work of God upon the soule that it makes a man laborious to do every divine thing exact according to that divine manner which God in hiâ— word prescribes 'T is not thus with an hypocrite he is lead by customes and makes it a matter of conscience not to swerve from these how incongruous so ever to the word of God Or els he is fearefully given over to a careless Spirit to doe divine things as hits he cares not how any way or no way all is one Or else he is desperatly pinned to his owne will being wiser in his owne eyes then ten men that give a reason Thus thus he will walke say all the world what they will is it not thus with you If you tell me that yet you hold out weight by the ballance of the sanctuarie I am glad yet possibly you may be one graine too light Are ye laborious to doe all Gods will that God may have all the glory due to his name Do ye not sacrifice to your owne ners and take the glory to your selves of your labours like Herod When men applaud you is not this to you as the rubbing of a Parrat upon the head very pleasing and that which makes you hugge your selves within your owne thoughts Is not this great Babell which I have built Could such a thing have beene done if I had not done it Or could any man have done it so well as I Looke in upon your spirits before but specially after divine duties and see whether you doe not seeke your selves in them more then the glory of Christ Doe ye not give almes to be accounted liberall men and that the poore may applaud you for good men and good house-keepers Doe ye not blow a Trumpet when you give almes that is so distribute your charity as may be most advantagious to your owne repute in the world Do ye not let your left hand know still what your right hand doth Are ye not dampt in your designes of charity and bounty when 't is to goe forth in such a way as if it were cast upon waters or into the bottome of a Well where no eye can see nor no tongue speake of your good workes nor no likely'ud of the least returne Doe ye not looke for much observance from such to whom you doe much And repent of your kindnesse when men doe not answere it in thankfulnesse Doe ye eye Christs command and out of love to him give upon all just occasions as unto him Are those that are religious tendered and succoured by you in their bonds and miseries as if you were bound with them according to the divine rule Doe ye not in prayer more looke at words and expressions then to your spirits Doe ye not pray in the market-places That is so pray that others may observe you and blaze abroad that you are very devout persons Are ye not industrious to pray well as you call it in publike and carelesse and perfunctory when you pray in private Are ye not more constant a great deale in the performance of publike then in the performance of private prayers where there is no observer nor applauder but God which sees and heares in secret Doe ye not after prayer hug your owne gifts and admire your apt expressions dexterity of utterance and to thinke much that you have no more thankes given you for your paines and that those that joyned with you were no more affected Doe ye not pin your spirits to your owne acute studied formes and praiers in print boasting of things made ready to your hand as the Apostle speakes and scoffe at the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Doe ye not preach your selves and not Christ and more looke at words then matter to please men then to please God Doe ye labour to approve your selves to every mans conscience or to every mans fancie Doe ye not put plaine truths into abstruse termes a new coat upon old divinitie and strive to soare in drie Metaphysicall straines above your owne and others apprehension Doe ye not build hay and stubble upon the true foundation the opinions of Fathers and Schoolemen and the tenents of proud time-servers whom God hath given over to a Spirit of delusion to believe lies because they received not the truth in the love of it Doe ye aime at conviction conversion or ostentation in your preaching Doth it not almost make you sicke like Ahab that your claborate Sermons in places of eminent note have not yet brought you to a fat living Doe ye not preach Christ out of envie as the Apostle speakes to bring about your wicked designes and to vend your malicious spirits against the godly Doe ye not wrest the word of Christ to confirme your time-serving tenents to maintaine your voluptuous loitering life And if so is this in simplicity and godly sincerity to have your conversation in the world To you that by what hath beene said see that you are yet unsound at heart that you doe not in simplicity and godly sincerity order your conversation in this world I have three things to say Labour to be affected with your unsoundnesse Then judge your selves that you may never be judged of the Lord And then begge the cure of your foule disease First labour to be affected with your unsoundnesse This is the killing mischiefe of hypocrisie that it is hard and difficult throughly to be found out and truely to be bewailed Hypocrisie is vitium latens vitium transfigurans vitium adulans vitium obdurans a hidden a transforming a flattering and a hardening vice 1 'T is a hidden vice The heart is deceitfull and desperately wicked who can know it saith the Prophet The spirit of a man may know the things of a man but deceit and guile this lurkes and skulkes in such hidden corners of the heart that the spirit of man does not know it And hence it is that multitudes thinke themselves very sincere which yet are very unsound A man may discerne drunkennesse swearing and whoring in himselfe and yet all this while be utterly unable to see the hypocrisie of his spirit and hence 't is that you shall have drunkards swearers and whore-masters to confesse these vices and yet plead for the goodnesse of their hearts and meanings too 2 When the unsoundnesse of the heart is discovered by the word and spirit of God then hypocrisie becomes vitium transfigurans a transforming vice The heart strives now to put faire glosses upon foule matters to put a beautifull vizzard upon the uglie face of sinne and to appeare in the eye of awakened conscience quite of another colour or at least nothing so uglie as the word of God would make it to be 3 If this will not stop the mouth of complaining conscience then it becomes vitium adulans a flattering vice The heart tells conscience now that 't is true things are bad but God is very good he is not extreame to marke what is
sorrowes are the strongest The sorrowes of hell compassed me saith the Psalmist To turne aside from uprightnesse and holinesse was the practice of the evill angels for whom hell was first founded and therefore God doth borrow some sorrowes from thence to punish such sinnes in his children which carry a neere similitude to their sinne that similes vitio may be similes supplicio like in sinne may be like in punishment The sorrowes which God inflicts upon revolters for similitude sake are called the sorrowes of hell The sorrowes of hell God distributeth in anger as Job saith How oft is tho candle of the wicked put out and oft commeth their destruction upon them God â—istributeth sorrowes in his anger Ioh. 21.17 So the sorrowes which God distributeth to his people when they turne aside from their sincere walking are from God as with an angry frowning visard upon his face as if he were indeed very angry as indeed he is with the sinne though not with the person of the godly for he hates sinne in all with a perfect hatred The sorrowes which God will distribute to thee by accusing conscience when thou haltest shall be such as in which thou shalt see nothing but the angry face of God and this will make thee tremble sorrow as the Lord speakes of the Babylonians Jer. 51.29 as the very damned in hell doe as one that feeleth the very sorrowes of hell to compasse thee God looking angerly upon the earth it trembleth saith the Psalmist Psal 104.32 The earth is the vastest and gravest body under Heaven and therefore least apt to shaking the foundations of it were laid by Gods owne immediat hand and yet if God doe but looke angerly upon this firme stable body so transcendantly founded it trembleth how much more then needs must man which is but a little dust of that grave vast body shake and tremble when God as an angry God lookes upon him Secondly the sorrowes of hell are such as principally torture the spirit The fire which we make can onely burne and torture the bodies of men because this onely of man is materiall Igris socalis iâ—… material â—on â—…quit Phâ—loâ—…phâ—… immaterials as the soules of men are our fire cannot fasten upon but that strange fire which God hath kindled in hell for all that disobey him burnes the soules of men though immateriall substances Nay so strange is that fire that it burnes these immateriall substances most fiercely as being the most sinfull part of man for 't is onely sinne that pitches and defiles the soule and makes it combustible which otherwise would never burne if all the fiery artists of hell did blow the bellowes Now just such is that fire which conscience kindles upon the breach of integrity to wit a fire that principally tortures the spirit of man a fire that burnes inwardly and consumes the marrow of the bones and drinkes up the spirits The arrowes which conscience shootes in upon a man upon the breach of sincerity are such as pierce principally the spirit As long as Iob was patient under Gods hand he felt the arrowes of the Almighty onely without him as I may say to wit in his body in his children and substance but when he brake out and cursed his day he presently complaines that he felt the arrowes of God within him that the poison of them did drinke up his spirits Iob 6.4 All that which before he felt without was nothing to that which he now felt within upon his spirit as the torments which damned wretches shall suffer in their bodies are nothing to those which shall continually flee up and downe within their soules So David after he had made breaches in his integrity God filled his loines with loathsome diseases but this was nothing to speake of God made things strike into his heart and then he roared I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart David felt paines gather about his heart and then he cries out The heart is the marke that God principally aimes at when a Christian hath turned aside from his upright course other outward parts he may hit and deepely wound but this is but to make holes into the heart where the seat of unsoundnesse that principally offends him is The fire which conscience kindles it may flash forth into the eyes and tongue and hands and make a man looke fearefully speake desperately and doe bloodily against the body but the heate of the fire is principally within in the furnace in the spirit 't is but some sparkles and flashes onely that you see come forth at the lower holes of the Furnace which you behold in the eyes words and deeds of such men Thirdly the sorrowes of hell are torturing but yet not such as utterly consume and end the soule The fire which we make let it fasten on never so hard a thing yet it will consume it in length of time But that strange fire that God hath kindled in hell for all that disobey him though it burne with the greatest fiercenesse that can be conceived yet it never consumes the soules of those that are now burned in it no nor yet the bodies that shall hereafter be burned in it Damned soules are ever burning and yet never burned ever a consuming and yet never consumed and this addes infinitely to the misery of the damned Even such is that sire which conscience kindles in the soule of man upon the breach of integrity 'T is a fire that will burne and torture the soule day and night but never consume it He-man complaines that this fire burnt so fiercely in his soule that it distracted his spirit but yet did not end his spirit While I suffer thy terrour I am distracted Psal 88.15 The terrours that conscience kindles in the spirit will racke the spirit rend and teare limme from limme faculty from faculty and make the spirit mad with horrour and anguish but yet for all this not put a period to the spirit he shall be as susceptive and as sensible of tortures to day as yester-day and to-morrow as to day and next weeke as this weeke next yeere as this yeere the last day of his life as the first day they begun if God doe not admirably intercept Conscience hangs the soule in chaines alive upon the breach of integrity and there lets the soule beate himselfe bite and gnaw himself but yet cannot when he would end himselfe and this makes every torture double O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Why what Iob dost thou long for Why even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off No Iob your spirit has hanged but a while 't is not dead yet and therefore it shall not be cut down The things that Jobs soule refused to touch were made by conscience his daily sorrowfull meate and this Gall and
fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly to you-wards These words are the Apostles divine narration of their happy condition in misery And they containe two principall things usefull for all men to be well acquainted withall to wit true joy and the true ground of this desirable grace which the Apostle here makes sincerity and that testimony which conscience gives thereof to the Soule For our rejoycing is this what why the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity that is in integrity and uprightnesse not with fleshly wisedome that is not with humane policy and eloquence as men proudly depending upon our owne parts and subtilly seeking our owne ends in our preaching and living but by the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the grace of God saith the originall that is in the strength and assistance of God which is a speciall fruit of his grace and favour We have had our conversation in the World that is we have carried our selves in life and doctrine amongst all and more aboundantly to you-wards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but specially amongst you saith the Originall Divine joy is set forth unto us in this Text according to its proper subject and according to its proper rise The proper subject of divine joy is the righteous man as the Psalmist frequently notes And this man is made the subject of Divine joy in my Text For our reioycing c. that is we which are sincere hypocrits have nothing to doe with divine joy Their joy is suiteable to their spirits deceit-full that which will flee from them and not stand by them as this joy of the Apostles did when trials come For our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boasting is this so the word in the originall strictly taken signifies Divine boasting notes divine joy in the conspicuous act thereof It notes joy as it hath strongly seized upon the heart within and it notes joy as it hath strongly seised upon the tongue and face and hands without so that it is all one as if the Apostle had said the cause of our strong and open rejoycing is this What That they had made provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it No divine joy hath not such a Diabolicall rise The proper rise of divine joy is the testimony of a pure conscience concerning the uprightnesse of a mans conversation and this was the rise of Pauls and Timothies joy in affliction Their conscience bore witnesse with them that in integrity and uprightnesse not in flattery policie and subtilty they had preached and lived amongst all men as those that depended upon the strength and aid of Christin everything and not upon any abilities of their owne though they were endowed with greater humane gifts then any the false Apostles had Thus they carried themselves in a plaine downright faithfull way where ever they came to publish the Gospell of Christ but specially amongst the Corinthians To other Churches Paul used a more insinuating way of preaching but to this Church of the Corinthians all plainnesse and homelinesse sparing no expressions that might fully set forth their wicked waies and throughly awaken their drousie consciences as hereafter in due place God willing I shall shew unto you The Church of the Corinthians of all the Churches which Paul or other of the Apostles had planted was most loose every way and therefore Paul did not content himselfe with hints overtures and wrap up bitter Pils in sugred glib-goe-down words but with all godly boldnesse and plainnesse beyond what he did to other Churches he reproved them for and upbraided them with their wickednesse which is that he would have us apprehend in this last clause of my Text. But specially amongst you Doctrinae deductie Severall propositions are to be noted in this verse thus opened as first this That in simplicity and godly sincerity we ought to have our conversation in this World This truth is plainly intimated by the Apostle for he rejoyced that he had so ordered his conversation as Christ required not flattering and fauning with fleshly wisedome in his preaching to sooth men in their sinnes and to bring about his owne ends as false Apostles did but faithfully reproving every vice sparing no plainenesse of speech to such as otherwise would not be brought to see and bewaile their sinnes Whether this way of preaching were pleasing or displeasing to the World whether it brought honour or disgrace to himselfe from the world he heeded not whilst he knew 't was suitable walking to the Will of God Doct. 2. A second proposition is this That conscience can give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of a mans conversation This truth is also plainely intimated in that the Apostle makes the testimony of his conscience concerning his integrity the ground of his joy For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome which had beene hypocriticall but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World c. Doct. 3. A third proposition is this That consciousnesse to our selves of the simplicity and sineerity of our conversation will yield us joy in the midst of troubles This truth is also intimated by the Apostle for in the midst of all his troubles and miseries he rejoyed in this that his conscience could beare witnesse with him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had ordered his conversation in this world Doct. 4. A fourth and last point observable is this That there be speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity which ought to be observed and answerably to declare and shew our selves in our places This truth is also plainly set forth unto us in the Text for Paul and Timothy thus carried themselves in their places toward the Church of Corinth which became very openly and grossely wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but specially amongst you They had declared sincerity and uprightnesse in their ministry amongst other Churches by a faithfull reproving of them as occasion required but no Church so scandalously carried themselves as this Church and therefore this Church needed above all others to be more throughly dealth withall which the Apostles as sincere men considered and answerably carryed themselves Doct. 1. I begin with the first of these to wit That in simplicity and godly sincority we ought to have our conversation in this World Paul could not justly have joyed in the simplicity and sincerity of his conversation had not his conscience told him that so to walke was to walke as Christ had commanded him Christs charge to his Apostles when he sent them forth was that they should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simple as Doves Mat. 10.16 that they should teach men to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28.20 now Pauls conscience and Timothies both
bore witnesse with them that thus they had walked in their places and this made them to rejoyce in the midst of all the hardship they underwent As they had this charge in particular so they had this charge in generall with all the seed of Abraham in these words Walke before me and be thou persect that is sincere Gen. 17.1 So that they had broken a double â—ond had they not simply and sincerely ordered their conversation Simplicity is a terme which sometimes notes folly How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and fooles hate knowledge Prov. 1.22 In my Text this tearme is opposed to double-mindednesse and such men have usually more with then they use well and signifies a unity and identity betweene the heart and tongue what the tongue saies the heart really intends and so taken it sounds the same with sincerity and therefore are coupled together here by the Apostle as Synonyma's contermini words of the same signification Sincerity is either Morall or Theologicall Morall sincerity I call such a qualification of spirit as leads a man to doe to others as he would be done to himselfe A rectitude of spirit in relation to men Such a sincere man 't is probable was Abimelech King of Gerar. He tooke Abrahams wife unto him she being very beautifull but this he would not have done had he knowne her to have beene Abrahams wife for Abraham had told him that she was his sister and therefore God bore witnesse with Abimelech concerning his integrity In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this said Abimelech and God said unto him yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart Gen. 20.6 Such a sincere man was that yong man which came to our Saviour and told him that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth He gave to every man his due and lived orderly amongst his neighbours and therefore he judged himselfe as good as needed to be Morall sincerity is close hypocrisie Morall sincerity is like some counterfeit Pearles which make a faire shew to looke upon but deceive both buyer and beholder Multitudes thinke that because their spirits are so over-ruled by God that they doe no injury to man that therefore they are endowed with godly sincerity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincerity of God as the originall here cals it The truth is Morall sincerity is the sincerity of God too for 't is his restraining corrupt man which otherwise would be as prophane towards man outwardly as he is towards God inwardly I withheld thee from sinning against me said God to Abimclech Gen. 20.6 A morall sincere man is but an out-side holy man but observes it not and therefore I think called by some a close hypocrit But this is not that sincerity of God which my Text speaks of Godly sincerity or the sincerity of God which my Text speakes of is a speciall work of God upon the soule of man making him laborious to walke according to Gods Will in all things that God may have all the glory due to his Name First I say that godly sincerity is a speciall worke of God upon the soule c. Genus in Definitione This Genus the Apostle confirmes in my text calling sincerity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincerity of God That is that sincerity which is after a speciall manner wrought of God in the heart of man So likewise else-where the Apostle solemnely praies for sincerity in the behalfe of the Philippians which plainâ—y shewes that sincerity is not Quid proveniens a natura a thing growing naturally in man And this I pray saith the Apostle that your love may abound that you may approve the things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ Phil. 1.9,10 The heart of man naturally is deceitfull not sincere desperately wicked not truely good more opposite to sincerity then to any thing as things corrupted carry a greater dissimilitude to what they were then to any thing else which they never were The Divell is more opposite to the goodnesse of an Angell which once he had then to any lower good which he never formally had which is a torment that lyes upon him as a part of his judgement God made man upright that is for qualification suitable to his owne will apt and able to walke in all holy waies blamelesse Man voluntarily loosing this as the Divell did that through pride is with the Divell more dislike to himselfe then to any thing below himselfe he is more like a Lyon a Leopard a Tyger a Beare a Wolfe a Serpent a Toad a Stocke a Stone then man in innocency and more violently opposite to uprightnesse and justice naturally then any creature below him is and therefore is the heart of man naturally said to be deceitfull above all things and desperatly wicked beyond knowledge Ier. 17.9 which is enough to demonstrate that godly sincerity cannot be a natura and if not of nature then of grace There is no fallacy in this disjunctive argument Cuâ—…ulus accidentium in definitione Making a man laborious c. that is constantly laborious willingly laborious and laborious according to all his strength First sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it makes a man laborious to doe the Will of God Salomon confirmes this where he saith That the labour of the righteous tendeth to life Prov. 10.16 that is to a holy and happy life A sincere man is laborious to lead a holy life to order all his conversation according to the holy rule of Gods Word That thus this clause is to be interpreted I collect from the following clause which by way of antithesis the Wise man delivers The fruit of the wicked to sinne The whole proverb put together hath the force of a comparison in it As the labour of the wicked tends to sinne so the labour of the righteous tends to holinesse and so consequently to happinesse Sincerity hath more in it then an applauding of holinesse Thou art more righteous then I Thy going in and out before me in the host is good Sincerity hath more in it then a lasie wishing for holinesse O that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like his Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it sets a man a labouring for holinesse Wherefore we labour that is we which are sincere that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 2 Cor. 5.9 that is that we may live holily and die happily whereas all other men labour after vanities and so consequently their labours tend to sinne and so to death as Salomon saith Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it makes a man see a transcendant worth in the will of God and worth begets love as the Sunne drawes forth the spring and love
and no other way to all good For the Lord God is a Sunne and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly Psal 84.11 If we would have the light of Gods smiling countenance to shine upon our soules which is ten thousand times more glorious and reviving then the Sunne we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Sunne to such and to none else God is angry with the wicked every day saith the Prophet and being angry with them every day he cannot smile upon their soules as the Sunne doth upon all creatures but frowne and knit the browes against them God dwels as a convincer and reprover and not as a comforter in the hearts of hypocrits God feeds mens soules with gall and wormewood with bitters not with sweets with a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which have not their conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity in this world A Hell and not a Heaven shall men that walke not uprightly have within their owne hearts If we would have protection we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Shield onely to such He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly his place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks Isa 33.15 God is a consuming fire and not a defence unto the hypocrit In a word if a man would have grace or glory or any good thing else that he can name he must walke in this way to obtaine it to wit in simplicity and godly sincerity for in no other way hath God engaged himselfe to bestow any good upon man but all evill The Israelites going out on the Sabbath day to finde Manna found nothing but a curse and the reason because out of Gods way God will distribute blessings in his owne way if we decline this way God will inflict curses and not blessings Now upright walking is that way in which God hath promised to bestow all good and none else and therefore we ought thus to walke 'T is fit we should come to God and not God to us 't is fit that unholy man should conforme to a holy God and not a holy God to unholy man 1 Finally we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the World that so the world which lies in wickednesse may be left without excuse both in regard of their wickednesse towards God and his children Wicked men complaine of Christ that he is a hard master looking to reape where he did not sow that this and that precept is a hard saying none can obey it And others complaine that the world is so full of occasions and provocations that 't is impossible to walke uprightly Others that times are so hard and dead that they cannot live of their callings if they should deale justly and walke uprightly Now Christ will stop the mouthes of all these at the great day by setting before them those that have lived in the same ages of the world in the same employments in the world under the same government of Christ in the world and yet have kept themselves unspotted of the world and have in simplicity and godly sincerity had their conversation in the world and then shall Christ be cleare when he judges and liars mouthes shall be stopt and be like the man that wanted a wedding garment And therefore we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world every one in his place that so Christ may doe this service by us against the wicked at the great day 2 Againe that wicked men may be left without excuse as in regard of their wickednesse towards God so in regard of their wickednesse towards Gods children Now the wicked persecute the godly with tongue and hand and pretend just ground for their practice that the godly are as he falsely said of the Prophet troublers of Israel enemies to Church and State But at the great day the searcher of all hearts will lay open all things according to truth and make it plainely appeare to men and Angels that they had their conversation in this world in simplicity and godly sincerity and so guiltlesse of all that the wicked accused them of and punished them for and then will Christ be cleare when he judges these wretches for condemning the generation of the just Wherefore we ought to walke sincerely and blamelessely in this world that so the wicked may have no plea for their wicked proceedings against us or against the righteous proceeding of Christ against them Ought we in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world Why then let us examine our selves and see whether we thus walke Are ye laborious that is constantly laborious willingly laborious laborious according to all your strength to doe all Gods will that he may have all the glory due to his Name Looke backe and call to minde how this description of sincerity was opened and lay open your hearts and lives by it and see whether they agree or not Are ye laborious to doe the will of God Or doe ye not the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 and so stand lyable to that dreadfull curse denounced by Ieremy Doe ye not rest in bodily exercises which profit nothing 'T is the least labour in the world to bring the outward man to duties the labour of labours is about the heart to bring that to duties are ye laborious about this Are ye watchfull over your Spirits and laborious about your inward man that this in every thing may goe along with the outward man to obey God 'T was that the Lord of old upbraided his people withall that they were laborious according to the outward man to come to Church and to be at all divine exercises but they were carelesse respecting their hearts which God most lookt at and let this runne loose after vanity And they come unto thee as thy people commeth and they sit before thee as thy people and they heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 God most lookes at the heart how that is entire to or loose from himselfe Are ye most laborious about that which God most lookes at or doe ye not least minde that which God lookes at most In this consists the power of godlinesse to be laborious about the inward man to bring this to be obedient to the will of God My Sonne give me thy heart Neglect this and thou wert as good sit still as labour at all about thy outward man to bring that to be holy thy labour about outside holinesse is to God as the cutting off of a dogs necke and God will upbraid thy labour as he did those hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisees who washed the out-side of the Cup and Platter Possibly some of you may thinke that you hold weight
well enough by this That you are laborious according to the outward man and according to the inward man to doe the will of God but put in one weight more into the Scales and Ballance of the sanctuary to wit this Are ye constantly laborious to doe the will of God Tell me which way the Scales turne now Sincerity makes a man constantly laborious to doe the will of God as you have largely heard doe you thus labour Or are ye not quickly weary in wel-doing so weary as to leave off the worke Thou art watchfull over thy spirit to day but art thou not as carelesse about it to morrow The godly are subject to wearisomenesse and fainting in their minds as the Apostle intimates in their labouring about and watching with an unruly heart but they are never so weary as to give over the worke David was wearied often with his groanings they were so deepe and breathed out so many precious Spirits but yet as fresh strength came he kept on groaning still under the heavie burthen of a bad heart and never left labouring about his spirit to bring it to be more and more composed entire and one with God as long as he lived But unsound Christians are quickly weary in labouring about their hearts just in that sense which God is said to be weary of repenting Ier. 15.6 Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backeward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee I am weary of repenting That is I will repent no more I will forbeare the execution of my threatnings no longer So rotten hearts are wearied with repenting soule searching and soule watching that they will repent no more nor maintaine inward industry about their soules no more but judge of it upon a little triall as that which will shorten their lives or at least utterly end the felicity of their lives and at last cry it downe as an unnecessary and unreasonable service Is it not thus with you Possibly yet some of you may think that you hold weight well enough by the Ballance of the Sanctuary But put in one weight more and tell me which way the scales turne then Are ye willingly and cheerefully laborious to doe the will of God Doe you finde any soule sweetnesse in your soule labours Or are they not as the disease of the stone strong tortures without the least tang of sweetnesse Is it not as death unto thee to be searching humbling watching and observing thy spirit a day Doest thou not shunne and avoid occasions as much as thou canst that may make thee to looke in upon thy spirit to checke it in its vaine way as that which is like the pricking of thy right eye Doest thou not make frivolous excuses and needlesse businesse to put by Davids opportunities of private commerce with God and thine owne soule as one that findeth no pleasure nor profit in this service of God Doest thou not wish that Prayers were over Sermons over the Lords day over that thou mightest be selling Corne and following thy secular employments and carnall sports and delights as those wherein thou findest more soule content then in any divine thing 'T is a joy to the just to doe judgement saith Solomon T is the sweetest pleasure in the world to an upright man to be in upright holy waies doing uprightly to God and man Gods word Gods ordinances Gods people Gods service in every part thereof are all transcendently sweet to an upright soule Sweeter then honey that is sweeter then the sweetest earthly content And the more spirituall divine duties and exercises are the more pleasing and taking still to an upright soule Duties of most seriousnesse and strictnesse are of most soule sweetnesse to him Is it thus with you Possibly yet some of you may thinke that you hold weight well enough by this Ballance of the Sanctuarie But put in one graine more and tell me whether thou be not found too light then Are ye laborious according to all your strength to doe the will of God Doe you reach forth and presse forward as Saint Paul saith that is put out all your strength to obey the will of God this in Scripture where sincerity is pressed unto is called a serving of God with all our hearts You take a little pains to obey the will of God but could you not take a great deale more if you listed 'T was the unsoundnesse of the Jewes that when they could have brought Males and legitiâ—…e sacrifices they brought to save their purses maimed and deformed sacrifices And so 't was the unsoundnesse of Saul that he could have killed Agag and the fat of the Cattell as well as the rest of the Amalekits if he would And is it not your hypocrisie that you could doe a great deale more to please God then you doe if you listed Doe not by and selfe ends make you pluck in your hornes and suspend your selves parts and abilities from God service Doth not the feare of the losse of your liberties livings lives and the like make you speake lesse for God and doe lesse for God then he hath given you ability and opportunity to doe Doe ye not put forth your parts in the service of God in reference to the safety of your skin and not in reference to Gods command which calls for all our might in his service If you tell me that you hold weight yet by the ballance of the sanctuary why put in yet one graine more and tell me whether the skales do not stand without poising either way Are ye laborious according to all your strength to doe all Gods will according to that holy rule Deut. 15.5 Onely if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all these Commandements which I command thee this day You doe with Herod by meanes of powerfull preaching and sharpe affliction reforme many things peradventure but doe ye labour to reforme all things To divorce your selves from your Herodias To pull out right eyes and to cut off right hands To mortifie your members which are upon earth that is the sinnes of your soules which are as deare unto you as the members of your bodies or doe ye not spare Agag and the fat of your lusts pleasing sinnes and profitable sinnes Doe you observe doctrine and discipline matter and manner in the worship and service of God You pray but doe ye pray fervently You pray but doe ye watch and pray You heare the word of God but doe ye take heed how ye heare You receive the Sacrament but doe ye examine you selves and so eate You goe to the house of God about holy duties but do ye look to your feet when you approach so neere unto God you give to the poore but do you give chearfully You give but do you give liberally You know the Scripture calls for manner as well as matter manner is all in all with God And sincerity is such a speciall
an accuser acquiter and comforter was in Adam before his fall As long as Adam obeyed the commandement of God there was no cause that conscience should accuse him but as soone as he disobeyed Gods commandement conscience flew in his face as appeares by his flying from the face of God Which plainely shewes us this truth that conscience was in Adam before his fall but did not begin to accuse ' til Adam began to sin Secondly conscience say I is a naturall power which the joule of man hath c. Now whether this power be in the understanding onely or partly in the understanding and partly in the will I finde controverted amongst the learned My opinion I here humbly lay downe but I undertake not to state and determine the controversie This power we speak of I conceive to be a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely transcendently seconded by the power of the holy Ghost Saint Iohn confirmes the first that it is a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely where speaking of this power in the soule saith And hereby we doe know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 That is as if Iohn had said We doe view our waies by the word of God which is an act onely of the understanding and finding them to be in some measure levell with that holy rule we have this comfortable reflection backe upon our soules that our faith is not a fancy but a faith which worketh by love and so sincere and saving which reflection is no other as I conceive but an act of the understanding collecting a divine conclusion from divine premises He that keepeth Gods Commandements knoweth God savingly that he may safely conclude but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this I know for I have viewed the Commandements of God and my life by them and therefore I know that is I am assured that I truely and savingly know God which is no other but that power in the soule which we call conscience The Apostle Saint Paul I conceive confirmes the second that it is a reflect act of the understanding transcendently seconded by the holy Ghost where he saith My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 That is my conscience transcendantly seconded and assisted by the holy Ghost doth strongly testifie to my soule that I am full of bowels towards my kinsmen after the flesh and could doe any thing or suffer any thing for their good The order according to which the holy Ghost strikes in with conscience is this The understanding makes a double proposition one grounded in the word of God the other in the heart of man as thus He that keepeth the Commandements of God truely loves God this proposition is grounded in the word of God but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this is grounded in the heart of man And then drawes a conclusion from both therefore I doe truely love God This conclusion whilst holy and drawne from divine premises to wit the word of God and the grace of God in the heart of man the Spirit of God strikes in with the soule in making this conclusion and assists the weake soule so that he concludes thus with strong confidence that he truely loves God and not onely secretly assistes but seconds and saies the same thing to man that his owne spirit doth Then is fulfilled that of the Apostle the Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God If the premisses be corrupt which the understanding makes for the minde makes propositions suitable to the light that is in it from which to argue the goodnesse or badnesse of man then the Divell that lying spirit strikes in and seconds the soule in that corrupt conclusion which he collects from corrupt principles concerning himselfe So that now the deluded soule is peremptory and wiser then ten men that give a reason in these is fulfilled that of the Apostle Their minds and consciences being defiled Thirdly I affirme conscience to be a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures c. Bruite beasts have no conscience and yet they better serve God in their kind then many of us which have conscience Bruit beasts want reason and therefore are not capable subjects of conscience and yet against reason and against conscience man ofttimes does worse then a beast Fourthly conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to bear witnesse with or against him By the former part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its being in the soule It is a naturall power c. By the latter part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its office in the soule The office of conscience according to the description here given consists in two things First conscience compares a mans waies by some rule Secondly Conscience beares witnesse with or against a man according as a mans waies agree or disagree with that rule First say I conscience compares a mans waies by some rule If the understanding be enlightened with the truth to wit the word of God then conscience compares the waies of man by a perfect rule to wit the word of God But if the understanding be inlightned with naturall and morall principles onely then conscience compares a mans waies according to these principles only and so by an imperfect rule For 't is my judgment with submission to better that conscience in every man followes that light which the understanding holds up unto it This I know that a man may and often doth goe against conscience but conscience goes not against that light which the understanding holds up unto it A man may outwardly say this or that contrary to the light of his understanding but conscience inwardly speakes at the same time according to that light I will further cleare this unto you by an apt example Paul you know zealously persecuted the Church of God and his conscience for ought that I can finde never checkt him but doubtlesse rather acquitted him for it I meane as long as he remained unconverted And the reason I thinke is sufficiently rendred where 't is said that he did it ignorantly That is according to that light which his understanding held up unto him he thought he did God good service in sheading the blood of his Saints which me thinkes makes manifest what I say that conscience still followes the light of the understanding The Apostle Paul persecuted the Church of God and yet obtained mercie because saith the text he did it ignorantly hee did out of conscience as I may say shead the blood of the Saints But now the most men have received the knowledge of the truth therefore if now men persecute the Saints of
villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my Name which I have not commanded them even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord Jer. 29.23 By this we see that God the Father sees our sinnes and is a witnesse but because he will not be a witnesse in his own cause he will have two sufficient witnesses besides himselfe to wit Christ and conscience both very true The Divell would willingly be a witnesse against man as an evill spirit that knowes much by man but does not know so much as the Spirit of man which is in him and therefore not a sufficient witnesse But if that evill Spirit did know as much by man as mans owne evill spirit which is in him yet being corrupt he would prove a false witnesse against man a Knight of the Post and sweare any thing against man to bring as great misery upon him as is upon himselfe if he might be admitted for a witnesse such is his divellish hatred and malice to all beings better then his owne but therefore God will not admit of him as a witnesse for or against a man Two true witnesses will God have one without a man and another within him one in heaven and another in earth to wit Christ and conscience Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the People saith God the Father of Christ Isa 55.4 And this witnesse is in Heaven saith Iob Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Job 16.19 Not so in heaven that he is not also in earth or as if he were ignorant of any thing done in earth for then he could not be a sufficient witnesse Iob speakes of Christ according to his speciall place of residence and that is in heaven but Christ hath a Country house here below in our hearts where he hath one abiding continually that is equall to himselfe that tels him all to wit his spirit so that Christ is as competent a witnesse as conscience that sits as Register still in the heart and never stirres out of his place These two witnesses do as that man was commanded to doe which had a sheepe committed to his trust and the sheepe torne in pieces by wild beasts he was to bring some of that which was left some horne or hoofe or any part else that was left for a witnesse of the truth thereof Exod. 22.13 Thus Christ and conscience bring before God the soule those precepts which were by God committed to man to be kept and which he hath suffered his unruly heart to breake to pieces my meaning is so lively doe these two witnesses set before the sinner the breach of every precept according to every circumstance as ever any party under the Law could set before the owner the tearing in pieces of his cattell by the limmes and pieces thereof And this being done divine sentence is given and the soule must needs be silent being so legally handled and Angels and Saints be forc'd to breake forth and say Rightéous art thou O God in all thy waies and holy in all thy works Lastly God hath given this power to conscience to give testimony concerning mans simplicity or hypocrisie that so God at the great day may dispatch a great deale of weighty businesse speedily And I will come neere to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and false swearers saith the Lord Mal. 3.5 What the Lord then spake respecting a particular judgement the same will be Gods proceeding with all at the great day The bookes shall be opened Christs booke and the booke of conscience and so in a moment in the twinkling of an eye that is very speedily all things shall be cleare to Judge and malefactour without troubling Juries and other witnesses as we doe here which would make a long worke at that great assize and all persons be judged sent to their place and so righteously judged that not one shall open his mouth to complaine Now this could not possibly be a work speedily done if God had not given this power to conscience to reflect and give testimony and to be instead of better then a thousand witnesses beside and all debating pro and con betweene them The wisedome of God is here to be admired for he hath made such a witnesse to give testimony with Christ for or against a man every way so fit that nothing in the world can be judged so fit Christ we must all confesse to be very sit to be Gods Delegate because he came out of the bosome of God and knows exactly all his Lawes which he hath given man to observe which Angels doe not and man is a party and therefore both unfit But the holy Ghost cannot be judged fit to be mans Delegate because one with the Father and Sonne and so a party in the cause And as for Angels they know not neither the proposed rule exactly nor the aberrations of the Delinquent and as for men they are parties in the cause and so would juggle together and sweare one for another or at least as one flesh and bone with foolish pity spoile a City as we say that is they would speake flattering and halting and so over-turne justice at last after a great deale of doe with them Now to prevent all this danger toile and stirre God hath created such a power within man as to observe all things done by man and no lesse one with man then Christ is with the Father and therefore as inexceptible a Delegate for man on the one side as Christ is for God on the other side And these two of an instant without all disturbance distraction or turmoile give in exact evidence concerning mans integrity or hypocrisie and so speedily without all clamour sentence and execution and all is finished and the Judge of all the world does more weighty businesse in a moment and farre better then all the Judges in this world could do in the age of the world Having thus given you the point and the grounds of it let us see in the next place how usefull this may be unto us all Hath God given power to conscience to give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of mans waies Why then let us all take heed how we order our conversation in this world Give leave to your soules to thinke nothing speake nothing nor doe nothing but what you would have written downe and delivered into the Judge of all the world at the great day When we know a tale-teller is neare us we are very carefull what we say or doe Why we have alwaies a tell-truth in our bosomes where ever we goe or whatsoever we doe who will tell all to the Judge of all the world that we thinke speake or doe and therefore let us watch over our thoughts words and deeds and so thinke and so speake and so doe as those that looke to have the comfortable
of men Thus to order a mans conversation is to live sensually and not sincerely and therefore conscience gives testimony against this man and not with him and so consequently checks and curbs this joy and not causeth it conscience dampes this mirth much by griping the spirit now and then in the midst of laughter Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God as reconciled in Christ Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God c. Divine joy is therefore called spirituall because the subject of it is a spirit and the object of it is a spirit and all the manifestations of it spirituall The subject of divine joy is the spirit of man Divine joy doth not take onely the eare or the eye or the taste or the smell as carnall joy doth but the heart Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal 105.3 The heart is broken for sinne and this is made to rejoyce in Gods mercy as a pardoner of sinne the same bones which are broken are made to rejoyce Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thout hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51.8 Davids heart was so overcharged with sorrow that his bones were ready to breake in his body and in this he desired some divine refreshing that so all things out of order might be quieted and composed againe As sorrow is no sorrow unlesse it take the heart so joy is no joy unlesse it warme the Spirit And therefore saith David My soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation Psal 35.9 God doth honour that in man with joy with which man honours him by obedience now the soule of the upright obeyes God My Soule hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 19.167 and therefore God made Davids soule to rejoyce I delight to doe thy will O God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal 40.8 The Law of God was within Davids heart and therefore the joy of God was within his heart too Hypocrits doe not with their soules keepe Gods testimonies their righteousnesse is like Ephraims an outside righteousnesse that vanisheth and so answerably God giveth them an outside superficiall joy that soone vanisheth and perisheth They doe not set their hearts aright to obey God as David useth the expression Psal 78.8 and therefore God doth not tune and set their joy aright so that it jarres at the best their spirits and their faces are not alwaies merry together in the midst of laughter their hearts gripe them Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly and oft-times immediately Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly when at lowest A dram a sparkle the least measure of divine joy that can be thought of revives and makes glad the whole Spirit of man as a drop of strong water warmes the whole heart Hence 't is that David when he had but a drop of divine joy distilled into his heart as 't is but a drop of this heavenly liquor that our weake giddy soules can beare whilst here below presently he breakes out as a man warmed all over I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous workes Psal 9.1 The like phrase you shall finde David often speaking in David found his whole heart warmed by those sparkles of divine joy which God strooke in his darke dolorous heart and this fetcht life in him still when ready to faint and swoon and then all he returned to God againe which he gave him God warmed his whole heart with joy and he returned his whole heart to God in thankesgiving Divine joy warmes all that is within and all that is without soule and body and sets both at worke to praise God Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 All that was within David was warmed with divine joy and therefore all that was within him he would have should returne thankes and praise unto the Lord. Elsewhere he cals upon all without him And my soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation this is for all within him then in the next verse saith he All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Psal 35.9,10 Divine joy warmes all that is within a man and all that is without it warmes Spirit flesh and bones the whole man and sets all on fire to praise the Lord. As divine joy takes the Spirit wholly so it oft-times seises upon the Spirit immediately breaking forth in the heart as lightning without any certaine knowne medium by which to come into the soule David doth darkly hint this where he saith Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Psal 86.4 Thou needest not this to speake in or that creature to worke by to revive a drooping Spirit as if the Psalmist had said thou canst put joy and gladnesse into the sad soule of man by thine owne immediate worke as well as if forty Ministers were imployed this I beleeve that none without thee can rejoyce me but thou without any other canst doe it and therefore unto thee doe I lift up my soule Sometimes God doth worke by secondary meanes and inferiour instruments to rejoyce the soules of mourning sinners as David would have comforted Hanun by his messengers at other times he will make use of none but his owne Spirit to beare witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God and walke before him as obedient children and so rejoyces the soules of his people in troubles Thus did God rejoyce the soule of Paul and Timothy in their troubles and sorrowes by the Almighty worke of his Spirit he assured their spirits that they were his and that their waies were pleasing to him which made them thus to speake in the midst of miseries Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Secondly divine joy is called spirituall because the object of it is a spirit The object of divine joy is God who is a Spirit saith John Divine joy hath God for its immediate object and all other good things as beames of this Sunne as streams from this fountaine as mediat objects comming from and relating to God God alone is the object of divine joy Most true 't is that God hath alwaies in his right hand Heaven and in his left hand earth to wit all the Kingdomes of this world to bestow upon whom he will but had he neither or would he part with neither to any beside himselfe but keepe all in his owne hand yet an upright man would joy in him and desire no better object to let out his affections upon Although the Figge tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olives shall faile and the
Psalmist useth the expressions in relation to the hypocrit the man concerning whom I here treat of Psal 120.4 Wherefore I would exhort all you that are unsound at heart to beg upright hearts at the hands of God that you may walke uprightly and so have the testimony of conscience with you to rejoyce you in all your troubles You labour by hooke and by crooke to get wealth to stand by you and to comfort you in troubles and this will prove gravell in your bellies to torture you as Salomon affirmeth so farre will it be from comforting you in troubles The testimony of conscience concerning your sincerity is better then all the wealth in the world to stand by you and to revive you in troubles You flatter and faune turne and wind shuffle and shift to get great men to be your friends to stand by you and to comfort you in troubles and alasse their favour is a vapour as unconstant as the wind Walke sincerely and conscience will be a faithfull friend for you to the death yea after death in judgement If thou hadst the favour of all the Princes in the world yet could not they procure for thee a dram of comfort in sicknes in death or in judgment conscience in all these times can and will procure for thee not onely drams but flaggons of consolation if thou walke sincerely Conscience is an incomparable friend or foe in sicknesse death and judgement The blindnesse and folly of man above all other creatures is much to be wondred at he hunts after things which are not as Salomon saith to be comforters to him and takes no paines to procure that which will indeed be stable and abiding comfort to him in all states Riches and honours and friends all the things of this life they are called by Solomon things that are not because they are not such things as the blind heart of man conceives them to be he thinkes they are sufficient to make him happy and they are not so The least fit of sicknesse will non-plus all these things for reviving the soule Vaine man like that foole thinkes that he hath comfort enough for many yeares that is for all his life when he hath great revenews in the world and therefore sings a requiem to his soule as if there needed no other thing to the tranquillity of the Spirit throughout a mans life but wordly things and alasse these things are not abiding but still upon the wing ready to flee from us and if they were abiding yet they are not satisfying and therefore Solomon calls them vanity and vexation to the Spirit Conscience is a lasting friend and a substantiall friend to the spirit of man A friend that hath such waters of life which will revive the soule in the greatest extremities and he is a fountaine made by God that will never wax dry So that the soule as long as she keepes her selfe sincere shall never be without a spring of joy boiling up day and night within her And this joy is not a low prised commodity a thing little worth 't is called in Scripture a joy of the Lord such a joy of God as is the strength of man When the Levits had opened the Law unto the people their consciences were awakened and smote them so that they wept saith the text and weakened and unfitted themselves for the duties of the day and therefore the Levits were faine to comfort them that conscience might take hold on something to worke joy in them which is the strength of the soule unto the duty of thanksgiving which was the speciall worke of that day As an accusing condemning conscience secretly consumes spirits and strength of soule and body and when attended onely with a legall spirit begets such a horrid griefe in the heart of man as unfits for the highest and noblest service of God So an acquitting conscience doth exhilarate and revive the soule and as being attended with an evangelicall spirit begets such a joy in the heart as tunes strengthens it unto all divine duties especially unto thankesgiving which is the highest hardest divine lesson that can be played upon the heart of fallen man but makes the sweetest melody in the eares of God of all divine lessons committed to man to learne If thou then wouldst be a sweet singer in Israel a man apt and able to that which God most loves walke so that conscience may still be an acquitter within thee if this accuse and condemne thee 't will put every string in thy heart out of tune consume thy spirits make thy living a continuall dying yet death undesirable Secondly divine joy is called in Scripture an exceeding joy I am exceeding jayfull in all our tribulations saith Paul 2 Cor. 7.4 The joy which conscience gives to an upright man in all tribulations for uprightnesse sake is an exceeding joy a joy that doth farre more take content and delight the soule then any other joy can doe so the Apostle explaines this clause by that which goes before it in the same verse I am filled with comfort saith he I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations Conscience gives such a joy to the soule in tribulations that sils the soule with comfort which is more then all the sweets and delights of this world can doe The delights of this life they doe not reach the soule of man they reach no further then the externall senses so farre are they from filling the soule with comfort and yet they doe not fill nor satisfie these neither for the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing nor the nose with smelling nor the tongue with tasting nor the hand with handling 'T is but a tyring and not a satisfying joy that all outward things bring to the outward senses That joy which onely the externall senses bring into the soule Salomon calls madnesse as not worthy of the name of joy because it reaches not the spirit of man as rationall but as meerely sensitive The joy which conscience brings into the soule doth not barely reach the soule but it filles it and satisfies it My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse my mouth shall praise thee with joy full lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate upon thee in the night watches Psal 63.5.6 If thou wilt live all thy daies with the joy of a bruit with a meere sensuall outside spiritlesse vaine vexing joy then thou needs not take paines to order thy conversation sincerely to get thy conscience to testifie w th thee but if thou wouldst live all thy daies in the joy of a man that beares the Image of God then must thou strive so to walke that conscience may beare witnes that thou art sincere The Scripture doth not stay here but calls divine joy everlasting which is an attribute so high that it leads us necessarily to the originall to wit God who is everlasting As hell is a place of everlasting
sorrow to all that be in it because a river of Brimstone from an everlasting fountaine runnes to it so heaven which is begun in joy upon earth to wit in the hearts of the upright 't is everlasting because fresh streames of consolation continually come from an everlasting fountaine to wit God God alwaies seconds conscience in him that is sincere with such a glorious power as Saint Paul calls it that though he be alwaies in sorrowes for Christs sake yet he is alwaies rejoycing As sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 You may many waies cause sorrow to an upright man but yet joy will live in all and outlive all his sorrowes You may set on fire the body of an upright man and consume that but you can never set on fire his joy and consume that You may various waies kill a sincere man but you can no way kill his joy as long as he holds fast his integrity The joy that conscience gives to the soule of man upon testimony of his sincerity 't will live in fire 't will live in water 't will live in this land 't will live in any land famine cannot starve it plague cannot infect it the sword cannot murther it the racke cannot teare it 't is very healthy 't is long-lived 't will never die 't is from heaven and will abide with the soule untill he come to heaven and then will be consummated to give full solace to the soule for ever If then thou wouldst have joy to sticke bythee in health in sicknesse in peace in warre in plenty in famine in honour in disgrace in liberty in bonds in life in death and eternally after death walke so that thy conscience may say that thou art simple and sincere in thy conversation The Scripture stayes not here but calls divine joy unspeakeable and full of glory As that joy which just men made perfect inherit is beyond conception so that it cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive of it so that joy which conscience gives to upright men in troubles 't is beyond expression the tongue of man cannot fully expresse it I doe not affirme that the heart of man cannot fully conceive it though possibly it may be so 'T is joy unspeakeable strong stronger and more vehement then the joy of worldlings when Corn and Wine and Oyle increase and yet 't is hard to expresse how much joy an earthy heart hath in great earthly increase 'T is joy unspeakeable sweet so that he which tastes of this joy tastes no more sweetnesse in sensuall things then in the white of an egge 't is sweeter then the Honey or the Honey-combe that is sweeter and more pleasing to the soule then all the delights of this life to the carnall heart and yet 't is hard to expresse how sweet and pleasing sensuall delights are to the carnall heart of man 'T is joy unspeakeable pure as David saith that the feare of the Lord is cleane so I may say that the joy of the Lord which he gives to man upon the testimony of conscience concerning his sincerity 't is cleane that is 't is pure unspeakeable pure and holy What was said of the generation of Christ that may be said of the generation of divine joy Who can declare his generation saith the Scripture of Christ so may I say Who can declare the generation of divine joy 'T is begotten in the heart as Christ was in Maries wombe to wit by the holy Ghost 't is shead abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost 't is continually nourished and cherished by the holy Ghost It fils the heart full of holy thoughts the mouth full of holy words and the hand full of holy deeds It is immediatly from heaven and makes a man have his conversation in heaven whilst on earth 'T is joy unspeakeably precious a dramme of it is more worth then the world a damned soule in hell would give ten thousand worlds if there were so many for the least droppe of this cooling comforting liquor to asswage his scorching torments but for a moment It hath heaven in it with which what can be compared for worth 'T is joy unspeakeable and full of glory The smiling face of God which is more glorious then the Sunne may be seene in it so diaphanous is it 'T is joy unspeakably lasting whereas all other joyes die when man dies if not long before this joy lives as long as the soule and God lives Labour then so to live that conscience may testifie before God and you that you are sincere and so leade your soules into that unspeakeable joy which will make you unspeakeably happy I have now a word or two to you which walke sincerely and uprightly in this world so I shut up this point If you doe not yet finde experimentally the truth of this point to wit your consciences causing you to rejoyce in the midst of your troubles by alively testifying your integrity to you then by prayer plead your integrity to God and intreat him so transcendently to second conscience with his glorious power which worketh in us that your hearts may be revived under every pressure for pieties sake Thus David was forc'd to doe sometimes to wit pleade his integrity to finde the benefit of it in troubles for God will be sought unto for every good thing though we be never so sincere Let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me for I waite on thee Psal 25.21 David you see was put to it to plead his integrity to God to obtaine the benefit of it in troubles and thus must we still doe if we finde our hearts to droope in troubles although we are conscious to our selves of our upright and innocent conversation Say Lord thou knowest that I have walked uprightly as concerning this thing and that about which I am troubled and therefore doe thou stand up in my heart and second my conscience by the Almighty power of thy holy Spirit and make it speak peace so lively and so gloriously within mee that I may rejoyce in this tribulation for thy sake that I may finde my integrity as a cordiall to me to keepe me from fainting in my mind and from stretching out tongue or hand to iniquity If you finde the comfortable testimony of conscience reviving and rejoycing you in your troubles then blesse God with David that he hath enabled you so to walk in this wretched world as to have the voice of conscience with you that you are sincere 'T is of God that we walk uprightly a moment did not he stand by us and watch over our deceitfull hearts and uphold our goings in his paths wee should shew our selves hypocriticall wretches in all our wayes God is my strength and power and hee maketh my way perfect Psal 28.32 When the lively testimony of conscience concerning Davids integrity had rejoyced and raised his dull spirit then he tooke wing and made his soule mount up to heaven like an Eagle to magnifie God
which had beene such strength and power to him as to make his way perfect that is sincere and so capable of deliverance from his insulting enemies God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect David would not appropriate the praise of his upright and innocent conversation to himselfe as if he by his own wisdome strength and goodnesse had made his way perfect and upright he had through experience of the rottennesse of his owne heart and his aptnesse to declare it if God had not beene a speciall strength and aide unto him in his conversation and therefore doth he so humbly and imitably say God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect 2 Sam. 22.33 he inabled me so to walke as to be capable of the accomplishment of his promises of defence against and victory over ungodly men and no wisedome strength or goodnesse of his owne Thus let us humbly doe when we feele our hearts leape within us as rejoyced by the secret testimony of conscience concerning the integrity of our carriage in this or that matter of weight and triall that we were put upon Thou wast my wisedome strength and power O God to guide and enable me to walke uprightly in such and such hazardous matters my heart is deceitfull and full of base feare and if thou hadst not stood up as a mighty God in my weake spirit I had beene over-borne with fleshly feares and selfe-respects to the wounding of my integrity and thy Gospell and glory blessed be thy name that didst enable me to looke over all by ends to thy glory and to acquit my selfe at the time of triall answerable to my upright purpose and resolution 't is of thee to will and to doe good and unto thee I give all the glory This is the good way to have God stand by us still and so mightily to guide us in all our waies that we shall keepe faith and a good conscience to our grave and so consequently our joy which is the life of our lives This was upright Iobs sweet carriage as we may guesse by his language Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soule I would despise my life If I were for holinesse as just men made perfect in glory yet whilst a soule so holy is in a body so diseased I could not take any pleasure in my life Thus to interpret these words is to give us a hint and more that Job was extreamely overgone with impatience under Gods hand which is the worst that can be said upon this place I thinke there may be hinted this unto us if the other be the maine scope that Job saw all the integrity and uprightnesse he had or possibly could be had was from God and that he had no reason to boast and magnifie himselfe what ever his endowments were Lastly if you finde by comfortable experience the truth of my doctrine your sincerity causeth joy and rejoycing in our soules then hang upon God for perseverance in a sincere way that your joy may abide and still more and more increase as the light of the Sunne unto the perfect day You have tasted of the sweetnesse of a sincere way and therefore you should zelously follow God to keepe you on in it as long as breath is in your nostrils that you may never loose your grapes your first-fruits of the holy Land your taste of heaven untill you come to the full fruition of it 'T was Davids prayer often and let it be yours though he were sincere that God would make his heart sound in his statutes There is much rottennesse in the best heart and this will breake forth in a mans life to the dishonour of God and the wounding of his conscience and robbing of his joy if he be not still with David hanging upon God by prayer for more and more uprightnesse and for further and further cleansing of an unsound heart Things that are apt to bend and become crooked we are every foote rectifying and straightning them and labouring to strengthen them so that they may abide straight and so be still fit for use and service You know to what to apply this if I should not tell you to the heart of man Flattery or violence will turne you aside from your sincere walking if you doe not humbly seeke God still with David to make your heart sound in his statutes and to be still with you to uphold your steps in his paths You will ship wracke conscience and all the peace and joy you have by it quickely as Peter did if you grow confident of your owne strength and doe not feare alwaies and depend upon your God for ability to doe every thing uprightly And therefore leane not to your owne understanding as Salomon said to his sonne nor to any parts else you have to steere your conversation if you would maintaine the integrity and uprightnesse of it but renounce all in your selves and begge God to make you runne and not be weary and to deliver you from backsliding in heart and life to make you faithfull to the death and to give you at last the crowne of life This counsell that you may carefully follow thinke on these two or three things The peace and joy of a good conscience is better then the greatest preferment in the world and the losse of it is worse then the losse of thy life in the cruel'st way that man can invent Thou wilt loose a little heaven and create within thy heart a little hell which will last till the marrow of thy bones be consumed and thy moisture turned into the drought of sommer in the day that thou turnest aside from thy sincere course and setst conscience against thee The joy of an acquitting conscience is unspeakable and full of glory and so the sorrow of an accusing condemning conscience is unspeakable and full of terrour 'T is sorrow unspeakeable strong What God said to the woman after she had turned aside from the upright way of the Lord that may I say of all the seed of the woman when once they turn aside from their upright conversation Vnto the woman God said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow Gen. 3.16 Sorrow multiplied is to have sorrow upon sorrow as Paul useth the expression to the Philippians Phil. 2.27 As in child-bearing there is pang upon pang and these returnes of pangs grow still stronger and stronger till the wombe be discharged of her burthen so say I to you in the day that you turne aside from upright walking God will greatly multiply your sorrow you shall have sorrow upon sorrow pang upon pang by an accusing conscience and these pangs shall still be stronger and stronger till you have humbled your soules throughly for your halting and got your consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ The sorrowes which God distributeth to his when they turne aside from sincere walking they are sorrowes fetcht from hell and those sorrowes of all