Gen. 39.9 And charging us to such as are good to do them 1 Pet. 3.16 The object of Conscience then is very large and extensive So that as one saith * Annesley qu. supra 'T is much easier to reckon up what is not the object of Conscience then what is In brief whatsoever is morally operable is the object of Conscience whatsoever Conscience doth or may operate about in a Moral sense and so takes in both our estate toward God and all our actions not only such as are moral operables in a stricter sense but such as are only thus in a larger sense as is Evangelical faith it self to be accounted * Sanders Prael 1. §. 23. This being as the command so the work of God that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ Joh. 6.29 1 Joh. 3.23 Nay there is not an act of that Moral indifferency which we may call properly humane the indeliberate and immoral actions of man which grow out of the imagination and disposition of natural qualities I except as being not in propriety of speech humane as not proceeding from the Soul as reasonable * Aquin. Sum. 12. q. 18. a. 9. I say there is not so indifferent an act which comes not within the sight and censure of Conscience though not as such or secundum speciem yet in its singular existence and as 't is circumstanced by which circumstances Conscience considers it made either morally good or else morally evil Thus Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the skirt of a garment an act in it self indifferent But Conscience attends the circumstances It was the skirt of Saul his Sovereign and Gods Substitute and therefore a sin in him who was his subject servant c. 1 Sam. 24.5 6. Thirdly Q. What is the end of Conscience to which it resers 'T is Mans judgment of himself i.e. of his estate and actions as it and they are subjected to the judgment of God Conscience being Gods Substitute and set by God himself upon the throne of Judicature doth therefore subordinate all to God all its objects and in all its operations It eyes God as the supream Judg both of it and of them in its regular acts and exercises Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Psal 139.23 24. Nor doth Conscience ascite either the estate or any action into or sit upon them in judgment but as they and it are subjected to him who is superiour to the Conscience greater than the heart and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 3.20 21. Truth is when Conscience acts it self it is steered by and subordinated to the judgment of God in its whole judicial process In the first proposition 't is ruled by and subjected to the judgment of God in point of truth or as to matter of law In the second proposition 't is ruled by and subjected to it in point of testimony or as to matter of fact and therefore in the third proposition which is but a result from and upon the two former there cannot but be a subordination and subjection still had and made either virtually or formally to the same righteous and unerring judgment How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God saith Conscience in Joseph As I have done so God hath requited me saith Conscience in Adoni-bezek Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye say Peter and John to the Jewish Rulers when they would set Conscience in them at work Gen. 39.9 Judg. 1.7 Act. 4.19 The office of Conscience then in general is to judg for from and under God which is inclusive of many particular acts or as some please to phrase it offices whereof I shall give you a succinct view in opening a sixth Question Q. 6. What are the Offices of Conscience and how may we so order her and our selves in them as to come off with more clearness The Offices of Conscience are best observed and opened by a review of the manner of its operation or judgment which is by way of Discourse in a practical Syllogism as hath been already mentioned Let me offer two instances more Thus All that have the Lord for their God are in an happy or blessed estate But I have the Lord for my God Therefore I am in an happy or blessed estate Again All sin is to be avoided for it self But this idleness of mine is sin Therefore This idleness of mine is to be avoided for it self Here are two Syllogisms which shew the manner of Conscience its operations both as concerns my estate in the first Syllogism and as concerns action of mine in the latter In each Syllogism there are as you see three propositions This is the proceeding of Conscience in all the judgments it maketh The offices of Conscience are obviously pointed us out in and by these several Propositions The first Proposition still manifestly contains some general law or rule whereby I may come to a clear issue in judgment what my actions have been or else should be and what my estate is Thus Conscience hath the office of a Law-giver thus she is to conserve for us and 1. to communieate or dictate to us laws or rules of general right and verity as concern our estates and actions And so the Apostle sometimes appeals it Know ye not i.e. do not your Consciences tell you that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience to righteousness Rom. 6.16 i.e. Do not your Consciences dictate as much as this So 1 Cor. 11.13 14. Judg in your selves c. Conscience is appealed to in this general concernment Is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered Again Doth not even nature it self i.e. doth not even natural Conscience teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him 3. To chalk out and descry our liberty As it is to dictate law or what must be in matters necessary so it is to discern liberty what may or may not be in matters of indifferency * Ames de Consc l. 1. c 3. n. 1. Q. 5 p. 26. That Conscience hath to order and officiate for us in thing adiaphorous is afore premised the Apostle prompteth 1 Cor. 10.25 27. I know there are that approve not the mention of these acts to the account of Conscience But the twofold acceptation of Conscience tendered you Quest 5. pag. 21. a more large and in a more limited sense may salve their exceptions And that such dictates and laws appertain to Conscience in the common and received usage of Conscience which I am particularly concerned to attend needs no other proof than the frequency of such speeches among us My Conscience tells me Men should do to others as they would
c. Mal. 1.13 Job 21.15 Chap. 35.3 Amos 8.5 Exod. 5.2 2. Sometimes 't is outs in the measure generally it is in one extream or other either over or under Conscience accused Cain as also Judas but to that extremity as ended in despair and horrour It accused Ahab and Felix but not as might infer the hatred of their sins or alteration of their states Gen. 4.13 c. Mat. 27.3 4 5. 1 King 21.29 cum Chap. 22. Act. 24.25 26 27. 3. Most times 't is out in the method and circumstance of time Conscience should be checking and curbing in the first motion of sin within but concupiscence ordinarily conceiveth and bringeth forth e're Conscience checketh it or censureth the sinner Conscience should have anticipated that act of pride and carnal confidence in Davids numbring the people at least should have been accusing while that act was a consummating But nine months and twenty days are run out e're Conscience gives him a rebuke And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people Conscience condemned the sin of Judas but not till he saw the condemning of Jesus 2 Sam. 24.8 10. Mat. 27.3 4. At all times 't is out in the manner if God should be severe and weigh it in the scales of his Justice Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin That his Conscience hath discharged its office with that freedom and faithfulness with that openess and holiness with that sincerity and self-denial c. as is due from us Who can understand his errors Prov. 20.9 Eccles 7.20 Psal 19.12 2. With relation to future things and tims Conscience is authoritatively to direct and determine 1. Subordinately under God and as from God as the chief Governour 2. Supreamly to and for God as the chief good and end But alas how sinful is it here likewise 1. How little doth it attend insomuch as God complains None saith restore and calls out Who will hearken and hear for the time to come Isa 42.23 How few are there that with Mary ponder those things in their hearts which concern the after-times and their eternal peace But how many that hold fast deceit that refuse to return and set their heart on their iniquity rather than to seek out their duty And because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Luk. 2.19 Jer. 8.5 Chap. 5.3 Hos 4.8 Eccles 8.11 2. How lost is its authority Conscience hath much-what left its subordination to God and his word Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8.9 Chap. 6.10 The Commandments of Men are received and the Commandments of God are rejected by the Pharisees and Conscience is pretended and pleaded Mat. 15.1 10. Mar. 7.1 14. Conscience hath much what lost also its superiority over the Will and Affections which it should over-rule and order God calls and Conscience calls Return ye every one from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good And they said There is no hope but we will walk aster our own devices and we will do every one the imagination of his evil heart And so Conscience is often enslaved though it cannot be wholly extinguished by corrupt affections Jer. 18.11 12. Chap. 2.24 25. Rom. 1.18 21 c. 3. How low is its aspect Conscience should order every business to be done as for and as before God and should hold back from sin as that which displeaseth dishonoureth and is contrary to God But alas how far distant are mens counsels which abundantly speak the defilement of Conscience Ahab humbleth himself but 't is to anticipate the sufferings denounced from God not in abhorrence of the sin done against God Jehu reforms but 't is to ensure the Government not to exalt Godliness Conscience calls the Pharisees to prayer and almes-deeds but 't is to be seen of men rather than serve God Calls the People and the Priests to fasting at some times to feasting at others But keeps them within themselves carrieth them not up to God as their end in either 1 King 21.21 ad finem 2 King 10.28 cum 31. Mat. 6.2 c. Zach. 7.5 6. 4. How languid are its acts Conscience is 1. to inform and dictate what we are to do what to decline but this it doth many times falsly most times ineffectually calling evil good and good evil putting darkness for light and light for darkness Or if it presenteth our duty right yet not so as to prevail to the doing thereof regularly Isa 5.20 Rom. 1.21 2. Conscience is to engage and bind us from iniquity to duty But this it doth either very feebly or forbears and lets fall its bonds in an affliction happily these bonds seem fast and firm but the heart is not right with God nor remains stedfast with him and they soon fall of again And as for the word spoken to them in the name of the Lord when the rod is over they are ready to say We will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever seems good in our own eyes c. Hos 5.15 chap. 4.6 Ps 78.34 37. Jer. 44.16 17. 3. Conscience is to impell and instigate but alas how faintly doth it this or else forbears it insomuch as the Prophet complains There is none that stireth up himself to take hold of thee Isa 64.7 And the best of Believers have sound frequent cause of awakening and alaruming their Conscience Psal 57.8 chap. 103.1 2. 4. Yea Conscience is ready to engage against all this so corrupt it is as to be angry with the strict and searching Truths of God and with Ahab to quarel with Gods Elijahs Hast thou found me O mine enemy And to conclude with him against the messengers of God as he touching Micajah He never prophesieth good concerning me but evil Yea to hate the good and love the evil to hate him that rebuketh in the gate to hate the light and will not come to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 1 King 21.20 ch 22.8 Mich. 3.2 Amos 5.10 Joh. 3.19 20. How extream then is the evil of Conscience further than it is purged by the blood of Christ What cause have we then of continual humiliation and of highest circumspection How careful should we be to get Conscience cleansed and cured which leads us to the next Question Q. 3. How may we be cured of an evil Conscience The cure of the several evils or sicknesses of Conscience as also the cure of the several sorts of an evil Conscience must be expected by you and will be endeavoured by me more particularly hereafter The cure of the evil state of the Conscience is the concernment I have now before me I suppose you sensible that the state thereof is bad In order to the setting right of it I advise that I. You submit to your Convictions These Convictions
to the adult Jews who were then Circumcised and not till then with the Circumcision of the Heart * See Fords pract use of Infant-â—aptis Rom. 6.3 4. Act. 22.16 1 Pet. 3.21 Phil. 3.11 12 13. 2. The waters of sorrow or sincere repentance Contrition will cleanse thy Conscience Evangelical tears will expunge these tinctures No dirt will fix where these drops fall witness David Repentance will blot out these stains from thy Soul and thy sins also before God Smite thy rocky Heart then with the Rod of God and the Waters will gush out Draw Water and pour it out before God Repentance is called the washing of the Heart from wickedness Ezek. 18.30 31. Jer. 31.18 19. Psal 51. Act. 3.19 Exod. 17.6 1 Sam. 7.6 Jer. 4.14 3. The Waters of the Spirit sanctifying and regenerating the Spirit is not only compared to Water as quenching the drought of the Soul but as cleansing the defilements of the Soul Joh. 7.37 38 39. Ezek. 36.25 Conscience will continue sinful till he comes and cleanses its filth is not to be washed off by any work of flesh but by the effectual work of God's Spirit 'T is God's Spirit must sanctifie our Spirits or we stick in the sink and mud of our sin and uncleanness Isa 4.4 Rom. 15.16 1 Pet. 1.2 Resist not the Spirit then but receive those influences he sheds abroad Listen not to the flesh look within the vail of the Covenant where God hath promised to put his Spirit within you yea and to pour out his Spirit on you and plead his Promise in your Prayers Ezek. 11.19 Isa 44.3 Psal 51.12 143.10 3 Blood The Bath for Conscience is the Blood of Christ Here is the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness this cleanseth from all sin and there is not any sin which doth not need this cleansing or any power of the Soul Both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry were to be purged by Blood Moses sprinkled therewith both the Book and all the People Consider Conscience then in any capacity it needs this cleansing as a Book as a Witness as a Judg as it 's the Mansion of God and as it ministers to and in Man Zach. 13.1 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 19. 23. Sprinkle then this Blood of Jesus upon thy Conscience The People were to sprinkle the Blood with a bunch of Hysop dipt therein as well as the Priests Exod. 12.22 Lev. 16.14 To note there must be an Application of Christ's blood made by us as well as an Application made to us of this Blood by Christ and thus have we our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience as by the Spirit on his part sprinkling it on us so by Faith on our part which sprinkleth us with it Faith is that bunch of Hysop which being dipt in this Blood purifieth the Heart Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean saith the Psalmist Purifying their hearts through faith saith Peter Heb. 10.22 1 Pet. 1.2 Psal 51.7 Act. 15.9 Believe then in the Lord Jesus Faith is not only effectual through the Blood of Christ to purge the Conscience from the guilt of sin to the justification of thy person but also from the filth of sin to the Sanctification of thy Nature Rom. 5.1 Act. 26.18 4. Behold the noted excellency of a pure Conence and be assiduous For at 1 Mind the noted place of Conscience it 's the upmost part of the Soul next under God and above all that is in Man A pure Conscience is of Angelical perfection Purity is the Gem and Diamond in the Crown both of the clear and pure Conscience this renders it like the New Hierusalem a City of pure Gold 2 The noted power of this Conscience The pure Conscience hath a power of converting even the basest Mettals like the Philosopher's Stone into pure Gold afflictions into advantages To the pure Conscience all things are pure like that Perfume which the Lord prescribeth Moses whatever they are asunder being tempered together they are pure and holy 1 Pet. 2.19 c. Tit. 1.15 Exod. 30.35 3 The noted price of this Conscience What cost it no less rate than the precious Blood of the pure and immaculate Lamb of God What print carrieth it no lower than the resemblance of the purest Essence and Excellency of God Of what preciousness and pleasance doth God account it Of no less than his Habitation his Throne his Resting-place Heb. 9.14 cum 1 Pet. 1.19 1 Joh. 3.3 Isa 57.15 4 The noted Priviledges of this Conscience How great here boldness in prayer the blessing of peace the beauties of God's Presence c. Heb. 10.22 Phil. 4.7 Psal 18.26 But how glorious hereafter in a pure and perfect state most pure and beatifick sights Psal 24.3 4. Mat. 5.8 But consider this and you cannot be careless God Glory Christ Comfort do all severally bespeak Conscience as Christ sometime did Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me But wash this and thou art clean every whit Joh. 13.8 10. Q. 6. How may we preserve our Conscience pure Though I must remit you for fuller satisfaction to what hath been already spoken Chap. 2. Q. 6. Yet I shall not refuse to subjoyn something more in this place 1. Continue at your work Conscience is clean but not all therefore is neither all your work done for its cleansing till hope pass into enjoyment ye ought to be purifying both the Promises hoped for and the principle of hope put upon and perswade unto it 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Joh. 3.3 Neglect not any of the means already prescribed you Qu. 5. Direct 3. The same word and work of Faith Hope c. which made thy Conscience pure will maintain its purity 2. Keep Conscience to its work Keep it doing and you keep it from defiling The pure Gold never rusts or cankers till it rests or is coffered up Paul kept it on employment and so kept it pure 2 Tim. 1.3 Act. 24.16 Conscience hath its work within door upon it self and upon the whole Soul and Spirit and without door upon the Sense and their Objects and Organs If it rests like a standing Pool it putrifieth and gathers stench If it runs like a living Fountain it purifieth it self and whatever is put into it 3. Keep Conscience upon its watch Consciscience is the Centinel to watch over and for it self and the whole Soul beside Watch therefore in all things He that would be clean must be circumspect 2 Tim. 4.5 Psal 119.9 1 Watch against Sinners These will be throwing forth and throwing on of dirt Press not unnecessarily into their Society Be not partakers with their sin keep thy self pure Isa 57.20 Ephes 5.7 11. 1 Tim. 5.22 Yea in the very Society of the Saints be yet still upon thy Watch looking diligently One defection hath defiled many and the more weak thou art the more watchful be thou A weak Conscience is defiled quickly Heb. 12.15 1 Cor. 8.7 2 Watch
grievous and distrust so great I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul I shall go down to the grave without so much as any glimpse more of my God or of his grace I am cut off Lo God hath overthrown me He hath stript me of my glory and taken the crown from my head He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope hath he removed like a tree Thus we find them casting their eye inward and crying out Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable yea upward and complaining Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever c. Isa 38.10 11 15. Lam. 3.54 Job 19.6.9 10. Jer. 15.18 Lam. 5.20 Psal 13.1.77.7 8 9. 6 The distresses of pious Souls may be of a large extent for quantity as well as of a long extent for continuance Very extensive in themselves and may extend over the whole Subject 1. In themselves they may be so large as I cannot meditate any other stint or limit than this that they shall not extend unto a full and final despair Otherwise they may and often do exceed the sense of others and the speech of them that are the sad and suffering subjects Job's grief was very great so great that words and weeping too were too narrow for the vastness of it Oh that my grief were throughly weighed saith he and my calamity laid in the balances together For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed up All language is too little to declare their greatness and therefore is a line too short to limit or determine it and yet neither silence nor speech many times can moderate it Though I speak my grief is not asswaged and though I forbear what am I eased Job 2.13 c. 6.2 3. c. 16.6 2. They extend sometimes over the whole subject all Conscience the immediate and proper subject and over all under the power of Conscience the remote and less proper subject Conscience is sometimes all in a combustion in the sadded Christian My heart is like wax saith David melted in the midst of my bowels It fainteth it faileth me it is grieved pained sore pained within me smitten and withered like grass oppressed overwhelmed in me disquieted distracted yea my heart within me is desolate The troubles of my heart are inlarged c. Psal 22.14 84.2 40.12 73.21 55.4 102.4 61.2 38.8 88.15 143.4 25.17 Conscience the commander in chief being thus mortally wounded the whole army is in a rout and either runs before the pursuer or are roaring out their plaints c. Reason is distracted the resolutions of the Will dissipated Affections discomposed Passions distempered and every power of soul and body is disordered Conscience thus pierced and broken all come in to bear a part in this sad Catastrophe The poyson hereof drinketh up my spirit saith Job My spirit was overwhelmed saith David My spirit faileth My soul is sore vexed and consumed with grief My soul cleaveth unto the dust My soul fainteth for thy salvation My soul is full of trouble I will speak in the anguish of my spirit saith the former I will complain in the bitterness of my soul Job 6.4 Psal 143.4 7. 6.3 31.9 119.25 81. 88.3 Job 7.11 And can ye expect it much better with the body Review the same instances Fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake My bones are pierced in me and my sinews take no rest My bowels boiled and rested not He cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground My bones are vexed There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin The arrows of his quiver enter into my reins Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any intermission Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me Job 4.14 c. 30.17 27. c. 16.13 Psal 6.2 38.3 119.82 Lam. 3.13 48. And now Soul wilt thou tell me or rather tell thy self whether thy sorrow be like unto their sorrow who were yet Saints of the first magnitude 7 The distresses of pious Souls may be very eminent for quality and degree as well as for quantity and duration I cannot undertake to cleave an hair to say thus far they may be intended and no further Though I doubt not to say that these anxieties and afflictions can never bring them to an utter and universal aversation from God or godliness Their diffidence and demeanor towards him may be very deplorable yea dreadful but their spot is the spot of children They do not they dare not say unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways Yea this is their greatest desire that they were his and he theirs Turn us again O God and cause thy face to shine is the burden of their prayers And this is the greatest thing they deplore that they have turned away from him and that he is turned against them And could we trace their fears and dolors to their proper form we should find they did not spring from an aversation to God or grace but from an appreitation That they drag so heavily is not that they hate holiness but in that they have not holiness at least as to their sense or with that strength and sweetness they would fain have Psal 44.17 23. Deut. 32.5 Job 21.14 Psal 42.1 6. 80.3 7 14 19. Isa 49.14 Lam. 3.3 Psal 73.21 22. Nevertheless they may be deeply plunged in this ditch and may arrive 1. To formidable conceptions of God as if God were not only not kind but cruel to them as if he failed his promise had forgotten to be gracious and in anger shut up his tender mercies As if he were not only deaf to their prayers but distorted his providence and did not do them justice and were immovably determined upon their destructions Such a feaver or such a frency rather may these distresses sometimes draw upon the understanding So that the Soul may not stick to say I am troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him Job 30.21 Psal 77.8 9. Lam. 3.8 Job 19.7 c. 23.13 15 16. 2. To false constructions of Godliness as if they had laboured in vain and spent their strength for nought and in vain Thou saidst saith Elihu what advantage will it be unto thee and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin Thinkest thou this to be right 'T is true I do not find the abode and fixing of such apprehensions upon a faithful heart But holy David's feet were almost gone his steps had well nigh slipt when he saw obdurate sinners prospered and himself
If the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch Mat. 13.52 Rom. 2.21 Mat. 15.14 Therefore 1. apply your hearts to instruction not your ears or eyes or heads only but your hearts in the use of Scriptures and of all subservient helps and means which God hath appointed for the attaining and advancement of sound knowledg Prov. 2.2.23.12 Psal 90.12 Excite and engage the pursuits and desires of thine heart the determinate purposes of thy will See thou be not willingly ignorant hear instruction and refuse it not Be daily at Wisdoms-gates wait at the posts of her doors Lo now you have a promise if you apply your hearts to its pursuance Prov. 18.1 2 Pet. 3.5 Prov. 8.33 34 35.2.2 10 2. Let instruction abide upon your hearts What is it to furnish a common-place-book with what thou readest and hearest furnish Conscience rather At least transcribe thy Notes from thy Books into thy breast Nor think it enough that thou hast apt rules for all Cases in thy Bible they must be nearer hand too in thy bosom Write them upon the table of thine heart Hear what God speaketh to thee Let thine heart retain my words Let thine heart keep my Commandments keep them in the midst of thine heart Prov. 3.3 c. 7.3 c. 4.4 21. c. 3.1 Thy word have I hid in mine heart saith David that I might not sin against thee To this is the promise of knowledg and thou mayst be confident that when wisdom entereth into the heart Discretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keep thee Psal 119.11 Prov. 2.1 5. c. 2.10 11. 2. Direct 2 Stay your Conscience from the evils to which she is incident and the extreams wherewith she is often intangled Especially stay her from these evils 1. The affectation and itch of singularity and science falsly so called as also of curious and unprofitable questions humane traditions c. For these will but bring her into snares bewray her to Satan feed her disease and sickness and fetch her off from the divine simplicity which the Scriptures use in the Doctrine which is according to godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5 20 21. Tit. 1.14 Mat. 15.9 2 Cor. 11.3 2. From ambiating and indulging a carnal liberty which will not be either checkt or confined by the restraint of law and rules Psal 2.3.12.4 'T is true where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And that ye are called unto liberty but not such as serves the interess and inclinations of the flesh or snaps asunder bonds of obedience Still you are the servants of God and so are under a law of liberty His precepts are Gyves upon your lusts but give you liberty If Conscience aspires after a carnal liberty she is in hazard of the most lamentable captivity 2 Cor. 3.17 Gal. 5.17 1 Pet. 2.16 Jam. 1.25 2 Pet. 2.19 3. From arrogance either in justifying her self as if she knew enough already This will precipitate and out-law Conscience perverts and overthrows knowledg prevents and obviates all care and endeavour for its improvement and encrease Rom. 1.22 1 Cor. 3.18 2 Cor. 8.2 Prov. 26.12 Or in imposing on your selves The rules she dictateth may not be without much less against the revelation or direction of God She is not Sarah the Mistress but Hagar an handmaid under God though above you and is to conserve and manifest rules to you not to create and make rules for you 4. From inordinate haste to which she is oft-times too prone and by which she is often-times perverted both in the determining and dictating of rules Let not thine heart be hasty Bid thy Conscience as the Levite did the Children of Israel consider and take advice first and then speak her mind that thou mayst be able to say with the Preacher For all this I considered in mine heart Eccles 5.2 Judg. 19.30 Psal 50.22 Eccles 6.1 3. Sift your Consciences Direct 4 and put your case to the ouestion in them 1. Sift what rules have they in this case 'T will actuate sleepy habits and awaken Conscience to attend your several affairs therefore the Apostle doth often appeal Conscience thus What! know ye not i.e. do not your Consciences tell ye this and that Rom. 6.3 16.7.1 1 Cor. 3.16 17.5.6.6.2 3 9 15 16 19.9.13 24. 2. Sift them by their rule Thou sayest this is your rule But tell me O my Conscience doth the law of my God say so too Where hath he revealed it where read'st thou it where is it written in the book of Nature or of Scripture shew it me for why shouldst thou measure thy self by thy self And if thou bind the law continually upon thy heart behold God hath assured thee When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee Luk. 10.26 2 Corinth 10.12 Prov. 6.21 22. 3. Sift them before their Ruler hath not God written to thee O my Conscience excellent things in counsel and knowledg that thou mightest know the certainty of the words of truth Wilt thou say this is the truth as in his sight Hath he not set thee up as a Preacher in my bosom to receive the Law at his mouth and cause me to hear his words and wilt thou Oh! do not prophesie deceits and speak the visions of thine own heart and say he sent me as the false Prophets sometimes did Behold he knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him Prov. 22.20 21. Rom. 9.1 Jer. 23.16 c. Dan. 2.22 4. Direct 4 Speak to your Consciences If they are slack in determining or slow in dictating general rules quicken and call them to their work It may be she is silent and doth not speak to thee because thou art silent and dost not speak to her Set to thine heart as the Preacher saith he did Jer. 5.24 Eccles 9.1 Urge her from 1. thy necessity of a rule in this case 2. from the nature of a rule which should be known and clear 3. from her nature and office who is to receive the rule from the supream Legislator and reveal it to thee 4. from the notoriety of that account which she must one day render unto him 5. Direct 5 Speak to God for your Conscience Sincere prayer is of no small prevalence in this case It giveth up Conscience into the hands of God its ruler and getteth down grace for the accomplishment of Conscience with rules Beg God 1. to instruct thy Conscience that he will open thine eyes and not hide his Commandments from thee that he teach thee in the way of his statutes and give thee an understanding that thou maist know his testimonies so David and with Job say to him That which I know not teach thou me Psal 119.18 19 33 34 125. Job 34.22 2. To incline and establish thy Conscience O! let me not wander from thy Commandments Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Encline my heart to thy
curses your rich estates will be the ruin of your souls your eminent pleasures will end in perdition and the greater is your confluence the greater will be your confusion if guilt shall still abide upon your Conscience If ye will not lay it to heart saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart Deut. 28.15 ad finem Eccles 7.13 Jam. 5.3 6. Rev. 18.7 Mal. 2.2 4 Is Conscience evil you have no interest in Christ An interest in Christ and an evil Conscience are things inconsistent who doth always purge their Conscience whom he proprietateth in his choice benefits True it is the priviledges by Christ are large but as Peter told Simou Magus so must I tell thee upon the same reason Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Heb. 9.14 c. 10.22 Act. 8.21 5 Is Conscience evil your choicest endeavours are also evil because you frustrate the end of the Commandment which is to free you from an evil Conscience and are not framed to that entireness which the Commandment enjoyneth and expecteth unless your hearts are sprinkled from an evil Conscience you have no access to God nor can hope for acceptance much less can you have assurance your prayers are turned into sins and provocations So long as Conscience was statedly sinful God accounted the most costly Sacrifices of the Jews wherewith went supplications also but as so many splendid mockeries and they were so far from receiving acceptation that they were reckoned abomination 1 Tim. 1.5 Jam. 4.8 Heb. 10.22 Psal 109.8 Isa 66.3 4. Prov. 21.27 6 Is Conscience evil be sure the consequence will be evil if you continue this evil So long as Conscience is bad no one capacity or faculty can be good which are all under the empire and influence of Conscience If thine eye be evil the whole body is full of darkness and if the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Mat. 6.23 But this is not all mind the place of Conscience miserable must be the issue of an evil and polluted Conscience Corruptio optimi pessima You that are fearless of its sin now shall feel its sting hereafter and shriek and roar with the corrodings of that worm which you would not here attempt to kill or cure It s evil of sin will issue in extreamest and eternal sufferings if not timely salved Cure it or it will kill and condemn you and you will contract condemnation from God unto you Mar. 9.44 Isa 66.24 1 Joh. 3.20 IV. Speed your â—onversion from sin your Conscience must needs be sinful so long as your sin continueth If you continue in a sinful state the state of Conscience must needs be sinful If you are defiled this is defiled If you are after the flesh so is this also Tit. 1.15 Rom. 8.5 6 7 8. If you would heal Conscience then hasten your conversion do not only try your ways but turn to the Lord who will bind up that which is broken Lam. 3.40 Hos 6.1 The change of your condition includeth the change of Conscience Turn you at Gods reproof and he will pour out his spirit upon you and then you are no more in the flesh but in the spirit the motions and mindings of Conscience shall be no more so fleshly Prov. 1.27 Rom. 8.9 c. 7.5 6. V. Strike in with Christ The stain of Conscience is such that none but the sprinklings of Christs blood upon it can purge it from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10.22 c. 9.14 The evil of Conscience came in originally by the first Adam and is only healed by the second Adam Hasten to him by an active faith This is that bunch of Hysop which sprinkleth this blood upon you and so the Conscience becomes clean in the sight of God Psal 51.7 Would you have Conscience cured from its evil state close with Christ by a sound faith He dwelleth in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 VI. Search and put the Covenant into suit follow him that did create and can alone cure the Conscience with iterated prayers and with the instance and pressing of his promises Peruse his Promises I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh c. Ezek. 11.19 20. c. 36.26 27. Deut. 30.6 Plead them in your petitions He will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel Ezek. 36.37 Unfold the pravity of your Hearts and Consciences Lord I acknowledg my Conscience is miserably corrupted far departed from thy first Creation and foully depraved both by the fall of Adam and my own voluntary dâ—fections Behold I bring thee an old and obdurate Heart Lord renew and mollifie it a diseased and defiled Heart Lord repair and purge it an Heart of stone and adamant inflexible to thy ducture impenetrable by thy displeasure c. Lord remove it and renew me Urge him with his Promises to do it and thine own heart there-with also to deliberate and draw from them Lord hast thou not said A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you I will â—ake away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh O make good â—hy word to thy poor creature who can no â—ore cure this heart of stone than I can â—reate another world Create in me a clean heart 〈◊〉 God and renew a right spirit within me So David Psal 51.10 See further helps hereâ—â—ter Q. 4. How may we know whether our Consciences are Evangelically good or bad Be plain with Conscience § 1 and let it be â—ain with thee But in regard our Conâ—â—ience may and doth put a paralogism upon 〈◊〉 and its argumentation is oft-times sophiâ—â—cal and fallacious through the depravedness of our natures of which hereafter and so men deceive their own selves Jam. 1 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It therefore requireth the stricter care and caution in your part and circumspection on mine how we manage thiâ— work To which end before I propound marks * See Dik Good Conscience ch 7 8 9. p. 73. ad 128. Sheffield Good Conscience ch 24. Bald wins cas Conscience ch 12. I would promise this brief animadversioâ— for preventing mistakes * See Sheffields Good Conscience ch 18 2â— that you may 〈◊〉 conclude the goodness of your Conscienâ—â— either from their past or present 1 scrupulosâ—â— 2 smart or trouble on the one hand 3 stillâ—â— or quiet on the other without further aâ— fuller evidence Which I shall put upon a 〈◊〉 deliberate enquiry hereafter The stated habitude of your Conscienâ—â— may be discerned by these five things Tâ—â— adjuncts the acts the absoluteness the aspeâ— the answer of the Conscience First § 2 By the Adjuncts of Conscience aâ— your Consciences Evangelically pure or defiled Evangelically at peace or disquieted
'T is for praise to the advancement and glorifying of God which it principally reckons of and finally refers unto The good Conscience is for celebrating God and his Glory in which it ultimately terminates the discharge of its Offices and the debts and obligations it inferreth on us this is Gods end in renewing the Conscience and the great end of Conscience renewed that he might be glorified Isa 43.7 21. c. 60.21 1 Tim. 1.17 This it chargeth most upon it self Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul c. Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake right early This also comforteth it self most in and he is not ashamed but can cheerfully acquiesce whatsoever he doth or endureth for Conscience sake toward God while Christ is magnified in his body and while on his part God is glorified Psal 103.1 2. c. 57.8 Phil. 1.20 1 Pet. 2.19.4.14 This is the great matter which he purposeth with himself and to which he provoketh other Souls I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth My soul shall make her boast in God O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together Yea let all such as love thy Salvation say continually the Lord be magnified Psal 86.12 c. 34.1 2 3. 70.4 Let Conscience answer then Do not you like to retain God in your knowledg you know God but are you careless of glorifying him as God And say what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Or do you scoff at your Brethren which you may have cast out with those in Isaiah saying Let the Lord be glorified O miserable Consciences Rom. 1.21 28. Job 21.14 Isa 66.5 cum ch 5.19 Or while you pretend to Gods glory do you prefer your own Are your acts of piety your almes or acts of charity done principally that you may have glory of men unto whom ye would outwardly appear righteous Verily you have your reward and still remain with rotten and unsound Consciences Mat. 6.2 1 Thes 2.6 Mat. 23.27 28. But you that vail your own glory to Gods the bias and bent of whose good works which men behold is to this mark that they may glorifie not so much you as God in and for you in the day of Visitation you that can venture and forgo all for Gods glory when he calls for it and count of nothing so high as his honour you whose fruits of righteousness are with this final respect that your Father may be glorified and you may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light You that have glorified him and are resolved you will glorifie him again Go eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy work He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him Joh. 8.50 1 Pet. 2.12 Mat. 5.16 2 Cor. 12.9 10. Phil. 1.11 1 Pet. 2.9 Eccles 9.7 Joh. 7.18 Fifthly § 21 By the answer of a good Conscience which if Peter be consulted is towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 Quest Whether we may argue the goodness of our Conscience from their answer towards God I answer you may But then 't is not so much from your present earnestness therein as from the powerful efficacy and proportionate extent thereof that you must take your evidence for you shall find bad Consciences furnished with quick and ready answers as if they would not abridge God of the least he calls for Deut. 5.27 28 29. Jer. 42.5 6. You are concerned to discuss the deliberateness of the answer and its due extent The good Conscience answers to Gods Call § 22 Commands c. 1 To Gods Call No sooner is the Conscience effectually convinced or hath Christ effectually called but you have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle phrases it of the good Conscience Conscience answers with Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with David Lo I come I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart 1 Sam. 3.10 Psal 40.7 8. Yea Conscience asks with Saul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth Vnite my heart to fear thy name Conscience sets him upon the Tower with Habakkuk and will watch to see what God will say unto him and what he shall answer when he is convinced or argued with Act. 9.6 Psal 86.11 Hab. 2.1 How is it then hath God called but ye would not answer Hath he spoken but ye would not hear Have you set at nought his counsel and despised his reproof Have you chosen your own ways and doth your Soul delight it self in your abominations You have then sinful and stupid Consciences Prov. 1.24 25. Isa 65.12 c. 66.3 4. But you whose Ears are bored to hear and your Hearts are brought to embrace the Calls of Grace You that with Simon and Andrew his Brother with James the Son of Zebedee and John his Brother at the Call of Christ can quit all when he once said Come ye after me You that attend the saving motions of his Spirit and addict your selves to this mystery of Godliness whose Hearts are determined upon God in Christ and to whom no Calls are so acceptable as are the Calls from sin and to his service you may comfortably reflect and repose your selves in the witness of a good Conscience Mar. 1.16 21. 1 Cor. 16.15 Job 22.21 22. ch 27.6 2 To Gods Commands § 32 The good Conscience corresponds to Gods Commandments not only as it conserves and apprehends Law Here is a Copy and Transcript within of the Command and Truths without The Law of God is in his Heart the Spirit of the living God hath written it in these fleshly Tables Psal 37.31 Jer. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 But as it comes and applies Law hath God said Seek ye my face Conscience speaks back My Heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Hath God commanded us to keep his Precepts diligently Conscience corresponds and crys out O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes Doth God require that we do his will I delight to do thy wiâ—â— saith Conscience Psal 27.8 c. 119.4 5. c. 40.7 8. Try then what agreement find you between his Commands and your Consciences Are you afraid of the restraint of God's Laws and would break these bands from you and can you not bear these cords Do you hate him that rebuketh in the Gate and abhor the Ministry that speaks uprightly and searcheth the inward parts of the belly as Ahab did Micajah for saith he He
the Lord our God but the mercies which he gave to humble and to prove you you abuse to pride and luxury c. Oh sinful and sensless Consciences Isa 42.25 Jer. 8.7 Hos 7.2 Jer. 5.24 Deut. 8.16 17. Or do you answer his administrations of justice with trying your ways and turning to the Lord Do you labour to see his mind in them and to learn more skill in his Statutes through them And doth Conscience call upon you Come and let us return to the Lord our God and by sound Conversion to seek a cure for them In administrations of Mercy doth Conscience ordinarily attend abett and argue from thence to duty And when it hath put the question What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me Doth it proceed to the Psalmist's conclusive resolution I will take the 〈◊〉 of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord I will pay my vows unto the Lord I will wâ—â— before the Lord in the land of the living c. Iâ— short is Conscience wont to answer the dispensations of mercy with more dearness foâ— God and his glory and with more degrees 〈◊〉 humility as it did in Jacob and in David theâ— is yours a good Conscience Psal 103. through out Ezra 9.13 14. Gen. 32.10 2 Sam. 7.18 19. 6 To the Copy of God § 27 The Conscience which is statedly good setteth the Christian upon Conformity to God he abhorreth sauciness with God as blasphemous and aspireth after similitude to God as his eminent business He knoweth that God is righteous and thence concludeth to be a doer of righteousness God is pure and as his hope is in him so he purifieth himself in Conformity to him God hath made it an argument Be ye boly for I am holy Conscience bearing his Authority brings the same argument also and Christ binds it upon the Conscience 1 Joh. 2.29 c. 3.3 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Mat. 5.48 Little Children let no man deceive you if God hath not drawn out his resemblance upon you if you are not doers of Righteousness as God is righteous If Conscience can permit you to walk in darkness while you profess to that God who is a pure light whatever be your pleas that your Consciences are good they are but pretensions not proofs your Consciences are still bad You that are ordinarily looking at and labouring to come as nigh as you may unto your Copy That are followers of God as dear Children that are created after God in righteousness and true holiâ—ess and whose care it is to be as immutable â—ntensive and extensive as you can in goodâ—ess You are the Children of God our Father who hath given to you a good Conscience 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.7 9. c. 1.5 6 7. 1 Pet. 1.14 Eph. 5.1 c. 4. â—4 Mat. 5.45 I have used a greater length and liberty of Speech in this Question than I have in former or shall in future Cases the importance thereof enforced me If Conscience be good your condition is good if Conscience be naught your condition is naught too as will be seen hereafter Be therefore the more thorough and serious in the trial of your selves still remembring this just Limit in all thy helps for knowledg hereof given you That your ordinary or usual tendency and habitude must be attended 'T is not what your Conscience is for a fit or in some sudden flash either as to good or as to evil but what your common frame and general or most usual temper is must be consulted Q. 5. Whether we may know that our Consciences be statedly and Evangelically good Though your Consciences are lockt up from the knowledg of others and are comprehensively and fully known only by God himself for who can understand his errors Psal 19.12 Yet every man may know what the stated habitude of his Conscience is if he will but deliberately discuss and carefully commune with and impartially attend and improve the judgment of his own Conscience As seems evident 1 By the description of its Nature 'T is the candle of the Lord searching not some but all not only the outward parts of the body but the inward parts of the belly i.e. the inwards acts and thoughts and therefore the the habitude and temper of the Heart elsewhere expressed by the Belly Prov. 20.7 cum Job 15.2 35. c. 32.18 19. The Spirit of Man i.e. the Conscience of Man knoweth the things of Man and within Man The Heart i.e. the Conscience knoweth its own bitterness and therefore may know its own blessedness 1 Cor. 2.11 Prov. 14.10 2 By the demands from and for it in Scripture Know ye not your selves i.e. your Consciences and so what your and their state and condition is whether you be in the faith whether Christ be in you 2 Cor. 13.5 Let every man prove his work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself which springs from the Testimony of a good Conscience Gal. 6.4 2 Cor. 1.12 3 By the declared sense hereof we find among the Saints Job's record is on high and in his own heart Job 16.19 c. 27.5 6. David and Hezekiah can and do confidently appeal the all-knowing God in it Psal 26.2 3. 17.3 Isa 38.3 Hear Paul We trust we have a good Conscience 'T is not we think or we hope but we trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are perswaded are confident of it which confidence we may raise upon the same foundation that he did In all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 Q. 6. How may we get or obtain a good Conscience The Premises in answer to the former Question are of place and pertinent use here also as likewise whatsoever shall be prescribed hereafter for obtaining a pure peaceable upright faithful Conscience c. Here I advise you these few things * See Perkin's Tom. 1. Treat of Conscience c. 4. p. 551. Sheffield's good Conscience ch 25. Dyke's good Consc c. 5 6. That you Direct 1 1 Act Consideration * See Motives in Dyke's good Cons c. 10. ad finem Consideration is the next step to the Conversion of thy self the change of thy estate and the setting of thy Conscience right in the sight of God Psal 119.59 60. 45.10 11. 50.21 22. See Q. 4. Direct 3. Consider therefore in thy Heart Deut. 4.39 c. 8.5 If my Conscience shall be good Then 1 My Condition will be good secure Conscience for the main and thou securest thy Condition for the main Thy Condition is as thy Conscience is good or bad as this is good or bad in the sight of God Amaziah's Condition was bad though the current of his Actions was materially good because his Conscience was bad he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart nor like his father David 2 Chron. 25.2 2 King 14.3 Jehoshaphat's Condition was good though he were chargeable with some things that were signally bad because his Conscience was good Nevertheless
to have that he pluck it away also and that he punish this violence and their voluntary resistance with a final remorslesness Psal 51.10 1 Tim. 1.19 Jer. 9.3 Rom. 1.28 9. Inordinate cares shame and fears which overcharge Conscience and are offended with the Cross You must expect contempt and to endure the Cross if you will exercise and enjoy a good Conscience shame and fear decline those and you must therefore decline these divert them rather upon their proper Objects Be ashamed and afraid of sin as the greatest evil and of losing the sight and salvation of God who is the greatest good as you are advised by the Apostle for having a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.14 15 16. c. 4.12 13 16. 'T is no matter of shame or fear to suffer for Conscience 't is a fearful thing indeed to suffer in or from Conscience But â—â—o this is thank-worthy an expression beyond any other in all the Bible if a man for Conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully 1 Pet. 2.19 Secondly There are some things to be done If you would ensure the custody of a good Conscience 1. Employ your strictest care Sin and Satan lay their main Batteries against this the good Conscience is the grand Citadel of a gracious Christian get this and they get all keep this and ye keep all You are proportionably concerned to preserve the outer guards in your Conversations but you are principally concerned to preserve the inner and main guard of your Conscience Keep this and it will keep thee But remember as it was not gotten idly so neither is it kept but with industry Keep thy heart with diligence nay with all diligence and above all keeping and good reason for out of it are the issues of life Prov. 2.10 11. c. 4.20 21 23. 2. Extend this care to all the sorts and kinds of a good Conscience To the pure peaceable sincere soft and tender Conscience c. and touching which we shall instruct hereafter yea and to the whole circuit and compass of Conscience Take a prospect of every part in every proposition that it may be good both as a Rule and as a Witness and as a Judg Of which also you may expect in the ensuing parts of this Discourse 3. Hear Conscience Conscience hath a voice within you as well as Christ in his Word without you a voice * of correction in case of evil Why art thou cast down O my soul c Psal 43.5 A voice of counsel and direction for continuance and growth in good as David's had My reins also instruct me in the night-season Psal 16.7 Hear counsel then and receive instruction that thou mayst be wise in the latter end Conscience never hardens till it is not heard the more attention is given by you the more authority is gained to it and the better advise it giveth to you Attend the directions and discourse of Conscience then as Joseph and Nehemiah did who thereby kept an unspotted Conscience amidst all aspersions and calumnies Prov. 19.20 Gen. 39.9 Neh. 6.11 4. Estate it often by its Copy or Original rather the Holy Scriptures These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prime rule and standard by which you must pass and square Conscience Christians must write them a Copy of this Law in the Book of Conscience if they would be kept incorrupt and from crooked ways and examine this exscript often by that as the Kings of Israel must Conscience is to be instead of a mouth to Scriptures as Aaron was to Moses but the Scripture is to be instead of a God to Conscience as Moses was to Aaron Deut. 17.17 18 19. Exod. 4.16 Conscience is to every man as his Book as Bernard * Vnicuique suus libeâ— est conscientiu Conferamus itaque libros nostroscum librovitae ne fortè in illa ultima discussione abjiciantur si non fuerint emendati De Cons l. 1. c. 9. well observeth but such as must be examined by the Bible compared with and corrected by it Order my steps in thy Word saith David Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors Psal 119.133 24. Order Conscience by this through all its offices and proceeds Is Conscience a rule The Word must be the Regula regulans Conscience is but Regula regulata Conscience must take the rule from Christ in his Word and then give it to the Christian for the weighing of his Estate and Actions The Word is the lamp for the feet and light for the paths Psal 119.105 Is Conscience a witness If you look that it witness the Truth and in truth have it to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 Is Conscience a Judg If you would have it judg righteous judgment away with it to the Word of Righteousness which shall judg you in the last day Joh. 12.48 5. Engage the choice and constant resolutions of your wills It is well with Conscience while the Will is constant and cleaves unto God with full purpose let the Will be preserved steady and its welfare will be preserved in safety The weal of Conscience much-what follows the Will 's choice and when this is found divided that is faulty and diseased Act. 11.23 Hos 10.2 'T is said 1 Tim. 1.19 they put away a good Conscience and concerning Faith made ship-wrack Their loss did not arise as from its next cause from other's violence but their own voluntariness Satan seducers sufferings could never have pulled it away if they themselves had not put it away They made ship-wrack rather than endured ship-wrack Well then if you would still have a good Conscience be willing in all things to live honestly Heb. 13.18 6. Eye God's all-seeing knowledg Let thy Conscience keep its eye upon God who keepeth his eye upon thy Conscience Set the Lord alway before thy face with David and set thy self always before the face of the Lord with Paul As of God as in the sight of God so steer thy whole course Keep thy Conscience on God and God will keep thy Conscience who hath said Walk before me and be thou perfect Psal 16.8 2 Cor. 2.17 Gen. 17.1 Conscience is a knowledg together with the Lord look to it then in every creek and turn of thy life Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soul doth not he know it Prov. 24.12 Psal 44.21 The prospect David took of Gods omniscient knowledg preserved a tender gracious and holy Conscience Psal 139. I have kept his precepts and thy testimonies saith he elsewhere for all my ways are before thee Eye him that is invisible with Moses whose eye is upon all thy goings Tell Conscience as Laban told Jacob No man is with us But see God is witness betwixt me and thee And forget not his Mizpah that is a Beacon or Watch-tower and say to it with him The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another Psal 119.168 Heb. 11.27 Gen. 31.49 50.
7. Exercise your selves to have always a good Conscience So Paul Herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Act. 24.16 Conscience will not be ensured or preserved without consideration exercise and pains 1. Co-united endeavours there must be as respects the subject Herein do I exercise my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is his study his labour his work his business which took up his outward specially his inward man Of so large an import is that word Here is matter enough to take up the whole Man Mind Memory Will Affections Members which had need be all imployed either for informing of or conforming to Conscience 2 Continued endeavours they must be as respects the circumstances Herein do I exercise my self always Let the times frown or favour the good Conscience let Conscience smite or smile whether you are under the arrests of Judgment or the happy liberties of mercy whether men speak well or ill whether the Candle of the Lord shine upon you on the one hand or the calumnies of men like so many arrows stick fast in you on the other whatever business be before you this business must not be behind or be neglected by you and herein use an holy constancy as you would maintain an holy Conscience and be able to say with Paul I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day 1 Pet. 3.15 Job 27.6 3 Comprehensive endeavours they must be both as respects the state of Conscience that it be void of offence and the objects it regardeth likewise both toward God and toward man Keep the Conscience inoffensive if you would keep it entire and Evangelically good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sometimes passively taken Phil. 1.10 Sometimes actively 1 Cor. 10.32 that Conscience neither give nor take offence either offend or be offended Eye Conscience in both kinds and herein exercise your selves constantly nor only as respects God nor only as respects man but as respects both God and Man first as respects God then as respects Man Let Religion toward God and Righteteousness toward Man be your continued exercise and you will neither impair the tranquillity nor injure the tenderness of your Conscience Job 2.3 Psal 15. Isa 33.15 16. Conscience hath both Tables of the Law committed originally to it The Conscience again committeth them as Josiah did to the other Powers as its inferior Officers when these bring Conscience word as Shaphan brought the King back word again saying All that was committed to thy servants they do it Then we have both a sincere and inoffending and also a secure and inoffended Conscience 2 Chr. 34.15 16. 8. Exercise Conscience oftner if you would have it always good The weal of Conscience lyes much-what within the walls of conscience If you vvould keep conscience vvell you must keep conscience at vvork sloth vvill beget sickness beget sin and incense justice to take away your talent Mat. 25.28 2. 1 Be frequent in examining Conscience ask how the case stands the frequent'st trier is usually the forward'st thriver in the School of Christ and of Conscience as well as of humane Literature The more you prove and examine Conscience the more you provoke and engage it for after-times and improve the experiences antecedent Psal 77.6 c. 2 Be forward in exciting Conscience Is it incident to drowsiness distempers deadness call upon it the oftener rouse it up by awakening Considerations thy Conscience is keeper of the Vineyards the other faculties and thine own Vineyard hast thou not kept Put it in remembrance of its duty and thy danger Provoke it by arguments of mercy and alarums of justice that if thou must say with the Spouse I sleep yet thou may'st say with her my heart waketh Psal 108.2 Cant. 1.6 c. 5.2 3 Be faithful in exonerating Conscience Whatever Conscience directed by the Word of God dictateth fail not to do it whatever it forbids thee forbear it else thou teachest Conscience to forbear thee limiting Conscience and not listning to Conscience are a ready way to the losing of Conscience 'T is miserable when men are churlish with Conscience and it must be said of you as Nabal's servants said of him He is such a son of Belial that Conscience cannot speak to him 1 Sam. 25.17 Listen to Conscience then and be led by it so shalt thou live in all good Conscience As God said to Abraham so say I to thee In all that Sarah in all that Conscience shall say unto thee hearken unto her voice If you would hold a good Conscience obey a good Conscience if it may not be heard it will away If it may command thee it will continue with thee Act. 23.1 Gen. 21.12 2 Tim. 1.3 1 Tim. 3.9 9. Exercise the good that is in and with your Conscience Actuate and imploy your implanted habits of Grace and these will grow into greater increases Keep up the lively exercise of Faith Love and Repentance and you keep up the exercise and enjoyment of a good Conscience These say to Conscience as David sometime did to Abiatbar Abide with us fear not he that seeketh thy life seeketh our life With us thou shalt be in safety Prov. 4.18 1 Sam. 22.23 Rinse Conscience upon every fall thou catchest from the filth which thou contractest in the waters of repentance The more tears of Contrition the more tenderness of Conscience and transcendent comfort Psal 51. Job 11.14 15. Raise and quicken Faith this will subdue enemies without sanctifie Conscience within sprinkle the blood of Jesus on it and suck continued virtue from his blessed promises 1 Joh. 5.4 5. Act. 26. Heb. 10.22 23. Repeat and continue the dear and delicious acts of Love which will facilitate the Commandments to you free Conscience in you and fits you to whatever capacity Christ shall call you 1 Joh. 5.3 1 Cor. 13.4 8. CHAP. III. Of the Pure and Defiled Conscience Q. 1. Whether the Conscience in man be naturally pure or defiled Touching this I must return you to what hath been already spoken Chap. 2. Quest 2. and 3. Q. 2. Whether a pure Conscience be attainable by man in this life THere is a double purity of the Conscience 1. Exact and legal as fully answers to what the Law asks 2. Evangelical and more large as fitly agrees with what the Gospel allows That excludes all degrees of pollution and includes all degrees of perfection this allows no degree of pollution and aspires after the highest degree of perfection 1. That legal and exact purity of the Conscience neither can nor ever was attained since the Fall by any meer man in this life 1. Who was ever priviledged in this life from the pollution of Conscience Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Who can understand his errors Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean as man is not one There is not a just man upon the earth
we get or obtain a pure Conscience Answ This enquiry is not how we may get it pure from some new actual tincture of which see Q. 7. but from its old habitual taint and pollution for which take these Directions 1. Behold the necessity of a pure Conscience and be awakened 1. Without this there is no Society with God He is of purer eyes than to entertain you in your habitual impurity There is no having nor so much as hoping Communion with or a propriety in him unless Conscience be purified in you Hab. 1.13 Psal 18.26 1 Joh. 3.3 Jam. 4.8 2 Without this there is no Salvation by God Wash thine Heart as ever thou wouldst to Heaven There is nothing entereth which is unclean that happy place is reserved only for the pure in heart Jer. 4.14 Rev. 21.27 Psal 24.3 4. A polluted Conscience is neither fit for the business nor blessedness of that pure and perfect condition 3 Without this there is no serving of God at least with acceptance to him or with advantage to you The Heart must be purified that would attempt his Presence Josh 24.19 Heb. 9.14 c. 10.22 Jam. 4.8 Till Conscience be purified the pure God will not endure thy presence nor will thy impure Conscience easily bear his Presence 4 Without this there is no sincerity in thee Clean or pure acts will never put ye beyond an hypocrite without a clean or pure Heart 'T is not a pure Conversation but a pure Conscience that speaks thy condition prosperous and secures from the condemnation of Pharisees Psal 73.1 2 Tim. 1.3 Mat. 23.25 29. 5 Without this there is no security for thee thy condition can never be safe till Conscience be sanctified All that God secures Conscience is but on this condition If thou be pure and upright And for the security of Conscience 't is grounded upon the sincerity of Conscience 't is first pure then peaceable as David points us in his prayer and 't is the pure in Heart are first pronounced Blessed by our Saviour 1 Thes 5.23 Job 8.6 Jam. 3.17 Ps 51.7 8. Mat. 5.8 2. Behold the nature of an impure Conscience and be ashamed Thou art not so pure in thine own eyes but thou art as impure and vile in God's eyes Be convinced of this and thou wilt be cleansing that and begging him to cleanse thee Prov. 30.12 Isa 65.5 Mich. 6.11 13. Job 40.4 1 Think what is defiled Conscience that choice that curious piece that so dignifieth Man next the Angels and differenceth him from the Brutes Conscience that is God's Tabernacle in Man and maketh Man the Temple of God Conscience that is chief among the faculties and is under God to command the whole frame of our Hearts and Lives What Conscience that by Creation was like the Nazarites purer than Snow whiter than Milk more ruddy than Rubies whose polishing was of Saphire should be now blacker than a coal and she that was clothed in Scarlet should embrace Dunghils That thy Gold should become thus dim and the most fine Gold be changed into dirt This cannot but procure a Lamentation especially when thou shalt consider that this thou hast contracted upon thy self who knowest how great a crime it is if through thy means the Conscience but of a weak brother should be desiled Prov. 20.27 1 Cor. 3.17 Lam. 4.1 9. 1 Cor. 8.7 2 Think what it doth defile A defiled Conscience 1. defiles all of thee it defiles the Man the whole Man the Spirit Soul and Body are defiled even the Mind the most pure and precious part is defiled wheresoever the Conscience is defiled Mat. 15.18 1 Thes 5.23 Tit. 1.15 2. It defiles all to thee there is nothing pure to thee The taking of God's Covenant into thy mouth thy very Table-comforts thy Meat become a sin and snare to thee Conscience being unclean whatever it toucheth doth become unclean likewise Tit. 1.15 Psal 50.16 17. 69.22 Lev. 5.2.3 It defiles all that comes from or is done by thee It streams sin upon every service Thy Civil actions thy very plowing is sin and thy sacred actions thy very praying is sin likewise For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Mat. 15.18 Prov. 21.4 c. 28.9 Job 14.4 3. Betake ye to the known provision which God hath made for purifying the Conscience and be active The pure Conscience is from God as the principal Cause 't is he that purifieth and he that pacifieth the Conscience He that cureth its diseases and cleanseth it from defilements He creates and so the Heart is clean 1 Thes 5.23 Ezek. 36.25 Psal 51.7 10. But though it be his work principally 't is our work partly too as himself presseth it Wash ye make you clean c. Isa 1.16 'T is his work to bless the means unto purifying and our work to be in the use of those means whereby he purifieth Asking the mercy of him and applying the means to us 1 Then ask this mercy from him with the greatest ardour thou may'st acknowledging thy pollution with shame and sorrow aggravating it also in his presence abhorring thy self and acknowledg with thy impotency his power as who alone can purifie thee So David Psal 51.2 11. His promises of it do not preclude but should provoke rather thy prayers for it Ezek. 36.25 cum 37. 2 Apply thee to the means and the means to thee with the greatest activity thou can'st These are the Word Water and Blood * See Sheffield's good Cons c. 2. p 33. c. 1 The Word Ye are clean through the Word saith Christ Job 15.3 This is not only pure in it self but purifying the Soul that attendeth the preaching of it Psal 19.8 Joh. 17.17 Ephes 5.26 Submit thy Conscience to the Commands of it Purity is the end of them and will be the effect in thee 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.22 If you obey Then 2. Skill thy Conscience in the Promises of it Every Promise is both a motive to and means for cleansing as of the flesh so likewise of the Spirit But there is an especial Promise in God's absolute Covenant I will sprinkle clean water on you and ye shall be clean Which you may urge upon your self in secret and urge God with in supplication 2. Cor. 7.1 Jer. 33.8 Ezek. 3.6.25 cum 37. 2 Water Ezek. ibid. Ephes 5.26 The Sacrament of Water should not only be remembred by thee but re-inforced on thee by due and doubled consideration Though I cannot say to thee as Ananias said unto Saul Arise and be Baptised and wash away thy sins if thou wert baptized in thy infancy yet I must counsel thee to apply thy Baptism by fetching arguments from thence and by eying the ability and efficacy of the Blood and Spirit of Christ thereby exhibited till thou findest the answer thereunto of a good Conscience toward God And then thy Infant-baptism will be as effectual to the washing away of thy sins in thy adult estate as the Circumcision of the Hands was
the eternal flames and open the horrors of Death and Hell yet through the power of such pre-possessions of his own Salvation like the Horse in Job he goeth on to meet the armed men he mocketh at fear and is not affrighted neither turneth he his back from the sword c. And is ready to say with those in Isaiah We have made a Covenant with death and with hell are we at an agreement He acknowledgeth God hath cursed such sins yet blesseth himself in his own heart Job 39.21 22. Isa 28.15 Deut. 29.19 2. The vicious carriage of Conscience in and upon the trial of our estates is the principal fountain of this false Peace None of the Causes without the Conscience can prejudice you unless there be a part-taking by Conscience within you In vain doth Satan force or his Disciples flatter till Conscience falls in with them and speaks that false peace to which these seduce you And therefore the Scriptures resolve it into this as the next cause If he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace When they shall say Peace peace Deut. 29.19 1 Thes 5.3 Now if Conscience upon the process or trial of your estates doth speak a false or vicious peace it is ever in or by some fallacious procedure in the case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deceiving their own selves It puts a fallacious argument or paralogism upon us Conscience always comes to a conclusion on of our estate and so of our peace as you have seen already by some practical Syllogism If our peace be false its procedure is fallacious in one part still or other of this practical Syllogism wherein it doth impose upon us or is imposed upon 1. Sometimes it is out in the Proposition as it taketh and tendereth us a false mark or rule to try our estates by Thus were they deceived Jam. 1.22 Mat. 7.22 23. Luk. 13.26 27. The assumption was true and in this they attest God himself Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name we have eat and drunk in thy presence we have been hearers of thy Word c. But the Proposition was false which is therewith included All those that have prophesied in thy name have eat and drunk in thy presence have been hearers of thy Word shall be saved and eternally happy This was a false Proposition and hereby they fell into that false peace concluding themselves in a saving condition from an unsound and false medium which could not bear the weight of such a Conclusion 2. Sometimes it is out in the Assumption as it tenders a false testimony or report of what we are and do in the trial of our estates Thus were they deceived Jer. 2.35 Because I am innocent surely his anger shall turn from me The Proposition implied was true viz. Gods anger shall turn away from all such as are innocent But the Assumption viz. I am innocent was false Behold I will plead with thee saith the Lord because thou sayest I have not sinned ibid. v. 23 c. How canst thou say I am not polluted I have not gone after Baalim See thy way in the Valley know what thou hast done c. Thus 1 Joh. 1.8 faith the Apostle If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Conscience in giving such false evidence doth but put a cheat upon us a lie upon God ver 10. and proclaims us aliens from the truth of Grace and of the Gospel 3. Sometimes Conscience is out in the Conclusion Sometimes 1 Men suspend the Conclusion as did those Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they who commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Conscience dealt fairly with them as to the two first Propositions viz. They that do such things are worthy of death But we do such things But as to the Conclusion how fallaciously Not only hiding and with-holding the sentence or conclusion from them that would regularly have followed upon those premisses But indulging them a sinful Complacence in their Society who did them 2 Sometimes me shuffle in another a false Conclusion which the Premisses will not admit and are alien from So Deut. 29.19 And it cometh to pass when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst Conscience seems clear in the Proposition There is no blessing but a curse for them that walk in their own lusts and imaginations And to confess the Assumption But I walk in the lusts and imagination of mine own heart Yet is it so far from concluding against his blessedness and peace which should be the genuine result from those Premisses that she concludeth for it and foysteth in another Conclusion in this Soul's case I shall have peace though I walk in these imaginations of mine heart How ordinary is it that men thus shuffle and turn off the severe passages of Sermons and Scriptures from themselves to the sentence of others when as ever they would avoid the Curse they should lay it to their own hearts Mal. 2.2 Sometimes 3 Men shift off the Conclusion that if Conscience will not suspend the true nor shuffle in a false sentence yet she must speak it so softly and the Application be so easie as it may not stick nor abide upon them Conscience concludeth the Jews condition upon them and quickeneth them to a return to him that smote them But the cogency thereof is soon off there was no setled impression Their heart was not right with him Neither were they stedfast in his Covevant Psal 78.34 38. Well then as ever you would avoid the fearful precipices of a false peace watch Conscience in all its proceeds and parts and in the discussion of thy estate use thy utmost diligence and most universal observance Of which in the next Question Q. 3. How may or should a Christian so pursue the trial of his Estate in his own Conscience as to prevent the cheat of a false Peace A false peace principally arising out of the fallacious procedure of Conscience either in the Proposition Assumption or Conclusion therefore in this pursuit or trial of your estates you should strictly attend and assure Conscience throughout all these parts Direct 1. As touching the Proposition wherein Conscience delivereth some truth as a rule or mark to try your estate by I advise 1 That you try such marks by Scriptures 'T is no imputation either to the justice or prudence of a Magistrate to try the several measures by the standard of the Market Paul and Silas preached by an infallible Direction yet the Berean providence of bringing their Sermons to the test of Scriptures searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so is commended as noble and generous Act. 17.11 Believe not every spirit every sign that is or may be
40.1 2. Direct 7. Turn in upon your own bosoms Commune with your own hearts as Asaph did in this very case and let your spirits make diligent search Psal 4.4.77.6 'T is one observation of Dr. Sibs on Psal 42.5 * Soul's Conflict c. 5. p. 51. That one way to raise a dejected Soul is to cite it before it self You have often heard of the Court of Conscience see you call and keep it and convene the troubles of your heart before it For herein it is that your case must be audited argued and determined I wish there were no Christians did carry it to Conscience as Ahab to Micajah Either they call not Conscience into the consultations of peace as afraid she will not prophesie good but evil concerning them Or if she comes and deals clearly them they commit her to prison and carve out nothing for her but the bread of affliction till they shall come again in peace 1 King 22.8 27. Whereas there is no sound peace but of Consciences speaking as hath been abundantly shewn Arraign your troubles before Conscience then here audit here answer here argue them For self-communing is one of the speediest and safest ways to stillness and self-quieting Psal 4.4 42.5 1 Audit and require an account of them 1. Of what kind or what they are Are they not secular troubles the troubles of some Secular emergence and interposition The Shuâ—emitess hath lost her Son and her Soul is vexed within her By the solicitous importunities of Sampson's Wife was his Soul vexed unto the death 2 King 4.27 Judg. 16.16 Or are they not Sickness troubles the troubles of a sickly indisposition which oft-times discomposeth the natural spirits and faculties and by reason of the Soul's sympathy with the Body puts the whole frame in a commotion or combustion Or are they but self-conceived troubles the troubles of a strong and stirring imagination whose false and hasty representations do frequently prevent the trial of our judgments and produce as insuperable troubles as if the grounds were real witness Jacob's imagination of his Son 's being slain till they are brought to answer it at the Bar of Conscience and Reason Gen. 37.33 36. Now though such kind of troubles call for due consideration of them in their place yet will they be cast out of Court as of another cognizance and of alien and improper consideration here when the Question is put touching troubles of Conscience 2. From what cause or why are these troubles I intend not hereby the cause why God inflicteth them but why the godly imbrace them Thus demand a reason of them and desist not till you have brought it to a resolution Thus David in his distress doubles and trebles the question Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Psal 42.5 11. 43.5 Many of your troubles would cease and shrink away were they but summoned to appear before the Tribunal of Conscience as having nothing to say for themselves especially such as have no stronger foundation than your fancy For such as durst appear in Court 2 Here answer them Christians usually lose their peace by listning to and being led by the sudden pleas of sense instead of laying them in the scales of a judicious Discourse They hastily admit those pleas as argumentative and conclusive against their peace in private conference which do require and would receive an easie and advised answer in publick Court if Conscience may deliberately proceed upon them And it is seldom in such a case that they are ever extricated out of their difficulties and disquiets till they come to discuss them over again in the Court of Conscience And then you have them correcting sense and chiding themselves for such indeliberateness and precipitancy I said in my haste c. This is my infirmity Oh that I should be so foolish and ignorant c. Psal 31.22 77.10 73.13 15 23. Lam. 3.18 54. Isa 38.10 11. Whatever then are the pleas and pretensions in impeachment of thy peace let them be produced in open Court Let Conscience consider and compare them with the rules of the Court the standard of Evangelical peace And then how many of thy doubts and troubles will successively have TEKEL on them Thou art weighed in the ballances and art found wanting Dan. 5.27 I forbear to mention here the just answers may be given to what argument may be happily insisted on wherewith you may furnish your selves in the respective cases 3 Here argue it with them If thou canst not evince thy peace by it yet it will ease thee in thy perplexities to expostulate and argue out the case in the Court of Conscience How forcible are right words David's iterated expostulations were effectual to the recovery of his dependance and to the remitting if not removing of his disquiets and diffidence Job 6.25 Psal 42.5 c. Men are prone to plead it out with Heaven and reason it forth with God It were the more easie and expeditious way to plead it with their own hearts No arguings unless of prayer and faith being admitable with God Who is a fit opponent or respondent to argue with Omniscience and Omnipotence or can chuse out words to reason with him Job 13.3 c. 23.4 c. 9.14 Psal 77.7 10. Here argue it then and bid thy fears as Job did his Friends to attend and listen Hear now my reasoning and hearken to the pleading of my lips Job 13.6 Argue 1. from thy past serenities and sweetnesses Old experiences will become new evidences I have considered the days of old saith Asaph the years of ancient times I call to remembrance my song in the night And thence he resolveth that it was his weakness This is my infirmity to â—ield so far to his own despondency and disquiets and should be his work to devolve all into the hands of God and fortifie his dependance on him in the sense of his former happiness I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember thy wonders of old c. Psal 77.5 13. David's spirit was overwhelmed within him My heart within me is desolate saith he And what doth he I remember the days of old c. Psal 143.4 5. God's ancient kindnesses afford new arguments to Conscience whereby she may and many times doth quiet her self and confute her sorrows Psal 31.21 22. 71.18 20. Well then if you would not cast away your confidence call your former comforts to remembrance Are your Souls cast down within you Revive and cheer them up with the remembrances of God from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites what he spake to you in such a Sermon sealed in such a Sacrament secured in such a solitariness And thence reason with Manoah's Wife If the Lord would slay us would he have shewn us such things as these Heb. 10.32 35. Psal 42.6 Judg. 13.23 Argue 2. from
be done by My Conscience tells me such and such things must be done which are matters of general right and equity And they that deny such clear and commonly received laws of general right are in common speech said to offer violence to their Consciences So my Conscience tells me such and such matters may be declined and forborn which are matters of indifferency 'T is true there is no small difference between the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conservation of such laws and rules and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Conscience strictly so called * See Baldw. Cas Cons l. 1. c 4. But I must follow the vulgar usage and sense of this term as most fitting my design There is an habit bank and treasury of light and laws with Conscience and which it conserves Here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is the application of them had and made by Conscience here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second and third Propositions still make application of some general law or rule had in the first Proposition to a mans particular estate or actions Thus it is the office of Conscience to apply general Propositions and Canons to a mans personal and particular case and concern And indeed the Thomists * Aquin. Sum. 1. q. 79. a. 13 do make Conscience to be nothing else but an application of the knowledg or light which is in the Synteresis and therefore define it to be an act Though to speak properly as one * Sanders Prael 1. de Consc §. 14. observeth the application of science is not Conscience it self but an act of it And as another * Rutherf libert of Consc c. 1. p. 6. saith 'T is the same Conscience that acts all three parts of a law of a witness and of a judg The second Propofition contains the direct testimony of Conscience and with respect to this the office of Conscience in general is that of a witness Thus Paul suggests of his own and touching the Conscience of the Gentiles My Conscience also bearing me witness Rom. 9.1 Their Consciences also bearing witness Rom. 2.15 The witness of Conscience may be either considered 1. as it is in habit and rests upon record Or 2. as it is in act or is reduced thereunto which is by two steps 1. Conscience casts back a reflection upon its own records of our estate and actions and considers and ruminates upon them And then 2. Conscience comes forth and reports to us how the case now stands or hath stood agreeable to those records and to this reflection The office or act of Conscience then in respect of the second Proposition is threefold 1. To register and book down what a man is and doth And in truth Conscience is as one * Sheffield good Cons c. 4. p. 52. well the great Register and Recorder of the world It hath the pen of a ready writer Not a word from the mouth not a work of man not a thought of the mind can escape or pass its swift pen. It is Gods Historian saith Dr. Reynolds * Of the Passions c. 41. that writes not Annals but Journals Conscience hath its book and had its table whereon it did indelebly write both the sins of Judah and the sincerity of Job Rev. 20.12 Jer. 17.1 Job 27.6 2. To reflect and bring back to the heart as the expression of Solomon is in the margin of 1 King 8.47 Conscience is to every man not only as his private Notary but as his petty-Constable to search into and seize upon every miscarrying act and habit Conscience reviews its register recalls and reads over its records Here are those sayings in and sayings to the heart that Scripture and experience tell us of Jer. 5.24 Hos 7.2 marg Those communings with our hearts and calling upon our own actions and estates those countings and self-searches how the case stands Psal 4.4.77.6 Herewith Conscience comparing our past actions and intentions with the Canons and rules conserved in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruminates and bethinks according to the case and concern before it Conscience considers the matter I considered in my heart saith the Preacher or I gave or set to my heart Hebr. Eccles 9.1 Conscience is not only to consult its books or cast back an eye but to consider the affair before it attentively Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hostes consider your ways Hebr. Set your heart on your ways Hag. 1.5.7 Here are those layings to heart we read of in the Prophets Jer. 5.24 Mal. 2.2 3. To report and bring forth its testimony according as the matter hath been or is Thus Conscience in Josephs Brethren had taken and bookt down their sin after this turns back and tells them of it and of the circumstances wherewith Conscience considered it to be aggravated We saw the anguish of his Soul and we would not hear c. Gen. 42.21 22. Conscience in Pharaohs Butler had recorded did recall rip up and read him his faults Gen. 41.9 David Job and Paul are contumeliously censured and cried out upon Conscience casts back a reflection consults its own records considers their uprightness and the others reproaches and cleareth up their righteousness Psal 7.3 4. Job 27.5 6 c. 2 Cor. 1.12 As this is the office of Conscience to give testimony in relation to what is past so also in relation to what is present Conscience witnesseth both 1. what we are or what our estate is The spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the Sons of God Rom. 8.16 2. And what we act or what our actions are Witness Pauls example I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness Rom. 9.1 3. And whatever you are or intend Psal 17.3 2 Cor. 1.17 The third Proposition contains the decisive judgment of Conscience and with respect to this most properly and strictly the office of Conscience is to judg If we would judg our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 Confcience is herein judicially to apply the truth dictated in the first Proposition upon the testimony delivered in the second Proposition and doth infer the Conclusion from those premises according to its apprehension of the rule or law in the first or major Proposition and according to its attestation and report of our life or actions in the second or minor Proposition The judgment conscience pronounceth sometimes respects our estate and sometimes respecteth our actions and both of them either 1. as good or else 2. as evil And thus again either 1. as it respects the time past or present or else 2. as it respects the time future either as they have formerly been or now are or henceforth should be First as it respects the time past and present The office of Conscience in regard of what is and hath been good is to acquit and clear In regard of what is and hath been evil it 's
to accuse and condemn Rom. 2.15 Their Conscience also bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while excusing or else accusing one another 1. If the estate and actions be or have been good Conscience is accordingly to acquit and clear This it doth 1. to and before God as its superior in judgment whom it doth 1. sometime appeal as the supream Judg. Judg me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me Psal 7.8.26 1. And 2. sometimes it apologizeth and excuseth us to him not by extenuating our sin * Excusatio enim hic non strictiore sensu accipitur quo diminutionem vel attenuationem culpae designat sed illo quo plenam culpae reatus amotionem notat Ames but by insisting on our sincerity Lord saith Abimelech in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Hezekiah Gen. 20.5 6. Isa 38.3 This it doth also 2. from God as his substitute in the judgment from whence Conscience is by office to approve and absolve 1. To approve the good and so our hearts are assured before and we have confidence toward God 1 Joh. 3.19 21. I have finished my course saith Paul I have kept the faith Conscience approves it and so assures him Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me c. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 2. To absolve from evil 1. from evils threatned by Gods laws the evil of divine indignation 1 Joh. 3.21 22 Nay saith Conscience whatever be the charges laid against him or crosses lay before him Who is he that condemneth it is God that justifieth In all these things I am more than a conquerour through him that loved me Rom. 8.31 to the end 2. â—â—rom evils thrown upon him by mens lusts the evils of humane imputations and hard censures Amidst all calumnies Conscience acquits Job and asserts his integrity Let his adversaries write a book against him he can bind their censures as a crown unto him Let them reproach him of hypocrisie Yet saith he till I die I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 31.5 to the end 27.5 6. 2. If the estate or actions be or have been bad Conscience is by office judicially to accuse and condemn I say judicially to accuse because it 's accusation per modum testis as a witness appertaineth to the second Proposition Thus it likewise doth 1. As to and before God to and before whom it accuseth us and causeth us to acknowledg our guilt Thus Davids heart smote him after he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done c. 2 Sam. 24.10 And after he had gone in to Bathsheba Against thee thee only I have sinned and done this evil in thy sight c. Psal 51.4 2. As from and under God who is greater than the Conscience So Conscience is by office 1. To convict the sinner and doth conclude it as to the sinful state and actions for which it stands arraigned before it Witness those Jews Joh. 8.9 Who were convicted by their own Consciences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convincere causam eò deducere ut obijci enti praetexi nihil amplius queat Hyperius So shut up by arguments and by the authority of this Judg that they could not start from it 2. To censure and set a brand and mark of infamy upon the sin So David in the Text before 2 Sam. 24.10 I have done very foolishly And elsewhere So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Psal 73.22 Here the least Conscience as a Judg can do is dislike and displicence with the sin and with it self for sin The evil which I do I allow not saith Paul Rom. 7.15 3. To condemn 1 Joh. 3.20 i.e. to pronounce the sentence which is a sentence of condemnation to the sinner where the estate is bad whereof is no reversal but upon repentance Act. 2.37 38. Tit. 3.11 A sentence of castigation and to contrition where the estate is good Jer. 31.19 and is still a sentence of condemnation to the sin and for the crucifying of the same whether the estate be good or bad Lam. 3.39 40 41. Secondly as it respects time future and what is to be Thus Conscience is by office in particular not only 1. to tell us or hold forth what is right and what is wrong what is good and what is evil to us in particular agreeable to the general law in the first Proposition But 2. to tye and oblige us respectively to that evil and to this good agreeably still to the same law in the same proposition And 3. to thrust forward excite or impell us for the avoiding of that evil and for the attaining or doing of this good with accord still to that general light or law In relation to these Offices the holy Scriptures speaks of the Conscientious man as one stirred as one bound as one pressed in his own spirit Act. 17.16 18.5.20 22. He is not only a debtor Rom. 1.14 But there is a necessity upon him as from Gods command so from his own Conscience He is constrained and cannot chuse unless he should offer violence to his own Conscience but do what his Conscience dictates 1 Cor. 9 16. 2 Cor. 5.14 Act. 4.20 I am not ignorant that these three last Offices of Conscience are commonly placed elsewhere and conceived to appertain rather to the first Proposition But in that Conscience doth therein dictate but the general right or law and these acts do evidently include a particular respect and application to a mans own estate or action and this conclusive as to his estate and action As the operation of Conscience aforesaid doth obviously witness I do therefore rather chuse to place them here Not that I blame others for the liberty which they please to take nor shall bind up my self strictly this order in the progress of this Discourse Q. 7. How may and should we so order our Conscience in relation to the first Proposition that they offer us true and right Laws and Rules and none but such concerning our estates * See Q. 3. Direct 1. in Chap. 3. and actions To this end it is necessary that you 1. Direct 1 Store your Conscience that she have a stock and treasury of knowledg a bank and habit of all necessary laws and rules of practice that as a scribe instructed to the Kingdom she may bring forth out of her treasury things both new and old as any occasion offers For how shall she be able to give rules if she hath them not or teach you if her self be untaught
testimonies Let my heart be sound in thy statutes Psal 119.10 35 36.80 6. Direct 6 Spend more of your time in consideration This will concoct what you already know and convert it into blood and spirits It improveth both the quickness and clearness of Conscience while truths are revolved upon the heart and it runs them over again with fresh attention and intention of the several faculties The most considerate Christian is the most knowing and best thriveth in his Conscience Her miscarriages are the issue of inconsiderateness Psal 1.1 2.64.9 Ecles 5.1 The iterated acts of meditation will 1. habituate the principles which you already know 't will root them deeper and rivet them faster upon the mind and memory And Conscience will be ever and anon calling them into counsel Psal 119.15 16 23 24. 2. They 'l affect and pour in oyl upon the flames of love delight and desire toward these and such other principles O how love I thy law saith David What was it that kindled and caused it to burn up to such an height It is my meditation all the day Psal 119.15 16 48 97. 3. They 'l advance these principles to an higher progress and proficiency in knowledg Meditation will not only be dilating on them but deducing inferences from them and drawing on the judgment and conscience from one field of truth to another for the delicious views of the full harvest of divine verities having drunk in so much sweetness already from a few sheaves of it This was it inlarged Davids understanding beyond his teachers and above the ancients as well as above his enemies Thy testimonies are my meditation Psal 119.98 99 100. Lastly Direct 7 Sin not against your Conscience but render your selves conformable to what rules she giveth Some men sin against her rules till they have sinned away her rules till God and Conscience give them over to their own lusts instead of giving them out his laws That as they loved to restrain the truth in unrighteousness and liked not to retain God in their knowledg they shall run where they lift for a time with a reprobate and remorsless Conscience Psal 81.11 12. Isa 6.9 10 11. Rom. 1.18 21 24 28. But Sirs if you would have Conscience true in giving rules to you you must be true to the rules which Conscience gives you you encourage Conscience when you exemplifie her laws in your lives and conversations But if you turn not her directions into duties you tempt her to deal at most but by halves with you as you do at best with her The doers of the Commandments have the most discerning Conscience and dwell most in comforts If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them He that doth what he knoweth is most likely to know what to do He is secured by promise If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine and God will manifest himself to him Ps 111.10 Joh. 13.17.7.17.14.21 Q. 8. How should we so order our Conscience in relation to the second Proposition that she may give us a true and right testimony and none but such concerning our estates * See Chap. 3. Q. 3. Dir. 2. and actions To this end it is necessary That you 1. Ply your Conscience with arguments Direct 1 The influence of rational inducements with her cannot be small in that her seat and fixation is in the very highest orb of reason So that the more reasons you offer the more ready must she be caeteris paribus to her office and the more regular in her operations You may urge her 1 from her ability Thou and thou only under God canst fully and clearly testifie For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him God hath set thee up as a shining lamp for surveying all the several periods and acts of my life and thou searchest all the inward parts of the heart metaphorically expressed by the belly 1 Cor. 2.11 Prov. 2.27 2. From her authority For this art thou constituted by God in and over me And this is his command upon thee to testifie what is my consonancy to or dissonancy from those laws he hath imposed on or engraven in me Thou hast his warrant and 't is thy work to witness a work approved by him in Scripture and agreeable to thy nature Who can exempt or what shall excuse thee Rom. 2.15 3. From her avail Thy single testimony alone doth supercede the witness of the whole world besides I can appeal from them to thee but from thee I can appeal to none but God Next under his thy witness is of highest weight both with him and me Job 23.10 11 12. Rom. 9. â— 4. From her acts Why didst thou dictate truths and laws to me if thou wilt deny thy testimony to my life By those I know what God appointeth and demandeth of me but 't is by this alone I can know what I am and what is done by me Should I know his statutes only or should I not also know my own self 2 Cor. 13.5 Besides how canst thou otherwise descend to judgment who passeth sentence without some previous evidence And if this be unsound that cannot be safe So that deny or deprave thy witness and thou undoest thy whole work 5. From her advantage Witness thou must and shalt Now it may be done with less smart and more security then if thou shouldst defer it till the cords of distress or fetters of death and judgment do constrain thee 6. From her account An account thou must render at Gods Bar shortly He will then open the book of Conscience and every line of thy heart and life shall be read over distinctly He now observeth what reflections and reports Conscience maketh of what hath been done by thee and hath eminently marked out her silence as a sore evil in thee Jer. 8.6 Eccles 4.8 7 From what attends Why O my Conscience my work and welfare both as to time and eternity do all turn upon this one hinge How can I repent either from or for my past or present sins or state if sinful on the one hand Or how can I rejoyce in or be thankful for my past or present sincerity and Gods salvation on the other if thy silence or partiality in giving witness shall leave me still under the thick and dark vail of ignorance 2. Press her by and before authority Direct 2 Subpoena her to appear at Gods Bar and there argue with her Psal 50.22 Jer. 12.3 Art thou not 1 to witness from him hath not he substituted and sent thee How wilt thou answer it to him then whom thou abusest infinitely if thou adventure either to suspend thy testimony or to speak untruly 2 Art thou not to witness for him i.e. in his cause and concern as well as on his commission Durst thou so slight his honour and therewith thine obligations as either to speak wickedly for him or to be speechless or
deceits under the covert of generals This unravels all the clue 2. More compleat in her witness For by this means many of those actions which lay out of sight upon her records are suggested by and to Conscience afresh 3 More cogent in her witness and it being more particular it will be more prevalent with us when Conscience can now say to us as Job's friends to him Lo this I have searched it so it is hear then at and know it for thy good Job 5.27 4 More constant in her witness and more quick hence-forth and ready to her work Her frequent converses with these rules and comparings therewith form her unto a more habitual promptness and present activity to cherish good and check evil while 't is yet but in the egg and entrance 3. Stay thy Conscience with the rule and upon the reflections which thou now makest Let her not give a glance only and so go off but consider Hebr. Set your heart on your ways as David I considered Heb. I thoughted my ways Hag. 1.5 7. Psal 119.59 By this means if consideration be taken up in making such comparisons your work will thrive upon your hands to a greater extension and a more gracious intension Consideration will fetch in the whole compass of Gods commands and our conversations If Conscience reflect upon an evil this will rip it up in all its circumstances as it did in the Patriarchs and pious David If upon a good this will run down its enquiry into the root and efficient of it and then run it up again into the exemplar and end of it and so returns fraught with repentance on that hand with rejoycing on this Gen. 42.21 22. Psal 51.3 4 c. 2 Cor. 4.2 c. 2.17 1.12 'T is necessary then that there should be some immoration of our Conscience in an intent consideration when we are imployed in these self-converses The worth hereof is great the efficacy of such reflections depending eminently thereupon David thoughted his ways and immediately turneth his feet to Gods word The Preacher considers and is forthwith cured of his trouble and tentation Whereas others through inconsiderateness run on in sin and some are held upon the rack of sorrow and anguish Psal 119.59 Eccles 9.1 Isa 1.3 Psal 73.21 22. Let me add a fourth 4. Shake off whatsoever will retard you in or retain you from this work Sin and Satan will be suggesting disswasives and determents Slothfulness will be sticking at the difficulty and diligence which must be used The sensual and sensitive part will be startling and bogling at the displeasingness and danger of it as that which will hazard all her ease and self-enjoyment Yea your selves will be but too shy of such a duty if you shake not off all such insinuations and suggestions and set to it with all your might 3. Direct 3 Speak to thy Conscience that she will reflect more constantly or at least that she will reckon with thee in the close of every day 1 That she reflect more constantly Herein do I exercise my self saith Paul to have always a Conscience void of offence Act. 24.16 And elsewhere he speaks of it in the present tense Not we had or shall have but we have a good Conscience Heb. 13.18 And that is the good Conscience which gives the quick reflex It is true I acknowledg that your actions are quick and sudden in their motions but Conscience is as quick and sudden and though those may have gotten the start of her as Cushi did of Ahimaaz yet she can easily overtake and out-run them as Ahimaaz did Cushi because she runneth as he did by the way of the Plain There are many more things to interrupt their motion than hers Truth is 1. When an action is yet but in purpose or in the proposal Conscience should reflect immediately as she is capacitated accordingly to promote it if good as in Solomon or prevent it if evil as it did in Joseph 1 King 5.8 Gen. 39.9 2. Or when an action is passing from the inward intention to outward execution Conscience should catch it by the heel in the place of the breaking forth of Children as Jacob did his Brother and as being Gods Centinel should require its pass and certificate and remand it back if it it be bad or rescue it from its assailants if it be good as Paul did Hos 12.3 Rom. 7.15 24. 3. Or is an action past forth without her animadvertence she should forthwith pursue it and put the arrest of her reflection upon it and be asking what have I done Or ask us as Joab ask'd David What hast thou done Jer. 8.6 2 Sam. 3.24 To this end labour for tenderness of Conscience of which hereafter which will soon reflect upon the least touch and pressure 2 King 22.19 But alas where is the Conscience that hath not abused us more or less in all these who can say my heart is clean therefore urge her 2 To reckon with thee at least in the close of every day Conscience should be still every day a doing with us but there are two seasons in the day wherein we especially should have to do with Conscience viz. in the morning that she may tell us what we have to do this day and in the evening that she tell us what we have done Commune with your own heart upon your bed Psal 4.4 'T is good communing with our selves and speaking to Conscience before we compose our selves to sleep Job reflected every day upon the carriage of his Sons and therefore no doubt upon the carriage of himself Thus did Job continually Heb. all the days Job 1.5 This is the way to keep your accounts both more short and more sure Well if conscience be shy or sullen plead the cause with her as the very heathen could do * Quotidie apud me causam dico c. v. Senec. de Irâ l. 3. c. 36. and then put her to the question What good have I done or else declined this day or if she return thee that thy actions have been good for the matter Return upon her yet again Yea but in what manner did I it upon what motives with what mind in what method c. So what evil have I committed or cherished or else given check to or crucified this day or if this and that were not evil in it self have not I wounded it by some evil circumstances Believe it Christians it would be of excellent advantage to your actual growth and eternal good if you had such a compendium of sins and duties by you or rather in you as Conscience might call it over every evening and comparing your employments that day with it might be able to witness clearly your estate and actions of the day now past you 4. Shew kindness to thy Conscience Direct 4 when she doth reflect yea though it be in thy own reproof Tell her thou art thankful as well as sensible and dost more congratulate thy self in
the wounds of such a friend than in the kisses of such as flatter For by this thou dost encourage her now and invite her for hereafter and shalt henceforth enjoy more of thy self and of her society He that heareth reproof getteth understanding Heb. possesseth an heart Prov. 15.32 Be not of those that can reflect on a mote in their brother's eye but not on a beam if in their own eye The more censorious abroad the more blind or at best blear-eyed will Conscience be at â—ome The kind treatments of a self-reflecting Conscience will produce most circumspection in her and most compassion towards others Mat. 7.3 4. Gal. 6.1 3. Welcome her reflections there is not so much vinegar as oyl in them If she chideth reproveth 't is but like Jeremy to keep thee from ruin Therefore do not smite her and put her in prison as Pashur did by that Prophet She may so forbear reflecting and for a while fall to remorslesness But assure thy self if she forbears thee now 't is to fetch a greater blow at thee hereafter Jer. 20.2 Rom. 1.28 5. Direct 5 Stir up thy Conscience if she be remiss speak to her if she be silent towards thee 1. There are some speaking providences that invite her to reflect and do suggest matter suffer her not to break from these Who knoweth but they may be as prosperous to you as they were to Joseph's Brethren and Pharaoh's Butler Gen. 42.21 cum 7. c. 41.9 cum 8. 2. There are some speaking portions of Scriptures and Sermons that enlighten her for reflecting and are a special means Do not baffle with these For how knoweth thou but there may be the same spiritual and saving effect obtained oâ— thee as hath been on others Heb. 4.12 1 Cor. 14.24 25. 3. There be many speaking perswasives to enduce and engage thee to reflect and serve for motives do not baulk these I have set many before you already and shall only subjoyn these 1. God seeth whether thou dallyest in it and his revenge wiâ—â— be severe if thou dost not reflect in season Psal 50.21 22. Jer. 8.6 c. Hos 7.2 2. 'T is a grievous sin to decline it thou dost not act like a man thou art brutish in thy knowledg yea below the brutes 't is not only vanity but a sore travel Isa 1.3 Eccles 4.8 3. What good success mayst thou arrive to by diligence Davids reflection ended in his reformation Pauls in eminent rejoycing the Jews in the reception of their prapers remission and pardon of their sins and restoring of them into signal favour both with God and man Psal 119.59 2 Cor. 1.12 1 King 8.47 51. Q. 11. How manifold is Conscience The definition of Conscience being dispatcht the distribution regularly follows to be next enquired into Herein I may not be too nice or acurate but attending the design of a practical Casuist I shall accordingly guide my self in the distribution hereof Thus more generally as both common experience and clear Scripture evidence instruct us There is 1 the good Conscience Heb. 13.18 1 Pet. 3.16 21. 2 The evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 The good and evil conscience may be considered and distributed either 1 according to the stated habitude Or 2 according to the several acts of mens Consciences First if we consider the state or according to the stated habitude of mens Consciences so the Conscience may be called good or evil either 1 in an ethical and moral Or 2 in an Evangelical and Spiritual sense 1. Ethically good or good upon a common account so is the Conscience which from a principle of moral righteousness is habitually disposed toward and actually dischargeth its offices according to Ethical or Moral principles In this sense many Pagans had and Paul before his Conversion was not without a good Conscience Act. 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day i.e. I have lived up to the light of my Conscience Or as the Dutch Annotators * Ad locum I have served God uprightly i.e. without hypocrisie according to the knowledg I had 2. Evangelically good or good upon the Christian account so only is that Conscience which from a spiritual principle of renovation is habitually disposed toward and actually dischargeth its offices according to evangelical principles Paul therefore incloseth this between charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Let me add that the same Conscience as that of Paul before his effectual calling and as is commonly found in Moral persons which we may and do call good sensu ethico in an ethick sense we must call an evil Conscience sensu Evangelico in an Evangelical sense For so still it is an evil Conscience till it be purged from dead works by the blood of Christ to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 10 22. There is a double goodness found with the Conscience evangelically good a goodness of purity and a goodness of peace or a goodness of sincerity and of security as a practical Writer of ours speaketh * Sheffield Good Cons c. â— p. 26. Or a goodness of integrity and of tranquillity as another * Dykes Good Cons p. 20. See Ames de Consc l. 1. c. 12. Hence there is 1 the purified or pure Conscience instanced 2 Tim. 1.3 And 2 the pacified or peaceable Conscience intimated Phil. 4.7 Opposite to this double goodness of Conscience there is a double evil of defilement to sin habitual and allowed and 2. of distress to sorrow and anguish of heart Accordingly there is 1 the defiled Conscience propounded Tit. 1.15 And 2 the disquiet Conscience pointed at Prov. 12.25 It must be herewith remembred that neither this twofold evil nor that twofold goodness do always co-exist in the same Conscience There may be purity yet no peace and peace of Conscience such as it is yet no purity There may be an habitually impure or defiled Conscience which yet is not distressed And there may be a distressed Conscience which is not habitually impure or defiled as will be seen in the further progress of this discourse Oh happy conjunction when both goodnesses of peace and of purity of sincerity and of security do meet in the fame Conscience * Faelix conscientiâ— in qua osculatae sunt pax justitia Bern. de inter dom Happy when both evils of defilement and of distress of transgression and of trouble are cast out and kept out of the doors of Confcience together Secondly the good and evil Conscience may be distributed according to the several acts of Conscience viz. Either 1. as it apprehends and dictates matters of law or right where by it cometh to an issue in judgment Or 2. as it applys and draws them down to the matter before it for judgment Both which it doth either firmly and strongly or but feebly and weakly Agreeable whereunto there is 1 the weak and infirm Conscience And 2 the well-inabled firm or strong Conscience Of
be considered either as it is to conserve and ark up laws and rules of practice or as it is to come and apply these laws and rules 'T is miserably corrupt in both How far it falls short as to the former will be of particular discussion hereafter when I come to speak of the natural Conscience Oh how it is darkned depraved disabled as concerns the matter of an holy life in this world and the means of an happy life in the world to come How are men alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Rom. 1.21 Eph. 4.18 1 Pet. 1.14 The main concernment of Conscience is to apply rules of practice And here how deplorably corrupt it is 1 Sometimes it doth not apply at all How many practical notions are swimming in the head that never sink into the heart and the heart is never set to consider of or concoct them into practice How much science and confidence find we in these Rom. 2.19 23. but no Conscience large and sound apprehensions but little or no self-application 1. The evil of Conscience is as to this so eminent that a general command is not thought enough by God but it must be particular and expressive Thou shalt have no other Gods c. Thou shalt not covet c. Exod. 20.3 18. The parable as pertinent as it was to Davids case never pinched Davids Conscience the Prophet himself was fain to do the office of Davids Conscience for him And Nathan said to David Thou art the man c. 2 Sam. 12.1 14. 2. When it doth apply oft-times it is not articulately and timeâ—y Christ hath told Peter Before the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice But the Cock crows the first and second time e're Conscience in Peter maketh application of this advice Mar. 14.30 68 72. Conscience should have applied in Josephs Brethren before their contract and his captivity in Egypt but till themselves are captives their Conscience was much-what silent Gen. 37.20 c. cum 42.21 22 3. Or else it doth not apply so auâ—horitatively and throughly as it should Conscience in man hath the command and empire â—ut how often is concupiscence too hard for Conscience and carnal appetitions subjugate Conscience its application so that bad men â—eep down the truth in unrighteousness and â—are not to retain God in their knowledg â—nd good men are sometimes captivated as â—o the law of their minds by and unto the law of sin which warreth in their members Rom. 1.18 21 28. Rom. 7.23 25. 4. Or not soâ— abidingly Conscience applys and Felix trembles but the fit is soon over Conscience the Preacher in the bosom must not be attended nor Christs Preacher at the Bar heard out till a better convenience Act. 24.25 Conscience is at work with Pharaoh and while he is heated in the furnace of successive judgments Conscience is hearkning and applying but after he is out of the fire like iron his heart groweth the harder and less apt to receive an impression Exod. 8 1â— 32 c. But more particularly Conscience maketh application either peâ— modum testis or per modum judicis as a witness or as a judg and in both it is very bad 1. As a witness see how wicked it is 1. 〈◊〉 registring how few of mens faults doth iâ— file up and book down So that Daviâ— brings it to a question Who can understanâ— his errors Psal 19.12 But if there be a vertuouâ—action or but an appearance this is forth with put upon the file and record witneâ—â— the common practice besides the curse of thâ— Pharisees Luk. 11.42 Mat. 23.23 2. 〈◊〉 reflecting How few reflections are made up on our actions how few returns are maâ—â— upon our hearts insomuch as God saith hearkned and heard and no man repented him 〈◊〉 his wickedness saying what have I done Jeâ— 8.6 No man put Conscience to the question touching his conversation 3. In ruminatinâ— or considering How defective and diseased 〈◊〉 Conscience here likewise as the consequents do evidently demonstrate insomuch as God is fain to call once and again for it Now consider this ye that forget God Now consider your ways c. And doth often complain of the general want of it None considereth in his heart They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness now their own doings have beset them about They say not in their heart in the confluence of mercies let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth the rain the former and latter rain in his season c. Psal 50.22 Hag. 1.5 Isa 44.19 Hos 7.2 Jer. 5.24 4. In reporting Oh how corrupt and partial Conscience is in this Not a word doth Samuel hear from Saul till necessitated thereunto in aggravating his sin but how many in apologizing for it Not a syllable is to be seen in the Pharisees plea and prayer for self-judging or for self-abasing but the substance of it is for self-justifying and self-advancing 1 Sam. 13.11 12. Chap. 15.13 15 20 c. 2. Conscience makes application as a judg and herein it miscarrieth likewise How severe is it ordinarily abroad but how slight at home further than it is sanctified Are there not many who judg even the mote in their brothers eye that yet can indulge a beam mean-while in their own eyes Mat. 7.2 3 4. And damn the same things in others which they do themselves Rom. 2.1 c. The faithful themselves have not been free under a preâ—ailing temptation Hath Tamar plaid the strumpet Bring her forth saith Judah and let her be burnt But never a blow is given by Conscience as concerned his sin and folly with her till the Bracelets and staff and Signet are produced Gen. 38.13 27. Davids anger was greatly kindled and as the Lord liveth saith he the man shall surely die that had stollen the poor mans lamb in Nathans Parable But mean-while his Conscience had no sense of nor gave sentence for his own provocation which run parallel therewith till the Prophet presseth it and putteth it home upon him 2 Sam. 12.5 6 7 c. The judgment Conscience is to make is either with relation to former things and times or else to future 1. With relation to former things and times Conscience is to accuse or excuse But in each it is ordinarily very evil 1. Sometimes 't is out in the the matter It excuseth and covereth where it should accuse and condemn They all with one consent began to make excuse Luk. 14.18 where their Conscience should have been accusing and they have been manifesting their repentance for their sin and making ready for the supper It accuseth and condemneth sometimes where it should rather excuse yea commend Ye said also behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffâ—â— at it saith the Lord of hosts c. Conscience counts and judgeth Gods service and a godly strictness profitless painful irksome evil
come from the spirit do not quash them as thou wouldst not quench the spirit or wouldst consult thy Salvation Joh. 16.8 Gen. 6.3 Hos 4.4 5. See 1 Thou do not stifle or suppress them They held the truth down in unrighteousness and liked not to retain God in their knowledg Rom. 1. What became of it Therefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind And now farewell Convictions farewell Conscience till they feel the effect of such a constupration happily in eternal condemnation they are filled with all manner of unrighteousness and are fatting for eternal ruin ver 18 21 24 28 29 c. This is the hazard thou runnest especially upon iterated acts of rebellion Prov. 1.24 33. Psal 81.11 12. Mat. 13.14 15. Prov. 29.1 And though justice may not take this advantage against thee yet every stifled Conviction will now add to the hardning of thy Conscience and to the augmenting of thy shame sorrow and self-confusion when God shall awaken Conscience Zeph. 7.11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. Jer. 31.19 2 Thou do not sit down or sit still under them Is Conscience convinced how canst thou be quiet Are these chains to sleep in What! condemned of thy self and yet sit quiet What if God should condemn thee too Methinks we should hear thee crying out with the Jaylor and those Jews Men and Brethren what shall we do Sirs what must I do to be saved And like the two blind men the more others are complaining the more should you be crying Tit. 3.11 1 Joh. 3.20 Act. 2.37 c. 16.29 30. Mat. 20.30 31. I say therefore to you as the Lepers said among themselves Why sit you here until you die Arise and be doing if Conscience kill you you can but die 2 King 7.3 4. 3 See thou do not shift them off They were convicted by their own Conscience Joh. 8. but it came to no good they stealing away from Christ and shifting away from Conscience every one to his course of life Cain baffles Conscience with building Cities and a crowd of secular businesses Saul is melancholy happily Convictions might be upon him from the Lord though this was not all and he must have the Ministrel the musick Joh. 8.9 Gen. 4.15 17. 1 Sam. 16.23 See thou be not diverted from thy Convictions by any company especially which is sinful or by any secular contrivance and that thou do not dismiss them as Felix did his till another convenience whose Conscience as far as appears did ever after contract more guilt and filthiness Act. 24.25 26 27. To day therefore while it is called to day hear Gods voice and do not harden your hearts lest to your voluntary hardning and aversation from Conviction God add a judicial hardning and afford you no more Convictions Hebr. 3.7 16.4 7. II. Speak to Conscience and suffer that to speak to unto you commune often with it and ask it What have I done and as the Lord asked Cain What hast thou done As ever you would have Conscience throughly salved you must throughly search let your probe go to the bottom of its ulcerated nature let thy spirit make diligent search Psal 4.4 Jer. 8.6 Gen. 4.10 Psal 77.6 Having searched it speak to it tell it of its sick sad perilous and pitiful estate tell it of its rottenness and Gods revenging justice Shew it its extensive diseases and the eternal death that will ensue without its effectual change Speak to it of the searcher of hearts and that he seeth all its sins and shifts God often imputeth the sinfulness of mens hearts to this that they say not in their hearts they set not to their heart and particularly that they say heart not to their Heb. that I remember all their wickedness Jer. 5.24 Isa 44.19 Hos 7.2 Marg. Yea and suffer Conscience to speak to you while it tells you of your sins or of its sinfulness The knowledg of your case is a fair step towards your cure Do not silence or suspend Conscience or shut its mouth or thy ears against its clamors Conscience calls to you as Jotham to the men of Shechem Hearken unto me that God may hearken unto you and if you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart be sure the end will be full of hazard Wrath is like to come upon you to the uttermost who charge Conscience as the Jews sometimes did the Ministers of Christ That they teach no more in this Name Or are ready to chide Conscience as Amaziah sometime quipped the Prophets confidence Art thou made of the Kings counsel forbear why shouldst thou be smitten Judg. 9. Mal. 2.2 1 Thes 2.16 Act. 4.18 2 Chr. 25.16 17. III. Stir up and strengthen consideration The badness of Conscience grows out of your backwardness to consider Israel doth not know my people doth not consider What cometh of it Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity c. Isa 1.34 They considered not in their heart thence were they so corrupt both in their hearts and actions Hos 7.1 2 c. When God would have men rectifie their Conscience he would therefore have them to recall and consider with themselves Psal 50.21 22. Isa 44.19 c. 41.20 Hearken then Oh careless sinner and consider 1 If Conscience be bad your Conversations are bad if not in the account of man yet in the account of God who seeth not as man seeth Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Can the salt-spring yield fresh streams or will the sharp thorn bring forth sweet grapes Every tree saith our Saviour is known by his own fruit For of thorns men do not gather figs nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes He applies it to the case in hand An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Let Conscience be evil and thy Conversation thy Communication is not like to be good For these things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile the man And this know though thy conversation be bad thy Conscience is worse Here is the treasures 't is out of the abundance of the heart Jam. 3.11 12. Luk. 6.44 45. Mat. 15.18 19. 2 Is Conscience evil your callings are evil though not in themselves yet to your selves If this be depraved there is nothing pure to you your tables become a snare and your trading becomes a sin Is Conscience corrupt the Farm the Oxen the Wife will keep you from Christ which should carry you to him and your plowing yea your praying is sin Tit. 1.15 Psal 69.22 Luk. 14.18 19 20. Prov. 21.4 Psal 109.8 3 Is Conscience evil your comforts are evil Inward comforts are but ensnaring cheats and the illusions and cousenliges of the evil one For all true and gracious comforts arise from the testimony of a good Conscience otherwise while you bless God doth curse Job 8.19 2 Cor. 1.12 Deut. 29.19 20. Your outward comforts are overgrown with
never prophesieth good but always evil to me Surely this is an evil Conscience Psal 2.3 Amos 5.10 2 Chron. 18.7 Or how do your Hearts answer and are accommodated to his Testimonies Have God's Commands a counter-part in your Consciences Have you hid his Law in your Hearts that you may not sin against him And are your Hearts enclined to perform his Statutes always even to the end Gods Law commands you Do your Hearts readily accept and return answer to it I will run the way of thy Commandments and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Psal 119.11 15 16 32 112. Gods Law chides and threatens you How do your Hearts rellish it and acquiesce under it Is it a kindness Do you count it an excellent Oyl Do you compose your selves to submission under it and to serve the ends of God by it Psal 141.5 Isa 39.8 1 Sam. 3.18 Mich. 7.9 Here is one answer of a good Conscience 3 To Gods Covenant § 24 The good Conscience gives answer to Gods Covenant 1. to the tenour of it God saith unto them which were not his people Thou art my people The good Conscience speaks back again Thou art my God O my Soul saith David thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my God Hos 2.23 Psal 16.2 Ezek. 11.20 c. 36.28 2. To the terms of it The Lord avoucheth Believers to be his peculiar people and that they should keep all his Commandments The good Conscience restipulates and avoucheth the Lord to be his God and to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments c. Deut. 26.17 18. Exod. 19 5. 9.3 To the Truths in it The good Conscience hath a Transcript of all the important Truths of Gods Covenant This shall be the Covenant I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.8 9 10. Come then who is he that hath engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Have you taken the Lord for your God and alone chief good and given back your selves unto him his servants to obey and that for ever Have you none in Heaven but God and is there none upon Earth that you desire besides God And have you taken his Testimonies as an Heritage for ever and chosen the way of his Truths This may let you know that you have a good Conscience Jer. 30.21 22. c. 32.28 Psal 73.25 c. 119.30 111. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart Jer. 24.7 Is there a Conversion to God the Conscience is good But no Conversion no good Conscience Hath God commanded you saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you But you hearken not nor encline your ears and walk in your own counsels and imaginations refuse Communion with God or reject any of the known Commands of God or regard any iniquity or any interest above God you have then evil Hearts and your Consciences are not right in the sight of God Jer. 7.23 24. c. 3.17 Numb 85.39 Psal 66.18 4 To the cause of God § 25 The good Conscience is for Gods cause above others above its own this is the bottom in which it sails all its concernments and therefore with Paul and with Moses is cool and gentle in transacting his own matters but quick and transported with great heat in the matters of God and Godliness forgives and is submissive to his own enemies but flames with zeal and is stiff and inflexible to Gods enemies Gal. 4.12 cum 5.12 Act. 13.9 c. Num. 12.3 cum Exod. 30.19 If the Cause of God calls for his part in action he is ready and willingly offers himself according to his office and the capacity and circumstances he is in If it calls for a passive part he can for Conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully and is ready not only to be bound but also to die for his sake 2 Cor. 9.2 Judg. 5.2 9. 2 Cor. 8.3 1 Pet. 2.19 Act. 21.13 You that like Gallio care for none of these things that seek your own things not the things which are Jesus Christs whose Spirits are abundantly raised in your own Cause but ordinarily remiss in Gods Cause have no good Conscience Act. 18.17 Phil. 2.21 Psal 137.5 6. But you that prefer Hierusalem to your chief joy that say unto Zion because of the house of the Lord our God we will seek thy good that will very gladly spend and be spent for the good of Souls and glory of their Saviour that sacrifice your own Concernments to those of Christ and his Church and would rejoyce to be offered upon the sacrifice and service of their faith and rejoyce in your sufferings with respect to his service Receive this sign and may you reap the sense of a good Conscience Psal 137.6 122.9 2 Cor. 12.15 Phil. 2.17 Col. 1.24 5 To the counsels of God § 26 and his dispensations towards them The good Conscience would hold Communion with God in his Works as well as in his Word and doth especially consider of and commemorates what God hath done for his Soul Psal 107.43 94.19 66.16 Hath God accepted his person answered his prayers afforded him his presence of Grace c. it binds him the faster to God Blessed be God saith he who hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me He will love God the more choicely live with God the more closely lean on and trust in God the more constantly Ps 66.19 20.116 throughout 146.1 2. Doth God afflict and is angry with him with-draws the sense of his Salvation with-holds the spirit of Peace and the waters are come even into his Soul He considers and confesses his sin communes with himself converts and turns himself to God crieth for his Salvation chargeth his Soul to hope in to obey to remember and to repose it self in God Psal 32.5 c. 38.6 c. 42.5 11. 51.1 12. 77.1 13. 13.1 6. I should be too large if I left particular instances as may concern either the inward or outward man Put it upon the enquiry The Providences of God are various toward you How do you answer the acts of God and his aimes by them What no laying them to heart Happily he may have brought his judgments at the doors and yet do not you lay it to heart not so much as ask what have I done nor hearken to him for all this to observe his Counsels or obey his Commandments Happily he may have multiplied his mercies or you and do you not yet say in your hearts Let us now fear
principles so that you must get Conscience well-principled for which God calls upon you My Son keep my words and lay up my Commandments with thee Let thine heart retain my words Prov. 7.1 c. 4.4 2. A right application of these principles both as a witness and as a judg to which purpose as I shall particularly direct hereafter so you must endeavour the right purifying and the right pacifying of your Consciences and get Conscience both well-purified and well pacified of which I shall speak distinctly in the Questions that ensue to which I must here dismiss you Q. 7. How may we keep a good Conscience This Question supposeth you in the possession of a good Conscience and is subjoynfor the preservation of your Conscience good * See Perkins T. 1. Treat of Conscience c. 4. §. 2. pag. 553. Sheff good Cons c. 25. with the goodness of Evangelical purity immediately and with the goodness of Evangelical peace mediately and remotely of which more afterwards In order hereunto there are some things to be declined and taken heed of and others to be done and taken heed unto First There are some things in order hereunto to be declined viz. 1. An itch after curious questions frothy speculations fabulous and vain bablings in and about the matters of Religion which will eat as a canker effeminate the Conscience and will encrease unto more ungodliness from these withdraw And let the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness take up your deliberations and discourses the end whereof is a good Conscience 2 Tim. 4.3 4. c. 2.16 17. 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. c. 1.4 5. 2. Ill Companions These corrupt both the Conversations and Consciences of each other witness Hymeneus and Alexander Hymeneus and Philetus Phygellus and Hermogenes 1 Tim. 1.19 20. 2 Tim. 2.17 c. 1.15 As you would preserve your Conscience partake not with their company unnecessarily Can a man take fire in his bosom and his Clothes not be burnt Can one go upon hot coals and his Feet not be burnt See how Ahab's Company and Solomon's Concubines debauched his and Jehoshaphat's Conscience and drew upon them God's displeasure Ephes 5.7 11. Prov. 6.27 28. 2 Chron. 18.3 c. 19.2 1 King 11.4 c. Beware of the communion of evil men as you would not blemish Conscience in the eye of God Psal 26.4 5. c. 119.63 Prov. 13.20 c. 14.7 3. An idle corrupt and soothing Ministry that lull Conscience asleep in sin or lash the Conscience of strictness These are the pests of any people My Son cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledg Hearken not unto the Prophets that make you vain and speak a vision out of their own heart crying peace peace when there is no peace Prov. 19.27 Jer. 23.16 21. c. 6.14 Ezek. 13.10 c. Attend rather the most strict and soul-searching Ministry enquire and take counsel from the Seer whose Sermons are most sharp and searching even to the thoughts and intents of thy heart follow these and account of their correptions as an acceptable kindness Heb. 13.17 1 Sam. 9.9 10 18. Heb. 4.12 1 Cor. 14.25 Ps 141.5 4. Intemperance of all kinds and toward any Creature-comforts or Secular contentments Take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with any of them be crucified to the World and let the World be crucified to you or Conscience will be captivated by the World the rational Will to the sensitive or brutish appetite If you are set upon it that you will be rich you shall be snared and enslaved by it and shall not be innocent Luk. 21.34 Gal. 6.14 1 Tim. 6.9 Prov. 28.20 5. Indulgence of any one corruption which speaks Conscience already defective in its Office and steals off its tenderness c. by degrees Sin is never at a stay if Conscience let alone Concupiscence it will soon conceive quicken and bring forth first sin then death Jam. 1.15 Psal 1.1 You must exercise a good Conscience if you would eschew sin and eschew sin every sin if you would exercise a good Conscience specially eye the beginnings and entrance of sin that you be not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Principiis obsta Corruption gaineth by steps Peter first casts off fear then closes with falshood then curses and forswears His faint denial at first time fetcheth out a dreadful Oath at second time and a most daring imprecation the third Heb. 3.13 Mat. 26.69 75. Conscience looseth by steps also Sin happily hath been unportable now it may be it is heavy take up betimes within a while it will become portable next time pleasant to thee and perhaps within a while thou mayst plead for it To such extremities some have arrived gradually as Bernard observeth * Primò importabile processu temporis grave Pauló post leve postea placet dulce est Ad extremum quod erat impossibile ad faciendum est impossibile ad continendum Bern. de Cons c. 3. Beware of secret sins these are a moth that eat out its integrity beware of smaller sins these make way for greater and do as surely though not as suddenly sink the vessel of Conscience as greater leaks or the springing of a plank doth Beware of the shews and seeds and inducements to sin come not nigh her corner these contract carelesness upon Conscience admit not so much as thread or shoo-latchet beware especially of staring and scandalous sins which are like the wild Boar of the Forrest to root up rend and devour Refrain thy foot from every evil way Psal 19.12 17. Eccles 10.1 Jude 23. Psal 51. 119.101 6. Idling away the checks and convictions of Conscience Observe its sayings as Jacob did Joseph's whilst others do as Joseph's Brethren did envy it or them If thou wilt be deaf to Conscience now Conscience within a while may be dumb to thee David doth not hear Conscience but hastens into Bathsheba and how long was it e're he heard from Conscience and when he doth 't is such a voice as maketh his ears to tingle and his heart to tremble Gen. 37.11 2 Sam. 11. 12. cum Psal 51. 7. Indispositions and evils of Conscience What these are hath been premised how these are best healed and cured will be prescribed hereafter Beware of its sleepiness searedness c. every disease hath a tendency toward a dissolution as in Nature so also in Grace 8. Inforcing and violating Conscience Sins against Conscience are of saddest consequence and do of all others most wound and wast the Conscience One sin deliberately committed against the Dictates of Conscience doth more to the corrupting and defilement thereof than many others contracted through weakness David's sin against the light of Conscience lost him the sense and savour of a good Conscience Men that force Conscience do at length flight Conscience and 't is just with God while these put away the good Conscience which they seemed
against Satan He will be throwing in of dirt His arrows are not only fiery to dismay thee but filthy to defile thee And his principal design is at thy Heart thy Conscience Ephes 6.16 Zach. 3.3 cum 1. Act. 5.3 Be vigilant therefore so shall his temptations but perplex thee not pollute thee Thou shalt not be filthed by him but he rather shall flee from thee 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Jam. 4.7 3 Watch against Sin The sin of thy Nature this will be throwing up of dirt and the sin of thy life which will be throwing on more dirt If filthiness be defiling then thou canst not sin and be yet spot-free so 't is called once and again 2 Cor. 7.1 Jam. 1.21 And you must lay aside all filthiness if you would be free not only grosser sins which put out Conscience their spot is not the spot of his Children But lesser sins which pollute Conscience though not so eminently as greater do Every sin even the smallest the secretest stains thee somewhat as David well saw and was sensible of ibid. Deut. 32.5 Psal 19.12 Watch against every sin then and inducement to sin that thou mayst not be so much as tainted with it as well as not tanned by it and mayst walk in White with Christ's Worthies Rev. 3.4 cum 2.16 15. 4 Watch against this sooty and ensnaring World The World as one observes * Manton on Jam. 1.27 Obs 9. is a dirty and defiling thing The Apostle tells you of the pollutions of it and corruption that is in it And our Saviour intimates that it is hard to continue in it and to be kept likewise from the evil of it 2 Pet. 2.20 c. 1.4 Joh. 17.15 Follow not the World too close then lest if it do not dash out thy brains yet it defile thy beauty Remember what doubled cautions Christ hath given you here Watch your offers from it and all the objects of it Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments Luk. 12.15 c. 21.34 Rev. 16.15 Pure religion and undefiled before God is to keep a mans self unspotted of the World not only from being swilled in or sunk by it but from being spotted with it Jam. 1.27 4. Keep a watch upon Conscience Your Consciences are a apt to contract stains as your Clothes are to contract spots Beware what Objects it getteth neer unto or that these get too near it behold it the oftner in the Glass of Scriptures and brush it oftner by self-searching and godly sorrow to repentance and so keep it with all diligence Prov. 4.23 Watch against that original sin wherewith it is polluted that it pour not out filthiness Watch in the Objects of Sense which are thereunto presented that they pour not in filthiness Watch that orb and seat wherein it is placed Let thy Mind be polluted and thy Conscience will not be long pure Watch the offence and pett it is apt to take at preciseness and exact strictness Watch against the oppressing and in fine overwhelming diseases or obliquities of Conscience error ignorance hardness c. Heb. 10.22 Tit. 1.15 Act. 24.16 In short watch Conscience in all those offices and services it is to perform especially 1. That it decline not in any of them to sin or from Scriptures 2. That it double not in any service but in singleness of heart do still approve it self And this know that if thine eye be single thy whole body is full of light Heb. 13.18 Ephes 6.5 Mat. 6.22 So then take heed to your selves that your heart be not deceived Deut. 11.16 Q. 7. What is to be done for the recovering of our Conscience pure when we have contracted any especially a great defilement 1. Remember hath a deceived heart turned thee aside Remember this O Jacob Bring it again to mind O ye transgressors Isa 44.20 21. c. 46.8 1 Remember how it was when thy self and services like the shew-bread were set in order before the Lord upon the pure Table of an undefiled Conscience and were â—o him and happily to others of a sweet-â—â—elling odour like the pure incense of sweet spices To allude to 2 Chron. 13.11 Exod. 37.29 Remember the felicities hereof and whence thou art fallen Rev. 3.3.2.5 2 Remember how ' t is Thy Crown is fallen and the most fine gold become as the mire in the streets How is the faithful City become an harlot thy silver is become dross thy wine mixt with water and thy way before the Lord is as the uncleanness of a removed woman Isa 1.21 22. Ezek. 36.17 3 Remember why and whence it is Hast thou not procured this unto thy self Did Conscience ever provoke thee that thou shouldst so pervert its glory into shame and please thy self in thy own pollution Hath corruption deserved better from thee than Conscience hath done Could Satan have forced Conscience This springs from thine own free consent This is thy wickedness and it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart Jer. 2.17 33. c. 4.18 5.25 2. Repent So God directs upon the case and the godly have done accordingly as Peter and David Rev. 2.5 c. 3.3 Mat. 26.75 Ps 51. See before Q. 6. Direct 3. 1 Here aggravate it upon thy Soul rub on thy Convictions by reiterated Considerations as thou wouldst recover thy old frame of Conscience My sin is ever before me saith David and theâ— he rips up the circumstances by which it was heightned Psal 51.4 c. 2 When Peter haâ— weighed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the circumstances of his sin then 〈◊〉 wept and not till then Mar. 14.72 Aggravate it then from the circumstances of this defilement Wo is me I am undone because 〈◊〉 am a man of such uncleanness I that the Sâ— gave himself for to purifie and the Spirit hath given himself unto to purifie me I that have such principles from God in me for purifying such promises of God to me for purifying I that so profess so pray have been so purged so preserved c. Aggravate it from the subject of this defilement What! even my Conscience polluted that is to quicken and command all the other power 's purity and to keep them pure fetch arguments from Ch. 2. Q. 5. Direct 2. Oh! if the light that is in me be darkness be defiled how great is this darkness this defilement Aggravate it from the object against and before whom it is Against thee thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity requirest and rewardest purity c. 2 Acknowledg it in Supplication Confessing is neerly connexed with cleansing It engageth us to cleanse in point of Credit as well as Conscience and it engageth God to cleanse in point of Covenant and with respect to Christ Prov. 28.13 Job 33.27 28. 1 Joh. 1.9 He that covers his sin with Adam will never cleanse it Open then the filth of thy Conscience in a free and full Confession and may every word melt into a tear
Tell him with Job Behold I am vile and with Agur Surely I am more brutish than any man I have not the understanding of a man Prov. 28.13 Psal 32.5 6. Job 40.4 Prov. 30.2 3 Abhor thy self in the sense of it A prostrate self-abhorrence will surely purge thy Conscience and blot that consciousness of sin thou hast contracted both out of God's debt-book and thy own day-book Whereof Job and David are plain and pregnant instances Job 42.6 Psal 51. This Medicament is a sure preventive and safe purgative of a putrified Conscience it includeth these two as the principal ingredients 1. Self-displicence in sorrow and indignation with thy self as David Oh! that I should be such a fool such a sot such a beast 2 Cor. 7.11 Psal 73.21 22. 2. Self-defiance in shaming and judging thy own self renouncing thy righteousness and ripping up thy follies and filthiness and loathing thy self in thy own sight O Lord righteousness belongeth to thee but to me shame and confusion of face O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face c. Ezek. 6.9 c. 16.63 Dan. 9.7 8. Ezra 9.6 3. Rev. 2.5 Renew Do over the first works for thy former washing The door of Mercy stands as open as heretofore Thy duty to use the means and the efficacy of the means upon a due use of them is as observable as heretofore Then thou wert without strength and couldst not co-operate with divine Grace nor any more cleanse thy sin than the Ethiopian can change his skin In that first work thou wert meerly passive Rom. 5.6 Jer. 13.23 Job 14.4 * See Saryl ad loc But now the case is altered the least Saint is not without a little strength Grace is communicated and doth expect thy co-operation with it self that a man purge himself Rev. 3.8 2 Tim. 2.21 2 Cor. 7.1 Renew then 1 the advised provision Q. 5. Dir. 3. Particularly 2 the application of the Promises this is not only an excellent congruity and an evident connexion between the Promises of Christ and the purging of our Conscience but they exhibit a Copy how we should purge and effectually conveigh a power whereby ye shall purge the Conscience and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Pet. 1.4 3 Renew the ardour of thy Prayers these will engage and sanctifie all other endeavours engage Heaven and thy own Heart follow thy work close here and with much constancy Double the duty and thy diligence therein Remember the Psalmist how he reiterated this Petition Wash me purge me cleanse me create a clean heart in me Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Psal 51.2.7 10. 4 Renew the Acts of these holy Principles in thee Faith Hope and Love as they were of past so are they of present and perpetual efficacy so the expressions intimate Act. 15.9 1 Joh. 3.3 Purifying 't is not said having purified their Hearts by Faith He that hath this hope purifieth himself c. Send Faith afresh then to the Blood of Christ and the blessed Covenant of Grace for cleansing and let this stir up and streng then the other implanted Habits to their several imployments Shew Hope a further sight of those pure and perfect Glories which God hath prepared and promised The more this glorious Purity becomes the matter of thy Hope for hereafter the more will a gracious Purity become the matter of thy attempts and aspirings here And to besure the more thou lovest pureness of heart the more wilt thou apply thy self for and shalt attain of heart-purity CHAP. IV. Of the Peaceable and Disquiet Conscience Q. 1. Whether the Conscience that is not Evangelically good or pure may yet enjoy great peace and so whether a Man may safely conclude his Conscience is pure because 't is quiet and at peace I. Prop. 1 IF you understand peace of Conscience in the most proper precise and strict notion thereof then can there be no peace of Conscience where there is no purity 'T is first pure then peaceable There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Others may sing a Requiem to them Peace peace and they may bless themselves in their own hearts saying I shall have peace but my God saith there is no peace Jam. 3.17 Jer. 6.14 Deut. 29.19 Isa 57.21 The quiet of such Consciences some please to call a Truce but cannot allow it the name of peace If that here is only a temporary suspension of arms no total cessation * See Dyk good Cons p. 31 32. the quarrel is not taken up Conscience is but taking more time to right it self and revenge their stubbornness Peace of Conscience if we understand it strictly imports more than an immunity from inward Concertations and Concussions it implieth also an enjoyment of it self with a victorious serenity in the felicitating smiles of God's Countenance and in viewing the spoils of Sin and Satan its vanquished adversaries Rom. 15.13 Phil. 4.7 Joh. 14.27 It presupposeth peace with God as its prime basis upon which it rests and into which it is resolved as its principal cause Peace of Conscience being originally but the reflex of this that God is reconciled and at peace with us Rom. 5.1 2. Job 22.21 Men of impure Consciences are upon terms of enmity not of peace with God they are against him and he against them Ephes 2.16 Psal 18.26 2. It presupposes a propriety in Christ who is our Peace whose death for us is the sole price of our reconciliation and peace with God and whose Union with us and the communion with and conformity to him is the signal evidence thereof But the impure Conscience hath no interest in Christ he is not only without Christ but at war and enmity with Christ Ephes 2.14 Rom. 5.1 10. 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Fph. 2.12 Col. 1.21 3. It is produced by Faith Faith Evangelical giveth us peace with God and God giveth us peace in and by the exercise of faith Faith unites us with God in Christ and so 't is peace in Heaven here is its direct act and then Faith unfolds and reviews this Union and so 't is peace in the Heart here is its reflex act Now the impure Conscience hath no saving Faith which doth still first purifie then pacifie the Conscience Rom. 5.1 c. 15.13 Ephes 3.17 18 19. 1 Joh. 5.11 12 13. Joh. 5.44 Act. 15.9 4. Besides this peace is made the priviledg the incommunicable priviledg of the Church and Kingdom of Christ who are said to be clean through his word Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you c. i. e. to you not only eminently above others but exclusively to you and not to any others Rom. 14.17 Joh. 14.27 cum 15.3 II. Prop. 2 But if you understand peace of Conscience in a larger and less proper sense in the vulgar notion and latitude of this expression as it imports the quietness thereof from inward arrests
with thee For the Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life Prov. 6.21 22 23. 3. Take forth what marks thou hast treasured up for trial That as a Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of God thou mayst bring forth out of thy treasure things both new and old Mat. 13.52 There are three sorts of Marks mentioned by Divines * See Manton on James 1. Exclusive the absence of which doth plainly speak that we are not as yet in a state of Grace and Salvation 2. Inclusive the presence of which doth not only prove the truth of our Grace or being in the state of Salvation but our growth in Grace and progress in Sanctification 3. Beside those there are a middle sort of Marks which they call positive The presence of which doth positively and plainly shew the being or integrity of our Graces the truth of our Sanctification and that we are in a state of Salvation Touching these I shall offer you some rules in the case before you 1. Do not decline Exclusive Marks which have their end and are of efficacy to undeceive and convince of infidelity and hypocrisie That a man deceive not his own heart there is use of the Exclusive Mark Jam. 1.26 He that seems to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is vain as well as of that more evidential and positive ver 27. Prayer and other acts of Worship will not prove you in a state saving but if you cast off Worship and restrain Prayer before God it will prove you in a state of sin Hearing his truths will not prove the acceptation of your persons by God But if you turn away your ear from hearing the Law it will prove that your prayers are an abomination Isa 1.15 Job 15.4 Jam. 1.22 Prov. 28.9 2. Do not dwell upon Exclusive Marks much less shouldst thou draw them down to the ends and uses of such as are positive as if reading and hearing Sermons receiving Sacraments c. would speak thee to be in a saving state For as they are unable to do this so thou wilt hereby but deceive thy own self whereof you have already seen several instances 3. Draw forth and improve thy positive Marks which I suppose thee to have tried and treasured up according to the two former Directions Now is the time to bring them forth out of thy armory when thou art in hazard of thy life and thy heart lyeth open to all the assaults which either the policies or power of Sin and Satan can bring on against thee to captivate or ensnare thee The Apostle therefore directs them now to produce faith and fellowship with Christ when they are upon proving and examining themselves and to ascertain their estares And now it is that Job and David awaken their memories to recall and do apply such Marks to themselves when they are about clearing their case before God and in their own Conscience Job 23.10 11 12. Psal 26.1 2 3 4. Draw forth thy positive Marks for a full and final decision in what estate thou art or for positive ends That thou leave not thy estate at an hovering uncertainty in loose conjectures or languishing probabilities but bring it to a clear and certain issue in thy own Conscience and so assure thy heart before God 1 Joh. 3.19 And indeed why have you such positive Marks afforded on God's part but to this end or how can you answer so many obligations as are plainly required on your part that cannot be performed without the previous knowledg of your estate 1 Joh. 5.13 20. 2 Cor. 13.5 Prov. 22.21 The Primitive Christians therefore would not suffer themselves to sit down in opinionative guesses or hopeful conjectures only but pursued their Marks to a peremptory but modest knowledg of what condition they were in Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments Hereby know we that we are in him We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren c. 1 Joh. 2.3 5. c. 3.14 19 24. c. 5.19 Direct 2. Touching the Assumption wherein Conscience delivereth her testimony and report in the management of this self-trial how 't is with us as to matter of fact with reference to the matter of law or rule contained in the former Proposition Here I advise 1. Let Conscience discuss the truth thereof before she determines on her testimony The Psalmist reflects and revolves the case upon his thoughts ere Conscience shall make report Nor will he adventure to determine without a diligent self-discussion I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search And surely 't is no less our duty than his whose danger as being less fallible is far more Psal 76.6 4.4 2 Pet. 1.10 Heb. 6.11 Laodicea might easily have disproved that false testimony Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing If she had but discussed it first in her own thoughts but being careless in this she knew not that she was miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 The Jews say Joh. 8.41 We have one Father even God Our Saviour returns the speech to a further search of Conscience which might easily correct such a mistake and misreport as this Nay if God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God c. ver 42 44 45. The like he doth ver 33 34 39 40. We were never in bondage say they we are Abraham's seed and he is our father and no doubt they speake according to the suffrage of their Conscience But he remits it to second and more serious considerations Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin If ye be Abraham's children ye would do the works of Abraham But ye seek to kill me c. this did not Abraham 'T is requisite then that you return the testimony once and again to a further reflection and review of Conscience Sometimes 1. the calling back of Circumstances may confute the vanity and falshood of such a Testimony Would Babylon have said I shall be a Lady for ever if she had laid these things to heart Isa 47.6 7. Or those in Mich. 3.11 Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us if they had but looked backwards and lain hold upon the circumstances of their disobedience ver 9.10 2. Sometimes the calling in of sense as Jer. 2.23 How canst thou say I am not polluted I have not gone after Baalim See thy way in the Valley c. 3. Most times the calling over and consulting with Scriptures which pierce like a two-edged sword even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and maketh manifest the secrets thereof to it self unto a sound Conviction Heb. 4.12 1 Cor. 14.24 25. 4. But would we carry on the converse in our own Conscience we
them Prov. 4.23 Mat. 26.41 Prov. 22.5 3. Close with her Testimony though she speak against thee Let not thy Affections kick and thy Will cast it back upon Conscience to give a more favourable witness for thee 'T is better Conscience should be a severe Witness here than a never-dying Worm hereafter The more fully and faithfully she testifieth the more friendly is she and the more it turneth to thy felicity Faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful Psal 141.5 Prov. 27.6 4 Let Conscience be told ever and anon of the Testimony she must deliver in the day of Judgment Then the Books shall be opened the Book of Conscience within as well as of Creatures and Scriptures without Then must thou shalt thou O my Conscience give a plain and impartial Testimony to all things done in the body Then all thy frauds and fallacies which thou now puttest upon me shall be unvailed and pluckt off before God Men and Angels Then shalt thou bear the shame of them and must suffer for them Thy flatteries and unfaithfulness shall be all laid bare and open Oh how much better were it for thee and me to bring forth thy righteous Testimony now to our Conversion than in that day to our Confusion Alas what can be hid from him who knoweth all things Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it Thou mayst deceive me but canst thou deceive my God also That day shall discover it If thou fearest the shame and sting of such a Witness in this day shouldst not thou rather fear and fly the shame and sting thereof in that day Now it may be eased and healed by Repentance Defer thy Testimony till then and the shame and torment will be easless endless and remediless Rev. 20.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Eccles 12.14 Mar. 9.44 5 Let Conscience be demanded to give her Witness as in the presence of God the great Judg. Charge her to speak to thee as she would speak to and before him Is not the answer of a good Conscience towards God O my Conscience is not God greater than thy self and knoweth all things Wilt thou witness this thing to God for me as Peter's did Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee And canst thou appeal him as a Witness in the case with and for thee as he also did Canst thou attest him as they did Josh 22.21 22. The Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods he knoweth Canst thou say and say truly Behold my witness is in heaven and my record is on high as Job did And wilt thou answer to him for me what thou now answerest me as before him Lo O Lord thou knowest Thou O Lord knowest me thou hast seen me and tried mine heart Thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing Thou knowest that I am not wicked 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Joh. 3.20 Joh. 21.15 17. Job 16.19 Psal 40.9 Jer. 12.3 Psal 17.3 Job 10.7 Direct 3. Touching the Conclusion wherein Conscience is to denounce the sentence upon the trial made agreeable to the truth she dictateth in the Proposition and to the testimony which she delivereth in the Assumption Here I advise 1 See that Conscience pronounce the sentence upon thee Or why are all these proceeds hitherto Why are 1. the word and statutes of Heaven consulted 2. The Court set 3. The Witness sworn and heard Shall the Records of Heaven be produced and the Records of my Heart proved to no purpose Hast thou done so many things O my Conscience in vain if it shall be yet in vain But because Conscience is so prone to protract the sentence and to forbear the conclusion which should follow upon the Premisses and doth naturally and necessary follow upon the Proposition and Assumption in a Logical discourse as one well observeth * See Ames de Consc l. 1. c. 9. §. 5. 10. I advise these things 1. If Conscience be silent suspect thy condition is not well or that at least it is not well with Conscience I shall not say that her suspending of the Conclusion doth always speak the condition and state of the Soul to be a state of sin Because deserted Saints through the power of fear and temptations and the weakness of their faith in such troubles may not be able to derive and draw it down to themselves But ordinarily and out of the case of desertion it speaks the condition ill and lyable to suspition 'T was not well with David when he turns the conclusion and sentence to another which he should have taken to himself and the Prophet was fain to take up the office of Conscience and tell him Thou art the man c. He cannot be apprehended to have been either ignorant of God's Law or of his own lascivious and murtherous fact But Conscience did not conclude or argue and apply it home And it was very ill with them who knowing the judgment of God that they who did such things were worthy of death and that they did them yet concluded not their estate upon it but continued in their sin Nor was their condition safe or Conscience sound that could wave the Conclusion when the Premisses were so clear Neither say they in their heart let us now fear the Lord c. Jer. 5.23 24. 2 Sam. 12.5 6 7. Rom. 1.32 2. If Conscience do not speak to thee do thou speak to Conscience God complaineth when men do not set and say to their hearts when they do not call upon and converse with them Isa 44.19 Hos 7.2 Argue it with her and urge her to proceed to sentence and to perfect her discourse in giving judgment Urge her by her past proceeds of which before By her place and power Hath not God made thee a Judg in Israel set thee next under himself and over me that thou shouldst shew me the sentence in judgment Is not thy commission Divine His concurrence declared who is with you in the judgment to behold if thou judgest falsly to approve if thy judgment be according to verity Deut. 17.9 2 Chron. 19.6 1 Joh. 3.20 21. By her Precedency Thou expectest from inferiour Judges that they proceed to judgment and wilt expostulate and rebuke them if they shall adventure to retard it and judgment goeth not forth Thou art superiour to any to all of them God hath set thee as Solomon set his Mother next himself on the Throne And if thou shalt clear no matter if they all condemn me But if thou condemn not all of them can quit me May not they dare to adventure upon unnecessary delays in Civil concernments and durst thou to delay and defer the sentence in Spiritual in Soul-matters and of eternal consequence Deut. 16.18 19 20. Hab. 1.4 1 King 2.19 Rom. 8.33 c. 1 Joh. 3.20 By her Principles Civil Judges have severals to consult without them ere they can come to sentence But thou O my Conscience containest all within thee whereby thou mayst be
both clear and quick or expeditious in the judgment Thou needst not call for Law-books or foreign Witnesses With thee is a treasury of Laws and thou art more than a thousand Witnesses 3. If Conscience yet suspends judgment cite her before the supream Judg. Behold Conscience the Judg standeth before the door He is greater than the Conscience to him thou must accompt Thou mayst apologize to me but how wilt thou answer it to him who made thee his deputy and substituted thee upon this very design And hath said to Conscience as Jehoshaphat to his Judges Take heed what ye do for ye judg not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment Wherefore take heed and do it Jam. 5.9 1 Joh. 30.20 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7. 2 See that Conscience pronounce the sentence fully and clearly upon thee An half-sentence can give but half-satisfaction If the sentence be dubious thy Soul will still be in the dark Why all this pains Not for airy hopes but for assurance of the heart before God 1 Joh. 3.19 To this end 1. Be full and clear with Conscience in exposing all thou art and dost to her sentence without any of the restraints of self-love without any reserve for any secret lusts Self-love will be putting in for her immunities A clear and impartial sentence will shake all her foundations hitherto of quiet and self-ease And therefore importuneth Conscience as David sometime did his chief Commanders Deal gently for my sake yea and for thy own sake for thou must sustain the effects of such a sentence 2 Tim. 3.2 cum 5. 2 Sam. 18.5 Secret lusts will be putting in for an indemnity which it may be Conscience hath cockered or at least hitherto connived at Wherefore should we be slain Have not we took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in company c. But Conscience must quit them ere it can clear thec 'T will be a partial sentence if she parteth not with these sins Or if she speak peace it will be but the shew and paint of it so long as ye will walk after the imagination of your own hearts Psal 19.12 13. 18.23 Deut. 29.19 Bring all then before the Bar of Conscience and that Bar without any vails or coverts and tell her as Cornelius told Peter we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 2. Be free yet close with Conscience You may remember her there will be another audit and what will attend if she shall give a loose or partial judgment Cursed be he that perverteth judgment But remember her withal that therefore this thy appearance is made before her throne of Judicature and thou demandest it as thy right not as a matter of courtesie from her but as of debt and duty As of old it was ordained Thou shalt come to the Judg and enquire and he shall shew thee the sentence of judgment Deut. 27.19 c. 17.9 See thou do not see her by any carnal indulgence for a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise and perverteth the words of righteousness and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery Deut. 16.19 Job 15.34 Nor flatter her by any corrupt inducements The flattering mouth worketh ruin Psal 36.2 Prov. 26.28 Be plain with Conscience Lo I have now put my self my state my salvation upon thy sentence 'T is thy work to condemn or clear me thy eternal wo or weal is concerned in it I require thee as before the supream and all-seeing Judg to judg righteously I do not sollicite for favour but seek justice at thy mouth How long shall I take counsel in my soul When wilt thou bring it to a conclusion that I may know my estate what I am Follow her with arguments and importunities till she answereth thee in the words of the Psalmist I will judg uprightly Psal 75.2 Q. 4. How may we difference the Peace of a good and of an evil Conscience and so discern that ours is a sound and an Evangelical Peace Doubtless there is a difference * See Fenner's Treat of Consc p. 137. to 167. Robinsons Christ all in all p. 187 188 Collin's right way to true peace p. 51. ad 62. or our Saviour had not delivered it as he doth Joh. 14.27 cum 22. But he that would drive this nail to the head for the discovery of his own peace whether it be true or false should discuss it thorowly with his own Conscience how it came to take up this peace The peace that an evil Conscience bears groweth usually out of one of these two roots 1. Either out of the sluggishness of Conscience that puts not the estate upon trial 2. Or from the shifts and unfaithfulness of Conscience if it proceed to trial 1. Fither in the Proposition 2. Or in the Assumption 3. Or in the Conclusion as hath been shewed You should dig to the very bottom in this business Whether this peace be the product of pains prayers and of proving your hearts and states once and again What pains did Conscience take in it What proceed did Conscience make in it Did it give full and infallible marks for the trial of your estates Did it give a faithful and impartial testimony in the trial And did it give a free and unbiassed judgment upon the trial of your estates Produce and prove thy Evidences That your enmity against godliness is turned into peace and therewith amity That you are as earnest for holiness as you were for sin or are for happiness and as great a friend to the purity as to the peace of Conscience Prove that the spirit of peace hath renewed and sanctified you That the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus ruleth in and hath the Soveraignty over you That the God of peace is related as a Father to you and is that supream good and end to whom you finally refer your selves in point of felicity and duty and then your peace which is gathered from these Premisses is proved therewith to be true pious and Evangelical But to give you the difference enquired after though every thing I herewith offer doth not serve to discover it effectually in such a practical inquiry without some further reference The Evangelical peace of the good Conscience and the quiet or peace of an evil Conscience are different 1. In the eminency of this Evangelical Peace 1. In point of truth That other is but the shadow and semblance of peace but this is solid substantial peace 'T is peace peace Isa 26.3 c. 57.19 not only the resemblance or appearance of peace but real rich assured abundant peace But there is no peace saith my God unto the wicked ver 21. Isa 48.22 Let men call it by the title of peace yet God accounts it to be in truth no peace 2 In point of tranquillity That other is mostly but negative a freedom from storms but this is positive a fulness of serenity There
then make you draw off your guards and centinels or make you more diligent and circumspect 2 Greater fortitude of spirit forbearing troubles breaking thorow tentations and baffling all the assaults of flesh and blood upon the sanctified habits and faculties The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keep it as with a garrison as that word is elsewhere used Joh. 16.33 Phil. 4.7 cum 2 Cor. 11.32 It shall fit you for resistance fill you with resolution and free you from those returns of fraud and force which make others become their prisoners * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Scho. Doth this peace then cool and slacken your resolutions for duty especially in case of discouragements and difficulty or doth it quicken and add spurs and wings to it 3 Greater vigors of obedience A formal peace is the best effect usually of that Pharisaical peace But this Evangelical peace is not without an Evangelical power upon the heart within and in the acts without Rom. 14.17 cum 1 Cor. 4.20 2 Tim. 1.3 cum 6. This Soul not only maintains a course or track in spiritual matters but manageth them with a spiritual mind His spiritual peace begets a spiritual plenty and now he can easily step over what heretofore stumbled him No offence is so great to him as that his obedience is no greater He not only liveth up to Gods testimonies but he loves him exceedingly Rom. 8.6 Psal 119.165 169. Doth your peace then make you more slight and formal in duty or more spiritual and vigorous Are they not only more bulky but more strong and sincere fuller of the sap of love and of the spirit of life 4 Greater vivacity of Holiness Evangelical peace is ever prospered to Evangelical grace and growth See how it fructifieth and clusters Rom. 5.1 6. Gal. 5.22 23. Let the day of that false peace be as the harvest-time to the formal hypocrite His righteousness is now all gathered into barn But 't is as the seed-time to the faithful soul The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace Jam. 3.18 Now is this Soul's time to be distributing the seeds of righteousness for God and among men and by the oyl of gladness to make increase likewise of the oyl of grace This holy peace puts him upon perfecting holiness in himself and provoking others Souls to take and taste thereof likewise Heb. 13.20 21. Psal 66.16 34.8 51.12 13. Q. 3. May not the Soul that enjoys ease and tranquility after eminent troubles of Conscience infer that his is Evangelical peace In no wise * See Sheffield's good Cons c. 18. pag. 263 c. Though a good Conscience may prove greatly troublesom after great tranquility yet the greatest tranquility after the greatest troubles cannot simply and by it self prove Conscience good Because the Devil turns in men hither and a deceitful heart often taketh up here I have felt the terrors of the Lord but now find tranquility and taste of his love as they did Heb. 6.4 5 6. cum 9. Hear me therefore a few things 1. Prop. 2 Every trouble is not a trouble of Conscience that may be so called 1. There is a trouble of carnal policy Herod is troubled and all Hierusalem with him but 't is that Christ is born who might shake his Secular Kingdom not that he was born without Christ or seeth no title to an eternal Kingdom So is the King of Assyria sore troubled But 't is for the defeating of his Counsels not for destroying his corruptions Mat. 2.3 2 King 6.11 2. There is a trouble of Concupiscence and iniquity Ahab is so troubled as he taketh his bed upon it not for want of faith in or forgiveness from God but for want of the Vineyard So is Amnon not that his lust may be subdued but that it may be satisfied upon his Sister Tamar 1 King 21.4 2 Sam. 13.2 3. There is a trouble that is but corporeal and bodily through excess of Melancholy c. which is sometimes mixt sometimes meerly such This disordereth the imagination or fancy This again distempereth the passions these discompose the natural spirits these again drive to and fro and agitate the humours of the body and so all is in a commotion nothing is quiet And now happily a mans own spirit falls upon him within and an evil spirit from the Lord also from without And then terrour taketh hold of him on every side as it did upon Saul But what are these troubles Rather of sickness than for sin from the oppression of nature rather than in order to grace at least originally if not only 1 Sam. 16.14 I presume you will not call it peace of Conscience to have a period or conclusion put to any or all of these 2. Eminent troubles of Conscience there may be Prop. 2 and often are which are neither preparatory to nor productive of peace but rather a providential fulfilling of God's threatnings and a preface sometimes to greater torments as they were to Cain and Judas Will you read his threatning The Lord shall give thee a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind and thou shalt fear day and night In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear Deut. 29.65 67. Lev. 26.36 Isa 8.21 22. God may remit then or remove such troubles as he doth other temporal judgments without renovation of the person or the blessing of a religious peace 3. Prop. 3 Eminent troubles of Conscience may and have ended in a still and sapless formality without sincerity or sanctifying the Conscience The Pharisees are a clear and confessed instance Conscience arrests the Jews with fears and conscernation Away they betake them to a course of prayer and fasting but in both formal And so Conscience is at rest but as the Psalmist observeth was not right in them Isa 58.2 c. Psal 78.33 37. Ananias and Sapphira seem pricked in their heart but were not purified in their heart Formality drew out that prick but drew on their perdition Conscience takes hold on Magus on Ahab and others and they are troubled But wherein ended their pangs of Conscience In a sound peace No but in a spiritless profession and practice of some external duties without any saving change upon them Act. 2.37 cum 5.1 c. 8.13 c. 1 King 21.27 cum c. 22. This amounts to no more than a silencing of such troubles not the sanctifying of them Formality is as bad an evidence of the truth of our peace as it is of the truth of our grace 4. Prop. 4 Eminent troubles and distresses of Conscience may and have ended in stupidity and dedolence The smiting reproving Conscience may become a seared remorsless Conscience witness Pharaoah Felix Belshazzar What pangs of Conscience might you have sometime found them in who within
themselves were comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4 Confession is not confined to a Priest only or a Pastor by Saint James Confess your faults one to another saith he Jam. 5.16 Private persons might purifie the unclean as well as the Priest Numb 19.18 19. 2. But especially I advise you to experienced Ministers whose experiences may be supposed more and better because they have besides their own the accession of the experiments of others Yea they are more interested in intrusted with and enabled for this work than others God hath committed to them the word of reconciliation and hath given them the tongue of the learned that they should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary 2 Cor. 5.19 Isa 50.4 If there be then ever a Paul or Silas a Peter or Barnabas about you a son of Consolation betake your selves to him as these here did Open your Spiritual sores to him Let his probe go to the very bottom Refuse not his Corrosives if there be any proud flesh to be eaten off Especially receive his Cordials and apply the healing Medicines which he prescribeth and have a probatum est upon them The Priests lips should keep knowledg and the people should seek the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hosts Act. 2.37 c. 16.29 30. c. 4.36 Mal. 2.7 Hag. 2.11 Direct 6. Advise your Company especially as to their counsels They pickt out other company as soon as they were prickt in their own Conscience Act. 2. 16. So did Paul Act. 9. Gal. 1. Whom they formerly opposed now they own Thy old sinful company in thy new spiritual Convictions is worse than new wine for old bottles Beware especially of such as 1. Would drive out this nail out of thy heart with another fetcht from and that would fasten thee to Hell That call thee from thy Convictions to their compotations corruptions As if thou couldst never find peace but in their fleshly pleasures Thou must run riot with them or there is no rest for thee My Soul be not thou partaker with them Enter not into their path Avoid it pass not by it turn from it and go away Ephes 5.7 Prov. 4.14 15. c. 1.15 16. 2. Such as will dig and rake in these wounds persecuting him whom God hath smitten and talking to the grief of those whom he hath wounded Ay this is your Religion Here is the fruits of your hearing Sermons c. That maketh you amaz'd or in Festus's language even mad again Let thine ear be deaf to their discouragements O the dreadful imprecations of the Psalmist upon such men Psal 69.20 29. 109.16 21. Act. 26.24 3. Such as deride and would scoffe thee out of thy Convictions What! you 'l be a Convert I warrant you Will you grow mopish and a melancholy fool too c. Job and David no sooner put on mourning but there are some presently mocking Are there not mockers with me saith Job Hypocritical mockers they are called by David they shoot out the lip and shake the head c. Job 17.2 Psal 35.16 c. 22.7 Shut thine ear to such Scoffers A void them as the pests of any place So they are called by the Septuagint Psal 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely God scorneth the Scorners Prov. 3.34 4. Such as dawb and sooth thee under these Convictions with untempered mortar Why such hard thoughts of your self What need so much ado 'T is well enough already No evil shall come upon you c. Ezek. 13.10.18 Lam. 2.14 These are miserable Surgeons that when they should apply Corrosives and Causticks to your corruptions apply only lenitive or stupifying Medicaments Cruel kindness that kills the Conscience instead of curing it by preaching comfort without pressing conversion I am against these Prophets saith the Lord that steal my word every one from his neighbour that heal the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 23.30 14 17. c. 6.14 c. Listen not to such Syren-songs Better are the wounds of a friend that presseth you with the necessity of Conversion than the kisses of an enemy that precipitateth your consolation 'T is better to have your wounds search'd and so salv'd than to have them skin'd over but stink and rankle under Direct 7. Apply thy self to the course prescribed thee for thy cure and preservation They that askt What shall we do Act. 2. 16. were resolved to do what they were advised Now is the time of action at least of resolution Listless and lazy desires will leave thee at a deplorable perhaps irrecoverable loss The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat How long wouldst thou sleep Oh sluggard Canst see all thy hopes failing thee thy House fired about thee Hell flaming before thee and doth thy heart even faint within thee and yet talk of folding thy hands to sleep I say to thee as David to Solomon Arise and be doing and the Lord be with thee Prov. 13.4 c. 6.9 10 11. 1 Chro. 22.16 God hath not bound thee in these fetters nor holds thee in these cords of affliction to shut thee up from working but to shew thee thy work and set thee on it with more speed and seriousness and he is ready to give thee strength for and success in it Job 36.8 12. c. 33.16 31. Is the iron blunt put to the more strength Is thine inability before thee Pray in the more of the Spirit Lord help my unbelief Lord turn me and I shall be turned Eccles 10.10 Mar. 9.24 Jer. 31.18 'T will be no excuse for idleness that we cannot effectually do any thing without his especial influence and assistance Remembring that he hath made this an encouragement which you would make your excuse Work out your own Salvation c. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. I shall not here prescribe a method of cure See Q. 5. But return thee the same short answers which were long ago given to the same question askt by those Act. 2. 16. Repent Believe * See Dykes good Conscience c. 4. p. 36. ad 45. 1 Repent Act. 2.37 38. i.e. Return from thy sins to God himself Act. 26.20 Ezek. 14.6 Well may Conscience continue smiting if thou continuest sinning and God be pouring in his wrath while thou art pouring out thy wickedness If you will walk contrary to him he also will walk contrary to you Lev. 20.18 21 24 28. Or if God and Conscience forbear smiting when you do not forbear sinning 't is in greater wrath not of good will Not that he favours or respects you but that his fury may rest upon you and the stupidity of your Consciences may seal you up to condemnation Ezek. 24.13 Psal 81.11 12. Rom. 1.24 28. Off with these Sheba's heads and over the wall with them
3.10 c. 2.17 'T is he that hath reveal'd and opened this hidden mystery how God might be fully righted and manfully yet freely reconciled in his Gospel which is therefore called the Gospel of peace Act. 10.36 Rom. 16.25 26. c. 10.15 See then that you apply your self to and attend on him in the conscionable reading and hearing of his Gospel wherein he hath given forth both the Covenant and Conditions of Peace But remember that you sit not down with this that he hath therein opened these things to your understandings but be a restless solicitor till he hath opened your understandings also to these things and given you an inward sense and taste of the Truths spoken to Luk. 24.45 cum 32. Phil. 1.9 For Christ is anointed with ability and authority not only as other Prophets to preach peace to you but as being the great Prophet to preach peace into you Or if you will rather to preach you into a state of peace and that you may have peace in him the Preacher and his peace in you Isa 61.1 Luk. 4.18 Joh. 16.33 c. 15.11 2 'T is of his merit and procurement The chastisement or punishment as the Dutch render it of our peace was upon him Isa 53.5 It would not consist with the sovereign pleasure and perfections to make peace with us without some punishment or propitiation from or for us There must be a price some compensation or there could be no peace no reconciliation Now Christ undertaketh to recompence God and reconcile man And lo he hath born the punishment laid down the price and so bought out peace by the Blood of his Cross for all that shall believe in him that he may bring them nigh to God and God unto them Dan. 9.24 Rom. 3.25 Eph. 2.13 17. Col. 1.20 21. 1 Pet. 2.24 c. 3.18 And now what is behind but faith in his blood An active faith on thy part whereby thou maist accept and appropriate himself for thine and apply the blood of his Cross to thee would alleviate thy troubles and afford tranquility Rom. 3.25 c. 1 9 10. c. 8.34 You have the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than the blood of Abel better things to God for you and better things from God to you But remember 't is the hand of faith must sprinkle this blood on the Conscience According to your faith so will it be to you either peace or perplexity 1 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 12.24 c. 10.22 Mat. 9.29 Get you but faith to dip in this blood and strike the lintels of Conscience therewith as the Jews did the lintels and side-posts of their houses there 's no fear of the destroyer Faith in his blood gives a full quietus est from the fears that generate bondage and gives you boldness to enter into the holiest Exod. 12.22 23. Rom. 8.15 Heb. 10.19 3 'T is of his making and applying too 'T is 1. of his free donation as being the Prince of Peace and that hath the key of David who openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Joh. 14.27 Isa 9.6 Rev. 3.7 And 2. by vertue of his Dominion There is no peace with God or Conscience while you persist in your contumacy and continue under the power of Sin and Satan These must be dethroned in and for you and you must be delivered from their power and must deliver up your selves to be his people ere God can without injury to his honour his holiness declare himself to be at peace with you Isa 59.8 Rev. 2.17 Psal 85.8 Now 't is Christ that must save you out of the hands of your enemies slay the enmity in your hearts and subdue your stubborn wills to the subjection and will of God by the strong but sweet ducture of his omnipotent grace Luk. 1.69 71. Rom. 8.7 cum 9. Isa 55.5 Cant. 1.4 As ever you would come at peace then you must by faith close with him as your Prince Peace is annexed to his Principality Isa 9.6 7. Let him govern and be your Prince and it will not be long ere he give you peace His Kingdom consists in righteousness and peace Only remember 'tis first righteousness then peace First King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace He first frameth the hearts of his Subjects to Piety then to Peace Rom. 14.17 Heb. 7.2 Direct 6. Acquaint thy self with the God of Peace Hitherto thou hast been alienated and an enemy in thy mind to him by wicked works and thou canst not expect he should be otherwise to thee till thou return and art reconciled Col. 1.21 Rom. 5.10 'T is high time to be upon better terms with God or thou wilt be upon worse terms ere long with Conscience Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace Now is the accepted time if you will yet delay or dally Conscience will use a rougher dialect and this thy day of peace will end in the darkness of amazing pangs and gripes of Conscience Job 22.21 2 Cor. 6.2 Luk. 19.41 42. Seest thou not how willing God is to an accord or he would not invite thee to this acquaintance and so solemnly swear it that he hath no pleasure in thy death and even pray thee out of this distance and project such means that his banished may not be expelled from him Ezek. 33.11 2 Sam. 14.14 If God be so willing why shouldst thou be so wayward Draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to thee He is as willing to be friends as you are or can be Jam. 4.8 Do you ask me how shall we get acquaintance I answer 1 You must be habituated for such an high converse You may never look for acquaintance with God so long as you are alienated from the life of God Sense doth not capacitate the brute Creatures for converse with men nor will reason simply capacitate men for converse with God Reason fits for converse with men but 't is Religion must fit us for converse with God Without his image there is no intercourse Adam had no sooner lost that but he lost this also The godly hath he set apart for himself Ephes 4.18 Isa 28.12 2 Cor. 3.18 Gen. 3.8 c. Psal 4.3 2 You must accord all controversies For how can you be acquainted while you are not yet agreed Am. 3.3 To this end you must not only cease provoking but sue out your pardon submit to his Propositions and solicite him by prayer Exod. 34.9 Psal 81.15 Job 33.26 27 28. 3 You must apply your selves to his company in the use of those appointments or ordinances whereto he hath annexed the promise of his own presence There is no acquaintance with him without approaching to him Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.1 2 3. There must be no hiding then through guilt among the trees of the garden No turning away back now that God hath opened thine ear Thou must be like those in the Prophet They shall
See thou do not baffle with or break from him Quench none of his motions be they never so strict or seem they never so severe They all tend to grace they all end in peace And though he be as yet a spirit of bondage to fear it is not to exulcerate Conscience more sharply but to heal it the more soundly and that he may be a spirit of adoption to thee whereby thou maist cry Abba father 1 Thes 5.19 Isa 61.1 Rom. 8.15 2 Attend his ways before thee not only his ways in the Sanctuary without thee in the means of grace as praying hearing c. but his ways that are more spiritual within thee in the motions of grace and minding of Spiritual and gracious matters The less spiritual-mindedness the less serenity of mind What blustrings are there here beneath But above 't is all in an happy tranquility There are no tempests or thundrings in the upper region Call up thy Conscience and its Colleagues thither and keep them conversant about spiritual and heavenly Objects and thou shalt then soon know what is the communion of the Spirit and what these suavities of Conscience are To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually is life and peace Phil. 3.20 21. cum 18 19. Col. 1.9 10. Rom. 8.5 6. 3 Attend the witness of the Spirit in and with thee It is the Spirit that beareth witness saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 5.6 Which he doth not only externally in the Scriptures but internally to and with our spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.16 A single witness under the law was of no moment But at the mouth of two witnesses shall the matter be established Deut. 19.15 Jo. 8.17 Lo two witnesses are tendered upon the case to clear it God's spirit and our spirit both of them needful and useful to testifie the things of God and the things of man For what man knoweth the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 3.11 The spirit witnesseth to and with our spirit or Conscience in and throughout its whole argumentation and progress whereupon it concludeth its peace E. g. All those that with child-like appretiation affiance and affections can cry Abba father are the children of God But I can with a child-like appretiation affiance and affections cry Abba father Therefore I am a child of God Rom. 8.15 16. The Spirit witnesseth with my Spirit 1. To the truth of the Proposition by an internal manitestation or revelation of that truth to the mind whereof he hath already made an outward revelation in the Scriptures Joh. 14.26 Psal 119.18 2. To the truth of the Assumption by irradiating the Conscience and enabling her in and upon the reflections she maketh to apprehend feel and descry such appretiations and affections in me or whatsoever other mark or medium I am making use of to clear up my estate thereby Eph. 1.17 18. 1 Cor. 2.12 14. 3. To the truth of the Conclusion not only by strengthning her to conclude my state and condition from such appretiations and affections but by shedding abroad such beams of joy and comfort as confirm me therein and seal it up unto my soul 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Rom. 5.5 Eph. 1.13 c. 4.30 Though you must not attend for an external audible testimony from the Spirit * See Hollingw Hol. Ghost on the bench p. 74 75. Ball 's Lif of Faith p. 79. which was never promised and hardly if ever pattern'd Yet you may and must attend for the internal and effectual testimony of the Spirit in effecting exciting heightning and evidencing of his own graces to and in you and in the effusion of the love of God and of his joy upon you which is called the joy in and of the Holy Ghost and is the companion of peace of Conscience Rom. 14.17 1 Thes 1.5 6. Let me only add Thou must not expect as if the Spirit would or could witness peace to thee before it hath wrought grace in thee For its testifying peace to the Conscience is by testifying the truth of thy grace and closing with Christ Thou must first set thy scal to the truth of God in the reception of his testimony by faith in his Son ere the Spirit of truth will seal thee up to the day of redemption Joh. 3.33 cum Eph. 4.30 2 Cor. 1.22 In whom after that ye believed * Quasi dicat non citiùs nec ante sed post sidem in Christum Zanch. ad loc ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Thus appealing Conscience into and adjuring her by the divine presence will be of notable advantage It will not only awaken and engage Conscience but will awe her from extreams to which Sin and Satan may otherwise incline her and put the more authority and undeniableness into her testimony and sentence as being given not only upon God's commission but with God's contestation and comprobation and so will be the more powerful to arrest and stay scruples to anticipate or answer Satan and ascertain the Soul in the sweetest and steadiest affiance while the testimony and judgment of Conscience to a mans righteousness and reconciliation c. is after such severities and as in the sight of God And her language to the Soul is like that of Eliphaz to Job Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good Psal 17.2 3. 7.3 9 10. 26.1 2 3. Job 13.15 16. c. 23.10 c. 27.2 5 6. c. 5.27 Q. 7. How may we keep Peace of Conscience when once gotten The former Directions C. 2. Q. 7. and those even now given you Q. 7. are of useful review here likewise * See Fenners Treat of Consc p. 200 c. But I shall be particular Direct 1. Keep out sin This is THE make-bate and like a mad man it casteth firebrands arrows and death Her entrance and first embraces its true may promise a mellifluous sweetness But her end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword that pierceth even to the Conscience And if anothers abuse of his liberty may wound your Conscience much more will the ardour of your own lusts Prov. 26.19 c. 3 4. Rom. 6.21 1 Cor. 8.12 Psal 38.3 5. Keep out especially 1 Scandalous sins These fly at God and his glory His name is blasphemed through them and shall you be blessed in them Had Zimri peace who slew his master Though David was the darling of Divine Providence yet farewell his peace when he once fell into such a provocation 2 Sam. 12.14 2 King 9.31 Psal 51.8 11. 2 Self-condemned sins Think not to sin against Conscience and yet sin in quiet Such sins are a daring of Conscience to do its worst and do implicitely condemn her as she doth explicitely condemn them And how can she in such a circumstance acquit and clear Remember what it
comforts though he will not break his Covenant 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 1.3 Jer. 32.39 40. Isa 59.21 Psal 89.31 35. 2. Besides their tendency or respect is different Grace appertaineth to the being of a Saint Peace to his well-being A man cannot be a Saint without that but he may be a Saint though sad without this A man doth not cease to be because he ceaseth to be well Sickness doth not unman us though it unmirths us 2. Neither may we measure the strength of grace by our sweets of peace David Job Asaph Heman were most signal instances of the life of piety as well as of the loss of peace They were not so much below others in this but they were as much above them in that The Scriptures do sufficiently furnish us with examples of the greatest works of grace in the greatest want of peace Job 13.15 Hab. 3.17 18. Psal 44.17 25. But of this more hereafter Q. 10. How may we recover Peace of Conscience which we have now lost especially our Souls lying in so much distress and perplexity Direct 1. Take up betimes and suffer not these sores to root deeper in thee or run any longer upon thee I say to thee as Jonathan to his lad Make speed haste stay not And as the voice to Paul Make haste and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem out of this dark and deplorable condition Hasten thy escape from the fearfulness and tremblings those windy storms and tempests that now overwhelm thee 1 Sam. 20.38 Act. 22.18 Psal 55.4 9. 1 To this end read over thy losses and let this give life to renewed labours Hast thou not lost the sight of thy God the sweets of thy grace the suavities of Scriptures and Ordinances and the securities and soul-satisfactions which thou wert wont to take in thy secret and solemn offices and in the delicious views of thy sanctified habits and faculties And canst thou lie still under such sore losses Job 9.11 Lam. 3.17 18. Psal 119.81 82. 2 Ruminate on thy condition and let this quicken thee Is it a condition only of loss of thy dear peace Nay but a condition of lamentable and deep perplexity While it may be friends are bewailing enemies are boasting or blaspheming Satan is tempting sin is troubling and the thoughts of God are a terrour to thee And is this a condition to be rested in from day to day Job 19.21 Psal 69.20 26. 2 Cor. 2.11 Psal 38.3 6. Job 30.15 16. 3 Reflect on thy case yet more distinctly and let this disabuse and excite thee In all other troubles thou hast thy self to befriend thee But in this case when Conscience is smiting and accusing thy self will be engaged against thee thine own Soul will disquiet and perhaps distract thee Conscience will call in all against thee the Affections to awaken and arm their fears cares sorrows c. the Memory to account and sum up thy transgressions which trifled away thy joys both in themselves and in their circumstances thy Understanding to aggravate both thy transgressions and troubles and to answer whatsoever is tendered to reduce her to tranquility Job 30.15 16. Psal 42.5 55.4 5. 40.12 22.14 c. 4 Reckon with thy self what it will come to if thou continue thus and thereby call forth and raise up endeavour Thou art going down-hill apace and must expect without an early anticipation to degenerate from bad to worse from one sorrow to another from casting down to disquiet and from thence to distraction from troubles of Conscience to terrours and from terrours to horrours yea and from one sin to another from oscitancy to obduracy and from thence to obstinacy from despondence to diffidence and from thence happily to despair Psal 42.11 88.15 16. 55.3 Heb. 3.12 13. Psal 73.13 c. 5 Recall thy past comforts and let these constrain thee to mend thy pace Canst thou forget those halcyon days and happy discoveries of divine grace to and in thee when thou heard'st nothing but the sweet sounds of peace either from within or without thee like that of Amasai to David Peace peace be unto thee and peace be to thine helpers How canst thou but cast back a wish with Job thither and quicken thee to thy work O that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness and his secret was upon my tabernacle 1 Chron. 12.18 Job 29.2 7. Direct 2. Try over thy condition by an even ballance 'T is possible you may have mistaken your case and thence miss your comforts as the Psalmist did a further trial may set the former right Psal 77.10 71.22 Prov. 13.7 1 Try the cause Whatever be the causes from which to be sure sin is the cause for which these sad concussions are fallen upon thee God afflicteth not willingly 'T is our iniquity doth in a sort inforce him to it Hast thou not procured this unto thy self Yea thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart Psal 38.3 4. Lam. 3.33 Jer. 30.14 c. 2.17 19. c. 4.18 Seek out the Jonah that special sin for which this storm is sent let it not lie sleeping by the sides of the Ship while you are ready to sink or split Know and see wherein hath been this sin this day This is not a time so much for whining over thy losses as for winnowing off thy lusts not so much for sighing out thy complaints as for searching out thy corruptions The Church is not for sitting down and telling over her woes but for searching and trying of her ways in such a condition as this 1 Sam. 14.38 Psal 77.6 Lam. 3.39 40. Yea beg God to search thee and shew thee that sin which hath made so sad a breach Leave thy complaint upon thy self with Job charge not God foolishly Crave his discovery Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Make me to know my transgression and my sin Psal 139.23 Job 10.1 2. c. 13.23 2 The life of Grace is an hidden life hidden not only in Christ but oft-times from the Conscience But then like the treasure which the Gospel tells you of 't is hidden for your search though it be hidden from your sight Col. 3.3 1 Pet. 3.4 Mat. 13.41 Prov. 2.4 Would you dig to the bottom who knoweth but you might descry this treasure and defeat the tentation that is now upon you I acknowledg that it is none of the happiest seasons for trial of the truth of your Sanctification but diligence herein may overcome the difficulties hereof My spirit made diligent search saith Asaph when his state was as arduous and afflicted as yours Psal 77.6 You may find enough to support hope if not to satisfie your heart And though you see little smoke and sensless heat and warmth of grace yet a strict search may discover
is the force of relation Job 19.2 3 13 20 21 28. Psal 88.8 18. The seasons and means of grace which tend in their own nature to heal do now by accident but exulcerate and pour vinegar into these wounds Oh the means which we have slighted and sinned against if not sinned with c. They are hewn by the Prophets and slain by the words of God's mouth Hos 6.5 Yea mans self which is in all other exigences his friend and advocate now falls upon the naked Soul Every power under the command of Conscience closeth in with her part to make the wounds thereof yet more wide and ghastly and fetch out the fuller streams of blood Psal 38.3 6 7 8. So then 1 Pious Souls may not only lose their peace but live in perplexities Yea 2 When they look for peace they may even then be laid hold on by perplexing troubles When I looked for good then evil came unto me saith Job and when I waited for light there came darkness My bowels boiled and rested not the days of affliction prevented me Your Souls may look up to God and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble Yea while you look for light he may turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness You may look to the godly godly men yea godly Ministers to take pity on you but there is none and to give comfort to you but you may find none yea they may smite and wound you and take away your vail from you Job 30.26 27. Jer. 14.19 c. 8.15 c. 13.16 Psal 69.20 21. Cant. 5.7 3 When they have but even now lived in peace they may forthwith be arrested by such perplexing agonies Behold for peace or upon my peace as Isa 30.6 or after my peace as Jer. 52.31 saith Hezekiah I had great bitterness Like a crane or a swallow so I did chatter I did mourn as a Dove c. Isa 38.14 15 17. O how quickly may the scene of Conscience and of God's countenance be changed And that Sun set under a cloud or suffer an eclipse which shone but a little since with so much comfort and clearness David's mountain was even now so strong by divine favour that he saith he shall never be moved But forthwith God hides his face and he was troubled It was not long since that Job said I shall die in my nest my glory is fresh in me and my bow is renewed in my hand But how suddenly are terrours turned upon him they pursue his soul as the wind and his welfare passeth as a cloud And now my soul is poured out in me the days of affliction have taken hold upon me c. Psal 30.6 7. Job 29.18 19 20. c. 30.15 16 17. 4 Pious Souls may suffer many a change and passage from peace of Conscience to perplexities of Conscience and from thence again to peace and from this to perplexity The God of peace is unchangable but the peace of God is changable subject to many changes Conscience it self even when sanctified is prone to vicissitudes and unevenness or we had not been pressed to keep it with all diligence nor the Psalmist prayed God to unite and fix it And if the power it self be so variable much more must the peace Job David c. had their springs and falls their summer and winter of this peace as the Texts already quoted make clear And these take turn now this then another Saints are compared to Stars which stand not always in the same site and posture 'T is weeping at night joy in the morning And again weeping in the morning and joy at night and perhaps sometimes the Soul is joyful both day and night Jam. 1.17 Job 14.20 Prov. 4.23 Psal 86.11 Dan. 12.3 Psal 38.5 77.6 42.8 So that the gracious Soul may not give up his former peace for false and unsound because it is not fixed and steady Even the Heavenly Bodies have their declinations and revolutions 5 Pious Souls may be under such piercing strokes for a long tract of time The shame of their transgressions and the sense and sting of God's terrours may have afflicted them from their youth up God may remove their Souls so far off from peace that they may even forget prosperity and with every breath they fetch they may be filled with bitterness Surely against me is he turned he turneth his hand against me all the day saith the Church Hence it is you read so many pathetick and pressing expostulations How long how long how long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily Psal 88.15 Jer. 3.25 Lam. 3.3 17. c. 5.20 Job 9.18 Psal 13.1 2. How long is a question beyond my capacity to answer These godly men may seem to imply as it were meet only for God's own resolution This I may say for certain those distresses shall never bear a longer date than thy life doth Death gives a perfect quietus est Conscience will be now perfected and thy comforts will be perfected with it The power shall be perfect and the peace must be therefore perfect Now shall your entry into peace be for ever perpetuated Rev. 14.13 Mat. 25.46 1 Cor. 13.10 12. Isa 57.2 2. God doth usually dismiss these distresses before the death of the righteous I remember not one instance upon Scripture-record to the contrary But how many find we who lived perplexedly to have died peaceably and have ascended with an heaven in their Conscience up to their Christ in the heavens And who after all their sore distresses have at length sweetly sung old Simeon's Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace as Job David c. I do not say but a Saint may be sticking in these deeps when death is sent for him For any thing I can see in the promises of Christ the power of Conscience or in the properties and natures of this peace Job seems to imply its possibility while he is imploring mercy for the contrary in his own case Nor are those arguments to be unattended wherewith the pious have been wont to press God for peace in their prayers from death and the grave as tacitly including that they may be put upon that hazard without peace unless he please to anticipate it of his grace Luk. 2.29 Job 10.20 21. Psal 6.3 4 5. 88.10 16 c. But yet such is his indulgence that he maketh but few instances of such a paternal displicence as his Children have to conflict both with death and these distresses at once We find Hezekiah it's true within a few paces of death and upon the brink of the grave without peace and in great bitterness But God soon puts another cup into his hand recalls him from the pit and restores him to his peace Isa 38.10 20. 3. In this disconsolate condition the godly may yet doubt whether they shall ever be dismissed from these distresses their desertion is so