which had beene such strength and power to him as to make his way perfect that is sincere and so capable of deliverance from his insulting enemies God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect David would not appropriate the praise of his upright and innocent conversation to himselfe as if he by his own wisdome strength and goodnesse had made his way perfect and upright he had through experience of the rottennesse of his owne heart and his aptnesse to declare it if God had not beene a speciall strength and aide unto him in his conversation and therefore doth he so humbly and imitably say God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect 2 Sam. 22.33 he inabled me so to walke as to be capable of the accomplishment of his promises of defence against and victory over ungodly men and no wisedome strength or goodnesse of his owne Thus let us humbly doe when we feele our hearts leape within us as rejoyced by the secret testimony of conscience concerning the integrity of our carriage in this or that matter of weight and triall that we were put upon Thou wast my wisedome strength and power O God to guide and enable me to walke uprightly in such and such hazardous matters my heart is deceitfull and full of base feare and if thou hadst not stood up as a mighty God in my weake spirit I had beene over-borne with fleshly feares and selfe-respects to the wounding of my integrity and thy Gospell and glory blessed be thy name that didst enable me to looke over all by ends to thy glory and to acquit my selfe at the time of triall answerable to my upright purpose and resolution 't is of thee to will and to doe good and unto thee I give all the glory This is the good way to have God stand by us still and so mightily to guide us in all our waies that we shall keepe faith and a good conscience to our grave and so consequently our joy which is the life of our lives This was upright Iobs sweet carriage as we may guesse by his language Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soule I would despise my life If I were for holinesse as just men made perfect in glory yet whilst a soule so holy is in a body so diseased I could not take any pleasure in my life Thus to interpret these words is to give us a hint and more that Job was extreamely overgone with impatience under Gods hand which is the worst that can be said upon this place I thinke there may be hinted this unto us if the other be the maine scope that Job saw all the integrity and uprightnesse he had or possibly could be had was from God and that he had no reason to boast and magnifie himselfe what ever his endowments were Lastly if you finde by comfortable experience the truth of my doctrine your sincerity causeth joy and rejoycing in our soules then hang upon God for perseverance in a sincere way that your joy may abide and still more and more increase as the light of the Sunne unto the perfect day You have tasted of the sweetnesse of a sincere way and therefore you should zelously follow God to keepe you on in it as long as breath is in your nostrils that you may never loose your grapes your first-fruits of the holy Land your taste of heaven untill you come to the full fruition of it 'T was Davids prayer often and let it be yours though he were sincere that God would make his heart sound in his statutes There is much rottennesse in the best heart and this will breake forth in a mans life to the dishonour of God and the wounding of his conscience and robbing of his joy if he be not still with David hanging upon God by prayer for more and more uprightnesse and for further and further cleansing of an unsound heart Things that are apt to bend and become crooked we are every foote rectifying and straightning them and labouring to strengthen them so that they may abide straight and so be still fit for use and service You know to what to apply this if I should not tell you to the heart of man Flattery or violence will turne you aside from your sincere walking if you doe not humbly seeke God still with David to make your heart sound in his statutes and to be still with you to uphold your steps in his paths You will ship wracke conscience and all the peace and joy you have by it quickely as Peter did if you grow confident of your owne strength and doe not feare alwaies and depend upon your God for ability to doe every thing uprightly And therefore leane not to your owne understanding as Salomon said to his sonne nor to any parts else you have to steere your conversation if you would maintaine the integrity and uprightnesse of it but renounce all in your selves and begge God to make you runne and not be weary and to deliver you from backsliding in heart and life to make you faithfull to the death and to give you at last the crowne of life This counsell that you may carefully follow thinke on these two or three things The peace and joy of a good conscience is better then the greatest preferment in the world and the losse of it is worse then the losse of thy life in the cruel'st way that man can invent Thou wilt loose a little heaven and create within thy heart a little hell which will last till the marrow of thy bones be consumed and thy moisture turned into the drought of sommer in the day that thou turnest aside from thy sincere course and setst conscience against thee The joy of an acquitting conscience is unspeakable and full of glory and so the sorrow of an accusing condemning conscience is unspeakable and full of terrour 'T is sorrow unspeakeable strong What God said to the woman after she had turned aside from the upright way of the Lord that may I say of all the seed of the woman when once they turn aside from their upright conversation Vnto the woman God said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow Gen. 3.16 Sorrow multiplied is to have sorrow upon sorrow as Paul useth the expression to the Philippians Phil. 2.27 As in child-bearing there is pang upon pang and these returnes of pangs grow still stronger and stronger till the wombe be discharged of her burthen so say I to you in the day that you turne aside from upright walking God will greatly multiply your sorrow you shall have sorrow upon sorrow pang upon pang by an accusing conscience and these pangs shall still be stronger and stronger till you have humbled your soules throughly for your halting and got your consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ The sorrowes which God distributeth to his when they turne aside from sincere walking they are sorrowes fetcht from hell and those sorrowes of all
likewise shewes that the great designe of the wicked against the godly is frustrate which is to deprive them of all comfort if they could p. 139 140. c. If consciousnesse to our selves of the sincerity of our conversation will lessen and sweeten troubles consciousnesse of hypocrisie must needs imbitter all troubles p. 142 143 Man that is borne to troubles as the sparks flie upward exhorted to get an upright heart and so an excusing conscience to comfort him in all troubles p. 144 145 What kind of joy 't is that conscience raises in the soule in times of trouble for righteousnesse sake p. 147 148 c. What we should doe if walking sincerely we do not for all this finde our consciences raising sweet joy within us in all our bitter troubles for righteousnesse sake p. 155 What we ought to doe if we doe finde the joy of our sincere course p 156 157 The sweet joy which ariseth to us from conscience testifying our sincerity should cause us to keepe on in our sincere way p. 160 What sorrow 't is which conscience as an accuser for hypocrisie causeth in the soule p. 162 163 c. IV. Proposition That there be speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity which ought to be observed and answerably to declare and shew our selves p. 177 Personall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 181 Personall occasions from the world for the declaration of sincerity p. 181 182 Personall occasions from the flesh for the declaration of sincerity p. 183 Personall occasions for the declaration of sincerity from the Divell p. 185 Domesticall occasions for the declaration of sincerity 186 187 Sociall or symmachicall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 189 190 Nationall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 191 192 The reasons why God in the course of his providence brings about speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 196 I. That the world and the divell may see that Gods people are indeed sincere p. 196 197 II. That God may hereby admirably advance his owne glory p. 199 III. That God may admirably adde to the torture of the divell his children p. 201 IIII. That the joy of the upright may be augmented in this life and in the life to come p. 202 The application of this fourth and last point 203 Men which through wilfulnesse and such as of weaknesse passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity blamed p. 203 204 When men wilfully passe ly speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 204 205 The causes why men wilfully passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 206 Their sin is very great which wilfully shun speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity how this appeares p. 207 208 Such as passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity out of weaknesse are to be blamed of which see 4 sorts p. 209 210 Some ignorant of what is right others of the time when that which is right should be stood for p. 210 211 The dangers which ensue by being ignorant of time or judgement p. 211 212 Some through carnall feare passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 213 What such should doe for the cure of this evill p. 214 Some through carnall perswasion passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity and how this evill may be cured p. 215 216 Some out of carnall pitty passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity and how this evill may be cured p. 216 217 Seeing there be speciall times for the declaration of sincerity we should diligently observe them and how they may be knowne p. 218 219 As we are to take notice of speciall time occasions for the declaration of sincerity so we are to take hold of them and how we may doe this aright p. 221 222 Encitements to take hold of speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 224 God cals for it p. 224 Conscience cals for it p. 227 Church and State cals for it ibid. Soule and body will else severely smart for p 228 2 COR. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly to you-wards NO grace how glorious soever in the eye of man goes for good weight in the eye of God without sincerity The greatest man in the world weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary without this will be accounted too light for Heaven 'T is a very needfull subject then that this Text plainely profers to our consideration And as excellent in it selfe as needfull to us is sincerity 'T is the precious extract of all graces and to call this a grace is too little 'T is that which gives to every grace its due lustre in the eye of God and to call any thing a grace in man without this is too much 'T is the glory of all graces as the Sunne is the glory of all the Starres 't is the vitall blood of the soule which that it may runne in the veines of you all unto your eternall happinesse have I chosen this Text to insist on For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. No condition is trucly joyous without and no condition is truely dolorous with sincerity If a man be never so rich never so honourable yet if not withall sincere there is no true joy in such a man he laughes but in the midst of laughter his heart is oft times sad and his conscience spoiles his sport On the other hand if a man be never so poore never so much oppressed which is the deadliest and the most opposite enemy to joy of all yet if that man be sincere his heart may be as full of joy as it can hold for all this as you may see in these words read For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. Paul and Timothy have beene sincere servants of Jesus Christ for the good of his Church amongst the Gentiles and in this they had transcendant comfort in the midst of all the misery they met withall 'T is not misery but sinne that robs the soule of joy Let a man labour to live sincerely and then let men and divels doe what they can or will such a man shall never be bereaft of joy he shall have joy in poverty joy in disgrace he shall have joy in prison as much as in liberty and much more So had Paul and Timothy which made them thus bravely breake out in the midst of misery For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with
an accuser acquiter and comforter was in Adam before his fall As long as Adam obeyed the commandement of God there was no cause that conscience should accuse him but as soone as he disobeyed Gods commandement conscience flew in his face as appeares by his flying from the face of God Which plainely shewes us this truth that conscience was in Adam before his fall but did not begin to accuse ' til Adam began to sin Secondly conscience say I is a naturall power which the joule of man hath c. Now whether this power be in the understanding onely or partly in the understanding and partly in the will I finde controverted amongst the learned My opinion I here humbly lay downe but I undertake not to state and determine the controversie This power we speak of I conceive to be a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely transcendently seconded by the power of the holy Ghost Saint Iohn confirmes the first that it is a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely where speaking of this power in the soule saith And hereby we doe know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 That is as if Iohn had said We doe view our waies by the word of God which is an act onely of the understanding and finding them to be in some measure levell with that holy rule we have this comfortable reflection backe upon our soules that our faith is not a fancy but a faith which worketh by love and so sincere and saving which reflection is no other as I conceive but an act of the understanding collecting a divine conclusion from divine premises He that keepeth Gods Commandements knoweth God savingly that he may safely conclude but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this I know for I have viewed the Commandements of God and my life by them and therefore I know that is I am assured that I truely and savingly know God which is no other but that power in the soule which we call conscience The Apostle Saint Paul I conceive confirmes the second that it is a reflect act of the understanding transcendently seconded by the holy Ghost where he saith My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 That is my conscience transcendantly seconded and assisted by the holy Ghost doth strongly testifie to my soule that I am full of bowels towards my kinsmen after the flesh and could doe any thing or suffer any thing for their good The order according to which the holy Ghost strikes in with conscience is this The understanding makes a double proposition one grounded in the word of God the other in the heart of man as thus He that keepeth the Commandements of God truely loves God this proposition is grounded in the word of God but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this is grounded in the heart of man And then drawes a conclusion from both therefore I doe truely love God This conclusion whilst holy and drawne from divine premises to wit the word of God and the grace of God in the heart of man the Spirit of God strikes in with the soule in making this conclusion and assists the weake soule so that he concludes thus with strong confidence that he truely loves God and not onely secretly assistes but seconds and saies the same thing to man that his owne spirit doth Then is fulfilled that of the Apostle the Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God If the premisses be corrupt which the understanding makes for the minde makes propositions suitable to the light that is in it from which to argue the goodnesse or badnesse of man then the Divell that lying spirit strikes in and seconds the soule in that corrupt conclusion which he collects from corrupt principles concerning himselfe So that now the deluded soule is peremptory and wiser then ten men that give a reason in these is fulfilled that of the Apostle Their minds and consciences being defiled Thirdly I affirme conscience to be a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures c. Bruite beasts have no conscience and yet they better serve God in their kind then many of us which have conscience Bruit beasts want reason and therefore are not capable subjects of conscience and yet against reason and against conscience man ofttimes does worse then a beast Fourthly conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to bear witnesse with or against him By the former part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its being in the soule It is a naturall power c. By the latter part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its office in the soule The office of conscience according to the description here given consists in two things First conscience compares a mans waies by some rule Secondly Conscience beares witnesse with or against a man according as a mans waies agree or disagree with that rule First say I conscience compares a mans waies by some rule If the understanding be enlightened with the truth to wit the word of God then conscience compares the waies of man by a perfect rule to wit the word of God But if the understanding be inlightned with naturall and morall principles onely then conscience compares a mans waies according to these principles only and so by an imperfect rule For 't is my judgment with submission to better that conscience in every man followes that light which the understanding holds up unto it This I know that a man may and often doth goe against conscience but conscience goes not against that light which the understanding holds up unto it A man may outwardly say this or that contrary to the light of his understanding but conscience inwardly speakes at the same time according to that light I will further cleare this unto you by an apt example Paul you know zealously persecuted the Church of God and his conscience for ought that I can finde never checkt him but doubtlesse rather acquitted him for it I meane as long as he remained unconverted And the reason I thinke is sufficiently rendred where 't is said that he did it ignorantly That is according to that light which his understanding held up unto him he thought he did God good service in sheading the blood of his Saints which me thinkes makes manifest what I say that conscience still followes the light of the understanding The Apostle Paul persecuted the Church of God and yet obtained mercie because saith the text he did it ignorantly hee did out of conscience as I may say shead the blood of the Saints But now the most men have received the knowledge of the truth therefore if now men persecute the Saints of
he set Felix into a trembling and then saith he to Paul Goe thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will send for thee Act. 24.25 So many will heare conscience whilst he gives testimony with them of this good thing and that which they have done and it may be whilst he tells them of lesser faults but when once he comes to reason throughly with them about their sinnes which are as deare as right eyes and right hands unto them and threatens them home with judgement to come when he tells them of that righteousnesse and temperance which the word commands how much they have neglected it and what they are liable to for it and so sets their soules into a cold shaking sweat then they have enough of conscience and they turne their eares and minds to some other matters and send conscience away till they be better at leisure this is no other but to sleight conscience in his place God will make no other of this but contempt of his prime Court of justice here below and those that sit chiefe there as for him and thou wilt finde no other but a great deale of secret soule mischiefe by this God hath no other Court here below but the heart of man and no Judge in this Court but conscience and conscience being Gods Chiefe-judge wilt thou hearken to him when thou pleasest and when thou pleasest turne the deafe eare to him say what he will Doest thou thinke that God sweares Judges for this lower Circuit which know not Law nor how to speake upon the Bench worth the hearing Doest thou thinke thy selfe too great to be arraigned by God and to answere to such interrogatories as he shall put unto thee As God will make no other but contempt of this so thou wilt finde no other but a great deale of secret soule mischief by this To sleight the voice of conscience is the ready way to bring the soule into security and presumption which are unsensible damning evils When there was no King in Israel nor royall Courts of judicature every man did what was right in his owne eyes So when this royall Court of conscience is sleighted the soule will grow fearelesse and carelesse and man will give leave to himselfe to thinke and speake and doe as he listeth and yet promise peace to himselfe though he live in the wickednesse of his owne heart then which what can be a greater soule evill Wherefore honour God in his Royall way of judicature and seeing he hath appointed an able Iudge in thy soule of thy waies sleight him not but diligently hearken to what he saith which is the last thing I would a little presse upon you Conscience can speake better of thy waies then any man can doe therefore give him leave to speake and diligently observe all his words and tell me what he saith to thee Doth he not tell thee that thou art a drunkard an adulterer a swearer a prophaner of the Lords day an unjust dealer a selfe-seeker a time-server a man that orderest thy devotion and conversation suitable to the times a man that makes thine owne ends thy aime in all thy actions Doth he not tell thee that thou art an idle person a busie-body a railer a scoffer and malicious person Or what is it that conscience saith unto thee For he speakes to no man else but to thy selfe so faithfull and discreet is he and therefore I can enquire of none but of thy selfe O sinner what conscience saies unto thee Conscience can give testimony with or against thee prethee hearken to him and tell me what he saith When Christ was arraigned and stood still and said nothing the high Priest arose saith the Text and said unto him answerest thou nothing What is it which these witnesse against thee Math. 26.62 So say I to you conscience doth arraigne you now and then and he doth give testimony what testimony is it that he gives Is it against you or with you If against you What is it that he accuses you of and condemnes you for Doth he condemne thee for the vanity of thy thoughts for the levity of thy words and deeds Doth he condemne thee for the pride of thine heart or for the pride of thine heart and life both Doth he condemne thee for sheading of innocent blood for scoffing and persecuting the waies of God Doth he condemne thee for hugging some secret sinne which the word disallowes or for thy superficiall perfunctory piety Whatsoever conscience accuses and condemnes thee for honour this Viceroy so farre as to weigh throughly what he saith and call to minde thy waies and consider whether they have not beene so as conscience saith and if so then compare what conscience saith of thy course with the word of God and if conscience within and the word of God without agree in one in what they say against thy course doe thou strike in with thy conscience and the word of God and say of thy selfe and waies as they say and joyne with them in judging and condemning thy selfe and thy courses And then begge the Lord that he will not strike in and judge thee too for if he judge thee too then thou art gon for ever Tell him that though thou hast sinned yet Christ hath died and here hold And then begge him to cleanse and cure thy wicked heart that thou maist goe and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee namely to be delivered from the hands of a condemning conscience into the hands of a condemning God who will teare thee in pieces and there will be none to deliver If conscience give testimony with you that you are pure and upright as he useth the expression to Iob that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your conversation in the world why then weigh your waies by the word of God and see whether the word of God saith the same of your waies which conscience doth if so why then doe you strike in too and say as conscience and Gods Word doe and so owne Gods great worke of grace in your hearts in making them upright and thinke that thou canst never declare love enough to God which hath declared so much love to thee as to make thee a man after his owne heart to be a companion for his owne Sonne and selfe in grace and glory FINIS 2 COR. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards THE third proposition which now according to order and method comes to be handled is this That consciousnesse to our selues of the simplicity and sincerity of our conversation will yeeld us joy in the midst of troubles Pauls and Timothies conscience giving testimony with them concerning the simplicity and sincerity of their conversation made them to rejoyce in the midst of all
field shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the folds and there be no herd in the stalles yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation saith the Prophet Hab. 3.17,18 Habakkuk will rise in judgement against a thousand thousand soules which would never judge God worthy to be lookt after muchlesse delighted in if he had not Corne and Wine Heaven and Earth to bestow upon his favorits This text I conceive is a plaine testimony that God alone is the object of divine joy that is not God as very wealthy and very bountifull but as very holy and an absolute compleat being above all things beside him This was Pauls joy to wit in God alone as he whom his conscience told him he served sincerely though weakely Upright men eye the divine rule in their rejoycing as well as in all other things Now the divine rule of joy is that it should be bounded and terminated in God Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous Psal 97.12 This rule is repeated againe and againe in Scripture to note how apt we are to rejoyce in creatures and sinnes which are worse then any creatures and not in God as also to note how strictly God lookes at this that we should make him onely the object of our joy and all other good things as beames of this Sunne as blessings from his hand and so consequently to rejoyce still as long as we have communion with God and our consciences witnessing with us that we sincerely serve him though we have nothing else in the world beside him as Paul and Timothy did For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Thirdly divine joy is called spirituall because all the manifestations of it are spirituall They that have this joy in their hearts do not let their tongues sing ribaldry and vanity such as flesh and blood delights in but they sing in the waies of the Lord Psal 138.5 That is they rejoyce in divine things to be thinking and speaking of and walking in the waies of the Lord. 'T was Pauls and Timothies matter of joy that they could walke sincerely in the waies of the Lord and this they humbly gloried in Such as have the joy of the Lord in their hearts their tongues speake and sing in such a manner that God is extolled and magnified according to one attribute or another which is making melody to God as the Apostle termes it As here in my text the Apostles so expressed divine joy that the power and goodnesse of the Lord were magnified that he could and would give internall comfort to those that did sincerely though weakely serve him when all externall comforts failed Divine joy doth not as carnall joy transport men into drunkards whore-masters wantons libertines and so turne them out of the waies of the Lord but raises their spirits to a higher pitch of love to God and so makes them walke more strictly and chearfully in the waies of God Divine joy makes a man rejoyce and worke righteousnesse and not rejoyce and worke wickednesse Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse Isa 64.5 Paul Timothy thus rejoyced that they could worke righteousnesse that they could order their conversation sincerely though by many handled injuriously For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God wee have had our conversation in the world c. 2 Divine joy is the soules rejoycing in God as reconciled in Christ Divine joy as man upon earth is the subject of it hath God in Christ for its object that is God as reconciled in Christ for otherwise God is an enemy and no man rejoyceth in an enemy And not onely so but we also rejoyce in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement Rom. 5.11 We cannot joy immediately in God as Adam could because of our sinne in Adam which made God angry with us we must now have some to interpose betweene God and us in whom is made up what is wanting in us and so Gods anger against us appeased and therefore 't is that the Apostle thus speakes in the person of the godly we joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement This is sweetly set forth also unto us under metaphoricall termes by the Prophet Isaiah I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bride-groome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with Jewels Isa 61.10 God as cloathing us with the garments of salvation and as covering us with a robe of righteousnesse is the object of joy to fallen man and thus we know he doth in Christ God freely reveales an infinite love to man in Christ and this begets love to him and joy in him He washed away all our sinnes in Christs blood covers all our wants with Christs righteousnesse subjects his Sonne to suffer what we had deserved and to merit for us all that from which we were justly excluded to wit communion with God and eternall life This love God sheads abroad in the heart of man and this makes man love God and joy in him God out of Christ is no other but a condemner of man conscience so apprehending God is no other but a tormentour of man and man betweene both these is in no other but Hell and there is no joy in Hell God in Christ reconciles man to himselfe and then God joyes in man and man in God The blood of Christ makes peace betweene God and man and betweene man and his conscience and makes God acquit and conscience acquit God to speake peace though man be not perfect conscience to speake peace though man walke weakely yet whilst sincerely and this makes divine ioy in the heart in the midst of all troubles naturall or accidentall For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. You have had a briefe hint now by what hath beene said what that joy is which the testimony of conscience brings to the soule to wit a conciliatory joy as I may fitly call it A joy of peace and friendship betweene God and man and betweene man and himselfe to wit conscience Conscience tels that man which walkes sincerely that he for his part is at peace with him and that God is the like though men and divels be at variance with him and that he shall have favours spirituall and temporall here and eternally hereafter say and
God either in heart tongue or hand they goe against knowledge so consequently against conscience for conscience followes the light of the understanding and so comes neere the committing of the unpardonable sin to the committers of which God hath said there shall be no mercy shewed either in this world or in the world to come Here I would have you observe this for the further clearing of what hath beene said That the word of God is the rule by which conscience compares the waies of men so far-forth as the understanding is enlightened by the word of God and no further So far-forth as the understanding is ignorant of the word of God so far-forth conscience is silent As long as St. Paul knew not lust to be a sinne conscience never accused him for lust as a sin And this surely is one reason why many shun the preaching of the word of God and the studie thereof least by encreasing knowledge they should increase griefe as Salomon saith least by this meanes they should come to the knowledge of their sinnes and so conscience pull them by the throat for them Of such as these the Apostle Saint Peter speakes where he saith Of this they are willingly ignorant that by the word of God the Heavens were of old and the earth and the world that then was perished 2 Pet. 3.3,4,5 That is they did purposely doe as much as in them lay to put out that light which was in their understandings which told them that he which at first made the heavens by his word and did by his word destroy them with water would one day againe destroy them with fire and brimstone this they did labour to keepe themselves ignorant of that so they might without checke of conscience goe on in their sinnes To such as these I may truely say with the Apostle If our Gospell be hid it is hid unto those which perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3,4 He that keepes himselfe in ignorance that his conscience may let him goe on quietly in wickednesse loves to goe to hell without controle Thou that canst not indure that thy conscience should reprove thee secretly 't is no wonder that thou canst not endure that thy minister should reprove thee publikely Thou that canst not endure that thy conscience should reprove thee for sinne now must endure whether thou wilt or no conscience to torment thee for thy sin hereafter The second thing that I would have you to observe is this That conscience doth compare all a mans wayes with the rule of the word so far-forth as the understanding is enlightned with the word All that light which the understanding hath received from the word of God conscience takes it and makes it a rule by which he measures all a mans waies thoughts words and deeds to trie what agreement or disagreement there is betweene them and the rule That conscience compares the thoughts of men by the word of God so farre forth as the understanding is inlightned by the word as well as words and deeds is manifest by the language of the Apostle where he speakes of the Gentiles on this wise Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witnesse their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2.15 Divine light so far-forth as it shines into the hearts of heathens conscience makes use of it as a rule by which to examine their very thoughts and so answerably to accuse or excuse them as their thoughts are found to agree or disagree with the rule Saint Paul likewise in the ninth to the Rom. at the first verse confirmes this truth I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish my selfe separate from Christ for my kins-folk in the flesh Saint Paul here tels us that his conscience did beare him witnesse that his thoughts and desires were thus and thus sincere respecting his brethren which conscience will never doe before he hath leavelled a mans thoughts and desires by the word of God and found them to be so by consequence then it is manifest that conscience compares a mans thoughts by the rule as well as his words and deeds Conscience keepes court in the heart and therefore can and doth observe our thoughts as well as our words and deeds Conscience keepes a Court of justice in the heart and sits upon the life and death of the soule which is ten thousand times more precious then the body and therfore will not sift this and that and let other things goe which the word condemnes as well and as plainely as it doth any thing else The word of God you know condemnes evill thoughts as well as evill words and not onely grosse evill thoughts as thoughts of murder adultery and the like but vaine idle thoughts and therefore conscience can doe no lesse as Gods Vicegerent in this lower circuit but examine these as well as words and deeds by the rule of Gods word to see how farre they agree to or disagree from it Which worke when conscience hath exactly done then it beares witnesse with or against a man answerably as a mans waies agree or disagree with this rule which is the last clause in the description of conscience and comes now according to order and method to be a little opened Conscience when he hath compared a mans waies by the rule and exactly found out how they agree with or disagree from it the next thing he doth is he beares witnesse with or against a man This clause I adde in the description of conscience because 't is a divine power placed in the soule of man to be as it were a judge betweene God and man Conscience takes notice of things together with God and compares them by the rule together with God and then pronounceth sentence with or against man for God First I say conscience takes notice of things together with God and hence it is say the learned that this power in the soule is called conscience Scire say they is said of him which knowes one thing alone so as none else knowes it with him Conscire is said of three or foure which know some secret together Conscience therefore must needs signifie a combination of two at the least in the knowledge of some secret thing Now this combination cannot be betweene man and man for man doth not know the secrets of my heart no further then as I reveale them to him this combination neither cannot be betweene man and Angels for they doe not know the secrets of my heart together with thy selfe This combination then must needs be between God and man God knowes all our