Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A09507
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The good conscience. Or, The soules banquet royall. In a sermon by T.P.
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Pestell, Thomas, 1584?-1659?
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1615
(1615)
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STC 19789; ESTC S114583
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21,753
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36
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Ierome This seeming calme proues in the end a most cruell storme as a wheele seemes not at all to moue when it is whirled about with greatest violence Which if we would haue proued or exemplified beside prophane stories and dayly tryall the scripture is plenteous in furnishing vs with examples and testimonies Iosephs brethren Gen. 50.15 It may be hee will hate vs and pay vs againe the euill wee did him A fuller example is Herod in Mat. 14. who when Christ came to offer mercy out of the hell of his hart imagined Iohn Baptist had bin risen again to take vengeance So the Scribes and Pharisees in that iudgement of our Sauiour concerning the woman taken in adultery accused of their owne conscience went out one by one Iohn 8.9 The same sting it was made Baltazers countenance change and his ioyntes to bee loosed and his knees to knocke one against onother Dan. 5.6 So when Paul disputed of righteousnesse and temperance and the iudgement to come the Text sayeth Foelix trembled Act. 24.26 The time would fayle mee to speake of Adam of Saul of Iudas and sixe hundred more for it is in all wicked soules eyther the first part of hell a fire that burnes and consumes speedily or the second part a worme that closely frets and eates away and rots the soule and shall neuer die saith Esay 66 24. Such a man is like him the Apostle speakes of Tit. 3.11 Who is damned of himselfe his owne Iudge witnes hangman at least findes himselfe guiltie and nothing remaines but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and a violent fire Heb. 10.27 2 The second branch of the doctrine and that which is here exprest is that how euer the worlde rashly conceit good mens estate wretched and tempestuous yet they are the onely merry men aliue It is thought religion duls their wits daunts their spirits as if mirth and mischiefe euer met together But the Heathens haue beene able to tell vs that all blisse lyes not in a giddy lightnes There is sayeth Statius hilaris cum pondere virtus Vertue with mirth and weight in it and Tully could say Non hilaritate modo nec lascinia nec ioco comite lenitatis sed saepe etiam tristes firmitate constantiâ sunt beati Men many times seeming sad are blessed in the firmenesse and constancy of their temper For the true Christian man though hee runne still away yet his ioyes are deeper then the rushing noyse of shallow worldlings as Claudius speakes of Nilus Lene fluit sed cunctis omnibus exit vtilior nullas confessus murmure vireis though it shew no strength in his murmure and ratling yet it is more vsefull then other riuers This is true of a good conscience in the generall because it is in euery disease a Physition in strife a Lawyer in doubt a Preacher in griese a counsellor in sinne a confessor like a sweet persume at once taking away the noysome smell and leauing a sweet sauour for it or like the Vnicorns horne in water driuing poyson out of any estate This we shall in like maner find true if we take into our consideration those things which most afflict and trauell men in this life and wherewith the best men are oftentimes shaken and disturbed and theit evennes interrupted and en combred which be SIN and Affliction For we shall finde that which Iuvenal speakes of vertue Semita tranquillae per virtutem patet vnica vitae applyable more fitly to a good conscience that the way out of the forenamed difficulties and the path to arriue at quietnes is no other And for SIN first the dayly wrastlings combates against those reliques of sin are best known to them that haue experienced them Such will cry out in the bitternes of their soules with S. Paul I feele another law in my members rebelling against the law of my flesh and leading mee captiue into the law of sinne O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death Rom. 7.23.24 Now a good conscience doth not onely preserue men from committing some sinne as Pride and enuy that Saw of the soule and paine of the damned and so works a peacefull innocency that way but it likewise cleares him from the guilt and horror of all sinne For first it is a procurer at least a fast friend to a bolde liuelie faith in God So the Author to the Hebrewes Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare in assurance of our faith with a true heart sprinckled in our hearts from an euill conscience and then in the next place it makes a man confident to come with boldnes to the throne of grace for if our heart condemn vs not then haue we confidence towards God 1. Iohn 3.21 In which regard Dauid ftiles God the God of his prayse the God of his righteousnes and the Apostle cals integrity of life and a good conscience arma institiae armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left 2. Cor. 6.7 which preserues him safe from all assaults and snares and temptations of the diuell nay the righteous man gaines by euery such attempt of Sathan Doemones tentando nobis coronas fabricant euery temptation anoyded as it is a Crown to a man so it is a curse to his enemy And Origen imagined that it should increase the tormentors punishment In the meane time the righteous soule lyes couered vnder his buckler of Faith like little Teucer vnder the shield of Aiax secure from danger Nay Sin indeed hath now no further power to endamage him for as the spirite of God becomming his bosome friend doth like a new Hercules kill that rauening vulture which tyres vpon the liuer of his poore soule and when hee is in greatest anguish that he prayes and sighes and grones then that prayes for him sighes grones for him with such sighes such groanes so oppressed as they cannot bee expressed Rom. 8.26 So Christ Iesus his sauiour and mighty Redeemer hath pulled out the sting of it the poyson and virulency and malignity is taken away by him For the strength of sin is the Law now such men sayth the Apostle are no longer vnder the Law but vnder grace And therefore Saint Iohn is bold to say of such a man Hee doeth no sinne nor can doe none a strange speech yet most true hee cannot sinne fearefully finally with the whole sway and bent of his minde and affections or doeth no sinne which shall bee imputed to him or layde to his charge as Saint Paul Rom. 8.33.34 where hee seemes to giue out a generall callenge against all commers to doe their worst to vrge the vtmost they can T' is c. saith he Who is that man so hardy as dare tax the children of God Who shal lay anything to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifies who shall condemne c. So that in such men sinne though it remaine yet it doth not raigne there but is onely like a languishing