make unto God or by our promises which we lawfully make unto men The vows which we freely make unto God these bind conscience to keep them Numb 30.4 the vow of a woman is called the bond wherewith she hath bound her soul Mark she bindeth her soul and her conscience with it So the promises which we lawfully make unto men these also bind conscience For though before we promise it was in our own power yet when we have promised we have bound our own consciences to the performance because there is Gods seal upon it Gods law commandeth us to be true of our words These are relative bonds bonds onely in relation to Gods law Gods law is still the supreme bond of conscience I will handle that first I. The law of God whereby he willeth and commandeth and forbiddeth this or that in his word this is the main bond of conscience When this bindeth it nothing else can loose it and contrary if this loose it nothing else can bind it It so bindeth conscience as the observing and violating of it is that which maketh conscience clear or guilty before God This is it which maketh a man a debtour I am a debtour saith Paul both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians that is I am bound in conscience by Gods command to preach the Gospel unto both This is it that denominateth a man to be bound I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem that is I knowing it to be Gods will am bound in conscience to go This is that which layeth a necessity upon a man A necessity is laid upon me to preach i. I am bound in conscience by Gods word so to do This is that which layeth a kind of enforcement upon men We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard that is If we should not our consciences would flie in our faces We are bound by Gods will to do so and our consciences lay a charge upon us that we cannot go against it The onely will and word of almighty God is that which supremely bindeth conscience 1. Because God onely knoweth the heart he seeth our thoughts and he onely can reach to the secrets of our spirits and therefore he onely can bind our conscience For who else can tell whether we make conscience of a thing yea or no perhaps we do perhaps we do not Nor man nor angel can tell certainly but God knoweth certainly and he onely and therefore he onely can bind our consciences When the Lord doth command or forbid the conscience is privy that God seeth it and therefore now it is bound The word of God is quick and powerfull it pierceth even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart This bindeth a mans thoughts and intentions he cannot be free in these things and the reason is given by the Apostle All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do As if he had said We are conscious of Gods all-seeing power he seeth our hearts and our thoughts and all that is in us and therefore his word doth bind us yea it bindeth all our secrets we cannot think a vain thought but our conscience will crie guiltie before God because our conscience doth know that God knoweth all Besides the conscience cannot fear any law but onely Gods law Ye know when conscience is once in a doubt it is fearfull and beginneth to ask questions with it self May I do this or may I not do it asking no questions for conscience sake The conscience when it doubteth useth to ask questions Now this supposeth the lawgiver to be able to see it otherwise the conscience would not be thus afraid if it were onely the commandment of a creature that could not search the heart So that here ye see one reason why Gods law is the supreme bond of conscience Because no eye can see it but Gods 2. Because God onely hath power over conscience It is his commandment onely that maketh any thing sinne or not sinne unto us Augustine defineth sinne to be A thought or word or deed or lust against the commandment of God Against thee against thee onely have I sinned saith David He saith he had sinned onely against God Why you will say he sinned also against man Did not he commit adulterie that was a sinne against Bathsheba and murder that was a sinne against Uriah True he sinned against man relatively in relation to the commandment which saith Thou shalt not injure thy neighbour but primarily and principally the sinne was against God Conscience is like the kings servant whom none can arrest or attach without leave from the king so no man can bind conscience without leave had from God for conscience is onely subject to his power he onely hath power over conscience 3. Because conscience is Gods book Now no creature can adde to Gods book or diminish from it Ye may remember that dreadfull anathema at the end of Gods book If any man shall adde to this book God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall diminish from this book God shall take away his part out of the book of life Now conscience is also Gods book wherein his law is written Nay conscience is called Gods law For it is said that when the Gentiles which have not the law do the things conteined in the law they having not the law are a law unto themselves that is Their conscience is Gods law unto them Like as the Bible conteineth Gods law for us Christians so did their consciences contein the law of God to them yea to us Christians much rather For we are not to let Gods law be written onely in our Bibles but we must get it written in our consciences our consciences are to be Gods books wherein his laws are to be written And therefore if it be a sinne to adde a new law in the materiall book to bind men then it must needs be a sinne for any creature to put a new law into conscience which is the spirituall book of God It is God onely who can write laws in this book his book is above all the laws in the world and none but God can put in and put out and therefore none but he can bind conscience I sâ—eak still of this absolute and supreme bond of conscience For Magistrates may bind relatively but not as they are theâ—r laws but by the law of God before made Thus ye see the necessity of this truth That Gods law is the absolute and supreme bond of conscience Uses 1. This serveth to direct Ministers how to convince the consciences of their people If Ministers desire to work upon their hearers they must speak to the conscience they must shew them Gods authority that it is Gods will and Gods command Tell conscience never
bringeth forth deadnesse earthlinesse impatience evil conversation c these are corrupt fruits and signes of a very bad estate 2. Ye may know what estates ye are in by your inclinations and dispositions from whence these actions proceed Are your hearts inclined heavenward and God-ward as Davids are ye bent to holinesse and self-deniall c. as a bow is bent to shoot the arrow This is a signe of a good estate as 1. Chron. 22.19 there is speech of setting the heart to seek God Ye know when a man will do a thing indeed we say he is set on 't It may be ye do some good duties make some fair offers of seeking God but are your hearts set on 't or are they set on the world and inclined earth-vvard The inclinations of every creature in the vvorld do ever shevv vvhat the creature is Hovv do vve knovv that a stone is heavy Because it inclineth dovvnvvard Hovv do vve knovv a man is cholerick Because he is inclined unto vvrath So a mans estate may be knovvn by his constant inclination either to good or evil 3. One may knovv vvhat estate he is in by that reflexive act which is proper onely to man There is an act in mans soul vve call it a reflex act vvhich no creature hath but onely man vvhereby he can perceive vvhat himself is and doeth When a man thinketh or speaketh he can reflect upon himself and perceive vvhat he thinketh or speaketh vvhen he prayeth he can reflect upon his ovvn heart and perceive hovv it carrieth it self all along in his prayers I say no creature in the vvorld hath in it this reflexive act but onely man The fire burneth but it cannot reflect upon its ovvn burning Oculus non videt se videre The eye seeth but it doth not see that it doth see that is That creature doth not perceive vvhat it doeth vvhen it seeth But every man hath this reflexive act in him vvhereby he is privie to vvhat himself thinketh doeth is None knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him This is the reason vvhy some knovv not vvhat estate they are in because they choke their ovvn spirit and hoodwink their consciences Thine ovvn heart knovveth hovv it is vvith thee and vvould faithfully tell thee if thou vvouldst enquire of it and hearken unto it Search vvith Gods candle and thou mayst easily find vvhat is in thee The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly 4. Ye may knovv vvhat estate ye are in by a certain kind of feeling As there is a kind of bodily feeling vvhereby every man knovveth the estate of his body whether he be sick or in health so there is a spirituall feeling The tvvo disciples did feel their hearts burn Paul did feel a great combat in him betvveen the flesh and the spirit So if men be covetous and vvorldly they may feel it Yet indeed some men be past feeling Their case is the vvorse because they cannot feel hovv bad it is But for the most they may easily feel what their estate is The third use is to shevv you the impediments that hinder this knovvledge If you vvould attein to knovv vvhat estate you are in then remove the impediments vvhich are 1. Vain thoughts Men vvho are in a state of sinne and vvrath yet have many vain thoughts lodging within them keeping them from knowing it God is mercifull and Christ died for sinners and There be worse sinners then they why should they think so ill of themselves and they may be better all in good time These vain thoughts hoodvvink their eyes that they cannot see their estate nor resolve that it is so dangerous as indeed it is O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse how long shall these vain thoughts lodge within thee They were in a very bad estate and yet they had such vain thoughts that they could not see it 2. Presumption is another impediment Men pray and heare and do other good duties and so take all to be well without serious examining This was the case of the Laodicean people They thought they had that in them which they had not and that their estate was good when it was nothing so 3 Another let are the Cares of this life Whereby the heart is so occupied that it doth not find time to search its own estate Therefore our Saviour saith Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with the cares of this life lest that day come upon you unawares intimating that these cares are great lets from considering our estates 4. Another let is an Evil conscience which affrighteth a man so soon as he beginneth to stirre and maketh him afraid to go on to look soundly into his estate He that doeth evil hateth the light 5. Another let is Ignorance There is none that understandeth none that seâ—keth after God Mark they did not seek in what case they stood before God because they did not understand 6. Another let is Spirituall sloth and sluggishnesse of heart Men cannot endure to take pains with their own hearts till they have made out a true judgement in what case they are They begin and quickly give over and so for want of diligence and pains-taking make nothing sure The last use is for exhortation That all men would bestirre themselves and set in earnest upon this enquirie That we may every one know in what state we stand 1. Consider this is an enquiry about our souls We enquire about our outward man about the estate of our bodyes and vvorldly affairs c. oh let us not neglect this main enquiry Am I in Christ yea or no Am I a new creature yea or no Doth my soul live to God or no 2. Consider this is a question about our everlasting estate We can never have comfort untill we have put this out of question and therefore this is a question which all questions must give way unto If ye be not in Christ ye had need lay aside all and look about it onely Hovv can men eat drink sleep c. sith the wrath of God abideth upon all unbelievers Methinks our souls should take no content do nothing else but faint after Christ untill we know our interest in him I say again This is the grand enquiry that businesse which all businesses must give place unto Oh the sloth of our souls Let us in time awake and rouse them up and never rest untill we know our own estate to be good before God that so our hearts may have comfort and that with God A Treatise of Conscience ROM 2.15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witnesse and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another I Have shewed you That every man is in an estate before God And that hath
will conscience bring forth and testifie what they were Heare the Apostle in that day God shall judge the secrets of men c. The most hidden things conscience shall bring to light and Christ shall judge them 3. Conscience beareth witnesse of the bent and frame of our hearts what we affect most and love most and rejoyce and delight in most and desire most and grieve for most what our affections runne upon most whether upon God or the world whether upon heaven or the things of this life Conscience bare witnesse to David that his delight was in the law of the Lord that God was his portion that Gods statutes were his counsellours Conscience bare witnesse to the false teachers in Christs time that they affected vain glory and the praise of men more then the praise of God Conscience bare witnesse to Demas that notwithstanding his fair profession his heart was set upon the world Conscience bare witnesse to Jehu that for all his seeming zeal his heart was not upright But it may be objected How can this be The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it Who can know it That is Who else can know it but a man himself None under God can know the heart of man but a mans own conscience the spirit of man that is in him I confesse a man may be ignorant of some secret and particular deceit in his heart but who knoweth not the generall standing of his own heart or may know the chief bent of his own soul David in a particular deceit was ignorant I said in my prosperitie I shall never be moved never distrust God more never be disquieted in my mind more He was deceived in that particular but he knew very well the generall and chief bent of his heart that it was truly set upon God and upon holinesse 2. It is true many men take it that their hearts are set upon God when they are not but what is the reason Not because they do not or may not know the contrary that they love the world most but because they will not know it they are unwilling to believe it they are loth to have any bad conceit of themselves So that when Jeremy saith The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it his meaning is What carnall man can abide to know the worst of himself 3. It is not because they know it not but because they will not heare the testimony of conscience but when it telleth them truly how the case is with them they gather all the rotten and broken pieces of arguments together to stop the mouth of conscience and to perswade themselves to think well of themselves 4. Men seem not to know their own hearts not because they do not know what they are but because they are ignorant of Gods law whereby they should judge of themselves They know their hearts are set on the world and that the bent and frame of their affections are placed on earthly things but they hope an under-affection to God will be accepted to love God in the second place will serve the turn They know they are carnall but they hope such carnality may be in a man and yet he be right Yea but a mans heart may say on the contrary side that he loveth the world more then he loveth God when he doth not how then doth conscience bear right witnesse I answer This ariseth either from the strength of corruption and weaknesse of grace We look into our selves and see our corruptions violent and our love to God small and so we are deceived not seeing the radicall power of this love of God which in regard of its virtue is stronger then the other As a fool if he should feel hot water would conclude that there is no cold at all in it whereas there is radicall cold in that water such as will expell all that heat in a little space Or else this ariseth from anguish of spirit which so disturbeth the mind that it cannot see its own condition nor be capable of the comforts belonging unto it as it was with the Israelites Exod. 6.9 otherwise doubtlesse we may know our own hearts and when our conscience beareth witnesse its witnesse is right I. Use of reproof to those who stand out against the witnesse of their conscience and like hard-hearted felons plead still Not guiltie though never so much evidence come against them though conscience oft tell them this they have done thus they do such they are Oh stop not your eares against conscience stand not out against it but believe its testimony and make use of it to repent of the evil it accuseth of while mercy may be had before God himself cometh and joyneth with conscience to condemne for ever II. It serveth for singular encouragement to all to abound in good works Conscience will bear witnesse of them all to our unspeakable comfort in the time of afflictions yea at death and judgement Job felt it a sweet thing to have conscience give in testimony of his integrity and uprightnesse When his friends proved miserable comforters and God himself seemed to write bitter things against him yet his conscience witnessed that he had been eyes to the blind and feet to the lame he had fed the hungry and clothed the naked and comforted the fatheâ—lesse There is not a good thing that ever we do but conscience will afford us the sweetnesse and comfort of it in our toubles Remember O Lord saith Hezekiah that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart We have spoken of consciences single bearing witnesse Now followeth its judiciall bearing witnesse which is when it passeth sentence upon on the morall of our actions whether they be good or evil whether blessed or cursed This is performed by a Logicall discourse by way of reasoning on this manner The word saith Whoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie in his heart That is the synteresis Now the assumption But I have had wanton eyes and lustfull lookings after a woman That is the single bearing witnesse of conscience Therefore I have committed adultery in my heart That is the judiciary sentence of conscience which it passeth on a mans self So again Whosoever crucifieth the flesh with the affections and lusts he is in Christ But saith conscience I crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts Therefore I am in Christ Though there be not the form of this discourse in our consciences yet there is the force of it for when conscience doth judicially witnesse against any man or for any man it doth it by the word and proceedeth in the way which is propounded The use of this is First for comfort to the godly who may hence gather the assurance of their salvation from the rule of Gods word and the witnesse of their conscience that they walk by this rule The word
The Souls Looking-Glasse lively representing its Estate before GOD With a Treatise of CONSCIENCE Wherein the definitions and distinctions thereof are unfolded and severall Cases resolved By that reverend and faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometimes Fellow of PEMBROKE-HALL in CAMBRIDGE and late Parson of Rochford in Essex ACTS 24.16 I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie For John Rothwell at the Sunne in Pauls church-yard 1643. To the Christian Reader IT was the saying of Solon That there were many good laws made but there wanted one law to make us put all those laws in execution The like may be said concerning the books that are written now adayes There are many good books written but there wanteth one book to make us to put those good books in practice Such a book were worth writing and worth reading And I know no reason but that this book if the Spirit of God write it in our hearts may have this happie effect For it is a book that will teach us how to get into the State of grace and how to get and keep a good Conscience And whosoever readeth a book with a good conscience will make conscience to practice what he readeth For a good conscience is as Aristotle saith of Justice a Synopsis and Epitome of all virtues It is a Panacea to cure all soul-diseases It is a medicine to digest all book-surfetting There are foure sorts of Consciences Some bad and unquiet some bad and quiet some good and unquiet some good and quiet For a conscience to be bad and quiet is the worst temper that can be Better have a bad unquiet then a bad and quiet conscience better have a tormenting Tophet in the soul then a fools Paradise The best frame of Conscience is the good and quiet conscience This is a Paradise upon earth a prâ—gustation and prelibation of heaven a mansion for the Trinitie to dwell in Now this ensuing treatise will teach us how to purchase this precious jewel of a good and quiet conscience A treatise very necessary in these unconscionable dayes wherein most people make no conscience to sinne against conscience and some have sinned so long against conscience as that they have lost all conscience of sinne As S. Augustine saith of the name of a Christian so may I say of conscience Multi conscientiam habent non ad remedium sed ad judicium Many have a conscience for their condemnation and not for their salvatition Conscience it is the house of the soul But this house lieth waste and is much ruinated and decayed in these times wherein never more science but never lesse conscience Conscience it is a private judgement-day before the publick day of judgement And it is an ill presage that most people will never stand upright in the court of heaven because they stand accused and condemned in the court of conscience Conscience is Gods preacher in our bosomes And it is a most certain rule That that man that will not regard the preacher in his bosome will never regard the preacher in the pulpit And the reason why the preacher in the pulpit doth no more good is because the preacher in the bosome is so much despised and neglected And therefore I doubt not but this book these motives considered will be very acceptable to all those that have or desire to have a good and quiet conscience For as S. Bernard most excellently saith Every mans conscience is his book and all books are written to discover and amend the errours of the book of conscience Let those that reade this book of coÌ„science look into the book of their own conscience and amend all the faults of that book by this The reverend Authour of this book was a Minister very conscientious and one that had a great abilitie given him by God to preach unto and work upon the consciences of people to awaken the sleepie conscience to inform the erroneous conscience to settle the doubtfull conscience and to comfort the wounded conscience his sermons were all dipt in conscience And therefore a subject of Conscience must needs be welcome from such a preacher It is true that this birth is Posthumum opus and cometh out after the death of the Authour But I hope it will be the more pleasing to revive the memory of him whose life and labours were deservedly precious in the esteem of Gods people And if conscience though for a while blind dumbe and seared put out of all office will notwithstanding at last be put into office and made to see speak and feel to the utter destruction of an impenitent sinner why may not a discourse of Conscience though long ago preached be suffered to revive and live for the salvation of those that shall have grace to reade it aright especially considering that these sermons were perfected by himself in his life time Much I could say in commendation of this worthie Divine both in regard of his unwearisome pains in preaching consuming his own bodie to save the souls of others as also of his learning and exemplarie pietie but I forbear All that I will say is this They that fully knew him did love and reverence him and if any did disesteem him it was because they did not fully know him He is now a shining starre in the firmameÌ„t of heaven And there are hundreds of people that will blesse God to all eternity for his pains He needeth not our praises but our imitation All that I desire from you that reade this short treatise is this That ye would either get a good conscience by the reading of this book or bring a good conscience to the reading of it Labour to make an addition to the heavenly joyes of this faithfull servant of God by making this book a means to bring thy soul to those heavenly joyes which are at Gods right hand for evermore which are joyes unspeakable and glorious so great that as S. Augustine saith If one drop of the joyes of heaven should fall into hell it would swallow up all the bitternesse of Hell And that God would make you heirs of this joy is the prayer of your soul-friend EDM. C. A Table of the Contents An Enquiry after a mans estate before God Coloss 4.8 WHat a mans estate before God is pag. 1 Ministers are to enquire after the estate of their people 3 Every man is either in an estate of grace or sinne 8 This estate may be known 11 Why every man ought to enquire after his own estate 14 Means whereby a man may come to know what estate he is in 15 Impediments which hinder this knowledge 18 Motives to be diligent in this enquirie 19 2. A treatise of Conscience Rom. 2.15 WHat conscience is 21 I. Proposition There is in every man
labourers and we must know in what estate our work standeth else we may labour and labour and all in vain we may preach and exhort and call upon our people to heare and believe and obey and all this may still be in vain if we do not enquire in what estate they are This is the reason why Paul could not forbear sending and enquiring how it stood with the Thessalonians in what estate they were in how it went with their faith whether they kept it or no lest the tempter had tempted them and his labour should have been in vain for so it had been for all his preaching and teaching them if they had not been in a good estate therefore he sent to know Thirdly we are to take the care and the charge of your souls Now then how can we be quiet if we do not know in what estate your souls be A good father cannot be at quiet if he do not know how it is with his children How if they should be sick how if undone Oh it would comfort a good father to know his children to be in good case But if it were otherwise with them though it would grieve him much yet he had rather know it then not for if he know it he can better tell what to do So it was with the Apostle his very bowells yerned upon the Philippians Oh my poore people thought he I wonder what estate they be in How if they totter how if they miscarry how if the devil have tempted them to sinne and to apostatize how if they be in trouble of conscience He could never be at quiet till he knew their estate I trust in the Lord Jesus saith he to send Timotheus shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your estate He had a great care of their souls and therefore it would comfort his heart to know what estate they were in Fourthly we are teachers and therefore we must know the estate of our people otherwise we are ignorant what doctrine to provide for them what points to handle among them Paul in this epistle to the Colossians knowing onely their estate in the generall delivereth abundance of generall precepts and exhortations unto them he describeth unto them the mystery of Christ admonisheth them to continue stedfast therein to embrace the preaching of the word to beware of philosophy and the vain traditions and sophistry of men to take heed of doting upon ceremonies which are all ended in Christ to set their affections on heaven to mortifie the deeds of the flesh to put off the old man he warneth them to be loving and humble he biddeth wives do their duties to their husbands and husbands to love their wives children to obey their parents and parents to encourage their children servants to obey their masters and masters to deal well with their servants all to continue in prayer watchfulnesse thanksgiving to walk wisely towards them that are without to be carefull of godly holy communication Thus knowing their estate onely for the generall he teacheth them in generall and therefore now he concludeth as if he should say I speak somewhat generally because I do not know your estates in particular and therefore I send to you Tychicus a faithfull good minister that he may learn your estates in particular and deal with you answerably It may be some of you want corrosives it may be some of you want cordials it may be some have need to be searched and humbled some of you to be encouraged and comforted I have sent him to enquire into your estates in particular that he may do accordingly Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that he may know your estate and comfort your hearts The use of this is threefold First for instruction Hence we may see that a minister doeth but his duty when he enquireth into mens estates how they stand before God It is not prying into other mens matters it is not busi-bodinesse in other mens affairs it is not a spirit of meddling No a â—inister doeth but his duty when he doeth it How can a Physician apply true and proper physick unlesse he enquire into the state of mens bodies Now a minister is a physician to mens souls and therefore he is to enquire of the state of mens souls how they stand before God They are men of Belial that say What must the minister know all and Can there be nothing done but the minister must heare of it These are very evil speeches The minister doeth but his duty when he is inquisitive The second use may be for reproof If it be the duty of a minister to enquire of mens estates before God then those people are too blame that will not make known their estates What is the reason that so many men abide in a rotten estate but because they are loth to open truly and fully what they are to Gods ministers Nay many are like them in the prophet who say to the seers See not They would not have Gods ministers see what they do nor see what they are I confesse there be some that will open something about their estates but not all they know by themselves They keep in the main like some foolish clients who misinform their Counsel making their case better then indeed it is and so their cause miscarrieth So some keep in that which would give most light to judge of their estates But this ought not so to be I can tell you an example of one that being troubled about his estate before God and some ministers being by Oh saith he I will tell you all that I know of my self I 'le not hide a syllable from you and if I be yet no better then a wretch I beseech you tell me plainly that I am so and if I be in Christ I beseech you prove it plainly unto me This man took a right course and thereby through Gods mercy came in a little space to the assurance of his own blessed estate and condition Thirdly for exhortation Let Gods ministers know of your estates that they may be able to speak to you accordingly By this means they may speak words in due season and like wise house-holders give every one his portion If you had but a cut finger would not you be glad to have the right plastre and if you had a burning fever would you not desire the right remedy how much more in curing the sicknesse of the soul Now from the text it self without any cutting up of the words we may gather foure propositions 1. That there is an estate that every man is in either an estate of grace or an estate of sinne 2. That this state may be known 3. That every man should be willing to have his estate examined that it may be known whether it be good or no. 4. That a man can never have true comfort till it be known that
silence 2. A second cause is often slighting of conscience It may be conscience speaketh not or but coldly and remissely because when it hath advised and counselled and admonished thou hast neglected it and disregarded it from time to time Though it judge and counsel yet thou wilt not listen Like Cassandra the prophetesse who though her predictions were true and certain yet were they never believed so though conscience speaketh true yet men follow it not and therefore it becometh silent when it is not regarded but all its counsel and advise and perswasions slighted and neglected Hence I say it cometh to passe that for want of imployment it is still and falleth asleep till the time come that it must be awaked 3. The third cause is that violence that is often offered unto it Many times when conscience perswadeth to any good duty or disswadeth from any evil course men will do against it and withstand it violently and put off the wholesome advise of it hence it cometh to passe that conscience having so many injuries offered unto it beginneth to provide for its own ease and so either it is silent and saith nothing or else is soon answered and rebuked as it was with Moses When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Moses but still fell to excuses and at last to deny all he would not let Israel go notwithstanding all that Moses could urge but said to Moses Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more Moses then answered Thou hast spoken well I will see thy face no more So it is with conscience When men have been obstinate and have refused to heare it and would have it speak no more Thou hast well spoken saith conscience henceforth I will trouble you no more but let you alone to take your course I will advise you no more or if I do I will not be any more importunate 4. A fourth cause is that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience If it beginneth to speak presently they busie themselves about other things or if that will not do they runne into companie and there spend their time that the howlings of conscience may not be heard and if still it be loud they strike up the drumme and ring all the bells that the voice of it may be utterly drowned and so conscience at last is content to stand by to heare and see and say nothing By this means many times it falleth out that those who have had very turbulent and clamourous consciences not suffering them to be quiet have at last tamed them and put them quite to silence or if they do speak it is so coldly and remissely that they care not whether they be obeyed or no. Oh these are damnable and devilish devises Whoever ye be that do thus ye are in a dangerous estate and ye carry the brands of hell and damnation upon you If ever you desire to avoid this dangerous estate then shun the cause Labour to have your conscience throughly illightned and informed by the word of God that it may reade you your duty A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counsel Again give heed evermore to the counsel of conscience You know Achitophel took it ill that his counsel was not followed therefore he made away himself in displeasure So conscience will take it very ill if its counsel be not followed it will strangle it self and smother it self you shall heare no more of it Especially take heed you do not reject conscience nor offer violence to it If you do you will make it unfaithfull and remisse and then you lose the best means under heaven of your good Then deadnesse of spirit succeedeth and hardnesse of heart taketh place and you deprive your souls of all possibility of cure As long as a sickman hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope but if ever he lose that he is gone Conscience is the possibilitie of the soul to amendment and therefore if you dull conscience and make conscience remisse and unfaithfull you take the ready way to deprive your selves of all possibility of rising again Consider these things and have a care of your consciences And thus we have handled the office of conscience about things to be done and omitted with its adjuncts affections and properties in that behalf I come now to consider the office of conscience about things already done or omitted together with the affections of conscience in the discharge of that office The office of conscience about things already done or omitted THis hath foure parts 1. To approve 2. To absolve 3. To mislike 4. To condemne according to the good or evil of our actions or omissions The judgement is not onely of the things what they are but whither they tend and what they will produce I. An approving conscience FIrst when that vvhich is done is good conscience approveth it as Paul saith This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 When he had lived uprightly and sincerely his conscience approved of it so when he had great sorrow and heavinesse for his brethren his conscience approved it my conscience bearing me witnesse saith he So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the vvhole course of his life I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. there is consciences approbation of him from henceforth saith he is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse there is consciences judgement concerning the issue of it Conscience so approveth every particular good action done by a faithfull man that by it he may gather a testimony of the uprightnesse of his heart as Hezekiah Remember Lord that I have walked uprightly before thee Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Mark Love to Gods children is a sufficient testimony not onely of our uprightnesse in that particular act but also of the simplicity of our hearts in the generall and that vve are translated from death to life So when good old Simeon had now even finished his dayes see what an approbation his conscience gave of him Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbation of him 1. That he had been Gods faithfull servant thy servant 2. That he had walked in the wayes of true peace and comfort depart in peace 3. That the promise of Gods word was his in particular according to thy word II. An absolving conscience THe second part of the office of conscience is to absolve and acquit Thus Samuel pleading his innocency had his conscience testifying for him Whose ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded and his conscience absolved him as clear and free from those sinnes Thus also Job If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my help in the gate If I rejoyced because my wealth
men thou hast honour enough if thou hast this peace Rom. 2.10 To every one that doth good glory and honour and peace Mark how it is accompanied namely with glory and honour But shame and confusion and dishonour is upon all them that have it not III. Examination Whether we have a quiet conscience COncerning a quiet conscience I propounded three things 1. What it is 2. How it differeth from that quiet conscience that is in the wicked 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conscience yea or no. The two former we have handled already namely What a quiet conscience is and How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked Let us passe on now unto the third namely to an examination of our selves whether we have a true quiet conscience yea or no. A quiet good conscience is such a marvellous blessing that it cannot possibly be but we must like it and wish O that we had it Let us then examine our selves and see whether we have it or no. Many have peace and quietnesse as hath been shewed alreadie arising from false grounds they have peace of conscience because they know not what belongeth to trouble of conscience or if they know that a little as some of the wicked do yet they do not consider that sorrow which one â—â—y will burst in upon them and sink them uttâ—rly Let us trie then our peace by these notes I. Iâ— the quiet of our consciences be good it is such as we have carefully sought for at the mercies of God in the bloud of Jesus Christ when being pinched with the burden of our sinnes we did fly to the promises of God to seek comfort to the bloud of Christ to find ease and to get assurance of Gods favour If our peace come not this way it is naught and we were better to be without it then have it It may be we speak peace to our selves but doth the Lord speak peace to our consciences I will heare what the Lord will speak for he shall speak peace to his people and to his saints but let them not turn again to folly for that will break all their peace O go to God then and heare whether he speaketh peace to your consciences whether it be God in Christ reeonciling the world to himself that speaketh it to you It is not true peace without we have sought for it at the throne of grace without it be peace of Gods making Now the Lord speaketh peace to his people who come to him for peace three wayes 1. He speaketh peace to them by his word This speaking is thus When the word promiseth peace to those who walk by such a rule and they walk by that rule then Gods word speaketh peace to their souls The rule is set down Gal. 6.15 In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature and then followeth As many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them 2. God speaketh peace to his people in their consciences This speaking is thus When the conscience can say I am in Christ I am engraffed into Christ then the Lord speaketh peace by the conscience peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus so also when the conscience can say I hunger after righteousnesse I truly mourn for sinne I desire in all my wayes to please God Thirdly God speaketh peace by his Spirit This speaking is thus When the word hath spoken peace by the promise and when the conscience speaketh I am thus and thus qualified and therefore I have peace then the Spirit of God cometh in and witnesseth Yea you say right peace belongeth unto you indeed and I say Amen to it When the Spirit of God doth say thus then the Lord speaketh peace to the soul The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace Peace is the fruit of the Spirit it speaketh it to the soul breedeth it in the soul Now beloved examine your selves Is your peace of this stamp do ye seek it of God and get it in the bloud of Christ Jesus do ye get it by the word and by your truespeaking conscience and by the holy Spirit of God If ye get it on this wise then it is true peace of conscience indeed If ye get it by your own vain hopes and by your good meanings c. this peace will not hold alwayes when your consciences come to be awaked your peace will all vanish away and be no more This is the first note to try and examine your selves by II. If our quiet and peace of conscience be good it is accompanied with such a life as is agreeable to the will of God it avoideth sinne as the thing that disturbeth the peace How can any man have true peace of conscience when his life doth not please God but provoketh his wrath against him It cannot be that he should have true peace who in his heart doth regard sinne There is no peace to the wicked saith my God No whereever true peace of conscience doth inhabit it dwelleth with godlinesse of life and unblamablenesse of conversation as the Apostle Peter joyneth them together 2. Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse Mark the words In peace without spot and blamelesse If ever we would be found in true peace we must live without spot and blamelesse A wicked mans conscience may seem to have peace and tell him he hath served God This day I have paid my vowes saith the conscience of the whore but this is a rotten and deceitfull peace True peace of conscience is ever accompanied with such a kind of life as is agreeable to the will of God in his word III. If our peace be good it will make us endure to heare any point in Gods word with joy and delight A wicked heart can heare points of mercie and comfort with joy so long his peace lasteth Every man that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved If we confesse our sinnes God is just to forgive us our sinnes If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Whoever shall confesse that Jesus is the Sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Such points as these a wicked heart can reade with delight though if they were truly opened and expounded they would yield him cold comfort yet he can heare them with delight in the lump But if a searching point or some terrible point cometh he is afraid to heare that Ahab had a quiet conscience but onely when Michaiah did preach Felix had a quiet conscience no doubt yet he trembled to heare Paul preach of death and of judgement Acts 24.25 One would have thought that Paul a prisoner should rather have been afraid but Paul had true peace of conscience and therefore he could think and speak of death with
conscience will be worth then When Paul was accused and hardly thought of by some of the Corinthians this was his comfort I know nothing by my self saith his conscience I count it a very sâ—all thing to be judged of you Nay he goeth further His conscience telleth him he hath the Lord Jesus who justifieth him to judge him he hath a sweeter Judge then his own conscience even his Saviour to judge him O there is no created comfort in the world like the comfort of a peaceable conscience The heathen Menaâ—der could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience is a little pettie god We may not give it such a big title but this is most certain The conscience is Gods echo of peace to the soul in life in death in judgement it is unspeakable comfort Is there any then that want this Let them above all things labour to get it It is more worth then all things else Whatever we neglect let us not neglect this It is safer to neglect bodie health means maintenance friends and all that ever we have in the world then to neglect this The more we have the worse it is for us if we have not this Had we all this worlds good it is like a stone in a serpents head or a toads head or a pearl in an oyster not our perfection but our disease Again you who have a peaceable conscience 1. Labour to maintain it Be often in communion with God be not strangers to him the light of whose countenance is the peace of your souls It is the walking with God that breedeth true peace and preserveth it It is said of Levi that he walked with God in peace O let us stirre up our selves to walk close with God that so we may have peace No sweet peace but in so doing 2. We must take heed we do not trouble nor disquiet it that we do not resist it or offer violence unto it by committing sinne against the peace of it but endeavour to maintain the peace of it by obeying the voyce of it Get the fear of God which is wisdome and to depart from evil which is true understanding All her paths are peace Prov. 3 17. We cannot walk in any one path of true wisdome but we shall find in it peace There is peace in humilitie and peace in charity and peace in godlinesse and peace in obedience c. Break any of these things and ye break the peace Ye heare what an admirable thing the peace of conscience is O then if ye have it make much of it nay if ye have it ye will for certain make much of it The very having of it will teach you the worth of it and learn you to prize it and make you above all things unwilling to leave it And thus much of the first viz. a quiet conscience An unquiet conscience I Have already handled a quiet conscience I come now to speak of a troubled and unquiet conscience Concerning which I shall shew you three things 1. What it is 2. The degrees of it 3. The difference of the trouble that may be in a good and that may be in a bad conscience I. What a troubled conscience is It is a conscience accusing for sinne and affrighting with apprehensions of Gods wrath And here I would have you consider two things 1. What are the causes of it 2. Wherein it consisteth First The causes of it are these five 1. The guilt of sinne When a man hath done evil and his conscience doth know it then doth the conscience crie guiltie when he knoweth it saith the text then he shall be guilty This is it which woundeth and pierceth conscience this is the sad voyce of conscience Like Judas I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Like Cain My sinne is greater then can be forgiven So the brethren of Joseph We are guilty say they concerning our brother It is like the head of an arrow sticking in the flesh or like a dreadfull object continually presenting it self before our eyes My sinne is ever before me saith David When we have transgressed Gods law and our conscience can cry guiltie when the guilt of sinne lieth upon conscience this is one cause of the trouble of it 2. Another cause is the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne When knowing that we have sinned and offended God we apprehend his wrath in our minds and behold the revenging eye of his justice against us This is a very grievous thing so terrible that no man or angel is able to abide it As we see the kings and potentates the mighty men of the earth call for the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them from the wrath of God Rev. 6.15 16. When we have incurred Gods displeasure and our consciences see it when his anger resteth upon us and our consciences feel it this is another cause of the trouble of conscience 3. A third cause of the trouble of conscience is the fear of death and of hell When we know we have offended Gods law and we know also what our sinnes do deserve namely death and judgement aad damnation for ever this doth most trouble and disquiet conscience when it fastneth on the apprehension of it The Apostle calleth it a fearfull looking for of judgement When conscience looketh for nothing else but for hell and damnation this must needs trouble conscience 4. Another cause is privative want of supportance when God doth withhold from conscience the help of his Spirit Ye know the Spirit can inable conscience to undergo all its troubles the Spirit can prompt it with mercies and the promises of God and hold it up but when the Lord bereaveth the conscience of this help and doth not at all support it this must needs also trouble conscience 5. When God doth fasten on the conscience such thoughts as may affright and terrifie it as thus God doth not love me Christ will not own me I have sinned I am a reprobate past hope c. When such thoughts as these fasten on the conscience it cannot choose then but be troubled Thus I have shewed you what are the causes of the trouble of conscience Secondly This trouble of conscience consisteth in two things First in want of comfort It cannot apply to it self neither the promises of this life nor of that which is to come Conscience crieth This belongeth not to me This mercy this comfort is not my portion Secondly In a terrour and anguish of mind from these three heads 1. From the guilt of sinne 2. From the apprehension of Gods wrath 3. From fear of death and of judgement This is the three-stringed whip wherewith conscience is lashed These ye shall find upon the conscience of Adam and Eve when they had sinned against God Their conscience was whipped 1. With the guilt of sinne they saw they were naked Gen. 3.7 2. With the apprehension of Gods wrath they hid themselves from the
every day eye the brazen serpent Justification is an ever-running fountain and therefore we cannot look to have all the water at once A fountain ever runneth anew so justification ever floweth anew and we must go to it Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec O let us sue out every day a dayly pardon of course Let us not sleep one night without a new pardon Better sleep in a house full of adders and venemous beasts then sleep in one sinne O then be sure with the day to clear the sinnes of the day Then shall our conscience have true peace But how if I have relapsed what shall I do then I answer Every man that falleth doth not fall on all foure as we use to say he doth not fall quite There be degrees of falling As in a sick man though he be ill yet he is not by and by dead some life remaineth still which will look out towards health again so there is so much life in justification as to recover thee again Be constant therefore in this course Ever go to Christ ever wash in this fountain ever bring thy soul hither to be cleansed and then thy conscience ever shall have peace Fourthly If we would maintein our peace then let us labour to be constant in obedience to Jesus Christ Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the word of God perfected and hereby know we that we are in him 1. John 2. 5. Mark Hereby our conscience may tell us that we are right and speak peace to us if we keep his word II. Question How the peace of conscience doth depend upon our care and our obedience The reason why I raise this question is this Because as our justification is onely in Christ so our peace is onely in him how then doth the peace of our conscience depend on obedience The place of Scripture that occasioneth the doubt is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is by Christ how dependeth it then on our obedience Answ 1. A good conscience doth not depend upon our obedience as the principall cause of it but upon justification which we have by Christ if we be in him Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Ye see then that our peace is grounded upon our justification as the principall cause of it If we should seek for peace from our works and obedience alas they are sinfull and defective there is no peace to be found in them Our conscience would be troubled at our best duties at our weaknesse in prayer our frailties in hearing our slips in every holy service There is nothing we do but our conscience might find fault with it and pick a hole in it and therefore we had need to flie unto Christ for true peace No wonder then that Papists have not true peace but professedly say that every man must doubt and no man can be sure of his salvation They must needs doubt indeed who trust to their own works which can never bring true peace The conscience must ever be quarrelling and finding of fault and be without peace if we trust to the best works So that this is the first answer All true peace dependeth upon justification by faith in Christ as the principall cause Secondly We answer That our peace dependeth upon our obedience in this sort that we can have no peace except we be given to obedience Those men that can sinne and yet be at peace were never justified in their lives A child of God when he sinneth as for example if he should be tempted to lie or to omit a good dutie which he knoweth he is bound to perform yet this would much trouble his conscience his soul would be ashamed his heart perplexed he would not know how to look the Lord in the face I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men When David had sinned against God I am troubled saith he and I go mourning all the day long And therefore peace of conscience doth depend thus farre on obedience as that a man cannot have peace unlesse he be obedient and take heed of sinne and labour in all things to be upright before God Now if you ask me But how doth our peace depend upon our obedience I answer It dependeth upon obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which would hinder our peace Sinne would interrupt our peace now obedience removeth sinne To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1. John 3.18 19. My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth For hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God Hereby we shall assure our consciences that we are in him if we take heed of hypocrisie If we love in truth and be obedient in truth we shall thereby remove all our doubts and our fears our troubles and perplexities of conscience So that peace doth depend on obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which otherwise would hinder peace This is the first Again our peace of conscience dependeth upon our obedience as the witnessing cause of it Obedience is one of the witnesses of true peace it witnesseth that we have peace with God This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie we have had our conversation in the world See here it is the witnessing cause of it Paul had peace of conscience his conscience was able to make him rejoyce How Because it gave testimony that his conversation was godly and simple and gracious Though we be in Christ yet we can have no peace unlesse holy obedience doth witnesse the same Obedience is not the cause of the peace of our consciences before God but it is the cause of our perceiving the same We know we have peace by reason of our obedience We know that every one that doeth righteousnesse is born of God We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Mark we come to know it by obedience and by the fruits of obedience Take away obedience we can never know peace They that walk by this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God saith the Apostle Thirdly our peace of conscience dependeth on our obedience as the confirming cause Christ confirmeth our peace to us by making us walk close to him and obedient unto him Paul sheweth how it preserveth peace as a shoe preserveth the foot ye know if we should walk without shoes barefoot our feet would be in danger of pricking and hurting So doth obedience to the Gospel preserve our peace Stand saith the Apostle having your feet shod with the preparation
1. For the first That every mans conscience may inform him what estate he is in whether good or bad I speak especially of such as live under the light of the Gospel of Christ There are two rules the one is Gods word which pointeth out both estates and the other is every mans conscience which is privy to the frame and standing of every mans own heart and which of these estates his estate is conscience is privy to this I will instance in some sorts of men 1. The Jews who contented themselves with formality they sacrificed they offered they payed their tithes they did that which Moses commanded them for the letter of it now ye shall see their conscience could tell them that they were not perfect nor upright with God All their duties and formalities and gifts and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect as perteining to the conscience Heb. 9.9 Mark Their consciences could say they were not upright for all this As they were not upright so their conscience could tell them they were not upright 2. Another instance we have in the Scribes and Pharisees When they would have condemned the woman taken in adultery their own conscience was privy that they were sinners themselves John 18.9 So also it is with a child of God His conscience is able to inform him that he is a child of God and that he doth truly serve God I thank God saith Paul whom I serve with a pure conscience His conscience told him he was a true servant of God and that he was Gods whose I am saith he So Davids conscience I am thine save me for I have sought thy commandments So the church My beloved is mine and I am his Ye see then how conscience can inform and tell us what estate we are in whether we be godly or carnall whether our conversation be in heaven or on earth whether we be in Christ or out of him The spirit of man knoweth what is in him It is easie to know what our great thoughts of heart are upon what our greatest purposes and projects and studies be whether about God or the world the spirit of a man must needs know it And therefore every man may draw out from conscience a true conclusion how it is with him The reasons are these 1. The first is taken from the nature of conscience The nature of conscience is such that it must needs be able to know what is with a man Now his welldoings or his illdoings are with him he was with himself when he did them When thou art proud or impatient or carelesse in any duty thou art with thy self when thou art so All thy illdoings are with thee and therefore thy conscience must needs know what thou art Our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Take a curser and as Solomon saith Thine own heart knoweth that thou hast used to curse others So it is with a godly soul Thine obedience is with thee and thy self-deniall is with thee and thy care to walk before God all is with thee and therefore thou must needs know it This is the nature of conscience It is privy to what is with one 2. The second reason is taken from the equity of Gods judgements on the wicked The Lord he will judge none to hell but his conscience shall confesse he was one that walked in the way to hell and death Ye may reade it in the man that had not on the wedding-garment When Christ did charge him with his not having on a wedding-garment and did condemne him to utter darknesse the text saith he was speechlesse that is his conscience confessed that Christs judgement was just I have not on a wedding-garment saith his conscience and it is my fault that I have none and I am rightly condemned Thus his conscience did know it otherwise he could not have been speechlesse in his own desense As Festus told Agrippa that he answered the Priests It is not the manner of the Romanes to deliver any man to dye before that he who is accused have his accusers face to face and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him So may I say that the great Judge of quick and dead will not judge any man to hell but he will have his accusers face to face and if he can answer for himself he may Now if conscience be not privy to what estate soever a wicked man is in his conscience could never accuse him face to face at the last day nor justifie the Lord Jesus and make the sinner stand speechlesse before God He might answer Lord I do not know any such thing as is laid to my charge I am not convinced that the case is thus and thus with me that I am in such an estate as I am accused of No wicked man shall be able to say thus Therefore conscience can inform a man in what estate he is 3. The third reason is taken from the Lords manner of judging the godly He will judge them and absolve them secundùm allegata probata as we say according to the word and their own consciences Ye may see the true form of judgement which the Lord will go by Matth. 25. Where the Lord convinceth the whole world who were righteous and who not who to be judged to punishment and who to life for ever at last he concludeth The wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall As if he had said Your consciences can say ye are wicked ye did not feed nor clothe nor visit me Go your wayes to hell So for the righteous Your consciences can say ye are righteous Go ye to heaven Thus the Lord will do Now this could not be if conscience could not inform every one that is godly that he is so If conscience could not witnesse what estate they are in this could not be Thus ye see the truth of the first thing II. The second thing that I promised to shew you is How conscience doth this Ye have heard that it is able to inform every one what estate he is in before God Now it followeth to consider How conscience doth it This it doth by comparing the word of God with our hearts and our hearts with the word As for example They who have respect to all Gods commandments shall never be ashamed saith the word But saith conscience I desire to know all my dutie to God and man and to perform all that I know and therefore I shall not be ashamed To him that soweth righteousnesse shall be a sure reward saith the word But saith conscience I plough up my nature and all the fallow-ground of my heart and I sow righteousnesse and therefore to me shall be a sure reward So To be spiritually minded is life and peace saith the word But saith conscience I am spiritually minded my mind is