the Spirit is Spirit There is not only a combat between Conscience and the Flesh in sincere Believers but there is a Combat in their very Hearts and Wills Lusting or Desiring is an act of the Will now because 't is said the Spirit Lusteth against the Flesh 't is a sign the Heart is weary of it The Will would fain have the Flesh and the Affections of it crucified Peace of Conscience cannot be where sin is liked and cherished When Satan does object against a Believer the remainders of corruption Conscience has this to plead and reply that these reliques of the old man are a very Body of Death which Believers sigh and groan to be delivered from Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death But here it may be asked how may this true peace of Conscience he attained I shall say something at present though afterward I shall have occasion to speak to this matter 1. Would you have peace of Conscience be humbled more deeply and grieve more heartily because of sin The Apostle does not only say be afflicted but mourn but weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse Jam. 4. 9. He uses several words importing the same thing to shew that 't is not a slight sorrow which sin calls for nor a little humiliation which will usher in peace Our Lord calls the mourners blessed for they shall be Comforted and the Prophet tells us that the high and lofty one that inhabits Eternity will dwell with them that are of an humble Spirit and to this end that they may be Comforted to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the Heart of the Contrite Ones Oh reflect upon your selves call to remembrance how much evil and how little good has been done by you all your days those evils which have been done how have they been aggravated that good that has been done how has it been lessened by your manner of doing it look so long on sin till you find your Hearts break and melt till you are utterly displeased with your selves This is the way to have a kind look and a good Word from God When Ephraim repented did smite upon his Thigh to shew that sin was matter both of his sorrow and indignation when he was ashamed and confounded in himself What does the the Lord say Is Ephraim My dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have Mercy on him saith the Lord Jer. 31. 19. 20. 2. If you would have true Peace of Conscience acquaint your selves better with the Gospel The Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace the Word of Reconciliation Christ is called the Prince of Peace and the Father The God of Love and Peace and Ministers are stiled the Ambassadors of Peace that Preach glad tidings of good things Though upon Mount Sinai there be nothing but blackness and Darkness and Tempest though the Law does bind the sinner under the Curse and cause the Heart to quake and tremble yet upon Mount Sion we may behold Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and that Blood of sprinking which speaketh better things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 24. In the Gospel Christ is set forth as a propitiation and through him God is ready to forgive and Plenteous in Mercy and Redemption Here 's good news indeed to see all things thus prepared towards an union and agreement and all that is required of transgressors is that they should expect peace no other way but by Christ Jesus and that they should consent to rebell no more Now when the Conscience observes that Christ is alone relyed on for reconciliation and nothing else is trusted in and that the Heart is grieved at its Rebellions and now is willing to yield it self to God Peace hereupon follows 3. Be not strangers unto that duty of self-Examination The reason why sinners are not troubled is because they do not know themselves nor the danger of that Estate in which they are and the reason why Saints have not Peace is because they are not so well acquainted with themselves as they should be they do not so well understand what an happy change the Lord has wrought both relative and real both in their condition and in their Heart and Spirits What delving and digging and turning up the bowels of the Earth to find out Silver and Gold And surely 't is worth our while to ransack and search our selves throughly if that we may find what is much more precious then Gold that perishes The Apostles command is express Examine your selves prove your own selves and the end wherefore they were thus to examine and prove was that they might know themselves whether they were in the Faith whether Christ were in them yea or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. And while you are thus upon trial of your selves since a mistake may undo you for ever cry that the Lord who knowes you would teach you to know your selves and that you may think of your selves as he does 4. Plead the Promises of strengthning Grace For the more strong you are in Grace the more evident the Truth of it will be The Lord has promised you shall grow up as Calves of the stall and that you shall thrive as Willowes by the water-courses The Righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree and grow like a Caedar in Lebanon those that are Planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92. 12 13. and all this to shew that the Lord is upright and there is no Vnrighteousness in him v. 15. So that these Promises may with confidence be pleaded and God will not be backward to fulfil them The more Grace you have the more 't will be exercised and the more 't is exercised the more plainly you will be able to discern it and consequently have the greater Peace and Comfort in it Those that have little Grace and are full of doubts should strive after so much Grace as to be past doubt 5. Love the Commands of God and do them If once your Hearts are pleased with the Laws of God 't is a sign that you are indeed in Covenant and that the Lord has put his Laws in your minds and writen them in your Hearts and has been Merciful to your Vnrighteousness Hearken to the Psalmist Great Peace have they that Love thy Law Psal 119. 165. Love of the Law will make us carefull to keep it and this is the way to have the Lord manifest himself to us as he does not manifest himself to the World Joh 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that Loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will Love him and will manifest my self to him and v. 23. If a man Love me he
voluntatis maxima consolatio rerum incommodarum Cicero under the greatest calamities that befell them their sleep was sweet and so were their enjoyments nay Adversity it self was sweetned when Conscience gave them its approbation Tully speaks excellently (i) Illud vero est hominis magni sapientis libidinem odium invidiam metum cupiditatesque omnes amovere maximéque aestimare conscientiam mentis suae quam ab Diis immortalibus accepimus quae à nobis divelli non potest Quae si optimorum consiliorum atque factorum testis inomni vit â nobis erit sine ullo metu summâ cum honestate vivemus Cicer. Orat. pro A. Cluentio That is the part of one that would be Great and Wise to put away Lust and Hatred and Envy and Fear and all carnal Affections and most of all to mind his Conscience This we have received from God this cannot be separated from us And if this be a witnesse to us that we follow and practise the best Counsel our Life will be without Fear and with the greatest Honesty You see what contentment and peace did ensue when the Heathens made it their care not to go contrary to the light in their own minds And though I dare not affirm because Conscience did excuse them that God did justifie them for there is no way of being justified before God that is revealed to us but by Faith in our Lord Jesus yet 't is not at all disagreeable to Truth to say that the satisfaction which they had was some reward of their well-doing and a very great encouragement thereunto Thus it appears by the light of Nature that there is a Conscience in Man 2. This Truth is more fully evident by Scripture This Book of Scripture has no Errour in it 't is given by inspiration of God who as he cannot be deceived himself so he cannot lye unto others Titus 1. 2. Now if you hearken to the Scripture that there is a Conscience may be proved many wayes 1. Conscience is often expresly spoken of The Lord who made Man and who perfectly knowes what is in Man tells us of such a thing as Conscience Not onely in the Text is Conscience mentioned but in divers other places Heb. 9. 9. Which was a figure speaking of the Tabernacle for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins which could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience The Conscience of Man could not be purified or purged by the Legal Sacrifices but all these were typical of that Sacrifice which Christ offered up of himself unto God which alone can purge the Conscience from dead Works Heb. 9. 14. So also 2 Cor. 4. 2. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftyness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God We are to speak unto Conscience to commend our selves unto Conscience how could this be were there not a Conscience 2. That work of the Spirit called Conviction proves a Conscience When the Spirit comes to work upon any he first convinces them of Sin and afterwards of Righteousness Joh. 16. 8. he first shewes by what they are fallen and then how they may be raised and recovered But Conscience is that which is the Subject of this Conviction When Christ said unto the Scribes and Pharisees who brought an Adulteress before him He that is without Sin among you let him first cast a Stone at her 't is said when they heard it being convicted by their own Conscience (k) Apparet hic quanta vis est malae Conscientiae Quum impii isti hypocritae Christum suis cavillis eludere in animo haberent simul tamen ac eorum conscientias unâ voce pungit perculsi diffugiunt hoc malleo frangenda est hypocritarum superbia Calv. in Johan they went out one by one beginning at the eldest even unto the last Joh. 8. 7 9. When the Law came with power upon the Apostle and 't was interpreted and the extent of it shewed by the Spirit Sin revived and he died Rom. 7. 9. that is his Conscience was awakened to take notice of Sin and he perceived that he was a dead condemned man by Law and that there was no way to be delivered without a Mediator In conviction the Conscience is struck at there is the alarum heard which causes such Terrour and Confusion and if there were no Conscience there could be no Conviction 3. Sinning against Conscience hightens transgerssion but this supposes a Conscience to be sinned against Our Lord sayes plainly He that knowes his Masters will and goes against the Light of his Conscience prepares not himself nor does according to the will of his Lord he shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47. When sinners do not like to retain God in their knowledge when they are troubled because Conscience puts them in mind that the Lord observes them when they imprison as it were the Truth in Unrighteousness and stifle the Light that stirs in them because they love the works of Darkness this is to sin with an high hand and will add much both unto Guilt and Punishment 4. Several Duties which are injoyned and urged in Scripture suppose a Conscience in us because Conscience is a Principal agent in the performance of them We are commanded to search and try our wayes that we may turn unto the Lord our God Lam. 3. 40. but 't is the work of Conscience thus to call us to an account and to examine how our Actions and that Rule which is given us have agreed together VVe are commanded to try and prove our selves whether we be in the Faith whether Christ be in us yea or no 2 Cor 13. 5. Now 't is Conscience which takes notice of the Characters of true and unfeigned Faith which the holy Ghost has given 't is Conscience also which applies these Characters and then drawes the conclusion either that we are not believers if our Faith be dead and we onely name the name of Christ but have no will to depart from iniquity or that we are Believers if our Faith purifie our hearts if it work by love if it overcome the world so that all things are counted loss that we may win Christ who is truly precious Finally we are commanded to judge our selves that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31 32. But this judging is an act of Conscience And truly it Judges under God and by his Authority and therefore its Judgement is the more to be minded 5. All men in Scripture are divided into good and bad and in both there is a Conscience The Apostle tells us that in the defiled and unbelieving there is a Conscience though a polluted one Tit. 1. 15. and though for a while it may seem to be asleep though it may
them a Worm continually gnawing and which will never dye they would answer that their Consciences now cannot be silenced that there is no respite from their clamours that they are continually upbraiding them with their madnesse in sinning and their more than madness in refusing to turn to God and to come to Christ for Life and for Salvation Barnard has a very useful passage (t) Optimum est tunc sentiri vermem conscientiae cùm possit etiam suffocari itaque mordeat nunc ut moriatur paulatim desinat mordere Mordendo rodat interim putredinem rodendo consumat ut ipse quoque pariter Consumatur nec foveri incipiat in immortalitatem Vermis inquit eorum non morietur ignis eonum non extinguetur Bernard de Conversione ad Clericos cap. 6. pag. 845. 'T is best of all says he that Worm of Conscience should be felt presently while 't is possible to destroy this Worm Let it bite now that it may dye and by degrees give over biting at all Let it feed upon and eat away corruption that it self also may at length be consumed for 't is sad to cherish this worm against hereafter for then the worm will never dye and the Fire will never be quenched I have finished that first particular which was to prove that there is a Conscience in Man In the second place I am to tell you what this Conscience is And first I shall speak of the Name And secondly of the thing it self 1. I shall speak of the Name Conscience in Latin Conscientia into which the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Holy Ghost uses in the original is very well translated is so called for several reasons 1. 'T is called Conscience because 't is Cordis scientia (u) Conscientia est cordis scientia cor enim se novit multa alia cùm se novit appellatur Conscientia cùm praeter se alia nominatur Scientia Bernard de Interior dom cap. 22. the knowledge of the Heart The Heart of Man is capable of knowing it self and other things when it understands other things this is science but when it reflects upon it self this is Conscience And indeed the Heart is in a special manner observed both by Conscience and by the Lord himself Conscience if it be rightly informed will not be contented with a Conversation which Men look upon as blamelesse unlesse the Heart be upright and pure (*) Nam scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum Facti crimen habet Juv. If a man harbour malice in his breast Conscience will charge him with Murther If he look upon a Woman to lust after her it will call him before God Adulterer If he abound never so much in profession and external performances yet if when he honours God with his lips his Heart be removed far from him Conscience will say he is a meer Hypocrite 2. 'T is called Conscience because it is concludens scientia a concluding knowledge which is gathered from some premises that went before Conscience therefore is styled by some a practical Syllogism in which the major or first proposition is the VVord of God the minor or second proposition is from a reflecting on our selves whether we have done according unto or against the VVord of God And the conclusion is a passing sentence upon our selves according to the same VVord The Scripture says To be carnally minded is death and the Conscience of a sinner adds but I am carnally minded and I savour nothing else but what is carnal and therefore I am a Childe of Death And again thus He that loves the World the Love of the Father is not in him but sayes the Conscience of a worlding I love the World am greedy after it and desire nothing comparable to it therefore I neither Love the Father nor have an interest in his Love On the other hand the Scripture affirms He that receives Christ is the Son of God but sayes the Believers Conscience I am willing to receive Christ to rule me and to save me therefore I am the childe of God And again those are blessed that Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness but sayes the Believers Conscience I Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness I desire to be made truly Holy to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit therefore I am in a blessed State 3. 'T is called Conscience because it is cum alio scientia a knowledge together with some other Conscience supposes that we are known to some other as well as to our selves and this is the best reason why 't is called Conscience But you will ask me who does know us as well as our selves 1. The all-seeing God does know us perfectly (x) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia sciamus cum legislatore Deo ejus lege insinuante se animis nostris his idem testantibus Vossius de Orig. prog Idol l. 3. c. 42. The Apostle tells us that there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. The Psalmist speaks to the same purpose Psal 94. 8 9 10. Vnderstand O ye brutish among the People and ye Fools when will ye be wise He that planted the Ear shall He not Hear He that formed the Eye shall He not See He that Teacheth man Knowlege shall not He Know Questionless His Eyes run too and fro beholding the Evil and the Good And indeed if there were not a God who knows us as well nay better than we do our selves we should not regard our own being privy to our wickednesse there is so much Self-Love that we should not stand in awe of our own knowledge but when we consider that the Lord also knows us this causes Grief and Fear and Trouble when we do Evil. 2. Our Lord Jesus who is ready to judge the quick and dead does also know our works In all those Epistles which he sends to the seven Churches of Asia he sayes I know thy works 'T is expresly said that Jesus knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of Man for he knew what was in Man John 2. 24. 25. He understands the very secrets of the Heart as well as what appears in the practice and our Lord being to give every one his final doom and to passe that sentence which can never be repealed surely his knowledge should damp the fiercest Temptations and make us diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 3. The Elect Angels are witnesses of more than we are aware of Upon this score it is that the Apostle in his charge to Timothy mentions the Angels as well as God and Christ 1 Tim. 5. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things Sayes Calvin (y) Angelos Christo adjungit
sees God to be another kind of Foe and Friend than heretofore he thought him and Christ to be a better Lord and Master than heretofore he did imagine He comes to God and says Lord be Merciful be my Father and let the Lord Jesus become a Saviour to me and write down what Articles thou pleasest I will subscribe them onely help me to do it with my very Heart VVhen he hears that Command Cast away every Transgression he presently crys out Lord let not any Iniquity have the dominion over me VVhen he hears that all the Precepts of the Lord are to be kept diligently he crys out Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes VVhen he hears of the Necessity of Conversion he crys out Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned VVhen he hears what 't will cost to be Christ's Disciple and how he must deny himself and take up his Cross he cryes out Oh let me never be Offended but count all things loss that I may win Christ The Chimes do not more presently follow the Clock than the truly humbled Soul does upon its understanding the will of God desire to submit unto it 'T is willing to do any thing to be any thing to bear any thing to forbear any thing so the favour of God and an Interest in the Lord Jesus may be Obtained Thus you see when Conscience is troubled after a right manner In the next place I am to direct How troubled and afflicted Consciences are to be Comforted And before I begin I have need to cry out The Lord give me the Tongue of the Learned that I may know how to speak a word in Season to him that is weary Isa 50. 4. O you Afflicted Souls that are tossed in a Tempest your Affliction is of all the deepest the Tempest that you are in does beat most hard upon you You have not to deal with an Arm of Flesh nor onely with the Powers of Darkness but the Lord himself has bruised you Now for your Relief I am to bring forth the sweetest Comforts of the Gospel I am to Preach unto you the unsearchable Riches of Christ I am to tell you of Love that has Height and Length and Depth and Breadth and passes Knowledge I am to display the Mercy of God which is great towards humbled sinners as the Heaven is high above the Earth But more particularly I would lay these following things before you 1. This trouble of Conscience that you are under is really the work of the Spirit the Comforter Even under Conviction and while in distress of Soul you are really in a Comforters hand There is a great deal of difference between the wounds of an Enemy and the lancings of a Chirurgeon the latter are the better born because in order unto a perfect Cure and Ease and Health Three things are here to be Observed 1. These Convictions of the Spirit are a great mercy The Children of Men would all of them lye still and at last die in their wickedness if the Spirit did not awaken some of them 'T is a kindness to be told of our danger while 't is possible to get out of it You groan and complain because of your Guilt you fear the wrath of God and desire his loving kindness I may say truly you are highly favoured for how many round about you fearlesly provoke the dreadful God to his Face and turn to their wicked course as the horse rusheth into the Battel Now sin is a burthen your condition is much better than when you made light of it and saw no harm like to follow upon it 'T is good for us to see the avenger of blood pursuing us as long as the City of Refuge is open to receive and shelter us from that avenger 2. These convictions are in order unto Consolation Comfort is that which is proper and suitable to the Mourners and rest unto the weary and heavy laden To go by Hell gates to Heaven is not to go at all out of the way The Lord does bring Souls within the Suburbs of Hell sometimes that they may be the more afraid of sin all their dayes that they may value peace of Conscience at an higher rate and adore the Grace of God in catching them as fire brands out of the burning Jonah cryed unto the Lord out of the Belly of Hell and when his Soul fainted within him Chap. 2. 3 7. And surely his being heard and helped did the more affect him Oh do not think much to Sow in Tears as long as the promise is you shall Reap in Joy Psal 126. 5. 3. It may marvellously support you under your trouble that you do Judge and Condemn your selves The Apostle expresly says that such shall not be Judged that is condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11. 31. They that accuse themselves invalidate Satans accusations against them and they that condemn themselves go the way to prevent Gods condemning them He will not throw into Hell those who are continually sentencing themselves thither and see no possibility of Help but in Rich and Free Grace and who as they Judge themselves for past sins are desirous also for the future to be kept from Offending 2. For the Relief of a troubled Conscience take Notice of the love of God towards the World in sending Christ into it God so loved the World that he gave his onely Begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish John 3. 16. See also 1 John 4. 10. Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins This Love of God towards the World is Matter of great Encouragement if it be rightly improved It shews how great a kindness God has for Mankind He has contrived a way for their Redemption and Salvation he has provided a Mediator for them which he did not do for the Angels that fell from him Heb. 2. 16. He took not on him the Nature of Angels or he took not hold on the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Whatever Christ did for Mans Salvation 't was the will of God he should do it The whole work of Redemption is called a doing of the will of God Heb. 10. 7. Sacrifices and Offerings being insufficient to take away sin Then said I lo I come in the Volume of thy Book it is written of me to do thy Will O God Nay the Father is said to Love Christ upon this Account partly because he laid down his Life to save Men from Eternal Death John 10. 17. Because I lay down my Life therefore doth my Father Love me Now you know Christ's Life was given that it might be a Ransom for many All this shews the good will of God towards Man and how ready he is that Man should be brought near unto him and enjoy him and be eternally happy in that enjoyment This Amor Benevolentiae
they are in will be a bad End God made known his Power and got himself a Name in the destruction of Pharaoh who was a bitter Enemy unto Israel Doct. 6. Those that are truely Conscientious love their Enemies and wish them no worse than if they were their Brethren This is the sixth and last Doctrine Paul said Men and Brethren The Reasons of this Doctrine are these 1. The Command is express and plain to love Enemies Mat. 5. 44. But I say to you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you 2. Those who now have a good Conscience were once Enemies and yet they were loved though now the Children of God yet there was a time that they were the Children of wrath even as others Eph. 2. 3. Though now they have obtained Mercy yet there was a time wherein they had not obtained mercy They should compassionate Enemies since Divine Compassion was shewed to them even when they were Enemies 3. Enemies may be converted and become Friends to God and to his People Stephen had a Love to his Enemies when Stoning him to death and prayes for them his Prayer was heard and Saul that was consenting to his death was afterwards converted and became an Apostle and laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles to spread the Gospel of Christ Jesus 4. When Enemies are loved there is great Peace and Sweetness in such a temper this is a great Evidence of Sincerity and the Heart is emptied of that Malice Envy Revenge which are greatly torturing as well as very sinfull 5. To Love Enemies makes us very like unto our Heavenly Father for he is kind unto the unthankfull and to the evil he makes his Sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good and sends Rain upon the just and upon the unjust Mat. 5. 45. The Use that I shall make of this Doctrine shall be in these three particulars 1. If the Conscientious love their Enemies surely they will much more love their Brethren How much is Love called for in the Gospel what Motives are used to perswade to it 'T is the Mark upon the Sheep of Christ that they love one another and He that dwells in love dwells in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. 2. Because so little love we may conclude there is but little Conscience (†) Pigri mortui miseri eritis si nihil a metis Amate sed quid amatis indete Amor Dei amor proximi Charitas dicitur amor mundi amor hujus saeculi Cupiditas dicitur cupiditas refraenetur charitas exicetur charitas bene oper antis dat ei spem bonae conscientiae Augustin Tom. 8. Enarrat in Psal 31. pag. mihi 188. 186. Love is grown cold and therefore surely Iniquity does abound and Conscience is grown dead 3. To revive Conscience is the way to Vnity and Peace 'T is sad to see the Members of Christ at variance among themselves While one cryes out I am of Paul and another I of Apollo and another I of Cephas 't is a sign they are all carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. 3 4. 't is a sign there is little of Conscience Conscience if good is an Enemy to Strife and Division 't is against perverse Disputing and that Pride and Passion and Selfishness with which those Disputes are managed A good Conscience charges them in whom it is as they will approve themselves Subjects of the Prince of Peace and Children of the God of Peace and make it evident that they understand the Gospel of Peace that they take care to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Eph. 4. 3. The Conclusion THus have I finished all the Doctrines which I raised from the words of my Text. I hope I have not been all this while beating the Air or Plowing upon a Rock and losing my Labour My Hearts desire and Prayer to God for this whole Congregation is that they may be Awakened Converted Built up and Saved I have spoken many words to you Now I shall address my self unto Conscience within you and desire it to speak all my words over again Satan be dumb and tempt no more Or if he will not be dumb be you deaf to his Temptations Be silent O thou Flesh and perswade no more unto that which is unto the Souls Ruine But let Conscience be heard in what it speaks in the Name and from the Word of God O Conscience rouze up thy self understand thy Power know thy Office lift up thy Voyce and do thy Duty Tell this Congregation thou hast something to say to every Mothers Child of them and command them to hear thee or else threaten to Reproach them in Hell for ever for their refusing to hearken 1. Then speak unto the Ignorant Cause a dreadful sound in their Ears (l) Hic consentiamus mala facinora conscientia flagellari multos fortuna liberat poenâ metu neminem quia infixa nobis ejus rei aversatio est quam natura damnavit ideo nanquam fides latendi fit etiam latentibus quia coarguit illos conscientia ipsos sibi ostendit Seneca Epist 97. Tell them that their danger is greater because they do not apprehend their danger and that if they are Ignorant of God and Christ they have none of that Knowledge which is Life Eternal John 17. 3. Say How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and Fools hate Wisdom Turn you at my Reproof and use the means to obtain Understanding and especially ask it of God that he may pour out his Spirit unto you and make known his Words unto you Prov. 1. 22 23. Tell the Ignorant that the Devil is the Ruler of the darkness of this World and therefore those that are in darkness are under the Devils power bid them look unto Christ Jesus for Light and for Redemption that they may be rescued out of Satans hand and made free indeed 2. Speak O Conscience to the Profane tell them that 't is not more certain that God is Holy than that he is their Enemy they Declare themselves open Rebels against the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth And he has threatned to break such with a Rod of Iron and to dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psal 2. 9. Tell the Notorious Drunkards and Swearers and Whore-mongers and Sabbath-breakers that their sins at last will find them out that wickedness will be found and felt to burn as the fire and that God must needs be infinitely too hard for all that harden themselves against him Oh call unto these Frantick self-destroying sinners to stop presently lest the very next step be into the bottomless Pit of woe out of which there can be no Recovery Roar in the Ears of those Ranting Roaring Fellows and let them not Eat or Drink or Sleep much less sin in quiet for thee tell them
break the Rock so does the Word the the Heart though never so hard and senseless 't is compared also to fire because like fire it does both give light and refine and purifie the Conscience Yeare Clean sayes Christ but how through the word that I have spoken unto you John 15 3. Let the Word of Christ therefore dwell in you richly 't will be an Excellent and effectual Antidote against sin and temptation when your Hearts stand in awe of the Word of God as David's did how will it preserve you from defilement 2. Affliction is like a Furnace to refine That Conscience may be pure Affliction is to be improved The Rod of Affliction though it seem to be dry and withered yet like Aaron's 't will bud and blossom and bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness unto them that are Exercised thereby And before the Apostle informs us that 't is God's design in Afflicting to refine and purifie v. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our Flesh who Corrected us and we gave them Reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened 〈◊〉 after their own pleasure but He for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness The smart of Affliction does help very much to awaken Conscience and to discover the evil and danger of sin and then sin is found to be ten thousand times more bitter when we reflect upon it than ever was fansied to be sweet in the time of Temptation We may indeed with submission pray against Affliction and intreat that gentler ways may be used to sanctifie us and we may take the more comfort and our sincerity will be the more Evident when milder Methods are effectual One of our English Poets speaks Excellently to this purpose (*) Herbert Discipline pag. 173 174. Throw away thy Rod Throw away thy Wrath. O my God Take the gentle path For my hearts desire Vnto thine is bent I aspire To a full consent Not a word or look I affect to own But thy Book And thy Book alone Though I fail I weep Though I halt in pace Yet I creep To the Throne of Grace Then let wrath remove Love will do the deed For with Love Stony hearts will bleed Love is swift of foot Love's a Man of War And can shoot And can hit from far Who can scape his bow That which wrought on thee Brought thee low Needs must work on me Throw away thy Rod Though Man frailties hath Thou art God Throw away thy Wrath. But if the Father of Spirits sees it meet and needful to use the Discipline of the Rod it concerns us to hear the Voice of it and understand the meaning and this it always speaks and that very plainly that our Consciences and indeed all within us should be more clean and Holy 3. The Blood of Christ purges the Conscience from dead works This is the Fountain which in the Gospel is set open for Sâ—n and for Uncleanness 'T is He who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his Blood Rev. 1. 5. So Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered up himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the Living God Though our Lord aimed at our Justification and the Remission of sin when he shed his Blood and Sacrificed himself for us yet he had our sanctification and cleansing also in his eye Upon this Account the Apostle Peter tells us That he bear our sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead unto sins might live unto Righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 24. And we read Eph. 5. 25 26 27. that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Apply this Blood unto your selves be perswaded that it has a sanctifying vertue and pray for purity as that which is a great part of Christ's purchase as well as your own Perfection 4. If you would have Conscience pure you must not resist but yield unto the Spirit of Christ 'T is his Work not onely to shew sin but to slay it he convinces of sin and also Mortifies the deeds of the Body Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do Mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live The Power of sin is great and this Power is strengthned by the Principalities and Powers of Darkness who do endeavour to keep up sins Dominion So that if the Spirit of the Lord did not shew the exceeding greatness of his Power our Hearts and Consciences would still remain defiled we should never have our Fruit unto Holiness nor the end everlasting Life I have done with that sixth particular The goodness of Conscience lies in the purity of it 7. The goodness of Conscience lies in the calmness and peace of it What the Apostle speaks concerning the wisdom which is from above That 't is first pure and then peaceable may be applied unto a good Conscience first 't is pure then peacable there may indeed be purity without peace but there cannot be true peace without purity There is a false peace which is too commonly found in the ungodly and the Hypocrite this peace sin does not disturb but increase and by this peace the strong man armed does keep possession But true peace is peculiar unto them that are sanctified and when once they have attained unto it they are brought as it were within the Suburbs of Heaven and see the dawning of that Light which is everlasting That you may the better discern this true peace of Conscience I shall set it forth in these particulars 1. True peace of Conscience is founded upon the Blood of God So Christs Blood is called for as he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh so he is expresly affirmed to be over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. There could be no remission of sin without shedding of blood and no other blood would serve the turn the blood of Bulls and goats would not take away sin Heb. 10. 4. Nay supposing that Mans blood had been shed for us it would not have been expiatory Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my Soul Mic. 6. 7. Nothing but what satisfies the justice of God will satisfie and pacifie the Conscience and bring it to a well-grounded tranquillity but 't is the blood of Christ alone that satisfies divine justice Conscience therefore can have no true rest till that blood be applied Luthers Conscience
(q) As dirty hands foul all they touch And those things most which are most pure and fine So our clay-hearts ev'n when we crouch To sing thy praises make them less divine Yet either this Or none thy portion is Herb. Misery p. 93. 6. Till Conscience be good how extreamly dangerous is our Estate We are the Children of Wrath the Sons of Death Condemned already not sure to be a day or hour out of that place of Torment where the Worm does not dye and the Fire none can quench When the Lord speaks to the Ungodly his mouth is full of threatnings his words are woes and curses and not one syllable of Encouragement or hope does he give them as long as they are resolved to continue in their wickedness Indeed if they are willing to have their Consciences and Conversations cleansed then he declares himself inclined to Mercy and to make them white as Wool or Snow though before red like Scarlet or like Crimson Isa 1. 16. 18. But as long as Conscience is secure and the sinner is resolved and obstinate alas God is angry with him every day the Vial is continually filling fuller and more wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath If the sinner turn not the Lord hath whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready and who knows how soon the Arrow may be shot that may dispatch the sinner in the twinkling of an Eye and both kill and damn together 7. If Conscience be not good how great and intolerable may be the torture of it when it is awakened Solomon tells us That the Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear These wounds are made by sin as the Meritorious caus e and by the hand of God himself as an Holy Righteous Dreadful Sin-revenging Majesty The buffetings of Satan indeed are sometimes very troublesome and terrible but what are the buffetings of a Creature if compared with the blows and wounds of Him that is Almighty When God shall say to a sinful soul Behold I am against thee Ezek. 5. 8. When God shall run upon a Transgressor as a Giant and break him with breach upon breach surely his hands will not be strong his heart will not be able to endure 'T was a saying of Luther (q) Animus malè sibi conscius potiùs in mille rerum formas verteretur ac citiùs per saxa per ignes per ahaeneos montes denique ad Diabolum ipsum ferretur quam ad Deum accederet Luther Tom. 1. In Genes c. 43. That an evil Conscience being indeed wounded had rather be turned into a thousand forms had rather venture upon Rocks and Flames Mountains of brass nay upon the Devil himself than have to do with God The Design of which passage is to shew how terrible the Lord is unto a guilty and enraged Conscience Such are said to be Drunken but not with Wine unless it be the Wine of Astonishment and they are compared to a wild Bull in a Net being full of the Fury of the Lord and the Rebuke of God Isa 50. 20 21. If you look into Scripture you may find the Saints themselves complaining of these wounds in their Consciences Listen to Job Chap. 6. 2 3 4. O that my grief were throughly weighed and my Calamity laid in the Balances together For now it would be heavier thâ—â— the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up for the Arrows of the Almighty are within me the Poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me The Psalmist speaks to the same purpose Psal 88. 14 15 16. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy Face from me I am Afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off And if Saints have drank so deep of this Cup of Trembling oh how bitter may it be to sinners (r) Est intus animi vigor Arce conditus abditâ Haec venena potentius Detrahunt hominem sibi Dira quae penitus meant Nec nocentia corpori Mentis vulnere saeviunt Boetius l. 4. Met. 3. pag. mihi 122. As therefore you would avoid the Lords contending with you which will make your spirits fail before him it should be your care to have a good Conscience 8. A good Conscience as it will make those that have it to be better and better themselves so it will render them exceedingly beneficial and make them blessings unto others A good Conscience like Rebecca of old is weary of the Daughters of Heth and is not satisfied unless the Flesh be like the house of Saul growing weaker and weaker and the Spirit be like the house of David growing stronger and stronger Conscience puts the Saints upon following on to know the Lord and following harder after him and though the least Grace deserve Infinite and Eternal thanks and Conscience urges unto praise yet withall it adds that the highest measures of Holiness are not to be rested in but still there must be a growing up into Christ in all things untill we arrive unto a perfect stature in his Kingdom A good Conscience will also make us publick Blessings unto others (s) Vir bonus est commune bonum It considers we are not Born or New-born onely for our selves It will make us beneficial to the Church and to the World 1. To the Church If there were more of Conscience it would hinder Animosities Contentions Divisions Declinings the decay of Love and of the Power of Godliness Conscience is for Peace and Unity and for walking as Saints and Brethren Mens Passions and Interests put them upon those courses that tend to Dividing and Destroying the Church of Christ 2. To the World A good Conscience will make us to put on Bowels and to compassionate Mankind 't will hinder us from Offending them and hardening them against Religion 't will make us pray for and endeavour the gaining and saving of them It will cause our Light so to shine before Men that they seeing our good Works may Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven and at length they may be brought to desire to become themselves of the Number of his Children I have done with the Reasons of the Doctrine I come now to the Application VSE 1. Shall be of Reproof If it should be the care of all to have a good Conscience alas whose heart may not smite him who has not Reason to acknowledge that a sharp Reproof is but justly due Conscience in these last and worst days seems to have left the Earth and truly till there are better Consciences there may not be better days or if there should be better times they would but prove a Judgment For if Mens Hearts are stupid under Adversity Prosperity is not likely to awaken them The Lord looks down from Heaven
called the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit which worketh in the Children of Disobedience If you make nothing of disobeying the Word of God if you walk according to the course of this world and fulfill the desires of the flesh and the carnal mind Eph. 2. 2 3. 't is a sign that Satan does command you and your peace is far from being true 3. That peace of Conscience is false where there is a walking after the imagination of the evil heart Those words do sound like Thunder Dreadfully rattling in the air Deut. 29. 19 20. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven The heart of man is foolish deceitful wicked desperately wicked 't is a very sore judgment to be given up to our own hearts lusts and to be suffered to walk after our own counsels Sinners need not other enemies they are forward enough to go astray of their own accord and to ruine themselves let them follow their own hearts and they will infallibly come to Hell in the conclusion If any therefore do walk in the way of their hearts and please and gratifie their own sinfull affections and say they shall have peace they speak without book without Gods book I am sure 4. That peace of Conscience is false where the soul is intoxicated with sensuall Delights and Pleasures Thus the rich man was at peace whose ground brought forth plentifully who resolved to pull down his barns and to build greater that he might bestow all his Fruits and his Goods and since there were Goods sufficient for many years he was clearly for taking his Ease for Eating and Drinking and making merry Luk. 12. 16. 19. One great cause of Sodoms security was their giving themselves over unto sensuallity Whoredom and Gluttony and Drunkenness do take away the heart such consider no more than if they were brutes nay they come short of brutes even the most stupid of them Isa 1. 3. The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider Sensual Pleasures as also Worldly cares do overcharge the heart so that there is no trouble or concernedness about eternity and while they dream not of any such thing the day of the Lord does come on them like a snare Luk. 21. 34 35. And take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth 5. That peace of Conscience is false which is built upon present dispensations of Providence Sinners are apt to argue wrong both from prosperity and from adversity that their state is good and so put a cheat upon their own Souls Some are perswaded that because the Lord loads them with external blessings this is a certain sign of his love But the Holy Ghost informs us that the ungodly prosper in the World and increase in Riches that they are not in trouble like other men that they have more than Heart could wish Psal 73. 12. Daniel tells us that even Kingdoms are given to the basest of men Dan. 4. 17. Luther said concerning the (u) Turcicum imperium quantum est nihil est nisi panis mica quam dives pater familias projicit canibus Luther Tom. 2. in Gen. in cap. 21. Turkish Empire that it was but a morsel cast unto a Dog And if whole Kingdoms are given to the ungodly who can argue himself a Saint and loved of God from his worldly enjoyments 't is not the having of the World but sitting loose from it looking upon our selves as Strangers and Pilgrims in it and improving it for God that will argue we are indeed his Children On the other side some are perswaded because afflicted at present that it will be well with them in the Life to come But wicked men may also be afflicted God does distribute sorrows to them in his Anger so that they are as stubble before the Wind and as chaffe which the storm carrieth away Job 21. 17 18. 'T is not then our being corrected that will prove us Children but our receiving of Correction and being humbled and reformed by it though never so often in the furnace if we are not at all Refined we are but Reprobate Silver 6. That Peace of Conscience is false which is built upon External profession and Priviledges Thus of old many because they were called Jews did rest in the Law made their boast of God though at the same time they did break the Law and dishonoured God by their presumptuous Transgressions Rom. 2. 17. 23. Many now a dayes are called Christians and beguile themselves with an empty name It will not advantage any to name the name of Christ if they will not depart from iniquity to call him Lord Lord if they are resolved still to rebell against him They had great Peace and confidence who said Lord Lord we have Eat and Drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets And yet both their peace and confidence were without ground the door is shut against them they are excluded from the Kingdom for they were notwithstanding all their Profession workers of iniquity Luke 13. 26 27. By such a profession iniquity has the greater aggravation w he is most inexcusably ungodly who has most of the form but nothing of the Power of Godliness 7. That peace of Conscience is false that is built upon External Righteousnesse and escaping the more grosse pollutions of the World The Apostle Paul before his Conversion was touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3. 6. that is his Conversation was so agreeable to the letter of the Law and so free from any foul and scandalous sin that men could not blame him But though he was thus blameless yet he was graceless and though he thought himself to be alive and his state to be good and safe yet he was deceived as he found afterwards That Pharisee had a false peace who said God I thank thee I am not as other * Nos vero quid respondere pro nobis possumus tenemus Symbolum evertimus confitemur munus salutis pariter negamus Ac per hoc ubi est Christianit as nostra qui ad hoc tantummodo Sacramentum salutis accipimus ut majore postea praevaricationis scelere peccâ—mus Salvian De Gub. Dei l. 5. pag. mihi 195 men are Extortioners unjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in
this Love of good will in God and desire after Man's welfare was taken notice of by the Angels and they are brought in Admiring and Magnifying the Lord when Christ a Saviour was Born into the VVorld Luke 2. 13 14. Suddenly there was a Multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest on Earth Peace Good will towards Men. Let all this encourage drooping Spirits and banish those thoughts of God which Satan is apt to inject and which are utterly unworthy of his Love and kindness towards Man 3. Study that great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh Eye the Incarnation of the Son of God John 1. 14. The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth God is the Fountain of Grace but being made Man Man has access into that Fountain and the Son of God shews himself to be truly the Redeemer and (n) Christus Apostolis inde agnitus est pro Filio Dei quod complementum omnium quae ad spirituale Dei regnum pertinent in se haberet denique quod in omnibus vere se praestiterit Redemptorem Messiam quae maxime insignis est nota quâ discerni ab aliis omnibus debuit Calv. in Johan c. 1. Messiah because he is abundantly nay infinitely able to furnish with all Grace whosoever come to him 'T was (o) Magnum hoc mysterium Verbum caro factum pro paucis aut levibus noxis editum orbi non fuit Mel. Adamus in vitâ Cranmeri Cranmer's Comfort in his last Prayer that this great Mystery God manifest in the Flesh was not onely for a few or light Offences The greatest of Transgressors may from hence be Encouraged both the God-head and Manhood of Christ are to be eyed and truly it may be very reviving to contemplate both 1. The Godhead of Christ And if he be God how safely may he be trusted in The Apostle tells us that by Him were all things Created that are in Heaven and in Earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were made by him and for him Col. 1. 16. He is said also to uphold all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. surely then his hand is not shortned that it cannot save Christ is affirmed to be over all God Blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. Let not any imagine that he is onely God by Office for he is also styled the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5. 20. And if the Scripture say that he is the true God let not any Corrupt mind be so bold as to assert that he is God improperly so called Untill we look as high as the God-head of our Lord Jesus we cannot find whereon our Faith may rest nor wherewith our Consciences may be satisfied In Scripture God and Blood Jehovah and Righteousness are joyned together God is said to have Purchased the Church with his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blood Acts 20. 28. And Jer. 23. 6. This is the Name whereby Christ is called Jehovah or the Lord our Righteousness As his blood could not have been shed if he had not been Man so the shedding of it would not have been sufficient for the Redemption and Purchasing of the Church if he had not been God Because he is God therefore his Righteousness being imputed unto sinners is sufficient for their Justification though they have none of their own that is worth naming The Apostle Magnifies the Gospel because therein the Righteousness of God is Revealed from Fairh to Faith Rom. 1. 17. 'T is called the Righteousness of God not onely because God the Father does accept of it as perfect and sufficient but because 't is the Righteousness of Christ who is truly God as well as Man and from whose Deity is derived such a value and vertue unto his Sufferings and Obedience Surely the more we view the God-head of our Lord Jesus the firmer will be our recumbence upon him and the less shall we be afraid of the Enemies of our Salvation since he can so easily subdue them 2. The Manhood of Christ as well as his Godhead must be eyed How often in the Gospel is he called the Son of man Luke 19. 10. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost The Son of man must be lifted up that he might draw all men to him John 12 32 34. The Apostle tells us there is but one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. By taking our Nature upon him he is become neer a kin to us and is not ashamed to call us Brethren Heb. 2. 11 12. Both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one Christ who sanctifieth hath the same humane nature with Beleivers who are sanctified for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren saying I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee With what boldness may the Children of men come to the Lord Jesus who was in all things made like them that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. Ruth emboldned her self to speak unto Boaz Spread thy skirt over thine handmaid for thou art a neer kinsman Ruth 3. 9. Our Lord Jesus is neer a kin to us it belongs to him to redeem both us and our lost Inheritance we may with confidence desire him to spread his skirt over us and to betroth us unto himself for ever 4. For the comforting of a troubled Conscience take notice of that compleat satisfaction that Christ has made unto Divine Justice by offering up of himself upon the crosse for sin Behold the Lamb of God slain and taking away the sin of the world Three things are much to be studied by those that are wounded in their spirits Christs suffering of Death his overcoming of Death and his seconding his sufferings with his perpetual intercession 1. His suffering of Death The Apostle takes much notice of the person who died he was altogether innocent he died indeed for the unjust but himself was just and righteous The penitent Thief spake Truth upon the Crosse when he rebuked his fellow saying Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in same condemnation and we indeed justly for we receive the reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse Luk. 23. 40 41. Therefore he is likened unto a Lamb without blemish and without spot He was made sin indeed and a Curse for us but he had no sin of his own whereby the least Curse or Punishment could be deserved Christ was innocent and Oh! how high and great a Person was he He being in the form of God and thinking
enim inde cùm inde pellitur à seipso pellitur ecce hostem suum invenit quo confugeret Seipsum quo fugiturus est Quocunque suger it se talem trahit post se quocunque talem traxerit se cruciat se A seipso sunt tribulationes quae inveniunt hominem nimis acerbiores enim non sunt at tanto sunt acerbiores quanto sunt interiores Augustin Enarrat in Psal 45. Tom. 8. pag. mihi 419. Observes and more inward they are they are the more bitter But now he whose Conscience is good as Solomon speaks is satisfied from himself (*) Fragilibus innititur qui adventio laesus est exibit gaudium quod intravit at illud ex se ortum fidele firmumque est cascit ad extremum â—sque prosequitur Seneca Epist 98. He has Meat to eat which the World knows not of his sincere endeavour to do the will of God satisfies him better than the choicest Fare and Delicates Luther whose Conscience was clear who Preached Christ purely and Loved Christ sincerely has one strange Expression Miser sit qui possit ego nonpossum Let him be miserable that can be miserable I for my part cannot be miserable His God and his Conscience were such a Feast and Joy and Satisfaction to him that he knew 't was not in the Power of Earth or Hell to daunt or hurt him Oh what unutterable contentation is there in the Heart that upon reflection and search finds it self the Temple of the Spirit the Habitation where the Father and the Son do make their abode That finds it self Clothed with white Rayment Christ's Righteousness Enriched with that Gold tried in the Fire Rev. 3. 18. made partaker of the Divine Nature Adorned with the Image of God filled with the Graces of the Spirit and thereby sees it fitting for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light 3. He that has a good Conscience can look downward and see himself secured Never any one with a good Conscience went to the place of Torment but onely those who refused to have a good Conscience or made ship-wrack of it Though Hell be prepared for the Devil yet he has not the Keys of that place but they hang at Christ's Girdle Rev. 1 18. I am he that Liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death And certainly since Christ has the Keys of Hell no Believers whose Consciences are truly good shall be flung in thither for these are the Members of his Body and the Head loves his Members too well to suffer them to be thrown into Everlasting fire A good Conscience by the eye of Faith looks down and takes Notice of the Damned in their Misery sees them groaning under the fierceness of the Almighty's wrath sees them fed upon by the VVorm that dies not and tormented in that flame which shall never be extinguished and bound fast in those Chains of Darkness which shall never be unloosed and then rejoyces to see it self safe under the wing of the Lord Jesus rejoyces in that Deliverance and Salvation from future wrath whereof Christ is the Author 4. He that has a good Conscience can look upon his outward comforts and take comfort in them What he has is not a Snare to him but attended with a blessing upon this score the Psalmist sayes a little that a Righteous man has is better than the Riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. A good Conscience does in a great measure cure that vanity and vexation of Spirit that is in the Creature for when these outward enjoyments are given with the Divine Blessing then as Solomon speaks no sorrow is added with them The upright man does taste the love of God in the Food he eats and though it be but a dinner of Herbs yet this love makes it better than a stalled Ox with the Lords Curse and Hatred He feels the love of God in the Clothes he wears and though of coarser cloth yet they are better than the Purple and fine Linnen and costly array of that rich man that received all his good things in this present world and after was turned into Hell poor and naked All the gifts he receive are indeed blessings to one that 's Righteous for he has the Giver with them and is brought still nearer unto the Giver by them 5. He that has a good Conscience can look upon adversity without dread When the Apostle was pressed out of measure even above strength yet a good Conscience was his rejoycing Bias the Philosopher being asked what was difficult answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (y) Diogen Laert. in vitâ Biantis p. mihi 60. To bear with fortitude a change in our condition for the worse Now a clear Conscience will be very helpful unto such Fortitude and Patience Job is of a sudden stript of his glory rob'd of his vast estate and though a Prince before made poor to a Proverb and yet Conscience bears him up and makes him able to say The Lord has given and the Lord has taken blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. Sir Henry Wotton has a very good description of an happy life wherein he shews that a good Conscience is the best armour and the safest retreat whatever happens How happy is he born and Taught That serveth not anothers will Whose armour is his honest Thought And simple Truth his utmost skill Whose passions not his masters are Whose Soul is still prepar'd for death Untied unto the World by care Of publick fame or private breath Who envies none that chance does raise Nor Vice hath ever understood How deepest wounds are given by praise Nor rules of State but rules of Good Who hath his Life from rumors freed Whose Conscience is his strong retreat Whose state can neither flatt'rers feed Nor ruine make oppressors great Who God doth late and early pray More of his Grace than Gifts to lend And entertains the harmless day With a Religious book or Friend This man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise or fear to fall Lord of himself though not of Lands And having nothing yet hath all A good Conscience will tend very much to fix the Heart so as that evil tidings shall not be so terrifying and dismaying Hark what the Psalmist sayes Vnto the upright there ariseth light in obscurity surely he shall not be moved for ever he shall not be afraid (†) Justum tenacem propositi virum Si fractis illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. 467. 6. He that hath a good Conscience can look upon all the baits of the Tempter and despise them Satan is not able to compell and force us to sin neither has he power to determine the will of man to that which is evil as the Lord has to determine it unto that which is good for then sin
which he thought so good had such bad success and he found himself vanquished by Antonius he Repented of his Vertue and cryed out O Vertue I Served thee as a real thing but thou art onely an empty Name c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Te colui Virtus ut rem ast tu nomen it ane â—s But be you more fixed and better settled and whatever you lose keep a good Conscience And that you may do thus follow these Directions 1. Vigorously maintain the Combat against Corruption Onely sin can harm the Conscience and therefore strive against it Abstain from Fleshly Lusts for these War against your Souls 1 Pet. 2. 11. Have a special Eye to in dwelling sin for that 's a worse Enemy by far than Satan set upon the work of Mortification in good earnest hide the Word in your hearts that it may Antidote you against sin Derive Vertue from Christ Crucified to Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts of it and call in the aid of the Spirit against the deeds of the Body Conscience will be kept in greater purity and Peace the weaker sin is and the more it is an underling 2. Sit loose from the World If Galeacius Caracciolus had loved his Honour and great Estate in Italy he would not have kept his Conscience undefiled from Rome's pollutions The Apostle Paul whose Conscience was good professes that he Gloried in the Cross of Jesus Christ by whom the World was Crucified to him and he unto the World Gal. 6. 14. He looked upon the VVorld as a grand Imposter he saw no Form nor Comeliness in it that he should desire it nay he perceived how sin had brought a Curse upon it no wonder if he slighted it You cannot Serve God and Mammon You must cast the VVorld out of your Affections presently and consent to let it go out of your Possession too when called to part withit if you would keep a good Conscience 3. Study the Vanity of Men and be not afraid of them The fear of Man bringeth a Snare says Solomon Fear of the Papists made Spira wound his Conscience and brought him into a fearful Case Cease ye therefore from Man whose breath is in his Nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Isa 2. ult Be not afraid of the terror of your adversaries neither be troubled but Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts in your hearts let him be your fear and let him be your dread if you would secure your Consciences 4. Pray much to be upheld Commit the keeping of your Souls unto God in well doing for he is Faithful Beg that he would never leave you nor forsake you but keep you by his Mighty Power unto Salvation It is not in vain to seek unto him for he is of Power to establish you Rom. 16. 25. He is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the Presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy Jude 24. 5. Hold fast Faith that you may keep a good Conscience firmly believe that Life and Immortality which is brought to light by the Gospel and then by patient continuance in well doing you will seek for it The Lord grant unto you the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation the eyes of your Understanding being enlightned that you may more thorowly and certainly know what is the hope of your Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of that Inheritance which is above this will be a strong inducement to keep Conscience and heart and Conversation and all clean that you may grow more and more meet for that Inheritance You see the way to keep a good Conscience which was the fourth word of Advice 5. You that have a good Conscience be not Acted onely by Conscience but let Love d constrain you also to Obedience 'T is said of Titus That he accepted the Exhortation but was more forward of his own accord 2 Cor. 8. 17. Heed your Consciences telling you of your Duty but let your hearts be forward b Qui legem dat amantibâ—s Major lex a mor est sibi Boetius of their own accord to perform your Duty The high mettal'd courser does not stand in need of whip or spur loosen the reins he will run swiftly because he does delight in running Oh let your hearts be enlarged by love to the Lord and delight in your duty and then you will run the wayes of his Commands and so running you will at length obtain the prize Thus have I handled at large the second Doctrine To have a good Conscience should be every one 's greatest care This is the point I principally intended to prosecute I shall be very brief in those which do remain Doct. 3. The third Doctrine is this A good Conscience will make men set themselves as before God continually I have lived says the Apostle in good Conscience before God Hark unto David Psal 119. 168. All my wayes are before thee and Psal 16. 8. I have the Lord alwayes before me Job speaks after the same manner chap. 31. 4. Doth not God see my wayes and count all my steps And Elijah speaking of the Lord of hosts adds before whom I stand 1 King 18. 15. These men had a great sense of God upon their Spirits so should we and a good Conscience will still be putting us in mind in whose presence we continually are In the handling of this Doctrine I shall first prove that we are alwaies before God Secondly how we are to look upon God when we set our selves before him Thirdly what it is thus to set our selves before God Fourthly why a good Conscience will make us to do thus And fifthly Apply In the first place I am to prove that we are alwaies before God There are several degrees of the presence of God the highest degree of all is his presence with Christs humane Nature a second degree is his presence with the Angels and triumphant Saints in his Kingdom and Glory by whom he is seen face to face a third degree is his presence vouchsafed unto his Saints Militant on Earth whereby they are quickned strengthned and abundantly incouraged But besides all this there is a general presence of God whereby he fills both Heaven and Earth so that nothing can be hid from him Jer. 23. 24. Can any bide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Three things are here to be remarked 1. God is so every where present as that he perfectly knows what is in us and done by us He does possesse our very Reins searches our very hearts all the hidden things of darkness will one day be brought to light and the Counsels of mens hearts be made manifest 1 Cor. 4. 5. Though good works are done never so secretly God sees and will reward them openly though wicked works are done never so closely he sees and they shall be openly punished 2. God is so
every where present as that we are continually under his Power the Psalmist tell us that his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103. 19. His Eyes run too and fro to shew himself strong on the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect with him And he is 〈◊〉 mighty to beat down and to destroy his Enemies he can make destruction to come upon them like a Whirlewind and though they may promise themselves safety yet they can in no wise secure themselves against his Almighty hand 3. God is every way present by his very Essence oh the incomprehensible immensity of his being He is not far says the Apostle from every one of us Act. 17. that is he is really neer us for in him we live move and have our being (e) Nos gentes nationesque distinguimus Deo una domus est mundus hic totus Reges tantum regni sui per officia ministrorum universa novére Deo indiciis opus non est non solum in oculis ejus sed in sinu vivimus Cuncta deo plena sunt Minutius Foelix p. mihi 80. You must not imagine that the Essence of God is divided so as to be part in Earth and part in Heaven but after an unconceivable manner 't is whole in it self whole in all things whole in every thing 't is whole within all whole without all 't is not mingled or defiled with any thing 't is no where included no where excluded nothing does or can contain it and yet by it all things are contained surely then this God does compasse our paths wherever we go and is acquainted with all our wayes Psal 139. 3. In the second place I am to shew you how we are to look upon God when we set our selves before him 1. We are to look upon God as our Maker 'T was a complaint made by Elihu Job 35. 10. None saith where is God my Maker He is the former of our bodies and the Father of our Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are his off spring and we should be often enquiring to what end he made us which was that we might yeild fear and service and love and praise to him that gave us our beings and if we thwart the end of our Creation and serve our lusts and Satan who are our Makers Enemies he may repent of making us as he did concerning the old World and then destruction will follow 2. We are to look upon God as our Owner We are not our own who can lay claim to us Satan by right cannot all that dominion that he has over us is by usurpation and our being so foolish and wicked as to subject our selves voluntarily to him But the Lord is by right our owner to him we are debtors and owe all that we have and are We are not just unlesse we yeild our selves to him 3. We are to look upon God as our Ruler 'T was a very prophane brag of those Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over us God ought to be acknowledged as our Lord and if he be not obeyed as such he will shew himself a Lord by breaking us if we will not bow before him We should often be asking our selves whose servants we are if sins if Satans we should propound another question What wages these are likely to give us and should we toyl and work hard to make our selves miserable and bring our selves to Death and Hell Onely the Lord has a right to rule us We should still be enquiring what his will is and since he is the supream Soveraign of Heaven and Earth and is so Holy Righteous Gracious his will should never be thwarted by ours but we should endeavour to do it on Earth as 't is done by those in Heaven There is abundant sweetness at present in being not wedded to our own wills in obeying the Lords will besides the future infinite recompence of reward He that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2. 17. 4. When we set our selves before God we are to look upon him as our preserver 'T is of his Mercy that the Children of men are not consumed their provocations are many but he being full of Compassion spares them Our sins have been crying out against us all our dayes and Satan would fain have destroyed and devoured us long ago but God is Rich in Goodness and forbearance Rom. 2. 4. The Ox knows his owner and the Asse his Master crib and shall we never consider to whom we are beholding he is the God of our lives and the Father of every Mercy which we receive 't is both our duty and interest to walk worthy of and suitable unto his Care and Kindness especially if we are Believers for then he is not only the Father of our Mercies but our Father likewise (f) Falsa theologia est Deum iratum esse agnoscentibus peccata sua talis enim Deus nec in coelo nec usquam est sed est idolum perversi cordis quia verus Deus dicit Nolo mortem peccatoris Luther Tom. 4. 383. a. and being always under our Fathers eye we should follow him as dear Children Eph. 5. 1. 5. We are to look upon God as Him who alone can make us happy Sin cannot do it for it has a quite contrary effect how many millions has it undone and made miserable for ever and daily 't is undoing more The World cannot make us happy for if the world had had power to do this Solomon being exalted to the top of worldly greatness and having so much of wealth and Earthly pleasures that he could not desire more would not in the midst of all have cryed out all is vanity and vexation of Spirit and there is no profit under the Sun Eccle. 2. 11. The Lord can satisfie the Soul of man though other things cannot He can supply all our needs according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 19. he can do more then our Souls can desire or conceive nay exceeding abundantly above all that we either ask or think Let us be perswaded that if ever we are happy God must make us so and that he makes us happy no other way but by giving himself and Communicating his Grace to us in his Son and this will cause us to cleave unto him 6. We are to look upon God as one that is very jealous of us lest we go a whoring after other Lovers we are really idolaters if we love other things more than God and Idolatry is Spiritual Adultery and if Jealousie be the rage of man how much more is the Lords jealousie to be feared we should call that Wife impudent with a witness that should commit lewdness before her Husbands face Spiritual whoredom is never committed but God looks on Oh how daring are the Children of men Think of Gods jealousie when your hearts are about to depart from him and to be taken so exceedingly with the things of the world Hark to the
that there is but an hairs breadth between them and Death between them and Hell and inform them that 't is possible even for the most Profane to be saved if they come and submit to the Lord Jesus and break off their sins by Righteousness 3. O Conscience speak unto the Civilized sinners that trust in their own Righteousness Tell them that the Prophet counted his Righteousnesses as filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. And ask them how they dare to trust in theirs Convince them that 't is not enough to escape the more scandalous wickednesses for the Pharisee was not an Extortioner nor Vnjust nor an Adulterer he Fasted and Prayed and gave Tithes of all that he Possessed and yet all this could not Justifie him Tell them that they are not so whole but they need Christ the Physitian and must needs die without him as well as others Tell them that their very Hearts must be renewed and taken off from sin and the Creature and turned unto God else they must of Necessity perish 4. Speak O Conscience unto Hypocritical Professors tell them that that which is highly esteemed among Men is abomination many times in the sight of God Say to them in the words of the Apostle and be sure to speak home Gal. 6. 7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man Soweth that shall he also Reap He that soweth unto the Flesh shall of the Flesh Reap Corruption Tell them that their Secret sins their secret Intemperance and Uncleanness and Dishonest dealing is set in the Light of Gods Countenance and though they may shut their own Eyes and not see God yet they cannot shut Gods Eyes nor hinder him from seeing them Tell them that Hypocrisie is most hateful and that as Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels so in a special manner for the Hypocrite and the Unbeliever 5. O Conscience speak unto the Rich in this world and tell them how hard 't is for them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and as long as they love the World and desire it more than Communion with God 't is utterly impossible Bid them to think of the Rich Man in the Gospel that went from a great Estate and from a full Table and a brave House and sumptuous Fare unto a place of Torment Put them in mind that the Love of Money is the root of all evil and that wealth has proved unto Millions onely like a weight to sink them into Destruction and perdition Bid them mind a Treasure in Heaven which is infinitely better than Gold and Silver which are Corruptible 6. Speak O Conscience to the Poor and tell them 't will be sad for them to be miserable in both Worlds 't will be sad to receive evil things here and ten thousand times worse hereafter Bid them take heed of Lying and Stealing and trusting in any sinful course for a Livelihood but perswade them to seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness that all other things which are needful may be added to them Mat. 6. 33. Charge them to be Poor in Spirit to be contented with their Condition without murmuring against God or envying at those who have more than themselves and above all things to endeovour that they may be rich towards God Rich in Faith and then they will be Heirs of the Kingdom which the Lord has promised to them that Love him James 2. 5. 7. O Conscience speak unto Traders of all sorts tell them that false Weights and Measures and Balances are an abomination in the sight of God When they are about to Cheat give them a check and assure them that an Estate gotten by fraud is attended with a Curse Be with them in their Shops and at the Exchange observe how they Buy and Sell and examine all their gains bid them to mete the same measure unto others that they would have mete unto themselves and to do as they would be done unto Mat. 7. 12. Tell them that 't is the height of Madness to venture the losing of their Souls for a pound or for a shilling or for Six-pence unjustly gained since Christ who knew the value of Souls says that a Soul is more worth than the World and all the Wealth of it put together 8. Speak O Conscience unto Back-sliders tell them that it had been better for them never to have known the way of Truth and Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them 2 Pet. 2. 21. Call them Dogs for returning to their Vomit and Swine for wallowing again in their former Mire Tell them that where there was but one unclean Spirit before they are likely to be possessed with seven now and the latter end will be worse with them than the beginning 9. O Conscience speak unto them that are truly humbled for sin and are willing to have Christ upon any terms and tell them that God is rich in Mercy ready to forgive freely the Debt of many thousand Talents These are the Sons of Peace and therefore let thy Peace and thy Lords Peace come and abide upon them (m) Futurae beatudinis non est certius testimonium quam bona conscientia mundus enim volubilitate circumvoletur ploret ridea pereat transeat nunquam conscientia mercessit Bernard lib. de Conscen c. 4. Those that mourn for their Iniquities and hate every false way and are desirous to be washed and Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as Justified and reconciled by his Blood oh be sure to comfort them tell them that the Lord will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax untill he send forth Judgment unto Victory Mat. 12. 20. Bid them not to be cast down not to be disquieted but to hope in the Lord and praise him who is so nigh to them that are of broken Heart and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit 10. Lastly O Conscience speak one word to the Preacher himself and speak effectually Thou that Teachest others be sure to Teach and Learn thy self Practice not the sins thou cryest out against neglect not the Duties thou urgest others to perform Be not like those who dig in Mines and enrich others but are poor themselves Or like that Statue in Greece which shewed the way to Thebes and Athens but it self stirred not Oh take heed lest after thou hast Preached Christ and Conscience unto others thou thy self be found a cast-away FINIS A Poem out of Mr. George Herbert Called Longing pag. 142 143 144 145. WIth sick and Famisht Eyes With doubling Knees and weary Bones To thee my cries To thee my groans To thee my sighs my Tears ascend No end My Throat my Soul is hoarse My heart is wither'd like a ground Which thou dost curse My thoughts turn round And make me giddy Lord I fall Yet call From thee all pity flows Mothers are kind because thou art And dost dispose To them apart Their Infants them and they suck thee More free Bowels of pity hear Lord of my Soul love of my mind Bow down thine ear Let not the wind Scatter my words and in the same Thy Name Look on my sorrows round Mark well my Furnace O what flames What heats abound What griefs what shames Consider Lord Lord bow thine ear And hear Lord Jesu thou didst bow Thy dying head upon the Tree O be not now More dead to me Lord hear Shall he that made the ear Not hear Behold thy dust doth stir It moves it creeps it aims at thee Wilt thou deferr To succour me Thy pile of dust wherein each crumb Says Come To thee help appertains Hast thou left all things to their course And laid the reins Upon the horse Is all lockt hath a sinners plea No key Indeed the World 's thy book Where all things have their leaf assign'd Yet a meek look Hath interlin'd Thy board is full yet humble guests Find nests Thou tarriest while I die And fall to nothing thou dost reign And rule on high While I remain In bitter grief yet I am I stil'd Thy child Lord didst thou leave thy throne Not to relieve how can it be That thou art grown Thus hard to me Were sin alive good cause there were To bear But now both sin is dead And all thy promises live and bide That wants his head These speak and chide And in thy bosome pour my tears As theirs Lord JESU heal my heart Which hath been broken now so long That ev'ry part Hath got a tongue Thy beggers grow rid them away To day My love my sweetness hear By these thy feet at which my heart Lies all the year Pluck out thy dart And heal my troubled brest which cries Which dyes