qualitate depositi Sic sic in domo propriâ à propriâ familiâ habeo accusatores testes judices tortores Bernard Meditat. devot cap. 13. pag. mihi 1060. My sins I am not able to conceal because where ever I go my Conscience is continually with me and carries with it what I have put in it whether it be good or evil It keeps for me living it will restore to me dying what I have delivered to be kept by it If I do evil Conscience is present if I seem to do good and am lifted up with Pride Conscience is present It accompanies me all my Life long 't will follow me after Death and will be my inseparable either Glory or Confusion according to the Quality of what it has Observed in me Thus thus in my own House in my own Soul I have Accusers Witnesses Judges Tormentors if I dare to give way unto Iniquity 4. Though Conscience may seem to be quite banished and for the present does no more its Office than if there were no such thing yet this Exiled and Banished thing will at last return or to speak more properly this Conscience that was imagined to be in a dead sleep or altogether careless will shew that it has been too much present with the guilty all along These six particulars are here to be Observed 1. Some great Affliction may awaken Conscience When the Widow with whom Elijah sojourned her Son fell sick and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath left in him her Conscience was exceedingly startled and she said to Elijah What have I to do with thee O thou Man of God art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my Son 1 Kings 17. 17 18. The Locusts which were so very grievous that came over all the Land of Egypt extorted a Confession from Pharaoh's Conscience though his Heart was before hardned He called for Moses and Aaron in haste and said I have sinned against the Lord and against you now therefore forgive I pray thee my sin this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this Death onely Exod. 10. 16 17. How does Affliction give new Eyes and make sin appear in other colours than before it seemed to have When the Body of a sinner is first struck with a Disease and the mind apprehends this Sickness may prove deadly and that now being Arrested the sinner must quickly appear before the Judgment-seat Ohthen what a commotion is there in the Soul and how fierce and clamourous is the Conscience which before was deeply silent 2. Conscience may awake after a fall into some scandalous sin When the long covered Hypocrisie is detected and the sly sinner which waxed worse and worse and yet was secure at length does commit some sin that the World crys shame on Oh then Conscience may joyn in with the VVorlds clamors (r) Non aurem solam percutit iracundia criminantis verùm etiam conscientiam mordet veritas criminis August l. 3. contra lit Petilian Tom. 7. and tell him that now his sin has found him out and that Heaven has revealed his iniquity and that because he has despised God he has been suffered to do that which has made himself to be lightly esteemed 3. Conscience may awake at the hearing of a powerful Sermon The messengers of the Lord are commanded to lift up their Voices like a Trumpet and the design is to startle Conscience and that sinners may be made sensible of and to know their Transgressions Isaiah 58. 1. God speaks thus to the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 6. 11. Smite with thine hand and stamp with thy foot and say Alas for all the evil abominations of the House of Israel These gestures this earnestness and crying out of abominations is used to affect the Hearts which before were stupid And truly the VVord of God has oftentimes taken impression even upon those whose Souls were more than ordinarily senseless The Apostles hearers were mockers and yet the VVord being set home they were prickt at the Heart and said Men and Brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 37. Now when the VVord does awaken the Conscience there is more ground to hope that God has a design to work a saving change and that the troubles of Spirit are but as it were the pangs which fore-run the new Birth 4. Conscience may awake when Death is within view I grant indeed that 't is too common for the ungodly to dy stupid and that there may be no bands in their death Psal 73. but yet experience shews that the approach of death does also fill many ungodly ones with horrour and amazement What made Balaam to cry out let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Num. 23. 10. Surely he had pre-apprehensions how terrible a thing 't is for the ungodly to dye When nature is almost spent and the earthly Tabernacle is tottering and falling to the ground when Physicians are at a losse and friends stand by weeping and 't is whispered in the room Alas he cannot live many hours to an end Ah then Conscience may wake in terrible fright and the sinner may be confounded and as death comes with its sting so it may prove indeed the King of terrours 5. To be sure at judgment Conscience will be awaked thoroughly though sinners possibly may look death yet they cannot look the Judge in the face without being daunted He will strike terrour into the Hearts of those sinners that were most obstinate and unbelieving VVe read that at the great day the Books will be opened Rev. 20. 12. The Book of Scripture will be opened for by that every one must be judged The Word that I have spoken sayes Christ the same shall judge at the last day The book of Conscience will also be opened and what things are found written there will be taken notice of and must be answered for No Conscience at that day can be stupid The Heavens passing away with a great noise and the Elements melting with fervent heat and the Earth and the works therein being all in a flame every unjustified and unsanctified sinners Heart will smite him and as the Judge will condemn him so he will be condemned by his own Conscience Chrysostome (s) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Epist ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 advises every one to look into his own Conscience presently and to be strict in self-searching that he may not be condemned with the world for 't is a dreadful Tribunal which all must appear before and the trial of every one will be thorow and impartial 6. Conscience will be with the ungodly in Hell to all Eternity Could we go down indeed to the gates of Hell and have some discourse with the damned there and ask them concerning their Consciences they would answer that a great part of Hell lyes there and that they feel within
be so unfaithful as seldom to admonish yet at length 't will awake and then 't will be found that it knowes and remembers all misdoings The Regenerate likewise have a Conscience which is enlightned and purged and renewed by the Blood and VVord and Spirit of our Lord Jesus 3. As 't is clear from Scripture that there is a Conscience in Man so 't is evident by experience And here I shall make an appeal unto every ones sense and observation in three following questions 1. What is it that speaks to you when (*) Nemo minus solus quam cum solus alone and tells you that there is an All-seeing God but Conscience (l) NOTE Whenever Conscience performs its office aright t is inlightned and acted by the Spirit of God The Spirit therefore is to be acknowledged for without him Conscience would have no light or life or power or feeling 'T is this which brings to your remembrance that the Lord who is so holy is alwayes present that no darkness or retired corner can hide you from him but he compasses your path and your lying down and is acquainted with all your ways 2. What is it but Conscience that forbids the yeilding to temptations even unto the most secret sins Secret places can hide the Sinner from the eye of man and there are some Sins namely heart wickednesses which man can take no cognizance of and yet we are checkt when we are giving way to these which shewes there is a Conscience as well as a God privy to them When Satan and a deceitful Heart do plead for Sin and perswade to it by this argument that never any are likely to know it yet even then conscience declares against it and cryes out Oh do not that abominable thing which God hates 'T was well said by one of the Ancients to the Gentiles Vos conscios timetis nos conscientiam You are afraid lest others should be conscious to what you do we fear even our own Consciences 3. What is it but Conscience that impresses a fear of a Judgment which is to come (m) Beatus erit quisquis non sine memoriâ divini judicii omnia gesserit Hillar in Psal 118. Rythm Bernard Expavesco miser multùm Judicis severi vultum Quem latebit nil occultum Nec manebit quid inultum Et quis nostrûm non timebit Quando Judex apparebit Ante quem ignis ardebit Peccatores qui delebit It many times with a great deal of Power does mind us of such Scriptures God has appointed a day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness Acts 17. 31. We must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And Conscience knowing these Terrors of the Lord perswade Men to Repentance and to labour that whether present or absent they may be accepted of him 'T was a saying of Tertullian Conscientia est prae-judicium extremi judicii Conscience is a Judging before the last Judgment but still it tells of and referrs to the last Judgment that hereby the Heart may be over-awed 4. What is it but Conscience which urges unto secret Duties the Omission of which the World can take no notice of There is a Monitor within us which tells us that our Father is and sees in secret and will reward openly such as secretly and sincerely seek him Mat. 6. When our Hearts the desperate wickedness whereof is not quite cured in the best of us draw back from Prayer in the Closet Conscience then presses to it and pleads the Command the Advantage what an Evidence 't is of uprightness to be often with God alone This same Monitor likewise puts us upon the searching into and study of the Scripture for 't is the Character and property of the Blessed Man to have his Delight in the Law of the Lord and in that Law to Meditate Day and Night Psal 1. 2. 5. What is it but Conscience that applies Truths particularly which are more generally delivered in the Ministry of the Gospel I grant indeed that this application is the Work of the Spirit of God but the Conscience of Man is made use of herein by the Holy Spirit The Preacher shoots a great many Arrows The Spirit does direct them to particular Persons and Conscience takes notice where the Arrow sticks The same Language which was in the Prophet Nathan's Mouth to David after his so foul a fall is in the Mouth of Conscience The Word speaks in the general The Soul that sins shall dye the Wages of Sin is Death But then Conscience crys out Thou art the man that hast sinned and therefore Death and Destruction will quickly over-take thee unless there be a coming by Faith unto a Saviour and a turning out of thy Destructive ways 6. What is it but Conscience which does comment upon Afflictions Folly is bound up in thy heart says Conscience therefore thou feelest the Rod to drive it far from thee Thou art Worldly-minded therefore thou meetest with Losses to wean thee from that which if still doated on will both deceive and ruine thee Thou art too much like a slothful Servant therefore says Conscience Affliction is sent to make thee mend thy pace and follow them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises (n) Tempestuous times Amaze poor mortals and object their crimes Herbert When Joseph's Brethren were all put into Ward in Egypt their Consciences commented upon their Restraint and brought their injurious handling of their Brother to remembrance Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this Distress come upon us 7. What is it but Conscience that traces us in all our Actions Conscience takes notice what Principles we are Acted by what Ends we aim at it Observes both the Matter and the Manner of our Actions Conscience Examines whether Love to the Lord constrain us to his Work whether the pleasing honouring and enjoying of God be our great Design whether our Hearts and Affections be in our Services After thy Praying and Hearing and Receiving are ended doest thou not find something within thee running over all thy performances and calling thee to Account whether thou hast Prayed with Faith and Fervency whether thou hast heard believingly and with attention whether thou hast received worthily This is Conscience 8. What is it but Conscience which haunts us upon miscarriages It s Mouth is full of Reproaches and these Reproaches are unanswerable After sins especially presumptuous ones have been committed there is a secret gnawing within and that is the Worm of Conscience (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch De his qui sero à Numine puniuntur pag. mihi 554. Plutarch compares the pleasure of sin which is
the week and give Tithes of all that I possess Luke 18. 11. but all this was insufficient to prove him justified There were two great faults in the Righteousness of the Pharisees and of all those who resemble them One is that their Righteousness was only external so their lives were but blamelesse they minded not what lusts reigned in their Hearts The other is that their Righteousness was trusted in as that which was sufficient to commend them unto God whereupon they slighted the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ 'T is unreasonable for any to be at peace who go no further than a Pharisee if they go quite so far for our Lord speaks expressely Mat. 5. 20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 8. That peace of Conscience is false that is founded upon some lazy wishes after Grace and Holinesse There may be in unregenerate Hearts especially at som times some pangs of desire and inclinations to that which is good but their desires to continue bad are stronger and do bear down all their inclinations to good which are much more feeble Agrippa cryed out to Paul before a great multitude and before Festus who a little before had charged both Paul and consequently Christianity it self with madness Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 26. 28. Here was an inclinableness to Religion but 't was born down by a stronger propension to Worldly greatness and Pleasures A Woman may have some kind of good will and Affection for a Person and yet when it comes to the upshot refuse to have him for an Husband so sinners may have some fluttering good thoughts and wishes for Christ and Grace and yet utterly refuse to give themselves wholly to the Lord Jesus or to be indeed and throughout sanctified Oh how many that say they desire after Grace and to be rid of sin are deceived in and by themselves they know not what they say nor whereof they affirm Sin in the general they desire to be freed from but come to particular sins which are for their profit for their credit among carnal men for their ease and pleasure these they won't let go Not considering who Christ is they are inclined to him but when they are told that as he is a Redeemer so a Ruler and that he must bring their very Thoughts and Affections into captivity and obedience that they must submit to the holiest Commands and not be ashamed or afraid to confesse Him though it cost them never so dear Here they make a demurr then have no real mind to be his Disciples Oh deceive not your selves with lazy desires after Holiness where there is a more vehement and fixed desire to wallow still in your filthyness and pollutions 9. That peace of Conscience is false which is founded upon some confused and general apprehensions of the mercy of God in Christ but this use onely is made of this mercy encouragement is taken from it to continue in sin 'T is the commonest thing in the World for sinners to gagg their Consciences with the mercy of God and the Death of Christ They have sinned but God is Merciful and Christ has dyed for sinners even for the chief of them And upon this they quiet themselvs they use these Truths as charms to cast Conscience into a sleep that it may not be disturbed it self nor disturb them But such would do well to consider that though the Scripture speak glorious things of Divine Grace and Mercy yet there is not in the whole Book of God one promise of Mercy made to sinners who are Resolved to go on still in their wickedness The Lord will not save the ungodly in their sins but from their sins and if they will not be saved from Sin they shall not be delivered from Wrath. Where God does proclaim his Name The Lord Merciful and Gracious long-suffering abundant in loving kindness goodness and truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin keeping Mercy for thousands to rap off the fingers of presumptuous Souls from catching hold of what is not their Portion 't is added and that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 6 7. Guilty does not Relate unto past Guilt for that is supposed in that expression Forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin But by Guilty we are to understand them who are Resolved to Contract fresh guilt by an Obstinate continuance in evil doing while they are of this mind they have nothing to do with Mercy and Christ for they prefer their Lusts before both and so are unlikely to be the better for either hereafter since because of both they presume to grow worse and worse at present 10. That Peace of Conscience is false where the Sinners heart is afraid of a searching Ministry 'T is said concerning the Prophet Amos that the Land was not able to bear his words Amos 7. 10. Which Argued though Israel was secure yet their security was Carnal and groundless Sincerity loves plain dealing but Falshood is afraid of it If you cannot endure these Preachers that Rebuke sharply that apply home that threaten terribly that warn faithfully that examine and try impartially 't is a sign your Peace is Founded upon the Sand and quickly your Building will be overthrown (x) Man cannot serve thee let him go And serve the swine there there is his delight He doth not like this Vertue no Give him his dirt to wallow in all night These Preachers make His head to shoot and ake Herbert p. 93. If those Preachers are most acceptable that never come within a Mile of your Consciences but leave you asleep as they found you how certain is it that the Blind lead the Blind and though they go jolly together yet they are going towards perdition 'T is a startling place Jer. 5. 30 31. A wonderful and an horrible thing is committed in the Land why what 's the Matter The Prophets Prophesie falsly and my People love to have it so I must add also that though you do attend upon the most awakening Ministry if you please your selves with giving a bare attendance and with countenancing the strictest ways but in the mean while you apply Truths to others this concerns such and such but take no notice how you are concerned your selves let me tell you plainly that your Peace is not right but a most dangerous stupidity Thus have I described and Discovered what is a false Peace of Conscience In the next place I am to shew you how unreasonable 't is to give Entertainment unto such a kind of Peace 1. Conscience is at Peace but God speaks trouble When sinners bless themselves God curses them when they promise much good to themselves God threatens ten thousand times more evil The Psalmist tells us that the Reason why many ungodly ones are secure is because they think God to be altogether such an one as themselves Psal 50. 21.