Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	conscience_n	good_a	sin_n	3,825	5	5.2827	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79881	Aurea Legenda, or Apothegms, sentences, and sayings of many wise and learned men, useful for all sorts of persons Collected out of many authors by Sa. Clark, sometimes pastor in B.F.	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1682 (1682)	Wing C4488A; ESTC R223906	51,711	152

Commander and chief Controuler of all his Desires and doings Conscience is a most Celestial gift It is so of God and in Man that it is a kind of middle thing between God and Man less than God and yet above man It may be called our God in the sense that Moses was called Pharaoh's God having Power to controul and avenge our disobedience with greater plagues than ever Moses brought upon Egypt Many seek for knowledge few care for Conscience yet is Conscience got with more ease and kept with more advantage than all our Science Keep Conscience pure and it will keep thee in Peace Let men the World and the Devils do their worst they cannot hurt him that hath a good Conscience saith Bernard A good Conscience is the Paradise that God walks in the Throne that Christ sits upon the Temple that the holy Spirit dwels in the Golden-pot wherein is kept the hidden Manna c. Conscience is the Book of Books the ancientest piece of Scripture in the world The first Tables of God's own hewing and Hand-writing in the Heart of Man for whose sake all other Books since yea the Scripture it self was afterwards written on purpose to Comment upon it This is the Book that every man should be well versed in To study other Books will make thee a Schollar but to study this will make thee a Christian Peace of Conscience is worth our utmost endeavour It will make a man sleep without a Pillow yea without a Bed Hence it was that Jacob took such good rest upon a Stone That Peter loaden with Iron Chains could sleep so sweetly tho for ought he knew he was to dye the next day That Mr Philpot and his fellow Prisoners could rouse as merrily in the Straw in the B B of London's Colehouse as if they had been upon Down Beds in a Pallace It is a Feast with any Food tho never so course and slender It made those blessed Martyrs in the Reign of Severus the Emperor of whom Eusebius writes that after long and hard imprisonment being released for a time they appeared to the People as those that came è Myrothecia non Ergastulo rather out of Shops from among sweet Oyntments than out of filthy Prisons They were brought forth saith he rejoycing in their Torments and carrying in their Countenances a certain Divine aspect This inward peace of Conscience made the Prophet Isay cheerfully to submit himself to the Saw Jeremiah to be stoned Paul to the Sword Peter to the Cross Lawrence to the Grid-iron c. Prov. 28. 1. The righteous is bold as a Lyon Conscintia pura semper secura A good Conscience hath a secure Confidence and he that hath it sits Noah-like mediis tranquillus in undis Quiet in the greatest Combustions Freed if not from the common Destruction yet from the common Distraction For he knows whom he hath trusted and is sure that neither Life nor Dèath nor things Present nor things to come can ever sunder him from God's love in Christ Rom. 8. 38 39. Tho Saul could not be merry without a Fidler Ahab without Naboth's Vineyard Nor Haman without Mordecai's curtesie Yet he that hath a good Conscience can be merry without all these Yea as the Lilly is fresh beautiful and looks pleasantly tho among Thorns So can such an one exult in the midst of troubles St. Paul tho no man out of Hell ever suffered more then he yet did he not only Glory in Tribulations but Over-abounded exceedingly with joy 2 Cor. 7. 4. There are four quiet Consciences and never a one of them good First The ignorant Conscience which with the blind Man swallows many a Fly and know's it not Ephe. 4. 18 19. Secondly The Conscience that was never yet well awakened The sleeping Conscience But Sin lyes at the Door His Bones are full of the Sin of his youth which shall lye down with him in the Dust Job 20. 11. This is worse than a troubled Conscience Here the strong Man armed keepeth possession and therefore all things are at Peace Luke 11. 21. Thirdly The deluded Conscience that Dreams of nothing but Visions of Peace Lam. 2. 14. being deluded by Satan and his Instruments as Ahab was by his false Prophets 1 Kin. 22. 21 22. Most men are in this condition Zech. 1. 11. Behold all the Earth sits still and is at rest Zeph. 1. 11. I will punish the men that are setled on their Lees c. These dye like Lambs and are accounted happy Jer. 51. 40. Fourthly The obdurate Conscience These Treasure up wrath against the day of Wrath Rom. 2. 5. Job 36. 13. There is no greater a Plague than such a Conscience David before he was smitten either by God's hand or by the Prophet's reproof his own sanctified Conscience did the Office of a faithful Monitor and houshold Chaplain For his Heart presently mis-gave him 1 Chron. 21. 8. 2 Sam. 24 10. Bee-Masters tell us that those are the best Hives that make the greatest noise Sure it is that that is the best Conscience that suffers not a man to sleep in Sin David's heart smote him for numbring the People It was for his own for a small for a secret Sin For failing in the manner only For he knew that a man might as well dye of an in ward bleeding as of an outward Wound The good Soul is often afflicted for it's failings in those Duties which others applaud and extoll A good and a peaceable Conscience saith Bernard est lectus Animae The Bed on which the Soul takes sweet repose Behold the Considence of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3. 21. when it is parling with God by Prayer and bold intercession It dares plead with God as Jeremy did Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgments c. Jer. 12. 1. And interrogates as St. Paul Rom. 8. 33 34 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Who is he that Condemns c And expostulates with God as David often did When God seems to be asleep he will awaken him When to delay he will quicken him When to have lost his wonted kindness he will find it for him In pure Water the Face may be seen not so in muddy So in a pure Conscience Gods Face may be seen and no where else in the Earth As Faith makes the Conscience good before God so Purity makes it good before men The unlearned man with a good Conscience saith St. Austin will go to Heaven when thou with all thy Learning shalt be cast into Hell Surgunt indocti rapiunt Regnum Coelorum c. Faith looks to Promises Fear to threats Hope to futures Obedience to Duties Repentance to Sins c. But Conscience looks to all A good Conscience will stand a Man instead when he appears before the great Tribunal of God where Courage dares not shew it's Face nor Eloquence open