Lord in eating with the blood Hee would haue the people make Conscience of eating with the blood and indeed it was a thing to bee made Conscience of I but he that makes Conscience of eating the flesh of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood like a bloody hearted tyrant as he was he makes no Conscience of sucking and shedding the blood of fourescore and fiue of Gods Priests Iust the conscience of his blood-hound Doeg 1. Sam. 21. 7. Doeg was there that day deteyned before the Lord. How deteyned eyther out of a religious Conscience of the Sabbaths or by occasion of a vow the man made conscience of going before the Sabbath were ended or the dayes of his vow finisht A thing indeed to be made conscience of men ought not to depart from Gods house till holy seruices be finisht a dutie that even the Prince must make conscience of Ezek. 46. 10. Who therefore would not iudge this Edomite a conscionable Proselyte I but why then makes hee no conscience of lying Psa 25. Why no conscience of being instrumentall to Sauls Iniustice in that barbarous villany of slaying not onely innocent men but innocent Priests of the Lord Such were the consciences of the chiefe Priests Mat. 27. 6. How like honest conscionable men they speake It is not lawfull for to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood Sure it is great conscience ought to be made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple treasure Are they not then men of good Conscience It is not lawfull ye see they will not doe that which is not lawfull It is well but tell me is it not lawful to take the price of blood and is it lawfull to giue a price for blood Ought there not a conscience Qualis haec innocentiae simulatio pecuniam sanguinis non mittere in Arcam ipsum sanguinem mittere in Conscientiam August to be made of blood as well as of the price of blood They make a Conscience of receiuing the price of blood into the treasury they make no Conscience of receiuing the guilt of blood into their Consciences Iust such consciences as they had Ioh. 18. 28. They would not goe into the Iudgement hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer Indeed a man should make great conscience of preparation to the Sacrament and take great heed that he come not thither defiled But see their naughtie conscience They make conscience of being defiled by going into the Iudgement hall but make no conscience of being defiled with the blood of an Innocent Such was the conscience of the Iewes Ioh. 19. 31. they make Conscience of the body of Christ hanging vpon the Crosse on the Sabbath but with what Conscience haue they hanged it on the Crosse at all This was iust like to those that Socrates speakes of who made great conscience of keeping holy-holy-dayes yet made no conscience of vncleanenesse that was but an indifferent thing with them As if Conscience were not rather to bee made of keeping our vessells in holines our bodies then dayes holy Remarkeable in this kinde is that dealing of the Iewes with Paul 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one If we looke into the Law Deut. 25. 1. 2. 3. it runs thus If there be a Controversie c. and it shall be if the wicked man be worthy to bee beaten the Iudge shall cause him to lie downe and to bee beaten before his face according to his fault by a certaine number fortie stripes hee may giue him and not exceed Now see the good conscience of these Iewes they might giue forty stripes but not beyond that number might they goe Now they make so much conscience of exceeding the number of fortie that they giue Paul but nine and thirtie Thus they make Conscience of the number but no conscience of the fact They make conscience of giuing about fortie but with what conscience doe they giue him any at all The text not onely prescribes the number of stripes but the condition of the person namely that he be worthy to be beaten and he must be punished according to his fault Now see these men make Conscience of the law for the number but make no conscience of the law that will haue only wicked men and such as are worthy to be beaten to bee so vsed These be the good consciences of wicked men they make seeme of making conscience in some one thing but make no conscience of ten others it may be of farre greater weight and necessitie and herein discover they the naughtines of their consciences The conscience therfore is not to be iudged good for one or some good actions Ioab turned not after Absolom but he turned after Adoniah 1 King 2. 28. Whereas a good conscience that turnes neither to the right hand nor to the left would haue turned neither after Adoniah noâ— Absolom A good conscience and a good conversation must goe together 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that they may be ashamed that falscly accuse your good conversation One good action makes not a good conversation nor a good Conscience but then a mans conversation may be said to bee good when in his whole course hee is carefull to doe all good duties and to avoyd all sins and such a good conversation is a signe of a good Conscience To doe some good things not all Nune autem in hoc maior offensa est quod partem sententiae sacrae pro commodorum nostrorum vtilitate deligimus partem pro dei iniuria praeterimuâ— â—t maxime cuÌ„ terrestres domini nequa quam aequo animo tolerandum putent si iussiones suas servi ex parte audiant ex parte contemnant Si enim pro arbitrio suo servi dominis obtemperant ne in iis quidem in quibus obtemperaverint obsequuntur c. Salvian de provid 2. Note of a good conscience Conscience of small Duties is no more a signe of a good conscience then to doe some things onely which his master requires and to neglect other some is no sign of a good servant A good servants commendation is to doe all his masters busines he enioynes him Wee would hold him but an holy-day servant and an idle companion that when his master hath set him his severall workes to doe he will doe which him pleases and leaue the other vndone This were not to doe his masters but to doe his owne will and to serue his own turne rather then his masters So for a man to make choyce of duties and to picke out some particulars wherein hee will yeeld obedience to God and to passe by others as not standing with his profits pleasures and lusts this will neuer gaine a man the commendation of a good Conscience whose goodnesse must be knowne by making conscience of all things Then haue Gods servants good Consciences when it can be
conscience This is oft the euill Conscience of euill men Isa 57. 21. There is no peace to the wicked faith my God Yet may a man haue his conscience vprightly good which is painefully euill for a good mans Conscience may bee vnquiet and troubled Thus then wee see what a good conscience is that which is vprightly honest and quietly peaceable This being so it serues to discouer the dangerous errour of diuers sorts of people that are in a dreame of hauing good consciences and yet hauing nothing lesse There be three sorts of consciences which because they are in some sort quiet and sting not their owners would haue to goe for good ones and yet are starke naught and they are The Ignorant The Secure and the Seared Conscience 1. The Ignorant conscience Men iudge of their ignorant consciences as they doe of their blind dumbe and ignorant Ministers Such neither do nor can Preach can neither tel men of their sinnes nor of their duties Aske such a blind guides people what their conceit is of him and what a kinde of man their Minister is and yee shall haue him magnified for a passing honest harmelesse man and a man wondrous quiet amongst his neighbours They may doe what they will for him he is none of those troublesome fellowes that will be reprouing their faults or complaining of their disorders in the Pulpit oh such a one is a quiet good man indeed Thus iudge many of their Consciences If their consciences bee quiet and lie not grating vpon them and telling them that their courses are sinfull and damnable and that their persons are in a dangerous condition but rather by their silence ignorance and vaine pretences doe iustifie them and tell them all will be well enough Oh then what excellent good consciences haue these men They make no conscience of Familie duties once in the yeere to come to the Sacrament serues the turne they are common swearers in their ordinary communication make no conscience of sanctifiing Sabbaths c. and their consciences lets them alone in all these doe not giue them one syllable of ill language oh what gentle and good natured consciences thinke these men they haue But alas what euill consciences haue they A good conscience must be vpright as well as peaceable And an vp right conscience is enlightned with the knowledge of the Word and by that light iudges what is good and what is euill and when it finds mens actions not to be good warrantable deales plainely and lets them heare of it A good conscience hath good eyes and is able to discerne betweene good and euill Now these mens consciences are quiet haue their mouthes shut but whence is it Because their eyes are shut and they are dumbe because they are blind Right Idoll coÌ„sciences they want mouthes to speake beâ—â—use they want eyes to see So that it may be said of such consciences as the Prophet speakes of those Watchmen Isa 56. 10. His watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumbe dogs they caÌ„not bark Their blindnes bred dumbnes and their ignorance silence Thus is it with ignorant Consciences What is the reason they barke not but are dumbe and are thus quiet Meerely because they are blind and ignorant But yet as good as men account these consciences now the time will come that it shall fare with theÌ„ as it did with Adam Eue after they had eaten the forbidden fruit Then their eyes were opened So the time shall come when these Consciences shall haue their eies opened then also shal their mouths by oyened yea wide lowd opened and these now quiet consciences shall both barke and bite too Do not therefore flatter thy selfe in thine IgnoraÌ„ce as if thy condition conscience were good because quiet Neuer account thâ— true Peace which is not ioyned with vprightnes Integrity ignoraÌ„ce can no more stand together then light and darkenesse Integrity of conscience may be without Peace Peace can neuer be without Integritie Dumbe Ministers goe in the world for good Ministers because quiet ones but the day will come that men shall curse them for hauing beene so quiet So Ignorant and tongue tyed consciences goe for good ones but the time will come that men will curse this peace of their conscience for bringing them so quietly to hell The Masse goes for an excelleÌ„t good seruice because Missa non mordet honest toothles deuotion it neuer fastens fang in the hearers flesh So many haue Masse-like consciences toothlesse and tonguelesse consciences but yet the time will come that as Massemongers shall curse their toothlesse Masse so ignorant persons that now glory in their peace shall curse their toothlesse conscience yea they shall gnash their teeth because conscience had no teeth shal gnaw their toÌ„gues for anguish of heart because their consciences wanted tongues to tell them of the danger of their wicked wayes that haue brought them to so miserable a condition 2. The secure conscience As the blind conscience was like the dumbe Minister so the secure conscience is like the flattering Minister that Ier. 6. 13. heales the hurt of his people with sweete words cryes peace peace where there is no peace This conscience wants not an eye but only a good tongue in the head It sees its master to doe euill and knowes it to bee euill but either cares not to speake or else is easily put off from speaking sometime it cares not to speake being sleepy heauy and drowsie like those Prophets Isa 56. 10. They are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke What was the reason Sleeping lying downe louing to slumber A sleepy and heauy-eyde Curre though hee see one come into his Masters yard or house that should not yet barkes not as loath by his barking to disquiet himselfe A sleepy secure Conscience sees many a sin to enter the soule that should not and yet lies still and sayes nothing is loath to breake its sleepe And yet such Consciences men count good Sometimes it may bee it offers to speake as a sleepy dog may open once or twise at a straÌ„gers entrance yet is soone snibd the least word of the master of the house makes him whist and quiet So secure Consciences vpon the greene wound begin to smart and vpon the fresh commission of sinne begin to mutter to haue some grudgings but their master answers them as the friend in his bed did his neighbour desiring to borrow three loaues Luc. 11. 17. Trouble me not for I am in bed I pray thee be quiet let vs haue no wrangling and brawling it shall be so no more I will cry God mercy I will hereafter finde a time for repentance c. and so ConscieÌ„ce being secure is easily put of with a few good words so closing her eyes and mouth againe giues her master liberty to take his rest And thus the secure conscience because it is so easily husht stilld is counted a good conscience as
the goodnes of his Conscience farre aboue all carthly things Wealth libertie wife children life it selfe all are vile and cheape in comparison of it And therefore a man of a good Conscience will endure any griefe suffer any wrong to keepe his conscience good towards God Such a good Conscience had Daniel Dan. 1. 8. Hee purposed in his heart that hee would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meat That is he was fully setled resolued in his Conscience come what would come he would not do that which would not stand with a good coÌ„science But what if he could haue gotten no other meat Without all doubt hee would rather haue starved then haue defiled his CoÌ„science with that meat He would haue lost his life rather then haue lost the Peace and Integritie of his Conscience It seemes a question of great difficultie which was put to the three Children Dan 3. Whether they will giue the bowing of their bodies to the golden Idoll or the burning of their bodies to the fiery Fornace But yet they finde no such difficultie therein they were not carefull to answer in that matter ver 16. Of the two fires they choose the coolest the easiest The fire of a guiltie conscience is seaven times hotter and more intollerable then the fire of Nebucadnezzars Fornace though it be heated seauen times more then it is wont to be heated If the question come betweene life and good Conscience that one of the two must bee parted withall it is an hard case Life is wondrous sweet and pretious Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he giue for his life Iâ—b 2. 4. What then should a man doe in such an hard case Heare what is the resolution of a good Conscience Act. 20. 24. My life is not deare vnto me so that I may fulfill my Ministration with ioy And wherein lay his Ioy but in his good Conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. It is all one as if he had said I care not to loose my life to keepe a good Conscience A good Conscience in that passage of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 19. is secretly compared to a ship Now in a tempest at Sea when the question is come to this whether the goods shall be cast out or the Ship be cast away what doe the Marriners See Act. 27. 18. 38. They lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the Sea The Marriners will turne the richest Commodities over booâ—d to saue the ship for they know if the ship be cast away then themselues are cast away Thus it is with a man that hath a good conscience when the case comes to this pinch that either his outward Comforts or his inward Peace must wrack he will chearfully cast the wheat into the Sea will part with all earthly commodities comforts before he will rush and wrack his conscience vpon any rocke He knowes if the ship be wrackt if his Conscience bee crackt that then himselfe his soule is in danger of being cast away therefore he wil throw away all to saue conscience from being split vpon the rocks and being swallowed vp in the sands There is as great a difference between a good conscience and all outward things even vnto life it selfe as is between the arme the head or heart The brain and the heart are vitall parts therefore when the head is in danger to bee cleft or the heart to bee thrust through a man will not stand questioning whether he were best adventure his hand or his arme to saue his head or his heart but either of these being in danger the hand the arme presently interpose themselues to receiue the blow and put themselues in danger of being wounded or cut off rather then the head or heart should be pierced A man may haue his hand or arme cut off and yet may liue but a wound in the braine or heart is mortall It is so in this case A good Conscience values its owne peace aboue all the world It is that wherein a Christians life lyes therefore he will suffer the right hand or foot to be cut off and loose all rather then expose Conscience to danger A man may go to heauen with the losse of a limbe and though he halt Mat. 18 8. but if a man loose his life if Conscience be lost all is lost A man may goe to heauen though he loose riches liberty life but if a good Conscience be lost there is no comming thither All things compared to Conscience are as farre beneath it as the least finger beneath the head He were a mad man that would suffer his skull to bee cleft to saue his little finger nay but the paring of his nayle And yet the world is full of such mad men that suffer conscience to receiue many a deep wound and gash to saue those things which in comparison of good Conscience are but as the nayle parings to the head Try mens Consciences here and we shall finde them exceeding short A good Conscience will endure any griefe and suffer any wrong rather then suffer the losse of its owne peace God commands Amaziah 2. Chro. 25 to put away Israel oh but what shall I doe for mine hundred Talents Tush what are an hundred Talents A good Conscience in yeelding obedience to God is a richer treasure then the East and West Indies And yet how many be there that will craze their Conscience an hundred times before they wil lose one Talent by obedience to God out of a care to keepe a good Conscience A talent nay that is too deepe neuer put them to that cost they will sell a good conscience not for gaining but for the taking of a farthing token God and good conscience say Sanctifie the Sabbath Possibly some halfe-penny customer comes to a Tradesmans Shop on a Sabbath and askes the sale of such or such a commodity Now the mans conscience tels him of the commaundement tels him what God lookes for tels him it cannot stand with his peace to make markets on that day c. But then he tels conscience that if he be so precise he may loose a customer and if hee loose his customers he may shut vp his Shop-windowes An Inne-keepers conscience tels him that it is fitter that hee should bee attending Gods seruice at his house on his day theÌ„ that he should be wayting on his guests But then hee replies to conscience that then his takings will be but poore and this is the next way to plucke downe his signe So here lyes a dispute between conscience and Gaine which of these two must be parted with If now in this case a man will growe to this resolution By Gods helpe I am resolued to keepe a good conscience in keeping Gods Commandement and Sabbath I will rather loose the best customer I haue the best guest I haue then the peace of a good conscience If I beg I beg I I will say of
my customers as Iacob of his children Gen. 43. 14. If I am bereaued of them I am bereaued I will trust God with my estate before I will hazard my conscience Giue mee such a man such a Tradesman and I will bee bold to say he is a man of a good conscience But contrarily when men are so set vpon Gaine that so they may haue it they care not how they come by it they will dispense an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had if these haue good consciences let any iudge How would such loose their blood liues that will not loose such trifling gaines for the safety of their conscience We haue not yet resisted vnto blood the more we owe to God that know not what that resistance meanes Alas how would those resist vnto blood that set Conscience to sale vpon so base prises as they doe Peter speakes of a fiery triall 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God should euer bring that tryal amongst vs what a company of drossie consciences would it find out We haue no fiery tryall we haue but an ayrie tryall onely and yet how many euill consciences it discouers Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his family to frequent good exercises and company hee is convinced in his conscience that thus he should doe and conscience presses him to it But why then are not these things done A Lyon is in the way He shall loose the good word and opinion of the world hee shall haue so many frowns frumpes and censures and scoffers that hee cannot buckle to this course Many are in Zedekiah his case he was conuinced in his conscience that he ought it was his safest course to go out to the Chaldeans questionles his conscience prest â—im to it and bids him goe out Why then goes he not He is afrayd Ier. 38. 19. that he shall be mockt Such consciences as will not preferre their owne good word coÌ„fort before the good or ill words of the world Such consciences as more feare the mockes and flouts of men on earth then they doe the grinning mockes of the Diuells in hell Such as will not prefer the peace of Conscience before all other things are meere strangers to good Conscience The seventh and last note remaines 7 7. Note of a good Conscience And that is in the Text Vntill this day Constancy and perseverance in good is a Constancy in good sure note of a good conscience Paul had beene young and now was old yet was old Paul still still the same holy man he was Time changes al things but a good conscience and that is neyther changed by Time nor with Time Age changes a mans favour but not a good mans faith his complexion not his religion and though the head turn gray yet the heart holdes vigorous still Vntill this day And this day was not farre froÌ„ his dying day And how held he out to his last day Heare as it were his last and dying breath 2. Tim. 4. 7. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith He sayes not I haue finished my faith I haue kept my life as many may but I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith He kept his faith till hee had finisht his course not onely here vntill this day but there vntill his finishing day So long he kept the faith and therefore so long a good conscience for as the loosing of them goe together 1. Tim. 1. 19 so the keeping of them goe together therfore keeping the faith he also kept a good conscience till hee finisht his dayes Vntill this day And yet one would wonder that he should keepe it to this day considering how hardly hee had bin vsed before vntill and now at this day The most of those things 2. Cor. 11. 23. were before this day Often vnder stripes in prisons oft and yet stands constant in the maintenance of the liberty of his Conscience vers 24. 25. Thrice I suffered shipwracke c. and yet made no shipwracke of a good conscience vers 26. 27. in a number of perils in perill of false brethren and yet his coÌ„science plaies not false with God neither is it weary of going on in a religious course Here then is the nature of a good conscience and the triall of it A good conscience holds out constantly in a good Cause without deflection and in a good Cause without defection 1. In a good Cause Let a good conscience vndertake the defeÌ„ce of a good Cause and it will stand rightly to it neither grow weary nor corrupt It will not make shews of countenancing Pauls cause till he come before Nero then giue him the slippe and giue him leaue to stand vpon his own bottome and shift for himselfe as well as he can A conscionable Magistrate a Iudge who out of a coÌ„science of the faithfull discharge of his place takes in hand the defence of a good or the punishment of a bad cause will not leaue it in the suddes will not be wrought by feare or favour to let Innocency bee thrust to the walles and Iniquitie hold vp the neb but will stand out stiffe and manifest the goodnesse of his Conscience in his Constancie 2. In a good Course A man that is once in a good Course hauing a good conscience will neither be driven nor bee drawne out of that good way to his dying day There be tentations on the right hand and there be tentations on the left but yet a good Conscience wil turne neither way Pro. 4. 27. but keeps on foreright and presses hard to the marke that is set before it Try it with tentations 〈…〉 t hand Try it by the moc 〈…〉 s and derisions of others whom it sees in good wayes will this stagger or stumble it make it start aside Not a whit but it will go on with so much the more courage rather Iob 17. 6. 7. 8. 9. He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was a Tabret Was not this enough to shake others to see such a prime man as Iob thus vsed thus scorned and mocked Not a whit for all this The righteous shal hold on his way he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Try it by mockings and derision Si reddere beneficium non aliter quam per speciem iniuria poterâ— aquissimâ— animo ad honestum consiliuÌ„ per mediam infamiam teÌ„dam-Nemo mihi videtur pluris astimare virtuteÌ„ nemo illi magis esse dâ—votus quaÌ„ qui boni viri famam â—erdidit ne conscientiam perderet Sence epi. 82. personall by personall infamy and reproach let a mans owne selfe bee derided be defamed this will goe neerer then thâ— former what will this move him out of the way No He wil lose his good name before his good Conscience See Ps 119. 51. The proud haue
and runne for the other as in the sweating-sicknesse in King Edwards dayes then for Gods sake but one word of coÌ„fort then O blessed men of God one word of peace Now alas what would you haue them doe Are they or your own courses in fault that you want comfort at your death What would you haue vs doe Wee must referre you to your owne Consciences wee cannot make oyle of flint nor crusse sweete Wine out of sowre Grapes wee dare not flatter you against your consciences If you would giue vs a world we cannot comfort you when your owne Consciences witnesse against you that such comforts belong not to you Doe not idlely in this case hope for Comfort from Ministers be it knowne vnto you you must haue it from your owne consciences Many on their death-bed cry to the Minister as shee did to the King 2 Kings 6. 26. 27. Helpe my Lord O King But marke what he answers If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee out of the barne-floore or out of the wine presse So wee must answere to such as cry Helpe helpe O man of God If God and your owne Consciences helpe you not whence shall wee helpe you If there had beene Corne within the barnes the King could easily haue helped her but he could not make Corne. So if men haue carryed any thing into their Consciences if they themsâ—lues haue Inned any provision and comfort by being Conscionable in their lives then we can helpe and comfort them but otherwise do not thinke that we can make comforts and make good Consciences vpon your death-beds If your Consciences can say for you that you haue bin carefull in your life time to know God to walke holily religiously before him c. then we dare be bold to comfort cheere you then dare we speake peace confidently to you But if your Consciences accuse you of your ignorance your oathes Sabbath breaches worldlinesse rebellion vncleanenesse oppression drunkennesse c. and finally impenitency What is it you would haue vs to doe What can we say but as the Prophet to Zedekiah Ier. 37. 19. Where are now your Prophets that prophesied vnto you saying The King of Babylon shall not come against you So where be those that in your life time told you yee need not be so carefull and precise to keepe good Consciences lesse adoe will serue the turne now what thinke yee of them now what peace haue you in those wayes what comfort can these giue you now Or else what can we say when men in anguish of Conscience lie tossing on their beds but what Reuben sayd to his brethren when they were in distresse Gen. 42. 21. 22. Did not I warne you saying Sinne not c. So must we what doe ye call to vs for comfort Did not wee warne you many a time oft saying sinne not nor liue in those dangerous courses Did not we warne you Oh to haue our Consciences Gods Ministers thus to grate vpon vs what an vncomfortable condition will this be Would we then prevent such sorrow and be cheerfull and cheered at our latter ends lay vp a good Conscience then lay in somewhat for Conscience and Gods Ministers to worke vpon from which they both may be able to rayse comfort to you Get a good Conscience and liue in it all thy daies and then though thou shouldest want the benefit of a comforting Minister yet thy Conscience shall doe the office of a comforting Minister and shall be the same vnto thee that the Angell was vnto Christ in his agony Luk. 22. 43. and shall minister such comfort vnto thee as shall make thee ready to leape into thy graue for ioy This shall be as another Iacobs staffe for thee to leane and rest vpon when thou shalt be vpon thy death-bed If men knew but the worth of a good Conscience at the houre of death we should need no other motiue to worke mens hearts to be in loue therewith Fiftly and lastly the benefit comfort 5 The comfort of a good Conscience at the day of Iudgement of a good Conscience is great at the day of Iudgement Oh the sweet comfort and confidence of heart that a good Conscience will yeeld vnto a man at that day What will become of all the Gigantean spirits and the braue fellowes of the earth then Alas for their yellings and cursings of themselues and their companions What howling crying to the mountaines as they did Revel 6. Hide vs cover vs yea dash and quash vs in a thousand pieces When an ill Conscience is awakened it is not to be imagined how small a thing will gastre it The sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them and they shall flye as flying from a sword and they shall fall when none pursues Levit. 26. 36. A dreadfull sound is in his cares Iob 15 21. Hee heares nothing but he thinkes he heares alwayes some terrible and dreadfull noyse Now then if a shaken lease shall chase and shall put them into a shaking feare what case will such be in when as Iob speakes Iob 26. 11. The pillars of heauen shall tremble and when the powers of heaven shall bee shaken Luk. 21. 26. When the heauens shall shake and flame aboue them when the earth shall quake and tremble vnder them what case will they be in then If meere imaginations fill their eares with dreadfull sounds where there is no sound at all Oh what a dreadfull sound shall be in their eares when the Sea shall raore Luk. 21. 25. when the last trumpe shall sound 1 Cor. 15. when they shall heare the shout and voyce of an Angell 1 Thes 4. 16 What dreadfull sounds will these be in the cares of ill Consciences How will these dreadfull sounds confound their soules with horrour and amazement But now for a good Conscience how is it with it then Euen amidst all these dreadfull sounds it lookes vp lifts vp the head Luk. 21. 28. and enables a man with a cheery confidence to stand before the Sonne of man Luk. 21. 36. The malefactor who lookes for the halter how dreadful is the iudges comming to the Assizes attended with the troups of halberds in his eye but the prisoner that knowes his owne innocency and that he shall be quit and discharged his heart leapes at the Iudges approach how terribly soever he come attended to the bench it glads his heart to see that day which shall be the day of his liberty and release An hypocrite shall not come before him Iob 13 16. much lesse shall looke vp lift vp his head or stand before him Psa 1. 5. But the righteous and the man with a good Conscience hee shall hold vp and cheerefully lift vp his head when all the surly and proud Zamzummins of the earth that here lifted vp their heads and nebs so high shall become howling and trembling suitors to the deafe mountaines to hide them from the presence
and cast away So long as a man keepes a good conscience there is no feare of loosing the faith the integrity and sounduesle of the doctrine thereof Constancie in the truth is a fruit of good conscience Psal 119. 54. 55. I haue kept thy Law he had not declined from nor forsaken the truth of God but what held and kept him This I had because I kept thy precepts Keeping of a good conscience will keepe a man in the truth It is that which is the onely preseruatiue to saue from all errors heresies and false doctrines The better Conscience the sounder Iudgement the sounder heart the sounder head As the better digestion in the stomach the freer the head is from ascendent fumes that would distemper and trouble the same Iohn 7. 17. If any man will doe his will hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God How shall a man come to haue a sound and a good iudgement to bee able to iudge what is truth and what is not Let him get a good Conscience and make conscience of doing the will of God Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my commandements and keepes them c. such a man hath and keepes a good Conscience And what benefit shall such a one haue by keeping a good Conscience I will loue him and I will manifest my selfe vnto him And Psal 50. 23. To him that orders his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God God doth communicate himselfe and his truth to such as make Conscience of their wayes The pure in heart shall see God and the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him So that he that hath a good Conscience hath the onely Antidote the most excellent Amulet and plague-cake at his breast that is in the world to saue him from the pestilence and infection of Popery Arminianisme Brownisme Anabaptisme c. So long as the ship of Conscience is whole so long the Iewell of faith is safe Paul would haue a Bishop to hold fast the faithfull Word and to be sound in doctrine Tit. 1. 9. But yet marke it that hee would first haue him bee a man of a good Conscience in the two foregoing verses And 1 Tim. 3. 9. hee would haue the Deacons hold the mistery of the faith in a pure Conscience Contrarily nothing so endangers the losse of the faith truth soundnes of doctrine as doth the losse of good Conscience A corrupt Conscience soone corrupts the iudgement 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some hauing put away concerning faith haue made shipwrack If the ship of Conscience cracke how soone will the merchandise of faith wracke If once the Conscience cracke the braine will soone proue crazie and an vnsound Conscience makes a fearefull way for an vnsound and a rotten iudgement 2. Tim. 3. 8. They resist the truth there is their corrupt Conscience what followes vpon it Men of corrupt mindes vnsound in their iudgement concerning the faith How frequent a thing is it in experience to see men when they loose good Conscience together with it either to loose their gifts as the vnprofitable servant his masters talent or else to loose the truth and to fall into pestilent and dangerous errors So those Prophets that made not Conscience in faithfull and holy execution of their office see what was the fruit of their evill Conscience Mic. 3. 5. 6. 7. Therefore night shall bee vnto you that yee shall not haue a vision and it shall bee darke vnto you that yee shall not divine and the Sunne shall goe downe over the Prophets and the day shall be darke â—ver them c. Their darknesse in life should bee plagued with darknesse in iudgement To which purpose that is notable Zach. 11. 17. Woe to the idoll shepheard that leaues the flocke There is an vnconscionable shepheard a man that makes no Conscience to attend his ministery What becomes of him The sword shall bee vpon his right eye his best eye And his right eye shall not be pore-blinde or dimmed but shall bee vtterly darkened The losse of good Conscience brings vpon men of knowledge and learning that reproach that Nahash the Ammonite would haue brought vpon all Israel 1 Sam. 11. 2. It thrusts out their right eyes Ill Consciences not onely make men looke a squint but it blindes them and takes away their sight And what is the reason that Popery gets ground so fast and so many turne Papists so easily Surely it is no wonder how should it be otherwise when men either hauing lost all good Conscience or making no Conscience of their wayes but living loosely viciously and licentiously haue thereby prepared a way for Antichrist and his religion to enter with all successe No wonder that men turne Papists so fast when long since they haue turned good conscience going For that which Bellarmine speaks is in the generall Cum areae ventilari incipiunt non frumeÌ„ta sed paleae vento abripiente separantur ab area Ita prorsus cum Ecclesia per Ethnicorum persecutiones vel Haereticorum deccptiones Deo permittente cribratur aut ventilatur à sotana non viri sancti graues sed improbi leves curiosi lascivi ab Ecclesia a volantes ad Ethnicos hâ—reticosue transfugiunt nec fere solet accidere vt ante circa fidem aliquis naufraget quam naufragare coeperit circa mores Bellar Orat. prefix tom 4. certainely true though by him falsly and maliciously applyed That they be not holy and graue men but wicked light curious wanton ones that turne Ethnicks or Hereticks and that it seldome comes to passe that any man makes shipwracke concerning the faith that first makes not shipwracke concerning manners See the truth of it in many of our backsliders to popery especially such as haue beene zealous propugners of the truth Where began the first declension where the first flawe Had not their Consciences first brusht vpon some rocke was not the first leake there and when they had first put away good Conscience then there was a speedy banishing of truth and a ready entertainement of error And for the common sort of their converts consider if many times they haue not bin the very riffe-raffe of our Church swearers grosse profaners of the Sabbath vncleane and debauched drunkards such as our Church was sicke of and desired even to spue forth and then when they haue become a prey to all vicious courses through want of Conscience thorow Gods iust iudgement they haue become a prey to Romish locusts whose coÌ„mission is onely to hurt such not those whom the sap of a good Conscience keepes fresh flourishing as the greene grasse and trees of the earth Apoc. 9. 4. For as Salomon speakes of the bodily harlot Eccles 7. 26. so it is true of that spirituall whore of Babylon Her heart is snares and nets her hands as hands her delusions strong who so pleases God and hath a care to keepe a
name of a person of an euill Conscience prefixed before a booke of good Conscience I desired a Patron sutable to my subiect I presume the very subiect shall make the Treatise welcome to you Be you pleased to affoord your acceptaÌ„ce as I will affoord you my poore prayers that the Lord who hath already set vpon your head the crowne of the elders Childrens Children Prou. 17. 6. and one crowne of glory here Pro. 16. 31. on earth Age found in the wayes of righteousnes would also in his due time giue you that incorruptible crowne of righteousnesse and eternall glory in the heavens which that righteous Iudge shall giue to you and to all those that in the waies of a good Conscience waite for the blessed appearance of the Lord Iesus Your Worships in all Christian observance IER DYKE The Contents of this TREATISE The Text containes three Maine heads 1. Maine head Pauls Protestation of a good Conscience where fiue things considered 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is It is good with a two-fold goodnesse 1. With the goodnesse of Integritie this Integritie is threefold 1. When being rightly principled by the Word it sincerely iudges and determines of good evill 2. When it doth excuse for good and accuse for evill 3. When it vrges to good and restraines from evill 2. With the goodnes of Tranquilitie Peace Here three sorts of Conscience discouered not to be good viz. 1. The Ignorant Conscience 2. The Secure Conscience 3. The Seared Conscience 3. The meanes of getting and keeping a good Conscience 1. To get and keepe the Conscience good peaceably or with the goodnesse of peace three things required 1. Faith in Christs bloud 2. Repentance from dead works 3. The Conscionable exercise of Prayer 2. To get and keepe the Conscience Good with the goodnesse of Integritie and to haue it vprightly good fiue things required viz. 1. Walking before God 2. Framing ones Course by the Rule of the Word 3. Frequent examination of the Conscience 4. Hearkning to the voice of ConscieÌ„ce 5. In cases of questionable nature to take the surest and the safest side 4. The markes and notes of a good Conscience and they be seauen 1. To make Conscience of all sinnes and duties 2. To make Conscience of small sinnes and duties 3. To affect a Ministry that speakes to the Conscience 4. To doe dutie and avoide sinne for Conscience sake 5. Holy Boldnesse 6. To suffer for Conscience 7. Constancie and Perseuerance in Good 5. The Motiues to a good Conscience and they are fiue 1. The incomparable Comfort and Benefit of it in all such Times and Cases as all other Comforts fayle a man and wherein a man stands most in neede of Comfort These Cases or Times are fiâ—e 1. The Time and Case of Disgrace and Reproach 2. The Time of Common feare and Common Calamitie 3. The Time of Sickenesse or other crosses 4. The Time of Death 5. The Time and day of Iudgement 2. That a good Conscience is 1. A Feast for 1. Contentment and satisfaction 2. Ioy and Mirth 3. Societie 2. Better then a feast for 1. The Continuance 2. Independencie 3. Vniuersalitie 3. Without a good Conscience all our best duties are naught 4. It is the Ship and Arke of Faith 5. The misery of an euill one 1. In this world in respect of 1. Feare 2. Perplexity 3. Torment 2. In the world to come 2. Maine Head Ananias his insolent Iniunction Whereout is observed 1. What is the respect a good Conscience findes in the world 2. The impetuous Iniustice of the enemies of good Conscience 3. Who commonly be the bitterest Enemies of good Conscience 4. That Vsurpers are Smiters 5. What is a said forerunner of a Nations Ruine 3. Maine Head Pauls Answer and Contestation Whereout is observed 1. That Christian Patience muzzles not a good Conscience from pleading it own Innocency 2. The severitie of Gods Iudgements vpon the enemies and smiters of good Conscience 3. The equitie of Gods administration in his execution of Justice A Table of the severall Chapters of this Treatise Chapter I. The Introduction to the Discourse following Folio 1 Chapter II. Conscience Described 10 Chapter III. A good Conscience what it is False ones discouered 24 Chapter IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten 43 Chapter V. Integrity of Conscience how procured 56 Chapter VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conscience 69 Chapter VII Two markes of a good Conscience 86 Chapter VIII Three other Notes of a good Conscience 106 Chapter IX The two last Notes of a good Conscience 121 Chapter X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of Disgrace and Reproach 150 Chapter XI The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of common feares and calamities and in the times of sickenesse and other personall evils 171 Chapter XII The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience at the dayes of Death and Iudgement 192 Chapter XIII A second Motiue to a good conscience That is a continuall Feast 210 Chapter XIV A third and fourth Motiue to a good Conscience 235 Chapter XV. The last Motiue to a good Conscience viz. The miserie of an euill one 250 Chapter XVI The portion and respect that a good Conscience findes in the world 272 Chapter XVII The impetuous Iniustice and malice of the Aduersaries of a good Conscience 286 Chapter XVIII The severitie of Gods Iustice vpon the enemies of good Conscience and the vsuall equitie of Gods Administration in his executions of Iustice 299 GOOD CONSCIENCE ACTS 23. 1. And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell said Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day 2 And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth 3. Then said Paul vnto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall CHAP. I. The Introduction to the Discourse following THere is no complaint so general as this that the world is Naught His experience is short and slender which will not iustifie the truth of this Complaint And what thinke we may the Cause be of the generall wickednes of our Times Surely nothing makes Ill Times but Ill men and nothing makes Hâ—minum sunt ista noÌ„ Temporum Senec. ep 98 Ill Men but Ill Consciences Ill Conscience is the source the fountaine froÌ„ whence come all Iniquities which make Times heere so ill How well should he deserue that could amend Ill times There is a course if it would be taken that would doe the deed and so cease the common Complaint Elishaes course must be taken in the healing of the waters of Iericho They say of their waters as wee of our Times The water is naught and the ground barren 2. King 2. 19. What course now takes Elisha for the healing of the waters He went out vnto the spring of the waters and cast the Salt in there ver 21. So the waters were healed vers 22.
The spring and fountaine of all actions good or euill is the Conscience and all actions and courses of men are as their Consciences Out of the heart are the issues of life Pro. 4. 23. The Heart Conscience is the fountaine euery action of a mans life is an Issue a little rivelet a water passage thence Are these waters then that issue thence Naught The way to heale them is to Non erit fructue bonus nisi arboris bonae Muta Cor et mutabitur opus Aug. de ver Dom. Serm. 12. cast the salt into the spring Mend the Conscience and all is mended Good Consciences would make Good men and Good men would make Good Times Lo here a Proiect for the reformation of evill Times Were this Proiect set on foot and a good Cōscience set vp how should we see profanations of Gods holy Name Day Iniustice Bribery Oppression Deceit Adulteries and Whoredomes and all other Iniquites how should we see all these as our Saviour saw Satan falling down like lightning from heaven How should wee see them come tumbling downe like so many Dagons before Gods Arke yea tumbled downe and broken to the stumps The onely Arke that must dash and ding downe these Dagons is a good Conscience And if we would wel weigh the matter what is there equally desirable with Ecce quid prodest plena bonis arca cum sit Inanis Conscientia Bona vis habere bonus non vis esse tū quid est quod vis habere malū Nihil omni no non vxorem non filium non ancillā villam tunicā postremo nō caligam et tamen vis habere malā vitam Rogo te Praepone vitam tuam caligae tuae sic Conscientiā Aug. ibid. vbi supra Ipsa ergo diuitiae bonae sunt sed istae omnia bona a bonis malis haberi possunt Et cū bona sint bonos tamē facere non possunt Aug. de verb. Dō Serm. 5. a good Conscience What is that men would haue but they desire to haue it Good And yet amongst al other things they desire to haue Good what little care to haue the Consciēce such Wife children servants houses lands Ayre food rayment who would not haue these Good And yet that without which none of all these are good nor will yeeld vs any true good that alone is neglected and whilest men would haue all other things Good yet their Consciences thēselues are Naught Now alas what good will all other goods doe vs whilest this one and this mayne Good thing is wanting How excellent is this Good aboue al other good things A good wife good children good land c. these may a man haue and yet he himselfe not Good these finde men sometimes Good but make none so these goods may a man haue and yet himselfe bee Naught Not so with a good Conscience which no evill man can haue which whosoever hath it makes him and all hee hath good So great and so good a Good why is it so much neglected Try we therefore let vs assay if by any means Gods good blessing giuing assistance we may be able to stirre vp men and to worke them to regard so great so excellent a good It may be at least some few may be perswaded may set vpon this worke of getting a good Conscience If but some few if but one be wrought vpon the labour is not in vaine If none yet our worke is with our God to whom we are a sweet savour in Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2. 15. This portion of Scripture then which I haue chosen for the ground of the following Discourse consists of three parts 1. Pauls sober and ingenious Profession and Protestation vers 1. 2. Ananias his insolent and Impetuous Iniunction vers 2. 3. Pauls zealous Answer and Contestation vers 3. 1. The first is Pauls Protestatiō in these words Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day With this Protestation of a good Conscience Paul begins his Plea And how euer to distinguish our selues from Papists we beare the name of Protestants yet wee shall neuer be sound and good Protestants indeede till we can take vp Pauls protestation that our care endeauour course is to liue in All good Conscience A Protestant with a loose a naughty Cōsciēce hath no great cause to glory in his desertion of the Romish Religiō As good a blind Papist as a halting Protestant The blind and the halt were equally abominable vnto the Lord. Paul was here brought forth to answer for himselfe before the chiefe Priests and the Councel And his Preface as I said to his entēded Apology if he had not bin iniuriously interrupted is a protestation of the Goodnes of his Conscience And this his good Conscience or the goodnesse of his Conscience he sets foorth 1. From his Conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue lived or conversed A good conversation is a good evidence of a good Conscience indeed there can bee no good Conscience where there is not a Conversing in good It is not some moods fits in some good actions duries frō whence Conscience gaines the reputation of Goodnes but a good conversation godly religious in the generall tenour therof proues the conscience worthy such an honor as to be holden Good He may be said to haue a good conscience that can be said to liue in a good Conscience Many a man is frequently in the Citie and yet cannot be said to liue there There a man liues where he hath his Converse and Residence A mans life is not to be measured by some few actions in which at some time he may be found but by his generall course and conversation God will iudge euery man not according to his steps but according to his waies It were ouer-rigid censoriousnes to condemne a righteous man to question whether his conscience were good because some steps of his haue bin beside◠the way We know for the general his way is good wherein hee walkes and therefore according to his good way we iudge his Conscience good Contrarily whē we see a mans way for th◠generall to be evill though some tim◠he may tread a right step or two an◠chance to chop into the faire roade fo◠a rod or two for this to iudge a man Conscience good were a bottomless◠and boundlesse Charitie Every man◠Conscience is as his life is 2. From the Generality of his care obediēce In all good Conscience It mus◠be All good or it is no good Cōscience a◠all There bee that liue in some goo◠Conscience yea Herod seemes to haue much good Conscience he did many things gladly but yet Paul goes further and liues not in some not in much but in All good Conscience 3. From the Sincerity and Integritie of it before God Before men how many haue their Consciences exceeding
good yet their consciences are far short of goodnes because they are not good before God the Iudge of conscience Whilest conscience is made only of the Capitals of the second Table or of the externals ceremonials of the first which duty is not done out of obedience to God his Commandements but a mans selfe either in his gaine or in his prayse is sought base ends are the first mouers to good duties here the conscience what euer applause it hath from or before men for it goodnesse yet of God shall not be so esteemed For that is not a good conscience which is one outwardly but which is one inwardly whose prayse is not of men but of God And that hath its prayse of God which is before God 4. From his continuance constancie vntill this day To begin a good life and course and to liue in all good conscience that before God are excellent things but yet one thing is wanting to make vp this goodnesse compleate To bee so for a day or some dayes will not serue but when a man can say at his last day I haue liued in al good conscience vntill this day that man may bee safely iudged to haue a good conscience indeed Thus in these foure particulars doth the goodnes of Pauls conscience appeare It is not my purpose to confine my selfe to keepe me within these bounds alone but to take a larger latitude within the compasse whereof I will bring both those forenamed and all other materiall points which this protestation doth afford CHAP. II. Conscience described THe maine subiect of this protestation and the ayme of this following discourse being concerning a good conscience for the more orderly handling thereof consider these specialls 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is 3. How a good conscience may bee gotten and kept The meanes of it 4. How a good conscience may bee knowne The markes of it 5. The motiues to get and keepe a good conscience 1. What conscience is It may be thus described Conscience is a power and faculty of the soule taking knowledge and bearing witnesse of all a mans thoughts words actions accordingly excusing or accusing absoluing or condemning comforting or tormenting the same I know there be other definitions giuen by others more succinct and neat but I rather chuse this though it may bee not altogether so formall to the rules of Art The rules of â—oue and profit many times may make bold to dispence with rules of Art So I may be profitable I care the lesse to bee artificiall It may suffice that this description is answerable to that Auditory for whose sake it was first intended A plaine familiar description agrees well enough with such a people For the better conceiuing of it let it be taken in pieces and euery parcell viewed seuerally It is a faculty or power of the soule It is therefore called the Heart 1. Iohn 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs. Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes that thou thy selfe likewise hast cursed others that is thine own conscience knowes It is also called the spirit of man 1. Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him And Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it selfe beares witnesse with our spirit that is with our coÌ„science Not that conscience is a spirit distinct from the substance of the soule as Origen mistooke but because it is a faculty of the soule therefore the name that is oft giuen to the soule is giuen to it If it bee asked in what part of the soule this faculty is placed wee must know that Conscience is not confined to any one part of the soule It is not in the vnderstanding alone not in the memory will or affections alone but it hath place in all the parts of the soule according to the seuerall parts thereof hath seuerall Offices or Acts. Taking knowledge Eccle. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes Conscience is placed in the soule as Gods spy mans superiour and ouerseer an inseperable companion that is with a man at all times and in all places so that there is not a thought word or worke that it knowes not and takes not notice of So that that which Dauid speakes of God himselfe Psal 139. 3. 4. Thou compassest my heart my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Whither shall I goe from thy spirit If I ascend vp to heauen c. The same may bee also said of conscience Gods deputy it is acquainted with all our waies not a motion in the minde not a syllable in the mouth to which it is not priuy yea it is thus inseperably present with vs not only to see but also to set downe to register to put downe vpon Record all our thoughts words and workes Conscience Nam quocunque me verto vitia mea me sâ— quuntur vbicuÌ„que vado conscientia mea menon deserit se praesens adsistit quicquid facio scribit Idcirco quanquam humana subterfugiaÌ„ iudicia iudicium propriae consc fugere non valeâ— Et si hominiê° celo qucd egi mihi tameÌ„ qui noui maluÌ„ quod gessi celare nequeo Ber. de Inter. Dom. c. 31. is Gods Notary and there is nothing passes vs in our whole life good or ill which coÌ„science notes not down with an indeleble character which nothing can raze out but Christs blood Conscience doth in this kinde as Iob wishes in another Iob 19. 23. 24. Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were grauen with an iron pen and laid in the rocke for euer Conscience prints and writes so surely so indelebly yea it writes mens sins as Iudah his sin was with a pen of Iron with the poynt of a diamond and they are grauen vpon the Table of their hearts Ierem. 17. 1. Conscience doth in our pilgrimage as trauellers in their iourney it keepes a Diary or a iournall of euery thing that passes in our whole course it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend In regard of this office conscience is placed in the memory is the Register and Recorder of the soule And bearing witnesse This wee finde Rom. 2. 15. their conscience also bearing witnesse Rom. 9. 1. My conscience also bearing me witnesse 2. Cor. 1. 12. The testimony of our conscience And this the end of the former office of the conscience For therefore is it exact punctuall in setting downe the particulars of a mans whole life that it may bee a faithfull witnesse either for him or against him For a faithfull witnes cannot lye Pro. 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times of tryall affliction and Peccatâ— mea celare non possum quoniaÌ„ quocuÌ„que vado consc mea mecum est secum
portans quod in ea posui siue bonum siue maluÌ„ seruat vino restituet defuncto de positum quod seruandum aâ—cepit Ber. medit de vot c. 13. most of all at the last day the day of iudgement when it shall be more solemnly called in to giue in euidence Rom. 2. 15. 16. Their conscience bearing witnesse c. In the day when God shall iudge secrets of men At that day it shal especially witnes either for or against a man if our life and actions haue been good it will then doe like the true witnesse Pro. 14. 25. A true witnesse deliuers soules If wicked vngodly it wil deale with it as Iob complaines God did with him Iob. 10. 17. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me It will testifie according to euery mans deeds And this testimony of conscience is without all exception for in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shall stand and conscience as our common saying is is a thousand witnesses for it is an ey-witnesse of all our actions yea a pen-witnesse bringing testimony from the authentique Records Registers of the Court of Conscience Concerning this testifying office of conscience that place is worth the noting Isa 59. 12. For our transgressions are multiplyed before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities we know them By which place wee may know the meaning of the word Conscience Conscience is a knowledge together How together First a knowledge together with another person namely with God when God and a mans heart know a thing there is Conscience knowledge together Rom. 9. 1. My Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-witnessing witnessing together How together God knowes it witnesses my conscience together with him knows witnesses SecoÌ„dly a knowledge ioyned together with another knowledge for there is a double act of the vnderstanding First that whereby wee thinke or know a thing Secondly there is a reflecting act of the soule whereby wee thinke what we thinke and know what we know and this is the action of the Conscience and this ioyning of this second knowledge to the first giues it the name of Conscience As here in this place As for our iniquities we know them that is wee know that wee haue had euill thoughts our knowledge tels vs and witnesses to vs that we haue done so This agrees with Bernards definition that Conscientia est cordis scientia Conscience is the knowledge of the heart namely passiuely It is the knowing of what the heart knowes which others in better tearmes haue expressed thus Conscience is the recoyling of the soule vpon it selfe Sutable to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing but my selfe As if hee had said I know not any thing that I know against my selfe my Conscience doth not witnesse against me And this second office of Conscience in bearing witnesse is also in the memory And accordingly accusing or excusing absoluing or condemning These acts of Conscience we finde Rom. 2. 15. Their thoughts accusing or excusing one another Rom. 14. 22. Happy is he that condemneth not himselfe in that which he allowes The ground of these Acts is this conscience before actions are to be done determines of their lawfulnes and vnlawfulnesse iudges of them whether they be good or euill And if it iudge them good it inuites stirres vp vrges bindes to the doing of them Rom. 13. 5. Yee must be subiect for Conscience sake that is because conscience determines it to be good vrges and binds thereunto Hence that phrase in common speech my conscience vrgeth me to it or he was vrged in conscience to do it and I am bound in conscience to doe it Certainely if it iudge and determine actions to be euill and vnlawfull then it binds from them So much that speech implyes 1 Cor. 10. 27. Eate asking no question for Conscience sake So that Conscience hath a power to binde to and to binde from Now then when a man in his particular actions doth follow the Prescriptions Dictates Iniunctions Prohibitions Determinations of conscience and hearkens to the incitements thereof then coÌ„science excuses him acquits and absolues him But if in his actions he goe against any of these then conscience accuses him of offence and condemnes him for that offence The accusation of conscience hath respect vnto a mans guilt the condemnation of it vnto a mans punishment Accusation is an act of Conscience passing sentence vpon a mans action as when conscience tels him This was ill done this action was sinfull Condemnation is an act of conscience passing sentence not only vpon a mans action but vpon a mans person as when it tels him Thou deseruest Gods wrath for this sin Conscience in accusing shewes what is the quality in condemning what is the desert of a mans action And these actions of Conscience are in the mind and vnderstanding part of the soule The act of Conscience in the memory determines de facto and tels vs what wee haue done or not done The act of Conscience in the vnderstanding determines de iure and tells vs whether we haue done well or ill and so accordingly either excuses or accuses acquits or condemnes Comforting or tormenting the same these be the last acts of conscience following the former If Conscience determining prescribing and inciting to good be hearkened vnto then it excuses acquits and thereupon followes comfort ioy hope 2 Cor. 11. 2. This is our reioycing the testimony of our conscience Contrarily if the dictates of conscience be not regarded it accuses and coÌ„demnes then torments with feare griefe despaire and violent perturbations in all which is that Worme Mar. 9. 44. And these actions of the Conscience are in the will and in the affections And thus according to the diuers parts of the soule the acts and office of Conscience are diuers In the Sic sic in do mo propria a propria famâ—lia habeo accusatores testes iudices tortores Accusat me conscien testis est memoria voluÌ„tas carcer timor tortor ablectameÌ„tum tormeÌ„tum Ber. med de vot c. 13. memory it hath the office of a Notary Register and witnesse In the vnderstanding it hath the office of a Iudge and an Accuser of a Felix and a Tertullus In the affections either of a Comforter or a Tormenter The summe of all may be thus knit vp CoÌ„science containes three things 1. Knowledge practicall 2. ApplicatioÌ„ of that knowledge to our particular estates and actions 3. Those affections which arise thereupon Now the speciall worke of Conscience consists in the second in the applying our knowledge to our estates and actions Now in this application it lookes on things past or present simply as things and so it witnesses of them to be done or not done Eccles 7. Super nos etiam posuit ad custodiendum si deliquissent qui accusarent qui testificareÌ„tur
Nurces count them good children which though they are ready to cry at euery turne yet are easily quieted with some toy But this conscience is as farre from a good Conscience as Security is from Integritie Sin indeede sleepes but yet it sleepes but dog-sleepe yea though it sleepe soundly yet it cannot sleepe long Gen. 4. 7. Sinne lies at the doore Sin lies a sleepe in the conscience as a Mastife lyes at the doore A place where a dog cannot sleepe long The doore is the common passage into out of the house euery one is passing to and fro that way and keepe such a clattering with the opening and shutting of the doore that there can be no sound or at least no long sleepe No better is the sleepe of secure consciences which at length like mad ban-dogs and fell Mastifes will fly in the face of the sinner ready to plucke out the very throat and heart of him The secure Conscience can bee no good conscience because it hath neyther vprightnes nor peace both which were before required to the temper of a good one Vprightnes hath it none for it is not faithfull in its office it doth not witnesse it doth not accuse as it becomes an honest vpright conscience to doe Peace it hath none There is a great difference betweene a peace and a truce In peace there is a totall deposition both of Armes and Enmitie all hostile affections are put of In a truce there is but a suspension and a cessation of Armes for a season so as during the same there is still prouision of more Forces and a preparation of greater strength A truce is but a breathing time to fit for fiercer impressions The truce being ended the assaults are rather fiercer thē they were before The secure consciences are quiet not because there is peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57. 21. Quomodo tranquilla cum mundi huius prosperitus alludit illudit cum laudatur peccator in desideriis animae suae Bernard de Consc But because there is some truce the world smiles vpon them they haue outward hearts ease and this brings them asleepe but if any affliction crosse or sicknesse come then they see how farre they are from peace Conscience is sometime at truce with secure sinners but during this truce conscience is preparing Armes and Ammunition against them is leuying of fresh Forces against them and assoone as the truce is ended be it sooner or be it later haue at them with more violence fury and fiercenesse then euer before And the truce once ended it will easily appeare what a wide breadth of difference there is betweene a secure a good conscience 3. A Seared conscience That which Paul speakes of 1 Tim. 4. 2. A cauterized Conscience That is as Beza translates and expounds it A conscience cut off as it were with a Chirurgions Instrument An arme or a leg cut off from the body stab it gash it chop it into gobbets doe what you will with it it is insensible it feeles it not Or else as our translation hath it Hauing their consciences seared with an hot yron A comparison borrowed from Chirurgerie When a lim is cut off Chirurgions vse to seare that part of the body from whence the other is taken with an hot yron and sometimes they doe cures by searing the affected parts with hot yrons Now these parts vpon their searing haue a kinde of crusty brawninesse which is vtterly insensible which though it be cut or pricked it neither bleeds nor feeles Thus is it with many mens Consciences cōmit they whatsoeuer sinnes they will yet their hearts are so hardened through long custome in sin that they seele no gripings pinches or bitings at all but are growne to that dead and dedolent disposition Ephe. 4. 19. who being past feeling c. It is with such mens consciences as with labouring mens hands which through much labour haue a brawny hardnes growing vpon them which is without any feeling One may thrust pins into it pare it with a knife and yet without any trouble or griefe at all Such callous Consciences haue many that though they bee wounded and gashed with neuer such foule sins yet their consciences shrinke not feele not a whit Their Consciences are like Gally-slaues backes so be brawned ouer with often lashing that an ordinary lash will not make them so much as once shucke in their shoulders You haue many that can sweare not only your more ciuill oathes of faith and troth but those ruffianly and bloody oathes of blood and wounds and it neuer wounds their hearts a whit You haue many that can commit foule sins with lesse touch then others can heare of them You shall haue black-Smithes that are vsed to the frequent and daily handling of hot yron hold an hot fire-coale in their hands and langh whilst another would roare out There bee those that can be drunk day after day that consecrate whole Sabbaths to Venus and Bacchus can giue themselues vp to foule villanies and yet not one twitch at the heart not a snib not a crosse word from their Consciences Estrich-like they can concoct yron put it off as easily as another weake stomacke can doe gelly They haue brought their hearts to that passe the drunkards body is in Pro. 25. 35. They haue stricken mee and I was not sicke they haue beaten me and I felt it not Their seared Consciences haue no more feeling then our sotted Drunkards haue in their drunkennesse who though they haue many a knocke and sore bruise yet feele it not To this fearefull condition and senslesse and seared stupidity of Conscience many grow when they haue thus crusted and brawned the same then they haue their Consciences at a good passe because they heare them not brawling within them Alas how farre are such from goodnes of Conscience In some sense those haue worse Consciences then the Diuell himselfe who beleeues and trembles whose Conscience yet is not so seared but it trembles at the thoughts of his deserued damnation And howsoever these seared consciences are quiet yet there will come a day that this seared crustinesse shall be scaled off and those consciences which were not sensible of sinne shal be most sensible of pain though they were past feeling in the committing of sinne yet they shall be all feeling in suffering punishment for sinne God will pare off that brawninesse from their consciences and will pare them so to the quick that they shall feele and most sensibly feele that which here they would not feele Tremble therefore at the hauing of such a conscience in which there is neither vprightnesse nor peace neither integrity nor tranquillitie but a senslesse feareful stupiditie Thus we haue seene what a good conscience is CHAP. IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten IT followes now to knowe how a man may get and keepe a good one which is the third point which was propounded
blood if that will make a good conscience they are then fafe enough But as thou must haue Christs blood so Christ wil haue thine heart also bleed by repentance ere he will vouchsafe the sense of peace A conscience therefore that would be a coÌ„science in hauing peace must not onely be a beleeuing but a repenting conscience Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hand the kingdome of heauen shall be yours if you will repent ye shall haue it immediately vpon your repentance But wherein stands this kingdome offered to repentant consciences The kingdom of God stands in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Repent and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Act. 3. 38. And what may that gift be The fruits of the spirit are loue ioy peace Gal. 5. 22. Which though it be to be vnderstood of peace between man man yet also that peace which is between God and man is the fruit of the Spirit the loue of God shed abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. is the gift of the holy Ghost which he giues to all that by repentance seeke to get a good conscience Blessed are they that mourn that is which repent for they shal be comforted Mat. 5. they shall haue the peace of a good Conscience which is the greatest and sweetest comfort in the world Many doe trust all to their supposed faith as a short cut and a compendious way to a good coÌ„science but he whose faith doth not as well purifie the heart as pacifie it hath neither faith nor a good conscience It is idle to hope for peace by faith whilst thou livest impenitently in a sinfull course Thou canst haue no peace of conscience so long as thou hast peace with thy sinnes Peace with conscience will be had by warre with sin in the daily practise of repentance It is but a dreame to thinke of a good Conscience in peace whilest a man makes no conscience of sin They that haue a good coÌ„science by Christs blood may be indeed sayd to haue no Conscience of sinne as Hâ—b 10. 2. But yet there is a great difference between having no Conscience and making no Conscience of sinne To haue no Conscience of sinne is to haue a peaceable good conscience not accusing for sin being sprinkled with Christs blood To make no Conscience of sin is for a man impenitently to liue lye in any sin Now let any iudge whether these two can stand together that a man may liue as he list and make no Conscience of any sinne and yet haue such peace by faith as that he hath no Conscience of sin It is an vnconscionable thing in this sense to lay all vpon Christ an vnconscionable request to haue him take away our guiltines and yet wee would wallow in our filthines still How shall faith remooue the sting when repentance remooues not the sinne MeÌ„ seeking peace by faith in Christs blood and yet liuing and lying in their sinnes without repentance God will giue them Iehues answere to Iehoram 2 King 9. 22. What peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother lezebel her witchcrafts are so many So what peace of Conscience so long as thine oaths Sabbath-breaches whordomes drunkennes c. do remaine remaine vnrepented of and vnreformed It is true of all sinne which is spoken of Romish Idolatry Apoc. 14. 11. They haue no rest day nor night that is no peace of Conscience to any of that religion so of all that liue in any sinne they haue no true rest day or night that is as Isaiah interprets it There is no peace to the wicked Peace and wickednes liue not together vnder one roofe Wouldst thou then haue a peaceable heart Get an humbled a mourning and a repentant heart for sin The lesse peace with sin the more peace with God and our own Consciences 3. The constant and conscionable exercise of prayer An excellent means to helpe vs to the sense of that peace which makes the Conscience good He that hath a good Conscience wil make Conscience of prayer And prayer will helpe to make a good Conscience better Philip. 4. 7. In euery thing by prayer supplication with thanksgiuing let your requests be made knowne vnto God and marke what shall be the fruite thereof And the peace of God that passes al vnderstanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ See Iob 33. 26. Hee shall pray vnto God and he will be fauourable vnto him he shall see his face with ioy It is many times with mens Consciences as it was with Saul he was vexed and disquieted with an euill spirit but Davids Harpe gaue him ease Praier is a Davids Harpe the musicke whereof sweetly calmes composes a distempered and disquieted Conscience and puts it into frame againe As in other disquiets of the heart after prayer David bids his soule returne vnto her rest Psal 116. 4. 7. So may we in these disqâ—iets of Conscience doe no lesse The way to get a good peaceable conscience is to haue acquaintance with God and when we haue acquaintance with him then shall wee haue peace Iob 22. 21. Acquaint thy selfe now with him and be at peace Now acquaintance is gotten with God by prayer Zech. 13. 9. They shall call on my Name and I will heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Loe how in prayer acquaintance is bred betweene God and his people and acquaintance breedes lone and peace and peace a good conscience Iudge then what pitious Consciences they must needs haue that make so little Conscience of seeking God in this duty of wicked ones the Psalm speaks They call not vpon God Psal 14. as much as Isaiah sayes There is no peace to the wicked they are vtterly voyd of good Conscience CHAP. V. Integritie of Conscience how procured ANd thus wee haue seene how the Conscience may bee good for peace It followes to consider how it may become vprightly good with the goodnes of Integritie The goodnesse of Integrity is gotten and kept by doing fiue things 1. Walke and liue as Paul in this text Before God Set thy selfe euer in all thy wayes as in the sight and presence of God who is the Iudge Lord of conscience Of Moses it is sayd that he saw him that was inuisible Heb. 11. 27. Therfore it is that men walk with such loose and evill Consciences because they thinke they walke invisibly And they thinke that God sees not them because they see not God An vpright Conscience is a good conscience and this is the way to get an vpright one Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright To haue God alwaies in our eye wil make vs walke with vpright hearts So Psal 119. 168 I haue kept thy precepts and thy testimonies that is in effect I haue kept a good conscience but how came hee to
doe it for all my wayes are before thee CoÌ„science as we saw before is a knowledge together that is together with God Now then this is an excellent meanes to get and keepe a good conscience to bee carefull to do nothing but that which we would bee content God should know as wel as our selues Thinke with thy selfe before every evill action Am I content that God should know of this But how then may a man bring himselfe to this Set thy selfe alwayes in Gods presence see the invisible God and see thy selfe visible in his eye and know that thou doest nothing which he takes not notice of This well thought vpon and layd to heart would make men make much conscience of their wayes The contrary to this is rash walking Lev. 26. when a man walks so loosely heedlesly as if there were no eye vpon him Dirige gres sus secunduÌ„ verbuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Quid est dirige secuÌ„ dum verbuÌ„ tuum Vt recti sint gressus mei quia rectuÌ„ est verbum tuum Ego inquit distortus sum sub pondere iniquitatis sed verbum tuum est regulae veritatis me ergo distortum a me corrige taÌ„quam adre gulam hoc est ad verbum tuum Aug de ver Apâ— ser 12 to view him in his actions 2. Frame thy whole Course by the rule and shape it by the direction of the word of God Gods word is the Rule of Conscience Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this Rule Men must then walke by Rule the Word must be this Rule Psal 30. 23. To him that orders â—is Conuersation all Christians must be regulars and must liue or derly But what is that Rule by which their Conuersation must be ordered That same Ps 119. 133. Order my steps in thy Word He that orders his course by that Rule which is the rule of conscience shall be sure to keepe and get a good coÌ„science He that wil make good work will worke by his rule wheras he that works by guesse must needs make but ill worke Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. That is whatsoeuer a man doth and hath not warrant for it out of and from the rule of the Word makes a mans conscience in that particular to be euil And therfore v. 5. Let a man be fully perswaded in his own mind How happy should mâ—n bee in getting and keeping good consciences if they would lay their liues and actions to the Rule The want of this is it that makes men men of so ill-Consciences Some liue by no Rule some by false Rules hence come mens Consciences to bee so Anomalous Some liue by no Rule but doe whatsoeuer seemes good in their owne eyes goe as their lusts lead them and follow his beck that rules in the Ayre This is also to walke rashly Leuit. 26. He that doth things without rule goes rashly to worke Hee that walkes irregularly walkes rashly no marvell if men haue crooked wayes crooked consciences when they will not liue by Rule Some againe liue by false rules and that not onely Popish fictitious Regulars that liue by superstitious Rules of their Dominick Francis c. but amongst our selues many haue a Rule they doe liue by but that rule is not the Word but some false Intercausas maloruÌ„ nostroruÌ„ est quod vi vimus ad exempla nec ratione coÌ„ponimur sed consue tudine abducimur Quod si pau ci facerent nollemus imitari cuÌ„ plures facere caeperuÌ„t quasi hone stius sit quia frequentius sequimur et recti apud nos locuÌ„ tenet error vbi publicus factus est Senec. ep 124. Rules of their owne deuising Such as are these Great mens practise or some learned mans opinion the custome of times and places wherein they liue the examples of the multitude or some secret blind and selfe-conceiued principles which they keep to themselues and by which they liue All which being crooked Rules must needes make crooked Consciences whereas if men would liue by Dauids rule Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path and in euery action would haue an eye a respect vnto the Commandement as he had Psal 119. 6. then should they make streight paths for their feet Heb. 12 13. and keepe vpright consciences In euery spirituall action therefore haue an eye to the Word question it whether it be iustifiable warrantable by the Word or no and meddle no farther then that will authorize and beare thee out If this course were taken such a good course would make and keepe a good Conscience And why should not men be willing to take this course why will we not make that Word our Rule which must bee made our Iudge The word which I speake shall iudge you in the last day Ioh. 12. 48. The Word shall iudge our coÌ„sciences therefore let it rule and order them And if it haue the ruling of our consciences it will make them good consciences and when they are good they neede not feare what Iudge they come before nor what Iudgment they vndergoe In summe if we would haue good consciences we must make more conscience then is commonly made of reading and searching the Scriptures The ignorance neglect of this duty is it which banes so many consciences in the world 3. Keep a daily and a frequent Audit with thy conscience often examinatioÌ„ of the conscience conduces much to the goodnes of it The Prophet complaines of his people Euery one turned Integritatis tuae curiosus explorator vita tua in quotidiana discussione examina AtteÌ„de diligeÌ„ter quaÌ„ tum proficias vel quaÌ„tum de ficias qualis sis in moribus qualis sis in affectibus quaÌ„ similis sis Deo vel quam dissimilis quaÌ„ prope vel quam loÌ„ge c. Redde ergo te tibi si non semper vel saepe et sal teÌ„ interduÌ„ Ber. Medit Devot c. 5. to his Course as the horse rusheth into the battel ler. 8. 6. Here were men far from a good Conscience but what was the reason of it He giues it in the former words No man repented him of his wickednes saying what haue I done There was no examination of their Consciences and Courses what they were nor how they were and from hence comes this mischiefe This was Dauids course Psa 119. 59. I considered my waies and turned my feet vnto thy testimonies When a mans feet are in the wayes of Gods testimonies then he walkes with an vpright Conscience and mark how Dauid came to doe so I considered my wayes he vsed to examine his Conscience The first step to get a good conscience is for a mnn to know that his coÌ„science before reformatioÌ„ is evill How shall that be known without a search When a search hath discouered what it is that maks the conscience course euill then will Conscience be ready to labor a
man to the reformation of that which is amisse and will not cease to vrge and ply a man till it be done Frequent examination as it helpes to the making of schollers so to the making of Consciences good Hence mens lying in so grosse neglects of good duties in so many great euills because men and their Consciences neuer reckon Men take not themselues aside into their closets and chambers there set not vp a priuy sessions to make inquirie into their owne hearts waies and therefore are their wayes Consciences so much out of order Many a man thinkes his estate in the world to be very good and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy when his estate indeede is weake and growes euery day worse then other Now what is it that causes fo great a mistake Nothing but this that he neuer looks ouer his books nor casts ouer his reckonings If he had done this he should haue seen that his estate was not answerable to his conceit and the knowledge of his misconceit would haue made him haue liued at a more wary and thrifty â—ate and haue kept himselfe with such a compasse as might haue kept vp his estate whereas now the not examining his bookes puts him into a conceit of wealth and this conceit beggers and vndoes him It fares no better with too many in their Consciences Laodicea thought well of her selfe thou sayest I am rich If she had examined her Conscience shee should haue seene that which Christ saw that she was poore blind naked and miserable and the sight of this would haue made her to haue sought after that counsell which Christ there giues her Reuel 3. Men would haue far better Consciences if they knew in what ill case their Consciences stand and examination would helpe them to the knowledge of this If men would but ouer-looke the book of their Conscience and see how many omissions of good how many sinnefull commissions stand registred there it would both make them marveilous sollicitous how to get theÌ„ wiped out and wondrous wary how any more such Items came there Often reckonings would blot out and keep off the score Here is then wisedome for such as desire to keepe good Consciences Doe with the workes of thy conuersation as God did with the works of his Creation He not onely surueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke but at each dayes end made a particular surveigh thereof Do thou Omni die cum vadis cubitum examina diligenter qùid cogitasti quid dixisti in die quomodo vtile tempus spatium quod datum est ad acqui rendum vitamaeternaÌ„ dispensasti Et si bene transiuisti lauda Deum si male vel negligenter lugeas et sequenti die non differas confiteri Sialiquid cogitasti dixisti vel fecisti quod tuaÌ„ ConscientiaÌ„ multum remordeat non comedas antequam confitearis Ber form vit honest Suauius dormiunt qui relinquunt curas in calceis so not onely at the weeks end at thy lifes end search thine heart and examine thy course but at euery daies end looke backe into the day past and examine what thy carriage and behauiour hath beene This being done a man shal find his works either good or euil If good how shal his conscience cheer him with its peace If evill then if coÌ„science haue any life or breath in it it will make a man fall to humiliation to a godly resolution of watching ouer his wayes for the future so shall Conscience be much holpen for Integrity Dauids counsell is good Ps 4. 4. Examine your hearts vpon your beds and his resolution is also good vers 8. of the same Psalme I will lay me down and sleep in peace Who would not be glad so to sleepe to take his rest so Would we sleepe vpon Dauids pillow sleepe in peace then hearken wee to Dauids counsell to examine our selues vpon our beds There is nothing makes a mans bed so soft nor his sleepe so sweet as a good coÌ„science It is with Sins as with Cares both trouble a mans sleep both are troublesome bed-fellowes as they therfore sleepe sweetly that leaue their cares in their shooes so they sleep with most peace that let not sinne lye down to sleepe with them who are so farre from lying downe in their sinnes that by their good will will not let the sun goe downe vpon their sin but by examination ferret out the same This being done it may be sayd as Prov. 3. 24. thou shalt lye downe and thy sleepe shall be sweete Nay further examine thy conscience vpon thy bed and thou shalt not onely sleep in peace but thou shalt awake arise the next morning with an vpright frame of heart disposed to the more caution against sinne the day following So much Dauid seemes to intimate in that forenamed place Tremble and sin not That is be afraid to sin take heed ye sinne no more But what course may one take to come to that integrity of conscience as to feare to sin Take this course Examine your hearts vpon your beds But alas how rare a practise is this therfore are good consciences so rare Many thinke this an heauy burden and a sore taske and count the remedy a great deaâ—e worse then the disease there is nothing they tremble at more then a domesticall Audit this reckoning with their conscience They say of conscience as Ahab of Micaiah and care as little to meddle with conscieÌ„ce as Ahab with Micaiah I hate him for he neuer speakes good to me 1. King 22. So they thinke their conscience will deale with them They know their conscience will speak as Iob sayes God wrote Thou writest bitter things against me Conscience hath such a stinging waspish tongue that by no means they dare endure a parley with it It is with many and their consciences as with men that haue shrewish wiues Many a maÌ„ when he is abroad hath no ioy at all to come home nay hee is very loath to come within his owne doores he fears hee shall haue such a peale rung him that he had rather be on the house top as Salomon speakes or in some out-house and lodge as our Sauior at Bethlem in a cratch or a Manger then come within the noyse of her clamorous clattering tongue So many think conscience hath such a terrible shrewish tongue that if they shall but come within the sound thereof they shall be cast into such melancholly dumpes as they shall not bee able in hast to clawe off againe How much and how seriously are they to be pittied that to preuent a few houres or dayes supposed sorrow and sadnesse by which they might come to procure both peace integritie of conscience will adventure the racke and eternall torture of conscience in Hell Remember that there is no melancholly to the melancholly of Hell CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conscience IN
the fourth place Deale with thy Conscience as God would haue Abraham doe by Sarah Gen. 21. 12. In all that Sarah shal say vnto thee hearken vnto her voice So here If we would get and keepe a good Conscience in all that it shall say vnto vs being enlightened and directed by the Word hearken vnto it Conscience being enlightened hath a voyce and no man but some time or other shal heare this voice of conscieÌ„ce Conscience is Gods Monitor to speak to men when others caÌ„not or dare not speake Sometimes men cannot speake as not being privie to other mens necessities failings Sometimes they may not be suffered to speake as Ahab will not endure Micaiah to speake to him Sometime if a man speak he may haue rough and angry answers as the Prophet had from Amaziah 2. Chro. 25. 16 Art thou made of the Kings Counsell forbeare why shouldest thou be smitten God hath therefore provided every man even great men which may not bee spoken to he hath provided them a bosom Chaplein that will round them in the eare and will talke roundly to them one that will be of their counsell in despight of them one that feares no fists dreads no smiting yea one that feares not to smite the greatest 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Dauids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people It may bee many there were about Dauid that had not the hearts to smite Dauid with a graue reprofe though he giues leaue to the righteous to doe so Psal 141. Let the righteous smite me but yet whilest others it may be are fearefull and timorous to doe him that good office conscience is at no demurre vpon the poynt that feares not but smites Dauid for his sinne Gods Ministers are oft slighted and light set by Preachers cannot be regarded but God hath giuen men a Preacher in their own bosome this Preacher wil make many a curtaine Sermon will take men to taske vpon their pillow and will bee Preaching ouer our Sermons againe to them And though many will not be brought to repetitions of Sermons in their Families yet they haue a Repeater in their bosome that will be at priuate repetitions with them in spite of them will tel them This is not according to that you haue bin taught you haue bin taught otherwise you haue bin reproved for and convinced of this sinne in the publike Ministerie c. Why doe you not hearken reforme Thus then conscience having a voyce and doing the office of a Preacher vnto vs if wee would haue conscience good then in all things that conscience enlightened shall say vnto vs hearken vnto it More distinctly Conscience hath a two-fold voyce 1. A voyce of Direction telling vs what is good or evill what is lawful vnlawfull Isa 30. 21. And thine eares shall heare a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it That is vnderstood Ita enim desuper in sileÌ„to sonat quiddaÌ„ non auribus sed mentibus August in Psal 42. of the voyce of Gods spirit in the secret suggestions therof such is the voice also of conscience within vs dictating to vs and directing vs what duties are to be done what courses to be avoyded How many times doth conscience presse vs to repentance and reformation of our wayes how often doth it call vpon vs to settle to such such good courses and so with Dauid Psal 16. 7. Our raynes doe teach it in the night season 2. A voyce of correction and accufation checking and chiding taking vp and snibbing vs when we do amisse So Psal 42. 5 11. and Psal 43. 5. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me And Psal 77. 10. whilst in the foregoing verses he was complaining and vsing some speeches that might savour of some diffidence see how conscience doth her office by a correcting voyce And I said This is my infirmity as if he had said whilst I was vsing such diffident expostulatioÌ„s mine owne conscience told me I did not doe well ConscieÌ„ce so speakes vnto vs as the Lord to Ionah Iona. 4. 4. 9. Doest thou well to be angry So saies conscience oft Doest thou well to be thus earthly thus eager vpoÌ„ the world thus negligent and formall in holy duties Thus conscience giues her privie nips and her secret checks This is that of which Iob speaks Iob 27. 6. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I liue Implying that conscience after sinne hath a reproaching voice as when it befooles a man as foole that thou art to do this to lose thy peace with God for a base sinfull pleasure Thus Davids Conscience reproached him 2 Sam. 24. 10. I haue done very foolishly yea Psal 37. 22. it puts the foole and the beast both vpon him So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a heast before thee This is the smiting of the conscience 2 Sam. 24. 10. Conscience first points with the finger and giues direction if that be neglected it smites with the fist and giues correction Now then that which I ayme at is this If we would get and keepe a good Conscience then neglect not nor despise Conscience when it speaketh Doth thy Conscience presse thee to any workes of pietie to the care of family worship and priuate devotion to the reading of the Scriptures sanctification on the Sabbath c. In any case be so wise as to hearken to the counsels to the vrgings and to the Iniunctions which come out of the Court of Conscience Hearken in any case to this Preacher whom thou canst not suspect of partialitie malice ill will as thou dost others thereby giving way to Satans policie that hereby stops vp the passages of thine heart that the Word may not enter Here can bee no such suspitious Conscience cannot be susspected to be set on by others though Ieremy be charged to be set on by Baruch Ier. 43. 3. Therefore hearken to the voyce of this Preacher and this will helpe thee to a good Conscience Againe doth thy conscience rebuke thee doth it chide and checke thee doth thy heart reproach thee for thy wayes Doth it say doest thou well to liue in such and such sinnes Doth it punctually reprove thee for thine evils Ideo quantum potes teipsum coargue inquire in te accusatoris primuÌ„ partibus fungere deinde Iudiciis novissime deprecatoris aliquando offende te Senec. epâ—st 28. Doe not answere Conscience as Ionas answered God frowardly Yea I doe well but even close with Conscience and do thou accuse thy selfe as fast as it accuses acknowledge thy folly yeeld promise and couenant with thy conscience a present and speedy reformation This if it were done how happy should men be in getting and keeping a good Conscience But alas how few regard the voyce of Conscience and once hearken to it and the very want of this dutie is it which breeds so much ill conscience in the world Men
in this case are guilty of a double wickednesse Either they deale as the Iewes with the Apostles Act. 4. 18. and 1 Thes 2. 16. They either stop Consciences mouth and labour to silence this Preacher or else they deale with Conscience as the Iewes did with Stephen Acts 7. 57. They stopped their eares If they cannot stop Consciences mouth they will at least stoppe their owne eares 1. They labour to stoppe Consciences mouth If conscience beginne to take them aside and to say to them as Ehud to Eglon Iudg. 3. 19. I haue a secret errand vnto thee they answer but in another sense as hee did Keepe silence If conscience offer to be talking to them they shuffle it off as Felix did Paul they are not at leasure they will finde some other time when their leasure will better serue Yea many when their conscience reproaches them they againe reproach and reproove it and answere it as the Dauites did Micah Iudges 11. 23. What ayleth thee and are ready to giue reproachfull language to their owne Conscience that it cannot be quiet and let them alone 2 But yet conscience will not oftentimes bee thus posted and shuffled off she wil not be gagged or suffer her lips to be sown vp but wil deale with a man as the woman of Canaan did with our Saviour Math. 15. She would not be put off with neglect or crosse answers but she still presies vpon our Sauiour growes so much the more importunate So ofteÌ„times conscience wheÌ„ she sees men shuffle growes the more importunate and will dog and haunt men so much the more Yea it deales like the blind men Math. 20. 31. who when the multitude rebuked them they cryed the more Now then when Conscience growes thus clamorous and will not be silenced then they will stoppe their owne eares that if it will needs be prating it shall but tell a tale to a deafe man To this end men put a double tricke vpon their Consciences 1. Sauls tricke Saul is vexed with an evill spirit What must be the cure seeke him out a minstrell Thus many when the cry of Conscience is vp betake them to their merriments iollities They try whether the noyse of the Harps and Viols and the roarings of good fellowes will not drowne the voyce and noyse of Conscience They will try whether the dinne of an Ale-house or the ratling and clattering of the Dice and Tables cannot deaf their cares against the clamours of Conscience Thus do many in the accusations of Conscience giue themselues wholly vp to all manner of pleasures delights that so their minds beeing taken vp with them there might be no leisure to giue conscience any the least audience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 1. ed Cor. hom 7. 2. Cains tricke Cain had a marke of God vpon him Gen 4 15. And what might that mark be Chrysostom thinks it was a continuall shaking and trembling of his body If that were his marke why might not that trembling come from the horrour of his guilty conscience following him with a continuall hue and cry for murther reproaching him for a bloudy murtherer How-euer no question but his Conscience continually haunted him and the cry of blood was euer in his ears Now then what course takes he ye shall see Gen. 4. 17. that hee falles a building of Cities betakes himselfe to a multitude of imployments that the noyse of the sawes axes and mallets might be lowder then the noyse of his conscience If Conscience bee out of quiet with them and will not cease to vrge and pinch them then haue among their sheep oxen that their bleaâ—ing and bellowing may keepe vnder the voyce of conscience they do so possesse their heads and their thoughts and so overload them with much dealings in the world that there is no spare time wherein their care can be free to heare the voyce of Conscience The clutter of their many businesses make too great a noyse for Conscience to haue audience They deal with their consciences as the Ephesians dealt with Alexander Act. 19. 33. 34. And Alexander beckned with the hand and would haue made his defence vnto the people But when they knew that he was a Iew all with one voyce about the space of two houres cryed out Great is Diana of the Ephesians If Alexander had had neuer so good lungs strong sides hee might haue strayned his voyce till he had crazed the organs of language and might haue spoken till he had been hoarse againe before hee could haue been heard to haue spoken one syllable though he had spoken all the reason in the world Such a noyse of an outragious bellowing multitude had bin almost enough to haue drowned the voice of a Canon Thus deale men with their conscience if shee but prepare to speake and giue but a becke with the hand presently thrust themselues into a crowd of businesse that may out-cry and ouer-cry the bawling noyse thereof It was an hideous noyse that the shriking infants of Israel made when they were offered vp aliue in fire vnto Moloch Now lest their parents bowels should earne with compassion and be affected with the shrikes of their poore babes therefore they had their Drummes and Trumpets strucke vp and sounded in the time of sacrifice to make such a noyse that in no case the lamentable cries of the infants should be heard The same tricke doe too many put vpon their consciences if they wil be clamouring they will haue some Drum or other whose greater noyse may deafe their eares from hearing the cryes of conscience But alas what poore Proiects are these The time will come when men shal haue neither pleasures nor profits neither delights nor businesse to stop their eares Though now men beat vpon these Drumme-heads and with the noise of their pleasures profits keepe conscience voyce vnder from beeing heard Yet the day will come when God will beat out these Drum-heads and then the cries horrid hideous shrikes of Conscience shall be heard God will one day strip thee of all thy pleasures and employments and will turne thee single and loose to thy Conscience and it shall haue full liberty to bait thee and byte thee at pleasure Oh how much better to bee willing to hearken to the voyce of Conscience here then to be forced to heare it in hell when the time of hearkening will be past and gone Hearken to it now thou shalt not heare it hereafter Hearken to the admonitions and reproofes of it now and thus shalt thou get Integrity here and shalt bee free from hearing the dolefull clamours of it in hell hereafter 5. To get and keepe a good Conscience euer in cases of a doubtfull and questionable nature be sure to take the surest side Many things are of a questionable nature and much may be sayd on either side in such cases if thou wouldst haue a good Conscience take the surest side that side on which
thou mayst bee sure thou shalt not sinne As for example There bee diverse games and recreations whose lawfulnesse are questioned yet much may be said for them and possibly they may haue the iudgement of diverse reuerend learned men for their lawfulnesse Now what shall a man doe in this case Take the sure side If I vse them it is possible I may sinne it may be they are not sinfull yet I am not so sure of it that I shall not sin if I vse them as I am sure I shall not sinne if I doe not vse them I am sure that not to vse such sports breakes none of Gods commandements a man may be bold to build vpon that Hee that liues by this rule shall keepe his Conscience from many a flawe Hee Tutiores igitur viuimus si totum Deo damus Non autem nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus Aug. de dono perseu cap. 6. that sayles amongst rocks it is possible he may escape splitting but he is not so sure to keepe his vessell safe and whole as he that sayles in a cleare sea where no rocks are at all It is good in matter of life and practice to doe as Augustine speakes in case of doctrine We liue more safely saith he if wee attribute all wholly to God and do not commit our selues partly to God and partly to our selues In doctrines it is good to hold the safest side wherein there can be no danger yea Bellarmine himselfe after his long dispute for iustification by merit comes to this at last That by reason of the vncertainty Propter incertitudinem propriae Iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Bellar de Iustific lib. 5. cap. 7. of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine-glory it is the most safe way to repose our whole confidence in the mercy and goodnes of God alone Which way soeuer Bellarmine is gone himselfe or any of his religion I thinke common reason will teach a man so much wisdome to goe the safest way to heaven and that the safest way is the best way The Lord that would haue vs make our calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1. 10. would not haue vs put so great a matter as the saluation of our soules vpon Bellarmines hazard and confessed vncertainty of our owne righteousnes Now as in case of doctrine so in case of practice it is great wisedome and a great meanes of keeping a good Conscience to do that wherin we may Tutiores vinere and to take to that which Tutissimum est to follow that which is safest and to take to that side which is the surest and the freest from danger CHAP. VII Two markes of a good Conscience THus wee see how a good Conscience may be had it followes wee consider how it may bee knowne and be discerned to be had The markes and notes by which a good Conscience may be knowne are seven 1. This in the text In all good Conscience 1. Nore of good conscience Conscience in all things It is a good note of a good conscience when a man makes conscience of all things all duties all sins There bee that haue naturall Consciences principled by some generall grounds of nature and it may bee so farre as these rules carry them may make some Conscience but their principles comming short they must needs also come as short of a good Conscience I haue liued sayes Paul here in all good Conscience and Heb. 13. 18. Wee trust wee haue a good Conscience in all things It is a good Conscience when a mans life all his life is a life of Conscience when in all his life and the whole tenour thereof he makes Conscience of all that God commands and forbids Psalm 119. 6. Then shall I not bee ashamed what breeds shame but euill conscience when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements When all are respected there is no shame because where all are respected there is good Conscience and where good Conscience is there is no shame That argued Davids good Conscience Psal 119. 101. I haue refrayned my feet from every evill way Try mens Consciences by this and it will discouer a great deale of evill Conscience in the world Many a morall man makes Conscience of doing his neighbour the least wrong hee will not wring or pinch any man payes euery man his owne deales fairely and squarely in his commerce there is no man can say blacke is his eye you shall haue him thanke God that he hath as good a Conscience as the best These are good things and such things as men ought to make Conscience of but yet here is not enough to make a good Conscience A good Conscience must be all good Conscience or it is no good Conscience Now indeed these men may haue good Consciences before men but my text tels vs that wee must liue in all good Conscience before God And Paul ioynes them two together Act. 24. 13. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue a good Conscience voyde of offence towards God towards men Now be it that these haue good Conscience before men yet what haue they before God Alas they are miserably ignorant in the things of God no Cōsciences to acquaint themselues with his truth no conscience of prayer in their families of reading the Scriptures no conscience of an oath and as little of the Sabbath and the private duties thereof How farre are these from good conscience Others againe seeme to make conscience of their duties before God but in the meane time no Conscience of duties of Iustice in the second Table make no conscience of oppression racking rents covetousnes over-reaching c. these are no better consciences then the former neither are good because they liue not in all good Conscience Thus may a man discover the naughtie Consciences of most Iehu seemes wondrons zealous for the Lord and seemes to be a man of a singular good conscience in the demolishing the Temple of Baal and putting to death his Priests I but if Iehu make Conscience of letting Baals Temple stand why doth he not as well make Cōscience of letting Ieroboams Calues stand If Iehu had had a good conscience he would as ill haue brookt Ieroboams as Iezebels Idolatry he would haue purged the Land of all Idols Herod seemes to make some Conscience of an oath Mark 6. 26. For his oathes sake he would not reiect her It is ioy of him that he is a man of so good Conscience I but in the meane time why makes he no Conscience of Incest and Murther Hee feares and makes Conscience to breake an vnlawfull oath but makes no Conscience to cut an holy Prophets throate Who would not haue thought Saul to haue beene a man of a very good Conscience see how like a man of good Conscience he speakes 1. Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not against the
iudicant Hieron ad Rustic Monach. for their vnholy practices and make knowne vnto them what evill Consciences they haue what then is their carriage and behauiour Euen that Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebukes in the gate they abhorre him that speakes vprightly This Ministrie that comes to the Conscience will not down with them It lets in too much light vpon them Ahab hates Michaiah for drawing the curteines so wide open he cannot endure such punctuall and particular preaching that clappes so close to his Conscience A plaine signe that Ahab hath a rotten and an vnsound Conscience Michaiah could not be more punctuall with Ahab then Isaiah was with Hezekiah Isa 39. 6. 7. And yet what sayes Ezekiah Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken as if he had said a good Sermon a good Preacher all good Whence comes this good entertainment of so harsh a message Hezekiah had a good Conscience and therefore though the message went against the hayre yet hee could giue good words Let the rightious smite me and it shall be a kindnesse Psal 141. I but that is when the righteous smites the righteous what if the Prophet smite Amaziah He will threaten to smit him againe 2. Chron. 25. 16. For beare why shouldest thou be smitten What if Paul preach of a good Conscience and so make Ananias his Conscience to smite him Ananias will command the standers by to smite him on the mouth Now let all the standers by iudge whether Ananias haue any good Conscience in him who cannot brooke the preaching of good Conscience Let men professe they know God as long as they wil yet if they slight the word or swell at it or bee disobedient to it when it is layd to their Conscience Paul makes it a manifest signe of a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. 16. Their minde and their conscience is defiled How appeares that They professe they know God but they are disobedient When therefore the Ministrie of the Word shall charge thee with dutie or reproove thee for sin and then thou shalt charge the Minister with rayling and girding and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee and thou likest not that Ministers should bee so particular c. In Gods feare bee advised to looke to thy Conscience and know it that thou hast a naughty Conscience When the Ministry of the Word smites thy conscience then for thee to smite the Minister with reproachfull disgracefull tearmes to smite him with thy mouth How is thy Conscience better then Ananias his that commands to smite Paul on the mouth Hee that cannot brooke that Gods Ministers should not discharge a good Conscience in preaching to the Conscience bee bold to challenge that man for a man of an evill conscience 4. That is a fourth note of a good 4 4. Note of a good Conscience To do duty for Conscienre sake conscience Rom. 13. 5. ye must be subiect for Conscience sake To doe good or abstaine from evill meerely for conscience sake is a note of a right good cōscience indeede Conscience as we saw before doth excite and stirre vp and bind to the doing of good and bindes from the doing of evil Now when the Conscience vpon iust information frō the Word shall presse and forbid and then a man shal because cōscience forbids forbeare or because it presses performe obedience thus to doe good or not to do euill for Conscience sake is a note of a good Conscience It evidences a good Conscience when the maine weight that sets the wheeles on work is conscience of Gods commandement When it is that Psal 119. 4. that sets a man on worke Thou hast commanded vs to keepe thy precepts diligently The end of the commandement is loue 1 Tim. 1. 5. And loue is the fulfilling of the commandement Rom. 12. But what loue From a pure heart and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. When conscience of the commandement caries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it then doth such loue come from a good Conscience Salomons description of a good man Eccl. 9. 2. is that hee feares an oath He sayes not that swearth not but that feares an oath For a man not to sweare may be the fruit of good education and of the a we a man hath stood in of his Gouernours but to feare an oath argues that a man feares the commandement Pro. 13. 13 and to feare the commandement is the note of a good conscience Here let mens Consciences be tryed Thou prayest in thy family hearest the Word keepest the Sabbath c. Now search thine heart and make inquirie what it is that carries thee to these duties Doest thou doe them for conscience sake Doest thou find conscience to vrge and presse thee to giue satisfaction to the Conscience and obedience to the iniunctions thereof Are these things done If so it is a signe of a good Conscience But this discovers the naughtinesse of mens Consciences who though they bee sound in some good duties or in the auoyding of some evils yet is it not conscience that workes them thereto Yee must bee subiect not onely for wrath that is for feare of the Magistrates wrath and revenge but for Conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. It is no good Conscience when a man will bee subiect for his skins sake and least hee smart by the Magistrates sword but then a mans Conscience is good when in obedience to Gods Word and in conscience of his Commandement he subiects The like may be said of all by-ends Ye must doe good duties not for profit not for credit not for vaine-glory not for law but for conscience sake or else evill consciences ye haue in that ye doe The Shechemites receiue circumcision Gen. 34. And is not circumcision Gods Ordinance And is it not ioy of them that they will ioyne to the Church and professe the true Religion Yes surely if it were done for conscience I but it is not done for conscience sake Alas no such matter but for Hamors sake the Lord of the Towne and for Shechems sake their young Master for the hope of gaines sake Shall not their cattell and their substance and every beast of theirs bee ours Gen. 34. 23. For the oxen sake and not for conscience sake are the Shechemites circumcised Shechem for Dinahs sake receiues the Sacrament Oh the zeale and forwardnes that some wil professe on a sudden What frequenters of holy exercises But what is it for conscience sake No such matter but Shechem is in hope of a match with Dinah all these shewes of Religion are neither for Gods sake nor consciēce sake but all for Dinahs sake all vnder hope of preferment by a rich mariage They were goodly shewes of zeale Iohn 6. 22. 24. in seeking and following after Christ but it was neither for Christ nor conscience sake but ver 26. for the loaues and the bread and their bellies sake Many of the Heathens
Esth 8. 17. turned Iewes Was not there ioy of such Proselytes not a whit for not the feare of God but the feare of the Iewes fel vpon them as many frequent the publike assemblies more for feare of the statute then for feare of the commandement The Officers of the King helped the Iewes Esth 9. 3. Was it for conscience sake Nothing lesse but for wrath sake and for feare because the feare of Mordecai fell vpon them If the Pharisees had done all that Mat. 6. for Conscience sake which they did for vaine-glory sake they had had the glory of good Consciences Many preached the Gospell in Pauls dayes Phil. 1. Does not so good a worke argue a good conscience Yes if it had beene done for Conscience sake but that was done for contention sake not to adde soules to the Church but to adde sorrowes to Pauls afflictions It is a note of good Conscience when that which we doe is done with a respect vnto the commandement of God Psal 119. 6. and not with a squint respect vnto our own private for praise or profit It was a good argument of those Bohemians good Consciences in Vtrine mâ—ioris hâ—retici illine qui pictas ligâ—â—as an qui aureas argenteas imagines â— templis exigerent ad conflandam mâ—netam igne adorerent Dubra hist Bohem. l. 24. plucking downe Images that they beate downe onely painted and woodden Images whilest Sigismund the Emperour pulled downe siluer and golden ones to melt into money for pay for his souldiers as they plead for themselues when they were held Heretiques for their fact If they had puld downe such Images as hee did they might haue beene thought to haue done it for gaine and not for Conscience sake How great is often the zeale of many against fashions and such vanities How well it were if it were for Conscience sake and not for envie against some particular person whom they do distaste and so for the person the vanity For if it be for Consciences sake how is it that those vanities such great offences to their Consciences found in some distasted persons are yet no trouble to their Consciences being the very same if not worse in their owne favourites and associates Iudge whether such zeale come from Conscience or from corrupt affection whether it be not more against the person then against the sinne 5 5 Note of a good conscience Holy boldnesse Bâ—na conscientia prodire vult coÌ„spici ipsas nequitia tenebras timet Senec. ep 98. Qui non deliquit decet audacem esse confidenteÌ„r prose proterve loqui Plaut in Aniph 5. We haue a fift note of a good conscience in the text And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell Here is a marke of a good Conscience in his lookes as well as in his words in his face as well as in his speech Paul is here convented before the Councell With what face is he able to behold them And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell A good Conscience makes a man hold vp his head even in the thickest of his enemies I can looke them in the faces and out-face a whole rabble of them assembled on purpose to cast disgrace on it That may bee sayd of a man with a good Conscience which is spoken of some of Davids men 1 Chron. 12. 8. Whose faces were like the faces of Lions for the righteous is bold as a Lion Pro. 28. 1. Now might Paul truely haue said as David Psal 57. 4. My soule is among Lions I lie among them that are set on fire And now how fares hee what is he all a mort lookes he pale and blanke doth hee sneake or hang downe his head or droope with a deiected countenance No Paul is as bold as a Lion and can face these Lyons and earnestly fixe his countenance vpon the best of them A good Conscience makes a mans face as God had made Ezekiels Ezek. 3. 8. 9. Behold I haue made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead strong against their foreheads As an Adamant harder then flint haue I made thy sorehead feare them not neither bee dismaid at their lookes Such hartening and hardening comes also from a good Conscience A good Conscience makes a man goe as the Lord in another sense tells Israel hee had done for them Levit. 26. 13. I haue made you goe vpright A good conscience erects a mans face and lookes is no sneaking slinker but makes a man goe vpright As contrarily guilt deiects both a mans spirits and his lookes and vnlesse a man haue a Sodomiticall impudencie Isa 3. 9. or an whores forehead Ierem. 3. 3. which refuses to bee ashamed makes him hang downe the head Paul fixes his eyes here and lookes earnestly vpon them but what if they had looked as earnestly vpon him yet would not his good Conscience haue beene out-facâ—d See Act. 6. 15. All that sate in the Counsell looked stedfastly on him namely on Steven If but the high Priest alone had faced him it had beene somewhat but all that sate in the Councell looke stedfastly on him Surely one would thinke such a presence were able to haue damped and vtterly to haue dashed him out of countenance But how is it with him Is hee appalled Is hee damped They saw his face as it had beene the face of an Angell sayes the text As wisedome Eccl. 8. 1. so a good Conscience makes the face to shine A good Conscience hath not onely a Lions but an Angels face it hath not onely a Lion-like boldnesse but an Angelicall dazling brightnesse which the sicke and sore eyes of malice can as ill endure to behold as the Isralites could the shining brightnesse of Moses face The face of a good Conscience tells enemies that they are malicious lyers And no wonder that a good conscience hath such courage and confidence in the face standing before a whole Councell when it shall be able to hold vp it head with boldnesse before the Lord himselfe at that great day of the generall Iudgement Euen then shall a good Conscience haue a bold face CHAP. IX Two other and the last notes of a good Conscience A Sixt note of a good Conscience 6 6. Note of a good Conscience To suffer for conscience followes namely that which we haue 1 Pet. 2. 19. When a man for Conscience towards God endures griefe suffering wrong A good conscience had rather that Ananias should smite then it selfe should Ananias his blowes are nothing to the blowes of Conscience Ananias may make Pauls cheekes glowe but conscience giues such terrible buffets as will make the stoutest heart in the world to ake That will pinch and twitch and gird the heart with such griping throws that all the blowes and tortures that Ananias his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them Now therefore a man that sets any store by a good conscience will not part with the Peace or Integritie thereof vpon any termes He rates
had me greatly in derision yet haue I not declined from thy law And though Michol 2. Sam. 6. play the flouting foole yet Dauid will not play the declining foole but if to be zealous be to be a foole he will be yet more vile And though Ieremy was in derision daily euery one mocked him yea and defamed him yet he was rather the more then the lesse zealous Ier. 20. 7. 9. 10. The righteous Ps 125. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued but abides for euer What likelihood that a puffe of breath should remoue a Mountain When men can blowe downe Mountaines with their breath then may they scof a good coÌ„science out of the wayes of godlines sinceritie Mount Sion and a good conscience abide for euer But these happily may bee thought lighter tryalls put a good conscience to some more smarting and bleeding tryalls then thâ—se peâ—tier ones are and yet there shall we finde it as Constant as in the former Let the Lord giue the Sabaeans Chaldaeans and Satan leaue to spoyle Iob of his goods and children will not then Iob giue vp his Integritie doe ye not thinke that hee will curse God to his face So indeed the diuell hopes Iob 1. 1â— But what is the issue What gets the diuell by the tryall Onely giues God argument of triumph against him in Iobs Constancy Iob 2. 3. And still he holdeth fast his Integrity As if he had said See for all that thou canst do in spight of all thy spight and mischieuous malice he holds fast his Integrity vntill this day See the terrible tryalls to which they were put Heb. 11. 37. They were stoned sawne asunder c. and yet all could not make them shake hands with a good Conscience The raine floodes and windes could not bring downe the house founded vpon the rocke Math. 7. Notwithstanding all tryals a good Conscience stands to it and holds it owne and speakes as one Father Rawlins did to the Bishop Rawlings Acts and Mon. you left me Rawlins you find me and Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue Try yet a good Conscience farther with the tentations on the right hand which commonly haue as much more strength in them aboue the other as the right hand hath aboue the left and yet we shall finde the right hand too weak to plucke a good Conscience out of its station It was a sore tentation wherewith Moses was assaulted The treasures and pleasures the honours and sauours of the Egyptian Court and Princesse All these wooe him not to goe to the people of God Had that people beene setled and at rest in Canaan yet had it bin a great tentation to preferre Egypt before Canaan But the people are in Egypt in affliction in bondage therfore so much the more strength in the tentation What will you bee so mad to leaue all for nothing certain honours for certaine afflictions who can tell but you may be raysed to this greatnes to bee an instrument of good to your people you by your fauour in the Court may be a means to ease them of their bondage and so you may do the Church seruice with your greatnesse c Here was a tentation on the right hand with the right hands strength Well and how speeds it Is Moses able to withstand it See Heb. 11. 24. 25. 26. He refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter c. All would not do nor stirre him a whit Those faithfull Worthies before mentioned could not bee stirred with all the cruelties their aduersaries could inuent I but it may bee a tentation on the right hand might haue made them draw away the right hand of fellowship from a good Conscience Well their enemies therfore will try what good they can doe that wayes Heb. 11. 37. They were tempted that is on the right hand they were sollicited and enticed and allured with faire promises of honours fauours preferments as Bâ—nner vsed to deale with the Martyrs hee had sometimes butter and oyle as well as fire and faggot in his mouth Thus were they teÌ„pted but yet what auayled these tentations Iust as much as their stones sawes swords prisons all alike They for all these tentations keepe a good Conscience to their dying day and hold fast the faith truth vnto the end A good conscience is of the mind of those trees in Iothams parable Iudg. 9. It will not with the Oliue lose its fatnesse nor with the Figtree lose its sweetnes nor with the Vine its wine of cheerfulnesse to haue the fattest and sweetest preferments and pleasures of the world no though it were to raign ouer the trees It was an excellent resolution of Benevolus Benevolo Iustina praecepit vt adversus fideÌ„ patruÌ„ imperialia decreta dictaret Illo vero se impia verba prolaturum abnuente celsiorem bonoris graduÌ„ spospondit si mandata perficeret cui Bonevolus Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede altioreÌ„ promittis gradum hune ipsum queÌ„ habeo auferte duÌ„ integram fidei conscientiam tuear Ac protinus cingulum anteâ—pedes eius abiecâ— Sigon de â—ccid Imp l. â— pag. 200. in his answer to Iustina the Arrian Empresse profering preferments to him to haue beene instrumentall in a seruice which could not bee done with a good Conscience What doe ye promising me an higher degree of preferment for a reward of impiety yea euen take this from me which already I haue so that I may keep a good Conscience And so foorthwith he threw at her feet his girdle the ensigne of his honour Thus doth a good conscience throw and trample honour and preferment vnder foot to maintaine its owne integrity Thus can nothing corrupt a good conscience I haue been young and now am old and yet neuer saw I the righteous forsaken to wit of God Psalm 37. David out of his experience could haue sayd as much in this point I haue bin young and now am old yet never saw I God and godlines forsaken by the righteous by the man that had a good conscience But the man that had a good conscience when he was young will hold out haue it when he is old It is the great honour and grace of a good conscience which Walden thinks hee spake to the disgrace of Wickliffe Ita vt Cano placeret quod inveni complacebat He was young and old one and the Fox Acts and Mon. same man Old age decayes the body the strength the senses but conscience it touches not that holds out sound to death As of Christ in another sense Heb. 13. so may it be said of a good conscience in this Yesterday and to day and the same for ever A good Conscience is no changeling but let a mans estate change from rich to poore from poore to rich or let the times change from good to evill or from evill to worse or a mans dayes change from young to old let his haires and head change yet
among all these changes a good conscience will not change but holds it owne vntill its last day Now put mens Consciences vpon this tryall and their inconstancy either in good causes or courses wil discouer their naugtinesse In a good cause how many are like Darius His conscience struggles a great while for Daniel hee knew he was innocent he knowes the action to be vniust and therefore labours all day till the setting of the Sun for his deliuerance Dan. 6. 14. but yet ouercome with the Presidents and Princes vrgencie ver 16. he commands him to the Lions Denne Heere was a naturall Conscience standing for equitie and iustice but yet no good conscience it holds but till Sunne set and his Conscience went downe with the Sunne His Conscience yeeldes and is ouercome though it know the act to be iniust Pilates Conscience makes him plead for Christ In his conscience he acquits him and thrice solemnly professes that hee findes no fault in him and therefore cannot in conscience condemne him yea withall seekes to release him Iohn 19. 12. Is not heere now a good Conscience Indeed it had bene so in this particular fact if his Conscience had beene inflexible and had held out But when Pilate heares them say that if he bee his friend hee is no friend to Caesar Ioh. 19. 12. and whilest withall hee is willing to content the people Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one side and a desire to curry favour on the other Where now is his conscience Now he presently delivers him to bee crucified though hee knowes in his Conscience that there is no fault in him What a good conscience hath many a Iudge and Lawyer How stiffely will they stand in and prosecute a iust cause till a bribe come puts out the very eies of their Conscience Their Consciences are of so soft a temper that the least touch of Siluer turnes their edge presently They hold out well till their come a tentation on their right hand that is in their right hand Psal 144. 8. Whose mouth speakes vanitie and their right hand is a right hand of falshood If once the right hand be a right hand of falshood the mouth will soone speake vanity though before it spake Conscience Who would not haue thought Baalam to haue beene a man of an excellent Conscience If Balak would giue me his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. But yet besides that faltring in those words I cannot goe whereas the language of good conscience would haue beene I will not goe besides that I say before he ends his speech see how the hope of promotions worke and works his Conscience like waxe before the fire verse 19. Now therefore I pray you tarry heere also this night that I may knowe what the Lord will say vnto mee more A faltring inference If his Conscience had beene good it would haue inferred strongly thus Now therefore I pray get you gone and trouble me no longer He knew in his Conscience the people ought not to bee cursed and that he ought not to goe and yet comes in with I pray tarry all night c. Truely Balak needed not to haue beene so lauish and so prodigall as to offer an house full one handfull of his Siluer and Gold will frame Balaams Conscience to any thing The like tryall may be made of mens Consciences by their inconstancy in good courses and this will condemne three sorts as guilty of evill consciences 1. Such as sometimes being convinced of the necessity of good courses do set vpon the practise of them begin to looke toward Religion religious duties till meeting with some of their supposed wiser neighbours they be advised to take heed they may bring thēselues into greater note then they are aware of they will incurre sharper censures then they thinke of c. and so suddenly all is dasht all is quasht and quencht There is a disease among beasts they call the Staggers and it is a disease too frequent in mens consciences who sometimes are on sometimes off one day begin and next day cease good courses That may be said of many mens consciences which Iacob speaks of Reuben Gen. 49. 4. Vnstable as water The water mooves as the windes blow If the winde blow out of the East then it moves one way if out of the West then it moves another the cleane contrary and vpon every new winde a new way So many let them heare a conuincing a good perswading Sermon moving to good duties then they will set vpon them let them againe heare either some mocks or reproaches for those wayes or some sage advise frō one they count wise against the waies of conscience they are as far off againe as euer These staggering irresolute and watry consciences are far from good ones 2. Such as in their youth or when the world was low with them were very zealous and forward But what are they now at this day True downe-right Demasses zealous whē they were young but now old and cold zealous when they were meane but now the world is come vpon them Demas-like they haue forsaken goodnesse and embraced the world haue gotten now worme-eaten and world-eaten Consciences The zeale of Gods house was wont to eate them vp but now the world hath eaten vp them and all their good Conscience 3. Those that haue made good the profane Proverb Young Saints and old Divels whose hatred of Religion and good conscience is greater then ever was their loue thereto as Ammons was towards Thamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods house and ordinances zealous enemies against swearing and Sabbath-breaking c. But what are they at this day Yesterday indeede zealous professors of holinesse but what are they to day To day malicious scoffers of godlinesse haters and opposers of goodnesse the onely swearers drunkards in a Countrey What kinde of consciences haue these None of Pauls Conscience I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day What then Iust the consciences of Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 18 19. They once made great profession of Confcience but now enemies to Paul and blasphemers men as Paul speakes that had put away good Conscience they did not through want of watchfulnes let it slip or steale away but as if it would neuer haue bene gone soone enough they put and draue it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza translates it Qua expulsa They vsed their Consciences as Ammon did Thamar after his lust satisfied 2 Sā 13. 15. 17. Arise be gone sayes hee to her and when she pleades for her felfe he cals his seruant and sayes vnto him Put out this woman and bolt the dore after her put her out so as shee may bee sure not to come againe They dealt with their Consciences as Colledges deale with Rake-hels expelled them without
all hope of re-entry Thus many profane Apostatizing back-sliders cannot be content to lose good conscience vnlesse Ammon-like they may put it away with violence expell it And how can they haue good Conscience that haue put it away He hath not his wife that hath put her away and giuen her a bill of divorse In the dayes of Popery and darkenes the Divell it seemed walked very familiarly amongst them and hence we haue so many stories of fayries of children taken out of cradles and others layde in their roomes whom they called changelings Since the light of the Gospell these Divels and Fairies haue not been seene amongst vs but yet we are still troubled with changelings Some Priests and Iesuites haue changed some the world hath changed some goodfellowship and the Ale-house hath changed These haue plaid the fayries haue taken and stolne away goodly forward and fervent Christians and haue layd in their roomes Earthlings Worldlings Popelings Swearers Drunkards malicious scorners of all goodnesse Thus haue these fayries in stead of fayre and comely children brought in these lame blinde deformed and wrizzled faced changelings that any one may easily see them to be rather the birthes of some hobgoblins then the children of God If therefore wee would evidence our Consciences good labour to hold to the last and rest not in a youth but labour to haue age found in the way of righteousnesse This is a crowne of glory and this is right good Conscience to liue therein vntill our dying day All the former sixe are nothing without this last CHAP. X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of Disgrace and Reproach WE are now come to the fift and last point which was propounded The motiues to perswade vs to get good Consciences The motiues therevnto may bee many I will keepe my selfe within the compasse of fiue 1. Motiue The incomparable and 1. Motiue to a good CoÌ„science vnspeakeable comfort and benefit thereof in such cases and times as all other comforts faile a man and wherin a man stands most in need of comfort These Cases or times are fiue 1. The Time and Case of Disgrace and Reproach 2. The Time of Common feare and Common calamity 3. The Time of Sicknesse or outward crosses in a mans goods 4. The Time of Death 5. The Time Day of Iudgement In all these or in any of these times Interim elige socium qui cum â—mnia subtracta fuerint fidem servat dilectoribus suis me recedit in tempore angustiae Ber. de Consc it is good to haue such a friend or companion that will sticke to a man and be faithfull to him when all other things faile him Such a friend such a companion is a good Conscience A friend loues at all times and a brother is borne for adversity Prov. 17. 17. But in some of these cases a brother and a friend may be false and will not or may bee weake and cannot helpe nor pleasure a man but a good Conscience is better then all friends and brethren whatsoever when they will not or cannot or may not yet then will a good Conscience sticke close to a man and bee a sure friend to him Let vs see in the particulars the truth of it 1. In the Time and Case of Disgrace The comfort of a good Conscience in case of disgrace and reproach Infamie Reproach and wrongs of that kinde the comfort and benefit of a good Conscience is vnspeakeable When a man shall be traduced slandered falsely accused and condemned then in such wrongs will a good Conscience doe the office of a faithfull friend will sticke to stand by a man and will comfort and hearten him against all such iniuries Paul is here coÌ„vented before the Councell as a malefactor he hath an whole CouÌ„cel bent against him What now is his comfort and his defence against such an heape of accusers as doe affront him This it is Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Conscience As if he had said Impeach traduce accuse and condemne me as you please yet be it knowne vnto you that I haue a good Conscience and this my good conscience is it which shall comfort and vphold me against all your iniurious and vnequall proceedings You may bring forth false witnesses against mee but my Conscience doth and will witnesse for me you may condemne mee yet my conscience acquits and absolues me And thus doth Paul shelter himselfe vnder his good Conscience The like wee may see in the next Chapter Ananias and the Elders come and bring Tertullus and he is feed to be Pauls accuser and he layes heauy and hainous things to Pauls charge vers 5. We haue found this man a pestilent fellow and a moover of sedition among all the Iewes thrâ—ughout the world a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarens c. Here be foule things what will Paul be able to say to all this Will not this be enough to sinke him downe vtterly to see so many banded together and such great ones combined to countenance such an accusation How will he be able to subsist Now then behold the benefit and comfort of a good Conscience He holds vp his former buckler and smites Ananias and the rest with his former weapon vers 16. Herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a Conscience voide of offence towards God and to wards men Ananias and the Elders haue a mercenary Tertullus to accuse him Paul hath no man dares bee seene to plead for him none will be reteined in his cause but yet now Conscience steps out and stops the foule mouth of this slanderous Oratour and puts spirit and heart into Paul to plead his owne Cause against them all Conscience seemes on this manner to animate him Feare not Paul the accusations of this Tertullus I witnes for thee thine Innocency I iustifie it to the teeth of Tertullus that he is one whose malice and Covetousnesse hath made him set his Conscience to sale Stand vp therefore and speake boldly for thy selfe dread them not Well fare a good conscience yet that will speake comfort to Paul and make Paul speake with courage when none else dare bee seene in his Cause It was an ill case Dauid was in Psal 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath brâ—aken mine heart and I am full of heavines and I looked for some to take pittie but there was none and for comforters but I found none They gaue mee also gall for my meate and in my thirst they gaue mee vineger to drinke A very hard case indeed Where was now Davids familiar friend his acquaintance with whom he was wont to take sweet counsell what was become of him now Possibly some of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth a foote out of ioynt Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an vnfaithfull man is like a broken tooth and a foot out of ioynt Others it may be that had profest him
and giue him cause of much ioy and triumph Iob then had his witnesse in heaven Iob had his witnesse on earth God and his own CoÌ„science two witnesses beyond all exception and in the mouth of two witnesses euery truth shall stand Conscience is a thousand witnesses and God is aboue Conscience And what Conscience witnesses concerning matter of fact God himselfe will Iustifie the same He that hath a good conscience hath a sure friend that will neither slinke nor shrinke at any hand Nay he hath two good friends and two substantiall witnesses whose testimonies though secret yet are such as sweetly solace the heart of man against open reproaches slanders false witnesses all wrongs and iniuries of that kinde whatsoever The testimony of Conscience is full of Comfort because of the vndoubted certainty and the vnquestioned infallibilitie thereof so that it voycing on a mans side strangely cheares his heart Pro. 27. 19. As in water face answers to face so doth the heart of a man vnto man That is as some expound it As a man may see his face by looking in the water so a man may see himselfe and what he is by looking into his conscience If a man should be told that he had some filth or bloach on his face if he would go look In speculo Conscientiae status interioris hominis exterioris cognoscitur Non immerito Conscientiam speculo comparavit quoniaÌ„ in ea tanquaÌ„ speculo rationis oculus tam indecens quaÌ„ quod decens in se est claro aspectu apprehendere potest Bern. de Consc into the water or especially into a looking-glasse hee should easily see whether it were so or no. And if looking into the water or glasse he could not see any such filth in his face though an hundred should offer to beare him downe to the contrary yet would hee beleeue his owne eyes before them al. So here wheÌ„ at any time foule mouths are open and spare not to cast aspersions vpon Innocency and to lay â—candalous things to a mans charge then a man by looking into his conscience can see himselfe and can finde whether he be guilty or not and seeing himselfe in that water or in that glasse to be cleere from that filth dirt which malice would cast in his face it so fills his heart with comfort and confidence as makes him treade all reproach and false Iudgement of man vnder his foot Non ideo bona est coÌ„scientia mea quia vos illam laudatis Quià enim laudatis quod noÌ„ videtis Aug. de ver dom ser 49. Si autem non aurem solam perculit â—racundâ—a criminantis veruÌ„ etiam conscientiaÌ„ mordet veritus criminis quid mihi prodest si me continuis laudibus totus muÌ„dus attollat Ita nec malam ConscientiaÌ„ saâ—at praconiuÌ„â—audantis nec bonaÌ„ vulnerat convictantis opprobrium Aug. contra lit Petil. l. 2 In omni quod dicitur semper tacite occurrere debemus ad mentem interiorem testem iudicem requirere Quid enim prodest si omnes laudans coÌ„scientia accusat aut poterit obesse si omnes derogent solae Conscientia defeÌ„dit Greg. sup 125. hom 6 This appeares by the contrary Let a man be praysed and magnified euer so let euer so much good be spoken of him and ever so much worth be attributed to him yet if his owne heart tell him that all is falsely spoken of him and there is indeed no such matter in him he hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world Pro. 27. 21. As the fining pot for siluer the furnace for gold so is a man to his prayse that is a man is to try his praise that is giuen him and if his conscience tell him it is vndeserved hee is to seperate this drosse of flattery from himself All the commendations and admirations of the world what coÌ„fort can they yeeld whilest a mans Conscience tells him that they are all but lying and glavering flatteries What though the poor multitude feeling the sweete and refreshment of a Pharisees almes do canonize a Pharise for a Saint yet what is he the better or what coÌ„fort hath he the more whilst his own coÌ„science reproaches and reproues him and tells him that he is a vaine-glorious hypocrite and that though these whom he feedes send him to heauen yet he shall haue his portion with hypocrites and vnbeleevers What is a man the better for a flattering Funerall Commendation whilest in the meane time hee is vnder the reproach and torture of his coÌ„science in the place of torment How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men no man but speakes wel of him but yet in the meane time his own heart giues him bitter words and rates him to his face How well contented would such an one bee and what an happy exchange would hee hold it to haue all the world rayle on him slander him so his own conscience would but speak friendly kindly to him So he could find hony from his Conscience hee would not care what gall he had from the world Experience lets vs see that such as haue bin malevolent and iniurious against others innocency though they haue bin abetted and born out by their vmpires and advocates that for handfuls of barley and scraps and crusts haue laboured to maintaine ill causes and worse persons yet they haue had no peace nor rest of heart Their advocates haue bid them sit downe with rest and victory the day is theirs they haue cheered them and strived to deserue their fee yet their guilty clients beeing netled with the inward guilt of their Consciences haue still bin haunted with a restles perplexed vnquiet spirit whilest others made guilty and censured for offenders by such mercenary vmpires haue possessed their soules in patience and haue bin cheerfull and merry-hearted from the comfort of their own innocent and cleere Consciences So that looke as the naughty conscience can speake no comfort though all the world speake well of it so contrarily though all the world reproach censure slander c. yet a good conscience can and will speake peace and comfort to a mans heart The CorinthiaÌ„s did exceedingly slight Faelix conscientia noÌ„ sibi in aliquo conscia quae noÌ„ proprium iudiciuÌ„ nec alienum veretur Bern de Consc Beata plane quae non alienis aestimatur iudiciis sed domesticis percipitur sensibus taÌ„quam sui iudex Neque enim populares opiniones pro mercede aliqua requirit neq prosupplicio pauet Ambros de offic l. 2. c 1. Nâ—n possuÌ„t aliena verba crimen affigere quod propria non recepit CoÌ„scia Ambrin Ps 38. Paul He was this and he was that but how was he affected with it See how 1 Cor. 4. 3. 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be iudged of you I know full well
what your censures are what sentēce you passe vpon me but know ye that I no whit at all regard the same I make no reckoning therof at all Why might the Corinthians say do ye count vs so silly so iniudicious Nay sayes Paul I speak it not as if you were sillier then others with me it is a small thing to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement let them be the most wise iudicious that are in the world or of mans Day though by men convened in solemne maner for iudgement I passe not what their censure is I regard not their mis-iudgings of me I but what makes Paul thus slight mens iudgement of him That in the fourth verse I know nothing by my selfe mine owne Conscience iudges me not nor sentenses me that layes no such thing to my charge and therefore so long as my Conscience is on my side I regard not a whit what the world iudges Now then see what a motiue this is to get and keepe a good Conscience As we would be glad to haue comfort and confidence against the malice of opprobrious tongues as wee would haue a counter-poyson against their venome so get a good Conscience Here is that which may make vs in loue with a good Conscience Reproach must full often be the portion of Gods deare children Israelites shall bee for ever an abomination to Egyptians And though the Egyptian dogges moued not their tongues against Israel Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Egyptians will moue their tongues and their teeth too The Apostles must be counted the filth of the world and the off-scowrings of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. The Lord Iesus himselfe dranke of this cup Psal 22. 6. 7. I am a worme and no man a reproach of men and dispised of the people All they that see me laugh me to scorne c. The way to heauen is a narrow way and this narrow way is beset with snakes spitting adders barking and biting and mad dogs and a man must passe to heauen through good and euill report 2. Cor. 6. 8. Well then it being so hard a passage Currentem attrites super aspidas basiliseos declinare senem vipera non poterit prosp dc Aug. Conscia mens recti famae mendaci◠ridet Sed no◠in vitiūm credula treba famus Ovid. how may a man get himselfe so armed that hee may passe cheerfully through all these get a good Conscience and thou shalt regard these snakes serpents vipers and dogs no more then a straw vnder thy foot If thou haue a good Conscience thou shalt laugh at the reproaches of enemies as Eliphaz speaks of destruction Iob 5. A good conscience will say vnto thee Goe on cheerily in the wayes of God what euer discouragements the diuell rayses by reproaches and slanders feare them not Behold I acquit and excuse thee I will beare thee out I will witnesse at Gods tribunall for thee Lo I giue thee balme against their poyson a buckler against their swords Let them curse yet I will blesse thee let thē reproach yet I will 〈…〉 for t let them condemn fame thee yet I will be thy compurgator let them cast dirt in thy face yet I will wash it off let them disquiet yet behold I am ready to cheere thee Oh the sweet and vnconceivable comfort that a good Conscience will speake even in the middst of the cruell speakings of vngodly men Iude 15. that will speake comfortably when they speake cruelly and most comfortably when they speake most cruelly Such is the benefit of a good Conscience in case of reproach and disgrace CHAP. IX The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of common feares and calamities and in the times of personall evils as sicknesse and afflictions for Conscience sake IN the second place let vs see what the benefite and comfort of a good 〈◊〉 Common calamities When the 2 fort of a good Conscience in the times of cōmon feares and calamities world is full of scares and dangers and calamities breake in how fares it then with an evil conscience in what taking are they that want a good conscience They are absorpt with feares and the very tydings puts them to much perplexitie Isa 7. 2. Aha◠is told of a confedracy between Syria Ephraim and see in what feares hee and his people were His heart was moved the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind So deepely do reports and evill tydings affect them the trees in the wood are not so shakē with the blustering windes as evill Consciences are with evill tydings When ill newes and ill Consciences meet there is no small feare The signes that prognosticate sorrowfull times see how deepely they affect evill Consciences Luke 21. 25. There shall be signes in the sun and the moone and in the stars and vpon the earth distresse of Nations with perplexity mens hearts failing them for feare and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth But when calamity indeed comes and not ill newes but ill times and ill consciences meete how are they then They are then either in the case the Egyptians were in the famine Gen. 47. 13. They were at their wits end or as those in a storme at Sea Psa 107. 26. 27. Their soule is melted because of trouble They reele too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and all their wisdome is swallowed vp Excesse of feare puts them into as great distempers as excesse of wine it vtterly stupifies them and they by feare are as much bereft of the vse of their senses wit and wisdom as a drunkard is in his drunkennesse Yea their feares make them not onely drunk but starke madde Deut. 28. 34. Thou shalt be oppressed and cursed alway so that thou shalt bee madde for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see The perplexities of an euill conscience in evill times are vnspeakably grievous Isay doth exceeding lively describe them Isa 13. 7. 8. 9. Therfore shall all hands bee faint and every mans heart shall melt And they shall bee afraid pangs and sorrowes shall take hold of them they shall be in pain as a woman that travells they shall be a mazed one at another their faces shall be as flames c. Hence that same strange question of the Prophets Ier. 36. 6. Aske ye now and see whether a man doth travell with childe A strange question what should make the Prophet aske it Because he foresaw such strange behaviour amongst them carrying themselues in the same fashion in the day of calamitie that women vse to doe in the extremity of the pangs of child-birth Wherefore doe I see every man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauell and all faces are turned into palenesse Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble When such wofull dayes befall a man all
his riches will not yeeld him a iot of comfort Pro. 11. 4. Riches avayle not in the day of wrath No that will no whit cheere a man at such a time They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be remooued c. Ezek. 7. 19. This shall be the miserable pickle a man shall bee in at such a time that wants a good Conscience But now looke vpon a man with a good Conscience in such times and how fares it with him Let evil tydings times come how is he affected therwithall He will not be afraid of evill tydings for his heart is fixed Psal 112. 7. feare he may but yet his Heart shall be free from those restlesse perplexing distractions wherewith all others are vexed Luke 21. 9. When yee shall heare of warres and commotions bee not terrified And Prou. 3. 25. Be not afraid of sudden feare There is nothing so armes and resolues the heart against feares and evill tydings as doth the peace and integrity of a good Conscience For let there be outward peace abroad in the world and freedome from all feares of warrs and combustions yet little ioy and cōfort can a man haue therein whilest his conscience proclaimes warre against him and as Gods Herald summons him to battell Those inward warres and rumors of warres wofully distract him in the midst of his outward peace So cōtrarily let there be peace within in the Conscience and all warres and feares of warres husht there and then what ever feares and troubles are like to bee without yet there will bee a calme a serenitie and a sweet security within Becarefull and so fearefull for nothing Phil. 4. 6. To be fearefull in nothing is indeede an excellent happinesse of a well composed minde How might one attain thereto How might a man bring his heart to that fixed and stablisht temper See verse 7. The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall guarde your hearts and mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keepe with a guard as Kings haue their guards about them to saue their persons from violence shall guard your hearts that is your affections that they run not into extremitie of impatience distraction desperation when feares and terrours shal come ye shall not be transported with such distracting thoughts as shall depriue you of the freedome of your mindes but that you shall haue them to attend vpon God in the greatest of your dangers So that a man with a good conscience in the middest of all feares and combustions can sing with Dauid Psa 116. 7. Returne vnto thy rest O my soule The peace of a good Conscience is like the ballast of a Ship Let a Ship goe to Sea without ballast in the bottome and euery blast of winde is ready to ouerturne it but being wel balasted though the windes blow strong yet it sayles steddily and safely Every blast of ill newes and tydings of feare how full of terrible apprehensitions it filles an ill conscience it miserably vnsettles and distracts it whilest a good Conscience what blasts soeuer blows hath its heart steddy and at good command Methinkes when I consider Noab in his Cabine or nest in the Arke with what security and quiet of heart he sits there notwithstanding the clattering of the raines vpon the Ark the roaring of the waters and the hideous howlings and out-cries of those that were drowned in the flood I see th◠Embleme of a good conscience Tubalcain Lamech Iabal Iubal with what horrid perplexities are their soules distraught Some climbe vp this house top some this high tree others flee to some high mountaine and there in what horror and amazement are they whilest one sees his children sprawling another his wise strugling for life vpon the face of the mercilesse waters but especially whilest they behold the waters rising by little and little and pursuing them to the house tops and threatning to sweepe them off from the heads of the Mountaines to which they had betaken themselues These feares and amazements were worse then an hundreth deathes But now all this while how is it with Noah hee sits dry in his cabbin and litterally was the saying of the Psalme verified of him Surely in the floods of great waters they came not nigh vnto him Psa 32. 6. He hath his Ark pitcht within pitcht without neither can the raines from aboue beate in nor the waters from beneath leake in let all fountaines of the great deepe bee broken vp and the flood-gates of heaven bee opened yet not one drop of water comes at him and though the waters prevaile fifteene cubites aboue the high hills and mountaines so that they be covered yet Noah hee is out of all feare let them rise as high as they will yet shall hee keepe aboue them still Iust such is the condition and happinesse of a man with a good Conscience in sad times Whilest the high hils and mountaines are covered the great and braue spirits of the world are overwhelmed with feare are possest with dreadfull apprehensions so as they know not which way to look nor which way to take even then a man with a good conscience hath a strange quiet of heart is full of sweet security and resolution amids all the shrikes howlings and wringing of hands of earthly men by patience possesses his soule is master of himselfe and composes his soule to rest His Ark is pitcht within without The peace of God and the peace of a good Conscience keeps the waterfloods from comming into his soule The raine the waues they beat vpon the Arke but yet they pierced it not A man with a good Cōscience may fall into may be swept away with cōmon calamities yet how euer it fare with his outward man yet his soule is free from that horrour and those madding perplexities wherwithall wicked ones are overtaken The peace of a good Conscience shall keep off these distracting feares from his minde Though he cannot be free happily from the common destructions yet shall he be free from the common distractions of the world There be two things in common calamities The sword without and terror within Deut. 32. 25. the latter of the two is the worse by farre Now here is the benefit of a good Cōscience though it doe not saue alwayes from the sword without yet it deliuers alwaies from the terror within which giues a terrible edge to the sword and which being remoued the sword is nothing so terrible When the Canaanites were destroyed by Israel there was a double sorrow and smart vpon them The sword of the Israelites and Gods Hornet Iosh 24. 12. What was that Hornet Nothing else but that distracting and perplexing feare and terror wherewith God filled their hearts as appeares Exodus 23. 27. 28. There is no Hornet can so vexe with his sting as these terrors vexe evill Consciences in evill dayes Now here is the priviledge of good Consciences though they may smart with
the sword yet this hornet shall not sting them nor fill their hearts with that throbbing anguish that these terrors in times of calamitie put evill Consciences to A sweet motiue to make any in loue with a good Conscience Whilest we looke vpon the evils of the times wee cannot but looke for evill times Look we vpon our sinnes and Gods administration abroad vpon the malice and policies of the adversaries of Gods grace and what doe these but prognosticate heavie things Now suppose a flood should come would wee not be glad of an Arke such a cabbin therein as should keepe out the waâ—ers from our soules Get then the pitch of a good Conscience thou shalt sit like Noah if not free from the waters yet free from the feares of Lamech Tubalcain which are worse then the waters For the feares of such evils are more bitter and vnsufferable then the evils themselues Suppose I say a flood should come who would not giue a kingdome for an Arke well pitcht Suppose calamity should come who would not giue a world for a good Conscience then Iabal Gen. 4. 20. hee is busie in building of tents and he is among his flocks and cattell and Iubal Gen. 4. 21. hee is wholly vpon his merry pins at his Harpe and Organs He and his take the Timbrel and the Harpe and reioyce at the s 〈…〉 d of the Organ Iob. 21 12. And these iolly ioviall laddes giue poore Noah many a drie flout many a scornfull scoffe whilest hee is building his Arke aske what this brainsicke and mad fellow meanes to make such a vessell whether he meant to sayle on the dry land or to make a Sea when he made his Ship I but when the flood is come and the waters begin to bee chin deepe then aske Iabal whether building of tents or building of an Ark be the wiser worke then whether is better Noahs Arke or Iubals pipes Now that the flood is come and these come perhaps wading middle deepe to the Arke side and bellow and howle to Noah to open the Arke to them Now would not Iabal giue all his tents and all his cattell but to bee but where Noahs dog lies would not Iubal now giue all his pipes and merriment to haue but the place that an hogge had in the Arke Now Iubal let vs heare one of your merrie songs pipe now and make your selfe merry with gybing at Noahs solly in making a Ship to sayle on dry land What aylest thou Iubal to howle and wring thine hands thus where is thine Harp OrgaÌ„s now cheer vp thy soule now with these vanities Now the flood is come now Noth is in the Arke now Sirs you that are such men of renowne Gen. 6. 4. you that were the braue gallants of the earth now tell me who is the foole who is the wise man now How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Conscience yea if they see others to bee but carefull in rigging of this Shippe and pitching and trimming vp such an Arke how ready are they to spend their byting scoffes and their tart iests vpon them but if euer times of trouble and calamity a fire-flood of Gods wrath Nah. 1. 6. 8 should breake in then would a good coÌ„science hold vp the head with much comfort and resolution whilest those that formerly made a ieast of a good Conscience should haue a king and quaking 〈…〉 of those vnmeasurable fears that shall cease vpon them A good Conscience will make a man musick when Iubal shal be glad not onely to put vp but with indignation anguish of heart to throw away and curse his pipes Well fare a good Conscience in euill dayes Pitch and trim vp this Arke there is no such prouision against euill dayes as is a good Conscience It will doe a man service and support him when all the braue spirits of the earth shal be blank and at their wits end In the third place the benefite and 3 The comfort of a good Conscience in Time of Sicknesse comfort of a good Conscience is Conspicuous in the time of Sicknesse or a mans priuate and personall crosses in his estate c. A sicke man with an hayle Conscience is a cheary and a comfortable man Pro 13. 14. The spirit of a man will susteine his infirmitie that is the spirit it selfe being hayle and sound it will enable him to beare any bodily sicknes But a wounded spirit who can beare yea a wounded or a sicke body who can coÌ„fortably 〈…〉 But let the Conscience be good and sound and it helps a man with great ease and comfort to beare the sicknes of the body It is a shrewd burden to beare two sicknesses at once to haue a sick body a sick CoÌ„science A man shal find enough of the easiest of them single and alone But yet an bayle conscience in an infirme body sweetly helps our infirmitie Let a man haue ever so hayle and healthfull a body yet if the conscience be naught withal awakened falls to galling griping he shall finde but little ioy in his bodily health so contrarily let a mans Conscience be good and though his body be sicke weake yet is it a great deale of sweet refreshment that it shall receiue from the conscieÌ„ce Sicknesse in it selfe is exceeding vncomfortable and in the time of sicknes commonly all bodily comforts the comforts of meates drinkes sleepe fayle yea but then here is the benefit of a good conscience that wil not then fayle but as it is sayd Eccl. 10. â—9 Money answers all things so a good conscience answers all things the comfort of it supplies the want of all other comforts When in sicknes the comfort of meate drinke and sleepe is gone they are all found againe in the comfort of a good Conscience that will be meat drinke that will be rest and sleepe that will make a mans sick-bed soft and easie that shall be as the Angels were to Christ in his hunger in the Wildernes they ministred vnto him and so will a good conscience minister comfort in the want of all other comforts so that a man may say of a good Conscience as we vse to say of some solid substantial dish that there are Patirdge Pheasant and Quailes in it so though outward comforts cease their office and their work be suspended yet a good conscience comes in their roome in it are meat drinke sleepe ease refreshment and what not A good conscience is an Electuary or a Cordiall that hath all these ingredients in it There is no such Cordiall to a sicke man as the Cordiall of a good conscience All Physitions to this Physition are but such Physitions as Iobs friends Iob 13. 4. Ye are Physitions of no value A motiue of great weight to make men in loue with a good conscience Who can be free from sicknes and how tedious and wearisome a time is the time of sicknes Now who would
not make much of a Cordiall that might cheare him then of a receipt that might feede him then As then we would be glad of a chearfull and comfortable spirit vp on our sicke beds so make much of a good Conscience Whence is it that most men in their sicknesses haue such drooping spitits lye groaning altogether vnder their bodily paines or lye sottishly and senselesly no sense of any thing but paine and sicknes Meerely from the want of a good Conscience they haue laid vp no Cordiall no comfortable Electuary for themselues in their health time against the day of sicknes Indeed you shall haue the miserable comforters of the world on this maner chearing them Why how now man where is your heart Plucke vp a good heart man neuer feare for a little sicknes c. True indeed they should not need to feare if they could plucke vp a good heart But they that will pluck it vp when they are sick must lay it vp when they are well He that hath a good conscience to get when he lyes vpoÌ„ his sick-bed is like a man that hath his Aqua vitae to buy when he is fallen into a swoune A wise man that feares swouning would haue his hot-waterbottle hanging alwaies ready at his beds-head But as in other crosles by sicknes and the like so is the comfort of a good conscience neuer more sweet then when a man is vnder the crosse for conscience sake suffers affliction and vexation to keepe a good conscience Then aboue al other times will conscience doe the office of a CoÌ„forter and will stand to him that will stand for it When Nebuchadnezzar heates his Fornace seauen times hotter then at other times then a good Conscience will speak comfort seuen times sweeter then at other times Are Gods Saints for good Conscience Fox Acts and Mon. Omnis nobis vilis est poena vbi purae comes est conscientia Tiburt apud Baron An 168. sake in prison Good Conscience will make their prisons delectable hortiards So doth Algerius an Italian Martyr date a comfortable Epistle of his From the delectable hortyarde of the Leo nine prison a prison in Vâ—nice so called So that as he said that he had rather be in prison with Cato then with Coesar in the Senate house so in this regard it was more coÌ„fortable to be with Philpot in the Cole-house then with Bonner in his Pallace Bonners Conscience made his Pallace a Cole-house and a Dungeon whilst Philpots made the Cole-house a Pallace Are Gods Saints in the Stocks Better it is sayes Philpot to sit in the Stocks of the world then in the Stocks of a damnable Coâ—science Therfore though they be in the Stockes yet euen then the righteous doth sing and reioyce yea euen in the Stockes and prison Paul and Silas sang in the Stockes Sing in Hinc est quod è contrarioinnocens etiam inter ipsae tormenta fruitur CoÌ„scientiae securitaete et cum de poena metuat de innocentia gloriaetur Hierony ad Demetri ad ep 1. the Stockes Nay more they can sing in the flames and in the midst of the fires Is 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires And worthy Hawkes could clap his hands in the midst of the flames So great and so passing all vnderstanding is the peace comfort of a good conscience So that in some sense that may be sayd of it which is spoken of faith Heb. 11. 34 By it they quenched the violence of fire Gods servants were so rapt rauisht with the sense of Gods loue and their inward peace of Conscience that they seemd to haue a kind of happy dedolency and want of feeling of the smart of outward torments Who knowes what tryalls God may bring him to We haue no patent for our peace nor this free liberty in the profession of the Gospell Suppose we should be cald to the stake for Christs sake Would we be chearefull would we sing in the flames Get a good CoÌ„science The cause of Christ is a good cause now with a good cause get a good conscience and we shall be able with all cheerfulnes to lay downe our liues for Christ and his Gospell sake CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the dayes of Death Iudgment IN the fourth place The time of 4 The Comfort of a good Conscience at the day of Death death is a time wherein the benefite and comfort of a good Conscience is exceeding great Death hath a ghastly looke and terrible able to daunt the proudest brauest spirit in the world but then hath it a ghastly look indeede when it faces an euill conscience Indeed sometimes and most commonly Conscience in many is secure at the time of death God in his iustice so plaging an affected security in life with an inflicted security at Death And the Lord seemes to say as once to the Prophet Goe make their Consciences asleep at their death as they haue made it asleepe all their life least Conscience should see and speake and they heare and be saued God deales with conscience as with the Prophet Ezek. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumb Therfore they die though not desperately as Saul and Achitophel yet sottishly without comfort and feeling of Gods loue as Nabal But if conscience bee awakened and haue its eyes mouth opened no heart can imagine the desperate and vnsufferable distresses of such an heart Terrors take holde of him as waters Iob. 27. 20. Terrours make him afraide on euery side Iob 18. 11. Then is that true Iob 25 23. 24. He knowes that the day of darknes is ready at hand Trouble and anguish shal make him afraid they shall preuaile against him as a King ready to the battell And no wonder for hee is now brought vnto the King of Terrours as Death is called Iob 18. 14. A man that hath an ill Conscience if his eyes be opened and his Conscience a wakened he sees death in all the terrible shapes that may bee Sometimes he sees death comming like a mercilesse Officer and a cruell Sergeant to arrest and to drag him by the throat to the prison and place of Torment Ps 55. 15. Let death cease vpon them They see it comming like that cruell servant in the Parable to his fellow Math. 18. catching them by the very throat Sometimes he sees death in the shape of some greedy LyoÌ„ or some rauening Wolfe ready to deuour him to feed vpon his carkase Ps 49. 14. Death shall feede in them euen as a ravenous beast shall feed vpon his prey Imagine in what a terrible plight the Samaritans were in when the Lyons set vpon theÌ„ 2. Kin. 17. by it imagine in what case an ill conscience is when it beholdes the face of death It puts an ill Conscience into that case in good earnest that David was in in the case of tryall Ps â—â—
4. 5. My heart is sore pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee fearefulnes trembling are come vpon me and horrour hath over whelmed me Sometimes again he sees death as the Israelites the fiery Serpents with mortal stings Sometimes as a merciles Landlord or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of Firmae eiectione to throw him out of house and home and to turne him to the wide Common yea he sees death as Gods executioner and messenger of eternall death yea he sees death with as much horrour as if hee saw the Diuell In so many fearefull shapes appeares death to an evill conscience vpon the death-bed So as it is indeed the King of Terrors to such an one that hath the Terrours of Conscience within There is no one thought so terrible to such an one as the thought of death nothing that he more wishes to avoyd Oh! how loath and how vnwilling is such an one to dye But come now to a man that hath liued as Paul did in all good conscience and how is it with him vpon his death-bed His end is peace so full of ioy comfort so is he ravished with the inward and vnspeakable consolations of his Conscience that it is no wonder at all that Balaam should wish to dye the death of the righteous the death of a man with a good Conscience The day of a mans marriage is the day of the ioy of a mans heart Cant. 3. 11. and the day of marriage is not so ioyfull a day as is the day of death to a good conscience There are but fewe that can marry with that ioy wherwith a good conscience dyes It enables a man not onely to looke Ananias and the Councell in the face but even to looke death it selfe in the face without those amazing terrours yea it makes the face of death seeme louely and amiable He whose conscience is good and fees the face of God reconciled to him in Christ he can say as Iacob did when he saw the face of Ioseph Gen. 46. 30. Now let me dye since I haue seene thy face It is the priviledge of a good Conscience alone to goe to the grave as Agag did to Samuel and to say that truely which he spake besides the booke 1 Sam. 15. 32. He came pleasantly And he sayd Surely the bitternesse of death is past He was deceived and therefore had no such cause to be so pleasant but a good Conscience can yea cannot chuse but be so pleasant even when going out of the world because the gilt of sin being washed away in Chists bloud it knowes that the bitternes of death is past and the sweetnesse of life eternall is at hand A man whose debts are paid he dares goe out of dores dare meete and face the Sergeants and the conscience purged by the bloud of Christ can looke as vndaūtedly on the face of death He that hath gotten the sting that is the guilt of cōscience taken away by faith in Christ he lookes not vpon death as the Israelites vpon the fiery Serpents but lookes vpon it as Paul doth 1. Cor. 15. O death where is thy sting Who feares a Bee an Hornet a Snake or a Serpent when they haue lost their sting The guilt of sinne is the sting of Conscience is the sting of death that stings the conscience The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. Plucke then sinne out of the conscience and at once the conscience is made good and death made weake and is disarmed of his weapon And when the cōscience sees death vnstingd and disarmed it is freed of feare and even in the very act of death can ioyfully tryumyh over death oh Death where is thy sting A good Conscience lookes vpon death as vpon the Sheriffe that comes to giue him possession of his Inheritance or as Lazarus vpon the Angels that came to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome and therefore can wellcome death and entertain him ioyfully And wheras an ill conscience makes a man see death as if he saw the Devill a good conscience makes a mā see the face of death as Iacob saw Esaues face Gen. 33. I haue seene thy face as the face of God they see the face of death with vnspeakable ioy rauishment of heart and exultation of spirit Well now what a motive haue wee here to make vs labor for a good conscience Even Balaam himselfe would faine make a good end dye in peace and who wishes not his deathbed may be a Mount Nebo from whence he may see that heavenly Canaan Lo here Balaam the way to dye the death of the righteous I haue liued in all good Conscience vnto this day They that haue conscience in their life shall haue comfort at their death They that liue conscionably shal die comfortably They that live in all good Conscience til their dying day shall depart in the abundance of comfort at their dying day There will come a day wherein we must lay downe these Tabernacles the day of death will assuredly come How lamentable a thing will it then be to be so destitute desolate of all comfort as to be driven to that extremity as to curse our birth day oh what would Comfort be worth at our last houre at our last gaspe whilest our dearest friēds shall be weeping wringing their hands and lamenting then then what would inward cōfort be worth Who would not hold the whole world an easie price for it then Well then would wee then haue Comfort and Ioy oh then get a good cōscience now which wil yeeld comfort when all other comforts shall vtterly faile and shal be life in the middest of death How happy is that man that when the sentence of death is passed vpon him can say with Hezekiah Isa 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Indeed the Text sayes that Hezekiah wept sore but yet not as fearing death for hee could not feare death who had thus feared God but because the promise was not yet made good to him in a son and Heire of his kingdome hence came those teares It is otherwise an vnspeak able ioy that such a Conscience as Hezekiahs was will speake to a man vpon his death-bed Euery one professes a desire to make a good ende Here is the way to make good that desire to live in all good cōscience Alas how pittifull and miserable a condition live most men in All the dayes of their lifes healths they haue no regard of a good Conscience Notwithstanding that men are pressed continually to this one care by the instancy and importunity of Gods Ministers yet how miserably is it neglected Well at last the day of death comes then what would they not giue for a comfortable end If the gold of Ophir would purchase comfort it should fly then Then poast for this Minister
of the Lambe on the throne Oh! they that feare the Lambe on the throne how dreadfull vnto them will bee the Lyon on the throne It will be with good and evill Consciences at that day as it was with Pharoahs Butler and Baker on Pharaohs birth-day The Butler hee knew hee should be restored to honour and goe from the prison to the pallace therefore he comes out of the prison full of ioy and iollity he holds vp his head and out-faces the proudest of his enemies But the Baker hee knowes his head shall be lift from off him and therefore when Pharaohs birth-day comes wherein all others are in iollity yet hee droopes and hangs downe the head hee knowes it would proue an heavy day of reckoning with him Such will the apparition of Christ vnto iudgement bee vnto good evill Consciences as was the apparition of the Angell Math. 28. 2. 3. 4. 5. There was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heaven his countenance was like lightning and his rayment white as snow Here was a terrible sight but yet not alike terrible to all the beholders For for feare of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men But the Angell said vnto the women feare not yee for I know that yee seeke Iesus So at the last day when Christ shall come to iudgement evill Consciences shall be as the Keepers whilest all good Consciences shall heare that comfor-fortable voyce Feare not yee for I know that you haue sought for God and all your dayes yee haue sought to kpepe a good Conscience How effectuall a motiue should this be how strongly should this worke with vs. As wee would bee glad to hold vp our heads when the glorious ones of the earth shall hang them downe to leape for ioy when others shall howle for bitter anguish of spirit so now whilst wee haue the day of life and grace labour wee to get and keepe good Consciences CHAP. XIII A second motiue A good Conscience is a continuall feast THus haue wee seene the first motiue The secōd motiue to a good Conscience from the benefite and comfort of a good Conscience in such cases and times as a man stands most in need of comfort A second motiue followes and that is that we finde Prov. 15. 15. A good Conscience is a continuall feast 1. It is a feast 2. Better then a feast It is a continuall feast 1. It is a feast The excellency of a good Conscience is set forth by the same thing by which our Saviour sets forth the happinesse of heauen Luk. 14. Quo enim melius epulantur animi quam bonis fact is aut quid aliud iam facile potest explere iustorum mentes quā boni operis conscientia Ambr de offic l. 1. c. 31 And well may both be set forth by the same metaphor considering what a neere affinity there is betweene heauen and a good Conscience that there is no feasting in heauen vnlesse there be first the feast of a good Conscience here on earth But why a feast A feast for three regards 1. For the selfe sufficiency and sweet satisfaction and contentment that a good Conscience hath within it selfe Feasting fasting are opposite In fasting vpō the want of food there is an emptinesse and a griping hunger which makes the body insatiably to craue But at a feast there is abundance and variety of all dishes and dainties ready at hand to satisfie a mans appetite to the full he can haue a mind to nothing but it is before him The very best of euery thing that is to bee had is at a feast A feast of fat things Isa 25. 6. of fat things full of marrow Such is the sufficiency of satisfaction the abundance of sweetnes and contentment that is to be found in a good Conscience It is a table richly furnisht with all varieties and dainties There is no pleasure cōfort or contentment that a mans heart can wish but it may bee abundantly had in a good Conscience as at a feast there is a collection of all the dainties and delicacies that sea and land can affoord 2. For the mirth and ioy of it A feast is made for laughter Eccles 10. 19. At a feast there is mirth musick and delight in the comfortable vse of the creatures Heauinesse of heart pensinenesse and sorrow these are banisht frō the house of feasting Fasting feasting are opposite in fasting indeede there is weeping mourning and sorrowing but in a feast contrarily there is mirth merriment and ioy There were vnder the Law appointed so lemne holy feasts anniversarily to be celebrated and at those solemne feasts were the silver trumpets sounded Num. 10. 10. and the sound of the trumpets was a ioyfull sound Psal 89. 15. For their festivities were to bee kept with speciall ioy Deut. 16. 10. 11. 13. 14. 15. Thou shalt keepe the feast of weekes vnto the Lord. c. and thou shalt reioyce before the Lord c. Thou shalt obserue the feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes c. And thou shalt reioyce in thy feast c. Therfore thou shalt surely reioyce And that extraordinary feast on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Ader in memoriall of their deliuerance from Hamā see how it was kept Est 9. 19. 22. They kept them dayes of gladnesse and feasting of feasting and ioy Euen such is the excellency of a good Conscience All the merriment and musicke wine good cheere will not make a mans heart so light and so merry as the wine which is drunke at the feast of a good conscience will doe This takes away all heauinesse and sadnesse of spirit and hath the like effects with naturall wine It makes a man forget his spirituall poverty and remember that misery no more Pro. 31. 7. Nay as wine not onely takes away sadnes but withall brings a naturall gladnes with it Psal 104. 15. Wine that makes glad the heart of man so doth this wine at this feast Psal 97. 11. 12. Light is sowne for the righteous and gladnes for the vpright in heart Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous None so glad an heart as the vpright in heart Nay such is the vigour and strength of this wine at this feast that it not only glads a mans heart but makes a man as not able to containe euen to shout for ioy Psal 32. 11 Shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart yea shout alowd for ioy Psal 132. 16. That looke as it is sayde of the Lord Psal 78. 65. The Lord awaked like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine So such is the plenty abundance sweetnes and strength of the wine of this feast that it makes men in a holy iollity euen to breake forth into shouting singing This wine being liberally drunken wherein there is no excesse fills a mans heart with such an ouerflowing exuberancy of ioy as hee cannot hold but he must needs shew it in
Psalms Hymns and spirituall songs and hence it is that the righteous do sing and reioyce Pro. 29. 6. So that what ioy a feast can yeeld that can a good conscience yeeld much more 2. Cor. 1. 12. This is our reioycing the testimony of our Conscience Yea and that ioy commanded Deut. 16. At the feast of Tabernacles what was it but a type of that spirituall ioy that the faithfull vnder Christ should haue in keeping the feast of a good conscience The feast of a good conscience is the true feast of Tabernacles in which as in the other there shall need no charge to reioyce and be merry this feast will put such spirit and life into a man as shall make him sing skip and shout for ioy The feast of a good conscience is not like a funerall feast where mirth and ioy are vnseemely and vnseasonable guests there are heauy hearts looks teares and mourning which by the way how well they suit with feasting let the world iudge but the feast of a good conscience is a nuptiall feast a marriage feast and the day of marriage is the day of the ioy of a mans heart Cant. 3. 11. Such a feast euen a ioyfull marriage feast doth a good conscience make Oftentimes these bodily feasts are but heauy feasts many for all their good cheere company and musicke cannot put away the heavines of their hearts but euen in their feast are sad hearted and Sampsons wife wept all the dayes of the feast Iudg. 14. 17. yea though a marriage feast But in this feast of a good conscience here is no sorrow heauines or sad melancholly but all ioy and gladnes 3. For the societie company A feast is a collection and a convention of many good friends together whose society and fellowship is sweet each to other There is no feast can affoord the like company that a good conscience hath Woe to him that is alone Eccl. 4. that is the woefull and solitary condition of euill consciences But a good conscience hath euer good company is not alone for the Father is with him Ioh. 16. 32. yea the Sonne is with it and Christ and the man with a good conscience they suppe and feast together Reu. 3. 20. Yea and the Spirit is with it 1. Cor. 13. 13. The Communion of the holy Ghost be with you What feast in the world cā shew such cōpany And good company is the chiefe thing in a feast Thus a good conscience is a feast 2. It is better then a feast And that in three regards 1. In regard of the continuance and perpetuity of it A continuall feast Nabal made a feast a feast like a King 1. Sam. 25. but that feast lasted but one day Sampson at his marriage had a feast that lasted seuen daies Iudg. 14. 17. but yet that feast had an end Ahashuerosh his feast was the longest feast that euer we reade of Esth 1. 4. He made a feast many dayes an hundred and fourescore dayes But yet vers 5. it is sayd And when those daies were expired So this long feast had an end It was continued for many daies but yet no continuall feast it had an end The feast of a good conscience is not like an Vniuersity Commencement feast Great exceedings extraordinary good cheere and company for one night but the next morrow to their bare Commons againe Not like the feast of the Natiuity at which time there is great feasting and great cheere every where for twelue dayes but when those dayes are ouer many a man is glad of bread cheese glad to skip at a crust But this is a continuall feast all the year long all a mans life long Therefore 1. Thes 5. 16. Reioyce euermore keepe open house and feasting all the yeare long The ioy of a good conscience was figured by the ioy at the feast of Tabernacles That feast lasted seuē daies The ioy must be as long Seuen the number of perfection denoted the whole course of a mans life and so their seuen daies ioy the continuall ioy and iollity of this continuall feast of a good conscience Conscience and a wife as they agree in many things be they good be they ill so in this also If the conscience be euill it is like an euill wife and she is a continuall euill Pro. 27. 15. A continuall dropping in a very rainy day a contentious woman are alike The contentions of a wife are a continuall dropping Pro. 19. 13. A shrewish waspish wife is a continuall vexation and disquiet Such is an evill Conscience a continuall sorrow Contrarily a good Conscience is like a good wife A good wife is a continuall comfort a comfort in health in sicknesse in peace in distresse Prov. 31. 1◠She doth him good and not evill all the dayes of her life Not some good and a great deale of evill withall but all good good and not evill Not good at sometime and none at other times but all the dayes of her life she is a continuall comfort Such is the comfort of a good conscience It keepes holy day feasting every day It is all feast a feast for ever there is no Lent nor fasting daies that interrupt this feast This is the peculiar priviledge of this feast to be continual belly feasting cannot be so for 1. A man cannot alwaies feast though he would a mans revenewes would be exhaust his expenses would soone sinke his estate Continuall feasting would soone begger vndoe a man of good estate Pro. 21. 17. He that loues Wine Oyle shall not be rich It is not so here the revenew of a good Conscience is bottomles it cannot be spent and therefore is able to keepe a rich and a full furnisht Table all the yeare long Here is a mystery in this feast the larger expenses to day the more layd in to keep the feast the better to morrow a man growes rich by feasting 2. Suppose a man might bee able to feast alwayes or might feed at another mans Table continually yet would it Voluptas tunc cum maxime delectat extin guitur Nec multum loci habet itaeque cito implet et taedio est post primum im petum marcet Senec de vit beat cap. 7. weary a man beyond measure It would but gugge and cloy a man All earthly pleasures haue a satietie and breede a loathing by frequent vse But this is the admirable excellency of this feast of a good conscience here a man may feed and cat with continuall delight At this continual feast here is a continual fresh appetite and fresh delights here is continuall feasting without loathing and satietie 3. Neither may belly-feasting be continuall There be sometimes wherein it is inconvenient and vnlawfull To speake with the fayrest that day which God hath fanctified for his service is not so convenient for feasting It may be no lesse dangerous to devoure sanctified time then sanctified things And in this case hath that saying a
delicious fare hee might haue had but the reversions of Lazarus boord Lazarus may not come to his feast no nor yet to his fragments neither will Lazarus condition permit him to feast it as the glutton did but yet this feast of a good Conscience Lazarus may make as well as he and can and doth keepe it whilest the glutton feeles many an hunger-biting gripe What an excellent feast is this aboue all other feasts wherein the russet hath as much priviledge as the velvet the begger as the King the poore tenant as the rich Landlord The rich Landlord often so feedes vpon and eates vp his poore tenant by oppression that the tenant is kept low enough for feasting It is well with him if he haue food he had not need thinke of feasting But loe now the excellent feast of a good Conscience Here may the tenant keepe as good cheere as the Landlord yea and it may be may feast whilest the rich Landlord is readie to sterue for want of this provision Now then all this considered what a Motiue should it be to make vs in loue with a good Conscience How powerfully should this perswade vs thereto When God would perswade men to come to the ioyes of heaven he vses no other argument then this to invite them to a feast as in that Parable Luk. 14. Behold here is the same argument â—o mooue you to bee in loue with a gooâ— Conscience behold the Lord invites you â—o a feast and to a feast where â—e shal haue sufficiency without want or loathing where ye shall haue wine â—â—rth musick and good Company to â—he full The twelue dayes feast of the Nativitie how is it longed for before hand and how welcommed when it is come And what may the reason be But onely because it is a feasting time This is counted a blessed good Time And why a blessed good Time As Christ was a blessed good man and the Prophet that should come into the world and therefore should be made a King because he had fed filled their bellies Ioh. 6. So the most make that a blessed time not for the memoriall of Christs Incarnation but because of the loaues Christ shall be a King and because of the feast the Time is blessed Well then is the world so desirous and so glad of feasting Are feasting Times such blessed Times Loe then I invite you to a feast to a blessed good feast indeed that will make you blessed and truly happy Not to a feast of twelue dayes but to a feast thâ—t lasts all the twelue moneths of the yeere to a continuing and a continuall feast How glad are many when they may goe to a feast Loe a way to make feasts for your selues What a credit is it counted in the world for a man to keepe a good and a great house to keep feasting and open house for all commers during the Feastivitie of the twelue dayes Would we haue this credit of good house-keeping not for twelue dayes but for all the yeere long Get good Consciences keepe good Consciences There is no such good houfe-keeper as is the good Conscience-keeper for a good Conscience is a feast a continuall feast There is nothing that men desire more then to liue merrily and how many stumble at Religion and keeping of a good Conscience vnder an idle conceit that it is the way to marre all their mirth and to make a man lumpish melancholly Doe not beleeue the divell do not beleeue his lying agents It is a profane Proverbe that Spiritus Calviniaâ—us est spiritus melancholicus A good Conscience is a feast a feast with all dainties musicke and wine Can a man be melancholly at a feast at so ioyfull and so sweet a feast Doth feasting make men melancholly or make men merry Make men weepe or laugh If a man should cry downe feasting with this argument That it makes men melancholly would not all men laugh him to scorne And why then should a man feare melancholly more from a good Conscience then from a feast There is none liues so merry a life as he that keepes a good Conscience he is every day at a feast he is alwayes banquetting Yea the worst dishes of this feast even those at the lower end of the Table are better then the most choyce rarities of other feasts The very teares that a good coÌ„science sheds haue more ioy and pleasure in them then the worlds greatest ioyes And if the teares of a good conscience be such what is the mirth laughter of it If weeping be so sweet what is singing If the courser dishes be so daintie what are the best services Would we then liue merrily and passe our dayes Iocundly indeed Get a good Conscience and thou keepest a continuall feast that continuall feast will keepe thee in coutinuall mirth and continuall ioy Yea though thou be in affliction and vnder crosses so as thy dayes vnto the world may seeme exceedingly evill yet shalt thou liue merrily as at a feast Yea this is the scope of that Scripture All the dayes of the afflicted are evill namely in the eye and iudgement of the world but a good Conscience namely to the afflicted is a continuall feast A good conscience feasts then and turnes fasting dayes into feasting dayes A good conscience feasts a man in his poverty in his sicknesse in the prison and cheeres vp a man with many a dainty bit The wine of this feast makes them forget all their sorrow Now then that we would be so wise as to hearken to Gods invitation to this feast Let vs keepe the feast with the bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. Take heed now that we put not off God as these did Luk. 14. invited to the feast with the excuses of Farmes Oxen and the like So doe many vrge them to the keeping of a good Conscience their answer is If they should be so precise how shall they liue they shall haue but poore takings if they take such a course I pray haue mee excused I must liue Thus they answer as many good husbands when invited to frequent feastings doe No beleeue me it will not hold out if I goe every day a feasting I may go one day a begging I must follow my businesse and let feasting goe And so say men here But take heed of putting off God thus The time will come that thou wouldest giue all thine Oxen to haue but the scraps crums of this feast and thou shalt not haue them God will serue thee as he did them Luk. 14. 24. None of those men which were bidden shâ—ll taste of my supper Those that care not to kepe the feast of a good Conscience shall never come to Gods feast in heauen If you refuse to come to this feast now God will at the last day thrust you our of doores when you will bee pressing and crowding in and shall say to you Get you hence yee despisers of a good Conscience
good conscience shall escape from her but the sinner and hee that makes no Conscience of his wayes shall be taken by her Well let vs think well vpon this motiue we liue in dangerous declining dayes wherein men with a greedinesse turne to their Romish vomit againe Besides the factors of Antichrist are exceeding busie and pragmaticall to draw men from the faith of Christ and the holy Ghost tells vs they shall come with strong delusions Now then all you that be the Lords people saue your selues from this dangerous generation all you that haue or would be knowne to haue the soale of God on your foreheads Saue your selues from the seduction of these Locusts I but how may that be done The delusion is strong and it may be wee are weake Loe then here is a remedy against their danger Get and keepe a good Conscience liue as Paul did in all good Conscience and thou shalt be safe from all their delusions I haue kept the faith sayes Paul oh let it be the care of vs that that may be our closing voyce at our last day and if we would keepe the faith let vs keepe a good Conscience Hee that in his life time can say I keep a good Conscience he at his death shall be able to say I haue kept the faith Faith and a good Conscience are both in a bottome Hold one and hold both As therefore thou wouldest feare to turne Papist or any other hereticke so be sure to hold a good Conscience to hold on a good honest and a conscionable man So long as thou standest vpon that ground thou art impregnable and the gates of hell shall not be able to draw thee from the faith of the Lord Iesus Pro. 6. 20. 22. 24. My sonne keepe thy Fathers commandement c. And it will keepe thee So I may say here Keepe a good Conscience and it will keepe thee it will keepe thee sound in the faith it will keepe thee from being drawne away by the errour of the wicked it will keepe thee from the Wine of the fornications of the Whore of Babylon CHAP XV. The last motiue to a good Conscience The misery of an evill one THe last motiue remaines and that The fift motiue to a good Conscience is The horrour and misery of an evill Conscience If men did but truely know what the evill of an evill Conscience were and how evill a thing and bitter it will bee when Conscience awakens here or shall be awakened in hell a little perswasion should serue to moue men to liue in a good Conscience We may say of the evill Conscience as Salomon speakes of the drunkard Pro. 23. 29. Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath wounds but not without a cause Even the man whose Conscience is not good even hee that liues in an evill Conscience An evill Conscience how miserable it is we may see by considering the misery thereof either in this world or the world to come 1. In this life When an evill Conscience is awakened in this life the sorrow and smart the horrour terrour is as the ioy of a good Conscience vnspeakeable An evill Conscience in this life is miserable in regard of feare perplexitie and torment To liue in a continuall fear and to haue a mans heart alwayes in shaking fits of feare is a misery of miseries And such is the misery of an euill conscience Pro. 28. 1. The wicked flees when none pursues Onely his own guilt pursues him makes him flee His owne guilt causes a sound of feare in his eares Iob 15. 21. Which Proprium autem est nocentium trepidare Male de nobis actuÌ„ erat quòd multa scelera legem iudicem effugiunt scripta supplicia nisi illa naturalia grauia de praesentibus solverent in locuÌ„ patientiae timor cederet Senec ep 98. makes him shake at the noyse of a shaken leafe Lev. 26 36. yea that so scares him that terrours make him afraide on euery side and driue him to his feete Iob. 18. 11. Yea there are they in great feare where no feare is Psal 53. 3. So that a man with an euill Conscience awakened may be named as Pashur is Ier. 2â— 3. Magor-Missabib feare round about as being a terrour to himselfe and to all his friends verse 4. An euill Conscience euen makes those feare fearefull feares of whom al other stand in fear How potent a Monarch and how dreadfull a Prince was Belshazzar who was able to put him in to any fear whom all the earth feared And yet when his guilty conscience lookes him in the face awakened by the palme writing on the wall see where his courage is then Dan. 5. 6. Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another Who would haue had his feare to haue had his kingdome Let him now cloath himselfe with all his Maiesty let him looke and speake as terribly as he can let him threaten the vilest vassall in his Court with all the tortures that tyranny can inflict and let him try if he can for his heart put his poorest subiect in to that fright and feare that now his Conscience puts him into in the ruffe and middest of his iollitie But I pray what ayles he to be in this feare in this so extraordinary a feare He can neyther reade nor vnderstand the writing vpon the wall Indeed it threatned him the losse of his kingdome but he cannot reade this threatning he knows not whether they bee bitter things that God writes against him why may hee not hope that it may be good which is written and why may not this hope ease and abate his feare No no. Though hee cannot reade noâ— vnderstand the writing yet his guilty conscience can comment shrewdly vpon it and can tell him it portends no good towards him His Conscience now tels him of his godles impieties in profaning the vessels of the Temple of the true God and that for this his sacrilegious impropriation and abuse of holy things God is now come to reckon with him Thus can his Conscience do more then all his wise men All the wise men came in but they could not reade the writing nor make knowne to the King the interpretation thereof Dan. 5. 8. But his Conscience is wiser then all his wisemen and when they are all puzzeld that interprets to him that this writing meanes him no good and though hee cannot reade the syllables yet his conscience giues a shrewd neere guesse at the substance of the writing and therfore hence comes that exâ—asie of feare and those paroxysmes of horror It was no better with Adam after his fall After his sinne committed we find him in a great feare Gen. 3. 8. 10. and he hides himselfe for feare Now obserue how his feare is described from the circumstance of the time They
heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the coole of the day Luther layes the Emphasis of the aggravation of his feare vpon this word the winde or coole of the day The night indeed is naturally terrible and darkenes is fearefull whence that phrase Ps 91. The terrors of the night But the day and the light is a cheerefull and a comfortable creature Eccl. 11. 7. Truely the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne How is it then that in the faire day light which giues courage and comfort that Adam feares and runnes into the thickets Oh his Conscience was become Grauis malâ— Conscientiae lux est Senec. ep 123. evill and full of darkenes and the darknesse of his conscience turned the very light into darknesse and so turned the comforts of the day into the terrours of the night So that in this sense it may be said of an evill Conscience which of the Lord is sayd in another Psal 139. 12. Vnto it the darknes and the light are both alike As full of feare in the light as in the darke And besides the Lord came but in a gentle wind the coole breath of the day now what a small matter is a coole winde and that in the day time to to put a man in a feare Such small things breede great feares in euill consciences In what a woefull plight would Adam thinke wee haue bin if the Lord had come to him at the dead and darke mid-night with earth-quakes thunder and blustring tempest We may see the like in Gain After hee had defiled his Conscience with his brothers blood in what feares yea what idle feares liued he Hee is so haunted with feares that though hee had liued in Paradise yet had he liued in a land of Nod in a land of agitation yea of trepidation Iudge what case his euill Conscience made him in by that speech Gen. 4. 14. It shall come to passe that euery one that findes me shall slay me Surely there could not bee many yet in the world and those that were in the world were either his parents brethren sisters or neere kinred His feare seems to imagine multitudes of people that might meet him yea that euery one he meetes would murther him What will his Father or Mother bee his executioners What if any of his sisters meete him shall they slay him is not such a swash-buckler as he able to make good his party with them Loe what fearfull terrible things a guilty conscience proiects As an euill Conscience is miserable in its feares so in those perplexities which this feare breedes These perplexities doe miserably and restlesly distract a man Is 57. 20. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt What is the reason of these troublesome perplexities The want of the peace of a good Conscience vers 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked The windes make the sea restles and stirre it to the very bottome so as the waters cast vp mire and dirt See in the troubled Sea the embleme of a troubled Conscience But the Torment exceedes all and the main misery of an euill conscience lies in that It is a misery to be in feare a misery to haue inward turbulencies commotions but to be alwayes on the racke alwayes on the Strapado this is farre more truely the suburbs of Hell then is the Popish Purgatory Oh! the gripes and girds the stitches and twitches the throws pangs of a galling and a guilty Conscience So sore they are and so vnsufferable that Iudas seeks ease with an halter and thinkes hangging Poena auteÌ„ vehemens et multo saeuior illis Quas et Ceditiuâ— grauis invenit RhadamaÌ„ thus ease in comparison of the torture of his euill Conscience All the rackes wheeles wilde horses hot pincers scalding leade powred into the most tender and sensible parts of the body yea all the mercilesse barbarous and inhumane cruelties of the holy Nocte dieque suum gest are in pectore testem Iuvenal Satyr 3. house are but flea-bitings meere toyes and May-games compared with the torment that an euill conscience will put a man to when it is awakened It is no wonder that Iudas hangs himselfe it had beene a great wonder rather if he had not hanged himselfe The Heathens fabled terrible things Noliteenim putare quemadmodum in fabulis saepenumero videtis eos qui aliquid impie scelerateque coÌ„miserint agitari perterreri furiarum taedis ardeÌ„tibus Sua quemque fraus et suus terror maxime vexat suum quemque scelus agitat a mentiâ—que afficit Suae malae cogitationes Conscientiaeque animi terrent Hae sunt impiis assiduae domesticaeque furiae quae dies noctesque parentum poenas à consceleratissimis filiis repâ—tant Circer pro Rosc A mer. Suum quemque facinus suum scelus suae audatia de sanitate ac mente deturbat Haec sunt impiorum furiae flammae hae faces Id. m L. Pison of their hellish Furies with their snakes and fiery torches vexing tormenting haynous and great offenders These their Furies were nothing else but the hellish torments of guilty Conscience wherewith wicked persons were continually haunted as some of the wiser of themselues haue well obserued All snakes and torches are but idle toyes and meere trifles to the most exquisite torment of a guilty and accusing Conscience The sting of Conscience is worse then death it selfe Apoc. 9. 5. 6. Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man And in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye death shall flee from them Popish ones tormented in their consciences by the terrible and vncomfortable doctrines of satisfactions Purgatory fire c. which those Locusts should so terrifie them withall should rather choose death then liue in such vncomfortable condition The sting of death not so smart as the sting of a Scorpion in the conscience The sting of an accusing Conscience is like an Harlot Prov. 7. 26. More bitter then death And as Salomon there speakes of the Harlot so may it be sayd of a tormenting Conscience Who so pleases God shall escape from it but the sinner shall be taken by it Gods deare children themselues many of them are not freed from trouble in their Consciences but they haue their hells in this life Ion. 2. 2. Out of the belly of hell I cryed vnto thee God for their tryal speaks bitter things to them and not onely denyes them peace but causes their consciences to be at warre with them Now when God puts his owne children to these trials and disquiets of Conscience they are so bitter so biting that had they not the grace of God to vphold and preserue them even they could not bee saved from dangerous miscariages Iob was put to this triall
and his Conscience apprehended Gods anger and we shall see what a case he was in Iob 6. 8. 9. O that I might haue my request and that God would grant me the thing I long for even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Nay worse Iob 7 14. 15. Thou scarest me with dreames and terrifiest me through visions so that my soule chooses strangling and death rather then life Gods grace preserues his Saints from selfe-murder but yet not alwaies from impatient wishes Iob wishes strangling and chooses it of the two but goes no further What wonder then that Iudas doth strangle himselfe when his Conscience stares him in the face when as Iob with whom God is but in iest in comparison chooses strangling If Iob wish it what wonder that Iudas doth the deed Conscience doth chastise the godly but with whips but it lashes the wicked with scorpions Now if the whips be so smarting to Iob as makes him choose strangling what wonder that the scorpions be so cutting as makes Iudas seeke reliefe at an halter Yea and that which addes to the misery of an evill Conscience being awakened it is such a misery as no earthly comfort can asswage or mitigate Diseases and distempers of the body though they be terrible yet Physicke sleepe rest upon a mans bed yeeldes him some ease some comfort Sometime in some griefes the comforrable vse of the creatures yeelds a man some refreshments Prou 31. 6. 7. Giue wine vnto those that be of heauie hearts let him drinke and forget his pouertie remember his misery no more But Conscience being disquieted findes no ease in these Darius against his Conscience suffers innocent Daniel to be cast into the Lyons denne What cheere hath he that night He passed the night in fasting Dan. 6. 18. Not in fasting in humiliation for his sinne but conscience now began to gall him and hee hauing marred the feast of his coÌ„science Conscience also marres his feasting none of his dainties will now downe his wine is turned into gall and wormewood no ioy now in any thing Hee had marred the musicke of his conscience and now he brookes not other musicke The Instruments of musike were not brought before him His guilty coÌ„science was now awakened and now he cannot sleepe His sleepe went from him So Iob in his conflict of Conscience hoped for ease in his bed Iob 7. 13. My bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint But how was it with him Either he could not sleepe at all vers 3. 4. Wearisome nights are appointed vnto mee when I lye downe I say when shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of tossings to and fro vnto the dawning of the day Needes must he tosse whose conscience is like the Sea waues tossed with the windes or else if Iob did sleepe yet did not Conscience sleepe vers 14. but even in his sleepe presented him with ghastly sights and visions When I say my bed shall comfort me then thou scarest mee with dreames and terrifiest me through visions At other times when conscience hath been good Gods people though their dangers haue beene great yet neither the greatnes nor neerenes of their dangers haue broken their sleep Psa 3. 5. 6. I layd me downe and slept I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about And yet if we looke to the title of the Psalme A psalme of Dauid when hee fled from Absolom his sonne one would thinke David should haue had little list or leasure to haue slept Peter thought to haue bin executed the next morrow by Herod and though he also lodge betweene a company of ruffianly Souldiers that happily one would feare might haue done him some mischiefe in his sleepe yet how soundly sleepes he that night Act. 12. And holy Bradford was found a sleep when they came to fetch him to bee burnt at the stake These fears brake not these mens sleepe How might this come to passe They did as Psal 4. 8. I will lay me down in peace and sleepe He that can lie down in the peace of Conscience may sleepe soundly whatsoever causes of feare there be otherwise But contrarily he that cannot lie downe with the peace of conscience will find but little rest sleepe though his heart bee free from all other feares Euill conscience being awakened will fill the heart with such feares as a man shall haue little liberty to sleepe Oh the sweet sleepe that Iacob had and the sweet dream when he lay vpon the cold earth and had an hard stone vnder his head for his pillow An hard lodging and an hard pillow but yet sweet rest and sweet communion with God A good conscience makes any lodging soft and easie but down-beds and down-pillowes if there bee thornes in the Confcience are but beds of thornes and beddes of nettles The bitternesse of an evill conscience distastes all the sweets of this life as when the mouth and tongue is furred in an hot Ague all meates and drinkes are bitter to the sicke partie This is the misery of an evill conscience awakened in this life 2. But it may bee many never feele this misery here there is therefore the more misery reserved for them in hell in the world to come Indeed more by many thousands goe to hell like Nabal â—han like Iudas more die like sots in securitie then in dispaire of Conscience Death it selfe can not awaken some consciences but no sooner come they into hell but Conscience is there awakened to the full never to sleepe more and then she lashes and gashes to the quicke lets men learne that forbearance was no payment Tell many men of Conscience and they are ready to flap one on the mouth with that prophane proverbe Tush Conscience was hanged many yeeres agoe But the time will come that they who haue lived in euill Conscience shall finde that Conscience which they haue counted hanged shall play the cruell hang-man and tormentor with them They shall finde Conscience vnhanged when it shall hang them vp in hell when day and night it shall stretch them there vpon the racke The torments which an evill Conscience puts the damned to in hell are beyond the expression of the tongue and the comprehension of mans conceit There bee two speciall things in the torments of hell wee haue them both thrice repeated together Mark 9. 44. 46. 48. Where their worme dies not and the fire is not quenched There is an ever-living worme and never-dying fire And marke that in all the three verses the worme is set in the first place as it were to teach vs that the prime and principall torment in hell is the worme rather then the fire And what is the worme but the guilt of an evill Conscience that shall lie eternally gnawing and grapping twiching and gryping the heart of the damned in hell