Christs head is his glory good conscience sets the crowne on faiths head is faiths glory For though there be two great preheminences which faith hath above Conscience the same that the man hath above the woman 1. That the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man hoc est taken out of man so faith is not out of conscience but conscience out of faith 2. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Nor was faith created for consciences use but conscience for faiths Yet he concludes v. 11. Neverthelesse neither is the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord So neither is faith without good conscience nor can good conscience be without faith in the Lord For the Relation is Reciprocall and the dependance and benefit mutuall ver 12. For as the woman is of the man so is the man also by the woman but all things originarily and primarily of God So also here it is as good conscience is of faith so faith is by good conscience but both of God for mutuall comfort and delight And from this couple the Church is propagated and increased to this day These two as Leah and Rachel build up the house of Israel faith bearing children to the Church on good consciences knees and good conscience bringing up those children which faith hath borne at her breasts as Ruth brought forth children for the comfort of Naomi and Naomi brought up those children for the ease of Ruth Hold Faith and you are sure of a good Conscience CHAP. VI. Of a pure Conscience THe second good conscience is the Pure The Conscience of purity Conscience The fine Linnen clean and white Rev. 19. 8. is the righteousnesse of Saints and the Lambes wifes ornament The pure cleane and undesiled conscience is the inherent and internall righteousnesse of the Saints and the Ornament of the Christian Of this good conscience the Apostle speaketh often to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 5. The pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned put together and 3. 9. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. I serve God from my forefathers with a pure conscience The former goodnesse of conscience by meanes of faith makes the conscience good before God the justified conscience This of purity makes it good before men the sanctified and renewed conscience that was by the blood of Christ this is by the Spirit and Grace of Christ Of this wee have spoken somewhat already chap. 2. therefore shall need to say the lesse here Blessed are these pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5. 8. And 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope of seeing God as he is must purifie himselfe as God is pure God is a God of pure eyes and cannot Good conscience is of Hab. 1. 13. pure eyes and must not behold iniquity Great are the comforts benefits and priviledges of this pure conscience and high are the promises made to it With whom will God shew himselfe pure but to and with the pure And to the froward he will shew himselfe Psal 18. 26. Lev. 26. 23 24. as froward To them that walk contrary to him he will walke contrary to them Who is he that shall ascend the hill of the Lord Or who shall stand in his holy place He that hath the cleane Psalme 24. 3 4 5. hands and the pure heart who hath not lift up his soule unto vanity This is the man who shall receive the Blessing of the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation In the pure water thy face may be seen which cannot in muddy water In a pure conscience Gods face is to be seene no where else in earth and by none in heaven but by the pure in heart This is the Mountaine of transfiguration where Mar. 9. 1 2. alone the Kingdom of God is seene coming with power This is the only Isle Patmos where Rev. 1. are the Revelations and Visions of the Sonne of man Here is Gods Booke with seven Seales unsealed This is the Sanctum Sanctorum beyond that in Solomons Temple all overlaid with pure Gold in which God doth dwell sit upon a Mercy-Seat and make known his minde giving answers whensoever consulted with and enquired after herein The pure conscience is the Heart after Gods heart who is all for purenesse he loveth Righteousnesse and hateth all uncleannesse No Sacrifice in which was any Blemish or Spot Psal 11. 7. 45. 7. was to be offered no Sacrifice with Leaven no Priests sonne might come neere to Officiate Lev. 1. 3 10 Lev. 2. 11. Lev. 21. 18. in whom was any blemish no High Priest presume to sacrifice in any legall uncleannesse on him But his standing Rule is I will be sanctified in them that draw neere to me Lev. 10 3. None were to come in to the Persian King but such as were first purified and had passed through twelve whole moneths in a course of purification Esth 2. 12. What manner of persons ought they to be then that shall come before God either to waite on the Ministery or to partake of Ordinances And what measure of Purification should we come addressed withall Now this Purification is that of Conscience especially Heb. 9. 14. and 10 22. Therefore wash thy heart O Jerusalem that thou Jâ—r â— 14. Mat. 23. 26. mayest be saved Let not vaine thoughts lodge in thee Purge the inside of the cup and platter O Pharisee that thy outside may be cleane also But in these dayes there is much of Liberty little of Purity of Conscience Shall we call them pure with the bag of deceitfull weights and with the wicked Ballances as the Prophet Micah saith Micah 6 10 11. Are there yet the Treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abominable and shall these be counted pure There is a Generation indeed pure in their own eyes who are yet not washed from their filthinesse There is such a Generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up Prov. 30. 12 13. speaking too lively of such a generation as ours is Shall we say such have any thing of conscience or grace in them who can live loosely speak scurrilously and scoffe at purity holinesse strictnesse and all piety Where shall the wicked and ungodly appeare if onely the pure in heart are blessed Take heed then of all impurity and defilement by any allowed sinne whatsoever weakneth Purity wasteth Peace Conscience is the Temple of God whosoever defileth this 1 Cor. 3. 17 Temple destroyes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is and him will God destroy The craâ—â—â—r flaw in the Bell not so much lesseneth the soundnesse as marreth the sound of the Bell. How few good Consciences are there then in these impure and licentious dayes to be found when purity and strictnesse is exploded as a badge of
to get keepe use two weapons especially Faith and a good Conscience get both or neither faith in the one hand good Conscience in the other thou hast many enemies to resist and fight with thou must use both hands not faith alone without good Conscience nor good conscience alone without Faith Both make thee compleately armed and will make thee more then a Conqueror But hold them fast throw down neither but should thy weapons be beaten through violence of persecution to thy head never suffer them through cowardize to be beaten out of thy hands The latter especially he giveth charge abovt viz. a good conscience without this if thou shouldest be all faith all faith cannot save thee nor save it selfe without this second good conscience But faith either stands or swims with a good Conscience or falls and sinkes with a bad Conscience Hence the point intended is In the most Perillous tempests of corrupt and dangerous Obs times wherein we often see others losing their Lives their Graces their Comforts their former Peace their future hopes that our selves may not eternally miscarry and loose all we have on earth for Grace and comfort and all we look for in heaven for glory and happiness Our continuall care must be to get and keepe to have and hold faith and a good conscience If thou lose not these two thou shalt never have cause to complaine of losing times keepe these they will keepe thee In times of common Naufrage and Shipwracke when we see abroad Church-wracks State-wracks Faith-wracks Truth-wracks take heed then of the worst Ship-wrack of all at home Conscience-wrack Our life here is set out by a double Metaphor 1. Of a warfaring condition v. 18. 2. Of a Seafaring condition v. 19. Is our life a warfare These are our principal weapons Faith and good Conscience if faith be the Shield good Conscience is the Brestplate of Righteousnesse Ephe. 6. 14. or the golden Eph. 6. 14. 16. Girdle of truth and sincerity v. 16. Is our condition a Land fight and not of a single combate but of common interest These two Faith and a good Conscience are the two strong holds we must secure our selves in and hold out to the last drop of blood and gaspe of life These two like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 13. and his armour bearer will disco mfit an hoast of Enemies and carry all before them and break through the most insuperable difficulties 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience 1 Pet. 3. 16 saith the Apostle that whereas they speake evill of you as of evill doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ q. d. Though they encampe against you beset your houses shoot their arrowes and bullets bitter words and as bad deeds yea should they discharge their murdering Peeces upon you and thinke by firing and storming to carry all before them stand you your ground quit your selves like men retire you like the Cony to this Rock like the Bird to this Hill your Brazen walls of Faith which indeed without any Hyperbole as Jerichoes walls reach up to heaven and that Adamantine Inworke of a good Conscience founded on a Rock no Gates or engines of Hell shall prevaile against But they shall be ashamed when they behold your good and unblameable conversation They shall draw off with dishonour and infamy as Abimeleck when he attempted to fire the Tower of Thebez to which they fled for safety a woman threw a Jud. 9. 51. 52. piece of a Milstone upon his head and sent him packing These indeed shall never be ashamed Ps 127. 5. when they speake with any Enemies in the Gate Is our life a Seafaring condition A good Conscience is the Arke not like that wherein Moses was exposed to drowning and danger Ex. 2. 3. an Arke of Bulrushes daubed with slime and pitch But like that of Noah Pitched Gen. 6. 14. Et Seq within and without with pitch made by Gods own direction wherein thou mayst adventure as he did the whole world both Church and State thereinto God bad him enter therein God shut him and kept him safe it preserved that second Adam and all the reserve of the Creation from that universall Deluge A window it had in the top to let in the light of Heaven not the lest Crevise below to let in a drop of water to endanger it It did shoot off all the Showers that fel downwards and all the Floods that raged upwards The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Peter 3. 20. 21. Is our Life a Sea-fight These two Faith and good Conscience are our men of warre which we must never yeeld up to any Enemy but chuse rather to perish and sinke in defending them and maintaining our Trust See what Trophees a Christian brings home by making good these two above all Trophees of honour a Conqueror can get from a spoiled Enemy 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this 2 Cor. 1. 12 the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world but more abundantly to you-wards It had been now an ill time with the Apostle his sufferings did abound v. 5. He was pressed above measure and above humane strength Even to dispaire of life yet even under the sentence and stroke of death He had consolations abounding as much as his afflictions and joyes running over above measure if afflictions above measure And all from this Magazine and Treasury of a good Conscience In pursuite of this point I shall first shew The five particulars to be handled what Conscience is 2 What this good Conscience is 3. Give the particular kinds and sorts of good Consciences 4. Give the reasons of the point and duty 5. Deduce the inferences arising hence by way of Application CHAP. I. Chap. 1. What Conscience is What conscience is TO the first What conscience is This I shall shew in two particulars 1. Explaining what the word Conscience signifies 2. What the thing Conscience is 1. What the word conscience signifies Notatio nominis praemittenda notationi Rei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in Greeke and Conscientia in Latine and Conscience in English are all compound words and signifie a knowing together and imply two things 1. Some competent measure of knowledge or there can be no conscience Hence the word so translated 1 Cor. 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Nullius rei mihi conscius sum Beza So. Nil conscire sibi Horat. nothing by my selfe Prov. 8. 12. Wisdome saith Ego sapientia cum Prudentia cohabito I Wisdome dwell with Prudence So Ego Conscientia cum scientia I Conscience dwell with
knowledge 2. It implies a knowing together not a common single abstracted Theoretick knowledge but a double or multiplied knowledge it must be Hence the learned say Conscientia est Aqninas Ri vet alij cum alijs scientia In this sence it intends a four-fold knowledge Conscire 1. cum Deo to know together 1. with God 2. cum seipsis 2. with our selves 3. cum alijs 3. with others 4. cum rebus ipsis 4. with things themselves In all which Idem est conscire consentire The Conscientious man is ever a Consentientious man 1. Cum Deo scire Conscience is first to know Conscientia est notitia vel sensus internus judicij proprij vel alieni praecipue Dei de nostris bene vel male factis Paraeus in Ro. 13. together or consent together with God whence commonly Divines say Conscientia is cum deo scientia When we have the same Idaea apprehension and esteeme of things in our minde that is in Gods when we allow or disallow thinke speake doe according to the rule of Gods word when wee are not swayed by mans judgement or the wisedom of the world But what God commendeth is approved what God commandeth is obeyed what he promiseth is beleeved what hee threatneth is avoyded what ever God propoundeth is regarded and received this is conscience when we light our Candle at the Lampes of the Sanctuary Hence we say Vox conscientiae is vox dei The voyce of a right enlightned Conscience is the voyce of God so saith Solomon Prâ—v 20. 27. The spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord Lumen ex ipsius Prov. 20. 27. lumine lighted at his Word then searching the inner parts of the Belly and the secrets of the heart and is become a discoverer of the secret thoughts nothing being hid from the view of these two heart-searchers What is Conscience other then the hewing and squaring our Tables according to the Tables delivered to us from the hand of God Mr. Burroughs Moses selfe denyall p. 39 As it is reported of Boleslaus King of Poland who used to weare the Picture of his Father in a plate of Gold hanging about his neck and whensoever he was to do or speake any thing of importance he would take his Picture and kissing it say Deare Father I wish I may not do any thing remissely unworthy of thy name c. So Conscience still hath a remembrance of God before his eyes and when any thing is to be done saith Lord Col. 1. 10. Give me to walke worthy of God to all Pleasing fruitfull in every good worke This is to have our works to be wrought in God Jo. 3. 21. And as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 2. ult 2 Conscire is cum seipso scire aut consentire Conscience is the knowing of a man with himselfe Cor quando se novit appellatur conscientia quando praeter se alia scientia Bern. Conscience maketh an identity in the same man throughout Hence it is that Bernard often calls Conscientia Cordis Scientia When the head and heart are agreed Knowledg in the head alone is barely Science oft so falsely called Knowledge in the heart too is then Conscience rightly so called In this respect I may say Ecl. 10. 2 Let thy right hand know whatsoever thy left hand doth Thy heart must lye at thy right hand yea and lye neare thy mouth too That is to say to Weigh Trye Examine Observe Order all that thy mouth speaketh or hand acteth or thought intendeth Caleb spake as it was in his heart Joshu 14. 7. And in the next verse he saith I fully followed the Lord. Here is nothing but Conscience in both these expressions His heart followed the Lord there is cum Deo Scire And he fully followed his heart There is cum seipso scire Psal 15. 2. The Godly man speaketh his Conscience he speaketh the truth in his heart So the Apostle Ro. 9. 1. I speake the truth in Christ and lye not there is cum Deo scientia My conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost There is the other Cordis Scientia There is conscience when these two meet happy is the man who condemneth not himselfe in his heart for what he alloweth approveth in practise Hic murus ahaeneus esto Nil conscire sibi That little quantity of Ayre which wee breath in at our nostrils which goes into the man even to the heart and which thereafter is breathed out thence againe is more to a man it is indeed his life then all the three regions of Ayre which fill up that vast space between Earth and Heaven However Philosophers conceive there is purer Aire in the highest Region Certainely that lesser proportion of Knowledge of Divine truths which we take downe and sucke into the heart and after draw out and deliver thence is more to a Christians life and Comfort then all your refâ—ned speculations even of the third and highest Region 3. Conscire cum alijs To know together with others and consent with them This is Conscience to put our Soules into their Soules Iob. 16. 4. stead as Job speaketh Then to doe to others as wee would they should do to us Mat. 7. 12. To know the heart of a stranger Ex. 23. 9. that thou doe not oppresse him Cognoscit justus Animam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jumenti sui Prov. 12. 10. The righteous man is Arias Montan Conscientia est notitia sensus internus judicij proprij alieni c. Paraeus ubi supra mercifull to his Beast Because hee considereth the heart and condition of the poore dumb Creature with Sympathy much more doth he know and consider the case of the poore of the oppressed in the Gate of the Orphan of the widdow when as Job said of himselfe Job 31. 18. they were still with him either in his presence to releeve and support them or in his Bowels to commiscrate and condole with them The conscientious man saith who is weake and I am not weake who offended and I burne not How can I wound my Brothers conscience and sinne against him but I wound my 2 Cor. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 8. 12 selfe and sinne against Christ O what a worthy speech was that of Hadrian a heathen Emp. Emperatorem Erga unum Cent. Mag. Cent. 2. Cap. 3. quemque debere esse talem qualem si privatus esset sibi vellet esse imperatorem The Emperour should so carry himselfe to every private person as he would desire were he in that poore mans case the Emperour should deale with him This is to approve our selves to every good mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 2. This is cum alijs scire Be ye as I am I am as you are Gal. 4. 12. This is to provide things honest Not onely in our owne sight or in Gods Bernard lib. 2. de consc sight in seeret
wildernesse of Kadesh doth tremble when he speaks terror who can give peace His word is as fire in the Bones He sendeth his word the Snow is scattered like woll It s like morsels who can stand before his cold There is a winter and trembling in the conscience But he sendeth Psal 147. 17. 18. forth his word againe and melteth them All the mighty workes wrought upon the soule are by meanes of the word of Christ By this word Act. 10. 36. Christ commeth to the Mar. 4 50 Luk. 24. 38 soule Preaching Peace He saith why are ye fearefull oh ye of little faith why are ye troubled why doe thoughts arise in your heart By his word he coms into the sad solitary soule as Jo. 20. 19. he did to the Disciples all doores being shut and saith Peace be unto you Yea ordinarily that you may waite on the word for tydings of Peace The Peace which Christ doth create is the fruit of the lips of his Ministers Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him The Ministers Feet bring Peace by Preaching the word of Peace Isa 52. 7. And the feet of Beleevers are said to be shod with Peace to walk in waies of Peace through the preparation and Eph. 6. 15 preaching of the Gospell of Peace When the minister comes to a place or people Preaching Peace if there be a Son and Heire of Peace there his Peace shall remaine upon that Person Luk. 10. 6. 2. By the Blood of Christ This is the Procuring cause of all our Peace Col. 1. 20. Having By the blood of Christ made Peace by the blood of his Cross The Peace of our Conscience is the meer issue of that blessed Personall Treaty made between the Father and the Son in behalf of undone and Ruined man the blood of Christ being the whole price of it and all the satisfaction to be made Rom. 3. 23 24 25. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of all sins past c. The blood of the Paschall Lamb upon the door post was the peace and security of Israel against the destroyer Exo. 12. 23 and the blood of Christ upon the soul is the consciences security alone against all remaining guilt and corruption of sin rage of Satan and danger of Gods displeasure This blood gives the soul all boldnesse to enter into Heb. 10. 19 the holyest by a new and living way and gives us assurance before God 3. By the Spirit of Christ This is the Procreating 3. By the spirit of Christ and Producing cause of Peace in us as the blood of Christ was the Procuring cause of Peace for us For this reason Christ and the Holy Ghost are called by one and the same name because their end and businesse is the same to procure Peace to the soul Christ is an Advocate or Paraclete 1 Joh. 2. 1. The holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete Joh 14. 16. The word is the same in the Originall But here is the difference Christ is our Advocate the holy Ghost is Gods Advocate Christ is our Advocate with the Father procuring peace the holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete from the Father producing peace Christ is our Advocate to God prevailing with him for granting peace The Spirit is Gods Advocate Jo. 15. 26 14. 16 26 Gen. 8. 11 to us prevailing with us to entertain peace This is the Dove with the Olive branch which goes and returns till the waters are asswaged dry land appear and danger be over This applyes the word and promise which proclaims our peace this applyes the blood of Christ which procures our peace this hath the last hand and consummating stroke in our peace making Therefore this joy and peace of conscience is denominated from the Spirit joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The fruit of the Spirit is joy Peace Gal. 5. 22. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience III. IN our definition of a good conscience Chap 4. The Offices of conscience I said it was that conscience which being purifyed and pacified doth regularly perform all his Offices Conscience is absolutely the greatest Officer under Heaven and is without contradiction the greatest Representative in all the world it is Gods immediate Vice-gerent hath a delegation from God Whence we commonly say vox Conscientiae vox Dei The voice of God is in the voice of Conscience And the Acts of Conscience are the Acts of God what conscience doth binde or loose on earth in foro suo God doth ratifie in heaven in foro suo 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. So that what the Canonists impudently and blasphemously assert of the Pope we may in a safe and modest sense apply to conscience Deus Papa say they unum habent Consistorium a bold and impious saying Deus conscientia unum habent Consistorium A true saying God and the Pope have but one Consistory or Judicatory say they God and Conscience say we Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. Pluralist respectu Officiorum non Beneficiorum Conscience hath four Offices Now conscience is a Licensed and allowed Pluralist hath four distinct Offices 1. Propheticall or Ministeriall 2. Regal or Magistratual 3. Testimoniall or witnesse bearing 4. Judiciall or sentence passing Consciences Ministeriall Office 1. Consciences first office is Ministeriall or Propheticall that is to do the Office of a Minister Watchman or Seer to give warning from God from whom it hath his Commission Ordination and Station all Jure Divino To warn inform direct reprove admonish charge See you refuse not him that speaketh within you This is your Domestick Chaplain to whom as Jotham said to the men of Shechem you must hearken that God may hearken Judg. 9. 7. unto you We dislike that a Minister should be dumb in his charge or a Watchman should sleep on the Sentery take heed of maintaining a Conscience or silencing a speaking conscience In Libera Civitate Linguas liberas esse oportet Augustus was wont to say Say thou among Freemen conscience should have his freedom preserved at least as to his own charge Give thy conscience all freedom to inform propound yea reprove and smite This Liberty of Conscience none will question all will contend for There is some other Liberty of Conscience the world cries out for I dare not plead for that But give conscience leave to be bold with thee it will give thee boldness another day that thou shalt assure thy heart before God We called it Tyrannicall and Antichristian dealing when the Prelates outed suspended and deprived the godly and
a carnall legall abject and low spirit and boldnesse loosenesse frollicknesse accounted Gospell-like walking and the onely proofe of our Redemption and the best Plerophory But know the grace of God teacheth us another Lesson It Tit. 2. 12 13. teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The righteous God loveth righteousnesse Psal 11. 7. And with the pure God the Holy One of Israel nothing is approved but purity This is his Image this his Superscription Nothing but this is Gods and to be rendered to God The Kings Coyne hath his Image within as well as his Superscription without the Ring the Christian must have his Image within or it is in vaine to subscribe our selves and to be surnamed by the Es 41. 5. name of Israel The right faith of the Gospell is purifying faith Acts 15. 9. Gospel hope is purifying hope 1 Joh. 3. 3 True love pure love 1 Pet. 1. 23. Our Religion must be pure Jam. 1. 27. Hearts pure Jam. 4. 8. Mindes pure 2 Pet. 3. 1. Wayes pure Psal 119. 1. Hands pure Psal 24. 4. Prayer pure Job 16. 7. Incense pure Malac. 1. 11. Indeed all must be pure King Soloâ—â—â— had not a Vessell in either of his houses that at Jerusalem or that of the Forrest of Lebanon but was all of pure Gold he would be served in no other 1 Kin. 10. 21. God will have no other Vessell in either of his Houses that of Jerusalem the Church Triumphant or this Countrey-house as I may call it in the Forrest of Lebanon the Church Militant but what is of pure Gold of beaten tryed and refined Gold Silver was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Solomon Civility and externall Morality is too meane for God too base to enter Heaven The Kings Coyne I said before hath his Image on it it hath first his Image on the one side and then the Kings Armes or the Kingdomes Armes on the other Such is the right Christian he hath this Image and Effigies of God Purity and Righteousnesse stamped on the one side of his conscience and the Kings Armes or the Kingdom of Heavens Armes on the other Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of God saith the Apostle or if I may so call them the Effigies and Armes of the Kingdom is Righteousnesse and Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. It is observed that the floore of Solomons 1 Ki. 6. 30. Temple was overlaid with Gold both within and without that is to say both the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Atrium sacerdotum the Court of the Priests as it is called 2 Chron. 4. 9. Although the Great Court called the Atrium Populi were not so So it is the minde and will of God that not onely those holy glorified Saints that are within the Vayle of the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Church Triumphant but all those within his true Church distinguished from the world should have the same purity and holinesse although not the same measure Purity is the floore and paving of both Militant and Triumphant Church CHAP. VII Of the sincere Conscience NExt to pure conscience comes the sincere being much alike often taken promiscuously one for the other but though they may never be divided and parted may thus be distinguished Pure is opposed to what is filthy defiled uncleane profane impure Sincere Purity and integrity how they differ is opposed to false deceitfull counterfeit hypocriticall imaginary Every sincere man is really pure and endeavours so to be found but every pure-seeming person is not sincere nor doth intend so to be Sincerity is the glory of purity and of conscience and of every person grace or action It must be sincere faith if any 1 Tim. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith unfaigned Sincere love if any 1. to Christ Eph. 6. 24. Grace to all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. If to men Rom. 12. 9. Let love be without dissimulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good Hezekiah whatever he did he did in his integrity and with all his heart and so he prospered 2 Chron. 31. 21. The sincere is ever a good conscience no sooner sincere but presently good no longer good then can be called sincere Sincerity is the soundnesse health and right constitution of conscience Sincerity here is all our Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. perfection Noah Job and others were called perfect in their generations onely because upright and sincere Sincerity is Earths highest perfection we cannot go higher Innocency was Paradises purity is Heavens Of this conscience Paul speaks 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. In which words foure things are very remarkable 1. What is the best temper and complexion of conscience 2. What the clearest markes and best proofes to evidence it 3. What is the worst disease and most destructive enemy to it 4. What is the fruit and benefit of it 1. The temper of the best conscience is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godly sincerity or as the words are The sincerity of God in all our conversings with men 2. The clearest markes of this sincerity are naked and downright simplicity simplicity of God as it is called and the grace of God 3. The most common but dangerous enemy to conscience which is ever the bane and death of sincerity is fleshly wisdome in sincerity not in fleshly wisdome the more of that the lesse of this Not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God nothing so opposite to Gods grace as humane and carnall wisdom if the one increaseth the other ever decreaseth 4. But the fourth thing is the benefit of such a constitution and freedome from this distemper which is above all expression It maintaines the soule in a plight of rejoycing and in a state of glory as it were amidst many pressures when the outward man was ouerburdened sentenced to death and despairing of life and of all outward reliefe vers 8. Wee were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves c. yet there as in another place 2 Cor. 6. 10. he saith As sorrowing yet alway rejoycing As dying yet behold we live Blessed be a good God and well fare a good conscience for it It makes such an alteration that like the night starres when all day light is off the Heaven Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leigh Crit. Sacr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illae res proprie dicuntur quae suum duntaxat nativum colorem praesertim album retinent nullo alio admisto ut lilia lana candida farina sincera est quae non est fermento corrupta Zanch. then do these appeare so
〈◊〉 Callidus qui dexteritate ingenii valet ad quidlibet agendum versipellis veteratorius ut Callidus a callendo quod omnis generâ—dolos calleat Mr. Leigh When Jacobs sons and the Shechemites sought to out-vye and over reach each other in wyles of policy they both shut out sincerity After that distaste given they came to terms of amity seemingly a Personall Treaty there was many complements passed and fair Religious pretences were held forth Jacobs sons pretended much to conscience they might not inter-marry with uncircumcised persons but intended rapine murther revenge and so possessed themselves of their houses and estates The Shechemites again held them as fair with pretences of love desire to incorporate and unite and to turn to their Religion but intended only the enriching and advantaging themselves Here was craft and policy on both sides sincerity on neither it prospered accordingly The Shechemites which was the shame and mischief of it were over-witted by the sons of Jacob and were put to the sword while they were sore they gaping after others states lost their own first and their lives withall Jacobs sons carrying home the plunder meet at home with their Fathers curse You have made Religion stinke said the sincere and plain-hearted old man You have made me weak stained my glory made Gen. 34. 30 me to be abhorred Cursed be that wrath it was cruell cursed be such policy it is Hellish Into such secrets let not my soul come It is a notable saying of Bildad Job 18. 7. The counsell of the wicked shall cast him down or cast him out it casts him out of all out of credit out of trust out of state out of office out of comfort out of grace and out of Heaven at last Luâ—her was wont to say There were three things that would destroy Religion and remove the Gospel 1. Forgetfulness of the benefits received by the Gospel 2. Generall security which is so much prevailing 3. Worldly wisdom Sapientia mundi quae vult omnia redigere in ordinem publicam tranquillitatem impiis consiliis mederi which must over-rule all and prefer publick safety before sincerity Lastly would you know your own sincerity observe this rule and you cannot mistake Note 10 1. What is the principle you Act from 2. What the rule you Act by 3. What the end you Act to and aym at The sincere Christian makes God his Alpha and Omega his Beginning and End and middle his first and last and all saith of him through him and for him are all things to him be all glory Rom. 11. 36. 1. Minde what is the Originall and principle Mat. 6. 1. 2 5. you move from A Pharisee may pray but not for devotion but ostentation therefore it must be in the corner of the streets not in a corner of the house he may give an alms but not without a Trumpet blown another doth the one in Faith out of Piety the other out of charity some preach Christ purely and sincerely out of love to gain souls to Christ some also preach out of envy and strife Phil. 1. 15 16. to make a stir in the Church and gain applause and get hearers to themselves and to pull on more affliction to Pauls bands that is to create more contempt to the Ministery under sufficient contempt already Saul confessed I 1 Sam. 15. 24. 2 Sam. 12. 13. Mar. 1. 24 25. Mat. 16. 16 17. have sinned but it was forced it was feigned David cryed out I have sinned it was free not forced it was true not feigned he was accepted pardoned and loosed Saul was rejected cast off and bound Satan saith to Christ Thou art the Son of God and is rebuked as accursed Peter saith the same and is commended and proclaimed blessed 2. Observe what is the rule you constantly walk by The godly make the Word and Commandment of God their Rule So Josiah 2 King 22. 2. He did what was right in the figbt of the Lord walked in all the ways of David his Father and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left Come commodity or discommodity he keeps on his way the sun may be as soon diverted in his course as he willingly deviate from his Rule but an unsound man still casts an eye on his own interest and therefore follows not God fully and the word exactly but with a salvo ever and a reserve Thus it is said of three Kings of Judah succeeding each other they all did what was right in the sight of the Lord yet never a good one among them Jotham did what was right in the sight of the Lord as did Vzziah his father 2 Chron. 27. 2. Vzziah did the like did what was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that Amaziah his father did 2 Chr. 26. 4. And looke now what Amaziah the Grandfather was he did what was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chr. 25. 2. Jehu did well a great while but at last fell off Howbeit he took not heed to walk in the law of the Lord with all his heart he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam 2 King 10. 31. Jeroboam himself went along with God while their way lay together but when the way parted and Gods honour lay one way his imaginary honour and security lay another he then discovers himself and takes his leave of God and will rather forgo all his interest in God and Heaven and eternity then hazard his interest in the Crown He sins and made all Israel sin When you see two men travelling together and a Spaniell following you know not whose he is till they part then he leaveth the one and follows his master alone it was for his masters sake he went at all with the other no tryall while our way and Gods lie together their parting tryes our sincerity 3. Observe the end you aym at God is the Christians end and his glory his aym the hypocrite makes himself his own end and so Zach. 7. 5. 6 himself his own God He eats to himself drinks to himself fasteth to himself and still hath that property of the empty vine he beareth fruit to himself Hos 10. 1. You never finde an hypocrite without a designe what ever his actions are he hath a designe as his end and himself is the ultimate and great design The sincere man is the man who is engaged to no designe in the world but one h. e. Gods honour and here you finde him intent sedulous and immovable and he is still tender of any dis-service done to God as those officious informers Ezra 4. 14. were of their masters and upon the same account we have our maintenance say they from the Kings palace are salted with the salt of the palace the Original hath it therefore it is not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour therefore we have sent to certifie the King We are the Kings creatures say they
as they did Moses Acts 7. for an intruder or busie usurper or an imperious Commander 3. Concerning faith made shipwrack see what followed upon it They did not perfect and mend their faith as they might be ready to pretend or affirm but weaken it not weaken but shake it not shake but sunk it and lost it 4. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander Consider who these were even great Professors a great while and stout Champions somewhile that had adventured far and ingaged much for the truth and the Preachers of it Alexander especially who had shewed so much zeal to truth and love to Paul Acts 19. that to secure Paul's person he had exposed his own to the danger of an unruly tumult he could have laid down his own life to have saved Paul's and would have parted with his right eye to do Paul service Yet see what is become of these now where will he stay that hath lost his Conscience 5. For they having put away their former good Conscience become now branded Apostates and open enemies of the same Preachers they had before so loved and honoured nay they themselves become Preachers but blasphemous Preachers 6. Lastly after all this the Church that formerly had joined with them now spues them out gives warning to the godly to avoid them and to their grief denie them any more Church-fellowship and gives them over to Satan that no more mischief may be done by their impure Doctrines The Church in her direfull Censures saith Write these men childlesse let no more of their seed rise up after them to bear more gall and wormwood CHAP. XVIII The Application of the Doctrine and first by way of Information THis point admits a sevenfold Application The Application as containing matter 1. For Information 2. Lamentation 3. Reproof 4 Terror 5. Consolation 6 Examination 7. Exhortation with some Directions The Information hath two parts 1. It gives 1. By way of information notice of certain errors and mistakes to remove them 2. Of certain Truths and Duties to assert them 1. It meets full in the face with that too And that first in removing mistakes common and plausible opinion but most dangerous error That to preach Conscience and press Duties in this nature is but legall teaching not preaching Jesus Christ and the Gospell But sure we have more cause to complain of the world for too little of legall living and Christian doing then the world to complain of too much legall preaching When men call us legall Teachers we may with too much truth and as much grief call them illegall ill-Evangelicall and ill-Christian livers Hymeneus and Alexander are alive again and by many Professors counted better Preachers then Paul and Timothy These counted Good-Conscience-Doctrine to be legall strictness and old Leaven of the Pharisees faith was enough faith was all But when Conscience ceased faith deceased they put away Conscience faith suffered shipwrack So that we may more rightly call this an old-new-Testament-error to crie down strictness then you our preaching it an old-Testament Truth and Doctrine This opinion broke out almost as soon as the preaching of the Gospel Paul had preached That where sin had abounded and reigned grace did much more abound and reign Rom. 5. 20. Others inferred hence as good Doctrine and the right knowledg of the Gospel and walking by a spirit of libertie Then may we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. Paul had said sin shall not have dominion over regenerate believers For we are not under the law but grace Hence others concluded We may sin because we are no longer under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14 15. Paul refutes the impietie of both Assertions with the same answer detesting both God forbid Rom. 6. 2. 15. These Tares we see sprung up as soon as the good Seed began to appear We wonder the less if among us there be some that say Believe once and away with Conscience and Dutie and Works and have no more Conscience of sin The truth is once believe and thou hast no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and punishment of it But once believe and ever make conscience of sin to avoid resist and mortifie it that it reign not in your mortall bodie The other were to overthrow the true grace of God by the name of the grace of God and to set up an imaginary faith and Gospel to beat down reall faith and Gospel while they cry down Sanctification and Conscience of dutie not as to the resting in them but as to the very having and seeking them But let the minde that hath wisdom judge can one grace in God be contrary to another his justifying grace to his sanctifying or sanctifying to justifying 2. Is one Attribute of God opposite to another his grace love and mercie to his holiness justice and puritie 3. Must Christ needs be divided and by redemption and justification drive out wisdom and sanctification two of his benefits destroying other two when he is all or none 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Or must two ends of Christs death be opposite to two other ends set down all together Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Must Christ his dying for us and redeeming of us make his people less pure or less zealous of good works 5. Can any imagine that one grace of the same Spirit should cross another the Spirits consolation evacuate the Spirits sanctification and by his obsignation mortifie mortification 6. Can one grace in the Christian be imagined to weaken and destroy another Is faith the enemy of holiness Doth Conscience extinguish confidence 7. Is the Law now against the Promise or Gal. 3. 21. the Promise against the Law did grace then fulfill the Law and est ablish it and doth it now Rom. 3. 31. make it void All these would have been accounted strange Divinitie in the Apostles ears This bewitching errour doth not onely set earth into disorders neighbour against neighbour professor against professor some people against their Ministers and some Ministers though they are not many who are so grosse against other Ministers but it sets earth in rebellion against heaven yea would attempt to put heaven into a combustion and make heaven at variance within it self while it would set Gods Decrees against Gods Decrees Promises against Promises Grace against Grace Saints against Sanctitie And again Decrees against Promises Promises against Commands Commands against Duties and all against Holiness This hellish Doctrine came from the Gnosticks of old and their followers They thought it their perfection to set Conscience at libertie and to discharge it from all puritie Epiphanius and Irenaeus say that the Gnosticks did purposely resolve to live a loose and base life that they might reproach the stricter Christians and wear out that legall Doctrine and as some
his Wine to wash cleanse and search it if defiled his Oyl to mollifie supple and heal it if bruised festered This is the first and great Experiment to be used The second is like unto it namely this 2. The Spirit of Christ to get and seek the Spirit of Christ which is the next principal ingredient in or efficient of a good Conscience It is the Spirit of God with our Spirit that makes the good Conscience In this sense we may allow that of Origen That Conscience is another Spirit in the soul therefore the Apostle saith of his Conscience that it did bear him Rom. 9. 1. witnesse in the Holy Ghost The single Testimonie of natural Conscience is not much to be regarded in many cases but when Conscience is cleared by the Spirit and seconded with the Spirit the Testimony of these two is great and weighty the Spirit of God witnessing thus to our spirit is the clearest Testimony of Rom. 8. 16. of our Adoption and Salvation which thy Conscience alone is not to be credited in for what could the light of our body the eye see and discern if it were not for the light of the Heaven the Sun we should have a continuall Night So without the Spirit the light of God what can Conscience our light see and discern of the things of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. that God doth reveal unto his servants the deep mysteries of the Gospel by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him So the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of Cod c. So that wheresoever the spirit of God is there is the good Conscience where it is wanting Conscience cannot be good Where the naturall enlivening Spirit is absent or departed there is no life or vegetation or sense or reason or motion but all death darkness coldnesse c. So where the enlivening Spirit of Grace is wanting to the soul there is no life sense motion comfort but all is dead within and all the works are but dead works But where the Spirit is there is life there is light there is liberty and there is purity there is peace and there is grace there is comfort and there is Conscience there is indeed all 2 Subservient means The subservient means are thirteen whereof the first six direct us what to do the other seven what to avoid First of all those subservient means next to Christ Jesus himself and his Spirit which are the principal Faith is to be sought to 1. Faith make thee a good Conscience Thefore how often do we find faith and good Conscience joyned This next to the bloud of Christ and the purifying water of the Spirit hath the greatest cleansing virtue Act. 15. 9. Christ hath given faith for this end to purifie the heart Where faith is pure the Conscience is pure this makes the good and mends the bad Conscience Faith and good Conscience are made one for the other as the woman and the man to be fellow-helpers each to other Faith is Consciences Keeper Conscience again is Faiths These two like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer may discomfit a whole Hoste 1 Sam. 14. of Philistins when they keep together nothing is hard for them to undertake or like Saul and Jonathan lovely in life and undivided in death Faith and good Conscience do many a good office each for other and are forced to unite in a league offensive and defensive In an offensive league as Simeon and Judah Jud. 1. 3. the one must help the other to expell the Canaanites out of his Coast first and then proceed to expell them out of the others Coasts after Good Conscience helps to expel the Canaanites of fear distrust and despair out of Faiths coasts and to slay Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai these Jud. 1. 10 three sons of Anak and faith again layes to his helping hand to expel the Canaanites of fear guilt deadnesse dulnesse erroneousnesse and Scrupulousnesse out of Consciences coasts And in a defensive league they are joyned as David said to Abiathar Abide with me fear not so saith Faith to Conscience Abide with me Conscience for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety 1 Sam. 22. 23. Faith is the white Alabaster-box in which Consciences pretious Oyntment is put Faith is the bottle into which the wine of good Conscience is poured So again Conscience doth as much for Faith Faith is the light good Conscience is Faiths lanthorn the lanthorn shews forth the light within the lanthorn defends the light from winds and weather without that it be not blown out Conscience holds forth the light of Faith to be seen of men Conscience defends faith that it be not put out Faith is the Apple or sight of the eye Conscience is the eye-lid no eye-lid can see or doth it profit the body at all without the sight within nor can the eye see long if it have not the eye-lids to defend it from Sun dust smoak and the like annoyances and to keep the sight clear So what is Conscience without Faith but a blind and blundering Conscience And what is Faith without Conscience but as a naked weak raw sore eye A three-fold faith necessary to good conscience 1 Justifiing Faith Now this Faith that makes and keeps a good Conscience is three-fold First Justifying Faith there must be apprehending and applying the bloud of Christ Act. 15. 9. This is principally necessary to be sought this fides quâ creditur is the fides qua vivitur the fides quae creditur is not sufficient without this Secondly Doctrinal faith this is the faith 2 Doctrinal Faith here spoken of Hold faith and a good Conscience that is the sound Orthodox faith contend for it continue in it From this Hymenaeus and Alexander swerved and then left the plain path of good Conscience Say not any man is sound in faith and of a good Quam tu secretus es Deus solits magnus lege infatigabili spargens paenale â—caecitates super illicitas cupiditaâ—eâ— Aug. Conf. l. 1. Conscience who is unsound in Judgement and opinions Corrupt opinions breed corrupt Consciences and corruption in morals usually follows the corruption in intellectuals Here begins commonly the first step backward to all Apostacy and the first step forward to all impiety It is a sad story of the Emperour Valens who while he was among the Orthodox had gained much Glory in the Church he had stood firme in the time of Julian the Apostate together with his Brother Valentinian chusing rather to lay down all his Military Honours and imployments than
upon the soul A man well bred at first looks upon sin as importable once overtaken sin is not now importable but onely Primo importabile processu temporis grave paulo post leve postea placet dulce est Ad extremum quod erat impossibile ad faciendum est impossibile ad continendum Bern. de cons c. 3. Ex voluntate perversa facta est consuetudo dum consuetudini non resistitur facta est necessitas Aug. Conf. l. 8. heavy next time sin is not heavy at all but easie a while after not easie onely but light next time sweet and pleasant afterwards custome becomes another nature and what was importable at first to be committed is impossible at last to be avoided And Austin tels us a story of his mother who by sipping a little wine at first when she filled the cup came by degrees to be a tipling Gossip and to take her whole cups at last Qui modica spernit paulatim decidit he saith upon it Despise small sins and thou art gone Ad illum modicum quotidiana modica addendo in eam consuetudinem lapsa erat ut propè iam plenos mero caliculos inhianter hauriret Conf. lib. 9. 2. Take heed again of adventuring upon one greater sinfull act I say any one sinfull act deliberately presuming upon Gods Remission and thy own Repentance saying I shall have peace though I do this Such one act may for ever shut Conscience out of doors taking away the life and sense of it and ever after shut thee out of Consciences doors taking from thee its former peace It was but one deliberate act of sin that threw the Angels to all Eternity out of Heaven and chained them up in everlasting chains of darknesse That one sin deliberately committed by our first Parents against an expresse Precept cast them out of Paradise and caused the Cherubim and flaming sword to be set at the gate for ever denying any recovery re-entry See what became of Judas when he had once projected in his heart that prodigious act of murder and treason and was resolved to make good his bloudy engagement to the Priests He is now at present with Christ and his Disciples yet intendeth anon to be with the High-Priests He takes the Sop from Christ now and resolves the same hand shall take the High-Priests money too He hath a bag that can hold all that Christ can give and Satan offer Oh Lucifer how art thou fallen Oh Judas how art thou running headlong to destruction Judas what if Christ should disclaim thee for ever as he did for a son of perdition All those which thou gavest me have Joh. 17. I kept hut that one which is lost Judas what if thou shouldest be given over to Satan that thou shalt never repent Judas what if God should give thee over that though thou repent thou shalt not be received to mercy that thou and thy money and thy repentance perish together and God swear in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his Rest The like you may see in Ananias and Sapphira who having deliberately concluded to try the Spirit of God in the Apostles never were called to Repentance after But when Peter had rebuked them with their sin Why hath Satan filled your heart they died in their sin 3. Take heed of living under or following after a loose and cold man-pleasing Ministery which preacheth liberty not strictnesse of Conscience which soweth pillows under thine Arm-holes and layeth feather-beds under thy feet to tread upon cries Peace Peace so that none departeth from his sinfull way The voice of a faithfull Preacher Esa 40. 3. Esa 58. 1. Ecc. 12. 11. is the voice of a Cryer His sound the sound of a Trumpet his words like sharp nails and piercing Goads his preaching is heart-pricking his dividing the Text and Doctrine the Heb. 4. 12 13. dividing of the Spirit and Marrow and cutting down the Back-bone and he layes all open This is the best Ministery that which is sharper than the two-edged sword and discovers the thoughts of the heart and makes the man quake and tremble and fall down before the word and cry out God is here of a truth Our blessed Saviour who had the Tongue of the learned to speak the word Esay 50. 4. Esa 49. 2. Psal 45. 2. Rev. 1. 14. Mal. 3. 2. Es 11. 4. in season to him that was weary was also as a polished shaft and his mouth as a sharp sword He who had grace poured into his lips and spake so as never man did his eyes were as a flame of fire and his comming into his Temple none was able to abide He was as a Refiners fire and the Fullers soap and with the breath of his lips he did slay the wicked The Prophets of old the Apostles in their time and all Godly Ministers since have been sons of Thunder their work hath been to fall roundly upon Conscience They have applyed all their engines to batter downe or take in this strong hold for Christ They have laid siege to the disobedient and refractory Conscience sought to Block it up to take away all provisions from it to force it to yeeld and call out for mercy They have surrounded Jericho's high walls day after day sounding with their Trumpets till they have fallen downe flat to the ground that Joshuah might enter as a Conqueror They still sought by loud and uncessant Alarums to startle the secure Conscience to awaken the sleepy to burne the seared to terrifie the obdurate And the only care they had was to comfort the afflicted to Josh 6 22. Heb. 11 31 quiet the troubled to strengthen the weake Conscience And to rescue one beleeving Rahab from perishing among thousands of them that beleeved not These were the weapons of the old ministeriall Warfare These the Stratagemes of Christ and his servants to undermine and blow up Satans Kingdom and to pressemen into the Kingdome of Heaven But this Age will not endure this kinde of preaching no more then the Israelites could indure the shrill sound of the Trumpet sounding loudder and louder and that terrible fire and Heb. 12. 19 20 that voice of words which they desired they might heare no more off We must have no legall teaching we Soft and Effaeminate Rehoboam must have young and complying Counsellors of his owne humour The Samaritan must not come with his Wine to search and cleanse and wash but onely with his gentle Oyle to heale and comfort Physitians of no value Say not this is to preach Christ Jesus free Grace the Kingdome of Heaven Gospell Promises Priviledges Is the Son of peace there Are thy hearers Loaden Weary Luk. 4. 18 Pricked Wounded Bruised Sick When the Gospell Commission was first opened the instructions were to preach the Gospel Es 61. 1. 2. to the poore to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives recovering of sight to the blind to
set at liberty them that are bruised to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord. And withall to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God But it is noted of them that blessed the people they caused them to erre and they who were so blessed were destroyed Christ commanded repentance to be preached and Es 9. 16. then remission of sinnes to be promised And Lu 24. 47 Acts 20. Paul tells us all his Doctrine was bound up in two Chapters The first repentance towards God The second faith in Jesus Christ But Luther tells us he observed two sorts Theologus Crucis dicit id quod res est Theologus gloriae dicit malum bonum bonum malum of Divines in his time there was one the poore Divine whom he called Theologus Crucis the Divine for the Cross he saith Luther preacheth plainly and tells men how things stand The other Divine is Theologus Gloriae the Divine for the Crowne for preferment Praise The Glorious Divine This saith he is a dangerous and unsound Divine he calls evill good and darknesse light And Luthers prayer was that God would deliver his Church from such glorious A theologo gloriae pastore contentioso â—nutilibus questionibus liberet suam Ecclesiam Dominus Luther Divines The men of thy peace said Obadiah v. 7. Have deceived thee and prevailed against thee they of thy bread have laid a wound under thee c. See therefore if thou wishest well to thy soul whom thou must chuse for thy minister him that is most faithfull most powerfull whose fan is in his hand who is a conscience-convincing a Conscience-scouring and searching man such a one is like to be well skilled in the art of curing and comforting Conscience who seekes to discover the diseases and maladyes of Conscience Affect that ministry then that speaketh more to thy heart then to thy fancy that preacheth more to thy Conscience then thy concupiscence and whose Preaching driveth more at Purity then Liberty But in these dayes how few are found who at all stand upon the ministry of the Word what it is whether Preaching or non-Preaching whether sound or unsound Preaching Heretofore the question was Where dwels the Seer Now a dayes if any be to make a remove and to change his 1 Sam. 9. 9 18. dwelling They make Lots choice enquiring what the Earth is for their Cattle not Gen. 13. 10 what the Ayre is for their Soules and so prefer a Sodom before a Canaan or doe as the Num. 32. 4. 5. Reubenites who because of their Cattle and little ones desired to sit downe on the other side of Jordan though they were further off from the Tabernacle and Temple preferring a Bashan before Jerusalem And if any doe at all regard the Preaching Minister yet how doe they then for the most part make choice of that Ministery that will prophecie to them of Peace and speake smooth things In the first dayes of the Gospell when Christ was new borne there were some Mat. 2. Christian-Gentiles the wise men who that they might finde our Saviour observed diligently the direction of that moving Star of Heaven which went before them and when that not seene enquired for further directions from the standing Stars on Earth the Scriptures they followed both and so were conducted to the place where Christ was whom they found saw and worshipped But now in these last dayes of the Gospel wee have some whom we may call Gentile-Christians who neither regard the moving Stars the Ministers or the standing fixed Stars the Scriptures But without both these Rev. 2. 1. finde out new wayes and follow strange new lights as those who when the Son of man was to be betrayed into the hands of men followed a false Apostle with Lanthorns Torches Fire-brands and weapons as if they meant not to worship but apprehend Christ The former did finde these lost Christ They did honour these put him to open shame they Deify These Crucifie him they Adore these Destroy him They opened their Treasures and give him all they had these strip Christ of all he hath They usherd him into his Kingdome and into the hearts of the Godly these drive him out of the world they prefer'd an Infant obscure Christ before a King before Herod these prefer before a Grown Known and a now famous Messias an Infamous flagitious Barabas About a seven yeares agoe both Parliament and people came in the language of Act. 16. 9. Macedonia to the Godly Ministers come over and helpe us and then they were received Jam. 5. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Joh. Baptist among the Jewes or S. Paul among the Galathians as an Angell of God or as he and Barnabas at Act. 14 12 Lycaonia once one was Jupiter another Mercury The double honour was then thought but due There is since a sad change som where that the same men should be looked upon as the chiefe troublers of Israel now made a spectacle to the world Angels 1 Cor. 4. 9 11 12 13. and Men esteemed rather disesteemed as the off scouring of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is well enough The disciple is no worse yet then his master nor the servant then his Lord. Yet if dust might speak to dust and the Thistle in Labonon say any thing at all to the Cedar in Lebanon I would say that there seemes to me to be more danger to the men of this Generation from the silent dust of the feet of the despised Godly ministers who Jer. 17. 16 neither fight nor threaten nor yet desire the evill day then from all the armed hands and enraged hearts of the most desperate malignants which though they breath out slaughter and cruelty have been but like the Es 7 4 smoaking Tayles of easily quenched fire-brands 4 Take great heed to him whom thou makest thy bosome freind know him well and Oh nimis inimica amicitia Aug. know him to be good Mans wisedome is not seen in any one thing more then in making choice of his company and friend Ill acquaintance hath undone many The instance in the Text tells us how one sinner destroyes much good One corrupt man corrupts another Hymenaeus and Alexander coupled Vvaque livorem conspecta ducit ab uvâ. together They had one infected the other Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 17. Phygellus and Hermogenes More ill couples still Alexander it is likely marred Hymenaeus Hymenaeus marres Philetus and so comes the Gangrene Gen. 7. 2 to spread Evill persons and seducers as Noabs unclean Beasts go together in couples Simeon Levi brethren in evill Ananias and Sapphira conspire together Amnon had never accomplished his bestial unclean Lust if he had not had the head of Jehonadab to set him in the way Jehonadab was a very subtle man it 2 Sam 13. 3 is said Oh come not into the way of the sinner nor enter
deluded and inchanted with Endoxius an Arrian Bishop he soon cooled in his affections and so staggered in his judgement that they could not tell what to make of him he was neither Fish nor Flesh neither Arrian not Christian But after he fell wholly from his Religion and gave toleration to all manner of Religions to every Nation his own Religion Judaism Paganism all Idolatrous and whatsoever wicked practises were permitted freely onely to preach and professe the Apostolick doctrine prohibited a bitter Persecutor he proved and at last renouncing God to the Oracle he went to enquire of the Devil who should be his Successor 2. To draw to an end The other part of the Exhortation concerns the Minister particularly The Text being a charge or exhortation from a Minister to a Minister from Paul to Timothy to hold Faith and a good Conscience Which the Minister must make good 1. Personally 2. Doctrinally He must be a man of Conscience for his person a man for Conscience in his doctrine 1. In his personal carriage he must be Conscientious that he may be an exemplary pattern to his flock If he be thus a Burning light he shall also be a Shining light to others The Minister must strive to excel others in every spiritual gift in this especially A City set on a hill cannot be hid He must so walk that they may see the law in his steps as well as in his lips He is to be as the Sun the light of the inferiour world is therefore to move regularly steadily uniformly that the Dials and Clocks below may be set right when they go along with this Sun It is said that nothing cuts the Diamond but the Diamond I am sure none is so fit to work upon the Conscience of a man as the man of Conscience The ministers lips then must disperse knowledge to the People but his heart must retain Conscience to himself This little volume Conscience he must be exactly read in whatsoever other volumes he be a stranger to whatsoever language he be defective in he must be well acquainted with that of Conscience It was an excellent speech that of Jerome Discamus in terra quorum Ad Paulin. scientiá nobis perseveret in Caelo Those things are worth learning on Earth the knowledge whereof will be of use in Heaven A saying which famous Paraeus ever had in his mouth and caused to be written in the publike Schooles where he read his Divinity Lectures Learned Beza tels us what was Calvins counsell Cum te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non vulgari donatum esse videam quâ saepe ad moximos decipiendos viros abusus est Satanas velim te diligenter cavere nè te ullis inanibus arguti is irretias usually to younger Divines in whom he saw any pregnancy of parts to take heed of abstruse Questions and unnecessary controversies lest they should be catched and insnared in the Toyles of wit and so prove unhappy instruments of Satan to pervert others And he further reports he had given the same counsell to himself which he had observed to his dying day and did exceedingly blesse God for The want of observing this counsel was the utter undoing of that Conradus Vorstius a man otherwise of much acumen who carried away with the fleetnesse of his wit and the nicenesse of his spirit after he had read Socinus and such other corrupt writings became a pernicious corrupter of the younger Students who were his hearers and an occasion of much mischief to the Church And since that I am speaking to the Minister I desire to speak two words apart to two sorts of persons that are now in the Ministery The first is to our younger Timothies who as they are to be the Successors of our 1 A particular Exhortation to Timothy elder Pauls when they die so are they their hopes and delights while they are alive To these we can say nothing but good Watch you in all things stand fast quit you like men be strong despise afflictions for the Gospel Look well to the Charge of God the Charge of Faith and of a good Conscience Take heed to your selves and your doctrine Avoid prophane jangling vain bablings oppositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6. 21. 1 Pet. 2. ult 1 Pet. 5. 4. of science Pseudo science Study to shew your selves men of God approved workmen that need not to be ashamed Your work and charge is great but your promised assistance greater your reward and crown is greatest I mean not from men but from the hand of the Arch-bishop and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is called in the day of his great visitation Remember that famous Apophthegm of Mr. Perkins which he wrote in the frontis-piece of all his books Minister verbi es hoc age Thou art a Minister of the word mind thy businesse well Be sure to hold fast the form of sound words as being wel nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine wherin you have made so great a pro-proficiency Read over over your Directory Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus It is the Jesuites instruction to their younger Preachers when they have to do with some persons as Princes and great ones to instill Principles into them quae liberiorem reddunt Conscientiam Abominate ye such policie and compliance as greatest impiety In freer and looser times let your principles be the stricter not the slacker It is the reproach of some Lawyers that it may be said of them they have venalem linguam a tongue to set to sale Take heed that it be not said of any Divine that he hath linguam mercinariam animam venalem a tongue to be hired and a soul to be sold Though you may be younger men for Cum ad edificium arbusta succidimus ut prius viriditatis humor exsiccari debeat expectamus ne si eis recentibus fabricae pondus imponatur ea ipsa curvarentur confracta citius corruant quae immaturè in altum levata videbantur Cur non in hominibus ad animarum curas admitiendis custoditur quod in Lignis Greg. l. 4. ep 95. yeares seek to grow past Neophytes and younger plants which may be easily plucked up by the roots from the ground they stand upon or be bent and bowed by any hand as they stand Gregory very elegantly warneth concerning such as are young and tender Plants That they be not like green unseasoned Timber which if put into a piece of building will warp and bow and break that no weight may be laid upon them Secondly here I must crave leave to give 2. To Hymenaeus and Alexander an Item to Hymenaeus and Alexander who of late Disciples are now become all on the sudden above their Masters more than ordinary Ministers who not sent yet run not being called yet they go and having Jer. 23. 21. left the Anvile and the Forge have taken the sacred Hammer in hand Is