sayes Yea what seare 2 Cor 71. 1. a natural conscience may cause a kind of feare too nay a horrible feare The sinners in Zion are afraid fearefulnesse saith surprized the Hypocrites c. Isa 33. 14. for a guilty Conscience cannot but worke feares when it s awakened but this feare is meerely out of selfe love and of Bondage But when the Conscience hath done so its owne duty upon a man that it hath made him to doe his now it makes him filially afraid to sinne against God as a true Childe feares to offend his Father when a man hath this feare in him this is a signe of a living Conscience Fourthly another effect is trembling despaire in ones self it maks him see nothing but hell and damnation in himselfe and it flings him downe at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope in himselfe for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of sicknes he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a living Conscience in regard of mercy a naturall Conscience the effect of that is to despaire too But that is to despaire in God because when there is nothing but nature in the Conscience how can it be otherwise But when there is grace in the Conscience grace in the heart now though Conscience represent to him his damned estate it represents withall the free grace of God in Jesus Christ to all such as are heavy laden and so it is onely despaire in himselfe now hast thou such an effect in thee to despaire in thy self to fling of all thine own hopes and thy own dependences hangings holdings ye know the soule hath a thousand thousand such wishes wouldings purposes dutyes performances these the soule hangs on But now hast thou this effect in thee that thou doest absolutely despaire in thy selfe I meane selfe confidence with whatsoever good is in thee be it grace or what ever doest thou despaire in thy selfe this is a signe of a living Conscience now thou hang'st upon nothing but the meere mercy and good will of God And this is the best hold in the world though the world cannot abide it Thus ye see for sinne The livingnesse of Conscience in regard of sinne Secondly now for the livingnesse of Conscience in regard of good Then is the Conscience alive to that which is good First when it goes and it does not onely urge a man to that which is good so it did Agrippa Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 28. 28. when Paul spake unto him it seemes his Conscience tooke hold of Pauls words and it did mightily urge it had almost done the deed alas this is not it a dead Conscience may doe this yea with admirable importunity as it is in many But when the Conscience doth not onely urge when that does not onely doe its duty in this point but it makes a man doe his duty too the man freely urges himselfe and freely sets himselfe to it and about it as it was with David when thou sayest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. that is when thou sayest thus in my Conscience seeke my face my heart ecchoed back I will doe so indeed marke his Conscience did not onely doe its duty but it made him to doe his as his Conscience did urge him so he tooke these urgings and urged himselfe Secondly when the Conscience hath life towards good it excuses and it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart many a wicked man hath such an excusing Conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathen Rom. 2. 15. their Consciences accusing or else excusing their Conscience did excuse in part But it excuses full out it tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve in God that he does truly repent from dead workes that he does in some poore measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God by faith in Christ Jesus or if it doe not excuse thus it is meerly out of Ignorance of the things given him of God a living Conscience is an excusing conscience it does not onely say the thing that he does is good but that he does it unfeignedly withall his heart true a naturall Conscience not awakened may doe thus but that 's a misprision for when it comes to see its owne condition indeed then it will be in another tale ah I am rotten I have beguiled mine owne soule to this very day but a living Conscience can never be confuted as it excuses so its excuses shall stand before God because it is quickened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ his bloud is sprinkled on it Thirdly when the Conscience hath life towards good it approves a man and his wayes it either may or does pronounce a man to please God As it was with Enech he had a conscience that told him he was approved of God before his translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb 11. 5. this is the nature of conscience if it be alive to do its duty and so as to make a man to doe his to tell a man that he is allowed of God which is an admirable mercy that a childe of God should have such an intelligencer in his owne bosome that can tell him he is approved of God no creature is able to expresse what comfort this is none but good people can have this others may be approved of men others may heare that such and such doe approve them but they can never heare that God does approve them These are the consciences onely towards good which it can never doe except it be alive Now the effects of these be First Joy when the conscience does its duty towards God and makes a man doe his duty too this worketh Joy in his heart as Paul says This is our rejoyeing even the Testimony of our conscience that with sincerity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. There is no joy like this joy wicked men may laugh and seeme as merry as crickets but in the of their laughter their conscience gives them but cold comfort now when a man hath such a conscience as this that sets him about that which is good this makes him have truer joy then all the world besides for howbeit the world are besotted that they doe not looke after God Yet the conscience knowes it is goodnesse onely that will please God and therefore when the conscience is privy to this no tongue can speake what a joy this is unto one Secondly another effect is boldnesse and freedome from slavish feare There 's a deale of feare in a mans heart as long as he does not serve God and doe the things that are
let his Baalisme alone or if the conscience be against all manner of sinnes it is but in a fume cito redibit in gratiam they are but like new Wine in old Bottels at last the Bottels break and the Wine is all spilt so all these workes in an awakened conscience are onely then while the conscience cannot sleep But when it can fall asleep againe then the man can be quiet againe the conscience is an old conscience and not renewed and therefore it is not able to hold them well then ye see these are not consciences life What then is the consciences life for this ye must know First the conscience hath a Testimoniall life a life whereof it lives as the soul lives for it is the reflexion of the soule the soules privity to it selfe betweene God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spoâ— to God purge your conscience from dead workes is to serves the living God Heb. 9. 14. marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive as we say of the goodnesse of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tydings though he be never so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tydings we say he is an ill Messenger he sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be ill Angels because they brought evill Plagues upon Aegypt so stands a good conscience that can bring good tydings of a man that he is a good man true a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good But when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now then it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out ye know we call it a fowle bill that hath fowle crimes written in it Item this man stole a horse Item he brake into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore Prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was born in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and gotten litte good Item I was at such a Sacrament and was nere the better thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. This is a bad conscience now when the conscience is cleane then it is a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive towards God then it beares witnesse but that is not all the conscience hath other acts Secondly the conscience hath another life of it's own namely the conscience is said to be quickened up to its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his As the conscience of the good people that offer'd to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eagerer conscience is faine to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when a man is alive the conscience stirres him up with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas when the debter is a slye fellow there needs the more Bawling so that if thou would'st know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no But whether does it quicken thee up to doe thy duty or no. This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and mind to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience this conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not that is not it whether with much a doe or little that is all one First When the conscience does not onely check but it checkes to some purpose as when David had numbred the people his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. such checks there may be in a wicked heart when a man is made to doe the Lords will for conscience sake Secondly When it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall conscience may doe but it pulls a man downe before God and cites himselfe effectually before God The just man first accuseth himselfe as the Greek and the Latin read it Prov. 18. 17. Thirdly when it does not onely condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning consciences as the Apostle sayes if our heart condemneth 1 Joh. 3. 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned ef himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a wicked wretch so that a wicked mans conscience may and will and shall condemne himselfe But I meane when the conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne but it tramples upon ones self as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostle speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be Iudged 1 Cor. 11. 31. Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes so it may doe the wicked and the ungodly they feele many puls every day and may be their conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes But when the conscience puls a man out of every known sinne withall the detestation and loathing out of unbeleife out of inpenitency and heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live Job 27. 6. These are the
lively acts of conscience about sinne The lively effects whereof are three The first is penitent shame that ever he hath done it conscience makes him flye from it as a horrible shame and confusion of face before God as the Apostle sayes what fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. Secondly another is penitent griefe and compunction of heart so ye may see this effect in the new converts They were pricked in their hearts Act. 2. 37. Thirdly another effect is penitentiall feare whereby he is afraid to sinne against God againe 2 Cor. 7. 11. Fourthly another is humbling despaire in himselfe that he sees nothing in him but death and damnation and so he lies at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope but onely in Christ for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of his sicknesse he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a lively conscience in regard of misery Thus ye see for sinne Secondly now for the lively acts of conscience in regard of good when the conscience hath life it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart nay a wicked man hath such an excusing conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathens Rom. 2. 15. But it does sweetly excuse him and tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve that he does truly repent that he does in some measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God through Jesus Christ When the conscience does not urge a man onely to that which is good As it urged Agrippa almost thou perswadest me c. 26. 28. Thirdly approbation when the conscience either may or does pronounce a man to please God The lively effects of these acts are 1 Ioy. 2 Cor. 1. 12. The second is boldnesse freedome from slavish feare The righteous is bold as a Lyon Prov. 28. 1. Againe a lively conscience is a sudden conscience Secondly a tender conscience REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is when is the conscience alive when is that quickened up in a man ye have heard First what is the quickening of the minde Secondly what is the quickening of the heart now I say it followes what is the quickening of the conscience I shewed you how thousands are deceived here for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First the conscience somewhat awakened may like of good things Secondly the conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somwhat awakened may be much troubled about sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one to good things Fifthly it may be very eager in this urging Sixthly it may prevaile very farre with its eagernesse Seventhly it may make one looke at God in some sence so farre as it prevailes All this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed and we have shewed you all these and cleared them unto you so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is After the handling of these seven particulars we gave you five reasons to prove that these are not arguments that the conscience is truly alive that the conscience may doe all this and yet not have the grace of life in it First because all these workes of conscience may be in a naturall man 2. Because the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was Thirdly because such a conscience as this may be foolish and childish and soone pleased if the conscience were alive indeed nothing would content it but the favour of God and the Image of God and true faith ' and true peace c. But this conscience may be soone pleased if it have but any colour of grace and goodnes that 's able to still it quiet it Fourthly because the conscience though it be thus stirring as ye heard it is so far from being alive that it uses to be a help furtherance unto ones lusts Fifthly because this conscience is not universall it culs out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others it picks out some particular duties and good courses to be very eager for and is carelesse of others You will say then what is consciences life when is the conscience said truly to be quickened For the opening of this ye must know there be two lives of conscience in a godly man The first is a relative life whereby it 's alive when the man is alive The second is a simple life The first I say is a relative life whereby it is said to be alive when the man whose it is is alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule the soules privity to it selfe between God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive also as we say of the goodnesse of conscience so it is the life of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tidings as David said of Ahimaaz he is a good man and he bringeth good tidings 1 Sam. 18. 27. Though a Messenger be nere so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tideings we say he 'es an ill Messenger He sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be evill Angels because they brought evill upon Aegypt so that 's a good conscience that bringeth good tidings to a man that he does beleeve that he is in Christ that he is a good man True a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good but when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now when it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out and good things are written in now it 's a good conscience ye know we call it a fowle Bill that hath fowle crimes written in it though the Bill be never so faire written yet if it have fowle
no worke and no devise and no wisdome and no purpose in the grave whether thou goest that is when men are dead then they can doe nothing so it is here as long as we are dead we can doe nothing True because we have the life of sense and of nature and of a naturall conscience in us we may counterfeit good workes as a painter may make a man True he cannot make a living man so as long as we are dead-hearted we doe but paint out good duties before God all our Prayers are but painted prayers all the good workes we doe are but paint there 's none of them to the life as God sayes of the Jewes you will say they did very many good workes they fasted and prayed and sacrificed and many other things they did But what sayes God they are vanity their workes are nothing Isa 41. 29. as a dead Corps there be eyes and nostrils and eares and mouth But when the life is out they are as good as nothing so it is with a dead heart we may thinke we preach much and study much and heare much and professe much and doe much the truth is we doe nothing Secondly all that we doe with a dead heart it does not please God God sayes my Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. ye know the heart that is primum vivens that's the first living thing in us now if we give God never so many performances yet if all our heart be not with them what cares he for them all when they are a company of heartlesse things when the Apostle had said that to be fleshly minded is death by and by he concludes so then sayes he they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. would that please any of us that one should come and rake up a dead stinking carcase and lay it before us no more can it please God to lay a dead duty before his heavenly Majesty ye know a dead carion it is loathsome as long as life remaines in it that 's a sweet thing and it preserves it from stinking and therefore the heathens called the soule the salt of every living thing because the life is a preserving thing it preserves a thing sweet but when the life is gone out presently it becomes odious so is all that we doe when we doe it with a dead heart it is odious with God it cannot be accepted of him as the Apostle Peter speakes Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is the Apostle had compared true Christians unto stones now he correcteth himselfe did I call true Christians stones I pray doe not mistake me I doe not meane for deadnesse but for firmenesse a stone is a dead livelesse thing O sayes he ye must be stones I but ye must take heed of deadnesse ye must be lively otherwise ye cannot offer acceptable sacrifices unto God this is even as if a Jew should have taken a dead sheep out of a dich and laid it on Gods Altar This is abomination to God even so are dead doings to Almighty God as Vinagar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes so is a sluggard to him that sends him Prov. 10. 26. that is when a Master sends a servant on his errand if he goe dully about it even as if he had no life nor heart in him at all to doe his Masters businesse this will not please him nay it will offend him as smoke does the eyes or as Vinegar does the teeth it will make him looke with a sowre looke upon such a servant so beloved when God bids us serve him in all our wayes may be we are not so grosse as not to goe about it at all But we goe about it with a dull and a dead heart this does not please God one whit nay he takes it ill that we should thinke he will accept it at our hands as when the Jews had no heart to Gods holy and pure worship it was too chargeable to them it put them to too much charges what a whole sheep and a whole lamb every morning besides many whole ones at other times whole Bullocks whole Oxen and whole Goates this was even as death to them they went up to Gods Temple with a dead heart nay they thought much to give him of the best they gave him the torne the maimed now mark what he says should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord Malac. 1. 13. He took it ill they should thinke he would accept it so when we thinke much to be so precise and so strict to pray so much to heare so much to minde him so much and to deny our selves so much to watch so much over our hearts to humble our selves so much what may we not keep one lust may we have no more liberty then so may be we doe some thing this way but God knowes how with a dead heart it is the Lord takes it ill that we should hope he will accept this at our hands Thirdly all that we doe with a dead heart it cannot yeeld us any comfort true if we were quickened up towards God if we served God with all our heart and soule and life this would comfort us indeed to seeke him daily in a lively manner to goe into his presence with all our minde if we went eagerly a dayes to the throne of grace if we were earnest in prayer earnest against sinne earnest for all goodnesse this were a signe of his favour and a Testimony of the true grace of life this would comfort our hearts exceedingly this would breed peace in our conscience as the Apostle speakes To be spiritually minded is life and Peace Rom. 8. 6. there 's life and therefore there is peace The reason is thus because lively works alone can truely pacifie conscience when a man hath beene a professour all his dayes and done never so many things yet if the conscience can say yea but all these are dead workes all this while I have gone on with a dead-heart this fowles the conscience it can never have true peace How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. it shall purge the conscience from dead workes dead workes foule the conscience whether they be dead for matter or manner sinne is a dead worke for matter and good duties heartlessely done are dead workes for manner now both fowle the conscience the conscience remaines under guilt continues without peace it is an ill conscience why because the conscience knowes it hath the living God to serve that will not like of such workes when a man payes in his rents onely by halves or by dribblets or with light money the Kings receiver will not give him an acquittance my brethren conscience is Gods receiver no wonder it does not
to doe good nay does he not shrinke and winch and draw back we see thus in the Jewes how irksome the Sabbath was to them when they were held from buying and selling O that the Sabbath were over Am. 8. 5. it may be men doe not finde the Sabbath so tedious now because they help themselves by talking of the world by taking liberty that way but if they were held to it as they ought to be would they not wish it to be over The like we may see in the young man what an irksome thing was it to him to heare that he must fell away all the Text sayes he was sad at that saying Mark 10. 22. now is not this too a very hideous thing to be dead-hearted when it makes all the wayes of God tedious nothing should be more delightfull unto us then they they are perfect freedome there is great reward in them they are the best wayes in the world all his wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all his pathes are peace and if we were quickened in our hearts we would say so too as the Apostle speakes when he had said that none of Gods Commandements are grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. in the next words he gives a reason of it O sayes he He that is borne of God overcometh the world that is he that hath the life in him that cometh from above he hath gotten above the world he hath past all the irksomnesse of them The irksomenesse of any commandement does not lie in the commandement that is sweet and pleasant but it lyes in the deadnesse of the heart a dead heart will ever count them grievous Seventhly as religion is an irksome thing to a dead heart so a dead heart if it should take it up it will in the end be weary of it as we see in the example of Israel when they grew to be dead-hearted towards God at last they were weary of his worship they went and devised othergets worships an easier kinde of religion they were weary of his Thou hast beene weary of me O Israel Isa 43. 22. we see this in Judah too Behold what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13. this is too plaine and palpable how are we growne weary of God and of his pure service we have had the Gospell so long till we are even weary of it weary of sanctity weary of spirituall truth whence are all innovations but because people are weary of the old way many that have been very forward in preaching and in hearing and very zealous of good courses they begin to abate to side with the times to remit of their former strictnesse whence is all this whence is it that we see so many apostates that once loved good people now doe not once were very zelous against disorders now are not once were against humane devises now are not now they can brook any thing well enough they are weary of their first pitch they were wound up too high now they let themselves downe againe all this is because men have no life in them they are dead to what they did professe you shall see many a man smitten at the word and there he is knockt downe and sees what wretched courses he hath taken that will lead him to hell well he goes and reformes and growes very precise and now there shall not be a Sermon but hee 'l heare it There shall not be any good Christian duty but he will take it up hee 'l leave his old acquaintance hee 'le joyne himselfe to good people hee 'le have very good orders in his Family all this is well if 't would hold I but if this man doe not goe on to get the grace of life in the end hee 'le be weary a dead heart be it never so forward it will end in wearinesse It is meerely for want of quickening that any man growes weary of well-doing as the Apostle sayes Be not weary of well-doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6. 9. take heed ye doe not let quickening goe if ye let your quickening goe directly you 'le grow weary if ye suffer your selves to faint if ye doe not get aqua-vitae to cure your fainting sits you 'le be weary of well-doing now beloved what a pitifull thing is this that we should be weary of well-doing if any of us have begun to doe well O how should we labour that we may never grow weary how ever things goe though persecution arise what ever dealings we meet with at the hands of the wicked world yet never to give in what ever flesh and bloud say what ever discouragements we meet with from without or from within we should earnestly labour that we may never be weary of wel-doing never weary of preaching to their conscience never weary of attending on the word or of preaching of our hearts or of resisting of sinne or of redeeming our time or of keeping our garments never weary of washing our hands in innocency and keeping of our selves that the wicked one touch us not and therefore what a dangerous thing is it to be dead-hearted for that 's the high way to be weary of well-doing at the last This then is the second use that we are to make of this point to see what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead Christian REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead I Come now to the fourth thing and that is this what it is to be aliving Christian First I will describe it by the efficient cause Secondly by the Instrumentall cause Thirdly by the parts of it For the first the efficient cause that makes one a liveing Christian is God as the Psalmist sayes he is the fountaine of life Psal 36. 9. He is the fountaine of al life it is he that makes one a living man He giveth life and breath to all Act. 17. 25. if he should take away our naturall life we dye and turne againe unto our earth as long as he breatheth on us we live as Elihu speakes the breath of the Almighty gives me life Job 33. 4. yea all the world would be a dead Chaos if he did not quicken it there 's a kinde of life in every thing that hath being But it would be a dead Masse if he did not concurre with it what is money and meat and clothes and friends and life and health it selfe men thinke they are well to live when they have them all True if he blesse them and quicken them unto us but if he be wanting to them they are dead things and can doe us no good nay the word of life it self it is but a dead letter without him all the ordinances of God we see they Minister life to some because God puts life into them but if he doe not put life into them they are sappelesse and cadaverous things so that God is the author even of our naturall life as John sayes in him is life and his life is the life of men
his conscience justified God O he deales very rightly with me The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 1â— 6. so Adonibezek when the Lord brought that lamentable judgement on his head his conscience likâ— of Gods doings as I have done so God hath done to me so againe the conscience awakened may like of Gods commandements as Moses tels Israel that God gave them no other Commandements but such as were right and wise and good in the sight of the Heathen Deut 4. 6 7 8. that is they were such commandements that the Heathens thought in their conscience were good Againe the conscience somewhat awakened may like of Gods people that walke according to those Lawes and Commandements you may see this in Balaane O that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. his conscience lik't of their courses so Sauls conscience did approve Davids courses Thou art more righteous then I 1 Sam. 24. 17. A conscience somewhat awakened may like of the best preaching and the strictest preachers never man spake like this man O how mightily they lik't him Herod lik't Iohn admirably he was glad for to heare him profane Israel did wonderfully like the Sacrament of Gods presence when the Arke of God came into the Camp they shouted with a great shout that the earth rang againe 1 Sam. 4. 5. now when a carnall man perceives this work to be in him he is apt to conceive this is true grace of life Beloved you see this is very false Thou mayst like of Gods dealings with thee yea thou mayst thinke in thy conscience he deales very rightly with thee though it be never so bitter thou mayst thinke in thy conscience his commandements are good though they be never so strict thy conscience may like his Ministers and like his precepts and like his Ordinances and his Sacraments and yet be a dead conscience Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things it may lay the commandements of God to his charge conscience may make him say not onely that the commandements are good but that it is his duty to doe them we see this by experience in many carnall people tell them of any commandement what is their answer Oh you say well I confesse it is my duty every drunkard will say thus I it is my duty never to be drunken the swearer will say thus you say right it is very true I confesse I should not take Gods name in vaine and therefore they are said to be under the Law Rom. 3. 19. that is they are bound in conscience to the Law their conscience tels them they ought to doe it their conscience layes it on them as a bond as the mad Prophet said must I not take heed to speake what God bids me speake Num. 23. 12. conscience layed a must upon his soule And this is the reason why a naughty heart will put off a commandement of God if he can when he sees it goes against his profit or his ease or his credit for he knowes if he yeeld it to be a commandement of God his conscience will come over him and say why then ye must doe it as we read of the Priests and the Elders they would not yeeld that Iohns Baptisme was from heaven O if we should yeeld that why then Christ will say why doe ye not beleeve Mat. 21. 25. mark the conscience comes over a man in all that he knowes God hath commanded and it layes it to his charge and you must doe this and you must doe that this is your duty now when men see this they are apt to conclude that their conscience is alive they thinke this is the life of their conscience to lay Gods commandements to their charge Alas brethren the conscience may be dead for all this you see this in people that are dead in trespasses and sinnes All that the Lord speakes that must I doe Num. 23. 26. it was the speech of a very wretch thou mayst have this principle in thy conscience all that the Lord bids me that must I doe and yet be a dead man O how does this beguile people because they feele such a principle in their conscience a dayes O thinkes one all that the Lord bids me that must I doe when people feele such a principle as this they thinke they are well now if they doe offend at any time they hold it to be but their infirmity and there 's an end But this is very false the conscience may have this principle in it and be dead Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes he may be troubled before he commits he may be very loth to commit them as we see there in Herod when he was betrayed with his rash Oath and he was now tempted to behead John the Baptist his conscience made him very loth to doe it the Text sayes â—â— was exceeding sorrowfull Mark 6. 26. and the contempt shewes it was meerely because he thought in his conscience he should doe very ill to behead so good a man and therefore he was very loth he was troubled in conscience about it so was Darius when the Princes had wound him to cast Daniel into the Lions Denne he was moved troubled in conscience about it he was very loth to doe it he sought a good while how to put off the temptation by getting away how to avoyd this great sinne Dan. 6. 14. so was Pilot troubled in conscience about the condemning of Christ he went to it with a heavy heart and as a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled before the committing of sinne so he may be troubled in the committing of it An example of this we have in Saul when he committed that sin in sacrificing before Samuel came he was troubled in conscience in the very act I forced my selfe and offered a burnt offering 1 Sam. 13 12. Marke he did not commit the sinne hand-smooth as some doe but he felt a reluctancy againstit Againe a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled exceedingly after the committing of sinne when Iudas had betrayed our Saviour you see how his conscience was troubled after he had done O sayes hee I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Matth. 27. 4. especially at the hearing of a searching Sermon or at a Fast also then the conscience if it be onely awakened a little will be troubled exceedingly for his sinnes when Samuel kept a Fast there at Mizpah the Text shewes how they were smitten in conscience for their sinnes in so much that they cryed out in the open congregation we have sinned against the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 6. and yet many of these very men by and by shewed the rottennesse of their hearts so that this is another gall when men feele a lothnesse in them to commit sinne trouble of conscience before and at and after they thinke this is true grace doubtlesse doubtlesse their conscience hath life Fourthly conscience somewhat awakened