Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
The portion and reſpect that a good conſcience finds in the world.
ANd thus have we hither to ſeen Pauls Proteſtation. The ſecond point followes, namely, Ananias his inſolent and impetuous Injunction. Verſe 2. And the high Prieſt Ananias commanded them that ſtood by him, to ſmite him on the mouth.
Paul had begun his defence in the former verſe, and that by authoritie and ſpeciall command, as appeares in the former Chapter, at the 30. ver. But he had no ſooner begun, but he is interrupted & cut off, and hath not onelyonly his mouth ſtopt, but ſtopt with Ananias fiſt, He commanded to ſmite him on the mouth. Out of which carriage and violence of his, wee may obſerve divers things. Firſt learne;
What is the Reward and portion of a good conſcience from the world. It is the portion of a good conſcience full oft to be ſmitten, either on the mouth, or with the mouth. Blowes either with the fiſt, or with the tongue. To be ſmitten one way or other, is full often the lot of a good conſcience. Smite him on the mouth, ſayes Ananias. But let us a little expoſtulate the matter with Ananias. Smite him on the mouth? But yet as Pilate ſpeaks in Chriſts caſe, But what evill hath he done? or what evill hath hee ſpoken? Smite him on the mouth? But as our Saviour anſwers, Ioh. 18. 23. If he have ſpoken evil, take witneſſe of the evill, and proceed legally and formally: If he have ſpoken well, or no manner of evill, why commandeſt thou him to be ſmitten? What, hath he ſpoken any treaſon againſt Caeſar, or the Roman government? If he have, then as the town-clark of Epheſus ſpeaks, Act. 19. 38. The Law is open, and there are Deputies, let them accuſe him; and bring him to his anſwer. It is a baſe uſage of an ingenuous perſon, to be ſmitten on the mouth in a Court of Iuſtice, a diſhonourable uſage of a Roman. Surely it ſhould ſeeme by ſuch baſe and bitter uſage, that Paul hath ſome way or other fouly forgotten and overſhot himſelfe, that Ananias his ſpirit is thus embitered and provoked againſt him. What, hath Paul given him any exaſperating and diſgracefull termes, hath he given him any open and perſonall girds, before the whole Councell? No, no: No ſuch matter at all. Why what then is the matter that Paul muſt be thus baſely, and thus deſpitefully uſed? Will ye know the cauſe? Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conſcience? Loe here is the quarrell. He hath made a profeſſion of a good conſcience and for his good conſcience ſake are Ananias fiſts about his eares. There is nothing ſo mads men of wicked conſciences, as the profeſſion & practice of a good conſcience doth. The very name & mention of a good conſcience makes Ananias halfe mad, & like one beſides himſelfe he fals not onelyonly to foule words, but to blowes alſo, and Paul muſt have it on the mouth for good conſcience ſake.
Paul might have blaſphemed the bleſſed name of Chriſt, and rayled upon the odious Sect of the Nazarens, hee might have beene a drunkard, an adulterour, or a murtherer, and none of all theſe things would have ſtirred Ananias his blood, for none of all theſe ſhould Paul have been ſmitten; but let him but once ſpeak, or treate of, or any way meddle with good conſcience, and Ananias his blood is preſently up, hee cannot hold his hands, but Paul muſt have on the mouth, there is no remedy. So odious a thing is good conſcience and the profeſſion of it to wicked men. Therefore this is that which a good cōſciēce muſt expect, even Ananias his dole, fiſts, blowes, ſmiting hard & injurious meaſure from the world.
This is no new thing. It was our Saviours caſe before it was Pauls, Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus ſpoken, one of the officers which ſtood by ſtrucke Ieſus with the palme of his hand, &c. Lu. 22. 63, 64. And the men that held Ieſus, mocked him, and ſmote him, And when they had blind-folded him, they ſtroke him on the face. He felt the weight of their fiſts for the ſame quarrell that Paul did. So it was fore-prophecied of him, Iſa. 50. 6. I gave my backe to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire. It was the kindneſſe that Zidkiah could afford Micaiah, 1 King. 22. 24. He went neere, and ſmote him on the cheeke, & it was the thanks the Prophet was like to have for the diſcharge of a good conſcience, 1 Chr. 25. 16. Forbear, why ſhouldſt thou be ſmitten? It is that of which Iob cō plained ſo long ſince, Iob 16. 10. Mine enemie ſharpens his eyes upon me, they have gaped upon me with the mouth, they have ſmitten me upon the cheeke reproachfully.
The ſame portion ſhall the Prophet Ieremy meet withall, Ier. 20. 2. Then Paſhur ſmote Ieremiah the Prophet. What was the quarrell? That in the former verſ. Hee heard that Ieremiah had prophecied theſe things. Only for diſcharging his conſcience, for the conſcionable diſpenſation of Gods truth. And as ſometime they ſmote him on the mouth, ſo ſomtime they ſmote him with the mouth, Ier. 18. 18. Come let us deviſe devices againſt Ieremiah, come let us ſmite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. And why would they ſmite him with the tongue? OnelyOnly for his conſcience, and fidelity in his Miniſtery.
There is mention made of two falſe Prophets, againſt whom an heavie judgment is threatned, Ier. 29. 21, 23. Ahab & Zedekiah, two baſe ſcandalous debauched perſons, who committed villany in Iſrael, and committed adultery with their neighbors wives. The Prophet Ieremy he out of conſcience fulfils his Miniſtry, & ſee how light-fingred Paſhur is, he hath fiſts for Ieremies face, and ſtocks for his heeles; but in the meane time Ahab & Zedekiah they may whore, & play the villains, and they feele not the weight of his little finger. If his fingers muſt needs be walking, there is worke for them, there he may ſtrike, and ſtocke with credit. But there is no ſuch zeale againſt them. No ſuch dealing with them. Zedekiah and Ahab may be in good tearmes of grace with Paſhur, whilſt Ieremiah muſt have blowes on the face, & ly by the heeles. So well can wicked men brook villany, and any wretched courſes better than they can a good conſcience: Paſhur can better endure an aduletrous whoremaſter, than an honeſt conſcionable Prophet: villaines may wall at liberty, whilſt a good conſcience ſhal ſit in the ſtocks. Heere then is the portion a good conſcience may look for from the world. The better conſcience, the harder meaſure. For which of my good works do ye ſtone me? ſaith our Saviour, Ioh. 10. 32. A ſtrange recompence for good works, and yet ofttimes the beſt recompence and reward that the world can afford good works, and a good conſcience, ſtones and ſtrokes. And if ſo be that feare of law, and happy government bind their hands, yet then will they bee ſmiting with the tongue: and if the law keep them in awe for ſmiting on the mouth, yet then will they do what they dare, they will ſmite with the mouth.
A faire Item to all that meane to undertake Vſe 1 the profeſſion and courſes of good cōſcience. Do as many do in caſe of marriage, before they affect the perſon, they firſt conſider how they like the portion. So heere before thou meddle with good conſcience, thinke with thy ſelfe what is her portion, and if thou like not that, it is but a folly to think of a good conſcience. Do as our Saviour adviſes, Luk. 14. 28. Sit down firſt & count the coſt, and whether thou be able to endure that coſt or no. Ananias hath a fierce ſpirit, and a foule heavie fiſt, Paſhur is a club fiſted fellow, and the ſpitting adders of the world will ſmite their ſting deepe. Suppoſe a good conſcience may ſpeed better, as having the protection of Chriſtian government, yet this it muſt reckon upon, and it muſt account of the hardeſt. Therfore think before hād before you meddle with it, how you can beare the fiſts and blowes of ſmiters if ever you ſhould come under them.
I may ſay here as our Saviour did to the Sons of Zebedeus, Mat. 20. 20, 21. Ye know not what ye aske. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I ſhall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptiſme that I am baptized with? Many ſay they deſire to enter the courſes of a good conſcience, but doe not well know, nor well weigh what they deſire. Conſider with your ſelves, Are ye able to drink of the cup that a good conſcience ſhall drinke of? Can ye be baptized with the baptiſme that a good conſcience muſt be baptized with? Can ye indure the ſmart of Ananias blows? Can ye bear the load of Paſhurs club fiſt? Think upon this aforehand, and weight it well, this is that you muſt make account of, that will ſet upon the courſes of a good conſcience.
Is this the portion of a good cōſcience? ſee then what a good meaſure of Chriſtian Vſe 2 reſolution they ſhall need to have, that take the profeſſion of it upon them. Be ſhod with the ſhoos of the preparation of the Goſpel, Eph. 6. 15. Grow marveilous reſolute to harden thy ſelf, and to harden thy face againſt all enemies fiſts, & blows whatſoever, that though Ananias ſhould daſh thee on the face, yet he might not daſh thee and thy good conſcience out of Countenance. Thus did our Saviour, Iſ. 50. 6. I gave my backe to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire, I hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting. But how was hee ever able to endure all this? See verſ. 7. I have ſet my face like a flint, and I know that I ſhall not be aſhamed. So muſt thou doe that meaneſt to keepe a good conſcience. Get a face, and a fore-head of flint, that enemies may as ſoone cracke a flint with their knuckles, as by their violence and injuries drive thee from a good conſcience. Get an Ezekiels face, Ezek. 3. 9. Make thy forehead as an Adamant harder than a flint. Steele, and flint thy face with all heroicall reſolution. A face of fleſh will never endure, but a face of flint will hold Ananias fiſt tacke, let him ſtrike while he will, he ſhall ſooner batter a flint with his fiſt, than ſtir a reſolved conſcience out of its ſtation.
But believe me, theſe be hard things to Queſt. undergo, who will be able to abide ſuch hard meaſure, how therefore may one grow to ſuch reſolution, to abide the worlds fiſts, & the ſmart of their ſmiting?
1. Conſider that conſcience hath fiſts Anſw. as well as Ananias, 1 Sam. 24. 5. & 2 Sam. 24. 10. Davids heart ſmote him. And what are Ananias his blowes on the face, to the blowes of conſcience at the heart? One blow on the heart, or with the heart, is more painefull than an hundred on the face, and as Rehoboam ſpeaks of himſelfe, 1 King. 12. 10. ſo conſciences little finger is thicker, heavier, and more intollerable than both Ananias his hands and loynes. Now then here is the caſe. If Paul will ſtand to his conſcience, then Ananias his fiſts will be about his eares. If Paul do forſake or flawe good conſcience for feare, or for the favour of Ananias, then will conſciences fiſt be about his heart. Now then if no remedy but a man muſt have blowes, it is good wiſedome to chuſe the lighteſt fiſt, and the ſofter hand, and to take the blow on that part that is beſt able to beare it with moſt eaſe. The face is better able to abide blows than the heart, and Ananias his blowes are but fillips to the clubbing blowes of conſcience. We would ſcarce judge him a wiſe man, that to avoyd a cuffe on the eare, would put himſelfe under the danger of a blow with a club. Here is that then that may make us to compoſe our ſelves to patience, and to grow to an hardineſſe and a Chriſtian reſolution. Better ten blowes on the face, than one on the heart. Better an hundred from Ananias, than one from conſcience, that will lay on load; let the world ſmite, yet mine heart ſmites not, yea, that ſtrokes and comforts, whilſt the world ſtrikes and threatens. Therefore being ſmitten in caſe of conſcience, rather than give out, do as our Saviour bids in another caſe, Math. 5. 39. Whoſoever ſhall ſmite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other alſo.
2. Conſider that in the next verſe, God ſhall ſmite thee. God hath ſmiting fiſts as well as Ananias. Let him ſmite, but yet there will come a time that God ſhall ſmite him? God will call ſmiters to a reckoning.
3. Conſider that of David, Pſal. 3. 7. Thou haſt ſmitten all mine enemies upon the cheeke bone, thou haſt broken the teeth of the ungodly. God will not onelyonly ſmite the enemies of his people, but will ſmite them with diſgrace, as it is a matter of vile diſgrace to have a boxe on the cheeke, and hee will give them ſuch a duſt on the mouth as ſhall daſh out their very teeth; he will lay heavie and diſgracefull judgements upon them, as he did upon Abſolom, of whom David ſpeakes.
May it ever be thy lot to ſee good conſcience under the fiſts of ſmiters, be not diſcouraged, ſtart not, ſtumble not at it. Bee not ready to inferre; It is in vaine to cleanſe a mans conſcience, and waſh his hands in innocencie. But conſider, that this hath been ever the worlds madneſſe, and the ancient lot of a good conſcience, either to bee ſmitten with adverſaries hands, or varlets tongues.