in battell-array to fight with those strong subtile sedulous Goliahs which come out to upbraid Gods little Champion They I meane the Divell and his Agents viz the world and the flesh will not only rage but raigne not only assault but take your soules captive at their will Therefore as you love your owne soules and the welfare of them unto all eternity Get unto you the whole armour of God Eph. 6. 13. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Give no faire Quarter unto foule tempations make up speedily every Breach between God and your owne consciences and let not conscience loose its Tendernesse but shun every evill and the appearance of it 6. Let thy life be the life of faith Saith Paul the life that we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himselfe for us Keep fresh the sense of his love and alwaies acknowledge a continuall need of his Bloud Spirit and Intercession and how much you are beholding and ingaged unto him Labour to draw and derive from Christ by the powerfull attractive force of faith spirituall ability sufficient for every dayes worke Act your faith dayly in the promises of grace and strength Go unto Christ still for his wisdome to counsell you for his righteoussness to cover you for strength to resist temptations for the shoulder that must beare our Crosses for ability to performe all duties as duties 7. Resolve with david Ps 101. that you will not know a wicked person i.e. approve of him If out of your families have not fellowship with them but reprove them if in your families let them not abide within your doores but remove him or her as persons most infectious and dangerous We have sins enough and too too many of our owne therefore let us not encrease them by a base connivency at others mens sins Especially avoid that generation of men whose grand designe it is to undermine the Gospell to ruine the Ministry and to robb them of that maintenance which is due unto them by the law of God and by the Law of Nature and by the law of Nations These croaking frogges have overspread our Aegypt so that they have made it stinke with their damnable Opinions devilish practises They creep into houses and lead aside silly women 2 Tim. 3.11 and by their faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.18 And shall if it were possible deceive the very elect Mark 13.22 8. Affect a faithfull and powerfull Minister who doth carefully look both to himselfe and his Doctrine Adscribe neither too much nor too little to your Teachers Neither despise them nor deify them as the manner of some is Esteeme him not as a principle Author but as a subordinate Actor not as a Lord but a Steward not as a Master but a Minister and yet account him more then an ordinary Servant even a man of God A servant of the most high God that sheweth you the way of Salvation Look on him not only as a Seer but Over-seer a Steward of Gods high secrets a messenger of the Lord of Hostes by whose Embassage peace is concluded and reconciliation ministerially made up between God and man He is Gods mouth to you by preaching and your mouth to God by praying On that in speciall place standeth before God and ministreth to him upon earth as the Angels do it in heaven Woodnots Aphorisms 1. Cens. p. 42. The Jewes say that he that dieth in the displeasure of his Rabbi shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come i.e. of his teacher that hath the charge of his soule Therefore take heed you fall not out with your Teacher whome the most wise God hath thought fit to make your Pastor forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth Deut. 12.19 Doe not desire such a Teacher as thou mayest rule him but such as may rule you Magistrates are chosen to governe the people not the people to governe them So Ministers you are not to command them but obey them Therefore obey them that have the Rule over you Heb. 13.17 And submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with Joy and not with greife I beseech you in the bowels of Christ let Death and Judgement possesse your most serious thoughts waite for the one and provide for the other Dye daiely with Paul and you shall dye well Have thine end ever in thine eye and sweeten the bitter cup of Death by a dayly preparation Get your tackling all in readinesse that you may faile over the Sea of mortall miseries in safety and security to the Port of happinesse You shall all of you ere long lye gasping for death on your dying beds and there lye grappling with the King of feares attended with Terrors Therefore as you love your soules let the whole course of your lives be a conscionable preparative to dye comfortably Look on every day as your last So live that you may say with David Though I walke through the Valley of the shaddow of death I will not feare Oh that you would be wise and consider your latter end before you go downe to the chambers of death whence you shall never returne Would you dye willingly would you dye well Then get a part in Christ a Title to him an Interest in him Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure So live that you may not be ashamed to die So number your dayes that you may apply your hearts to true wisdome So cast up your Accounts that you may give them up with joy and not with greife Judge your selves for your daiely Deviations and you shall not be judged condemne your selves and you shall not be condemned 10 Lastly Let this little Book be in your hands heads and hearts Let a good conscience be written on your soules with Characters indelible never to be razed out so that when death shall appeare thou mayest be able to say I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day Now whereas dull spirits are more quickned by Examples then Precepts This place hath had a great advantage above other places adjacent Mr. John Southmead who is now a glorious Saint in heaven and his Soule made happy with the Spirits of just men made perfect You know he was an old Disciple and served his Master faithfully in his generation for many yeares zealously striving for the inlargment of the Kingdome of Christ and demolishing the Kingdome of Satan A great Curb he was to prophanesse witnesse his great paines and travell in overthrowing those Heathenish sports and pastimes which were too common even upon the Lords day God made him the Instrument to abolish Wakes Revells Maypoles and May-games with their Apurtenances Fidlers and superfluous Ale-houses not only in
that her name is become unsavory the very mentioning of Conscience is nauseated by every prophane Belialist It 's high time therefore to crave the help of an Angel yea the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ the Saviour to roll away the stone and to raise up our dead friend Conscience as sometimes he raised up his dead friend Lazarus This worke of raising the dead is proper unto God onely yet may an omnipotent God use impotent man in such a worke as Elisha in raising the Shunamites dead son to life 2 King 4.34 Act. 9.9 Act. 40. Paul in restoring Eutychus and Peter in reviving Tabitha aliàs Dorcas Now he that imployed men then in raising dead bodies can and will imploy men still in raising dead soules dead consciences who knoweth what God may do if we do our parts if the Hebrews pray Paul preach and God come in with a blessing on both what shall hinder but that the dead conscience should be revived the drowsie awakened the weake confirmed the troubled quieted the good bettered and every elect soule returne to his rest with some measure of Pauls considence and say I trust I have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly The occasion of Pauls pleading a good Conscience I find to be thus Occasion there were certaine ill-affected persons among the Hebrewes who calumniated Pauls doctrine Theophilact in h. l. as tending to the subversion of Moses law so that many who had formerly given their Names to Christ began now to draw back from Paul as a Seducer and false Teacher and so their Affections alienated from him He therefore to cleare himselfe from such false aspersions and calumniations and to confirme and establish the Hebrewes in the truth gives them to understand that he had not dealt fallaciously but faithfully with them in what he had taught them and therefore adviseth them to continue constant in their obedience unto their Teachers and in servent prayer unto God for them For saith he we are assured we have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly You may terme this Text Pauls Triumph or his choice Jewel with which the whole world compared and weighed in the Ballance will be found as light as drosse and vanity and without this all things are but losse dung and vexation of spirit 1. Analysis Pauls Conscience 2. Pauls Considence In the first note the quality it is a good Conscience In the second the propriety it is his owne good Conscience I have a good conscience In the second viz. his confidence you have 1. his Assurance we trust 2. the grounds of it built on foure firme pillars 1. His will desiring 2. The Extent in all things 3. The Constancy of his will to walke or live 4. The Syncerity of it namely honesty First of conscience in generall it would be very tedious to shew you the opinions of men upon the definition of conscience all varying in terme Habitus multis dispositionibus acquisitus Habitus intellectualis quâ talis officium est unicum inclinare ad promptè agendum Conscientia verò multas habet operationes quas immedtatè exercet ergo non Habitus Ames de Conscien and some in truth Much adoe there is amongst Divines to find out the Genus or generall terme of it as also the difference Some calling it an act some an habit some a faculty some a power As for the two former they are liable to just exception that call it an act or habit 1. It cannot properly be called an act because conscience many times doth not act as in sleepy men and seared consciences 2. It cannot be properly termed an habit because conscience is innate not acquired The two latter a faculty or power are generally imbraced but especially the last Some leave out faculty because the Scripture hath not yet determined it to be a distinct faculty but calling it sometimes the spirit of a man and sometimes the spirit of the mind of man therefore to avoid all exception I shall pitch upō the last terme namely power as the true genus and so define it Conscience is an inbred light in the mind of man teaching him to follow what is good and to eschew that which is evill and it is called conscientia quasi concludens scientia and it hath a two-fold Act the first is to give Testimony to things whether we have done well or ill if we have done them well then it giveth testimony for us Rom. 9.1 My Conscience also bearing me witnesse and if we have done evill then it testifieth against us Therefore Nazianzen used to call the Conscience Pedagogū animae for as a Pedagogue waiteth upon a Child and commendeth him when he doth well and on the contrary whippeth him when he doth evill so the conscience when a man sinneth it stingeth him like Hornets Deut. 7.20 But when he doth well it alloweth him bids him go on maugre all opposition and to rejoice and sing though in a prison with Peter or in stocks with Paul vid. Weemse divine exercitations But to define it more plainly and fully Conscience is a Relative power in the reasonable Creature Definition which upon determination through the light of Gods law doth either excuse or accuse 1. A power because of the many operations and workings which it dayly exerciseth in us 2. It s a Relative power not absolute Conscientia i.e. scientia cum alia scientia 1. Cum Deo scire 2. Cum seipso scire 3. Cum aliis scire 4. Cum rebus ipsis conscire because what Conscience doth it doth it in Relation to another and therefore called conscience because it knoweth with another with one that is of familiarity with it and witnesseth the truth with it and this is God alone who only knoweth the heart and trieth the reines Hence it is that Paul calleth the spirit of God to second his conscience I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost where you may see 3 witnesses produced by the Apostle and all of them without exception namely Christ the holy Ghost and Conscience which is mille testes a thousand witnesses 3. The subject in which conscience is seated it is in the reasonable Creature I doe not say it is in the Creatour for God being holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe needeth not Conscience to order governe and direct him Neither do I say it is in the unreasonable creature because Beasts and Fowles wanting reason must needs want conscience but this I affirme conscience is in the reasonable creature only whether they be men or Angels good or evill Saints or sinners blessed Angels or collapsed Divels this power of Conscience is in them all Q. In what part of man is this power seated A. Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte I will say of conscience in the soule as Philosophers of the soule in the body
ready to quarrell with God and to fall out with him as if he had greatly wronged him God saith unto him doest thou well to be angry yea saith he I do well to be angry even unto death His words are very high words of a passionate spirit blinded with anger rather then with any expresse rebellion Very needfull therefore is it that such should have conscience as a Controuler to check them Againe others their Affections are disorderly placed on wrong objects likeing those whom they should dislike and loving those whom they should loath such was the blind Affection of Jehoshaphat to Ahab I am saith he as thou art 2 Chron. 18 3. 2 Chron. 19.2 my people as thy people its needfull therefore that conscience say to such as Jehn to Iehoshaphat shouldst then love them that hate the Lord Lastly many mens appetites are very wanton wholsome meates and drinkes content them not their meates must be mixed with hurtfull condiments and their drinke with noxious ingredients therefore it is very requisite that conscience play the Monitor and advise them not to looke on the wine when it sparkles Prov. 23.30 31. nor to seeke after mixt wine though it goe downe pleasantly yet at last it will bite like a Serpent and hurt like a Cockatrice And thus you see how just and how mercifull God is to plant such a power as conscience within us Vse 1 Is there such a power or faculty as conscience in every man then let every man learne to magnify his maker not barely for being his Creature but for being such a Creature as none is like him First look upon thy meanest part namely thy body view that well and thou shalt see such an exellency in it that no visible creature is comparable unto mans body If we look unto our first Creation we find them very excellent creatures 1. God made them with consultation and deliberation Gen. 1.26 let us make man His advice argueth a worke of great weight and moment and this word of plurality us intimates the Trinity (a) Galen though a meere Naturalist when he saw the admirable frame and structure of mans body was so taken with it that he could not but adiudge the honour of an Hymne to the wise Creator of it and mindes us of the mysterie of the three persons in one Godhead God the father seemeth to speak as communicating by way of consultation with God the Son and God the holy Ghost in the worke of Creation 2. The wonderfull endowments of the body in beauty strength nimblenesse activity without deformity or mortality 3. All other bodies made for the good of mans body the heavenly to give light unto it the earthly bodies to nourish cherish and comfort it Againe if we consider the recreation or regeneration of our bodies we find them more excellent 1. Purchased by Christs bloud 1 Cor. 6.20 2. Sanctified by Christs spirit 1 Cor. 6.19 3. Assumed by Christs person Phil. 2.7 When he took our nature he took our body and was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted so that we are as neer to Christ as our bodies to our soules Having thus viewed our meanest part namely the body let us in the next place consider our best part namely our soule What the soule is The soule of man is a spirit distinct invisible immortall infused by God 1. A spirit Thus much the Originall word declareth as in John 11. 33. and John 12. 27. we find soule and spirit promiscuously used by our Saviour my soule is troubled my spirit is troubled 2. A distinct spirit because it hath its being not only in the body but also out of the body Eccl. 12.7 as it had its time of entrance into the body so its time of returne out As it is in us so it can be without us and will be after us 3. Invisible Because no more to be seen then an Angel or God himselfe 4. An immortall spirit Eccl. 12.7 And Christ tells us that men may kill our bodies but not our soules which made Anaxzarchus bold to speak unto his Tormentors who did beat him with clubs laye on my Sachel meaning his body you cannot hurt Anaxzarchus meaning his soule 5. A spirit infused by God Gen. 2.7 How Adam came by his soule we all know namely by inspiration but as for our owne soules we are at a great stand Some think by participation (b) Chrysippus de natur â. lib. 3. as one Candle lighteth another Some thinke by generation (c) Tertullian l. de anim â ch 5. that a man begets a man compleat Others say it is by infusion (d) Thom. Aquin. 1 q. 75.6 1 m. by a peculiar inspiration when the child is first quickened in the womb Much is imagined little concluded concerning this question (e) St. Austin hath writ 4 bookes of the originall of the soule in which he leaveth this question undecided And his second booke of Retractions doth witnesse that he continued in that doubt unto his death cap. 56. and no marvell for who knoweth the way of the spirit Eccl. 11.5 The Scripture seems to warrant the last opinion calling God the Creator of the Spirit Zach. 12.1 The giver of the Spirit Eccl. 12.7 The Father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 It is not without consideration if God by a peculiar elegy and stile is called the father of spirits that he might be opposed to the father of the flesh for if the soule be by traduction then those that are the fathers of the flesh would also be the fathers of the spirits neither would God by this title be distinguished from the father of the flesh if he wrought alike in both and did not forme mens soules otherwise then their bodies So then consider well your bodies soules and you may safely conclude that of all the creatures that ever God made there is more to be seen of God in man then in them all and in man much in his body more in his soule but most of all in his conscience as one saith this smelleth more of God then the heavens the Sun the Stars or all the glorious things of the earth gold precious stones Rubies or sweetest herbs roses or lillies Oh how should we magnifie our maker Ps 139.14 and with David say I will praise thee O Lord for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy workes and that my soule knoweth right well Object Ob. Our conscience were at first very pure and excellent but now like our selves they are most sinfull yea our Soules and Consciences are defiled Tit. 1.15 therefore nothing worthy praise in them Answ A. It s very true that our consciences which were pure and excellent at first are by Adam's sin become defiled and uncleane But let me tell you there is no part power or faculty in the whole man that retaines so much of its excellency in it as conscience doth though the
them both namely a conscience truely parified and truly pacified Meanes Now followes the meanes both to purify and pacify conscience 1. For the purifying of conscience it is the part of every one professing Christ to consider that his conscience naturally is defiled Tit. 1.15 and that there is a necessity of taking off this defilement if we would be saved namely the ignorance error and hardnesse of conscience wherewith it is polluted The principall meanes are two 1. The first means to effect it Principall meanes is the bloud of Christ by this bloud we must have our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience Heb. 10.22 9.14 This is a singular way to have our Consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God 2. Meanes is the Spirit of Christ This is that mundifying water mentioned Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleant from all your filthinesse These two Christs bloud and Christs spirit will cleanse the foulest sinner and the most defiledst conscience Paul writing unto the Corinthians tells them what filthy creatures they were 1 Cor. 6.9.10 namely Fornicators Idolaters effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind Theeves Covetous Drunkards Railers Extortioners and then shewed them by what meanes they were cured and cleansed namely by the blood and spirit of Christ v. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God This is the refiners fire and fullers sope Mal. 3.2 this is that hysope which will make us as white as snow yea more white then snow Ps 51.7 Other meanes there are which though not comparable to the first yet as subservient are likewise requisite to this purifying of Conscience namely the Word Faith Repentance Lesse principal meanes 1. The Word Now are ye cleane saith Christ through the word that I have spoken unto you John 15.3 That is to say the word accompanied with the power of my Spirit 2. So Faith is of a cleansing nature it will purge the heart and cleanse the conversation Act. 15.9 3. And as for repentance we find that when Judah had defiled her selfe with sin God calls her to repentance as a way of cleansing Wash ye make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evill learne to do well and then though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Is 1.16 Thus you see how a defiled conscience may be purified 2. Next followes how conscience may be pacified Consider first of all what it is that troubles conscience Meanes It must be one of these three either sin or Sathan or Gods anger It was sin that so troubled Paul the law in his members that warred against the law of his mind that so disquieted him that it made him to cry out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me 2. It was Sathan that winnowed Peter and withstood Jehoshus 3. Gods anger that so molested David as to make him cry out Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure there is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger Therefore unto such as are troubled with the sight of their sin the assaults of Sathan or sence of Gods displeasure if their consciences be unquiet because of these either one or all be carefull in the use of such meanes as God hath ordained for pacifying conscience Now that I may not be tedious remember what were the meanes to purifie conscience and thou shalt find the very same meanes will pacify conscience I told thee before that the bloud of Christ and the Spirit of Christ as principall 2. The word faith and repentance as lesse principall These would make a defiled conscience to become pure So now I must tell thee againe to make thy conscience quiet thou must have 1. The bloud of Christ Paul tels us that Christ by the bloud of his Crosse Col. 2.20 i. e. by his bloudy oblation made upon the crosse hath made peace and reconciled all things Now rightly to understand this Text you must know that by sin heaven and earth were set at variance and the creatures in them but by Christ there is unity set not only betwixt God and man but also betwixt men and the Angels that are in heaven as also the creatures that are upon the earth now if Christs bloud be such a Catholicon to take off all enmity beween God and man between men and Angels in heaven men and creatures on earth and to make peace then let us acknowledge it an excellent means to pacify conscience This was typified in the bloud of the Pascall lamb where this bloud was sprinkled upon any door-post there was peace and security against the destroyer So where the bloud of Christ is sprinkled upon the soule their conscience is at peace and hath security against all the remaining guilt and corruption of sin the rage of Sathan danger of Gods displeasure This bloud givves the soule all boldnesse to enter in into the holiest of all by a new and living way Heb. 10.19 and gives us assurance before God 2. Meanes to pacify conscience is the spirit of Christ As his bloud is the procuring cause so his spirit the producing cause For this cause Christ and the holy Ghost are called by one and the same name because their end and businesse is the same namely to procure peace to the soule They both are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Advocates Christ is our Advocate and and the spirit is Gods Advocate Christ is our Advocate to the father to procure us peace The spirit againe is Gods advocate to us to produce peace As the one prevailes with God for granting peace so the other prevailes with us to entertaine peace See this cleared in 1 Joh 2.1 If any man sin we have a Paraclete with the father Jesus Christ the righteous Here Christ is our advocate againe Joh. 14.16 I will pray the father and he shall give you another Paraclete In this place the holy Ghost is Gods advocate so you plainly see how the bloud and spirit of Christ must make up this true and full peace Now for the causes or meanes lesse principall and subservient as the word faith repentance First the word it is a word of reconciliation and pacification Thus Peter to Cornelius and his company tells them ye know saith he the word which God hath sent to the children of Israel Act. 10.36 preaching peace by Jesus Christ which is Lord of all Now as the Scripture in generall may be said to be a word of peace so more especially the Gospell This is called the word of peace The Author of it the Prince of peace The minister the Messenger of peace Rom. 10.15 and his preaching the gospell the ministry of reconcitiation 2
Cor. 5.18 yea as one saith it is Gods proclamation and our Charter of peace containing the largest concessions of peace It is Gods act of oblivion and his act of indemnity Scheffeeld on conse p. 42. 2. Meanes of pacifying conscience is faith As the conscience cannot speak peace with Gods allowance before it be purged so not peace after it is purged without faith This is a grace that will doe both i. e. purify and pacify 1. That faith will purify is cleer Act. 15.9 Faith purgeth the heart and cleanseth the conversation 2. That it will also pacify this appeares Rom. 5.1 Being justifyed by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Peace is the daughter of faith This is that Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace in its mouth aed presents God a pacified and reconciled father unto us O how sweet is that peace which faith breeds It is a Christians heaven upon earth A bunch of Grapes that growes on the true Vine joy in life peace at death prosperity in adversity staffe in affliction ankere in desperation therefore Christ calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anticipation of heaven 3. The third and last subservient meanes is Repentance The Apostle tells us our consciences must be purged from dead workes Heb. 9.14 and we must have repentance from dead workes We must still acknowledge that it is the bloud of Christ that must purge our consciences from dead workes and so worke peace yet know this that this peace is not wrought in our apprehension neither do we feele this faith without further act Therefore to our faith must be joined repentance though not making of our peace yet for the feeling of this peace Let us now then breifly enumerate the causes principle and lesse principle 1. Christs bloud procuring 2. Christs spirit producing 3. His word proclaiming 4. Faith assuming 5. Repentance declaring and evidencing All these in their order not in a way of coordination but in a way of subordination do effect the sweet peace of conscience which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 And is the sweetest companion that ever accompanied man in this vale of mortality Hitherto of the goodnesse of Conscience and how it becomes good namely by the bloud and spirit of Christ whereby it is both purified and pacified In the next place I must commend unto you these 3 things as specially to be minded and endeavoured by you 1. Having of Conscience 2. Holding of Conscience 3. Well using of Conscience 1. First let it be your speciall care to have this good conscience and that you may have it take these few directions 1. Be senseable of the want of it albeit naturally we are all destitute of this jewell yet very few complaine for want of it Some are pure in their owne eyes Prov. 30.12 yet were never purged from their filthinesse their consciences as defiled as ever Others openly profane and wicked that adde drunkennesse to thirst yet when a curse is pronounced against them they will blesse themselves saying we shall have peace I must say to such they are whole need not the Physician Thele are not as yet in a capacity of receiving this blessing Therefore I advise you first to see the filthinesse of your consciences how defiled with ignorance error and hardinesse and having seen it with the leper confesse it and say Master I am uncleane I am uncleane when thy disease is knowne the cure is halfe wrought Tit. 1.15 therefore I say by all meanes to see how thy soule and conscience is defiled 2. Seek out an able Physician that can cure thee thinke not to find him here on earth thou must go to heaven for him it is God that first made thy conscience and he alone it is that can remake it and therefore addresse thy selfe unto him humbly and faithfully acknowledging his power and in the lepers phrase expresse the desire of thy heart and say Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And to quicken thee in this I will say unto thee as the Disciples unto the blind man go he calleth thee Mark 10.49 1. Christs invitation Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you All ye that more and more feel the burden of sin and can find no way to remove it come you all to me and I will ease you of your burden of sin past Ps 32.1 and free you from servitude of it hereafter Sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 Therefore as blind Bartimeus when Christ called him forthwith cast off his garment rose up and went to Christ so thou who hast an evill conscience make no delay shake off all impediments and run to Christ the true Phisitian and he will heale thee of thy disease and give thee a pure and peaceable conscience There is water enough in Iordan there is balme enopugh in Gilead to poure into your wounds And there is a Phisitian there too and desires thee to come and will heale thee without money or moneyes worth T is but looking on this brazen serpent and be whole 2. Motive His promise is to cure thee he hath said he will give thee on heart put a new spirit into thee take away thy stony heart out of thy flesh Ezek. 11.18 19. and give thee an heart of flesh Now what is this lesse then to cure thy soule and conscience therefore thou mayest boldly go unto the Lord plead the covenant between God and thee tell him thou hast it to shew under his hand and so hold him to his promise Lord thou hast said thou wilt give me a new heart a new conscience therefore Lord create in me a new heart and renew a pure conscience within me let old things be done away and let all things become new 3. Direction is to observe what thy Phisitian shall advise thee his directions are plainly set downe in his large Phisick book namely the book of Scriptures there thou shalt find what thy disease is the nature and symptomes of it the meanes to cure it also what diet thou must keep in the time of thy disease to be freed from it and what diet afterwards to prevent a relapse Take heed therefore when thy great Phisitian hath advised thee what meanes to use to take off this leprousy from thy soule Doe not slight it as Naaman did Elisha's advice about the leprousy of his body when he advised him to wash in Jordan and be cured the text saith he was wroth 2 King 5.9.10 preferring his owne waters of Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damascus as better then all the waters of Israel Take heed bee not wiser then thy Doctor credas medico ut valeas follow his directions and thou shalt be healed Eate and live wash and be cleane Thus far by way of preparative proceed we now unto the Physick it selfe in which we find many simples compounded as Naturals and Spirituals added 1. We
God when it is only their owne proud and lying spirit Ezek. 13.3 They are foolish prophets that follow their owne spirit and have seen nothing i. e. they do medle with prophecying of their owne proper motion being driven thereunto by their owne carnall affection and declare nothing but their owne vaine imagination and frothy inventions They would be accounted Physicians for sick soules and wounded consciences but as Job saith they are Physicians of no value For they heale the hurt of Gods people slightly saying peace Jer. 8.11 when there is no peace they preach generally freedome and liberty as freedome from confession of sin and freedome to the commission of sin but whilst they thus preach liberty unto others they themselves are the servants of corruption beware of such And beg of God Pastors according to his owne heart that may feed you with wisdome and true understanding whose lips may preserve knowledge Jere. 3.15 and ye may sack it at their mouth who may be ensamples unto the flock in life and doctrine faith and love spirit and purity England could glory she had such Prophets such Pastors and blesed be God she can yet say she hath such still true it is they lie under a cloud but it is not many yeares since that they were highly esteemed thought worthy of double honour and consulted with upon matters of greatest importment both in Church and State yea Parliament and People invited them to come into Macedonia namely London to help on the great worke of Reformation but now are cast aside as of no value and by many accounted Antichristian and enimies to the Kingdome of Christ and to the power and purity of the Gospel A sudden and strange change but we will lay it upon that envious one whose rage is specially against Gods faithfull Ministers You therefore that love a good conscience make much of such and have them in high esteeme for their works sake because it is the Lords Thus far of having 2. Holding now followes the holding of a good conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.2 The Spirit of God doth frequently presse us to this holding Try all things and hold fast that which is good i. e. try exactly all doctrines concerning faith or manners and as thou findest them sound and saving so hold them Tit. 1.8 9 Againe hold fast the faithfull word Heb. 4.14 hold fast your Profession hold fast till I come hold fast lest another take thy crowne Rev. 3.11 i. e. the honour and glory promised to such as shall persevere So say I ye not I but the spirit of God hold faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 yea above all hold these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold against all adversaries that would withhold Reasons 1. R. Because the labour is as great in holding as having non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri It cost Paul deare to get a good conscience and so it did to hold it T was his daiely exercise to keep a good conscience void of offence toward God and man Act. 24.16 2. R. Because many have made shipwrack of conscience as Hymeneus and Alexander who giving the reines to a licentious course of life against the dictates of their owne conscience God punished them accordingly by taking away the light of his spirit that in the middest of their course they should lose their most precious spiritual merchandise and be drowned in error and heresy 1 Tim. 1.19 20. as those who in a sea-tempest suffer ship-wrack 3. R. Because the world cannot abide a good conscience as we may see in Zedekiah his behaviour toward Micaiah and Pashur toward Ieremie how uncivilly and rudely do these men carry themselves 1 King 22 24. Zedekiah he smites Michaiah on the cheeke impudently and reproachfully before the King and whole assembly saying unto him which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speake to thee pretending that himselfe had the spirit of God and thereupon inferres that Micaiah had it not because it could not be shewed how it should passe from the one unto the other So Pashur smites Ieremie and puts him in the stocks and herein shewes himselfe a prime instrument of Sathan perpetrating that against the Lords Prophet which neither King nor Princes nor people durst formerly attempt Jer. 20.2 Thus Amaziah the priest with Amos and Ananias with Paul commands them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth Am. 7.10 what was the cause of this their rage and fury had these men cōmitted any grosse offence surely no it was only the goodnesse of their conscience that did thus exasperate their rage against them These were the faithfull servants of the Lord that boldly declared the mind and will of God unto them as in conscience they were bound and therefore could not endure them There is an irreconcileable Antipathy between the men of the world and the Saints of God they can no sooner mingle then oyle and water nor better agree then light and darknesse The Spirit that is in you the world cannot receive saith Christ John 14.17 they are convinced that they are conscientious men but as they were wont to say in former times CAIUS SEIUS was a good man but he was a Christian So now Caius Seius bonus virsed Christianus such are good men but they are too strict too conscientious and therefore cannot away with them Thus you see how the men of this world cannot endure a good conscience 4. R. Because the Devill doth more envie a good conscience then any other thing Let men be never so high in honour great in wealth abound in wit and policy the Devil dislikes it not he knowes the better how to make use of them to serve his turne as we sind in Pharaoh Zenacherib Achitophel Herod and others who in their Pomp and power were higher then their brethren by head and shoulders and accordingly more active and ready to do his work That man I say have abundance of these outward things it doth not disquiet but please Satan But when any have a good a pure and a tender conscience this madds the Divel and makes him to set all his instruments on worke to bereave such of their Heartjswell namely a good conscience we may see this in Luther his pure conscience did vex both Pope and Devill Melchior Adam in vitâ Luth. what would not they have done to have strangled his conscience if honour wealth preferment or any outward thing could have prevailed the Pope would have collated all these upon him but one tells the Pope that all these would not doe for saith he Germana illa bestia aurum non curat that German beast meaning Luther will not be won by any or all of these And at another time when great gifts were sent to him he refused them with this most brave and excellent speech Valdè protestatus sum me nolle sic
with the worst tit 1.15 yea my very soule and conscience was defiled But blessed by my good God that hath striken Covenant with me in my blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Ezek. 11.19 hath put into me a new Spirit given me a heart of flesh and hath changed this defiled conscience Heb. 9.14 into a pure conscience a conscience both purified and pacified by the bloud and spirit of Christ Col. 1.20 My greatest foe is now become my greatest friend a most true friend that will not flatter me but deale plainly with me a most sweet freind that will comfort me in the saddest and darkest times and seasons yea a friend that will make me to laugh under the whip Sing when my feet are in the stocks and rejoyce when I fall into many Temptations In a word a most constant friend that will never leave me nor forsake me neither in this life nor in the life to come Death may part Naomi and Ruth David and Jonathan but death shall never parte thee and thy conscience she will be with the in reproach and povertie in sicknesse and distresse in prison and restraint in lyfe in death in Judgment and before Gods Tribunall Oh therefore relate thy happie and blessed change unto others that so thou and they may unanimously prayse God Soe shall thy God be magnified and thine owne thankfull heart reallie and faithfull expressed 2 Use to such as have a good conscience to be such a friend unto them that they would be very Carefull to deale friendly with this friend It is Solomons Advise Prov. 18.24 That he that hath friends must deale friendly and that there is a friend that sticketh closer then a Brother Now conscience is this close friend let Father Mother Husband Wife Child and Neigbour all leave thee This friend will never leave thee nor forsake thee as I told thee formerly Oh therefore deale friendly with thy Conscience give not the least offence unto her but remember she is very tender and will be senble of the least wrong or injury done unto her The Injurie of a friend doth stick closer then the wrong of an Enimie David could say had it been an Enimie that had done me this wrong I could have borne it but it was thou my friend Ps 41.9 yea my familiar friend we tooke sweet counsell Ps 55.13 Take heed therefore do neither disuse conscience nor misuse conscience 1 I say doe not disuse consciene by estraunging thy selfe from her and refusing her Advise and counsell 2 Doe not misuse her 1 Some by making her a cloak for any erroneous opinion or sinfull practice as too to many doe in these our daies who dare to set Gods Image and Supscription upon their owne base coine Are there not many amongst us who impudently and blasphemously affirme that their Mission Message Doctrine and Spirit are all of God They will tell you they are sent of God the Doctrine they teach is the mind and will of God The Spirit by which they teach Is 8.20 it is the Spirit of God But come you to the law and to the testimonie consult the word of God and you shall find there is no light in them They are very Traytors to the King of heaven abusing his Image and Superscription read but the 23 of Jer. and 13 of Ezek. and you shall find that notwithstanding their great Braggs they are but grosse impostours and seducers God tels them He never sent them never spake unto them calls them Dreamers whose Doctrine is but chaffe and their Spirit is not Gods Spirit but their own proud lying and deluding spirit 2. Others make conscience a Cloak for ungodly practices that they may the more clossely oppresse defraud and injure others to the satisfying of their ambitious lusts and Covetous desires such were the Scribs Pharisees of old of whom our Saviour gives us a Caveat that wee beware of them and then describes them that people might the better know them They are men saith Christ that carrie a great shew of Pyetie and holinesse they pray Math. 23.14 yea make long prayers and performe other godlie exercises Luk. 20.46 and all this they doe not syncerely but hypocritically that they may the more easily devoure widdowes houses and consume their estates who entertaine them and doubtles many such there are amongst us at this time who have very faire pretences for most foule practices as Jezabel had who was never more zealous in prayer and fasting then when she intended to to take away the life and livelihood of innocent Naboth now what are these but great abusers of Conscience 3. To these I may Adde a third sort who having abused conscience by some ungodly Art of whordome drunkennesse blasphemy or the like will call for mercy and so be friends It is reported of Lewes the eleventh King of France that he wore in his Hat a Crucifix and when at any time he had blasphemed God or acted any wickednesse He would presently take downe his Crucifix and Kisse it and then he had thought he had made satisfaction for all wrongs even so is it amongst us There are many when they have done any thing against their conscience thinke it enough to Kisse Conscience and cry God have mercy and all is well but let me tell such they are enimies to conscience and let them be assured that at last they will find Conscience an enimie to them yea their greatest enimie Not only a witnesse But their Judge and Tormentor Use of Exhortatiō unto all to be very carefull how they deale with Conscience not to dare to injure it in the least degree conscience I must tell you is verie tender soone sensible of the least wrong if therefore you will hold friendship with her you must resolve to be tender also and that with an holy tendernesse I say an holy tendernesse and the rather because there is too much tendernesse in the world which is very hatefull unto a good Conscience 1. Some are very ready for the practice of sin Unholy Tendernesse but they are so tender as they cannot endure the least touch of reproofe for sin They are like those whole bodies being full of boyles and botches cry out unto such as come neer them Oh do not touch me and all because of the soares and and the ulcers they beare about them Thus is it which many a wicked man and woman who having many ulcers of sin running upon them will not indure their Christian friends nor yet their faithful ministers and Teachers but cry out like those in Isaiah who said to the seers see not to the prophets prephesie not unto us right things but speak smooth things Is 30.10 prophesy deceit They cannot indure to heare the truth of God but a lie not to have Gods Judgmēts threatned but themselves to be slattered though it turne unto their owne ruine Such tender persons were Amaziah the prince 2
but brings it to the touch 1 Thes 5.22 tries all things and so holds fast not what seems good but What is good lastly the render conscience will take heed of what he knowes to be lawfull he dares not to do all that he may doe least he should do what he ought not to doe Consider you that are Gamsters merry come panions fashion-mongers and all flesh-pleasers which are lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God I know you will stand upon your justification and plead strongly for your dicing drinking carding your long haire your fantasticall fashions and pot companions though there be enough recorded in Gods book against them in all of these Me thinks I heare you say there are many great Schollers will maintaine the lawfulnesse and that it is condemned only by a company of strict lacea Puritans and men of meane parts and learning Give me leave to speak the words of truth and sobernesse you say cards dice drinking and merry company are things lawfull 1 Cor. 6.12 but answer me 1. are they expedient 2. Doe they edify you 3. Are they not brought under the power of these things these practices Alas who sees not such as thus seek to please the flesh that they do displease God their merry company makes them to distast the society of Saints their dicing and drinking makes them to loath the hearing and reading of Gods word yea Bible and the pack of Cards are like the Arke and Dagon they will not stand together Let me therefore advise you not to be too presumptuous upon the lawfulnesse of these but consider expediency and edification that all be done soe that God may have glory and your selves may be edified more and more in Christ If you look not to this that which is lawfull in it selfe will be found unlawfull in you You will soon be brought under their power be captivated by what should be your servants Remember therefore what on saith and that most truly licitis perimus omnes the Whole world is undone by lawfull things i. e. lawfull things abused or misesteemed Was it not so with the old world when our Saviour speaketh of the destruction of the old world by water what doth our Saviour charge upon them as deserving this great and generall judgement he mentions only things that were both lawfull and necessary They did eate hey dranke they bought and sold they built and planted they married and were given in marriage See you any unlawfulnesse in any of these notwithstanding the giving themselves up to these things Luk. 17.27 suffering such practices to call them off from God God was highly displeased and themselves fearfully perished Oh therefore doe not presume upon the lawfulnesse of such things but if you have this holy tendernesse in thee examine all circumstances least God be offended and thy conscience so wounded as that thou canst find no peace within but in thy apprehension a very reprobate One word more by way of comfort unto you that are thus tender Use of Comfort possible it is that though you desire tendernesse and to hold a firme peace with conscience yet your conscience may frowne upon you and so you conclude against your selfe that God is angry with you according to that of the Apostle 1. Joh 3.21 If our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things i.e. if our conscience condemne us then God will condemne us much more but your Conscience you say doth condemne you and therefore your condition is very sad before God To give you satisfaction in this I must confesse it is most true that when conscience doth check accuse condemne upon right information there is no hope of avoiding the sentence of God by any close carriage by which we may thinke to shift and hide our selves and our actions from his eyes Yet this hinders not but that sometimes the conscience may condemne where God doth not For though it always judge for God and on his side yet it doth not alwaies judge with God and according to his direction but sometimes it may be that with Jobs friends it makes a lye or God and yet not purposely but through misinformation or prejudice while it lookes on the worst and not on the best that is to say on the present and particular indisposition of the heart and not on the sincere and generall disposition of it Such for want of better light in that particular may feare where no feare is but let me tell such they have a most gracious God that takes no notice of such failings but pardoneth and passeth by the transgressions of his people as if he saw is not Mic. 7.18 Therefore let such tender ones support their spirits upon that sweet and gracious promise of Christ Is 42.3 not to breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax i.e. God will not deale harshly with such weake and feeable ones but support and comfort them for though their light be little and burne dimlie yet the Lord will not extinguish it but snuffe it and make it burne more cleerly Consider when your Conscience doth accuse whether it proceed from sufficient light out of the word of God or from wrong information If from light received out of the word of God her sentence is divine and we are to regard it but if otherwise upon wrong information it is the error of conscience and our remedy is by sending conscience to seek the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God Againe if conscience present unto you sins which you committed many years agoe and whereof you have repented For we are to know that albeit after Repentance the Lord forgives the guiltinesse of sin yet he will have the memory thereof to remaine in that conserving faculty of Conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serve to humble us for the evill we have done as also to preserve us from sin for the time to come Againe if conscience accuse us for sin committed and not repented it is Gods great mercy who by inward troubles wakens us to judge our selves here that we may not be condemned of the Lord hereafter Obiect Now if any prophane Belialist shall at last say what need all this adoe concerning a good conscience have not all men a good conscience Answ To such I answer in some sence they have a good conscience namely a conscience which is metaphysically and naturally good and so they may and yet go to hell But the conscience that brings with it a continuall feast and is accompanied with grace in this life and glory in the life to come It is more then metaphysically or naturally good It is spiritually and supernaturally good 1. A conscience purged and pacified by the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.14 2. A conscience habitually exercised to inoffensivenesse both to God and man Act. 24.16 3. A conscience that desires to be compleatly good in all things and alwaies Act. 23.1 4. A conscience that will approve it selfe good even in the sight of God Act. 23.1 1 Pet 3.21 5. A conscience that will give testimony of thy hearts simplicity and godly sincerity and sopport thee under greatest troubles and distresses 2 Cor. 1.8 9.10 11 12. Now if upon a serious search thou canst evidence such a conscience I must tell thee thou hast obteined great favour from the Lord and art enriched with so rich a Iewell that far surpasseth all the wealth of the world and can never be worne by the men of this world Rejoice therefore in the Lord alwaies and acquaint thy Christian friends with it that you may rejoice together yea eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God hath accepted thee Eccl. 9.7 The conclusion is this Conclusion Christians Conclusiour Consciences are all obscured corrupted and depraved through Adams fall It is the part of every one to labour to reduce conscience to its prime purity againe When a Compasse is out of frame we touch the needle of the Compasse with a Loadstone that the stone may draw it right to the Pole againe So let our minds be touched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace that they may come back to the Lord as to the Pole and quiet themselves in Christ as their true sole and perfect Saviour Let this be your daiely prayer unto God and constant endeavour who only can sanctify us throughout in spirit soule and body who can make every part and member of our bodies with every power and faculty of our soules weapons of Righteousnesse to doe him service Now unto him that is able to make you to stand upright before him and to keep you from falling Jud. 24.25 and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only Wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen April 5th 1656. FINIS