of the righteous and the quiet conscience of the wicked Answ The difference between them lieth in foure things 1. In the thing it self 2. In the cause 3. In the effect 4. In the continuance I. In the thing it self The quiet conscience in the godly is double not onely apparentiall and nominall but reall and substantiall It is quiet and quiet too peace and peace too I create the fruit of the lips peace peace Mark peace and peace too peace in appearance and peace in truth and substance also But the peace and quiet of conscience which the wicked have is not such peace It is peace and no peace peace in appearance but no peace in truth Their god is the god of this world and he perswadeth them they have peace But my God saith the prophet speaketh otherwise There is no peace to the wicked saith my God They talk of a good conscience sometimes and boast they have a good conscience but the truth is they cannot have true peace within for saith the prophet the wicked is like the troubled sea which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt So doth a wicked mans conscience secretly cast up mire and dirt in his face His peace can onely be outward and apparentiall II. There is a difference in the cause The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from one cause and the quiet of a bad conscience ariseth from another 1. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from a distinct knowledge of the word of God and of the precepts and promises conteined in it But the quiet of an evil conscience ariseth from ignorance When men know not God nor his holy word which should bind conscience they fear nothing because they see nothing they know not the danger of sinne Like a blind man standing before the mouth of a cannon he feareth no danger because he seeth none so carnall men fear not because they know not what cause they have to fear Their very prayers that they make are an abomination to God and they know it not their good duties they do are all like cockatrices egs and they know it not they know not that they are in the bond of iniquitie in the snare of the devil Their consciences are quiet because they know not what cause they have to be otherwise This is one difference The quiet and peace of a good conscience ariseth from light and from knowledge the quiet and peace of an evil conscience from darknesse and ignorance 2. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from a due examination of our selves by the word and purging of our consciences Conscience never can be good without purging and sprinkling no nor without a due examination the quiet of a good conscience ariseth from this Whereas the quiet of a wicked mans conscience ariseth from want of this He never examineth his conscience but letteth it sleep till God awake it with horrour I say a wicked mans conscience sleepeth and that maketh it quiet and he is not troubled nor molested with it Like a baillif or sergeant fallen asleep by the way the desperate debtour whom he lieth in wait for may passe by him then and find him very quiet and not offer to arrest him or like a curst dog fallen asleep a stranger may passe by him then and not be meddled with Such like is this quiet evil conscience 3. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from a good ground from the works of Gods Spirit from true saving grace from righteousnesse Rom. 14.17 we reade of righteousnesse and peace True peace of conscience ariseth from righteousnesse Whereas the false peace of the wicked ariseth onely from vain hopes and conceits They are not guiltie of such and such great sins or They are not so bad as some others As the Pharisee's conscience was quiet why God I thank thee I am not as other men are no drunkard extortioner nor like this publicane Or perhaps from this ground their peace ariseth The Lord is very mercifull and The Lord Jesus died for sinners Or perhaps this is their plea They are good comers to church They have prayers in their families They have been professours of Christ Jesus so many years From hence they dream of peace upon false grounds whenas the way of peace they have not known When conscience shall be awaked then it will tell them how they have by flattery deceived their own souls and that having no true righteousnesse they could have no true peace 4. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from tendernesse and from life Therefore the Apostle joyneth together life and peace Rom. 8.6 True peace of conscience ariseth from life whereas the quiet of a wicked conscience ariseth from searednesse and benumbednesse and deadnesse when men being past feeling of sinne are not troubled at the committing of it Thus ye see the second thing wherein the difference lieth namely in the cause III. They differ in the effect First The effect of the quiet of a good conscience is comfort and rejoycing Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ What followeth By whom we have accesse by faith rejoycing c. Mark The peace of conscience bringeth forth rejoycing And so in other places peace and joy are joyned together But the evil conscience though quiet wanteth this rejoycing If carnall men had no more mirth then what the quiet and peace of their consciences doth help them to they would not be so merrie as most of them be Secondly Another effect of true peace of conscience is It sanctifieth the soul it purgeth the heart purifieth the life and reformeth the whole man It is the instrument whereby God sanctifieth his people more and more The God of peace sanctifie you wholly Observe the title which the Apostle there giveth unto God when he sanctifieth his people he calleth him the God of peace he sanctifieth his people by peace It maketh them think thus We must not do thus or thus as others do we shall lose the peace of our conscience if we do This maketh them strive against sinne denie their own wills and carnall appetites If I should not do so I should have no peace This peace sanctifieth But the peace which carnall men seem to have doth not sanctifie the soul they are never the more holy for the same Again another effect of the peace of a good conscience is to put life into us in the performance of good duties it maketh us with gladnesse and delight perform the duties of our generall and particular callings But the false peace of an evil conscience suffereth the wicked to be dead and dull to good duties The true peace keepeth our hearts and our minds We should lose our minds in the things of this life but this peace doth keep them upon God we should lose our hearts upon our profits and pleasures and affairs in the world but the peace of conscience doth keep them
they were convicted of their consciences their consciences dealt honestly with them and told them the truth that they were wicked sinners themselves This is the naturall goodnesse in conscience 2. A renewed good conscience I call it a renewed good conscience because when a man is renewed all the man is renewed all his mind and the spirit of it is renewed Ephes 4.23 That ye may be renewed in the spirit of your mind If the man be renewed all the mind must be renewed and therefore the conscience must be renewed too for the mind and the conscience ever go together nay conscience is mainly seated in the mind and therefore if the mind be renewed so is the conscience and if the mind be defiled so is the conscience To them that are defiled is nothing pure but their minds and consciences are defiled Mark When they are defiled they are defiled together so when they are washed and renewed they are washed and renewed together Now this renewed conscience is either perfect or defective 1. Perfect I mean not perfect in every degree of goodnesse For so no mans conscience in the world is perfect But I mean perfect in every part and condition of goodnesse 2. A defective good renewed conscience is that which faileth in some conditions of goodnesse We call it a weak conscience which is apt to be polluted and defiled again 1. Cor. 8.7 Their conscience being weak is defiled This is a defective good conscience a conscience renewed but imperfectly renewed I. To a good conscience that is soundly renewed five things are necessary 1. Knowledge of Gods will and that which doth follow the true knowledge of his will namely true humiliation and fear By nature the conscience is blind and sturdy and venturous and therefore it is necessary that it should be illightened to understand the will of God and to presse it and again it is necessary that the heart should be humbled or else it will not stoop to Gods will and it is necessary also that this holy fear should fall upon the heart that it may not dare to transgresse S t Peter being to speak of a good conscience premiseth all these as necessarie thereunto First he adviseth that Christians have knowledge to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them and then that they should have meeknesse and fear for to do it with meeknesse and fear saith he having a good conscience Mark Knowledge and meeknesse and fear are required to make a good conscience without them the conscience cannot be good By nature we are all blind and stubborn and fearlesse of sinning and therefore till we be cured of these evils our consciences cannot be good 2. The second thing is a watchfulnesse and warfare against sinne This is required too to a renewed good conscience By nature we are drowsie and carelesse and secure and do not stand upon our guard to wage warre against our lusts and the desires of our flesh and so long our consciences can never be good and therefore this spirituall watchfulnesse and mainteining warre against sinne is required to the having a good conscience That thou maist warre a good warrefare saith Paul to Timothie having faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1.18 19. Some who seemed to have a good conscience because they did not maintein this holy warfare against sinne and the flesh they have lost it Therefore this is another requisite required to a good conscience 3. The third is tendernesse of conscience By nature our hearts are seared and dead and unclean and therefore we must get us tender and pure hearts if we would have good renewed consciences The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned 1. Tim. 1.5 See how the Apostle compoundeth them together a pure heart and a good conscience We must get our hearts purged and quickened that they may be sensible of the least evil and then our consciences will be good and be as a bridle to hold us from evil A hard heart and a good conscience can never stand together 4. The fourth is the cleannesse of conscience by the washing of Christs bloud This is the main and the principall of all Yea indeed the bloud of Christ is the sole and onely cause of a good conscience I would not be mistaken I named indeed other causes Knowledge and Humbling and a holy Fear a Combat against sinne and Tendernesse but I do not mean as though a good conscience were partly beholding to them and partly to Christs bloud For it is wholly and onely beholding to Christs bloud for its goodnesse his bloud is the onely price of it But my meaning is this That though Christs bloud be the one onely cause of redemption yet in the application of redemption the Lord useth all those forenamed graces while he applieth it to the conscience Therefore this now I adde The washing of Christs bloud this is chiefly required to the goodnesse of conscience We have two places of Scripture to prove it The one Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge your consciences from dead works It is that onely can do it The other text is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Where the Apostle first giveth this title to a renewed conscience to be called a good conscience Secondly he nameth the cause that maketh it to be good the power of Christs resurrection When the resurrection of Christ Jesus is powerfull upon us then conscience becometh good 5. The fifth is quietnesse By nature nothing is so fierce and violent if it be once awaked as conscience is O it is unspeakably furious Thus is conscience by nature and therefore it can never be good untill we get it appeased with the assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and so true peace and comfort established in it This is the reason why the Scripture joyneth a good conscience and faith so often together as 1. Tim. 3.9 Holding the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience It cannot be a pure or good conscience if faith be not held in it As long as the conscience is not underpropped by faith the conscience must needs be in a wildernesse Perhaps my sinnes are imputed unto me perhaps they are pardoned Perhaps they are covered perhaps not As long as the conscience lieth under these uncertainties it cannot be firm and soundly good indeed therefore we must labour for assurance of pardon by faith Thus much of a good renewed conscience that is perfectly and soundly renewed II. Secondly There is a good conscience renewed but not soundly renewed very much as yet defective and imperfect The former conscience is called conscientia firma a firm conscience This is called conscientia infirma an infirm conscience Rom. 15.1 We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak This infirm conscience is a good
them and of evil and give warning to avoid them 2. As a faithfull conscience is watchfull so also it is rigid and severe In every cause it delivereth its judgement nothing can escape its sentence it will not favour our lusts in any particular If there be any opportunity of duty to God or man it maketh us to heare of it though it be such a duty as none other will call upon us for or it may be dare not put us in mind of as of love and care and help towards inferiours yet conscience will It titheth mint and cumine and will tell us of the least duty And so on the other side it will not swallow the least sinne As it will not swallow a camel so it will strain at a gâ—at A faithfull conscience is faithfull in the least If David sinne but in the lap of a garment conscience smiteth him for it It made Abraham so precise to a thread or a shoe-latchet he would not take so much as that of the king of Sodom It made Moses strict to a very hoof It made Paul find fault with the Corinthians about their hair It made Augustine condemne himself for an apple 3. As a faithfull conscience is watchfull and severe so also it is importunate in all its counsels It doth not onely deliver its judgement but doth with importunitie urge the following of its counsel It will have no nay but will be obeyed Iâ— leadeth us bound in the spirit to do it as Paul said I go bound in the spirit See how importunate this faithfull conscience was with the Psalmist I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord. It will not take any nay say we whaâ— we will say we be sleepie say we be busie say we be loth and full of excuses it will be importunate and that with vehemencie It will follow a man if he will not heare it with a hue and crie of inward checks It will sometime promise sometimes threaten urge us with hope fear danger c. As we would be saved we must dâ— this As we would escape the wrath to come we must forbear that Thus importunate is a faithfull conscience I. We see here what a great blessing it is to have such a faithfull conscience such a faithfull friend in our bosome which will be carefull to tell us of all our dutie and perswade us to it and of every evil and disswade us from it It will not flatter us in any thing but tell us plainly This ye should do This ye should not do It regardeth not what pleaseth us but what is good for us that it looketh to and that it perswadeth to and that it urgeth O what a blessing is this This blessing had those willing Israelites who gave so freely and largely towards the building of the tabernacle The text saith that their heart stirred them up and their spirit made them willing Mark their heart that is their conscience stirred them up Ye have bracelets offer them saith conscience Ye have ear-rings and jewels c. part with them too saith conscience to further this pious work in hand Their spirit made them willing their faithfull friend in their bosome conscience overcame them with arguments and strong perswasions This is a great blessing to have such a faithfull conscience It will make a man part with all his lusts pride self-love covetousnesse carnall delights for Gods glorie and our own true good II. It is a signe that God meaneth well to that man to whom he hath given a faithfull conscience O this is an Angel keeper indeed Did not Christ mean well to his Church in the Canticles when he gave her such a conscience as carried her on wheels unto him Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib Return return O Shulamite return return Return return saith conscience and again Return return Hath the Lord given thee such an importunate conscience as will have no nay will not let thee alone in omitting good or committing evil will not let thee slumber and sleep in securitie but continually joggeth and awaketh thee Hath he given thee a severe a precise conscience that will not favour thee in the least evil It is a most comfortable signe that the Lord meaneth well unto thy soul III. Labour to be a friend unto conscience that it may continue faithfull unto thee True friends will deal faithfully and plainly one with another and will be importunate to do one another good Conscience will not deal thus with thee unlesse thou be a friend unto conscience Now then are we friends unto conscience when we do what conscience requireth As our Saviour said to the Disciples Ye are my friends if ye do whatever I command you So I may say of conscience For conscience if it be truly illightned will command nothing but what Christ commandeth If we deal so in our constant course with conscience be willing to hearken to it and be ruled by it then if we be out of the way now and then conscience will be true to us and be importunate with us for our good IV. Be sure thou stand not out against conscience when once it is importunate It is a great sinne to stand out against conscience though it be not importunate but it is a sinne a thousand times greater to stand out against it when it is importunate The greatest standing out against conscience is the greatest sinne it is a sinne which cometh nearest that against the holy Ghost which accompanied with some other adjuncts is the greatest standing out against conscience There is no sinne that doth more harden the heart then to do evil when conscience is importunate to disswade from it This sinne was the cause why Saul was rejected of God I forced my self saith he He forced his conscience his conscience was importunate to have him stay according to the commandment of God but he forced himself to the contrary I confesse if conscience be importunate to the utmost as it is with Gods children men cannot with any force put it by it will have no nay Sometimes it is so with the wicked in some particular thing but often conscience in them is importunate and yet will suffer it self to be born down Now to bear conscience down is a very high sinne and exceedingly hardeneth the heart therefore take heed of it VI. An Vnfaithfull conscience THus I have handled a faithfull conscience The second affection now followeth which is an Unfaithfull conscience I do not mean such an one as is overtaken with evil for the best conscience hath its failings but such a conscience as so giveth in that it suffereth a man to forsake God and to serve the devil and his own lusts This is an unfaithfull conscience and it also hath three properties 1. It is a silent
conscience 2. It is a large conscience 3. It is a remisse conscience 1. A silent conscience that conscience which knoweth how to judge how to counsel how to direct yet is silent and saith nothing is an unfaithfull conscience that knoweth what duties we ow to God and man yet putteth us not upon them nor is importunate for the performance of them and so for sinnes what we ought not to do telleth not of the evil disswadeth not from it urgeth not arguments to cause forbearance this is an unfaithfull conscience It is like to a sleepy carelesse coachman who giveth the horses the rains and letteth them runne whither they will So this unfaithfull conscience leaveth the rains on a mans neck and letteth him runne whither he will into any danger any mischief that he may do evil with both hands Do ye not think Ahabs conscience was fast asleep which let him sell himself to work wickednesse and so Manasseh's conscience 2. A large conscience vvhich maketh conscience it may be of some great duties but taketh liberty in other vvhich it counteth lesser Thus Doâ—g's conscience would not suffer him to break his vow to depart on the sabbath day but yet it suffered him to accuse David Jehu's conscience made him zealous in Gods cause against the house of Ahab and the priests of Baal but it suffered him to maintain the high places which Jeroboam had set up Thus Gamaliel's conscience made him speak well for Paul and yet continue it seemeth in much other evil This conscience will restrain from great staring sinnes or from such sinnes as the man hath no naturall propensity unto but others which seem of a lower nature or vvhich are suitable to a mans particular desires these conscience will swallow without remorse As civil people that cannot swallow down couzenage and injustice and yet neglect of prayer and other religious duties never troubleth them And so some professours who cannot omit hearing sermons and talking of religion and yet can rest without the power thereof 3. It is remisse that is though it doth counsel and direct yet it doth it with such coldnesse and remissenesse that it is easily answered and put off Thus it was with David It cannot be thought but his conscience said Plot not against Vriah's life But he would and so conscience let him do it This conscience will be answered with every slight and idle excuse As when conscience telleth one Your wayes are not good I wish you to repent and make your peace with God it may be the man answereth Yea so I mean to do but I cannot yet intend it when I have dispatched such and such businesse then I will do it If conscience speak again Yea but you were best to do it now True saith he I know it I know it If God would give me repentance I would repent It is his gift of my self I cannot do it Or when it telleth him of family-duties it may be he answereth I have no leisure so long as I go to God by my self I hope it will serve turn Or when it telleth him of his wickednesse it may be he answereth Many worse then I have found mercy and I hope so shall I. This is the conscience that letteth a mans heart say I shall have peace Now conscience being remisse and cold it is easily put off and answered with these idle and foolish excuses or with some other pretenses like these and so letteth the man go and live as before This conscience is like Eli which said Ye do not well my sonnes but exercised no severity to cause them to do otherwise By this we see the dangerous estate of those men who have such a conscience There be many who live in many sinnes in carnall courses some in company-keeping and drunkennesse some in hatred and variance some in chambering and wantonnesse some in covetousnesse and love of this present world your consciences no question can say Ye should do well to be more godly to look more after Christ and after heaven and ye should do well to get the truth of saving grace yet it may be they say nothing or nothing to the purpose in this behalf Therefore is these mens case so dangerous because their consciences are so silent and so remisse They have lost the most sovereigne remedy namely conscience Conscience is the most sovereigne means under God and his holy Spirit to work repentance in men that can be and is it not dangerous to have it prove traiterous and unfaithfull What good can the ministerie of the word do unto you when every idle and false excuse or pretense which the wisdome of the flesh can devise can stop the mouth of your conscience when it calleth upon you to do what the word requireth It must needs be dangerous and so much the more because it is so pleasing unto you ye take delight in such silent and large and remisse unfaithfull consciences ye love not to have your consciences too busie with you ye like not that your consciences should be too clamorous and importunate with you ye would have them not too rigid and vehement against your sinnes It fareth with you as with many young men who have sold themselves unto folly and think none their friends but parasites that flatter them or those who connive and wink at their folly but such friends will soon prove foes and so will such moderate and quiet consciences It is a dangerous thing to have such a silent conscience to want the chief means under God of doing a man good It was conscience that told the lepers We do not well to hold our peace It was conscience that never would let the prodigall sonne be quiet till he returned to his father and said unto him I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne It is conscience that is the most powerfull means under God to quicken a man up to repentance and obedience and therefore they are in a miserable case that want this great help But what are the causes why mens consciences be so evil and unfaithfull The causes hereof are chiefly these foure 1. Ignorance is one cause why a mans conscience is unfaithfull when we do not labour to have conscience throughly illightened and informed Who are more carelesse and negligent of their duties both to God and man who can with more freedome lye steal covet sinne c. then those that are ignorant of the law of God They know not that they do so much hurt to their own souls as they do An ignorant mind hath alwayes an evil conscience It is impossible conscience should be faithfull where it is not illightened and hence it cometh to passe that conscience is so negligent and unfaithfull because we have been so carelesse of informing it Thy conscience must needs be silent as long as thou art ignorant Ignorance is soon put to
silence 2. A second cause is often slighting of conscience It may be conscience speaketh not or but coldly and remissely because when it hath advised and counselled and admonished thou hast neglected it and disregarded it from time to time Though it judge and counsel yet thou wilt not listen Like Cassandra the prophetesse who though her predictions were true and certain yet were they never believed so though conscience speaketh true yet men follow it not and therefore it becometh silent when it is not regarded but all its counsel and advise and perswasions slighted and neglected Hence I say it cometh to passe that for want of imployment it is still and falleth asleep till the time come that it must be awaked 3. The third cause is that violence that is often offered unto it Many times when conscience perswadeth to any good duty or disswadeth from any evil course men will do against it and withstand it violently and put off the wholesome advise of it hence it cometh to passe that conscience having so many injuries offered unto it beginneth to provide for its own ease and so either it is silent and saith nothing or else is soon answered and rebuked as it was with Moses When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Moses but still fell to excuses and at last to deny all he would not let Israel go notwithstanding all that Moses could urge but said to Moses Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more Moses then answered Thou hast spoken well I will see thy face no more So it is with conscience When men have been obstinate and have refused to heare it and would have it speak no more Thou hast well spoken saith conscience henceforth I will trouble you no more but let you alone to take your course I will advise you no more or if I do I will not be any more importunate 4. A fourth cause is that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience If it beginneth to speak presently they busie themselves about other things or if that will not do they runne into companie and there spend their time that the howlings of conscience may not be heard and if still it be loud they strike up the drumme and ring all the bells that the voice of it may be utterly drowned and so conscience at last is content to stand by to heare and see and say nothing By this means many times it falleth out that those who have had very turbulent and clamourous consciences not suffering them to be quiet have at last tamed them and put them quite to silence or if they do speak it is so coldly and remissely that they care not whether they be obeyed or no. Oh these are damnable and devilish devises Whoever ye be that do thus ye are in a dangerous estate and ye carry the brands of hell and damnation upon you If ever you desire to avoid this dangerous estate then shun the cause Labour to have your conscience throughly illightned and informed by the word of God that it may reade you your duty A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counsel Again give heed evermore to the counsel of conscience You know Achitophel took it ill that his counsel was not followed therefore he made away himself in displeasure So conscience will take it very ill if its counsel be not followed it will strangle it self and smother it self you shall heare no more of it Especially take heed you do not reject conscience nor offer violence to it If you do you will make it unfaithfull and remisse and then you lose the best means under heaven of your good Then deadnesse of spirit succeedeth and hardnesse of heart taketh place and you deprive your souls of all possibility of cure As long as a sickman hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope but if ever he lose that he is gone Conscience is the possibilitie of the soul to amendment and therefore if you dull conscience and make conscience remisse and unfaithfull you take the ready way to deprive your selves of all possibility of rising again Consider these things and have a care of your consciences And thus we have handled the office of conscience about things to be done and omitted with its adjuncts affections and properties in that behalf I come now to consider the office of conscience about things already done or omitted together with the affections of conscience in the discharge of that office The office of conscience about things already done or omitted THis hath foure parts 1. To approve 2. To absolve 3. To mislike 4. To condemne according to the good or evil of our actions or omissions The judgement is not onely of the things what they are but whither they tend and what they will produce I. An approving conscience FIrst when that vvhich is done is good conscience approveth it as Paul saith This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 When he had lived uprightly and sincerely his conscience approved of it so when he had great sorrow and heavinesse for his brethren his conscience approved it my conscience bearing me witnesse saith he So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the vvhole course of his life I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. there is consciences approbation of him from henceforth saith he is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse there is consciences judgement concerning the issue of it Conscience so approveth every particular good action done by a faithfull man that by it he may gather a testimony of the uprightnesse of his heart as Hezekiah Remember Lord that I have walked uprightly before thee Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Mark Love to Gods children is a sufficient testimony not onely of our uprightnesse in that particular act but also of the simplicity of our hearts in the generall and that vve are translated from death to life So when good old Simeon had now even finished his dayes see what an approbation his conscience gave of him Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbation of him 1. That he had been Gods faithfull servant thy servant 2. That he had walked in the wayes of true peace and comfort depart in peace 3. That the promise of Gods word was his in particular according to thy word II. An absolving conscience THe second part of the office of conscience is to absolve and acquit Thus Samuel pleading his innocency had his conscience testifying for him Whose ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded and his conscience absolved him as clear and free from those sinnes Thus also Job If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my help in the gate If I rejoyced because my wealth
two latter when we have done ill and lived ill then the office of conscience is to mislike and to condemne Now followeth the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices and they are foure 1. A tender conscience 2. A sleepie conscience 3. A benumbed conscience 4. A seared conscience First a tender conscience that is a conscience touched with the least sinne and checking us for the least sinne as for vain thoughts exorbitant passions idle words and the like Such was Davids conscience which smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment Such was Zaccheus his conscience which troubled him for supposed sinnes If I have wronged any man saith he He did not know but his conscience was so tender that it made him carefull of Ifs. This tender conscience is a singular blessing of God And if we desire to attain unto it we must labour to see the odiousnesse of sinne yea the malignity and exceeding evil there is in the least sinne this will make us tender of it Secondly we must labour to mourn for every sinne though it seem little this also will keep our consciences tender And we have great cause to prize a tender conscience What got the Bethshemites by not being tender in conscience They looked into the Ark and because they durst venture upon it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them at once What got the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath for not being tender in conscience He was stoned to death Conscience should tender the least commandment of God and so be tender of the committing the least sinne This conscience is a great blessing The second affection of conscience is sleepinesse A sleepy conscience is not so quick in smiting us as it ought either it checks not or else with such faintnesse that it worketh not upon us it maketh us never the more watchfull against sinne This we see by many who can commit such sinnes without trouble or disquiet as would bring others on their knees and make them walk heavily long after This sleepy conscience is very dangerous it maketh men as ready to fall into the same sinnes to morrow as to day and next day as to morrow it letteth them see their faults but amendeth none because this is such a conscience as doth not cause men to feel the burden of their sinnes A man can never come to Christ as long as he hath a sleepy conscience because it doth not cause sinne to be burdensome They who have this conscience can sleep for all it and eat and drink and be merry for all it Now a man can never come to Christ that is not burdened with his sinne that he cannot bear it cannot be quiet for it cannot sleep for it then Christ calleth him Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you A benumbed conscience that is such a conscience as is in a deep sleep This differs from the former in degree You know there is a lesse sleep and there is a greater sleep There is a lesse sleep when onely the outward senses are bound and there is a sleep when the inward senses are bound too Now a benumbed conscience is a conscience that is in a deep sleep Preach to it it mourneth not cry to it it listeneth not This is a benumbed conscience Nor the greatnesse of sinne nor the wrath of God denounced against it can move it Men can know themselves guilty of such and such sinnes and yet not lay them to heart conscience never telleth them about it Thus the Apostle speaketh of those who knew the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Their consciences though informed and in some measure knowing the evil of their courses and the severitie of Gods judgement yet let them go on still and not onely commit the evil themselves but delight to see others as bad as themselves Such are our swearers and drunkards and company-keepers c. This is a very wretched conscience the Lord deliver us from it Fourthly a seared conscience that is such a conscience as speaketh not a jote seared with a hot iron as the Apostles phrase is 1. Tim. 4.2 a senselesse conscience a past-feeling conscience when men can swallow down sinne like drink oathes contempt of God his word and worship mockage of Gods servants hating to be reformed such as sinne without any remorse This kind of conscience is in foure sorts of men 1. In dissolute and profligate persons who like common strumpets have their souls lie open to every sinne that cometh by 2. In obstinate sinners such as like Ahab have sold themselves to work wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. 3. In scoffers and jeerers who speak evil of them who runne not in the same excesse of riot with themselves and nickname the godly 4. In Apostates and backsliders who speak lies through hypocrisie and have fallen from the profession of the truth All these men have a conscience seared with a red-hot iron This is a great judgement of God greater then this there cannot be No outward judgement that can fall upon us is like unto it not the plague nor shame nor beggery no nor any curse besides hell it self is equall to it By this the onely means under God of repentance is taken away Such may come to repent but it is a thousand to one if ever they do It is like a gravestone lying upon their consciences which keepeth them under untill the day of judgement at which time God will awaken their consciences and then they will be more furious in tormenting then the very devils themselves Ye that are not yet fallen upon this wretched conscience I beseech you take heed that ye never do But ye will ask me How may we avoid it Avoid it alas ye may avoid it if ye be carefull for conscience never seareth it self If ever it be seared it is ye your selves that do fear it Indeed the mind of man may blind its own self and the heart of man may corrupt its own self and the affections of man may defile their own selves but conscience never corrupteth it self never seareth it self But you will say What must I do to avoid this searing of conscience First listen to conscience well that whatever it saith to thee from God thou maist do it This was the course of the Psalmist I will hearken what the Lord God will say in me so some translate it Heare then and listen what the Lord God will say in thee what thy conscience illightened saith in thee and do it Secondly whenever this conscience is quick follow it Nothing more seareth conscience then suffering quicknings to die Blow the coles if they do but smoke As the Apostle saith Quench not the Spirit so quench not conscience I have hitherto shewed you that every
conscience will be worth then When Paul was accused and hardly thought of by some of the Corinthians this was his comfort I know nothing by my self saith his conscience I count it a very sâ—all thing to be judged of you Nay he goeth further His conscience telleth him he hath the Lord Jesus who justifieth him to judge him he hath a sweeter Judge then his own conscience even his Saviour to judge him O there is no created comfort in the world like the comfort of a peaceable conscience The heathen Menaâ—der could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience is a little pettie god We may not give it such a big title but this is most certain The conscience is Gods echo of peace to the soul in life in death in judgement it is unspeakable comfort Is there any then that want this Let them above all things labour to get it It is more worth then all things else Whatever we neglect let us not neglect this It is safer to neglect bodie health means maintenance friends and all that ever we have in the world then to neglect this The more we have the worse it is for us if we have not this Had we all this worlds good it is like a stone in a serpents head or a toads head or a pearl in an oyster not our perfection but our disease Again you who have a peaceable conscience 1. Labour to maintain it Be often in communion with God be not strangers to him the light of whose countenance is the peace of your souls It is the walking with God that breedeth true peace and preserveth it It is said of Levi that he walked with God in peace O let us stirre up our selves to walk close with God that so we may have peace No sweet peace but in so doing 2. We must take heed we do not trouble nor disquiet it that we do not resist it or offer violence unto it by committing sinne against the peace of it but endeavour to maintain the peace of it by obeying the voyce of it Get the fear of God which is wisdome and to depart from evil which is true understanding All her paths are peace Prov. 3 17. We cannot walk in any one path of true wisdome but we shall find in it peace There is peace in humilitie and peace in charity and peace in godlinesse and peace in obedience c. Break any of these things and ye break the peace Ye heare what an admirable thing the peace of conscience is O then if ye have it make much of it nay if ye have it ye will for certain make much of it The very having of it will teach you the worth of it and learn you to prize it and make you above all things unwilling to leave it And thus much of the first viz. a quiet conscience An unquiet conscience I Have already handled a quiet conscience I come now to speak of a troubled and unquiet conscience Concerning which I shall shew you three things 1. What it is 2. The degrees of it 3. The difference of the trouble that may be in a good and that may be in a bad conscience I. What a troubled conscience is It is a conscience accusing for sinne and affrighting with apprehensions of Gods wrath And here I would have you consider two things 1. What are the causes of it 2. Wherein it consisteth First The causes of it are these five 1. The guilt of sinne When a man hath done evil and his conscience doth know it then doth the conscience crie guiltie when he knoweth it saith the text then he shall be guilty This is it which woundeth and pierceth conscience this is the sad voyce of conscience Like Judas I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Like Cain My sinne is greater then can be forgiven So the brethren of Joseph We are guilty say they concerning our brother It is like the head of an arrow sticking in the flesh or like a dreadfull object continually presenting it self before our eyes My sinne is ever before me saith David When we have transgressed Gods law and our conscience can cry guiltie when the guilt of sinne lieth upon conscience this is one cause of the trouble of it 2. Another cause is the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne When knowing that we have sinned and offended God we apprehend his wrath in our minds and behold the revenging eye of his justice against us This is a very grievous thing so terrible that no man or angel is able to abide it As we see the kings and potentates the mighty men of the earth call for the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them from the wrath of God Rev. 6.15 16. When we have incurred Gods displeasure and our consciences see it when his anger resteth upon us and our consciences feel it this is another cause of the trouble of conscience 3. A third cause of the trouble of conscience is the fear of death and of hell When we know we have offended Gods law and we know also what our sinnes do deserve namely death and judgement aad damnation for ever this doth most trouble and disquiet conscience when it fastneth on the apprehension of it The Apostle calleth it a fearfull looking for of judgement When conscience looketh for nothing else but for hell and damnation this must needs trouble conscience 4. Another cause is privative want of supportance when God doth withhold from conscience the help of his Spirit Ye know the Spirit can inable conscience to undergo all its troubles the Spirit can prompt it with mercies and the promises of God and hold it up but when the Lord bereaveth the conscience of this help and doth not at all support it this must needs also trouble conscience 5. When God doth fasten on the conscience such thoughts as may affright and terrifie it as thus God doth not love me Christ will not own me I have sinned I am a reprobate past hope c. When such thoughts as these fasten on the conscience it cannot choose then but be troubled Thus I have shewed you what are the causes of the trouble of conscience Secondly This trouble of conscience consisteth in two things First in want of comfort It cannot apply to it self neither the promises of this life nor of that which is to come Conscience crieth This belongeth not to me This mercy this comfort is not my portion Secondly In a terrour and anguish of mind from these three heads 1. From the guilt of sinne 2. From the apprehension of Gods wrath 3. From fear of death and of judgement This is the three-stringed whip wherewith conscience is lashed These ye shall find upon the conscience of Adam and Eve when they had sinned against God Their conscience was whipped 1. With the guilt of sinne they saw they were naked Gen. 3.7 2. With the apprehension of Gods wrath they hid themselves from the
every day eye the brazen serpent Justification is an ever-running fountain and therefore we cannot look to have all the water at once A fountain ever runneth anew so justification ever floweth anew and we must go to it Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec O let us sue out every day a dayly pardon of course Let us not sleep one night without a new pardon Better sleep in a house full of adders and venemous beasts then sleep in one sinne O then be sure with the day to clear the sinnes of the day Then shall our conscience have true peace But how if I have relapsed what shall I do then I answer Every man that falleth doth not fall on all foure as we use to say he doth not fall quite There be degrees of falling As in a sick man though he be ill yet he is not by and by dead some life remaineth still which will look out towards health again so there is so much life in justification as to recover thee again Be constant therefore in this course Ever go to Christ ever wash in this fountain ever bring thy soul hither to be cleansed and then thy conscience ever shall have peace Fourthly If we would maintein our peace then let us labour to be constant in obedience to Jesus Christ Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the word of God perfected and hereby know we that we are in him 1. John 2. 5. Mark Hereby our conscience may tell us that we are right and speak peace to us if we keep his word II. Question How the peace of conscience doth depend upon our care and our obedience The reason why I raise this question is this Because as our justification is onely in Christ so our peace is onely in him how then doth the peace of our conscience depend on obedience The place of Scripture that occasioneth the doubt is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is by Christ how dependeth it then on our obedience Answ 1. A good conscience doth not depend upon our obedience as the principall cause of it but upon justification which we have by Christ if we be in him Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Ye see then that our peace is grounded upon our justification as the principall cause of it If we should seek for peace from our works and obedience alas they are sinfull and defective there is no peace to be found in them Our conscience would be troubled at our best duties at our weaknesse in prayer our frailties in hearing our slips in every holy service There is nothing we do but our conscience might find fault with it and pick a hole in it and therefore we had need to flie unto Christ for true peace No wonder then that Papists have not true peace but professedly say that every man must doubt and no man can be sure of his salvation They must needs doubt indeed who trust to their own works which can never bring true peace The conscience must ever be quarrelling and finding of fault and be without peace if we trust to the best works So that this is the first answer All true peace dependeth upon justification by faith in Christ as the principall cause Secondly We answer That our peace dependeth upon our obedience in this sort that we can have no peace except we be given to obedience Those men that can sinne and yet be at peace were never justified in their lives A child of God when he sinneth as for example if he should be tempted to lie or to omit a good dutie which he knoweth he is bound to perform yet this would much trouble his conscience his soul would be ashamed his heart perplexed he would not know how to look the Lord in the face I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men When David had sinned against God I am troubled saith he and I go mourning all the day long And therefore peace of conscience doth depend thus farre on obedience as that a man cannot have peace unlesse he be obedient and take heed of sinne and labour in all things to be upright before God Now if you ask me But how doth our peace depend upon our obedience I answer It dependeth upon obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which would hinder our peace Sinne would interrupt our peace now obedience removeth sinne To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1. John 3.18 19. My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth For hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God Hereby we shall assure our consciences that we are in him if we take heed of hypocrisie If we love in truth and be obedient in truth we shall thereby remove all our doubts and our fears our troubles and perplexities of conscience So that peace doth depend on obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which otherwise would hinder peace This is the first Again our peace of conscience dependeth upon our obedience as the witnessing cause of it Obedience is one of the witnesses of true peace it witnesseth that we have peace with God This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie we have had our conversation in the world See here it is the witnessing cause of it Paul had peace of conscience his conscience was able to make him rejoyce How Because it gave testimony that his conversation was godly and simple and gracious Though we be in Christ yet we can have no peace unlesse holy obedience doth witnesse the same Obedience is not the cause of the peace of our consciences before God but it is the cause of our perceiving the same We know we have peace by reason of our obedience We know that every one that doeth righteousnesse is born of God We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Mark we come to know it by obedience and by the fruits of obedience Take away obedience we can never know peace They that walk by this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God saith the Apostle Thirdly our peace of conscience dependeth on our obedience as the confirming cause Christ confirmeth our peace to us by making us walk close to him and obedient unto him Paul sheweth how it preserveth peace as a shoe preserveth the foot ye know if we should walk without shoes barefoot our feet would be in danger of pricking and hurting So doth obedience to the Gospel preserve our peace Stand saith the Apostle having your feet shod with the preparation
humble God will teach Pride and self-conceitednesse blindeth exceedingly 3. We must seek with sobriety alwayes contenting our selves with that knowledge which is most necessary and not be curious about vain and idle-brained questions or solicitous to answer every objection that shall be raised up against the truth A lover of the truth should not be ready to entertain all objections against it and never be settled till he can answer all that can be cast in which will be never It is not expected that there should be in every man such a ripenesse of judgement and such a measure of illumination as that he should be able to dispute with the most learned or answer every objection that can be raised But we must with that good Martyr say Though I cannot dispute for Christ I can die for him We must be content with our measure to be wise unto sobriety III. Those godly souls that have weak consciences must use them very gently Scrupulosi non sunt rigidè tractandi Those that are scrupulous are not to be handled rigidly When a mote is in the eye it is not boistrously to be dealt withall that will make it worse The eye is a tender part and so is the conscience Again we must take heed of offending weak consciences It may be thou knovvest thine ovvn liberty that thou mayst do this or that but thy brother is vveak and he doth not knovv it to be lavvfull O take heed of giving offense Consider the Apostles vvords 1. Cor. 8.12 When ye sinne against your brethren and wound their weak consciences ye sinne against Christ Consider also the practice of the Apostle and the resolution that he had If meat offend my brother I will eat no flesh while the world standeth vers 13. It is a grievous offense to offend the conscience of the vveak and therefore bevvare of it They are very unchristian speeches I know mine own liberty If others be offended what care I Why should I prejudice my self for them It is true another mans conscience cannot abbridge me of my liberty but yet I in charity ought to suspend the act of my liberty vvhen I knovv the using it vvill give offense to the vveak IV. To admonish our selves if conscience be so tender a thing to be carefull that we offend not our own consciences Conscience is quickly offended but it is not so soon pacified Every notorious step into evil or neglect in duty offendeth conscience and conscience will keep a grudge a long time and vvill give many a secret wound deading the heart to duty making faith and confidence in God dull we cannot pray with courage nor come before God with boldnesse If our hearts condemne us not we have confidence saith John An erroneous conscience will defile you a doubting conscience distract you a scrupulous conscience unsettle you but above all other an illightened conscience if it have any thing against you will exceedingly disable you this stabbeth at the heart your confidence towards God Go then and labour to purge conscience else conscience will hinder you whether you pray or heare or receive the Sacrament c. it will deprive you of comfort If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar first go and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift The case is greater and more dangerous when conscience hath something against us there is no offering will be accepted untill conscience be satisfied If thou shouldst be about to pray and conscience should stand up against thee as an adversary and tell thee thou hast been vain and loose and carnall all this day thou hast not set thy self to keep close to God this day thou hast fallen into this and that sinne this day thou art not fit to pray till thou hast reconciled thy self to conscience Alas thy conscience will secretly undermine all thy praying First therefore reconcile conscience by humbling thy self and breaking thy heart and resolving I have sinned I will do no more When conscience can say thy sorrow and repentance and resolution for new obedience is sincere then thou art fit to pray but not before So whatever other duty thou goest about be sure to reconcile conscience else all will miscarry V. A faithfull conscience THus I have expounded the adjuncts of conscience which shew themselves in the discharge of its duty namely such as respect consciences ability to the doing of it Which as ye have heard are foure 1. an illightened conscience 2. an erroneous conscience 3. a doubting conscience 4. a scrupulous conscience Now followeth those which do accompany it in the doing of its duty And they are two 1. a faithfull conscience 2. an unfaithfull conscience A faithfull conscience is that which doth alwayes advise and counsel aright when need is This is a very rare conscience It is rare to find a conscience every way faithfull For to say the truth conscience is alwayes faithfull in it self for it knoweth not how to deal deceitfully with any man but yet I may say as Solomon A faithfull man who can find so A faithfull conscience who can find It is a very rare thing Not for any deceit that is in conscience it self but because men commonly would have it unfaithfull therefore a conscience that will not let men make it unfaithfull though they would such a conscience I call a faithfull conscience and I say it is rare But such a conscience there is and it hath three properties 1. It is watchfull 2. It is rigid and severe 3. It is importunate 1. A faithfull conscience is watchfull alwayes awake to apprehend every opportunity of doing and receiving good or resisting evil As when there is an opportunity to pray to heare to shew mercie a faithfull conscience will remember us of it and put us upon it as also when there is any opportunity of quickning and edifying our selves or others It was a watchfull conscience that made David say I will never forget thy precepts that is I will never omit any opportunity to remember them to do them It was a watchfull conscience that made Paul say I became all things to all men that by all means I might save some that is by taking all opportunities and advantages to do good It was a watchfull conscience that made Peter say I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things that is I will neglect no opportunity Again a watchfull conscience taketh notice of every motion and inclination to evil it is awake to see when evil is conceived to tell us of it to oppose it and to disswade us from it like a watchman on the top of a tower alwayes awake to see when any danger approcheth It is Gods minister with eyes on every side to espie seasons of good and stirre up to make use of