the body and this life they have but there is the life of the Soul and that life they have not We hear of many children born dead its true in this sence all men are born dead men there is not a man born a member of the new Adam but every man is born a member of the old Adam and therefore in a spiritual sence they must needs be born dead men though otherwise endued with a natural life For if the root be dead as the old Adam is all the branches that rise from that root must needs be dead also In Adam all dyed saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 22. v. Adam was the common root of Mankind all Mankind was in him Tamquam in radice as so many Branches in the root and so consequently Adam dying all Mankind dye in him and with him and in this dead condition they all do remain until they do injoy an interest in and union with Jesus Christ the last Adam who was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. v. he being the fountain and author both of a spiritual and eternal life to all Believers And therefore saith St. John John 5. 12. v. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life And the Apostle St. Paul calleth him Our life because none live the life of Grace but those who partake of Jesus Christ it is he in whom and by whom they do live Col. 3. 4. v. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Hence saith Wisdom that is Christ Pro. 8. 35. v. Who so findeth me findeth life Not a Soul wanting Jesus Christ but he wanteth life and also in him there dweleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. v. Neither faith nor any other saving grace dwelleth in such a one but he is as full of all kind of evil as Baal's house of Idolatry as the Sluggard's field of thorns and bryars or as Pharisees sepulchers of dead mens bones such a man's Soul is a very sink of uncleanness and naughtiness â—ut as when a man is made a partaker of Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. v. So he is also a Good Man bad things are passed away and all things are become good he is become a good man and hath his heart filled with the good treasure of saving Grace Such another as Joseph of Arimathea who was a good man and a just Luke 23. 50. v. Such another as Banabas was a Good man and full of the Holy Ghost Act. 11. 24. v. When Christ came into the Temple John 2. 5. v. he purged his Father's house he overturned the money â—ables he drove out the buyers and sellers So when Christ cometh into any man and taketh up his holy habitation in the heart he throws down every sin he drives out every â—orruption and carnal lust he purges out every evil thing and maketh the heart good The heart of man by nature is a very den of Thieves a pallace of Pride a slaughter-house of Malice a brothel-house of uncleanness a raging sea of Sin a little hell of black and blaspâ—emous Imaginations and â—warming with all manner of noysom lusts but the Lord Jesus Christ rids the heart hereof and makes it holy Himself is called that holy thing Luk. 1. 35. v. Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy thing it is put in the Neuter gender Emphatically shewing that he hath not the least spot of sin in him but is every way holy typified therein by the high Priest under the Law who had this written upon him Holyness to the Lord but Jesus Christ is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy but he is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that sanctifieth and maketh us holy by his blood cleansing us from all filthy abominations 4. The fourth Instance is that of the Spirit who is called the Spirit of Grace and is of the same essence and consubstantial with the Father and the Son and in all respects co-equal and co-eternal called therefore the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God The holy Ghost in Scripture is expresly called God Act. 5. 3 4 v. Peter reproving Ananias for lying to the holy Ghost saith Thou hast not lyed unto Man but unto God And St. Paul proves that our bodies are the Temple of the living God 2 Cor. 6. 16. v. Because of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 6. 19. v. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you He that in one place is called the holy Ghost in the other place is called the living God And whosoever will be saved is taught in St. Athanasius his Creed to believe thus That the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost is all one the â—lory equal the Majesty co-eternal Anâ— again Such as the Father is such is the Son and such is the holy Ghost And again The Father Eternal the Son Eternal and the holy Ghost Eternal And yet they are not three Eternals but one Eternal And Eternally blessed is that man who hath gotten this Eternal spirit of the living God into his heart for wheresoever the spirit of God comes it is not idle We read Matth. 8. 7. v. how Christ saith to the Centurion When I come I will heal thy servant I will not meerly come to see him and visit him but when I come I will heal him So when the holy Ghost doth come into a man he will not be idle and do nothing but he will heal the Soul sanctify the heart and purge corrupted nature in some measure Holyness is the natural product of the spirit by its powerful influence and breathings it raises poor dead Souls out of the grave of sin frames them unto a spiritual and divine conformity unto Christ subdues the rebellion of evil hearts and makes the sinner to become another man by a spiritual Metamorphosis This is that work which is ascribed to the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1 2 v. Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Here is held forth the concurrence of the whole Trinity in the salvation of man The Father electing us the holy Ghost sanctiâ—ying us Jesus Christ shedding his blood for us Hence it is that our Saviour calleth it the holy Spirit Luk. 11. 13. v. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Sanctus dicitur quia sanctificat He calleth him the holy
in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. v. With which agrees that of the Heathen Cicero Conscientia bene actae vitae multorumque benefactorum recordatio jucundissima est A good Conscience is that will suggar all our tears sweeten all our bitterness comfort a man in chains prisons and persecutions Now this good conscience is the consequent of Grace onely the regenerate have it every wicked man hath a bad defiled and polluted conscience Titus 1. 15. Even their mind and conscience is defiled that is by Original Sin which yet in the regenerated and gracious ones are purged cleansed and made good by the blood of Christ Heb. 9. 14. The Apostle there teacheth us That it is the blood of Christ which purgeth the conscience and verily the effect of Christ's blood cannot but be a gracious effect And verily it is a singular blessing to have such a conscience that is purged by the blood of Christ No such a bridle in the woâ—ld to keep a man from sin nor such a spurr to put a man forward to do what is good and no such a comfort or cordial under any outward troubles or afflictions Take a man without this good Conscience and what wickedness will he not commit what evil will he not run into such a man dates speak any thing in any business or of any person he will not scruple to curse lye and swear in any business nor yet to slander calumniate or speak eâ—il of any person if by the former he may but fill his purse with gain or by the other satisfie himself with revenge Tolle conscientiam tolle omnia Take away conscience and take away all said the Heathen take away all restraints to evil For gain-sake such will not stick to hazard their souls As it is reported of Nevessan a better Lawyer than an honest man that he should say He that will not venture his body shall never be valiant and he that will not venture his Soul will never be rich And for revenge sake will not be backward to let the Devil into their hearts So take a man of a good conscience and what a spurr does he find it to Duty when a man makes conscience of discharging those duties that God requires prays hears and reads out of conscience he then goes on cheerfully in his work puts to all his strength and dares not cast off the performance of that which God calls upon him to perform a man of a good conscieence exercising himself to be void of offence towards God he will not nay he dares not willfully and resolutely omit any known duty or part of God's worship for which he hath clear warrant for in the Scriptures and so exercising himself to be void of offence towards man he will not nay he dares not willfully and resolvedly omit any part of that duty he owes to Man and as he would not for a world wrong God of his due no more to gain the world will he wrong man of his due And no such a comfort and cordial in times of troubles and afflictions as a good Conscience It is that which the Preacher saith of Money Eccles 10. 19. Money answereth all things What ever it is that a man desireth if it be to be got Money will procure it for him Money is the Monarch of the world and therein bears most Mastery Of Antipater it is said He was a well moneyed man and therefore a very mighty man We may truly say the same of a good conscience A good Conscience answereth all things What winds can arise to trouble a Christian which a good conscience cannot alay A good conscience will turn the waters of Marah into Wine I wonder not that St. Paul could sing when he was in prison and had his feet in the Stocks Act. 16. 24 25 v. When he was one that could truly say it I have lived in all good conscience to this day Act. 23. 1. Premat Corpus fremat Diabolus turbat Mundus ille semper securus Let Men the World and the Divels do their worst they can never hurt him that hath a good Conscience Though a Christian meet with a storm abroad yet a good conscience makes a calm within It makes a Christian like Noah medijs tranquillus in undis quiet in the middest of greatest cumbustions It will bear out a Christian against the King of terrors it will help a Christian to look Death in the face with boldness I have read of one who a little before his departure out of the world spake these words My friends I now find it true indeed he that leaveth all to follow Christ shall have in this world Centuplum a hundred fold I have I have I have that Centuplum peace of Conscience with me at parting A man of a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly as the Apostle St. Paul says of himself Heb. 13. 18. v. We trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Such a one he liveth and dyeth in peace Peter in the prison sleeps sweetly though laden with chains and for ought he knew to dye the next day A good conscience is a continual feast it hath the sweetest relish but most of all does the sweet relish of a good conscience refresh a dying Christian It was Hezekiah his great comfort in his sickness and apprehentions of death 2 King 20. 3. v. I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight A good Conscience will stand us in stead at the day of Judgment when the whole world shall be burnt before us when the day of God's wrath against wicked and impenitent sinners shall be come A good conscience will make a man hold up his head in Judgment when a world of wicked ones shall be confounded How should what hath been said cause us to labor for these Eternal good things viz. Grace God who is the God of all Grace Jesus Christ who is the author and giver of Grace the blessed spirit of God that is the spirit of grace and a good Conscience that is the Consequent of Grace since hereby we are made good here being made good here we may be assure to be happy hereafter One being asked whether he would rather be Socrates or Craesus the one an industrious and laborious Philosopher the other a man flowing in all abundance answered That for this life he would be Craesus but for the life to come Socrates thereby shewing that in this life rich men are accounted happy men but hereafter none but good men will be found to be the happy men none but they who are made good here shall be happy hereafter 2. I have done with the first of the two particulars propounded to shew that Eternal good things are the best of good things viz. Because only Eternal good things make those who injoy them good The second follows because only Eternal good things will do
conscience follow him and when he hopes to stand rectus in Curia upright in Judgment he shall Conscience witnessing against him be condemned Goes he down to Hell the place of torments yet thither also will Conscience follow him there it will lodg in his bosom and be a Chest-worm that will never leave gnawing What else is that worm our Saviour speaks of when he says Mark 9. 44. v. Where speaking of Hell their worm dyeth not but Conscience The Poets have a fiction concerning 〈◊〉 a Gyant mentioned by Ovid in the fourth book of his Metamorphosis that Jupiter striking him dead for his attempting to ravish Latona the Mother of Apollo and Diana he was sent to Hell where he was adjudged to have a Vâ—lture to feed upon his Liver that ever grew again with the Moon Conscience is like Tâ—â—yâ—â— his vulture and is ever a gnawing upon wicked mens inwards many times in the ruffe of all their jollity here and in another World for ever hereafter In Hell also Conscience is that fire that never goes out Mark 9. 44. v. No length of time can wear out Conscience in this life and no space of Eternity can wear it out in another life It was conscience that made Joseph's Brethren to remember the cruel usage of him twenty years after in Egypt Conscience Janus-like hath its double aspect it is not content to glance only at what is to come but it also looks back to what is past it brings to remembrance every one of the sinners violations of God's Laws I remember my fault this day said Pharoah's Butler Gen. 41. 9. v. his conscience brought it to his memory when as he had forgotten it And so does the Conscience of many a man many years after that they have done a wickedness their conscience brings it to their memory and perplexes them So it did Nero after he had killed his Mother and Wives So it did Otho after he had slain Galba and Piso So it did Herod the great after he had caused his Wife Mariamne to be put to deatâ— So it did Theodoricus King of the Gothes after he had murthered Symmacus and Boetius his son in Law So it did our Richard the Third after he had murthered his two innocent Nephews And so it did Judg Morgan who gave the sentence of Condemnation against the Lady Jane Gray shortly after he condemned her fell mad and in his raving cryed out continually to have the Lady Jane taken away from him and so ended his life Verily that man who hath an ill conscience especially if God have opened the mouth thereof to check and condemn him as it did those before mentioned what ever his estate may be in an outward respect though he should possess as much as any ever did of these Temporal good things yet is he to use some Similitudes borrowed from a famous Preacher but like him that is worshiped in the street with Cap and Knee but assoon as he stept within doors is cursed and rated by a scolding Wife Or like him that is lodged in a bed of Ivory covered with cloth of Gold but all his bones within are broken Or like a book of Tragedies bound up in Velvet all fair without but all black within the leaves are gold but the lines are blood But what is all the rack the horror and torment of Conscience in this life though it be an hell upon earth to that everlasting and immortal sting of Conscience in Hell when in Hell to all Eternity the sinner must undergo the lashes of conscience Conscience making him for ever to remember his sins committed in this life It is and will be Conscience that will be the sinners remembrancer of his sins against God in another life Though Saul kill himself yet he cannot kill his Conscience Though Judas and Achitophel hang themselves yet they cannot hang their Consciences Though men murder themselâ—es as not being able to bear the checks and rackings of conscience here yet they cannot free themselves from the everlasting gnawings of conscience hereafter As the reasonable Soul of Man is immortal so conscience also is immortal There is not a person upon the face of the Earth that we must always live with upon Earth but with his Conscience a man is always to live with Therefore the Egyptians in their Hieroglyphicks expressed an ill Conscience by a Mill which always grinds the Soul with the remembrance of evil things past When we dye as one observes we must leave all books behind not a book of St. Augustine's St. Basil's or any other no not the Bible that book of books can we carry along with us but the book of Conscience that we must carry with us that will lye open before us for ever that will hiss like a Snake in the bosom of Impenitent ones for ever that will trouble them for evermore that will put them for ever in mind of two tormenting things First that through their sins they are deprived of all the good things of Eternity the which they might with timely labor and pains have obtained Secondly that they are mancipated and bound to everlasting torments which by labouring for Eternal good things whiles they lived they might have avoided And from hence will be engendered a two-fold grief which with extream bitterness will gnaw and bite like a worm the hearts of those miserable ones for ever These things being first considered we may easily find out who is the good man and also who will be the Eternally happy man The good man is the man of a good Conscience the man that endeavoreth to keep a good conscience without which no man truly believeth 1 Tim. 1. 19. v. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack It is a note that one hath upon these words A good conscience is as it were a Chest wherein the doctrine of Faith is to be kept safe which will quickly be lost if this Chest be once broken For God will give over to errors and heresies such as cast away conscience of walking after God's word Such a good man as we now speak of was St. Paul Act. 24. 16. v. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man Well may he pass for a good man amongst all men that endeavors neither to offend God nor Man And that can when calumniated take up St. Paul his protestation Act. 23. 1. v. I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day as if he had said however I am calumniated and by some accused of profanation yet I can appeal to God that I have lived in all good conscience And this makes me merry at heart when otherwise their calumnies would sadden my heart For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation
be our Judg he that redeemed regenerated sanctified and justified us is to be our Judg he that hath loved us he that hath interceded for us with the Father he that hath united us to himself and hath made us one with himself is to be our Judg. And will not Jesus Christ now stand his people in good stead see Rom. 8. 1. v. Such shall never be judged to condemnation For there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit they shall then hear no other proclamations but of blessings peace and glory no other sentence but of absolution Christ hath verily told us John 5. 24. v. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 3. 36. v. He that believeth in the Son hath Eternal life Hath Eternal life how 1. In promissis in promises thereof 1 Joh. 5. 25. v. And this is the promise that he hath promised us Eternal life 2. In principijs in the beginnings of it Eternal life is begâ—n here John 17. 3. v. And this is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This is life Eternal that is T is the beginning of life Eternal the full injoyment of which life is hereafter to be had 3. In primitijs in the earnests first fruits and handsel of it in those clusters of grapes and bunches of figgs those graces of Christ's spirit they are called by Saint Paul Rom. 8. 23. v. The first fruits of the Spirit 4. In capite Christ as a believer's head already injoys it and so a believer hath it in a begun possession Upon Earth Christ was his surety to answer the penalty of his sin and in Heaven he is now his advocate to take seisin and possession of Eternal life So that Jesus Christ then will not sentence them to Eternal death who are so many ways interested in Eternal life he will not cast any of his members nor any branches growing in him into Eternal fire none of these shall be made everlasting fuel for Eternal flames But yet this should not incourage any one in the way of Licentious living no the thoughts of the day of Judgment should call upon every one to keep a good Conscience and to walk unblamably all the days of their lives both before God and Man This is a duty that St. Paul lays down from this doctrine of the day of Judgment Act. 24. 15 16. v. First the Apostle lays down the Doctrine of Christ's coming to Judgment That there shall be a Resurrection both of the Dead both of the just of the unjust as if he had said All men shall appear at Christ's Tribunal in the last day And what follows Herein do I exercise my self to keep a good Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards Man The thoughts of this that the just must arise and be judged by Jesus Christ as well as the unjust this was an inducement upon St. Paul's heart that he should labor to keep his Conscience void of all offence both towards God and Men. Unto this of St. Paul let me add another place out of St. Peter The Apostle having shewed That the day of the Lord will come as a theif in the night in the which the Heavens will pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt 2 Pet. 3. 10. v. addeth in the 11. v. Seeing you look for such things as these and that all these things shall be dissolved What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and Godlyness The Apostle here would infer from Christ's appearing in Judgment and the dissolution of the Heavens and all things at the last day That they should be â—areful to spend their days in all manner of Piety and to keep their Consciences free from Sin St. Augustine tells of himself that as long as his Conscience was gnawed with the guilt of some youthful lust he was once insnared with the very hearing of the day of Judgment was even an Hell to him Conscience will then go with men to Judgment but they who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience will hold up their heads in judgment and not fear when the rest of the world shall be full of fear nay when the whole world shall be in an aproar and shall see the Earth flaming the Heavens melting the Judg arrayed with Majesty and attended with all his holy Angels sitting on his Throne of Glory like the fiery flame Dan. 7. 9. v. and all souls fetched from Heaven and Hell to be re-united to their bodies when dreadful souls must leave their place of terror and once more to be re-united to their stinking Carions to receive a greater condemnation and blessed souls now in their place of happiness once more to be re-united to their then refined and glorified bodys to receive Eternal glorification Happy we if here we find our souls changed by Grace in Covenant with God united to Christ and do exercise our selves to have always a good Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man Then may I say as St. John does 1 John 3. 2. Now we are the sons of God but it doth not appear yet what we shall be but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Read those words of the same Apostle in the former Chapter 1 Joh. 2. 28. v. And now little children abide in him In Christ your dear and ever blessed Saviour that when he shall appear in Judgment ye may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Fear thou not O Christian who hast labored for and possessed thy self of Eternal good things which are the Best of good things such things that will make thee good and do thee good when all Temporal good things will do thee no good But go thou thy way until the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the days Dan 12. 13. v. Go on in the way and course of thy life that yet remaineth be contented whatever condition thou beest cast into prepare for thâ— end of thy life so that thou mayst end it comfortably and go to thy g 〈…〉 e in peace and stand up at the general r 〈…〉 ecâ—ion of the Dead when Christ shall come to Juâ—gment in thy lot of Coelestial Inheritances and heavenly glory prepared and allotted to thee and all laborious Christians at the end of the world for the days of Eternity For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the Dead in Christ