as ours for Sin is an abomination unto the Lord and so are all Sinners and evil-doers 2. The second sign of or way to true penitency is this when a man fears to Sin not because of the punishment but because he offends so great a God in so doing like holy Joseph who when he was tempted by the sweet caresses of his Mistris cried out How can I do this great evil and sin against God! Therefore from him we may learn what is most to be desired here on earth viz. the love and favour of God so that if any one should put the question to you and demand what your desire most hunted after and what your affections were most fixed on You ought to answer The love and favour of God in Christ Jesus 'T is not your embroidered apparel your manners and mannors your parts and arts that are able to appease the trouble and perplexity of a distressed conscience nothing but the mercy of God in Christ Jesus will afford it This is the onely refuge for a troubled conscience in the greatest extreamity Men may in their extremities go to drink away sorrow as they term it in their profane gibbrish and betake themselves to their merry company but alas this is no comfort this no remedy for their disease an old sore gangren'd or putrified if it be not very skilfully handled will hardly admit of cure but if it be superficially healed at top and not throughly at the bottom as soon as 't is skin'd at the top it will break out at the bottom so when men seek to smother the accusation of their own consciences and strive to blunt the edge of it it will rebound again and give a deadly wound even to desperation Beg of God therefore power and ability through his strengthning grace that you may be buoy'd up thereby in the midst of an Ocean of troubles and that the burden of an afflicted wounded conscience may be minorated and lessened that so you may not fall into despair To prevent despair all godly persons ought like Heraclitus to weep away their daies and indeed they are a sea of tears a meer vapour melted into tears his voice is painted with tears which have such an airy power and faculty as that they are able to mount up to Heaven and there to insinuate themselves into the ear of the Almighty begging and craving pardon for sin and a preservation from despair by the mighty power of God Lachrymae preces are the only weapons in a Christian battel let us so fight with these weapons as to get the peace of conscience and joy of the Holy Ghost that passeth all understanding and that speedily too for our journey is long and our time short therefore we had need to husband

might be Heaven 5. 5 Cause The perfection of our spirits cannot be but in the union of or with the first of spirits who communicateth his bona or good things to us his Creatures as the Sun darts his rays upon us that is he gives them so he bestows them on us yet so that they depend on him after he hath disposed of them 6. 6 Cause True Love is that transformeth the amantem the Lover in amatum into the thing or party loved Now if a deformed person be never so highly enamoured with the captivitating beauty of a red white complexion he will never be able by this love to correct his deformity On the contrary in loving God we become sibi similes like unto him and as the holy Apostle saith in the second to the Corinth the third Chap. and the last verse Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same image 7. And lastly Beauty 7 Cause being the first incitation to Love or the Tinder of the affections we shall soon be able to discern when the scales of ignorance are fallen from our eyes that this beauty as we term it that is here below is but a superficial colour or a cover to a bundle of filthiness but that the Lumen or true Light is the true beauty God therefore being the true Light and the Father of Lights is the chief beauty and the object on whom we all ought to fix our affections Natural Philosophy here is diametrically opposite to the Divine and jars with it much in this case for Philosophy affirms that Natural motion is better then that is against Nature On the contrary quoad amorem the Word of God that is our Divine Philosophy instructeth and perswadeth us that Love contrary to Nature is better then Love natural For since that Satan in seducing our first Parents hath defaced the image of God in Man our desires have had their constant course towards the World and as I may say our Love hath been precipitated from Heaven to the Earth The affection of the flesh is enmity against God Romans the 8. and the 7 verse If one love that love flows not from him naturally but it is a free gift of God And the Apostle St. Paul drawing us out of the mud and freeing us from the bait of all alluring delights of this World commands us to seek the things above Coloss 3. vers 1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be skilful in the things above be wise in heavenly matters for according to the words in my Text We love God because he first loved us Our love therefore it appears manifestly is an effect of Gods Love to us nor is there any thing that we ought with more devotion or zeal to crave of God then Love for it is a pledg unto the faithful of Gods Love to him It is the first fruit the primitiae of Faith 't is the most exact and curious extract of the Image of God It is the most perspicuous mark of a child of God Love is the summe of Christianity This Love is the soul of our soul the life of virtue the rule by which we square or at least ought to do all our actions the summary or compendium of the Law 'T is the pillar or sustentaculum of Martyrs the Jacobs Ladder by which you may ascend the Heavens and true peace of conscience nay with holy reverence be it spoken it is a praelibamen or earnest-penny of that Sacred union and communion that we expect all to enjoy with God in Heaven world without end Our meditation could not pitch upon a more sublime subject for what is there that dare stand in competition with God either for his greatness or the sweetness and candor of his Love The profit of this Love of God is no way inferior to the delight for men are termed good or evil not for what they believe but what they love Let us all therefore labour for this and become proficients in the School of Christ and beseech the spirit so to mould our hearts that they may be wrought to a true and perfect Love of God lest we be abused and fooled into error with the sound of this word Love and mistake the spiritual for a carnal love an importunate or fretting corrosion of the heart an aguish alteration the last of vices for the first and best of vertues a brutish malady for an Angelical distemper 'T is true he that disposeth and conformeth himself to the Love of God must expect the hatred and bespattering calumnies of the world but God will cause the very discommodities that the world afflicts us with to be converted into commodity and profit for saith the blessed Apostle Rom. the 8. and the 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Their corporeal afflictions are but spiritual exercises their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nocumenta documenta The malady of their body is a remedy for their soul for God alone is the true Aesculapius so divine a Chymist that he will convert poysons into Antidotes for his childrens health and security His wounds are balm saith the Divine Harper Psalm 14. vers 5. In all our sufferings for Gods sake there is not only matter of patience but occasion for glory they are scars of credit in the forehead conformities unto our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ and the livery of all Christian Souldiers And all this by the sustentation and support of this Love the sweetness whereof qualifies and abates the bitterness of all sublunary crosses Object But here some may object and say that the Love of God is pro confesso an excellent vertue but we must know him before we love him and we cannot compass any other but a lame and decrepit insufficient notion of him 'T is true but notwithstanding all this we ought still dare operam to it and make exact search after it and when we have it embrace it for ignorance must not be a Cloak or tegument to our negligence since we cannot gain so little of the true knowledge of God but some profit will accrue to us thereby and that will blow up the embers of the love of God in us to an acceptable degree of heat and pious zeal One ray of the love of God will outbalance and overvalue all the splendor of the Meridian Sun A dark obscure knowledge of God surpasseth the most acute and sharp insight into all natural things If one beam of the Sun chance to peep into a Dungeon the prisoner by this recollects the beauty and excellency of Light so that small and imperfect knowledg that we obtain of God is sufficient for a taste of the excellency of his Love and able to inflame us therewith besides 't is sufficient for salvation We love God because he loved us first We are so incapable of the Love