Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	affection_n	good_a	see_v	2,219	5	3.3033	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02722	Tvvo sermons vvherein we are taught, 1. Hovv to get, 2. How to keepe, 3. How to vse a good conscience. Preached in Alldermanbury Church, London. Not heretofore published. By Robert Harris.	Harris, Robert, 1581-1658.	1630 (1630)	STC 12854; ESTC S105942	21,197	47

sell heauen for earth kernels for shells pearlos for pibbles But secondly what necessity in this consequence Why may not truth and innocency and conscience maintaine and credit mee as well as lying coozenage flattery basenesse Why should not I thinke Gods wayes as good as Satans Thirdly What lost Abraham Ioseph Daniel Mor●ecai Dauid c. by keeping a good conscience Verily if a godly man doe not thriue conscience is not in fault let him rather fault if there be a fault improuidence idlenesse pride distrust admixture of ill means not conscience Obiect But many that made as little adoe about conscience as I doe haue made a good end at last they haue dyed without feares or if troubled a little vpon some satisfaction made and some charitable workes done all was husht and well Sol. I answer first thou knowest not what conscience others made in life Secondly Thou knowest not what secret pinches conscience giues them on their death-bed Thirdly It s one thing to satisfie after sinne committed another to sinne purposely in presuming vpon future pardons and satisfactions Fourthly a bleeding wound is better then that that bleeds not Fiftly Some men goe crying to Heauen some goe laughing and sleeping to Hell the question is not what conscience feeles most but what is most sicke Some Consciences as well as men lye speechlesse before departure Those are but poore shifts to put off thoughts of conscience vpon these grounds yet this is the first errour A second sort They labour the matter of Conscience much but how Their worke is not to perswade their owne hearts with Saint Paul but other mens A strange folly for a man to be more carefull of others then himselfe to feare others to prize others aboue himselfe yet this is ordinary Men study rather to seeme then to be conscionable labour more to approue themselues to others then to their owne hearts and this appeares thus First in that they stand more vpon the forme then the power of godlinesse Secondly in that they set the best side outward be more in profession then in action better abroad then at home a farre off then at hand To these I say but this First this is but Machiauels Diuinity They haue not so learned Christ Secondly this is but the Hypocrites guise He makes cleane the outside he iustifies himselfe before men onely Thirdly this is but a childes part who makes his mother beleeue that his sores heale when they rankle and shewes his right hand for his left Lastly this is a poore remedy to couer a broken arme with a braue scarfe Alas thou must answere Conscience when all friends bee absent time will be when death will snatch thee from men and Conscience will follow thee to Christs barre then if thou canst not stand before thine owne heart how wilt thou stand before him who is greater then thy heart Poore man poore man thou maist easily deceiue men possibly deceiue thy selfe but if thou canst not approue thy heart to God thou art lost for him thou canst not deceiue As for those who make bold to father all vpon Conscience and vpon God who wipe their impudent mouthes with the Harlot and say What haue we done Who appeales to God with innocent Dauid and Paul Iudge me O Lord I lye not my conscience beareth witnesse God knowes my heart I take on my conscience that I am vniustly slandered when t is neither so nor so what will become of these men with what faces will they looke vpon that conscience that Iudge whom they haue made partakers witnesses Iudges reuengers of their damned hypocrisie and more then diuellish impudency But leaue them to the racke The third sort perswade themselues of their integrity and speake it out with Pauls confidence We haue a good Conscience But would their confidence were as well bottom'd as his but alas Men build this their assurance either in the ayre or on the sands some are perswaded without reason some vpon very weake reason For the first they haue yea that they haue as good Consciences as any of them all But what 's their proofe They are perswaded so But vpon what reasons Why they hope so But vpon what ground Why their minde giues them so First poore men Conscience is reflectiue knowes its knowledge vnderstands it selfe Secondly its rationall and can giue a reason of its hopes Thirdly its regular and proceedes by the rule of Scripture Shew mee thy grounds in blacke and white else t is fancie not Conscience Secondly others alledge reason but they cannot perswade a reasonable man who is not willing to winke they are chiefly these First a good meaning I am saith the ignorant no Scholler many can put me downe with words and doe make a greater noyse but I meane as well and haue as good an heart to God-ward as any of them all Sol. I answer There is a latitude and measure of knowledge required of all Without some knowledge the minde is not good Prou. 19.2 If the eye be starke blinde the whole man and the wayes of man are so too and to speake of Conscience without knowledge is to speake of contradictions and to talke of seeing without sight hearing without eares such is knowledge without knowledge that is Conscience T is certaine Conscience reaches no further then knowledge at least then habituall and implicite or generall knowledge The confidences of an ignorant are but the fruits of his pride and his scruples the issues of his trembling opinion and staggering iudgement t is true weake knowledge ioyned with humility and care of growth must not be discouraged but whoso neglects knowledge presuming vpon Conscience doth as if he should pull out his eyes and trust to his hands for guidance Obiect The second Reason alleadged for their hope of Conscience is from the troubles that they haue in their hearts for when they haue done amisse their consciences be eftsoons vpon them and will giue them no rest Sol. I answer this may conclude some Conscience but not necessarily Pauls that 's to say a Naturall but not a Spirituall Conscience The differences of which two are wide and for the discerning thereof First see for what sinnes thy heart smites thee if onely for crying staring sinnes which the light of Nature from inward principles or outward instructions prompts it is not the Conscience now in speech Paul had a good Conscience in all things Secondly see what reformation this trouble workes if none take heed Pauls Conscience is ioyned with desires and endeauours of obedience for the future Thirdly see whence the trouble arises whether from a contrariancy betweene sinne and thee or betweene Conscience and paine and punishment onely Pauls conscience is troubled with the filth as well as guilt of sinne and his will is prest to goodnesse for its beauty Fourthly see whither this trouble driues thee Pauls carries him to Christians to Praier Watchfulnesse Beware A Naturall Conscience proues a naturall man but no more

Gods strokes bin vpon such in all ages and what can we looke for lesse then misery in this course First a man must be an old and bold offender before he can dare thus to affront Conscience Secondly it cannot be safe thus to abuse so great an Officer as conscience is Thirdly who can expresse the terrours of some Saints now vpon record who notwithstanding neuer were so daring and if they did sweare vnder smaller abuses of Conscience how shall these bleed I now come to perswade euery man to make good vse of a good thing a good Conscience for the abuse of best things is euer worst and a good Conscience is in the ranke of best things It is a wonderfull mercy in God to match vs with so neere a friend so true a Counsellor let vs thankefully consider to what vses a good conscience may be put and accordingly emproue it We will not runne into the road of conscience in generall but confine our selues to a good Conscience which is so tearmed in a double sence First It s good formally in its constitution Secondly effectiuely in its execution as a Clocke is good when it is made well and goes well first the Conscience is good in its selfe when it is fitted for its proper acts and vses the proper and immediate act and vse of Conscience is to know that it knowes as Salomon speakes to Shimei and as wee vulgarly say I know what I know well enough This the generall The particulars of this knowledge are first conscience knowes what we be secondly what we doe what we be spiritually not naturally and in what tearmes we stand with God whether we beare his Image be in his fauour yea or no what we doe either for substance or quality good or bad either in times past present or to come these things Conscience was made for and these the conscience when it is good doth know to wit both tree and fruit in the inward and outward acts thereof and hence it is that we are so often inuited to talke with our selues and hereof growes that inward confidence and enioyment that the soule hath of it selfe wherein it resembles its Maker who takes full contentment in himselfe from his full vnderstanding of himselfe The second act of a good Conscience is speaking or manifesting good to vs being good in it selfe it giues vs due information touching our selues as a cleere glasse represents a true face and heere are two acts also First and more immediately it reports things as they be which is called witnessing or giuing in euidence thus the person being vnder mercy it tels him so much hauing already done well or hauing good things in agitation it saith so Contrarily when things be not right Conscience speakes as it finds them and heerein it doth well for we speake of a Morall not Naturall good and morally that Conscience is good that speakes the truth how-euer it be as that 's a good glasse that reports blemishes if such as well as beauties a good Witnesse that speakes the truth though not what pleases Secondly Conscience strikes vpon the affections and doth some execution vpon the offender for from information of estate arises either certainty of hope or despaire as the euidence comes in guilty or not guilty and from information of workes different affections and motions answerable to their different natures from things well done comes comfort ioy boldnesse c. ill done shame feare sorrow remorce from things well intended courage resolution confidence c. ill meant for the future iealousie repining recoyling as an horse that would and would not leape a ditch In the former respect Conscience is compared to a Witnesse in this to a Iudge and executioner Now this being the vse of Conscience wee must employ it to these vses namely repaire to Conscience aske its aduice receiue its report touching our persons and actions heare what it can say for or against vs now for once it must passe a verdict vpon vs and when we haue its testimony wee must either appeale to an higher Court if we can shew an errour or sit downe by its sentence stop where it sayes stop worke where it sayes worke feare where it saies feare hope where he giues hope restore where it sayes restore Howbeit that our speech may be more fruitfull know we that in foure cases especially we are to consult and vse Conscience First when wee are in consultation about things to be done or beleeued in this case it is not amisse to aduise with others but in no case must Conscience be omitted I may easily deceiue others by ill stating of the question adding or altering or suppressing as affection leads me againe a man may finde so many men so many mindes oftentimes so different are their apprehensions and affections But a good conscience is one and the same and that vprightly consulted can say more to my affections and intentions more to the practicall part then all the world Therefore vse others if you please but make vse of your owne hearts else your practice may be corrupt when others counsell is good Here forget not these rules First pretend not Conscience where Conscience is not the matter Secondly be resolued of what thou doest in thy selfe or else forbeare till taught if thou mayest Thirdly walke by thine owne light not other mens ground thy practice vpon Conscience Conscience vpon Word not vpon Man As for cases here incident we passe them now Secondly when we are vpon a selfe-triall and the question is either of our state or our doings or opinions consult conscience for that is the best created examiner And here let the maine worke be to sinde out the maine point Am I Gods childe in state of grace yea or no This much imports vs for as Satan founds all particular temptations vpon this If thou be the tonne of God so all our particular comforts and assurances hang on this pinne Therefore here houer not but hold Conscience to it Either I am or am not Gods What am I What am I Leaue not this vnresolued by Conscience as many doe who hearing of a certainty attaineable and of some generall notes of saluation from the Word presently build considence to themselues sometimes vpon weake principles sometimes vpon false applications neuer consulting Conscience and then when Conscience is awakened they are miserably plunged Beloued it is not so easie a matter to assure saluation as most men thinke we are not all out of their mindes who deny it possible without extraordinary reuelations and who hold it sawcinesse to auouch it yet wee must tell you that the difficulties are more then a few and it concernes vs much to deale much with Conscience about this point For faith whereby wee beleeue saluation is one thing and euidence whereby wee feele it another there we must cleaue to the promise but here we must conferre with Conscience as Saint Paul doth he was strongly perswaded by the