voluntatis maxima consolatio rerum incommodarum Cicero under the greatest calamities that befell them their sleep was sweet and so were their enjoyments nay Adversity it self was sweetned when Conscience gave them its approbation Tully speaks excellently (i) Illud vero est hominis magni sapientis libidinem odium invidiam metum cupiditatesque omnes amovere maximéque aestimare conscientiam mentis suae quam ab Diis immortalibus accepimus quae à nobis divelli non potest Quae si optimorum consiliorum atque factorum testis inomni vit â nobis erit sine ullo metu summâ cum honestate vivemus Cicer. Orat. pro A. Cluentio That is the part of one that would be Great and Wise to put away Lust and Hatred and Envy and Fear and all carnal Affections and most of all to mind his Conscience This we have received from God this cannot be separated from us And if this be a witnesse to us that we follow and practise the best Counsel our Life will be without Fear and with the greatest Honesty You see what contentment and peace did ensue when the Heathens made it their care not to go contrary to the light in their own minds And though I dare not affirm because Conscience did excuse them that God did justifie them for there is no way of being justified before God that is revealed to us but by Faith in our Lord Jesus yet 't is not at all disagreeable to Truth to say that the satisfaction which they had was some reward of their well-doing and a very great encouragement thereunto Thus it appears by the light of Nature that there is a Conscience in Man 2. This Truth is more fully evident by Scripture This Book of Scripture has no Errour in it 't is given by inspiration of God who as he cannot be deceived himself so he cannot lye unto others Titus 1. 2. Now if you hearken to the Scripture that there is a Conscience may be proved many wayes 1. Conscience is often expresly spoken of The Lord who made Man and who perfectly knowes what is in Man tells us of such a thing as Conscience Not onely in the Text is Conscience mentioned but in divers other places Heb. 9. 9. Which was a figure speaking of the Tabernacle for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins which could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience The Conscience of Man could not be purified or purged by the Legal Sacrifices but all these were typical of that Sacrifice which Christ offered up of himself unto God which alone can purge the Conscience from dead Works Heb. 9. 14. So also 2 Cor. 4. 2. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftyness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God We are to speak unto Conscience to commend our selves unto Conscience how could this be were there not a Conscience 2. That work of the Spirit called Conviction proves a Conscience When the Spirit comes to work upon any he first convinces them of Sin and afterwards of Righteousness Joh. 16. 8. he first shewes by what they are fallen and then how they may be raised and recovered But Conscience is that which is the Subject of this Conviction When Christ said unto the Scribes and Pharisees who brought an Adulteress before him He that is without Sin among you let him first cast a Stone at her 't is said when they heard it being convicted by their own Conscience (k) Apparet hic quanta vis est malae Conscientiae Quum impii isti hypocritae Christum suis cavillis eludere in animo haberent simul tamen ac eorum conscientias unâ voce pungit perculsi diffugiunt hoc malleo frangenda est hypocritarum superbia Calv. in Johan they went out one by one beginning at the eldest even unto the last Joh. 8. 7 9. When the Law came with power upon the Apostle and 't was interpreted and the extent of it shewed by the Spirit Sin revived and he died Rom. 7. 9. that is his Conscience was awakened to take notice of Sin and he perceived that he was a dead condemned man by Law and that there was no way to be delivered without a Mediator In conviction the Conscience is struck at there is the alarum heard which causes such Terrour and Confusion and if there were no Conscience there could be no Conviction 3. Sinning against Conscience hightens transgerssion but this supposes a Conscience to be sinned against Our Lord sayes plainly He that knowes his Masters will and goes against the Light of his Conscience prepares not himself nor does according to the will of his Lord he shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47. When sinners do not like to retain God in their knowledge when they are troubled because Conscience puts them in mind that the Lord observes them when they imprison as it were the Truth in Unrighteousness and stifle the Light that stirs in them because they love the works of Darkness this is to sin with an high hand and will add much both unto Guilt and Punishment 4. Several Duties which are injoyned and urged in Scripture suppose a Conscience in us because Conscience is a Principal agent in the performance of them We are commanded to search and try our wayes that we may turn unto the Lord our God Lam. 3. 40. but 't is the work of Conscience thus to call us to an account and to examine how our Actions and that Rule which is given us have agreed together VVe are commanded to try and prove our selves whether we be in the Faith whether Christ be in us yea or no 2 Cor 13. 5. Now 't is Conscience which takes notice of the Characters of true and unfeigned Faith which the holy Ghost has given 't is Conscience also which applies these Characters and then drawes the conclusion either that we are not believers if our Faith be dead and we onely name the name of Christ but have no will to depart from iniquity or that we are Believers if our Faith purifie our hearts if it work by love if it overcome the world so that all things are counted loss that we may win Christ who is truly precious Finally we are commanded to judge our selves that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31 32. But this judging is an act of Conscience And truly it Judges under God and by his Authority and therefore its Judgement is the more to be minded 5. All men in Scripture are divided into good and bad and in both there is a Conscience The Apostle tells us that in the defiled and unbelieving there is a Conscience though a polluted one Tit. 1. 15. and though for a while it may seem to be asleep though it may
shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God As the Scripture contains such a full discovery of the Will of God so there are several promises made that it shall be a guide unto the Conscience and direct us in a safe way Prov. 6. 22 23. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou awakest it shall talk with thee for the Commandement is a lamp and the Law is Light and the Reproofs of Instruction are the Way of Life So Prov. 4. 12. 13. Take fast hold of Instruction let her not go for she is thy Life when thou goest thy steps shall not be straitned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble 2. That Conscience may be well informed The Spirit of God must be begged for Conscience does very much imitate the Spirit Does the Spirit reprove for sin so does Conscience Does the Spirit Comfort so does Conscience Does the Spirit move us unto our duty so does Conscience And indeed 't is by the aid and Grace of the Spirit that Conscience does all this And as Conscience is a weak thing So also a dark thing without the Spirit Hark to the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit in the glass of the Gospel does give the Mind and Conscience such a sight of the Beauty of Holiness as that there is a change wrought in the very Heart the Image of God which does consist in Righteousness and True Holiness is instamped upon it We should with great earnestness ask the Spirit for as he is the Spirit of Holiness so also the Spirit of Truth of Wisdom and Revelation who alone can open the Eyes of the Vnderstanding Eph. 1. 17. 18 And besides our Heavenly Father has promised to give the Spirit unto them that ask him with much more willingness than Earthly Parents will give bread to their own Children 3. That Conscience may be well informed We must walk with the wise that 's the way to be wise our selves Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with the Wise shall be Wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed There is a destructive infection in Sin error therefore those cautions of our Lord. Take heed what you Hear and Take heed whom you Hear And the Apostle tells us that the Words of false Teachers will Eat like a canker or like a Gangreen Gangreens spread strangely and the gangren'd member is cut of for the preservation of the Body On the other side there is a kind of sanative or healing contagion iâ— Wisdome by conversing with Saints and Spiritual guides that are humble and holy and well instructed in the things of God by degrees we shall come to have our senses better exercised to discern both Good and Evil. 4. Let this be your design in desiring that Conscience may be informed well that you may do well according to that information When Christ asked the blind man that had had sight miraculously given to him Dost thou Believe on the Son of God he answers Who is he Lord that I might Believe on him Joh. 9. 35 36. He askes who he was as being very ready to Believe on him So should we inquire Lord what is thy will that we may do it what are thy Commands that we may yeild obedience to them What is the reason why the Lord will teach the humble 't is because these desire to know that they may Do what is required they have submitted themselves unto God and he sees that if they are entrusted with the Talent of Knowledge they will Trade with it 5. Beware exceedingly of false Lights If a false Light get into the Conscience what sad work will it make there When men take a lye to be truth how zealous are they in a bad matter T is a high piece of cursed art in the Devil to winde himself into the Consciences of men he gets into their wills and into their affections more easily He layes before them his ordinary baits of pleasures and profits and preferments And in all this he is no other than the God of this world here is no need of any great Metamorphosis for he knows that these things will easily take with the foolish and corrupt hearts of sinners But that he may get into the Conscience he acts more subtilly He transforms himself into an Angel of light and he transforms his instruments too so that they seem to be the Ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor. 11. 14 15. he puts sheeps cloathing upon the ravening Wolves that they may more easily prey upon the flock of Christ Surely the cunning of this enemy especially since we are warned should make us wary But since every light doth pretend to be true how shall we know which is false Certainly we must try the Spirits by the written Word Esa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word 't is because there is no Light in them The VVord is of Divine Authority whoever rejects it has no understanding whoever does wrest it that is does make some passages of it to speak against it self and the whole design of it he does it to his own destruction nay though an Angel from Heaven should Preach a Doctrine contrary to it we must stiffly oppose him and boldly say He is accursed Gal. 1. 8. 2. As the goodness of Conscience lies in its illumination and being rightly informed So in the due exercise of its Authority and Power The force of Conscience is very great when 't is exerted so that good men have lookt upon themselves as Debtors and not to have paid their debts unless they have done their duty Rom. 1. 14. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise so as much as in me is I am ready to Preach the Gospel to you that be at Rome also they have lookt upon themselves as bound in Spirit Act. 20. 22. And now behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there and being thus bound in Spirit he could not give himself a latitude and dispensation though the Holy Ghost did witnesse in every City that Bonds and Afflictions did abide him Conscience has made good men to conclude themselves under a necessity to obey and they have professed they could not do otherwise 1 Cor. 9. 16. Necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I Preach not the Gospel and so Act. 4. 20. We cannot but speak the things which we have Seen and Heard Now what that Power and Authority is which a good Conscience exercises I shall shew you 1. Conscience has Authority and Power to
break the Rock so does the Word the the Heart though never so hard and senseless 't is compared also to fire because like fire it does both give light and refine and purifie the Conscience Yeare Clean sayes Christ but how through the word that I have spoken unto you John 15 3. Let the Word of Christ therefore dwell in you richly 't will be an Excellent and effectual Antidote against sin and temptation when your Hearts stand in awe of the Word of God as David's did how will it preserve you from defilement 2. Affliction is like a Furnace to refine That Conscience may be pure Affliction is to be improved The Rod of Affliction though it seem to be dry and withered yet like Aaron's 't will bud and blossom and bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness unto them that are Exercised thereby And before the Apostle informs us that 't is God's design in Afflicting to refine and purifie v. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our Flesh who Corrected us and we gave them Reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened 〈◊〉 after their own pleasure but He for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness The smart of Affliction does help very much to awaken Conscience and to discover the evil and danger of sin and then sin is found to be ten thousand times more bitter when we reflect upon it than ever was fansied to be sweet in the time of Temptation We may indeed with submission pray against Affliction and intreat that gentler ways may be used to sanctifie us and we may take the more comfort and our sincerity will be the more Evident when milder Methods are effectual One of our English Poets speaks Excellently to this purpose (*) Herbert Discipline pag. 173 174. Throw away thy Rod Throw away thy Wrath. O my God Take the gentle path For my hearts desire Vnto thine is bent I aspire To a full consent Not a word or look I affect to own But thy Book And thy Book alone Though I fail I weep Though I halt in pace Yet I creep To the Throne of Grace Then let wrath remove Love will do the deed For with Love Stony hearts will bleed Love is swift of foot Love's a Man of War And can shoot And can hit from far Who can scape his bow That which wrought on thee Brought thee low Needs must work on me Throw away thy Rod Though Man frailties hath Thou art God Throw away thy Wrath. But if the Father of Spirits sees it meet and needful to use the Discipline of the Rod it concerns us to hear the Voice of it and understand the meaning and this it always speaks and that very plainly that our Consciences and indeed all within us should be more clean and Holy 3. The Blood of Christ purges the Conscience from dead works This is the Fountain which in the Gospel is set open for Sâ—n and for Uncleanness 'T is He who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his Blood Rev. 1. 5. So Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered up himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the Living God Though our Lord aimed at our Justification and the Remission of sin when he shed his Blood and Sacrificed himself for us yet he had our sanctification and cleansing also in his eye Upon this Account the Apostle Peter tells us That he bear our sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead unto sins might live unto Righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 24. And we read Eph. 5. 25 26 27. that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Apply this Blood unto your selves be perswaded that it has a sanctifying vertue and pray for purity as that which is a great part of Christ's purchase as well as your own Perfection 4. If you would have Conscience pure you must not resist but yield unto the Spirit of Christ 'T is his Work not onely to shew sin but to slay it he convinces of sin and also Mortifies the deeds of the Body Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do Mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live The Power of sin is great and this Power is strengthned by the Principalities and Powers of Darkness who do endeavour to keep up sins Dominion So that if the Spirit of the Lord did not shew the exceeding greatness of his Power our Hearts and Consciences would still remain defiled we should never have our Fruit unto Holiness nor the end everlasting Life I have done with that sixth particular The goodness of Conscience lies in the purity of it 7. The goodness of Conscience lies in the calmness and peace of it What the Apostle speaks concerning the wisdom which is from above That 't is first pure and then peaceable may be applied unto a good Conscience first 't is pure then peacable there may indeed be purity without peace but there cannot be true peace without purity There is a false peace which is too commonly found in the ungodly and the Hypocrite this peace sin does not disturb but increase and by this peace the strong man armed does keep possession But true peace is peculiar unto them that are sanctified and when once they have attained unto it they are brought as it were within the Suburbs of Heaven and see the dawning of that Light which is everlasting That you may the better discern this true peace of Conscience I shall set it forth in these particulars 1. True peace of Conscience is founded upon the Blood of God So Christs Blood is called for as he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh so he is expresly affirmed to be over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. There could be no remission of sin without shedding of blood and no other blood would serve the turn the blood of Bulls and goats would not take away sin Heb. 10. 4. Nay supposing that Mans blood had been shed for us it would not have been expiatory Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my Soul Mic. 6. 7. Nothing but what satisfies the justice of God will satisfie and pacifie the Conscience and bring it to a well-grounded tranquillity but 't is the blood of Christ alone that satisfies divine justice Conscience therefore can have no true rest till that blood be applied Luthers Conscience
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
not in the least encourage or allow of How unreasonable 't is to take offence at the Gospel of Christ because of the Crosse since the Crosse is so needful is so much sweetned and the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with that glory that is to be revealed Rom. 8. 18. 2. Let your Love be stronger and stronger this will lift you up above and carry you over all difficulties and stumbling blocks They that Love the Law of the Lord the Psalmist tells us that nothing shall Offend them Psal 119. 165. Jacob's Love towards Rachel hindred him from taking offence at any thing his Wages are changed he must serve fourteen years yet Love made all to be swallowed Love to God and to his Word will make you content with any thing you will know how to want and how to abound how to go through Honour and Dishonour good Report and evil Report Love will break through all difficulties and make you follow hard after God 3. Consider the Happiness of those that are not Offended Mat. 11. 6. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be Offended in me When Discouragements are mighty and Temptations are strong to make us forsake our Lord and yet we cleave to him he takes it the more kindly and we shall in no wise be losers But Secondly Would you give no Offence Then 1. Seriously think of the danger of scandal thou that dost harden a sinner or grieve a Saint 't were better a Millstone were hanged about thy Neck and thou cast into the depth of the Sea Mat. 18. 6. Scandal does mightily Heighten Transgression and the punishment hereafter will be proportionable 2. Be encouraged with this That scandal is possible to be avoided You may Live so as to be Blessings in the places where you Live and justly an Offence to none I do not say you may Live wholly free from sin but you may be kept from grosse and scandalous sins altogether (o) Sanctorum vitam inveniri posse dicimus sine crimine sâ—â— peccato autem qui se vivere existimar non id agit ut peccatum 〈◊〉 habeat sed ut veniam non accipiat Augustin Samuel had carried himself so that the Israelites could not charge him with any miscarriage I have walked before you from my Child hood unto this day behold here I am bear witness against me before the Lord and before his Anointed Whose Ox have I taken Whose Asse have I taken Whom have I defrauded Whom have I Oppressed Or of whose hand have I received any Bribe to blind my Eyes therewith 1 Sam. 12. 2 3. So the Apostles 1 Thes 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how Holily and Justly and unbalmeably we behaved our selves among you that Believe that is You that were most Acquainted with us and did most Observe us could spye nothing scandalous or blame-worthy in us He that writes the Life of Mr. Robert Bolton tells us that he walked so with God that he could not be taxed with any grosse or scandalous sin from his Conversion to his Dissolution which was about thirty Years Be encouraged by such Examples and the same Grace which wrought such effects in them can work the same in thee 3 Plead the Honour of Religion and Gods own Name as an Argument to prevail with him to preserve you from scandalous Iniquities Tell him you desire to be kept without Rebuke that his Name may be secured from Blasphemy and that his Doctrine may in all things be Adorned Thus have I at large Discoursed concerning the first thing which I proposed I have told you wherein the goodness of Conscience lies and how it may be attained In the Second place I am to tell you wherein the Acts of a good Conscience and the Acts of the good Spirit of God are to be distinguished the one from the other And before I shew the difference between them I shall lay down these ensuing Propositions 1. All that good whether Light or Grace or Peace that is in the Conscience is wrought by the Spirit of God As Gifts are from the Spirit so is Grace most certainly from the same Spirit and all that comfort which has any Reason or Foundation proceeds from this Comforter Whatever means have been effectual to the bettering of the Heart and Conscience 't is from the Spirit they have had their Efficacy Whatever then we discern in our selves that is truly good we must eye the Spirit as the Efficient of it and without his working it would never have been in us at all 1 Cor. 12. 11. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing unto every Man severally as he will 2. When ever Conscience does its Duty and Acts as is ought 't is certainly Acted by the Spirit As the Spirit does insuse the Habits of Grace so 't is he that does produce them into Act and Exercise as he does cast the Seed of God into the Heart so he makes that Seed to grow and to bring forth Fruit. I Laboured says the Apostle yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. If in a Natural sence we are said to Live in God and move in him also Surely the Spirit of God is the Author of all spiritual Life and of all spiritual and Holy Motions 3. Conscienâ—e though never so good must arrogate nothing to it self but all praise is due unto the Lord. For it is he that makes the difference between the best and the worst Conscience and the best would be the worst if he did not make a difference A good Conscience is said to bear witness in the Holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. And as it bears witness in the Holy Ghost so it move to Duty checks from Sin encourages upon Welldoing and all this it does in the Holy Ghost by his illumination and assistance 4. 'T is true that the Spirit of God does make use of Conscience very much in his dealing with us He deals with us as those which have such a power as Conscience and that are in a capacity of reviewing our selves and applying what is spoken either by way of Terrour or by way of Consolation and if the Spirit aid us we shall review and apply to some purpose Having laid down these things I distinguish between the Acts of the Spirit and the Acts of a good Conscience thus 1. The Spirit of God is the Principal Agent the good Conscience Acts under him As in the work of Conversion the Act of the Minister and the Act of the Spirit are vastly different The Minister is a worker together with God that is he is honoured so far as to be employed as an instrument to good but what 's his Words or Arguments to raise the dead in trespasses and sins 't is the Spirit that causes Life to enter into the dead dry bones He that plants is nothing and he that waters is nothing so truly unless the Spirit did
second Conscience its acting would be insignificant it would be little or not at all heeded nay it self would become dull and heedless 2. The Spirits motions do differ from the impulses of Conscience Where the Spirit of the Lord does move more immediately his motions are with greater power and with greater Liberty The ungodly themselves are not altogether strangers unto the Power of the Spirit How doth it check them and restrain them and dam up the stream of Corruption for a season as long as 't is put forth but chiefly this power is apparent in them that are effectually called The Spirit impelling them to come to God does bring them quite home his impulse shall fetch them out of the farthest Country and bring them to their Fathers house Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is power and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Spirit not only moves us to obey but also enlarges our hearts that we may run the way of the Lords commandments 3. The Spirits Convictions differ from the Accusations of Conscience as the Cause and Effect as the Antecedent and the Consequent The Spirit first sets sin in order before our eyes and then Conscience does accuse and reproach us because of it And where the Spirit does by a more immediate operation give a sight of sin and bring it to remembrance Oh how is the heart affected What self-abhorrency and abasement what Sorrow and Shame what Knocking of the Breast and Smiting upon the Thigh is there Surely sayes Ephraim after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my Youth Jer. 31. 19. Now 't was the Spirit that did thus instruct and turn him Thus Ezek 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you And it follows ver 31. Then shall ye remember your evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations 4. The Spirits witness concerning our adoption differs from the witness of our own Spirits from the testimony of our own Consciences The Apostle speaks very plainly of a twofold witness that of Our Spirits and that of Gods Spirit Rom 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with out Spirits that we are the children of God This witness of the Spirit does not lye onely in his declaring in the Scriptures what kind of Persons are the children of God but he also helps Believers to see that they are such kind of persons and then enables them to draw the conclusion that they are Children and Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ unto the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance Now the difference between the witnesse of the Spirit and that of Conscience touching our adoption is in these particulars 1. The Spirits witness is more clear Consciences more conjectural As we see things ten thousand time more plainly by the Light of the Sun than by a dim Lamp that burns by us and yet by that Lamp we may see something 2. The Spirits witness causes greater Boldness and Confidence than that of Conscience When the Spirit of Adoption is sent into the heart it makes Believers to come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace and to cry Abba Father that is Father Father the word is doubled to shew with what confidence the Spirit makes it to be spoken Gal. 4. 6. Then they draw nigh with high Hopes and raised Expectations that their Father will deal bountifully give liberally and though they open their mouths never so wide that yet they shall be filled with his fulness 3. The Spirits testimony is more firm and not so easily questioned that of Conscience is more apt to be cavill'd at by Satan If I see a thing plainly in the day time I know I see it and though many should question whether I saw or no yet I make no question nay though some distracted persons that are kept in darkness and chains should say they see when they don't yet I know I see when I do The Spirits testimony does make things thus clear And the objections of the Accuser of the Brethren 't is evident they are but cavils Thus says the Apostle We have known and believed the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4. 16. But the testimony of Conscience Satan will be more bold to question and will start an hundred things whereby a weaker Faith may be puzled and the heart still kept under doubts and fears 4. The Spirits testimony produces joy that of Conscience at best onely a calmness and tranquillity I confesse the Apostle sayes the testimony of Conscience was his rejoycing but you must know that he had also received the witness and earnest of the Spirit so that he had more than Consciences bare testimony The joy that the Spirit creates by his assuring Believers of their adoption is unspeakable and full of glory 'T is such as no Tongue can utter and no Heart can conceive it but such as have had a taste and experience of it 'T is not meerly a negative thing or freedom from trouble but positive and carries with it such a delight as is not to be found in the highest sensuality The Malefactor is at peace when he receives a pardon but if he be not only pardoned but Preferred this causes joy The Spirit lets the Soul see 't is pardoned and preferr'd to be a Child of God an Heir of Glory and gives a taste how Gracious the Lord is this causes not only peace but joy and triumph of Spirit in the God of Salvation I come now to the third thing I proposed to give you the reasons why it should be every ones great care to have good Conscience 1. We can have no Communion with God without a good Conscience unless our Hearts are sprinkled from an evil Conscience we cannot draw nigh to him neither will he draw nigh to us Though we say with never so great confidence that we have Fellowship with God if Conscience knows that we walk in darknesse and we allow our selves in the works of darkness the Holy Ghost gives us the lye to our face and we do not the Truth 1 John 1. 6. There cannot be a question asked of greater importance than this wherein does mans happinesse lye and the truest answer unto this question is Mans felicity does lye in Fellowship with God Therefore the happinesse of the triumphant Saints is so full because they are admitted unto so near Communion with God Therefore the Misery of the damned is so great because they are banished from the Lords presence and despair of ever coming neer to him or enjoying of him And therefore the happiness of militant Saints is imperfect because the remainders of sin in them do hinder them from enjoying so much of God as otherwise they might enjoy But where Conscience is evil there is
would principally lye at Satans door as all the Glory of that good which is done by us is to be ascribed unto God The Devil did not thrust the forbidden fruit into Eve's Mouth whether she would or no but only did cunningly and strongly perswade her to eat of it In like manner he deals with us he layes his baits (z) Vnam esse omnium rem pulcherrimam eoque pulchriorem si vacet populo neque plausum captans se tantum ipsa delectet Quinetiam mihi quidem laudabilior a videntur omnia quae sine venditatione sine populo teste fiunt non quo fugiendus sit omnia enim bene facta in luce se collocari volunt sed tamen nullum the atrum virtuti conscientiâ majus est Cicero Tuscul Quaestion l. 3. pag. mihi 146. before us and endeavours our ruine by offering what does please us But a good Conscience is deaf unto the Devil and scorns his offers for his offers are to the losse of the Righteous man What are the riches of the World which Satan talks so much of compared with the unsearchable Riches of Christ what are the pleasures of sin compared with peace of Conscience what are all Earthly advantages and preferments compared with Communion with God and the Light of his Countenance A good Conscience is firmly perswaded that 't is good for us to draw near to God Psal 73. ult to be near to Him is for our Honour Interest Safety Delight and satisfaction and hereupon the Believer rejects Satan with an Holy contempt and indignation for he see◠'t is folly as well as wickedness to leave his Fathers House where there is bread enough and to spare and to go feed upon busks in the farr Country 7. He that hath a good Conscience can look upon death with desire which is so exceeding terrible unto others The Believer may indeed be willing to live that he may serve his generation according to the will of God and that he may do that for Christ on Earth which he cannot do when he comes to heaven but his Conscience being pure and peaceable having an assurance what a kindness death will do him He does with the Apostle desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 23. There is profit pleasure and honor in a Believers departing no wonder if he desires to depart There is profit in it to dye is gain says the Apostle he gains more grace in the instant of his dissolution than he got all his dayes before for upon death his Spirit is made perfect in Holiness There is pleasure in death for sometimes 't is sweetned with ravishing transports of Spirit and it is the Porter to open the gate into full and Everlasting joyes having put an end both to sin and sorrow Finally there is honour in Death for the Believer having fought a good Fight and finished his course and kept the Faith he goes to receive the Crown of Righteousness 8. He that hath a good Conscience can look into Eternity and be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious That is one of the Richest jewels in the Crown of Life that it fades not away The good Conscience looks up to Heaven fixes its eye upon God sees that bosom in which the sanctified Soul must lye and (a) Da Pater omnipotens menti conscendere sedem Da fontem lustrare boni da luce repertâ In te conspicuos animi defigere visus Disjice terrenas nebulas ponder a molis Atque tuo splendore mica Tu namque serenum Tu requies tranquilla piis Te cernere finis Principium vector dux semita terminus idem Boetius de Consolat Phil. l. 3. met 9. pag. mihi 88. rest forever After millions of years are spent praise will be continued delight will be as green and fresh as ever there will be no loathing of that heavenly Manna after so many thousands of ages as there have been minutes since the Creation Joy in heaven will be as far from an end as it was when first of all it did begin Mortality and change are the disgrace of all temporal delights and pleasures but a good Conscience rejoyces and well it may do so in a better and enduring substance it sees how sure how near Eternal Life is and upon this follow raptures of pleasure Cyprian (b) Exultabunt Sancti in gloriâ videbunt Deum gaudebunt Ibi non gustabunt quam suavis sit Dominus sed implebuntur satiabuntur dulcdinemirificâ nihil eis deerit nihil oberit omne desiderium eorum Christus praeens implebit Non senescent non abescent non putrescent ampliùs perpetua sanitas foelix Eternitas be atitudnis illius sufficientiam confirmabunt Non erit concupiscentia in membris non ultra exurget rebellio carnis sed totus hominis status pudicus pacificus sana ex integro Natura sine omni maculâ rugâ deinceps permanebit Erit denique Deus omnia in omnibus illius praesentia omne animae corporis implebit appetitus Cyprian Serm. de Christ. Ascens does excellently set forth this full and Everlasting happiness of the Saints in Heaven They says he shall see God and Rejoyce and be Delighted they shall Enjoy that Glory and be swallowed up in that Joy for Ever-more There they shall not only taste how sweet the Lord is but shall be filled and satisfied with his wonderful sweetness nothing shall be wanting nothing shall be hurtful Christ being present will satiate all their longing They shall not grow old or weak or dye any more There will not be Concupisence in the Members nor Rebellion in the Flesh against the Spirit but Mans Nature will be fully restored and Sanctified and Healed and so will remain without any spot or wrinkle Everlastingly Finally God will be all in all and his immediate and glorious presence will so abundantly fill the Saints that they shall not be able to desire more You see now in several respects how desirable 't is to have good Conscience wheresoever such a Conscience looks upwards downwards inwards forwards still there is peace and Consolation Oh look into your Consciences and see what they are whether good or bad and oh that all bad Consciences may be utterly restless till they are made good ones VSE IV. Of Advice unto them whose Consciences are good which have been cleansed and quieted by the blood of Christ and by the VVord and Spirit of Grace My Advice is in these particulars 1. Be very thankfull for this unspeakable Gift of a good Conscience The largest Empire in the VVorld a Crown of pure Gold upon the Head is nothing near so great a Blessing as a pure and peaceable Conscience I may use the Angels Salutation to the Virgin Mary unto every Saint that has such a Conscience Hail thou that art highly Favoured The Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among the Sons of Men.
be so unfaithful as seldom to admonish yet at length 't will awake and then 't will be found that it knowes and remembers all misdoings The Regenerate likewise have a Conscience which is enlightned and purged and renewed by the Blood and VVord and Spirit of our Lord Jesus 3. As 't is clear from Scripture that there is a Conscience in Man so 't is evident by experience And here I shall make an appeal unto every ones sense and observation in three following questions 1. What is it that speaks to you when (*) Nemo minus solus quam cum solus alone and tells you that there is an All-seeing God but Conscience (l) NOTE Whenever Conscience performs its office aright t is inlightned and acted by the Spirit of God The Spirit therefore is to be acknowledged for without him Conscience would have no light or life or power or feeling 'T is this which brings to your remembrance that the Lord who is so holy is alwayes present that no darkness or retired corner can hide you from him but he compasses your path and your lying down and is acquainted with all your ways 2. What is it but Conscience that forbids the yeilding to temptations even unto the most secret sins Secret places can hide the Sinner from the eye of man and there are some Sins namely heart wickednesses which man can take no cognizance of and yet we are checkt when we are giving way to these which shewes there is a Conscience as well as a God privy to them When Satan and a deceitful Heart do plead for Sin and perswade to it by this argument that never any are likely to know it yet even then conscience declares against it and cryes out Oh do not that abominable thing which God hates 'T was well said by one of the Ancients to the Gentiles Vos conscios timetis nos conscientiam You are afraid lest others should be conscious to what you do we fear even our own Consciences 3. What is it but Conscience that impresses a fear of a Judgment which is to come (m) Beatus erit quisquis non sine memoriâ divini judicii omnia gesserit Hillar in Psal 118. Rythm Bernard Expavesco miser multùm Judicis severi vultum Quem latebit nil occultum Nec manebit quid inultum Et quis nostrûm non timebit Quando Judex apparebit Ante quem ignis ardebit Peccatores qui delebit It many times with a great deal of Power does mind us of such Scriptures God has appointed a day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness Acts 17. 31. We must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And Conscience knowing these Terrors of the Lord perswade Men to Repentance and to labour that whether present or absent they may be accepted of him 'T was a saying of Tertullian Conscientia est prae-judicium extremi judicii Conscience is a Judging before the last Judgment but still it tells of and referrs to the last Judgment that hereby the Heart may be over-awed 4. What is it but Conscience which urges unto secret Duties the Omission of which the World can take no notice of There is a Monitor within us which tells us that our Father is and sees in secret and will reward openly such as secretly and sincerely seek him Mat. 6. When our Hearts the desperate wickedness whereof is not quite cured in the best of us draw back from Prayer in the Closet Conscience then presses to it and pleads the Command the Advantage what an Evidence 't is of uprightness to be often with God alone This same Monitor likewise puts us upon the searching into and study of the Scripture for 't is the Character and property of the Blessed Man to have his Delight in the Law of the Lord and in that Law to Meditate Day and Night Psal 1. 2. 5. What is it but Conscience that applies Truths particularly which are more generally delivered in the Ministry of the Gospel I grant indeed that this application is the Work of the Spirit of God but the Conscience of Man is made use of herein by the Holy Spirit The Preacher shoots a great many Arrows The Spirit does direct them to particular Persons and Conscience takes notice where the Arrow sticks The same Language which was in the Prophet Nathan's Mouth to David after his so foul a fall is in the Mouth of Conscience The Word speaks in the general The Soul that sins shall dye the Wages of Sin is Death But then Conscience crys out Thou art the man that hast sinned and therefore Death and Destruction will quickly over-take thee unless there be a coming by Faith unto a Saviour and a turning out of thy Destructive ways 6. What is it but Conscience which does comment upon Afflictions Folly is bound up in thy heart says Conscience therefore thou feelest the Rod to drive it far from thee Thou art Worldly-minded therefore thou meetest with Losses to wean thee from that which if still doated on will both deceive and ruine thee Thou art too much like a slothful Servant therefore says Conscience Affliction is sent to make thee mend thy pace and follow them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises (n) Tempestuous times Amaze poor mortals and object their crimes Herbert When Joseph's Brethren were all put into Ward in Egypt their Consciences commented upon their Restraint and brought their injurious handling of their Brother to remembrance Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this Distress come upon us 7. What is it but Conscience that traces us in all our Actions Conscience takes notice what Principles we are Acted by what Ends we aim at it Observes both the Matter and the Manner of our Actions Conscience Examines whether Love to the Lord constrain us to his Work whether the pleasing honouring and enjoying of God be our great Design whether our Hearts and Affections be in our Services After thy Praying and Hearing and Receiving are ended doest thou not find something within thee running over all thy performances and calling thee to Account whether thou hast Prayed with Faith and Fervency whether thou hast heard believingly and with attention whether thou hast received worthily This is Conscience 8. What is it but Conscience which haunts us upon miscarriages It s Mouth is full of Reproaches and these Reproaches are unanswerable After sins especially presumptuous ones have been committed there is a secret gnawing within and that is the Worm of Conscience (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch De his qui sero à Numine puniuntur pag. mihi 554. Plutarch compares the pleasure of sin which is
non tanquam Judices sed tanquam futuros testes negligentiae aut temeritatis ambitionis aut malae fidei adsunt enim spectatores propter injunctam sibi ecclesiae curam Calvin he adjoyns the Angels to Christ not as if they were to be Judges but because they are witnesses of our miscarriages The work of the Angels lies very much here in the Church Militant they are Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them that are Heirs of Salvation they rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner and surely then the sins of men displease them and they are ready upon Gods command to be the instruments of his revenging justice upon those who dare to Rebel against him 4. The Devils who are ready to be our Accusers are also our Observers They tempt us to sin and if we yeild to their Temptations are forward to cry out against us Satan indeed is a Spirit and so invisible but We are not invisible he knows where we are and what we do nay he can give a very shrode ghesse at our very thoughts and he does accordingly suit his baits and Temptations with marvellous subtlety And because the Enemy observes us and if we do wickedly though secretly will accuse us before God and take advantage against us to get us more under his power therefore it infinitely concerns us to be sober and vigilant against this Adversary and to resist him being stedfast in the Faith who goes about like a Roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1. Pet. 5. 8. Thus you see the reason of the Name Conscience it implies that others know us together with our selves Ah! let us not flatter our selves with hopes of secrecy in sinning More eyes than we imagine behold us when we are committing the most concealed abominations Devils look on for they egg us to them Angels look on and are angry God looks on who hates Sin with a most perfect hatred Christ also takes notice whose wrath is terrible for who can appease it whose Eyes are as a Flame of Fire and who has said I will make all the Churches to know that I am he which Searcheth the Reines and Hearts and I will render to every Man according to his Deeds Rev. 2. 23. 2. Thus of the name Conscience next of the thing it self And here I shall not trouble you with those debates and disputes in the Schools about Conscience I shall not take up time in determining those questions whether Conscience be a distinct faculty in the Soul from the understanding or an Act of it whether 't is to be restrained to the understanding or belongs also to the will and affections whether it be an habit or no These and such like questions will have a small influence unto the bettering of Conscience and therefore I wave them Origen gives this description of Conscience that (z) Spiritus corrector paedagogus animae socialis quo separatur à malis adhaeret bonis Origen lib. 2. in ep ad Rom. It is a Spirit which accompanies the Soul as a Schoolmaster and corrector whereby 't is separated from what is evil and adheres and cleaves to what is good If by Spirit here Origen mean a good Genius or Angel as some interpret him then 't is to be reckoned among his phancyes which have no Scripture-foundation but if by Spirit he mean a mans own Spirit then 't is a profitable description for Conscience is indeed a Schoolmaster to instruct us in our Duty and 't will correct us sharply when we sin and the lashes given by this Corrector are very dreadful and that which Conscience aims at is that we may be deterr'd from Sin and follow after Righteousnesse Aquinas defines Conscience after this manner (a) Conscientia est actus quo scientiam nostram ad ea quae agimus applicamus Aquin. primae Qu. 79. artic 13. Conscience is an act whereby we apply our knowledge unto those things which we do Now he makes three wayes of applying our knowledge 1. When we take notice what we have done or not done and so Conscience is said to Testifie 2. When we judge that this or that is to be done or not to be done and so Conscience is said to Binde 3. When we pronounce what we have done to be well or ill done and so Conscience is said to Excuse or to be full of Remorse Amesius tells us that (b) Conscienta est judicium hominis de seipso prout subjicitur judicio Dei Ames De Cons lib. 1. cap. 1. Conscience is a Mans judgment of himself as he is subject unto the judgement of God The Lord has given unto Man his Word for his Rule and the Lord himself will be his judge now Conscience is perswaded that this judgement is certain and that an account of our selves and actions must shortly be rendred therefore it passes a judgement presently It meddles not so much with others only so far as Duty towards them is to be performed or we make our selves partakers of their Sins But Conscience has chiefly to do with our selves and truly it tryes and judges concerning both our Estates and Actions whether we be in an Estate of Nature or of Grace whether our Actions be Good or Evil. Others do call Conscience the Soul of Man recoiling and reflecting upon it self These Recoyls are Terrible and beat us to the Ground nay strike us down to the very brink of Hell many times when we look back upon our miscarriages and our Sins are set in order before us and our eyes are held waking so that we can neither shut them nor look away These reflections also are accompanied with great pleasure when the Lord does work in us both to will and to do that which is good of his own good pleasure and then shines upon his own workmanship so that we know both that God has made us upright and takes Pleasure in our uprightness 1 Chron. 29. 17. But the Definition which I shall give you of Conscience and at large Explain is this Conscience is a power of the Soul in Man whereby we understanding the Will of God are impell'd to comply with it and do bear witnesse concerning our selves and actions and accordingly judge that is acquit or condemn our selves This Definition I shall take into parts that you may the better understand it 1. Conscience is a Power in the Soul of Man 'T is a Power or faculty because it produceth acts and is not got or lost as habits are but is inseparable from the Soul immoveable from the Subject I will not affirm that Conscience is really distinct from the understanding but 't is the understanding it self acting by way of Reflection The Understanding does Act directly when it apprehends what is True and False what is Good and Bad Absolutely and without Respect But it Acts by way of Reflection when it applyes what it apprehends and Reflects thus Is that which is True and Good embraced which is so worthy
draw us after God as well as the Reins of fear to restrain us from sin It brings Mercies to remembrance all which and oh how great is the Number of them are as so many Obligations to Obedience and withal assures us that God is such a Master that if we follow him fully we shall not want renewed and multiplied encouragements in his Service What Nathan spake unto David after his sin Conscience does speak after the same manner before to keep us within the bounds of our Duty God has delivered he has loaded thee with benefits and if these are too little he is willing to give more and therefore leave him not but cleave unto him All these ways does Conscience take to move us to do the will of God and indeed especially at some times its impulses are very vehement and strong it fills its mouth with Arguments and evidently lays before us the unreasonableness and danger of sin and uses a rest less importunity to disswade us from it and if Conscience notwithstanding all this be stifled hereby we shall vastly increase our guilt and our sinning will become by far the greater provocation 4. As 't is the Office of Conscience to impell us to comply with the will of God so also to bear Witness concerning our selves and Actions As it tells us what we should do so what we do it exactly observes 'T is very evident from Scripture that this witness-bearing is a main part of the work of Conscience Rom. 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost So 2 Cor. 1. 12. the Apostle speaks of the testimony of his Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the World Conscience is such a witness as is more than a thousand other witnesses for 't is privy to all we do it will many times cry out against us when others flatter us (g) Magna vis est Conscientiae Judicis magna in utramque partem ut neque timeant qui nihil commiserint poenam semper ante oculos versari putent qui peccârint Cicero Orat. pro T. An. Milone pag. 553. And if it testifies good concerning us it will not be controuled by mens censures nor by Afflictions which are seeming tokens of Gods Anger Job's burthen was very heavy his griefs and calamities were more weighty than the Sand so that his words were swallowed up His Friends charge him with Hypocrisie and yet Conscience witnessing for him does prevail Job 27. 5. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me and his Heart winessing to his Righteousnesse and sincerity he goes higher Job 16 12. Also now behold my witness is in Heaven and my Record is on High Three things are implied in this witnessing of Conscience 1. A recollection of what we have done It has a notable faculty in running back upon the footsteps which we have taken (h) Cambdens Remains pag. 26. The old English word for Conscience was In-wit because it knows whatever is within us whatever is done by us Those which we read of Jer. 8. 6. who when God hearkned and heard did not speak aright did not say What have we done 't is a sign their Hearts were hardned and their Consciences for the present cast into a dead sleep But here I must say that Conscience though asleep is like Noah who knew what his younger Son had done to him and how he had looked upon his nakednesse when he was asleep Conscience when it wakes will understand all that was done before and the sooner it begins to reflect the better will it discharge its duty 2. This witnessing of Conscience implies a comparing of what we have done with that rule which God has prescribed us What was feigned concerning Janus that ancient King of Italy that he had two faces may truly be affirmed concerning Conscience with one face it looks forward towards the VVord which is the rule of Righteousness and with the other it looks backwards towards our selves and then inquires whether there be that purity and uprightness of Heart and that living soberly righteously and godly which the VVord does so expresly call for 3. The witnessing of Conscience implies its bringing in evidence pro or con for or against us according as we have or have not taken heed to that rule which whosoever walks according to Peace and Mercy shall be upon them Gal. 6. 16. The witnesse of Conscience is an accusation upon doing Evil but an apology upon doing well 1. This witnesse of Conscience is an accusation upon doing Evil. Conscience does charge the soul with guilt and this is a very heavy charge where sinners are not without or past feeling The Conscience of David when Nathan came to him presently seconded Nathan The Prophet accused him Thou art the Man his Conscience also sides with the Prophet and he accuses himself I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. An accusing Conscience made David so sensible of his need of mercy and so earnest that he might obtain it the sight of his sins caused most deep dejection of spirit The thirty eight psalm is called a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance His conscience was busie in reflecting and accusing when he wrote it and how does he complain v. 3 There is not any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long v. 4. 6. There are six things to be observed concerning the accusations of Conscience 1. Conscience accuses undeniably it does not charge the sinner upon hear-say or upon surmise but upon its own knowledge I accuse of nothing sayes Conscience but what I saw done with my own eyes and when I saw it I wrote it down with all the aggravating circumstances of it in my own Book of remembrance and here you may find it registred You may as well deny that you see at all when you see most plainly as deny Consciences accusing testimony We find therefore in Scripture that when Conscience has brought to remembrance sins committed a great while before its testimony even then could not be denyed Josephs Brethren many years after their cruelty towards their Brother cry out We are Verily guilty Conscience accused and they could not deny it Job's Conscience told him of the sins of his youth when he was grown up to riper years and he acknowledges them Job 13. 26. For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my Youth 2. Conscience accuses boldly as 't is said of Death that it comes as easily to the Princes Palace as the Beggars Cottage so it may be affirmed concerning conscience 't will come and speak as plainly to the highest as to the meanest 'T is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a respecter of
folly which it highly concerns us to be Cured of In the prosecution of this point I shall first declare what a good Conscience is Secondly I shall shew how the acts of a good Conscience and the Acts of the good Spirit of God are to be distinguished Thirdly produce some reasons why it does so highly concern every man to have a good Conscience Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to open what a good Conscience is and before I speak to this it will not be amiss to premise these particulars 1. Conscience was good very good in Adam when he was first made and so continued while he remained in the state of innocency Oh the Light and Grace and Peace that was in Adams Soul when he was newly come out of his Creators hand There was a far sweeter Paradise within than that Eden in which he was placed When the Lord was about to form Man he said Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Gen. 1. 26. and ver 27. it follows so God created Man in his own Image nay 't is doubled in the Image of God created he him As Man did ressemble God in Holiness and Righteousnesse so he did resemble him in Peace and Blessedness Man was made upright there was nothing in him that either God or Conscience did disapprove of His Purity was without spot his Righteousness without any mixture of sin his joy was without grief or remorse his peace calm without the least storm or trouble 2. The Conscience of Man was defiled and wounded by his fall Sin did throw the Apostate Angels quite to Hell the chains of Darknesse in which those evil Spirits are may well be interpreted partly to be their guilty and tormenting Consciences which they can never be freed from but will keep them trembling till the great day And truly sin did throw Man down to the very brink of Hell Who can conceive that horrour which was in Adams Soul till the promised Seed was spoken of till he had an intimation of the Messiah VVe are not chiefly to take notice of the act of eating the forbidden fruit but Adams Mind in Eating How great was his Pride he would have been as God how cursed his unbelief he makes God a Lyar and credits the Father of Lies before him Nay since this Tree was appointed for trial whether man would continue good or become evil his Eating of it shewed a contempt of that Covenant and promise of Life which God had made with him By all this how was his Conscience polluted Adam where art thou says God Gen. 3. 9. Thou wert neer me once but whither art thou run away I placed thee in an happy state but whither art thou fallen into what depths of misery hast thou plunged thy self 3. The Conscience of every natural Man in the World is Evil. Since all are conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity it follows that the nature of Man is corrupted there is no part or power in man but the contagion of sin has reached In me that is in my flesh there dwells no good thing sayes the Apostle Rom. 7. 18. Now our Lord calls all natural men Flesh That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh John 3. 6. And if in the Flesh there dwels no good thing Surely a good Conscience is not to be found in any carnal man breathing I affirmed before that Conscience has scaped best of any Faculty in the Fall and yet it must needs be acknowledged that this has been bruised this has been Wounded The Light which Conscience now has if compared with what it had before the Fall is no more than the light of a Candle compared with the Sun 't is Night still though the Candle burns and onely the Sun can make it Day Something of God and of his Will natural Conscience knows but how insufficient is that knowledge Conscience urges Men to Duty but 't is Natural to it to permit them to place a confidence in what they do as if by their Obedience some amends were made for their transgressions and this is a great fault in it and a very grand Impediment unto the receiving of the Gospel which informs us that we must Rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. How dull and sluggish is Conscience Naturally in the Executing of its Office As Eli spake something to his Sons but faintly and therefore he is blamed exceedingly that his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not So the ungodly make themselves vile and Conscience does not restrain them 't is not so peremptory in its prohibitions and commands so fierce in its accusations neither does it Judge with such Authority as it ought 4. 'T is possible and usual for a Conscience to appear good when 't is stark naught Though all Gold glisters yet all is not Gold that glisters All Grace shines yet all is not Grace that shines There is a Conscience that is so mistaken as to call good evil and evil good as to put darkness for light and light for darkness Isa 5. 20. And if evil be called good and darkness light how eagerly and resolutely will evil be Acted and the Works of Darkness be engaged in The Jews when they Persecuted the Son of God thought they did God good Service Here was a Conscience that seemed Zealous for God but was indeed against him Mens Consciences in many cases entertain high self-conceits where there is no ground Prov. 30. 12. There is a Generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness So Laodicea did say I am Rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing But this was the Ignorance and unfaithfulness of their Conscience Christ says to them Thou knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. 5. 'T is necessary that the Spirit work a saving change before the Conscience of any can be truly good this is to be found onely in them that are New Creatures None can be said to have good Consciences that are under the Power of Satan that serve divers Lusts and Pleasures that walk after the Flesh that are workers of Iniquity but such are all who never were regenerated by the Spirit 'T is the Blood of Christ must purge the Conscience from dead works But none can be said to be in Christ nor to have a purged Conscience but they who have been New created 2 Cor. 5. 17. Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New I grant that Conscience may be awakened in many unregenerate sinners but the bare awakening of it is not sufficient to prove it good for then in Hell there would be Excellent Consciences for all there are awakened throughly Notwithstanding awakenings Conscience in the ungodly continues evil as long as the guilt of sin remains unremoved
and the Soul is still under the Dominion and Power of it 6. The Consciences of the regenerate are not good in respect of Legal Perfection and Exactness The first Adam before his Apostacy was able to reach this Exactness which the Law required he was able to Obey the Law of God without Offending in a tittle Christ also the second Adam did fulfill the Law without the least Transgression all his days He was like unto his Brethren in other regards but sin is excepted Heb. 4. 15. So Heb. 7. 26. Such an High-Priest became us who is Holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens But truly the best of Saints fall short Surely they are unacquainted with the Law of God that imagine they are able perfectly to Obey it it may justly be suspected that they put short glosses upon it and then fancy they fulfill it but questionless they are ignorant of its strictness and Spirituality As 't is said of God himself that he is of purer eyes than to behold Evil and cannot look upon Iniquity Habak 1. 13. So it may be said of his Law 't is purer than to allow any evil than to approve of the least Iniquity No Conscience therefore in a Legal sence can be affirmed to be good for the Holy Ghost does not stick to say There is not a Just man upon Earth that does good and sins not Eccles 7. 20. The Consciences of Saints see sin but in part therefore David crys out Cleanse me from secret sins who can understand his Errors Psal 19. 12. and Psal 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting And as the Consciences of the best are capable of more light than they have so more purity and tenderness may also be attained 7. Conscience may be good according to the Law of Grace though sin is not totally purged away This very Apostle Paul which says he had a good Conscience before God does yet say Not as though I ha◠attained or were already perfect Phil. 3. 12. Nay he does acknowledge that sin did dwell in him he complains of a Law in his Members and crys out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this death Rom. 7. 20 23 24. Conscience is good in a Gospel-sence though sin remain as long as it does not Reign in us and we are no longer willing to Obey it in the Lusts of it Now if you ask me in what regard Conscience is good notwithstanding some remainders of evil I Answer 1. Conscience is good comparatively how vast a difference between Saints and Sinners How careful the one how careless the other How are the former afraid of offending God! how are the latter presumptuous and bold How are their Hearts set in them to do evil When Noah is said to be a Just Man and Perfect in his Generation Gen. 6. 9. This is hinted that he was Just compared with the men of his Generation and his Righteousness was the more to be admired since he kept himself unpolluted by their wickedness 2. Conscience may be said to be good sincerely when in the spirit of a man there is no guile as the Psalmist says Psal 32. 2. When there is no sin but the soul consents to be delivered from it and no Grace but the soul desires to be enriched with it and no Command but 't is willing to Obey it and where it falls short 't is grieved and because it has not attained therefore 't is continually pressing towards the Mark and perfecting Holiness in the fear of God (*) Perfecti et non perfecti Phil. 3. Perfecti viatores nondum perfecti possessores et noveritis quod perfectos viatores dicat qui jam in viâ ambulant Quid est ambulare Breviter dico proficere ne forte non intelligatis pigrius ambuletis Semper tibi displiceas quod es sivis pervenire ad id quod nondum es Nam ubi tibi placuisti ibi remansisti Si autem dixeris sufficit periisti Semper adde semper ambula semper profic Noli in viâ remanere noli retro redire noli deviare Aug. De verbis Apostoli Ser. 15. pag. mihi 338. Tom. 10. 3. Conscience may be said to be good so as to be accepted We Serve a very gracious Lord who is not extream to mark our Offences though we come short in point of performance yet if he sees we unfeignedly desire and purpose to please him such is his Fatherly indulgence that he does accept us not according to what we have not but according to what we have I know O my God says David that thou tryest the Heart and hast pleasure in uprightness 1 Chron. 29. 17. If upon tryal of the heart he finds 't is turned towards himself he takes delight in it 4. Notwithstanding many failings which are un-allowed of and mourned over Conscience may be said to be good so as to be rewarded Evangelical good works though they are not meritorious yet they are rewardable therefore a reward is spoken of and assured in Scripture to Believers Rev. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give to every Man according as his work shall be God promises to be himself a Reward to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. and so he will be to all the Children of Abraham Christ will Reward them with Salvation that do Obey him Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that do Obey him If Conscience bear us witness that we are diligent in Trading with those Talents which are delivered to us we may be assured that at last we shall hear Well done good and Faithful Servants Enter you into the Joy of your Lord. We may wonder exceedingly that such a Reward should be promised to a good Conscience and shall we not wonder much more when that Reward is Actually received Since our Obedience is so lame and our goodness so imperfect But we must remember that the Saints imperfections are covered by Christ and in him all the promises of God and surely then the promises of Reward are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. And therefore Eternal Life which is the Reward promised and expected is also called a free-gift and said to be given through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. These things being thus premised I am to tell you what a good Conscience is Bernard speaking of a good Conscience does very well and also wittily affirm (x) Faelix Conscientia in quâ veritas misericordia obviaverunt sibi justitia pax osculatae sunt Bern. de Int. Dom pag 1060. That Conscience is truly good where Mercy and Truth are met together and Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other The truth of the Gospel does reveal the mercy of God
in Christ and this mercy must by Faith be apprehended Peace follows upon the obtaining of mercy and if the Peace be of the right kind 't will be joyned with the Love and Practice of Righteousness The goodness of Conscience is of great extent one single thing is not sufficient to constitute it good I shall therefore in several particulars shew wherein the goodness of it does consist and also as I go along which will be highly needful direct you how this goodness may be attained to in every part of it 1. The goodness of Conscience lies in its Illumination and being rightly informed Conscience is to be a guide but that is not to be called a good guide which is either blind or does mistake If the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6. 23. Upon this score Wisdom and Knowledge in Scripture are so much commended and we are so frequently commanded to seek and to get Understanding Job 28. 18 19 No mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies The topaz of Aethiopia cannot equal it neither shall it be valued with pure Gold So Prov. 3. 13 14 15. Happy is the Man that findeth Wisdom and the Man that getteth Vnderstanding for the Merchandize of it is better than the Merchandize of Silver and the gain thereof than fine Gold She is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her And Prov. 4. 7. Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy gettings get understanding 'T is confessed that Conscience may be enlightned and yet remain bad no improvement being made of the Light of it but yet this is certain that Conscience cannot be good unless it be enlightned As we say there may be Knowledge without saving Faith but not saving Faith without Knowledge So here there may be Knowledge without this goodness of Conscience but not a good Conscience without this Ingredient of Knowledge But you will ask me what kind of Knowledge is that which is in a good Conscience I Answer 1. The knowledge of a good Conscience is so extensive as that it understands all things that be of Necessity to be believed and practised in Order to Salvation No Fundamental Article of Faith or Duty of Christianity but is known The Conscience cannot be good unless there be a knowledge of the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17. 3. Unless we are acquainted with what the Lord requires of us namely to Repent of sin to believe in Jesus to do justly to love Mercy and to walk humbly with our God Though that Promise John 16. 13. When the Spirit of Truth is come he shall guide you into all Truth may have a special reference to the Apostles who were to publish the Gospel unto all Nations and so had need to be certainly informed themselves yet 't is applicable unto all Believers they shall by the Spirit be led into all Truth Necessary to be known and Obeyed 2. The Knowledge of a good Conscience is true in Opposition unto Error and Falshood 'T is a Beam which comes from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning James 1. 17. All true Wisdom is from above 't is through the Precepts of the Lord that Conscience does get a right Understanding and hence it comes to pass that false ways are discovered and abhorred Psal 119. 104. 'T is very sad to have an Erroneous Conscience for in this case Conscience does back the Devils commands with God's Authority An Erring Conscience does bind the Person I confess so that he sins if he does not heed his Conscience for Interpretatively he goes against the Will of God for Conscience though it command what is evil yet requires it as that which is conceived to be good and what God has commanded He that shall injure or affront a Private Person thinking him to be the King is justly censured to have Acted against the King because suppose the King had really been in his reach he would have affronted him So he that goes against Conscience which errs when it tells him This is the Will of God would go against Conscience supposing it were really the Lords Will. So that 't is certain the Person is bound by an Erring Conscience But truly to speak properly there cannot be an Obligation unto the Error of the Conscience there cannot be an Obligation to the Evil that an Erroneous Conscience puts us upon All proper Obligation is from the Law and Will of God but the Word of God does forbid all evil nay forbids the least Evil to be done whatever good is likely to follow upon the doing of it Their damnation is just who do evil that good may come Rom. 3. 8. A man whose Conscience erreth is under a miserable kind of necessity of sinning if he goes against his Conscience he sins because Conscience commands him in Gods name if he go according to his Conscience he sins because Conscience is mistaken and commands what God has really prohibited and forbidden What great enemies are Seducers and false Prophets unto Conscience they Preach up their Errors as the Truths of Christ and hereby they mis-inform and ensnare souls and truly where there is a presumptuous and unwary boldness as to errour as if there were no danger of it or in it a thousand to one but Conscience may quickly be corrupted But here it may be demanded what shall a man do whose Conscience errs I answer 't is his duty to put away such a Conscience and to intreat the Lord that he may be rightly informed A good Conscience is thus informed and speaks to us nothing but what is true in the Name of the Lord. It does beware of false Prophets and will not follow strangers 't is a great enemy to divers and strange Doctrines Heb. 13. 9. It dislikes Superstition will-worship and all humane inventions its fear of God is not taught by the precepts of men but what is from heaven that it minds what God would have done that it enquires after and is acquainted with If you ask me here whether a good mans Conscience may not err I answer in some smaller things it may but this erring is no part of the goodness of his Conscience and therefore both himself and others should endeavour his being brought to a better understanding 3. The knowledge of a good Conscience is certain in opposition unto dubiousness 't is grounded upon that Revelation which the Lord has made of his own will A good Conscience looks into and searches the Holy Scriptures and is fully assured that what is made known either as a matter of Faith or Practice is indeed the Mind of God for all Scripture is of Divine inspiration 2 Tim. 3. 16. This certainty of Knowledge the Apostle does emphatically express when he calls it The Riches of the full
controul the commands of the highest Potentates on Earth if they agree not with the Law of God Darius makes a Law that none should ask any Petition of any God or Man for thirty dayes together but only of himself who was the King Dan. 6. 7. 9. But Daniels Conscience told him that that Law which did restrain prayer from the God of Heaven was impious and therefore though the penalty was being cast into the Lyons Den He went to his House and he opened his Window to shew he was not afraid or ashamed either of his God or of his service and he kneeled upon his knees and three times a day prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time v. 10. VVhen the Jewsh rulers laid injunctions upon the Apostles which were contrary to what Christ had enjoyned they speak thus Whether it be right in the sight of God that we should obey you rather than God judge ye Act. 4. 19. But here I must add that when the Commands of Magistrates are broken because against Conscience we had need to look to it that Conscience have sufficient warrant from the VVord of God For though we suffer never so peaceably and patiently the penalty which humane Laws inflict 't is no reputation to the Government that the Lawes are such as good men and Consciencious cannot comply with and of this reputation so far as possibly we may we ought to be very tender Certainly we are to obey Magistrates and to be ready unto every goodwork and onely when they command evil are we exempted from obedience 2. Conscience has authority and power to cross our secular interest though the gain if unlawful which is offered be never so great In all debates concerning profit God allows Conscience a Negative voice Those pleas for unlawful courses which are urged from the advantageousness of them Conscience sayes are naught and that it is a mad venture to hazzard the salvation of the soul for a little of the Mammon of unrighteousness When Achitophel gave counsel to Absalom which was likely to destroy David Absalom sayes let us hear what Hushai the Archite also advise 2 Sam. 17. 5. Hushai answers ver 7. The counsel of Achitophel is not good So when the carnal minde does counsel not to stand upon strict points of honesty where gain is to be gotten Conscience will deal plainly and say this counsel is not good (z) Isre tibi meliùs suadet qui ut rem facias rem Si possis recte si non quocunque modo rem Horat. Epist. 1 for they that will thus be rich do fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition The corrupt mind indeed which is destitute of the truth does suppose that gain is Godliness but the good Conscience thwarts it and sayes Godliness with contentment is great gain 3. Conscience has authority and power to prohibit and forbid the practice of the most beloved sin Concerning a Delilah or an Herodias 't will say 'T is not lawfull for thee to have her As in the natural body whatever the constitution be there is a mixture of all the four humours but one usually is predominant from whence a man is denominated Sanguine or Phlegmatick or Cholerick or Melancholick So in the body of sin though there are the seeds of all wickedness yet some particular corruption commonly is most prevalent Now conscience has authority to strike at this that is the favorite Conscience told David he could not be upright before God unless he kept himself from his own iniquity and therefore he abstained from it Psal 18. 23. The sin that naturally is most beloved there is most reason to hate it for God is most dishonoured and the soul is most defiled and endangered by it And if Conscience may make bold to check Temptations to the most beloved sins surely it may caution against any sin whatsoever and indeed it does not go beyond its authority when it forbids as much as God himself does for it is Gods under-officer to prevent as much as may be all trangression 4. Conscience has power and authority to enjoyn the most difficult duties 'T is difficult to ponder the path of our feet and in all places and relations and capacities and employments to walk circumspectly 't is difficult to set a watch before the door of our lips that sinful and idle words come not out which will but tend to make our account sad at the day of judgement 't is difficult especially to keep our hearts with all dilligence that God may have them and the world and sin may not run away with them How much pains will it cost us to conflict with wicked and impertinent thoughts to observe the first stirrings of corruption and to quench these sparks presently before they be blown up into a flame to engage in a constant combate with the flesh which is continually lusting against the Spirit But though all this be difficult and the flesh cryes out These are hard sayings yet Conscience urges to it and puts us in minde that the word is the more to be loved because 't is very pure Psal 119. 140. and that the more we keep from sin the greater is our freedom perfection peace 5. Conscience has Power and Authority to presse unto the greatest hardships and sufferings for Christs sake The Gospel is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the VVord of the Crosse 1 Cor. 1. 18. not onely because it Preaches Christ Crucified but also a conformity to him as crucified And as our Lord was Crucified before he was glorified so we must be willing to take up the Cross that we may come to the Kingdom to follow him in his Temptations that we may follow after him to the Throne Conscience tells us that there is no reason to be offended in Christ for he never calls us to part with any thing but what is vain nor to endure any thing but what he will sanctifie and sweeten to us and we are not to think much of afflictions that are but light that are but for a Moment that work for us and that work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. And when tempted in the time of persecution to fall away Conscience also layes before us the wrath of God which is ten thousand times more dreadful than the wrath of persecutors and 't will be but a poor relief to be delivered out of their hands and to fall into the hands of the Living God VVhen Spira against his Conscience had renounced the Protestant Religion and in VVord had publickly owned the Romish corruptions Alas what did he get by it the torments of his Conscience were worse than any Inquisition and the despair he was overwhelmed with made his condition worse than if he had endured the very uttermost of Papal cruelty Some of his words were these What a dangerous thing is it to
could never be quieted with Popish pennance and severities but when he came to understand that great Article of Christianity Faith in the Blood of Jesus (l) In corde meo iste unus regnat articulus scilicet Fides Christi ex quo per quem in quem omnes meae diu noctuque fluunt refluuntque theolicae cogitationes Luther in Epist ad Gal. praefat Oh then the storm was laid by applying this blood of Christ he was able to joy in God through the Lord Jesus by whom he had received the atonement Where the Blood of Christ is not known and trusted there cannot possibly be true peace 2. True peace of Conscience supposes reconciliation with God As long as there is no peace above with God there can be no true peace within Where this is the covenant of peace has been taken hold of and the terms of reconciliation have been submitted to The Apostle tells us that God is in Christ reconcileing the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them Nay though himself be the party injured by sin though he be unsought to though he has no need at all of the sinner and be so infinitely high above him yet he stoops so low as to beseech him to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. and he does assure transgressors though never so great that if they rely upon Christ for pardon and are broken for sin and consent to turn from all their wicked wayes and thoughts he will multiply forgiveness and will have mercy upon them Now when these terms are consented to and Faith and Repentance are wrought in the heart God is now no longer a Foe but a Father All this is supposed in peace of Conscience 't is consequent upon peace with God and cannot go before it We must be the Sons of God before we can know we are so and rejoyce in our Adoption 3. True peace of Conscience is alwayes joyned with Righteousness just as the stars of the same Constellation part not but rise and set and keep together The Holy Ghost has joyned Righteousness and Peace Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Righteousness is put first to shew that all Peace and Joy is false without it There must be the Righteousness of Christ imputed and there must be Holiness and Righteousness imparted where true peace is The fruits of Righteousness are called peaceable in Scripture because Conscience is so well satisfied in reflecting upon them If any known wickedness be practised in the life or so much as loved and regarded in the heart as it will be a barr to communion with God so 't will be an effectual impediment unto peace of Conscience Isa 57. 20 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God unto the wicked 4. True peace of Conscience is not without a Scripture-ground to warrant it Upon this account it is called the fruit of the Lips Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace because 't is built upon that word which the Lord has spoken The good Conscience does argue from Scripture-premises and drawes both a sweet and a safe conclusion There are indeed a great many paralogisms or false wayes of arguing as when we argue our state to be good because Members of the visible Church and Professors of Religion because we engage in ordinances and have a name that we live But a good Conscience uses other Mediums It observes what are the Characters of Believers which are not to be found in any Hypocrite in the world and finding these in the Heart it does justly conclude a man to be a right Believer From our prizing Christ above all it argues we have Faith in him From our loving of God and desiring after him it argues that we were first loved of him 1 Pet. 2. 7. 1 Joh. 4. 19. From our Repentance and Hatred of Sin it argues that Iniquity shall not be our Ruine From our being Spiritually Hungry it argues we shall be filed with good things From our Hearts being in Heaven it argues our Treasure is there and that there is a place preparing for us Such things as these are sound evidences of a good state and that peace that is thus warranted is highly Rational and though the Rain descend and the Floods come and the VVinds blow and beat never so vehemently they will not be able to disturb it 5. True peace of Conscience is spoken by the Spirit of God therefore it is called the peace of God Phil 4. 7. The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus God is said to speak peace to his people and he does it by his Spirit Psal 85. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly (m) Est haec salutatio Gratia Pax c. nova inaudita mundo ante praedicationem Evangelii haec duo vocabula universum comprehendunt Christianismum Gratia remittit peccatum pax tranquillam reddit conscientiam Duo diaboli nostri qui nos excruciant sunt peccatum conscientia Sed haec duo monstra Christus â—icit conculcavit in hoc saeculo suturo Luther in Epist. ad Gal. c. 1. God speaks peace in that he promises good things to his Saints and in that he assures them they are Saints and that these promises belong to them If the Holy Ghost did not help the Conscience when 't is looking into us and prying after Grace and the Evidences of the new Creature we should never be able to discover any thing Satan and our own hearts together would so confound us that our doubts would be invincible and we must needs be strangers to peace Saints in Scripture have begged of the Lord to examine and to prove them and not without reason 't is from him we have eye-salve to discern our condition that we may not on the one hand say we are rich and increased with Goods when we are Empty and Miserable nor on the other hand say we are Empty when we are partakers of the unsearchable Riches of Christ 6. True peace of Conscience is ever accompanied with a Spiritual combat in which the Spirit does lust against the Flesh to be at peace with the Flesh and the Lusts of it is in effect to make a Covenant with death and to be at agreement with Hell The Apostle therefore tells us that in all true Believers the Flesh is opposed by its contrary the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these two are contrary the one to the other By Spirit here we are to understand the spiritual and regenerate part in the Saints That which is born of
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
(q) As dirty hands foul all they touch And those things most which are most pure and fine So our clay-hearts ev'n when we crouch To sing thy praises make them less divine Yet either this Or none thy portion is Herb. Misery p. 93. 6. Till Conscience be good how extreamly dangerous is our Estate We are the Children of Wrath the Sons of Death Condemned already not sure to be a day or hour out of that place of Torment where the Worm does not dye and the Fire none can quench When the Lord speaks to the Ungodly his mouth is full of threatnings his words are woes and curses and not one syllable of Encouragement or hope does he give them as long as they are resolved to continue in their wickedness Indeed if they are willing to have their Consciences and Conversations cleansed then he declares himself inclined to Mercy and to make them white as Wool or Snow though before red like Scarlet or like Crimson Isa 1. 16. 18. But as long as Conscience is secure and the sinner is resolved and obstinate alas God is angry with him every day the Vial is continually filling fuller and more wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath If the sinner turn not the Lord hath whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready and who knows how soon the Arrow may be shot that may dispatch the sinner in the twinkling of an Eye and both kill and damn together 7. If Conscience be not good how great and intolerable may be the torture of it when it is awakened Solomon tells us That the Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear These wounds are made by sin as the Meritorious caus e and by the hand of God himself as an Holy Righteous Dreadful Sin-revenging Majesty The buffetings of Satan indeed are sometimes very troublesome and terrible but what are the buffetings of a Creature if compared with the blows and wounds of Him that is Almighty When God shall say to a sinful soul Behold I am against thee Ezek. 5. 8. When God shall run upon a Transgressor as a Giant and break him with breach upon breach surely his hands will not be strong his heart will not be able to endure 'T was a saying of Luther (q) Animus malè sibi conscius potiùs in mille rerum formas verteretur ac citiùs per saxa per ignes per ahaeneos montes denique ad Diabolum ipsum ferretur quam ad Deum accederet Luther Tom. 1. In Genes c. 43. That an evil Conscience being indeed wounded had rather be turned into a thousand forms had rather venture upon Rocks and Flames Mountains of brass nay upon the Devil himself than have to do with God The Design of which passage is to shew how terrible the Lord is unto a guilty and enraged Conscience Such are said to be Drunken but not with Wine unless it be the Wine of Astonishment and they are compared to a wild Bull in a Net being full of the Fury of the Lord and the Rebuke of God Isa 50. 20 21. If you look into Scripture you may find the Saints themselves complaining of these wounds in their Consciences Listen to Job Chap. 6. 2 3 4. O that my grief were throughly weighed and my Calamity laid in the Balances together For now it would be heavier thâ—â— the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up for the Arrows of the Almighty are within me the Poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me The Psalmist speaks to the same purpose Psal 88. 14 15 16. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy Face from me I am Afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off And if Saints have drank so deep of this Cup of Trembling oh how bitter may it be to sinners (r) Est intus animi vigor Arce conditus abditâ Haec venena potentius Detrahunt hominem sibi Dira quae penitus meant Nec nocentia corpori Mentis vulnere saeviunt Boetius l. 4. Met. 3. pag. mihi 122. As therefore you would avoid the Lords contending with you which will make your spirits fail before him it should be your care to have a good Conscience 8. A good Conscience as it will make those that have it to be better and better themselves so it will render them exceedingly beneficial and make them blessings unto others A good Conscience like Rebecca of old is weary of the Daughters of Heth and is not satisfied unless the Flesh be like the house of Saul growing weaker and weaker and the Spirit be like the house of David growing stronger and stronger Conscience puts the Saints upon following on to know the Lord and following harder after him and though the least Grace deserve Infinite and Eternal thanks and Conscience urges unto praise yet withall it adds that the highest measures of Holiness are not to be rested in but still there must be a growing up into Christ in all things untill we arrive unto a perfect stature in his Kingdom A good Conscience will also make us publick Blessings unto others (s) Vir bonus est commune bonum It considers we are not Born or New-born onely for our selves It will make us beneficial to the Church and to the World 1. To the Church If there were more of Conscience it would hinder Animosities Contentions Divisions Declinings the decay of Love and of the Power of Godliness Conscience is for Peace and Unity and for walking as Saints and Brethren Mens Passions and Interests put them upon those courses that tend to Dividing and Destroying the Church of Christ 2. To the World A good Conscience will make us to put on Bowels and to compassionate Mankind 't will hinder us from Offending them and hardening them against Religion 't will make us pray for and endeavour the gaining and saving of them It will cause our Light so to shine before Men that they seeing our good Works may Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven and at length they may be brought to desire to become themselves of the Number of his Children I have done with the Reasons of the Doctrine I come now to the Application VSE 1. Shall be of Reproof If it should be the care of all to have a good Conscience alas whose heart may not smite him who has not Reason to acknowledge that a sharp Reproof is but justly due Conscience in these last and worst days seems to have left the Earth and truly till there are better Consciences there may not be better days or if there should be better times they would but prove a Judgment For if Mens Hearts are stupid under Adversity Prosperity is not likely to awaken them The Lord looks down from Heaven
destruction I would here propose these three things unto them whose Consciences are of so great a latitude 1. This largeness of Conscience argues great contempt of God and of his Will there is not a standing in aw of him and of his word His word is very strict his commands holy and requires that we should walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly and circumspectly this is to be wise to do otherwise is to discover the most dangerous folly Eph. 5. 15. What manner of persons sayes the Apostle ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. But notwithstanding all this large consciences live at random as if preciseness were more ado than needs and as if the Lord did but jest in his Holy Precepts and those terrible threats which back them but they to their cost shall find and feel he is in good earnest 2. This largeness of Conscience is a shrewd sign that sinners are in the broad way They that can swallow camels 't is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Scribes and Pharisees of old did omit the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith But Christ does denounce a wo unto them Mat. 23. 23. Largeness of Conscience discovers a great carelessness of the soul and too great an indifferency what becomes of it for ever And what souls are likely to miscarry if such be not We must work out our Salvation with fear and trembling if we will be saved 3. The larger Conscience is and the more is swalowed at present the greater hereafter will the account be We are all Stewards which must shortly give an account of our stewardship and though a◠present some like the steward in the Gospel many take their Bills and write Fourscore or Fifty for an Hundred Yet our Lord who will call us to an Account will be exact in reckoning and cannot be deceived by us His judgement is according to Truth Rom. 2. 2. And oh how many things will he condemn at the last day which sinners defend at present 'T will be indeed a day of Light and Manifestation both of things and persons Many persons that went for Saints will then be unmasked and found Hypocrites and have their sad portion with the Hypocrites And many things that where counted no sins will be found great sins and the lighter they were made of the more heavy and damnable they will prove unto the sinner A large Conscience therefore take heed of Attend unto the Law and to the Testimony which does discover evil and be afraid of every evil way 3. They are to be reproved whose Consciences are at peace but that peace has no solid and good foundation The most of sinners in the world have this false peace in their own Spirits sometimes they are a little awakened but are quickly hushed asleep again by that evil One who does destroy souls by thousands and by millions by carnal security Transgressors when first they venture upon sin their Consciences recoyl upon them but by degrees they grow senselesse Custom in sin and Quiet in sin do go commonly together (t) Primùm quando homo peccat videtur ei importabile processu temporis grave videtur paulo post leve judicat cùm crebris ictibus verberetur vulnera non sentit verbera non attendit In brevi vero temporis spacio non solùm non sentit sed placet dulce fit quod amarum erat asperum vertitur in suave Ad extremum non potest avelli quia consuetudo vertitur in naturam quod priùs ad faciendum erat impossibile jam impossibile est ad continendum Bernard De Consc c. 3. pag. 1109. One of the Fathers does excellently describe how the ungodly arrive unto this false peace At first sayes he sin does seem intolerable afterwards onely heavy after that being frequently given way to and Conscience stunned by many wounds makes no great matter of them in process of time sin is not burthensome at all but pleasant at last 't is turned into a second nature and the sinner can no more be drawn from it than the Ethiopian can change his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil A great many not onely Profane but Professors are concerned in this reproof and have no better than a false peace of Conscience Here therefore I am to shew what that peace of Conscience is which is false and also how unreasonable it is to give entertainment to it A false peace of Conscience I shall describe to you in these particulars 1. That peace of Conscience is false where Sin and Misery were never seen They who never perceived any harm in sin and wonder why the Lord in his word does speak so much against it and why his Ministers cannot let men quietly alone in the commission of it who never lookt so far as to behold that eternal death and destruction that is threatned to be brought upon the workers of iniquity these are at peace because they do not apprehend what reason they have to be troubled there is sufficient cause of grief and fear and horrour onely they want an eye to see it so as to be indeed affected There are some that are such fools as to make a mock of sin and count it a pastime to do wickedly These do no more understand what sin is nor the Hell which the Holy God has entail'd upon it than the mad-man understands what he does when he casts Fire-brands and Arrows and Death and saith am I not in sport Prov. 26. 18. Others though far from being indeed justified think they are righteous though sick after a deadly manner yet imagine they are whole and undervalue the great Physitian Both these sort of Persons have peace but 't is without ground for the former do grosly mistake sin and the later do as grosly mistake themselves 2. That peace of Conscience is false where the strong man armed keeps possession where Satan works and rules without resistance Our Lord sayes When the strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace Luk. 11. 21. By the strong man we are to understand the Devil by his Palace we are to understand the sinners heart because as a King reigns and commands all especially in his Palace so the Devil bears sway in the hearts of the ungodly And a false peace and quiet is the great means whereby the Devils Rule and Government is upheld If you are careless and unconcerned whom you are led by 't is certain that the Devil leads you for none are led by the Spirit of God without great sollicitousness and fear of being misguided and strong cryes that they may be guided by his counsel unto his Kingdom and Glory Satan is
When any perswade you to intemperance to uncleanness to injustice or any other iniquity they do in effect perswade you to make deep wounds and gashes in your own Spirits to wrong your own Souls and to go along with them towards the lake that burns and burns for ever with Fire and Brimstone Oh the cruelty of those that stir up others to sin Oh the folly of them that are prevailed with by these wretched and evil instruments of the Prince of Darkness I have done with that first Use by way of reproof VSE II. Shall be of Direction And here I am to shew first how secure Consciences may be awakened and wounded and secondly how wounded Consciences may be cured and comforted 1. How secure Consciences may be awakened Though there is many a bad Spirit which does prevail at this day yet none does more prevail than the Spirit of Slumber closed Eyes drowsie Souls senseless Hearts are every where to be met with Though so much hath been spoken though so much has been done though so much has been felt and suffered in order unto our awakening yet whose Conscience is indeed starled Prophets have been full of Power by the Spirit of the Lord and of Judgment and of might to declare unto evil doers their Transgression and their sin Mic. 3. 8. Calamity and Judgments have been strange unwonted and extraordinary and it might have been thought that such a Plague and Flames as have raged in London would hardly have left one secure sinner but all would have learned to fear that God who is so Righteous and who knows how to take a course with them that provoke him unto jealousie But alas like Pharoah of old upon the least respite the generality of sinners do harden their Hearts and their Consciences sleep sounder than ever Now in order unto your being awakened follow these directions 1. Think of that Great and Glorious Majesty which by sin is affronted and which all the sin that is in the World is committed against He is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he is clothed with Honour and with Majesty and covers himself with light as with a Garment the Heaven is his Throne the Earth is his Foot-stool the whole world in comparison with him is but as the Bucket and the small dust upon the Balance and all the Nations of the Earth before him are as nothing and vanity Isa 40. 15. 17. The greater the person is that is affronted that affront is the greater crime God is the highest and greatest of all Oh how vile and hainous a thing is it to sin against him Sinner would'st thou have thy Conscience awakened believe seriously that There is a God Oh what work would this Truth make were it but firmly credited That famous Bruce of Scotland who (a) Robertus Brusius Vir genere virtute nobilis Majestate vultûs vener abilis qui plura animarum millia Christo lucrifecit cujus anima si ullius mortalium absit verbo invidia sedet in coelestibus gained many thousands of Souls to Christ was wont to say I think it a great matter to believe that there is a God And not only believe that God is but that he is so Glorious as his word proclaims him this may make thee tremble Now no sin in the World can be committed wherein this God is not concerned Those sins against Man are more against God than against man therefore David after he had murthered Vriah and defiled Bathsheba looks beyond these as high as God himself and cryes out against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight Psal 51. 4. He takes notice how God was struck at in that injury he had done to his Neighbour and is wholly swallowed up in that consideration and this helped very much his awakening and contrition To how many thousands of Millions do all thy sins amount and there is not one of them but has been an act of Rebellion against the †Altare Damascenum Lord of Heaven if this were pondered it might cool thy Courage and trouble thy Conscience 2. Think how dreadful the Power of this God and his wrath being joyned together must needs prove in Scripture these two are joyned and both together are engaged against the ungodly Ezra 8. 22. The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his Power and his Wrath is against all them that forsake him If wrath be without Power 't is contemptible if Power be without wrath it may not be at all hurtful but when Wrath and Power meet they may well be trembled at The Wrath of a King is as the Roaring of a Lyon as the messengers of Death What then is the Anger of God this wrath to shew the heat and greatness of it is likened unto Fire and it burns worse than any other Fire for it burns to Hell it self Deut. 52. 32. A Fire is kindled in mine Anger and it shall burn to the lowest Hell And if you would understand the Power of this Anger know that there is no withstanding it and Oh how dismall are the effects of it in both Worlds This Anger of God has brought upon sinners Cursing and Vexation and Rebuke and has made them quickly to perish because of the Wickedness of their doings it has smitten them with a Consumption and a Fever and an Inflammation and Extreme Burning with the Pestilence and Sword and Blasting and Mildew and has made the Heaven over Sinners Heads like Brass and the Earth under their Feet like Iron It has made them when they went out one way against their Enemies to be smitten and to flee seven wayes before them and their carcasses to become meat to the Fowls of the Air and the Beasts of the Earth This Anger of God has stricken the ungodly with madness and blindness and astonishment of Heart So that life has been a burthen no rest or ease at all could be found so that in the morning they have said would God it were Evening and in the Evening would God it were morning because of the fear and trembling of their Hearts the failing of their Eyes and the sorrow of their Minds All this is spoken of at large Deut. 28. But these are not all nor the most heavy effects of Divine displeasure Indeed we are safe from mans Anger after Death we cannot feel or be concerned at what Man can do when we are in the Grave There the Wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest there the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Job 3. 17. 18. But Gods Anger will follow after us into the other World and then will be found most heavy That Wrath to come is most of all amazing for then as it will be intollerable to be born so 't wil be impossible to be appeased Consider all this and be affrighted and say with the Psalmist At
of the Lord will still strive if he meet with nothing but resistance dost thou think that Mercy will still be offered if that Offer be nothing else but rejected Dost thou think that the day of Grace will still continue if it be eat and drunk and slept and play'd and sinn'd away Dost thou consider how easie 't is for God to destroy thee And if he does it he will ease himself of a Burthen For he is pressed with thy Iniquities as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2. 13. Nay he threatens to do it which should make thee as secure as thou art horribly afraid concerning those Sinners that did refuse and rebell that did refuse to turn and did resolve to rebell Thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the Mighty One of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me on my Enemies Isa 1. 24. 8. That Conscience may be awakened Behold and Know thy self To understand our selves is a great part of Wisdom to live and die Ignorant of our selves (c) Miser nimiùm Qui cunctis notus moritur Ignotus moritur sibi Seneca is not to see what 's our Happiness what 's our Misery till 't is too late to obtain the one to avoid the other How do the ungodly mistake every thing They mistake sin for they think it pleasant they mistake the World for they think 't will make them happy they mistake Satan for they think there is no harm in yielding to his Temptations they mistake the Lord for they think him an hard Master and his Commands grievous they mistake themselves for they think they are what they are not and that they are not what they are Look therefore into your selves Sinners and there are five things you should take notice of which may help very much to startle Conscience 1. Take Notice of your Guilt Ah how have your offences abounded You have Sinned alone you have Sinned in Company you have Sinned in every place in every Relation in every Capacity in every Employment nay you have Sinned in every Duty that you have performed unto God himself How should such Guilty Souls tremble We blame the stupidness of a Malefactor that is in Prison for several Crimes the least of which is enough to Hang him Oh blame thy self for being unconcerned at thy many thousands of Transgressions the least of which is enough to damn thee 2. Take Notice of thy weakness Art thou O Man a Match for God Hast thou an Arm like the Lord Or canst thou Thunder with a voice like him Canst thou deck thy self with Majesty and Excellency and array thy self with Glory and Beauty Canst thou cast abroad the Rage of thy Wrath and behold every one that is proud and abase him Job 40. 9 10 11. Poor VVorm thou dwellest in a House of Clay whose Foundation is in the dust thou art no more able to stand against God than dryed stubble before devouring flames or Chaff before the fiercest VVhirle-wind 3. Take Notice of thy Mortality How quickly may thy breath go forth and thou return to thy Earth and all thy thoughts perish Psal 146. 4. How soon maist thou be hid in the dust and thy face bound in secret Dost not thou Observe Men as great as young as rich as strong as thy self carried to their Graves VVhy should thy Conscience be secure as if thou wert sure to be out of the reach of Death for these several Years It does infinitely concern thee to awake to Righteousness presently and to work for God and for thy Soul while 't is day for the Night is coming is just at hand and there is no VVisdom nor working in the Grave whither thou art apace going 4. Take Notice of the Immortality of thy better part thy Precious Soul (d) T was a notable saying and observation of Hierocles upon Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is T is the wicked man that is unwilling his soul should be immortal Thy Body indeed must lie senseless in the Grave till the last day but thy Spirit must return to God who gave it As the Spirits of Just Men immediately after death are made perfect in the Heavenly Jerusalem so the spirits of the Ungodly are thrown into Hell when separated from their Bodies for the soul has been the principal subject of sin and most Active in wickedness and therefore does more early begin to be tormented The Sodomites are said to be now suffering the Vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. which shews plainly that their Souls are now in Hell for if their Bodies and Souls were asleep together they would not truly be said to suffer that vengeance 5. Take notice of the eternal Duration both of Soul and Body after the Resurrection Body and Soul which Death does part must be joyned again and as they have been Companions together in Sin so they must share together in Everlasting Punishment Thou maist be weary of thy Being sinner and wish thou hadst never had it or that it might be taken away but thy wish will not be granted Thou must endure as long as God does and since thou must Be for ever Awake awake that thou maist not be for ever miserable 9. That Conscience may be awakened Behold how the Judge stands before the Door James 5. 9. the coming of the Lord draws nigh and is still nearer and nearer Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 37. Oh think of that day when the World shall be on Fire about your Ears when the Lord shall come with Clouds and every Eye shall see Him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him when the Sun shall become black as a sackcloth of hair and the Moon shall be like blood when the Heaven shall depart as a scroll when 't is rolled together and every Mountain and Island shall be removed out of their places when the Lord Jesus shall sit upon his great white Throne and all the dead both small and great shall stand before him and shall be judged according to their works Rev. 20. 11. 12. Consider seriously 1. How glorious the Judge will be at that day he will come attended with Legions of Angels Oh the Majesty and Brightness of our Lord when he shall appear the second time he appeared the first time in the form of a Servant because he was to be obedient unto Death for the sins of men but then he will be seen as he is 't will be evident to all that he is the Son of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brightness of his Fathers glory 2. How powerful will this Judge be found All the Devils and the Reprobate world will be then together and yet they will not be able to make their part good against him but he will Judge and Condemn and put the Sentence which he passes upon them in Execution 3. How Righteous will the whole proceeding
of this Judge at that day be Every mouth shall be stopt and every sinner speechlesse Oh then the Evil of sin will be made Manifest and how Righteous 't is for the Lord to Sentence the Wicked unto Everlasting Fire Whom He Condemns every one will Condemn and they shall not choose but Condemn themselves 4. After the Judge has past Sentence he will be inexorable no Cryes no Tears will prevail with him to Repeal it Those that then are Condemned can never be Justified can never be saved Oh what is that Misery which is Extream as to the Measure and as to the Duration of it Everlasting 5. Thou in Particular must give Account of thy self unto this Judge All must appear before the Judgement seat of Christ and that All includes thee Every one of us must give account of himself to God Rom. 14. 12. And Oh secure sinner if all must be judged according to their Works begin now to tremble that thy works have been all so bad what kind of Sentence is likely to be past upon thee Is thy Worldliness and Uncleanness and neglect of God and Christ and Duty and thy stupidness of Conscience notwithstanding all this likely to be rewarded with Heaven No no that which is thy due and thy due shall be given thee is everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power 10. Take some encouragement that 't is not too late to awake as yet though Conscience hitherto has slept securely Thy Glasse is not yet run thy Sun is not yet set thy Day is not yet ended there may be possibly an Inch of thy Span of time remaining Oh sleep no longer but up and be doing thy main business When the ship was drowning the Marriners come to Jonah with a just rebuke What meanest thou O sleeper Jon. 1. 6. When Souls are sinking and when sinners are damning there is much more reason to say to Conscience what meanest Oh Sleeper Awake before it be quite too late Call upon God to awaken you throughly he can make the sleepy nay the dead to hear his voice Joh. 5. 25. Verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live So much be spoken and Lord make what has been spoken Effectual to awaken secure Consciences In the second place I am to shew how wounded and awakened Consciences may be Cured and Comforted And here it will be needfull first to shew you some mistakes about trouble of Conscience which are very common Secondly to discover when Conscience is troubled after a right manner Thirdly how Comfort is to be applied in that trouble For the first of these namely the mistakes about trouble of Conscience they are these following 1. That is not right trouble of Conscience which is onely the product of and lasts no longer than Affliction When Pharoah was under the smart of the Rod he cryed out I have sinned but this was not real trouble for sin for as soon as ever the Rod is taken off Pharoah is as resolved to sin as ever The mettal while the Fire burns is Liquid and you may cast it into any form but take away the Fire and it becomes hard as ever Such kind of mettall are many hearts while in the Furnace of Affliction how melted and tender do they seem but when taken out of that Furnace then they quickly cool and become perhaps more obdurate than before Who would have thought though so indeed it was that the Israelites who when God slew them did seek him and returned and enquired early after him and remembred that he was their Redeemer and their Rock should all this while onely flatter him with their Lips and that their Hearts should not be right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant 2. That is not right trouble of Conscience which is onely sorrow after the world (*) Tristitia mundi est quum propter terrenas afflictiones animos despondent luctu opprimuntur tristitia autem secundum Deum quae Deum respicit dum unicam miseriam ducunt excidisse à Dei gratiâ ac timore judicii ejus perculsi peccata sua lugent Calvin this kind of sorrow is so far from having a promise of life made to it that the Apostle affirms it works death 2 Cor. 7. 10. There is a great sorrow in thy Heart and it appears in thy very looks but what is the cause of it If hard times trouble thee but an hard Heart is no affliction if crosses and losses in the World perplex thee but the losse of thy Soul is not at all feared neither is there any care taken to prevent it if thy poverty in the World do grieve thee but thou dost not sorrow at all because destitute of the true Riches how canst thou call any of this a right trouble The Israelites did weep and Howl but the cause was they wanted Corn and Wine and so they had but these things in Plenty they could be well contented to live without God Hos 7. 13 14. Every pensive sinner is not penitent nor fit to be comforted their very pensiveness is a very great sin as long as sin is not but only worldly crosses the cause of it 3. That is not right trouble of Conscience where there is onely a slavish fear of punishment but love to sin does still remain in strength Where there is slavish fear and no more there is an hatred of God and a secret wish to get from under his Power the slave you know hates his Master and wishes he might be at liberty and never see or serve him more there is also an hatred of the Commands of God and a repining and murmuring at the strictness of them Sin is dear as ever a grief there is because of those threats which terrifie and hinder the free commission of it If such a Soul might have its wish It should not be Oh that I might be turned to God and that my wayes were directed to keep his Statutes but it should be Oh that I might have liberty to do as I list and that there were no such thing as the Word and Will of God to be observed where such a Spirit is which the Heart-searching God perfectly understands abstaining from the outward act of sin signifies not much The Merchant in a Storm cannot be said to hate his goods because he flings them overboard he is sorry because driven to such a strait and when he comes ashore wishes as much for his goods as ever 4. That is not right trouble of Conscience which Sinners being impatient under do fly for Comfort to the Creatures If thou art indeed wounded the same hand that gave the wound must bind it up I wound and I heal says God Deut. 32. 39. If sensual delights if Sports and Pastimes if carnal Company if immersing thy self in worldly business can divert
and by degrees chase away thy trouble 't is a sign 't was never true Right sorrow is not asswaged but by Spiritual means 'T was a wise course and resolution of those Hos 6. 1. Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up 5. That is not right trouble of Conscience where there is an utter despair of Mercy Cain was troubled and so was Judas and the trouble of both especially of the latter was unconceivably great but despair spoyl'd it I grant indeed that souls truly penitent may have Temptations and very strong ones to despair but there is an unseen hand in their greatest Terrors and Dejections which keeps them from being swallowed up in that gulph quite though sometimes they are upon the brink of it Cranmer in his last Prayer cryes out I have sinned more than Tongue is able to express but shall I despair God forbid Thou art a Gracious Lord and thy Mercy does thrust away none who ask for a Remedy of sin and comfort in their misery Despair does thwart the design of the Gospel which is to extoll the Riches of Divine Grace as super abounding where sin has most abounded and to set forth Christ as a Saviour to the uttermost When the Spirit does give a sight of sin he opens a door of hope and lets in a beam of Light whereby e In Coelum terramque plusquam fando exprimi possit offendi Desperabo igitur Absit Tu â—lemenâ— naturâ Deus cujus neminem aversatur misericordia qui abs te peccati remedium ac solatium miseriae aerumnarum petit Mel. Adamus in vitâ Cranmeri the possibility of Mercy is discovered The trembling Gaoler did not say I am sure I shall be damned but what shall I do that I may be saved Act. 16. 30. this very inquiry shews that some possibility of Salvation was conceived Satan indeed endeavours to shut the door of hope and to overwhelm the Soul but he is not to be harkned to Satan put it into the Heart of Judas to betray Christ and afterwards he put it into his Heart to despair and how effectual was his despair to his destruction By no means therefore entertain despairing thoughts for they come from Hell and lead thither 6. That is not right trouble of Conscience which is onely the effect of prevailing Melancholy This humour prevails exceedingly at this day and those who never had experience of it cannot imagine the torment that is in it Burton speaks feelingly No torture of Body like unto it strappadoes hot Irons Phalaris Bulls are not comparable All Fears Griefs Suspitions Discontents as so many small brooks are swallowed up and drown'd in this Euripus this Irish Sea this Ocean of misery This is the Quintessence of humane Adversity all other Diseases whatsoever are but flea-bitings to Melancholy in extent 't is the pith of them all A Melancholy man is that true Prometheus which is bound to Caucasus the true Tityus whose Bowells are still devoured by a Vulture for he is fed upon by Anxieties and Griping cares continually But though Melancholy be so tormenting it very much differs from trouble of Conscience and is not so intollerable You will ask me how Melancholy and Spiritual trouble differ before I tell you how I would lay down two things 1. 'T is an Argument of an Ignorant and Profane Spirit to say that all trouble of Conscience is nothing else but Melancholy Such who are of this mind do make a mock of sin and of the Convictions of the Spirit and of the terrors of the Lord and slight the great Physitian of Souls for if all trouble be from Humours in the Body other Physitians may serve the turn 2. Melancholy and trouble of Conscience are sometimes joyned together and they may be mutually the Occasion of each others increase If the Conscience be wounded and the Body Distempered with this black Humour at the same time Satan has the greater Advantage The soul will not easily admit of Comfort but is more inclined to meditate terror and the wounds of Conscience will be the more smarting and longer before Cured I shall now shew the difference between trouble of Conscience and Melancholy in these particulars 1. In Melancholy the Body may plainly be perceived to be out of Order either no sleep at all or a perpetual drousiness the Spleen swelled or pained a sourness in the stomach and a Cloud seems to dwell in the Brain But trouble of Conscience may be and is found in those who are of the most excellent Constitution and even in the time of the firmest Health The Goalor 't is very likely had a strong Body and no Distemper that we read of upon him yet his Conscience is wounded and how sollicitous is he to escape Hell 2. In Melancholy there is great Confusion no rational account can be given of trouble The Soul is like one in the dark or that is blind-fold and is exceedingly buffeted but knows neither the Hand nor the Instrument from whence his smart comes But a troubled Conscience can easily assign a cause of its trouble Ask the Apostle Paul the reason of his trouble he will Answer I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and Injurious Demand of the Corinthians what Afflicted them They will Answer they had been Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind c. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Troubled souls do understand their Guilt and Plagues 3. In Melancholy the great thing desired is ease and quiet that the horrible darkness may be dispelled and the former serenity may return But in right trouble of Conscience not onely Peace but Peace upon a good ground is longed for the present trouble is preferred before security in wickedness that was formerly Ay and Grace as well as Peace is begged Troubled David does not onely cry out Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may Rejoyce but also Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew aright Spirit within me Ps 51. 8 10 12. 4. In Melancholy Trouble does often come by Fits when Fumes ascend unto the Head which by the heat of them may sometimes be perceived and do disorder the Fancy and Imagination (f) Melancholia est imaginationis depravatio à phantasmate-melancholico exorta quo detentus uni cogitationi absque surore sebre cum tristitiâ metu inhaeret Ejus origo dependet à certâ quidam Spirituum animalium dispositione ex humoris melancholici permissione producta ad quam sequitur phantasma tenebricosum dictum quod intellectus postea objecta obversans hoc delirium animi angorem excitat then there is some stinging and perplexing thought which renders Life and all the enjoyments of it bitter and uncomfortable But trouble of Conscience is more without intermission it does not depend upon the
him is to be enjoyed 'T was said of Persecuting Saul as soon as the Lord had struck him to the ground and he was prickt in his heart Behold he Prayeth Acts 9. 11. When the Waters that is troubles came into David's Soul when he was sinking in the deep Mire where there was no standing how earnestly does he cry out Save me O God! Nay he did cry till his Throat was dryed and though his eyes failed yet he waited for the Lord Psal 69. 1 2 3. Having thus spoken of the mistakes about trouble of Conscience I am in the Second place to discover when Conscience is troubled after a right manner so as that it may be proper to apply Comfort from the Gospel This right trouble I shall set forth in these particulars 1. Some special sin perhaps more hainous than Ordinary is usually at first Discovered and charged home by the Spirit upon the Conscience The Apostle Paul before his Conversion was Riding to Damascus but the Lord met him in the way and the first sin he was charged with was that of Persecuting the Church of Christ Acts 9. 3 4. As he journied and came near Damascus suddenly their shined round about him a Light from Heaven and he fell to the Earth and heard a Voice saying unto him Saul Saul why Persecutest thou me Those Jews that were awakened by Peter's Sermon were charged with taking Christ and Crucifying and slaying him with wicked hands Acts 2. 23. Thus the Woman of Samaria who had had five Husbands is told of her Living in Whoredome with a man that was not her Husband John 4. 18. Thus commonly the work begins some more grosse sin as lying swearing drunkenness self-pollution or the like is discovered and that is like a dart shot in the Conscience causing a great deal of trouble and cannot easily be shaken off (i) Haeret lateri lethalis arundo Virgil. Aeâ—ead 4. 2. After one sin is discovered and Conscience begins to be perplexed innumerable other transgressions are brought to remembrance Just as when a debtor is arrested by one Creditor all the others are ready to come upon him The Eye of Conscience being truly opened to see one sin presently is able to discern thousands David after his being awakened by the Prophet Nathan looks first upon his filthiness and blood guiltiness but a great many other sins also stared him in the Face Therefore as a man beset by all together he cryes out for the pardon of all Psal 51. 9. Hide thy face from my sins blot out all my Transgressions Oh how did his iniquities swarm about him and sting him when he said Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about my iniquities have taken hold upon me that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my Head therefore my Heart faileth me 3. Where right trouble of Conscience is the impure streams are traced up to the fountain and the Corruption of Nature is acknowledged and bewailed Contrite David lookt thus farr Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And the Apostle Paul took notice of that evil which was present with him which was so great an impediment unto his doing of good Rom. 7. How can we be rightly humbled till this Corruption of Nature be seen but when we perceive that Satan is not principally to be blamed for our wickednesses but our own selves and that what does defile us does not come from below but from within this will make us to be filled with the greater self abhorrency Every man is Tempted says the Apostle James when he is drawn away of his own Lust and inticed chap. 1. 14. Evil Thoughts Adulteries Murthers and such like Abominations Christ tells us proceed out of our own Hearts Math. 15. 19. Oh this does exceedingly afflict the Soul which is rightly troubled that all those thousands of sins which have been committed are but the offspring of a corrupted Heart and Nature and not one is to be laid at any other door 4. The Conscience when rightly troubled is convinced of that sin of Vnbelief and the great Evil that is in it 'T is the work of the Spirit to convince the World of Sin and Unbelief is especially discovered John 16. 8 9. When the Comforter is come he will reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Sin because they Believe not on Me. Not believing in Christ is a great sin in it self and it binds all the sinners other iniquities fast upon him (k) Hoc peccatum non crediderunt in me quasi solum sit praecaeteris posuit quia hoc manente caetera detinentur hoc discedente caetera remittuntur Augustin Tract 95. in Johan pag. mihi 474. Tom. 9. for there is no other way to receive Remission of sins but by Believing in the Lord Jesus Him only hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. 'T is a damning thing to transgresse the Law but to be deaf to the Gospel and to reject Christ is a great deal worse for this is to sin against a Remedy and to slight an offer of Life and Peace How Glorious is God in his dear Son how does his Wisdome and Power and Grace and Love and Righteousness and Truth shine forth in him now notwithstanding all this to be offended at Christ not to Reverence the Son not to receive him though he offers benefits of inestimable value this must needs encrease guilt and heighten wrath exceedingly If a Prince should after his subjects had played the Rebels and he had them at his Mercy offer a pardon to them and they should refuse it and chuse rather to continue rebels still their not accepting the Princes Clemency would incense him more to their destruction than their forgoing Rebellion We are ready to pity Tantalus l who as Homer sayes was thus punished he stood in a lake with Water up to his chin but when ever he stoopt to quench his thirst with the water it presently sunk away from him Brave Fruit also is said to grow just over his Head but when he stretched out his hand to take it the Wind did carry it away from him But now let us suppose that the water might have been drunk and Tantalus would not have stoopt a little for it and that Fruit might have been eaten but though it grew within his reach he would not have been at the pains to have stretched forth his hand to pluckt it Who would have pitied i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Odys 11. pag. mihi 321. Tantalus then every one would have blamed his folly in not taking what was brought so neer to him This is the case of the Unbeliever the Word is nigh him Rom. 10. 8. Christ is
nigh him the Bread and Water of life is brought to his very mouth but he will taste of neither though he so much needs both and may have both freely The Conscience therefore is troubled for unbelief for the sinners rejecting Christ in times past that when such great Salvation was offered it should be neglected and that the Lord Jesus should stand so long and knock so often at the door but it was kept shut and barr'd against him Oh 't were just sayes the sinner for Christ to go away and never to give so much as one knock at my Heart again and now I see my Need of his Salvation utterly to deny that Salvation to me 5. When the Conscience is rightly troubled The Anger of the Lord and the Curse of his Law are a very great burthen Sin has been committed Commands Holy Just and Good have been transgressed and Christ who alone can appease Divine Anger satifie for transgression and Mediate a Peace has been contemned well therefore may the Sinner be afraid How great and how fierce is this wrath of the Almighty there is never a single sin but makes the sinner liable to the Curse of the Law and how Cursed a wretch do iniquities ten thousand times ten thousand many times told render him every transgression makes the Lord Angry to how great an height then is that anger by Millions of transgressions raised The awakened sinner sees the Lord whetting his glittering Sword and his hand taking hold of vengeance hereupon fear does come upon him and pain as of a Woman in travel How scalding are the Drops of the Lords wrath what then are the full showers If God run upon any like a Gyant they must needs be broken with breach upon breach I dare not say that the anger of the Lord does lye alike heavy upon all awakened Consciences and truly humbled Souls nor that these terrors of Soul are equal in all that are brought home to Christ Though all humbled sinners are made with Ephraim to bemoan themselves yet some are made to bemoan themselves much longer and much louder than others Levi taken from the Receipt of Custom and Lydia felt not that we read of such Agonies and Terrors of Conscience as Persecuting Saul and the trembling Gaoler All the vessels of Mercy are not of the same temper and that which cannot abide the Fire 't is sufficient that as under the Old Law it passe through the Water Numb 31 23. As to these Legal terrors I would say these five things 1. These terrors in themselves are a punishment and therefore not to be desired in so great a degree we are not to be fond of them though when they are upon us we must desire support under them and that they may prosper unto the end whereunto they are appointed namely to wean us from our lusts and drive us out of our selves unto the Lord Jesus 2. These Terrors being a Punishment surely are not saving Grace Reprobates have had them in a great measure O Judas thou hadst an Hell upon Earth by Reason of legal Horror before thou wentest to thy appointed place and 't is possible to exceed in regard of these Therefore the Apostle takes care in reference to the incestuous Corinthian that he should not be swallowed up with over much sorrow 2 Cor. 2. 7. 3. Barely from these Terrors of the Law none can conclude that they shall certainly be joined to the Lord Jesus They are not alwayes fore-runners of Faith but sometimes they issue in despair and sometimes they wear off and sinners become more hardened and confirmed in their wickedness Thus it was with Pharaoh notwithstanding all his trouble and fear at some times of the Lords anger 4. Those that complain for want of these legal Terrors are really under them in a more remisse degree for those who are perplexed with doubts and fears about their Eternal state and think because they never were sufficiently troubled that they never yet closed with Christ what are these afraid of but Gods anger and his Curse which by sin has been deserved 5. Do not go about to direct or Counsell the Spirit of the Lord. If he bring thee home by a more gentle way give thee a sight of thy Remedy as soon almost as of thy sin misery thou hast the more cause to be thankful but withal to be the more vigilant and watchful for if wrath has not lain so hard upon thee thou wilt be the more subject to make bold with sin afterward and art not likely to be so fearful to incurre Divine displeasure for the future 6. Where the Conscience is rightly troubled the sinner is filled with grief and shame because of ' its iniquities God complains of the Children of Israel that they were Impudent and hard hearted Ezek. 3. 7. But the troubled Soul is confounded before God the humbled sinner thinks thus that if the World did know all the sins which he has been guilty of he should be ready to wish himself out of the World but Gods knowledge signifies more than if All Creatures were acquainted with his abominations I do not wonder at that expression Jer. 3. ult We lye down in our own shame and our confusion covereth us How foul does sin make us how unlike to God! how monstrously to resemble the unclean Spirit what high and horrible ingratitude is there in sin is this the requital for all the Lords goodness is this the return for millions of mercies shame upon this grows great and sorrow goes hand in hand with it We read that a voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplication of the Children of Israel for they have perverted their way and they have forgotten the Lord their God Jer. 3. 21. Behold O Lord sayes the Church for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me why what ails her I have grievously rebelled this made her sighes many and her Heart faint Lam. 2. 20 22. Sin does best deserve sorrow because 't is so great an evil and there is such encouragement in Scripture here to spend our grief And the troubled Soul gives sin the greatest share and is sorry after all that 't is so little sorry Heark to one of our English Poets †Herbert pag. 158. Grief O who will give me tears Come all you springs Dwell in my head and eyes come Clouds and rain My grief hath need of all the watry things That Nature hath produc'd Let every vein Suck up a River to supply mine eyes My weary weeping eyes too dry for me Vnless they get new conduits new supplies To bear them out and with my state agree What are two shallow fords two little spouts Of a less World The greater is but small A narrow Cupboard for my griefs and doubts Which want provision in the midst of all Verses ye are too fine a thing too wise For my rough sorrows cease be dumb and mute Give up your
non placeamus Luther Tom. 2 p. 485. a. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew to the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us When God swears in his wrath it may make obstinate sinners to Tremble but when he swears in his Love it may cause humble sinners to Rejoyce And not only the Oath of God but the Death of Christ the Testator makes this Covenant sure A Testament though alterable while men are living yet 't is of force when they are dead Heb. 9. 16 17. Our Lord Jesus the Testator has undergone Death and has bequeathed unto all broken-hearted sinners that come to him and are willing to be wholly His Pardon and Grace and Peace and Glory and therefore all this shall be surely given them 3. The Covenant is Everlasting the things therein promised are durable and that love which humble and believing Souls have an interest in is unchangeable The Covenant shall never fail on Gods part Isa 54. 10. The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee nor the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy upon thee And he has engaged it shall not fail on the part of his People Jer. 32. 40. I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant that I will not turn away from them to do them good but how Lord if they fall back and deal treacherously No sayes he I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me 4. The Promises of this New Covenant are made good for the Lords own sake not for ours well may it be called a Covenant of Grace for whatsoever is given by vertue of it is bestowed freely Let free Grace be well studied and all objections from unworthinesse will fall to the ground God never pardon'd any because they did Deserve a pardon but all that he has pardon'd had they been dealt with according to their sins had been condemned everlastingly O you troubled Consciences hark how the Lord speaks Isa 43. 24. 25. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and even wearied me with thy iniquities One would have thought that hereupon God should have said I will now make thee to groan under my wrath and my wearied patience shall be turned into fiery indignation Oh no the Lord instead of breathing forth anger abounds with Kindness I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins And as for his own sake he promises to pardon the guilty so also to cleanse and renew the defiled A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you I will put within you my own Spirit and he shall cause you to walk in my Statutes I will save you from all your Vncleannesses Ezek. 36. 26 27 28 And then it follows v. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known to you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O House of Israel 9. For the relieving of a troubled Conscience heed those encouragements and assurances which are given unto such as desire after Grace and Holiness Christ pronounces them blessed that Hunger and Thirst that is which desire earnestly after Righteousness Mat. 5. 6. God has promised to fulfill the desires of them that fear him But those under trouble of Spirit are full of Holy desires let them not be dismay'd all their desire is before God and their groaning is not hid from him I told you before that a lazy wish after Grace signifies nothing where there is stronger desire to continue in sin and that desire keeps a man under the power of sin and hinders his turning unto God But this is certainly true that a true desire after Grace does argue Truth of Grace If you ask me how true desires after Grace may be known I shall answer in these particulars 1. True desires after spiritual things are grounded upon Judgement and Vnderstanding Davids mind was enlightned to see the goodness al sufficiency and glory of God and therefore he cryes out my Soul Thirsteth for God for the living God Psal 42. 2. Through the precepts of the Lord he got understanding and perceived the Evil of sin and upon this followed Hatred of it which does include a desire to have it totally subdued 2. True desires after spiritual things are not to be diverted but do prevail whatever is cast in the way Let the World and the God of it make never so big offers all is undervalued in comparison of the favour of God and fellowship with him Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee All things else are counted losse and dung compared with the Lord Jesus and the Pearle of price 3. True desires are Vniversal after All kind of Grace Strength against every Corruption is longed for and 't is lookt upon as a blessed thing to be filled with all the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and Praise of God Phil. 1. 4. True desires put Souls upon earnest seeking There will be frequency and fervency in Prayer a serious attendance upon God in his Ordinances pains will not be grudged that are taken for the securing of a Soul for the obtaining such excellent things as the Loving kindnesse of God the Grace of his Spirit and a Kingdom that cannot be moved One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after Psal 27. 4. I might also add that these desires are permanent not pangs that soon wear off but they do abide there is also grief and pain because there is so little of that which is desired so little life and softness of heart and purity and though never so much is given yet they are unsatiable here on Earth These desires will be fully satisfied with no lesse than the seeing of God face to face above Psal 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy Face in Righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness 10. For the comforting of an afflicted Conscience cast your eyes upon those notorious Sinners (t) Deus non fictos sed veros peccatores salvat quia non ficta sed vera est ejus misericordia Luther Tom. 2. p. 187. a. which have obtained Mercy Was Saul an ordinary sinner that had been a Blasphemer or David that had been guilty of Murther and Adultery or Solomon that is charged with idolatry or the Corinthians that abused themselves with mankind besides several other abominations What Miracles of free Grace are these and yet it has not done the most it can Let us suppose a greater sinner than any mentioned in Scripture he is
be believed besides he contradicts himself for heretofore he used to tell thee 't was time enough hereafter to Repent If it be the sad surmise of thine own heart surely such an Ignorant and deceitful heart as thine is not to be credited as if it were infallible If God tells thee so then 't is either in his Word but thou canst not shew the place where he has said it or by some extraordinary Revelation but this thou canst not if sober-minded pretend unto 2. Remember some have been called at the eleventh hour of the day nay the Thief upon the Cross but one moment before Night who then can peremptorily say that the day of Grace is past as long as Life remains Let not presuming sinners make an ill use of this which has been said for they that put off Repentance because of the lasting of the day of Grace before they are aware may drop into the Grave and Hell and then they will Repent for ever that they did not Repent sooner but their Repentance will be too late and to no purpose 3. If your need of Grace be seen and Christ and Grace are valued above Gold that perishes and all the Pleasures and Honours of the World which are onely for a season The day of Grace is so far from being past that Grace is really wrought in you If the Spirit had not been and were not still really at work in you you would not have such desires to be Sanctified throughout as well as Justified from all Offences Object 3. Some do further say that they are Judicially hardened they can think of God and Christ and Sin and Death and Hell and yet their hearts are no more affected than if they were stocks or stones upon this they conclude that God has spoken concerning them as he did concerning Israel of Old Isa 6. 10. Make the heart of this People fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes lest they see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Heart and Convert and be healed Answ 1. Your dulness and unaffectedness may possibly proceed not so much from your Hearts as from distemper and cloudiness of your Heads and if in all things else you find a kind of stupidness and unconcernedness even about your worldly matters also you must not from distemper of Body conclude the judicial hardning of your Hearts 2. Those in Scripture which were judicially hardned never complained of their hardness but this is your complaint and burthen Pharaoh and the Pharisees were both hardned in a way of judgment but though Pharaoh was sensible of other Plagues yet not at all of this which was incomparably the worst of all the Plagues of Aegypt he cries out pray to the Lord to take away the Locusts the Frogs the Thunder and Hail but never pray to the Lord to take away the Heart of Stone from him And as for the Pharisees they thought themselves Righteous and whole and slighted a Physician and Saviour for they thought they could do well enough without him 3. You are not altogether past feeling because you feel your own hardness and 't is a mercy that you know this Plague of your own heart Oh go to the Physician who has promised to cure it and to give an heart of Flesh to you This is Gods way and method to make sinners sensible of their hardness that he may soften them of their blindness that he may give them eye-Salve of their filthiness that he may cleanse them of their guilt that he may pardon them of their emptinesse that he may fill them Object 4. They under trouble of Spirit do further object alas we are not able to come to Christ though our Eternal Salvation does lye on 't our Consciences are wounded but we cannot come for cure and ease Answ 1. Is this a small matter that God has made you sensible of your natural inability how many do mistake and think they have a power to help themselves and this hinders them from seriously applying themselves unto Him that alone is able to save You see and say you have no might 't is well a promise belongs to you Isa 40. 29. He giveth Power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength i. e. To them that see they have no might for all have really none 2. Though you cannot come to Christ for Grace and Comfort yet the Father can draw you and have not you an Heart to cry to him to do this for you What 's your Language in secret Prayer Is it not Draw me and I will run after thee Is it not Turn thou me and I shall be turned Thus spake the Spouse Cant. 1. Thus spake Ephraim of Old Jer. 31. and both were heard nay the Lord says I have surely heard Ephraim surely your cryes for drawing and turning shall not be in vain 3. You say you are not able to come to Christ but are you willing to come to him Yes pray who has made you able to be thus willing but onely that God who works to will of his own good Pleasure If you are willing to come you are able to come for your coming lies in being willing If you are willing to have the Son you have him and Life by him (*) Non pedibus sed affectu non migrando sed amando venitur ad Christum Augustin for 't is with your Wills that you receive him and so have Power to become the Children of God The Apostle tells us That with the Heart man believes unto Righteousness Rom. 10. 10. By the Heart in Scripture is commonly meant the Will so that if the Will consents to have Christ as Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Here is indeed that Faith which is Justifying and Saving Christ having taken the Will has taken the main Fort that by Nature stands out against him and Commands the whole Soul Object 5. Some under trouble of Conscience cry out They have been enlightned and under Conviction heretofore but since their Illumination and Convictions they have fallen away and therefore now they conclude there is nothing remains but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and of fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Answ 1. All back-sliding though grosse is not the unpardonable sin David and Peter were both enlightned both did fall and that into gross wickedness and yet both Repented both were pardoned and restored to favour and both are now in Glory 2. Even Back-sliders are called upon to return The Children of Israel had played the Harlots with many Lovers they had spoken and done evil things as they could and yet many times in one Chapter Jer. 3. they are called after to come home to God from whom they had so deeply Revolted though therefore you ought to mourn and be in bitterness for your Apostacies and unstedfastness yet you must not mourn without hope 3. Promises are made to Back-sliders if they return
which he thought so good had such bad success and he found himself vanquished by Antonius he Repented of his Vertue and cryed out O Vertue I Served thee as a real thing but thou art onely an empty Name c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Te colui Virtus ut rem ast tu nomen it ane â—s But be you more fixed and better settled and whatever you lose keep a good Conscience And that you may do thus follow these Directions 1. Vigorously maintain the Combat against Corruption Onely sin can harm the Conscience and therefore strive against it Abstain from Fleshly Lusts for these War against your Souls 1 Pet. 2. 11. Have a special Eye to in dwelling sin for that 's a worse Enemy by far than Satan set upon the work of Mortification in good earnest hide the Word in your hearts that it may Antidote you against sin Derive Vertue from Christ Crucified to Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts of it and call in the aid of the Spirit against the deeds of the Body Conscience will be kept in greater purity and Peace the weaker sin is and the more it is an underling 2. Sit loose from the World If Galeacius Caracciolus had loved his Honour and great Estate in Italy he would not have kept his Conscience undefiled from Rome's pollutions The Apostle Paul whose Conscience was good professes that he Gloried in the Cross of Jesus Christ by whom the World was Crucified to him and he unto the World Gal. 6. 14. He looked upon the VVorld as a grand Imposter he saw no Form nor Comeliness in it that he should desire it nay he perceived how sin had brought a Curse upon it no wonder if he slighted it You cannot Serve God and Mammon You must cast the VVorld out of your Affections presently and consent to let it go out of your Possession too when called to part withit if you would keep a good Conscience 3. Study the Vanity of Men and be not afraid of them The fear of Man bringeth a Snare says Solomon Fear of the Papists made Spira wound his Conscience and brought him into a fearful Case Cease ye therefore from Man whose breath is in his Nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Isa 2. ult Be not afraid of the terror of your adversaries neither be troubled but Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts in your hearts let him be your fear and let him be your dread if you would secure your Consciences 4. Pray much to be upheld Commit the keeping of your Souls unto God in well doing for he is Faithful Beg that he would never leave you nor forsake you but keep you by his Mighty Power unto Salvation It is not in vain to seek unto him for he is of Power to establish you Rom. 16. 25. He is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the Presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy Jude 24. 5. Hold fast Faith that you may keep a good Conscience firmly believe that Life and Immortality which is brought to light by the Gospel and then by patient continuance in well doing you will seek for it The Lord grant unto you the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation the eyes of your Understanding being enlightned that you may more thorowly and certainly know what is the hope of your Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of that Inheritance which is above this will be a strong inducement to keep Conscience and heart and Conversation and all clean that you may grow more and more meet for that Inheritance You see the way to keep a good Conscience which was the fourth word of Advice 5. You that have a good Conscience be not Acted onely by Conscience but let Love d constrain you also to Obedience 'T is said of Titus That he accepted the Exhortation but was more forward of his own accord 2 Cor. 8. 17. Heed your Consciences telling you of your Duty but let your hearts be forward b Qui legem dat amantibâ—s Major lex a mor est sibi Boetius of their own accord to perform your Duty The high mettal'd courser does not stand in need of whip or spur loosen the reins he will run swiftly because he does delight in running Oh let your hearts be enlarged by love to the Lord and delight in your duty and then you will run the wayes of his Commands and so running you will at length obtain the prize Thus have I handled at large the second Doctrine To have a good Conscience should be every one 's greatest care This is the point I principally intended to prosecute I shall be very brief in those which do remain Doct. 3. The third Doctrine is this A good Conscience will make men set themselves as before God continually I have lived says the Apostle in good Conscience before God Hark unto David Psal 119. 168. All my wayes are before thee and Psal 16. 8. I have the Lord alwayes before me Job speaks after the same manner chap. 31. 4. Doth not God see my wayes and count all my steps And Elijah speaking of the Lord of hosts adds before whom I stand 1 King 18. 15. These men had a great sense of God upon their Spirits so should we and a good Conscience will still be putting us in mind in whose presence we continually are In the handling of this Doctrine I shall first prove that we are alwaies before God Secondly how we are to look upon God when we set our selves before him Thirdly what it is thus to set our selves before God Fourthly why a good Conscience will make us to do thus And fifthly Apply In the first place I am to prove that we are alwaies before God There are several degrees of the presence of God the highest degree of all is his presence with Christs humane Nature a second degree is his presence with the Angels and triumphant Saints in his Kingdom and Glory by whom he is seen face to face a third degree is his presence vouchsafed unto his Saints Militant on Earth whereby they are quickned strengthned and abundantly incouraged But besides all this there is a general presence of God whereby he fills both Heaven and Earth so that nothing can be hid from him Jer. 23. 24. Can any bide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Three things are here to be remarked 1. God is so every where present as that he perfectly knows what is in us and done by us He does possesse our very Reins searches our very hearts all the hidden things of darkness will one day be brought to light and the Counsels of mens hearts be made manifest 1 Cor. 4. 5. Though good works are done never so secretly God sees and will reward them openly though wicked works are done never so closely he sees and they shall be openly punished 2. God is so
that there is but an hairs breadth between them and Death between them and Hell and inform them that 't is possible even for the most Profane to be saved if they come and submit to the Lord Jesus and break off their sins by Righteousness 3. O Conscience speak unto the Civilized sinners that trust in their own Righteousness Tell them that the Prophet counted his Righteousnesses as filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. And ask them how they dare to trust in theirs Convince them that 't is not enough to escape the more scandalous wickednesses for the Pharisee was not an Extortioner nor Vnjust nor an Adulterer he Fasted and Prayed and gave Tithes of all that he Possessed and yet all this could not Justifie him Tell them that they are not so whole but they need Christ the Physitian and must needs die without him as well as others Tell them that their very Hearts must be renewed and taken off from sin and the Creature and turned unto God else they must of Necessity perish 4. Speak O Conscience unto Hypocritical Professors tell them that that which is highly esteemed among Men is abomination many times in the sight of God Say to them in the words of the Apostle and be sure to speak home Gal. 6. 7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man Soweth that shall he also Reap He that soweth unto the Flesh shall of the Flesh Reap Corruption Tell them that their Secret sins their secret Intemperance and Uncleanness and Dishonest dealing is set in the Light of Gods Countenance and though they may shut their own Eyes and not see God yet they cannot shut Gods Eyes nor hinder him from seeing them Tell them that Hypocrisie is most hateful and that as Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels so in a special manner for the Hypocrite and the Unbeliever 5. O Conscience speak unto the Rich in this world and tell them how hard 't is for them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and as long as they love the World and desire it more than Communion with God 't is utterly impossible Bid them to think of the Rich Man in the Gospel that went from a great Estate and from a full Table and a brave House and sumptuous Fare unto a place of Torment Put them in mind that the Love of Money is the root of all evil and that wealth has proved unto Millions onely like a weight to sink them into Destruction and perdition Bid them mind a Treasure in Heaven which is infinitely better than Gold and Silver which are Corruptible 6. Speak O Conscience to the Poor and tell them 't will be sad for them to be miserable in both Worlds 't will be sad to receive evil things here and ten thousand times worse hereafter Bid them take heed of Lying and Stealing and trusting in any sinful course for a Livelihood but perswade them to seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness that all other things which are needful may be added to them Mat. 6. 33. Charge them to be Poor in Spirit to be contented with their Condition without murmuring against God or envying at those who have more than themselves and above all things to endeovour that they may be rich towards God Rich in Faith and then they will be Heirs of the Kingdom which the Lord has promised to them that Love him James 2. 5. 7. O Conscience speak unto Traders of all sorts tell them that false Weights and Measures and Balances are an abomination in the sight of God When they are about to Cheat give them a check and assure them that an Estate gotten by fraud is attended with a Curse Be with them in their Shops and at the Exchange observe how they Buy and Sell and examine all their gains bid them to mete the same measure unto others that they would have mete unto themselves and to do as they would be done unto Mat. 7. 12. Tell them that 't is the height of Madness to venture the losing of their Souls for a pound or for a shilling or for Six-pence unjustly gained since Christ who knew the value of Souls says that a Soul is more worth than the World and all the Wealth of it put together 8. Speak O Conscience unto Back-sliders tell them that it had been better for them never to have known the way of Truth and Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them 2 Pet. 2. 21. Call them Dogs for returning to their Vomit and Swine for wallowing again in their former Mire Tell them that where there was but one unclean Spirit before they are likely to be possessed with seven now and the latter end will be worse with them than the beginning 9. O Conscience speak unto them that are truly humbled for sin and are willing to have Christ upon any terms and tell them that God is rich in Mercy ready to forgive freely the Debt of many thousand Talents These are the Sons of Peace and therefore let thy Peace and thy Lords Peace come and abide upon them (m) Futurae beatudinis non est certius testimonium quam bona conscientia mundus enim volubilitate circumvoletur ploret ridea pereat transeat nunquam conscientia mercessit Bernard lib. de Conscen c. 4. Those that mourn for their Iniquities and hate every false way and are desirous to be washed and Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as Justified and reconciled by his Blood oh be sure to comfort them tell them that the Lord will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax untill he send forth Judgment unto Victory Mat. 12. 20. Bid them not to be cast down not to be disquieted but to hope in the Lord and praise him who is so nigh to them that are of broken Heart and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit 10. Lastly O Conscience speak one word to the Preacher himself and speak effectually Thou that Teachest others be sure to Teach and Learn thy self Practice not the sins thou cryest out against neglect not the Duties thou urgest others to perform Be not like those who dig in Mines and enrich others but are poor themselves Or like that Statue in Greece which shewed the way to Thebes and Athens but it self stirred not Oh take heed lest after thou hast Preached Christ and Conscience unto others thou thy self be found a cast-away FINIS A Poem out of Mr. George Herbert Called Longing pag. 142 143 144 145. WIth sick and Famisht Eyes With doubling Knees and weary Bones To thee my cries To thee my groans To thee my sighs my Tears ascend No end My Throat my Soul is hoarse My heart is wither'd like a ground Which thou dost curse My thoughts turn round And make me giddy Lord I fall Yet call From thee all pity flows Mothers are kind because thou art And dost dispose To them apart Their Infants them and they suck thee More free Bowels of pity hear Lord of my Soul love of my mind Bow down thine ear Let not the wind Scatter my words and in the same Thy Name Look on my sorrows round Mark well my Furnace O what flames What heats abound What griefs what shames Consider Lord Lord bow thine ear And hear Lord Jesu thou didst bow Thy dying head upon the Tree O be not now More dead to me Lord hear Shall he that made the ear Not hear Behold thy dust doth stir It moves it creeps it aims at thee Wilt thou deferr To succour me Thy pile of dust wherein each crumb Says Come To thee help appertains Hast thou left all things to their course And laid the reins Upon the horse Is all lockt hath a sinners plea No key Indeed the World 's thy book Where all things have their leaf assign'd Yet a meek look Hath interlin'd Thy board is full yet humble guests Find nests Thou tarriest while I die And fall to nothing thou dost reign And rule on high While I remain In bitter grief yet I am I stil'd Thy child Lord didst thou leave thy throne Not to relieve how can it be That thou art grown Thus hard to me Were sin alive good cause there were To bear But now both sin is dead And all thy promises live and bide That wants his head These speak and chide And in thy bosome pour my tears As theirs Lord JESU heal my heart Which hath been broken now so long That ev'ry part Hath got a tongue Thy beggers grow rid them away To day My love my sweetness hear By these thy feet at which my heart Lies all the year Pluck out thy dart And heal my troubled brest which cries Which dyes