true and certain â—â—t were they never believed so though â—â—nscience speaketh true yet men folâ—â—w it not and therefore it becometh â—ent when it is not regarded but all 〈◊〉 counsel and advise and perswasions â—â—ghted and neglected Hence I say it â—â—meth to passe that for want of imâ—loyment it is still and falleth asleep till the time come that it must be awaked 3. The third cause is that violence that is often offered unto it Many times when conscience perswadeth to any good duty or disswadeth from any eviâ— course men will do against it and withstand it violently put off the wholesome advise of it hence it cometh to passe that conscience having so many injuries offered unto it beginneth to provide for its own ease and so either it is silent and saith nothing or else iâ— soon answered and rebuked as it was with Moses When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Moses but still fell to excuses and at last to deny all he would not let Israel go notwithstanding all that Moses could urge but said to Moses Exod. 10.29 Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more Moses then answered Thou hast spoken well I will seâ— thy face no more So it is with conscience When men have been obstinate and have refused to heare it and woulâ— have it speak no more Thou hast welâ— spoken saith conscience henceforth I will trouble you no more but let you alone to take your course I will advise you no more or if I do I will not be any more imporâ—unate 4. A fourth cause is that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience â—f it beginneth to speak presently they â—usie themselves about other things or if that will not do they runne into companie and there spend their time that the howlings of conscience may not be heard and if still it be loud they strike up the drumme and ring all â—â—e bells that the voice of it may be â—â—terly drowned and so conscience at last is content to stand by to heare and see say nothing By this means many â—â—mes it falleth out that those who â—ave had very turbulent and clamouâ—us consciences not suffering them 〈◊〉 be quiet have at last tamed them â—â—d put them quite to silence or if â—â—ey do speak it is so coldly and reâ—issely that they care not whether they â— obeyed or no. Oh these are damnaâ—e and devilish devises Whoever ye â—e that do thus ye are in a dangerous estate and ye carry the brands of hell and damnation upon you If ever you desire to avoyd this dangerous estate then shun the cause Labour to have your conscience throughly illightned and informed by the word of God that it may reade you your duty A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counsel Again give heed evermore to the counsel of conscience You know Achitophel took it ill that his counsel was not followed therefore he made away himself in displeasure So conscience will take it very ill if its counsel be not followed it will strangle it self and smother it self you shall hear no more of it Especially take heed you do not reject conscience nor offer violence to it If you do you will make it unfaithfull and remisse and then you lose the best means under heaven of your good Then deadnesse of spirit succeedeth and hardnesse of heart taketh place and you deprive your souls of all possibility of cure As long as a sick man hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope but if ever he lost that he is gone Conscience is the possibilitie of the soul to amendment and therefore if you dull conscience and make conscience remisse and unfaithfull you take the ready way to deprive your selves of all possibility of rising again Consider these things and have a care of your consciences And thus we have handled the office of conscience about things to be done and omitted with its adjuncts affections and properties in that behalf I â—ome now to consider the office of conscience about things already done or omitted together with the affections of conscience in the discharge of that office The office of conscience about things already done or omitted THis hath foure parts 1. To approve 2. To absolve 3. To â—islike 4. To condemne according â—o the good or evil of our actions or â—omissions The judgement is not onely of the things what they are but whither they tend and what they will â—roduce I. An approving conscience FIrst when that which is done is good conscience approveth it as Paul saith This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 When he had lived uprightly and sincerely his conscience approved of it so when he had great sorrow and heavinesse for his brethren his conscience approved it Rom. 9.1 my conscience bearing me witnesse saith he So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the whole course of his life 2. Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. there is consciences approbation of him from henceforth saith he is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse there is consciences judgement concerning the issue of it Conscience so approveth every particular good action done by a faithfull man that by it he may gather a testimony of the uprightnesse of his heart as Hezekiah Remember Lord that I have walked uprightly before thee 1. John 3.14 Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Mark Love to Gods children is a sufficient testimony not onely of our uprightnesse in that particular act but also of the simplicity of our hearts in the generall and that we are translated from death to life So when good old Simeon had now even finished his dayes see what an approbation his conscience gave of him Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbaâ—â—on of him 1. That he had been Gods â—â—ithfull servant thy servant 2. That he had walked in the wayes of true peace and comfort depart in peace 3. That the promise of Gods word was his in particular according to thy word II. An absolving conscience THe second part of the office of conscience is to absolve and acquit â—hus Samuel pleading his innocency â—d his conscience testifying for him â—hose ox have I taken 1. Sam. 12.3 or whom have I deâ—auded and his conscience absolved â—m as clear and free from those sins Thus also Job If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my help in the gate If I rejoyced because my wealth is great If I have not given my bread to the hungry or if I have rejoyces at the misery of mine enemie then let iâ— be thus and thus to me His consciencâ— absolved him as clear of those sinnes Nay the conscience of a child of God doth
Ahab â—d a quiet conscience but onely when â—icaiah did preach Felix had a quiâ—conscience no doubt yet he tremâ—d to heare Paul preach of death and 〈◊〉 judgement Acts 24.25 One would we thought that Paul a prisoner â—ould rather have been afraid but â—ul had true peace of conscience and â—erefore he could think and speak of â—ath with great comfort and of judgeâ—ent with joy So could not Felix Beloved this is a strong signe of a saâ— peace when some points of Gods woâ— lay us flat and bereave us of our holâ— Ye shall have many say O they haâ— such peace and they have such a good coâ—science as quiet as can be and as heaâ— whole as can be By and by a souâ— searching point cometh and ransackeâ— them to the quick and they are goâ— I confesse they go and get some unteâ—pered morter or other and dawb 〈◊〉 their consciences again but they 〈◊〉 gone for the time This is a stroâ—â— signe of a rotten peace But a child â— God can heare any point heare â— death of judgement of any thing coâ—teined in the word with delight aâ— comfort It is true he may be aâ—zed thereat but he is glad at heart tâ—â— he heareth it and will make use ofâ— be it mercy or judgement Sweet 〈◊〉 bitter points all are welcome to hiâ— even the bitterest points are sweet 〈◊〉 him because God and he are at peaceâ— and therefore he knoweth there is 〈◊〉 news from God but it is good IV. If our peace of conscience 〈◊〉 good it will heal that base fearfulnesse â—hich is in many who dare not be in â—e dark dare not go through a â—urch-yard in the night Some will â—ake at the very shaking of a leaf as â—e wicked in Job Job 15.21 which is nothing â—t a guiltie conscience I grant this â—rfulnesse is naturall to some yet I 〈◊〉 the true peace of conscience will â—re it I do not say this is a reciproâ—ll signe of true peace of conscience â—r many wicked men may be bold â—ough but I say true peace of conâ—ence will cure this immoderate fearâ—nesse in the godly But here two questions are to be askâ— I. Whether every true child of â—od that hath true peace of conscience â—n think of death with comfort and 〈◊〉 desirous to die Answ 1. Peace of conscience doth â—t take away naturall fear It is the â—ture of every living creature to be veâ— fearfull of death The Philosopher â—lleth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fearâ—llest thing of all fearfull things Bildad â—lleth it the king of terrours Job 18.14 Nature loveth its own preservation and thereforâ— feareth the destruction of it Peace oâ— conscience doth not take away all thâ— fear 2. Besides peace of conscienâ—â— doth not take away alwayes all degreâ— of slavish fear of death The reason iâ— because peace of conscience may 〈◊〉 weak mixed with much troubles 〈◊〉 conscience For as faith may be veâ— imperfect so peace of conscience mâ— be in some very imperfect Good oâ— Hilarion was very fearfull to die Hâ— cried out to his soul when he lay on hâ— death-bed O my soul hast thou servâ— Christ these fourescore years and art thâ— now afraid to die Again a mans loâ— may be very imperfect 1. John 4.18 Perfect love iâ—deed casteth out fear but imperfeâ—â— love doth not Hezekiah had peaâ— of conscience Remember Lord saith 〈◊〉 I have walked before thee in truth 2. Kings 20.3 〈◊〉 with a perfect heart Mark He had tâ— peace of a good conscience his coâ—science told him he had a sincere heaâ— and that his wayes pleased God yâ— he was afraid to die I do not thinkâ— was onely because he had no issuâ— though that might be some reason of it â— When a child of God is afraid to â—ie it is not so much for love of this â—ife as out of a desire to be better prepaâ—ed This made David cry out O â—pare me that I may recover strength Psal 39.13 beâ—ore I go hence and be no more And so â—ob Let me alone Job 10.20 21. that I may take comâ—ort a little before I go whence I shall not â—eturn These good men were then â—omething unwilling to die They â—ight have many reasons most likely â—is was one That they might be betâ—er prepared and more fit and ready for â—eir departure 4. Some of Gods â—eople as these Job and David at â—ther times I say some of Gods peoâ—â—e have such marvellous peace with â—od as that if it were Gods will they â—ad much rather die then live Phil. 1.23 I desire 〈◊〉 be dissolved saith Paul and to be with â—hrist which is farre better It may be â— regard of the church or the care of â—eir children and charge God hath laid â—n them they could be content to reâ—ain still in the body neverthelesse â—hey account their state after death much better and were it put to them whether to die or to live longer here they would choose death rather of the twain 1. Kings 19.4 Nay Elias requested for himselâ— that he might die It is enough Lordâ— take away my life Not that they lovâ— death it self for death is evil in its owâ— nature contrary to nature a badge oâ— sinne but for the love they have to anâ— the assurance they have of eternall lifâ— after death 5. Nay there is no chilâ— of God but may truly be said to lovâ— death and to love the day of judgement and the appearing of Christ Jesus Divines use to put this as a signe of Godâ— children Nay the Apostle maketh thiâ— as a propertie of Gods children to lovâ— Christs appearing I have fought a gooâ— fight saith Paul I have finished mâ— course There he telleth us of his owâ— peace and then he telleth us of his reward 2. Tim. 4.8 From henceforth is laid up for 〈◊〉 a crown of righteousnesse which the Lorâ— the righteous Judge shall give me in thâ—â— day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing that is to alâ— his children For all the children oâ— God love the appearing of Jesus Christ to judgement Though all do not desire it with the same strength of faith â—et all desire it with faith They beâ—ieve that Christ hath destroyed him that â—ath the power of death Heb. 2.14 which is the deâ—il they believe Christ hath taken â—way deaths sting which is sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 57. and 〈◊〉 allowed death up in victory and may â—l say Thanks be unto God who hath giâ—en us victory through our Lord Jesus â—hrist Neither do they so much queâ—on this as their faith to believe it â—ying Lord help our unbelief 6. Gods â—ildren have good reason to do so â—d to check their own hearts whenâ—er they do otherwise Whenever any â—strust cometh they should check it â—wn again whenever any fear ariâ—h they should say What I fear â—â—th which is a thing so precious Psal 116.15 Preâ—us in the sight of the
it self neither the promises of this life nor of that which is to come Conscience crieth This belongeth not to me This mercy this comfort is not my portion Secondly In a terrour and anguish of mind from these three heads 1. From the guilt of sin 2. From the apprehension of Gods wrath 3. From fear of death and of judgement This is the three-stringed whip wherewith conscience is lashed These ye shall find upon the conscience of Adam and Eve when they had sinned against God Their conscience was whipped 1. With the guilt of sinne they saw they were naked Gen. 3.7 2. With the apprehension of Gods wrath they hid themselves from the presence of God verse 8. 3. With the fear of some vengeance which they began to look for I was afraid saith Adam verse 10. This three-stringed whip ye may see also was upon the conscience of Cain after he had slain his brother His conscience was whipt 1. With the guilt of sinne My sinne is greater â—hen can be forgiven 2. With the apprehension of Gods wrath From thy face O Lord am I hid 3. With the expectation of death and of judgement It shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me Thus I have shewed you what a troubled conscience is The degrees of a troubled conscience II. THe next thing I promised to shew is the degrees of a troubled conscience A troubled conscience hath divers degrees For some conscience are more troubled then other some 1. The first degree is such a degree as may be in Gods children and this ariseth not so much from the apprehension of Gods wrath as from the guilt of sinne Their consciences grieve anâ— are troubled to think that they have sinned and offended the Lord God Thuâ— we see David could not be at quiet Although Nathan had told him from Goâ— that his sinne was forgiven yet his conscience still troubled him Psal 51.4 Against the onely have I sinned and done this evil iâ— thy sight saith he I grant the consciences of Gods children are troubled aâ— the apprehension of Gods anger but then it is his fatherly anger not the anger of an enemy Though for a sâ—â— they may seem to apprehend that too yet mostly it is for that they have provoked their loving Father to anger against them A father may be angry with his child out of love and so the Lord may be with his dear children The Lord was angry with me too saith Moses Deut. 1.37 O let not my Lord be angry saith Abraham the father of the faithfull O God of hosts Psal 80.4 how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth saith the Psalmist Sometimes â—he Lord is angry with the prayers of his people but it is in love because he would have them pray better and obey better and look to their standing â—etter Now the consciences of Gods â—eople are very much troubled when â—he Lord is thus angry with them 2. The second degree of trouble of â—onscience is such as is in the wicked â—nd yet not altogether without hope The conscience is troubled but yet so â—s it conceiveth hope God is merciâ—ull and Christ died for poore sinners â—c Thus many a wicked man is trouâ—led and affrighted in conscience not â—or sinne but for the wrath of God against it yet he conceiveth for the present that the sinne is pardonable and may be forgiven Christ may forgive God may pardon It is indeed but a poore ground of hope comfort upon possibilities but yet this lightneth the trouble in the mean time and it may be within a while shaketh it quite off Like the wicked Jews Isa 57.10 who were worried and wearied most grievously yet they said not There is no hope There may be much horrour and disquiet in these consciences for a time but there is a higher degree yet a worse troubled conscience then this 3. The third degree of a troubled conscience is when it is for the present altogether hopelesse such a conscience as is swallowed up in despair when men thinking of their manifold sinnes of the direfull wrath of God of the dreadfull torments of hell for everâ— their consciences make them despair of all hope or possibilitie of avoyding this bringing such thoughts as these Whaâ— a deal of time have I spent in sinne wherein I might have made my peace with God anâ— have prevented all this What a great and omnipotent God have I offended What an infinite Judge have I provoked who is able to revenge himself on me and who will be my foe to eternitie conscience also bringing in thoughts of the torments and unsufferable pains to be endured in hell and such swallow up in despair without all hope for the present or the future Like the wicked man which Eliphaz speaketh of Desperatio est homicida animae Aug. He believeth not that he shall return out of darknesse Job 15.22 So these have no hope of escaping expect to perish as Spira O saith he I envy Cain and Judas I vvould I vvere in their cases They are damned but I shall be vvorse for evermore Now though to these all hopes be gone for the present yet some of these troubled consciences scramble up again with vain hopes and some do not Cain got â—p again it should seem but Judas did not Those that never get up again eiâ—her 1. they live in intolerable horrour and vexation of spirit Desperare est in infernum descendere Isid as if they had a devil in them to put them to anguish and often being weary of their lives do make away themselves and so leap quick into hell or else 2. they runne desperately into all abominable courses Their consciences telling them there is nothing to be expected but damnation they give themselves desperately to commit sinne with greedinesse saying with them in Jeremie There is no hope therefore we will wall after our owne devises Jer. 18.12 Or else 3. they grow senselesse of it They see they are wrong but they are not sensible of it It may be they pray and reade and heare but their consciences secretly whisper All is to no purpose Conscience eateth and eateth like a worm and they pine away in their iniquities Ezek. 4.23 as thâ— prophet speaketh A kind of sorroâ— they have but they cannot mourn â— kind of sad dolour but they cannoâ— weep Ye shall not mone nor weep bâ—â— pine away in your sinnes saith the text I confesse there be more presumers iâ— the world who promise themselves that all shall be well with them but yet there be despairers too and very many whose consciences are troubled with secret despair though it may be not apparently to others Now the causes of these despairing consciences are these 1. The greatnesse of sinne when the heart thinketh secretly thus Certainly the Lord cannot find in his heart to forgive me As it was with Cain When he had lived in earthly-mindednesse and then in formality
and then in discontent and in hatred and then in hardnesse of heart the Lord rebuked him and yet his heart was so hard that still he went on in evil then he murdered his brother and lastly he despaireth Gen. 4.13 My sinnes are greater saith his conscience then can be forgiven He thought God could not find in his heart to forgive him So when men sinne and sinne and the Lord doth rebuke them and yet they do sinne and their consciences do check them and yet they go on at last they come to have secret despairs in their heart that God now will not look towards them whereas if yet they had a mind to stoop to Jesus Christ they might be forgiven 2. A second cause of despairing is multitude of temptations Indeed the godly should not be so apt to think themselves forsaken of God by reason of temptations as sometimes they are they should rather count it joy as James speaketh chap. 1.2 But yet many of the wicked despair finally by this means Because they do so often fall into temptations therefore they conclude they are forsaken of God 3. Ignorance of Gods word When the guiltinesse of sin meeteth with minds not instructed in the doctrine of free grace and reconciliation by Christ this is a cause of despair 4. So also inured custome of sinning is another cause When men are often quickned and grow dead again then quickned again for a fit and then hardned again in the end they fall to despair These and the like are the causes of despairing consciences And thus I have shewed also the second thing propounded to be handled namely the sundry degrees of troubled consciences III. The third thing is the difference between the troubled conscience in the godly and in the wicked The consciences of Gods children may be troubled and are many times and the consciences of the wicked they are troubled too now the question is How do they differ I answer 1. That trouble in the conscience of wicked men is accompanied with impenitency and sometimes with blasphemy I would I were able to resist God saith Francis Spira like those in the Revelation who blasphemed God because of their torments Sometimes it is accompanied with cursings as Isai 8.21 sometimes with infinite murmuring But in Gods children it is not so When their conscience is troubled they justifie God and clear God and give him the glory of all and submit under his hand and subdue their hearts unto him as David in his trouble did not fret and murmure against God but saith he If God have no pleasure in me lo 2. Sam. 15.26 here I am let him do with me what seemeth him good So that the trouble of conscience in the children of God and in the wicked doth much differ in this first respect 2. The trouble of conscience in the wicked ariseth onely from the apprehension of Gods wrath and fear of judgement for sinne not for the sinne it self and from the love of holinesse But that in Gods children ariseth chiefly for sinne and the want of the apprehension of Gods love unto them How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me Psal 13.1 Mark whence the trouble of the Psalmist came This was his trouble that God did hide his face 3. Trouble of conscience in the wicked never maketh them part with sinne never breedeth a hatred of sin in them but that in Gods children doth True it is that a wicked mans troubled conscience may make him vomit up his sin like a dog that vomiteth up his troublesome meat but he doth not vomit up his stomach to that meat for when the trouble is over he returneth to his vomit again So a carnall man returneth to his deadnesse of heart again and to his securitie again when the trouble is over Pharaoh whilest his conscience was troubled at the sense of Gods judgements O then saith he I have sinned I pray Moses let me have your prayers and I will let you go If the children of Israel could have packed up and departed while this trouble had lasted they might have been gone But when he saw there was respite Exod. 8.15 he hardned his heart again Mark His trouble of conscience did not make him part with his sinne But that in Gods children doth 4. That in the wicked driveth them from God They have little heart to come unto him They see nothing but wrath and they rather go about to seek ease in other things then to seek his favour as Saul sought ease in musick and Cain in building castles and cities and Judas in a desperate course Their trouble fetcheth them not to God But the trouble in Gods children worketh otherwise In the midst of trouble of conscience they rest upon God as Heman crieth Psal 88.1 O Lord God of my salvation in the midst of the troubles of his soul The eyes of Gods children are still towards heaven they think still they should have some help from God They pray and cry and though God seemeth to neglect them yet they cannot give over They will not be beaten off from waiting on God when he will speak comfort to them 5. That trouble that is in the wicked maketh their heart sullen but that in the godly melteth their heart My soul is like melting wax saith David in his troubles of conscience His soul melted before God and was even poured out before him Psal 22.13 This is a kindly working Thus ye see the difference Vses Vse 1 1. BY this we see what a miserable thing it is to have such a troubled conscience It is the greatest misery that can be it is even a hell to men here upon earth it is like a dismall ghost to terrifie the soul it is like a burning furnace in the bosome it maketh the life bitter In a word the spirit of man is not able to bear it The spirit of man will sustein its infirmities Prov. 18.14 but â—a wounded spirit who can bear As long as a mans spirit is sound it will bear any thing Some have born agues fevers stones colicks convulsions rackings torturings as long as a mans spirit is sound he is able to bear any of them all of them but a wounded spirit who can bear Never was there man that was able to bear a wounded spirit We may see by many of Gods children how heavy it is David rored with the anguish of it a strange phrase He man was ready even to runne out of his wits with it While I suffer thy terrours saith â—he I am distracted Psal 88.15 Moses putteth himself into the number We are even consumed by thine anger Psal 90.7 Ethan complaineth that it was like a burning fever How long O Lord wilt thou hide thy face for ever shall thy wrath burn like fire Psal 89.46 If it be thus with Gods children what may we think of the wicked If we could search into the bosomes
however and the high-way to hell but to be wicked when ye have godly neighbours about you your sinne now is double For as you offend God so you offend them too Ye may remember what Christ saith Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hung about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Matth. 18.6 Ah ye vile wretches ye little imagine what fearfull vengeance ye pull on your own heads It were better for you that a milstone were hung about your necks and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend one of these little ones Ye may call them what ye will call them puritanes precisians uncharitable people censurers ye may call them as Satan teacheth you to call them but it is certain it were better a milstone were hung about your neck and ye thrown into the sea then that ye should offend any one of Christs little ones The Lord open your eyes that ye may repent and believe the gospel your selves and be saved 4. Lastly be exhorted brethren to labour after a good conscience How excellent a thing is it that hath so many good ingredients Illumination is one ingredient and Faith is another and Tendernesse another and Purenesse another and Quietnesse another and the Bloud of Jesus Christ another It is like Aarons composition which smelt sweetly when he went into the sanctuarie It is compounded of excellent conditions such as smell sweeâ— when we come before God the Lord loveth that such should come neaâ— him We may come with assurance tâ— speed if we come with a good conscience Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with assurance oâ— faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mark we may draw near with assurance if we come with tâ— good conscience It will comfort us in all troubles and support us in all dangers It maketh us happie nay there is no happinesse without it It will make us with quietnesse and contentednesse of spirit undergo whatever it shall please God to lay upon us How can they want comfort that have this It is a spring of comfort within them This will remain with us when all other comforts will forsake us When friends fail and estate faileth when credit and health and strength and all fail then a good conscience if we have it will speak peace to us yea and it will effect it in us comfort us and fasten comfort upon us Friends may speak words of comfort and peace to us but it may be we are not able to receive it the minister may preach peace but it may be we are not able to take it But a good conscience speaketh peace and effecteth it it doth not onely speak it but it putteth it into our hearts It proppeth us up in all miseries in sicknesses yea in death it self A good conscience then maketh us hold up our heads when all the world shall be confounded A good conscience will bear us out against the King of terrours It is onely a good conscience that can look death in the face 1. Cor. 15.55 57. and say O death where is thy sting thanks be to God who giveth us victorie through our Lord Jesus Christ Yea at the day of judgement when the whole world shall be burning before us when the great men of the world who go in silks and scarlet and broidred hair shall fear and shiver as a reed shaken with the wind this will make us with boldnesse undergo the terrour of it This will make us happie in all our distresses When crosses pelt us and sicknesse paineth us and death attacheth us we are happie men What if we have the tokens of Gods wrath upon our bodies so we have the marks of his love upon our souls What outward calamitie soever happeneth to us yet if we have this good conscience we are happie O then let us labour to get it by faith and a holy life If we would be safe in the floud-time in the day of Gods wrath we must be busie now about the ark we must provide beforehand for it Nothing but this ark will save us in the deluge of Gods anger It is in vain to trouble our selves about other things Jubal was a merrie man Gen. 4.20 he made pipes and organes Jabal built tents others planted vineyards but Noah provided his ark Many desire comfort in sicknesse in death but they do not provide for it beforehand They look after their sports or businesses in the world but this ark is neglected this good conscience without which all mens labour is vain Be they what they will be in never so much credit and esteem they are yet most miserable when troubles and afflictions come on them as one day they shall and shall not tarrie then all their comforts will forsake them When death looketh them in the face then their hearts die within them How full of pride and haughtinesse soever they were before yet when they come to die if their consciences be awaked they will with Saul fall down to heare the name of death 1. Sam. 28.20 and no spirits be left in them Nay if we want a good conscience when we lie on our death-beds desire good people to pray for us Good sir I beseech you let me have the benefit of your prayers to God for me Alas if thou hast not a good conscience all the prayers under heaven will not help thee See Heb. 13.18 Brethren pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience Mark The Apostle telleth them they may pray for him with comfort because he had a good conscience As if he had said If we had not a good conscience it were in vain for you to pray for us If ever God heare the prayers made for us we must have a good conscience Those that have not this good conscience shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven Though they had Moses Daniel and Job to pray for them yet all their prayers could not help them in the time of their distresse The bond of conscience NOw we must look back unto the foure propositions which at the beginning I observed in the text I am upon 1. That there is in every man a conscience 2. That the light which directeth conscience is knowledge 3. That the bond which bindeth conscience is Gods law 4. That the office of conscience is to bear witnesse to accuse or excuse I have in the handling of these a little altered the method and spake of the two first and the last Now followeth the third and that is consciences bond which is Gods law which shew the work of the law written in their hearts c. It is onely the work of Gods law that it beareth witnesse of that it accuseth or excuseth for The bond of conscience is Gods law The law of God is consciences bond Neverthelesse we must here distinguish The bonds