Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	sin_n	soul_n	wound_v	2,163	5	9.3309	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19485	The brazen serpent: or, the copie of a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, Decemb. 31. 1620. By Iohn Andrevves, priest and preacher of the VVord of God at Saint Iames Clerkenwell in Middlesex	Andrewes, John, fl. 1615.	1621 (1621)	STC 591; ESTC S122344	23,076	64

Then said he I am He. Therefore if yee seeke Mee let These goe their way that is If I that am but their Suretie must pay the debt then reason it is that the principals should bee discharged of it Sixthly Marke This Serpent which Moses hung vp on the Pole did not benefit or doe good to any but only to those which did looke vp to it Such as refused to looke vpon it dyed and perished in the Wildernesse So it is heere the Death and Passion of Christ is beneficiall to none but such as looke vpon it stedfastly with the eye of Faith and by that Faith apply it to their owne Soules Such as regard it not nor care to consider it but let it passe as a matter of no moment it healeth not but they perish in their sins For as in this Figure 3. things do concur 1. God 2. the Serpent 3. the looking on the Serpent God it is that giueth thē health life the Serpent is the instrument or means by which he cōferreth it vnto thē he that did behold the Serpent receiued this health So also 3. things meet together in the work of our Iustification First Christ he by imputing his Righteousnesse to vs doth make vs Righteous before his Father Secondly the means wherby he deriueth this righteousnesse to vs are his holy Word and Sacraments Thirdly the Instrument wherewith we don this robe of Righteousnesse vpon our soules is a liuely faith in Christ it is as it were the hand by which we buckle gird Christ his merits to our selues Gal. 3. 27. Seuenthly albeit the People of Israel whilst they trauelled thorow the Wlidernesse towards the Promised Land did encounter many more calamities and inconueniences yet wee reade not that they had any other externall Signe giuen them against those inconueniences saue only this Serpent against the mortall sting of the fiery Serpents So we men although we are obnoxious to a thousand Miseries bodily and ghostly as to Hunger and thirst Heat and cold weaknesse and sicknesse shame and infamie sorrow and feare c. yet we haue no signe giuen vs against these because none of these if we be cleare from sinne can doe vs any hurt no more then they hurt our LORD IESVS CHRIST But against the Biting of the Serpent that is against Sinne God gaue vs a signe to looke vpon viz. His Sonne hanging on the Crosse Concerning whom old Simeon fore-told his Mother Behold This Childe is appointed for a Signe Luk. 2. 34. And fitly is Sinne resembled to the biting of a Serpent For the Diuell is called a Serpent Gen. 3. 1. and from this Serpent this poison of sinne was first cast into our nature Secondly if a Serpent sting you in the heele the venome of the sting will poison your foote your legge thigh entrailes Heart Liuer Braine and all till the whole Body be infected of such a poisonfull contagious nature is sinne It infecteth both Body and Soule and that not in one or two parts as other diseases doe but in euery part in Reason Will Memorie affections and all and that not in one man alone but in all mankinde in euery Man and Woman descended from Adam by c●mmon course of nature Thirdly the Biting of these Serpents was incurable no remedie in Nature could be found to cure it Therfore God gaue the Brazen Serpent not for a naturall but for a Morall means against it Such is Sinne All the Balme in Gilead and all the Phisicians in the World no not Aesculapius-selfe with his Serpent Nay all the Angels and Saints in Heauen Earth are not able to cure the infection of one sin Nothing is able to take away the poison and sting of that but only the Death and Bloud of the Sonne of God powred out for our health Saluation vpon the Crosse Lastly Let vs aske the question For whose sake was this harmelesse Brazen Serpent made and afterwards hung vp on the Pole was it for it selfe No in no wise It could reape no profit either by being made or hung vp in the Ayre exposed to all weathers and storms All the benefit redounded to them that were stung and could not otherwise be cured but by looking vp to it Let inquiry be made For whose sake was the glorious eternall SONNE of GOD contented to be made Man was it any honour or benefit to Himselfe Surely No. Exinaniuit seipsum Hee emptied Himselfe saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 8. It was a farre greater abasement for the Sonne of God to be made the sonne of Man then for the greatest Prince or Monarch to be made a crawling Worme nay a graine of dust He was made man then not for any good or profit that Hee could reape thereby but to benefit and honour vs. So saith Esay 9. 5. Vnto vs a Child is borne and vnto vs a t Symbol Nicen. propter nos homines propter nostram Salutem c. Athan. de beat Fil. Dei Chrysost Hom. 7. in Iohan. Cypr. de van Idol Prosper in Epigram Terrae rerumque Creator Me propter Sacra Virgine natus Homo est Sonne is giuen all the benefit of his conception and natiuity is Ours not his borne and made he was for vs. And for whose sake was he lift vp was he crucified and slaine was it any profit or honour to Christ thinke you to be put to such a painfull shamefull and dishonourable death No certainly Daniel saith 9. 26. The Messias shall be slaine but not for Himselfe If not for himselfe then for some others So S. Peter 1. Ep. 2. 21. Christ suffred for vs. So that the benefit of his Passion too is not His but Ours His was the paine and shame Ours the profit and honour If He had not beene lifted vp and put to death for vs Euery Mothers child liuing and dead had suffred euerlasting death in torments of Hell with the Diuell and his angels Our Sinnes the Sinnes of the World the Stinging of the Old Serpent could not be taken away by Man or Angell but only by the Bloud of the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the World Our Sinnes they were that put to death the Lord of Life The Price of them could not be bought out with gold or siluer or al the Treasure in the World they cost no lesse then the most precious Hearts-blood of Gods owne Sonne Your Soules then are bought at the highest rate Why doe you prize them so cheape so basely Dost thou beleeue in thy Heart that the Saluation of thy Soule cost the deare-deare price of Gods owne heart bloud and darest thou goe and stake and pawne it to the Deuill to Hell for a kisse of a Strumpet for a drunken Carouse for a little painted Vanitie for an handfull of glittering drosse for a little vnprofitable Profit and deceyueable gaine See then if with Iudas thou doe not sell thy Soule and the Redeemer of thy Soule for 30. pieces for thirty nay for twenty for ten many for one a matter of halfe a Crowne or lesse Nay many passe away their Soules to Satan for nothing at all for an oath for a stab a little Reuenge Oh take heed For such as did not feele the smart of the Serpents biting nor had any griefe or paine because of it Such neuer looked vp to the Brazen Serpent nor receiued any life or health from it only such as felt the smart and sting and earnestly desired to be cured they looked vp to it and were healed So it is heere Such as go on in their sin and feele no smart of it they thinke they stand not greatly in neede of Christ and therefore they heare of his death and bloud-shedding as a matter that little or nothing concernes them Such persons as yet are not capable of any benefit by Christs Blood They only that are wounded in Soule and feele the smart of their sins in their conscience Those only looke vp to their crucified Sauiour seek health and Saluation from him These only receiue comfort by Christ those only are healed of their sting Psalm 103. 1. And all that is within them praise His holy Name To whose Name be all Honour and Glory now and for euer Amen FINIS