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
A89737	The orthodox evangelist. Or A treatise wherein many great evangelical truths (not a few whereof are much opposed and eclipsed in this perillous hour of the passion of the Gospel) are briefly discussed, cleared, and confirmed: as a further help, for the begeting, and establishing of the faith which is in Jesus. As also the state of the blessed, where; of the condition of their souls from the instant of their dissolution: and of their persons after their resurrection. By John Norton, teacher of the church at Ipswich in New England.	Norton, John, 1606-1663.	1654 (1654)	Wing N1320; Thomason E734_9; ESTC R206951	276,720	371

ver 10. Had an high esteem of Jesus Christ ver 3.46 Those three thousand Acts 2. ver 37. were pricked in their heart ask what they shall do The like may be observed in the Jaylour Acts 16.29 30. Paul before his conversion was sensible of his sin and death Rom. 7.9 justifieth the Law ver 12. saw the loss of his own righteousness and his need of the righteousness of Christ Phil. 37.8 To this purpose we may read of others else where 'T is certain That many of those who have been converted have had experience of a preparatory work fore-going the conversion but it cannot be proved out of the Scripture That any who have attained unto years of discretion have been converted without some experience thereof Object 1. Objection satissied There is no use of preparatory work because there is no saving work to be wrought upon the Elect which God cannot work without it Answ Were this Objection good there would follow a total uselesness-of any second cause or fellow-creature towards the producing of any effect 2. Not God's Absolute but his Ordinate Power i. e. The common Course of his special Providence is the ordinarily Rule of his proceeding with man the Exercise of his Power is regulated by his Will God is Omnipotent he can do whatsoever he will but he is not Omnivolent he will not do whatsoever he can Obj. 2. Preparatory work seemeth to darken the freeness of grace Ans Preparatory works precede vocation in way of order not in way of causality God giveth Christ after them as the way not for them as the cause Preparatory work is the effect of free common grace as saving work is the effect of free special grace It can therefore be no more prejudice unto grace then a free way is unto a free thing whereunto it is the way No more then freedom prejudiceth freedom i. e. No more then a free act of an inferiour nature prejudiceth a free act of a superiour nature It doth no whit touch it in it self it in many respects cleareth it but no way darkeneth it unto us Obj. 3. The Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 that were Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind received Christ yet we read of no preparatory qualification mentioned Therefore there was no preparatory work Ans It is not said so therefore it was not so is no good consequence 'T is a frequent thing in the Scripture to mention the thing done without mentioning the manner of the doing of that thing Psal 33.9 David speaks of the Creation yet is silent of the Order of creating Matth. 1.2 We read that Abraham begat Isaac but of the manner of his begetting him viz. By faith not considering his own body now dead Rom. 4.19 c. There is no mention Exod. 20.1 The Holy Ghost records the deliverance of Israel out of the Land of Egypt the manner of it namely by signes and wonders and by an out-stretched arme is wholly omitted 'T is in this case between the thing done and the manner of the doing thereof as between the Sacrament instituted and the Order of the institution The Sacrament is sometimes mentioned where the Order of the institution is not observed 1 Cor. 10.16 As therefore he that would inform himself of the Order of the Institution and Administration of the Elements in the Supper is not to learn it from those Texts where though the matter be recited yet the Doctrine of the Order is not held forth so he that would instruct himself concerning Preparatory Work in order to conversion is not to look unto those places where though the work of conversion be recorded yet the teaching of Preparatory Work is not intended but unto such Scriptures where the Doctrine of Preparatory Work is purposely taught Obj. 4. Jeremiah was sanctified before he came out of his Mothers womb Jer. 1.5 John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb Luke 1.15 when they were both uncapable of Preparatory Work Ans Jeremiah's Sanctification from the Womb may be understood not of any actual but only an intentional separation of him to office as Paul speaks in like manner of himself Gal. 1.15 If we understand it actually it seemeth to be but an actual separation of him to the Office of a Prophet By the Holy Ghost whereby John was filled from the Womb we may well understand not the gift of saving grace but eminent gifts of Office to fit this Eliah for that high service whereunto he was appointed Whether we understand by the sanctification of Jeremiah and by the filling of John with the Holy Ghost the grace or gifts of office or the gifts of saving grace The Dispensation of God unto them was extraordinary not ordinary and so teacheth not the question Only in John we clearly see God not only can but doth even in Infants work in a secret manner by his Spirit when he pleaseth CHAP. VII What are the Principal Heads whereunto the Substance of Preparatory Work in the full Extent thereof may be referred IN Answer to this Question Consider 1. What Preparatory Work taken in its Extent is 2. What Parts thereof are wrought by the Ministery of the Law 3. What Parts thereof are wrought by the Ministery of the Gospel 4. Some Cases of Conscience concerning Preparatory Work Preparatory Work taken in its full Extent is the whose frame of inherent Qualifications coming between the Rest of the Soul in the State of Nature and Vocation wrought distinctly and in measure in the Ministery both of the Law and Gospel by the common work of the Spirit concurring therewith whereby the Soul is put into a next disposition or Ministerial Capacity of believing immediately i. e. Of immediate receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ The Parts of Preparatory Work wrought by the Ministery of the Law are 1. Conviction of the Holiness of the Law 2. Conviction of Sin 3. Conviction of Guilt 4. Concluding of the Soul under sin and guilt 5. Conviction of the Righteousness of God in case he should punish us for our sins 6. Inexcusableness 1. The Conviction of the Holiness and Spiritualness of the Law is that Work of the Spirit whereby the Soul is enlightened to see the Conformity of the Command unto the Will of God whether we understand by command the Precept concerning the not eating of the Tree of Life or the Decalogue prescribed unto man in innocency as the rule of life and manners Therefore called the Moral Law or any other Commandement of God Ceremonial Judicial or whatsoever This conviction is called the coming of the Commandement Rom. 7.9 For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed It causeth a Doctrinal Approbation thereof The Law is h ly and the Commandement holy and just and good The Precept is holy the Curse is just the Promise is good I consent unto the Law that it is good 2. Conviction of Sin is the conscience

of our transgressing of this holy Law Sin is considered in respect of its nature the kinds of it and the dominion of it Sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 The kinds of Sin are three Adams sin Our first Fathers sin Isai 43.27 Original sin 3. Actual sin and that by way of Omission or Commission The Actual Sin of Adam was that transgression of Adam yet standing as a publick person in eating the forbidden fruit This actual sin of Adam is made ours by participation and imputation By Participation Adam being a publick person his Posterity in a seminal respect was contained in his loyns and so sinned in him sinning Liberi sunt purs parentū Adam was not only the Progenitor but the root of mankind Rom. 5.12 as Levi is said to have paid tythes in Abraham Heb. 7.9 By imputation God imputes the legal guilt thereof unto his whole posterity descending from him by way of ordinary generation Rom. 5.18 19. 1 Cor. 15.22 Original Sin which is the hereditary and habitual contrariety and enmity of the Nature of man against the whole Will of God is propagated to the soul by reason of the sin of Adam the meritorious cause thereof and floweth from thence in an unknown manner as a punishment from the offence by the Seed of our next parents as the instrumental cause Sin is derived in the Seed dispositively not effectually Peccatum in semine traducitur dispositivè Tho. 1.2 ae qu. 83. art 1 2 3. Whitak de peccato cri inali l. 1. c. 8. non effectivè Nothing is more known to be preached nothing more secret to be understood then Original Sin that is then the propagation of it Nihil Peccato Originali scil Propagatione ejus ad praedicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius The soul by its contradiction to the body contracts vice as when one falls into the dirt he is defiled and besmeared Anima ex contractione ejus ad corpus contrahit vitium sicut quando quis cadit in lutum faedatur commaculatur God whilest he creates souls doth together therewith justly deprive them of Original righteousness Deus animas dum creat simul justè privat origin li rectitudine Sin passeth from the parents unto posterity neither by the body nor by the soul but by the fault of our parents i. e. our first parents for which God whilest he creates souls doth together therewith justly deprive them of oginal righteousness It was just for God to punish the sin of Adam with such punishment Idem Peccatum transit a parentibus in posteros neque per corpus neque per animam sed per culpam parentum Propter quam Deus animas dum creat simul justè privat originali justiria Justū fuit Deum peccatū Adami tali poe na punire The Offence of the chiefest Good deserved the greatest punishment Vrsin Explic Catech. Part 1. qu. 7. Let justice be done and let the World perish Idem Summi boni Offensio meruit summam poenam Fiat justitia pereat Mundus Actual Sin is the swerving of the act of man either in thought word or deed from the Law of God either by Omission or Commission The Dominion of Sin is that reigning power of concupiscence whence we sin freely necessarily continually and together with its malignity doth notably appear in the irritation of concupiscence by occasion of the Doctrine of the Law But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 Hence the Law is said to be the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Because sin by occasion of the restraining command breaketh out the more fiercely From the not-being of this accidental irritating power of the Law in the soul the Apostle denyes the dominion of sin Rom. 6.12 as on the contrary from the being thereof in the soul he implicitely infers the dominion of sin and compares the dominion of the Law in respect of its occasional irritation or provocation of concupiscence unto an hard Husband Rom. 7. beg In this irritation of sin by occasion of the Law the command is only the occasion sin dwelling in us is the cause As the shining of the Sun is the occasion why the dunghil sendeth forth its filthy savour the corruption thereof or putrifaction therein is the cause The prohibition of the Physician is the occasion only the feaver is the cause why the Patient desires drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denocat eum qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habetur tenetur stringitur aliqua re ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The higher the dam is the higher the water swelleth yet the dam is only the occasion the abundance and fierceness of the water is the cause of the swelling of the waves 3. The Conviction of Guilt is such a conviction of sin as doth not only argue the sinner to have offended but also bindeth over the offender to punishment according to the Law Guilt is the debt of the offender Suffering punishment in way of satisfaction is the payment of that debt Obligatiopeccatoris ad poenam dicitur relatus Kek. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 7. The curse of the Law-giver is the bonds of the offender keeping the sinner unto judgement as the prisoner is kept until the Assizes Thus the Angels guilty of sin are delivered into everlasting chains of darkness to be reserved unto the judgement of the great Day 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. The truth justice and power of God do not only reserve the sinner in safe custody unto punishment in due time but also execute that punishment in the season thereof 4. The concluding the soul under sin is a judicial dispensation whereby God by the accusation conviction and condemnation of the Law shuts up the soul in the prison of the power and guilt of sin From whence without the mercy of God in Christ there is no escape For God hath concluded or shut them up all in the prison of unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 11.32 Concluded under sin kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed Gal. 3.22 23. To which prisoners no Law nor man only he whom God hath given as a Covenant unto his people can say Come forth Isai 49.9 The Law could not do it Rom. 8.3 and 3.20 Man is without strength Rom. 5.6 To this purpose you may frequently observe in the Scripture the soul in this condition compared to a prisoner sin unto a prison God unto a Judge See Isai 42.7 and 49.8 9. and 61.1 Luke 4.18 Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 25. To justifie God is to acknowledge 1. God just in case he should punish man for sin That God in the Execution of the Curse doth the sinner no wrong 2. That he doth that which is right he should do wrong unto himself and with reverence so to speak be unjust if he should not execute justice upon

his saying and overcometh vvhen he judgeth Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 And he was speechless Matth. 22.12 The Preparatory Work of the Gospel may be referred unto these Heads 1. Revelation of Christ so far as is necessary unto salvation 2. Repentance 3. Lost Estate 4. Acknowledgement of the Soveraignty of God and of Christ in shewing mercy 5. Consideration of the special Object of Faith and Arguments moving thereunto 6. Waiting in the fore-mentioned disposition for the Lord Jesus in the use of means with Ministerial and preparatory hope under the If you believe of the Gospel The Revelation of Christ is the historical propounding and illumination of the soul with the propounded Doctrine of the Gospel i. e. the Doctrine of grace namely Election Vocation Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification in Jesus Christ who hath freely absolutely and infallibly procured for us all things that pertain unto life and godliness The Sum whereof is That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath sent forth Jesus Christ God-man into the world to seek and save sinners commanded every one that heareth this glad tidings to believe in him whom he hath sent and promised that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved The Gospel is called a Revelation because it being a Truth exceeding the Nature of the creature the Power of Reason and Doctrine of the first Covenant man could no way attain unto it but by Divine Revelation Truth is either Natural Veritas Naturalis Ethica L●galis Evat gelica which is laid up in the creature or Moral to be gathered by rational inferences from the light of nature and help of right reason or Legal contained in the Law or Evangelical revealed only in the Gospel The creature representeth God unto us as a Creatour Governour and Lord The Law as the Creatour of man after his own Image and giving unto him a Covenant of Works unto Eternal life The Gospel beyond these holds forth the mercy of God in Jesus Christ No Salvation can be expected where the Gospel is not preached For there is none other name under Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Representat Deum ut Creatorem gubernatorem Dominū omnium sed n●n ut Conservatorem Spanh resp ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given amongst men by which we must be saved Acts 4.12 Neither the Book of the creature nor the Power of reason nor the first Covenant preach Christ Repentance is two-fold Preparatory or Legal going before faith Mark 1.15 Heb. 6.1 Or saving which followeth faith Luke 7.38 Preparatory or legal repentance is a common work of the Spirit wrought by the Ministery both of the Law and Gospel super-adding unto what was wrought by the meer Doctrine of the Law a further discovery unto and affecting of the soul with the sense of its utter present-perishing condition under and fear of the future aggravated punishment for sin whereby the distressed sinner inwardly feeling the into lerable bitterness and heavy load thereof addeth unto outward unrebukableness according unto the Law an external conformity unto the Gospel It is called Legal not so much in respect of the means whereby it is wrought scil the Law for it is wrought not only by the Law but also by the Gospel but in respect of the state wherein the person is in whom it is wrought notwithstanding preparatory repentance namely under the Law and not under grace Under this Work of preparatory Repentance the soul is troubled for sin Sick of sin Contritio non salutaris Salutaris Vrsin Cat. Matth. 9.12 Consesseth its sin Matth. 27.4 Vomits it up 2 Pet. 2.22 Abstains from the external Commission of it Escapes the pollution of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 Reformeth its conversation so as not to omit any external known duty commanded Matth. 19.20 Nor to walk in the practise of any external known sin forbidden either in Law or Gospel Phil. 3.6 Notwithstanding Preparatory Repentance worketh not any change of the heart yet there are in it and accompanying of it certain inward workings that do dispose to a change Ignorance is taken away by illumination pleasure in sin is abated by sorrow for sin that is trouble of conscience Boldness in sinning is abated by the fear of punishment whence followeth a kind of abating the contumacy of the will like a stone that is broken though it yet remains a stone Conceitedness in our own strength is diminished by the sense of our lost condition False confidence by the conviction of the righteousness of Jesus Christ Ministerial and preparatory hope of the change of the heart by grace is increased by our restlesness in our present condition and occasioning an application of our selves to the obtaining of mercy in the use of means Lostness is a principal part of Preparatory Work A lost Estate whereby the soul besides the Work of the Law is further made sensible of its perishing condition by the common work of the Gospel So revealing Jesus Christ to be believed in as withall convincing the soul of the loss of its own righteousness the want of the righteousness of Jesus Christ together with its inability and enmity to believe repent do or desire any good whereby the soul is yet more meetly disposed for the wayting for receiving of and magnifying of received merey Lostness is either taken for the perishing condition of the soul or for the sensibleness of this perishing condition as it is in this place If lostness be taken for the perishing condition of the soul so all are lost by reason of sin whether they are sensible or insensible of it The reprobate totally and finally In this sence Judas is called the Son of perdition John 17.12 That is one justly designed to everlasting perdition or destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genetivus notat finem Piscat in loc i. e. Electos sibi datos a patre qui peri erant non minus quam reprobi per peccatum Piscat in Luc. 19.10 Anal. Mat. 18.11 Schol. Spanh probat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. oves perditas domus Israel ad quas Christus missus est esse Electos Exercit. de gratiâ Annot. in Sect. 18. as they used to say a Son of death So Antichrist is called the Son of perdition 2 Thes 2 3. The Beast is said to go into perdition Revel 17.8 Thus all that perish under the light of the Gospel are said to be lost 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost The Elect are totally but not finally lost Totally in respect of their sin and perishing condition for sin We were by nature the children of wrath even as others Ephes 2.3 But not finally in respect of Gods gracious purpose to them and their relation to him in the everlasting Covenant therefore