Wormwood fretted his guts but did not strangle and end him conscience forc'd him every day and every night to drinke a new draught that kept his Spirit in continuall torture and yet he could not get his soule out of this body nor have it consumed in The terrours that conscience kindles they are so terrible that they will make a man wish for death nay inflict death upon himselfe and all to put an end unto them and yet all will not doe because these tortures fasten upon the Spirit but destroy not the Spirit Finall the sorrowes of hell they are such as are not in the least measure pittied by God Though the damned in hell be tormented with sulfurous flames which is a very fierce fire and though they cry and roare howle and yell shrich and gnash the teeth continually and all this in the hearing of God continually which would stirre nay turne the bowels of any man to heare but a moment yet it stirres not God a jot though he hath heard these dolorous cries so many hundred yeares to give them the least good word or good looke So that sorrow which conscience raises in the soule upon the breach of sincerity God seemes not to pitty in the least measure for a long time Though the spirit of man be rackt tortured and affrighted even unto distraction yet God will not so much as afford a good looke to the soule Though he pray and fast and consume himselfe with fasting yet not any beame of light and love that the revolting soule shall see in the countenance of God to take hold on and to comfort himselfe by Hence 't is that the Psalmist complains of God and his mercy as cleane gone Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Psal 77.7,8 Nay many times God serves back-sliding Christians as he served the Israelites of old to wit increases their sorrow when they are in earnest suit for release and comfort so farre he is from pittying of them and as Ioseph carried himselfe to his brethren instead of pittying them in their want he spake affrightingly to them and told them that they were spies and so put them in feare of the losse of their lives Just thus for a time doth God usually carry himselfe to revolting Christians he is so farre from pittying them notwithstanding all their prayers that he calls them dogges and speakes roughly to them and puts them in feare of the losse of their best lives and seemes resolved to proceed against them as his enemies begge and cry as long as they will Job points at this where he saith Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thin-enemy Iob 13.24 And is not this hell indeed to be in soule misery and to have no compassion from God To be pittied and condoled by a mans friend though he be not able to helpe him we take it as a great mercy and moderation of misery Iob would so have accounted it But when such as we take for friends doe not onely forbeare to pitty but set themselves against us in our misery and adde to our afflictions this makes misery unspeakeably miserable and a lively Embleme of Hell indeed But I goe no further this way Secondly as the sorrow which conscience causeth upon the breach of sincerity is unspeakeable strong no other in a manner but the torments of hell so 't is oft times unspeakable sudden As the Wind raises hideous stormes and tempests at Sea on a sudden that endangers the drowning of all So conscience when once the soule hath turned aside to crooked waies oft times of a sudden raises hideous storms and tempests in the soule which addes exceedingly to the torture Horrour and terrour breaking forth suddenly affrights more by farre then if it came with warning The fire that conscience kindles in the soule is like the setting a fire of Gun-powder very sudden as 't is very fierce After once a breach is made upon sincerity conscience laies traines of wild-fire and blowes up all a mans joy on an instant and sets on fire the soule and then lets in legions of such spirits whose dwelling is onely in fire to keep Garrison against all promises of good to this soule and then the soule becomes like Tashur feare round about the face of God terrible the face of friends terrible the thought of sicknesse death and the thought of death hell and the thought of hell as at the doore and unavoidable As the Arrowes which God will shoot against the enemies of his Church shall goe forth as lightening Zech. 9.14 so the Arrowes which God shootes by conscience against such as turne aside to evill waies they goe forth oft-times as lightâ—ings very sudden very swift Sometimes when a sinner like Belshazzar is in the very act of sinne conscience writes downe a mans doome in his heart and in such legible letters that the sinner cannot choose but read and tremble When a sinner is taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse of a sudden conscience breaks forth into thundring and lightning in the soule and the sinner is as one descending quicke into hell And immediately while he yet spake the Cocke crew and the Lord look'd backe upon Peter saith the text Luke 22.60 On a sudden while Peter was in the very act of denying a cocke crew within to wit conscience that made Peters spirit die within him Once and twise Peter denied Christ and Christ did not awaken conscience and set him at him to pull him by the throat but the third time immediately while he yet spake conscience like a Lyon ranne upon his soule and made him beleeve that hee would be a tormentour to him as he is to the damned before the time Sometime conscience may let a man alone after he is turned aside from sincere walking but if the soule still goe on of a sudden conscience will break forth into thundering and lightning so fiercely as he did in Peters soule on whom if Christ had not look'd backe Peter would have gone neere to have served himselfe as Iudas after he had betrayed his Master To conclude all This I am sure O sincere soule that as conscience will make thee know to thy comfort that 't is a sweet thing faithfully and sincerely to serve God so conscience will make thee know to thy griefe that it is an evill and a bitter thing to turne away from the good way of the Lord. Having therefore now set good and evill before thee make a wise choyce Chuse rather to undergoe any thing that man or divell can invent that thou maist still enjoy the peace and joy of a good conscience then to have the greatest honour this world will afford and shipwracke sincerity and so lie liable to the lash of an evill conscience FINIS 2 COR. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not
well enough by this That you are laborious according to the outward man and according to the inward man to doe the will of God but put in one weight more into the Scales and Ballance of the sanctuary to wit this Are ye constantly laborious to doe the will of God Tell me which way the Scales turne now Sincerity makes a man constantly laborious to doe the will of God as you have largely heard doe you thus labour Or are ye not quickly weary in wel-doing so weary as to leave off the worke Thou art watchfull over thy spirit to day but art thou not as carelesse about it to morrow The godly are subject to wearisomenesse and fainting in their minds as the Apostle intimates in their labouring about and watching with an unruly heart but they are never so weary as to give over the worke David was wearied often with his groanings they were so deepe and breathed out so many precious Spirits but yet as fresh strength came he kept on groaning still under the heavie burthen of a bad heart and never left labouring about his spirit to bring it to be more and more composed entire and one with God as long as he lived But unsound Christians are quickly weary in labouring about their hearts just in that sense which God is said to be weary of repenting Ier. 15.6 Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backeward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee I am weary of repenting That is I will repent no more I will forbeare the execution of my threatnings no longer So rotten hearts are wearied with repenting soule searching and soule watching that they will repent no more nor maintaine inward industry about their soules no more but judge of it upon a little triall as that which will shorten their lives or at least utterly end the felicity of their lives and at last cry it downe as an unnecessary and unreasonable service Is it not thus with you Possibly yet some of you may think that you hold weight well enough by the Ballance of the Sanctuary But put in one weight more and tell me which way the scales turne then Are ye willingly and cheerefully laborious to doe the will of God Doe you finde any soule sweetnesse in your soule labours Or are they not as the disease of the stone strong tortures without the least tang of sweetnesse Is it not as death unto thee to be searching humbling watching and observing thy spirit a day Doest thou not shunne and avoid occasions as much as thou canst that may make thee to looke in upon thy spirit to checke it in its vaine way as that which is like the pricking of thy right eye Doest thou not make frivolous excuses and needlesse businesse to put by Davids opportunities of private commerce with God and thine owne soule as one that findeth no pleasure nor profit in this service of God Doest thou not wish that Prayers were over Sermons over the Lords day over that thou mightest be selling Corne and following thy secular employments and carnall sports and delights as those wherein thou findest more soule content then in any divine thing 'T is a joy to the just to doe judgement saith Solomon T is the sweetest pleasure in the world to an upright man to be in upright holy waies doing uprightly to God and man Gods word Gods ordinances Gods people Gods service in every part thereof are all transcendently sweet to an upright soule Sweeter then honey that is sweeter then the sweetest earthly content And the more spirituall divine duties and exercises are the more pleasing and taking still to an upright soule Duties of most seriousnesse and strictnesse are of most soule sweetnesse to him Is it thus with you Possibly yet some of you may thinke that you hold weight well enough by this Ballance of the Sanctuarie But put in one graine more and tell me whether thou be not found too light then Are ye laborious according to all your strength to doe the will of God Doe you reach forth and presse forward as Saint Paul saith that is put out all your strength to obey the will of God this in Scripture where sincerity is pressed unto is called a serving of God with all our hearts You take a little pains to obey the will of God but could you not take a great deale more if you listed 'T was the unsoundnesse of the Jewes that when they could have brought Males and legitiâ—…e sacrifices they brought to save their purses maimed and deformed sacrifices And so 't was the unsoundnesse of Saul that he could have killed Agag and the fat of the Cattell as well as the rest of the Amalekits if he would And is it not your hypocrisie that you could doe a great deale more to please God then you doe if you listed Doe not by and selfe ends make you pluck in your hornes and suspend your selves parts and abilities from God service Doth not the feare of the losse of your liberties livings lives and the like make you speake lesse for God and doe lesse for God then he hath given you ability and opportunity to doe Doe ye not put forth your parts in the service of God in reference to the safety of your skin and not in reference to Gods command which calls for all our might in his service If you tell me that you hold weight yet by the ballance of the sanctuary why put in yet one graine more and tell me whether the skales do not stand without poising either way Are ye laborious according to all your strength to doe all Gods will according to that holy rule Deut. 15.5 Onely if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all these Commandements which I command thee this day You doe with Herod by meanes of powerfull preaching and sharpe affliction reforme many things peradventure but doe ye labour to reforme all things To divorce your selves from your Herodias To pull out right eyes and to cut off right hands To mortifie your members which are upon earth that is the sinnes of your soules which are as deare unto you as the members of your bodies or doe ye not spare Agag and the fat of your lusts pleasing sinnes and profitable sinnes Doe you observe doctrine and discipline matter and manner in the worship and service of God You pray but doe ye pray fervently You pray but doe ye watch and pray You heare the word of God but doe ye take heed how ye heare You receive the Sacrament but doe ye examine you selves and so eate You goe to the house of God about holy duties but do ye look to your feet when you approach so neere unto God you give to the poore but do you give chearfully You give but do you give liberally You know the Scripture calls for manner as well as matter manner is all in all with God And sincerity is such a speciall
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
doe all his enemies what they can and this makes the heart of man leape within him in the midst of troubles as the babe in Elizabeths wombe when she heard the salutation of Mary 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 Having shewed you in what troubles the testimony of conscience will give joy and what joy 't is that conscience causeth in the soule I will in the next place shew you the ground of the point why the testimony of conscience concerning a mans simplicity must needs cause joy in the midst of troubles This testimony of conscience is attended with a glorious power as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the glorious power of him saith the originall that is of the holy Ghost which makes the testimony so strong and so transcendently comfortable that troubles and sorrows for sincerity sake though never so great cannot possibly over-beare the heart Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse 1 Col. 11. There is a glorious power attending the testimony of conscience extended to upright soules in times of great troubles for uprightnesse sake which strengthens them with all might so that all burdens cannot depresse them unto all patience and long suffering so that they will never be weary and out of breath with bearing and to doe all this with joyfulnesse so that no outward hardship can utterly exhaust joy out of their spirits Now the testimony of conscience concerning our simplicity and sincerity being attended with this glorious power in times of trouble as Peter saith 't is the spirit of glory and of God rests upon such it must needs keepe up the dolorous spirit of man and make him rejoyce in the greatest troubles Paul and Timothy doubtlesse found this glorious power attending the testimony of their conscience strengthning them with all might unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse which made them thus to say 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 2 Secondly the testimony of conscience concerning mans simplicity and sincerity must needs rejoyce a man in the midst of all troubles because conscience now minds a man that he walkes in the midst of all enemies and troubles just as Christ did There was no guile found in Christs mouth though he was put to it againe and againe Whatever he underwent from his Father from the divell and his children yet still he walked sincerely and faultered not in the least kind for the greatest advantage though he was proffered all the kingdomes in the world to doe it Now when conscience tells a man that in simplicity and godly sincerity he hath had his conversation in the world it doth at once tell him that he hath walked in this world just as Christ did As he was so art thou in this world O my soule which cannot but rejoyce the heart in the midst of the sharpest afflictions for Christs sake Thy Saviour O my soule though God yet was called a divell nay Beelzebub the prince of divels though temperate yet called a drunkard and Wine-bibber and companion to Publicans and Harlots though a man without guile yet called a deceiver though innocent yet scoffed imprisoned condemned and executed as a malefactour 'T is just thus with thee O my soule thou art studious to walke uprightly and yet censured for an hypocrit thou labourest to be better then any and yet the world judges thee to be worse then any thou labourest more for humility and love then for all the wealth in the World and yet the World judges thee to be fuller of pride and malice then any man thou dost not blow a Trumpet when thou givest almes but hidest from thy left hand what thy right hand doth and therefore the world thinks that thy religion towards God is without mercy towards man thou thinkest no evill to others but labourest to doe good to all and yet all almost thinke evill or speake evill or doe evill against thee In this O my soule thou art not alone 't was the condition of thy Saviour therefore mourne not O my soule but rejoyce according to the divine rule that thou art made like him Thus the testimony of conscience concerning a mans sincerity brings in matter of comfort and joy to the soule of man in the midst of troubles and makes it smile when under heavy burthens of cruelty Lastly it must needs be that the testimony of conscience concerning the simplicity of a mans conversation should minister joy in the midst of troubles because such plainely see their interest in the divine word of consolation Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.11 Conscience now tels me that I am upright in heart and that in simplicity and uprightnesse I have had my conversation in the world and so consequently that joy here as well as hereafter belongs to me Out of this reasoning betweene conscience and the divine word of consolation joy will breake forth in the soule first or last lade an upright man with what burthens you will Rejoyce all ye that are upright in heart saith God thou art upright in heart saith conscience to a sincere soule and conscience will not stay here but will presse upon the soule to apply his owne mercies why then dost not thou rejoyce Dost thou thinke it a small matter to disobey a command of God This pressing language of conscience will make a sincere soule strive hard and pray hard to reioyce in afflictions for Christs sake according to the divine rule which prayer God will heare and bring the upright foule at last to say in the midst of troubles with these champions in 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 Having given you the point and the grounds of it a word or two I would speake by way of application to you that are unsound and then a word more to you that are sincere and so conclude this point This doctrine may in the first place serve to unfold a riddle to you that are unsound Possibly you may wonder to see a man goe reioycing to prison and to fire and fagot especially when censured by learned men for such and such a malefactour you it may be thinke of such a man as he of Paul that he is mad and merry without cause as bedlams are or else that he laughs from the teeth outward as he that would put a good face upon an ill matter No
he did eate of his bread he had favours in commune with the rest of the Apostles and vet plaved the traytor to Christ this Christ upon this occasion you know declared When the holy Ghost after a transcendent manner fell upon the Apostles that they spake with divers tongues some sons of Belâ—…l mocked them and said These 〈◊〉 are fall of new Wine then was a speciall symmachicall occasion for Peter to declare his uprightnesse for the glory of God and for the credit of that honourable society of which he was to declare to all the world that they were not drunken as the blinde worldlings conceived but transcendently filled with the holy Ghost which the Apostle seriously considered and answerably with much courage he declared himselfe But Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said Ye men of Iudas and all ye that dwell as Ierusalem be this knowne unto you and hearken unto my words for these are not drunken as ye suppose seeing it is but the third houâ—e of the day but this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel c. Act. 2.14,15,16 4 Nationall occasions and tunes for the declaration of sincerity after a speciall manner are when good or evill after a speciall manner is conversant about in relation not to this or that particular person but to a whole Nation When bloody Pharoah would have destroyed all Israel then was a speciall Nationall occasion for Moses and the rest of the worthies of the Lord to declare their sincerity for the glory of God and the good of his Church which Moses seriously considered and answerably with much courage carried himselfe towards Pharoah upon all occasions though a King he told him his owne and held him strictly to Gods termes and though he shuffled and shifted and went forth and backe as a halting rotten Prince to worke Moses about to decline a little from Gods will yet so sincerely did Moses declare himselfe to God and all his people Exo. 10.26 that he would not yeeld to Pharaoh a hoofe nor swerve from a tittle of what God bid him to stand for So when Balaam would have cursed all Israel for wealth and honour then was a speciall Nationall occasion for all Israelites indeed to declare their sincerity by wrestling with the Lord by prayer to countermine all his enchantments which they seriously considered and answerably with much unweariednesse doubtlesse did or else doubtlesse God would never have withstood Balaam in that admirable manner as he did and have forc'd him still to blesse when he meant to curse When Israel committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab and joyned themselves unto Baal-Peor and the anger of the Lord kindled threatning to destroy all then was a speciall Nationall occasion for Moses to declare his sincerity that he loved the glory of God above the lives of his brethren which he seriously considered and answerably with much courage did And Moses said unto the Iudges of Israel slay ye every one his men that were joyned to Baal-Peor Num. 25.5 So when Israel had made them a molten Calfe in the absence of Moses and God would have destroyed them all at once and have made Moses a great Nation if he would have let him alone in his way then was a speciall Nationall occasion indeed for Moses to declare his uprightnesse that he loved the lives of his brethren above all honours and preferments this world could afford him and that he loved the glory of God which would have beene much blemished by the heathen if he had destroyed Israel more than his owne life which be seriously considered and answerably declared himselfe And Moses returned unto the Lord and said Oh this people have committed a great sinne c. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy booke Exod. 32.31,32 When Israel halted betweene God and Baal making a mixture of divine worship and idolatrous together one to colour the other that poison might be swallowed without scrupling to the speedy and unsensible perdition of soules then was a speciall Nationall occasion for the Prophets of the Lord to declare their uprightnesse in crying against halting not fearing man who shall be made as grasse which Elijah seriously considered and answerably with much courage carried himselfe And Eliah came unto all the people and said how long halt ye betweene two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered him not a word When Azariah the Prophet told Asa and all Juda that their halting in Gods worship was the cause of all their troubles and that if they did zealously returne to that purity of divine worship which God required and shake off mans inventions it should goe well with them and that God would still bee with them for good and not for hurt as he had been then was a speciall Nationall occasion for that people to declare their sincerity their love to the purity of Gods ordinances more then to their owne inventions which they seriously considered and answerably with much zeale and life did And they entred into a covenant to sâ—eke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule that whosoever would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman 2 Chro. 15.12,13 So when Haman had plotted the death of all the Jewes then was a speciall Nationall occasion for Mordecai and Esther to declare their sincerity for the glory of God and the good of his Church which they seriously observed and answerably with much courage carried themselves Then Esthâ—r bad them returne Mordecai this answer Goe gather together all the Iewes that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me and neither cate nor drinke three daies night or day I also and my maidens will fast likewise and so will I goe in unto the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish Esther 4.15,16 The reasons why God in the course of his providence brings about speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity are these First that the world and the divell may see that his people are indeed sincere Speciall occasions of triall are like Nebuchadnezzars fiery Furnace heat seven times hotter then ordinary which will thoroughly discover Gold from drosse These made knowne Iobs sincerity so universally that all mouthes were stopt which strangely thought and spoke of Iob before 'T is very common with the divell and his children to account and call Gods people hypocrits such as doe not serve God for nought but follow Christ for loaves and professe religion for their owne ends Now God to convince these censorious wretches that judge amisse of the generation of the just brings his children as 't were upon the stage in the open view of all and puts them upon speciall trials of their uprightnesse he sets
A Divine Discovery OF SINCERITY According to its proper and peculiar nature very profitable for an sorts of persons to peruse First preached and now published for the good of Gods Church in generall By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Master of Arts. PSAL. 78.37 For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in hiâ— covenant PSAL. 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy sâ—…tutes that I be not ashamed LONDON Printed by E. G. for Iohn Rotwell at the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard 1640. TO THE VERTVOVS LADY BRIDGET LYDDELL My much Honoured Aunt Grace and peace be multiplied by Jesus Christ MAdam 'T is Gods command to Abraham and in him to us That we should walk before him and be perfect Absolute perfection God doth not there meane but intentionall which is when we desire and endeavour with David to have all our waies conformed to all Gods Statutes Intentionall perfection is no other but sincere walking and what this is this tract now humbly presented to your Ladyship will plainely make knowne unto you A sincere heart is a heart after Gods owne heart which of all jewells which the Gentry and Nobility weare is the most resplendent in the breast and bosome to be worne The richest jeweller Christ proffers this pearle of great price without money or money-worth and the multitude sleight it as a low prised thing not worth the seeking after but your Ladyship hath otherwise learned Christ Many things Madam may be convenient but one is necessarie to wit a sincere heart The acquiring of this is the worke of our whole life the setting forth of this in its nature and lustre is the worke of Christs Ministers the least and unworthiest of all which is your Nephew which hath in this tract done something to this effect from which if your Ladyship shall reape an increase of good to that sweete stocke you have I shall humbly blesse God To whose blessing I commend your selfe and worthy Family this worke and the unworthy Authour Your much obliged Nephew NICHOLAS LOCKYER To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader Two things should be the principall matter of thy study Christ and thine owne heart The latter to know thine owne misery the former to know Gods rich mercy and how thou mayst be made partaker of it So deceitfull is the heart of man naturally that he thinkes himselfe rich and increased in goods and knowes not that he is poore and blind miserable wretched and naked And untill this deceit and unsoundnesse be discovered men will never seeke out for Christ which is that Gold tried in the fire which indeed makes poore man rich and that white rayment Iohn speakes of which indeed makes naked man comely and covers all his deformity from the all-seeing eye of him which is perfect purity The true knowledge of thine owne heart this little tract will helpe thee to by the blessing of God if thou seriously peruse it and humbly seeke to him who is the searcher and discoverer of all hearts to go along with thee in the reading of it Which when once thou hast gotten thou wilt be capable of the saving knowledge of Christ and restlesse till thou hast obtained it And this when acquired will resolve thy doubting comfort thy mourning and stablish thy staggering soule 't will give thee peace and joy unspeakablo here and bring thee to glory and joy incomprehensible hereafter To which the Lord bring thee and me Nicholas Lockyer A Table of the chiefe heads handled in this Tract I. Proposition THat in simplicity and godly sincerity we ought to have our conversation in this world p. 10 The various acceptation of the word Simplicity p. 10 11 Sincerity distinguished into Morall and Theologicall p. 11 What Morall sincerity is p. 11 12 What godly sincerity is p. 13 14 c. Why we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in this world p. 33 34 c. The application of this first Doctrine We should examine our selves by the description of sincerity whether we walke as Paul did to wit sincerely in this hypocriticall age p. 40 41 c. What we should doe if upon examination we finde our selves hypocrites p. 34 The cheating properties of hypocrisie p. 54 55 c. Considerations to move the heart to be deeply and duely affected with hypocrisie p. 57 58 c. Holy instructions to such as upon examination finde themselves to be as Paul in this present world to wit sincere I. To be humble p 60 II. To hold fast our integrity p. 61 62 The severall waies which there are within us and without as to corrupt us from that simplicity which is in Christ p. 61 62 63 c. Sweet encouragements to persevere in our sincere conversation what ever miseries we meet withall p. 65 66 II. Proposition That conscience can give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of a mans conversation p. 67 68 What conscience is p. 69 70 c. The grounds why God hath given this power to conscience to give testimony concerning the simpicity or hypocrisie of a mans conversation p. 87 88 c. The application of this second point p. 95 Seeing conscience can give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of our conversation we ought all to take heed how we order our conversation p. 96 97 Multitudes live as if there were no conscience God nor Divell the dreadfull condition of such p. 97 98 Conscience should not be suspended 99 100 'T is crying wickednesse and 't is incurable wickednesse to offer violence to conscience p. 101 We should not sleight conscience in his place p. 102 103 God will account the sleighting of conscience a contempt of his prime Court of Iustice here below and those that sit chiefe there p. 104 What secret soule mischiefe comes by sleighting conscience p. 105 We ought diligently to hearken to the voice of conscience and why p. 105 106 We ought to take consciences part with or against our selves p. 107 108 III. Proposition That consciousnesse to our selves of the simplicity and sincerity of our conversation will yeeld us joy in the midst of troubles p. 111 112 Troubles distinguished into naturall and accidentall p. 114 What naturall troubles are and how sweetned by conscience p. 114 115 What accidentall troubles are and how conscience makes a man rejoyce in the midst of them p. 116 117 Joy distinguished into sensuall and spirituall p. 118 What sensuall joy is ibid. What spirituall joy is p 118 119 120 c. Why divine joy is called spirituall p. 119 120 121 c. What joy 't is that conscience causeth in troubles to him that walketh sincerely p. 130 131 The grounds why the testimony of conscience concerning a mans simplicity must needs cause joy in the midst of troubles p. 131 132 c. The application of this third point p. 137 This Doctrine unfolds a riddle to blind worldlings which wonder to see a man go rejoycing to prison p. 137 This Doctrine
likewise shewes that the great designe of the wicked against the godly is frustrate which is to deprive them of all comfort if they could p. 139 140. c. If consciousnesse to our selves of the sincerity of our conversation will lessen and sweeten troubles consciousnesse of hypocrisie must needs imbitter all troubles p. 142 143 Man that is borne to troubles as the sparks flie upward exhorted to get an upright heart and so an excusing conscience to comfort him in all troubles p. 144 145 What kind of joy 't is that conscience raises in the soule in times of trouble for righteousnesse sake p. 147 148 c. What we should doe if walking sincerely we do not for all this finde our consciences raising sweet joy within us in all our bitter troubles for righteousnesse sake p. 155 What we ought to doe if we doe finde the joy of our sincere course p 156 157 The sweet joy which ariseth to us from conscience testifying our sincerity should cause us to keepe on in our sincere way p. 160 What sorrow 't is which conscience as an accuser for hypocrisie causeth in the soule p. 162 163 c. IV. Proposition That there be speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity which ought to be observed and answerably to declare and shew our selves p. 177 Personall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 181 Personall occasions from the world for the declaration of sincerity p. 181 182 Personall occasions from the flesh for the declaration of sincerity p. 183 Personall occasions for the declaration of sincerity from the Divell p. 185 Domesticall occasions for the declaration of sincerity 186 187 Sociall or symmachicall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 189 190 Nationall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 191 192 The reasons why God in the course of his providence brings about speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 196 I. That the world and the divell may see that Gods people are indeed sincere p. 196 197 II. That God may hereby admirably advance his owne glory p. 199 III. That God may admirably adde to the torture of the divell his children p. 201 IIII. That the joy of the upright may be augmented in this life and in the life to come p. 202 The application of this fourth and last point 203 Men which through wilfulnesse and such as of weaknesse passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity blamed p. 203 204 When men wilfully passe ly speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 204 205 The causes why men wilfully passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 206 Their sin is very great which wilfully shun speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity how this appeares p. 207 208 Such as passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity out of weaknesse are to be blamed of which see 4 sorts p. 209 210 Some ignorant of what is right others of the time when that which is right should be stood for p. 210 211 The dangers which ensue by being ignorant of time or judgement p. 211 212 Some through carnall feare passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 213 What such should doe for the cure of this evill p. 214 Some through carnall perswasion passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity and how this evill may be cured p. 215 216 Some out of carnall pitty passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity and how this evill may be cured p. 216 217 Seeing there be speciall times for the declaration of sincerity we should diligently observe them and how they may be knowne p. 218 219 As we are to take notice of speciall time occasions for the declaration of sincerity so we are to take hold of them and how we may doe this aright p. 221 222 Encitements to take hold of speciall times and occasions for the declaration of sincerity p. 224 God cals for it p. 224 Conscience cals for it p. 227 Church and State cals for it ibid. Soule and body will else severely smart for p 228 2 COR. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly to you-wards NO grace how glorious soever in the eye of man goes for good weight in the eye of God without sincerity The greatest man in the world weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary without this will be accounted too light for Heaven 'T is a very needfull subject then that this Text plainely profers to our consideration And as excellent in it selfe as needfull to us is sincerity 'T is the precious extract of all graces and to call this a grace is too little 'T is that which gives to every grace its due lustre in the eye of God and to call any thing a grace in man without this is too much 'T is the glory of all graces as the Sunne is the glory of all the Starres 't is the vitall blood of the soule which that it may runne in the veines of you all unto your eternall happinesse have I chosen this Text to insist on 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 c. No condition is trucly joyous without and no condition is truely dolorous with sincerity If a man be never so rich never so honourable yet if not withall sincere there is no true joy in such a man he laughes but in the midst of laughter his heart is oft times sad and his conscience spoiles his sport On the other hand if a man be never so poore never so much oppressed which is the deadliest and the most opposite enemy to joy of all yet if that man be sincere his heart may be as full of joy as it can hold for all this as you may see in these words read For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. Paul and Timothy have beene sincere servants of Jesus Christ for the good of his Church amongst the Gentiles and in this they had transcendant comfort in the midst of all the misery they met withall 'T is not misery but sinne that robs the soule of joy Let a man labour to live sincerely and then let men and divels doe what they can or will such a man shall never be bereaft of joy he shall have joy in poverty joy in disgrace he shall have joy in prison as much as in liberty and much more So had Paul and Timothy which made them thus bravely breake out in the midst of misery For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with
begets labour to attaine the thing beloved Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soule keepe them Psal 119.129 Thy testimonies are wonderfull that is wonderfull righteous just and equall and wonderfull sweet sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe therefore doth my soule keepe them That is therefore doth my soule labour to keepe them As if he had said I see such a transcendant purity and taste such a transcendant sweetnesse in the testimonies of God that my soule cannot choose but labour to walke in them Sincerity makes a man laborious to doe the Will of God you see that is it makes a man constantly willingly and according to all his strength industrious That sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that makes a man constantly laborious to doe the Will of God Paul in whom sincerity was confirmes And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Acts 24.16 Pauls industry was to obey the Will of God to day and the like next day and so he continued laborious every day that he might have alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God man The high way of the upright is to depart from evill saith Solomon Prov. 16. v. 17. That is this is their daily soule labour the continuall road in which they travell to get rid of sinne and to depart from that more and more An hypocrite stumbles into this path of piety now then but this is not his high way his usuall and daily road he quickly gets out of it againe to this unconstant cloud I conceive Salomon opposeth the upright man in the place forecited who makes it a beaten high way he is so constant in his endevours to doe good and to depart from evill I have enclined my heart to performe thy statutes alway even unto the end Psal 119.112 Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it inclines the heart to labour alwaies to obey the Will of God which naturally is quickly weary of wel-doing As the touch of a Loadstone makes the needle to have a constant and restlesse inclination to the North so godly sincerity which I may call Gods secret touch of the heart it makes the soule of man have a constant and restlesse inclination to walke in Gods waies this constant inclination makes him constantly laborious to doe according to his daily desire Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it makes a man to set God alwaies before him and to doe all things daily as in his presence I have set the Lord alwaies before me saith David Psal 16.8 For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ 2 Cor. 2.17 This is the genuine nature of sincerity to make a man to set God alwaies before his eyes and to doe things as beholding him that is invisible Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it makes a man so constant in his endeavours to do the Will of God that no opposition can make him to cease this labour The proud have had me greatly in derision yet have I not declined from thy Law Psal 119.51 Proud wretches scoff'd at holy waies and Davids holy endeavours to walke in them nay they did this vehemently and yet David being sincere held on his holy course still Nay else-where he tels us that they had almost consumed him upon earth such was their malice against him and yet he forsooke not his holy industry to obey Gods precepts Psal 119.87 Neither persecution of tongue nor hand though never so vehement can make a man in whose heart godly sincerity is to cease his industry to obey God and walke in his waies Hang him up as a bottle in the smoke Ps 119.83 and yet he will not forget this worke he is about to wit to obey Gods statutes Strong trials may make a sincere heart give backe for a time so farre may they prevaile upon the remaining unsoundnesse that is in the heart of man naturally when at best but they never prevaile to make a sincere heart give off his labour to obey God That sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule as makes a man willingly laborious to doe the Will of God is hinted to us by that expression of the Prophet Isai 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the Land Sincere men are such as shall eate the good of that holy Land which Canaan typified So that this being laid downe as an undeniable conclusion we see that sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule as toucheth the will and so makes a man not onely obedient but willing and obedient without which there is no eating that is enjoying of that holy Land which Canaan typified 'T was that which God did much looke at and stand upon under the old covenant that in all their sacrificall services which were of cost and charge they should be willing and chearfull or else God would not account their obedience sincere and therefore saith David an upright man and that God and all his people might see his uprightnesse in this chargeable way of serving God I will freely sacrifice unto thee I will praise thy Name O Lord for it is good I will freely sacrifice that is willingly chearfully bountifully c. If willingnesse were so much lookt at in their chargeable services under the old covenant as a symptome of sincerity much more doubtlesse doth God looke at it now in his services of the new convenant which are without expence and answerably doubtlesse is it with sincere men for the generall under the Gospell to wit more willing and chearfull in their services to God then they under the Law were A sincere man doth not labour to serve God of constraint and by compulsion as some servants all beasts serve us but of a ready minde as one that hath chosen this way of life above all others to walke in I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements have I laid before me Psal 119.30 Sincerity is such a speciall worke of God upon the soule that it makes a man see a greater beauty in Gods waies then in any waies beside and to taste a greater sweetnesse in these waies then in any waies and hence the soule is raised voluntarily and freely to choose these waies to walke in before all others Sincerity is such a speciall work of God upon the soule that it makes a man see the Word of God to be the straightest and truest rule of all others to walke by and therefore voluntarily chooseth this before others to lay before him as a rule to walke by I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements have I laid before me That sincerity is such a speciall Worke of God upon the soule
and no other way to all good For the Lord God is a Sunne and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly Psal 84.11 If we would have the light of Gods smiling countenance to shine upon our soules which is ten thousand times more glorious and reviving then the Sunne we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Sunne to such and to none else God is angry with the wicked every day saith the Prophet and being angry with them every day he cannot smile upon their soules as the Sunne doth upon all creatures but frowne and knit the browes against them God dwels as a convincer and reprover and not as a comforter in the hearts of hypocrits God feeds mens soules with gall and wormewood with bitters not with sweets with a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which have not their conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity in this world A Hell and not a Heaven shall men that walke not uprightly have within their owne hearts If we would have protection we must walke uprightly for the Lord God is a Shield onely to such He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly his place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks Isa 33.15 God is a consuming fire and not a defence unto the hypocrit In a word if a man would have grace or glory or any good thing else that he can name he must walke in this way to obtaine it to wit in simplicity and godly sincerity for in no other way hath God engaged himselfe to bestow any good upon man but all evill The Israelites going out on the Sabbath day to finde Manna found nothing but a curse and the reason because out of Gods way God will distribute blessings in his owne way if we decline this way God will inflict curses and not blessings Now upright walking is that way in which God hath promised to bestow all good and none else and therefore we ought thus to walke 'T is fit we should come to God and not God to us 't is fit that unholy man should conforme to a holy God and not a holy God to unholy man 1 Finally we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the World that so the world which lies in wickednesse may be left without excuse both in regard of their wickednesse towards God and his children Wicked men complaine of Christ that he is a hard master looking to reape where he did not sow that this and that precept is a hard saying none can obey it And others complaine that the world is so full of occasions and provocations that 't is impossible to walke uprightly Others that times are so hard and dead that they cannot live of their callings if they should deale justly and walke uprightly Now Christ will stop the mouthes of all these at the great day by setting before them those that have lived in the same ages of the world in the same employments in the world under the same government of Christ in the world and yet have kept themselves unspotted of the world and have in simplicity and godly sincerity had their conversation in the world and then shall Christ be cleare when he judges and liars mouthes shall be stopt and be like the man that wanted a wedding garment And therefore we ought in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world every one in his place that so Christ may doe this service by us against the wicked at the great day 2 Againe that wicked men may be left without excuse as in regard of their wickednesse towards God so in regard of their wickednesse towards Gods children Now the wicked persecute the godly with tongue and hand and pretend just ground for their practice that the godly are as he falsely said of the Prophet troublers of Israel enemies to Church and State But at the great day the searcher of all hearts will lay open all things according to truth and make it plainely appeare to men and Angels that they had their conversation in this world in simplicity and godly sincerity and so guiltlesse of all that the wicked accused them of and punished them for and then will Christ be cleare when he judges these wretches for condemning the generation of the just Wherefore we ought to walke sincerely and blamelessely in this world that so the wicked may have no plea for their wicked proceedings against us or against the righteous proceeding of Christ against them Ought we in simplicity and godly sincerity to have our conversation in the world Why then let us examine our selves and see whether we thus walke Are ye laborious that is constantly laborious willingly laborious laborious according to all your strength to doe all Gods will that he may have all the glory due to his Name Looke backe and call to minde how this description of sincerity was opened and lay open your hearts and lives by it and see whether they agree or not Are ye laborious to doe the will of God Or doe ye not the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 and so stand lyable to that dreadfull curse denounced by Ieremy Doe ye not rest in bodily exercises which profit nothing 'T is the least labour in the world to bring the outward man to duties the labour of labours is about the heart to bring that to duties are ye laborious about this Are ye watchfull over your Spirits and laborious about your inward man that this in every thing may goe along with the outward man to obey God 'T was that the Lord of old upbraided his people withall that they were laborious according to the outward man to come to Church and to be at all divine exercises but they were carelesse respecting their hearts which God most lookt at and let this runne loose after vanity And they come unto thee as thy people commeth and they sit before thee as thy people and they heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 God most lookes at the heart how that is entire to or loose from himselfe Are ye most laborious about that which God most lookes at or doe ye not least minde that which God lookes at most In this consists the power of godlinesse to be laborious about the inward man to bring this to be obedient to the will of God My Sonne give me thy heart Neglect this and thou wert as good sit still as labour at all about thy outward man to bring that to be holy thy labour about outside holinesse is to God as the cutting off of a dogs necke and God will upbraid thy labour as he did those hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisees who washed the out-side of the Cup and Platter Possibly some of you may thinke that you hold weight
done amisse a thousand worse persons have found mercy and are gone to Heaven and therefore thou needst not so much trouble thy selfe O my soule He that beleeves makes not hast 't is time enough yet to amend all that is amisse and to be as good as the best 4 All this while that it is a hidden vice a transforming vice a flattering vice 't is a hardning vice All the while hypocrisie lies hid and after it is discovered and shifts and flatters it insensibly hardens so that whilst deceiving the soule is miserably deceived and then becomes past feeling conscience being seared with an hot iron that is God utterly leaving conscience to doe any office any longer for him in checking such a shifting shuffling sinner in his sinfull way And when this worke is done upon any soule you may leave tolling and ring out for he is dead and gone for ever Now because hypocrisie is of such a shuffling subtile nature as this 't is very hard for a man to become truely sensible of it and throughly affected with it and therefore I exhort you which are convinced by what was formerly delivered of your unsoundnesse first to labour to be truely sensible of it and deepely affected with it 'T is a vice that of all vices puts you into the furthest unlikenesse to God and the neerest likenesse to the divell It puts you into the furthest dissimilitude to God of all vices for God is most upright saith Isaiah Thou most upright doest weigh the path of the just Isai 26.7 God is most upright and an hypocrit of all men least upright and therefore an hypocrite of all men is least like God and yet most like the divell of whom I may say as the Lord of the Leviathan He is King faith God of all the children of pride So is the divell King of all the children of hypocrisie As 't is said of God that he is most upright so it may be said of the divell that he is most guilefull an arch hypocrit and therefore guilefull persons are most like the divell and the more guilefull the more like and hence is Elimas who was full of all subtilty by way of eminencie called the child of the divell by Saint Paul who knew well how aptly to stile hypocrits 'T is a vice that turnes man into a divell and God into fury fiercer then the divell for the divell is but Gods creature and therefore though his fury be unexpressible by us yet it is finite in it selfe but Gods fury against hypocrits is infinite and therefore you shall finde him spending a whole chapter in breathing out woes against hypocrits and therefore hell as the most suitable place and the greatest torments in hell as the most suitable thing to an infinit fury is reserved as a peculiar portion for hypocrits Were infinitnesse communicable and by a finite creature susceptible no lesse then infinite fury should hypocrits burne in When thou hast by such considerations as these brought thy spirit to be truely affected with thy unsoundnesse then judge thy selfe for it that thou maist not be judged of the Lord. Judge thy selfe as one most injurious to Christ and his glory of all men Judge thy selfe as a Traitour to the King of Kings as one that hast craftily conspired with the divell and thine owne heart to keepe out Christ from ruling and raigning in thee as one that hast subtily betrayed the honour of God in every action thou hast performed seeking thy selfe under pretence of seeking him Judge thy selfe as a cheater that hast beene cunning to deceive the godly and thine owne poore soule Judge thy selfe as a selfe-soule-murtherer that hast craftily baffled thine owne conscience that Gods word might not convert and turne thee from thine ungodly course and so save thy precious soule Judge thy selfe as a Iudas that kissest Christ bowest and cringest to Christ and yet betraiest and crucifiest Christ In a word judge thy selfe as a right hand of the divell by which he hath done a great deale of mischiefe judge thy selfe as a capitall offender as a sinner of all sinners the chiefe and then beg pardon And intreat God to cure the foule disease of thy heart Tell him how long this disease hath beene upon thee and what a loathsome creature ' tath made thee and what a prime vitall part 't is fastened upon and how neere perishing thou art and how 't is past the cure of all other Physicions and Surgeons and that there is but one way with thee speedily if thou hast not remedy forthwith from him and that thou hast nothing of thine owne to satisfie him for the cure of it but hast a friend Christ that will pay all Remember this to begge him who fashioneth all mens hearts alike to mend thy bad heart with a new one according to his promise Onely a new heart is an upright heart and this God hath promised to give and this thou must urge and believe and waite and this way shalt thou be healed helped and saved To you which upon examination finde that you do in simplicity and godly sincerity order your conversation in this world I have onely this to say you doe no more then you ought and therefore there is no place for boasting 'T is our beauty in Gods eye to be vile in our owne eyes what ever our parts and endeavours be Thy uprightnesse of integrity comes farre short of that uprightnesse of perfection in which thou wast created and therefore when thou hast done all that thou canst yet say that thou art an unprofitable servant a man that comes farre short of what thou shouldst be and of what once thou wast But that which I would rather stand on a little is this Thou that walkest sincerely doest no more then thou oughtst and therefore goe on The Apostles exhortation to the Hebrewes shall be mine to you Looke diligently least any man faile of the grace of God least any root of â—…ternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb. 12.15 We have that within us and that without us which will corrupt our simplicity and turne us aside from our sincere conversation if we doe not watch over our selves 1 Where simplicity is hypocrisie is not wholly extir pated some remainders of this foule evill are in the best heart and these rootes of bitternesse if you be not still labouring to grub up they will quickly over-grow sincerity and all good in the heart And as we have that within us which will quickly seduce us from that simplicity which is in Christ so we have that without us too which will do the like if we be not very watchfull to wit the divell and his children The divell is an arch Apostate himselfe and he labours might and maine to make all the sons of men to fall from grace and goodnesse as he hath done that so every one may be as neere like himselfe in sinne and misery as may be He goes about
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
God either in heart tongue or hand they goe against knowledge so consequently against conscience for conscience followes the light of the understanding and so comes neere the committing of the unpardonable sin to the committers of which God hath said there shall be no mercy shewed either in this world or in the world to come Here I would have you observe this for the further clearing of what hath beene said That the word of God is the rule by which conscience compares the waies of men so far-forth as the understanding is enlightened by the word of God and no further So far-forth as the understanding is ignorant of the word of God so far-forth conscience is silent As long as St. Paul knew not lust to be a sinne conscience never accused him for lust as a sin And this surely is one reason why many shun the preaching of the word of God and the studie thereof least by encreasing knowledge they should increase griefe as Salomon saith least by this meanes they should come to the knowledge of their sinnes and so conscience pull them by the throat for them Of such as these the Apostle Saint Peter speakes where he saith Of this they are willingly ignorant that by the word of God the Heavens were of old and the earth and the world that then was perished 2 Pet. 3.3,4,5 That is they did purposely doe as much as in them lay to put out that light which was in their understandings which told them that he which at first made the heavens by his word and did by his word destroy them with water would one day againe destroy them with fire and brimstone this they did labour to keepe themselves ignorant of that so they might without checke of conscience goe on in their sinnes To such as these I may truely say with the Apostle If our Gospell be hid it is hid unto those which perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3,4 He that keepes himselfe in ignorance that his conscience may let him goe on quietly in wickednesse loves to goe to hell without controle Thou that canst not indure that thy conscience should reprove thee secretly 't is no wonder that thou canst not endure that thy minister should reprove thee publikely Thou that canst not endure that thy conscience should reprove thee for sinne now must endure whether thou wilt or no conscience to torment thee for thy sin hereafter The second thing that I would have you to observe is this That conscience doth compare all a mans wayes with the rule of the word so far-forth as the understanding is enlightned with the word All that light which the understanding hath received from the word of God conscience takes it and makes it a rule by which he measures all a mans waies thoughts words and deeds to trie what agreement or disagreement there is betweene them and the rule That conscience compares the thoughts of men by the word of God so farre forth as the understanding is inlightned by the word as well as words and deeds is manifest by the language of the Apostle where he speakes of the Gentiles on this wise Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witnesse their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2.15 Divine light so far-forth as it shines into the hearts of heathens conscience makes use of it as a rule by which to examine their very thoughts and so answerably to accuse or excuse them as their thoughts are found to agree or disagree with the rule Saint Paul likewise in the ninth to the Rom. at the first verse confirmes this truth I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish my selfe separate from Christ for my kins-folk in the flesh Saint Paul here tels us that his conscience did beare him witnesse that his thoughts and desires were thus and thus sincere respecting his brethren which conscience will never doe before he hath leavelled a mans thoughts and desires by the word of God and found them to be so by consequence then it is manifest that conscience compares a mans thoughts by the rule as well as his words and deeds Conscience keepes court in the heart and therefore can and doth observe our thoughts as well as our words and deeds Conscience keepes a Court of justice in the heart and sits upon the life and death of the soule which is ten thousand times more precious then the body and therfore will not sift this and that and let other things goe which the word condemnes as well and as plainely as it doth any thing else The word of God you know condemnes evill thoughts as well as evill words and not onely grosse evill thoughts as thoughts of murder adultery and the like but vaine idle thoughts and therefore conscience can doe no lesse as Gods Vicegerent in this lower circuit but examine these as well as words and deeds by the rule of Gods word to see how farre they agree to or disagree from it Which worke when conscience hath exactly done then it beares witnesse with or against a man answerably as a mans waies agree or disagree with this rule which is the last clause in the description of conscience and comes now according to order and method to be a little opened Conscience when he hath compared a mans waies by the rule and exactly found out how they agree with or disagree from it the next thing he doth is he beares witnesse with or against a man This clause I adde in the description of conscience because 't is a divine power placed in the soule of man to be as it were a judge betweene God and man Conscience takes notice of things together with God and compares them by the rule together with God and then pronounceth sentence with or against man for God First I say conscience takes notice of things together with God and hence it is say the learned that this power in the soule is called conscience Scire say they is said of him which knowes one thing alone so as none else knowes it with him Conscire is said of three or foure which know some secret together Conscience therefore must needs signifie a combination of two at the least in the knowledge of some secret thing Now this combination cannot be betweene man and man for man doth not know the secrets of my heart no further then as I reveale them to him this combination neither cannot be betweene man and Angels for they doe not know the secrets of my heart together with thy selfe This combination then must needs be between God and man God knowes all our
he set Felix into a trembling and then saith he to Paul Goe thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will send for thee Act. 24.25 So many will heare conscience whilst he gives testimony with them of this good thing and that which they have done and it may be whilst he tells them of lesser faults but when once he comes to reason throughly with them about their sinnes which are as deare as right eyes and right hands unto them and threatens them home with judgement to come when he tells them of that righteousnesse and temperance which the word commands how much they have neglected it and what they are liable to for it and so sets their soules into a cold shaking sweat then they have enough of conscience and they turne their eares and minds to some other matters and send conscience away till they be better at leisure this is no other but to sleight conscience in his place God will make no other of this but contempt of his prime Court of justice here below and those that sit chiefe there as for him and thou wilt finde no other but a great deale of secret soule mischiefe by this God hath no other Court here below but the heart of man and no Judge in this Court but conscience and conscience being Gods Chiefe-judge wilt thou hearken to him when thou pleasest and when thou pleasest turne the deafe eare to him say what he will Doest thou thinke that God sweares Judges for this lower Circuit which know not Law nor how to speake upon the Bench worth the hearing Doest thou thinke thy selfe too great to be arraigned by God and to answere to such interrogatories as he shall put unto thee As God will make no other but contempt of this so thou wilt finde no other but a great deale of secret soule mischief by this To sleight the voice of conscience is the ready way to bring the soule into security and presumption which are unsensible damning evils When there was no King in Israel nor royall Courts of judicature every man did what was right in his owne eyes So when this royall Court of conscience is sleighted the soule will grow fearelesse and carelesse and man will give leave to himselfe to thinke and speake and doe as he listeth and yet promise peace to himselfe though he live in the wickednesse of his owne heart then which what can be a greater soule evill Wherefore honour God in his Royall way of judicature and seeing he hath appointed an able Iudge in thy soule of thy waies sleight him not but diligently hearken to what he saith which is the last thing I would a little presse upon you Conscience can speake better of thy waies then any man can doe therefore give him leave to speake and diligently observe all his words and tell me what he saith to thee Doth he not tell thee that thou art a drunkard an adulterer a swearer a prophaner of the Lords day an unjust dealer a selfe-seeker a time-server a man that orderest thy devotion and conversation suitable to the times a man that makes thine owne ends thy aime in all thy actions Doth he not tell thee that thou art an idle person a busie-body a railer a scoffer and malicious person Or what is it that conscience saith unto thee For he speakes to no man else but to thy selfe so faithfull and discreet is he and therefore I can enquire of none but of thy selfe O sinner what conscience saies unto thee Conscience can give testimony with or against thee prethee hearken to him and tell me what he saith When Christ was arraigned and stood still and said nothing the high Priest arose saith the Text and said unto him answerest thou nothing What is it which these witnesse against thee Math. 26.62 So say I to you conscience doth arraigne you now and then and he doth give testimony what testimony is it that he gives Is it against you or with you If against you What is it that he accuses you of and condemnes you for Doth he condemne thee for the vanity of thy thoughts for the levity of thy words and deeds Doth he condemne thee for the pride of thine heart or for the pride of thine heart and life both Doth he condemne thee for sheading of innocent blood for scoffing and persecuting the waies of God Doth he condemne thee for hugging some secret sinne which the word disallowes or for thy superficiall perfunctory piety Whatsoever conscience accuses and condemnes thee for honour this Viceroy so farre as to weigh throughly what he saith and call to minde thy waies and consider whether they have not beene so as conscience saith and if so then compare what conscience saith of thy course with the word of God and if conscience within and the word of God without agree in one in what they say against thy course doe thou strike in with thy conscience and the word of God and say of thy selfe and waies as they say and joyne with them in judging and condemning thy selfe and thy courses And then begge the Lord that he will not strike in and judge thee too for if he judge thee too then thou art gon for ever Tell him that though thou hast sinned yet Christ hath died and here hold And then begge him to cleanse and cure thy wicked heart that thou maist goe and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee namely to be delivered from the hands of a condemning conscience into the hands of a condemning God who will teare thee in pieces and there will be none to deliver If conscience give testimony with you that you are pure and upright as he useth the expression to Iob that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your conversation in the world why then weigh your waies by the word of God and see whether the word of God saith the same of your waies which conscience doth if so why then doe you strike in too and say as conscience and Gods Word doe and so owne Gods great worke of grace in your hearts in making them upright and thinke that thou canst never declare love enough to God which hath declared so much love to thee as to make thee a man after his owne heart to be a companion for his owne Sonne and selfe in grace and glory 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 THE third proposition which now according to order and method comes to be handled is this That consciousnesse to our selues of the simplicity and sincerity of our conversation will yeeld us joy in the midst of troubles Pauls and Timothies conscience giving testimony with them concerning the simplicity and sincerity of their conversation made them to rejoyce in the midst of all
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
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
more then his lusts and to please him rather then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne which he wisely considered and answerably declared himselfe But I keepe under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any meanes when I have preached to others I my selfe should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 This is after a speciall manner to declare sincerity indeed when a man couragiously fights against himselfe so farreforth as sinfull and opposite to God The lusts of the heart are the enemies of a mans owne house which are the worst enemies of all and therefore when these begin to warre and rebell against that holy light which is in our minds then is a speciall time indeed for a man to stirre up the grace of God in him and to declare his uprightnesse for God whose throne the heart of man ought to be or else God will give up the heart to the power and dominion of sinne and then the soule is undone for ever This Paul wisely considered 2 Cor. 12.7 and therefore when he felt this pricke in the flesh after a speciall manner molest him he still after a speciall manner declared his uprightnesse in wresting against it that so be might subdue his flesh which otherwise would have subdued his spirit and outed Christ of his prime Hold and Saint Paul of his prime happinesse 3 When the divell tempted Christ to cast downe himselfe from the top of a steepe place and to fall downe and worship him and so to decline his Father utterly then was a speciall personall occasion from the divell for Christ to declare his uprightnesse that he prised every title of his fathers will above all this world and all the honours and pleasures in it Which Christ wisely considered and answerably with much courage and resolution declared himselfe Then said Iesus unto him get thee hence Satan for it is written that thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serve Math. 4.10 So when the Serpent subtilly got into one of the followers of Christ and prayed him to pitty and spare himselfe from that painefull worke on which the glory of God and the salvation of man so much depended then was a speciall personall occasion from the divell for Christ againe to declare his sincerity that he more regarded the glory of God and the good of man then his owne life though his life were worth a thousand of ours which be thorowly considered and answerably declared himselfe Get thee behind me satan Mark 8.33 So when the serpent subtilly set upon our first parents to draw them to eatâ— of the forbidden fruit then was a speciall personall occasion from the divellâ— for them to have declared their uprightnesse that they would not disobey their God in the least point though they might have beene made Gods themselves to doe it which because they did not seriously consider and answerably carry themselves they lost the confirmation of their happy being and plunged themselves and all us their posterity into unspeakeable misery â— Domesticall occasions which require sincerity after a speciall manner to be declared are when in family relations good or evill after a speciall manner is to be conversant about When Ely's sonnes abused their high calling by a profane conversation then was a speciall domesticall occasion for Ely to declare his sincerity to God and man that he loved the glory of God above the lives of his sonnes which because he did not seriously observe and answerably carry himselfe but passed over a speciall occasion with an ordinary reproofe therefore God fell out with him and punished him as one that esteemed and loved his sonnes more then God When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac then was a speciall domesticall occasion for Abraham to declare his sincerity that to obey the Will of God was dearer to him then the life of his onely sonne which he seriously considered and answerably carried himselfe and God then openly confessed Abraham to be upright For now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sinne thine onely sonne from me Gen. 22.12 When Iob's wife bid Iob in his extremity to curse God and die then was a speciall domesticall occasion for Job to declare his sincerity that he served God for nought which Iob seriously considered and answerably carried himself towards his wife Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh what shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evill Iob 2.10 So when David Sauls sonne had a speciall advantage against Saul and might have slaine him but would not because he was the Lords Annoynted then was a speciall domesticall occasion for David to declare his uprightnesse to God and to Saul that he was an obedient sonne to Saul and desired not the life or Kingdome of his father but to live in love and peace with him which David wisely considered and tooke this speciall occasion to declare his integrity to Saul and this done so seasonably his words were to Saul like Apples of gold in pictures of silver which made him to confesse David to be more righteous then himselfe 1 Sam. 24.17 so likewise when God met Moses in an Inne and commanded him to circumcise his sonne to which bloody ordinance Zipporah was so averse or otherwise he should loose his life then was a speciall domesticall occasion for Moses to declare his uprightnesse to God and to his wife that he regarded more to please God then to please his wife which Moses seriously considered and answerably with courage carried himselfe or else he had assuredly smarted severely 3 Sociall or Symmachicall occasions and times for the declaration of sincerity after a speciall manner are when good or evill are more then ordinarily conversant about in relation to such or such a Society or Corporation When Ioab that bloody man would have destroyed Abel that ancient City because of Sheba a seditious man which fled thither then was a speciall symmachicall occasion for that wise woman to declare her uprightnesse for her owne good and for the good of that City whereof she was a member that she was none of them that made strife and contention against David nor that City in which she lived which she wisely considered and answerably with wisedome and courage carryed herselfe I am one of them that are peaceable in Israel thou seekest to destroy a City and a mother in Israel why wilt thou swallâ—w up the inheritance of the Lord. 2. Sam. 20.19 When Iudas one of that honourable society plotted mischiefe against Christ the Master of that company then was a speciall wine for Christ to declare his integrity that the world might know that Christ had given Iudas no just cause thus trecherously to behave himselfe but had every way so carried himselfe towards â—…m as might have beene enough to have won any mans heart for ever to him Christ made him as his equall his familiar friend
work of God upon the soule that it makes a man laborious to do every divine thing exact according to that divine manner which God in hiâ— word prescribes 'T is not thus with an hypocrite he is lead by customes and makes it a matter of conscience not to swerve from these how incongruous so ever to the word of God Or els he is fearefully given over to a careless Spirit to doe divine things as hits he cares not how any way or no way all is one Or else he is desperatly pinned to his owne will being wiser in his owne eyes then ten men that give a reason Thus thus he will walke say all the world what they will is it not thus with you If you tell me that yet you hold out weight by the ballance of the sanctuarie I am glad yet possibly you may be one graine too light Are ye laborious to doe all Gods will that God may have all the glory due to his name Do ye not sacrifice to your owne ners and take the glory to your selves of your labours like Herod When men applaud you is not this to you as the rubbing of a Parrat upon the head very pleasing and that which makes you hugge your selves within your owne thoughts Is not this great Babell which I have built Could such a thing have beene done if I had not done it Or could any man have done it so well as I Looke in upon your spirits before but specially after divine duties and see whether you doe not seeke your selves in them more then the glory of Christ Doe ye not give almes to be accounted liberall men and that the poore may applaud you for good men and good house-keepers Doe ye not blow a Trumpet when you give almes that is so distribute your charity as may be most advantagious to your owne repute in the world Do ye not let your left hand know still what your right hand doth Are ye not dampt in your designes of charity and bounty when 't is to goe forth in such a way as if it were cast upon waters or into the bottome of a Well where no eye can see nor no tongue speake of your good workes nor no likely'ud of the least returne Doe ye not looke for much observance from such to whom you doe much And repent of your kindnesse when men doe not answere it in thankfulnesse Doe ye eye Christs command and out of love to him give upon all just occasions as unto him Are those that are religious tendered and succoured by you in their bonds and miseries as if you were bound with them according to the divine rule Doe ye not in prayer more looke at words and expressions then to your spirits Doe ye not pray in the market-places That is so pray that others may observe you and blaze abroad that you are very devout persons Are ye not industrious to pray well as you call it in publike and carelesse and perfunctory when you pray in private Are ye not more constant a great deale in the performance of publike then in the performance of private prayers where there is no observer nor applauder but God which sees and heares in secret Doe ye not after prayer hug your owne gifts and admire your apt expressions dexterity of utterance and to thinke much that you have no more thankes given you for your paines and that those that joyned with you were no more affected Doe ye not pin your spirits to your owne acute studied formes and praiers in print boasting of things made ready to your hand as the Apostle speakes and scoffe at the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Doe ye not preach your selves and not Christ and more looke at words then matter to please men then to please God Doe ye labour to approve your selves to every mans conscience or to every mans fancie Doe ye not put plaine truths into abstruse termes a new coat upon old divinitie and strive to soare in drie Metaphysicall straines above your owne and others apprehension Doe ye not build hay and stubble upon the true foundation the opinions of Fathers and Schoolemen and the tenents of proud time-servers whom God hath given over to a Spirit of delusion to believe lies because they received not the truth in the love of it Doe ye aime at conviction conversion or ostentation in your preaching Doth it not almost make you sicke like Ahab that your claborate Sermons in places of eminent note have not yet brought you to a fat living Doe ye not preach Christ out of envie as the Apostle speakes to bring about your wicked designes and to vend your malicious spirits against the godly Doe ye not wrest the word of Christ to confirme your time-serving tenents to maintaine your voluptuous loitering life And if so is this in simplicity and godly sincerity to have your conversation in the world To you that by what hath beene said see that you are yet unsound at heart that you doe not in simplicity and godly sincerity order your conversation in this world I have three things to say Labour to be affected with your unsoundnesse Then judge your selves that you may never be judged of the Lord And then begge the cure of your foule disease First labour to be affected with your unsoundnesse This is the killing mischiefe of hypocrisie that it is hard and difficult throughly to be found out and truely to be bewailed Hypocrisie is vitium latens vitium transfigurans vitium adulans vitium obdurans a hidden a transforming a flattering and a hardening vice 1 'T is a hidden vice The heart is deceitfull and desperately wicked who can know it saith the Prophet The spirit of a man may know the things of a man but deceit and guile this lurkes and skulkes in such hidden corners of the heart that the spirit of man does not know it And hence it is that multitudes thinke themselves very sincere which yet are very unsound A man may discerne drunkennesse swearing and whoring in himselfe and yet all this while be utterly unable to see the hypocrisie of his spirit and hence 't is that you shall have drunkards swearers and whore-masters to confesse these vices and yet plead for the goodnesse of their hearts and meanings too 2 When the unsoundnesse of the heart is discovered by the word and spirit of God then hypocrisie becomes vitium transfigurans a transforming vice The heart strives now to put faire glosses upon foule matters to put a beautifull vizzard upon the uglie face of sinne and to appeare in the eye of awakened conscience quite of another colour or at least nothing so uglie as the word of God would make it to be 3 If this will not stop the mouth of complaining conscience then it becomes vitium adulans a flattering vice The heart tells conscience now that 't is true things are bad but God is very good he is not extreame to marke what is