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A00643 The souls looking-glasse lively representing its estate before God: with a treatise of conscience; wherein the definitions and distinctions thereof are unfolded, and severall cases resolved: by that reverend and faithfull minister of the Word, William Fenner, B.D. sometimes fellow of Pembroke-hall in Cambridge, and late parson of Rochford in Essex. Fenner, William, 1600-1640.; Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666. 1640 (1640) STC 10779; ESTC S101939 116,565 318

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Lord is the death ●his Saints Is death precious and shall I ●so vain as to fear it Thus ye see 〈◊〉 answer to the first question Whe●er every child of God that hath true ●ace of conscience can be desirous to ●e 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 man make a wicked man desirous to die H● may have so much horrour of conscience as that he may think certainly he● cannot be worse Hell is infinitel● worse but he may not think so Th● Judas was desirous to die Matth. 27.5 when he we● and hanged himself Thus many in d●spair do make away themselves I co●fesse some in despair may be fearfu● to die as Cain was fearfull to die ● was fear of death made him spea● thus unto God It shall come to passe th● every one that findeth me shall slay m● Gen. 4.14 The reason was becaus● though he were in despair yet he w● not so sensible of his horrour as Jud●● was for Cain could go and build 〈◊〉 all this and train up his children 〈◊〉 musick and the like for all this b● Judas was in a case more sensible of h● misery 2. Dolour of pain may ma● a wicked man desire to die Thus ● was with Saul Saul had received b● deaths wound and was in most grie●ous pain he could not die presently ●either could he live but lying in very ●reat pain between both desired the Amalekite to stand upon him and slay ●im 2. Sam. 10.9 though Osiander ●hink the Amalekite lyed unto David ●o curry favour with him but Jose●hus and others think he spake the ●ruth Sure it is that many wicked ●retches having no peace of consci●nce to sweeten and allay their tor●ents have been desirous to die nay ●ome have hastened their own death ● Malecontentednesse and shame and ●isappointment of their aims may also ●ake wicked men desirous to die and 〈◊〉 death come not soon enough of it ●elf to dispatch away themselves with ●ruel self-murder Thus it was with A●hitophel 2. Sam. 17 23. when he saw his counsel was was not followed he haltered himself He had no peace of conscience to com●ort him against all his dumps and dis●ontents and therefore he was desi●ous to die 4. Wicked men being ●exed at something for the present may seem to be desirous to die and ye● if death should come indeed they would be of another mind and be content death should be further off Nay Jonas that strange man of a good man● O for a fit he would be dying yea tha● he would Jon. 4.3 Lord take my life from me● for it is better for me to die then to live ● suppose if God had taken him at hi● word he could have wished his word● had been in again But thus it is ofte● in the mouthes of wicked people ● would I were dead and I would I were o● of the world not for any peace of conscience they have nor for any desire o● death but onely for a momentany pang● If they were to die indeed they would be loth enough to it Like the man i● the Fable who being wearied with his burden of sticks lay down and called for Death but when Death came indeed to take him and said What shal● I do man thou calledst me I pray thee said he help me up with my burden of sticks When he was to die indeed then he would rather have his own wearisome burden It is but a fable but this is the fashion of many 5. When wicked men are desirous to die indeed ●ometimes not out of discontent or ●ny such like reason yet it cannot be out of any true peace of conscience They may go away like lambs as we ●ay but it is in a fools paradise It may be whilest they lived they thought ●o go to heaven but when they die then ●ll their thoughts perish as the Psalmist ●peaketh in another case To return therefore where we left O beloved is there any of you that want the peace of a good conscience ●nd do ye know what you want what ● great benefit and blessing That ye may see this and fully know it and by ●nowing it earnestly desire it con●ider First That it is the very head of all ●omforts A worthie Divine calleth it Abrahams bosome to the soul Ye know what a blessing it was unto Lazarus to be taken from his sores into Abrahams bosome The peace of a good conscience is like this bosome of Abraham Who would not gladly lie in it Such a man who hath it can never look upon another mans comfort but a good conscience will say Yea and I have my comfort too When Paul was commending of Timothie see how his own conscience spake of himself at the same time 1. Cor. 16.10 He worketh the work of the Lord as I also do Mark his conscience would be putting in comfort for himself Doth Timothie work the Lords work yea and so do I too saith his conscience It is Musculus his observation upon the place Secondly A quiet conscience maketh a man to tast the sweetnesse o● things heavenly and spirituall It maketh the word to be to him as to David Sweeter then hony yea then the hony-combe I have not departed from thy judgements O Lord saith he thus saith his conscience now what followeth next Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter then hony unto my mouth A good conscience maketh a man tast sweetnesse in prayer when his conscience telleth him he prayeth aright It maketh him tast sweetnesse in a Sabbath when his conscience telleth him he sanctifieth it aright so also in the sacrament when his conscience can witnesse he receiveth aright What is the reason so few of you tast sweetnesse in these things The reason is this Because ye have not the peace of a good conscience It would find sweetnesse in every good dutie in every good word and work Thirdly A good quiet conscience maketh a man tast sweetnesse in all outward things in meat in drink in sleep in the companie of friends it putteth a Better upon a very morsel Prov. 17.1 Brown bread and a good conscience there is a Better upon it then upon all the costly fare of the wealthie without it Bernard calleth a good conscience a soft pillow An other calleth it a dear bosome-friend Solomon calleth it a continuall feast It maketh a man tast sweetnesse in every outward thing The healthy man onely can take pleasure in recreations walks meats sports and the like they yield no comfort to those that are bedrid or sick or half-dead But when the conscience is at peace the soul is all in good health and so all things are enjoyed with sweetnesse and comfort Fourthly It sweetneth evils to a man as troubles crosses sorrows afflictions If a man have true peace in his conscience it comforteth him in them all When things
their consciences by their grosse sinnes but of those who would seem godly and perform good duties but with hypocriticall hearts and carnall minds O that they would heare but conscience argue a little in this manner To be carnally minded is death that is is an evident signe of a man that is in the state of death and damnation But saith conscience I am carnally minded or we are carnally minded Therefore we have an argument about us of death and damnation And so also for all other sinnes There is not a wicked man under heaven but he may argue out of his own miserable estate by his conscience or he might if it were awaked as one day it will be Vse 3 Thirdly this may serve for instruction No matter what opinions me● have of us in the world The questio● is What is the judgement of our ow● consciences upon us It may be thou art taken for a man of great knowledge and a forward man in godlinesse it may b● the godly dare not judge otherwise o● thee but the question is What is t●● judgement of conscience Doth nor thy conscience tell thee thou art but a proud fool conceited of thy knowledge and ●ovest to heare thy self talk And so for thy performance of good duties what testimony doth conscience give of the manner of doing of them The testimoniall of conscience is above all testimonials in the world 2. Cor. 1.12 all the good opinions of the world are not worth a ●ush without this If conscience can ●ay that in our wayes we seek to please God and allow not our selves in any ●vil way this testimony is full and sa●isfactory and onely this Yet further concerning this judiciall witnesse of conscience It is either about ●hings to be done or omitted or things ●lready done or omitted The judiciall witnesse of conscience about things to ●e done or omitted is double 1. To ●dge out of Gods law whether it be ●ood or evil 2 To counsel out of ●ur own judgements either to do it or ●orbear it according as the nature of the ●ction is If it be good conscience will so on the contrary if it be evil conscience will counsel us to forbear yea bring arguments to disswade O do it not it will tend to the dishonour of God and be offensive to others and wound our souls c. It was conscience that withheld David from killing Saul and prest him from it by a strong argument 1. Sam. 24 10. O he is the Lords anointed It was conscience that withheld Joseph from yielding to the enticings of his mistres and yielded him an argument to disswade him from it How shall I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God It was conscience that disswaded Nehemiah from flying Neh. 6.11 Should such a man as I flie And if one argument will not serve conscience will use more Vse 1 The use of this may be first for Instruction Hence we learn that naturall men may have a conscience urging to good and restraining from evil There is no man so evil or ignorant but he hath naturally some light with him by which conscience is set on work to advise and to counsel and to say This is very good do it This is very sinfull forbear it This therefore is no signe of grace in any man to have his conscience calling upon him to do good or ●isswading him from evil The very heathen had so according to their light yea and in many of them it was forcible to restrain them from many sinnes which they were inclined unto And so may many men be put upon many good duties not for any love or liking of that which is good but because they would please and satisfie conscience which otherwise will not suffer them to be quiet It was conscience that kept Abimelech from defiling Sarah and yet a carnall man Here then a question may be asked Obj. Whether a mere naturall man can avoid sinne for conscience sake I answer Answ That this expression for conscience sake may be taken two wayes either 1. for conscience of the commandment of God and love to it and so none but Gods children do obey for conscience sake and so it is meant when Paul speaketh of being subject for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 1. Pet. 2.19 and Peter speaketh of suffering science may not reproch him all his dayes for not following it Whereas it is otherwise with the wicked Vse 3 3. The third use is this Seeing conscience is appointed by God to be our guide and our counsellour it should be our practice in every thing we do to ask counsel of conscience whether we were best do it or no. I say that conscience is Gods oracle Whatsoever we are to do we should as David enquire of Gods oracle 1. Sam. 23.2 May I go this way to work or shall I take an other course Heare counsel and receive instruction Prov. 19.20 saith Salomon that thou mayst be wise at thy latter end Conscience is a faithfull counsellour heare it It is the great mercie of God that thou hast such a privie counsel Thou canst go nowhere but it is about thee to advise thee Therefore as Rehoboam said to his green heads What counsel give you so say thou to thy conscience What advise givest thou Conscience in this case my carnall friends counsel me thus and thus mine own carnall heart and lusts would have me go this way but Conscience what counsell givest thou Vse 4 4. The fourth use is to reprove ●he custome of most men who with Ahab refuse the counsel of that one ●rue wholesome prophet have foure ●undred other counsellours who will ●ive counsel as they would have it They regard not this good Michaiah ●hey slight the counsel of conscience ●heir lusts and their carnall reason and ●●esh and bloud are their counsellours The counsel of conscience they say is not ●ood at this time as he said of Achito●hels They will heare conscience at ●nother time but not now But take ●eed for if you reject the counsel of ●onscience it is because the Lord hath ● purpose to destroy you The Adjuncts of conscience which shew themselves in the discharge of this dutie of judging and counselling THe adjuncts are of two sorts The adjuncts of conscience 1. such as respect consciences abilitie to ●ischarge its duty 2. such as accompanie conscience in the discharge thereof darknesse knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 O labour therefore to get a conscience illightened It is true a man may have an illightened conscience and yet go to hell but this is most certain without an illightened conscience a man cannot go to heaven And if thy conscience be something illightened yet labour for more light It will prevent many a stumble save thee from many a knock Thou knowest not what case thou mayest be in what difficult straits thou mayest be put unto if thou hast not light in thy conscience to direct
God for conscience is onely subject to his power he onely hath power over conscience 3. Because conscience is Gods book Now no creature can adde to Gods book or diminish from it Ye may remember that dreadfull anathema at the end of Gods book Rev. 22.18 19. If any man shall adde to this book God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall diminish from this book God shall take away his part out of the book of life Now conscience is also Gods book wherein his law is written Nay conscience is called Gods law For it is said Rom. 2.14 that when the Gentiles which have not the law do the things conteined in the law they having not the law are a law unto themselves that is Their conscience is Gods law unto them Like as the Bible conteineth Gods law for us Christians so did their consciences contein the law of God to them yea to us Christians much rather For we are not to let Gods law be written onely in our Bibles but we must get it written in our consciences our consciences are to be Gods books wherein his laws are to be written And therefore if it be a sinne to adde a new law in the materiall book to bind men then it must needs be a sinne for any creature to put a new law into conscience which is the spirituall book of God It is God onely who can write laws in this book his book is above all the laws in the world and none but God can put in and put out and therefore none but he can bind conscience I speak still of this absolute supreme bond of conscience For Magistrates may bind relatively but not as they are their laws but by the law of God before made Thus ye see the necessity of this truth That Gods law is the absolute and supreme bond of conscience Vses Vse 1 1. This serveth to direct Ministers how to convince the consciences of their people If Ministers desire to work upon their hearers they must speak to the conscience they must shew them Gods authority that it is Gods will and Gods command Tell conscience never so much that we should do thus or thus upon other grounds and inducements it starteth not at that except it be convinced by the word of God that it is Gods will the commandment of the great God of heaven the God of the spirits of all flesh who will look for our obedience This maketh conscience to startle this affecteth it and bindeth it St Paul when he said that he approved himself and his preaching to mens consciences 2. Cor. 4.2 what followeth If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish c. As if he had said This maketh all the world to startle except they be reprobates and men delivered over to Satan It is easie to see what ministerie affecteth most and doeth the most good in the hearts of the people namely that which bringeth the clearest voice of Gods Spirit calling to obedience and binding the conscience They can heare with ease and great pleasure the sermons of those whose doctrines are stuffed with humane discourses Learning and policie never pierce conscience Nay let carnall preachers preach never so much against peoples sinnes they can make a sport of it though they heare their sinnes with humane learning declaimed against When the preacher doth not clearly preach the Lords voice though he rip up sinne yet if it be not in the demonstration of the Spirit of God and shewing his clear authority the heart will not be affected Conscience knoweth when it is bound and when it is but dallied and jested with And therefore if Ministers desire to have their ministerie work upon the hearts of their people they must shew them Gods authority and confirm it by his word and let them see that it is the commandment of the Lord that which will one day judge them Let him know 1. Cor. 14.37 saith Paul that the things that I write are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Lord of heaven and earth that biddeth thee yield and commandeth thee to give over thy base lusts It is he in whose hands thy breath is thou hadst best be obedient I tell thee thy conscience observeth it and if thou wilt not obey it will rore like the roring of the sea one day against thee and sting thee like a scorpion The things that thou hearest know thou that they are the commandments of God and if thou disobey thou dost disobey not men but God Vse 2 2. Is it so that the word of God onely is the supreme bond of conscience Then this teacheth us to have an eye to Gods word in that which we do if we would satisfie conscience I say have an eye to Gods word not onely to do that which it may be is in Gods word conscience counteth that to be nothing but to have an eye to Gods word Conscience will not be satisfied with any obedience that we do if we have not an eye to Gods word Whatever we have an eye to besides conscience knoweth it is nothing if in all we have not an eye to the commandment of God Though we do obey it conscience looketh upon it as if we did not obey it It is onely Gods commandment and authority that bindeth conscience and therefore nothing satisfieth conscience unlesse we have an eye unto that If we do not aim at Gods will in doing what we do conscience counteth our obedience as no obedience at all As for example Ye that are husbands ye love your wives but is it because God commandeth it It may be ye love them because they love you or because your affections are to them Alas this is nothing Pagans and reprobates can do so But do ye aim at the doing of Gods will who commandeth you O say you The Lord doth command me and I do it What of that Do ye look at his commandment when ye do it If not be humbled and know ye must get grace to do so or ye are not obedient to God neither will conscience set it down for obedience Ye that are servants ye serve your masters but do ye aim at Gods will thus O the Lord hath commanded me to be faithfull and painfull in my service Doth your soul look to this It may be ye serve them because they are kind and because they pay you your wages and the like This is nothing to conscience conscience looketh at the commandment of God and if your souls do not aim at the commandment of God it wil not satisfie conscience Ye that are neighbours it may be ye love one another and be friends one with another but doth your soul look at Gods commandment is it because God hath commanded us to love one another People seldome aim at God in these cases They are friends with their neighbours why Their neighbours are friends with them But they