lives that in the end when wee shall come as a shocke of corne to thy barne wee may bee happy in thee thorough Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the blessed spirit bee all Kingdome Power and Glory now and for ever Amen THE CHRISTIANS THRIFT IN KEEPING OR TWO SERMONS Preached on 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience THe men of the world are much for keeping the father presseth his sonne the master his servant the friend his friend to keepe They would have them keep their houses keepe their land keepe their stockes keep their credit keepe surely whatsoever 1 Tim. 6. 20. they can get honestly This is among the best The Christian must bee for keeping too Hee knowes whom hee hath trusted and 2 Tim. 1. 12 would faine have him keepe his soule to the day of Christ And because hee keepes not them that do not keep themselves and save their soules Act. 2. 40 from this froward generation wherein they live therefore hee desires to doe it himselfe and to presse every member else within his reach to this golden rule which blessed Paul gives to his beloved Timothy keep or hold faith and a good conscience A brave worke worthy a Christian If there had beene a better Paul would have set it upon Timothies soul Other things hee presseth unto but if hee give him a thousand taskes of divers matters if this doe not give life and forme to them all they may doe others good but they shal doe them none therefore be thou holding faith and a good conscience Timothy was a brave young sparke of grace blowne up to a great blaze in the church of God He had so well approoved himselfe to men and God looked upon him with so right an eye that there went about prophecies of him for the great use the Church should have of him and the manly service hee should doe to God Paul therefore ver 18. puts him in minde of them and provokes him to take such a course as may make them good by holding faith and a good conscience And to raise him up to a greater vigilancy he sets before him some that had made shipwrack of them together with their punishment and ver 20. end of it This is the scope then to provoke Timothy to hold whatsoever may be useful unto him to make his imployment in the church comfortable unto him he must hold If you say hee must onely Object have them for so the word Sol. soundeth I answer so to have as to hold As when Saint Paul saith that wee thorough patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope that is hold it thorough the whole course of life for use If you say it is enough to Object Sol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 4 hold them for the present I answer no it is in such a part of speech as signifieth a continual act holding today tomorrow and for ever Therefore in Timothies person it commends these two savoury rules of life unto you that when yee have faith ye must hold it and when yee have a good conscience ye must hold it too Yee must hold faith Faith is 1 Yee mâ—st hold faith Gal. 5. 22. 1 Thes 5. 19. Apoc 3. 3 of a flying nature in it selfe It is but a fruit of the spirit and wee are apt to quench it But as Christ saith to the church of Sardis remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and to the church of Philadelphia hold that fast Apoc. 3. 11 which thou hast that no man take thy crowne so be you all sure to hold faith I shall labour with Gods 1 How yee must hold faith helpe to cleare these two particulars how ye must hold faith and why ye must doe it First as hee that would hold his possession and inheritance must have a good ground of tenure his right by gift purchase By holding or descent a good object of tenure his deedes and evidences a good act of tenure to say with confidence this is mine and a good power to use it as his owne for his proper benefit So if yee would hold faith yee must hold 1 The ground of faith 2 The object of faith 3 The act of faith and 4 The power of faith The ground of faith is 1 The ground of faith your saving right to it without which you have nothing to doe with faith to save you And what is that it is an humbled soule none have right to faith to save them but such To make a loose and broken ground the foundation of an house is the next way to see the ruine of it but to make a broken heart the ground of faith is the only way to see it hold Come unto me all yee that are weary Math. 11. and heavy laden if ye be such then build upon me for the rest of your soules God carried the Israelites fourty yeares thorough the wildernesse to Deut. 8. 23 humble them prove them and to make them suffer hunger and then hee fed them with Mannah God makes the house of David looke up Zach. 12. 10. 11. to Christ pierced and mourne as a woman mourneth for her onely sonne and then in that day hee opens a Zach. 13. 1 fountaine for the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse The Holy Ghost convinceth the world of sin and then of righteousnesse Ioh. 16. 8. 9 10. 11. that Christ hath fully satisfied because hee is ascended and then of Iudgement to set up a throne and cast out Satan by degrees Even as physicians do first purge to pul downe rebelling humours and then give cordials So God first whips by the Schoolmaster of the law and then Gal. 3. 24. brings us to Christ this is the ground of faith The object of faith is the 2 The object of faith deedes and evidences of it the whole word of God There are no other deedes and evidences of saving faith but there These are the testimonies and records of God hee that beleeveth 1 Ioh. 5. 10 not God and his record which he hath witnessed hath made him a lyar This is that for which God lookes to bee credited A very knave looks to bee credited for his pawne or bond an honest man for his honesty a noble man for his honour a Prince for his word much more God Ye must therefore looke to the Precepts of God like David who when he tooke notice of Psal 119. 4 5. Gods commandements given to be kept hee had an heroicall motion to doe more then hee could hee prayes that hee might be taught them that he might keepe them and bee ver 48. quickned by them and resolves to lift up his hands to Gods commandements which hee had loved to doe them Yee must looke to the Judgments and threatnings of God as the
drunkards nor revilers nor extortiouers shall inherit the kingdome of God If they love not the nature being and rules of the object of faith this is not to hold faith Doe yee hold the act of 3 Try the act of faith faith Doe yee rest with confidence upon the promises of God in Christ ye pule and crie in the sorrow of your hearts even when your sorrow hath turned you to God and say I know not what to doe This yee doe but yee looke not upon the new and everlasting covenant and say God is mine Christ is mine the holy Ghost is mine and I Object am his Alas say you I am Sol. not worthy Surely there should not have beene a saint in heaven nor out of hell by this argument Though your willfull unworthinesse will discard you yet God tyes not himselfe to you by your worth but his owne Oh therefore hold faith as Iacob did God I will not let thee goe Gen. 32. 26. Ruth 1. except thou blesse mee and as Ruth did Naomi whithersoever thou goest I will go with thee both in life and death Doe yee hold the power of 4 Try the power of faith Rom. 16. Iames 2. faith Say then what doth it make thee to doe Shew the obedience of faith shew me thy faith by thy workes It is as the plummet on the clock-line which makes you strike It will make you looke upon sinne which pierced Christ and Zach. 12. mourne for it and cast it out as Agar the bond-woman with a Get thee hence It is in thee as in the sea there is that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable so there are in Psal 104. 25 26. thee master sinnes and creeping lusts innumerable but let faith loose upon them and then as when God made man after his Image he said let him have dominion over the fish of Gen. 1. 26 the sea and every creeping thing so doth God say to faith bee it unto thee as thou believest even Math. 15. against the whole hoaste of sinne It will make you looke upon Christ and love him above all and delight in all that belong unto him the word of faith the prayer of faith the seales of faith the houshold of faith for it will not let you stroake the head and strike the body yea it will make you desire the appearance of the Lord Iesus that yee may be with him for ever you will stay his leasure but with winged desires O make haste my beloved and bee like the Roe come Lord Cant. 8. 14 Apoc. 22. Iesus come quickly It will make you look upon God the father and depend upon him for all things for faith reasons thus if he have given mee Christ how shall hee not Rom. 8. with him give us all things also yea and submit unto him in all things for the children of Abraham will doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8 Gal. 3. 7 and they which are of the faith are the children of Abraham yea and goe boldly to the throne Heb. 4. 16 of grace that yee may have his strength to doe all obedience and to trust in him in hardest Iob. 13. 15 times It will make you look to God the holy Ghost and submit to his worke of conviction and conversion yea and to do whatsoever he enableth unto Hee is the great master of faculties who helpeth Rom. 8. your infirmities you take his help by faith and doe it It will make you looke upon your selves and worke the worke of God upon your soules with power The fowles pick-up the good seede so soone as it is Luke 8. sowne because it is not mixed with faith but the word Heb. 4. 2 1 Thes 2 13. workes effectually in you that believe Yea it will make you fight the battels of God insuperably When Paul came to Ephesus there arose no small stirre about that way so when Act 19. 23 Math. 2. faith in Christ comes Herod is troubled and all Ierusalem but faith makes you like the house of David grow stronger and 2 Sam. 3. 1 stronger and sin like the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker It makes you like Rachel Gen. 30. 8 who wrestled with the wrestlings of Christ and prevailed Let the world fight against you this is your victorie 1 Ioh. 15. 4 1 Pet. 5. 8 even your faith Let Satan come resist him stedfast in the faith Let the flesh come as those beasts had their dominion Dan. 7. 12 taken from them yet their lives were prolonged so faith spoiles the flesh of her Kingdome though it must live as a Iebusite Let God himselfe desert and forsake thee yeth faith saith though Iob. 13. 15 thou kill mee I will trust in thee Lastly faith will make you looke upon your brethren and fill you with mercy and T it 3 8. Eph. 2 9 10 good workes When Dorcas believed shee made coates and garments to cloath the naked Act 9. 39 When Tyrus was to believe shee would nor treasure up merchandise but get it for them that dwell before the Lord Es 23. 18. to eate sufficiently and for durable cloathing When the disciples were taught to forgive their brethren they cried out Lord increase our faith as if Luke 17. 4 they should say faith will doe it the more faith the more mercy for if you believe your owne ten thousands forgiven you will forgive others tens yea when you looke upon your brethren faith will move you to draw them to Christ It sets you upon the high mountaines which doe make the vallies fat with the drops that descend from them when Luke 22. thou art converted strengthen thy brethen saith Christ to Peter If Andrew have found Christ hee calls Peter If Philip have met with him he cals Iohn 1 Nathanael If thou thus have the power of faith hold it If thou have it not be humbled in time get faith and hold it It may bee thou wilt say What wee must do to hold it what shall I doe to hold it if then thou wouldst have all in a word stop thine ears against the enemies of faith I was In hac fide natus sum August born in this faith is a lose plea it is the gift of God Heare duely the friend of faith the preaching of the Gospel Pray the praier of faith in the name of Christ Vse the seals of faith the sacraments Keepe experience to nourish and fatten faith Buy faith but sell it not for a thousand worlds part with al domineering sin for it they that set not this price upon precious faith shall never have it nor ever hold it Thus doe and thou shalt give glorie to God and bring comfort to thy own soule for ever and for ever Amen THE SECOND SERMON on 1 Tim. 1. 19. And a good Conscience YOu have seene the holding of faith The second savoury rule which Paul under the person of Timothie commends unto us is when wee have a good conscience to
FOVRE SERMONS WHEREOF TWO PREACHED AT TWO ASSIZES this present yeare 1638 at MAIDESTONE in KENT the other two in his own charge By ROBERT ABBOT Vicar of Cranbrooke in Kent The Titles and Texts follow on the next leafe LONDON Printed by Tho. Paine for P. Stephens and C Meredith and are to be sold at their Shop at the signe of the Golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1639. THE LORDS ASSIZE 1 The Text Iudg. 11. 27. The Lord the Iudge bee Iudge this day betwixt the children of Israel and the children of Ammon NATVRES ASSIZE 2 The Text. Math. 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you doe yee even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets THE CHRISTIANS THRIFT in KEEPING 34 The Text 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Consciâ—enâ— TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD AND RIGHT HONORABLE WALTER LORD BISHOP of WINTON High ALMONER to the KINGS most excellent Majesty PRELATE of the GARTER honor in Both lives RIght Reverend and right Honorable many men are willing to cast in some of their superfluity into the Lords treasurie the poore widow was willing to cast in all yet little It is a wonder that shee should bee commended above all those that had fuller hands But when Christ lookes to the giver a poore widow and not to the gift two mites to the plentie in the heart not to the penurie in the hand the wonder ceaseth My present gift is like the widowes from my poverty yet should I bee an unthankfull liar if I should say it is all I have God hath vouchsafed mee a double calling from himself insuch gifts as have made mee willing according to my abilities and from the blessed church wherein I humbly thanke God to bee borne brought up and lâ—ve in such power to exercise the ministerie which I have received by reading doctrine approbation and imposition of hands Whatsoever I have by both I heartily desire may bee for Gods uses and the service of the Church of God amongst us I cannot commend them as they are acted by mee it is by a weake body and a weaker soule As Saint Augustine complayned of old heimihi quam contrarius sum egomet mihi ego in spiritu et ego in carne so more iustly may I. I have a long time beene trayned under fightings within and without and ever and anon am ready to bee over-powered with sinne or greife But as the ramme in fight drawes backe not to quit the field but to gaine a course to give the greater bruise at the next shocke so doe I desire to bee in my infirmities I seeme sometimes to my selfe to faint and almost to faile and to beare about mee a dying spirit every day Quocunque oculos converto video documenta meae aetatis said Seneca of old and so say I. Yet looking to what I have received some strength yet to worke and a conscience to keepe mee within my traces I presse hard foreward and finde that I loose not too much ground thorough him in whom I am able to doe what I doe This holds mee up in my worke and keepes mee in canonicall obedience to my calling that I may say at last with blessed Augustine liberavi animam meam yea and sometimes also though more to satisfie others then my selfe scribimus indocti doctique I staine paper with my pen. How unable am I for any great taske no man knowes better then your honour who from my youth have beene a stay to my waies an helpe to my studies and a comfort to my age since by your Honours selfe I have beene accounted worthy to bee your Honours servant But since I have not had a resolved face to deny my poore gleanings after the harvest to bee brought forth to this learned light wherein we live I humbly pray that they may first rise or fall by your honours censure This first presents it selfe my labour that God may judge in the judgements of men Next to that my desire that Nature bee not silenced in her good law when wee practise that wee call justice And if any thing else followes helpe faith and conscience in our whole course both publicke and private whosoever have beene my friends from whose motions these thoughts have beene drawne out your Honour shall bee my first judge heere and patron if your Honour please and neede require to that which is with humblenesse confest to be unworthy of you I need not plead reasons I am your Honours for humble service it is a just debt from mee and that due to your Honour now and while I am Due for your undeserved favour to my selfe Due for your incouragement to my eldest son while hee was at Oxford Due for your exhibition to my youngest sonne now hee is in Cambridge And if this could bee a perpetuall register of your Honours love and bountie to mee and mine I should heartily rejoice But because mothes and time will eate this out I shall humbly desire to lay up a stocke of prayers for your Honour in heaven This is all that I can doe and this is all from mee that your Honour desires Would I doe more I could not could I doe lesse I would not This I by Gods Grace can and will and so continue Your Honours humble servant to be commanded ROBERT ABBOT TO THE TRVELY RELIGIOVS HONORABLE NOBLE AND Worshipfull Justices and other Gentry of Kent who have heard and may happen to reade these poore Sermons especially to those of his owne Parish all good HONORABLE Noble Worshipfull you may justly aske whence this sight comes I must excuse it a great deale from importunity But what is the present A cup of cold water to good Disciples of Christ and you know that brave commander who did accept of as low a present from as poore a man as my selfe It will bee rejected because there is too much of that already Charity and Iustice are too much watered they are growne cold they have waded so long that they are benummed and lesse apt for use I hope better things They may bee dwarfed in some like those three bones in the head of a man which Anatomists call Malleolus Incus and Stapes which are as bigge in a child as in a man but the lesse the body is in this I hope the more is the heate the more vigorous the spirits it may be this may water by an Antiperistasis may make this heate greater but cannot lessen it in those that are so full of goodnesse Your worths are wel knowne to others and are beleveed by me go on still to doe worthily in Ephrata and to be famous in Bethlehem Doe worthily in piety do worthily in private charity and doe worthily in publick Iustice Wee have an age made up of too much sinne prophane swearing and brutish profaning of the Lords day drunkennesse and malicious quarrellings cover too much christians ground amongst us As it is with the sea
there goes that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable so is it with the land there are too many master sinnes and untellable other sinnes which wound single but oppresse by heapes A King wee have by Gods blessing never better lawes never wiser and provisions never more wary but to make all right as the oratour magnified pronunciation so doe I execution Many hands make light worke and your hearts will set them on worke up and be doing I neede not provoke your willing mindes yet may I shew you what you do or should though I presse you not to what you doe not A poore oppressed Surius in vita S. Basil woman did observe Saint Basil to have some credit with the governour of his place Shee solicits him to write to the govenour in her behalfe The good Bishop presently tooke pen inke and paper and wrote to this effect This poore woman came unto me saying that my letters have great weight with thee If it be so heare her and shew it The woman carried it the governour read it and writes backe this againe Holy father for thy sake I would have had pitty upon this poore woman but I could not except shee pay all that is required of her The good Bishop writes againe once more thus Seeing thy will is ready but thy power is wanting it is a tolerable excuse but if thou couldest and wouldest not Christ will make thee so poore that where thou wouldest thou shalt not be able These words were propheticall to this unjust governour for not long after he fell into the Emperours displeasure was cast into prison and expected punishment But then he remembred Saint Basil whose intercession he sought and obtained and by that meanes his liberty Hee then came to Saint Basil called to minde the poore woman sent for her and restored to her the goods hee wrongfully withheld twofold Hee would not hazard a second punishment for an act of Injustice unrepented of My observations upon this story are these It is a great honour to be in authority it makes the Saints of God on earth to sue unto them It is a miserable place to bee upon earth oppressions may bee done to Gods poore servants It is a fearefull thing not to relieve the oppressed when it is in our power it casts the mighty from the throne and brings them to shame It is a brave thing to doe Iustice at first but better late then never better of love then when it is whipt outwith strokes It is glorious too not to refuse to doe right at last when at first wee have done wrong as hee for not one of a thousand meets with such a day You will bee pleased ever to bee better presidents of Iustice then that Iusticer and not to stand in neede of his best part his late repentance whereof you are not sure And thus the eyes of the Lord will bee upon the just and his eares will bee open to their prayers His eyes will bee upon the iust As hee that hath made a goodly picture looks upon it againe and againe that hee may supply to every defect at last so God deales with the godly that are just His eares are open to their prayers When they call he will heare when they cry he will say Ecce adsum behold here am I nor behold I wil come because hee is hard at hand to comfort them with blessings who comfort others with upright Iustice I cannot teach the meanest amongst you in your way onely I have presumed to present this story and withall to offer to your eyes if you please what you have heard with your eares The Assize of God and The Assize of Nature If these may stand you in the least stead to shew you what you are and doe and put you in minde what you must continue it is all the hearty wishes humble prayers upon this occasion of him that is and will be Your worthinesses to use in possible services ROBERT ABBOT THE CONTENTS OF THESE SERMONS in short 1 The Lords Assize from Iudg. 11. 27. 1 Which is fitted to the time or setting down a triall of 1 The life 2 The liberty 3 The goods 4 The goodname Of Israel Of AmoÌ„n 2 And propounded to perswade all trials by the Lord the Iudge Where both 1 What keepes the Lord from judging 1 When truth is witheld in unrighteousnesse 1 By deniall 2 By false accusation 3 By profit 4 By lingring delaies 5 By flattery feare hope c. 2 Wher if truth appeare judgment doe not attend upon it in full glory 2 What brings the Lord to judging 1 When such persons sit to judge as God would have 2 When the whole worke is carried for the honour of the God of truth 1 By an holy heart 2 By an holy hand 3 By an holy eie 4 By an holy mouth THE CONTENTS OF THE Second SERMON 2 Natures Assize from Math. 7. 12. 1 Where for introduction 2 knots are cleaâ—ed 1 What it is inferred upon How it is the law and the prophets 1 Whether in the law there beÌ„e more then one precept 2 Whether there bee a connexion of all vertues where one 2 Where for tractation 1 Are examined 1 Lawes of nature 2 Principles 2 of nature Are shewed 1 The praises of this law 2 The power of it 1 Briefe from Christ 2 Plaine Nature 1 In sense layed downe 1 Negatively 1 Not what we list 2 Nor what others doe to us 3 Nor what others do to others 4 Nor what themselves would 5 Nor what we have bin accustomed 6 Nor what profit honour pleasure perswades 7 Nor as the lawes of the land permit 2 Positively As would others doe to us 1 Whence this rule ariseth 2 When selfe-love is right charity 3 How this rule of justice must be carried 2 In application To all To the occasion 1 With 2 meanes to doe it 2 With 2 motives to further it THE CONTENTS OF THE THIRD and fourth SERMONS 3 The Christians Thrift in keeping from 1 Tim. 1. 19. 1 Where we are taught 1 To keepe faith where 1 How we must keep it By holding 1 The ground of faith 2 The object of faith 3 The act of faith 4 The power of faith 2 Why we must keep it 1 Faith is our life 2 Faith is our power of working 3 Faith is our workeman 4 Faith is our best light here 5 Faith makes earth heaven 2 To keep our keeping of it and to use meanes ro keep it 2 Where also we are taught 1 To keep a good conscience where 1 How we must keep it By keeping 1 The light of conscience 2 The love of conscience 3 The worke of conscience 4 The charge of conscience 2 Why we must keepe it 1 If it be gone God wil be against us 2 Without it nothing wil do us good 3 Without it nothing can do us hurt 4 It carries with it more then the whole world 2 To try our keeping of it and to use
hold that also Yee must hold a good conscience As faith is of a flying nature in it selfe so is a good conscience too it hath many wings to flie away from us the weake owners of it It flies A good conscience is of a flying nature 1 By feares away first by feare Abraham was afraid of the court of Abimelech and Pharaoh and therfore weakely taught his wife Sarah to tell a lye and Peter was afraid in the high-priests hall and he denied his master with cursing Daniel and the three worthies banished feare from their soules and would worship God alone and pray unto him what ever came and so kept a good conscience whereas Abraham and Peter lost it Secondly by unmercifulnesse Adonibezeck 2 By unmercifulnesse Iudg. 1. Luke 16. was cruell and what a wicked conscience had hee in cutting off the thumbes of seaventie Kings and using them like dogges Dives was so too and what a conscience had he in denying the crumbes of his table Thirdly By the love of 2 By the love of the world Gal. 6. 12. the world the false Apostles making a faire shew in the flesh constrained christians to be circumcised onely least they should suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ and thus a good conscience did fly away Fourthly by the love 4 By love of sinne of sinne David loved the sweete sinne of Bathshebah therefore hee contrived the death of Vriah and so conscience fled Fiftly by the love 5 By love of honour of honour Achitophel was not honoured above Hushai the Archite and hee hanged himselfe Adonijah was not honoured above Salomon and hee ended in rebellion Bigthan and Teresh had not honour answerable to their minds and they proved treacherous Haman could not have Mardocaies knee and all the Jewes if hee can helpe it must die for it And thus a good conscience fled from them Sixtly by the guilt and 6 By the guilt and horrour of sinne horrour of great sinnes Iudas was pressed sore with what hee had done and hee went out and hanged himself and thus a good conscience did flie from him Lastly by 7 By profit Psal 73. Ier. 12. Iob. 21. 2 Tim. 4 10. the profits of the world David Ieremy and Iob had not the prosperitie of wicked men and in a passion they fel to grumbling against God Demas had it cast upon him and forsooke Paul and imbraced the present world and thus good conscience was almost in the first altogether in the last chased What shall I say There are some sins of daily incursion which are lamented Peccata quotidianae incursionis et vastantia conscientias groaned under and fought against which may bee lived with though not lived in and yet a good conscience may stay by us but if any sinne lay waste the conscience by selfe-libertie and presumption good conscience flies and therefore hold it To helpe you in this also I 1 How to hold a good conscience shall labour to shew you two things how you may hold a good conscience and why you must doe it If yee would hold a good conscience yee must hold foure things 1 The light of conscience 2 The love of conscience 3 The works of conscience 4 The charge of conscience 1 The light of conscience must 1 Hold the light of conscience be held Be a workeman never so good hee cannot shew it if hee want light to doe his worke by so is it with conscience Now conscience hath a double light 1 the light 1 The light of nature of nature which light still presents some principles to frame our life by as that there is a God that hee is to bee worshipped that we must doe to others as wee would bee done unto and if these bee not followed conscience checks 2 The light of the 2 The light of nature word which fully presents the particulars of those generalls and shewes with what how and when God is to bee worshipped together with that honour life honestie goods truth and quietnesse of nature wherein wee must so doe to others as wee would they should doe to us If yee keepe not both these lights conscience can never be good Three eies view all 1 of God Heb. 4. Ier. 9. There are three eies that look upon all things done first the eye of God who hath all things naked before him Hee sees and writes with a penne of iron and point of a diamond and either hee censures heere or heereafter Secondly the 2 Of the world eye of the world this sees all things manifested and would make you believe thorough squinteyed jealousie and suspition that it sees more then it doth and so passeth censures accordingly Thirdly 3 The eye of conscience the eye of conscience This sees all that it is enlightened to see but if it have not light it sees not and censures not therefore hold the light of conscience The love of conscience 2 Hold the love of conscience Gen. 31. must be held If ye love it not it will away As Iacob when hee saw Labans countenance changed and his wages too and that ten times away he goes so doth conscience As David when he saw himselfe not loved in the court of Saul away hee goes to the Philistines Achish wildernesse any whither where hee could finde entertainement so will conscience deale with you As therefore yee say of that you love I thanke God for this I would not bee without it so say of conscience I thanke God for conscience I would not bee without it for a thousand worlds thus hold the love of conscience The worke of conscience must bee held too It is an officer under God to determine upon 3 Hold the worke of conscience information of all our actions for excusation accusation conviction or conversion and can Gods officers bee idle The officers of men may bee idle yea foundations may be out of course The out-ward Psal 83. officers of God may bee idle too magistrates and ministers may too often be found to bee idol shepheards but this privie counsellour and immediate internall officer Zach. 11. 17 conscience cannot bee idle God sits on the throne with it and though it seemes to sleepe yet in still silence it registers all acts and neglects omissions and commissions and when a man would think that all is forgotten then In an evill day it brings forth all and layes it in order before us Eccles 12. to our shame and confusion Hold therefore the worke of Psal 50. conscience and what is that It is threefold First to propound unto you from the light of nature and The work of conscience is threefold 1 To propound the word what yee ought to bee and doe in the whole frame of life and course of living It layes the rule of GODS Image and will before you and sayes thus you
should bee and doe so and so as to Adam I should not have eaten the forbidden fruit I should have kept the Gen. 2. covenant of my God for hee said doe this and live to David I should not have committed adultery or contrived murther for God hath said thou shalt not doe so Secondly to apply by way 2 To apply of reflection upon themselvs what yee have beene or done I should have beene and done so and so but I am and have done thus and thus As to Adam I should not have eaten the forbidden fruit but I have done it to David I should not have committed adultery and murther but I have done them and to all of us I should have repented believed hoped loved but I have not done them as I ought 3 To pronounce Thirdly to pronounce impartiall judgement upon your persons actions as therfore I am a wicked man have done foolishly and am accursed 2 Sam. 24. or therefore I am in Christ have done uprightly and am blessed Thus David I Psal 119. Luke 1. 5. have gone astray like a lost sheep thus the prodigal I have sinned against heaven and before thee thus Paul I was a persecutor blasphemer oppressour thus Hezekiah I have walked before 2 Tim. 1. Es 37. thee with a perfect heart This work of conscience will make you runne out of Sodom with a showre of brimstone at your heeles or make you passe thorough the wildernesse under a cloud of comfortable protection therefore hold it Lastly the charge of conscience 4 Hold the charge of conscience must be held also It hath a large Diocesse over every secret and every manifest thing of yours in person or by communion It hath a charge over inclinations Davids conscience saw the inclinations pronenesse of his heart to cleave unto the dust and therefore hee flies to GOD encline my heart Psal 119. unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse It hath charge over the understanding therefore Agurs conscience lookes upon that and complaines surely I am more brutish Pro. 30. 2 then any man and have not the understanding of Adam in mee It hath charge over the memorie therefore God presents memory to his people they remembred not the Lord Iud. 8. 34 Psal 106. 7 their God they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies that their consciences might worke accordingly It hath charge over thoughts wills affections Es 55. 7 and desires Let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts saith God to conscience Math. 15. the thoughts defile a man saith Christ to conscience therfore how long shall your wicked Ier. 4 14. thoughts lodge within you yee Ioh. 5. will not come unto me that ye may bee saved saith Christ to conscience Oh how I love thy Psal 119. Psal 18. Psal 119. Psal 42. law yea I love thee dearly O Lord my God I hate all wicked waies saith David from conscience My soule longeth for thee as the hart panteth after rivers of waters I desire to be Phil. 1. dissolved to be with Christ say Davids and Pauls consciences but wicked mens consciences shall cry at last wee desired not the knowledge of Iob. 21. thy lawes Yea the charge of Conscience reacheth to your words and deedes Yee must give an account of every idle Math. 12. word to God and your consciences of every idle word that hath no naturall civill or religious end therefore Davids conscience pleaded against him that he said in his haste all Psal 31. 22. Psal 116. 11 men are lyars even Samuel himselfe in his message from God and Peters conscience lashed him to the purpose for his detestable words in the high-priests hall Davids conscience also comes to his deeds I have sinned greatly in that I have done I have done 2 Sam. 24. 10. very foolishly Ezra when he presented others consciences as well as his owne cried out and now what shall wee say Ezr. 9. 10 for wee have forsaken thy commādements O the large charge of Conscience As ye must hold the light of conscience the love of conscience and the worke of conscience so hold the charge of conscience that yee may doe as Paul would have you hold a good conscience Would you now know the grounds of holding a good 2 Why you must hold a good cōscience 1 If it bee gone God will be against us conscience Doe but marke these foure that follow First if conscience runne away from you GOD your own soules will be against you Gods eyes are purer then to behold iniquitie with approbation and when hee with rebukes doth correct man for sinne as a moath hee makes his beauty to Psal 39. 11 consume away hee doth not presently thunder out of heaven but secretly gnawes out the comfort of their hearts when hee is to Ephraim as a Hos 4. Ier. 20. 3 4 Pro 28 1 Levit. 26. 37 moath He makes them plagues to themselves magor missabib flying when none pursues at the sound of a shaking leafe making every moate a beame and every beame an whole house Yea by conscience he makes them an whole wildernesse of woe Hezekiah complained that God would breake all his Es 38. 13 bones that hee could not speak for anguish of spirit but chattered like a crane or swallow and mourned like a dove Iobs bitter Iob. 12. 26 things that God wrote against him made him cry out that the arrowes of the Almightie Iob. 6. 4. 8. Iob. 7. 14. 15. were within him scared him with dreames and visions and made his soule choose strangling and death rather then life Davids bones waxed old with roaring all the day long and his moysture was like the Psal 32. 3. 4. drought in summer when Gods arrowes stucke fast in him thorough the power of conscience Therefore hold a good conscience Secondly nothing will doe 2 Without it nothing will doe us good Psal 51. you good without a good conscience Have you all houses lands gold silver kingdomes Empires they will do you no good without this no nor faith it selfe for a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5 and a good conscience and faith unfayned will goe together they all worke one for another a good conscience riseth from a pure heart and faith unfained cannot bee without a good conscience There is a A fourefold sting in sinne fourefold sting in sin the guilt of sin the fruits of sin the service of sin the habits of sin Faith in Christ pulls out the two first a good conscience from Christ the two last If therefore yee would have any good of what you have hold a good conscience Thirdly with a good conscience 3 With it nothing can doe us hurt nothing can doe you hurt It stands out against all the world Let slanders come Paul sets the sentence of his conscience against them with me it is a very
small thing that I should be judged of you or of maÌ„s Iudgment for I know nothing by my selfe though this justifie me not before God yet it comforts me against your clamors Let a thousand troubles come Iob sets his conscience against Iob. 31. 35. 36. 37. them all Let mine adversary saith he write a booke against me I would take it upon my shoulder and binde it as a crown and declare my steps goe as a Prince against him yea a good conscience shal go with you thorough the pikes of death and the grave The warfare of our faith hope shall end in sight and having but our love out of a good conscience shall passe all and continue for ever Lastly a good conscience 5 It carries with at more then the whole world Rom. 2. carries with it more then the whole world to do us good It carries God along with it If God go with an ill conscience to accuse much more with a good one to excuse comfort The sentence is the judgment of conscience but as Gods interpreter what conscience speaks when it is well regulated God confirms as ye see in Adam for ill and in Iob for good It carries all the host of heaven and earth along as Gods great and mighty train The good conscience of Daniel Dan. 6. Dan. 3. is attended with mild lyons of the three confessors with an unburning fire of penitent Ionah with a sanctuary in the Ioh. 2. hellish belly of the whale of Elijah with a raven to cook 1 King 17 2 Ring 6. cater for him and of Elisha with an army of Angels to guard him And if yours bee not so attended it is with better with the immortal seed of the word to make you bring forth unto life and with powerfull praier which landed Ionah quenched the thirst of Ion. 2. Iudg. 15. 2 King 19. Iosh 10. Ex. 32. 16 SaÌ„pson slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand enemies stopt the course of the sun and is the wel-pleasing bonds of God to hold him close to you for obtaining all good Therefore hold a good conscience Thus you see how you may Application hold a good conscience the grounds of it Oh that I could now dwell in your souls to set them on work totry whether you conforme to this rule of holding a good conscience yea or no. I finde some good people Some think they have no good conscience and why who being clouded with temptations think they have no conscience at all and therefore that they cannot hold it They look for more in themselves then God hath given They measure Gods sea not their own buckets and are therfore unquiet because they have no more They set patternes before them too high for them to reach at an instant Abrahams full saile of faith Pauls chariot of conscience and those first Christians extasies of joy with joy unspeakeable 1 Pet. 1. 18. and glorious even in the fiery triall and if they are not thus though their cases differ downe they fall They reade themselves still in a lecture of the law and look for a deal of legall righteousnes to purge coÌ„science before Iustification by the bloud of Christ made theirs by faith to pacifie it if they have not at the first Deus et natura non faciunt saltuÌ„ leap what they would they put off good conscience as the high-priest Iudas what is that to us I find more wicked people SoÌ„e think they have all good coÌ„science and why who think they have all good conscience They sleepe out the storme and doe not feele the heart-quake The God of this world blinds them with prosperity If he can they shal not faile of profit pleasure or honor while the vines olives and fig-trees are blasted the braÌ„bles grow to a full height therefore their consciences cannot but be good They are rock't a sleepe and are not awake yet they look not into the perfect law of liberty and therefore for want of fight covenant with hell and death Es 28. They have leasure to doe nothing but to draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were Es 5. with cart-ropes they still their consciences with sweet words couzen them with outward Luk. 15. 1â— Matth. 7. et 25 formality They are in their owne delights as in their own proper places and then as elements are not heavy when they are where they would be so sinne troubles not their consciences while it is in its center They are dead in sinnes 6 ph 2. and trespasses and if you lay the load of the whole world upoÌ„ a dead man he feels it not so nor conscience the heavy burthen of sin But as a melancholick man in his passionate pleasures forgets his owne thoughts but when the game is ended he thinks more dismally though for the present he is set up to the merry pinne so the poore sinner layes aside his pensivenesse to indulge to his presenr fancy till the time of rousing comes Hence or from such like springs wicked men thinke they have a good conscience and therfore they thinke they Therefore try whether yee hold good conscience 1 Try the light of conscience hold it therefore it behoves you to try whether you hold a good conscience yea or no. Do ye hold the light of conscience good soules do desire to enform themselves in every particle of Gods will for faith and manners As a good master desires to give light to his servants that they may see to work so deale good christians with conscience But do not you love ignorance Indeed ye come to the church and heare the word but yee quickly lay it aside like a strait payr of shoes wherein he cannot go in ease How shall conscience work think you if it have no light There is an in Lumen 1 Innatum 2 Seminatum bred light which will helpe in some things but if ye have not that sowed light which the sower went out to sowe by the word of Christ it is not so good as it should Workes of darknesse will bee committed by men â—n darkenesse who love not light because their deedes are evill Doe yee therefore hold the light of conscience Do ye hold the love of conscience you will all say yes 2 Try the love of conscience I grant that ye love it as a dog loves a cudgel It is ready to smite you at every turne as it can spy day at a little hole and to make your hearts heavy in the midst of laughter and doe you love this A good mans loves it dearly Oh saith he let mee have a good conscience stil let a righteous conscience smite mee stil let it bee my counsellour comforter corrector stil But had you not rather be without it yee cannot gaine so much as you would for coÌ„science ye cannot drink so freely of pleasure as you would for
conscience ye cannot advance your selves as you would for conscience Oh how it troubles you therefore ye wound it smother it stop the mouth of it and will not heare it though a good man might by it bee satisfied from Pro. 14 14. himselfe Is this to hold the love of conscience Do ye hold the worke of conscience 3 Try the worke of conscience Es 57. A good man will let it perfect its work in the feare of God He propounds fairly he that is broken hearted shall bee comforted he that is weary and pressed down with sinnes shal Math. 11. Apoc. 2. be refreshed he that fights the good fight of faith shall have the crown of life he that adds to his faith knowledge to his knowledge vertue so forth shall make his calling and election 2 Pet. 1. sure because he shal neither be barren nor unfruitfull hee that hath the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. 23. against him there is no law to condemne Hee applies as truely but I have a broken heart I am weary of sin I fight faithfully according to strēgth received I chaine my graces together in act as occasion is offered as I have them in habit and as I have the fruits of the spirit in me therefore hee concludes as necessarily therfore so long as I continue in this estate I shal have comfort heere and salvation hereafter A wicked man wil sometimes suffer conscience to work too according to light Abimelechs conscience will not let him wrong Abrahams wife which Gen. 20. comes not because the conscience is good out of faith unfained but good out of feare and awe But tell me doe yee suffer conscience to worke in all things Then would yee so powerfully conclude against your selves that yee must say 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. I must amend or perish No unrighteous person what ever whether fornicator adulterer reviler drunkard covetous person extortioner shal inherit the kingdome of heaven but I am so and so therefore in this estate I shall never get heaven Hee that neglects the call of God shal call upon God and God will not heare but laugh Pro. 1. when his destruction comes but I have done so therefore God will deale so with mee Hee that being often reproved Pro. 29 1. hardneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy but I have hardened my necke against all reproofes therfore what may I look for if I amend not but destruction Doe ye thus conclude for your amendment Doe ye not rather conclude quite otherwise Gods word saith so so but I do not so do or if I do otherwise God will save sinners and I shall escape Is this to hold the worke of coscience Lastly doe yee hold the 4 Try the charge of conscience charge of conscience What an universal bishopricke hath conscience over the whole man and all of man There is no inclination imagination power thought word or deed but it is under the power of conscience and do ye hold this Davids conscience looked to his inclinations I was Psal 18. 23 upright before God and kept my selfe from my wickednesse Agurs conscience looked to his understanding thoughts if thou hast done foolishly if Pro. 30. 21 thou have thought evill lay thy hand upon thy mouth Davids conscience looked to his words I will keepe my mouth with a bridle and to his deeds Psal 39. I said I will take heede unto my waies But as Christ did mourn within himselfe when he saw the multitude because they were as sheepe without a shepherd Mat. 9. 36. so may you for the neglect of conscience in all these Yee are inclined to every evil way yet conscience takes no notice How is your understanding overwhelmed with ignorance and stuffed with worldly vanity How are your memories charged with unprofitables and your affections lavished wickedly and yet conscience is silent your thoughts words and deedes are not visited by conscience as they should It neither viewes nor censures nor corrects as is meete Oh why doe you not hold conscience Let it looke to every secret and when it knows the duty let it looke about and apply it as need is to every part power of body and soule This will work amendment for the present and care for the time to come and so shall yee hold conscience It may be you will say how How to help to the holding of conscience shall I helpe my selfe forward to such a glorious work I answer Get a a rich mine of grace and duty into your hearts As a good man hath a good treasure in his heart so must you by laying up the word in your Deut. 16. Pro. 6. hearts and binding it to your hearts by a powerful impression Present this treasure to your consciences that it may make you smite your selves upon your thighes and say what have I done Then walke in the presence of God as David when I awake I Psal 139. am ever before thee and then the servant will worke when hee is before his master Next have a setled watchfulnesse over all your wayes covenanting with heart eyes tongue and hand not wilfully to sinne against God And lastly commit your waeyes to GOD by hearty prayers and hee will rectifie all by the bloud and spirit of your JESVS and so surely shall you hold both faith and a good conscience too to the comfort of your soules and to the Glory of your GOD to whom bee praise power and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS Imprimatur Sept. 1. 1638. Tho. Wykes