Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience, Title page 1 – To the reader
Balme from Gilead TO Recouer Conscience. In a Sermon Preached at Pauls-Crosse, Octob. 20. 1616.
By SAMVEL WARD, Bach. of Diuinitie, and Preacher of IPSWICH.
Printed at London by T. S. for Roger Iackson, and William Bladen, and are to be sold neare the Conduit in Fleet-street, and at the signe of the Bible at the great North-doore of Pauls. 1618.
To the READER.
VOuchsafe, good Reader, in a word or two to vnderstand the occasion of bringing this MEDITATION to the Presse, that was purposed onelyonly for the Pulpit: the rather for that it commeth not from the Authors owne hand, who would no doubt more exactly hauehave polished it, could hee hauehave beene perswaded to publish it himselfe. But hee, out of his modestie (as hee deliuered it, not like a Scholler his Lesson learned without Booke, nor brought with him any intent to hauehave it further made publi…e, so) could not be induced (though instantly laboured both by my selfe and many others, desiring further fruit of so learned and religious … Labour) eyther to publish it himselfe, or to hauehave any hand at all in the publishing of it.
Howbeit at length, vponupon extreame importunitie (rather to preuent the wrong that by imperfect Copies printed he might otherwise sustaine, then to satisfie such as were earnest sutors to him for the same) hee was with much adoe drawne before his departure from the Citie, to deliuer his Notes to a friend, (with reference of the whole businesse, to the iudgement and discretion of others, to deale in, and dispose of as they should deeme sit,) who being present at the speaking of it, with the Authors Notes, and his owne helpes, hath done his endeauour to penne it as neare as he could, to that which by the Author himselfe was then deliuered. Which though it be not altogether verbatim the same, yet it is hoped that there is not any thing materiall wanting, that the diligent hearer shall desire: besides that hee shall finde some things ouer and aboue, that straits of Time, and default of Memory were then a meanes to keepe backe.
If any aske, what needed such importunitie in this businesse, there being already so many Sermons abroad, that euen Printers themselues complaine, that the Presse is oppressed with them? I answere: True it is, that there are Sermons indeede abroad by some more then enough; but yet not enough (I dare say it) such as this is, that deale so pit…ily, so effectually, in points of practise so necessary, so ordinary, as this doth; wherein Learning and Pietie, delightfull manner of handling, together with profitable and vsefull matter, so concurre, that if it please not any, they are those alone, whose prophane palates can relish nothing that sauoureth of grace, though ne…er so delightfull otherwise: if it profit not any, it is to be feared they are such, whose corrupt Consciences are growne wel-neare irrecouerable, if not wholy incurable.
But I am lo…th to be long, where the worke it selfe is not. This little be spoken rather in way of Apologie for my selfe and such others as vrged the publishing of it, then in commendation of the Worke, which in the very reading of it, to any iudicious, ingenious, and religious, will sufficiently commend it selfe. For my selfe, considering the generall approbation giuen it by all sorts that heard it, together with the earnest suites of many others, so in…tantly desiring it vponupon their reports, and finding vponupon view and serueigh the thing it selfe fully to answere both the reports of the one, and the desires of the other, I was right willing and ready (as hee speaketh in Plato) though one barren hitherto in this kinde my selfe,Socrates apud Plat. in Theaet. to performe some Midwiue-like office to another, for the further enlargement of so generally blessed, and so deseruedly desired a birth. Wherein if thou shalt chance to finde any defects, consider …ut (I pray thee) how hard a thing it is for another (though not vnskilfull) to perfect a worke that some curious Artist hath left vnfinished.
And so wishing onelyonly, that it may through Gods gracious assistance, eyther worke into, or increase in thee a good Conscience, and the comfort thereof; I leaue the Worke to thy pervsall, and it to his blessing, whose gift a good Conscience is, and with whom, beside the present comfort of it heere, is a plentifull reward reserued for it else-where.
Thine in Christ, THOMAS GATA…RE.
Balme from Gilead, TO Recouer Conscience.
HEBR. 13. 18.
For wee are assured, that wee hauehave a good Conscience, desiring in all things to walke honestly.
I Will vse no other Preface, but the short one before my Text; and that not as a Preface, but in way of earnest suite, Pray for mee: For I desire this day, in treating of a GOOD CONSCIENCE, both so my selfe to keepe and discharge one, and so to speake home to yours, that the dead Consciences may heare the voyce of God in my Text, & be quickened, the secure ones awakened, the troubled ones comforted, the tender confirmed, the good bettered, and all receiue some light and life: that wee may all depart hence in the peace of a Good conscience, assured (with our Apostle) that we hauehave a good one, desiring in all things to walke honestly.
This worke, God witnessing to my Conscience, I much desire to doe; and in so doing, I know I desire a worthy worke: A worke so highly and peculiarly needfull for these times, that a sharpe Seer of them, was often heard to pray, that God would stirre vp some to write and preach of this Argument: and another to Augustines wish, That hee might heare Paul preach, addeth his owne; That the Text and Theame might be CONSCIENCE: they both saw it gasping, drawing on, and dying; and therefore desired that some life might be put into and kept in it, before it should be vtterly ouerwhelmed in death and darknesse.
The time indeede was, in the beginning of Time, when Adam by his first Sinne brought death vponupon his Soule, and caused it to raigne ouer all the powers of it, that this Facultie had most life left in it, like Iobs Messengers, to tell newes of the great losse.Scintilla reliq. rect… rat…is. Lips. This little sparke was left fresh, to shew what great light had beene extinguisht; but now this also through affected blindnesse and wilfull malice, is so smoothered and suffocated, through a daily custome of sinning, the eyes of it so pecked out, the mouth so stopped, the very heart of it so wounded and quelled, that (as the world iustly complaynes) it is dead long since; yea, long since buryed in the graue of habituall sinning, with the stone of hardnesse rouled vponupon it; that, as Mary said of Lazarus, the very name of it is growne vnsauoury, odious, and I feare ridiculous in the eares of many. Is it not then high time for the Lord to worke? and for vsus to see if by crying aloud (as Elias said of the dead Idoll) wee may fetch life againe into it, which is the very life of our spirituall life, and soule of our soule?
The time is now come vponupon vsus, wherein men affect and desire good Names, Estates, Wiues, Houses, good Cloathes, good eueryevery thing; but content themselues with meane and vile Consciences, which ought to be the chiefe and onelyonly good: Wherein men louelove to exercise and shew, in Preaching, in Hearing, in Trading, and all manner of conuersing, their Memorie, their skill and cunning, and al other their good parts, as they call them, neglecting this which is the WHOLE of a Man; and despising Pauls Exercise, and Pauls Policie,Acts 24. 16. and 33. To hauehave a good Conscience before God and Man: Wherein men louelove preaching indeede and knowledge, but not wholsome doctrine; Preaching to the Conscience and knowledge of themselues, which makes this Pulpit and Church-yard full of Polemicall and Schoole-diuinitie; while the plaine, practicall, and asketicall part lyeth vntilled and vnregarded: which maketh Citie and Country full of Craft and Cunning, but voyd and destitute, not onelyonly of the power but shew of Conscience. All which maketh me to chuse rather with the Apostle to speake fiue words to the Heart,1 Cor. 14. then tenne thousand to the Eare; yea, one to shew you a good Conscience, then ten thousand to shew all the Science in the world. Sermon you heare vponupon Sermon, till this Manna …comes out at your nostrils: but as o…e said of Lawes; one is yet wanting for the practising of all the rest. Now Conscience is the spring of Practise, and the Wheele that must set all the rest on going: Is it not high time to speake to Conscience, that wee be no longer hearers onelyonly, but dooers also?
The time is now approaching, as wee may easily discerne, if wee hauehave not drunke or slept out our eyes, as in the times of Noah, in which Christ is powring out his Viols vponupon the earth: and shortly, wherein the Bookes shall be opened, these clasped and sealed Bookes of our Consciences, the Contents whereof are now like Letters written with the Iuyce of Orrenges, that cannot be read till it come to that fire which shall make the secrets of all hearts legible; yea, eueryevery the least Fraction, euen the least idle thought or speech: all which are faithfully registred in them? Is it not then high time to looke into these Bookes, to cast vp these Bookes; yea, to be well skilled and versed in them, for the sake and rectifying whereof all other good Bookes are written, that we might be able to pro…e and examine our selues, whether vponupon good ground wee can say with our Apostle; We are assured we hauehave a good Conscience? &c.
Which Text when I reade and pronounce, which I doe that you may well vnderstand, mee thinkes … heare Pauls voyce, and discerne …is Spirit, as the Mayd knew Pe…ers voyce. I heare him vse the …ike appeale in the very like case, when the Hebrewes accused him, and Ananias bad smite him on the …outh; I hauehave in all good Conscience serued God to this day.
In the selfe-sam… case, when they hyred Tertullus to paint him … with his Rhetoricke for a pestilent fellow, a troubler and commotioner of the whole world, he… vsed the like prouocation; I endeauour alwaies to hauehave a good Conscience towards God and man. The… very like protestation against the surmises of the same Hebrews, … 9. Yea, so often, that 2 Cor. 1. 12. … cals this, and claimes it as his owne glory: This is my boasting, a … Conscience. So that as we discerne Ships by their Flags; so may wee Paul by this flagge of comfort and defiance, which he hangs out almost in eueryevery Epistle; and if wee may guesse at the whole cloath by the List, this Epistle, as this Triumph, is his: And worthily indeed becomes it this chosen vessell, to glory in this choise Iewell, with which the whole world compared and weighed in the Ballance, will be found as light as drosse and vanity, and without this, Losse, Dung, and vexation of Spirit. For mine owne part, when I view this triumph, and the Apostle so frequently and so confidently vsing it; I professe my selfe deepely affected therewithall. The world hath many stately sights, glorious obiects, as namely strong Towers, tall Ships vnderunder saile, Armies vnderunder Banners, sumptuous Buildings, pleasant Orchards and Gro…s: but when I represent to my selfe, when I seriously conceiue and consider Paul, riding in this triumphant Chariot, aduanced aboue the reach of mens thoughts and tongues, yea aboue all sublunarie changes, all the fore-mentioned are in mine eies, but stately bables, pompous fantasies, painted Pageants. Did Paul in the fruition of this, enuie Agrippa's golden chaine? No: It was but for manners sake Paul excepted his Chaine. And he that hath this good, needes not enuie, I say, not any greatnesse here present: No not Nebuchadnezzers stalking in his magnificent Galleries, built for his honour: The great Turke garded with his Ianizaries: The triple-crowned man of pride riding vponupon mens shoulders, and treading vponupon Emperours necke… Much lesse the rich Foole in the Gospell, with his goods increasing▪ and Barnes enlarged: or the rich Glutton, with his delicate fare and purple rayment, or any other glistering apparences of happinesse▪ which dazle the eyes of the doti… world. Let become of the rest wh… will, so that this be my Lot an… portion (which euer let be my wi… aboue all wishes) that through… Gods grace and Christs blo…d, … may hauehave a good Conscience, and b… assured that I hauehave one, desiring i… all things to walke honestly.
In which Text or*foreign, Woofe of Scripture, which I may call Pauls Triumph, I finde these Threads: 1. The excellent matter, A good CONSCIENCE. 2. The glorious manner, A certaine confidence.
The Trophies are not meane and base,Seges gloriae. but the richest gift which Christ ascending on high, left vsus to reioyce in, a good conscience.
The boasting is not vaine:Serius triumphus. it's no fantasticall opinion, no fanaticall Reuelation, but a true perswasion; we are assured: It's no audacious presumption, but a grounded assertion, built vponupon these foure pillers, as so many Characters of a good conscience, 1. Desiring, 2. In all things, 3. To walke or conuerse, 4. Honestly.
Now that we may more distinctly apprehend the Contents of the Text, and that which is best of all, attaine the scope and subiectmatter thereof, which is the end of all, a GOOD CONSCIENCE; because many talke of Conscience, few know it; I will first discouer the Nature of it, which hath beene darkned by Schoole definitions, and Rhetoricall descriptions.
Secondly, because many slips and bad ones goe for currant and good ones: most bragge of a good one, and fewest hauehave it, I will shew you the goodnesse thereof, wherein it consists, how it is made good, and how it is distinguished from seeming good ones, and how by foure infallible Characters it's certainely approued and knowne to be good.
Because it's a dead commodity, a Grape of Canaan, the sweetnesse whereof few hauehave tasted, and they that hauehave it cannot vtter it; I will shadow out the excellency of it, as my poore skill and experience will allow me.
Lastly, when I hauehave taught Conscience to know it selfe and it own worth; I will set it a worke to doe it office in the application of the points of this & al other Sermons.
Briefly collect and remarke the heads.
1. What Conscience is.
2. What a good one is; how it may be discerned from bad ones, and knowne to be good.
3. How good a thing it is.
And 4. What is the vse, office and effect of a good one.