Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	light_n	natural_a	sun_n	1,020	5	9.7836	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61477	The way of God with his people in these nations opened in a thanksgiving sermon, preached on the 5th of November, 1656, before the Right Honorable the High Court of Parliament / by Peter Sterry.	Sterry, Peter, 1613-1672.	1657 (1657)	Wing S5487; ESTC R14198	34,785	58

is our Seal As many as have fellowship with us in the same principle of divine Wisom wil according to the measure of it so farr as they are free from carnal prejudices and temptations to exercise this Principle know and own this Seal The Manifestations of God are in the Flesh but the justification of those Manifestations is in the Spirit And this is that which makes the whol way of Godliness a Mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. But now it is necessary to interpose two Cautions for the removing of two Objections Object 1. This Principle seems to make the Light of Reason useless even in Civil things and to lay aside in Humane Affairs the common Principles of Natural Light by which we should converse with men as men and approve our selves to them Object 2. This makes a Gap in the Hedg of all Civil Government for Licenciousness and Confusion to break in when every man may alike pretend to an Inward Justification I intreat you therefore to keep your selves close to these Cautions which I shal now add for the cleering of this matter from these Aspersions Caut. 1. It is the duty of every person in every Affair to provide for things honest not only in the sight of God but in the sight of all men This is a Principle and Law in Christianity Rom 12. 19. Provide for things honest in the sight of all men Honest or Beautiful and Comely for so the word signifies in the sight of all men that is in that Light of Nature which shines universally in al men The Natural Light in the Conscience and Understanding of Man is a Picture of the Spiritual Light which is the Life Reason is a Shadowy Figure of Jesus Christ Now as the Life and the Picture if it be true answer one another and that which is beautiful in the one will be so in the other too so the Spirit and Reason mutually give their testimony each to other what is comely in the eye of one is so to both St. Paul prayes 2 Thess. 2. 3. to be delivered from unreasonable men for al men have not Faith It is true that those who are not Spiritual are also unreasonable the wordis {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Absurd uncapable of any common place of Reason any common Principles of Natural light In another place Tit. 1. 15. The same Apostle tels us that to those who are defiled and unbeleeving al thing are impure even their minds and consciences are defiled As a Poet cals the light of the Moon when she is Ecclypsed by the interposal of the Earth between the Sun and her that his beams cannot flow freely and purely unto her Lucem Malignam a Malignant light so is it in men meerly natural the prince of darkness and a principle of Corruption inwardly the world with carnal interests and Humors outwardly put in between the Face of God the Fountaine of al light and their Souls to the making of such an Eclypse that the light of their Minds the highest and purest part of their spirits the lights of their Consciences the divinest part of their Minds like the tops of the Mountaine which receive the beams of the Sun neerest first and fairest the light of both these is defiled and become Malignant Upon this account they either are unable to judg a right of that Testimony which the light of Nature inwardly gives or else unwilling outwardly to acknowledg this inward Testimony but do falsify corrupt deny it according to their fleshly lusts and ends They only for the most part in most affaires can understand and submit to the light of Reason and Nature especially there where Jesus Christ comes forth in new and extraordinary waies upon the Face of Nature and Civil things who have the Spirit in them loosing their Reason which Satan hath bowed down for so many years like the Woman in the Gospel Yet notwithstanding al this a Christian is in every thing to follow after whatsoever is praise-worthy of good report comely with God and with men in that which is the true light of men and right Reason So if their Minds be not altogether reprobate and their Consciences seared if there be any spark of Natural light left alive in them you shal approve your selves to the Consciences and minds of men inwardly although they outwardly speak evil of you As the Historian says of the Romans concerning that excellent Person their deliverer Camillus simul oderant et Mirati sunt they wil admire you while they hate you Answ. 2. Caut 2. Let every one that nams the name of Christ depart from iniquity Whoever pleads a Spiritual life and light for the Principle and Seal of his actions ought to beware that he sow not divers seeds in this field that he mingle not Fleshly designes with Spiritual discoverys Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully If you undertake the worke of the Lord to do your own work the better If you make a shew of the work of the Lord or make use of the work of the Lord so farr to cover and to bring forth the works of the Flesh there lies a curse upon you The Name of the Lord Jesus is like the water of Jealousie which the suspected woman was to drink If thou cal the name of the Lord Christ and of his spirit to witness falsly while thou art unchast and untrue to thy spiritual principles and ends while thou knowest thy spirit to have plaid the harlot and to live in uncleanness with this present world this Name wil like that Drink make thy belly to Swel and thy Bowels to rot within thee it wil certainly bring thee to destruction with shame and abhorrency He that sets upon Extraordinary things upon the account of an Extraordinary Principle Seal hath one of these two things to rely upon First A Divine Power in an irresistable way to subdue the spirits and Forces of men to him Secondly or else a Divine Presence in an unexpressible sweetness to support him when he shal suffer in the thoughts of men or at the Barr of Ordinary powers How watchful ought we to be in affayres of so high a nature or consequence that neither Hypocricy nor Delusion shut the Door to these Confidences in us Sixthly The spirit of Grace the principle and Seal of these Changes This is the last Argument of the Newness and Extraordinariness of the way of the Lord Jesus in the midst of us There are five Marks of the Spirit of Grace First The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Prayer Zach. 12. 9 10. And it shal come to pass in that day that I wil seek to destroy al the Nations that come against Jerusalem And I wil poure upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of Grace and Supplication Two things are observable here First It is an Argument that the Lord hath a designe by himself to destroy the enemies of his people