thou art the man and yet for all this Judas's Conscience was not awake This is indeed matter of admiration that a mans Conscience should be so fast asleep But how many Instances of such sleepy Consciences doth this very age afford But doth Judas's Conscience sleep always No. Then Judas which betrayed him when he saw that Jesus was condemned he brought again the 30 pieces of Silver to the Chief Priests and said I have sinned in that I have betrayed Innocent blood But miserable comforters were those Christ-Buyers they bought him to be crucified they did reply to him when he said I have sinned What is that to us see thou to that And he cast down the thirty pieces of Silver in the Temple and went and hanged himself And now his Conscience was so awake that it would not suffer him to live I assure you howsoever Conscience may be asleep for a great while yet the time will come that Conscience will do it's office and therefore it doth greatly concern us to take great care that Conscience may have no occasion to reproach us O happy Judas if thou hadst never made a bargain to sell thy Master and hadst never sought opportunity to betray him O happy if thou hadst never accompanyed the Band of Souldiers that came to apprehend him But he came along with the Band of Souldiers and gave them the Sign The Man whom I shall kiss is the Man hold him fast yet Conscience did not reproach him But let Men do what they can to stop the mouth of Conscience it will speak at last and they will be biting words Carnal Reasonings cannot stop it Carnal Pleasures cannot bribe it nor any variety of diversions silence it Cain you know he was quiet awhile Gen 4. 13. But after a while Cain's Conscience did reproach him would not let him alone Belshazzar he is merry a while with his Courtiers and Companions in drinking Wine in Bowls but after he falls a trembling and his knees smote one against the other and he grew pale when he saw the hand writing on the wall Conscience will fee an hand writing not on the wall but in this book I have spoken with some poor Souls that could say This word is against me and that word is against me there are words enough in this Book against you Conscience will one day awake and reproach and will not be bribed will not have its mouth stopt This is one great reason why we should be careful so to live that Conscience may not reproach us while we live for the reproches of Conscience are unavoidable Reason II. Another reason why we should take all possible care that Conscience may have no occasion to reproach us is because the reproaches of Conscience are Intolerable there will be no bearing of them A wounded Spirit who can bear None are able to bear it Many instances might be given you may read Job 7. 13 14 15. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarest me with dreams and terriâ—iest me with visions so that my soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life Oh Sirs what a case will the terrours and accusations of Conscience bring the poor creature into Job 10. 1. My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self c. Psalm 32. 3 4. When I kept silence my bones-waxed old through my roaring all the day c. All this was occasioned through the reproaches of Conscience I might add Prov. 12. 25. Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh a man to stoop I have known those that have been bowed together by reason of the agonies of Conscience I knew one at whose Eyes and Ears Bloud hath gushed forth by reason of the Agonies of Conscience Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine but a broken spirit dries the bones You know Judas did chuse rather to die than endure it Bilney and Baynham after they had abjured felt such pangs such a Hell in their Consciences till they had openly professed their sorrow for it as they would not have felt again for all the World Daniel chose rather to be cast into the Lions Den then to carry a Lion in his bosom viz. an enraged Conscience Richard the Third was a terror to himself after he had murdered his two innocent Nephews Charles the Ninth of Franâ—e after that bloudy Massacre by which his Conscienc was enraged could not endure to be awakened in the night without Musick or some other diversion Thus much for the Reasons of the Point I proceed to the Application Vse 1. Of Reproof The first Use shall be for Reproof of those that take no such care to avoid the Reproaches of Conscience but do that which will be cast by Conscience as a Reproach upon them another day How do some for many years together heap up Fuel to keep a Fire burning within them No sooner is some Fuel spent but there is more Fuel heapt on again fresh sins are committed and after a while these sins come to remembrance and set the Fire a burning It may be a man may weather it out a little but then more sins come to light and that sets the Fire a burning again and so there is no end Conscience hath not forgotten any thing done many years ago but remembers it as if it had been done but yesterday You that cannot endure to be reproached that cannot endure to hear others reproached that cannot bear the Reproaches of Men whenas it may be they reproach wrongfully how will you bear not the false but true Accusations of Conscience Men may reproach falsly but Conscience will reproach truly Men may reproach thee and yet thine own Conscience may clear thee when they accuse thee but if Conscience reproach thee then who shall clear thee Men may grow weary or ashamed of reproaching thee but if Conscience reproach thee will that grow weary or ashamed No never If some men reproach us others may clear us but if Conscience reproach us who then can clear us This should humble us that we have given Conscience occasion to reproach us 2 Sam. 24. 1. If you have not taken this care to avoid the Reproaches of Conscience it will reproach you as it did David whose Heart smote him after he had numbered the People and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done I beseech thee O Lord to take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Davids Heart smote him now his Conscience now his Conscience smites and cuts him to the very Heart Though his Conscience were quiet a great while Psal. 73. 21 22. yet afterwards he thus complains Thus my heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee If you neglect Conscience when it points with the finger and gives direction assure your selves Conscience will have a
have been either in the mire or in the fire will take heed how they come there again You can hardly force them into a Bog wherein they have been mired they will turn this way and that way and run back again upon you rather then run into the mire wherein they have been already A wounded Conscience who can bear They that have felt that wound and have gotten it heal'd will take heed how they make another The Proposition I gave you was this It should be our greatest care so to live that our Consciences may have no occasion to accuse or reproach us while we live Some do so live that their neighbours can have no occasion to reproach them some there are that so live that the very worst have a good word for them I have known some that have been so unblamable of such a sweet disposition so kind and courteous to all and have lived so inoffensively that the worst have had a good word for them But where are they that have or do carry themselves so that their Consciences have no occasision to accuse them or to reproach them Commend me to that person if you can I have already shewed you what Conscience is and about what it is imployed and how it is imployed I come now to the Proof of the Doctrine This was Jobs care you see he was resolved upon it that he would so walk and so watch that Conscience might have no occasion to reproach him And hath Job no Fellows yes many the Scripture speaketh of such as have made it their care so to walk that Conscience might have no just occasion to reproach them David was one of them as appears by what he saith Ps. 16. 8. Ps. 119. 3 112 113. although there was a time when he gave Conscience too great occasion to reproach him and his Conscience did reproach him to purpose at last Ah poor David what broken bones had he This was Hezekiah's care else he could not have had the testimony of his Conscience for him as he had Remember saith he Isa. 38. 3. O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Perfect heart that is an upright heart perfection not of degrees but of parts is there to be understood There are many such other places in Scripture as in the Book of Psalms Mark the perfect man and behold the upright where you find one word to explaine the other This also was Pauls care else could not he have had the testimony of his Conscience as he had This is our rejoycing saith he the testimony of our Conscience c. 2 Cor. 1. 12. it was Pauls exercise Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Man Reason I. The grounds and Reasons of it follow One reason why we should take all possible care that Conscience may have no occasion to reproach us is because if occasion be given these reproaches are unavoidable I say these Reproaches Vexations and Accusations of Conscience wil be unavoidable there is no escaping from them we may give occasion to others and possibly there may be some avoiding that which we give occasion of but here is no avoiding or escaping in this case Conscience may be asleep and Conscience may say nothing a great while but at last it will awake and do it's office in accusing and in judging condemning and tormenting David's Conscience was asleep for a great while but afterwards Nathan cometh to him from the Lord and rouzeth Conscience and then Conscience set most violently upon him as appears by the Ps. 51. where he complaineth of broken bones and prayeth that the bones which were broken might rejoyce So Joseph's Brethren they heard nothing of Conscience a great while but at last Conscience twinges them at last Conscience put out his envenomed sting no such sting as the sting of Conscience at last Conscience taketh them by the throat Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning the Blood of our Brother c. though men do with the Harlot for a great while wipe their mouths and say What evil have we done As Joseph's Brethren they sold their Brother Joseph Conscience said never a word to them let them alone a great while they came and told their Father a lie and Conscience said never a word to them when they told their Father that Joseph was slain they saw their Father Mourning as if he were going down into the Grave Conscience saith nothing all the while a Famine cometh upon the Land Conscience yet saith nothing to them at last they come down into Egypt there they meet with hard usage and are in danger of imprisonment Now Conscience beginneth to rouze up itself like a Lyon to tear and devour then they cry out Verily we are guilty concerning the blood of our Brother You see Conscience had an awakening time though it had been asleep the Morning came for its awakening So Judas his Conscience was asleep for a great while and one would wonder that it should ever be so fast asleep as was Mat. 26. 15. you may read there some passages of it He goeth to the Chief Priests and maketh a Bargain What will you give me and I will deliver Jesus to you and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of Silver there he maketh a bargain for a little Silver to sell his Lord and Master and to betray the innocent blood Conscience saith never a word to him Further he sought for opportunity to betray Christ yet Conscience saith nothing to him v. 21. when he was come into the presence of his Master he came with the Disciples to the Passover yet Conscience saith nothing to him all the while when he was at the Passover and eating Christ telleth his Disciples that one of them should betray him yet Judas's Conscience saith never a word to him but letteth him alone all this while Nay further when the Disciples at these words were exceeding sorrowful and began to say every one of them Lord is it I yet Judas's Conscience saith nothing to him And Christ said He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish the same shall betray me yet his Conscience was asleep all this while Further ver 24. Christ pronounceth a Wo to that man by whom he should be betrayed yet the denunciation of that Wo did not awaken Judas's Conscience Wo to him it had been good for that man he had never been born It is matter of admiration and amazement that his Conscience should be so fast asleep the Devil entred into him and rocked Conscience asleep till he might be sure to do him mischeif enough ver 25. Then Judas which betrayed him put the question and said Master is it I Methinks his Conscience should have flown in his face like a Mastiff Nay further saith Christ Thou hast said
work for the pardon of her sins he said unto her Thy sins are forgiven thee And ver 50. Christ tells her Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace And likewise the Faith of blind Bartimeus Mar. 10. 51 52. sets Christs Power and Pity on work and obtained Healing And the Faith of the two blind men in Matth. 9. 27 28 29 30. Christ touched their eyes and said According to your faith so be it unto you And their Eyes were opened O if you could but according to these Examples set Faith on work for the healing of your Souls Conscience would be quiet Thus bespeak and expostulate with thine own Conscience and say It is true Conscience I have sinned and deserved to be reproached and condemned but I fly to the Bloud of Christ for cleansing and I apply that by Faith Nay saith Conscience if thou fly to that City of Refuge I can then no longer pursue after thee thou art safe enough from me If thou makest the Bloud of Christ thy Refuge thou art then secured from all the Storms and Terrors and Reproaches of Conscience If you would not have Conscience upbraid you accuse and condemn you set about the work of Repentance and Faith and then whatsoever cause you have given Conscience to reproach you it will reproach you no more it will be quiet and at peace with you always provided that you set about this work of Faith and Repentance seriously and in good earnest Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Books printed for and are to be sold by John Hancock at the Sign of the Three Bibles in Popes Head Alley in Cornhill TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Tho. Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fish-street 1. Precious Remedies against Satans Devices or Salve for Believers and Vnbelievers Sores being a Companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ. 2. Heaven on Earth 〈◊〉 a Serious Discourse touching a Well-grounded Assurance of Mans Everlasting Happiness 3. The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ held forth in 22 Sermons 4. Apples of Gold for Young Men and Women 5. A String of Pearls or the best â—hings reserved till last 6. The Mute Christian under the Smarting Râ—â—â— with Sovereign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents 7. An Ark for all Gods Noahs in a stormy day 8. The Crown and Glory of Christianity in 48 Sermons on Heb. 12. 14. 9. The Privy Key of Heaven or a Discourse of Closet Prayer 10. An Heavenly Cordial for such as have had or escaped the Plague 11. A Cabinet of choice Jewels or a Box of Precious Oyntment containing special Maâ—â—â— Rules and Directions in order toâ—◠〈◊〉 clearing up of a Mans Interest in Christ and his Title to all the Glory of another World 12. Londons Lamentations â— The Godly Mans Ark in several Sermons To which is added M Moors Evidences for Heaven By Edmund Calamy B. D. at Aldermanbury Christs Communion with his Church Militant by Nich 〈◊〉 â—ckyer Sin the Plague of Plagues by Ralph â—enning A true Narrative of those two never be forgotten Deliverances one from â—he Spanish Invasion in 88 the other from the Hellish Powder Plot Nov. 5. â—605 by Mr. Sam. Clark The Accurate Accountant or London Merchant being Instructions for â—ceping Merchants Accounts By Tho. Brown Accomptant Short Writing the most 〈◊〉 Exact Lineal and speedy 〈◊〉 that hath ever yet been obtained By Theophilus Metcalfe Also a Book called a Schoolmaster to it explaining all the Rules thereof A Word of Advice to Saints or a choice Drop of Honey from the Rock Christ 〈◊〉 Matthews Legacy to his Chilâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 full of good counsel 〈…〉 â—â—â—t Description of New York â—INIS â— John 3. 20 21. Psal. 139. begin Luke 15. 7 10.