A17384:3197
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The misery that the men have, that have an evil Conscience,1 follows: and they are miserable, whether they have a waking or a sleeping Conscience. The misery that comes from a waking Conscience, is evil, and may be two ways discerned: First, by the terms by which it is called & resembled in Scripture; secondly, by the effects which it worketh really upon a man. For the first. An evil Conscience that is awake, is in Scripture compared to a sting or prick wounding the heart of a man. It is likened also to a dog or a blood-hound that lieth at the door, and, having fresh sent, howleth and barketh after the malefactor, Gen. 4. It is likened, as some think, by David, Psal. 51.4. to an evil ⟨p. 769⟩contentious wife, that is ever before a man, chiding and brawling: and as a moth secretly eats the garment; so doth an evil Conscience eat up the heart of a man, when others little see it, Pro. 25. It is like a dart, strangely shot into a mans body, Psalm 38. And it is compared to the boiling of a tumultuous sea, Isaiah 57. And it is called a worm that dieth not, but lieth gnawing and eating upon the heart of a man, Isaiah 66. Mark 9. So that a man that hath an evil Conscience, is like a man that is stung by a serpent, or followed by a blood-hound, or vexed by a continual-contrarious wife, or that is hourly shot through with darts, or that hath a living worm ever gnawing at his heart. But, that this may be more distinctly understood, we must take notice of four effects of an evil Conscience, usually.
The misery that the men haue, that haue an euill Conscience,1 follows: and they are miserable, whether they haue a waking or a sleeping Conscience. The misery that comes from a waking Conscience, is euill, and may bee two waies discerned: First, by the tearms by which it is called & resembled in Scripture; secondly, by the effects which it worketh really vpon a man. For the first. An euill Conscience that is awake, is in Scripture compared to a sting or prick wounding the heart of a man. It is likened also to a dog or a blood-hound that lieth at the dore, and, hauing fresh sent, howleth and barketh after the malefactor,