thee what wilt thou do II. An erroneous conscience SEcondly an erroneous conscience is 2. An erroneous conscience when conscience not understanding Gods law or misapplying it doth judge amisse and direct amisse So Josephs conscience for a while was in an errour when Mary was found with child Matth. 1.19 His conscience informed him that he must either make her a publick example or put her away privily Here his conscience erred about this particular untill the Angel had better informâ—d him There is a question Quest here raiâ—ed by Divines and it is Whether we â—ught to follow conscience erring or â—o A question very necessary to be â—andled partly because of mens ignoâ—â—nce in this kind and partly because of â—â—e frequency of the case I answer â—â—us Ans 1 First we must not obey conscience â—â—ing or counselling to that which is â—â—l For our errour of conscience doth â—t make the transgression of the law 〈◊〉 be no sinne though an erroneous â—â—nscience lead us to transgresse it Because the law of God is above conscience and therefore the comâ—andment of Gods law standeth in full â—â—rce though conscience command â—â—ntrary to it Suppose a man should â—â—ink in his conscience he might not â—â—ke an oath though never so lawfully â—â—lled thereunto by the magistrate and 〈◊〉 never so necessary a case when as the â—ord of God commandeth us to swear 〈◊〉 truth in righteousnesse and in judgeâ—ent I must follow the commandment different to do or not to do which yet is not indifferent but absolutely commanded then it is alwayes a sinne not to do it but it is no sinne to do it The third proposition is this If conscience hold a thing necessarie which God hath left indifferent as if a man in conscience thought that he ought to pray foure times a day which thing yet God hath left indifferent in this he is bound to obey conscience though it erre And it is no sinne to obey conscience thus erring though it be a sinne in conscience thus to erre Vse 1 The use of this is I. to let us see what a sacred sovereigne thing a mans conscience is It is alwayes a sinne to disobey conscience whether it erre or no as it is alwayes a sinne to disobey God A man can never go against his conscience but he sinneth 1. Because conscience is our guide It is our inward and our inseparable guide we can never come by any direction but by conscience we can never let in the commandment of God but onely by conscience and therefore the Lord hath made it a very sovereigne thing 2. Because we break a commandment through the loyns of a sinne when we go against conscience Ajax light upon a beast and slew it his conscience thought verily it was a man Kill it not saith conscience it is a man he goeth against his conscience and killeth it His conscience here was in an errour yet he as truly guilty of murder before God as if he had indeed slain a man because he slew a man through the loyns of this beast His bloudy mind looked at a man and smote at a man and slew a man So when conscience is erroneous and thinketh this is a commandment of God it is not so but he thinketh it so in his conscience if he do contrary he breaketh a commandment though it be none because the errour of his conscience made it one to him Was not Herod truly guilty of the murder of Christ He thought in his conscience that Christ had been among the infants slain at Bethlehem Thus conscience is a sovereigne thing It is alwayes a sinne to go against it erre or not erre and if it be a sinne to go against one doubteth of the lawfulnesse of playing at cards and dice he is sure it is no sinne not to play but whether he may lawfully play he doubteth in this case he is bound not to play So when one doubteth whether it be a sinne not to call his familie together every day to prayer Gods ministers tell him he must or he sinneth I doubt of that saith he Do you so but you are sure it is no sinne to do it Therefore you are bound to do it because you are bound to decline the doubtfull part and take that which is certain And so of all other the like particulars Rule 2 2. When conscience doubteth on both sides which is the sinne and which not then a man ought to do that which is most void of offense As for example Say an Anabaptist amongst us doubteth whether it be a sinne in him to bring his child to church to be baptized or a sinne to refuse here his rule is That that which is most void of offense and most agreeable to brotherly unity and concord is to be taken the balance hanging otherwise even and the arguments to urge both the one or the other seeming of like weight then this must be put into the scale and resolve the doubt Rule 3 3. It is lawfull to do some things when yet our conscience doubteth of the lawfulnesse of them For we must consider there are two kinds of doubting there is a speculative doubting and there is a practicall doubting Speculative doubting is to doubt of the lawfulnesse of the thing it self to be done Practicall doubting is to doubt of the lawfulnesse of the doing of it Now this latter is not alwayes a sinne but the other is As for example If a servant be commanded of his master to attend on him on the Lords day he knoweth not what his businesse should be and perhaps doubteth it is not of such moment as to be done on that day yet he hath no reason to deny his attendance in this case though he doubt of the lawfulnesse of the thing done yet he need not doubt of the doing of it because he knoweth not what the businesse is and hath no reason whereby he is able to doubts and scruples whether he is right or no especially in matters of greatest moment It is a great misery to have our consciences blind which should be our guides and which it is a sinne to disobey This is the reason why St Paul doth so often speak I would not have you ignorant 1. Cor. 10.1 and 11.3 It is a very great misery that ones conscience should be ignorant what to do what to hold what to follow I say it is a lamentable miserie that many who have followed the directions of conscience should by it be led to death and damnation to do things contrary to Gods word What a misery was it for the Jews to have zeal and not according to knowledge c. Vse 2 II. This should teach us to use the means truly to inform conscience Without knowledge the heart is not good Prov. 29.1 that is it is most profane There be three means to get knowledge Means to get knowledge 1. Let us pray unto God that he would opeâ— our understandings that as
do not trouble their thoughts to aim at Gods commandment in it Let me tell you Conscience will not count this obedience For conscience feeleth no bond but Gods word and if ye do not look at that it is no obedience with conscience conscience will never acquit you or absolve you for this it accounteth of this obedience as no obedience at all See 1. Cor. 10.25 and so forward There the Apostle handling that question of conscience at last concludeth Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God vers 31. Let your hearts look at that and aim at that in whatsoever ye do still look at God all is lost with conscience else Though ye eat never so soberly and drink never so moderately pray never so duly conscience counteth it all nothing if ye do not look at God It is God onely his word that doth bind it and it will never give a discharge except your hearts look at him Vse 3 3. This serveth to confute our Antinomists such as say the law of God bindeth not the conscience of the regenerate Ye see here that the law of God bindeth the conscience and therefore if the regenerate have any conscience at all as certainly they have the best conscience of all men then it must needs bind their conscience From what Christians are freed We confesse the conscience of the regenerate is freed from many things by Christ First it is freed from the yoke and bondage of the ceremoniall law Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage Everie mans conscience is freed from that yoke of the ceremoniall law because it ended in Christ Secondly the conscience of the regenerate is freed from seeking justification by the deeds of the law Indeed the first covenant was by the works of the law He that doeth them shall live in them But the second covenant speaketh better things He that believeth shall be saved It is true if God had not sent his Sonne we must have sought justification by the works of the law Though it were impossible to find it by reason of our sinnes yet conscience was bound that way But now that Christ Jesus hath sealed up a new covenant in his own bloud conscience is freed from that former Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law For though justifying faith never be without the sincere doing of the law yet the deeds of the law have no influence into justification Conscience is freed from seeking justification thereby Thirdly the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the rigour of the law They are bound in conscience to use the law as a rule of their life and in sinceritie to obey it but are not bound by the gospel to the rigour of it that they are freed from Rom. 6.14 and so they are not under the law but under grace I grant that all carnall people who are yet out of Christ do all lie under the rigour of the law and as long as they submit not to Jesus Christ nor get into him they are bound in conscience to keep it though they cannot They cannot sinne in one tittle but conscience will condemne them before God They shall be condemned for every vain thought for every idle word for every the least sinne for every the least lust for any the least omission of good They lie under the rigour of the law and they are bound in conscience to keep it and they shall be countable for every transgression because they are under the law But the conscience of the regenerate is free from this rigour because they are under grace and therefore they are delivered from the law Rom. 7.6 The Lord hath delivered them by the body of Christ and therefore they are not bound by the gospel to all that obedience that the law in rigour requireth Fourthly the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the curse of the morall law For though the law doth condemn yet their conscience needeth not fear it because they are in Christ There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Indeed those that are not regenerate not ingraffed into Christ they are still in the mouth of the gunshot the law doth condemn them and they have no shelter and their conscience is bound by it and they shall find one day that by it their conscience will condemne them to hell It may be now for the present their conscience is quiet and they choke it and so it letteth them alone yet they are condemned in conscience and one day they shall find it But the regenerate are by Christ freed in conscience from all this condemnation Thus farre we grant But the Antinomists Antinomists and I know not what Marcionites would have more They cannot abide to heare that a regenerate person is bound to any sincere obedience to Gods law as the rule of their life They crie out against the morall law as once the Babylonians did against Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the ground O ye do not preach Christ if ye talk of the law Beloved these are drunken opinions fitter to be preached among drunkards and Epicures and monsters then among the peculiar ones of God The law of God doth bind the conscience of all the people of God so that they are bound to make it a rule of life Nay the Scripture calleth it Christs bond whereby he bindeth his people to him Psal 2.1 2 3. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their bonds and cast away their cords from us Tush we will not be tied by his laws nor be so precisely strait-laced with such commandments as these Here the laws of the Lord are called bonds and cords Gods people are bound to him by them But the wicked they stand out and refuse to be bound Now if the law be called a bond I pray what bond is it but of conscience It is not a bond like a prisoners fetters to be put about their legs This is a spirituall bond that bindeth the conscience But let me prove it to you by arguments There be sundrie arguments to prove it Arguments That Gods law bindeth the conscience of the regenerate Arg. 1 First That which hath power to say to the conscience of the regenerate This is thy dutie and this must be done that bindeth the conscience But the law of God hath power to say thus to the conscience This is your dutie Who can tell better then Christ When ye have done all these things that are commanded you Luke 17.10 say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to do Mark He speaketh
of Gods law things commanded now the law is nothing else but a catalogue of those things that God hath commanded us When ye have done all these things saith our Saviour know it is your dutie Here ye see the law hath power to say to the conscience This is your dutie But ye will object We are under faith and do ye tell us of law I answer as Chrysostome answereth out of Paul Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the law See how the Apostle doth abhorre this thought God forbid saith he As if he had said Farre be it from me to teach such an abominable doctrine No no we establish the law Heare what Christ saith himself Think not that I am come to destroy the law I am not come to destroy but to fulfill it O thought some If we believe in Christ then we hope we shall have done with the law No no saith Christ ye shall as soon pull the heavens and the earth out of their place as disannull one tittle of the law Arg. 2 Secondly That which hath this authoritie that the breach of it is a sinne bindeth conscience but the law hath this authoritie that neither regenerate nor unregenerate can transgresse it but they sinne therefore the law bindeth their consciences For the regenerate and all are bound in conscience to take heed of sinne 1. John 3.4 Whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth also the law David was a regenerate man yet when he had defiled Bathsheba I have sinned saith he Joseph was a regenerate man yet confesseth if he should transgresse the Lords commandment he should sinne How shall I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God But ye will object This is old testament What of that I hope you will not take up the old damned heresie again of the Cerdonians and Cainites and Apellites and Manichees and Severians and other such cursed hereticks condemned by the Church of God Their heresie was To hedge out the regenerate from the old testament And St Augustine proved it against them That the morall law of God was ever the rule of obedience and shall so continue with the gospel to the end of the world and every transgression thereof is sinne The breach of the ceremoniall law was a sinne once but now it is not because once it bound the conscience now it doth not But the breach of the morall law is still sinne therefore still it bindeth the conscience Do ye not remember what St James saith now under the Gospel he presseth it yet on mens consciences He that said Jam. 2.11 Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill Now though thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressour of the law And though ye may call it a law of liberty in what sense ye please yet he telleth you Ye had best look to your words and deeds for ye must be judged by this law of liberty So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty Arg. 3 Thirdly That which being observed doth cause the conscience of the regenerate to excuse and being transgressed to accuse that bindeth their conscience For what else do you make binding of conscience but this But the law of God being observed doth cause the conscience to excuse being transgressed to accuse In many things we sinne all saith the Apostle Mark Our consciences do accuse us as we do sinne in many things so our consciences do accuse us when we do so I am a sinfull man saith St Peter Luke 5.8 His conscience did accuse him of sinne Arg. 4 Fourthly That which is the condition of Gods covenant of grace bindeth the conscience yea of the regenerate but sincere obedience to Gods law is a condition of Gods covenant of grace See Luke 1.72 To remember his holy covenant and the oath that he sware that he would give us That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Mark Sincere and universall obedience is a condition of the covenant of grace not onely for a manifestation to our selves that we are truly justified as these upstart patritians do hold but it is the condition of the covenant of grace Every covenant hath its conditions annexed and therefore it is called the book of the covenant Exod. 24.7 the words of the covenant Exod. 34.28 the tables of the covenant Deut. 9.11 The reason is this Because when a covenant is made the conditions are put into a book or a table and expressed in words Onely here is the difference between the first covenant of works and the second covenant of grace Both have conditions but here I say is the difference In the one grace giveth the covenant and grace giveth the condition of the covenant but a condition is annexed though Now hence we may argue and none but enemies to the Gospel can denie it If the covenant of grace do bind a mans conscience then certainly the condition of the covenant bindeth a mans conscience too But the covenant of grace bindeth the conscience of the regenerate and therefore the condition of it bindeth If you ask What is this to obedience the answer is That obedience is the condition of the covenant of grace as the forenamed Scripture expresseth Luke 〈◊〉 72. Thus ye see the law of God bindeth the conscience of all the regenerate This is the third use Vse 4 4. Hath the word of God supreme power to bind conscience Then hence we may learn that no creature can dispense with it nor free conscience from guilt when a man transgresseth the word What a damned usurpation is it in the Pope to offer to dispense The Canonists say he may dispense de praceptis veteris novi testamenti They are their own words he may dispense with the commandments of the old and new testament He dispensed with king Henry the eighth and undertook to free his conscience from guilt though he married his own brothers wife Azorius the Jesuite reports it Gregorie the second undertook to free subjects from being bound in their consciences to keep their oathes of allegeance to Leo the Emperour O these are damned aspirings and they plainly declare him to be Antichrist who exalteth himself in this manner The word of God is the supreme binder of conscience And therefore not all the Angels in heaven can dispense with one idle word Psal 119.89 For ever O Lord thy word is settled in heaven Gods word is settled for ever in heaven and therefore ye may assoon remove the heaven from its place as one tittle of the word from binding conscience Doth the word say thus or thus thou hadst best do it If thou wilt not all the whole world cannot help thee thy conscience will condemne thee at the day of judgement without remedie Hath the word
is immortall so conscience also is immortall Vse 2 Secondly this condemneth such a go about to suppresse conscience Theâ— conscience maketh them melancholicâ— and lumpish now and then and they gâ— about to shake it off Alas why do yâ— go about that which is utterly impossible Ye may suppresse it for a while and gagge it for a while but ye can never shake it off Conscience sticketh sâ— close that a man may as soon shake oâ— himself as his conscience And indeeâ— his conscience is himself 1. Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself that is his conscience Judge in your selves verse 13. that is Judge iâ— your consciences Vse 3 Thirdly this confuteth that drunke opinion That conscience is nothing â—ut a present fit of melancholy No It causeth it may be the present melancholick fit but it is not it Conscience 〈◊〉 a standing power in a man that is eâ—ermore with him and will evermore â—dge him and condemn him if he be â—uiltie before God It will be with him when his dumpish fit is over Let him laugh and be merry yet conscience lies 〈◊〉 the bottome of all and will spoyl all the mirth Prov. 14.13 Let the drunkard be neâ—er so joviall I will not believe but â—onscience in the midst of that drunken mirth causeth some sadnesse within and telleth him this is a very wicked life Let the carnall hypocrite daub up the matter with good duties and good prayers and good hopes I cannot believe but â—here is a conscience lieth at the botâ—ome and telleth him he is rotten for all â—his You may see this in Cain Gen. 4.5 He had â—een at a good duty sacrificing to the Lord but his countenance fell when â—e had done conscience did lie at the bottome and did tell him God did not accept him Conscience is with evil men at church at sermon at sacrament and telleth them secretly that they anâ— not the persons to whom the blessinâ— of these ordinances belong Vse 4 Lastly this may be for exhortatioâ— to the godly That they would consider this that they have ever a conscience within them and that thereforâ— they would labour alwayes to keep iâ— void of offense which was Pauls exercise Acts 24.16 Take heed you offencâ— not your consciences in duties of piety towards God in your prayings hearings c. no nor in your callings eatings drinkings liberties recreations Look alwayes to your consciences that yoâ— offend them not because they are eveâ— with you When two live ever together they had need not offend one another else there will be no quiet You and your consciences must ever live together if ye offend them ye are like to have very ill lives Better live with a curst scold then live with an offended conscience ye had better offend the whole world then offend conscience There are none whom ye are alwayes to live with but conscience ye are alwayes to live with Ye are not alwayes to live with your husbands â—r alwayes with your wives nor alâ—ayes with your parents or masters â—ere is a time when you must part but â—onscience and you will never part â—herefore labour to keep it void of ofâ—nse And thus much of the first proposition There is in every man a consciâ—nce Proposition II. The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge THis knowledge is twofold II. Proposition 1. Of Gods law 2. Of our selves 1. The knowledge of Gods law To know Gods will what is good what is â—ad what God coÌ„mandeth what he forbiddeth Every man under heaven hath this law of God in some measure writ in his conscience I confesse Gods children onely know Gods law to purpose â—as it is a light to guide them in the way of salvation but all the world have some measure of knowledge whereby they may gather that there is a Goâ— and that he ought to be worshipped aâ— obeyed and that he hath power ovâ— life and death All the world haâ— knowledge in some measure what 〈◊〉 good and what is not what is to bâ— done and what not what is accordinâ— to conscience and what not All thâ— world have this knowledge in somâ— measure I do not say enough for salvation but enough to make them inexcusable before God for not following that light and not living according to that knowledge which they have Iâ— there were not some light in this behalf some knowledge of the law oâ— God in every man conscience could doâ— nothing 2. Knowledge of our selves This also is the light that conscience acteth by There is in every man some measure of knowledge of himself according to the measure of knowledge that he hath of Gods law Our consciences look backward and forward forward to Gods law and backward on our selves Whether we be such as Gods law requireth yea or no. First ye may find this in good men This light did the conscieâ—â—e of David go by Psal 18.23 I was upright beâ—e God saith his conscience and I kept 〈◊〉 self from mine own iniquitie His â—â—nscience had a light whereby he â—ew what he did Secondly ye shall â—d this in wicked men This light the conscience of Achan went by Josh 7.20 I have â—ed against the Lord God of Israel and â—us and thus have I done These are the two lights that every â—ans conscience goes by It hath light in some measure to know the law of God what he should do and what he should not do and it hath light in some measure to know himself what he hath done or not done whether he hath done â—s he should yea or no. Now these two â—ights are necessary as thus I prove First the knowledge of Gods law is necessary For else conscience cannot work A drunkard might be drunk every day in the year and yet conscience could not trouble him nor condemn him of sinne unlesse he knew the law That God hath forbid drunkennesse And so the swearer And so evil woâ— and bad thoughts conscience cannot aâ—cuse for unlesse there be so much ligâ— as to know they are forbidden Aâ— therefore Divines do all say that thâ— Synteresis is necessary to the exercise 〈◊〉 conscience The Synteresis is this Wheâ— a man keeps in his mind the knowledgâ— of the things conteined in Gods law namely That we must obey God honour our parents not commit adultery not kill not steal not lie not covet c Unlesse the knowledge of these be kepâ— in mind conscience cannot work And therefore when we would stirre a manâ— conscience we appeal to his knowledge 1. Cor. 6.9 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God As if he had said Your own consciences may condemn you to the pit of hell if ye be unrighteous because your Synteresis can tell you that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God This is the reason why we say that there is a naturall conscience and there is an illuminated conscience because some have no
stand out against it when it is importunate Maxima violatio conscientiae est maximè peccatum The greatest standing out against conscience is the greatest sinne it is a sinne which cometh nearest that against the holy â—host which accompanied with some other adjuncts is the greatest standing out against conscience There is no sinne that doth more harden the heart then to do evil when conscience is importuâ—ate to disswade from it This sinne â—as the cause why Saul was rejected of â—od I forced my self saith he 1. Sam. 13.12 He forâ—â—d his conscience his conscience was â—â—portunate to have him stay accordâ—â—g to the commandment of God but 〈◊〉 forced himself to the contrary I â—â—nfesse if conscience be importunate â—o the utmost as it is with Gods chilâ—â—en men cannot with any force put it zealous in Gods cause against the house of Ahab and the priests of Baal 2. Kings 10.29 but it suffered him to maintein the high places which Jeroboam had set up Thus Gamaliel's conscience made him speak well for Paul and yet continue it seemeth in much other evil This conscience will restrain from great staring sinnes or from such sinnes as the man hath no naturall propensity unto but others which seem of a lower nature or which are suitable to a mans particular desires these conscience will swallow without remorse As civil people that cannot swallow down couzenage and injustice and yet neglect of prayer and other religious duties never troubleth them And so some professours who cannot omit hearing sermons and talking of religion and yet can rest without the power thereof 3. It is remisse 3. It is remisse that is though it doth counsel and direct yet it doth it with such coldnesse remissenesse that it is easily answered and put off Thus it was with David It cannot be thought but his conscience said Plot not against Vriah's life But he would and so conscience let him do it This conscience will be answered with every slight and â—dle excuse As when conscience telâ—eth one Your wayes are not good I wish you to repent and make your peace with God it may be the man answereth Yea so I mean to do but I cannot yet intend it when I have dispatched such and such businesse then I will do it If conscience speak again Yea but you were best to do it now True saith he I know it I know it If God would give me repentance I would repent It is his gift of my self I cannot do it Or when it telleth him of family-duties it may be he answereth I have no leisure so long as I go to God by my self I hope it will serve turn Or when it telleth him of his wickednesse â—t may be he answereth Many worse then I have found mercy and I hope so shall I. This is the conscience that letteth a mans heart say I shall have peace Deut. 29.19 Now â—onscience being remisse and cold it is â—asily put off and answered with these idle and foolish excuses or with some other pretenses like these and so letteth the man go and live as before This conscience is like Eli which said Ye do not well my sonnes but exercised no severity to cause them to do otherwise Vse By this we see the dangerous estate of those men who have such a conscience There be many who live in many sinnes in carnall courses some in company-keeping and drunkennesse some in hatred and variance some in chambering and wantonnesse some in covetousnesse love of this present worldâ— your consciences no question can say Ye should do well to be more godly to look more after Christ and after heaven and ye should do well to get the truth of saving grace yet it may be they say nothing or nothing to the purpose in this behalf Therefore is these mens case so dangerous because their consciences are so silent and so remisse They have lost the most sovereigne remedy namely conscience Conscience is the most sovereigne means under God and his holy Spirit to work repentance in men that can be and is it not dangerous to have it prove traiterous and unfaithful What good can the ministerie of the word do unto you when every idle and false excuse or pretense which the wisdome of the flesh can devise can stop â—he mouth of your conscience when it â—alleth upon you to do what the word â—equireth It must needs be dangerous â—nd so much the more because it is so pleasing unto you ye take delight in such silent and large and remisse unfaithfull consciences ye love not to have your consciences too busie with â—ou ye like not that your consciences â—hould be too clamourous and importunate with you ye would have them not too rigid and vehement against your sinnes It fareth with you as with many young men who have sold themselves unto folly and think none their friends but parasites that flatter them or those who connive and wink at their folly but such friends will soon prove foes and so will such moderate and quiet consciences It is a dangerous â—hing to have such a silent conscience to want the chief means under God of doing a man good It was conscience that told the lepers 2. Kings 7.9 We do not well to hold our peace It was conscience that never would let the prodigall sonne be quiet till he returned to his father and said unto him I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne It is conscience that is the most powerfull means under God to quicken a man upâ—â— to repentance and obedience and therefore they are in a miserable case that want this great help Quest But what are the causes why mens consciences be so evil and unfaithfull Answ The causes hereof are chiefly these foure 1. Ignorance is one cause why a mans conscience is unfaithfull when we do not labour to have conscience throughly illightened and informed Who are more carelesse and negligent of their duties both to God and man who can with more freedome lye steal covet sinne c. then those that are ignorant of the law of God They know not that they do so much hurt to their own souls as they do An ignorant mind hath alwayes an evil conscience â—t is impossible conscience should be â—â—ithfull where it is not illightened and â—ence it cometh to passe that conscience iâ— so negligent and unfaithfull because â—e have been so carelesse of informing 〈◊〉 Thy conscience must needs be silent 〈◊〉 long as thou art ignorant 1. Pet. 2.15 Ignorance 〈◊〉 soon put to silence 2. A second cause is often slighting of conscience It may be conscience speaketh not or but coldly and remissely because when it hath advised and câ—unselled and admonished thou hast neglected it and disregarded it from time to time Though it judge and counsel yet thou wilt not listen Like Cassandra the prophetesse who though her predictions were
reasons why God hath given us a conscience the light that it acteth by the offices of it and the affections of it Now from all these proceed two other adjuncts of conscience 1. A quiet conscience 2. An unquiet conscience A quiet conscience COncerning a quiet conscience three things are to be considered 1. What a quiet conscience is 2. How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conscience or no. I. For the first What a quiet conscience is It is that which neither doth nor can accuse us but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the course of our lives and conversations ever since we were regenerate I put that in too for 1. we do not begin to live till we be regenerate and 2. we can never have a true quiet conscience till then Such a quiet conscience had good Obadiah 1. Kings 18.12 I fear the Lord from my youth saith his conscience This was a very honourable testimony that his conscience gave him Such a quiet conscience had Enoch Heb. 11.5 Before his translation he received this testimony that he pleased God Dicente scripturâ inquit ille Haymo saith this testimony was the testimony of scripture Gen. 5.24 where it is said that he walked with God This is true but this is not all The text saith not there was such a testimony given of him but he had it and that before his translation but the testimony of Moses was after his translation Therefore it was the testimony of his conscience that bore witnesse within that he pleased God So that this is a quiet conscience which neither doth nor can accuse us but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the whole course of our life and conversation Now to such a quiet conscience there be three things necessary 1. Uprightnesse 2. Puritie 3. Assurance of Gods love and favour First uprightnesse is when a man is obedient indeed Many will be obedient but they are not obedient indeed not humbled indeed not reformed indeed What it is to be obedient indeed ye may see Exod. 23.22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voyce and do all that I shall speak c. Mark that is obedience indeed when we do all that God speaketh and are obedient in all things This is an upright conscience when the heart is bent to obedience in all things An example we meet with in Paul Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day His conscience could not accuse him of any root of wickednesse and corruption allowed and cherished in him That is an upright conscience Hast thou such a conscience as this My conscience can truly bear witnesse there is no sinne I favour my self in allow my self in but condemne all strive against all Thus David proveth that his conscience was upright If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer The regarding of any iniquity will not stand with uprightnesse A second thing required to a true quiet conscience is puritie Though ouâ— heart be upright and stand generally bent to do the Lords will yet if we be guiltie of some particular sinne this will hinder the quiet of our conscience Therefore saith Paul 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self that is no thing to acoâ— me no corruption no root of unbeliâ—â— reigning in him Infirmities he haâ— many and frailties he had many and hâ— knew them but he knew nothing 〈◊〉 accuse him Whatever was amisse iâ— him his conscience told him he useâ— all holy means against it If thy conscience can truly say thus also of thee then hast thou a truly quiet conscience Thirdly Assurance of Gods love favour and pardon Though we have fallen into great sinnes yet our consciences may have quiet if we can be truly assured of Gods love and favour in the pardon of them Heb. 10.2 The Apostle proveth that the sacrifices of the law could not purge away sinne but onely Christs bloud can do it His argument to prove it is this Because those sacrifices could not free a man from having conscience of sinne they could not purge the conscience but Christs bloud can After assurance of pardon in Christs bloud conscience can no more condemne for sinne how many or how great soever the sinnes were which have been committed These are the three things required to a true quiet conscience Furthermore a quiet conscience implieth two things 1. A calmnesse of spirit 2. A chearfull merry and comfortable heart These two I mean when I speak of a quiet conscience 1. A calmnesse of spirit or a quietnesse of mind not troubled with the burden of sinne nor the wrath of God nor terrified with the judgements due unto sinne This quietnesse and calmnesse of spirit is promised to all them that truly hearken unto Christ and obey him Prov. 1.33 Whoso hearkeneth to me shall be quiet from fear of evil 2. A chearfull merry and joyfull heart When our conscience giveth a comfortable testimonie of us it cannot but make our hearts joyfull 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimonie of our conscience saith Paul The comfortable testimonie which his conscience gave of him made him to rejoyce A wicked man cannot truly rejoyce no though he be merrie and joviall and laugh yet his carnall estate is a snare he can have no true joy but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 No mirth like the mirth of a good conscience All other joy is but outside painted seeming joy That is onely true joy that is rooted in the comfortable testimonie of an upright good conscience which telleth a man his peace is made with God and that whether he be in sicknesse or in health God loveth him whether he live or die he is the Lords Thus ye see what a quiet conscience is How a quiet conscience in the godly differeth from the quiet conscience that is in the wicked THe second thing propounded to be considered about a quiet conscience is How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked 1. I confesse that the wicked seem to have a very quiet conscience Many thousands of carnall people seem to live and the in quiet Look into alehouses lewd houses into all places who so merrie and brisk and heart-whole as they say as they who have no saving grace Job 21.23 Yet 2. this quiet conscience in them must needs differ from the quiet conscience of the children of God Certainly the Lord will not give the childrens bread unto dogs neither will he smile upon their souls neither doth he pardon the sinnes nor accept the persons of the ungodly And therefore if they have a quiet conscience it must needs differ from that iâ— the godly Must not copper needs differ from gold And we who are the Lords messengers must teach you the difference Ezek. 44.23 They shall teach my people thâ—
abroad do disquiet us how comfortable is it to have something at home to chear us so when troubles and afflictions without turmoil and vex us and adde sorrow to sorrow then to have peace within the peace of conscience to allay all and quiet all what a happinesse is this When sicknesse and death cometh what will a good conscience be worth then Sure more then all the world besides If one had all the world he would then give it for a peaceable conscience Nay what think ye of judgement and the tribunal of Christ Do but think what a good conscience will be worth then When Paul was accused and hardly thought of by some of the Corinthians this was his comfort I know nothing by my self 1. Cor. 4.3 4. saith his conscience I count it a very small thing to be judged of you Nay he goeth further His conscience telleth him he hath the Lord Jesus who justifieth him to judge him he hath a sweeter Judge then his own conscience even his Saviour to judge him O there is no created comfort in the world like the comfort of a peaceable conscience The heathen Menander could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience is a little pettie god We may not give it such a big title but this is most certain The conscience is Gods echo of peace to the soul in life in death in judgement it is unspeakable comfort Is there any then that want this Exhortation Let them above all things labour to get it It is more worth then all things else Whatever we neglect let us not neglect this It is safer to neglect bodie health means maintenance friends and all that ever we have in the world then to neglect this The more we have the worse it is for us if we have not this Had we all this worlds good it is like a stone in a serpents head or a toads head or a pearl in an oyster not our perfection but our disease Again you who have a peaceable conscience 1. Labour to maintein it Be often in communion with God be not strangers to him the light of whose countenance is the peace of your souls It is the walking with God that breedeth true peace and preserveth it It is said of Levi Mal. 2.6 that he walked with God in peace O let us stirre up our selves to walk close with God that so we may have peace No sweet peace but in so doing 2. We must take heed we do not trouble nor disquiet it that we do not resist it or offer violence unto it by committing sinne against the peace of it but endeavour to maintein the peace of it by obeying the voyce of it Get the fear of God which is wisdome and to depart from evil which is true understanding All her paths are peace Prov. 3.17 We cannot walk in any one path of true wisedome but we shall find in it peace There is peace in humilitie and peace in charity and peace in godlinesse and peace in obedience c. Break any of these things and ye break the peace Ye heare what an admirable thing the peace of conscience is O then if ye have it make much of it nay if ye have it ye will for certain make much of it The very having of it will teach you the worth of it and learn you to prise it and make you above all things unwilling to leave it And thus much of the first viz. a quiet conscience An unquiet conscience I Have already handled a quiet conscience I come now to speak of a troubled and unquiet conscience Concerning which I shall shew you three things 1. What it is 2. The degrees of it 3. The difference of the trouble that may be in a good and that may be in a bad conscience I. What a troubled conscience is What it is It is a conscience accusing for sinne and affrighting with apprehensions of Gods wrath And here I would have you consider two things 1. What are the causes of it 2. Wherein it consisteth First The causes of it are these five 1. The guilt of sinne When a man hath done evil and his conscience doth know it then doth the conscience crie guiltie Lev. 5.4 when he knoweth it saith the text then he shall be guilty This is it which woundeth and pierceth conscience this is the sad voyce of conscience Like Judas I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Like Cain My sinne is greater then can be forgiven So the brethren of Joseph Gen. 42.21 We are guilty say they concerning our brother It is like the head of an arrow sticking in the flesh or like a dreadfull object continually presenting it self before our eyes My sinne is ever before me Psal 51.3 saith David When we have transgressed Gods law and our conscience can cry guiltie when the guilt of sinne lieth upon conscience this is one cause of the trouble of it 2. Another cause is the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne When knowing that we have sinned and offended God we apprehend his wrath in our minds and behold the revenging eye of his justice against us This is a very grievous thing so terrible that no man or angel is able to abide it As we see the kings and potentates the mighty men of the earth call for the mountains â—o fall upon them and the hills to cover â—hem from the wrath of God Rev. 6.15 16. When we have incurred Gods displeasure and our consciences see it when his anger resteth upon us and our â—onsciences feel it this is another cause of the trouble of conscience 3. A third cause of the trouble of â—onscience is the fear of death and of â—ell When we know we have offended Gods law and we know also what our sinnes do deserve namely death and â—udgement and damnation for ever â—his doth most trouble and disquiet conscience when it fastneth on the apprehension of it The Apostle calleth â—t a fearfull looking for of judgement When conscience looketh for nothing else but for hell and damnation this must needs trouble conscience 4. Another cause is privative want of supportance when God doth withhold from conscience the help of his Spirit Ye know the Spirit can inable conscience to undergo all its troubles the Spirit can prompt it with mercies and the promises of God and hold it up but when the Lord bereaveth the conscience of this help and doth noâ— at all support it this must needs also trouble conscience V. When God doth fasten on the conscience such thoughts as may affright and terrifie it as thus God doth not love me Christ will not own me 〈◊〉 have sinned I am a reprobate past hope c. When such thoughts as these fasten oâ— the conscience it cannot choose then but be troubled Thus I have shewed you what are the causes of the trouble of conscience Secondly This trouble of conscience consisteth in two things First in want of comfort It cannot apply to
but it is the cause of our perceiving the same We know we have peace by reason of our obedience 1. John 2.29 We know that every one that doeth righteousnesse is born of God We know we are passed from death to life 1. John 3.14 1. John 4.13 because we love the brethren Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Mark we come to know it by obedience and by the fruits of obedience Take away obedience we can never know peace They that walk by this rule Gal. 6.16 peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God saith the Apostle Thirdly our peace of conscience dependeth on our obedience as the confirming cause Christ confirmeth our peace to us by making us walk close to him and obedient unto him Paul sheweth how it preserveth peace as a shoe preserveth the foot ye know if we should walk without shoes barefoot our feet would be in danger of pricking and hurting So doth obedience to the Gospel preserve our peace Stand Ephes 6.15 saith the Apostle having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Mark he compareth it to a shoe which he would have us shod with and then it will be the Gospel of peace to us and our peace shall be in safety Fourthly our peace dependeth upon our obedience not onely as a signe of true peace nor onely as a guard to it but as a thing pleasing to God without the which we displease God For though God be pleased with his children alwayes in Christ yet he is not pleased that any in Christ should be disobedient to him 1. Thess 4.1 Ye have received of â—â— how ye ought to walk and to please God saith the Apostle When Gods children walk in obedience that is pleasing unto God So that peace of conscience doth greatly depend on obedience For otherwise conscience will be troubled O I do not please God This is displeasing unto God and This doth provoke God Not as though there were any such perfection in our obedience that can satisfie any tittle of Gods law but because when our persons are pleasing to God in Jesus Christ then our obedience to God is pleasing too in Jesus Christ and conscience will say it Thus much shall suffice for answer to the second question III. Question What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience dependeth upon The reason of this question is this Because it should seem there is no such obedience in this life as any peace of conscience should depend on Doth not James say In many things we sinne all Doth not our Saviour say When ye have done all that ye can say We are unprofitable servants If our conscience can still say that we are unprofitable and that we do sinne in every thing that we do yea in many things in all the duties we go about if our consciences can say thus How can any peace depend upon obedience What obedience do you mean that peace of conscience dependeth upon I answer 1. Absolute perfection in obedience is not required unto evangelicall peace For if it were no man could have peace no not Paul nor Abraham nor any of the holiest of Gods children and therefore absolute perfection is not required If we say we have not sinned we make Christ a liar and his word is not in us 1. John 1.10 Our conscience can still say we have sinned and it can still say our obedience is imperfect A halting leg can never go perfectly A Jacob is called he that halteth and every godly soul halteth Though he do not halt between two as wicked people do yet he halteth in following after God What purblind eye can see perfectly or thick eare heare perfectly He that hath these imperfections of body can neither go nor see nor heare perfectly So the best of Gods children have imperfections of heart and spirit and mind their faith is imperfect their love is imperfect and therefore their obedience must needs be imperfect But absolute perfection is not required to true peace of conscience and therefore this doth not hinder it 2. Though absolute perfection be not required to peace yet such obedience is required as may be acceptable to God So saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.9 We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Such obedience we must shew as may be accepted of him or we cannot have true peace If our endevours be not acceptable our conscience will quickly heare of it and tell us so If we pray coldly or heare unprofitably or live loosely if we do not do that which is acceptable to God our consciences will soon complain Nay though we do do the duties if we do not do them in an acceptable manner conscience will have matter against us still 3. This acceptablenesse of obedience lieth in this when our obedience is sincere universall and totall and proceeding from the spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling in us The Apostle giveth it this phrase When we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 That is our fulfilling the law when Christ hath fulfilled the law for us and maketh us sincerely to walk by it not after the flesh but after the Spirit when we do not favour our selves in one lust nor suffer our selves in any beloved sinne but whatever it be that is evil our conscience can say we truly do hate it and labour to avoid it whatever it be that is commanded us be it never so contrary to our nature yet our conscience can say we sincerely set our selves to do it So walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit this is sincerity of obedience and this is required unto peace 4. This sincerity of obedience maketh us to bewail our very infirmities and to be humbled for them not onely to be humbled for greater sinnes but also to be humbled for our infirmities If we be not soundly humbled for our very infirmities also they will hinder the peace of our conscience We can have no peace except our conscience can witnesse that our infirmities do humble us and drive us to Christ and cause us to sue out a pardon If conscience have not a pardon sealed for infirâ—ities also it will not be at peace Christ bare our very infirmities Matth. 8.17 therefore we must be humbled for them Matth. 8.17 and go to him for pardon of them too or conscience will not be at peace Thus I have answered also this third question IV. Question How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience what must he do to be freed from it The reason of this question is this Because men are ignorant about it When men are troubled in conscience and burdened a little that way presently they daub all with peace and go a wrong way to work This course the Lord doth complain of in the false prophets who preached too much peace
of conscience are either primarie supreme or secondarie and relative 1. The primarie and supreme bond of conscience is onely Gods word and law that onely is the supreme bond of conscience There is one law-giver Jam. 4.12 who is able to save or to destroy who art thou that judgest another that is There is but one supreme law-giver to bind the consciences of men and that is God And the reason is given Because it is God onely who is able to save and to destroy As if he had said God onely hath power over life and death either to save a man for ever or destroy a man for ever and to judge a man according to all that he hath done and therefore he onely can make laws to bind the consciences of men 2. Now the secondarie or relative bond of conscience is when others who have authoritie from God bind conscience to this or that I call this a relative bond because it is onely in relation to the authoritie of God For though men cannot challenge any doings or omissions contrarie to their law to be sinnes yet if they have authoritie from God to command any thing then they become beams and parts of Gods law and do by vertue of that bind a mans conscience This relative bond of conscience is twofold First other men may bind our consciences as magistrates and masters and parents who though they cannot bind conscience as they are men yet when they have authoritie from God their commands have Gods seals upon them and do bind I say in relation to Gods law which biddeth us obey them Rom. 13.5 Ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake The Apostle there speaketh of Magistrates and he telleth us that their laws bind our consciences in relation to Gods and therefore we must be subject unto them for conscience sake Thus others may bind our consciences Secondly we our selves may bind our own consciences and that is by vows which we make unto God or by our promises which we lawfully make unto men The vows which we freely make unto God these bind conscience to keep them Numb 30.4 the vow of a woman is called the bond wherewith she hath bound her soul Mark she bindeth her soul and her conscience with it So the promises which we lawfully make unto men these also bind conscience For though before we promise it was in our own power yet when we have promised we have bound our own consciences to the performance because there is Gods seal upon it Gods law commandeth us to be true of our words These are relative bonds bonds onely in relation to Gods law Gods law is still the supreme bond of conscience I will handle that first The law of God the prime bond of conscience I. The law of God whereby he willeth and commandeth and forbiddeth this or that in his word this is the main bond of conscience When this bindeth it nothing else can loose it and contrary if this loose it nothing else can bind it It so bindeth conscience as the observing or violating of it is that which maketh conscience clear or guilty before God This is it which maketh a man a debtour Rom. 1.14 I am a debtour saith Paul both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians that is I am bound in conscience by Gods command to preach the Gospel unto both This is it that denominateth a man to be bound Acts 20.22 I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem that is I knowing it to be Gods will am bound in conscience to go This is that which layeth a necessity upon a man A necessity is laid upon me to preach 1. Cor. 9.16 i. I am bound in conscience by Gods word so to do This is that which layeth a kind of enforcement upon men Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard that is If we should not our consciences would flie in our faces We are bound by Gods will to do so and our consciences lay a charge upon us that we cannot go against it The onely will and word of almighty God is that which supremely bindeth conscience 1. Because God onely knoweth the heart he seeth our thoughts Reasons and he onely can reach to the secrets of our spirits and therefore he onely can bind our conscience For who else can tell whether we make conscience of a thing yea or no perhaps we do perhaps we do not Nor man nor angel can tell certainly but God knoweth certainly â—nd he onely and therefore he onely â—an bind our consciences When the Lord doth command or forbid the conscience is privy that God seeth it and herefore now it is bound The word of God is quick and powerfull Heb. 4.12 it pierceth even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart This bindeth a mans thoughts and intentions he cannot be free in these things and the reason is given by the Apostle vers 13. All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do As if he had said We are conscious of Gods all-seeing power he seeth our hearts and our thoughts and all that is in us and therefore his word doth bind us yea it bindeth all our secrets we cannot think a vain thought but our conscience will crie guiltie before God because our conscience doth know that God knoweth all Besides the conscience cannot fear any law but onely Gods law Ye know when conscience is once in a doubt it is fearfull and beginneth to ask questions with it self May I do this or may I not do it 1. Cor. 10.27 asking no questions for conscience sake The conscience when it doubteth useth to ask questions Now this supposeth the lawgiver to be able to see it otherwise the conscience would not be thus afraid if it were onely the commandment of a creature that could not search the heart So that here ye see one reason why Gods law is the supreme bond of conscience Because no eye can see it but Gods 2. Because God onely hath power over conscience It is his commandment onely that maketh any thing sinne or not sinne unto us Augustine defineth sinne to be A thought or word or deed or lust against the commandment of God Psal 51.4 Against thee against thee onely have I sinned saith David He saith he had sinned onely against God Why you will say he sinned also against man Did not he commit adulterie that was a sin against Bathsheba and murder that was a sin against Vriah True he sinned against man relatively in relation to the commandment which saith Thou shalt not injure thy neighbour but primarily and principally the sinne was against God Conscience is like the kings servant whom none can arrest or attach without leave from the king so no man can bind conscience without leave had from
God for conscience is onely subject to his power he onely hath power over conscience 3. Because conscience is Gods book Now no creature can adde to Gods book or diminish from it Ye may remember that dreadfull anathema at the end of Gods book Rev. 22.18 19. If any man shall adde to this book God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall diminish from this book God shall take away his part out of the book of life Now conscience is also Gods book wherein his law is written Nay conscience is called Gods law For it is said Rom. 2.14 that when the Gentiles which have not the law do the things conteined in the law they having not the law are a law unto themselves that is Their conscience is Gods law unto them Like as the Bible conteineth Gods law for us Christians so did their consciences contein the law of God to them yea to us Christians much rather For we are not to let Gods law be written onely in our Bibles but we must get it written in our consciences our consciences are to be Gods books wherein his laws are to be written And therefore if it be a sinne to adde a new law in the materiall book to bind men then it must needs be a sinne for any creature to put a new law into conscience which is the spirituall book of God It is God onely who can write laws in this book his book is above all the laws in the world and none but God can put in and put out and therefore none but he can bind conscience I speak still of this absolute supreme bond of conscience For Magistrates may bind relatively but not as they are their laws but by the law of God before made Thus ye see the necessity of this truth That Gods law is the absolute and supreme bond of conscience Vses Vse 1 1. This serveth to direct Ministers how to convince the consciences of their people If Ministers desire to work upon their hearers they must speak to the conscience they must shew them Gods authority that it is Gods will and Gods command Tell conscience never so much that we should do thus or thus upon other grounds and inducements it starteth not at that except it be convinced by the word of God that it is Gods will the commandment of the great God of heaven the God of the spirits of all flesh who will look for our obedience This maketh conscience to startle this affecteth it and bindeth it St Paul when he said that he approved himself and his preaching to mens consciences 2. Cor. 4.2 what followeth If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish c. As if he had said This maketh all the world to startle except they be reprobates and men delivered over to Satan It is easie to see what ministerie affecteth most and doeth the most good in the hearts of the people namely that which bringeth the clearest voice of Gods Spirit calling to obedience and binding the conscience They can heare with ease and great pleasure the sermons of those whose doctrines are stuffed with humane discourses Learning and policie never pierce conscience Nay let carnall preachers preach never so much against peoples sinnes they can make a sport of it though they heare their sinnes with humane learning declaimed against When the preacher doth not clearly preach the Lords voice though he rip up sinne yet if it be not in the demonstration of the Spirit of God and shewing his clear authority the heart will not be affected Conscience knoweth when it is bound and when it is but dallied and jested with And therefore if Ministers desire to have their ministerie work upon the hearts of their people they must shew them Gods authority and confirm it by his word and let them see that it is the commandment of the Lord that which will one day judge them Let him know 1. Cor. 14.37 saith Paul that the things that I write are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Lord of heaven and earth that biddeth thee yield and commandeth thee to give over thy base lusts It is he in whose hands thy breath is thou hadst best be obedient I tell thee thy conscience observeth it and if thou wilt not obey it will rore like the roring of the sea one day against thee and sting thee like a scorpion The things that thou hearest know thou that they are the commandments of God and if thou disobey thou dost disobey not men but God Vse 2 2. Is it so that the word of God onely is the supreme bond of conscience Then this teacheth us to have an eye to Gods word in that which we do if we would satisfie conscience I say have an eye to Gods word not onely to do that which it may be is in Gods word conscience counteth that to be nothing but to have an eye to Gods word Conscience will not be satisfied with any obedience that we do if we have not an eye to Gods word Whatever we have an eye to besides conscience knoweth it is nothing if in all we have not an eye to the commandment of God Though we do obey it conscience looketh upon it as if we did not obey it It is onely Gods commandment and authority that bindeth conscience and therefore nothing satisfieth conscience unlesse we have an eye unto that If we do not aim at Gods will in doing what we do conscience counteth our obedience as no obedience at all As for example Ye that are husbands ye love your wives but is it because God commandeth it It may be ye love them because they love you or because your affections are to them Alas this is nothing Pagans and reprobates can do so But do ye aim at the doing of Gods will who commandeth you O say you The Lord doth command me and I do it What of that Do ye look at his commandment when ye do it If not be humbled and know ye must get grace to do so or ye are not obedient to God neither will conscience set it down for obedience Ye that are servants ye serve your masters but do ye aim at Gods will thus O the Lord hath commanded me to be faithfull and painfull in my service Doth your soul look to this It may be ye serve them because they are kind and because they pay you your wages and the like This is nothing to conscience conscience looketh at the commandment of God and if your souls do not aim at the commandment of God it wil not satisfie conscience Ye that are neighbours it may be ye love one another and be friends one with another but doth your soul look at Gods commandment is it because God hath commanded us to love one another People seldome aim at God in these cases They are friends with their neighbours why Their neighbours are friends with them But they
how do their laws bind us in conscience The Magistrate onely looketh at the bodie mens thoughts and affections and consciences are naked onely to God It is true Answ the Magistrate doth not undertake but onely to bind the outward man neverthelesse the conscience of the subject feeleth it self to be bound to obedience under pain of sinning against God who giveth this generall precept Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake to the King c. 1. Pet. 2.13 The conscience feeleth this and so it cometh to be bound Obj. 3 3. Again it may be replied The conscience is not bound but onely by way of religion If I make conscience of a thing then I make a matter of religion of it but what religion is there in the commandments of Magistrates suppose the Magistrate commandeth us to get our armour in readinesse to mend our high-wayes to moderate expenses at nuptials or the like these are civil things and not religious and therefore how can they bind conscience We make conscience onely of religion and the worship of God â—nsw Such laws do not bind conscience under the name of religion but under the name of civil discipline And again though they do not bind conscience per se and immediately yet they do per aliud and as subjoyned to an higher law For though the breach of such laws be onely a civil fault in it self yet in another respect it may be a morall sinne if the powers that are ordained of God be neglected and disobeyed And therefore though the conscience do not regard civil laws as they are civil neither do we make conscience of them as they are civil yet as they are made by the minister of God backed by his authoritie which the Lord hath set on them so they do take hold of conscience and not to perform them is contrarie to justice and charitie and the profit safetie of the commonwealth and so a sinne Vses Vse 1 1. This confuteth the Anabaptists who denie that any obedience is to be given to the secular power Ye see here that the laws of Magistrates have Gods seal upon them and therefore we must yield obedience unto them for they bind in conscience Again this confuteth the Papists who teach that their Popes laws and commandments are of supreme authoritie and require equall submission of spirit with Gods laws and also that the omission of them is death and damnation Our doctrine and religion goeth between both For we teach that Gods authoritie is onely supreme and that he onely can make laws under pain of death and damnation and that the authoritie of Magistrates is secondarie and secondarie obedience is to be given unto them The Papists speak blasphemie in saying their Pope can make laws under pain of damnation to be kept Our Saviour Christ maketh this a propertie onely of God Fear not him that can kill the bodie and there is all that he can do but fear him who can cast both bodie and soul into hell I say unto you Fear him Luke 12.4 As if he had said Men can reach no further then the bodie and their punishments can go no further then the death of the bodie Vse 2 2. This teacheth us what to do if men should command any thing which is unlawfull for us to perform Suppose there should be any such humane commands as are repugnant to Gods In this case ye see we must obey God rather then men nay suffer losse of goods losse of libertie yea losse of life rather then obey the commandments of men in case they be contrarie to the commandments of God Ye may reade a lamentable example in Ephraim They were utterly destroyed for obeying their King rather then their God The King commanded to worship the calves and to go unto Bethel not to Jerusalem to worship they yielded to his commandment and did so O thought they We shall displease the King if we do not For this sinne of theirs they were broken in judgement Hos 5.11 Ephraim is destroyed and broken in judgement because he willingly walked after the commandment Beloved Gods commandment is sovereigne and the supreme binder of conscience Whatever commandment is repugnant to Gods word wo to us if we do it nay though it be to save our goods or our lives It is true we must give to Cesar the things that are Cesars but so as withall we must be sure to give to God the things that are Gods Vse 3 3. This comforteth Gods people against the calumnies and slanders of wicked and ungodly men that upbraid them for their obedience to God O say they Ye are irregular and despisers of authoritie I say this is comfort to the godly that God is able to bear them out in obeying him rather then men Gods word is the supreme binder of conscience and therefore whatever men think of such they are absolutely bound to obey God If men command us against the word of God we know their authoritie is the ordinance of God and therefore if they go beyond that they do not bind us in conscience If God had not bound us in conscience to him others might have taken it ill if we should not obey them but now what cause have others to think ill of us What folly were it in us to seek to please men and to displease God If we were at libertie then we might choose whom we would obey but now we are bound unto God and must be obedient unto God whatever men command to the contrarie let us do it therefore with chearfulnesse By this we shew our submission to God by this we satisfie conscience which being bound unto God doth continually urge us to obey him Why should we omit part of the exactnesse of our obedience which the word of God doth require We have more to do then ever we shall be able to perform we should therefore be carefull to do all that we may By our obedience to God in this kind we convince the conscience of others of our uprightnesse towards God Though through the overruling dominion of their lusts and passions they rage at us and their mouthes speak evil of us yet we may have an evidence in their consciences within which may testifie for us their consciences will whisper within them Surely they do well to please God rather then men their consciences will be on our side though their actions and tongues be against us We have a notable example of this Acts 4.15 16. When the rulers of the Jews had threatned the Apostles and had reviled them with many bitter words and had bidden them go aside for a while then they concluded among themselves Surely an evident signe is done by them and we cannot deny it So that their consciences acquitted them for good men So when the wicked of this world have spoken evil of the wayes of the righteous and blasphemed the holy name after which they are named yet
of this faithfull servant of God by making this book a means to bring thy soul to those heavenly joyes which are at Gods right hand for evermore which are joyes unspeakable and glorious so great that * Tanta est dulcedo coelestis gaudii ut si una guttula difflueret in infernum totam amaritudinem inferni absorberet as S. Augustine saith If one drop of the joyes of heaven should fall into hell it would swallow up all the bitternesse of Hell And that God would make you heirs of this joy is the prayer of your soul-friend Edm. C. An Enquiry after a mans estate before God Coloss 4.8 WHat a mans estate before God is pag. 1 Ministers are to enquire after the estate of their people pag. 4 Every man is either in an estate of grace or sinne pag. 11 This estate may be known pag. 16 Why every man ought to enquire after his own estate pag. 20 Means whereby a man may come to know what estate he is in pag. 23 Impediments which hinder this knowledge pag. 27 Motives to be diligent in this enquirie pag. 29 2. A treatise of Conscience Rom. 2.15 WHat conscience is pag. 31 I. Proposition There is in every man a conscience pag. 33 Why the Lord did plant a conscience in every man pag. 36 II. Proposition The light that conscience acts by is knowledge 1. of Gods law 2. of our selves pag. 41 The great necessity of knowledge pag. 43 III. Proposition The office of conscience is to bear witnesse accusing or excusing pag. 49 1. Foure properties of this witnesse-bearing It is 1. Supreme pag. 51 2. Impartiall pag. 52 3. Faithfull pag. 53 4. Privie pag. 55 2. The parts of this witnesse-bearing I. It s single witnessing 1. What we have done pag. 57 2. What we intend to do pag. 58 3. What is the bent of our hearts ibid. II. It s judiciall bearing witnesse pag. 64 1. About things to be done or omitted Where are considered 1. It s Office 1. To judge pag. 68 2. To counsel pag. 69 2. Its Adjuncts It is either 1. Illightned pag. 76 2. Erroneous pag. 78 3. Doubting pag. 85 4. Scrupulous pag. 88 5. Faithfull pag. 95. or 6. Vnfaithfull pag. 104 2. About things alreadie done or omitted and here also 1. It s Office is 1. To approve pag. 116 2. To absolve pag. 117 3. To mislike pag. 119 4. To condemne pag. 121 2. Its Affections It is either 1. Tender pag. 125 2. Sleepie pag. 126 3. Benumbed pag. 127. or 4. Seared pag. 128 From all these proceed two other Adjuncts I. A quiet conscience concerning which is considered 1. What it is pag. 132 2. How that in the godly differeth from that in the wicked pag. 137 3. How to know whether we have it or no pag. 152 Where is handled Whether a child of God may fear death and how farre pag. 159 Whether a wicked man may be desirous to die and in what cases pag. 164 The great benefit of peace of conscience pag. 167 II. An unquiet conscience What it is and the causes of it pag. 173 The degrees of it pag. 178 The difference of it in the godly and in the wicked pag. 184 How a man may keep peace of conscience pag. 200 How it dependeth upon obedience pag. 205 What manner of obedience that is which peace of conscience dependeth upon pag. 211 What a man must do to be freed from a burdened and troubled conscience pag. 215 As conscience beareth witnesse of our actions so of our persons pag. 222 It can and doth inform every man what estate he is in pag. 223 How it doth this pag. 229 When it doth this pag. 232 Why many neverthelesse are deluded about their estate pag. 239 What a good conscience soundly renewed is pag. 247 What a weak and infirm good conscience is pag. 256 IV. Proposition The bond of conscience is the law of God pag. 267 1. The Primarie and supreme is Gods word pag. 270 Gods law bindeth the consciences of the regenerate pag. 281 2. The Secondarie and relative others or ourselves pag. 296 1. Others may bind our consciences as Magistrates Superiours and how farre pag. 297 2. We may bind our own consciences by lawfull vows and promises pag. 314 What vows are unlawfull and not binding pag. 315 Of the vow made to God in baptisme how great it is and how much to be regarded pag. 318 An Enquiry after a mans estate before God COLOSS. 4.8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that he may know your estate and comfort your hearts THE estate of a man before God is the relation that he standeth in unto God What a mans estate before God is as God is the free fountain of spirituall life and salvation and the â—terminer of mens everlasting condiâ—ons either in heaven or hell So that â—en we question about a mans estate 〈◊〉 question Whether he be in Christ 〈◊〉 not Whether he have true grace 〈◊〉 or no Whether he be one of Gods â—ldren or no or whether he be yet 〈◊〉 better then a reprobate There be three things to be considered in this definition of every man estate First it is a relation unto God not as a man is in himself it may bâ— rich it may be poore in the world buâ— I speak here as he is in relation toward God Whether he be rich toward God yea or no. I do not speak as man is in regard of others it may bâ— he is a father or a sonne a master oâ— a servant a king or a subject but iâ— relation to God Whether Gods servant or no Rom. 16.10 Gods child or no. Saluâ— Apelles saith Paul and he telleth us iâ— what estate Apelles was in before Goâ— namely in an estate of approbatioâ— approved in Christ And the same Apostle speaketh on the contrary of thâ— unconverted Gentiles that they werâ— strangers from the life of God Ephes 4 18. Ephes 4.18 Secondly As it is a relation untâ— God so it is a standing relation Thaâ— wherein he standeth towards God thaâ— is a mans estate before God There a difference between one that doth 〈◊〉 and one that is in the state of sin 〈◊〉 child of God may sinne but he is nâ—â— in a state of sinne you cannot call hiâ— a wicked man So also there is difference between one that doeth some good actions and one that is in a good estate A carnall man may do some good â—hings but he is not in a good estate The estate of a man is a standing thing it is the relation that he standeth in towards God Thirdly It is the relation that a man standeth in towards God as he is the free fountain of spirituall life and salvation It is not every standing relation towards God For a man may be considered in relation to God as a Creatour and so the heavens and the earth and the very brute beasts stand in relation to God as they are his
may know what estates ye are in by your inclinations and dispositions from whence these actions proceed Psal 119.112 Are your hearts inclined heaven-ward and God-ward as Davids are ye bent to holinesse and self-deniall c. as a bow is bent to shoot the arrow This is a signe of a good estate as 1. Chron. 22.19 there is speech of setting the heart to seek God Ye know when a man will do a thing indeed we say he is set on 't It may be ye do some good duties make some fair offers of seeking God but are your hearts set on 't or are they set on the world and inclined earth-ward The inclinations of every creature in the world do ever shew what the creature is How do we know that a stone is heavy Because it inclineth downward How do we know a man is cholerick Because he â—s inclined unto wrath So a mans estate may be known by his constant inclination either to good or evil 3. One may know what estate he is in by that reflexive act which is proper onely to man There is an act in mans soul we call it a reflex act which no creature hath but onely man whereby he can perceive what himself is and doeth When a man thinketh or speaketh he can reflect upon himself and perceive what he thinketh or speaketh when he prayeth he can reflect upon his own heart and perceive how it carrieth it self all along in his prayers I say no creature in the world hath in it â—his reflexive act but onely man The â—ire burneth but it cannot reflect upon its own burning Oculus non videt se â—videre The eye seeth but it doth not see that it doth see that is That creaâ—ure doth not perceive what it doeth when it seeth But every man hath this reflexive act in him whereby he is privie to what himself thinketh doeth is None knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him 1. Cor. 2.11 This is the reason why some know not what estate they are in because they choke their own spirit and hoodwink their consciences Thine own heart knoweth how it is with thee and would faithfully tell thee if thou wouldst enquire of it and hearken unto it Search with Gods candle and thou mayst easily find what is in thee Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly 4. Ye may know what estate ye are in by a certain kind of feeling As there is a kind of bodily feeling whereby every man knoweth the estate of his body whether he be sick or in health so there is a spirituall feeling Luke 24.32 The two disciples did feel their hearts burn Paul did feel a great combat in him between the flesh and the spirit Eph. 4.19 So if men be covetous and worldly they may feel it Yet indeed some men be past feeling Their case is the worse because they cannot feel how bad it is But for the most they may easily feel what their estate is The third use is Vse 3. Impediments to shew you the impediments that hinder this knowledge If you would attein to know what estate you are in then remove the impediments which are 1. Vain thoughts Men who are in a state of sin and wrath yet have many vain thoughts lodging within them keeping them from knowing it God is mercifull and Christ died for sinners and There be worse sinners then they why should they think so ill of themselves and they may be better all in good time These vain thoughts hoodwink their eyes that they cannot see their estate nor resolve that it is so dangerous as indeed it is O Jerusalem Jer. 4.14 wash thy heart from wickednesse how long shall these vain thoughts lodge within thee They were in a very bad estate and yet they had such vain thoughts that they could not see it 2. Presumption is another impediment Men pray and heare and do other good duties and so take all to be well without serious examining This was the case of the Laodicean people They thought they had that in them which they had not Rev. 3.17 and that their estate was good when it was nothing so Another let are the Cares of this life Whereby the heart is so occupied that it doth not find time to search its own estate Therefore our Saviour saith Luke 21.34 Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with the cares of this life lest that day come upon you unawares intimating that these cares are great lets from considering our estates 4. Another let is an Evil conscience which affrighteth a man so soon as he beginneth to stirre and maketh him afraid to go on to look soundly into his estate John 3.20 Rom. 3.11 He that doeth evil hateth the light 5. Another let is Ignorance There is none that understandeth none that seeketh after God Mark they did not seek in what case they stood before God because they did not understand 6. Another let is Spirituall sloth and sluggishnesse of heart Men cannot enâ—ure to take pains with their own hearts till they have made out a true iudgement in what case they are They â—egin and quickly give over and so for â—â—â—vant of diligence and pains-taking â—ake nothing sure The last use is for exhortation Vse 4. Of Exhortation That all men would bestirre themselves and set in earnest upon this enquirie That we may every one know in what state we stand 1. Consider this is an enquiry about our souls We enquire about our outward man about the estate of our bodyes and worldly affairs c. oh let us not neglect this main enquiry Am I in Christ yea or no Am I a new creature yea or no Doth my soul live to God or â—â—o 2. Consider this is a question about our everlasting estate We can never have comfort untill we have put this out of question and therefore this is a question which all questions must give way unto If ye be not in Christ ye had need lay aside all and look about it onely How can men eat drink sleep c. sith the wrath of God abidetâ— upon all unbelievers Me thinks ouâ— souls should take no content do no thing else but faint after Christ until we know our interest in him I say again This is the grand enquiry that businesse which all businesses must give place unto Oh the sloth of our souls Let us in time awake and rouse them up and never rest untill we know our own estate to be good before God that so our hearts may have comfort and that with God A treatise Of Conscience ROM 2.15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witnesse and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another I Have shewed you What Conscience is That every man is in an
light but onely the light of nature some have besides the light of â—s word which sheweth that which â—re sheweth and much more clearly â—eacheth many things more which â—e cannot teach And hence the â—cience of the illightned condemâ—â— for such things as the naturall conâ—â—ce never stirreth about â—econdly the knowledge of our â—â—lves is needfull else conscience canâ—â—t neither Though we know what â—s law requireth and what not â—t is good and what not yet unâ— we know whether we go with it 〈◊〉 against it conscience cannot accuse nor excuse As for example A close hypocrite he knoweth wel enough that the Lord hath condemned hypocrisie and that hypocrites must have their â—â—tion in hell yet if he do not know â—â—self to be an hypocrite his consciâ—â—â—e can never condemn him for being â—e And therefore both these knowâ—â—â—ges are necessary as well the knowâ—â—â—ge of a mans self as of Gods law â—any who had a hand in crucifying our â—â—viour sinned grievously yet they sinned not against knowledge becaâ— they knew not what they did Luke 23.34 Fathâ— forgive them they know not what they 〈◊〉 Thirdly It is a contradiction to 〈◊〉 a blind conscience in act The consâ—â—ence cannot be blind and yet actualâ— condemn Indeed the conscience it sâ— may be blind but it can never act and 〈◊〉 blind If it truly accuse or excuse must have some light It is true it maâ— erroneously excuse or accuse and yâ— have no true light Seeming light 〈◊〉 enough to do that seeming knowledgâ— is enough to make conscience erroneously excuse As they who killed thâ— Apostles John 16.2 their consciences excuseâ— them and told them they did Goâ— good service they seemed to know iâ— was good service to God and thereforâ— their consciences excused them c Thus ye see that the light that conscience workerh by is knowledge Vse 1 The use of this point is first to leâ— us see the infinite necessity of knowledge As good have no conscience aâ— all as conscience without knowledge for it cannot act and perform its office â—is is the reason why so many thouâ—ds go on in their sinnes without reâ—tance because being ignorant they â—e no conscience to prick them thereâ—o as Jer. 8.6 No man repenteth him â—his wickednesse saying What have I â—e Why what was the reason that â—nscience did not prick them and say â—is thou hast done and that Thus ye â—e rebelled c The text answereth 〈◊〉 the next verse My people know not 〈◊〉 judgement of the Lord. The stork â—weth her time and the turtle and the â—llow but my people do not know their â—ies Vse 2 Another use is to exhort us that we would labour to perfect the light of â—onscience that it may be able to guide 〈◊〉 and direct us unto heaven Our conâ—â—ience hath knowledge enough by the â—ght of nature to make us inexcusable â—nd to clear the justice of God though â—e should damne us for ever but there â—ust be a greater light then that that â—ust guide us to heaven O let us â—ray to Christ the true light to set up â—his light in us that we may never be at a losse in our way to happinesse nâ—ver step out of the right path but oâ— conscience may be able to put us in â—gain never go slowly but our consâ—â—ence may spurre us on faster that oâ— conscience may not be like the sâ—â— of a candle in a socket that flameth 〈◊〉 now and then and then is dark agaâ— and again it flameth out and is dark â—gain A man may see his book by iâ— but he cannot see to reade he may seâ— his pen and ink by it but he cannot seâ— to write a woman may see her needâ— and cloth by it but she cannot see tâ— work so it is with some mens consciences Their light is so dimme thaâ— they can see the duties but they cannoâ— see to do them they can see the commandments of God but they cannoâ— see to obey them O labour to perfecâ— the light of your consciences that yeâ— may see to walk by them And thuâ— much also of the second proposition The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge Now I should come to the third proposition which as I first propounded â—hem was this The bond that bindeth conscience is Gods law But I will now a little â—ter the method and make the other â—hich was propounded last to be the â—ird in the handling and it is this Proposition III. â—he office of Conscience is to bear witnesse to accuse or excuse COnscience is put into this office by God himself It is Gods officer III. Proposition The office of Conscience is to bear witnesse â—ot onely his register-book that shall 〈◊〉 opened at the day of judgement â—herein is set down our thoughts words and deeds but it is a preacher also to tell us our duty both towards â—od and towards man yea it is a â—â—werfull preacher it exhorteth urâ—th provoketh yea the most powerâ—ll preacher that can be it will cause â—e stoutest and stubbornest heart unâ—r heaven to quake now and then it â—ill never let us alone till it have â—ought us either to God or to the deâ— Conscience is joyned in comâ—ission with Gods owne spirit to be an instructour unto us in the way we should walk so that the spirit and it are resisted or obeyed together grieved or delighted together We cannot sinne against conscience but we sinne also against Gods spirit we cannot check our own consciences but we check and quench the holy spirit of God The office of conscience to our selves is Rom. 9.1 to bear witnesse My conscience beareth me witnesse saith Paul Conscience is alwayes ready to do this office if it shall at any time be invited unto it For conscience looketh sometimes for inviting sometimes it will not bear witnesse unlesse we invite it and call upon it so to do But there will come a time when it will do it and must do it and shall do it namely at death or at judgement then it will bear witnesse whether men invite it or no. Now it may be suppressed and silenced and kept under from witnessing but then it must bear witnesse and shall either excusing or accusing acquitting or condemning when God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts as the Apostle speaketh The properties that are given unto conscience in the discharge of its office are foure Foure Properties of Conscience 1. It is supreme 2. It is impartiall 3. It is faithfull 4. It is privie 1. It is supreme It hath highest authoritie it is the most uncontrollable and ablest witnesse that can be the greatest weightiest witnesse in the world better then ten thousand witnesses Though all the world do condemn us yet if our own conscience do not we need not fear And so on the contrary if conscience do condemn us it will be small comfort though all the world flatter and commend and excuse us It is a supreme witnesse Though
all the Angels in heaven should come and bear witnesse their witnesse is not so uncontrollable as conscience is There is no appealing from the witnesse of conscience we must be tried by it If conscience do accuse and condemn us the Lord onely is greater then our conscience 1. John 3.20 and will give judgement with it when it doth its office And if our conscience do not and commend us and applaud us when we are naught and call us good men and good women when we are nothing so but this will tell us plainly how vile and sinfull we are and if we say we are good when we are not it will tell us plainly we lie 1. John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar Mark though he say it yet his conscience giveth him the lie It is faithfull again in excusing It beareth witnesse of every good dutie we perform and of whatsoever good is in us Though all Jobs friends spake evil of him and God himself by his outward judgements seemed to condemn him for a wicked man yet still his conscience like a faithfull witnesse did not forsake him nay it offered to reason with God himself Job 13.3 I would reason with God I know I shall be justified and I will never forsake mine innocency till I die Still his conscience stood for him and excused him Thus on both sides conscience is a faithfull and sincere witnesse it will not be corrupted to speak otherwise then it knoweth the matter is 4. It is most privy to what it doth witnesse It is more privy to what we have done then all the world It can say more for us or against us then all the world Thou knowest all the wickednesse that thy heart is privy unto saith Solomon to Shimei 1. Kings 2.44 The use of all this is Vse Seeing conscience is so supreme so impartiall so faithfull so privy we should take heed â—ow we do any thing that might give â—t advantage against us If we were to â—ppear before an earthly judge to anâ—wer for our behaviour and should have a companion present continually with us marking every thing in us telâ—ing us of every fault and witnessing it â—gainst us unto the judge how carefull would we be of doing any thing that might give him advantage against us Lo we have conscience as a continuall watch-man espying out all our wayes â—etting down what-ever we do amisse â—hecking us for it for the present and one day accusing us before God and â—etting all things in order before our faces Oh how should we then labour it two years after Gen. 41.9 I remember my faults this day saith his conscience Adonibezek had forgot his cruelty but his conscience brought it to his mind As I have done so God hath requited me Judg. 1.7 saith his conscience 2. Conscience beareth witnesse of what we intend and purpose to do whether against God or man It will testifie every purpose and project of the heart though it be never acted though it die in the heart and never come to light Men little think of this Tush saith one I never did such a thing though I once intended it or had some thoughts about it Mark those very thoughts will conscience bring forth and testifie what they were Heare the Apostle Rom. 2.16 in that day God shall judge the secrets of men c. The most hidden things conscience shall bring to light and Christ shall judge them 3. Conscience beareth witnesse of the bent and frame of our hearts what we affect most and love most and rejoyce and delight in most and desire most and grieve for most what our affections runne upon most whether upon God or the world whether upon heaven or the things of this life Conscience bare witnesse to David Psal 119.77 that his delight was in the law of the Lord that God was his portion that Gods statutes were his counsellers Conscience bare witnesse to the false teachers in Christs time that they affected vain-glory and the prayse of men more then the prayse of God Conscience bare witnesse to Demas that notwithstanding his fair profession his heart was set upon the world Conscience bare witnesse to Jehu that for all his seeming zeal his heart was not upright But it may be objected Obj. 1. Jer. 17.9 How can this be The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it Who can know it That is Answ Who else can know it but a man himself None under God can know the heart of man but a mans own conscience the spirit of man that is in him I confesse a man may be ignorant of some secret and particular deceit in his heart but who knoweth not the generall standing of God small and so we are deceived noâ— seeing the radicall power of this love of God which in regard of its vertue is stronger then the other As a fool if he should feel hot water would conclude that there is no cold at all in it whereas there is radicall cold in that water such as will expell all that heat in a little space Or else this ariseth from anguish of spirit which so disturbeth the mind that it cannot see its own condition nor be capable of the comforts belonging unto it as it was with the Israelites Exod. 6.9 otherwise doubtlesse we may know our own hearts and when our conscience beareth witnesse its witnesse is right Vse 1 I. Use of reproof to those who stand out against the witnesse of their conscience and like hard-hearted felons plead still Not guiltie though never so much evidence come against them though conscience oft tell them this they have done thus they do such they are Oh stop not your eares against conscience stand not out against it but believe its testimony and make use of it to repent of the evil it accuâ—â—â—h of while mercy may be had before â—od himself cometh and joyneth with conscience to condemne for ever Vse 2 II. It serveth for singular encouragement to all to abound in good works Conscience will bear witnesse of them all to our unspeakable comfort in the time of afflictions yea at death and judgement Job felt it a sweet thing to have conscience give in testimony of his integrity and uprightnesse When his friends proved miserable comforters and God himself seemed to write bitter â—hings against him yet his conscience witnessed that he had been eyes to the â—lind and feet to the lame he had fed â—he hungry and clothed the naked and comforted the fatherlesse There is not â— good thing that ever we do but conscience will afford us the sweetnesse and comfort of it in our troubles Isai 38.3 Rememâ—er O Lord saith Hezekiah that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart We have spoken of consciences single bearing witnesse Now followeth its now onely of those who drown their consciences in their cups and fear
their consciences by their grosse sinnes but of those who would seem godly and perform good duties but with hypocriticall hearts and carnall minds O that they would heare but conscience argue a little in this manner To be carnally minded is death that is is an evident signe of a man that is in the state of death and damnation But saith conscience I am carnally minded or we are carnally minded Therefore we have an argument about us of death and damnation And so also for all other sinnes There is not a wicked man under heaven but he may argue out of his own miserable estate by his conscience or he might if it were awaked as one day it will be Vse 3 Thirdly this may serve for instruction No matter what opinions meâ— have of us in the world The questioâ— is What is the judgement of our owâ— consciences upon us It may be thou art taken for a man of great knowledge and a forward man in godlinesse it may bâ— the godly dare not judge otherwise oâ— thee but the question is What is tâ—â— judgement of conscience Doth nor thy conscience tell thee thou art but a proud fool conceited of thy knowledge and â—ovest to heare thy self talk And so for thy performance of good duties what testimony doth conscience give of the manner of doing of them The testimoniall of conscience is above all testimonials in the world 2. Cor. 1.12 all the good opinions of the world are not worth a â—ush without this If conscience can â—ay that in our wayes we seek to please God and allow not our selves in any â—vil way this testimony is full and saâ—isfactory and onely this Yet further concerning this judiciall witnesse of conscience It is either about â—hings to be done or omitted or things â—lready done or omitted The judiciall witnesse of conscience about things to â—e done or omitted is double 1. To â—dge out of Gods law whether it be â—ood or evil 2 To counsel out of â—ur own judgements either to do it or â—orbear it according as the nature of the â—ction is If it be good conscience will so on the contrary if it be evil conscience will counsel us to forbear yea bring arguments to disswade O do it not it will tend to the dishonour of God and be offensive to others and wound our souls c. It was conscience that withheld David from killing Saul and prest him from it by a strong argument 1. Sam. 24 10. O he is the Lords anointed It was conscience that withheld Joseph from yielding to the enticings of his mistres and yielded him an argument to disswade him from it How shall I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God It was conscience that disswaded Nehemiah from flying Neh. 6.11 Should such a man as I flie And if one argument will not serve conscience will use more Vse 1 The use of this may be first for Instruction Hence we learn that naturall men may have a conscience urging to good and restraining from evil There is no man so evil or ignorant but he hath naturally some light with him by which conscience is set on work to advise and to counsel and to say This is very good do it This is very sinfull forbear it This therefore is no signe of grace in any man to have his conscience calling upon him to do good or â—isswading him from evil The very heathen had so according to their light yea and in many of them it was forcible to restrain them from many sinnes which they were inclined unto And so may many men be put upon many good duties not for any love or liking of that which is good but because they would please and satisfie conscience which otherwise will not suffer them to be quiet It was conscience that kept Abimelech from defiling Sarah and yet a carnall man Here then a question may be asked Obj. Whether a mere naturall man can avoid sinne for conscience sake I answer Answ That this expression for conscience sake may be taken two wayes either 1. for conscience of the commandment of God and love to it and so none but Gods children do obey for conscience sake and so it is meant when Paul speaketh of being subject for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 1. Pet. 2.19 and Peter speaketh of suffering science may not reproch him all his dayes for not following it Whereas it is otherwise with the wicked Vse 3 3. The third use is this Seeing conscience is appointed by God to be our guide and our counsellour it should be our practice in every thing we do to ask counsel of conscience whether we were best do it or no. I say that conscience is Gods oracle Whatsoever we are to do we should as David enquire of Gods oracle 1. Sam. 23.2 May I go this way to work or shall I take an other course Heare counsel and receive instruction Prov. 19.20 saith Salomon that thou mayst be wise at thy latter end Conscience is a faithfull counsellour heare it It is the great mercie of God that thou hast such a privie counsel Thou canst go nowhere but it is about thee to advise thee Therefore as Rehoboam said to his green heads What counsel give you so say thou to thy conscience What advise givest thou Conscience in this case my carnall friends counsel me thus and thus mine own carnall heart and lusts would have me go this way but Conscience what counsell givest thou Vse 4 4. The fourth use is to reprove â—he custome of most men who with Ahab refuse the counsel of that one â—rue wholesome prophet have foure â—undred other counsellours who will â—ive counsel as they would have it They regard not this good Michaiah â—hey slight the counsel of conscience â—heir lusts and their carnall reason and â—â—esh and bloud are their counsellours The counsel of conscience they say is not â—ood at this time as he said of Achitoâ—hels They will heare conscience at â—nother time but not now But take â—eed for if you reject the counsel of â—onscience it is because the Lord hath â— purpose to destroy you The Adjuncts of conscience which shew themselves in the discharge of this dutie of judging and counselling THe adjuncts are of two sorts The adjuncts of conscience 1. such as respect consciences abilitie to â—ischarge its duty 2. such as accompanie conscience in the discharge thereof darknesse knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 O labour therefore to get a conscience illightened It is true a man may have an illightened conscience and yet go to hell but this is most certain without an illightened conscience a man cannot go to heaven And if thy conscience be something illightened yet labour for more light It will prevent many a stumble save thee from many a knock Thou knowest not what case thou mayest be in what difficult straits thou mayest be put unto if thou hast not light in thy conscience to direct
not onely absolve him from thâ— guilt of those sinnes which he neveâ— committed but also from the guilt oâ— those sinnes which he hath committeâ— against God or against man It can telâ— him he hath truly repented and trulâ— been humbled and truly got pardon Ye know David had committed diveâ— sinnes yet when he had humbled 〈◊〉 soul before God and obteined pardoâ— his conscience telleth him as much anâ— absolveth him Psal 103.3 Blesse tâ—â— Lord O my soul c. who forgiveth 〈◊〉 thy sinnes Nay though a child of Goâ— have many infirmities dayly and houâ—ly yet his conscience doth absolâ—â— him It is no more I that do it saith 〈◊〉 conscience but sinne that dwelleth in 〈◊〉 If I distrust it is no more I for I fight â—gainst it if I be overtaken by any weakâ—esse it is no more I for I laboured against 〈◊〉 and do bewail it III. A misliking conscience THe third part of consciences office in things done is to mislike if we â—ave done ill There be imperfections in the best obedience of Gods dearest servants What I do I allow not Rom. 7.15 saith â—aul His conscience misliked some â—â—ing done by him But that mislike of â—onscience which now I speak of is of â—â—ings that are ill done that is not done in truth and sinceritie Thus it is 〈◊〉 all that are not renewed by the holy Ghost The office of their conscience â—â—deed is to mislike what they do When they have prayed their consciâ—â—ce can mislike it and say I have not â—ayed with a heavenly mind a holy heart When they have been at a Sacrament â—onscience can truly mislike it and say â— have not been a fit guest at Christs taâ—â—e c. When they are crossed and â—empted their consciences truly mislike their carriage and say I do not fight and resist but readily and willingly yield tâ— every invitation to evil Do ye noâ— think that Jeroboams conscience misliked his altering Gods worship hiâ— innovating religion his making Israeâ— to sinne do not ye think his consciencâ— misliked him for these things Do noâ— ye think that Nabals conscience misliked his griping and Doegs conscience misliked his slandering and Pashurs conscience misliked his opposinâ— and misusing Jeremie and the old prophets conscience misliked his lying Who would have thought but Balaaâ— said well Whatsoever the Lord saith unto me that will I speak and I cannoâ— go beyond the commandment of the Lorâ— to do lesse or more no not for Balaâ—â— house full of gold who would havâ— thought but that this was well said yet his own conscience could noâ— choose but mislike it being not spokeâ— in sinceritie Many a man hath gooâ— for a Christian twentie or thirtie years and every one liketh him and yet iâ— may be his conscience hath disliked him all the while IV. A condemning conscience THe fourth part of consciences office in this behalf is to condemne â—f we have done evil and contrarie to Gods law Conscience hath an office â—ot onely to mislike us but also to conâ—emne us nay it will hasten more to â—ondemne us then God We see it in Adam Gen. 3.7 When Adam had sinned his â—onscience condemned him before God did he knew he was naked that 〈◊〉 had made his soul shamefully naked â—â—s conscience condemned him for an â—â—ostate before the Lord came to passe â—â—ntence upon him Nay it condemnâ—th us oftner then God God will condemne a sinner but once for all viz. 〈◊〉 the last day but conscience conâ—â—mneth him many thousand times beâ—â—re that Many men and women who 〈◊〉 seem godly in the worlds eyes God â—â—oweth how many of them have conâ—â—mning consciences in their bosomes 〈◊〉 all their civilities and formalities â—â—d crying God mercie and patchedâ—â— hopes many who would say that man were uncharitable who should condemn them for such and such who it may be find conscience within so uncharitable and saying plainly Ye are so like the conscience of Pauls heretick Tit. 3.11 who is said to be condemned of himself Vse 1 I. This serveth for the praise of the justice of God That he may be just when he judgeth the Lord needeth no other witnesse against us but our own consciences they make way for the just judgement of God Ye may see this in this portion of Scripture which we have in hand Rom. 2.15 wherein is shewed both that God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world vers 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men according to my Gospel and then in the verse going before the Apostle sheweth that now in the mean while every mans conscience maketh way for this just judgement of God their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts in the mean time accusing or excusing one another At the last day every man shall be judged according to his conscience a child of God according to his a carnall man according to his The Lord shall absolve all his children and their own consciences shall absolve them The Lord shall condemn all the rest and their own consciences shall condemn them This is the book that every mans life is set down in Every passage of conversation both of the godly and the wicked is recorded dayly in this book And according to what is written therein will the Lord judge every soul at the last day as Rev. 20.12 The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book according to their works The Apostle there speaketh prophetically and putteth the past time for the future they were judged that is they shall be judged So that ye see that by the judgement of conscience way is made for the just judgement of God Vse 2 II. This should be a means to keep us from sinne and to keep us in a holy life for according to our works so will be the evidences of our consciences whether they be good or evil We had need to take heed what we write in our consciences for according to what is written there so shall we be judged Therefore if any sinne standeth upon record in our consciences we had need get it blotted out by the bloud of Christ Repent be humbled beg for pardon rest not till thou seest this debt-book conscience crossed and thy sinnes stand there cancelled and discharged THus I have shewed you the offices of conscience about things heretofore done Now let me shew you the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices Ye have heard that conscience hath foure offices in things heretofore done 1. an office to approve 2. an office to absolve 3. an office to dislike 4. an office to condemne The two former when we have done well and lived well then the office of conscience is to approve and absolve The two latter when we have done ill and lived ill then the office of conscience is to mislike and to condemne Now followeth the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices and they are
lose our minds in the things of this life but this peace doth keep them upon God we should lose our hearts upon our profits and pleasures and affairs in the world but the peace of conscience doth keep them upon heaven Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds This doth the peace and quiet of a good conscience but the quiet of a wicked mans conscience doth not do thus it keepeth not his mind in this manner but it is upon earthly things for all that IV. They differ in respect of duration and continuauce The quiet of a good conscience is settled and grounded in the godly it never faileth them nor forsaketh them the other peace is fading Let a feeling sermon come and rifle carnall men it taketh away their peace from them their consciences then flie in their faces and then they see they are not right Let losse of outward things come light upon them or any other affliction it taketh their peace from them conscience then breaketh out upon them and sheweth them how they have deceived them selves with false peace especially at their death then an evil conscience that hath been quiet before in stead of comforting will affright and amaze them But if we have the quiet of a good conscience it will make us heare the word with comfort and not be troubled and disquieted by a searching sermon or the threatnings of Gods judgements Nay if we be in trouble this will quiet us if in affliction this will comfort us It will endure all ouâ— life and be present at our death then especially it will shew it self a friend unto us in standing by us to chear and refresh us Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offeâ—â— them saith David nothing shall offend them or take away their peace it is anâ— eternall and everlasting peace Thâ— you have seen how the true and false peace of conscience differ But here cometh a question to 〈◊〉 answered and it is this Have all God children this peace of conscience I dare say some of you look for this question and long to have it answered I answer therefore No they have it not alwayes Job seemed one while not to have it I have sinned Job 7.20 saith his conscience what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men David seemed one while not to have it Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie burden they are too heavie for me Psal 38.4 His sinnes lay heavie upon his conscience for a fit Hezekiah one while seemed not to have it Behold for peace I had great bitternesse And therefore I say the children of God have it not alwayes But let me tell you They might have it alwayes 1. It is possible they should have it alwayes Their sinnes of ignorance and infirmitie do not break the peace of their consciences cannot for if they could then no man should have true peace of conscience at any time Nothing but willing and witting sins sinnes against conscience can break the peace of conscience as it is possible for the children of God to live without these so it is possible for them alwaies to have peace yea they may have dayly more and more peace 2. As it is possible for the children of God alwayes to have peace so they are commanded to keep their peace alwayes and it is their own fault if at any time they lose it Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace saith Eliphas Col. 3.15 So Let the peace of God rule in your hearts unto which ye are called We are not onely commanded to have peace in our hearts but also that it may rule there that no corruption perk over it to hinder it we are called to this peace and commanded to have it and therefore as it is a sinne in the common-wealth when one breaketh the peace so it is a sinne in the spirit to break the peace of conscience we are all bound to the peace 3. If the children of God have it not alwayes then they feel the want of it and in the want of that comfort nothing else will comfort them It is not all the peace and prosperitie of the world that can comfort their hearts as long as they have not this peace not all the mirth in the world can content them untill they enjoy this peace again the peace and quiet of a good conscience they faint for it and long after it they can have no strength without it Psal 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace It is not so with corrupt hearts they can be without peace and yet never faint they can eat and drink for all that and sleep and be merry for all that yea and go about their profits and their earthly businesses as roundly as ever for all that But the children of God if they want the peace of conscience they have no strength to do any thing almost they faint till they have it again 4. The godly alwayes have the seeds of it in them Light is sown for the righteous Psal 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart Mark it is sown in their hearts and it will spring up at one time or other to chear them and to comfort them As it is with the wicked they may seem now and then to have true peace but they have the seeds of horrour alwayes in them which will sprout forth at last and then they shall find the worm of an evil conscience again so on the contrarie side the godly may seem now and then to have no peace but yet they have alwayes the seeds of true peace in them which will in time shew themselves and solace their souls for ever 5. They never want peace as the wicked do want it The wicked want it and have no possibilitie of having it they go in such paths as wherein they shall never know peace Isai 59.8 such paths as will never lead them unto it still their conscience is able to say they are not right they are carnall and not spirituall they know no true peace of conscience neither can they But the children of God walk in such wayes as will bring them to true peace of conscience ere they have done By this ye see what a good and quiet conscience is It cannot be but that all must like it and wish O that we had it Beloved let us labour to get it and the assurance of it No blessing under heaven is like it It is a heaven upon earth Happie are they who can shew they have it and miserable are they who have it not Dulce nomen pacis Sweet and pleasant is the very name of peace especially of the peace of a good conscience If ye have it no misery can make you miserable and if ye have it not no happinesse can make
upon God to comfort it If thou goest and daubest up the matter thy self and criest Peace peace to thy self thou dost not wait upon God Thus I have answered the last question How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience what must such a man do to be freed from it And hitherto we have spoken of the two last adjuncts of conscience a Quiet conscience and an Unquiet conscience What they be and How they differ and we have resolved and answered the questions and difficulties about them Conscience beareth witnesse of our persons COncerning the witnesse of conscience I told you that conscience beareth witnesse of two things 1. It beareth witnesse of our actions 2. It beareth witnesse of our persons The former hath been declared unto you at large I come now to the latter Conscience beareth witnesse also of our persons whether we be good or evil whether in Christ or in sinne And here I will shew you foure things 1. That every mans conscience may inform him what state he is in whether of salvation or damnation whether of grace or of nature 2. How conscience doth it 3. When conscience doth it 4. How it cometh to passe then that so many thousands mistake and are ignorant and deluded about their estates I. For the first That every mans conscience may inform him what estate he is in 1. Everie mans conscience may inform him in what state he is whether good or bad I speak especially of such as live under the light of the Gospel of Christ There are two rules the one is Gods word which pointeth out both estates and the other is every mans conscience which is privy to the frame and standing of every mans own heart and which of these estates his estate is conscience is privy â—o this I will instance in some sorts of men 1. The Jews who contented â—hemselves with formality they sacrificed they offered they payed their tithes they did that which Moses commanded them for the letter of it now ye shall see their conscience could tell them that they were not perfect nor upright with God All their duties and formalities and gifts and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect as perteining to the conscience Heb. 9.9 Mark Their consciences could say they were not upright for all this As they were not upright so their consciences could tell them they were not upright 2. Another instance we have in the Scribes and Pharisees When they would have condemned the woman taken in adultery their own conscience was privy that they were sinners themselves John 18.9 So also it is with a child of God His conscience is able to inform him that he is a child of God and that he doth truly serve God 2. Tim. 1.3 I thank God saith Paul whom I serve with a pure conscience His conscience told him he was a true servant of God and that he was Gods whose I am saith he So Davids conscience I am thine save me for I have sought thy commandments So the church My beloved is mine and I am his Ye see then how conscience can inform and tell us what estate we are in whether we be godly or carnall whether our conversation be in heaven or on earth whether we be in Christ or out of him The spirit of man knoweth what is in him It is easie to know what our great thoughts of heart are upon what our greatest purposes and projects and studies be whether about God or the world the spirit of a man must needs know it And therefore every man may draw out from conscience a â—rue conclusion how it is with him The â—easons are these 1. The first is taken from the nature â—f conscience The nature of consciâ—nce is such that it must needs be able â—o know what is with a man Now his welldoings or his illdoings are with â—im he was with himself when he did â—hem When thou art proud or impaâ—ient or carelesse in any duty thou art with thy self when thou art so All thy illdoings are with thee and therefore thy conscience must needs know what thou art Isai 59.12 Our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Take a curser and as Solomon saith Thine own heart knoweth that thou hast used to curse others Eccles 7.22 So it is with a godly soul Thine obedience is with thee and thy self-deniall is with thee and thy care to walk before God all is with thee and therefore thou must needs know it This is the nature of conscience It is privy to what is with one 2. The second reason is taken from the equity of Gods judgements on the wicked The Lord he will judge none to hell but his conscience shall confesse he was one that walked in the way to hell and death Ye may reade it in the man that had not on the wedding-garment When Christ did charge him with his not having on a wedding-garment and did condemn him to utter darknesse the text saith Matth. 22.12 he was speechlesse that is his conscience confessed that Christs judgement was just I have not on a wedding-garment saith his conscience and it is my fault that I have none and I am rightly condemned Thus his conscience did know it otherwise he could not have been speechlesse in his own defense As Festus told Agrippa that he answered the Priests Acts 25.16 It is not the manner of the Romanes to deliver any man to dye before that he who is accused have his accusers face to face and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him So may I say that the great Judge of quick and dead will not judge any man to hell but he will have his accusers face to face and if he can answer for himself he may Now if conscience be not privy to what estate soever a wicked man is in his conscience could never accuse him face to face at the last day nor justifie the Lord Jesus and make the sinner stand speechlesse before God He might answer Lord I do not know any such thing as is laid to my charge I am not convinced that the case is thus and thus with me that I am in such an estate as I am accused of No wicked man shall be able to say thus Therefore conscience can inform a man in what estate he is 3. The third reason is taken from the Lords manner of judging the godly He will judge them and absolve them secundùm allegata probata as we say according to the word and their own consciences Ye may see the true form of judgement which the Lord will go by Matth 25. Where the Lord convinceth the whole world who were righteous and who not who to be judged to punishment and who to life for ever at last he concludeth The wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall As if he had said Your consciences
however and the high-way to hell but to be wicked when ye have godly neighbours about you your sinne now is double For as you offend God so you offend them too Ye may remember what Christ saith Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hung about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Matth. 18.6 Ah ye vile wretches ye little imagine what fearfull vengeance ye pull on your own heads It were better for you that a milstone were hung about your necks and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend one of these little ones Ye may call them what ye will call them puritanes precisians uncharitable people censurers ye may call them as Satan teacheth you to call them but it is certain it were better a milstone were hung about your neck and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend any one of Christs little ones The Lord open your eyes that ye may repent and believe the gospel your selves and be saved 4. Lastly be exhorted brethren to labour after a good conscience How excellent a thing is it that hath so many good ingredients Illumination is one ingredient and Faith is another and Tendernesse another and Purenesse another and Quietnesse another and the Bloud of Jesus Christ another It is like Aarons composition which smelt sweetly when he went into the sanctuarie It is compounded of excellent conditions such as smell sweeâ— when we come before God the Lord loveth that such should come neaâ— him We may come with assurance tâ— speed if we come with a good conscience Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with assurance oâ— faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mark we may draw near with assurance if we come with tâ— good conscience It will comfort us in all troubles and support us in all dangers It maketh us happie nay there is no happinesse without it It will make us with quietnesse and contentednesse of spirit undergo whatever it shall please God to lay upon us How can they want comfort that have this It is a spring of comfort within them This will remain with us when all other comforts will forsake us When friends fail and estate faileth when credit and health and strength and all fail then a good conscience if we have it will speak peace to us yea and it will effect it in us comfort us and fasten comfort upon us Friends may speak words of comfort and peace to us but it may be we are not able to receive it the minister may preach peace but it may be we are not able to take it But a good conscience speaketh peace and effecteth it it doth not onely speak it but it putteth it into our hearts It proppeth us up in all miseries in sicknesses yea in death it self A good conscience then maketh us hold up our heads when all the world shall be confounded A good conscience will bear us out against the King of terrours It is onely a good conscience that can look death in the face 1. Cor. 15.55 57. and say O death where is thy sting thanks be to God who giveth us victorie through our Lord Jesus Christ Yea at the day of judgement when the whole world shall be burning before us when the great men of the world who go in silks and scarlet and broidred hair shall fear and shiver as a reed shaken with the wind this will make us with boldnesse undergo the terrour of it This will make us happie in all our distresses When crosses pelt us and sicknesse paineth us and death attacheth us we are happie men What if we have the tokens of Gods wrath upon our bodies so we have the marks of his love upon our souls What outward calamitie soever happeneth to us yet if we have this good conscience we are happie O then let us labour to get it by faith and a holy life If we would be safe in the floud-time in the day of Gods wrath we must be busie now about the ark we must provide beforehand for it Nothing but this ark will save us in the deluge of Gods anger It is in vain to trouble our selves about other things Jubal was a merrie man Gen. 4.20 he made pipes and organes Jabal built tents others planted vineyards but Noah provided his ark Many desire comfort in sicknesse in death but they do not provide for it beforehand They look after their sports or businesses in the world but this ark is neglected this good conscience without which all mens labour is vain Be they what they will be in never so much credit and esteem they are yet most miserable when troubles and afflictions come on them as one day they shall and shall not tarrie then all their comforts will forsake them When death looketh them in the face then their hearts die within them How full of pride and haughtinesse soever they were before yet when they come to die if their consciences be awaked they will with Saul fall down to heare the name of death 1. Sam. 28.20 and no spirits be left in them Nay if we want a good conscience when we lie on our death-beds desire good people to pray for us Good sir I beseech you let me have the benefit of your prayers to God for me Alas if thou hast not a good conscience all the prayers under heaven will not help thee See Heb. 13.18 Brethren pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience Mark The Apostle telleth them they may pray for him with comfort because he had a good conscience As if he had said If we had not a good conscience it were in vain for you to pray for us If ever God heare the prayers made for us we must have a good conscience Those that have not this good conscience shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven Though they had Moses Daniel and Job to pray for them yet all their prayers could not help them in the time of their distresse The bond of conscience NOw we must look back unto the foure propositions which at the beginning I observed in the text I am upon 1. That there is in every man a conscience 2. That the light which directeth conscience is knowledge 3. That the bond which bindeth conscience is Gods law 4. That the office of conscience is to bear witnesse to accuse or excuse I have in the handling of these a little altered the method and spake of the two first and the last Now followeth the third and that is consciences bond which is Gods law which shew the work of the law written in their hearts c. It is onely the work of Gods law that it beareth witnesse of that it accuseth or excuseth for The bond of conscience is Gods law The law of God is consciences bond Neverthelesse we must here distinguish The bonds
convinced thee of thy sinnes and made thy conscience say I am a sinner and am guiltie before God I tell thee then Thy conscience is bound and all the world cannot loose it But hast thou been humbled and emptied of thy self and doth the word pronounce pardon of thy sinnes in Christs name that thy conscience can say The Lord speaketh peace to my soul I tell thee Thou art loosed and nor hell nor devil nor sinne nor flesh nor any thing can bind thee Ye may see the power of Gods word in that speech of our Saviour Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Matth. 18.18 That is My word which ye preach is of that nature that if that loose your conscience it is loosed indeed and nothing can bind it if that do bind it it is bound soundly indeed and nothing can loose it O this is a terrour to the wicked Doth the word of God say Prov. 29.1 He that hardneth his neck being often rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured O fear and tremble ye that harden your necks against the reproofs of the Almightie his word bindeth over your consciences to Christs barre Doth the word say Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge If thou beest such an one thy conscience is bound with this word and it will apply it to the soul before the tribunal-seat of Christ Doth the word crie out against any of thy courses thy conscience is bound as with chains and it is not all thy vain hopes and excuses can loose thee Again this is comfort to the godly Gods word is the supreme binder of conscience O ye blessed of the Lord the word of God tieth such a fast knot to your comforts that all hell cannot open it with their teeth The word of the Lord Jesus is with your who hath the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Yea but sayest thou My sinnes are against me What then mark what the word saith We have an Advocate with the Father Thy conscience is bound to believe that Yea but I have a very naughtie heart and I cannot tell what to do with it Mark what the word saith Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved This bindeth thy conscience But I offend dayly Mark still what the word saith Christ bringeth in everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9.24 If thou beest unworthy to day there is righteousnesse for thee to day if unworthy to morrow there is righteousnesse for thee to morrow if unworthy for ever there is righteousnesse for thee for ever This is Gods word and thy portion this bindeth thy conscience to lay hold on it But I have abundantly sinned What saith Christs word I will abundantly pardon O what comfort is this to every poore soul which the Lord Jesus hath humbled His word is the supreme binder of conscience above the law above justice above threatnings above all the world besides His promising word is the supreme binder of thy conscience if thou beest one of Christs And therefore fear not onely believe and be thankfull and give glory to God This is the childrens bread no stranger can intermeddle with it The secondary bond of conscience YE have heard that the bonds of conscience are of two sorts First there is a supreme bond of conscience and that is Gods word of which I have already spoken Secondly there is a relative bond of conscience which bindeth conscience indeed but it is onely in relation to Gods word because Gods word putteth authority upon it And this latter is also of two sorts 1. Others may bind conscience 2. We our selves may bind our own consciences I. Others may bind our consciences I. Others may bind our consciences namely when they have authority conferred upon them from God so their laws and commands receive vigour and force from Gods laws Thus the laws and commands of Magistrates bind the conscience of People of Parents bind the conscience of Children of Masters bind the conscience of Servants For though they do not bind conscience as they are the commandments of men yet having Gods seal and authority upon them they do I will set down some conclusions whereby ye may know how farre the laws and commandments of others bind or not bind conscience 1. Conclusion 1. Magistrates have power to command us Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 That chapter doth most clearly prove this conclusion unto us Out of the first part of the chapter we learn 1. That Magistrates have power and authority to make laws and to establish orders among men and therefore they are called powers 2. We learn that these laws of Magistrates receive strength and force from the law of God For the powers that be are ordained of God saith the text 3. Those laws made by the Magistrate and confirmed by God have power to bind conscience vers 5. Wherefore we must be subject not onely because of wrath but also for conscience sake And the violating of them is sinne When their authority is confirmed by God we cannot resist them but we resist the ordinance of God saith the Apostle nay we may pull condemnation upon us if we do They that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation vers 2. So that this first conclusion telleth us what laws of men are to be obeyed viz. 1. Such as do virtually flow from Gods word though not expressely commanded in it 2. Such as are good and wholesome and profitable for the common-wealth These though they are not particularly commanded in Gods word yet are they by virtue of it injoyned and therefore to neglect them and be disobedient unto them is to neglect and be disobedient to God Again so farre onely are they to be obeyed so farre onely I say as they virtually do flow from Gods word for so farre onely they receive force from Gods law This is the first conclusion 2. Conclusion 2. The commandments of Magistrates and those that are in authoritie lose their power of binding the conscience in foure cases 1. When they command that which though in it self it be not simply and absolutely sinfull and unlawfull yet it doth put us upon a necessity of sinning As for example If a Magistrate command single life to all Ministers this thing is not in it self simply unlawfull for it is lawfull to marry and it is lawfull not to marry yet this commandment is unlawfull because it would put Ministers upon a necessity of sinning The reason is because all have not this power And therefore such a commandment as this would not bind conscience For the conscience cannot be bound to impurity or an apparent danger of impurity and therefore though the thing be not simply unlawfull yet the commandment is simply unlawfull and doth not bind conscience The Apostle maketh such a commandment to
argue a seared conscience in the commander and therefore none but a seared conscience can think it is bound by it 1. Tim. 4.2 3. 2. The commandments of Magistrates lose their power of binding the conscience when they command things that are unlawfull in themselves and contrary to the word of God In this case they do not bind conscience because Gods seal is not on them We have an example of this in the three blessed children Dan. 3.16 Who when the king commanded them to worship the image that he had set up they did not conceive themselves bound in conscience to obey they would rather suffer torment then obey it So also Daniel when he was commanded not to ask any petition of God for thirty dayes space but onely of the king Daniel did not conceive himself bound in conscience nay he chose rather to be cast into the den of lions then obey Dan. 6.16 In this case the answer of the Apostles is necessarie who when they were commanded not to preach any more in the name of the Lord Jesus thus they answered Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey men rather then God judge ye 3. When mens laws and commands overthrow the libertie of Christianitie that Christian libertie which Christ hath purchased for us then they lose their power of binding the conscience But here I must tell you of a caution viz. That this libertie may be considered in a double respect 1. In regard of it self the libertie it self 2. In regard of the exercise or use of this libertie Now there is a very great difference between these two considerations as there is a great difference between a mans having a sword and a mans wearing a sword The Magistrate may restrain a man from wearing a sword at such or such a time though he do not take his sword from him so there is difference between the having our libertie and the using our libertie There is a libertie purchased for Gods children whereby all things are become lawfull unto them All things are lawfull unto me saith Paul 1. Cor. 6.12 and there is nothing evil in it self Rom. 14.14 he speaketh of indifferent things Gods children are freed from the observation of meats and drinks and times and garments Now whatsoever commandment is made by the Magistrate contrarie to this libertie doth not bind conscience for nothing can bind conscience when Christ doth loose it Yet there may be a restraint of the use of this libertie as for example the Magistrate may command us to forbear some kinds of meats at some certain times and so also for garments and the like namely when the doctrine about meats and drinks and garments is pure And therefore in such a case the command of the Magistrate bindeth the conscience otherwise not 4. When they command things indifferent to be absolutely necessarie to make them idolatrous or superstitious then in this case they are unlawfull and bind not the conscience to obey them But when are they idolatrous I answer 1. When they are commanded either as absolutely necessarie to Christianitie to the very being of religion and the worship of God and with as much necessitie as holinesse it self then they are made superstitious and idolatrous And in this case the caveat of St John is strongly to be kept Babes 1. John 5.21 keep your selves from idoles 2. When they are commanded as things meritorious as pleasing to God for themselves and to merit of him then they are idolatrous 3. When they are commanded for the substantiall perfection of religion as though religion were imperfect without them then they are made idolatrous and lose their virtue of binding the conscience But all such commands of things that are indifferent which are commanded without respect to make them idolatrous they may be obeyed This is our second conclusion 3. Conclusion 3. Those laws and commandments of Magistrates which want the authoritie of Gods law to confirm them and therefore bind not the conscience ought not to be disobeyed for all that with scandal or contempt and by unreverent slighting or despising the Magistrate or his laws He must be acknowledged a Magistrate under God for all that 1. Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort that supplications be made for Kings and those that are in authoritie He speaketh there of heathen Kings yet he calleth them Kings and saith they have authoritie and we ought to pray for them and therefore how much more when Kings and Magistrates subscribe to Christian religion Nay though they command that which is utterly unlawfull we must not rise up against them for if we do we rise up against God We must obey them one way or other either actively or passively When they command that which is lawfull for us to do we must obey them by doing when they command that which is unlawfull for us to do threaten punishment then we cannot actively obey them by doing because they command against God yet we must passively obey by suffering and submitting to their penalties because the Lord hath given them authority over us This is our third conclusion 4. Conclusion 4. Those laws of Magistrates which by Gods law do not bind conscience do yet in matter of scandal bind us to obedience If the Magistrate shall command any thing beyond his power to command yet not unlawfull for us to do though such a command do not bind to obedience in case of conscience yet in case of scandal it doth Thus Christ was content to pay tribute though he needed not to have done it The children saith he are free Matth. 17.27 neverthelesse lest he should offend the Magistrate he did pay it I will put an example of another nature In a private wrong though we are not expressely bound to it yet rather then scandalously to contend conscience doth bind us to yield Needed Abraham to have condescended so farre unto Lot as to let him take his choice before him No rather then scandal of religion should arise ye may reade that he did it Thus I have briefly made it manifest how farre the commands of the Magistrate do not bind conscience and how farre they do Objections Obj. 1 1. But it may be objected Conscience hath onely relation to God Answ I answer It is true as the supreme and absolute binder of conscience but it hath a relation also unto men in the second place inasmuch as God puteth upon men such terms as conscience hath relation to Acts 24.16 Herein I have alwayes endevoured my self to have alwayes a clear conscience both towards God and towards men Mark Conscience hath relation to both For though it have its main relation to God and his word yet in him it hath relation unto men Obj. 2 2. Again it may be replied The Magistrates do not undertake nor can they to meddle with mens invisible spirits for they are not able to see whether the spirit of man be obedient or no and therefore
when they are alone and their consciences at counsel within themselves then they conclude Indeed they do well Thus their consciences give a good evidence of us and accuse them for not doing the like And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of other mens binding of conscience II. We may bind our own consciences II. We our selves may bind our own consciences And that is by those vows and promises which we make to God of any thing lawfull and in our power Those vows and promises which we make unto God according to the warrant of his word they do bind our conscience They are our own before we have made them as Ananias and Sapphira their gift was their own before they vowed it to the church While it remained was it not thine own and when it was sold was it not in thine own power Acts 5.4 We need not vow unlesse we will but after we have vowed our vows are Gods bonds and do bind the conscience to the performance of them Nay we lie unto God as the text saith they did if we do not stand to the performance of them But it may be demanded What vows are they which are unlawfull and do not bind conscience I answer 1. Such as we make of things impossible and beyond our power These are unlawfull and do not bind conscience 2. Such as we make of things unlawfull when we vow to do that which is contrarie to Gods law such as Davids was when he vowed the destruction of Nabals familie 1. Sam. 25.22 This doth not bind conscience nay we are bound in conscience to break it 3. Such as though they be of things lawfull and possible yet we want freedome in the performance of them as for a wife or a servant or a child to make a vow when their relation to such as are over them will not suffer them to perform it Numb 30.3 This bindeth not conscience Nothing bindeth conscience but that which hath Gods seal upon it but this hath not Gods seal on it and therefore it doth not bind conscience indeed it bindeth us in conscience to repent of it 4. Such as though they be lawfull and profitable and in our own freedome yet if there fall a greater consequence before the time of performance we are not bound in conscience to perform them as if a man upon the receit of some mercie should in testimonie of his thankfulnesse vow a hundred pounds to good uses in the mean time his estate so decayeth as that he shall undo himself and his familie if he perform it this is so great a consequence and contingently hapned that it freeth his conscience from performing what he had vowed Or if a man should promise marriage to a woman and before the time of nuptials she be found unchast this is a farre greater consequence and he is not bound in conscience to marry her These kinds of vows do not bind in conscience But all other do bind us 1. Vse We may learn from hence never to vow but with good judgement and counsel For either we must keep our promise or not If we must that is a signe it is good and therefore had need of deliberation If we must not keep it then it is a signe of rashnesse and inconsideratenesse and besides it may prove scandalous and offensive to them to whom we make it and also to them that shall heare of it And therefore it requireth good judgement and advise to vow What a rash vow was that of good Jephthah Judges 11.30 If thou wilt deliver Ammon into my hand whatsoever meeteth me I will offer it for a burnt-offering How if a dog had first met him what a sin had it been How if his daughter what a thing had that been And indeed it proved to be his daughter Vows without judgement do but increase our sinnes and aggravate our transgressions against God 2. Vse This teacheth us to keep our good vows whatsoever they be that we make Indeed it is hard to keep a good yea it is hard to make a good vow in that manner as we should It requireth a great deal of faith and self-deniall and humilitie and strength of resolution But when we have made it our sinne is the greater if we do not then keep it â—cles 5.5 Better it is not to vow then that thou shouldst vow and not pay Hast thou vowed a vow then deferre not to pay it God hath no pleasure in fools As if the holy Ghost had said It is the part of a fool to vow before he consider and be absolutely resolved to perform to be off and on with the Lord God of hosts The Lord hath no pleasure in fools Therefore pay all thy good vows and be humbled for thy rash vows But we are fallen into bad times when truth and equitie is perished from among men Every one is a deceitfull bow yea the best almost is a briar Nothing so common as vows and promises but few make conscience of performing them Nay men are carelesse of their grand vow which they have made unto God in their baptisme â—aptisme O this is a very fearfull sinne Ye have all made a vow unto God in your baptisme that ye would live otherwise then ye do and ye make no conscience to keep it Baptisme is a very weightie thing If there were no other thing to bind you to holinesse and obedience and faith but onely the vow ye entred into in your baptisme did ye consider what a vow it is it would move you alone It is said of Apollos that he was fervent in spirit though he knew nothing but the baptisme of John Acts 18.25 Apollos considered what a vow he had made unto God in his baptisme that though he knew nothing else it made him zealous for God Baptisme is a very great binder of conscience It bindeth a man to believe and to go out of himself and to submit to Jesus Christ The wicked Pharisees saw this to be true Matth. 21.25 If we shall say that Johns baptisme was from heaven he will say Why did ye not then believe Beloved was not your baptisme from heaven was it not an ordinance of God and did ye not solemnly then vow unto God Why then do ye not believe why do ye not denie your selves your works your wayes and take up Christs crosse As Christ saith of John Baptist Among them that are born of women there hath not been a greater then John the Baptist Matth. 11.11 so may I say of bonds and of vows and covenants Among all the vows and covenants that ever were made there hath not been a greater then this of Baptisme And therefore ye had best look to the performing of what ye then vowed If ye do not ye are grievous breakers of covenant with God which sinne will surely stand against you for evil It is most certain that Baptisme doth greatly bind us in conscience to walk answerably to