conscience that he ought and it was his safest course to goe out to the Chaldeans questionlesse his conscience prest him to it and bids him goe out Why then goes he not He is afraid Ier. 38. 19. that he shall be mockt Such consciences as will not preferre their owne good word a comfort before the good or ill words of the world Such consciences as more feare the mocks and flouts of men on earth then they doe the grinning mocks of the devils in hell Such as will not preferre the peace of conscience before all other things are meere strangers to good conscience The seventh and last note remaines 7. Note of a good conscience Constancie in good And that is in the Text Vntill this day Constancie and Perseverance in good is a sure note of a good conscience Paul had beene young and now was old and yet was old Paul still still the same holy man hee was Time changes all things but a good conscience and that is neither changed by Time nor with Time Age changes a mans favour but not a good mans faith his complexion not his religion and though his head turne gray yet his heart holds vigorous still Vntill this day And this day was not farre from his dying day And how held he out to his last day Heare as it were his last and dying breath 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith He sayes not I have finished my faith I have kept my life as many may but I have finished my course I have kept the faith He kept his faith till he had finisht his course not only here untill this day but there untill his finishing day So long hee kept the faith and therefore so long a good conscience for as the losing of them goe together 1 Tim. 1. 19. so the keeping of them goe together therefore keeping the faith he also kept a good conscience till he finisht his dayes Vntill this day And yet one would wonder that hee should keepe it to this day considering how hardly he had been used before untill and now at this day the most of those things 2 Cor. 11. 23. were before this day Often under stripes in prisons oft and yet stands constant in the maintenance of the liberty of his conscience vers 24 25. Thrice I suffered shipwracke c. and yet made no shipwracke of a good conscience vers 26 27. in a number of perils in perill of false brethren and yet his conscience playes not false with God neither is it weary of going on in a religious course Here then is the nature of a good conscience and the tryall of it A good conscience holds out constantly in a good Cause without Deflection and in a good Course without Defection 1. In a good cause Let a good conscience undertake the defence of a good Cause and it will stand rightly to it and neither grow weary nor corrupt It will not make shewes of countenancing Pauls cause till he come before Nero and then give him the slippe and give him leave to stand upon his owne bottome and shift for himselfe as well as hee can A conscionable Magistrate and a Iudge who cut of a conscience of the faithfull discharge of his place takes in hand the defence of a good or the punishment of a bad cause will not leave it in the suddes will not be wrought by feare or favour to let Innocency be thrust to the walls and Iniquity hold up the neb but will stand out stiffe and manifest the goodness of his conscience in his Constancie 2. In a good Course A man that is once in a good course having a good conscience wil neither be driven nor be drawn out of that good way to his dying day There be tentations on the right hand and there be tentations on the left but yet a good conscience will turne neither way Pro. 4. 27. but keepes on fore right and presses hard to the marke that is set before it Try it with tentations on the left hand Try it by the mockings and derisions of others whom it sees in good wayes will this stagger or stumble it and make it start aside not a whit but it wil go on with so much the more courage rather Iob 17 6 7 8 9. He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was a Tabret Was not this enough to shake others to see such a prime man as Iob thus used thus scorned and mocked not a whit for all this The righteous shall hold on his way and hee that hath cleane hands be stronger and stronger Try it by mockings and derisions personall Si reddere beneficium non aliter quam per speciem injuria potero oequissimo animo ad honestum consilium peâ— medium infamiam â—endam Nemo mihi videtur pluris virtutem nemo illi magis esse devotus quam qui boni viri famam perdidit ne conscientiam perderet Senoc epi. 82. by personall infamy and reproach let a mans owne selfe be derided be defamed this will goe neerer than the former what will this move him out of the way No He will lose his good name before his good conscience See Ps 119. 51. The proud have had me greatly in derision yet have I not declined from thy Law And though Michol 2 Sam. 6. play the flouting foole yet David will not play the declining foole but if to be zealous be to be a foole he will be yet more vile And though Ieremy was in derision daily and every one mocked him yea and defamed him yet he was rather the more than the lesse zealous Ier. 20. 7 9 10. The righteous Psal 135. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be removed but abides for ever What likelihood that a puffe of breath should remove a Mountaine When men can blow downe Mountaines with their breath then may they scoffe a good conscience out of the waies of godlinesse and sinceritie Mount Sion and a good conscience abide for ever But these happily may be thought lighter trials put a good conscience to some more smarting and bleeding trials then these pettier ones are and yet there shall we find it as constant as in the former Let the Lord give the Sabeans ChaldeaÌ„s and satan leave to spoile Iob of his goods and children will not then Iob give up his Integrity doe ye not thinke that he will curse God to his face So indeed the devill hopes Iob 1. 15. But what is the issue what gets the devill by the triall onely gives God argument of triumph against him in Iobs constancie Iob 2. 3. And still he holdeth fast his integrity As if he had said See for all that thou canst doe in spight of all thy spight and mischievous malice he holds fast his Integrity untill this day See the terrible trials to which they were put Heb. 11. 37. They were stoned sawne asunder c. and
yet all could not make them shake hands with a good coÌ„science The raine floods and winds could not bring downe the house founded upon the rocke Mat. 7. Notwithstanding all trials a good conscience stands to it and holds it owne and speakes as once Father Rawlins did the Bishop Rawlins you left mee Acts and Mon. Rawlins you find me and Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue Try yet a good conscience farther with the tentations on the right hand which commonly have as much more strength in them above the other as the right hand hath above the left and yet we shall find the right hand too weake to plucke a good conscience out of its station It was a sore tentation wherwith Moses was assaulted The treasures and pleasures the honors favors of the Aegyptian Court Princesse All these wooe him not to goe the people of God Had that people been setled and at rest in Canaan yet had it beene a great tentation to prefer Aegypt before Canaan But the people are in Aegypt in affliction in bondage therfore so much the more strength in the tentation What will you be so mad to leave all for nothing certaine honours for certaine afflictions who can tell but you may be raised to this greatnesse to be an instrument of good to your people You by your favour in the Court may bee meanes to ease them of their bondage and so you may doe the Church service with your greatnesse c. Here was a tentation on the right hand and with the right hands strength Well and how speeds it Is Moses able to withstand it See Heb. 11. 24 25 26. He refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter c. All would not doe nor stir him a whit Those faithfull Worthies before mentioned could not be stirred with all the cruelties their adversaries could invent I but it may be a tentation on the right hand might have made them draw away the right hand of fellowship from a good conscience Well their enemies therefore will try what good they can do that wayes Heb. 12. 37. They were tempted that is on the right hand they were sollicited and inticed and allured with faire promises of honours favours preferments as Bonner used to deale with the Martyrs hee had sometimes butter and oyle as well as fire and faggot in his mouth Thus were they tempted but yet what availed these tentations Iust as much as their stones sawes swords prisons all a like They for all these tentations keepe a good conscience to their dying day and hold fast the faith and truth unto the end A good conscience is of the mind of those trees in Iothams parable Iudg. 9. It will not with the Olive lose its fatnesse nor with the Fig-tree lose its sweetnesse nor with the vine its wine of cheerfulnes to have the fattest and sweetest preferments and pleasures of the world no though it were to raigne over the trees It was an excellent resolution of Benevolus Benevolo Iustina praecepit ut adversus fidem patrum imperialia decreta dictaret Illo vero se impia verba prolaturum abnuente celsiorem honoris gradum spopondit si maÌ„data perficeret cui Benevolus Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede altiorem promittis gradum hunc ipsum quem habeo auferte dunt inâ—gram fidei conscientiam tuear Ac protonus cingulum ante pedes ejus abjecit Sâ—gon de occid Imp. l. 1. pag. 200. in his answer to Iustina the Arrian Empresse profering preferments to him to have beene instrumentall in a service which could not be done with a good conscience What doe ye promising mee an higher degree of preferment for a reward of impiety yea even take this from me which already I have so that I may keepe a good conscience And so forthwith hee threw at his feet his girdle the ensigne of his honour Thus doth a good conscience throw and trample honour and preferment under foot to maintaine its owne integritie Thus can nothing corrupt a good conscience I have beene young and now am old and yet never saw I the righteous forsaken to wit of God Psalm 37. David out of his experience could have said as much in this point I have beene young and now am old yet never saw I God and godlinesse forsaken by the righteous by the man that had a good conscience But the man that had a good conscience when hee was young will hold out and have it when he is old It is the great honour and grace of a good Conscience which Walden thinks he spake to the disgrace of Wickliffe Ita ut cano placeret quod inveni complacebat He was young and old one and the same man Old age decayes the body the strength the senses but conscience it touches not that holds out sound to death As of Christ in another sense Heb. 13. So may it be said of a good conscience in this Yesterday and to day and the same for ever A good conscience is no changeling but let a mans estate change from rich to poore from poore to rich or let the times change from good to evill or from evill to worse or a mans dayes change from young to old let his haires and head change yet among all these changes a good coÌ„science wil not change but hold it owne untill its last day Now put mens consciences upon this triall their inconstancie either in good causes or courses will discover their naughtines In a good cause how many are like Darius his coÌ„scieÌ„ce struggles a great while for Daniel he knew he was innoceÌ„t he knows the action to be unjust and therfore labours all day till the setting of the Sun for his deliverance Dan. 6. 14. but yet overcome with the Presidents Princes urgencie ver 16. he coÌ„mands him to the Lions den Here was a natural conscience standing for equity and justice but yet no good conscience it holds but till Sun set and his conscience went downe with the Sun His coÌ„science yields is overcome though it know the act to be unjust Pilats conscience makes him plead for Christ In his conscience he acquits him and thrice solemnly professes that hee finds no fault in him and therefore cannot in conscience condemne him yea withall seekes to release him Iohn 19. 12. Is not here now a good conscience Indeed it had beene so in this particular fact if his conscience had beene inflexible and had held out But when Pilate heares them say that if he be his friend he is no friend to Caesar Iohn 19 12. and whilest withall hee is willing to content the people Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one side and desire to curry favour on the other where now is his conscience Now hee presently delivers him to be crucified though he knowes in his conscience that there is no fault in him What a good conscience hath many a Iudge and Lawyer How stiffely will they stand
in and prosecute a just case till a bribe come and puts out the very eies of their conscience Their consciences are of so soft a temper that the least touch of silver turnes their edge presently They hold out well till there come a tentation on their left hand that is in their right hand Psal 144. 8. Whose mouth speakes vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood If once the right hand be a right hand of falsehood the mouth will soone speake vanity though before it speake conscience Who would not have thought Balaam to have beene a man of an excellent conscience If Balak would give mee his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. But yet besides that faltering in those words I cannot goe whereas the language of a good conscience would have beene I will not goe besides that I say before hee ends his speech see how the hope of promotions works and works his conscience like wax before the fire ver 19. Now therfore I pray you tarry heere also this night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more A faltering inference If his conscience had beene good it would have inferred strongly thus Now therefore I pray get you gone and trouble me no longer Hee knew in his conscience the people ought not to be cursed and that he ought not to goe and yet comes in with I pray tarry all night c. Truly Balak needed not to have beene so lavish and so prodigall as to offer an house full one handfull of his silver and gold will frame Balaams conscience to any thing The like triall may be made of mens consciences by their inconstancie in good courses and this will condemne three sorts as guilty of evill consciences 1. Such as sometimes being convinced of the necessity of good courses doe set upon the practice of them and begin to looke towards Religion and religious duties till meeting with some of their supposed wiser neighbours they be advised to take heed they may bring themselves into greater note then they are aware of they will incur sharper censures then they thinke of c. and suddenly all is dasht all is quasht and quencht There is a disease among beasts they call the Staggers and it is a disease too frequent in mens Consciences who sometimes are on sometimes off one day begin and next day cease good courses That may be said of many mens conscices which Iacob speakes of Reuben Gen 49. 4. Vnstable as water The water moues as the winds blow If the wind blow out of the East then it moves one way if out of the west then it moves another the cleane contrary and upon every new winde a new way So many let them heare a convincing and a good perswading Sermon moving to good duties then they will set upon them let them againe heare either some mocks or reproches for those wayes or some sage advise from one they count wise against the way of conscience they are as far off againe as ever These staggering irresolute and watry Consciences are farre from good ones 2. Such as in their youth or when the world was low with them were very zealous and forward But what are they now at this day True downeright Demasses zealous when they were young but now old and cold zealous when they were meane but now the world is come vpon them Demas-like they have forsaken goodnes and embraced the world have gotten now worme-eaten and world-eaten consciences The zeale of Gods house was wont to eat them up but now the world hath eaten up them and all their good conscience 3. Those that have made good the prophane Proverb Young Saints and old Devills whose hatred of Religion and good conscience is greater then ever was their love thereto as Ammon was towards Thamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods house and Ordinances zealous enemies against Swearing and Sabbath-breaking c. But what are they at this day yesterday indeed zealous professors of holines but what are they to day to day malicious scoffers of godlinesse haters and opposers of goodnes the only swearers and drunkards in a country What kind of cōsciences are these none of Pauls conscience I have lived in all good conscience untill this day What then just the consciences of Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 18 19. They once made great profession of conscience but now enemies to Paul and blasphemers men as Paul speaks that had put away good conscience they did not through want of watchfulnesse let it slip or steale away but as if it would never have been gone soone enough they put and drave it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza translates it Qua expulsa They used their consciences as Ammon did Thamar after his lust satisfied 2 Sam. 13. 15 17. Arise be gone sayes hee to her and when shee pleads for her selfe hee cals his servant and sayes unto him Put out this woman and bolt the doore after her put her out so as shee may be sure not to come againe They dealt with their Consciences as Colleges deale with Rake-hels expelled them without all hope of re-entry Thus many prophane Apostating backsliders cannot be content to lose good conscience unlesse Ammon-like they may put it away with violence and expell it And how can they have good conscience that have put it away Hee hath not his wife that hath put her away and given her a bill of divorce In the dayes of Popery and darknesse the Devill it seemed walked very familiarly amongst them and hence we have so many stories of Fayries and of children taken out of cradles and others laid in their roomes whom they called Changelings Since the light of the Gospell these Devils and Fayries have not beene seene amongst us but yet we are still troubled with Changelings Some Priests and Iesuites have changed some the world hath changed some Good-fellowship and the Ale-house hath changed These have played the Fayries have taken and stolne away goodly forward and fervent Christians and have layd in their roomes Earthlings Worldlings Popelings Swearers Drunkards Malicious scorners of all goodnesse Thus have these Fayries in stead of faire and comely children brought in these lame blind deformed and wrizzled faced Changelings that any one may easily see them to be rather the births of some Hobgoblins then the Children of God If therefore we would evidence our consciences good labour to hold to the last and rest not in youth but labor to have age found in the way of righteousnesse This is a Crowne of glory and this is right good conscience to live therein untill our dying day All the former sixe are nothing without this last CHAP. X. The comfort and benefit of a good conscience in the case of Disgrace and Reproach VVEe are now come to the fift and last point which was propounded
dies If the worme of Hell would die the fire of Hell would go out For if there were no guilt there should be no punishment So that the very Hell of Hell is that self-torment which an evill conscience breeds Now then all this considered how powerfully should it move us to labour for a good conscience Thou that goest on in thine evill courses and hatest to be reformed and reclamed do but bethinke thy selfe if God should awaken thy conscience in what misery thou shouldst live Vt ex cruditate febres nascuntur vermes quaÌ„do quis cibum sumit intemperanter ita si quis peccata peccatis accumulet nec deco quot ea poenetentia sed misceat peccata peccatis cruditatem contrahit veterum recentium delictorum igne aduâ—etur proprio vermibus consumetur Ignis est queÌ„ generat moestitia delictorum vermis est eo quod irrationabilia animi peccata mentem pungunt viscera exedant vermes ex unoque nascuntur tanquam ex corpore peccatoris hic vermis non morietur c. Ambr. lib. 7. in Luk. c. 14. here what an hell to have a palsie conscience what a hell on earth to be alwayes under the accusations inditements and terrors of conscience and to live Cain like in the land of Nod in a continuall restlesse agitation But especially as thou fearest that everliving and ever grabbing worme so have a care to get a good conscience Greene raw fruits breed Chestworms which if heed be not taken will eate the very maw thorow A dead body and a putrified corrupt carcasse breeds worms that ly gnawing at it in the grave The forbidden and raw fruits of Sin are those which breed Chestwormes in the conscience The corruptions of the soule and dead workes are those that breed this living worme take heed therfore of medling with these fruits that will breed this worme and get thy conscience purged from dead works get this worme killed with the soonest for if thou lettest it live till thou dye it will never die at all and will put thee to those exquisite torments from which to be freed thou wouldst willingly suffer ten thousand of the most cruell deaths that the wit of man were able to invent As then I say thou fearest this worme of Hell so get a good conscience Drink downe every morning a hearty draught of Christs blood which may make this worme burst And when once this worm is burst and voyded and the conscience well purged by Christs blood take heed ever after of eating those raw fruits that will breed new wormes Lead so holy so upright and so conscionable a life that thou mayest not by thy fresh Sins clog thy conscience with fresh guilt Get thy conscience purged by Christs blood and thy conversation framed by Gods Word Thy words were found by me and I did eate them Ier. 15. 16. Do thou so eat no more the unwholesome and worme-breeding fruits of Sin but drinke Christs blood and eate Gods Word and they both shall purifie and scoure thy conscience from all such stuffe as may breed and feed the Hell-worme of an evill conscience CHAP. XVI The portion and respect that a good conscience finds in the world ANd thus have we hither to seen Pauls Protestation The second point followes namely Ananias his insolent and impetuous Injunction Verse 2. And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth Paul had begun his defence in the former verse and that by authoritie and speciall command as appeares in the former Chapter at the 30. ver But he had no sooner begun but he is interrupted cut off and hath not onely his mouth stopt but stopt with Ananias fist He commanded to smite him on the mouth Out of which carriage and violence of his wee may observe divers things First learne 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 sayes Ananias But let us a little expostulate the matter with Ananias Smite him on the mouth But yet as Pilate speaks in Christs case But what evill hath he done or what evill hath hee spoken Smite him on the mouth But as our Saviour answers Ioh. 18. 23. If he have spoken evil take witnesse of the evill and proceed legally and formally If he have spoken well or no manner of evill why commandest thou him to be smitten What hath he spoken any treason against Caesar or the Roman government If he have then as the town-clark of Ephesus speaks Act. 19. 38. The Law is open and there are Deputies let them accuse him and bring him to his answer It is a base usage of an ingenuous person to be smitten on the mouth in a Court of Iustice a dishonourable usage of a Roman Surely it should seeme by such base and bitter usage that Paul hath some way or other fouly forgotten and overshot himselfe that Ananias his spirit is thus embitered and provoked against him What hath Paul given him any exasperating and disgracefull termes hath he given him any open and personall girds before the whole Councell No no No such matter at all Why what then is the matter that Paul must be thus basely and thus despitefully used Will ye know the cause Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience Loe 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 practice of a good conscience doth The very name mention of a good conscience makes Ananias halfe mad like one besides himselfe he fals not onely to foule words but to blowes also and Paul must have it on the mouth for good conscience sake Paul might have blasphemed the blessed name of Christ and rayled upon the odious Sect of the Nazarens hee might have beene a drunkard an adulterour or a murtherer and none of all these things would have stirred Ananias his blood for none of all these should Paul have been smitten but let him but once speak or treate of or any way meddle with good conscience and Ananias his blood is presently up hee cannot hold his hands but Paul must have 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 coÌ„scieÌ„ce must expect even Ananias his dole fists blowes smiting hard injurious measure from the world This is no new thing It was our Saviours case before it was Pauls Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus spoken one of the officers which stood by strucke
and a cessation of Armes for a season so as during the same there is still provision of more Force and a preparation of greater strength A truce is but a breathing time to fit for fiercer impressions The truce being ended the assaults are rather fiercer than they were before The secure Consciences are quiet not because there is peace for there is no peace to the wicked Quomodo tranquilla cum mundi hujus prosperitas alludit illudit cum laudatur peccator in desiderijs animae suae Born de Conse saith my God Isa 57. 21. But because there is some truce the world smiles upon them and they have outward hearts ease and this brings them asleepe but if any affliction crosse or sicknesse come then they see how far they are from peace Conscience is sometime at truce with secure sinners but during this truce Conscience is preparing Armes and Ammunition against them is levying of fresh forces against them and assoone as the truce is ended be it sooner or be it later have at them with more violence fury fiercenes than ever before And the truce once ended it will easilie appeare what a wide breadth of difference there is between a secure and a good Conscience 3. A Seared Conscience That which Paul speakes of 1 Tim. 4. 2. A cauterized Conscience That is as Beza translates and expounds it A Conscience cut off as it were with a Chirugions Instrument An arme or a leg cut off from the body stab it gash it chop it into gobbets do what you will with it it is insensible it feeles it not Or else as our translation hath it Having their Consciences seared with an hot iron A comparison borrowed from Chirurgerie When a limbe is cut off Chirugions use to seare that part of the Body from whence the other is taken with an hot iron and sometimes they do cures by searing the affected parts with hot irons Now these parts upon their searing have a kind of crusty brawninesse which is utterly insensible which though it be cut or pricked it neither bleeds nor feeles Thus is it with many mens Consciences commit they whatsoever sins they will yet their hearts are so hardned through long custome in sin that they feele no gripings pinches or bitings at all but are growne to that dead and dedolent disposition Ephes 4. 19. Who being past feeling c. It is with such mens consciences as with labouring mens hands which through much labor have a brawny hardnesse growing upon them which is without any feeling One may thrust pins into it pare it with a knife and yet without any trouble or griefe at all Such callous Consciences have many that though they be wounded and gashed with never such foule sins yet their consciences shrink not feele not awhit Their Consciences are like Gally-slaves backs so bebrawned over with often lashing that an ordinary lash will not make them so much as once shuck in their shoulders You have many that can sweare not onely your more civill oathes of faith and troth but those ruffianly and bloudy oathes of bloud and wounds and it never wounds their hearts awhit You have many that can commit foule sins with lesse touch than others can heare of them You shall have black Smiths that are used to the frequent and daily handling of hot iron hold an hot firecoale in their hands and laugh whilst another would roare out There be those that can be drunke day after day that consecrate whole Sabbaths to Venus Bacchus and give themselvs up to foule villanies yet not one twitch at the heart not a snib not a crosse word from their Consciences Estrich-like they can concoct iron and put it off as easily as another weake stomacke can doe gelly They have brought their hearts to that passe the drunkards body is in Pro. 25. 35. They have striken me and I was not sick they have eaten me and I felt it not Their seared Consciences have no more feeling than our sotted Drunkards have in their drunkennesse who though they have many a knocke and sore bruise yet feele it not To this fearefull condition and senselesse and seared stupiditie of Conscience many growe and when they have thus crusted and brawned the same then they have their Consciences at a good passe becavse they heare them not brawling within them Alas how farre are such from goodnesse of Conscience In some sense those have worse Consciences than the Devill himselfe who beleeves and trembles whose Conscience yet is not so seared but it trembles at the thoughts of his deserved damnation And howsoever these seared Consciences are quiet yet there will come a day that this seared crustinesse shall bee scaled off and those Consciences which were not sensible of sinne shall be most sensible of paine though they were past feeling in the committing of sinne yet they shall be all feeling in suffering punishment for sinne God will pare off that brawninesse from their Consciences and will pare them so to the quicke that they shall feele and most sensibly feele that which here they would not feele Tremble therefore at the having of such a Conscience in which there is neither uprightnesse nor peace neither integrity nor tranquility but a senslesse and fearfull stupidity Thus we have seen what a good Conscience is CHAP. IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten IT followes now to know how a man may get and keepe a good one which is the third point which was propounded to be handled A point well worth our inquiring after A good Conscience is the most precious thing that a Christian can have a thing of that esteeme that where it is wanting wee account a man without a Conscience So of a man that hath an ill Conscience we use to say he is a man of no conscience Not that he hath no Conscience the Devils themselves have a conscience and happy it were for them they had none but when a man hath not a good one we esteeme of him as having none at all There is no greater good we can seeke after than a good conscience Let us enquire then how we may get and keepe this so great a good A good Conscience then consisting in Peace and Integrity these two being gotten and kept wee shall get and keepe a good Conscience First then to make the Conscience peaceably good these things are required 1. Faith in Christ and his blood The conscience cannot be at peace till it be purged from its guilt An impure conscience cānot but be an unquiet conscience and every guilty Conscience is impure Guilt is the same to the Conscience that the winds are to the seas Isa 27. 20. 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dirt there is no peace to the wicked Now that which makes the sea so troublesome and ragingly restlesse is the violence of the blustering winds that trouble tosse it to and fro The winds
then should a man do in such a hard case Heare what is the resolution of a good conscience Act. 20. 24. My life not deare unto me so that I may fulfill my Ministration with joy And wherein lay his joy but in his good conscience 2 Corinth 1. 12. It is all one as if hee had said I care not to lose my life to keepe a good conscience A good conscience in that passage of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 19. is secretly compared to a ship Now in a tempest at Sea when the question is come to this whether the goods shall be cast out or the Ship be cast away what doe the Marriners See Act. 27. 18. 38. They lightned the Ship and cast out the wheat into the Sea The Marriners will turne the richest Commodities over-board to save the Ship for they know if the Ship be cast away then themselves are cast away Thus it is with a man that hath a good conscience when the case comes to this pinch that either his outward Comforts or his inward Peace must wrack hee will cheerfully cast the wheat into the sea will part with all earthly commodities and comforts before he will rush and wrack his conscience upon any rock He knowes if the ship be wrackt if his conscience be crackt that then himselfe and his soule is in danger of being cast away and therefore hee will throw away all to save conscience from being split upon the rocks and being swallowed up in the sands There is as great a difference between a good conscience and all outward things even unto life it selfe as is betweene the arme and the head or heart The braine and the heart are vitall parts therefore when the head is in danger to be cleft or the heart to be thrust through a man will not stand questioning whether hee were best adventure his hand or his arme to save his head or his heart but either of these being in danger the hand and the arme presently interpose themselves to receive the blow and put themselves in danger of being wounded or cut off rather than the head or heart should be pierced A man may have his hand or arme cut off and yet may live but a wound in the braine or heart is mortall It is so in this case A good conscience values its owne peace above all the world It is that wherin a Christians life lyes therfore he will suffer the right hand or foot to be cut off and lose all rather than expose conscience to danger A man may go to heaven with the losse of a limbe and though he halt Math. 18. 8. but if a man lose his life if conscience be lost all is lost A man may goe to heaven though hee lose riches liberty life but if a good conscience be lost there is no comming thither All things compared to conscience are as far beneath it as the least finger beneath the head He were a mad man that would suffer his skull to be cleft to save his little finger nay but the paring of his naile And yet the world is full of such mad men that suffer conscience to receive many a deepe wound and gash to save those things which in comparison of good conscience are but as the nayle parings to the head Try mens consciences here and we shall find them exceeding short A good conscience will endure any griefe and suffer any wrong rather then suffer the losse of its owne peace God commands Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. to put away Israel oh but what shall I doe for mine hundred Talents Tush what are an hundred Talents A good conscience in yielding obedience to God is a richer treasure than the East and West Indies And yet how many be there that will craze their conscience an hundred times before they will lose one Talent by obedience to God out of a care to keepe a good conscience A talent nay that is too deepe never put them to that cost they will sell a good conscience not for gaining but for the taking of a farthing token God and good conscience say Sanctifie the Sabbath Possibly some halfe-penny customer comes to a Tradesmans Shop on a Sabbath and askes the sale of such or such a commoditie Now the mans conscience tels him of the commandement tels him what God lookes for tels him it cannot stand with his peace to make markets on that day c. But then he tels conscience that if hee be so precise hee may lose a customer and if hee lose his customers he may shutte up his Shop-windowes An Inne-keepers conscience tels him that it is fitter that hee should bee attending Gods service at his house on his day than that hee should be waiting on his guest But then he replies to conscience that then his takings will be but poore and this is the next way to pluck downe his signe So here lyes a dispute between Conscience and Gaine which of these two must be parted with If now in this case a man will grow to this resolution By Gods helpe I am resolved to keepe a good conscience in keeping Gods Commandement and Sabbath I will rather lose the best customer I have and the best guest I have then the peace of a good conscience If I beg I beg I will say of my customers as Iacob of his children Gen. 43. 14. If I am bereaved of them I am bereaved I will trust God with my estate before I will hazard my conscience Give me such a man such a Tradesman and I will be bold to say he is a man of a good conscience But contrarily when men are so set upon gaine that so they may have it they care not how they come by it they will dispense an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had if these have good consciences let any judge How would such lose their blood and lives that will not lose such trifling gaines for the safety of their conscience Wee have not yet resisted unto blood the more we owe to God that know not what that resistance meanes Alas how would those resist unto blood that set conscience to sale upon so base prices as they doe Peter speakes of a fiery triall 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God should ever bring that triall amongst us that a company of drossie consciences would it find out Wee have no fiery tryall we have but an airy tryall onely and yet how many evill consciences it discovers Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his family to frequent good exercises and company hee is convinced in his conscience that thus he should doe and conscience presses him to it But why then are not these things done A Lyon is in the way Hee shall lose the good word and opinion of the world he shall have so many frowns and frumps and censures and scoffes that he cannot buckle to this course Many are in Zedekiah his case he was convinced in his
stand to him that will stand for it When Nebuchadnezzar heares his Furnace seaven times hotter than at other times then a good conscience will speak comfort seven times sweeter than at other times Are Gods Saints for good conscience â—on Acts and Mon. Omnis nobis vilis est poena ubi pura comes est conscientia Tiburt apud Baren An. 168. sake in prison Good conscience will make their prisons delectable hort-yards So doth Algerius an Italian Martyr date a comfortable Epistle of his From the delectable hortyard of the Leonine prison a prison in Venice so called So that as he said that hee had rather be in prison with Cato than with Caesar in the Senate house so in this regard it was more comfortable to be with Philpot in the Cole-house than with Bonner in his Palace Bonners conscience made his Palace a Cole house and a Dungeon whilst Philpots made the Cole-house a Palace Are Gods Saints in the Stocks Better it is sayes Philpot to sit in the Stocks of the world then in the stocks of a damnable conscience Therefore though they be in the Stocks yet even then the righteous doth sing and rejoyce yea even in the Stocks and prison Paul and Silas sang in the Stocks Sing in the Stocks Nay Hinc est quod è contrario innocens etiam inter ipsa tormenta fruitur conscientiae securitate cum de poena metuat de innocentia gloriatur Hieron ad Demetti ad â—â— 1. more they can sing in the flames and in the middst of the fires Isay 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires And worthy Hawks could clap his hands in the middst of the flames So great and so passing all understanding is the peace and comfort of a good conscience So that in some sense that may be said of it which is spoken of faith Heb. 11. 34. By it they quenched the violence of fire Gods servants were so rapt and ravisht with the sense of Gods love and their inward peace of conscience that they seem'd to have a kind of happy dedolencie and want of feeling of the smart of outward torments Who knowes what trialls God may bring him to Wee have no patent for our peace nor his free liberty in the profession of the Gospel Suppose we should be cald to the stake for Christs sake Would we be chearful would we sing in the flames Get a good conscience The cause of Christ is a good cause now with a good cause get a good conscience and wee shall be able with all chearfulnesse to lay downe our lives for Christ and his Gospel sake CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good conscience in the dayes of Death and Iudgement IN the fourth place The time of death is a time wherein the benefit and comfort of a good conscience is exceeding great Death hath a ghastly looke and 4. The comfort of a good conscience at the day of Death terrible able to daunt the proudest and bravest spirit in the world but then hath it a ghastly looke indeed when it faces an evill conscience Indeed sometimes and most commonly conscience in many is secure at the time of death God in his justice so plaguing an affected security in life with an inflicted security at Death And the Lord seemes to say as once to the Prophet Go make their consciences asleepe at their death as they have made it asleepe all their life lest conscience should see and speake and they heare and be saved God deales with conscience as with the Prophet Ez. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumbe therefore they die though not desparately as Saul and Achitophel yet sottishly without comfort and feeling of Gods love as Nabal But if conscience be awakened and have its eyes and mouth opened no heart can imagine the desparate and unsufferable distresses of such an heart Terrours take hold of him as waters Iob 27. 20. Terrours make him afrai on every side Iob 18. 11. Then is that true Iob 25. 23 24. Hee knowes that the day of darknesse is ready at hand Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevaile against him as a King ready to the battell And no wonder for hee is now brought unto the King of Terrours as Death is called Iob 18. 14. A man that hath an ill conscience if his eyes be opened and his conscience awakened he sees death in all the terrible shapes that may bee Sometimes he sees death comming like a mercilesse Officer and a cruell Sergeant to arrest and to drag him by the throat to the prison and place of Torment Psal 55. 15. Let death seize upon them They see it comming like that cruell servant in the Parable to his fellow Math. 18. catching them by the very throat Sometimes he sees death in the shape of some greedy Lyon or some ravening Wolfe ready to devour him and to feed upon his carkasse Ps 49. 14. Death shall feed on them even as a ravenous beast shall feed upon his prey Imagine in what a terrible plight the Samaritans where in when the Lyons set upon them 2 Kin. 17. and by it imagine in what case an ill conscience is when it beholds the face of death It puts an ill conscience into that case in good earnest that David was in in the case of triall Ps 55. 4 5. My heart is sore pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen upon me fearfulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and horrour hath overwhelmed me Sometimes againe he sees death as the Israelites the fiery serpents with mortall stings Sometimes as a mercilesse landlord or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of Firmae ejectione to throw him out of house and home and to turne him to the wide Common yea he sees death as Gods executioner and messenger of eternall death yea hee sees death with as much horrour as if hee saw the Devill In so many fearfull shapes appeares death to an evill conscience upon the death-bed So as it is indeed the King of terrors to such an one that hath the terrors of conscience within There is no one thought so terrible to such an one as the thought of death nothing that hee more wishes to avoid Oh how loath and unwilling is such an one to dye But come now to a man that hath lived as Paul did in all good conscience and how is it with him upon his death-bed His end is peace so full of joy and comfort so is hee ravished with the inward and unspeakable consolations of his conscience that it is no wonder at all that Balaam should wish to dye the death of the righteous the death of a man with a good conscience The day of a mens mariage is the day of the joy of a mans heart Can. 3. 11. and the day of mariage is not so joyfull a day as is the day of death to a good conscience There are but
in the place He commands Paul to be smitten Vsurpers commonly are smiters and usurpation is usually attended with violence Such as the entrance such the administration We see it true in Abimelech Integritas praesidentisi est salus subditoruÌ„ principatus auteÌ„ quem ambitus occupavit etiam si moribus atque actibus non offendit ipsius tamen initij sui est pernitiosus exemplo difficile est ut bono peragantur exitu quae malo sunt inducta principio ex Decret and Athalia That as it is said of Pope Bonif. the eight that he entred like a Foxe raigned like a Lyon c. So was it with Ananias hee had a Foxes entrance hee came not to the Priesthood by an hereditary succession but as the fashion then was by simony bribery and flattery and now see how he raignes like a Lion and commands Paul to be smitten on the mouth An ill entrance into any place of office in Church or Common-wealth cannot promise any good in the administration thereof See what wofull times here were what bitternesse what madnesse against a good conscience Doct. 5 And these were the times that did a little fore-run the fatall fearfull ruine and desolation of Ierusalem and the Nation of the Iewes Ananias his deadly hatred of goodnesse and good conscience was a bud of the fig-tree that the particular Iudgement of Ierusalem was even at the doores When the rod is blossomed and pride hath budded and violence specially against good conscience is risen up into a rod of wickednes then may it truly be said Behold the day behold it is come The time is come the day drawes neere Ezec. 7. 10 11 12. By Bede describing the ancient destruction Odium in veritatis professores tanquaÌ„ subversores omnia tela odium in hos Bed hist gent. Aug. l. 1. cap. 14. of this kingdome of Britain this is made a fore-runner therof The hatred of the professors of the truth as of subverters all the spite and hate was against them Our Saviour tels his Disciples Luk. 21. 11. of fearfull sights and great signes that should be from heaven before the destruction of Ierusalem And so there was a fearfull comet many other prodigious things before the same Now if the Iewes had had hearts to have considered it this cordiall malignity on every hand against good coÌ„scieÌ„ce was as sad a Prognosticator of their approaching ruine as any blazing star or terrible sight whatsoever It is an ill presage of a Nation going down when once good conscience is fisted downe CHAP. XVIII The severity of Gods justice upon the enemies of a good conscience and the usuall equity of Gods administration in his executions of justice THus have wee seene Paul fisted and laid on the mouth How doth Paul now take this blow at Ananias hands He smites not againe nor offers to repell one violence with another he had learned of Christ rather to have turned his other cheeke to him But yet though hee smite him not with the fist yet he smites with a checke and a just reproofe for his violence And so may a man smite without transgression and without revenge Psal 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shall not breake mine head So may a man smite and yet be a righteous man These blows are not to breake heads as Ananias his blowes are but these are to breake hard hearts Thus Paul smites without transgression of the bonds of meeknesse and patience And so we are now come to the third maine point in the text Pauls zealous answer and contestation Vers 3. Then said Paul unto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall The contestation is contained in the whole verse And in this contestation we have a denunciation of judgement that haâ—ly by a Propheticall an Apostolicall spirit prophesying to him what should befall him not an imprecation out of a private spirit stirred with a desire of revenge God shall or will smite not I pray God smite or I hope to see the day when God shall smite but God shall smite As if he had said well Ananias thou hast smitten me heare now what thy doome from God is I am sent to thee with heavie tydings God wil call thee to reckoning for this blow and Gods hand is over thine head to pay thee in thine owne kind So then from the whole learne thus much Christian patience though it bind a mans Doct. hands yet doth it not alwayes bind a mans tongue Though it lay a Law upon a man to forbeare violence yet layes it not a Law upon him alwayes to enjoyne him silence Though a man in Pauls case may not strike yet hee may speake Though Religion pinion a mans armes from striking yet doth it not sow seale up a mans lips from speaking Ananias hath smitten Paul on the face and if it please him to have another blow he will not resist him hee hath his other cheeke ready for him if his fingers itch to be doing but yet for all this though Paul hold his hands hee doth not hold his peace Indeed Christs precept is well known Math. 5. 39. Turne the other cheeke also but yet for all that see what his practice was when he was smitten Ioh. 18. 23. Iesus answered him If I have spoken evill beare witnesse of the evill but if well why smitest thou me And yet his precept and practice doe not interfeire nor crosse shinnes For though by his precept hee forbids us to retaliate or recompence injury with injury out of the heat of a vindictive spirit yet by his practice he warrants us in cases of injury to make a manifestation both of our own innocencie and others injustice Religion binds no man to be a Traytour to his own innocencie and the justice of his cause and by silence to abet others injustice With a good conscience may a man speake so long as hee speakes as Paul did before Festus Act. 26. 25. The words of truth and sobernesse So a man answer truly soberly without tacks of gall and impatient touches of revenge Christ and Religion say to a man convented and injuriously proceeded against as Agrippa did to Paul Act. 26. 1. Thou art permitted to speak for thy self This in generall more particularly in this Denunciation Consider the judgement denounced that is this God shall smite thee From which we may observe two things First See Gods judgements and the severity of Doct. 1 his justice against the enemies of a good conscience and his faithfull servants Ananias smites Paul and for his good conscience and what gets hee by it God will smite him and give him as good as hee brings God will smite smiters Ananias smites Paul and Gods will smite Ananias yea and God did smite Ananias for he was afterwards slaine by Manaimus one of the Captaines of the Iewes It is a dangerous thing not to smite when God commands 1 King 20. 35 36. He that would not smite a
Prophet when God commanded was smitten with an heavie judgement It is no lesse dangerous to smite when God forbids smiting God hath an heavie hand for those that are so light fingred and he will give them blow for blow that will bee smiting his for a good conscience Touch not mine anoynted and do my Prophets no harm Ps 105. 15. He that touches them touches the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2. 8. So hee that smites them smites the apple of his eye The eie is a tender place and sensible of a little blow God will not take a blow on the eye nor beare a blow on his face at the hands of the proudest enemies of them all and though we must turne the other cheek rather than smite againe yet the Lord to whom vengeance belongs wil take no blows at their hands but if they will be smiting they shall be sure to heare of him to their cost You find Ex. 2. 11. an Aegyptian smiting an Israelite It becomes none better than Aegyptians to be smiting Israelites Moses spies an Aegyptian smiting of an Hebrew What gets the Aegyptian in the end See verse 12. God stirs up the spirit of Moses to smite him and to slay him Thus will God teach Aegyptians to be medling Pashur smites Ieremy Ier. 20. 2. What got he by it The heavie stroke of Gods hand upon himselfe and all his friends ver 3 4 5 6. Herod was a smiter too Act. 12. 1 2. He stretched forth his hands to vexe certain of the Church and he killed Iames the Brother of Iohn with the Sword And what became of him in the end See ver 23. The Angel of the Lord smote him he was eaten up of worms and he gave up the ghost It is said of Ionas his gourd that a worme smote it and it withered Ion. 4. That was much that a worme should so soone smite the gourd But when men will be smiting Gods people and his prophets for a good conscience and when Herod will be so busie as to smite Apostles God can send not onely an Angel one of his most glorious creatures but even a base worme even one of the weakest creatures to smite Herod and eate him both Ieroboam stretches forth his arme against the Prophet 1 Kin. 13. his arm withers he doth but threatē to smite God smites him How much more when Herod stretches forth his hād to vexe the Church and to smite Gods Ministers wil God not only wither them but smite him as Sampson smote the Philistims hip and thigh and make him a rotten and a stinking spectacle to all malicious smiters to the worlds end Thus is that true which the Prophet implies in that speech Isa 27. 6. Hath hee smitten him as hee smote his smiter Marke then Gods dealing hee uses to smite smiters Neither is this true only of smiters with the fist and with the sword but it is also true of those smiters Ier. 18. 18. Come and let us smite him with the tongue Even such smiters will God smite also as wee may see there ver 21 22 23. Thus God met with Nabal David sends for reliefe to him upon his festivall day and he in stead of an almes fals a railing on him and cals him in effect a Rogue and a Vagabond and a run-away Thus hee smote David with his tongue What follows See ver 38. And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal And how smote he him That he died So Zach. 14. 12. Their tongue shall consume away in their mouth What might the reason be of that judgment Because haply many that cannot or dare not fight with their hands for fear of the law yet fight against Gods Ministers his servants with their tongues Wel God hath a plague to smite such sinners Though they smite but with the tongue yet God will smite them and give them their portion with the rest of the adversaries of the Church And if God will not spare such smiters how much lessewil he spare such as smite with the sword Terror to all smiters either with hand Vse 1 or tongue Smite on goe on in your malicious courses doe so but yet know that there is a smiter in heaven that will meet with you Had Zimri peace who slew his master So said Iezabel to Iehu and so may it bee said in this case Search the Scriptures search the Histories of the Church Had ever any smiters peace which lifted up either hand or tongue against any of the Lords people Did smiters ever scape scot-free Had they any cause to brag in the end Had they ever any cause to brag of the last blow Did Herod prosper that smote Iames with the sword did Ananias prosper that smote Paul did the Aegyptian prosper that smote the Hebrew Did Doeg prosper who was a tongue-smiter as well as an hand-smiter Psa 52. Oh consider this you that dare lift up your hands and tongues against a good conscience be afraid of Gods smiting hand tremble to meddle in this kind Learne to hold your hands and tongues unlesse yee long to feele Gods smiting hand Especially take heed of smiting Gods Ministers in any kind Deut. 33. 11. Levi hath a strange blessing Blesse Lord his substance accept the worke of his hand smite through the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again God saw that of al others Levi would be most subject to the blowes of fists and tongues and therefore he is fenced with a blessing for the nonce to make smiters feare to meddle with him or if they will needs meddle yet to let them see that it were better to wrong any other tribe than that God would smite thē smite them to the purpose that shal offer to smite him Here is that which may make Gods people comfortably patient under all the Vse 2 wrongs injuries of smiters in any kind Here is that may make them by patience to possesse their soules may make them hold their hands and their tongues from smiting Smite not thou God will smite smiters Indeed when we will be smiting wee prevent Gods smiting and so they have the easier blows by the meanes For what are our blowes to the Lords Do as Christs did 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when hee was reviled reviled not againe but committed himself to him that judges righteously It is best leaving them to the Lords hand Pray for thy smiters that God would give them smiting hearts that their hearts may smite them for their smiting pray to God if he see it good they may be so smitten This is a revenge will stand with charity Yet if not leave them to God who best knows how to smite smiters It is great comfort against the sore afflictions Vse 3 of Gods Church at this present The enemies of the Gospel have smitten Gods Church with a sore blow Wel yet let us not bee out
mortale hoc vulnus accepe c. Morn Myst Iniq. p 259. my right hand wounded with this right hand I sware to my Lord Henry the Emperor But the cōmand of the Pope hath brought me to this that laying aside the respect of mine Oath I should usurpe an honour not due to me But what is now come of it In that hand which hath violated mine Oath I am wounded to death And so with anguish of heart he ended his dayes An example so much the rather to bee marked that men may see how God blesses the Popes blessings his dispensation with Oaths specially whē they are given to arm men to rebellion against their lawfull Soveraignes 4. The equity of Gods justice appeares in that Pro. 26. 27. Who so diggeth a pit shall fall therein and he that rolls a stone it will returne upon him Such was Gods justice upon Haman he makes a gallowes for his owne necke Hitherto wee may referre the justice of God when God turnes mens beloved Sins into their punishments Whoredome was the Levites Concubines Sin Iudges 19. 2. and Whoredome was her death ver 26. The Lord Deut. 28. 27. threatens the botch of Aegypt and how frequently is the Sin of uncleannes smitten with the French botch the fruit of the Sin How frequent are the examples of Gods Iustice upō drunkards drunkennesse their Sin and drunkennesse their death And so that Proverbe is often verified Prov. 5. 22. His owne iniquity shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his Sins 5. The equity of Gods Iustice appeares in this when he makes the place of sin the place of punishment Wee have frequent examples of this in Scripture This was threatned Ahab 1 Kin. 21. 19. In the place where dogs licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs licke thy bloud And this was made good 2 Kin. 9. 26. In Tophet the place where they had slain their Sons Daughters would God slay the Iews Ier. 7. 31 32. And as their houses were the places of their sins so should their houses be the places of their punishment Ier. 19. 13. And because the Sabbath was prophaned in the gates of Ierusalem therefore in the gates thereof would God kindle a fire Ierem. 17. 27. And remarkable is that Ezek. 6. 13. Their slaine men shall be amongst their Idols round about their Altars and under every thicke Oak the place where they did offer sweet savor to all their Idols Such was the Iustice of God in that late blow upon the Popish company In the very place where they used to dishonour God the hand of God was upon them they were slaine and their carcasses crushed in the place of their Mass-worship the first floore falling into their Massing place so they their Crucifixes Images all dashed together God doing with them as with the Egyptians Num. 33. 4. not only smiting them but also executing judgment upō their gods yea not onely so but executed them and their gods in the self-same place where God had been by them so much dishonoured 6. The equity of Gods justice is to be seen in the time of his punishments God oft makes that time wherin men have sinned the time of his judgemēts At the time of the Passover did the Iews crucifie Christ and at the time of the Passeover was Ierusalem taken Heavie is the calamity that is befaln the Churches beyond the seas the time wherein the first blow was given is not to be forgottē The first blow was upon the Sabbath upon that day was Prague lost What one thing have all those Churches fayled in more than in that point of the religious observation of that day that day they neglected to sanctifie by obedience upon that day God would be sanctified in his justice upon them in the time would have them reade one cause of their punishment Neither is the time wherein God did that late justjce upō those popish persons to be forgottē It is somwhat that after their Roman accoūt it was upō their fift of Novemb. God would let those of that Iesuited brood see how good it was to blow up Parliament houses and happily would have them learne more loyalty and religiō than to scoffe at our new holyday Of this kind was Gods justice upon one Leaver who rayling on the worthy Martyr servant of Christ Mr. Latimer saying that he saw that evill favoured knave Latimer when hee was burned and that hee had teeth like an Horse his Son the same houre at the same time as neer as could be gathered wickedly hanged himselfe And the same was Gods justice seazing upon Stephen Gardiner the same day that Ridley and Latimer were burned Since then there is such an equity in Gods administratiō of justice let it be our care and wisedome to observe the same Learne to comment upon Gods works of Iustice and to compare mens wayes and Gods works together God is to have the praise and glory of his justice upon others as well as of his mercie to ourselves now we shal then be best able to give God this glory when we so observe his administration that we may be able not only to say The Lord is just but the Lord is just in this and that particular when we can say as Revel 16. 5. not only Righteous art thou O Lord that judgest but righteous art thou O Lord that judgest thus Thus they sinned and thus are they punished It is good to observe all the circumstances of Gods justice that so not onely the justice but the wisedome and equity of Gods justice may be seen and this is to trace the Lord by the foot Psal 68. 24. Especially wee should be thus wise in personall evils that befall our selves that by our punishment and the circumstances thereof we might be led to the consideration of our sins and so might say as Adonibesek As I have don so hath God rewarded me Learne to give God the praise of his equity as of his justice So doth David Ps 7. 15 16 17. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse Tremble and Sin not Take heed how and wherein we Sin lest by our Sins wee teach God how to punish us Take heed of abusing thy tōgue in swearing rayling scoffing lest God lay some terrible judgment upon thy tongue here or some peculiar tormēt upon thy tongue in hel hereafter Take heed what measure thou measurest to others lest thou teach God to measure the same to thy selfe Take heed that thou make not thine house a den of spuing drunkards lest God make thine house to spue thee forth Take heed how thou use thy wits thy strength take heed of sinning in thy Children or any thing else thou hast lest God make the matter of thy Sin the matter of thy punishment FINIS A Table of the severall Chapters of this Treatise CHAP. I. THe Introduction of the discourse following Fol. 1 CHAP. II. Conscience described 9 CHAP.
III. A good Conscience what it is False ones discovered 19 CHAP. IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten 35 CHAP. V. Integrity of Conscience how procured 46 CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integrity of a good Conscience 57 CHAP. VII Two marks of a good Conscience 73 CHAP. VIII Three other Notes of a good Conscience 90 CHAP. IX The two last Notes of a good Conscience 103 CHAP. X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of disgrace and reproach 128 CHAP. XI The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of cōmon feares and calamities and in the times of sicknes other personall evils 147 CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good conscience at the dayes of Death and Iudgement 165 CHAP. XIII A second Motive to a good conscience That it is a continuall feast 180 CHAP. XIV A third fourth Motive to a good cōscience 201 CHAP. XV The last Motive to a good conscience viz. The misery of an evill one 213 CHAP. XVI The portion and respect that a good conscience finds in the world 232 CHAP. XVII The impetuous injustice and malice of the adversaries of a good conscience 243 CHAP. XVIII The severity of Gods justice upon the enemies of good Conscience and the usuall equity of Gods administration in his execution of Iustice 253 FINIS THE MISCHIEFE And Miserie of Sandals Both Taken and Giuen By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex Wherfore let him that thinks he stands take heed least he fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. Aug de verb. Dom. Serm. 53. Imo vtinam terruerim vtinam aliquid egerim Vtinam qui sic filerat vel quae sic fuerat non sit vlterius Vtinam verba ista infuderim non effuderim LONDON Printed by W. S. for R. Milbourne in Pauls Church-yard at the Greyhound 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Ladie the Ladie ELIZABETH Countesse of Winchelsey his Noble PATRONESSE MADAM IT is not vnknowne vnto your Honour what first occasioned mee to meddle with this Subiect That which first moued me to preach it in mine owne Charge hath also induced mee to make it more publique I conceiued it might bee a worke well worth the while to vindicate as much as in mee lay the Honour of God from that impeachment it commonly receiues from Scandals to heale the bleeding wounds they vsually giue to the profession of Godlinesse to stop the mouth of iniquity which they set so wide open and to giue men notice of the great danger that both the taking and giuing of Scandal may bring them into J obserue that men doe with the Scandals of Professours as the Leuite did with the twelue partes of his Concubine they send them Iudg 19. 29. thorough all the quarters of Israel It were happie that such foule actions as trench to the dishonour of God and Religion might be buried in eternall silence and neuer be published Publish it not in 2. Sam. 1. Gath But since that is impossible but that they will be published in Gath What inconuenience is it that something bee published in and sent into the Coasts of Israel that may stop the mouthes of the men of Gath that may salue the Honour of God and Religion and that may discouer and preuent the danger of Scandalous euils J confesse that when I considered how frequently Scandals haue fallen out and what a world of mischiefe hath beene done by them I wondred that no man for ought I know or can learne had hitherto medled with this Argument so needfull and so vsefull and therefore thought it would not be lost labour to doe something in this kind And what I haue done I now make bold to present vnto your Honour as presuming that that shall be welcome to you that pleades for the Honour of God and his Truth I acknowledge my selfe many wayes deeply engaged to your Honour and the many fauours I haue receiued from you binde mee to a thankefull acknowledgement of them May it please you therefore to accept of this small Treatise as a publike testimoniall of my thankefulnesse Which if you shall please to doe I shall reckon it as a superadded fauour to all the rest and to my thankefulnesse to your selfe shall adde my daily prayers to the God of all Grace for his blessing vpon your noble Family both roote and branch and that he would not onely continue to you the blessing of the left hand Riches and Honour Prou. 3. 16. but giue you the blessing of the right hand also length of dayes and with them both the best of his blessings All spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ Iesus This shall bee the daily suite of Your Honours Seruant in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Jer. Dyke To the Reader THere is not any one thing that Satan the professed enemie of Mankind labours and endeauours more then the hindrance of the saluation of man There is but one way to Heauen that which Peter cals the way of Truth 2. Pet. 2. 2. which Salomon cals the way of good men Prou. 2. 20. which Isaie cals the way of Holinesse Isai 35. 8. which Ieremie cals the old and the good way and the ancient pathes Ier. 6. 16. 18 15. Now Sathan to keepe men from Heauen doth his vtmost to make men stumble at and from the ancient pathes that by taking offence at the waies of God disliking and distasting them the saluation of their soules might become impossible To effect their stumbling at those wayes Sathan layes many and sundrie kinds of stumbling blocks in the wayes of men But yet amongst those many ones I find there bee some more dangerous then others and by which the Deuill preuayles much more then by the rest And those I obserue and conceiue to be specially these three 1. The Reproach Contempt and Obloquie that by some men is vsually cast vpon Religion and the conscionable profession and Professours thereof Sathan tels men that if they will needs goe this way they shall haue a deale of filth and dirt flung in the faces of them that they must looke to be scorned and Reproached as if they were the very Of scourings of the earth And this very thing starts and stumbles not a few Some will better abide a stake then some others can a mocke Zedekiah could happily haue found in his heart to haue hearkened to the Prophets counsell but that this lay in the way I am afraid of the Iewes least they deliuer me into the Caldaeans hands and they mocke me Ier. 38. 19. It was death to him to be mocked But all considered we shall see how little reason any haue for this to stumble at Religion For doe but consider who they are commonly that mock at Godlinesse Doe but obserue their Character in the Scriptures and you shall finde them such as these A company of Hypocrites Hypocriticall mockers Psal 35. 16. A crue of Drunkards Psal 69. 12. I am the song of Drunkards A sort
dispossesse a maid of the Deuill and adiuring him to come out of her into himselfe What shall I neede to tempt and possesse him of whom I shall haue full possession at the last day So what cares he to tempt those that hee hath already possession of and are taken and led captiue at his pleasure And besides nothing the aduantage and gaines comes in by such mens sins as doe by the fowle and notorious falls of such as professe religion Therefore the Deuil seeking a new possession and withall the raysing of his Kingdome by their fals it is apparant that they are in greater dangers of Satans malice then the other It therefore concernes them out of the Conscience of this malice of his their owne frailty to bee very iealous and suspitious of themselues and out of that feare and Iealousie to watch and pray Our hearts are false and fickle exceeding ready to close with Satan therfore keep so much the more strickt watch ouer them Wee are exceeding weake and frayle looke vp to God and begge his helpe It is God that keepes the feete of his Saints and the wicked shal be silent in darkenes 1. Sam. 2. 9. Except the Lord keepe the City the watchman watches in vaine and except the Lord keepe the feete of his Saints all their watching is in vaine Alas if wee trust to our owne keeping how soone wil our feete be ready to slip how fowle shall wee fall and into what scandals shall not we runne And then how farre would wicked ones bee from being silent in darknesse Indeede when God keepes his Saints feete he silences stops wicked mens mouthes because then they haue nothing to say against Godlinesse But if God keepe not the Saints feete how soone and how wide are wicked mouths opened to clamour and blaspheme Therefore out of an holy feare and iealousie of our owne weakenesse let vs dayly petition God by prayer that he would keepe vs that our feete may not stumble that hee himselfe would take the charge of vs that wee dash not our foote against a stone There is a promise Ier. 31. 9. I will leade them I will cause them to walke in a streight way wherein they shall not stumble Now when men out of a feare and iealousie of their owne infirmity and frailty doe dayly looke vp to God and beg guidance and safe cōduct from him he wil leade them and make them walke in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble This was Dauids practise Psal 5. 8. Leade mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies or mine obseruers as Iunius renders it make thy way streight before my face He saw that he had many eyes vpon him that obserued and watcht him narrowly he knowes his owne readines to turne aside into by and crooked wayes his suite therefore to God is that he would leade him Whilest God hath a man by the hand how safe is a man from falling And God that keepes the feete of his Saints 1. Sam. 2. 9. hath his Saints in his hand Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand It is good daylie by prayer to put our selues into Gods hand It is iust with God to checke selfe-confidence to let such men slip fall too that by their falls they may know their frailty q Laudo Petrum sed prius erubesco pro Petro. Quam prompto animo sed nesciens se metiri Aug de diuers ser 39. Peters cause is well knowne Though all yet not I he was of forward spirit but knew not how to measure himselfe if hee had had more feare iealousie he would haue beene more watchfull and haue sought more to God and would haue said rather If all men should yet Lord by thy grace keepe mee that I may not deny thee Hee had beene more secure if hee had beene lesse secure But now that he stands wholly vpon his owne legs how soone how miserably falles he The child that cares not to be led but will goe of himselfe gets many a knocke and many a shrewde fall but the childe that is fearefull and out of his feare will bee in the mothers or nurses hand and will cry to be led that childe scapes many a broken face 2. Mortifie your deerest lusts A fostered and a cherisht lust doth exceedingly endanger a man puts him into great danger of falling into scandal Let a lust be loued and cherished and it will so befoole and bewitch a man that hee will maintayne and sockle it though it be with the hazard of the credit of Religion and the Gospell it will grow so strong at the last that it will headlong him into some scandal or other Therefore deale seuerely with these lusts that will bring thee happily to doe that which will cause God to deale seuerely with thee be sure to make sure worke with them by mortification that is a good way to preserue thee from scandal This is the very course our Sauiour here prescribes Hauing in this seauenth verse shewed the woe that falles vpon the giuers of scandals see what he inferres Verse 8. 9. Wherefore if thine hand or thy foote offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee c. And if thine eye offend thee plucke it out and cast it from thee c. Marke then what it is that makes men offend Namely mens lusts their right hands eyes feete These bee the scandal-breeders If a man would bee free from giuing of offence he must out off with that which causes him to offende Now lusts when they are made much of when they be made deere hands and eyes and right eyes assuredly they will cause men to offend Therefore the way to saue our selues that they cause not vs to offend is to offend them the way is by mortification to cut off and cast away such hands feete and eyes as will cause vs to offend Were but this done how happily might many fowle scandals be preuented If Dauid had presently pluckt out his wanton eye and cast it away how easily had hee beene secured from that great offence hee gaue It may be many a man out of the great pride of his heart and his abundant selfe-loue makes his credit and esteeme amongst men to be his right hand his right eye his very Idoll Now this is a lust that will cause a man to offend A man in this pride and selfe-loue to maintaine and vphold his good opinion and esteeme runnes into this and that secret euill practise and rather then his esteeme and credit should sinke in the world vses a number of shifts and dishonest courses and a companie of deceitful guiles to vphold his esteeme and runnes so far in at last that he come not off without fowle scādal Now mortification and selfe denial had preuented it If such a man had pluckt out this eye cut off this hand foote hee had not halted nor stumbled nor fallen into scandal The not