(g) Philosophers have measured mountains Fathom'd the depth of Seas of States and Kings Walkt with a staff to heaven traced fountains But there are two vast spacious things The which to measure it doth more behove Yet few there are that sound them Sin and Love Hebert Agony pag. 29. No Creature can fully understand it onely God who knows how good himself is knows how evil sin is which is directly opposite and contrary to him But though we cannot sound the bottom of this evil no more then we can dig to the Earths Centre yet much is discovered by the VVord of God Sin is worse then the Devil for it made him a Devil Take sin from the Devil he will be a glorious Angel if sin get into a glorious Angel 't wil turn him into a Devil presently Sin will make us like the Devil if we go on in it and bring us into the same state of unalterable misery But let us view sin a little with relation to God 'T is a daring of his Power and Presence a bold challenging of the Almighty to do his worst 'T is an affront of his Majesty a casting off of his Authority Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us Psal 2. 3. 'T is a robbing him of his Glory which is so dear to him and which he is so unwilling to give to another 'T is a slighting of his Goodness which is so vast and large that it should attract the Love and Hearts of all and which alone can satisfie and be beatifical to the Soul of Man 'T is an injury to his Justice contrary to his Holiness denies his Truth makes him a Liar for neither Promises nor Threatnings are believed Nay Sin strikes at the very Being of God for if hating our Brother be murthering of him Ah! what is hatred of God to be called No wonder that the Lord is so angry at sin and turns those that will by no means turn from it into Hell and makes them for ever to bewail their Rebellion against him If Sin were but rightly understood Conscience would be tender of offending we should not dare to be so venturous upon so great an evil Would you grieve for sin cry out What have I done would you be tender and afraid to sin when tempted say What am I about to do how much shall I do against God how much shall I wrong my own Soul 2. That Conscience may be tender see him that is invisible Moses did thus by the eye of Faith and this made him so tender that he refused to be called the son of Pharoahs Daughter he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt and chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a season Heb. 11. 24. 27. The thoughts of God do disturb the stupid Conscience therefore wicked men care not to speak or hear or think of him But Believers endeavour to imitate David who said I have set the Lord alwayes before me and this makes and keeps Conscience very tender Look up often to God and the frequent viewing of him will encrease both Fear and Love David having studied well the Omni-presence of God and perceived that in every place God was perpetually by him he desires to have his heart and thoughts searched and tried and every wicked way in him discovered and Conscience is so tender that he dares and cares to go in no way but the way that is everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. See God in every ordinance then Conscience will tell you he is jealous about his worship that he is a Great King and hath said Cursed be the deceiver who having a male in his flock voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1. 14. See God in every providence then Conscience will tell you that mercies are not to be abused nor consumed upon your lusts and that afflictions are sent to take away your Sin See God in every Temptation how easily then will Conscience silence the Tempter by telling him 't is not safe to provoke the Lord to his very face 't is not wisdom to forfeit his Favour to incurr his Anger for such poor things as Satan offers his greatest offers are but poor and oh how far does the Lord outbid him 3. That Conscience may be tender Bewail the stupidness of it and cry to have it cured Follow God with restless importunity Lord enlighten my eyes and awaken my Conscience lest I sleep the sleep of death He will be angry with you if you should think that you can cure your selves of this malady you cannot please this Physician better than to make use of him You have great encouragement to seek unto him for he has expresly said A new Heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the Heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an Heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. The stone in the heart and the stupidness of the Conscience are diseases near a kin nay the one does include the other a stony Heart implies a senseless Conscience and an Heart of flesh a Tender-conscience Hope in this word of Promise He is faithful that has made it Never any yet have found the Lord backward to heal that were indeed weary of their Distempers 4. That Conscience may be tender Eye the examples of Saints whose tenderness in Scripture is commended How tender was Joseph though his Mistress tempted him and he a Servant though he was a young man and Single though opportunity offered it self and there was a great probability of secrecy in reference to his Master though he was likely to be accused of an attempt to Ravish if he did not consent to commit Adultery and hereby his Masters rage might endanger his life Yet Conscience was so tender that he did not dare to do so great a wickedness O Joseph though thou hadst a beautiful outside yet thy inside thy Heart was much more amiable How tender was Job there was none like him in the Earth he feared God and eschewed evil and throughout chap. 31. you may read with what care and Conscience he Eschewed it He was so watchful against uncleanness that he made a Covenant with his eyes he was so just that he did not despise the cause of his own Servants He was so Merciful that he carried himself like a Father to the Poor and like a guide and Husband to the Widdow He was so free from revenge that he rejoyced not at the destruction of him that hated him neither did he lift up himself when evil found him Unto these Scripture instances I shall add another concerning one of the Fathers k He that writes the life of Anselmn relates this passage and ushers it in with this Preface My Conscience bears me witness that I lye not He feared nothing in the World more than
before God ibid. 280 c. Why we should do thus 283 The Application 288 Doct. 4. A good Conscience has a great and lasting influence upon the Life and all the Actions 291 There is no Action but Conscience is to examine ibid. A good Conscience will not admit of loose Principles 292 'T will not abuse Christian Liberty ibid. It takes notice what Principles we are acted from 293 It eyes the matter of our Actions 294 Our Obligation to the Moral Law ibid. The Precepts of the Gospel 295 A good Conscience looks to the Manner of our Obedience ibid. And to the End of it ibid. A good Conscience particularly has an influence upon our holy Duties 296 The works of our Calling 297 Our Words and Discourses 299 The Manner of spending our Time ibid. Our Natural Actions 300 Our Recreations ibid. Our carriage in Relations 301 Behaviour in Prosperity and Adversity c. p. 302 Application 303 Doct. 5. A good Conscience steels a mans heart with courage and makes him fearless before his Adversaries 305 The Grounds of this Fearlesness 306 The Vses 307 Doct. 6. Those that are truly Conscientious love their Enemies and wish them no worse than if they were their Brethren 308 The Reasons of this ibid. 309 The Application 309 310 The Conclusion of the whole Discourse in an Address to Conscience 311 c. There is in Man a Conscience ACTS 23. 1. And Paul earnestly beholding the Council said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this Day IN the foregoing Chapter the Apostle Paul declares at large unto the Jews the miraculous manner of his conversion to the Christian Faith and being thus converted he was very forward to propagate that Faith which once he endeavoured to destroy He tells them plainly that in opposing Jesus of Nazareth he had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fighter against God himself and that the Stone which heretofore he had stumbled at is that chief Corner-stone which is laid in Zion for a Foundation on which whoever builds his building shall never fall This he perceived evidently in his way to Damascus as he was journeying with Authority and Commission to persecute the Christians Christ himself both meets and stops him at Mid-day he saw a Light from Heaven above the Brightness of the Sun which did both strike him Blind with its excessive Shining and yet also opened his Eyes to behold his former Errour in setting himself against the Lord of Life and Glory The design of this Relation was to convince the Jewes and to perswade them to embrace that Jesus who was crucified indeed that he might redeem them from the curse which they could never escape by any other means but liveth by the power of God and is exalted far above all Heavens that he might fill all things Well They hear the Apostle with patience untill he told them of his Commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and then a most Satanical Envy and Fury stops their Ears and they cry out Away with such a Fellow from the Earth And truly from the Earth they had quickly sent him if the chief Captain Lysias understanding that he was a Roman that is though a Jew by birth yet having the priviledge of a Roman Citizen (a) Nâ—runt historiae Romanae periti quosdam in provinciae civitate fuisse donatos si de Republicâ bene meriti hanc sibi mercedem à Proconsulibus rogarent ita nihil absurdi est natum fuisse Romanum civem qui tamen ex provinciâ remotâ oriundus nunquam in Italiâ pedem posuisset Calv. in Act. Apost had not rescued him out of their hands Being thus delivered from the multitude he is brought and set before the Councel He stands alone indeed to make his defence but as the Lord stood by him to strengthen him so he brings with him a good Conscience which was as much nay more to make him undaunted then if he had had a thousand witnesses of his innocency And Paul earnestly beholding the Councel said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God unto this day The words contain the Apostles profession in which several particulars are very remarkable 1. He professes that he had lived in good Conscience he speaks of Conscience to his Adversaries that he might awaken Their's to do their Duty that hereby they might be hindered from doing wrong to him but more wrong to themselves by unrighteous judgment He farther adds that his Conscience was good and did not at all accuse but cleer him 2. He had acted as before God and had good Assurance that God approved of what he had done he had cause to be confident that the Supream and Most Righteous Judge would not condemn him but was pleased at that for which the Jews were so much offended Chrisost observes (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Act. Apost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Apostle speaks thus to take away the Jewes prejudice against him and to convince them that he had done nothing which was injurious to them or worthy of the bonds which were upon him 3. He had approved himself unto God and Conscience in all things he was not ruled by carnal interest or fleshly Wisdom but there was simplicity and godly sincerity in the whole course of his conversation since his first conversion to the Christian Faith 4. Neither was this only for a while but even unto that very day wherein there were such loud exclamations against him as if he were unfit to live any longer in the World 5. You are to take notice of the persons before whom he professes all this and those were the Council of the Jews And 1. He stedfastly and earnestly lookes upon them to shew both his Courage and his Innocency he is not afraid to face them neither does he cast down his eyes through guilt or shame 2. He calls them not only Men but Brethren His Brethren they were according to the Flesh and though full of hatred against him yet he had a Brotherly love to them and his Hearts desire was that they might be saved I shall observe from the Text several points of Doctrine 1. God has placed a Conscience in Man The Apostle had a Conscience and 't was a good Conscience all others have a Conscience likewise either good or evil 2. To have a good conscience should be every one 's greatest care Every one should strive to resemble the Apostle and be able to say I have lived in good Conscience 3. A good Conscience will make men to set themselves as before God continually I have lived in good Conscience before God 4. A good Conscience has a great and lasting influence upon the Life and all the Actions I have lived in all good Conscience and that unto this day 5. A good Conscience makes a Man fearless and and steels his Heart with courage when he stands before his Enemies Paul
of continuance and obstinacy in sin But if the unbeliever will believe in Jesus and the impenitent will mourn for their Iniquities and turn from them to God then they shall no longer be under condemnation but as sin hath Reigned unto Death so shall Grace Reign through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. I have told you how the Office of Conscience is to Judge that is to acquit or condemn Now there are four things that come under this Judgment of Conscience Our Actions our Communication our Thoughts and Affections our Estate to God-ward 1. Conscience judges of our Actions and Conversation and if our Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel if we shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation then it says Well done But if we profess to know God and in Works deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work Reprobate Conscience condemns such doings and says many times in plain terms that our profession is but meer Mockery 2. Conscience judges of our Communication though words are commonly called wind yet Conscience does not make light of them It does approve of Holy and Edifying Discourse when out of the abundance of the Word of God in the heart the mouth speaketh that which is good and which may administer grace unto the hearers For when they that feared the Lord spake often one to another the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name Mal. 3. 16. But Conscience does condemn corrupt communication especially where the Tongue shews it self an unruly evil full of deadly poyson by that filthy talking lying swearing cursing backbiting which proceed out of the mouth And it does not stick to say The Tongue being not bridled all Religion is but vain James 1. 27. 3. Conscience judges of our Thoughts and Affections these as they ought to be agreeable to Rule so they come under censure The Law is so large that it reaches to our very Thoughts The wicked man is to forsake his thoughts as well as ways else he cannot be a sincere Convert nor obtain Mercy Isa 55. 7. Conscience here is very prying because these internal Acts these thoughts and desires and designs do very much discover what the heart is If wicked thoughts which are all vain and unprofitable and likewise hurtful are suffered to lodge in the heart and are delightful and welcome Guests to it 't is a sign the heart is unrenewed but if these thoughts when they arise in the heart are a burthen are conflicted with and help is implored against them that God himself would shew his power and bring them into Captivity this speaks the heart sanctified If there be a will and desire in the heart to sin though want of Opportunity or fear of Disgrace hinder the Act Conscience will condemn this as a transgression of the Law which does require inward Rectitude as well as outward Righteousness And on the other hand if there be a sincere desire and purpose to obey the Lord Conscience judges this to be Obedience because God is pleased to account it so Abraham is said by Faith to have Offered up his Son Isaac nay 't is twice said that he Offered him up Heb. 11. 17. when he onely had a purpose to have done it 4. Conscience does judge concerning our State to God-wà rd Whether we are or are not reconciled to him If we Live and walk after the Flesh if our main care is to provide for the Flesh and we account it our greatest happiness to fulfill the lusts of it and we are resolved to please our Flesh though God be never so much Angred truly Conscience may then judge our state to be bad But if we walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit if our hearts are renewed by the Spirit and in our lives we are led by him then Conscience may judge us to be in Christ and that there is therefore no condemnation to us Rom. 8. 1. I must here Observe that Conscience may condemn a particular Act when the Estate is not condemned David's carriage towards Vriah was very foul yet his state was not altered from Grace to Nature Asa his trusting in an Arm of Flesh and imprisoning the Prophet that rebuked him were Acts to be condemned yet his State was good and 't is said of him that his heart was perfect with God all his days 2 Chron. 15. 17. compared with Chap. 16. 2 3. 10. But if the state be bad all particular Acts must needs be bad also If the Tree be corrupt the Fruit will be like it for though Conscience may approve of some thing done by a man in a Natural state as being good for the Matter of it yet if it Judge aright it must condemn it as evil in regard of the Manner Thus have I at large explained the Definition which I gave of Conscience That it is a Power of the Soul in Man whereby we understanding the will of God are impelled to comply with it and do bear witness concerning our selves and Actions and accordingly Judge that is acquit or condemn our selves In the third place I am to assign the Reasons why the Lord has given unto Man a Conscience The Reasons are three 1. Conscience is given unto Man that it may be a remembrancer to put him in mind of God To remember God is mans great Duty he cannot begin too soon to do this therefore says Solomon Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Eccles 12. 1. and after we have begun we must hold on for there can never be any good reason why the Lord should be forgotten How many Millions of things are there which are appointed to put us in mind of God The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and God-head Rom. 1. 20. The Sun the Moon and all those thousands of shining Stars that our Eyes behold in the Firmament the Fowls that fly in the Air the Beasts of the Earth the great Sea and the Creatures that pass through the paths of it the Trees the Plants and Flowers that grow in the Field are all as so many remembrancers to bring God to the thoughts of the Children of Men so that they are without excuse if they forget him But besides all these there is a Monitor within something in their own Breasts and that 's Conscience which will be telling them of God which will be telling them of his Power and Presence and that which Conscience does inferr from hence is this Let all the Earth fear the Lord let all the Inhabitants of the World stand it awe of him Psal 33. 8. Conscience does Comment upon the Creatures How glorious is that God who made all these and he that made can also destroy and therefore
open does not mince or extenuate but aggravate Iniquity It can appeal to God concerning its unwillingness to conceal any of his Enemies for Mens Lusts are Gods Enemies and their own too and it can challenge Satan to Name a sin which 't is not ready to acknowledge 2. When the Conscience is pure every sin is hated Hatred is never better placed than upon sin Our Brother is not to be hated nay we are forbid to hate our Enemy but sin we may hate without sparing David tells us that through Gods Precepts he got Vnderstanding therefore he hated every false way Psal 119. 104. By the Word his Conscience was Informed and Sanctified and this Universal Hatred of sin followed Hatred is an Affection which aims at Destruction and when 't is high 't is against the whole kind Thus Haman hated Mordecai and thought it scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone but sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole Kingdom of Ahasuerus even the People of Mordecai Esth 3. 6. The pure Conscience strikes at the whole kind of sin (k) Est intentio Odii nocere nec cessat in laesione peccati sed in exterminio verè poenitens juratus est in mortem peccatorum Guil. Parisiensi De Rhetor. divin c. 23. where-ever 't is whether in the Mind in the Will in the Affections in Word in the Actions What Moses speaks concerning Idolatry it does apply unto all sin Deut. 7. 26. Thou shalt utterly detest it and thou shalt utterly abhor it for it is a cursed thing 3. When the Conscience is pure The whole Image of God is desired and that the Soul may be like unto him in all things wherein 't is its Duty to resemble him What the Moral Philosophers say concerning the Mortal Vertues that they are inter se concatenatae that they are linked together holds certainly true concerning those Graces which are wrought by the Spirit of God they are so linked together that you cannot have one in truth but you must have all in some measure This is a sweet Truth to a pure Conscience for all Grace is longed after Therefore Christ's fulness is eyed and prized and application is made to him that out of that fulness we may receive and Grace for Grace John 1. 16. That is that we may receive Graces answerable to those Graces which Christ has received of his Father for us Thus the Wax does receive Character for Character from the Seal and the Child Member for Member from the Father though not of the same bigness and proportion The pure Conscience is not double minded 't is not partly for God and partly for Mammon partly for Christ and partly for Satan But this is the desire that the God of all Grace would work every Grace in Truth and make all Grace more and more to abound 4. When the Conscience is pure the Mystery of Faith is held fast The Apostle joyns Faith and a good Conscience together 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made ship-wrack And 1 Tim. 3. 9. Holding the Mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience Whoever are truly purified do prize the Gospel and the Mysteries of it they admire the contrivance of Mans Redemption by Christ Jesus and are perswaded since his Blood is the Blood of God that 't is sufficient to purchase lost Souls and to purchase the lost Inheritance The Mystery of Regeneration they are acquainted with and the absolute Necessity of it And though Justification by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ be Argued against as absurd by deluded Papists and their wretched followers though the work of the Spirit in renewing changing of the Heart be derided by Profane Wits nay by some that would be accounted Masters in Israel A pure Conscience notwithstanding retains these Mysteries Thus the Church of Pergamus though they dwelt where Satans Seat was yet they held fast Christs Name and did not deny his Faith and that even in those days wherein the Faithful Martyr Antipas was slain among them Rev. 2. 13. 5. Where Conscience is pure God is Served in sincerity and there is a willingness to live honestly The Apostle tells us that he Served God from his Fore-Fathers with a pure Conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. he did not Preach a new God but the same which Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets were the Servants of This God he Served with a perfect Heart and with a willing Mind his Conscience did bear him witness that his very Soul was engaged in the Lords Work and that he was very well pleased both with his Master and with that business which his Master had Employed him in and they were not his own things but the things of his Lord which were sought by him And as a pure Conscience engages to the Service of God so to the living honestly Heb. 13. 18. We trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Where such a Conscience is that of the Apostle is heeded Rom. 13. 12 13. The night is far spent the day is at hand that is the present time which is compared to the night because most are asleep in it and much wickedness lies hid and is not yet disclosed the present time is far spent is almost come to an end and the day is at Hand that is the day of Judgement when all secrets will be brought to Light Let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light let us walk honestly as in the day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envying and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof 6. VVhere Conscience is pure a greater measure of Holiness is aspired unto and endeavoured after Though sin does remain in a sanctified Heart yet does it not remain quietly Conscience deals hardly with it as Sarah did with Hagar Abrahams Egyptian Concubine and is not satisfied till 't is turned out of doors though Grace is incompleat yet compleatness is desired the promises of Sanctification are lookt upon as very great and precious and they are pleaded that the Divine Nature may more and more be partaken of by them the Corruption that is in the world through lust more fully escaped A pure Conscience will not suffer us to rest in that Grace which is already attained but causes us to presse towards the mark and to cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. But now it is to be inquired How Conscience may be made thus pure unto which I answer 1. The Word of God is like a fire to purifie Jer. 23. 29. Is not my Word like Fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces the word is compared to an Hammer because as the hammer does
the Spirit is Spirit There is not only a combat between Conscience and the Flesh in sincere Believers but there is a Combat in their very Hearts and Wills Lusting or Desiring is an act of the Will now because 't is said the Spirit Lusteth against the Flesh 't is a sign the Heart is weary of it The Will would fain have the Flesh and the Affections of it crucified Peace of Conscience cannot be where sin is liked and cherished When Satan does object against a Believer the remainders of corruption Conscience has this to plead and reply that these reliques of the old man are a very Body of Death which Believers sigh and groan to be delivered from Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death But here it may be asked how may this true peace of Conscience he attained I shall say something at present though afterward I shall have occasion to speak to this matter 1. Would you have peace of Conscience be humbled more deeply and grieve more heartily because of sin The Apostle does not only say be afflicted but mourn but weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse Jam. 4. 9. He uses several words importing the same thing to shew that 't is not a slight sorrow which sin calls for nor a little humiliation which will usher in peace Our Lord calls the mourners blessed for they shall be Comforted and the Prophet tells us that the high and lofty one that inhabits Eternity will dwell with them that are of an humble Spirit and to this end that they may be Comforted to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the Heart of the Contrite Ones Oh reflect upon your selves call to remembrance how much evil and how little good has been done by you all your days those evils which have been done how have they been aggravated that good that has been done how has it been lessened by your manner of doing it look so long on sin till you find your Hearts break and melt till you are utterly displeased with your selves This is the way to have a kind look and a good Word from God When Ephraim repented did smite upon his Thigh to shew that sin was matter both of his sorrow and indignation when he was ashamed and confounded in himself What does the the Lord say Is Ephraim My dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have Mercy on him saith the Lord Jer. 31. 19. 20. 2. If you would have true Peace of Conscience acquaint your selves better with the Gospel The Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace the Word of Reconciliation Christ is called the Prince of Peace and the Father The God of Love and Peace and Ministers are stiled the Ambassadors of Peace that Preach glad tidings of good things Though upon Mount Sinai there be nothing but blackness and Darkness and Tempest though the Law does bind the sinner under the Curse and cause the Heart to quake and tremble yet upon Mount Sion we may behold Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and that Blood of sprinking which speaketh better things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 24. In the Gospel Christ is set forth as a propitiation and through him God is ready to forgive and Plenteous in Mercy and Redemption Here 's good news indeed to see all things thus prepared towards an union and agreement and all that is required of transgressors is that they should expect peace no other way but by Christ Jesus and that they should consent to rebell no more Now when the Conscience observes that Christ is alone relyed on for reconciliation and nothing else is trusted in and that the Heart is grieved at its Rebellions and now is willing to yield it self to God Peace hereupon follows 3. Be not strangers unto that duty of self-Examination The reason why sinners are not troubled is because they do not know themselves nor the danger of that Estate in which they are and the reason why Saints have not Peace is because they are not so well acquainted with themselves as they should be they do not so well understand what an happy change the Lord has wrought both relative and real both in their condition and in their Heart and Spirits What delving and digging and turning up the bowels of the Earth to find out Silver and Gold And surely 't is worth our while to ransack and search our selves throughly if that we may find what is much more precious then Gold that perishes The Apostles command is express Examine your selves prove your own selves and the end wherefore they were thus to examine and prove was that they might know themselves whether they were in the Faith whether Christ were in them yea or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. And while you are thus upon trial of your selves since a mistake may undo you for ever cry that the Lord who knowes you would teach you to know your selves and that you may think of your selves as he does 4. Plead the Promises of strengthning Grace For the more strong you are in Grace the more evident the Truth of it will be The Lord has promised you shall grow up as Calves of the stall and that you shall thrive as Willowes by the water-courses The Righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree and grow like a Caedar in Lebanon those that are Planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92. 12 13. and all this to shew that the Lord is upright and there is no Vnrighteousness in him v. 15. So that these Promises may with confidence be pleaded and God will not be backward to fulfil them The more Grace you have the more 't will be exercised and the more 't is exercised the more plainly you will be able to discern it and consequently have the greater Peace and Comfort in it Those that have little Grace and are full of doubts should strive after so much Grace as to be past doubt 5. Love the Commands of God and do them If once your Hearts are pleased with the Laws of God 't is a sign that you are indeed in Covenant and that the Lord has put his Laws in your minds and writen them in your Hearts and has been Merciful to your Vnrighteousness Hearken to the Psalmist Great Peace have they that Love thy Law Psal 119. 165. Love of the Law will make us carefull to keep it and this is the way to have the Lord manifest himself to us as he does not manifest himself to the World Joh 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that Loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will Love him and will manifest my self to him and v. 23. If a man Love me he
will keep my Word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him The manner of the Father and Sons making their abode in us we are not so well able to apprehend but the effects of this in-dwelling are more evident and Peace is one of those effects Abound in Obedience and the work of God for that 's the truest Peace where there are most of Fruits of Righteousness Isaiah 48. 18. Oh that thou hadst harkened to my Commandements then had thy Peace been as a River and thy Righteousnesse as the Waves of the Sea 6. Be sure that you connive not at any known sin For this will be sure to hinder Peace I am afraid that in most doubting I dare not say in all and complaining Souls that there are some lusts or other that they deal gently with and these Absaloms do disturb their Peace They indulge to their passions inordinate Affections Pride Sensuality Covetousness and 't is no marvel that they are strangers to peace 'T is not more natural for Water to extinguish Fire than for allowed sin to hinder peace of Conscience It exceedingly grieves the Spirit of the Lord from whom peace flows and he will suspend his influences and will neither quicken nor comfort if himself be quenched and grieved Had Sampson peace in the lap of Delilah or Herod peace in the embraces of Herodias such things may please the flesh but they wound the Spirit and are a trouble to the Conscience If you set up idols in your hearts and the stumbling block of your iniquity before your face God will answer you accordingly and no peace will he speak till you repent and turn from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations Ezek. 14. 3 4 5 6. 7. Begg earnestly to be sealed by the spirit unto the day of Redemption The Apostle tells the Ephesians that after they Believed they were sealed with the holy spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance Chap. 1. 13 14. This sealing of the Spirit as it does imply Sanctification and setting us apart for God from profane uses so also an intimation that we are Sanctified in Order to our being fitted for an incorruptible and undefiled Inheritance As 't is the Spirit which does convince the World of sin so 't is he who does convince the Saints that they have Grace and Righteousness O therefore pray that this Comforter may come and abide in you for ever for though you have the Privy Seal really upon you of Gods foreknowledge and Election though you have the Seals of the Covenant administred nay though you are Sealed with the Image of God in effectual Calling and Regeneration yet till this Sealing Spirit does make it Evident you will not have Peace Thus of that seventh Particular The goodness of Conscience lies in the Calmness and Peace of it 8. The goodness of Conscience lies in this That 't is void of Offence The Apostle does profess that herein he did Exercise himself to have a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and also towards Man Acts 24. 16. A good Conscience has Respect unto both Tables of the Law Godliness and Honesty are both Commanded that is a regard to God and to our Neighbour (n) Phlieg asque miserrimus omnes Admonet magnâ testatur voce per umbras Discite justitiam moniti non temnere Divos Virgil. Aeneid 6. A good Conscience takes Notice what the Lord chiefly calls for namely our Reverence our Faith our Love our Delight and is not satisfied with any External Acts of Worship unless these Internal and more acceptable pieces of Service are given to him 'T is careful also that our Duty towards Man be performed because the Commands which enjoyn this have the stamp of Gods Authority upon them and we cannot sin against our Brother but we sin against the Lord in whose Image Man is made and who has Commanded us to Love our Neighbour as our selves A good Conscience will not suffer any to be careless of those Duties of Mercy and Righteousness towards Men because God is so strict as to those that he will permit the external Acts of his own Service to be omitted rather than Mercy should not be shewn Go ye and learn that says Christ I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice That is Mercy rather than Sacrifice q. d. If Sacrifice cannot be Offered but Mercy must be Neglected let me be without Sacrifice rather than thy Brother that needs it be without Mercy Two things are here to be Observed A good Conscience is void of Offence in that it will neither give Offence nor take it 1. A good Conscience is afraid of giving Offence What is the Work of Satan 'T is to Offend God as much as he is able and to be putting stumbling-blocks before Men that hereby they may fall into sin Now surely Satan is in no wise to be imitated A scandalous Life and a good Conscience cannot stand together How express and full is that Command 1 Cor. 10. 32 Give no Offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Those that are within are not to be Offended lest they be grieved and discouraged Those that are without are not to be offended lest they be confirmed in their prejudices against Religion and hardned in their wickedness Therefore we are to walk circumspectly to Act as upon a Theatre where many Eyes behold us and all to this end That we may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom we are to shine as Lights in the World Psal 2. 15. 2. A good Conscience will take no Offence that is not at God not at Christ not at Religion whatever it sees done by Men or whatever it beholds come to pass by the Providence of the Lord. A good Conscience likes not Religion the worse though there be never so many Hypocrites for all the Men in the World cannot so much inveigh against Hypocrites as Christ does speak against and threaten them It likes not Truth the worse though never so many are led away with the Error of the wicked though so many were turned Arrians yet Athanasius stood up for the God-head of our Lord Jesus A good Conscience likes not Christ the worse though never so many Apostatize nor Holiness the worse though every where spoken against nor Christianity the worse because of the Cross and Persecution But here two Questions are to be resolved how taking and how giving offence may be prevented Would you take no Offence 1. Labour after a greater measure of Vnderstanding those that are in the dark or whose Eyes are dim are more apt to stumble A clearly enlightned Conscience will weigh things well and will easily perceive how unreasonable 't is to take offenc at Religion for the miscarriages of Professors which Religion does so much condemn and
called the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit which worketh in the Children of Disobedience If you make nothing of disobeying the Word of God if you walk according to the course of this world and fulfill the desires of the flesh and the carnal mind Eph. 2. 2 3. 't is a sign that Satan does command you and your peace is far from being true 3. That peace of Conscience is false where there is a walking after the imagination of the evil heart Those words do sound like Thunder Dreadfully rattling in the air Deut. 29. 19 20. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven The heart of man is foolish deceitful wicked desperately wicked 't is a very sore judgment to be given up to our own hearts lusts and to be suffered to walk after our own counsels Sinners need not other enemies they are forward enough to go astray of their own accord and to ruine themselves let them follow their own hearts and they will infallibly come to Hell in the conclusion If any therefore do walk in the way of their hearts and please and gratifie their own sinfull affections and say they shall have peace they speak without book without Gods book I am sure 4. That peace of Conscience is false where the soul is intoxicated with sensuall Delights and Pleasures Thus the rich man was at peace whose ground brought forth plentifully who resolved to pull down his barns and to build greater that he might bestow all his Fruits and his Goods and since there were Goods sufficient for many years he was clearly for taking his Ease for Eating and Drinking and making merry Luk. 12. 16. 19. One great cause of Sodoms security was their giving themselves over unto sensuallity Whoredom and Gluttony and Drunkenness do take away the heart such consider no more than if they were brutes nay they come short of brutes even the most stupid of them Isa 1. 3. The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider Sensual Pleasures as also Worldly cares do overcharge the heart so that there is no trouble or concernedness about eternity and while they dream not of any such thing the day of the Lord does come on them like a snare Luk. 21. 34 35. And take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth 5. That peace of Conscience is false which is built upon present dispensations of Providence Sinners are apt to argue wrong both from prosperity and from adversity that their state is good and so put a cheat upon their own Souls Some are perswaded that because the Lord loads them with external blessings this is a certain sign of his love But the Holy Ghost informs us that the ungodly prosper in the World and increase in Riches that they are not in trouble like other men that they have more than Heart could wish Psal 73. 12. Daniel tells us that even Kingdoms are given to the basest of men Dan. 4. 17. Luther said concerning the (u) Turcicum imperium quantum est nihil est nisi panis mica quam dives pater familias projicit canibus Luther Tom. 2. in Gen. in cap. 21. Turkish Empire that it was but a morsel cast unto a Dog And if whole Kingdoms are given to the ungodly who can argue himself a Saint and loved of God from his worldly enjoyments 't is not the having of the World but sitting loose from it looking upon our selves as Strangers and Pilgrims in it and improving it for God that will argue we are indeed his Children On the other side some are perswaded because afflicted at present that it will be well with them in the Life to come But wicked men may also be afflicted God does distribute sorrows to them in his Anger so that they are as stubble before the Wind and as chaffe which the storm carrieth away Job 21. 17 18. 'T is not then our being corrected that will prove us Children but our receiving of Correction and being humbled and reformed by it though never so often in the furnace if we are not at all Refined we are but Reprobate Silver 6. That Peace of Conscience is false which is built upon External profession and Priviledges Thus of old many because they were called Jews did rest in the Law made their boast of God though at the same time they did break the Law and dishonoured God by their presumptuous Transgressions Rom. 2. 17. 23. Many now a dayes are called Christians and beguile themselves with an empty name It will not advantage any to name the name of Christ if they will not depart from iniquity to call him Lord Lord if they are resolved still to rebell against him They had great Peace and confidence who said Lord Lord we have Eat and Drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets And yet both their peace and confidence were without ground the door is shut against them they are excluded from the Kingdom for they were notwithstanding all their Profession workers of iniquity Luke 13. 26 27. By such a profession iniquity has the greater aggravation w he is most inexcusably ungodly who has most of the form but nothing of the Power of Godliness 7. That peace of Conscience is false that is built upon External Righteousnesse and escaping the more grosse pollutions of the World The Apostle Paul before his Conversion was touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3. 6. that is his Conversation was so agreeable to the letter of the Law and so free from any foul and scandalous sin that men could not blame him But though he was thus blameless yet he was graceless and though he thought himself to be alive and his state to be good and safe yet he was deceived as he found afterwards That Pharisee had a false peace who said God I thank thee I am not as other * Nos vero quid respondere pro nobis possumus tenemus Symbolum evertimus confitemur munus salutis pariter negamus Ac per hoc ubi est Christianit as nostra qui ad hoc tantummodo Sacramentum salutis accipimus ut majore postea praevaricationis scelere peccâ—mus Salvian De Gub. Dei l. 5. pag. mihi 195 men are Extortioners unjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in