This rectifies errour being as a voyce behinde us Esay 30. 21. Thine ear shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left This ends all controversies Esay 8. 26. To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them This resolves all doubts How is it written in the law how readest thou Luke 10. 26. 3. This removes deadnesse of conscience and hardnesse Is not this word an hammer to soften the heart and is not this the immortall seed by which we Jer. 23. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 23 Psal 119. 25. are begotten again Therefore David finding his conscience in a dead frame prayed My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken me according to thy word Again verse 50. It is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me So verse 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me The word is the first thing by which conscience is purified and set right This makes the man of God perfect and thorowly furnished to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 17. Secondly By the blood of Christ is the conscience 2. By the blood of Christ further purified we must not rest in the word alone without this blood which cleanseth both the book of Conscience and is sprinkled on the book of Scripture to give vertue to it Heb. 9. 14. Shall not the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God This is it that purgeth the defiled and guilty conscience from all his diseases and filthinesse Christs spittle opened the eyes of two blinde men once His blood openeth the eye of Mark 8. 23 Joh. 9. 6. blinde conscience ever This is the blood of sprinckling which alone purifies the heart from an evil conscience Heb. 10. 22. So that the soul may now draw nigh to God with boldnesse and much assurance Other blood and observances Read the 9. and 10. chap. to the Hebr. might serve to make an Israelite under the Law legally pure as to the flesh Onely this blood of Christ typified by the purification water the hyssop scarlet blood of bulls and goats can make a Christian Evangelically pure before God and Internally in the court of Conscience The book and people and all things pertaining to the Tabernacle were consecrated with blood Heb. 9. 22. And almost all things by the Law were purged with blood And without shedding of blood there is no remission To teach us what is more plainly expressed 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Wash me O Lord with this hyssâ—p and I shall Psal 51. 7. be clean Purge me with this blood and I shall be whiter then the snow Thirdly Conscience is purged by the Sperit 3 By the spirit of Christ of Christ together with the word and blood without there be a concurrence of all three the work is not done not the word alone without the blood and spirit can effect it noâ— the blood without the word and spirit nor yet the spirit without both the former The word is sprinkled on the Conscience to inform satisfie and purifie it The blood of Christ is sprinkled on the word as Exod 24. 8. compared with Heb. 9. 20. which it was not sufficient to have read but sprinkled with the blood of the Covenant to give vertue to it And the blood it self must be applyed by the spirit that the vertue of it may be brought home to the conscience The blood of Christ without the spirit is no better then his flesh without the spirit The flesh profits nothing It is the Spirit that quickeneth The principall Jo. 6. 63. part of the work of purifying Conscience belongs to the Spirit It was that eternal Spirit whereby Christ offered his Blood Heb. 9. 14. which did commend our conscience to God And this Spirit applying the blood offered doth commend and seal Gods Covenant to our Consciences Thus the spirit heals those three diseases It properly removes Ignorance being the Spirit of Illumination Eph. 1. 17 This rectifyes Errour being the spirit of Truth Joh 14. 17. This removes Deadness being the spirit of life Rom. 8. 2. This is the great Purifyer this the Refiners fire this the Fullers soape Malach 3. 2. whereby Christ doth refine and purifie the sons of Jacob. This the Spirit of Judgement and Spirit of burning wherewith God hath promised to wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion Esay 4. 4. CHAP. III. Of the Conscience rightly pacifyed Conscience rightly pacified II. A Right pacifyed Conscience This is the second property and part of the good Conscience laid down in the Definition Purity indeed is the more excellent kinde of goodnesse it being essentiall to the very being of good Conscience Peace is but an additional and a secondary part of that goodness and conduceth more to the bene esse then to the bare esse of good conscience It is a spirituall good but of a temporary nature not standing and immovable Peace is so far good as that the Conscience is not perfectly well without it but right Peace it must be or it is not good at all which that it may enjoy There are three things which Conscience must be 1. Pacifyed from 2. Pacifyed by Three things it must be pacified from 1. The three things Conscience must be pacifyed from are 1. The Reign of Sin 2. The rage of Satan 3. The displeasure of God 1 It must be at peace from the dominion of sin So long as Adonijah Reigneth Solomon is in danger while Sin is in his Power and Throne 1 From the raigne of sinne Conscience cannot be in safety Our Peace therefore which we should seek is not such a Peace as we are born unto or are possessed of while the strong man is Armed but is a recovered Peace regained by deposing the Usurper Like Israels Peace after the seditious commotion 2 Sam. 20. 22. was quietly setled when Shebahs head was off No peace to conscience while a Sheba up in Armes There is a Peace indeed when Sin and Satan are strongly armed and keep the house Luk. 11. 21. This is no good Peace this is the peace of a sleepy not an awakened conscience No war so miserable as Pax est sed Bello pax ea deterior such a peace when the soul is at ease in it self at peace with Sin at peace with Satan at agreement with Hell but at war and enmity with God Conscientia pacatè optima may be vitiosè pessima In tali pace amaritudo mea amarissima as Bernard or Ad pacem advenit Amara mihi Amaritudo as Junius reads that of Hezekiah in Is 38. 17. Wo to these that â—laugh now they
joynes faith and the good conscience together viz. cap. 1. v. 5. v. 19. cap. 3. 9. Indeed they cannot be parted The life of faith is ever bound up in the life and bundle of good conscience There is no good faith where not good conscience nor yet good conscience where true faith wanting where you see the one looke and you shall finde the other These two are like the Churches two breastes Cant. 7. 3. compared to two young Roes that are twins that are bred and fed and grow and thrive and decay and live and dye together The best Gold and this Bdellyum of a good conscience is no where to be found but in the Havilah of Faith Faith it is which purifyes the Gen. 2. 12. heart Act. 15. 9. and mends the conscience The Tree of Life only grows in Paradise good conscience onely in Faiths Garden Faith is the grace and sheafe To which all other graces and sheafs must bow and do their obeysance This casts her crown at the feet of Christ therefore they all set their crowns on the head of this Faith mends and commends every thing Faith gives being denomination and acceptation to every Gospel Graee and comfort and duty No love without Faith Gal. 5. 6. Phil. v. 5. No obedience but obedience of Faith Rom. 1. 5. 16. 26. No Repentance without Faith Mar. 1. 15. so faith and patience Heb. 6. 12. Faith and hope 1 Pe. 1. 21. No joy but joy of Faith Phil. 1. 25. No works but works of Faith 1 Thes 1. 3. No duties without faith The prayer of Faith Iam. 5. 15. Hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2. No life but the life of Faith Gal. 2 20. This is the salt that seasons every sacrifice So look first for Faith when thou imaginest thou hast a good conscience Let us draw neer saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 22. with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an ill conscience c. No true heart no assurance nay no Faith where no good conscience yet Nor good conscience to be looked for where Faith is not first to be found Among the Heathen Sages and Philosophers you may read good Sentences hear good expressions finde some good Actions but no good consciences because without Christ and without Faith Among a thousand Civilized morall persons not one good conscience because no Faith For it is the Apostles Rule Tit. 1. 15. To the unbeleeving and impure is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled None were found among the ordinary sons of men men of better tempers sweeter natures lovely and praise-worthy Deportments for Personall and Heroick vertues for sundry memorable sayings and generous actions then were Titus Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Antoninus Verus his Brother yea Valerian and that so much detested Julian yet nothing of good conscience in any of them all strangers to the knowledge and Theory of it All Enemies to the Practise and Power of it All Persecutors of the truth in their severall times and reignes Titus is called Amor deliciae generis humani Trajanus alioqui civiliter bonus laudatus princeps ob justitiam humanitatem adeo clarus ut postea laetae acclamationis quoties Crearetur Caesar praebuerit formulam sis faelicior Augusto Melior Trajano dixisse fertur praefecto praetorij gladium ei tradens Hoc Ense contra hostes utere si justa mandavero contra me si me videris injuste agere c. Hadrianus ingenio excelluit omnium doctrimarum capacissimus Dixisse fertur Imperatorem erga unumquemque debere esse talem qualem si privatus esset sibi vellet esse imperatorem at in Reguâ— Christi nullas portas regi gloriae aperuit sed inter milites est qui Christum crucifigunt Cent. Magd. Cent. 2. cap. 3. De persecut sub Traiano Hadriano Antoninus Pius solitus est dicere se malle unum civem servare quam mille hostes Occidere M. Antoninus Verus ingenio eruditione valuit Philosophi nomen adeptus est A Philosophiae studijs nec imperij negocijs nec Bellicis occupationibus unquam se avocari aut distrâ—hi passus est ex illis optimus imperator formatus multa in Remp. Rom. contulit praeclarissima merita Talem se omnibus praestitit ut ab omnibus amatetur At quo in suos commodior eo in Christianos gravior hic Antoninus Cent. Magd. cent 2. cap. 3. Valerian a most bloudy and Raging perecutor was princeps laudatus de quo scribit Trebellius cum senatus authoritate Censor crearetur in senatusconsulto has fuisse voces Valeriant vita censura est ille de omnibus judicet qui est omnibus melior Ille de senatu judicet qui nullum habet erimen ille cui nihil potest obijci de vita nostra sententiam ferat hunc censorem omnes accipimus hunc omnes imitari volumus cent 3. cap. 3. Julian equall to any of them scientia Philosophia Graecarum litterarum in eo magna fuit Iâ— studijs tanta assiduitate usus est ut semnum defraudans suum totas noctes interdum illis daret similis Tito existimatus bellorum successibus Trajano comparatus clementia Antonino Pio moderatione M. Aurelio Antonino litteratum scientia magnis Philosophis Magd. Cent. 4 Cap. 3. Hold faith and a good conscience saith the Text Hold the mystery of faIth in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. Good conscience is the Ring faith the Gemme and Jewell enriching and adorning this Ring Good conscience is the Cabinet faith the Pearle lockt up in it Good conscience the Ship faith the Merchandize that the Field this the Treasure hid in it faith the Apples of Gold this the Pictures or Tables of Silver in which it is set Faith is the Christians eye good conscience is the Christians eye-lid with the eye-lid men cannot see at all no sight at all in conscience where faith is not nor can the best eye see long without the eye-lid to cover and defend and guard it from dust and other injuries faith without conscience keeping it will soone decay Faith is the wise virgins Lamp good conscience is the Oyle that feeds it or make faith the Oyle good conscience is the Vessell that containes it what can the Lampe do without Oyle or Oyle without a Vessell So what 's Faith without good conscience or this without that But to conclude this correlation and agreement between faith and conscience or the relation and preheminence of faith to conscience with that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 8 9. 11 12. speaking of the relation between man and wife made to be meet helpers each for other So is faith to conscience so is Gen. 2. 18. conscience to be to faith it is not good nor safe for either to be alone The man is the glory of God the woman is the glory of the man saith he ver 7. So say I faith setteth the Crowne on
Christs head is his glory good conscience sets the crowne on faiths head is faiths glory For though there be two great preheminences which faith hath above Conscience the same that the man hath above the woman 1. That the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man hoc est taken out of man so faith is not out of conscience but conscience out of faith 2. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Nor was faith created for consciences use but conscience for faiths Yet he concludes v. 11. Neverthelesse neither is the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord So neither is faith without good conscience nor can good conscience be without faith in the Lord For the Relation is Reciprocall and the dependance and benefit mutuall ver 12. For as the woman is of the man so is the man also by the woman but all things originarily and primarily of God So also here it is as good conscience is of faith so faith is by good conscience but both of God for mutuall comfort and delight And from this couple the Church is propagated and increased to this day These two as Leah and Rachel build up the house of Israel faith bearing children to the Church on good consciences knees and good conscience bringing up those children which faith hath borne at her breasts as Ruth brought forth children for the comfort of Naomi and Naomi brought up those children for the ease of Ruth Hold Faith and you are sure of a good Conscience CHAP. VI. Of a pure Conscience THe second good conscience is the Pure The Conscience of purity Conscience The fine Linnen clean and white Rev. 19. 8. is the righteousnesse of Saints and the Lambes wifes ornament The pure cleane and undesiled conscience is the inherent and internall righteousnesse of the Saints and the Ornament of the Christian Of this good conscience the Apostle speaketh often to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 5. The pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned put together and 3. 9. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. I serve God from my forefathers with a pure conscience The former goodnesse of conscience by meanes of faith makes the conscience good before God the justified conscience This of purity makes it good before men the sanctified and renewed conscience that was by the blood of Christ this is by the Spirit and Grace of Christ Of this wee have spoken somewhat already chap. 2. therefore shall need to say the lesse here Blessed are these pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5. 8. And 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope of seeing God as he is must purifie himselfe as God is pure God is a God of pure eyes and cannot Good conscience is of Hab. 1. 13. pure eyes and must not behold iniquity Great are the comforts benefits and priviledges of this pure conscience and high are the promises made to it With whom will God shew himselfe pure but to and with the pure And to the froward he will shew himselfe Psal 18. 26. Lev. 26. 23 24. as froward To them that walk contrary to him he will walke contrary to them Who is he that shall ascend the hill of the Lord Or who shall stand in his holy place He that hath the cleane Psalme 24. 3 4 5. hands and the pure heart who hath not lift up his soule unto vanity This is the man who shall receive the Blessing of the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation In the pure water thy face may be seen which cannot in muddy water In a pure conscience Gods face is to be seene no where else in earth and by none in heaven but by the pure in heart This is the Mountaine of transfiguration where Mar. 9. 1 2. alone the Kingdom of God is seene coming with power This is the only Isle Patmos where Rev. 1. are the Revelations and Visions of the Sonne of man Here is Gods Booke with seven Seales unsealed This is the Sanctum Sanctorum beyond that in Solomons Temple all overlaid with pure Gold in which God doth dwell sit upon a Mercy-Seat and make known his minde giving answers whensoever consulted with and enquired after herein The pure conscience is the Heart after Gods heart who is all for purenesse he loveth Righteousnesse and hateth all uncleannesse No Sacrifice in which was any Blemish or Spot Psal 11. 7. 45. 7. was to be offered no Sacrifice with Leaven no Priests sonne might come neere to Officiate Lev. 1. 3 10 Lev. 2. 11. Lev. 21. 18. in whom was any blemish no High Priest presume to sacrifice in any legall uncleannesse on him But his standing Rule is I will be sanctified in them that draw neere to me Lev. 10 3. None were to come in to the Persian King but such as were first purified and had passed through twelve whole moneths in a course of purification Esth 2. 12. What manner of persons ought they to be then that shall come before God either to waite on the Ministery or to partake of Ordinances And what measure of Purification should we come addressed withall Now this Purification is that of Conscience especially Heb. 9. 14. and 10 22. Therefore wash thy heart O Jerusalem that thou Jâ—r â— 14. Mat. 23. 26. mayest be saved Let not vaine thoughts lodge in thee Purge the inside of the cup and platter O Pharisee that thy outside may be cleane also But in these dayes there is much of Liberty little of Purity of Conscience Shall we call them pure with the bag of deceitfull weights and with the wicked Ballances as the Prophet Micah saith Micah 6 10 11. Are there yet the Treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abominable and shall these be counted pure There is a Generation indeed pure in their own eyes who are yet not washed from their filthinesse There is such a Generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up Prov. 30. 12 13. speaking too lively of such a generation as ours is Shall we say such have any thing of conscience or grace in them who can live loosely speak scurrilously and scoffe at purity holinesse strictnesse and all piety Where shall the wicked and ungodly appeare if onely the pure in heart are blessed Take heed then of all impurity and defilement by any allowed sinne whatsoever weakneth Purity wasteth Peace Conscience is the Temple of God whosoever defileth this 1 Cor. 3. 17 Temple destroyes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is and him will God destroy The craâ—â—â—r flaw in the Bell not so much lesseneth the soundnesse as marreth the sound of the Bell. How few good Consciences are there then in these impure and licentious dayes to be found when purity and strictnesse is exploded as a badge of
follow the example of all sufferings Jesus Christ who being 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. reviled reviled not again when he suffered be threatened not but committed his cause to him who judgeth righteously yet had he done no evil neither was any guile found in his mouth 6. Lastly be sure thou commit thy self to God when thou art suffering according to the will of God in well doing so is the Apostles rule 1 Pet. 4. 19. Suffering times had not need bee sinning times he will never make good Martyr that is not a good Saint first The Israelites were warned not to go Ex. 2. 22. out of their doors but to be within at their Sacrifice when the Destroyer was abroad Daniel was within at his Prayers when the Inquisitors came to apprehend him Many cautions are to be kept in suffering times and many ingredients must be in our sufferings that they may be comfortable sufferings 1. It is not poena but causa was said of old Cum boni malique pariter afflicti sunt non ideo ipsi distincti non sunt quia distinctum non est quod utrique perpessi sunt manet enim dissimilitudo passorum etiam in similitudine passionum licet sub eodem tormento non est idem virtus vitium Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 1. c. 8. that is true but not enough 2. I may say it is not poena and causa too that makes a Martyr but conscientia 3. Nor is it every conscientia but conscientia Dei 4. Nor is it poena causa conscientia but vita that makes the Martyr 5. But poena causa conscientia vita patientia aut modus patiendi makes the compleat Martyr A good cause a good conscience a good life a good death a good matter to suffer for a good manner to suffer in make the happie sufferer and the honourable Martyr Thus much of the Passive or suffering Conscience CHAP. XIIII Of the last Good Conscience the Conscience of Charitie THus are we come to speak of the last of Of the conscience of charity those ten particular good Consciences which we propounded at first that is the Conscience of Charity which I have reserved this last place for not because it is of the last or least worth but because the world hath put it in the last place if so be yet it hath left it any place at all This is that which the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 1. 5. As the end and perfection of the Law and Gospel too Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and faith unfaigned Whereever you see truth of Charity question not there the truth of Conscience The more of Charity the more of Conscience And the now totall want almost of this in the world argues the generall want of good Conscience in this Iron Age of the world These are the daies foretold by our Saviour wherein all iniquity doth abound Mat. 24. 12 and vice increase because Conscience doth decrease and Charity wax cold The world was never more full of knowledg nor emptie of Charitie 1 Cor. 8. 1. All have that knowledg which puffs up few that charity which should build up and while Conscience in most men calls for freedom Charity is by all left bound But it is by this badge of Charity that you may know a Disciple of Christ better then by the Joh. 13. 35 Language of a Galilean Now this Charity is twofold Charity of two kinds Externall or Civill Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall and Christian And this Externall Charity is threefold respecting three sorts of persons 1 Poore 2 Neighbours 3 Enemies 1. To the poore is to be shewed the love or Outward or civil and that first to the poor charity of beneficence To the neighbour and friend a love of benevolence and to the enemie a love of forgiveness Tranquilla Conscientia est omnibus dulcis nulli gravis utens amico ad gratiam inimico ad patientiam cunctis ad benevolentiam quibus potest ad beneficentiam Bernard de Consc 1. To the poore is to be shewed the charity of beneficence and well-doing This kinde of charity is the worlds grand Benefactor the poores great Almoner the widows Treasurer the Orphans Guardian the oppressed mans Patron This lendeth eyes to the blinde feet to the lame deals out bread to the hungry clothing to the naked maketh the widows heart sing for joy and brings upon the Donour the blessing of him who was ready to perish How did Zacheus shew the truth of the work of grace upon his Conscience but by those first-fruits of his charity Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor Luk. 19. 8. How did Job vindicate his conscientiousness and sincerity against all his friends detracting calumnies Job 30. 12 13 14 15 16. but by such unquestionable demonstrations of his charity I delivered the poor that cried the fatherless and him that had no helper The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I made the widows heart to sing for joy I was eyes to the blinde and feet was I to the lame I was a father to the poor c. Religious Obadiah left it to Elias to judge of his sincerity and whether he truly feared God or no 1 Kin. 18. 13. Was it not told my Lord what I did when Jezabel slew the Prophets of the Lord how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets and sed them by fifty in a cave with bread and water Nehemiah that matchlesse pattern of a self-denying Magistrate had much comfort in relating what oppressions he had removed and what ease he had procured to his Country how chargeable others had been how charitable he not so much as ever requiring the Governours bread nor his ordinary allowance but had at his own charge redeemed many Captives relieved many impoverished and when he hath done concludeth to the comfort of his Conscience Nehem. 5. 19. Think upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people To be short it is one of the good mans Characters Psal 112. 5. That he is mercifull and giveth and of the good womans That she stretcheth out her hand to the poor and in her heart and mouth is the law of kindness Prov. 31. 20 26. Abraham and Lot so famous of old for faith and piety were persons as eminent for their charity liberality and hospitality What should I speak of the Alms of Cornelius who hath a compleat description of a godâ—y man applied to him That he was a devout man one that feared God with all his house who gave much Almes to the People and prayed to God alway These Alms of his are said to come into remembrance with God Acts 10. 2 4. Yea Every liberall soul deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall he stand Isai 32. 8. When the Instruments of the Churle are evil he deviseth wicked devices
of later times have had the boldness to call it that Idoll of Sanctification That no regard was to be had to any scandall taken by others That all things Studiosè sibi iurpem vitam elegerunt ut infamiam opprobrium Ecclesiae conciliarent Basilides vesci jussit Idolothytis seu victimis rebus illis quae simulachris immolatae essent indifferenter sine respectu Conscientiae etiam in casu scandali Fidem perjurio negare tempore persecutionis Carpocrates omnibus operationibus libidinibus indifferenter uti necessarium dâ—â—it ut sine Turpitudine nemo perfectionem mystagogtae consequi posset Alli se Jesu similes alii se Petro Paulo praestantiores ob excellentiam cognitionis dixerunt Vide Plura Mag. Cent. 2. cap. 5. were lawfull That they might converse with any Idolaters and Idolothytes That the onely way to perfection in their mysterious Religion was to give themselves to any libidinous and obscene actions That some of theirs were equall to Christ Jesus himself and nothing inferiour to him And as for Peter Paul and the other Apostles they were far their superiours and their Doctrine more perfect then any of theirs That to denie and forswear their faith in case of danger was lawfull c. These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Text speaks of who deal with Conscience as Amnon did with Thamar first ravish and abuse 2 Sam. 13. 17. it then put it out of doors And like those Sons of Sodom who will no longer endure any more reproofs but assault the reproover in his own house This is he who came to Gen. 19. 9. sojourn and he will now be a judge therefore will we deal worse with thee c. These give the Harlot erronious or seared Conscience the living childe from the right mother pure and tender Conscience laying the dead child at her doors But while these give Conscience a Bill of divorce God gives them a Bill of divorce And while they would make Conscience a reprobate themselves become reprobates A shame it is these things should be said or suffered among Christians What would those ignorant Heathens now say if they should see these things who when once they saw the Spirit carriage and Acts of the Apostles cried out The Gods are come down to Act. 14. 11. us in the likeness of men But changing their voice say that rather Devils are come up to us in the likeness and under the name of Saints But to conclude This particular conscience is that which doth constitute and commend the Christian and all that belongs to the Christian The Christian is no more a Christian if he have not and keep not a good Conscience Our Baptism is no Gospel Baptism but without efficacie if there want a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3. 21. Knowledg not right Gospel Knowledg if not according to godliness Tit. 1. 1. Faith no more Gospel Faith if not joined with Conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. Love no more Love if separated from good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. nor assurance good assurance if not joined with good Conscience Heb. 10. 22. nor Obedience acceptable except for Conscience Rom. 13. 5. nor Sufferings thank-worthy if not for Conscience 1 Pet. 2. 19. You may do much in vain and suffer and expend much in vain and all be in vain if not for Conscience sake Yea the blood of Christ it self profits not if not sprinkled upon pure Conscience Heb. 9. 14. 2. The second mistake is a practicall mistake of those who reckon not Conscience a Fort or Tower but a Snare and a Prison rather and think in evil times to abandon and desert it is the onely safetie He that looks overmuch to Conscience must die a begger is a chief Article of the worlds Creed Better protection is to be had in policie and a safer refuge in lies and falshood and to make an agreement with hell and covenant with death or to break the Covenant with God and agreement with Heaven is the onely way to securitie But shall not an overflowing Isai 28. 17 18. scourge come and sweep away the refuge of lies as the Prophet saith And shall not men at last be forced to say That the effect of righteousness is onely quietness and assurance for ever Isai 32. 17. When the sinners in Sion shall be afraid and the hypocrites surprized with fear crying out Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14 15. Then shall he that walketh uprightly be set up on high and have his defence in the munition of rocks c. 3. There be others who will easily yeeld that good Conscience is worth making of but are mightily mistaken in judging what good Conscience is And there be many mistakes in this respect First some and those very many do conceive if they live according to their Conscience they doe well although their Conscience bee but a naturall Conscience Now the nature of Conscience is very good but the Conscience of Nature is very bad Some good naturall Conscience may have in it but good it cannot be called 1. It may make a man cum seipso scire Rom. 2. 15. And so become a law unto himself 2. Such an one may cum aliis scire and so far is good as Adrian said to do that to others which he would exspect from others 3. Such an one may be exact in matters of the second Table he may answer all the duties of naturall and civill Relations observe the Lawes of humanitie and friendship religiously be true to his trust interest countrey friend promise engagement to his Oath taken as Regulus To the salt of the Palace Ezra 4. 14. as those Idolaters were 4. He may make scruple of many sins such as the light of nature condemnes gross sins commonly Abimelech abhors adulterie Gen. 205. Pilate's Conscience grudges and relucts Joh. 18. 31 38. 19. 4 8. Act. 25. 27 to condemn an innocent man to death Festus holds it unreasonable to send a Prisoner bound without matter of weight charged upon him to be inserted in the Mittimus 5. He may have some sense of the Deitie of God and of the force of Religion Rom. 1. 20. and 2. 14 15. 6. May in that respect tremble sometimes and be terrified in Conscience for sin and hell as Felix Act. 24. 25. 7. He may sometimes and ever and anon when he seriously reflects on himself have a dislike of his own state and wayes and know and confess his sinfull doings yea he may have store and plentie of teares and make shew of much passion and compunction for sin so did Saul 1 Sam. 24. 16. and 26. 21. Hee was under great and frequent fits of horror of this naturall Conscience 8. Or he may on the other side have much inward and pleasing naturall Peace while he observes the rules and dictates of his naturall Conscience Rom. 2. 15. They have their
and love death Good Conscience is the Prov. 8. 39. charge we travell with whatever danger we may meet with in our way we must run or fight or die or fly for it rather then deliver up such a charge Good Conscience is the Ship in which we embarque and adventure all we have Credit State Libertie Life and Soul too as Noab put all into one Bottome all his Familie all the Catholike Church and the Reserve of the whole world and all was safe This Vessel or Man of war must never be yeelded up but rather we must sink and perish in the defense of it Good Conscience is our strong Fort which we must upon no terms capitulate to deliver up to the enemie but chuse rather to die upon the ground Secondly look upon Timothie as a Minister and this doth further inform us That a good Conscience is the good Ministers great Charge This charge I commit to thee Son Timothie to hold Faith and a good Conscience These are Arma Ministri The Ministers weapons The Minister must be a man of Conscience and for Conscience wholly This is the floore he must daily purge This the garden which he must dress and keep The living stone which he must hew and polish to make Temples for Christ of This the Sanctum Sanctorum into which the Gospel-Minister must daily enter Faith and good Conscience are his principall weapons he must be most expert in and exercising at both in Person and Pulpit This is to preach the whole counsell of God to preach Faith in God and Conscience in men To say that Conscience is a Dutie is too little it is the Summe of all Duties To call good Conscience a Grace is too little it is the Summe of all Graces It is Totum Dei The whole Command of God It is Totum homi is The whole Dutie of man Good Conscience is the Contents of the whole Bible and all the Scripture bound up in a small Volume Will you hear in one word the summe of all Keep Faith and a good Conscience This is the whole dutie of man The summe of the first Table is Epitomized in one word Love God with all thy heart Of the second in another word Love thy Neighbour as thy self But the summe of both Tables of the Law and all duties of the Gospel is reduced to this one word Conscience Hast thou Conscience Thou dost fulfill the first hast thou Conscience Thou wilt fulfill the second Thou O man of God look well to thy Charge thy own and thy Peoples Conscience Herein must thou daily exercise thy self as a workman who needeth not to bee ashamed to keep thy self pure and to keep thy peoples Conscience without offense to God and man warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. The Heathen Priests and Aruspices were to be skilfull in the Entrails of the beasts and by inspection into the Sacrifices they were wont to make their observations The Gospel Minister his Inspection must be into the inwards of his flock The best Christian is he who is most versed in his own Conscience and the best Minister is he who is best acquainted and hath most to do in his peoples Consciences Bernard hath an excellent saying of Conscience Vnicuique suus est Libellus Conscientia propter hunc Libellum omnes alii libri inventi sunt Every mans Conscience is his own Book and Bible and for this little Books sake all the good Books in the world yea the Bible it self were written All Divines Sermons All Divines writings treat of this Book And whatsoever Books are in the world if they no way tend to this end to inform or direct or satisfie or better Conscience it were better that the world wanted all those books How happie were it in these times if Conscience was preached more and Controversies less Whatever is the man that preacheth Conscience would be the matter preached and spoken off whatever be the Auditorie Conscience would be the Argument whatever the Occasion Conscience the Subject of the Discourse whatever be the Text Conscience would be the Doctrine handled whatever the Doctrine Conscience would be the Vse whatever the Companie Conscience would bee the Conference Else I am bold to say whatever be the Preacher or Hearer or Text or Doctrine or Reason or Vse or Conference nothing is spoken fit for the Preacher or pertinent to the Matter or Auditorie or Occasion or Text or Doctrine or Vse or Companie Conscience is the Lay-mans onely Book he can read no other It is the Ministers Concordance which he must peruse and studie most He is not a Preacher that is not well verst in this This little Book is like that little Book given to the two Prophets Ezekiel in the third of Ezek. v. 3. and St John Revel 10. 9 10. which both are commanded to eat and to receive inwardly into their bellie not into their mouth or head or hand Son of man cause thy bellie to eat and fill thy Qui legem Dei recte interpretantur referunt eam ad rectum finem seu scopum qui est charitas ex puro coâ—de conscientia bona fide non simulata at isti doctores non referunt legem ad hunc sinem sed ab istis commemoratis rebus tanquam à sâ—â—po aberrant ergo non rectè legem interpretantur sed ad vaniloquentiam deflectunt bowels with this Roll which I give thee But with this difference that to the godly and faithfull Minister it is like Ezekiels Roll as Honey for sweetness but to an unsound and man-pleaâ—ing Minister it is like John's Book Sweet in the mouth to discourse of Bitter in the bellie displeasing when it comes to practise This is the mark we should aim at saith Piscator upon that place 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. The end of the commandment is charitie out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfained which some having swerved from have turned a side unto vain jangling That is the right interpreting of the Scripture when we referre all to this end to promote Charitie and Puritie and Faith and Conscience to leave these is to miss the mark and to become Janglers not Preachers Thirdly this informes us in particular how it comes that so many daily break in Citie and Countrey making shipwrack of Credit of States and Families the matter is they were broken at home first in their Consciences then they must needs break abroad Break Conscience and thou art broken none thrive after it This makes the worst bankrupts it makes a man to be out of Credit with God and in his own heart A moth or worm in Conscience is commonly followed with a moth and worm in the estate The inheritance hastily gotten is as soon wasted From the hire of an harlot if it came to the hire of an harlot it returns Micah 1. 7.
the great State The godly man saith there is no such necessity for me to have two eyes or two hands there is no necessity of preserving my credit of securing my state of providing for my family no such necessity of gathering riches to live honoured and so dye wealthy but there is an absolute necessity lyes upon me to fly hell save my soul lay hold on eternall life and to this end to get a good conscience If I have but a good conscience left me faith the Christian I have enough while I have that I can want nothing I may be counted poor yet am truly rich I may be looked upon as outwardly sorrowing but behold I am alway rejoycing as dying but I live 2 Cor. 6. Austin said of some Christians Amiserunt omnia quae habebant nunquid fidem nunquid pietatem nunquid interioris hominis bona qui est ante Deum dives de civ Dei l. 1. c. 10. as unknown yet well known as a deceiver yet true as having nothing yet possessing all things I may have dirt cast upon my face good conscience will wipe all off 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil they may be ashamed who falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ I may lye under great pressures even to despair of help or life good conscience supports me and makes all light 2 Cor. 1. 12. I may have my credit blasted yet repaired againe as Joseph had State ruined yet restored againe as Job had life lost yet found againe as Christ Jesus promised but if conscience be lost I am a lost man The world may with their lightning as the Philosopher saith Consume the scabbard but not at all peirce the sword destroy and split the caske but not spill the liquor or wine in it yet how sad it is that the getting and using conscience is so much among the most of men neglected Every one observeth his rule and way Si curtatus in aequali Ton sore capillos Vel si Toga dissidet impar Horat. Vide Domine quomodo diligenter observent filii bominum pacta literarum syllabarum accepta à prioribus locutoribus à te acceptvae terna pacta perpetuae salutis negligant Conf. l. 1. c. 18. of living but the Christian Every Artificer studieth to be exact in his kind the Taylor hath his measure or his patternes the Carpenter heweth and Squareth his timber the Mason his stone by rule he maketh his wall by Line and Plummet must not the Christian observe his measure his patterne his rule and line The welbred Gentleman is ashamed to be seene abroad in an undecent habit if he be not drest from Top to Toe in the best fashion he thinkes he is not like himselfe And is not the Christian to observe his fashion and demenour Austin did observe and bewaile this exceeding Pathetically the Grammarian observeth his Rules of speaking given him by his master and shall not we observe our Rules of doing given us by God himself the Grammarian or Orator observes his Construction his Pronounciation will not say Inter hominibus for inter homines will not lose you a Letter nor an accent nor an aspiration saith he which is no Letter he will not commit such a Verball fault as to say Ominem for Hominem yet saith he he that will not against the Rules of Grammer the Precepts of his Schoolemaster pronounce Ominem for hominem dare against the Rules of Divinity and precept of God Hate a man odisse Hominem Yea saith he you may observe the Eloquent Orator or Lawyer is more carefull of his words when pleading against his Adversary and is more afraid to speake one word improperly then to aggravate his charge without all charity and Conscience Vigilantissimè Cavet ne Per linguae Errorem dicat inter hominibus et ne per mentis furorem hominem auferat ex hominibus non eavet yea he confesseth and bewaileth it as one of his owne sins when he was a young Scholler that he did abhor Barbarous Solaecisines and Incongruities of speech more then absurdities and incongruities in his actions But let all men know wheresoever Conscience is wanting or not attended there is yet no Grace nor shall there ever be glory First there is yet no Grace at all in that heart the first lesson and the A. B. C. of a Christian is Make Conscience The first thing that God doth worke in that mighty change from nature to Grace and Translation from death to life is the new heart He begins ever with Conscience He a wakens it he softens it enlightneth it enliveneth it He cleanseth it he Sanctifieth it Ezek. 36. 25 26. He dwelleth in it The first worke of Grace is the Donation of a new heart and the change of a stone into flesh The sense of Externall feeling is the first Indication of the life of nature this sense of Internall feeling is the first and best discoverie of the life of Grace He that hath not his Conscience sprinkled purged quickned renewed and of a new impression is not at all of God yet nor belongeth to him Because he neither hath his Image nor his Superscription Therefore neither shall he ever have Glory which is the second thing Secondly where is yet no Good Conscience There shall be no Glory As in the New Creature where God worketh Grace he begins with Conscience as was said before So in the new Covenant where God promiseth Glory he begins with Conscience also This is the Covenant of grace when God promiseth to blot sinnes out of his booke of Remembrance He giveth unto man a New Conscience for a Book of Remembrance unto duty and obedience Heb. 8. 10. 11. 12. This is the Covenant I will make with the house of Israel I will put my lawes into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbor and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest for I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more In which words the Lord alludeth to what he did to his people Israel when he made the old Ceremoniall Covenant with them He spake to them gave them his mind in writing delivered them the two Tables containing the Tenor and duties of the Covenants these Tables were to be layd up in the Arke God will do much more now he will speake to the heart write the law in new Tables fleshly Tables of the heart and keepe them there as in the Arke And there they shall be for a continuall monitor remembrance that they shall need the lesse of outward teaching and humane Laws they having an inward Directer and Admonisher and a Divine Law within God will pardon no mans sinnes which is
on part of the Covenant where this written Law is not in the heart which is another and former part of the Covenant The High Priest might not go into the Sanctum Sanctorum unlesse Sanctified and sprinkled outwardly with the bloud of the appointed expiation nor shall any enter into Heaven whose Conscience is not first sprinkled and purified with the bloud and Spirit of Christ The Persian King had none came in unto him but they were first purified prepared a whole twelve moneth before There shall Esther 2. 12. certainly be admitted into Gods presence and Kingdome nothing that is defiled and uncleane But all must be in some good measure Reu. 21. 27 purified that they may be made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. In the second place it doth much more reprove those that sometimes had some kind of Conscience and have now lost it This is the losse of losses If a man have losses at Sea he takes on if lost a child he mournes if lost an eye or an Arme he grieves if by a Dead Palsie he hath lost the use of a side he sees Death on himself and reckons himselfe halfe dead what is it thinkest thou to have lost thy Conscience If Quae laedunt oculos festinas tollere si quid est animumi differs curandi tempus in Annum any Moat or Dust be in the eye he Rubbes and wipes his eye and cannot be quiet till he get it out If but a thief in the candle he takes it out but who is sensible of the losse and spoyle of Conscience which is the greatest losse Now a man may recover most losses or beare any losse but this and not be miserable This he cannot sight may be lost and recovered a child may be lost and thou mayst have another credit may be broken and regained as Iosephs state broken and repayred as Iobs liberty lost and regained as Iehoiakins life lost and be redeemed and a better given for it but this is the undoing loss this breaks a man for ever and makes a Bankrupt of him he never recovers This was Iudaas's Rupture This man falles downe Headlong Breakes in pieces in the midst all his bowels fall out with this fall and to his place he hastens The man that hath lost his Conscience may justly cry out with Micha's complaint what have I moreto lose I have lost my God Jud. 18. 24 I have lost my Priest I have lost my Conscience which was to me as both and what have Vt in portum perueni amus regendus est bona Conscientia navigationis nostrae cursus I more I have lost my Jewels and all my goods shall any stop my mouth and say what aylest thou losse of Conscience is like the losse of a Pylot to the Ship or the losse of Card Compasse Sayles Anchors to the Pylot they are at mercy of the Sea and in the next storme in danger of being cast away It s a sad and fearefull sight to see a man in a Phrensie that hath run out of his wits and hath lost his understanding he is now besides himselfe he knowes not friend from foe nor mindeth what he does nor what comes of him what a Phrensie is the man in that is run out of his Conscience He hath lost his Right minde indeed and is quite Distracted and beside himselfe A man cannot be called Compos mentis as a Christian if he be not Compos Gonscientiae It is the Countrimans observation as a Prognostick of an Ill and stormy day to follow If the Sun Rise and appeare betimes and go to bed againe as they call it then they looke for ill weather ere night you may observe it while you will it never fayles If Conscience in a young Professor be up betimes and then go to bed againe such a man hath sorrowes and miseries following upon his spirit and many an ill storme he must expectere he die The losse of Conscience to a man is like the losse of the sting to the Bee shee gathers no more Honey but becomes a Drone and is expelled out of the Hive Losse of Conscience makes a man to be as Nabuchadnezar when he had lost his Reason It was the losse of his Kingdome He was Deposed from the Throne driven away by Dan. 4 33 34 36. his people acknowledged no more for a King nor looked upon as a man but a fit companion for Beasts till he looked up to God and received his reason againe A man rejecting Conscience is like Saul rejecting the word of God rejected and cast off by God for it 1 Sam. 15. 26. Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee Because thou hast despised knowledge God hath despised thee Hos 4. 6. The losse of Conscience to a man some time acquainted with it and guided by it is like the losse of the Star to the Wise men Mat. 2. it is as much as the losse of all thy Grace and of all thy Peace all thy comfort is worth It is the losse of Christ They had not their joy againe till they saw the Star again nor could they go to Christ without it CHAP. XXII The use of Terror to four sorts of men THe next Use speaketh Terror and that in particular to four sorts of men 1. To such as have no care to get or keep a good Conscience nor to avoid an evill All the diseases of the soul are bred first in an evill and vicious Conscience all the torments miseries of Hel are epitomized in an unquiet and self-tormenting Conscience Suam secum Gehennam Portat Ipsa testis Ipsa judex Ipsa Torter ipsa carcer This man carries his Hell along with him where ever he comes or goes he carries his offence his accuser his witnesse his Judge his Jaylor his tormentor with him This is the sad melancholly Ague which will set thee a shaking that no fire can warme Sua quemque fraus suum facinus suum scelus sua audacia de sanitate ac mente Deturbat Hae sunt improrum furiae hae flammae hae faces Cicero Cur tamen hos tu evasisse putes quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos surdo verbere caedit occulto quatīente animo tortore flagellum Juvenal Sat. 13. thee nor canst thou get any heat within thee and though it may intermit and leave thee for a day or two it is but gathering strength to assault thee more fiercely when the next fit comes None can altogether excuss and extinguish Conscience let him do what he can snub'd it may be betrayed it may be as Sampson was Imprisoned it may be you may cut his locks put out his eyes make him grinde and be thy slave and drudge thou maiest be so secure as to make sport with him yet will his locks grow againe his strength will returne and he will be revenged
the Rev. 11. 14. second woe is past to make way for the third the greatest woe that cometh quickly i. e. immediately upon it Many wicked escape the first woe in life but as it befel them that scaped the sword of 1 King 19. 17. Hazael there were two other worse swords of Jehu and Elisha that should dispatch them after The sword of Hazael may spare the wicked in this life but then the sword of Jehu meets with them at death and again the sword of Elisha at the day of judgement He may flee from the iron sword but then Job 20. 22. the how of steel shal strike him thorough Or as Amos hath it He may fly from a Lion in life Am. 5. 19. and a Bear meet him at death and the Serpent bite him at the day of judgement This yet hath an end though it be long first at the day of judgement the second woe ends but a greater succeeds If a man live Eccl. 11. 8. many years saith Solomon and rejoice in them all yet let him remember the dayes of darknesse that they are many The dayes of darknesse that is in hell are many and long dayes they be from thy death to the end of the world is but one day and there are many more after which are longer a thousand years is but as one day and every one of those dayes are as a thousand years yet are there many of them more than ten thousands of such dayes there are for they are without number But the third woe payes for all which is at 3 Woe at the day of Judgment the day of judgement then shall all the Cataracts of wrath be set open and all the vials of wrath filled and emptied out upon the heads of the wicked Then shall the Lord rain fire and brimstone from the Lord out of Heaven Then shall the sealed book of Conscience be unclasped and out of thy own mouth and heart and book shalt thou be judged Then shall both Earth and Sea and Hell and Death deliver up all their dead but not to be annibilated that they would account an unspeakable mercy but only to be Arraigned tryed sentenced Then shall Death and Hell be cast again into the lake of fire which is the second and eternall death Then shall a Hell in Conscience be cast into a Hell of despair and an Hell of guilt into an Hell of pain But of this third woe it is no where said the third woe is past Life ends and with it the first woe The world ends and with it the second woe But Etermity ends not therefore the third woe never ends Hence the judgement of that day is called Eternal Judgement Heb. 6. 2. and the destruction of the wicked an everlasting Destruction 2. Thess 1. 9. The first woc may be a sad one yet it cannot be long because life is short The second woe is more sad because more long but though long it is it is not for ever The third is the sad and killing woe because it is both long and endlesse There is the great Gulfe fixed that there is no comming over As the first woe leaves a man the second woe finde him as the second leaves him the third finds him but the third never leaves Look how Life leaves Death finds as Death leaves Judgement finds as Judgement leaves Eternity finds But this Eternity leaves not his place to any other Eternity is a pit which hath no bottome it is a large bottome that can never be unravelled it is a Center which hath no circumference no measure of times or number of Ages can fathom or reckon the length of it It hath ever a beginning of his dayes hath never an end of his years when Time shall be no more Eternity is but beginning It is a long and perpetuall night which shall never have a morning to succeed it Now to all Eternity thy evill Conscience shall accompany thee and fill thy heart with new tortures of Grief and fear and wrath and bitternesse and despair But this third woe must never have an end Means The means to be used to the getting and keeping of good Conscience are Principal and they two Subservient and they many The Principal means and without which 1. The Blood of Christ all the rest are insufficient are two First to get the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience by the hand of faith As David said of Goliah's sword There is none to that give it 1 Sam. 21. 9. me So may we say of this bloud This purgeth the Conscience from all dead works that it may serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. All duties gifts observances Performances nothing to this Other things may make the out-side clean before men the bloud of Christ is that alone which maketh the Conscience clean before God that there is now no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and spot of it So Heb. 10. 29. The bloud of the Covenant is that whereby the beleever is sanctified Whatsoever other means are used courses are taken as by confession contrition satisfaction reading praying fasting building Alms-houses or the like they are no more without this to the commending of the Conscience unto God or taking away sin from the Conscience than Adams Fig-leaves to take away the shame of his nakednesse or the washing of Pilates hands in fair water to cleanse his soul from the foul sin of Bioud-guiltinesse He should have washed his heart in the bloud of Christ than had he been free from all his sins and not his hands in water that he might be free from the bloud of Christ His bloud is that Zach. 13. 1. Fountain opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse This bloud of Christ we should pray pathetically and fervently as the Jewes did passionately and furiously that it may be upon us and on our Children not on our heads but on our hearts not to be charged upon us but sprinkled on us not by Vulnera Christi eivitates refugii Sanguis Christi sons Bethlehemi Joh. 6. 53. 54. way of imputation but of expiation The wounds of Christ are our City of Refuge said one And the bloud of Christ is the well of Bethlehem which we should long for and break through an host of difficulties to come unto Except we drink this bloud we have no life in us But who so eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternal life and Christ promiseth to raise him up at the last day Fly then to this City of refuge and escape the Avenger Sprinkle this blood on thy Door-posts and escape the Destroyer Look up to this Brazen Serpent and be cured of all stings of Conscience from the fiery Serpent Cast in this Jonah and the raging Sea is calmed both of Gods displeasure and Consciences disturbance Go to this Samaritan for his Wine and Oyle to thy wounded Conscience
his Wine to wash cleanse and search it if defiled his Oyl to mollifie supple and heal it if bruised festered This is the first and great Experiment to be used The second is like unto it namely this 2. The Spirit of Christ to get and seek the Spirit of Christ which is the next principal ingredient in or efficient of a good Conscience It is the Spirit of God with our Spirit that makes the good Conscience In this sense we may allow that of Origen That Conscience is another Spirit in the soul therefore the Apostle saith of his Conscience that it did bear him Rom. 9. 1. witnesse in the Holy Ghost The single Testimonie of natural Conscience is not much to be regarded in many cases but when Conscience is cleared by the Spirit and seconded with the Spirit the Testimony of these two is great and weighty the Spirit of God witnessing thus to our spirit is the clearest Testimony of Rom. 8. 16. of our Adoption and Salvation which thy Conscience alone is not to be credited in for what could the light of our body the eye see and discern if it were not for the light of the Heaven the Sun we should have a continuall Night So without the Spirit the light of God what can Conscience our light see and discern of the things of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. that God doth reveal unto his servants the deep mysteries of the Gospel by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him So the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of Cod c. So that wheresoever the spirit of God is there is the good Conscience where it is wanting Conscience cannot be good Where the naturall enlivening Spirit is absent or departed there is no life or vegetation or sense or reason or motion but all death darkness coldnesse c. So where the enlivening Spirit of Grace is wanting to the soul there is no life sense motion comfort but all is dead within and all the works are but dead works But where the Spirit is there is life there is light there is liberty and there is purity there is peace and there is grace there is comfort and there is Conscience there is indeed all 2 Subservient means The subservient means are thirteen whereof the first six direct us what to do the other seven what to avoid First of all those subservient means next to Christ Jesus himself and his Spirit which are the principal Faith is to be sought to 1. Faith make thee a good Conscience Thefore how often do we find faith and good Conscience joyned This next to the bloud of Christ and the purifying water of the Spirit hath the greatest cleansing virtue Act. 15. 9. Christ hath given faith for this end to purifie the heart Where faith is pure the Conscience is pure this makes the good and mends the bad Conscience Faith and good Conscience are made one for the other as the woman and the man to be fellow-helpers each to other Faith is Consciences Keeper Conscience again is Faiths These two like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer may discomfit a whole Hoste 1 Sam. 14. of Philistins when they keep together nothing is hard for them to undertake or like Saul and Jonathan lovely in life and undivided in death Faith and good Conscience do many a good office each for other and are forced to unite in a league offensive and defensive In an offensive league as Simeon and Judah Jud. 1. 3. the one must help the other to expell the Canaanites out of his Coast first and then proceed to expell them out of the others Coasts after Good Conscience helps to expel the Canaanites of fear distrust and despair out of Faiths coasts and to slay Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai these Jud. 1. 10 three sons of Anak and faith again layes to his helping hand to expel the Canaanites of fear guilt deadnesse dulnesse erroneousnesse and Scrupulousnesse out of Consciences coasts And in a defensive league they are joyned as David said to Abiathar Abide with me fear not so saith Faith to Conscience Abide with me Conscience for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety 1 Sam. 22. 23. Faith is the white Alabaster-box in which Consciences pretious Oyntment is put Faith is the bottle into which the wine of good Conscience is poured So again Conscience doth as much for Faith Faith is the light good Conscience is Faiths lanthorn the lanthorn shews forth the light within the lanthorn defends the light from winds and weather without that it be not blown out Conscience holds forth the light of Faith to be seen of men Conscience defends faith that it be not put out Faith is the Apple or sight of the eye Conscience is the eye-lid no eye-lid can see or doth it profit the body at all without the sight within nor can the eye see long if it have not the eye-lids to defend it from Sun dust smoak and the like annoyances and to keep the sight clear So what is Conscience without Faith but a blind and blundering Conscience And what is Faith without Conscience but as a naked weak raw sore eye A three-fold faith necessary to good conscience 1 Justifiing Faith Now this Faith that makes and keeps a good Conscience is three-fold First Justifying Faith there must be apprehending and applying the bloud of Christ Act. 15. 9. This is principally necessary to be sought this fides quâ creditur is the fides qua vivitur the fides quae creditur is not sufficient without this Secondly Doctrinal faith this is the faith 2 Doctrinal Faith here spoken of Hold faith and a good Conscience that is the sound Orthodox faith contend for it continue in it From this Hymenaeus and Alexander swerved and then left the plain path of good Conscience Say not any man is sound in faith and of a good Quam tu secretus es Deus solits magnus lege infatigabili spargens paenale â—caecitates super illicitas cupiditaâ—eâ— Aug. Conf. l. 1. Conscience who is unsound in Judgement and opinions Corrupt opinions breed corrupt Consciences and corruption in morals usually follows the corruption in intellectuals Here begins commonly the first step backward to all Apostacy and the first step forward to all impiety It is a sad story of the Emperour Valens who while he was among the Orthodox had gained much Glory in the Church he had stood firme in the time of Julian the Apostate together with his Brother Valentinian chusing rather to lay down all his Military Honours and imployments than
whose cause if thou wilt plead thou shalt have double fees but if thou be of Counsel against heâ— or by thy opposition silence craft or negligence she be cast and overthrowne thou shalt never be able to stand in the Judgement but be disabled pleading before the Lord Chief Justice at that Upper Bench. Art thou a Physitian Conscience must be thy Patient whom thou must attend most be sure to keepe her out of a Lethargy and a Consumption to which diseases she is naturally most inclined if this Die under thy hand and miscarry thou art an undone man and all thy skill and practise nothing worth If thou be a Rich man Conscience will furnish thee with Baggs which wax not old of Treasure that will not waste If Poor it will furnish thee with a Cruse and Barrel that will not fail If thou hast a good Conscience it will be a staff to support thee If an evil it will turn in to a Serpent to sting thee If thou art an Israelite it is the Red Sea fear not to go into it it will secure thee if an Egyptian thou art drowned if thou go into it If thou be a woman Conscience is thy Glasse into which thou must looke and by which thou must dresse thy self saith Bernard that thou mayest please Christ thy Spouse If a Maid this thy attire If a Bride this thy Ornament If a Mother this thy Child which thou must nurse thy self not put out of doors as Moses Mother did him for any danger or benefit Take heed of starving and overlaying thy Conscience Thou must be as tender of this as of thy only Child for it more concerns thee Whosoever thou art I have two things more to beg the one for thee that what is here all along spoken of Conscience may be also spoken effectually to thy Conscience and tend to the clarifying and fortifying to the purifying pacifying and preserving of thy Conscience and the other from thee that thou wilt joyne in thy prayers endeavours that the Lords banished may be brought home that banisht Conscience may be restored to his liberty and that deposed Conscience may be Re-in-throned in his full power and soveraigne authority commanding in the heart and lives of all professors and Christians that while Conscience reignes the peace of God which passeth all onderstanding may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beare rule in our hearts and minds So I remit thee to the Conscience of God and commit thee to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pe. 2. 19 God of Conscience that thou maist live full of Conscience so dye full of comfort and rise full of glory So prayes he who is The meanest servant of thy Faith and Conscience J. S. THE CONTENTS THe sum and scope of the Epistle to Timothy is the Ministers duty page 1. The sum of the Text the Ministers greatest charge p. 2. 11. The words opened observations raised p. 3 4 c. The maine point of Doctrine Propounded p. 11. Expounded p. 12. Confirmed p. 13 14 CHAP. I. What Conscience is shewed two wayes p. 15. 1. By opening the word Conscience p. 15. Conscience is more then a bare and single knowledge ibid. Conscience implyes a four-fold knowledge with God p. 16. with self p. 17. with others p. 18. with things themselves p. 20. Four Corollaries and Deductions p. 22. 2. What the thing Conscience is described p. 24. CHAP. II. Two kinds of Conscience Evill Good A two fold evill Conscience Quiet Troubled A double goodness in Conscience of Sincerity Security p. 26. The full definition of a good Conscience viz. when 1. It is rightly Purified 2. Rightly Pacified 3. And doth â—egularly performe all his offices ibid When Conscience is rightly purified p. 27. Three things Conscience must be purified from Ignorance p. 27. Error p. 28. Hardnesse p. 31 Three things Conscience is purified by The Word of Christ The Blood of Christ The Spirit of Christ p. 33. CHAP. III. Of the Conscience rightly pacified p. 37. Three things Conscience must be pacified from The raigne of sin p. 37. The rage of Satan p. 39. The wrath of God p. 41. Three things Conscience is pacified by The Word p. 42. The Blood p. 43. The spirit of Christ p. 44. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience p. 45. Conscience hath a four-fold Office Ministeriall or Propheticall Regall or Magistratuall Testimoniall or of a witness Judiciall or of a Judge p. 46. To which is added a fifth Office viz. Registeriall Wherein Conscience is a Minister p. 46. Wherein Conscience is a King p. 48. Wherein Conscience is a witnesse p. 49. Wherein Conscience is a Judge p. 51. Wherein Conscience is a Register p. 52. Five Corollaryes p. 54. CHAP. V. Ten particular sorts of good Conscience propounded First of the Conscience of Faith ibid p. 60. CHAP. VI. Of the Conscience of Purity p. 66 CHAP. VII Of the Conscience of Sincerity p. 72. Ten notes of Sincerity p. 75. CHAP. VIII Of the Inoffensive Conscience p. 93 Inoffensivenesse twofold Not taking Not giving Offence p. 93. 1. Inoffensiveness in not giving offence respects either God or Man ibid. What is it to be inoffensive before God p. 94. How any can be said so to be inoffensive ibid. Foure markes of this inoffensivenesse p. 95. Offence not to be given to men Others Godly p. 97. or Those without p. 105. Our selves p. 107. Six cautions given to prevent offence giving p. 98. Six rules prescribed to avoid offence giving p. 102. 2. Inoffensivenesse in not taking offence from God p. 109. The Godly p. 110. The wicked p. 111. CHAP. IX Of the well sighted Conscience p. 112. CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience p. 115. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Opened The answer or interrogation of a good Conscience p. 115. 116. CHAP. XI Of the honest dealing Conscience p. 120. Seven notes of an honest Conscience p. 124. CHAP. XII Of the tender Conscience p. 129. A double tenderness of Conscience Sinfull and diseased Lawfull and Sound p. 132. Five kinds of diseased and faulty tenderness p. 132. 133 Right tendernesse respects 1. God 2. Others 3. Our selves p. 140. 1. Tendernesse in respect of God seen in six things p. 141. 2. In respect of Men. 1. To all Godly in generall 2 Weaker ones among them especially 3 To all men whatsoever 4. To those who are related to us principally p. 151. Sequ. 3. In respect of our selves this tendernesse seen in 14. Notes p. 157. Sequ. CHAP. XIII Of the passive or suffering Conscience p. 181. Foure sorts of sinfull uncomfortable sufferings p. 187. Six markes of honourable and conscientious suffering p. 189. CHAP. XIV Of the Conscience of Charity p. 194. Charity two-fold Externall or civill Ecclesiasticall or christian p. 195. 1. Externall charity respecteth The Poore The Neighbour Our Enemy To the poor is to be shewed charity of beneficence p. 196 To the Neighbour a charity of benevolence p. 199. To an Enemy the charity of forgiveness p.
200. 2. Ecclesiasticall or Christian charity the more excellent p. 201. In what it is to be shewed p. 202. The great and dolefull want of it in these times p. 206. CHAP. XV. The reasons of the point p. 212. Three generall heads of reasons whereof the first is taken from the excellency of good Conscience and shewed in five particulars p. 213. CHAP. XVI The second reason from the danger and mischief of an evill Conscience p. 225. This set out in foure Particulars p. 225. 226. CHAP. XVII The third reason from the difficulty of getting and keeping a good Conscience and escaping an evill p. 232. This made plaine in three particulars p. 233 CHAP. XVIII The application of the Doctrine p. 237 A seven-fold application propounded ibid. First by way of information ibid. This information looketh two waies 1. To discover errors 2. To assert Duties and Truths 1. Error discovered that to preach Conscience and presse duty is legall preaching p. 238. 239. 240. 2. That Conscience is a snare not security p. 243. Third mistake of such who judge thier conscience good when it is yet but a naturall conscience p. 244. Naturall conscience may have some good in it yet cannot be call'd a good conscience p. 244. What good may be in naturall conscience shewed in 8. particulars p. 244. 245. What is wanting in naturall conscience to make it truly good shewed in four particulars p. 246. 247. Fourth mistake To judge conscience therefore good because quiet p. 247. Foure quiet consciences never an one of them good p. 248. 1. The ignorant mans conscience p. 248. 2. The unawakened conscience p. 249. 250. 251. 3. The deluded conscience p. 252. 253. 254. 4. The hardened conscience p. 255. A six-fold hardnesse of heart or conscience p. 255. 1. Naturall hardnesse p. 255. 256. 2. Voluntary and attracted p. 256. Eleven steps to hell discovered p. 256 257. 3. Judiciall hardening by Impostors and Seducers p. 259 4. Ministeriall hardening by Ministers and Ordinances p. 259. 260. 5. Divine hardening by God himselfe ibid. 6. Satanicall by the prevailing efficacy of Satan p. 261. 5th Mistake of such who judge conscience therefore good because troubled p. 263. Three notes of an ill troubled conscience p. 264. Six notes of a good troubled conscience p. 271 A sixth Mistake to judge erroneous conscience a good conscience p. 273. Seven common and ordinary notes of an erroneous conscience p. 274. A seventh mistake to judge scrupulous Conscience a good Conscience p. 278. The eighth mistake to judge the conscience of and for liberty a good conscience p. 280. Sinfull liberty of conscience branded and decyphered p. 281. Right liberty of conscience asserted p. 282. Set out in five particulars p. 283. CHAP. XIX The other part of the use of information to assert Truths p. 285. 1. That good conscience is the Christians greatest charge ibid. 2. To looke after conscience in selfe and others the ministers greatest charge p. 286. 3. Conscience decaying is the decay of State p. 290. 4. Conscience decaying grace decayes p. 292. 5. Tolleration not to be granted to all sorts of consciences p. 293. 6. Whence the world is so poysoned with corrupt Doctrines and blasphemous errors p. 249. 7. Whence many have lost former peace and comfort ibid. 8. Whence many come to dye Tragically and dispairingly p. 296. 9. Whence men come to commit the sin against the Holy Ghost p 298. CHAP. XX. The use of Lamentation p. 299. The generall want of conscience lamented ibid. The generall losse of conscience more lamented p. 303. CHAP. XXI The use of reproofe p. 309. Want of conscience reproved ibid. Want of conscience the greatest want p. 313. Losse of conscience reproved p. 314. Losse of conscience the greatest loss p. 315. CHAP. XXII The use of terror to foure sorts of men p. 317. 1. Such as are regardlesse of conscience ibid 2. Such as have an accusing gnawing conscience 318. 3. Such as have a stupified and feared conscience p. 320 4. Such as are falling into the consumption of conscience p. 321. CHAP. XXIII The comfort and happiness of such whose care is to get and keepe a good conscience p. 323. CHAP. XXIV The use of examination p. 327. CHAP. XXV The use of exhortation p. 333. 1. By way of Dehortation ibid. 1. By way of Adhortation to All Christians Ministers chiefly p. 334. This exhortation backed with Motives perswading p. 335. Meanes directing p. 349. Motives to perswade foure p. 345. c. Meanes directing two-fold principall Subservient p. 349. Principall meanes two The blood The spirit p. 350. Subservient meanes 13. whereof 6. prescribe what is to be had and done 7. what is to be avoided p. 352. 1. Meanes to get and keepe good conscience faith 353. Three-fold faith necessary for a good conscience Justifying for the heart p. 354. Orthodox for the judgement 355 particular warranting faith for our particular actions p. 356. 2d. Meanes To exercise and renew repentance p. 357. Repentance a Gospell duty ibid 3d. meanes To attend the Hints and Items given by Christ and his Spirit p. 360. 4. To attend and observe the hints and motions of our own Spirit p. 361. 5. To confer our conscience with Scripture p. 365. 6. The last meanes to be used Prayer p. 366. 2. The evills to be avoided are seven p. 370. 1. Beware of the smallest sinne allowed ibid. 2. Of one sinful Act deliberately committed p. 373 3. Beware of living under a loose cold freezing ministery or an unsound ministery p. 375. 4. Take heed of an ill companion p. 381. 5. In things doubtfull forbeare to Act or chuse the safer part p. 382. 6. Shun worldly mindedness p. 383. 7. Beware of erroneousness of conscience p. 385 2. The other part of the exhortation concerneth ministers especially p. 387. Ministers have a double charge given them concerning conscience 1. Personall 2. Doctrinall His personall charge is that he be a man Exemplary a man of conscience ibid Here 1. A particular encouragement to younger Timothyes p. 389. 2. An Item to Hymenaeus p. 390. His Doctrinall charge is that he bee aman for Conscience in all his ministery applying himselfe to the conscience of his hearers p. 396. A Good Conscience THE Strongest Hold. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made Ship-wrack THese two Epistles to Timothy and that to Titus may well be called the Ministers Directory made up of Canons clearly and undubitately Apostolicall Directing the Minister how to Govern himselfe and how to Guide his People The Ministers charge is looked upon by all as the greatest and the Apostle who best knew what it was doth not spare to lay it home to him and to give it him to the full Each Minister hath a double charge The one ad extra concerning others The other ad intra which concernes himselfe Both are 1 Tim. 4. 16. summed up in those few words 1 Tim. 4.
is certaine whatsoever Trade the other was of how ominously fatall is it to the undertakers themselves when private Mechanickes do presumptuously invade the Ministery and become publique Preachers 3. There is no dividing between Faith and a good Conscience leave Orthodox Faith and farewell good Conscience or let go good Conscience and you have seene the last of Faith it sinkes it shipwracks 4. How true is that of 2 Tim. 3. 13. That evil men and Seducers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived seldome staying when they begin to shrinke from their former sincerity and strictnesse till they arrive at the highest of impiety going from sinne to sinne and from Error to Error till by the just judgement of God they are given over to become open Blasphemers and outragious Persecutors 5. Every vicious and infectious Teacher and every bold Broacher of Doctrines corrupting and staining the simplicity of the Faith and every Member of a corrupt and dissolute Conscience are not to be Tollerated and permitted in a new Testament Church but all such are deservedly excommunicated the Church who have once excommunicated Conscience and they justly suffer in being delivered up to Sathan who have wickedly sinned in delivering Doctrines of Sathan No liberty here you see for every kinde of Conscience 6. Yet are not visible and open censures but for visible and open sinnes not for Errors in judgement concealed but published not for want Publice declarantur pertinere ad regnum Satanae quippe qui non pertineant ad regnum Christi Piscator of faith but for opposing it 7 Excommunication Clave non errante is a solemne and dreadfully operative Ordinance a shutting out of Heaven a shutting up in Hell him who is justly cast out of the Churches fellowâ—hip by that censure He is delivered up to Satan 8 The end of Excommunication and all Church censures is not to serve to the destruction 2 Cor. 10. 8 13. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 5. of the Censured or Private revenge of the Censurers but to edification onely That the offender may be terrified and reclaimed The Traditi sunt ad emendandum non ad perdendum Sedul in locum flesh destroyed that the soule may be saved and that others may be warned and so the infection stayed That they may learne not to blaspheme Vt Castigatione hac adducti desinant falsum suum dogma spargere Piscator But none of these doe I intend to stand upon though I shall have occasion to meet with them in prosecuting the intended Doctrine To the words Holding Faith and a good Conscience c. Holding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscator It signifies properly Having and so translated 1 Pet. 1 Pet 3. 16. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having a good Conscience here Holding To have and to hold in our English speaking are usually put together It is not enough once to have or for some while to have Had unlesse we ever have and hold them Faith Either take it first for that which we call Grace-faith Fides quâ creditur That hee should Hold Act Maintaine Exercise the grace of saving and lively Faith Or Secondly for the Doctrine of Faith Fides quâ creditur In which sence it is used Chap. 3. 9. 4. 1. Tit. 1. 13. Jud. v. 3. And Expositors do generally understand it so here that Timothy should 1 Tim. 3. 9. 4. 1. Tit. 1. 13. â—ud v. 3. hold the wholâ—some forme of sound words and still retaine the old received Faith in Orthodox Doctrine for the grace of saving Faith will not be long kept in the heart unlesse we keepe the Doctrine of sound faith and principles in the head And a good Conscience Conscience you seldome 1 Tim. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Acts 23. 1. Heb. 13. 19 see it without an Epethite and this usually is his Epethite Good Conscience so in many places Cap. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Acts 23. 1. Heb. 13. 19. Faith had no Epethite of Good you doe not Ordinarily see other Graces called Good as good Love good Repentance Zeale Hope Patience or the like But ever good Conscience The other graces are commonly Nemo tam perditus est ut sit omni conscientia planè expers Ames good or few have them but those that are good But Conscience is a thing which all have though a good Conscience but few therefore get and hold a good Conscience or have none at all Which some having put away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua repulsa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de trudo depello arceo ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trudo pello Act 7. 27. 39 Beza Expulsa Piscator quam Repellentes Vulgar Transl thrusling it away This word is used Acts 7. 27. He that did his Neighbour wrong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trust Moses away as a busie body and an intruding intermedler so did these thrust away Conscience as if it had been a troublesome usurper over them So after Act 7. 39. The rebelling Israelites thrust him from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They would cast off and eashiere Moses no more receive his Dictates nor obey his directions but would set up another Captaine whom they would follow or lead rather into Egypt Thus did these in the Text cashiere and throw off conscience from his be trusted employment and would follow their owne swinge This word is used also Rom. 11. 1. 2. Hath God cast away Ro. 11. 1. 2 his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and v. 2. He answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath not cast away or reprobated his people whom he foreknew But these did reprobate Conscience and would make it a cast away as not to be retained in times of Gospell Light and liberty So that in this place the Translation is with the softest and more gentle it is here then in any other place when it is rendered they put away good Conscience It might have been read they thrust off threw away cashiered disclaimed and even reprobated it Concerning faith made Shipwrack Fide Vacui facti sunt They were emptied and eased of their faith Syriack transl Their souls are Shipwrack'd their Faith Grace Ship-wrack'd aleak being sprung in Conscience the Vessel they lost all they had and saved not the use Comfort Confidence Joy or feeling of former Faith and beleeving Nor did they preserve their former simplicitie and integrity of judgement in matter of Doctrine and Truth But as Conscience was reprobated to their judgement their judgement is now wholly reprobate concerning the Faith Now the words being opened you see they are a Magazine or Panoply of Armor and Ammunition to furnish Timothy and each good Minister yea every Christian with the most necessary and usefull armes both to warre that good warfare v. 18. And to prevent this evill shipwracke v. 19. Timothy thy charge is that thou war a good warfare thy duty is
knowledge 2. It implies a knowing together not a common single abstracted Theoretick knowledge but a double or multiplied knowledge it must be Hence the learned say Conscientia est Aqninas Ri vet alij cum alijs scientia In this sence it intends a four-fold knowledge Conscire 1. cum Deo to know together 1. with God 2. cum seipsis 2. with our selves 3. cum alijs 3. with others 4. cum rebus ipsis 4. with things themselves In all which Idem est conscire consentire The Conscientious man is ever a Consentientious man 1. Cum Deo scire Conscience is first to know Conscientia est notitia vel sensus internus judicij proprij vel alieni praecipue Dei de nostris bene vel male factis Paraeus in Ro. 13. together or consent together with God whence commonly Divines say Conscientia is cum deo scientia When we have the same Idaea apprehension and esteeme of things in our minde that is in Gods when we allow or disallow thinke speake doe according to the rule of Gods word when wee are not swayed by mans judgement or the wisedom of the world But what God commendeth is approved what God commandeth is obeyed what he promiseth is beleeved what hee threatneth is avoyded what ever God propoundeth is regarded and received this is conscience when we light our Candle at the Lampes of the Sanctuary Hence we say Vox conscientiae is vox dei The voyce of a right enlightned Conscience is the voyce of God so saith Solomon Prâ—v 20. 27. The spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord Lumen ex ipsius Prov. 20. 27. lumine lighted at his Word then searching the inner parts of the Belly and the secrets of the heart and is become a discoverer of the secret thoughts nothing being hid from the view of these two heart-searchers What is Conscience other then the hewing and squaring our Tables according to the Tables delivered to us from the hand of God Mr. Burroughs Moses selfe denyall p. 39 As it is reported of Boleslaus King of Poland who used to weare the Picture of his Father in a plate of Gold hanging about his neck and whensoever he was to do or speake any thing of importance he would take his Picture and kissing it say Deare Father I wish I may not do any thing remissely unworthy of thy name c. So Conscience still hath a remembrance of God before his eyes and when any thing is to be done saith Lord Col. 1. 10. Give me to walke worthy of God to all Pleasing fruitfull in every good worke This is to have our works to be wrought in God Jo. 3. 21. And as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 2. ult 2 Conscire is cum seipso scire aut consentire Conscience is the knowing of a man with himselfe Cor quando se novit appellatur conscientia quando praeter se alia scientia Bern. Conscience maketh an identity in the same man throughout Hence it is that Bernard often calls Conscientia Cordis Scientia When the head and heart are agreed Knowledg in the head alone is barely Science oft so falsely called Knowledge in the heart too is then Conscience rightly so called In this respect I may say Ecl. 10. 2 Let thy right hand know whatsoever thy left hand doth Thy heart must lye at thy right hand yea and lye neare thy mouth too That is to say to Weigh Trye Examine Observe Order all that thy mouth speaketh or hand acteth or thought intendeth Caleb spake as it was in his heart Joshu 14. 7. And in the next verse he saith I fully followed the Lord. Here is nothing but Conscience in both these expressions His heart followed the Lord there is cum Deo Scire And he fully followed his heart There is cum seipso scire Psal 15. 2. The Godly man speaketh his Conscience he speaketh the truth in his heart So the Apostle Ro. 9. 1. I speake the truth in Christ and lye not there is cum Deo scientia My conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost There is the other Cordis Scientia There is conscience when these two meet happy is the man who condemneth not himselfe in his heart for what he alloweth approveth in practise Hic murus ahaeneus esto Nil conscire sibi That little quantity of Ayre which wee breath in at our nostrils which goes into the man even to the heart and which thereafter is breathed out thence againe is more to a man it is indeed his life then all the three regions of Ayre which fill up that vast space between Earth and Heaven However Philosophers conceive there is purer Aire in the highest Region Certainely that lesser proportion of Knowledge of Divine truths which we take downe and sucke into the heart and after draw out and deliver thence is more to a Christians life and Comfort then all your refâ—ned speculations even of the third and highest Region 3. Conscire cum alijs To know together with others and consent with them This is Conscience to put our Soules into their Soules Iob. 16. 4. stead as Job speaketh Then to doe to others as wee would they should do to us Mat. 7. 12. To know the heart of a stranger Ex. 23. 9. that thou doe not oppresse him Cognoscit justus Animam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jumenti sui Prov. 12. 10. The righteous man is Arias Montan Conscientia est notitia sensus internus judicij proprij alieni c. Paraeus ubi supra mercifull to his Beast Because hee considereth the heart and condition of the poore dumb Creature with Sympathy much more doth he know and consider the case of the poore of the oppressed in the Gate of the Orphan of the widdow when as Job said of himselfe Job 31. 18. they were still with him either in his presence to releeve and support them or in his Bowels to commiscrate and condole with them The conscientious man saith who is weake and I am not weake who offended and I burne not How can I wound my Brothers conscience and sinne against him but I wound my 2 Cor. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 8. 12 selfe and sinne against Christ O what a worthy speech was that of Hadrian a heathen Emp. Emperatorem Erga unum Cent. Mag. Cent. 2. Cap. 3. quemque debere esse talem qualem si privatus esset sibi vellet esse imperatorem The Emperour should so carry himselfe to every private person as he would desire were he in that poore mans case the Emperour should deale with him This is to approve our selves to every good mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 2. This is cum alijs scire Be ye as I am I am as you are Gal. 4. 12. This is to provide things honest Not onely in our owne sight or in Gods Bernard lib. 2. de consc sight in seeret
Leah instead of an imagined Rachel It climbes the Tree of Knowledge and cuts down the Tree of Life It taketh and chuseth a Barabbas but renounceth and condemneth Christ Jesus It Mar. 7. 8. 11. 12. will make a Pharisee set more by an old Tradiâ—ion then a divine Precept and a Pharisees diâ—ciple Acts 16. 9. Gal. 1. 13. 14. Psal 3. 6. Mat. 23. 15 look more after the Corban then his duâ—y to his aged and indigent Parents This set Paul blindfold to persecute and blaspheme Christ onely that he might shew his zeal to God This makes others compasse both sea â—nd land to make one their Proselyte who when all is done is but a double childe of hell Oh the wofull work erroneous Conscience hath made in all Times in the past Ages of the Church And this my story of iniquity worketh hitherto and is still working more mischief amidst our sad and dismall distractions This is one part of the spirituall wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly things or places Ephes 6. 12 13. Against which must be taken the whole armour of God This like Saul hath slain his thousands not of Philistines but Israelites This like that wood which in a bloody day devoured more by erring disordering and intangling them then the sword devoured 2 Sam. 18. 8 This destroys more then ignorance or superstition or prophanesse This lets go Scripture duties upon more credit given to Revelations Upon this mistake a true Prophet once contrary to expresse commands of God gave up his faith obedience and withall his conscience upon a report of a later revelation and an Angelicall apparition to the old Prophets bare but false asseveration of a newer and cleerer light 1. King 13. 18. I am also a prophet as thou art and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord saying Bring him back with thee to eat bread and drink water but he lied unto him This above all other is the evil conscience intended in this place It was nothing but erring conscience at first that caused Hymenaeus and Alexander to relinquish their former Profession and having put pure conscience out of doors they come to make a fearfull shipwrack of their faith totally and oâ— their souls finally Enlightened conscience feareth and departeth from evil this fool rageth and is confident Prov. 14. 16. Englightened conscience hath his eyes open and seeth the angel in the way erroneous conscience like the seduced false Prophet rusheth forward into the midst of danger Erroneous conscience is he whose deceived heart turns him aside who feedeth on ashes as the Prophet saith Esay 44. 20. hath a lie in his right hand so that he cannot deliver his soul This is he whose plague is in his head Levit. 13. 44. This is the man whom ye may bray in a mortar with a pestell among wheat yet will not his folly depart from him Prov. 27. 22. There is more hope of a fool then of this man because he is wiser commonly in his own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Prov. 26. 12 16. Erroneous conscience is the eye that puts darknesse for light and light for darknesse It is the mouth that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter It is the traveller that leaveth the ancient paths and the good way to walk in new wayes wayes not of Gods casting up and Scriptures chalking out Jer. 18. 15 A good Conscience must therefore be purified from Errour Thirdly It must be purified from naturall From deadnesse or hardnes deadnesse or hardnesse which is as bad a disease as either ignorance or errour So that although thou mayest escape the fear of ignorance by the instructions of Wisdom and-the snare of errour by the light of the Gospel yet if thou be taken in the Pit of deadnesse and naturall hardnesse thou art never the neerer thou hast not yet a good conscience Heb. 9. 14. The conscience must be purged from dead works that it may serve the living God A dead conscience is not for a living God One may be a knowing hypocrite or an orthodox nonconvert but what is he neerer to salvation while in this deadnesse There is a generation pure in their own eyes yet not cleansed Pro. 30. 12 as to conscience from their own deadnesse God I thank thee I am no Papist say they no Anabaptist Antinomian Sectary I am a catholike Christian I am an old Protestant but an unsanctified Christian and the common carnall Protestant is no better then they He is blinde and cannot see afar off and forgets that he is not yet cleansed from his old sins 2. Pet. 1. 9. Except you be regenerate and raised from naturall deadnesse you cannot see the kingdom of God Al that are not seducers as Jesuits false Teachers or seduced as common Papists Antinomians Libertines Anti-scripturists prophane Atheists and Socinians are not therefore necessarily saved There is a plague in the heart that every one must see and bewail and get cured of or else it is as pernicious to the 1 Kin. 8. 38 soul and sends more certainly to hell then any plague or leprosie in the head Levit. 13. 44. We call not that Arm or Leg good which is onely not bruised wounded out of joynt when it is benummed or paralytick It hath no pain indeed but what use is there of it So what though conscience be not bruised raging and tormenting and out of joynt by errour if it be benummed stupified or dead There is no use of such a conscience Conscience must therefore be purged from deadnesse Secondly There be three things which Conscience must be Purified by which are 1 The Three things conscience is purified by 1. The word of Christ word 2. Blood 3. Spirit of Christ First The word of Christ is the Great heart Searcher and Conscience Purifier Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and Powerfull and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart c This is the Fanne with which Christ doth purge his Floore Canscience John 15. 3. Now are you clean through the word which I have spoken to you saith Christ to his Disciples and for them he prayes Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is that sanctifying truth This removes those before named discases of conscience 1. This is that which removes ignorance Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths What can the best eye see without a light of Sun or candle What can we know concerning God and his will without his word This written word is a more sure discovery of the minde of God then all apparitions or the most famous particular revelations 2 Pet. 1. 19. To which we must take heed and have recourse as to a light shining in a dark place This giveth knowledge to the simple Psal 119. 130. This is sufficient to remove all ignorance and uncertainty in divine things 2.
shall lament Wo to them that are at ease Luk. 6. 25 in Zion and put far from them the evil day when they cause violence to draw near If he adde drunkenness to thirst and walk in the imaginaon Am 6. 1. 3. of his heart and bless himself saying I have peace and I shall have peace God will not spare such a one but his anger and jealousie Deut. 29. 18 19. shall smoak against that man It is the case of the godly oftentimes to cry fear fear where no fear and danger is And the wicked usually cry peace peace where no safety and peace is Thus yet do many sleep and live and die in peace when Jonah-like there Jonah 1. 4 5. is the greatest storm of Divine Displeasure pursuing them and the Destroyer is ready to swallow them up They slumber and sleep but their judgement all the while lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not For there 2 Pet. 2. 3. is no Peace from God to the wicked Isa 57. ult 2 It is pacifyed from the rage of Satan After 2. From the rage of Satan conscience hath been delivered from the paws of the ravening Bear the reign of sin It must next seek to be delivered from the jaws of the roaring Lyon the rage of Satan This latter is usually more terrible the former more dangerous When Sin is dethroned the first and greatest wo is past When Adonijah flies Solomon presently succeeds and is established 1 Kin 1. 50. in the throne Sin once put to flight the King of Peace reigns in the throne of Conscience This is that happy peace and security promised to the Beleever Mat. 16. 18. Upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the sum of that other promise Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly shewing manifestly our securest peace is when God doth not only restrain but ruine Satan not binde but bruise him not chain him up but tread him down The like Prayer 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly This peace from Satans rage the godly man may for so me time want who yet hath a good and pure conscience Such a want may stand with a perfect good conscience though not with a perfectly well conscience Conscientia honestè bona may be molestè mala Ames The Philistines often rushed upon Sampson and gave him many alarums hee still Iudg. 16. 9. 12. 15. 14 came off with honour and victory They come â—ut one way and fly seven waies The trouble was his the losse was theirs Yet thus is many a poore beleever often encountered some for longer time some for shorter some even al their life time are kept in bondage through Heb. 2. 15. feare of death and him that hath the power of Death the Devill They mourne they feare they pray they cry they are weary with waiting for the salvation of God When will the redeemer come out of Zion When Rom. 11. 26 Mal. 4. 2. will the Angell of the Covenant of peace come with Healing under his wings Paul had not this Peace sometimes 2 Cor. 7. 5. we had no rest but were troubled on every sâ—de without were fightings within were feares yet at another time could say 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to Triumph in Christ And Rom. 8. 31 33. ad finem If God be for us who can be against us What shall separate us from the love of God shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Temptation c. Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerers through him that hath loved us yea I am perswaded that neither the Temptation nor the Tempter nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Life nor Death nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. In this condition Conscience saith to the Soule Returne to thy Rest O my Soule for the Lord hath beene Beneficiall unto Psal 116. 7 thee This is that Peace which Christ hath Purchased and Bequeathed to the Beleever Peace I leave with you my Peace I give to you Jo. 14. 27. b. e. not Peace onely with God and with selfe and with men in midst of a Raging unquiet world but Peace in Despight of Hell Gates and Sathans Darts Of this Peace we may say as Gideon of his Altar Judg. 6. 34 Jehovah Shalom the Lord is God of this Peace or this Peace is the Peace of God Thirdly The third thing Conscience From the displeasure of God Rightly Pacified is at Peace and Delivered from is the Displeasure of God This is the Highest Step of Solomons throne the best part of our Peace above both the former when we can say being justified by faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. This a blessed Peace when not with man or selfe or sin or Sathan but with God Reconciled through Christ This that Peace Christ promised which the world cannot Give Nor Devill take away Jo. 14. 27. The peace of which the Apostle speaketh so magnificently calling it Phil 4. 7. the Peace of God which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit Beza passeth all understanding which shall guard and engarison your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ This Guards the Soule and Conscience from all the feares and assaults of Law sin guilt death hell and Satan In this condition the Soule lyeth downe in Peace and riseth in Peace and saith to the Godly â—ustified Person in Solomons words Eccle. 9. 7. Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy Psal 3. 5. 4. 8. and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Secondly There are 3 things which Conscience must be Pacified by and those the Conscience is pacified by 3 things same three by which before it was Purified what ever tendes to Purity Tendes to Peace viz. 1. The word 2. The bloud 3. The Spirit of Christ First By the word of Christ Conscience is Pacified and restored to Peace The word By the word of Christ especially the Gospell is therefore cald the word of Peace Tydings of Peace Gospell of Peace Word and ministery of Reconciliation Act. 10. 36 Ro. 10. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 The Gospel is the Instrumentum Pacis Christianae Gods Proclamation and our Charter of Peace containing the largest concessions of Grace It is an Act of Oblivion Passed in Heaven God not imputing our sinnes to us and further giving us an Act of Indemnity against all charges and impeachments of law sinne Conscience or Sathan This word we must produce for our security It is by the Mar. 4. 39. 41. Job 34 29 Jer. 20. 9. word of Christ that the winds and stormes are laid in the conscience and a calme made Christ utttereth his voyce and the
faithful Ministers for delivering Gods minde and rebuking the sins of their wicked hearers sometimes Take heed thou tread not in their steps to interdict and silence thy own conscience this is more to be hearkened to in many cases then any Divine or Minister whatsoever this is the mouth of the Lord the Candle of the Lord searching and discovering Pro. 20. 27. the secrets and inward things of the belly We say conscience in some cases is above all witnesses a thousand witnesses it is a thousand Preachers too God saith to conscience as he Conscientia mille Ministri did to Moses once Exod. 7. 1. See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet Conscience shall be to me in stead of a mouth saith God and to thee in stead of God as Moses was to Aaron Exo. 4. 16. Consciences second office is Regall or Magistratuall 2. Consciences Regall office a higher office then the former Conscience hath a commanding and legislative power to binde even kings in chains and nobles with fetters of iron He is thy Perpetuus Dictator whose dictares are Laws They were a law to themselves Rom. 2. 14. This king may neither be deposed nor resisted but ever informed counselled and treated with and then ever obeyed as Gods vicegerent Whosoever cast off the imperiall commands of conscience God saith to them as he did to Samuel concerning Israel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reigne over them God giveth to conscience a large Commission and saith to it as to Eliakim in the day of his investiture in his office I will clothe thee with a new robe and commit the government into thy hand The key of the house of David will I lay on thy shoulders Thou shalt shut and none shall open thou shalt open and none shall shut Isay 22. 21 22. What conscience peremptorily commands or forbids is more to a godly man then what Kings or States command And the religious man resolveth Conscientia mille Reges mille Leges rather to disobey any unjust commands of Kings or States and fall under any displeasure of men then to go against the dictates of his own rightly informed conscience We are not carefull O King to answer thee in this Dan. 3. 16. matter said they to Nebuchadnezzar although they heard his expresse commands and saw the fiery furnace before them Julian the Apostate forbad the Christians to sing Psalms Risui ei catui furias suas esse intellexit Magd. cent 4. cap. 3. the very women and virgins did purposely sing the louder when the Emperour was to go by their doors that he saw his wrath was by them derided And those Psalms they picked out that condemned his Idols as that Psalm 135 ver 15. 16 18. Conscience rides in the second Charet and is Gen. 41. 40 43. 44. solo Deo minor soli Deo secunda Without thee saith God to conscience as Pharaoh once to Joseph shall no man lift up his hand or foot Onely in the Throne will I be greater then thou Conscience hath a kingly or magistratuall power but must not exercise an Arbitrary power It must be it self at his beck who is in the Throne Of whose subordination to God and his written Word and Law we shall speak afterwards in his proper place His third office is Testimoniall or to bear Consciences Testimoniall Office witnesse Rom. 2. 14 15. The Gentiles who had not the Law in Tables of stone as had the Jews had the Law written in their hearts which did shew it self in this work of Conscience Their consciences also bearing witnesse Rom. 2. 14. 15. c. This is the witnesse in a mans self a greater testimony then that of John This is the Epistle of Christ written in the heart Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. A testimony and certificate which Gods Spirit doth attest to and consent with Rom. 9. 1. My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost In the mouth of these two great witnesses the state of a Christian is established For the Spirit it self witnesseth with our spirit that we are the Rom. 8. 16 sons of God Rom. 8. 16. This testimony of conscience is above a thousand witnesses be it Conscientia mille testes for thee or against thee 1 Job 3. 19 20 21. Turpe quid acturus te sine teste time Take heed wheresoever thou art what thou dost Conscience will out with all the secret passages it hath observed It is like Joseph among his brethren who carried home their ill report to their father and made them much anger Thou never sinnest without a spie or Gen. 37. 2. an observer and informer Do therefore as was said of Mr. Latimer who being examined in private spake more freely till he over-heard one behinde the Hangings whom he saw not present to take in writing what he said then he spake more warily Take heed what thou dost remotis arbitris Curse not the King no not in thy thought conscience the margin reads it scientia Arias Mont. conscientia Junius Nor the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voyce and thaâ— which hath wings shall tell the matter Eccles 10 20. Thine own conscience may be that bird Elisha did relate what was in agitation at the 2 Kin. 6. 12 King of Syrias Councell-table yea what passed in his Bed-chamber Such an observing witnesse hath every one continually with him do he good or evil Conscience is a witness and is like one of those two famous witnesses spoken of Revel 11. 3. who prophesied in sackcloth despised and opposed by the men of the world as the great Rev. 11 3. 5. 6 c. heart troubler and worlds tormenter they rejoyced made merry and sent gifts when they were slain these brought all plagues from heaven among men and could shut up Heaven it self fire came out of their mouth yet kill this if thou darest and keep it down if thou canst it will rise again after a few days stand upon his feet the sight thereof will terrifie and dismay thee but thou shalt know it will go up to Heaven there to accuse and condemn thee 4. The fourth Office of conscience is Judiciall Conscienecs judicial Office and Judge-like It doth passe sentence on thee and read thy doom Hence men are said to be convicted of their own Consciences Joh. 8. 9. Some are said to be self condemned Tit. 3. 11. Happy is he that condemneth not himself Rom. 14. 22. If our heart that is our conscience condemn us God is greater then our hearts to condemn us further But if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Consciences sentence is the fore-runner of the last judgement Praejudicium Divini judicii as Joseph interpreted
the two prisoners dreams Pharaoh made it good Hic crucem sceleris precium tulit alter honores Gen. 41. 13. It came to passe saith the Butler to Pharaoh as he interpreted to us so it was me he restored to mine office him he hanged Joseph is then said to hang the one and restore the other because he foretold it so and it fell out accordingly so conscience is said to absolve and condemn because according to the sentence of this lower Court and Judicatory of conscience usually is the last sentence of that highest Court in Heaven If my conscience Job 31. 35. 36. clear me let my adversary write a Book and Libell against me I shall wear it as a Isa 50. 8. Crown my witness is at hand and he is near 1 Sam. 2. 25 that justifieth me But if my conscience Libell against me who shall Apologize for me If a Quamquam humana sub tersugiem judicia judicium propriae conscientiae fugere non valeo Bernard man sin against another the Judge shall judge them but if a man be condemned by himself who shall be his Dayes-man I may flie mans judgement seat or stop the Judges mouth but I cannot escape the Bar nor stop the mouth of my own conscience Prima est haec ultio quod se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur Improba quamvis Gratia fallacis Praetoris vicerit Vrnam Juven Sat. 13. I might adde to these four named Offices of Consciences registeriall office conscience a fifth his Registerial Office for conscience is the great Register and Recorder of Vbicunque vado conscientia mea â—â—e non deserit sed prae sâ—ns ad sâ—sâ—it quicquid facio scribit Bernard the world It is to every man his private Notary or Secretary keeping notes or records of all his Acts and Deeds Hence it hath his name Synteresis given it Conscience hath the Pen of a ready writer and takes in short hand and in an illegible character from thy mouth as fast as thou speakest yea from thy heart what thou contrivest consciences writing at present is not legible as that which is written with the juyce of a Lemmon is not to be read by Day-light but against the fire by night you may read it so consciences writing will be read by fire light of distress or in that day when Heaven and earth are on fire then shall this book be opened and the Cypher be discovered Conscience is the poorest mans Historiographer who hath no Chronicler to write his Story Every mans Acts both first and last are written in the Apocryphal Book of conscience The sin of Judah is written with the pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Table of their heart Jer. 17. 1. It is not the lot of every mean man to have his Acts and memory perpetuated it is the honour of Kings and sometimes of some other more eminent persons of David it is said 1 Chro. 29. 29. Now the rest of the Acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the Book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the Book of Gad the Seer But of every man of whatsoever quality it may be said the rest of his Acts though they be not mentioned in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings yet first and last they are all written in the book of the Chronicles of conscience by Syneidesis the Seer and Synteresis the Recorder Now to draw to a conclusion conscience I said was then a good conscience when it doth discharge all his forenamed Offices A Magistrate a Minister a Judge a Witness is then good when each of them is good in his proper place and function and indeed that every one is in truth which he is in discharge of his particular Calling Then is conscience good when it doth officiate well and doth the part of a Minister of a Magistrate of a Witnesse and of a Judge In these four tespects I may say of conscience Ipsa indicat ipsa imperat ipsa observat ipsa judicat as Bernard excellently Ipsa testis ipsa judex ipsa tortor ipsa carcer Ipsa accusat Lib. de consc cap. 9. ipsa judicat ipsa punit ipsa damnat A good conscience is a good Minister a good Magistrate a good Witness a good Judge the best of friends but an ill conscience is an observer of thee will be an informer against thee and both thine adversary and accuser and witness and Judge and Jaylor and Executioner and Tormentor too the worst of enemies Hence flow five Corollaries or conclusions Corollary 1. Conscience is to perform his two first Offices viz. of a Minister to inform and direct and of a King to command and prescribe before a work is to be done or when in fieri Conscience should call in Understanding and Faith to advise with and herein imitate God who Gen. 1. 26. intending to Create Man propounds his Action propounds his End and propounds his Model Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the ayre and over the cattell and over all the earth c. So should we say Let me upon deliberation do such an Act after such a manner to such an end This is to Act according to conscience and consequently according to God Corollary 2. When a work or action is already done In facto esse conscience is to discharge his two last Offices of a witness and of a Judge to accuse or excuse to approve or reprove and so to passe sentence Thus did God after every dayes work finished he reviewed his worke and saw with much content and fulness of approbation it was good And at last Gen. 1. 31. God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good So should we review all our actions before we passe from them to new businesses Let thine eyes look right on and let thine eye-lids look strait before thee Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established Prov. 4. 25 26. There you have these two rules in the well learning and practising whereof lies the chiefest businesse of Practical conscience Coroll 3. When a man goes wilfully against the two first Acts or Offices of Conscience viz. Ministerall Regall he commits the highest sin and draws on the greatest guilt Maxima violatio Conscientiae maximum peccatum Ames What made the sin of the lapsed Angels unpardonable but because they went against a full and clear light of a fully informed conscience and divinely irradiated understanding Their sin had many ingredients of that sin against the holy Ghost in it being committed against clear light much received grace with full consent of will having much of malice in it therefore no wonder it became unpardonable And whence is it that the sin against the
a carnall legall abject and low spirit and boldnesse loosenesse frollicknesse accounted Gospell-like walking and the onely proofe of our Redemption and the best Plerophory But know the grace of God teacheth us another Lesson It Tit. 2. 12 13. teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The righteous God loveth righteousnesse Psal 11. 7. And with the pure God the Holy One of Israel nothing is approved but purity This is his Image this his Superscription Nothing but this is Gods and to be rendered to God The Kings Coyne hath his Image within as well as his Superscription without the Ring the Christian must have his Image within or it is in vaine to subscribe our selves and to be surnamed by the Es 41. 5. name of Israel The right faith of the Gospell is purifying faith Acts 15. 9. Gospel hope is purifying hope 1 Joh. 3. 3 True love pure love 1 Pet. 1. 23. Our Religion must be pure Jam. 1. 27. Hearts pure Jam. 4. 8. Mindes pure 2 Pet. 3. 1. Wayes pure Psal 119. 1. Hands pure Psal 24. 4. Prayer pure Job 16. 7. Incense pure Malac. 1. 11. Indeed all must be pure King Soloâ—â—â— had not a Vessell in either of his houses that at Jerusalem or that of the Forrest of Lebanon but was all of pure Gold he would be served in no other 1 Kin. 10. 21. God will have no other Vessell in either of his Houses that of Jerusalem the Church Triumphant or this Countrey-house as I may call it in the Forrest of Lebanon the Church Militant but what is of pure Gold of beaten tryed and refined Gold Silver was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Solomon Civility and externall Morality is too meane for God too base to enter Heaven The Kings Coyne I said before hath his Image on it it hath first his Image on the one side and then the Kings Armes or the Kingdomes Armes on the other Such is the right Christian he hath this Image and Effigies of God Purity and Righteousnesse stamped on the one side of his conscience and the Kings Armes or the Kingdom of Heavens Armes on the other Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of God saith the Apostle or if I may so call them the Effigies and Armes of the Kingdom is Righteousnesse and Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. It is observed that the floore of Solomons 1 Ki. 6. 30. Temple was overlaid with Gold both within and without that is to say both the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Atrium sacerdotum the Court of the Priests as it is called 2 Chron. 4. 9. Although the Great Court called the Atrium Populi were not so So it is the minde and will of God that not onely those holy glorified Saints that are within the Vayle of the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Church Triumphant but all those within his true Church distinguished from the world should have the same purity and holinesse although not the same measure Purity is the floore and paving of both Militant and Triumphant Church CHAP. VII Of the sincere Conscience NExt to pure conscience comes the sincere being much alike often taken promiscuously one for the other but though they may never be divided and parted may thus be distinguished Pure is opposed to what is filthy defiled uncleane profane impure Sincere Purity and integrity how they differ is opposed to false deceitfull counterfeit hypocriticall imaginary Every sincere man is really pure and endeavours so to be found but every pure-seeming person is not sincere nor doth intend so to be Sincerity is the glory of purity and of conscience and of every person grace or action It must be sincere faith if any 1 Tim. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith unfaigned Sincere love if any 1. to Christ Eph. 6. 24. Grace to all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. If to men Rom. 12. 9. Let love be without dissimulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good Hezekiah whatever he did he did in his integrity and with all his heart and so he prospered 2 Chron. 31. 21. The sincere is ever a good conscience no sooner sincere but presently good no longer good then can be called sincere Sincerity is the soundnesse health and right constitution of conscience Sincerity here is all our Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. perfection Noah Job and others were called perfect in their generations onely because upright and sincere Sincerity is Earths highest perfection we cannot go higher Innocency was Paradises purity is Heavens Of this conscience Paul speaks 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. In which words foure things are very remarkable 1. What is the best temper and complexion of conscience 2. What the clearest markes and best proofes to evidence it 3. What is the worst disease and most destructive enemy to it 4. What is the fruit and benefit of it 1. The temper of the best conscience is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godly sincerity or as the words are The sincerity of God in all our conversings with men 2. The clearest markes of this sincerity are naked and downright simplicity simplicity of God as it is called and the grace of God 3. The most common but dangerous enemy to conscience which is ever the bane and death of sincerity is fleshly wisdome in sincerity not in fleshly wisdome the more of that the lesse of this Not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God nothing so opposite to Gods grace as humane and carnall wisdom if the one increaseth the other ever decreaseth 4. But the fourth thing is the benefit of such a constitution and freedome from this distemper which is above all expression It maintaines the soule in a plight of rejoycing and in a state of glory as it were amidst many pressures when the outward man was ouerburdened sentenced to death and despairing of life and of all outward reliefe vers 8. Wee were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves c. yet there as in another place 2 Cor. 6. 10. he saith As sorrowing yet alway rejoycing As dying yet behold we live Blessed be a good God and well fare a good conscience for it It makes such an alteration that like the night starres when all day light is off the Heaven Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leigh Crit. Sacr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illae res proprie dicuntur quae suum duntaxat nativum colorem praesertim album retinent nullo alio admisto ut lilia lana candida farina sincera est quae non est fermento corrupta Zanch. then do these appeare so
sapienter descendere in infernum Ber. de vit Sol. discretion and go a wise and learned way thither These keep the key of Knowledge but mean not to go into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves but the key of Conscience the poor and simple and unlearned ones in the world get and presse after the Kingdom of God and enter in Surgunt indocti et rapiunt Regnum Coelorum nos cum doctrinis nostris sine corde ecce ubi volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 8. The Publicane and Harlot conscienciously humbled enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisee elated with his greater knowledge And the illiterate Christian is able to read his name in the book of Life and his Duty in the Book of Conscience when the most literate Scribe and Learned Scholler can do neither CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience Of the wel spoken conscience THe well-spoken Conscience is that which can make the Soule a good Answer or upon just Occasion can make fit Demands and put forth his Queres This is that good Conscience or rather Property of it which Peter commendeth so much resembling it to Noahs Arke and saith of it that it saves us 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer of a good Conscience towards God Which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well or rather an Interrogation then an Answer Stipulstio Some thinke the Apostle doth allude to that Practise of Demands made in Baptisme Credis Credo which Practise though very Ancient yet may be questioned whether so Ancient Our Translators have chosen rather to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Answer And in this sense it tells us what conscience hath to do First It makes a good and ready Answer to God It is ever as quick of Speech as it is of Sight or of Hearing when God saith Seeke ye my face my heart saith David talkd of it and went up and downe with it Thy face Lord I will seeke Psal 27. 8. It is written of me that I should doe thy will Psal 40. 8. Conscience replyes thy will O my God is my will Thy law is in my heart I am content to do it Conscience goes often into Habukuks watch Hab. 2. 1. Towre and watcheth listening what the Lord hath to say and studieth what to answer when he is spoken unto Speak Lord saith Conscience for thy servant heareth yea Conscience is 1 Sam. 3. 10. ready to aske and listen Lord what wilt tbâ—u have me to doe As Augustine often da quod Act. 9. 6. jubes et jube quod vis Lord give what thou commandest and give what Command thou wilt Loquere Magister bone libenter te audio et cum adversaris mihi et cum irasceris audio te Cyprian Secondly It makes a good answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God according to that Precept 2 or 3 verses before 1 Pet 3. 15 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and reverence having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evill dooers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ So that with S. Peter it is a matter of Conscience and a marke of a good Conscience to be ready to yeeld an account of our Spirituall state when it is required of us Nicodemus thought he was bound in Conscience to stand up and make an Answer for Christ when he was unjustly condemned in the Consistory being never heard and never summoned Doth our Law condemnn any man saith he before it heare him and know what he doth Good Conscience cannot be silent Jo. 7. 51 and fit still without an answer when any cause of God is in hand A good Conscience thinks it is the heaviest crime that can be laid Blasphemiam ingerit religioni quam colit quiâ—quod confitetur ante omnes non impleverit Cyprian to any mans charge to be silent for God Let them call me Adulterer Theife c. or what they please said Luther so that I may not be charged with wicked silence in the cause of God Thirdly Good Conscience makes many a good answer fot ones selfe when under the greatest cloud of Censures and Suspitions or under the Aspersions of all Obloquies Ro. 9. 1. I speake the truth saith the Apostle and lie not my Conscience also is my witnesse This the same Apostle glories in in another place we are as deceivers say you but yet True men saith 2 Cor. 6. 8. 9. Conscience As unknown say you well enough known saith Conscience Conscience makes the best Certificate and gives the best Testimony to any man that hee can have with which Certificate he may confidently travell and passe the whole world over yea at last with this he shall not feare to enter Heaven conducted thither by a guard of Angels Fourthly When any businesse of greatest consequence is under consideration Conscience puts the best answer into thy mouth and will readily resolve what is to be done Enquire-still at Consciences mouth and say as Paul to Philemon without thy advice wil I do nothing consult not in such cases with flesh and blood with safety and policy but with conscience and duty and the answer is ready Phil. v. 19 Habes spacium trium dierum in quo deliberes velisne Romam reverti aut aliquem locum quo traducaris eligere cui ille trium dierum vel etiam mensium spacium rationem non immutat quare mittas me licet quo velis Magd. Cent. 4. c. 3. we need not crave time As Liberius a Godly and Orthodox Bishop of Rome when convented before Constantius an Arrian Emperour and charged there with stubbornes for partaking with Athanasius answered most freely before the Emperour at last when after all faire perswasions and sharp threats he found him persisting in his former resolutions he gave him then three dayes time to consider of it whither then to returne to his Bishoprick at home or to be banisht or to set downe what he would make choice of He answers O Emperour send me whither thou wilt three dayes or three moneths are all one to me Truth and reason do not change with time So into banishment he was sent If men would in their straites when they know not what to resolve upon cast their lot into the lap of Conscience they should have a more certain easie and compendious resolution then by consulting with flesh and blood and reading sometimes many discourses Cathedram habet in conscientia qui corda docet Conscience should bee made Doctor of the Chayre It is the most sound Divinity Reader and oftentimes the most satisfying Casuist in the world
kinswoman 7. This man will sooner suffer any prejudice himself then prejudice his neighbour Hee sweareth to his own hurt and damage but changeth not No Prejudice valuable to the wronging Psal 15. 4. of his Neighbours exspectation and his own Conscience It was a famous speech of that noble Pomper when in a time of a great dearth at Rome hee was chosen Curator Annonae and had now made great provision of Corn for the relief of his Citizens being readie to set forward there arose a storm the Pilot persuaded him to stay because of the danger It matters not saith hee hoist up sail put out to Sea it is necessarie for us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sail to live is not necessarie To stay and reserve our selves is less agreeable with our honour then to go and releeve our countrey is agreeable to our dutie CHAP. XII The tender Conscience THe next good Conscience is the tender The Tender Conscience Conscience a disposition which the world calls Niceness Simpleness Peevishness Timorousness Scrupulousness and what not But it is the Right Temper ever of the gratious heart it is that heart of flesh promised in the New Covenant Ezek. 36. 25. and is that new Divine Nature wrought in the New Creature when once the old heart of stone is taken out it is that Tremulous and Contrite Spirit in which God delights to dwell Isai 57. 15. next to the Companie of an Angel or a glorified Saint Thus saith the High and loftie One that inhabiteth Eternitie whose Name Isa 66. 1 2. is Holie I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones This was that gracious disposition for which Josiah was praised and spared Because thy heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy self when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. and hast rent thy clothes and wept before mee behold I will gather thee unto thy fathers in peace and thine eies shall not see the evil which I will bring upon this place saith the Lord 2 King 22. 19 20. This was that self-smiting that was still observed in David's heart which shewed him to bee of a right tender Conscience When hee had done a verie small injurie to his deadly enemie Saul the Lords Anointed not touching his life but his lap not cutting his Throat but his Coat his Heart smote him much hee wished it had been to do again hee would not then have done it 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 2 Sam. 24. 10. when hee had committed that other sin of pride in numbering the people His heart smote him again hee cries out I have sinned greatly I have done very foolishly This is that tenderness in converted Ephraim Jer. 31. 19. who smote on his thigh when sensible of his sinful miscarriage and in the penitent Publican who smote himself on his breast Luke 18. 13. A gracious and blessed frame of heart it is But opposite hereunto is that temper of the wicked and graceless heart which the Scripture brands with many ignominious names The Heart of Stone Ezek. 36. 26. The heart of Adamant Zech. 7. 12. The Brawny dedolent Conscience Eph. 4. 19. The spirit of slumber or Lethargie Rom. 11. 8. Eies without sight set in the head The whores forehead Jer. 3. 3. The stiff neck iron sinew and brow of brass Isai 48. 4. The seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4. 2. Greediness of sin Eph. 4. 19. Isai 56. 11. The Enlarged Capacious Grave-like or Hell-like conscience which is as an Open sepulchre receiving all that comes near it entertaineth the most stinking carcase Hab. 2. 5. and is not sensible or offended A whole man at one morsell and is not satisfied Hee is as Hell saith the Prophet that cannot bee filled Prov. 1. 12. or as the daughter of the hors-leach crying unsatiably Give give yet never saith Enough can swallow a whole house yea it may bee a widows house yet can make a Long Praier after all But hath no remorse before nor makes any Restitution after This rusheth furiously into the Battle cryeth Aha at sin as the Job 39. 25. horse at danger This Conscience could drink up Jordan is as impenetrable as Leviathan which esteemeth iron as straw brass as rotten wood when sharp stones are under him he plaies upon them He laughes at the shaking of the speare his heart is aâ— the nether milstone Job 41. Per totum This hath made a Covenant with Death and is at agreement with Hell He regards neither one nor other nor feareth either God or man But eates the bread of wickedness and drinks the wine of violence whose sleep is less that night when he hath done no mischief in the day Prov. 4. 16 17. No surer note of one going to hell in all the world then this temper This is Satans flesh-brand or the mark of Cain as there is no one surer note of the state and truth of Grace then tenderness of Conscience wheresoever it is found These are past knowledge Psal 14. 4. Past shame Jer. 8. 12. Past feeling Eph. 4. 19. Past sorrow Rom. 2. 5. yea Past fear Psal 36. 1. and at last after these many steps to Hell come to bee Lamech-like Gen. 4. 24. Past hope in this life Jer. 2. 25. And past Recovery or past salvation in the next To prevent this labour after tenderness of Conscience which is that that doth make and keepe and manifest a good Christian A two-fold tenderness But here I must distinguish of tenderness it is two-fold one Culpable faulty and diseased Laudable necessary and from soundnes There is a tenderness of body sometimes which proceeds from Soreness sickness infirmity As there is a lively senâ—ibleness proceeding from health and a right constitution So there is a faulty and vicious tenderness and imbecillity of spirit which is five-fold There are five tender Consciences thus A faultie tenderness of Conscience and never an one of them good 1. When one is so tender that he cannot endure to be touched with a reproofe This is a tenderness indeed but an unsound and discased tenderness not so tender but that hee dare adventure on a sinne but he must not be told of his sinne The man who hath a byle when you touch him saith gently I pray it is tender when indeed it is sore and putrifi'd and harbors much filth within it This is an ill tenderness Thus onely wicked ones are tender and squeamish prophecy to us smooth things say they Isa 30. 10. Give us of your softest Pillows Ez. 13. 18. Oh how tender was Amaziah the priest of Bethel Amos 7. 10. He complaines of Amos as a turbulent and factious Preacher The Land is not able to bear al his words he must be restrained How tender were Jeremies accusers Jer. 38. 4. We beseech thee let this man be put to death
and sickly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle calls it 1 Cor. 8. 12. and which is easily cast down and discouraged This was the disease of the stony ground it was so Mat. 13. 21. tender that it was offended at the Cross Outward tenderness is a disease inward is a virtue The stony ground was outwardly tender but inwardly hard therefore could not endure any outward scorching The good ground on the other side was inwardly soft and tender to give Root to the seed received but it was outwardly hardy able to endure all weathers This kinde of Conscience cries A lion in the way I shall be torn in the streets This picks a quarrell at the Gospel for some Circumstances Prov. 26. 13 Why do thy disciples eat with unwashen hands and walk contrarie to the old Ceremonies of the fathers Mark 7. 2. This bird-eyed conscience as I may call it starts as the bird-eyed horse at every leafe shaking or bird flying and layes his Rider on his back or flings him into the dirt haply this is a pittifull weake conscience This was the conscience of the mixt multitude and of the ten spies they started at sight Num. 11. 4. of an Anakim and would not by any means Nu. 13. 31. advise the people to endanger themselves by adventuring forward This conscience is known by these ill Properties 1. It is apt to scruple things lawfull it eateth nothing but herbs Rom. 14. 2. 2. It puzzleth and perplexeth it self about businesses of no great moment about dayes meats c. Touch not taste not handle not Col. 2. 21. 3. It is apt to judge him that upon better grounds is not of his minde and practice Rom. 14. 3. Let not him which eateth not judge him which eateth which he is very apt to do 4. He is apt to stumble Rom. 14. 21. 5. Or to bee grieved and distasted Rom. 14. 21. Occasions whereof as it is the dutie of the strong and wise Christian to avoid so it is the propertie of the weak to bee subject unto 5. And a fift ill tenderness there is of the Conscience all awakened but such as cannot take any rest more Psal 77. 2 3 4. My sore ran all night and ceased not my soul refused comfort I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak So the like Psal 51. 3. My sin is ever before me Psal 38. 17. I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me This is a sad and painful if not sometimes also a sinful tenderness when the soul sees nothing but sin guilt and miserie in it self nothing but anger wrath and frownes in God and no hopes of Redemption by Christ or of recoverie by the Spirit of Grace This is a sad Tenderness or Soreness or Bruisedness or woundedness of Spirit through too much sensibleness of sin tending apace towards fearfull distrust of God and despair of mercy This poor soul is as a man who hath all his bones broken and all his members dislocated and out of Order his heart melting like wax in his belly Psal 22. 14. his spirit even failing nor can he turn himself in his bed without pain A tendernesse this is but from disease not soundnesse Or as you see another man who hath a sore raw eye or an eye that hath been scalded or scorched in the fire it is very tender it cannot look upon the Sun or a Candle without offence it alwaies runs drops trickles and requires some soft silk or fine Linnen to bee before it So the conscience scorched with sin that hath not the fire taken out by the Eye-salve made of Christ his blood Rev. 3. 18. and hath not the fine silk and Linnen you read of Rev. 19. 8. is a sad Conscience though tender it is raw and running and sore and fierie Such a Conscience is tender indeed till it bee the worse again Thus Leahs eyes were said to bee tender it was small Commendation to her they were debiles weak as Junius renders it Rachel was more fair and more beloved her eyes were not so tender Gen. 29. 17. But the Right tendernesse of Conscience is that due Proportion of sense in an awakened ◠Right tenderness and self-observing spirit which labours to keep the soul guarded and unmolested He takes up the resolution of Job My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 27. 6. q. d. I can endure reproaches enough from any other hand I am so outwardly hardy but from my self and my own Conscience I love not to be upbraided with inward heart-burning and risings in my stomack I am inwardly so sensible This tenderness shews it self in respect of God Others Self 1. Of God in every thing to which God is In respect of God Ex. 10. 26. entitled and hath interest in Moses stands for a Hoof. Our Saviour tender of the least Jod or Title of the Law of God He was all in Mat. 5. 18. Joh. 2. 17. a flame with the zeal of God's house when he saw it perverted to uses of merchandize This is not to be called Strictnesse Scrupulousnesse or Rigidnesse but right Tendernesse and true Zeal The command of God to his People is Exod. 23. 13. In all things whatsoever I have spoken unto you be circumspect 1. Particularly and principally he is tender of those things wherein God's Glory and And Particularly 1. Of Gods Honor. Honour is concerned Our Saviour layeth down this for a Maxime Joh. 7. 18. He that speaketh of himself and acteth for himself seeketh his own glorie but he that seeketh his glorie that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousnesse is in him And he therein did vindicate himself against his calumnious Opposers Joh. 8. 49. 50. I honour my Father and ye dishonor me I seek not mine own glorie There is one that seeketh and judgeth This tenderness makes a man altogether regardless of self in respect of Name Credit Family Commoditie yea of Life I count nothing dear to my self so that God may be Act. 20. 24. magnified be it by my loss or life or death The Holy Martyrs counted nothing great or precious or base or hard in relation to God's Honour When the Christian women in Julians time were forbidden to sing their Psalms in their houses they sang out the louder especially when the Emperour was to pass by And they sang out those verses of the Psal 115. 4. 8. The Idols of the heathen are silver and gold the work of mens hands They that make them are like unto them and so are all they that trust in them Yea they added by the appointment of Publia the head and forwardest of the Company to their former wonted Psalms that vers of the 68. Psalm Let God arise let his enemies he scattered And Theodoret. lib. 5. c. 19. when the Emperour in a rage sent for her into his palace and commanded her
was among his Disciples as one that served Luke 22. 27. He could wash their feet and stoope to any the meanest office to leave with them a never dying example of matchlesse humility in remembrance It is no argument of weaknesse said a learned man but of much strength Dr. Staughton to be able to bend the body backward and to recover ones self again so to stoop backward as it were to our brothers weaknesse implies much prudence and strength of grace in us 3. Nor are we to be so tender of the godly 3 Towards all men Phil. 4. 5. onely strong or weake but our moderation must be known to all The wicked himself must see we are tender of his good more then he is of his own good With meeknesse we are to 2 Tim. 2. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 15 instruct such as yet oppose themselves with well-doing not with ill speaking and contumelious reviling to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men and we are to labour to take away all occasion from such as seeke occasion to speak reproachfully of us 1 Tim. 5. 14. 4. But of all others we must shew our 4 Of those nearest to us Josh 24. 15 selves tender most of the good of those who are nearest to us that we and our houses may serve the Lord that all ours may be Gods Job disliked sin in others but was most fearfull Job 1. 5. of it in his children least they should in his absence curse God in their hearts Paul was especially jealous of his Corinthian Believers with a godly jealousie whom he had espoused 2 Cor. 11. 2 6. 11. to Christ because his heart was enlarged to them Austin saith of his mother Monica That it was as much to her as the new bearing of a childe whensoever any childe of hers did amisse Toties filios parturiebat quoties à Deo eos deviare cernebat This is right Religious tendernesse when we put no difference between sin in a friend and in an enemy or stranger unlesse this difference to be more plain in rebuking thy friend and dealing effectually with him to reclaime him If thy signet on thy right hand or thy friend Jer. 22. 24. in thy bosome that is as thy right eye cause thee to offend shew most love to him by the most dislike of his evill way Be not like Pharaoh who would have an Israelite beaten whether there was a fault or no but his own servants in whom the fault was must not be beaten but borne out in all they did Exod 5. 16. Thirdly In respect of selfe tender conscience 3 In respect of self hath much to do and will shew it self in these particulars First in respect of finne already committed his heart now smites him as oft as he sinnes 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 2 Sam. 24. 10. his heart gives him no rest till he hath made his peace with God by renewed repentance and with man by restitution or other satisfaction as Zacheus did This is a certain evidence of the life of grace within when so sensible of sin committed Thus was David after his foule sinnes his iniquities were ever in his eye Psal 51. 3. 38. 8. they cost him many a teare groane yea they made him houle out ere he had done he made his bed swim with teares his eye dimme with Psal 6. weeping and his flesh abate with fasting The like was to be seen in Peter after his shamefull denying of his Master Austin tels us what a change he saw in Confess l. 2. c. 1. Da castitatem da continentiam sed noli modo malebam morbum concupiscentiae expleri quam extingui Conf. l. 8. c. 7. himself after his conversion in respect of sin Exarsi aliquando saliari in inferis He said he could never have enough of it he could have gone to hel to fill his body with it no bread to him like those husks And though he was wont sometimes to think of his sinnes yet all his prayer was rather to have sin pardoned then purged and mortified and his hearts secret wish was that his lusts might be satisfied rather then extinguished He did pray indeed sometimes for continency and victory over his lusts but he was afraid he should be heard too soone But after he had put his hand upon the hole of the Aspe and had done playing before the Cockatrices Denne he tels us what his sins cost him Then he had enough of hell Rodebar intus confundebar vehementer pudore horribili quibus sententiarum verberibus flagellavi animam meam He then felt as he said an inward gnawing worme within him and a fearfull horrour of shame fell upon him that he fell out with himself that he did chide and rattle himself to the purpose in his privacy for his former folly and foule miscarriages 2. In respect of sin not yet committed He feares and departs from evill and shuns all occasions and provocations leading to it How can I yeeld to any such wicked act and sin against God saith Joseph to his immodest Mistresse Gen. 39. 9. whom he did flye from as from a Serpent he would not hearken to her though day after day sollicited by her either to lye with her or be in her company Austin also tels us what care he had after that happy change in him to keep himself from his wonted sins In illa grandi Rixa interioris domus quam fortiter Conf. l. 8. c. 8. excitaveram cum anima mea in cubiculo nostro corde meo c. That there was so much unquiet and chiding in his little house his heart between his lusts and his conscience they fell out so sharply that they must needs part and he would never harbour his wonted lusts any more A happy falling out and a happy parting 3. Tender conscience flies those which the world cals small sins as well as grosse sins He will not be found in a lye no not in an officious or excusatory lye such as Gehazi's was 2 Ki. 5. 25. Eccles 9. 2. Mat. 12. 36 He sticks at a thread and a shooelatchet he feareth an oath even a lawfull oath if not necessary He flyes your lesser Oaths as they are counted of faith and troth he takes heed of idle words wanton looks vaine thoughts wishes and motions he allowes not a light behaviour an unseemly habit he is watchfull against inordinate anger immoderate cares or labour even in his honest calling he knowes in much laughter and unseasonable mirth there is danger in loquacity and multitude of words there is no want of sinne He findes foolish talking and vaine jesting reckoned among sins and forbidden that jesting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which among the Morall Philosophers went for virtue and which common Christians account Eph. 5. 3. all their grace He is better taught then to call any sin little for there is no Poison little death little or Hell little He knowes
soul that was formerly as tender of sin as the mother of her childe with her own hands slaies and strangles it 14 Note This man again you shall finde him ever consulting rather with honesty justice and duty then with honour commodity and safety If he promiseth passeth his word giveth his hand bond or oath he changeth not though it be to his own prejudice and Psal 15. 4. damage That famous Regulus I now speak of having given his faithfull promise to return again being discharged upon his Paroll though he knew he should die if he did make it good returned again yeelded himself their prisoner again delivering this memorable Maxim to his eternall fame Fides hosti data est servanda Faith is to be kept with whatsoever enemy and upon whatsoever perill This also made Austin so much to extoll him as I said before as a man not altering with his fortunes greatnesse made him not swell nor affliction could make him shrink â—ad tanta exitia revertit Intrepidus Aug. ubi supra Mr. Latimer though he had notice before that the Pursevant would come for him would not absent himself yea when the Pursevant having delivered his Message was willing to have left him behind that he might have made an escape he made himself ready to go along with him Here was no consulting with flesh and blood but with conscience duty and the honour of the Gospel 15 Note Lastly this man alone in the cause of Christ and Religion dare stand it out against the whole world as Athanasius and Luther in their severall Generations sustained the rage and fury of the age they lived in yet were nothing discouraged The three most eminent of all David's valiant men purchased their honour by some singular exploit one of them did the work of many Adino the Eznite the first lift up his Spear against eight hundred at one time and slew them Eliazar the son of Dodo stood his ground and endured the shock of the Philistines Army when all his men had left him The like did Shammah the third of them 2 Sa. 23. 8 9 10. The Philistines were gathered together in a Troop where was a piece of ground full of Lentiles the people fled and left him he stood the charge and beat off the Philistines and made good his ground These things did those three mighty men So a man of conscience considers not so much the danger that lies before him as the duty and necessity that lies upon him to appear in such a time and cause A fiery Elias is the more jealous which is the greatest measure of tenderness and love of the cause truth and worship of God when the whole world is halting between a God and no God and when all his fellow Prophets were slain and butchered and he himself was left alone yea his life laid out for then was a fit time for him to shew his courage and fidelity or jealousie as he calls it 1 Kin. 19. 10. We finde by experience the fire to burn most scorchingly in the extreamest frosty weather and the most generous conscience is then most forward and fervent when he lives in a cold and freezing climate And so much of the tender Conscience CHAP. XIII Of the suffering Conscience THe last conscience we spoke of was the Of the Passive and suffering Conscience Tender Conscience here we are to speak of another Conscience as good as that but quite of a different nature that is the Passive and hardy Conscience which is to admit of no fear timorousness or tenderness at all in it as to suffering as the former was not to allow of any patience or boldnesse at all as to sinning Yet are they not so opposite neither as they may seem to be but both are to be found in the same persons gracious dispositions alway agreeing together and one helping and increasing another The more of that Tenderness we spoke of in the last Chapter the more of this Passiveness if need be will be found of which we speak here yea this hardiness proceeds from that tenderness and is inseparable from it therefore it is fitly handled next to it For as there is a bad base and sinfull tenderness that proceeds from as sinfull a hardness or hardness so is there a holy and honourable hardness that proceeds from the best tenderness There is a childish softness and effeminate tenderness of face and flesh which comes from hardness of heart and there is again a gallant and resolute hardness of face and back as unto men to indure all kinds of pains and tortures which comes from reall tenderness of heart and conscience before God Good Conscience then must not be bred so daintily and kept so tenderly but that it may digest the worlds hardest usage and coursest fare it must be Patiens famis frigoris ensis ignis Patient to all sufferings impatient onely of sin This puts within a man a heart of adamant and upon a man a face of brass or flint He is not dashed out of countenance with the fiery countenance of inraged Tyrants nor made to tremble at the sight of a seven-times-heated fiery furnace We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter This is that Conscience which St. Peter so highly commendeth 1 Peter 2. 19. This is thank-worthy saith he if a man for conscience toward God indure grief suffering wrongfully You have not such an expression in all the Bible again that any thing should be thank-worthy with God for our Saviour saith Luke 17. 9 10. Doth any Master thank his Servant when he doth what he commands I trow not So nor can we expect thanks but when we have done all we are to say unprofitable servants we have but done out duty But here St. Peter ver 19. saith This is thank-worthy c. and repeateth it again ver 20. If ye do well and suffer patiently this is acceptable or thank-worthy with God This is a mighty honour put upon this Conscience we must therefore get it Know that all is nothing if this be wanting Not thy Conscience of faith puritie and sinceritie not thy Quick-sighted well-spoken well-doing not thy Inoffensive or Tender Conscience if thou have not also this Propertie All is not worth a Thank As all thou canst do is not worth a Thank if not for Conscience sake so it seems Conscience it self is not worth a Thank if not for suffering sake This did commend the Christians in old times they had learned to suffer as much for Religion as we to dispute for it or rather against it They could be content to be bound that Truth might be at libertie and to die that Religion might not die and they chose rather to suffer for the Gospel then that the Gospel should suffer through them They were more willing that Religion should live upon them and their ruines then we are to live upon Religion and its ruine now adaies Any thing was easie for them
Conscience doth not onely bear up the Spirit with invincible Patience under all Pressures but it anoints the head with oile and causeth the cup to run over with Joy and Consolation His excellencie herein is beyond all expression Good Consciences Peace is the Peace that passeth understanding It makes a Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tam sunt Dies ejus jucundi quam si quotidiè lautissimè aleretur Junius in Ioc. on earth a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. The merry heart our late Translation readeth it hath a continual feast Bonus corde Ar. Montanus Laeti corde Junius He hath Benjamin's Mess before him his fare is far above the ordinarie The bread he hath to eat others know not of nor doth the stranger intermeddle in his joy He hath Jehojakim's Provision Every day a rate from the Kings Pro. 14. 10. Table all the dayes of his life even to the day of his death Jer. 52. 34. His feast is beyond Ahasuerus Royall feast which lasted the longest of any feast we read of an hundred and fourscore dayes Esth 1. 4. but then ended This maintains the heart as Salomon did his subjects with continuall undisturbed peace all the dayes of his life not by force and sword but by Prudence and Counsell This makes thee live Halcyon-dayes in life and sing the Swan-like note at death and leades thee into a new year of Jubile after the expiring of the former year of Sabbath The Good Conscience is it self the Conscientia bona titulus est Religionis Templum Solomonis Ager Benedictionis Hortus Deliciarum Aureum Reclinatorium Gaudium Angelorum Arca Foederis Thesaurus Regis Aula Dei Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti Liber signatus clausus in die Judicii aperiendus Nihil jucundius tutius ditius bona Conscientia Bern. de in t domo greatest Good a man can have and is the Procurer and Entertainer of all that Highest good that man is here possibly capable of It is the onely Paradise which God loves to walk in the onely Throne which Christ sits in the onely Temple which the holy Ghost dwels in it is the golden Pot which the bidden Manna is kept in the white Stone which the new Name is written in the Ark which the Tables of the Covenant are laid up in the earthen Pot where all our writings and Evidences are preserved in it 's Gideon's fleece which all the dew of Heaven falls on it is the soft bed which the wearie soul sleeps in it is the Top of Jacob's Ladder reaching unto Heaven Stevens Perspective looking into Hic est Lectus Animae in hoc requiem capit Bern. Par. Sermon Heaven Moses Nebo where first a view is taken of all the promised Inheritance and thence a few steps higher and he was in heaven it is indeed our Penuel God face to face 5. The Good Conscience is so extensive and communicative a good that it is not onely a real Good it self but makes all other things better where it hath to do whence it deserveth that denomination of good Conscience which it commonly is honored with Other things are called Good as Riches Honors Learning Eloquence c. which are not so really but onely in opinion nor do they make any man the better This makes all Good and Good better where it comes Your Riches Honours Great Parts you call them good but who is made good by them if Good Conscience be not there to do it Bad men may have them and bad they finde them and as bad or worse they leave them But this is that which is inconsistent with any badness no bad man can have a Good Conscience This makes all good it meets with and leaves them good whom it found evil It findes some sinful but leaves them holy findes some proud leaves them humble unmerciful it findes some leaves them charitable covetous it findes some leaves them content unjust and dishonest it findes men but makes them just and honest ere it hath done with them it findeth men unprofitable and good for nothing it leaves them profitable it findes some sad leaves them merry poor and leaveth rich dead and leaveth alive What a change doth this one thing make in the world It mends a Magistrate it mends a Minister it mends rich it mends poor for it mends all This alone would mend ill times mend ill Officers mend ill Lawes mend ill execution of good Lawes mend Church mend State and mend all What Plato said long ago of Common-wealths Tum demum fore beatas res publicas cum aut reges philosopharentur aut philosophi regnarent It would never be well in the world till either Philosophers were Kings or Kings Philosophers we may certainly say It will then be well with Common-wealths and not till then when they that are most conscientious are put in publike place and made Magistrates Rulers Commanders Officers Ministers c. or when they that are in such place be most conscientious Good Conscience is the Treasurie of good which therefore brings forth nothing but what is so Good Communication to edifie the hearer Good Conversation to edifie the Beholder yea Conscientiae ea est vis c. saith Dr Ames that it alters the nature of things it makes Actions in their own nature indifferent become good and Actions good become better as Conscience when not good makes lawfull and indifferent actions sinful and displeasing yea the most holy Action is turned into sin the sacrifice is abomination offered with a wicked heart Prov. 21. 27. How mightily doth it concern us to get this Good Conscience which hath so much of Good Epitomized in it which maketh Learning Parts Riches Honour Good yea makes Faith Repentance Praier Alms Holiness Obedience all Good when Good Conscience there which all cease to bee good if it were not for good Conscience commending them Therefore did Irenaeus well to resemble the Good Conscience to the Altar which sanctifieth the gift that is upon it Non sacrificia sunt quae sanctificant hominem sed conscientia ejus qui offert sanctifiâ—at sacrificium pura existens It is not sacrifice which can sanctifie a man and commend him to God but it is Good Conscience which sanctifieth and commendeth the sacrifice it self CHAP. XVI Of the danger and mischief of an evil Conscience THe Excellencie and Benefit of the Good The danger and mischief of an evil conscience Conscience is not so great but the evil and mischief of the evil Conscience is as great which is our second consideration and this will appear in three particulars 1. Here commonly is the first decay as in the Text you see Hymeneus and Alexander no sooner had put away their Conscience but they sink their faith when once Conscience is tainted and become corrupt then presently the Judgement then the Affections then the Life and what not Corruption in the Conscience is as poison in the spring head this fountain corrupted all the streams run muddie
Consciences witnessing with them saith the Apostle of the naturall Heathens and their thoughts as well excusing as accusing them They may have tranquillam but not securam conscientiam as Bernard distinguisheth And thus it is said of Socrates who living according to the rules of his naturall enlightened understanding when he came to die and was put to death he took his death with much Resolution and Tranquillitie of minde He said of his enemies They could but kill him they could not hurt him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet for all this no naturall Conscience can be a good Conscience 1. Because though it may cum seipso cum aliis scire yet it doth not cum Deo scire At the best it is liable to that rebuke given unto Peter Matth. 16. 23. Get thee behinde me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that Mat. 16. 23 be of God but those which are of men onely 2. Because it is not purged by the bloud of sprinkling It is without Christ therefore without God and Covenant and Promise and Eph. 2. 12. Hope and Mercie 3. Because as it hath not the purifying bloud of the Lamb so nor the purifying water Ezek. 36. 25. of the spirit sprinkled on it whereby it should be cleansed now whatsoever is born of the flesh is still but flesh and onely that which is born of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3. 6. 4. Because it hath not Faith which is that whereby the heart is further purified Act. 15. 9. And the Apostle when he bids Timothy hold faith and a good Conscience tells us as much that first faith must be had and then good Conscience Good Conscience is never without Faith never before Faith This Conscience how ever many may lull themselves asleep on it yet is it a bed shorter then that a man should stretch himself on it and a Isai 28. 20. covering narrower then that a man should wrap himself in it No sure Refuge is it and a strong fort it is not to endure a storming It is not the Ark of Noah of Moses it may be not an Ark of Gopher wood but made of Paper Rushes not pitched with Pitch but daubed with slime not furnisht with all manner of Provision as Noahs was to hold out to the utmost for a whole year and longer Gen. 7. 11. with Gen. 8. 14. but utterly unfurnisht for a day that unless he be taken out of it as Moses was he may there lie and crie and famish and perish This fort is no better then that hold of the idol Berith to which when the men of Shechem fled for Refuge it was fired over their Judg. 9. 46. 49. heads and they perished miserably in it A poor man and this naturall Conscience may perish and burn together Oportet Conscientiam non solum bonam esse tranquillam sed securam Bern. Par. Ser. 4. The fourth use discovers another mistake of theirs who judge their Conscience good when it is nothing so With many that is held for the best Conscience that is most still quiet and sleepie as ignorant people think of a Minister he is the best Minister who is the good neighbour the quiet man who troubles none even he in whose mouth is no reproofs Whereas the Prophet saith They who bless the people cause them to erre and they who are called blessed of them are destroyed Isai 9. 16. and 3. 12. The blinde lead the blinde into the ditch But a man may have so much of this Peace till he be the worse again He may have this Peace too soon he may have it too long There is a Peace of Satans giving Luk. 11. 21. As there is a sword and variance of Christs sending Luk. 12. 51. The kingdom of God is righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of Satan is ignorance and peace and joy in unholy courses yet this is the Conscience which most men call good if it be Pacatè bona they care not though it be malè Pacata Cain desires his Conscience would be quiet therefore he sets upon business of building and travells to go from his discontents Saul makes use 1 Sam. 16. 16 17 23. Act. 24. 25. of musick Felix would stop his present trembling by an abrupt diversion I will take another more convenient season purposely for this Meditation Judas would fill up the mouth of hell and clamours of Matt. 27. 3 4 5. Conscience with loud and bitter Confessions fearfull Exclamations and plenarie Restitution Some call for wine and Mirth to cheer themselves against a day of slaughter All James 5. 5. which is like the drinking cold water to one who is in a feaver who for the present findes relief but his feaver is increased thereby There are four Quiet Consciences and never Four ill quiet Consciences 1. The ignorant mans conscience Luk. 11. 44. an one of them good 1. The ignorant mans Conscience is quiet and still and as the blinde man eates many a hair and drinks many a flie so these know not that they do evil no more then the graves are aware who goeth over them Blindeness of minde makes men past feeling when they commit all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 18 19. Abimelech talks much of his Integritie and Gen. 20. 4 5. Vprightness and stands much upon his Conscience when all was but moralitie or ignorance Without knowledge the Conscience cannot as without Conscience knowledge is not good The Scripture somewhere cals Knowledge the Key but if Knowledge be the Luk. 11. 52. Key Conscience must be the Lock The one must be made fit to the other therefore Paul cals Good Knowledge the Knowledge according to Godliness Now what is a Lock Titus 1. 1. good for without a Key what Conscience good for without Knowledge to open and shut to lock and unlock it and what is the Key good for without the Lock Get both Science and Conscience Glorie not that thou hast got a quiet that is a blinde deaf silent and speechless Conscience The dumb and deaf spirit was the worst spirit to cast out of all the evil spirits wee read of in the Gospel Mar. 9. 25 26 29. The other roaring devils were more easily ejected Better a roaring raging and racking Conscience then a dumb Conscience Mar. 1. 23 26. The second Conscience that is quiet yet 2. The unawakened conscience not good is that Conscience that was yet never well awakened But sin lies at the door like a Mastiff asleep and makes no noise Here is quiet indeed but a dangerous quiet This Conscience either is given over to sleep a perpetuall sleep as God threatens Jer. 51. 39 40. In their heat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleep a perpetuall sleep and not awake saith the Lord. Then will I bring them like lambs to the
uncleanness 11. And lastly this insatiableness leads into the midst of Hell which is delightfulness in sin and there it leaves him to commit all uncleanness with greediness what can be worse in a Devil Thus have we shewed you the eleven steps of Satans Ladder That reacheth from the Top of sin to the Bottome of Hell and tels us by what degrees a man is transformed into a beast at first and into a Devil at the last And thus do you see the second kinde of hardness of Conscience following upon the former Thus it is said of Pharaoh that Pharaoh hardened his own heart Exo. 9. 15 32. Adding to naturall hardness voluntary attracted and augmented 3. Then is there left nothing but Judiciall 3. Judicial hardness by Seducers 2 Thess 2. 10. hardnesse such are all the foure following kindes As that then is the Conscience or heart further hardened by Impostors and Seducers Thus it is said further that Pharaoh's heart was hardened by the Magicians Exodus 7. 22. The Magicians turned the waters into blood by their Inchantments and Pharaoh 's heart was hardened c. God gave them over to worke their lying wonders and gave him over to believe their lies and to be hardened by them God doth still the same in his just Judgement to this day giving men over to strong delusions to believe a lie who had cast off the love to the truth whereby they should have been saved In this respect it is that God is said to lay a stumbling-block before the Apostate Ezek. 3. 20. to deceive the false prophet Ezek. 14. 9. And to have put a lying spirit into the mouth of all Ahab 's Prophets c. 1 King 22. 23. This is a Judiciall and fearfull hardness following upon the voluntary and attracted 4. Then is there a Ministeriall hardening 4. Ministeriall hardning God lets men injoy the Gospel and the means of Grace but they having added to naturall hardness of heart voluntary and to contempt of truth their love of errour God sends leannesse into their soules under fatness of Ordinances barrenness under fruitfull Ordinances Go tell this People saith he Psal 106. 15. to Isaiah the most Evangelical Preacher under the old Testament Isa 6. 9 10. Hear ye indeed but understand not and see but perceive not make the heart of this People fat and their ears heavy and shut their eyes c. Then doth the preaching of the Apostles themselves prove but a savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2. 16. Then doth the best Gospel Preacher become but a hardening preacher hard he found them harder he leaves them asleep he found them asleep leaves them deceived he found them and he cannot undeceive them Thus Moses also hardened Pharaoh's heart viz. accidentally and occasionally Pharaoh grew worse and worse by every precept by every reproof by every sign by every plague by every deliverance and by every mercie 5. Besides these there is a most dreadfull 5. Divine hardning hardening of God's part a Divine hardening a Poenal hardening by Divine Vengeance This God calls the sending of all his plagues upon the heart Exod. 9. 14. A heart hardened by the curse of God is an Epitome of all plagues in the world yea all the plagues of Exo. 10. 1. 20. 27. hell are in it Thus is God said often to have hardened Pharaoh's heart which what it doth particularly implie I shall not here enquire How far God doth act in the Judiciall hardening of a sinner to sin yet is not the Authour or approver of the sin It cannot be meant that God doth infundere malitiam but that he doth not infundere mollitiem Thus is God said to lay stumbling-blocks before men Eze. 3. 20. as was said before to blinde their eyes to harden their heart that they should not be converted c. Joh. 12. 40. To send strong delusions upon men 2 Thess 2. 10. To give men over to vile affections and to a reprobate minde Rom. 1. 28. All these five forementioned Consciences may be quiet and still Consciences but are wretched and unhappy in their quietness Lastly none will make question but there 6. Satannicall hardning is another who had a prime hand in hardening Pharaoh's heart viz. Satan though it be never said expresly that Satan hardened Pharaoh's heart But certain it is that Satan hath his first or second hand in every sinfull act and had a hand in the first hardening to the last He brought in the first naturall hardness he brings on from that to voluntary hardness he subornes Deceivers to harden further he steals away the Word when the Gospel preached Mat. 13. 19. should soften And when God hath tried all means and finds men desperately wicked having pleasure in unrighteousness he gives over striving any longer then comes Satan with full Commission of power and efficacie of lies and errors to perswade and prevail also 1 Kin. 22. 22. The like expressions the Scripture also useth as touching the spirituall blindness of minde 1. We are said to be born blinde blinde we are naturally in spirituall things 2. Then to close our eyes wilfully Matth. 13. 15. 3. To have our eyes closed Ministerially Isa 6. 9. 4. To be led blindfold by Seducers The Mat. 15. 14 blinde leading the blinde those blinde whose eyes God hath put out leading such blinde whose eyes themselves have put out 5. Then doth God close mens eyes Judicially Joh. 12. 40. Rom. 11. 8. And lastly Satan is said to close the eyes of them to whom the Gospel is hid 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Now to end this Discourse the world is full of Consciences that are bardened either by naturall or voluntary or Judiciall hardness Judicially I say either by godly Ministers accidentally or by wicked Seducers purposely or by Satans instigation or by Divine indignation But howsoever it comes all these are quiet Consciences and the more hard the more quiet the less trouble and noise is in the Conscience the less life and soundness ordinarily This Conscience is quiet till the worse again We all complain the world is hard and that times were never more hard and less quiet and never more full of troubles Thus all complain But God complaineth men and Consciences were never so hard though never more quiet and less troubled for sin under Gods wrath fearfull judgements mighty signs wonders temptations deliverances confusions and the hewing of his Prophets and Deut. 29. 3 4. Hos 6. 5. his own slaying us by the word of his mouth and melting us under Mercies Ordinances and offers of his Grace and intreaties of his Ministers yet do we as our stiff-necked and uncircumcised-hearted Acts 7. 51. Fathers alway resist his Grace and Spirit till there is almost no remedie Therefore 2 Chro. 36. 16. no wonder for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 9. ult Yet there is a quiet Conscience that is
he not be able to finde it out 3. It prefers a supposed fictitious Revelation before written and clear Revelations as did the deceived prophet 1 King 13. Now all Divine Revelations coming from the Spirit of Truth ever are consonant to the word of truth which is the Rule to trie all Revelations by 2 Pet. 1. 19. 4. It prefers a strong impulsion from his own thoughts before Gods own thoughts Jer. 7. 31. God said what they did never came into his minde to approve it yet would they do it because it was their Conscience and it came into their minde But the strongest impulsion of our spirits though gracious Spirits can be no Rule David had a very strong impression once to build God a house he consults with Nathan a Prophet he hath the 2 Sam. 7. 2 3. same apprehension of the work Go on for God is with thee yet was it not therefore good in Gods eyes because good in both theirs David had another vehement and impetuous Motion to be avenged on Nabal for his inhumanitie 1 Sam. 25. 22. and uncivilities towards his servants sent in his name he backs that motion with an Oath yet upon Abigails submission he changeth his minde blessing both ver 33. God and her and the counsell given to stay him from proceeding so fiercely according to the wilde light of an erring Conscience God did appoint his people under the Law Numb 15. 39. to wear fringes on their garments that they might remember Gods written Commandments and not seek after their own heart after which they were apt to go a whoring He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool the wise man Pro. 28. 26 saith And Job gives a serious Item in this case Let not him that is deceived trust in vanitie for vanitie shall be his recompense Job 15. 31. 5. Erroneous Conscience interprets difficulties and discouragements as a discharge from dutie The time is not come say they to build the House of God nor is it any more our dutie because the Kings of Persia forbad and the adversaries hindered it Hag. 1. 2. But this is the sluggards Conscience when he seeth a lion in the way Prov. 26. 13. 6. It conceives a fair intention or a good end may legitimate an unwarrantable action Now though true it is That the goodness of the end propounded hath a great influence upon an action to make it theologically good yet can no good end alter the nature of an action that is materially bad to mend it To do the greatest good to an evil end as to pray to be seen of men and to do the least evil to attain the best end as to lie for God are Job 13. 7. alike abomination Our Rule from the Scripture is not to do the least evil to gain the greatest beneficiall good or to avoid the greatest penall evil Rom. 3. 8. 7. Lastly this fool so rageth and is so confident that he dare appeal to God to patronize his exorbitancies Jo. 16. 3. They think they did God greatest service when they did the Church the greatest dis-service in killing the Apostles So did Pauls erring Conscience once stimulate him Out of zeal persecuting the Church Phil. 3. 6. Jehu could not look upon it as any other then true zeal to God when he saw himself so violent in rooting out Ahabs house and Baals priests Come see my zeal for the Lord saith he And were there not fourty zealously enraged against Paul who had made a religious vow not to eat again unless they had killed Paul Act. 23. 12. Quantum Religio poterit suadere malorum what so evil that erroneous Conscience will not call good It puts bitter for sweet and darkness for light familiarly 7. The next mistake is of them who mistake a scrupulous Conscience for a good Conscience whenas all their scruples are about minute and triviall matters about indifferent or impertinent things overlooking things of greater consequence they stand upon Tythe Mint Annise and Cummin and neglect the weightie matters of the Law Mercie Justice Faith Strain at a gnat swallow a camel stick at joyning with a Christian Congregation in the commanded duties of publike worship and Communion but never stick at joining with scorners in sinful communion or in conforming to the fashions of the world Surely we may say as Paul to his Ephesians But ye have not so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20 21. if ye have heard him and have been taught by him c. These make ado about washing pots and cups and outsides when the heart is brim full of pride hypocrisie malice censoriousness rapine and all iniquitie scruple rubbing ears of corn when hungrie but not swallowing a poor widows house The high Priests were troubled in Conscience and rent their clothes when Christ said he was the Son of God but when themselves blasphemed Christ and resisted the holy Ghost there was then no rending hearts nor renting garments When Judas brought back the money and threw it down they would not once touch it and into their Corban it must not come it was the Price of blood now but when they drove the bargain with Judas and told him out that very money then it was not the price of blood out of Corban it might lawfully come but into Corban again it must not go Oh painted sepulchres and whited walls 8. Such again on the other side who think that scruples and strictness and tenderness are the onely arguments of an ill Conscience and that Libertie and bold adventurousness are the best arguments of a good Conscience And so all the world is of a sudden become very Conscientious and our Reformation brought unto perfection All men crying Conscience Conscience Libertie Libertie But shall we go down and see whether they have done altogether according to this crie Gen. 18. 21. Is this the onely good Conscience that the world hath left Must wee needs leave Jordan and go wash in Abano and Pharpar that we may be clean Must we beat down one altar and set up many altars going the clean contrarie way to Hezekiahs Reformation to make sure that our Reformation shall not be Legall must we say that uniformitie is the onely slaverie That one heart one waie one faith one Baptisme and one Table of the Lord is too little under the Gospel That Jerusalem is not the place it is too much to meet all in one place Dan and Bethel may do as well private places are as good as publike The meanest of the people as fit as the most learned Well we see the one part the worse part of that prophecie fulfilled Micah 4. 5. for all people will walk every one in the Name of his God when shall we see the other and better part fulfilled which followes And we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever Shall this serpent Libertie eat up all our other Rods Must all the legitimate sons of Gideon be slain
that way may be Judg. 8. 31. 9. 18. made for the son of an harlot or Concubine a bastard son to reign alone Must Faith and Charitie and Puritie and Sinceritie and Patience and Honestie and Inoffensiveness of Conscience All go and shall we content our selves onely with Libertie We have fought a good fight and made a good warfare while we have put away Faith and old good Conscience and have left Hymeneus and Alexander free leave to spread their blasphemies if they please no fear of being ejected the Church and delivered up to Satan It is well for them that Paul and Timothie are dead and gone In Jeremie's time when Nebuchadnezzar lay before Jerusalem with his Armie they would make a self-denying Covenant to provide Jer. 34. for the Libertie of the poor servants they made it solemnly They cut the calf in main and went through the parts of it they made it they kept it God diverted the danger they had their end All was safe and quiet They would then be at Libertie from their late Covenant All Covenants binde but pro tempore with some and serve to binde God to us not us to God again God brings back the enemie returns their fear afresh And then serveth them in their kinde Libertie they would have from Conscience from Covenants from bonds of dutie They shall have Libertie enough Behold saith the Lord I proclaim libertie to you a libertie to the sword to Jer. 34. 17. the famine and to the pestilence So may not the Lord say in his anger to such as are all for Libertie I proclaim Libertie to you to sins to errors to strong delusions and swift destruction Go and serve ye every one his own idols Ezek. 20. 39. walk ye after your own hearts lust were not this libertie our greatest servitude were it not much more signe of Grace and Favour if God should rather say as it is in the same Chapter That which cometh into your minde shall not be at all I Ezek. 20. v. 32 37. will ere I have done with you cause you to pass under the rod and bring you under the bond of the Covenant Yet there is a good Libertie of Conscience that we should contend and labour Right Libertie of Conscience for And that is 1. To free our selves from humane additions to Divine Institutions to free Conscience from humane impositions inventions and observations in matters of Religion Gal. 5. 1. 2. To have the Conscience set free from all guilt of sin before God by the bloud of Christ Heb. 9. 12 13 14. and 10. 1 2. 18 19 20. This is the Highest Libertie of the Gospel 3. Libertie from sin not to sin Where the Rom. 8. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Spirit of God is there is libertie indeed but from sin the Apostle means not to sin a libertie from the yoke of Satan not Christ's To be free from sin and servants stil to righteousness Rom 6. 18. but not to be servants of sin and free from righteousness ver 20. 4. Libertie from perplexing scruples which are then removed when the heart is established Heb. 13. 9. by grace and the Conscience settled by the Word of God 5. Libertie from former fears horror and troubles of Conscience Heb. 2. 15. Christ Jesus came to deliver and set free them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage And if the Son make us thus free then are we free indeed Joh. 8. 36. But this libertie to be free from the yoke of dutie and from the fear and grief and sense of sin is the libertie of Hell which the devils contend and suffer for not the libertie of Heaven which the Angels enjoy in the most perfect measure Their Libertie is a Libertie from sin and fear and wrath and bell not a Libertie from Grace and Dutie and They could as Tertullian saith Salvâ fide peccare Salvâ castitate matrimonia violare and he tels them how they shall speed Salva venia in Gehennam detrudentur dum salvo metu peccant Law and Obedience and Subjection but a holy obedient and dutifull Libertie This was the abominable broth of the Gnosticks boiling mentioned before who thought no man could come to be a perfect Christian till he had worn out his Conscience To them all filthy works of darkness were lawful This St Paul and St Peter both do caution us against and tell us how we should understand and use our Libertie Gal. 5. 13. Brethren ye have been called unto Libertie onely use not Libertie for an occasion to the flesh but by Love serve one another As free saith the other 1 Pet. 2. 16. and not using your Libertie for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servant of God Both tell us we must take heed wee eat not too much of this honey least we surfet Both tell us this Libertie sets us not free from the Condition and Dutie of servants unto God or unto righteousness While we were free from Righteousness Paul tels us we were servants of sin Rom. 6. 20. But when we are truly free we yet continue servants to another master being made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness ver 18. See Rom. 6. 16 17 18 19 20. There are two masters that divide the world Sin and Righteousness No servant can serve them both none so much a freeman as to bee free from them both The more thou art freed from sin the faster thou art bound unto righteousness and if free from righteousness then the servant of sin CHAP. XIX The Positive Truths arising hence asserted THe one part of the Use of Information was to discover some mistakes and to seek to remove them which was done in the foregoing Chapter The other part remains which is to discover sundry Truths and to assert them which is the subject of this Chapter And first it tels us that whether we look on Timothie as a Christian or as a Minister here are Inferences from it First if we look on Timothie as a Christian and finde him thus charged by S. Paul This charge I commit to thee Son Timothie that thou war a good warfare Holding faith and a good Conscience That a good Conscience is the Christians greatest Charge that he goes withall Whatever thou takest charge of be carefull of this This is the charge of God look to it if thou lose it thy life must go for it What Solomon saith of Wisdom I may say of good Conscience the truest Wisdom Get wisdom get understanding above all thy getting Prov. 4. 5 6 7. So say I Get a good Conscience keep a good Conscience above all getting get it above all keeping keep it forsake not her she shall preserve thee love her she shall keep thee She is a tree of life to them that Prov. 3. 18. lay hold on her happie he that retaineth her But lose this and lose thy soul hate this
They ever who take more care to get great States then good Consciences do but consult shame to their Honours and ruine to their Houses They are like the foolish woman who puls down her house with her own hands Wo to him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong That vâ—eth his neighbours work without wages That saith I will build me a wide house and large chambers and cutteth him out windows and Jer. 22. 13 14 15 16. it is ceiled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in Cedar Did not thy father eat and drink and do Judgement and Justice and then it was well with him Was not this to know me saith the Lord How many Examples do we see continually before our eyes of them who gather riches and not by right who are taken from them in the midst of their dayes and in the end die like fooles Jer. 17. 11. Jeroboam would never be beholden to Conscience or Pietie to secure his State and Crown Policie should do it but did not his State-designes become a sin and a curse to the whole house of Jeroboam to root them out of the Land Ahab must not scruple the way of getting Naboths Vineyard to get it was the thing but did he joy it The Prophet meets him with a cold Gratulation Hast thou killd and also taken possession where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth the dogs shall lick thy bloud also Did Achan thrive any better with his stolne wedge of gold Or Gehazi with his two bags of silver of two Talents The Consumption in Conscience breeds ordinarily a consumption in the state This maketh the furrowes in the field cry out and the stone in the wall and the beam out of the timber answer Wo to him who addeth house to house field to field and pound to pound till they are alone Doth not this leave great houses without inhabitant and fair houses without any to dwell in them This makes all fly at last the beam from the timber the timber from the wall the wall from the house the house from the name and the name it self from the face of the earth His sentence is Write this man childless a man that shall not prosper all his dayes for his heart and Jer. 22. 30. his eyes are onely for covetousness and oppression and violence to do it Whoâ—e Grand-childe doth the third Generation call happie in that Patrimonie dearly purchased by the expense of his Ancestors good Conscience what house stands long that is founded on the ruines of integritie and righteousness whoso gathereth by labour increaseth whoso by indirect courses undoeth himself It is godliness which is the great gain it is the name and memoriall of the godly which shall be blessed it is the posteritie of the righteous which alone is happie Godliness hath the Promise of this life also as well as of that to come Noahs Ark we know was not onely the Preserver of the Church but of the whole Universe So shall we finde good Conscience not onely the best Keeper of the Soul but of the State Trust this thou maist with all that thou â—rt worth 4. This discovers yet a worse decaie then that of temporall States the Ground of that Decaie in Grace whence it is that there are so many broken Professours bankrupts in Religion and decaied Apostates in the Church Hymeneus and Alexander this broke their backs They were men sometimes of as good account and great esteem as any other men in all that rich and mightie Citie Ephesus forward men very likely to make eminent Ones in time They let fall puritie and strictness of Conscience then were corrupted then corrupt others then denie Fundamentals then broach blasphemies then turn Persecutors then were as a Pest and Gangrene to the Church then out of Communion thereof they are cast and at last miserably they ended When good Conscience once departs the unclean spirit comes in and takes possession brings in seven unclean spirits into a house formerly emptie swept and garnished they dwell and stay there till the last state of that man is worse then the first Break once these Old Bottles of good Conscience and all the wine of Grace and Comfort runs out all is marred the man is a lost man From prophane and vain babbling men proceed at last to Highest ungodliness as the Apostles Advertisement is uâ—on the lapse and downfall of these miserable seducers 2 Tim. 2 16 17. 5. This doth also clearly demonstrate That by Apostolical Rules and the Primitive Discipline Toleration is not to be granted nor Church-Fellowship allowed to men who are of loose and profligate Consciences and corrupt opinions they who cease to be members of Christ and act for Satan are to have no longer Com-membership with the Church but are to be delivered up to Satan as we see in the Text. Notice is to be given of them and of their Errors to the Church their mouthes to be stopped their Companie to be avoided and the godly warned to beware of them 2 Tim. 4. 15. 6. This resolves us how the world comes to swarm with foul and pestilent opinions this chief stone is laid aside by the most of unskilfull builders Wood hay and stubble is brought in to litter the Church in stead of gold silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3. The first decaie is commonly here still Hymeneus and Alexander laying aside Conscience as legal and servile and Old-Testament ware become soon tainted with noisom opinions at last come up to open blasphemies and professed detestation of Paul God doth expose unconscionable Christians to errors in Faith Dr Twisse Zech. 11. 10 14 15. and all such like sound Teachers God in his just judgement smites such Teachers in their right eye and in their right hand they are corrupt both in judgement and practice and become no better then idol-Teachers coming before God with the idols of their hearts and laying stumbling blocks of iniquitie before the peoples face And indeed whensoever the Teacher layes by the Staffe of Beautie Faith and breaketh the Staffe of Bands Good Conscience what hath he left to take but the instruments of a foolish shepherd some absurd and dangerous opinions which drown men in perdition and errour while they speak high sounding swelling words of vanitie 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. and promise others Libertie themselves are the captive servants of all corruption 7. This informs us whence it ordinarily ariseth that many have lost that former Peace and those sweet Soul-Comforts they have sometimes had they have lost or wounded their Conscience The Lamp being broken the Oile is lost and the light goes out of it self Men little minde this but here is the common bane of all They are excellent Observations of Learned Ames Med. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 30. Prouâ— fides Conscientia vigent aut languent in hominibus si◠〈◊〉 certituâ—o augâ—tuâ— aut dimiâ—â—â—â—ur
is that there is so little reckoning made of Conscience now adaies Bernards old complaint may be renewed Multi Scientiam pauci Conscientiam quaerunt Many are for Science few for Conscience In stead of that Double Knowledge of which we spake at first for such is Conscience we have only single which is Speculation and therefore in stead of single dealing such is Sinceritie we have too much of double which is Dissimulation In former time we were wont to call the Godly man The conscientious man The man of conscience Now we commend the man of Parts and the able man whereas when all is done the Conscionable man will be found the able man And this better part is the best Parts The man of wisdom is the Prov. 24. 5. man of strength said the wise man though now we call the proud happie and the bold and daring man we call wise judicious prudent But did not our fathers hearts and Lives and Dealings excell ours much more then our knowledge gifts and light exceed theirs They might desire to see our daies for Libertie of Profession and Puritie of Ordinances and we may desire to see their dayes again for strictness of life singleness of heart and uprightness in their dealing They had more Conscience though less Knowledge we have more Knowledge but less Conscience we have greater Scholars they had better men they were more for Devotion we are more for Disputation As Seneca commended former times when men strove rather to do well and virtuously then to speak well and eloquently but blamed the following times when men had got the art of speaking accurately but lost the Habit of doing worthily Vbi docti prodierunt boni esse desierunt So may we say of our times compared with those of late before us We have all learnt to speak the Language of Canaan yet live the life of Canaanites We have yeelded up our two Forts Faith and Good Conscience the Bulwarks of Christendom as I may call them of Christianitie they are unto the enemie That of Faith into the hands of infidelitie errour and heresie and that of Good Conscience into the hands of hypocrisie impietie Libertinisme Where is our old English Sinceritie to be found Our first Love to old truths Our zeal for God Contending for the Faith Our Humilitie of life Our strictness and exact walking It was a great reproach to Israel that there was more faith found in one Centurion him an Heathen then in all of Luke 7. 9. them again and what a dishonor is it unto us that there was more of singleness of heart more of Faith of Love of all Pietie to be found in our fathers in the daies of begun Reformation then is to be found in a Land professing righteousness and by Covenant engaged to Personall and Exemplarie Reformation We may say Surgunt indocti rapiunt Regnum Coelorum c. They went into the Kingdom of Heaven before us and we may fear to be shut out after them They might well be saved though more ignorant we may fear to perish though more knowing They were as it were in the night but had the Pillar of fire among them in which was heat more then light we are indeed in the Sinite ergo finite sapientes hujus saeculi de spiritu hujus mundi â—umentes alta sapientes terram lingentes sapienter descendere in infernum de Vit. Sol. day but have onely a cloud in which is more coolness and shade then light and beautie Bernard speaks of some that were much wiser and more skilfull then others yet all the use they made of their wisdom was to go to Hell in a more neat and handsom manner And let them go thither saith he with all their wisdom and fine Parts How much is it to be lamented that all the use that many make of the present light of the Gospel is but to light them into the chambers of death and this onely benefit they have by it that they do not go to Hell in the dark as others have done These when they come at death to reflect on themselves may take up Nero's words and cry out Quantus Artifex pereo How great an Artist was I to undo my self and how great skill had I to go to Hell 2. And here have we not just cause to proceed in our Lamentation further when we take notice not onely of the want of Conscience in the most and of the decay of Conscience in the best but when we have been beholders of the fatall and frequent shipwracks of good Conscience that have been made in these tempestuous and Faith-trying times to the hazarding of the loss both of Church and State both of Truth and Peace Wracks and Losses at Sea if many together and frequent whether the Vessels be taken by Pyrates or cast away by Tempests tend to the decaying and impoverishing of the greatest States and Kingdomes All being concerned in such a Loss Commodities thereupon growing more scarce and dear Though the Loss be greatest to the Adventurers and Owners who are usually undone thereby and their backs broken as we say How sad and dismall a sight is it to behold a ship now neer her sinking in the depth of the Sea whether it happen through the Pilots carelesness splitting against a rock or the Mariners slackness to do their dutie at the Pump and stopping Leaks or through the badness of the Vessell But what a lamentable Exoritur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum spectacle is it exceeding all Expression what hideous noise is then made what crying out what taking on what running up and down what catching hold But whether can they run what can they catch hold of They are all at their wits end they perish both young and old all together buried all alive in one vast and insatiable grave What a sudden what a horrid what a Totall what an irrecoverable Loss is there all at once A sudden Loss of all their goods a horrid Loss of all their Persons and Lives a totall Loss of the ship and all in her An irrecoverable Loss of All. In one shipwrack a thousand may be concerned and very many utterly undone A shipwrack is more dreadfull then the Calamitie of fire ordinarily The water being the more merciless and masterless Element of the two though both dreadfull and in many things alike amazing and undoing Yet 1. Fire doth not usually break out on such a sudden This may be in an instant 2. From the Fire somewhat ordinarily may be reserved by carrying away the goods off the Ground What can be preserved here 3. From the Fire the man whose house is consuming may escape and save himself and his little ones though he have not opportunitie to remove his goods Here is no flying here 4. In a dangerous Fire the Neighbours come neer offering their common contributions to help to stay it Here who can come neer to rescue 5. In the fire one part
on thee ere he hath done for his eyes put out and will destroy thee though he perish with thee Peccatum susurrans will prove Peccatum exclamans the witnesses might be slaine but did soon rise againe and up to heaven they went to accuse the world of Irreligion and Impiety Rev. 11. 2. To such as are haunted and fâ—â—â—owed with that griesly and ghastly fury of an evill accusing gnawing and corroding Conscience no wolfe on the breast like this no worm in the inwards like this torment it never lies quiet it s ever gnawing and corroding as no phrenfie so outragious as the roaring and raging Conscience It is like the raging Sea which cannot rest Esay 57. 21. No winds abroad cause an Earthquake but what wind is inclosed in the bowels of the earth no outward pressures can so torment as this inward horror the wind within causeth the Gollick paines not all the winds blustering about our ears but that little wind though it make no noise that is shut up in the bowels and pent up that wrings and tortures the body what are all the paines of body to the gripes and gnawing and wringings of an accusing disquieted Conscience This is the heart that continually meditates Terror to it self there is no darkenesse Paena autem vehemens multo saevior illis quas Caeditius gravis invenit Rhadamantus nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore Testem Ju. 1 Tim. 5. 24. 2 Sam. 13. 13. 1 King 2. 44. Gen. 42. 22 or shadow of death like his blacknesse of darkenesse He flies from the Iron weapon and the bow of steele shall strike him thorow The glistering sword cometh out of his gall all darkenesse is hid in hir secret place a fire not blowne shall consume him Job 20. 24 25 26. His sins have now found him out and are going before him to judgement whither he himself shall shortly follow I whither shall I go saith he to his offended Conscience where shall I leave my sin and shame and Conscience againe replies thou knowest all the evill that thy heart is privy too as Solomon said to Shemei nay saith Conscience you would not hear me as Reuben said to his brethren did I not speak to you and tell you then you must take what follows you have troubled Conscience and Conscience will trouble thee Men make light of the checks and admonitions of Conscience while they are in pursuit of sin and amidst their prosperity but when distress and anguish comes to take hold of them how do they cry out Oh Conscience Conscience Oh that I had hearkened to Conscience as it said of Rich Craesus who glorying in his wealth Solon told him that no man could reckon himself happy till he saw his end Craesus regarded not till being overcome by Cyrus and condemned to be burnt to death then he remembred what Solon had said to him and in the fire he cryed out Oh Solon Solon being asked what he meant he told them now he thought of Solons words and found them true and repented that he had made no more use of them when time was 3. It speaks terror to such as have an unwakened unsensible and sleepy Conscience no Lethargie so dangerous and near to death Gelidae est quasi mortis imago The Lethargick sleepy stupid Conscience is the most hopelesse Conscience that can be The dumb deaf silent speechlesse bedrid Conscience is the most desperate disease in the world The Physitian cures the Lethargy by a feaver if he can cast his patient into one and let me tell thee it is better God should cast thee into a hot burning feaver of Conscience by any affliction or horror whatsoever then that thou shouldest go sleeping and snoring to Hell It is not a more certaine token of death approaching to the body when you see speech gone eyes set in the head breath failing feeling lost pulse stopping excrements coming away unawares that such a one is drawing on to his Grave Then when you see the eyes of Conscience set feeling gone checks cease Heart-smiting done all Sins perpetrated yet the Soul lies wallowing in his noysome Excrements that such a Soul is drawing on to the Chambers of Hell The body of the former sleeps but his 2. Pet. 2. 3. Death slacks not the Soul of the latter sleeps too But his Judgement and Damnation slumbers not but is hastening upon him 4. It speaks Terror again to such as are already fallen or are entring into that disease called by Divines Vastatio Conscientiae the wasting or Consumption of Conscience the worst Consumption Such a Disease as the Phisitian meddles with none so bad This if not very timely prevented and stayed turns ever into one of those two desperat and incurable Diseases thou wilt either be stricken with a cold benumming Palsie or Lethargie and so be half dead while thou art alive or into a raging and desperate Phrensy it turns which will make thee be half in Hell while thou art alive The one was Nabals disease who was stricken with it that he became as cold hard and livelesse as a stone and was no better than a breathing Clot and so he died and is much like that Plague threatned Zach. 14. 12. where the flesh rots and consumes upon their feet while they stand their eyes consume away in their holes and their tongues in their mouthes so that they have neither sight nor tast nor speech nor motion yet living Death it self were to be chosen before such a Life The other was Joram's disease whom God smote in his Bowels with an incurable disease of which he lay in great extreamity for two years space and at last his very Bowels 2. Chron. 21. 19. fell out by reason of his sicknesse day by day and so he died in great horrour of whom may be said as was said to Maximinus that Tyrant and bloudy Persecutor when swarms of Lice did Gender in his diseased putrified body dayly did crawl about him that no Physitian could endure to come near him divers of them being slain because for the filthy stink they could not endure his presence others slain because they could find no means to cure him one of the Physitians then spake plainly to him and told him Nec est humanus iste Morbus nec medicis curatur It is not a naturall disease but a Divine stroke of Gods hand it is past the Physitians skill to deal with it CHAP. XXIII Of the Vse of Consolation ANd here we cannot but Proclaim the Happiness and commend the Wisdome of those blessed Souls that in this crooked and perverse Generation have made the better part their Choise and Care viz. to get and keep the good Conscience that Conscience void of offence before God and men that have preferred Purity of Conscience before Liberty and have studied Vprightnesse while others have studied Policy and fleshly wisdome These are like the few Names in Sardis who had not defiled their Garments
who shall therefore walk in white for they are worthy these we may call the Phaenixes of the World The good Conscience saith Bernard is Rara Avis in Terris sed quò rarior apud homines eò charior apud Deum These men are the Noahs Lots Calebs and Joshuahs of their Generations for whom the World fares the better and of whom God takes special care when times are worst These are indeed the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel How happy is he that can say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 2. Kin. 20. 3. and have done that which was good in thy sight Or with Paul My rejoycing is this the Testimony 2. Cor. 1. 12. of my Conscience that in simplicity and godly sineerity I have had all my Conversation in the World I can stand up and say I have corrupted no man defrauded no man circumvented no man Let all the world stand up and say whose Oxe or Asse I have taken Premat corpus Secura cum corpus morie ur Secura cum anima coram Deo praesentabitur Secura cum utrumque in die judicij ante terrisicâ—m judicis Tribunal statuitur De Consc c. 3. Bern tremat mundus fremat Diabolus illa semper erit secura This man hath his house built on a Rock he remains secure whatsoever winds blow and when the rain falls and the flouds arise He is secure in Sicknesse and secure in Death when body and soul are dissolved He is secure in Judgement when Heaven and Earth shall be dissolved and secure to Eternity when the wicked are destroyed He hath the Ark pitcht within and without he hath the Hid Manna and the white Stone He hath bread to eat others know not of His Candle goâ—s not out by night His Gleanings better than the Worldlings Vintage His dry morsel sweeter than a house full of Sacrifices with strife and contenton His Corner of the house top or Wildernesse more delightfull than the fair and large house where that clamourous and contentious Shrew the unquiet scolding Conscience is continually dropping or scalding rather This man his walks are in the wood dropping with Hony his dwellings upon the mountains of Myrrhe his lodging upon beds of Spices This man hath the best fare and merriest life in the 〈◊〉 1â— 15 16. World A continual Feast Feasting yoâ— know is not ordinary fare it is for no manâ— ease to Feast every day Some great meâ— have Feasâ—ed may be once a year as rich Nabal Kings and Princes on their Birth-dayes as Pharaoh and Herod Job had a great State to set out his Children withal they Feasted often but not every day at the same house but took their turns Ahasuerus had a Feast of an hundred and fourscore dayes lasting the longest that we read of yet he was King of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces God appointed his People should Feast of old yet but three times in the year except it were the Sabbatical year and the Jubile then all was Festival the whole year throughout and in the Jubile for two years one after another No man ever Feasted alway but that Glutton Luk. 16. 19. This man exceeds them all he hath not one great Dinner as at a Christmas Feast or one good Supper as at an Vniversity Commencement and away But every day is Festival with him his whole life is a Sabatical or Jubile life He is ever either Feasting or Feasted at home or abroad Either he is Feasted abroad and Supping with Christ or Feasting at home Christ Supping with him Yea this good Conscience is to Jesus Christ and to the Soul too both the feasting room and the feasting fare it is the Chamber and it is the Chear Christ will come into no other room but this This Sit Conscientia pura ut Deum perducat aâ— hospitium nostrum Bern. de iu. domo is his Vpper Chamber furnished and made ready where Christ will sit down with his Disciples and Servants and this the fare Give me thy heart saith he The Purity of Conscience is our best Dishwhich we can Feast him withal and the Peace of Conscience is Christs best Dish which he Feasts us withal Thus you see what a good House-keeper the good Conscience-keeper is He hath a continuall Feast saith Solomon Pro. 15. 15. And in the two following verses he answereth two Objections of the worldly mans making First they ask Hath he so much feasting I pray you what is his State first And secondly What good Chear hath he at his Table To the first he answereth ver 16. He may be but a poor man to see to yet he keepeth such a good house for Better is his little with the Fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith And for his good Chear on his Table it may be it is but homely yet his Dinner of Herbs where Love is the Love of God is is better than a stalled Oxe and Hatred therewith So that Solomons meaning in those three verses is that a Good Conscience is a Feast alone and Riches alone and Mirth alone and that all good is contained in a good Conscience which is a most comprehensive good CHAP. XXIV Of the Vse of Examination HAving already shewed what good Conscience is in general what his Nature what his Offices what is the Excellency Necessity Utility Benefit Comfort and Happinesse of it what the several kinds of good Conscience in particular are and what their Marks and Characters and what is the Mischief and Misery of an ill Conscience and what the Difficulties of getting and keeping the good and escaping the bad Let it now be every mans care to Try and Examine himself how much of Consciis in him and what the constitution of his Conscience is How much of Faith Purity Sincerity Tendernesse Quick-sightednesse Well-spokenness Honesty Inoffencivenesse Passivenesse and Charity is in his Conscience that he may take his part in the Promises Comfort Happinesse and Priviledges belonging to the good Conscience or whether he never had yet any good Conscience at all or have lost what he had or whether that he takes for good be not bad whether he be not the man that hath onely a natural Conscience or an ill troubled or an ill quiet whether his Conscience be not an erroneus or scrupulous or stupid or Lethargick or seared Conscience And so whether those former Reproofs Terrors Threats and miseries are not like to pursue and overtake him I shall not need here to come to any more new marks of discovery if you have well attended what was spoken all along in handling those particular good Consciences with their properties whereto I now refer you Only let every one remember that of the Prophet Malachie Therefore take heed to Mal. 2. 15. your Spirit saith he let evey one be well versed in himself There are three Books well studied and compared one with
his head this is the day it hath longed for and the place where it desires to be heard 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Hereby we know saith the Apostle that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence or boldnesse before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libertatem aut audaciam quid vis dicendi This will make the Godly man in that great Audit to give up his account with joy and not with grief 4. To all Eternity Conscientia bona perfectè tranquilla et laeâ—a est formalis essentialis beatitudo sanctorum in vita futura Ames de Cons l. 1. c. 15. Lastly which is above all it leads him the way ad Gloriosè Regnandum aeternùmque Triumphandum It is the step to the highest glory and is the state of highest Beatitude To be feasted with the fruits of a good Conscience this is Angels food and one of the sweet-meats of Heaven As the evil accusing and tormenting Conscience is one of the greatest miseries in Hell causing the fire never to be quenched because their worm never dieth So the good Conscience is one principal Delicate in Heaven Therefore in that day Christ will not onely tell the Godly how much he hath done and suffered for them but he will tell his Father what they have done and suffered for him I was hungry these have fed me thirsty these gave me drink These have kept the word of my Patience These were not ashamed of my Name where Satan had his Throne These have kept their Garments unspotted therefore they shall walk with me in white Hence it is that the Crown of Glory is not onely called a Crown of Grace because the gift of God But the Crown of Righteousnesse because the Reward of this warfare for faith and good Conscience Then shall the Godly be satisfied from himself and the fruit of his hands shall be given him Then shall flow Pro. 12. 14 forth from the belly of each Beleever Riverâ— of living water rivers of Peace Joy Comfort to all Eternity where Repentance and Faith and Hope and Patience and Knowledge and Tongues and Prophecying shall cease there shall good Conscience continue and in it Life and Joy and Glory Consider on the other side the miseries of an ill Conscience in every condition both in Mot. 4 life death and after both First in life In midst of prosperity he can have no security Job 20. per totum read especially ver 16 17 22 23 24. He shall suck the poyson of Asps the Vipers tongue shall slay him He shall not see the Rivers the Flouds the Brooks of Honey and Butter In the fulnesse of his sufficiency he shall be in straights Every hand of the wicked shall come upon him when he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is yet eating c. and so Job 15. 21. A dreadful sound is in his ears in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him As Adonijah in the day of his Coronation riseth from the table he and all his Guests fly and shift for themselves a short Reign a mourning Feast Or as Belshazzar in his Banquet when he sees the Hand-writing dread and horrour seizeth on him And as the Syrians upon a secret noise God caused 2 Kin. 7. 6. them to hear fled disorderly from their Tents leaving all their wealth and good chear a booty to the hunger-famished Israelites What torment like that of an ill Conscience of which that forenamed Authour Dr. Stoughton ubi supra excellently speaks All outward blessings saith he cannot make that man happy that hath an ill Conscience no more than warm cloathes can produce heat in a dead carkasse if you would heap never so many upon it There is no peace to the wicked Aut si pax bello pax ea deterior For this man in his greatest fortunes is but like him who is worshipt in the street with cap and knee but as soon as he is stept within doors is cursed and rated by a scolding wife Like him that is lodged in a Bed of Ivory covered with cloth of Gold but all his bones within are broken Like a book of Tragedies bound up in Velvet all fair without but black within the leaves are Gold but the lines are bloud O the rack O the torment O the horrour of a guilty mind There is no hell so dark as an evill conscience Secondly but much more in adversity ill Conscience that hath long lien silent and quiet is apt to cry out and fly in the face as Josephs Brethren in their distresse were forced to cry out Gods hand was just upon them Their sin which was before Peccatum susurrans is now Peccatum clamans such cry out as Saul in his distresse I am sore distressed the Philistims make war upon 1 Sam. 28. 15. me and the Lord hath forsaken me and answers me no more then poor soul he goes to hell for comfort and accordingly he sped Such have neither Joy in Life nor Hope in death Vtrinque timidi as Eusebius Euseb l 6. cap. 42. speaks of some in the time of the Persecution under Decius Cowardly and unsound Christians who were timidi cum ad moriendum â—um ad sacrifiâ—andum A lamentable case neither would their Conscience serve to let them Sacrifice to the Heathen Idols nor would their heart serve them to die for refusing So were they in a miserable strait between two dangers of losing Life and wounding Conscience and could no way satisfy themselves whereas good Conscience had seen in such a case what was presently to be chosen Ill Conscience never made good Martyr yet But there are three times especially wherein ill Conscience proclaimeth Terror and Rev. 8. 13. as the Angell in the Revelation flies over the head of a sinner crying Woe Woe Woe First One Woe in life Secondly Two Woes at death Thirdly But Three Woes at the day of Judgement 1 Woe in this life The first woe is in this life But this how dreadfull soever is the least because the shortest and hath an end in a little space of a few dayes or years therefore it is said the first woe is passed but behold two worse woes come shortly upon it Rev. 9. 12. The Second woe is at death This is a great 2. Woe at death woe double to the former the furnace is heated seven times hotter than it could be in this Life And as the Apostle saith of the Godlies afflictions all the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared to that Glory that is to follow so may we say all the sufferings of this life to the wicked whether in Body or in Spirit are nothing to be compared to those that follow This is a long lasting woe But yet of the second woe it is also said
Christ and the Spirit Good Conscience must observe the eye voice beck finger and every motion of Christ Judas hereby shewed himself to be a man of no Conscience unlesse a seared that he could stand all those throwes and never shrink for the matter he was nothing moved at the sop given nor those plaine expressions in words at length and not in figures He to whom I give this dipped sop is the man whose heart is dipped in Treason and Bloud to be my betrayer and murtherer Wo be to him by whom the Son of man is betrayed It had been good if that man had never been born He stood all these he stayed he puts off all these with an impudent Is it I He swallows the Sop he could now drink up Jordan out he goes and out goes Conscience and in goes Satan first hastening him to his sin then posting him to ruine All this came upon a non-advertency to hints and warnings and checks and reproofs As it is a fearful judgement Cains judgement to fear where no fear is so it is as foul a sin Judas his sin not to fear where fear should be What a hell is it for a man to be Conscience-proof or for Conscience to be Sermon-proof Terror-proof Correction-proof Thou hast smitten them O Lord Jer. 5. 3. but they have refused to receive correction They have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return These come to be past reproof and then to be given over to a reprobate Rom. 1. mind To be like the Smiths dog who is so long accustomed to the sparks flying and the noise of the bellows that he sleeps under them But Solomon hath a sad warning to such He that being often reproved hardneth Pro. 29. 1. his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy But on the other side Peter recovers Conscience by a wise observing these hints Christ had fore-warned him Ere the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice he lays up these words yet being surprized on the sudden through infirmity he falls Repentance awakens him he hears the Cock crow his heart trembles he reflects on himself casts his eie back upon his Master then sees his Masters eye fixed on him He minds the eye he reads the meaning he leaves the place goes out weeps and recovers himself and is again received by Christ Observe thou still the looks and calls and smiles and frowns of Christ and learn to say This is the Voice of my Beloved this is my duty this is the voice of the Rod and this is the meaning this is the writing of Christ and this is the reading Listen as attentively next to the hints 4. Means of Christ to the mutterings and whisperings of thy own Conscience learn the language and observe the discourse of thy own Conscience mind what intelligence it brings thee home There is more in this than every one is aware of Many deal with suggestions and checks of Conscience as Josephs Brethren did with him when he told them of his dreams they accounted them one while as the wild notions of an idle brain then they derided him and called him the Dreamer another while Gen. 37. 11. they looked upon them as the malipert evaporations of an aspiring mind then they envied him But his Father thought there was something in it therefore he marked and observed his sayings Take notice what news Conscience brings thee home every day as Joseph did to Jacob of his sons Be not afraid to speak with thy self face to face Decline not this personal Treaty with thy self Send Amaziahs challenge to thy Conscience Come let us see one another in the face 2 Chron. 25. 17. Commune often with thy own heart Psal 4. and thus David tells us he himself did Psal 77. 6. when he had been much out of order his spirit overwhelmed his mind troubled he thought his Conscience might have somewhat to say to him he desires a right Vnderstanding may be had therefore he seeks a conference I communed with my own heart saith he and my spirit made diligent search I heard what Conscience had to charge me withal and Conscience made a search and heard what I could say for my self These Soliloquies are our best disputes and the most usefull conferences Such Solitude is better than Society sometimes Man is best company for himself Be thou daily in this Counting-house and take a turn every evening in old Isaacs walks Go out and meditate Gen. 24. 69 shall I say or go in and meditate Wee read Gen. 1. that God viewed every dayes work what it was before it passed out of his hands and saw that it was good ere he left it and before the Sabbath he took a review of all he had done in the six dayes before Observe thou each day what were thy actions this day what were thy passions See what words fell from thee what purposes and thoughts were in thee Didst thou well or no to be so angry or to be so merry So to be silent or so to speak Didst thou not vainly discover thy self as one of the vain fellowes use to discover themselves Especially before 1 Cor. 11. 28. the Sabbath or the Sacrament view all thy works and take thy self to task by a serious self-examination Be not a stranger to thy self live much Non venitur ad bonam Conscientiam nisi per cordis custodiam Bern. at home nec te quaesiveris extra Fear not to be alone whomsoever thou trustest to be thy Cash-keeper be thou thine own Conscience-keeper If any be so ungracious as to say who made me my Brothers Keeper Tremble thou to be so unnatural as to say who made me my own Keeper what an ill account of his Stewardship will that man give up who can say I have been diligent in all things which I took in hand but my own Vineyard have I not kept I presse this the more because Cant. 1. 6. it is so necessary and near a way to a good Conscience I say again be sure to be well versed in thy own heart feel thy own pulse how it beats wind up this Watch every night see how it goes every day see if it be not down and have done going Be not like the Elephant who loves not as they say to see his own face therefore never drinks but in muddy waters Be not as was said of Cain Cordis tui fugitivus A vagabond from God and a runnagate from thy self Hear thou when Conscience speaketh that God may hear thee when thou speakest else Conscience will tell thee though thou wilt not hear it speak to thee now he will be heard before thy betters another day what it hath against thee What a shame is it to thee if thy own Conscience can give no better testimony of thee than Nabals servants did of him Our master is such a man of Belial that none i Sam. 25. 17. may speak
to him Be sure to carry it fair with thy self and keep peace at home that thy house be not divided against it self and so end in ruine Miserable it is if man and wife live at discord God is not there What is it when a man disagrees with himself Or be sure if there be any discontent here to get all composed Deliver thy self as the Roe see whether thou be in fault or thy Conscience Austin tels us how he had many Quae non ad me dixi quibus verberibus flagellavi animam meam a round bout with himself after that God had shewed him his sin He went aside and chode himself Then into a private Garden he got where none might interrupt him and there his Conscience and he were wrangling till God agreed them and made them friends These fallings out breed the strongest friendship both with God and thy self In hortum abiit tum in illa grandi rixa domus interioris quam fortiter excitâram animam meam in cubiculo nostro corde meâ— in hortulum abstulerat me tumultus pectoris mei ubi nemo impediret ardentem litem quam mecum aggressus eram Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 7. 8. Fifthly yet so we must hearken to and The fifth Means Vnicuique suus liber est Conscientia c. Et ideo scribi debent libri nostri ad exemplar libri vitae si sic scripti non sint saltem corrigantur confer amus itaque libros nostros cum libro vitae â—â— forte in illa ultima discussione abiiciantur si non fuerint emendati de Consc lib. 1. cap. 9. confer with Conscience as also to confer Conscience with the Scripture That is the Book of life as Bernard saith and according to that our Conscience must be copied or corrected Let us therefore saith he compare and confer our books with Gods book lest in that day our books be rejected as false and faulty when they come to be examined See therefore if thy Copy be according to the Original The Christian grows judicious when he reads not Scripture cursorily but when he diligently conferreth place with place and Scripture with Scripture Conscience is to be compared with the Bible and examined by it The able and expert Divine rests not in perusing a Translation be it never so good bur confers the Traslation with the Original Conscience is but a Translation at the best and in most the most corrupt Translation this vulgar Translation had not need be made authentick and Canonical But thou must search the Scriptures and not trust thy own judgement too far Keep thy Watch still going as I said before but see thou that it be right set not by thy neighbours clock or thy own guesse but by the Sun-dial Conscience is indeed unto a man a kind Solis Canonicis libris debetur fides caeter is omnibus judicium Luther of Scripture yet at most but Apocryphal not Canonical Apocryphal it is therefore not to be denied reading Canonical it is not therefore not infallible Nothing is to be taken Dogmatically from the Apocrypha say we unlesse it be contained in the Scripture So far we receive them as they consent with Scripture no further So far receive thy Conscience A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not so as it should be heard for it self but it is secundariae authoritatis lectionis allowed it may be when it holds a consonancy with the written word The grossest Idolatry in the world saith a learned Divine is to make thy self the Idol and as bad a Rutherford Papacy as that at Rome to make a Pope of thy own Conscience Thy Conscience is indeed thy Rule but it must then be Regula Regulata it may not be Regula Regulans et primaria that is it is a Rule ruled by another not giving Rules but when from that other Rule Conscience is to every man his Law to himself Rom. 2. 15. but this law is to be written out as the King was commanded Deut. 17. 18. 19. to write his Copy out of Gods law and then to read therein all the dayes of his life Conscience may be to thee thy Aaron in stead of a Prophet but it must then have his Moses with it to be to it in stead of God This consideration alone well weighed would resolve what is to be done in many cases and may direct in many passages Nothing is more ordinarily pleaded than Conscience Conscience It is my Conscience say most what ever is their practise or opinion and if Joab take Sanctuary here he thinks himself safe secure that none may remove 1 Kin. 2. 28 31. or trouble him but a Solomon will fetch him thence or he may die there It is my Conscience saith the Papist the same saith the Jew the same a Mahometan and I will die for my Conscience The same may an Antinomian an Arminian or Anabaptist say and I will not goe against my Conscience c. I but is it a good Conscience a well informed and enlightned Conscience My Conscience bids me do thus say men often I but what doth God bid Conscience do Had not Adam fallen we should have needed no other Rule but our own Conscience Now we have a Law written and Proclaimed we must not make Conscience the Supream Law but the subordinate In the integrity of my heart may Abimelech say when it was but Gen. 20. 3. a blind integrity And Jonah being challenged for his frowardnesse Doest thou well Jonah to be angry he replies yea so well as Jonah 4. my Conscience is satisfied that I could die in this mind and thus I would do if it were the last thing I should say or do Chrysostome blamed those that are curious and choise what money they take who will refuse to take that which they know not Nisi ipsi videant numeros calculos constare they wil look for the figures and for the right Stamp But in matters of Conscience and in points and practises of Religion â—re easily over-reached Simpliciter se huc illuc ferri patiuntur Cum sint ab autore spiritu sancto dicuntur autoritatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veritatisque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamier de canon fid l 4. c. 1. Cui subjic iÌ„ oportet omnem pium intellectum Aug. 6. Means Vel Deum interpellet inquirat aut consulat nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the highest honour and perfection of the holy Scriptures that they coming from an infallible hand and written by the divine inspiration of an un-erring Spirit have this Prerogative above all other persons writings and opinions that they are of undubitate and unquestionable Authority and of infallible certainty to which every thought and reasoning of man must be brought into subjection Conscience is indeed to have a negative voice so that nothing is to be done without his assent and good liking
But Conscience must not challenge an Arbitrary and illimited power to act or determine any thing without advice with his great Councel the Law and the Prophets The last of those means to be used is Prayer which is a great friend to good Conscience The good Conscience makes many a good Prayer There is the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and demand of a good Conscience spoken of 1 Pet. 3. 21. which learned Beza understands of prayer Quo fit ut bona Conscientia interroget Deum he renders it The good Conscience never undertakes any thing saith he without prayer and asking counsel at the mouth of God Good Conscience hath ever one eye Conscientia sanctificata ab uno Deo pendet illum invocat nihil nisi eo consulto et ore ipsius interrogato aggreditur Beza in 1 Pet. 3. 21. Act. 10. 2. Job 27. 10 upon God to observe his precepts and the other to beg his direction Conscience cannot be kept sweet but in this perfume of Prayer Observe and you will find the man frequent in prayer ordinarily a man of Conscience But the man of Conscience ever a man of Prayer This was the Testimony given of Cornelius that he was a Devout man fearing God with all his house gave much alms to the People and prayed to God alwaies But the Hypocrites saith Job doth not delight himself in the Almighty nor pray alway to God There can no Conscience be made of any thing where Conscience is not made of Prayer They call not upon God saith David what is Psalm 14. he then lesse than a practical Athiest And Job again makes the highest pitch of impiety this to say to God depart from us we desire Job 21. 14 15. not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him Dost thou then desire a good Conscience Pray with Salomon O Lord give me above 1 Kin. 3. 9. all givings a wise and understanding heart that I may know how to go in and out before thee And with David Lord Create in me Psal 51. a new and a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit Lord be thou still searching and keeping this my heart it is too much for me to keep it is too deep for me to search it is too subtil slippery and deceitfull for me to know Lord try my reins Lord make me know my self O Lord keep me and my Conscience with all keeping keep me as thou wouldest keep the apple of thine eye that thou keeping my Conscience my Conscience may keep faith that faith may keep Christ that Christ may keep my soul in perfect peace Without peace what is life worth Without Christ I can have no peace without faith no Christ without Conscience no faith and without thy keeping no Conscience and without prayer no hope of thy keeping O Lord set thy Angel with his flaming drawn two-edged sword turning every way before the door of my Conscience to keep and guard it from being either forced or defiled Prayer and Conscience make such another association as Judah and Simeon did Help me Jud. 1. 3. good Prayer saith Conscience to drive out the Canaanites out of my Coasts to expell Erroneousnesse deadnesse and hardnesse the three sons of Anak out of my Lot and Territory and I will help thee Prayer to drive out fear distrust and despondency out of thy Lot As those six already mentioned are to be practised to the getting or keeping of the Seven things to be avoided good Conscience so there be seven other things to be avoided 1. Beware even of committing smallest Non solum gravia sed et levia peccata sunt sins and of many things which go for lawfull Wink not at small faults in thy self for so saith Piety In others thou must often so commandeth Charity The least spark may consume the greatest house the least leak vitanda Bern. sink the greatest ship One unclean spirit makes way for seven worse Call not Faith and Troth small Oaths they are more then yea and nay Refrain idle words rash anger vain mirth foolish jeasting yea to say so much as Racha to thy brother that is saith Spanhemius Chrysostomus et illius abreviator Bulgaâ—orum Episcopus statuerunt Raca designare idem quod TU per contemptum Spanhem in Dub. Bern. to say so much as Thou to him in contempt Conscience must beware not onely of telling a malicious lie but of the officious also not onely the pernicious lie to be detested but even the joculatory to lie in jest to please thy companion to excuse thy friend to save thy self is to be refrained Every kind of lying is sinfull because no lie is of the truth Abhor not onely to calumniate and back-bite thy worst enemy but to flatter and sooth thy best friend The greatest spoil made in Conscience had at first but small beginnings Qui otiosum verbum non reprimit ad noxia citò transit et vanus sermo est vanae Conscientiae index Davids carelesse glance and roving eye corrupts his heart there the fire begins he is drawn away presently after and enticed then lust conceives and brings forth sin sin shortly becomes perfect and bringeth forth death A dart striketh through his liver death seizeth on his souls vitals and so low is he brought by this Consumption as to the dust of death Principiis obsta is a good rule How soon were all Peters good purposes promises Protestations forgotten and laid aside he being once ingaged among ill company They all speak against Christ he resolveth not to stand up one against so many to speak in his defence They deny him he denies him they swear he swears they curse he curseth as fast How soon doth the thief in the candle consume it How fast do lesse sins not thrown out vastare Conscientiam and make it flare out presently Peters faint denial first time fetcheth out an Oath next time to back it then he that hath once pawned his Faith to hell by a false oath may now sell his Master for nothing and himself for nought Pèter casts off fear he cuts off his own legs drinketh dammage Lie Swear Curse Lord it is time for the Cock to crow and for thee to look and for Peter to be gone Oh look to beginnings cast out as Pharaoh did the young Children motions to Exo. 1. 16 sin when they are first born Shun occasions Come not nigh unto her corner Stick at a thread and a latchet There are more ill husbands undone as I said before by losse of time neglecting their callings by a little sleep and a little slumber by slight expences now a penny and then a penny then by a hundred pound at a clap these sink suddenly none pittying them the other fall at length but by degrees none observing them Bernard tels us how insensibly by degrees sin grows
upon the soul A man well bred at first looks upon sin as importable once overtaken sin is not now importable but onely Primo importabile processu temporis grave paulo post leve postea placet dulce est Ad extremum quod erat impossibile ad faciendum est impossibile ad continendum Bern. de cons c. 3. Ex voluntate perversa facta est consuetudo dum consuetudini non resistitur facta est necessitas Aug. Conf. l. 8. heavy next time sin is not heavy at all but easie a while after not easie onely but light next time sweet and pleasant afterwards custome becomes another nature and what was importable at first to be committed is impossible at last to be avoided And Austin tels us a story of his mother who by sipping a little wine at first when she filled the cup came by degrees to be a tipling Gossip and to take her whole cups at last Qui modica spernit paulatim decidit he saith upon it Despise small sins and thou art gone Ad illum modicum quotidiana modica addendo in eam consuetudinem lapsa erat ut propè iam plenos mero caliculos inhianter hauriret Conf. lib. 9. 2. Take heed again of adventuring upon one greater sinfull act I say any one sinfull act deliberately presuming upon Gods Remission and thy own Repentance saying I shall have peace though I do this Such one act may for ever shut Conscience out of doors taking away the life and sense of it and ever after shut thee out of Consciences doors taking from thee its former peace It was but one deliberate act of sin that threw the Angels to all Eternity out of Heaven and chained them up in everlasting chains of darknesse That one sin deliberately committed by our first Parents against an expresse Precept cast them out of Paradise and caused the Cherubim and flaming sword to be set at the gate for ever denying any recovery re-entry See what became of Judas when he had once projected in his heart that prodigious act of murder and treason and was resolved to make good his bloudy engagement to the Priests He is now at present with Christ and his Disciples yet intendeth anon to be with the High-Priests He takes the Sop from Christ now and resolves the same hand shall take the High-Priests money too He hath a bag that can hold all that Christ can give and Satan offer Oh Lucifer how art thou fallen Oh Judas how art thou running headlong to destruction Judas what if Christ should disclaim thee for ever as he did for a son of perdition All those which thou gavest me have Joh. 17. I kept hut that one which is lost Judas what if thou shouldest be given over to Satan that thou shalt never repent Judas what if God should give thee over that though thou repent thou shalt not be received to mercy that thou and thy money and thy repentance perish together and God swear in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his Rest The like you may see in Ananias and Sapphira who having deliberately concluded to try the Spirit of God in the Apostles never were called to Repentance after But when Peter had rebuked them with their sin Why hath Satan filled your heart they died in their sin 3. Take heed of living under or following after a loose and cold man-pleasing Ministery which preacheth liberty not strictnesse of Conscience which soweth pillows under thine Arm-holes and layeth feather-beds under thy feet to tread upon cries Peace Peace so that none departeth from his sinfull way The voice of a faithfull Preacher Esa 40. 3. Esa 58. 1. Ecc. 12. 11. is the voice of a Cryer His sound the sound of a Trumpet his words like sharp nails and piercing Goads his preaching is heart-pricking his dividing the Text and Doctrine the Heb. 4. 12 13. dividing of the Spirit and Marrow and cutting down the Back-bone and he layes all open This is the best Ministery that which is sharper than the two-edged sword and discovers the thoughts of the heart and makes the man quake and tremble and fall down before the word and cry out God is here of a truth Our blessed Saviour who had the Tongue of the learned to speak the word Esay 50. 4. Esa 49. 2. Psal 45. 2. Rev. 1. 14. Mal. 3. 2. Es 11. 4. in season to him that was weary was also as a polished shaft and his mouth as a sharp sword He who had grace poured into his lips and spake so as never man did his eyes were as a flame of fire and his comming into his Temple none was able to abide He was as a Refiners fire and the Fullers soap and with the breath of his lips he did slay the wicked The Prophets of old the Apostles in their time and all Godly Ministers since have been sons of Thunder their work hath been to fall roundly upon Conscience They have applyed all their engines to batter downe or take in this strong hold for Christ They have laid siege to the disobedient and refractory Conscience sought to Block it up to take away all provisions from it to force it to yeeld and call out for mercy They have surrounded Jericho's high walls day after day sounding with their Trumpets till they have fallen downe flat to the ground that Joshuah might enter as a Conqueror They still sought by loud and uncessant Alarums to startle the secure Conscience to awaken the sleepy to burne the seared to terrifie the obdurate And the only care they had was to comfort the afflicted to Josh 6 22. Heb. 11 31 quiet the troubled to strengthen the weake Conscience And to rescue one beleeving Rahab from perishing among thousands of them that beleeved not These were the weapons of the old ministeriall Warfare These the Stratagemes of Christ and his servants to undermine and blow up Satans Kingdom and to pressemen into the Kingdome of Heaven But this Age will not endure this kinde of preaching no more then the Israelites could indure the shrill sound of the Trumpet sounding loudder and louder and that terrible fire and Heb. 12. 19 20 that voice of words which they desired they might heare no more off We must have no legall teaching we Soft and Effaeminate Rehoboam must have young and complying Counsellors of his owne humour The Samaritan must not come with his Wine to search and cleanse and wash but onely with his gentle Oyle to heale and comfort Physitians of no value Say not this is to preach Christ Jesus free Grace the Kingdome of Heaven Gospell Promises Priviledges Is the Son of peace there Are thy hearers Loaden Weary Luk. 4. 18 Pricked Wounded Bruised Sick When the Gospell Commission was first opened the instructions were to preach the Gospel Es 61. 1. 2. to the poore to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives recovering of sight to the blind to
set at liberty them that are bruised to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord. And withall to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God But it is noted of them that blessed the people they caused them to erre and they who were so blessed were destroyed Christ commanded repentance to be preached and Es 9. 16. then remission of sinnes to be promised And Lu 24. 47 Acts 20. Paul tells us all his Doctrine was bound up in two Chapters The first repentance towards God The second faith in Jesus Christ But Luther tells us he observed two sorts Theologus Crucis dicit id quod res est Theologus gloriae dicit malum bonum bonum malum of Divines in his time there was one the poore Divine whom he called Theologus Crucis the Divine for the Cross he saith Luther preacheth plainly and tells men how things stand The other Divine is Theologus Gloriae the Divine for the Crowne for preferment Praise The Glorious Divine This saith he is a dangerous and unsound Divine he calls evill good and darknesse light And Luthers prayer was that God would deliver his Church from such glorious A theologo gloriae pastore contentioso â—nutilibus questionibus liberet suam Ecclesiam Dominus Luther Divines The men of thy peace said Obadiah v. 7. Have deceived thee and prevailed against thee they of thy bread have laid a wound under thee c. See therefore if thou wishest well to thy soul whom thou must chuse for thy minister him that is most faithfull most powerfull whose fan is in his hand who is a conscience-convincing a Conscience-scouring and searching man such a one is like to be well skilled in the art of curing and comforting Conscience who seekes to discover the diseases and maladyes of Conscience Affect that ministry then that speaketh more to thy heart then to thy fancy that preacheth more to thy Conscience then thy concupiscence and whose Preaching driveth more at Purity then Liberty But in these dayes how few are found who at all stand upon the ministry of the Word what it is whether Preaching or non-Preaching whether sound or unsound Preaching Heretofore the question was Where dwels the Seer Now a dayes if any be to make a remove and to change his 1 Sam. 9. 9 18. dwelling They make Lots choice enquiring what the Earth is for their Cattle not Gen. 13. 10 what the Ayre is for their Soules and so prefer a Sodom before a Canaan or doe as the Num. 32. 4. 5. Reubenites who because of their Cattle and little ones desired to sit downe on the other side of Jordan though they were further off from the Tabernacle and Temple preferring a Bashan before Jerusalem And if any doe at all regard the Preaching Minister yet how doe they then for the most part make choice of that Ministery that will prophecie to them of Peace and speake smooth things In the first dayes of the Gospell when Christ was new borne there were some Mat. 2. Christian-Gentiles the wise men who that they might finde our Saviour observed diligently the direction of that moving Star of Heaven which went before them and when that not seene enquired for further directions from the standing Stars on Earth the Scriptures they followed both and so were conducted to the place where Christ was whom they found saw and worshipped But now in these last dayes of the Gospel wee have some whom we may call Gentile-Christians who neither regard the moving Stars the Ministers or the standing fixed Stars the Scriptures But without both these Rev. 2. 1. finde out new wayes and follow strange new lights as those who when the Son of man was to be betrayed into the hands of men followed a false Apostle with Lanthorns Torches Fire-brands and weapons as if they meant not to worship but apprehend Christ The former did finde these lost Christ They did honour these put him to open shame they Deify These Crucifie him they Adore these Destroy him They opened their Treasures and give him all they had these strip Christ of all he hath They usherd him into his Kingdome and into the hearts of the Godly these drive him out of the world they prefer'd an Infant obscure Christ before a King before Herod these prefer before a Grown Known and a now famous Messias an Infamous flagitious Barabas About a seven yeares agoe both Parliament and people came in the language of Act. 16. 9. Macedonia to the Godly Ministers come over and helpe us and then they were received Jam. 5. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Joh. Baptist among the Jewes or S. Paul among the Galathians as an Angell of God or as he and Barnabas at Act. 14 12 Lycaonia once one was Jupiter another Mercury The double honour was then thought but due There is since a sad change som where that the same men should be looked upon as the chiefe troublers of Israel now made a spectacle to the world Angels 1 Cor. 4. 9 11 12 13. and Men esteemed rather disesteemed as the off scouring of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is well enough The disciple is no worse yet then his master nor the servant then his Lord. Yet if dust might speak to dust and the Thistle in Labonon say any thing at all to the Cedar in Lebanon I would say that there seemes to me to be more danger to the men of this Generation from the silent dust of the feet of the despised Godly ministers who Jer. 17. 16 neither fight nor threaten nor yet desire the evill day then from all the armed hands and enraged hearts of the most desperate malignants which though they breath out slaughter and cruelty have been but like the Es 7 4 smoaking Tayles of easily quenched fire-brands 4 Take great heed to him whom thou makest thy bosome freind know him well and Oh nimis inimica amicitia Aug. know him to be good Mans wisedome is not seen in any one thing more then in making choice of his company and friend Ill acquaintance hath undone many The instance in the Text tells us how one sinner destroyes much good One corrupt man corrupts another Hymenaeus and Alexander coupled Vvaque livorem conspecta ducit ab uvâ. together They had one infected the other Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 17. Phygellus and Hermogenes More ill couples still Alexander it is likely marred Hymenaeus Hymenaeus marres Philetus and so comes the Gangrene Gen. 7. 2 to spread Evill persons and seducers as Noabs unclean Beasts go together in couples Simeon Levi brethren in evill Ananias and Sapphira conspire together Amnon had never accomplished his bestial unclean Lust if he had not had the head of Jehonadab to set him in the way Jehonadab was a very subtle man it 2 Sam 13. 3 is said Oh come not into the way of the sinner nor enter
deluded and inchanted with Endoxius an Arrian Bishop he soon cooled in his affections and so staggered in his judgement that they could not tell what to make of him he was neither Fish nor Flesh neither Arrian not Christian But after he fell wholly from his Religion and gave toleration to all manner of Religions to every Nation his own Religion Judaism Paganism all Idolatrous and whatsoever wicked practises were permitted freely onely to preach and professe the Apostolick doctrine prohibited a bitter Persecutor he proved and at last renouncing God to the Oracle he went to enquire of the Devil who should be his Successor 2. To draw to an end The other part of the Exhortation concerns the Minister particularly The Text being a charge or exhortation from a Minister to a Minister from Paul to Timothy to hold Faith and a good Conscience Which the Minister must make good 1. Personally 2. Doctrinally He must be a man of Conscience for his person a man for Conscience in his doctrine 1. In his personal carriage he must be Conscientious that he may be an exemplary pattern to his flock If he be thus a Burning light he shall also be a Shining light to others The Minister must strive to excel others in every spiritual gift in this especially A City set on a hill cannot be hid He must so walk that they may see the law in his steps as well as in his lips He is to be as the Sun the light of the inferiour world is therefore to move regularly steadily uniformly that the Dials and Clocks below may be set right when they go along with this Sun It is said that nothing cuts the Diamond but the Diamond I am sure none is so fit to work upon the Conscience of a man as the man of Conscience The ministers lips then must disperse knowledge to the People but his heart must retain Conscience to himself This little volume Conscience he must be exactly read in whatsoever other volumes he be a stranger to whatsoever language he be defective in he must be well acquainted with that of Conscience It was an excellent speech that of Jerome Discamus in terra quorum Ad Paulin. scientiá nobis perseveret in Caelo Those things are worth learning on Earth the knowledge whereof will be of use in Heaven A saying which famous Paraeus ever had in his mouth and caused to be written in the publike Schooles where he read his Divinity Lectures Learned Beza tels us what was Calvins counsell Cum te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non vulgari donatum esse videam quâ saepe ad moximos decipiendos viros abusus est Satanas velim te diligenter cavere nè te ullis inanibus arguti is irretias usually to younger Divines in whom he saw any pregnancy of parts to take heed of abstruse Questions and unnecessary controversies lest they should be catched and insnared in the Toyles of wit and so prove unhappy instruments of Satan to pervert others And he further reports he had given the same counsell to himself which he had observed to his dying day and did exceedingly blesse God for The want of observing this counsel was the utter undoing of that Conradus Vorstius a man otherwise of much acumen who carried away with the fleetnesse of his wit and the nicenesse of his spirit after he had read Socinus and such other corrupt writings became a pernicious corrupter of the younger Students who were his hearers and an occasion of much mischief to the Church And since that I am speaking to the Minister I desire to speak two words apart to two sorts of persons that are now in the Ministery The first is to our younger Timothies who as they are to be the Successors of our 1 A particular Exhortation to Timothy elder Pauls when they die so are they their hopes and delights while they are alive To these we can say nothing but good Watch you in all things stand fast quit you like men be strong despise afflictions for the Gospel Look well to the Charge of God the Charge of Faith and of a good Conscience Take heed to your selves and your doctrine Avoid prophane jangling vain bablings oppositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6. 21. 1 Pet. 2. ult 1 Pet. 5. 4. of science Pseudo science Study to shew your selves men of God approved workmen that need not to be ashamed Your work and charge is great but your promised assistance greater your reward and crown is greatest I mean not from men but from the hand of the Arch-bishop and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is called in the day of his great visitation Remember that famous Apophthegm of Mr. Perkins which he wrote in the frontis-piece of all his books Minister verbi es hoc age Thou art a Minister of the word mind thy businesse well Be sure to hold fast the form of sound words as being wel nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine wherin you have made so great a pro-proficiency Read over over your Directory Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus It is the Jesuites instruction to their younger Preachers when they have to do with some persons as Princes and great ones to instill Principles into them quae liberiorem reddunt Conscientiam Abominate ye such policie and compliance as greatest impiety In freer and looser times let your principles be the stricter not the slacker It is the reproach of some Lawyers that it may be said of them they have venalem linguam a tongue to set to sale Take heed that it be not said of any Divine that he hath linguam mercinariam animam venalem a tongue to be hired and a soul to be sold Though you may be younger men for Cum ad edificium arbusta succidimus ut prius viriditatis humor exsiccari debeat expectamus ne si eis recentibus fabricae pondus imponatur ea ipsa curvarentur confracta citius corruant quae immaturè in altum levata videbantur Cur non in hominibus ad animarum curas admitiendis custoditur quod in Lignis Greg. l. 4. ep 95. yeares seek to grow past Neophytes and younger plants which may be easily plucked up by the roots from the ground they stand upon or be bent and bowed by any hand as they stand Gregory very elegantly warneth concerning such as are young and tender Plants That they be not like green unseasoned Timber which if put into a piece of building will warp and bow and break that no weight may be laid upon them Secondly here I must crave leave to give 2. To Hymenaeus and Alexander an Item to Hymenaeus and Alexander who of late Disciples are now become all on the sudden above their Masters more than ordinary Ministers who not sent yet run not being called yet they go and having Jer. 23. 21. left the Anvile and the Forge have taken the sacred Hammer in hand Is
not my Jer. 23. 29. Word an Hammer that breaketh the Book in pieces 1. Consider who hath sent you and given you your Commission How can they Rom. 10. 15. preach except they be sent Tell me when the storm comes what answer thou canst make to these interrogatories Jonah 1. 8. Tell us what is thine occupation and whence commest thou what is thy Country and of what People art thou 2. Consider whether thy entrance upon the Ministerial Office and imployment can be called a fair entring by the door into the sheep-fold and not rather a climbing up some other way by a presumptuous invasion an audacious intrusion or an impious irreption as Vzziahs was to whom the Priests of the Lord said it did no wayes 2 Chro. 26. 16. appertain to him to officiate in that Service lest Gods displeasure break out upon thee and smite thee with a Leprosie in thy head Lev. 13. 44. 2 Chro. 26. 19. and fore-head for which if thou be not driven out or shut up thou mayest infect all others with whom thou hast to do I confesse sometime as Jerom saith Ex Lacicis eliguntur Sacerdotes Hieron ad Gerontiam Out of Lay-men as he cals them some have been taken into the Minestery but then they have been such as were first approved by the Church and secondly such as being once made Church-men ceased after to be Secular either Trades-men or States-men They might not wear two Swords and serve two callings much De Civ Dei l. 1 c. 35. In gregibus et armentis aries taurus corpore et animositate prestantior alios antecedit homo vero bestiis aliis bestialior tanto indiscretius et audacius praeesse praesumit quanto minùs de virtutum tiâ—ulis aut Conscientiae sinceritate confidit Petrus Blesensis lesse as Austin said of some Medo Theatra medo Ecclesias replere They must be men of approved Gravity and Holinesse and men of considerable abilities Among the bruit-beasts said one complaining of like disorder there is none doth lead and rule but the stronger and more generous and shall he that hath least of skill and Conscience take upon him to lead and teach men Nazianzene sadly complained that the Ministery was more dishonoured than any other calling none would take upon him to be a Painter or a Taylor but he who was instructed in those Arts and had served his time in learning But saith he shall any step to the Ministery all at once Non elaboratus sed recens simul satús et provect us quemadmodum Gigantes finxerunt Poete Vno die sanctos fingimus eosque sapientes et eruditos esse jubemus qui nihil didicerunt nec ad sacer dotium quicquam antè contulerunt quà m ipsum velle Shall a Saint of a few dayes standing he put into the Ministery who brings no other commendations to his works but onely a bare good will and an impulse of a private spirit Jerome often complained in many places of his works of the inconsiderate taking in and preposterous thrusting in of unmeet persons to this imployment Heri Catechumenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heri sacrilegi bodie bodie Pontifex heri in Amphitheatro bodie in Ecclesia Vesperi in circo mane in altari Yesterday schollers to day teachers Yesterday at a Play-house Tavern or a Fight to day in the Pulpit They understand not the Scripture saith sacrifici Docent scripturas quas non intelligunt prins imperitorum magistri quam doctorum discipuli Jerom. Antèa effundere quam infundi velint loqui quam audire paratioces prompti docare quod non didicerunt c. he yet will they presume to interpret Scriptures and they first commence Doctors among the Ignorant before they have been Disciples of the Learned They may reckon themselves full of Charity saith Bernard being very forward and liberal in teaching but they should not instruct till they have been instructed nor teach till they have heard more nor guide others till they have learned better to govern themselves 3. At thy peril howsoever thou art called gifted and approved let me charge thee to take heed of two Rocks which such as those of your cloth are subject to dash upon that thou corrupt not the Doctrine of the true Faith and that thou cast not away the care of a good Conscience That thou be not one among those many Pastors to whose charge God layes it That they have destroyed his Vineyard Jer. 12. 10. And that your manner of dealing with the Scriptures may not rather be called a paddling with your feet rather than a fair handling of it as Ezek. 34. 18 19. Seemeth it a small thing to you to have eaten up the pasture but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures and to have drunk of the deep waters but ye must foul the residue with your feet And as for my flock they eat that which ye have troden with your feet and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet And so you become not Pastores but Impostores not Doctores but Seductores not Pontifices but Pontii not Prelati but Pilati It was wittily said of Luther that the young and unskilfull Physitian who Germanicum proverbium ut Lutherns de doctore medicinae juvenâ— opus ei esse novo Caemiterio c. See M. Bowls in his Pastor Evangelicus l. 1. c. 13. did more hure than good by his Practise had need have a new Churchyard he would kill so many And of the young and unexperienced Divine Opus ei esse novo inferno He had need have a new Region or Plantation in hell for by his dangerous Preaching he would send a new Legion or Colonie thither to furnish it He would destroy so many Fourthly let Hymenaeus Alexander know this further if they still proceed to belch forth pernicious errours and blasphemous doctrines though now there be no Discipline on foot to deliver them to Satan and though Paul and Timothy are dead and gone forgottentoo almost by many yet Pauls sentence here shall reach and overtake them They who have delivered up the Forts of Christ and the strengths of the Church into the hands of Satan stand in foro Dei delivered up to Satan themselves Lastly because I would not altogether despair of the return of the worst of these Paul had yet some hopes left that these might learn not to blaspheme And some possibility 1 Tim. 1. 20. there is that even they who are already taken captive by Satan may recover themselves by repentance and come to the acknowledging of the truth out of these snares of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 26. So I intreat these men if they have not altogether made a total shipwrack of faith and conscience to look well to themselves whether their preaching be not more out of envie and strife to add affliction to Pauls Phil. 1. 15. 16. hands than out of love and sincerity to strengthen Pauls hands and whether they seek not more to discourage the shepheards and scatter the flocks to draw Disciples after themselves than to bring their Disciples unto Christ Jesus the great shepheard Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord Jer. 48. 10. negligently But more accursed he that doth it Deceitfully Secondly To conclude the other and last part of the Ministers charge is That he Doctrinally look to good Conscience as the principall part of his Pastorall Charge in respect of others Take heed to thy self and to thy Doctrine You that have entred the Lists see you make good this Warfare Let this be your Study Care Businesse to be acquainted with the Nature Offices Work Businesses Impediments Helps Friends Enemies Diseases Cures of Conscience Seek in all your Sermons Conferences Writings Debates Discourses to Inform Direct Convince Satisfie Resolve and Stablish Conscience Still strive to speak to Conscience to thy own first and then to thy Brothers This is the most prevalent and comfortable Preaching when we do not beat the Aire and study to speak onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not face to face and from the mouth to the ear but heart to heart and eye to eye By this means warmth comes upon the dead Shunamites son from the greater warmth of the Prophet This the lively and Evangelical preaching Let Conscience be thy Study Library Concordance Let Conscience be thy Text thy Doctrine thy Vse Let Conscience be thy first and last and all Eat up this little Book and receive it into thy bowels then Prophecy To study Books makes the Scholler To study Men makes the States-man To study the Times makes the Politician To study thy Conscience makes the good Christian To study thine own Conscience first and then thy peoples makes the able and accomplished Minister ERRATA PAg. 22. lin 32. for Uniformity read Unanimity p. 106. in the margin read Sed Pharisaei non-sunt infirmi sed malitiosi calumniarores pertinaces nebulones Jubet Dominus ne de eorum scandalo sint soliciti Other mistakes will not much disturb the sense what they be either pardon or amend PErlegi hunc librum cui titulus est Good Conscience the strongest Hold In quo nihil reperio sanae et Orthodoxae fidei contrarium sed quam plurima quae doctrinam de Conscientia erudite acutè et perspicuè illustrant quaeque ad vitam piè instituendam maximè conducunt Faculatem igitur concedo ut typis mandetur Decemb. 17. 1649. THO TEMPLE
wildernesse of Kadesh doth tremble when he speaks terror who can give peace His word is as fire in the Bones He sendeth his word the Snow is scattered like woll It s like morsels who can stand before his cold There is a winter and trembling in the conscience But he sendeth Psal 147. 17. 18. forth his word againe and melteth them All the mighty workes wrought upon the soule are by meanes of the word of Christ By this word Act. 10. 36. Christ commeth to the Mar. 4 50 Luk. 24. 38 soule Preaching Peace He saith why are ye fearefull oh ye of little faith why are ye troubled why doe thoughts arise in your heart By his word he coms into the sad solitary soule as Jo. 20. 19. he did to the Disciples all doores being shut and saith Peace be unto you Yea ordinarily that you may waite on the word for tydings of Peace The Peace which Christ doth create is the fruit of the lips of his Ministers Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him The Ministers Feet bring Peace by Preaching the word of Peace Isa 52. 7. And the feet of Beleevers are said to be shod with Peace to walk in waies of Peace through the preparation and Eph. 6. 15 preaching of the Gospell of Peace When the minister comes to a place or people Preaching Peace if there be a Son and Heire of Peace there his Peace shall remaine upon that Person Luk. 10. 6. 2. By the Blood of Christ This is the Procuring cause of all our Peace Col. 1. 20. Having By the blood of Christ made Peace by the blood of his Cross The Peace of our Conscience is the meer issue of that blessed Personall Treaty made between the Father and the Son in behalf of undone and Ruined man the blood of Christ being the whole price of it and all the satisfaction to be made Rom. 3. 23 24 25. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of all sins past c. The blood of the Paschall Lamb upon the door post was the peace and security of Israel against the destroyer Exo. 12. 23 and the blood of Christ upon the soul is the consciences security alone against all remaining guilt and corruption of sin rage of Satan and danger of Gods displeasure This blood gives the soul all boldnesse to enter into Heb. 10. 19 the holyest by a new and living way and gives us assurance before God 3. By the Spirit of Christ This is the Procreating 3. By the spirit of Christ and Producing cause of Peace in us as the blood of Christ was the Procuring cause of Peace for us For this reason Christ and the Holy Ghost are called by one and the same name because their end and businesse is the same to procure Peace to the soul Christ is an Advocate or Paraclete 1 Joh. 2. 1. The holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete Joh 14. 16. The word is the same in the Originall But here is the difference Christ is our Advocate the holy Ghost is Gods Advocate Christ is our Advocate with the Father procuring peace the holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete from the Father producing peace Christ is our Advocate to God prevailing with him for granting peace The Spirit is Gods Advocate Jo. 15. 26 14. 16 26 Gen. 8. 11 to us prevailing with us to entertain peace This is the Dove with the Olive branch which goes and returns till the waters are asswaged dry land appear and danger be over This applyes the word and promise which proclaims our peace this applyes the blood of Christ which procures our peace this hath the last hand and consummating stroke in our peace making Therefore this joy and peace of conscience is denominated from the Spirit joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The fruit of the Spirit is joy Peace Gal. 5. 22. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience III. IN our definition of a good conscience Chap 4. The Offices of conscience I said it was that conscience which being purifyed and pacified doth regularly perform all his Offices Conscience is absolutely the greatest Officer under Heaven and is without contradiction the greatest Representative in all the world it is Gods immediate Vice-gerent hath a delegation from God Whence we commonly say vox Conscientiae vox Dei The voice of God is in the voice of Conscience And the Acts of Conscience are the Acts of God what conscience doth binde or loose on earth in foro suo God doth ratifie in heaven in foro suo 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. So that what the Canonists impudently and blasphemously assert of the Pope we may in a safe and modest sense apply to conscience Deus Papa say they unum habent Consistorium a bold and impious saying Deus conscientia unum habent Consistorium A true saying God and the Pope have but one Consistory or Judicatory say they God and Conscience say we Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. Pluralist respectu Officiorum non Beneficiorum Conscience hath four Offices Now conscience is a Licensed and allowed Pluralist hath four distinct Offices 1. Propheticall or Ministeriall 2. Regal or Magistratual 3. Testimoniall or witnesse bearing 4. Judiciall or sentence passing Consciences Ministeriall Office 1. Consciences first office is Ministeriall or Propheticall that is to do the Office of a Minister Watchman or Seer to give warning from God from whom it hath his Commission Ordination and Station all Jure Divino To warn inform direct reprove admonish charge See you refuse not him that speaketh within you This is your Domestick Chaplain to whom as Jotham said to the men of Shechem you must hearken that God may hearken Judg. 9. 7. unto you We dislike that a Minister should be dumb in his charge or a Watchman should sleep on the Sentery take heed of maintaining a Conscience or silencing a speaking conscience In Libera Civitate Linguas liberas esse oportet Augustus was wont to say Say thou among Freemen conscience should have his freedom preserved at least as to his own charge Give thy conscience all freedom to inform propound yea reprove and smite This Liberty of Conscience none will question all will contend for There is some other Liberty of Conscience the world cries out for I dare not plead for that But give conscience leave to be bold with thee it will give thee boldness another day that thou shalt assure thy heart before God We called it Tyrannicall and Antichristian dealing when the Prelates outed suspended and deprived the godly and