A Guide to Godliness, Book 1 · Chapter 15
CAP. XV.
Of the good things which a good Conſcience witneſſeth to the faithfull.
§. Sect. 1 The firſt thing which it witneſſeth, is pardon of our ſins and reconciliation with God.
ANd ſo much generally of the matter which a good conſcience teſtifieth, namely, peace and good things, and of the manner how it giueth witneſſe, to wit, truely, and according to the rule of Gods Word, wherein the peace which it bringeth diuerſly, differeth from the peace of an ill conſcience. Now we are to ſpeake more particularly of the good things whereof it giueth euidence, and of the fruit and benefit which ariſeth from it. Firſt, it witneſſeth vntounto vsus truly, and according to the rule of Gods Word, that all our ſinnes are pardoned, and we reconciled vntounto God; not by any ſatisfaction which our ſelues hauehave made, or any worthineſſe in vsus, for which God ſhould accept vsus aboue others; but only out of our aſſurance of faith, which perſwadeth vsus, that God, of his free grace and merciemercy, for the alone merits and ſatisfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, hath forgiuen vsus all our ſinnes, and accepteth of vsus in the face of his beſt Mat. 3. 17.Beloued, in whom only he is well pleaſed: vponupon which ground, a good conſcience giueth comfortable euidence, not onelyonly when wee pleaſe our ſelues in the ſight and ſenſe of Gods graces in vsus, and in our cheerefull obedience and beſt ſeruices which we performe to God: but alſo when we ſee and feele our corruptions, and imperfections, our ſlips, falls, and manifold faylings in our beſt actions: Becauſe it giueth euidence, according to the aſſurance of faith, which is grounded on Gods mercies and Chriſts merits, and not vponupon our workes and worthineſſe, and therefore cannot be ouerthrowne by our wants and weakeneſſes, our corruptions and vnworthineſſe. In which reſpect, the Apoſtle ſaith, that baptiſme doth ſaue vsus (not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, but the anſwere of a good 1. Pet. 3. 21.conſcience towards God) by the reſurrection of Ieſus Christ. Which anſwere is nothing but this, that when Gods iuſtice and the Law layeth ſinne to our charge, and requireth obedience, the conſcience giueth in euidence, that Chriſt, by his death and reſurrection, hath made full ſatisfaction, and in our ſtead, hath done all which was required of vsus.
§. Sect. 1 That a good conſcience witneſſeth vntounto vsus our ſanctification.
And as the conſcience thus beareth witneſſe of our iuſtification, and reconciliation, ſo alſo of our ſanctification, namely, that being freed from ſinne, we are become ſeruants of righteouſneſſe, and not onelyonly deliuered from the guilt and puniſhment of finne, but alſo from the corruption, power, and dominion of it, ſo that though it dwell in vsus, as a trayterous ſlaue, yet it doth not raigne and rule in vsus, as in times paſt. And though we be not wholly freed from all reliques of ſinne and corruption, nor can performe vntounto God that perfect obedience which the Law requireth; yet our conſciences giuegive in euidence with vsus, that wee are in part ſanctified, and ſhall in Gods good time hauehave this worke thorowly perfected, and that in the meane while, we hate the euill wee doe, and louelove the good we doe not, delighting in the Law of God in the inner man, euen when we Rom. 7. 15.are led captiue vntounto ſinne; that we deſire and reſolue to pleaſe God in all things, and indeuour in the vſe of all good meanes, to hauehave our deſires ſatisfied; and conſequently, that we performe that Euangelicall obedience which God requireth, and are through Chriſt accepted of him. In which regard we may ſay with Paul, from the time of our effectuall calling, that we hauehave liued with all good conſcience vntill this day. Againe, a good conſcience is our warrant for all our actions, teſtifying vntounto vsus, that what wee Act. 23. 1.hauehave done, and are about to doe, is commanded of God, whereby we are comforted in thoſe duties which we hauehave performed, and incouraged to proceede in well-doing, becauſe we doe not our owne will, but the will of God. And though our actions bee imperfect in themſelues, yet being done in ſincerity and with vpright hearts, we ſhall not be diſcouraged in the ſight and ſenſe of our imperfections, yea, rather we ſhall find cauſe of reioycing and glorying in them, becauſe being done with a good conſcience, it will iuſtifie and giuegive witneſſe vntounto vsus, that wee are alſo iuſtified and approoued of God, and hauehave both our perſons and workes accepted of him through Ieſus Chriſt; according to that of the Apoſtle Iohn, If our heart condemne vsus not, then hauehave wee confidence towards God. And this 1. Job. 3. 21.made the Apoſtle Paul moſt gladly to glory in his infirmities, which otherwiſe in themſelues would hauehave beene a cauſe of griefe and mourning; and 2. Cor. 12. 9.to reioyce in the conſcience of his well-doing, which in reſpect of the imperfections euen of his beſt actions, would hauehave filled his face with bluſhing, and his heart with ſhame. Our reioycing (ſaith he) is this, the teſtimony 2. Cor. 1. 12.of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, not with fleſhly wiſedome, but by the grace of God, we hauehave had our conuerſation in the world.
§. Sect. 2 That a good conſcience witneſſeth vntounto vsus that we are in all eſtates bleſſed.
Moreouer a good conſcience teſtifieth vntounto vsus, that we are through Chriſt in an happy and bleſſed eſtate, both in reſpect of the time preſent and to come. In reſpect of the preſent, a good conſcience will make vsus beare and brooke all eſtates, not only with patience, but alſo with comfort and ioy in the holy Ghoſt. If we be in proſperity, and abound with Gods bleſſings, it warranteth vntounto vsus the lawfull vſe of them, and witneſſeth vntounto vsus that we are heires and right owners, and not thieues and vſurpers; that they are Gods talents, which being imployed to aduantage, for Luk. 19. 17. Matth. 25. 21.the glory of our great Lord, and good of our fellow ſeruants, they ſhall be doubled and redoubled, when we are called to giuegive account of them; that they are pledges of Gods fauour in this life, and earneſt-pennies of euerlaſting ioy and happineſſe in the life to come. If we be in aduerſitie and affliction, a good conſcience, like the good Angell, holding vsus by the hand in this firie furnace, will ſecure vsus that wee ſhall not receiue any harme. For it will teſtifie vntounto vsus, that theſe curſes in their owne nature, are through Gods mercy turned into bleſſings; that they are teſtimonies of Gods louelove, ſeeing as many as he loueth, he chaſtizeth, and ſignes of our Apoc. 3. 19.adoption, for the Lord correcteth eueryevery ſonne that he receiueth: and they are Heb 12. 6. Rom. 8. 37, 38.baſtards and no ſonnes whom he correcteth not. That they will not ſeparate Gods louelove from vsus, but our louelove from the world. That they are not poyſons to kill vsus, but medicines to cure vsus of our ſpirituall diſeaſes; fannes, and files, and fires, to winnow vsus from our chaffe, ſcowre vsus from our ruſt, and purifie vsus from the droſſe of our corruptions. Finally, that whatſoeuer they ſeeme to fleſh and blood, yet they ſhall worke together for the beſt, Rom. 8. 28.to them that louelove God; and that though they be bitter and vnpleaſant, for the preſent, yet they ſhall bring foorth the quiet fruits of righteouſneſſe, to Heb. 12. 11.them that are exerciſed thereby. In reſpect of the time to come, a good conſcience doth giuegive vntounto vsus truely, and according to the Scriptures, this comfortable and ioyfull euidence, that we ſhall continue euer to be holy and happy, perſeuering to the end in Gods grace vntounto ſaluation; not by vertue of our owne ſtrength, but through the power and promiſes of God. For he hath aſſured vsus, that he will put his feare in our hearts, that wee may Ier. 32. 40.not depart from him. That though we hauehave many fierce Wolues to aſſault vsus, and be but ſilly weake Sheepe, vnable to make reſiſtance, yet our Shepherd Chriſt, being infinitely ſtronger then they, none ſhall be able to pull Ioh. 10. 28. Ioh. 13. 1. Ier. 31. 3.vsus out of his hand. That whom God loueth, he loueth with an euerlaſting louelove, and to the end; that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance; and finally, that though we be many wayes tryed, yet the Lord will neuer ſuffer 1. Cor. 10. 13.vsus to bee tempted aboue our power, but will giuegive a good end and iſſue to all our tentations.
§. Sect. 3 That a good conſcience maketh vsus cheerfull in Gods ſeruice.
Laſtly, a good conſcience maketh vsus cheerefull and diligent in Gods Eſa. 30. 21. 1. Ioh. 2. 27.ſeruice, and willing to doe all things which are pleaſing in his ſight. So the Prophet ſpeaking of the faithfull, ſaith, that they ſhould heare a voyce behind them, ſaying, This is the way, walke ye in it, when yee turne to the right hand, and when ye turne to the left: That is, beſides their outward teaching in the Miniſtery of the Word, they ſhould hauehave an inward teacher to direct and admoniſh them, euen the Spirit of God, ſpeaking vntounto them in the heart and conſcience. And this is that which Dauid meaneth, where he ſaith, that his reines did teach him in the night ſeaſon, that is, the voyce Pſal. 16. 7.of conſcience, which did ſhew him the wayes of God, and mooued him with cheerefulneſſe to walke in them. The which is the maine end at which the conſcience aimeth, in witneſſing and ſealing vntounto vsus all the former comforts. For therefore the conſcience giueth vntounto vsus that comfortable teſtimonie, that wee are deliuered out of the hands of all our ſpirituall Luk. 1. 74.enemies, to the end that we ſhould not ſtill ſerue them, but worſhip our Lord and Redeemer, in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all the dayes of our liues; that he hath bought vsus at ſo deare a price, that we ſhould glorifie him 1. Cor. 6. 20.in our ſoule and body, becauſe they are not our owne, but his, who hath redeemed them; that we are freed from ſinne, that it may no longer raigne in Rom. 6. 12, 18.our mortall body, but being deliuered out of this cruell tyrannie, we ſhould become the ſeruants of righteouſneſſe; that our conſciences are purged from Heb. 9. 14.dead workes, that we may ſerue the liuing God; that wee are reconciled vntounto God, by the death and ſufferings of Chriſt, that we may aboue all things eſteeme our peace with him, which was ſo dearely purchaſed, and not bee inticed with the hire of the whole world, to doe any thing diſpleaſing vntounto God, or which might breake or diſturbe our peace with him, ſeeing this were to vnderunder-value this ineſtimable price, as being of leſſe worth then worldly vanities, and to tread the precious blood of Chriſt vnderunder our filthy Heb. 10. 26, 29.feete, as an vnholy thing, and euen to deſpite the Spirit of grace with which we are ſanctified. Therefore it witneſſeth vntounto vsus, that we are ſanctified, that we may be made carefull to bring foorth the fruits of ſanctification to his glory, that hath called vsus out of darkeneſſe, into this marueilous 1. Pet. 2. 9.light, and out of the bondage of ſinne and Satan, into the glorious liberty of the ſonnes of God. That though our ſanctification be imperfect, and Rom. 8. 21.ſtained with many corruptions, yet through Chriſt it is accepted of God, to this end, that we might be made more cheerefull and diligent, in ſeruing ſo gracious a Lord. For what greater incouragement can there be vntounto vsus, in the performance of all good duties, then to bee aſſured, that our labour of louelove ſhall not be loſt, and that whatſoeuer we doe, ſhall be taken in good part and richly rewarded, though neuer ſo imperfect, if we deſire and indeuour to doe the beſt we can? Finally, a good conſcience giueth vntounto vsus this comfortable teſtimony, that we are moſt happy in all eſtates; that no eſtate, though neuer ſo much croſſed and afflicted, may diſcourage vsus from going on in the wayes of godlineſſe, ſeeing no miſery can make vsus miſerable, but euen our afflictions themſelues ſhall aduance our happineſſe, and that we ſhall neuer loſe either grace or glory, but conſtantly hold out in the Chriſtian race of godlineſſe and righteouſneſſe, vntill we be crowned with the Garland of bleſſedneſſe; that we may not be diſcouraged with the ſenſe of our weakeneſſe and wearineſſe, nor with the aſſaults of our ſpirituall enemies who incounter vsus in the way, ſeeing fighting Eph. 6. 10.againſt them, not in our owne ſtrength, but in the power of Gods might, we are ſure of ſupport to hold out in the fight, and hauehave his neuer-fayling promiſe of obtaining victory.