no duty small for there is no Commandment small Christ though he turned water into wine to refresh others would not at Satans instigation turne a stone into bread to relieve himselfe Matth. 4. 3. he might have done it for he was able had he done it who could have call'd it sinne he was then in want nothing to feed upon but hard stones yet would he not go out of Gods way to gratifie Satans plausible pretences or to relieve his own necessities The matter in which the first Adam offended seemed not great but the offence it selfe was great More go daily to hell for small sinnes unregarded then for your most horrid Atheism Blasphemy Desperation or sin against the holy Ghost Now a penny and then a penny idly spent undoes more men then the desperate hundred pound cast with a Dye There is no heed taken of the one when most abhor the other Ahab received his deaths wound through the little hole that was not heeded in his Armour From my secret sins cleanse me Psa 19. 12 13. saith David as well as Keepe me from presumptuous sins How circumspect and tender were the Primitive Christians in this point They would rather dye then cast the least grain of salt or incense into the fire as the Pagans did to save their lives they refused to sweare by the Genius or good fortune of their Emperours although they never forbare to pray for their health and prosperity Eusebius tels of one that was apprehended and led to the Altar to cast on Incense he refused they were willing to save him onely they would have him as he had done nothing so he should say nothing and make no words They would say for him that he had sacrificed if it was a sin it was their sin not his But they could not so perswade him when he came forth he protested that he had not sacrificed Theodoret tels also of Marcus Arethusius Euseb l. 8. c. 20. who having formerly in time of Constantius pulled down a Paganish Idoll-Temple and in Julians time being accused for it was â—njoyned to build it up againe as it was or give as much money as would do it he would do neither They then fell to half Theod. l. 3. c. 6. the sum he refused still At last they came so low as to bid him give what he would never Perinde impium esse obolum in impium opus impendere atque summam pecuniae universam so little were it but one half-penny so it were but any thing at all He in the midst of his extreme torments constantly stood out saying It was all one to give but a half-penny towards the furthering of any evill as to be at the greatest charge And therefore would not part with one single half-penny to such a purpose though to save his life 4. Tender conscience flyes secret sins as well as open and is best seene in the darke and most known by his Closet and solitary carriage His warning and memento is Shall not God search this out Psal 44. 21. He pitcheth up Labans watch-Tower and makes this Inscription No man seeth but God seeth Whereas men of no conscience say Who seeth us who knoweth what we do in the Chambers of our Imagery They write that sentence of Atheism over their secret and close designe that was in the mouth of those miscreants Ezek. 8. 12. 9. 9. The Lord seeth us not the Lord hath forsaken the Earth 5. The tender Conscience keeps a man as well from the guilt of sinfull Omissions of good as of sinfull Commissions of evil Our Saviour was as much displeased with Peters Mat. 16. 2â— 23. carnall disswasion from a necessary duty to go up to Jerusalem to suffer as with Satans Diabolicall perswasion to Daemonolatry to Mat. 4. 8 9. commit the most horrid impiety imaginable to fall down and worship him in the roome of God His answer was the same to both Get thee behinde me Satan Thou must as well observe what thou doest not as what thou doest Though the world makes small reckoning of omissions God takes notice of what ever opportunity we had but neglected and it seems Mat. 25 42. in the day of judgement these are the sins which chiefly shall be charged on the wicked Go ye cursed into everlasting fire because when I was hungry thirsty naked imprisoned sick you did not minister to me Omissions are damning and cursing sins it seems Mat. 3. 10. The tree that brings not forth good fruit is for the fire The slothfull servant is called the evil servant and for his negligence sentenced to Deprivation first Matt. 25. 26. 30. and after to Destruction Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness No Negative Holiness or Righteousness sufficient to approve to God though it may commend to men There be as many prove Bankrupts in the Citie and beggers in the Countrey daily through negative il-bus bandry neglecting their Calling Shops Opportunities as by profuse expenses Hence you have it in the Proverbs That the idle person may take the great waster by the hand and call him brother He also that is slothful in his business is brother to him that is a great waster Prov. 18. 6. And as many go to Hell daily through omissions of Duties required though the world take little notice of any such danger as by foulest sins committed Sixthly this Conscience you may ever know it by this that it makes one flie and avoid the common sins and prevailing errours of the times Nehemiah is a famous instance and pattern of such a good Conscience he saw Sabbath-Profanation swallowing up the Priests Maintenance and oppressive Vsury were the sins of that state and time he sets himself with all his might to restrain the offences and reform the offenders in all these kindes First for the Sabbath-Propbanation see what a Covenant they made Neh. 10. 31. To buy nothing which was brought to sell by others But chap. 13. 15. to ver 23. much more when some were treading wine-presses bringing in sheaves lading asses and brought in burdens into Jerusalem on the Sabbath as if it had been like any other day He testified against the parties offending declares his judgement and Conscience against their practice And to the Nobles and Magistrates he goes expostulating with them for winking at such abuses What evil is this ye do and prophane the sabbath-Sabbath-day Did not our fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Citie yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath And at last he puts forth his coercive power to prevent the like A gracious heart if he see the morallitie of the Sabbath questioned as now it is by some he riseth up for the strict Observation of it the more zealously So again when he saw the Priests maintenance embezeled the Levites and Priests the then Ministers under disesteem and povertie the Priests Patrimonie devoured by irreligious
They ever who take more care to get great States then good Consciences do but consult shame to their Honours and ruine to their Houses They are like the foolish woman who puls down her house with her own hands Wo to him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong That vâ—eth his neighbours work without wages That saith I will build me a wide house and large chambers and cutteth him out windows and Jer. 22. 13 14 15 16. it is ceiled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in Cedar Did not thy father eat and drink and do Judgement and Justice and then it was well with him Was not this to know me saith the Lord How many Examples do we see continually before our eyes of them who gather riches and not by right who are taken from them in the midst of their dayes and in the end die like fooles Jer. 17. 11. Jeroboam would never be beholden to Conscience or Pietie to secure his State and Crown Policie should do it but did not his State-designes become a sin and a curse to the whole house of Jeroboam to root them out of the Land Ahab must not scruple the way of getting Naboths Vineyard to get it was the thing but did he joy it The Prophet meets him with a cold Gratulation Hast thou killd and also taken possession where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth the dogs shall lick thy bloud also Did Achan thrive any better with his stolne wedge of gold Or Gehazi with his two bags of silver of two Talents The Consumption in Conscience breeds ordinarily a consumption in the state This maketh the furrowes in the field cry out and the stone in the wall and the beam out of the timber answer Wo to him who addeth house to house field to field and pound to pound till they are alone Doth not this leave great houses without inhabitant and fair houses without any to dwell in them This makes all fly at last the beam from the timber the timber from the wall the wall from the house the house from the name and the name it self from the face of the earth His sentence is Write this man childless a man that shall not prosper all his dayes for his heart and Jer. 22. 30. his eyes are onely for covetousness and oppression and violence to do it Whoâ—e Grand-childe doth the third Generation call happie in that Patrimonie dearly purchased by the expense of his Ancestors good Conscience what house stands long that is founded on the ruines of integritie and righteousness whoso gathereth by labour increaseth whoso by indirect courses undoeth himself It is godliness which is the great gain it is the name and memoriall of the godly which shall be blessed it is the posteritie of the righteous which alone is happie Godliness hath the Promise of this life also as well as of that to come Noahs Ark we know was not onely the Preserver of the Church but of the whole Universe So shall we finde good Conscience not onely the best Keeper of the Soul but of the State Trust this thou maist with all that thou â—rt worth 4. This discovers yet a worse decaie then that of temporall States the Ground of that Decaie in Grace whence it is that there are so many broken Professours bankrupts in Religion and decaied Apostates in the Church Hymeneus and Alexander this broke their backs They were men sometimes of as good account and great esteem as any other men in all that rich and mightie Citie Ephesus forward men very likely to make eminent Ones in time They let fall puritie and strictness of Conscience then were corrupted then corrupt others then denie Fundamentals then broach blasphemies then turn Persecutors then were as a Pest and Gangrene to the Church then out of Communion thereof they are cast and at last miserably they ended When good Conscience once departs the unclean spirit comes in and takes possession brings in seven unclean spirits into a house formerly emptie swept and garnished they dwell and stay there till the last state of that man is worse then the first Break once these Old Bottles of good Conscience and all the wine of Grace and Comfort runs out all is marred the man is a lost man From prophane and vain babbling men proceed at last to Highest ungodliness as the Apostles Advertisement is uâ—on the lapse and downfall of these miserable seducers 2 Tim. 2 16 17. 5. This doth also clearly demonstrate That by Apostolical Rules and the Primitive Discipline Toleration is not to be granted nor Church-Fellowship allowed to men who are of loose and profligate Consciences and corrupt opinions they who cease to be members of Christ and act for Satan are to have no longer Com-membership with the Church but are to be delivered up to Satan as we see in the Text. Notice is to be given of them and of their Errors to the Church their mouthes to be stopped their Companie to be avoided and the godly warned to beware of them 2 Tim. 4. 15. 6. This resolves us how the world comes to swarm with foul and pestilent opinions this chief stone is laid aside by the most of unskilfull builders Wood hay and stubble is brought in to litter the Church in stead of gold silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3. The first decaie is commonly here still Hymeneus and Alexander laying aside Conscience as legal and servile and Old-Testament ware become soon tainted with noisom opinions at last come up to open blasphemies and professed detestation of Paul God doth expose unconscionable Christians to errors in Faith Dr Twisse Zech. 11. 10 14 15. and all such like sound Teachers God in his just judgement smites such Teachers in their right eye and in their right hand they are corrupt both in judgement and practice and become no better then idol-Teachers coming before God with the idols of their hearts and laying stumbling blocks of iniquitie before the peoples face And indeed whensoever the Teacher layes by the Staffe of Beautie Faith and breaketh the Staffe of Bands Good Conscience what hath he left to take but the instruments of a foolish shepherd some absurd and dangerous opinions which drown men in perdition and errour while they speak high sounding swelling words of vanitie 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. and promise others Libertie themselves are the captive servants of all corruption 7. This informs us whence it ordinarily ariseth that many have lost that former Peace and those sweet Soul-Comforts they have sometimes had they have lost or wounded their Conscience The Lamp being broken the Oile is lost and the light goes out of it self Men little minde this but here is the common bane of all They are excellent Observations of Learned Ames Med. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 30. Prouâ— fides Conscientia vigent aut languent in hominibus si◠〈◊〉 certituâ—o augâ—tuâ— aut dimiâ—â—â—â—ur
on thee ere he hath done for his eyes put out and will destroy thee though he perish with thee Peccatum susurrans will prove Peccatum exclamans the witnesses might be slaine but did soon rise againe and up to heaven they went to accuse the world of Irreligion and Impiety Rev. 11. 2. To such as are haunted and fâ—â—â—owed with that griesly and ghastly fury of an evill accusing gnawing and corroding Conscience no wolfe on the breast like this no worm in the inwards like this torment it never lies quiet it s ever gnawing and corroding as no phrenfie so outragious as the roaring and raging Conscience It is like the raging Sea which cannot rest Esay 57. 21. No winds abroad cause an Earthquake but what wind is inclosed in the bowels of the earth no outward pressures can so torment as this inward horror the wind within causeth the Gollick paines not all the winds blustering about our ears but that little wind though it make no noise that is shut up in the bowels and pent up that wrings and tortures the body what are all the paines of body to the gripes and gnawing and wringings of an accusing disquieted Conscience This is the heart that continually meditates Terror to it self there is no darkenesse Paena autem vehemens multo saevior illis quas Caeditius gravis invenit Rhadamantus nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore Testem Ju. 1 Tim. 5. 24. 2 Sam. 13. 13. 1 King 2. 44. Gen. 42. 22 or shadow of death like his blacknesse of darkenesse He flies from the Iron weapon and the bow of steele shall strike him thorow The glistering sword cometh out of his gall all darkenesse is hid in hir secret place a fire not blowne shall consume him Job 20. 24 25 26. His sins have now found him out and are going before him to judgement whither he himself shall shortly follow I whither shall I go saith he to his offended Conscience where shall I leave my sin and shame and Conscience againe replies thou knowest all the evill that thy heart is privy too as Solomon said to Shemei nay saith Conscience you would not hear me as Reuben said to his brethren did I not speak to you and tell you then you must take what follows you have troubled Conscience and Conscience will trouble thee Men make light of the checks and admonitions of Conscience while they are in pursuit of sin and amidst their prosperity but when distress and anguish comes to take hold of them how do they cry out Oh Conscience Conscience Oh that I had hearkened to Conscience as it said of Rich Craesus who glorying in his wealth Solon told him that no man could reckon himself happy till he saw his end Craesus regarded not till being overcome by Cyrus and condemned to be burnt to death then he remembred what Solon had said to him and in the fire he cryed out Oh Solon Solon being asked what he meant he told them now he thought of Solons words and found them true and repented that he had made no more use of them when time was 3. It speaks terror to such as have an unwakened unsensible and sleepy Conscience no Lethargie so dangerous and near to death Gelidae est quasi mortis imago The Lethargick sleepy stupid Conscience is the most hopelesse Conscience that can be The dumb deaf silent speechlesse bedrid Conscience is the most desperate disease in the world The Physitian cures the Lethargy by a feaver if he can cast his patient into one and let me tell thee it is better God should cast thee into a hot burning feaver of Conscience by any affliction or horror whatsoever then that thou shouldest go sleeping and snoring to Hell It is not a more certaine token of death approaching to the body when you see speech gone eyes set in the head breath failing feeling lost pulse stopping excrements coming away unawares that such a one is drawing on to his Grave Then when you see the eyes of Conscience set feeling gone checks cease Heart-smiting done all Sins perpetrated yet the Soul lies wallowing in his noysome Excrements that such a Soul is drawing on to the Chambers of Hell The body of the former sleeps but his 2. Pet. 2. 3. Death slacks not the Soul of the latter sleeps too But his Judgement and Damnation slumbers not but is hastening upon him 4. It speaks Terror again to such as are already fallen or are entring into that disease called by Divines Vastatio Conscientiae the wasting or Consumption of Conscience the worst Consumption Such a Disease as the Phisitian meddles with none so bad This if not very timely prevented and stayed turns ever into one of those two desperat and incurable Diseases thou wilt either be stricken with a cold benumming Palsie or Lethargie and so be half dead while thou art alive or into a raging and desperate Phrensy it turns which will make thee be half in Hell while thou art alive The one was Nabals disease who was stricken with it that he became as cold hard and livelesse as a stone and was no better than a breathing Clot and so he died and is much like that Plague threatned Zach. 14. 12. where the flesh rots and consumes upon their feet while they stand their eyes consume away in their holes and their tongues in their mouthes so that they have neither sight nor tast nor speech nor motion yet living Death it self were to be chosen before such a Life The other was Joram's disease whom God smote in his Bowels with an incurable disease of which he lay in great extreamity for two years space and at last his very Bowels 2. Chron. 21. 19. fell out by reason of his sicknesse day by day and so he died in great horrour of whom may be said as was said to Maximinus that Tyrant and bloudy Persecutor when swarms of Lice did Gender in his diseased putrified body dayly did crawl about him that no Physitian could endure to come near him divers of them being slain because for the filthy stink they could not endure his presence others slain because they could find no means to cure him one of the Physitians then spake plainly to him and told him Nec est humanus iste Morbus nec medicis curatur It is not a naturall disease but a Divine stroke of Gods hand it is past the Physitians skill to deal with it CHAP. XXIII Of the Vse of Consolation ANd here we cannot but Proclaim the Happiness and commend the Wisdome of those blessed Souls that in this crooked and perverse Generation have made the better part their Choise and Care viz. to get and keep the good Conscience that Conscience void of offence before God and men that have preferred Purity of Conscience before Liberty and have studied Vprightnesse while others have studied Policy and fleshly wisdome These are like the few Names in Sardis who had not defiled their Garments
who shall therefore walk in white for they are worthy these we may call the Phaenixes of the World The good Conscience saith Bernard is Rara Avis in Terris sed quò rarior apud homines eò charior apud Deum These men are the Noahs Lots Calebs and Joshuahs of their Generations for whom the World fares the better and of whom God takes special care when times are worst These are indeed the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel How happy is he that can say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 2. Kin. 20. 3. and have done that which was good in thy sight Or with Paul My rejoycing is this the Testimony 2. Cor. 1. 12. of my Conscience that in simplicity and godly sineerity I have had all my Conversation in the World I can stand up and say I have corrupted no man defrauded no man circumvented no man Let all the world stand up and say whose Oxe or Asse I have taken Premat corpus Secura cum corpus morie ur Secura cum anima coram Deo praesentabitur Secura cum utrumque in die judicij ante terrisicâ—m judicis Tribunal statuitur De Consc c. 3. Bern tremat mundus fremat Diabolus illa semper erit secura This man hath his house built on a Rock he remains secure whatsoever winds blow and when the rain falls and the flouds arise He is secure in Sicknesse and secure in Death when body and soul are dissolved He is secure in Judgement when Heaven and Earth shall be dissolved and secure to Eternity when the wicked are destroyed He hath the Ark pitcht within and without he hath the Hid Manna and the white Stone He hath bread to eat others know not of His Candle goâ—s not out by night His Gleanings better than the Worldlings Vintage His dry morsel sweeter than a house full of Sacrifices with strife and contenton His Corner of the house top or Wildernesse more delightfull than the fair and large house where that clamourous and contentious Shrew the unquiet scolding Conscience is continually dropping or scalding rather This man his walks are in the wood dropping with Hony his dwellings upon the mountains of Myrrhe his lodging upon beds of Spices This man hath the best fare and merriest life in the 〈◊〉 1â— 15 16. World A continual Feast Feasting yoâ— know is not ordinary fare it is for no manâ— ease to Feast every day Some great meâ— have Feasâ—ed may be once a year as rich Nabal Kings and Princes on their Birth-dayes as Pharaoh and Herod Job had a great State to set out his Children withal they Feasted often but not every day at the same house but took their turns Ahasuerus had a Feast of an hundred and fourscore dayes lasting the longest that we read of yet he was King of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces God appointed his People should Feast of old yet but three times in the year except it were the Sabbatical year and the Jubile then all was Festival the whole year throughout and in the Jubile for two years one after another No man ever Feasted alway but that Glutton Luk. 16. 19. This man exceeds them all he hath not one great Dinner as at a Christmas Feast or one good Supper as at an Vniversity Commencement and away But every day is Festival with him his whole life is a Sabatical or Jubile life He is ever either Feasting or Feasted at home or abroad Either he is Feasted abroad and Supping with Christ or Feasting at home Christ Supping with him Yea this good Conscience is to Jesus Christ and to the Soul too both the feasting room and the feasting fare it is the Chamber and it is the Chear Christ will come into no other room but this This Sit Conscientia pura ut Deum perducat aâ— hospitium nostrum Bern. de iu. domo is his Vpper Chamber furnished and made ready where Christ will sit down with his Disciples and Servants and this the fare Give me thy heart saith he The Purity of Conscience is our best Dishwhich we can Feast him withal and the Peace of Conscience is Christs best Dish which he Feasts us withal Thus you see what a good House-keeper the good Conscience-keeper is He hath a continuall Feast saith Solomon Pro. 15. 15. And in the two following verses he answereth two Objections of the worldly mans making First they ask Hath he so much feasting I pray you what is his State first And secondly What good Chear hath he at his Table To the first he answereth ver 16. He may be but a poor man to see to yet he keepeth such a good house for Better is his little with the Fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith And for his good Chear on his Table it may be it is but homely yet his Dinner of Herbs where Love is the Love of God is is better than a stalled Oxe and Hatred therewith So that Solomons meaning in those three verses is that a Good Conscience is a Feast alone and Riches alone and Mirth alone and that all good is contained in a good Conscience which is a most comprehensive good CHAP. XXIV Of the Vse of Examination HAving already shewed what good Conscience is in general what his Nature what his Offices what is the Excellency Necessity Utility Benefit Comfort and Happinesse of it what the several kinds of good Conscience in particular are and what their Marks and Characters and what is the Mischief and Misery of an ill Conscience and what the Difficulties of getting and keeping the good and escaping the bad Let it now be every mans care to Try and Examine himself how much of Consciis in him and what the constitution of his Conscience is How much of Faith Purity Sincerity Tendernesse Quick-sightednesse Well-spokenness Honesty Inoffencivenesse Passivenesse and Charity is in his Conscience that he may take his part in the Promises Comfort Happinesse and Priviledges belonging to the good Conscience or whether he never had yet any good Conscience at all or have lost what he had or whether that he takes for good be not bad whether he be not the man that hath onely a natural Conscience or an ill troubled or an ill quiet whether his Conscience be not an erroneus or scrupulous or stupid or Lethargick or seared Conscience And so whether those former Reproofs Terrors Threats and miseries are not like to pursue and overtake him I shall not need here to come to any more new marks of discovery if you have well attended what was spoken all along in handling those particular good Consciences with their properties whereto I now refer you Only let every one remember that of the Prophet Malachie Therefore take heed to Mal. 2. 15. your Spirit saith he let evey one be well versed in himself There are three Books well studied and compared one with
Consciences witnessing with them saith the Apostle of the naturall Heathens and their thoughts as well excusing as accusing them They may have tranquillam but not securam conscientiam as Bernard distinguisheth And thus it is said of Socrates who living according to the rules of his naturall enlightened understanding when he came to die and was put to death he took his death with much Resolution and Tranquillitie of minde He said of his enemies They could but kill him they could not hurt him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet for all this no naturall Conscience can be a good Conscience 1. Because though it may cum seipso cum aliis scire yet it doth not cum Deo scire At the best it is liable to that rebuke given unto Peter Matth. 16. 23. Get thee behinde me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that Mat. 16. 23 be of God but those which are of men onely 2. Because it is not purged by the bloud of sprinkling It is without Christ therefore without God and Covenant and Promise and Eph. 2. 12. Hope and Mercie 3. Because as it hath not the purifying bloud of the Lamb so nor the purifying water Ezek. 36. 25. of the spirit sprinkled on it whereby it should be cleansed now whatsoever is born of the flesh is still but flesh and onely that which is born of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3. 6. 4. Because it hath not Faith which is that whereby the heart is further purified Act. 15. 9. And the Apostle when he bids Timothy hold faith and a good Conscience tells us as much that first faith must be had and then good Conscience Good Conscience is never without Faith never before Faith This Conscience how ever many may lull themselves asleep on it yet is it a bed shorter then that a man should stretch himself on it and a Isai 28. 20. covering narrower then that a man should wrap himself in it No sure Refuge is it and a strong fort it is not to endure a storming It is not the Ark of Noah of Moses it may be not an Ark of Gopher wood but made of Paper Rushes not pitched with Pitch but daubed with slime not furnisht with all manner of Provision as Noahs was to hold out to the utmost for a whole year and longer Gen. 7. 11. with Gen. 8. 14. but utterly unfurnisht for a day that unless he be taken out of it as Moses was he may there lie and crie and famish and perish This fort is no better then that hold of the idol Berith to which when the men of Shechem fled for Refuge it was fired over their Judg. 9. 46. 49. heads and they perished miserably in it A poor man and this naturall Conscience may perish and burn together Oportet Conscientiam non solum bonam esse tranquillam sed securam Bern. Par. Ser. 4. The fourth use discovers another mistake of theirs who judge their Conscience good when it is nothing so With many that is held for the best Conscience that is most still quiet and sleepie as ignorant people think of a Minister he is the best Minister who is the good neighbour the quiet man who troubles none even he in whose mouth is no reproofs Whereas the Prophet saith They who bless the people cause them to erre and they who are called blessed of them are destroyed Isai 9. 16. and 3. 12. The blinde lead the blinde into the ditch But a man may have so much of this Peace till he be the worse again He may have this Peace too soon he may have it too long There is a Peace of Satans giving Luk. 11. 21. As there is a sword and variance of Christs sending Luk. 12. 51. The kingdom of God is righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of Satan is ignorance and peace and joy in unholy courses yet this is the Conscience which most men call good if it be Pacatè bona they care not though it be malè Pacata Cain desires his Conscience would be quiet therefore he sets upon business of building and travells to go from his discontents Saul makes use 1 Sam. 16. 16 17 23. Act. 24. 25. of musick Felix would stop his present trembling by an abrupt diversion I will take another more convenient season purposely for this Meditation Judas would fill up the mouth of hell and clamours of Matt. 27. 3 4 5. Conscience with loud and bitter Confessions fearfull Exclamations and plenarie Restitution Some call for wine and Mirth to cheer themselves against a day of slaughter All James 5. 5. which is like the drinking cold water to one who is in a feaver who for the present findes relief but his feaver is increased thereby There are four Quiet Consciences and never Four ill quiet Consciences 1. The ignorant mans conscience Luk. 11. 44. an one of them good 1. The ignorant mans Conscience is quiet and still and as the blinde man eates many a hair and drinks many a flie so these know not that they do evil no more then the graves are aware who goeth over them Blindeness of minde makes men past feeling when they commit all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 18 19. Abimelech talks much of his Integritie and Gen. 20. 4 5. Vprightness and stands much upon his Conscience when all was but moralitie or ignorance Without knowledge the Conscience cannot as without Conscience knowledge is not good The Scripture somewhere cals Knowledge the Key but if Knowledge be the Luk. 11. 52. Key Conscience must be the Lock The one must be made fit to the other therefore Paul cals Good Knowledge the Knowledge according to Godliness Now what is a Lock Titus 1. 1. good for without a Key what Conscience good for without Knowledge to open and shut to lock and unlock it and what is the Key good for without the Lock Get both Science and Conscience Glorie not that thou hast got a quiet that is a blinde deaf silent and speechless Conscience The dumb and deaf spirit was the worst spirit to cast out of all the evil spirits wee read of in the Gospel Mar. 9. 25 26 29. The other roaring devils were more easily ejected Better a roaring raging and racking Conscience then a dumb Conscience Mar. 1. 23 26. The second Conscience that is quiet yet 2. The unawakened conscience not good is that Conscience that was yet never well awakened But sin lies at the door like a Mastiff asleep and makes no noise Here is quiet indeed but a dangerous quiet This Conscience either is given over to sleep a perpetuall sleep as God threatens Jer. 51. 39 40. In their heat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleep a perpetuall sleep and not awake saith the Lord. Then will I bring them like lambs to the
slaughter This sleepie Conscience makes a man like Nabal when he went drunken to 1 Sam 25. 36 37. bed unsensible of any danger yet is it a great Judgement to be thus drunken with sin to rejoyce and sleep a perpetuall sleep and if these go sleeping to Hell which is to die like Lambs as the world saith The judgement is the greater Or else this Conscience now asleep will arise and crie out like a Isai 42. 14. travelling woman it will destroy and devoure at once Sin will not alway be kept out of doors but will break in and lie down with thee in thy distress Job 20. 11. Josephs brethren had their Consciences asleep long but at last it awakened and stared in their faces and made them tremble Jonahs Conscience was once asleep in the midst of his sin when he was out of Gods way he was asleep also in the midst of the storm but God would have him awakened ere he had done with him He shall be cast out of the Storm into the Sea to awake him and out of the bellie of the Sea into the bellie of the Whale to awake him and out of the Whales bellie into the Bellie of Hell and there he awakes And there he cries Out of the bellie of Hell I Jonah 2. 2. cried and thou heardest my voice Awakened guiltie staring Conscience is Hell opened here is crying in this Hell and there may be hearing and mercie for these These are indeed in Purgatarie and for such souls praiers may be made Ex hoe inferno redemptio But the sleeping Conscience is hell shut up and sealed there is no crying and therefore no hearing When Peter was asleep though he had a guard set upon him and was laid in irons and had the doors shut and the Keepers before it and the warrant sealed for his Execution the very next day he was quiet but all that while in Durance and Danger But when he was to be delivered from the danger the Angel comes and not onely opens the doors as if to carrie him out in a sleep but he smites him and awakes him and warns him and hastens him and leads him and leaves him not till he come to himself Act. 12. 6 7 8 11. How many men are there who use all art to charm Conscience and to make it drunk that they may bee rid of it as David did to 2 Sam. 11. 13. Gen. 38. 23 Vriah or as Judah concerning Thamar Let her go enquire no more after her least we be ashamed But Conscience may bee snib'd cannot be extinguished oppress it you may suppress it you cannot it will lie at the door and will not be gone or beaten away Vriah slept at his masters door and was at 2 Sam. 11. 9 13. Gen. 38. 24 25. hand Tamar proves with childe and Judah must father it How do men ordinarily bless themselves in their quiet Consciences and reckon of no hell but in an unquiet Conscience whereas the still Conscience is the worst hell What pains do many take to make themselves Conscience-proof and their Conscience hell-proof that they may not be tormented before their time They do by hellish magick make their Conscience as impenetrable as the young man had by his charms made his bodie whom Luther said he saw thrusting a naked sword with all his might against his naked Vidi ipse ego adolescentem qui stricto gladio in ventrem nudum fixo tam validè urgebat adversum scipsum donec capulus reversus copulareâ—ur acumini super ventrem nihil laesus gladium rursum remisit Luth. Conc. in 1m. Praecept bellie with that force that the point bowed to the hilt again yet was the wretched young man not hurt at all The charmed quiet Conscience is the unsafe Conscience the troubled is the better where the strong man is disturbed and angrie and resisted Then the flood is cast out of the Dragons mouth when the woman is delivered to drown her and her childe Revel 12. 15. The Dog never howls till he be shut Mr Rutherford out of doors said a learned Divine nor doth Satan rend and tear but when hee is going out Mark 9. 26. The third ill quiet Conscience is the deluded 3. The deluded Conscience Conscience the Conscience deluded by Satan or his Instruments dreams nothing but visions of Peace Luke 11. 21. Lam. 2. 14. When the strong man armed keeps possession All is peace As in a town close besieged and beset round with the enemie the commander within labours to keep them in blinde obedience and at hard dutie by concealing from them the enemies strength their own weakness and want of provision and is vigilant in preventing any Intelligence with the enemie as long as possibly he can till either necessitie force them to quit the service or they without shoot in arrows with letters giving notice how they are bonght and sold by their Commanders for their own ends and offers of mercie and fair quarter upon submission and coming in or of putting all to the sword without mercie if they still stand out Then do the souldiers and inhabitants resolve to rise up against such a Commander they seize on him and to make their own peace throw over his head as they 2 Sam. 20. 22. did Sheba's once in such a case Such is Satans policie to keep poor souls in obedience by promising them securitie till God in his mercie be pleased to shoot in arrows of deliverance upon submission or of destruction upon contempt of grace offered Then doth the soul rise up against Satan resolves to seek out for his own safetie by casting himself on the mercie of God and will go out though he die for it for he sees he is a dead man else if he fit still Ahab deluded speaks 1 Kin. 22. 27. of nothing but Peace and victorie Keep Micajah in prison till I return in peace Satan was a lying spirit to entice him to go on that he might fall Micajah shot in an arrow of deliverance if he would have submitted I saw all 1 Kin. 22. 17. Israel scattered let them return every man to his own house in peace Ahab stood out still and would go on The next arrow was an arrow of destruction a fatal arrow came and pierced ver 34. his armor in the joynts of it He was now a dead man The whole world is full of quiet Consciences because full of deluded Consciences The Angels account when they returned was That they walked to and fro thorow the earth and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at Zech. 1. 11. rest The most of men are setled on their lees and have this belief in their heart That God will neither do one thing or other neither good or evil what-ever men do Zeph. 1. 12. How ordinarie is it for most men to flatter themselves in their own eyes and to say I shall have peace still though I