the troubles they underwent For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world I think the Psalmist points at this truth too where he saith Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darknesse c. Psal 112.4 By the darknesse I conceive he meanes troubles and injuries from wicked men which because they are more vehement then many other troubles are the mercies of the wicked being cruelties the Psalmist else-where calls them the sorrows of hell as here he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the darknesse now in this darknesse though the darknesse that is very sharpe misery yet there ariseth light in it by light I conceive is here meant comfort and joy from conscience giving testimony concerning their uprightnesse as attended with the spirit of glory and of God as Peter calls the holy Spirit of consolation If you conceive not this Scripture plaine enough to consent with my Text read Davids language in the seventh Psal 10,11 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day As if David had said This is my comfort in the midst of all the troubles and feares I am in that my conscience tells me my conversation in the world hath beene lead according to the dictate of an upright heart no way injurious to these sonnes of Belial which labour to be every way injurious to me and therefore I am sure that God which is alwaies a defence unto the upright will be a defence unto me God considers the waies of the upright and smiles upon their soules to their great consolation when the world frownes this I sinde by experience but rotten wretches God is continually angry with and this he will first or last I am sure make them to know with a witnesse Salomon likewise consents to this as a truth to wit That the testimony of conscience concerning the simplicity of mans conversation will yeeld him joy in the midst of troubles as we may collect from his language Prov. 15.23 A man hath joy saith he by the answer of his mouth When a man upon every occasion speakes sincerely conscience within cheares and comforts a man whatsoever followes upon plaine dealing to the outward man 'T is me thinkes as if Salomon had said Let a man speake sincerely upon all occasions and he shall be sure to finde his conscience comfort him in the midst of all troubles that may follow upon it Troubles are either naturall or accidentall Naturall troubles I call such as man is borne unto by reason of sin By the fall of Adam man is horne to troubles as the sparkes slie upward Iob 5.7 to troubles in body in soule in husband in wife in children in servants in kindred in friends in substance in all things that are given man for his good To the just as well as unjust come troubles in all these onely here is the difference consciousnesse of simplicity and sincerity sweetens all those to the godly whereas the wicked must swallow them in their full bitternesse That conscience which tells a man that in simplicity and godly sincerity he hath had his conversation in the world will also tell him that all troubles in the flesh shall worke together for the good of his Spirit and that God will give strength to beare them and a seasonable deliverance out of them and this sweetens these bitters That conscience which tells a man that in simplicity and godly sincerity he hath ordered his conversation in the world will tell him also that 't is a wise and gracious Father that doth thus and thus afflict him yea conscience now and then shewes the soule the bright beames of Gods smiling countenance that he may see that 't is indeed a reconciled father which doth afflict and this like Jonathans honey revives much and fetches life in swooning fits under great troubles That conscience which told Iob that he was sincere told him also in the midst of all his troubles that his Redeemer lived and he should see him with his fleshly eyes moreover it told him that when God had tryed him that she should come forth as gold This sugared his bitter potion and sweetned every bitter drugge he took The like may be said of David his conscience told him that he was upright and this conscience told him also that God was his God Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee Psal 118.28 and that God would light his candle and enlighten his darknesse * Ps 18.28 that is turne all his sorrowes into joy and his troubles into advantages and this made every burthen easie Thus we see that consciousnesse to our selves of the simplicity of our course yeelds comfort in all troubles for sinnes sake which I call naturall troubles Troubles caused by religion and religious walking which I call accidentall troubles because by accident not of its proper nature religion exasperates wicked men against us these I conceive my text principally points at and as for all these though the fiercest kind of troubles and therefore called by David the sorrowes of hell yet if a Christian hath but the voice of conscience with him that he hath walked simply sincerely in the world this will keepe his head above water though these waves be never so tempestuous this will make a man sing in a dungeon at midnight as Paul and Silas did this will make a man smile in fiery flames as many of the Martyrs did this will make a man alwaies rejoyce in the midst of all sorrowes as sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 Sorrowfull alwaies were the Apostles of Christ such hard usage they alwaies met withall from the world for the Gospels sake and yet in the midst of all joyfull because of that sweet peace which their consciences spoke unto them that they were not such as the world judged them to be but were simple and sincere in life and doctrine and so this Scripture sounds the same in sense and substance with my text For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world You have seene now in what troubles the testimony of conscience concerning a mans simplicity will rejoyce a Christian I will in the next place shew you what rejocying 'tis that the testimony of conscience will yeeld a man in trouble Joy is either sensuall or spirituall Sensuall joy is a meere and naked joy in the creature so farre as it pleaseth the senses Of this joy speakes Solomon where he saith that he with-held his heart from no joy Eccl. 2.10 That is any thing that might delight any sense he got to him he had men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sonnes
like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure saith the Apostle A thousand wiles hath the Divell to corrupt our simplicity and he is more laborious about this then about any designe against the soule of man The divell is not so laborious to make a breach upon a mans faith or patience or the like as upon a mans sincerity because he knowes that every breach made upon this is a stab to the heart which wil kill the soule for ever if God do not admirably cure it If labour will accomplish this designe the divell will not neglect that he goes about seeking whom he may devoure If terrours and affrightments will accomplish this designe the Divell will roare like a Lyon against a mans soule as if he would teare him to pieces and suddenly throw him into that bottomelesse pit without all redemption If flattery will be more prevalent then terrour to bring about this designe the divell will transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and promise us all the Kingdomes of the World to winde us about to him 2 And as the divell is laborious about this designe so he hath many Apostate children such as have lost that good that they seemed to have and these as their father being more like their father then any of all his children beside labour tooth and naile not onely passively by example but actively by promises and threatnings especially in these last daies to turne aside soules from simplicity in doctrine and manners and by their divellish craft have turned away many so that many have made shipwracke of faith and a good conscience and are gone in the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor that arch hypocrit studying and labouring to mischieve Gods people for preferments and honours in the world speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with an hot iron And therefore 't is but needfull and seasonable that I exhort you to looke to your spirits and take heed of these bitter rootes that ye be not defiled by them Remember what God saith by the Prophet Ezekiel When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse which he hath done and committeth iniquity all the righteousnesse which he hath done shall not be mentioned but in his trespasse which he hath trespassed and in his sinne which he hath sinned in that shall he die Ezek. 18.24 And if once you wax weary of well doing and decline sincere walking all thy former integrity shall not so much as once be mentioned to thy comfort but to thy terrour often shall it be by way of upbraiding mentioned to thy conscience here and to the aggravation of thy condemnation hereafter as one that hast tasted of the powers of the world to come of the sweetnesse of the spirit of grace and yet after this hast grieved opposed and done despight against it Having therefore put your hand to the plough looke not backe having begun in the spirit doe not end in the flesh having begun to order your conversation sincerely and uprightly so continue unto the death what ever you undergoe in life All afflictions for righteousnesse sake shall be tollerable comfortable and at last augment your crowne They shall be tollerable when at height for no triall shall be above your strength God is faithfull by whom you are tempted who will with the temptation shew a way to escape 2 They shall not onely be tollerable but they shall be also comfortable when at the very height For as the afflictions of Christ abound in you so shall your consolations abound by Christ as the Apostle saith The prereception of bitters makes sweets the sweeter 3 Finally they shall be profitable to augment your crowne of glory in the life to come Blessed are ye when persecuted for righteousnesse sake for great shall be your reward in heaven saith Christ And this reward shall come quickly which addes to the worth and excellency of it Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me wherefore hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne Revel 3.11 FINIS 2 COR. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards THâ—… second proposition now in order to be handled is this That conscience can give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of a mans conversation Pauls conscience gave testimony with him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had behaved himselfe in preaching and living in life and doctrine as a faithfull Minister of Christ ought to doe So likewise his conscience bore witnesse with him concerning his sincere and holy desires towards his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish my selfe were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.1 Iobs conscience also gave testimony concerning his integrity Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know mine integrity By this and many such like expressions of his 't is most plaine that his conscience could give testimony concerning his conversation what it was whether good or bad Davids conscience did the like Thou O Lord shalt judge the people judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse according to mine integrity that is in me Psal 7.8 A large induction of particulars to this purpose might easily be made but I rather take another way to confirme this point The truth of this point I conceive will be better confirmed and opened by setting before you what conscience is and then you will plainely see what conscience can doe and doth doe in the soule of man Conscience is better felt then defined for ought that I can yet finde among the learned Conscience is a part of the understanding in all reasonable creatures determining of their particular actions either with them or against them say some Conscience is a reflection of the soule upon it selfe say others Conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to beare witnesse with or against him First conscience say I is a naturall power c. My meaning is conscience is an ability wherewith God indowed the soule of man by creation as with other gifts and abilities for his comfort it he walked well for his terrour if he walked ill We may not imagine that conscience came not into the world untill after Adams fall this were to suppose Adam in Paradise to be a man without conscience Conscience indeed as an accuser and condemner came not into the world untill after Adams fall but conscience as
an accuser acquiter and comforter was in Adam before his fall As long as Adam obeyed the commandement of God there was no cause that conscience should accuse him but as soone as he disobeyed Gods commandement conscience flew in his face as appeares by his flying from the face of God Which plainely shewes us this truth that conscience was in Adam before his fall but did not begin to accuse ' til Adam began to sin Secondly conscience say I is a naturall power which the joule of man hath c. Now whether this power be in the understanding onely or partly in the understanding and partly in the will I finde controverted amongst the learned My opinion I here humbly lay downe but I undertake not to state and determine the controversie This power we speak of I conceive to be a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely transcendently seconded by the power of the holy Ghost Saint Iohn confirmes the first that it is a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely where speaking of this power in the soule saith And hereby we doe know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 That is as if Iohn had said We doe view our waies by the word of God which is an act onely of the understanding and finding them to be in some measure levell with that holy rule we have this comfortable reflection backe upon our soules that our faith is not a fancy but a faith which worketh by love and so sincere and saving which reflection is no other as I conceive but an act of the understanding collecting a divine conclusion from divine premises He that keepeth Gods Commandements knoweth God savingly that he may safely conclude but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this I know for I have viewed the Commandements of God and my life by them and therefore I know that is I am assured that I truely and savingly know God which is no other but that power in the soule which we call conscience The Apostle Saint Paul I conceive confirmes the second that it is a reflect act of the understanding transcendently seconded by the holy Ghost where he saith My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 That is my conscience transcendantly seconded and assisted by the holy Ghost doth strongly testifie to my soule that I am full of bowels towards my kinsmen after the flesh and could doe any thing or suffer any thing for their good The order according to which the holy Ghost strikes in with conscience is this The understanding makes a double proposition one grounded in the word of God the other in the heart of man as thus He that keepeth the Commandements of God truely loves God this proposition is grounded in the word of God but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this is grounded in the heart of man And then drawes a conclusion from both therefore I doe truely love God This conclusion whilst holy and drawne from divine premises to wit the word of God and the grace of God in the heart of man the Spirit of God strikes in with the soule in making this conclusion and assists the weake soule so that he concludes thus with strong confidence that he truely loves God and not onely secretly assistes but seconds and saies the same thing to man that his owne spirit doth Then is fulfilled that of the Apostle the Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God If the premisses be corrupt which the understanding makes for the minde makes propositions suitable to the light that is in it from which to argue the goodnesse or badnesse of man then the Divell that lying spirit strikes in and seconds the soule in that corrupt conclusion which he collects from corrupt principles concerning himselfe So that now the deluded soule is peremptory and wiser then ten men that give a reason in these is fulfilled that of the Apostle Their minds and consciences being defiled Thirdly I affirme conscience to be a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures c. Bruite beasts have no conscience and yet they better serve God in their kind then many of us which have conscience Bruit beasts want reason and therefore are not capable subjects of conscience and yet against reason and against conscience man ofttimes does worse then a beast Fourthly conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to bear witnesse with or against him By the former part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its being in the soule It is a naturall power c. By the latter part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its office in the soule The office of conscience according to the description here given consists in two things First conscience compares a mans waies by some rule Secondly Conscience beares witnesse with or against a man according as a mans waies agree or disagree with that rule First say I conscience compares a mans waies by some rule If the understanding be enlightened with the truth to wit the word of God then conscience compares the waies of man by a perfect rule to wit the word of God But if the understanding be inlightned with naturall and morall principles onely then conscience compares a mans waies according to these principles only and so by an imperfect rule For 't is my judgment with submission to better that conscience in every man followes that light which the understanding holds up unto it This I know that a man may and often doth goe against conscience but conscience goes not against that light which the understanding holds up unto it A man may outwardly say this or that contrary to the light of his understanding but conscience inwardly speakes at the same time according to that light I will further cleare this unto you by an apt example Paul you know zealously persecuted the Church of God and his conscience for ought that I can finde never checkt him but doubtlesse rather acquitted him for it I meane as long as he remained unconverted And the reason I thinke is sufficiently rendred where 't is said that he did it ignorantly That is according to that light which his understanding held up unto him he thought he did God good service in sheading the blood of his Saints which me thinkes makes manifest what I say that conscience still followes the light of the understanding The Apostle Paul persecuted the Church of God and yet obtained mercie because saith the text he did it ignorantly hee did out of conscience as I may say shead the blood of the Saints But now the most men have received the knowledge of the truth therefore if now men persecute the Saints of
testimony of conscience with them at the great day of account That in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Under the old covenant God had a Tabernacle of witnesse which was the inner Court where the Arke was in which the Law was to give testimony against the Israelites when they did evill So God hath now under the new covenant a Tabernacle of witnesse and this is the inner Court to wit the heart where conscience is to give testimony against us when we transgresse And therefore let us set a watch upon our hearts and tongues and hands and intreat God with David to hold up our goings in his pathes that our foot-steps slip not Psal 17.5 I note this because I see multitudes live as if there were neither conscience nor God nor Divell Heaven nor Hell The speech of the Prophet of old may I sitly here make use of Men were then so audaciously wicked that the very shew of their countenance did testifie against them they declared their sinnes as Sodome and hid them not Woe unto their soule saith God they have rewarded evill unto themselves Isa 3.9 Thus may I say of multitudes amongst us now The very shew of their countenance doth testifie against them The wanton eye the fiery eye the drousie walling eye the burly Malmsey nose the painted face Anticke postures gestures and fashions doe all as Iobs wrinkles in his face testifie against thousands that they little lay to heart this doctrine That conscience can speake and tell all their doings to God Proud Hamans time-serving Doegs drunken Nabals whorish Iesabels scoffing Ishmaels declare their sinnes as Sodome and hide them not and as for conscience turne him off with a glasse of Sacke and a Play-house But let me say to these wretches with the Prophet Woe unto their soules for they have rewarded evill unto themselves You have made a long blacke bloody bill for conscience to open against you the last day of this Terme to wit at death which shall be tried the first day of the next Terme to wit as soone as you are out of the body and then will conscience give testimony so strongly against you that if you would give ten thousand Rivers of Oyle nay if you would give the fruit of your bodie for the sinne of your soule it shall doe no good the cause shall goe against you and sentence shall be past upon you and then shall you know by woefull experience the meaning of that place Rom. 2.5 But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Wherefore three things I would give in counsell to you all seeing conscience can give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of mans waies suspend him not sleight not his language but give diligent attention to what he saith Let us not stop the mouth of conscience seeing he can speake and tell us what we are Many there are that labour to stop the mouth of conscience when he tels them plainely of their sinnes and to destroy that divine power which conscience hath to speake in them and to them The Apostle Peter gives us a hint of these where he saith Scoffers shall come in the last time and shall say where is the promise of his comming For this saith he they are willingly ignorant of that by the world of God the Heaveni were of old 2 Pet. 3.5 When conscience told those scoffers that would live in their sinnes and scoffed at the day of judgement saying where is the promise of his comming that God made the world by his word and drowned it quickly by his Word when it was overspread with wilfull wickednesse and therefore you have like cause to looke for like swift misery for as much as you are so wilfully and desperately wicked This sharpe and plaine language of conscience they could not indure and therefore willingly laboured to darken this divine light and to silence this faithfull House-Chaplaine Thus 't is with many sinners now Conscience now and then delivers stinging language to their soules for such and such sinnes and then they set to lift this faithfull Monitor out of his place and because they cannot possibly doe this being so immediately inducted by God they strive to gagge his mouth and kill him by running wilfully into wickednesse against all checkes and reproofes of conscience and friends as men desperately resigning up their soules to the divell because God will not humour and satisfie them in their owne waies and so ship wracke faith conscience soule and all for ever That which oft-times followes upon this is selfe-stabbing selfe-drowning selfe-hanging selfe-poysoning and the like This is crying wickednesse and incurable wickednesse 'T is crying wickednesse to strive to gagge and kill conscience 'T is Dei-cidium to murder God Conscience is no other but Gods Vicegerent in the soule or rather Gods judiciary presence in the soule So farre forth therefore as a man wilfully doth injury to this he doth commit high treason against the King of Heaven 'T is to stab the Judge of all the world as he sits upon the Bench speaking Law and Justice which very nature abhorres as desperatly divellish And 't is incurable wickednesse for 't is to destroy the first medium of conversion by which the holy Ghost workes in man to gagge and kill conscience The first thing that the Spirit of God doth when he come to convert a sinner is to convince his conscience and to make that sting him for his sinnes and then stirre him up to long after and to seeke for Christ and then gives faith in Christ and so saves the sinner Now he that strives to silence conscience undermines his owne salvation in the very foundation and first stone thereof He doth wilfully and wickedly prevent his owne soule of all the good that God doth in this way to bring sinners home to himselfe Thou doest little consider O desperate wretch what great wickednesse thou committest that strivest to gagge and kill conscience Thou committest double murther in a spirituall sense which is murther of the highest kind thou doest murther God and thine owne soule And therefore I beseech you all to take heed of this practice Seeing God hath given conscience ability and parts to speake let him speake freely though he speake never so sharply and plainely and doe not check him 2 Nay doe not sleight him which is the next thing I would a little presse upon you A man that can speake and speake to good purpose though he be an enemy we so farre honour him as to let him speake out fully what he hath to say and not turn away the eare from him give but this honour to conscience Many deale with conscience as Felix did with Paul he willingly heard Paul a while concerning the faith of Christ but when he came to reason of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come
of men Thus to order a mans conversation is to live sensually and not sincerely and therefore conscience gives testimony against this man and not with him and so consequently checks and curbs this joy and not causeth it conscience dampes this mirth much by griping the spirit now and then in the midst of laughter Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God as reconciled in Christ Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God c. Divine joy is therefore called spirituall because the subject of it is a spirit and the object of it is a spirit and all the manifestations of it spirituall The subject of divine joy is the spirit of man Divine joy doth not take onely the eare or the eye or the taste or the smell as carnall joy doth but the heart Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal 105.3 The heart is broken for sinne and this is made to rejoyce in Gods mercy as a pardoner of sinne the same bones which are broken are made to rejoyce Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thout hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51.8 Davids heart was so overcharged with sorrow that his bones were ready to breake in his body and in this he desired some divine refreshing that so all things out of order might be quieted and composed againe As sorrow is no sorrow unlesse it take the heart so joy is no joy unlesse it warme the Spirit And therefore saith David My soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation Psal 35.9 God doth honour that in man with joy with which man honours him by obedience now the soule of the upright obeyes God My Soule hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 19.167 and therefore God made Davids soule to rejoyce I delight to doe thy will O God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal 40.8 The Law of God was within Davids heart and therefore the joy of God was within his heart too Hypocrits doe not with their soules keepe Gods testimonies their righteousnesse is like Ephraims an outside righteousnesse that vanisheth and so answerably God giveth them an outside superficiall joy that soone vanisheth and perisheth They doe not set their hearts aright to obey God as David useth the expression Psal 78.8 and therefore God doth not tune and set their joy aright so that it jarres at the best their spirits and their faces are not alwaies merry together in the midst of laughter their hearts gripe them Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly and oft-times immediately Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly when at lowest A dram a sparkle the least measure of divine joy that can be thought of revives and makes glad the whole Spirit of man as a drop of strong water warmes the whole heart Hence 't is that David when he had but a drop of divine joy distilled into his heart as 't is but a drop of this heavenly liquor that our weake giddy soules can beare whilst here below presently he breakes out as a man warmed all over I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous workes Psal 9.1 The like phrase you shall finde David often speaking in David found his whole heart warmed by those sparkles of divine joy which God strooke in his darke dolorous heart and this fetcht life in him still when ready to faint and swoon and then all he returned to God againe which he gave him God warmed his whole heart with joy and he returned his whole heart to God in thankesgiving Divine joy warmes all that is within and all that is without soule and body and sets both at worke to praise God Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 All that was within David was warmed with divine joy and therefore all that was within him he would have should returne thankes and praise unto the Lord. Elsewhere he cals upon all without him And my soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation this is for all within him then in the next verse saith he All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Psal 35.9,10 Divine joy warmes all that is within a man and all that is without it warmes Spirit flesh and bones the whole man and sets all on fire to praise the Lord. As divine joy takes the Spirit wholly so it oft-times seises upon the Spirit immediately breaking forth in the heart as lightning without any certaine knowne medium by which to come into the soule David doth darkly hint this where he saith Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Psal 86.4 Thou needest not this to speake in or that creature to worke by to revive a drooping Spirit as if the Psalmist had said thou canst put joy and gladnesse into the sad soule of man by thine owne immediate worke as well as if forty Ministers were imployed this I beleeve that none without thee can rejoyce me but thou without any other canst doe it and therefore unto thee doe I lift up my soule Sometimes God doth worke by secondary meanes and inferiour instruments to rejoyce the soules of mourning sinners as David would have comforted Hanun by his messengers at other times he will make use of none but his owne Spirit to beare witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God and walke before him as obedient children and so rejoyces the soules of his people in troubles Thus did God rejoyce the soule of Paul and Timothy in their troubles and sorrowes by the Almighty worke of his Spirit he assured their spirits that they were his and that their waies were pleasing to him which made them thus to speake in the midst of miseries Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Secondly divine joy is called spirituall because the object of it is a spirit The object of divine joy is God who is a Spirit saith John Divine joy hath God for its immediate object and all other good things as beames of this Sunne as streams from this fountaine as mediat objects comming from and relating to God God alone is the object of divine joy Most true 't is that God hath alwaies in his right hand Heaven and in his left hand earth to wit all the Kingdomes of this world to bestow upon whom he will but had he neither or would he part with neither to any beside himselfe but keepe all in his owne hand yet an upright man would joy in him and desire no better object to let out his affections upon Although the Figge tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olives shall faile and the
Psalmist useth the expressions in relation to the hypocrit the man concerning whom I here treat of Psal 120.4 Wherefore I would exhort all you that are unsound at heart to beg upright hearts at the hands of God that you may walke uprightly and so have the testimony of conscience with you to rejoyce you in all your troubles You labour by hooke and by crooke to get wealth to stand by you and to comfort you in troubles and this will prove gravell in your bellies to torture you as Salomon affirmeth so farre will it be from comforting you in troubles The testimony of conscience concerning your sincerity is better then all the wealth in the world to stand by you and to revive you in troubles You flatter and faune turne and wind shuffle and shift to get great men to be your friends to stand by you and to comfort you in troubles and alasse their favour is a vapour as unconstant as the wind Walke sincerely and conscience will be a faithfull friend for you to the death yea after death in judgement If thou hadst the favour of all the Princes in the world yet could not they procure for thee a dram of comfort in sicknes in death or in judgment conscience in all these times can and will procure for thee not onely drams but flaggons of consolation if thou walke sincerely Conscience is an incomparable friend or foe in sicknesse death and judgement The blindnesse and folly of man above all other creatures is much to be wondred at he hunts after things which are not as Salomon saith to be comforters to him and takes no paines to procure that which will indeed be stable and abiding comfort to him in all states Riches and honours and friends all the things of this life they are called by Solomon things that are not because they are not such things as the blind heart of man conceives them to be he thinkes they are sufficient to make him happy and they are not so The least fit of sicknesse will non-plus all these things for reviving the soule Vaine man like that foole thinkes that he hath comfort enough for many yeares that is for all his life when he hath great revenews in the world and therefore sings a requiem to his soule as if there needed no other thing to the tranquillity of the Spirit throughout a mans life but wordly things and alasse these things are not abiding but still upon the wing ready to flee from us and if they were abiding yet they are not satisfying and therefore Solomon calls them vanity and vexation to the Spirit Conscience is a lasting friend and a substantiall friend to the spirit of man A friend that hath such waters of life which will revive the soule in the greatest extremities and he is a fountaine made by God that will never wax dry So that the soule as long as she keepes her selfe sincere shall never be without a spring of joy boiling up day and night within her And this joy is not a low prised commodity a thing little worth 't is called in Scripture a joy of the Lord such a joy of God as is the strength of man When the Levits had opened the Law unto the people their consciences were awakened and smote them so that they wept saith the text and weakened and unfitted themselves for the duties of the day and therefore the Levits were faine to comfort them that conscience might take hold on something to worke joy in them which is the strength of the soule unto the duty of thanksgiving which was the speciall worke of that day As an accusing condemning conscience secretly consumes spirits and strength of soule and body and when attended onely with a legall spirit begets such a horrid griefe in the heart of man as unfits for the highest and noblest service of God So an acquitting conscience doth exhilarate and revive the soule and as being attended with an evangelicall spirit begets such a joy in the heart as tunes strengthens it unto all divine duties especially unto thankesgiving which is the highest hardest divine lesson that can be played upon the heart of fallen man but makes the sweetest melody in the eares of God of all divine lessons committed to man to learne If thou then wouldst be a sweet singer in Israel a man apt and able to that which God most loves walke so that conscience may still be an acquitter within thee if this accuse and condemne thee 't will put every string in thy heart out of tune consume thy spirits make thy living a continuall dying yet death undesirable Secondly divine joy is called in Scripture an exceeding joy I am exceeding jayfull in all our tribulations saith Paul 2 Cor. 7.4 The joy which conscience gives to an upright man in all tribulations for uprightnesse sake is an exceeding joy a joy that doth farre more take content and delight the soule then any other joy can doe so the Apostle explaines this clause by that which goes before it in the same verse I am filled with comfort saith he I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations Conscience gives such a joy to the soule in tribulations that sils the soule with comfort which is more then all the sweets and delights of this world can doe The delights of this life they doe not reach the soule of man they reach no further then the externall senses so farre are they from filling the soule with comfort and yet they doe not fill nor satisfie these neither for the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing nor the nose with smelling nor the tongue with tasting nor the hand with handling 'T is but a tyring and not a satisfying joy that all outward things bring to the outward senses That joy which onely the externall senses bring into the soule Salomon calls madnesse as not worthy of the name of joy because it reaches not the spirit of man as rationall but as meerely sensitive The joy which conscience brings into the soule doth not barely reach the soule but it filles it and satisfies it My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse my mouth shall praise thee with joy full lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate upon thee in the night watches Psal 63.5.6 If thou wilt live all thy daies with the joy of a bruit with a meere sensuall outside spiritlesse vaine vexing joy then thou needs not take paines to order thy conversation sincerely to get thy conscience to testifie w th thee but if thou wouldst live all thy daies in the joy of a man that beares the Image of God then must thou strive so to walke that conscience may beare witnes that thou art sincere The Scripture doth not stay here but calls divine joy everlasting which is an attribute so high that it leads us necessarily to the originall to wit God who is everlasting As hell is a place of everlasting
sorrow to all that be in it because a river of Brimstone from an everlasting fountaine runnes to it so heaven which is begun in joy upon earth to wit in the hearts of the upright 't is everlasting because fresh streames of consolation continually come from an everlasting fountaine to wit God God alwaies seconds conscience in him that is sincere with such a glorious power as Saint Paul calls it that though he be alwaies in sorrowes for Christs sake yet he is alwaies rejoycing As sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 You may many waies cause sorrow to an upright man but yet joy will live in all and outlive all his sorrowes You may set on fire the body of an upright man and consume that but you can never set on fire his joy and consume that You may various waies kill a sincere man but you can no way kill his joy as long as he holds fast his integrity The joy that conscience gives to the soule of man upon testimony of his sincerity 't will live in fire 't will live in water 't will live in this land 't will live in any land famine cannot starve it plague cannot infect it the sword cannot murther it the racke cannot teare it 't is very healthy 't is long-lived 't will never die 't is from heaven and will abide with the soule untill he come to heaven and then will be consummated to give full solace to the soule for ever If then thou wouldst have joy to sticke bythee in health in sicknesse in peace in warre in plenty in famine in honour in disgrace in liberty in bonds in life in death and eternally after death walke so that thy conscience may say that thou art simple and sincere in thy conversation The Scripture stayes not here but calls divine joy unspeakeable and full of glory As that joy which just men made perfect inherit is beyond conception so that it cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive of it so that joy which conscience gives to upright men in troubles 't is beyond expression the tongue of man cannot fully expresse it I doe not affirme that the heart of man cannot fully conceive it though possibly it may be so 'T is joy unspeakeable strong stronger and more vehement then the joy of worldlings when Corn and Wine and Oyle increase and yet 't is hard to expresse how much joy an earthy heart hath in great earthly increase 'T is joy unspeakeable sweet so that he which tastes of this joy tastes no more sweetnesse in sensuall things then in the white of an egge 't is sweeter then the Honey or the Honey-combe that is sweeter and more pleasing to the soule then all the delights of this life to the carnall heart and yet 't is hard to expresse how sweet and pleasing sensuall delights are to the carnall heart of man 'T is joy unspeakeable pure as David saith that the feare of the Lord is cleane so I may say that the joy of the Lord which he gives to man upon the testimony of conscience concerning his sincerity 't is cleane that is 't is pure unspeakeable pure and holy What was said of the generation of Christ that may be said of the generation of divine joy Who can declare his generation saith the Scripture of Christ so may I say Who can declare the generation of divine joy 'T is begotten in the heart as Christ was in Maries wombe to wit by the holy Ghost 't is shead abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost 't is continually nourished and cherished by the holy Ghost It fils the heart full of holy thoughts the mouth full of holy words and the hand full of holy deeds It is immediatly from heaven and makes a man have his conversation in heaven whilst on earth 'T is joy unspeakeably precious a dramme of it is more worth then the world a damned soule in hell would give ten thousand worlds if there were so many for the least droppe of this cooling comforting liquor to asswage his scorching torments but for a moment It hath heaven in it with which what can be compared for worth 'T is joy unspeakeable and full of glory The smiling face of God which is more glorious then the Sunne may be seene in it so diaphanous is it 'T is joy unspeakably lasting whereas all other joyes die when man dies if not long before this joy lives as long as the soule and God lives Labour then so to live that conscience may testifie before God and you that you are sincere and so leade your soules into that unspeakeable joy which will make you unspeakeably happy I have now a word or two to you which walke sincerely and uprightly in this world so I shut up this point If you doe not yet finde experimentally the truth of this point to wit your consciences causing you to rejoyce in the midst of your troubles by alively testifying your integrity to you then by prayer plead your integrity to God and intreat him so transcendently to second conscience with his glorious power which worketh in us that your hearts may be revived under every pressure for pieties sake Thus David was forc'd to doe sometimes to wit pleade his integrity to finde the benefit of it in troubles for God will be sought unto for every good thing though we be never so sincere Let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me for I waite on thee Psal 25.21 David you see was put to it to plead his integrity to God to obtaine the benefit of it in troubles and thus must we still doe if we finde our hearts to droope in troubles although we are conscious to our selves of our upright and innocent conversation Say Lord thou knowest that I have walked uprightly as concerning this thing and that about which I am troubled and therefore doe thou stand up in my heart and second my conscience by the Almighty power of thy holy Spirit and make it speak peace so lively and so gloriously within mee that I may rejoyce in this tribulation for thy sake that I may finde my integrity as a cordiall to me to keepe me from fainting in my mind and from stretching out tongue or hand to iniquity If you finde the comfortable testimony of conscience reviving and rejoycing you in your troubles then blesse God with David that he hath enabled you so to walk in this wretched world as to have the voice of conscience with you that you are sincere 'T is of God that we walk uprightly a moment did not he stand by us and watch over our deceitfull hearts and uphold our goings in his paths wee should shew our selves hypocriticall wretches in all our wayes God is my strength and power and hee maketh my way perfect Psal 28.32 When the lively testimony of conscience concerning Davids integrity had rejoyced and raised his dull spirit then he tooke wing and made his soule mount up to heaven like an Eagle to magnifie God
sorrowes are the strongest The sorrowes of hell compassed me saith the Psalmist To turne aside from uprightnesse and holinesse was the practice of the evill angels for whom hell was first founded and therefore God doth borrow some sorrowes from thence to punish such sinnes in his children which carry a neere similitude to their sinne that similes vitio may be similes supplicio like in sinne may be like in punishment The sorrowes which God inflicts upon revolters for similitude sake are called the sorrowes of hell The sorrowes of hell God distributeth in anger as Job saith How oft is tho candle of the wicked put out and oft commeth their destruction upon them God â—istributeth sorrowes in his anger Ioh. 21.17 So the sorrowes which God distributeth to his people when they turne aside from their sincere walking are from God as with an angry frowning visard upon his face as if he were indeed very angry as indeed he is with the sinne though not with the person of the godly for he hates sinne in all with a perfect hatred The sorrowes which God will distribute to thee by accusing conscience when thou haltest shall be such as in which thou shalt see nothing but the angry face of God and this will make thee tremble sorrow as the Lord speakes of the Babylonians Jer. 51.29 as the very damned in hell doe as one that feeleth the very sorrowes of hell to compasse thee God looking angerly upon the earth it trembleth saith the Psalmist Psal 104.32 The earth is the vastest and gravest body under Heaven and therefore least apt to shaking the foundations of it were laid by Gods owne immediat hand and yet if God doe but looke angerly upon this firme stable body so transcendantly founded it trembleth how much more then needs must man which is but a little dust of that grave vast body shake and tremble when God as an angry God lookes upon him Secondly the sorrowes of hell are such as principally torture the spirit The fire which we make can onely burne and torture the bodies of men because this onely of man is materiall Igris socalis iâ—… material â—on â—…quit Phâ—loâ—…phâ—… immaterials as the soules of men are our fire cannot fasten upon but that strange fire which God hath kindled in hell for all that disobey him burnes the soules of men though immateriall substances Nay so strange is that fire that it burnes these immateriall substances most fiercely as being the most sinfull part of man for 't is onely sinne that pitches and defiles the soule and makes it combustible which otherwise would never burne if all the fiery artists of hell did blow the bellowes Now just such is that fire which conscience kindles upon the breach of integrity to wit a fire that principally tortures the spirit of man a fire that burnes inwardly and consumes the marrow of the bones and drinkes up the spirits The arrowes which conscience shootes in upon a man upon the breach of sincerity are such as pierce principally the spirit As long as Iob was patient under Gods hand he felt the arrowes of the Almighty onely without him as I may say to wit in his body in his children and substance but when he brake out and cursed his day he presently complaines that he felt the arrowes of God within him that the poison of them did drinke up his spirits Iob 6.4 All that which before he felt without was nothing to that which he now felt within upon his spirit as the torments which damned wretches shall suffer in their bodies are nothing to those which shall continually flee up and downe within their soules So David after he had made breaches in his integrity God filled his loines with loathsome diseases but this was nothing to speake of God made things strike into his heart and then he roared I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart David felt paines gather about his heart and then he cries out The heart is the marke that God principally aimes at when a Christian hath turned aside from his upright course other outward parts he may hit and deepely wound but this is but to make holes into the heart where the seat of unsoundnesse that principally offends him is The fire which conscience kindles it may flash forth into the eyes and tongue and hands and make a man looke fearefully speake desperately and doe bloodily against the body but the heate of the fire is principally within in the furnace in the spirit 't is but some sparkles and flashes onely that you see come forth at the lower holes of the Furnace which you behold in the eyes words and deeds of such men Thirdly the sorrowes of hell are torturing but yet not such as utterly consume and end the soule The fire which we make let it fasten on never so hard a thing yet it will consume it in length of time But that strange fire that God hath kindled in hell for all that disobey him though it burne with the greatest fiercenesse that can be conceived yet it never consumes the soules of those that are now burned in it no nor yet the bodies that shall hereafter be burned in it Damned soules are ever burning and yet never burned ever a consuming and yet never consumed and this addes infinitely to the misery of the damned Even such is that sire which conscience kindles in the soule of man upon the breach of integrity 'T is a fire that will burne and torture the soule day and night but never consume it He-man complaines that this fire burnt so fiercely in his soule that it distracted his spirit but yet did not end his spirit While I suffer thy terrour I am distracted Psal 88.15 The terrours that conscience kindles in the spirit will racke the spirit rend and teare limme from limme faculty from faculty and make the spirit mad with horrour and anguish but yet for all this not put a period to the spirit he shall be as susceptive and as sensible of tortures to day as yester-day and to-morrow as to day and next weeke as this weeke next yeere as this yeere the last day of his life as the first day they begun if God doe not admirably intercept Conscience hangs the soule in chaines alive upon the breach of integrity and there lets the soule beate himselfe bite and gnaw himself but yet cannot when he would end himselfe and this makes every torture double O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Why what Iob dost thou long for Why even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off No Iob your spirit has hanged but a while 't is not dead yet and therefore it shall not be cut down The things that Jobs soule refused to touch were made by conscience his daily sorrowfull meate and this Gall and
Christ and not in any strength of his owne I will goe in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy rightousnesse even of thine onely Psalm 71.16 I will goe in the strength of the Lord God c. That is in every designe and in every businesse I will depend wholly upon the aide and assistance of God and upon no strength of my owne Thus we know David went against Goliah when he would declare his sincere love to God whom Goliah blasphemed Thus must we doe when ever we set upon any opportunity wherein to declare our sincere love to God or else we shall doe as Peter deny Christ instead of standing for him answerably to the occasion offered Now that what hath beene said touching this point of taking hold of golden opportunities offered for the declaration of sincerity you may all observe and follow thinke on these two or three things God calles for it Conscience calls for it Church and State calls for it Soule and body will else severely smart for it First thinke on this God calls for this at our hands that we should declare sincerity according to the speciall occasions calling thereunto Gather your selves together c. saith the Lord to the disobedient Jewes and in them to us before the decree come forth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you Seeke ye the Lord all ye meeke of the earth seeke righteousnesse seeke meekenesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Zeph. 2.1,2,3 A speciall time was offered wherein to shew themselves for God and for good and God called upon them carefully to take it as they tendered their temporall and eternall good God calls us now to the declaration of sincerity as by his word so by his workes both of mercy and justice God hath loaded us with mercies and corrections of all sorts and all for this end that we should declare our sincere love to him answerable to all opportunities offered hereunto Many a time as the Psalmist saith hath he turned away his anger and hath not made a full end of us when we have highly provoked him thereunto and all for this end that we should declare our sincere love to him answerable to all opportunities offered thereunto To the language of the Lord by the Prophet Amos I may fitly here allude God hath withholden the raine from us when there have beene but three months to the harvest God hath caused it to raine upon one shire and county and not upon another God hath smitten us with blasting and Mildew and all this to bring us to declare a sincere love to him according to all opportunities offered and yet we are backward hereunto God hath smitten us with the pestilence againe and againe and with the sword hath he threatned us againe and againe and all this to bring us on to declare a sincere love to him according to all occasions offered and yet we are backward hereunto Therefore thus will I doe unto thee saith the Lord to Israel and because I will doe thus prepare to meet the Lord thy God O Israel Amos 4. So say I to you forasmuch as all the milde meanes which God hath hitherto used are not effectuall for this end to bring us to declare our sincere love to him according to all opportunities offered therefore we must expect that God will take some severe course with us for the time to come and because we are to expect this at the hands of God let us prepare to meet the Lord our God Let every one of us repent of our halting and time-serving past and for the time to come let us set our selves to declare a sincere love to God according to all occasions offered 2. Conscience calls us hereunto as well as God Speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity now so frequently and so openly shew themselves that every mans conscience tells him that he should shew himselfe a great deale more then he doth for God his King and Countrey As in the night the Owles and the Bats looke abroad so in these darke sad daies of sinne and wickednesse the eyes of Owles and Bats the eyes of wicked and secure sinners begin to open and their consciences begin to tell them that they should doe something more now then they have done for God and the good of this Church and Kingdome 3. Church and State cals for it They both now with one dolefull voice cry out to us in the language of the Psalmist Who will rise up for me against the evill doers or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity Psal 94.16 They know not neither will they understand they walke on in darknesse all the foundations of the earth are out of course Psal 82.5 Finally soule and body will else severely smart for it if we doe not now step in to take hold of all opportunities for the declaration of sincerity Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23 This curse may all such expect who now come not forth to declare their sincere love to Christ and his truth upon all just occasions calling thereunto The soules of such Christians as now neglect and put by these golden opportunities of declaring their sincere love to Christ will be given up to lukewarmnesse coldnesse deadnesse hardnesse and some to obstinatenesse and maliciousnesse against God and all goodnesse which are all soule cursâ—s with a witnesse And such bodies as have in them such cursed soules as these you may assure yourselves they shall meet with misery enough first or 〈◊〉 Paul intimates something to this purpose where he saith At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4.16 Such as take not hold of speciall times and occasions for the declaration of their sincere love to Christ and his truth may feare that sad things will be first or last laid to their charge such as shall make body and soule shake Let us therefore all as we love our bodies and soules and as we professe love to Christ which should be dearer to us then our bodies or soules take hold of all opportunities for the declaration of sincerity As God brings about speciall times and occasions for this end so let every one of us after a speciall manner take hold of them that we may after a speciall manner be honoured of God both here and hereafter Dixi. Trinuni Deo gloria Imprimatur Tho Wykes Febr. 24. 1639