faithful Ministers for delivering Gods minde and rebuking the sins of their wicked hearers sometimes Take heed thou tread not in their steps to interdict and silence thy own conscience this is more to be hearkened to in many cases then any Divine or Minister whatsoever this is the mouth of the Lord the Candle of the Lord searching and discovering Pro. 20. 27. the secrets and inward things of the belly We say conscience in some cases is above all witnesses a thousand witnesses it is a thousand Preachers too God saith to conscience as he Conscientia mille Ministri did to Moses once Exod. 7. 1. See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet Conscience shall be to me in stead of a mouth saith God and to thee in stead of God as Moses was to Aaron Exo. 4. 16. Consciences second office is Regall or Magistratuall 2. Consciences Regall office a higher office then the former Conscience hath a commanding and legislative power to binde even kings in chains and nobles with fetters of iron He is thy Perpetuus Dictator whose dictares are Laws They were a law to themselves Rom. 2. 14. This king may neither be deposed nor resisted but ever informed counselled and treated with and then ever obeyed as Gods vicegerent Whosoever cast off the imperiall commands of conscience God saith to them as he did to Samuel concerning Israel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reigne over them God giveth to conscience a large Commission and saith to it as to Eliakim in the day of his investiture in his office I will clothe thee with a new robe and commit the government into thy hand The key of the house of David will I lay on thy shoulders Thou shalt shut and none shall open thou shalt open and none shall shut Isay 22. 21 22. What conscience peremptorily commands or forbids is more to a godly man then what Kings or States command And the religious man resolveth Conscientia mille Reges mille Leges rather to disobey any unjust commands of Kings or States and fall under any displeasure of men then to go against the dictates of his own rightly informed conscience We are not carefull O King to answer thee in this Dan. 3. 16. matter said they to Nebuchadnezzar although they heard his expresse commands and saw the fiery furnace before them Julian the Apostate forbad the Christians to sing Psalms Risui ei catui furias suas esse intellexit Magd. cent 4. cap. 3. the very women and virgins did purposely sing the louder when the Emperour was to go by their doors that he saw his wrath was by them derided And those Psalms they picked out that condemned his Idols as that Psalm 135 ver 15. 16 18. Conscience rides in the second Charet and is Gen. 41. 40 43. 44. solo Deo minor soli Deo secunda Without thee saith God to conscience as Pharaoh once to Joseph shall no man lift up his hand or foot Onely in the Throne will I be greater then thou Conscience hath a kingly or magistratuall power but must not exercise an Arbitrary power It must be it self at his beck who is in the Throne Of whose subordination to God and his written Word and Law we shall speak afterwards in his proper place His third office is Testimoniall or to bear Consciences Testimoniall Office witnesse Rom. 2. 14 15. The Gentiles who had not the Law in Tables of stone as had the Jews had the Law written in their hearts which did shew it self in this work of Conscience Their consciences also bearing witnesse Rom. 2. 14. 15. c. This is the witnesse in a mans self a greater testimony then that of John This is the Epistle of Christ written in the heart Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. A testimony and certificate which Gods Spirit doth attest to and consent with Rom. 9. 1. My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost In the mouth of these two great witnesses the state of a Christian is established For the Spirit it self witnesseth with our spirit that we are the Rom. 8. 16 sons of God Rom. 8. 16. This testimony of conscience is above a thousand witnesses be it Conscientia mille testes for thee or against thee 1 Job 3. 19 20 21. Turpe quid acturus te sine teste time Take heed wheresoever thou art what thou dost Conscience will out with all the secret passages it hath observed It is like Joseph among his brethren who carried home their ill report to their father and made them much anger Thou never sinnest without a spie or Gen. 37. 2. an observer and informer Do therefore as was said of Mr. Latimer who being examined in private spake more freely till he over-heard one behinde the Hangings whom he saw not present to take in writing what he said then he spake more warily Take heed what thou dost remotis arbitris Curse not the King no not in thy thought conscience the margin reads it scientia Arias Mont. conscientia Junius Nor the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voyce and thaâ— which hath wings shall tell the matter Eccles 10 20. Thine own conscience may be that bird Elisha did relate what was in agitation at the 2 Kin. 6. 12 King of Syrias Councell-table yea what passed in his Bed-chamber Such an observing witnesse hath every one continually with him do he good or evil Conscience is a witness and is like one of those two famous witnesses spoken of Revel 11. 3. who prophesied in sackcloth despised and opposed by the men of the world as the great Rev. 11 3. 5. 6 c. heart troubler and worlds tormenter they rejoyced made merry and sent gifts when they were slain these brought all plagues from heaven among men and could shut up Heaven it self fire came out of their mouth yet kill this if thou darest and keep it down if thou canst it will rise again after a few days stand upon his feet the sight thereof will terrifie and dismay thee but thou shalt know it will go up to Heaven there to accuse and condemn thee 4. The fourth Office of conscience is Judiciall Conscienecs judicial Office and Judge-like It doth passe sentence on thee and read thy doom Hence men are said to be convicted of their own Consciences Joh. 8. 9. Some are said to be self condemned Tit. 3. 11. Happy is he that condemneth not himself Rom. 14. 22. If our heart that is our conscience condemn us God is greater then our hearts to condemn us further But if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Consciences sentence is the fore-runner of the last judgement Praejudicium Divini judicii as Joseph interpreted
his Wine to wash cleanse and search it if defiled his Oyl to mollifie supple and heal it if bruised festered This is the first and great Experiment to be used The second is like unto it namely this 2. The Spirit of Christ to get and seek the Spirit of Christ which is the next principal ingredient in or efficient of a good Conscience It is the Spirit of God with our Spirit that makes the good Conscience In this sense we may allow that of Origen That Conscience is another Spirit in the soul therefore the Apostle saith of his Conscience that it did bear him Rom. 9. 1. witnesse in the Holy Ghost The single Testimonie of natural Conscience is not much to be regarded in many cases but when Conscience is cleared by the Spirit and seconded with the Spirit the Testimony of these two is great and weighty the Spirit of God witnessing thus to our spirit is the clearest Testimony of Rom. 8. 16. of our Adoption and Salvation which thy Conscience alone is not to be credited in for what could the light of our body the eye see and discern if it were not for the light of the Heaven the Sun we should have a continuall Night So without the Spirit the light of God what can Conscience our light see and discern of the things of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. that God doth reveal unto his servants the deep mysteries of the Gospel by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him So the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of Cod c. So that wheresoever the spirit of God is there is the good Conscience where it is wanting Conscience cannot be good Where the naturall enlivening Spirit is absent or departed there is no life or vegetation or sense or reason or motion but all death darkness coldnesse c. So where the enlivening Spirit of Grace is wanting to the soul there is no life sense motion comfort but all is dead within and all the works are but dead works But where the Spirit is there is life there is light there is liberty and there is purity there is peace and there is grace there is comfort and there is Conscience there is indeed all 2 Subservient means The subservient means are thirteen whereof the first six direct us what to do the other seven what to avoid First of all those subservient means next to Christ Jesus himself and his Spirit which are the principal Faith is to be sought to 1. Faith make thee a good Conscience Thefore how often do we find faith and good Conscience joyned This next to the bloud of Christ and the purifying water of the Spirit hath the greatest cleansing virtue Act. 15. 9. Christ hath given faith for this end to purifie the heart Where faith is pure the Conscience is pure this makes the good and mends the bad Conscience Faith and good Conscience are made one for the other as the woman and the man to be fellow-helpers each to other Faith is Consciences Keeper Conscience again is Faiths These two like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer may discomfit a whole Hoste 1 Sam. 14. of Philistins when they keep together nothing is hard for them to undertake or like Saul and Jonathan lovely in life and undivided in death Faith and good Conscience do many a good office each for other and are forced to unite in a league offensive and defensive In an offensive league as Simeon and Judah Jud. 1. 3. the one must help the other to expell the Canaanites out of his Coast first and then proceed to expell them out of the others Coasts after Good Conscience helps to expel the Canaanites of fear distrust and despair out of Faiths coasts and to slay Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai these Jud. 1. 10 three sons of Anak and faith again layes to his helping hand to expel the Canaanites of fear guilt deadnesse dulnesse erroneousnesse and Scrupulousnesse out of Consciences coasts And in a defensive league they are joyned as David said to Abiathar Abide with me fear not so saith Faith to Conscience Abide with me Conscience for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety 1 Sam. 22. 23. Faith is the white Alabaster-box in which Consciences pretious Oyntment is put Faith is the bottle into which the wine of good Conscience is poured So again Conscience doth as much for Faith Faith is the light good Conscience is Faiths lanthorn the lanthorn shews forth the light within the lanthorn defends the light from winds and weather without that it be not blown out Conscience holds forth the light of Faith to be seen of men Conscience defends faith that it be not put out Faith is the Apple or sight of the eye Conscience is the eye-lid no eye-lid can see or doth it profit the body at all without the sight within nor can the eye see long if it have not the eye-lids to defend it from Sun dust smoak and the like annoyances and to keep the sight clear So what is Conscience without Faith but a blind and blundering Conscience And what is Faith without Conscience but as a naked weak raw sore eye A three-fold faith necessary to good conscience 1 Justifiing Faith Now this Faith that makes and keeps a good Conscience is three-fold First Justifying Faith there must be apprehending and applying the bloud of Christ Act. 15. 9. This is principally necessary to be sought this fides quâ creditur is the fides qua vivitur the fides quae creditur is not sufficient without this Secondly Doctrinal faith this is the faith 2 Doctrinal Faith here spoken of Hold faith and a good Conscience that is the sound Orthodox faith contend for it continue in it From this Hymenaeus and Alexander swerved and then left the plain path of good Conscience Say not any man is sound in faith and of a good Quam tu secretus es Deus solits magnus lege infatigabili spargens paenale â—caecitates super illicitas cupiditaâ—eâ— Aug. Conf. l. 1. Conscience who is unsound in Judgement and opinions Corrupt opinions breed corrupt Consciences and corruption in morals usually follows the corruption in intellectuals Here begins commonly the first step backward to all Apostacy and the first step forward to all impiety It is a sad story of the Emperour Valens who while he was among the Orthodox had gained much Glory in the Church he had stood firme in the time of Julian the Apostate together with his Brother Valentinian chusing rather to lay down all his Military Honours and imployments than
wildernesse of Kadesh doth tremble when he speaks terror who can give peace His word is as fire in the Bones He sendeth his word the Snow is scattered like woll It s like morsels who can stand before his cold There is a winter and trembling in the conscience But he sendeth Psal 147. 17. 18. forth his word againe and melteth them All the mighty workes wrought upon the soule are by meanes of the word of Christ By this word Act. 10. 36. Christ commeth to the Mar. 4 50 Luk. 24. 38 soule Preaching Peace He saith why are ye fearefull oh ye of little faith why are ye troubled why doe thoughts arise in your heart By his word he coms into the sad solitary soule as Jo. 20. 19. he did to the Disciples all doores being shut and saith Peace be unto you Yea ordinarily that you may waite on the word for tydings of Peace The Peace which Christ doth create is the fruit of the lips of his Ministers Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him The Ministers Feet bring Peace by Preaching the word of Peace Isa 52. 7. And the feet of Beleevers are said to be shod with Peace to walk in waies of Peace through the preparation and Eph. 6. 15 preaching of the Gospell of Peace When the minister comes to a place or people Preaching Peace if there be a Son and Heire of Peace there his Peace shall remaine upon that Person Luk. 10. 6. 2. By the Blood of Christ This is the Procuring cause of all our Peace Col. 1. 20. Having By the blood of Christ made Peace by the blood of his Cross The Peace of our Conscience is the meer issue of that blessed Personall Treaty made between the Father and the Son in behalf of undone and Ruined man the blood of Christ being the whole price of it and all the satisfaction to be made Rom. 3. 23 24 25. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of all sins past c. The blood of the Paschall Lamb upon the door post was the peace and security of Israel against the destroyer Exo. 12. 23 and the blood of Christ upon the soul is the consciences security alone against all remaining guilt and corruption of sin rage of Satan and danger of Gods displeasure This blood gives the soul all boldnesse to enter into Heb. 10. 19 the holyest by a new and living way and gives us assurance before God 3. By the Spirit of Christ This is the Procreating 3. By the spirit of Christ and Producing cause of Peace in us as the blood of Christ was the Procuring cause of Peace for us For this reason Christ and the Holy Ghost are called by one and the same name because their end and businesse is the same to procure Peace to the soul Christ is an Advocate or Paraclete 1 Joh. 2. 1. The holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete Joh 14. 16. The word is the same in the Originall But here is the difference Christ is our Advocate the holy Ghost is Gods Advocate Christ is our Advocate with the Father procuring peace the holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete from the Father producing peace Christ is our Advocate to God prevailing with him for granting peace The Spirit is Gods Advocate Jo. 15. 26 14. 16 26 Gen. 8. 11 to us prevailing with us to entertain peace This is the Dove with the Olive branch which goes and returns till the waters are asswaged dry land appear and danger be over This applyes the word and promise which proclaims our peace this applyes the blood of Christ which procures our peace this hath the last hand and consummating stroke in our peace making Therefore this joy and peace of conscience is denominated from the Spirit joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The fruit of the Spirit is joy Peace Gal. 5. 22. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience III. IN our definition of a good conscience Chap 4. The Offices of conscience I said it was that conscience which being purifyed and pacified doth regularly perform all his Offices Conscience is absolutely the greatest Officer under Heaven and is without contradiction the greatest Representative in all the world it is Gods immediate Vice-gerent hath a delegation from God Whence we commonly say vox Conscientiae vox Dei The voice of God is in the voice of Conscience And the Acts of Conscience are the Acts of God what conscience doth binde or loose on earth in foro suo God doth ratifie in heaven in foro suo 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. So that what the Canonists impudently and blasphemously assert of the Pope we may in a safe and modest sense apply to conscience Deus Papa say they unum habent Consistorium a bold and impious saying Deus conscientia unum habent Consistorium A true saying God and the Pope have but one Consistory or Judicatory say they God and Conscience say we Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. Pluralist respectu Officiorum non Beneficiorum Conscience hath four Offices Now conscience is a Licensed and allowed Pluralist hath four distinct Offices 1. Propheticall or Ministeriall 2. Regal or Magistratual 3. Testimoniall or witnesse bearing 4. Judiciall or sentence passing Consciences Ministeriall Office 1. Consciences first office is Ministeriall or Propheticall that is to do the Office of a Minister Watchman or Seer to give warning from God from whom it hath his Commission Ordination and Station all Jure Divino To warn inform direct reprove admonish charge See you refuse not him that speaketh within you This is your Domestick Chaplain to whom as Jotham said to the men of Shechem you must hearken that God may hearken Judg. 9. 7. unto you We dislike that a Minister should be dumb in his charge or a Watchman should sleep on the Sentery take heed of maintaining a Conscience or silencing a speaking conscience In Libera Civitate Linguas liberas esse oportet Augustus was wont to say Say thou among Freemen conscience should have his freedom preserved at least as to his own charge Give thy conscience all freedom to inform propound yea reprove and smite This Liberty of Conscience none will question all will contend for There is some other Liberty of Conscience the world cries out for I dare not plead for that But give conscience leave to be bold with thee it will give thee boldness another day that thou shalt assure thy heart before God We called it Tyrannicall and Antichristian dealing when the Prelates outed suspended and deprived the godly and
Consciences witnessing with them saith the Apostle of the naturall Heathens and their thoughts as well excusing as accusing them They may have tranquillam but not securam conscientiam as Bernard distinguisheth And thus it is said of Socrates who living according to the rules of his naturall enlightened understanding when he came to die and was put to death he took his death with much Resolution and Tranquillitie of minde He said of his enemies They could but kill him they could not hurt him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet for all this no naturall Conscience can be a good Conscience 1. Because though it may cum seipso cum aliis scire yet it doth not cum Deo scire At the best it is liable to that rebuke given unto Peter Matth. 16. 23. Get thee behinde me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that Mat. 16. 23 be of God but those which are of men onely 2. Because it is not purged by the bloud of sprinkling It is without Christ therefore without God and Covenant and Promise and Eph. 2. 12. Hope and Mercie 3. Because as it hath not the purifying bloud of the Lamb so nor the purifying water Ezek. 36. 25. of the spirit sprinkled on it whereby it should be cleansed now whatsoever is born of the flesh is still but flesh and onely that which is born of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3. 6. 4. Because it hath not Faith which is that whereby the heart is further purified Act. 15. 9. And the Apostle when he bids Timothy hold faith and a good Conscience tells us as much that first faith must be had and then good Conscience Good Conscience is never without Faith never before Faith This Conscience how ever many may lull themselves asleep on it yet is it a bed shorter then that a man should stretch himself on it and a Isai 28. 20. covering narrower then that a man should wrap himself in it No sure Refuge is it and a strong fort it is not to endure a storming It is not the Ark of Noah of Moses it may be not an Ark of Gopher wood but made of Paper Rushes not pitched with Pitch but daubed with slime not furnisht with all manner of Provision as Noahs was to hold out to the utmost for a whole year and longer Gen. 7. 11. with Gen. 8. 14. but utterly unfurnisht for a day that unless he be taken out of it as Moses was he may there lie and crie and famish and perish This fort is no better then that hold of the idol Berith to which when the men of Shechem fled for Refuge it was fired over their Judg. 9. 46. 49. heads and they perished miserably in it A poor man and this naturall Conscience may perish and burn together Oportet Conscientiam non solum bonam esse tranquillam sed securam Bern. Par. Ser. 4. The fourth use discovers another mistake of theirs who judge their Conscience good when it is nothing so With many that is held for the best Conscience that is most still quiet and sleepie as ignorant people think of a Minister he is the best Minister who is the good neighbour the quiet man who troubles none even he in whose mouth is no reproofs Whereas the Prophet saith They who bless the people cause them to erre and they who are called blessed of them are destroyed Isai 9. 16. and 3. 12. The blinde lead the blinde into the ditch But a man may have so much of this Peace till he be the worse again He may have this Peace too soon he may have it too long There is a Peace of Satans giving Luk. 11. 21. As there is a sword and variance of Christs sending Luk. 12. 51. The kingdom of God is righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of Satan is ignorance and peace and joy in unholy courses yet this is the Conscience which most men call good if it be Pacatè bona they care not though it be malè Pacata Cain desires his Conscience would be quiet therefore he sets upon business of building and travells to go from his discontents Saul makes use 1 Sam. 16. 16 17 23. Act. 24. 25. of musick Felix would stop his present trembling by an abrupt diversion I will take another more convenient season purposely for this Meditation Judas would fill up the mouth of hell and clamours of Matt. 27. 3 4 5. Conscience with loud and bitter Confessions fearfull Exclamations and plenarie Restitution Some call for wine and Mirth to cheer themselves against a day of slaughter All James 5. 5. which is like the drinking cold water to one who is in a feaver who for the present findes relief but his feaver is increased thereby There are four Quiet Consciences and never Four ill quiet Consciences 1. The ignorant mans conscience Luk. 11. 44. an one of them good 1. The ignorant mans Conscience is quiet and still and as the blinde man eates many a hair and drinks many a flie so these know not that they do evil no more then the graves are aware who goeth over them Blindeness of minde makes men past feeling when they commit all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 18 19. Abimelech talks much of his Integritie and Gen. 20. 4 5. Vprightness and stands much upon his Conscience when all was but moralitie or ignorance Without knowledge the Conscience cannot as without Conscience knowledge is not good The Scripture somewhere cals Knowledge the Key but if Knowledge be the Luk. 11. 52. Key Conscience must be the Lock The one must be made fit to the other therefore Paul cals Good Knowledge the Knowledge according to Godliness Now what is a Lock Titus 1. 1. good for without a Key what Conscience good for without Knowledge to open and shut to lock and unlock it and what is the Key good for without the Lock Get both Science and Conscience Glorie not that thou hast got a quiet that is a blinde deaf silent and speechless Conscience The dumb and deaf spirit was the worst spirit to cast out of all the evil spirits wee read of in the Gospel Mar. 9. 25 26 29. The other roaring devils were more easily ejected Better a roaring raging and racking Conscience then a dumb Conscience Mar. 1. 23 26. The second Conscience that is quiet yet 2. The unawakened conscience not good is that Conscience that was yet never well awakened But sin lies at the door like a Mastiff asleep and makes no noise Here is quiet indeed but a dangerous quiet This Conscience either is given over to sleep a perpetuall sleep as God threatens Jer. 51. 39 40. In their heat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleep a perpetuall sleep and not awake saith the Lord. Then will I bring them like lambs to the
whose cause if thou wilt plead thou shalt have double fees but if thou be of Counsel against heâ— or by thy opposition silence craft or negligence she be cast and overthrowne thou shalt never be able to stand in the Judgement but be disabled pleading before the Lord Chief Justice at that Upper Bench. Art thou a Physitian Conscience must be thy Patient whom thou must attend most be sure to keepe her out of a Lethargy and a Consumption to which diseases she is naturally most inclined if this Die under thy hand and miscarry thou art an undone man and all thy skill and practise nothing worth If thou be a Rich man Conscience will furnish thee with Baggs which wax not old of Treasure that will not waste If Poor it will furnish thee with a Cruse and Barrel that will not fail If thou hast a good Conscience it will be a staff to support thee If an evil it will turn in to a Serpent to sting thee If thou art an Israelite it is the Red Sea fear not to go into it it will secure thee if an Egyptian thou art drowned if thou go into it If thou be a woman Conscience is thy Glasse into which thou must looke and by which thou must dresse thy self saith Bernard that thou mayest please Christ thy Spouse If a Maid this thy attire If a Bride this thy Ornament If a Mother this thy Child which thou must nurse thy self not put out of doors as Moses Mother did him for any danger or benefit Take heed of starving and overlaying thy Conscience Thou must be as tender of this as of thy only Child for it more concerns thee Whosoever thou art I have two things more to beg the one for thee that what is here all along spoken of Conscience may be also spoken effectually to thy Conscience and tend to the clarifying and fortifying to the purifying pacifying and preserving of thy Conscience and the other from thee that thou wilt joyne in thy prayers endeavours that the Lords banished may be brought home that banisht Conscience may be restored to his liberty and that deposed Conscience may be Re-in-throned in his full power and soveraigne authority commanding in the heart and lives of all professors and Christians that while Conscience reignes the peace of God which passeth all onderstanding may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beare rule in our hearts and minds So I remit thee to the Conscience of God and commit thee to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pe. 2. 19 God of Conscience that thou maist live full of Conscience so dye full of comfort and rise full of glory So prayes he who is The meanest servant of thy Faith and Conscience J. S. THE CONTENTS THe sum and scope of the Epistle to Timothy is the Ministers duty page 1. The sum of the Text the Ministers greatest charge p. 2. 11. The words opened observations raised p. 3 4 c. The maine point of Doctrine Propounded p. 11. Expounded p. 12. Confirmed p. 13 14 CHAP. I. What Conscience is shewed two wayes p. 15. 1. By opening the word Conscience p. 15. Conscience is more then a bare and single knowledge ibid. Conscience implyes a four-fold knowledge with God p. 16. with self p. 17. with others p. 18. with things themselves p. 20. Four Corollaries and Deductions p. 22. 2. What the thing Conscience is described p. 24. CHAP. II. Two kinds of Conscience Evill Good A two fold evill Conscience Quiet Troubled A double goodness in Conscience of Sincerity Security p. 26. The full definition of a good Conscience viz. when 1. It is rightly Purified 2. Rightly Pacified 3. And doth â—egularly performe all his offices ibid When Conscience is rightly purified p. 27. Three things Conscience must be purified from Ignorance p. 27. Error p. 28. Hardnesse p. 31 Three things Conscience is purified by The Word of Christ The Blood of Christ The Spirit of Christ p. 33. CHAP. III. Of the Conscience rightly pacified p. 37. Three things Conscience must be pacified from The raigne of sin p. 37. The rage of Satan p. 39. The wrath of God p. 41. Three things Conscience is pacified by The Word p. 42. The Blood p. 43. The spirit of Christ p. 44. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience p. 45. Conscience hath a four-fold Office Ministeriall or Propheticall Regall or Magistratuall Testimoniall or of a witness Judiciall or of a Judge p. 46. To which is added a fifth Office viz. Registeriall Wherein Conscience is a Minister p. 46. Wherein Conscience is a King p. 48. Wherein Conscience is a witnesse p. 49. Wherein Conscience is a Judge p. 51. Wherein Conscience is a Register p. 52. Five Corollaryes p. 54. CHAP. V. Ten particular sorts of good Conscience propounded First of the Conscience of Faith ibid p. 60. CHAP. VI. Of the Conscience of Purity p. 66 CHAP. VII Of the Conscience of Sincerity p. 72. Ten notes of Sincerity p. 75. CHAP. VIII Of the Inoffensive Conscience p. 93 Inoffensivenesse twofold Not taking Not giving Offence p. 93. 1. Inoffensiveness in not giving offence respects either God or Man ibid. What is it to be inoffensive before God p. 94. How any can be said so to be inoffensive ibid. Foure markes of this inoffensivenesse p. 95. Offence not to be given to men Others Godly p. 97. or Those without p. 105. Our selves p. 107. Six cautions given to prevent offence giving p. 98. Six rules prescribed to avoid offence giving p. 102. 2. Inoffensivenesse in not taking offence from God p. 109. The Godly p. 110. The wicked p. 111. CHAP. IX Of the well sighted Conscience p. 112. CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience p. 115. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Opened The answer or interrogation of a good Conscience p. 115. 116. CHAP. XI Of the honest dealing Conscience p. 120. Seven notes of an honest Conscience p. 124. CHAP. XII Of the tender Conscience p. 129. A double tenderness of Conscience Sinfull and diseased Lawfull and Sound p. 132. Five kinds of diseased and faulty tenderness p. 132. 133 Right tendernesse respects 1. God 2. Others 3. Our selves p. 140. 1. Tendernesse in respect of God seen in six things p. 141. 2. In respect of Men. 1. To all Godly in generall 2 Weaker ones among them especially 3 To all men whatsoever 4. To those who are related to us principally p. 151. Sequ. 3. In respect of our selves this tendernesse seen in 14. Notes p. 157. Sequ. CHAP. XIII Of the passive or suffering Conscience p. 181. Foure sorts of sinfull uncomfortable sufferings p. 187. Six markes of honourable and conscientious suffering p. 189. CHAP. XIV Of the Conscience of Charity p. 194. Charity two-fold Externall or civill Ecclesiasticall or christian p. 195. 1. Externall charity respecteth The Poore The Neighbour Our Enemy To the poor is to be shewed charity of beneficence p. 196 To the Neighbour a charity of benevolence p. 199. To an Enemy the charity of forgiveness p.
200. 2. Ecclesiasticall or Christian charity the more excellent p. 201. In what it is to be shewed p. 202. The great and dolefull want of it in these times p. 206. CHAP. XV. The reasons of the point p. 212. Three generall heads of reasons whereof the first is taken from the excellency of good Conscience and shewed in five particulars p. 213. CHAP. XVI The second reason from the danger and mischief of an evill Conscience p. 225. This set out in foure Particulars p. 225. 226. CHAP. XVII The third reason from the difficulty of getting and keeping a good Conscience and escaping an evill p. 232. This made plaine in three particulars p. 233 CHAP. XVIII The application of the Doctrine p. 237 A seven-fold application propounded ibid. First by way of information ibid. This information looketh two waies 1. To discover errors 2. To assert Duties and Truths 1. Error discovered that to preach Conscience and presse duty is legall preaching p. 238. 239. 240. 2. That Conscience is a snare not security p. 243. Third mistake of such who judge thier conscience good when it is yet but a naturall conscience p. 244. Naturall conscience may have some good in it yet cannot be call'd a good conscience p. 244. What good may be in naturall conscience shewed in 8. particulars p. 244. 245. What is wanting in naturall conscience to make it truly good shewed in four particulars p. 246. 247. Fourth mistake To judge conscience therefore good because quiet p. 247. Foure quiet consciences never an one of them good p. 248. 1. The ignorant mans conscience p. 248. 2. The unawakened conscience p. 249. 250. 251. 3. The deluded conscience p. 252. 253. 254. 4. The hardened conscience p. 255. A six-fold hardnesse of heart or conscience p. 255. 1. Naturall hardnesse p. 255. 256. 2. Voluntary and attracted p. 256. Eleven steps to hell discovered p. 256 257. 3. Judiciall hardening by Impostors and Seducers p. 259 4. Ministeriall hardening by Ministers and Ordinances p. 259. 260. 5. Divine hardening by God himselfe ibid. 6. Satanicall by the prevailing efficacy of Satan p. 261. 5th Mistake of such who judge conscience therefore good because troubled p. 263. Three notes of an ill troubled conscience p. 264. Six notes of a good troubled conscience p. 271 A sixth Mistake to judge erroneous conscience a good conscience p. 273. Seven common and ordinary notes of an erroneous conscience p. 274. A seventh mistake to judge scrupulous Conscience a good Conscience p. 278. The eighth mistake to judge the conscience of and for liberty a good conscience p. 280. Sinfull liberty of conscience branded and decyphered p. 281. Right liberty of conscience asserted p. 282. Set out in five particulars p. 283. CHAP. XIX The other part of the use of information to assert Truths p. 285. 1. That good conscience is the Christians greatest charge ibid. 2. To looke after conscience in selfe and others the ministers greatest charge p. 286. 3. Conscience decaying is the decay of State p. 290. 4. Conscience decaying grace decayes p. 292. 5. Tolleration not to be granted to all sorts of consciences p. 293. 6. Whence the world is so poysoned with corrupt Doctrines and blasphemous errors p. 249. 7. Whence many have lost former peace and comfort ibid. 8. Whence many come to dye Tragically and dispairingly p. 296. 9. Whence men come to commit the sin against the Holy Ghost p 298. CHAP. XX. The use of Lamentation p. 299. The generall want of conscience lamented ibid. The generall losse of conscience more lamented p. 303. CHAP. XXI The use of reproofe p. 309. Want of conscience reproved ibid. Want of conscience the greatest want p. 313. Losse of conscience reproved p. 314. Losse of conscience the greatest loss p. 315. CHAP. XXII The use of terror to foure sorts of men p. 317. 1. Such as are regardlesse of conscience ibid 2. Such as have an accusing gnawing conscience 318. 3. Such as have a stupified and feared conscience p. 320 4. Such as are falling into the consumption of conscience p. 321. CHAP. XXIII The comfort and happiness of such whose care is to get and keepe a good conscience p. 323. CHAP. XXIV The use of examination p. 327. CHAP. XXV The use of exhortation p. 333. 1. By way of Dehortation ibid. 1. By way of Adhortation to All Christians Ministers chiefly p. 334. This exhortation backed with Motives perswading p. 335. Meanes directing p. 349. Motives to perswade foure p. 345. c. Meanes directing two-fold principall Subservient p. 349. Principall meanes two The blood The spirit p. 350. Subservient meanes 13. whereof 6. prescribe what is to be had and done 7. what is to be avoided p. 352. 1. Meanes to get and keepe good conscience faith 353. Three-fold faith necessary for a good conscience Justifying for the heart p. 354. Orthodox for the judgement 355 particular warranting faith for our particular actions p. 356. 2d. Meanes To exercise and renew repentance p. 357. Repentance a Gospell duty ibid 3d. meanes To attend the Hints and Items given by Christ and his Spirit p. 360. 4. To attend and observe the hints and motions of our own Spirit p. 361. 5. To confer our conscience with Scripture p. 365. 6. The last meanes to be used Prayer p. 366. 2. The evills to be avoided are seven p. 370. 1. Beware of the smallest sinne allowed ibid. 2. Of one sinful Act deliberately committed p. 373 3. Beware of living under a loose cold freezing ministery or an unsound ministery p. 375. 4. Take heed of an ill companion p. 381. 5. In things doubtfull forbeare to Act or chuse the safer part p. 382. 6. Shun worldly mindedness p. 383. 7. Beware of erroneousness of conscience p. 385 2. The other part of the exhortation concerneth ministers especially p. 387. Ministers have a double charge given them concerning conscience 1. Personall 2. Doctrinall His personall charge is that he be a man Exemplary a man of conscience ibid Here 1. A particular encouragement to younger Timothyes p. 389. 2. An Item to Hymenaeus p. 390. His Doctrinall charge is that he bee aman for Conscience in all his ministery applying himselfe to the conscience of his hearers p. 396. A Good Conscience THE Strongest Hold. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made Ship-wrack THese two Epistles to Timothy and that to Titus may well be called the Ministers Directory made up of Canons clearly and undubitately Apostolicall Directing the Minister how to Govern himselfe and how to Guide his People The Ministers charge is looked upon by all as the greatest and the Apostle who best knew what it was doth not spare to lay it home to him and to give it him to the full Each Minister hath a double charge The one ad extra concerning others The other ad intra which concernes himselfe Both are 1 Tim. 4. 16. summed up in those few words 1 Tim. 4.
but openly in the sight of all men Felix conscientia nec sibi in aliquo conscia nec proprium veretur judicium nec alienum de se Bernard That is The sound conscience feares no censure from himselfe or from any other man He doth ever examine himselfe and his owne actions and is not afraid that any other man should examine them and know all his heart and his manner of Dealings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jo. 7. 24. By outward appearance Vulgar opinion worlds Thes 5. 21 4 Cum rebus ipsis conscire aut consentire To judge of things not esteem or custome but to judge righteous judgement Conscience is to trye all things holding fast only what is good to weigh all in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Such a one was upright Caleb in all respects he did 1. cum deo scire he fully followed the Lord 2. cum seipso scire he spake as it was in his heart and so here he did cum rebus ipsis scire he made his report as hee found things were indeed But here the unâ—ust Steward shewed his dishonesty who to get a new master or friend cozened his old Master and altered his Books brought in a false account for one summe of 100. he set downe fourscore for another he set downe fifty here was neither honesty nor Conscience In all these foure considerations Conscience may be called the godly mans Counterpane answering and conforming to foure other Patterns 1. Gods minde 2. Our owne 3. Other mens 4. And to things themselves And it is the constant and continuall practise of that Art lately spoken of if there be at least any such invention viz. Of writing severall Copies at once with one and the same hand Conscience is resembled in nothing better then in that vision Ezek. 1. 5. 10. Where were foure living Creatures all alike each having foure severall faces all went every one the same way v. 12. They had one uniforme motion and were acted by one and the same spirit Or to the foure wheeles v. 16. That were of one likenesse yet had foure distinct faces each of them And all foure were of one forme and appeareance yet were so involved that they seemed to be a Wheele in a Wheele all had one motion and one spirit went together stopt together rose up together and staid together for the living spirit was in these Wheeles You will observe this most lively and clearely in a good conscience Gods minde is the first Coppy and Prototype my conscience must be the exact counterpane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Antitype of the minde and will of God Then my words actions and Dealings with others must be commensurate unto and the counterpane of my owne conscience Lastly my actions Dealings and conscience too must be cut even with things themselves As the ten Curtaines of the Tabernacle were all of one measure and did one meet with the other and were coupled together Exod. 26. 1 2. 3. Or as the ten Bases in Solomons Temple 1. Kings 7. 37. They had all one casting one measure and one size So is conscience in these his fourefold acts The man then whom we seeke is he whose judgement is conforme to truth his conscience conforming to his judgement then his will stooping to his conscience his affections bowing to such a will his expressions auswering his affections and his actions suiting with his expressions This is the man of conscience whose works are wrought in God Hence flow four Corollaries 4 Corollaries Corol. 1. Not to act according to Gods minde and the nature of the things themselves argues an erroneous conscience Corol. 2. Not to act according to a mans owne minde and others minde argues a very corrupt conscience Corol. 3. To conceive and judge according to all foure is the right intellectuall conscience and un-erring conscience Corol. 4. To act according to such a fourefold judgement is the right practicall and unoffensive conscience In summe thus it is The good Christian must be competently scientious and grounded in principles of knowledge then the understandingly scientious must be cordially conscientious The cordially conscientious must be universally con-sentientious and the thus scientious con-scientiou and con-sentientious Christian is made up of unanimity and uniformity 1. Vniformity in his apprehensions with God himselfe others and things themselves in their own nature 2. Vniformity in his actions when his thoughts words actions dealings are of the same measure stamp and fashion with his minde and his minde with Gods minde c. This man hath now no more an heart and an heart or one heart and another hand but one heart one hand and one way Eusebius Lib. 6. cap. 2 saith of Origen This was the Testimony given of him As he taught so hee lived As he lived so he taught So should it be Vt vixit dixit ut dix it vixit the Christians Motto As he meant he spake As he spake he did and as he spake and did so he meant and thought It was the honour of our Saviour that his doing and teaching went together Act. 1. 1. And that he was alike mighty in words and deeds Luk. 24. 19. The good conscience then remember is a multiplied knowledge and fourfold it is like a Quadripartite instrument containing foure Copies of the same tenor and inscription every of which must exactly answer the other as their counterpane And the man of conscience is like a perfect square quadrangular Building whose length and bredth and height and depth are all alike and uniforme Such it is observed were the three holiest peices and places of worship in the old Testament viz. The Sanctum Sanctorum 1 King 6 20. Ezek 41. 4. compared with 2 Chron. 3. 8. in Moses Tabernacle and in Solomons and Ezekiels Temples and also in the holy City mentioned in the new Testament that were all uniforme Their height and bredth and length were equall Revel 21. 16. So must it be with the true Christian the living and spirituall temples and Cities for God to dwell and walke in They must be four-square their length bredth height and depth are equall Their science must bee no longer then their 1 Cor. 6. 16. conscience their conscience no larger then their science their words no higher then their actions their actions no lower then their words And this is conscience And thus much to shew what the word Conscience doth import and signifie The second thing I have to doe is to shew what the thing Conscience is having opened Ames de consc lib 1. cap. 1. conscientia est judicium hominis de seipso pro ut subijcitur judicio dei what the word imports sundry Definitions are given of it by sundry men and each may be good It is saith Dr. Ames The judgement of a man concerning himselfe and his owne waies in reference and subordination to the judgement of God It is the Soule recoyling on it selfe say others more briefly Warde
Dyke I shall not trouble my selfe to debate whether Scot. Bon. Dur. Conscience be an Habit as many of the Schoole-men affirme Or whether a faculty or power as reverend Mr. Perkins judicious Rutherford disp against pretended liberty of cons cap. 1 Ames de consc lib. 1. cap. 1 Rutherfurd and divers of the Schoolmen determine Or whether an act onely as acute Dr. Ames contendeth Nor shall I with any curiosity at all discourse of it Origen had an odde fancy as he had many an other that it was another spirit in the soule But somewhat is in it for as I said before it is as a wheele in a wheele a wheele full of eyes a wheel ful of motion a wheel ful of spirit of life And as all the sight is contracted in the apple of the eye so I may say is conscience as much as con-knowledge or knowledge contracted and epitomized and conscience as it were the apple of the soules eye I shall describe it thus Conscience is the soules acting and reflecting on it selfe and on all a mans own actions This is consciences worke these are his Bounds what hast thou to doe with another mans Conscience in this sence or what 1 Cor. 10. 29 hath hee to doe with thine A man standeth or falleth to his owne conscience That standeth or falleth to his owne Master and onely to him Ro. 14. 4. Humility Patience Meekenesse Compassion Justice Righteousnesse Chastity c. extend to others my charity may and must relieve others knowledge may and must informe and benefit others But consciences worke is to make every man his owne keeper CHAP. II. What a good Conscience is NOw I am next to shew what a good Conscience is For there are two kinds of consciences 1 Evill conscience Heb. 10 22. 2 Good 1 Tim. 1. 19. This of which I speake The evill conscience is mainly two-fold mala turbata an ill Troubled mala Pacata or Quiet Or as Dr. Ames more clearely viti sé mala molesté mala So is there a double good conscience bona turbata Felix conscientia in qua obviarunt sibi verritas misercordia in qua osculatae sunt pax justi cia Bern. de in t do good troubled Bona pacata or good quiet And to a right good conscience there must a double goodness concur to the constituting of it 1. A goodnesse or sincerity 2. A goodnesse of security It must be hon sté bona Pacaté bona Ames Or more plainely it must be Purificatè bona Pacatè bona And here I shall give you a full defâ—nition of a perfect good conscience when it hath both these goodnesses in it The good conscience what it is That is the good conscience which is rightly purified and rightly pacified by the word and blood and spirit of Christ regularly performing all his Offices to which it is designed First I call it the Conscience purified Here is the first and principall part of Consciences goodnesse though yet for the present it have not peace Peace alone without purity makes not the Conscience good at all as purity alone without peace makes not a perfect well Conscience Conscientia aedifieanda sed prius mundanda said Bernard well Conscience is to be edified but first to be purified As the wisdom that comes Security without sincerity is not security but stupidity Jam. 3. 17. from above is first pure then peaceable So Consciences first goodnesse stands in purity then in peace The first goodnesse of the eye is the clearnesse of sight It is but an inferiour goodnesse to say it is not inflamed or blood-shotten nor do we call it good at all if it want its sight So neither is Conscience good at all though it rage not be not inflamed or bloodshotten if it want his purity All negative goodnesse is but a poor and heggerly goodnesse Now that conscience may be rightly purified there are three things which it must be purified from and three things which it must be purified by These things conscience must be purified from The things it must be purified from are ignorance errour hardnesse or naturall deadnesse First it must be purified from ignorance The conscience void of knowledge is a conscience void of goodnesse Rutherfurd The blind From ignorance Mat. 6. 23. Mat. 5. 13 mans conscience is ever an ill conscience his light is darknesse how great then is that darknesse His salt unsavoury what then shall season him Conscience in the best unregenerate Luk. 8. 16 person is as a light whelmed under a bushell or thrust under a bed gives but a dim light and reacheth not far In things between man and man it can discern more clearly and like those nightbirds which can with their weak Ex. 18. 19. eyes see where better eyes sometimes see not a Jethro herein may be able to advise a Moses But in the Things of God he is little skilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blinde and cannot see afar off What a night-bird was Doctour Nicodemus in conceiving of the necessity nature and manner 2 Pet. 1. 9. of regeneration Hence it is that the Scripture calls the naturall mans wisdom foolishnesse with God as Gods wisdom is accounted foolishnesse with him It is enmity to God it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be 1 Cor. 2. 14 Rom. 8. 7 The ignorant mans judgement therefore is no judgement his peace no sound peace his hopes no safe hopes for his thoughts are not Gods thoughts nor his wayes Gods wayes Tit. 1. 15 To the unbeleeving and unpure is nothing pure because their very minde and conscience is defiled Good Conscience must therefore first be purified from ignorance Secondly it must be purified from errour The From error erroneous conscience is ever a desperate and dangerous conscience It is the pestilence that walketh in darknesse Erroneous conscience Ps 91. 6. maketh strange work in the world but worse in the Church Look what swine are to garden-beds or a wilde Boar to a Vineyard or wilde beasts to Vines or young Foxes to grapes that is erroneous conscience to Churches to Doctrines to Truths to Graces and to Duties It overturns all Erroneous Conscience engaged Herod under opinion of piety to destroy a holy man to save a wicked oath and gratifie a clamourous woman Matth. 14. 9. for his oaths sake the king commanded John Baptists head to be given her Others Jerem. 44. 16. make no scruple to make voyd Gods Commands because they must make good their own vows This is the Horse that rusheth headlong into the battle impatient of all restraints Puts men often upon dangerous wayes and designes yet they say not once what have I done Jer. 8. 6. but suppose their ways are right wayes and often they think they do God the greatest service when they do the Church the greatest disservice Oh the grosse mistakes of erring conscience It embraceth a blear-eyed
Leah instead of an imagined Rachel It climbes the Tree of Knowledge and cuts down the Tree of Life It taketh and chuseth a Barabbas but renounceth and condemneth Christ Jesus It Mar. 7. 8. 11. 12. will make a Pharisee set more by an old Tradiâ—ion then a divine Precept and a Pharisees diâ—ciple Acts 16. 9. Gal. 1. 13. 14. Psal 3. 6. Mat. 23. 15 look more after the Corban then his duâ—y to his aged and indigent Parents This set Paul blindfold to persecute and blaspheme Christ onely that he might shew his zeal to God This makes others compasse both sea â—nd land to make one their Proselyte who when all is done is but a double childe of hell Oh the wofull work erroneous Conscience hath made in all Times in the past Ages of the Church And this my story of iniquity worketh hitherto and is still working more mischief amidst our sad and dismall distractions This is one part of the spirituall wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly things or places Ephes 6. 12 13. Against which must be taken the whole armour of God This like Saul hath slain his thousands not of Philistines but Israelites This like that wood which in a bloody day devoured more by erring disordering and intangling them then the sword devoured 2 Sam. 18. 8 This destroys more then ignorance or superstition or prophanesse This lets go Scripture duties upon more credit given to Revelations Upon this mistake a true Prophet once contrary to expresse commands of God gave up his faith obedience and withall his conscience upon a report of a later revelation and an Angelicall apparition to the old Prophets bare but false asseveration of a newer and cleerer light 1. King 13. 18. I am also a prophet as thou art and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord saying Bring him back with thee to eat bread and drink water but he lied unto him This above all other is the evil conscience intended in this place It was nothing but erring conscience at first that caused Hymenaeus and Alexander to relinquish their former Profession and having put pure conscience out of doors they come to make a fearfull shipwrack of their faith totally and oâ— their souls finally Enlightened conscience feareth and departeth from evil this fool rageth and is confident Prov. 14. 16. Englightened conscience hath his eyes open and seeth the angel in the way erroneous conscience like the seduced false Prophet rusheth forward into the midst of danger Erroneous conscience is he whose deceived heart turns him aside who feedeth on ashes as the Prophet saith Esay 44. 20. hath a lie in his right hand so that he cannot deliver his soul This is he whose plague is in his head Levit. 13. 44. This is the man whom ye may bray in a mortar with a pestell among wheat yet will not his folly depart from him Prov. 27. 22. There is more hope of a fool then of this man because he is wiser commonly in his own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Prov. 26. 12 16. Erroneous conscience is the eye that puts darknesse for light and light for darknesse It is the mouth that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter It is the traveller that leaveth the ancient paths and the good way to walk in new wayes wayes not of Gods casting up and Scriptures chalking out Jer. 18. 15 A good Conscience must therefore be purified from Errour Thirdly It must be purified from naturall From deadnesse or hardnes deadnesse or hardnesse which is as bad a disease as either ignorance or errour So that although thou mayest escape the fear of ignorance by the instructions of Wisdom and-the snare of errour by the light of the Gospel yet if thou be taken in the Pit of deadnesse and naturall hardnesse thou art never the neerer thou hast not yet a good conscience Heb. 9. 14. The conscience must be purged from dead works that it may serve the living God A dead conscience is not for a living God One may be a knowing hypocrite or an orthodox nonconvert but what is he neerer to salvation while in this deadnesse There is a generation pure in their own eyes yet not cleansed Pro. 30. 12 as to conscience from their own deadnesse God I thank thee I am no Papist say they no Anabaptist Antinomian Sectary I am a catholike Christian I am an old Protestant but an unsanctified Christian and the common carnall Protestant is no better then they He is blinde and cannot see afar off and forgets that he is not yet cleansed from his old sins 2. Pet. 1. 9. Except you be regenerate and raised from naturall deadnesse you cannot see the kingdom of God Al that are not seducers as Jesuits false Teachers or seduced as common Papists Antinomians Libertines Anti-scripturists prophane Atheists and Socinians are not therefore necessarily saved There is a plague in the heart that every one must see and bewail and get cured of or else it is as pernicious to the 1 Kin. 8. 38 soul and sends more certainly to hell then any plague or leprosie in the head Levit. 13. 44. We call not that Arm or Leg good which is onely not bruised wounded out of joynt when it is benummed or paralytick It hath no pain indeed but what use is there of it So what though conscience be not bruised raging and tormenting and out of joynt by errour if it be benummed stupified or dead There is no use of such a conscience Conscience must therefore be purged from deadnesse Secondly There be three things which Conscience must be Purified by which are 1 The Three things conscience is purified by 1. The word of Christ word 2. Blood 3. Spirit of Christ First The word of Christ is the Great heart Searcher and Conscience Purifier Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and Powerfull and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart c This is the Fanne with which Christ doth purge his Floore Canscience John 15. 3. Now are you clean through the word which I have spoken to you saith Christ to his Disciples and for them he prayes Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is that sanctifying truth This removes those before named discases of conscience 1. This is that which removes ignorance Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths What can the best eye see without a light of Sun or candle What can we know concerning God and his will without his word This written word is a more sure discovery of the minde of God then all apparitions or the most famous particular revelations 2 Pet. 1. 19. To which we must take heed and have recourse as to a light shining in a dark place This giveth knowledge to the simple Psal 119. 130. This is sufficient to remove all ignorance and uncertainty in divine things 2.
This rectifies errour being as a voyce behinde us Esay 30. 21. Thine ear shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left This ends all controversies Esay 8. 26. To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them This resolves all doubts How is it written in the law how readest thou Luke 10. 26. 3. This removes deadnesse of conscience and hardnesse Is not this word an hammer to soften the heart and is not this the immortall seed by which we Jer. 23. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 23 Psal 119. 25. are begotten again Therefore David finding his conscience in a dead frame prayed My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken me according to thy word Again verse 50. It is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me So verse 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me The word is the first thing by which conscience is purified and set right This makes the man of God perfect and thorowly furnished to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 17. Secondly By the blood of Christ is the conscience 2. By the blood of Christ further purified we must not rest in the word alone without this blood which cleanseth both the book of Conscience and is sprinkled on the book of Scripture to give vertue to it Heb. 9. 14. Shall not the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God This is it that purgeth the defiled and guilty conscience from all his diseases and filthinesse Christs spittle opened the eyes of two blinde men once His blood openeth the eye of Mark 8. 23 Joh. 9. 6. blinde conscience ever This is the blood of sprinckling which alone purifies the heart from an evil conscience Heb. 10. 22. So that the soul may now draw nigh to God with boldnesse and much assurance Other blood and observances Read the 9. and 10. chap. to the Hebr. might serve to make an Israelite under the Law legally pure as to the flesh Onely this blood of Christ typified by the purification water the hyssop scarlet blood of bulls and goats can make a Christian Evangelically pure before God and Internally in the court of Conscience The book and people and all things pertaining to the Tabernacle were consecrated with blood Heb. 9. 22. And almost all things by the Law were purged with blood And without shedding of blood there is no remission To teach us what is more plainly expressed 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Wash me O Lord with this hyssâ—p and I shall Psal 51. 7. be clean Purge me with this blood and I shall be whiter then the snow Thirdly Conscience is purged by the Sperit 3 By the spirit of Christ of Christ together with the word and blood without there be a concurrence of all three the work is not done not the word alone without the blood and spirit can effect it noâ— the blood without the word and spirit nor yet the spirit without both the former The word is sprinkled on the Conscience to inform satisfie and purifie it The blood of Christ is sprinkled on the word as Exod 24. 8. compared with Heb. 9. 20. which it was not sufficient to have read but sprinkled with the blood of the Covenant to give vertue to it And the blood it self must be applyed by the spirit that the vertue of it may be brought home to the conscience The blood of Christ without the spirit is no better then his flesh without the spirit The flesh profits nothing It is the Spirit that quickeneth The principall Jo. 6. 63. part of the work of purifying Conscience belongs to the Spirit It was that eternal Spirit whereby Christ offered his Blood Heb. 9. 14. which did commend our conscience to God And this Spirit applying the blood offered doth commend and seal Gods Covenant to our Consciences Thus the spirit heals those three diseases It properly removes Ignorance being the Spirit of Illumination Eph. 1. 17 This rectifyes Errour being the spirit of Truth Joh 14. 17. This removes Deadness being the spirit of life Rom. 8. 2. This is the great Purifyer this the Refiners fire this the Fullers soape Malach 3. 2. whereby Christ doth refine and purifie the sons of Jacob. This the Spirit of Judgement and Spirit of burning wherewith God hath promised to wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion Esay 4. 4. CHAP. III. Of the Conscience rightly pacifyed Conscience rightly pacified II. A Right pacifyed Conscience This is the second property and part of the good Conscience laid down in the Definition Purity indeed is the more excellent kinde of goodnesse it being essentiall to the very being of good Conscience Peace is but an additional and a secondary part of that goodness and conduceth more to the bene esse then to the bare esse of good conscience It is a spirituall good but of a temporary nature not standing and immovable Peace is so far good as that the Conscience is not perfectly well without it but right Peace it must be or it is not good at all which that it may enjoy There are three things which Conscience must be 1. Pacifyed from 2. Pacifyed by Three things it must be pacified from 1. The three things Conscience must be pacifyed from are 1. The Reign of Sin 2. The rage of Satan 3. The displeasure of God 1 It must be at peace from the dominion of sin So long as Adonijah Reigneth Solomon is in danger while Sin is in his Power and Throne 1 From the raigne of sinne Conscience cannot be in safety Our Peace therefore which we should seek is not such a Peace as we are born unto or are possessed of while the strong man is Armed but is a recovered Peace regained by deposing the Usurper Like Israels Peace after the seditious commotion 2 Sam. 20. 22. was quietly setled when Shebahs head was off No peace to conscience while a Sheba up in Armes There is a Peace indeed when Sin and Satan are strongly armed and keep the house Luk. 11. 21. This is no good Peace this is the peace of a sleepy not an awakened conscience No war so miserable as Pax est sed Bello pax ea deterior such a peace when the soul is at ease in it self at peace with Sin at peace with Satan at agreement with Hell but at war and enmity with God Conscientia pacatè optima may be vitiosè pessima In tali pace amaritudo mea amarissima as Bernard or Ad pacem advenit Amara mihi Amaritudo as Junius reads that of Hezekiah in Is 38. 17. Wo to these that â—laugh now they
shall lament Wo to them that are at ease Luk. 6. 25 in Zion and put far from them the evil day when they cause violence to draw near If he adde drunkenness to thirst and walk in the imaginaon Am 6. 1. 3. of his heart and bless himself saying I have peace and I shall have peace God will not spare such a one but his anger and jealousie Deut. 29. 18 19. shall smoak against that man It is the case of the godly oftentimes to cry fear fear where no fear and danger is And the wicked usually cry peace peace where no safety and peace is Thus yet do many sleep and live and die in peace when Jonah-like there Jonah 1. 4 5. is the greatest storm of Divine Displeasure pursuing them and the Destroyer is ready to swallow them up They slumber and sleep but their judgement all the while lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not For there 2 Pet. 2. 3. is no Peace from God to the wicked Isa 57. ult 2 It is pacifyed from the rage of Satan After 2. From the rage of Satan conscience hath been delivered from the paws of the ravening Bear the reign of sin It must next seek to be delivered from the jaws of the roaring Lyon the rage of Satan This latter is usually more terrible the former more dangerous When Sin is dethroned the first and greatest wo is past When Adonijah flies Solomon presently succeeds and is established 1 Kin 1. 50. in the throne Sin once put to flight the King of Peace reigns in the throne of Conscience This is that happy peace and security promised to the Beleever Mat. 16. 18. Upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the sum of that other promise Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly shewing manifestly our securest peace is when God doth not only restrain but ruine Satan not binde but bruise him not chain him up but tread him down The like Prayer 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly This peace from Satans rage the godly man may for so me time want who yet hath a good and pure conscience Such a want may stand with a perfect good conscience though not with a perfectly well conscience Conscientia honestè bona may be molestè mala Ames The Philistines often rushed upon Sampson and gave him many alarums hee still Iudg. 16. 9. 12. 15. 14 came off with honour and victory They come â—ut one way and fly seven waies The trouble was his the losse was theirs Yet thus is many a poore beleever often encountered some for longer time some for shorter some even al their life time are kept in bondage through Heb. 2. 15. feare of death and him that hath the power of Death the Devill They mourne they feare they pray they cry they are weary with waiting for the salvation of God When will the redeemer come out of Zion When Rom. 11. 26 Mal. 4. 2. will the Angell of the Covenant of peace come with Healing under his wings Paul had not this Peace sometimes 2 Cor. 7. 5. we had no rest but were troubled on every sâ—de without were fightings within were feares yet at another time could say 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to Triumph in Christ And Rom. 8. 31 33. ad finem If God be for us who can be against us What shall separate us from the love of God shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Temptation c. Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerers through him that hath loved us yea I am perswaded that neither the Temptation nor the Tempter nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Life nor Death nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. In this condition Conscience saith to the Soule Returne to thy Rest O my Soule for the Lord hath beene Beneficiall unto Psal 116. 7 thee This is that Peace which Christ hath Purchased and Bequeathed to the Beleever Peace I leave with you my Peace I give to you Jo. 14. 27. b. e. not Peace onely with God and with selfe and with men in midst of a Raging unquiet world but Peace in Despight of Hell Gates and Sathans Darts Of this Peace we may say as Gideon of his Altar Judg. 6. 34 Jehovah Shalom the Lord is God of this Peace or this Peace is the Peace of God Thirdly The third thing Conscience From the displeasure of God Rightly Pacified is at Peace and Delivered from is the Displeasure of God This is the Highest Step of Solomons throne the best part of our Peace above both the former when we can say being justified by faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. This a blessed Peace when not with man or selfe or sin or Sathan but with God Reconciled through Christ This that Peace Christ promised which the world cannot Give Nor Devill take away Jo. 14. 27. The peace of which the Apostle speaketh so magnificently calling it Phil 4. 7. the Peace of God which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit Beza passeth all understanding which shall guard and engarison your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ This Guards the Soule and Conscience from all the feares and assaults of Law sin guilt death hell and Satan In this condition the Soule lyeth downe in Peace and riseth in Peace and saith to the Godly â—ustified Person in Solomons words Eccle. 9. 7. Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy Psal 3. 5. 4. 8. and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Secondly There are 3 things which Conscience must be Pacified by and those the Conscience is pacified by 3 things same three by which before it was Purified what ever tendes to Purity Tendes to Peace viz. 1. The word 2. The bloud 3. The Spirit of Christ First By the word of Christ Conscience is Pacified and restored to Peace The word By the word of Christ especially the Gospell is therefore cald the word of Peace Tydings of Peace Gospell of Peace Word and ministery of Reconciliation Act. 10. 36 Ro. 10. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 The Gospel is the Instrumentum Pacis Christianae Gods Proclamation and our Charter of Peace containing the largest concessions of Grace It is an Act of Oblivion Passed in Heaven God not imputing our sinnes to us and further giving us an Act of Indemnity against all charges and impeachments of law sinne Conscience or Sathan This word we must produce for our security It is by the Mar. 4. 39. 41. Job 34 29 Jer. 20. 9. word of Christ that the winds and stormes are laid in the conscience and a calme made Christ utttereth his voyce and the
holy Ghost is that sin unto death hath no more sacrifice for it but becomes eternally unpardonable but because it is ever perpetrated and committed in despight of 1 Jo. 5. 16. Heb. 10. 26. conscience against his most clear and strongest convictions and against the most peremptory checks and dissenting restraints of the awakened and enlightened conscience Nothing heightens sin so fast conscience may say If I had not come unto you you had no sin If I had not done my Office faithfully you had some cloak for your sin which now you have not This makes sins of knowing men greater then of ignorant Englands sin greater then the Jndies Judas's perfidiousnesse worse then Sauls persecutions The one did it ignorantly and therefore obtained mercy The other had no cloak for his sin Christ gave him warning by the sop all took notice 1 Tim. 1. 13 he replyed upon consciences enforcing Is it I And he therefore died a son of perdition because he lived and persisted a son of conviction This is the servant who shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 17. Corollary 4. When a man lies under the lash of conscience in respect of his two last offices viz. testimoniall and judiciall he lies under the greatest misery Maximus angor conscientiae Dr. Ames Mar. 9. 44. maxima poena Then the worm never dying devours him the fire ever burning the fire not blowen takes hold of him Cains mark is Iob. 20. 26. upon him His punishment is greater then he can bear This is the first woe and the hell on earth for Revel 1. 18. there is a hell before death and Revel 20. 14. an hell before the lake of fire How fearfull was Herods case to be given up to wormes to eat him alive Infinitely more dreadfull to be given up to this worm of conscience to be eaten up both alive and dead How dolefull a sight is it to see a wolfe or a Cancer on the womans tender breast ever gnawing and stinging never cured But a worse wolf is the gnawing and accusing conscience No fits of convulsion so tearing and pulling and racking as convulsion fits of conscience no ulcer in the bladder or bowels so painfull as the exulcerated conscience See this in Judas now brought to a sight of his sin and sense of his misery he is like Isa 57. 20. the raging sea that cannot rest Out he cries I have sinned take your money it hath damned me from person to person from place to place he goes but his hell he carries with him from the terrour and sting of conscience he cannot run To death he saith Fall on me to hell bury me so I may be hid from sight of conscience he strangles himself because he could not strangle conscience into hell he leapes not longer able to abide himself and indeed if there were any place in hell where this Apollyon of destroying conscience came not into it would all the damned get to case themselves Hell were not hell if raging conscience ruled not there if this worme could ever die that fire might then be quenched Judas hung himself to ease himself but then was death and hell cast into the lake of fire Revel 20. 14. He at first brake the neck of conscience that at last brake his neck he had strangled good conscience an ill conscience strangled him and being dead all his bowels fell out of his body because all his conscience fell out of his bowels while he was alive To conclude this Corollary The wrack of Mat. 15. 11 Subijciatur corpus in paena in jeiunijs macereâ—ur verber ibus lanietur equuleo disiendatur gladio trucidetur crucis supplicio affligatur secura erit conscientia Bern. de in t dom c. 22. Pro. 18. 14. good conscience is the saddest shipwrack for poena damni it is the greatest losse And the rack of an ill conscience is the sharpest rack for poena sensus it is the greatest pain Not all from without doth so defile a man as that from within nor all from without doth so torment a man as that from within All the windes blustering abroad about our ears paine us not but a little winde enclosed in the bowels how much doth it torment and put the body into the extreamest pains All troubles from without are easily undergone if conscience be sound But the wounded spirit who can bear He shall flee from the iron weapon and the Bow of steele shall stricke him through It is drawne commeth forth of his body The glistering sword commeth out of his Gall Terrors are upon him All darknesse is hid in his secret places h. e. he hath an Epitome of all the woes and miseries of Hell in his soule a fire not blowen shall consume him as Zophar excellently Allegorizeth Job 20. 24. 25. 26. Coroll 5. VVhen conscience hath done all these foure Offices faithfully and then giveth Peace This is the right peace of conscience This is the Son of Peace upon which the peace Luk. 10. 6. of God and the peace of the Minister ever comes Thus have you seene what a good conscience is h. e. when it is purified and when it is pacified purified from Ignorance Error deadnesse pacified from the raigne of sinne the rage of Satan and displeasure of God both purified and pacified by the word blood and spirit of Christ And after all doing his four-fold Office in due time and place of a Minister of a King of a Witnesse and of a Judge And thus much of good conscience in generall CHAP. V. Of severall good Consciences in particular and first of the Conscience in which Faith is HAving hitherto treated of the good conscience in generall we shall now descend to speak of some Particulars and give you in the severall sorts and best kindes of good consciences that are to be found in all the Sciptures commended to us that when you see such an one you may know a good conscience againe and say there goes a good conscience Ten particulars I shall recommend to you and after speake somewhat to Ten good consciences laid down in scripture each of them Their names are 1. The conscience of Faith 2. Of Purity 3. Of Sincerity 4. The Vnoffensive conscience 5. The well-sighted conscience 6. The well-spoken conscience 7. The Honest-handed conscience 8. The Tender conscience 9. The Passive or Hardy conscience 10. The conscience of Charity The first and most excellent conscience is that in the Text the good conscience of faith The conscience of Faith This onely makes a good conscience Nor can all the other nine make it such without this It is impossible that any thing or person should be good and please God without faith Heb. 11. 6. Precious faith makes the conscience of great price It is therefore very observable that in three places of this Epistle The Apostle
There is as much danger oft of taking offence unjustly as of giving as 1. From God who can never give any yet Christ pronounceth Mat. 11. 6. him a blessed 1. From God man that should not by one means or other be offended in him Therefore is Christ called in the worlds-sense lapis offendiculi a stone of stumbling and rock of offence Rom. 9. 33. yea all the disciples were at once offended at him Mat. 26. 31. Some have taken offence at his person Isa 52. 12. 53. 3. Some at his doctrine Mat. 15. 12. Some at his Parents Mat. 13. 54 57. Some at his Disciples and followers Mar. 2. 16. Some at his life Mat. 11. 19. Some at his death yea almost all at the ignominy of his death and crosse 1 Cor. 1. 23. But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse To both unsavory yet all these offences were taken without cause none without sin 2. From Gods way when the stony ground 2. From Gods way hath received the seed it springeth up immediately but not having root or moisture is scorched with the heat of the sun Mat. 13. 21. Such are those hearers who at first receive the Word with joy and much forwardnesse but when they see the Lyon in the way and Tribulations arise they are offended at the way and the gospel and at Christ himself and are like that impotent and passionate widow who was content to entertain the Prophet when she and her son might live upon him but when her son was dead she was offended with the Prophet What have I to do with thee oh thou man of God Art thou come to call my sin to remembrance and slay my son 1 King 17. 18. 3. From Gods people and their weakness 3. From Gods people so far as either to condemn their persons or dislike their profession Wo to the world because of offences on both hands Mat. 18. 5. Giving too much just occasion of offence to the godly and again taking too much occasion of offence but unjustly at the godly it 's impossible but offences will come from some hands but woes a thousand to him from whose hand they come meritoriously and as many woes again to him that taketh such an offence at a particular person or at a particular miscarriage in one person to reject and condemn a whole profession True godliness makes a man apt to take all in good part 1 Cor. 13. 5. It thinketh no evil it suspecteth nothing but believeth all things it makes a man more severe to himself and more charitable to others With himself he may be displeased with another he is unwilling to be displeased to him self he is just and impartiall to others more milde and indulgent 4. Lastly we must take heed of offence-taking 4. From the world from an ill world Because all men speak evil of the way of God and forsake it must we be offended Say not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Isa 8. 12 13. Thus much of the inoffensive Conscience CHAP. IX Of the wel-sighted Conscience THe quick sighted Conscience is ever a Of the wel-sighted conscience good Conscience and one necessary qualification which good conscience cannot want Conscience's whole work is circumspection and therefore must have eyes in every place running to and fro Mat. 6. 23. Mens lumine Spiritus Sancti gubernata facit omnes actiones nostras lucidas Deo placentes Mens coeca nec illustratâ— lumine verbi nec gubernata Spiritu Dei hominem ducit in avios errores scelera omnesque actiones ejus deturpat Parae in Mat. 6. 22. Hence some have said Conscientia totus oculus Conscience is all eye If this eye be single the whole man is full of light if this eye be darkness all is darkness A good conscience must be like Ezekiels wheels Ezek. 1. 18. Or like the creatures before the throne Rev. 4. 6. 8. that were full of eyes round about full of eyes before and full of eyes behinde and especially full of eyes within Thus must good conscience be qualified it must be full of eyes before behinde and within Before to view and oversee actions to be done behinde to review and overlook actions already done especially it must be full of eyes within to make a privy search in the inwards of the belly as Solomons expression is Conscience is to take account of the inward motives from which actions are undertaken of the inward intentions and affections with which they are undertaken and of the inward ayms and true ends for which they are undertaken Vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo And further very observable it is that Persius Sat. 4. those wheels spoken of Ezek. 1. 19 20. were as admirable for their motion as for their eyes they moved after a divine mover as the spirit moved they moved whether the spirit went they went when the spirit rose up they arose when the spirit stood they stood but they never returned or went backward Conscience must not be all sight no motion or all for speculation nothing for action Again those creatures before the Throne are not more to be admired for their abilities then imitated in their practise and imployment they had many eyes and they had many wings Rev. 4. 8. Each had six wings they were full of eyes and full of praises not only much in contemplation but as much in adoration They rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come What was it but a monstrous image that in Nebuchadnezzars vision Dan. 2. 32 33. Whose head was fine gold his legs iron and his feet base Iron and clay They are monstrous Christians who have such heads of gold for Science but feet of clay for practise all knowledge no action all contemplation no conversation The Pharisees were full of eyes without Sed praecedenti spectatur manticae tergo Pers had none within full of eyes before had none behinde Non viderunt id manticae quod in tergo â—rat They could censure other actions not see their own they had heads of gold feet of clay could speak excellently and do as badly They say and do not Mat. 23. 3. What they teach that do ye what they practise that shun These doth our Saviour after all their knowledge and learning and talk and tongue call fools and blinde fools again and again All this knowledge is but as a candle Mat. 23. 17 19. 24. in their hand to light them to Hell that they may not go thither in the dark These go to Hell as Bernard saith with a great deal of Sinite sapientes huâ—us saeculi alta sapientes terram lingentes
estate that restoreth not what is injuriously gotten saith Nehemiah and good Neh. 5. 13. Conscience saith Amen to it It shall never bee said of mee saith the conscientious man that sin or Satan or fraud or rapine or usurie or briberie hath made mee rich for the fire of God shall consume the Tabernacles of briberie saith Eliphaz Job 15. 34. And the Congregation of hypocrites shall bee desolate But hee that walketh in righteousness and speaketh in uprightness hee that despiseth the gain of Oppressions and shaketh his hands from holding of bribes that stoppeth his ears from hearing of bloud and shutteth his eies from seeing of evil viz. hee that is every way a just an honest and a plain dealing man hee shal dwel on High his Place of defence shall bee the munition of Rocks Bread shall bee given him his waters shall bee sure Isai 33. 15 16. But besides what hath been said you may know an honest Conscience by these Notes 1. He hath engraven in his heart this Maxime I must be a Law to my self h. e. though Rom. 2. 14. there were no humane Law to force me to reason and duty no magistrate to awe me no minister to reprove no shame for ill done no praise for good done yet must I live conforme to the old Law written in the heart of man This man needs not his neighbour to call on him saying know the Lord doe Heb. 8. 11 Intimus magister justice c. For he is so taught of an inward monitor abiding in his heart In this regard it is said The Law is not written for the righteous 1 Tim. 1. 9. For if other men were as honest as he there needed not so many Lawes and a few Magistrates would be sufficient 2. This is his Oracle Whatsoever you would others should doe to you doe you the same to them Mat. 7. 12. Which is the Epitome of the Law and prophets and is the voyce both of Scripture and Nature This Lactantius saith is the very root and foundation of all equity And Jerom to a Epitome Diu. Instit Cap. 3. good woman commendeth this saying as the breviary or abridgement of all righteousnesse to be written on her heart as a compendious Commonitory quasi ad compendiosum locum quoddam Commonitorium illa tibi evangelij eligenda sententia est superscribenda cordi Jerom ad Celantia tuo quae ad totius justitiae Breviarium pro fertur ore Dominco quaecunque volueritis ut faciant vobis homines haec tibi quasi speculum quoddam paratum ad manum semper positum qualitatem tuae voluntatis ostendat c. Therefore saith Paraeus upon the place Par. in Mat. 7. 12. Christ would make every honest man his own rule and law in his dealings with his neighbour Would I like it well that others should suspect envy censure me with their tongue when I am absent or abuse deride scorne and make jests of me to my face or would I be content that they should over-reach defraud and oppress me in their actions then let me doe the like to them otherwise not 3. You may be bold to take his word and trust him He cannot deceive though he may be deceived Errare potest non fallere His word is as his Bond his Bond is as his Oath and his Oath is as his Soule By any of these you have him bound and bound in Spirit And let him goe whether he will he hath his Keeper with him He makes Conscience of what he promiseth because his promise came from a Purpose of performance He reckoneth of his day debt promise to thee when thou little thinkest of him He holds nothing to consist with his honour which doth not with honesty whence the ancients derived honour and honesty on from the other Honest Regulus the glory of the Romans being let goe when a prisoner of warre upon his Parell or word passed to returne if a Peace were not agreed between his Nation and the Carthaginians made good his promise although he knew it were as much as his life were worth Fides data est servanda etiam hosti When the honest man hath past his word he saith quod dixi dixi what I have said I have said as Pilate after his writing said quod scripsi scripsi what I have said or written shall stand 4. You need not fear to take his money his wares his weight or his measure All are currant and warrantable His money currant and weight as Abraham's and Jeremie's was Gen. 23. 16 Jer. 32. 9. Hee clips not his Shekel His weight is down weight his measure full measure His Ephah Omer and Shekel are all Standard-proof Hee knowes nothing more abomination to the Lord then a false balance Prov. 11. 1. 5. This man as you may take his word or his money his weight and measure so you may take his accompts hee will bee faithfull and punctual in all his reckonings disbursements and receipts wherein you intrust him Hee will not set down Laid out more or Received less then the truth is As those honest workmen in Jehojada's dayes that repaired the House of the Lord laid out according to their Trust as far as was needful for Repairs and brought in the Remainder and it is said 2 Kin. 12. 15. c. That they did not so much as reckon with them for they dealt so faithfully Here is a commendation for a publike officer or a private servant hee brings in no false bils but will bee as true in his trust and accompts as if you had your eye alwaies on him you need not so much as question 2 Ki. 22. 7. his reckoning whereas such a dishonest servant as that was spoken of Luke 16. 6 7. must bee looked after or hee will wrong the Publike to augment his Private and will not fear to empoverish his master or deceive his best friend to enrich himself 6. This man ever respects not a Person so much as a Cause The Cause of the stranger poor fatherless or widow is more to him then the face of the rich or the Letter of the mightie Hee saith with Levi to his father and to Deut. 33. â— his mother I have not known you nor did hee acknowledge his brethren nor knew his children because they kept thy Word Hee is the man whom the Antients were wont to Embleme with a Pair of Balances in one hand a Sword in the other and both his eyes shut To dispense to all Justice distributive or commutative indifferently without respect of persons Tros Tyriusve All is one I am Debtor saith hee to Jew and Gentile to do what is honest though engaged to neither In all matters in difference he inclines to that partie where Reason not Interest swaies him Amicus Plato Amicus Socrates but magis Amica veritas This man is my friend and that man is my kinsman but good Conscience is my best friend and truth my nearest
kinswoman 7. This man will sooner suffer any prejudice himself then prejudice his neighbour Hee sweareth to his own hurt and damage but changeth not No Prejudice valuable to the wronging Psal 15. 4. of his Neighbours exspectation and his own Conscience It was a famous speech of that noble Pomper when in a time of a great dearth at Rome hee was chosen Curator Annonae and had now made great provision of Corn for the relief of his Citizens being readie to set forward there arose a storm the Pilot persuaded him to stay because of the danger It matters not saith hee hoist up sail put out to Sea it is necessarie for us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sail to live is not necessarie To stay and reserve our selves is less agreeable with our honour then to go and releeve our countrey is agreeable to our dutie CHAP. XII The tender Conscience THe next good Conscience is the tender The Tender Conscience Conscience a disposition which the world calls Niceness Simpleness Peevishness Timorousness Scrupulousness and what not But it is the Right Temper ever of the gratious heart it is that heart of flesh promised in the New Covenant Ezek. 36. 25. and is that new Divine Nature wrought in the New Creature when once the old heart of stone is taken out it is that Tremulous and Contrite Spirit in which God delights to dwell Isai 57. 15. next to the Companie of an Angel or a glorified Saint Thus saith the High and loftie One that inhabiteth Eternitie whose Name Isa 66. 1 2. is Holie I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones This was that gracious disposition for which Josiah was praised and spared Because thy heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy self when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. and hast rent thy clothes and wept before mee behold I will gather thee unto thy fathers in peace and thine eies shall not see the evil which I will bring upon this place saith the Lord 2 King 22. 19 20. This was that self-smiting that was still observed in David's heart which shewed him to bee of a right tender Conscience When hee had done a verie small injurie to his deadly enemie Saul the Lords Anointed not touching his life but his lap not cutting his Throat but his Coat his Heart smote him much hee wished it had been to do again hee would not then have done it 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 2 Sam. 24. 10. when hee had committed that other sin of pride in numbering the people His heart smote him again hee cries out I have sinned greatly I have done very foolishly This is that tenderness in converted Ephraim Jer. 31. 19. who smote on his thigh when sensible of his sinful miscarriage and in the penitent Publican who smote himself on his breast Luke 18. 13. A gracious and blessed frame of heart it is But opposite hereunto is that temper of the wicked and graceless heart which the Scripture brands with many ignominious names The Heart of Stone Ezek. 36. 26. The heart of Adamant Zech. 7. 12. The Brawny dedolent Conscience Eph. 4. 19. The spirit of slumber or Lethargie Rom. 11. 8. Eies without sight set in the head The whores forehead Jer. 3. 3. The stiff neck iron sinew and brow of brass Isai 48. 4. The seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4. 2. Greediness of sin Eph. 4. 19. Isai 56. 11. The Enlarged Capacious Grave-like or Hell-like conscience which is as an Open sepulchre receiving all that comes near it entertaineth the most stinking carcase Hab. 2. 5. and is not sensible or offended A whole man at one morsell and is not satisfied Hee is as Hell saith the Prophet that cannot bee filled Prov. 1. 12. or as the daughter of the hors-leach crying unsatiably Give give yet never saith Enough can swallow a whole house yea it may bee a widows house yet can make a Long Praier after all But hath no remorse before nor makes any Restitution after This rusheth furiously into the Battle cryeth Aha at sin as the Job 39. 25. horse at danger This Conscience could drink up Jordan is as impenetrable as Leviathan which esteemeth iron as straw brass as rotten wood when sharp stones are under him he plaies upon them He laughes at the shaking of the speare his heart is aâ— the nether milstone Job 41. Per totum This hath made a Covenant with Death and is at agreement with Hell He regards neither one nor other nor feareth either God or man But eates the bread of wickedness and drinks the wine of violence whose sleep is less that night when he hath done no mischief in the day Prov. 4. 16 17. No surer note of one going to hell in all the world then this temper This is Satans flesh-brand or the mark of Cain as there is no one surer note of the state and truth of Grace then tenderness of Conscience wheresoever it is found These are past knowledge Psal 14. 4. Past shame Jer. 8. 12. Past feeling Eph. 4. 19. Past sorrow Rom. 2. 5. yea Past fear Psal 36. 1. and at last after these many steps to Hell come to bee Lamech-like Gen. 4. 24. Past hope in this life Jer. 2. 25. And past Recovery or past salvation in the next To prevent this labour after tenderness of Conscience which is that that doth make and keepe and manifest a good Christian A two-fold tenderness But here I must distinguish of tenderness it is two-fold one Culpable faulty and diseased Laudable necessary and from soundnes There is a tenderness of body sometimes which proceeds from Soreness sickness infirmity As there is a lively senâ—ibleness proceeding from health and a right constitution So there is a faulty and vicious tenderness and imbecillity of spirit which is five-fold There are five tender Consciences thus A faultie tenderness of Conscience and never an one of them good 1. When one is so tender that he cannot endure to be touched with a reproofe This is a tenderness indeed but an unsound and discased tenderness not so tender but that hee dare adventure on a sinne but he must not be told of his sinne The man who hath a byle when you touch him saith gently I pray it is tender when indeed it is sore and putrifi'd and harbors much filth within it This is an ill tenderness Thus onely wicked ones are tender and squeamish prophecy to us smooth things say they Isa 30. 10. Give us of your softest Pillows Ez. 13. 18. Oh how tender was Amaziah the priest of Bethel Amos 7. 10. He complaines of Amos as a turbulent and factious Preacher The Land is not able to bear al his words he must be restrained How tender were Jeremies accusers Jer. 38. 4. We beseech thee let this man be put to death
but we have not the same Titles written on our Crosses We suffer justly the deserts of our ill deeds He hath done nothing amiss These like Luk. 23. 41. Zimri are burnt with the fire which their 1 Ki. 16. 18 own hands have kindled 4. Last of all that we bring not our selves under worse sufferings then any of the former viz. sufferings in Conscience and from Conscience by shunning any other sufferings for God and Conscience as Judas and Spira who because they could not suffer outwardly now suffer inwardly they suffer dreadfully from God and from Conscience because they would not once suffer Honourably for God and for Conscience these finde God departed from them in anger because they departed from him in base fear these want now the Peace of God and the Peace of Conscience by seeking to buy at too high a rate the peace of the world They would have saved themselves but they have lost themselves These are the greatest sufferers and Losers in the world It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God these have run from the fear and are fallen into the pit to avoid Isai 24. 18. the wrath of man have fallen under the insupportable wrath of God The first of these sufferings are foolish sufferings the second sinful the third shamful these last dreadful sufferings But the sufferings of good Conscience are of another nature and that it may suffer Six honourable kinds of suffrings with Glorie and with Comfort must observe these Rules 1. That his sufferings be ever and onely for wel-doing These are honourable and comfortable sufferings As he shuns not sufferings so he seeks them not He procures them not by evil-doing as a Thief or flagitious Malefactor nor by over-doing as an eager busie-bodie he is not so fool-hardie as to be ambitious of suffering But his first and Chief Ambition is well-doing that hee may prevent il-suffering 1 Pet. 2. 15. for so is the will of God that by well-doing wee may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men His second Ambition is to be Quiet so is the Apostles Rule 1 Thes 4. 11. That we studie to bee quiet and to do our own business the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we do ambitiously and studiously affect it Sufferings are onely to be desired and undergone in the last place when I can no longer will nor chuse that is when I can no longer go on in wel-doing according to my dutie and no longer sit still in quiet according to my Desire with a safe Conscience then I must be content to suffer But we are to pray and endevour that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie We are to trie how far Integritie and Innocencie may protect us and how long we may be followers of that 1 Tim. 2. 2. Psal 25. which is good before men molest us 1 Pet. 3. 13. The good Conscience must not go out of God's way to meet with sufiering as he must not go out of suffering way to meet with sin In a word the Christian can never expect to take the degree of Martyr till he have first commenced Saint It is not Poena but Causa that commends the sufferer 2. If he do suffer for il-doing yet he must be sure to look to it that it be wrongfully 1 Pet. 2. 19. And if any evil be charged upon him that it be falsly Matth. 5. 11. And then we are under the same Promise of blessedness as if we suffered for Righteousness But if ye do well and suffer wrongfully taking it patiently this is that which is thank-worthy with God And blessed are ye saith our Saviour when men revile you persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake When Conscience can say we are as deceivers yet not deceivers but true as unknowen yet well knowen to God 2 Cor. 6. 9 10. 3. The good Conscience desires chiefly and especially to suffer in the Cause and for the Name of Christ this with him is to suffer as a Christian In the matter of the Kingdom Daniel was careful to carry himself unreproveable Dan. 6. 4 5. but in the matter of God he cared not what he suffered All the businesses of a Kingdom are below a wise Christians spirit to suffer for them civil and secular interests and quarrels he likes not to adventure himself in but the onely quarrell that he would ingage in and lay down his life for is the cause and truth of Christ the worship and matter of his God Life as it is too little worth to be laid out for Christ so it is too precious to be laid out in any other cause I must take heed that my own blood be not mingled with my Sacrifice as the Galileans was 〈◊〉 â—uk 13. 1 with theirs This is thank-worthy onely if a man for his conscience toward God suffer c. Austin somewhere saith Non refert qualia quis patiatur De civit Dei l. 1. c. 8. sed qualis quis patitur It matters not so much what it is that the man doth suffer as what the man is that doth suffer What an honour is it if I can call my suffering the suffering of Christ Col. 2. 24. my skars and marks the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brands and marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6. 17. and if I can subscribe my self the Prisoner of Christ Eph. 3. 1. 4. Good Conscience loves to see his ground he goes upon that his cause be clear his grounds manifest that he may not be stimulated and thrust forward by a heady and turbulent spirit a mis-informed Conscience but it must be for conscience towards God or according to God the phrase is emphaticall the Conscience of God that I may say as the same Apostle in another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 19. place that I suffer according to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 19. That when I shall say to God Lord thou seest what I do and suffer for thee I have contended and have fought for thee I have lived and have died for thee God may not reject all and say You have eaten Zech. 7. 5 6. and drunk fasted and feasted lived and died to your selves As the poor persecuted and hated Jewes have for many ages from the Romanes first and all other Nations since suffered all extremities yet while they say it is for their Conscience God saith it is for their obstinacy and contempt of Christ and the Gospel 5. As the matter must be good that we suffer for so it must be in a good manner that we suffer after or we stain our suffering If thou 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. suffer wrongfully thou must yet suffer patiently impatience in the best cause will keep thee from thy Crown This is to suffer according to the will of God not onely for the matter but manner This is to
first begins to liâ—e and the man ceaseth to live when once he ceaseth to feel So it is in the Soul the life of grace appears sooner in the sensibleness of Conscience spiritual Compunctions Heart-smitings and Heart-prickings for sin and guilt spirituall fears of his danger sorrow for his sin and miscrie then by any other tokens whatsoever 2. Tactus as Origine primus so it is Necessitate maximus usu summus of greatest use and absolute Necessitie It is first in the Original of life appearing and the most necessarie above all the other senses in the continual course of life A man may want his sight yet be a healthful and understanding man he may want his hearing yet bee a very active and apprehensive man he may want smell and taste yet be a strong man but if he want his feeling he is a dead man These serve more to the bene esse of natural life then to the simple being So is Conscience absolutely necessarie to the very being of a Christian a man may be short in parts defective in knowledge weak in duties have lost his comforts never had the Ornaments of Abilities Expressions Experiences that some others have yet a very good Christian But if he have lost his Conscience he is a dead Christian altogether 3. Tactus they say is Hominis Optimus The other senses other creatures excel man in Vultur odaratu the Dog and Vulture in smelling in sight the Eagle in hearing the mastiff c. But in feeling man which is the most noble and excellent Creature excelleth most he hath the most quick and tender Touch which considered I know no sufficient reason to say of it that Tactus is digniute ultimus when they confess it is Origine primus necessitate maximus So the best Christian excells in the tenderest and quickest Touch of Conscience Others may out-go him in Excellencie of speech and wisdom of words worldly men may have stronger brains to out-wit and over-reach the childe of God who is not so wise in his generations as the children of this world they have Luk. 16. 8. the finer wits stronger memories sharper inventions the better expressions he hath still the better part and is the better man because he hath the better Conscience 4. Whereas other Senses have a particular Organ of their own and lie confined to a narrow roome Hearing lies in the Ear only Seeing in the Eie Taste in the Tongue or Palate Smell in the Nostrils Feeling hath no such narrow confinement but is extended all the bodie over within and without So is Conscience of vast and universall extent over the whole man over all our actions intentions words motions from first to last Faith looks to Promises Fear to Threats Hope to futures Obedience looks to duties Repentance to sins Conscience looks to all This is the great Superintendent and oversees all all Graces duties all sins and snares Therefore saith one well Conscience is not confined to any one part of the Soul it is not in the understanding alone not in the memorie will affections alone but it Dyke hath place in all the parts of the Soul Conscience is the great Mistress of the hous she as soon as she is up calls up all her maids sets them all about their work and calls Pro. 31. 15 27. them to their account 3. The virtue and worth of a good Conscience is most excellent above all other things because it most fortifies the soul with strength against and gives victorie over all Adversities it carries the soul unwounded through the greatest afflictions It 's like Oile that alwaies swims aloft whatsoever waters of distress are below It is as the Ark which hath a window open in the Top to let in the light of Heaven This like Elias Mantle hath divided the waters and earried godly souls through a floud of miseries as on drie land This hath encouraged them in the midst of fire and faggots hath accompanied them in Dens and Caves and made Martyrs sing in midst of Prisons and flames It overcomes all his tormenting Persecutors It 's like the Anvile which breaks all that is beat upon it but is it self by all strokes made more firm It makes a man like a brazen wall Jer. 1. 18. All may fight none can prevail against it at sight of fear it saith Aha At destruction and famine it doth laugh and fears not the beasts of prey Job 5. 22. This like Noahs Ark to which it is compared 1 Pet. 3. 21. is pitcht within and without Ideo bituminata intrinsecus ne aquam emitteret suam extrinsecus ne admitteret alienam Aug. It is pitcht within that it may not let out any of his own water of comfort laid in for his own necessities and relief And pitcht without that it may not let in any thing from without that may endanger the safetie of the ship It keeps in all that may do Good it keeps out all that may do hurt It is the Christians Armourie or Magazine like the Tower of David furnished with a thousand Bucklers Cant. 4. 4. or like the house of the forest of Lebanon wherein Solomon put three hundred shields of beaten gold 1 King 10. 17. This will inable a man with undaunted courage to hold up his head before any Judgement seat Act. 23. 1. yea before God's Tribunal 1 Joh. 3. 21. Keep but Conscience safe it will keep thee safe Keep it in puritie and it will keep thee in peace It will make Tranquilla Conscientia tranquillat omnia thy face to shine as Stevens did The chearful Conscience maketh the chearful Countenance Prov. 15. 13. This will bee a drie house to thee in a wet daie it will make alwaies fair weather within doores what ever weather it is abroad Thou shalt sub tecto imbrem exaudire and thou shalt ever finde it fair above head what ever it is under foot This makes nothing of the Viper of Detraction Envie and Malignitie at which another man would have swoln or sworn but without any more ado shakes it off into the fire whence it came Premat corpus fremat Diabolus trahat mundus illa semper erit secura Let men world and divels do their worst Bernard de Consc ca. 8. they cannot hurt Conscience This is the whole skin which it is good sleeping in for a torn Conscience is the worst rent The wounded spirit who can bear If Prov. 18. 14. thou suffer Conscience to be torn to keep thy skin whole the rent is made worse if thou lose thy Conscience to save thy life thou art a Loser not a Saver and if thou lose thy lâ—fe to save thy Conscience thou art the greatest gainer by that which the world calls greatest loss Skin for skin and all that I have to save my life saith the world in Satans Language Job 2. 4. Skin for skin and life for life to save my Conscience saith the godly man 4. Good
Conscience doth not onely bear up the Spirit with invincible Patience under all Pressures but it anoints the head with oile and causeth the cup to run over with Joy and Consolation His excellencie herein is beyond all expression Good Consciences Peace is the Peace that passeth understanding It makes a Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tam sunt Dies ejus jucundi quam si quotidiè lautissimè aleretur Junius in Ioc. on earth a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. The merry heart our late Translation readeth it hath a continual feast Bonus corde Ar. Montanus Laeti corde Junius He hath Benjamin's Mess before him his fare is far above the ordinarie The bread he hath to eat others know not of nor doth the stranger intermeddle in his joy He hath Jehojakim's Provision Every day a rate from the Kings Pro. 14. 10. Table all the dayes of his life even to the day of his death Jer. 52. 34. His feast is beyond Ahasuerus Royall feast which lasted the longest of any feast we read of an hundred and fourscore dayes Esth 1. 4. but then ended This maintains the heart as Salomon did his subjects with continuall undisturbed peace all the dayes of his life not by force and sword but by Prudence and Counsell This makes thee live Halcyon-dayes in life and sing the Swan-like note at death and leades thee into a new year of Jubile after the expiring of the former year of Sabbath The Good Conscience is it self the Conscientia bona titulus est Religionis Templum Solomonis Ager Benedictionis Hortus Deliciarum Aureum Reclinatorium Gaudium Angelorum Arca Foederis Thesaurus Regis Aula Dei Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti Liber signatus clausus in die Judicii aperiendus Nihil jucundius tutius ditius bona Conscientia Bern. de in t domo greatest Good a man can have and is the Procurer and Entertainer of all that Highest good that man is here possibly capable of It is the onely Paradise which God loves to walk in the onely Throne which Christ sits in the onely Temple which the holy Ghost dwels in it is the golden Pot which the bidden Manna is kept in the white Stone which the new Name is written in the Ark which the Tables of the Covenant are laid up in the earthen Pot where all our writings and Evidences are preserved in it 's Gideon's fleece which all the dew of Heaven falls on it is the soft bed which the wearie soul sleeps in it is the Top of Jacob's Ladder reaching unto Heaven Stevens Perspective looking into Hic est Lectus Animae in hoc requiem capit Bern. Par. Sermon Heaven Moses Nebo where first a view is taken of all the promised Inheritance and thence a few steps higher and he was in heaven it is indeed our Penuel God face to face 5. The Good Conscience is so extensive and communicative a good that it is not onely a real Good it self but makes all other things better where it hath to do whence it deserveth that denomination of good Conscience which it commonly is honored with Other things are called Good as Riches Honors Learning Eloquence c. which are not so really but onely in opinion nor do they make any man the better This makes all Good and Good better where it comes Your Riches Honours Great Parts you call them good but who is made good by them if Good Conscience be not there to do it Bad men may have them and bad they finde them and as bad or worse they leave them But this is that which is inconsistent with any badness no bad man can have a Good Conscience This makes all good it meets with and leaves them good whom it found evil It findes some sinful but leaves them holy findes some proud leaves them humble unmerciful it findes some leaves them charitable covetous it findes some leaves them content unjust and dishonest it findes men but makes them just and honest ere it hath done with them it findeth men unprofitable and good for nothing it leaves them profitable it findes some sad leaves them merry poor and leaveth rich dead and leaveth alive What a change doth this one thing make in the world It mends a Magistrate it mends a Minister it mends rich it mends poor for it mends all This alone would mend ill times mend ill Officers mend ill Lawes mend ill execution of good Lawes mend Church mend State and mend all What Plato said long ago of Common-wealths Tum demum fore beatas res publicas cum aut reges philosopharentur aut philosophi regnarent It would never be well in the world till either Philosophers were Kings or Kings Philosophers we may certainly say It will then be well with Common-wealths and not till then when they that are most conscientious are put in publike place and made Magistrates Rulers Commanders Officers Ministers c. or when they that are in such place be most conscientious Good Conscience is the Treasurie of good which therefore brings forth nothing but what is so Good Communication to edifie the hearer Good Conversation to edifie the Beholder yea Conscientiae ea est vis c. saith Dr Ames that it alters the nature of things it makes Actions in their own nature indifferent become good and Actions good become better as Conscience when not good makes lawfull and indifferent actions sinful and displeasing yea the most holy Action is turned into sin the sacrifice is abomination offered with a wicked heart Prov. 21. 27. How mightily doth it concern us to get this Good Conscience which hath so much of Good Epitomized in it which maketh Learning Parts Riches Honour Good yea makes Faith Repentance Praier Alms Holiness Obedience all Good when Good Conscience there which all cease to bee good if it were not for good Conscience commending them Therefore did Irenaeus well to resemble the Good Conscience to the Altar which sanctifieth the gift that is upon it Non sacrificia sunt quae sanctificant hominem sed conscientia ejus qui offert sanctifiâ—at sacrificium pura existens It is not sacrifice which can sanctifie a man and commend him to God but it is Good Conscience which sanctifieth and commendeth the sacrifice it self CHAP. XVI Of the danger and mischief of an evil Conscience THe Excellencie and Benefit of the Good The danger and mischief of an evil conscience Conscience is not so great but the evil and mischief of the evil Conscience is as great which is our second consideration and this will appear in three particulars 1. Here commonly is the first decay as in the Text you see Hymeneus and Alexander no sooner had put away their Conscience but they sink their faith when once Conscience is tainted and become corrupt then presently the Judgement then the Affections then the Life and what not Corruption in the Conscience is as poison in the spring head this fountain corrupted all the streams run muddie
Therefore Satan commonly begins here and seeks Entrance for less sins upon the Conscience as House-robbers put in their less boies into the windowes to set open all the doors of the house for all the companie to enter Nemo repente fuit Turpissimus No man arrives at the height of impietie at once And this is commonly the first step One unclean spirit entertained makes room Mat. 12. 45. for seven worse to follow When Conscience likes not to retain the knowledge of God God gives up to vile affections at length to a reprobate minde at last to be filled with all manner of unrighteousness Rom. 1. 26 28 29. The hopefull Professour by this meanes soon becomes a dangerous Apostate and at last a down-right Atheist in life as the Apostle saith Titus 1. 15 16. when once the minde and Conscience is defiled they may profess still to know but in works they denie God being abominable disobedient and to every good work as any reprobate When the wormwood star falls into the fountain of Conscience all the rivers become bitter the sun beginning to set in Conscience night hastens on in the affections Then farewell Grace And when the sun goes back in the heaven of Conscience the shadow must needs go back as many degrees in the Diall of Comfort Then farewell Peace 2. As the first decay is here commonly begun so it proves the worst decay and danger that can befall a man a breach in Conscience is like a breach in the Sea banks proves desperate or like the Leake sprung in the ship drowns men in utter perdition after a crack in Conscience a man proves an utter Bankrupt after other shipwracks one may recover and get up again there are post naufragium Tabulâ— but this is a fatall and commonly irrecoverable shipwrack Some sins and slips are like breaking of a Leg or an Arm which may be set again this is like breaking the Neck few recover to take hold of the paths of life after this Judas brake his Conscience Neck and that brake his Neck Enquire as oft as you will by what degrees any is come up to the highest sins As for instance how some came to give themselves over to lasciviousness to the committing of all uncleanness even with greediness Ephes 4. 19. The Apostle tells us they had been practising upon their Conscience first they had first blinded their mindes and had stunted their Conscience to bring them to that dedolencie that they might bee past feeling Again do you wonder and enquire how it is that in these last daies so many do depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits yea to the very doctrines of devils as was foretold 1 Tim. 4. 1. the answer is at hand in the next verse They had first seared and stupified their Conscience Do you enquire again how it comes that some most hopefull Professours become at last most violent and enraged Persecutors and as bold broachers of accursed errours you have the answer in the Text Hymeneus and Alexander laid down their Old-Testament weapons Faith and a good Conscience then became filled with new wine then grew corrupt themselves then vented blasphemies then were delivered up to Satan as fitter for Hell then the Church They fell into prodigious opinions and conceits making a fable of the Resurrection 2 Tim. 2. 17. At last this Alexander came to be an open enemie to Paul and Persecutor of his doctrine whom he praieth against more then he doth against any other 2 Tim. 4. 14. This is indeed the readie way nay the onely way to sin that unpardonable sin the sin against the holy Ghost which never hath forgiveness because it never hath Repentance A man that hath lost his Conscience is like a Bee that hath lost his sting becomes a Droan ever after and is at last expelled the Hive The beginning of the Decaie of Conscience is like the beginning of the Hectick feaver which at first as the Phisitian saith were easily cured but that it is hardly known but at last it is easily known but hardly cured 3. The third danger and mischief is that either thou must resolve to make this Good warfare required in the Text for a Good Conscience or to suffer an ill warfare made upon thee from an ill Conscience either thou must make this Tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt but Mat. 12. 33. know that this war is the worst war which can bee made All wars are bad and end in bitterness but of all wars civil wars are the most dreadfull worse when it is between Citie and Citie then if it were Nation with Nation and of all civil wars domestical in the same Familie when divided is worse then when a Kingdom divided And in the same familie again Matrimonial war when in the same bed is worse then any other war in the same house between father and son for where the Relation is nearest division there is unkindest But there is one war yet worse then all these the personal division is worse then any division between man and wife This is to speak properly the onely Intestine war when two are divided against three and three against two Vnderstanding and Conscience joyning together to keep in order Will Affections and Practises but these joyntly rise up to suppress their Legall and Rightfull Superiours Vnderstanding and Conscience It is a sad Storie to read that of the father and his two sons who separating from our Churches in England kept together a while but ere long the two brothers divided among themselves again and when the father could not reconcile them he left the one childe to adhere to the other but after that differences grew between the father and this one son and they must Anathematize each other Here was a lamentable Example to see in three persons of nearest naturall Relation such an Enmitie each stood aloof from the rest all three stood excommunicated and accursed by each other But this separation and difference I speak of is beyond that when a man doth separate from his Conscience and excommunicate it first then after doth Conscience separate from him and accurse him yea and he shall be cursed Many have thought that they have been able to make offensive war against Conscience none have ever been able to make the defensive To fight aginst Conscience is to fight against God and who hath ever hardened himself Job 9. 4. against him and prospered Pharoab would begin with God and make an offensive war Who is the Lord I know him not I will not let Israel go but he was wearie of the defensive Exod. 5. 2. Let us flie for the Lord fighteth against us So if thou thinkest it a light thing to Exod. 14. 25. challenge and provoke Conscience while it would be at peace with thee know thou wilt finde it next God himself the heaviest adversarie that thou couldst have had If Conscience
as they did Moses Acts 7. for an intruder or busie usurper or an imperious Commander 3. Concerning faith made shipwrack see what followed upon it They did not perfect and mend their faith as they might be ready to pretend or affirm but weaken it not weaken but shake it not shake but sunk it and lost it 4. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander Consider who these were even great Professors a great while and stout Champions somewhile that had adventured far and ingaged much for the truth and the Preachers of it Alexander especially who had shewed so much zeal to truth and love to Paul Acts 19. that to secure Paul's person he had exposed his own to the danger of an unruly tumult he could have laid down his own life to have saved Paul's and would have parted with his right eye to do Paul service Yet see what is become of these now where will he stay that hath lost his Conscience 5. For they having put away their former good Conscience become now branded Apostates and open enemies of the same Preachers they had before so loved and honoured nay they themselves become Preachers but blasphemous Preachers 6. Lastly after all this the Church that formerly had joined with them now spues them out gives warning to the godly to avoid them and to their grief denie them any more Church-fellowship and gives them over to Satan that no more mischief may be done by their impure Doctrines The Church in her direfull Censures saith Write these men childlesse let no more of their seed rise up after them to bear more gall and wormwood CHAP. XVIII The Application of the Doctrine and first by way of Information THis point admits a sevenfold Application The Application as containing matter 1. For Information 2. Lamentation 3. Reproof 4 Terror 5. Consolation 6 Examination 7. Exhortation with some Directions The Information hath two parts 1. It gives 1. By way of information notice of certain errors and mistakes to remove them 2. Of certain Truths and Duties to assert them 1. It meets full in the face with that too And that first in removing mistakes common and plausible opinion but most dangerous error That to preach Conscience and press Duties in this nature is but legall teaching not preaching Jesus Christ and the Gospell But sure we have more cause to complain of the world for too little of legall living and Christian doing then the world to complain of too much legall preaching When men call us legall Teachers we may with too much truth and as much grief call them illegall ill-Evangelicall and ill-Christian livers Hymeneus and Alexander are alive again and by many Professors counted better Preachers then Paul and Timothy These counted Good-Conscience-Doctrine to be legall strictness and old Leaven of the Pharisees faith was enough faith was all But when Conscience ceased faith deceased they put away Conscience faith suffered shipwrack So that we may more rightly call this an old-new-Testament-error to crie down strictness then you our preaching it an old-Testament Truth and Doctrine This opinion broke out almost as soon as the preaching of the Gospel Paul had preached That where sin had abounded and reigned grace did much more abound and reign Rom. 5. 20. Others inferred hence as good Doctrine and the right knowledg of the Gospel and walking by a spirit of libertie Then may we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. Paul had said sin shall not have dominion over regenerate believers For we are not under the law but grace Hence others concluded We may sin because we are no longer under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14 15. Paul refutes the impietie of both Assertions with the same answer detesting both God forbid Rom. 6. 2. 15. These Tares we see sprung up as soon as the good Seed began to appear We wonder the less if among us there be some that say Believe once and away with Conscience and Dutie and Works and have no more Conscience of sin The truth is once believe and thou hast no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and punishment of it But once believe and ever make conscience of sin to avoid resist and mortifie it that it reign not in your mortall bodie The other were to overthrow the true grace of God by the name of the grace of God and to set up an imaginary faith and Gospel to beat down reall faith and Gospel while they cry down Sanctification and Conscience of dutie not as to the resting in them but as to the very having and seeking them But let the minde that hath wisdom judge can one grace in God be contrary to another his justifying grace to his sanctifying or sanctifying to justifying 2. Is one Attribute of God opposite to another his grace love and mercie to his holiness justice and puritie 3. Must Christ needs be divided and by redemption and justification drive out wisdom and sanctification two of his benefits destroying other two when he is all or none 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Or must two ends of Christs death be opposite to two other ends set down all together Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Must Christ his dying for us and redeeming of us make his people less pure or less zealous of good works 5. Can any imagine that one grace of the same Spirit should cross another the Spirits consolation evacuate the Spirits sanctification and by his obsignation mortifie mortification 6. Can one grace in the Christian be imagined to weaken and destroy another Is faith the enemy of holiness Doth Conscience extinguish confidence 7. Is the Law now against the Promise or Gal. 3. 21. the Promise against the Law did grace then fulfill the Law and est ablish it and doth it now Rom. 3. 31. make it void All these would have been accounted strange Divinitie in the Apostles ears This bewitching errour doth not onely set earth into disorders neighbour against neighbour professor against professor some people against their Ministers and some Ministers though they are not many who are so grosse against other Ministers but it sets earth in rebellion against heaven yea would attempt to put heaven into a combustion and make heaven at variance within it self while it would set Gods Decrees against Gods Decrees Promises against Promises Grace against Grace Saints against Sanctitie And again Decrees against Promises Promises against Commands Commands against Duties and all against Holiness This hellish Doctrine came from the Gnosticks of old and their followers They thought it their perfection to set Conscience at libertie and to discharge it from all puritie Epiphanius and Irenaeus say that the Gnosticks did purposely resolve to live a loose and base life that they might reproach the stricter Christians and wear out that legall Doctrine and as some
uncleanness 11. And lastly this insatiableness leads into the midst of Hell which is delightfulness in sin and there it leaves him to commit all uncleanness with greediness what can be worse in a Devil Thus have we shewed you the eleven steps of Satans Ladder That reacheth from the Top of sin to the Bottome of Hell and tels us by what degrees a man is transformed into a beast at first and into a Devil at the last And thus do you see the second kinde of hardness of Conscience following upon the former Thus it is said of Pharaoh that Pharaoh hardened his own heart Exo. 9. 15 32. Adding to naturall hardness voluntary attracted and augmented 3. Then is there left nothing but Judiciall 3. Judicial hardness by Seducers 2 Thess 2. 10. hardnesse such are all the foure following kindes As that then is the Conscience or heart further hardened by Impostors and Seducers Thus it is said further that Pharaoh's heart was hardened by the Magicians Exodus 7. 22. The Magicians turned the waters into blood by their Inchantments and Pharaoh 's heart was hardened c. God gave them over to worke their lying wonders and gave him over to believe their lies and to be hardened by them God doth still the same in his just Judgement to this day giving men over to strong delusions to believe a lie who had cast off the love to the truth whereby they should have been saved In this respect it is that God is said to lay a stumbling-block before the Apostate Ezek. 3. 20. to deceive the false prophet Ezek. 14. 9. And to have put a lying spirit into the mouth of all Ahab 's Prophets c. 1 King 22. 23. This is a Judiciall and fearfull hardness following upon the voluntary and attracted 4. Then is there a Ministeriall hardening 4. Ministeriall hardning God lets men injoy the Gospel and the means of Grace but they having added to naturall hardness of heart voluntary and to contempt of truth their love of errour God sends leannesse into their soules under fatness of Ordinances barrenness under fruitfull Ordinances Go tell this People saith he Psal 106. 15. to Isaiah the most Evangelical Preacher under the old Testament Isa 6. 9 10. Hear ye indeed but understand not and see but perceive not make the heart of this People fat and their ears heavy and shut their eyes c. Then doth the preaching of the Apostles themselves prove but a savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2. 16. Then doth the best Gospel Preacher become but a hardening preacher hard he found them harder he leaves them asleep he found them asleep leaves them deceived he found them and he cannot undeceive them Thus Moses also hardened Pharaoh's heart viz. accidentally and occasionally Pharaoh grew worse and worse by every precept by every reproof by every sign by every plague by every deliverance and by every mercie 5. Besides these there is a most dreadfull 5. Divine hardning hardening of God's part a Divine hardening a Poenal hardening by Divine Vengeance This God calls the sending of all his plagues upon the heart Exod. 9. 14. A heart hardened by the curse of God is an Epitome of all plagues in the world yea all the plagues of Exo. 10. 1. 20. 27. hell are in it Thus is God said often to have hardened Pharaoh's heart which what it doth particularly implie I shall not here enquire How far God doth act in the Judiciall hardening of a sinner to sin yet is not the Authour or approver of the sin It cannot be meant that God doth infundere malitiam but that he doth not infundere mollitiem Thus is God said to lay stumbling-blocks before men Eze. 3. 20. as was said before to blinde their eyes to harden their heart that they should not be converted c. Joh. 12. 40. To send strong delusions upon men 2 Thess 2. 10. To give men over to vile affections and to a reprobate minde Rom. 1. 28. All these five forementioned Consciences may be quiet and still Consciences but are wretched and unhappy in their quietness Lastly none will make question but there 6. Satannicall hardning is another who had a prime hand in hardening Pharaoh's heart viz. Satan though it be never said expresly that Satan hardened Pharaoh's heart But certain it is that Satan hath his first or second hand in every sinfull act and had a hand in the first hardening to the last He brought in the first naturall hardness he brings on from that to voluntary hardness he subornes Deceivers to harden further he steals away the Word when the Gospel preached Mat. 13. 19. should soften And when God hath tried all means and finds men desperately wicked having pleasure in unrighteousness he gives over striving any longer then comes Satan with full Commission of power and efficacie of lies and errors to perswade and prevail also 1 Kin. 22. 22. The like expressions the Scripture also useth as touching the spirituall blindness of minde 1. We are said to be born blinde blinde we are naturally in spirituall things 2. Then to close our eyes wilfully Matth. 13. 15. 3. To have our eyes closed Ministerially Isa 6. 9. 4. To be led blindfold by Seducers The Mat. 15. 14 blinde leading the blinde those blinde whose eyes God hath put out leading such blinde whose eyes themselves have put out 5. Then doth God close mens eyes Judicially Joh. 12. 40. Rom. 11. 8. And lastly Satan is said to close the eyes of them to whom the Gospel is hid 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Now to end this Discourse the world is full of Consciences that are bardened either by naturall or voluntary or Judiciall hardness Judicially I say either by godly Ministers accidentally or by wicked Seducers purposely or by Satans instigation or by Divine indignation But howsoever it comes all these are quiet Consciences and the more hard the more quiet the less trouble and noise is in the Conscience the less life and soundness ordinarily This Conscience is quiet till the worse again We all complain the world is hard and that times were never more hard and less quiet and never more full of troubles Thus all complain But God complaineth men and Consciences were never so hard though never more quiet and less troubled for sin under Gods wrath fearfull judgements mighty signs wonders temptations deliverances confusions and the hewing of his Prophets and Deut. 29. 3 4. Hos 6. 5. his own slaying us by the word of his mouth and melting us under Mercies Ordinances and offers of his Grace and intreaties of his Ministers yet do we as our stiff-necked and uncircumcised-hearted Acts 7. 51. Fathers alway resist his Grace and Spirit till there is almost no remedie Therefore 2 Chro. 36. 16. no wonder for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 9. ult Yet there is a quiet Conscience that is
a good When quiet Conscience good Haec est bona tranquilla Conscientia eorum qui carnem spiâ—â—â—ui subdiderunt qui cum his qui oderunt pacem sunt Pacifici Bern. Par. Serm. Conscience when it is purified as well as pacified as was said before when it hath done all his four Offices and speaketh peace that is a happy peace and when it hath those ten properties of good Conscience before spoke of viz of faith of puritie of sinceritie of inoffensiveness and of charitie and when it is a well sighted well spoken and an honest dealing Conscience when it is rightly tender and rightly hardy and after all these speaketh peace This is the onely right peace of Conscience the peace that passeth understanding 5 Vse The fift use is to discover another ordinarie mistake in men who are apt to judge a troubled Conscience a good Conscience and for no other reason but because troubled These are the third sort of men who are mistaken in judging of Conscience these are as much out as the former they judged Conscience good because quiet these on the other side say I have a good Conscience because I have had troubles in Conscience therefore I hope the worst is past bitterness of death and hell is over But so had Cain and Ahab and Judas and Simon Magus There is Conscientia mala turbata as well as mala pacata Thou maist have had great horrour and a dreadful sound in thy ears yet onely felt Job 15. 21. the beginning of sorrows Eccles 9. 3. The wise man saith that there are they whose heart is full of rage and madness while they live yet after that they go to the dead and damned out of one hell they go into another and out of one Ex inferno ad inferuum Eze. 15. 7. fire into another Then is Death and Hell cast into the Lake of fire Now there is a troubled Conscience which is not the better for it And there is a Conscience troubled again then which there is no better The ill troubled Conscience is known by 3 Marks of an ill troubled conscience these three marks When those troubles have an ill originall or rise whence they take their beginning 2. When there is an ill carriage and frame of spirit under them 3. When an ill course is taken to remove them Then from first to last these troubles are evil troubles 1. Troubles are then evil when the root is 1. When proceed from an evil root and cause evil whence they spring Ahab is much troubled till he is sick again not because his covetous lust is unmortified but becaus unsatisfied Amnon is sick because his brutish lust is nor satisfied Herod was troubled in his minde Mat. 2. 3. when he heard Christ was born But no good trouble this it had no good spring but came from hence that he feared he should be disturbed in his Dominion and his usurped power should be abolished So Prov. 4. 16. There be they that cannot sleep if they have done no mischief all day These troubles are not from sin but for it that they may effect it Hell is full of such troubled spirits This is indeed the Devils trouble The unclean spirit going thorow places where there is no good to be done for his purpose seeketh rest but findeth none This is cum diabolo conscire or consentire and may be called the Devils Conscience 2. When if it be at all for sin it is not so much for the intrinsecal evil and sinfulness that is in sin as in regard of the eventuall and consequential evils that attend sin and the punishment that follows Thus Ahab after his sin is troubled walks heavily puts on sackcloth and is humbled and fasts and lies in sackcloth 1 King 21. 27. But all this ado is not for grief of the sin committed but for fear of the punishment threatened So did Cain crie out because of his punishment Judas because he must be damned Magus desires praiers that none of those evils told him of by Peter should come upon him and Act. 8. 24. there was all his trouble This is to be troubled for Hell not for sin Hell it self is full of such troubled Consciences where there is continuall weeping wailing and gnashing of teetb for their pains but not the least Repentance for their sins 2. When the Carriage under the troubles 2. When attended with an ill carriage under it is evil then it is an evil trouble as 1. when the man doth rage and swell and storm under the stroke of God but his uncircumcised heart is never a whit broken to accept of the punishment of his iniquitie Cain was troubled enough at his sentence pronounced by God he was not troubled aright it was not at all for his sin nor did he at all humble himself under the just sentence of God but rageth and stormeth at his punishment My punishment is greater then I can bear So those Isai 8. 21 22. who fret themselves curse God and King and all that comes in their way And they look upward and downwand upon the earth and behold trouble and darkness and they are driven to darkness 2. When you see a man go on in sin under his Troubles these are ill troubles Eelix sometime trembled while Paul was at work upon his Conscience but all this trembling did no good upon his Conscience Paul left Felix as he found him an incorrigible sinner sinning against checks of his own Conscience And Felix left Paul as he found him He could not be moved ere the more to do Act. 24. 27. 1 King 12. 33. 2 Chron. 28. 22. him Justice Felix left Paul bound Jeroboam was as ill and that wicked Ahaz much worse after judgements upon them Simon Magis waxed worse and worse after that warning given him by Peter Hell is likewise full of such troubled Consciences there is continuall sorrowing but yet continuall sinning Rev. 16. 11. 9. 20 21. They gnaw their tongues because of their pains yet blaspheme God with their tongues and repent not to give him glorie as they Revel 16. 11. It is not the thorn in the hand throbbing and burning which makes the hand well but the pulling of it out 3. Those are ill troubles whose cure is 3. When an ill cure sought evil or when an evil course is taken for their removal as 1. When men go to outward means to remove an inward grief and go not to God Cain goes and travels first leaves his Countrey to see if he can leave his sting of Conscience he afterwards settles himself to emploiment in building but Cain carries his hell with him Saul while his ill fit is on him sends for David and seekes to still his distempered spirit by his musick An ill Diversion doth but Prorogue not end the disease It is like the casting of water upon the outside of the house when it is all of a flame within or
like the going to the fire in a melancholy Quartan Ague to get outward heat when the cold is inward and the man shaketh before the fire his Aguish fit is thereby increased and made more violent 2. When men again rest in the Outward use and observation of Religious means without any inward change of heart and a thorow-Reformation of life Ahab humbles himself fasts mourns puts on sackcloth goes softly All good but all this not enough Good to do these not to rest in these Ahab was Ahab still no inward change at all in him Judas is full of inward horrour he makes an outward confession of his particular sin makes plenarie Restitution of what he had sinfully gotten but there he rests he goes not penitentially to God he goes not fiducially to Jesus Christ whom he had sold or given up all his former interest in but all this he doth to stop the mouth of Conscience and to dead that hideous noise that was within Thus do we see others taking up duties often and here they rest They fast pray read hear more then formerly all to gratifie Conscience and keep it from grumbling and clamor Somewhat they do all they do not that they should do All this to a sin-troubled Conscience is no more to the cure of it then a draught of cold water inwardly or pouring cold water outwardly on a bodie burning in a feaver It may allay at present but removes no part or cause of his disease These torment and task themselves turning themselves up and down as Solomons sluggard on his bed or the door turning on his hinges there is no departure from Pro. 26. 14. the bed or from the door-Post So is here much turning no returning therefore Jeremy calls all this but gadding a wilde and disorderly gadding not a regular going or penitent returning Jer. 2. 36. Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way Thirdly which is much worse then the former when men have recourse to Diabolical and sinful means as Saul goes to the witch 1 Sam. 28. 7 8. 2 King 1. 2 Abaziah sendeth to Baalzebub to enquire sendeth not to enquire of God Belshazzar in his perplexitie sends for the Magicians to give him comfort Dan. 5. 7. To such as take these courses the Prophet speakes Isai 47. 12 13. Stand now with thy inchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries if so bee thou shalt be able to profit thy self Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels Let now the Astrologers the star-gazers and monthly Prognosticators stand up and save thee from those things that shal come upon thee These all die in their sin and perish as Ahaziah did because they go 2 Ki. 1. 6. to Baalzebub not to God and never come away with more comfort then Judas had at the High Priests hands when hee must go tell them what he wanted and what he felt He might go and die of despair for all they could say or do to him The stroke is from Gods hand the cure must bee from the same hand These should say Hos 6. 1. Come let us return to the Lord for he hath smitten and he will heal us he hath broken and he shal binde us up Lastly which is worst of all when men despairingly give over all hopes and all use of means saying There is now no hope This latter Jer. 2. 25. 18. 12. evil in putting away Gods mercie is worse then all the former in abusing and defiling Gods mercie As Tamar said to Amnon this latter evil in putting me away is worse then the former This was Cains case I am 2 Sam. 13. 16. Illa desperatio quae in hac vita tollit omnem spem quae ex Dei gratia potest oriri non tantum est aerumnosè molestè mala sed vitiosè Ames sentenced I must be damned I am accursed I must bear it God hath no mercie for me and none will I ask him Out he goes from the Presence of God full of black despair his countenance is cast down and he that was of late too stout to speak to his brother Abel is now as stout and sullen he will not once open his mouth to speak to God for a pardon So likewise Judas confessed repented restored but despairing of mercie never once went to speak with Christ to finde mercie So also Magus whom Peter bade Repent and pray then perhaps his sin might have been forgiven him Hee never made one Praier or so much as once set upon the work of Repentance This is trouble of Conscience that Hell is full of This the most desperate trouble in the world when one shall cast himself away wilfully and say This evil is of the Lord 2 King 6 33. why should I wait or pray or repent or believe or read or hear c This is to forsake our own mercie A childe of God may sometimes bee Jonah 2. 8. overwhelmed with troubles but he is still driven to God thereby not from God He saith I am distressed on every side yet I am 2 Cor. 4. 8. not in despair To despair I have cause in respect of my own desert To despair I can never have cause in respect of Gods mercie and Christs Redemption In distress I am in Hell I am not therefore I may yet seek and obtain mercie In the bellie of hell I may be yet I will look up to Gods Temple and Mercie-seat as Jonah said what though I cannot believe Jonah 2. 2. yet I will not despair though I cannot pray yet I will look up Though I cannot get out of the bellie of hell yet God can bring me out and can make the Whale land me and make all tempests and dangers to be means to preserve me Though I have sinned against the Grace the Gospel the Promise and the Spirit yea against Christ Jesus yet have I not sinned nor can I above and beyond the help and saving benefit of Grace and Gospel and Promises and of Christ and his Spirit Now there is also a troubled Conscience then which there can be none better it is the Sacrifice of Sacrifices which God will not Psal 51. 17 Isai 57. 17. 66. 2. despise it is the Temple of Temples in which God hath promised his residence it is the Holy of Holies in which the Mercie-seat of God is placed And this trouble of Conscience is then Six notes of a good troubled Conscience good when you see these six notes there 1. When this trouble is rather for sin then miserie when the soul crieth out Lam. 5. 16. Wo to me for I have sinned Thus was repenting Ephraims case described He smote Jer. 31. 19. his hand on his thigh because the sin of his youth lay heavie upon him which was more then if he had cried out ten times more because the hand of God had lain heavie upon him 2. When in this condition the poor troubled soul doth confess
bewail and lament his sin Psal 51. 3. My sin is ever before me I will acknowledge my sin c. What shal I say Oh thou Job 40. 3 4. preserver of men for I have finned Job 7. 20. 3. When upon such confession and bewailing of sin he forsakes it Prov. 28. 13. The Promise of Mercie is to such Such a troubled soul saith Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further 4. When not onely sin is forsaken in respect of the outward act but the heart is changed and mortified to the love of sin when God hath hidden all pride from man Job 33. 17. by means of all his trouble this is a good trouble when the sin-troubled soul saith I finde now more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands whoso pleaseth God shal be delivered from ber Eccles 7. 26. 5. When the heart is not onely changed from the love of sin but is carried out to seek after Christ for rest and Righteousness when Mat. 11. 29. Zech. 13. 1. Joh. 3. 14 15. we go to this Physitian to get rest to the soul and go to this Fountain to wash away sin and uncleanness Those are happie stings of the serpent that cause us to look up to the brazen serpent And that Pursuer doth us no hurt which doth drive us the faster to the Citie of Refuge 6. Lastly when after all this the Conscience is made more careful and more tender ever after Job 34. 31 32. Now I have smarted for it I will no more offend saith 2 Cor. 7. 11. Optimum est tunc sentiri vermem cum possit etiam suffocari hic mordeat ut moriatur paulatim desmat mordere Bern. Par. Serm. the right troubled spirit That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquitie I will do no more It is an excellent hopefull signe saith Bernard to feel this Worm of Conscience gnawing and biting while it is here biting it may be kill'd and when it is biting it is dying Mordear ne moriar Let me rather be bitten that this worm may after die then be unbitten that I should ever die What was Julius Cesars Motto is every Christians in this case Semel quam semper To die at once rather then to languish ever The next mistake is of them who think 6. Mistake they have a good Conscience but it is an Erroneous Conscience They pretend to Conscience in some thing yea more then others but it is a mis-informed Conscience The Pharisees made a matter of Conscience of it to take off hearers and followers from Matt. 23. Christ to make Proselytes to themselves Paul once thought he could not do God better service then in persecuting the Apostles Act. 26. 9. and Preachers of those times and to disperse the flocks How far was Saul gone with this disease when he would make the old Covenant an old Almanack which was made with the Gibeonites He would needs be wiser then all his Predecessours and more Conscientious and an impulsion of spirit with a pang of Conscience such it was set him on He did it in his zeal it is said to the house of 2 Sam. 21. 2 Israel But was it therefore good because he had such a persuasion did not his Realm first and his house at last smart for such an errour in breaking that Covenant which was at first subdolously obtained and inconsiderately made yet fieri non debuit factum valuit Much was spoken at first of the evil haunts Chap. 2. of this Conscience we may therefore say the less here we shall onely adde some of his common Marks whereby it may be discovered it is impossible to enumerate all his Wiles and Exorbitancies Some and his chief among them wee shall name 1. His grand and greatest mistake is to leave the Word which is the standing Rule to a rectified and judicious Conscience and to prefer a Tradition or some humane invention before an express Precept Thus did the Pharisees Matt. 15. 13. 2. Erroneous Conscience leaveth the waters of Siloah the holy Scriptures that ran softly and uniformly and constantly and takes extraordinarie Providence for a Rule in stead of Precepts whereas Gods Providences Deut. 13. 3. Dan. 11. 35 both prospering and adverse are oft more Probatorie then Directorie To tempt and trie rather then to warrant or discourage proceedings But erroneous Conscience imputes his success to his cause and his cause prospering he entitles God's cause This was Rabshakehs Divinitie Am I come hither Isai 36. 10. without God God hath said Go up against Jerusalem This was the Divinitie of the Caldeans Hab. 1. 11. Then shall his minde change with his success and he shall pass over and offend imputing this his power to his God These are apt to say Jer. 50. 7. We offend not because they have sinned and we have prevailed But if Gods Permissive Providence and our prevailing success make any thing lawfull what is then sinfull that is in our power Then were not God's written will but our will and power Providence concurring the Rule and Measure of lawfull and unlawfull But Providences are various and uncertain Our Rule must be constant and certain Providence can never be made a Rule for first no Conclusion thence can be certain and infallible saith the wise man Eccles 9. 1 2. All things come alike to all c. so that none can know love or hatred by all that is before him Secondly The success which God doth often in his Providence lay out for men is short of mans Expectation and the most industrious endeavours Eccles 9. 11. The race is not to the swift c. Thirdly Gods wise and secret Providence doth oft disappoint and frustrate the expectation of the wisest and the best of men Eccles 7. 15. There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and a wicked man who prolongeth his life in his wickedness The like he saith again Eccles 8. 14. Fourthly Providences are various and full of alternations that it were a brutish kinde of Logick to conclude any thing positively thence concerning the minde of God or the state of man Then when Paul and all his companie escape their shipwrack they must be all Saints when the Viper is on his hand he must be a murderer now and when the Viper is in the fire he must be a God again All the consequences alike valid Fit Divinitie this for Barbarians not for Christians But Solomon would have us cease from such kind of daring reasonings when he concludes Eccles 8. ult I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot finde out the work that is done under the sun because though a man labour to seek it out yea further though a wise man think to know it yet shall
They ever who take more care to get great States then good Consciences do but consult shame to their Honours and ruine to their Houses They are like the foolish woman who puls down her house with her own hands Wo to him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong That vâ—eth his neighbours work without wages That saith I will build me a wide house and large chambers and cutteth him out windows and Jer. 22. 13 14 15 16. it is ceiled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in Cedar Did not thy father eat and drink and do Judgement and Justice and then it was well with him Was not this to know me saith the Lord How many Examples do we see continually before our eyes of them who gather riches and not by right who are taken from them in the midst of their dayes and in the end die like fooles Jer. 17. 11. Jeroboam would never be beholden to Conscience or Pietie to secure his State and Crown Policie should do it but did not his State-designes become a sin and a curse to the whole house of Jeroboam to root them out of the Land Ahab must not scruple the way of getting Naboths Vineyard to get it was the thing but did he joy it The Prophet meets him with a cold Gratulation Hast thou killd and also taken possession where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth the dogs shall lick thy bloud also Did Achan thrive any better with his stolne wedge of gold Or Gehazi with his two bags of silver of two Talents The Consumption in Conscience breeds ordinarily a consumption in the state This maketh the furrowes in the field cry out and the stone in the wall and the beam out of the timber answer Wo to him who addeth house to house field to field and pound to pound till they are alone Doth not this leave great houses without inhabitant and fair houses without any to dwell in them This makes all fly at last the beam from the timber the timber from the wall the wall from the house the house from the name and the name it self from the face of the earth His sentence is Write this man childless a man that shall not prosper all his dayes for his heart and Jer. 22. 30. his eyes are onely for covetousness and oppression and violence to do it Whoâ—e Grand-childe doth the third Generation call happie in that Patrimonie dearly purchased by the expense of his Ancestors good Conscience what house stands long that is founded on the ruines of integritie and righteousness whoso gathereth by labour increaseth whoso by indirect courses undoeth himself It is godliness which is the great gain it is the name and memoriall of the godly which shall be blessed it is the posteritie of the righteous which alone is happie Godliness hath the Promise of this life also as well as of that to come Noahs Ark we know was not onely the Preserver of the Church but of the whole Universe So shall we finde good Conscience not onely the best Keeper of the Soul but of the State Trust this thou maist with all that thou â—rt worth 4. This discovers yet a worse decaie then that of temporall States the Ground of that Decaie in Grace whence it is that there are so many broken Professours bankrupts in Religion and decaied Apostates in the Church Hymeneus and Alexander this broke their backs They were men sometimes of as good account and great esteem as any other men in all that rich and mightie Citie Ephesus forward men very likely to make eminent Ones in time They let fall puritie and strictness of Conscience then were corrupted then corrupt others then denie Fundamentals then broach blasphemies then turn Persecutors then were as a Pest and Gangrene to the Church then out of Communion thereof they are cast and at last miserably they ended When good Conscience once departs the unclean spirit comes in and takes possession brings in seven unclean spirits into a house formerly emptie swept and garnished they dwell and stay there till the last state of that man is worse then the first Break once these Old Bottles of good Conscience and all the wine of Grace and Comfort runs out all is marred the man is a lost man From prophane and vain babbling men proceed at last to Highest ungodliness as the Apostles Advertisement is uâ—on the lapse and downfall of these miserable seducers 2 Tim. 2 16 17. 5. This doth also clearly demonstrate That by Apostolical Rules and the Primitive Discipline Toleration is not to be granted nor Church-Fellowship allowed to men who are of loose and profligate Consciences and corrupt opinions they who cease to be members of Christ and act for Satan are to have no longer Com-membership with the Church but are to be delivered up to Satan as we see in the Text. Notice is to be given of them and of their Errors to the Church their mouthes to be stopped their Companie to be avoided and the godly warned to beware of them 2 Tim. 4. 15. 6. This resolves us how the world comes to swarm with foul and pestilent opinions this chief stone is laid aside by the most of unskilfull builders Wood hay and stubble is brought in to litter the Church in stead of gold silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3. The first decaie is commonly here still Hymeneus and Alexander laying aside Conscience as legal and servile and Old-Testament ware become soon tainted with noisom opinions at last come up to open blasphemies and professed detestation of Paul God doth expose unconscionable Christians to errors in Faith Dr Twisse Zech. 11. 10 14 15. and all such like sound Teachers God in his just judgement smites such Teachers in their right eye and in their right hand they are corrupt both in judgement and practice and become no better then idol-Teachers coming before God with the idols of their hearts and laying stumbling blocks of iniquitie before the peoples face And indeed whensoever the Teacher layes by the Staffe of Beautie Faith and breaketh the Staffe of Bands Good Conscience what hath he left to take but the instruments of a foolish shepherd some absurd and dangerous opinions which drown men in perdition and errour while they speak high sounding swelling words of vanitie 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. and promise others Libertie themselves are the captive servants of all corruption 7. This informs us whence it ordinarily ariseth that many have lost that former Peace and those sweet Soul-Comforts they have sometimes had they have lost or wounded their Conscience The Lamp being broken the Oile is lost and the light goes out of it self Men little minde this but here is the common bane of all They are excellent Observations of Learned Ames Med. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 30. Prouâ— fides Conscientia vigent aut languent in hominibus si◠〈◊〉 certituâ—o augâ—tuâ— aut dimiâ—â—â—â—ur
on part of the Covenant where this written Law is not in the heart which is another and former part of the Covenant The High Priest might not go into the Sanctum Sanctorum unlesse Sanctified and sprinkled outwardly with the bloud of the appointed expiation nor shall any enter into Heaven whose Conscience is not first sprinkled and purified with the bloud and Spirit of Christ The Persian King had none came in unto him but they were first purified prepared a whole twelve moneth before There shall Esther 2. 12. certainly be admitted into Gods presence and Kingdome nothing that is defiled and uncleane But all must be in some good measure Reu. 21. 27 purified that they may be made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. In the second place it doth much more reprove those that sometimes had some kind of Conscience and have now lost it This is the losse of losses If a man have losses at Sea he takes on if lost a child he mournes if lost an eye or an Arme he grieves if by a Dead Palsie he hath lost the use of a side he sees Death on himself and reckons himselfe halfe dead what is it thinkest thou to have lost thy Conscience If Quae laedunt oculos festinas tollere si quid est animumi differs curandi tempus in Annum any Moat or Dust be in the eye he Rubbes and wipes his eye and cannot be quiet till he get it out If but a thief in the candle he takes it out but who is sensible of the losse and spoyle of Conscience which is the greatest losse Now a man may recover most losses or beare any losse but this and not be miserable This he cannot sight may be lost and recovered a child may be lost and thou mayst have another credit may be broken and regained as Iosephs state broken and repayred as Iobs liberty lost and regained as Iehoiakins life lost and be redeemed and a better given for it but this is the undoing loss this breaks a man for ever and makes a Bankrupt of him he never recovers This was Iudaas's Rupture This man falles downe Headlong Breakes in pieces in the midst all his bowels fall out with this fall and to his place he hastens The man that hath lost his Conscience may justly cry out with Micha's complaint what have I moreto lose I have lost my God Jud. 18. 24 I have lost my Priest I have lost my Conscience which was to me as both and what have Vt in portum perueni amus regendus est bona Conscientia navigationis nostrae cursus I more I have lost my Jewels and all my goods shall any stop my mouth and say what aylest thou losse of Conscience is like the losse of a Pylot to the Ship or the losse of Card Compasse Sayles Anchors to the Pylot they are at mercy of the Sea and in the next storme in danger of being cast away It s a sad and fearefull sight to see a man in a Phrensie that hath run out of his wits and hath lost his understanding he is now besides himselfe he knowes not friend from foe nor mindeth what he does nor what comes of him what a Phrensie is the man in that is run out of his Conscience He hath lost his Right minde indeed and is quite Distracted and beside himselfe A man cannot be called Compos mentis as a Christian if he be not Compos Gonscientiae It is the Countrimans observation as a Prognostick of an Ill and stormy day to follow If the Sun Rise and appeare betimes and go to bed againe as they call it then they looke for ill weather ere night you may observe it while you will it never fayles If Conscience in a young Professor be up betimes and then go to bed againe such a man hath sorrowes and miseries following upon his spirit and many an ill storme he must expectere he die The losse of Conscience to a man is like the losse of the sting to the Bee shee gathers no more Honey but becomes a Drone and is expelled out of the Hive Losse of Conscience makes a man to be as Nabuchadnezar when he had lost his Reason It was the losse of his Kingdome He was Deposed from the Throne driven away by Dan. 4 33 34 36. his people acknowledged no more for a King nor looked upon as a man but a fit companion for Beasts till he looked up to God and received his reason againe A man rejecting Conscience is like Saul rejecting the word of God rejected and cast off by God for it 1 Sam. 15. 26. Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee Because thou hast despised knowledge God hath despised thee Hos 4. 6. The losse of Conscience to a man some time acquainted with it and guided by it is like the losse of the Star to the Wise men Mat. 2. it is as much as the losse of all thy Grace and of all thy Peace all thy comfort is worth It is the losse of Christ They had not their joy againe till they saw the Star again nor could they go to Christ without it CHAP. XXII The use of Terror to four sorts of men THe next Use speaketh Terror and that in particular to four sorts of men 1. To such as have no care to get or keep a good Conscience nor to avoid an evill All the diseases of the soul are bred first in an evill and vicious Conscience all the torments miseries of Hel are epitomized in an unquiet and self-tormenting Conscience Suam secum Gehennam Portat Ipsa testis Ipsa judex Ipsa Torter ipsa carcer This man carries his Hell along with him where ever he comes or goes he carries his offence his accuser his witnesse his Judge his Jaylor his tormentor with him This is the sad melancholly Ague which will set thee a shaking that no fire can warme Sua quemque fraus suum facinus suum scelus sua audacia de sanitate ac mente Deturbat Hae sunt improrum furiae hae flammae hae faces Cicero Cur tamen hos tu evasisse putes quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos surdo verbere caedit occulto quatīente animo tortore flagellum Juvenal Sat. 13. thee nor canst thou get any heat within thee and though it may intermit and leave thee for a day or two it is but gathering strength to assault thee more fiercely when the next fit comes None can altogether excuss and extinguish Conscience let him do what he can snub'd it may be betrayed it may be as Sampson was Imprisoned it may be you may cut his locks put out his eyes make him grinde and be thy slave and drudge thou maiest be so secure as to make sport with him yet will his locks grow againe his strength will returne and he will be revenged
far from me vanitie and lies With David Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips Pro. 30. 8. Psal 120. 2. and from a deceitfull tongue Lord cast out this unclean Spirit and Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit No shipwrack so perilous no disease so dangerous no deceiver so deceitfull n abysse so deep no death so deadly no hell so dark no pit so steep to fall into and so narrow to get out of as the evill Conscincee But I come to the Exhortation which contains a double charge The text is no other then an Apostolicall Exhortation or divine charge therefore this Use must be made or the chiefe Use is not made yet First to each Christian secondly to the Minister especially First to each Christian who makes Conscience of any thing that he especially make it his care to get a good Conscience and to keep it As Solomon of Divine Wisdome so I of Conscience wherein is all practical Wisdome Above all thy getting get that saith he Pro. 4. 5. 7. So say I above all gettings whatsoever get a good Conscience and whatsoever thou gettest more get it still with a good Conscience and with all keeping keep thy conscience keep it pure keep it clean keep it in peace keep it thy friend keep it as thou wouldest keep the apple of thine eye Life and Death are in the power of Conscience it is the principal thing therefore above all getting and keeping look to this exercise thy self daily with the Act. 24. 16. Apostle herein to have thy Conscience alwayes on thy side and have it without offence both to God and man What the Orator answered to one demanding what was principally necessary to make a good Orator Pronounciation said he What second Pronounciation What third Pronounciation he answered still as if Pronounciation did chiefly and wholly make a compleat Orator So do you ask what is most necessary to make a good Christian I answer Conscience And what next if you ask I answer still Conscience And what again Conscience still say I. As of the Scholler comming from the University when he hath been a Student for many years the best Testimony which can be given him is that he hath profited Tam doctrinâ quam moribus In Learning and Religion So the best Testimony that can be given of a Christan going from the Church when he hath been a frequent hearer is That he hath profited tam scientiâ quam Conscientiâ both in science and in Conscience To back and strengthen this exhortation I shall first lay down some Motives to inforce then some Means to direct to the better attaining and retaining a good Conscience Let this move first that God doth weigh Motive 1 and try the Conscience of a man The Lord weigheth the Spirits saith Solomon Gold and Pro. 16. 2. Silver men do weigh Grace and Spirits men cannot God weigheth not Gold or Silver or Honours or Estates but he onely weigheth the Spirits and Consciences of men So much of Conscience as is in any person or duty or action or suffering so much of thank and worth with God This is thank-worthy with God if a man for Conscience suffer and take it patiently That â—ction is denominated good that proceeds from a principle of Conscience that suffering good which is for Conscience So much Conscience toward God so much Comfort is coming to thee from God So much Conscience before God so much confidence before God But on the other side if Conscience be Motive 2 wanting a man shall suffer losse of all he hath and lose the thing he hath done or suffered or expended When a man shall say with Jehu See my zeal for the Lord I have fasted I hove fought I have been active I have suffered God will say Have you fasted at all to me have you done all this out of Conscience When you fasted was it not to your selves and when you did eat was it not to your selves therefore walk in the sparks which you have kindled If you have done well and truly Conscientiously and Religiously as Jotham said once do you then rejoyce in Jud. 9. 19. Conscience and let Conscience rejoyce in you but if otherwise a fire will break out of that bramble the evil Conscience and consume you and all your works What a mighty stickler was Jehu a man of an active and impetuous spirit yet he lost his reward for all his pains and seeming zeal his Conscience was not right Ananias lost his cost charges after he had contributed so much Alexander lost his reward and comfort after he had suffered so much Judas lost al after he had followed Christ so long and preached Christ to others so often Mot. 3 This leads a man to perfect and compleat happinesse both here and hereafter Here in this world it brings two the greatest benefits being the onely way Ad bene beatèque vivendum Ad bene beatèque moriendum In Life Ad bene beateque vivendum A good Conscience is the onely way to the good and blessed life This makes the good dayes whether thou be in prosperity or in adversity First if in Prosperity this will be as a hedge about all thou hast As the Candle of God in thy Tabernacle as the widdowes Cruse and Barrel will never fail of somewhat to supply and support thee 2. If in Adversity this will be like the good Houswifes candle that goes not out by night Or like Israels pillar of fire that will not leave thee in a wildernesse This like Ruth to Naomi will stick to thee stay by thee goe with thee where thou liest it will lie and as thou farest it will take part with thee when all other comforts and dearest friends like Orpah lift up the voyce and weep and take their leave of thee This like Ittai the Gittite to David saith 2 Sam. 15. 21. as the Lord liveth in what place soever thou art be it in life or death there will I be This turns Reproach into Honour takes up a stigmatizing invective as if it were a Garland throwes the viper into the fire and feels no harm This fears neither fury of Tyrants nor fire of furnace It dreads neither Anakim nor Emim nor Zamzummim This makes a man more than a Conqueror Rom. 8. 37. which is a very high and bold expression of a poor Paul why Paul who art thou A Conquerour is the highest Title he gives Laws to Kingdomes his place is above that of a King it hath been held more glory to make a conquest than to wear a Crown Al Kings have been crowned all Kings have not been Conquerours yet are we Conquerours and more than Conquerours First The Conquerour may overcome to day yet be overcome to morrow of the same enemy Victorem a victo superari saepe videmus Secondly The Conquerour may find the same enemy increasing by new Associations and then shake of his Yoke Thirdly The Conquerour
cannot say though he have the better Sword but his enemy may have the better Cause that the other cause may after carry it Fourthly The Conqueror may pay so dear for his victory that he doth not greatly joy in it Ezek. 32. 27. Fifthly The Conqueror may when all is done go down to Hell with his sword by his side and his weapons of war under his head though he was the terror of the mighty in the land of the living and then his iniquity shall lie heavie on his bones But we are more than Conquerours we have overcome to day and shall to morrow our cause is a victorious cause carries not Fortunam Caesaris but Honorem Christi therefore shall go forth conquering and to conquer and let Satan and all his Confederates unite their forces Principalities Powers height depth we fear them not all we are secure of victory and safety O glorious and happy condition when a man hath lost all he is as if he had gained all the world when killed all the day long as if he was triumphing all the day long I suffer and am bound saith the Apostle but the word of God is not bound my Cause is not bound my Conscience Dr. Stoughton in his Sermon before K. James is not bound a man takes no hurt while Conscience is safe Excellently Dr. Stoughton to this purpose Job was more happy when he fate upon the dung-hill than Adam when he sinned in Paradise because though his body were dissolved into worms and every worm acted by a Devill as Origen would have it to increase his torment yet he had not eaten the forbidden fruit which bred this worm of Conscience and made him fly from God The Bride that hath good Chear within and good musick and a good Bridegroome with her may be merry though the hail chance to rattle upon the tyles without upon her wedding-day Though the world should rattle about his ears a man may sit merry that sits at the Feast of a good Conscience Nay the Child of God by virtue of this in the midst of the waves of affliction is as secure as that child which in a Shipwrack was upon a plank in his mothers lap till she awaked him securely sleeping and then with his pretty countenance sweetly smiling and by and by sportingly asking a stroke to beat the naughty waves and at last when they continued boystrous for all that sharply chiding them as though they had been but his play-fellowes O the innocency O the comfort of Peace O the tranquility of a spotlesse mind There is no Heaven so clear as a good Conscience So that learned Doctor Good Conscience is to a man his closest and dearest friend that like Baruch to Jeremy will visit him in prison and will keep his Evidences safe for him in a time of common conflagration and calamity Jer. 32. 11 14. Or rather it is that Earthen vessel wherein alone our Evidences of our heavenly state are put and preserved from being corrupted both our Evidences our sealed Evidence and our open Evidence for a Christian must have two the sealed Evidence of Justification and the open Evidence of Sanctification are kept in this Vrne as Baruch was commanded to put both Jeremies Evidences of his purchase the sealed and the open in an Earthen vessel Yea good Conscience is not onely the Non est utilius remedium nec certius testimonium futerae beatitudinis bonâ Conscientiâ Bern. de in t domo preserver of Assurance but is a part of it for what is Assurance of Salvation but in the originall an Act of Grace passed in favour of a poor repenting and beleeving sinner in the Court of Heaven entred and ingrossed in the Book of Life which because procured by the Price of Bloud is written out in the precious Blood of Christ signed and sealed by the impresse of the Spirit of promise which is the Fathers and the Sons Agent on this behalf and attested by good Conscience as that which sets to his his seal next God and is then delivered into the hand of Faith as Gods Act and Deed for the sole Use and Benefit of a rightly purified Conscience Or Assurance is a Transcript taken out of the book of life that sealed book sealed in the bosome and counsell of the Father now unclasped by the hand of the Lamb written fair out in his Bloud attested by the Spirit of God within and endorsed without with the graces and fruits of the Spirit and at last passed in the Court and entred in the Office of good Conscience This this is the Assurance of the Saints when Gods Spirit attests to our Spirit and again our Spirit doth withal consent with the Spirit of God The other benefit of good Conscience 2 At Death here is at death when as it enables and directs ad benè beatèque moriendum an undertaking that all Philosophy could never make good nor did attempt but did onely promise the way ad benè beatèque vivendum yet fell short of that Conscience is the way to well-living it is the onely way to well-dying This gives rejoycing as the Apostle saith to him that is under the sentence and stroke of death and is now despairing altogether of this life 2 Cor. 1. 9. Good Conscience as it is sweeter than life so it is stronger than death and the good man and his Conscience are like Saul and Jonathan lovely in their life and which is above all in death they are not divided Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Prideaux History pag. 247 The goods embarqued in good Conscience are the onely goods which will be saved when there is any shipwrack of State or Life And those are the goods we should get said the Emperour Lewes of Bavyer which in a shipwrack can swim out as well as thy self A saying also which Q. Mary is said to have Englished and much delighted in These are two great Benefits in this Life here But there are two greater for hereafter Conscience helping Ad tutò intrepidèque comparendum Ad Gloriosè aeternèque triumphandum 3 At judgment Conscience hath two other kindnesses which it will doe for the Soule beyond those two fore-named in life and death It will stand a man in stead when he is to make his appearance before the Tribunal of God Where Courage dares not shew his face nor Eloquence open his mouth where Majestie hath no respect and Greatnesse no favour and as the Martyr said Where money bears no mastery There good Conscience is known and befriended there it dares appear thither it doth appeal when the King and the Captain and the Great man and the Mighty man and the Chief Commander and the Rich and the Bond and the Free cry to the mountains to hide them and to the rocks to fall Rev. 6. 15. 16. on them that they may not appear Then doth good Conscience lift up
Christ and the Spirit Good Conscience must observe the eye voice beck finger and every motion of Christ Judas hereby shewed himself to be a man of no Conscience unlesse a seared that he could stand all those throwes and never shrink for the matter he was nothing moved at the sop given nor those plaine expressions in words at length and not in figures He to whom I give this dipped sop is the man whose heart is dipped in Treason and Bloud to be my betrayer and murtherer Wo be to him by whom the Son of man is betrayed It had been good if that man had never been born He stood all these he stayed he puts off all these with an impudent Is it I He swallows the Sop he could now drink up Jordan out he goes and out goes Conscience and in goes Satan first hastening him to his sin then posting him to ruine All this came upon a non-advertency to hints and warnings and checks and reproofs As it is a fearful judgement Cains judgement to fear where no fear is so it is as foul a sin Judas his sin not to fear where fear should be What a hell is it for a man to be Conscience-proof or for Conscience to be Sermon-proof Terror-proof Correction-proof Thou hast smitten them O Lord Jer. 5. 3. but they have refused to receive correction They have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return These come to be past reproof and then to be given over to a reprobate Rom. 1. mind To be like the Smiths dog who is so long accustomed to the sparks flying and the noise of the bellows that he sleeps under them But Solomon hath a sad warning to such He that being often reproved hardneth Pro. 29. 1. his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy But on the other side Peter recovers Conscience by a wise observing these hints Christ had fore-warned him Ere the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice he lays up these words yet being surprized on the sudden through infirmity he falls Repentance awakens him he hears the Cock crow his heart trembles he reflects on himself casts his eie back upon his Master then sees his Masters eye fixed on him He minds the eye he reads the meaning he leaves the place goes out weeps and recovers himself and is again received by Christ Observe thou still the looks and calls and smiles and frowns of Christ and learn to say This is the Voice of my Beloved this is my duty this is the voice of the Rod and this is the meaning this is the writing of Christ and this is the reading Listen as attentively next to the hints 4. Means of Christ to the mutterings and whisperings of thy own Conscience learn the language and observe the discourse of thy own Conscience mind what intelligence it brings thee home There is more in this than every one is aware of Many deal with suggestions and checks of Conscience as Josephs Brethren did with him when he told them of his dreams they accounted them one while as the wild notions of an idle brain then they derided him and called him the Dreamer another while Gen. 37. 11. they looked upon them as the malipert evaporations of an aspiring mind then they envied him But his Father thought there was something in it therefore he marked and observed his sayings Take notice what news Conscience brings thee home every day as Joseph did to Jacob of his sons Be not afraid to speak with thy self face to face Decline not this personal Treaty with thy self Send Amaziahs challenge to thy Conscience Come let us see one another in the face 2 Chron. 25. 17. Commune often with thy own heart Psal 4. and thus David tells us he himself did Psal 77. 6. when he had been much out of order his spirit overwhelmed his mind troubled he thought his Conscience might have somewhat to say to him he desires a right Vnderstanding may be had therefore he seeks a conference I communed with my own heart saith he and my spirit made diligent search I heard what Conscience had to charge me withal and Conscience made a search and heard what I could say for my self These Soliloquies are our best disputes and the most usefull conferences Such Solitude is better than Society sometimes Man is best company for himself Be thou daily in this Counting-house and take a turn every evening in old Isaacs walks Go out and meditate Gen. 24. 69 shall I say or go in and meditate Wee read Gen. 1. that God viewed every dayes work what it was before it passed out of his hands and saw that it was good ere he left it and before the Sabbath he took a review of all he had done in the six dayes before Observe thou each day what were thy actions this day what were thy passions See what words fell from thee what purposes and thoughts were in thee Didst thou well or no to be so angry or to be so merry So to be silent or so to speak Didst thou not vainly discover thy self as one of the vain fellowes use to discover themselves Especially before 1 Cor. 11. 28. the Sabbath or the Sacrament view all thy works and take thy self to task by a serious self-examination Be not a stranger to thy self live much Non venitur ad bonam Conscientiam nisi per cordis custodiam Bern. at home nec te quaesiveris extra Fear not to be alone whomsoever thou trustest to be thy Cash-keeper be thou thine own Conscience-keeper If any be so ungracious as to say who made me my Brothers Keeper Tremble thou to be so unnatural as to say who made me my own Keeper what an ill account of his Stewardship will that man give up who can say I have been diligent in all things which I took in hand but my own Vineyard have I not kept I presse this the more because Cant. 1. 6. it is so necessary and near a way to a good Conscience I say again be sure to be well versed in thy own heart feel thy own pulse how it beats wind up this Watch every night see how it goes every day see if it be not down and have done going Be not like the Elephant who loves not as they say to see his own face therefore never drinks but in muddy waters Be not as was said of Cain Cordis tui fugitivus A vagabond from God and a runnagate from thy self Hear thou when Conscience speaketh that God may hear thee when thou speakest else Conscience will tell thee though thou wilt not hear it speak to thee now he will be heard before thy betters another day what it hath against thee What a shame is it to thee if thy own Conscience can give no better testimony of thee than Nabals servants did of him Our master is such a man of Belial that none i Sam. 25. 17. may speak
to him Be sure to carry it fair with thy self and keep peace at home that thy house be not divided against it self and so end in ruine Miserable it is if man and wife live at discord God is not there What is it when a man disagrees with himself Or be sure if there be any discontent here to get all composed Deliver thy self as the Roe see whether thou be in fault or thy Conscience Austin tels us how he had many Quae non ad me dixi quibus verberibus flagellavi animam meam a round bout with himself after that God had shewed him his sin He went aside and chode himself Then into a private Garden he got where none might interrupt him and there his Conscience and he were wrangling till God agreed them and made them friends These fallings out breed the strongest friendship both with God and thy self In hortum abiit tum in illa grandi rixa domus interioris quam fortiter excitâram animam meam in cubiculo nostro corde meâ— in hortulum abstulerat me tumultus pectoris mei ubi nemo impediret ardentem litem quam mecum aggressus eram Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 7. 8. Fifthly yet so we must hearken to and The fifth Means Vnicuique suus liber est Conscientia c. Et ideo scribi debent libri nostri ad exemplar libri vitae si sic scripti non sint saltem corrigantur confer amus itaque libros nostros cum libro vitae â—â— forte in illa ultima discussione abiiciantur si non fuerint emendati de Consc lib. 1. cap. 9. confer with Conscience as also to confer Conscience with the Scripture That is the Book of life as Bernard saith and according to that our Conscience must be copied or corrected Let us therefore saith he compare and confer our books with Gods book lest in that day our books be rejected as false and faulty when they come to be examined See therefore if thy Copy be according to the Original The Christian grows judicious when he reads not Scripture cursorily but when he diligently conferreth place with place and Scripture with Scripture Conscience is to be compared with the Bible and examined by it The able and expert Divine rests not in perusing a Translation be it never so good bur confers the Traslation with the Original Conscience is but a Translation at the best and in most the most corrupt Translation this vulgar Translation had not need be made authentick and Canonical But thou must search the Scriptures and not trust thy own judgement too far Keep thy Watch still going as I said before but see thou that it be right set not by thy neighbours clock or thy own guesse but by the Sun-dial Conscience is indeed unto a man a kind Solis Canonicis libris debetur fides caeter is omnibus judicium Luther of Scripture yet at most but Apocryphal not Canonical Apocryphal it is therefore not to be denied reading Canonical it is not therefore not infallible Nothing is to be taken Dogmatically from the Apocrypha say we unlesse it be contained in the Scripture So far we receive them as they consent with Scripture no further So far receive thy Conscience A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not so as it should be heard for it self but it is secundariae authoritatis lectionis allowed it may be when it holds a consonancy with the written word The grossest Idolatry in the world saith a learned Divine is to make thy self the Idol and as bad a Rutherford Papacy as that at Rome to make a Pope of thy own Conscience Thy Conscience is indeed thy Rule but it must then be Regula Regulata it may not be Regula Regulans et primaria that is it is a Rule ruled by another not giving Rules but when from that other Rule Conscience is to every man his Law to himself Rom. 2. 15. but this law is to be written out as the King was commanded Deut. 17. 18. 19. to write his Copy out of Gods law and then to read therein all the dayes of his life Conscience may be to thee thy Aaron in stead of a Prophet but it must then have his Moses with it to be to it in stead of God This consideration alone well weighed would resolve what is to be done in many cases and may direct in many passages Nothing is more ordinarily pleaded than Conscience Conscience It is my Conscience say most what ever is their practise or opinion and if Joab take Sanctuary here he thinks himself safe secure that none may remove 1 Kin. 2. 28 31. or trouble him but a Solomon will fetch him thence or he may die there It is my Conscience saith the Papist the same saith the Jew the same a Mahometan and I will die for my Conscience The same may an Antinomian an Arminian or Anabaptist say and I will not goe against my Conscience c. I but is it a good Conscience a well informed and enlightned Conscience My Conscience bids me do thus say men often I but what doth God bid Conscience do Had not Adam fallen we should have needed no other Rule but our own Conscience Now we have a Law written and Proclaimed we must not make Conscience the Supream Law but the subordinate In the integrity of my heart may Abimelech say when it was but Gen. 20. 3. a blind integrity And Jonah being challenged for his frowardnesse Doest thou well Jonah to be angry he replies yea so well as Jonah 4. my Conscience is satisfied that I could die in this mind and thus I would do if it were the last thing I should say or do Chrysostome blamed those that are curious and choise what money they take who will refuse to take that which they know not Nisi ipsi videant numeros calculos constare they wil look for the figures and for the right Stamp But in matters of Conscience and in points and practises of Religion â—re easily over-reached Simpliciter se huc illuc ferri patiuntur Cum sint ab autore spiritu sancto dicuntur autoritatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veritatisque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamier de canon fid l 4. c. 1. Cui subjic iÌ„ oportet omnem pium intellectum Aug. 6. Means Vel Deum interpellet inquirat aut consulat nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the highest honour and perfection of the holy Scriptures that they coming from an infallible hand and written by the divine inspiration of an un-erring Spirit have this Prerogative above all other persons writings and opinions that they are of undubitate and unquestionable Authority and of infallible certainty to which every thought and reasoning of man must be brought into subjection Conscience is indeed to have a negative voice so that nothing is to be done without his assent and good liking
of later times have had the boldness to call it that Idoll of Sanctification That no regard was to be had to any scandall taken by others That all things Studiosè sibi iurpem vitam elegerunt ut infamiam opprobrium Ecclesiae conciliarent Basilides vesci jussit Idolothytis seu victimis rebus illis quae simulachris immolatae essent indifferenter sine respectu Conscientiae etiam in casu scandali Fidem perjurio negare tempore persecutionis Carpocrates omnibus operationibus libidinibus indifferenter uti necessarium dâ—â—it ut sine Turpitudine nemo perfectionem mystagogtae consequi posset Alli se Jesu similes alii se Petro Paulo praestantiores ob excellentiam cognitionis dixerunt Vide Plura Mag. Cent. 2. cap. 5. were lawfull That they might converse with any Idolaters and Idolothytes That the onely way to perfection in their mysterious Religion was to give themselves to any libidinous and obscene actions That some of theirs were equall to Christ Jesus himself and nothing inferiour to him And as for Peter Paul and the other Apostles they were far their superiours and their Doctrine more perfect then any of theirs That to denie and forswear their faith in case of danger was lawfull c. These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Text speaks of who deal with Conscience as Amnon did with Thamar first ravish and abuse 2 Sam. 13. 17. it then put it out of doors And like those Sons of Sodom who will no longer endure any more reproofs but assault the reproover in his own house This is he who came to Gen. 19. 9. sojourn and he will now be a judge therefore will we deal worse with thee c. These give the Harlot erronious or seared Conscience the living childe from the right mother pure and tender Conscience laying the dead child at her doors But while these give Conscience a Bill of divorce God gives them a Bill of divorce And while they would make Conscience a reprobate themselves become reprobates A shame it is these things should be said or suffered among Christians What would those ignorant Heathens now say if they should see these things who when once they saw the Spirit carriage and Acts of the Apostles cried out The Gods are come down to Act. 14. 11. us in the likeness of men But changing their voice say that rather Devils are come up to us in the likeness and under the name of Saints But to conclude This particular conscience is that which doth constitute and commend the Christian and all that belongs to the Christian The Christian is no more a Christian if he have not and keep not a good Conscience Our Baptism is no Gospel Baptism but without efficacie if there want a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3. 21. Knowledg not right Gospel Knowledg if not according to godliness Tit. 1. 1. Faith no more Gospel Faith if not joined with Conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. Love no more Love if separated from good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. nor assurance good assurance if not joined with good Conscience Heb. 10. 22. nor Obedience acceptable except for Conscience Rom. 13. 5. nor Sufferings thank-worthy if not for Conscience 1 Pet. 2. 19. You may do much in vain and suffer and expend much in vain and all be in vain if not for Conscience sake Yea the blood of Christ it self profits not if not sprinkled upon pure Conscience Heb. 9. 14. 2. The second mistake is a practicall mistake of those who reckon not Conscience a Fort or Tower but a Snare and a Prison rather and think in evil times to abandon and desert it is the onely safetie He that looks overmuch to Conscience must die a begger is a chief Article of the worlds Creed Better protection is to be had in policie and a safer refuge in lies and falshood and to make an agreement with hell and covenant with death or to break the Covenant with God and agreement with Heaven is the onely way to securitie But shall not an overflowing Isai 28. 17 18. scourge come and sweep away the refuge of lies as the Prophet saith And shall not men at last be forced to say That the effect of righteousness is onely quietness and assurance for ever Isai 32. 17. When the sinners in Sion shall be afraid and the hypocrites surprized with fear crying out Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14 15. Then shall he that walketh uprightly be set up on high and have his defence in the munition of rocks c. 3. There be others who will easily yeeld that good Conscience is worth making of but are mightily mistaken in judging what good Conscience is And there be many mistakes in this respect First some and those very many do conceive if they live according to their Conscience they doe well although their Conscience bee but a naturall Conscience Now the nature of Conscience is very good but the Conscience of Nature is very bad Some good naturall Conscience may have in it but good it cannot be called 1. It may make a man cum seipso scire Rom. 2. 15. And so become a law unto himself 2. Such an one may cum aliis scire and so far is good as Adrian said to do that to others which he would exspect from others 3. Such an one may be exact in matters of the second Table he may answer all the duties of naturall and civill Relations observe the Lawes of humanitie and friendship religiously be true to his trust interest countrey friend promise engagement to his Oath taken as Regulus To the salt of the Palace Ezra 4. 14. as those Idolaters were 4. He may make scruple of many sins such as the light of nature condemnes gross sins commonly Abimelech abhors adulterie Gen. 205. Pilate's Conscience grudges and relucts Joh. 18. 31 38. 19. 4 8. Act. 25. 27 to condemn an innocent man to death Festus holds it unreasonable to send a Prisoner bound without matter of weight charged upon him to be inserted in the Mittimus 5. He may have some sense of the Deitie of God and of the force of Religion Rom. 1. 20. and 2. 14 15. 6. May in that respect tremble sometimes and be terrified in Conscience for sin and hell as Felix Act. 24. 25. 7. He may sometimes and ever and anon when he seriously reflects on himself have a dislike of his own state and wayes and know and confess his sinfull doings yea he may have store and plentie of teares and make shew of much passion and compunction for sin so did Saul 1 Sam. 24. 16. and 26. 21. Hee was under great and frequent fits of horror of this naturall Conscience 8. Or he may on the other side have much inward and pleasing naturall Peace while he observes the rules and dictates of his naturall Conscience Rom. 2. 15. They have their
who shall therefore walk in white for they are worthy these we may call the Phaenixes of the World The good Conscience saith Bernard is Rara Avis in Terris sed quò rarior apud homines eò charior apud Deum These men are the Noahs Lots Calebs and Joshuahs of their Generations for whom the World fares the better and of whom God takes special care when times are worst These are indeed the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel How happy is he that can say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 2. Kin. 20. 3. and have done that which was good in thy sight Or with Paul My rejoycing is this the Testimony 2. Cor. 1. 12. of my Conscience that in simplicity and godly sineerity I have had all my Conversation in the World I can stand up and say I have corrupted no man defrauded no man circumvented no man Let all the world stand up and say whose Oxe or Asse I have taken Premat corpus Secura cum corpus morie ur Secura cum anima coram Deo praesentabitur Secura cum utrumque in die judicij ante terrisicâ—m judicis Tribunal statuitur De Consc c. 3. Bern tremat mundus fremat Diabolus illa semper erit secura This man hath his house built on a Rock he remains secure whatsoever winds blow and when the rain falls and the flouds arise He is secure in Sicknesse and secure in Death when body and soul are dissolved He is secure in Judgement when Heaven and Earth shall be dissolved and secure to Eternity when the wicked are destroyed He hath the Ark pitcht within and without he hath the Hid Manna and the white Stone He hath bread to eat others know not of His Candle goâ—s not out by night His Gleanings better than the Worldlings Vintage His dry morsel sweeter than a house full of Sacrifices with strife and contenton His Corner of the house top or Wildernesse more delightfull than the fair and large house where that clamourous and contentious Shrew the unquiet scolding Conscience is continually dropping or scalding rather This man his walks are in the wood dropping with Hony his dwellings upon the mountains of Myrrhe his lodging upon beds of Spices This man hath the best fare and merriest life in the 〈◊〉 1â— 15 16. World A continual Feast Feasting yoâ— know is not ordinary fare it is for no manâ— ease to Feast every day Some great meâ— have Feasâ—ed may be once a year as rich Nabal Kings and Princes on their Birth-dayes as Pharaoh and Herod Job had a great State to set out his Children withal they Feasted often but not every day at the same house but took their turns Ahasuerus had a Feast of an hundred and fourscore dayes lasting the longest that we read of yet he was King of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces God appointed his People should Feast of old yet but three times in the year except it were the Sabbatical year and the Jubile then all was Festival the whole year throughout and in the Jubile for two years one after another No man ever Feasted alway but that Glutton Luk. 16. 19. This man exceeds them all he hath not one great Dinner as at a Christmas Feast or one good Supper as at an Vniversity Commencement and away But every day is Festival with him his whole life is a Sabatical or Jubile life He is ever either Feasting or Feasted at home or abroad Either he is Feasted abroad and Supping with Christ or Feasting at home Christ Supping with him Yea this good Conscience is to Jesus Christ and to the Soul too both the feasting room and the feasting fare it is the Chamber and it is the Chear Christ will come into no other room but this This Sit Conscientia pura ut Deum perducat aâ— hospitium nostrum Bern. de iu. domo is his Vpper Chamber furnished and made ready where Christ will sit down with his Disciples and Servants and this the fare Give me thy heart saith he The Purity of Conscience is our best Dishwhich we can Feast him withal and the Peace of Conscience is Christs best Dish which he Feasts us withal Thus you see what a good House-keeper the good Conscience-keeper is He hath a continuall Feast saith Solomon Pro. 15. 15. And in the two following verses he answereth two Objections of the worldly mans making First they ask Hath he so much feasting I pray you what is his State first And secondly What good Chear hath he at his Table To the first he answereth ver 16. He may be but a poor man to see to yet he keepeth such a good house for Better is his little with the Fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith And for his good Chear on his Table it may be it is but homely yet his Dinner of Herbs where Love is the Love of God is is better than a stalled Oxe and Hatred therewith So that Solomons meaning in those three verses is that a Good Conscience is a Feast alone and Riches alone and Mirth alone and that all good is contained in a good Conscience which is a most comprehensive good CHAP. XXIV Of the Vse of Examination HAving already shewed what good Conscience is in general what his Nature what his Offices what is the Excellency Necessity Utility Benefit Comfort and Happinesse of it what the several kinds of good Conscience in particular are and what their Marks and Characters and what is the Mischief and Misery of an ill Conscience and what the Difficulties of getting and keeping the good and escaping the bad Let it now be every mans care to Try and Examine himself how much of Consciis in him and what the constitution of his Conscience is How much of Faith Purity Sincerity Tendernesse Quick-sightednesse Well-spokenness Honesty Inoffencivenesse Passivenesse and Charity is in his Conscience that he may take his part in the Promises Comfort Happinesse and Priviledges belonging to the good Conscience or whether he never had yet any good Conscience at all or have lost what he had or whether that he takes for good be not bad whether he be not the man that hath onely a natural Conscience or an ill troubled or an ill quiet whether his Conscience be not an erroneus or scrupulous or stupid or Lethargick or seared Conscience And so whether those former Reproofs Terrors Threats and miseries are not like to pursue and overtake him I shall not need here to come to any more new marks of discovery if you have well attended what was spoken all along in handling those particular good Consciences with their properties whereto I now refer you Only let every one remember that of the Prophet Malachie Therefore take heed to Mal. 2. 15. your Spirit saith he let evey one be well versed in himself There are three Books well studied and compared one with
the other which make the able Divine or eminent Christian 1. The Book of Scripture 2. The Book of Providence or Experience 3. The Book of Conscience These three I say must be studied diligently and compared Read any of the three alone it profits not Read any two of them without the third thou wilt be imperfect 1. Scripture knowledge alone without Experience and Conscience makes not a Christian 2 ly Providence and Experience alone without Scripture and Conscience 3 ly Conscience alone without the other two No nor yet as I said any two of them without the third 1. Not Scripture and Experience without Conscience 2. Not Experience and Conscience without Scripture 3. Not Scripture and Conscience without Experience Conscience is one of the chiefest volumes thou must read then and self Examination is a Christians great Task Therefore saith Bernard Seek to be well acquainted with thy self Enter into thy self Run through thy self yet stay in thy self Begin with thy self end with thy self but Nulla scientia melior illa quâ homo novit seipsum relinque ergo caetera teipsum aiscute per te curre in te consiste A te incipiat cogitatio tua in te finiatur nec frustra in alia distendaris te neglecto postea Si nondum dignus es intrare Tabernaculum primum quâ fronte praesumis ingredi secundum id est Sanctum Sanctorum Ber. de Int. domo cap. 65. Enter into this first Tabernacle every day if thou wouldest enter the Sanctum Sanctorum once in the end of the year that is of thy life leave not thy self As therefore the Orator said of Tully I may say of Conscience Ille se plurimum profecisse sciat cui Conscientia valde placuerit That man may know he hath made a good proficiency who is more and more delighted in Conscience Let each Christian therefore try and consider what an one he is for Conscience I say not for knowledge and profession All have knowledge all make profession But how far doth a little Conscience go among a great many Professours The number of the Rom. 9. 27. Children of Israel is as the sand on the Sea shore yet how small a remnant saved There are threescore Queens fourscore Concubines Virgins without number yet my Dove my Vndefiled is but one the onely one of her Mother she is the choise one of her that bare her The Daughters saw and blessed her the Queens and Concubines and they praised her Cant. 6. 8 9. There were never more Saints and never fewer Saints said one truly Never more Nominal and fewer Real Never more Saints and lesse Sanctity And never more talk of Conscience heard and lesse of Conscience seen We can discourse and dispute better than our Fathers they could and did live better Liberty hath like Reuben climbed up into his Mother Conscience's bed and there hath defiled it therefore loseth the Preheminence and Birth-right and shall not excell And as for Purity Charity Tendernesse Inoffensivenesse Sincerity and the like we have sent them afar off as Abraham did the Children of the Concubines But if these things were in us and did abound we should not be so barren and frigid and unfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ as we are whereas for lack of these things men are blind and doting about questions to no profit but to the corrupting of the Speaker and subverting of the Hearers As we are wont to say of a Scholler going to the Vniversitie if he do not as well profit Qui proficit in Dectina deficit in moribus non profitit seâ deficit in his Ethicks in his Behaviour and Morals as he doth in his Logick or in Arts and Tongues he doth not profit but lose So may we well say of the Professor if he profit not as much in Conscience as in bare Science and Opinions his Proficiency is but a Deficiency Who doth not look upon the Toad as a hatefull creature although it have a Pearle in his head because it is full of Poyson within and all speckled without what is that man to be valued who hath a Pearle of knowledge in his brain if another had it but his inward parts are very wickednesse he swels with poysonous Pride within and his life spotted abroad But here is the difference you shall alway find between the knowledg of an Hyppocrite and the true Christian The Hypocrites knowledge is like the light of the increasing Moon which increaseth in Light and bignesse onely not at all in Heat But the light of the true Christian is like the rising Sun in the morning or the Vernal Sunne in the Spring where light and heat are conjoyned the darknesse and coldnesse of the night is lessened the heat of the day is increased The Moon grows lighter and lighter and bigger and bigger but not hotter and hotter Her Plenilunium or full is as cold as her Wane But the rising Sun we all see doth not onely go higher and higher but growes hotter and hotter The Hypocrite hath onely an increase in knowledge in his Plenilunium and full he hath no heat in Conscience and affections to be discerned the true Christian hath both light and heat increasing alike together There is a four-fold knowledge in the world a knowledge of Speculation which is the hypocrites knowledge a knowledge joined with dislike and disobedience which is the knowledge of the Devils a knowledg joyned with delectation and complacency which is the Angels knowledge And the knowledge joyned with Conscience and good affections which is the Christians The hypocrite with all his swelling knowledge is like those children which have the Rickets whose head indeed growes bigger than another childs but their strength lesse they fall into an Atrophy they thrive not but pine away and die So the hypocrites head is unproportionable to his other parts he is swollen big with notions and opinions but thrives not in substantial graces and grows not strong in Faith and Conscience Look therefore every one to his Conscience and hereby know thy state look well that if thou hast not yet got a good Conscience thou mayest seek to get one if thou hast then seek to hold and keep it if thou hast lost it seek to recover it if it be evil get it amended if ignorant get it informed if erring get it rectified if dead quickened if hard softened if asleep awakened if corrupt purified if unquiet pacified CHAP. XXV The Vse of Exhortation NOw are we come to the last use which is Hortatory which I might make twofold First for Dehortation Secondly of Exhortation But I would now hasten to an end First for Dehortation let me charge thee in the Name of God and upon thy Soul to take heed of an ill Conscience what ever other evils thou mayest lie under Pray with Austin Deliver me Lord from the evill man I mean my self and deliver me from an evill Conscience I mean my own With Agur pray Remove