second Conscience its acting would be insignificant it would be little or not at all heeded nay it self would become dull and heedless 2. The Spirits motions do differ from the impulses of Conscience Where the Spirit of the Lord does move more immediately his motions are with greater power and with greater Liberty The ungodly themselves are not altogether strangers unto the Power of the Spirit How doth it check them and restrain them and dam up the stream of Corruption for a season as long as 't is put forth but chiefly this power is apparent in them that are effectually called The Spirit impelling them to come to God does bring them quite home his impulse shall fetch them out of the farthest Country and bring them to their Fathers house Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is power and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Spirit not only moves us to obey but also enlarges our hearts that we may run the way of the Lords commandments 3. The Spirits Convictions differ from the Accusations of Conscience as the Cause and Effect as the Antecedent and the Consequent The Spirit first sets sin in order before our eyes and then Conscience does accuse and reproach us because of it And where the Spirit does by a more immediate operation give a sight of sin and bring it to remembrance Oh how is the heart affected What self-abhorrency and abasement what Sorrow and Shame what Knocking of the Breast and Smiting upon the Thigh is there Surely sayes Ephraim after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my Youth Jer. 31. 19. Now 't was the Spirit that did thus instruct and turn him Thus Ezek 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you And it follows ver 31. Then shall ye remember your evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations 4. The Spirits witness concerning our adoption differs from the witness of our own Spirits from the testimony of our own Consciences The Apostle speaks very plainly of a twofold witness that of Our Spirits and that of Gods Spirit Rom 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with out Spirits that we are the children of God This witness of the Spirit does not lye onely in his declaring in the Scriptures what kind of Persons are the children of God but he also helps Believers to see that they are such kind of persons and then enables them to draw the conclusion that they are Children and Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ unto the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance Now the difference between the witnesse of the Spirit and that of Conscience touching our adoption is in these particulars 1. The Spirits witness is more clear Consciences more conjectural As we see things ten thousand time more plainly by the Light of the Sun than by a dim Lamp that burns by us and yet by that Lamp we may see something 2. The Spirits witness causes greater Boldness and Confidence than that of Conscience When the Spirit of Adoption is sent into the heart it makes Believers to come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace and to cry Abba Father that is Father Father the word is doubled to shew with what confidence the Spirit makes it to be spoken Gal. 4. 6. Then they draw nigh with high Hopes and raised Expectations that their Father will deal bountifully give liberally and though they open their mouths never so wide that yet they shall be filled with his fulness 3. The Spirits testimony is more firm and not so easily questioned that of Conscience is more apt to be cavill'd at by Satan If I see a thing plainly in the day time I know I see it and though many should question whether I saw or no yet I make no question nay though some distracted persons that are kept in darkness and chains should say they see when they don't yet I know I see when I do The Spirits testimony does make things thus clear And the objections of the Accuser of the Brethren 't is evident they are but cavils Thus says the Apostle We have known and believed the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4. 16. But the testimony of Conscience Satan will be more bold to question and will start an hundred things whereby a weaker Faith may be puzled and the heart still kept under doubts and fears 4. The Spirits testimony produces joy that of Conscience at best onely a calmness and tranquillity I confesse the Apostle sayes the testimony of Conscience was his rejoycing but you must know that he had also received the witness and earnest of the Spirit so that he had more than Consciences bare testimony The joy that the Spirit creates by his assuring Believers of their adoption is unspeakable and full of glory 'T is such as no Tongue can utter and no Heart can conceive it but such as have had a taste and experience of it 'T is not meerly a negative thing or freedom from trouble but positive and carries with it such a delight as is not to be found in the highest sensuality The Malefactor is at peace when he receives a pardon but if he be not only pardoned but Preferred this causes joy The Spirit lets the Soul see 't is pardoned and preferr'd to be a Child of God an Heir of Glory and gives a taste how Gracious the Lord is this causes not only peace but joy and triumph of Spirit in the God of Salvation I come now to the third thing I proposed to give you the reasons why it should be every ones great care to have good Conscience 1. We can have no Communion with God without a good Conscience unless our Hearts are sprinkled from an evil Conscience we cannot draw nigh to him neither will he draw nigh to us Though we say with never so great confidence that we have Fellowship with God if Conscience knows that we walk in darknesse and we allow our selves in the works of darkness the Holy Ghost gives us the lye to our face and we do not the Truth 1 John 1. 6. There cannot be a question asked of greater importance than this wherein does mans happinesse lye and the truest answer unto this question is Mans felicity does lye in Fellowship with God Therefore the happinesse of the triumphant Saints is so full because they are admitted unto so near Communion with God Therefore the Misery of the damned is so great because they are banished from the Lords presence and despair of ever coming neer to him or enjoying of him And therefore the happiness of militant Saints is imperfect because the remainders of sin in them do hinder them from enjoying so much of God as otherwise they might enjoy But where Conscience is evil there is
break the Rock so does the Word the the Heart though never so hard and senseless 't is compared also to fire because like fire it does both give light and refine and purifie the Conscience Yeare Clean sayes Christ but how through the word that I have spoken unto you John 15 3. Let the Word of Christ therefore dwell in you richly 't will be an Excellent and effectual Antidote against sin and temptation when your Hearts stand in awe of the Word of God as David's did how will it preserve you from defilement 2. Affliction is like a Furnace to refine That Conscience may be pure Affliction is to be improved The Rod of Affliction though it seem to be dry and withered yet like Aaron's 't will bud and blossom and bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness unto them that are Exercised thereby And before the Apostle informs us that 't is God's design in Afflicting to refine and purifie v. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our Flesh who Corrected us and we gave them Reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened 〈◊〉 after their own pleasure but He for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness The smart of Affliction does help very much to awaken Conscience and to discover the evil and danger of sin and then sin is found to be ten thousand times more bitter when we reflect upon it than ever was fansied to be sweet in the time of Temptation We may indeed with submission pray against Affliction and intreat that gentler ways may be used to sanctifie us and we may take the more comfort and our sincerity will be the more Evident when milder Methods are effectual One of our English Poets speaks Excellently to this purpose (*) Herbert Discipline pag. 173 174. Throw away thy Rod Throw away thy Wrath. O my God Take the gentle path For my hearts desire Vnto thine is bent I aspire To a full consent Not a word or look I affect to own But thy Book And thy Book alone Though I fail I weep Though I halt in pace Yet I creep To the Throne of Grace Then let wrath remove Love will do the deed For with Love Stony hearts will bleed Love is swift of foot Love's a Man of War And can shoot And can hit from far Who can scape his bow That which wrought on thee Brought thee low Needs must work on me Throw away thy Rod Though Man frailties hath Thou art God Throw away thy Wrath. But if the Father of Spirits sees it meet and needful to use the Discipline of the Rod it concerns us to hear the Voice of it and understand the meaning and this it always speaks and that very plainly that our Consciences and indeed all within us should be more clean and Holy 3. The Blood of Christ purges the Conscience from dead works This is the Fountain which in the Gospel is set open for Sâ—n and for Uncleanness 'T is He who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his Blood Rev. 1. 5. So Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit Offered up himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the Living God Though our Lord aimed at our Justification and the Remission of sin when he shed his Blood and Sacrificed himself for us yet he had our sanctification and cleansing also in his eye Upon this Account the Apostle Peter tells us That he bear our sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead unto sins might live unto Righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 24. And we read Eph. 5. 25 26 27. that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Apply this Blood unto your selves be perswaded that it has a sanctifying vertue and pray for purity as that which is a great part of Christ's purchase as well as your own Perfection 4. If you would have Conscience pure you must not resist but yield unto the Spirit of Christ 'T is his Work not onely to shew sin but to slay it he convinces of sin and also Mortifies the deeds of the Body Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do Mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live The Power of sin is great and this Power is strengthned by the Principalities and Powers of Darkness who do endeavour to keep up sins Dominion So that if the Spirit of the Lord did not shew the exceeding greatness of his Power our Hearts and Consciences would still remain defiled we should never have our Fruit unto Holiness nor the end everlasting Life I have done with that sixth particular The goodness of Conscience lies in the purity of it 7. The goodness of Conscience lies in the calmness and peace of it What the Apostle speaks concerning the wisdom which is from above That 't is first pure and then peaceable may be applied unto a good Conscience first 't is pure then peacable there may indeed be purity without peace but there cannot be true peace without purity There is a false peace which is too commonly found in the ungodly and the Hypocrite this peace sin does not disturb but increase and by this peace the strong man armed does keep possession But true peace is peculiar unto them that are sanctified and when once they have attained unto it they are brought as it were within the Suburbs of Heaven and see the dawning of that Light which is everlasting That you may the better discern this true peace of Conscience I shall set it forth in these particulars 1. True peace of Conscience is founded upon the Blood of God So Christs Blood is called for as he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh so he is expresly affirmed to be over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. There could be no remission of sin without shedding of blood and no other blood would serve the turn the blood of Bulls and goats would not take away sin Heb. 10. 4. Nay supposing that Mans blood had been shed for us it would not have been expiatory Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my Soul Mic. 6. 7. Nothing but what satisfies the justice of God will satisfie and pacifie the Conscience and bring it to a well-grounded tranquillity but 't is the blood of Christ alone that satisfies divine justice Conscience therefore can have no true rest till that blood be applied Luthers Conscience
will our Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit unto them that ask him Luke 11. 13. This Scripture does give sufficient warrant unto any breathing to go unto God for his Spirit to enlighten to convince to renew and change and at last to comfort them with as much confidence as Children go for Necessaries unto the most tender Earthly Fathers 2. These consolations of the Spirit especially belong unto those who are troubled as you are The broken Vessel is fit for the Oyl of Joy and Gladness to be poured into it Isa 61. 1 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath Annointed me to Preach good tidings to the Meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to Proclaim Liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to Proclaim the Acceptable Year of the Lord to Comfort all that mourn The Spirit does delight to comfort them that are cast down for these will not take up with other Comforts they prize the Spirits Consolations they cry Grace Grace when they receive them and walk humbly and warily afterward being afraid to lose such precious things by fresh Trangressions 7. For the Comforting of a troubled Conscience Behold and Wonder at Gods condescention in that he does intreat sinners to be Reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be Reconciled unto God You cannot imagine that He who has been so bitterly provoked by you should be so ready to forgive you and so willing to be Friends with you but you would do well to observe that after the Lord had promised Mercy and abundant Pardon to sinners willing to forsake their evil ways and thoughts he presently adds that his Mercy shall be extended to them though they were not able to conceive it My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. That is you must not measure my Mercy by yours nor think that I am able and willing to put up and forgive no more than you You are easily provoked but I am slow to Anger you are hardly Reconciled but I am ready to forgive I am willing to remit the greatest wrongs and to receive the wrong-doers into favour if they do but sincerely return to me and are willing for the future to please and serve me As the Heavens are high above the Earth so are my ways of Kindness and Compassion higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isa 55. 8 9. When there is a difference between any the Inferior commonly intreats the Superiour to be Reconciled but here the Lord who is infinitely above us intreats Us to be Friends that are infinitely below him He that does the wrong commonly intreats him whom he has wronged but here the Lord who has been Injured and Affronted and Offended and can most easily be Revenged does intreat them that have done the Injury He that is at the Mercy of another commonly intreats him at whose Mercy he lies but here the Lord who has absolute Power to do what he will with Offenders and can Glorifie himself in their Eternal Destruction does intreat them to be at Peace and to Repent that they may be saved Finally he that is the depending Person commonly does intreat him upon whom he has such dependance but here the Lord who has no dependance at all upon sinners nor any need at all of them does yet intreat them to come to him who have such intire dependance upon him that they cannot live or move or be without him and cannot be happy but in the enjoyment of him Oh what manner of Grace and Kindness is this and how may drooping spirits be revived and encouraged to hope in such a God read the parable of the prodigal see him by necessity driven home to his Fathers house behold his Father running to him embracing him though he had spent all among Harlots and in Riotous living and then give a ghesse how much more willing the Lord is to receive returning sinners 8. For the right comforting of a troubled Conscience Study well the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of works is not to be laid hold upon by any of the fallen Children of Adam this promises life indeed but 't is upon condition of perfect and perpetual conformity both of Heart and Life unto the Law of God But the Covenant of Grace is vastly different from that first Covenant Sinners may lay hold on this new Covenant and they cannot please the Lord better than by so doing and therefore chusing the things that please him talking hold on his Covenant are join'd together Isa 56. 4. If sinners being convinced of their lost estate by their iniquities are willing to receive Christ to be their Prince and Saviour and to turn and give themselves to God he has ingaged in this Covenant to be their God and Father to give them Grace and at last Glory and in the mean while to withhold no good thing from them In this Covenant of Grace observe these four things all which may be helpful unto your Consolation 1. This Covenant is well ordered 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure this is all my Salvation this is all my desire 'T is admirably suited unto the state and desires and wants of those that are taken into Covenant They have no righteousness or works of their own that they may rest upon but here is a perfect Righteousness provided even the Righteousnesse of Christ made theirs as their sins were made his by imputation The Apostle Paul speaks plainly of the Blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without works Rom. 4. 6. and 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousnesse of God in him As they have no Righteousness so they are sick of Spiritual Plagues but in this Covenant God has promised to cure them Isa 57. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comfort unto him and his mourners They need cleansing because of their manifold defilements But God promises that he will sprinkle clean water upon them and make them clean and from all their filthiness and from all their Idols he will cleanse them They are weak and unable to do their duty and persevere in wel-doing but God promises to renew their strength so that they shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint Isa 40. ult 2. This Covenant is sure 'T is confirmed by the Sacraments which are the Seals of this Covenant 't is confirmed by the oath of God Heb. 6. 17. 18. s Quà m impossibile est ut Christus in suâ justitiâ non placeat tam impossibile ut nos fide nostrâ quâ illi inhaeâ—emus
enim inde cùm inde pellitur à seipso pellitur ecce hostem suum invenit quo confugeret Seipsum quo fugiturus est Quocunque suger it se talem trahit post se quocunque talem traxerit se cruciat se A seipso sunt tribulationes quae inveniunt hominem nimis acerbiores enim non sunt at tanto sunt acerbiores quanto sunt interiores Augustin Enarrat in Psal 45. Tom. 8. pag. mihi 419. Observes and more inward they are they are the more bitter But now he whose Conscience is good as Solomon speaks is satisfied from himself (*) Fragilibus innititur qui adventio laesus est exibit gaudium quod intravit at illud ex se ortum fidele firmumque est cascit ad extremum â—sque prosequitur Seneca Epist 98. He has Meat to eat which the World knows not of his sincere endeavour to do the will of God satisfies him better than the choicest Fare and Delicates Luther whose Conscience was clear who Preached Christ purely and Loved Christ sincerely has one strange Expression Miser sit qui possit ego nonpossum Let him be miserable that can be miserable I for my part cannot be miserable His God and his Conscience were such a Feast and Joy and Satisfaction to him that he knew 't was not in the Power of Earth or Hell to daunt or hurt him Oh what unutterable contentation is there in the Heart that upon reflection and search finds it self the Temple of the Spirit the Habitation where the Father and the Son do make their abode That finds it self Clothed with white Rayment Christ's Righteousness Enriched with that Gold tried in the Fire Rev. 3. 18. made partaker of the Divine Nature Adorned with the Image of God filled with the Graces of the Spirit and thereby sees it fitting for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light 3. He that has a good Conscience can look downward and see himself secured Never any one with a good Conscience went to the place of Torment but onely those who refused to have a good Conscience or made ship-wrack of it Though Hell be prepared for the Devil yet he has not the Keys of that place but they hang at Christ's Girdle Rev. 1 18. I am he that Liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death And certainly since Christ has the Keys of Hell no Believers whose Consciences are truly good shall be flung in thither for these are the Members of his Body and the Head loves his Members too well to suffer them to be thrown into Everlasting fire A good Conscience by the eye of Faith looks down and takes Notice of the Damned in their Misery sees them groaning under the fierceness of the Almighty's wrath sees them fed upon by the VVorm that dies not and tormented in that flame which shall never be extinguished and bound fast in those Chains of Darkness which shall never be unloosed and then rejoyces to see it self safe under the wing of the Lord Jesus rejoyces in that Deliverance and Salvation from future wrath whereof Christ is the Author 4. He that has a good Conscience can look upon his outward comforts and take comfort in them What he has is not a Snare to him but attended with a blessing upon this score the Psalmist sayes a little that a Righteous man has is better than the Riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. A good Conscience does in a great measure cure that vanity and vexation of Spirit that is in the Creature for when these outward enjoyments are given with the Divine Blessing then as Solomon speaks no sorrow is added with them The upright man does taste the love of God in the Food he eats and though it be but a dinner of Herbs yet this love makes it better than a stalled Ox with the Lords Curse and Hatred He feels the love of God in the Clothes he wears and though of coarser cloth yet they are better than the Purple and fine Linnen and costly array of that rich man that received all his good things in this present world and after was turned into Hell poor and naked All the gifts he receive are indeed blessings to one that 's Righteous for he has the Giver with them and is brought still nearer unto the Giver by them 5. He that has a good Conscience can look upon adversity without dread When the Apostle was pressed out of measure even above strength yet a good Conscience was his rejoycing Bias the Philosopher being asked what was difficult answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (y) Diogen Laert. in vitâ Biantis p. mihi 60. To bear with fortitude a change in our condition for the worse Now a clear Conscience will be very helpful unto such Fortitude and Patience Job is of a sudden stript of his glory rob'd of his vast estate and though a Prince before made poor to a Proverb and yet Conscience bears him up and makes him able to say The Lord has given and the Lord has taken blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. Sir Henry Wotton has a very good description of an happy life wherein he shews that a good Conscience is the best armour and the safest retreat whatever happens How happy is he born and Taught That serveth not anothers will Whose armour is his honest Thought And simple Truth his utmost skill Whose passions not his masters are Whose Soul is still prepar'd for death Untied unto the World by care Of publick fame or private breath Who envies none that chance does raise Nor Vice hath ever understood How deepest wounds are given by praise Nor rules of State but rules of Good Who hath his Life from rumors freed Whose Conscience is his strong retreat Whose state can neither flatt'rers feed Nor ruine make oppressors great Who God doth late and early pray More of his Grace than Gifts to lend And entertains the harmless day With a Religious book or Friend This man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise or fear to fall Lord of himself though not of Lands And having nothing yet hath all A good Conscience will tend very much to fix the Heart so as that evil tidings shall not be so terrifying and dismaying Hark what the Psalmist sayes Vnto the upright there ariseth light in obscurity surely he shall not be moved for ever he shall not be afraid (†) Justum tenacem propositi virum Si fractis illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. 467. 6. He that hath a good Conscience can look upon all the baits of the Tempter and despise them Satan is not able to compell and force us to sin neither has he power to determine the will of man to that which is evil as the Lord has to determine it unto that which is good for then sin
fellowship with him that we endeavour to do that which is good in his sight And as we would escape his anger and his smoaking jealousie which will utterly consume us that we beware of that which is worst of evils sinning against him 2. Consider the Power of Conscience if we take Power for Authority God has given great Authority unto the Conscience And a Man must rather disobey Kings and Emperours then disobey Conscience Nebuchadnezzar commanded the three Children to Worship the Golden Image that he had set up Conscience commanded them to refuse to Worship it They obey Conscience and rather than Conscience should fly in their faces for idolatry they venture to be cast into a fiery furnace Dan. 3. If we take Power for Ability Conscience is a thing of greater force and strength If it be good how can it sweeten any condition though in it self never so calamitous but if Conscience be bad 't is sufficient to put gall and bitternesse into all your Comforts 3. If you heed Conscience 't is the way to have you and your Consciences agree together Conscience will dwell with you and you cannot help it Oh therefore hearken to it and satisfie it for this will be much for your own peace and satisfaction There is a twofold Peace which it highly concerns us to look after Peace above and Peace within Peace above with God we should be sollicitous about there is no contending with Him that is Almighty Let the Potsherds strive with the Potsherds of the Earth but wo unto him that striveth with his Maker Esa 45. 9. How earnest then should we be that being justified by Faith we may have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And next unto peace with God we should endeavour after peace within even peace of Conscience and if we hearken and do what an enlightned Conscience commands and walk before God in Truth Conscience will speak Peace and that peace it will be true 4. Consider That in the hour of distresse and especially at the time of your dissolution the good Word of Conscience will do more good to you than all the World A cleer Conscience makes a triumphant Saint before he does expire Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is Peace Psal 37. 37. How many have lookt death in the face undaunted because Conscience has born witnesse to their sincerity * Melch. Adamus in vitâ Lutheri pag. 154 155. When Luther was sick of his last distemper and grew towards his end he waked at midnight and perceiving his Earthly Tabernacle was falling to the ground he brake forth into Thanksgiving to God for revealing Christ to him whom he believed whom he professed whom he loved whom he celebrated and whom the Pope with the Company of the wicked did persecute Then he prayed to his Heavenly Father to receive his spirit and added though I must now lay down this Body yet I know most certainly that I shall ever be with the Lord and none shall pluck me out of his hand Here was a Conscience cleer a Death without Fear and an abundant entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom 5. Heed Conscience for 't will go with you to the bar of God (t) Quando Deus judex erit alius testis quà m Conscientia tua non erit Inter Judicem justum Conscientiam tuam noli timere nisi causam tuam Augustin Enarrat in Psal 37. pag. mihi 323. and certainly 't will be sad to be followed to that Tribunal by a guilty Conscience crying out against you If Conscience excuse you and plead for you before your Judge how sweet and comfortable will that be if it produce sincere obedience and the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith to cover all your guilt and make up all your imperfections this will make you lift up your heads with joy and confidence But if Conscience does accuse you of impenitency in sin all your days though it often warned you to mourn and turn these accusations as they cannot be evaded so they will be unconceivably terrifying and confounding to you 6. Heed Conscience for 't will remain in you forever 't will be Eternally with the Saints in Glory After a Believer has fought the good fight has finished his course has kept the Faith has been acquitted at the judgement seat and has received the Crown of Righteousness then Conscience will be fully at rest Work is now done danger is now past and the possession of the inheritance is secured Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out Conscience also will be eternally with the reprobates in misery And as Job's Messengers did tell him that his Cattel were destroyed and his Substance taken away and they only were left alone to tell him So Conscience will speak after the same manner unto the damned O you self-destroying Sinners your consolation is all received your good things are come to an end your profits and Pleasures are quite fled away and gone And I only am left alone to tell you To tell you of your madness in loving sin in idolizing a vain World in slighting Salvation and bringing your selves notwithstanding all warnings into Eternal misery I have done with the first Doctrine That God has placed a Conscience in Man Doct. 2. The second Doctrine is this To have a good Conscience should be every one 's greatest care This is one end of the Commandement not onely that there may be Love a pure Heart and Faith unfeigned but also a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. so 1 Pet. 3. 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your Hearts having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of Evil doers they may be ashamed who falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ 'T is the observation of Augustine (u) Ecce quid prodest plena bonis arca inanis Conscientia Bona vis habere bonus non vis esse Non vides te erubescere debere de bonis tuis si domus tua plena est bonis te habet malum Quid enim est quod velis habere malum Nihil omnino non uxorem non filium non filiam non servum non ancillam non villam non tunicam postremò non caligam tamen vis habere malam vitam August De verbis Domini Serm. 12. pagin mihi 57. Tom. 10. that Men are willing to have all things else good but their Consciences are bad and they themselves are Evil. There is no man but desires his Wife should be good his Children good his Servants good the House that he dwells in good the An he lives in good the Food he eats good the Clothes he wares good he does not care to have any thing bad about him How comes it to passe that he is too well content to have a bad Conscience within him This is our natural
shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God As the Scripture contains such a full discovery of the Will of God so there are several promises made that it shall be a guide unto the Conscience and direct us in a safe way Prov. 6. 22 23. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou awakest it shall talk with thee for the Commandement is a lamp and the Law is Light and the Reproofs of Instruction are the Way of Life So Prov. 4. 12. 13. Take fast hold of Instruction let her not go for she is thy Life when thou goest thy steps shall not be straitned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble 2. That Conscience may be well informed The Spirit of God must be begged for Conscience does very much imitate the Spirit Does the Spirit reprove for sin so does Conscience Does the Spirit Comfort so does Conscience Does the Spirit move us unto our duty so does Conscience And indeed 't is by the aid and Grace of the Spirit that Conscience does all this And as Conscience is a weak thing So also a dark thing without the Spirit Hark to the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit in the glass of the Gospel does give the Mind and Conscience such a sight of the Beauty of Holiness as that there is a change wrought in the very Heart the Image of God which does consist in Righteousness and True Holiness is instamped upon it We should with great earnestness ask the Spirit for as he is the Spirit of Holiness so also the Spirit of Truth of Wisdom and Revelation who alone can open the Eyes of the Vnderstanding Eph. 1. 17. 18 And besides our Heavenly Father has promised to give the Spirit unto them that ask him with much more willingness than Earthly Parents will give bread to their own Children 3. That Conscience may be well informed We must walk with the wise that 's the way to be wise our selves Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with the Wise shall be Wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed There is a destructive infection in Sin error therefore those cautions of our Lord. Take heed what you Hear and Take heed whom you Hear And the Apostle tells us that the Words of false Teachers will Eat like a canker or like a Gangreen Gangreens spread strangely and the gangren'd member is cut of for the preservation of the Body On the other side there is a kind of sanative or healing contagion iâ— Wisdome by conversing with Saints and Spiritual guides that are humble and holy and well instructed in the things of God by degrees we shall come to have our senses better exercised to discern both Good and Evil. 4. Let this be your design in desiring that Conscience may be informed well that you may do well according to that information When Christ asked the blind man that had had sight miraculously given to him Dost thou Believe on the Son of God he answers Who is he Lord that I might Believe on him Joh. 9. 35 36. He askes who he was as being very ready to Believe on him So should we inquire Lord what is thy will that we may do it what are thy Commands that we may yeild obedience to them What is the reason why the Lord will teach the humble 't is because these desire to know that they may Do what is required they have submitted themselves unto God and he sees that if they are entrusted with the Talent of Knowledge they will Trade with it 5. Beware exceedingly of false Lights If a false Light get into the Conscience what sad work will it make there When men take a lye to be truth how zealous are they in a bad matter T is a high piece of cursed art in the Devil to winde himself into the Consciences of men he gets into their wills and into their affections more easily He layes before them his ordinary baits of pleasures and profits and preferments And in all this he is no other than the God of this world here is no need of any great Metamorphosis for he knows that these things will easily take with the foolish and corrupt hearts of sinners But that he may get into the Conscience he acts more subtilly He transforms himself into an Angel of light and he transforms his instruments too so that they seem to be the Ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor. 11. 14 15. he puts sheeps cloathing upon the ravening Wolves that they may more easily prey upon the flock of Christ Surely the cunning of this enemy especially since we are warned should make us wary But since every light doth pretend to be true how shall we know which is false Certainly we must try the Spirits by the written Word Esa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word 't is because there is no Light in them The VVord is of Divine Authority whoever rejects it has no understanding whoever does wrest it that is does make some passages of it to speak against it self and the whole design of it he does it to his own destruction nay though an Angel from Heaven should Preach a Doctrine contrary to it we must stiffly oppose him and boldly say He is accursed Gal. 1. 8. 2. As the goodness of Conscience lies in its illumination and being rightly informed So in the due exercise of its Authority and Power The force of Conscience is very great when 't is exerted so that good men have lookt upon themselves as Debtors and not to have paid their debts unless they have done their duty Rom. 1. 14. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise so as much as in me is I am ready to Preach the Gospel to you that be at Rome also they have lookt upon themselves as bound in Spirit Act. 20. 22. And now behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there and being thus bound in Spirit he could not give himself a latitude and dispensation though the Holy Ghost did witnesse in every City that Bonds and Afflictions did abide him Conscience has made good men to conclude themselves under a necessity to obey and they have professed they could not do otherwise 1 Cor. 9. 16. Necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I Preach not the Gospel and so Act. 4. 20. We cannot but speak the things which we have Seen and Heard Now what that Power and Authority is which a good Conscience exercises I shall shew you 1. Conscience has Authority and Power to
to sin We have often heard him profess that if 〈◊〉 the one hand he should see the horrour of sin and on the other the pains of Hell and must necessarily be plunged into one of the two he would chuse Hell rather than sin Another thing also which may seem no less wonderful he was wont to say He had rather be in Hell being innocent and free from sin than being defiled and polluted possess the Kingdom of Heaven This tenderness of others may make us wonder at our selves and if seriously considered might be a means to prevent our making so bold with sin any more 't is not good in dally with Divine wrath nor to play with Hell fire 5. That Conscience may be tender avoid every thing that is of a stupifying Nature Whatever does defile â— (h) Nihil in mundo quantum peccare timebat Saepe illum 〈◊〉 veritatis testimonio profitentem audivimus Quod si hinc peccâ—â—â— horrorem hinc inferni dolorem corpor aliter cerneret necessaâ—â— uni eorum immergi deberet priùs infernum quà m peccatum aâ—â—â—teret Aliud quoque non minus for san aliquibus mirum dicereâ— lebat viz. malle se puram à peccato innocentem gehennam â—â—bere quà m peccati sorde pollutum coelorum regna tenere De â—â— Ansel l. 2. in Oper. Anselm apt to harden Sins against knowledge that are committed presumptuously how do they waste the Conscience when Satan can draw us to these he gives us such a blow as stuns us David after his folly with Bathsheba how stupid was he after he had defiled the Wife how strangely did he carry it towards Vriah the Husband And thus stupid he does continue till Nathan the Prophet is sent to startle him One would have thought that assoon as ever the Prophet proposed the parable of the Ew-lamb that Davids Conscience should have made application but it was so stupid that it did not till Nathan deals plainly with him for his sin and his ingratitude Oh let every one cry out Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins let not them have Dominion over me Psal 19. 13. 6. That Conscience may be tender Remember how smarting sin has been to others See how it has put others upon the wrack that you may grow wise by their harms What made Pashur to have his name changed to Magormissabib but because sin made him a terrour to himself and to all that were round about him 'T was sin brought Cain to such a condition that he cryed out my punishment is greater than I can bear Gen. 4. 13. Nay how have the Saints themselves been wounded by Sin and groaned under the burden of it My sore ran in the Night sayes the Psalmist my Soul refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was overwhelmed Selah Psal 77. 2 3. So Psal 88. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves Hark how the Prophet Jeremiah cryes out in the Name of the Church I am the man that hath seen affliction by the Rod of his wrath he hath brought me into darkness be turneth his hand against me all the day he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chain heavy also when I cry and shoâ—â— he shutteth out my Prayer He was unto me as a bear lying in wait as a Lyon in secret places he hath filled me with bitterness he hath made me drunken with Worm-wood Oh let Conscience think of this darkness and chaine and gall and VVormwood which are the dismal effects of sin and so be afraid of it 7. That Conscience may be tender Let Death and Judgement be still within view I am perswaded that was one reason why wickedness and security was so great in the old VVorld because it being ordinary for men to live seven or eight or nine hundred years they did banish the thoughts of their latter end but be you wise to consider it The Apostle Paul professes concerning himself I dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. that is he did not only dye more to sin and to the World every day but he continually lookt upon himself as mortal and at no time did he grow secure as if he were out of the reach of Death It argued some tenderness in the Consciences of the (*) Herodot l. â— Egyptians of old whose custom it was at the end of their Banquets to bring in the Image of a dead carcass made of Wood and to carry it about unto the guests and to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look unto this when thou aâ—â— Feasting for after thou art Dead thou shalt be like it 〈◊〉 the Lord did but teach you and teach you he would 〈◊〉 you were desirous to learn that holy Arithmetidâ— whereby you might be able to number your days aright you would apply your Hearts unto Wisdome Psal 90. 12. Death would have a mighty influence upon your Consciences especially if that which follows after judgement were believingly considered Conscience would stop thee when about to sin if it ask thee and thou dost think of these two questions seriously If I sin when I come to dye will it not be matter of trouble to me When I am judged how shall I answer for it many Consciences awake at Death all must needs awake at Judgment the Meditation of Death and Judgment would help much to awake them immediately 8. That Conscience may be tender meditate much upon Eternity Our Thoughts may endeavour to reach Eternity but they are quickly swallowed up and lost in the vastness of it Eternity is the word of all others that has an awakening sound VVhat is not to be done and suffered for the obtaining of Eternal Joyes How weak should all arguments be to perswade us to that which will bring us to ETERNAL Woes O Conscience get this word into thy Mouth and be alwayes ringing it in sinners Ears Eternity Eternity then thou thy self wilt be more tender and wilt also bear the greater sway O tell all that time is short and the fashion of this world passes away 1 Cor. 7. 29 30. and that 't is madness which nothing can be an Hyperbole to set forth when they may be happy for ever not to consent to their own happinesse and when they are warned to flee from Everlasting misery willfully to throw themselves into it Thus of that fourth particular the goodness of Conscience lies in the tenderness of it 5. The goodness of Conscience lies in its faithfulness in Witness-bearing As we are not to bear false Witness concerning our Neighbour so neither ought Conscience to bear false witness concerning our selves Conscience must not be like Fame Tà m ficti pravique tenax quà m nuncia veri Speaking more Ordinarily what is feigned than what is true God whose Officer Conscience is is a God of Truth and the Word which is given for its Direction is the Word of Truth and if that
withdraw his anger the proudest helpers must stoop under him Job 9. 13. 3. A despairing Conscience remembers sin and those threatnings that are denounced against it and is overwhelmed Oh the mountains of guilt which it does behold and these are high trespasses are grown up unto the Heavens and then it applies all the Curses all the evils that it reads in the Book of God unto it self there is a roll opened before it written within and without with Lamentations and Mourning and Wo to allude to that place Ezek. 2. ult Wherever the despairing sinner goes he is dog'd and followed with Legions of sins and Conscience is still tormenting it self with such sad thoughts How shall all these be answered for How shall that vengeance be undergone which so many iniquities and so heinous do deserve 4. A Despairing Conscience looks upon Christ and the Gospel and is more than ordinarily tormented to think there is help for others but for it self none to be found It calls to mind that once the door was open and the sinner was invited to come in but refused but now concludes the door is shut eternally once the Spirit strived but being resisted is departed for good and all so as never to return again Once sayes the despairing soul I had a day of Grace but I did not know it I did not improve it but now am overtaken by an Everlasting Night and shall never see day more The Prince of Peace the Gospel of Peace are hid from me the hopes of Peace are quite gone I have outdone the very Devils themselves and may expect if it be possible to be more miserable they never refused one offer of Mercy but I thousands they never slighted a pardon but I have slighted it and was unwilling to be reconciled to God they never rejected a Redeemer but I have rejected him and preferr'd vanity nay sin which is of such a damnable Nature before the only Saviour 5. A despairing Conscience remembers Death and Judgement and Eternity and then there is even a Roaring out for Anguish something like unto the yellings of those that actually are in the burning lake Ah how shall I bear the wrath of the Almighty when all of it shall be stirr'd up What ease can I expect in Everlasting Flames How shall I bear the society of the Devil and his Angels How shall I endure to be tormented for ever in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14. 10. 'T is not more certain I must dye than 't is certain I must be judged 't is not more certain I must be judged than 't is certain I must be damned 't is not more certain I must be damned than 't is certain that my damnation will be Everlasting This is the Language of a despairing sinner and since to despair is to be upon such a wrack how are they to be reproved that sin against Conscience which has a tendency to despair 6. They are to be reproved who go about to wound and to ensnare the Consciences of Others How careful was the Apostle not to cast a snare upon the Corinthians 1 Cor. 7. 35. nor to enjoyn that as necessary where the Lord had not imposed a necessity and a little after he sticks not to say that they who sin against the Brethren and wound their weak Conscience do sin against Christ 1 Cor. 8. 12. And if I am not by an imprudent use of my Christian liberty to embolden another to venture upon sin against Conscience surely much lesse may I do this either by constraint or by perswasion If it argue want of Love and be a great sin to impair the Estate to blemish the reputation to hurt the body of my Brother how much worse than all this is it to wound his Conscience Those who have no mercy to the Souls of Others surely have little to their Own and they will make bold with their own Consciences who have no care no tenderness in reference to the Consciences of their Brethren Several sorts of persons are here concerned as being injurious to others Consciences 1. False Prophets are injurious to the Consciences of others These do speak perverse things to draw away Disciples after them the Apostle deals very sharply with these he calls them Dogs and bids us beware of them Phil. 3. 2. Beware of Dogs beware of evil workers No wonder that Paul stiles them Dogs since Christ before had call'd them Wolves nay ravening Wolves False Prophets especially strike at Conscience and endeavour to mis-inform That and if once they can prevail so as to make the Conscience put darkness for light and light for darkness a lye for Truth and Truth for a Lye how may souls be carried away truly so far at length as to fall into damnable Heresies and also into grosse impieties and wickedness Those deceived and deceiving ones spoken of 2 Pet. 2. They walked in the lusts of Vncleanness they counted it pleasure to Riot their Eyes were full of Adultery and could not cease from sin their Heart was exercised with Covetous practices and while they talked of Liberty they were themselves the Servants of Corruption 2. Dawbers with untempered Mortar are concerned Conscience is little beholding to them for they heal the wound of it slightly crying Peace Peace where there is no Peace Jer. 6. 14. How miserable is the condition of unfaithful Ministers and likewise of those Souls that belong to their charge The Watchman that gives not warning the Blood of Souls indeed will lye upon his Head but this implies that such Souls do also perisâ— Ezek. 33. 7 8. O Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore thou shalt Hear the Word at my Mouth and shalt warn them from me When I say to the wicked man thou shalt surely dye if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his Blood will I require at thine hand If an unskilful Physician has need of a new Church-yard what shall be said of an unskilful or unfaithful Preacher I will not affirm he has need of a new Hell but I am sure he will help very much to fill the Old one Those that make the way to Heaven broad and easie and regeneration needless and the Death of Christ an encouragement to continue in sin and the Mercy of God so large that 't will put up any thing and will certainly be extended unto any that cry Lord have mercy upon us These are Dawbers enemies to Conscience they build a Wall that shall be rent with a stormy wind in fury and brought down to the ground and they shall be consumed in the midst of it Ezek. 13. 13. 14. 3. All enticers unto Wickedness are cruel Enemies to the Consciences of others If there be a Devil incarnate he is such an one whose businesse is to tempt those to sin whom he has to deal with
immediately his Leprosie was cleansed Mat. 8. 2 3. 2. 'T is very evident also that Christ is willing to save because this is most doubted of by troubled Spirits I shall prove it by these arguments 1. He declares himself willing to save the disobedient if they would but consent to their own Salvation Rom. 10. ult All the day long have I stretched forth my hand to a stiff-necked and gain-saying people He stretched forth his hand as proffering pardon and life to them and as being ready to receive them if they had been minded to return He tells the obstinate inhabitants of Jerusalem that he would often have gathered them but they would not be gathered Mat. 23. 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together as an hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not and if he be willing to gather the obstinate surely the penitent he will not refuse those that desire and are willing to fly under his wings for shelter 2. He promises that he will give rest to the heavy laden that he will in no wise cast out any that come to him Heark how general the invitation is Ho every that thirsteth come to the waters and these waters of life may be had without mony and without price Isa 55. 1. They that labour they that are heavy laden and all that labour and are heavy laden are called to come to Christ and he assures them they shall find rest to their Souls Mat. 11. 28 29. One said (q) Mallemus carere sole coelo terrâ omnibus Elementis c. Selneccerus in Paedag. Christian We had better want the Sun the Heavens the Earth and all the Elements yea and Life it self than that one sweet Sentence of our Lord Jesus Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 3. Christ was sent by his Father and did come himself to this very end that he might save 'T is certain the Father sent him to save and that both Jews and Gentiles Isa 49. 6. And he said 't is a light thing that thou shouldest be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth Surely our Lord is willing to do that which his Father sent him on purpose that he might do He himself came to this end that he might save nay he seeks as well as saves which shews his willingness to save indeed When the Shepherd seeks after the lost Sheep we conclude him willing to find it and to bring it home to the Fold And when the Woman seeks after the lost piece of Silver we conclude she is willing to get it again And Christ seeking after Sinners and following them with his Messengers and Word and his Spirit which strives with them certainly he is very willing that those who are dead should be made alive and who are lost should be found and made partakers of his Salvation 4. All fulness dwells in Christ on purpose that he may impart of it He charges them that are Rich in this World to be ready to Distribute and willing to Communicate and can you think that he is a Niggard of his own Riches He counselled even luke-warm Laodicea to come to him for Goldtryed in the Fire that she might be Rich indeed as before she was in her own Opinion He is ready to satiate the weary and to repenish every sorrowful Soul 5. 'T is for his Fathers Honour and his own Satisfaction when any are saved Therefore Christ is most willing to save God is Honoured hereby the Apostle gives us plainly to understand that when any obtain Redemption and forgiveness and are accepted in the Beloved This is to the praise of the Glory of the Grace of God Eph. 1. 6. So v. 12. That we should be to the praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ 'T is an Excellent passage of Luther (r) Et si ego indignus qui eripiar salver Tu tamen dignus qui lauderis glorificeris ameris in saecula At laudari non poteris nec miserecordia glorificatur nisi sint quos eripias à morte salves ab inferno Luther Tom. 2. 76. a. Though I Lord am unwortthy to be delivered and saved yet thou art worthy to be praised and Glorified and loved for ever but thus praised thou wilt not be nor thy Mercy Glorified unless there are some whom thou dost save and deliver 'T is also for the satisfaction of Christ to save Isa 53. 11. He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied When a Woman is in strong pain who can in Reason question her willingness to be delivered Surely she is desirous to see of the Travel of her Body and how joyful is she when a Child is Born into the VVorld The new Birth and the Salvation of sinners is the Fruit of the Travel of Christ's soul surely he is willing to see this Fruit. Away away with unbelieving Doubts He is willing to save be you but willing to be saved and you shall in no wise miss of Salvation 6. For the Relieving of a troubled Conscience take Notice of the Holy Ghost whose Office is to be a Comforter John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth c. There is great care taken by our Lord not onely that his Church may be safe but also that she may have Peace and Joy and Comfort even in this Vail of tears These are some of the words which he speaks Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you I will not leave you comfortless let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid John 14. 18. 27. and John 15. 11. These things have I spoken to you that my Joy might remain in you and that you Joy may be full The Prophets of the Lord are Commanded to speak Comfort to his People Isa 40. 1 2. Comfort ye Comfort ye my People saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished and her Iniquity is Pardoned And 't is the work of the Spirit Powerfully to apply and set home these Comfortable words that they may be effectual unto Consolation Let humbled Souls Observe these two things 1. The Spirit of God who is a Comforter is promised unto all that ask him Some of you know what that Natural Affection is which Parents bear to Children Affections descend Parents love their Children ordinarily better than Children do their Parents Now with what readiness with how good a will do Earthly Parents give Bread unto their hungry Children and Christ expresly says that with much more readiness
would principally lye at Satans door as all the Glory of that good which is done by us is to be ascribed unto God The Devil did not thrust the forbidden fruit into Eve's Mouth whether she would or no but only did cunningly and strongly perswade her to eat of it In like manner he deals with us he layes his baits (z) Vnam esse omnium rem pulcherrimam eoque pulchriorem si vacet populo neque plausum captans se tantum ipsa delectet Quinetiam mihi quidem laudabilior a videntur omnia quae sine venditatione sine populo teste fiunt non quo fugiendus sit omnia enim bene facta in luce se collocari volunt sed tamen nullum the atrum virtuti conscientiâ majus est Cicero Tuscul Quaestion l. 3. pag. mihi 146. before us and endeavours our ruine by offering what does please us But a good Conscience is deaf unto the Devil and scorns his offers for his offers are to the losse of the Righteous man What are the riches of the World which Satan talks so much of compared with the unsearchable Riches of Christ what are the pleasures of sin compared with peace of Conscience what are all Earthly advantages and preferments compared with Communion with God and the Light of his Countenance A good Conscience is firmly perswaded that 't is good for us to draw near to God Psal 73. ult to be near to Him is for our Honour Interest Safety Delight and satisfaction and hereupon the Believer rejects Satan with an Holy contempt and indignation for he see◠'t is folly as well as wickedness to leave his Fathers House where there is bread enough and to spare and to go feed upon busks in the farr Country 7. He that hath a good Conscience can look upon death with desire which is so exceeding terrible unto others The Believer may indeed be willing to live that he may serve his generation according to the will of God and that he may do that for Christ on Earth which he cannot do when he comes to heaven but his Conscience being pure and peaceable having an assurance what a kindness death will do him He does with the Apostle desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 23. There is profit pleasure and honor in a Believers departing no wonder if he desires to depart There is profit in it to dye is gain says the Apostle he gains more grace in the instant of his dissolution than he got all his dayes before for upon death his Spirit is made perfect in Holiness There is pleasure in death for sometimes 't is sweetned with ravishing transports of Spirit and it is the Porter to open the gate into full and Everlasting joyes having put an end both to sin and sorrow Finally there is honour in Death for the Believer having fought a good Fight and finished his course and kept the Faith he goes to receive the Crown of Righteousness 8. He that hath a good Conscience can look into Eternity and be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious That is one of the Richest jewels in the Crown of Life that it fades not away The good Conscience looks up to Heaven fixes its eye upon God sees that bosom in which the sanctified Soul must lye and (a) Da Pater omnipotens menti conscendere sedem Da fontem lustrare boni da luce repertâ In te conspicuos animi defigere visus Disjice terrenas nebulas ponder a molis Atque tuo splendore mica Tu namque serenum Tu requies tranquilla piis Te cernere finis Principium vector dux semita terminus idem Boetius de Consolat Phil. l. 3. met 9. pag. mihi 88. rest forever After millions of years are spent praise will be continued delight will be as green and fresh as ever there will be no loathing of that heavenly Manna after so many thousands of ages as there have been minutes since the Creation Joy in heaven will be as far from an end as it was when first of all it did begin Mortality and change are the disgrace of all temporal delights and pleasures but a good Conscience rejoyces and well it may do so in a better and enduring substance it sees how sure how near Eternal Life is and upon this follow raptures of pleasure Cyprian (b) Exultabunt Sancti in gloriâ videbunt Deum gaudebunt Ibi non gustabunt quam suavis sit Dominus sed implebuntur satiabuntur dulcdinemirificâ nihil eis deerit nihil oberit omne desiderium eorum Christus praeens implebit Non senescent non abescent non putrescent ampliùs perpetua sanitas foelix Eternitas be atitudnis illius sufficientiam confirmabunt Non erit concupiscentia in membris non ultra exurget rebellio carnis sed totus hominis status pudicus pacificus sana ex integro Natura sine omni maculâ rugâ deinceps permanebit Erit denique Deus omnia in omnibus illius praesentia omne animae corporis implebit appetitus Cyprian Serm. de Christ. Ascens does excellently set forth this full and Everlasting happiness of the Saints in Heaven They says he shall see God and Rejoyce and be Delighted they shall Enjoy that Glory and be swallowed up in that Joy for Ever-more There they shall not only taste how sweet the Lord is but shall be filled and satisfied with his wonderful sweetness nothing shall be wanting nothing shall be hurtful Christ being present will satiate all their longing They shall not grow old or weak or dye any more There will not be Concupisence in the Members nor Rebellion in the Flesh against the Spirit but Mans Nature will be fully restored and Sanctified and Healed and so will remain without any spot or wrinkle Everlastingly Finally God will be all in all and his immediate and glorious presence will so abundantly fill the Saints that they shall not be able to desire more You see now in several respects how desirable 't is to have good Conscience wheresoever such a Conscience looks upwards downwards inwards forwards still there is peace and Consolation Oh look into your Consciences and see what they are whether good or bad and oh that all bad Consciences may be utterly restless till they are made good ones VSE IV. Of Advice unto them whose Consciences are good which have been cleansed and quieted by the blood of Christ and by the VVord and Spirit of Grace My Advice is in these particulars 1. Be very thankfull for this unspeakable Gift of a good Conscience The largest Empire in the VVorld a Crown of pure Gold upon the Head is nothing near so great a Blessing as a pure and peaceable Conscience I may use the Angels Salutation to the Virgin Mary unto every Saint that has such a Conscience Hail thou that art highly Favoured The Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among the Sons of Men.
'T is a Mercy and a great one to have a good Name to be in good Health to have good Eyes and other Senses perfect to have good Natural Parts to have a competency of the good things of this Life to Live in good and Peaceable Days but to have a good Conscience is better than any of these nay than all these put together To excite you unto Thankfulness for a good Conscience think of three sorts of Persons Of the Secure of the Troubled of the Damned 1. Think of the secure what woful work are they employed about they sin boldly and dare to be damned for that love which they bear to their Fleshly and Worldly Lusts How say they must we part with these if we will go to Heaven Nay we will keep them though we go to Hell along with them These secure sinners are like one that lies down in the midst of the Sea or as he that sleeps upon the top of a Mast They are like unto Solomon's Drunkard they strike themselves but say they are not sick they beat themselves but for the present feel it not Prov. 23. 34 35. And who is it that makes you to differ from the most Profane and stupid sinner upon the Face of the Earth Admire and Magnifie that distinguishing Grace and Love which has granted you a well-grounded Peace when so many Thousands onely cry Peace to themselves but are every moment in danger of Wrath and Hell and everlasting Trouble 2. Think of the troubled in Spirit to make you the more thankful for a good Conscience While your Souls are at ease in the Arms and Embraces of the Lord Jesus how many complain of broken Bones How many do make their Beds to swim and water their Couches with their Tears How many cry out that Terrors are turned upon them and pursue their Souls as the wind and that when they call unto the Lord he is so far from regarding that with his strong hand he does oppose himself against them Job 30. 15. 20 21. Meditate well upon the torture of a wounded Spirit and then let all that is within you bless the Lord for Healing you 3. Think of the Damned whose Consciences are in a perpetual Rage who are Racked with Despair and whose Torment shall never end They are Fetter'd in the same Chains of Darkness with the Apostate Angels and these Chains are Everlasting Ah now their Wounds are incurable because their Physitian all their days was slighted and their Wounds were made light of and no Healing is to be at all expected And you that are Saints if Rich Grace had not taken hold of you would have been of the number of these miserable Souls if you had been dealt with according to your deservings you would have been weeping and wailing in outer Darkness that are now rejoycing in Hope of the Glory of God surely such differencing Kindness calls aloud for Praise 2. You that have a good Conscience be Compassionate to them whose Consciences are evil They need your Pity because they have none to themselves and your pity may not be altogether unprofitable to them Reprove them for their evil ways with mildness and wisdom and faithfulness hate them not so much as to suffer sin to lie upon them Lev. 19. 17. Cain indeed did say Am I my Brothers Keeper But be you of a contrary Spirit if you see your Brother go in the Road to Hell warn him and by warning endeavour to stop him If your Neighbours House were on Fire at Midnight and he himself fast asleep oh what pains would you take How would you pull him out of his Bed how loud would you cry Fire Fire to wake him Alas the sinner with a secure Conscience is in a far worse case he is fast asleep upon the brink of the burning Lake and have you nothing to say to him Oh that you would put on Bowels and speak for Souls and prevent their being lost for ever And because your speaking of it self must needs be ineffectual cry vehemently unto the Lord to Second you and speak with Mighty Power Awake awake you that sleep and arise from the dead and live for ever And let your Reproofs and Prayers be followed with such an Holy Harmless Heavenly Self-denying Conversation as may tend unto their Conviction If the Profane if the Persecuters if Carnal Professors had but a good Conscience it would be better for the Nation better for the Church better for particular Believers and ah how good would it be for themselves 3. Be very sensible that a good Conscience is matter of the Devils Envy therefore it concerns you to be Vigilant for he will endeavour to wound it Satan could behold the Rich Man in brave Apparel and his Table sumptuously Furnished and tumbling in wealth and Pleasures and yet he did not Envy him he knew that these things could not make him Happy and would be so far from hindring that they would rather further his eternal Misery But to see any with a good Conscience vexes and grieves the Devil which as it shews that there is a great Excellency in such a Conscience above all Earthly good things so it should make you stand upon your Guard against this Adversary You must know that although Grace cannot be totally lost yet a good Conscience may be both Defiled and Disturbed David's sin polluted him therefore he prays to be washed throughly from his Iniquity and to have his Heart cleansed His sin also broke his Peace therefore he Prays for the Light of God's Countenance that the Bones which were broken might Rejoyce Psal 51. If you do not watch and pray that you may not enter into Temptation if you are not strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might if you do not put on the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil up-upon a sudden he may take Advantage and draw you to some perhaps grosser sins and this may make you to go in the bitterness of your Souls mourning to your Graves If it had not been for his abominable fall David's latter part of his Life might have been sweeter and for ought I know his Crown in Heaven brighter 4. Be sure with all keeping to keep the good Conscience (b) Curandum est nobis atque hoc in omni vitâ suâ quemque à rectâ conscintia transversum unguem non oportere discedere Cicer. ad Atticum l. 13. Epist 20. Let not the Apple of the Eye let not Life it self be preserved with greater care Skin for skin and all that a Man has will he give for his Life And truly skin for skin and all that we have we should give rather than make shipwrack of a good Conscience Oh never Repent of your Uprightness hold fast your Integrity whatever comes on 't I Read concerning Brutus that stout maintainer of his Countries Liberty when all his Endeavours were to no purpose and the Cause
every where present as that we are continually under his Power the Psalmist tell us that his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103. 19. His Eyes run too and fro to shew himself strong on the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect with him And he is 〈◊〉 mighty to beat down and to destroy his Enemies he can make destruction to come upon them like a Whirlewind and though they may promise themselves safety yet they can in no wise secure themselves against his Almighty hand 3. God is every way present by his very Essence oh the incomprehensible immensity of his being He is not far says the Apostle from every one of us Act. 17. that is he is really neer us for in him we live move and have our being (e) Nos gentes nationesque distinguimus Deo una domus est mundus hic totus Reges tantum regni sui per officia ministrorum universa novére Deo indiciis opus non est non solum in oculis ejus sed in sinu vivimus Cuncta deo plena sunt Minutius Foelix p. mihi 80. You must not imagine that the Essence of God is divided so as to be part in Earth and part in Heaven but after an unconceivable manner 't is whole in it self whole in all things whole in every thing 't is whole within all whole without all 't is not mingled or defiled with any thing 't is no where included no where excluded nothing does or can contain it and yet by it all things are contained surely then this God does compasse our paths wherever we go and is acquainted with all our wayes Psal 139. 3. In the second place I am to shew you how we are to look upon God when we set our selves before him 1. We are to look upon God as our Maker 'T was a complaint made by Elihu Job 35. 10. None saith where is God my Maker He is the former of our bodies and the Father of our Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are his off spring and we should be often enquiring to what end he made us which was that we might yeild fear and service and love and praise to him that gave us our beings and if we thwart the end of our Creation and serve our lusts and Satan who are our Makers Enemies he may repent of making us as he did concerning the old World and then destruction will follow 2. We are to look upon God as our Owner We are not our own who can lay claim to us Satan by right cannot all that dominion that he has over us is by usurpation and our being so foolish and wicked as to subject our selves voluntarily to him But the Lord is by right our owner to him we are debtors and owe all that we have and are We are not just unlesse we yeild our selves to him 3. We are to look upon God as our Ruler 'T was a very prophane brag of those Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over us God ought to be acknowledged as our Lord and if he be not obeyed as such he will shew himself a Lord by breaking us if we will not bow before him We should often be asking our selves whose servants we are if sins if Satans we should propound another question What wages these are likely to give us and should we toyl and work hard to make our selves miserable and bring our selves to Death and Hell Onely the Lord has a right to rule us We should still be enquiring what his will is and since he is the supream Soveraign of Heaven and Earth and is so Holy Righteous Gracious his will should never be thwarted by ours but we should endeavour to do it on Earth as 't is done by those in Heaven There is abundant sweetness at present in being not wedded to our own wills in obeying the Lords will besides the future infinite recompence of reward He that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2. 17. 4. When we set our selves before God we are to look upon him as our preserver 'T is of his Mercy that the Children of men are not consumed their provocations are many but he being full of Compassion spares them Our sins have been crying out against us all our dayes and Satan would fain have destroyed and devoured us long ago but God is Rich in Goodness and forbearance Rom. 2. 4. The Ox knows his owner and the Asse his Master crib and shall we never consider to whom we are beholding he is the God of our lives and the Father of every Mercy which we receive 't is both our duty and interest to walk worthy of and suitable unto his Care and Kindness especially if we are Believers for then he is not only the Father of our Mercies but our Father likewise (f) Falsa theologia est Deum iratum esse agnoscentibus peccata sua talis enim Deus nec in coelo nec usquam est sed est idolum perversi cordis quia verus Deus dicit Nolo mortem peccatoris Luther Tom. 4. 383. a. and being always under our Fathers eye we should follow him as dear Children Eph. 5. 1. 5. We are to look upon God as Him who alone can make us happy Sin cannot do it for it has a quite contrary effect how many millions has it undone and made miserable for ever and daily 't is undoing more The World cannot make us happy for if the world had had power to do this Solomon being exalted to the top of worldly greatness and having so much of wealth and Earthly pleasures that he could not desire more would not in the midst of all have cryed out all is vanity and vexation of Spirit and there is no profit under the Sun Eccle. 2. 11. The Lord can satisfie the Soul of man though other things cannot He can supply all our needs according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 19. he can do more then our Souls can desire or conceive nay exceeding abundantly above all that we either ask or think Let us be perswaded that if ever we are happy God must make us so and that he makes us happy no other way but by giving himself and Communicating his Grace to us in his Son and this will cause us to cleave unto him 6. We are to look upon God as one that is very jealous of us lest we go a whoring after other Lovers we are really idolaters if we love other things more than God and Idolatry is Spiritual Adultery and if Jealousie be the rage of man how much more is the Lords jealousie to be feared we should call that Wife impudent with a witness that should commit lewdness before her Husbands face Spiritual whoredom is never committed but God looks on Oh how daring are the Children of men Think of Gods jealousie when your hearts are about to depart from him and to be taken so exceedingly with the things of the world Hark to the
Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than He 7. VVhen we set our selves before God we are to look upon him as our Judge and he will judge without respect of Persons He is an all-observing witness at present who is to be a Judg hereafter He will bring every person and every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12. ult If this were seriously thought of 't would make us fear him and keep his Commandements Let us set our selves as before our Judge continually then we shall be diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless In the third place I am to tell you what 't is to set our selves before God 1. Then we indeed set our selves before God when we are firmly perswaded of his presence and are suitably affected There is no attribute of God that we are lesse able to deny then his Omnipresence and yet how rarely are our hearts awed by it VVe should watch over our hearts and thoughts and strive against the vanity and wickedness and impertinency of these as those that are perswaded we are before an Heart-searcher Who knows our thoughts a farr off Ps 139. 12. If there could not a proud or lustful or foolish thought arise but men might discern it should we not be ashamed and take more pains to keep our hearts clean and is not the Lords presence and knowledge more to be regarded then mans in like manner we should set a watch before the door of our Lips and ponder the path of our Feet because there is not a word in our mouths but God knows it altogether and the wayes of man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 5. 21. 2. Then we set our selves before God when we hear what he speaks Our Lord tells us He that is of God heareth Gods words John 8. 47. he has an Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches And that Man after Gods own heart professes Psal 119. 161. My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word The Lord has a special regard unto them that tremble at his Word who seriously enquire what his Will and Commands are and dare not to transgress them but certainly they do contemn both the Lord and his Presence who like those Psal 50. 17. Do hate Instruction and cast his Words behind them 3. Then we set our selves before God when we Observe how he looks upon us whether he frown or cause his Face to shine Jacob told his VVives I see your Fathers Countenance is not towards me as before Gen. 31. 5. And they who have a sence of God upon their Spirits if Gods Countenance be not towards them as before how are they troubled VVhen the Lord for a moment did hide his face from David that moment seemed an Age nay an Eternity therefore he crys out How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy Face from me Psal 13. 1. But when God did manifest himself to him the Light of his Countenance did put a greater gladness into his heart than the joy of Harvest VVe are not to regard what Men say of us or how they look upon us but we are to mind Gods approbation or dislike He is a Jew that is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart whose Praise is not of Men but of God Rom. 2. ult 4. Then we set our selves before God when we take Notice what he does David cemplains of and threatens the ungodly Psal 28. 4. Because they regard not the Work of the Lord nor the Operation of his Hand he shall destroy them and not build them up VVe should mind diligently what God does to us that we may comply with his design in all even the severest of his Dispensations VVhat he does for us that his goodness may have an Holy and good effect upon us and we may Answer his Loving kindness by Gratitude and Obedience Finally what he does to others before us that we may receive Admonition by all the Examples that are given us 1 Cor. 10. 11. Others Experience of the Lords faithfulness should make us trust in him others Experience of the Lords severity should make us cautious of provoking him 1 Cor. 10. 6. Now these things were our Examples to the intent we should not Lust after evil things as they also Lusted 5. Then we set our selves before God when we live by Faith upon him David when he set the Lord before him because he saw God at his right hand concluded He should not be moved Psal 16. 8. The Lord was his Rock and his Fortress and his Deliverer his God his Strength in whom he was resolved to trust his Buckler and the Horn of his Salvation and his high Tower Psal 18. 2. He that Lives not by faith forgets God and his heart draws back from him But he that sets the Lord before him and considers his Promises and his power cannot but look upon him as worthy to be relyed upon and this is the way to be kept in perfect peace Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee 6. Then we set our selves before God when we desire Fellowship with him This fellowship is a Riddle to the VVorld but the Saints find it a most real happiness VVe are to set our selves before the Lord as weak and indigent and miserable and to implore the happiness of his favour in his dear Son and that he would communicate his Grace for the strengthning of us with strength in our Souls and the supply of all our wants VVho can indeed look upon God and not desire to taste and see how Gracious he is David followed hard after him and crys out My Soul thirsteth for God for the Living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42. 2. 7. Then we set the Lord before us when we refer all unto his Glory when we aim at this as our great End that he may be Magnified and Exalted We wofully forget God when we seek our selves and our own things when we chiefly design our own praise and Profit Set him indeed before you and then his Honour and the enjoyment of him will be the great Mark you will aim at and indeed his Honour and your Happiness are joyned together that you cannot seek his Honour but you must also at the same time seek your own Happiness and you cannot do any thing to his Dishonour but 't is also to your selves destructive In the fourth place I am to give you the Reason why a good Conscience makes Men to set themselves thus before God 1. Not to set our selves before God is exceedingly to Affront him If we were in the Presence of an Earthly King and should take no more Notice of him or not so much Notice of him