The Souls Looking Glass 2, Tract 2 · Proposition 3 · Part 6
4 Queſtions.
NOw I have declared unto you, What a troubled conſcience is; What is the cauſe of it, and wherein it conſiſteth; How many degrees there be of it; How the troubled conſcience of the godly differeth from the troubled conſcience of the wicked; the miſerie of a troubled conſcience; and, What a deal of miſchief it doth one, eſpecially in affliction: now I ſhould leave this point, but that there be ſundrie queſtions to be anſwered about it.
I. Suppoſe a man be rid of this trouble, and have peace of conſcience, how ſhall he maintein it, and keep out troubles from it?
II. Whether and how the peace of our conſcience dependeth upon our care and obedience?
III. What manner of obedience it is that peace of conſcience doth depend on?
IV. If a man have no peace, but onelyonly a burdened conſcience, what muſt ſuch a man do to be freed from it and to attein true peace?
I. Queſtion; How a man may keep peace of conſcience.
I begin with the firſt: Suppoſe a man have peace of conſcience, what muſt he do to keep and maintein it? I anſwer,
Firſt, We muſt labour to prevent troubles of conſcience by taking heed that we do nothing contrarie to conſcience. We muſt not be drawn by friendſhip, or credit, or the love of any luſt, to do that which conſcience forbiddeth. Nothing ſhould be ſo dear unto us as the peace of conſcience: nothing for the love of it ſhould make us do ought againſt our conſcience. How miſerable are thoſe comforts, delights, ſatisfactions which we get to our ſelves in ſuch courſes as our own hearts do condemn! However they ſeem comforts for a while, and contentments for a while, and delights for a while, yet at laſt it will appear that miſerable comforts are they all. Nothing that we get in any evil way will chear and comfort us in a time of need. What ſaid Francis Spira at the time of his death, when ſeeing his wife and children about him, and thinking on the goods and eſtate which he had got for them by denying the truth which he had before mainteined againſt the Romiſh errours, he cried out in the horrour of his conſcience, How terrible is the ſight of theſe unto me! However before they had been comforts to him, yet now he could not endure the ſight of them. O, thought he, I recanted for your ſake; I yielded to ſuperſtition, and it was long of you: Therefore he abhorred now the ſight of them. Wretched is he that alloweth himſelf in any courſe which his conſcience findeth fault with. It is a good rule the Apoſtle giveth,Rom. 14.22. Bleſſed is he that condemneth not himſelf in that which he alloweth: that is, Bleſſed is he that hath not a condemning conſcience, that alloweth not himſelf in any courſe wherein his conſcience doth condemne him. So that if we have peace of conſcience, and deſire to maintein it, let us never allow our ſelves in any courſe that our conſcience may condemne us in. That is the firſt anſwer.
Anſw. 2 Secondly, If we will maintein our peace, we muſt labour to have our hearts grounded in the aſſurance of the love of God: alas, it will fail us elſe, and leave us in trouble and perplexitie in time of greateſt need. Obſerve how the Apoſtle joyneth love and peace together, 2. Cor. 13.11. The God of love and peace be with you. If he be the God of love to us, it is ſure enough he will be the God of peace alſo: If we know once that God loveth us, then we may ſet our hearts at reſt: As long as we doubt of his love our conſcience can never have true peace: And therefore if we would maintein true peace of conſcience let us labour to be aſſured of Gods love.
Anſw. 3 Thirdly, We muſt uſe the exerciſe of faith in applying the bloud of Chriſt; we muſt labour to purge and cleanſe our conſciences with it. If we find that we have ſinned, we muſt runne preſently to the bloud of Chriſt to waſh away our ſinne. We muſt not let the wound feſter or exulcerate, but preſently get it healed. As there is a fountain of ſinne …n us, ſo there is a fountain of merciemercy …n Chriſt,Zech. 13.1. ſet open for Judah and Jeruſalem, and for every poore ſoul to waſh …n. As we ſinne dayly, ſo he juſtifieth dayly, and we muſt dayly go to him for …t: As every day we runne into new debts, ſo the Lords prayer teacheth us every day to beg forgiveneſſe: We muſt 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 ſin. O then be ſure with the day to clear the ſinnes of the day: Then ſhall our conſcience have true peace.Object. But how if I have relapſed? what ſhall I do then?Sol. 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.
Anſw. 4 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 our conſcience doth depend upon our care and our obedience.
The reaſon why I raiſe this queſtion is this, Becauſe as our juſtification is onelyonly in Chriſt, ſo our peace is onelyonly 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 hee, O thou preſerver of men? When David had ſinned againſt God,Pſal. 38.6. 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 …nleſſe he be obedient, and take heed of ſinne, and labour in all things to be up…ight before God. Now if you ask me, But how doth our peace depend upon our obedience? I anſwer,Dub. Sol. 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.2. Cor. 1.12. This is our rejoycing, even the teſtimonie 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:1. John 2.29. We know that every one that doeth righteouſneſſe is born of God: We know we are paſſed from death to life, 1. John 3.14. 1. John 4.13.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, Gal. 6.16.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, Epheſ. 6.15.ſaith the Apoſtle, having your feet ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace. Mark; he compareth it to a ſhoe, which he would have us ſhod with; and then it will be the Goſpel of peace to us, and our peace ſhall be in ſafety. Fourthly, our peace dependeth upon our obedience, not onelyonly as a ſigne of true peace, nor onelyonly as a guard to it, but as a thing pleaſing to God, without the which we diſpleaſe God. For though God be pleaſed with his children alwayes in Chriſt, yet he is not pleaſed that any in Chriſt ſhould be diſobedient to him.1. Theſſ. 4.1. Ye have received of … how ye ought to walk and to pleaſe God, ſaith the Apoſtle. When Gods children walk in obedience, that is pleaſing unto God. So that peace of conſcience doth greatly depend on obedience: For otherwiſe conſcience will be troubled; O I do not pleaſe God; This is diſpleaſing unto God; and, This doth provoke God. Not as though there were any ſuch perfection in our obedience that can ſatiſfie any tittle of Gods law; but becauſe when our perſons are pleaſing to God in Jeſus Chriſt, then our obedience to God is pleaſing too in Jeſus Chriſt, and conſcience will ſay it. Thus much ſhall ſuffice for anſwer to the ſecond queſtion.
III. Queſtion; What manner of obedience it is that peace of conſcience dependeth upon?
The reaſon of this queſtion is this; Becauſe it ſhould ſeem there is no ſuch obedience in this life as any peace of conſcience ſhould depend on. Doth not James ſay, In many things we ſinne all? Doth not our Saviour ſay, When ye have done all that ye can, ſay, We are unprofitable ſervants.? If our conſcience can ſtill ſay that we are unprofitable, and that we do ſinne in every thing that we do, yea in many things, in all the duties we go about; if our conſciences can ſay thus, How can any peace depend upon obedience? What obedience do you mean that peace of conſcience dependeth upon?
I anſwer, 1. Abſolute perfection in obedience is not required unto evangelicall peace. For if it were, no man could have peace; no not Paul, nor Abraham, nor any of the holieſt of Gods children: and therefore abſolute perfection is not required. If we ſay we have not ſinned, we make Chriſt a liar, and his word is not in us, 1. John 1.10. Our conſcience can ſtill ſay we have ſinned; and it can ſtill ſay our obedience is imperfect: A halting leg can never go perfectly. A Jacob is called he that halteth; and every godly ſoul halteth: Though he do not halt between two, as wicked people do, yet he halteth in following after God. What purblind eye can ſee perfectly? or thick eare heare perfectly? He that hath theſe imperfections of body can neither go nor ſee nor heare perfectly: So the beſt of Gods children have imperfections of heart and ſpirit and mind: their faith is imperfect, their love is imperfect; and therefore their obedience muſt needs be imperfect. But abſolute perfection is not required to true peace of conſcience; and therefore this doth not hinder it. 2. Though abſolute perfection be not required to peace, yet ſuch obedience is required as may be acceptable to God. So ſaith the Apoſtle,2. Cor. 5.9. We labour that whether preſent or abſent we may be accepted of him. Such obedience we muſt ſhew as may be accepted of him, or we cannot have true peace. If our endevours be not acceptable, our conſcience will quickly heare of it, and tell us ſo: If we pray coldly, or heare unprofitably, or live looſely, if we do not do that which is acceptable to God, our conſciences will ſoon complain. Nay though we do do the duties, if we do not do them in an acceptable manner, conſcience will have matter againſt us ſtill. 3. This acceptableneſſe of obedience lieth in this, when our obedience is ſincere, univerſall, and totall, and proceeding from the ſpirit of Chriſt Jeſus dwelling in us. The Apoſtle giveth it this phraſe, When we walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.4. That is our fulfilling the law, when Chriſt hath fulfilled the law for us, and maketh us ſincerely to walk by it, not after the fleſh but after the Spirit: when we do not favour our ſelves in one luſt, nor ſuffer our ſelves in any beloved ſinne; but whatever it be that is evil, our conſcience can ſay we truly do hate it and labour to avoid it; whatever it be that is commanded us, be it never ſo contrary to our nature, yet our conſcience can ſay we ſincerely ſet our ſelves to do it. So walking not after the fleſh but after the Spirit, this is ſincerity of obedience, and this is required unto peace. 4. This ſincerity of obedience maketh us to bewail our very infirmities, and to be humbled for them: not onelyonly to be humbled for greater ſinnes, but alſo to be humbled for our infirmities. If we be not ſoundly humbled for our very infirmities alſo, they will hinder the peace of our conſcience: We can have no peace except our conſcience can witneſſe that our infirmities do humble us and drive us to Chriſt and cauſe us to ſue out a pardon. If conſcience have not a pardon ſealed for infir…ities alſo, it will not be at peace, Chriſt bare our very infirmities:Matth. 8.17. therefore we muſt be humbled for them,Matth. 8.17. and go to him for pardon of them too, or conſcience will not be at peace. Thus I have anſwered alſo this third queſtion.
IV. Queſtion; How if a man have a burdened and troubled conſcience, what muſt he do to be freed from it?
The reaſon of this queſtion is this; Becauſe men are ignorant about it. When men are troubled in conſcience and burdened a little that way, preſently they daub all with peace, and go a wrong way to work. This courſe the Lord doth complain of in the falſe prophets who preached too much peace; They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people ſlightly, ſaying, Peace, peace, Jer. 8.11.when there is no peace. And ſo they do more hurt then good: Like a chirurgion that skinneth the wound before he giveth ſearching ſalves to kill the matter of it: afterwards it breaketh out worſe, and it is a hundred to one but it will coſt the patient his life: So it is with many men: A man cannot rore a little for his ſinnes, I have been a ſinner, and what ſhall I do? I have been a beaſt, &c. But, O, ſay they, believe man, Chriſt died for thee, and the promiſe is to thee, and God will pardon thee. Thus they heal him ſlightly with Peace, peace, and it may be there is no peace to him yet; he had need to be ſearched more deeply: they skinne the wound, and it is a thouſand to one but it loſeth the mans ſoul, by giving a cordiall where a corroſive was neceſſarie. And therefore great reaſon that this queſtion ſhould be anſwered, If a man have a burdened troubled conſcience, what muſt ſuch a man do to be freed from it?
I anſwer, 1. Let him take heed that he meddle not too much with the ſecret will of God, what his decree and purpoſe is from eternitie. As ſoon as an arrow is ſhot into the conſcience, & the conſcience cometh to be humbled, commonly the heart layeth about it, And how if God have reprobated me? and what if he have appointed me to wrath? how then? Beloved, ye muſt take heed of this: If your hearts faſten upon reprobation, that will marre all; that will quite diſcourage a poore ſoul from going to God.
2. Underſtand the word right. Do not think that becauſe God hath not in particular named thee, therefore he hath excluded thee. Gods promiſes are made in generall to all that believe; and they are to be applyed in particular to all them that believe: why then ſhouldſt thou exclude thy ſelf when God doth not exclude thee? Wouldſt thou have Chriſt? Chriſt to juſtifie thee? Chriſt to ſanctifie thee? Chriſt to rule thee? Wouldſt thou be under Chriſts regiment, and live at his will? Come and welcome: no ſoul is excepted. Whoſoever will, Rev. 22.17.let him take of the water of life freely. Ye ſee there is a Quicunque vult, Whoſoever will. Indeed if thou haſt not a will to be in Chriſt; but thou wilt do thus and thus, and thou wilt have thy will, and this luſt, and that friend, and ſuch a courſe, and, Tuſh, this is too ſtrict; nay, if you be there thou art not for Chriſt: I have nothing for thee but hell and damnation. But if thou wouldſt have Chriſt indeed, and be in Chriſt indeed, thy heart in Chriſt, thy will in Chriſt, thy whole ſelf in Chriſt; then ariſe, he calleth thee. Thus underſtand the word right, the goſpel doth not exclude thee whoſoever thou art.
3. Thou muſt not for fear of ſhame or loſſe, &c. keep from reſtitution whereſoever thou haſt done wrong, or ſatisfaction whereſoever thou haſt cozened, or reformation whereſoever thou art accuſtomed to any evil, or the doing any thing that may procure eaſe and quiet to thy conſcience. It may be one is troubled in conſcience for his wronging his neighbour in twentie pounds, and if he would make reſtitution he might have ſound peace: but he will not; no, he daubeth up his conſcience ſome other way. Another it may be ſuffereth diſorders in his familie and foul abuſes, which if he would redreſſe he might have peace: but he will not. Another, if he would down with his pride, another, if he would be acquainted with Gods ſervants, or if he would take any pains in good duties, be more diligent for the work of repentance, &c. but theſe things will not be done: Men plaiſter up their conſciences (I know not how) ſome other way, and ſo go to hell for not taking the right way. But if any of you be troubled in conſcience, keep back nothing, hold back nothing that may make for your true peace and quiet.
4. Thou muſt wait on God: Caſt thy ſelf at his feet, humbly deſire him to give thee the true peace of conſcience. But wait Gods leiſure, knowing thou haſt deſerved to be utterly deprived of it: and thus doing thou ſhalt find it to thy great comfort at laſt.Iſai. 30.18. Bleſſed are all they that wait for him; that is, when the Lord will be mercifull. He will do it with judgement, he will do it when it may do thee the moſt good, when it may bring himſelf moſt glorie: therefore it is fit thou ſhouldſt wait for his time of comforting. Now becauſe many do miſconſtrue this waiting Gods leiſure, (As for example, one is dead to all good duties, O, ſaith he, I wait the Lords leiſure till he quicken me: My heart is much hardned, ſaith another; but I wait the Lords leiſure till he be pleaſed to ſoften it. Thus men are lazie in the mean while; and yet they think they wait the Lords leiſure. O beloved, this is not the waiting the Lord meaneth; this will not ſtay conſcience; conſcience is guiltie for all this waiting) therefore I beſeech you conſider what waiting I mean. 1. Wait upon the Lord, and keep his way; thou doſt not wait elſe, unleſſe thou keep praying, and ſtriving, and meditating, and enquiring, and watching thine own heart leſt it ſhould ſlip aſide. 2. Thou muſt wait as a ſervant waiteth upon his maſter: If his maſter calleth, he cometh; if he ſendeth, he goeth; if he beckeneth, he taketh notice:Pſal. 123.2. So thou muſt wait. As ſervants wait upon their maſters, ſo our eyes wait upon the Lord till he have merciemercy upon us. Be obedient in the mean time: go when he ſendeth; come when he calleth; obſerve when he beckeneth; be diligent to be doing his pleaſure. 3. Thou muſt wait onelyonly upon God, not upon thy luſts too, and upon other things too; but thou muſt wait onelyonly upon God: My ſoul, wait thou onelyonly upon God, ſaith David, Pſal. 62.…5. If thou wait upon any thing elſe, this is not to wait upon God. One waiteth a time to be revenged; another waiteth a time to ſatisfie this or that luſt: this is not to wait upon God at all. 4. Take heed of healing thy ſelf, and comforting thy ſelf, or daubing up thy conſcience thy ſelf: If thou doſt ſo, thou doſt not wait upon God to do it: If thou doſt it thy ſelf, and ſnatcheſt at comfort thy ſelf before he do give it, then thou doſt not wait till he give it. Suppoſe a man hath done thee an injurie; the Lord he will right thee if thou wilt wait: but if thou go and recompenſe evil for evil, and right thy ſelf, thou doſt not wait upon God, as Solomon adviſeth,Prov. 20.22. Say not thou, I will recompenſe evil; but wait on the Lord, and he will ſave thee. Mark; thou muſt not ſave thy ſelf, thine own credit, &c. by revenging, but wait on God for all. So here if thy conſcience be troubled, thou muſt wait upon God to comfort it: If thou goeſt and daubeſt up the matter thy ſelf, and crieſt, Peace, peace, to thy ſelf, thou doſt not wait upon God. Thus I have anſwered the laſt queſtion, How if a man have a burdened and troubled conſcience, what muſt ſuch a man do to be freed from it? And hitherto we have ſpoken of the two laſt adjuncts of conſcience, a Quiet conſcience, and an Unquiet conſcience; What they be, and, How they differ: and we have reſolved and anſwered the queſtions and difficulties about them.