Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience, Part 3
The third Part.
Looke vponupon my Text, and see how valiantly by the right and interest of it, Paul first challengeth & commands prayers, euen at the hands of the Iewes. Who waters a dry stake with any heart? what comfort hath Peter to pray for Simon Magus in the gall of Bitternes? but with what hope of audience might hee pray for Cornelius, and such as he was? So Iohn for Gaius and the Elect Lady, walking in the truth; not so for Diotrephes. Secondly, see how hee begs, not their good opinion and good words of him, though hee knew they had strange surmises and suggestions of him from the false Apostles; to be a very Proteus and Polypus, the graund Cheater of the world, but in stead of Apologies and Captation of good will, hee relies to this Fort, passeth not for mans day: he is happy enough without them: he carryes his comforter in his bosome and breast, and hath a selfe-sufficiency. A dependant and beholding happinesse is halfe a misery, like Mils that cannot grinde without winde or water, Saul cannot be merry without a Filder: Ahab without Naboths vineyard: …aman without Mordecayes curtesie. A good Cons…nce without Musicke, or Money, or Honour, is happy and merry a…one, and is like the late Eng…n of the perpetuall Motion.
As rich men stand vponupon tearmes, I can liue by you, and without you: so saith a good Conscience to the world.
It layes clayme not one…y to the prayers and communion of Saints, but to the attendance of Angels. As Luther is said to hauehave said, they are Cookes and Butlers to this continuall feast: they ascend and descend to them with messages from Heauen. Christ, as Ahash…erosh with Hester, delights to suppe with such. The holy Ghost takes vp in them his aboade and temple. See in the Canticles how Christ is inamoured with the beauty and familiaritie of his Spouse, and they often mutually inuite one another to walkes and feasts.
Thirdly, which is more, in the faile of all other comforts; yea, in despight of the greatest discomforts and disgraces that can be, in the greatest stormes and stresse, in the foulest weather, this Shippe raignes and rides at Anchor, as in a Harbour and Lee, hangs out the Flag of comfort and defiance. Let the Iewes thinke and speake what they will, it stirs not Paul: he soares like an Eagle, not respecting the chitting of Sparrowes; is aboue the scourges and razors of tongues.
I am much taken vp with admiration, when I reade Acts 27. How Paul in the angry Adriaticall Sea, at midnight, when the tempestuous Euroclydon blew, after fourteene daies want of meat and light, when the Marriners despayred, how couragious he was: but I wonder as much and more, to see his Conscience passe with top-saile & banners displayed, through the Sea and waues of good report and bad report; to see him singing & praying at midnight in the Dungeon, all manacled & fettred, in a wounded skinne, but whole and merry Conscience.
Censures and rumors, the world is full of: who escapes? Not Paul himselfe; yet is aboue them, and giues a secret Item to all such as censure him, that they wronged him in iudging a good Conscience. The fashion is, to iudge and c…nsure all courses wee reach not, or sauour not; and so we smite many a good Conscience. In this respect what neede hauehave wee all of good Consciences, seeing tongues spare none…
There be three dayes especially, the day of Sicknesse, of Death, of Iudgement; in which Comfort is worth a world, and then all worldly comforts and comforters, like run-away Seruants and drunken Seruing-men, are to seeke when one hath most vse and neede of them, as Iob complaineth of the Brooks of Teman in the drought of Summer: which makes the triumph of the wicked (Iob 20.) momentany, and as a …ght Vision, when as the Prophet said, One dreames of bread, and wakes hungry. In these times you shall see the merry and iolly worldling hang the head like a Bul-rush, and the Ruffians brags lagge like a starcht Ruffe in a storme. How doe such droope, euen in old age, and say, the dayes are come, wherein there is no pleasure? The storme comes after the raine, that which is worst, an ill Conscience like a Blood-hound hunts dry-foot, and brings the scent of sins of his youth; wheras the Conscience of a well-passed life is the staffe of age, Pabulum senile, better then all the Sacke and Sugars, and such pittifull comforters. When the stomacke failes, and the grinders waxe few, and appetite ceaseth, this is a continuall feast. In the decay of sleepe, this is a Downe-pillow. In all our tribulation, this Simon helps vsus to beare our crosses. In all our euill daies, it's at hand. It sustaines the infirmities of the body. When Princes sat in counsell against Dauid, this was his Ionathan to solace him. When the Lyon roares, the righteous is bold as the Lyon, and feares not what man can doe vntounto him.
But if once Death begin to looke vsus in the face, how doth Naball dye like a stone? How doe Achitophel and Iudas dye the death of cowardly Harts and Hares, pursued with the full cry of their sinnes, which makes them dead in the ne… before they dye: then a kingdome for a good Conscience. Then send (as in the Sweating sicknesse and the Plague) for Mr Minister, but alas he is come, hee can but speake to the eare, and all in vaine, vnlesse God open the Conscience to heare and be quiet, to heare and imbrace comfort. But when speech failes, & all thy Senses shut vp their doores and windowes, then who or what can auaile but a good Conscience? When thy Wife & thy friends doe augment thy griefe with parting and loath to depart, as Pauls friends broke his heart with weeping; then this onelyonly and alone dies, or rather liues with thee, and seeing Land approaching, bids thee be of good comfort. More cheerefully hauehave I seene it make some dye, then other wed.
All the Martyrs from Stephen the Proto martyr, down to the last that suffered, are clouds of witnesses: it hath inabled them to imbrace their stakes, clap their hands, leape, as Doctor Taylor did, within two stiles of the stake, or (as hee said) of his home and Fathers house.
Lastly, at the Last day, and after the last day, when all these shadowes shall flye away, this substance shall abide. A good Wife is a good thing, but Sarah must part with Abraham; and these relations shall cease in Heauen, but a good Conscience, attended with good workes, shall follow: and the better it hath beene here, the better in degree it shall be there, the wider entrance and entertainment it shall finde there. When all Bookes shall perish, and Heauen melt like a Parchment scrole, this Booke shall be of vse; when all Diuels and damned shall tremble, and wish the hils to couer them, this shall lift vp thy head, for thy redemption approcheth: when neither friends, nor a full purse shall pleade, nor the wicked stand vpright in iudgement, then, then, well-fare a good Conscience; then shal conscience hauehave it mouth opened, tongue vntied, & God will bid it speake. Happy hee then that hath an excusing one, miserable he that hath it an accusing aduersary.
Yet still further: Faith and Hope are excellent things here in this valley; these shall cease, but Conscience abides. A good one was a petty heauen vponupon earth, a mount Tabor, a glimpse of glory here: a bad one was a Hell, a Purgatory, or Limbo, at the least, tasting of the flashes and smoak of hel: but hereafter how intollerable shall be the horror of the one, and how inconcei…eable the ioyes of the other. Without this worm that dies not, hell should not be hel; without this continual Feast, heauen should not be heauen. Next the happy vision of God shall be the company of a good Conscience, and next to that …he Societie of Saints and Angels.