loue were readie to fasten a poysond tooth in him This was Dauids case and this may be any mans case but now at such a time and in such a pinch appeares the excellency and benefit of a good Conscience Though all a mans friends should proue Iobs friends like the Winter-brookes of Teman that in Winter ouerswell the bankes but in the scorching heat of Sommer proue drie ditches yet then eâ—en then well fare a good Conscience That will heale Dauids heart broken with reproach that will cheere him vp in his heauines that will sweeten the gall and take away the sharpnes of the vineger which his enemies haue giuen him to drinke There is a generation Pro. 30. 14. whose teeth are as swords and their iaw-teeth as kniues and Prou. 12. 18. that generation speakes as the piercings of a sword There is a generation whose words are wounds that goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly Prou. 18 8. These be dangerous generations But what generations are they Generations of Vipers Ps 140. 3. Adders poyson is vnder their lips Iunius translates it Venenum ptyados The poyson of the spitting Serpent They bee then generations of spitting serpents even of fiery serpents that haue their tongues set on fire from hell so they spit fiery poyson in the faces of Innocents Now there is no man can liue in this world at whom these adders will not spit no man can be free from the sprikling of their poyson The disciple is not aboue the master If these snakes haue hissed at the Lord of the house and if these spitting serpents haue cast their poyson in his face why would they feare to doe it to the servants But is there then no balme against this poyson no buckler against these swords Yes there is the soveraign balme the impenetrable buckler of a good conscience It is a balsome that will alay the poyson of these Adders that it shall never burst a mans heart or if these swords pierce the very innermost bowels yet this will so salue these wounds that they shall not ranckle nor become mortall Oh! how mortal is this adders poyson how fatall are those swords how â—eene their edge how full of paine their wounds where inward guilt giues strength vnto them But Integritie and goodnesse of Conscience is a pretious balme of Gilead that takes away the venome of this poyson and the stinging smart of the wounds of these swords Let Paul liue with ever so good a conscience before God and man Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the spitting adder and he will spit yea spue forth his poyson in his face and in the face of an whole Court will not spare openly to slander him for an arrant varlet a lewd pestilent and a villanous fellow Such drivell will the malicious world spit in the face of Godlines But marke now the benefit and comfort of a good Conscience Either a good CoÌ„science with Stephens Angelicall face wil dazle shame the divels oratours 1 Pet. 3. 16. Hauing a good Conscience that they may be ashamed or els like Paul it can shake off those vipers without swelling or falling downe dead Yea if Satans oratours will needs be opening their mouths against Paul yet so good is his Conscience that as Iohn Hus appealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander namely from him in his anger to him in his cold blood better advised so dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus Dauid from Shimei to Shimei froÌ„ enemies to enemies from their tongues to their hearts from their mouthes to their Consciences as knowing their owne integritie to bee such as that their enemies owne hearts giues their tongues the lye and tells them that against their consciences possessed with meere malice they are hurried on in Satans service Tertullus knowes he lyes and his owne Conscience tells him hee lyes in his throate that Paul is an honester man then himselfe yea and the comfort is that Pauls Conscience comforts him and assures him that Tertullus his Conscience assures him all this So vnspeakeably sweet is the comfort of a good Conscience Dauid complaines of a great affliction Psal 35. 11. False witnesse did rise vp they laid to my charge things that I knew not What should a man doe in such a case if he had not the comfort of a good Conscience witnessing for him But now at such a pinch appeares the benefit of a good Conscience Let ever so many rise vp falsely to witnesse against him yet his conscience will witnesse as fast for him My friends scorne me sayes Iob Iob. 16. 20. They witnessed against him to bee a wicked person and an hypocrite they censured and condemned him but what was Iobs comfort That same vers 19. Behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high That was one comfort but that was not all he had also a witnesse on earth and his record below Vpon whose record and witnesse see with what solemnitie and with what confidence he stands Iob. 27. 2. 6. As God liueth who hath taken away my iudgement and the Almightie who hath vexed my soule All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils my lips shall not speake wickednesse nor my tongue vtter deceit God forbid that I should iustifie you till I die I will not remoue mine integritie from me my righteousnes I will hold fast will not let it goe mine heart shall not reproach mee so long as I liue As if he had said As the Lord liues whilest there is breath in my body I Nam si in â—s iniquibus me criminantur testimoniuÌ„ Conscientia mea non stat contra me in conspectu dei quo nullus oculus mortalis intenditur non solum contristari non debeo veruÌ„ etiam exultare gaudere quia merces mea multa est in coelis Neque enim intuendum est quam sit amarum sed quam falsum sit quod audio quam verax pro cuius nomine hoc audio Aug. Contra lit Petil l 3. will not yeeld vnto your accusations nor yet acknowledge my selfe guiltie of that you do charge me withall Vrge me and presse me what you will yet will I never let goe mine hold Why what is it that makes Iob thus stiffe and resolute what is it that supports him with such an excellent spirit That ver 6. Mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I liue Indeed you reproach censure condemne me you lay heavie things to my charge But I haue searched the records of my Conscience I haue called that vnpartiall witnes to testifie the truth I finde conscience witnessing strongly on my side and therefore doe what you can you shall neuer beare me downe Iobs friends may proue fickle and false but his owne Conscience will proue true to him that will plead for him animate him and comfort him against all their calumnious and iniurious reproaches
conscience This is oft the euill Conscience of euill men Isa 57. 21. There is no peace to the wicked faith my God Yet may a man haue his conscience vprightly good which is painefully euill for a good mans Conscience may bee vnquiet and troubled Thus then wee see what a good conscience is that which is vprightly honest and quietly peaceable This being so it serues to discouer the dangerous errour of diuers sorts of people that are in a dreame of hauing good consciences and yet hauing nothing lesse There be three sorts of consciences which because they are in some sort quiet and sting not their owners would haue to goe for good ones and yet are starke naught and they are The Ignorant The Secure and the Seared Conscience 1. The Ignorant conscience Men iudge of their ignorant consciences as they doe of their blind dumbe and ignorant Ministers Such neither do nor can Preach can neither tel men of their sinnes nor of their duties Aske such a blind guides people what their conceit is of him and what a kinde of man their Minister is and yee shall haue him magnified for a passing honest harmelesse man and a man wondrous quiet amongst his neighbours They may doe what they will for him he is none of those troublesome fellowes that will be reprouing their faults or complaining of their disorders in the Pulpit oh such a one is a quiet good man indeed Thus iudge many of their Consciences If their consciences bee quiet and lie not grating vpon them and telling them that their courses are sinfull and damnable and that their persons are in a dangerous condition but rather by their silence ignorance and vaine pretences doe iustifie them and tell them all will be well enough Oh then what excellent good consciences haue these men They make no conscience of Familie duties once in the yeere to come to the Sacrament serues the turne they are common swearers in their ordinary communication make no conscience of sanctifiing Sabbaths c. and their consciences lets them alone in all these doe not giue them one syllable of ill language oh what gentle and good natured consciences thinke these men they haue But alas what euill consciences haue they A good conscience must be vpright as well as peaceable And an vp right conscience is enlightned with the knowledge of the Word and by that light iudges what is good and what is euill and when it finds mens actions not to be good warrantable deales plainely and lets them heare of it A good conscience hath good eyes and is able to discerne betweene good and euill Now these mens consciences are quiet haue their mouthes shut but whence is it Because their eyes are shut and they are dumbe because they are blind Right Idoll coÌ„sciences they want mouthes to speake beâ—â—use they want eyes to see So that it may be said of such consciences as the Prophet speakes of those Watchmen Isa 56. 10. His watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumbe dogs they caÌ„not bark Their blindnes bred dumbnes and their ignorance silence Thus is it with ignorant Consciences What is the reason they barke not but are dumbe and are thus quiet Meerely because they are blind and ignorant But yet as good as men account these consciences now the time will come that it shall fare with theÌ„ as it did with Adam Eue after they had eaten the forbidden fruit Then their eyes were opened So the time shall come when these Consciences shall haue their eies opened then also shal their mouths by oyened yea wide lowd opened and these now quiet consciences shall both barke and bite too Do not therefore flatter thy selfe in thine IgnoraÌ„ce as if thy condition conscience were good because quiet Neuer account thâ— true Peace which is not ioyned with vprightnes Integrity ignoraÌ„ce can no more stand together then light and darkenesse Integrity of conscience may be without Peace Peace can neuer be without Integritie Dumbe Ministers goe in the world for good Ministers because quiet ones but the day will come that men shall curse them for hauing beene so quiet So Ignorant and tongue tyed consciences goe for good ones but the time will come that men will curse this peace of their conscience for bringing them so quietly to hell The Masse goes for an excelleÌ„t good seruice because Missa non mordet honest toothles deuotion it neuer fastens fang in the hearers flesh So many haue Masse-like consciences toothlesse and tonguelesse consciences but yet the time will come that as Massemongers shall curse their toothlesse Masse so ignorant persons that now glory in their peace shall curse their toothlesse conscience yea they shall gnash their teeth because conscience had no teeth shal gnaw their toÌ„gues for anguish of heart because their consciences wanted tongues to tell them of the danger of their wicked wayes that haue brought them to so miserable a condition 2. The secure conscience As the blind conscience was like the dumbe Minister so the secure conscience is like the flattering Minister that Ier. 6. 13. heales the hurt of his people with sweete words cryes peace peace where there is no peace This conscience wants not an eye but only a good tongue in the head It sees its master to doe euill and knowes it to bee euill but either cares not to speake or else is easily put off from speaking sometime it cares not to speake being sleepy heauy and drowsie like those Prophets Isa 56. 10. They are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke What was the reason Sleeping lying downe louing to slumber A sleepy and heauy-eyde Curre though hee see one come into his Masters yard or house that should not yet barkes not as loath by his barking to disquiet himselfe A sleepy secure Conscience sees many a sin to enter the soule that should not and yet lies still and sayes nothing is loath to breake its sleepe And yet such Consciences men count good Sometimes it may bee it offers to speake as a sleepy dog may open once or twise at a straÌ„gers entrance yet is soone snibd the least word of the master of the house makes him whist and quiet So secure Consciences vpon the greene wound begin to smart and vpon the fresh commission of sinne begin to mutter to haue some grudgings but their master answers them as the friend in his bed did his neighbour desiring to borrow three loaues Luc. 11. 17. Trouble me not for I am in bed I pray thee be quiet let vs haue no wrangling and brawling it shall be so no more I will cry God mercy I will hereafter finde a time for repentance c. and so ConscieÌ„ce being secure is easily put of with a few good words so closing her eyes and mouth againe giues her master liberty to take his rest And thus the secure conscience because it is so easily husht stilld is counted a good conscience as
what your censures are what sentēce you passe vpon me but know ye that I no whit at all regard the same I make no reckoning therof at all Why might the Corinthians say do ye count vs so silly so iniudicious Nay sayes Paul I speak it not as if you were sillier then others with me it is a small thing to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement let them be the most wise iudicious that are in the world or of mans Day though by men convened in solemne maner for iudgement I passe not what their censure is I regard not their mis-iudgings of me I but what makes Paul thus slight mens iudgement of him That in the fourth verse I know nothing by my selfe mine owne Conscience iudges me not nor sentenses me that layes no such thing to my charge and therefore so long as my Conscience is on my side I regard not a whit what the world iudges Now then see what a motiue this is to get and keepe a good Conscience As we would be glad to haue comfort and confidence against the malice of opprobrious tongues as wee would haue a counter-poyson against their venome so get a good Conscience Here is that which may make vs in loue with a good Conscience Reproach must full often be the portion of Gods deare children Israelites shall bee for ever an abomination to Egyptians And though the Egyptian dogges moued not their tongues against Israel Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Egyptians will moue their tongues and their teeth too The Apostles must be counted the filth of the world and the off-scowrings of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. The Lord Iesus himselfe dranke of this cup Psal 22. 6. 7. I am a worme and no man a reproach of men and dispised of the people All they that see me laugh me to scorne c. The way to heauen is a narrow way and this narrow way is beset with snakes spitting adders barking and biting and mad dogs and a man must passe to heauen through good and euill report 2. Cor. 6. 8. Well then it being so hard a passage Currentem attrites super aspidas basiliseos declinare senem vipera non poterit prosp dc Aug. Conscia mens recti famae mendaci◠ridet Sed no◠in vitiūm credula treba famus Ovid. how may a man get himselfe so armed that hee may passe cheerfully through all these get a good Conscience and thou shalt regard these snakes serpents vipers and dogs no more then a straw vnder thy foot If thou haue a good Conscience thou shalt laugh at the reproaches of enemies as Eliphaz speaks of destruction Iob 5. A good conscience will say vnto thee Goe on cheerily in the wayes of God what euer discouragements the diuell rayses by reproaches and slanders feare them not Behold I acquit and excuse thee I will beare thee out I will witnesse at Gods tribunall for thee Lo I giue thee balme against their poyson a buckler against their swords Let them curse yet I will blesse thee let thē reproach yet I will 〈…〉 for t let them condemn fame thee yet I will be thy compurgator let them cast dirt in thy face yet I will wash it off let them disquiet yet behold I am ready to cheere thee Oh the sweet and vnconceivable comfort that a good Conscience will speake even in the middst of the cruell speakings of vngodly men Iude 15. that will speake comfortably when they speake cruelly and most comfortably when they speake most cruelly Such is the benefit of a good Conscience in case of reproach and disgrace CHAP. IX The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of common feares and calamities and in the times of personall evils as sicknesse and afflictions for Conscience sake IN the second place let vs see what the benefite and comfort of a good 〈◊〉 Common calamities When the 2 fort of a good Conscience in the times of cōmon feares and calamities world is full of scares and dangers and calamities breake in how fares it then with an evil conscience in what taking are they that want a good conscience They are absorpt with feares and the very tydings puts them to much perplexitie Isa 7. 2. Aha◠is told of a confedracy between Syria Ephraim and see in what feares hee and his people were His heart was moved the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind So deepely do reports and evill tydings affect them the trees in the wood are not so shakē with the blustering windes as evill Consciences are with evill tydings When ill newes and ill Consciences meet there is no small feare The signes that prognosticate sorrowfull times see how deepely they affect evill Consciences Luke 21. 25. There shall be signes in the sun and the moone and in the stars and vpon the earth distresse of Nations with perplexity mens hearts failing them for feare and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth But when calamity indeed comes and not ill newes but ill times and ill consciences meete how are they then They are then either in the case the Egyptians were in the famine Gen. 47. 13. They were at their wits end or as those in a storme at Sea Psa 107. 26. 27. Their soule is melted because of trouble They reele too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and all their wisdome is swallowed vp Excesse of feare puts them into as great distempers as excesse of wine it vtterly stupifies them and they by feare are as much bereft of the vse of their senses wit and wisdom as a drunkard is in his drunkennesse Yea their feares make them not onely drunk but starke madde Deut. 28. 34. Thou shalt be oppressed and cursed alway so that thou shalt bee madde for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see The perplexities of an euill conscience in evill times are vnspeakably grievous Isay doth exceeding lively describe them Isa 13. 7. 8. 9. Therfore shall all hands bee faint and every mans heart shall melt And they shall bee afraid pangs and sorrowes shall take hold of them they shall be in pain as a woman that travells they shall be a mazed one at another their faces shall be as flames c. Hence that same strange question of the Prophets Ier. 36. 6. Aske ye now and see whether a man doth travell with childe A strange question what should make the Prophet aske it Because he foresaw such strange behaviour amongst them carrying themselues in the same fashion in the day of calamitie that women vse to doe in the extremity of the pangs of child-birth Wherefore doe I see every man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauell and all faces are turned into palenesse Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble When such wofull dayes befall a man all
Men talke much of hell fire and it were well they would talke more of it but yet there is another torment forgotten that would be thought on too There is an Hell worme as well as there is an hell-fire And it may be a question whether of the two is the greatest torment And yet no great question neither For as the Heaven of Heaven is the peace and ioy of a good so the very Hell of Hell is the guilt and worme of an evill Conscience A man may safely say it is better being in Hel with a good conscience thē to be in heauē if that might be with an evill one Heaven without a good cōscience what is it better thē Hel Paradise was an Heauen on earth but when Adam had lost the Paradise of a good conscience what ioy did Paradise and the pleasures of the Garden affoord him more then if he had beene in some sad solitary Desert A good conscience makes a Desert a Paradise an euill one turnes a Paradise into a Desert A good Conscience makes Hell to be no Hell and an evill one makes Heaven to be no Heaven Both the happinesse misery of Heaven and Hell are from the inward frame of the Conscience The Hell of Hell is the worme of Hell and that worme is the worme of an evill Conscience which if it bee not wormed out and so the conscience in this life made good it will bee an immortall worme in hell The hellish dispaire wherewith the damned are ouerwhelmed comes rather frō this werme then from the fire Whose worme dies not and whose fire is not quenched The fire of Hell never quenches because the worme of Hell never dies If the worme of Hell would die the fire of Hell would go out For if there were no guilt there should bee no punishment So that the very Hell of Hell is that selfe-torment which an evill conscience breeds Now then all this considered how powerfully should it move vs to labor for a good conscience Thou that goest on in thine euill courses and hatest to be reformed and reclaimed doe but bethinke thy selfe if God should awaken thy Conscience in what misery thou shouldest liue here what an Hell to haue a palsie Conscience what an Hell on earth to be alwaies vnder the accusations indictments and terrors of Conscience and to liue Caine-like in a land of Nod in a continuall restlesse agitation Vt ex cruditate febres noscuntur et vermes quando quis cibū sumit intemperāter it a si quis peccata peccatis accumulet nec decoquat eae poenitentia sed misceat pec cata peccatis cruditatem contrahit veterū recentiū delictorum igne adu retur proprio et vernibus consumetur Ignis est quem generat moestitia delictorum vermis est eo quod irrationabilia animi peccata mentem pungunt et viscera exedant vermes ex vnoquoque nascuntur tanquā ex corpore peccatoris hic vermis non morietur c. Amb. lib. 7. in Luk-c 14. But especially as thou fearest that euerliuing and evergrabbing worme so haue a care to get a good Conscience Greene and rawe fruits breed Chestwormes which if heede bee not taken will eat the very maw thorow A dead body and a putrified corrupt carkasse breedes wormes that lye gnawing at it in the graue The forbidden and rawe fruits of sinne are those which breede chest-wormes in the Conscience The corruptions of the soule and dead works are those that breed this liuing worme take hede therefore of medling with these fruits that will breede this worme get thy conscience purged from dead works get this worme killed with the soonest for if thou lettest it liue till thou die it will neuer die at all and will put thee to those exquisit torments from which to bee freed thou woldest willingly suffer ten thousand of the most cruell deaths that the wit of man were able to inuent As then I say thou fearest this worme of Hell so get a good Conscience Drinke down euery morning a hearty draught of Christs bloud which may make this worme burst And when once this worme is burst and voyded the cōscience well purged by Christs bloud take heed ever after of eating those raw fruites that will breed new wormes Lead so holy so vpright and so conscionable a life that thou mayst not by thy fresh sins clog thy Conscience with fresh guilt Get thy Conscience purged by Christs bloud thy conversation framed by Gods Word Thy words were found by mee and I did eat them Ier. 15. 16. Doe thou so eat no more the vnwholsome worm breeding fruites of sinne but drinke Christs bloud and eate Gods word and they both shall purifie and scoure thy Conscience from all such stuffe as may breed and feede the Hell-worme of an evill Conscience CHAP. XVI The portion and respect that a good Conscience findes in the world ANd thus haue we hitherto seene Pauls Protestation The second point followes namely Ananias his insolent impetuous Iniunction Verse 2. And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth Paul had begunne his defence in the former verse and that by authoritie speciall command as appeares in the former Chapter at the 30. verse But he had no sooner begun but hee is interrupted aad cut off and hath not only his mouth stopt but stopt with Ananias fists Hee commanded to smite him on the mouth Out of which carryage and violence of his wee may obserue diuerse things First learne Doctr. 1 What is the Reward and portion of a good Conscience from the world It is the portion of a good Conscience full oft to be smitten either on the mouth or with the mouth Blowes either with the fist or with the tongue To be smitten one way or other is full often the lot of a good Conscience Smite him on the mouth sares Ananias But let vs a little expostulate the matter with Ananias Smite him on the mouth But yet as Pilate speakes in Christs case But what evill hath he done or what evill hath he spoken Smite him on the mouth But as our Saviour answers Iohn 18. 23. If he haue spoken evill take witnesse of the evill and proceed legally and formally If he haue spoken well or no manner of euil Why commandest thou him to be smitten What hath he spoken any treason against Caesar or the Romane government If he haue then as the towne-Clerk of Ephesus speaks Act. 19. 38. The law is open there are Deputies let thē accuse him bring him to his answer It is a base vsage of any ingenuous person to bee smitten on the mouth in a Court of Iustice a dishonorable vsage of a Romane Surely it should seem by such base bitter vsage that Paul hath some way or other fowly forgotten over-shot himself that Ananias his spirit is thus embittered and provoked against him What hath Paul given him any
exasperating disgraceful termes hath he given him any open personal girds before the whole Councel No no No such matter at all Why what thē is the matter that Paul must be thus basely thus despitefully vsed Will ye know the cause Men and brethren I haue lived in all good Conscience Lo here is the quarrell He hath made a profession of a good Conscience and for his good Conscience sake are Ananias fists about his eares There is nothing so mads men of wicked Consciences as the profession and practice of a good conscience doth The very name and mention of a good conscience makes Ananias halfe mad like one besides himselfe hee falles not onely to foule words but to blowes also and Paul must haue on the mouth for his good conscience sake Paul might haue blaphemed the blessed name of Christ and rayled vpon the odious Sect of the Nazarens hee might haue beene a drunkard an adulterer or a murtherer and none of all these things would haue stirred Ananias his bloud for none of all these should Paul haue beene smitten but let him but once speake or treat of or any way meddle with good Conscience and Ananias his bloud is presently vp hee cannot holde his handes but Paul must haue on the mouth there is no remedy So odious a thing is good Conscience and the profession of it to wicked men Therefore this is that which a good Conscience must expect euen Ananias his dole fistes blowes smiting hard and iuiurious measure from the world This is no new thing It was our Saviours casc before it was Pauls Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus spoken one of the officers which stoodby stroke Iesus with the palme of his hand c. Luk. 22 63. 64. And the men that held Iesus mocked him and smote him And when they had blinfolded him they stroke him on the face Hee felt the weight of their fists for the same quarrell that Paul did So it was foreprophecyed of him Isa 50. 6. I gaue my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire It was the kindnes that Zidkiah could afford Micaiah 1. Kin. 22. 24. He went neere smote Micaiah on the cheeke it was the thankes the Prophet was like to haue for the discharge of a good conscience 2. Chr. 25. 16. Forbeare why shouldest thou bee smitten It is that of which Iob cōplained so long since Iob 16. 10 Mine enemy sharpens his eyes vpon me they haue gaped vpon me with the mouth they haue smitten me vpon the cheeke reproachfully The same portion did the Prophet Ieremy meet withal Ier. 20. 2. Then Pashur smote Ieremiah the Prophet What was the quarrell That in the former vers He heard that Ieremiah had prophecied these things Onely for discharging his conscience for the conscionable dispensation of Gods truth And as sometime they smote him on the mouth so sometime they smote him with the mouth Ier. 18. 18. Come let vs devise devices against Ieremiah come let vs smite him with the tongue and let vs not giue heed to any of his wordes And why would they smite him with the tongue Onely for his Conscience and fidelity in his Ministry There is mention made of two false Prophets against whom an heauy iudgement is threatned Ier. 29. 21. 23. Ahab and Zedekiah two base scandalous debauched persons who committed villany in Israel and committed adultery with their neighbours wiues The Prophet Ieremy he out of conscience fulfills his Ministry and see how light-fingred Pashur is hee hath fists for Ieremies face and stockes for his heeles but in the meane time Ahab and Zedekiah they may whore and play the villaines and they feele not the waight of his little finger If his fingers must needs be walking there is worke for them there he may strike and stocke with credit But there is no such zeale against them No such dealing with them Zedekiah and Ahab may bee in good tearmes of grace with Pashur whilst Ieremiah must haue on the face lie by the heeles So well can wicked men brooke villany and any wretched courses better then they can a good conscience Pashur can better endure an adulterous whore master then an honest conscionable Prophet Villains may walk at liberty whilst a good cōscience shal sit in the stocks Here then is the portion a good Conscience may looke for from the world The better Conscience the harder measure For which of my good works doe ye stone mee saith our Saviour Ioh. 10. 32. A strange recompence for good workes and yet ost-times the best recompence and reward that the world can affoord good workes a good Conscience stones and strokes And if so be that feare of law and happy gouernment binde their hands yet then will they bee smiting with the tongue and if the law keepe them in awe for smiting on the mouth yet then will they doe what they dare they will smite with the mouth Vse 1 A faire Item to all that meane to vndertake the profession and courses of good Conscience Doe as many do in case of marriage before they affect the person they first consider how they like the portion So here before thou meddle with good conscience thinke with thy selfe what is her portion and if thou like not that it is but a folly to thinke of a good Conscience Doe as our Saviour advises Luk. 14. 28. Sit down first and count the cost and whether thou be able to endure that cost or no. Ananias hath a fierce spirit and a fowle heauy fist Pashur is a club fisted fellow and the spitting adders of the world will smite their sting deep Suppose a good cōscience may speed better as hauing the protection of Chrian gouernment yet this it must reckon vpon and it must account of the hardest Therfore think before hand before you meddle with it how you can beare the fists and blowes of smiters if ever you should come vnder them I may say here as our Saviour did to the sons of Zebedeus Mat. 20. 20. 21. 22. Ye knov not what ye aske Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of to be baptized wich the baptisme that I am baptized with Many say they desire to enter the courses of good Conscience but doe not well know nor well weigh what they desire Consider with your selues Are ye able to drinke of the cup that a good conscience shall drinke of Can ye be baptised with the baptisme that a good cōscience must be baptised with Can ye endure the smart of Ananias blows Can ye beare the load of Pashurs club-fist Think vpō this afore hand weigh it well this is that you must make account off that will set vpon the courses of a good conscience Vse 2 Is this the portion of a good Conscience see then what a great measure of Christian resolution they shall need to haue that take the profession of it vpon them
Be shod with the shoes of the preparation of the Gospell Ephes 6. 15. Growe marveilous resolute to harden thy selfe and to harden thy face against all enemies fists blowes whatsoeuer that though Ananias should dash thee on the face yet he might not dash thee thy good Conscience out of Countenance Thus did our Saviour Isa 50. 6. I gaue my backe to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hayre I hid not my face from shame and spitting But how was he euer able to endure all this See vers 7. I haue set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not bee ashamed So must thou doe that meanest to keepe a good Conscience Get a face and a forehead of flint that enemies may as soone cracke a flint with their knuckles as by their violence and iniuries driue thee from a good Conscience Get an Ezekiels face Ezek. 3. 9 Make thy forehead as an Adamāt harder then a flint Steele flint thy face with all heroicall resolution A face of flesh will neuer endure but a face of flint wil hold Ananias fists tack let him strike while he wil he shall sooner batter a flint with his fist then stir a resolued conscience out of its station But beleeue mee these be hard things to vndergoe who will be able to abide Quaest such hard measure how therefore may one grow to such resolution to abide the worlds fists and the smart of their smiting Answ 1. Consider that Conscience hath fists as well as Ananias 1. Sam. 24. 5. and 2. Sam. 24. 10. Davids heart smote him And what are Ananias his blowes on the face to the blowes of Conscience at the heart One blowe on the heart or with the heart is more painefull then an hundred on the face and as Rehoboam speakes of himselfe 1 King 12. 10. so Consciences little finger is thicker heavier and more intollerable then both Ananias his hands loynes Now then here is the case If Paul will stand to his Conscience then Ananias his fists will be about his eares If Paul doe forsake or flawe good Conscience for feare or for the favour of Ananias then will consciences fists be about his heart Now then if no remedie but a man must haue blowes it is good wisdome to chuse the lightest fist and the softer hand and to take the blow vpon that part that is best able to beare it with most ease The face is better able to abide blowes then the heart and Ananias his blowes are but fillips to the clubbing blowes of Conscience Wee would scarce iudge him a wise man that to avoyd a cuffe on the eare would put himselfe vnder the danger of a blowe with a club Here is that then that may make vs to compose our selues to patience and to growe to an hardines and a Christian resolution Better ten blowes one the face then one on the heart Better an hundred from Ananias then one from Conscience that will lay on loade let the world smite yet mine heart smites not yea that stroakes and comforts whilest the world strikes threatens Therfore being smitten in case of conscience rather then giue out do as our Saviour bids in another case Mat. 5. 39. Whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also 2. Consider that in the next Verse God shall smite thee God hath smiting fists as well as Ananias Let him smite but yet there will come a time that God shall smite him God will call smiters to a reckoning 3. Consider that of Dauid Psal 3. 7. Thou hast smitten all mine enemies vpon the cheek bone thou hast broken the teeth of the vngodly God will not onely smite the enemies of his people but will smite them with disgrace as it is a matter of vile disgrace to haue a boxe on the cheeke and he will giue them such a dust on the mouth as shall dash out their very teeth he will lay heauy and disgracefull iudgements vpon them as he did vpon Absolom of whom Dauid speakes May it ever be thy lot to see good Conscience vnder the fists of smiters be not discouraged start not stumble not at it Bee not readie to inferre It is in vaine to cleanse a mans conscience and wash his hands in innocency But consider that this hath beene ever the worlds madnes and the auncient lot of a good Conscience either to be smitten with adversaries hands or varlets tongues CHAP. XVII The impetuous iniustice and malice of the adversaries of a good Conscience AS we haue seen the entertainment a good Conscience meets withall in the world so wee may here further see the inordinate violences that the enemies and haters of good Conscience are carried with Therefore out of this insolent Iniunction of Ananias wee may in the second place obserue Doct. 2 The heady violence and impetuous iniustice of the adversaries of good Conscience Smite him on the mouth A man would not imagine that hatred and malice against goodnes should so transport a man as to make him run into so much so open so grosse Iniustice Doe but examine the fact and you shall see a strange deale of iniustice therein 1. Who is he that bids smite The high Priest He had a better Canon to liue by Mal. 2. 6. He walked with me in peace and equitie So Leui walked and so should Gods Priests walke also And that Canon of Paul for the Ministry of the Gospell held no lesse good for the Ministry of the Law That he should not be soone angry no striker Tit. 1. 7. How haps it then that the high Priest is thus light fingred Smite him on the mouth Oh! shame that such a word should come out of a Priests especially the high Priests mouth 2. Who must be smitten Paul an Innocent Fowle iniustice Questionlesse if Paul had offred such measure but to Ananias his dog to haue smitten him for nothing but out of meere spight Ananias would haue iudged him a dogged fellow And will Ananias vse an innocent person as he would be loth a man should vse his dog 3. Where must this blow be giuen In open Court where they were all Convened to do◠iustice Still the worse If he had commanded him to haue been smitten in his private parlour it had bin vniustifiable but to smite him in open Court and to doe iniustice in the place of Iustice this is deepe iniustice The place he sate in the gravity of his person Gods high Priest the solemnitie of the administration of iustice all these might haue manacled his hands and haue a little tempered and bridled his spirit A fowle indignitie for the Iudge of Israel to be smitten on the cheek Mic. 5. 1. As fowle an iniquitie for a Iudge of Israel to smite on the mouth wrongfully in an open Court of Iustice What an indecent thing for a Iudge to goe to cuffes on the Bench What an intemperate and a vindictiue spirit argues