Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Integrity of Conſcience how procured.
ANd thus we have ſeen how the conſcience may be good for peace. It followes to conſider how it may become uprightly good, with the goodneſſe of Integrity. The goodneſſe of Integrity is gotten and kept by doing five things.
1. Walke and live as Paul in this Text, Before God. Set thy ſelfe ever in all thy wayes, as in the ſight and preſence of God, who is the Iudge and Lord of conſcience. Of Moſes it is ſaid, that he ſaw him that was inviſible, Heb. 11. 27. Therfore it is that men walke with ſuch looſe and evill conſciences, becauſe they think they walke inviſibly. And they think that God ſees not them, becauſe they ſee not God. An upright conſcience is a good conſcience, and this is the way to get an upright one, Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me, and be upright. To have God alwayes in our eye, will make us walke with upright hearts. So Pſal. 119. 168. I have kept thy precepts, and thy teſtimonies, that is in effect, I have kept a good Conſcience; but how came he to doe it? for all my wayes are before thee. Conſcience, as we ſaw before, is a knowledge together, that is, together with God. Now then this is an excellent meanes to get and keepe a good conſcience, to be carefull to doe nothing, but that which we would be content God ſhould know as well as our ſelves. Think with thy ſelfe before every evill action: Am I content that God ſhould know of this? But how then may a man bring himſelf to this? Set thy ſelf alwayes in Gods preſence, and ſee the inviſible God, and ſee thy ſelfe viſible in his eye, and know that thou doeſt nothing which he takes not notice of. This well thought upon, and laid to heart, would make men make much conſcience of their wayes. The contrary to this is raſh walking, Lev. 26. when a man walkes ſo looſely, and heedleſly, as if there were no eye upon him to view him in his actions.
2. Frame thy whole Courſe by the Dirige greſſus ſecundū verbum tuum. Quid eſt, Dirige ſecundum verbum tuum. Virecti ſint greſſus mei, quia rectum eſt verbum tuum. Ego, inquit, diſtortus ſum ſub pondere iniquitatis, ſed verbum tuum eſt regula veritatis, me ergo diſtortum à me corrige tanquam ad regulam, hoc eſt, ad verbum tuum. Au. de ver. Apo. ſer. 12.rule, and ſhape it by the directions of the word of God. Gods Word is the Rule of conſcience, Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule. Men muſt then walke by rule, and the Word muſt be this rule, Pſ. 30. 23. To him that orders his converſation; all Chriſtians muſt be regulars, and muſt live orderly. But what is that Rule by which their converſation muſt be ordered? That ſame, Pſ. 119. 133. Order my ſteps in thy Word. Hee that orders his courſe by that rule, which is the rule of conſcience, ſhall be ſure to keepe and get a good conſcience. Hee that will make good worke will work by his rule, wheras hee that workes by gueſſe muſt needs make but ill worke. Whatſoever is not of faith is Sin, Rom. 14. 23. That is, whatſoever a man doth, and hath not warrant for it out of, and from the rule of the Word, makes a mans conſcience in that particular to be evill. And therefore, v. 5. Let a man be fully perſwaded in his owne mind. How happy ſhould men be in getting and keeping good conſciences, if they would lay their lives & actions to the Rule. The want of this is it that makes men, men of ſo ill conſciences. Some live by no Rule, ſome by falſe Rules; & hence come mens conſciences to be ſo Anomalous. Some live by no Rule, but doe whatſoever ſeemes good in their owne eyes, goe as their luſts lead them, and follow his beck that rules in the Ayre. This is alſo to walk raſhly, Lev. 26. He that doth things without rule, goes raſhly to worke. Hee that walkes irregularly, walkes raſhly, and no marvell if men have crooked wayes, and crooked conſciences, when they will not live by Rule. Some againe live by falſe Rules, and that not onelyonly Popiſh fictitious Regulars that live by ſuperſtitious Rules of their Dominick, Francis, &c. But amongſt our ſelves many have a Rule they doe live by, but that Rule is not the Word, but ſome falſe Rules of their owne deviſing. Such as are theſe; Great mens practice, or ſome learned Inter cauſas malorū noſtrorum eſt, quod vivimus ad exē pla, nec ratione cōponimur, ſed cōſuetudine. Quod ſi pauci facerent nollemus imitari, cum plures facere coeperunt, quaſi honeſtius ſit, quia frequentius ſequimur: & recti apud nos locum tenet error, ubi publicus factus eſt. Sen. Ep. 124.mans opinion, the cuſtome of times and places wherein they live, the example of the multitude, or ſome ſecret, blind and ſelf-conceived principles which they keepe to themſelves, and by which they live. All which being crooked Rules, muſt needs make crooked Conſciences, wheras if men would live by Davids Rule, Pſ. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and in every action would have an eye and a reſpect unto the Commandements, as he had, Pſal. 119. 6. then ſhould they make ſtraight paths for their feet, Heb. 12. 13. and keepe upright Conſciences in every ſpirituall action; therefore have an eye to the Word, queſtion it whether it be juſtifiable and warrantable by the Word or no, and meddle no further than that will authorize, and beare thee out. If this courſe were taken, ſuch a good courſe would make and keep a good Conſcience. And why ſhould not men be willing to take this courſe; why will we not make that Word our Rule, which muſt be made our Iudge? The word which I ſpeak ſhall judge you in the laſt day, Ioh. 12. 48. The Word ſhall judge our conſciences, therfore let it rule, and order them. And if it have the ruling of our conſciences, it will make them good conſciences, and when they are good they need not feare what Iudge they come before, nor what judgement they undergoe. In ſumme, if we would have good conſciences, we muſt make more conſcience than is commonly made of reading, and ſearching the Scriptures. The ignorance and neglect of this duty is it which banes ſo many conſciences in the world.Integritatis tuae curioſus explorator vitam tuam in quotidiana diſcuſſione examina. Attende diligenter quā tum pro…icias, vel quantum deficias, qualis ſis in moribus, qualis ſis in affectibus, quam ſimili… ſis Deo, vel quam diſimilis, qua prope, vel quam longe &c. Redde ergo te tibi, & ſi non ſemper vel ſaepe, a… ſaltem interdum. Bern. med. de vot. cap. 5.
3. Keep a daily and a frequent Audit with thy conſcience, often examination of the conſcience conduces much to the goodnes of it. The Prophet complains of his people, Every one turned to his courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the battel, Ier. 8. 6. Here were men far from a good conſcience; but what was the reaſon of it? He gives it in the former words, No man repenteth him of his wickedneſſe, ſaying, what have I done? There was no examination of their conſciences and courſes, what they were, nor how they were, and from hence comes this miſchiefe. This was Davids courſe. Pſa. 119. 51. I conſidered my waies and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies. When a mans feet are in the wayes of Gods teſtimonies, then hee walkes with an upright conſcience, and marke how David came to doe ſo, I conſidered my wayes, he uſed to examine his Conſcience.
The firſt ſtep to get a good conſcience, is for a man to know that his conſcience before reformation is evill. How ſhall that be knowne without a ſearch? When a ſearch hath diſcovered what it is that makes the conſcience, and courſe evill, then will Conſcience be ready to labour a man to the reformation of that which is amiſſe, and will not ceaſe to urge, and ply a man till it be done. Frequent examination as it helps to the making of Scholars, ſo to the making of Conſciences good. Hence mens lying in ſo groſſe neglects of good duties, in ſo many great evils, becauſe men and their conſciences never reckon. Men take not themſelves aſide into their cloſets and chambers, and there ſet not up a privie Seſſions to make inquiry into their own hearts and wayes, and therefore are their wayes and conſciences ſo much out of order. Many a man thinks his eſtate in the world to be very good, and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy, when his eſtate indeed is weak, and growes every day worſe than other. Now what is it that cauſes ſo great a miſtake? Nothing but this, that hee never lookes over his bookes nor caſts over his reckonings. If he had done this, he ſhould have ſeene that his eſtate was not anſwerable to his conceit, and the knowledge of his miſconceit would have made him have lived at a more wary, and thrifty rate, and have kept himſelfe within ſuch a compaſſe as might have kept up his eſtate, whereas now the not examining his books, puts him into a conceit of wealth, and this conceit beggers and undoes him. It fares no better with too many in their Conſciences. Laodicea thought well of her ſelfe, Thou ſayeſt, I am rich. If ſhe had examined her conſcience, ſhe ſhould have ſeene that which Chriſt ſaw, that ſhe was poore, blind, naked, and miſerable, and the ſight of this would have made her to have ſought after that counſell which Chriſt there gives her, Revel. 3. Men would have far better conſciences if they knew in what ill caſe their Conſciences ſtand, and examination would help them to the knowledge of this. If men would but over-looke the booke of their Conſcience, and ſee how many omiſſions of good, how many ſinfull cōmiſſions ſtand regiſtred there, it would both make them marvellous ſollicitous how to get them wiped out, and wondrous wary how any more ſuch Items came there. Often reckonings Omni die cum vadis cubitū, examina diligenter quid cogitaſti, & quid dixiſti; indie, & quomodo utile tempus & ſpatium quod datum eſt ad acquirendū vitam aeternam diſpenſaſti. Et ſi bene tranſaviſti, lauda Deum: ſi malè vel negligē ter, lugeas, & ſequenti die non differas confiteri. Si aliquid cogitaſti, dixiſti, velfeciſti, quod tuam conſcientiam multum remordeat, non comedas antequam confitearis. Bern. form. vit. honeſt. Suavius dormiunt qui relinquunt▪ curas in calceis.would blot out, and keep off the ſcore. Here is then wiſedome for ſuch as deſire to keepe good conſciences. Doe with the workes of thy converſation as God did with the works of his Creation. He not onelyonly ſurveyed at the ſixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke, but at each dayes end made a particular ſurvey thereof. Doe thou ſo, not onelyonly at the weekes end, at thy lives end, ſearch thine heart, and examine thy courſe, but at every dayes end looke backe into the day paſt, and examine what thy carriage and behaviour hath beene. This being done, a man ſhall find his workes either good or evill. If good, how ſhall his conſcience cheere him with its peace? If evil, then if conſcience have any life, or breath in it, it will make a man fall to humiliation, and to a godly reſolution of watching over his waies for the future, ſo ſhall conſcience bee much holpen for integrity. Davids counſell is good, Pſ. 4. 5. Examine your hearts upon your beds; and his reſolution is alſo good, verſ. 8. of the ſame Pſalm, I wil lay me down and ſleep in peace. Who would not be glad ſo to ſleepe, and to take his reſt ſo? would we ſleep upon Davids pillow, ſleep in peace? then hearken we to Davids counſel, to examine our ſelves upon our beds. There is nothing makes a mans bed ſo ſoft, nor his ſleep ſo ſweete as a good conſcience. It is with Sins as with Cares, both trouble a mans ſleep, both are troubleſome bed-fellows, as they therefore ſleep ſweetly that leave their cares in their ſhooes, ſo they ſleepe with moſt peace that let not ſin ly downe to ſleepe with them, who are ſo farre from lying downe in their ſinnes, that by their good will, will not let the Sun go downe upon their ſin, but by examination ferret out the ſame. This being done, it may be ſaid, as Prov. 3. 24. Thou ſhalt ly downe, and thy ſleep ſhall be ſweet. Nay further, examine thy conſcience upon thy bed, and thou ſhalt not onelyonly ſleepe in peace, but thou ſhalt awake and ariſe the next morning with an upright frame of heart, diſpoſed to the more caution againſt Sinne the day following. So much David ſeemes to intimate in that forenamed place. Tremble and ſinne not. That is, be afraid to ſin, take heed ye ſin no more. But what courſe may one take to come to that integrity of conſcience, as to feare to ſinne? Take this courſe, Examine your hearts upon your beds.
But alas how rare a practice is this, and therefore are good conſciences ſo rare. Many thinke this an heavy burden, and a ſore taske, and count the remedy a great deale worſe than the diſeaſe, there is nothing they tremble at more than a domeſticall Audit, and this reckning with their conſciences. They ſay of conſcience as Ahab of Micaiah, and care as little to meddle with conſcience as Ahab with Micaiah. I hate him; for he never ſpeakes good to me, 1 King. 22. So they thinke the conſcience will deale with them. They know their conſcience will ſpeake as Iob ſayes God wrote, Thou writeſt bitter things againſt me. Conſcience hath ſuch a ſtinging waſpiſh tongue, that by no meanes they dare indure a parly with it. It is with many and their conſciences, as with men that have ſhrewiſh wives. Many a man when hee is abroad, hath no joy at all to come home, nay he is very loath to come within his owne doores, he feares he ſhall have ſuch a peale rung him, that hee had rather be on the houſe top, as Solomon ſpeakes, or in ſome out houſe, and lodge as our Savior at Bethlem in a cratch, or a Manger, than come within the noiſe of her clamorous, and chattering tongue. So many thinke conſcience hath ſuch a terrible ſhrewiſh tongue, that if they ſhall but come within the ſound thereof, they ſhall be caſt into ſuch melancholly dumpes, as they ſhall not be able in haſte to claw off againe. How much, and how ſeriouſly are they to be pitied that to prevent a few houres, or dayes ſuppoſed ſorrow, and ſadneſſe, by which they might come to procure both peace and integrity of Conſcience, will adventure the rack and eternal torture of conſcience in Hell. Remember that there is no melancholly to the melancholly of Hell.