and each man his owne next For the first we will out of manie cull but two reasons Reas 1. Giue the conscience content and rest and it will pay thee a hundred fold and proue to thee next to God its Master the greatest friend in the world .i. the trucst friend whereas others are sometimes too short in reproofes sometime in comforts mutter and will not speake out but thinke more than they le say and say more to others than to thy face this friend Conscience if thou deale friendly with it will deale friendly with thee This will round thee in the eare and say This is well howeuer it be taken therfore be not discouraged this is naught howeuer applauded or painted it is stark staring naught pride hypocrisie c. therefore amend Ah brethren as no friend lyes so neere vs and can sound vs so well as couscience so none will deale so plainely with vs if we doe not offend it 2. Conscience is the fastest friend in the world Others goe and come and stand afarre off now at hand now I know not where but conscience is no starter its neuer from our fides out of our bosomes in rides with vs it sits with vs it lyes with vs it sleeps it wakes with vs as it can say much from God and of vs so it will if not offended 3 The sweetest friend in the world A good cheerfull heart saith Solomon is a continuall feast Oh then a satisfied and pacified conscience what is that what ioyes be those which will carrie a man out of the earth and make him say Though I haue wife children friends wealth house health ease honour c. after my owne heart yet these are nothing to my contentments within What ioies those that will make one sing vnder the Whippe at the Stake in the Flames a Oh Conscience thou hast a speciall gift in comforting that canst make the patient laugh when the spectators weepe and carrie fraile flesh singing and reioycing through a world of bonds rods swords racks wheeles flames strappado's these ioyes be strong vnspeakcable indeed this peace passing mans vnderstanding c. Phil. 4. 4 The surest friend in the world Other friends loue not to come to a sicke mans bedde side or if so they cannot abide to heare his grones to see a dead man at the most they can but follow one to the graue but Conscience will make ones bed in sicknesse and cause him to lye the softer will stand by him when he groanes and doe him comfort will hearten him vpon death when its comming and say Thy Redeemer lineth will whisper to him when departing and say Thy warfare is accomplished will lodge the bodre in graue as in a bed manne the soule to heauen and make him able to looke God in the face without any terrour So fast a friend is this that when riches husband parents friends breath life nay patience hope faith haue left vs in some measure this will not leaue vs. And would not such a friend a friend so true firme kinde sure be much made of shall such a one be offended Reas 2. The conscience offended becomes the sorest enemie The greatest friends are bitterest foes when once diuided no wars to ciuill to domesticall warres The neerer the worse and the conscience is neerest and therefore if an enemy the heauiest For this enemy is 1. vhauoydable Others may be kept off with strength or put off with skill but so will not conscience no barres no bolts no bulwarkes can keepe that from thy table thy bed Dan. 5.5 Belshazzer may sooner keepe out ten thousand Medes than one conscience That will passe through all his Officers to his Presence and in the face of his Nobles and Concubines arrelt him and shake him in despight of his securitie Nor will this watchfull Officer be bobd with a bundle of distinctions and cuasions When God sets it on worke it marcheth furiously like Iohn and will take thee vp with his answer What peace so long as thy whoredom and sins remain As ther 's no respondens like conscience so no obiector like to that A man may make a shift with a wrangling Sophister with the Diuell himselfe better than with his conscience For no Diuell knowes that by me which I doe by my selfe And the conscience shall haue hearing when the Dinel shall not for conscience is the Kings Sollicitor and speakes for the great King 2. This enemie is vnsufferable it strips vs at one stroke of all other comfort A sicke stomack makes one wearie of his bed chaire chamber house meats drinks yea that meate that before much pleased now encreaseth his sicknesse So doth a sicke conscience it takes away the rellish of all naturall comforts of all spirituall exercises and ordinances and makes one a burthen and terrour to himselfe 2. it fils one full of horrours and vnhappinesse A wounded spirit who can beare the Stone Goute Strangury who can beare Yes c. But when the pillars are shaken that which should beare vp all is wounded when the heauen's fight against a man and a poure creature must wrestle with infinite instice power c. oh how hard is this The wrath of a King is terrible the rage of Seas of Fires of Lyons but still here is creature against creature weake to weake but who knowes the power of Gods anger Psul 90 Who can stand before that consuming fire not Men not Mountaines not Angels The terrours of God and anguish of spirit casts the Diuell himselfe into a frenzic and makes him mad nay a wounded spirit made the Heire of all things vtter his griefes in these sad termes My God my God c. That which a thousand mockes tenne thousand prisons and persecutions could not haue done this one alone when nothing else ailed him was able to effect and therefore good reason haue we to guard this part and to giue our spirits no occasion of griefe And for the first these Reasons shall serue the turne Now touching the second Euery man must keepe his own vine and please his owne conscience Why Hold still whilest I poure in these Reasons because I am in haste 1. T is fit that euery one should be beft seene in his owne Booke and t is a thousand pities that in this bookth age this Book of Conscience is least studied 2. This is a meare-stone that diuides the Christian and the Hypocrite The Hypocrites knowledge runnes outward and fromward the Christians lookes inward and reflects vpon is salfe the ones is science the others conscience the one leues to be doing with other mens consciences the other with his owne 3. Here 's the triall of a mans wisdome He that 's wise saith Solomon will be wise for himself and The righteous hath care of his owne soule 4. This watching at home keepes out pride iudging in businesses abroad makes one quiet with others tame in himselfe low and base before God in his owne eyes But wee
must away 5. He will bee a sorry Physician to others that hath neuer practised vpon himselfe in this kinde c. Vse 1. Here 's matter of complaint and chiding I told you at first that weare of Pauls Faith not of his Life T is true in this sense Paul professed the truth of Christ so doe we hee called vpon Gods Name so we he gaue assent to the Word written so we hee apprehended a life to come and resurrection so wee But now Paul dwels non in protestations and speculations but hee comes to practicew to conscianee here we leaue him In this age consciecce is vsed as loue is We spend all in words and send it away in complements we keep none our sehues we haue our exercises now but they are exercises of bodie of estate of wit of memorie of learning they hee not exercises of conscience No sooner can you name the thing before some kinde of Scholers but they are presently disputing What think your Is conscience an act an babit or a facultie or the whole soule with its eyes inward or what is it They spend the time in defining it rather than in resining and reforming of it Here of comes it that when they are sent for to a sicke patient reat they be as farre to seeke as that Physician who hath read much but practised nothing and for the many once mention conscience and they will quickly put you by with a rude Prouerb That conscience was hanged a great while agoe Thus the terme is now growne odious the thing it selfe a meere stranger Certainely t is few mens exercise to study conscience their owne conscience Indeede Flyes are busie about others sores so is the world about others consciences Euery one now is a master nay one man is many masters law 3.1 He will sit and keepe Court in the conscience of a thousand Lord it ouer his brethren his betters iudging all callings all professions all consciences but his owne I will dot spend breath vpon such as barke at all good because they would haue none in the world I wish that all the paines of some Professors were not speat in this euen in rifling others consciences rather than their owne Religion religion is something else than a iudging of other men After meare the heate should repayne homeward not flye as farre off from the heart and stomacke as the body will beare it and when we haue heard a Sermon of conscience we should recoyle vpon our selues with What haue I done or What shall I doe not looke vpon another and carue all to him much lesse flye vpon them who stand as farre off vs as the King hath land Oh men vnwise who are more troubled with others diseases than their owne and more desirous of peace in their neighbours houses than at home Well Paul would haue beene sorry to see his neighbour suffer shipwracke but yet hee is most chary of his owne vessell lest that should dash and receine some bruise by no meanes would he haue his conscience offended But out vpon such Christians as this age brings forth feare of man hope of gain loue of honour of case of fauour will make them run ouer their conscience and all Gods mounds Rather than the man will endure the frownes of his Master the wise of her husband the tenant of his Landlord hee will lye cousin sweare runne ride doe anie thing on the Sabbath nay for one pound shilling groat penny you may hyre a man to gash his conscience so little care haue men of giuing it offence But how farre stretches Pauls care To all cases to all persons To all To all certainly at all times first towards God secondly towards man Towards God Marke this all yee Ciuilians that cry out as Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. of disorder so yee of Conscience What conscience what conscience when you are worst your selues A good conscience must begin with God you neyther begin nor end there A mecre carnall ciuill man is all for man nothing for God he payes men their owne liues quietly and fairely to the world-ward and therefore thinks himselfe a man of conscience But what conscience is in this to deale wel with the subiect and not with the Prince What conscience in breaking the first article of agreement betweene God and man which is to know him What conscience to dwell in Gods house and pay him no rent to enter into bonds and neuer thinke of payment to smite God with oathes for mans oft fences to steale away time from God when hee hath giuen vs much Shew mee a meere carnall ciuill man that makes conscience of the first second third or fourth Commandement of gerting knowledge of setting vp God in his house of forbearing an oath of keeping the Sabbath c. Verily where there is no God there can be no confidence And such a man is without God in the world For the second Pauls conscience reacht to men also Let all Professors as they wil be called note this A good conscience begins with God but ends in Man A conscionable man as he must be a professor hearer louer of the Word a keeper of the Sabbath a zealous obseruer of the first Table so must he be a peaceable iust sober free kinde honest man and deale squarely with all men Thus it should be But O times O manners now Profession is become loathsome and to say the truth the behauiour of many is such that it would make an vnsettled man call into question all Profession all Religion all Conscience almost We talke of Conscience but where is it who makes conscience of his words who of his bargaines who of his place or promise Euery man cries out of other but who discharges his owne part Wee haue a saying in Gods Book He that prouides not for his kindred is worse than an Infidell What cares the rich if his poore kinsman starue We haue a precept Husbands loue your wiues What conscience is made of this We haue a commandement Speak not euill of the ruler Wee haue a charge Doe good against euill A charge Toyle not to bee rich Defraud not Whisper not c. A command Be rich in good workes Fashion not your selues to the world What shall 's say to these things Is there a conscience at all Any ceraintie in the Word at all Any heauen any hell What doe we mean thus to slubber ouer matters If we belecue nothing meane nothing in good earnest why doe wee dissemble why forbeare wee any thing If we be in earnest in one comandement why not in all If in one thing why not in euery thing as Paul was He was still like himselfe at all times in all cases We haue our reserued cases One wil be a Christian and a man of conscience but hee hath his infirmitie hee doth nor loue his wife Another will be your hearer but hee must liue by his trade A third will be your conuert so you will helpe him to
aboue ten in the hundred the iust rate he likes not it sounds like Vsurie but as much aboue as you can with a good conscience A fourth will gine somthing to a Preacher vpon condition he may bear the Preachers purse and bee his Farmor A fifth will ride with you from morning to night so hee may hold his finger still in other mens sores Away Hypocrites away make no mote profession talke no more of it till you meane to be honester men either shew vs Pauls conscience or none If you cannot reach this here yet you must that there Heb. 13.18 Defire to liue c. else there is no truth in you no comfort for you no heed to betaken of you downe you will when a little prest like a hollow wall 2. All ye of Pauls Profession vse this exercise cease from others beginne with your selues trauell not so much for good houses good liuings good faces good heads as for good consciences seeke not so much the fauour of the world the countenance of Princes as of your owne conscience Here studie here sweat here labour to be throughout blamelesse Oh the peace of a quiet and well pleased conscience is great the boldnesse of him that hath it is great he eats well sleepes well dwels well liues well hee is in much safety hee can hold vp his face ioyfully before a world of accusers So is not the vnconscionable Euery bush is a man euery man an enemie euery leafe an executioner A sound of feare is in his eares and the noyse of troubles makes him aske Who can stand before a continuall burning As for libertie that 's lost he must not speak against others lest they stop his mouth he must bee a seruant to euery one of whom hee would borrow a good word For the purpose Say a man be couetous how must hee crouch to euery one for his word how many apologies and excuses must he drop at euery doore wheras a good conscience concludes I haue done my best and now let them say their worst I will weare it as a Crowne Well then sith so many sweet things be bound vp in conscience peace comfort courage libertie esteeme it highly resolue with Paul I had rather dye than lose my reioycing this way Lose it if you will not take vp his exercise and keep it from offence Which that you may doe I will shew you these things 1. What it is to offend the conscience 2. what be the degrees of this offence 3. what the means whereby 4. what the remedies 5. what the letts in the vse of these remedies First to offend the conscience is to trouble the welfare of it The foot is then offended when the health of it is impeached and the exercise of it hindered that either it cannot stir at all or not straightly and with any ease Thinke the same of conscience the health of it stands in three 1. in the clearenesse of it 2. in the goodnesse of it 3. in the liuelinesse and sensiblenesse of it as t is in the eye the clearnesse of it is double 1. oppesed to ignorance and delusion 2. to hypocrisie and falsenesse The goodnesse of it stands in the quietnesse and peace of it And thereto is opposed 1. a troubled conscience and 2. a benummed conscience The tendernesse of the conscience is its quicknesse in apprehending its owne estate and iudging of its owne doings Whereto is opposed 1. a sleepy 2. a dead and seared conscience When any thing is done or left vndone whereby the clearenesse quietnesse or working of the conscience is any way impeached then conscience is offended Secondly the degrees of these offences are diuers as a man may more or lesse wound his foot against a stone V. notes on Pron 18. 1. there is a tempting of the conscience when a man vnresolued of the lawfulnesse of a thing venters vpon it as vpon meat neuer tried before 2. a wounding of the conscience when a man for feare hope c. doth a thing against knowledge 3. a killing of it when he trades in knowne sins of purpose to paue and brawne his conscience 3. The meanes whereby the conscience comes to be offended is double 1. when we are wanting to it 2. when wrongfull to it Wanting when we doe not watch and saue the conscience as we doe the eye from dust 2. When we do not speedily looke to wounds if any If any thing breed in the eye it may soone be lost The conscience is a vessell that must bee washt daily as dimme eyes bee and that by Repentance and Faith 3 When wee doe not establish the heart and conscience A weake childe soone stumbles vnlesse vpheld so conscience This must be vpheld first by grace secondly by conference c. 2 Wrongfull to it 1. when wee hinder the worke of it for euery thing delights in acting its owne operations 2. when we force sinne vpon it against light of nature or grace especially grosse sinnes 4 The remedies 1. Pacifie it not by dawbing c. but by Gods meanes 1. The sinne offending must be reuersed as meate that will not be digested it sticks as an arrow in the flesh that must be pluckt out by repentance and satisfaction 2. Christs bloud applyed the onely salue for a sicke soule 2. When reconciled peace must be maintained Here take these rules 1. do nothing wilfully against conscience 2. nothing doubtingly when resolution may be had 3. nothing blindely for meat vnwittingly taken may after trouble 5 Thus you see directions To the end that you may practise remoue 1. letts which are of two heads 1. want of will 2. want of skill The first arises from three wants 1. of faith as if the course were vnprofitable 2. of loue to Gods truth man c. 3 of truth and vprightnesse wee had rather be hypocrites than otherwise c. See all 1. Tim. 1.5 2. Want of skill which arises 1. from want of vnderstanding the Word 2. want of experience 3. want of exercise c. Then sith in this vessell Conscience lyes all our treasure faith life it selfe c. therefore preserue it well get ouer all difficulties helpe faith loue truth c. vse all meanes c. follow Paul till thou canst say with him I desire to keepe a good Conscience 3 Apology for such as stand vpon Conscience These are the worlds fooles but t is no matter they are Gods iewels and delight and when they stand as Paul before the iudgement feat of man nay of God they shall finde a good conscience a better brest-plate and buckler than a world of wealth Onely be sure of this 1. that tis conscience There be two things in the world that look a little like it but are not conscience 1. Custome which breedes in blinde men Popish persons and most vnregenerate men who haue had good breeding a kinde of trouble and regret which is no more conscience than the aking of the stomacke when it wants its set meales 2. Preiudice and conceit when a man vpon some presumptions and probabilities hath pitcht vpon a conclusion eyther for or against a thing and will not be remoued True Conscience differs from both these For first that knowes it ground secondly that ground is some Scripture which because it may bee haply mistaken therefore conscience is euer teachable as willing to heare as to speake to lay downe as to take vp an opinion Not so the other they are violent if opposed and euery man that thinks not as they thinke wants iudgement or truth or both 2. This conscience must bee cleere towards God and man and haue both it eyes What hath the hypocrite to doe with conscience A man of conscience must and vsually will be suteable and throughout orderly though I doubt not but that there is a partiall hypocrisie as well as ignorance in some men at all times and in all men euen in Saints at some times 3. It must be our owne conscience as Paul here speaks and fourthly to make an end a good conscience must bee qualified as is heauenly wisedome for this is a great part of it How is that St. Iames shewes it chap. 3.17 1. pure in it selfe 2. peace towards others and it selfe 3. moderate and not exacting extremities 4. teachable and easie to be perswaded 5. pitifull and helpefull euery way And as it must haue these excellencies so must it bee voyde of partialitie in causes and persons and of hypocrisie betweene God and it selfe And hee that hath such a conscience or labours for such with Pauls exercises shall hold out his profession and hold vp his face when a thousand others shall blast and wither FINIS