making any peace with it Therefore now try and search whether thou hast this Spirit of the living God acting in thee carrying up thy soul to actions of life and power If thou art inspired by the Spirit of God then take it for ever granted that these effects will follow 3. The Spirit of God is an operative Spirit it acts in the soul spiritual things it begets its own likeness in the soul it molds the soul in the new mold of Obedience to the Commands of God The spirit of God works in the soul these operative Acts. First It works Faith 2. It makes the soul live by Faith 3. It drives him to see all in Christ and nothing in himself 1. It works faith in the soul to believe that there is no way to come to God but by Christ and that it is the work of God to draw the soul to him John 6. 29. 2. This Faith will work up the soul to lay hold on him it will cause the soul to reach forth it self to Christ to see him to be the Son of God and to trust and relie on him for life 3. The Spirit of God doth by Faith work a mortifying of sin as it is in Rom 8. 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Where these works of the Spirit of God come it operates it carries the soul to a new frame of life He that is in Christ is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. This work of Faith lifts up the soul to that spiritual Combat between the spirit and the flesh I see saith Paul a law in my members warring against the Law of my minde It is by this work of Faith that all the Saints hold out in this warfare that they still continue a Resolution against sin to kill that and to bring every lust into subjection Secondly It makes the soul live by faith that is it makes him as it were see feel and enjoy all the Riches of God in the Lord Christ you may in part see in the 11. to the Hebrews what it is to live by faith It is to cast thy self with a full confidence upon God and Christ for life and salvation To live by faith is to do these three things 1. To put credit and confidence in God that what is looked for we shall enjoy 2. To look for our happiness only in Christ and not in our selves 3. To rest satisfied as if we already had our desire to live by faith is to credit what God sayes to Rely on him to trust him with confidence that whatsoever he hath promised to us his poor creatures he will make good Heaven and earth shall pass away saith Christ but not one jot or title of my word or promise shall fail It is to cast our selves on God and Christ believing that he will and is fully able to save even to the utmost in every condition 2. Again to live by Faith is to live by something without our selves it is to see all in Christ and nothing in our selves it is to look on our own righteousness as dung and wholly to submit to the righteousness of Christ as you also may see in Phil. 3 8 9 10. 3. To live by Faith is to rest satisfied in every dispensation of God that all is for the best to us and to look on all things as if they were already done according to Gods promise or our own desire so that our content may be in every thing as well as if we had all things All things are yours saith Paul you are Christs and Christ is Gods there is a full enjoyment of all 4. The Spirit of God works also by direction directing of every soul whom it hath wrought the former effects in to do the will of God to walk in the wayes of his Commandments whispering in every soul and saying This is the way walk in it This duty thou must do and that evil thou must leave undone And therefore examine thy self doest thou not finde the Spirit of God telling thee thou must perform Duties of holiness and refrain the evil of sin if not I dare say thou art yet in thy sins 5. The Spirit of God works also by assisting us to do that which it directs us to it never directs us to do a Duty and leaves us No it stay by us and enables us to go thorow it and not only so but even with sighs to God for us which cannot be by us uttered it helps our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. Examine thy soul when didst thou ever go to God by prayer or any Duty else that this Spirit was not ready to assist thee and to thy comfort take notice of this for time to come and thou shalt finde this truth if ever thou hast had this work on thee 6. God closes up all our comfort in this life in this last degree of his working that is by a full witness of his Spirit that we are his sons and daughters And this is a very high enjoyment indeed yet no higher then all the Saints do enjoy and indeed thou art not a Saint till thou hast this Witness in thy soul And this the Apostle Paul affirmeth in Gal. 4. 6 7. Because ye are sons God hath sent the witness of his spirit to testifie it to you and therefore ye are no more servants Again in 1 Joh. 3. 2. Now are we the sons of God And in Joh. 1. 12. He gives all that through faith lay hold on him power to be his sons God doth evidence to all the Saints their interest in Christ and this is to them a sure Record as 1 Joh. 5. 7. 8. This is the new name and the white stone spoken of in Rev. 2. 17. which none knoweth save he that hath it This is that earnest which Paul tells the Ephesians of in chap. 1. 14. And this also you may see in Phil. 1. 13. and 4. 30. After you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit the which Spirit you see is that which seals all the Saints to the day of Redemption and all this is given to the Saints to assure them that God is their Father and Christ their Husband as the Spouse in the Text doth witness And yet further take notice how God doth this great work he gives the Spirit as the earnest of our Inheritance as a man gives one pound or one shilling in earnest to pay a thousand so the Lord gives his Spirit in earnest of enjoying his presence in Heaven for ever And the soul that hath this Earnest may be sure that as God is God he shall have the whole sum made good to him And that all the Saints may know this is true God will set a seal on their souls to confirm them and therefore thou mayest say on good grounds if thou hast this seal and this earnest that thou canst not miss of Christ Again the Spirit assures us by working in us a fruitfulness
themselves to Christ and follow him in that way he commands I shall draw one Observation more which lieth in the way that is Obs 4. That there is an unseparable mutual union betwixt Christ and every Saint From these words My Beloved is mine and I am his there is the union as if the Spouse had said I am united to Christ and he to me as the Vine is to the branches Joh 15. 5. so is Christ to me and I to him and as the head is to the members so is Christ to the Saints and the Saints to Christ and as the head is governour of the body so is Christ over the Saints and the Saints act by his light and motion This union is mutual as it is with the consent of will and truth of love so it is unseparable the love of Christ never changes it holds out for ever As the Prophet Jeremy c. 31 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee Christ will never depart from his Saints he will never leave them untill he hath saved them to the utmost point of salvation Heb. 7. 25. There is no peace no quiet neither in Christ nor in the souls of the Saints longer then they enjoy each other And that made the Apostle Paul say Our life is hid with Christ in God Our life is in Christ there is no life for a Saint out of Christ Again God hath given all the Saints to Christ All that the Father giveth me saith Christ shall come to me and all those that come to Christ shall never be plucked out of his hands Joh. 10. 28. So likewise in Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever The Spouse of Christ is joyned to him for ever there is no separation See one Scripture more 1 Thess 4. 17. At the time of death when all ungodly men shall for ever be separated from Christ then is the time for the Saints to enjoy their Beloved fully and for ever You see now that this is a truth that there is both a mutual union and unseparable between Christ and the Spouse which is his Church or the Saints Well now from these Heads or Observations there will proceed Uses The first will be a use of Examination to all in general whether we have this assurance of Christ yea or no. The second will be a use of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ dearly as it is their duty The third to all that as yet are without Christ that they be perswaded to give up themselves to him The fourth is a use of Comfort to the Saints in general The first Use is of Examination to search our hearts and souls thorowly whether we have Christ or no And in the doing of this beware that you do not look on those Evangelical Marks and Signes in the Word of God as notions but bring thy heart to the Word and see what thy Portion is there and what thy fruits appear to be and what Condition soever thou finde thy self in deal plainly with thy self if thou finde thy self yet in a state of Nature then think it thy duty to confess it and do not deny it because it is a sad Condition but own it and take those courses to come out of it that thou findest hereafter mentioned 2. Consider the equity of this Duty and the great need all men and women have to be sure of Christ You must have Christ or else you are but Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Again God chooseth and setteth apart the Godly for himself as you have it in Psal 4 3. and therefore I tell thee of nothing but what thou standest in great need of and which thou art required to do if thou intendest to be a sharer in the Lord Christ Therefore now let us put the Work upon examination and search after our assurance and if we are willing to see our selves in our own condition then take notice of these marks which follow First Take notice what men and women are by Nature 2. Consider what the work of Conversion is and what blessed effects there is that followeth this work First Consider what estate all are in by nature All by nature are the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. In this estate thou art in darkness and hadst nothing to do with Christ thou hadst no fellowship with him neither wast thou any way taken with the Commands of God as to see any loveliness in them every soul in the world in this estate is alienated from God and as Adam hid himself from God for fear of his sin so do all poor creatures run from God for fear of punishment and as they are by nature they never desire to have to do with God the guilt of sin lies hard on every unregenerate soul and that makes him a stranger both to God and his wayes and therefore now let us search into our souls and try if our condition be not such a one as this is 2. Let us consider what the work of Conversion is and we shall finde it to be A changing of this nature and a quickening of the soul as you may see in Eph 2. 5. It is a working over of the soul into obedience to the Commands of God And usually the great God is pleased to do it by these six particular degrees which follow First By Illumination 2. By Inspiration stirring up the soul to do the will of God 3. By Operation working up the soul to the love of Christ 4. By Direction teaching us to do the will of the Lord. 5. By assisting us to do that which is directed to us 6. By a full evidence of his Spirit that we are the Sons of God First The Lord illuminates the soul the poor soul being in darkness and knowing no way to come out the Lord enlightens him and brings him to see his miserable estate John 1. 5. the Lord shews the soul the filthiness of sin and his lost and undone condition that he is in by nature and his great need of Christ makes him to long for his Assurance of the love of Christ more then ever he did for any thing in the world and now being enlightened all things to him are as bad as may be sin is exceeding sinfull to him and he sees himself loaden with it and therefore he is like those in the Acts who were so enlightened Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 37. 2. The Lord works by Inspiration carrying on the soul to Actions of life making him fit for such service as is now to be done makes him still in motion and ready not only to see but obey As Paul saith in Rom. 6. 17. Ye obeyed from the heart the doctrine delivered This is worth something to have the heart lifted up to God in Obedience and to have the soul at an utter enmity with sin striving against it in a continual motion never
The Apostle saith He hath wrought in us grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. So that the soul is now endeavouring to imitate Christ and to have some of every grace that is in Christ and this is also a help to try our souls by Vse 2. The second Use is of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ very highly that they make him the beloved of their souls as we see the Spouse doth the Saints should love Christ dearly because he is their All in all 1. He is their Saviour who died for them 2. He is their Root from whence all their good and happiness springeth upward to God 3. He is their Head through which is given down all their enjoyments 4. He is their Life and Crown of Glory 1. He is their Saviour who died for them to save them and them only from eternal damnation 1 Thes 1. 10. It was the blood of Christ which God accepted the pretious blood of Christ as Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. 19. And therefore how canst thou that callest thy self a Saint choose but love Christ deerly and account him precious who poured out his precious blood for thee Think on this for certainly it is highly to be prized that Christ the son of God should die on the Cross for poor souls to make them like himself 2. The Saints ought to love Christ because he is the Root that beareth all which God requires of them you are compleat in him Coll. 2. 10. He is a perfect Christ for poor imperfect Saints he makes up the wants of the Saints in his own obedience and offers it up to God as a sweet smelling savour How much then are all the Saints bound to love Christ as their Root or Bottom on which they stand in regard they are poor weak Creatures and can do nothing without Christ that is any better then dung in the sight of God Thirdly Christ is deerly to be beloved by the Saints because he is their head through which God gives all that they enjoy to them Nay God hath laid up all his fulness in Christ for the Saints as Col. 2. 9. For in him dwels all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ver 3. Paul saith All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ And in the same Epistle chap. 1. ver 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell By this you may see all Grace is laid up in Christ and that is the way through which God gives all these Treasures to the Saints our Comfort our assurance our earnest our All in all is through Christ And therefore let this exhort every Saint to follow Christ to love Christ and to account him pretious and though thou see vain and carnal hearts to slight Christ and their Obedience yet do thou love him the more t is a good warning for thee to quicken thee in thy love to him 4. He is their life and Crown no life out of Christ thou hast reason to love him who is thy life Col. â— 3 4. Our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shal appear then shall we appear How should this engage all the saints to love Christ seeing he is thy all in all and thou nothing at all Love him for thy own sake if thou hast not any better principles For I tell thee thou oughtest to love him deerly like the Spouse of Christ Vse 3. The third Use is to all that yet want this Assurance of Christ That they now whilest yet t is to day accept of mercy you see that all the Saints have a full Assurance of the Love of God and you see how God works on them you see that there is no life but in Christ Let all this set your hearts on work to look after this Christ that you may come to have all those high priviledges made yours and have your sins done away in the blood of Christ that you may no longer be children of wrath and under the curse but that you may be made like the Sons of God I shall not stand on this Use longer in regard here followeth a larger Invitation to all such to which I shall refer all that desire to be made partakers of this mercy and proceed to the next Use Vse 4. Which is the fourth and last and is also a Use of Comfort to all that do enjoy Christ and that can say upon good and sure grounds God is my God and Christ my Christ and let this Comfort all the Saints and bear up their spirits in every Condition this should be indeed the very life and comfort of the Saints to consider their neer relation to God and Christ this made the Apostle Paul say as he did in 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard what capacity God hath put the Saints in yet God hath revealed it to them by his Spirit Here is exceeding comfort that the great God should do such great things for the Saints as these are 1. He hath made them his sons 2. He hath made them heirs of heaven 3. He hath sealed up their souls to the day of Redemption 4. He hath given them the earnest of his Spirit 5. He hath made them partakers of his own nature 6. He will make them like himself 1. That they are his sons you may see in 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. Now are we the sons of God and not only called so but really to be so 2. God hath made all the Saints heirs of heaven Rom. 8. 17. so in Tit. 3. 7. They are made heirs of eternal life 3. Their souls are sealed up God hath set a seal on them Joh. 6. 27. Such a soul hath the Father sealed Their souls are sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. 4. God hath given the Saints the earnest of his Spirit as a pledge of his love till they enjoy him fully 2 Cor. 1. 22. so in Eph. 1. 14. it is called the Earnest of the Saints inheritance 5. He hath made every Saint a partaker of his own nature 2 Pet. 1 4. And 6. He will make them like himself 1 Joh. 3. 2. Put all these things together if thou art a Saint and apply the comfort to thy self here is an abundance of it well mayest thou cry out with Paul O the depth and riches of the love of God to make poor sinners so near to himself Two Questions answered The first is How shall we know a Godly man or a man in the state of Grace The second is How shall we know an Vngodly man or a man in the state of Nature BEcause many nay most miscarry herein thinking themselves godly when indeed there is no such matter therefore we shall endeavour to lay open to publike view so that every Conscience shall and must confesse who indeed is the Godly man and who the Ungodly And this we shall prove by Scripture and also by experience which
cannot be denied The first Question is Who is the Godly man and how shall we know him Ans Thou shalt know a godly man assuredly by these nine particulars both that he is a godly man and wherein his godliness consists and he may know himself also by these marks First a Godly man is a Converted man he is new-born his Nature is changed Every man must be a new Creature before he can be godly and this Christ tells us in Joh. 3. 3. Thou canst not see the Kingdom of God nor any thing that pertaineth to godliness except thou art New-born that is except God come in by his power and give thee the sight of all thy sins and as it were break thy heart at the sight of them and give thee true and unfeigned Repentance and that he shew thee thy lost and undone condition as thou art in thy self for ever and that he hath caused thee to lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ for life and to give up thy self to be governed and guided by him I say except thou hast felt this work upon thy soul thou art not a godly man and thou seest it is truth Christ himself said so to Nicodemus and if thou wilt believe what he saith let this be granted And yet further the Apostle Paul tells us that if any man think or say that he is a godly man or in Christ and be not a new Creature he is a lyar And this you may see by comparing 2 Cor. 15. 17. with 1 Joh. 1. 6. If you say you have fellowship with God or that you are godly and are not new Creatures but walk in your old darkness then you see the word saith you are lyars And although this be indeed the work of God alone and that it be only between God and the soul yet this is for ever a true Note that thou canst not be a converted man but it must appear in thee it did so in the godly men of Old when Saul was converted in the 9. of the Acts you may see how it did appear to the world that God had called him and now he was not ashamed to profess that which he had so much despised Now Paul began to learn how to live godly in Jesus Christ And because this first mark is the wheel as it were which turns the whole work give me leave to come as neer thee as possibly and ask thee this Question art thou a changed man hast thou a new nature is thy heart possessed with godliness art thou indeed a godly man Then tell me how camest thou to be so Did not God work thee over by shewing thee the ugliness of sin canst thou not remember the time when to be assured of the love of God in Christ was worth ten thousand worlds and was it not the love of Christ that hath constrained thee to follow God If this be truly to be found in thee I do assure thee that thou art a son or daughter of God But if thou hast received that which thou enjoyest either by tradition or education or else by some flashes of comfort upon any other ground whatsoever I tell thee thou art but an hypocrite thou art not a godly man You shall see an example of this in Acts 16. 29 30. When the power of God comes then the poor sinner trembleth and O then what shall I do to be saved It is the work of God to shew the sight of sin in its colour that drives him to see the want of a Saviour then Christ is desirable and not before not untill God begin to work on him and therefore whosoever thou art that thinkest thou art a godly man and hast not been thus changed thou deceivest thy soul There are many nay most of the people in this land that are even utterly lost here for alas they think that they are godly because of some moral excellencies that are in them and so even from the Priest unto the people many are deluded To all such persons I shall present that Lesson of Christ John 3. ver 3. to 8. And as Christ said to him so say I to you Marvail not at this for it is a truth of God and if ever thou see the Kingdom of God thou must be acquainted with it therefore stifle not thy conscience which tells thee thou art not yet such a one as hath been thus changed and therefore now mark the godly man and thou shalt finde him to be such a one as I tell thee of But when God is working on his Saints you look on it as a poor contemptible thing and many of you have mocked as you did at those poor Saints of God whom the Devil and wicked men together called by a nick-name of Puritans you would not be such for a world such poor despised creatures as they were Well you must know that of such is the Kingdom of God they were godly men And so now at this day they that are begotten again by the Spirit and power of God they are the godly men indeed A godly man is a new man and you shall see it in his life I warrant you he hath given sin farewell It may be he was a Drunkard a Swearer and what not But now what is he Canst thou discern no change Is it not apparent that he hath put off the old man as Paul saith Eph. 4. 22 23 24. This old man must be put off and the new man put on assure thy self whosoever thou art that thou art not a godly man until it be done in thee A godly man is a cleansed a washed man Tit. 3. 5. his filth is done away in the blood of Christ Rev. 1. 5. A godly man his scarlet sins are made white in the blood of Christ Rev. 7. 14. A godly man is a new man his affections are new he hath a new mind he is renewed by the Spirit of God yea in some measure he is sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. The Spirit of God now dwels in him and acts him in spiritual acts Oh how his mind is now taken up about that infinite love of God in sending the Lord Christ to die for him and how is his desire now after Christ Give me Christ saith he whatever I want all is dung to him as Paul saith in comparison of Christ now he can see the nothingness of all things below the enjoyment of God in the Lord Jesus A godly man his heart is much taken with the righteous commands of God there is nothing grievous to him as Iohn saith 1 Joh. 5. 3. Wouldst thou know a godly man then take notice wherein he is imployed thou shalt find him imployed for his God in acts of holines thou shalt find him much in holy duties thou shalt find him fitting himself for the Bridegroom that he may go in with him into the marriage-chamber and whilst thou seest rugged and hot-spirited men gnashing at one another about carnal priviledges and empty shels thou shalt
minde be what it will let thy judgement be how it can I tell thee except thou finde these in thee thou art yet a stranger to the life of God and godliness And yet further see what fruits these are in Gal. 5. 22. and so to the end of the chapter a spiritual man bringeth forth spiritual fruit as you finde in this Scripture he is full of love humbleness patience thanksgivings these are fruits fit for a godly man to bear and by these thou mayst know him Further Doest thou not see now who are the godly men in these dayes if thou doest not I will tell thee the reason is either because thou art carnal or else blinded with some forms or other in which thou doest take more delight then in the power of truth and that is also the reason why thou lovest not the godly man for his godliness but for his Judgement sake the examples of which are so sad in these dayes that it is a shame to name them Well now know that t is not thy form but thy fruit that makes it appear that thou art godly and God is glorified in thy fruits of righteousness and not in thy foolish fancy for which thou so frettest thy self See what Christ saith Joh. 15. 8. To be a disciple is to be fruitfull and in that God is glorified I shall close up this first Question with the saying of David in Psal 4. 3. Know that God hath set apart the godly man for himself and therefore they must needs be fruitfull Now a word or two by way of Comfort to such as are truly godly and also of advice Dear Saints Is it so that a godly man is such a one as these nine particulars prove and art thou so indeed delude not thy self but speak to thy soul art thou so Then to thine everlasting comfort consider in what relation thou standest 1. To God 2. To Christ 3. To the Saints and Angels For the first As thou standest to Godward thou art his son a son of God See 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. And because thou art so he hath sent forth his Spirit into thy heart whereby thou art made acquainted with that adoption of Son-ship Now God is thy Father and when thou hast to do with his name thou doest it in that relation My Father as Gal. 4. 6. Consider of what comfort this is to thee God is thy Father and this is not all thou shalt be made like him nay thou shalt see him as he is in the brightness of his glory And therefore let this advise thee that thou set not thy heart on any thing wherein thou mayst grieve his Spirit for he hath given it thee as thy earnest till thou enjoy him fully And further Thy life is hid in God therefore live up in thy affection to him where thy life is Again thou art a Child therefore with all dutiful reverence honour thy Father thou hast heard already how it must be done great will be thy comfort in the doing of it Vse 2. Secondly consider in what relation thou now standest to the Lord Christ he is thy Lord nay he is thy friend he is thy brother and he is not ashamed to own thee so Heb 2. 11 12. nay thou art a joint-heir with him If thou art a godly man here is comfort enough for thee thou art an heir of heaven I say if the Spirit of God doth witness this to thee what canst thou desire more see Rom. 8. 15 16 17. Gal. 4. 7. Well take this advice now in thy way if Christ be thy Lord give up thy self to him honour thy Lord if he be thy friend be faithful to him deal not deceitfully with thy friend I am brief in this for want of time else how far might I enlarge it I say if Christ be thy brother then love him dearly let thy love be as the Spouses in the Canticles Thou art also betrothed to him Art thou an heir of heaven then fit thy self for thy heavenly society prepare thy self to meet thy Lord thy brother and husband in the air that thou mayst for ever be with him 3. Art thou godly then see how thou standest in relation to the Saints and blessed Angels thou art a Citizen of the same City one of the same family a member of the same body and a branch of the same vine and much more might be said Thou art a Citizen with the Saints see Eph. 2. 19. and of the same houshold Thou art come unto Mount Sion to the Assembly of the Saints as Heb. 12. 22 23 24. and this is of infinite comfort to thee that thou art a Citizen of the new Jerusalem and that thy Companions are to be all Saints and Angels Take this advice now that thou make the Saints thy fellows here love them for they indeed are most fit for thy company it will be a great happiness to thee Art thou a member of the same body a branch of the same Vine what comfort is this to thee thy nourishment proceeds of the same root if thou art such a one thou canst not conceive of half thy comfort it affords thee I shall end my desires to thee with that advice which I know is wholsom for thee namely seeing thou art a member of the body of Christ act like a member and seeing thou art a branch of the same Vine let thy fruit appear abundantly that God may be glorified in thee through the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 14 15. Mat 16 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee A wicked man an ungodly man knows not one title of this Psal 92. 6. The second Question is How shall we know a man in the state of nature or an Vngodly man I shall briefly and plainly discover such a man in doing of it I shall observe the same method that I did in the other Question Then if thou wouldst know an ungodly man my answer is Thou shalt know him by the same nine particulars that I used to prove a godly man by I mean by the Rule of contraries And then the first Mark will be this An ungodly man is an unconverted man he is still in the Old man he hath not yet had the work of God upon him such a man hath had no change wrought in him he is the same that ever he was he sees no ugliness in sin neither doth he apprehend any loveliness in Christ such men live ungodlily they are men of unclean lips nay their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. They are to every good work reprobate Again an ungodly man never yet repented truly neither can he endure to be governed by Christ the yoke of Christ is too heavy for him he cannot endure it Again an ungodly man walks in darkness and therefore note him his works are so he can delight to swear or lye or to be drunk or else to scoff and mock at godly men and by these he is discerned 2.
is a conscience washed in the blood of Christ that is the first step of a good conscience Heb. 9. 14. I say the first step is to be washed in the blood of Christ that is to have the guilt of sin clean done away in him As in Rev. 1. 5. He is the faithful witness that hath offered up to God a Sacrifice which hath fully satisfied him as Isa 53. 11. This Chapter is full of this Discourse Again A good conscience being so washed will endeavour to avoid all offences both to God and man as you see in Acts 24. 16. This washing and purging doth not only make clean but also keeps it clean It doth not only justifie the soul but also it sanctifies Heb. 9. 14. 2. A good conscience is a quick-sighted conscience and that two wayes In seeing what is Good Bad. 1. He sees the good and rejoyceth as Paul in 2. Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing saith the Apostle is in the testimony of a good conscience that with godly sincerity we have walked Here the conscience sees the good 2. A good Conscience sees the evil and strives against it As you see the same Apostle Rom. 7. 23 24. But I see saith Paul another law in my members O wretched man that I am here is a quick-sighted Conscience he sees the old man striving sin endeavouring to make inroads upon the poor soul very often and therefore it is happy for any soul that hath a sight of it By this you see that a good Conscience is quick sighted And yet further such a Conscience will not deceive thee he will not lie quiet when thou doest evil but will tug with thee for repentance and therefore whoever thou art that hast a dead Conscience and that liest quiet seest no evil in thy corrupt nature thou mayst have cause to fear that the guilt is not washed away but that thou art still in the state of nature Again a good Conscience fears to sin nay he trembles at it and the reason is because it is against his God because God hates it therefore he hates it See an example of this in Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do it sayes Joseph seeing the sin is against my God I dare not do it Let this teach all that love God to answer Sathan and all their tempters thus I will not yield to any thing that is against my God Again a good Conscience fears to wound it self by leaving undâ—ne those duties which God requâ—reth of him and therefore his work is to keep it self pure and unspotted as Paul saith in 2 Tim. 1. 3. and his work is to find out and do the will of God Such a Conscience is alwayes fearfull that he doth too little for God and that his heart is never right enough in what he doth These are the marks to know a good Conscience there are many more marks to know a good Conscience by but for the present these are all that I shall name this being only by the way to make the other more clear The next thing is the worth or value of a good Conscience Although I cannot tell or declare the just value yet I shall shew some of the worth or value of a good Conscience by which you shall see how good it is to have such a Conscience and to do it I shall lay down these four grounds which will make it appear why it is at such a rate 1. A good Conscience is worth much because it tels thee thou art at peace with God thy Conscience testifies to thee that thou art so as Paul saith 2 Cor. 1. 12. 2. A good Conscience speaks peace to thee and excuseth thee as Paul saith Ro. 2. 15. When Sathan and all thy accusers flie in thy face thy Conscience tels thee Christ hath paid and satisfied the just Law of God to the full and that thou art acquitted fully This is of much worth to thee and thou canst not set worth enough on it 3. The comfort of thy life is much in this that thou hast not a feared Conscience neither a dead Conscience neither a Conscience subjected to dead works but that thy Conscience is awake and feels and is sensible of evil and also of good and that it tels thee daily without flattery how the case stands with thee I say such a Conscience is much to be valued that deals plainly and flies in thy face when thou sinnest and that will never leave thee till thou see and repent of it and also when thou doest that which is good that Conscience will also tell thee thou doest thy duty and thou mayst expect God and his Spirit with thee in doing his will Search and see now whether this be not worth much 4. The worth and value of a good Conscience is very high at the time of death When death comes to take thy life what is a good Conscience worth then O then 't is worth much What would a man whose Conscience condemns him give then for this good Conscience even ten thousand worlds if he had them I tell thee that then it will bring thee into the presence of God with joy whereas on the contrary it will be as that saying of our Lord Mar. 9 46. a worm which will not die Is a good Conscience of such worth O then strive to keep a good Conscience let thy exercise be much in it as the Apostle Paul saith Act. 24. 16. both towards God and man first to God see thou do those duties he requires of thee and see thou wound not thy Conscience by thy neglect hearken what thy Conscience saith and quench not those whisperings when it tels thee thou must do this duty and forbear that evil I say whatever thou doest keep it clear between God and thy soul Again keep a good Conscience towards God and man and to do it observe these things 1. That thou avoid carnal company and carnal speaking for that will much offend thy Conscience because thou shouldst make the Saints thy companions and thy Experiences of God thy discourse 2. Be often in private speaking to thy Father for he longs to hear from thee and thy Conscience will soon tell thee that thou hast found him meeting thee God is a loving Father and he delights to have his Children often speaking to him and keeps a book of Remembrance as in Mal. 3. 16 17. God will make up such among his Jewels and as a father spareth his son that serveth him so will God spare such a soul 3. Have a care what thou doest in thy dealings among men keep a good Conscience here thou shalt find many idle words not fit to come out of thy mouth and many times thy Conscience tels thee that it is evil avoid it now and set a watch before thy heart and lips that thou mayst keep a clear Conscience And be sure that thou defraud no man but deal justly or else thou wilt hurt thy conscience seek truth as the Apostle Paul saith