they were convicted of their consciences their consciences dealt honestly with them and told them the truth that they were wicked sinners themselves This is the naturall goodnesse in conscience 2. A renewed good conscience I call it a renewed good conscience because when a man is renewed all the man is renewed all his mind and the spirit of it is renewed Ephes 4.23 That ye may be renewed in the spirit of your mind If the man be renewed all the mind must be renewed and therefore the conscience must be renewed too for the mind and the conscience ever go together nay conscience is mainly seated in the mind and therefore if the mind be renewed so is the conscience and if the mind be defiled so is the conscience To them that are defiled is nothing pure but their minds and consciences are defiled Mark When they are defiled they are defiled together so when they are washed and renewed they are washed and renewed together Now this renewed conscience is either perfect or defective 1. Perfect I mean not perfect in every degree of goodnesse For so no mans conscience in the world is perfect But I mean perfect in every part and condition of goodnesse 2. A defective good renewed conscience is that which faileth in some conditions of goodnesse We call it a weak conscience which is apt to be polluted and defiled again 1. Cor. 8.7 Their conscience being weak is defiled This is a defective good conscience a conscience renewed but imperfectly renewed I. To a good conscience that is soundly renewed five things are necessary 1. Knowledge of Gods will and that which doth follow the true knowledge of his will namely true humiliation and fear By nature the conscience is blind and sturdy and venturous and therefore it is necessary that it should be illightened to understand the will of God and to presse it and again it is necessary that the heart should be humbled or else it will not stoop to Gods will and it is necessary also that this holy fear should fall upon the heart that it may not dare to transgresse S t Peter being to speak of a good conscience premiseth all these as necessarie thereunto First he adviseth that Christians have knowledge to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them and then that they should have meeknesse and fear for to do it with meeknesse and fear saith he having a good conscience Mark Knowledge and meeknesse and fear are required to make a good conscience without them the conscience cannot be good By nature we are all blind and stubborn and fearlesse of sinning and therefore till we be cured of these evils our consciences cannot be good 2. The second thing is a watchfulnesse and warfare against sinne This is required too to a renewed good conscience By nature we are drowsie and carelesse and secure and do not stand upon our guard to wage warre against our lusts and the desires of our flesh and so long our consciences can never be good and therefore this spirituall watchfulnesse and mainteining warre against sinne is required to the having a good conscience That thou maist warre a good warrefare saith Paul to Timothie having faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1.18 19. Some who seemed to have a good conscience because they did not maintein this holy warfare against sinne and the flesh they have lost it Therefore this is another requisite required to a good conscience 3. The third is tendernesse of conscience By nature our hearts are seared and dead and unclean and therefore we must get us tender and pure hearts if we would have good renewed consciences The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned 1. Tim. 1.5 See how the Apostle compoundeth them together a pure heart and a good conscience We must get our hearts purged and quickened that they may be sensible of the least evil and then our consciences will be good and be as a bridle to hold us from evil A hard heart and a good conscience can never stand together 4. The fourth is the cleannesse of conscience by the washing of Christs bloud This is the main and the principall of all Yea indeed the bloud of Christ is the sole and onely cause of a good conscience I would not be mistaken I named indeed other causes Knowledge and Humbling and a holy Fear a Combat against sinne and Tendernesse but I do not mean as though a good conscience were partly beholding to them and partly to Christs bloud For it is wholly and onely beholding to Christs bloud for its goodnesse his bloud is the onely price of it But my meaning is this That though Christs bloud be the one onely cause of redemption yet in the application of redemption the Lord useth all those forenamed graces while he applieth it to the conscience Therefore this now I adde The washing of Christs bloud this is chiefly required to the goodnesse of conscience We have two places of Scripture to prove it The one Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge your consciences from dead works It is that onely can do it The other text is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Where the Apostle first giveth this title to a renewed conscience to be called a good conscience Secondly he nameth the cause that maketh it to be good the power of Christs resurrection When the resurrection of Christ Jesus is powerfull upon us then conscience becometh good 5. The fifth is quietnesse By nature nothing is so fierce and violent if it be once awaked as conscience is O it is unspeakably furious Thus is conscience by nature and therefore it can never be good untill we get it appeased with the assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and so true peace and comfort established in it This is the reason why the Scripture joyneth a good conscience and faith so often together as 1. Tim. 3.9 Holding the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience It cannot be a pure or good conscience if faith be not held in it As long as the conscience is not underpropped by faith the conscience must needs be in a wildernesse Perhaps my sinnes are imputed unto me perhaps they are pardoned Perhaps they are covered perhaps not As long as the conscience lieth under these uncertainties it cannot be firm and soundly good indeed therefore we must labour for assurance of pardon by faith Thus much of a good renewed conscience that is perfectly and soundly renewed II. Secondly There is a good conscience renewed but not soundly renewed very much as yet defective and imperfect The former conscience is called conscientia firma a firm conscience This is called conscientia infirma an infirm conscience Rom. 15.1 We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak This infirm conscience is a good
humble God will teach Pride and self-conceitednesse blindeth exceedingly 3. We must seek with sobriety alwayes contenting our selves with that knowledge which is most necessary and not be curious about vain and idle-brained questions or solicitous to answer every objection that shall be raised up against the truth A lover of the truth should not be ready to entertain all objections against it and never be settled till he can answer all that can be cast in which will be never It is not expected that there should be in every man such a ripenesse of judgement and such a measure of illumination as that he should be able to dispute with the most learned or answer every objection that can be raised But we must with that good Martyr say Though I cannot dispute for Christ I can die for him We must be content with our measure to be wise unto sobriety III. Those godly souls that have weak consciences must use them very gently Scrupulosi non sunt rigidè tractandi Those that are scrupulous are not to be handled rigidly When a mote is in the eye it is not boistrously to be dealt withall that will make it worse The eye is a tender part and so is the conscience Again we must take heed of offending weak consciences It may be thou knovvest thine ovvn liberty that thou mayst do this or that but thy brother is vveak and he doth not knovv it to be lavvfull O take heed of giving offense Consider the Apostles vvords 1. Cor. 8.12 When ye sinne against your brethren and wound their weak consciences ye sinne against Christ Consider also the practice of the Apostle and the resolution that he had If meat offend my brother I will eat no flesh while the world standeth vers 13. It is a grievous offense to offend the conscience of the vveak and therefore bevvare of it They are very unchristian speeches I know mine own liberty If others be offended what care I Why should I prejudice my self for them It is true another mans conscience cannot abbridge me of my liberty but yet I in charity ought to suspend the act of my liberty vvhen I knovv the using it vvill give offense to the vveak IV. To admonish our selves if conscience be so tender a thing to be carefull that we offend not our own consciences Conscience is quickly offended but it is not so soon pacified Every notorious step into evil or neglect in duty offendeth conscience and conscience will keep a grudge a long time and vvill give many a secret wound deading the heart to duty making faith and confidence in God dull we cannot pray with courage nor come before God with boldnesse If our hearts condemne us not we have confidence saith John An erroneous conscience will defile you a doubting conscience distract you a scrupulous conscience unsettle you but above all other an illightened conscience if it have any thing against you will exceedingly disable you this stabbeth at the heart your confidence towards God Go then and labour to purge conscience else conscience will hinder you whether you pray or heare or receive the Sacrament c. it will deprive you of comfort If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar first go and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift The case is greater and more dangerous when conscience hath something against us there is no offering will be accepted untill conscience be satisfied If thou shouldst be about to pray and conscience should stand up against thee as an adversary and tell thee thou hast been vain and loose and carnall all this day thou hast not set thy self to keep close to God this day thou hast fallen into this and that sinne this day thou art not fit to pray till thou hast reconciled thy self to conscience Alas thy conscience will secretly undermine all thy praying First therefore reconcile conscience by humbling thy self and breaking thy heart and resolving I have sinned I will do no more When conscience can say thy sorrow and repentance and resolution for new obedience is sincere then thou art fit to pray but not before So whatever other duty thou goest about be sure to reconcile conscience else all will miscarry V. A faithfull conscience THus I have expounded the adjuncts of conscience which shew themselves in the discharge of its duty namely such as respect consciences ability to the doing of it Which as ye have heard are foure 1. an illightened conscience 2. an erroneous conscience 3. a doubting conscience 4. a scrupulous conscience Now followeth those which do accompany it in the doing of its duty And they are two 1. a faithfull conscience 2. an unfaithfull conscience A faithfull conscience is that which doth alwayes advise and counsel aright when need is This is a very rare conscience It is rare to find a conscience every way faithfull For to say the truth conscience is alwayes faithfull in it self for it knoweth not how to deal deceitfully with any man but yet I may say as Solomon A faithfull man who can find so A faithfull conscience who can find It is a very rare thing Not for any deceit that is in conscience it self but because men commonly would have it unfaithfull therefore a conscience that will not let men make it unfaithfull though they would such a conscience I call a faithfull conscience and I say it is rare But such a conscience there is and it hath three properties 1. It is watchfull 2. It is rigid and severe 3. It is importunate 1. A faithfull conscience is watchfull alwayes awake to apprehend every opportunity of doing and receiving good or resisting evil As when there is an opportunity to pray to heare to shew mercie a faithfull conscience will remember us of it and put us upon it as also when there is any opportunity of quickning and edifying our selves or others It was a watchfull conscience that made David say I will never forget thy precepts that is I will never omit any opportunity to remember them to do them It was a watchfull conscience that made Paul say I became all things to all men that by all means I might save some that is by taking all opportunities and advantages to do good It was a watchfull conscience that made Peter say I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things that is I will neglect no opportunity Again a watchfull conscience taketh notice of every motion and inclination to evil it is awake to see when evil is conceived to tell us of it to oppose it and to disswade us from it like a watchman on the top of a tower alwayes awake to see when any danger approcheth It is Gods minister with eyes on every side to espie seasons of good and stirre up to make use of
great comfort and of judgement with joy So could not Felix Beloved this is a strong signe of a false peace when some points of Gods word lay us slat and bereave us of our hold Ye shall have many say O they have such peace and they have such a good conscience as quiet as can be and as heartwhole as can be By and by a sound searching point cometh and ransacketh them to the quick and they are gone I confesse they go and get some untempered morter or other and dawb up their consciences again but they are gone for the time This is a strong signe of a rotten peace But a child of God can heare any point heare of death of judgement of any thing contained in the word with delight and comfort It is true he may be amazed thereat but he is glad at heart that he heareth it and will make use of it be it mercy or judgement Sweet or bitter points all are welcome to him even the bitterest points are sweet to him because God and he are at peace and therefore he knoweth there is no news from God but it is good IV. If our peace of conscience be good it will heal that base fearfulnesse which is in many who dare not be in the dark dare not go through a church-yard in the night Some will quake at the very shaking of a leaf as the wicked in Job which is nothing but a guiltie conscience I grant this fearfulnesse is naturall to some yet I say the true peace of conscience will cure it I do not say this is a reciprocall signe of true peace of conscience for many wicked men may be bold enough but I say true peace of conscience will cure this immoderate fearfulnesse in the godly But here two questions are to be asked I. Whether every true child of God that hath true peace of conscience can think of death with comfort and be desirous to die Answ 1. Peace of conscience doth not take away naturall fear It is the nature of every living creature to be very fearfull of death The Philosopher calleth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fearfullest thing of all fearfull things Bildad calleth it the king of terrours Nature loveth its own preservation and therefore feareth the destruction of it Peace of conscience doth not take away all this fear 2. Besides peace of conscience doth not take away alwayes all degrees of slavish fear of death The reason is because peace of conscience may be weak mixed with much troubles of conscience For as faith may be very imperfect so peace of conscience may be in some very imperfect Good old Hilarion was very fearfull to die He cried out to his soul when he lay on his death-bed O my soul hast thou served Christ these fourescore years and art thou now afraid to die Again a mans love may be very imperfect Perfect love indeed casteth out fear but imperfect love doth not Hezekiah had peace of conscience Remember Lord saith he I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Mark He had the peace of a good conscience his conscience told him he had a sincere heart and that his wayes pleased God yet he was afraid to die I do not think it was onely because he had no issue though that might be some reason of it 3. When a child of God is afraid to die it is not so much for love of this life as out of a desire to be better prepared This made David cry out O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more And so Job Let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return These good men were then something unwilling to die They might have many reasons most likely this was one That they might be better prepared and more fit and ready for their departure 4. Some of Gods people as these Job and David at other times I say some of Gods people have such marvellous peace with God as that if it were Gods will they had much rather die then live I desire to be dissolved saith Paul and to be with Christ which is farre better It may be in regard of the church or the care of their children and charge God hath laid on them they could be content to remain still in the body neverthelesse they account their state after death much better and were it put to them whether to die or to live longer here they would choose death rather of the twain Nay Elias requested for himself that he might die It is enough Lord take away my life Not that they love death it self for death is evil in its own nature contrary to nature a badge of sinne but for the love they have to and the assurance they have of eternall life after death 5. Nay there is no child of God but may truly be said to love death and to love the day of judgement and the appearing of Christ Jesus Divines use to put this as a signe of Gods children Nay the Apostle maketh this as a propertie of Gods children to love Christs appearing I have fought a good fight saith Paul I have finished my course There he telleth us of his own peace and then he telleth us of his reward From henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me in that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing that is to all his children For all the children of God love the appearing of Jesus Christ to judgement Though all do not desire it with the same strength of faith yet all desire it with faith They believe that Christ hath destroyed him that hath the power of death which is the devil they believe Christ hath taken away deaths sting which is sinne and swallowed death up in victory and may all say Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Neither do they so much question this as their faith to believe it saying Lord help our unbelief 6. Gods children have good reason to do so and to check their own hearts whenever they do otherwise Whenever any disturst cometh they should check it down again whenever any fear ariseth they should say What I fear death which is a thing so precious Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Is death precious and shall I be so vain as to fear it Thus ye see an answer to the first question Whether every child of God that hath true peace of conscience can be desirous to die II. Quest Whether a wicked man that hath no peace of conscience may not be desirous to die too Answ 1. The horrour of conscience may make a wicked man desirous to die He may have so much horrour of conscience as that he may think
conscience too and renewed but cumbred with sundry imperfections which in processe of time by growth in grace are for the most part conquered in the godly True faith is required unto this For the Apostle calleth such an one a brother in Christ one that hath this infirm conscience It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth And we must not set such an one at nought Tush what care I for him I know I may lawfully do thus and this is my Christian liberty and shall I lose it for him because of his conscience Nay saith the Apostle Why dost thou set at nought thy brother Mark The Apostle counteth such an one a Christian brother and not to be set at nought and therefore this is a good conscience too differing as much as white from black from such consciences as are weak through superstition of mind and through pride of heart because they will not be otherwise or through affected ignorance because they love not to be better informed These weak consciences are wicked I speak not of these I speak of a good conscience a conscience renewed but renewed imperfectly having yet sundry defects and imperfections The imperfections of it are 1. Imperfection of knowledge It doth not yet soundly and clearly understand what is lawfull and what is pure and what is by Christian liberty indifferent Paul saith I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean He speaketh of things that are indifferent The Apostle had knowledge but there were others who did not know this O I may not eat this meat I may not play at bowls or use any other recreation I should sinne if I should c. This is one weaknesse in this kind of conscience weaknesse of knowledge 2. The second imperfection is to be grieved where it needeth not be grieved As when it seeth other do that which it self through mistake doth judge to be evil it is apt to be grieved and troubled to see it If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably It may be thou thinkest it lawfull to eat such meat but he thinketh otherwise and so is grieved to see thee eat This is another imperfection in this conscience to be grieved and offended without just cause 3. A third imperfection is in judgement It is apt to judge and condemne another mans liberty 1. Cor. 10.29 Why is my liberty judged of another mans conscience He speaketh of a weak conscience It is apt to be judging condemning my liberty saith he but why so This is a fault and an imperfection indeed O such an one sinneth he doeth so and so yet it may be the thing is not unlawfull but a weak conscience is apt so to judge it and to condemne him that doeth it Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Rom. 14.3 4. A fourth imperfection is this A weak conscience is apt to be misled So the Apostle intimateth Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block unto them that are weak for if any man see thee who hast knowledge sit at meat in the idoles temple shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldned to eat those things which are offered to idoles and through thy knowledge shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died Where ye see that weak consciences are apt to be misled The reason is this Because when they see others whom they know to be more learned and judicious then themselves to do so and so that may soon tempt them to do it though their conscience be against it The first use is this If any have weak consciences let them labour to strengthen them Ye see what imperfections are in a weak conscience how apt it is to be offended and to judge other mens liberty how prone to misleading therefore let every good soul labour to be strengthened The second use is this Those that be strong must be carefull that they offend not the weak Though they do believe such and such Christian liberties they have yet if they know the use of them will offend their weak brother they should be carefull to abstein Let no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Thirdly if it be such a sinne to sinne against the conscience of the weak then what a sinne is it to sinne against the conscience of all that are godly whether weak ones or strong ones Ye who walk after the flesh and can have disorders in your families and vanity in your mouths and apparent corruptions in your lives Ye who can drink and be drunken and keep company and profane the Lords dayes ye offend the consciences of all that are godly it is a grief to their souls to see it Let me tell you It is a sinne to be wicked however and the high-way to hell but to be wicked when ye have godly neighbours about you your sinne now is double For as you offend God so you offend them too Ye may remember what Christ saith Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hung about his neck that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Matth. 18.6 Ah ye vile wretches â— ye little imagine what fearfull vengeance ye pull on your own heads It were better for you that a milstone were hung about your necks and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend one of these little ones Ye may call them what ye will call them puritanes precisians uncharitable people censurers ye may call them as Satan teacheth you to call them but it is certain it were better a milstone were hung about your neck and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend any one of Christs little ones The Lord open your eyes that ye may repent and believe the Gospel your selves and be saved 4. Lastly be exhorted brethren to labour after a good conscience How excellent a thing is it that hath so many good ingredients Illumination is one ingredient and Faith is another and Tendernesse another and Purenesse another and Quietnesse another and the Bloud of Jesus Christ another It is like Aarons composition which smelt sweetly when he went into the sanctuarie It is compounded of excellent conditions such as smell sweet when we come before God the Lord loveth that such should come near him We may come with assurance to speed if we come with a good conscience Let us draw near with assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mark we may draw near with assurance if we come with a good conscience It will comfort us in all troubles and