soul upon it self it 's own filthiness and wilfull folly What fair offers and opportunities he has had and neglected what fair hopes he had conceived and they are vanished and how all the pleasures of sin and the promises of Satan have deceived him as a Brook that passeth by and this will gnaw upon the soul with remediless and unconceivable torment for ever this is the Worm that never dyes and truly there is no consideration in the World will work upon the hearts of men if this dreadfull one does not That a man that lives and dyes in sin in a sinfull state shall be tormented for ever with fire that shall never be quenched and this nevever dying Worm shall gnaw upon him to all Eternity with remediless and unconceivable torments for ever This is the Worm that never dyes After this life a wicked mans own Conscience shall be his tormenter Doctrine The Worm dyes not it will be a great instrument that God will use in a mans destruction There are Four things to be spoken to in the Explication First to shew what Conscience is which is here resembled to a Worm Secondly To prove that this Conscience shall be a mans tormenter Thirdly To give the grounds and the reasons of it Fourthly To set forth some of those acts that Conscience as a Worm shall put forth the manner of the working of it in the gnawings of a Worm and then come to the Application Quest 1. First What is Conscience Answ It is an ability in the understanding to judge of a mans self his Estate and Actions according to the rule that God hath prescribed Here observe First It is an ability in the understanding for I make it not as some do a distinct faculty therefore it is in no Creatures but those that are reasonable Men and Angels other Creatures are directed to an end and they work by a rule thereunto but they neither know their end nor their rule neither are they able to reflect upon their actions whether they have done good or evil and therefore no Creature can sin but a reasonable Creature for sin must be a transgression of a Rule which a man doth or ought to know and to walk answerable unto and therefore it is made a proper act of a man Isa 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men Secondly Conscience must have a rule indeed the Scripture doth require that men should walk according to their consciences and do as their Conscience doth dictate unto them Rom. 13.5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but for Conscience sake ye must be subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when Conscience requires one thing and Lust another and the man receives not the rule of Conscience but of Lust he doth then imprison the truth in unrighteousness where the Dictates of Conscience are called the truth Rom. 1.18 though it be but of a natural Conscience But yet here men mistake for Conscience is but regula regulata not the highest rule for it must it self have a Rule to judge by Gal 6.16 and he that doth not go by rule and hath no higher rule to regulate his Conscience and yet doth by his Conscience regulate his Actions Conscience being defiled Pit 1.15 He doth walk with God at a venture Lev. 26.21 And this rule of Conscience is the whole revealed wil of God whether ex principiis naturae or scripturae whatever God requires of a man as duty whether by his word or by his works and Conscience knows no other rule but the will of God revealed because it is subjected unto no other God only can command the Conscience and bind the Conscience because he only can judge the Conscience Now the understanding having nothing else but a principal of nature for it's rule we call that a natural Couscience and they that have the word of God for their rule or any special work of illumination from the Holy Ghost whether it be common or saving we call this an inlightned Conscience answerable unto the rule that it has to judge by either of mens states or wayes Thirdly The chief act of Conscience and that which is only proper and essential to it is to judge of the man according to this rule and to pronounce a sentence upon him whether good or evil and hence is the accusing and the excusing power of Conscience Rom. 2.14 15. if Conscience judge of an action to answer the rule then it excuseth and if that be different from the rule then it accuseth and therefore 't is said Joh. 8.9 They are consinced of their own Consciences that is their Consciences laid their acts to the rule and did tell them that they did not agree to it and they could not deny it and therefore went their way and therefore Conscience is alwayes in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a knowing and judging of one thing with another a knowing and judging of a mans state or actions with the rule 2 Cor. 4.2 we approve our selves to every mans conscience says the Apostle in the sight of God and that is all our aim we seek not to approve our selves to your lusts your fancies we may sometime in our Ministerie reprove sin that you are not willing to leave and press to duty that you are not willing to practice we may cross your affections and provoke your lusts but yet we know that we have something within you that takes our part and doth approve the Doctrine that we teach and the duties that we practice all the while so that the main of Conscience lyes in judging or applying an action to the rule and pronouncing a sentence accordingly So that in 1 Cor. 11.31 Judge your selves c. and Isa 5.3 Judge I pray between me and my Vineyard So that Conscience is an ability in a man having a rule given him to reflect upon his actions and state and â—udge whether it agree with the rule that is given to it or no. 4thly That which is subjected to the judgement of Conscience is a mans state and wayes the whole man To judge other men is not properly our work either their actions or states unless we are called by special Office thereunto for thou judgest another mans servant he stands and falls to his own Master But a mans whole self is subjected to the judgement of Conscience First Conscience judges of a mans state 1 Joh. 3.20 If thy heart condemn thee or do not condemn thee and Jam. 1.24 The Word doth shew a man what manner of man he is and in what state he stands towards God whether he be one of the wise or foolish Virgins or builders whether he build upon a Rock or the Sand. Now consciscience takes this rule and lays a mans state to it and tels the man this is my condition Secondly Conscience judges of mens actions Rom. 9.1 I speak the truth I lye not my Conscience bearing me witness 〈◊〉
defilement that may befall a mans Conscience First there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Conscience is the seat of practical principles as there is a judgment in Conscience that it can make of what is true and what is false what is good and what is evil Secondly There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowing and a judging of mans person and his wayes by these principles and the acts of Conscience that follow thereupon and the corruptions of either of these will pollute the Conscience First There is a Synteresis which are the principles by which men are acted in their ways which are the rules by which a man walks and by which he doth judge of himself and of all his ways and by which he doth direct and steer his whole course if these be true the Conscience is so far kept pure that though a man may sin against his knowledge and be carryed away by the violence of temptation yet it is contrary unto the rule and the principle that is within him there is something in him that is contrary to it and condemns it and takes part with God and with duty and the more a mans judgment and Conscience is leavened with corrupt principles the more is his Conscience defiled a man must hold the mystery of faith in a pure Conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 1 Tim. 1.19 holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning the Faith have made shipwrack for the mystery of faith must be kept in a pure Conscience for if your judgments be leavened with corrupt principles 1 Tim. 3.9 you will soon make shipwrack of the faith which signifies a dangerous and an irrecoverable loss of it And here I will speak to these three things First That there is a great deal of danger that mens Consciences may be defiled in their principles and they corrupted in judgment Secondly The greatness of this danger what an evil it is for a man to have his judgment defiled and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that Conscience corrupted Thirdly The means and rules how a man may be preserved from a polluted Conscience in this how a mans judgment may be kept undefiled and you had need to take heed for there is a great deal of danger that your judgment may be corrupted First Because there is a great deal of darkness in all Gospel-administrations in comparison of what we do expect the Lord shall give unto his people in the latter dayes when Ezekiel's Temple shall be built the Lord will shew his people all the forms and the patterns of his house and the goings in and the comings out thereof and in the sounding of the seventh Trumpet which refers unto the same time Rev. 11. last for then the mistery of God shall be finished the Temple shall be opened and we shall see into the Ark of the Testimony it had a vail before it that it might not be seen but the most hidden and secret things shall then be made manifest and clearly discovered and by the Ark some understand it of Christ of whom the Ark was a type there should be a further and a more glorious manifestation of him in all Church ordinances and administrations than ever there had been in times past But mean while there is a Sea of Glass but it is mixed with fire there is a great deal of affliction and bitter contention and the Temple is fill'd with smoak a great darkness upon all ordinances in so much that during all the time of the pouring out of the Vials no man that is no considerable and great company of men should be brought into the Church here and there a few converted but none in comparison of the fulness of Jews and Gentiles that shall be converted to God afterwards when the smoak of the Temple shall be dispel'd and done away and if there be so much darkness it is no wonder if men be in danger to be deceived and to be led away from the truth it is no wonder if men in the dark may eire and miss their way and therefore I would not have men as not too censorious of others so not too confifident of their own way in any thing that they have not a clear warrant for in the Word for surely this is the time of the Vials and it is spoken of the reformed Churches they that while the Vials were powering upon Antichrist did stand with the Lamb upon mount Sion that had gotten victory over the Beast and his Image and did sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb c. and yet amongst them the Temple was full of smoak and therefore there is danger that you may be deceived and deluded c. Secondly There be a great many false teachers gone abroad in the World 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out c. It hath been the way that Satan has taken in all resormations as soon as ever the Gospel began to dawn in the World in the Apostles times there arose men of themselves that did speak perverse things Act. 20.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such things as turn all upside down that subvert and overthrow all the principles and foundations of the doctrine of Christ that have been laid by himself and his Apostles Rev. 12. And when their was a reformation in the time of Constantine then another floud of heresy was cast out after the woman So in the reformation in Luthers time if the Lord do but sow good seed the enemy will come and sow tares and we see how much confidence Satan puts in this way of prevailing for it is his last remedy that he shall use to uphold the kingdom of Antichrist as we see Rev. 16.13 The Vial being powred out upon the seat of the Beast and Rome falling as a Millstone into the Sea without hope of recovery and now there is a new Church ariseing coming out of the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved and Euphrates dryed up to make way for the Kings of the East Now he doth send out of the mouth of the â—east and the Dragon and salfe Prophet three unclean spirits like Frogs and they are the spirits of Devils working miracles and going forth into the Kings of the earth c. They are said to be spirits for their activity and impetiousness so some but I rather think they are called spirits that is false teachers because they pretend to speak by the spirit as 1 John 4.1 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God and they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not the ordinary word that is used for the Devil but a word doth express knowledg and learning c. They shall send forth there most learned men of the greatest parts and the best wits and they that shall teach spirits as Frogs they that shall teach unclean and corrupt
heed of some special sins that above others do most defile the Conscience though indeed all sins defile the Conscience but some sins are of a more bewitching and a more defiling nature then others as First Secret sins will provoke God to give thee up to the judgment of a defiled Conscience as he did Judas because he was a Devil Secondly Idolatry Take heed of hankering after that abomination either to worship an Idol a false god or the true God in a false manner and it is this last that you are most in danger of therefore let it not be said of any of you you know not what you worship but be able to say we know what we worship and how we worship God in spirit and truth and do not set up mans post by Gods post away with all traditious and inventions of men in the worship of God If you would keep Gods presence observe his order let all be done according to the pattern to the Law and to the Testament c. Else God may in just judgment send us strong delusions to believe lies which I fear is like to befall many of this nation who have not received the truth in ths love of it Thirdly Take heed of drunkenness and Whoredome Hos 14.12 Whoredome and Wine and new Wine Prov 2.19 take away thy heart none that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of Life c. Flee fornication and be not drunk with Wine there is a woe to the drunkards c. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge These sins besot men c. Lastly Be much in a secret judging of your selves and in a private examination Hag. 1.7 the Lord saith consider your ways and set your hearts upon them and turn in upon your actions and overlook them again bring them to the Light prove your selves and judge your selves and do it often there is a daily judicatory to be erected a cultus conscientiae which a man should be busied about every day Matt. 25.7 Then all those Virgins arose and trimmed their lamps the wise as well as the foolish c. Ego de terrenis negotiis simpliciter accipio Calv. Whilest men are in this World there is a daily defilement that will cleave unto them a squallor there will be something out of order that there must be a daily and a continual triming the wise as well as the foolish Virgins must be found in it and truely if a man neglects it but a while and keeps not a constant course in it a man shall find a strange averseness in his spirit thereunto all his life after for the way to sin's defilement is mainly by insensibleness a man is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and walks with God at a venture and truely if Satan brings a man to that once he hath prevailed very farr and will exceedingly defile the man We have spoken of keeping a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards God let us now come to consider also what it is for a man to keep a good Conscience towards man for both these must go together he must keep a good Conscience in all things as was hinted formerly and be holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a dead fly spoils the whole Box of Oyntment and a good Conscience is like to the eye it hates motes and they disquiet it as well as beams It 's an errour in the common sort of men to think all Religion lyes in their just and upright carriage towards men as the Pharisees did and to such I say doth your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the cribes and Pharisees if not you shall never enter into the Kingdom of God c. Indeed there is a civil honesty a sweet and an ingenious carriage towards men that is very lovely and these are commonly called the worlds Saints and indeed they have nothing amongst them appears so pleasing Mar. 10.21 Christ loved the young man and yet peculiar Grace he had none for he was under the reigning power of covetousness and therefore there was something in him that was more general for which Christ loved him he had restraining grace and a sweet outward carriage that even the spirit of God had wrought in him habent filii concubinarum sua munera c. and yet Christ said to him for all these accomplishments one thing thou lackest c. and if thou walk never so uprightly before men that thou be esteemed the worlds Saint and thou couldest bring a testimony of thy good behaviour from all the ingenious men of thy age yet without an inward work of grace and regeneration and a heart inlivened by a spirit of faith so that all these works flow from union with Christ and from a principle of love wrought in thee to God truly all that thou dost is abominable to God in non renatis non solum peccata sed bona opera sunt mortalia for fides est caput bonorum operum and if that be wanting all of it is but nature improved and new dressed and so can never please God semen naturae non consurgit in fructum gratiae for a mans duties do proceed from the same principles that his sins do and there must be a renewing in the spirit of his mind before God accepts any service of him And there are some men do turn to the other extream and they say that all obedience is mainly towards God and therefore they are much in prayer and hearing and run from Ordinance to Ordinance and they do speak much also of keeping a good Conscience before God but yet they are negligent and loose in their carriages towards men they are as censorious and unjust and deceitfull busie-bodies in other mens matters proud boasters false accusers whisperers c. Yet these men would pass for Saints and think themselves in the highest form of professors Now this is a sure rule a pure Conscience though he cannot keep all the commandments of God yet he has a respect unto them all as Psal 119.6 with a care to walk answerable unto them and there is none that he doth wholly neglect as the word in the Hebrew signifies that man therefore whose profession for God is never so high and talkes never so much of having a good heart to Gods word and would be accounted in his religious duties even Angelical he prays much hears much fasts much c. Yet if he practise it not in his particular place in his relations in his shop in his dealings with a man I shall strongly suspect that man of hallowness and hypocrisie how ever he may tip his Tongue like a Saint yet he may boldly be reckoned amongst the sinners and such are spots in our feasts c. Now To stir you up to this Duty of keeping a good Conscience towards men let me exhort you to observe these particulars First Take special care of the souls that are committed to your
charge parents have the souls of their children committed to their charge and Ministers of their people and Magistrates and Masters in their places also and of the Talents that God has committed to your trust in this World next to your own Souls are the Souls of others the more any loves his wife and child and friend c. The more he will labour to bring them in love with grace and the ways of of God Prov. 4.3 He was beloved of his Father he taught me also c. Prov. 1.1 Tender and onely beloved of my Mother The words of King Lemuel the Prophesie that his Mother taught him and 1 Pet. 1.1.2 That if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives c. The more the Wife loves the Husband the more she endeavours to win him c. It is possible the great cut unto Adams conscience was that by sin he not onely destroyed himself but his posterity Bern. non parentes sed peremptores a sad parting to hear a child say when he is lanching into eternity a cruel Father hast thou been to me in neglecting to instruct me for the salvation of my soul and for a Wife to say a bloody Husband hast thou been to me and a bloody Minister hast thou been to me for thou hast sold souls for gain Ezech. 13.10 Because they have seduced my people Rev. 18.13 saying peace and there was no peace and one built a Wall and loe others daubed it with untempered morter c. They made souls of men their Merchandise c. Indeed there be many men that gain by the loss of souls as Act. 19.24 When the Devil was cast out they were highly offended to hear souls should be saved because the hope of their gain was gone Secondly If you would keep a good Conscience towards all men do not bear sin for them either by not mourning for them or by not reproving them when they sin against God First By not mourning for them It was an excellent frame in the Psalmist my eyes gush out rivers of water because men keep not thy Law Secondly By not reproving them Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him c. It is sad to bear the sins of other men remember thou hast enough of thy own ab alienis meis libera me Domine Aust It may be thou shalt be counted morose and unsociable but malo famam boni viri perdere quam Conscientiam and which will be better at the last day when men shall say euge bone socie or Christ bone serve But men think they shall get ill will for their pains and there is little good like to come on it and so men shift off their Duty â—ut hear what Job says of himself Job 31.34 Did I fear a multitude 〈◊〉 did the contempt of families terifie me that I kept silence There is a sinful and cursed silence that all good hearts should be afraid of when the glory of God and the good of souls is in danger then is the season specially for all the upright of heart to rebuke for sin those that God has puâ— under their care and to mourne for what they cannot help Though we cannot be reprovers of all sinners yet we may be mourners for all sinners Thirdly Do not get an estate unjustly by falsisying of publick trust or else by secret defrauding or going beyond thy brother for the issue of it will be the rust of the silver you so get shall be a witness against you Joh. 5.3 and the cry of the oppressed enters into the ears of the Lord c. Woe to him that builds a town with blood Job 31.38 the Stones out of the Wall shall cry out against him and that hath the labour of the hireling without wages and makes a prey upon the necessities of men c. Naboths Vineyard stuck in Ahabs Conscience and Judas Thirty pieces also it being the price of blood it terrified him so that he chose strangling rather then bear the guilt of it he had lucrum in crumena but Gehennam in Conscientia Fourthly If you have wronged any one restore it for that unjust gain lyes upon thy Conscience and God will make thee vomit it up he will pluck it out of thy belly Conscience will never be at ease till then for as long as a man retains it he does justifie his sin and does every day commit it Nâ—h 5.11 therefore make haste and restore whatever thou hast got unjustly and by indirect means Zacheus restored it four-fold go you and do likewise Herod could not repent keep his Herodias non remittitur peocatum c. Mic. 6.10 And God takes it ill that men do not and what doth the Lord require of thee but to shew mercy c. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked I will punish all those that leap on the threshold which fill their masters houses with violence and deceit c. Zeph. 1.3 Fifthly Take heed of the neglect of doing good to others rich men have an oppertunity of doing good to others and look you do it for riches do not always last they are this worlds goods and take to themselves wings and fly from one place to another make therefore friends of the unrighteous Mammon c. And great men have an opportunity to lift up their hand for the fatherless and to restore the needy to their right and oh that it were more the aim of great men that are so ambitious of honour and high places in the world that they may be restorers of breaches and a help to the needy and helpless that justice and righteousness may take place then there would not so many have contempt poured upon them as now there is and God will still overturne overturne till there be no complaint in the midst of us and how bitter will the remembrance of them be that have had a hand to do good and yet wanted a heart as it was in Jehu's time he took no heed to walk in the way of God with all his heart so many a man may say time was when I might have reformed Religion had not my Policy given Laws to my Piety and my desire to set up my self hindred me from exalting God Phineas was zealous for God and a covenant of peace was made with him Nehemiah did reform profaness and the Lord remembred him in goodness c. Now when men will not use their authority for God but he is dishonoured and the souls of men are destroyed and the needy are sold for a pair of Shooes and their possessors slay them and think themselves not guilty and every man does what is good in his own sight and there is none to put them to shame the the Lord will remove the Diadem c. and cast down the mighty from their