Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	continual_a	day_n	feast_n	1,032	5	9.4110	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17384	A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1623 (1623)	STC 4211; ESTC S107078	497,216	958

Iustice without vs. For in mens Courts they proceed secundum allegata probata according to allegation and proofs but God hath appointed another Iudgement in the heart of man there God iudgeth not according to allegation and proofes but according to Conscience and hath associated to euery man a notary of his owne and a witnesse of his owne which hee produceth out of his very bosome so as man shall be made to confesse what hee hath done though all the world excuse him and shall haue comfortable testimony in himselfe though all the world beside accuse him The glory of the power of Conscience appears by the third point and that is the prerogatiues properties of Conscience in a man for 1. It keeps Court in the heart of a man without limitation of time it will call a man to answer and hear Iudgement at any time it is not limited to any terms nor can the Sentence be delaied it hath power to examine testifie and giue Sentence at any time of the yeer at pleasure nor will it admit any appeal to any creature 2. It is subiect properly onely to God no earthly Prince can command the Conscience of a man as will more appeare afterwards 3. It keeps continuall residence in the heart of man it is alwaies with him at home abroad it obserueth and watcheth him in all places in the Church at his table in his bed day and night it neuer leaues him 4. God hath subiected man to the obedience of Conscience if it command erroneously if it be in things indifferent as in the case of meats and daies in the Apostles time if the Conscience doubted or forbade the vse of them which yet in themselues might be vsed the man was bound to follow his Conscience though the Conscience erred and so sinned in doubting or forbidding Rom. 14.14 23. 5. Yea so much honour doth God giue vnto the Conscience that he suffers his owne most holy Spirit to bring-in euidence in the Court of conscience for so we reade that the Spirit of Adoption doth beare witnes before our spirits that is before the Conscience that wee are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.15 6. It is a great prerogatiue that GOD hath granted Immortality vnto Conscience Conscience neuer dies no not when we die Euery mans Conscience shall bee found a lier at the day of Iudgement and in so great request with Christ as that dreadful Iudgement shall be guided according to the euidence and verdict of Conscience Rom. 2.15 16. For the fourth point Conscience is not all of a sort in all men some haue good Consciences and some haue ill Consciences and both these kindes of Consciences must be considered of Conscience considered as good comes to be so either by creation or by renouation By creation Adam had his Conscience good but by the first sinne Conscience became euill in him and all his posterity so as all men naturally haue euill Consciences and no men haue their consciences good but as they are renued The difference between a good Conscience by creation and renouation is this that by creation Conscience was perfectly good from the first moment it was infused till the Fall and did discouer it self by excusing and comforting alwaies for Adam's Conscience till his Fall could accuse him of nothing But by renouation Conscience is good for the time of this life but imperfectly and increaseth in good men by degrees and so because man is renued but in part it is a part of the goodnes of the Conscience to accuse for sinne especially if it be presumptuous after Calling as well as to excuse from faults while the man keeps his vprightnes That a good Conscience should onely excuse is true in this world onely of Conscience as it was good by creation Now concerning the goodnes or badnesse of Conscience these seuen things are to bee considered of First that all mens Consciences by nature are euill Secondly the difference of euill in mens Consciences Thirdly the signes of an euill Conscience Fourthly the hurt of an euill Conscience Fiftly the meanes how euill Consciences may bee made good Sixtly the signes of a good Conscience Seuenthly the great happines of the man that hath a good Conscience For the first that all mens Consciences are by nature euill is manifest because all haue sinned in Adam and lost their originall righteousnes in all the faculties of the soule and so euery man in his naturall condition is in euery point vncleane and to the impure all things are impure euen their Consciences are polluted saith the Apostle Titus 1.15 For the second euill is not in the same degree in all mens Consciences but after a different manner in diuers men for First in most men we see that Conscience is so feeble and works so little that it seemes to be but a small spark or like a bubble which riseth now and then and presently vanisheth Now the reason why Conscience stirs so little in the most men is not to bee taken from the nature of Conscience for that can work all works mentioned before but from diuers things in man For first Adams sin as it depriued all mens Consciences of originall righteousnes which was the life of the Conscience so it brought such a deprauation and euill disease vpon the Conscience that it was neuer healed nor cured in the naturall man to this day but the weaknes arising from the infection holds him downe still Secondly the generall ignorance and darknes which is in the world is one great cause why Conscience lieth so miserably weak and neglected For it cannot work for want of light For in the minde it findes onely a few naturall principles or some generall truthes of religiō which are altogether insufficient to direct in the particular occasions of mens liues Thirdly besides the Law of nature is corrupted in man and so those principles are very muddy and vncertaine and the generals of Religion are poysoned with secret Obiections gathered from the controuersies of so many false religions Fourthly further it is manifest that the cares and pleasures of life oppress conscience in many in them Conscience stirs not not because it cannot stir but because there is no leasure to heare what it saith men are so violently carried to the pleasures and busines of this world As a man that runs in a race many times runs with such violence that hee cannot heare what is said vnto him by some that he passeth by though it were counsell that might direct him in the right way of the race So is it with men that haste to be rich Conscience often calls to them to take heed of going out of the way by deceit or lying or oppression or the like But they pursue riches so violently that they cannot heare the voice of Conscience And so is it with the voluptuous person and with the most men that liue in any habituall gainfull sinne Fiftly yea this weaknes comes vpon

companion a man hath all the dayes of his life It is euer with him and speakes good vnto him and comforts him A man that hath no company needes not be alone for hee may conuerse with much delight with his owne Conscience and it is the surest friend a man can haue For it will neither hurt him by flattery nor forsake him for any carnall respects and being an internall agent is out of the watch of all outward hindrances and is alwaies a messenger of good things to a man and fits him and fills him with peace that passeth all the vnderstanding of all men that want a good Conscience Secondly it giues a man assurance of the best treasures it makes a man certaine of his saluation For a good Conscience will not bee quiet till it know the loue of God and the promises of grace in Christ and the assurance that conscience giues is a better assurance than any man can haue for his lands or any estate on Earth because it is so highly honoured that God's owne Spirit doth not disdaine at any time to witnesse with it and to it Rom. 8.15 16. Thirdly by reason of that new acquaintance and affinity it hath with the holy Ghost it brings vs into a familiar friendship with God as being an immediat Agent with the holy Ghost in all things that concerne vs for God's Spirit treates with the Conscience and the Conscience treates with the Soule Fourthly it is a continuall bulwarke against the Diuel and all his fiery darts whether he tempt vs to sinne or to feare and doubting For so soone as the temptation is cast in a good Conscience by her reasoning presently throwes it out reseruing principles both of precept and promise alwaies in a readinesse to that end so as by contrarious reasoning within vs it both hinders vs from yeelding to sin and supports vs against all doubts and feares Prou. 28.1 Fiftly against all afflictions and disgraces and reproches of the World a good Conscience still comforts a man and makes him reioyce by the force of the testimony thereof 2. Cor. 1.12 So as it is most true that A good Conscience is a continuall Feast he neuer fares ill that hath a good Conscience Psalm 7.8 Pro. Acts 24.16 Rom. 9.10 Sixtly and the greater is the comfort of a good Conscience because it will comfort vs and stand by vs and for vs when all other comforts faile It will neuer leaue vs in sicknes or in death and so is better than a thousand friends or wiues or children yea it will go with vs to the Iudgement-Seat of Christ with this assurance that as a good Conscience speaks to vs now so will Christ speak to vs at that Day Rom. 2.16 Thus of the sorts or kindes of Consciences The last point is about the bond of Conscience what it is that can binde a mans Conscience and the doubt ariseth from this and other Texts because heer a seruant is bound in Conscience to submit himself to a froward master both to his command and to his punishments and other Scriptures speak of his obedience to Superiours for Conscience sake For answer heerunto wee must knowe that God and his Law haue power simply and absolutely to binde Conscience that is to vrge it to require obedience of a man or to accuse if he obey not or to excuse if he obey As for the authority of Masters or other Superiours it cannot reach to the Conscience properly for they haue no power to command or punish Conscience but that which ties Conscience to submit vnto them is the commandement of God in his Word in this and such like places And therefore hence wee may learn the difference between the power of mens lawes and the power of GOD's Word which difference will further appeare distinctly in many things First men may make many lawes either ecclesiasticall or ciuill which binde not at all yea which wee are bound not to keep as if they command a thing contrary to the Word of God and in that case it is better to obey God than men and Conscience is first bound to God Acts 5. Dan. 3. Now all God's Lawes binde Secondly if such as are next aboue vs in authority command vs any thing contrary to the lawes of the supreme Magistrate to whom they and wee are bound we are not tied to obey Thirdly mens lawes can onely binde vs to outward working or suffering they cannot make laws or inflict punishment vpon the hearts or mindes of men whereas God's Lawes enioyne obedience vpon the inward man as well as the outward and eternall punishment as well as temporary Fourthly the best laws of men where they bind most binde not by any immediate power of their owne but by fear of God's Word that enioyns vs to obey their lawfull authority Fiftly mens lawes euer binde with limitation that is with respect of the end of the law and the person of the law-maker and the offense of others and heerupon Diuines say If mens lawes be omitted so as the end of the lawes be not hindred that is that the Common-wealth be not damnified or other particular ends crossed or offense be not giuen as much as in vs lieth or the Law-giuer bee not despised or contemned the Conscience may not accuse a man of sinne Sixtly some Lawes of men are meerely penall note that I say meerely penall that is they are made about matters of lesse importance and not vttered precisely in commanding tearmes or so vttered that the Common-wealth is accounted by the Lawgiuer to bee sufficiently prouided for if the penalty bee inflicted Now hee that is ready to pay the fine or the penalty and doth not transgresse but in some case of necessary respect hee is not to bee charged with sinne before God And thus of Conscience and of the laying downe of the first reason The auouching of it followes in verse 20. Verse 20. For what glory is it if when you bee buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently But if when you doe well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God WHere the Apostle makes it good that the best praise is to suffer wrongfully First by affirming that it is no true glory for a man to suffer for his faults and endure it Secondly by shewing that to suffer patiently for well doing is a thing verie acceptable to God That it is no true glory for a man to suffer for his faults that he endure it patiently hee expresseth in these words What glory is it if when yee bee buffeted for your faults you take it patiently Out of which words diuers doctrines may bee briefly noted Doct. 1. First that men of all sorts doe naturally affect glory or praise or reputation and are guided by it in their actions or sufferings euen the meanest sort of men set before themselues something which they glory in and according to which they order themselues as heere seruants euen of the worst

thou admittest of euill in thy tongue 1. Cor. 15.33 And if you bite and deuoure one another take heed you bee not consumed one of another Gal. 5.15 And if thou iudge thou shalt bee iudged Hee that is giuen much to censuring seldome or neuer scapes great censures him selfe Math. 7. Sixtly Besides also these courses will encrease vnto greater condemnation God may bee prouoked to take thee in hand and thou maiest be in danger to be plagued for it for euer in Hell Iam. 3.1 Seuenthly and if this euill vice growe in thee thou art fit to be cast out of the Communion of Saints men are charged to auoid thee and not to eat with thee 1. Cor. 5.11 And though that censure be not executed by the Church alwaies yet God many times makes such persons so lothsome that euery body auoids them as much as they can Eightthly further this very effect heer mentioned should perswade much with vs. It is a sinne that greatly hindereth the profit of the word bitter-tongued persons neuer grow much in religion For it is required that we should receiue the word with meeknes and lay aside all superfluity of maliciousnes such as this euill speaking in these kindes is Iam. 1.21 Lastly as men loue cursing so it shall come vnto them and as they loue not blessing so it shall be far from them Psal. 109.17 The vse should be both for Humiliation and for Instruction First for Humiliation It may greatly abase many Christians that are extreamly guilty of this sinne How hath this wickednesse preuailed in many places The way of peace few men haue knowne there is almost no meekenes but lying and flattering and censuring and rayling and slandering and reproach vpon reproach and back-biting euery where Yea what are the families of the most but as so many kennels of Curres such snarling and biting and prouoking one another Husbands bitter to their Wiues Wiues contentions like a continuall dropping Masters threatning their Seruants and Seruants answering again and cursing their Masters How are the liues of the most destitute of contentm●nt and their states of prosperitie euen by reason of this sinne But let all that feare God learne from henceforth to make more conscience of their words and refraine their lips from euill Quest. But what should a man doe to keepe himself free from this vice or that this fountaine of euill speaking may be dried vp Ans. He that would restraine himselfe from being guilty of back-biting iudging reuiling or any kinde of euill speaking must obserue such rules as these First He must learne to speake well to God and of godlinesse if we did study that holy language of speaking to God by prayer we would be easily fitted for the gouernment of our tongs toward men we speak ill to men because we pray but ill to God Secondly he must lay this rule vpon himselfe and watch to the performance of it he must studie to be quiet and meddle with his owne businesse and not meddle with the strife that belongs not to him resoluing that he will neuer suffer as a busie bodie in other mens matters 1. Thes. 4. 1. Pet. 4.15 Thirdly hee must keepe a Catalogue of his owne faults continually in his minde when we are so apt to taxe others it is because wee forget our owne wickednesse Fourthly his words must be few for in a multitude of words there cannot want sinne and vsually this sinne is neuer absent Fiftly he must not allow himselfe libertie to thinke euill A suspicious person will speake euill Sixtly he must pray to God to set a watch before the doors of his lippes Seuenthly he must auoide vaine and prouoking companie It may be obserued often that when men get into idle companie which perhaps they like not the very complement of discoursing extracteth euill speaking to fill vp the time especially he must auoide the company of censurers for their ill language though at first disliked is insensibly learned Eightly he must especially striue to get meeknesse and to be soft and shew his meeknesse to all men Tit. 3.1.2 Ninthly if he haue this way offended then let him follow that counsell Let his owne words grieue him Psal. 56.5 that is let him humble himselfe seriously for it before God by harty repentance this sin is seldome mended because it is seldome repented of Quest. But what should I doo to auoid euill speaking in others Ans. First liue honestly without offense and then though men be neuer so crooked and peruerse yet either they will be silent or in the day of Gods visitation they will glorifie God Phil. 2.15 1. Pet. 2. verse 13. Secondly if men will yet reuile learn of Dauid and Christ and the godly to be patient and not reuile again but rather blesse them 1. Pet. 3.5 and 2.23 1. Cor. 4.12 Thirdly if men be still vnreasonable and absurde betake thy self to praier and then either God will turn their hearts or quiet thine Psal. 104 2.3.4 Fourthly thou must not giue thy heart to all that men say but be sometimes as a deaf man that hears not and as a dumb man in whose mouth are no words of reproof Eccles. 7.23.24 Psalm 38.13.14 Fiftly if yet thou be pursued then remember this comfort The curse that is causelesse shall not com Pro. 26.2 and though they curse yet God will blesse Psal. 109.28 God will turn their cursing into a blessing and he will curse them that curse thee Numb 24.9 and if thy reproaches bee for the cause of religion and righteousnes blessed art thou that art accounted worthy to suffer for it For Great is thy reward in heauen Mat. 5.11 Acts 5.41 Thou hast cause to rejoice in such contumelies 2 Cor. 12.10 Hitherto of the catalogue of sinnes to be auoided The manner heer follows to be considered of and that may bee noted from the word laying aside and from the manner of expressing the sins Out of all there are briefly fiue things may be noted First that by nature we are all inclined to and clogged with these sinnes for that the word laied-aside imports For it shewes that by nature they hang vpon vs Tit. 3.3 which should teach vs to watch our hearts against these sinnes seeing they are so naturall to vs and to pursue the reformation of them with so much the more constancy and diligence by how much it is the more hard to shake off what is naturall to vs. Secondly it should teach vs to forbeare intemperate words and carriage toward others in whom wee discern these sinnes so far as they are infirmities but rather wee should bee soft and shewe all meeknes to all men considering that wee our selues also were infected with the same faults Secondly that the naturall man is daily guilty of these sinnes and vseth them as if they were necessary to his well-being He cannot be without them he wears them as his garments or betakes himself to them as to his weapons hee thinks he is

the Conscience of some by custome of sinnes that are not sinnes of gaine or pleasure as the sinnes of negligence slothfulnes passion or the like in which men are wilfully confirmed and will not regard the checks of their owne conscience Finally one great reason why the most of vs feele so little of Conscience is the euill hearing of the Word of God for the Word of God powerfully preached would awake the Conscience but that most men set themselues to neglect it by a willing and wilfull intertaynment of distractions and in voluntary forgetting of what they haue heard and so hood-winking themselues it is no wonder they cannot see Secondly some mens Conscience is stark dead it stirs not at all The Conscience is compared to a part of the body that is not onely without sense and rotten but is seared with a hot iron and this is the case onely of some notorious either Hereticks or malefactors that haue liued a long time willfully in some monstrous wickednesse either knowne or secret 1. Timothy 4. verse 2. This seared Conscience is either ioyned with a greedines to commit speciall wickednes or with a reprobate mind that is so horrible stupid that it iudgeth euill to bee good or at the best not dangerously hurtfull Ephes. 4.18 Rom. 1.28 Thirdly in some men the euill of Conscience lieth in this that it is ouer-busy and sins too much and so in two sorts of men first the superstitious or secondly the desperate The superstitious person is many times disquieted by his Conscience in doing well or when hee doth that which is not vnlawfull as the Popish priest is troubled for comming to our Churches or the Christian that is carried with preposterous zeale is troubled for obeying the Magistrate in vsing his liberty in things indifferent in the desperate the euill of Conscience is the horrible tormenting of them beyond the bounds of the offence of Conscience and that in two things First in that it presents the wrath of God to them without the hope of mercy in Christ as did the Conscience of Cain Secondly in that it driues them to doe that against themselues which is desperately wicked as to make away themselues as the desperat Conscience of Iudas and Achitophel did Fourthly in some men there was a temporary goodnes in the Conscience of which they made shipwrack and so vtterly lost the goodnes they had for a time And thus many hypocrites doe that for a time get the forme of Religion euen into their Consciences but afterward falling into the immoderate loue of the world or the lust of some particular sinne fall cleane away from Religion and so lose the goodnes which they had 1. Tim. Chap. 1. verse 19. Thus of the differences of euill in the Consciences of diuers men the signes of an euill Conscience follow But before I giue the signes wee must take notice of a distinction and that is that the Conscience may haue euill in it and not bee an euill Conscience Conscience in this life in men regenerate is renewed and restored but in part and so may erre sometimes and in some cases and yet bee no euill Conscience As for instance in certaine weak Christians in the Primitiue Church who yet were godly men the Apostle shewes Romans 14. that some Christians for Conscience sake did refuse certaine meates and daies the Conscience erred in iudging those meates and daies to bee vnlawfull to be obserued and vsed and yet hee calls them that were so led by an erring Conscience hee calles them I say brethren But when wee speak of an euill Conscience we meane Conscience vnregenerate As a man may haue sinne in him and yet bee a good man so may Conscience haue blindnes in it and yet bee a good Conscience The signes of an vnregenerate Conscience may bee gathered from the differences of euill Consciences The signes then of an vnregenerate still Conscience are these First when it is quiet in the committing and after the committing of knowne sinne whether open or secret For open sins as for drunkennes swearing lying prophanation of the Sabbath and the like the Conscience cannot bee good when these or the like open wickednesses are cōmitted and so when it is quiet notwithstanding secret whoredome or filthines of any kinde or continuall wickednes in the thoughts or desires that Conscience that can abide a foule hart is a wicked Conscience Secondly when it excuseth for doing notorious euils and so they haue euill Consciences that could trouble and persecute euen to the death godly men and yet think they did God good seruice Iohn 16.2 The signes of an vnregenerate stirring Conscience are these First when the Conscience serues onely to tell ill newes when it serues to tell a man onely of his losse by Adam or the Law but neuer comforteth him by bringing-in any euidence of God's fauour in Christ. That Conscience that terrifies without Christ that is without mixing any of the comforts of the Gospell in Christ is an euill Conscience the speciall property of a good Conscience is to excuse and comfort and therefore that Conscience that doth onely accuse is an euill Conscience Secondly when the Conscience flees from the presence of God as did Adam's Conscience after the Fall and this the Conscience discouers when it dares not stand before the discouery of the Law of God nor dares abide a powerfull Minister that speaks to the Conscience of the hearers and ransacks them Thirdly when the Conscience languisheth about questions that tend not to edification and raiseth the strength of zeal and all the power of it about things that are lesse necessary either vnto faith or practice And this was the case of the Pharises Conscience that spent all their zeale about lesse matters and neglected the waightier things of the Law And this is the case of all such Christians that are zealous with a fiery zeal about circumstances or the estates and businesses of others and neglect the main things of substance that concern their owne sanctification assurance or saluation Fourthly when the Conscience is for men and not for God when the motiue that raiseth and incourageth it is the praise of men and not the praise of God This also was the case of the Consciences of the Pharises for the Conscience in them was busie and did require good duties but the respect was still the praise of men whereas a good Conscience is for God aboue all Fiftly when it will accuse onely for grosse euils and those knowne to others and not for lesse and secret sins to be repented of Sixtly when it will accuse onely in the time of aduersity as in the case of Ioseph's brethren Thus of the signes of an euill Conscience The misery that the men haue that haue an euill Conscience follows and they are miserable whether they haue a waking or a sleeping Conscience The misery that comes from a waking Conscience is euill and may bee two waies discerned First

by the tearms by which it is called resembled in Scripture secondly by the effects which it worketh really vpon a man For the first An euill Conscience that is awake is in Scripture compared to a sting or prick wounding the heart of a man It is likened also to a dog or a blood-hound that lieth at the dore and hauing fresh sent howleth and barketh after the malefactor Gen. 4. It is likened as some think by Dauid Psal. 51.4 to an euill contentious wife that is euer before a man chiding and brauling and as a moth secretly eats the garment so doth an euill Conscience eat vp the heart of a man when others little see it Pro. 25. It is like a dart strangely shot into a mans body Psalm 38. And it is compared to the boyling of a tumultuous sea Esay 57. And it is called a worme that dieth not but lieth gnawing and eating vpon the heart of a man Esay 66. Mark 9. So that a man that hath an euill Conscience is like a man that is stung by a serpent or followed by a blood-hound or vexed by a continuall-contrarious wife or that is hourely shot through with darts or that hath a liuing worm euer gnawing at his heart But that this may be more distinctly vnderstood wee must take notice of foure effects of an euill Conscience vsually The first is shame Hee that hath an euill Conscience is betraied by his owne blushing many times when his offense is secret yea a man feeles an inward shame in his owne heart disgracing and abusing him though he make no outward shew of it For though sometimes an innocent person vpon the fulnes of an aspersion may conceiue shame as Dauid did Psalm 44.15 yet it is vsually the effect of an ill Conscience The second is pain and anguish of heart arising from the gnawing and stings of Conscience mentioned before which so continually burdens the heart that it takes away all contentment in any thing and keeps the heart in an habituall disconsolation and though the disease of melancholy may breed a sadnes like vnto it yet is heer manifest difference betwixt this affliction of spirit and melancholy for the melancholick person vsually can assigne no certain reason of that sadnes whereas Conscience when it stings assignes the cause of it to be such and such things which bring not only the shame of men but the wrath of God Besides melancholick sadnes may bee eased by physick but this sorrow is not cured by any meanes but such as are spirituall The third is a strange kinde of feare breaking the heart of a man so subduing his courage that he is not able to sustaine himselfe against the impressions of vaine causes of feare A trembling hart is the effect of an ill conscience Deut. 28.65 Thus wicked men are said in Scripture to feare when no man pursueth them Pro. 28.1 and to bee so faint-hearted as the sound of a shaken leafe shall make them fly as it were from a sword Leuit. 26.36 and as it is in Iob The sound of feare is alwaies in his eares yea the terrors of conscience sometime so enrage vpon the offender that no torments are like vnto their terrors which sometimes are so great that they are hardly able to sustain themselues but discouer their horrible restlesnes by the grieuous distempers of the body or failing of their senses being for the time as Iob saith brought vnder the king of terrors Iob 18.14 What a wofull case Belshazzar was in you may reade Daniel 5.9 These terrors are the fansies the Gentiles so much dreamed of The fourth is desperation An euill Conscience in sinne many times brings them to hellish despair of all mercy and pardon thus Cain rageth blasphemeth like a frantick man And these effects of an euill Conscience are so much the more great 1. Because the Conscience can lash a man without noise it can secretly inflict torments when no eies shall pity him 2. Because there is no escape from Conscience a man can neither driue it away nor runne from it it cleaues to the offender inseparably From a tyrant or ill master some men run away but from an ill Conscience there is no fleeing 3. Because Conscience it self is as a thousand witnesses to prooue the fault though neuer so secret and the offender is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of himself and goes vp and down with a heauie Sentence vpon him in his bosome though all the world should account him innocent 4. Because an euil Conscience is such a damnable disease and the griefe raised by Conscience is such and so lasting that the grieued dies before the grief can be remoued yea so violent is the confusion which despair bringeth into the thoughts that out of the grieuous mistaking and impatience many times the offender makes away himself as Saul Achitophel and Iudas did and many in our times doo 5. Because death it self doth not abate the torments of an euill Conscience but the liuing worm gnawes them euen in hell for euer and with so much strength and power there that one said wittily Hell were not hell if it were not for the gnawing of this neuer-dying and neuer-ceasing worme 6. Because vnto the making vp of the compleat misery of the impenitent sinner the Sentence of Conscience and the testimony of it shall be heard admitted at the last day before the Tribunal of Christ. For thogh an euil conscience shall neuer disgrace for some effects as for that of working despaire of mercy yet for the maine body of the proceedings of Conscience it shal be not only allowed but iustified by the voice of Christ to the eternall shame and confusion of the offendor And though it bee true that the worst of the effects before mentioned arise from a stirring Conscience yet is not the man safe that hath a still conscience if it bee euill For first hee is in continuall danger of the awaking of that Conscience of his that now is asleep What ease can that mans heart beat if hee had all pleasures round about him if hee were tied to a Beare or Lion or mad Dog though hee were then asleep for he may awake euery moment and then where is hee The stilnesse of an ill Conscience is but like the sleep of a frantick man Secondly there can bee no true peace vnto the man that lieth in sin without repentance Esay 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Though hee bee friends with himselfe for a time yet God is not friends with him nor is sinne and Satan at peace with him though there bee an vncertaine truice for a time Thirdly the danger of a still Conscience is the greater for the terrours of a troubled Conscience may prepare a man for Christ and compell a man to seeke help from Christ but in the case of a still conscience there are these two vsuall miseries the one that men take a still Conscience to bee a