Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 54
CHAP. 54. Of the time, of Conſcience continuance in it working.
NOw followeth the laſt point in this Treatiſe of Conſcience to be handled, and that is concerning the time and continuance of it working; of which there is a fourefold conſideration, firſt, here, ſecondly, at death. Thirdly, at laſt day, and Fourthly, after the day of iudgement.
Section 1. Of Conſcience working here.
THat it hath it operation in this life, while men remaine among men, and conuerſe with men, the whole diſcourſe in this booke ſheweth; mens experience can beare witnes of it; and examples of men in Conſcience tormented giuegive euidence hereof in all ages.
Section 2. Of the working at death.
WHen death the dreadfull meſſenger to the damned commeth, if thoſe wofull ones doe but once bethinke themſelues that they are going before God, that now they muſt away to their appointed place, death being the reward of ſinne, Conſcience cannot but then begin to work, as it hath done of ſome in a fearefull manner vponupon ſickneſſe,Se Acts and Monuments. fol. 1913. and in their deathbed; Yea, it hath grieuouſly afflicted ſometime very godly men; of both ſorts inſtances may be giuen.
Section 3. Of the working of it at the laſt day.
WHen Chriſt ſhall come to iudgement, and when eueryevery one ſhall appeare before his tribunall ſeate to render an account of all that which hath beene done in the body, whether good or euill, then the books ſhalbe opened, euen the books ofReu. 20. their Conſciences, in which hauehave been regiſtred vp mens ſins, the moſt ſecret,Rom. 2. 16. Eccleſ. 12. 14. 1. Cor. 4. 5. 1. Ioh. 4. 17. and hidden, the very Counſels of the heart: Then the wicked ſhall tremble, but the godly ſhall hauehave boldneſſe: for it is the day of their full redemption, & their Conſcience ſhall comfort them in beholding their Redeemer, their Sauiour.
Section 4. Of the durableneſſe of it in Heauen.
COnſcience good and vpright goeth with men into heauen; for Gods will as a Rule ſtill remaineth knowne to them: they hauehave alſo the vſe of their vnderſtanding in and concerning the rule, the will of God; They act and do according to Gods wil, which cannot want application vponupon the act correſpondent to the rule, and therefore muſt there needs be Conſcience, which being here in the godly imperfect, muſt needs be there in perfection vponupon their complete and perfect obedience. Adam in his ſtate of innocencie and perfection had Conſcience; the ſame is renewed in the elect Saints of God here; at death it remaineth, and at the laſt day men ſhall find it in them: And may any imagine then, that it ſhall be wanting in heauen? No verily: for here it is good mens chiefeſt comfort vnderunder God, and there alſo it ſhall be their conſolation, and that vponupon the ſame grounds as here though imperfect, but there in perfection: Now the grounds of comfort from Conſcience in this life are theſe.
1. Our auoiding of ſin, and maſtery ouer corruptions: now, in Heauen wee ſhall in this reſpect hauehave Conſcience to comfort vsus; for no vncleane thing ſhall come in there; fleſh and bloud cannot enter into that Kingdome; no more ſinning there, corruption hath put on incorruption; and weake man and ſinfull hath on him there fulneſſe of ſanctitie.
2. Our obedience here to Gods law makes cōſcience to comfort vsus; much more in Heauen where it ſhall be in ful perfection, euen legal obedience in eueryevery mans perſon then; ſo as there imputed righteouſnes by faith ceaſeth: legall righteouſneſſe was in Adam himſelfe for direction; Euangelicall is now for ſupportation, and found in an other, which is during our time here; but in heauen legall obedience and righteouſneſſe ſhall be found in all the Saints after the iudgement day.
3. Our conuerſation, being here ſincere, louing, ſimple, without fraud: which ioyed Saint Pauls 2. Cor. 1. 12.Conſcience: Now in heauen the fellowſhip is perfectly ſincere, and louing, ful of true affection of louelove, without Hipocriſie, ſimulation and deceit, performed in ſimplicity of heart and ſoule, all of one mind and will. There is no enuy, no grudging, no maligning, nor ill ſpeaking. Conſcience cleareth them of all theſe, and comforts them in their happy and moſt bleſſed ſocietie together.
4. Our hauing here Gods ſpirit; which dothRom. 8. witneſſe with our Conſciences, that we are now Gods Children: Now in heauen ſhall Conſcience, through Gods ſpirit, herein greatly comfort vsus; aſſuring vsus for euer to be the Lords without wauering or doubting.
5. Our here fellowſhip with the Father and the Sonne, 1. Ioh. 1. 3. but in Heauen euident, more excellent and glorious.
VponUpon theſe grounds, Conſcience as it did in Adam, when he was in the ſtate of innocencie, doth now.
1. It beareth witneſſe to the godly of all theſe things, and that they are endued with perfect knowledge there, with perfect holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, and euen with that image of God, after which they at the beginning were created, now in all perfection both of body and ſoule.
2. It hereupon doth comfort them vnſpeakeably, the vnexpreſſible ioy therof is as an heauen in it ſelfe vntounto them, by the comfort whereof they conuerſe with Angels, as fellow ſeruants, and liue in Gods holy preſence, reioicing with thankſgiuing and praiſes endleſly.
Section 5. Of Conſcience working in the damned in Hell.
COnſcience as it witneſſeth for the bleſſed Ones in Heauen, and comforteth them: So in Hell it witneſſeth againſt the damned, and tormenteth them, and is called ehe Mar. 9. 44. 46.worme that neuer dieth; and it is well compared thus, to a worme, and to a worme that neuer dieth. It is compared firſt to a worme.
1. A worme is bred of corruption, ſo comes this Hell-worme of Conſcience from filthie corrupt luſts within vsus. Secondly, a worme lyeth gnawing and griping in the ſtomacke and bowels; ſo this Hell-worme in the ſoule and heart of man. Thirdly, A worme in mouing turneth too and fro, this way, and that way; So this Hell-worme in mouing works torture and pangs now one way, now another: by ſettîng ſinnes before them, which is a great plague, Pſal. 50. 21. threatned by the Lord. It was an anguiſh and bitterneſſe to Iobs ſoule, to be made to rememberIob. 13. 26. the ſinnes of his youth. For hereby they know that God keepes in remembrance all their ſins, and hath them ſet beforeHoſ. 7. 2. his face, and therefore hisH…ſ. 7. 2. Pſ. 90. 7. 8. anger and wrath ſeizeth vponupon them. Secondly, by applying the deſert of the torments and plagues in Hell, as iuſtly deſerued for ſuch ſinnes. For when they ſeeke for mercy, this Hellworme of Conſcience will reply, and ſay as Abraham in the Parable, Remember thou tookeſt thy pleaſures, thou gapedſt for profits, didſt hunt after preferment, nothing could withhold thee, thou wouldſt be filthy in vncleanneſſe, in adultery, fornication, drunkenneſſe and gluttonie; thou wouldſt oppreſſe, coozen and defraud to get wealth, now art thou tormented and tortured, and ſhalt bee. Thirdly, by telling them, when they look vp, and ſee the godly in felicitie, that they are vnworthy of that happineſſe: becauſe they deſpiſed God, Gods Word, Gods Miniſters, and Gods people; and therefore hauehave loſt for euer their portion there now; thus this Hellworme tormenteth them.
Secondly, it is a worme that neuer dyeth. Heere wormes in the ſtomacke or belly may be killed, and by Phyſicke auoided; but no meanes to kill this: it neuer dyeth, but is euer without end tormenting and afflicting, torturing and reſtleſly vexing the damned there.
The wofull effects are theſe: They are in reſtleſſe paine, and ſeeke for eaſe, as the Parable of Diues ſheweth;Luk. 16. 24. but now the time of mercy is paſt, and no eaſe in the leaſt degree to be expected from God: for hee endured their ſinnes; and they muſt now endure his plagues. Secondly, they deſire to die, and to out off their dayes, wiſhing a finall conſumption; but this cannot bee; they once dyed, now they: muſt diue as dying, and dyingi yet liue moſt miſerably in vnſpeakable: torment. Thirdly, they weep and gnaſh theirMat. 8. 12. & 13. 42. teeth, as ſuch doe as be tormented with wormes.
They weep and lament, and that vponupon a foure fold conſideration; firſt, for the loſſe of heauen and that happineſſe there; iuſt cauſe of ſorrow and lamentation, for the loſſe is vnualewable; Heauen for Hell; others admitted in,Luk. 13. 28 and they thruſt out; this makes them weepe. Secondly, then becauſe of theReuel. 21. 8 torment, the grawing worme, the flames of fire, in a Lake of fire and brimſtone, a burning ſornace. Thirdly, for that they are with the Diuels and his angels,Matth. 25. their companions in that endleſſe woe. Laſtly, becauſe they cry to God, they cry to the Lord Ieſus, and none will heare nor pitie them; no (if they knew one another) not parents their children, not children their parents, not the huſband his wife, nor the wife her husband would ſhew any pitie; for Ieſus Chriſt will now doe nothing for them. Is not heere cauſe then of weeping and lamentation?
They gnaſh with their teeth; which is a ſigne of anger and extreme impatiencyIob 16. 9. and rage; for they are mad, firſt, againſt themſelues for being the cauſe of their owne confuſion and damnation, as the Hellworme will tell them. Secondly, againſt thoſe helliſh ſpirits for inticing them to ſin, for hardening their hearts in ſinning. Thirdly, againſt one another for cauſing, occaſioning, counſelling, countenancing, and furthering one another in euill: Oh how many children will curſe their parents for ill education! Oh how many ſeruants will hauehave cauſe to curſe their maſters for neglecting their poore ſoules, and for ſuffering them in wicked courſes! Oh how many people will curſe bitterly their blind, or careleſſe Paſtors! Oh that men could heare their complaints, their cries, and bitter wailings, to terrifie vsus from ioyning together in wickedneſſe! Let it not ſeeme incredible to ſuppoſe, that they will breake into bitter curſes; for if torment moued patient Iob to curſe the day that euer heeIob 3. was borne, and bleſſed Ieremy to breake into curſes;. 20. 14. as the wicked people will doe here; ſhall we thinke it ſtrange, that theſe damned wretches ſhould fall into curſing there? Fourthly, againſt the godly to ſee them in felicity: this here will make them gnaſh withPſa. 112. 10 their teeth; they are ſtill ſo full of enuy and hatred againſt them, that then they will be enraged to ſee them bleſſed, and themſelues accurſed. Laſtly, they will rage againſt God, and blaſpheme him, ſo the wicked wil do, becauſe of their torments; for repent theyReuel. 16. 9. 11. cannot, neither will they giuegive glory vntounto God.
Conſider theſe wofull effects of this Hell-worme hereafter, which now lieth at reſt within thee, that haſt hardened thy heart in wickedneſſe. Oh betimes, looke to thy Conſcience, make it thy friend, that God may bee alſo thy friend, leſt it become thy foe, and be the Hel-worme among the damned fiends, there to torment thee for euer and euer.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Bernard, Christian See to Thy Conscience (1631)