good yet their consciences are far short of goodnes because they are not good before God the Iudge of conscience Whilest conscience is made only of the Capitals of the second Table or of the externals ceremonials of the first which duty is not done out of obedience to God his Commandements but a mans selfe either in his gaine or in his prayse is sought base ends are the first mouers to good duties here the conscience what euer applause it hath from or before men for it goodnesse yet of God shall not be so esteemed For that is not a good conscience which is one outwardly but which is one inwardly whose prayse is not of men but of God And that hath its prayse of God which is before God 4. From his continuance constancie vntill this day To begin a good life and course and to liue in all good conscience that before God are excellent things but yet one thing is wanting to make vp this goodnesse compleate To bee so for a day or some dayes will not serue but when a man can say at his last day I haue liued in al good conscience vntill this day that man may bee safely iudged to haue a good conscience indeed Thus in these foure particulars doth the goodnes of Pauls conscience appeare It is not my purpose to confine my selfe to keepe me within these bounds alone but to take a larger latitude within the compasse whereof I will bring both those forenamed and all other materiall points which this protestation doth afford CHAP. II. Conscience described THe maine subiect of this protestation and the ayme of this following discourse being concerning a good conscience for the more orderly handling thereof consider these specialls 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is 3. How a good conscience may bee gotten and kept The meanes of it 4. How a good conscience may bee knowne The markes of it 5. The motiues to get and keepe a good conscience 1. What conscience is It may be thus described Conscience is a power and faculty of the soule taking knowledge and bearing witnesse of all a mans thoughts words actions accordingly excusing or accusing absoluing or condemning comforting or tormenting the same I know there be other definitions giuen by others more succinct and neat but I rather chuse this though it may bee not altogether so formall to the rules of Art The rules of â—oue and profit many times may make bold to dispence with rules of Art So I may be profitable I care the lesse to bee artificiall It may suffice that this description is answerable to that Auditory for whose sake it was first intended A plaine familiar description agrees well enough with such a people For the better conceiuing of it let it be taken in pieces and euery parcell viewed seuerally It is a faculty or power of the soule It is therefore called the Heart 1. Iohn 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs. Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes that thou thy selfe likewise hast cursed others that is thine own conscience knowes It is also called the spirit of man 1. Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him And Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it selfe beares witnesse with our spirit that is with our coÌ„science Not that conscience is a spirit distinct from the substance of the soule as Origen mistooke but because it is a faculty of the soule therefore the name that is oft giuen to the soule is giuen to it If it bee asked in what part of the soule this faculty is placed wee must know that Conscience is not confined to any one part of the soule It is not in the vnderstanding alone not in the memory will or affections alone but it hath place in all the parts of the soule according to the seuerall parts thereof hath seuerall Offices or Acts. Taking knowledge Eccle. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes Conscience is placed in the soule as Gods spy mans superiour and ouerseer an inseperable companion that is with a man at all times and in all places so that there is not a thought word or worke that it knowes not and takes not notice of So that that which Dauid speakes of God himselfe Psal 139. 3. 4. Thou compassest my heart my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Whither shall I goe from thy spirit If I ascend vp to heauen c. The same may bee also said of conscience Gods deputy it is acquainted with all our waies not a motion in the minde not a syllable in the mouth to which it is not priuy yea it is thus inseperably present with vs not only to see but also to set downe to register to put downe vpon Record all our thoughts words and workes Conscience Nam quocunque me verto vitia mea me sâ— quuntur vbicuÌ„que vado conscientia mea menon deserit se praesens adsistit quicquid facio scribit Idcirco quanquam humana subterfugiaÌ„ iudicia iudicium propriae consc fugere non valeâ— Et si hominiê° celo qucd egi mihi tameÌ„ qui noui maluÌ„ quod gessi celare nequeo Ber. de Inter. Dom. c. 31. is Gods Notary and there is nothing passes vs in our whole life good or ill which coÌ„science notes not down with an indeleble character which nothing can raze out but Christs blood Conscience doth in this kinde as Iob wishes in another Iob 19. 23. 24. Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were grauen with an iron pen and laid in the rocke for euer Conscience prints and writes so surely so indelebly yea it writes mens sins as Iudah his sin was with a pen of Iron with the poynt of a diamond and they are grauen vpon the Table of their hearts Ierem. 17. 1. Conscience doth in our pilgrimage as trauellers in their iourney it keepes a Diary or a iournall of euery thing that passes in our whole course it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend In regard of this office conscience is placed in the memory is the Register and Recorder of the soule And bearing witnesse This wee finde Rom. 2. 15. their conscience also bearing witnesse Rom. 9. 1. My conscience also bearing me witnesse 2. Cor. 1. 12. The testimony of our conscience And this the end of the former office of the conscience For therefore is it exact punctuall in setting downe the particulars of a mans whole life that it may bee a faithfull witnesse either for him or against him For a faithfull witnes cannot lye Pro. 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times of tryall affliction and Peccatâ— mea celare non possum quoniaÌ„ quocuÌ„que vado consc mea mecum est secum
GOOD Conscience OR A TREATISE SHEWING THE Nature Meanes Marks Benefit and Necessitie thereof By IER DYKE Minister of Gods Word at Epping in Essex The second Edition Corrected Luke 10. 42. One thing is necessary August de verb. dom serm 18. Vniversa inutiliter habet qui vnum illud quo vniversis vtatur non habet LONDON Printed for ROBERT MILBOVRNE and are to be sold at his Shop at the great South-dore of Pauls 1626. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL Sr. FRANCIS BARRINGTON Knight and Baronet a Patron and patterne of Pietie and Good Conscience RIGHT WORSIPFVâ—L THat which the Apostle Paul speakes of a mans desire of the office of a Bishop may bee truely spoken of euery one who desires to gaine men to the loue of a good CoÌ„science that he desires a worthy work Yea it is the work which is ought to be made the scope drift of the worthy worke of the Ministry And therefore it is that he that desires the calling of the Ministry desires a worthy work because of this worthy worke of bringing men to good Conscience A worke at which all worke and bookes should specially ayme Conscience is a Vnicuique liber est pro pria conscientia et ad hunc libruÌ„ discutienduÌ„ et emendaÌ„dum omnes alii inventi sunt Bern. de Cons booke one of those bookes that shall bee opened at the last day and to which men shall bee put and by which they shall be iudged Therefore to the directing informing and amending of this booke should all other bookes specially tend Yea Salomon seems to call men off from all other bookes and studies to the study of this so necessary a point the keeping of a good Conscience Eccl. 1212 13. Of making many bookes saith hee ther is no end much study is a wearines of the flesh Let vs heare the coÌ„clusioÌ„ of the whole matter Feare God and keep his CoÌ„mandements for this is the whole duty of man As if his advise tended to this to neglect all studies in coÌ„parison of that study which aymes at the getting and keeping of a good Conscience It would be exceeding happy with vs if this study were more in request amongst vs. Wee seeme to liue in those dayes fore-told by the Prophet wherein the earth Isa 11. 9. should be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. We are blessed that liue in so cleare a Sun-shine of Gods truth but yet the griefe is that through our owne default our Sun-shine is but like the winter light all light little or no heate and we make no other vse of our light but onely to see by not to walke and worke by In the first re-entrance of the Gospell amongst Antiqua sapientia nihil aliud quaÌ„ facienda vitâ—da praecepit et tunc longe meliores erant viri Postquam docti prodierunt bons desunt Sim plex enim illa et aperta virtue tâ— obscuram et solerteÌ„ scientiaÌ„ versa est docemurque disputare non vivire Sence epist. 96. vs how devout holy zealous and men renowned for Conscience were our Martyres and our first Planters Preachers and professors of Religion They had not generally the knowledge and learning the world now hath nor the world now the Conscience they then had There be now better Schollars there were then better Men they were as excellent for Devotion as our Times are for Disputation It is an excellent sight to see such Christians as were the Romans Full of goodnesse filled Rom. 15. 14 with all Knowledge It is pitty that ever so louely a payre should bee sundred Yet if they be parted it is best being without that which with most safetie may be spared A good Conscience is sure to doe well though it want the accomplishment of Learning and greater measures of Knowledge and Vnderstanding But take Learning from a good Conscience and it is but a Ring of gold in a Swines snout or that which is worse A thorne in a Drunkards Prou. 26. 9 hand Learning is to bee highly apprized Riches Honours and all other earthly blessings are vile to it But yet though it take place of all other things yet must it giue good Conscience the wall and vpper-hand as that which is farre before it in worth vse and necessity As Salomon of wisdom so may it be said of good Conscience Shee is more precious then Prou. 3 15. Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Gold and Rubies cannot so enrich a man as good Conscience doth and yet alas the blindnesse of men how willing are they in this case with a wilfull pouertie Not Rubies but handfulls of Barley morsels of Bread and Crusts are preferred before the invaluable treasure of a good Conscience After the many worthy endeavours therefore of so many as haue bin before me in this work of laboring men to a good Conscience I haue adventured also to lend my weak strength to the same worke If one or two witnesses prevaile not yet who knowes what an whole clowd may doe Though Eliah and Elisha be the Horsemen and Chariots of Israel yet the Footmen doe their seruice in the Battell and Apollos may without offence water where Paul hath planted Now these my poore endeavours such as they are I am bold to publish vnder your Worshipfull name and to put them forth vnder your Patronage entreating you to countenance that in a Treatise which you haue so long countenanced in the practise None so fit to bee a Patron of a Treatise of good conscience as he that hath beene a religious both professor and protector of the Practise thereof To haue a Naile fastned in a sure place the Antiquitie Isa 22. 23. of a long standing Name and Family to bee hewen out of the Quarry of the best Stocks of Parentage to haue faire Lines a faire lot in outward possessioÌ„s to bee blessed with a fruitefull Vine and Oliue plants fairely growne planted round about a man all these are to bee helde high honours and great fauours from the God of heauen And with all these hath the Lord honoured your selfe But yet your greatest honour that hath given lustre to all the rest hath beene your loue to the Truth Religion and a good Conscience Augustine repented him that hee attributed more to Mallius Theodorus Dâ—splicit autem illic quod Mallio Theodoro ad quem librum ipsum scripsi quaÌ„vis docto et Christiano viro plus tribui quam deberem Aug. Retrlib 1. cap. 2. to whom he wrot a booke then he should haue done though otherwise he were a Learned and Christian man A man may easily ouershoote himselfe in the commendation of a good man especially if a great man It shall suffice therefore to haue said so little and that to this ende that hereby the World may knowe the reason of my choice of your Patronage of this Treatise It would haue beene an incongruity to haue had the
name of a person of an euill Conscience prefixed before a booke of good Conscience I desired a Patron sutable to my subiect I presume the very subiect shall make the Treatise welcome to you Be you pleased to affoord your acceptaÌ„ce as I will affoord you my poore prayers that the Lord who hath already set vpon your head the crowne of the elders Childrens Children Prou. 17. 6. and one crowne of glory here Pro. 16. 31. on earth Age found in the wayes of righteousnes would also in his due time giue you that incorruptible crowne of righteousnesse and eternall glory in the heavens which that righteous Iudge shall giue to you and to all those that in the waies of a good Conscience waite for the blessed appearance of the Lord Iesus Your Worships in all Christian observance IER DYKE The Contents of this TREATISE The Text containes three Maine heads 1. Maine head Pauls Protestation of a good Conscience where fiue things considered 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is It is good with a two-fold goodnesse 1. With the goodnesse of Integritie this Integritie is threefold 1. When being rightly principled by the Word it sincerely iudges and determines of good evill 2. When it doth excuse for good and accuse for evill 3. When it vrges to good and restraines from evill 2. With the goodnes of Tranquilitie Peace Here three sorts of Conscience discouered not to be good viz. 1. The Ignorant Conscience 2. The Secure Conscience 3. The Seared Conscience 3. The meanes of getting and keeping a good Conscience 1. To get and keepe the Conscience good peaceably or with the goodnesse of peace three things required 1. Faith in Christs bloud 2. Repentance from dead works 3. The Conscionable exercise of Prayer 2. To get and keepe the Conscience Good with the goodnesse of Integritie and to haue it vprightly good fiue things required viz. 1. Walking before God 2. Framing ones Course by the Rule of the Word 3. Frequent examination of the Conscience 4. Hearkning to the voice of ConscieÌ„ce 5. In cases of questionable nature to take the surest and the safest side 4. The markes and notes of a good Conscience and they be seauen 1. To make Conscience of all sinnes and duties 2. To make Conscience of small sinnes and duties 3. To affect a Ministry that speakes to the Conscience 4. To doe dutie and avoide sinne for Conscience sake 5. Holy Boldnesse 6. To suffer for Conscience 7. Constancie and Perseuerance in Good 5. The Motiues to a good Conscience and they are fiue 1. The incomparable Comfort and Benefit of it in all such Times and Cases as all other Comforts fayle a man and wherein a man stands most in neede of Comfort These Cases or Times are fiâ—e 1. The Time and Case of Disgrace and Reproach 2. The Time of Common feare and Common Calamitie 3. The Time of Sickenesse or other crosses 4. The Time of Death 5. The Time and day of Iudgement 2. That a good Conscience is 1. A Feast for 1. Contentment and satisfaction 2. Ioy and Mirth 3. Societie 2. Better then a feast for 1. The Continuance 2. Independencie 3. Vniuersalitie 3. Without a good Conscience all our best duties are naught 4. It is the Ship and Arke of Faith 5. The misery of an euill one 1. In this world in respect of 1. Feare 2. Perplexity 3. Torment 2. In the world to come 2. Maine Head Ananias his insolent Iniunction Whereout is observed 1. What is the respect a good Conscience findes in the world 2. The impetuous Iniustice of the enemies of good Conscience 3. Who commonly be the bitterest Enemies of good Conscience 4. That Vsurpers are Smiters 5. What is a said forerunner of a Nations Ruine 3. Maine Head Pauls Answer and Contestation Whereout is observed 1. That Christian Patience muzzles not a good Conscience from pleading it own Innocency 2. The severitie of Gods Iudgements vpon the enemies and smiters of good Conscience 3. The equitie of Gods administration in his execution of Justice A Table of the severall Chapters of this Treatise Chapter I. The Introduction to the Discourse following Folio 1 Chapter II. Conscience Described 10 Chapter III. A good Conscience what it is False ones discouered 24 Chapter IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten 43 Chapter V. Integrity of Conscience how procured 56 Chapter VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conscience 69 Chapter VII Two markes of a good Conscience 86 Chapter VIII Three other Notes of a good Conscience 106 Chapter IX The two last Notes of a good Conscience 121 Chapter X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of Disgrace and Reproach 150 Chapter XI The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of common feares and calamities and in the times of sickenesse and other personall evils 171 Chapter XII The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience at the dayes of Death and Iudgement 192 Chapter XIII A second Motiue to a good conscience That is a continuall Feast 210 Chapter XIV A third and fourth Motiue to a good Conscience 235 Chapter XV. The last Motiue to a good Conscience viz. The miserie of an euill one 250 Chapter XVI The portion and respect that a good Conscience findes in the world 272 Chapter XVII The impetuous Iniustice and malice of the Aduersaries of a good Conscience 286 Chapter XVIII The severitie of Gods Iustice vpon the enemies of good Conscience and the vsuall equitie of Gods Administration in his executions of Iustice 299 GOOD CONSCIENCE ACTS 23. 1. And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell said Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day 2 And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth 3. Then said Paul vnto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall CHAP. I. The Introduction to the Discourse following THere is no complaint so general as this that the world is Naught His experience is short and slender which will not iustifie the truth of this Complaint And what thinke we may the Cause be of the generall wickednes of our Times Surely nothing makes Ill Times but Ill men and nothing makes Hâ—minum sunt ista noÌ„ Temporum Senec. ep 98 Ill Men but Ill Consciences Ill Conscience is the source the fountaine froÌ„ whence come all Iniquities which make Times heere so ill How well should he deserue that could amend Ill times There is a course if it would be taken that would doe the deed and so cease the common Complaint Elishaes course must be taken in the healing of the waters of Iericho They say of their waters as wee of our Times The water is naught and the ground barren 2. King 2. 19. What course now takes Elisha for the healing of the waters He went out vnto the spring of the waters and cast the Salt in there ver 21. So the waters were healed vers 22.
man to the reformation of that which is amisse and will not cease to vrge and ply a man till it be done Frequent examination as it helpes to the making of schollers so to the making of Consciences good Hence mens lying in so grosse neglects of good duties in so many great euills because men and their Consciences neuer reckon Men take not themselues aside into their closets and chambers there set not vp a priuy sessions to make inquirie into their owne hearts waies and therefore are their wayes Consciences so much out of order Many a man thinkes his estate in the world to be very good and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy when his estate indeede is weake and growes euery day worse then other Now what is it that causes fo great a mistake Nothing but this that he neuer looks ouer his books nor casts ouer his reckonings If he had done this he should haue seen that his estate was not answerable to his conceit and the knowledge of his misconceit would haue made him haue liued at a more wary and thrifty â—ate and haue kept himselfe with such a compasse as might haue kept vp his estate whereas now the not examining his bookes puts him into a conceit of wealth and this conceit beggers and vndoes him It fares no better with too many in their Consciences Laodicea thought well of her selfe thou sayest I am rich If she had examined her Conscience shee should haue seene that which Christ saw that she was poore blind naked and miserable and the sight of this would haue made her to haue sought after that counsell which Christ there giues her Reuel 3. Men would haue far better Consciences if they knew in what ill case their Consciences stand and examination would helpe them to the knowledge of this If men would but ouer-looke the book of their Conscience and see how many omissions of good how many sinnefull commissions stand registred there it would both make them marveilous sollicitous how to get theÌ„ wiped out and wondrous wary how any more such Items came there Often reckonings would blot out and keep off the score Here is then wisedome for such as desire to keepe good Consciences Doe with the workes of thy conuersation as God did with the works of his Creation He not onely surueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke but at each dayes end made a particular surveigh thereof Do thou Omni die cum vadis cubitum examina diligenter qùid cogitasti quid dixisti in die quomodo vtile tempus spatium quod datum est ad acqui rendum vitamaeternaÌ„ dispensasti Et si bene transiuisti lauda Deum si male vel negligenter lugeas et sequenti die non differas confiteri Sialiquid cogitasti dixisti vel fecisti quod tuaÌ„ ConscientiaÌ„ multum remordeat non comedas antequam confitearis Ber form vit honest Suauius dormiunt qui relinquunt curas in calceis so not onely at the weeks end at thy lifes end search thine heart and examine thy course but at euery daies end looke backe into the day past and examine what thy carriage and behauiour hath beene This being done a man shal find his works either good or euil If good how shal his conscience cheer him with its peace If evill then if coÌ„science haue any life or breath in it it will make a man fall to humiliation to a godly resolution of watching ouer his wayes for the future so shall Conscience be much holpen for Integrity Dauids counsell is good Ps 4. 4. Examine your hearts vpon your beds and his resolution is also good vers 8. of the same Psalme I will lay me down and sleep in peace Who would not be glad so to sleepe to take his rest so Would we sleepe vpon Dauids pillow sleepe in peace then hearken wee to Dauids counsell to examine our selues vpon our beds There is nothing makes a mans bed so soft nor his sleepe so sweet as a good coÌ„science It is with Sins as with Cares both trouble a mans sleep both are troublesome bed-fellowes as they therfore sleepe sweetly that leaue their cares in their shooes so they sleep with most peace that let not sinne lye down to sleepe with them who are so farre from lying downe in their sinnes that by their good will will not let the sun goe downe vpon their sin but by examination ferret out the same This being done it may be sayd as Prov. 3. 24. thou shalt lye downe and thy sleepe shall be sweete Nay further examine thy conscience vpon thy bed and thou shalt not onely sleep in peace but thou shalt awake arise the next morning with an vpright frame of heart disposed to the more caution against sinne the day following So much Dauid seemes to intimate in that forenamed place Tremble and sin not That is be afraid to sin take heed ye sinne no more But what course may one take to come to that integrity of conscience as to feare to sin Take this course Examine your hearts vpon your beds But alas how rare a practise is this therfore are good consciences so rare Many thinke this an heauy burden and a sore taske and count the remedy a great deaâ—e worse then the disease there is nothing they tremble at more then a domesticall Audit this reckoning with their conscience They say of conscience as Ahab of Micaiah and care as little to meddle with conscieÌ„ce as Ahab with Micaiah I hate him for he neuer speakes good to me 1. King 22. So they thinke their conscience will deale with them They know their conscience will speak as Iob sayes God wrote Thou writest bitter things against me Conscience hath such a stinging waspish tongue that by no means they dare endure a parley with it It is with many and their consciences as with men that haue shrewish wiues Many a maÌ„ when he is abroad hath no ioy at all to come home nay hee is very loath to come within his owne doores he fears hee shall haue such a peale rung him that he had rather be on the house top as Salomon speakes or in some out-house and lodge as our Sauior at Bethlem in a cratch or a Manger then come within the noyse of her clamorous clattering tongue So many think conscience hath such a terrible shrewish tongue that if they shall but come within the sound thereof they shall be cast into such melancholly dumpes as they shall not bee able in hast to clawe off againe How much and how seriously are they to be pittied that to preuent a few houres or dayes supposed sorrow and sadnesse by which they might come to procure both peace integritie of conscience will adventure the racke and eternall torture of conscience in Hell Remember that there is no melancholly to the melancholly of Hell CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conscience IN
4. 5. My heart is sore pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee fearefulnes trembling are come vpon me and horrour hath over whelmed me Sometimes again he sees death as the Israelites the fiery Serpents with mortal stings Sometimes as a merciles Landlord or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of Firmae eiectione to throw him out of house and home and to turne him to the wide Common yea he sees death as Gods executioner and messenger of eternall death yea he sees death with as much horrour as if hee saw the Diuell In so many fearefull shapes appeares death to an evill conscience vpon the death-bed So as it is indeed the King of Terrors to such an one that hath the Terrours of Conscience within There is no one thought so terrible to such an one as the thought of death nothing that he more wishes to avoyd Oh! how loath and how vnwilling is such an one to dye But come now to a man that hath liued as Paul did in all good conscience and how is it with him vpon his death-bed His end is peace so full of ioy comfort so is he ravished with the inward and vnspeakable consolations of his Conscience that it is no wonder at all that Balaam should wish to dye the death of the righteous the death of a man with a good Conscience The day of a mans marriage is the day of the ioy of a mans heart Cant. 3. 11. and the day of marriage is not so ioyfull a day as is the day of death to a good conscience There are but fewe that can marry with that ioy wherwith a good conscience dyes It enables a man not onely to looke Ananias and the Councell in the face but even to looke death it selfe in the face without those amazing terrours yea it makes the face of death seeme louely and amiable He whose conscience is good and fees the face of God reconciled to him in Christ he can say as Iacob did when he saw the face of Ioseph Gen. 46. 30. Now let me dye since I haue seene thy face It is the priviledge of a good Conscience alone to goe to the grave as Agag did to Samuel and to say that truely which he spake besides the booke 1 Sam. 15. 32. He came pleasantly And he sayd Surely the bitternesse of death is past He was deceived and therefore had no such cause to be so pleasant but a good Conscience can yea cannot chuse but be so pleasant even when going out of the world because the gilt of sin being washed away in Chists bloud it knowes that the bitternes of death is past and the sweetnesse of life eternall is at hand A man whose debts are paid he dares goe out of dores dare meete and face the Sergeants and the conscience purged by the bloud of Christ can looke as vndaūtedly on the face of death He that hath gotten the sting that is the guilt of cōscience taken away by faith in Christ he lookes not vpon death as the Israelites vpon the fiery Serpents but lookes vpon it as Paul doth 1. Cor. 15. O death where is thy sting Who feares a Bee an Hornet a Snake or a Serpent when they haue lost their sting The guilt of sinne is the sting of Conscience is the sting of death that stings the conscience The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. Plucke then sinne out of the conscience and at once the conscience is made good and death made weake and is disarmed of his weapon And when the cōscience sees death vnstingd and disarmed it is freed of feare and even in the very act of death can ioyfully tryumyh over death oh Death where is thy sting A good Conscience lookes vpon death as vpon the Sheriffe that comes to giue him possession of his Inheritance or as Lazarus vpon the Angels that came to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome and therefore can wellcome death and entertain him ioyfully And wheras an ill conscience makes a man see death as if he saw the Devill a good conscience makes a mā see the face of death as Iacob saw Esaues face Gen. 33. I haue seene thy face as the face of God they see the face of death with vnspeakable ioy rauishment of heart and exultation of spirit Well now what a motive haue wee here to make vs labor for a good conscience Even Balaam himselfe would faine make a good end dye in peace and who wishes not his deathbed may be a Mount Nebo from whence he may see that heavenly Canaan Lo here Balaam the way to dye the death of the righteous I haue liued in all good Conscience vnto this day They that haue conscience in their life shall haue comfort at their death They that liue conscionably shal die comfortably They that live in all good Conscience til their dying day shall depart in the abundance of comfort at their dying day There will come a day wherein we must lay downe these Tabernacles the day of death will assuredly come How lamentable a thing will it then be to be so destitute desolate of all comfort as to be driven to that extremity as to curse our birth day oh what would Comfort be worth at our last houre at our last gaspe whilest our dearest friēds shall be weeping wringing their hands and lamenting then then what would inward cōfort be worth Who would not hold the whole world an easie price for it then Well then would wee then haue Comfort and Ioy oh then get a good cōscience now which wil yeeld comfort when all other comforts shall vtterly faile and shal be life in the middest of death How happy is that man that when the sentence of death is passed vpon him can say with Hezekiah Isa 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Indeed the Text sayes that Hezekiah wept sore but yet not as fearing death for hee could not feare death who had thus feared God but because the promise was not yet made good to him in a son and Heire of his kingdome hence came those teares It is otherwise an vnspeak able ioy that such a Conscience as Hezekiahs was will speake to a man vpon his death-bed Euery one professes a desire to make a good ende Here is the way to make good that desire to live in all good cōscience Alas how pittifull and miserable a condition live most men in All the dayes of their lifes healths they haue no regard of a good Conscience Notwithstanding that men are pressed continually to this one care by the instancy and importunity of Gods Ministers yet how miserably is it neglected Well at last the day of death comes then what would they not giue for a comfortable end If the gold of Ophir would purchase comfort it should fly then Then poast for this Minister