of faith in a pure conscience To conclude this point Happy is hee who when God speaketh to his conscience by the ministery of the word whether it be for peace or for warre receiveth it with an honest and good heart and is ready to say as once David did to Abigail when she met him Blessed 1 Sam. 25. 32. be the Lord God of Israel which hath sent thee this day to meet mee and blessed be thine advice so they Blessed be the Lord who hath sent thee this day to speak home to my conscience and blessed be thine instructions which make mee to look back to him from whom I was like a prodigall estrayed Thus much concerning Gods manifesting himselfe to the conscience by the ministery of the word Secondly God manifesteth himself to man by the checks of conscience after sin committed and thus both to the godly and to the wicked First to the godly What was it that made Adam hide himself from the presence of God but the Gen. 3. 8. check of his conscience for the guilt of his sin in eating the forbidden fruit The check of conscience is called the smiting of the heart so we reade that when David had cut off the skirt of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. his heart smote him that is his conscience checkt him The like smiting David had after his 2 Sam. 24. 10. numbring of the people And to this end doth God reprove man by the check of his own conscience even to awaken him from sin lest hee sleep the sleep unto death The Prophet complains that there was no rest in his bones by reason of his sins untill Psal 32. 3. his heart was purged from sin hee could feel no rest within his soule for conscience is a part of the understanding determining all actions either with or against it either accuseth man for good omitted or evill committed or else excuseth him in assurance that his person is accepted as righteous before God Secondly to the wicked For there is none so notoriously wicked in committing any villany but hee hath sometimes a sting wounding his conscience and telling him of a supreme and just revenger sometimes his heart smites him and humbles him though but for a time and though not for effectuall conversion yet some gripings there are such as Cain Ahab Belshazzar and Herod had these I say lasted but for a time for the Preacher observeth that because sentence against an evill work Eccles 8. 11. is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to doe evill Yet in all both in good and bad Conscience will doe her duty for shee is like the poise of a clock which being wound up sets all the wheeles a going even so Conscience being wound up by the hand of Gods justice sets all the members on work makes the tongue confesse the eyes weep the heart throb the knees smite one against another the fist strikes upon the brest no part but acts its part And now Beloved judge when the conscience of a man findes that shee hath to deale with an angry God Job 13. 26. one that writes as Job complaines bitter things against Psal 139. 7. her and that shee knowes not where to betake her selfe for to flee from his presence shee cannot how shee is perplexed especially if she cannot feele God reconciled unto her and herself unto God No marvell that David mourned through the disquietnesse of his heart saying to God Thou Psal 30. 7. hiddest thy face and I was troubled To a deep sense Matth. 26. 75. of misery was Peter brought after hee had denyed his Lord and forswore his Christ till his Master looking back upon him brought to his remembrance his by-past sin then went he out and wept bitterly And to such a sense of restlesnesse was Judas Matt. 27. 3 4 5. brought after hee had betrayed his Master though hee found not the like comfort as the others did On some the horrour of conscience works repentance unto salvation whereas it drives others to the gulfe of despaire Certes it was not without divine providence that the very heathen termed the terrours of a wicked conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher out and punisher of sin sometimes called Furiae the furies of hell or worm of conscience sometimes also called Intemperiae the tortures of the minde and sometimes per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eumenides the daughter of Acheron and Nox that is Hell and Darknesse hereby Qâ—â—d minimè sinâ— benignae insinuating the wofull bitternesse and extreme horrour wherewith the wicked are perplexed And if the heathen stiled them by such horrid termes how should we dread to harbour in us such snakes And our Saviour tels us of an unquenchable fire so also of a never-dying worm such a worm there is of conscience and it is so called because as a worme lyeth eating and gnawing that wood in which shee abideth so the worm of conscience lying within us gripeth and tormenteth us by bringing to our memories all the causes of present and future calamities as our wilfull negligences whereby wee lost our first enjoyed felicities at every of which considerations she giveth us a deadly griping as also all our occasions offered to escape those miseries in which wee are now plunged adde to these all those opportunities for redeeming that glory which we have now hazzarded as also how ungraciously wee have quenched the good motions of Gods holy Spirit by which wee might have been reclaimed adde further how vain those worldly trifles are which we have too eagerly followed and lastly how wee our selves are become worldly fooles and others spiritually wise whereas we dream'd otherwise From whence wee may observe that A secure sinner is an enemy unto himselfe for if there be no fulnesse of joy but in the presence of God then certes in a wofull condition are they who wallowing in their sins against the curb of conscience deprive themselves of this happinesse Thus you see that an accusing conscience manifesteth a Deity and that the law of God is written Rom. 2. 15. in the hearts of men You see also that both good and bad have sometimes these checks of conscience which like that voice mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah calleth to them saying This is the way Isa 3. 21. walk in it when they turn to the right hand or when they turn to the left pointing out another way then what they formerly trod awry in to which voice of conscience if men will listen and obey then shall it goe well with them for they shall not onely know that there is a God but they shall in some measure see him and be acquainted with him but if they shall harden their hearts and labour to quench the good spirit of God which at that time 1 Thess 5. 19. Revel 3. 20. knocks at the door of their hearts and seeks admission for
their salvation then are they guilty of their own damnation Wouldest thou O man then know whether thou art a childe of God or not know then that there is a conscience First Good yet not quiet and this is in the godly when they are restlesse in themselves for sins as yet unrepented of Thus was it with that kingly Prophet David after his committing of murther and adultery how doth hee in perplexitie of his soul being awakened by the Prophet Nathan cry out that God would according to the multitude Psal 51. 1. of his tender mercies blot out his transgressions c. So also when God had laid his hand heavie upon him how doth hee mourn There is no soundnesse Psal 38. 3 4. in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any peace in my bones by reason of my sin For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavie burden they are too heavie for mee The sicknesse of his body put him in minde of the sin of his soule that which hee did endure did put him in minde of what hee did deserve which galled his conscience with the remembrance of his particular slips and failings both by omission and commission Secondly There is a conscience quiet yet not good and this is in the wicked as namely when after sin committed their hearts remain still obdurate cauterized senselesse they sleep so soundly in sin that they never feele the sting of conscience wounding them they are so delighted in sin that they never regard when they sin nor how they sin nor against whom they sin nor before whom they sin The shew of their countenance doth Isa 3. 9. testifie against them they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not therefore wo to their souls for they have rewarded evill unto themselves S. Paul excellently decyphereth them They have their understanding Eph. 4. 18 19. darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Thirdly There is a conscience both good and quiet and this is proper onely to the elect namely when God speaks peace to their soules by assuring them of the free pardon of all their sinnes and the Spirit of God testifies to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God and shall be made partakers of life everlasting in the heavenly Canaan Fourthly There is a conscience neither good nor quiet and this accompanieth onely the reprobate namely when through sense of sin horrour of conscience and Gods wrathfull yet just indignation such a dreadfull trembling seizeth on them that they know not where to betake themselves From this perplexity no incorrigible sinner can exempt himselfe neither Kings nor great Rev. 6. 15. ad finem men nor rich men nor mighty men nor bond nor free men According to these observations examine thou thy selfe and thou shalt easily finde whether thou belongest to God or not And if thy conscience hath wounded thee so that thou canst without any flattery assure thy selfe that thou hast throughly repented thee of all those sins which like Zecharia's talent of lead on the mouth of the ephah Zech. 5. 7 8. pressed thee even to the pit of hell and that thou findest God to be a reconciled God to thee in the face of his Son then is thy condition happy and the brightnesse of Gods countenance hath shined upon thee otherwise if thou wert never sensible of thy sins nor hast yeelded to the checks of conscience then is it an evident signe that if ever thou didst confesse thy sins yet it was but a meer orall confession hypocritically performed and so thy condition is most miserable And now Beloved conceive within your selves what an horrour it is to have an accusing and tormenting conscience alwayes pursuing a sinner nay not onely pursuing him but alwayes harbouring in his brest like an Erynnis quae indagatrix est gravissimorum flagitiorum which is the Inquisitor and hunter out of the grossest crimes to be his bosome companion and yet alwayes pleading guiltie so that the sinner shall not know where to repose himselfe for feare the very shaking of a leafe shall make him to tremble and be at his wits end Such a comrade had that fratricide Cain after hee had spilt his brothers bloud when he said Behold thou hast driven mee out this day from the face Gen. 4. 14. of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay mee The sting of death is sin saith Saint Paul yea and the sting of conscience is sin also which so overwhelms some with an horrible dread that they flee when none pursueth It is the nature of sin to Pro. 28. 1. pursue the sinner and a wounded conscience who can Prov. 18. 4. beare Moses told the Israelites that they should be sure that if they sinned against the Lord their sin would finde them out and Evill pursueth the sinner Numb 32. 23 Pro. 13. 21. saith Solomon Now although God speaketh thus to the conscience of the wicked yea although the sting of conscience doth as it were make their ears to tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. 2 King 21. 12. as the Lord speaks although it awakens them by sounding an alarm of Gods judgements in their ears yet veternum excutere nolunt they will not be roused from their sottishnesse but with Solomons fool A little more sleep a little more slumber Pro. 6. 10. a little longer basking in sin till at last that grim sergeant Death arrests them and layes them in the prison of the grave there to remain till the great and generall Assizes This evidently appeares in that they labour to quiet and appease the gnawings of this worm of conscience then whose bite nothing smarts more then whose sting nothing galls more and then whose torment nothing frets more and yet they fain would hush and still it that it may not affright and appall them But conscience will not be corrupted but as shee keeps a true register of all sins so shee gives in a true evidence against all sinnes Doe the wicked what they can God hath said that their worm shall never die and that no peace shall Mark 9. 44. Isa 57. 20. be to the wicked but they shall be like the raging sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt Adde to these inward torments of the conscience those outward plagues by which God shall Psal 2. 5. vexe them in his sore displeasure and by which at last they shall be enforced to confesse him just whom willingly they would not acknowledge to be at all Wherefore Beloved labour to gain a quiet yet a tender conscience which as it is a continuall feast so it is a
quasi per fenestras prospicit in Ecclesiam fideles unde nos aspicimus Deitatem per humanitatem These are the windows through which Christ manifesting himselfe reveales himselfe unto us and in them declaring the secret will and work of God concerning our redemption and salvation whereof except he were perfect God hee could have no knowledge for none being meer and onely man could ever have searched out that bottomlesse abysse nor ever have found out so intricate a mystery Lastly God maketh himselfe knowne unto By the book of Conscience man by the book of Conscience for there is none so atheisticall but the terrours of his Conscience will make him acknowledge a Deity Conscience is a practicall syllogisme condemning Conscientia est syllogismus practicus ex lege Ursin man for the breach of Gods law the Major whereof is the letter of the law Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to doe them The Minor is the accusing of Conscience But I have broken the law Hence the Conclusion necessarily must follow Therefore I am accursed Sometimes it is put for the spirit or soule of a man and sometimes for the faculties of the soule so wee reade that the law of God is written in our hearts our consciences either Rom. 2. 15. accusing or excusing which must be understood in intellectu nostro in the understanding facultie of the soule and in this sense the majestie and power of God shineth even to the consciences of the heathen and infidels Non omnis Numinis sensu Tilen carent qui in sylvis oberrantes ferinam agunt vitam Even they who live like savage beasts in woods are not altogether void and senselesse of a supreme power and whence is this but from the inward curb of conscience Yet more especially and cleerly God is manifested to the consciences of men these two wayes 1. By the ministery of the word by which hee powerfully worketh on their consciences 2. By the inward checks of conscience after sin committed both in the godly and also in the wicked First by the ministery of the word and this is four wayes 1. By opening that which was before lock'd up The closets of mens hearts are lock'd up by sin and ignorance so that they cannot rightly conceive of God as they ought untill hee who hath the key of David be pleased to open them by the Revel 3. 7. ministery of the word the heart of man naturally being like unto a spring-lock which shutteth of its own accord but cannot be opened without a key Thus God is said to open the heart of Lydia when Acts 16. 14. shee heard the word of God from the mouth of Paul and by the same means to convert the Jayler Vers 31. and his houshold so also God opened the hearts of three thousand at Peters preaching God Acts 2. hath committed the keyes of his kingdom unto the Ministers of his Gospel whereby he enables them Matth. 16. 19. to speak unto his people yet Spiritus sanctus est qui verbi praeconio hominum mentes illuminat qui aures perforat qui corda aperit ut Scripturae tanquam divinae firmiter assentiantur 2. By softning that which before was hard The heart of man naturally is * Ezek. 11. 19. flinty God only saith Job can soften it and this God worketh Job 23. 16. by his word Thus when Josiah heard the judgements 2 King 22. 19. of God threatned against the Jews he grew tender-hearted O that the word of God might work the like effect on us even now when not only his threatnings are denounced but his hand is also heavie upon us But alas we have too many that refuse to hearken that pull away the shoulder and Zech. 7. 11 12. stop the eare that they might not heare Yea they make their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets therefore hath there come great wrath from the Lord of hosts 3. God revealeth himselfe to man by the ministery of the word in convincing the conscience for sinne which was before as it were seared up Thus dealt hee with Ephraim After Ephraim was Jer. 31. 19. instructed hee smote upon his thigh hee was ashamed and even confounded because hee did bear the reproach of his youth Thus Agrippa could not but be convicted in conscience of the Deitie of Christ by the preaching of Paul when hee said Almost thou perswadest Acts 26. 28. me to be a Christian such a victorious grace of wisdome hath the holy Ghost infused into the ministery of the word Felix also could not but be convicted in his conscience of the dreadfull justice of God when hee trembled hearing Pauls discourse Acts 24. 25. concerning the torments of hell and judgement to come Happy had it been for them both if they had fully assented to the power of his preaching Tanta est Scripturae vis ut etiam hostibus suis verum Tilen testimonium exprimat in tenebrionum latibula fulgorem aliquem immittat nimirum ut liquidò constet internam esse hujus lucis proprietatem ex se per se existere Such is the power of the Scripture that it gives evident testimony of its truth even to its very enemies and sends forth its beams of light into the secrets of the craftiest plotters that it may manifestly appear that it is the propertie of the Scriptures to work inwardly on the conscience by shining of it self and in it self 4. By the ministery of the word God purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God The word doth metamorphose a man and makes him to be other then what hee was before thus Paul after that he was converted exercised himself Acts 24. 16. to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man At first Paul thought to have domineered over the poor Christians at Damascus but after he had seen the Lord Christ in the midst of that glorious light which exceeded the light of the Sun hee was content to sit as it were at the feet of Ananias and be instructed by him Now Lupus hic Benjamin ovi caput submisit Hieron Epist 3. Note Aug. de Doctr. Christ proleg if hee that was such an eminent Apostle yea who heard Christ himselfe from heaven must receive instruction from another how dare any man despise even the meanest of Gods Ministers Nor was this conversion of the Apostle without some speciall signification for hereby is shewed that they which are truely converted are also spiritually inlightned they are made blinde to worldly things and the eyes of their mindes are onely taken up with the beholding of things heavenly and the bent of their affections is to hold the mystery 1 Tim. 3. 9.
knowes whose it is So that unlesse our faith be turned into infidelity and the light of our understanding into the darknesse of ignorance wee cannot but see him who sanctifies his Church who softens our hearts who quickens us by his Spirit and who enlighteneth our soules by driving away the foggy mists of our naturall blindnesse And here give me leave to make a little digression and I hope not altogether impertinent Behold hee standeth behinde our wall Some by wall Cornel. à Lap. would understand mans incredulity as having reference to that of the Prophet Isaiah Your iniquities Isa 59. 2. have separated twixt you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you Others understand that thick cloud which was between God and the Israelites Exod. 19. 16. at the giving of the Law ex qua procedebant coruscationes adeo ut Israelitici tremuêre out of which went fearfull lightnings which made the Israelites to tremble Others the ceremoniall Law which was afterwards abrogated when the partition Eph. 2. 14. wall was broken down Others the Prophets who mystically set forth Christ to come Others the humanity of Christ so saith S. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word was made flesh O blessed salve to John 1. 14. clear our sight Take wee all or either of these August in Joh. tract 2. and they set forth the love of him who is or at least should be the joy of our hearts and the desire of our eyes Nor may it be thought vain-glorious presumption if I interpose mine opinion By wall therefore I understand protection and safety wrought by a prudent and faithfull Magistracie such Magistrates being as walls and bulwarks to preserve a people from ruine and desolation intended by the subtill plots of cunning Ahithophels 2 Sam. 17. Esth 3. Amos 7. 10. bloud-thirsty Hamans and idolatrous Amaziah's And if wee take it in this sense wee cannot but acknowledge that God hath stood for our good behinde our wall in that hee hath made our vigilant Patriots to be to us as David and his servants were to Nabal and his servants a wall both by night and 1 Sam. 25. 16. by day And because they have laboured to take Jer. 15. 19. forth the precious from the vile therefore hath the Lord made them unto his Church as a fenced brasen Ver. 20. wall What although men fight against them yet they shall not prevail for God by the mouth of his Prophet Jeremiah hath promised that hee will be with them to save them and deliver them Jer. 15. 19 20 21. yea hee will deliver them out of the hand of the wicked and redeem them out of the hand of the terrible So that wee may well sing that song of Isaiah Wee Isa 26. 1 2. have a strong citie salvation will the Lord appoint for walls and bulwarks Open yee the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Yea wee may justly say that the Lord hath been both to them and us a wall of fire round about and will be Zech. 2. 5. the glory in the midst of his people And now I come to the fifth or last Generall of my Text namely that the Spouse of Christ being assured that thus she doth see him may rejoice with comfort and be ravished with desire of a greater union and communion with him This doth consummate whatsoever tends to the perfection of happinesse In it wee are to observe two things 1. That to see God yeelds comfort to the godly in this life 2. That to be made one with God crowns all with eternall felicitie First That to see God yeelds comfort to the godly not to the divels and reprobate for their sight shall be their sorrow they shall indeed see him not as their Saviour but as their Judge to sentence them to eternall punishment Every eye Rev. 1. 7. shall see him they also which pierced him but yet as it followeth they shall waile because of him their sight shall rather afright them then any way minister the least crum of comfort to them 1. That therefore wee may see God with comfort Mark we what Christ teacheth wee must be Matth. 5. 8. pure in heart Now hee is said thus to be pure whose heart mindeth not unchaste things so Chrysostome Chrys Hom. 15. Or he is said to be pure whose heart is alwayes free from malice and continually addicted to temperance so the same Father Calvin stileth Calvin that heart pure which is not crafty or deceitfull Perkins calleth that heart pure which is first truely Perkins humble in sense of sins past resolving ever after to live more holily and not to sin against God any longer wilfully Secondly which testifieth this humilitie by labouring exact obedience to the will of God for a pure heart and a wicked conversation cannot stand together A resolution therefore not to sin is an evident mark of a sanctified soule and of a pure heart which shall see God 2. That wee may see God with comfort wee must endeavour to draw neer God now in this time of grace for the neerer wee are thus to him the cleerer wee shall discern him which that wee may doe wee must set God alwayes before our Psal 16. 8. eyes and remember that whatsoever wee think speak or doe or wheresoever wee are we alwaies are in his sight Walk we therefore before God and Gen. 17. 1. be wee perfect was Gods precept to Abraham O that all called to eminent places would remember this 3. That we may see God with comfort use we the means ordained by God that is frequent wee his house there God manifesteth his presence most gloriously It was Davids prayer to God that hee might not be debarred the beholding of the beauty of the Lord in his house and enquiring in Psal 27. 4. his temple The like respect have wee to his word and sacraments for in those hee manifesteth his beauty as well as in his Sanctuarie receive wee them as pledges of his love and goodnesse towards us and they shall be as a ladder by which we may ascend to perfect happinesse 4. Remember wee what an horrour it is not to see God now God is said to hide himselfe from the wicked As then the sight of Davids face was the light of Israel so is the sight of Gods face the 2 Sam. 21. 17. light of his chosen In his presence is life and in his Psal 90. 17. Psal 30. 5. Psal 16. 11. light wee shall see light yea In his presence is fulnesse of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore The Queen of Sheba reckoned Solomons servants happy because they did stand before him and hear 1 King 10. 8. his wisdome so and much more happy are the children of God who stand before him continually and see his glory If Moses was happy in that hee saw