conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13. v. 18. And if at any time the Conscience of the Christian be defiled and wounded by new contracted pollution and guilt and challenges begin thence to arise and to disturb the peace and sweet repose of the Soul there would be on all such occasions fresh believing applications made to the blood of sprinkling that thereby the heart may be sprinkled from an evil conscience and the Conscience purged from dead works to serve the living God and endeavours would be renewed in the strength of grace to walk more tenderly without offence toward God and toward men toward which these Sermons abound with varietie of choice and excellent directions and helps Thirdly and more particularly we would study to have our Conscience well and throughly informed by intimat acquaintance with the minde and will of God revealed in the Scriptures of truth as to all things that we are called to believe and do so that it may be in case to discharge its office and dutie aright whether in Dictating or in Testifying or in Iudging an ill informed Conscience especially where there is any zeal or forwardness strongly pusheth and suriously driveth men to many dangerous distracted and destructive practices hath not this driven men to kill the servants of Christ as himself foretold and in doing so to think that they did God service did not this hurry on Paul before his conversion to persecute Callers on the name of the Lord Jesus and to make havock of the Church by drawing and dragging the disciples both men and women bound to Prison and by cruel persecuting of them even to strange cities compelling them to blaspheme so exceedingly mad was he as himself confesseth against them O! what terrible and tragical things hath this set men on to do and what mâ—d work hath it made in some places of the world beside many lesser impertinencies extravagancies and disturbances in particular Christian Societies Fourthly We would endeavour to have the Conscience deeply impressed with due and deeâ— vâ—neration aw and dread of the Majestie of God the supream Lord of and great Law-giver to the Conscience whose Laws and Commands are only properly directly immediately and of themselves obligatory thereof because the Consciences and Souls of men are properly subject only to God and because the Law of God written in the hearts of men and in the Scriptures is the only rule of Conscience and moreover because men cannot immediately judge the Conscience nor know they the secret motions thereof and finally because he can only inflict spiritual punishment on the sinning Conscience all the Laws and Commands of men in what ever capacitie are only obligatory of the Conscience mediatly indirectly and consequentially viz. in so far as they are consistent complyant and agreeable with the Laws and Commands of the absolutely supream Law-giver or not repugnant thereunto for certainly he hath not given a dispensation to any power on earth Civil or Ecclesiastick to countermand his coÌ„mands or to enjoyn obedience â—o commands contrary to or inconsistent with his own whose commands are immediately and inviolably binding of the Consciences of Superiors and Magistrates though the greatest Monarchs on earth as well as of Inferiours and Subjects all without exception being Inferiours and Subjects to him Yet such Laws of men as do either press or declare the Commands and Law of God and make for the conservation and observation thereof oblidge in Conscience because such Laws as they are such participat of the nature and force of the Divine Law and because the Law of God doth directly and immediately command subjection to the Superior Powers therefore even in reference to theâ—â—njust Laws and such as are repugnant to or 〈◊〉 with the divine Laws Subjects are oblidged in 〈◊〉 not to reâ—use obedience to them out of any contempt of lawful authority let â—e to discaâ—m anâ— renounce the same as some poor seduced and deluded persons do in these dayes â—ther ouâ— of ignorance or humour or misguideâ— zeal to the great reproach of Religion not to admit 〈◊〉 any thing that mâ— have in it the 〈◊〉 appearance of offence and scandal that way because the contempt oâ— lawful authority and the â—andal of others are in themselves sins against the Law of God yet still as no â—eer humane laws do directly immediately and of themselves as I said bind the conscience so neither hath God given a power to any of the Superâ—our Powers on earth to enjoâ— obedience to commands that are cross to his own â—njunctions which all are oblidged indispensably to obey And therefore it is not only sâ—range but even stupendious for any Christians especially such as pretend to be Protestants confidently to assert and bolâ—â—o publish to the world as Mr. Hobbs doth in his Leviathan a book designed by him as I have been informed to complement Cromwel against the writâ—rs own Conscience such as it was p. 168. That no private man is judge of good and evil actions in a Common wealth under civil Laws and that the meaâ—ure of good and evil actions is the Civil Law of actions civilv good why not but of actions simply good and evil as his assertion carries whâ— what reason or shâ—dow of reason God never having given noâ— assigned such a rule we may thus throw away ouâ— Bibles as the rule of good and evâ—l aâ—ions and all betake our selves to the Civil Law as the only Rule and the Legis lâ—tor the alone Iudge since he may as well divest a man of humane nature and un-man him as deprive him of a privat Judgement of discretion or of a private discreâ—ive Judgement in reference to his own actions the soâ—er exercise whereof is no assuming to himself in â—he least the capaciâ—e of a publick Judge and it at any time in any thing relaâ—ing to â—is 〈◊〉 acts this Judgement of private discretiâ—n fall to thwart the Law or publick Judgement he advenâ—es on that cum pericâ—lo or on his peâ—l but it cannot in reason utteâ—ly rob him of it since as is said he can as soon cease to be a man or a rational creature as to have that quite denyed him or taken from him to what end or purpose should he be priviledged with this above brutes iâ— the exercise of â—t shall be for ever suspended in the Members of Kingdoms and Common-wealths as almoâ— all men in the world are what sound and Orthodox Divine or sound Christian Lawyer ever taught such Doctrine The learned doctor Ames tellâ— us in the 4. Co olary and very last words of his first book of Cases of Conscience that Interpretatio Scripturae vel judicium â—scernere voluntatem Dei pertinet ad quemlibet in foro conscâ—tiae pro 〈◊〉 And page 169. of the fore-cited book the same Hobbs sayes That he who is subject to no civil Law sinneth in â—ll that â—e doth against his conscience yet â—t is not so with him who liveth in a common
Christian walk according to Conscience 〈◊〉 these seven particulars 1. A man that would walk according to Conscience must have a respect to all sorts of Dâ—ties in Words Thoughts and Actions for Conscience will challenge for an idle word and for a â—inful thought to Simon Acts 8. 22. says the Apostle Pray God if perhaps the thought of thy hearâ— may be forgiven thee which saith that sinâ—ul thoughts may have influence to 〈◊〉 the Conscience and that a man who wouâ—d keep peace in his Conscience should dispense with himself in none of these 2. A man that would walk according tâ— Conscience must extend Duty to all particulars oâ— everâ— kind to every Thought every Word and every action â—or according as Conscience when in case is pleased or displeased in every one of these in publick in private in secret in 〈◊〉 or smaller Duties or â—ins so it will accuse or â—xcuse so then as Conscience regardeth alâ— Duties and kinds of them so it regardeth every particular of every kind 3. A man that would walk according to Conscience must aim in his Christian walk at the highest degree in every one of these though he come short yet he must not dispense with himself in his short-coming in any of them for instance as he must love God so he must endeavour to love him with all his strength soul and mind and as he must be holy so he must aim to perfect Holiness and to purifie himself even as he is pure in this respect the least defect will give Conscience ground of a challenge and if he in the least but indirectlâ— dispense with himself in it it will breed a quarrel 4. Walking according to Conscience tyeth a man to be in this aim and design always so as it alloweth of no inâ—ermission as for instance to study Holiness in this or that condition of life and not in another or under the cross and not in prosperity but as the word is here in the Tâ—xt he is always to exercise himself in this study and though a man should live many years with a Conscâ—ence void of offence if he begin at last though iâ— be but now and then to take undue liberty Conscience will take notice of it and challenge for it because the Word the superior of Conscience taketh notice of it 5. To walk according to Conscience extendeth it self to all circumstances and qualifications of Duty it looketh not only to the matter of duty that it be good but that it be spiritually prâ—secute in all the circumstances of it it will look to the mans aim that it be single and if it be not so it will find fault it will look to his manner of doing whether he be spiritual lively tender zealous c. in what he doeth and it will look from what principle he acteth from the strength of Grace or from a gift from his own Strength or from Christs and it will look to what is his end or aim as I just now said whether he be bringing forth fruit to himself or to God whether his end be to please men and to have their approbation and applause or to glorifie God and to approve to him whether it be to stop the mouth of his Conscience or to honour God Conscience taketh notice of these for founding its accusing or excusing and in this it differeth from all Courts among men it will accuse and condemn where they will absolve contra 6. Conscience will put a man to take notice of all the means opportunities and helps whereby Holiness may be furthered and if a man come short in the use of any mean it will put him to run the back trade as it were and to take with the guilt it will say Man whether mightest thou not have had more knowledge having had so many opportunities to hear and learn having had such and such Ministers and Christian friends to advise with and to be instructed by as the Apostle hath it Heb. 5. 12. Ye might have been teachers of others by reason of time and means and yet ye have need to be taught the first principles c. To have a Conscience void of offence it is necessary to use every mean to further us in the knowledge of Gods will and to attain to the practice of it 7. Conscience will look especially to what use we make of our Holiness and to what we lay before Conscience to answer its challenges whether we bring our good Mind our Prayers External Performances and our following of Ordinances to stop the mouth of it and to â—ilence the challenges and quench the fire to say so of Conscience or whether we bring the blood of Iesus Christ that blood of sprinkling if we compare Heb. 10. vers 2. with vers 22. and Heb. 9. vers 9. with vers 14. we will find this latter way and â—ot the former to be the only safe way These sacrifices that are offered year by year continually can never make the the comers thereunto perfect but having a high-priest over the house of God we may draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water These gifts and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience but the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God and though the Conscience will challenge a Believer where there are defects in the foâ—mer rules yet it is quieted and satisfied where there is serious and suitable application made to and of the sufferings and satisfaction of the Redeemer iâ— so be he dispense not with himself as to his short-coming in them and if the use that he makes of his Holiness in the largest extent and highest degree of it be not to found his righteousness thereon but to honour God thereby in gratitude to him to edifie others and to evidence to himself the soundness and reality of his believing and gracious state This sheweth the vast extent of Holiness and what it is that men are called to and thereby we may also see that many sadly mistake Religion and what that perfect walk is that a Christian ought to have before God and we may say on the whole if this be to walk according to Conscience then cerâ—ainly not many but very few walk according to â—t which is a lamentation and should be for a lamentation The 2d Use is â—or tryal If a Believer when he is in case and right will have it for his exercise to walk so as he may have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men then this will be a differencing mark betwixt a Believer and an un-believer the one singly aimeth and seriously endeavoureth to have a good Conscience and to walk so as in nothing he may offend his Conscience The other haâ—h no such design
their Religion in that being much darkened and insensibly prejudicat as to their Light when they come up the length or near the length of that light Conscience speaketh and giveth its Testimony accordingly and they have thence a sort of peace but it is not the peace of a truely good Conscience 4. A natural man or a hypocrite may come a great length in respect of the external duties of Religion and may have a kind of a good Conscience in that respect as he may pray and have some moral sincerity in it and â—o as he would â—ain have a hearing and would some way have his heart praying â—ay he may have a kind of delight in approaching to God as it s said of those hypocrits Isa. 58. 2. He would â—ain know what is Duty and what is Sin and he doth not deliberatly thwart with his light in this respect Paul sayeth of himself before his Conversion that as touching the righteousness of the Law he was blameless and Rom. 10. 1. He beaâ—eth the Iews record That they had a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and what I pray was this but Conscience un-informed in and ignorant of the righteousness of God from which ignorance of Christs righteousness and of the way of coming to him it came to pass that they went about to establish their own righteousness So then the natural man or hypocrite when he hath come the length of some honest meaning is disposed to think that he hath done very well and that he hath a good Conscience yet though he may have a good Conscience in some respect or in these respects mentioned and the like yet to have it simply and positively from solid and good grounds giving him a good Testimony is impossible and the reason is because he hath not the Word going along with his Conscience in reference to his whole carriage and in referrence to the principles motives ends and designs of his actions testifying for him and therefore I say he hath not the Testimony of a truely good Conscience For the next Question Wherein is this Conscience defective and what is the difference betwixt it and a believers good Conscience Or how may it be known as differing from an honest Gospel Conscience Answer 1. In respect of its rise there is a defect in the Judgment for if the eye be blind if the understanding be dark the Conscience must be so too They have saith the Apostle of the Iews a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and being ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about to establish their own righteousness However zealous they were of God or others such may be yet they are ignorant in three thingâ— 1. In the extent and spiritual meaning of the Law supposing for instance that a man keepeth the Sixth Command when he is not guilty of any gross act of Murther and the Seventh when he doth not actually commit Adultery or Fornication not knowing or considering that a look arising from the flame of lust within is a breach of that Command and so proportionably in other Commands Even as the Pharisees conformed the Law in the meaning thereof to their own practice and not their practice to the meaning of the Law 2. They are ignorant of the way of Gods righteousness and of that which giveth the Conscience solid ground to speak peace many if they have an honest meaning in their praying reading of the Scripture waiting on publick Ordinances if they put their bodies to some sort of pennance or be ready to give if it were the half of their estates to have their souls safe and if they have a sort of seriousness in all this think that all is well with them and that they have a very good Conscience if this peice of ignorance were well discerned never one soul out of Christ would have peace because none out of Christ have solid grounds of peace for none have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience but these that are in him 3. They are ignorant of their particular case they know not what sins they are guilty of nor what Conscience sayeth of them they think it speaketh better things to them then indeed it doth some guess at it some mis-interpret it and some repeâ—l it whereas if they were soberly reflecting on and impartially looking to their manner of proceeding in every thing they would see that they mistake their Conscience exceedingly This then is the first defect viz. a defect in the Judgment The 2d Is a defect as to singleness and sincerity in the natural mans best condition such are never single when at their very best even when they are most serious in Prayer they are but going about to establish their own righteousness when they fast and give alms and the like it is that they may have some ground for a good opinion of themselves or that others may have a good opinion of them being always acted from selfy motives and for self-ends A 3d. defect Is the want of unbyassed Affections these being partial and byassed will put the man to reason and dispute for the silencing of his Conscience and this eye not being single the whole body is full of darkness Affections being inclined or sweyed to this or that side they will seek to â—way Conscience to that side they incline to This is it that maketh some to follow after and to haunt the company of those who are erroneous in their judgment notwithstanding that they have good reason to the contrary laid before them from the Word of God which they reject and that without challenge being quite byasâ—ed and prejudged in their affections thus many natural men lay this for a conclusion that so much only is Holiness and that no more is needful and what is more is but superfluous niceness and so they prejudge their Conscience by that 4. It is defective in this that it maintaineth not its peace nor answereth its challenges from Christs blood it is not sprinkled with clean but with foul Water to say so it may be it putteth the man to take on some resolution or to come under some vow as to somewhat that it may be is no commanded duty of Religion not hath any valuable influence upon it or he will as it were sprinkle his Conscience with his tears thus many will grant that they have sinned but withall they think and will be ready to say that they have a good heart or a good meaning or that such and such a man well esteemed of hath such a sin and is as guilty as they are or that many have had such siâ—s who yet have gone to Heaven on such and others the like pitiful grounds they found their peace and by such silly shifts they seek to quiet their Conscience yea sometimes from the consideration of the possibility of pardon many conclude confidently that they are actually pardoned We shall forbear to say any thing further at this time God
house beside it We will not say but many filthy things may be in a pure Conscience but it does not comport wel with them nor digest them They are as lukewarm-water to a mans Stomach that he cannot keep but must needs vomit up again and he is sick till he do so 5. It s a good token of a pure Conscience when the man cannot endure to be at a distance from Christ but hath many errands to him would fain be near him yea would fain abide constantly with him as well as in him by Faith when he would ly beside him as beside the Fountain to be bleatched there so to speak because he kâ—ws that no sooner wil he go from him but his Conscience will be defiled and he loves so well to be clean and loves Christ so well that makes him clean that he likes well to be always near him This is a good token of a person that hath a pure Conscience Because as it betokens a great loathing of filthiness so it betokens a great respect to Christ on this account as to the maker and keeper of the Conscience clean and on the contrary it s a very evil token when persons will pretend to a pure Conscience when yet they will not go to the Fountain for a very long time if at all and when they go if we may speak so they scarce give their Conscience a dip or a little sprinkling or syning as we use to speak but they are away and gone again But a serious tender and purged Soul will no sooner perceive a â—oul stain or spot but it repairs quickly to the Fountain of Christs Blood to get it washed out And O! but its precious to him and he never thinks himself to be right and well but when he is there and near to him It s true he cannot alwayes be in Prayer or in other Duties of Worship yet he endeavours to be in the habitual exercise of Faith corresponding with him for attaining and keeping a clean and undefiled Conscience SERMON II. HEB. 9. v. 14. and 10 v. 22. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Chap. 10. v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water IF we knew what sort of Consciences we naturally have and were suitably sensible of the evil state of them it would be to us as good News from a far Countrey to hear how they may be gotten purged and made good and how little soever men think of this now and how ever easie they fancy it to be to get their Consciences solidly quieted and calmed there is a day coming when sleeping and secure Consciences will be awakned and when it will be found more easie to endure the greatest toil and the most exquisit torment on earth then to wrestle with and to be closely pursued and constantly haunted by the terrours of an evil and awakned Conscience which will roar against men as a lyon and tear as it were the very caul of their heart Then O! then they who would never be perswaded before to believe what an evil and defiled Conscience is nor what the benefit and advantage of peace with God and in the Conscience is shall be made to their eternal prejudice to know the truth of both In both these places now read in your hearing the Apostles scope is to commend the transcendent worth and matchless excellency of Jesus Christ and the incomparable efficacy of his most precious blood from this noble notable and non-such effect of it viz. That when nothing else can lay or allay the storm and tempest of an evil Conscience nor purge it from these defiling dead works this blood can do it to purpose and effectually when applyed by Faith when no legal Sacrifice nor washings that sanctified only to the purifying of the flesh could reach perfyting the comer thereto as pertaining to the conscience as it s said Chap. 9. v. 9. Neither could deliver him from an evil Conscience and give him confidence and boldness in drawing neer to God over the belly of many quarrels and grounds of challenge the blood of Christ can as it is Chap. 10. v. 22. We left the other day at speaking somewhat to that natural pollution that throughly affects the hearts and Consciences of all men before they be by the blood of Christ purged and the Apostles taking such pains to hold out this shews plainly that it is a matter of greatest concernment to Christians to know the way how to get their Consciences purged from that deep defilement of sin wherewith they are polluted for is it not his manner to insist in any thing that is not of concernment to the people of God who will readily from the sad and doleful experience of their own pollution be induced to think that this truth is such and ought to be esteemed so by them 2ly Observe That there is nothing that Christians should more aim at and endeavour more to be in the practice of then to be following that way whereby they may get their Consciences purged and more particularly these who have had their Consciences again defiled after that they were once purged no main infected with the Borch or plague hath more need of cleansing from it then the man whose Conscience is infected and defiled with the dead works of sin needs to have it purged from them by the blood of Christ. We shall but very briefly to make way for that which we would mainly be at hint at two or three Observations from both these verses now read put together first then Observe from Chap. 10. v. 22. That a Conscience not purged by the blood of Christ is a very evil thing which we will find to be a very sad truth if we consider the unpurged Conscience either as it s awakned or as it s not awakned but asleep which is ill both ways It s ill if it be awakned and the terrours of God be fresh upon it who can express or adequatly conceive the terribleness of such a case The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmity and wrestle through many crosses but a wounded a wrath-wounded spirit or an ill Conscience rouzed by the terrours of the Almighty God who can bear This hath made some with Iudas the trai tour rather to choise death a violent death inflicted by their own wretched hands on themselves then life whereby they have desperatly run themselves under the wrath of God to the full O poor silly miserable shift and evasion to flee from some smaller fore-parties as it were of the wrath of God on earth into the very strength and main battel of it eternally in hell this is infinitely worse then to leap out of the water into the fire Nay some of the most eminent
Saints by the falling but of some hot scalding drops of Gods fatherly wrath and displeasure have been brought neer the length of wishing rather for strangling though mercifully keeped from it and made to abhorre it then life As it was with non such holy Iob who looked on death a violent death as an easie matter be what it was to be under the sense of wrath and to be set up as the mark for Gods arrows to be shot at the venome whereof to his apprehension drunk up his Spirits though all the while he was kept up in the faith of his interest in God and of his love to him To his purpose Human heavily complains Psal. 88. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted If it be sometimes done thus in the green trees even the greenest what shall be done in the dry Now the Conscience is in a special manner the receptacle of all the terrors of God it must therefore certainly be a very ill thing to have an awakned ill Conscience If an ill and unpurged Conscience be silent and a sleep it s in some respect worse for it hath this black and dreadful awakning abiding it and the longer it sleep and keep silence the the wakning will be the more terrible and its cryes the lowder It s all the while of its silence and sleeping treasuring up more wrath whereby the poor wretch will be payed home with multiplyed increase of terrour and horrour O! that ye knew how evil a thing how very evil a thing it is to have a Conscience not purged from dead works a Conscience not sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ as no stranger can intermiddle with the joy of a mans Spirit who hath a good Conscience a Conscience sprinkled and purged by the blood of Christ so no man can to the full represent to you the exceeding terribleness of the terrour of an evil Conscience when awakned by the wrath of God pleading and pursuing a quarrel with the Soul which quarrel he is infinitly powerful to avenge It would be very suitable to be often enquiring at our selves what is become of the quarrel and what solid ground of peace and confidence towards God is there We will all most certainly and inavoidably be put on this great tryal O! suffer not your selves to be so far deluded as to think that a silent and stupid Conscience is a good Conscience and hath no danger with it which is as great folly as to think that a feeless and benummed member of the body is thereby in â—o danger nay the danger is so much the greater 2ly Observe That though all men naturally be under thiâ— evil of an unpurged Conscience yet in the covenant of Grace God hath laid down a way how sinners may get their Consciences purged This is the Apostles scope in both these scriptures even to lay a solid ground for the consolation of Believers and for a high commendation of Gods grace viz. That by application made to the blood of Jesus there is as a real purging of the Conscience from sin win at as there was access made to persons ceremonially unclean by these sacrifices and washings under the Law to external Church-priviledges being ceremonialy cleansed thereby which is not so to be understood as if the sin committed had never really and actually been so as the purged Believer should neither remember it nor repent of it that is not at all the meaning of the Doctrine but it is to be understood legally that as to the removing of the guilt of sin and as to his having peace with God and in his own Conscience it is purged so as sin cannot stand in the way of his expecting Gods favour nor simply in the way of his delighting himself therein more then if it had never been though the man be the debitor yet there is a way laid down in the Gospel covenant to declare him free even as a man that has plaid the dyvour or bankerupt though he cannot simply and in all respects be made as if he had never been so yet by anothers paying of the debt he is before the Judge acquited and is reckoned free of the debt as if it had never been contracted or owing and as to any effect that might in law follow on it to his prejudice just so is it here with the sinner that flees to the blood of sprinkling and the word purging sufficiently holds it out especially when it is joyned with coming with boldness and confidence to the throne of God for if it should be said to such a sinner how canst thou how darst thou come to God with such confidence that hast an ill Conscience through so much sin He answers Let us draw near or come having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience So that as to a confident approaching to God and application of Christs righteousness persons who have made application of the blood of sprinkling may come to God with as much holy and humble boldness as if the Conscience had never been defiled and pollured and the experience of the Saints who in this way have found peace and confidence is a great evidence and confirmation of the truth of it 3ly To come a little nearer We may Observe in the negative That there is no way for a man that has once had his Conscience defiled and polluted with sin to be cleansed and purged from it but by the blood of Christ If we look through this 9th Chapter from the beginning and the following 10th Chapter We will find that the Apostles scope is to prove that it is not the blood of Bulls or of Calves nor any one or all of these ceremonial Sacrifices washings or purgations that can do the business as he more particularly cleareth v 9. of the 9. Chap. Where the Apostle insinuats That though God appointed many means and midâ—es of purgation yet if there had been no more but these they could never have effected the perfyting of a man as pertaining to the Conscience It s only the blood of Jesus that hath this effect And this one reason will confirm it viz. That there is no other thing but the blood of Christ that can satisfie Gods justice and remove the quâ—rrel that is betwixt him and the guilty sinner it s he only in whom God is well pleased he is our peace and there is no name under heaven given whereby a sinner can be saved but the name of Iesus And till God be satisfied the Conscience cannot be quiet seeing then that nothing can satisfie Gods Justice buâ— his blood there can nothing purge and satisfie the Conscience but it Therefore David prayes Psal. 51. Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean Where he allâ—ds and looks to the blood of Christ that was â—ypifyed by the sprinkling of Blood with a bunsh of hysop under the law as the Apostle doth here As the Use of this Doctrine
considering that the best and most disceâ—ning men may be mistaken in their application of these evidences to us neither is it the end of Conference to be a ground of peace when in the mean time there is no solid course taken how to get our debt payeâ— and the justice of God satified our main yea our first work would be to be take our selves to the Cautioner and to the blood of sprinkling under the conviction and sense of sin and guilt and then we may profitably reason our selves and admit of the reasoning of others for help to quiet our Conscience and unless there be actual fleeing to Christ and to his blood preceeding and going before words of comfort or direction spoken whether in private or in publick This word of God declares them to be null and voâ—d as to any advantage to us 4ly Observe That when nothing can pacify an evâ—l and defiled Conscience nor purge it from dead works the application of the blood of Christ by faith can and will purge that Conscience and give peace and quietness to it with holy and humble confidence and boldness in coming and drawing near to God as if in some respect it had never been defiled by these dead works of sin It s the Apostles great scope and design here to press these two which are the two branches of the Doctrine 1. The sufficiency of Christs blood as the price that â—atisfies divine Justice and quiets the Conscâ—ence for when the Conscience gets this blood applyed to it by faith it has no ground to crave any further satisfaction to the justice of God whose deputy it is as if something were owing that blood as a full and condigâ— price satisfies for all the debt How much more sayeth the Apostle here shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works The 2d Branch is that which followeth upon â—his as a native use of it That a Belleâ—er who hath fled to Jesus Christ after the committing of sin and hath actually applyed his blood to the Conscience may have quietness in it and go with boldness and confidence to God and may on this ground maintain his peace in some respect as if he had never sinned So â—uos the Apostles scope if we look to the 19. v. of Chap. 10. and forward Having therefore brethren sayeth he boldness to enter into the holiest by a new and living way â—y the blood of Iesus let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of saith having our hearts sprinkâ—ed from an evil conscience though it hath been polluted before This is one of the rarest pearls and richest Jewels of the Gospel one of the excellentest priviledges of a Belâ—ever and one of the noblest and notablest exprâ—ssions and evidences of the grace of God and withall the great prooâ— of the reality and efficacy of the satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus viz. That when the Conscâ—ence of the poor Believer is confounded and in a manner put on the wrack with many challenges for sin he may mâ—ke application of Christs blood and on that ground have sweet peace and tranquillity of Soul For further clearing of this We shall 1. lay down some grouâ—ds for its confirmation And then 2ly make some â—se of it As for the first of them to wit some grounds to confirm it Take these few shortly 1. If by the application of Christs blood there be solid peace made up betwixt God and the sinner it will necessarly follow that the application of the blood of Christ will â—urge the Conscience and ought to be ground of peace and quietness to it For sayeth Iohn Epistle 1. Chap. 3. v. 20. God is greater then the heart or Conscience and sayeth Paul 1 Cor. 4. 4. Though we know nothing by our selves yet are we not hereby justified but â—e that judgeth us is the Lord This is sound reasoning God hath nothing to say therefore the Conscience ought to be satisfied But it is clear that by the application of Christs blood solid peace is made up betwixt God and a sinner As Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by saith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ There is no standing controversie nor quarrel â—onger then by faith the blood of Christ is â—led unto and applyed Iohn 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on â—im that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation He shall come to judgement to be absolved but not to be condemned for as it is Iohn 3. 18. He that believeth on him shall not be condemned And Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ And 1 Iohn 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life c. This being the over word of the Gospel it will follow that the Conscience of a poor sinner that is fled to Christ for refuge hath good ground of peace and that there is no ground to the Conscience â—ormentingly or anxiously to challenge And this is indeed no small matter and yet no presumption after a sinner hath fled to Christ to quiet himself and to be at peace on this ground A 2d ground of confirmation is the experience of all the Sainâ—s recorded in the Scripture after their faâ—lings and fallings into sin what hath quieted them may also quâ—et us for there is but one way of making peace with God and the taking of that way workes as to the main alike to all Now it s this way that hath quieted them it s the same faith in all and alike precious 〈◊〉 in all as to the kind because it hath the like precious substantial effects in all It is this therefore that must give quâ—etness and boldness to us That which quieted them was a look an often renewed look as guilt was of new contracted through all these types and shadows to Christ all of them had their original and actual pollutions whereby their Conscience was some wâ—y defiled and disquieted yet through application of Christs blood they wan to peace Purge me sayes David Psal. 51. with â—ysop and I shall be clean c. Even when the Conscience was writeing his lybel and he was under challenges for his guilt he had the faith of his interest and attained peace through application of the blood of Christ that was to come signified by purging with hysop For that ground stands sure which is laid down Act 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are 〈◊〉 from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law oâ— Moses There is indeed as if he had said a large and long 〈◊〉 and Inditement that Sin and tâ—e Law and the Conscience have against you but be it known unto you that through Iesus Christ remission of sins is preached to you and that through saith in him ye are justified and fred
they had payed their own debt and â—atisfied justice in their own persons had that been possible and if on â—his bargan and transaction all his sufferings are buâ—lt then sure there is in Christs death a most solid and sufficient ground of peace and quietnesse to the Conscience of a finner that hath fled to him and closed with his â—atisfaction even as solid and sufficient as if he had payed the debt himself For it were blasphemâ—e to imagine such a covenant so laid down and for such an end and not to be most real and effectual for reaching the end This covenant being most sure and this being the end of it as it is â— Cor. 5. ult viz. To make him sin for us who knâ—w no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him by the same covenant and good will of God Father Son and Spirit concurring to lay down this way of Salvation Christ was made sin for us not against his will but with his will for he was most willing to undergo the work as is clear from Psal. 40. compared with Heb. 10. And this was the reason or rather end for which he was made sin for us even That we might be made the righteousness of God in him That he being found the sinner and dealt with as the sinner we might be declared righteous not as if we had never sinned but that by imputation of his righteousness and Gods gracious accepting of it for us we are reckoned free as if we had payed the debt our selves in our own persons and if the covenant betwixt God and the Mediator had a real effect on Christ Jesus the Cautioner if he really took on our nature and in that nature suffered and payed our debt if our iniquities in the punishment of them did meet on him As it is Isa. 53. The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all If he drank the bitter cup that we should have drunken and satisfied justice for us then sure the covenant must have a real effect on the other side as to us and we have good and sufficient warrand to believe that God will accept of that satisfaction for believing sinners that lay hold theron for making their peace and that he will as really keep that part of the bargane viz. To mâ—ke the application of Christs satisfaction forth-coming to them as he did the other in exacting that satisfaction from him as many as are now before the Throne are joyful witnesses and glorious Monuments of the reality of this part of the covenant and indeed there is no more legality to speak so in the impuâ—ing of our sin to Christ then there is legality in imputing his righteousness to us in giving us absolution and declaring us righteous through him for there was no ground for justice to have any claime against Christ but the will of God and the covenant of Redemption wherein Christ undertakes the debt and there is no other ground for making his purchase forth-coming to the sinner that by â—aith layes hold on him It s the same blessed design that carries on both parts of the bargan And now putting all these together may we not most confidently say that there is notably good ground for quieting of the Conscince of a sinner that by faith betakes himself to the blood of Christ and that such a sinner may with well-grounded Confidence hope for and certainly expect pardon and absolution as if in some respect he had never sinned We cannot now insist to speak to the Uses of this Doctrine only from this we may clearly see 1. How much sinners are oblidged to God and to the Mediator Jesus Christ and how poor sorry and miserable a life and how comfortless and cursed a death we should have had if he had not laid down a way for purging the Conscience from dead works even this excellent and wonderful way by his own most precious blood And therefore defiled and guilty sinners would endeavour to make this Doctrine very dearly welcome as Paul doth is 1 Tim. 1. v. 15. When in a transport of holy admiration he cryes This is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the world to save sinners O! Believers in Christ prize his grace highly and bless him heartily even with all that is within you that ever the thoughts of this way of relief for lost sinners were in his blessed heart 2ly Since it is most certain that naturally we all have evil Consciences through the debt of sin and defilement of dead works and that through the blood of Christ if we flee to it by faith and take hold of his satisfaction we may get our Consciences purged and our debt as certainly payed as any mans debt is who hath in his Charter-chist the discharge of a Sum he was once owing Then let me beseech you for the Lords sake to make this your great work to get the application of this blood made to your Consciences and to have it on good grounds made sure that ye have by faith made application of it that ye may not live and die in a conjectural and guessing uncertainty about it O! How mightily momentuous and concerning to you through all eternity is it to have your defiled Consciences sprinkled with that blood if it be of concernment to you to have access to lift up your heads with joy and your faces with boldness in that day when the hearts of many shall fall them for fear of those things coming on them and their knees shall smite one against another when their faces shall gather paleness and they shall weep and houl desperatly without all hope Then doubtless it is of your concernment of your incomparably greatest concernment to get your Consciences sprinkled with this blood otherwayes be assured live as ye will and die as ye may this defiled ill Conscience will cleave to you as a girdle doth to the loins of a man and it will yell and roar on you with unconceavable terror and torment It will then be known and acknowledged by many to their everlasting shame and loss and to their endless terror and torment that there was a greatly concerning truth in this Doctrine viz. That the only way how to get a defiled Conscience purged from dead works of sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ. A SERMON on Heb. 10. v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in ful assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water THe confident approaching of sinners to God is the great design of the manifestation of his Grace in the Gospel and that they may boldly though humbly draw near unto and have communion with him is the great fruit of Christs purchase the Apostle discoursing here to these Hebrews of the excellent advantages which they had in and by Jesus Christ whereof he gives a short summary and abridgement v. 19. 20 21. drawes thence a
pathetick exhortation by way of conclusion that Believers would make use of and improve these advantages and priviledges in a confident approaching to God Let us draw near saith he v. 22. in full assurance of faith But because there are two things that readily stand in the way of Believers their coming to God he casts in two requisit qualifications of their coming for removing these obstructions and to let us see that though he allow of the well grounded confidence of faith yet he doth not allow of carnal presumption in approaching to God The 1. thing that stands in their way is carnalness and deceit of heart and the qualification which he requires for removing of it is in these words Let us draw near with a true heart Which is not to be understood of a simply siâ—less heart but of a sincere honest and upright heart a clean heart loathing and working out the remainder of pollution and impurity for it s opposed to an unclean deceitful and hypocritical heart otherwayes the next words of sprinkling and washing would not be added But because 2ly Believers win not in this life to that perfection in purity and sincerity but still they are conscious to themselves of a remainder of deceit impurity and hypocrisie to be and abide in them so that if they have no more but the testimony of their own purity and sincerity to look to it will be but as one leg to walk upon in their drawing near to God They might therefore object alace We have but little if any thing of a pure and sincere heart he answers this by adding the second qualification Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Which is as he had said wherein soever ye be unclean and defiled and whatever be your impurity deceit or hypocrisie come to the blood of Christ that ye may be sprinkled and washeâ— thereby and then come forward and draw near to Goâ— in full assurance of faith In a word he would have them coming and coming in sincerity and whatever lamented over and loathed deceit and hypocrisie or uncleanness they find in themselves he would not have that keeping them back because there is an efficacy in the blood of Christ to purge away both the guilt and filth of sin and to procure welcome to such as are sincere and single in purifying their heart and way though they be not perfitly pure but many degrees removed from it and because thereof are under many quarrels from God and challenges from their own Consciences he would have such making use of that blood for removing all quarrels and so to come forward This Phrase of having the conscience sprinkled is an allusion to that which we have Exod. 12. v. 7. and 13. Where the Lord being to smite all the first-born of Egypt to prevent the falling of the stroak and plague on the Israelites he appoints them to kill a Lamb and to sprinkle the Lintel and Door posts of their Houses with the blood thereof that when the destroying Angel passed thorow to smite the first-born of the Egyptians he might pass over their houses that were so sprinkled and the force of the allusion is this Mans Conscience in a natural estate is like that destroying Angel and as Israel be-sprinkled the door posts of their houses with the blood of the Paschal Lamb so he would have them to be-sprinkle their hearts with the blood of Christ as Chap. 9. 14. and 12. v. 24. And then their Conscience will not smite them to their hurt but they shall be past over as the Israelits were passed over by the destroying Angel In the words then these two are clear 1. That the Conscience of a person un-reconciled to God is a mighty fearce and terrible pursuer ready to seize on him as the avenger of blood did on the Man-slayer or as the destroying Angel did on the Egyptians And O! but it be a dreadful thing to be obnoxious to Gods wrath and to the challenges accusations throws and pangs of a Conscience that hath just ground of a quarrel against a man who hath nothing wherewith to answer its challenges and accusations 2ly That the efficacy of Christs blood is such that it is able to purge the Conscience of such a man that fleeth to it and to fence and guard him against the wrath of God and the challenges and accusations of his own Conscience so that as it hath no just ground to pursue so it being Gods Deputy it cannot neither will pursue him as Gods enemy it having no warrand from him as its Soveraign to do so but as the sprinkling of the houses of the Israelits with the blood of the passe-over Lamb preserved them from being plagued or hurt by the destroying Angel so there is an efficacy in the Blood of Jesus Christ to purge and pacify the Conscience of the person that in good earnest hath believing recourse to it to preserve him from the stroak of Gods justice and wrath and from the pursuit and accusations of his own Conscience I say when it is had recourse to actually applyed and made use of by Faith We cleared and confirmed these two Doctrines or two Branches of the same Doctrine the other day and now we come to the Use of them which is Fourfold 1. For Information and Direction 2ly For the commendation of the bargan of free Grace 3ly For the consolation of Believers in Christ. And 4ly For advertisement and warning to others For the First Use Ye may see here a main lesson of the Gospel and from this ye may hear glad and joyful tydings to a tossed and troubled Sinner whose Conscience is pursuing him like an armed man nay the Conscience is more terrible when awakned then any the greatest army of men But behold here there is a way to win to peace under these tossings and troubles and to a calme in the midst of that terrible tempest and storm to an escape and deliverance from the hot pursuer and avenger of blood as it were a city of refuge to flee unto even the blood of Iesus Christ that speaks better things then the blood of Abel even that blood of sprinkling that speaks peace when it is applyed by Faith In prosecution of this Use we shall a little clear thâ—se three 1. What a sinner lying under the lashes of his Conscience coming to this blood may expect 2ly How he may attain that which he may warrantably expect 3ly when he may and ought in a more especial manner to make use of it As to the First viz. What a Conscience-tossed and troubled sinner may expect by fleeing to the blood of Christ Gods rich and liberal allowance on him is drawing â—ear to him with full assurance of faith coming to him with confidence and boldness as a Father in all his worship-addresses and applications The meaning is not That the sinner under a quarrel fleeing to this blood hath no ground of humiliation
this his own most precious blood But some tender and exercised Soul will belike here Object and say Is it not presumption for me to comfort my self under challenges for sin I answer no Thou taking with the challenge and being humbled for the sin that is the ground of it and betaking thy self to this blood of sprinkling for pardon and purging because the Apostle commands thee to comfort thy self and sure he commands none to presume To whom I pray is it that he speaks here Is it not to them that have an evil conscience at least in part and what sayes he to them Let us draw near in full assurance of faith and on what ground Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience When the Conscience through guilt challengeth we are called to flee to this blood and having sprinkled it there with we have warrand to draw near and it is not presumption to do so nay resting on Christ and comforting our selves in him under challenges taken with argues strong faith wherein he hath great complacency and whereby he is much glorified for presumption will never stand before an evil Conscience nor credit Christ when Conscience sharply challengeth So that if ye come by this new and living way it is not presumption to lean to Christ but that is presumption to lean to any other thing nay the more humble boldness and confidence there be under challenges it argues as I just now said the more and the stronger faith because it s the more sickerly founded on the covenant of God and on the blood of Christ and it gives God most glory when the difficulty is greatest It is no great practique to calm the Conscience when there is no storm but then indeed it is so when there are many waves and billows of challenges and discouragements rising and swelling high in the way to go over all these and to grip hard to this rope cast out by him and confidently though humbly and in fear to make use of this remedy which he hath graciously proposed It will never be accounted presumption by him for serious souls to take to themselves Gods allowance on them which is strong consolation to them who are hotly pursued and flie to this city of refuge but it may very readily be accounted presumption to cast at his allowance he knows well who hath the tongue of the learned when to give a word of consolation and to whom and we are not to be wiâ—er then he The 4th Use is for advertisement and warning to others who are not Believers but ly still in unbelief and slight our blessed Lord Jesus O! what a dreadful disadvantage and premunire to speak so will ye fall under your condition is fearful beyond what words can express or thoughts fully comprehend Though your Conscience sleep now It will up upon you and the longer it sleep it will to speak so waken the hungrier and gâ—aw the soreâ— This O! this is your great prejudice ye make your selves obnoxious to the fearce wrath of the Almighty God and to the biteing challenges and tormenting accusatsons of your own evil Conscience which will be more terrible to you then if hills and mountains did fall on you the one will be called and cryed for as a favour in comparison of the other it will in that day appear that an evil Conscience was and is a dreadfully evil thing and ye will have this aggravation of your guilt even the dispising of the Redeemer and of the dear price of his precious blood paved for the Ransome of Sinners of the Physician that offered perfectly at his own cost to cure you and of the Cautioner that offered freely and frankly to pay your debt â—nd this will wait upon you to make the prickings and peircings the woundings and stoundings the gaâ—lings and gnawinâ—s of the Conscience moâ—e deep and intoâ—lerable Therefore let â—e in the name of the Lord who is in earnest with you and we desire according to our measure to be in earnest with you warn you to flee from the wrath to come O! know that ye have Consciences and that they as I said before will once awake and when they shall begin to be rouzed O! but they will challenge and accuse in a dreadful manner lay your account to meet with such un answerable challenges and confounding accusations and if there be no other ground whereon ye can with safety bottom the eternal salvation of your immortal Souls but the righteousness of Christ If nothing can possibly purge and pacify cleanse and calme the Conscience but coming to and washing at this fountain of the blood of Christ O! come in time if ye cannot wash your selves put him to it as David doth Psal. 51. when he cryes wash me cleanse me purge me wash me throughly from mine iniquities It will be no excuse I assure you it will be no plea nor apologie for you in the great day to alleadge that ye could not do it since he offered himself as a fountain to wash at and to wash you all in particular that hear me this day and is doing so very seriously just now if you will imploy and put him to it Consider that sad word Ier. 13. 27. Wo unthee O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be it is not canst thou not make thy self clean but wilt thou not be made clean To wit by me who am able to do it and offer to do it freely if thou beest but honestly willing This will be the loud and terrible voice wherewith God and the Conscience will in that day cry to many a man and woman that lived under the Gospel and had this offer Wo to thee thou wouldest not be made clean Thou wouldest not make use of the blood of Christ of this blood of sprinkling when it was in thine offer Thou wouldest not come to him that thou mightest have life Thou wouldst not-take him for a Physician to heaâ— thee but chose rather to ly still wallowing in thy filthiess and to rot away and die in thy sores and wounds then to come to him to be cleansed and cured by him though he offered to do both very freely amongst all the wâ—es that will be denounced then and executed against sinners those against professing Christians who lived under this Gospel and refused to come to Jesus Christ for Life and neglected so great a Salvation will be the loudest and most terrible the woes of Choraâ—in and Bethsaida and of Capernaum will be more inâ—ollerable in the day of judgement then those of Tyre and Sidon yea theâ— those of Sodom and Gommorrah How yet more terrible and intollerable suppose ye will be the wo and judgement of them that live now under the clear and bright Sun-shine of Gospel-light Let me therefore once more earnestly beseech and obtest you in the Name of the Lord by the love you profess to bear to your own immortal Souls to take with your sin and to flee and speedily to flee to this city of refuge set open before you least the avenger of blood the great avenger of this despised and trampled on blood of the covenant this blood of sprinkling over-take you if you seek not to draw near to God by this new and living way but live and die under your defilement and at distance from him Wo upon wo wo upon wo will eternally take hold of you FINIS Exod. 22. 28. Ps. 82. v. 1. 6. Iohn 10. 34 35. Math. 22. v. 21. 1 Pet. 2. v. 17. Rom. 13. v. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 2. v. 13. 14. 15. Tit. 3. v. 1. â— Tit. â— v 1 2 It would be adverted here at what time the Author preached these Sermons least several of his instances should not seem so pertinent It was when temptations to these things were strong This was in a time when places of power and trust were sought after offered and embraced under the Usurper * The Black-stone is a Seat whereon in some of our Universities young Scholars use to be set ordinarily not without great botâ— reluctation and fear when they are to â—e examined publickly by all the masters anent their proficiency in learning
of his soul and body which by the exact and exquisit symetrie and harmonie thereof through the image of God concreated with him made him while it remained in its integrity incapable of all such motions or actions which should be subservient unto or complyant with any thing contrary unto or different from it His Understanding the leading facultie and the eye as it were of the soul became an abysse and dungeon of darknesse covered all over with fogs mists and clouds of ignorance errors and mistakes so that becoming of a spiritual and holy man a carnal and corrupt man He did not receive neither could he know savingly the things of God he became quite blind having losed his viâ—ive faculty as to all spiritual discerning His Will the ruling and governing facultie utterly losed its rectitude and became crooked froward perverse rebellious and obstinat strongly inclined and bent to evil to all evil only to evil alwayes and constantly to evil and altogether averse from every thing truly good willing that which God nilled and nilling that which he willed His Affections turned all mutinous disorderly disturbed and confused furiously rushing on prohibited objects as the horse rusheth into the battel and what movings of them were toward any commanded object these were altogether irregular not so much as one of them moved toward any such object purely or primarly because it was a thing commanded His Memory quite losed its reâ—entive facultie as to the remembring of any thing spiritually good in the way it should have been remembred it became in that respect as a leck vessel all such things slipping and running through and out of it His Conscience being deâ—ed and made guilty became clamorous unquiet challenging and accusing boisterous and stormy filling him with horrour and when not stupified and benummed with spiritually Lethargick Security or Cauterized pâ—ing him upon the rack and making a kind of hell in his bosome so that he was Magur â—issabib terror round about even his own Burrio and tormenteâ— All the members of his body were yeelded to be the weapons of unrighteousness to sin So that all the faculties and powers of his â—oul and members of his body were on the suddain up in armes in hostility and rebellion against God proclaiming and waging war with him and on the matter blasphemously bidding him a defyance O! â—ad and sorrowful revolution in and on the Little world Man Heu quantum mutatus abillo God made him upright but he sought out to himself many inventions wo to us for we have sinned and the crown hath fallen from our head And by the loss of our original righteousness and the corruption of our whole nature with the innumerable actual sins and transgressions that flow from thence we bear alas a great deal more of the Image of the Devil and of the Brute then we do of the Image of God The re-introduction restauration and renovation of the pristine beautiful conformitie to the glorious Image of God with their reconciliation and justification through his satisfaction to divine justice in some of the universally lapsed and losed posterity of Adam even all the elect and gifted ones to the Mediator to be redeemed sanctified and saved by him in order to the capaclâ—ating of them to enjoy fellowship with God forefaulted by the fall and that by a new Creation the very splendor and glory of the whole Creation was the great earâ—nd and bussiness for which Christ Jesus came into the world who being the head and foundation-stone of this new Creation hath graciousâ— undertaken to prepare sanctifie and glorifie his mystical body or all the elect given to him by Iehovab which he accordingly effecteth and bringeth to passe by regenerating them by sanctifying them and by carrying on this work of sanctification in the growth and gradual advances thereof till it be perfected and consummated in glory whereby the Image of God in men is again renewed and restored both in their souls and bodies respectively in a good measure now in this life and shall be perfectly in the life to come where as they shall all see him as he is intuitively face to face and enjoy him fully and immediately without any the least moments interruption through all eternity so they shall be like him perfectly like him according to Creature capacitie resembling him to the verie â—fe All the faculties and powers of their souls partake of this renewed work The Understanding being savingly enlightned the will rectified the Affections reduced â—nto order the Memory strengthned and the Conscience much cleansed and calmed and put into a capacity as to accuse and condemne so to excuse allow and absolve as there is just ground for either and they put to make it their great bussiness about which they allow themselves to be exercised alwayes to have it void of offence toward God and toward men which Conscience with the concerns thereof being the great Tâ—eam and Subject of these choice searching and savoury Sermons wherein if there be any thing that doth not so fully answer expectation let it be imputed to the writer from his own mouâ—h whose copple was so verie incorrect that the fitting it for the view of the world hath caused no smal labour to me I need say the less of it only in general I would humbly offer these few things First we would above all things look well that once we have a good Conscience not only Morally that is when Conscience iudgeth it self bound to owne Gods â—evealed will for its rule and when it impelleth or pusheth the man to act according to that rule and withall the more ordinary disposition of his will is 〈◊〉 comply with these impulses of his Conscience which may be where there is no special or saving grace but Graciously so which necessarily pre-supposeth a state of regeneration and the hearts applying it self by faiâ—h the gift of God to the blood of sprinkling which both purgeth and â—acifieth cleanseth and calmeth the Conscience which speaketh better things then the bâ—ood of Aâ—el yea hath a cry ablâ— to out-cry the loudest cryes of the most clâ—morous and guilty Conscience and is that wherein all disquieting challenger and â—ccusations for sinâ— are only â—afely sunk and and put to silence so as they shall never again swime above and raâ—k to the final sorrow and shame of such as are led through graâ—e to take this course with them as the now-sunk and any other way silenced challenges of most men and women will once most certainly rise on them and speak at a high rate against them never any more to hold their peace from grievously galling and gnawing accusations For to the unclean and unbelieving nothing is pure but even the minde and conscience is defiled Secondly The Conscience being thus made good we would endeavour by all suitable means to keep it so that we may be in case on warrantable and good grounds to say with the Apostle We trust we have a good
it self to proof and tryal taking the sentence of Conscience to the rule and trying it thereby and taking the answer on deliberation and not off-hand or by guess because it knoweth Conscience is but a servant and therefore will try if it speaketh its masters even Gods language to this purpose saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified it will either have Consciences sentence and Gods sentence going together or else it will reject and cast it whereas the most part of men satisfie themselves with the sentence of Conscience and look not after Gods sentence and mis-interpret Conscience and take its first word as it were and put it not to the tryal Ah! is not this true of many of your Consciences ye think ye have peace and that all matters are clear and well betwixt God and you notwithstanding ye be secure ignorant or profane but when do you put your Conscience to the tryal ask your Conscience if in all the Word of God peace be spoken to the Wicked or to any that is not sincerely aiming and endeavouring to be holy consider that word Psal. 85. vers 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people and to his saints there is not one word of peace for the profane and unholy How then can your Conscience possibly speak peace if it presume to do it will most certainly beguile you and therefore as ye would not be deceived sollow not neither lay weight upon every word that Conscience speaketh as to your state especially at first but try it by the Word or take its sentence to God and to the Word and see how he approveth of it and how his Word doeth warrand it for as Solomon saith Prov. 30. 12. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes that are not cleansed from their filthiness There is yet on this side a 2d Question viz. If Conscience may not only think it self to be right but think so in a high degree so as even to be perswaded of it when yet it is wrong Answer Without all question it may And here we may speak somewhat of a deluded Conscience which is a Conscience that not only is wrong and erreth and speaketh good when there is no ground for it but a Conscience that hath these two things beside in it 1. It hath a perswasion that it is right 2. It hath the affections somewhat stirred by it and a sort of joy in the thing whereof it is perswaded It 's I say a Conscience that not only speaketh good without ground but hath a perswasion that it is right and a kind of joy in it's way That there may be and is such a Conscience among the generality of Professors cannot be denyed and is clear from what the Apostle says Gal. 5. 3. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you There is a perswasion and yet not of God and for the other to wit That there may be a joy in the thing see Gal. 3. 1. O foolish galatians who hath bewitched you They had a sort of conceit and fainness even to a kind fascination and Bewitching conceit of their being right neither was there any dealing with them to draw them off that way There are Four sorts of these Consciences among Professors according to Four several rises that they have none of which will warrand them to think themselves to be right The 1. Rise is from laying too much weight on supposed reason There is a kind of delusion that ariseth from this ground which was it wherewith the Galatians were carried away having heard first from the Gospel of the righteousness of Faith And thereafter from some false Teachers of the righteousness of the Law as necessary to be added to it in the point of Justification They thought there was good reason for such a Doctrine and that no loss nor prejudice could come by it and therefore they did joyn both together The 2d Rise Is when men lay too much weight on great though yet but common Gifts as on liberty in Prayer and warmness of the afâ—ections therein on Preaching notably and one standing it out in sharp Tryals with the approbations of others it may be even of the best or when they have been helped to do some extraordinary things as in the Primitive times some Professors were helped as Gods Instruments to cast out Divels to speak with tongues c. who yet were not sound at the heart it is on this ground that Christ goeth when He saith Luke 13. 27. And Matth. 7. 22 23. Many shall come to me in that day saying Lord we have prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and done many wonderfull works All which are as I just now said but common Gifts though some of them at least extraordinary and when men come to have any measure of these beyond others they will not be beat from it but will go to death with it that all is right with them The 3d. Rise is from some supposed spiritual sense and comfort and from some flashes of joy These temporary Believers spoke of Matth. 13. and Heb. 6. 4 5. attained to some tasting of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come such as once come this length do what they will and live as they will have it as it were alwayes sounding in their ears nor suffer they it to go out of their heads that such and such a day they met with God and that he spoke peace to them and therefore they are perswaded that matters are right betwixt him and them and yet all this while they may be unsound at the heart The 4th Rise is From folks habituating themselves to speak good to themselves and from maintaining their presumption and dulling and deadning their own Conscience whereupon in Gods righteous Judgement Conscience becometh a plague to them so that they will dispute and debate with and against any Minister Neighbour or Friend that would convince them of the evil and danger of their State and Condition and the heart being by them thus deceived speaketh and pleadeth for them and deceiveth them back again they are honest â—olks and were never heard with their Neighbours none have any thing amiss to say of them and their own Conscience justifieth them and what should more Thus having put out their Light and blinded their own eyes they have constrained and some way necessitated their Conscience to cheat deceive and beguile them Such as these are spoken of Isa. 44 20. He feedeth on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lye in my right hand The heart is ordinarily taken as was hinted before for the Conscience in the Old Testament accordingly Iob said His heart should not smite him while he lived And it is said Davids heart smote him Now such a man as is here spoken of his deceived
trouble himself little with any devotion arising from it 3ly That there is no distinction of good and evil Actions but by the Civil Law which is unto him the measure thereof though this distinction of good and evil be deeply and indelebly engraven on the hearts of all men as a native and necessary result of the faith of the being of God as the supream rectitude 4ly That there are no ultra-mundan or eternal rewards or punishments nor any beyond or beside these that are bestowed or inflicted by the Civil Power in this present life though from the beginning of the world throughout all ages experience hath given in full demonstrative undenyable evidence that men have been mightily impelled and encouraged to do good by the hope of future eternal rewards and proportionably restrained pulled back and deterred from doing evil by the fear of future and eternal punishments If I say we once suppose these things we quite ruine and râ—ze the great foundations not only of revealed and supernatural but also of natural Religion without which it is impossible that government amongst men can have any sure or firm basis to rest on but must needs according to the prevalency of their selfinterests cromble into pieces and end in Anarchy and Confusion It is not altogether unworthy of remark here that Hobbs runneth quite cross to the dictats of famed Matchiavel that prodigie of profound policy though but a very coarse Divine who labours much in his Prince to perswade Soveraign Civil Powers of the necessity and advantage for the supportance of government of dissembling and pretending at least a great regard and veneration to Religion in comparison of whom the other is but an impolitick Puny and a far worse divine even if it involved not a repugnancy a diabolick one Fifthly We would take heed that we do not supinely and carelesly neglect and slight the checks challenges rebukes and accusations of our Consciences in lesser things or in matters of comparatively smaller moment wherein yet Conscience hath a concern as it hath in all our Moral Actions neither are many even of our Natural Actions as circumstantiated quite excluded from its concern for that insensibly weakens the voice checks and rebukes of Conscience in more momentuous matters and may pre-dispose and prepare to trifle with it in these too and may provoke God whose deputy Conscience is to enjâ—n it silence and to suffer the man to go on securely in sin without check or challenge while yet in the mean time he secretly commands it to write up and keep a record of all these Items against him and in due time to set them all in order to marshal as it were and draw them up in rank and file before him in a terrible manner and to give him at once a most fuâ—ious charge challenges and accusations of Conscience that have been smoothered for the time and slighted after lying long silent have in some notable strait and difficulty arisen and got up upon men many years thereafter as these of Iosephs Brethren did on them full twenty years at least after their pitielesse cruel un-natural inhumane and barbarous usage of their poor innocent younger Brother A secure silent and none-challenging ill Conscience is amongst the worst of ill Consciences and in some respect worse then a turbulent stormie and roaring ill Conscience if it come not to the hight of despair because disposing the man athiestically to think that because God by himself and his deputy the Conscience keeps silence he is therefore like unto the man himself and that neither he nor his deputy will ever speak again nor reprove for those things but that he hath quite forgotten them all and will not any more call to a reckoning for them O! that such as forget God and sâ—ight his challenges and reproofs by their own Conscience would consider this least he tear them in pieces when there will be none to deliver It may also provoke him to speak that very angry and terrible word Hos. 4. v. 17. more terrible some way then if he should say famine fire sword pestilence and wilde beasts fail on the man he is joyned to his Idols and so straitly joyned that he will listen to no challenges of his Conscience checking him for maintaining the conjunction nor to any suggestion of it perswading him to divorce from them or to unâ—le any of the knots of that cursed conjunction let him alone let him sin on and by sinning treasure up to himself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement o' God Beside that such a silent sleeping and stupified Conscience through often trading challenges under foot will at last waken and flee in the ungodly mans face and as a fierce mastive Dog or ravening Wolf take him by the Throat and become his Burrio and Tormenter and perhaps for eviting the trouble and terror of it put him though a poor and pitiful desperat and distracted shift to be his own murderer and executioner or if it should keep silence to death and even then not disqulet him yet it will in Hell as a never dying worm gnaw the heart of him and as a ravenous vulture tear out as it were his very bowels and by its yelling and roaring by its biting and renting the very câ—ul of his heart make him a hell to himself in hell and so make a double hell to him Alas even the godly themselves may by somewhat of this guilt raise great storms of trouble and disquiet in their own Consciences Sixthly We would by all means guard against counteracting and running cross to the plain and down-right dictats of our Consciences especially when clearly informed by the Word for this is a high daring malepert affronting desplsing and disowning of Gods Deputy and as it were a violent putting him off the Bench the language whereof is that if God himself the Lord of the Conscience were or could possibly be as much in the mans reverence as he supposeth his Conscience to be he would deal with him at the same rate and serve him with the same measure this brings on dedolency stupidity and caurerizing of Conscience makes stout against God hold and impudent in sinning it makes the mans heart harder then an Adamant it makes him to be of a brazen brow and to put on a whores forehead so that he will not at all think shame nay not so much as blush but confidently wipe his mouth and say What have I done and very readily it brings on all the dreadful effects mentioned in the foregoing Caution and fills the world of the visible Church with prodigles of profanitie and monsters of mischief and even in a manner bringsup hell upon earth when it becomes habituall and when God judicially gives men up to their own hearts lufts and to walk in their own counsels without all regard to what he sayes to them by his word without them and by their own Consciences within them Seventhly
of all our carriage and particular actions and so it is looked on as some way different from us hence it is called a Testimony the testimony of our conscience Hence also a man will appeal to his Conscience and it doth when in any measure in exercise impartially and incorruptly bear witness and a manâ— Conscience will speak against him as if it were at all no part of him neither can he command it silence however then we call it It 's a power deputed in the soul of man by God taking orders from Him and fâ—om His revealed will and word and accusing or excusing the man as He directs It 's called Prov. 20. 27. The candle of the Lord it is above man in its sentencing and accusing and will not be commanded by him To clear it yet a little further there are in Conscience these Three things 1. There is the laying down of some ground such as the Law or the word of God by which it puts a man to tryal which is That we call the major or first proposition of the Argument As we may see in Iudas when his Conscience wakened it layes down this ground which is done by light he that is guilty of innoceat Blood hath broken the Law of God and may expect horrible Wrath. 2. There is an assuming which is the minor or second Proposition of the Argument or the Assumption if the man be guilty of such and such sin As thus But I Iudas am guilty of Innocent Blood and have broken the Command of God and this the Conscience by it's Testimony confirmeth Then 3. It draweth the Conclusion and speaks forth the mans Lot and gives out his Doom what he may expect as in the present instance thou Iudas mayest expect horrible Wrath from God this Conscience applyes and layes home unto him every Conscience hath these Three in less or more The way of Conscience its Reasoning and Concluding is different from a mans Knowledge and Light For a man may see Sin and not be touched with it It dâ—ffers likewise from the memory For a man may remember that which affecteth him not It differeth from Self-examination for that if it be meeâ— examination brings a man only to know that he lyes under such and such Sins so and so circumstantiaâ—ed though it make use of all these Three as it's Instruments yet it goâ— beyond them and hath a Pricking Stinging Paining Power It Accuseth Sentenceth Smiteth and sharply Censureth Whereas before Conscience act it's part a man may look often on his Sins and yet but overlook them And as to things that are right Conscience doth not only or barely look on them but it hath an approving Testimony which proveth comfortable there is such a thing as this in every one of you which will let nothing pass but more or less will take notice of it and either accuse or excuse you for it As to the 2d The use of Conscience or the Ends wherefore God hath put this in Men and Women which I shall draw to Three heads that may be as so many Reasons of the Doctrine 1. He hath done so for this end that by it he may keep up his Soveraignity Power and Terribleness and keep men under the awe and dread thereof For this which is called Conscience will make the stoâ—est to tremble it will Write and Impress so vâ—vely and deeply these great Truths that none shall be able to blot them out that there is a God that there is a Judgement to come and that all will be called to Reckoning which none will get eschewed It will fix and fasten such self-convictions on Sinners as will make them un-avoidably condemn themselves So Iohn 8. 9 10. When the Scribes and Pharisees bring a women taken in adultery to Christ intending thereby to trap and insnare him He sayeth He that is without sin amongst you let him cast the first stone at her Whereby their Consciences were made to bear such faithful Testimony against them and to carry such terror with it that they were all forced to steal away one by one and yet they needed not to have thought shame on account of any thing we hear men could have challenged them for But Conscience had such an awe and force on them that there was no resisting of it Scripture-history does also tell us that such is the power and force of Conscience when it is awaked that it will make the knees to smite one against another even of a Belshazzar and will make a Gouernour Felix to tremble A Second end is That God may hold Men and Women at their duty in going about these things which are commanded and prescribed by him and in abstaining from forbidden sins For if there were not some awe from Conscience what extravagancies would they loosly run into who have no fear of God and of his Word And thus Conscience hath a force to put men to duty in these respects 1 It discovers Duty and holds it before them when the Lord hath commanded to Pray read the Scriptures to keep the Church and wait upon Ordinances dispensed there to keep holy the Sabbath day c. Conscience puts a man in mind of these and when he neglects any one of them will say to him thou shouldest be in another place or about other work so when Davids heart smote him it helped him to see his Duty 2. There is an obligation to Duty laid on by Conscience so that the man cannot shift it he cannot he dare not say such a thing is not my duty for Conscience beareth it in and layeth it on him convincingly 3. There is an efficacy in Conscience to pouss to duty from this comes that restlesness and disquiet that is often in Men and Women when duty is omitted that they can have no peace till it be gone about 4. Conscience inviteth to duty by promising peace upon the performance of it On the other hand Conscience hath influence to restrain from Sin 1. By discovering such and such a thing to be Sin and though the Soul would notwithstanding endeavour to digest it yet Conscience makes a challenge to go down with it 2. By threatning the Sinner when it 's warning is neglected and not taken telling him that he shall repent it one day and that it will make him repent iâ— 3. By taking away the sweetness of Sin and leaving a sting in place of it as when Achab killed Naboth it said Hast thou killed and also taken possession And from this arise challenges and fears of the execution of threatned Judgements which quite mar the comfort the man expected in the enjoyment of such and such a thing in all which it keeps a majestick and stately divine way becoming Gods deputy and bears witness for him against the Sinner A 3d. end is To abbreviat as it were Gods process in judging men to justifie and clear him and to make way for his Sentence whatever it be 1. It conduceth 〈◊〉 it were to
the opening of the Books to the sisting and putting of all persons in a posture before him to be Sentenced by him it doth in a manner all so that God hath little or nothing to do as it were for it discovers to a man what was his Duty and his Sin 2. It citeth him to compear and answer for neglecting such and such a duty and committing such and such a Sin and he connot possibly shift compearance 3. When he doth compear it giveth in a Lâ—bell of Accusations against the Man and a Catalogue of all his Sins in thought word and deed this and this will it awefully say thou didst at such and such a time in such and such a place aggravated by such and such circumstances 4. It serveth to be a witness yea in place of a thousand witnesses and there is no denying or shifting of what ever it beareth witness to All which we may see in Iosephs brethren Gen. 42. 21. who say 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 The Law discovereth that it was a Sin Conscience challengeth and accuseth they are cited the accusation is given in and proven this and this they did and did it with all these circumstances not a pitiful word that Ioseph spoke nor a tear that he shed in the anguish of his Soul beseeching them to desist but they remember it now and there is no shifting of the challenge and accusation nor covering of it as they had done before to their aged Father Iacob but they must needs now take with all and confess we have sinned and are very guilty concerning our Brother c. 5. It passeth Sentence and in this respect the heart is said to condemn when the thing is evil and to absolve or not condemn when the thing is good 1 Iohn 3 20 21. 6. When it hath Sentenced and Condemned it leaveth not the man so but goeth on and executeth the Sentence and turneth a gnawing worm to bite and gnaw and as an Executioner to Buffeâ— and Smite to Damp and Torment the Man Thus ye may see how useful Conscience is to help forward Gods Judgement and to vindicat him in his Sentence And as it is thus with a guilty Conscience so it is with a Conscience absolving it will absolve when men condemn as we may see in Paul here when men give in a lybel and accuse it will discharge as Acts 23. 1. Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day and when Conscience hath absolved it maketh cheerfull as 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. And 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God So then we see Conscience hath these Three great uses and ends 1. To keep people in awe of God and of his greatness and to keep them in mind that they must give an account to him 2. To hold them at their duty and they should be very loath to contradict it 3. If duty be neglected to record all their faults and to accuse and sentence them therefore and never to leave pursuing them for Conscience will continue as a worm in hell gnawing for ever and ever The First Use serves to bear in this truth on you that there is such a thing as Conscience the most ignorant and profane and haughty of you all whether young or old one and other of you have a Conscience that taketh particulaâ— notice of every thing in your walk that recordeth all that accuseth or excuseth and though ye take not head to it now ye will one day be made to know it take it therefore for a certain truth that ye have such a thing within you that ye have a Knowledge with your Knowledge even a Conscience that remembreth when ye would forget The minding of this is useful 1. To make people cast out with Sin rather then with their Conscience 2. To make them wary that they take not liberty in secret to Sin 3. To make them take kindly with reproofs for Sin Remember therefore that there is a Conscience in every one of you Ye will possibly think it needless to press this and I wish it were so but we may shortly point at these evidences to prove that many on the matter think they have not a Conscience The First is That they take so little pains to prevent a quarrel from their Conscience how many omit balk and step over Dutie and go on in Sin Which they durst not do if they believed that they had a Conscience 2. The few challenges that most have under many Sins and their living in such peace and security as if they had not a Conscience to disquiet them many Men and Women know and are as little acquainted with challenges and convictions and stand in as little awe of Conscience as if they had none at all Hence we use to say that such a man has not a Conscience because though he have it he regards it not and such a mâ—n has a Conscience because he maketh use of it and listens to what it says 3. That people seek more to approve themselves in outward and seen Duties than in inward and secret ones and look more after mens Approbation then Gods and lean more to and lay more weight on outward testimonies from men then to and on inward ones from their own Conscience If Conscience were really believed to be there would be as great aw of God and as great loathness to Sin in secret as before many witnesses But ye will Object and say seing every one hath a Conscience what can be the reason that many care so little for Conscience Answer 1. What is the reason that men care so little for God If they care not for the Lord and Master it 's no wonder they care so little for the Deputy and Servant shall we therefore think that there is not such a thing at all as a Conscience in such No by no means it will prove indeed that they slight Conscience but not that they want a Conscience 2. There is in many men a contending with and provocking of Conscience which in Gods righteous Judgement maketh a silent Conscience when the Lord maketh Conscience quick and sets it on to reprove and check for Sin and men do not listen to it's checks and reproofs Conscience offendeth and will not reprove Conscience being Gods Deputy taketh Orders from him and when God will â—ot vouchsafe a word of reproof on a man neither will it Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone saveth the Lord Hos. 4. 17. And from Rom. 1. 20 21. We may see the cause why God giveth up the heathen to a reprobate mind to do things that are not convenient To be their going cross to the light of nature and their
Iohn then have we confidence towards God In a word whatever condition a man can be in it proves his friend nay his best friend A third reason is taken from the great prejudice that cometh to a man through his thwarting and coming in tops with Conscience he wanteth that sweet inward peace that passeth all understanding to keep and garrison his heart and mind whereby he is much exposed and laid open God looketh terrible-like upon him and he hath no access to him with boldness and confidence when the Conscience is disquieted troubled and as it were through other or confused and fears arise and challenges are wakened therein these threaten a challenge from God and portend a storm of wrath to follow hence is Davids complaint Psal. 32. 3. 4. When I keeped silence my bones waxed old through my roaring c. and his lamentation throughout the 51. Psalm and to this purpose the Apostle Iohn speaks very weightily If our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things where he plainly insinuats that the Heart or Conscience its condemning is the forerunner of Gods condemning and an evidence of it and that withal the latter is as more absolutely infallible so more terrible then the former where these three go along together it is impossible where a person is tender but he will be loath to top or thwart with his Conscience As for the Uses which we proposed to speak to in the Third place they may be drawn to these fouâ— 1. For information and instruction in the matter of Duty 2. For tryal and to evidence who are sincere Believers 3. For reproof 4. For exhortation there being need of all these especially to such Christians who take but little heed to their Conscience The first Use sheweth what is Believers duty they should by all means learn to know and take up what Conscience saith from the Word of God and labour to have their Conscience well informed and take notice of what it speaketh ere they do any thing and what are Conscience thoughts of it after it is done and accordingly to be affected determined and swayed It is true the Law of God is the supream rule and to be hearkened to in the first place but that which we are now speaking to is concerning taking advice from Conscience which 1. Doth make the Law speak more sensibly lively and aloud then before 2. It maketh it speak more plainly for when peoples reason will be ready to shuffle by a word that samâ— word coming into and taking hold of the Conscience will become more clear and convincing and it maketh the understanding being thereby made more single to take it up better 3. It maketh the man more impartial when the Word cometh not to his judgment only neither will he leave the Word with his light and reason simply nor to debate with his inclination and affection but putteth the Word and his Conscience together and taketh the meaning of it some way immediatly from his Conscience it maketh him single and unbyassed as I said before and sometimes aâ— Conscience will speak when the judgment hath little or nothing to say so it decideth often betwixt the opposite reasonings of the judgment for both sides 4. The advice and dictate of Conscience is much more powerful then that of the simple judgment and reason and adhereth better and more closely then affection or inclination Conscience being more directly Gods Deputy and in a more immediate subordination to him iâ— sticketh more â—enaciously by duty and it being as a check to our humours and as a Compass to steer our course by in all things we are to be swayed by its advice hence some who can almost debate nothing in reason yet will not dare for Conscience to do such a thing Some necessary Questions relating to practice arise from this Use which we shall speak a few words to As 1. If any other thing beside Conscience may have an impulse to duty 2. If other things may have an impulse to duty whether it be credit interest inclination will or affection how may the impulse of these be decerned and differenced from the impulse of Conscience 3. Whether the dictates of Conscience may always be followed seing its impulse may be wrong 4. What should be done in such a case and how may we difference what is right 5. Whether a man and his Conscience may be friends and agree together in a wrong cause or practice For the first Question Whether any thing beside Conscience doth or may pouâ—s to duty We answer affirmatively Many things may court us which by their impulse do often â—hwart with Conscience hence is the inward combat in the Christian betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh doth pouss to one thing and Conscience to the contrary therefore Gal. 5. 17. it 's said The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another and Rom. 7. 23. the Apostle speaketh of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and leading him captive to the law of sin in his members more particularly these things as we hinted before may have an impulse toward the doing of duty As first Mens credit hath a strong impulse where any thing crossing it is apprehended to occur 2. Mens interest hath often an impulse so as to carry on a selfish design it will make gain seem to be godliness 3 Mens natural inclinations will and affections have an impulse also and the impulse of these will sometimes be exceeding like to the impulse of Conscience and here we may consider these three things which they have influence upon 1. They may have influence to mar a mans light and pervert his understanding as it is said of a gift It blindeth the eyes of the wise and perverteth the understanding of the prudent so mens credit interest and natural inclination may in a sort bribe the understanding and blind the judgment insensibly and the man not know of it distinctly at least 2. When they have perverted the judgment they may engage the affections and these drive violently 3. If the man yield not to such a thing his credit or interest will vex him like Conscience and take rest and quiet from him as we see in Herod Matth. 14. 9. who when the dancing Damsel suited for the head of Iohn the Baptist was sorry or grieved nevertheless for his oaths sake and for them who sat at table with him he commanded it to be given her Folk would have thought that it was his Conscience that made him sorry but indeed it was not Conscience but Credit therefore it is said not only for his oaths sake but for them that sat at table with him it 's like if his oath had been been given in privat Conscience would not much have troubled him and while it 's said he was sorry or grieved it sheweth plainly that his Credit suffered him to
nor endeavour If then this Doctrine hold true and if this be the Believers exercise to walk so as to please his Conscience in all things and in nothing to ofâ—end it sure such a Conscience is proper and peculiar to the Believâ—r and so may be an evidence of one that hath an interest in Christ This will be more clear if we look 1. To the use that the Saints recorded in Scripture make of a good Conscience and that the Scripture willeth and alloweth them to make of it in their tryals and troubles in their straits and difficulties as 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience c. And in this place Paul â—lyeth to it as his refuge and comforts himself by it in and against his present strait now if it were not a Character and mark of a Christian indeed it would not be nor be allowed to be made such a ground of peace quietness to Believers in their straits 2. It is clear from the nature of Conscience its testifying which is not its own or from and for it self only but also and principally from and for God Therefore 1 Iohn 3. 19 20 21 22. it is said Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God for if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things but if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence toward God And 1 Pet. 3. 21. It 's called the answer of a good conscience That is such an answer as giveth quietness and a good Testimony to Believers when all speak against them or speak evil of them Now this answer of a good Conscience is not a mans bare apprehension that his Conscence is good but it takes in these Three 1. Not only the Conscience its saying nothing against the person but positively speaking for him 2. It is such a Conscience as hath its testimony grounded on the Word of God 3. It 's the Testimony of a Conscience soberly reflecting on it self and trying it self in the major proposition to wit iâ— such a thing be true and in the minor proporâ—ion 〈◊〉 such a thing be true iâ— reference to it self in particular and finding both propositions to hold true then â—t confidently draweth the Conclusion But here some will be like Object and say If a good Conscience be an evidence of a persons saving interest in Christ Alace I fear I never had that evidence and mark neither am I like to have it Which Objection ministers ground for these two Questions 1. If a Believer may ever or at any time have a good Conscience And 2. What are the Characters and Properties of such a Conscience For Answer to the First We would distinguish a good Conscience which may be understood either 1 Legally and so it is a Conscience giving Testimony to the fulfilling of the Law perfectly taking it so excepting Je◠〈◊〉 there was never a man since Adams fall that had a good Conscience or a Conscience altogether void of offence toward God and toward men Or 2. A good Conscience may be understood Evangelically or in a Gospel sense or as iâ— draweth it'â— Conclusion not from the Law but from the Gospel and in this sense Believers may have and often actually have a good Conscience thus and in this sense David Hezekiah Paul and others have drawn comfort from the Tâ—stimony of their good Conscience not drawing its Testimony from nor founding it upon the Law and the perfect puriâ— that it requireth but fâ—m and upon the Gospel and the purity that it graciously 〈◊〉 in Christ Jesus our Lord. For the 2d viz. What are the Properties of this Conscience which will clear the former and also clear how it comes that when Conscience challengeth for sin yet it may be said that the Believer hath a good Conscience and may take it as a mark of his saving interest in Christ I shall give thâ— 4. or 5. Properties of a good Conscience 〈◊〉 when there may be sin The 1. whereof is When Conscience is universal and impartial in its putting 〈◊〉 duty thus sayeth the Psalmist Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments When the Conscience dispenseth not with it self in the least duty or sin but its design aim and endeavour is to be in the obedience of all commanded duties and in the degree that is called for It is on these two that David goeth Psal. 18. vers 20 21 22. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath â—e recompensed me for I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God as iâ— he had said I halvâ—d not the Bible nor the Commands nor did I mis-interpret them neither did I depart wickedly I never resolvedly allowed my self in any sin so as to oppose one sin and to indulge and connive at another For all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I endeâ—voured to set them alwayes as a compass before me by which I allowed my self to steer my whole course I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity The sin that I was most given unto that had most power over me and to which I had the manyest and strongest assaults of temptations I keeped my self most watchfully from that A 2d Propertie of a good Conscience in a Gospel sense is That it is a Conscience very single having a just regard for all these things required in a Christian walk whereof we spoke before it s very observant of the performance of all duties looking not only to the matter but to the Spiritual manner of gâ—ing about them it is single in its motives and ends laying due weight on that which Christ sayeth If thine eye 〈◊〉 single thy whole body shall he full of light That is a mark of a good Conscience indeed when a man in his actings is sweyed with respect to the honour of God and doth not what he doth to be seen of men nor to have somewhat to 〈◊〉 of before God but he seeketh to have Christ increasing though he should decrease and is conâ—nt to be 〈◊〉 upon if it may contribute to the exaiting of him and would fain be up at the due manner of performing all called for duâ—es even to be in case with the Apostle Heb. 13. 18. to say Wâ— trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly This is our aim and design and if it be otherwise with us in any thing we approve not our selves in it A Third Property is That such a Conscience is delighted and made glad or grieved and made sad according as it is enabled to manage this great design and to prosecute and attain this noble end or not In this respect a Believer may have a good Conscience even when he faileth and cometh
heart or deluded Conscience turneth him aside so that he cannot deliver his soul that is he cannot winde and extricat himself out of that thicket of self deceit so far as to bespeak himself thus is it not a lye that I am lipning and trusting to And yet this is it that many of you have for a good Conscience even a deceived heart or a deluded Conscience speak to you who will or what we can it is in some respect impossible to put you off that â—ancie and to awake you out of that dream that you have a good Conscience And the reason of this delusion is that men take not the ground of the Sentence of Conscience from God according to the rule of his Word but from their own misled Reason or from some common Gift or from some piece of sense or some opinion and fancie of their own heart that is in some sort deceived by them and deceiveth them Now all these Delusions may be in these Three respects 1. In respect of things Doctrinal A man may be perswaded that Truth is an Error and an Error is a Truth 2. In respect of matters of Practice A man may take an evil Turn or Action for a good one and have a sort of perswasion that it is so as the Iews had in killing the Apostles who thought they did God good service as the Lord foretold Iohn 16. v. 2. And Thirdly In respect of a mans estate who thinketh he is in friendship with God when indeed he is not because he draweth his Conclusion from wrong premisses either failing in the major Proposition laying down a wrong rule Or in the minor Proposition applying the Rule to himself partially these things ye should take along with you in what we are to say further on this point Now for the Marks and Evidences of a deluded Conscience beside these forementioned of a Legal and of a Presumptuous Conscience which may be also Marks of this it hath these Four or Five especially accompanying it 1. A certain frothiness of Spirit or a light unsetled frame The light that a deluded man hath in his state or way is but like a Dream that hath no reality in it He feedeth on ashes and such an one will some way make more Conscience of and take more pleasure in that wherein he is deluded then in any other Pâ—ece or Practice of Religion as it was with the Iews in persecuting the Apostles and with the Scribes and Pharisees in seeking to gain a Prosylite and yet in all that they do they are but licking froth or sâ—um Ephraim feedeth on wind Hos. 12. 1. What exercise of Conscience they have about Religion is without any sanctifying effect it stricketh not at the body of Death nor doth it promove Godliness it is readily some frivolous thing that they are so much taken up with and are so eager in the persuit of which proveth but wind and ashes to whom it may be in some respect said as the Apostle doth to the Galatians chap. 3. 3. Ye began in the spirit and seek to be made perfect in the flesh A Second mark of this is There is alwayes in such a Conscience an un-distinctness as to the ground whence the mans consolation floweth or there is much more supposed peace comfort joy and satisfaction then he can give any solid reason for And they are hugely disproportioned to the foundation they are built upon ask an hypocrite what is the ground of his so firm perswasion and of the comfort and joy resulting there from He will readily answer I think it is so or I hope it is so or if he come to be somewhat more particular in the account he gives it will very readily be to this or some such purpose God hath been very good and kind to me in such and such Providences he hath bestowed on me such and such Gifts and Benefits which yet are but things external and common or he will it may be say I prayed to God in such and such a strait and he heard and delivered me and I take that for an earnest that he will hear me also for heaven and eternal Life as if Achabs deliverance from a temporary judgement on his humiliation had been to him indeed the earnest of heaven Or it may be he will further say God hath keeped me from many sins and bestowed many blessings on me which he may do unto and often doth to meer natural men and therefore he will be merciful to me such conclusions are broader then the Premises and the Superstructures then the Foundations and yet alace the perswasion of many is built upon such sandy Foundations and is therefore but a delusion since it hath no solid bottom Thus some who are carried away with an error will say they cannot defend nor debate for such a thing but they are perswaded of it as if a well grounded perswasion could be without all reason A Third Character is That a deluded Conscience can never abide or endure to be contradicted or put to a tryal if any man shall say to such a person that he or she is deluded they will be ready to hate him thus it was with the deluded Galatians to whom the Apostle is constrained to say cap. 4. v. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth They will readily cast out with their greatest and best friends and with the men they were wont to love most when they gainsay them in their delusions as Paul sayeth in the forecited place I bear you record that if it had been possible you would once have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me and am I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth It 's an evil token when a man now hateth another whom he loved before and on no other ground and for no other reason but because he contradicteth him in that particular wherein he is mistaken A 4th Character is which is of some affinity to the 2d That as a deluded Conscience is frothy in its comfort so it turneth a man forthie in his practice he is much more concerned and zealous in smal and minute things than in those of far greater moment as the Apostle insinuateth the Galatians were where he sayeth to them chap. 3. v. 3. Are ye so foolish that having begun in the spirit ye are now made perfect by the flesh He straineth at a guat and swalloweth a camel and is not so much taken up with the whole of Religion as he is with that particular thing wherein he is deluded he hath more love unto and sympathy with these that are of his judgement and opinion in that particular then with all the rest of the Lords people that are sound and right The Galatians could not deny but that Paul had more grace then many or all of these Teachers that courted and wooed them so much into that error and yet they cooled in their affection to him
to come at it If ye should incline it how can ye shift this Conviction Conscience may be silent for a time but it will speak and speak loud when Sickness and the Cross cometh As we see it did in Iosephs Brethren in such a case many of you will find that Conscience hath been much slighted O! when Death shall come and stair you in the face what a terrible thing will a guilty Conscience be found then to be The terror of mad Dogs of wild Boars of felrce Lyons and Tygers will not be so terrible as an evil Conscience will be when awakened and having death at it's back Nay suppose that Conscience should not be awakened while ye are alive and in this world but that ye should slip and sleep away like Lambs Hauing no bands in your death and that ye should die applauded of all men yet what will ye do with your Conscience or how will ye stand before it when ye shall be sisted before Gods Tribunal and when the Books shall be laid open Are there not many now in hell who if we could hear their language would very readily bid us beware to thwart with our Conscience and to make it our enemy Wo to them that take an evil Conscience with them to their Grave it will be a worm that will gnaw eternally and an inward poyson and Venom Stinging Burning and inflaming the very bowels as it were and all that is within the man beyond what is here conceivable We would therefore earnestly beseech and obtest you soberly to think on it for there are many of you whom this Challenge and Reproof will reach And if we should say otherwise to you who never had it for your aim to keep a good Conscience and who were never exercised to nor seriously taken up with Religion we would but cheat and beguile you Is it possible that ye can thwart with the Law of God and not also thwart with your own Conscience or can you thwart with your Light and your Conscience be still silent Or shall the having and keeping of a good Conscience be ane exercise to Paul And do you think to come so easily and without all labour to it These and other such are palpable evidences of an ill Conscience It is not sure a good Conscience that yeeldeth you peace and quietness in such a Case but it is your deep security and your being regardless of whâ— Conscience sayeth that lull and rock you a sleep For the 2d How cometh this to pass or how can it be that men and women thus thwart with their Conscience Answer 1. It needeth not at all to seem strange seing God and his Word are thwarted with will they think we stand in awe of Conscience who stand not in awe of God and who do not lay weight on his Word to regulate their Conscience by it This is the great ground of peoples thwarting with their Conscience and of their regardlesness of it even their not standing in awe of God 2dly The most part never consider their obligation to Conscience nor what is the consequence of thwarting with or of going cross to their Conscience therefore it is that they care not what Conscience sayeth is there any considerable number of persons who think that thwarting their Conscience is such a terrible thing at it is indeed and as one day it will be found to be Many had rather have a very little money in their hand then the Testimony of their Conscience and this regardlesness ariseth from the ignorance of it and of what great concernment it is 3ly Men even by accustoming and habituating themselves to thwart with their Conscience in lesser things do by little and little stupify and in a manner put out the life of their Conscience and â—s the Apostle hath the word They cauterize or sear it as it were with a hot iron Hence it is that when some truly tender Christians are troubled with and have for the matter of their exercise any little things or things that have in them but the least appearance of evil others will be ready to pray to be saved from such madness and folly because they were never accustomed to nor acquainted with any challenge or exercise of that kind but have taught themselves a way of steping over their Conscience and this provocketh God to give them up to a reprobate mind to do things which are not convenient They harden themselves by resisting the Challenges of the Word and Rod of God and of their own Conscience and are judicially hardned so that either Conscience sayeth nothing at all to them or they do not at all value what it sayeth Thence and therefore it is that the prophanest have most ordinarily fewest challenges and these few that they have they trample on them and stiffle them as but un-regardable and trifling things Whereas the most tender Conscience hath readily manyest challenges Though I deny not but that sometimes challenges will bear in themselves irresistibly on the profanest of men but they are to such very un-welcomeguests and they endeavour quickly to smother them or to drive them out again 4ly Many byass their own Conscience and teach themselves shifts not so much to satisfie their Conscience as how to answer it and to stop the mouth of it and to please their own humour if they can give a reason for such and such a thing such as it is to their Conscience they think they do very well Thus deceiving themselves and being deceived for a deceived heart hath led them aside Hence it comes to pass that in some things men take as much pains to byass their Conscience and to have it saying as they say as one man would take on another to satisfie him and to bring him over to be of his mind in any matter Hence also is the debating and strugling exercise that some will have within themselves before they can be brought to an ingenuous confession of that they are guilty of 5ly People seek to please their Conscience when they cannot byass it and when Conscience challengeth they will make amends As it may be they will pray when they are going to commit such or such a Sin as some profane men will do when they are going to fight a Combate or Duel this is to bribe the Conscience Thus many Papists when they have done an evil turn will give so much to the poor or dot so much to some pious work or use as they judge to be a sort of recompense what else is this but to bribe Conscience in one thing to hold it's tongue in another thing so some though they tiple all the day think they do well if they have been a while in the Church and will seek to stop the mouth of their Conscience with that at night for they could not at all keep quarter to speak so with their Conscience if they had not some form of Religion And therefore they will to speak so be brave
Religious men in some things that they may get a Dispensation to themselves in other things But none of these will be found Law-byding when God cometh to reckon 6ly People in a sort bargain with their Conscience like these spoken of Isa. 28. 15. They make a Covenant with death and are at agreement with hell and like Naaman if that was indeed his meaning they will yeeld Conscience such or such a thing but no more They must have a Dispensation in and a liberty of making Reservations and Exceptions of some one or moe things Though this may not always be done distinctly formaly and explicitly yet it is so on the matter implicitly and interpretatively But that Covenant with death however made directly or indirectly shall be broken and that agreement with hell shall not stand and the hail of Gods wrath will sweep away the refuge of lies and Conscience will speak at last but not with or under such covers of fig-leaves that men now wrap themselves in Therefore I beseech you dally not with Conscience for it 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of it when it is wakened as it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who acteth in and by that Conscience The 4th and last Use Is an Use of Exhortation seing it is the duty of all men and more especially of Believers to walk so as in nothing they offend their Conscience we exhort you in the name of the Lord that ye would order your Conversation so as in nothing your Conscience may have a challenge against you ye will all readily think that this is very reasonable and indeed if we prevail not in this wherein can we expect to prevail with you We seek no more of you but that ye would so walk as that living and dying your Conscience may not flee in your face but may give you this Testimony that ye have aimed to keep a good conscience in all things and to live â—onestly Ye may possibly think that this is a fair general and that he is a very gross and profane man that will deny it and yet we would think that many of you were come a great length in Religion if we could prevail with you but this far as that in all things living and dying as we said ye might study to have a good Conscience And this being no contraverted nor debeatable thing we may with the more confidence press it upon you especially seing it is the very Soul and Life of Religion and where that is not there is nothing of truth in Religion That this exhortation may be the more clear and cogent we shall speak a word to these Three 1. To what this is to keep a good Conscience in your walk 2. To some motives to stir you up to it 3. To some helps to it For the 1. It includeth these Four which should go along in your walk 1. That ye commit no known Sin for there will be no good Conscience if that be adventured on Ye who know that ye should not take liberty in drinking drunk in swearing in profane or idle speaking c. Walk so as ye may not thwart your Knowledge 2ly It taketh in this That as ye would commit no known Sin so ye would ommit no known duty because though every sin doth wrong the Conscience yet the sin that we know and yet commit and the duty that we know and yet omit doth more directly strick against Conscience ye who know that the Sabbath should be kept holy that ye should pray in secret and in your families that ye should not offend one another c. Beware of hazarding on these contrary to your light 3ly It takes in and supposeth that ye do nothing doubtingly for Rom. 14. He that doubteth and doth is damned he is sentenced and judged as to that particular 4ly It includeth this to endeavour to be right in the manner oâ— performing all duties and to have a single end It is not enough to pray or to be in the practice of any other commanded duty that will not quiet the Conscience if ye study not to be right in the manner and to do it for the right end The want of these requisit qualifications of acceptable Duties will make such things as are lawful on the matter turn to be grounds of challenge from the Conscience But somewhat to this purpose hath been spoke of before therefore it hath now been but touched 2dly For Motives 1. There is nothing that is a more clear duty It is written in the hearts of all by nature Heathens have it engraven on their hearts as we see Rom. 2. 15. Their conscience beareth them witness and their thoughts excuse or accuse one another and they have called it a brazen wall to have a good Conscience as to a sound walk in their moral sense 2dly there are many and great advantages attending it As namely 1. It giveth a man much boldness in approaching to God 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our hearts condemn us not then have we boldness towards God when we go to pray 2. It giveth ground also to expect ane hearing 1 Iohn 3. 22. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do these things that are pleasing in his sight and cross not our light and Conscience in neglecting any of them 3ly It keepeth a man from much sin and is that think ye little advantage to have little comparatively at least on a mans score to reckon for 4thly It maketh a mans life cheerful so Prov. 15. 15. He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast Which is nothing else but a heart cheerful in God from the testimony of a good Conscience And this is it on the matter which guardeth the the heart and mind so that no cares can considerably disquiet it as we have it Phil. 4. 7. The heart is guarded yea garisoned as the word is with peace that there is no storming nor intaking of it by outward troubles It is the joy that strangers inter medle not with 5thly It is a sweet and strong cordial in affliction when Christians are persecuted by Strangers or by false Brethren are in Sickness in Prison in Perrils by Sea or Land c. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience sayeth the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 12. in the midst of afflictions 6thly And more particularly It is a sweet and soveraign Cordial when death approacheth Hezekiah can say then Remember Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart It putteth the Soul in a posture of dying somewhat like old Simeon and giveth some ground to say with him Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation The Necessity of it will yet further appear if on the other side we look to the disadvantages that wait the want of it though men could be content to live a heartless life
to hazard on sin to neglect Prayer and other duties yet they would consider the terrour that followeth ane evil Conscience and how it breedeth and breweth a hell within their own Bosom There is then a necessity an absolute necessity of a good Conscience that quarrels be not and abide not betwixt God and us for ever 3ly For some Helps or Directions to keep a good Conscience and we wish we were all in a posture and frame of Soul to meet with to receive and make suitable Use of them 1. Endeavour to have light and clearness in the matters of God and what concerneth your own good Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind as it is Rom. 14. 5. It is not possible that ye who are grossely or very ignorant can keep a good Conscience ye know not when ye sin nor when ye do duty aright yea although ye may do duties or things good on the matter the want of knowledge maketh you want the Testimony of that good Alace that many wise and rich men that can speak well of the things of this world should be quite ignorant of the things of God and many of you would think shame of it if we would point you out 2ly Advert and take heed to what Conscience sayeth The truth is most men take heed to what may further their designs in externalls to what their wit and reason carveth out to them and to what their own light thinketh or as it were overly sayeth is right and presently step to it and never ask what science well informed from the word sayeth This maketh many men say and do in their haste that which they repent of afterward Therefore ye should learn to put Conscience to speak consult not with your designs nor with your wit and reason only nor mainly but retire and consult seriously with your Conscience Commune with your heart and be still stand in awe and sin not as it is Psal. 4. 4. Consult not with Flesh and Blood let not their advice come in betwixt God and you and finally determine you but reason with your selves think this and this our inclination sayeth and this and this our overly light sayeth but we will put Conscience to it and hear what it sayeth and yet it 's but an inferior Rule and therefore we should not take every thing from Conscience without ground but hear what the Superiour Rule of Gods Word sayeth And this is a right circle wherein ye should turn your selves even to try your Light by bringing it to Conscience and then to try your Conscience by putting it to give a reason from the Word 3ly Be exceedingly aware to thwart with your Light in the least thing and abstain from every thing that seemeth to come in tops with it For Conscience is a very tender thing if we stand not in awe of Conscience we may provoke God to give us up to do what we will and to send us Like lambs to feed in a large place Therefore I say again beware of thwarting in the least thing with your Light and your Conscience 4ly As ye would hear what Conscience sayeth before ye do any thing so when ye have done it ye should consider how ye carried in it according to your Light and whether ye have had a good Conscience in such a thing both as to the matter and the manner and put your Conscience to speak to that and hear what it sayeth concerning what is done There would be in this much singlenesse for if the eye be evil it will make the whoâ—e body full of darkness Hence Paul putteth a good Conscience and Sincerity together 2 Cor. 1. 12. If we should speak never so many good words and do never so many good â—hings on the matter if we be not singly minding Gods honour in them they will not be acceptable The want of Sincerity will be as the dead â—ie in many a mans pot of Ointment of called for duties that will make it cast forth ane evil and stinking smel the savour of a good Conscience will sure be wanting where singleness is not or where Conscience is made subordinate to our carnal Interests Many may have a resolution to do such and Duties who yet make these to keep level with carnal designs and interests It 's impossible when men come not as new born babes to drink in the sincere milk of the Word that they can profit let be grow thereby 6ly Be frequent and serious in making humble and believing applications to the Blood of Christ to the Blood of sprinkling that thereby your Consciences may be sprinkled and purged from dead works for the great ground of your pâ—ace is not your seriousness and sincerity but his satisfaction many of our works and duties alace want life and if they be not sprinkled with the virtue of his Blood they will be but as so many dead weights on the Conscience and indeed there can be no truly good Conscience whatever else be if this be neglected Let then these that would be at a good Conscience make use of these directions and helps and they shall doubtless come the better speed Now we are sure that this is the Truth of God to wit That we shoold indeavour to have and to keep a good Conscience in all things and alwayes toward God and men which a very Heathen were he present with us would not contradict and it is very useful for you though it may be some profane wretches will be ready to say What needeth all this niceness And as it is a Truth and a most concerning Truth so nothing will make your life more truly cheerful and comfortable And if it be neglected or slighted all your Knowledge all your Disputs about Religion all your Tastings of the good Word of God all your Prayers or what else ye can name will be to no purpose And seing it is so very important and concerning a Truth we leave it on you before God and put it home to your Conscience to make it your exercise to have always a good Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men We mind not to come back again on this Text nor to touch on the rest of the Doctrines at first proposed from it what we have said being principally if not only designed and most if not all the other Doctrines being one way or other reached in the Prosecution of these that we have at length spoken to The Lord graciously blesse what ye have heard SERMON I. 1 PETER 3. 21. Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God COnscience is in it self a most excellent Gift of GOD given to Men having an excellent nature being waited with many Rare and choice Uses and Advantages throughout their whole Life and when it is rightly used it is one of the special Freinds that men can have on earth and one of the great things that this Gospel and the
preaching of it aimeth at even to direct and help them how to come at a good Conscience and how to keep a good correspondence with their Conscience so as they may be comfortablie assured that they indeed have this good thing which is called a good Conscience Yet when Conscience is abused or not made right use of it turneth to be one of the greatest unfriends and enemies that men have in this World nay in that World which is to come Having spoken somewhat to this before and in the last Observation that we drew from the former Text which was that men ought to walk so as not to offend their Conscience in any thing we shall now speak somewhat to one Direction and help that is greatly if not mainly contributive and useful in order to the attaining of that notable end which is this That men who aim to walk answerably to that Rule so as in nothing they offend their Conscience had need to observe carefully the language of Conscience It is not our purpose to stay on the particular consideration of the scope of this Scripture nor so much as to name let be to prosecute all the points of Doctrine that may be drawn from it but only to discourse a little from the Words inclosed and shut up within a Parenthesis as they relate to our end and design First then in a word The Apostle is here putting a difference betwixt external service and the internal power and efficacy of the work of the Spirit of God on the Conscience And when he is speaking of Baptism he giveth this Caveat and Advertisement That it is not the washing of water in that Ordinance that reacheth the great end of it But the answer of a good Conscience 2ly He sheweth that the differencing and March-ridding Character of the one from the other is in what answer the Conscience giveth concerning the thing that the man is about and declareth that it is not simply a good Conscience but the answer of a good Conscience that giveth ground of Hope and boldness of Confidence to obtain the Promise From the Words these Three Observations arise clearly First That there is a faculty in Conscience that is able to give â—ne answer to a man concerning his spiritual state and condition and concerning his Actions So that if the question about these or any of them be put to the Conscience It can return answer and signifie it's sense and give it's verdict concerning that which it is questioned about The answer of the Conscience implyeth so much 2ly That the answer of the Conscience is different and distinct from the outward answer of the mouth or profession for a mans mouth and profession and the external ingadgement that he cometh under in Baptism or any other Ordinance or Duty may say one thing or give one answer when the Conscience may say another thing or give another answer concerning the mans sincerity in the thing 3ly That the answer of a good Conscience That is ane answer from the Conscience on good grounds testifying a mans sincerity is a most excellent and comfortable thing It is the First of these that we intend to speak a word to at this time viz. That there is a way of getting an answer from the Conscience and of understanding it's mind about any thing that men shall put to it Or thus Conscience hath a way of making known it's mind and giving an answer about any thing that is put unto it These words Answer of Conscience implyeth so much as we said especially being distinguished from the externall service and administration of Baptism spoken of in the words before And it is yet more clear if we consider how the scop runneth in comparing of these two together viz. The verbal restipulation of these that are come to age and the inward answer of Conscience There is the Gospel on the one side requiring such a thing and the answer of the Party Baptised on the other side and the Apostle maketh the answer of the Conscience distinct from that though sometimes it goeth along with it so that a man will not answer more clearly to the thing then his Conscience will when it is seriously put to it This might be branched out in these Three 1. In respect of a mans state 2. In respect of some truth of Religion and of the hearts imbracing of it 3. In respect of some practice or duty that a man is called to all these do fall under the answer of Conscience when it is questioned about them but it is the last of them that we intend to speak to viz. it 's answer as relating to a Christians duty and practise about which Conscience being asked or posed is able to give him an answer which I shall clear from Two Grounds and then come to the Use. The 1. Ground is taken from the Nature of Conscience which we some way explained when we began to speak of this subject Conscience being deputed of God in man to take strick notice of every piece of his walk and practice and being the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly to let men see what God calleth to and to put them in mind their duty This I say being the office of Conscience and the end why God hath placed it in men it is no doubt furnished with such a facultie if we may speak so as to be able to give an answer concerning what it is queried about More particularly it hath a three-fold power in reference to a mans way and thus it represents God in Three of his Attributs 1. It hath a power of counselling advising and carving out of a mans duty So that when he doubteth what is to be done Conscience hath a power to advise him and give him an answer And this is called the dictating of the Conscience answerable to the Soveraign authority of God whereby he commandeth all his creatures to whom Conscience is subordinat in which respect men are condemned for thwarting with their Conscience Rom. 1. ult Who knowing the judgement of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Here is Conscience dictating to men what they should do before they do 2ly There is a Power or something in the Conscience that goeth along with a mans acting or that waiteth on him in the time of his acting in Duty And this especially is called the Testifying of Conscience or it 's bearing witness concerning the sincerity or un-soundness of the Act Not onâ—y doth the mans mouth speak and his hands do but the Conscience will give answer if the heart be going along with the mans speaking and doing or not wherein it represents Gods Omniscience or All-knowledge Hence it is That Psal. 27. 8. David saith when thou saidst seek ye my face my bea rt answered thy face will I seek O Lord. And Psal. 16. 2. O my soul thou
hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord This is the language of the sincerity of the heart testifying by the Conscience or Conscience answering the sincerity of the heart 3ly There is a Power in the answer of the Conscience which is subsequent unto and followeth upon the Action when done either approving or disapproving either accussing or excusing either absolving or condemning called the Recognoscing or Examining of the Conscience which is done when Conscience putteth the man's deed or action when performed to the Tryal and having tryed it passeth Sentence on it Thus Conscience representeth God as Iudge and as a just Judge Now all these Three being in the Conscience viz. a power of Counselling Commanding and Dictating to a man what he should do a Power bearing Testimony concerning the manner of his doing and a power of Recognoscing and Examining after he hath done It telleth us plainly that there is such a thing as Conscience declaring it's mind and giving an answer to men concerning their duty in what it is put to give an answer about else they could not know it's mind The 2d Ground is taken from the clear and manifest effects of Conscience it 's testifying or answering What I pray maketh a restlesness in the bosom of people but Conscience its Challenging or Reproving what causeth tranquility and peace within when Reproaches and Revilings are without but Conscience bearing witness to the man of his innocency in and his being free of these things wherewith he is charged And what is it that lâ—yeth on a restraint and bond as it were on the mans Spirit as Paul sayeth of himself Acts 20 22. I go hound in the spirit to Ierusalem but the Conscience It is not only the weight that floweth from the word of God but also the weight that floweth immediately from the Conscience joying with and backing the Word Now if the Conscience had not a direct and distinct language or answer to give to men about their actions there could be no such effects following it The Uses are Two The 1. for Direction The 2. for reproof The Use for Direction is That seing there is such a thing as the answer of the Conscience whereby it maketh known it's mind when it is asked concerning our way we ought if we believe that we have Consciences to put them to answer and to observe what they say and what answer they return If Conscience hath a Language I say again let us put it to speak out and let us be very ready and attentive to hear what it speaketh To clear this a little We would consider that there are Two things in a Christian walk in reference to this correspondencie which a man should keep with his Conscience The 1. which is universal and irresistable is when the Conscience asketh men or putteth questions to them such as Why did you this or that Why did you leave this or that undone As it is 1 Cor. 10. 25. Asking no question for conscience sake That is asking no question for answering of these questions which Conscience will ask The 2d is When men ask questions at their Conscience to prevent it's questioning of them as indeed we should be taking pains before hand to know and take up the language of our Conscience concerning our practice in this and that and the other particular that it may have no just ground of Challenge against us I shall instance this in Three things and hold at the First for the time 1. We should observe the language of Conscience before we put our hand to any Duty 2ly We should observe the language of Conscience in the interim or in the very time of our going about Duty 3ly We should observe the language of Conscience concerning Duty when we have done and gone through with it In which my meaning is not 1. That we should in clear and necessary Duties start or put questions but that in things indifferent in their own nature and in such Duties as are necessary and do semper or ever oblidge though not ad semper or in all differences of time but only hic nunc now and then to wit at due and seasonable times or as to the right timing of these necessary Duties for every thing is beautiful in the season thereof Wherein a great part of our work along our whole life lyeth the answer of our Conscience should be observed For though many conditions stations and actions be lawful yet Conscience decideth whether I be called to such and such a station and condition of life and whether such a thing be a Duty to me at such a time and how it ought to be gone about as to the manner Neither 2dly Do I mean that we should in these things expect any extraordinary thing or somewhat more then an ordinary impulse of Conscience laying on a sort of constraint or necessity on us in an immediat way which would be dangerous But my meaning is shortly this that there is a possibility in Gods ordinary way to know what Conscience sayeth to them that will observe the answer of it both before in and after Duty and that we should aim and endeavour to understand and take up that For further clearing of this Use we shall speak a little to some Five or Six Questions As namely 1. What this answer of Conscience is 2dly How the Conscience giveth it's answer 3dly What is called for from men to find out this answer 4ly How this answer of Conscience may be discerned 5ly If this answer of Conscience be discernible at all times 6ly What is to be done in such cases wherein the answer of Conscience is not so clear as men would have it For the 1. What this answer of Conscience is I answer in short That it is distinct from a mans inclination from his affections and from his naked Judgement or Light There is something in a mans natural inclination that is ready to swey him to this or that but that is not Conscience There is also something in a mans affections as in that which he feareth or desireth and loveth that may swey him neither is that Conscience but often that which is contrary to Conscience There is likewise something in mens Light from which alâ—o Conscience differeth because an natural and un-regenerat man that maketh no Conscience of his wayes may notwithstanding have a light in his Judgement by which he is put to come to Church anâ— possibly to pray and do other Duties and yet it may be from no answer or dictat of Conscience that he doth these Duties We conceive therefore that this answer of Conscience is something different from and beyond either Inclination Affection or bare Light and that it is Light and Conscience going joyntly together or some conclusion drawn from the Word for we are speaking here of Conscience as it is in people living in the Church under the Ministry of the Word that such a thing is Duty and Conscience thereupon putting on
to it or a conclusion drawn from the Word that such a thing is a â—in and Conscience thereupon deterring from it Thus it differeth from Light simply considered in as far as it is a Conclusion drawn from such grounds as the Judgement or Light in the Judgement layeth down to or before it It is an answer that not only hath Truth in it which may be from light but its ane answer as having a truth in it that is drawn from such a ground warranding such and such a practice Conscience looking on it as Gods mind for directing it in it's Duty and on that account putting on to it As to the 2d Question How the Conscience giveth this Answer or how it maketh it's sense and language of things known In Answering to it we would be sober and not curious noâ— more particular then we have ground for In short then we conceive that there are these 4. wayes how and whereby Conscience giveth It's answer to let people know when it is pleased or displeased 1. When it bindeth and tyeth such or such a word â—mporting such or such a Duty on a man that he can no way get himself rid of nor it shaken off as when he is disputing and debateing within himself whither such a thing should be done or not done Conscience answereth on good ground and either biddeth him abstain or do and hath a pouâ—s with it because the word of God commandeth or forbiddeth it and this is not only because there is a word for it or against it but clear light drawing a conclusion from such a word whereupon the Conscience bindeth it on the man so that it cannot be got shifted nor shaken off For we know that men may know many Duties and yet not do them and upon the other hand that men may be stirred or poussed on to do that which it 's not Gods mind they should do so then it is the answer of Conscience when the Word and the Conclusion of Conscience are connected and joyned together so as the one is the ground of the other and floweth from the other and this is the most special way how Conscience maketh it's sense of things known The Word of God being the rule of Conscience A 2d way is by some secret discontent or restlesnesse in the Conscience if a man do such a thing as is not Duty or if he do not such a thing that is pointed out to him to be Duty either through ignorance or inadvertancy The Conscience then as it were hunteth the man with Challenges disquieteth and maketh him restlesse till he practise such a Duty or abstain from such a sin And this we find to have been often in the Saints recorded in Scripture they having had no rest till such a thing was done and such a thing abstained from which floweth from the nature of Conscience accusing or breeding discontent because of un-answerablenesse to the Rule 3ly Conscience hath a way of signifying it's mind by making some impression of terror to back and second more than ordinary convictions of and threatnings and challenges for sin When sin is committed Conscience convinceth and challengeth when this doth not the turn upon the back thereof cometh the threatning and some fits of terror sometimes the threatning is conditional sometimes the peremptory certification is added sometimes again the impression of the threatning will be more sensible sometimes more insensible When Conscience giveth advice and dictateth from the Word it maketh use of the Commands but in the sense we are now speaking of it maketh use of the threatnings As for instance It 's said in the thrid Command The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Now for any degree of this guilt Conscience challengeth and when that is slighted thereupon Conscience goeth on and maketh the threatning terrible for challenges bear in convictions of sin and convictions represent the threatnings as more terrible and threatnings bear in the apprehensions of wrath and hence is the exercise of Conscience in some that wakneth and raiseth a terrible storm in it A 4th Way How Conscience giveth it's answer and maketh it's mind known is by an inconceivable inward calmness peace serenity and tranquillity in the Soul So that when a man reflecteth on his doing of such and such a thing and comparing it with the Rule of the Word findeth it agreeable to the same all his terrors evanish his mind is calmed and he findeth much sweet Peace Delight and Acquiesence in the thing this is nothing else but Conscience giving it's answer all which had great need to be carefully compared with the Word of God and that his mind therein be very clear because as there may be much bastard peace on the one hand so there may be many groundlesse challenges on the other which are not to be taken for the language of Conscience As for the 3d Question What men are to do that they may find out and get a clear answer from their Conscience or what is called for from them to find out the answer of Conscience We shall Answer this in these Three 1. Something is to be done before we put our selves to the search or Conscience to give it's answer 2dly Something must accompany this Duty 3dly Something is called for after this Duty is done 1. We are to do something before we put Conscience to it to give it's answer And 1. It is necessary that men be well informed of the Truth of the thing in general for to come blindly to Conscience is to tempt it and make it a snare to our selves Therefore I say we should be well informed to the end that Conscience may have ground to give a clear answer For our Conscience is like the Iudge and our understanding like the Advocat that maketh the Cause known And if all things pro and contra for and against be not proposed and discussed by the Advocat Conscience which is the Judge cannot give a distinct answer or verdict This is the reason why many Consciences do err because there is not pains taken to inform them 2ly When the Judgement is informed men should put the Conscience to it to answer They should not content themselves with this that they have filled their heads with so many Arguments for such a thing but should let them sink down to the Conscience and study to know what Conscience thinketh of them For Conscience as we said before is some way beyond bare Light therefore when we have gotten Light in a thing we should not hold there but take it aside and communicate the matter to Conscience As the Word is Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your heart upon your bed There is a communing with others in speaking with them a communing with Books iâ— perusing them a communing with our Inclinations and Affections and taking notice what they would be at and a communing with our Light if we be clear in the thing But beside all these
there should be a communing with the heart or Conscience which we conceive is often neglected and men often start and strick in with things without deliberation thinking if they have Light for such a thing that it is enough for making such or such a thing to be Duty It is true ane Argument from Light may induce to the thing yet we are neglective when we bring it not to the Conscience 3ly Men should bring things impartially to the Conscience we should take heed that we we be not pre-occupled or prejudged lest we get ane answer according to our Idol as well as we should beware of byassing and bribing Conscience If the eye be single the whole body will be full of light but if the eye be not single darknesse may be had from the Conscience in stead of light Not that in clear things that are Duties at all times we should be sticking and moâ—e questions which was Balaam's fault but in things indifferent or though lawful yet not called for at all times nor from us in such a station or relation when the question runneth whether the thing be lawful to us or not or if we be called to it at this time we should be single and take ane answer from Conscience as God cleareth it 4ly We should give attention leâ—d to our ear and take good heed what Conscience â—nclineth to and saith whither it inclineth this way or that way As when we ask a Question at 〈◊〉 we use to be silent till they answer so should it be here And if Conscience seem not to speak we should waâ—t on and not be hastie especially we should look well that we distinguish betwixt Inclination the Affections of Fear Passion and the like and the answer of Conscience Lest we take the one for the other we should both take heed that it be Conscience that answereth and that we take up the meaning of Conscience it 's answer aright in order to which there should be a quieting and hushing of all things within the man that there be nothing to disturb in taking up the mind of Conscience or that may prejudge Conscience in speaking and giving it's answer 5ly When Conscience hath spoken we should put its answer to proof and tryal and see if it be the answer of Conscience indeed We should take the answer of Conscience to the Rule of the Word and see if it be agreeable to the same even as we should take our Light to Conscience that Conscience may testifie of it so when we have gotten ane answer from Conscience we should take it back to Light and see how it agreeth with the Word for there is a great correspondence betwixt these two Conscience and Light Conscience serving to ballance Light and Light to confirm Conscience which being Gods Deputy set up in man to speak his mind ere we can follow ought as the language of it we should ask for his warrand And if it produce no word for the warrand of what it saith we should not take it for the answer of Conscience or at least it should be looked upon as a mistaken answer Hence it is that some when they get a little lightning after prayer and do not put it to the tryal and yet rest on it as ane answer of Conscience are mistaken Yea this is the reason why many of Gods People who have some access and liberty in their addresses to him are mistaken for it is not access to him nor liberty simply that warrandeth Conscience to speak but the Word of God As for the 4th Question How this Language of Conscience may be discerned and distinguished or differenced from mens Light Inclinations and Affections of fear or desire and liking to be at a thing Which will stir and make restless as well as as the Impulse of Conscience We Answer 1. The answer that Conscience giveth is alwayes from the Word if it be right and upon that account that the Word warrandeth it it not only sayeth that such a thing is agreeable to the Word but presseth to it because agreeable thereto As for instance to allude to that Word if not more He that giveth to a disciple a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple shall not loss his reward We may give somewhat to a man that is a Disciple out of pity or on some other natural or moral Considerations and Relations and Light will direct to that and the natural Conscience may pousse to it but to make it the answer of a good Conscience it requireth a Re-duplication that we give to him as or because he is a Disciple and member of Christ so one may Pray and come to Church and have anâ— impulse to it and yet not from a good Conscience as another doth because the one cometh as in obedience to a commanded Duty the other not but on some other account The reason is because Conscience presseth to obedience on that account but Light Inclination and Affection presse to obedience on another account as from some selfish Motive or Consideration supposing it to be a Duty A 2d way to discern it's answer is this Light Inclination and Affection put to the thing in the general only but the answer of Conscience respecteth all the circumstances of the thing Conscience doth not only say go and Pray but Pray in this manner to wit with Faith Love Fear Reverence and sincerity of Heart The reason is because Conscience considereth the Duty as circumstantiated in the Word and therefore it 's answer is no broader nor narrower then the Word is Whereas when a man is put to such a thing from Credit Fear or Desire his practice is extended no further then to such anâ— end Credit fear of Loss or the like if he have any regard to circumstances Levelleth and Moduleth him in all the circumstances of his acting So as he may attain that which driveth him on to such a Duty but when Conscience putteth to Duty that God may be obeyed and peace in Him injoyed it regulateth the man in all Circumstances of his Duty in order to that end And this is the reason why some are so soon and so well satisfied with Duty others are never throughly satisfied because the one goeth about Duty for the fashion to guard against and hold off challenges or for some other sinister end and so is still driven on from such a principle and for such ends But the other goeth about Duty in obedience to God aâ—d so as he may have peace in him and while any thing is wanting that may mâ—rr that he is disquieted 3ly We may discern it from the nature of the answer and the effects that it hath on the 〈◊〉 to whom the answer is given Conscience being Gods Deputy and the most divine thing in man Even The candle of the Lord that searcheth into the 〈◊〉 and inward parts of the belly and when acting it's part aright the most excellent representer of God if it
refused to give answer to either by Dreams or by Urim or by Prophets so as not to give them clearness by one means nor another neither from his Word nor by their Conscience as calling them to such or such a particular thing it is no marvel that in such a case men be in the dark and that Conscience keep it self silent Yet 2dly For clearing the Matter further ye would consider two sorts of Causes that this proceedeth from some whereof are Culpable and sinful on our part procuring this as a just punishment of some former sin or of some present evil and sinful frame other some are soveraign on Gods part yet tending in his secret providence to promote some designs of good to the Person of a Believer as to these Causes that are sinful and culpable on our part we shall instance them in four or five Cases As 1. When there is a sinful Ignorance in the Persons who desire to be clear in such or such a particular Through that their ignorance they are not in case clearly and distinctly but rather very darkly and confusedly to propose the matter to their Conscience so that their Conscience cannot give them a distinct answer For Conscience is as I said before as a Iudge and our Light is as the Informer and as a Judge cannot well decide in a matter when the Case is confusedly proposed to him so no more can Conscience when it wanteth Light And hence oftentimes persons in whom there is some zeal and good affection are left much in the dark because to speak so they know not the Laws and Practiques on which Conscience proceedeth Therefore Rom. 14. It 's said of some that their Conscience was weak because their Light was weak and dim A second Case is When men in seeking the Answer of their Conscience do bound and limit it They either do not fairly and fully propose the Case to Conscience or they come not to it with ane absolute submission supposing it to be throughly informed by the Word concerning the thing they would have clearness in and therefore they take the Answer in part or but a part of the Answer and suppose the rest or leave it to Conscience to be determined as when men first resolve to do such or such a thing and leave only the timeing of it to their Conscience Here the Conscience may be limited and made indistinct in it's Answer because it is prejudged and left free It might possibly have been somewhat not alâ—gether unlike this that was in the rest of the Tribes of Israel their asking of God about the War against Benjamin Iudges 20. 18. Where they do not say at first shall we go up or shall we for-bear but first they say who shall go up A third Case is When Conscience is provoked by mens former miscarriages then it may be silent and not answer Now the Conscience may be provoked these â—wo wayes amongst others 1. When People use not ordinarily to consult Conscience but at some particular and solemn times only and when they are brought to some pinch or put to a stand but as for the ordinary course of their Life they follow Inclination or a common Light without advising with Conscience In that case when such persons come to advise with Conscience and to seek clearnesse from it about such a thing the Lord may say to them as he did to his People Iudges 10. 19. Go and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen go advise with them or as Elisha said to the King of Israel 2 Kings 3. 3. What have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother Even so if Conscience be passed by and miskent by People in the ordinary course of their life it will readily misken and slight them when they are in a strait and come to seek Counsel and Clearness from it and will on the matter say to them ye followed the counsel of flesh and blood in your ordinary walk and course of life therefore in this particular I will not answer you go and seek Clearness from them whom ye use to consult 2dly Conscience is provoked when me have formerly thwarted with some clear intimations or answers of Conscience and have some way detained the truth in unrighteousness making as it were a Prisoner of it and setting a guard of corrupt affections about it when such come again to enquire at Conscience what they shal do in this or that particular they may justly get such ane answer as is given Prov. 1. 24. Because I called and ye refused I stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will laugh at your calamity they shall call but I will not answer I gave you answers before and ye thwarted with them therefore when ye seek again ye shall get none And hence floweth much blindnesse and be nummednesse of Conscience in men and women because they put out the eyes thereof and frequently repell and beat back what it sayes or answers so that it becometh cauterized and the feeling of it weareth almost if not altogether away and it speaketh very little or none at all to them being so much baffled and blunted with many repulses We may add this Third way how it is provoked and that is when it's askings are slighted It asketh us why we do such and such a thing and forbear such and such another and we slight what it saith and ly still in sin Is it not just that Conscience pay us home in our own measure and refuse to answer us when we ask it A Fourth Sinful Cause on our part of the silence of Conscience is When men come not singly and in a Spiritual Frame to Conscience to seek it's answer and advice but either have anâ— Idol sâ—t up before their eyes and are almost already determined in the thing or else they bring with them some one or other lust unrepented of Hence it comes to pass that though they think themselves submissive in that particular and possibly may some way be so yet not being absolutly submissive in all Conscience keeps silent To the former the Lord some way sayes as he did to these men by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 14. 2 3. Son of man these have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be inquired at all by them When men come to seek Light and bring their Idols with them the Lord that speaketh by the Conscience will some times in that case not suffer it to speak a word The other is like that which we have Psal. 66 8. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer When men come in a profane temper and frame of Spirit to God and are not single and as I said absolutely submissive Conscience will not answer For Conscience
hath not one word to speak but to them to whom God speaketh A Fifth And last Case is when men are driven and stirred up to seek to know the mind of Conscience from a corrupt or selfie principle and for such or such a selfy end As for instance when men seek clearnesse and resolution from their Conscience anent such ane estate of Life such a calling or station or anent the undertaking of such a journey or voyage and are not put to seek that clearness anent them out of respect to the honour of God but from respect only or mainly to their own interest profite pleasure or credit As it was with Balaam Numb 22. 10. That which did put him to ask Gods counsel was not regard to the honour of God but love to the wages of unrighteousness as Iude calleth them And here many fail and make a silent Conscience when they are seeking clearness Which may be known by this that they would never ask if it were lawful for them to take such a calling or place or to ingadge in such ane imployment except some pleasure preferment or gain led them to it And the reason why they ask the advice of Conscience in the matter is not that they may be the more stirred up to improve such a place imployment or state of life for Gods honour but that they may with more quietnesse freedom and confidence follow their design and come by their end neither do they intend singly if at all to follow the answer of Conscience but would rather have Conscience to follow them as is clear in Balaam Therefore when the Answer cometh contrary to their Inclination or Affection or to the selfie end that they have before them they will ask over again as Balaam did Hence Iames sayeth chap. 4. v. 3 and 4. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask a miss to consume it upon your lusts As men may seek to be assisted in the performance of Duty for the praise of men so they may seek to have Conscience to be on their side to prevent a challenge from it And that they may intertain a carnally confident expectation of what they would be at Thus carnally profane and wicked men have often sought advice of the Lords Prophets as they did Ier. 42. 1 2. In these and the like cases men may take pains to know the mind of Conscience and yet the Lord may make it to keep silence and not to Answer them or if it do to answer them according to the idol of their own heart 2dly Another sort of Reasons may be drawn from Gods Soveraignity so ordering it for his own wise and holy ends to wit for the good of his People and his own Glory as he afflicteth them in other things though not without sin in them yet not alwayes with respect to their sin As we may see in Iobs tryal Even so when they are taking pains for clearness of Conscience and to get Gods mind in such a particular he may and sometimes doth blast all their pains so as they attain not to the desired clearness in it I say in such or such a particular because as was hinted before the main bussinesse of their eternal state falleth not under these debates and this we say he doth in his Soveraignity for these and â—he like wise and holy ends 1. That he may emptie and humble his own People That when they see they cannot win to clearness and satisfaction in a Particular of so little moment and consequence by making that to be so much their exercise he may hide pride from their eyes and lay them low before him 2dly As in this he mindeth their humbling so their upstirring by such means he puteth them to be more serious in seeking him for oftentimes when men find things to go easily with them they are in hazard to betake themselves unto and sit down in as easie a way of Duty and to â—lack their dilligence 3dly He doth this for tryal to make discovery of the unsoundness of some and to prove the sincerity of others he will by suspending Light and Clearnesse in such a particular take a proof of folks tendernesse whither they will forbear while they are unclear or whither they will untenderly go on It being a main thing that maketh tryal of mens tendernesse when God by this means layeth as it were a Bond and Restraint on us and so putteth us to it to try whither we will hold here or proceed further if there be tendernesse it will appear in such a case This discovered Saul 1 Sam. 28. 6 7. When God answered him not who went away immediately to a Witch And hence it is that many when they cannot win to Satisfaction or Clearness in a lawful way they betake themselves to the nixt shift when others that are tender will halt and stand â—ill till God further reveal and manifest his mind in the thing As the Prophet doth 2 Kings 4. 27. Let her alone saâ—eth he of the Shunamite to his Servant her soul is vex'd within her and the Lord hath hid it from me 4ly He doth this to make men prize Light more when they get it knowing that it cometh from God We are disposed to think as long as we are not much difficulted and brought into some notable strait that our Light floweth from a stock within our selves and that we have it at command Thus many think little or nothing of being clear to marry such or such a Person to take such a place or to engadge in such ane Imploy and Station as it may be of Magistracy or of Ministery Conscience as they think cleareth them at the first hand but the Lord will have us to know That to have Light and Clearnesse in any particular especially of such moment is a greater matter and mercy then so and that it is a sin to flight and undervalue it when it is come by A 5th and last end is to draw men to more immediat dependence on himself that when Conscience is silent they may come to him and count themselves to be so much the more in his common and debt for any Light that they shall win at and be made to know that Conscience is but his servant all this is clear frow Gods way in afflicting his People and from many instances in Scripture The other Assertion that I proposed to speak a word to was That though it be sometimes thus That Conscience is silent and speaketh not at least so soon or so clearly when it is inquired at yet it is not alwayes so but sometimes nay often Conscience will speak and answer clearly and our unclearnesse in that case may proceed from some one tentation or other or from our own sinful distemper or from our negligence and inadvertancy as I shall shortly clear in some cases 1. As a sinful Ignorance in the Person who desireth it to speak will make Conscience keep silent so there is a sinful
them we may be helped clearly to know 〈◊〉 is pleasing to him and profitable to our selves concerning which councellours we may not only safely but with highest assurance say that they are happy who hearken to their Advice and Council That which we have have been speaking of from this v. Is the right way of discerning the Advice and Counsel which the Conscience gives That so we may be the more able clearly and distinctly to follow it And in prosecution of this ye may remember we came to answer that Case or Question what men are called to or what maybe their duty when after some pains taken to know Consciences Advice and Counsel they do not discern and take it up Seing experience tells us that sometimes there may be Darknesse even when men would have Light In Answering of this we gave you this Direction in the first place after the premitting of some things for clearing of it That such as are thus in the Dark would once put themselves to it to try whither their Darkness proceed indeed from Conscience or from some Distemper and Tentation within letting and hindring them from taking up that which Conscience sayes till once this be clear men cannot make great progresse for if they should studie to have Conscience speaking and yet have their own ears stopped this seems to be but lost labour There is some other thing called for that once they may be in a quiet and composed Frame to hear what Conscience sayes to them A ad Direction for Answer to it is When men cannot discern any Temptation or Distemper in themselves but that they are content to hear what Conscience would say to them and yet cannot take it up then they would set themselves to try whither that silence proceeds from some sinful Cause in themselves justly procuring that silence of Conscience as a punishment to them or from some Soveraign Cause in God ordering that silence to try them and to humble them and that they may by being keeped a while in the mist more singly give proof of their dependency on him For as in other affictions so in this sometimes God will exercise his Soveraignity and if it be once known to be for tryal the thing that we are called to is sweetly silent submission to God and allowing him so to dispose of us as he pleases As that Word Isa. 50. v. 10. holds forth He that walks in darkness and sees no light let him in that Case stay himself on the Lord He may be keeped quiet and from thwarting with God if he can take up that to be his design But if some sinful Cause hes procured this Men are put to it as they would not ly under any effects of Gods anger to be dealing with him to have that cause that hes brought it on removed that in due time this sad effect of it may be removed also It is true that as in other Cases so in this it is not Ordinary nor Common for God to afflict His People with Darknesse without some sinful Cause And we may easily know that among men who have corruption in them there is no tryal that comes on them but there is some cause in themselves that may procure it and so may keep them in the dark if God should narrowly mark it And hence we may gather that it is very difficult to discern rightly by clear evidence the one of these from the other Yet we think in every case it is not absolutly necessary for godly persons to conclude a designed controversie for sin though they can never go wrong to take with sin albeit yet they would not alwayes bind it on God as if he were quarrelling for it though he might very justly do so Therefore we shall offer Four Differences and then qualifie them and give some Directions how to walk in every one of these Cases First Then We conceive when the silence of Conscience and Gods refusing to intimate his mind by it proceeds from a sinful cause procuring it in a Person it will readily look more horrible like and will have some impression of anger on it when it comes out with such a word as that 〈◊〉 10. 14. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen c. And there is good reason for this that if it be an effect of sin or of anger for sin it should look liker anger then when it is an effect of Gods meer Soveraignity which may stand well with his being in good terms with that person whom he so tryes Secondly We think the hiding of Gods face and silence of Conscience when it proceeds from sin as the Cause readily point out some particular ground of challenge for which the Conscience keeps silence it hath a word of reproof with it for some particular fault as in that same place ye have done this and this sayeth the Lord Though I have brought you out of the land of Egypt yet ye have served other gods therefore now I will deliver you no more Conscience though it will not in that case give an answer to the thing that is asked at it yet it will give a reason wherefore it answers not and will point at somewhat that may make it known that there is just ground for it's keeping silence Iob being thus smitten in holy Soveraignity Sayes to God Chap. 10. 2 Tell me wherefore thou contends with me He is indeed now somewhat jumbled being exercised by the Soveraign Holy Lord and his exercise is not so much for this and that sin in particular as to know wherefore God deals so with him 3dly When this silence of Conscience proceeds from a sinful cause it leaves the Spirit of the Person in a far greater distemper and confusion then whenit proceeds meerly from Gods Soveraignity For this having it's rise from Sin it hath the greater influence to the stirring of corruption Therefore in such a case as this men are much disposed to sret as ye may see in Saul and others who were ready when God answered them not to take another and sinful way of their own But when God exercises in Soveraignity as the Conscience hath readily more quietnesse so there is more sweet Submission and Patience 4ly Persons would take a reflect look on the frame of their own hearts before their darknesse came on them 〈◊〉 they were carelesse and carnal secure untender and remiâ—s in stirring up themselves to obtain Light from God If darkness or any other affliction come on them in such a case it speaks this That they were sadly surprized in that distemper but if it come on them at such a time when they have a Testimony within them that they were making Conscience of their Duty it would seem to say that God is not looking so much at their sin as to some Sovereign end â—e would bring abouÌ„t by that Rod If ye consider holy Ioh who is the eminent Patern of Gods exercising a a man Soveraignly the Case and Frame
Both of them offered things that were good and yet the ones Sacrifice was accepted and the others rejected That which made the difference was that Abel in his Offering exercised Faith on Christs Sacrifice he offered it not as a Satisfaction in it self to God but with respect to Jesus Christ typified by it which the other did not and proportionally there is somewhat required of all these and more especially of this last in all Actions to make them truly Religious and Christian Actions Now For the 2d Particular viz. That in all these things that make an Action to be truly Religious Conscience hath somewhat to say and hath an interest and concern to testifie for or against the man I shall instance this in Six â—orts of Actions to which all a mans Actions I mean that are properly human Actions or rationaly deliberat Actions may be reduced as to so many general heads The First sort is natural Actions as Eating Drinking Sleeping c. In which what ever many think to the contrary Conscience hath an interest because they require the proposing of Gods Glory as their end and he hath prescribed a way how to go about them aright The 2d Sort Is Civil Actions as mens being exercised in this or that lawful Imployment Trade Calling or Occupation and here Conscience hath an interest for it is said that the plowing of the wicked is sin Which when gone about after the right manner by the Believer is service to God as well as his praying The 3d. Sort is Moral Actions such as are done from a principle of moral honesty As for instance when a man bargâ—neth and maketh a promise anenâ— such and such things to be performed by him to keep his word which is morally good yet is it not truly Religiously and Christianly good except it be done in obedience to the command of God and with respect to his honour And here also Conscience hath interest for as a man cometh short of these things requisit for making it a truly Religious or Christian Action it will challenge and accuâ—e in so far and when they are present it will excuse and commend him The 4th Sort is External Duties of Religion What is it I pray that makes the difference betwixt Formal and Hypocritical Service and Worship and that which is accepted as service to God Is it not that one person performs such Duties conscionably and Christianly according to the Rules prescribed anent the right performing of them and another not The 5th Sort is Inward Duties or Graces such as Repentance Faith Love Hope c. Of all which there are Counterfits some things very like them which yet are not indeed these Conscience hath here likewayes a concern and makes a difference As suppose two men are â—orty for Sin and we maâ— suppose them to be someway alike or equally sorrowful and yet the sorrow of the one is accounted the Grace of Repentance and the others not because of the want of the requâ—sits of Gospel or gracious sorrow or sorrow after a godly â—ort as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7. v. 11. So in the exercise of other Graces where Conscience will challenge and accuâ—e or excuâ—e and approve accordingly The 6th Sort of Actions are passive to speak so or Sufferings wherein Conscience hath a concern and tells the man that he should suffer as a Christian from such a principle and for such ends which he through Grace endeavouring to do Conscience speaks peace to him And though another man suffer the same very things yet he may want that testimony because he wants the grounds of it his sufferings being destitute of the requisite qualifications And therefore we would never think a thing to be of so little moment that Conscience hath no concern in it we cannot do speak think nor look but Conscience hath some-thing to say of that deed word thought or look as it is circumstantiat either to accuse if not as it ought to be or to excuse and approve if right as to its requisits The 2d Use is for trial of a sanctified Conscience in a â—anctified frame and for differencing it from another Conscience that is not so a sanctified Conscience and in a sanctified frame is alwayes medling with all the mans actions not only when he is praying hearing reading or conferring â—o a spiritual purpose but also when he is buying or selling eating or drinking speaking or keeping silent abroad or at home alone or in company c. It is very like that Paul had said many things when he was a Pharisee that his Conscience medled not much with but now being a serious Christian he cannot speak nor write but his Conscience medles with it In a word a sanctified Conscience is alwayes going along with a man is still with him and letting him know that it is with him and a sanctified man will needs have and loves to have his Conscience constantly with him The word Conscience in the Original is significant and sayes this much that when it is right the Christian and it are joyned together Whereas an unsanctified man parts company as it were with his Conscience he loves not to take it he will not take it with him it is a burden to him he would â—ain be rid of its company and it often refuseth to go along with him It 's never the worst Conscience that is often medling providing it be owned and listned to when it medleth a sanctified Conscience medleth 1. Constantly 2. It medleth in all sorts of things it puts the man when he hath spoken to search his heart whether he thought as he said 3. It speaks in the Holy Ghost according to the mind of God and interests it self on Gods account cleanly spiritually and impartially without all by-respect to the man The 3d Use is for reproof to these that misken Conscience and take none at all or but very little notice of it in the most part of their life Ah! How few are they that think and believe that Conscience is concerned in all their words and actions And as for thoughts they are looked on by such as free and therefore they never look what it sayes of them and so spoil themselves of it's testimony and lose their labour in not respecting it The 4th Use is of Exhortation and we would seriously exhort you all to amend this great fault reproved viz. the misregarding of Conscience and to respect Conscience in every thing and to regard it more in your going out and coming in in solitude and society in every thing ye do suffer not your selves to be cheated into a groundless apprehension that any of your actions even the commonest as circumstantiat are of so little moment that Conscience hath no concern in them And if it hath then I beseech you take heed what it sayes and whether it testifies for or against you and do not think that Conscience is officious and medles in a business that concerneth
Conscience and study to carry it along with him in the very time of his acting Our hearts are like to a distempered Clock or Watch which being just now set never so right ere we are aware it will go wrong it will point the hour aright now and within a little it 's quite out of course because there is some defect or fault within the Wheels not being evenly or the Ballance not justly poised or some other such cause Even so though our heart were in a suitable frame just now presently and ere we turn us about as it were it 's out of frame so that we cannot well take our aim from it It is so very deceitful that it abides not in frame 3dly Consider that unless this reflecting on Conscience in the time of performing the action or duty be a man will be at a loss of one of these two He will either be at a loss as to his â—ober composed and holy frame and turn carnal which is frequently and readily incident even to believers or he will be at a loss as to the confidence boldness and peace that he might otherwise have in the performance of such an action or duty for suppose a person to be in a good frame after he hath resolved on a duty let it be for instance speaking to edification going about Prayer or the making of some lawful Bargain or the like and he hath abundant light and clearness in his call to the thing yet if he look not to and reflect not on Conscience in the discharge of that duty when a challenge cometh on the back of it as if he had been wrong he cannot well answer nor repell it his being right being to him in that case in some respect little or no better then if he had been wrong because he observed not Conscience in the time of the action And this is one great reason no doubt why believers have so little positive peace when they have done a good turn because they do not advert what Conscience sayes to them in their going about it They are hereby also greatly at a lose as to many sweet experiences of Gods kindnesse and condescending in assisting them and of their own singlenesse win at through Grace in the performing of Duties and we think also that Christians living so much by a negative peace to speak so flows much from this ground viz. Their little reflecting in the time of their doing Duty if once they be clear in the thing whither they be suitably serious and sincere in it and so letting the opportunity go by they are not so throughly clear in these things that are evidences of a positive peace in doing of such a duty rightly as they might otherwayes be The First Use Serves to give you an evidence and mark of a tender walk and of a man that is tender in his walk he is such a man that will not only ask his Conscience ere he begin an Action but when he is a doing of it what it thinketh of it There are Three things that a tender Christian will reflect upon in the time of his doing an Action or Duty 1. He will reflect upon his manner of performing it whither it be a natural Action such as Eating and Drinking a civil Action such as Buying and Selling a Religious Action such as Praying or hearing c. He will look that in them all he be single that his Eating and Drinking be to fit him to serve God That in his Buying and Selling he seek not only his own things but the good of his Neighbour as well as his own good That in his Praying or Hearing he be sincere that it be in Faith and according to the will of God c. 2ly He will reflect on himself in the performing of his Actions that he be in a right frame that he be tender and sincere that some awe of God and of a good Conscience be on him that his Spirit be sober and composed that a carnal frame steal not in upon him in the time of his doing a warrantable Action or a commanded Duty because that will marr it 3dly He will reflect upon his Conscience that he may hear what it sayes of the Action He will not as it were take his Testimony from himself but Conscience being as a distinct thing some way from himself he will hear what it sayeth As Paul doth here it is truth which he speaketh and he speaketh it in the right manner and yet he taketh a look of his Conscience if he be doing so in very deed to wit sincerely as in the sight of God yea more he taketh the Testimony of his Conscience if it be not so And thus here he looketh not to nor reflecteth on his Conscience to alter any piece of his way but to have it's sense of that piece of it He gathers that the Action is good from the Word and he inquires if he be and collects that he is right in the performance from his Conscience testifying according to the Word so that he will not trust himself but goeth to Conscience as being more impartial to take it's Testimony The reason then as I said before why few Christians have solid peace is this if the matter of their Actions be good and if they can answer their light therein they reflect but little on their Conscience in the performing thereof and therefore want much of the peace and consolation that might otherwise accompany them in their Actions and when they are done and over and this evidence of tendernesse kythes rather when a man is in the Act then either before or after for fear or awe may make a man seek Light before an Action and a challenge may put him to reflect and examine when he hath done But here mainly lyeth the evidence of sincerity and tendernesse when in every step all along the Action or Duty so far as is requisit and humane infirmity will admit he taketh heed what he is doing and as we said the other day That it was an evidence of a tender Conscience to be alwayes medling in every thing that a man doth So we say now that it is an evidence of a tender man to listen and hear what censure his Conscience passeth on him in performing his Actions The 2d Use is for reproof Ah! may we not find but by overly reflections if we did advise with Conscience at our undertaking of such a work or Duty that yet in the time of doing it there was but little reflecting on our Conscience if it did bear us witnesse of our sincerity in going about it How many times will Men and Women be found Eating Drinking Buying Selling Going or Riding a lawful Journey speaking of a Sermon c. And yet in these Actions but seldom or never looking in if they have the Testimony of their Conscience that they are right in their going about of these things Can this I pray speak a tender frame that is so
neglective of Conscience It is certainly an evidence of ane untender Frame in Believers and where ever it is habitual and regnant it is an evidence of an evil state For if one be a tender Christian when should his Conscience be tender if not in the nick of the performance of an Action For that is the time when he will or should be levelling least he miss the mark and knowing how fickle and unconstant he is and that he hath a heart like an unsteady hand how should he guard against it's levity and unstablenesse The 3d. Use Is of Exhortation to advert more to this Testimony of Conscience in performing Duties O! Learn to reflect on your selves in every thing and to ask your selves what ye are doing that ye may know if ye be right or wrong if wrong that ye may take with it and be humbled for it if right that ye may be comforted in it We conceive this would be a notable guard to tendernesse and keeping communion with God and a soveraign help to prevent many sins and much hipocrisie in our way of doing things even to be taking exact notice if we be indeed doing that which we professe to be doing if we be speaking to Edification if we be praying in earnest when we pretend to be praying c. 2ly Observe That when Conscience is well satisfied in a particular Action or Duty it can signifie it's sense thereof to the man that performeth it and speaketh a good word for him This is the thing that Pauls Con science doth here he is sincere in the thing that he asserts and it beareth him witnes of his sincerity when he adverteth to it First I say Conscience can signify it's mind and sense of a particular Action or Duty if it be well pleased and can speak a good word for the man it can signify it's mind at any time but when it is well pleaâ—ed it signifies it by testifying for the man And 2ly I say That not only does it testifie it's satisfaction with the Action but with every thing in it when there is a right end a right motive and a right manner of performance when Christ is duely respected in it and made use of for strength and acceptance And 3ly I add this If men advert to it and if it be asked because it hath something to say alwayes yet men will not hear nor know what it sayeth except they advert well and reflect and take good heed to it 3ly Observe That it is very strengthning confirming comforting refreshing and satisfying to a man in a particular Action to have the Testimony of his Conscience for him This beareth Paul through here amidst all challenges that might have been raised from seeking of himself or from following revenge in what he asserts There is no such thing saith he my Conscience beareth me witnes of the contrary It 's not a mans Action simply that will give him boldnesse confidence and comfort for several persons may concur in one and the self same good Action on the matter and yet some may have a good 〈◊〉 others an evil Conscience in it were it but as to a mans thought and opinion of himself For it 's not he that commends himself but he whom God commends that is approven When Conscience I say beareth witnes for a man It is a very strengthning confirming and satisfying thing The Reasons are 1. Because Conscience is the more single and impartial Judge and witnes and therefore a man may lay the more weight on it 2ly Because Conscience speaketh and beareth witnes with respect to God and when it testifieth on solid grounds it is Gods Testimony Now when a Debate ariseth in a man about any of his Actions the man himself is the partie arraigned the Challenge or Tentation is the party accusing and Conscience is as the Witnes or Judge that decideth and being un-byassed it beareth Witnes and passeth the Sentence truly and impartially It as it were sayeth it 's true he said such and such a thing and that sincerely and I know that his thoughts and intentions were honest and thus Conscience decides the Debate in his favours if so be he hath it on his side and so confirms and comforts him The Use is To exhort you to lay more weight on Conscience and on it's Testimony and less weight on any other thing for it will not be your good meaning nor good hopes as ye use to speak but a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified Frame that will be found fittest to decide in any Action 4ly Observe That the Testimony of Conscience speak ing for a man and his performing of a good Action on the matter are separable That is a man may do that which is good in it self and yet not have a positive and approbative Testimony from his Conscience concerning it otherwayes Paul needed not to have attested his Conscience if he had not known that Conscience it's Testimony might have been separat from what he speaks It 's well enough known that he was saying his heart was grieved for the rejection of the Iews but the question was if he had said it honestly and sincerely and he asserts that he hath Conscience it's Testimony for that as a distinct thing There are but too many proofs of the truth of this Doctrine are there not many who speak good words and do good deeds on the matter who yet have not a good Conscience in the speaking and doing of them As it 's said of Amaziah 2 Chroâ— 25. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart So it may be said of many others that they do that which is good for the matter but they want the Testimony of a good Conscience in the performance of it This will be further clear if we consider these two things 1. That there are many things that concur to make an Action Truly and Christianly good such as we spoke of the other day many care for no more but that the Action be good for the Matter but it 's moreover requisit that it be good as to the manner of performance that it be from a right motive to a right end done in Faith by strength drawn from Christ and with an eye to acceptance on his account a corrupt end in Prayer in coming to the Church to hear in reading the Word or in any other Duty will spoil the Action 2ly That there are different Rules to try these by there is one Rule to regulat us in the matter of our Actions and another to regulat our manner of going about them and a good Conscience looketh to both these Rules And if anyof the requisit qualifications to the suitable and acceptable performance of them be absent and wanting in so far Conscience will withhold it's positive approving Testimony a good Conscience it's Testimony is like the harmony of a well tuned Instrument It 's one thing to have all the strings on
the Instrument and another thing to have them all in tune when it is not rightly tuned though it have on all the strings it cannot give a sweet nor harmonious sound so is it with the Conscience The Use is For exhortation to watchful advertance in every thing to Conscience it 's Testimony Seing there are many that do good on the matter who yet want it's Testimony it becomes us to be the more watchful to keep a good Conscience and seing that Conscience it's speaking for a man and giving him it's approbative Testimony and his doing that which is good on the matter are not only separable but are often actually separated the one from the other not only in natural but even in regenerat men as frâ—quent experience puts beyond debate We had need I say to be the more watchful both as to the matter and manner of our doing least we be at a lose of the Testimony of Conscience for us And none would think it to be as easie a bussinesse to keep a good Conscience as to the manner of performing of Duty as it is to do so â—s to the matter of it How many come to the Church but without due preparation and without having a heart ready to hear what God will say to them and meddle with with other Duties without regarding the due manner of performing them We â—ight instance it in all these Six Sorts of Actions we spoke of the other day in all which there is a propensnes iâ— us naturally to degenerat and go beside the Rule As namely 1. In natural Actions of Eating and Drinking or of loving Husband or Wife or Children men may be very carnal degenerat and become like very Beasts 2. In civil Actions as Buying and Barganing wherein men maâ— turn basely covetous selfie and seeking their own things and not the honour of God noâ— the good and advantage of others 3ly In Moral Actions as speaking truth dealing fairly and honestly wherein men may turn legal proud and vain and seek to establish a self-righteousnesse thereby to themselves 4. In external Religious Actions as hearing the Word Praying c. Wherein men may turn hypocritical and formal having a shew without substance and a form of godliness without the power of it 5. In inward Duties as repentance contentment c. Wherein men may turn worldly and carnal therefore a worldly repentance from fear of punishment or of shame in the World or worldly sorrow that causeth death is spoken of 2 Cor. 7. v. 10. So theâ—e is a worldly contentment 6. In passive actions or sufferings some may suffer from inevitable necessity and have no thanks for it as it is 1 Pet. 2. 20. We may from the unstraightnesse of the end to which from the unsoundnesse of the principle from which from the unsuitablenesse of the motive by which duties are done and several otherwayes prejudge our selves of the approving Testimony of our Conscience which we would carefully advert to that we divide not betwixt a good Conscience and a good Turn Action or Duty But it may be Asked here What is the reason that it is so difficult to keep a good Conscience and to carry it along with us in the very interim mean time and nick of performing the Action above and beyond what it is either to deliberat and advise with it before we do or to reflect after we have done I Answer And give these Two or Three Reasons of it The First whereof is drawn from the necessary concurrence of so many things that must go together in the performance of an Action Which makes it easier to resolve before doing or to reflect after doing then to perform The 2d is Because there is such a ticklenesse in the frame ol our hearts that they are unstable as water stable in nothing There are Three distempers of heart that we are subject to which all hold forth this difficulty 1. A declining humour to say so or distemper whereby we are given to backslide or turn aside like a deceitful bow that keeps bensel while the arrow is a drawing and when it is at or in the very letting off starteth aside 2ly A levity and unsetlednesse even such that the weather cock is not sooner and more easily whirled about by the least wind then we are by the least breathing of the air of Tentation So that were we just now in a good and suitable frame for Duty ere we be aware we fall off and a good Conscience requireth a composednesse and stayednesse of Frame 3ly A rashnesse and hastinesse or precipitance which makes us that so soon as we are clear in the thing to rush forward and to think all is done that is requisit so that we wait not to carry Conscience along with us in our performances which rash precipitant and hasty humour or distemper maketh us often miscarry As David sayes of himself Psal. 116 I said in my haste that all men are liars and I said in my haste that I am cut off from thy presence Psal. 31. So Believers often marr the composednesse of their own frame by their hâ—steing and not taking heed to what Conscience sayeth while they are in performing Duty Thus many post as it were through their Prayers speaking of many good things in them from light but not endeavouring to carry Conscience its testimony along with them of their sincerity they spoil and marr that which was well intended and begun by them A 4th ground reason or cause of this is the great difficulty that there is to maintain and keep up a right frame of heart for any considerable time and a man will never keep a good Conscience along particular duties if he maintain not a right frame of heart though a thing good in it self were never so fairly floored to speak so and its ground never so well taken up yet the least byass or rub easily puts it by and makes it go out All which should in reason make us study the more watchfulness 5thly Observe which will help to the Use of the former and is of some affinity with the first particular Observation That persons would endeavour to walk in every particular duty or action so as they may not only advert to what Conscience sayes of it but may also carry it along with them in it and have the positive approving testimony thereof all alongst the doing of it which may be though there be not reflecting on it every moment That is not only would they before they undertake any thing be clear that it is a warrantable duty as was marked before but further when they have done this they would so carry Conscience along with them in it as they may have its testimony that they go about it conscienciously Therefore Paul asketh not only what Conscience sayes of the action as to its matter and as to his sincerity in undertaking it but he bringeth it out speaking for him while he is doing it My conscience saith he
reflect on himself nor look after the testimony of Conscience Yet in intervals this may be win at and would be endeavoured It 's in this case some way as it 's in reference to that command anent praying alwayes or without ceasing though we cannot pray alwayes actually or continually without interruption nor are we obliged to do so yet we should be frequent in it and intermix all our actions with short ejaculations to God and alwayes keep our selves in a praying frame So though we cannot alwayes be actually putting Conscience to it yet frequently we should and more especially if we be about a duty that is more difficult and tickle and wherein we are very ready to go wrong and so to lay the ground of a challenge or wherein Gods honour is some what more then ordinarily concerned 3. It 's required here that we seriously endeavour to keep things right and be weeding out as it were what is wrong as we find Conscience hinting to us for the frame of our hearts as hath been said is very unstable and fickle we would therefore be often mending and righting it as a man doth with a Watch that is easily distempered he often looks to it and puts it right Or it is here as it is with a Pilot who steereth a Vessel that is very easily by a little wind put by her course he beareth up closs in the eye of the wind and when he finds her never so little off her course he steers about again till he set her right or to hold us at the former comparison of an Instrument to preserve which in tune it must not only be at first tempered to a just and harmonious sound and struck upon to give out that sound But when a man hath played a while upon it he must be tempering and tuning it among hands to say so screwing up this and that and the other Peg as the strings slack their benfil else it will not be kept in tune Even so while we are endeavouring to keep a good Conscience some one Peg or other so to speak will readily still be a-unfixing and we would study to bring things back to their right temper and watching that carnalness creep not in upon us The Use of the Doctrine in a word is partly to reprove for neglect of this walk partly to exhort to the diligent and tender practice of it even carefully to advert to Conscience and to endeavour to be in good terms with it in performing every action in eating drinking in bargaining buying selling in riding a journey in hearing praying c and not only to hear what Conscience hath to say but to walk so as Conscience may speak good to us and give us its approving testimony for helping us to keep this good correspondence with our Conscience in all our actions which hath so great a stroak upon a Christian walk upon a chearful and solacious Christian walk we would now add these following directions to those formerly given to the same purpose The 1. whereof is That in undertaking of actions or duties we would be very deliberat clear and fixed 2. We would study to walk soberly and composedly and to be alwayes in a good frame Rashness precipitancy hastiness inadvertency levity and untenderness are very cross to these two directions as is also parting with Conscience as it were in the way and not bringing it up with us 3. We would be much in ejaculatory Prayer frequenting Gods Throne much often darting up blinks unto him and into our own selves and our Consciences intermixing these 4ly We would be much in self examination This is in some respect the Life of a good Conscience for where there is not self examination or reflection we either are not right or else know not if we be right and no thanks to us if we be not wrong 5ly We would study to have an holy indignation at and a strick watch set against the very first risings of any thing that may in the least offend Conscience Alace We oft times observe not our own declinings and fallings from a good Frame nor the stirrings of some one Lust and Corruption or another which would be resisted in the beginning for the one of these weareth out the other 6ly As we would indeavour if we would have a good Testimony from our Conscience much singlenesse and sincerity in the whole of our walk and would in every duty indeavour to be setting our selves as in the sight of God and under his all seeing eye nothing more marreth the Testimony of Conscience then unsinglenesse and nothing contributs more to it then singlenesse It 's a good word that the Apostle hath 2 Cor. 2. v. last We are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ Preaching is a good work yet there were many Preachers that had not a good Testimony from their Conscience in that good work but Paul had it and that which made him to to have it was his sincerity and singlenesse that he spoke as before God in the sight of God without a byasse or any allowed carnalness in his end if we could preach and pray and live and walk thus in all our Actions O! What sweet peace should we have living and dying and O! what skaith and prejudice doth our inadvertancy rashness and carnal walking work to us and how much doth it deprive us of the benefit of this Friend in the time of our need God help us to amend it SERMON I. 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards IT is no great bussiness but a very ordinary thing for a man to be chearful when he is in prosperity and hath all things in the World smiling on him though often even in the midst of that laughter the heart is sorrowful and there is an emptinesse and utter insufficiency in all these things to make the heart truly glad but this is a great matter a very rare thing and to be found but with very few viz. In the midst of afflictions reproaches tribulations and persecutions to be cheerful and rejoycing and as it is Isa. 24. 15. to be glorisying God in the midst of the fires This is Pauls practice and exercise here who being as the words before hold forth brought so near death that he even dispared of life who having to do with Professors and Preachers of the Gospel that made it their bussines to defame his Person and to depretiat and disparage his Ministry Who being riviled buffeted persecuted and counted as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things who being alwayes delivered unto death and made a gazing stock to the world to angels to men and being moreover put to wrestle not only
with flesh and blood but also with principalities and powers and spirtual wickednesse in high places yet hath this for his rejoycing the testimony of his conscience c. Not to insist on the Connection We have in the words these Four things 1. Pauls continued chearfulnesse notwithstanding his formerly mentioned 〈◊〉 This is our rejoycing 2. The ground and rise of this spiritual and solid joy that no affliction can remove from him The testimony of our conscience in his affliction and tribulation he taketh a back-look of his way and findeth his Conscience noâ— simply speaking but testifying good on his hehalf telling him that though he and his fellows were accounted deceivers and unknown yet they were true and well-known c. As it is 2 Cor. 6. v. 8. 3ly The extent or amplification of this ground 1. More generally we have had our conversation in the world which is to be restricted to Pauls Conversation after his Conversion in his Ministry and otherwayes For though a natural man may have a blamless visible Conversation yet it is not such as a renewedman hath for the ground of his rejoycing 2. More particularly he not only had a good Conversation as to the general tract of his Life but in his carriage towards the Corinthians in particular with whom he had been so much and so long conversant and more abundantly to you-wards what ever they might through the suggestion and instigation of false Teachers have been disposed and ready to upbraid him with yet he had the Testimony of his sincerity and integrity as to what all the world could say of him which he alleadgeth and more abundantly towards you Partly to shew his distinctnes in searching his Conscience not by the Lump to speak so but as to the several parts and pieces of his Life and partly to obviat an Objection or Calumny that might arise among them wheâ—e his conversation was most and most carped at 4ly We have the Characters whereby he confirms this Testimony of his Conscience or the qualifications of it whereby his confidence of having it is confirmed Which are Four The 1. whereof is negative not by fleshly wisdom Not seeking my own ends nor my own good in a carnal way neither by carnal reason prosecuting the work of the Ministry The other three are positive The 2. Is simplicity that is a holy singlenesse in reference to the end He was a straight upright single man and in nothing double The 3d. is That is was in godly sincerity And this not only as it 's opposit to gross hypocrisie and dissimulatiion but as it differs from meer moral honesty he walked not only in a civil moral honest way as meerly moral and civil men use to do in their Barganings and other Dealings but in godly sincerity doing every thing as in Gods sight as he sayes of himself Chap. 2. v. last We are not as many who corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ The 4. Character whereby he proves that he had this Testimony and was assured of it is that he did not what he did by his own strength or by the strength of nature but by the grace of God Which shews as we said before that this Testimony reached no further then from the time of his Conversion The first of these positive Characters or Evidences shews the singlenesse of his end The second shews his singlenesse in the way of prosecuting that end The third shews the principle whereby or where from he acted it was not carnal reason that gave him counsel nor nature that strengthned him but Grace In these words then we have First A short and sweet compend of a Christian and comfortable life and of the advantage of a good Conscience 2. We have the way how to attain and how to entertain and maintain the same The Apostle in a word being now put to it and having both Foes and Friends on his top he taketh a back look of his Life and reflects on what was his carriage towards all men and towards the Corinthiens more particularly and finds his Conscience testifying for him as to both and on this Testimony of his Conscience well proved and made out he quietly settles and joyfully cheaâ—eth himself Having already spoken of what use should be made of Conscience before and in the time of our doing any thing we have now chosen these words to shew what use should be made of Conscience in reference to what is past Not to stand on every thing that might be observed from them we shall astrick our selves to this scope viz. To point out the right use making of Conscience it 's sense and Testimony of our Way and Actions after they are past and the Duty of a Believer in trying his bygone course of Life and every part thereof as to Conscience it 's Testimony of it or as to what Conscience can say concerning it 1. Then Observe but in passing That Conscience can signify it's mind to a man concerning his Actions and Conversation of a long time past so that though he hath been in such a Countrey among such a people about such and such an Action many years ago Conscience reflected upon hath a facultie to speak so of signifying it's sense thereof as of every other Action of his Life much of Pauls time was now past and a part of it in the Ministry at Corinth yet looking so far back his Conscience gives him this Testimony Which will be further clear if we consider first The experience and practice of the Saints in attesting their Conscience in past and in long since past Actions Naâ— we suppose there are few or rather none at all but their Conscience will sometimes challenge them for aâ— evil Action that is by their hand and that for a considerable time Iosephs Brethren are a famous instance of the truth of this Now if it can Challenge or Accuse it can also Excuse and Approve a man and testify for him when he hath done well For excusing is as extensive in a good case as accusing is in an evil 2. It 's clear also from the Office of the Conscience which as we shew is not only to dictat and to be an observing companion but to be a Judge which supposeth for ordinary the thing to be past Therefore 1 Iohn 3. 22. both the condemning and absolving of the heart is spoken of Which inferreth that the Conscience called there the heart hath a way of re-cognoscing of and passing Sentencâ— on a mans way and actions not only while they are a doing but when past 2ly Observe which is that we mainly intend to speak to That it is a main piece of a tender walk and of the practice of â— Christian to be reflecting on his bygone way and trying what Conscience sayeth of it not only as I have often aid to deliberat and advise with Conscience before and to carry Conscience along in
the time of the Action but when the thing is past it may be many years since and as to the course of his Life to be looking in and reflecting on what Conscience sayeth for or against him This is Pauls practice here he cannot have the Testimony of his Conseience till he have asked it and tryed it and laid his conversation in the general and his carriage among the Corinthians in particular before it And if the former Doctrine be a truth this will follow that a tender Christian will be reflecting on his bygone way and trying what his Conscience sayeth of it and of his Actions Except we will say that a man may be tender and not take heed to his Conscience to which for this end God hath given it this reflecting power or facultie to say so It will also be more clear if we look to the practice and experience of the Saints who the more tender they have been the more they have been in reflecting this way if we look to Iob we will find that most of all the discourses he hath are so many reviews of his Conscience particularly Chap. 23. 11. He sayeth My foot hath held his steps his way have I kâ—pt and not declined neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food How is it that he speaketh so confidently but from reflecting on and from the Testimony of his Conscience Therefore chap 27. 3 4 5. He sayeth All the while my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils my lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit I will not remove my integrity my righteousness will I hold fast my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Importing that he cannot find his Conscience challenge him as to that wherwith his Friends did charge him So likewayes Chap. 31. 1. He sayes I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I look upon a maid And he goeth on through the Chapter particularly making it to appear that he had been searching and trying and taking notice of his way and of all the pieces and parts of it And that therein his Conscience had given him a good Testimony Thus David Psal. 7. 3. sayeth Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hands if I have rewarded evil to him c. Psal. 26. 2. Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart And Psal. 139. 23. Search me O Lord sayeth he and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me All which supposeth his own tryal accomplished in and of his Conscience to have gone before Yea not only the Believer but the Believer in the tenderest frame is most in this work Therefore in the most serious exercise of Repentance under the greatest manifestations of Gods presence and the most abundant pourings out of his Spirit and when nearest to Death they are most ready to reflect on Conscience which sheweth that not only we should do it but that the more tender Persons be they will be the more in this duty and there is also good reason for it For 1. A man cannot know his condition except he reflect and search what his Conscience hath to say of it And it 's not the bare remembring of the Action but the considering of it by bringing it before and trying it by the Rule of the Word in the â—ourt of Conscience so as to have it's approbative Testimony that maketh it passe for eurrent 2ly Because as a man knoweth not how to judge of what is past so neither how to carry for time to come what he hath to repent of or what he hath to amend in his way except he take a review and back-look of it as to the time past It 's the finding of such a thing to be wrong that maketh him say This I had need to repent of and this I had need to watch against for time to come Therefore these two are put together Psal. 119. 59. 69. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I made haste c. The examination of his bygone way helped him to go on right for the time to come 3ly Because hardly will a tender man come to prayer without this He knoweth not what to confesse nor what to seek except he reflect and consider what he hath to confesse unto oâ— to seek from God And sure a man cannot be tender if he pray not Therefore these two are joyned together Zech. 12. 10. I will pour sayeth the Lord upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon him whom they have peirced and mourn Hence it is found in experience that the more insight a man hath in his bygone way the more liberty he hath in prayer and that deadnesse and drynesse in prayer flow much from the want of self-reflection 4ly Because this is the way for a man to win at peace and no man can be tender and have solid peace that cares not what his Conscience speaks to him whether good or evil peace or war and he can never know what it sayeth except he reflect and try And it is from this that even Paul himself cannot have peace nor rejoyce till he try his peace and joy to be the effects of Conscience it's Testimony and Conscience Testimony to be the consequent of self-examination The Uses of the Doctrine are Four the first wherof is for instruction The 2d For tryal The 3. For exhortation The 4. For reproof and expostulation The 1. Use I say â—s for â—nstruction would ye know and be instructed in a main piece of a Christian walk and practice here it is to be often reflecting on your bygone way and hearing what Conscience sayeth of it To belooking from your youth up what ye have done what have been your more habitual thoughts words and actions and hearing what Conscience sayeth of them of such a word or discourse of such a voyage or journey and so of other actions and to be putting it to passe it's Sentence on them and to be trying whether we have peace in them and Conscience it 's good Testimony concerning them or not To this purpose we might alleadge that place Rev. 4. v. 6 8. Which we suppose to be mainly and most properly meant of tender Ministers of the Gospel yet it may well by proportion be applyed to tender privat Christians Where these Four beasts are said to have eyes before and behind and to be ful of eyes within Eyes before intimating that they should be tender in finding out what is to be done Eyes within intimating that they should be watchful over their own heart and way over their own present frame walk looking not only before behinde and about them but within themselves And
We would labour in our self-examination to be up at that distinctnesse that through grace may be win at that we may be so very clear as to be in case to say I wot well I was right at such a time and wrong at such another time in this I was right and in that I was wrong yea so clear and distinct would we be as we might if called to it be ready to give our oath on it as Paul doth in the place we spoke on before viz. Roâ— 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ sayes he and lie not my conscience bearing me witness in the holy ghost There would not be guessing at things but we would be throughly distinct and clear Therefore Iob speaking of the evidences of his integrity Chap. 31. Proposeth them by way of curse being so very confident that he durst confirm what he asserted with a curse on himself if it should be found to be otherwise then he said 2dly We would examine and look on our way till we be brought under some suitable impression of the awe and dread of the Majesty of God and of his absolute Dominion and Soveraignity over us Thus holy Iob sayeth of himself when thus exercised Chap 31. v. 23. Destruction from the Almighty was a terrour to me and by reason of his highness I could not endure We never follow our self-examination far enough till it leave some impression of this kind on our Spirits 3dly It would be followed till we be affected with what discovery we get in the search of our own way It s not enough barely to take a look or view of it but we would I say look on it so as we may be suitably affected with it that either it may give us solid peace and joy from clearness that we are right or else a sensible touch with the sharpness of a challenge for that whereof we are clearly convinced is wrong And men are never rightly exercised in the work of self-examination and of reflection on their Conscience till something of this be there is a great difference betwixt bare light and a well informed and tender Conscience Consciences sense of a thing is of more weight and is more divine and hath some more of the Majesty of God in it then bare Light or conviction of the Judgement It will neither smile nor â—rown but it will suitably affect the man with some inward comfort or sorrow For it representeth God either as smiling or â—rowning 4ly We would follow this work of self-examination and self-reflection till we be clear and fully perswaded as to the Duty we are called to after such Examination as when a man findeth things to be wrong Conscience will say there is here a necessity of Repentance and humiliation and of flying to Jesus Christ for taking away the guilt thereof and of setting about the righting and amending of things and till a man come to be clear in that which he is called to by self-examination he followeth it not â—th a right and as he ought to do The Apostle speaking of worldly and of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. Giveth these evidences of godly sorrow a fruit of self-examination that it not only was waited in the Corinthians with a fight of the Fault but it touched them in the quick for it and affected them with holy indignation at it and with true zeal to have it removed And that with all it suffered them not to rest till they indeavoured by all means a clearing of themselves Behold sayeth he v. 11. the self same thing ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you â—ea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation c. A man that â—ffers to â—et about self-examination and yet lyes still in the fault that is discovered thereby and is no more affected with it then if he were not at all guilty of it nor any more now after the discovery made in the search inclined to flee to Christ then when he began his self-examination is sure not right We would therefore seriously recommend to you these Four to be well headed and carried along with you in your prosecuting this work of self-examinaâ—on To press this a little we would consider these three 1. The clearness of the duty 2. The profitableness and excellency of it 3. The necessity of it By all which we may be convinced of a necessity lying upon us to press it and upon you to practise it The Lord himselâ— bear in upon us all with a strong hand the conviction of the necessity of it For the first It is as clear a duty as it is for you to come to the Church to hear as it is to read or to pray or to sanctify the Lords day Hence it is that 1. It is so often commanded as Lâ—m. 3. 40. Hagg â— 5. Gal. â— 4. and Psal. 2. 4. Communâ— with your heart upon your beds or speak with your hearâ— or with your Conscience as often in the Old Testament the heart is put for the conscience for it 's the Conscience property that giveth the answer and not the heart So 2 Cor 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the saith prove your own selves c. the command is doubled nay someway tripled 2. It 's clear also from the ordinary practise of the Saints as hath been formerly instanced so that hardly will ye find a tender man but he is thus exercised and the more tender he be the more is he so Tender David was much exercised this way as he gives an account Psal. 119. 59. I thought saith he on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies For the 2d viz. the profitableness and excellency of it it is not only a commanded duty but a choise mean for bringing about many excellent ends I shall instance its excellency amongst others in these three respects 1. it 's excellent in this respect as it is a most clear fresh and refreshful evidence of a tender walk and of a man that maketh Conscience of his way He that doth truth saith Christ Iohn 3. 21. cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God He is not only content to abide a trial but he putteth himself to it He bringeth his deeds to the light to see if they be wrought in God on the contrary he that doth evil hateth the light and cometh not unto it lest his deeds should he reproved Must not this then be an excellent duty which is so clear a character and property of one that walketh tenderly in all duties Nay let all duties be put together without this none of them nor all of them in a conjunction can evidence a mans tenderness for it 's this that giveth him as it were a grip of his duties and putteth them to the touch-stone and sheweth what reality is in them what are to be looked 〈◊〉 acceptable to God through Christ what not without this
pursuing our selves as if we were pleading for God against our selves and hereby endeavouring a composed and fixed divine frame of Spirit as being in a special way before him whose deputy the Conscience â—s and in such a frame reviewing our heart and way it will not be every Frame nor any common frame of Spirit that will fit and dispose to go rightly about this businesse 3dly We would be frequent in this Duty and would not sufâ—er reckonings to run long on for if they do it maketh the work the more difficult and thus alace it is with many They have been so long a esâ—aying of it and so little in it that they think it a desperat businesse to set about it now Whereas if men were weekly dayly and on the back of every Duty or Action stating and putting by their accounts it would be a great deal more easie It is with many as to this as it is with these who have a multitude of businesses on their hand râ—velled confused and through other Or as it is with these who have suffered their accounts to ly long over unfitted Whereas he that is dayly in this work is like a man that every day fitting and justing his accounts doth it easily and with little pains And therefore the Direction in short is that these who would have their spiritual Accounts easie would not suffer them to run long on 4ly We would be much in Prayer begin it with Prayer and carry Prayer along with it and aâ— the heart starts our from it by a look by a darted up-bâ—ink or eâ—aculation to God bring it back again and arrest it as it were and fix it before the Lord because the heart cannot possibly be kept any the least moment in Gods company if it be left to it self There would be a frequently renewed looking up to him to fix it I will saith the Lord Zech. 12. 10. pour upon the house of David and inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and shall â—ourn Christians are then tenderest when looking to God and so fittest for this Duty and would therefore be much in it 5ly We would not only look on it as a Duty but as a mean exceedingly contributive to our spiritual good to the preventing of sin to the promoving of 〈◊〉 to the keeping of our Conscience calm and quiet and to the attaining and maintaining of Peace as hath been said There are many things which we count to be hard and difficult because we consider not the great profit of them Therefore to make this insuperably like difficult Duty the more easie we would fill the eye of the Soul with the many and choice advantages that come by it O! such mortification of Lusts such progress and advances in holiness such thriving and growing in Grace with many other notable effects that it through Gods blessing produceth 6ly To make it easie we would in the going about it have a manifold respect to Jesus Christ by the exercise of Faith on him both in the undertaking and performing of it There is a respect to be had to Christ in all Duties but here as I just now said a manifold respect would be had to him 1 A respect would be had to him as our peace who only can purge and pacify the Conscience and take away guilt and wash us throughly from it It may be some under-take self-examination as a sort of pennance or whipping of themselves and indeed in that case it cannot but be a very hard exercise when they mind nothing but the bare ripping up of their sores and the making of them as it were to bleid but if they went about it with respect to Christ to bring and drive them to him as to the Physician that would make them to endure the smart and pain and would make the Duty far more easie the 〈◊〉 end of self-examination not being simply to affâ—ict us but to send us to Jesus Christ for cure 2ly Respect would be had to him not only as the healer of our sores and wounds but also as the inablet and strengthner of us to take a seriously reflecting view of them and to look upon them indifferently universally and impartially The First way of looking to him maketh us to go about this Duty not heartlesly but with hope And the Second way of looking to him for influence and help from him strengthneth us 3ly Respect would be had to him as the pardoner of Sin which is more generally hinted at in the first Respect and therefore as Sins are discovered in the search they would be brought to him for this end it makes it a very â—oilsome and unpleasant â—xercise when Souls come only to the Bar of Conscience to get its Sentence that mightily faints and they are ready in that case to rew that ever they looked after and searched out their Sin when they find nothing but bitterness in it Therefore we say that when a man hath gotten the Sentence of his Conscience he would come forward and bring his Sins to Christ and lay himself and them at his Feet and when Conscience hath past the Sentence of Condemnation on him he would flee to him for Abâ—olution This would make self-examination not to have such un-pleasantnesse and bitternesse in it as otherwayes it hath and can hardly but have and would much prevent our scarring at â—t and being frighted from it A 2d Objection Is this That some may think and say that if they shall essay this exercise they know not where to begin their condition is so confused that its like a revelled hesp or parcel of yarn they cannot find an end in it partly through their long and great neglect of the Duty partly through the confusion of their Spirits and their Sins looking out on them with a very formidable aspect To which we would Answer 1. That though it be so yet the Duty must not be delayed nor neglected The longer it be ere ye begin it will be on these and other accounts still the more difficult Therefore ye would fall the sooner about it and the more seâ—iously about it with the deeper humiliation for so much and so long neglecting of it and the greater dependence on God for his assistance to win at it 2ly In your going about it when ye discover much sin and find your case to be very confused if ye dar not hazard to wade as it were into the very midst of it at least at first ye would endeavour to piâ—ch on some particulars wherein ye may be distinct as Souldiers use to do with an Army that is too strong for them they are bussie in gathering up the Sâ—raglers as they come at them and fall on some smaller Parties Therefore such of you as seriously and sincerely mind this great work of self examination though ye may incline at first to fall in on the very bulk and heap of your Sins yet honestly
minding to balk â—one but to go through all before ye give over the work it will be better to betake your selves to the search and examination of such or such a particular Duty or of such or such a days work and duties and thus ye will win the better in on it and through it and the heap will grow the less But meddle not with another till ye have with some suitableness dispatched and put by this 3ly If ye cannot win for the time so to fix on particulars take your confused condition such as it is to think on a while and look not at this as nothing that ye have found your condition to be confused Davids condition was somewhat thus when he sayes Psal. 44. v. 15 My confusion is continually before me The taking and laying of your case confused as it is before God and your Conscience may help to humble and kindly to affect your heart 4ly The more confused your case be seek to take it so much the more to God and to draw the nearer to him let it be made a motive to set you on to deal the more seriously with him to dispel your darkness and confusion As Ieâ— does while he sayes Chap. 10. v. 15. I am full of confusion therefore see thou to my affliction As if he had said Lord I cannot ridde noâ— order my case therefore see thou to it and give me clearnesse For though a person have a confused condition yet he may be somewhat distinct in laying it out before God as it is and may be clear in what Conscience sayeth of it when it sayeth that it is confused 5ly Whether our condition be confused or noâ— we would be suitably affected with every particular that we find in it and this may be one reason of our confusion that we have more clearness then we improve well we see many things to be wrong but the â—ight affects us not neither do we suitably indeavour to â—epent of the evils which we see nor to amend them nor do 〈◊〉 flee to Jesus Christ to get them pardoned and cured But when the little clearness that we have is well improven it 's the way to get more but what need is there of more light and of more câ—earness when that which we have is not duely made use of A 3d. Objection is Some may think and say We are essaying self-examination and yet we find much difficulty to know and take up Conscience its language whether it be awell grounded challenge or an approving Testimony This Objection is much like unto that Question which we spoke to alittle in our second Sermon on Acts 24. v. 16. Viz. Whether Conscience its impulse might not sometimes be wrong To which we Answered affirmatively and do yet grant that it may mistake and be mistaken by us and what we said there for finding out the mind of Conscience may be useful here towards the answering of this Objection Yet we shall now speak a word further to it For Answer then we shall easily yeeld that it is indeed sometimes difficult to find out the mind to say so of Conscience and to understand its language in reflecting as well as in deliberating either 1. through the dimness of peoples Light that they scarcely know the Rule Or 2ly Through their being partial and negligent in comparing their way and actions with the Rule but either hide it wholly or at leâ—st some circumstances of it without bringing it forth and laying it to the Rule Or 3ly It may be through some byasâ—e in their affection that maketh them unsingle so that they will not take with a challenge when there is just ground for it or 4ly It may be from some unwarrantable and groundless prejudice at themselves and their own way so that they will not take a testimony from Conscience even when it giveth them a good one And therefore in your self-examination ye would carrie some advertisements along with you which will be helpful to find out the mind of Conscience 1. Ye would try whether Conscience be impartial and if 〈◊〉 speaketh to both hands to say so accusing â—n some things and excusing in others in some things speaking peace and in others challenging for sin for if when ye reflect Conscience speak all or only peace it is certainly wrong because in the best there is less or more guilt contracted in what ever ye go about but if beside what is right it points also at something that is wrong it is Consciences right language on the contrary when ye reflect if Conscience speak all to be wrong though there was some sincerity in your aim it is mistaken For when it speaketh a right it speaketh always according to the mind of God and what he sayes is wrong or right it sayes so of it also So in the epistle to Ephesus Rev. 2. As the Lord chargeth them that they are fallen from their first love so doth Conscience yet as he telleth them that there is something right in as far as they had laboured for his names sake and hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans which he hated c. So doth Conscience also testify the same and so in all the rest of the Epistles to these seven Churches as God is impartial in his Testimony so is Conscience when right 2ly Ye would advert to the ground of Conscience it 's speaking or to that on account of which it testifies for you or against you for as in our forbearing of one Action and in our choosing of another we are to forbear or to choose and proceed according as Conscience holdeth ouâ— clear light and reason for it So upon the back of any Action or Duty performed when we go to reflect we would try the ground whether of Conscience it's challenge or of it's good Testimony If it challenge and accuse try well whether it be indeed a sin for which it doth so if it approve and speak peace try on what ground it doth so Conscience will some way testifie of the Action but ye would try if it be sinful or not according to the Word ol God Which supposeth knowledge in the thing and of the mind of God concerning it wherein any especially more considerable defect even in conscientious and â—ender Christians is waited with its own prejudice Hence it came to passe as the Apostle gives us an accouâ—t Rom. 14. that many of the primitive Christians through the weaknesse of their knowledge were made to judge such and such things to be wrong as the eating of such and such meats their Conscience judging according to their knowledge when yet indeed the matter was not wrong though as the Apostle there sayeth To him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean Therefore we would be the more holily jealous over our selves least we found our peace on a deluded Testimony of our Conscience And for preventing of that we would put â—t to give its reason for and evidence of what
it testifieth for Conscience being but a subordinate Judge we must go to the law and to the testimony and see if it speaketh according to that otherwayes it will not be an honest aim or a good end proposed to our selves in the doing of such or such a thing or because we are in a pardoned state that will be sufficient to make the Action truly good and acceptable and to give us ground of peace 3ly Ye would advert and take good heed if Conscience challengeth equally for one sin as well as for another and for the neglect of one Duty as well as for the neglect of another and if as the sin is comparatively greater or lesser so its challenges be lesser or greater for if Conscience its challenge lead you to the Word the more weight that the Word layeth on sin the more weight will Conscience lay upon it when it is right Sometimes persons will be challenged for some things much extrinsick to Religion or for omitting this or that wherein very little if any thing of Religion consists or at least lyeth very remoâ—e who yet will not be much troubled for taking of Gods name in vain or for neglect of Prayer and the like I remember the saying of a godly man to a Person under exercise for a little sin little in comparison of others for no sin is little in its own nature That he thought the hand or work of the Devil 〈◊〉 be in it to lay a ground for Spiritual Pride because the person was so much troubled with so â—ittle a thing or to divert from taking a view of grosser sins for their deeper humiliation when Conscience is right it challengeth equally and more or less as the sin is more or less aggravated It is an evil in this time that extrinsick and remoâ—e things trouble some so much while in the mean time known sins and duties are but little minded and laid to heart as iâ— forsooth the Consciences of such were more delicat and tender then the Consciences of the Saints of old Nay there are not a few who will disdain to be challenged for neglect of uncontroverted duties who yet make a great deal oâ— businesse and noise about these things that are but of little moment as if the whole and sum oâ— Religion lay in them This certainly shews a great deal of untenderness and slighting of Conscience what ever preâ—ensions may be made to the contrary and while a person is much or wholly taken up with an extrinsick or very little thing which it may be is but a meer circumstance and is more affected with and exercised about that then with and about another of far greater concernment it is not sure any aw of God nor of Conscience but somewhat flowing from the mans own Inclination or interest that so mightâ—ly influenceth and stirreth him in the one beyond what he is in the other 4ly Ye would advert in a special manner to this If Conscience in the challenge maketh the sin vile and abominable to you and your selves loathsome to your selves When Conscience whets to say so the edge of the challenge not only to the making of Gods wrath terrible and the awe fear and dread of him weighty but also to the deep affecting of our selves with the vilenesse and loathsomeness of the thing it s an evidence that the Conscience is right for as its a good token of the soundness of Repentance when it maketh sin as such loathsome so its a good token of Conscience speaking rightly when it holdeth forth convincingly the sinfulness of sin 〈◊〉 Ye may know when Conscience speaketh a right by the native fruits that follow upon it such as these 1. It maketh a deep impression of the awe of God and of the fear of sin on the heart It maketh the Spirit more composed stayed and present when after self-examination rightly gone about Conscience speaketh its own language for it knoweth that God speaketh and hath a sort of divinness with it 2ly It maketh the man more watchful and the loather to adventure on sin for the time to come 3ly It stilleth and calmeth the heart O! but that be a stately and majestick Word Psal. 46. Be still and know that I am God For we cannot conceive God to be speaking if we be right but the Spirit will be calmed to hear and will be gathered in from its waverings gadings and vaigings when it knoweth that he speaketh all which we may see Psal. 4. 3. 4. Stand in awe and sin not Where he exhorteth to holy fear and watchfulness and the mean to bring both about is Commune with your hearts upon your beds Betake your selves to this work as if he had said of self examination and then the 3d. Follows Be still as being stayed and fixed quieted and calmed against reilling-to and fro up and down and against all strugling with God and fretting at his providence because ye have to do with him and not with men We shall not proceed further for the time only ye may see from what hath been said if we look singly on it that there is here a most clear useful and necessary duty at all times and more especially at this time We say especially at this time for these reasons 1. Because of the common and general security and formal way of going about duty that is stollen in amongst Christians at this time and there cannot be a better mean to help this then to give our selves to the exercise of self-examination and to the tryal of our wayes This seriously gone about would make us reâ—ze and stir up our selves in good earnest to cry mightily to God and if this be a time that hath such an evil in it as great security and formality and if this be a duty that may throw Gods blessing help the same let none complain of over liness coldness and life-lesnesse in Religion that is not seriously minding and going about this as a necessary profitable and excellent mean to amend it 2ly Because there is much false bulk and empty shew of a profession Which we are afraid but a very little tryal will quickly evidence and discover to be so even to be unsure work I will not say but there may be some sickernesse and solidity in the profession of some but it is to be feared that many others are but building castles in the air castles of come down when the rain shall descend the winds blow and the floods beat having much more shew then substance and solid work and the way to make it sicker sure and solid work that will abide the tryal is to lay it to the Rule and to try it thereby many profest Christians are like to foolish builders who build by guess and by rule of thumb as we use to speak and not by Square and Rule and if they have but bulk enough they look not much to the solidity and straightness of the Fabrick There are many engadgements come under many fastings
prayers hearings of the Word c. which are good in themselves and commendable but there would be Self-examination to see what solidity is in them all else we will be like the men who expend all their stock on the stone and timber-work of a large house and leave nothing to plenish and furnish it within whereas when a person is suitably and seriously taken up with Self-examination it maketh a house to speak so though it should be lesse to be well filled and furnished and albeit there be no great noise of a Profession there yet there is more kindly Repentance more seriousnesse in Prayer and in other Duties more profiting by hearing of the Word and more holinesse of Life then where this exercise of Self-examination and reflection is either altogether or very much neglected albeit there should be then a far greater profession 3ly Because we have been engadged in and have put many things to say so through our hands these years past and we are afraid that many have not much consulted nor looked well into Conscience in medling with them There have been several strange un-couth and scarcely heard of things in the way of some and lesser failings slips and escapes in the way of others and no doubt the lesse pains was taken by men to be cleared and satisfied in their Conscience before such things were medled with and ingadged in there would be so much the more pains taken now to reflect on them when past and to bring them in before Conscience to receive it's verdict of them and sure we can never walk for time to come with that straightnesse and solidity if we be not at some point by Self-searching as to things past and present 4ly Because if we know not what hath been right or wrong in things past the dispensations of divine providence which we have met with call aloud on us to examine what God speaketh to us by them for he hath made us to be witnesses of very strange things of publick dispensations such as neither we nor our fathers ever saw the like and hath not this same place in particular fallen under strange providences both as to our Temporals and Spirituals and if the dispensations of God call and press any to this exercise of Reflection and Examination then certainly they call and press us to it Therefore seing we are called to this not only as a duty common to all times but as somewhat peculiar to this time and to us in this place we would make the more Conscience of it and would also know that if it be slighted the greater will our guiltiness be that have so many things urgently calling us to it Whether then ye remember all or most or many particulars or not remember and carry along with you this general that ye have a Conscience and that ye are called and concerned to remember to reflect on and to examine your wayes at the Bar of Conscience well informed by the Word And if ye be suitably serious in the general God will graciously condescend to lay particular helps to your hand SERMON III. 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards IF a tender Christian walk be an excellent thing and if the rejoycing of a good Conscience that floweth from it be an excellent thing then sure it must be a very excellent and desirable thing to study thorow acquaintance with our own heart and way and to try our particular carriage by our Conscience informed by the Word This practice having so much influence on a tender walk and being so conduceable to a well-grounded rejoycing in God for doubtless there can be nothing more contributive to these notable and noble ends then to give Conscience its due regard and place and to lay due weight upon it in its passing censure of our way and to be clear and distinct in its sentence of our by-past carriage and proceedings We may say of Conscience in this work as Solomon sayes of that King Prov. 20. 8. Who sitting on the throne of judgement scattereth away all evil with his eyes When Conscience as the great and soveraign God his Deputy sits on its Throne as it were it hath a Divine Authority and Majesty whereby it scattereth all these evils that haunt the heart so that they cannot endure and stand before it but must flee away And because this hath so very much influence on a Christian walk we shall speak a word further to what flowes from the Doctrine proposed the other day and it shall be for an Use of Reproof and Expostulation which we named as the 4th Use of it to and with Christians that profess to have a tender walk and yet much slight this duty which is a main part of it and singularly helpful to the whole of it for if the search of our way and the trying of it by Conscience be a main piece and part of a tender Christian walk â—o that they who are much in the one have also much of the other and none have been of a tender Conscience and walk but they have been tender in this part of it to have Conscience its sense and Testimony of their by-past walk then there is ground of Reproof to and Expostulation with these who either neglect or slight it and this is it that we would now speak to even to reprove and expostular with many profest Christians who would be loath to be accounted gross and untender in their walk who yet neglect this so main a piece of a Christianly tender walk and before we fall on particulars we would speak a little to â—ome evidenceâ— for making it out what just ground there is to reprove and expostulat on this account even for the neglect of so clear and profitable a duty And 1. May we not in the general charge most for an utter neglect of this and all for much overlinesse in it ask your own Consciences if ye were called to an account before God how ye would answer as to this particular durst ye say that ye have made Conscience seriously and suitably to reflect upon your case and way and that ye have been tenderly concerned to find out what was right and what was wrong in it and to have Conscience its approbatory or condemnatory sense and sentence thereof to be affected answerably as you found matters betwixt God and you We are sure there is none of us though we can say we have been going about other duties of Religion such as Prayer Reading and hearing of the Word c. But we have reason to charge our selves with much guilt as to our little serious going about this particular duty to be dumb and silent and to go with a stopped mouth before God is there any that can say I have been clean
in this matter A 2d evidence may be taken from the sad effects that in our way follow the neglect or overly performance of this duty Which when found they may let us know and convince us that it is either much slighted or quite neglected And 1. We would ask you how many are acquainted with and seen in their own Souls Condition or could on distinct grounds as having examined and tryed their heart and way passe Sentence upon their case and say thus and thus it is with me And if ye be un acquainted with your own case does not that say undenyably that ye walk by guess as it were and not according to this Rule 2ly What means the exceeding great security presumption and self-conceit that many are in and under concerning themselves and their way Which not flowing from a well-grounded perswasion of the streightnesse thereof must it not necessarily flow from their neglect of this self-reflection and tryal And whence I pray is it that there is so little repentance for sin Is it because there is no sin nor ground of quarrel No certainly it must therefore be from mens not reviewing of and reflecting on themselves and their way that they may find it out which plainly sayes that this evil is predominant 3ly â—ook to the abounding of sin to the little grouth of mortification to the livelinesse of Lusts to the roume that Idols have in the heart and its gading after them will not these declare that most persons but very seldome bring themselves before the Tribunal of their Conscience otherwayes lusts durst not set up their heads as they do This King would scatter away all evils with his eyes And men would not have such delight in them if they were often arraigning them at this Bar. 4ly What means the little solid peace and rejoycing in God that most professors have and their living in such a fluctuating and conjectural way Is it not from this that they do not examine and put to the tryal the grounds of their peace and joy Now all these sad and woful evidences and effects being put together it is beyond all doubt that there is at this time among us much neglect of this duty of self-examination by the Consciencious discharge whereof these dreadful effects might be removed These Evidences of the neglect of this duty being palpable we come now in the Second place closse to the reproof of it and expostulation for it and is there not iust ground for both I dar say if many of you were alked about this duty it would be found to be an unknown duty to you a duty that ye walk not under the conviction of its necessity a duty that ye are not mourning for the neglect of nor imploying Jesus Christ for grace to get it suitably performed and can that think ye be a tender walk that is so very short and defective in so main a duty and in so great a piece and part of a tender walk when especially persons are not duely sensible of it nor suitably affected with it Let me but ask such of you who make little account of the neglect of this duty these few questions 1. Do ye think that there is such a thing spoken of in the Word of God and that there is such a thing within you as a Conscience and if ye think ye have Consciences have ye them for no end nor use or will ye let them as it were be in you and ly by you as things given you to no purpose 2ly I ask you is there nothing in your case or way that needeth a review Is all right and nothing out of order will ye own these to be truths If not ought not this mean to be used for helping you to find out what is wrong and what is right if any thing be right It were a strange thing for a profest Christian to think or say that he is altogether right and that he needs not to examine himself and yet he must either think this or else he sayes on the matter that he eares not whether he be right or wrong which indeed the practice of many sayes plainly or he must examine to find out what is right and what is wrong 3ly I would ask you do you think that your Conscience will be alwayes quiet because ye command it not to speak or rather is there not a time coming when it will speak whether ye will or not or do ye think because ye have no remembrance of your faults that your forgetting of them now will blot them out of your Consciences Register or rather should ye not judge your selves that ye may not be judged According to the Apostles word 1 Cor. 11. v. 31. And on the contrary should ye not think that if ye do not judge your selves ye will most certainly be judged 4ly I would ask you is it not better to put your Consciences to speak in time when things may be righted and amended then to let them ly over and sleep till they be past remedy O! When will ye consider and lay to heart what trouble terrour and confusion reacheth and taketh hold on the Consciences of many at death and will do so much more at the day of Judgement and if it were not much better in time to try things and find out what is right and what is wrong that Conscience may not have a just ground of challenge against you in that day and may not have it to say to you ye never owned me when ye was living in the World and now I will read to you a fearful Inditement and Dittay that hath stood long on record against you And upon this arises the horrour and gâ—awing worm that never dies hence is the fire blown that never is quenched all which I say flow from Conscience representing to men and women in a most formidable manner their way which before they would never believe nor once seriously put the matter to the tryal whether it would do so or not In further prosecution of this Use and to make that the more plain which we would mainly be at in it We shall 1. Speak a little to several sorts of persons who we suppose are guilty of the neglect of this duty 2. A little to the evils that follow and flow from the guilt of this neglect 3. To the causes oâ— their continuing in this sinful neglect 4. A little to what may â—irect towards the facilitating and making easy the practice of this duty and to the making of it profitable and useful For the First of these viz. the several sorts of persons that are guilty of the utter neglect of the duty or of much short-coming and overlinesse in performing it They may be reduced to these Six The 1. Soft are they that make no Conscience at all of any thing in Religion that never knew what it was to make Conscience to pray read the word confer on it repent or of any other duty
what wonder is it that such persons neglect to reflect and look back on their way and to examine themselves for as Iob sayeth Chap. 24 v. 17. Of the morning to the Adulterers their way to them is as the shadow of death Yet even these would know for a certainty that their Consciences will speak and so much the more terribly as now they neglect to take any notice of them A 2d Sort make a kind of Conscience of external duties in Religion such as hearing prayer reading the Scripture and the like but do neglect more spiritual and inward duties such as the mortification of sin the humbling of the heart for it wrestling with God to have victory over it meditation and the like Now this duty which we are pressing being of that sort and serving not a little to further Repentance and mortification and to make serious in prayer they must and cannot but neglect it because they design nor neither aim at these ends to which it is subservient A 3d. Sort are such who may now and then have a sort of tendernesse in the performance of some duties and in abstaining from several sins and yet they mind not nor make Conscience at all of this duty I suppose there are many of you who have your own times for prayer reading and the like who take no 〈◊〉 all for this duty I would asâ— such of you if you can make Conscience of other duties because God commands them who make no Conscience of this Seing its as clearly commanded as any of these deceive not your selves God will not be mocked A 4th Sort are such as make some essayes or rather mints to go about even this duty but are overly generall confuâ—ed indistinct soon satisfied and put to a stand in it taking only a hasty view of it in the by or a little transient look of it when they go to prayer but fall not purposly about it as a distinct duty and an up taking work do not dwell upon and insist in it to have the circumstances of their actions and way un-folded laid open made naked and bare at the Bar of Conscience A 5th Sort may come some length in the duty but they follow not the work till they be suitably affeâ—ted humbled and made serious much less till the duty be made delightsome to them tilâ— iâ— six an impression of the Majesty of God on them and lay a necessity on them to imploy Christ more but it is with them in this matter as Iames speaketh Chap. 1. of these Who beholding their natural face in a glass go their way and forget what manner of persons they are The fruit of their Self-examination is either not attained or it hath little or no impression on them and this is it which maketh men not to be in love with the duty because they follow it not till they get somewhat of the lovely fruit of it And here many even Believers are as to several degrees guilty A 6th Sort are also here reproveable who though they come a little further to look on their way and to desire Conscience its sense thereof and to be affected with what they find in the search yet they seek not to be distinct and throughly clear in the matter Neither are they impartial in setting about to discover every thing that is wrong in their condition but some come to look and see what is right to strengthen on the matter at least their security others come to see what is wrong which is somewhat indeed preferable to the other to strengthen their unbelief or mis-believing jealousies of themselves and so make it a sort of Pennance to themselves as if they were putting themselves on the Rack whereas an impartial search and examination of our way which is the thing called for sets us on seriously to discover what is right and what is wrong in our condition and accordingly to take and be affected with it but there is scarce any one or other but one way or other they faâ—l and are more or less guilty in this matter which would put all according to their respective guilt to be humbled before the Lord to seek his pardon and grace to amend That we may be brought to loath the neglect and overly performance of this duty I â—all in the 2d place name some evils that it brings with it and that in these Four respects 1. As it evidences and speaks out a very untender frame for if it evidence a tender frame to be exact in this duty then it certainly speaks out an untender frame to neglect it or to be superficial in it and where the neglect or superficiariness are habitual and regnant they are shrewd evidences of an evil state The utter neglect of it sayes 1 That such a man cares not for God and stands not in aw of him that he cares not whether God be well pleased or evil pleased when he will not so much as reflect and see if there be an enemy to God within him 2. It speaks out little respect to Conscience and sayes that men care not whether Conscience be for them or against them Yea it sayes that they think on the matter at least that its an useless thing to have a Conscience and can he possibly be a tender man that is not tender in respect to his Conscience 3. It speaks furth a man not to be in love with holinesse for â—f Self-examination be a notable mean to promove holinesse and if none without it can be holy if there can be no Repentance for Sin no Mortification c. without it Then sure the man that neglects it cares not for holines It evidences a man to be void of all Religion fearlesse of Judgement and careless whether his Debt be payed or not when he will not so much as search out what he is owing 2ly We may consider the neglect of this duty as â—t is exceedingly obstructive to the great spiritual good and advantage that a man should aim aâ— in the mortification of Sin and lively performance of duties viz. To obtain solid peace and communion with God and to have any measure of discerning or spiritual feeling thereof and can any of these be win at without this Can ye pray seriously can ye repent can ye mortify sin Can ye praise God or delight in him who have not been reâ—ecting to find out sin to repent for nor considering whether there â—e any Grace in you for which ye should be thankful And for spiritual joy can a man possibly have it if he know not how it stands with him before God And a man can never know how â—t stands betwixt God and him till he be in some measure clear how it stands with him before his Conscience or betwixt him and his Conscience 3ly Consider further the evil of this neglect in respect of its sinfulnesse in it self and indeed it is exceeding sinful as its a neglect oâ— clear duty and a breach of a
or thing that is well done is soon done A 4th Cause may be which also respects even Believers that we are disposed to think if we be alwayes about some duty it matters not so much what duty it be And hence it often cometh â—o passe that the time that should be spent in self-examination we spend it in prayer reading or conference which readily go the worse with uâ— that examination is so much neglected Therefore there would be warinesse and circumspection here because that which giveth peace is not so much to be much in duty as it is to be in the duty that we are called â—o for the time there being a linking of duties to another in a Christian walk as so many Jewels Precious-stones or Pearls in a Chain Neck-lace or Bracelet so as they streâ—gthen and help one another Meditation helps Prayer and Prayer self-examination and self-examination helps Prayer and every other duty And that which beautifies and adorns the Chain of a tender Christian Walk is the ordering and setting of every duty in its own place every thing being beautiful in its own season and place Thus the blessed man is said Psal. 1. To bring forth his fruit in his season In the 4th Place according to the method proposed We would very briefly give you a few Directions for facilitating the practice of this duty and for making it succesful and profitable and to this purpose 1. Learn to make Conscience of all the pieces and steps of your way and this will give you the better heart to look back on it if Christians were tender in their walk it would bread ease to them in this duty in Two respects 1. It would make it sweet and refreshing not having an evil and challenging Conscience to meet with 2. It would leave some savoury impression of the duty upon them which helps to reflect with profit whereas when they post through duty to speak so and when they have done know not what they have been doing how can they reflect A 2d Direction is Ye would be much in laying out the 〈◊〉 of your way before God in prayer ye would not only be much in the petiâ— parâ— of prayer but also much in confession in reading over as it were the legend of your life to God heaâ—tily acknowledging his grace in that which is good and righâ— and humbly taking with that which is evil and wrong for when â—e study to look over and review your â—ay in prayer it helps you to get the better and more impartial sight of the particulars thereof in exam nation and when ye do not dwel in a manner on the thoughts of your way in prayer it makes it the more uncouth and confused to you in examination Thus when the Sabbath comes we would be particular in conâ—essing to God in prayer the sins that haunts us that day and this would help to examination and examination would help to be yet more particular in prayer 3ly As for other durâ—es so for this ye would have your set times of purpose I say for this duty as well as for prayer and would let no other duty shuffâ—e it out of its own place and season for when we leave the time thereof at an uncertainty we readily shiâ—t and neglect it As in prayer though we would observe and take hold of all providential opportunities for it yet that doth not hinder but we have and should have our particular set times for it so ought it to be here Therefore it s said Psal. 4. Commune with your â—earts or Examine your seâ—ves upon your beds 4ly This set time would be when persons are most fresh and fit for the duty and have the â—aitest opportunity to insist in and to dwel on it and to follow it till they be suitably affected with it and till somewhat of it be reached for when we straiten our selves and take not such a time as is fit for the duty we will not get it followed out to any purpose and get time also for prayer and other duties and that causeth overlinesse readily in all We would therefore take such a time for this duty that we may not so far as we can forecast be diverted and drawn away from it by some other thing 5ly When some other thing not then necessary breaks in to divert and draw us away from it we would take our selves again and again and endeavour to bring our hearts back and up to the duty that they get not leave to break louse for if the heart get a custom of gading and admitting of diversions it will never readily suffer us to be serious in this duty And therefore by all means when ye go about this duty of self examination beware of and guard against the intrusion of other thoughts whither they be vain or thoughts of things that may be at another time profitable but at that time impertinent 6ly In your review of your condition or in your self-examination endeavour to find out and acknowledge the good as well as the evil that is in it and to find out the evil as well as the good and to â—e answerably affected with joy and thanksgiving for that which is good and with grief and sorrow for that which is evil 7ly Endeavour to have your Self examination alwayes in the close of it leaving some kâ—ndly impression of your own sinfulnesse and unworthiness and of the necessity usefulnesse and worth of Gods Grace on you and laying and leaving you at Christs Feet for a remedy of every thing amisse in your condition This is â—he great scope and design of this duty and of all we have discoursed on it even to send us to Châ—ist and this should be the effect of it to leave us on him which would make the exercise of it heart some pleasant and profitable to us SERMON IV. 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in 〈◊〉 and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you wards THere is hardly any thing excellent and very singularly profitable to men but it hath some more then ordinary difficulty in the way of coming at it notwithstanding whereof they are not deterred nor detained from pursuing after it the consideration of its excellency with the expectation of the great incomes of advantage and profit by it makes them the more easily comport with the difficulty of it and to think all their labour well bestowed in overcoming that difficulty So we may truly say of the serious exercise of godlinesse that it is so transcendently excellent as being that which beautifully conforms the rational to the image of God and capacitats the same to enjoy fellowship with him wherein its true glory and excellency incontrovertibly consists and so very profitable even profitable to all things as nothing else in the world is having the promise of the life that
now is and of that which is to come That the greatest difficulties should not fright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor faint us in the vigorous constant and closse pursuit of it We shall not deny but that this piece of godlinesse in particular that lyes in the conscientiously tender ordering and disposal of all our actions in order to wining at the joyful Testimony of our Conscience concerning them hath much difficulty in it as being contrary to the natural levity wavering and instability of our hearts and mightily opposed by Satan as gready prejudicial to his interest in the Soul yet it is so very excellent and so exceeding useful and profitable to the Christian as we made appear from our last discourse on these words that all the difficulty of it may be the more easily digested It hath as the other duties of Religion have when rightly gone about its reward in the bosome thereof O! what sweet peace what strong consolation and what unspeakable joy hath the Apostle here from the Testimony of his Conscience after discovering his actions to be so ordered by this serious Self-reflection and examination whereof special notice would be taken We shall therefore now proceed to Observe some things more particularly from the Text to this purpose First then Observe That when Conscience is well pleased with a mans way it will give a Testimony for him or when Conscience hath put a mans way to proof it will not only in the general speak its sense but when his way is well ordered and squared according to the Rule and he in his design is found straight and to have taken his aim right Conscience will after Examination excuse and bear him witnes to his joy Thus is Paul dealt with here by his Conscience This is our rejoycing saith he the testimony of our conscience Which is not simply Conscience speaking but Conscience speaking for vindicating him from these aspersions that were cast upon him or excusing him as the word is Rom. 2. 15. And testifying that he was not the man that some men counted him to be He had this Testimony That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God he had his conversation in the world and more abundantly toward them in Corinth Which after search he found to be so That which we spoke of the nature of Conscience makes this out for Conscience when right speaks of things as they indeed are and holds forth the mind of God and gives sentence according to it when he is well pleased to declare and pronounce pardon and peace and when he is displeased to declare anger and as it were to denunce War Whereof we would make this Use Even to learn not only to study to know take up and discern the work 〈◊〉 Conscience in challenging and accusing which for â—ost part it doth having so much ground to do so but â—so its work in absolving excusing and giving a good Testimony 2ly Observe That the Testimony of Conscience or its bearing witnes for a man after reflecting upon and searching of his way is exceeding refreshful comfortable and joyous This is our rejoycing saith the Apostle the testimony of our conscience There is nothing more heartsome refreshing and cheering to a tender walker neither can there readily be any thing on this side heaven more solacious and joyous to him then when he hath examined his Conscience to find it testify for him This is the great ground of Pauls joy and rejoycing though he lived in the midst of manifold temptations and tribulations and was accounted to be the most contemptible of men Even as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things Yet he had solid peace and joy on this ground that when he looked back on his way in the discharge of his Ministry his Conscience bare him witnes that he had been single and faithful therein And as it was thus with Paul so it hath been with many of the Lords people who have humbly boasted and rejoyced in this Testimony of their Conscience within when men have spoken evil of them reproached and reviled them without For further clearing of this point we would consider a little 1. Some particular Cases wherein this Testimony of Conscience proves in a special manner refreshing and rejoycing 2ly We would consider the particular grounds and attendants of this refreshing and joy whereby we will easily see that this Testimony of Conscience for a man upon the search of his way is a singularly good thing for before a man search his way he cannot solidly acquiesce in the Testimony that Conscience gives of it nor can look on it as well grounded because he is not nor can be sure whether there be any ground and warrand for it or not whereas when he hath suitably searched for the ground and warrand where they are they will readily discover themselves to him As to the particular Cases wherein this Testimony proves singularly refreshing and joyous they are these and the like 1. In a Case of external crosses and troubles in the World none of these much move a man that hath this Testimony of his Conscience it gives him sweet peace amidst them all We see what mighty troubles Paul was under Chap. 11. v. 25 26 27. Yet he can and doth rejoyce in the midst of them 2. When external crosses and losses have sad aggravations attending them such as the contempt and reproach of the men of the World when he is calumniously represented as one that turns the world up side down and who is deservedly so dealt with Conscience its Testimony in that case gives him peace quietness and joy which is the very case wherein the Apostle here rejoyceth on this account A 3d. Case is When inward challenges and temptations accompany outward afflictions when these are mustered up before and make an assault on the poor afflicted man and when there are some fearful apprehensions of Gods displeasure born in upon him Then O! then Consciences Testimony gives wonderful quietnesse as we may see it doth to holy Iob who sayeth in this case Chap. 27. v. 6. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live So Chap. 31. throughout and sure it must be solid and well-grounded quietnesse rest and repose of Soul that calms a man in this case 4ly When the person draws near unto death and when this King of Terrours formidably musters all his Forces and when there is no escaping out of his hand and when all comforts fail and stand by as so many muts not having one word to say for the dying mans relief or ease this Testimony doth then readily come forth in its strength toward the quieting refreshing and rejoycing of his heart and makes him boldly and withou◠〈◊〉 fear encounter death as the experience of Hezekiah and many others of the Saints recorded in the Scriptures maketh clear 2ly Consider whence this joy comes or the grounds and attendants of the joy which this
Testimony yeelds which are Fourfold 1. It hath with it inward quietness strength and comfort The well grounded approving Testimony of the Conscience calms the heart amidst all storms of outward troubles or of inward challenges and tentations and puts them all to silence it doth fortify the heart to bear out in what ever tryal it proves not only comfortable in the holding off challenges but hath a joy and refreshing flowing immediately from the very Testimony it self even a singularly sweet joy that floorishes and flows over and above these and keeps the heart in a calm serenity The peace of God sayeth the Apostle Phil. 4. 7 shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus Consciences Testimony warrantably speaking peace is like a garison planted about the heart keeping it as an impregnable and invincible strong Hold or Fort So that no troubles nor temptations from without nor stirrings of Corruption or Challenges from within do sooner to say so set out their head but it overmatcheth them and preserves the heart quiet in despyt of them all 2ly This does also accompany this Testimony as a ground of joy even the clearing up of the persons interest in Christ and the evidencing of their sincerity and the truth and reality of the work of Grace in them Which is very strengthning and comforting when a man hath put his way to the tryal in the court of Conscience and found it to be squared according to the Rule of the Word and hath Consciences Testimony therein for him It sweetly evidences to him his sincerity and so the truth of his interest in Christ which is attended with unspeakable joy 3ly This Testimony gives boldnesse and accesse with confidence to God to go heartsomly and familiarly to him in prayer under the multitude of temptations crosses and reproaches and is not this ground of great refreshing and joy When a man may go to God and pour out his very heart in his bosome may not only tell him what he needs but also expect a gracious hearing and return from him in whatsoever is needful If our hearts sayes Iohn 1 Epistle Chap. 2. v. 22. condemn us not we have confidence towards God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do these things that are pleasant in his sight Though the man be empty-handed for the time and hath not in himself whereupon he can be for the honour of God either by suffering or doing he may with humble boldnesse present his suit to God and expect from him whatsoever is good and needful for the man himself and what ever may be for his own honour in him and by him 4ly This Testimony of a good Conscience hath attending it a clearing up-making fresh and lively hope of eternal Life and of a comfortable glorious and satisfying out-gate from all the difficulties temptations and troubles that he is in at present or may be in for the future it will make him according to his measure say as Paul doth 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Hence forth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. And by thus clearing up the Christians hope of eternal life an entrance is ministred unto him abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as Peter hath it 2. Ep. ch 1. v. 11. And must it not be exceedingly and even unspeakably refreshing and joyful to the Christian to have all these trysting together in his Case even while he is here sojourning in the earth doubtlesse it must The First Use of this Doctrine serves for exhorting and beseeching you all to study and be in love with a good Conscience its unknown what solid sweet peace and joy ye may have by it O! Endeavour through Grace to be so tender straight and upright in your aim to have a good Conscience in all things that when ye reflect on your way ye may have its good Testimony There will most certainly be more peace found in this then in the greatest abundance of all earthly comforts though combined together at their very best Can any of these calm a mans mind in a storm of challenges for sin and of the terrours of death Do they not often rather leave men in greater anxiety and perplexity then if they had never injoyed them Yea often in the very mean time of these injoyments and in the midst of the carnal joy and laughter that results from them the heart is sad through the want of the Testimony of a good Conscience Therefore we exhort you in the Name of the Lord as ye would have a pleasant and cheerful life and a comfortable and joyful death labour to have a good Conscience in all things that when ye reflect on it it may testify for and speak good of and to you This as Solomon sayes Is a continual feast in Life and a soveraign cordial against the terrour of Death The 2d Use serves To let us see the rise reason and cause of the great anxiety perplexity and vexation that is among most men so that they toil night and day and have no satisfaction it s even this that they do not seek after the peace and joy that are founded upon and result from the Testimony of a good Conscience no wonder that such persons live and die utter strangers to all solid peace and joy which only grow on this Root This is a main cause also of the little peace and great heartlesnesse that is among even Believers themselves that either they are not so seriously endeavouring to have the Testimony of a good Conscience or they are not so careful to draw their rejoyceing from it but are untender in their walk or are as so many Bees fleeing from this flower to the other of worldly injoyments seeking to suck some sweetnesse and satisfaction from them and doe not as it becomes them reflect on Conscience that they may have a Testimony of sincerity from it and that on that ground they may be quiet cheerful and joyful The 3d. Use Serves To discover to us what mighty prejudice flows from and follows upon the neglect of a tender walk which layes the ground of this Testimony and on the neglect of self-examination a main piece of a tender walk which helpeth to draw forth this Testimony and therefore as ye would have this Testimony and the refreshing peace and joy that flow from it in Life and Death and as ye would have a heart holily triumphing over all crosses and difficulties afflictions and tribulations design and indeavour more through grace to have a tender walk that ye may lay a ground for this Testimony and study to be more frequent in Self-examination that thereby ye may extract and draw it forth clearly and convincingly for your peace comfort and joy Could many of you be but once prevailed with to prove and make tryal what a comfortable
guilty of many sins and yet be but very little or not at all challenged for them through the neglect of Self-examination 4ly That it requires much singleness in trying of Consciences Testimony whether it be well grounded or not for a man that hath his peace and joy to build on this Testimony must not take every shew and appearance of such a Testimony for the ground of his peace and joy but Conscience would be put to speak distinctly and on good ground for it that in this and that and the other thing there was some sincerity and this must be put to the proof and exactly tryed by the word whether it be so or not As we see here the Apostle did he tryeth his way and conversation and finds it to have been 〈◊〉 simplicity and godly sincerity c. From which premises to speak so he draws the refreshing conclusion of his joy and rejoycing Now if we look to all these or to any one of them whether to the rarity of it amongst most men yea even amongst Believers in some respect or to the exactnesse and tendernesse of walk that is requisit to be the ground of it or to the great difficulty that a man will find in coming at a through search of his way or to the diligence and singleâ— that is called for in the tryal of Conscience its Testimony we will find it to be a most clear and certain truth that it is not an ordinary nor easie business but very difficult to obtain the well grounded good and joyful testimony of Conscience as to our more general and particular conversation If it be so which is the â—se of the Doctrine Is it not a wonder from whence the peace that many pretend to comes Is it not a wonder that the most part of men and women can so easily affirm the Testimony of their Conscience to be for them when there is neither exactness of life not tenderness of walk nor diligence in Self-searching nor holy jealousie nor impartial and single trying whether it be well grounded or not And yet they will at the very first confidently pretend to Conscience its Testimony If many of you were put to it can you give such evidences or grounds for its Testimony as Paul does here If not how comes it to pass that ye are so ready confidently to lay claim to it And yet alaâ—e there is nothing more ordinary in the generality of these that are most carnal and secure then boldly to assert that they have a good Conscience and an honest heart Is not this very strange wonderful and even 〈◊〉 that under the clear Sun-shine of Gospel light Satan should get so great advantage as thus 〈◊〉 harden the hearts and blind the Consciences of so many poor wretched creatures and at this rate to deâ—ude and 〈◊〉 them as to prevail with them confidently to assert and maintain that which they call their honesty which yet is nothing else but rotten-hearted 〈◊〉 and to 〈◊〉 their peace of Conscience which is nothing but a Soul-murtheâ—ng and damning 〈◊〉 For further clearing of the Doctrine and inlarging of its â—se and for helping you to judge aright of Conscience its Testimony in your searching after it We shall propose some Questions from the requisit qualifications of a well grounded and refreshing Testimony of a mans 〈◊〉 for him which must all be answered in some measure affirmatively and these Answers solidly and well proved and made ouâ— before you can quietly and confidently rest on Consciences Testimony as to any part or piece of your way whether it be in reference to the Sanctification of the Sabbath to conferring on a spiritual subject to prayer to praise to reading to hearing to eating to drinking to buying to selling to building to planting c. But we shall here restrict the inquiry mostly at least to Religious things or actions that are Religious in their own nature First then Conscience must be satisfied in this Whether that which ye have done be on the matter approven of God or not It is certainly true ye will say that prayer in it self is approven and so it is but was such and such an expression that ye uttered and such a word that ye spoke and the arguments that ye made use of in prayer right before God If the matter be not right Conscience cannot speak for you Though a man should be as warry and circumspect as may be in cheating circumven â—ing and deceiving of his neighbour its impossible for Conscience to give him a good Testimony anent it or any other such action because it s on the matter sinful ye must once then be sure and clear in this that what ye speak or do in prayer or any other thing is as to its matter according to the will of God 2ly Conscience must be satisfied in this not only whether the thing be lawful in it self but also whether it be a thing lawful to you at such a time and that to which ye are particularly called For many things are lawful which are not expedient And many things may be expedient at one time which will not be expedient at another take it in the instance of prayer wherein Conscience will not approve us though we be right in it on the matter if it be not rightly timed or if we be not then called to it This is to be taken heed to especially in things that are on the matter indifferent and in the timing of such commanded duties to which God hath not set and fixed a particular precise time but left them to Christian prudence to be gone about by persons at these times which are most seasonable and as they are called to them 3ly When ye are thus clear as to the matter season and time and as to Gods calling you to such and such a duty whether did you acknowledge God in your undertaking of the duty was he looked to for direction and guiding in it and for his blessing on it and depended on for throw-bearing according to that notable word Prov. 3. 16. In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths In this also Conscience must have satisfaction 4ly What Motive did set you on to such and such a duty and from what principle did you do it For a duty or action may be right on the matter and ye may also be called to it and yet if ye be not sweyed to it from a right motive and principle it will marr your peace and stand in the way of Conscience testifying for you that is Though you should do a thing that is right if ye be not sweyed to it out of Conscience from the awe of God from love to him and from obedience to his command it is faulty in so far and ye cannot in so far have peace nor the approving Testimony of your Conscience therein But if a man indure grief and suffer wrongfully for conscience towards God it is thank worthy â—aith the
mistaken and reproached many times men care but little for a good Conscience but when all the world as it were comes in a mans tops the confidence of a good Conscience is an excellent and none-such friend and companion it hath great weight with Paul here and is a sufficient counter-poise to all the reproaches and calumnâ—es they could load him with though he was looked on even as the filth of the world and the off-scourings of all things 4ly Observe That when men meet with many reproaches and walk in a way that is attended with a multitude of snares they need more then a guessing or a conjectural un certainty as to the Testimony of a good Conscience anent their being right even a-well-grounded certainty and perswasion Paul doth not say here we suppose or hope as many of you understand hope but we trust or are firmly perswaded men would study alwayes to be clear in what they do but more especially when their way may be offended at and they reproached on account thereof and most especially as to that part of their way that is like to be most offended at More particularly from these words considered as a reason of the fore-going exhortation to pray for him Observe 1. That a man who hath a good Conscience and is most clear in it doth ordinarily lay most weight on prayer and is most in love with that sweet exercise so that he will not only pray for himself but will also desire others to pray for him Its never a good Conscience in a man that makes him slight prayer himself or the prayers of others for him 2ly Observe That a man that hath a good Conscience will desire and think himself concerned to endeavour not to be mistaken by others he will not boast of his good Conscience not caring what others think or say of him but will seek to remove any offence that may be taken at his way or that may give any the least ground to make his integrity to be called in question as Paul doth here and 2 Cor. 12. Where he sayeth v. 11. I am become a fool in glorying but adds v. 19. but we do all things and so this amongst the rest dearly beloved for your edifying And the reason is because a man of a good Conscience will not only study to be tender in his walk so as himself may have peace within but will also have regard to the Conscience of others that they may not stumble and sin nor the way of God suffer when he may prevent it and it s a sure evidence of an â—ntender Conscience when men care not who stumble at their way or how others account and esteem of them 3ly Observe Which is of affinity with the former That a man that endeavours to have a good Conscience and to be clear that it is so indeed will be very desirous to have a room in the prayers of others of Gods people Or such a man is one that will not lippen to lay weight upon his own prayers only but will also highly prize Christian fellowship and desire to have the benefit of the prayers of other Christians Paul seldom misses this in his Epistles so Rom. 15. Eph. 6. Col. 4. and Philip. 1. He is much in putting and pressing them to pray and to pray and strive for him together in prayer The reason is because a man of a tender Conscience hath a kindly sense of his own infirmity and a great desire to be forward in the way of holiness and at much injoyment of God and would therefore â—ain have a lift from every one that can help him such a man hath a native exercise in pursuing not only after fellowship with God but also with his people Whereof this is a main part And though these may be looked at but as little things yet if we compare our selves with the Rule and with the practice of tender Christians we will find considerable defects as to a good Conscience in them There is a sort of disdain or shame in many to seek the help of others prayers as if it supposed their being assaulted with some un couth temptation or the prevailing of some gross corruption or the lying on of some extraordinary and un heard of Cross and affliction but the single design of having a good Conscience and of getting it intertained would put us not only to pray our selves but also to desire the help of the prayers of others alwayes this is a most certain truth that as a good Conscience is not attained without prayer so it s not entertained but by prayer And it s indeed a wonder how many can boast of a good Conscience and yet neglect prayer themselves and undervalue the prayers of others for them But it may be asked here 1. What influence hath a Christians good Conscience in laying on the duty of prayer on others for him 2. What influence hath a good Conscience to perswade others to the performance of this duty for the person that hath it more then for others Our speaking a little to these two will lead us in to the discovery of some notable advantages that attend a good Conscience As for the first We say in general that a good Coâ— science hath a notable influence on prayer and putting others to pray for us or there is a strong connexion betwixt a good Conscience and the advantage of prayer 1. There is a connexion betwixt a good Conscience and liberty and boldness in prayer as it is clear 1 Iohn 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not we have confidence towards God A man that hath an evil Conscience or an accusing and challenging Conscience hath a sort of â—ing at and at best much discouragement in prayer so that he cannot lift up his face without blushing shame but a good Conscience on the contrary helps to boldnes in prayer and to the exercise of Faith in God as a Father so that he can boldly say our father 2ly A good Conscience hath influence on or a connexion with ouâ— obtaining a hearing in prayer and on our being confident that we shall get a hearing For we know sayeth that poor man Iohn 9. v. 31. that God hears not sinners but if any man do his will â—e hears him And David sayes Psal. 66. v. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not â—ear me And it s said 1 Iohn 3. 22. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do these things that are pleaâ—ing in his sight A good Conscience is not indeed a meritorious cause of the hearing of prayer yet God hath established a connexion betwixt it and his hearing of prayer and it hath influence on our expecting a hearing and on our knowing that we shall get a hearing 3ly And more particularly as to the Scripture now before us a man that hath a good Conscience may be confident to put others to pray for him which another cannot hâ—ve
see the Saints have come a good length in it and next to the glory of God this is the end for attaining whereof they take all the pains to have a good Conscience even that they may win at this calmnes and tranquility at this peace comfort and joy of Soul resulting from a good Conscience even as men labour and take pains to win at some thing in the world that they may have a more convenient commodious and comfortable life in it and comparing the words of this text with these of Acts 24. 16. It s very clear that whoever are seriously and suitably exercised to have a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men they may through Gods blessing win at a clear calm and pleasant Conscience the one was Pauls study there the other is his attainment here If we compare the state of our Conscience with the straiâ— of our former walk it will very easily be found that the want of this calm and pleasant Conscience flowes from our not being suitably exercised to godlinesse and to the having a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men This alace This is it that wounds our peace and 〈◊〉 our spiritual miâ—th that makes us â—ow down and walk heavily as it were without the Sun if there were more serious and hard pressing after holinesse in all manner of conversation among us we would not readily be such strangers to the serene tranquility comfort and refreshing that flow from a good Conscience 3ly Observe That a Believer who is tender in his walk may win to be very clear and throughly perswaded that he hath a good Conscience and may according to his measure say as Paul doth here We trust or are confident that we have a good conscience who is â—o very firmely perswaded that he dare Rom. 9. 1. whence we spoke somewhat lately take the Holy Ghost to be witnes so a tender Christian may win to be so very clear and fully perswaded that he hath a good Conscience that he may boldly 〈◊〉 it and lippen to it as that which will abide the tryal yea in some respect adventure and hazard his very Soul on it that it is so of a truth But it may be asked what is it that founds this perswasion and makes it firm and solid Answer The latter part of the text will give ground to speak to it more fully but for the time and in the general we say that these three do â—ound it ere ever a man can be thus perswaded that he hath a good Conscience he must needs take a serious look and view of his by-gone way of his present frame and of his purpose and resolution for the future that he may see that all these be in some measure right 1. Then for his by-past way It supposeth that he hath singly indeavoured to have it tender and conform to the rule even that he hath been exercised to have a Conscience void of offence and that he hath reflected and searched and found it in some measure to be so the one of these layes the ground for the Testimony of a good Conscience and the other draws forth the comfortable evidence of it 2. As to the persons present frame there must be Spirituality Singleness and some measure of Tenderness otherwayes it will much obstruct this perswading testimony for it s not enough that a man has been tender if he be not in some measure so now Paul sayes here We have not only we had a good conscience 3ly There must be some deliberatness and determinatness of his purpose and resolution to walk with God for the time to come for if a man do not dedicat and devot himself to the study of holiness for the future though he be supposed to have had never so much of it in his by-gone life this firm and comfortable perswasion will be much marred and obstructed So then these three must here go together viz. Holines in a mans by-past life holines in his present frame and holines in his purpose for the future We will find them all conjoyned in the experience of this same Apostle Philp. 3. where when he has spoken of his by-gone carriage how he had counted these things to be loss for Christ which he sometimes accounted to be gain and how he had suffered the loss of all things for Christ Yet he thinks not this enough but adds as to his present frame Yea doubtless I count all things to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord And v. 12. Not as if I had already attained or were already perfyte And v. 13 One thing I do forgetting these things that are behind c. He is as serious and eager as if he had just now begun and tells us that for the future he is resolved to press hard towards the mark till he obtain the prize Then he subjoyns Let us then as many as be perfyte be thus minded This is not an absolute perfection in holinesse that he speaks of or a perfection of degrees but a perfection of parts or a perfection of sincerity though in a higher degree then many Christians win at as to his by-past life as to his present frame and as to his resolution for the time to come Religion must not be halved but whosoever would have a clear and calm Conscience must study to be clear on all hands no iniquity must be regarded in his heart no duty resolvedly â—alked but holinesse in all manner of conversation must sincerly and seriously in the strength of grace be followed after 4ly Observe That where there is a good Conscience in any one thing there will be a single and serious endeavour to have a good Conscience in all things or a good Conscience is of universal extent as to every thing We trust sayes the Apostle we have a good Conscience in all things The reason is because if a man be consciencious in any one thing from the principle of a truly good Conscience that same principle will set him on to endeavour to be consciencious in all things for its the same Divine Authority that injoyns obedience to all Gods Commands and if Conscience put a man to lay weight on any one thing as commanded it will put him to lay weight on all things that are commanded a quatenus ad omne c. Therefore David sayes Psal. 18. 22. All his judgements were before me and I put not away his Statutes from me and Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have a respect unto all thy Commandments and of Zacharias and Elizabeth It s said Luke 1. 6. That they walked in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless This Doctrine hath two Branches The first is Negative That there cannot be a good Conscience but where its universal The second is Affirmative That where a Conscience is universal it s an evidence that its a good Conscience Which we shall not now inâ—ist
it not except ye think that there are some parts of your life that should not at all be religious but that you are left in them to live as you list It 's oft-times our fault that we limit Conscience to this and that particular action that is of some considerable concernment and some way shut it out as having no concern in these of lesser moment And many alace shoulder it out from the tract of their life and current of their actions O! let this by any means be amended SERMON II. ROM 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost CHristians who have such a vigilant and constant attendant as Conscience waiting on them had much need of watchfulness that they may be kept in some suitableness of frame for intertaining that companion Conscience its work is not only to be advising and deliberating what is to be done but also to be waiting on when it comes to the acting and performing of what it hath been advising to and it is indeed no less practique to carry Conscience along in the performing of duty then it is in taking some pains to consult it and advise with it at the undertaking thereof so as we may be answerable to Conscience as to both oft-times some pains will be taken in deliberating and advising with Conscience what and when we should do when we will exceedingly relent in taking it along with us in the performance Whence it frequently comes to pass that we lose the peace we gained in advising with Conscience at our undertaking the action by not carrying it along with us in performing This is the thing which we proposed to be spoken to from this verse viz. The influence that Conscience hath on mens acting and the respect that they ought to have to it not only before they undertake any action but in and along the performing of it The last Doctrine we spoke to from it was that there is not any action of a mans life but Conscience is concerned in it and hath something to say concerning it for or against him If it were but the speaking of a word or the asserting of any truth as we see in this instance of Paul his Conscience beareth him witness it hath some-thing to say to him anent his doing it We cleared this in several yea rather in all sorts of actions that men have to perform There being none of them of so little moment so extrinsick or so indifferent but in the performing of them Conscience ought to be carried along as having some-what to say for or against the performer We shall now add some four or five Observations more from the words And the first which we may either take as an Use of the former or as a distinct Observation by it self is this That men in the time of their going about any thing would advert and take heed to that sense which Conscience hath of their actions And seing it hath some-thing to say they would be lending to their ear all along the time of their performing the action and hear what it saith As before they undertake they would advise with Conscience that they be right so in the time of performance there would be a reflecting on Conscience to know its sense of our doing Paul is now speaking and asserting somewhat and he reflecteth on his Conscience to hear what it will say and that he may get its testimony that he is speaking sincerely he is not now advising with Conscience to know what he should do nor to get its censure of what he hath done but in the very time of his doing he reflecteth and taketh notice what it saith He asserteth that he is speaking truth and taketh a look into his Conscience to see if it be not so that he is indeed speaking the truth and truly Or we may take the Doctrine thus it is a main piece of a tender walk in a Christian not only to deliberate with Conscience before he do any thing and when he hath done it to take its censure if it be rightly done but also to reflect upon his Conscience in the very time of his doing of it and to hear what it will say of that which he is now a-doing and of himself in the doing of it And we conceive that this is one of the main things meant by the testimony of Conscience When Conscience is put to it in the performance of a duty to know what it will say concerning the man and his action for if so be that Conscience hath something to say concerning every duty for or against the man as it is Rom. 2. 15 Their Conscience bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Then it will clearly follow that it is a main piece of a Christians duty to keep fair with his Conscience here and to take good heed what it saith in the very interim and mean time of his performing every action Yea it is not only a main piece of a Christians walk but a main evidence of a tender walk in a Christian viz. When he doth not only aim to be clear in undertaking a duty but to carry Conscience along with him and to know what it saith in following forth the duty Take these two or three words for clearing it First Consider that the right performance of our actions and duties or the making of them such as they should be dependeth very much on the nick of our discharging them so that though a man should deliberat never so well before if he be in a carnal frame or have a selfie end â—o the time of performance he will be at a loss of his peace and much miss his mark as the Apostle hath the word Philip. 3. 13. I press toward the mark In his aiming at holiness and a good conscience he levelleth all his actions at that mark the prize of the high calling of God I shall make use of this similitude for illustrating it let a man with a Bow or Musquet levell never so well or take never so just a visie if his hand waver in the instant of shooting he cannot readily hit the mark Even so though a man as I said deliberat and advise never so well with his Conscience before he do a thing if in the time of doing he take not heed tenderly and steddily to it but fall carnal and selfie in it he cannot have peace as to the performance of that action 2dly Consider that we are so very tickle in our frame as the duties of holiness are some way in themselves and our hearts so unstable light and frothy that though we should levell them right just now yet they will be ready quickly to start aside as a deceitful how upon out hand It cannot therefore be sufficient ground for the testimony of a good Conscience to deliberat in undertaking except a man observe and reflect on his