of them ere long So may I say of whatever may forward the peace of conscience Buy it purchase it get it as much peace as you can possible ye will have need of it all ere long Take heed of troubling your consciences or clogging them with guilt lest the Lord cast you off and lest ye be hardned and so ye perish from the right way Do not think thus O we are believers and have no need of such threatnings He who is certain of his salvation knoweth assuredly he should be damned if he should go on in sinne without repentance This If is true enough If the righteous forsake his righteousnesse all his former righteousnesse shall be forgotten And Wo is me saith Paul If I preach not the gospel In the state of innocencie there was use of threatnings so is there now in the state of grace The Lord threatned Adam in innocencie If thou eat thereof thou shalt die the death Job was awed by threatnings not to lift up his hand against the fatherlesse for saith he destruction from God was a terrour to me My flesh saith David trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Let us have grace saith the Apostle whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Why for our God is a consuming fire For be it that Gods children that is all believers shall never fall finally away yet this threatning is one of Christs instruments whereby he keepeth them from falling and they also may tast of much bitternesse if they grow indulgent to their corruptions O therefore take heed of this curse that your consciences may not dog you with the guilt of sinne and the apprehension of Gods wrath You will never be able to bear it much lâ—sâ—e in the time of affliction O it is good being in a drie house when a great tempest is up and it is safe being in a good harbour when a storm bâ—â—teth hard A good conscience is good at all â—imes but O how sweet then When Jonah fell into affliction the want of peace in his conscience made him look upon his affliction as upon hell as though he had been in the belly of hell They who follow lying vanities forsake their own mercies saith he Mark his conscience dogged him with his fleeing from God and forsaking his own mercies Ye see he was miserably distressed by it till the Lord did deliver him Be charie then of conscience and get it purged that it may speak peace to you in trouble 4 Questions NOw I have declared unto you What a troubled conscience is What is the cause of it and wherein it consisteth How many degrees there be of it How the troubled conscience of the godly differeth from the troubled conscience of the wicked the miserie of a troubled conscience and What a deal of mischief it doth one especially in affliction now I should leave this point but that there be sundrie questions to be answered about it I. Suppose a man be rid of this trouble and have peace of conscience how shall he maintein it and keep out troubles from it II. Whether and how the peace of our conscience dependeth upon our care and obedience III. What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience doth depend on IV. If a man have no peace but onely a burdened conscience what must such a man do to be freed from it and to attein true peace I. Question How a man may keep peace of conscience I begin with the first Suppose a man have peace of conscience what must he do to keep and maintein it I answer First We must labour to prevent troubles of conscience by taking heed that we do nothing contrarie to conscience We must not be drawn by friendship or credit or the love of any lust to do that which conscience forbiddeth Nothing should be so dear unto us as the peace of conscience nothing for the love of it should make us do ought against our conscience How miserable are those comforts delights satisfactions which we get to our selves in such courses as our own hearts do condemne However they seem comforts for a while and contentments for a while and delights for a while yet at last it will appear that miserable comforts are they all Nothing that we get in any evil way will chear and comfort us in a time of need What said Francis Spira at the time of his death when seeing his wife and children about him and thinking on the goods and estate which he had got for them by denying the truth which he had before mainteined against the Romish errours he cried out in the horrour of his conscience How terrible is the sight of these unto me However before they had been comforts to him yet now he could not endure the sight of them O thought he I recanted for your sake I yielded to superstition and it was long of you Therefore he abhorred now the sight oâ— them Wretched is he that alloweth himself in any course which his conscience findeth fault with It is a good rule the Apostle giveth Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth that is Blessed is he that hath not a condemning conscience that alloweth not himself in any course wherein his conscience doth condemne him So that if we have peace of conscience and desire to maintein it let us never allow our selves in any course that our conscience may condemne us in That is the first answer Secondly If we will maintein our peace we must labour to have our hearts grounded in the assurance of the love of God alas it will fail us else and leave us in trouâ—le and perplexitie in time of greatest need Observe how the Apostle joyneth love and peace together 2. Cor. 13.11 The God of love and peace be with you If he be the God of love to us it is sure enough he will be the God of peace also If we know once that God loveth us then we may set our hearts at rest As long as we doubt of his love our conscience can never have true peace And therefore if we would maintein true peace of conscience let us labour to be assured of Gods love Thirdly We must use the exercise of faith in applying the bloud of Christ we must labour to purge and cleanse our consciences with it If we find that we have sinned we must runne presently to the bloud of Christ to wash away our sinne We must not let the wound fester or exulcerate but presently get it healed As there is a fountain of sinne in us so there is a fountain of mercie in Christ set open for Judah and Jerusalem and for every poore soul to wash in As we sinne dayly so he justifieth dayly and we must dayly go to him for it As every day we runne into new debts so the Lords prayer teacheth us every day to beg forgivenesse We must
silence 2. A second cause is often slighting of conscience It may be conscience speaketh not or but coldly and remissely because when it hath advised and counselled and admonished thou hast neglected it and disregarded it from time to time Though it judge and counsel yet thou wilt not listen Like Cassandra the prophetesse who though her predictions were true and certain yet were they never believed so though conscience speaketh true yet men follow it not and therefore it becometh silent when it is not regarded but all its counsel and advise and perswasions slighted and neglected Hence I say it cometh to passe that for want of imployment 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 evil course men will do against it and withstand it violently and 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 is 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 Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more Moses then answered Thou hast spoken well I will see thy face no more So it is with conscience When men have been obstinate and have refused to heare it and would have it speak no more Thou hast well 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 importunate 4. A fourth cause is that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience If it beginneth to speak presently they busie 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 the bells that the voice of it may be utterly drowned and so conscience at last is content to stand by to heare and see and say nothing By this means many times it falleth out that those who have had very turbulent and clamourous consciences not suffering them to be quiet have at last tamed them and put them quite to silence or if they do speak it is so coldly and remissely that they care not whether they be obeyed or no. Oh these are damnable and devilish devises Whoever ye be 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 avoid 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 heare 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 sickman hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope but if ever he lose 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 come 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 mislike 4. To condemne according to the good or evil of our actions or omissions The judgement is not onely of the things what they are but whither they tend and what they will produce I. An approving conscience FIrst when that vvhich 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 my conscience bearing me witnesse saith he So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the vvhole course of his life 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 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 vve 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 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbation of him 1. That he had been Gods faithfull 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 Thus Samuel pleading his innocency had his conscience testifying for him Whose ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded and his conscience absolved him as clear and free from those sinnes 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
But men are commanded to flie from a bad estate and seek out a good one Therefore they may know the one and the other O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance saith John to the Pharisees He supposeth these men might easily know that they were in a very bad estate or else how could he say thus unto them Before I come to the Uses let us consider these three things 1. That every man living is born in a very bad estate We all know it well but oh that we would consider it We are all by nature children of wrath Now here lieth the question When did we change our estates We are in the same state of damnation wherein we were born except we are come out of it I say here lieth the question Whether we are come out of it or no whether we have mended our estate 2. Consider that the greatest part of the world never mend their estates But as they were born in a cursed estate so they live and die in it And I speak not this of heathen onely but alas how many in the visible church do so How many were there in the church of Philippi whom the Apostle could not think of without weeping when he considered in what estate they were So in the church of Corinth not many wise not many rich not many noble called but commonly the meanest in the eye of the world were in the best estate towards God Nay more then so Many of them who seek to get into a good estate misse of it and perish See Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate Mark it 's a strait gate and letteth but few in for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Here and there a few even where the constant ministery is 3. Consider that it is a marvellous hard thing to passe from state unto state from a bad to a good estate There is a very vast gulf between the state of sinne and the state of grace and it is marvellous hard to passe it These things premised the Uses follow 1. This point may be many wayes usefull First for instruction If God hath made it possible unto us to find out what estate every one of us is in then sure he would have us go about it and enquire after it God might have left us to perish in our naturall blindnesse never to have known in what case we had been untill we were past recovery First we are all wanderers from God and from the wayes of peace and therefore God might justly have suffered us for ever to have wandred and never to have been able to find out whether we had been right or wrong Secondly God hath dealt so with some He hath suffered some to go on all their dayes blindfold to hell Thus the Lord dealt with the scribes and Pharisees Let them alone saith he they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch Ye see the Lord hath dealt so with some and it is his mercy he hath not dealt so with us Sith God hath made it possible for us to know it is our duty to enquire after it And that yet further for these reasons 1. First because the Lord commandeth it Examine your own selves whether ye be in the faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Where ye see the Apostle commandeth the duty of self-triall And consider how he presseth it upon us 1. Do ye not know what estate you are in then examine and enquire 2 Do ye think ye are in a good estate look ye prove it and be sure ye be not in an errour Do ye object ye do not know neither can ye know No then your estate is very bad find out some good tokens in you except ye be reprobates This command makes it a clear duty 2. But a second reason to prove it our duty to enquire what estate we are in is because without the knowledge thereof we can never have any true peace in our consciences The conscience must needs be without peace so long as we are ignorant of what estate we are in Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ First the Apostle sheweth their estate they were in a state of justification and from the knowledge thereof they had peace We are bound to get true peace to our consciences Oh what a lamentable maze are vve in till our consciences have peace and this they cannot have untill vve are fully acquainted in vvhat case vve stand before God Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace 3. Thirdly vve can never be fit for any duty of Gods vvorship as long as vve knovv not vvhat estate vve are in We can never be fit for any holy duty to heare pray receive the sacrament Let a man examine himself and so let him eat c. First he must examine in vvhat estate he is before he can be fit for that high service So for repentance Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord first find our selves in an ill estate and then return So for joy It is a duty to rejoyce in the Lord But vve are never fit for rejoycing till vve have proved vvhat estate vve are in Let every man prove his own work so shall he have rejoycing We can never be fit for any duty untill vve knovv in vvhat estate vve are in because every duty varieth according as the estate of every man is To instance in prayer He that is not in the state of grace must pray one vvay and he that is in the state of salvation must pray another vvay the one that he may be converted and brought home to God the other that he may be strengthened and encreased in grace And so for the duty of hearing c. The second use is for direction to let us understand by vvhat means vve may knovv vvhat estate vve are in There be foure means to know this 1. By our outward and inward actions I do not say by our outward actions For a man may be in the state of hypocrisie and yet his outward actions may be good Neither do I say by our inward actions alone For a man may be in the state of self-deceit and yet say his heart is good and his meaning and mind good But I say by them both put together Our Saviour setteth it out by a tree Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit So if the heart bringeth forth the fruit of righteousnesse joy in good things patience meeknesse gentlenesse love obedience godly conversation c. these evidence a good estate but if the heart
will conscience bring forth and testifie what they were Heare the Apostle in that day God shall judge the secrets of men c. The most hidden things conscience shall bring to light and Christ shall judge them 3. Conscience beareth witnesse of the bent and frame of our hearts what we affect most and love most and rejoyce and delight in most and desire most and grieve for most what our affections runne upon most whether upon God or the world whether upon heaven or the things of this life Conscience bare witnesse to David that his delight was in the law of the Lord that God was his portion that Gods statutes were his counsellours Conscience bare witnesse to the false teachers in Christs time that they affected vain glory and the praise of men more then the praise of God Conscience bare witnesse to Demas that notwithstanding his fair profession his heart was set upon the world Conscience bare witnesse to Jehu that for all his seeming zeal his heart was not upright But it may be objected How can this be The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it Who can know it That is Who else can know it but a man himself None under God can know the heart of man but a mans own conscience the spirit of man that is in him I confesse a man may be ignorant of some secret and particular deceit in his heart but who knoweth not the generall standing of his own heart or may know the chief bent of his own soul David in a particular deceit was ignorant I said in my prosperitie I shall never be moved never distrust God more never be disquieted in my mind more He was deceived in that particular but he knew very well the generall and chief bent of his heart that it was truly set upon God and upon holinesse 2. It is true many men take it that their hearts are set upon God when they are not but what is the reason Not because they do not or may not know the contrary that they love the world most but because they will not know it they are unwilling to believe it they are loth to have any bad conceit of themselves So that when Jeremy saith The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it his meaning is What carnall man can abide to know the worst of himself 3. It is not because they know it not but because they will not heare the testimony of conscience but when it telleth them truly how the case is with them they gather all the rotten and broken pieces of arguments together to stop the mouth of conscience and to perswade themselves to think well of themselves 4. Men seem not to know their own hearts not because they do not know what they are but because they are ignorant of Gods law whereby they should judge of themselves They know their hearts are set on the world and that the bent and frame of their affections are placed on earthly things but they hope an under-affection to God will be accepted to love God in the second place will serve the turn They know they are carnall but they hope such carnality may be in a man and yet he be right Yea but a mans heart may say on the contrary side that he loveth the world more then he loveth God when he doth not how then doth conscience bear right witnesse I answer This ariseth either from the strength of corruption and weaknesse of grace We look into our selves and see our corruptions violent and our love to God small and so we are deceived not seeing the radicall power of this love of God which in regard of its virtue is stronger then the other As a fool if he should feel hot water would conclude that there is no cold at all in it whereas there is radicall cold in that water such as will expell all that heat in a little space Or else this ariseth from anguish of spirit which so disturbeth the mind that it cannot see its own condition nor be capable of the comforts belonging unto it as it was with the Israelites Exod. 6.9 otherwise doubtlesse we may know our own hearts and when our conscience beareth witnesse its witnesse is right I. Use of reproof to those who stand out against the witnesse of their conscience and like hard-hearted felons plead still Not guiltie though never so much evidence come against them though conscience oft tell them this they have done thus they do such they are Oh stop not your eares against conscience stand not out against it but believe its testimony and make use of it to repent of the evil it accuseth of while mercy may be had before God himself cometh and joyneth with conscience to condemne for ever II. It serveth for singular encouragement to all to abound in good works Conscience will bear witnesse of them all to our unspeakable comfort in the time of afflictions yea at death and judgement Job felt it a sweet thing to have conscience give in testimony of his integrity and uprightnesse When his friends proved miserable comforters and God himself seemed to write bitter things against him yet his conscience witnessed that he had been eyes to the blind and feet to the lame he had fed the hungry and clothed the naked and comforted the fatheâ—lesse There is not a good thing that ever we do but conscience will afford us the sweetnesse and comfort of it in our toubles Remember O Lord saith Hezekiah that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart We have spoken of consciences single bearing witnesse Now followeth its judiciall bearing witnesse which is when it passeth sentence upon on the morall of our actions whether they be good or evil whether blessed or cursed This is performed by a Logicall discourse by way of reasoning on this manner The word saith Whoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie in his heart That is the synteresis Now the assumption But I have had wanton eyes and lustfull lookings after a woman That is the single bearing witnesse of conscience Therefore I have committed adultery in my heart That is the judiciary sentence of conscience which it passeth on a mans self So again Whosoever crucifieth the flesh with the affections and lusts he is in Christ But saith conscience I crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts Therefore I am in Christ Though there be not the form of this discourse in our consciences yet there is the force of it for when conscience doth judicially witnesse against any man or for any man it doth it by the word and proceedeth in the way which is propounded The use of this is First for comfort to the godly who may hence gather the assurance of their salvation from the rule of Gods word and the witnesse of their conscience that they walk by this rule The word
them and of evil and give warning to avoid them 2. As a faithfull conscience is watchfull so also it is rigid and severe In every cause it delivereth its judgement nothing can escape its sentence it will not favour our lusts in any particular If there be any opportunity of duty to God or man it maketh us to heare of it though it be such a duty as none other will call upon us for or it may be dare not put us in mind of as of love and care and help towards inferiours yet conscience will It titheth mint and cumine and will tell us of the least duty And so on the other side it will not swallow the least sinne As it will not swallow a camel so it will strain at a gâ—at A faithfull conscience is faithfull in the least If David sinne but in the lap of a garment conscience smiteth him for it It made Abraham so precise to a thread or a shoe-latchet he would not take so much as that of the king of Sodom It made Moses strict to a very hoof It made Paul find fault with the Corinthians about their hair It made Augustine condemne himself for an apple 3. As a faithfull conscience is watchfull and severe so also it is importunate in all its counsels It doth not onely deliver its judgement but doth with importunitie urge the following of its counsel It will have no nay but will be obeyed Iâ— leadeth us bound in the spirit to do it as Paul said I go bound in the spirit See how importunate this faithfull conscience was with the Psalmist I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord. It will not take any nay say we whaâ— we will say we be sleepie say we be busie say we be loth and full of excuses it will be importunate and that with vehemencie It will follow a man if he will not heare it with a hue and crie of inward checks It will sometime promise sometimes threaten urge us with hope fear danger c. As we would be saved we must dâ— this As we would escape the wrath to come we must forbear that Thus importunate is a faithfull conscience I. We see here what a great blessing it is to have such a faithfull conscience such a faithfull friend in our bosome which will be carefull to tell us of all our dutie and perswade us to it and of every evil and disswade us from it It will not flatter us in any thing but tell us plainly This ye should do This ye should not do It regardeth not what pleaseth us but what is good for us that it looketh to and that it perswadeth to and that it urgeth O what a blessing is this This blessing had those willing Israelites who gave so freely and largely towards the building of the tabernacle The text saith that their heart stirred them up and their spirit made them willing Mark their heart that is their conscience stirred them up Ye have bracelets offer them saith conscience Ye have ear-rings and jewels c. part with them too saith conscience to further this pious work in hand Their spirit made them willing their faithfull friend in their bosome conscience overcame them with arguments and strong perswasions This is a great blessing to have such a faithfull conscience It will make a man part with all his lusts pride self-love covetousnesse carnall delights for Gods glorie and our own true good II. It is a signe that God meaneth well to that man to whom he hath given a faithfull conscience O this is an Angel keeper indeed Did not Christ mean well to his Church in the Canticles when he gave her such a conscience as carried her on wheels unto him Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib Return return O Shulamite return return Return return saith conscience and again Return return Hath the Lord given thee such an importunate conscience as will have no nay will not let thee alone in omitting good or committing evil will not let thee slumber and sleep in securitie but continually joggeth and awaketh thee Hath he given thee a severe a precise conscience that will not favour thee in the least evil It is a most comfortable signe that the Lord meaneth well unto thy soul III. Labour to be a friend unto conscience that it may continue faithfull unto thee True friends will deal faithfully and plainly one with another and will be importunate to do one another good Conscience will not deal thus with thee unlesse thou be a friend unto conscience Now then are we friends unto conscience when we do what conscience requireth As our Saviour said to the Disciples Ye are my friends if ye do whatever I command you So I may say of conscience For conscience if it be truly illightned will command nothing but what Christ commandeth If we deal so in our constant course with conscience be willing to hearken to it and be ruled by it then if we be out of the way now and then conscience will be true to us and be importunate with us for our good IV. Be sure thou stand not out against conscience when once it is importunate It is a great sinne to stand out against conscience though it be not importunate but it is a sinne a thousand times greater to stand out against it when it is importunate The greatest standing out against conscience is the greatest sinne it is a sinne which cometh nearest that against the holy Ghost which accompanied with some other adjuncts is the greatest standing out against conscience There is no sinne that doth more harden the heart then to do evil when conscience is importunate to disswade from it This sinne was the cause why Saul was rejected of God I forced my self saith he He forced his conscience his conscience was importunate to have him stay according to the commandment of God but he forced himself to the contrary I confesse if conscience be importunate to the utmost as it is with Gods children men cannot with any force put it by it will have no nay Sometimes it is so with the wicked in some particular thing but often conscience in them is importunate and yet will suffer it self to be born down Now to bear conscience down is a very high sinne and exceedingly hardeneth the heart therefore take heed of it VI. An Vnfaithfull conscience THus I have handled a faithfull conscience The second affection now followeth which is an Unfaithfull conscience I do not mean such an one as is overtaken with evil for the best conscience hath its failings but such a conscience as so giveth in that it suffereth a man to forsake God and to serve the devil and his own lusts This is an unfaithfull conscience and it also hath three properties 1. It is a silent
man hath a conscience and the reasons why God hath given us a conscience the light that it acteth by the offices of it and the affections of it Now from all these proceed two other adjuncts of conscience 1. A quiet conscience 2. An unquiet conscience A quiet conscience COncerning a quiet conscience three things are to be considered 1. What a quiet conscience is 2. How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conscience or no. I. For the first What a quiet conscience is It is that which neither doth nor can accuse us but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the course of our lives and conversations ever since we were regenerate I put that in too for 1. we do not begin to live till we be regenerate and 2. we can never have a true quiet conscience till then Such a quiet conscience had good Obadiah I fear the Lord from my youth saith his conscience This was a very honourable testimony that his conscience gave him Such a quiet conscience had Enoch Before his translation he received this testimony that he pleased God Haymo saith this testimony was the testimony of Scripture Gen. 5.24 where it is said that he walked with God This is true but this is not all The text saith not there was such a testimony given of him but he had it and that before his translation but the testimony of Moses was after his translation Therefore it was the testimony of his conscience that bore witnesse within that he pleased God So that this is a quiet conscience which neither doth nor can accuse us but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the whole course of our life and conversation Now to such a quiet conscience there be three things necessary 1. Uprightnesse 2. Puritie 3. Assurance of Gods love and favour First uprightnesse is when a man is obedient indeed Many will be obedient but they are not obedient indeed not humbled indeed not reformed indeed What it is to be obedient indeed ye may see Exod. 23.22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voyce and do all that I shall speak c. Mark that is obedience indeed when we do all that God speaketh and are obedient in all things This is an upright conscience when the heart is bent to obedience in all things An example we meet with in Paul I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day His conscience could not accuse him of any root of wickednesse and corruption allowed and cherished in him That is an upright conscience Hast thou such a conscience as this My conscience can truly bear witnesse there is no sinne I favour my self in allow my self in but condemne all strive against all Thus David proveth that his conscience was upright If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer The regarding of any iniquity will not stand with uprightnesse A second thing required to a true quiet conscience is puritie Though our heart be upright and stand generally bent to the Lords will yet if we be guiltie of some particular sinne this will hinder the quiet of our conscience Therefore saith Paul I know nothing by my self that is nothing to accuse me no corruption no root of unbelief reigning in him Infirmities he had many and frailties he had many and he knew them but be knew nothing to accuse him Whatever was amisse in him his conscience told him he used all holy means against it If thy conscience can truly say thus also of thee then hast thou a truly quiet conscience Thirdly Assurance of Gods love favour and pardon Though we have fallen into great sins yet our consciences may have quiet if we can be truly assured of Gods love and favour in the pardon of them The Apostle proveth that the sacrifices of the law could not purge away sinne but onely Christs bloud can do it His argument to prove it is this Because those sacrifices could not free a man from having conscience of sinne they could not purge the conscience but Christs bloud can After assurance of pardon in Christs bloud conscience can no more condemne for sinne how many or how great soever the sinnes were which have been committed These are the three things required to a true quiet conscience Furthermore a quiet conscience implieth two things 1. A calmnesse of spirit 2. A chearfull merry and comfortable heart These two I mean when I speak of a quiet conscience 1. A calmnesse of spirit or a quietnesse of mind not troubled with the burden of sinne nor the wrath of God nor terrified with the judgements due unto sinne This quietnesse and calmnesse of spirit is promised to all them that truly hearken unto Christ and obey him Who so hearkeneth to me shall be quiet from fear of evil 2. A chearfull merry and joyfull heart When our conscience giveth a comfortable testimonie of us it cannot but make our hearts joyfull This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience saith Paul The comfortable testimony which his conscience gave of him made him to rejoyce A wicked man cannot truly rejoyce no though he be merrie and joviall and laugh yet his carnall estate is a snare he can have no true joy but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 No mirth like the mirth of a good conscience All other joy is but outside painted seeming joy That is onely true joy that is rooted in the comfortable testimonie of an upright good conscience which telleth a man his peace is made with God and that whether he be in sicknesse or in health God loveth him whether he live or die he is the Lords Thus ye see what a quiet conscience is How a quiet conscience in the godly differeth from the quiet conscience that is in the wicked THe second thing propounded to be considered about a quiet conscience is How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked 1. I confesse that the wicked seem to have a very quiet conscience Many thousands of carnall people seem to live and die in quiet Look into alehouses lewd houses into all places who so merrie and brisk and heart-whole as they say as they who have no saving grace Yet 2. this quiet conscience in them must needs differ from the quiet conscience of the children of God Certainly the Lord will not give the childrens bread unto dogs neither will he smile upon their souls neither doth he pardon the sinnes nor accept the persons of the ungodly And therefore if they have a quiet conscience it must needs differ from that in the godly Must not copper needs differ from gold And we who are the Lords messengers must teach you the difference They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane Now the question is this Wherein lieth the difference between the quiet conscience
great comfort and of judgement with joy So could not Felix Beloved this is a strong signe of a false peace when some points of Gods word lay us slat and bereave us of our hold Ye shall have many say O they have such peace and they have such a good conscience as quiet as can be and as heartwhole as can be By and by a sound searching point cometh and ransacketh them to the quick and they are gone I confesse they go and get some untempered morter or other and dawb up their consciences again but they are gone for the time This is a strong signe of a rotten peace But a child of God can heare any point heare of death of judgement of any thing contained in the word with delight and comfort It is true he may be amazed thereat but he is glad at heart that he heareth it and will make use of it be it mercy or judgement Sweet or bitter points all are welcome to him even the bitterest points are sweet to him because God and he are at peace and therefore he knoweth there is no news from God but it is good IV. If our peace of conscience be good it will heal that base fearfulnesse which is in many who dare not be in the dark dare not go through a church-yard in the night Some will quake at the very shaking of a leaf as the wicked in Job which is nothing but a guiltie conscience I grant this fearfulnesse is naturall to some yet I say the true peace of conscience will cure it I do not say this is a reciprocall signe of true peace of conscience for many wicked men may be bold enough but I say true peace of conscience will cure this immoderate fearfulnesse in the godly But here two questions are to be asked I. Whether every true child of God that hath true peace of conscience can think of death with comfort and be desirous to die Answ 1. Peace of conscience doth not take away naturall fear It is the nature of every living creature to be very fearfull of death The Philosopher calleth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fearfullest thing of all fearfull things Bildad calleth it the king of terrours Nature loveth its own preservation and therefore feareth the destruction of it Peace of conscience doth not take away all this fear 2. Besides peace of conscience doth not take away alwayes all degrees of slavish fear of death The reason is because peace of conscience may be weak mixed with much troubles of conscience For as faith may be very imperfect so peace of conscience may be in some very imperfect Good old Hilarion was very fearfull to die He cried out to his soul when he lay on his death-bed O my soul hast thou served Christ these fourescore years and art thou now afraid to die Again a mans love may be very imperfect Perfect love indeed casteth out fear but imperfect love doth not Hezekiah had peace of conscience Remember Lord saith he I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Mark He had the peace of a good conscience his conscience told him he had a sincere heart and that his wayes pleased God yet he was afraid to die I do not think it was onely because he had no issue though that might be some reason of it 3. When a child of God is afraid to die it is not so much for love of this life as out of a desire to be better prepared This made David cry out O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more And so Job Let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return These good men were then something unwilling to die They might have many reasons most likely this was one That they might be better prepared and more fit and ready for their departure 4. Some of Gods people as these Job and David at other times I say some of Gods people have such marvellous peace with God as that if it were Gods will they had much rather die then live I desire to be dissolved saith Paul and to be with Christ which is farre better It may be in regard of the church or the care of their children and charge God hath laid on them they could be content to remain still in the body neverthelesse they 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 Nay Elias requested for himself that he might die It is enough Lord take away my life Not that they love death it self for death is evil in its own nature contrary to nature a badge of sinne but for the love they have to and the assurance they have of eternall life after death 5. Nay there is no child of God but may truly be said to love death and to love the day of judgement and the appearing of Christ Jesus Divines use to put this as a signe of Gods children Nay the Apostle maketh this as a propertie of Gods children to love Christs appearing I have fought a good fight saith Paul I have finished my course There he telleth us of his own peace and then he telleth us of his reward From henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me in that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing that is to all his children For all the children of God love the appearing of Jesus Christ to judgement Though all do not desire it with the same strength of faith yet all desire it with faith They believe that Christ hath destroyed him that hath the power of death which is the devil they believe Christ hath taken away deaths sting which is sinne and swallowed death up in victory and may all say Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Neither do they so much question this as their faith to believe it saying Lord help our unbelief 6. Gods children have good reason to do so and to check their own hearts whenever they do otherwise Whenever any disturst cometh they should check it down again whenever any fear ariseth they should say What I fear death which is a thing so precious Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Is death precious and shall I be so vain as to fear it Thus ye see an answer to the first question Whether every child of God that hath true peace of conscience can be desirous to die II. Quest Whether a wicked man that hath no peace of conscience may not be desirous to die too Answ 1. The horrour of conscience may make a wicked man desirous to die He may have so much horrour of conscience as that he may think
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 sinne 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 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 sinne in them but that in Gods children doth True it is that a wicked mans troubled conscience may make him vomit up his sinne 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 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 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 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 but 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 Heman was ready even to runne out of his wits with it While I suffer thy terrours saith 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 of some wicked men who are enemies to God then we might see and understand the true weight and burden of this troubled conscience Cain crieth out of more then he can bear Judas thought to find more ease in hell then in his own heart So terrible was the torture of his troubled conscience that he murdered himself thinking verily that hell could not be worse 2. See here what an infinite misery every sinner shall one day be in Though he be not troubled with this harpye for the present though he be not yet gastered with this furious hag yet the day will come when he shall I say the time will come when all ye that are wicked shall be haunted with this hellish agony of a troubled conscience either here before ye die or when ye die or at the furthest when your souls are
of the Gospel of peace Mark he compareth it to a shoe which he would have us shod with and then it will be the Gospel of peace to us and our peace shall be in safety Fourthly our peace dependeth upon our obedience not onely as a signe of true peace nor onely as a guard to it but as a thing pleasing to God without the which we displease God For though God be pleased with his children alwayes in Christ yet he is not pleased that any in Christ should be disobedient to him Ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God saith the Apostle When Gods children walk in obedience that is pleasing unto God So that peace of conscience doth greatly depend on obedience For otherwise conscience will be troubled O I do not please God This is displeasing unto God and This doth provoke God Not as though there were any such perfection in our obedience that can satisfie any tittle of Gods law but because when our persons are pleasing to God in Jesus Christ then our obedience to God is pleasing too in Jesus Christ and conscience will say it Thus much shall suffice for answer to the second question III. Question What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience dependeth upon The reason of this question is this Because it should seem there is no such obedience in this life as any peace of conscience should depend on Doth not James say In many things we sinne all Doth not our Saviour say When ye have done all that ye can say We are unprofitable servants If our conscience can still say that we are unprofitable and that we do sinne in every thing that we do yea in many things in all the duties we go about if our consciences can say thus How can any peace depend upon obedience What obedience do you mean that peace of conscience dependeth upon I answer 1. Absolute perfection in obedience is not required unto evangelicall peace For if it were no man could have peace no not Paul nor Abraham nor any of the holiest of Gods children and therefore absolute perfection is not required If we say we have not sinned we make Christ a liar and his word is not in us 1. John 1.10 Our conscience can still say we have sinned and it can still say our obedience is imperfect A halting leg can never go perfectly A Jacob is called he that halteth and every godly soul halteth Though he do not halt between two as wicked people do yet he halteth in following after God What purblind eye can see perfectly or thick eare heare perfectly He that hath these imperfections of body can neither go nor see nor heare perfectly So the best of Gods children have imperfections of heart and spirit and mind their faith is imperfect their love is imperfect and therefore their obedience must needs be imperfect But absolute perfection is not required to true peace of conscience and therefore this doth not hinder it 2. Though absolute perfection be not required to peace yet such obedience is required as may be acceptable to God So saith the Apostle We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Such obedience we must shew as may be accepted of him or we cannot have true peace If our endeavours be not acceptable our conscience will quickly heare of it and tell us so If we pray coldly or heare unprofitably or live loosely if we do not do that which is acceptable to God our consciences will soon complain Nay though we do do the duties if we do not do them in an acceptable manner conscience will have matter against us still 3. This acceptablenesse of obedience lieth in this when our obedience is sincere universall and totall and proceeding from the spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling in us The Apostle giveth it this phrase When we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 That is our fulfilling the law when Christ hath fulfilled the law for us and maketh us sincerely to walk by it not after the flesh but after the Spirit when we do not favour our selves in one lust nor suffer our selves in any beloved sinne but whatever it be that is evil our conscience can say we truly do hate it and labour to avoid it whatever it be that is commanded us be it never so contrary to our nature yet our conscience can say we sincerely set our selves to do it So walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit this is sincerity of obedience and this is required unto peace 4. This sincerity of obedience maketh us to bewail our very infirmities and to be humbled for them not onely to be humbled for greater sinnes but also to be humbled for our infirmities If we be not soundly humbled for our very infirmities also they will hinder the peace of our conscience We can have no peace except our conscience can witnesse that our infirmities do humble us and drive us to Christ and cause us to sue out a pardon If conscience have not a pardon sealed for infirmities also it will not be at peace Christ bare our very infirmities therefore we must be humbled for them and go to him for pardon of them too or conscience will not be at peace Thus I have answered also this third question IV. Question How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience what must he do to be freed from it The reason of this question is this Because men are ignorant about it When men are troubled in conscience and burdened a little that way presently they daub all with peace and go a wrong way to work This course the Lord doth complain of in the false prophets who preached too much peace They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace And so they do more hurt then good Like a chirurgion that skinneth the wound before he giveth searching salves to kill the matter of it afterwards it breaketh out worse and it is a hundred to one but it will cost the patient his life So it is with many men A man cannot rore a little for his sinnes I have been a sinner and what shall I do I have been a beast c. But O say they believe man Christ died for thee and the promise is to thee and God will pardon thee Thus they heal him slightly with Peace peace and it may be there is no peace to him yet he had need to be searched more deeply they skinne the wound and it is a thousand to one but it loseth the mans soul by giving a cordiall where a corrosive was necessarie And therefore great reason that this question should be answered If a man have a burdened troubled conscience what must such a man do to be freed from it I answer 1. Let him take heed that he meddle not too much with the secret will of God
they were convicted of their consciences their consciences dealt honestly with them and told them the truth that they were wicked sinners themselves This is the naturall goodnesse in conscience 2. A renewed good conscience I call it a renewed good conscience because when a man is renewed all the man is renewed all his mind and the spirit of it is renewed Ephes 4.23 That ye may be renewed in the spirit of your mind If the man be renewed all the mind must be renewed and therefore the conscience must be renewed too for the mind and the conscience ever go together nay conscience is mainly seated in the mind and therefore if the mind be renewed so is the conscience and if the mind be defiled so is the conscience To them that are defiled is nothing pure but their minds and consciences are defiled Mark When they are defiled they are defiled together so when they are washed and renewed they are washed and renewed together Now this renewed conscience is either perfect or defective 1. Perfect I mean not perfect in every degree of goodnesse For so no mans conscience in the world is perfect But I mean perfect in every part and condition of goodnesse 2. A defective good renewed conscience is that which faileth in some conditions of goodnesse We call it a weak conscience which is apt to be polluted and defiled again 1. Cor. 8.7 Their conscience being weak is defiled This is a defective good conscience a conscience renewed but imperfectly renewed I. To a good conscience that is soundly renewed five things are necessary 1. Knowledge of Gods will and that which doth follow the true knowledge of his will namely true humiliation and fear By nature the conscience is blind and sturdy and venturous and therefore it is necessary that it should be illightened to understand the will of God and to presse it and again it is necessary that the heart should be humbled or else it will not stoop to Gods will and it is necessary also that this holy fear should fall upon the heart that it may not dare to transgresse S t Peter being to speak of a good conscience premiseth all these as necessarie thereunto First he adviseth that Christians have knowledge to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them and then that they should have meeknesse and fear for to do it with meeknesse and fear saith he having a good conscience Mark Knowledge and meeknesse and fear are required to make a good conscience without them the conscience cannot be good By nature we are all blind and stubborn and fearlesse of sinning and therefore till we be cured of these evils our consciences cannot be good 2. The second thing is a watchfulnesse and warfare against sinne This is required too to a renewed good conscience By nature we are drowsie and carelesse and secure and do not stand upon our guard to wage warre against our lusts and the desires of our flesh and so long our consciences can never be good and therefore this spirituall watchfulnesse and mainteining warre against sinne is required to the having a good conscience That thou maist warre a good warrefare saith Paul to Timothie having faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1.18 19. Some who seemed to have a good conscience because they did not maintein this holy warfare against sinne and the flesh they have lost it Therefore this is another requisite required to a good conscience 3. The third is tendernesse of conscience By nature our hearts are seared and dead and unclean and therefore we must get us tender and pure hearts if we would have good renewed consciences The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned 1. Tim. 1.5 See how the Apostle compoundeth them together a pure heart and a good conscience We must get our hearts purged and quickened that they may be sensible of the least evil and then our consciences will be good and be as a bridle to hold us from evil A hard heart and a good conscience can never stand together 4. The fourth is the cleannesse of conscience by the washing of Christs bloud This is the main and the principall of all Yea indeed the bloud of Christ is the sole and onely cause of a good conscience I would not be mistaken I named indeed other causes Knowledge and Humbling and a holy Fear a Combat against sinne and Tendernesse but I do not mean as though a good conscience were partly beholding to them and partly to Christs bloud For it is wholly and onely beholding to Christs bloud for its goodnesse his bloud is the onely price of it But my meaning is this That though Christs bloud be the one onely cause of redemption yet in the application of redemption the Lord useth all those forenamed graces while he applieth it to the conscience Therefore this now I adde The washing of Christs bloud this is chiefly required to the goodnesse of conscience We have two places of Scripture to prove it The one Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge your consciences from dead works It is that onely can do it The other text is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Where the Apostle first giveth this title to a renewed conscience to be called a good conscience Secondly he nameth the cause that maketh it to be good the power of Christs resurrection When the resurrection of Christ Jesus is powerfull upon us then conscience becometh good 5. The fifth is quietnesse By nature nothing is so fierce and violent if it be once awaked as conscience is O it is unspeakably furious Thus is conscience by nature and therefore it can never be good untill we get it appeased with the assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and so true peace and comfort established in it This is the reason why the Scripture joyneth a good conscience and faith so often together as 1. Tim. 3.9 Holding the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience It cannot be a pure or good conscience if faith be not held in it As long as the conscience is not underpropped by faith the conscience must needs be in a wildernesse Perhaps my sinnes are imputed unto me perhaps they are pardoned Perhaps they are covered perhaps not As long as the conscience lieth under these uncertainties it cannot be firm and soundly good indeed therefore we must labour for assurance of pardon by faith Thus much of a good renewed conscience that is perfectly and soundly renewed II. Secondly There is a good conscience renewed but not soundly renewed very much as yet defective and imperfect The former conscience is called conscientia firma a firm conscience This is called conscientia infirma an infirm conscience Rom. 15.1 We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak This infirm conscience is a good