Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	conscience_n	faith_n	unfeigned_a	1,225	5	10.9966	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31442	A late great shipwrack of faith occasioned by a fearful wrack of conscience discovered in a sermon preached at Pauls the first day of July, 1655 / by Dan. Cawdrey.	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1655 (1655)	Wing C1632; ESTC R23918	31,017	42

Act. 23.1 I have in all good conscience walked before God which 1 Tim. 3.9 is called Act. 24.16 a pure conscience And by our Saviour in the Parable of the seed it s called a good and an honest heart which is expressed by a Religious and honest conversation In this sense it is here taken 3. Holding or Having 3. What is meant by Holding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having is the word but being of the Present Tense it implies a continued Act and so is well rendered by Holding first get it and have it then hold it yea more significantly Tit. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding fast the faithful word according to doctrine c. 4. The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having put away 4. Put away which signifies an act not of ignorance or infirmity but knowingly and willingly to refuse or reject the dictates of conscience repellentes repelling or rejecting the verdict of it The same word is used Act. 7.27 Act. 13.46 Put it from you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the man that quarrelled with Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he thrust him away It imports a kind of violence offered to conscience by walking contrary to it 5. The last word considerable is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Made shipwrack have made shipwrack a Metaphor taken as I said from Mariners or Seafaring men who when the Ship is broken or sunk lose the Merchandize therein contained So that Faith or the Truth of the Gospel is the Merchandize a good Conscience is the Ship Faith is the Jewel a good conscience is the Cabinet Faith is the Treasure a good conscience is the Chest or Treasury If the Ship Cabinet Chest miscarry the Merchandize Iewel Treasure cannot be safe The full sense and sum is this 3. The sum of words If thou O Timothy wilt war a good warfare or fulfill thy Seafare with comfort and commendation Hold fast Faith that is the Truth of the Gospel but especially hold fast a good conscience which is the Ship or Cabinet for that being lost or put away the Faith will be lost inevitably as the sad and lamentable example of some Himeneus and Alexander doth manifest who having put a good conscience away concerning the Faith have made Shipwrack The words being thus explained hold out unto us The Observation made good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrs in locum this observation which I shall deliver in Chrysostomes words upon the place A corrupt and a culpable life breeds a corrupt judgement an unsound heart makes an unsound head if a man put away a good conscience he will soon make Shipwrack of the Faith As the conscience cannot be good unless the Faith be pure so the Faith cannot be safe unless the conscience be good Without knowledge the minde is not good Prov. 19.2 A corrupt judgement makes a corrupt life or conscience and a corrupt conscience will soon corrupt the Faith which was thus we shall make good 1. From Scripture 1. By parallel places of Scripture we have the like in a lesser degree in this very Chapter vers 5 6 7. The end of the commandment is Love out of a pure heart good conscience and faith unfained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which pure heart good conscience c. some having swerved from have turned to vain janglings The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Metaphor taken from Archers who mistake their aime and so miss the mark The meaning is some desiring to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctors or teachers of the Law not levelling or aiming at purity of heart and a good conscience c. they have begun to decline from the Truth being turned to vain janglings What is that Fables and endless or useless genealogies which breeds questions rather then Godly edifying which is by faith vers 4. These vain disputations as they take men off from practical Truths so they do by little and little corrupt the truth To the like purpose the Apostle prescribes this as a preservative of the Faith chap. 3.9 to his Deacons Holding the mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience Pure faith will not abide but in a pure conscience as the Doves a cleanly creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not abide but in a clean house And on the contrary see 1 Tim. 6.5 these two go together Men of corrupt minds that is conscience destitute or deprived of the truth He had said before vers 3. If any man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness In the 4 and 5 verses he gives the reason of that corrupting the Faith partly his pride he is puffed up partly his ignorance acquired perhaps he knoweth nothing but dotes about questions and partly yea chiefly He is a man of a corrupt mind and therefore justly deprived of the knowledge of the truth The very like expression is in 2 Tim. 3.8 speaking of seducers of themselves and others that lead captive simple women he shewes the reason of both They seduce others whom such as have lost or never had a good conscience Simple women laden with sins and led about with divers lusts They are themselves seduced upon the same ground men of corrupt mindes then follows reprobate concerning the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that have lost their judgement concerning the Truth of the Gospel And vers 13. he sayes Evil men and seducers wax worse and worse not onely in life but also in judgement for so it follows deceiving and being deceived 1 Tim. 6.5 Supposing that gain is godliness through covetousness First their life corrupts their judgement and their judgement again corrupts their life It s strange to consider how far a mans judgement may be corrupted by a bad conscience and wicked conversation Take but one place Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God How comes it to pass that a man should be so grosly corrupted in so clear a principle The works of God proclaim a God Rom. 1.19 That which may be known of God c. How come men to think there is no God the reason follows Corrupt are they and become abhominable in their doings c. This is rendred as a reason why the Prophets and Priests corrupted the Law of God Zeph. 3.4 Her Prophets are light and treacherous persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have done violence to The Law More might be added but these may suffice for instances We shall now manifest it further 2. By Reasons How comes it to pass 2. By Reasons that the corruption of the heart or life hath such influence to corrupt the head or judgement in the plain Truthes of the Gospel Take these 1. Sinful lusts allowed and lived in hinder spiritual light and saving knowledge Lusts are like scales upon the eyes 1. Sinful lusts hinder spiritual light

retaineth her How careful are your merchants of the meanest commodities if but Corn or Coals c. to see them safe shipped in a good ship much more if loaden with precious merchandize Silk and Velvets Silver and Gold and precious stones would any wise man trust these in a rotten leaking Ship The application is easily made Faith is this Jewel your consciences are the Ship if you desire to bring your Treasure safe to land have a care of the Ship your conscience that it be sound and safe If you put away a good conscience you must needs make shipwrack of the Faith this incomparable Jewel That 's the first consideration 2. The Ship it self is next considerable A good ship is long in making 2. The goodness of the ship a good conscience great pains and costs in rearing and rigging of it and the use and comfort of it in a long and hard Seafare is of great concernment as a bad one fills with great fears A good conscience which is here compared to the Ship is a thing long in making and cost much to make it good The blood of Christ to purge it from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 much pains and labor to keep it good Act. 24.16 Herein I exercise my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men And for the use of it in this our Seafare where we meet with storms and pyrates and shelves and rocks c. nothing more safe and comfortable then a good conscience good with the goodness of integrity that will keep it good with the goodness of tranquility A good conscience is a continual feast Prov. 15.15 And our Apostle who was literally in perils by Sea as well as by land 2 Cor. 11.26 and was often tossed with the tempests of persecution from the knowledge of the goodness of his ship could sing in a storm as if he had been in Noahs Ark This is our rejoycing the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 The Psalmist sings it out Ps 119.165 Great is the peace which they have who love thy law and nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling blocks as the original bears it Nothing shall offend them is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more is meant then spoken they are much pleased delighted ravished with the peace of a good conscience But who would venture to Sea in a torn crackt weather-beaten ship having neither Sails nor Anchor nor ballast There is no worse hell on earth then an ill conscience especially in troublous and suffering times Witness Judas Spira c. It is reported of some that have run through all the Sects to the very Ranters that they lye under the horrors of hell roaring and crying there is no mercy for them I could wish they that first lead them out of the way might be sensible of this wrong Have a care therefore of this Ship that is of so great concernment 3. The passenger or Pilot of the ship 3. The worth of the passenger the soul is of special consideration to commend yea command the looking well to the Ship who is either sav'd or lost with it If the Ship and Merchandize miscarry the person in it is in danger of perishing with them He that is careless of a good conscience doth not onely loose his Merchandize the Faith but himself also even his own soul That 's a dreadful place 2 Pet. 2.1 3. False teachers shall privily bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them as some now do and bring upon themselves swift destruction Whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not In the next verse to my text there are a couple of Apostates Himeneus and Alexander delivered unto Satan by a censure of excommunication that they might learn not to blaspheme The Church for want of a settled government hath not now this power but God does it immediately or mediately mediately by some Instruments of Satan It 's reported and by some confessed that by sorceries and potions and such like Satan hath really and actually had possession of them immediately God does it by giving men up to their own lusts which is worse then if delivered into the actual possession of Satan That place speaks the very terrors of hell to men that have put away a good conscience 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that all they might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Therefore for the passengers sake your own souls sake look well to the ship to keep a good conscience lose one and lose both 4. The sad examples of shipwrack in others 4. The sad and lamentable examples of shipwracks that are before our eyes and upon record goodly ships and richly laden that have miscarryed in sight of the Haven Here are two in the next verse of whom is Himeneus and Alexander and 2 Tim. 2. Philetus and Demas cap. 4.10 anciently and thousands more upon our own shore lye wreckt and broken to pieces who have not onely split the ship a good conscience but made shipwrack of the Faith and are themselves drowning in the Sea of perdition if God be not the more merciful to them Let these be as so many Seamarks to us all to cry Hold faith and above all if you will hold the Faith get and keep a good conscience But some concern 2. To the Ministers of God 2. The Ministers of God who represent and succeed Timothy in his office as Pilots of the Church It concerns them above others to hold Faith and a good conscience together especially to hold the latter if they intend to hold the former I shall propound but these considerations to perswade to it very briefly 1. The heart is very deceitful 1. How easie a thing it is for our hearts to deceive us if not diligently examined and observed we may strongly believe we have a good conscience when it is clean otherwise Paul himself sometimes was cheated by his own heart I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Act. 26.9 He thought it conscience but it was persecution His conscience was mislead to maintain his old way with persecution of the professors of the Gospel There is a way sayes Solomon that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the wayes of death Prov. 16.25 There are many wayes which may seem to us to be the wayes of Christ which are in a more general notion the wayes of Antichrist There may be coloured covetousness as the Apostle calls it or secret ambition pride 1