Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n
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A37045
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Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace and solid joy of a good conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and exercised always to be void of offence toward God and toward men : brought down and holden forth in XXII very searching sermons on several texts of Scripture ... / by James Durham.
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Durham, James, 1622-1658.; J. C.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing D2815; ESTC R24930
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306,755
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418
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in-consistent with the Doctrine nor with the use For the 1. We would distinguish Three things in Believers in reference to their Conscience 1. Something wherin their Conscience may justly challenge them 2 something that their Conscience without ground may challenge them for 3ly Something that may be taken for the language of Conscience which indeed is not by which the Conscience may come to be mistaken 1. We say That there are some Things or Cases wherin upon just ground the Believers Conscience may challenge him and wherin he may be said to have an evil Conscience As beside several others in these 1. If we take it to be ane evil Conscience that is not only silent and mute and ceaseth to be a reprover for even gross Sins but also when wakened justly challengeth accuseth and condemneth for them a Believer may fall under it both ways as we may see in Iosephs Brethren and in David who had ane evil Conscience the first way when it was a sleep and the second way after it was wakened though ane evil Conscience considered with respect to the second way belongeth properly to this head 2ly If we look on ane evil Conscience as its restless disquieting and vexing called evil in respect of the effect of it To wit as it speaketh evil so the Believer may have ane evil Conscience in respect of particular Acts for which he is justly challenged for he may thwart his light and may contract guilt and bring himself under the desert of wrath because of that guilt which bringeth on trouble at least inward in his mind and Conscience if not outward also As we may see in David after his adultery in Peter when he denyed Christ and in many others certainly as to such particular practices Believers may be said to have ane evil Conscience 3ly If we consider a Believers state and look upon Conscience as speaking his being in an evil state though doubtless it cannot warrantably charge him with nor challenge him for that nor can it have just ground to say to the Believer that his state is evil yet it may very warrantably and on just ground be silent as to giving him a positive Testimony as to his good state when he hath in such and such particulars provoked God and caused him to hide his Face as when David fell so â—oully his Conscience might warrantably withdraw and its like did withdraw its comfortable Testimony concerning his good state before God and though Conscience here be in its duty in withholding its Testimony from the Believer while he is in such a Case yet as it doth withhold it and so deprives him of the comfort resulting therefrom it may in so far be called an evil Conscience to him though it be not in it self and sinfully so 2dly The Conscience may also challenge a Believer for some things without ground or unwarrantably which we may see beside others in these Three 1. Conscience may charge a Believer with being an Hypocrite even as to his State when he is it may be much overcome with the power of unbelief and hath the evidence of his sincerity much darkned and seeth many things very contrary thereto that may seem to speak his being out of Christ when yet indeed â—e is in him The many sad plunges and difficulties that Believers have fallen into ' wherein they have been puâ— to think so hardly of themselves and not against the pâ—esent light of their own Conscience neither prove that Conscience may speak so and so hardly to them concerning their uâ—sound and Hypocritical State and yet without ground especially when it holdeth not at the Negation or Suspension of its comfortable Testimony concerning their gracious State but positively asseâ—eth the Believers being in black nature still and â—o in an evil Staâ—e 2dâ—y Conscience may challenge for that which is not Sin and so for that which it hath no ground to challenge for as we may see 1 Cor. 8. vers 7. Compared with the penult vers In the 7. vers The Apostle sayeth There is not in every man a like knowledge for some with conscience of the idol eat it as a thing offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled And vers 12. He saiâ—h That their conscience being weak is wounded Their light being weak and supposing such a thing to be wrong when it was not so they were challenged by their Coâ—cience without just ground Thus it is very ordinarily for young beginners in Religion to be peirced and wounded with challenges for many things that these who are more strong and fully grouâ— will not at all be â—roubled for neither have ground to be troubled for as these who could eat every â—ort of meat asking no question for Conscience sake 3dly Conscience may challenge for a sin that hath been pardoned as if it were not pardoned yea it may challenge for a sin the pardon whereof hath been intimated as we may see in David and Iob who were pardoned and yet under their affliction the sins of their youth did stare them in the face and the Conscience will readily challenge for old iniquities though pardoned either when Believers break out into some new Act of gross Siâ— as we see in Davids Case or when they are under some extraordinary and very sadly circumstantiated dispensation of Providence sorely assaulted by tentation and unbelief crying loud as it were all is wrong there as it was in a measure with holy Iob. 3dly We said That some things may be taken for the Language of Conscience which are not or we may mistake Conscience and think that it speaketh so and so and doth challenge when it doth not speak so nor challenge which may be the reason of mens supposing the Conscience to be good when it is not or contrarly and this cometh to passe especially in two Cases 1. When our Incâ—nation is thwarted or our humour is to speak â—o grieved in which Case Melancholy or Discontent or some other Grief are readily taken to be Conscience As we may see in Achab when he got not the Vine-yard of Naboth he laid himself down on his Bed and would eat no Bread but it was not from any challenge of his Conscience but because his Inclination and Humour was crossed some degrees of which may be found with Believers 2ly When Conscience speaketh only as to somewhat in part or only concerning such or such a particular and we draw a Conclusion much broader then that which Conscience doth speak will bear As when it saith to the Believer in this or this particular thou art not right and he hence concludâ— that he is right in nothing and very ordinarily it is thus with Believers that are not so clear distinct and strong in their Knowledge and Faith When Conscience sayeth that such or such a thing is wrong they are ready to conclude that all things are wrong and nothing right because one thing is wrong So when Conscience pointeth forth such
sheweth 1 Cor. 19 19. 7ly Their Error or mistake may be continued in long and Believers may not only fall hastily or on the sudden in an Error of Judgement or into a wrong practice but they may live and ly long in it It 's like that of Iobs Friends ended not in a day nor in a moneth and that of the Fathers was for many years together and that also of the Apostles was for several yea they may continue so long that they may die in it and never come to so much clearness as once to know that they were wrong though I say not that they may die in such an Error and mistake un-pardoned yet they may die in unclearness as to the things being an Error yet without prejudice to their Salvation having an interpretative and virtual repentance of every thing that is wrong and sinfull in them and so of all among the rest As the Patriarchs and many Believers in Pauls time went to heaven who yet very probably did die without coming to be clear in that particular wherein they were mistaken or differed from others who were in the right shall we think that two godly men living and dying in some difference of judgement about somewhat not necessary â—o Salvation wherein yet the one of them must be wrong die not well and in the Lord for all that God forbid neither can there be any reason given why they may not die in that wherein they lived so long though indeed at death they may come to be more impartial in weighing the grounds of the difference and mistake 8ly This may be for some generations as was that mistake of the Patriarchs and so it may continue not only in mens own lifetime but in after generations the mistake may be propagat as in the Primitive Times some of their debates were not soon altogether hushed and worn out 3dly These things being wonderful in themselves we shall come now to enquire a little into the reasons of this and they are of Two sorts 1. Some speak sinful infirmity in men even godly men 2dly Others speak Soveraignity in the holy God For the First sort that speak infirmity in us and are culpable causes of the thing They may be these 1. Ignorance and Unclearness in the Understanding and Judgement for the most eminent Believer in his best Condition Knoweth but in part and as his Judgement is mistaken so readily will his Conscience be which accuseth or excuseth according as the Judgement is informed Conscience pre-requireth and some way pre-supposeth Knowledge And therefore the man that wanteth knowledge is called weak so the Conscience of the weak Brother is spoken of Rom. 14. And 1 Cor. 8. that is weak through want of Knowledge 2ly The best and most eminent Believers have a remainder of Corruption in them and therefore are in hazard and in a manner ready to side with and intertain a mistake if Believers were free of Corruption it might be thought impossible that they should thus Err but that will not be till the Soul be separated from the Body so long as Corruption remaineth there will be a hazard and readiness in so far and in some things to mistake and to follow the misguiding of a mis-informed Conscience 3dly Believers are sometimes rash and hasty in drawing a sudden Conclusion and too negligent in previous trying taking that for Gods mind which is not so indeed as may be seen in Samuel who taketh Eliaâ— for Gods anointed and in Nathan who approveth of Davids resolution to build the Temple not only as it was a good work in it self but as his present duty much of their Error flowed from haâ—e As he sayeth in another Case Psal. 116. v. 11. I said in my haste all men are lyers 4ly There may much of this evil arise from the suffering of a prejudice to sit down or setle when a Believer is prejudged he may hear many things and not take them well up so the Disciples had drunk in a prejudice at the Cross and therefore when Christ spoke of Suffering to them it 's said they understood him not 5ly Believers are sometimes un-aware ingadged in a Conclusion that byasseth their light and maketh their Conscience partial as in searching and finding out what might clear them so in seeking out grounds to maintain their Opinion by Thus Iobs Friends did first apprehend and take up Iob to be an hypocrite and accordingly thought it their duty to bear in the Conviction of it upon him and to maintain that Conclusion they wrest Gods providence and dispensation not against their present light nor it may be from a former Error so much as from the prejudice they had drunk in 6ly Believers may think themselves to be right when they are wrong because of a general Custome or Opinion of such a thing among other Believers taking such a thing to be the Judgement of others they ingadge in it without tryal or debate which is given as the reason of the Patriarchs their so long continuing in Polygamy viz. That it was become customary and habitual 7ly Beside the instances we gave the last day which might also be reasons Believers out of their respect and love to a good end may think that such or such a mids is good and warrantable without so particular examination of the nature of the mids especially if it be not grossely or manifestly sinfull because they think that such an end is warrantable as it may indeed be and yet every mids is not so though when the end is good the midses are often with too little care search and solicitude adventured on as Nathan thought it a warrantable thing to build a Temple to God and so indeed it was and so questioneth not but that it was Davids duty and here he was mistaken For the 2d sort of Reasons They are such as are drawn from Gods Soveraignty who hath some soveraign and holy ends and designs in such a Dispensation viz. in suffering Believers to be and abide long under their mistakes As 1. It may be so ordered to humble all Flesh and to make all know their nothingness and to learn that lesson which is taught Isa. 2. ult Ceass ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of It would seem that Believers might be laid weight upon and lipned to if any might be so but all flesh is grass saith the Holy Ghost which holds true in some respect even of Believers as well as of others This preacheth and proclaimeth mans infirmity when most eminent Believers are not exeemed from falling into mistakes and from continuing therein 2ly It may â—e so ordered to make all others walk in fear and to study watchfulness the more and withall to lippen less to themselves and more to God These things says the Apostle 1 Cor. 10 speaking before of the miscarriages of Gods professing people from every degree whereof it 's hard to say that the godly themselves