and runne for the other as in the sweating-sicknesse in King Edwards dayes then for Gods sake but one word of coÌ„fort then O blessed men of God one word of peace Now alas what would you haue them doe Are they or your own courses in fault that you want comfort at your death What would you haue vs doe Wee must referre you to your owne Consciences wee cannot make oyle of flint nor crusse sweete Wine out of sowre Grapes wee dare not flatter you against your consciences If you would giue vs a world we cannot comfort you when your owne Consciences witnesse against you that such comforts belong not to you Doe not idlely in this case hope for Comfort from Ministers be it knowne vnto you you must haue it from your owne consciences Many on their death-bed cry to the Minister as shee did to the King 2 Kings 6. 26. 27. Helpe my Lord O King But marke what he answers If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee out of the barne-floore or out of the wine presse So wee must answere to such as cry Helpe helpe O man of God If God and your owne Consciences helpe you not whence shall wee helpe you If there had beene Corne within the barnes the King could easily haue helped her but he could not make Corne. So if men haue carryed any thing into their Consciences if they themsâ—lues haue Inned any provision and comfort by being Conscionable in their lives then we can helpe and comfort them but otherwise do not thinke that we can make comforts and make good Consciences vpon your death-beds If your Consciences can say for you that you haue bin carefull in your life time to know God to walke holily religiously before him c. then we dare be bold to comfort cheere you then dare we speake peace confidently to you But if your Consciences accuse you of your ignorance your oathes Sabbath breaches worldlinesse rebellion vncleanenesse oppression drunkennesse c. and finally impenitency What is it you would haue vs to doe What can we say but as the Prophet to Zedekiah Ier. 37. 19. Where are now your Prophets that prophesied vnto you saying The King of Babylon shall not come against you So where be those that in your life time told you yee need not be so carefull and precise to keepe good Consciences lesse adoe will serue the turne now what thinke yee of them now what peace haue you in those wayes what comfort can these giue you now Or else what can we say when men in anguish of Conscience lie tossing on their beds but what Reuben sayd to his brethren when they were in distresse Gen. 42. 21. 22. Did not I warne you saying Sinne not c. So must we what doe ye call to vs for comfort Did not wee warne you many a time oft saying sinne not nor liue in those dangerous courses Did not we warne you Oh to haue our Consciences Gods Ministers thus to grate vpon vs what an vncomfortable condition will this be Would we then prevent such sorrow and be cheerfull and cheered at our latter ends lay vp a good Conscience then lay in somewhat for Conscience and Gods Ministers to worke vpon from which they both may be able to rayse comfort to you Get a good Conscience and liue in it all thy daies and then though thou shouldest want the benefit of a comforting Minister yet thy Conscience shall doe the office of a comforting Minister and shall be the same vnto thee that the Angell was vnto Christ in his agony Luk. 22. 43. and shall minister such comfort vnto thee as shall make thee ready to leape into thy graue for ioy This shall be as another Iacobs staffe for thee to leane and rest vpon when thou shalt be vpon thy death-bed If men knew but the worth of a good Conscience at the houre of death we should need no other motiue to worke mens hearts to be in loue therewith Fiftly and lastly the benefit comfort 5 The comfort of a good Conscience at the day of Iudgement of a good Conscience is great at the day of Iudgement Oh the sweet comfort and confidence of heart that a good Conscience will yeeld vnto a man at that day What will become of all the Gigantean spirits and the braue fellowes of the earth then Alas for their yellings and cursings of themselues and their companions What howling crying to the mountaines as they did Revel 6. Hide vs cover vs yea dash and quash vs in a thousand pieces When an ill Conscience is awakened it is not to be imagined how small a thing will gastre it The sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them and they shall flye as flying from a sword and they shall fall when none pursues Levit. 26. 36. A dreadfull sound is in his cares Iob 15 21. Hee heares nothing but he thinkes he heares alwayes some terrible and dreadfull noyse Now then if a shaken lease shall chase and shall put them into a shaking feare what case will such be in when as Iob speakes Iob 26. 11. The pillars of heauen shall tremble and when the powers of heaven shall bee shaken Luk. 21. 26. When the heauens shall shake and flame aboue them when the earth shall quake and tremble vnder them what case will they be in then If meere imaginations fill their eares with dreadfull sounds where there is no sound at all Oh what a dreadfull sound shall be in their eares when the Sea shall raore Luk. 21. 25. when the last trumpe shall sound 1 Cor. 15. when they shall heare the shout and voyce of an Angell 1 Thes 4. 16 What dreadfull sounds will these be in the cares of ill Consciences How will these dreadfull sounds confound their soules with horrour and amazement But now for a good Conscience how is it with it then Euen amidst all these dreadfull sounds it lookes vp lifts vp the head Luk. 21. 28. and enables a man with a cheery confidence to stand before the Sonne of man Luk. 21. 36. The malefactor who lookes for the halter how dreadful is the iudges comming to the Assizes attended with the troups of halberds in his eye but the prisoner that knowes his owne innocency and that he shall be quit and discharged his heart leapes at the Iudges approach how terribly soever he come attended to the bench it glads his heart to see that day which shall be the day of his liberty and release An hypocrite shall not come before him Iob 13 16. much lesse shall looke vp lift vp his head or stand before him Psa 1. 5. But the righteous and the man with a good Conscience hee shall hold vp and cheerefully lift vp his head when all the surly and proud Zamzummins of the earth that here lifted vp their heads and nebs so high shall become howling and trembling suitors to the deafe mountaines to hide them from the presence
blood if that will make a good conscience they are then fafe enough But as thou must haue Christs blood so Christ wil haue thine heart also bleed by repentance ere he will vouchsafe the sense of peace A conscience therefore that would be a coÌ„science in hauing peace must not onely be a beleeuing but a repenting conscience Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hand the kingdome of heauen shall be yours if you will repent ye shall haue it immediately vpon your repentance But wherein stands this kingdome offered to repentant consciences The kingdom of God stands in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Repent and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Act. 3. 38. And what may that gift be The fruits of the spirit are loue ioy peace Gal. 5. 22. Which though it be to be vnderstood of peace between man man yet also that peace which is between God and man is the fruit of the Spirit the loue of God shed abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. is the gift of the holy Ghost which he giues to all that by repentance seeke to get a good conscience Blessed are they that mourn that is which repent for they shal be comforted Mat. 5. they shall haue the peace of a good Conscience which is the greatest and sweetest comfort in the world Many doe trust all to their supposed faith as a short cut and a compendious way to a good coÌ„science but he whose faith doth not as well purifie the heart as pacifie it hath neither faith nor a good conscience It is idle to hope for peace by faith whilst thou livest impenitently in a sinfull course Thou canst haue no peace of conscience so long as thou hast peace with thy sinnes Peace with conscience will be had by warre with sin in the daily practise of repentance It is but a dreame to thinke of a good Conscience in peace whilest a man makes no conscience of sin They that haue a good coÌ„science by Christs blood may be indeed sayd to haue no Conscience of sinne as Hâ—b 10. 2. But yet there is a great difference between having no Conscience and making no Conscience of sinne To haue no Conscience of sinne is to haue a peaceable good conscience not accusing for sin being sprinkled with Christs blood To make no Conscience of sin is for a man impenitently to liue lye in any sin Now let any iudge whether these two can stand together that a man may liue as he list and make no Conscience of any sinne and yet haue such peace by faith as that he hath no Conscience of sin It is an vnconscionable thing in this sense to lay all vpon Christ an vnconscionable request to haue him take away our guiltines and yet wee would wallow in our filthines still How shall faith remooue the sting when repentance remooues not the sinne MeÌ„ seeking peace by faith in Christs blood and yet liuing and lying in their sinnes without repentance God will giue them Iehues answere to Iehoram 2 King 9. 22. What peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother lezebel her witchcrafts are so many So what peace of Conscience so long as thine oaths Sabbath-breaches whordomes drunkennes c. do remaine remaine vnrepented of and vnreformed It is true of all sinne which is spoken of Romish Idolatry Apoc. 14. 11. They haue no rest day nor night that is no peace of Conscience to any of that religion so of all that liue in any sinne they haue no true rest day or night that is as Isaiah interprets it There is no peace to the wicked Peace and wickednes liue not together vnder one roofe Wouldst thou then haue a peaceable heart Get an humbled a mourning and a repentant heart for sin The lesse peace with sin the more peace with God and our own Consciences 3. The constant and conscionable exercise of prayer An excellent means to helpe vs to the sense of that peace which makes the Conscience good He that hath a good Conscience wil make Conscience of prayer And prayer will helpe to make a good Conscience better Philip. 4. 7. In euery thing by prayer supplication with thanksgiuing let your requests be made knowne vnto God and marke what shall be the fruite thereof And the peace of God that passes al vnderstanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ See Iob 33. 26. Hee shall pray vnto God and he will be fauourable vnto him he shall see his face with ioy It is many times with mens Consciences as it was with Saul he was vexed and disquieted with an euill spirit but Davids Harpe gaue him ease Praier is a Davids Harpe the musicke whereof sweetly calmes composes a distempered and disquieted Conscience and puts it into frame againe As in other disquiets of the heart after prayer David bids his soule returne vnto her rest Psal 116. 4. 7. So may we in these disqâ—iets of Conscience doe no lesse The way to get a good peaceable conscience is to haue acquaintance with God and when we haue acquaintance with him then shall wee haue peace Iob 22. 21. Acquaint thy selfe now with him and be at peace Now acquaintance is gotten with God by prayer Zech. 13. 9. They shall call on my Name and I will heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Loe how in prayer acquaintance is bred betweene God and his people and acquaintance breedes lone and peace and peace a good conscience Iudge then what pitious Consciences they must needs haue that make so little Conscience of seeking God in this duty of wicked ones the Psalm speaks They call not vpon God Psal 14. as much as Isaiah sayes There is no peace to the wicked they are vtterly voyd of good Conscience CHAP. V. Integritie of Conscience how procured ANd thus wee haue seene how the Conscience may bee good for peace It followes to consider how it may become vprightly good with the goodnes of Integritie The goodnesse of Integrity is gotten and kept by doing fiue things 1. Walke and liue as Paul in this text Before God Set thy selfe euer in all thy wayes as in the sight and presence of God who is the Iudge Lord of conscience Of Moses it is sayd that he saw him that was inuisible Heb. 11. 27. Therfore it is that men walk with such loose and evill Consciences because they thinke they walke invisibly And they thinke that God sees not them because they see not God An vpright Conscience is a good conscience and this is the way to get an vpright one Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright To haue God alwaies in our eye wil make vs walke with vpright hearts So Psal 119. 168 I haue kept thy precepts and thy testimonies that is in effect I haue kept a good conscience but how came hee to
iudicant Hieron ad Rustic Monach. for their vnholy practices and make knowne vnto them what evill Consciences they haue what then is their carriage and behauiour Euen that Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebukes in the gate they abhorre him that speakes vprightly This Ministrie that comes to the Conscience will not down with them It lets in too much light vpon them Ahab hates Michaiah for drawing the curteines so wide open he cannot endure such punctuall and particular preaching that clappes so close to his Conscience A plaine signe that Ahab hath a rotten and an vnsound Conscience Michaiah could not be more punctuall with Ahab then Isaiah was with Hezekiah Isa 39. 6. 7. And yet what sayes Ezekiah Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken as if he had said a good Sermon a good Preacher all good Whence comes this good entertainment of so harsh a message Hezekiah had a good Conscience and therefore though the message went against the hayre yet hee could giue good words Let the rightious smite me and it shall be a kindnesse Psal 141. I but that is when the righteous smites the righteous what if the Prophet smite Amaziah He will threaten to smit him againe 2. Chron. 25. 16. For beare why shouldest thou be smitten What if Paul preach of a good Conscience and so make Ananias his Conscience to smite him Ananias will command the standers by to smite him on the mouth Now let all the standers by iudge whether Ananias haue any good Conscience in him who cannot brooke the preaching of good Conscience Let men professe they know God as long as they wil yet if they slight the word or swell at it or bee disobedient to it when it is layd to their Conscience Paul makes it a manifest signe of a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. 16. Their minde and their conscience is defiled How appeares that They professe they know God but they are disobedient When therefore the Ministrie of the Word shall charge thee with dutie or reproove thee for sin and then thou shalt charge the Minister with rayling and girding and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee and thou likest not that Ministers should bee so particular c. In Gods feare bee advised to looke to thy Conscience and know it that thou hast a naughty Conscience When the Ministry of the Word smites thy conscience then for thee to smite the Minister with reproachfull disgracefull tearmes to smite him with thy mouth How is thy Conscience better then Ananias his that commands to smite Paul on the mouth Hee that cannot brooke that Gods Ministers should not discharge a good Conscience in preaching to the Conscience bee bold to challenge that man for a man of an evill conscience 4. That is a fourth note of a good 4 4. Note of a good Conscience To do duty for Conscienre sake conscience Rom. 13. 5. ye must be subiect for Conscience sake To doe good or abstaine from evill meerely for conscience sake is a note of a right good cōscience indeede Conscience as we saw before doth excite and stirre vp and bind to the doing of good and bindes from the doing of evil Now when the Conscience vpon iust information frō the Word shall presse and forbid and then a man shal because cōscience forbids forbeare or because it presses performe obedience thus to doe good or not to do euill for Conscience sake is a note of a good Conscience It evidences a good Conscience when the maine weight that sets the wheeles on work is conscience of Gods commandement When it is that Psal 119. 4. that sets a man on worke Thou hast commanded vs to keepe thy precepts diligently The end of the commandement is loue 1 Tim. 1. 5. And loue is the fulfilling of the commandement Rom. 12. But what loue From a pure heart and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. When conscience of the commandement caries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it then doth such loue come from a good Conscience Salomons description of a good man Eccl. 9. 2. is that hee feares an oath He sayes not that swearth not but that feares an oath For a man not to sweare may be the fruit of good education and of the a we a man hath stood in of his Gouernours but to feare an oath argues that a man feares the commandement Pro. 13. 13 and to feare the commandement is the note of a good conscience Here let mens Consciences be tryed Thou prayest in thy family hearest the Word keepest the Sabbath c. Now search thine heart and make inquirie what it is that carries thee to these duties Doest thou doe them for conscience sake Doest thou find conscience to vrge and presse thee to giue satisfaction to the Conscience and obedience to the iniunctions thereof Are these things done If so it is a signe of a good Conscience But this discovers the naughtinesse of mens Consciences who though they bee sound in some good duties or in the auoyding of some evils yet is it not conscience that workes them thereto Yee must bee subiect not onely for wrath that is for feare of the Magistrates wrath and revenge but for Conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. It is no good Conscience when a man will bee subiect for his skins sake and least hee smart by the Magistrates sword but then a mans Conscience is good when in obedience to Gods Word and in conscience of his Commandement he subiects The like may be said of all by-ends Ye must doe good duties not for profit not for credit not for vaine-glory not for law but for conscience sake or else evill consciences ye haue in that ye doe The Shechemites receiue circumcision Gen. 34. And is not circumcision Gods Ordinance And is it not ioy of them that they will ioyne to the Church and professe the true Religion Yes surely if it were done for conscience I but it is not done for conscience sake Alas no such matter but for Hamors sake the Lord of the Towne and for Shechems sake their young Master for the hope of gaines sake Shall not their cattell and their substance and every beast of theirs bee ours Gen. 34. 23. For the oxen sake and not for conscience sake are the Shechemites circumcised Shechem for Dinahs sake receiues the Sacrament Oh the zeale and forwardnes that some wil professe on a sudden What frequenters of holy exercises But what is it for conscience sake No such matter but Shechem is in hope of a match with Dinah all these shewes of Religion are neither for Gods sake nor consciēce sake but all for Dinahs sake all vnder hope of preferment by a rich mariage They were goodly shewes of zeale Iohn 6. 22. 24. in seeking and following after Christ but it was neither for Christ nor conscience sake but ver 26. for the loaues and the bread and their bellies sake Many of the Heathens
the sword yet this hornet shall not sting them nor fill their hearts with that throbbing anguish that these terrors in times of calamitie put evill Consciences to A sweet motiue to make any in loue with a good Conscience Whilest we looke vpon the evils of the times wee cannot but looke for evill times Look we vpon our sinnes and Gods administration abroad vpon the malice and policies of the adversaries of Gods grace and what doe these but prognosticate heavie things Now suppose a flood should come would wee not be glad of an Arke such a cabbin therein as should keepe out the waâ—ers from our soules Get then the pitch of a good Conscience thou shalt sit like Noah if not free from the waters yet free from the feares of Lamech Tubalcain which are worse then the waters For the feares of such evils are more bitter and vnsufferable then the evils themselues Suppose I say a flood should come who would not giue a kingdome for an Arke well pitcht Suppose calamity should come who would not giue a world for a good Conscience then Iabal Gen. 4. 20. hee is busie in building of tents and he is among his flocks and cattell and Iubal Gen. 4. 21. hee is wholly vpon his merry pins at his Harpe and Organs He and his take the Timbrel and the Harpe and reioyce at the s 〈…〉 d of the Organ Iob. 21 12. And these iolly ioviall laddes giue poore Noah many a drie flout many a scornfull scoffe whilest hee is building his Arke aske what this brainsicke and mad fellow meanes to make such a vessell whether he meant to sayle on the dry land or to make a Sea when he made his Ship I but when the flood is come and the waters begin to bee chin deepe then aske Iabal whether building of tents or building of an Ark be the wiser worke then whether is better Noahs Arke or Iubals pipes Now that the flood is come and these come perhaps wading middle deepe to the Arke side and bellow and howle to Noah to open the Arke to them Now would not Iabal giue all his tents and all his cattell but to bee but where Noahs dog lies would not Iubal now giue all his pipes and merriment to haue but the place that an hogge had in the Arke Now Iubal let vs heare one of your merrie songs pipe now and make your selfe merry with gybing at Noahs solly in making a Ship to sayle on dry land What aylest thou Iubal to howle and wring thine hands thus where is thine Harp OrgaÌ„s now cheer vp thy soule now with these vanities Now the flood is come now Noth is in the Arke now Sirs you that are such men of renowne Gen. 6. 4. you that were the braue gallants of the earth now tell me who is the foole who is the wise man now How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Conscience yea if they see others to bee but carefull in rigging of this Shippe and pitching and trimming vp such an Arke how ready are they to spend their byting scoffes and their tart iests vpon them but if euer times of trouble and calamity a fire-flood of Gods wrath Nah. 1. 6. 8 should breake in then would a good coÌ„science hold vp the head with much comfort and resolution whilest those that formerly made a ieast of a good Conscience should haue a king and quaking 〈…〉 of those vnmeasurable fears that shall cease vpon them A good Conscience will make a man musick when Iubal shal be glad not onely to put vp but with indignation anguish of heart to throw away and curse his pipes Well fare a good Conscience in euill dayes Pitch and trim vp this Arke there is no such prouision against euill dayes as is a good Conscience It will doe a man service and support him when all the braue spirits of the earth shal be blank and at their wits end In the third place the benefite and 3 The comfort of a good Conscience in Time of Sicknesse comfort of a good Conscience is Conspicuous in the time of Sicknesse or a mans priuate and personall crosses in his estate c. A sicke man with an hayle Conscience is a cheary and a comfortable man Pro 13. 14. The spirit of a man will susteine his infirmitie that is the spirit it selfe being hayle and sound it will enable him to beare any bodily sicknes But a wounded spirit who can beare yea a wounded or a sicke body who can coÌ„fortably 〈…〉 But let the Conscience be good and sound and it helps a man with great ease and comfort to beare the sicknes of the body It is a shrewd burden to beare two sicknesses at once to haue a sick body a sick CoÌ„science A man shal find enough of the easiest of them single and alone But yet an bayle conscience in an infirme body sweetly helps our infirmitie Let a man haue ever so hayle and healthfull a body yet if the conscience be naught withal awakened falls to galling griping he shall finde but little ioy in his bodily health so contrarily let a mans Conscience be good and though his body be sicke weake yet is it a great deale of sweet refreshment that it shall receiue from the conscieÌ„ce Sicknesse in it selfe is exceeding vncomfortable and in the time of sicknes commonly all bodily comforts the comforts of meates drinkes sleepe fayle yea but then here is the benefit of a good conscience that wil not then fayle but as it is sayd Eccl. 10. â—9 Money answers all things so a good conscience answers all things the comfort of it supplies the want of all other comforts When in sicknes the comfort of meate drinke and sleepe is gone they are all found againe in the comfort of a good Conscience that will be meat drinke that will be rest and sleepe that will make a mans sick-bed soft and easie that shall be as the Angels were to Christ in his hunger in the Wildernes they ministred vnto him and so will a good conscience minister comfort in the want of all other comforts so that a man may say of a good Conscience as we vse to say of some solid substantial dish that there are Patirdge Pheasant and Quailes in it so though outward comforts cease their office and their work be suspended yet a good conscience comes in their roome in it are meat drinke sleepe ease refreshment and what not A good conscience is an Electuary or a Cordiall that hath all these ingredients in it There is no such Cordiall to a sicke man as the Cordiall of a good conscience All Physitions to this Physition are but such Physitions as Iobs friends Iob 13. 4. Ye are Physitions of no value A motiue of great weight to make men in loue with a good conscience Who can be free from sicknes and how tedious and wearisome a time is the time of sicknes Now who would
you scorned the feast of a good Conscience and therefore now the feast and guests of heauen scorne you here is no roome for such to feast here who haue made their consciences fast heretofore CHAP. XIIII A third and a fourth motiue to a good Conscience COme wee now to a third motiue The third motiue to a good Conscience that may yet helpe to stirre vp our mindes to this necessary dutie of getting and keeping of a good conscience Besides what hath been sayd it is worthy of our consideration that without a good Conscience all our actions yea our very best services to God are â—o farre from goodnes and acceptance that they are abominable and distatefull vnto the Lord. The formall goodnesse of every mans actions is to bee iudged and esteemed by the goodnes of his Conscience which being evill and defiled makes all a mans actions to be such 1 Tim. 1. 5. The ende of the commandement is loue But what kinde of love doth the commandement require will any shewes or shadowes of obedience serue the turne will the bare dutie doing passe for currant No but such loue to God and man and such performance of obedience as proceedes from a pure heart and a good Conscience So that let a man doe all outward actions of obedience yet iâ— a good Conscience bee wanting all is nothing For the ende of the Commandement is loue out of a good Conscience As is a mans consciencâ— so are all his workes and therefore nothing acceptable that a wicked man doth be cause he doth it with an ill conscience To the pure all things are pure but to the defiled their Conscience is defiled and that being defiled it defiles all it meddles with as vnder the Law the Leper defiled all he touched The best meate disht and dressed with defiled dirty hands is loâ—n some to vs. The honest workes of a mans calling are good workes in themselues but no good workes to him that doth them without a good conscience Pro â—1 4. An high looke and a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked is sinne The calling of husbandry is counted the most honest calling of all others yet where a good conscience is wanting a mans very plowing is sinne Come to holy duties of Religian and Gods seruice and how is it with a man wanting a good Conscience in them That curse of Davidss Psal 109. 8. Let his prayer be turned into sinne lies vpon the seruices of all evil consciences See Pro. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked that is of him that hath an evill Conscience is an abomination but the prayer of the vp right that is of a man that hath a good and vpright Conscience is his delight Obserue the opposition Hee sayes not the prayer of the wicked and the praier of the vpright nor the sacrifice of the wicked and the sacrifice of the vpright but the sacrifice of the wicked and the prayer of the vpright A sacrifice had prayer with it but yet it was more sumptuous and more solemne then fingle prayer Now who would not thinke but such cost should make a man welcome yet the single prayer of the vpright is accepted whilest this sacrifice is an abomination yea and that a vile abomination Isa 66. 3. A man of evill Conscience delighting in his abominations makes his holiest seruices such Let such an one come to the Sacraments and how will it be with him there even as in the former To the impure even the pure Sacraments are impure Simon Magus rather defiles the waters of baptisme then they clense him and it is not carnall baptisme that avayles any thing without the answere and stipulation of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3. 21. And for the Sacrament of the Supper whether doth it profit an vncleance Conscience or such a Conscience pollute it It may be iudged by a like case resolued Hag. 2. 11. 14. The vncleane pâ—â—son by a dead body touching the Bread or Wine or Oyle makes these to be vncleane The ceremoniall vncleannesse by the touch of a dead body typified the morall vncleannesse of an euill conscience vnpurged from dead workes God lookes specially at the Conscience in all our seruices and if hee findes that foule and filthy hee throwes the dung of mens sacrifices in their faces that come with the dung of their filthy Consciences before his face See therefore how Paul serues God 2 Tim. 1. 3. Whom I serue from my forefathers with pure Conscience It is an impure seruice that is not performed with a pure Conscience as slight as the world makes of purity How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your Consciences from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. But to what end are they purged To serue the liuing God Therefore mark that till the Conscience bee purged and made good there is no seruing of God So Heb. 10. 22. Let ve draw neere that is in prayer and the like duties But how Hauing our hearts sprinckled fâ—om an euill Conscience Otherwise it is but a folly for vs to draw neere for God will not be neer when a good conscience is far off And therefore we are bid to purifie our hearts when we are bid draw nigh to God Iam. 4. 8. Behold here then a speciall motiue to make a good Conscience beautifull in our eye As we would be loath our services of God our prayers holy performances should bee abominable in Gods eye so labor for good consciences As we would haue comfort in all our duties of obedience so labour to make our conscience good It is a great deale of confidence that silly ignorant ones haue in their good prayers their good seruing of God as they call it yea it is all the ground of their hope of saluation when they are demanded an account of their hope Now alas your good prayers your good seruing of God! Why what doe you talking of these things Hath Christ purged your Consciences from dead workes Haue you by faith got your Consciences sprinkled and wrinced in Christs bloud and so haue ye made them good If not neuer talke of good prayers and good seruing of God your prayers cannot bee good whilest your Consciences are naught An euill Conscience before God and a good seruice to God cannot stand together But would you haue your prayers good indeed and your seruice acceptable indeed Then let your first care be to make your Consciences good Fourthly let this worke with vs as a The fourth motiue to a good Conscience maine motiue to a good Conscience That is the Ship and the Arke wherein the faith is preserued The faith is a rich commodity a precious fraight and a good Conscience is the bottome and the vessel wherein it is carried So long as the Ship is safe and good so long the goods therein are safe but if the Ship split vpon the Rockes or haue but a leake therein then are all the goods therein in danger of being lost