to bee handled A point wel worth our enquiring after A good Conscience is the most precious thing that a ChristiaÌ„ can haue a thing of that esteeme that where it is wanting we account a man without a conscience So of a man that hath an ill CoÌ„science we vse to say he is a man of no CoÌ„science Not that he hath no Conscience the Diuels themselues haue a Conscience and happy it were for them they had none but when a man hath not a good one we esteeme of him as hauing none at all There is no greater good we can seeke after then a good conscience Let vs enquire then how we may get and keepe this so great a good A good Conscience then consisting in Peace and Integrity these two being gotten and kept we shall get and keepe a good Conscience First then to make the Conscience peaceably good these things are required 1. Faith in Christ and his blood The Conscience cannot be at peace til it be purged from its guilt An impure Conscience cannot but be an vnquiet Conscience and every guilty Conscience is impure Guilt is the same to the conscience that the winds are to the seas Isa 27. 20. 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt There is no peace to the wicked Now that which makes the Sea so troublesome and ragingly restlesse is the violence of the blustering winds that trouble and tosse it to and fro The winds are not so troublesome to the sea as guilt is to the Conscience Therfore as the way to calme the Sea is to calme the windes so the way to quiet and calme the Conscience is to purge and take away the guilt Guilt is in the Conscience as Ionas in the Ship out with him and Sea and ship are both quiet But how then shall the guilt be purged out of the Conscience That we find Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our coÌ„sciences froÌ„ dead works We cannot haue a good conscience till we be freed from an euill one The way to be freed from an euill conscience is to haue our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Heb. 10. 22. But what is that wherwith the CoÌ„science must be sprinckled to be made good with peace quietnes The same which we finde 1 Pet. 1. 2. The sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ and Heb. 12. 24. The blood of sprinkling which speakes better things then that of Abel So then the Conscience sprinckled with Christs blood ceases to be evill becomes good and peaceable The same Christ that calmed the rage of the Sea by stilling the winds Mark 4. 39. He arose rebuked the wind said vnto the Sea Peace be stil and the wind ceased and there was a great calme The same Christ it is that stils the rage of the conscience by taking and purging away the guilt therof with the sprinkling on of his blood His blood speakes Heb. 12. 24. And speakes not onely to God but speaks to the conscience The voyce which it speakes is Peace and be still the same voyce which to his Disciples after his resurrection Peace be with you then follows a great calme and peace makes the conscience good But here the conscience will inquire how it may come to get this blood sprinkled vpoÌ„ it to make it thus peaceably good and what is it that applies this calming blood of Christ I answer therefore That it is the grace of faith therefore it was sayd before that faith in Christs blood makes peace in the coÌ„science Faith is the hand of the soule and as the hyssop sprinckle by which Christs blood is sprinkled vpon our coÌ„sciences Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience And being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God Rom. 5. 1. Hence that coniunction of faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 5. of a good conscience of faith vnfained v. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience For faith it is that makes a good coÌ„science by making a quiet conscience Faith is not only a purifying grace Act. 15. 9. but it is also a pacifying grace Rom. 5. 1 It not onely purges our corruption by applying the efficacy of Christs blood but specially purges out guilt by applying the merit of his blood So that no faith no peace no peace no good conscience A defiled conscience can be no good conscience and what defiles the conscience See Tit. 1. 15. Vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled They that be defiled haue their consciences defiled but how come they and their consciences so To them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing Therefore an vnbeleeuing conscience is a defiled conscience a defiled conscience is no good coÌ„science because it can haue no peace so long as it is clogged with defiling guilt But contrarily faith purifying not onely from corruption but from guilt by the application of Christs blood makes the conscience pure and peaceable both There can be no peace of conscience but where there is the righteousnâ—sse of the person There is no peace to the wicked Isa 57. 21. as if he should say an evil vnrighteous person caÌ„not haue a good conscience where the person is evill there the conscience cannot bee good Now faith in Christs blood makes a mans person good and so the coÌ„science becomes good It makes the person righteous and the person being righteous the conscience is at peace for the worke of righteousnes is peace and the effect of righteousnes quietnes and assurance for ever Isa 32. 17. with which that of the Apostle sweetly sutes Reu. 7. 2. First King of righteousnes and after that King of peace Our persoÌ„s must first find Christ a King of righteousnes by iustifying them from their guilt before our consciences can finde him King of Salem pacifying them from their vnquietnes Our persons once iustified by Christs blood froÌ„ their guilt and vnrighteousnes our consciences are pacified and freed from their vnquietnesse Wouldst thou then haue a good conscience Get the peace of Conscience Wouldst thou haue peace in thy conscience Get faith in thy soule Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and get thy soule sprinkled with his blood and then Heb. 10. 2. Thou shalt haue no more conscience of sin thy conscience shall be at quiet no more accusing thee nor threatning thee condemnation for thy sinne 2. Repentance from dead workes Though Christs blood be that which purges the conscience froÌ„ dead works and so workes peace yet that peace is not wrought in our apprehension neither do we get the feeling of this faith without some further thing Therefore to our faith must be ioyned our repentance though not in the making of our peace yet for the feeling of it Many are ready to catch at Christs
you scorned the feast of a good Conscience and therefore now the feast and guests of heauen scorne you here is no roome for such to feast here who haue made their consciences fast heretofore CHAP. XIIII A third and a fourth motiue to a good Conscience COme wee now to a third motiue The third motiue to a good Conscience that may yet helpe to stirre vp our mindes to this necessary dutie of getting and keeping of a good conscience Besides what hath been sayd it is worthy of our consideration that without a good Conscience all our actions yea our very best services to God are â—o farre from goodnes and acceptance that they are abominable and distatefull vnto the Lord. The formall goodnesse of every mans actions is to bee iudged and esteemed by the goodnes of his Conscience which being evill and defiled makes all a mans actions to be such 1 Tim. 1. 5. The ende of the commandement is loue But what kinde of love doth the commandement require will any shewes or shadowes of obedience serue the turne will the bare dutie doing passe for currant No but such loue to God and man and such performance of obedience as proceedes from a pure heart and a good Conscience So that let a man doe all outward actions of obedience yet iâ— a good Conscience bee wanting all is nothing For the ende of the Commandement is loue out of a good Conscience As is a mans consciencâ— so are all his workes and therefore nothing acceptable that a wicked man doth be cause he doth it with an ill conscience To the pure all things are pure but to the defiled their Conscience is defiled and that being defiled it defiles all it meddles with as vnder the Law the Leper defiled all he touched The best meate disht and dressed with defiled dirty hands is loâ—n some to vs. The honest workes of a mans calling are good workes in themselues but no good workes to him that doth them without a good conscience Pro â—1 4. An high looke and a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked is sinne The calling of husbandry is counted the most honest calling of all others yet where a good conscience is wanting a mans very plowing is sinne Come to holy duties of Religian and Gods seruice and how is it with a man wanting a good Conscience in them That curse of Davidss Psal 109. 8. Let his prayer be turned into sinne lies vpon the seruices of all evil consciences See Pro. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked that is of him that hath an evill Conscience is an abomination but the prayer of the vp right that is of a man that hath a good and vpright Conscience is his delight Obserue the opposition Hee sayes not the prayer of the wicked and the praier of the vpright nor the sacrifice of the wicked and the sacrifice of the vpright but the sacrifice of the wicked and the prayer of the vpright A sacrifice had prayer with it but yet it was more sumptuous and more solemne then fingle prayer Now who would not thinke but such cost should make a man welcome yet the single prayer of the vpright is accepted whilest this sacrifice is an abomination yea and that a vile abomination Isa 66. 3. A man of evill Conscience delighting in his abominations makes his holiest seruices such Let such an one come to the Sacraments and how will it be with him there even as in the former To the impure even the pure Sacraments are impure Simon Magus rather defiles the waters of baptisme then they clense him and it is not carnall baptisme that avayles any thing without the answere and stipulation of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3. 21. And for the Sacrament of the Supper whether doth it profit an vncleance Conscience or such a Conscience pollute it It may be iudged by a like case resolued Hag. 2. 11. 14. The vncleane pâ—â—son by a dead body touching the Bread or Wine or Oyle makes these to be vncleane The ceremoniall vncleannesse by the touch of a dead body typified the morall vncleannesse of an euill conscience vnpurged from dead workes God lookes specially at the Conscience in all our seruices and if hee findes that foule and filthy hee throwes the dung of mens sacrifices in their faces that come with the dung of their filthy Consciences before his face See therefore how Paul serues God 2 Tim. 1. 3. Whom I serue from my forefathers with pure Conscience It is an impure seruice that is not performed with a pure Conscience as slight as the world makes of purity How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your Consciences from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. But to what end are they purged To serue the liuing God Therefore mark that till the Conscience bee purged and made good there is no seruing of God So Heb. 10. 22. Let ve draw neere that is in prayer and the like duties But how Hauing our hearts sprinckled fâ—om an euill Conscience Otherwise it is but a folly for vs to draw neere for God will not be neer when a good conscience is far off And therefore we are bid to purifie our hearts when we are bid draw nigh to God Iam. 4. 8. Behold here then a speciall motiue to make a good Conscience beautifull in our eye As we would be loath our services of God our prayers holy performances should bee abominable in Gods eye so labor for good consciences As we would haue comfort in all our duties of obedience so labour to make our conscience good It is a great deale of confidence that silly ignorant ones haue in their good prayers their good seruing of God as they call it yea it is all the ground of their hope of saluation when they are demanded an account of their hope Now alas your good prayers your good seruing of God! Why what doe you talking of these things Hath Christ purged your Consciences from dead workes Haue you by faith got your Consciences sprinkled and wrinced in Christs bloud and so haue ye made them good If not neuer talke of good prayers and good seruing of God your prayers cannot bee good whilest your Consciences are naught An euill Conscience before God and a good seruice to God cannot stand together But would you haue your prayers good indeed and your seruice acceptable indeed Then let your first care be to make your Consciences good Fourthly let this worke with vs as a The fourth motiue to a good Conscience maine motiue to a good Conscience That is the Ship and the Arke wherein the faith is preserued The faith is a rich commodity a precious fraight and a good Conscience is the bottome and the vessel wherein it is carried So long as the Ship is safe and good so long the goods therein are safe but if the Ship split vpon the Rockes or haue but a leake therein then are all the goods therein in danger of being lost
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
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
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
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
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