conversation And Hezekiah when he was upon his death bed as he thought his conscience gave him a testimoniall that commended him to God better then all the men in the world could that he walked before the Lord in truth and in a perfect heart and did that which was right in his sight Is 38.3 This sweet peace of a good Conscience flowes from a certaine inexpressible assurance that we are the sons of God a certaine secret manifestatiō that God hath receiv'd us put away our sins 2. Neither good nor quiet When the heart is as full of sin as hell of darknesse and lies under a serious apprehension of Gods wrath and a certaine looking for of vengeance and fiery indignation to devoure Heb. 10.27 and is in a forlorn condition not knowing where to go for help but God is to him as the burning fire to the withered stubble and as the scorching flame to the melted wax Thus the cause stood with Judas who after he had committed that cursed fact of betraying his Master he was so gnawed by the worme conscience that nothing but an halter could ease him he hang'd himselfe And certainly had not Hell gaped for him he had got by the bargaine This made Cain go in continuall feare of killing and the persecuting Tyrant to cast up his bowels towards heaven and say vicisti Galilaee thou hast overcome O Galilean 3. Quiet but not good This is common to the best of men and they blesse themselves in it that they never had a bad word from conscience all their daies it doth not trouble nor terrify them certainly such a Conscience is seared with an hot iron and who ever is thus stigmatiz'd is marked for a Rebbell against God They sleep in their sins like Jonah in the storme though they are in greatest danger to be cast into the gulfe and sea of Gods everlasting wrath 4. Good but not quiet And such doubtlesse a child of God may have Examples are many as in Job chap. 6. 4. The Arrowes of the Lord are within me Rev. 2.3 the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of the Lord do set themselves in array against me So David thine arrowes stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Job 6.4 there is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither any rest in my bones because of my sin Conscientia bona turbata Bern For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Thus Ezekiah and others But at such times though they have a good conscience yet do they faile in Assurance Ps 38.2 3 4. they have Paul's conscience but not Pauls confidence it is the latter not the former that makes it quiet and inoffensive and such was Pauls conscience not only good but quiet and inoffensive Christians have somtimes Cleare Sunshini dayes and sometimes darke cloudy daies sometimes they are under a cloud and the light of Gods countenance doth not shine on them sometimes they behold the face of God in righteousnesse and his favour is better to them then life Sometimes like Hannah they are in the bitternesse of their soules Conscientia honestè bona pacatè bona Ames and drinke of the bitter waters of Marah which makes them go mourning all their daies so then it may stand with a child of God to have a disquiet troubled Conscience 1. Use for Tryall whether we be of that some that have a good Conscience he that will not try wants it he that tries superficially hath cause to doubt it but he that is exact and sincere may safely conclude I am assured I have a good Conscience therefore search your selves as with Candles and Torches whether you can find this precious Jewell of a good conscience treasurd up within you yea or no. And the better to incite you to a true and diligent Triall take these 2 Motives 1. The neer resemblance between a Naturall and Spirituall Conscience Motives to a diligent Triall and that in divers respects They both have their conflicts both their loathing of sin they both seeme to turne a broad-side against sin and to complaine against it The Naturall conscience saith I see the better but I follow the worse The Spirituall conscience saith the good which I would do I do not but the evill which I would not do that do I. See here the difference in the latter there is a will striving against sin but in the former no will no striving at all 2. The Naturall conscience is principled only by some generall grounds of Nature acting and making conscience so far as his rules and principles will carry him and so deceiveth the Naturall man making him to boast of what he hath not namely a good conscience Whereas the spirituall Conscience rightly principled by Gods word and sanctified by his Spirit makes the person to have a good Conscience in all things Heb. 13.18 making conscience of all that God commands or forbids Ps 119.6.101 Be therefore carefull in trying your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 And that you may not be deceived take these 5 markes 1. He that hath a good conscience Notes of a good Conscience can truly say that what he doth he doth it for Conscience sake Cōscience stirrs him up unto the duty and he cannot satisfy conscience if he neglect it He subjects himselfe to God and he subjects himselfe to man and this not for wrath but conscience See well therefore to this and the rather Rom. 13.5 because Many there are whose Actions are very specious and yet without any regard to conscience Salomon describing a good man saith he is one that feareth an oath he doth not say that he is one that sweareth not but one that feareth an oath possible it is that a man may not sweare and why because he hath been well educated or he standeth in awe of his Parents or Governours or feareth some mulct from the Magistrate this is no testimony of a good Conscience But if a man sweare not because he feareth an Oath this argueth that the man feareth the commandement and to feare the commandement is a sure note of a good conscience Prov. 13.13 The least haire makes the eye weep so the least sin makes the heart smite Now as in avoiding of sin so in practising piety a man reads the Scripture at home heareth the word preached in publick performes duties in his family But why doth he thus if to satisfy conscience in obedience unto God t is well but if base and sinister ends to please and satisfy his owne carnall desire this is base and far from a good Conscience We find the Shechemites grosse hypocrites in this they will joine with Gods people and doe as they doe be circumcised as they are had this been done out of conscience it would have rejoyced the hearts of all godly ones but here is no such thing they will be circumcised indeed but
not to please God but to please Hamor and Shechem their Rulers and to enrich themselves shall not their goods and their cattell be ours Ge. 34.23 Thus many now adaies amongst us will make some shew of religion performe holy duties both publikely and privately not out of conscience but out of carnall policy They have learned Matchiavels maxime to seem religious is a credit but to be neligious is a cumber It s only a forme without power a shew without substance They set not God before their eyes neither do they with Moses see him that is invisible they look only unto men and all their ayme is how they may please men and advantage themselves in earthly things Therefore if you will be sure your Conscience is good do what you do for Conscience sake not because man thinks it fit and you think it profitable or honourable but because God commands it 2. Note If you have a good conscience then will you suffer what you suffer for Conscience sake yea to satisfy Conscience This is praise worthy saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 2.19 1 Pet. 2.19 when a man for conscience towards God endures greife suffers wrong and as his precept so his practice had rather be punished for doing well then praised for doing evill See this in Daniel he will suffer hunger feed upon Pulse rather then defile his conscience Dan. 1.8 The three Children will chuse rather to have their bodies burned in schorching flames then to have them bowed to a base Idol And Paul had rather that Ananias should smite him then that his conscience should smite him Try thy selfe therefore by this Note doest thou suffer and doest thou so suffer as to satisfy conscience patiently bearing it because God will have it so as David in the railing of Shimei he curseth me because God hath said unto him curse David Not that God said so much by word but by a command of providence so ordering and disposing of Shimei his malice as to make it a rod to correct and chastise David for his sin 2 Sam. 16.20 but as a Scorpion to Shimei to sting him to death and destruction Thus did Job in all his troubles beare with them with wonderfull patience Job 1.21 he will not charge God foolishly but saith the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away praised be the name of the Lord. But alas how many now amongst us would be accounted men of a good conscience and yet will suffer nothing for conscience They will suffer no greife no paine no losse for it See this in Amaziah King of Judah he hires an Army of an 100000 men of valour out of Israel 2 Chr. 25.6 for an hundred Talents of silver but God dislikes his hired men and sends a Prophet unto Amaziah to dismisse them The King tells the Prophet what shall I do for the 100 Talents as if he should have said I have disbursed a great summe of monyes shall I now loose all You may see how loath he is to loose his money 100 Talents of silver a great summe But alas what is 100 Talents to a good conscience yet look abroad in the world and you may then descend from Talents to pounds from pounds to pence and from pence to farthings and find some yea a multitude that if a farthing and a good conscience stand in competition they will loose their Conscience to save their farthing Heare this you Tradesmen Typlers Retailers and all that have any commerce in buying and selling witnesse this truth with me how often have you and that upon the Lords day preferred your owne houses before Gods house your tâ—pling guests and prophane Customers before Gods ministers and servants chusing rather to gaine a Trisle at home then to gaine salvation abroad in attending on Gods holy ordinances Yea let me say yet more unto you how often hath your conscience blamed you for so doing and you whereas you should have hearkened unto conscience voice have stopt your eares and blamed conscience for too much strictnesse too much tendernesse what mean these words of yours If I should be so strict in my dealings as Preachers would have me to be I might soon pluck down my signe shut up my shop sit still and do nothing Let me tell such these words savour not of a good but an evill Conscience God puts none of his into such streights as that they cannot live except they live unholily unjustly Believe it as there is no calling be it never so high that must call thee from God so there is no calling be it never so low that must give thee a dispensation to dishonour God And as in the greatest calling men may live both fully and faithfully so in the meanest calling if men use diligence with conscience they may live honestly and yet comfortably Oh therefore my Beloved cast off such gaine as filthy lucre such customers as your great enimies and take up this holy resolution never to make hast for wealth nor to use any unlawfull meanes for this transitory Trash but say if I begg I begg if I starve I starve I will loose all rather then loose a good conscience 3. Note of a good Conscience is boldnesse for God and in Gods cause The righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 Prov. 28.1 When the conscience is good the courage is great it will make a man to have a Lions heart and an Angels face such an heart had Paul when he looked on the Councell Act. 23.1 such a face had Stephen the Proto-Martyr Act. 23.21 15.6 Act. 6.15 All that sate in the Councell looking stedfastly on him saw his face as if it had been the face of an Angel This good conscience will make a mans face as a flint against such as rebell against God Ez. 3.8 9. Ezek. 3.8 9. Let but God call upon such Is 41.10 13.14 saying feare not worme Jacob for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God or let him stand by them Act. 23.11 as he did by Paul and bid him be of good cheer They presently take such courage unto them that having God for them they feare not who are against them Ps 3.6 David will not feare an hoast of men Athanasius a world of men and * Fox in the story of Martin Luther p. 849. Luther will not feare a multitude of Divels were they in number as many as there were Tiles upon the houses of Wormes But alas where are these valiant ones become we have many very couragious for themselves and in what makes for their owne interest but as for God and in his cause they are very Cowards They are bold for sin but bashfull for sanctity they can plead for Baal but not for God And yet such would be accounted men of a good conscience But let me tell such they do much deceive themselves as they have not Pauls courage so neither Pauls conscience and as
they are strangers to a good conscience so are they strangers to a most good God who will be so far from blessing them that he will surely curse them and give such timerous and fearfull persons which want the fire of zeale their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimestone which is the second death Rev. 21.8 Rev. 21.8 A Childlike heart can never be patient under Gods dishonour though he is alwaies silent under his displeasure Moses was coole in his owne cause but hot when Gods credit lay at stake When the children of Israel had wrought folly in the golden Calfe the zeale of God did so eat him up that he could as well containe fire in his bosome as be patient when Gods glory suffer'd Oh therefore try your selves upon this Note and before you find your selves more bold for God be not so bold as to boast of a good conscience 4. Note of a good Conscience is to love a Conscientious Teacher and Instructer he desires not to live under a cold man-pleasing ministry which preaches liberty not strictnesse of conscience which soweth pillowes under mens armeholes and cryeth peace peace so that none departeth from his evill way The good conscience desireth such a Preacher who is not shaken with feare nor seduced with flattery whose voice is the voice of a cryer his sound as the sound of a trumpet Vsai 58.1 his words like sharp nailes and piercing goads Eccl. 12.11 Heb. 4.12 his preaching an heart-pricking his dividing of his Text and matter the dividing asunder of soule and spirit of the joints and marrow Such we find amongst the Prophets that cryed aloud and did not spare to tell the people of their transgressions and the house of Judah of their sins Such were amongst the Apostles who were sons of Thunder and threatned judgments against the wicked and rebellious Yea Christ himselfe who had the tongue of the learned to speake the word in season to him that was weary Isai 54.4 was also as a polished shaft Isai 49.2 and his mouth as a sharp sword his eyes as a flame of fire and his comming into the Temple none was able to abide he was as a Refiners fire and Fullers soap Mal. 3.2 Isa 11.4 and with the breath of his lips he did slay the wicked Is 11.4 Such are the Teachers that a good conscience loveth and delights in But our age can no more endure this kind of preaching then the Israelites could endure the shrill sound of the Trumpet sounding louder and louder He. 12.19 and that terrible fire and that voice of words which they desired they might heare no more Christs Ministers now are become Antichristian say they their doctrine only legall though indeed they trace Christ and his Apostles and observe their method who first commanded Repentance to be preached Lu. 24.47 and then remission of sins to be promised and Paul drawes all his doctrine unto these 2 heads first repentance towards God the second faith in Jesus Christ Act. 20.21 Yet men are now become so tender that they will not have their Dalilahs toucht you may not come unto them as the good Samaritan with wine to search and cleanse but only with smooth oyle to heale and comfort it must be all the riches of Christ and a naked faith in Christ If you touch with Obedience you are legall and Phisitions of no value But let me tell such as follow such Doctors their cause is dangerous when the blind lead the blind Isa 9.16 you can easily conclude what will follow The leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are lead of them are destroied Wherefore would you be assured that your conscience is a good conscience do not with Ahab hate Micaiah nor with Ananias smite Paul do not vilify those whom God doth honour I meane zealous honest and consciencious ministers who labour in the word and doctrine and are examples to the flock in faith and love in spirit and purity if you do we are bold to challenge you for men of an evill conscience but on the other side if you honour them as men sent of God and highly esteeme them for their workes sake and readily obey their wholsome doctrine following them as they follow Christ you may then safely conclude we are assured we have a good conscience Last Note of good Conscience is universall Obedience This is an excellent distinguishing note between truth and error a good and an evill conscience God calls for this saying in all things that I have commanded you be circumspect Exod. 23.13 Caute estote 1. magna God will have conscience to be good to all persons Act. 24.16 and good in all things Heb. 13.18 and to be good at all times attentione servate vatabl It must be our exercise daily to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man He that hath a good conscience his heart is moulded into obedience his will is cast into Gods will He is ready to do what God commands and to leave undone what God forbids Like the slower that opens and shuts with the Sun So it opens to God and shuts to sin He desires to do Gods will on earth as the Angels do it in heaven readily sincerely constantly Let us now try our selves by this note and we shall find a good conscience to be very rare we may run with Jeremie to and fro to find such a man Jer. 5.1 we may goe into many families townes parishes perchance misse him at the last The prophane and vitious will not owne such good conscience and the Civill Justitia and formall Hyprocrite care not These two last have high conceits of themselves but yet upon tryall will be found too light First the civill man thinks well of himselfe because he is kind unto his neighbour defrauds no man but payes every man to a penny and as for the poor needy he is open handed ready to supply their wants at all times and therefore doubts not but his conscience is very good but let me tell thee thou civill man thou art much deceived if thy Conscience were good thou wouldest be holy to God as well as upright to man how is it that thou art so ignorant in the things of God and of thine own salvation that thou makest no conscience of prayer in thy Familie of reading the Word of hearing it preached unto thee no conscience of an Oath of a lie and of keeping the Sabbath day surelie if thy conscience be not good to God as well as to man it is void of goodnesse Secondly The formall Hypocrite is as high if not higher in his conceits of self worthinesse He is one that labours to know God and to serve him both publikely in the Congregation privately in his Familie hee is a professed onimie unto Ignorance and prophanes and prayseth God that he is not as other men and
that her name is become unsavory the very mentioning of Conscience is nauseated by every prophane Belialist It 's high time therefore to crave the help of an Angel yea the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ the Saviour to roll away the stone and to raise up our dead friend Conscience as sometimes he raised up his dead friend Lazarus This worke of raising the dead is proper unto God onely yet may an omnipotent God use impotent man in such a worke as Elisha in raising the Shunamites dead son to life 2 King 4.34 Act. 9.9 Act. 40. Paul in restoring Eutychus and Peter in reviving Tabitha aliàs Dorcas Now he that imployed men then in raising dead bodies can and will imploy men still in raising dead soules dead consciences who knoweth what God may do if we do our parts if the Hebrews pray Paul preach and God come in with a blessing on both what shall hinder but that the dead conscience should be revived the drowsie awakened the weake confirmed the troubled quieted the good bettered and every elect soule returne to his rest with some measure of Pauls considence and say I trust I have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly The occasion of Pauls pleading a good Conscience I find to be thus Occasion there were certaine ill-affected persons among the Hebrewes who calumniated Pauls doctrine Theophilact in h. l. as tending to the subversion of Moses law so that many who had formerly given their Names to Christ began now to draw back from Paul as a Seducer and false Teacher and so their Affections alienated from him He therefore to cleare himselfe from such false aspersions and calumniations and to confirme and establish the Hebrewes in the truth gives them to understand that he had not dealt fallaciously but faithfully with them in what he had taught them and therefore adviseth them to continue constant in their obedience unto their Teachers and in servent prayer unto God for them For saith he we are assured we have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly You may terme this Text Pauls Triumph or his choice Jewel with which the whole world compared and weighed in the Ballance will be found as light as drosse and vanity and without this all things are but losse dung and vexation of spirit 1. Analysis Pauls Conscience 2. Pauls Considence In the first note the quality it is a good Conscience In the second the propriety it is his owne good Conscience I have a good conscience In the second viz. his confidence you have 1. his Assurance we trust 2. the grounds of it built on foure firme pillars 1. His will desiring 2. The Extent in all things 3. The Constancy of his will to walke or live 4. The Syncerity of it namely honesty First of conscience in generall it would be very tedious to shew you the opinions of men upon the definition of conscience all varying in terme Habitus multis dispositionibus acquisitus Habitus intellectualis quâ talis officium est unicum inclinare ad promptè agendum Conscientia verò multas habet operationes quas immedtatè exercet ergo non Habitus Ames de Conscien and some in truth Much adoe there is amongst Divines to find out the Genus or generall terme of it as also the difference Some calling it an act some an habit some a faculty some a power As for the two former they are liable to just exception that call it an act or habit 1. It cannot properly be called an act because conscience many times doth not act as in sleepy men and seared consciences 2. It cannot be properly termed an habit because conscience is innate not acquired The two latter a faculty or power are generally imbraced but especially the last Some leave out faculty because the Scripture hath not yet determined it to be a distinct faculty but calling it sometimes the spirit of a man and sometimes the spirit of the mind of man therefore to avoid all exception I shall pitch upō the last terme namely power as the true genus and so define it Conscience is an inbred light in the mind of man teaching him to follow what is good and to eschew that which is evill and it is called conscientia quasi concludens scientia and it hath a two-fold Act the first is to give Testimony to things whether we have done well or ill if we have done them well then it giveth testimony for us Rom. 9.1 My Conscience also bearing me witnesse and if we have done evill then it testifieth against us Therefore Nazianzen used to call the Conscience Pedagogū animae for as a Pedagogue waiteth upon a Child and commendeth him when he doth well and on the contrary whippeth him when he doth evill so the conscience when a man sinneth it stingeth him like Hornets Deut. 7.20 But when he doth well it alloweth him bids him go on maugre all opposition and to rejoice and sing though in a prison with Peter or in stocks with Paul vid. Weemse divine exercitations But to define it more plainly and fully Conscience is a Relative power in the reasonable Creature Definition which upon determination through the light of Gods law doth either excuse or accuse 1. A power because of the many operations and workings which it dayly exerciseth in us 2. It s a Relative power not absolute Conscientia i.e. scientia cum alia scientia 1. Cum Deo scire 2. Cum seipso scire 3. Cum aliis scire 4. Cum rebus ipsis conscire because what Conscience doth it doth it in Relation to another and therefore called conscience because it knoweth with another with one that is of familiarity with it and witnesseth the truth with it and this is God alone who only knoweth the heart and trieth the reines Hence it is that Paul calleth the spirit of God to second his conscience I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost where you may see 3 witnesses produced by the Apostle and all of them without exception namely Christ the holy Ghost and Conscience which is mille testes a thousand witnesses 3. The subject in which conscience is seated it is in the reasonable Creature I doe not say it is in the Creatour for God being holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe needeth not Conscience to order governe and direct him Neither do I say it is in the unreasonable creature because Beasts and Fowles wanting reason must needs want conscience but this I affirme conscience is in the reasonable creature only whether they be men or Angels good or evill Saints or sinners blessed Angels or collapsed Divels this power of Conscience is in them all Q. In what part of man is this power seated A. Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte I will say of conscience in the soule as Philosophers of the soule in the body
It is in every part or faculty of the soule 1. It hath the understanding for its Throne and Pallace where it is cheifly resident and keepeth a compleate Court in the whole soule commonly called forum conscientiae and there as a Judge sits determining and prescribing absolving and condemning de jure 2. It s in the memory and there it acteth as Register or Recorder readily minding and recording witnessing and testifying de facto 3. It s in the will and affections and there Conscience carries it selfe like a Jaylour or Executioner rendring rewarding plaguing and punishing every one sine respectu without partiality The 4 th thing in the definition of conscience is determination Conscience determineth what is good what evill what is to be done what not to be done and so excites or diswades accordingly If conscience say this must be done then must we do it for conscience sake If conscience tells us it is evill Rom. 13.5 then must we forbeare for conscience sake i.e. out of an holy feare of God whereby our conscience may be preserved pure before him 5. The rule by which conscience acteth namely the light of Gods law I do not say by the light of the word Gospell or written Law but more largely by the light of Gods law I meane the law of Nature written in mans heart before the word was written or Gospell revealed For as man had a conscience from the beginning so he had light from the beginning to regulate conscience which was the law of Nature written in his heart Rom. 2.15 6. The last thing in the desinition of conscience is her acting or working upon the light received which is twofold either acquitting or condemning when by her light she determines what is done that it is good or evill she accordingly doth excuse or accuse Rom. 2.15 And thus have you conscience in generall defined and explained Having shewed you what conscience is and in whom namely in the reasonable Creature now in so much as every man hath reason I may safely conclude that every man hath conscience The point of Doctrine is clearly this Doct. There is in every man a power or faculty called Conscience 1. That there is in man a conscience let our Apostle cleare up this truth in himselfe how often doth he call and appeale unto conscience upon all occasions when he was convented before the Coūsell greiveous things charged upō him he appeals to conscience Men and Brethren I have lived saith he in all good Conscience before God untill this day Againe when Ananias commanded them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth Act. 23.1.2 and Tertullus with all his Rhetoricke before Foelix besmeares him calling him a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition a maintainer of the sect of the Pharisees a polluter of the Temple and what not He hath no way to cast off all this filth but by flying unto conscience shewing his enimies how far and free he was from these base aspersions that it was his constant practice to keep a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Act. 24.16 And that you may not think it to be Pauls peculiar but common to others with him we approve our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 Ob. Though good men have a conscience yet wicked men have not A. It is an usuall saying indeed amongst men here when they meet with such as are very hard in their dealings or very vitious in living to say this man hath no Conscience But you must understand their meaning when they say he hath no conscience they meane no good conscience or no working conscience Be you therefore assured that there is a Conscience in every man and woman be they good or bad not only in Paul but also in Pilate not only in John but likewise in Judas John 8.9 Rom. 2.15 The accursed Jewes wicked Pharisees and Heathenish Idolaters will all acknowledge the being and working of Conscience in them To hold therefore that some men have no Conscience is both dishonourable to God and injurious to man 1. A dishonour to God as if he had given man not a perfect but imperfect soule defective in its principall power or faculty we confesse that the body of man being generated may be maimed wanting a part or member Gen. 2.7 as an eye an eare a hand or foot Anima infundendo creatur creando infunditur Tho Aqu. 2. d. 3. q. 1.4.1 because it comes mediately from man but as for the foule being created and infused by God this cannot be defective but compleat in all this powers and faculties and therefore a great dishonour to God to question his workmanship as men do if they deny man to have a conscience Anima humana non eseminis traduce propagatur sed immediatè à Deo creatur which is a speciall power or faculty in the soule 2. An injury to man 1. Deny man conscience you deny him reason and so confound him with a beast but grant him a conscience and you grant him reason and set him in his proper place as a Lord or master over beasts Ps 8.7 2. Againe deny him Conscience you deny him a Soule one of his Essentials and so confound his manhood which were a great injury to him We acknowledge sin hath brought us to a great losse but not to such a losse as to loose our being we have by Adams sin lost our innocency but not our essence our Excellency but not our existence our soule is defiled not annìhilated our powers depraved not destroyed man is man still hath body and soule partes members powers and faculties all good quoad bonum naturale all naught quoad bonum morale The truth then still stands cleare that there is in every man a power or faculty called Conscience 2. The Reasons why God hath planted this power of conscience in man are two 1. R. To shew his Justice that he will judge righteously God commands judges here on earth to execute righteous judgment Deut. 1.16 to proceed secundum allegata probata to do nothing but upon good evidence and witnesse Now shall not the Judge of all the world do right God hath therefore set this power in man that when God comes to judge him he may have sufficient evidence in himselfe his owne Conscience witnessing for him or against him before Gods Tribunall For God will not condemne without a witnesse 2. R. Is to shew his mercy unto man He knowes man is very fraile labilis memoriae apt to forget his God and to forget himselfe Sometimes he goes forth and forgets to pray unto God for protection and direction sometimes he returnes home and neglects his duty of praise to God for his preservation therefore God hath placed in him this power of conscience as a remembrancer unto him Againe sometimes mens Passions are very high as in Jonah Jonah 4.9 who is
so concludes that he hath a good conscience But I must tell thee thou Hyporite thou art as much deceived as the former Tit. 2.12 The Grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth thee to be righteous as well as holy If thy conscience be good how isit that thou art so deceitfull in bargaining so false in promising so unfaithfull in paying what is thy dishonest religion better then the civill mans irreligious honesty you both come short of a good conscience and if you thus persist will come short of heaven all true happinesse let me threfore advise you to beware of others harmes look upon Saul Jehu Hered and the high priests These in their owne eyes were very conscionable men 1 Sam. 14.34 Saul will not have the people to sin against the Lord in eating with the bloud Jehu will be Zealous for God in rooting out Ahabs posteritie Mark 6.26 Herod makes conscience of his Oath to Herodias the HIgh Priest will not put the price of bloud into the treasury See and behold a Messe of Notorious Hypocrites ahd these been syncere their consciences would have been good to all in all and alwaies If saul had truly made conscience of beast bloud he would not have been so prodigall of mans bloud as to destroy 85. of the Lords priests that wore the lynnen Ephod If Jehu had truly made conscience of pulling downe Ahabs Idols he would not have left Jeroboams Calues If Herod had truly made conscience of an Oath he would not so easilie have granted John Baptists head unto his Herodias If the High priest had trulie made conscienceof taking the price of bloud they would not have beene so readie to give a price for bloud as 30 peices to Iudas to betray his Master but as they sowed so they reaped They sowed sin and reaped shame and so shall all that answer Gods commands in parte but not in whole If therefore thou wilt beapproved of God approve thy selfe to God in an universall Obedience be good to all be good in all or not good at all and thus much of this first use namely the use of Triall 2. Use is for reproofe unto the ignorant and prophane who though they never tryed nor yet intend to try themselves by these fore-mentioned Notes or marks yet will boldly tell you they have a good Conscience But will you know upon what ground they build this bould Assertion Answer It is upon a very false ground and upon a very sandie foundation That is upon the stillnesse and quietnesse of their Conscience Though they sweare lye steale oppresse be drunke and act uncleanesse and all manner of villanie yet their conscience doth not molest or trouble them They do not check or say unto them what hast thou done Jer. 8.6 and therefore are ready to blesse themselves to be most happie and to condemne others whose consciences do trouble them to be most unhappy But let me tell such that Quietnesse or unquietnesse are no infallible cha\racters of a good or evill conscience possible it is that a quiet Conscience may carrie a man merrilie to Hell and on the other side an unquiet Conscience may carrie a man crying to Heaven The one may never dreame of Hell afore they fall into it The other never be assured of Heaven before they have the possession of it The old world were eating and drinking revelling and making merry when the floud came and swept them away Zimri and Cosbi in the very Act of uncleannesse were thrust through with a Iavelin and how many in these unhappy warrs have suddenlie perished and come to a fearfull end when they dreamed not of it Their drunken health being their last draught their blasphemeous Oaths their last words so that we may trulie say they went merrily to Hell Againe on the other side if men professing Christ may dye without assurance and yet be saved as Mr Chambers in Leicester who cryed out that he was damned Perkins Hildersham and Francis Spira who would change his Condition with Cain Sanl and Judas If such might be saved as some in Charity think then may we say and that safelie that some go crying unto heaven Wherefore my Advise to such is not to presume upon a still and quiet conscience but to see from whence this stilnesse quietnesse ariseth if from a true knowledg of Gods holinesse and their owne vilenesse if from a true sight and sence of thier sin and an unfained humiliation for the same with an Assurance of Gods free pardon in Christ then is their peace and quietnesse of the right kind such a Quietnesse as neither doth nor can accuse them but gives a Comfortable testimonie of their holy walking before God since their conversion Examples of such we find in Obadiah who told Elijah 1 Kin. 18.12 Heb. 11.5 Hujusmodi conscientia est instarferae alicujus quae quādin dormit videtur esse cicur neminē laedit Sed excitata in bominem involat dilacerat Sic conscientiacauteriata aegritudine aliâ graviore vel ctiam morte appropinquante excitaturà Deo truculenta suâ immanitate hominē terret Alst Thecl Casuum c. 2. that he feared the Lord from his youth and Enoch who before his translation had from God more then an ordinary Testimony that he pleased god so Paul I Have lived saith he in all good good Conscience before God untill this day these had good Consciences indeed such as speak peace with Gods allowance But if thy quietnesse or stilnesse which is in thee do arise out of an Ignorance of God and of thy selfe not knowing the mind and will of God and how Crosse their waies and workes have been unto the same Or if out of impenitency not regarding sin nor humbling thy selfe for sin Then let me tell thee thy conscience is not good but evill thy quiet conscience is a sleepie Conscience a dull and drowsie Conscience and if not timelie prevented will prove a dead a seared a caute rised conscience 1 Tim. 4.2 though for the presentit sleep like a churlish mastife and neither bite nor barke yet at last it will be awakened and fly in thy face and tare thee as the Divell did the man in which he entred Mark 9.22 He rent him and threw him into the fire Belshazer was drinking wine in Bowles But there came out Fingers on the wall and his countenance changed Dan. 5.5 When the eye of your conscience shall be opened and thou shalt see a dismall hand-writing against thee hell gaping and the just Judge preparing Vengeance for thee what prodigious horror will surprize thee hadst thou a world of worlds in thy possession thou wouldst count them of too small Value to purchase a freedome from these first fruits of Hell As a member that is Benumb'd with sleepe is senlelesse and seems to be voide of all life But yet when it gathers blood and awakens againe it Shoots and pricks and feeles as big
God when it is only their owne proud and lying spirit Ezek. 13.3 They are foolish prophets that follow their owne spirit and have seen nothing i. e. they do medle with prophecying of their owne proper motion being driven thereunto by their owne carnall affection and declare nothing but their owne vaine imagination and frothy inventions They would be accounted Physicians for sick soules and wounded consciences but as Job saith they are Physicians of no value For they heale the hurt of Gods people slightly saying peace Jer. 8.11 when there is no peace they preach generally freedome and liberty as freedome from confession of sin and freedome to the commission of sin but whilst they thus preach liberty unto others they themselves are the servants of corruption beware of such And beg of God Pastors according to his owne heart that may feed you with wisdome and true understanding whose lips may preserve knowledge Jere. 3.15 and ye may sack it at their mouth who may be ensamples unto the flock in life and doctrine faith and love spirit and purity England could glory she had such Prophets such Pastors and blesed be God she can yet say she hath such still true it is they lie under a cloud but it is not many yeares since that they were highly esteemed thought worthy of double honour and consulted with upon matters of greatest importment both in Church and State yea Parliament and People invited them to come into Macedonia namely London to help on the great worke of Reformation but now are cast aside as of no value and by many accounted Antichristian and enimies to the Kingdome of Christ and to the power and purity of the Gospel A sudden and strange change but we will lay it upon that envious one whose rage is specially against Gods faithfull Ministers You therefore that love a good conscience make much of such and have them in high esteeme for their works sake because it is the Lords Thus far of having 2. Holding now followes the holding of a good conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.2 The Spirit of God doth frequently presse us to this holding Try all things and hold fast that which is good i. e. try exactly all doctrines concerning faith or manners and as thou findest them sound and saving so hold them Tit. 1.8 9 Againe hold fast the faithfull word Heb. 4.14 hold fast your Profession hold fast till I come hold fast lest another take thy crowne Rev. 3.11 i. e. the honour and glory promised to such as shall persevere So say I ye not I but the spirit of God hold faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 yea above all hold these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold against all adversaries that would withhold Reasons 1. R. Because the labour is as great in holding as having non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri It cost Paul deare to get a good conscience and so it did to hold it T was his daiely exercise to keep a good conscience void of offence toward God and man Act. 24.16 2. R. Because many have made shipwrack of conscience as Hymeneus and Alexander who giving the reines to a licentious course of life against the dictates of their owne conscience God punished them accordingly by taking away the light of his spirit that in the middest of their course they should lose their most precious spiritual merchandise and be drowned in error and heresy 1 Tim. 1.19 20. as those who in a sea-tempest suffer ship-wrack 3. R. Because the world cannot abide a good conscience as we may see in Zedekiah his behaviour toward Micaiah and Pashur toward Ieremie how uncivilly and rudely do these men carry themselves 1 King 22 24. Zedekiah he smites Michaiah on the cheeke impudently and reproachfully before the King and whole assembly saying unto him which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speake to thee pretending that himselfe had the spirit of God and thereupon inferres that Micaiah had it not because it could not be shewed how it should passe from the one unto the other So Pashur smites Ieremie and puts him in the stocks and herein shewes himselfe a prime instrument of Sathan perpetrating that against the Lords Prophet which neither King nor Princes nor people durst formerly attempt Jer. 20.2 Thus Amaziah the priest with Amos and Ananias with Paul commands them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth Am. 7.10 what was the cause of this their rage and fury had these men cōmitted any grosse offence surely no it was only the goodnesse of their conscience that did thus exasperate their rage against them These were the faithfull servants of the Lord that boldly declared the mind and will of God unto them as in conscience they were bound and therefore could not endure them There is an irreconcileable Antipathy between the men of the world and the Saints of God they can no sooner mingle then oyle and water nor better agree then light and darknesse The Spirit that is in you the world cannot receive saith Christ John 14.17 they are convinced that they are conscientious men but as they were wont to say in former times CAIUS SEIUS was a good man but he was a Christian So now Caius Seius bonus virsed Christianus such are good men but they are too strict too conscientious and therefore cannot away with them Thus you see how the men of this world cannot endure a good conscience 4. R. Because the Devill doth more envie a good conscience then any other thing Let men be never so high in honour great in wealth abound in wit and policy the Devil dislikes it not he knowes the better how to make use of them to serve his turne as we sind in Pharaoh Zenacherib Achitophel Herod and others who in their Pomp and power were higher then their brethren by head and shoulders and accordingly more active and ready to do his work That man I say have abundance of these outward things it doth not disquiet but please Satan But when any have a good a pure and a tender conscience this madds the Divel and makes him to set all his instruments on worke to bereave such of their Heartjswell namely a good conscience we may see this in Luther his pure conscience did vex both Pope and Devill Melchior Adam in vitâ Luth. what would not they have done to have strangled his conscience if honour wealth preferment or any outward thing could have prevailed the Pope would have collated all these upon him but one tells the Pope that all these would not doe for saith he Germana illa bestia aurum non curat that German beast meaning Luther will not be won by any or all of these And at another time when great gifts were sent to him he refused them with this most brave and excellent speech Valdè protestatus sum me nolle sic
was in Paul to please God Me thinks I heare you say I would please God you say you would but tell me is it the very bent of your heart and your constant endeavour so to doe if not I must tell you your woulding is but a vaine wishing and nothing worth There is not the poorest person but he would be rich the veriest Bankrupt but he would be thrifty nor the vilest person but he will say he would be honest but will you beleive such because they say they would be such when you see the bent of their heart and course of life is contrary surely no neither may we beleive such to have a good conscience which have only a woulding without endeavouring 2. The second Character of a good conscience appeares in the extent of his will Paul doth not barely say that he is willing in this or that particular to please God or with Herod willing to doe many things but he is willing in all things i.e. in all duties divine humane of piety and charity This universall Obedience is an excellent distinguishing note between truth and error yea between a good and an evill conscience Cauti estote i.e. magnam attentionē servate 1. God requires it Exod. 23.13 saying unto his people In all things that I have said unto you be circumspect i.e. be carefull to observe withall attention Audacia est de bo no divini praecepti disputare nec qula bonum est auscultare debemus sed quia Deus praecepit Tertul de poenit Vatablus in H. C. whatsoever I shall command you There is reason enough in Gods will and his meer command requires absolute obedience 2. Christ shewes us a necessity of it and tells us that whosoever is unjust in the least is unjust also in much and James saith if he offend but in one point and allow himselfe in it he is guilty of all and he shall be the least in the kingdome of God i. e. be of no account in Gods Church here Luk. 16.10 Jam. 2.10 Mat. 5.19 nor have any part in heaven hereafter So that you see that it is not enough to be willing in something but we must be willing in all things 3. What is done for God must be done equally If you doe this dutie and neglect that duty they both being commanded by the same wise and holy God John 2.5 there is no equality in it neither is it accepted Therefore as Mary to the servants that waited on Christ said unto them whatsoever he commandeth see that you do it So say I to all that who so will have a sure character of a good conscience his obedience must be universall whatsoever he commands we must endeavour to do it Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit You must have an equall respect to all Gods commandements Ps 119.6 You must with David fulfill all his will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Originall word is in the plurall number all his wills Use This then may serve to undeceive all halfe hearted Christians who comming into Gods Tabernacle here below doubt not but they shall ascend his holy mountaine hereafter and why because they are willing to heare many truths and willing to performe many duties I tell thee if thou be not willing to heare all and doe all thou wilt deceive thy selfe at last Look upon Herod Ananias and Saphira were they not Professors did they not heare much and doe much how was it then that they became such sad spectacles of Gods vengeance that the one was eaten up with wormes and the other smitten with sudden death I answer though they were willing in many things yet not in all things Act. 5.2 Herod will keep his Herodias and Ananias will keep back part of the price and by reserving a part lose all Oh take it to heart all civill men and hypocrites you both are but halfe Chistians you answer Gods voice but as the Eccho doth answer the voice of a man only in part not in whole but God will not be so answered he will have all or none Do not say with Naaman The Lord be mercifull unto me when I goe into the house of Rimmon The Lord be mercifull unto me if I sweare rashly commit Adultery oppresse my Brother or act this or that wicked nesse Know God will have no reservations he will not have thee swallow a Camell nor yet a gnat As he will have thee to tremble at wounds and bloud so will he have thee to feare faith and troth As to abhorre Adulterie so to hate Daliance As to loath the shedding of bloud so to shun the taking away of any part of thy Brothers livelihood One speaking of conscience tells us it is a Bo◠of precious oyntment that must not be corrupted with the least Fly Sam Ward Soe I say take heed of any thing that may offend God an conscience and let it be thy care with Zachariah and Elizabeth to walke in the commandements of God without reproofe Luk. 1.6 so shalt thou discover the goodnesse of thy conscience with Paul when thou art not only willing but willing in all things 3. Character of a good conscience is constancy in wel-doing Paul doth not say that he is willing to make a step or two in holinesse and then leave off no he is resolved to walke on to make it his constant practice yea to live alwaies in and with a good conscience A little child may go a step or two before he fall yea a very drunkard may seeme togoe steddy at first and yet if you observe him he will at last reele and tumble this is no argument of strength or streadinesse Even so if men shall do good duties for a fitt once or twice c. and give over and fall off this is no signe of a good conscience as there must be an universality in all things so a constancy alwaies as in Paul Act. 23.1 24.16 He lived in all good conscience unto the last he kept his conscience inoffensive alwaies he walked without tripping without stumbling ever the same in all actions and in all conditions Use Consider this you hypocrites and time-servers who are constant in nothing but in inconstancy now for God and then for Baal this day holy to morrow prophane to day you will make a step or two towards heaven to morrow as many more large strides to hell Will the hypocrite pray alwaies will he be obedient in all things surely noe he is a stranger to universall obedience a stranger to constant obedience and so a stranger to a good conscience Oh therefore as thou desirest a good conscience so desire of God a right way to walk in begge of him to teach thee his way i. e. such a course of life as might be pleasing unto him and to lead thee in a plaine path Ps 27.11 that thou mayest walk in it without tripping and stumbling This way of God in which thou
art to walke in it is the way of Gods statutes if therefore thou once get into this way take heed of going out of it let that resolution be in thee which was in David Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keep it unto the end Ps 119.33 Resolve to be constant without tripping or turning either to the right hand or to the left so shalt thou be assured that thy conscience is good 4. Character of a good conscience is sincerity the word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Translators read it honestly the word is very comprehensive and containes within it as much as any or all other Adverbs in Scripture namely worthily decently accurately circumspectly lively famously and praiseworthy It notes unto us the lustre of an action and tells us that a good conscience stands not so much in verbs as in adverbs not so much in doing as in Welldoing if a Magistrate he rules diligently if a Minister he preacheth willingly if a hearer he heareth attentively if a supplicant he prayeth fervently yea whatsoever he does in the worship of his God he doth it faithfully Rom. 12.8 Phil. 2.20 Use Consider this you carnall men and women who content your selves with the bare doing of a duty without respect to the manner of doing If you eare the word read pray and practise some good duty of piety or charity you thinke you have done all and all well Oh remember that if it be not done honestly that is syncerely in obedience to God both for matter and manner and end your conscience is not good Let me therefore advise you in every duty that you do performe observe an honourable decorum I speake to Jew and Gentile bond and free male and female of what ranke and condition soever rest not satisfied in your doing of any duty except it be done honestly faithfully and praise-worthily 1. Magistrates be you in the highest place of Judicature or in the lowest place of office minde your Oathes your places your trust Jer. 48.10 doe not Gods work negligently least a woe befall you and Gods curse seize upon you but have respect unto your owne conscience and unto the consciences of others that your owne may be preserved and the consciences of others rectified 2. Ministers I must speak to you as the Colossians were to speak to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which you have received Gol. 4.17 that you fulfill it see you doe your whole worke in delivering the whole truth and in being an example in all holinesse unto your flock preach in season and out of season do the worke of an Evangelist so fully and honestly that you may appeare to be men allowed of God to preach the Gospell and that your preaching hath not been to please men but God which tryeth the heart 1 Thes 2.4 Thus shall you evidence a good conscience when you seek to satisfy your conscience in every duty of your calling 3. Governours of Families think it not enough that you have so many under your command and that you can say to this servant goe and he goeth and unto that servant come and he cometh see well unto it that your commands and countermands be all honest doe that which is just equall unto them Doe you first with Joshua serve God your selfe Josh 24. and then resolve that your Family shall doe the like If any be ignorant see with Abraham that you teach them If any be unteachable untractable see with David you exclude them let them not abide in your house so shall your houses be Bethels houses of God and your selves men of God and men of a good conscience 4. Private persons be you not Chams but Jonathans Be you carefull of your owne consciences then be carefull of the consciences of your Brethren hate not your brethren in your hearts but reprove them plainely suffer not sin to rest upon them Lev. 19 17. Yea thou must love thy neighbour as they selfe v. 18. there must be a conformity in quality though not a correspondence of equality thy love to thy brother and to thy selfe must be like in kind for sincerity without deceit and for efficacy without defect If thou do thus love thy neighbour as thy selfe 1 John 3.18 thou lovest thy God and thou lovest a good conscience 5. Lastly to every one of what sex or condition soever whether rich or poor let conscience be your Totum all that thou hast to do is to look well to conscience Art thou rich let conscience be thy bagg if poor let conscience by thy cruse if a wife let conscience be thy glasse if a wayd let conscience be thy attire whatsoever thou art submit to conscience let that command thee be ruled by it and it will not wrong thee be familiar with it and it will never deceive thee Thus you see what is to be done in the exercise of a good conscience 1. A willingnesse to please God 2. To please him in all things 3. To please him alwaies and 4. to do all this truly sincerely and honestly Thus to doe is the very life and soule of all practicall piety As thou lovest thy soule misse not one of these charecters they are so many golden linkes fastened by God himselfe that he that hath one of them hath all and if but one be wanting assure thy selfe the rest are missing Acknowledge a necessity of them all for as in a sound body there must be a due mixture and composition of all the 4 elements and Humors so in a sound conscience there must be a due composition of all these 4 characters 1. Use to such as have hold thus exercise a good conscience to proclaime Gods bounty that they with others may magnify God we read that the 4 Lepers in Samaria having found a sudden happy change from penury to plenty they blamed themselves for being silent and not divulging this great mercy 2 King 7.9 We doe not well say they this day is a day of good tydings and we hold our peace So shall I say unto you that have found this great and gracious change in your selves that your evill conscience is become a good conscience You shall not do well to be silent but with David it is your part and duty speedily to communicate unto others Come unto me all you that feare God and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule Ps 66.18 I say againe it s your duty and you are very faulty if you doe it not Acknowledge your misery by nature and likewise your happinesse by Grace say with all humility thankfulnesse I was by nature as vile as the worst as deeply guilty in Adams sin as any as fouly polluted with Originall sin as the veriest Reprobate and had in me the seed of all sin apt to be drawne unto the foulest and grossest transgressions and to run to the same excesse of riot
Chr. 25.16 and Amaziah the priest The first was reproved by the prophet of the Covenant for setting up of false Gods but the King tells the Prophet that he should hold his peace least he were smitten he was so tender he could not beare it The like temper we find in Amaziah the priest when Amos prophesied the rejection of Israel and the destruction of Jeroboams house by the sword presentlie Amaziah goes to incense the King against Amos and tells him that the land was not able to beare his words and bids him slee away and not to come againe unto Bethel for it was the Kings chappell Amos 7.10 a place that he had Consecrated to the worship of the Calves therefore not safe nor fitting for Amos to prophesie against him in that place 2. Some are naturally tender of such a soft and tender Temper that they readily yeeld unto any command of man though countermaunded by god Thus was it with Ephraim Hos 5.11 Ephraim is broken in Judgment because he willingly walked after the Commandement what Commandements the wicked commandements of their Idolatrous Kings and princes therefore the Lord Threatens them that he would be to Ephraim as a Moth to the house of Judah rottennesse i.e. He would consume them by little and little as a Moth doth a garment or as a worme doth a peice of Timber and surely this may be said to be our case our preferring mans mandates before Gods CoÌ„mands hath broken us of this land in peices and if God be unto us as he was to Ephraim a Moth and a worme gradually to ruine us it is but His Justice 3. Others there are which are scrupelously tender They will stick at strawes and leap over blocks make that a sin which God never made a sin and stirr most in that in which God is silent Thus the Priests scruple their going into the Praetorium the house of an Heathen man least they should be ceromoniallie defiled and soe held from the Passeover but yet made no matter of de filing themselves morally with the guilt of innoceÌ„t bloud againe they are troubled in putting the price of bloud into their holy Corbam but not troubled to give a price to shed innoceÌ„t bloud How carefull are they in washing of hands of cups pots and platters how carelesse in washing their hearts and insides from sin One saith well such as these they can dance amongst thornes and yet know not how to walke upon even ground Herod had too much of this rendernesse when he had passed his word given his oath to grant his wicked Herodias her unreasonable request which was to have John Baptist head in a charger Note the tendernesse of this man he may not breake his Oath and therefore concludes that to go back from his word would be perjurie but to go on though it were to shed the bloud of an innocent this he accounts pietie Many such we have amonst us who doe more scruple an egg then an Oath and like Esops dogg doe so greedily catch at shadowes that they loose the substance therefore I would such would be more wise following the Advice of Paul who in unnecessarie and vaine scruples will have us to asks no Question for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 Beware of all such evill and sinfull tendernesse as enimies to a good conscience and labour for such a tendernesse as is holy and faultlesse which will make you watchfull against every sin that may any waies molest or disquiet conscience thus far of an unholy tendernesse which cannot stand with a good conscience Now followes an holy tendernesse which suits well with conscience and keeps us and our consciences at peace Holy tendernesse is such a tendernesse as is wrought in us by the holy spirit of God Holy Tendernesse Sheff whereby we are made very watchfull against whatsoever may molest or disquet conscience Such a tendernesse we find in Joseph who when his Mistresse tempted him to lye with her he presently refused it and said unto her behold my Master wotteth not what is in the house with me Gen. 39.9 and he hath committed all to my hand and there is none greater in his house then I neither hath he kept any thing from me but thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinagainst God As if he should have said unto her your desire is very wicked and I may not yeild unto it I may not act the least sin against God how then may I commit so great a wickednesse as to defile my Masters bed is it not Adulterie a complicated sin that contains many evills within it In so doing 1. I should be a Theefe in stealing from him the best jewell in his house namely his wife 2. Most injurious in mixing a bastard brood with his legitimate children 3. I should be sacrilegious in taking my body which is the temple of the holy Ghost and to turne it to carnall pollution 4. I should be most ungracious toward my God and most ingratefull to my kind Master The like we find in Job a man very fearefull to offend conscience he was a Nonsuch by Gods owne testimony Job 1.8 not any one like him upon the earth soe perfect soe upright fearing God and eschewing evill He was one that resolved not to give conscience the least offence and that it should not reproach him all his dayes Though men did reproach him as Eliphas Bildad Zophar who charged him with hypos crisy yet his conscience which was more privy to his waies and could testify more truly Job 27.6 that should not reproach him so tender was he Such must be our tendernesse the like was that in Ioseph Job and others and that we may not be deceived know how it shewes it selfe to God to others and to our selves 1. To God he that hath an holy tendernesse in him will stand for God in what shall make for his truth honour and glory of his name if he see any thing unto which God is intitled or hath interest in such a one will not see his God wronged in the least degree but he will stand upon an hoof with Moses upon an iota or title with Christ he will manifest his tendernesse in all things As 1. to his precepts 2. Exod. 10.26 To his Threats 3. His Judgments 4. His Mercies Of these in their order Math. 5.18 and First of the first namely Gods precepts Cauti esto te Vatab. in h. l. 1. He that hath this holy tendernesse in him will readily yeild unto Gods precepts whatsoever he commands he will do it circumspectly conscientia bona non solúm attendit quid praecipiat Deus sed quid velit quae sit voluntas Dei bona beneplacens et perfect Bern. de virâ solitariâ ad fratres de monte Dâ—i p. 10 20. i. e. warily and with attention Exod. 23.13 Thus Moses is said to be faithfull in
A Golden Topaze OR Heart-jewell Namely A Conscience purified and pacified by the Blood and Spirit of CHRIST Written by FRANCIS WHIDDON Pastor of Morton-Hampsted in Devon Unicnique liber esse propria Conscientia ad hunc librum discutiendum emendandum omnes alii inventi sunt S. Bernard OXFORD Printed by Henry Hall 1656. TO MY FAITHFULL Flock who love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied MY Deare Children for so I am bold to call you though you have had many teachers yet not many fathers if I may credit your owne tongues there is a number of you will say that in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 Let God have the glory for what is Paul or what is Apollos or what am I But the weake Instrument by whom the all-sufficient God hath wrought faith in your hearts I therefore according unto my Duty do here present unto you a tender of my true Affection towards you in this plaine and short Tract of Conscience The subject is worthy of all Acceptation Though the Author bee the meanest of all his Brethren You may consider it as an Object both to your eare and eye your eare hath heard it preached and your eye may see and read it and if your heart Affect it the Jewell is your owne And I who am your Pastor may take the Boldnesse and say I need no Epistle of Commendation to you or Epistle of Commendation from you you are mine Epistle knowne and read of all that have spirituall eyes and are acquainted with you yea you are the Epistle of Christ written not with Inke but with the spirit Not in Tables of stone but in the fleshy Tables of the heart I hope I shall not be ashamed of this my foolish Boasting But that when I am gone from you this pretious Jewell which now I present unto you will then be found still to abide within you and if at any time through carelesnesse this Jewell of a good Conscience with in you shall gather Dust and lose it's lustre Let this little Tract if better be wanting be Assumed by you Read it once and againe humbly and advisedly so may you have hope that your Dull and Dusky Consciences will Recover it 's former lustre with more peace and Purity And Now my deare children knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle of Flesh 2 Pet. 1.14 and be brought to the house appointed for all living Job 30.23 I shall endeavour to give you some few Advertismēts before I goe hence and be seene no more Know Deare soules we are the people on whom the ends of the world are Come and our daies very perilous and Dangerous as saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4. In which we find Iniquite to Abound and Damnable Errors Heresies to Superabound What Enthusiasticall fancy what Anti-Scripturall opinions What Immaginary Raptures and Revelations have we now Amongst us so that now to Refraine from their evill opinion and practises is to make our selves a prey Never were the times more Contagious Opinions more Infectious practises more Dangerous So that every pious soule had need to be a Spirituall Physician and still to have Cordials to fortifie his soule within and Repercussives to beate back the Infectious Venome of Sin and Error without Preservatives I. Be constant and sincere in the preformance of all holy Duties both publike and private in the Congregation and the Family Let your holinesse appeare unto all Be holy abroad and at home Despise not ordinances neither in whole or part But receive them with all thankfulnesse as Love-tokens from your Father and acknowledg a Necessitie of them all and that as long as you are Below Temptations you cannot be above Ordinances which will be as long as you carry your Fraile Tabernacles about you They are more necessary then your Appointed food More to be Desired then Gold yea then fine Gold And sincere milke sweeter then the hony or hony Comb without which you cannot be nourished up unto everlasting Life 2. Keepe close to your God in a way of Prayer and prayses Be Constant in Both pray alwaies and in all things give thankes What Grace you want get it by Prayer and what good you enjoy weare it By Prayse If you thus draw neare to God in a way of Duty God will be still neare unto you in a way of Mercy The least Dropp of the wine of mercy should Inflame your hearts with true thankfulnesse and fill your Mouths with constant prayses So that you lay new Ingagement on the god of mercy to bestow more mercies Not only to preserve you from the evill of evils But ever to Inrich you with the blessing of blessings 3. Give not way to a customary Dulnesse in Duty but performe every Duty with all your power with sincere Intention with heate of Affection and with Diligence and Delight Especially be not slight in secret prayer meditation and reading Doe not the worke of the Lord deceitfully or negligently least the curse of God fall on you Jer 48.10 Mal 1.14 but zealously and heartily watch to these duties Eph. 6.18 Keep your hearts in a good frame for them undefiled with sin untainted with the world Endeavour to feele all Duties at your hearts inlivening inlarging and inflaming your affections Lay not out the chiefe of your zeale on Externals opinions and the smaller things of Religion but let soule-saving worke be your maine and daily imployment Exercise your selves in selfe-examination looke daiely into your owne bosomes by a serious scrutiny and spare not those beloved Dalilah's and cursed Achans which are the troublers of our Israel 4. Get true light in your Understandings not only a speculative but spirituall light not a notionall but experimentall light the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Such a light whereby you may be inabled to see sin to be the greatest evill and God himselfe to be the cheifest good Such a light that melts the soule that humbles the soule that enlivens the soule that quickens the soule and that quiets the soule Nourish not an head-light but an heart-light Let the word of truth dwell in you plenteously Weake judgments are easily misled both in opinion and practice but a sound judgement will preserve you in both So fly one error that you do not fall into another it is easy to run into extreames but very difficult to keep the golden Meane 5. Keep your hearts with all diligence 4. Pro. Watch daily to prevent him which watcheth ever to mischeife you I Pet. 5.8 And let yours praiers be frequent and fervent Lord lead us not into temptation Your enemies are many mighty and malicious which still lye in waite to breake your peace wound your consciences lessen your comforts impaire your graces blurre your evidences and dampe your assurances and unlesse you stand upon your Guard set your selves
in battell-array to fight with those strong subtile sedulous Goliahs which come out to upbraid Gods little Champion They I meane the Divell and his Agents viz the world and the flesh will not only rage but raigne not only assault but take your soules captive at their will Therefore as you love your owne soules and the welfare of them unto all eternity Get unto you the whole armour of God Eph. 6. 13. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Give no faire Quarter unto foule tempations make up speedily every Breach between God and your owne consciences and let not conscience loose its Tendernesse but shun every evill and the appearance of it 6. Let thy life be the life of faith Saith Paul the life that we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himselfe for us Keep fresh the sense of his love and alwaies acknowledge a continuall need of his Bloud Spirit and Intercession and how much you are beholding and ingaged unto him Labour to draw and derive from Christ by the powerfull attractive force of faith spirituall ability sufficient for every dayes worke Act your faith dayly in the promises of grace and strength Go unto Christ still for his wisdome to counsell you for his righteoussness to cover you for strength to resist temptations for the shoulder that must beare our Crosses for ability to performe all duties as duties 7. Resolve with david Ps 101. that you will not know a wicked person i.e. approve of him If out of your families have not fellowship with them but reprove them if in your families let them not abide within your doores but remove him or her as persons most infectious and dangerous We have sins enough and too too many of our owne therefore let us not encrease them by a base connivency at others mens sins Especially avoid that generation of men whose grand designe it is to undermine the Gospell to ruine the Ministry and to robb them of that maintenance which is due unto them by the law of God and by the Law of Nature and by the law of Nations These croaking frogges have overspread our Aegypt so that they have made it stinke with their damnable Opinions devilish practises They creep into houses and lead aside silly women 2 Tim. 3.11 and by their faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.18 And shall if it were possible deceive the very elect Mark 13.22 8. Affect a faithfull and powerfull Minister who doth carefully look both to himselfe and his Doctrine Adscribe neither too much nor too little to your Teachers Neither despise them nor deify them as the manner of some is Esteeme him not as a principle Author but as a subordinate Actor not as a Lord but a Steward not as a Master but a Minister and yet account him more then an ordinary Servant even a man of God A servant of the most high God that sheweth you the way of Salvation Look on him not only as a Seer but Over-seer a Steward of Gods high secrets a messenger of the Lord of Hostes by whose Embassage peace is concluded and reconciliation ministerially made up between God and man He is Gods mouth to you by preaching and your mouth to God by praying On that in speciall place standeth before God and ministreth to him upon earth as the Angels do it in heaven Woodnots Aphorisms 1. Cens. p. 42. The Jewes say that he that dieth in the displeasure of his Rabbi shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come i.e. of his teacher that hath the charge of his soule Therefore take heed you fall not out with your Teacher whome the most wise God hath thought fit to make your Pastor forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth Deut. 12.19 Doe not desire such a Teacher as thou mayest rule him but such as may rule you Magistrates are chosen to governe the people not the people to governe them So Ministers you are not to command them but obey them Therefore obey them that have the Rule over you Heb. 13.17 And submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with Joy and not with greife I beseech you in the bowels of Christ let Death and Judgement possesse your most serious thoughts waite for the one and provide for the other Dye daiely with Paul and you shall dye well Have thine end ever in thine eye and sweeten the bitter cup of Death by a dayly preparation Get your tackling all in readinesse that you may faile over the Sea of mortall miseries in safety and security to the Port of happinesse You shall all of you ere long lye gasping for death on your dying beds and there lye grappling with the King of feares attended with Terrors Therefore as you love your soules let the whole course of your lives be a conscionable preparative to dye comfortably Look on every day as your last So live that you may say with David Though I walke through the Valley of the shaddow of death I will not feare Oh that you would be wise and consider your latter end before you go downe to the chambers of death whence you shall never returne Would you dye willingly would you dye well Then get a part in Christ a Title to him an Interest in him Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure So live that you may not be ashamed to die So number your dayes that you may apply your hearts to true wisdome So cast up your Accounts that you may give them up with joy and not with greife Judge your selves for your daiely Deviations and you shall not be judged condemne your selves and you shall not be condemned 10 Lastly Let this little Book be in your hands heads and hearts Let a good conscience be written on your soules with Characters indelible never to be razed out so that when death shall appeare thou mayest be able to say I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day Now whereas dull spirits are more quickned by Examples then Precepts This place hath had a great advantage above other places adjacent Mr. John Southmead who is now a glorious Saint in heaven and his Soule made happy with the Spirits of just men made perfect You know he was an old Disciple and served his Master faithfully in his generation for many yeares zealously striving for the inlargment of the Kingdome of Christ and demolishing the Kingdome of Satan A great Curb he was to prophanesse witnesse his great paines and travell in overthrowing those Heathenish sports and pastimes which were too common even upon the Lords day God made him the Instrument to abolish Wakes Revells Maypoles and May-games with their Apurtenances Fidlers and superfluous Ale-houses not only in
his owne but in many other Parishes adjacent So that not only the Practice but even the Name of these sinfull Vanities is almost forgotten Againe as he was a strong Curb to prophanesse so was he as sharp a spurr unto holinesse Witnesse his great cost and paines in getting a faithfull Teacher to instruct the people Very carefull abroad to warne the unruly to comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 and to support the weake And at home in his Family in repeating Sermons reading opening and applying Scriptures unto such as were under him constantly praying for a Blessing on them and as carefull in returning Praise to God for every Blessing both publick and private But at last when the evill dayes came on him so that the Keepers of the house began to tremble Eccle. 14.3 4. the strong man to bow the grinders to cease and the windowes to be darkened he was willing for a Desolution very ready to goe hence often saying It is time for mee to be gone my Master hath no more worke for me to do here upon earth Now shall we forget such a worthy servant of God by no meanes Let his memory be ever blessed and his Name as precious oyntment powred forth And let us honour his remembrance in an holy imitation of his vertues But should we forget him yet his God would not forget his place his person his zeale his labour of love The Lord shall count when he writeth up his people that this man was borne there Ps 87.6 even in the family of Wrey within the Parish of Morton and in the County of Devon Now you having such an excellent Patterne and President let it be your earnest desire and endeavour to run on and not be weary walke on and not be faint in those waies paved i th holinesse in which he hath walked that so your end may be everlasting life To conclude looke on this small Tract as a Dowry which your dying Pastor hath bequeathed unto you whom he loves in the Lord. Receive this provision which he hath made for you of wholsome meat not caring for concealed Cookery or the vaine enticing words of mans wisdome As it was intended for your Instruction delivered to your Attention so let it be digested by your Meditation and practised in your Conversation So both Pastor and People shall behold each others face with joy at the Barr of Christ and have a most happy admission into his most glorious presence where there is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Amen Your most affectionate though unworthy Teacher FRANCIS WHIDDON To the READER Christian Reader HEre is presented unto thine eye a little small Tract which in it's front doth promise great things as precious Stones and Jewels Possibly if thou with an humble heart shalt call and cry seek and search thou mayest find that which will be better theÌ„ Gold more excellent then refined Silver namely a good Conscience Let not any prejudice of person or partes cause thee to cast it aside as not worthy thy view neither cry thou Tush what is this Pamphlet unto those many large and learned Volumes of those able and holy men that have forâ—erly written upon this subject I doe ingenuously confesse it is very meane my vintage lesse then others gleanings But what of that if thou be an humble Christian thou wilt acknowledge that Paul and Apollos are but iustruments and can do nothing without their principall Efficient also we find by dayly experience that the lesse of man the more of God he can worke as well by the weakest as ablest instrument draw as strongly with an hair as with a Cable rope I must acknowledge the discourse is very short and very plaine and both very needfull in these full and surfeiting times who seeth not that great volumes are little regarded large discourses are easily laid aside men find much reading to be wearisome to the flesh I therefore affect brevity with perspicuity Should I be long in my discourse I am confident thou wouldest not read it over But in so much as it is very short an houres labour or so I may have hopes that thou wilt read it over and over and the oftner the better As for plainenesse of the stile I would have thee to know the Author is a very plaine man and hath written it for a very plaine people in his owne Congregation This was never intended to go abroad into the world but to be confined to the place and people where it was first preached a people that desire the plaine evidence of the Spirit not the vaine enticing words of mans wisdome Therefore if thy Braine run over with vain speculations high notions frothy expressions and wilt be wise above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 remember that of Austin Multi propter arborem scientiae amittunt arborem vitae Many with Adam so eagerly strive for the tree of knowledge that they lose the tree of life A good caveat for such as are all for new discoveries new lights but not new lives To you therefore that with the Athenian cry quid novi what new thing I must answer nec nova nec novè Theophilus here is nothing new but vetus veritas iisdem verbis iisdeÌ„ syllabis The old truth in its owne words and syllables If this do not like you then lay it gently aside and it will not harme you But unto you that heartily desire to have and to hold to use and exercise alwaies in all things and to all persons a Conscience void of offence if you want better helps take this for present And because this little Book must with little Benjamin Gen. 43.14 be sent into Egypt I shall with old Jacob desire that it may find favour where it comes If others desire the like with mee I hope that neither they in Reading nor I in Writing shall lose our labour Thine as thou art Christ's F.W. June 11. 1656. Imprimatur GERARD LANGBAINE Pro-Vicecan OXON The TOPAZ HEB. 13.18 For we trust we have a good Conscience Willing in all things to live honestly I Find it reported of Saint Austin long since that a great desire possessed him of hearing Paul to Preach Another like affected with him seconds his desire with this of his own which was that his Theam or Text might be Conscience Doubtlesse these good men were friends to Conscience they saw how the Cause stood with her namely that she was in a languishing condition and ready to die what their thoughts were we can onely guesse but in these dayes of ours these last and worst dayes if we ponder the wayes and workes the opinions and practises of the most we have just cause to complaine that Conscience is not onely sick and dying but dead and buried in the grave of habituall sin with the stone of hardnesse rolled on the grave and that she hath laid so long in the dust of oblivion
whole soule were defiled and every part and power depraved yet conscience had so much life left in it as with Iobs messengers to tell sad tydings of mans great losse There remaines in it scintilla rectae rationis a little spark to shew what great light hath been extinguisht but now this also through affected blindnesse and wilfull malice is so smothered and suffocated through a daiely custome of sinning that I may say of conscience in many as the Psalmist of an Idol it hath an eye and cannot see an eare and cannot heare a mouth and cannot speak Thus stands the cause whith many a hardned sinner The eye of their conscience is as the eye of a mole which serves only to decore the body but not to guide the way Their eares but as the eares of an Addar wilfully stopt at the best counsell that the messenger of Christ can bring unto it and the mouth of it as the mouth of a viper that sucks in and sends out nothing but poison and poisonous expressions Yet notwithstanding the naturall Conscience will hold an excellency beyond all other powers faculties in the soule So that thy Maker still deserveth praise from thee Use 2 Have all a conscience then let all acknowledge it and not dare to conceale what God hath given them It s very dangerous to hide any Talent that God gives us in a Napkin Luk. 19. what God bestowes on man man is to imploy and use it to the honour of him that gives it therefore let conscience appeare in a conscientious walking before him be holy to thy God Tit. 1.12 upright to thy neighbour and sober in thy selfe walke so circumspectly in thy place and calling that all may say thou art a man of conscience But woe unto us we sojourne in Mesech our habitations are in Kedar we live among such as are enimies to conscience yea open and professed enimies unto it yea the very naming of conscience is very hatefull unto them aske them where their conscience is and they will desperately answer what tell you me of conscience Conscience say they was hanged long ago But let me tell thee thou wretched Belialist that saiest that conscience is hang'd wast thou the Hangman If so then know God will be avenged on thee for this cruell act he will one day revive conscience and then assure thy selfe thy conscience will hang thee But hear me thou foolish man that thus talkest of hanging conscience thou speakest not only prophanely but most ignorantly thinkest thou it is in the power of any man to hang conscience know thou it is impossible the worke is too hard for all the hangmen in the world The Hangman may hang thee as he did Haman or thou mayest hang thy selfe as did Judas but neither he nor thou art able to offer such violence to conscience Wer'st thou to live as long as Methusalem it will outlive thee go where thou wilt it will go with thee nec fugere nec fugare poteris go up to Heaven or go downe to Hell 't will never leave thee nor forsake thee Againe I find some who are so maliciously bent against conscience that they resolve if they cannot hang conscience they will beat out her teeth and pluck out her tongue so that she shall neither bite nor barke if the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life if all the pleasures of sin will do it they will surely effect it They will call for the harp with Saul for their Cup with Nabal and their Harlot with Herod and all to drowne the cryes and complaints of conscience but let me tell such that thus labour to make conscience dumb possible it is that by a long custome in sin or greedy practice of it men may prevaile so far as to silence her for the present so that she shall not speak but know this though you keep conscience from speaking yet not from writing she will act the part of a Recorder and Register put downe exactly every daies deviations and aberrations and when shee sees her time will produce her Bill and read it aloud making thine eares to tingle now a lie and then an oath this time drunkennesse that time uncleanesse such a day thou tookest away thy Brothers goods by oppression and theevery another day his good name by slaunder and calumny In fine the Bill will be so bigg so black that thou wilt not be able to endure to heare it read And then thy conscience whom thou hast thus wronged will be avenged for all her wrongs and act the part of a Judge a Jaylour and a Tormentour and joine with her God in that black and most just sentence take him bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse where there shall be nothing but weeping wailing gnashing of teeth and that for ever Oh consider this ye that abuse Conscience lest she teare you in pieces when none shall deliver you 3. Use of Conviction unto all Atheisticall persons that dare say with their tongue or in their heart there is no God Tell me thou Atheist hast thou a conscience in thee and yet no God over thee how can this be if thou wilt suffer thy selfe to be lead by common reason thou then wilt be forced to say there is a God Consider the operation of thy conscience if it be not seared and thou shalt find that upon some grosse sin it will be a witnesse and give testimony against thee but to whom to men or Angels that cannot be for they cannot heare the voice of conscience nor receive consciences testimony neither can they see what is in the heart of man It remains therefore that there is a spirituall substance most wise most holy most mighty that sees knows all things to whom conscience beares record and that is God himselfe Let Atheists bark against this as long as they will they have that in them that will convince them of the truth of the Godhead will they nill they either in life or death Let the dreaming Atheist consider the great affliction that that severe Governesse of the life of man brings upon their soules by affrighting horrors of Conscience by puzzeling and befooling them in the free use of their Reason by curbing them in their naturall and kindly injoyments in the life present and making bitter all the pleasures and contentment of it by some checks of Conscience by anxious cares and disquieting feares concerning their state in the life to come Besides those ineffable agonies of mind dampes and deadnesse of spirit that they sometimes undergoe so that to be buried quick were lesse torture by far then such dark heart-sinking privations of all the joyes of life And they cannot chuse did they not shut their eyes against the light but see that there is a superintendent principle over nature which is all one as to confesse that there is a God If thou be not convinced by the working of thine owne
conscience then consider the workings of conscience in others what makes Adam to run into the thicket sarah to stand behind the Tent door Jonah to lurke downe in the side of the ship Cain to feare a mortall blow from every man he meets 1 King 20 1 King 22 25. and Benhadad and Zedekiah to be a terror unto themselves and to run from chamber to chamber to hide themselves It was their conscience and nothing but conscience accusing and testifying unto God against them Againe consider how is it that when God is pleased to give out unto us a notable signe of is power and majesty as in thunder and lightning that the very sound of the one and the very sight of the other though these be but from Naturall causes should make a Barbarian a contemner of God to shake and tremble Againe whence is it that there is a Religions Adoration and propension to the worship of a Deity even in those Heathens themselves who sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God There being no nation under heaven that does not do divine worship to some thing or other and in it to God as they conceive So that they worship many of them but stocks and stones and some particular piece of nature as the Sun Moone or Stars knowing that there is somewhat to whom worship belongs Therefore according to the ordinary naturall light that is in all men there is a God Oh therefore blush and bewaile thy damnable Atheisme Consider well these things know and understand see and say verily there is a God that judgeth the earth thus far of conscience in generall Having spoken of the faculty namely conscience we now proceed unto the Qualitie namely a good conscience Had Paul onely said I have or I am assured I have a conscience he had said no more then a Reprobate or Devill might have said But in that he saith he hath a good conscience and that he is fully perswaded of the same in this he goes beyond all reprobates and Devils who neither have nor ever shall have such a bosome friend within them We must now distinguish conscience into two species namely good and evill 1. Honestè bona pacatè bona A good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding faith and a good Conscience This good Conscience is sometimes quiet sometimes unquiet 2. Vitiosè mala molestè mala Bern Ames An evill Conscience Heb. 10.22 having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience This is likewise peaceable or turbulent Now how these two do differ both in their peace and their trouble I shall hereafter shew you I am now to speak of the first namely a good conscience and more especially of Pauls good Conscience 1. What a good conscience is I answer 1. A good conscience is a Conscience rightly informed and principled by the word so that it can truly judge and determine evill to be evill and good to be good 2. By a good conscience I understand a conscience sanctified by the holy Spirit of God whereby we are incited to good and diswaded from evill and doth readily excuse us for doing well but accuse us for doing evill 3. By Pauls good conscience in the Text I understand a conscience both purified and pacifyed by the blood and spirit of Christ so that upon a true sight and sorrow for sin and a full perswasion of the remission of the same in and for Christ he enjoyed that peace which passeth all understanding Phil 4.7 2 Cor. 1.12 i. e. a true spirituall and incomprehensible rest and quietnesse of mind wrought by Gods spirit in his heart and so preserving him from terror anxiety and trouble But to draw unto some profitable point of Doctrine you heare Paul glorying in a good conscience not as his peculiar as if he only were the man thus blessed of God but doth acknowledge the like mercy to be shewed by God unto others and therefore mentioning those that laboured with him in the Gospell speaketh in the plurall number we are assured we have a good conscience So that we may safely conlude that as all men have a conscience so there are some that have a good conscience Some there are who have not only a Conscience but also a good Conscience Of this some I find Noah a just man and perfect in his generation Gen. 6.9 and one that walked with God i. e. sincerely in his profession of Religion without hypocrisy Moses the meekest on the earth Numb 12.3 one that despised the vaine and vanishing honour riches pleasures of the world choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God Heb. 11.25 then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Job a none-such none like him on the earth Job 1. so perfect so upright that feared God and eschewed evill David a man after Gods owne heart Nathaniel a true Israelite indeed in whom is no guile i. e. a man of simple integrity 1 John Paul a continuall practitioner of a good Conscience making it his daiely practice to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God towards man Act. 24.16 Thus might I tire you out with a long Catalogue of blessed Saints who lived in all good conscience from their conversion unto their dissolution Act. 23.1 Q. How came these to have a good conscience seeing all by nature have their consciences defiled A. 1. They had the bloud of Christ applied unto their consciences whereby they were purged from the impurity of dead workes Heb. 9.14 it being the fountaine for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 in which poor loathsome leperous soules wash and are cleansed they were put into this poole of Bethesda and came out cleane being made white in the blood of the Lamb. 2. They had the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto them whereby they were discharged from the debt of sin all hand-writings of accusations being cancel'd and they esteemed holy and unblameable in the sight of God Rom. 5.1 Not for any thing wrought in them and done by them but for Christs sake alone Not by imputing faith it selfe or any other Evangelicall obedience but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ as their righteousnesse received and rested on by faith 3. They by diligence in Christian watchfulnesse do maintaine their Covenant with God and if casually by any slip they seemed to break the peace they were carefull to renue their Covenant by true humiliation and reformation earnestly doing their first works and redeeming their former negligence with double diligence Rev. 2.5 2. Q. Whether a man may not have a good conscience yet the same to be very unquiet and much troubled Answ You must know that there is a 4 fold conscience 1. Good and quiet Purifyed and pacifyed which rests in a sweet feeling of the mercies of God in Christ Such a conscience had Paul that testifyed unto him that in simplicity and Godly sincerity he had his
as Ten. So conscience may be past feeling Ephes 4 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remorselesse Stupid like a member that is benumm'd and hath no sense in it as the word signifies like a dead man that feeles not the heaviest Burden that is laid on him But when it is awakned Oh that Infinite unexpressable torments that will surround thy pretious soule At thy Right hand thy sins will be accusing thee At thy Left hand Infinite Devills expecting thee Vnder thee the fulnesse of hell burning Above thee an Angry Judg and within thee hty Conscience tormenting So that to live will be a torment to dye will be an Hell Yea God himselfe will rowse it up if not by his word as he did Ahabs Conscience or by his rod as he did Pharaohs yet by his terrible presence when thou shalt stand before his Tribunall then shalt thou call unto the mountaines to fall upon thee and the Hills to cover thee from the presence of the Lord Yea then shall thy conscience like a vulture gnaw upon thy heart and like a Scorpion sting thy very soule and that rigorouslie without Commsseration constantly without intermission and continually without cessation then shalt thou feele that worme that never dyeth and that fire that never goeth out Oh therefore do not content thy selfe which a false peace but labour for the peace which God approveth give no rest to thine eyes or slumber unto thine eye lids before thou hast gotten a good conscience namely A Conscience both purified and pacified by the bloud and spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 3. Use for Comfort to such as have tried and upon a truetryall have found themselves to be enriched with this precious Iewel namely a good conscience let such magnifie God say the Lord hath dealt most bountifullie with me praised be his great Name for his uuspeakable gift Elkanah could say to Hannah that he was better unto her then ten sonnes But thy good conscience may truly say to the that she is better then ten thousand sonnes then a world of earthlie freinds for under God and his Christ conscience is the friend of friends the truest sweetest constanst and most faithfull friend 1. The truest Friend which will deale most truly with thee earthly Frinds come short both in reproofes and comforts they doe what they do by halfe speak a little to thy face but more behind thy back and many times deale untruly with thee when thou doest good they will say thou doest evill and when thou doest evill They will say well done but thy good conscience will not do so will not daub with untempered morter nor call good evill nor evill good but will deal very plainly with thee accusing thee when thou doest ill and so excusing thee when thou doest well 2. The sweetest friend Phil. 4. that will make thee ever merry and alwaies rejoyce to laugh under the whip to sing in the stocks to joy even then when thy goods are spoyled yea in the sharpe tryalls to rejoyce that thou art accounted worthy to suffer for Christ and to Compleat thy Joy thy Conscience will feast thee nor once or twise but every day it will be a continuall feast unto thee 3. The constanst friend In time of distresse when carnall friends fayle thee this will abide with thee Art thou in disgrace which men hated traduced accused condemned do the Abjects mock thee the drunkards make songs upon thee do Beliaste charge thee with lies and Falsities doth Tertullus withall his Art render thee an odious and pestilent fellow Againe do thy own friends account thee an hypocrite as Iobs friends did him and the world value thee as the filth and of-scouring of all things Job 16.19 yet comfort thy selfe in this that thy testimony is on high and thy witnesse in heaven yea thy witnesse is on earth in thine owne conscience say with Job not with standing all their spite and lies against me I will hold fast my righteousnesse and will not let it go Job 27.6 my conscience shal not reproach me whilst I live 4. The faithfull'st friend that will help at a pinch and when thou art in greatest need Job tells us that he had friends but they were unfaithfull They deceived him as a brook deceiveth the wearie and thirstie Traveller he comes unto it in Summer to quench his thirst and then behold it is dried up againe he seeks unto it in the Winter season and then behold it is frozen so that he is still disappointed of his hope Thus deale my unfaithfull friends with me saith Job when I have most need of their help then they faile me Job 6.15 Solomon compares such to a broken Tooth Prov. 25.19 and a foot out of joynt which will surely deceive such as trust unto them for when they go to eate their tooth will hinder them or when to walke their foot will paine them and so to be of no use or profit unto them But a good Conscience is no such false friend no thou mayest trust unto it in the greatest pressures in times of disgrace poverty sicknesse death and judgment when all forsake thee then will thy conscience like a faithfull Jonathan stand by thee Ruth 1.17 Ruth's resolution to stick to Naomi in all changes was more then ordinary to tell her that nothing but death should part them But here behold a better freind death shall not part thee and thy Conscience she will be with thee in sicknesse and in health in life and death in judgment and before Gods Tribunall Therefore rejoice and let thy God be ever magnified 4. Use is to exhort all such as have not this Heartejewell of a good conscience to labour above all things for the enjoyment of it This is that unum necessarium though generally neglected Every man voluntarily of himselfe desires a good Wife good Children good Servants good Cloathes good houses yea all good but as for a good conscience which is worth all and without which all these outward blessings will be but so many curses unto us yet alas how carelesse are most in the getting of the one how earnest and laborious in the other Let me therefore advise you in the first place to labour for a good conscience so shall all these outward blessings be sweetned unto you Now that you may not be deceived in this rich commodity I will briefly shew you what it is A good conscience is a conscience both purified and pacisied What a good Conscience is mistake me not I deny not but that Conscience may be good if only purified but it cannot be well compleated except it be also pacified for without this latter there is many a sad soule so troubled that they will not beleive they have what indeed they have viz. a good Conscience They are so far from Pauls assurance of a good conscience that they rather beleive their consciences to be very evill and defiled Therefore strive to get
Cor. 5.18 yea as one saith it is Gods proclamation and our Charter of peace containing the largest concessions of peace It is Gods act of oblivion and his act of indemnity Scheffeeld on conse p. 42. 2. Meanes of pacifying conscience is faith As the conscience cannot speak peace with Gods allowance before it be purged so not peace after it is purged without faith This is a grace that will doe both i. e. purify and pacify 1. That faith will purify is cleer Act. 15.9 Faith purgeth the heart and cleanseth the conversation 2. That it will also pacify this appeares Rom. 5.1 Being justifyed by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Peace is the daughter of faith This is that Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace in its mouth aed presents God a pacified and reconciled father unto us O how sweet is that peace which faith breeds It is a Christians heaven upon earth A bunch of Grapes that growes on the true Vine joy in life peace at death prosperity in adversity staffe in affliction ankere in desperation therefore Christ calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anticipation of heaven 3. The third and last subservient meanes is Repentance The Apostle tells us our consciences must be purged from dead workes Heb. 9.14 and we must have repentance from dead workes We must still acknowledge that it is the bloud of Christ that must purge our consciences from dead workes and so worke peace yet know this that this peace is not wrought in our apprehension neither do we feele this faith without further act Therefore to our faith must be joined repentance though not making of our peace yet for the feeling of this peace Let us now then breifly enumerate the causes principle and lesse principle 1. Christs bloud procuring 2. Christs spirit producing 3. His word proclaiming 4. Faith assuming 5. Repentance declaring and evidencing All these in their order not in a way of coordination but in a way of subordination do effect the sweet peace of conscience which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 And is the sweetest companion that ever accompanied man in this vale of mortality Hitherto of the goodnesse of Conscience and how it becomes good namely by the bloud and spirit of Christ whereby it is both purified and pacified In the next place I must commend unto you these 3 things as specially to be minded and endeavoured by you 1. Having of Conscience 2. Holding of Conscience 3. Well using of Conscience 1. First let it be your speciall care to have this good conscience and that you may have it take these few directions 1. Be senseable of the want of it albeit naturally we are all destitute of this jewell yet very few complaine for want of it Some are pure in their owne eyes Prov. 30.12 yet were never purged from their filthinesse their consciences as defiled as ever Others openly profane and wicked that adde drunkennesse to thirst yet when a curse is pronounced against them they will blesse themselves saying we shall have peace I must say to such they are whole need not the Physician Thele are not as yet in a capacity of receiving this blessing Therefore I advise you first to see the filthinesse of your consciences how defiled with ignorance error and hardinesse and having seen it with the leper confesse it and say Master I am uncleane I am uncleane when thy disease is knowne the cure is halfe wrought Tit. 1.15 therefore I say by all meanes to see how thy soule and conscience is defiled 2. Seek out an able Physician that can cure thee thinke not to find him here on earth thou must go to heaven for him it is God that first made thy conscience and he alone it is that can remake it and therefore addresse thy selfe unto him humbly and faithfully acknowledging his power and in the lepers phrase expresse the desire of thy heart and say Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And to quicken thee in this I will say unto thee as the Disciples unto the blind man go he calleth thee Mark 10.49 1. Christs invitation Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you All ye that more and more feel the burden of sin and can find no way to remove it come you all to me and I will ease you of your burden of sin past Ps 32.1 and free you from servitude of it hereafter Sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 Therefore as blind Bartimeus when Christ called him forthwith cast off his garment rose up and went to Christ so thou who hast an evill conscience make no delay shake off all impediments and run to Christ the true Phisitian and he will heale thee of thy disease and give thee a pure and peaceable conscience There is water enough in Iordan there is balme enopugh in Gilead to poure into your wounds And there is a Phisitian there too and desires thee to come and will heale thee without money or moneyes worth T is but looking on this brazen serpent and be whole 2. Motive His promise is to cure thee he hath said he will give thee on heart put a new spirit into thee take away thy stony heart out of thy flesh Ezek. 11.18 19. and give thee an heart of flesh Now what is this lesse then to cure thy soule and conscience therefore thou mayest boldly go unto the Lord plead the covenant between God and thee tell him thou hast it to shew under his hand and so hold him to his promise Lord thou hast said thou wilt give me a new heart a new conscience therefore Lord create in me a new heart and renew a pure conscience within me let old things be done away and let all things become new 3. Direction is to observe what thy Phisitian shall advise thee his directions are plainly set downe in his large Phisick book namely the book of Scriptures there thou shalt find what thy disease is the nature and symptomes of it the meanes to cure it also what diet thou must keep in the time of thy disease to be freed from it and what diet afterwards to prevent a relapse Take heed therefore when thy great Phisitian hath advised thee what meanes to use to take off this leprousy from thy soule Doe not slight it as Naaman did Elisha's advice about the leprousy of his body when he advised him to wash in Jordan and be cured the text saith he was wroth 2 King 5.9.10 preferring his owne waters of Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damascus as better then all the waters of Israel Take heed bee not wiser then thy Doctor credas medico ut valeas follow his directions and thou shalt be healed Eate and live wash and be cleane Thus far by way of preparative proceed we now unto the Physick it selfe in which we find many simples compounded as Naturals and Spirituals added 1. We
are to adde light to light i. e. the light of Scripture unto the light of Nature without knowledge the conscience cannot be good but as a blind man drinke poison as soon as wholsome liquor and stand as securely upon the brinke of a deep dungeon as upon a broad pavement and why because he seeth not the venome of the one nor yet the danger of the other Even so the blind conscience drinks iniquity as water and stands fearelesly upon the brinke of hell without any fear of falling into it and all because he seeth not the vilenesse of the one nor yet the mischeife of the other into which he runneth therefore adde I say unto the light of nature the light of scripture 2. Adde bloud to bloud i. e. the bloud of Christ to thy sin-bleeding soule this is that bloud which must cure thee and no other bloud can do it 1. Beasts bloud will nto heale thy conscience the bloud of buls and goats cannot purge away sin 2. Mans bloud will not as the bloud of Abel or the bloud of Martyrs 3. Thine owne bloud will not cure thee Saul having an evill conscience might thinke to ease him selfe by falling on his owne sword and shedding his owne bloud but alas this will not cure but kill Ther 's nothing can cure our sick polluted consciences but only bathing in the poole of Bethesda There is nothing can make us white but the bloud of the lamb It is Christs bloud only Zach. 13. this is that fountaine for sin and for uncleanesse this is the bloud that must cleanse thee from all sin 1 John 1.7 8. See therefore thou adde unto thy bleeding soule this precious blood 3. Adde spirit unto spirit i. e. unto thy spirit Gods spirit When Gods spirit comes into thy spirit it will not only regenerate thy spirit but witnesse with thy spirits that thou art healed and make thee with a joyfull voice to cry out Abba father Rom. 8.16 4. Adde faith to faith unto thy generall faith an applicative faith thou then wilt not only beleive that these former simples and ingredients thus compounded and as it were mixed will cure an evill conscience but will boldly say my evill conscience by these meanes is purged and quieted Where these principles and simples are thus compounded and happily joined together there is a perfect cure the evill conscience is become a good consceence the defiled conscience a purged conscience the troubled conscience a peaceable conscience thou art made whole therfore as our Saviour unto the Adulteresse when she had received merecy gave her this caveat to sin no more so say I to thee that hast a pure and peaceable conscience go sin no more but observe thy Physitians rules in keeping a good diet be holy to God upright to man sober in thy selfe if not thou wilt fall back into thine old disease so thy condition will be more desperate then ever Now for preservatives that conscience may keep its purity and peace 1. Abstaine from all appearances of evill Account no sin little but remember that a little leake may sinke a ship and one spark of fire may burne a city it was but a wanton glance at first in David when he looked on Bathsheba but if you mark it many sins and many sorrowes followed upon that glance of his so that which James speaketh is here most true behold how great a flame a little fire kindleth therefore abstame from the appearance of sin 2. Beware of intimacy with any ungodly person take heed whom thou makest thy companion the sweetest dispositions are soonest sowred by evill society wicked Ahab is no fit companion for godly Jehoshaphat nor Cerinthus the Heretick for John the Divine Take heed of such as are either erroneous in judgment or vitious in conversation wilt thou joine with those that are enimies unto God doest thou not know that one diseased sheep may infect an whole flock so on corrupt man may corrupt a multitude as we find in Alexander 2 Tim. 2.17 Hymeneus Philetus Phigellus Hermogines and others whose word did eat as doth a Canker which if not seasonably prevented will grow incurable The Originall word is gangrene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to eate as the disease called a wolfe or a canker doth which consumeth not only the part where it is but spreadeth farther in the flesh Such is the Nature of Hereticall doctrine if it be not stopt in the beginning cured by solid confutations and Ecclesiasticall censures upon those that are obstinate it will spread far and run over the whole body of the Church Beware of such a man that is an Heretick Tit. 3.10 11. after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe i. e. convinced in his owne conscience that he shuts his eyes against the light and resisteth and opposeth the known truth The like I say for prophane and vitious persons though they entice thee consent thou not and if they say come with us or be one of us oh come not into the way of sinners Prov. 1.10 nor enter into the counsell of the ungodly Prov. 3.34 lest thou sit in the seat of the scorner and at last become a scorne and a derision unto God and the godly 3. In doubtfull things take the surest and safest way All men have flesh and so consequently error in them Great differences arise in things practicall one holds recreations on the Lords day and another denies it This man for usury that man against it some say Faith and Troth are no Oathes others will tell thee that they are more then yea and nay The Multitude are for Cards Dice drinking of healths Math. 5.37 long haire in men and naked backs and breasts in women but the fewest and wisest are against all these Judge thou therefore which is the safest way to use all these or to refuse them heare what the Spirit tells thee abstaine from all appearance of evill have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse but rather reprove them Doubtlesse it will be safer for thee to deny thy selfe in forbearing Eph. 5.11 then to take liberty in using them Give no offence to tender consciences but follow Paul who was so wary of giving offence to Gods people that even in things lawfull he would deny himselfe resolving to eate no flesh while the world standeth rather then to make his brother to offend i. e. to put a stumbling block before him 1 Cor. 8.13 or give an occasion of sin unto him Wherefore walke on sure ground and be warranted from God for what thou doest Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just pure lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue Phil. 4.8 if any praise thinke on these things 4. Take heed of false and phantasticall Teachers who boast of the spirit of
satiari ab eo I did earnestly protest that God should not put me off with these things Meaning that he would not be satisfyed with any thing here below his spirit was too noble to be tempted with Gold to the losse of a good conscience Here then you see what need there is to hold a good conscience yea to hold it fast as Cynegrius his ship with tooth and naile Meanes how to hold a good Conscience 1. Get more light into thy understanding thou hast already a double light namely the light of nature and the light of Scripture be carefull to encrease this latter light There is and hath been many a tender hearted Christian who for want of Scripture light hath neglected many a good duty and so lost much sweet solace and comfort which they might have enjoyed in the performance of it As for example many of the ' Fatriarchs for want of a greater light fell into that sin of Polygamy not understanding that place of Scripture Lev. 18.18 Thou shalt not take a wife to her Sister to vex her They understanding this only of a Naturall sister and not of a Nationall took unto themselves the liberty of many wives and so it is amongst us to this day for want of a greater light not only what we ought to do is omitted but oftentimes what we ought not to do is practised therefore labour for a greater light in thy understanding let the word of God dwell in you plenteously hide it within you even in the middest of your heart 2. Beware of multiplicity of imploiments be not a busie body in other mens matters or as the Proverb desire not to have an Oare in every mans Boat such busie persons are great enimies to their owne consciences and by their superfluous wit and needlesse activity their heads are filled with Queries and their hearts with cares 3. Beware of unruly passions and disorderly affections these if let loose are like wild horses which will never leave running till they have unhorsed their Riders and given them a dangerous if not a deadly fall Thus Sauls passion towards ' David and Ammons affection to his Sister Thamar they were so unruly so disorderly that they made them lose all working of conscience driving them headlong into sin and Shame 4. Beware of wounding conscience afresh with any allowed sin if thou be healed sin no more lest a worse thing do befall thee Relapses are very dangerous Bones twise broken augment the paine and difficilitate the cure so shalt thou find in conscience Hath thy conscience been formerly wounded and hath God in mercy cured thee take heed of wounding it againe lest thy paine be double and thy cure made more difficult and thou find in thy selfe no difference between thee and a reprobate Oh therefore take heed of every sin free thy conscience every day from the burden of sin know that a pure conscience can better beare a mountaine of misery then a mole hill of sin if thou carefully use these meanes thou shalt be sure not only to have but also to hold a good conscience I told you formerly of 3 things which were especially to be minded endeavoured by us 1 The having of a good conscience 2. The holding of a good conscience 3. The using or exercising of a good conscience Of the having and holding we have already spoken now in the last place we are to speak of the exercising of a good conscience Paul having spoken of the goodnesse of his conscience and a assurance of the same lest any should judge him a vaine Boaster and that it was some phantasticall opinion or fanaticall vision and no well grounded assertion he goes to cleare it by 4 sound Characters of a good conscience set down in the latter part of my Text I know I have a good conscience and upon this ground I stand firme because I am willing in all things to live or walke honestly 1. His will he saith he is willing 2. The extent or latitude of his will in all things 3. The constancy of his will to walke or live 4. The syncerity of his will to walke honestly If any shall come to Paul as the Pharisees to Christ saying what doest thou do that we may beleive thee thou talkest much of the goodnesse of thy conscience whereby doest thou demonstrate the same that we may beleive thee to such Paul readily answers I am sure of a good conscience for I am willing in all things to live honestly The first Character of his good conscience is his will you may not understand his naturall will for this being corrupt and carnall cannot will any thing pleasing unto God it being like himselfe altogether abominable Mans naturall will is to please himselfe or others like himselfe but not to please God it is not subject unto the will of God neither indeed can be Examples hereof are many 1. First in Sauls Courtiers they had a will to please themselves but not God our tongues are our owne Ps 12.4 say they and we will speake we have still power and liberty to speak and are able to perswade to whatsoever we take in hand The like we find in those worldlings that James mentions Jam. 4.13 to day or to morrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sest and get gaine Thus you see their will was wholly to please themselves 2. Their will is to please others like themselves as Pilate Mark 15.15 how willing was he to please the prophane multitude in releasing Barrabas and delivering Jesus to be crucisied So was Foelix very willing to please the Jewes and to give them all content that so they might not follow him with complaints his will was to leave Paul bound Act. 24 27. Thus you see what our owne wills are very corrupt apt to please our selves but not God and therefore such a will can be no character of a good conscience Know therefore that Pauls will in the Texe is better principled a will sanctified by the spirit of God a will freely willing to do what God requireth Such a will we find in Joshus who assembling the Tribes at Shechem and declaring a briefe history of Gods benefits towards tehm Josh 2.4 14. even from the daies of Terah exhorteth them to the service of this God and to renew their covenant with him saying heare the Lord and serve him in syncerity and in truth put away the Gods that your Fathers served and serve the Lord If your wills bind not to the true God know yee that my will doth I am resolved that I and mine houshould shall serve the Lord. Such a will was in David Ps 119 106. I have vowed and will performe it to keep thy righteous judgments And by this will came Paul to be assured of the goodnesse of conscience Use Now Beloved let us examine our selves whether there be such a will and willingnesse in us as
with the worst tit 1.15 yea my very soule and conscience was defiled But blessed by my good God that hath striken Covenant with me in my blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Ezek. 11.19 hath put into me a new Spirit given me a heart of flesh and hath changed this defiled conscience Heb. 9.14 into a pure conscience a conscience both purified and pacified by the bloud and spirit of Christ Col. 1.20 My greatest foe is now become my greatest friend a most true friend that will not flatter me but deale plainly with me a most sweet freind that will comfort me in the saddest and darkest times and seasons yea a friend that will make me to laugh under the whip Sing when my feet are in the stocks and rejoyce when I fall into many Temptations In a word a most constant friend that will never leave me nor forsake me neither in this life nor in the life to come Death may part Naomi and Ruth David and Jonathan but death shall never parte thee and thy conscience she will be with the in reproach and povertie in sicknesse and distresse in prison and restraint in lyfe in death in Judgment and before Gods Tribunall Oh therefore relate thy happie and blessed change unto others that so thou and they may unanimously prayse God Soe shall thy God be magnified and thine owne thankfull heart reallie and faithfull expressed 2 Use to such as have a good conscience to be such a friend unto them that they would be very Carefull to deale friendly with this friend It is Solomons Advise Prov. 18.24 That he that hath friends must deale friendly and that there is a friend that sticketh closer then a Brother Now conscience is this close friend let Father Mother Husband Wife Child and Neigbour all leave thee This friend will never leave thee nor forsake thee as I told thee formerly Oh therefore deale friendly with thy Conscience give not the least offence unto her but remember she is very tender and will be senble of the least wrong or injury done unto her The Injurie of a friend doth stick closer then the wrong of an Enimie David could say had it been an Enimie that had done me this wrong I could have borne it but it was thou my friend Ps 41.9 yea my familiar friend we tooke sweet counsell Ps 55.13 Take heed therefore do neither disuse conscience nor misuse conscience 1 I say doe not disuse consciene by estraunging thy selfe from her and refusing her Advise and counsell 2 Doe not misuse her 1 Some by making her a cloak for any erroneous opinion or sinfull practice as too to many doe in these our daies who dare to set Gods Image and Supscription upon their owne base coine Are there not many amongst us who impudently and blasphemously affirme that their Mission Message Doctrine and Spirit are all of God They will tell you they are sent of God the Doctrine they teach is the mind and will of God The Spirit by which they teach Is 8.20 it is the Spirit of God But come you to the law and to the testimonie consult the word of God and you shall find there is no light in them They are very Traytors to the King of heaven abusing his Image and Superscription read but the 23 of Jer. and 13 of Ezek. and you shall find that notwithstanding their great Braggs they are but grosse impostours and seducers God tels them He never sent them never spake unto them calls them Dreamers whose Doctrine is but chaffe and their Spirit is not Gods Spirit but their own proud lying and deluding spirit 2. Others make conscience a Cloak for ungodly practices that they may the more clossely oppresse defraud and injure others to the satisfying of their ambitious lusts and Covetous desires such were the Scribs Pharisees of old of whom our Saviour gives us a Caveat that wee beware of them and then describes them that people might the better know them They are men saith Christ that carrie a great shew of Pyetie and holinesse they pray Math. 23.14 yea make long prayers and performe other godlie exercises Luk. 20.46 and all this they doe not syncerely but hypocritically that they may the more easily devoure widdowes houses and consume their estates who entertaine them and doubtles many such there are amongst us at this time who have very faire pretences for most foule practices as Jezabel had who was never more zealous in prayer and fasting then when she intended to to take away the life and livelihood of innocent Naboth now what are these but great abusers of Conscience 3. To these I may Adde a third sort who having abused conscience by some ungodly Art of whordome drunkennesse blasphemy or the like will call for mercy and so be friends It is reported of Lewes the eleventh King of France that he wore in his Hat a Crucifix and when at any time he had blasphemed God or acted any wickednesse He would presently take downe his Crucifix and Kisse it and then he had thought he had made satisfaction for all wrongs even so is it amongst us There are many when they have done any thing against their conscience thinke it enough to Kisse Conscience and cry God have mercy and all is well but let me tell such they are enimies to conscience and let them be assured that at last they will find Conscience an enimie to them yea their greatest enimie Not only a witnesse But their Judge and Tormentor Use of Exhortatiō unto all to be very carefull how they deale with Conscience not to dare to injure it in the least degree conscience I must tell you is verie tender soone sensible of the least wrong if therefore you will hold friendship with her you must resolve to be tender also and that with an holy tendernesse I say an holy tendernesse and the rather because there is too much tendernesse in the world which is very hatefull unto a good Conscience 1. Some are very ready for the practice of sin Unholy Tendernesse but they are so tender as they cannot endure the least touch of reproofe for sin They are like those whole bodies being full of boyles and botches cry out unto such as come neer them Oh do not touch me and all because of the soares and and the ulcers they beare about them Thus is it which many a wicked man and woman who having many ulcers of sin running upon them will not indure their Christian friends nor yet their faithful ministers and Teachers but cry out like those in Isaiah who said to the seers see not to the prophets prephesie not unto us right things but speak smooth things Is 30.10 prophesy deceit They cannot indure to heare the truth of God but a lie not to have Gods Judgmēts threatned but themselves to be slattered though it turne unto their owne ruine Such tender persons were Amaziah the prince 2
but brings it to the touch 1 Thes 5.22 tries all things and so holds fast not what seems good but What is good lastly the render conscience will take heed of what he knowes to be lawfull he dares not to do all that he may doe least he should do what he ought not to doe Consider you that are Gamsters merry come panions fashion-mongers and all flesh-pleasers which are lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God I know you will stand upon your justification and plead strongly for your dicing drinking carding your long haire your fantasticall fashions and pot companions though there be enough recorded in Gods book against them in all of these Me thinks I heare you say there are many great Schollers will maintaine the lawfulnesse and that it is condemned only by a company of strict lacea Puritans and men of meane parts and learning Give me leave to speak the words of truth and sobernesse you say cards dice drinking and merry company are things lawfull 1 Cor. 6.12 but answer me 1. are they expedient 2. Doe they edify you 3. Are they not brought under the power of these things these practices Alas who sees not such as thus seek to please the flesh that they do displease God their merry company makes them to distast the society of Saints their dicing and drinking makes them to loath the hearing and reading of Gods word yea Bible and the pack of Cards are like the Arke and Dagon they will not stand together Let me therefore advise you not to be too presumptuous upon the lawfulnesse of these but consider expediency and edification that all be done soe that God may have glory and your selves may be edified more and more in Christ If you look not to this that which is lawfull in it selfe will be found unlawfull in you You will soon be brought under their power be captivated by what should be your servants Remember therefore what on saith and that most truly licitis perimus omnes the Whole world is undone by lawfull things i. e. lawfull things abused or misesteemed Was it not so with the old world when our Saviour speaketh of the destruction of the old world by water what doth our Saviour charge upon them as deserving this great and generall judgement he mentions only things that were both lawfull and necessary They did eate hey dranke they bought and sold they built and planted they married and were given in marriage See you any unlawfulnesse in any of these notwithstanding the giving themselves up to these things Luk. 17.27 suffering such practices to call them off from God God was highly displeased and themselves fearfully perished Oh therefore doe not presume upon the lawfulnesse of such things but if you have this holy tendernesse in thee examine all circumstances least God be offended and thy conscience so wounded as that thou canst find no peace within but in thy apprehension a very reprobate One word more by way of comfort unto you that are thus tender Use of Comfort possible it is that though you desire tendernesse and to hold a firme peace with conscience yet your conscience may frowne upon you and so you conclude against your selfe that God is angry with you according to that of the Apostle 1. Joh 3.21 If our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things i.e. if our conscience condemne us then God will condemne us much more but your Conscience you say doth condemne you and therefore your condition is very sad before God To give you satisfaction in this I must confesse it is most true that when conscience doth check accuse condemne upon right information there is no hope of avoiding the sentence of God by any close carriage by which we may thinke to shift and hide our selves and our actions from his eyes Yet this hinders not but that sometimes the conscience may condemne where God doth not For though it always judge for God and on his side yet it doth not alwaies judge with God and according to his direction but sometimes it may be that with Jobs friends it makes a lye or God and yet not purposely but through misinformation or prejudice while it lookes on the worst and not on the best that is to say on the present and particular indisposition of the heart and not on the sincere and generall disposition of it Such for want of better light in that particular may feare where no feare is but let me tell such they have a most gracious God that takes no notice of such failings but pardoneth and passeth by the transgressions of his people as if he saw is not Mic. 7.18 Therefore let such tender ones support their spirits upon that sweet and gracious promise of Christ Is 42.3 not to breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax i.e. God will not deale harshly with such weake and feeable ones but support and comfort them for though their light be little and burne dimlie yet the Lord will not extinguish it but snuffe it and make it burne more cleerly Consider when your Conscience doth accuse whether it proceed from sufficient light out of the word of God or from wrong information If from light received out of the word of God her sentence is divine and we are to regard it but if otherwise upon wrong information it is the error of conscience and our remedy is by sending conscience to seek the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God Againe if conscience present unto you sins which you committed many years agoe and whereof you have repented For we are to know that albeit after Repentance the Lord forgives the guiltinesse of sin yet he will have the memory thereof to remaine in that conserving faculty of Conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serve to humble us for the evill we have done as also to preserve us from sin for the time to come Againe if conscience accuse us for sin committed and not repented it is Gods great mercy who by inward troubles wakens us to judge our selves here that we may not be condemned of the Lord hereafter Obiect Now if any prophane Belialist shall at last say what need all this adoe concerning a good conscience have not all men a good conscience Answ To such I answer in some sence they have a good conscience namely a conscience which is metaphysically and naturally good and so they may and yet go to hell But the conscience that brings with it a continuall feast and is accompanied with grace in this life and glory in the life to come It is more then metaphysically or naturally good It is spiritually and supernaturally good 1. A conscience purged and pacified by the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.14 2. A conscience habitually exercised to inoffensivenesse both to God and man Act. 24.16 3. A conscience that desires to be compleatly good in all things and alwaies Act. 23.1 4. A conscience that will approve it selfe good even in the sight of God Act. 23.1 1 Pet 3.21 5. A conscience that will give testimony of thy hearts simplicity and godly sincerity and sopport thee under greatest troubles and distresses 2 Cor. 1.8 9.10 11 12. Now if upon a serious search thou canst evidence such a conscience I must tell thee thou hast obteined great favour from the Lord and art enriched with so rich a Iewell that far surpasseth all the wealth of the world and can never be worne by the men of this world Rejoice therefore in the Lord alwaies and acquaint thy Christian friends with it that you may rejoice together yea eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God hath accepted thee Eccl. 9.7 The conclusion is this Conclusion Christians Conclusiour Consciences are all obscured corrupted and depraved through Adams fall It is the part of every one to labour to reduce conscience to its prime purity againe When a Compasse is out of frame we touch the needle of the Compasse with a Loadstone that the stone may draw it right to the Pole againe So let our minds be touched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace that they may come back to the Lord as to the Pole and quiet themselves in Christ as their true sole and perfect Saviour Let this be your daiely prayer unto God and constant endeavour who only can sanctify us throughout in spirit soule and body who can make every part and member of our bodies with every power and faculty of our soules weapons of Righteousnesse to doe him service Now unto him that is able to make you to stand upright before him and to keep you from falling Jud. 24.25 and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only Wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen April 5th 1656. FINIS
all his house i. e. the Church of God in his time and wherein God was pleased to dwell Moses was in all things very exact to obey Gods precepts Againe we find Josias very tender in the observation of whatsoever the Lord commanded soe that there was never a King before or after him that so turned unto the Lord with all his heart according to the law of Moses The like may be said of Hezekiah and Nehemiah the first walked before God with an upright heart the latter shewed himselfe a most zealous man against sin and sinners How tender was he for the honour of his God in the observation of the Sabbath in the maintenance of the Priests and howsoever against the prophaners of the Sabbath and such as oppressed their brethren by usury Read the 5th of Nehemiah and the 13th of Nehemiah 2. He that hath this holy tendernesse will quickly yeild melt and break under any threat of Gods word or sence of Gods displeasure If Josias doe but heare the book read in which the threats and menaces of Gods wrath are recorded he presently melts and thaws he rents his cloathes 2 King 22 19. mournes and weeps shall the Lyon roare and the Beasts not tremble or a trumpet sound and the people not feare Soe if God roare against a Nation and people shall they not quake Jer. 36.24 Let hard hearted Jehoiakim remaine obstinate yet good Iosiah will rent his cloathes 3. This holy tendernesse will make a man to mourne under Gos judgments He that melts under Gos threats will surely cry out under his judgments Hezekiah if hee feele gods rod upon him Js 38.14 he will mourne like a Dove and chatter like a Crane Let God take Job by the neck anà shake him and cause his Archers to compasse him about i. e. many afflictions and troubles it will make him to sow sackcloth upon his skin Job 16.12 15. and defile his horne in the dust yea it will make his face foule with weeping and cause the shaddow of death upon his eyelids i. e. to wax dimme and darke as if they were dying and puts upon him such a stamp of true sorrow as it makes him to cry out I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes But on the contrary it is neither threat nor judgment that workes upon the uncircumcised heart he refuseth the punishment of his iniquity Job 36.23 and cryeth not when the Lord binds him i. e. afflicteth him but the more God afflicts the harder he growes and doth revolt more and more Is 1.5 4. This holy tendernesse makes him humble under Gods mercies The more mercifull that God is to him the more tender he is for God he feareth God and his goodnesse As Ice contracted with cold dissolves of it selfe under the warme raies and beames of the Sun so doth his Soule melt and thaw under the sense of Gods favour Ezra 9.14 like those in Ezra who having received a great deliverance from thier enimies said one to another seeing our God hath been so gracious shall wee againe breake his commandes ments Luk. 7.47 Thus in Mary Magdaline we read how she stood behind Christ and wept that she to wept and mourned for her sins as that she washt Christs feet with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head yea kissed his feet and anointed them with oyntment and why so how comes this tendernesse upon her what should cause it truly Christ his great mercy unto her in pardoning her great and many sins this is the testimony which Christ gives of her she loved much because much was forgiven her So that you see how holy tendernesse will yeild unto Gods mercies 2. This holy tendernesse will shew it selfe to others it will make a man very carefull not to offend others it will give no offence to Jew nor Gentile nor to the Church of God i. e. no occasion of offence of scandall unto Jew or Pagan or Christian neither within nor yet without the Church 1 Cor. 10.32 As it was Pauls precept so likewise his practice who is offended at least through my default and I bvrne not i. e. 2 Cor. 11.29 burne with sorrow and holy indignation and ardent zeale for the glory of God and falvation of those that are scandalized Paul was a man alwaies for peace and presseth it upon others As much as in you lyeth have peace with all men but especially with the godly as for himselfe his conscience was so tender that he would neither say nor doe any thing that might give offence to weake Brethren if eating of flesh would offend 1 Cor. 8.13 he resolves to eat no flesh while the world standeth So it is with all such as are truly tender if their meat drink apparrell if their haire carriage company or any other thing shall give an offence unto their Brethren they resolve with Paul to cate no more flesh drinke no more wine weare no more long haire keep no more such company leave off all rather then give any offence or be a stumbling block unto their brethren And as this tendernesse appeares to all soe especially unto such as stand in any neer relation unto them as wife or child and how tender was Joseph of his wives reputation and salvation when she was with Child and he knew not how it should be soe and fearing the scandall that might come upon so gracious a woman and loath she should be made a publick example Math. 1.19 his resolution was to put her away privily to leave her to the disposing of her friends and not to consummate the Marriage The like tendernesse towards Children we find in Job he fearing least in their feasting they had gone beyond their bounds Job 1.5 and soe dishonoured God He offerd a burnt-offering for them unto God every morning i. e. an offering of reconciliation which declared his religion toward God and care of his children So Austin reports of his Mother Monicha that she was so tender of the salvation of her children that if she heard that any one of them had dishonoured God it wrought such an impression of griefe upon her soule that it pained her as much as the new bearing of another child Thus you see how an holy tendernesse will shew it selfe to others 3. How an holy Tendernesse appears to our selves he that is tender indeed will not displease his owne conscience he resolves with David to sly all sin and sinners I abhorre saith he every evill way and I will not endure a wicked person such persons and such practices are very hatefull unto him he cannot brook sin in any degree great sins little sins apparent sins or sins in appearance he declines them all he considers that remarkable speech of our Saviours Luk. 16.15 That which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God And therefore he dares not alwaies to adventure upon that which hath appearance of good