Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A89718
|
Cases of conscience practically resolved By the Reverend and learned John Norman, late minister of Bridgwater.
|
Norman, John, 1622-1669.
|
1673
(1673)
|
Wing N1239A; ESTC R231385
|
224,498
|
434
|
gall Instead of lesser troubles behold greater terrours Take up betimes then Reason bids thee of two evils that thou chuse the least That thou run not from bad to worse that for fleeing of the fear thou shouldst not fall into the pit and snare Jer. 12.5 Job 20.24 25. Jer. 48.44 Isa 24.18 2 Into what a gulf of sin art thou falling 'T is a Question in the Schools Whether unbelief despair or hatred of God be the greatest sin Aquinas * 22 a. q. 20. a. 3. resolves it That despair is the greatest quantum ad nos the other secundum se The truth is that despair is always inclusive of the other two though they are not always inclusive of it Despair ariseth out of unbelief and is still accompanied therewith as hope ariseth out of faith Neither is there in despair only a privation of hope * ib. a. 1. but there is an aversion at least a retreat from the object hoped for and from God the object hoped in as either unable or unwilling to give it and so there is an hatred of God that goeth with it either negative if I may so phrase it as in the pious a want of love at least to that degree which is due to him Or positive as in the impenitent and was in Cain and others O! how many sins are there in this one sin how many that attend upon it What horrible infidelity as if there were more in sin to damn us than in God and Christ to save us What height of ingratitude to God! for his Christ and the Covenant of his grace and for all those means he hath afforded for awakening our hopes and attaining of happiness What horrid imputations to and blasphemy of God! In making our guilt more omnipotent than his power and sin more hurtful than he is good and helpful What haughty insolency against God and his Gospel in justifying themselves and Satan in saying our Salvation is impossible when both of them speak it possible and proffer it upon easie terms What odious indignity is there offered unto Christ as if the cry of our sins did outvoice the cry of his blood or there were not either worth enough in it or not a willingness to impart it though he left his father took our flesh c. to this very purpose What open injury do we offer to the Church as if there were no Balm in Gilead and the business and blessings of religion were but a mockery as ending in madness and melancholy Yea how ominous is the injury hereby to our own selves as barring us out not only from present happiness but from all possibilities and hopes and bringing us into the most amazing agonies of 1. temptation 2. tribulation 3. transgression 1. Of temptation Despair is the Devil's shop and shambles By this he puts men upon blaspheming God and self-butcheries Witness Cain Saul and Judas Gen. 4.13 14. 1 Sam. 31.4 cum 16.14 Mat. 27.5 cum Joh. 13.27 2. Of Tribulation Nothing but now ministers matter of trouble to the Soul Even God his Gospel c. And they multiply upon him I was not in safety neither had I rest neither was I quiet yet trouble came yea there is a special malignity in these troubles not only in that they are soul-troubles but self-troubles troubles of his own making and maintaining He is his own tormenter Job 3.26 Jer. 2.19 3. Of Transgression Now is the time of sinning most against God our selves and the soul-good of our neighbour hardening the wicked hindring the weak and intercepting the worthiest in the cheerfulness of their progress and pilgrimage The effects I acknowledg are different in different persons 1. It enervates endeavours in most As the Orator * Desperatione debilitati experiri nolunt quod se assequi posse diffidunt Cic. Orat. ad Brut. long since observed Hope is the nerve and tendon of Action if this be cut off or contracted they are disenabled and indisposed Men care not to make experiments for that of which they conclude they shall never come at 2. It eateth cut the sweet and extinguisheth the Spirit and heat of endeavours if they are continued Cut off hope and the springs of joy and holy obedience are dammed up Servile fears prevail and so duty doth become a drudgery and comes off with difficulty 'T is worse rowing than against wind and tide 3. It inflameth some unto self-violence Saul falls upon his own Sword Ahitophel and Judas hang themselves and so pass from one hell to another 4. It exasperateth some against God and Godliness and boils up their hatred to malice and despight as Cain and Jehoram's messenger What shall I attend on the Lord any longer 5. It endeth with some in sensuality and Epicurean or brutish indulgences to make the best of their gain in carnal divertisements while they may As those Jer. 2.25 c. 18.12 1 Cor. 15.32 There is no hope we will walk after our own devices Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Direct 4. Present the Object in and from whom you can alone hope for peace and safety more rightly to your Conscience Is it not enough that you have hard thoughts of your selves but will you have hard thoughts of our God likewise O the zeal the strength the sounding of his bowels and of his merceis towards thee Are they restrained Hath he not proclaimed his Name to be the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Yea the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works He is full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Isa 63.15 Exod. 34.6 7. Psal 86 5 15. 103.8 145.8 9. Whence then are these approaches toward despair O thou trembling soul whence why do these tormenting thoughts stick upon thee Is it that God cannot is not able to pardon thee Nay what is too hard for an omnipotent mercy to pardon or pass by Man can put up but a few provocations such is his impotence through pride passion c. He cannot contain but would be calling for fire from heaven But God hath proclaimed his Name to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord the Lord the mighty God * Deus fortis Jun. Tremel His Omnipotence can forgive both iniquity transgression and sin all kinds all degrees of sin Luk. 9.54 Exod. ibid. Numb 14.18 19 20. Amos 7.2 3. What! is it that he careth not is not willing to forgive and have mercy upon thee Nay as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but this is his pleasure that the wicked turn from his way and live Lo how he invites injoyns intreats it Turn you turn you from your evill ways How he expostulateth in it why will ye die God is not willing that any should perish but that all
both clear and quick or expeditious in the judgment Thou needst not call for Law-books or foreign Witnesses With thee is a treasury of Laws and thou art more than a thousand Witnesses 3. If Conscience yet suspends judgment cite her before the supream Judg. Behold Conscience the Judg standeth before the door He is greater than the Conscience to him thou must accompt Thou mayst apologize to me but how wilt thou answer it to him who made thee his deputy and substituted thee upon this very design And hath said to Conscience as Jehoshaphat to his Judges Take heed what ye do for ye judg not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment Wherefore take heed and do it Jam. 5.9 1 Joh. 30.20 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7. 2 See that Conscience pronounce the sentence fully and clearly upon thee An half-sentence can give but half-satisfaction If the sentence be dubious thy Soul will still be in the dark Why all this pains Not for airy hopes but for assurance of the heart before God 1 Joh. 3.19 To this end 1. Be full and clear with Conscience in exposing all thou art and dost to her sentence without any of the restraints of self-love without any reserve for any secret lusts Self-love will be putting in for her immunities A clear and impartial sentence will shake all her foundations hitherto of quiet and self-ease And therefore importuneth Conscience as David sometime did his chief Commanders Deal gently for my sake yea and for thy own sake for thou must sustain the effects of such a sentence 2 Tim. 3.2 cum 5. 2 Sam. 18.5 Secret lusts will be putting in for an indemnity which it may be Conscience hath cockered or at least hitherto connived at Wherefore should we be slain Have not we took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in company c. But Conscience must quit them ere it can clear thec 'T will be a partial sentence if she parteth not with these sins Or if she speak peace it will be but the shew and paint of it so long as ye will walk after the imagination of your own hearts Psal 19.12 13. 18.23 Deut. 29.19 Bring all then before the Bar of Conscience and that Bar without any vails or coverts and tell her as Cornelius told Peter we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 2. Be free yet close with Conscience You may remember her there will be another audit and what will attend if she shall give a loose or partial judgment Cursed be he that perverteth judgment But remember her withal that therefore this thy appearance is made before her throne of Judicature and thou demandest it as thy right not as a matter of courtesie from her but as of debt and duty As of old it was ordained Thou shalt come to the Judg and enquire and he shall shew thee the sentence of judgment Deut. 27.19 c. 17.9 See thou do not see her by any carnal indulgence for a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise and perverteth the words of righteousness and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery Deut. 16.19 Job 15.34 Nor flatter her by any corrupt inducements The flattering mouth worketh ruin Psal 36.2 Prov. 26.28 Be plain with Conscience Lo I have now put my self my state my salvation upon thy sentence 'T is thy work to condemn or clear me thy eternal wo or weal is concerned in it I require thee as before the supream and all-seeing Judg to judg righteously I do not sollicite for favour but seek justice at thy mouth How long shall I take counsel in my soul When wilt thou bring it to a conclusion that I may know my estate what I am Follow her with arguments and importunities till she answereth thee in the words of the Psalmist I will judg uprightly Psal 75.2 Q. 4. How may we difference the Peace of a good and of an evil Conscience and so discern that ours is a sound and an Evangelical Peace Doubtless there is a difference * See Fenner's Treat of Consc p. 137. to 167. Robinsons Christ all in all p. 187 188 Collin's right way to true peace p. 51. ad 62. or our Saviour had not delivered it as he doth Joh. 14.27 cum 22. But he that would drive this nail to the head for the discovery of his own peace whether it be true or false should discuss it thorowly with his own Conscience how it came to take up this peace The peace that an evil Conscience bears groweth usually out of one of these two roots 1. Either out of the sluggishness of Conscience that puts not the estate upon trial 2. Or from the shifts and unfaithfulness of Conscience if it proceed to trial 1. Fither in the Proposition 2. Or in the Assumption 3. Or in the Conclusion as hath been shewed You should dig to the very bottom in this business Whether this peace be the product of pains prayers and of proving your hearts and states once and again What pains did Conscience take in it What proceed did Conscience make in it Did it give full and infallible marks for the trial of your estates Did it give a faithful and impartial testimony in the trial And did it give a free and unbiassed judgment upon the trial of your estates Produce and prove thy Evidences That your enmity against godliness is turned into peace and therewith amity That you are as earnest for holiness as you were for sin or are for happiness and as great a friend to the purity as to the peace of Conscience Prove that the spirit of peace hath renewed and sanctified you That the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus ruleth in and hath the Soveraignty over you That the God of peace is related as a Father to you and is that supream good and end to whom you finally refer your selves in point of felicity and duty and then your peace which is gathered from these Premisses is proved therewith to be true pious and Evangelical But to give you the difference enquired after though every thing I herewith offer doth not serve to discover it effectually in such a practical inquiry without some further reference The Evangelical peace of the good Conscience and the quiet or peace of an evil Conscience are different 1. In the eminency of this Evangelical Peace 1. In point of truth That other is but the shadow and semblance of peace but this is solid substantial peace 'T is peace peace Isa 26.3 c. 57.19 not only the resemblance or appearance of peace but real rich assured abundant peace But there is no peace saith my God unto the wicked ver 21. Isa 48.22 Let men call it by the title of peace yet God accounts it to be in truth no peace 2 In point of tranquillity That other is mostly but negative a freedom from storms but this is positive a fulness of serenity There