Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	sinful_a	4,258	5	10.1705	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93060	A good conscience the strongest hold. A treatise of conscience, handling the nature acts offices use of conscience. The description qualifications properties severall sorts of good conscience. The excellency necessity utility happiness of such a conscience. The markes to know motives to get meanes to keep it. By John Sheffeild, Minister of Swythins London.	Sheffeild, John, d. 1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing S3062; Thomason E1235_1; ESTC R208883	228,363	432

else and were insensible of the Judgements comming on them they perished in these What is it to a man to be drowned in a Butt of Malmsey or in a Vessell or Pit of water Say not therefore Is such a thing lawfull may it be done or must it not be done I will not fear to do whatever the Law of God or the Law of the Land will beare me out in But we must have more words and quaeries to an action then this one An licet we must ask An decet An expe●it To swear to go to law to take away ●●e life of another man are sometimes lawfull but it is upon such and such considerations and circumstances which circumstances of actions are as much to be looked upon often times by him who would keep peace and purity of conscience as the actions and things themselves The wary beaten Beare fights with more advantage hard at the stake then at the full length and scope of his Chaine Observe your measure limit your liberty with bounds in lawfull things For lawfull and sinfull are so near neighbours that they border one upon the other and joyne in their utmost bounds 11 Note This man again in the next place dare not do alwaies what is in his power Joseph had his unkinde brethren now in his power had committed one of them to custody yet set him free again and sent them home in peace This do saith he and live for Gen. 4● 18 I fear God The man of conscience hath other rules to walk by then a permissive Providence or a prevailing power and a concurring suitable Opportunity In maxima fortuna minima est licentia Seneca 12 Note Nor dare he do what others have familiarly done before him in his place As Nehemiah though he knew what was the Governours power and what he might claim for his due yea what estates their servants had raised formerly yet thus did not he his conscience would not serve him to raise himself and his house by imposing Taxes and Payments upon the People He studied not how much he might profit himself and how good he might make his place but how much he might profit others and how much good he might do in his place he sought rather prodesse then praeesse He kept a Princely Court an open House an honourable Table an hundred and fifty at the least every day were at his Neh. 5. 14 15 16 17 18 19. Table yet did he not charge the Publique with it Yet for all this I required not the bread of the Governour because of the hard times that lay so heavie on the People Luther could glory in it that he was poor himself yet many were inriched by him And Austin saith Among all the Gallants that ever the Romanes could glory in there was none to be preferred to M. Attilius Regulus a brave Commander Quem neque faelicitas corruperit Civit Dei l. 1. c. 24. nam in tanta victoria Pauperrimus permansit nec infaelicitas fregerit because he got all he could for his Country nothing for himself He continued a very poor man in his estate notwithstanding the great Imployments and Offices he had His whole Estate was say the Historians a parcell of Land of seven acres for his wife and children to live upon 13 Note The tender conscience doth not onely beware of sinfull actions but doth also bewaile and take sad notice of his sinfull affections and the depraved dispositions of his nature He mourns under the sin that dwels within him the Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde and the Body of Rom. 7. 20. 23 24. Death which he carrieth continually about him these are his greatest burden Whereas the hypocrite or the man of a looser and larger conscience could be content that sin should remain in him so it would not reign and too much rage to put him to shame or into much disorder He seeks more to have his sin covered then cured desires rather his sins should be curbed then conquered If he could keep his lusts and passions in some aw and some good order and decorum he would desire no more these Canaanites should live by him he would not expell or destroy them if they will but become Tributaries If they bring him in any Contribution-money and pay him Tribute and yeeld him any benefit if they will but hew him wood and draw him water he will be content to spare them Now these simple Gibconites will submit to any terms so they may but live The hypocrite I say could be well content his sin should be chained up but desires not that his sinfull nature should be changed He would rather have sin qualified then nullified moderated then mortified He would have sin weakened and impoverished but not wasted and destroyed He would have sin his Captive and brought down on his knees but not brought to execution as Ahab spared his Benhadad when he was his Prisoner In a word he would have sin onely restrained not ruined But now the Conscience truly tender of sin hates his sin in every degree with a perfect and impartiall hatred he would have no mercy shewed to this Benhadad or Agag no Covenant made with these Gibeonites By his good will these Canaanites should neither draw water nor draw breath his sin should neither reign nor remain in him he would have sin both covered and cured but rather cured then covered he would have it both curbed and conquered but rather conquered both chained and changed but rather changed he would have it both weakened and wasted but rather wasted he would have it both captived and executed but rather executed he would it should be qualified and mortified but rather mortified and nullified he would it should be restrained and ruined but rather utterly ruined And this is the right property of a tender Conscience which makes a man tender and compassionate to his soule but unexorably hardened against his sin because either sin or he must die if he kill not that it will kill him Therefore as it is said in that sore and streight siege of Jerusalem The hands of the tender and pittifull women did slay and boyle their own Lam. 4. 10. children for if they had not killed and lived on their own children they had died themselves The Law of extremity here overcame the Law of nature and made the mother cruell to her childe yet is she called a tender and pittifull mother So the soul being long besieged by the Ministery of the Word and at last close begirt with an Army of convictions and terrours legall terrours and threats and inward horrours and all within full of mutinies after denouncing of finall Judgements and the last Summons by Mercy tendered and gracious promises of life held forth The Law of Nature is overcome by the Law of Necessity and Extremity Sheba's head is cut off and cast over the Walls to 2 Sam. 20. save the City and the

shall lament Wo to them that are at ease Luk. 6. 25 in Zion and put far from them the evil day when they cause violence to draw near If he adde drunkenness to thirst and walk in the imaginaon Am 6. 1. 3. of his heart and bless himself saying I have peace and I shall have peace God will not spare such a one but his anger and jealousie Deut. 29. 18 19. shall smoak against that man It is the case of the godly oftentimes to cry fear fear where no fear and danger is And the wicked usually cry peace peace where no safety and peace is Thus yet do many sleep and live and die in peace when Jonah-like there Jonah 1. 4 5. is the greatest storm of Divine Displeasure pursuing them and the Destroyer is ready to swallow them up They slumber and sleep but their judgement all the while lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not For there 2 Pet. 2. 3. is no Peace from God to the wicked Isa 57. ult 2 It is pacifyed from the rage of Satan After 2. From the rage of Satan conscience hath been delivered from the paws of the ravening Bear the reign of sin It must next seek to be delivered from the jaws of the roaring Lyon the rage of Satan This latter is usually more terrible the former more dangerous When Sin is dethroned the first and greatest wo is past When Adonijah flies Solomon presently succeeds and is established 1 Kin 1. 50. in the throne Sin once put to flight the King of Peace reigns in the throne of Conscience This is that happy peace and security promised to the Beleever Mat. 16. 18. Upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the sum of that other promise Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly shewing manifestly our securest peace is when God doth not only restrain but ruine Satan not binde but bruise him not chain him up but tread him down The like Prayer 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly This peace from Satans rage the godly man may for so me time want who yet hath a good and pure conscience Such a want may stand with a perfect good conscience though not with a perfectly well conscience Conscientia honestè bona may be molestè mala Ames The Philistines often rushed upon Sampson and gave him many alarums hee still Iudg. 16. 9. 12. 15. 14 came off with honour and victory They come ●ut one way and fly seven waies The trouble was his the losse was theirs Yet thus is many a poore beleever often encountered some for longer time some for shorter some even al their life time are kept in bondage through Heb. 2. 15. feare of death and him that hath the power of Death the Devill They mourne they feare they pray they cry they are weary with waiting for the salvation of God When will the redeemer come out of Zion When Rom. 11. 26 Mal. 4. 2. will the Angell of the Covenant of peace come with Healing under his wings Paul had not this Peace sometimes 2 Cor. 7. 5. we had no rest but were troubled on every s●de without were fightings within were feares yet at another time could say 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to Triumph in Christ And Rom. 8. 31 33. ad finem If God be for us who can be against us What shall separate us from the love of God shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Temptation c. Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerers through him that hath loved us yea I am perswaded that neither the Temptation nor the Tempter nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Life nor Death nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. In this condition Conscience saith to the Soule Returne to thy Rest O my Soule for the Lord hath beene Beneficiall unto Psal 116. 7 thee This is that Peace which Christ hath Purchased and Bequeathed to the Beleever Peace I leave with you my Peace I give to you Jo. 14. 27. b. e. not Peace onely with God and with selfe and with men in midst of a Raging unquiet world but Peace in Despight of Hell Gates and Sathans Darts Of this Peace we may say as Gideon of his Altar Judg. 6. 34 Jehovah Shalom the Lord is God of this Peace or this Peace is the Peace of God Thirdly The third thing Conscience From the displeasure of God Rightly Pacified is at Peace and Delivered from is the Displeasure of God This is the Highest Step of Solomons throne the best part of our Peace above both the former when we can say being justified by faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. This a blessed Peace when not with man or selfe or sin or Sathan but with God Reconciled through Christ This that Peace Christ promised which the world cannot Give Nor Devill take away Jo. 14. 27. The peace of which the Apostle speaketh so magnificently calling it Phil 4. 7. the Peace of God which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit Beza passeth all understanding which shall guard and engarison your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ This Guards the Soule and Conscience from all the feares and assaults of Law sin guilt death hell and Satan In this condition the Soule lyeth downe in Peace and riseth in Peace and saith to the Godly ●ustified Person in Solomons words Eccle. 9. 7. Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy Psal 3. 5. 4. 8. and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Secondly There are 3 things which Conscience must be Pacified by and those the Conscience is pacified by 3 things same three by which before it was Purified what ever tendes to Purity Tendes to Peace viz. 1. The word 2. The bloud 3. The Spirit of Christ First By the word of Christ Conscience is Pacified and restored to Peace The word By the word of Christ especially the Gospell is therefore cald the word of Peace Tydings of Peace Gospell of Peace Word and ministery of Reconciliation Act. 10. 36 Ro. 10. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 The Gospel is the Instrumentum Pacis Christianae Gods Proclamation and our Charter of Peace containing the largest concessions of Grace It is an Act of Oblivion Passed in Heaven God not imputing our sinnes to us and further giving us an Act of Indemnity against all charges and impeachments of law sinne Conscience or Sathan This word we must produce for our security It is by the Mar. 4. 39. 41. Job 34 29 Jer. 20. 9. word of Christ that the winds and stormes are laid in the conscience and a calme made Christ utttereth his voyce and the