nor endeavour If then this Doctrine hold true and if this be the Believers exercise to walk so as to please his Conscience in all things and in nothing to ofâ—end it sure such a Conscience is proper and peculiar to the Believâ—r and so may be an evidence of one that hath an interest in Christ This will be more clear if we look 1. To the use that the Saints recorded in Scripture make of a good Conscience and that the Scripture willeth and alloweth them to make of it in their tryals and troubles in their straits and difficulties as 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience c. And in this place Paul â—lyeth to it as his refuge and comforts himself by it in and against his present strait now if it were not a Character and mark of a Christian indeed it would not be nor be allowed to be made such a ground of peace quietness to Believers in their straits 2. It is clear from the nature of Conscience its testifying which is not its own or from and for it self only but also and principally from and for God Therefore 1 Iohn 3. 19 20 21 22. it is said Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God for if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things but if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence toward God And 1 Pet. 3. 21. It 's called the answer of a good conscience That is such an answer as giveth quietness and a good Testimony to Believers when all speak against them or speak evil of them Now this answer of a good Conscience is not a mans bare apprehension that his Conscence is good but it takes in these Three 1. Not only the Conscience its saying nothing against the person but positively speaking for him 2. It is such a Conscience as hath its testimony grounded on the Word of God 3. It 's the Testimony of a Conscience soberly reflecting on it self and trying it self in the major proposition to wit iâ— such a thing be true and in the minor proporâ—ion 〈◊〉 such a thing be true iâ— reference to it self in particular and finding both propositions to hold true then â—t confidently draweth the Conclusion But here some will be like Object and say If a good Conscience be an evidence of a persons saving interest in Christ Alace I fear I never had that evidence and mark neither am I like to have it Which Objection ministers ground for these two Questions 1. If a Believer may ever or at any time have a good Conscience And 2. What are the Characters and Properties of such a Conscience For Answer to the First We would distinguish a good Conscience which may be understood either 1 Legally and so it is a Conscience giving Testimony to the fulfilling of the Law perfectly taking it so excepting Je◠〈◊〉 there was never a man since Adams fall that had a good Conscience or a Conscience altogether void of offence toward God and toward men Or 2. A good Conscience may be understood Evangelically or in a Gospel sense or as iâ— draweth it'â— Conclusion not from the Law but from the Gospel and in this sense Believers may have and often actually have a good Conscience thus and in this sense David Hezekiah Paul and others have drawn comfort from the Tâ—stimony of their good Conscience not drawing its Testimony from nor founding it upon the Law and the perfect puriâ— that it requireth but fâ—m and upon the Gospel and the purity that it graciously 〈◊〉 in Christ Jesus our Lord. For the 2d viz. What are the Properties of this Conscience which will clear the former and also clear how it comes that when Conscience challengeth for sin yet it may be said that the Believer hath a good Conscience and may take it as a mark of his saving interest in Christ I shall give thâ— 4. or 5. Properties of a good Conscience 〈◊〉 when there may be sin The 1. whereof is When Conscience is universal and impartial in its putting 〈◊〉 duty thus sayeth the Psalmist Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments When the Conscience dispenseth not with it self in the least duty or sin but its design aim and endeavour is to be in the obedience of all commanded duties and in the degree that is called for It is on these two that David goeth Psal. 18. vers 20 21 22. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath â—e recompensed me for I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God as iâ— he had said I halvâ—d not the Bible nor the Commands nor did I mis-interpret them neither did I depart wickedly I never resolvedly allowed my self in any sin so as to oppose one sin and to indulge and connive at another For all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I endeâ—voured to set them alwayes as a compass before me by which I allowed my self to steer my whole course I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity The sin that I was most given unto that had most power over me and to which I had the manyest and strongest assaults of temptations I keeped my self most watchfully from that A 2d Propertie of a good Conscience in a Gospel sense is That it is a Conscience very single having a just regard for all these things required in a Christian walk whereof we spoke before it s very observant of the performance of all duties looking not only to the matter but to the Spiritual manner of gâ—ing about them it is single in its motives and ends laying due weight on that which Christ sayeth If thine eye 〈◊〉 single thy whole body shall he full of light That is a mark of a good Conscience indeed when a man in his actings is sweyed with respect to the honour of God and doth not what he doth to be seen of men nor to have somewhat to 〈◊〉 of before God but he seeketh to have Christ increasing though he should decrease and is conâ—nt to be 〈◊〉 upon if it may contribute to the exaiting of him and would fain be up at the due manner of performing all called for duâ—es even to be in case with the Apostle Heb. 13. 18. to say Wâ— trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly This is our aim and design and if it be otherwise with us in any thing we approve not our selves in it A Third Property is That such a Conscience is delighted and made glad or grieved and made sad according as it is enabled to manage this great design and to prosecute and attain this noble end or not In this respect a Believer may have a good Conscience even when he faileth and cometh
short in his duty which would quite mar a legal Testimony of Conscience or the Testimony of a legal good Conscience Thus Paul hath a good Conscience Rom. 7. 22. Even when he is wrestling against Sin and crying out in the fight O! miserable man that â— am who shall deliver me from the body of this death For he findeth himself delighting in the Law of God after the inward man and that his design is to be honest and single for God It is not so much the challenge of Conscience as that there should be ground for it that affeâ—eth and troubleth him when he thinketh with himself what may I and must I be before God when Conscience taketh notice of so many things to be amiss in me It is from this ground I say that Paul comforteth himself that he alloweth not himself in that which he did and reckoneth his Evangelically good Conscience and his sincerity to be his renewed part and as such sideth and taketh part with it and condemneth the un renewed part A 4th Property or Character is taken from a Believers walking in reference to his challenges This is not the mark that he wanteth challenges but it s drawn from the influence that challenges have on him Which comprehends three different Characters 1. A Gospel good Conscience taketh quickly and easily with a challenge and is soon troubled and melted 2. It is made quickly to loath and conâ—emn it self for sin and so Conscience and the man agree well together when Conscience sayeth to him thou art a Sinner thou arâ— lost Justice must be satisfied and thou canst not do it he sayeth so likewise 3. When challenges put yet further at him and pursue him yet harder and closser the good Conscience makes him â—ee to the Blood of Christ and sets him a seeking of pardon from God in the Court of Grace when the man is some way condemned in the Court of his own Conscience and then he obtaineth peace even in the Court of Conscience For when God speaks peace in and through Jesus Christ the Conscience also speaks peace and thus though the man hath not a good Conscience in a Law sense as I said before yet in a Gospel-sense he hath and he mindeth to keep friendship with God and with his Conscience though he cannot quiet pacifie and satisfie it in a Legall way yet in a Gospel way he may And this is even it that the Saints have in their appealing to their Conscience for the great ground of their peace viz. The sincerity of their Practice and their fleeing to Christs Blood to the Blood of sprinkling for quieting their Conscience in the croud of challenges for their short comings and failings in practice and that very warrantably from the Word of God whoever sincerely take this way though they have challenges of Conscience they have yet notwithstanding a good Conscience Such a Conscience challengeth by the Law yet absolveth by the Gospel challengeth on account of the Rebellion of the Law in the Members and yet absolveth in respect of the Law in the mind it condemneth the man as loathsome in himself and in his own duties and righteousness and yet absolveth him as founding his peace on Christ and sinking and putting to silence all challenges and accusations in that Blood of Sprinkling that speaking Blood that hath a cry to out-cry the loudest cryes of the most clamorous and guilty Conscience And what can be justly said against this since Christ's Righteousness is perfect and Gods promise faithful and Christs Blood of force and efficacy to quiet and give the answer of a good Conscience But it may be asked hâ—re May not a natural un-renewed person or a hypocrite have the Testimony of a good Conscience or how far may his Conscience be good and wherein lyeth the difference betwixt his good Conscience and the Believers good Conscience I know this is a piece of the Spiritual pride and vanity of many of you to boast of a good Conscience and really it would make a tender Conscience some way to loath to hear you speak so confidently of it I shall therefore in the First place Answer to the Question how far the Conscience of a natural man or an hypocriâ—e may be good and then shew you how and wherein it is defective and what are the differences betwixt it and the Believers good Conscience For the First I would say this in generall in the First place that we are not now speaking of slâ—epie erring dead and hardened Consciences the Testimony of these is little worth neither is every thing Conscience that many men think to be so Conscience must act according to the word else it withdraweth it self from that due subordination it standeth in to God and to his Law Conscience is oblidged to abide and stand by Gods Testimony but God is not oblidged to stand by its Testimony we would therefore beware of mistakinâ— Conscience more particularly in the 2d place a natural man may have something like a good Conscience and may come the length of these four Steps according to his light â— He may have a negative good Conscience that is a Conscience which doth not actually challenge him yea a Conscience that hath no gross thing to challenge him for he is it may be no Murtherer no Adulterer he defigneth no Oppression nor deceit in his Dealing c. and on this ground he possibly thinketh that he hath a good Conscience though he hath no positive Testimony of a good Conscience all this while 2. He may someway have a good Conscience in respect of such or such a particular act in respect of being free of a challenge on account of a wrong design of doing such or such a thing or in respect of moral sincerity and ingenuity such as was in these men that followed Absolom in the simplicity of their heart and in Abimelech who in taking Abrahams wife meaned no evil noâ— any thing but what was lawful and therefore he saith That in the integrity of his heart â—e did it that is he had a moral honest design and was free from grounds of challenge about what others might have been ready to charge him with as to that action 3 He may come a great length as to the duties of the second Table of the Law so as he may not wrong his neighbour in word nor deed he may design no mans hurt he may wish evil to no man thus very probably it was with that Pharisee who came to Christ and said All these have I keept from my youth the poor man speaks as he thought not knowing the Spiritual meaning and extent of the Law Therefore when he is bidden sell all and gâ—ve to the poor he went away grieved he had no gross sinister design it 's also said that Christ loved him or pitied him as a civil man And It s indeed on this ground that meerly civil men so much magnifie and cry up their Conscience and place all
their Religion in that being much darkened and insensibly prejudicat as to their Light when they come up the length or near the length of that light Conscience speaketh and giveth its Testimony accordingly and they have thence a sort of peace but it is not the peace of a truely good Conscience 4. A natural man or a hypocrite may come a great length in respect of the external duties of Religion and may have a kind of a good Conscience in that respect as he may pray and have some moral sincerity in it and â—o as he would â—ain have a hearing and would some way have his heart praying â—ay he may have a kind of delight in approaching to God as it s said of those hypocrits Isa. 58. 2. He would â—ain know what is Duty and what is Sin and he doth not deliberatly thwart with his light in this respect Paul sayeth of himself before his Conversion that as touching the righteousness of the Law he was blameless and Rom. 10. 1. He beaâ—eth the Iews record That they had a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and what I pray was this but Conscience un-informed in and ignorant of the righteousness of God from which ignorance of Christs righteousness and of the way of coming to him it came to pass that they went about to establish their own righteousness So then the natural man or hypocrite when he hath come the length of some honest meaning is disposed to think that he hath done very well and that he hath a good Conscience yet though he may have a good Conscience in some respect or in these respects mentioned and the like yet to have it simply and positively from solid and good grounds giving him a good Testimony is impossible and the reason is because he hath not the Word going along with his Conscience in reference to his whole carriage and in referrence to the principles motives ends and designs of his actions testifying for him and therefore I say he hath not the Testimony of a truely good Conscience For the next Question Wherein is this Conscience defective and what is the difference betwixt it and a believers good Conscience Or how may it be known as differing from an honest Gospel Conscience Answer 1. In respect of its rise there is a defect in the Judgment for if the eye be blind if the understanding be dark the Conscience must be so too They have saith the Apostle of the Iews a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and being ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about to establish their own righteousness However zealous they were of God or others such may be yet they are ignorant in three thingâ— 1. In the extent and spiritual meaning of the Law supposing for instance that a man keepeth the Sixth Command when he is not guilty of any gross act of Murther and the Seventh when he doth not actually commit Adultery or Fornication not knowing or considering that a look arising from the flame of lust within is a breach of that Command and so proportionably in other Commands Even as the Pharisees conformed the Law in the meaning thereof to their own practice and not their practice to the meaning of the Law 2. They are ignorant of the way of Gods righteousness and of that which giveth the Conscience solid ground to speak peace many if they have an honest meaning in their praying reading of the Scripture waiting on publick Ordinances if they put their bodies to some sort of pennance or be ready to give if it were the half of their estates to have their souls safe and if they have a sort of seriousness in all this think that all is well with them and that they have a very good Conscience if this peice of ignorance were well discerned never one soul out of Christ would have peace because none out of Christ have solid grounds of peace for none have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience but these that are in him 3. They are ignorant of their particular case they know not what sins they are guilty of nor what Conscience sayeth of them they think it speaketh better things to them then indeed it doth some guess at it some mis-interpret it and some repeâ—l it whereas if they were soberly reflecting on and impartially looking to their manner of proceeding in every thing they would see that they mistake their Conscience exceedingly This then is the first defect viz. a defect in the Judgment The 2d Is a defect as to singleness and sincerity in the natural mans best condition such are never single when at their very best even when they are most serious in Prayer they are but going about to establish their own righteousness when they fast and give alms and the like it is that they may have some ground for a good opinion of themselves or that others may have a good opinion of them being always acted from selfy motives and for self-ends A 3d. defect Is the want of unbyassed Affections these being partial and byassed will put the man to reason and dispute for the silencing of his Conscience and this eye not being single the whole body is full of darkness Affections being inclined or sweyed to this or that side they will seek to â—way Conscience to that side they incline to This is it that maketh some to follow after and to haunt the company of those who are erroneous in their judgment notwithstanding that they have good reason to the contrary laid before them from the Word of God which they reject and that without challenge being quite byasâ—ed and prejudged in their affections thus many natural men lay this for a conclusion that so much only is Holiness and that no more is needful and what is more is but superfluous niceness and so they prejudge their Conscience by that 4. It is defective in this that it maintaineth not its peace nor answereth its challenges from Christs blood it is not sprinkled with clean but with foul Water to say so it may be it putteth the man to take on some resolution or to come under some vow as to somewhat that it may be is no commanded duty of Religion not hath any valuable influence upon it or he will as it were sprinkle his Conscience with his tears thus many will grant that they have sinned but withall they think and will be ready to say that they have a good heart or a good meaning or that such and such a man well esteemed of hath such a sin and is as guilty as they are or that many have had such siâ—s who yet have gone to Heaven on such and others the like pitiful grounds they found their peace and by such silly shifts they seek to quiet their Conscience yea sometimes from the consideration of the possibility of pardon many conclude confidently that they are actually pardoned We shall forbear to say any thing further at this time God
to come at it If ye should incline it how can ye shift this Conviction Conscience may be silent for a time but it will speak and speak loud when Sickness and the Cross cometh As we see it did in Iosephs Brethren in such a case many of you will find that Conscience hath been much slighted O! when Death shall come and stair you in the face what a terrible thing will a guilty Conscience be found then to be The terror of mad Dogs of wild Boars of felrce Lyons and Tygers will not be so terrible as an evil Conscience will be when awakened and having death at it's back Nay suppose that Conscience should not be awakened while ye are alive and in this world but that ye should slip and sleep away like Lambs Hauing no bands in your death and that ye should die applauded of all men yet what will ye do with your Conscience or how will ye stand before it when ye shall be sisted before Gods Tribunal and when the Books shall be laid open Are there not many now in hell who if we could hear their language would very readily bid us beware to thwart with our Conscience and to make it our enemy Wo to them that take an evil Conscience with them to their Grave it will be a worm that will gnaw eternally and an inward poyson and Venom Stinging Burning and inflaming the very bowels as it were and all that is within the man beyond what is here conceivable We would therefore earnestly beseech and obtest you soberly to think on it for there are many of you whom this Challenge and Reproof will reach And if we should say otherwise to you who never had it for your aim to keep a good Conscience and who were never exercised to nor seriously taken up with Religion we would but cheat and beguile you Is it possible that ye can thwart with the Law of God and not also thwart with your own Conscience or can you thwart with your Light and your Conscience be still silent Or shall the having and keeping of a good Conscience be ane exercise to Paul And do you think to come so easily and without all labour to it These and other such are palpable evidences of an ill Conscience It is not sure a good Conscience that yeeldeth you peace and quietness in such a Case but it is your deep security and your being regardless of whâ— Conscience sayeth that lull and rock you a sleep For the 2d How cometh this to pass or how can it be that men and women thus thwart with their Conscience Answer 1. It needeth not at all to seem strange seing God and his Word are thwarted with will they think we stand in awe of Conscience who stand not in awe of God and who do not lay weight on his Word to regulate their Conscience by it This is the great ground of peoples thwarting with their Conscience and of their regardlesness of it even their not standing in awe of God 2dly The most part never consider their obligation to Conscience nor what is the consequence of thwarting with or of going cross to their Conscience therefore it is that they care not what Conscience sayeth is there any considerable number of persons who think that thwarting their Conscience is such a terrible thing at it is indeed and as one day it will be found to be Many had rather have a very little money in their hand then the Testimony of their Conscience and this regardlesness ariseth from the ignorance of it and of what great concernment it is 3ly Men even by accustoming and habituating themselves to thwart with their Conscience in lesser things do by little and little stupify and in a manner put out the life of their Conscience and â—s the Apostle hath the word They cauterize or sear it as it were with a hot iron Hence it is that when some truly tender Christians are troubled with and have for the matter of their exercise any little things or things that have in them but the least appearance of evil others will be ready to pray to be saved from such madness and folly because they were never accustomed to nor acquainted with any challenge or exercise of that kind but have taught themselves a way of steping over their Conscience and this provocketh God to give them up to a reprobate mind to do things which are not convenient They harden themselves by resisting the Challenges of the Word and Rod of God and of their own Conscience and are judicially hardned so that either Conscience sayeth nothing at all to them or they do not at all value what it sayeth Thence and therefore it is that the prophanest have most ordinarily fewest challenges and these few that they have they trample on them and stiffle them as but un-regardable and trifling things Whereas the most tender Conscience hath readily manyest challenges Though I deny not but that sometimes challenges will bear in themselves irresistibly on the profanest of men but they are to such very un-welcomeguests and they endeavour quickly to smother them or to drive them out again 4ly Many byass their own Conscience and teach themselves shifts not so much to satisfie their Conscience as how to answer it and to stop the mouth of it and to please their own humour if they can give a reason for such and such a thing such as it is to their Conscience they think they do very well Thus deceiving themselves and being deceived for a deceived heart hath led them aside Hence it comes to pass that in some things men take as much pains to byass their Conscience and to have it saying as they say as one man would take on another to satisfie him and to bring him over to be of his mind in any matter Hence also is the debating and strugling exercise that some will have within themselves before they can be brought to an ingenuous confession of that they are guilty of 5ly People seek to please their Conscience when they cannot byass it and when Conscience challengeth they will make amends As it may be they will pray when they are going to commit such or such a Sin as some profane men will do when they are going to fight a Combate or Duel this is to bribe the Conscience Thus many Papists when they have done an evil turn will give so much to the poor or dot so much to some pious work or use as they judge to be a sort of recompense what else is this but to bribe Conscience in one thing to hold it's tongue in another thing so some though they tiple all the day think they do well if they have been a while in the Church and will seek to stop the mouth of their Conscience with that at night for they could not at all keep quarter to speak so with their Conscience if they had not some form of Religion And therefore they will to speak so be brave
refused to give answer to either by Dreams or by Urim or by Prophets so as not to give them clearness by one means nor another neither from his Word nor by their Conscience as calling them to such or such a particular thing it is no marvel that in such a case men be in the dark and that Conscience keep it self silent Yet 2dly For clearing the Matter further ye would consider two sorts of Causes that this proceedeth from some whereof are Culpable and sinful on our part procuring this as a just punishment of some former sin or of some present evil and sinful frame other some are soveraign on Gods part yet tending in his secret providence to promote some designs of good to the Person of a Believer as to these Causes that are sinful and culpable on our part we shall instance them in four or five Cases As 1. When there is a sinful Ignorance in the Persons who desire to be clear in such or such a particular Through that their ignorance they are not in case clearly and distinctly but rather very darkly and confusedly to propose the matter to their Conscience so that their Conscience cannot give them a distinct answer For Conscience is as I said before as a Iudge and our Light is as the Informer and as a Judge cannot well decide in a matter when the Case is confusedly proposed to him so no more can Conscience when it wanteth Light And hence oftentimes persons in whom there is some zeal and good affection are left much in the dark because to speak so they know not the Laws and Practiques on which Conscience proceedeth Therefore Rom. 14. It 's said of some that their Conscience was weak because their Light was weak and dim A second Case is When men in seeking the Answer of their Conscience do bound and limit it They either do not fairly and fully propose the Case to Conscience or they come not to it with ane absolute submission supposing it to be throughly informed by the Word concerning the thing they would have clearness in and therefore they take the Answer in part or but a part of the Answer and suppose the rest or leave it to Conscience to be determined as when men first resolve to do such or such a thing and leave only the timeing of it to their Conscience Here the Conscience may be limited and made indistinct in it's Answer because it is prejudged and left free It might possibly have been somewhat not alâ—gether unlike this that was in the rest of the Tribes of Israel their asking of God about the War against Benjamin Iudges 20. 18. Where they do not say at first shall we go up or shall we for-bear but first they say who shall go up A third Case is When Conscience is provoked by mens former miscarriages then it may be silent and not answer Now the Conscience may be provoked these â—wo wayes amongst others 1. When People use not ordinarily to consult Conscience but at some particular and solemn times only and when they are brought to some pinch or put to a stand but as for the ordinary course of their Life they follow Inclination or a common Light without advising with Conscience In that case when such persons come to advise with Conscience and to seek clearnesse from it about such a thing the Lord may say to them as he did to his People Iudges 10. 19. Go and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen go advise with them or as Elisha said to the King of Israel 2 Kings 3. 3. What have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother Even so if Conscience be passed by and miskent by People in the ordinary course of their life it will readily misken and slight them when they are in a strait and come to seek Counsel and Clearness from it and will on the matter say to them ye followed the counsel of flesh and blood in your ordinary walk and course of life therefore in this particular I will not answer you go and seek Clearness from them whom ye use to consult 2dly Conscience is provoked when me have formerly thwarted with some clear intimations or answers of Conscience and have some way detained the truth in unrighteousness making as it were a Prisoner of it and setting a guard of corrupt affections about it when such come again to enquire at Conscience what they shal do in this or that particular they may justly get such ane answer as is given Prov. 1. 24. Because I called and ye refused I stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will laugh at your calamity they shall call but I will not answer I gave you answers before and ye thwarted with them therefore when ye seek again ye shall get none And hence floweth much blindnesse and be nummednesse of Conscience in men and women because they put out the eyes thereof and frequently repell and beat back what it sayes or answers so that it becometh cauterized and the feeling of it weareth almost if not altogether away and it speaketh very little or none at all to them being so much baffled and blunted with many repulses We may add this Third way how it is provoked and that is when it's askings are slighted It asketh us why we do such and such a thing and forbear such and such another and we slight what it saith and ly still in sin Is it not just that Conscience pay us home in our own measure and refuse to answer us when we ask it A Fourth Sinful Cause on our part of the silence of Conscience is When men come not singly and in a Spiritual Frame to Conscience to seek it's answer and advice but either have anâ— Idol sâ—t up before their eyes and are almost already determined in the thing or else they bring with them some one or other lust unrepented of Hence it comes to pass that though they think themselves submissive in that particular and possibly may some way be so yet not being absolutly submissive in all Conscience keeps silent To the former the Lord some way sayes as he did to these men by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 14. 2 3. Son of man these have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be inquired at all by them When men come to seek Light and bring their Idols with them the Lord that speaketh by the Conscience will some times in that case not suffer it to speak a word The other is like that which we have Psal. 66 8. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer When men come in a profane temper and frame of Spirit to God and are not single and as I said absolutely submissive Conscience will not answer For Conscience
There is nothing readily that more comforts him in a strait it 's a singularly good back-friend Therefore when Paul hath few other friends he maketh use of this and findeth much peace and comfort from it And hence he sayth 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. To clear this in a word further it is in these Three Cases exceeding useful 1. In the Case of Reproach I have sayeth Paul Acts 23. 1. lived in all good conscience before God untill this day And 2 Tim 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve with pure conscience from my fore-fathers 2ly In the case of some notable Cross when Christians are brought very low in a great measure outwardly afflicted or under great persecution This is sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye are buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it and take it patiently this is acceptable with God 3ly It 's useful and comfortable as to our own peace in the case of Challenges for guilt it silenceth and shoulders out all Challenges and giveth holy boldness If our hearts or Consciences condemn us not sayes Iohn 1. Ep. Chap 3. v. 21. then have we confidence towards God The Use serves to teach us to be much in love with such a way as we may have the Testimony of a good Conscience in it and to be much in love with such a Conscience as may give us such a comfortable Testimony in all our straits and difficulties More particularly we shall speak to that which we mainly aim at in these Four or Five Observations Consider then first What Paul is about here he is asserting a truth viz. That he was in great beavines for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh And he attests his Conscience that it was so and that he was honest and sincere in asserting it Whence Observe That there is no action of a mans Life but Conscience hath a concern in it and hath something to say to him concerning it if it were but the speaking of a word let be the doing of any bussiness Conscience hath alwayes something to say for him or against him So that we may confidently say there is no action of so little moment in thought word or deed as whither a man be called to do or forbear to speak or to be silent but in all these Conscience hath a sense and consideration of it and a Testimony to give for or against the man about it I am not now speaking of things sinful or unlawful on the matter but of such things as on the matter are lawful As when a man speaketh truth whither he speaketh it truly and with an honest intention or not Therefore when Paul is speaking a truth here he looks to his Conscience and hearkens what it sayeth Put these Four together and ye will find it clear that a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified and good Frame will alwayes have something to say for or against a man in every thing that he goes about I say a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified Frame because that is the Conscience we are speaking of and the Conscience that most compleatly dischargeth it's duty 1 If we consider this That there is no humane action but God hath given man a Rule directing how it shall be ordered how he shall eat and how he shall drink how he shall plow pray hear read confer how he shall walk in Company and out of Company how he shall go about the Duties of his Calling and it prescribes the manner of doing these things as well as the matter Therefore 1 Tim. 3. 16 1â— It 's said All Scripture is given by divine inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for instruction in righteousness and for correction that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work It furnishes him with light and direction not only in the matter as â— said but in the manner of doing 2. 〈◊〉 That a man in all his actions is either walking according and agreeably to tâ—at rule or not his action is eiâ—her conform or disconform to the Rule there is not a mids He either doth according to it or he doth not according to it If he do the action as the word prescribeth Conscience hath something to say for him if noâ— it hath something to say against him 3. 〈◊〉 that in all actions as they are â—one or performed and as 〈◊〉 God is either pleased or displeased If the action be done according to his will he is pleased if it be not done according to his will he is displeased 4. Conâ—ider That a sanctified Conscience taketh up a mans actions and considereth him in them not according to the matter only buâ— also as they are agreeable to the Rule for the manner principle motive and end and â—estifieth of them accordingly So that if God have an interest in all a mans actions a sanctified Conscience hath also an interest in them I say a sanctified Conscience because it most singly pleaâ—eth Gods interest This is true also of a natural Conscience according to its light for even such a Conscience as it is said Rom. 2. 5. beareth witness and the Gentiles show the works of the Law written in their heatâ—s their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And there is no natural man if he take heed to his Conscience in the doing of any action but will find Conscience according to its light speaking either for him or against him either acâ—using or else exâ—using him but this is much more to be found is a sanctified Câ—nscience because it hath much more light and much more tenderness to act according â—o that light and therefore it will find it self much more concerned in the actions of a believer The first Use is for information and instruction in a maâ—n practical point of Religion relating to mens conversation Most men 〈◊〉 think that Conscience is not concerned except in some great things some paâ—pably sinâ—ul things or some things immediatly relating to Religion and that in all other things they may live as they like without taking notice of Conscience But â— sâ—y and have cleared it that Conscienâ—e hath â—n 〈◊〉 and concern in every action not only as to putting men to undertake it whereof we spoke before but also as to their manner of performing the same It not only puts a man to think speak or do but it 's concerned in the manner of his thinking speaking and doing Conscience in every one of these hath somewhat to say viz. That we are either right or wrong The reason is because all a Christian mans actions may be taken up in a two-fold respect or under a two-fold consideration 1.
how a defiled Conscience may be purged and how we may recover losed calmness and peace then it is to know how a good Conscience may be win at for indeed if all our peace and tranquillity of Conscience depended on our own holy walk only it would be but a heartless and comfortless work to speak of a good and calm Conscience on that ground but this is the great the very great advantage that we have by the Gospel of Grace which as it shews the way how to prevent a quarrel from and so a wound unto the Conscience so it shews the way how a quarrel and controversie drawn on may be removed and this is the thing that now we would speak a little to from these words wherein the Apostles scope is to hold out to the Iewes the weakness of their ceremonial worship sacrifices and washings and the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice to do their business and to bring them from resting on that ceremonial worship to rest upon Jesus Christ alone and one of the arguments that he makes use of for this end is That no legal or ceremonial worship or service could make him that did the service perfyt as pertaining to the conscience as he sayes v. 9. None of these things could give a man peace before God and his own Conscience but that on the contrary the blood of Iesus Christ is able to purge the conscience from dead works And to bring a man that is in a state of peace and freindship with God after he hath sinned and thereby defiled and wounded his Conscience back to that same peace and calmness that he had before he sinned and make him in some respect as quiet and calm as iâ— he had not sinned And therefore the blood of Christ must be infiâ—ly preferable to all these ceremonial sacrifices puâ—gings and washings which probably they inclined to joyn with him In the words read the Apostle illustraâ—s and confirms the efficacy of Christs blood by comparing it with the ceremonies of the Law obviating an Objection which is this The ceremonies of the Law had a good use and why then will ye cry them down He Answers they had an use as they respected Christs Sacrifice that was in due time to be actually offered and as they â—ed it and also as to a ceremonial cleansing or holiness but they could not as pertaining to the Consciâ—nce make a man perfyâ— And sayeth he if these ceremonies had an efficacy as to the outward man and making ceremonially and externally clean or holy how much more shall the blood of Christ be efficacious to the cleansing of the Soul and inner man If the ceremonies of the Law had an efficacy toward the admitting of a man to external ordinances how much more shall the blood of Christ have an efficacy to purge the Conscience from dead works and to take away the sting and guilt and the defilement also of sin and to make it quiet and so to capacitat the man to be adâ—tted to real fellowship with him in his ordinances That the comparison may be the more clear he uses â—ere a threefold distinction 1. Of a twofold uncleanness one of the flesh or outward man another of a mans Sâ—ate and Conscience before God The first related to the mans practice and made him that was ceremonially unclean to be thurst without the camp and to continue so till he was legally cleanâ—ed The second marred the mans peace before God The 2d distinction is of a twofold Court wherein this uncleanness is charged upon the man The one is a Court wherein the mans flesh iâ— as it were judged and that is by men according to his external prosession the other is a Court wherein his spiritual 〈◊〉 is judged and that is his Conscience In the first Court if the moral Law charged him not with guilt it was not asked whether his Conscience was guilty or not but he was on his outward cleansing admitted to Church priviledges but the second Court which is called the Court of conscience looks not aâ— things as they appear before men but as they are before God and therefore will challenge when men do not challenge The 3d. distinction is of a twofold Sanctification The first is that of the flesh spoken of v. 13. And that is when a man is made externally clean or holy whereby he is admitted to the congregagation The other is that which is inward which admits not only to external Church-fellowship but to real internal-fellowship with God and to peace and calmness of Conscience Now for quieting the Conscience and for giving a man peace he tells them that though these external ceremonies admitted him to the congregation yet they did not purify his Conscience but that notwithstanding of all these the quarrel was not taken away before God and so they could not be the ground of inward peace nor bring it in to the mans soul and Conscience but that its the blood of Christ which only doth that and therefore his sacrifice is more excellent then all these ceremonial Sacrifices sprinklings and washings for it admits a man to peace with God and gives him quietness in his own Conscience To leave the comparison then We have in the latter part of these words which we intend to insist on a notable effect and the great efficacy of Christs blood in purging of the Conscience holden forth in these particulars 1. It is implyed That the state of a mans Conscience by nature is this viz. It is polluted and defiled by dead works 2. That the great mean whereby the Conscience is purged and made clean is the blood of Christ. 3ly The end wherefore the Consciences of men are made clean is that they they may serve the living God 4. The proof and demonstration of the efficacy of this blood in these words of the former part of the verse The blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God Is taken from the excellency of the sacrifice of the preist and of the altar whereby the sacrifice was sanctified We shall in passing Observe a few things that may make way â—or clearing of the words and for that which we chiefly intend to speak to from them And 1. Observe That the state of mens Consciences by nature is That they are polluted by dead works which are such works as are to be repented of as the Apostle sayes of them Heb. 6. 1. Whereby he plainly insinuats that sins are called deaâ— works for three reasons 1. Because of a dead principle they proceed from they flow from man that is dead by nature as to any spiritual life dead in sins and trespusses and even the sins of Believers themselves are such as proceeding from them in so far as they are not quickned and renewed 2ly Because of their demerit and that which they deserve which is eternal death final continuance wherein doth at last most certainly bring on eternal death 3ly Because though a
from the challenges of the Law and from the terrours of justice and of the Conscience even â—rom all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses outward means and misâ—aken law Christ being miskend and past by cannot give freedom but by Christ Jesus ye may have freedom A 3d. Ground of conâ—irmation is taken from the consideration of the excellency of Christ Jesus and the efficacy of his blood from the consideration of the excellency of the Person who steps in and 〈◊〉 his blood for a ransom which being applyed the Conscience ought to be quiet and should not to speak so have a face to lay any thing to the Believers charge And this is prest in these two Scriptures on these grounds How much more shall the blood of Iesus Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge the conscience In which words we have three things to hold out the excellency of this sacrifice 1. The excellency of the sacrifice it self it s a Sacrifice without spot all these Sacrifices under the Law were but types of this Sacrifice and there was alwayes something to be said of them which argued their imperfection but no such thing can be said of his He was never polluted by his wonderful conception by the Holy Ghost he was kept free from the least tincture or touch of that pollution that all Adams Sons and Daughters the Mother of the Lord not excepted descending from him by ordinary generation are defiled with and so was a sacrifice against which severe justice had nothing to object being most exactly conform to the Law of God to the Covenant of Redemption transacted betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator on which this is mainly founded but he was compleatly satisfied therewith as we may see Psal. 40. 6 7â— Where he is brought in saying Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire all these things were rejected as having no equivalent value or worth in them for aâ—oneing and satisfying provocked divine justice as is clear from the beginning of the following 10. Chap. and down-ward Where the Apostle cites improves and applyes the words of the 40. Psalm Then I said lo I come in the volumn of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O! my God And sayeth he v. 10. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus The good will of God willing such a thing and accepting thereof makes that we are thus purged and made clean But 2ly Beside the excellency of the Sacrifice we have the excellency of the Preist that offered it O! what pertinent and powerful reasoning doth the Apostle use Heb. 7. To prove the excellency and pre 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ our great high Priest above and beyond all the Levitical Preists These Priests were temporal he is eternal They were but servants he is the Son They were consecrated without an oath he with an oath according to the order of Melchisedeck They offered many Sacrifices and often He offered but one Sacrifice and buâ— once as it is v. 27. of that 7th Chapter and chap. 9. v. 28. and chap. 10. v. 12. and 14. Whereby he hath for ever perâ—yted them that are sanctified And sayeth he such a high-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separaâ— from sinners and made higher then the heavens 3ly There is the excellency of the Altar on which the Sacrifice was offered up and the Altar is as the Lord sayes that which sanctifies the sacrifice This was the God-head of our blesâ—ed Lord Jesus He through the eternal spirit offered up â—imself Though as man he had a beginning yet as God he had no beginning and through the God-head he offered up his humane nature which had its worth and efficacy from the divine nature to which it was united in his blessed person in these three the worth value and transcendent excellency of this Sacrifice is held out The Sacrifice it self is Christ as man offered up both in his body and Soul The Altar on which it is offered which makes the Sâ—crifice savour so very sweetly to God to be of such value and worth and to be so highly acceptable is the eternal spirit the God head of the second person of the glorious dreadful and adorable Trinity Therefore Acts 20. 28. God is said to purchase or redeem the Church with his own blood not with silver or gold or any corruptible thing as Peter sayes and the Priest is Christ God and man in one person He is the Sacrifice in respect of his humane nature The Altar â—n respect of his divine nature giving value and virtue to the humane nature For though his humane nature was in it self unspotted yet being as such a finit creature the divine nature to which it was united in his person did add thereto such a value as made it in this respect to be of infinit worth and value and he was the Priest in respect of both natures as God man and Mediator for sinners Now these three being put together what imaginably can be more desired for quieting the Conscience then may be had and is here Especially iâ— we add the nature of Christs offices and his continuance in them Having such a High priest over the house of God a Priest living for ever to make intercession for all that come to God by him let us draw near with full assurance of saith For he who cloathed himself with the vail of our flesh hath â—orn the vail and taken down the pertition wall that was betwixt God and us and by his sufferings hath made a new and living way to us through it into the holy of holies and from this that sweet word follows which we have 1 Iohn 2. 1. If any man â—in we have an advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous A high-Priest that hath offered himself in a Sacrifice to satisfie divine â—ustice and a high Priest that lives for ever to interceed for the application thereof hence also most comfortably follows that he is able to save to the uttermost these that come to God through him able to save them from sin from wrath due for â—in from challenges for â—in from unbelief and disquietness of Conscience and to give solid and perfyt peace The 4th and last ground of confirmation which we shall name is drawn from the consideration of the nature of the covenant of redemption in the reality legality efficacy and extent thereof in reference to sinners if there be such a Covenant and paction betwixt God and the Mediator transacted to speak so â—n the eternal counsel of the God-head wherein it is agreed that Christ shall come into the world and take on the sins of the Elect who shall all in time in due time flee unto him for refuge And that they upon their fleeing to him shall have their sins pardoned and that his satisfaction shall be accepted for them as really as if
conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13. v. 18. And if at any time the Conscience of the Christian be defiled and wounded by new contracted pollution and guilt and challenges begin thence to arise and to disturb the peace and sweet repose of the Soul there would be on all such occasions fresh believing applications made to the blood of sprinkling that thereby the heart may be sprinkled from an evil conscience and the Conscience purged from dead works to serve the living God and endeavours would be renewed in the strength of grace to walk more tenderly without offence toward God and toward men toward which these Sermons abound with varietie of choice and excellent directions and helps Thirdly and more particularly we would study to have our Conscience well and throughly informed by intimat acquaintance with the minde and will of God revealed in the Scriptures of truth as to all things that we are called to believe and do so that it may be in case to discharge its office and dutie aright whether in Dictating or in Testifying or in Iudging an ill informed Conscience especially where there is any zeal or forwardness strongly pusheth and suriously driveth men to many dangerous distracted and destructive practices hath not this driven men to kill the servants of Christ as himself foretold and in doing so to think that they did God service did not this hurry on Paul before his conversion to persecute Callers on the name of the Lord Jesus and to make havock of the Church by drawing and dragging the disciples both men and women bound to Prison and by cruel persecuting of them even to strange cities compelling them to blaspheme so exceedingly mad was he as himself confesseth against them O! what terrible and tragical things hath this set men on to do and what mâ—d work hath it made in some places of the world beside many lesser impertinencies extravagancies and disturbances in particular Christian Societies Fourthly We would endeavour to have the Conscience deeply impressed with due and deeâ— vâ—neration aw and dread of the Majestie of God the supream Lord of and great Law-giver to the Conscience whose Laws and Commands are only properly directly immediately and of themselves obligatory thereof because the Consciences and Souls of men are properly subject only to God and because the Law of God written in the hearts of men and in the Scriptures is the only rule of Conscience and moreover because men cannot immediately judge the Conscience nor know they the secret motions thereof and finally because he can only inflict spiritual punishment on the sinning Conscience all the Laws and Commands of men in what ever capacitie are only obligatory of the Conscience mediatly indirectly and consequentially viz. in so far as they are consistent complyant and agreeable with the Laws and Commands of the absolutely supream Law-giver or not repugnant thereunto for certainly he hath not given a dispensation to any power on earth Civil or Ecclesiastick to countermand his coÌ„mands or to enjoyn obedience â—o commands contrary to or inconsistent with his own whose commands are immediately and inviolably binding of the Consciences of Superiors and Magistrates though the greatest Monarchs on earth as well as of Inferiours and Subjects all without exception being Inferiours and Subjects to him Yet such Laws of men as do either press or declare the Commands and Law of God and make for the conservation and observation thereof oblidge in Conscience because such Laws as they are such participat of the nature and force of the Divine Law and because the Law of God doth directly and immediately command subjection to the Superior Powers therefore even in reference to theâ—â—njust Laws and such as are repugnant to or 〈◊〉 with the divine Laws Subjects are oblidged in 〈◊〉 not to reâ—use obedience to them out of any contempt of lawful authority let â—e to discaâ—m anâ— renounce the same as some poor seduced and deluded persons do in these dayes â—ther ouâ— of ignorance or humour or misguideâ— zeal to the great reproach of Religion not to admit 〈◊〉 any thing that mâ— have in it the 〈◊〉 appearance of offence and scandal that way because the contempt oâ— lawful authority and the â—andal of others are in themselves sins against the Law of God yet still as no â—eer humane laws do directly immediately and of themselves as I said bind the conscience so neither hath God given a power to any of the Superâ—our Powers on earth to enjoâ— obedience to commands that are cross to his own â—njunctions which all are oblidged indispensably to obey And therefore it is not only sâ—range but even stupendious for any Christians especially such as pretend to be Protestants confidently to assert and bolâ—â—o publish to the world as Mr. Hobbs doth in his Leviathan a book designed by him as I have been informed to complement Cromwel against the writâ—rs own Conscience such as it was p. 168. That no private man is judge of good and evil actions in a Common wealth under civil Laws and that the meaâ—ure of good and evil actions is the Civil Law of actions civilv good why not but of actions simply good and evil as his assertion carries whâ— what reason or shâ—dow of reason God never having given noâ— assigned such a rule we may thus throw away ouâ— Bibles as the rule of good and evâ—l aâ—ions and all betake our selves to the Civil Law as the only Rule and the Legis lâ—tor the alone Iudge since he may as well divest a man of humane nature and un-man him as deprive him of a privat Judgement of discretion or of a private discreâ—ive Judgement in reference to his own actions the soâ—er exercise whereof is no assuming to himself in â—he least the capaciâ—e of a publick Judge and it at any time in any thing relaâ—ing to â—is 〈◊〉 acts this Judgement of private discretiâ—n fall to thwart the Law or publick Judgement he advenâ—es on that cum pericâ—lo or on his peâ—l but it cannot in reason utteâ—ly rob him of it since as is said he can as soon cease to be a man or a rational creature as to have that quite denyed him or taken from him to what end or purpose should he be priviledged with this above brutes iâ— the exercise of â—t shall be for ever suspended in the Members of Kingdoms and Common-wealths as almoâ— all men in the world are what sound and Orthodox Divine or sound Christian Lawyer ever taught such Doctrine The learned doctor Ames tellâ— us in the 4. Co olary and very last words of his first book of Cases of Conscience that Interpretatio Scripturae vel judicium â—scernere voluntatem Dei pertinet ad quemlibet in foro conscâ—tiae pro 〈◊〉 And page 169. of the fore-cited book the same Hobbs sayes That he who is subject to no civil Law sinneth in â—ll that â—e doth against his conscience yet â—t is not so with him who liveth in a common
wealth because the Law is the publick conscience which â—eems to be inconsistent with if noâ— point blank contradictory unto what the Apostle exhorts to Rom. 14. v. 5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind or conscience to wit of the warrantablenesse of what he doth and to what he asserts v. 23. whatsoever is not done in faith or from this full perswasion of its warrantableness is sin He doth not surely write this to Christians â—n Outopia or in the â—ancied new world in the Moon â—ut to those who were realy present memoers of the Roman Common-wealth or Subjects of that Impire neither can it with any shew of reason be supposed especially by him who in the strain of his Book as to this mattâ—r makes very little or rather no difference at all betwixt a Heathen and Christian Magistrat for whether the Magistrat be Pagan Mahometan Iewish Christian Popish or Pâ—otestant Heretical or Orthodox Seems to â—e all onâ— to him and his followers in this debate that if the Roman Emperour had been Christian he would have written otherwayes or that his becoming such would enervat yea quite evacuat the strength and obligation of what he writs for â—e delivers it as an eternal and un-alterable veritie Rule who will and be the Civil Laws what they may be and while in the 13. chapter of that same epistle he telleth Christians v. 5. That they must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake he seems very clearly to distinguish betwixt the Law and Command of the Civil Power which Mr. Hobbs calleth the publick conscience and the conscience of privat Christian Subjects and to presâ—e upon them subjection to the higher powers for their own conscience sake and so to leave to them some exercise and judgement of that their Conscience concerning the matter of their obedience and subjection otherwayes the obedience and subjection could not well be said to be for Conscience sake or out of Conscience for he raight shortly have said obey the dictats of the publick conscience aâ— the laws of the superiour powers there being no place for the exercise of the conscience of privat subjects in the matter There is one divine such as he is who in his Eccleâ—iastick polity more lately delivers the same doctrine wherein he not only plainly Hobbizeth but also palpably playeth the plagiâ—y borrowing not to say stealing much of what he sayes to this purpose through his Book from Mr Hobbs tho in some few things he oppoâ—eth him and delivers his sentiments in a finer dresse of language it may be that none may think that he is beholden to the other for that which he would surprize the world with as his own new and profoundly witty invention vainly as it were crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them for me share betwixt them this glorying in their own shame that shall not be rolled away He sayes that in matters of Religion and divine worship subjects are to be ruled by authority and the publick conscience and that in these matters privat men have not power over their own actions nor are to be directed by their own judgements but by the commands à nd determinations of the publick conscience only with these sory restrictions If the things commanded do not either countenance vice or disâ—race the Deitie or if the things be not absolutely and essentially evil whose nature no case can alter no circumstance can extenuat and no end can sanctifie Mr. Hobbs hath only this limitation if the things be not against the law of nature in effect both come near to the same if not to the very same amount and by both an obligation is pleaded to ly on the Consciences of all privat Christian subjects to give up themselves to the conduct and regulation of the publick conscience or of the Laws of the Common-wealth as to many at least of the positive commands of God doing contrary to which will not fall within the compasse of these very narrow limitations which either supposeth without any warrand or proofe that the publick conscience is always infallible as to these and it is worthie noticeing what the learned Monseur Claude hath to this purpose in his deâ—ence of the Reformation where he saith In effect an absolute obedience and intire resigning of ones self to the conduct of â—nother in these matters that regard the faith and the conscience is a duty that we can lawfully tender to none but to God who is the first truth the first principle of all justice to which none can pretend without usurâ—ing the just right of God As is also what saith Amesius page 6. of his Cases That the conscience is immediately subject to God and to his will and cannot subject it self to any creature without Idolatry Or it is the short cut and compendious way to debauch mens consciences and to drive all conscience out of the world being obviously lyable to these following beside others great and gross absurdities 1. That privat Christian Subjects are not at all to trouble themselves or to be at the pains to search the Scriptures in order to the information of their consciences and bringing themselves to be fully perswaded in their mind or conscience which they are expresly commanded to do Iohn 5. 39. and Rom. 14. 5. Of the warrantableness of what they do or are enjoyned to do in Religion and in the worship of God If it be not against the law of nature which may be easily discerned for sayes Mr. Hobbs it is born with every man and engraven on every mans heart He is in all such things to acquiesce without debate or demure in the determination of the publick conscience and if he shall endeavour to have his conscience informed the more he doth to he but puts his own conscience the more upon the rack and to the torture if he must notwithstanding the clearest information and best grounded perswasion of his own judgement and conscience stand to and acquiesce in the resolve of the publick conscience as he must do according to this doctrine if he sin not as hath not hitherto been doubted by any man of conscience in counteracting his own light and well-informed conscience at leaâ— he cannot but be more disquerted that he was according to the command of God at so much pains in the â—utit of seeking to have his conscience so well informed which God never made a just ground of disquiet to the minds of his people and his acquiescence in the determination of the publick conscience or of the law of the land must be as to many or most if not all divine positives in Religion and the worship of God for saith Mr. Hobbs page 249. They to whom God hath not spoken immediately are to receive commands from the Soveraign and consequently in every Common-wealth they who have no supernatural revelation to the contrary ought to obey the Laws of their own Soveraign in the external acts and
profession of Religion which drawes dreadfully deep as wilâ—â—ther appear from some of his instances If sayes he page 271. it be asked what if we be commanded by our lawful prince to say with our tongue we believe not in Christ he may as well add we believe not that there is such a person as Christ must we obey such a command Profession with the tongue sayeth he is no more then any other gesture whereby we signifie our obedience and wherein a Christian holding firmly in his heart the faith of Christ hath the same liberty that Elisha allowed to Naaman the Syrian a great and grosse mistake the Prophet allowed no such thing but without giving any particular answer to his demand since by what Mr. Hobbs confesseth he could not but know that what he desired if indeed he desired it some learned men asserting that the words contain a reflection upon a past unlawful practice and a begging forgivenesse of it and not a desire of a permission of any such practice for the future was a sin and unlawful to be done only bids him go in peace wishing him well and Gods blessing to him though not as to that particular â—ere sayeth he Naaman believed in his heart but by bowing before the Idol Rimmon he denyed the true God in effect as if he had done it with his lips how dare he then be so bold as to affirm that the Prophet allowed and approved of his practice What then shall we say to that of our Saviour whoever denyeth me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven To this sayeth he We may say that whatsoever a Subject as Naaman was is compelled to in obedience to his Soveraign and doth it not according to his own mind but in Order to the Laws of his Countrey that Action is not his but his Soveraigns nor is it be that in this case denyes Christ but his Governour and the Law of his Countrey O! what a wide door is opened here for grofâ—est distimulation and jugllng in the matters of God and for the most palpable inconsistancy betwixt the heart of 〈◊〉 and his actions The one manifestly contradicting and â—elying the other which ought especially in such cases fâ—thfully to correspond and exactly to agree What security I pray could men have upon earth one from another in their Oaths Covenants â—cts and Coâ—acts in their mutual Bâ—rgainings and dealings if such a cursed latitude were allowed them to say promise and sweat one thing and resolve another in their hearts and shaâ— that be allowed in matters wherein the honour of God is so much and so nearly concerned which is so abominable in the concerns of Men all which comparatively are but trifles Might not all Christian Martyrs of old and Protestant ones of late by such obedience to their respective lawful Soveraigns in the several parts of the Christian World have escaped delivered themselves from being burnt alive from other bloody violent and cruel deaths and exquisite torments and shall they not according to this detestable Doctrine be looked at as a company of silly fools who needlessely threw away their lives which they might thus have very easiely preserved â—or none of them we know of were ever by their Popish lawful Soveraigns injoyned to say with their tongue that they believed not in Christ which yet sayeth he they might and should have done keeping their mind to themselves and to God and much more those things which they were commanded Further page 239 240 241. He refers to the decision of the Soveraign all sorts of Doctrine in effect and more particularly and expresly whether the Subjects shall profess That life eternal and happiness shall be on the earth only Whether the Soul of man is a living Creature independent on the Body or doth subsist separatly from the Body Whether any meer man is Immortal otherwayes then by the Resurrection of the last day whether wicked men shall be tormented eternally so as not to be destroyed to die and be annihitated at length to all which himself seemeth to be 〈◊〉 as his own opinions O! wicked and wretched O! atheistical detestable and damnable opinions whether I say the Subject shall professe these things or not he refers to the decision of the Soveraign by which we may very easily judge in how many and in how very momentuous things in Christian Religion he 〈◊〉 subjects as to their outward profession and carriage to â—stand to and acquiesâ—e in the decision and determination of the lawful Soveraign in a Kingdom or Common-wealth or of the publick Conscience or Law of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which whether it be not to deny all Conscience 〈◊〉 Subjects and private persons in such matters as so nearly concern the eternal Salvation of their Immortal Souls is obvious at first 〈◊〉 It puts me in mind of what is reported of a great man smelling strong of this Conscience-destroying-doctrine who expostulating with some Countrey men living under him for their nor doing somewhat required of them by him for which nonpâ—rformance when they pleaded Conscience he in a great â—uffe not without some execration replyed What have the like of you to do with a Conscience Which was plainly on the matter to say with Hobbs that they and such as they should have no Conscience but what is ductile and governable by the Conscience of lawful Rulers and Superiours and that their commands and prohibitions make things just and adjust which is â—ayeth Mr. Liâ—h in his Body of Divinity page 378 to make Subjects beasts and the Magistrat God 2ly All priâ—at persons living in a Kingdom or Common-wealth must hence furth according to these Doctors allown and not in the feast regard in many things and those not of little moment in Religion and the worship of God their own Consciences as his Deputies and have recourse to the publick Conscience or the Law of the Land as the uniâ—ersal Depute set over all the Consciences of privat persons living therein nay to it as taking Gods own room to make Laws directly immediately and of themselves obligatory of all their Consciences and to enjoyn obedience to them as so oblidging them and must contrary to the Scripture no more notice the accusings or excusings of their own Consciences but those only of the publick Conscience 3ly The indispensibly requisite qualification of the obedience of Children to their Parents Ephes. 6. v. 1. viz. In the Lord whereby the Apostle doth undenyably lay it on the Children to consider and judge by their judgement of private discretion whether the commands and injunctions of their Parents be agreeable to the mind of the Lord and such in obedience whereto they may expect the Lords approbation must be casheered and abandoned for certainly there lyeth no greater obligation on Subjects to obey the commands of the Soveraign power of the Kingdom or Common-wealth then lyeth on Children to obey their Parents who were Soveraigns in Families before ever there were
any Kingdoms or Common wealths erected as himself every where asserts 4ly That if the Apostles of our Lord should have been forbidden by the lawful Soveraigns of the Kingdoms and Common-wealths of the World to preach the Gospel and Baptize they should in obedience to them have forborne which Mr. Hobbs plainly without a blush insinuates when he sayes page 311. Our Saviour gave his Apostles power to preach and baptize in all parts of the world supposing that they were not forbidden by their own lawful Soveraigns Had they not their Commission from their Master in most ample form without any the least either direct or indirect intimation of such an exceptation or â—mitation Math. 28. 19. 20. Go ye therefore sayes he to them and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you That is of whatsoever nature they be whether they be clear by the Law of Nature or be divine positives whoever forbid or command you â—o the contrary and Mark 16 v. 15. Go ye saith he to them into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature which accordingy they did v. 20. And they went forth and preached every where not only where they were not forbidden did they not preach the Gospel at Ierusalem notwithstanding they were severaly not without threatnings forbidden by their own Soveraigns the Council and tell them plainly that they ought to obey God rather then men wherein they could not obey both alleadging that they could not but speak the things that they had heard and seen without any such regard as might imped them in their work to the strait threatnings and prohibition to speak at all or to preach in the name of Iesus and least any should say or think that this was more then they had warrand for we are told after the inhibition to preach and after their imprisonment for contravâ—ning from which they were miraculously set free that the Angel of the Lord who had opened their Prison Doors charged them thus Go and stand and speak in the Temple to the people whatâ—oever the Rulers think oâ— it and notwithstanding they have inâ—bited and imprisoned you all the words of this life of all which the divine Historian gives us an account in the 4. and 5. Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles And why I pray doth he not as well make the supposition of their not being forbidden by any lawful Soveraign as by their own since he will not neither doth deny that lawful Soveraign Powers may prohibit strangers within their own Dominions to preach or practice against the Law oâ— publick Conscience and chasâ—ise them for controvention and disobedience excepting alwayes the persons of Ambassadors and â—eraulds sent from other Civil Soveraigns which use to be accounted in a manner Sacred and Inviolabe as well as their own native Subjects and if so had the Apostles been forbidden to preach and baptize by the Soveraign power of every Kingdom and Common-wealth whether they came as they could not readily nor reasonably expect but they would all the Kingdoms and Common-wealths of the world being then Pagan excepting that of the Iewes where would they or could they have preached and baptized and what would have become of the Gospel and of a Gospel Church Did not Paul and Silas after the Magistrats of the City of Philippi had it seems with their own hands debasing themselves in their â—ury below the dignity of their Office rent off their cloaths laid many stripes on them and casten them into prison for their preaching and teaching customs as was alleadged by their accusers Which were not lawful to be received or observed by them being Romans did they not I say go in and exhort or preach to the brethren in the house of Lydia that after they were by the Magistrats desired to depart out of the City as we may see Acts 16. 5ly That private persons living in Kingdoms or Common-wealths do not sin and shall be keeped harmlesse in obeying the Laws and Commands of their lawful Soveraigns though cross the dictats of their own Conscience and it may be cross to the positive Commands of God The first of these new Teachers Mr. Hobbs tells us as we shew before in the first absurdity in the caâ—e of denying Christ before men most dreadfully threatened by him with denying them before his Father that whatever a Subject as Naaman was is compelled eo in obedience to his Soveraign and doth it not in order to his own mind but in order to the Laws of his own countrey that action is not his but his Soveraigns nor is it he that in this case denyeth Christ but his Soveraign and the Law of his Countrey and page 309. The Civil Soveraign may make Laws â—uitable to his Doctrine for he will have him to be the only Soveraign teacher of the people that are under him Iure divino which quite â—ulls the divine right of all the Ministers of the Gospel Which may oblidâ—e men to such actions as they would not otherwayes do and which he ought not to command and when they are commanded they are Laws and the external actions that are done in obedience to them without the inward approbation are the actions of the Soveraign and not of the Subject who in that 〈◊〉 but the Instrument without any motion of his own at all because God hath commanded to obey them Alas the poor Subject is here by him not only robbed of his judgement of privat discret on and Conscience as to his own acts which is hard enough but in a manner of a humane rational Soul if not also of a sensitive one and so degraded and detruded below the very beasts that perish For he makes him a meer instrument without any motion at all only he somewhat recovers him from his brutâ— yea infra-brutal state by making him capable to obey Commands though against his Conscience The other Hobbist Doctor who will not be outstriped by his Master according to his manner dictateth very Magisterialy That if there be any sin in the command of the Soveraign Power he that imposed it shall answer it and not I. whose whole duty is to obey the Command of Authority will warrand â—y obedience my obedience will hallow at least excuse my action and so secure me from sin if not from errour very easie soâ—t and smooth Doctrine indeed for private Persons and Subjects If its teachers could assure us of its certain and inâ—allible truth and of its consonancie and agreeablenesse with the Scriptures of truth But Subjects must not cast their Souls at hâ—p-hazard on the bare and unproved asserts of these Gentlemen who give us no great proof of either their truth or tendernesse in other great concerns of Religion Especially since the divinely inspired Apostle reacheth us quite other Doctrine while he tells us more generally 2. Cor. 5. v. 10. That
we must all appear or â—e made manifest before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether commanded by Superiours or not according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And more particularly Rom. 14. v. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself not another for him to God and Gal. 6. v. 4 and 5. But let every man prove his own work aâ—d then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another For every man shall bear his own burden And 1 Cor. 3. v. 8. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own Labour And indeed these Teachers by their flattering the Soveraign Powers put them to make a very heavy reckoning by their pretending to gratifie them lay on them a great and insupportable burden Which when well considered will be found very much to embitter all the sweet of that exhorbitant and incompetent power granted to them I would have none to think that by any thing said I design in the least to derogat from lawful Authority and the civil Magistrat any thing that is due thereunto God forbid I should I heartilie acknowledge Magistracy to be the ordinance of God Rom. 13. v. 1 4. And Magistrats to be by Office Ministers of God to us for good to whom for begetting and maintaining a just aw dread and veneration of them he hath imparted and communicated some of his own names or stiles calling them Gods even such as are his Leâ—vetennants Vicegerents and Representers on earth and would beseech and obtest that all of us may render as unto God the things that are Gods so to Cesar the things that are Cesars As to fear God so to honourthe King that every soul be subject to the higher powers subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake That we all submit our selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sin by him for the punishment of evil doors and the praise of them that do well For so is the will of God that with well doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men That we be subject to principalities and powers and obey Magistrates And that first of all supplications prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings all that are in authority that We may lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and honesty Cheerfully allowing to them all that the Scriptures of the old new Testaments and the Consessions of Faith of the Reformed Churches of Christ allow unto them and whoever have taught or held or do teach and hold the contrary whatever be their pretentions and professions are not only not true Presbyterians but in so far not true Protestants yea not true Christians but the disgrace shame and reproach of Presbyterie Protestanisâ—e and Christianity so far as in them lyes for their way hath a manifest tendency to fasten such unworthy imputations on these interesis though they can cause no inherent blemishes in them no more then fogs and mists can do in the Sun aâ—beit they may eclipse and obscure its glory Let us make the supposition that the Apostles of our Lord had taught such Doctrine as some very few one or two have of late taught and do still teach which yet we cannot with any shadow of truth make For these divinly and infallibly inspited persons could teach no such Doctrine What ground of jealousie and prejudice would it have given to all the Secular Powers of the World against the Gospel of Christ As if the design of it had been to ruâ—ne all Civil Authority and to instigat its disciples to root out all Civil Magistrats and Rulers how would it have set them on and not without some reason with implacable fury to have by all means stiffled the Gospel-Christian Church in the very Infancy and Cradle thereof whereas the Doctrine of Christ and His Apostles teaching no such thing but most clearly convincingly and fully the contrary it made the Civil powers their persecuting its Pâ—reossors utterly in excusable and their sufferings by them to be truly â—ous and it is worthy observation that the time wherein our Lord Christ and his Apostles Paul and Peter gave these fore mentioned Commands and Instructions to Christians relating to their duty to the Superiour Civil Powers was when Tiberius Calâ—gula Claudi us and Nero were Roman Emperours none oâ— whom were the best nor near the best even of Pagan Emperours and some of them were very Monsters of men Only it would be carefully looked to that foundations be not shaken and put out of course and that ancient boundaries and land-marks be not removed which no Christian Civil Soveraigns in Kingdoms or Common wealths keeping them selves in the Line of due and just Subordination to the Majesty of God the great and absolute Superiour and Soveraign the King of Kings by and under whom all Kings reign will allow of or give way unto whatever un-hallowed Hobbists profanely and impiously suggest to the contrary Whose principles whatever they pretend to grant to the Civil Soveraigns of Kingdoms and Common-wealths are a manifest tendencle to the unhinging and utter dissolving of all government For let us in short but suppose these four things which Hobbs very Magisterially tanquam ex tripode dictats and takes fore granted in his forcited book 1. That all Religion is bottomed on human Authoritie and precariously borrowed from the will and pleasure of men and hath no divine authoritie of its own whereby as ingenious and acute Sir Charles Woâ—sly in his unreason ablness of athiesm sayes an inrode is made upon its best desence for indeed sayeth he it will never be kept up with any other interest in the Consciences of men and where it is not supported by conscience it is ever tottering and yeilds to the blasts of every humane pleasure if once sayeth the same learned Gentleman it be taken foregranted that the Scripturs have no authoritie but what the Civil Power gives them they will soon come upon a divine account to have none at all adly That the Apostles could not make their writings obligatory Canons without the help of the Sovâ—aign 〈◊〉 Powers and that therefore the Scripture of the new Testament is the only law there where the Civil Power makes it so as if forsooth the Divine Authority stamped thereon by the absolute Soveraign by the great and infallible Legis lator carried with it no immediat obligati on the Consciences of Men to whom it comes to receive and obey it as his Law Whosoever besteveth sayeth Sir Charles Woolslâ— That it is in the power of every state whether the Gospel shall be authentick or not he must needs throw off all divine respect to it and be in a very fair way to
Conscience for abstaining from such and such a practice only from long custome of doing so from the example of others or from loathness to displease them or only from dis-inclination to or aversion from the thing which they will not readily abide by if any considerable suffering whether of emergent loss or cessant gain be met with on account thereof whereby it comes to pass that Conscience and truly Consciencious persons are expoâ—ed to contempt and scorn Some standers by and lookers-on taking occasion to think and say that such persons have all the while been acted by no real principle of Conscience but only by humour or at best by the example of others to the great reproach of Religion and the holy profession there of and such as have a natural and unreasonable prejudice at all serious godlinesse and tendernesse of Conscience ly at the wait to fish and catch all advantages so fortifying themselves in their prejudice and are ready to draw their conclusions not only nor so much against the particular persons as against the whole generation of conscientious and godly people yea against godlinesse it self and tendernesse of Conscience their prejudice prompting them to think and say We alwayes thought that sort of men were not truly conscientious and godly whatsoever they professed and now we see and find them to be so and that we were not mistaken but in the right when we thought them to be such they are all such all of a piece acted by no true principle of Conscience but by humour peevishnesse or some such thing notwithstanding of all their high floun pretensions of Conscience for let them but be put a little to it and all their Conscience-pretensions will be quite relinquished and evanish and they will be and do like others which gives ground to sober and truely conscientious persons to think that it were better and more for the advantage and credit of Religion and of the real pleas of Conscience that it were never pretended in such things where it is only pretended I will not I dar not say but a truly conscienscious person may by the more closse approaches of trouble and suffering on the account of some particular debated practice or forbearance be put upon more narrow and exact inquiry into and examination of the grounds reasons of that practice or forbearance And may after such inquiry and examination come from more clear light to have different apprehensions about the thing from what he had before Though the clearnesse win at which is waited with the eschewing of trouble and suffering would be holily jealoused and suspected and brought to the light of the Word to be thereby scrutinously accuratly and impartially tryed least self-love in such a case bribe as it were and byass the persons judgement and light 2dly When Conscience is pretended in minute small petty and comparatively inconsiderable things while in the mean time little or no Conscience at all is made of but vast and unlimited latituds are taken in the most momentuous and weighty things of Religion as the Pharisees pretended Conscience in tithing the smallest herbs as mint anise and rue while in the mean time they passed over without making any bones of them Iudgement and the Love of God which is straining at gnats and swallowing of camels 3dly When Conscience is pretended for mens tenacious adhering to human traditions while in the meantime they make no Conscience of making void the Law of God as the same Pharisees did for which out Lord with holy severity inveigheth against them 4ly When Conscience is pretended for not shedding the blood of Innocents and yet notwithstanding the same things are adventured on and wickedly per-petrated when they come in competition with mens worldly wealth or preferment or with the gratifying of great ones in order to the former as it was with Pilat in the matter of condemning Christ of whose innocence he was throughly convinced and accordingly did thrice over hear publick testimony to it yet when he was told that if he did let him go and condemned him not to death he was not Cesars friend he forthwith proceeded to the condemnatory Sentence and delivered him to the persecuting and murdering Iews to be crucified and poor wretch he imagined that the silly shift of washing his hands in water would wash and purge his deeply â— filâ—d Conscience from the guilt and pollution contracted by shedding of that innocent and most precious Blooâ— buâ— it stuck faster to and was more stiffly barkned on his Conscience then to be so easily washed off with such poor and pitiful shifts do such men think or fancie to pacifie their Consciences and to purge them from the defilements of the greatest most clamant and horrid crimes If Pilat had any real demurr in his Conscience about the thing as very probably he had his counteracting it on so base and unworthy accounts and then foolishly fancieing that by such an empty ceremonie as washing his hands in water he could be washed from the guilt of so aâ—rocious a Crime were high aggravations of it 5ly When men pretend Conscience as the reason of their not committing the least sin nay of their not doing somethings that are very debateable whether they be sins or not while in the mean time they make no Conscience to stretch furth their hand to â—ay with an high hand to adventure on the commission of sins that are incontravertably very great and gross as the Pharisees pretended Conscience for their not going to the Iudgement Hall least forsooth they should be defiled and so unfitted to eat the Passover who yet made no scruple maâ—ciously to embrew their wicked hands in the blood of the person that was God and typified by the Passover 6ly When Conscience or a conscientious regard is pretended for divine institutions and ordinances meerly and mainly from pickque and prejudice at the most tender and conscientious persons as if their warrantable and consistent practices were the grossest violations and greatest viâ—ifyings of them and plain inconsistencies with a just regard for them How often thus did the Scribes and Pharisees quarrel with our Lord and his Disciples as breakers and profaners of the Sabbath because of somethings done by him and them thereon not in the least in-compatible with the sanctification thereof as if they themselves had been more tender of the due observation of the Sabbath then either the Disciples or their Lord and Master was 7ly to give no more instances when Conscience is pretended for keeping and not breaking of sinful engadgements vowes and oaths wherewith men have rashly bound themselves As suppose a man should rashly vow and swear that he will be avenged at the highest rate on another because of either an imagined or real a lesser or greater injurie done him and as Herod sware very inconsiderarly and rashly that he would give the dancing daughter of the incestuous Mother Herodias whatever she should ask of him even to the
the blame be laid on Conscience as Conscience what evil hath innocent Conscience done The general great advantages that come to the World with the many mischiefs that are keept of it by Conscience are infinitly greater and more valuable then any little prejudices and disadvantages that now and then here and there come by the ill informed turbulent Consciences of some particular persons neither will I altogether deny but the tenderest Consciences of truly godly men may sometimes dispose them to jealous and suspect themselves where they are not indeed guilty as it did the eleven honest Disciples when the Lord told them that one of the twelve should betray him and through some weaknesse may now and then disquiet and give them the allarme when there is little or no ground for it But I must say that this may be very easily dispensed and born with since that little damnage if it may be called so will be easily and quickly compensed by its giving the allarme and causing suitable disquiet when there is just ground for it Here a tender Conscience may be resembled to a vigilant and strict sentinal set to watch a house lying in midst of Thieves and Robbers who will sometimes on a mistake awake and allarme and it may be at mid-night raise all the family and put them into some fright as if Thieves and Robbers were breaking in upon them but they think the lesse of this and beaâ— the better with it aâ— being sure that when the Thiefe or Robber comes in very deed he will give them the allarme and there are very few or none that will not far rather chuâ—e to have one or two yea â—everal false allarmes though somewhat disquieting then to want a true one when there is just ground for it And when by means thereof they may prevent the cutting of their Throats or spoiling of their Goods Let then the Conscience be well informed by the Word let its dictats according thereunto be tenderly complyed with and none of them counteracted and let its checks challenges accusations with its answers testimonies and excuses according to their respective grounds and reasons be carefully listned to and admitted in a word let all study once to have a good Conâ—cience and to be alwayes exercised to keep it void of offence toward God and toward men And then great honour and glory would redound to God the Lord and Soveraign of the Conscience suitable and due deference would be given to his Word as that whereby the Conscience is rightly informed the peace of mens own Consciences would flow as a river the offending and stâ—mbling of others would be much prevented the profession of the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ would be much adorned and beautified and men of all Ranks Stations Capacities and Relations As Magistrats and Subjects Pastors and Flocks Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants Teachers and Schollars Buyers and Sellers c. would be blessings from God one to another which would make a little Heaven upon Earth To all which these few excellent Seâ—mons are singularly contributive That they may therefore come with a special blessing to all the Readers of them and more particularly to the Inhabitants of the City of GLAS GOW where they were Preached many years agoe is the desire of Novemb. 1. 1684. Your Servant in the Gospel I. C. In the epistle page 5. l. 4 r. renewing p. 20. l. 29. r. Râ—epresentces p. 20. l. 6. 1. 1 Tim. l. last r. professors p. 22. l. 6. r. upon the Conâ—ciences HEAVEN upon EARTH in a Serene and Smiling good Conscience SERMON I. ACTS 24. Vers. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men A Good Conscience is a singularly good Companion the worth and benefit whereof is not readily so well known till men be brought into some strait then indeed the passing great and singular worth and usefulness of it clearly discovers it self as we may see in Pauls case here who being arraigned before the tribunal of an heathen Judge and having many enemies and these too of his own nation having delivered him up Among other grounds of Consolation and defence that he hath to sustain himself by this is one and not the least that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did bear him witness that it was his endeavour and work to live so before God and men that he might not have a challenge from it and this makes him speak boldly against all his Accusers and is better to him and more valueable then all the Arguments and Rhetorical Discourses that a Tertullus yea a Tully or the most eloquent Orator in the World could have used for him These words hold out a Compend and Sum of a Christian walk and an excellent partern for Believers Herein do I exercise my self c. where we have these three things considerable First The Apostle's great design and aim viz. To have a conscience void of offence that he might so walk as never to offend his Conscience nor to give it an ill report to make of him Secondly The extent of this design and aim and that â—n a twofold respect 1. In respect of the Object towards God and towards men i. â— he would do duty to both and be found without offence to either 2. In respect of all Actions Companies Places and Times he was so exercised always not after a Sermon or Communion only not under some heavy Cross or after some notable outgate and delivery only but he aimed designed and endeavoured to be so constantly and equally Thirldy The manner of his going about this Herein saith he do I exercise my self i. e. it was a business that took him up and held him seriously at work he was as a man who fighting for his life in a Barras or at a single Combat carefully handles his Arms even so did he carry and behave himself in all things as if his life had stood on every action or word I shall at once and together propose several Doctrines clearly deducible from the Text the prosecution whereof will help to clear both the words and the matter contained in them The first whereof is There are many sorts of offences both toward God and toward men that we are subject anâ— lyable to The second is There is within every man a Conscience that takes notice of every piece of his carriage and is accordingly affected with it and affects the man for it The third is What-ever things are offences toward God or Men are also offensive to the Conscience whatever sin strikes against his Law wounds the Conscience The fourth is It 's a very good choice and excellent thing for a Believer to walk so as to keep a Conscience always void of offence toward God and toward Men and on the contrary it is a very ill thing at any time to have offence toward either of them lying on the Conscience The fifth is It is the duty of
all men and more especially of Believers to walk so as they may always keep a Conscience void of offence yea it is not only a duty but we may look on it as an excellent mean for advancing of Holiness The sixth is Where men honestly aim to keep a Conscience always void of offence it will be an exercising and uptaking thing The seventh is Where this exercise is neglected and not seriously carried on the Conscience is left to stumble at and to abound with offences As for the first That there are many kinds of offences which People are subject to toward God and Men It is a thing uncontroverted by all and we need say little of it only first There are sins against the first Table which are offences toward God being immediatly against him And there are sins against the second Table which although they be against God yet immediatly they touch and reflect on men 2. There are sins against God that are secret which God only is witness to and there are open sins which scandalize men Paul endeavoured to eschew all these for all are â—ins against the Law of God and wounding of the Conscience The second is That there is a Conscience within every man which takes notice of every peice of his carriage and is accordingly affected with it and affects him for it This is the ground of all that follows and had need to be more particularly spoken unto This truth then contains these three things 1. That there is a Conscience in every man that takes notice of every peice of his way and walk hence it is said to bear witness 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience c. and it is also said to accuse or excuse Rom. 2. 15. it witnesses for men and excuses and comforts them when they do well and witnesseth against them accuseth and reproveth them when they do evil and so is to them as a Check Captor or Censor The Apostles aim to have a Conscience void of offence suppons that he and every man has a Conscience and that it takes notice of every thing and will take offence if it be a thing that thwarts with it We shall not in this place stand to debate what Conscience is whether it be a power or a faculty an habit or an act which as it would not be much for your edification so it would transcend the reach of many of you only in the general we may call it a power wherewith God hath indued the soul of man to take notice of all his thoughts words and actions 2. We say â—ts accordingly affected with every thing when the man does right it is pleased and when he does wrong its offended and wounded as we may see 1 Cor. 8. 10 11. so 1 Sam. 24. 5. It s said Davids heart smote him and Prov. 18. 14. this is called a wounded spirit 3. As it is affected so it affects the person when a man has done well it excuses and clears him and when he has done evil and wronged it it challenges and accuses him in which respect Conscience is called a Iudge pronouncing sentence by absolving or condemning men Scripture and the experience of all sorts of people and times clear and prove this 1. The Scripture says of Heathens Rom. 2. 15. That their conscience bears them witness and their thoughts the mean while accuse or excuse one another it holds out this to have been in Adam who immediatly after the fall Gen. 3. 10. says I heard thy voice and was afraid terror seized on him it mentions this also to have been in Iosephs brethren who Gen. 42. 21. say we are verily guilâ—y concerning our brother and in David in that forecited 1 of Sam. 24. 5. where its said that his heart smote him it 's clearly also supposed 1 Iohn 3. 19 20 21. where the Apostle says If our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God where we would take notice that what is here and sometimes in the Old Testament called the Heart is in the Text and else-were called the Conscience which supposeth this to be in every man It is further clear from the daily experience of all in all times for sometimes it is pousing to duty sometimes it is challenging for the omission of duty or for commission of the contrary evil sometimes it is speaking peace sometimes it is marring peace and denouncing war as it were all which plainly evidence that there is such a thing in men so Herod when he heard of Christs Miracles his Conscience puts him in mind of Iohn the Baptist whom he had beheaded and disquiets him with fears that Iohn might have been raised from the dead something of it appears likewise in Achab when it puts him to put on Sack-cloth all which I say plainly evidence that there is such a thing in men and beside full Scripture-proof there are none but if they observe they will find their thoughts the mean while either accusing or else excusing them For further clearing of this we shall speak a little first To what this Conscience is if it be possible satisfyingly to explain it 2. To the use and ends of it and why God hath placed this in man where we shall shew the several sorts of Consciences that are in men good and evil For the first to wit What Conscience is we may for coming at the understanding of it consider the name Conscience which signifies a co-knowledge or a knowledge going along with our knowledge which we may consider First As looking to Gods knowledge going alongst with ours and ours going alongst with his and thus it implyes as his knowledge of all our thoughts words and ways so our knowledge together with his of these or our taking notice of them with respect to his knowledge 2. We may consider it as reflex-knowledge joyned with a direct knowledge as for instance when a man hath a direct knowledge of Prayer as his duty and a reflex knowledge going along with the practise or exercise of the duty whereby he sees and discerns himself either to behave suitably in it or to be faulty in this respect Conscience is a practical knowledge taking notice by a reflex act of a mans ways 3. We may consider it as comprehending a knowledge of Gods Law and then it signifies a knowledge of our selves compared with the Law it hath knowledge of the rule and so of what is duty and what is sin and withall it hath in it the knowledge of our selves and of our conformity or disconformity to the rule Conscience then in this respect is a mans knowledge of Gods will and of himself as compared with it 4. We may consider this co knowledge as it supposeth beside the knowledge of our selves the knowledge of something taking notice of us or of something deputed in us by God to keep a record
of all our carriage and particular actions and so it is looked on as some way different from us hence it is called a Testimony the testimony of our conscience Hence also a man will appeal to his Conscience and it doth when in any measure in exercise impartially and incorruptly bear witness and a manâ— Conscience will speak against him as if it were at all no part of him neither can he command it silence however then we call it It 's a power deputed in the soul of man by God taking orders from Him and fâ—om His revealed will and word and accusing or excusing the man as He directs It 's called Prov. 20. 27. The candle of the Lord it is above man in its sentencing and accusing and will not be commanded by him To clear it yet a little further there are in Conscience these Three things 1. There is the laying down of some ground such as the Law or the word of God by which it puts a man to tryal which is That we call the major or first proposition of the Argument As we may see in Iudas when his Conscience wakened it layes down this ground which is done by light he that is guilty of innoceat Blood hath broken the Law of God and may expect horrible Wrath. 2. There is an assuming which is the minor or second Proposition of the Argument or the Assumption if the man be guilty of such and such sin As thus But I Iudas am guilty of Innocent Blood and have broken the Command of God and this the Conscience by it's Testimony confirmeth Then 3. It draweth the Conclusion and speaks forth the mans Lot and gives out his Doom what he may expect as in the present instance thou Iudas mayest expect horrible Wrath from God this Conscience applyes and layes home unto him every Conscience hath these Three in less or more The way of Conscience its Reasoning and Concluding is different from a mans Knowledge and Light For a man may see Sin and not be touched with it It dâ—ffers likewise from the memory For a man may remember that which affecteth him not It differeth from Self-examination for that if it be meeâ— examination brings a man only to know that he lyes under such and such Sins so and so circumstantiaâ—ed though it make use of all these Three as it's Instruments yet it goâ— beyond them and hath a Pricking Stinging Paining Power It Accuseth Sentenceth Smiteth and sharply Censureth Whereas before Conscience act it's part a man may look often on his Sins and yet but overlook them And as to things that are right Conscience doth not only or barely look on them but it hath an approving Testimony which proveth comfortable there is such a thing as this in every one of you which will let nothing pass but more or less will take notice of it and either accuse or excuse you for it As to the 2d The use of Conscience or the Ends wherefore God hath put this in Men and Women which I shall draw to Three heads that may be as so many Reasons of the Doctrine 1. He hath done so for this end that by it he may keep up his Soveraignity Power and Terribleness and keep men under the awe and dread thereof For this which is called Conscience will make the stoâ—est to tremble it will Write and Impress so vâ—vely and deeply these great Truths that none shall be able to blot them out that there is a God that there is a Judgement to come and that all will be called to Reckoning which none will get eschewed It will fix and fasten such self-convictions on Sinners as will make them un-avoidably condemn themselves So Iohn 8. 9 10. When the Scribes and Pharisees bring a women taken in adultery to Christ intending thereby to trap and insnare him He sayeth He that is without sin amongst you let him cast the first stone at her Whereby their Consciences were made to bear such faithful Testimony against them and to carry such terror with it that they were all forced to steal away one by one and yet they needed not to have thought shame on account of any thing we hear men could have challenged them for But Conscience had such an awe and force on them that there was no resisting of it Scripture-history does also tell us that such is the power and force of Conscience when it is awaked that it will make the knees to smite one against another even of a Belshazzar and will make a Gouernour Felix to tremble A Second end is That God may hold Men and Women at their duty in going about these things which are commanded and prescribed by him and in abstaining from forbidden sins For if there were not some awe from Conscience what extravagancies would they loosly run into who have no fear of God and of his Word And thus Conscience hath a force to put men to duty in these respects 1 It discovers Duty and holds it before them when the Lord hath commanded to Pray read the Scriptures to keep the Church and wait upon Ordinances dispensed there to keep holy the Sabbath day c. Conscience puts a man in mind of these and when he neglects any one of them will say to him thou shouldest be in another place or about other work so when Davids heart smote him it helped him to see his Duty 2. There is an obligation to Duty laid on by Conscience so that the man cannot shift it he cannot he dare not say such a thing is not my duty for Conscience beareth it in and layeth it on him convincingly 3. There is an efficacy in Conscience to pouss to duty from this comes that restlesness and disquiet that is often in Men and Women when duty is omitted that they can have no peace till it be gone about 4. Conscience inviteth to duty by promising peace upon the performance of it On the other hand Conscience hath influence to restrain from Sin 1. By discovering such and such a thing to be Sin and though the Soul would notwithstanding endeavour to digest it yet Conscience makes a challenge to go down with it 2. By threatning the Sinner when it 's warning is neglected and not taken telling him that he shall repent it one day and that it will make him repent iâ— 3. By taking away the sweetness of Sin and leaving a sting in place of it as when Achab killed Naboth it said Hast thou killed and also taken possession And from this arise challenges and fears of the execution of threatned Judgements which quite mar the comfort the man expected in the enjoyment of such and such a thing in all which it keeps a majestick and stately divine way becoming Gods deputy and bears witness for him against the Sinner A 3d. end is To abbreviat as it were Gods process in judging men to justifie and clear him and to make way for his Sentence whatever it be 1. It conduceth 〈◊〉 it were to
the opening of the Books to the sisting and putting of all persons in a posture before him to be Sentenced by him it doth in a manner all so that God hath little or nothing to do as it were for it discovers to a man what was his Duty and his Sin 2. It citeth him to compear and answer for neglecting such and such a duty and committing such and such a Sin and he connot possibly shift compearance 3. When he doth compear it giveth in a Lâ—bell of Accusations against the Man and a Catalogue of all his Sins in thought word and deed this and this will it awefully say thou didst at such and such a time in such and such a place aggravated by such and such circumstances 4. It serveth to be a witness yea in place of a thousand witnesses and there is no denying or shifting of what ever it beareth witness to All which we may see in Iosephs brethren Gen. 42. 21. who say one to another We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we Would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us The Law discovereth that it was a Sin Conscience challengeth and accuseth they are cited the accusation is given in and proven this and this they did and did it with all these circumstances not a pitiful word that Ioseph spoke nor a tear that he shed in the anguish of his Soul beseeching them to desist but they remember it now and there is no shifting of the challenge and accusation nor covering of it as they had done before to their aged Father Iacob but they must needs now take with all and confess we have sinned and are very guilty concerning our Brother c. 5. It passeth Sentence and in this respect the heart is said to condemn when the thing is evil and to absolve or not condemn when the thing is good 1 Iohn 3 20 21. 6. When it hath Sentenced and Condemned it leaveth not the man so but goeth on and executeth the Sentence and turneth a gnawing worm to bite and gnaw and as an Executioner to Buffeâ— and Smite to Damp and Torment the Man Thus ye may see how useful Conscience is to help forward Gods Judgement and to vindicat him in his Sentence And as it is thus with a guilty Conscience so it is with a Conscience absolving it will absolve when men condemn as we may see in Paul here when men give in a lybel and accuse it will discharge as Acts 23. 1. Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day and when Conscience hath absolved it maketh cheerfull as 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. And 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God So then we see Conscience hath these Three great uses and ends 1. To keep people in awe of God and of his greatness and to keep them in mind that they must give an account to him 2. To hold them at their duty and they should be very loath to contradict it 3. If duty be neglected to record all their faults and to accuse and sentence them therefore and never to leave pursuing them for Conscience will continue as a worm in hell gnawing for ever and ever The First Use serves to bear in this truth on you that there is such a thing as Conscience the most ignorant and profane and haughty of you all whether young or old one and other of you have a Conscience that taketh particulaâ— notice of every thing in your walk that recordeth all that accuseth or excuseth and though ye take not head to it now ye will one day be made to know it take it therefore for a certain truth that ye have such a thing within you that ye have a Knowledge with your Knowledge even a Conscience that remembreth when ye would forget The minding of this is useful 1. To make people cast out with Sin rather then with their Conscience 2. To make them wary that they take not liberty in secret to Sin 3. To make them take kindly with reproofs for Sin Remember therefore that there is a Conscience in every one of you Ye will possibly think it needless to press this and I wish it were so but we may shortly point at these evidences to prove that many on the matter think they have not a Conscience The First is That they take so little pains to prevent a quarrel from their Conscience how many omit balk and step over Dutie and go on in Sin Which they durst not do if they believed that they had a Conscience 2. The few challenges that most have under many Sins and their living in such peace and security as if they had not a Conscience to disquiet them many Men and Women know and are as little acquainted with challenges and convictions and stand in as little awe of Conscience as if they had none at all Hence we use to say that such a man has not a Conscience because though he have it he regards it not and such a mâ—n has a Conscience because he maketh use of it and listens to what it says 3. That people seek more to approve themselves in outward and seen Duties than in inward and secret ones and look more after mens Approbation then Gods and lean more to and lay more weight on outward testimonies from men then to and on inward ones from their own Conscience If Conscience were really believed to be there would be as great aw of God and as great loathness to Sin in secret as before many witnesses But ye will Object and say seing every one hath a Conscience what can be the reason that many care so little for Conscience Answer 1. What is the reason that men care so little for God If they care not for the Lord and Master it 's no wonder they care so little for the Deputy and Servant shall we therefore think that there is not such a thing at all as a Conscience in such No by no means it will prove indeed that they slight Conscience but not that they want a Conscience 2. There is in many men a contending with and provocking of Conscience which in Gods righteous Judgement maketh a silent Conscience when the Lord maketh Conscience quick and sets it on to reprove and check for Sin and men do not listen to it's checks and reproofs Conscience offendeth and will not reprove Conscience being Gods Deputy taketh Orders from him and when God will â—ot vouchsafe a word of reproof on a man neither will it Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone saveth the Lord Hos. 4. 17. And from Rom. 1. 20 21. We may see the cause why God giveth up the heathen to a reprobate mind to do things that are not convenient To be their going cross to the light of nature and their
Iohn then have we confidence towards God In a word whatever condition a man can be in it proves his friend nay his best friend A third reason is taken from the great prejudice that cometh to a man through his thwarting and coming in tops with Conscience he wanteth that sweet inward peace that passeth all understanding to keep and garrison his heart and mind whereby he is much exposed and laid open God looketh terrible-like upon him and he hath no access to him with boldness and confidence when the Conscience is disquieted troubled and as it were through other or confused and fears arise and challenges are wakened therein these threaten a challenge from God and portend a storm of wrath to follow hence is Davids complaint Psal. 32. 3. 4. When I keeped silence my bones waxed old through my roaring c. and his lamentation throughout the 51. Psalm and to this purpose the Apostle Iohn speaks very weightily If our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things where he plainly insinuats that the Heart or Conscience its condemning is the forerunner of Gods condemning and an evidence of it and that withal the latter is as more absolutely infallible so more terrible then the former where these three go along together it is impossible where a person is tender but he will be loath to top or thwart with his Conscience As for the Uses which we proposed to speak to in the Third place they may be drawn to these fouâ— 1. For information and instruction in the matter of Duty 2. For tryal and to evidence who are sincere Believers 3. For reproof 4. For exhortation there being need of all these especially to such Christians who take but little heed to their Conscience The first Use sheweth what is Believers duty they should by all means learn to know and take up what Conscience saith from the Word of God and labour to have their Conscience well informed and take notice of what it speaketh ere they do any thing and what are Conscience thoughts of it after it is done and accordingly to be affected determined and swayed It is true the Law of God is the supream rule and to be hearkened to in the first place but that which we are now speaking to is concerning taking advice from Conscience which 1. Doth make the Law speak more sensibly lively and aloud then before 2. It maketh it speak more plainly for when peoples reason will be ready to shuffle by a word that samâ— word coming into and taking hold of the Conscience will become more clear and convincing and it maketh the understanding being thereby made more single to take it up better 3. It maketh the man more impartial when the Word cometh not to his judgment only neither will he leave the Word with his light and reason simply nor to debate with his inclination and affection but putteth the Word and his Conscience together and taketh the meaning of it some way immediatly from his Conscience it maketh him single and unbyassed as I said before and sometimes aâ— Conscience will speak when the judgment hath little or nothing to say so it decideth often betwixt the opposite reasonings of the judgment for both sides 4. The advice and dictate of Conscience is much more powerful then that of the simple judgment and reason and adhereth better and more closely then affection or inclination Conscience being more directly Gods Deputy and in a more immediate subordination to him iâ— sticketh more â—enaciously by duty and it being as a check to our humours and as a Compass to steer our course by in all things we are to be swayed by its advice hence some who can almost debate nothing in reason yet will not dare for Conscience to do such a thing Some necessary Questions relating to practice arise from this Use which we shall speak a few words to As 1. If any other thing beside Conscience may have an impulse to duty 2. If other things may have an impulse to duty whether it be credit interest inclination will or affection how may the impulse of these be decerned and differenced from the impulse of Conscience 3. Whether the dictates of Conscience may always be followed seing its impulse may be wrong 4. What should be done in such a case and how may we difference what is right 5. Whether a man and his Conscience may be friends and agree together in a wrong cause or practice For the first Question Whether any thing beside Conscience doth or may pouâ—s to duty We answer affirmatively Many things may court us which by their impulse do often â—hwart with Conscience hence is the inward combat in the Christian betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh doth pouss to one thing and Conscience to the contrary therefore Gal. 5. 17. it 's said The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another and Rom. 7. 23. the Apostle speaketh of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and leading him captive to the law of sin in his members more particularly these things as we hinted before may have an impulse toward the doing of duty As first Mens credit hath a strong impulse where any thing crossing it is apprehended to occur 2. Mens interest hath often an impulse so as to carry on a selfish design it will make gain seem to be godliness 3 Mens natural inclinations will and affections have an impulse also and the impulse of these will sometimes be exceeding like to the impulse of Conscience and here we may consider these three things which they have influence upon 1. They may have influence to mar a mans light and pervert his understanding as it is said of a gift It blindeth the eyes of the wise and perverteth the understanding of the prudent so mens credit interest and natural inclination may in a sort bribe the understanding and blind the judgment insensibly and the man not know of it distinctly at least 2. When they have perverted the judgment they may engage the affections and these drive violently 3. If the man yield not to such a thing his credit or interest will vex him like Conscience and take rest and quiet from him as we see in Herod Matth. 14. 9. who when the dancing Damsel suited for the head of Iohn the Baptist was sorry or grieved nevertheless for his oaths sake and for them who sat at table with him he commanded it to be given her Folk would have thought that it was his Conscience that made him sorry but indeed it was not Conscience but Credit therefore it is said not only for his oaths sake but for them that sat at table with him it 's like if his oath had been been given in privat Conscience would not much have troubled him and while it 's said he was sorry or grieved it sheweth plainly that his Credit suffered him to
get no rest until the â—ll turn was done under pretext of keeping his oath Herod was predominantly swayed by these who sat at Table with him and would have it thought that he was to be excused because otherways he could not forsooth keep his oath who yet had broken many an oath and made no bones of them For the second Question How may the impulse of Conscience be known and discerned from the impulse of Credit Interest inclinations Will and Affection Answer By the Word To the law and to the testimony Isa. 8. 20 Conscience is subject to that and Conscience never readily pouseth against duty holden out by the Word Conscience would never bid Heroa take away the life of an innocent man 2. If a man be dark and doubtful in a particular Conscience as Conscience is always single but Credit Interest and thâ— like have always some by-respect which stealeth in and drowneth Conscience representing to it that such and such loss or prejudice will follow on such a thing Interest and Reputation will make a man say I would noâ— do such a thing if I could do otherways but shall I hazard all my estate and possibly my life also this I may not do and when interest and particularity prevail they make him to step over Conscience and to think that he doth no fault when it is some particular hazard that swayeth him interest is satisfied from a supposed necessity but Conscience acknowledgeth not that rule in outward things when the man can do no other ways it will put him to choose suffering 3. When Credit Interest and the like pouss their impulse is partial and violent but the impulse of Conscience is impartial and sober Conscience swaying the man pouseth him from the awe of God and from love to him and to all that is known to be duty impartially as to pray read meditate confer c. but when interest credit or inclination swey him they will drive him to one thing and not to another and more especially to that which may satisfie his humour and that violently but for the more exercising duties of Religion as to humble himself before God to repent of sin to meditate c. it doth not pouss or but very coldly and slowly as some men will have an impulse to provide for their families and they will ride and run for that but if any object of Charity offer or if there be any hazard of loss for Christ and the Gospels sake these will be silent there or if Conscience mutter it will not be much regarded in what it says Now if Conscience sweyed the man here there would be an impartial respect had to one duty as well as to another 4. Where Interest Credit Inclination or Affection pouâ—s they drive not only violently and partially but irrationally and cannot stay nor endure to reason and debate things or to be disswaâ—ed from the thing towards which there is an inclination and will neither will give a hearing to what may be said to the contrary But Conscience in its impulse is rational and sober goes to the Word and would haâ—e matters calmly seasoned and debated and is the better satisfied the better the business be debated and cleared because it likeâ—h and loveth rational service Rom. 12. 1. and therefore layeth every thing to the rule and readily conteâ—teth with corruption with which inclination sideth 5. When Credit Interest and inclination in their impulses are thwarted they storm they vex and torture the man but when the impulse of Conscience is thwarted it hath a kindly pricking and stounding the impulse of interest or inclination being thwarted conâ—useth and putteth thorow other to speâ—k so and being but a carnal fit of passion maketh â—rothy light and distemperedly passionaâ—e but it the impulse of Conscience be thwarted it weighteth and stingeth deeply 6. The impulse of Conscience affecteth constantly and choppeth evenly though sometimes in its chopping it will be more quick then at another time yet where it swayeth it leaveth not off but continueth chopping this year and the next and accounteth a thing evil or good in another as well as in a mans self and in himself as well as in another and at all times but when a man is poussed by credit interest inclination or affection he is like a distempered man in a Fever whose pulse beateth not evenly he is not constant and equal but up or down as the particular that affecteth him 〈◊〉 his humour or cometh near him as for instance a man swayed by his interest will dispute for the government of such a person this year and for the government of another the next for such an interest this year and for a contrary one the next for one sort of government in Church or State as best this year and for another as best the next because his own particular interest cometh in to side with it and so he changeth his Principles according to his Interest and disputes for one thing to day and for the contrary the next thus his interest forgeth and frameth principles to maintain it which is an evidence that such mens great principle is their interest and that they are 〈◊〉 swayed from a native principle of Conscience else they would be more evenly and constant therefore beware to take every impulse for the impulse of Conscience many men wofully abuse Conscience by their pretentions to it as if some weighty nay some extraordinary bond were on their Conscience when as indeed inclination or affection or some other such thing pousseth them on The Third Question is May not even Conscience sometimes err and go wrong May it not pouse to that which is evil and sinful and should it then be followed Ans. Conscience may err or go wrong two wayes 1. In respect of Light by thinking that which is wrong to be right 2. In respect of Practice in application of the Rule And therefore it is needful to speak a word for clearing of both And First In the general when we say that men should walk according to their Conscience we understand it of a Conscience well informed and in the exercise of Duty as knowing its Masters will and doing it for a wicked man may have a good Conscience in respect of Light to tell him what he shall do and to challenge him when he doth wrong though yet he will not obey it Therefore we say for a man to have a good Conscience is to have a well informed Conscience and doing duty accordingly For further clearing of this There are Ten sorts of Consciences that men ought not to be guided by Whereof Five fail in the Major or First proposition in respect of Light and other Five faâ—l in the Minor or Second Proposition in respect of Practice or Application The Five sorts that fail in the Major Proposition or in respect of Light are these 1. An Erring Conscience when the Judgement is mis-informed and accounteth Duty to to be Sin and Sin to be
Duty as it was with these of whom the Lord speaketh Iohn 16. 2. The time cometh when whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service Though an erring Conscience be not so properly to be called Conscience for it rather gives offence then edifies yet this Conscience such as it is putteth a man into a strait that he can neither do nor forbear that is it necessarly while it remains involveth him in sin whether he do or forbear Hence it is said of such a Conscience ligat sed non obligat it bindeth up the man but doth not oblidge For the man that hath thâ—s erring Conscience making him think that such or such a thing is a necessary duty when in the mean time it is a Sin in following the impulse of his Conscience sinneth against the Law of God as suppoâ—e it be in persecuting or killing tâ—e Servants of God which he thinks good service neither will the error of his Conscience excuse him here because he should have endeavoured to have it better inâ— For These that sin in the law shall be judged by the law And if he forbear to do such a thing he sinneth against his Conscience for he supposing it to be Gods mind which it directeth and his Conscience being to him in place of God he is guilty as if what he doth were done directly and immediately against God for to him it was so and he thought so and thus through his own cuipable â—ccession it layeth a necessity of sinning on him whether he do or forbear yet it never oblidgeth nor can oblidge him to go contrary to the Law of God as suppose he thinketh that such a Minister who is an honest and faithfull man should be Deposed or Excommunicated it doth not oblidge him to persecute an innocent and honest man and yet if he endeavour it noâ— he sinneth against his Conscience in countenancing of that Person which he in his mis-apprehension judgeth to be Sin This may seem to be somewhat strange and paradoxal but it is the wofull effect and bitter fruit of the want of Light and of a well-informed Conscience and it floweth not from the nature of the Word of God nor from the nâ—ture of Conscience but from our own Corruption makingâ— no use or an ill use of the Word of God the Superior of the Conscience So that there is hardly a worse thing then ane Erring Conscience Because whether the man that hath it forbear or doe to him it is Sin only if the thing be indifferent it oblidgeth to do or forbear for when the Word determineth not Conscience though mis-informed casteth the ballance to the side which it judgeth to be necessary As for instance it a man think it a sin to hear the Word with the head un-covered he is oblidged to cover his head and contrarily for Conscience there casteth the ballance but when the thing is unlawful on the matter it may bind him up while it remains in an Error so as he cannot without sin counteract it's dictat but it never oblidgeth him to sin 2. An Opinionative Conscience is not a good guide That is when a man hath some sort of Light or apprehension of a thing to be Duty yet fearâ—th that it may not be Duty and hath some 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 about the matter For 1. This is not Faith but Opinion and in matters of Faith Opinion cannot be a ground to rest upon Therefore Rom. 14. 5. Every man â—ughe to be fully perswaded in his own mind 2. In matters of Practice the impulse of an opinionating Conscience will not warrand us For when a man hesitats he cannot do in Faith therefore to do it is sin to him because he hath not perswasion and in this respect as to practice he is like the man that hath the Erring Conscience he can neither do nor forbear but he sinneth 3. If it be in a truth not fundamental Opinion may have weight with him and swey him to that which is most probable and hath most conveniencies with it though in matters of Practice it be otherwayes and it giveth Conscience peace in this respect when that which hath most probability in it as I have just now said is inclined to 3. A Doubting Conscience of some affinity with the former which leaveth a man in an hover or suspence that he knoweth not whether such a thing be Duty or if such a thing be Sin or not certainly here a man is bound not to do doubtingly For he that doubteth is damned if he do Rom. 14. 23. And yet there is hazard in forbearing if the thing be duty yea in this case there is a necessity of sinning buâ— still of the mans own contracting when there is not a mids but either the man must do or forbear yet in this case its best for a man to betake himself to the safest side and to hazard on suffering rather then on sin As for example a man must either do such a thing of the lawfulness whereof he doubteth or beâ—n hazard of losing much or all that he hath in the World He knoweth that suffering simply considered is no sin and he is some way matter to say so of his own suffering but not of his doing since he doubteth and his doubting layeth this obligation on him rather to abstain then to do and to take his hazard of suffering for in dubiis tutius est abstineâ—e and in this case no mans authority can oblidge and bind the Conscience to a thing as duty neither can it be loosed by meer Authority or respect to men when it doubteth Because no mans meer authority can quiet and satisfie the Conscience nor keep the man skaithless before God when on such an account he doth any thing doubtingly A 4. Sort is a Scrupling Conscience which differeth from the former in this That it is clear in the main of duty but scrupleth and is unclear in some accidental thing that goeth along with it As for instance when one would pray and apprehendeth that in praying he will take Gods name in vain because it may be some blasphemous thought is injected into his mind or when a man is about some necessary duty of his lawful calling and hath some thing like an impulse of Conscience to pray which haunteth and some way vexeth him This is a scruple but upon a light ground and hath little or no reason for it yet it is born in with violence and therefore in this case a man is oblidged rather to go over the scruple and follow his duty for although he should endeavour to satisfie his Conscience by reason in this case as in the former yet when the duty is clear he should trample upon what would hinder him and go on with the duty and in so doing he trampleth not upon his Conscience but upon that which cometh in to mar him in his duty and followeth or to speak so doggeth his Conscience A 5 Sort is a Weak and Infirm Conscience
suspicious-like when the Conscience is overwell pleased and when Conscience and mens humours are both pleased together and when corruption doth not side and take part against it this I say is a shrewd evidence that Conscience is erring for when a man is going aright about his duty corruption will be against him but when all is silent it is no good token when Paul is a delighting himself in the law of God there is a law in his Members rebelling against the law of his Mind and leading him captive to the law of Sin in his Members 2. It may be known by this when Conscience hath more contentment and peace and greater delight and fainness in such or such a particular supposed duty then in all other duties as for instance when a man thinketh nothing of but undervalueth Infant-Baptism and must needs be baptized over again and when he is re-baptized he hath more satisfaction and as he thinks more comfort in that Duty and Ordinance then in all other duties he goeth about though his rebaptizing be indeed no duty called for from him that is an evidence of an erring Conscience for if it were the peace comfort and satisfaction of a well informed Conscience he would have comfort if not alike comfort in all Duties and Ordinances so when some men have more delight in making others to become Antinomians or Separatists or Quakers they being of such a Judgment Porswasion and Sect themselves then in gaining men fre◠Popery to be Protestants or it may be from being meerly natural men to be in good earnest exercised to Godliness and like the Pharisees will compass Sea and Land for that end not to make them children of God but to proselyte them to their own Sect That is a shrewd token that it's mens particular Interest and Humour that swayeth them more then Conscience doeth or if Conscience have influence here it is an erroneous and mistaken one 3. It may be known by a mans more common and ordinary frame and way it is hard to say that Conscience putteth a man to such or such a thing and to change his way in such or such a particular indeed to the better when yet it doeth not set him on endeavours in the strength of Grace to change his way and life in the general tract of it for as true Grace is uniform so a well informed and truely good Conscience makes a man endeavour an universal and uniform change in his way and without all doubt it is as clear a duty to pray to search his Conscience to walk without giving offence to hear the Word to meditate thereon to injure no man c. and yet he will be strick in such a particular but prayeth no more waiteth no more upon Ordinances no better then he had wont to do c. this looketh very like an erring Conscience for as I said just now Conscience maketh not a man to change in one thing only but it puts him to endeavour also a change in all Therefore beware of such deceit◠for Conscience is much abused in this time it is indeed an excellent thing to keep a good Conscience and void of offence but it 's a desperate thing to make a Shoe-horn or Stalking-horss of Conscience to make it subserve our own humour and the carrying on of our own particular Interest or to leave the Word and to pretend Conscience and to be swayed by Interest under pretext of Conscience There is great need then to look well to the Word and to have the Word and Conscience going hand in hand together to keep near God and to walk in holy fear that Conscience have not any thing wherewith it may charge us justly SERMON III. ACTS 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men THere are many sad mistakes about a Christian life and the serious and zealous following of Holiness for men either diminish from Holiness as to the extent of it or dispense with and take a liberty and latitude to themselves in the following of it In this Text we have a short and sweet sum of Pauls life an excellent copy and pattern of a Christian walk and conversation wherein he giveth us a view of these two 1. Of his aim and design to walk so as he may have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men and that in an universal extent always or at all times and in all things 2. Of his manner of prosecuting it Herein saith he do I exercise my self he is seriously taken up with it it is his great business his one thing as he calls it Phil. 3. 13. We spoke of these two generals 1. That there is in all Men and Women a Conscience that taketh notice of their actions and is ready to be offended with their miscarriages 2. That Men and Women and more especially Believers ought so to live and if tender will aim so to live as they may be friends with their Conscience and that there may be good terms and a good understanding betwixt them and their Conscience that their Conscience may have no challenge against them in any thing of their walk either toward God or toward Men This is clearly and convincingly holden out in Pauls practice here whose great aim design and endeavour was to walk so as his Conscience might have nothing to say against him in duties relating either to God or to Men in secret in private or in publick This we prosecuted a little and shewed you that there is a tye and obligation lying on men so to walk and to follow not an erring and deluded Conscience but Conscience rightly informed pousing accusing or excusing according to the Word for it is Conscience so qualified that is the rule subordinate to the infallibly regulating rule of the Word The Uses of the Doctrine as we shew are four the 1. For Instruction The 2. For Tryal The 3. For Conviction or Reproof The 4. For Exhortation We spoke a little to the Use of Instruction the last day to which now we add that if men should so walk as their Conscience may have nothing to charge them with nor to cast up to them wherein they have thwarted with it then every mans design in his Christian walk ought to be as extensive as his Conscience is in its office either in directing or in accusing or excusing otherways he cannot have peace in his way if he disperise with himself in any thing which his Conscience doth not dispense with him in and it will be impossible to have solid peace if he do otherways so then the walk of a Christian ought to be equally and exactly extended no less then is the Conscience according to the rule of the Word Beside what we said on this before anent having clearness from the Word in the Judgment and hearkening to the voice of Conscience rightly informed We shall instance the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a
Christian walk according to Conscience 〈◊〉 these seven particulars 1. A man that would walk according to Conscience must have a respect to all sorts of Dâ—ties in Words Thoughts and Actions for Conscience will challenge for an idle word and for a â—inful thought to Simon Acts 8. 22. says the Apostle Pray God if perhaps the thought of thy hearâ— may be forgiven thee which saith that sinâ—ul thoughts may have influence to 〈◊〉 the Conscience and that a man who wouâ—d keep peace in his Conscience should dispense with himself in none of these 2. A man that would walk according tâ— Conscience must extend Duty to all particulars oâ— everâ— kind to every Thought every Word and every action â—or according as Conscience when in case is pleased or displeased in every one of these in publick in private in secret in 〈◊〉 or smaller Duties or â—ins so it will accuse or â—xcuse so then as Conscience regardeth alâ— Duties and kinds of them so it regardeth every particular of every kind 3. A man that would walk according to Conscience must aim in his Christian walk at the highest degree in every one of these though he come short yet he must not dispense with himself in his short-coming in any of them for instance as he must love God so he must endeavour to love him with all his strength soul and mind and as he must be holy so he must aim to perfect Holiness and to purifie himself even as he is pure in this respect the least defect will give Conscience ground of a challenge and if he in the least but indirectlâ— dispense with himself in it it will breed a quarrel 4. Walking according to Conscience tyeth a man to be in this aim and design always so as it alloweth of no inâ—ermission as for instance to study Holiness in this or that condition of life and not in another or under the cross and not in prosperity but as the word is here in the Tâ—xt he is always to exercise himself in this study and though a man should live many years with a Conscâ—ence void of offence if he begin at last though iâ— be but now and then to take undue liberty Conscience will take notice of it and challenge for it because the Word the superior of Conscience taketh notice of it 5. To walk according to Conscience extendeth it self to all circumstances and qualifications of Duty it looketh not only to the matter of duty that it be good but that it be spiritually prâ—secute in all the circumstances of it it will look to the mans aim that it be single and if it be not so it will find fault it will look to his manner of doing whether he be spiritual lively tender zealous c. in what he doeth and it will look from what principle he acteth from the strength of Grace or from a gift from his own Strength or from Christs and it will look to what is his end or aim as I just now said whether he be bringing forth fruit to himself or to God whether his end be to please men and to have their approbation and applause or to glorifie God and to approve to him whether it be to stop the mouth of his Conscience or to honour God Conscience taketh notice of these for founding its accusing or excusing and in this it differeth from all Courts among men it will accuse and condemn where they will absolve contra 6. Conscience will put a man to take notice of all the means opportunities and helps whereby Holiness may be furthered and if a man come short in the use of any mean it will put him to run the back trade as it were and to take with the guilt it will say Man whether mightest thou not have had more knowledge having had so many opportunities to hear and learn having had such and such Ministers and Christian friends to advise with and to be instructed by as the Apostle hath it Heb. 5. 12. Ye might have been teachers of others by reason of time and means and yet ye have need to be taught the first principles c. To have a Conscience void of offence it is necessary to use every mean to further us in the knowledge of Gods will and to attain to the practice of it 7. Conscience will look especially to what use we make of our Holiness and to what we lay before Conscience to answer its challenges whether we bring our good Mind our Prayers External Performances and our following of Ordinances to stop the mouth of it and to â—ilence the challenges and quench the fire to say so of Conscience or whether we bring the blood of Iesus Christ that blood of sprinkling if we compare Heb. 10. vers 2. with vers 22. and Heb. 9. vers 9. with vers 14. we will find this latter way and â—ot the former to be the only safe way These sacrifices that are offered year by year continually can never make the the comers thereunto perfect but having a high-priest over the house of God we may draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water These gifts and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience but the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God and though the Conscience will challenge a Believer where there are defects in the foâ—mer rules yet it is quieted and satisfied where there is serious and suitable application made to and of the sufferings and satisfaction of the Redeemer iâ— so be he dispense not with himself as to his short-coming in them and if the use that he makes of his Holiness in the largest extent and highest degree of it be not to found his righteousness thereon but to honour God thereby in gratitude to him to edifie others and to evidence to himself the soundness and reality of his believing and gracious state This sheweth the vast extent of Holiness and what it is that men are called to and thereby we may also see that many sadly mistake Religion and what that perfect walk is that a Christian ought to have before God and we may say on the whole if this be to walk according to Conscience then cerâ—ainly not many but very few walk according to â—t which is a lamentation and should be for a lamentation The 2d Use is â—or tryal If a Believer when he is in case and right will have it for his exercise to walk so as he may have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men then this will be a differencing mark betwixt a Believer and an un-believer the one singly aimeth and seriously endeavoureth to have a good Conscience and to walk so as in nothing he may offend his Conscience The other haâ—h no such design
there is no healing of his wound till a word from God himself do it It is on the contrary an ill token when a Conscience seeth sin and can speak peace to it self on this ground that there is mercy in God and yet never applyeth the blood of sprinkling to purge it from dead works nor seeketh to have the Word spoken as it were from Gods own mouth and on the other side the legal Conscience will make amends to God will give him Sacrifices enough and perform many duties to him looking for his acceptance only on account of these and that is as ill a token but a good Conscience resteth not on any of these but though it hath the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit to offer to God yet it doth not rest on that nor on any duty but is put beyond these to rest on Christ and on his Sacrifice Purge me with hyssop c. saith David Psal. 51. And this is a clear and certain differencing mark even to consider well whereon Conscience resteth for peace after a challenge and to make sure that it resteth thus on Christ. A 3d. Character is That a good Conscience will both challenge and speak peace at one time it can stand up and defend it self against a challenge thus when the Law on the one hand comes and charges it with many defects in duty and denounceth wrath against it because of these it will humbly take with them and yet on the other hand in the very time it can betake it self to Christ and produce a word of peace that it hath ready at hand from him this we may see in Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was says he before a blasphemer a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy It is an evil token when men either have only challenges and no peace or only peace and no challenges at all as it is also an evil token to offer to maintain peace by shifting challenges or to give over pressing after and maintaining of peace by giving way to challenges But it is a good token when Conscience can take kindly with and be humbled under challenges and yet debate against them so as to keep and maintain peace and can give a warrand for its doing so which is indeed a great practick in Religion we may see a clear instance of this in Ioâ— who saith chap. 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men where he acknowledgeth that he hath sinned and cannot make amends and yet chap. 27. 4 5. he saith with holy boldness and peremptoryness My lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me When God speaketh or seemeth to speak wrath his angry countenance driveth him not away from him though saith he chap. 13. 15. he should kill me yet I will trust in him but I will maintain mine own ways before him and vers 16. an hypocrite shall not come before him The Hypocrite or legal man giveth it over when he is thus put hard to it â— though it be easie for him to presume while the Law and Wrath break not in yet when the Law cometh Sin reviveth and he dieth as it is Rom. 79. it is easie to have peace so long as God speaketh not down-right against it but when he cometh to set all a mans sins in order before him he will with Iudas run and hang himself rather then abide that tormenting Conscience of his terribly denouncing war and wrath from God against him A 4th Character is That a good Conscience will love to entertain and welcome a challenge but an ill Conscience cannot abide nor endure a challenge and if it could it would have Conscience always silent and quiet when yet it should not be quiet neither hath it any ground to be so He who hath a good Conscience is glad to have sin discovered and Conscience kept waking he thinketh a sanctified conviction of sin a valueable mercy and the reason is because he aimeth not so much at this to have peace in himself as to have a good and solid ground of peace betwixt God and him and to remove what may mar it whereas the Hypocrites great design is to have peace on any terms and by any means and therefore when a challenge cometh closs and home to him it is quite marred It is on this ground that a tender soul will designedly aggrege sin and even foster a challenge as David doth Psal. â—1 Against thee thee only have I sinned whereas a Saul will defend his own sinful practice and seek to shift the challenge as we may see 1 Sam. 15. 10. yea I have keeped the commandment of the Lord saith that proud Hypocrite A 5th Character or Difference is That a good Conscience maintaineth its peace both from the Law and from the Gospel and will needs have peace in some measure in respect of both else it will not be satisfied The evil Conscience again taketh its peace from the one and not from the other and so taketh a wrong rule or ground for founding and trying of its peace An honest man that hath a good Conscience hath respect to the Law and will not thwart it yea the challenging and condemning part of it is welcomed and the threatnings of it have influence on him to make him fear and as he respecteth the Law so he respecteth the Gospel and looketh well to Believing Repentance Self-searching Examination Meditation and to his manner of performing these and of all his other duties that none of them come in the place of Christ or get any thing of that which is his due and though he seem to himself to have faith in Christ if he endeavour not to have Holiness going along with it he dare not speak peace to himself But on the contrary the legal man or law-conscience if it be in good terms as he supposeth with the Law it looketh not to the duties of the Gospel whether the man be indeed fled to Christ or be in good terms with God through him and on the other hand the presumptuous Conscience when it heareth the Law and the threatnings thereof it â—ome way tusheth at these and under pretext of betaking it self to Christ it teareth as it were away the Law and this mistaking halving and dividing of the rule maketh many men think that their Conscience speaketh good to them when it doeth not so but hath rather ground to speak evil and wo. And in the by ye who think ye have good Consciences try them by this mark if ye walk humbly under Conscience-convictions taking with them and if they be welcome to you as well as a word of peace A 6th Character or Difference is That a good Conscience is holily jealous and suspicious while an evil Conscience is presumptuously confident and bold we say a good Conscience is suspicious and therefore is often putting
Religious men in some things that they may get a Dispensation to themselves in other things But none of these will be found Law-byding when God cometh to reckon 6ly People in a sort bargain with their Conscience like these spoken of Isa. 28. 15. They make a Covenant with death and are at agreement with hell and like Naaman if that was indeed his meaning they will yeeld Conscience such or such a thing but no more They must have a Dispensation in and a liberty of making Reservations and Exceptions of some one or moe things Though this may not always be done distinctly formaly and explicitly yet it is so on the matter implicitly and interpretatively But that Covenant with death however made directly or indirectly shall be broken and that agreement with hell shall not stand and the hail of Gods wrath will sweep away the refuge of lies and Conscience will speak at last but not with or under such covers of fig-leaves that men now wrap themselves in Therefore I beseech you dally not with Conscience for it 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of it when it is wakened as it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who acteth in and by that Conscience The 4th and last Use Is an Use of Exhortation seing it is the duty of all men and more especially of Believers to walk so as in nothing they offend their Conscience we exhort you in the name of the Lord that ye would order your Conversation so as in nothing your Conscience may have a challenge against you ye will all readily think that this is very reasonable and indeed if we prevail not in this wherein can we expect to prevail with you We seek no more of you but that ye would so walk as that living and dying your Conscience may not flee in your face but may give you this Testimony that ye have aimed to keep a good conscience in all things and to live â—onestly Ye may possibly think that this is a fair general and that he is a very gross and profane man that will deny it and yet we would think that many of you were come a great length in Religion if we could prevail with you but this far as that in all things living and dying as we said ye might study to have a good Conscience And this being no contraverted nor debeatable thing we may with the more confidence press it upon you especially seing it is the very Soul and Life of Religion and where that is not there is nothing of truth in Religion That this exhortation may be the more clear and cogent we shall speak a word to these Three 1. To what this is to keep a good Conscience in your walk 2. To some motives to stir you up to it 3. To some helps to it For the 1. It includeth these Four which should go along in your walk 1. That ye commit no known Sin for there will be no good Conscience if that be adventured on Ye who know that ye should not take liberty in drinking drunk in swearing in profane or idle speaking c. Walk so as ye may not thwart your Knowledge 2ly It taketh in this That as ye would commit no known Sin so ye would ommit no known duty because though every sin doth wrong the Conscience yet the sin that we know and yet commit and the duty that we know and yet omit doth more directly strick against Conscience ye who know that the Sabbath should be kept holy that ye should pray in secret and in your families that ye should not offend one another c. Beware of hazarding on these contrary to your light 3ly It takes in and supposeth that ye do nothing doubtingly for Rom. 14. He that doubteth and doth is damned he is sentenced and judged as to that particular 4ly It includeth this to endeavour to be right in the manner oâ— performing all duties and to have a single end It is not enough to pray or to be in the practice of any other commanded duty that will not quiet the Conscience if ye study not to be right in the manner and to do it for the right end The want of these requisit qualifications of acceptable Duties will make such things as are lawful on the matter turn to be grounds of challenge from the Conscience But somewhat to this purpose hath been spoke of before therefore it hath now been but touched 2dly For Motives 1. There is nothing that is a more clear duty It is written in the hearts of all by nature Heathens have it engraven on their hearts as we see Rom. 2. 15. Their conscience beareth them witness and their thoughts excuse or accuse one another and they have called it a brazen wall to have a good Conscience as to a sound walk in their moral sense 2dly there are many and great advantages attending it As namely 1. It giveth a man much boldness in approaching to God 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our hearts condemn us not then have we boldness towards God when we go to pray 2. It giveth ground also to expect ane hearing 1 Iohn 3. 22. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do these things that are pleasing in his sight and cross not our light and Conscience in neglecting any of them 3ly It keepeth a man from much sin and is that think ye little advantage to have little comparatively at least on a mans score to reckon for 4thly It maketh a mans life cheerful so Prov. 15. 15. He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast Which is nothing else but a heart cheerful in God from the testimony of a good Conscience And this is it on the matter which guardeth the the heart and mind so that no cares can considerably disquiet it as we have it Phil. 4. 7. The heart is guarded yea garisoned as the word is with peace that there is no storming nor intaking of it by outward troubles It is the joy that strangers inter medle not with 5thly It is a sweet and strong cordial in affliction when Christians are persecuted by Strangers or by false Brethren are in Sickness in Prison in Perrils by Sea or Land c. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience sayeth the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 12. in the midst of afflictions 6thly And more particularly It is a sweet and soveraign Cordial when death approacheth Hezekiah can say then Remember Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart It putteth the Soul in a posture of dying somewhat like old Simeon and giveth some ground to say with him Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation The Necessity of it will yet further appear if on the other side we look to the disadvantages that wait the want of it though men could be content to live a heartless life
neglective of Conscience It is certainly an evidence of ane untender Frame in Believers and where ever it is habitual and regnant it is an evidence of an evil state For if one be a tender Christian when should his Conscience be tender if not in the nick of the performance of an Action For that is the time when he will or should be levelling least he miss the mark and knowing how fickle and unconstant he is and that he hath a heart like an unsteady hand how should he guard against it's levity and unstablenesse The 3d. Use Is of Exhortation to advert more to this Testimony of Conscience in performing Duties O! Learn to reflect on your selves in every thing and to ask your selves what ye are doing that ye may know if ye be right or wrong if wrong that ye may take with it and be humbled for it if right that ye may be comforted in it We conceive this would be a notable guard to tendernesse and keeping communion with God and a soveraign help to prevent many sins and much hipocrisie in our way of doing things even to be taking exact notice if we be indeed doing that which we professe to be doing if we be speaking to Edification if we be praying in earnest when we pretend to be praying c. 2ly Observe That when Conscience is well satisfied in a particular Action or Duty it can signifie it's sense thereof to the man that performeth it and speaketh a good word for him This is the thing that Pauls Con science doth here he is sincere in the thing that he asserts and it beareth him witnes of his sincerity when he adverteth to it First I say Conscience can signify it's mind and sense of a particular Action or Duty if it be well pleased and can speak a good word for the man it can signify it's mind at any time but when it is well pleaâ—ed it signifies it by testifying for the man And 2ly I say That not only does it testifie it's satisfaction with the Action but with every thing in it when there is a right end a right motive and a right manner of performance when Christ is duely respected in it and made use of for strength and acceptance And 3ly I add this If men advert to it and if it be asked because it hath something to say alwayes yet men will not hear nor know what it sayeth except they advert well and reflect and take good heed to it 3ly Observe That it is very strengthning confirming comforting refreshing and satisfying to a man in a particular Action to have the Testimony of his Conscience for him This beareth Paul through here amidst all challenges that might have been raised from seeking of himself or from following revenge in what he asserts There is no such thing saith he my Conscience beareth me witnes of the contrary It 's not a mans Action simply that will give him boldnesse confidence and comfort for several persons may concur in one and the self same good Action on the matter and yet some may have a good 〈◊〉 others an evil Conscience in it were it but as to a mans thought and opinion of himself For it 's not he that commends himself but he whom God commends that is approven When Conscience I say beareth witnes for a man It is a very strengthning confirming and satisfying thing The Reasons are 1. Because Conscience is the more single and impartial Judge and witnes and therefore a man may lay the more weight on it 2ly Because Conscience speaketh and beareth witnes with respect to God and when it testifieth on solid grounds it is Gods Testimony Now when a Debate ariseth in a man about any of his Actions the man himself is the partie arraigned the Challenge or Tentation is the party accusing and Conscience is as the Witnes or Judge that decideth and being un-byassed it beareth Witnes and passeth the Sentence truly and impartially It as it were sayeth it 's true he said such and such a thing and that sincerely and I know that his thoughts and intentions were honest and thus Conscience decides the Debate in his favours if so be he hath it on his side and so confirms and comforts him The Use is To exhort you to lay more weight on Conscience and on it's Testimony and less weight on any other thing for it will not be your good meaning nor good hopes as ye use to speak but a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified Frame that will be found fittest to decide in any Action 4ly Observe That the Testimony of Conscience speak ing for a man and his performing of a good Action on the matter are separable That is a man may do that which is good in it self and yet not have a positive and approbative Testimony from his Conscience concerning it otherwayes Paul needed not to have attested his Conscience if he had not known that Conscience it's Testimony might have been separat from what he speaks It 's well enough known that he was saying his heart was grieved for the rejection of the Iews but the question was if he had said it honestly and sincerely and he asserts that he hath Conscience it's Testimony for that as a distinct thing There are but too many proofs of the truth of this Doctrine are there not many who speak good words and do good deeds on the matter who yet have not a good Conscience in the speaking and doing of them As it 's said of Amaziah 2 Chroâ— 25. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart So it may be said of many others that they do that which is good for the matter but they want the Testimony of a good Conscience in the performance of it This will be further clear if we consider these two things 1. That there are many things that concur to make an Action Truly and Christianly good such as we spoke of the other day many care for no more but that the Action be good for the Matter but it 's moreover requisit that it be good as to the manner of performance that it be from a right motive to a right end done in Faith by strength drawn from Christ and with an eye to acceptance on his account a corrupt end in Prayer in coming to the Church to hear in reading the Word or in any other Duty will spoil the Action 2ly That there are different Rules to try these by there is one Rule to regulat us in the matter of our Actions and another to regulat our manner of going about them and a good Conscience looketh to both these Rules And if anyof the requisit qualifications to the suitable and acceptable performance of them be absent and wanting in so far Conscience will withhold it's positive approving Testimony a good Conscience it's Testimony is like the harmony of a well tuned Instrument It 's one thing to have all the strings on
Apostle 1 Peter 2. 19. Or if he give a cup of cold water to â— disciple in the name of a disciple he shall not lose his reward Matth. 10 42. Thus two persons come to Church to hear the word the one out of Conscience in obedience to Gods command and from love to fellow ship with him in his ordinances and the other for the fashion and because its the custome or that he may eschew from his own Conscience the construction and accusation of his being a grâ—sly proâ—ane and it religious person or on some such other sinister account the one hâ—th in so far ground of peace and the refreshing Testimony of a good Conscience the other not 5ly Conscience must be satisfied in this Question in whose strength was the duty undertaken was it in the strength of Christ and was he depended on for assistance in the going about of it for it is not enough that the duty be gone about and he some way acknowledged in it unless he be also believingly depended on for strength to inable to the suitable performance of it 6ly What was your end in undertaking and prosecuting of such a duty or action whether was it some self-end or the glory of God and the edification of others as in your eating and drinking do ye eat and drink to satisfie your appetit only or mainly or to enable you to serve God and to do good to others in your station and capacity In your seeking such and such gifts from God by prayer whether is it that ye may bestow or consume them on your lusts as Iames sayes some do Chap. 4. 3. Or is it that ye may be helped to adorn the doctrine of God in all things The proposing of a right end is a main ingredient in every action and hath great influence on your peace We preach not our selves saveth the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 5. bâ—t Christ Iesus the Lord We are as if he had said in our preaching not seeking our selves but him nor our own praise or applause to our selves but his glory and exaltation and this had much influence on his peace and joy Conscience must be also satisfied in this by any means 7ly After what manner was the action or duty gone about was it in sincerity and singlenesse in a spiritual way was the inner and new man exercised in it suppose the duty for instance to be prayer was it gone about in the Spirit was Grace acted in it and were ye serious lively humble tender reverend servent c. in it 8ly Was there nothing wrong in the action or duty no mixture of corruption with the actings of Grace no selfinesse mixed with your singleness or at the best was there not some mixture of other ends with the main end Which though it do not simply make the action or duty condemnable and to be rejected especially when taken with and mourned for and Christ made use of for the pardon of it yet it will considerably weaken Conscience its Testimony and the joy resulting from it in so far as these sinful mixtures aâ—e 9ly Were ye stretching your selves to the yondmost in the performance of such an action or duty to have it right as to all the former requisits Was there nothing left undone that might and should have been done Was ye not only aiming at the right end but according to your light endeavouring to take every way and make use of every approven mean for the compassing and bringing about of that end Now if we will all seriously reflect and look about us how few how very few are there to be found who can answer these questions affirmatively in any acceptable measure Who alace can say they have done all they should or even might have done as to matter and manner from right principles and motives to a right end That they have used all means without omitting any that they have given all dillgence That they have made use of Christs strength and been single and sincere c. in their performances And yet when all this is some way done ye must yet answer one or two Questions more ere ye can have solid peace and joy from the good Testimony of your Conscience 1. Whether were ye proud and conceity in the performing of such and such duties For if that dead Flee come in on the doing of the best duties it will make all to stink and yet oft-times Christians spoil their duties and very much deprive themselves of the joyful Testimony of their Conscience even when they have been right for matter and manner by their being vain conceity and proud of them 2ly Whether have ye washen your best duties in the Blood of Christ For if this be wanting it will greatly marr your peace and joy Now I would again ask you if ye can say that your duties have been conform to these requisits If not how is it that ye are so secure and can alleadge that ye have a good Conscience or how can you so confidently expect peace and joy from â—ts Testimony or think ye nothing to prostitute and as it were to make a bachel of this excellent thing the Testimony of a good Conscience as if ye could take it up in a manner at your foot Ah! is there nothing that can make a crack in or a breach upon your peace of Conscience ye will possibly say that ye have all sinned if so how can ye have peace to ly down in sin It is true the simple having of sin when it suitably affects should not quite marr and bereave a person of the Testimony of a good Conscience where Grace is in the truth of it and there is sincerity and singlenesse in endeavouring to be in case affirmatively in some measure to answer the questions before proposed but the utter neglect of these things a conniving at them and indifferency whether the requisits be or not a not wrestling and striving in the strength of Christ against sin and to get duties suitably performed in the same strength a not seeking to have mens best duties washen as I said in the Blood of the Lamb cannot but quite deprive of the Testimony of a good Conscience and altogether obstruct the peace and joy that flow from it A Believer indeed not allowing himself in his short-comings in these things called for and making frequent application to Christ for strength to do better and for pardon of what is wrong and walking humbly in the sense of his failings and short comings may have peace even though in many things he fail and come short and though there be some mixture of corruption going along with his grace and of hypocrisie with his sincerity in his best duties As we may see in the Apostle Paul Who had a law in his members which he most sadly bemoans Rom â— rebelling against the law of his mind Even when he had this Testimony of a good Conscience and much peace and joy resulting from it But a secure
doth warrantably distinguish betwixt the law of his mind and the law of his members and he maintains the peace of a good Conscience in some respect not as to his being free from all guilt in respect of his un renewed or corrupt part but in respect of the opposition which the renewed part made unto it in respect of his corruption he looks at and cryes out of himself as a sinful miserable and wretched man and yet in respect of his grace he looks at and proclaims himself to be a happy man through Christ Jesus and on that account heartily thanks God I grant that Believers have need of much singlenesse and self-denyal here yet they cannot have peace unless they thus distinguish and by the way which might be a distinct doctrine let me say that a Believers not admitting of the Testimony of his Conscience for him when he hath ground for it is the cause of much heartlesness and a mighty obstruction of his peace comfort and joy when he knowes not how to wail out the Testimony of a good Conscience from a croud and heap as it were of challenges for much guilt â— ly Observe That whoever would found peace and joy on the Testimony of his Conscience would be sure that it be a well grounded Testimony therefore Paul in asserting the Testimony of his Conscience here and his rejoycing on that ground proves that he had sufâ— ground and warrand for his doing so and brings 〈◊〉 proofs of it viz. That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God he hâ—d his conversation in the world and more aboundantâ—y to them ward and indeed if we consider 1. of whaâ—â—ighty concernment it is and how great and 〈◊〉 a building is built on it we will find there is much need to have the ground well and deeply laid 2ly If we consider what Rains Floods and winds of Tentations Troubles and challenges may descend beaâ— and blow upon our building and put it to the tryalâ— whether it be founded and be built on the Rock or on the Sand we had need to look well on what ground we build and that it be solid and durable we find many that will have a sort of peace in health and prosperity who when sickness adversity and death come have their peace to seek having been all the while but building as it were castles in the air 3ly If we consider how easie and ordinary it is for people here to go wrong to be mistaken and to think that all is well when alace it is nothing so but all quite wrong it sayes we had need to be sicker â—t cryes aloud to us to look about us and to make sure solid and sicker work For further prosecuting of this point I shall 1. shew how persons may suppose that they have a good Testimony of their Conscience without a ground or upon seeming grounds without any solidity or reality 2ly I shall shew what grounds will not bear this Testimony of a good Conscience 3ly I shall shew what grounds may bear it or what may be the characters of a warrantable and well-grounded testimony of a good Conscience most of all which we will find to be in this Text to our discourses on which we resolve at this time to put an end For the First viz. That people may suppose that they have the Testimony of a good Conscience without a ground or on but seeming grounds which is incident not only to natural men but even sometimes to Believers themselves in some respect men may gather a conclusion of peace from unsound grounds and speak peace to themselves when God has not spoken peace to them There is a generation sayes Solomon Prov. 30. v. 12. that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness a generation that foolishly fancy themselves to be right when yet they are quite wrong which we suppose comes to pass ordinarily in these Four cases or from these Four grounds 1. When 〈◊〉 haive holinesse and do a piece or part of their duty and work but go not stitch-through with it thinking they need not to be so full so exact and so precise as the command calls for which it may be they secretly judge to be too severe and rigâ—d as it was with King Saul who when Samuâ—l came to him after the slaughter of the Amâ—lekites 1 Sam. 15. goes out to meet him and sayes to him Blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord and when Samuel answers him what means then the bleating of the sheep in min◠〈◊〉 and the â—owing of the oxen which I â—ear Saul replyes They have brought them from the Amalekites to be a sacrifice to the Lord He thought that he had â—ufficiently keept the commandment of the Lord though he had preserved an Aâ—ag and some â—ew of the best beasts especially for such an use Thus often natural men if they do as it were two parts or half of their duty think they have done enough and that they may have peace oâ— that ground 2ly When persons think that they mean well and have an honest aim and design and will it may be be ready to disput on that ground with any that would find fault with them and confidently assert that they have done well as Saul does with Samuel in that same Chapter who sayes yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and performed the commandment of the Lord And that I have reserved these few sheep and oxen I meant well it was not from any greed or covetousnesse but to be a sacrifice for the Lora what sayes Samuel hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord to obey is better then sacrifice c. That which many men call a good mind or meaning â—s often the cut-throat of their peace and hardneth them against just challenges 3ly When men are ignorant of the Law of God it makes them to have peace when they have no ground â—or it such are ready to think that they have given oâ—edience to Gods commands and that they have the Testimony of a good Conscience because they know not the extent and spiritual meaning of the Law of God as we may see in that man spoken of Matth. 19. who said all these have I keeped from my youth up He did noâ— grosly dissemble when he said so but he was ignorant as I said 〈◊〉 now of the spiritual meaning and extent of the Law he thought he was not covetous if he did noâ— oppress and knew not what it was to post-pone all things in the world to God and that he was bound in some cases and as he called him to it to quite all and to follow Christ and therefore turns his back on Christ when he is put to the tryal how many will have a great deal of peace such as it is after they have prayed
beeâ— hearing a Sermon resting on the 〈◊〉 performance when in the mean time they never discerned what it was to perform these duties spiritually they fancy that they are not guilty of breaking the first 〈◊〉 if they have not down-right worshipped any other God but the true God and know no spiritual 〈◊〉 that they are not guilty of murder if they shed no manâ— blood and know not that rash anger is 〈◊〉 breach of that command and murder before God and so in other commands 4ly When providence seems to countenance some particular in mens hand and it goes with them they are ready to think in that case they have the Testimony of their Conscience and so speak peace to themselves as we see in Micah when he has made his Teraphim Ephod and molâ—en image and meets with a vagrant Levit coming along who 〈◊〉 to stay with him Now sayes he I know that the Lord will do me good sâ—ing I have a Levit to be my Priest He looks on providences furnishing him with a Priest as Gods approving of his making these images we will also find in Rachel and Leah two instances of this Gen. 30. Rachel in her barrenness gives Bilhah her maid to Iacob and when she had brought forth a Son she sayes God hath judgeâ— me and beard my voice But Leah when she hath given her maid to him is more express and clear while she sayes after Zilpahs bringing forth a Son God hath gives me my hire because I have given my maid to my husband It is very rare for people when they seem to be countenanced in such or such a particular that they have a great mind for so to reflect on their way as not sadly to mistake there may be something of this even in Believers in so far as they have unmortified corruption in them all which sayes that we have great need and are so much the more concerned to study to be impartial and single in grounding the Testimony of our Conscience that we mistake it not For providence counâ— us in a particular will not if there be no more prove us to be right in it God not having given us that as our Rule to walk by but the law and testimony by which the Conscience being well informed and giving its Testimony accordingly that is the alone Testimony which can yield solid peace and joy For the 2d thing viz. Some false grounds even beside these that men use to rest upon we shall name these four that are very unsound and unsicker and they are implyed in the Text. The 1. is implyed in Godly sincerity for clearing of which ye would take notice that there may be a moral sincerity in mens practices that is not godly sincerity which is opposit to more gross counterfeiting and dissembling This we find to have been in Abimelech Gen. 20. who said to God In the integrity of my heart have I done this The man said not one thing when he intended another this moral sincerity will not prove a solid ground of the Testimony of a good Conscience therefore we see that God plagues Aâ—imelech notwithstanding his moral honesty and sincerity it is true it may extenuat and in some respect excuse a mans fault as it does Pauls persecution who did it ignorantly and out of unbelief and the Iews their zeal which was not according to knowledge but as the thing it self was not warrantable so no such thing can be a solid ground of peace therefore the Iews zeal does not warrand them in that they did nor Pauls persecution to be no sin as neither the one nor the other nor both of them together warrand these spoken of 1 Iohn 16. who in killing the servants of Christ thought they did God good service the matter must be right otherwayes there can never be ground for a good Testimony of the Conscience There is somewhat of this kind of sincerity in many Merchants and Tradesmen which makes them if they be any way morally honest in their dealings to think that they have Religion enough and sufficient ground for a good Testimony from their Conscience but alace this will not do the business nor obtain such a Testimony it is not sure for nought that Paul puts in this word for a ground of his Testimony Godly Sincerity The 2d False ground is implyed in these words not with flâ—eshly wisdom wherein ye may take notice 1. that there is a fleshly wisdom providence or policy whereby many men square their actions and wayes so as the mean they pitch on may reâ—ch their end and they may carry the matter so smoothly and handsomely as not openly to offend though they make but little Conscience in the choice of means but it s not from a principle of Conscience it is but worldly wisdom which will come to nought 2ly Ye may notice here that though this may keep a man sometimes from outward trouble and in a sort of quietnesse of mind and may yeeld him some ground of expectation to gain his point yet it will not give him solid peace nor be the ground of a good Testimony from his Conscience â—ndeed where a tender well informed Conscience rules and bears sway natural wisdom is a serviceable and useful hand maid but when a man designs a good end to be compassed by fleshly wisdom without consulting Conscience in it though he should succeed it will never give him peace Therefore when Paul comes to Corinth to preach the Gospel he declares that he will not preach nor disput to make a shew of his learning or scholarcraft nor to draw peoples respect and applause to himself as the false teachers did but with holy simplicity he plainly iâ—structs them in the knowledge of the truth and reproves impartially their faults and so commits the suâ—cess to God Thus a Minister may sinfully follow this rule or guide of fleshly wisdom to come by a good end to wit the keeping of people from casting at his Ministry these false teachers that were in Corinth who did not it may be preach gross errours and might possibly think they had some good end yet in their preaching through much fleshly wisdom they â—ought themselves and made it their great work to gain the peoples respect and applause by conniving at their â—aults rather than to profit them and to gain their Souls wo wo to such Ministers who wink at the sins of their hearers that they may infinuaâ— themselves on them and court their favours but closly to our point we say that though men should have never so good an end fleshly wisdom and carnal policy will never minister ground of a good Testimony from their Conscience unto them A thâ—rd false ground is implyed in these words But by the grace of God viz as the principle of his actions and walk which insiâ—uats first that there are some good things which men may do not from a principle of grace but it may be from a meerly moral principle of
to speak of I shall only say that if we compare the universality of the Command with our obedience thereto and try if the one be as universal as the other is if there be a respect had to all the Comâ—nds to these of the first as well as to these of the second Table of the Law to these of the Gospel as well as to these of the Law and if we take a view of our Conversation in whole and in the parts of it in the Duties of Worship and in the Duties of our particular Callings Stations and Relations If a good Conscience hath been singly aimed at in all these at all times Sabbath-day and Week-day in all conditions in prosperity and adversity in all places at home and abroad in the Shop and in the Family in Journeys by Land and Voyages by Sea for Conscience comes in as concerned in all places and in all Companies and will put the question whether we be called to go to such a place and to be in such a Company or not and will expect an answer as to all these Things Conditions Times Places and Companies If I say we try Conscience as to all these we will find that a good Conscience is a very rare thing and that it is not so easily either attained or intertained as many imagine it to be and that withall its evident and undenyable hence that the Consciences of most men and women are not so good as they are ready to averre them to be which they will one day find if a gracious change prevent not to their unspeakable and irreparable loss and prejudice SERMON II. HEB. 13. v. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly TRUE Religion and godliness consists not only in the illumination of the mind and in the conception and contemplation of the Truths concerning God and the Gospel but also and mainly in the practise of the known Duties thereof and very ordinarly there is more of the concern of Conscience and of its solid peace in the practise of more common and well known Duties that are even at our hand then in the speculation of and painful search after things that are more mysterious and obscure We would decry none of these nor diswade any from a sober inquiry after them who are more called to it than others yet we would give every one of them their own due place and would by all means take heed that we separate and divide not the power and practise of Religion from the Theory thereof and that we prefer not the search after some more cryptick and dark things in Religion to the serious practice of the more plain and obvious Truths thereof For the preventing whereof as by other means so we find the Apostle very ordinarly in the close of his Epistles after more Doctrinal Discourses subjoyning some plain and familiar Directions concerning the practice of such Duties that are generally known and acknowledged amongst which this is one viz. Prayer for one another and more particularly and especially for the Ministers of the Gospel pray for us faith he in the first part of this Verse We would then learn conscienciously to improve our Light and Knowledge towards the practice of the Duties of Religion and most of these that are most necessary And particularly we would learn to lay due weight on the practice of this Duty Ministers would neither disdain nor think shame to call for the help of the peoples Prayers Neither would people neglect nor think it needless or a burden to them to take a serious lift of their Ministers in their prayers to God When we press obedience in all things as the evidence of a good Conscience we would press obedience to this amongst the rest which whoever neglect will in so far mar the peace of their Conscience before God For they cannot have a good Conscience in all things if they neglect or flight this piece of their Duty Therefore without further insisting in it we exhort you in the Name of the Lord Pray for us The other thing in the Verse whereof we began to speak the last day is the Reason or Motive whereby Paul presses them to this Duty by which an Objection is obviated They might be-like say at least think that he was an aspersed reproached and ill-spoken of man and that therefore they had but small ground of incouragement to pray for him No sayeth he notwithstanding these aspersions which are false and groundless pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things And because this assertion might look bigg he qualifies it in the words following wherein he clears what he means and proves that he spoke not at random We have a good Conscience willing in all things sayeth he to live honestly We may and do fail and come short as to the length we should be 〈◊〉 but its beside our purpose our desire design and indeavour is faithfully to approve our selves to God in all things Observe 1. Here that an honest and good Life or Walk and an honest and good Conscience go together There is alwayes a suitableness betwixt the testimony of a persons Conscience within and the ordering of his Walk and Conversation without Or thus as a mans life is so is his Conscience If the Life and Conversation be honest then a man may have and hath an honest and good Conscience but if his Life and Conversation be untender dishonest profane and louse he cannot possibly have a good Conscience as the Apostle plainly affirms Titus 1. 15. And the reason of it is clear because Consciences well grounded Testimony must be according to Truth and speak out the thing as indeed it is and as when the thing is ill and wrong it cannot speak peace and good so when the thing is right it will not speak ill For Use of it do not separat these things which God hath conjoyned Think never to have a good Conscience when ye have not an honest Conversation It may be found without the accomplishment of a very diligent search that many do presumptuously and groundlesly speak and boast of a good Conscience when there is nothing in their Conversation that looks like it let be warrands it but if ye would certainly know the companion of a good Conscience take it from Paul it is even a living honestly I would only here have you to take this Caveat in the by when we say that a good Conscience and an honest life or walk go together we would not have you to look to the connexion of these two so severly and rigidly as if there could not be a good Conscience but where there is an honest walk in its perfection without all slips or failings for we are now speaking of a deliberat fixed and settled purpose and sincere indeavour to live and walk honestly which may consist with slips and fallings of infirmity This willingness to live
wherewith he is surprised against which he fights and wrestles seeking after and longing for Victory over them and with which he admits of no truce even when they prevail as for other â—ins they will very readily mar the Believers Peace and Tranquillity The Doctrine being thus qualified and guarded on all hands we shall now at length proceed to the Confirmation of it which is that wherever there is a sincere willingness to be universally honest in our Life and Conversation there is good ground for peace and calmness of Conscience or it is an evidence of a good Conscience and a companion of it It may be confirmed from these grounds 1. Either we must say that no Believer has ever had Tranquillity and calmness of Conscience which were absurd or we must say that these who had it did attain to perfect holiness and needed no Repentance which the forenamed Instances of most eminent Saints as of David and Peter will confute or if we can say none of these two we must needs assert the third viz. That a Believer on his sincere design to live honestly in all things though he come not up the full length he should be at may have Peace 2. That which hath quieted many Believers before us may be a ground of calmness and quietness to us for as the ground and cause is common the effect must also be common But on this ground many Believers have been quieted before us Therefore we may likewise on it quiet our selves If we look thorow the Scriptures we will find the Saints thus quieting and comforting themselves What is the ground that David comforts himself on Psal. 18. 21 22 23. Is it not on this I have keeped the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God This sure is not absolute perfection that he means of for we know he had many defects and failings but sincerity for says he All his Iudgements were before me he had honestly designed the keeping of them all I did not put away his Statutes from me he balked none of Gods Statutes I was also upright before him and I keeped my self from mine iniquity The strain of his way was honest and his slips and failings were hitherto its like of infirmity and therefore he has Peace We may see that it was thus also with Hezekiah Isa. 38. with Iob chap. 31. and with Paul Phil. 3. Who was not perfect already but pressing hard towards it A 3. ground of Confirmation is drawn from the Scriptures giving such Characters and Descriptions of Believers and affirming such qualifications of them on account of which they have a testimony from God and ground of holy boldness in their pleadings with him all which look to their honest willingness and sincere endeavour after perfection and not to their attainment of it as we see in Nehemiah who thus speaks to God chap. 1. Let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy Servant and of thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name Where we have the asserting of an interest in God and of a kindly relation to him with holy boldness And yet they plead not a perfection in the fear of God but a desire to fear him Their desire design resolution and endeavour was to fear him So Matth 5. vers 6. They are pronounced by the Lord to be blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness Which speaks plainly no absolute perfection And say they Psal. 44. All this is come upon us yet have we not forsaken thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant Though they had many infirmities and failings which they did not deny but take with yet they humbly avouch adherence to God and to his Covenant so as they did not forsake him nor deal treacherously in it they assert their sincerity in cleaving to him notwithstanding of all that came upon them This ground is frequently made use of Psal. 119. and particularly vers 6. Where the Psalmist sayes Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments as if he had said my Conscience shall not blush nor be confounded but have confidence and quietness though there be not a perfect up coming in obedience to all things commanded if I have a respect to all and an honest design and purpose to be at all 4. it cannot be otherwise if we consider that Conscience will and must be calm and quiet when God accepts of a mans way Now though there be not absolute perfection yet if there be reality and sincerity and no short-coming allowe approven nor consented to but wrestled against and opposed God will accept of our way It s said 2 Cor. 8. vers 9 10. That God accepts of a willing mind according to that which a man hath and not according to that which he hath not If a man improve well seriously and sincerely the outward things given him though there be some providential obstruction to the performance yet on account of his honestly willing mind he is graciously accepted Which holds proportionably in other points and parts of obedience Thus the Lord says Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spares his Son that serveth him and Psal. 103. 13. Like as a Father pitieth his Children so doth the Lord these that fear him The force of the comparison shews that things are not at perfection in them for then there were no need of sparing or pity but as there is such compassion in a Father that though his Son cannot perform things commanded him exactly and perfectly yet if he be readily and honestly doing what he dow he will spare and pity him and he would be an unnatural Father that should do otherwise So will I do says the Lord with my Sons that serve me and in this respect the ground of a mans peace and calmness is not any absolute perfection in himself but Gods Covenant and free grace and his way of dealing with his own Children who will in some cases say nothing against them and Conscience is not allowed to say any thing where he says nothing Now if it be Asked how this comes to pass We Answer that there are three things that accompany real willingness that contribute to and give ground of peace even though there be failings 1. A real hatred and abhorrence of the sin Psal. 119. 128. I hate every false way There is a keeping at a distance with Conscience wasting sins so that the man not only abstains from acting them but out of Conscience towards God from Filial aw and reverence from love and respect to him hates that which he hates Do not not I says Davia Psal. 139. hate them that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred 2ly Real willingness keeps off Conscience wasting-aggravations so that Believers fall not in sins of infirmity with full deliberation Neither do they allow or suffer themselves to ly still in them Now it s such as these that especially wound the Conscience and
eats out the very life and feeling of the Conscience though it will be found to be a Conscience still and a Conscience that will speak and speak aloud one day albeit in Gods righteous Judgement it be silent now 3. We may also see here the reason why many persons are so very filthy that sin becomes a delight to them so that the sin that others could not sleep with they cannot sleep till they get it committed because thorow a custom of and continuance in sinning their mind and Conscience is defiled 2ly Observe That a man before he be purged by Christs Blood hath his Conscience wholly defiled Not only in part as we said of the Believer but wholly before he be in Christ and be purged by his Blood he is like that wretched Infant described Ezek. 16. 5. which description sets forth to the life what these people were before God entered in Covenant with them cast out in the open field to the loathing of their persons unsalted and unswadled with their navils uncut wallowing in their own blood and having no eye to pity them And thus are all men and women without exception before they be in Covenant with God they are wholly in a state of irreconciliation and enmity with God whose Law does not only condemn this and that work or deed of theirs but all of them as but dead works Their very state and person is condemned their peace if they have any is no solid peace none of Gods peace for there is no peace nor ground of peace to the wicked sayes my God Isai. 57. Their inclination is wholly depraved and corrupted all their Thoughts and Imaginations are evil only evil and continually evil as it is Gen. 6. 5. and as that often cited emphatick word is Tit. 1 15. To him that is defiled and unbelieving there is nothing pure Every practice of his the use of every thing is to him impure and his very mind and conscience is totally defiled And this will be yet more clear if we consider 1. The case that the man is in who is not in Christ he is without God without hope under his curse and the condemnatory sentence of his Law and can a man possibly have a clear Conscience that is under Gods curse and hath the Sentence of his Law standing over his head unrepealed Therefore he is said Iohn 3. to be condemned already and to have the wrath of God abiding on him 2. If we consider that a man in this condition is under the dominion of sin he is a captive of it and of the Devil at his will as it is 2 Tim 2. 26 So that there is scarce any motion or temptation to sin but he hearkens to it and complys with it his heart is open to swarms of lusts and as a Cage to unclean and foul Spirits Legions of Devils in a manner haunt him Now if such a man can have a clear Conscience ye may easily judge and yet such is the state and condition of every man by nature and therefore when Christ speaks of the Renovation of a man he sometimes calls it the casting out of the Devil importing thereby that every man in nature is a common receptacle as it were to Devils The 1. Use of this serves to teach us how we ought on the one hand to loath the state of Nature and how on the other hand we ought to love and long after a state of faith in Christ Jesus by whom only our natural state can be changed Is it not a wonder that so many rational men and women can live and ly still in their Natural state without minding or looking after a change Considering that this stands recorded of and against them That their very mind and conscience is defiled and that with dead works and that all who are not in Christ are so defiled vile and abominable that the most stinking dunghill is not so loathsom as the Consciences of such persons are O! What heaps and dunghils of Lusts what pudles and myres what kennels and sinks of pollution and noisome and poisonable filthiness are there What noisom and poisonable sins are drunk down with pleasure as so much sweet Wine all which are kept in retentis by the Conscience never one of them is forgotten though for the time the Conscience by its silence is supposed to have forgotten them yet it will set them all in order marshal them all as it were in rank and file against the persons who shall be found out of Christ in a most formidable manner it will not suffer one sin nor so much as one aggravating circumstance of any sin to be forgot It will bring forth all and charge them home furiously and irresistably This in Gods holy Justice will be the use of Conscience to all such persons It s not like a Conduit or Pipe that takes in at the one end and le ts out at the other but like a standing sink that still retains all that comes into it O! then what a foul and filthy bag to speak â—o is the Conscience of many a man and woman So that no Botch Bovl or Imposthume hath such vile filthy and abominable matter in it as it hath O! what a noisom and viâ—ely stinking smell will that putrid matter send forth when God pricks it This should make you all to loath living in your natural state and to long without lingâ—ing to be out of it It s like that many take it ill â—o have such things said or thought of them but I assure you all that are out of Christ whether ye have a more full or empty purse about you you have this filthy bag full of sin within you and while ye securely heap sins upon sins ye are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and of the righteous judgement of God The 2 Use serves to let us see what a poor and sory ground the most part have for their peace of Conscience we may in truth wonder how it comes to pass that many of you can have any peace having such a puddle of filthiness within you If it be true that your mind and Conscience is defiled which are the best things ye have and one day will clearly and convincingly make discovery of the truth of it O! how much hypocrisie and presumption will be found to be among you in stead of true and solid peace with which ye have nothing to do so long as these Whoredoms and Witch-crafts to say so of filthy sins are with you unpurged away by the blood of Christ. The 3. Use serves to demonstrat and clearly to hold forth the absolute necessity of Jesus Christ and the transcendent worth and matchless excellency that is in him that even when a man is thus defiled and polluted by sins these dead works there is access by his blood to get the Conscience purged and this is the thing that we would mainly point at from these words and which we intend God
willing afterward more largely to insist in not only the necessity of coming to Christ but of knowing certainly that ye are got out of black Nature into him and have gotten your Consciences purged by his Blood Think ye it a small or little concerning matter to be lying in a â—est house where thousands dy at your right and left hand and not to know if ye be cleansed To have the Plague in your bosom and not to know whether ye be cured of it or oâ— not and yet such is the state and condition of all of you while ye are in corrupt Nature And if ye would as ye are mightily concerned have some Evidences whereby ye may be helped to know if ye be as yet purged from this total pollution there are some things that may be gathered from this Verse to that purpose And 1. Did ye ever know and acknowledge your Conscience to be defiled It can hardly be ex-expected that a man having such a Botch and Plague running on him can think seriously of let be seriously seek after washing before he know that he is thus defiled and thereby in such a depâ—orable state I speak not now of what gracious change may be wrought in some persons more early and in their younger years nor how secretly and little discerâ—ibly the work of Conversion may be wrought in some that are come to age But I speak of Gods more ordinary way of dealing and reclaiming and converting of sinners When Paul speaks of himself Rom. 7. He tels us that He was alive once without the law he was a clean man as he thought and in his own eyes before the Lord discovered Sin and wakened a Challenge for it in his Conscience But when the Commandment came sayeth he sin revived and I died Now can we think with any shadow of reason that after God called him effectually by his Grace that he had more of a 〈◊〉 nature in him than he had before sure no but the body of death the corruption of his nature was now clearly discovered to him and became loathsom Challenges came to be quick and sharply piercing and his Conscience began to be touched with the lively sense of its own Defilement he was before alive or rather seemed to himself to be so but now he became a dead man in his own esteem as he was most really before the gracious change was wrought and sin to his sense revived and he as to any account of his own righteousness 〈◊〉 O! siâ—s do ye understand this Doctrine We are afraid that many of you do not understand it at least in your own experience and for as abominable as corrupt nature and sin is that yet ye are â—leeping securely in it and are often returning with the Dog to lick up that â—ile vâ—mit It s a very shrewd and evil token of a defiled and unclean Conscience where there was never any Challenge for nor any the lest kindly sense of its defilement and pollution 2. Was the Conscience ever waâ—hen with the Blood of Christ for alwise till that be it is defiled and polluted Did ye ever find your Conscience 〈◊〉 polluted that ye could not get lived with it 〈◊〉 ye was made to run to the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness spoke of Zâ—ch 13. 1. â— suppose several of you have had now and then your own Challenges for sin but what course 〈◊〉 ye to 〈◊〉 did ye strive to close and stop the mouth of your Conscience by betaking your selves to passe â—ime and to good company as ye use to call it looking on such exercise as too many do as a fit of Melancholy or did 〈◊〉 go â—ther to betake your selves for silencing your Conscience to Prayer and Reading good in themselves only without going to the Blood of Christ That will not â—e an evidence of a clean and purged Conscience but there must be a bringing of iâ— to the Fountain to Jesus Christ to be cleansed and calmed Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7. who when he saw his pollution even in but a small remander of it and was challenged for it Rom. 7. Câ—yes O wretched man that I am â— who shall deliven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of this death and subjoyns I thank God 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ our Lord He can quiet himself no where 〈◊〉 nothing but in Christ It is a good token when persons can admit the thought of no other way of cleansing and â—ing their Consciences but by bringing them to Christ and his Blood especially when the sense of 〈◊〉 and the â—aith of the efficacy of his Blood hath brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring them to him as the Fountain 3. We would ask you if the effect of a clean Conscience has followed your betaking of your selves to Christ and that is a clean Life and honest Walk and Conversation for a purged Conscience will have a purged and honest Walk following on it and if men have once gotten a cleansed and purged Conscience they will be very cheary of it and loath to pollute it again and their great work will be to live so as they may not pollute it But â—h how few how lamentably few have attained to this effect There are many purgings of Conscience which are like the sweepings and garnishings of that house spoken of in the Gospel that made it ready for the Devil to re-enter into with seven spirits worse than himself many after Light and transient touches of Challenges become more hardned and presumptuous more secure and carnal than they were before and their Conscience digests as it were greater sins better and more easily than it had wont to do and it fares with them according to that Proverb 2 Pet. 2. â—lt often cited The Dog is returned to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire Their corrupt and filthy Nature being still to the â—ore they fall a licking up that which formerly they seemed to have vomited out and return to their former louse carriage 4. What discord and war is there with any remainder 〈◊〉 it be yet come to a remainder of corruption and pollution that is bâ—hind What resenting and loathing is there of it If the Conscience be purged and endeavoured to be keeped pure new defilements will be very unwelcome Guests and exceedingly troublesome to your peace The bond womans Son to say so must not abide with the free-womans in the house but must be cast out and will be endeavoured to be cast out While a man is in black Nature sin is at home and any motion to sin is entertained and even in a manner invited and wowed but when a man comes to be renewed in his staâ—e and Grace gets the dominion his great care and work is to get the remainder of corruption cast out and if any thing of it come back or stay still within that he cannot get cast out he loaths it and cannot bear with it nor dwell satisfiedly in the
considering that the best and most disceâ—ning men may be mistaken in their application of these evidences to us neither is it the end of Conference to be a ground of peace when in the mean time there is no solid course taken how to get our debt payeâ— and the justice of God satified our main yea our first work would be to be take our selves to the Cautioner and to the blood of sprinkling under the conviction and sense of sin and guilt and then we may profitably reason our selves and admit of the reasoning of others for help to quiet our Conscience and unless there be actual fleeing to Christ and to his blood preceeding and going before words of comfort or direction spoken whether in private or in publick This word of God declares them to be null and voâ—d as to any advantage to us 4ly Observe That when nothing can pacify an evâ—l and defiled Conscience nor purge it from dead works the application of the blood of Christ by faith can and will purge that Conscience and give peace and quietness to it with holy and humble confidence and boldness in coming and drawing near to God as if in some respect it had never been defiled by these dead works of sin It s the Apostles great scope and design here to press these two which are the two branches of the Doctrine 1. The sufficiency of Christs blood as the price that â—atisfies divine Justice and quiets the Conscâ—ence for when the Conscience gets this blood applyed to it by faith it has no ground to crave any further satisfaction to the justice of God whose deputy it is as if something were owing that blood as a full and condigâ— price satisfies for all the debt How much more sayeth the Apostle here shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works The 2d Branch is that which followeth upon â—his as a native use of it That a Belleâ—er who hath fled to Jesus Christ after the committing of sin and hath actually applyed his blood to the Conscience may have quietness in it and go with boldness and confidence to God and may on this ground maintain his peace in some respect as if he had never sinned So â—uos the Apostles scope if we look to the 19. v. of Chap. 10. and forward Having therefore brethren sayeth he boldness to enter into the holiest by a new and living way â—y the blood of Iesus let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of saith having our hearts sprinkâ—ed from an evil conscience though it hath been polluted before This is one of the rarest pearls and richest Jewels of the Gospel one of the excellentest priviledges of a Belâ—ever and one of the noblest and notablest exprâ—ssions and evidences of the grace of God and withall the great prooâ— of the reality and efficacy of the satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus viz. That when the Conscâ—ence of the poor Believer is confounded and in a manner put on the wrack with many challenges for sin he may mâ—ke application of Christs blood and on that ground have sweet peace and tranquillity of Soul For further clearing of this We shall 1. lay down some grouâ—ds for its confirmation And then 2ly make some â—se of it As for the first of them to wit some grounds to confirm it Take these few shortly 1. If by the application of Christs blood there be solid peace made up betwixt God and the sinner it will necessarly follow that the application of the blood of Christ will â—urge the Conscience and ought to be ground of peace and quietness to it For sayeth Iohn Epistle 1. Chap. 3. v. 20. God is greater then the heart or Conscience and sayeth Paul 1 Cor. 4. 4. Though we know nothing by our selves yet are we not hereby justified but â—e that judgeth us is the Lord This is sound reasoning God hath nothing to say therefore the Conscience ought to be satisfied But it is clear that by the application of Christs blood solid peace is made up betwixt God and a sinner As Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by saith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ There is no standing controversie nor quarrel â—onger then by faith the blood of Christ is â—led unto and applyed Iohn 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on â—im that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation He shall come to judgement to be absolved but not to be condemned for as it is Iohn 3. 18. He that believeth on him shall not be condemned And Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ And 1 Iohn 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life c. This being the over word of the Gospel it will follow that the Conscience of a poor sinner that is fled to Christ for refuge hath good ground of peace and that there is no ground to the Conscience â—ormentingly or anxiously to challenge And this is indeed no small matter and yet no presumption after a sinner hath fled to Christ to quiet himself and to be at peace on this ground A 2d ground of confirmation is the experience of all the Sainâ—s recorded in the Scripture after their faâ—lings and fallings into sin what hath quieted them may also quâ—et us for there is but one way of making peace with God and the taking of that way workes as to the main alike to all Now it s this way that hath quieted them it s the same faith in all and alike precious 〈◊〉 in all as to the kind because it hath the like precious substantial effects in all It is this therefore that must give quâ—etness and boldness to us That which quieted them was a look an often renewed look as guilt was of new contracted through all these types and shadows to Christ all of them had their original and actual pollutions whereby their Conscience was some wâ—y defiled and disquieted yet through application of Christs blood they wan to peace Purge me sayes David Psal. 51. with â—ysop and I shall be clean c. Even when the Conscience was writeing his lybel and he was under challenges for his guilt he had the faith of his interest and attained peace through application of the blood of Christ that was to come signified by purging with hysop For that ground stands sure which is laid down Act 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are 〈◊〉 from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law oâ— Moses There is indeed as if he had said a large and long 〈◊〉 and Inditement that Sin and tâ—e Law and the Conscience have against you but be it known unto you that through Iesus Christ remission of sins is preached to you and that through saith in him ye are justified and fred
which the Apostle holdeth furth Philip. 3. 9. Where he sayes That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ He supposeth justice to be pursuing him and that nothing he can do for himself will divert justice its persuit nor secure him against it That he is a lost and gone man iâ— himself he rests not on the discovery of his lost estate but seeks to be found in him not having his own rigâ—ousness which is by the Law but the righteousness whiâ— is by faith in him This is the ground that gives peace with God and should quiet the Conscience but wheâ— the sinner hath taken this way if the Conscience be not yet quieted and calmed there is something further necessary as first the actual renewing of that application to Christ to get not so much a new pardon as a new extract of that pardon which he received in his first fleeing to Christ that by this renewed application of faith to the blood of sprinkling he may also quiet the Conscience so that when the man is fled to Christ and at peace with God if he have not peace in his Conscience he is to cast a renewed look to the promise and to act faith of new on Christs blood to hold it furth as it were unto and to lay it before his Conscience taking with his sin yet holding still by it that he is fled to Christ and on that ground making use of the promise for the renewed pardon of sin through his blood in this respect faith is called Eph. 6. 16. A shield Take unto you sayeth the Apostle the shield of faith whereby ye may quench all the firy darts of the devil when the challenge is cast in on the Conscience it as it were burns the Believer even as a firy or poysoned dart thrown into a mans body burns and inflames it But faith goes to the fountain of Christs blood to the covenant and promises and draws out of these wells of salvation bucketfulls as it were to quench it or when a challenge comes in backed with temptation it makes use of the promise and blood of Christ to answer it and so faith is as a shield or targe to kepp the dart and beat it back it makes the Believer say I cannot satisfie for this sin but here is a promise of pardon to the man that is fled to Christ and to the blood of sprinkling as I am and makes use of Christ in the promise for renewed intimation of pardon or for renewed pardon as new guilt is contracted And thus he is keeped quiet that the challenge wins not in so sar nor goeth so deep as to sting him in his vital parts to speak so the heart of his peace and quietness is keeped still alive tâ—ugh he be in quick and sharp exercise under the challenge 2ly Because challenges will not soon nor easily be got removed nor the Conscience quickly and without difficulty calmed as we see in that fore-mentioned instance of David Psal. 51. There is need therefore of continuing in the fight and of drawing conclusions from solid and undenyable premises and grounds to quiet the Conscience and ward off challenges so as they may not wound and quite marr peace as Paul doth Rom. 8. 1 2. It might have been said to him Thou hast been complaining of a body of death and that with thy flesh thou servest the law of sin and is not that a grievous challenge against thee It is true as if he said But there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ That is the making use aright of the targe or sheild of faith But to put the matter out of doubt he goes on and subsumes and draws the conclusion for the words are applicative to himself and spoken with a considerable regard to his own particular exercise set down Chap. 7. I by faith am fled to Christ for resuge and so am in Christ and therefore there is no condemnation to me and indeed when ever challenges come in from sense and Conscience put through other or mingled together as it were blown upon by temptation which will pursue the Believer hardly It s needful to reason from the grounds of faith to ward off the blow and to queit the Conscience And this though it be a reflex act of faith which does not justifie yet it serves to reason the Conscience into peace and calmness and there is need of faith acting thus reflexly though not as I said to justifie yet to bring home the peace and comfort of Justification and renewed extracts and intimations of pardon 3ly It s necessary that Believers quiet themselves positively by comforting confirming themselves In the faith of what the promise speaks and in the hope of what they have to expect The difference betwixt the former and this is that in the former we draw home answers from the grounds of faith to ward off the dint and bitterness of challenges but that is not enough throwly to calme and settle the soul therefore the latter is also needful that the soul positively draw in peace and consolation to it self by believing Which as it is Philip. 4. is able to guard the heart and mind through Christ Iesus and we conceive this to be Davids exercise Psal. 51. Where by exercising his faith on the promises and on the blood of the Messiah to be shed and by wrestling for the intimation of pardon and peace he labours not only to get his Conscience calmed but even filled with consolation and because the promises are often somewhat wersh and tasteless to say so if not seasoned and quickned by Gods voice going along with them and putting favour and life in them This is the voice of joy and gladness which he would so fain hear Therefore the Believer insists with God thus to be-sprinkle his Conscience and as he looks to the righteousness and blood of Christ for Justification so he looks to it for calming of the Conscience and this is in effect to be beholden to free grace as for pardon of fin so for peace and calmness of Conscience without which any other thing will not do the turn As for the 3d. thing proposed to he spoken of viz. The times or seasons or the cases wherein the Believer may and ought in a special manner to make use of his liberty and boldness in drawing near with full assurance of faith There is no question but a Believer who hath made use of Christ for pardon of sin and Justification may also and should make use of him and his blood for the sprinkling his Conscience that he may come to God with boldness and confidence and there is no case wherein a Believer may not aim at this but more especially he should in these cases As first when he is fallen into more gross guilt as David was psal 51. 2ly When that gross guilt and grievous sinning is
Saints by the falling but of some hot scalding drops of Gods fatherly wrath and displeasure have been brought neer the length of wishing rather for strangling though mercifully keeped from it and made to abhorre it then life As it was with non such holy Iob who looked on death a violent death as an easie matter be what it was to be under the sense of wrath and to be set up as the mark for Gods arrows to be shot at the venome whereof to his apprehension drunk up his Spirits though all the while he was kept up in the faith of his interest in God and of his love to him To his purpose Human heavily complains Psal. 88. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted If it be sometimes done thus in the green trees even the greenest what shall be done in the dry Now the Conscience is in a special manner the receptacle of all the terrors of God it must therefore certainly be a very ill thing to have an awakned ill Conscience If an ill and unpurged Conscience be silent and a sleep it s in some respect worse for it hath this black and dreadful awakning abiding it and the longer it sleep and keep silence the the wakning will be the more terrible and its cryes the lowder It s all the while of its silence and sleeping treasuring up more wrath whereby the poor wretch will be payed home with multiplyed increase of terrour and horrour O! that ye knew how evil a thing how very evil a thing it is to have a Conscience not purged from dead works a Conscience not sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ as no stranger can intermiddle with the joy of a mans Spirit who hath a good Conscience a Conscience sprinkled and purged by the blood of Christ so no man can to the full represent to you the exceeding terribleness of the terrour of an evil Conscience when awakned by the wrath of God pleading and pursuing a quarrel with the Soul which quarrel he is infinitly powerful to avenge It would be very suitable to be often enquiring at our selves what is become of the quarrel and what solid ground of peace and confidence towards God is there We will all most certainly and inavoidably be put on this great tryal O! suffer not your selves to be so far deluded as to think that a silent and stupid Conscience is a good Conscience and hath no danger with it which is as great folly as to think that a feeless and benummed member of the body is thereby in â—o danger nay the danger is so much the greater 2ly Observe That though all men naturally be under thiâ— evil of an unpurged Conscience yet in the covenant of Grace God hath laid down a way how sinners may get their Consciences purged This is the Apostles scope in both these scriptures even to lay a solid ground for the consolation of Believers and for a high commendation of Gods grace viz. That by application made to the blood of Jesus there is as a real purging of the Conscience from sin win at as there was access made to persons ceremonially unclean by these sacrifices and washings under the Law to external Church-priviledges being ceremonialy cleansed thereby which is not so to be understood as if the sin committed had never really and actually been so as the purged Believer should neither remember it nor repent of it that is not at all the meaning of the Doctrine but it is to be understood legally that as to the removing of the guilt of sin and as to his having peace with God and in his own Conscience it is purged so as sin cannot stand in the way of his expecting Gods favour nor simply in the way of his delighting himself therein more then if it had never been though the man be the debitor yet there is a way laid down in the Gospel covenant to declare him free even as a man that has plaid the dyvour or bankerupt though he cannot simply and in all respects be made as if he had never been so yet by anothers paying of the debt he is before the Judge acquited and is reckoned free of the debt as if it had never been contracted or owing and as to any effect that might in law follow on it to his prejudice just so is it here with the sinner that flees to the blood of sprinkling and the word purging sufficiently holds it out especially when it is joyned with coming with boldness and confidence to the throne of God for if it should be said to such a sinner how canst thou how darst thou come to God with such confidence that hast an ill Conscience through so much sin He answers Let us draw near or come having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience So that as to a confident approaching to God and application of Christs righteousness persons who have made application of the blood of sprinkling may come to God with as much holy and humble boldness as if the Conscience had never been defiled and pollured and the experience of the Saints who in this way have found peace and confidence is a great evidence and confirmation of the truth of it 3ly To come a little nearer We may Observe in the negative That there is no way for a man that has once had his Conscience defiled and polluted with sin to be cleansed and purged from it but by the blood of Christ If we look through this 9th Chapter from the beginning and the following 10th Chapter We will find that the Apostles scope is to prove that it is not the blood of Bulls or of Calves nor any one or all of these ceremonial Sacrifices washings or purgations that can do the business as he more particularly cleareth v 9. of the 9. Chap. Where the Apostle insinuats That though God appointed many means and midâ—es of purgation yet if there had been no more but these they could never have effected the perfyting of a man as pertaining to the Conscience It s only the blood of Jesus that hath this effect And this one reason will confirm it viz. That there is no other thing but the blood of Christ that can satisfie Gods justice and remove the quâ—rrel that is betwixt him and the guilty sinner it s he only in whom God is well pleased he is our peace and there is no name under heaven given whereby a sinner can be saved but the name of Iesus And till God be satisfied the Conscience cannot be quiet seeing then that nothing can satisfie Gods Justice buâ— his blood there can nothing purge and satisfie the Conscience but it Therefore David prayes Psal. 51. Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean Where he allâ—ds and looks to the blood of Christ that was â—ypifyed by the sprinkling of Blood with a bunsh of hysop under the law as the Apostle doth here As the Use of this Doctrine
We would have the â—aith of this great truth well fixed and riveted that every mans Conscience whether awakned or not is still deâ—iled and polluted till it be cleansed and purged by the blood of Jesus Christ as bodily or outward exercises profit not as to this So the mouth of the Conscience will not be stopped till it get of this blood So that if it should be said Who will lay â—ny thing to the charge of â—ods elect As it is Rom. 8. The Conscience will answer I have many things to lay to their charge till that sweetest word that is â—ubjoyned be spoken to it for stopping its mouth it s Christ who died shedding his blood or rather is risen again then and never till then will it be quiet In further prosecution of the Use of this Doctrine We wold have you to know that there are four wayes that men are ready to take for cleansing and purging of the Conscience some one and some another of them which are all if there be no more ineffectual for reaching the real purgiâ—g and solid satisfaction of the Conscience which ye would therefore be aware of As 1. Some endeavour to divert their Conscience and to seek a Suspension of its purâ—ing the quarrel against them pretending some other uptaking business as Felix did Acts 24. Who finding himself beginning to tremble at the Apostles searching and powerful discourse and unable to stand before his own awakning Conscience he seeks as it were a Suspension from it for a time saying to the Apostle and to 〈◊〉 Conscience on the matter Go thy way for this time and I will call for thee when I have a convenient season Hence when some persons are in heaviness or in some â—it of exercise of Conscience they will 〈◊〉 to some 〈◊〉 and â—cund friend or to some game 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—way oâ— possibly to a four hours to drink it down and the devil is as busie to 〈◊〉 on the divertionâ— if there be such a friend to make a visit he helps them to 〈◊〉 it over and to bâ—nish that melancholâ—ous 〈◊〉 and so to bring the person to bear down this trouble of his Conscience as a silly despicable fancy and as if it were for their good to do so I beseech you beware of binding up your Conscience thus else it may grow worse on your hand it s even as 〈◊〉 a man that hath a sore and aiking hand should cut it off or as if a part of his flesh were pained and he should clap a hot burning iron on it and yet this is a way that is very frequently taken by men who cannot indure to converse with their disquieted Conscience and therefore they labour to quash and quench any begun exercise in it whether under sickness or any other cross dispensation or at a Preaching or Communion It may be that many of you have had some such thing and it hath been driven or it hath worn away and ye cannot tell how 2ly Another way is also too ryff and ordinary and that is by seeking to stop the mouth of Conscience by some other thing then by the blood of Christ hence some under terrible convictions will promise and vow iâ— they drank excessively before that they will do so no more That they will not go to such a Tavern nor to such a company for this and that long time some will it may be after the committing of such or such a grosâ— sin vow noâ— to eaâ— flesh on such a day of the week throughout their whole life they will it may be vow to be more religious but so soon as the conviction or trouble is over they remain still the same and their Conscience lets them alone they take their own sinful latituds and are found to have been all along and still the same old carnal men because they aimed nor singly at peace with God through Christs blood but for the â—ime to stop the mouth of their Conscience 3ly Some seâ—k to compense the Conscience or to compense sin to the Conscience and not to purge it they will it may be take some pennance on themselves and this is it that leads not only Papists to their pennances whippings pilgrimages c. but many ignorant Protestants to make peace with their Conscience by a covenant of works They will pray and seek after tears in prayer they will invite in a manner themselves to mourn they will give some thing by ordinary to the poor and set themselves to amend some things for the time to come and yet the defilement and pollution of Conscience â—yes on still unremoved because they never be-took themâ—elves to the right fountain to wash at to the blood of Christ to be purged Hence the Iews ordinarâ—ly betook themselves to their sacrifices and legal waâ—hings and purifyings when they sinned if they brought a bullock calf lamb or a goat they thought they had done enough and therein had a sort of peace sâ—ch as iâ— was but sayes the Apostle it was not that which made them 〈◊〉 as pertaining to the Conâ—cience none of these nor all of these could purge or truely pacâ—sy it because they could not take away the quarrel betwâ—xt God and them and thus many professors of the Gospel betake teemselves to external ordinances or outward performances of duties and rest on these I do not condemn nor diswade from these duties which are good in themselves because commanded by God but your resting on them and would have you to put a difference betwixt founding your peace on them and the founding of it on the blood of Christ applyed to the Conscience by faith O! seek not thus to bribe the conscience for as it will not be boasted so neither will it be bribed 4ly There is another way that being rightly made use of hath its own commendableness in it which is when persons are under some trouble or disquieâ— of Conscience they betake themselves to Conferâ—nce it may be with some exercised Christians holding ouâ— their case to them for some ease and quietnesse which as I said is good and commendable in it self and may through Gods blessing do good if the end be to be helped thereby to go to the fountain of Christs blood and wash there but it s our fault when in the use of this mean of conference we seek to have our Consciences quieted by arguments while in the mean time the blood of Christ is not by faith had recourse to for cleansiâ—g and calming of it I suppose the ablest of men whether privat Christians or Ministers of the Gospel were speaking to us never so convincingly and comfortably and were holding out evidences to us sound in themselves of a good stare if as I just now said there be not believâ—ng application made to the blood of Christ for taking away the ground of the quarrel betwixt God and us there is no reasoning nor evidence whatsoever that will or can give a well grounded peace to the Conscience