A Guide to Godliness, Book 1 · Chapter 13
CAP. XIII.
Of a good Conſcience, which is a maine ground of a godly life; what it is, and the cauſes of it.
§. Sect. 1 What a good conſcience is; and of the cauſe efficient which workes it in vsus.
IN which regard, conſcience thus corrupted and diſabled, cannot be a ſufficient ground of a godly life, till after our regeneration, it be renewed and reſtored in ſome meaſure, vntounto that integrity and perfection which it had in our firſt creation. And this we call good conſcience, which is a maine foundation of godlineſſe, guiding and inabling vsus to the performance of all good duties which God requireth. In ſpeaking whereof, we will firſt ſhew what it is, and then the cauſes of it, the effects and fruits which ſpring from it, the properties and ſignes whereby wee may know it, and the meanes by which we may obtaine it, if it bee wanting; or preſerue and keepe it, if we already hauehave it. Concerning the firſt; A good conſcience is that, which being renewed by Gods Spirit, and a liuely faith, applying vntounto vsus the vertue of Chriſts death and obedience, doth ſpeake peace, and truly teſtifie vntounto vsus, according to the Scriptures, that we are redeemed out of the hands of all our enemies, reconciled vntounto God, iuſtified, ſanctified, and ſhall perſeuere in grace vntounto ſaluation, and that all our actions are warranted by the Word, and accepted of God in Ieſus Chriſt, though in themſelues imperfect; whereby we are comforted in all things, made cheerefull and diligent in Gods ſeruice, and willing to doe all things which may be pleaſing vntounto him. The cauſes of a good conſcience are diuers. The principall efficient is God the Father, Sonne, and holy Spirit. The Father beſtoweth this gift vponupon vsus, who as in the beginning he firſt created, and placed it in vsus, as an vncorrupted Iudge, and vnpartiall witneſſe betweene him and vsus; ſo it is he alone that doth renew and repaire the ruines thereof, contracted through the fall of our firſt parents, by which, together with all other faculties, conſcience was corrupted, and either ſo deadded, ſeared, and benummed, that it had no ſenſe and feeling at all; or when it awakened out of this deadly ſwowne, did nothing but accuſe and terrifie vsus, or vniuſtly excuſe and incourage vsus in our ſinfull courſes, by preſenting vntounto vsus falſe comforts.
§. Sect. 2 Of the meritorious cauſe of a good conſcience.
The meritorious cauſe of it, is God the Sonne, and our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, who ſatisfying Gods iuſtice, and appeaſing his wrath by his death and obedience, freed vsus from the guilt and puniſhment of our ſinnes, reconciled vsus vntounto God, and made our peace with him; vponupon which, followeth peace of conſcience, and freedome from the accuſations and terrours of it. For when by the Law of God, or light of nature, it is ſet a-worke to Rom. 8. 1, 33, 34.affright and diſquiet vsus in regard of our ſinnes, then ſhewing our pardon ſealed by the blood of Chriſt, it is calmed and quieted, hauing nothing to lay to our charge, which Chriſt our ſurety hath not ſatisfied for vsus. Whereof it is that our Sauiour was prophetically named, The Prince of peace, and prefigured vnderunder the type of Melchizedech, becauſe hee is not Eſa. 9. 6.onelyonly the King of righteouſneſſe, by whom we are iuſtified, but alſo King of Heb. 7. 2.peace, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, who making our peace with God, did thereby alſo procure for vsus peace of conſcience. For the Iudge hath no authority to condemne, nor the witneſſe to accuſe, nor the Iaylour to impriſon, nor the executioner to puniſh and torment, when the ſupreme Soueraigne King of heauen and earth, being ſatisfied by the ſufferings of his Sonne, hath ſent vsus his free pardon, and wee hauehave pleaded it in the Court of conſcience: Yea, rather the Iudge doth then acquit and abſolue vsus, and the witneſſe ſaith nothing againſt vsus, but as a meſſenger of good things, doth teſtifie vntounto vsus this ioyfull tydings. And hence it is, that our Sauiour was no ſooner borne vntounto vsus, but the holy Angels were ſent as Gods Heralds to proclaime this peace; Glory bee vntounto God in the higheſt, and in earth peace, good will towards men. The which peace, our Sauiour Luk. 2. 14.wrought as a Mediatour betweene God and vsus, by ſatisfying his iuſtice, and offering himſelfe as an all-ſufficient ſacrifice for the ſinnes of all his elect. So the Apoſtle ſaith, It pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſſe dwell; And (hauing made peace through the blood of his Croſſe) by him Col. 1. 19, 20.to reconcile all things to himſelfe. And elſe-where he affirmeth, that we were without Chriſt, being alients from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and ſtrangers Eph. 2. v. 12. to 18.from the Couenant of promiſe, hauing no hope, and without God in the world; but that now in Chriſt Ieſus, we, who ſometimes were farre off, are made nigh by the blood of Chriſt. For hee is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene God and vsus; Hauing aboliſhed in his fleſh the enmity, euen the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances, to make in himſelfe of twayne, one new man, ſo making peace: And that he might reconcile both vntounto God, in one body by the croſſe, hauing ſlaine the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace vntounto vsus, both them which were a farre off, and to them that were nigh. And thus working our peace with God, he brought alſo peace to our conſciences, when as by his blood hee had clenſed them from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne; for if the blood of Bulls and Goates, ſanctified to the outward purifying of the fleſh, how much Heb. 9. 13, 14.more ſhall the blood of Christ, who through his eternall Spirit, offered himſelfe without ſpot to God, purge our conſciences from dead workes, to ſerue the liuing God? Finally, the conſcience is renewed and ſanctified by God the holy Ghoſt, whileſt he applieth Chriſt and all his benefits, the vertue of his death and precious blood, and maketh them effectuall for the purging of our conſciences from all ſinnefull corruption, and ſpirituall defilements, that wee may be inabled to performe pure and acceptable ſeruice vntounto God.
§. Sect. 3 Of the inſtrumentall cauſes of a good conſcience.
For the effecting whereof, he vſeth as his inſtruments, the preaching of the Goſpell, and adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and a liuely faith, which by them both, made effectuall by the inward operation of the Spirit, is begotten and alſo confirmed and increaſed in vsus. Firſt, the preaching of the Goſpell is the inſtrument which the Spirit vſeth, whereby a good conſcience is wrought in vsus; for when the Law preached, and the curſe threatned, like a ſtrange winde and tempeſt, hath rent the mountaines, and broken in pieces the rockes of our proud and hard hearts, and as the earthquake and fire, which Elias ſaw and felt, hath terrified the conſcience with the guilt of ſinne, and cauſed vsus to hide our faces from Gods preſence, 1. King. 19. 11, 12then the ſtill voice of the Goſpell, cauſing theſe ſtormes to ceaſe, doth quiet and calme the conſcience, ſo as wee can without terrour, yea with much ioy and comfort, heare the voyce of God ſpeaking peace, and offering vntounto vsus reconciliation, grace, and ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt, aſſuring vsus vponupon the condition of a liuely faith, bringing forth the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance, that all Gods gracious promiſes, reſpecting this life and the life to come, doe belong vntounto vsus. In which regard it is called glad tidings, which cauſe, euen the very feete of thoſe that bring them, Rom. 10. 15. Iohn. 14. 27.to ſeeme beautifull vntounto vsus; and the Goſpell of peace, which Chriſt himſelfe firſt preached. Peace I leaue with you, my peace I giuegive vntounto you, not as the Epheſ. 2. 17. Luke 10. 5. 2. Cor. 5. 20.world giueth, giuegive I vntounto you: Let not your heart be troubled, neyther let it be afraide. And when he had reconciled vsus vntounto God by his Croſſe, and ſlaine enmity thereby; he came alſo and preached this peace vntounto vsus: And afterwards ſent his Diſciples as his Heralds to proclaime it, to all who by faith receiued it, yea as his Ambaſſadours to beſeech vsus, in his ſtead, to be reconciled vntounto God. By which meanes when the peace of a good conſcience is begunne in vsus, it is thereby more and more confirmed and increaſed; as alſo by the vſe of the Sacraments, which being as ſeales annexed to the couenant of grace, doe confirme our faith in God promiſes, and ſo worke peace and ioy in our conſciences, out of this aſſurance that Chriſt and all his benefits are ours, and that wee in him are reconciled vntounto God.
§. Sect. 4 That a good conſcience ſpringeth from a liuely faith.
For neither the Goſpell, nor the Sacraments, no nor yet Chriſt himſelfe, will bring vntounto vsus this peace of conſcience, vnleſſe wee receiue and Heb. 5. 2.apply them by the hand of faith: as the beſt ſalue will not heale, vnleſſe it be applied to the wound, nor meate nouriſh vsus, vnleſſe it be receiued into the ſtomake; nor the pureſt water purge vsus from our filth, vnleſſe we be waſhed in it. But when this precious balſam is applied to our wounded conſciences, and when by the hand of faith they are waſhed in the Lauer of his precious blood, then they are healed of the ſores of ſinne, and being rified from the guilt, puniſhment, and power of it, do ſpeake peace vntounto vsus, and are the meſſengers of ſuch ioyfull tydings as cannot be damped with any worldly tribulation. According to that of the Apoſtle, Being iuſtified by faith, we hauehave peace with God, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, by whom alſo we Rom. 5. 1, 2, 3.hauehave acceſſe by faith into this grace wherein we ſtand, and reioyce in hope of the glory of God; And not onelyonly ſo; but we glory in tribulation alſo, &c. Whereof it is, that in the Scriptures, faith and a good conſcience, are as the 1. Tim. 1. 19.cauſe and effect ioyned together, ſo that one of them cannot miſcarry in the ſtorme of tentations, but we ſhall make ſhipwracke of them both, and, together with our faith, loſe both our peace with God, and our peace of conſcience. Wheras our aſſurance of faith will embolden vsus to drawneere to the Throne of Gods grace, with a true heart, hauing our hearts ſprinkled Heb. 10. 22.from an euill conſcience, and our ſoules waſhed with pure water. But yet we muſt take heede, that we doe not attribute that to the inſtrument, which is peculiar to the principall cauſe, nor imagine that faith, by any vertue that is in it ſelfe, doth purifie our conſciences, or worke peace in them. For this it can no more doe, then the hand it ſelfe can cure a ſore by touching it, or nouriſh the body, and keepe it warme, without food or clothes, though it be the inſtrument to apply and put them on: but it is onelyonly our good Ionas, which, being caſt into the raging Sea of our troubled conſciences, maketh them cleane and ſtill; it is the wood of his Croſſe alone, that is, the vertue of his death and paſſion, which being caſt into theſe waters embitterd with the guilt of ſinne, that can make them to yeeld vntounto vsus the ſweete and pleaſant waters of ioy and conſolation: Although he will doe no more good to pacifie the ſtormes, and ſweeten the bitter torments of a raging conſcience, if he be not applied by a liuely faith, then Ionas in the ſhip, or the branches ſtill growing vponupon the tree, and not at all caſt into the tempeſtuous Sea, and bitter waters.