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
A94261	The crovvne of righteousnes: or, The glorious reward of fidelity in the discharge of our duty. As it was laid forth in a sermon, preached in S. Botolphs Aldersgate, London, Sept. 25. 1653. At the solemn funerall of Mr. Abrah: Wheelock, B. D. the first publick professor, and reader of Arabick, and of the Saxon, in the University of Cambridge. Whereunto is added, an encomium of him. / By William Sclater Doctor in Divinity, now preacher of the Word of God in Broad-street, Lond.	Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1653 (1653)	Wing S916; Thomason E221_6; ESTC R4044	30,757	39

cautionately understood thus possible notwithstanding it is very difficult and hard to be attained and that for many weighty and important reasons As First in regard of the difficulty to put a distinction between seeming Vertues and reall Graces which are the signes and fruits of Election and which give the best evidence of glory so that there needs much discussion and an exact spirit of l Phil. 1.9 10. Discerning to put a Difference and to discriminate the one from the other yea we are to take notice that there are many Vices neere of * Fallie cnim vitium proximitate honi kinne to many Vertues and carry in semblance a neare affinity as it were with them There is saith devout Bernard à minium virtutis a certaine kinde of Vermilion wherewith Satan paints over the outside of Vices and makes them shew like Vertues and but by an Eye and an Heart m Heb. 5 14. exercised in piety hardly discernable each from the other thus Flattery sometimes carryes the style of affability Covetousnesse of Frugality Rashnesse of Fortitude a Divellish Matchiavelisme of a lawfull policy excesse and ryot of good fellowship and under this mistake of judgement that is taken for zeale which is nothing but an impetuous n 2 Tim. 3.4 headinesse or a fiery kinde of vehemency that in stead of heating the house is apt to burne it Thus in short presumption passeth often for Faith this being the o Jer. 17.9 2 Cor. 11 3. guile of our hearts and Satan complying with it who can transforme himselfe into an p 2 Cor. 11 14. Angell of Light and set a faire glosse upon naughty wares making the tinsell of Hypocrisie to passe for the Silver of sincerity we must not too much relye upon our q Prov. 3.5 owne Judgements in this matter but bring things to the r 1 Thes 5.21 beame of the Sanctuary and there s Rom. 12.2 prove and weigh them the Word of God ever giveth right Judgement and the searching hereinto John 5.39 t Act 17.11 and examining of these matters hereby requiring great deliberation this makes the assurance difficult when the Evidence is perplexed and not presently cleared Secondly its hard in regard of the plenty of Lusts and of the u Gal. 5.19 workes of the flesh which too much over-grow and abound in every mans Heart but graces are but rare and come up thin much chaffe and little solid graine our graces are like Gideons Army but a handfull in comparison but our sinnes and like Midiknites w Jude 7.12 Innumerable as Grashoppers Hipps and Hawes saith one grow in every hedge when choycer fruits are but in some few Gardens and every soyle almost yeilds stone and rubbish but Gold and precious stones are found in very few places ●nw S. Peter who exhorts to give diligence to make Election sure exhorts also 2 Pet. 1.5 6. to adde to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge c. a large enumeration or induction of graces is required to clear up this assurance and certainly that is a matter of no ease Thirdly that I may hasten this is difficult in regard of the great progresse that an Hypocrite or a Cast-away may make in the wayes of Christianity and yet never attaine to this assurance He may have some degrees of Illumination Heb. 6.4 much like a Coruscation that a suddaine flash of Lightning maketh in the Ayre He may have good wishes as Balaam Numbers 23.10 A sight of sinne as Cain had Gen. 4.13 Confesse sinne as Judas did Matthew 27.4 have zeale as Jehu had 2 Kings 10.16 in these and in like other gifts may a very Cast-away make a great progresse But no child of God can have any reall comfort in any thing wherein he cannot say he hath yet therein gone beyond a Cast-away and yet but in the ground or rule or end of doing these things are hardly discernable each from other All which and much more that might be added to the same purpose shew though not the utter impossibility yet surely the very great difficulty of attaining unto this assurance that a man can say as S. Paul doth here in a particular application unto his soule Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me and henceforth is laid up for x Gal. 2.20 me a Crown of Righteousnesse There yet remaines but one Pearle more in the Cabinet of this Text which I shall onely offer to your short notice and so conclude it is that due qualification which renders other Christians as well as it did S. Paul capable of the Crown of Righteousnesse they must be such as who do love the Lord Christ's second appearing in the day of Judgement And indeed it is the property of none but Saints to love it and long for it See Phil. 1.23 Rev. 22.20 Amen even so come Lord Jesus Some cautions notwithstanding must be here remembred sith it 's possible that times may fall out when we tremble at the thought or mention of it as when conscience is wounded afresh with some gross act of sin this made David afraid yea to roar out and to make a noyse through the disquietnesse of his spirit Psal 38.8 Psal 55.2 and under that state of soul to begg earnestly to be spared that he might recover strength in Gods favour before he went hence and was no more Psal 39.13 or else when the Lord shall for divers ends and reasons surcharge the soule and conscience with the sins of youth for which perhaps men have not as became them been sufficiently humbled thus dealt he even with his servant Job writing bitter things against him Job 13.26 see also Job 1.6.4 But out of those cases it is proprium quarto modo onely the Saints love it all such love it and alwayes and no mervaile sith by this second coming and appearance of Christ in the day of the last Judgement they receive very great and inestimable benefits such as are finall Redemption of the Body from corruption Rom. 8.23 Freedome from the society of the wicked which here y Psal 119.136 afflict the godly by their violation of Gods Law and Precepts Deliverance not onely from the z Rom. 6.12 raigne and a Psal 19.13 dominion but even from the inhabitation and being of sin which here they finde as a clogg and a b Ps 38.4 burthen to c Mat. 11.28 heavy for them and so long to be rid of it Rom. 7.24 and lastly the beatifical d 1 Joh. 3.2 vision and perfect fruition of the ever-blessed and all-glorious Trinity in the e Heb. 12 2 23 24. Heavenly Hierusalem among the innumerable company of Angels being admitted to the generall Assembly and Church of the first-borne which are enrolled and written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant in whose presence there is fulnesse of joy and at whose right