Murder It will out so we may say of other Sins They will out That is a great Text When the two Tribes and an half were to take up their Habitations on the other side Jordan Moses preaches a very home Sermen to them counselling them so and so and concludes But if you will not do so Numb 32.23 behold you have sinned against the Lord and be sure your Sin will find you out A Metaphor Expositors say taken from a Blood-hound that follows the Thief by scent and discovers him Ah Sinners Guilt is a Blood-hound that will pursue you and in time make a discovery of your Sins Psal 40.12 Mine iniquities says David take hold upon me that I cannot look up as a Blood-hound lays hold upon the Thief which hath stolen the Goods or as an Hue and Cry follows the Malefactor and apprehends him upon which he confesses the Fact It was said to Gain If thou dost well shalt not thou be accepted But if thou dost ill Sin lieth at thy Door Lurks as a Blood-hound ready to flie upon the guilty Thief as soon as he appears and many times it lies there a long time together Guilt lay at David's Door three quarters of a Year Considering David was a good Man considering his Fact to be so deliberate as it was it was a long time for such an heinous piece of Guilt to sleep in his Conscience whose Heart was once so tender that it smote him for the cutting off of Saul's Garment his implacable Enemy Conscience may reckon with poor Souls after a long time Christ may reckon with Souls many Years after It is said After a long time Mat. 25.19 the Lord of the Servants reckoned with them Long forbearance as we say is no forgiveness So Conscience may reckon with a Sinner and God may reckon with a Sinner after a long time It is true God may keep silence but yet says he I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Psal 50.21 viz. Thy Guilt shall come out I will discover all But before we proceed further I shall premise these things 1. Guilt may be hid from the World a long time it may lie incognito a long time the shame of many a Persons nakedness may not appear for many a Year Who can accuse them Many Murders have lain hid a long time together that God hath brought to light afterwards Hidden works of Darkness have been concealed long as here Guilt for many years lay dormant It is said at Paris There was a young Woman Brain'd with a Hammer A Smith from whom the Hammer was stolen was suspected and tortured till he was Lame But twenty Years after the Murderer was Arraigned and Condemned for another Offence and confessed this Murder Twenty years Guilt was here hid Many Instances might be given in our own Country but I forbear 2. Guilt may be hid from Conscience a long time Conscience may be silent stupid and insensible a great while together So was David So were these Brethren of Joseph's several Years This is evident until either God by his Word or Rod awaken Conscience and then it preaches cuttingly to the Soul of a guilty Sinner Didst not thou play the Wretch at such a time and was Drunk at such a time And didst not thou commit Filthiness at such a time O! Conscience is a most faithful Recorder Thy Sins may lie and lurk a great while in secret yet they will speak out one Day 3. Some Mens Sins are not discovered until the Revelation of the Great Day 1 Tim. 5.24 Some Mens Sins go before hand to Judgment and some follow after The Hypocrisy of the foolish Virgins was not discovered until Christ came 1 Cor. 4 5. We reade of the hidden things of Darkness then being made manifest Then are the secrets of Hearts judged Rom. 2.16 4. God when he hath a design of Pardoning-Grace and Mercy upon a poor guilty Sinner he will discover his Guilt 1. Sometimes to the World to shame him in order to humble him And O poor Sinner hadst not thou better be shamed here in order to be humbled than damned hereafter Ah! many Sinners had gone on in Sin to the far end it may be as far as Hell if God had not found them out and shamed them 2. He always when he hath a design of Pardoning-Grace and Mercy discovers hidden Guilt to the Soul it self he searches for it and finds it out For the Lord sets before us even our secret sins Thus now he set the Consciences of Joseph's Brethren at work Now our Work will be to enquire into the grounds to evince this truth That Sin and Guilt often walk in the Consciences of Sinners long after the Fact is committed 2 Rim. 4.2 1. Because when the Fact is committed the Conscience is seared We reade of seared Consciences a Metaphor taken from that part which is Cauterized by an hot Iron and so made brawny and insensible Alas poor Sinner it may be Satan's Searing-Iron hath cauterized thy Conscience Ephes 4.16 that at present it is past feeling as we reade of some and then the Sinner goes on merrily questions nothing all is well with him he is fast sleep like Jonah with all â—s Guilt upon him But now â—â—e Day comes that God hath design of Grace it may be upon him or however a design of Glorifying himself and now he finds out a way â— awaken Conscience to set â—â—s Guilt before it I will set by Sins in order before thee Psal 50.21 and now the Conscience beâ—ins to be tender and relent and confess Sin and say as they in the Text Verily we are guilty concerning our Brother O! now Sin begins to heigh heavy upon the Soul and the Sinner begins to be restless being prickt in the seart Now being prickt in the Conscience O! how it â—leeds 2. Reason is Because when the Sin was committed was in hot Blood as we say O! many a poor Soul committeth that in hot Blood 〈◊〉 repents of in cold By hâ— Blood I mean an Hurry and heat of Temptation â— in the hot blood of Passion Is not this hot Blood In tâ—â— hot blood of Lust Is nâ—â— this hot Blood O! whâ—â— hot Blood was David in wheâ—â— he in Anger boiled so again Nabal And what hot Blood was he in when he boyleâ— so in Lust against Bathsheha But when in cold Blood hâ—â— was another manner of Maâ— Men in cold Blood are confederate compos'd and calâ— in Spirits and Thoughts Now the Guilty Sinner take himself to his second thought and upon a review of the Fact O then Sin begins 〈◊〉 appear in its proper coâ—â—urs and as in Paul's phrase Rom. 7.9 Revives hath a Resurrection in the guilty Man's Consence And now as a pectrum it appears and â—alks and haunts the Sinner â—â—at he cannot be quiet Night or Day It is with Sinners 〈◊〉 this respect as it is with a â—an in a Fight
smiting him Aâ— David his Heart smote him when he cut off the Lap oâ— Saul's Garment Tendeâ— Consciences find this inwarâ— smiting either upon thâ— commission of Evil or thâ— omission of Good Ah! now how did Joseph's Brethren's Consciences smite them It is set forth by the poor Publican smiting on his Brest And sometimes with Ephraim's smiting upon his Thigh O now Sinners reflect upon their Sins as thaâ— word No Man repented and said what have I done 5. It is set forth by bringing again to mind which is the proper notion of Reflection Remember and shew your selves Men Isa 46.8 and bring it again to mind O ye Transgressors Therefore we have frequently such Expressions Remembring their evil ways 1 Kings 8.47 and if my People shall bethink themselves These are properly the Reflex Acts of the Mind and Conscience 6. It is set forth by Accusing The Conscience draws up an Accusation against the Sinner as here Joseph's Brethren did it Reflects when it Accuses We reade of the Gentiles who only had the Law of Nature and yet their Consciences did accuse them 7. It is set forth by Condemning which is higher than Accusing it passes Judgment as well as it witnesses If our own Hearts condemn us 1 John 3.20 God is greater than our Hearts viz. our Consciences We may spell out of all these some things of the nature of Reflection of Conscience Second Inquiry is What this awakened Conscience reflects upon For we must understand that Conscience doth never bear false Witness for in this case the voice of Conscience is the Voice God Conscience's Testimony holds true in the case of Joseph's Brethren 1. Conscience in a day of Affliction reflects upon matters of Fact It may be at the present commission of the Sin the Sinner takes no notice of it in an hurry and huff of Temptation all is forgotten O! but there is 〈◊〉 Book of Remembrance that Conscience keeps and all your Sins are registred there and though it be a sealed Book at present you know not â—ow soon it may be opened and you judged out of it according to what you have â—one O how many Sinners may now deny matter of fact but when Conscience â—hall be awakened to lay it â—ome and charge them plainâ—ith it saying as Nathan to David Thou art the Man Then there will be no denying of it The witness of â—â—es own Conscience is an â—deniable Testimony Cain â—ould not deny this Testimony therefore his Guilt cri'd all that meet me will slay me 〈◊〉 aoh could not deny this Testimony I and my People are wicked Judas could nodeny this Testimony I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood The People of God could not deny this Testimony when they cried out Our Iniquities testifie again us c. 2. Conscience doth no only reflect upon matter oâ— Fact but upon Circumstances and Aggravations of the Fact Conscience when awakened becomes tender and calls every particular Circumstance to remembrance that did heighten or any way aggravate the matter and thus did they in the Text Wherein lay the aggravation of the Guilt You have heard hinted before I that we saw the anguish of hâ—â— Soul and he besought us yet we would not hear 1. They saw the anguish of his Soul and yet their Eyes did not affect their Hearts 2. It was their Brother too 3. He besought us 4. They would not hear All of them great Aggravations Saw it The anguish of a Brothers Soul A beseeching Brother and would not hear Deasned their Ears to his lamentable Cries O how do their Consciences Reflect upon all these There are several things that Conscience when awakened reflects upon with reference to the Circumstances of matter of Fact 1. Sometimes Conscience tells the Sinner it is against Light Thou hadst so much Light as to conceive this before commission that it was a Sin that it was a Violation and Transgression of an holy Law and says Conscience this thou knewest yea this thou knewest before-hand and yet contrary to the discovery of this Light thou didst run violently into it and rebelledst against the Light as Job's phrase is Job 24.13 2. Sometimes Conscience tells the Sinner he hath sinned against Resolutions and this is an aggravating Circumstance O how often says Conscience hast thou broken thy serious Purposes and Vows when it may be you have been in imminent dangers and distresses Now Conscience registers and records the very Resolutions of poor Sinners it being privy to all the secret Purposes When some of you are at Sea ready to be swallowed up of the Belly of Hell as Jonah phrases it O then you pray to God and purpose against Sin if God will bring you off with your Lives at this time Or it may be others of you at Land upon a supposed Death-bed O if God will spare you How do you resolve against Sin yea against those Sins that sting your Consciences most But alas after all this do not you break your Bonds Now Conscience books all and at one time or other will remember you of all these things 3. Sometimes Conscience in its Reflections tells the Sinner of sinning against its Warnings and Dictates To sin against the dictates of Conscience is a very great Aggravation O Sinners how often hath Conscience warned you As you love your Peace as you love your Souls as you will answer it at the great Tribunal of God that you go not on in such a Course or that you commit not such a Sin at your Peril says Conscience but not withstanding all this the Sinner blunders on I tell you Sinners from the Lord there is never a Warning an awakened Conscience hath given any of you but it will rise up against you another Day either here or hereafter 4. Sometimes Conscience in its Reflections tells Sinners of their sinning against its Reproofs which is an aggravating Circumstance To run into Sin after long reproved hence you have that terrible word Proy 28.1 He that being of ten reproved hardens his Heart shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy O says Conscience is not this thy Case Hast thou not often been reproved Have not I often reproved thee and God often reproved thee and Ministers often reproved thee Yet hast thou gone on c. And will not every Reproof walk in your Consciences another day that you sin against now 5. Sometimes Conscience in its Reflections tells Sinners of sinning against Mercy which is another aggravating Circumstance How many Mercies says Conscience have you sinned against sparing Mercy at Sea and at Land preventing Mercy preserving Mercy O what a life of Mercy hath thy Life seen Nothing but a Series of Mercy a large Tract of Mercy a Line of Mercy and yet thou hast sinned against all This will grieve thee another Day when thou shalt have all thy Mercies as well as Sins set in order before thee Thirdly Conscience reflects upon the dishonour Sin brings to God as well
as upon the Fact and the circumstances of the Fact When Conscience begins to be enlightned and awakened O then it begins to think what dishonour Sin hath brought upon God for as Sin brings guilt upon the Soul so it brings dishonour upon the Name of God And thus David's Conscience reflects Against thee against thee have I sinned this laid uppermost on the Heart of David He sinned against his Soul he sinned against his own Body he sinned against Bathsheba he sinned against the whole Church of God but of all says he Against Thee against Thee have I sinned O says Conscience to the Sinner how hast thou opened the Mouths of the Enemies of God and his People to blaspheme and caused the Ways of God to be evil spoken of Thou hast wounded and stabb'd the Honourable and Blessed Name of God and should not the Honour of that God that created thee be dear to thee who hath preserved thee in a thousand Dangers and hath provided for thee in a thousand Wants should not his Honour lie near thy Heart Did not this make Joseph say How can I do this Wickedness and sin against God Fourthly Conscience when awakened reflects upon Times and junctures of Time in which Persons have sinned There is a great deal in the Time of Sin as well as the Act of Sin to reflect upon Therefore it was taken notice of in that black Brand upon Ahaz 2 Chron 28.22 This is that King Ahaz that sinned more and more in the time of his Distress O what a monstrous thing was it to sin then There are three Times that Conscience takes special notice to reflect upon when we sin in them 1. A time of common Calamity when God's Judgments are abroad To sin when God is smiting for Sin when God smites on and Sinners they sin on They returned not unto the Lord that smote them O now cries Conscience did not you commit such a Sin in the time of the Plague in the time of the Fire How durst you sin when God's Sword was drawn and sheathed in the Bowels of so many thousand Sinners This was to sin when the Judge was upon the Bench. And while he was passing Sentence against poor guilty Malefactors and O what impudence was this in Sinners 2. A time of Personal Affliction This is a Juncture of Time for an awakened Conscience to reflect upon and tell you of when any of you have laid under the Hands of God and what then to lift up your Heel against God This is not only Sinning but daring Sin and Conscience takes notice that that was your Sinning Time which should have been your Humbling Time for Sin 3. A Time of receiving eminent and particular Mercies from God then to Sin against God O! how will Conscience take its opportunity and tell you of it another Day For Hezekiah to sin against God when God had so lately raised him up and recovered him from a Sentence of Death O what will Conscience say to this when Hezekiah comes to be humbled for it What! for David to sin after God had brought him through all his Dangers and Difficulties and put him in possession of the Kingdom for him to say Thou hast made my Mountain strong and I shall not be moved O how will David's Conscience reflect upon this another Day 4. When God hath graciously visited the Soul with smiles of his Love then to sin Conscience will be sure to reflect upon this To return to Folly after God hath spoken Peace O! how will Conscience tell thee of this another Day and tell thee what Disingenuity and Ingratitude there was in it Is this a time to sin Is not this like a foolish People to requite the Lord with evil for so much Good as you have received from him 5. To sin after thou hast humbled thy self for Sin this is a time Conscience will Reflect upon What will Conscience say to these things Is this thou that lately wert upon thy Knees bemoaning thy Sin before the Lord What thou who hast so lately confessed and acknowledged thy Sin and now running into Sin yea into the same Sins you have mourned over and repented of O! how will Conscience sadly animadvert upon these things in the day of its dealing with you poor Sinners Fifthly Conscience when awakened will Reflect upon lost means and seasons of Grace Christ considered this when he preached that doleful Sermon to Jerusalem O! Luke 19.29 that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy Peace He knew it would cut to the Conscience to tell them of lost Seasons and lost Advantages for Heaven and Eternity And indeed this makes up much of the Torments of Hell These Reflections upon the last motions of the Spirit last convictions of Conscience last Sermons Ordinances and Sabbaths Nay when God comes to awaken Conscience how doth it reflect upon these things in this present Life As one said when a Ministeâ— came to comfort her Call Time again call Time again Implying she thought it was as impossible to apply Come for t to her as to call time again So poor Sinners how sad will this be for you another Day to cry Call Sabbaths again Ministry again a day of Grace again motions of the Spirit again Alas Sirs now you think these things may be dallied and trifled with and it is indifferent whether you lay hold of such opportunities to improve them or no. O but when they are gone how will these things sting A Man who hath been under good opportunities to arrive at a great Estate in the World and when he is brought by his bad Husbandry and Prodigality to Penury and Poverty O! how doth he then Reflect upon himself if he be sensible and upon his fair Opportunities that now are past recalling O then what a Mad-man was I What fair Opportunities have I lost Thus it is in this Case with Guilty Consciences when awakened O what a fair way was I once in for Heaven and eternal Life What Seasons had I to enrich my Soul in Grace O! what a Fool was I that had so many Prizes put into my Hand and had not an Heart to make use of them these will be sad Reflections Sixtly An awakened Conscience will Reflect in a day of Affliction upon the sad Effects and Consequences of Sin what Sin brings along with it what follows and treads upon the Heels of it 1. Sad effect of Sin Conscience reflects upon is God's displeasure O! who can bear it Angels could not it cast them out of Heaven Adam could not it cast him out of Paradice He drove out the Man Nay the most holy Servants of God could not bear it It made David cry out Psal 38.3 There was no rest in his Bones because of God's Anger Nay more It made the Lord Jesus Christ cry out when he endured it for our Sins My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And says Conscience can you bear it
in the sight of God Yet when this poor Wretch came to hear of God's Threatnings how quick was Conscience in making Reflections upon him he humbled himself before the Lord. Manasseh for all his Abominations when God brought him into the Briars then Conscience fell to work O now Manasseh came to know the Lord O now he humbled himself How ordinary is this How many wicked Men sometimes upon a supposed Death-bed sometimes upon a real Death-bed have confessed that guilt which hath laid dormant in their Consciences a very long time How have they had all their Sins set in order before their Eyes O how have all their former committed Wickednesses though never so secret taken hold of them Now for the Proof of it as to the Godly in particular they contribute witness abundantly to this Truth therefore when we find them under the Hand of God what confession do they make to God What supplications do they pour out to God at such times How do they mourn like Doves and as the Church saith roar like Bears accusing themselves now in a day of Distress Isa 59.12 13. As for our Iniquities they testifie against us c. It is said of Israel That God slew the fattest of them and smote the chosen Men of Israel O what did they then in this sad day Then they returned to the Lord. Psal 78.31 34. But alas all this was but while the Affliction was upon them David when under Affliction O how he Reflects There was no rest in his Bones because of God's Anger and his Sin And Jonah guilty Jonah when God had found him out how quick was Conscience with him For my sake is this evil come upon you Gast me over-board He acknowledges himself to be the Storm-breeder Now First We shall enquire what a Reflection of Conscience is Secondly What Conscience doth Reflect upon in a day of Distress Thirdly What kind of Reflections these reflections of guilty Consciences are Fourthly Why Conscience is so quick with Sinners in a day of Affliction and Distress Fifthly We shall improve all by way of Application First What a Reflection of Conscience is Here we must enquire what Conscience 〈◊〉 We reade often of it in Scripture Heb. 10.22 Having our Hearts â—rinkled from an evil Conscience Heb. 9.14 And Consciences purâ—â—ed from dead Works to serve the Living God I will not â—rouble you with any Nicity â—bout Conscience because â—he Truth is purely practical It is indeed disputed whether Conscience be a Power or in Habit or an Act only Some of late have called it an justinct or a Principle in Man impressing upon his Mind a future Judgment Dr. Barthog in his Causa Dei pag. 404. Or an Habit a Natural Habit. An Habit because it was at first in Adventitious Impression Natural because now it is Original and transmitted in â—he same way as other Natural Qualities thus one upon it But I will apply my self to those things that have no perplexity in them to understand Conscience is a very busie faculty in the Soul of Man or a Practick and Reflexive Power of the Mind and its Operations are these 1. It takes notice of Mens Actions what we do we do under the Eye of Conscience A Heathen could say It is God's Register and a strict Observer of our ways 2. It doth testifie either with us or against us so it acts the part of a Witness And so it is said to Excuse or Accuse Rom. 2.15 It speaks sometimes for poor Souls this is our rejoycing 2 Cor 1.12 the testimony of our Consciences I doth sometimes Accuse Thus it did in Joseph's Brethren then they cried out of their Guilt 3. It doth torment O what â—orment like that of a griping â—uilty Conscience How did Cain's Conscience torment him and Judas his Conscience torment him How did Spira his Conscience torment him This is a piece of Hells Torments begun here This Conscience in Men is Judge Witness and Executioner Now we must understand â—here is a two-fold Conscience 1. A seared Conscience Having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.2 Cauterized as hath been hinted before whereby it is made brawny and insensible Now while thus it is not a Reflecting Conscience Here is no walking Guilt though abundance of dormant and sleepy Guilt And for the present had no Joseph's Brethren seared Consciences when they did 〈◊〉 down to eat after such a Fact as casting their Brother into the Pit Gen. 37.25 And they took him and cast him into a Pit and the Pit was empty there was no Water in it And they saâ— down to eat Bread c. Her was little Sense upon them no Reflection yet upon them 2. There is a soft and tender Conscience and this is the Conscience that make Reflections Conscience is awakened before it be thus softned It must know iâ— hath doue evil before it say What have I done David's Conscience was thus tender when it smote him for cutting off the Lap of Saul's Garment Now for the better understanding what is meant by these Reflections of Conscience we must inquire by what Expressions the Scripture sets them out 1. Reflections of Conscience are set forth by Conviction We reade of them that brought the Woman to Christ taken in Adultery They were convicted in their Consciences John 8.9 they went out one by one It is a Law-term The Prisoner stands Convict Now these Persons applied Guilt to themselves They were guilty in their Consciences Thus Joseph's Brethren were guilty and cried out as Men convict in their own Consciences Convictions say one is the light of the Understanding reflecting upon the Guilt discovered to it whereby it makes a deep impression upon the Spirit Sâ— that one piece of Reflection consists in conviction 〈◊〉 Guilt 2. Another expression setting forth the Reflections 〈◊〉 guilty Consciences is wounded Spirit It is now wounded Conscience Now Joseph's Brethren were wounded in their Consciences 〈◊〉 wounded Spirit Prov. 18.14 who can beaâ— or lift up as some reade it A Metaphor taken from Bodily Wounds O how will a Wound smart and throb So doth Guilt in an awakened Sinners Conscience when it makes Reflections O! now it is pained under the sense of Guilt Thus David Psal 38.5 My Wounds stink and are corrupt 3. Another expression setting forth the Reflections of guilty Consciences is the reproaching of Conscience My Heart shall not upbraid me as long as I live Job 27.6 or from my days Concerning my manner of Living my Heart shall take no shame from my Days says Mr. Broughton Viz. From those things I have done in my Days or from my whole Conversation He had lived in good Conscience before God and Man Acts 23.1 But now when Conscience reflects upon a Man under sense of Guilt it reproaches him it upbraids him it is always chiding him 4. Another expression setting forth the Reflections oâ— guilty Consciences is Thâ—â— Conscience
can you stand under his Anger According to thy Power so is thine Anger 2. Conscience reflects upon the Soul's Pollution and Defilement another sad effect of Sin That a Soul which came out of the Hand of God so pure so spotless a Being should be so deformed and defiled O how sad is this 3. Another sad effect of Sin that the awakened Conscience reflects upon in a day of Affliction is the withdrawment of God's comfortable Presence from the Soul O! how did the Spouses Conscience Reflect when she said My Beloved hath withdrawn himself Sin makes God hide himself from his dearest Children And O what temptations are God's Children exposed unto when their Father is withdrawn O how easily then are they drawn in to think hardly of God to be jealous of God to question his Promise I might name many other sad Effects and Consequences of Sin that awakened Consciences Reflects upon But I will forbear The Third Query is this What kind of Reflections these Reflections of awakened Consciences are 1. These Reflections are home Reflections O Sinners when Conscience Reflects and charges it home this was the case of my Text it was a home charge Verily we are guilty concerning our Brother O how quick was Conscience now with them And so when David reflected upon his Sin charged upon him by Nathan Thou art the Man says Nathan I have sineed says David It may be for the present your Consciences say little to you are very silent but stay until God shall awaken them O then until your Sin be pardoned it will be a Terror to you and cause you to mediate Terror What though this Lion sleep day will come that God will rouze him up and then he will be a Roaring Lion O what an home Reflection was that of Judas I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood And surely Peter's Conscience charged him home when he went out and wept bitterly 3. These Reflections of awakened Consciences they are just and righteous Reflections O! Conscience doth not reflect without a Cause doth not accuse or sting without a Cause Was then not a Righteous Cause for this Reflection in the Consciences of Joseph's Brethren Was there not great Guilt a the bottom Did Cain's Conscience afright him without a cause had not he killed hâ— Brother Abel Did David Conscience smite him with out a cause when he cried out I have sinned Did Judâ— his Conscience torment him without a cause when he cri'd out I have sinned in betraying Innocent Blood Oh Sinners When you look into your past Lives and turn over the Book of your Conversations Page by Page Leaf by Leaf and observe Page and Margin well you will sind both full of causes for these Reflections May not you charge your selves for this Sin and the other for this unknown Guilt to the World and the other O then you will say it is a righteous thing that Conscience should Condemn and that the Sentence thereof is a just and righteous â—entence We reade of him that had not on the Wedding Garment his Mouth was stopt he stood speechless So will it be in this Day with all poor guilty Sinners they will not have a word to say for themselves why Sentence should not be Executed upon them Rom. 2.19 Every Mouth must be stopt that all the World may become Guilty before God 3. These Reflections are full of Horrour and Dread Fear naturally results from them and you know Fear hath Torment in it These Reflections become great Torments to guilty Consciences the inward gnawings of this Worm are very terririble Alas what can arise out of Guilt Sinners but Dread and Horror Guilt we say makes a Man affraid of his own Shadow O what a torment is this when a Man â—omes to be dogg'd and haunted where-ever he goes with with his own guilty Conscience He needs no other Executioner or Tormentor The â—ase of Spira is a dreadful â—anding Instance Herod heard â—f the Fame of Jesus and â—id unto his Servants Mat. 14.2 3. This 〈◊〉 John Baptist he is risen â—â—m the Dead therefore might Works do shew themselves in 〈◊〉 What was the matter â—ith Herod that he was thus â—â—â—tled and crys it was â—â—hn He had killed John â—â—d now John though dead â—â—lk'd in his guilty Conscience and as a Spectrum â—eadfully affrighted him 4. These Reflections of â—â—ty awakened Conscience are not easily quieted Conscience is not easily pacified Luther hath this passage It is as hard a thing tâ— comfort an afflicted Conscienceâ— as it is to create a World God says he Isa 57.19 created the fruits of the Lips Peace peace viz. in his Minister's Mouths when they are Barnabasses Sons of Consolation to troubled Souls O! Who caâ— speak Peace to a Woundeâ— Conscience but God Hâ— only can say to poor Souls iâ— danger of being Shipwrackâ— with these Storms of Conscience's Troubles Peace and bâ— still The Lord Jesus can only command these Wind and Storms to obey him Thus it was with David thâ— the Lord had sent Nathaâ— the Prophet to him to teâ— him God had put away hâ—â— Sin yet all this would not do until the Lord told him so himself which occasioned that Prayer of his Lord make the Bones which thou hast broken to rejoyce Psal 51.8 Make thou me to hear the Voice of Joy and Gladness 5. These Reflections of awakened Consciences are such as constrain the Sinner to seek out for ease Poor Souls now dwell in little ease they are disquieted and distressed and therefore look out for a Remedy A wounded Spirit who can bear Wounded Men you know groan for ease So do these wounded Souls Hence it was that Cain under the horrour of his awakened Conscience begins to build Cities to divert the rage of his throbing Conscience Many Sinners when awakened and troubled they go to the Musick with Saul to play the evil Spirit down It is said of Charles the 9th King of France after that dreadful Massacre in Paris which was in his Reign He never durst awake out of his sleep without Musick So many go to sinful Company and sinful Recreations to make use of them as a sleepy Sop to allay the rage of an accusing tormenting Conscience as tho they had a design to Conjure down the Guilt that walks in their Consciences But now when a poor Soul is truly awakened with a clear sight of Guilt in the Glass of the Gospel O then he begins to pray to seek out after Christ to enquire what he shall do to be saved to be pardoned O! how do such poor Souls like the stung Israelites under the smart and pain of the Wound run up and down to look towards the Brazen Serpent for Healing And like those prickt in the Heart cry out Men and Brethren what shall we do First Reason Why Conscience in a day of Affliction is quick at Reflections Because days of Affliction are days of Remembrance Conscience sets Memory now at work and now
Memory turns over the whole past Life of a Sinner O says Conscience in the day of Distress Didst not thou commit such a Sin at such a time in such a place Dost thou not remember it And didst not thou think thou shouldst never hear of it again though I told thee and warned thee to the contrary but now I am come to call thy Faults into remembrance this day In a day of Affliction Conscience is our Monitor and Remembrancer It remembers the Sinner of two things 1. Of his past Convictions 2. Of his broken Resolutions And it is upon this account that Repentance is called A remembring of our evil ways You have Sinners committed many a Sin and forgotten it and buried many a piece of Guilt in the grave of Oblivion and because you had forgotten these things you thought God had forgotten them too and Conscience had forgotten them but you will find your selves mistaken When a day of Affliction comes then Conscience will remember you of all and set all in order before your Eyes David calls some of his Psalms Psalms of Remembrance To call to Remembrance So Conscience will sing you a sad Song of Remembrance as I may say it will remember some of you how often you were Drunk and where how often others of you have been Unclean and where with all the Circumstances of matters of Fact Secondly Because in a day of Affliction Conscience is awakened at other times it is asleep and so cannot be quick and active Men lull Conscience asleep with their Enjoyments or with their Affairs and Employments but now in a day of Affliction the Lord takes them off these They then are at leisure to reckon with their Consciences as they awake they begin to call themselves to an Account Afflictions are great Awakeners It may be the poor Sinner is like Peter asleep between two Souldiers when the Angel came and smote him So Conscience doth with Sinners O! how quick is Conscience with them when they are awakened O! what a sleepy Fit for three quarters of a Year did David fall into until God made use of Affliction to awaken him Joseph's Brethren what a Lethargy were their Consciences in for many years together until this Affliction awakened them And so How did Manasseh his Afflictions awaken his guilty Conscience Thirdly Because a day of Affliction is a day of serious Consideration Men go on inconsiderately in the Ruffe of their Prosperity while they are as I may say in their hot Blood but when they consider with themselves better then they change both their Minds and Courses I considered my Ways Psal 119.59 and turned my Feet to thy Testimonies But now What brings in this day of Consideration Is it not a day of Affliction In a day of Adversity Eccles 7.14 consider What brought the poor inconsiderate Prodigal to a stand and so to a return was it not a day of Affliction His consideration is exprest by this He came to himself Now Conscience being awakened Sinners begin to come to themselves and then they say Jer. 8.6 What have I done Whither have I been going O! what will follow upon this Course of mine what will be the effects of this Sin and Guilt If Men did consider these things and ask their Souls such Questions how would it be a means to stop them in their carreer and course of Sin O now 1. A Sinner begins to think how he hath dishonour'd God 2. How he hath displeased God 3. How he hath wounded his own Conscience 4. How he hath led others into Sin by his example 5. How he hath aggravated his Sin by sinning against Mercies and Deliverances These and many more Considerations are called over in the Conscience when awakened in a day of Distress and Affliction Fourthly Because a day of Affliction is a Day that puts the Sinner upon a diligent search O how quick is Conscience upon the search Now Sinners are set upon searching trying their ways with the Church Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. Lam. 3. This put Heman upon a diligent search I communed with my own Heart Psal 77.5 6. and made a diligent search As the Woman did seek for her lost Groat did sweep the House and lighted a Candle So now the Soul in a day of Affliction seeks and searches for this Sin and the other Surely says the awakened Conscience there is some Provocation there is some Wedge of Gold some allured Thing some right Eye some right Hand which puts the Lord upon contending with me and upon thus afflicting of me Thus Josepb's Brethren they search and find out their Guilt in the day of their Distress and Affliction Fifthly Because a day of Affliction is a Day of plain and impartial dealing with ones own Soul We are prone to be Partial at other times and flatter our selves but now Conscience being awakened it deals faithfully as the Matter requires O! now Conscience in the day of Affliction tells the Sinner a plain story Sinner thou hast sinned and thou canst not deny it and thou must repent of it or else perish to all Eternity Except you repent you shall likewise perish Now this is a plain Sermon and thus did Joseph's Brethren Their Consciences in their Affliction told them a very plain Story We are verily guilty concerning our Brother c. And ah Sinners had not your Consciences better be plain with you now than be plain with you in Hell O what plain Sermons doth Conscience preach to the Damned You will not many of you bear plain Preaching now But O remember what a plain Preacher Conscience will be when awakened in a day of Affliction Now we come to the Improvement of what hath been said upon all the Doctrinal part Application Is it so that Conscience is so quick and active in a day of Affliction Then 1. Learn we hence that many Souls have great cause to bless God for Afflictions They may say with David Before they were afflicted Psal 119.67 they went astray Joseph's Brethren for any thing I know had died under this Guilt if God had not brought them into this Distress Had not Manasseh cause to bless God for his Affliction They were blessed Bryars he was caught 〈◊〉 Hath not the Lord oâ—ened the Ears of many by Affliction and commanded â—hem to return from Iniquity Yea great Persons when they have been bound in Fetters Job 36.8 9 10. â—nd holden in Cords of Affliction then God sheweth â—hem their Work and their Transgressions that they have exceeded O! what a Mercy was it to the Church when God hedged up her Ways with Thorns Is it not a merâ—y to be kept from drowning 〈◊〉 a Pit though it be by a Thorn Hedge How many â—inners had gone on in Sin â—nd had been drowned in â—ell if God had not stopt â—hem by a sharp Thorn Hedg of Affliction O! What would have become of the Prodigal in
that gets a â—ot but being warm at preâ—nt feels it not but afterwards the loss of Blood causes â—â—m to faint Persons engaged in their Temptations do â—â—t feel the fiery Darts that â—atan shoots at them O! but in cold Blood how do â—â—ey cry out When they â—ome to a feeling of themselves what they have done against God and against their own Souls Remember Siâ—ners what you commit 〈◊〉 your hot Blood you will 〈◊〉 pent in your cold and it wâ—â— walk in your Consciences afterwards Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh Man afterwards shall fâ—â— favour more than he that flatereth with his Tongue say Solomon viz. When a Man is in cold Blood composed 〈◊〉 his Spirit then he cousider this friendly rebuke was 〈◊〉 Love 3. Reason Why Guilt often walks in the Conscience after the Fact is committed is Because the custom of Sin takes away the conscience of Sin Custom in Sin is a very hardniâ—â— thing when Sinners have gotten habits of Sin one 〈◊〉 being Drunk another of being Unclean another of being Proud now all sence of Sin is lost Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots No more can they that are accustomed to do evil do good O! but now when the Lord musters up the Sins of a poor guilty Wretch in order to bring him to Repentance then the Lord makes this Sin walk in his Conscience and the other Sin is brought to remembrance O! now the Soul crys out Men and Brethren what shall I do My Sin is ever before me O how was David haunted with his guilt How did it now walk in his Conscience 4. Reason Sinners are ignorant of the sad effects and consequences of Sin until afterwards Alas many times Sinners know not what they do when they commit Sin 1. They know not what they do in sinning against God David in his heat of Temptation did not consider it until afterwards 〈◊〉 then he cried out Psal 50.4 Against thee against thee only have 〈◊〉 sinned The Prodigal did noâ— know what he did in the going from his Father but afterwards how did he cry out Luke 14.21 I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight Now Guilt did walk in his Conscience Now Sinners cry out with them in the Prophet Isa 59.12 For our Transgressions are multiplied before thee and our Sins testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us 〈◊〉 and as for our Iniquities we know them 2. Now the Eyes of the Sinner being opened he sees the sad consequences of Sin that he hath sinned against his own Soul Pro. 8.36 He that sinneth wrongeth his own Soul O now what work is there in the Conscience when the poor Guilty Sinner sees how he hath wronged his own Soul yea without Mercy from God undone it for ever nay without Repentance thou hast not only wronged thy own Soul but damned thy own Soul O now the Sinner sees the reward and wages of Sin is Death The first Death and the second Death Temporal Death and Eternal Death and now it begins to appear in its proper Colours but alas this is not until afterwards 5. Sin walks after the Fact committed because the aggravations of Sin ordinarily do not appear until afterwards That which makes Sin stand up in the Conscience of a Sinner is the aggravation of Sin which is laid before it usually by Reflecting Acts therefore the work of Repentance is set forth by these Reflecting Acts O says the penitent Sinner Jer. 8.6 What have I done Alas a Sinner in an hour of Temptation doth not take time to deliberate upon it to look into the Aggravations of it but all these come in as After-claps These are Conscience's After-claps Oh! what aggravations undoubtedly did appear in this case of their Guilt against their Brother Joseph 1. They speak like Persons aggravating their Guilt O now they cry out Gen. 37.26 27. We are verily guilty concerning our Brother O now they see the aggravation of their Sin against their Brother against the Law of Relation To make a Slave of a Stranger had been a great Sin but to make a Slave of a Brother this was an higher aggravation and we find this consideration startled Judah Let not our hand be upon him for he is our Brother This was a sin against the Law of Nature and the Law of Relation as well as the Law of Religion 2. They have this aggravation of the matter of Fact it was committed against Warning Thus you see Reuben rubs them with it in their distress Gen. 42.22 Spake I not unto you saying do not sin against the Child and you would not hear therefore behold his Blood is required O now all comes out as we say to sin against Warning is a great aggravation O now says the guilty Conscience once awakened how fairly wert thou warned nay how frequently wert thou warned O says Conscience did not I speak to thee and tell thee solemnly thou shouldst answer for it and God would require it 3. There was this aggravation in it there was Theft yea the highest Theft in it it was Man-stealing as Joseph says himself I was stolen away out of the Land of the Hebrews Gen. 40.15 Now this kind of Theft was punishable by death Exod. 21.16 He that stealeth a Man and selleth him shall surely be put to death And O then what an aggravation of Sin was this to sell their own Brother 4. There was this aggravation of Guilt stood up in their Consciences it was a deliberate Act as was hinted before an Act of Counsel and Conspiracy the Text is express in it And when they saw him afar off Gen. 37.18 even before he came near them they conspired against him to slay him And as they joyned in their Conspiracy now upon guilt walking in their Consciences they in my Text joyn in their Consession O! so it is with Sinners when Sin is laid home to the charge of Conscience O but was it not a plotted piece of Guilt a contrived piece of Guilt a deliberate Act David tells us he said He would confess his Sin and God forgave the Iniquity of his Sin Psal 32.5 viz. The deliberateness of it it may be he points at that particular aggravation 5. Aggravation that stood up in the Consciences of Joseph's Brethren was their hiding of it and this put them upon dreadful Lying and Dissembling with their Father Gen. 37.30 And we will say Some evil Beast hath devoured him This have we found know whether it be thy Son's Goat or no. O what dreadful work was here This is the fruit of Sin to cover and hide all with Lyes to their own Father 6. Aggravation was there Cruelty and Hard-heartedness The Text tells you They would not hear when he besought them And now this cuts them to the Heart So will Conscience one day say to the guilty Sinner O! did not I beseech thee to hearken to me
Did not I beseech thee not to do this abominable thing which God hates Did not I tell thee the sad effects of it but thou wouldst not hear 7. Aggravation it was their envy to their Brother They hated him because of his Dream of their Sheaves bowing to his and now they see the fruit of this their Envy O now when the aggravations of Sin are set home by God upon the Conscience O then Sin appears as the Apostle phrases it to be exceeding sinful Sin appears as a walking Ghost or Spectrum that haunts the Soul Now I shall proceed to the improvement of this Practical Truth Then 1. It affords us this Instruction that Sin leaves its sting behind it It may be the sting of Sin doth not appear at first It may seem to the Sinner to be an harmless thing but it always leaves some thing behind it that will torment the Soul at one time or another and this Sinners is a thing called Guilt There is a Worm that is bred by Sin and this is a guilty Conscience And the Worm O how terribly doth it gnaw No Torment like the gnawing of a guilty Conscience it is no less than an Hell on Earth it is to be in Hell's flames before-hand If you could ask Cain he would tell you what a Torment an awakened guilty Conscience is If you could ask Joseph's Brethren they would tell you If you could ask Francis Spira he would tell you If you could ask Judas he would tell you whether Sin after its commission doth not leave a sting behind it Nay to come down to your latter Times ask Butler the penitent Murderer Nay ask Savage and they will tell you that Guilt walks in the Conscience afterwards O how hath this sting of Guilt made many poor Souls cry out and roar again We all mourn like Doves and roar all like Bears What was the matter Isa 59.72 Their iniquities testified against them O what dispair it hath brought many into Therefore it was good Counsel of the Philosopher Look not upon Pleasure coming but going And as he said when askt so much for lying with a famous Harlot I will not buy Repentance at so dear a Rate O! Will not such Philosophers shame thousands of Christians O! What a dear bargain will your pleasurable or profitable Lusts be to you either here or hereafter 2. Learn we hence that though Conscience be dumb and silent now yet it will not always be so It may be thy silent Conscience is a seared Conscience but the day may come as silent as it is now it will open at thee though it now be a sleeping Lion yet it may be a Roaring Lion Joseph's Brethren had their Consciences silent many Years twenty Years together but now it speaks to them and charges their guilt home upon them and they could not stand before the Charge and Indictment but plead Guilty David's Conscience was strangely benummed for three quarters of a Year together as you have heard But when it was awakened O how it roared upon him Psal 38.8 I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of mine heart 3. Learn we hence that the worst is not past because Sin at present is not discovered Many poor Sinners think O! their guilt is so secret and concealed that the World knows not of it their Christian Acquaintance know not of it their near and dear Relations know not of it by this they flatter themselves and think the worst is past O poor Sinners consider with your selves God knows of it and Conscience knows of it and it will and must come out sooner or later O then the worst is to come when Sin shall either be charged upon you by an awakened Conscience or by a Revenging God Ezek. 22.14 Ah Sinners What Hearts can endure or what Hands can be made strong in the day the Lord shall deal with you 4. Learn hence God is not only an Holy God but an Omniscient God he is Holy and by no means will he clear the Guilty This is a piece of his Name But he is also an Omniscient God knows where all the Sinners secret Guilt lies Psal 90.8 Our secret Sins are set before the Light of his Countenance The Lord saw all this secret Guilt of Joseph's Brethren it was as is said laid up with him Deut. 32.33 and hid amongst his Treasures What poor Sinners though your Relations see it not nor the World see it not yet God sees it Conscience sees it you can do nothing out of the sight of Conscience 5. Learn we hence the reason of that sorrow that many times follows Sin so that the Sinner knows not where to rest Thus Butler the penitent Murderer Thus poor Savage whose Case was the greatest Sermon ever preacht at Ratcliff-Gross The reason of this Sorrow is the guilt that sticks in the Conscience this fills the Soul with Horrour and Sorrow O now the Soul becomes a terrour to itself and it may be a terrour to all that are round about him When you are tempted to Sin O that you did but think this Sin will end in sorrow Will it not be bitterness in the latter end O how would this tend to the breaking of the power of a Temptation The 2d Improvement of the Truth is by way of Caution If Sin leave Guilt behind O then take heed of Sin Then poor Sinners this may well be a Sermon to you against Sin O then 1. Take heed of Sins that make deep Wounds in the Conscience such Sins as do Vastare Conscientiam make havock of Conscience sins against Light against the Light of Nature as thy own Conscience will accuse thee of if thou didst not sit under the Light of the Gospel Joseph's Brethrens was such a Sin David's was such a Sin And O how did it therefore break his Bones What are your secret Drunkennesses Uncleanness your secret Night-haunts will they not all come out one day and be brought to light Are they not sins against Light Yea against the Light of Nature Could you sin without controul of Conscience if youâ— did not put your Finger in the Eye of Nature 2. Take heed then of secret Sins also be they never so hidden they will walk in your Consciences another day Take heed of the works of Darkness they will come to light Did Joseph's Brethren think when they sold their Brother it would have come out thus Let not Satan and your own Hearts flatter you to think your sins will always be hid because at present they are so 3. Take heed of being hardened in sins Because God seems by his Providence to â—ink at it Many do so Psal 50.22 Because says God I kept siâ—nce thou thoughtst I was altogether like thy self Like â—â—nose Eccles 8.11 that Because Sentence â—â—as not speedily executed their â—â—â—rts were fully set in them to 〈◊〉 Whereas they should â—nake this use of it God's forâ—â—earance is to
a far Country it the Lord had not found him out by Affliction It is said There is an antipathy betwixt the Serpent and the Nightingal and while the Serpenlies in wait for the Nightingal she sets a sharp Thorn to her Brest lest she should sleep and so be surprized and when ever she is heavy the Thorn pricks her and make her sing with renewed Chearâ— fulness O poor Souls how many have cause to bless God for putting a sharp Thorn to their Brests to keep them awake lest they should be surprized by the wily Serpent that lies in wait for precious Souls 2. Learn we hence not to conclude because Conscience sleeps at present that it will always do so Though it sleep now a day of Affliction will come and then it may awake and tell you many a sad story You think poor Sinners all is well after the Fact is committed if Conscience say nothing to you But alas the worst is to come the Reckoning Day is yet to come Stay until God bring thee into the Bryars or upon a Death-bed and it may be thou wilt then tell another story The longer Conscience sleeps the louder will its Noise be when once it awakes But what if it do not awake at all here Then it will awake hereafter it will awake in Hell There is not one sleepy Conscience science there But O Sinners had not your Consciences ten thousand times better awake here when and while there is Hope 3. Learn we hence what a sad Judgment a seared Conscience is which makes no Reflection at all which never smites a poor Sinner but lets him run headlong to Hell O what Wrath like this what Plague like this to have an hardned Conscience a Conscience past feeling Such as can boast of Sinning and their Conscience never trouble them God hath said to such as once to Ephraim He is joyned to Idols Hos 4.17 let him alone And O what a Judgment is this for God to wink at Sinners Damnation as Luther says Wo to that Man whose Sins God winks at 4. Learn we hence what a Mercy a tender Conscience is a Conscience that reflects in a day of Affliction that smites a Man for what he doth These Smitings and Reflections are great Mercies for they are in order to bring Souls to Repentance whereas you might else have died in your Guilt unpardoned O! Bless God when your Consciences recoil upon you and tell you you have Sinned It was the commendation of Josiah that he had a tender Heart 2 Chron. 34.27 5. Learn we hence the Reason why many Sinners have confessed that under Affliction that they never did nor never would confess before Conscience would not let them alone they could not be quiet Guilt was like Poyson to them if the Party do not Vomit he dies for it all comes out in a day of Affliction that lay hid before Afflictions are great Discoverers Nay how do some guilty Sinners in this case like Sea-men that cast that over-board in a Storm that they wish for again in a Calm O do not many confess and discover that in a storm of Conscience that they wish they had concealed and kept in Horror of Conscience extorts many a Confession from guilty Sinners The second Use Is it so that Conscience is very quick and active in its Reflections in a day of Distress and Affliction Then it is a word of Caution 1. Take heed of not heartening in a day of Affliction â—o the voice of Conscience O take heed of turning a deaf Ear to a speaking Conscience If ever it will speak in this Life it will speak then when thou art in a day of Affliction Do not as these Brethren did who heartened not to the anguish of their Brother's Soul when he besought them O do not so with your Consciences O do not say in this matter as he did to Paul Come again at a more convenient time and I will hear thee O poor Sinners there can be no more convenient time in the World than a day of Affliction 1. Sinners know if you hear it not now it may be it will speak no more Hearken to it while it is to Day the Oracle will be silent to Morrow O! What if this should be the last time the lasâ— words that ever your Conscience will speak to you and yet you should be deaf to it would not this be sad 2. Sinners what if thâ— next time that Consciencâ— should speak to you it should be in another World What iâ— thou shouldst hear a voicâ— from the Damned say aâ— was said to Saul To Morrow thou shalt be with us What if thou shouldst not live tilâ— to Morrow and thou be deaâ— to Conscience to day Had not you better hear youâ— Consciences now than heaâ— them in Hell 3. Sinners know the Voice of Conscience is the Voice of God it hath its Commission from God He hath bid Conscience speak to you convince you warn you caution you smite you Go says God to Conscience and talk with such a poor Sinner who hath wronged and wounded his own Soul and dishonoured my Name and warn him from â—e And tell him from Me Except he repent he shall â—erish in his Sins And will â—ou refuse to hear such a â—â—essage from God in a day â—f Affliction 4. Sinners know this It â—ill aggravate your Guilt exceedingly to be deaf to â—â—e Voice of Conscience in a â—y of Affliction Indeed it is so at any time but much more in a day of Distress Such Reflections as you have turned a deaf Ear to will be great Aggravations against you another day John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them says Christ they had not had Sin Their Sin had not been so circumstantiated as may be said in this case If Conscience had not Reflected upon you convinced you reproved you you had not had Sin but now your Sin remains 5. Sinners if you hearken not unto your Consciences in a day of Distress it iâ— an argument you are hardned in your Sins if thus deafned then hardned If 〈◊〉 deafned Wretch thou wilâ— prove an hardned Wretch O now if Sinners would put all these together they would see need of this Caution to take heed lest they should turn a deaf Ear to Conscience in a day of Distress Second Branch of the Caution Take heed of stifling and strangling the Reflection of Conscience in a day of Affliction This is very dangerous and yet very ordinary The Lord made Man Righteous but he hath found out many Inventions And some of these Inventions are to stisle and strangle Conscience to overlay the Reflections of awakened Conscience as the Woman overlaid the Child O how many Sinners have overlaid their Convictions Some go to their Comforts some to their Cares some to their Pleasures and all to smother Conscience Some Sinners take these following Courses to murder their Convictions 1. They run further into Sin Will this ever
prove a Remedy Will not this make the Wound to bleed so much the more To run into sinful Company when wounded in your Consciences will not this inflame the Reckoning Is not this to run so much the more upon the score with God O Sinners let me tell you all these Arrears must at the long run be reckoned for 2. Others they run to lawful Comforts and Enjoyments and so labour to stifle the Reflections of their guilty Consciences 3. Others they run to their lawful Employments as Cain did to build Cities so some go to their Trades to their Shops on purpose to drown the convictions of their own guilty Consciences 4. Others go to their sinful Recreations Carding and Dicing and Gaming 5. Others make Charms of their Duties and Forms as Papists go to their Pater Nosters and their Ave Marys nay may not this piece of refined Popery be in the Heart of such as call themselves Protestants But alas all these cannot bear down an awakened Conscience when God sets Guilt on The Third Use Is a word of Exhortation to poor guilty Sinners O! then yield an Ear to the Reflections of your own Consciences Many a Man's Conscience cannot be heard by him it checks him and chides him and reproves him but yet all this while the Sinner stops his Ear as the deaf Adder of which some write That she claps one Ear to the Earth and covers the other with her Tail O hear Sinners then what Conscience hath to say Hearken to the Preacher in your Bosoms Turn you about Sinners once before you die and listen to this Preacher 1. Sinners if you will not hear it now you must hear it whether you will or no hereafter And O how sad will it be to hear it there Where the Worm never dies and the Fire never goes out This Worm is the guilty Conscience which Sinners must hear in Hell if they will not hear it here Guilty Consciences preach in Hell and the Sermon is as long as Eternity it self Maak 9.44 and happy were the Damned if they could run away from these Sermons O Sinners you cannot stop your Ears in the other World against your guilty Consciences as you do in this 2. Sinners hearken to the Reflections of your own Consciences for your hearing them will be in order to the getting of your Sins pardoned Its Reflections are in order to your Repentance and your Repentance will be in order to your Remission They are both put together and preached in the Name of Christ together And would not you be glad to have your Sins pardoned Would not you be glad to have your Sins washed away in the Blood of Christ Would not you be glad to have this heavy and insupportable burden of Guilt removed off the back of your Consciences Are your Sins gone over your Heads as a Burden yea as too heavy a Burden for you to bear and would not you rejoyce to be led to Safety and Rest under all your Loads and Pressures 3. Be sure you attend to the Reflections of your Consciences for the Rod joyns issue with Conscience the Rod sets Conscience on work and they preach the same Doctrine Therefore we are called and strictly charged to hear the Rod. It may be Sinners Mic. 6.9 God hath tried other Preachers and they have done little good to make you sensible of your Guilt then God commissions these Preachers Conscience and the Rod. If a Man cannot come abroad and hear a Minister then Affliction shall preach to him at Home Now the Rod is assistant to Conscience Job 24.13 the Preacher in your Bosoms 4. Sinners be not deaf to the Reflections of your Consciences this is to sin against your Light nay to â—ebel against your Light And is not this sad and the guilt of this Rebellion you will be charged with another day 5. Poor Sinners Be not deaf to the Reflections of your own Consciences usually God follows such with his severest Judgments 1. Sometimes Temporal Many times God makes that threatning good upon such I will wound the hoary Scalp of every one that goes on in his Trespasses Psal 68.21 If Men will walk on in their Sins contrary to all checks and convictions of Conscience let them look for some severe blow of the Hand of God upon them sooner or later for tho the Sentence be not speedily executed it is not said it never shall Tho Execution day be for a while deferred yet it will come 2. Spiritual Judgments which are the worst and saddest of Judgments Many times Sinners deaf to their Consciences are given up to a seared Conscience to a reprobate Mind to vile Affection to their own Lusts to hardness of Heart And is not the judicially hardned Sinner the half-damned Sinner The Second Branch of Exhortation is To such as have Reflecting tender Consciences O then bless the Lord for such awakened Consciences It is a greater Mercy than you think of to have such a Monitor and Remembrancer in your Bosoms 1. Is it not a Mercy to be way-laid in a sinful Course To be prevented in Sin To be stopt in a Carreer and full Gallop for Hell This this is the end why God sets Conscience at work with a poor Sinner Had not many poor Sinners run headlong to utter Destruction and Damnation else May not many a poor Sinner say to Conscience as David did to Abigail Blessed be the God of Israel 1 Sam. 25.32 33. that sent thee this day to prevent me from shedding innocent Blood When thou hast had rebukes of Conscience hast thou not said Numb 22.34 as Balaam to the Angel in his way to stop him If my way be perverse before the Lord and displease thee I will get me back again And is not this a Mercy 2. Is it not a Mercy to be raised to Re entance after falling into Sin The Sinner's Sinning is his Fall the Sinner's Repentance is his Rising And are not all Conscience's Reflections when it is awakened in order to Repentance as hath been already hinted and is not this a Mercy to be pluckt as a Firebrand out of the midst of the burning O! how doth Conscience give many a pull at some Sinners to get them out of the Fire lest it should prove the Fire that never goes out 3. Is not this a Mercy to have thy Soul lie in the way of a Pardon Canst thou O poor Sinner expect Remission without Repentance Hast thou any Promise for it in all the Bible Produce it if thou canst O! whoever told thee so but Satan and thy own deluding Heart Do not all Offenders that receive Pardons from their Princes receive them upon their Knees Whither is it thy awakened guilty Conscience would send thee but to the King of Israel that Merciful King with Sackcloth upon thy Loins and an Halter about thy Neck in order to the receiving of thy Pardon Third Branch of the Exhortation O then bless the Lord for days of
THE HUE and CRY OF CONSCIENCE AFTER Secure Sinners OR THE ALARM of CONSCIENCE In order to the Discovery of HIDDEN GUILT The Heaven shall reveal his Iniquity and the Earth shall rise up against him Job 20.27 Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee our secret Sins in the light of thy Countenance Psal 90.8 By JOHN RYTHER Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. D. for Iohn White at the Three Bibles in the Minories 1680. TO THE Serious and Impartial READER THe present Day cannot but be looked upon to be an evil Day even by those who have but their Eyes half opened That which makes a Day evil is the Sin of the Day which brings on the dangers of the Day and God's threatnings to cause our Sun to go down at Noon and to darken the earth in the clear Day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentations and I will bring up Sackcloth upon all Loins and Baldness upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an only Son and the end thereof as a bitter Day Now when the evils of our Sins abound among us and the evils of God's Threatnings impend over us it is a seasonable time to contribute to a check of the one and to a preventing of the other which must be by some awakening or searching Calls and Crys to sleepy and drowzy Consciences which is the sole Design of this small Treatise Three sorts of Readers it is like to fall into the Hands of 1. Of awakened or it may be startled Consciences but half awakened Or 2. Into the hands of such who are sprinkled from an evil Conscience Or 3. Into the hands of such whose Consciences are seared Now for the first of these I would offer some things to serious Consideration 1. Whatever thou find'st here to concern thee do not put it off Know is a renewed Call of God to thee and say as in that case Lo this we have fearched Job 5.27 so it is hear it and know it for thy good Or as it is in the Hebrew for thy self Know it to a practical and profitable improvement of it Dost thou know what thou mayst find in following the Search Hadst not thou better search Truth to set thee upon a diligent search for Guilt that hath laid long hid than let God find it out to thy shame sorrow and confusion of Face O be not thou troubled that thy Conscience is startled and begins to fly in thy Face Know now it is a Call of Christ Ephes 5.14 saying Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light Little do Sinners know the danger of putting off Christ's renewed Calls 2. Carry what concerns thee in this Treatise to God in Prayer Conviction looks well when it puts upon Supplication O this is the great Reason why so many awakenings by the Ministry of the Word or by Providential Dispensations die and come to nothing because they are not prayed over O how hard is it to bring guilty obstinate Sinners upon their Knees We find when Ephraim bemoaned himself and lay under Conviction he then presently fell on praying Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God O Sinners know that such Convictions as are not attended with Prayer will but prove aggravations of your Sin and Guilt another day As soon as ever God had wrought throughly upon Paul it was said Behold he prayeth Prayer is the first breath of the new Creature 3. What concerns thee here consider it well weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary prove whether it be according to the standard of the Sanctuary Poor Souls hear much and it may be reade much but this marrs all they consider little Now it is the considerate Reader that is the profitable Reader Consider what thou readest 2 Tim. 2.7 and the Lord give thee understanding 1. Consider the Word thou hearest and thou readest shall judge thee at the last Day All thou hast heard all thou hast read shall come in as witness against thee And canst thou stand before such a Testimony 2. Consider thy own Conscience in that Day will be a thousand witnesses And canst thou then lift up thy Head when the Books shall be opened Rev. 20.12 and amongst the rest this sealed Book of thy own guilty Conscience where thy Iniquity that hath been sewed up shall be brought to light Job 14.1 and thy Transgression that hath been sealed up in a Bag shall be openly detected and discovered 3. Consider the Day is bastening upon thee that the iniquities of thy heels shall compass thee about Psal 19.5 O how wilt thou poor Sinner be entangled and perplexed with thy Sin and Guilt Some understand by Heel the last part of a Mans life towards his Death And doth not such a day hasten upon you O what work will Guilt make in the Conscience in a day of Distress consider by Joseph's Brethren 4. Consider how thy Conscience consents as thou readest Is not this true says Conscience Hast not thou found and felt it so says Conscience Is not thy Conscience put to silence as thou readest Consider that the Truths are commended to thy Conscience 5. Consider how sad it would be for all thy awakenings all thy touches all thy impressions all thy Convictions to be lost at last O Sinners how will such be condemned out of their own Mouths Can these be lost and your Souls saved of all your losses you may reckon these among your grea est losses 4. What concerns thee here remark and remember you may read much and remark little and this marrs all you read this remarking is Conscience taking Notes and making Animadversions upon Truths You do not bring your Consciences to reade Books say as you reade O my Conscience mark this this nearly concerns thee You know Men mark and observe what concerns them The second sort of Readers this little Tract may fall into their Hands are such who are sprinkled from an evil Conscience upon whose Door-posts the Blood of the Paschal Lamb is sprinkled who with Paul daily exercise themselves in all good Conscience both towards God and Man 1. O do you reade and bless God that you have to all Chalenges and Questions the answer of a good Conscience that you can silence all your Objections and Accusations by Faith in the Blood of Christ and can sing that triumphant Song even in your Militant State Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect c. Can every one say so can every Professon say so can every Child of God say so Are there not many that have been a long time learning to sing this Song and have not learnt it to this day 2. Let this be your care to preserve the tenderness of your Consciences You may by guilt Sirs benum your Consciences as you find by what
you here reade A smiting checking Conscience is a very great Mercy tho little priz'd or esteemed by the most 3. Remember how bitter Sin was to you before you came to know what peace of Conscience meant how many a bitter Tear it fetched from your Eyes how many deep and bitter sighs from your Hearts yea even to the breaking of your Loins O what Gall and Wormwood was it to your Souls How often did you say will it not be bitterness in the latter end How often did you take up that Language to your own Souls This is thy way and thy doings because it is bitter it reaches to thy Heart c. But yet as you reade do you remember how sweetly all this ended in God's speaking peace to your Souls and you no more turning to Folly 4. Tremble to think of losing the Peace that God hath spoken to your Consciences under sense of Guilt when you meet with that guilt which concerns you O let the loss of your peace be like Hell to your Souls O blot not that Pardon your Redeemer hath written so legibly in his own Blood Blurring off your Pardon may cost you dear 5. Be afraid of the least Guilt the least Sin because it is Sin When Satan cannot prevail with you to venture upon greater Sins then he will tempt to lesser Sins But know you not that the least Sin is Soul defiling yea the least Sin is Soul damning unless the Blood of Christ sprinkle your Consciences How have many Souls groaned under the guilt of such Sins for many Years when God hath set them home upon your Consciences The third sort of Readers into whose hands this little piece may fall are such whose Consciences are seared such the Apostle mentions these are in sensible 1 Tim. 4.2 Truths make no impression upon them Ephes 4.19 they are be nummed The Apostle expresses it by being past feeling And when they are arrived at such an height of Sin what do such do The Text tells you They commit all Uncleanness with greediness Now to such I would say 1. The day is coming thy seared and insensible Conscience shall condemn and rise up in judgment against thee And O then who can stand before the witness of an awakned Conscience You may as well think to dwell with everlasting Burnings and tormenting Flames as avoid or evade the Testimony of a tormented and awakened Conscience Nay know that sometimes this Hell hath begun here Will not Cain tell you while he crys out My punishment is greater than I can bear No torment like the torment of a guilty Conscience Nay ask Adam and he will tell you when he was afraid and hid himself from the presence of God O Guilt you know cannot endure the presence of the Judge O doth not Pashur's case speak forth this truth What a terror to himself was he Did not Judas preach this Doctrine when he cri'd out I have finned in betraying innocent Blood Nero that Monster when he had killed his Mother Agrippina and his Wife and set Rome on fire after all this Guilt at last felt an Hell in his Conscience and could not rest Day nor Night so that when he died he cried out his Mother Wife and Father all will'd him to die Richard the 3d O what a guilty tormenting Conscience had he after the Murder of his Nephews in the Tower and the Night before he was slain at Bosworth he dreamed he thought all the Devils in Hell were halling him in most hideous and ugly Shapes What says Judge Morgan to this case after he had unrighteously passed Sentence upon the Lady Jane afterwards feeling an Hell in his Conscience cried out O take away the Lady Jane take away the Lady Jane Which made one say The Guilt which from unseen Pollution springs Pale sweating Horror in the Bosom brings 2. What tho your Consciences be seared upon the account of your Guilt being undiscovered Yet know God many times hath found out Guilt in an extraordinary way Providence treads not always the same Paths in discovering hidden Guilt Eccles 10. ult he can cause a Bird of the Air to carry the Voice and that which hath Wings to tell the matter He can reveal In quity from Heaven The Heavens shall reveal his Iniquity Job 20.7 and the Earth shall rise up against him One of our * Lord St. John Judges riding his Circuit of late Years met with this Passage One being Murdered and the Murderer not being discovered the Murderer being brought to the dead Corps the Corps opened his Eyes at the Murderer and fell into a Sweat This the Judge related to a godly Minister then living History is full of such Providential bringing hidden Guilt to light 3. Know poor Sinners while your Consciences are seared you are Satans marked Slaves In Ancient Times they used to mark their Slaves and the Holy Ghost alludes to it when we reade of the Mark of the Beast in the Forehead or in the Hand This Searing-Iron puts Satan's Brand upon you you are his And O poor Sinners did you but as you reade this believe it what restless Days and Nights would you have until you had some hopes of your escape from this House of Bondage Can you be content to live and die in the Devil's Drudgery Can you be content to be his bored and marked Slaves his Servants for ever Then you must have the Wages of such Servants and such a Service The Wages of Sin is Death Death Spiritual Death Eternal 4. Know poor Sinners there is not so much as one seared Conscience in Hell they are sadly awakened that are awakened with Hells flames about their Ears If you could hear the Crys and Shrieks of tormented Souls you would say Hell is full of sense of Guilt But alas now it is too late then Repentance is too late They are all saying This and this hath their own Ways and Doings procured unto them O it is bitter O it reaches to their Heart But O Sinners this should have been sooner 5. Know poor Sinners what you reade here if you go on in Sin you will feel another day for an aggravation of Sin yea and Condemnation too What reade what may prevent your Ruine and yet run on What split your Souls upon these Rocks and Sands you saw such Sea-marks before to keep you off O is not this to be wilful in your Perdition Is not this to run headlong to Destruction O Sinners hear God calling out of Heaven to you by his Servants Preaching to you Printing for you why will you die why will you perish why will you run on in Sin when you know that when Lust hath conceived it brings forth Sin Jam. 1.15 and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death O then poor Soul Reade and Hear and Pray that thou may'st prosit by all bless God for all and bring forth the Fruits of all Thus prays thy Servant for thy Soul J. R. Gen. 42.21