natural Conscience and not only doing things sinful but taking pleasure in them that did them therefore they are given up to do greatest things without check or challenge Hence it is thus in part at least with many Professors within the visible Church for thwarting with Conscience and indeed a silent and dumb Conscience is a great plague for if it cease to be a reprover and speak not men nay even godly men may and will sleep on as David after the going over the belly of his light and blunting the edge of his Conscience slept long enough till Conscience at last roused him up Hence also the Apostle speaketh of some Consciences which were seared with an hot iron which is not so to be understood as if Conscience were flesh or of a fleshly substance only he maketh the comparison that as a mans flesh is sensible of and affected with the prick of a pin so is Conscience with Sin while tender But as the flesh of a Man or Beast when it is seared or burnt a considerable thurst will not much if at all affect it So is Conscience when stupified and made sensless by multiplied Sins against light it groweth so cauterized and seared that hardly any Sin or challenge for Sin is felt 3. Men want not a Conscience though they hear it not always speaking for Conscience may often be speaking when they take not head to it As is abundantly clear in David and Iosephs brethren for that which is the Death evil of a natural man may sometimes be the sore and dangerous sickness and distemper of a child of God And though Conscience may speak but softly for a time yet thereafter it will speak louder and make it known that it spoke when it was not listened unto The day cometh when the Books will be opened and Conscience will speak plainly smartly and home and it concerns you all to know that Conscience is not absent when it is quiet but that it will speak and speak to purpose in due time and that as a party with whom there is no Trysting till it come before the great Judge and then it will give in what it hath to say and it will then be evidently known that there was a Conscience in the prophanest person who most cauterized it by going over the belly of it's Light and Suggestions The 2. Use speaketh to you that live at randome taking great Liberty and Latitude to your selves beside the Rule O! do you believe and remember that there is a Conscience within you and that it will call you to a Reckoning sure if ye did in good earnest ye would be other manner of men It 's generally granted that there is a Conscience in all and the prophanest will have Conscience often in their mouth and indeed their Conscience is little worth when they stand in no aw of it but rather trample on it Let me tell you the greater Light ye have and the moe means and warnings ye are priviledged with the greater will be the aggravation of your guilt and the more dreadful will be your Ditty and Doom from God and from your own Conscience If Conscience will be an impartial Witness and severe Judge against all even Heathens who never heard the Gospel O then what access will it have terribly to reprove condemn smite and gnaw you that live under the Gospel and hear the word dayly Many of you have some stickling and stirring of Conscience within you but alace ye know not what it meaneth and would be quite of it but from this Word be exhorted to know who hath appointed it and for what end it is appointed and make use of it's warnings 〈◊〉 for others that know it and go on sleeping securely in your Sin I must say this to you that the more knowledge ye have of it it will certainly make you to have the more dreadful wakening When all the kindreds of the earth shall houl at the seeing of the son of man and stand trembling at his presence O! what a scrich and cry will Conscience have in that day louder I conceive in some respect then the Trumpet it self setting home the Truth of Challenges bearing witness of the fact and representing the horrour terror and torment abiding them therefore think on it O! think on it all ye who continue in Sin and will not be reclaimed who mock at all Warnings and break all Bonds and will not be subject to Discipline ye shall not be able to shake off the Boâ—d of Conscience but it shall bind you as the Colar of your Coat and keep you bound till ye be â—isted before the Judgement Seat of God Use 3. Seing ye have a Conscience let it not be silent idle and usleâ— but put it to speak and do you hear what it saith and take you warning from it it will not be Bribed Budded nor Boasted It 's a sore matter to have a Conscience and never to take notice of it nor of what it sayeth I shall now only seing there are some good and some evil Consciences as they are or are not informed beseech you to study to have a well informed Conscience especially since where it is well informed it cannot easily be budded nor soon prevailed with to suffer things to come under debate and controversie wherein it is clear a just regard too and the right use-making of Conscience would notably promove Holiness and nothing readily doth more obstruct it then the not taking heed to Conscience and not laying due weight on what it sayes Though many of you do now look on it as nothing or a thing of little moment yet ye will find it to be a greatly momentanious thing O! that God who hath given us Consciences may be graciously pleased to give the right use of them SERMON II. ACTS 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men IF we take a view of and look through Christians and professors of Religion that may have the Root of the matter in them and may in charity be supposed to be effectually called there will be found as great a graduall difference amongst them as amongst men of any other calling whatsoever And if we will compare them generally with the Apostle as to the constant vigorous driving of this notable and noble design there will be found great in-equality and much lamentable un-likness Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men This was his great Work and it is indeed a sweet Work yea a short sum and compend of a Christians Life When we discoursed last from this Text and had drawn some general Doctrines from it for clearing the words we spoke more particularly to this Doctrine viz. That there is in all men and women a conscience that taketh notice of every piece of their carriage and is accordingly affected with and affecteth men for it Some thing
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
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
〈◊〉 sinner can never have the Testimony of a good Conscience nor any the least measure of that solid joy or peace that flows from it for as the Prophet Isaiah sayeth Chap. 57. v. last There is no peace to the wicked saith my God SERMON V. 2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity notwith fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have haâ— our conversation in the world and morâ— abundantly to you-wards THere are many duties and pieces of Christianity whereof the world neither knows the excellency nor the difficulty men are for the most part disposed to think that Religion is a thing of very little worth and very easiely come by when they shall find it convenient for them to look after somewhat of it because they never set themselves seriously and in good earnest to practise it nor to experience the choice and excellent advantages that come by it And we verily suppose that there are not two things in Religion less known and believed then the difficulty of attaining to a well-grounded Testimony of a good Conscience and the unspeakable excellency of it with the great advantage that comes by it when it is attained and intertained We spoke before to you of the great refreshing and joy which the well grounded Testimony of a good Conscience yeeldeth and of the great difficulty that there is to attain and come by it as being the result of much diligence labour and pains in solid answering of many questions Before we proceed any further there may arise here a Doubt or Objection which would be cleared and answered viz. If a particular search and examination as to every action and duty be necessary yea if it be possible ere the Conscience can give a good Testimony and if so how a person can possibly have peace in reference to his bygone way when in seeking to review it and to reflect upon it he finds it impossible to examine every action and the circumstances of it We conceive it to be necessary to answer this Doubt or Objection though we confesse it is very difficult to do it to full satisfaction there being especially extreams upon both sides some being ready to take an undue liberty and latitude to themselves on the one hand when any allowed qualifications are offered and others being in hazard to faint and be discouraged on the other hand if the matter be kept in a peremptory state without due qualifications and cautions And yet we are sure that the right preaching of the Gospel if we could win at it will neither louse reins to lawless and sinsul liberty to carnal persons nor make sad the hearts of these that ate gracious and tender nor put them on the rack nor involve them into a labyrinth of inextricable intricacies and perplexities For answer then to the Doubt or Objection 1. It is indeed expedient so far as a Believer can win in self-examination to reach his particular actions and the particular steps and circumstances of them wherein Iob and others of the Saints have win a great length and the expediency if not necessity of it appears from this because by this means Believers win to more distinctnesse and stayednesse in up-taking of their case 2ly We think that the distinct examination of all particulars in a mans life and of the several questions that Conscience may propose concerning them is not possible in it self and therefore not simply necessary as to the makeing of this duty practicable for if we could possibly as we cannot go through all our Actions and all the circumstances of them through out our whole way it would take up more of our time to examine then we have for practice if we should be put to reflect particularly on every thing that we have done on what hath been committed and on what hath been omitted and the several aggravations and circumstances of every one of these and to go through every one of them according to the exact Rule it would take us many dayes yea if the Conscience should give way to scruplousness in this there should alwayes be an examination of our examination which yet may and in some cases ought to be and so on in infinitum that there should never be an end of this work to the exclusion of others clearly called for which cannot be That is not then we conceive the Lords end in pressing on us this duty of Self-examination whereby he designes to extricat the Souls of his People out of disquietnesse and not to involve them further in it Yet 3ly We say that its necessary as to Believers peace in their duty that they examine the series of their way though they cannot reach every particular action or all its circumstances and that they think no duty to be so clear nor any sin to be so little as resolvedly to passe it without reflecting on it so far as is possible and in examining the series and tract of their way They would consider 1. The matter of their actions whether it was good and approven of God or not 2. The manner of them Whether they have endeavoured to do things after the due order and in the prescribed manner 3. What they proposed to themselves as the general main end and scope of their actions whether it was the glory of God oâ— not we find much of the Saints Testimony of their Conscience to be founded upon this as we may see here in Paul We have had sayes he our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you wards not with fleshly wisdom c. And in David who 〈◊〉 Psal. 119 59. I thought on my wayes and turned my fâ—et into thy testimony There is great difference betwixt a mans way or path and every particular step of his way or path David proposes to himself the series of his way to be examined and wherein he found himself faulty he makes haste to go out of it and turns his feet into Gods testimonies He was endeavouring to be watchful in every step of his way while it was before him to have it right but when he reflects it being impossible as we have said to look on every step of his way and to examine it according to the Rule he looks upon the series of it on the matter manner and end of his walk in the tract of his life and in this respect he sayeth Psal. 18. 21. I have keeped the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God As Iob Chap. 23. also doth My soot hath held his steps his way have I keeped and not declined 4ly Believers would not only look to their way but there are some actions and steps of their way at some special times that they would be more particular in the examination of then at other times and of every action though they would not designedly seclude any as God in providence calleth them to it and
that 's behind in that respect and sayes with the Apostle Phil. 3. according to his measure Not as if I had attained or were already perfyt one thing I do forgetting these things that are â—ehind and reaching forth unto these things that are before I press towards the mark for the 〈◊〉 He is so taken up with pressing desires and endeavouâ— to be forward that any thing he hath attained he is not much taken and far less vainly tickled with it as these proud Pharisees were with their giving of almes The attainment that many offer as an evidence of their honest willingness and their pleading for it with their proud boasting of it is a shrewd evidence of their real unwillingness in so far as they sit down contenâ—dly with what they have attained and press not at 〈◊〉 to be forward as it becomes those to do that are far behind The truly willing honest man sees so great a deal of his way before him that he scarce endures to look back on what of it is past he is ready to think and â—ay I have so many things to do for God that I someway forget all the good turns that I have done as to sitting down with them or boasting of them 6ly The seriously willing man can never be fully satisfied with any victory he hath obtained over his corruption or out-gate from it nor dare he rest on it Neither hath he peace till he come to look to God in Christ and to the hope of outgate through him I thank God sayeth the Apostle Rom. 7. through Iesus Christ our Lord and then followes the conclusion so then with my mind I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin And Chap. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit This character hath three branches 1. The man that is wrestling with and groaning under the body of death loves well and dearly the hope of an outgate and now and then longs to have the pins of his tabernacle loosed and to be fred from that evil neighbour and troublesome guest of indwelling corruption and it is unexpressibly sweet and refreshing to him to look to that desirable day when he and it shall finally part company 2ly He hath never the settled hope of an outgate but when he looks to God through Christ he looks to God and thinks himself eternally oblidged to him for his giving Christ to deliver him and he looks to Christ for strength to stand it out in the battel and for obtaining a full and final out-gate in the close and at last And 3ly A man that hath this willingness It highly commends the free grace of God to him it makes Christ very lovely to him and withall it makes sin to be exceeding sinful in his own eyes he loves Christ well because he hath the hope of an out-gate through him and he loves grace well because the poor man who is wrestling and warring with his corruption and often plunged in the puddle and mire by it hath through grace the hope of a final out-gate from it and it makes sin to become out of measure loathsome to him and the higher Christ Jesus and his grace are exalted the more vile and abominable is sin in his â—ight O! but it be safe for the Soul to ride at anchor betwixt these two We shall only add That this sincerely and honestly willing man is one that hath two parts in him and as he hath two parts so he labours to give every part it s own due and unless this be done there is no keeping of peace and calmness in the Conscience if a man should look on himself as wholly renewed it were rank presumption having still a remainder of corruption in him And if being a sound Believer in Christ he should look on himself as wholly unrenewed It were gross unbelief Therefore he attributs to corruption its due and is humbled for it before the Lord and he acknowledges the grace of God in him and any honest protest against â—in attributing it to grace and gives God the praise of his grace after Pauls example who sayes Rom. 7. I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord so then with my mind I my self serve the Law of God and with my flesh the law of sen He takes with it that with his unrenewed pâ—t he serves the law of sin so that he was not come at perfection in holiness and yet asserts that in his mind he serves the law of God yet so that he served not the Law of God as of himself or in his own strength but as renewed and assisted by grace For 2 Cor. 3. 5. He sayes Not that we are sufficient of our selves as of our selves to think any thing but our sufficiency is of God He acknowledges that of himself as of himself he sinned and could not so much as think a good thought but as renewed and that not as of himself but aâ— of God he served God his sufficiency being allenarlly of him who enabled him to any thing that was good and as it is 1 Cor. 15. Not I but the grace of God in me the same man that sayes he cannot so much as think what is good as of himself that he can do nothing yet sayes I can do all things through Christ strengthning me Philp. 4. 10. O strange This way of distinguishing is both a notable evidence of a man that aims honesty at peace and is the way to peace of Conscience and otherwayes if it be neglected whilst Christians have corruption in them they can never have solid peace SERMON I. Heb. 9. v. 13. 14. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh 14. 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 IT is the great business of Christians to walk so as they may be in good terms with their Conscience that from no untenderness in their way there may be any just ground of challenge at least none such as may wound the Conscience and break or marr the peace and tranquillity of it before God or disturb or interupt that sweet serenity and distinct calmness of a spiritual frame of soul that he allowes on believers in him who are exercising themselves to have alwayes a good Conscience But alace its not all professors of Religion It s not all gracious Christians that win at this who I mean serious Christians partly throw the unmortified remâ—nder of corruption still dwelling in them and partly through their own unwatchfulness fall often into such sins as defile the Conscience and obstruct the clear light and serene tranquillity thereof when in any measure attained and therefore it is no less necessary to know
get no rest until the â—ll turn was done under pretext of keeping his oath Herod was predominantly swayed by these who sat at Table with him and would have it thought that he was to be excused because otherways he could not forsooth keep his oath who yet had broken many an oath and made no bones of them For the second Question How may the impulse of Conscience be known and discerned from the impulse of Credit Interest inclinations Will and Affection Answer By the Word To the law and to the testimony Isa. 8. 20 Conscience is subject to that and Conscience never readily pouseth against duty holden out by the Word Conscience would never bid Heroa take away the life of an innocent man 2. If a man be dark and doubtful in a particular Conscience as Conscience is always single but Credit Interest and thâ— like have always some by-respect which stealeth in and drowneth Conscience representing to it that such and such loss or prejudice will follow on such a thing Interest and Reputation will make a man say I would noâ— do such a thing if I could do otherways but shall I hazard all my estate and possibly my life also this I may not do and when interest and particularity prevail they make him to step over Conscience and to think that he doth no fault when it is some particular hazard that swayeth him interest is satisfied from a supposed necessity but Conscience acknowledgeth not that rule in outward things when the man can do no other ways it will put him to choose suffering 3. When Credit Interest and the like pouss their impulse is partial and violent but the impulse of Conscience is impartial and sober Conscience swaying the man pouseth him from the awe of God and from love to him and to all that is known to be duty impartially as to pray read meditate confer c. but when interest credit or inclination swey him they will drive him to one thing and not to another and more especially to that which may satisfie his humour and that violently but for the more exercising duties of Religion as to humble himself before God to repent of sin to meditate c. it doth not pouss or but very coldly and slowly as some men will have an impulse to provide for their families and they will ride and run for that but if any object of Charity offer or if there be any hazard of loss for Christ and the Gospels sake these will be silent there or if Conscience mutter it will not be much regarded in what it says Now if Conscience sweyed the man here there would be an impartial respect had to one duty as well as to another 4. Where Interest Credit Inclination or Affection pouâ—s they drive not only violently and partially but irrationally and cannot stay nor endure to reason and debate things or to be disswaâ—ed from the thing towards which there is an inclination and will neither will give a hearing to what may be said to the contrary But Conscience in its impulse is rational and sober goes to the Word and would haâ—e matters calmly seasoned and debated and is the better satisfied the better the business be debated and cleared because it likeâ—h and loveth rational service Rom. 12. 1. and therefore layeth every thing to the rule and readily conteâ—teth with corruption with which inclination sideth 5. When Credit Interest and inclination in their impulses are thwarted they storm they vex and torture the man but when the impulse of Conscience is thwarted it hath a kindly pricking and stounding the impulse of interest or inclination being thwarted conâ—useth and putteth thorow other to speâ—k so and being but a carnal fit of passion maketh â—rothy light and distemperedly passionaâ—e but it the impulse of Conscience be thwarted it weighteth and stingeth deeply 6. The impulse of Conscience affecteth constantly and choppeth evenly though sometimes in its chopping it will be more quick then at another time yet where it swayeth it leaveth not off but continueth chopping this year and the next and accounteth a thing evil or good in another as well as in a mans self and in himself as well as in another and at all times but when a man is poussed by credit interest inclination or affection he is like a distempered man in a Fever whose pulse beateth not evenly he is not constant and equal but up or down as the particular that affecteth him 〈◊〉 his humour or cometh near him as for instance a man swayed by his interest will dispute for the government of such a person this year and for the government of another the next for such an interest this year and for a contrary one the next for one sort of government in Church or State as best this year and for another as best the next because his own particular interest cometh in to side with it and so he changeth his Principles according to his Interest and disputes for one thing to day and for the contrary the next thus his interest forgeth and frameth principles to maintain it which is an evidence that such mens great principle is their interest and that they are 〈◊〉 swayed from a native principle of Conscience else they would be more evenly and constant therefore beware to take every impulse for the impulse of Conscience many men wofully abuse Conscience by their pretentions to it as if some weighty nay some extraordinary bond were on their Conscience when as indeed inclination or affection or some other such thing pousseth them on The Third Question is May not even Conscience sometimes err and go wrong May it not pouse to that which is evil and sinful and should it then be followed Ans. Conscience may err or go wrong two wayes 1. In respect of Light by thinking that which is wrong to be right 2. In respect of Practice in application of the Rule And therefore it is needful to speak a word for clearing of both And First In the general when we say that men should walk according to their Conscience we understand it of a Conscience well informed and in the exercise of Duty as knowing its Masters will and doing it for a wicked man may have a good Conscience in respect of Light to tell him what he shall do and to challenge him when he doth wrong though yet he will not obey it Therefore we say for a man to have a good Conscience is to have a well informed Conscience and doing duty accordingly For further clearing of this There are Ten sorts of Consciences that men ought not to be guided by Whereof Five fail in the Major or First proposition in respect of Light and other Five faâ—l in the Minor or Second Proposition in respect of Practice or Application The Five sorts that fail in the Major Proposition or in respect of Light are these 1. An Erring Conscience when the Judgement is mis-informed and accounteth Duty to to be Sin and Sin to be
There is nothing readily that more comforts him in a strait it 's a singularly good back-friend Therefore when Paul hath few other friends he maketh use of this and findeth much peace and comfort from it And hence he sayth 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. To clear this in a word further it is in these Three Cases exceeding useful 1. In the Case of Reproach I have sayeth Paul Acts 23. 1. lived in all good conscience before God untill this day And 2 Tim 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve with pure conscience from my fore-fathers 2ly In the case of some notable Cross when Christians are brought very low in a great measure outwardly afflicted or under great persecution This is sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye are buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it and take it patiently this is acceptable with God 3ly It 's useful and comfortable as to our own peace in the case of Challenges for guilt it silenceth and shoulders out all Challenges and giveth holy boldness If our hearts or Consciences condemn us not sayes Iohn 1. Ep. Chap 3. v. 21. then have we confidence towards God The Use serves to teach us to be much in love with such a way as we may have the Testimony of a good Conscience in it and to be much in love with such a Conscience as may give us such a comfortable Testimony in all our straits and difficulties More particularly we shall speak to that which we mainly aim at in these Four or Five Observations Consider then first What Paul is about here he is asserting a truth viz. That he was in great beavines for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh And he attests his Conscience that it was so and that he was honest and sincere in asserting it Whence Observe That there is no action of a mans Life but Conscience hath a concern in it and hath something to say to him concerning it if it were but the speaking of a word let be the doing of any bussiness Conscience hath alwayes something to say for him or against him So that we may confidently say there is no action of so little moment in thought word or deed as whither a man be called to do or forbear to speak or to be silent but in all these Conscience hath a sense and consideration of it and a Testimony to give for or against the man about it I am not now speaking of things sinful or unlawful on the matter but of such things as on the matter are lawful As when a man speaketh truth whither he speaketh it truly and with an honest intention or not Therefore when Paul is speaking a truth here he looks to his Conscience and hearkens what it sayeth Put these Four together and ye will find it clear that a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified and good Frame will alwayes have something to say for or against a man in every thing that he goes about I say a sanctified Conscience in a sanctified Frame because that is the Conscience we are speaking of and the Conscience that most compleatly dischargeth it's duty 1 If we consider this That there is no humane action but God hath given man a Rule directing how it shall be ordered how he shall eat and how he shall drink how he shall plow pray hear read confer how he shall walk in Company and out of Company how he shall go about the Duties of his Calling and it prescribes the manner of doing these things as well as the matter Therefore 1 Tim. 3. 16 1â— It 's said All Scripture is given by divine inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for instruction in righteousness and for correction that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work It furnishes him with light and direction not only in the matter as â— said but in the manner of doing 2. 〈◊〉 That a man in all his actions is either walking according and agreeably to tâ—at rule or not his action is eiâ—her conform or disconform to the Rule there is not a mids He either doth according to it or he doth not according to it If he do the action as the word prescribeth Conscience hath something to say for him if noâ— it hath something to say against him 3. 〈◊〉 that in all actions as they are â—one or performed and as 〈◊〉 God is either pleased or displeased If the action be done according to his will he is pleased if it be not done according to his will he is displeased 4. Conâ—ider That a sanctified Conscience taketh up a mans actions and considereth him in them not according to the matter only buâ— also as they are agreeable to the Rule for the manner principle motive and end and â—estifieth of them accordingly So that if God have an interest in all a mans actions a sanctified Conscience hath also an interest in them I say a sanctified Conscience because it most singly pleaâ—eth Gods interest This is true also of a natural Conscience according to its light for even such a Conscience as it is said Rom. 2. 5. beareth witness and the Gentiles show the works of the Law written in their heatâ—s their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And there is no natural man if he take heed to his Conscience in the doing of any action but will find Conscience according to its light speaking either for him or against him either acâ—using or else exâ—using him but this is much more to be found is a sanctified Câ—nscience because it hath much more light and much more tenderness to act according â—o that light and therefore it will find it self much more concerned in the actions of a believer The first Use is for information and instruction in a maâ—n practical point of Religion relating to mens conversation Most men 〈◊〉 think that Conscience is not concerned except in some great things some paâ—pably sinâ—ul things or some things immediatly relating to Religion and that in all other things they may live as they like without taking notice of Conscience But â— sâ—y and have cleared it that Conscienâ—e hath â—n 〈◊〉 and concern in every action not only as to putting men to undertake it whereof we spoke before but also as to their manner of performing the same It not only puts a man to think speak or do but it 's concerned in the manner of his thinking speaking and doing Conscience in every one of these hath somewhat to say viz. That we are either right or wrong The reason is because all a Christian mans actions may be taken up in a two-fold respect or under a two-fold consideration 1.
he is but a guesser 2dly It 's excellent in respect of the great influence that it hath on the life of Religion and power of Godliness look to the most spiritual duties it hath great influence on them not on a few of them but on them all whether it be Mortification and Repentance it keepeth the heart as it were melting the word â— Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and shall mouâ— and be in bitterness or humble walking before God it 's impossible without it or the highâ—ning our thoughts of Gods grace and the commending of Christ to us it exceedingly contributes to that Every discovered infirmity in the search maketh a new earand to him or the lively way of going about other duties as praying in the Spirit hearing profitably singing in the Spirit c. they cannot be performed to purpose without it A person that hath been reflecting on a by-past duty as of Prayer or of a Sermon that he hath heard will readily have from it a memento or watch-word not to be so superficial in the next 3dly It 's excellent in respect of the many advantages that come by it as is already hinted in the two former respects and might be instanced in a great many moe its useful and advantagious for the preventing of sin for the promoving of holiness for the composing of the Spirit for establishing of peace and for helping to comfortable and chearful walking with God For the 3. viz. the necessity of it this appears much from what is already said and is so very great that its impossible to attain to holiness to mortification to peace to be distinct in our way to be spiritual in any duty or to be tender in our walk without it We may say that this duty in respect of a Christian life is like weeding to a Gardens It 's not sufficient that a Garden have fresh Seeds sown and fine Plants and Flowers set in it if Weeds as they appear be not pulled up without frequent and careful weeding the weeds will quickly overgrow and choak the Flowers and Plants It 's just so here there being so many lusts and corruptions in the heart of man and it 's so broody and se tile of these filthy weeds that unless this self-examination 〈◊〉 conscionably and seasonably exercised it will be overgrown by and by and filled full with the stinking weeds of those corruptions and our coming over our heart and way by taking a review of it is like a careful Gardeners daily coming over his Garden with his Weeding-iron the one is no more necessary to the Garden then the other is necessary to our heart and way And the reason why so many heart are like the sâ—uggards Garden all â—vergrown with nâ—ttles and briars is the neglect of this self-examination Many alace take on a profession of Religion but take no pains to be answerable to it neither do they look to the weeds and hemlocks of sins that in stead of good fruits to God spring up in their heart and over-spread their life Therefore from all this I beseech you take this word of advertisement as you would have the profession of your Religion well stuffed and filled up with the power of it and would not have it as a Ghostly House having a fair shew outwardly and empty within or as a painted Sepulchre beautiful without and full of rottenness and dead mens bones within and as ye would not have much false bulk without substance be much in the exercise of this excellent duty of self-examination and serious in it I shall here answer two or three objections that may be proposed about putting this concerning duty in practice And first It may be objected that this is a very hard and difficultly practicable thing we cannot do it we dow not do it it will not go with us and indeed there is naturally in us all an aversness from nothing more than from this And we conceive that who ever will essay it in earnest will find it to be a difficult duty indeed more difficult and harder to be gone about then either Prayer hearing of the Word or conference on a spiritual subject It being a duty wherein the inner man at the Bar of Conscience and so in some respect at the Bar of Gods Tribunal is exercised and taken up which maketh it difficult even to them that would sain go about it We shall therefore in answer to this objection 1. speak something in general 2. We shall speak more particulary to some directions or helps for making it easie In general We say 1. That the Duty would not be scared at because of it's difficulty for the most excellent Duties that have the greatest influence on the practice of godlness that strick most at the body of Death and are most discriminating characters of the godly â—hen suitably discharged are ordinarly most difficult and we would love them the better and prefer them in some respect to others that are more easie and which Hypocrites and meer Formalists may go about and indeed such a one is this as hath been shewed And therefore we have the greater reason to press towards the practice of it 2ly We would say that though it be difficult yet ye would essay it and if ye do so seriously and in the strength of Christ ye will find it go far better and more easily with you then possibly ye expect And the truth is that as to these Duties that are more inward and spiritual that which is called for from us is our essaying of and putting hand to them and seriously necessitating our selves to it which if we do we have them and this in particular laid before us in the Promise As Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded c. and 36 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and doings that were not good c. And so particularly we come to speak in the 2d place of the Directions and Helps for making it easiy The 1. whereof is this That we would essay it with an eye to the promise for indeed this and all other Duties ly in Promises and albeit we cannot pray a right without the Spirit yet we will essay it on this account Even so should we do as to this Duty how difficult soever it may be 2dly And yet somewhat more particularly we would endeavour to have a sober serious and sanctified frame in the undertaking and prosecuting of this Duty when our Spirits are Carnal and Discomposed and when there is a noise and clamour of worldly lusts swarming within us it is no great wonder though we essay it that it go not with us but miscarry in our hand We would therefore abstract and compose our selves as in Gods presence and study to have our hearts in a sanctified frame as the Church doth Lament 3. 28 29. Sitting alone and keeping silence with a stopped mouth We would table and state our selves before God
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
clear command yea as its the neglect of a notable mean for the suitable performance of all other duties so that wherever Prayer Repentance Hearing Reading c. is commanded This is also on the matter commanded And as many duties as are commanded of as many breaches of these commands are we guilty when this duty is neglected Considering that when ever we are commanded to do any duty we are commanded also to use all the means that may further us towards the suitable performance thereof And this being a special mean requisit to the right performance of every duty it is therefore commanded in every other commanded duty We may inâ—ance it in the observation of the Lords day This helps a man to begin it aright It goes along with him in all the duties of the day and when it s over and by it helps him to discover his â—ailings and short comings and his actings of Grace where it is and spiritual attainments in these duties and to be accordingly affected and the neglect of it is à breach of the Lords day both before and after and in the time of publick or privat or secret duties of worship called for on that day and so proportionably in other duties 4ly We may look upon it In respect of its being a nursery of all sorts of evils it harbours end entertains Lusts it hardens the heart strengthens security it cherisheth hypocrisie It brings on formality and impenitency It as it were locks up in presumption and carnal confidence It wears men out from under the aw of God and from under all due respect to Conscience The man that makes Conscience of Self-examination will be afraid of a challenge but he that uses not and cares not to examine himself pulls as it were the bridle out of his own head runs at random gives himself up and layes himself open to every sin and temptation without fear of challenges And if ye will look well about you and observe narrowly will ye not find that the man that rusheth impetuously into a course of sin as the horse rusheth into the Bâ—ttel is very readily he that quite neglects and despiseth this duty of examination of his way by his Conscience or before the Tribunal thereof And when I pray are persons most tender or untender Is it not when they are most impartial or most partial in this work of setting themselves down to take a serious review of their case and way and â—illing themselves before their Conscience to review the sentence thereof As for the 3d. thing proposed to be spoken of viz. The causes of this so abominable and groâ—ly sinful neglect they may easily and soon be found out if we knew and considered what a nature we have so very averse from true holinesse yea the more sublimely holy and spiritual that duties be the more averse naturally are we from hem as its much easier to bring a man to the profession then it is to bring him to the power of Religion So is it much more easieto bring a man to the practice of many external duties thereof then to the practice of this one inward duty It being as it were a â—neding knife to Corruption bringing a man to strick at the very Rooâ— and Life of it and it being as it were a setting of him on the Black-stone He is the more averse from it We may add to this the consideration of the influence that the Devil hath on us in this neglect who knowing well how prejudicial to him to his kingdom and interest and how advantagious to the sinner this duty is he labours mightily to hold all in confusion and to keep the soul fast asleep as that which contributs much if not most to the gaining of his point for he knows by experience very galling to him that self-examination awakes a man and gives him a view of himself and puts him to think how he may be rescued from this destrover and therefore he doth in a special manner hate abhore and set himself against it And though he will suffer a man to do many other Religious dutâ—es yet he labours by all means to keep him from this duty because it helpâ— much through grace to make him cast out with himself and his own way and so makes Satan in a manner hopeâ—esse of him More particularly we may assigâ—e these causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from peoples own practice The 1. whereof is 〈◊〉 that many men and women live so that their life cannot abide the tryal He that doth evil saiâ—h the Lord Iohn 3. hates the light neither 〈◊〉 unto the 〈◊〉 teaâ—t his deeds should be reproved It s no wonder that a Malefactor desire not to come before the 〈◊〉 and it s as little wonder that a man or woman that liveth a sinful and evil life deâ—ire not to come before their Conscience Hence it is that many dare not go to their Conscience because it never speaks good but evil to them as indeed it hath no other reason and on that account they even hate it As Achab did the Prophet Micajah of whom he said I hate him because he never prophesies good but evil to me And that they will rather consult Flâ—sh and Blood their own inclination and affection then their Conscience in a particular because they dread it will speak evil to them especially when they know that there is something palpably wrong in their way for in that case they conclude it will gloum on them and gall them and even prick them in the quick A 2d Reason is Because folks make not this work of self-examination habitual to themselves but delay and put off time till their case become so ravelled and consused that they are afraid to medle with it And though they should they grow heartlesse and out of hope to get it righted just like men that cannot indure to adjust their accounts which they have suffered negligently to run long on and into great confusion A 3d. Cause may be this which respects Believers in Christ that even where persons make Conscience of their wayes there is a kind of foolish precipâ—tancy and haste making They being disposed to think that examination of themselves takes up much of their time and that it is better to spend it in prayer or in reading then that way Not considering that its much better to have some little thing of Religion solid then to have a great bulk of many duties without solidiâ—y or with very little of it These are like to the builder of a house who rickleth up stones without Square and Ruâ—e and without Morter which possibly falleth and cometh down ere he come at the top of it A foolish haste to be forward makes our work in Religion to be oâ—tentimes very unsolid Alace â—ts not what bâ—lk we have not how soon we come to have it but what solidity and sickernesse we have that will give us peace comfort oâ— joy Our common proverb holds true here That work
how a defiled Conscience may be purged and how we may recover losed calmness and peace then it is to know how a good Conscience may be win at for indeed if all our peace and tranquillity of Conscience depended on our own holy walk only it would be but a heartless and comfortless work to speak of a good and calm Conscience on that ground but this is the great the very great advantage that we have by the Gospel of Grace which as it shews the way how to prevent a quarrel from and so a wound unto the Conscience so it shews the way how a quarrel and controversie drawn on may be removed and this is the thing that now we would speak a little to from these words wherein the Apostles scope is to hold out to the Iewes the weakness of their ceremonial worship sacrifices and washings and the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice to do their business and to bring them from resting on that ceremonial worship to rest upon Jesus Christ alone and one of the arguments that he makes use of for this end is That no legal or ceremonial worship or service could make him that did the service perfyt as pertaining to the conscience as he sayes v. 9. None of these things could give a man peace before God and his own Conscience but that on the contrary the blood of Iesus Christ is able to purge the conscience from dead works And to bring a man that is in a state of peace and freindship with God after he hath sinned and thereby defiled and wounded his Conscience back to that same peace and calmness that he had before he sinned and make him in some respect as quiet and calm as iâ— he had not sinned And therefore the blood of Christ must be infiâ—ly preferable to all these ceremonial sacrifices puâ—gings and washings which probably they inclined to joyn with him In the words read the Apostle illustraâ—s and confirms the efficacy of Christs blood by comparing it with the ceremonies of the Law obviating an Objection which is this The ceremonies of the Law had a good use and why then will ye cry them down He Answers they had an use as they respected Christs Sacrifice that was in due time to be actually offered and as they â—ed it and also as to a ceremonial cleansing or holiness but they could not as pertaining to the Consciâ—nce make a man perfyâ— And sayeth he if these ceremonies had an efficacy as to the outward man and making ceremonially and externally clean or holy how much more shall the blood of Christ be efficacious to the cleansing of the Soul and inner man If the ceremonies of the Law had an efficacy toward the admitting of a man to external ordinances how much more shall the blood of Christ have an efficacy to purge the Conscience from dead works and to take away the sting and guilt and the defilement also of sin and to make it quiet and so to capacitat the man to be adâ—tted to real fellowship with him in his ordinances That the comparison may be the more clear he uses â—ere a threefold distinction 1. Of a twofold uncleanness one of the flesh or outward man another of a mans Sâ—ate and Conscience before God The first related to the mans practice and made him that was ceremonially unclean to be thurst without the camp and to continue so till he was legally cleanâ—ed The second marred the mans peace before God The 2d distinction is of a twofold Court wherein this uncleanness is charged upon the man The one is a Court wherein the mans flesh iâ— as it were judged and that is by men according to his external prosession the other is a Court wherein his spiritual 〈◊〉 is judged and that is his Conscience In the first Court if the moral Law charged him not with guilt it was not asked whether his Conscience was guilty or not but he was on his outward cleansing admitted to Church priviledges but the second Court which is called the Court of conscience looks not aâ— things as they appear before men but as they are before God and therefore will challenge when men do not challenge The 3d. distinction is of a twofold Sanctification The first is that of the flesh spoken of v. 13. And that is when a man is made externally clean or holy whereby he is admitted to the congregagation The other is that which is inward which admits not only to external Church-fellowship but to real internal-fellowship with God and to peace and calmness of Conscience Now for quieting the Conscience and for giving a man peace he tells them that though these external ceremonies admitted him to the congregation yet they did not purify his Conscience but that notwithstanding of all these the quarrel was not taken away before God and so they could not be the ground of inward peace nor bring it in to the mans soul and Conscience but that its the blood of Christ which only doth that and therefore his sacrifice is more excellent then all these ceremonial Sacrifices sprinklings and washings for it admits a man to peace with God and gives him quietness in his own Conscience To leave the comparison then We have in the latter part of these words which we intend to insist on a notable effect and the great efficacy of Christs blood in purging of the Conscience holden forth in these particulars 1. It is implyed That the state of a mans Conscience by nature is this viz. It is polluted and defiled by dead works 2. That the great mean whereby the Conscience is purged and made clean is the blood of Christ. 3ly The end wherefore the Consciences of men are made clean is that they they may serve the living God 4. The proof and demonstration of the efficacy of this blood in these words of the former part of the verse The blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God Is taken from the excellency of the sacrifice of the preist and of the altar whereby the sacrifice was sanctified We shall in passing Observe a few things that may make way â—or clearing of the words and for that which we chiefly intend to speak to from them And 1. Observe That the state of mens Consciences by nature is That they are polluted by dead works which are such works as are to be repented of as the Apostle sayes of them Heb. 6. 1. Whereby he plainly insinuats that sins are called deaâ— works for three reasons 1. Because of a dead principle they proceed from they flow from man that is dead by nature as to any spiritual life dead in sins and trespusses and even the sins of Believers themselves are such as proceeding from them in so far as they are not quickned and renewed 2ly Because of their demerit and that which they deserve which is eternal death final continuance wherein doth at last most certainly bring on eternal death 3ly Because though a