The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

for this same cord of conscience hath three main hooks, that is, there are three great works of conscience which God useth to work upon men to draw them from sin to himself. First, conscience is a warner of the soul, and admonisheth the sinner of his ways; this conscience gives a sinner an uncontrollable command to come from sin, conscience gives him a peremptory charge upon pain of the heaviest judgement that can be inflicted upon him, not to meddle with corruption; it is conscience that doth this, the Lord stirreth up conscience and arms him with authority as a Vicegerent under him, that he may stifle those sinful lusts, and overpower those sinful distempers that harbour in the soul, and overcome the soul: it is true, that wicked men by reason that they live in sin, have their consciences either blinded or asleep, their consciences oftentimes come to be seared and hardened; wicked men have their consciences some times under them, they stifle their conscience and stop the mouth of conscience; if conscience offer to reprove them, they presently take him on the mouth, and make him quiet; they bind the hands of conscience in this kind, but if a wicked man belong to God, then he will awaken conscience in this life, but if they do not belong unto him, then they may be sure when they are in hell to have their consciences awakened, they carry a black dog in their bosom that will tear them with a ⟨p. 42⟩witness, but if God purpose good unto a man, then he will awaken his conscience in this life, he will arm conscience with authority, and put a new commission into the hand of conscience, insomuch, that now conscience stands upon terms, and conscience will not put it up as he hath done; howsoever it hath heretofore been stifled, yet now it gives men a peremptory command upon pain of their everlasting torment, as they love their own souls, to take heed that they meddle not with sin, for if they do, it will cost them everlasting life: now when conscience hath such a commanding power, then the command is marvellous awful, terrible, and fearful, and it makes a sinner start aside and withdraw himself from his former courses, it makes him hang down his head, and he dares not look out of doors, he dares not run with that courage into wicked practises as he did before:

for this same cord of conscience hath three maine hookes, that is, there are three great works of conscience which God useth to work upon men to draw them from sinne to himselfe. First, conscience is a warner of the soule, and admonisheth the sinner of his waies; this conscience gives a sinner an uncontrouleable command to come from sinne, conscience gives him a peremptory charge upon paine of the heaviest judgement that can bee inflicted upon him, not to meddle with corruption; it is conscience that doth this, the Lord stirreth up conscience and armes him with authority as a Vicegerent under him, that he may stifle those sinfull lusts, and overpower those sinfull distempers that harbour in the soule, and overcome the soule: it is true, that wicked men by reason that they live in sinne, have their consciences either blinded or asleep, their consciences oftentimes come to be seared and hardened; wicked men have their consciences some times under them, they stifle their conscience and stop the mouth of conscience; if conscience offer to reproove them, they presently take him on the mouth, and make him quiet; they bind the hands of conscience in this kind, but if a wicked man belong to God, then hee will awaken conscience in this life, but if they do not belong unto him, then they may be sure when they are in hell to have their consciences awakened, they carry a black dogge in their bosome that will teare them with a