Many men they do get from their consciences those things they have a mind to have, as they get from God that they have a mind to have; many men are very violent in their desires, and would fain have God grant them such and such things, at length, though it be a thing that is very displeasing to God, saith God, let them have it. Just so it is in regard of conscience, for conscience is Gods Vice-gerent in the soul of man. Now there are many men that are very desirous of such things as their consciences at first are very much against: Oh! they would fain have such and such things: saith conscience, you may not, you will sin against God, you will would me, and bring sorrow and affliction to your selves; this makes them at a stand, and they are very ⟨p. 560⟩much grieved at it that conscience will not give them leave, and it may be they have so much enlightening in their consciences as they dare not take it without the leave of conscience, and although they may restrain for a while, yet still their lusts are very violent, and they would fain have their consciences to yield to them, they labour and struggle what they can with conscience, and they seek to find out some evasions and distinctions whereby they may satisfy conscience, either to lay conscience asleep, so that it may not trouble them, or at length to satisfy conscience so far as conscience may be content that they should have their desires satisfied, Now their lusts when they are grown hot send up such streams into their understandings as hinders the work of conscience, that 1conscience begins to be more dull in the work of it, and is not so quick in the apprehensions of it, nor in the exercise of it as before; and at length after much ado, when they have tired and wearied themselves, and tired conscience, they at length do obtain even of their very consciences to do such things as they have a mind to, so that now 2their consciences begins to say to them, Seeing you have such a strong and earnest desire, do it; Now upon this they eagerly fall upon it, and they bless themselves in this, and think they have gotten a great Victory that they have prevailed over their consciences, that their consciences hath given them leave to do such a thing; it may be these men will say, If I thought it were against conscience, if conscience did tell me that it ought not to be done, I would not do it for a world.
Many men they do get from their consciences those things they have a mind to have, as they get from God that they have a mind to have; many men are very violent in their desires, and would fain have God grant them such and such things, at length, though it be a thing that is very displeasing to God, saith God, let them have it. Just so it is in regard of conscience, for conscience is Gods Vice-gerent in the soul of man. Now there are many men that are verie desirons of such things as their consciences at first are very much against: Oh! they would fain have such and such things: saith conscience, you may not, you will sin against God, you will would me, and bring sorrow and affliction to your selves; this makes them at a stand, and they are very ⟨p. 560⟩much griev'd at it that conscience will not give them leave, and it may be they have so much enlightening in their consciences as they dare not take it without the leave of conscience, and although they may restrain for a while, yet still their lusts are very violent, and they would fain have their consciences to yeeld to them, they labor and struggle what they can with conscience, and they seek to find out some evasions and distinctions whereby they may satisfie conscience, either to lay conscience asleep, so that it may not trouble them, or at length to satisfie conscience so far as conscience may be content that they should have their desires satisfied, Now their lusts when they are grown hot send up such streams into their understandings as hinders the work of conscience, that 1conscience begins to be more dull in the work of it, and is not so quick in the apprehensions of it, nor in the exercise of it as before; and at length after much ado, when they have tir'd and wearied themselves, and tired conscience, they at length do obtain even of their very consciences to do such things as they have a mind to, so that now 2their consciences begins to say to them, Seeing you have such a strong and earnest desire, do it; Now upon this they eagerly fall upon it, and they bless themselves in this, and think they have gotten a great Victorie that they have prevail'd over their consciences, that their consciences hath given them leave to do such a thing; it may be these men will say, If I thought it were against conscience, if conscience did tell me that it ought not to be done, I would not do it for a world.
- 1Note.
- 2Note.
