Heaven Upon Earth, Sermons · Sermons on Acts 24.16 · Sermon 3
SERMON III.
ACTS 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
THere are many sad mistakes about a Christian life, and the serious and zealous following of Holiness; for men either diminish from Holiness as to the extent of it, or dispense with and take a liberty and latitude to themselves in the following of it.
In this Text we have a short and sweet sum of Pauls life, (an excellent copy and pattern of a Christian walk and conversation,) wherein he giveth us a view of these two. 1. Of his aim and design, to walk so as he may have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men; and that in an universal extent always, or at all times and in all things. 2. Of his manner of prosecuting it, Herein (saith he) do I exercise my self: he is seriously taken up with it, it is his great business, his one thing as he calls it, Phil. 3. 13.
We spoke of these two generals. 1. That there is in all Men and Women a Conscience that taketh notice of their actions, and is ready to be offended with their miscarriages. 2. That Men and Women, and more especially Believers, ought so to live, and if tender, will aim so to live, as they may be friends with their Conscience, and that there may be good terms and a good understanding betwixt them and their Conscience; that their Conscience may have no challenge against them in any thing of their walk either toward God or toward Men: This is clearly and convincingly holden out in Pauls practice here, whose great aim, design, and endeavour was to walk so, as his Conscience might have nothing to say against him in duties relating either to God or to Men, in secret, in private, or in publick; This we prosecuted a little, and shewed you, that there is a tye and obligation lying on men so to walk and to follow (not an erring and deluded Conscience, but) Conscience rightly informed, pousing, accusing, or excusing according to the Word, for it is Conscience so qualified that is the rule subordinate to the infallibly regulating rule of the Word.
The Uses of the Doctrine (as we shew) are four, the 1. For Instruction. The 2. For Tryal. The 3. For Conviction or Reproof. The 4. For Exhortation. We spoke a little to the Use of Instruction the last day, to which now we add; that if men should so walk as their Conscience may have nothing to charge them with, nor▪ to cast up to them wherein they have thwarted with it; then every mans design in his Christian walk ought to be as extensive as his Conscience is in its office, either in directing, or in accusing or excusing; otherways he cannot have peace in his way, if he disperise with himself in any thing which his Conscience doth not dispense with him in; and it will be impossible to have solid peace if he do otherways; so then the walk of a Christian ought to be equally and exactly extended (no less then is the Conscience) according to the rule of the Word.
Beside what we said on this before, anent having clearness from the Word in the Judgment, and hearkening to the voice of Conscience rightly informed; We shall instance the … … of a Christian walk according to Conscience … these seven particulars.
1. A man that would walk according to Conscience, must have a respect to all sorts of D…ties, in Words, Thoughts and Actions, for Conscience will challenge for an idle word, and for a …inful thought, to Simon Acts 8. 22. says the Apostle, Pray God if perhaps the thought of thy hear… may be forgiven thee: which saith, that sin…ul thoughts may have influence to … the Conscience, and that a man who wou…d keep peace in his Conscience should dispense with himself in none of these. 2. A man that would walk according t… Conscience, must extend Duty to all particulars o… ever… kind, to every Thought, every Word, and every action; …or according as Conscience, when in case, is pleased or displeased in every one of these, in publick, in private, in secret▪ in … or smaller Duties or …ins, so it will accuse or …xcuse; so then as Conscience regardeth al… Duties and kinds of them, so it regardeth every particular of every kind. 3. A man that would walk according to Conscience▪ must aim in his Christian walk at the highest degree in every one of these; though he come short, yet he must not dispense with himself in his short-coming in any of them; for instance, as he must love God, so he must endeavour to love him with all his strength, soul and mind; and as he must be holy, so he must aim to perfect Holiness, and to purifie himself even as he is pure; in this respect the least defect will give Conscience ground of a challenge, and if he in the least but indirectl… dispense with himself in it, it will breed a quarrel. 4. Walking according to Conscience, tyeth a man to be in this aim and design always; so as it alloweth of no in…ermission; as for instance, to study Holiness in this or that condition of life and not in another, or under the cross▪ and not in prosperity; but as the word is here in the T…xt, he is always to exercise himself in this study; and though a man should live many years with a Consc…ence void of offence; if he begin at last, though i… be but now and then to take undue liberty, Conscience will take notice of it and challenge for it, because the Word, the superior of Conscience taketh notice of it. 5. To walk according to Conscience, extendeth it self to all circumstances and qualifications of Duty; it looketh not only to the matter of duty that it be good, but that it be spiritually pr…secute in all the circumstances of it; it will look to the mans aim that it be single, and if it be not so, it will find fault; it will look to his manner of doing, whether he be spiritual, lively, tender, zealous &c. in what he doeth; and it will look from what principle he acteth, from the strength of Grace or from a gift▪ from his own Strength or from Christs; and it will look to what is his end, or aim (as I just now said) whether he be bringing forth fruit to himself or to God, whether his end be to please men and to have their approbation and applause, or to glorifie God and to approve to him; whether it be to stop the mouth of his Conscience or to honour God; Conscience taketh notice of these for founding its accusing or excusing; and in this it differeth from all Courts among men, it will accuse and condemn where they will absolve, & contra▪ 6. Conscience will put a man to take notice of all the means, opportunities and helps whereby Holiness may be furthered; and if a man come short in the use of any mean, it will put him to run the back trade as it were, and to take with the guilt, it will say, Man whether mightest thou not have had more knowledge, having had so many opportunities to hear and learn, having had such and such Ministers and Christian friends to advise with and to be instructed by? as the Apostle hath it▪ Heb. 5. 12. Ye might have been teachers of others by reason of time and means, and yet ye have need to be taught the first principles, &c. To have a Conscience void of offence, it is necessary to use every mean to further us in the knowledge of Gods will, and to attain to the practice of it. 7. Conscience will look especially to what use we make of our Holiness, and to what we lay before Conscience to answer its challenges, whether we bring our good Mind, our Prayers, External Performances, and our following of Ordinances, to stop the mouth of it, and to …ilence the challenges, and quench the fire (to say so) of Conscience, or whether we bring the blood of Iesus Christ that blood of sprinkling: if we compare Heb. 10. vers. 2. with vers. 22. and Heb. 9. vers. 9. with vers. 14. we will find this latter way and …ot the former to be the only safe way: These sacrifices that are offered year by year continually can never make the the comers thereunto perfect: but having a high-priest over the house of God, we may draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. These gifts and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, but the blood of Christ▪ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God: and though the Conscience will challenge a Believer where there are defects in the fo…mer rules, yet it is quieted and satisfied where there is serious and suitable application made to, and of the sufferings and satisfaction of the Redeemer, i… so be he dispense not with himself as to his short-coming in them, and if the use that he makes of his Holiness in the largest extent and highest degree of it, be not to found his righteousness thereon, but to honour God thereby in gratitude to him, to edifie others, and to evidence to himself the soundness and reality of his believing and gracious state. This sheweth the vast extent of Holiness, and what it is that men are called to; and thereby we may also see that many sadly mistake Religion, and what that perfect walk is that a Christian ought to have before God; and we may say on the whole, if this be to walk according to Conscience, then cer…ainly not many but very few walk according to …t, which is a lamentation and should be for a lamentation.
The 2d. Use is …or tryal, If a Believer when he is in case, and right, will have it for his exercise, to walk so as he may have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men, then this will be a differencing mark, betwixt a Believer and an un-believer, the one singly aimeth, and seriously endeavoureth to have a good Conscience, and to walk so, as in nothing he may offend his Conscience; The other ha…h no such design nor endeavour: If then this Doctrine hold true, and if this be the Believers exercise, to walk so as to please his Conscience in all things, and in nothing to of…end it, sure such a Conscience is proper and peculiar to the Believ…r; and so may be an evidence of one that hath an interest in Christ: This will be more clear, if we look, 1. To the use that the Saints recorded in Scripture make of a good Conscience, and that the Scripture willeth and alloweth them to make of it, in their tryals, and troubles, in their straits, and difficulties, as 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing▪ the testimony of our conscience &c. And in this place Paul …lyeth to it, as his refuge, and comforts himself by it, in and against his present strait; now if it were not a Character and mark of a Christian indeed, it would not be, nor be allowed to be made such a ground of peace & quietness to Believers in their straits. 2. It is clear from the nature of Conscience, its testifying, which is not its own or from and for it self only, but also, and principally from and for God; Therefore 1 Iohn 3. 19▪ 20, 21, 22. it is said, Hereby we know we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before God, for if our hearts condemn us, God is greater then our hearts, and knoweth all things, but if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God; And 1 Pet. 3. 21. It's called the answer of a good conscience; That is such an answer as giveth quietness and a good Testimony to Believers, when all speak against them, or speak evil of them: Now this answer of a good Conscience is not a mans bare apprehension that his Conscence is good, but it takes in these Three▪ 1. Not only the Conscience its saying nothing against the person, but positively speaking for him, 2. It is such a Conscience as hath its testimony grounded on the Word of God, 3. It's the Testimony of a Conscience soberly reflecting on it self, and trying it self, in the major proposition, to wit i… such a thing be true; and in the minor propor…ion, … such a thing be true i… reference to it self in particular, and finding both propositions to hold true, then …t confidently draweth the Conclusion.
But here some will be▪ like Object▪ and say, If a good Conscience be an evidence of a persons saving interest in Christ, Alace! I fear I never had that evidence and mark, neither am I like to have it: Which Objection ministers ground for these two Questions, 1. If a Believer may ever, or at any time have a good Conscience? And 2. What are the Characters and Properties of such a Conscience.
For Answer to the First, We would distinguish a good Conscience, which may be understood, either 1 Legally, and so it is a Conscience giving Testimony to the fulfilling of the Law perfectly; taking it so, excepting Je… … there was never a man since Adams fall, that had a good Conscience or a Conscience altogether void of offence toward God and toward men. Or 2. A good Conscience may be understood Evangelically, or in a Gospel sense, or, as i… draweth it'… Conclusion, not from the Law, but from the Gospel; and in this sense Believers may have, and often actually have a good Conscience; thus, and in this sense, David, Hezekiah, Paul, and others have drawn comfort from the T…stimony of their good Conscience, not drawing its Testimony from, nor founding it upon the Law▪ and the perfect puri… that it requireth, but f…m, and upon the Gospel, and the purity that it graciously … in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For the 2d, viz. What are the Properties of this Conscience? (which will clear the former, and also clear, how it comes, that when Conscience challengeth for sin, yet it may be said that the Believer hath a good Conscience and may take it as a mark of his saving interest in Christ) I shall give th… 4. or 5. Properties of a good Conscience, … when there may be sin. The 1. whereof, is, When Conscience is universal, and impartial in its putting … duty, thus sayeth the Psalmist, Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments; When the Conscience dispenseth not with it self, in the least duty or sin, but its design, aim, and endeavour is to be in the obedience of all commanded duties, and in the degree that is called for; It is on these two that David goeth Psal. 18. vers. 20, 21, 22. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands hath …e recompensed me; for I have kept the wayes of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God; as i… he had said, I halv…d not the Bible, nor the Commands, nor did I mis-interpret them; neither did I depart wickedly, I never resolvedly allowed my self in any sin, so as to oppose one sin, and to indulge, and connive at another; For all his judgements were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me, I ende…voured to set them alwayes as a compass before me by which I allowed my self to steer my whole course; I was also upright before him, and kept my self from mine iniquity; The sin that I was most given unto, that had most power over me, and to which I had the manyest and strongest assaults of temptations, I keeped my self most watchfully from that. A 2d. Propertie of a good Conscience, in a Gospel sense, is, That it is a Conscience very single, having a just regard for all these things required in a Christian walk, whereof we spoke before; it▪s very observant of the performance of all duties, looking not only to the matter, but to the Spiritual manner of g… ing about them; it is single in its motives and ends, laying due weight on that which Christ sayeth, If thine eye … single, thy whole body shall he full of light; That is a mark of a good Conscience indeed, when a man in his actings is sweyed with respect to the honour of God, and doth not what he doth to be seen of men, nor to have somewhat to … of before God, but he seeketh to have Christ increasing, though he should decrease, and is con…nt to be … upon, if it may contribute to the exaiting of him; and would fain be up at the due manner of performing all called for du…es; even to be in case with the Apostle, Heb. 13. 18. to say, W… trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly; This is our aim and design, and if it be otherwise with us in any thing, we approve not our selves in it. A Third Property is, That such a Conscience is delighted, and made glad, or grieved and made sad, according as it is enabled to manage this great design, and to prosecute and attain this noble end, or not; In this respect, a Believer may have a good Conscience, even when he faileth, and cometh short in his duty, which would quite mar a legal Testimony of Conscience, or the Testimony of a legal good Conscience; Thus Paul hath a good Conscience, Rom. 7. 22. Even when he is wrestling against Sin, and crying out in the fight, O! miserable man that … am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? For he findeth himself delighting in the Law of God after the inward man, and that his design is, to be honest and single for God: It is not so much the challenge of Conscience, as that there should be ground for it, that affe…eth and troubleth him; when he thinketh with himself, what may I, and must I be before God, when Conscience taketh notice of so many things to be amiss in me? It is from this ground (I say) that Paul comforteth himself, that he alloweth not himself in that which he did, and reckoneth his Evangelically good Conscience, and his sincerity to be his renewed part, and as such sideth and taketh part with it, and condemneth the un▪renewed part. A 4th Property, or Character, is taken from a Believers walking, in reference to his challenges; This is not the mark that he wanteth challenges, but its drawn from the influence that challenges have on him; Which comprehends three different Characters, 1. A Gospel good Conscience taketh quickly, and easily with a challenge, and is soon troubled and melted. 2. It is made quickly to loath and con…emn it self for sin▪ and so Conscience and the man agree well together, when Conscience sayeth to him▪ thou art a Sinner, thou ar… lost, Justice must be satisfied, and thou canst not do it, he sayeth so likewise. 3. When challenges put yet further at him, and pursue him yet harder and closser, the good Conscience makes him …ee to the Blood of Christ, and sets him a seeking of pardon from God, in the Court of Grace, when the man is some way condemned in the Court of his own Conscience, and then he obtaineth peace, even in the Court of Conscience; For when God speaks peace in and through Jesus Christ, the Conscience also speaks peace; and thus though the man hath not a good Conscience in a Law▪sense (as I said before) yet in a Gospel-sense he hath; and he mindeth to keep friendship with God, and with his Conscience, though he cannot quiet, pacifie and satisfie it in a Legall way, yet in a Gospel way he may: And this is even it, that the Saints have in their appealing to their Conscience, for the great ground of their peace, viz. The sincerity of their Practice, and their fleeing to Christs Blood, to the Blood of sprinkling, for quieting their Conscience in the croud of challenges for their short comings and failings in practice, and that very warrantably from the Word of God; whoever sincerely take this way, though they have challenges of Conscience, they have yet notwithstanding a good Conscience: Such a Conscience challengeth by the Law, yet absolveth by the Gospel; challengeth on account of the Rebellion of the Law in the Members, and yet absolveth in respect of the Law in the mind; it condemneth the man as loathsome in himself, and in his own duties and righteousness, and yet absolveth him as founding his peace on Christ, and sinking and putting to silence all challenges, and accusations in that Blood of Sprinkling, that speaking Blood that hath a cry to out-cry the loudest cryes of the most clamorous and guilty Conscience: And what can be justly said against this, since Christ's Righteousness is perfect, and Gods promise faithful, and Christs Blood of force and efficacy to quiet and give the answer of a good Conscience.
But it may be asked h…re, May not a natural un-renewed person, or a hypocrite have the Testimony of a good Conscience? or how far may his Conscience be good, and wherein lyeth the difference betwixt his good Conscience, and the Believers good Conscience? I know this is a piece of the Spiritual pride and vanity of many of you to boast of a good Conscience, and really it would make a tender Conscience some way to loath to hear you speak so confidently of it; I shall therefore in the First place Answer to the Question how far the Conscience of a natural man, or an hypocri…e may be good? and then shew you how, and wherein it is defective, and what are the differences betwixt it and the Believers good Conscience.
For the First▪ I would say this in generall in the First place, that we are not now speaking of sl…epie, erring, dead and hardened Consciences; the Testimony of these is little worth; neither is every thing Conscience that many men think to be so, Conscience must act according to the word, else it withdraweth it self, from that due subordination it standeth in to God, and to his Law; Conscience is oblidged to abide and stand by Gods Testimony, but God is not oblidged to stand by its Testimony; we would therefore beware of mistakin… Conscience, more particularly in the 2d. place, a natural man may have something like a good Conscience▪ and may come the length of these four Steps according to his light, …. He may have a negative good Conscience, that is, a Conscience which doth not actually challenge him, yea, a Conscience that hath no gross thing to challenge him for; he is, it may be, no Murtherer, no Adulterer, he defigneth no Oppression, nor deceit in his Dealing, &c. and on this ground he possibly thinketh that he hath a good Conscience, though he hath no positive Testimony of a good Conscience all this while. 2. He may someway have a good Conscience, in respect of such or such a particular act, in respect of being free of a challenge on account of a wrong design, of doing such or such a thing, or in respect of moral sincerity and ingenuity; such as was in these men that followed Absolom in the simplicity of their heart; and in Abimelech, who, in taking Abrahams wife, meaned no evil▪ no… any thing, but what was lawful, and therefore he saith, That in the integrity of his heart …e did it, that is, he had a moral honest design, and was free from grounds of challenge about what others might have been ready to charge him with, as to that action. 3 He may come a great length, as to the duties of the second Table of the Law, so as he may not wrong his neighbour in word nor deed; he may design no mans hurt, he may wish evil to no man; thus very probably it was with that Pharisee, who came to Christ and said, All these have I keept from my youth, the poor man speaks as he thought, not knowing the Spiritual meaning, and extent of the Law; Therefore, when he is bidden sell all and g…ve to the poor, he went away grieved, he had no gross sinister design; it's also said, that Christ loved him, or pitied him as a civil man: And Its indeed on this ground▪ that meerly civil men so much magnifie and cry up their Conscience, and place all their Religion in that, being much darkened, and insensibly prejudicat as to their Light; when they come up the length, or near the length of that light, Conscience speaketh, and giveth its Testimony accordingly, and they have thence a sort of peace▪ but it is not the peace of a truely good Conscience. 4. A natural man, or a hypocrite may come a great length in respect of the external duties of Religion, and may have a kind of a good Conscience in that respect; as he may pray, and have some moral sincerity in it▪ and …o as he would …ain have a hearing, and would some way have his heart praying, …ay he may have a kind of delight in approaching to God, as its said of those hypocrits, Isa. 58. 2. He would …ain know what is Duty, and what is Sin, and he doth not deliberatly thwart with his light; in this respect, Paul sayeth of himself before his Conversion, that as touching the righteousness of the Law he was blameless; and Rom. 10. 1. He bea…eth the Iews record, That they had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; and what I pray was this, but Conscience un-informed in, and ignorant of the righteousness of God? from which ignorance of Christs righteousness, and of the way of coming to him, it came to pass that they went about to establish their own righteousness: So then the natural man, or hypocrite, when he hath come the length of some honest meaning, is disposed to think that he hath done very well and that he hath a good Conscience; yet though he may have a good Conscience in some respect, or in these respects mentioned, and the like, yet to have it simply, and positively from solid and good grounds, giving him a good Testimony, is impossible; and the reason is, because he hath not the Word going along with his Conscience, in reference to his whole carriage, and in referrence to the principles, motives, ends and designs of his actions testifying for him, and therefore I say, he hath not the Testimony of a truely good Conscience.
For the next Question, Wherein is this Conscience defective? and what is the difference betwixt it and a believers good Conscience? Or, how may it be known as differing from an honest Gospel Conscience? Answer 1. In respect of its rise, there is a defect in the Judgment, for if the eye be blind, if the understanding be dark, the Conscience must be so too; They have (saith the Apostle of the Iews) a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, and being ignorant of the righteousness of God, they go about to establish their own righteousness; However zealous they were of God, or others, such may be, yet they are ignorant in three thing…, 1. In the extent and spiritual meaning of the Law; supposing (for instance) that a man keepeth the Sixth Command, when he is not guilty of any gross act of Murther▪ and the Seventh, when he doth not actually commit Adultery, or Fornication, not knowing or considering that a look arising from the flame of lust within, is a breach of that Command; and so proportionably in other Commands: Even as the Pharisees conformed the Law in the meaning thereof to their own practice, and not their practice to the meaning of the Law. 2. They are ignorant of the way of Gods righteousness, and of that which, giveth the Conscience solid ground to speak peace; many if they have an honest meaning in their praying, reading of the Scripture, waiting on publick Ordinances, if they put their bodies to some sort of pennance, or be ready to give if it were the half of their estates to have their souls safe, and if they have a sort of seriousness in all this, think that all is well with them, and that they have a very good Conscience; if this peice of ignorance were well discerned, never one soul out of Christ would have peace, because none out of Christ have solid grounds of peace, for none have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience but these that are in him. 3. They are ignorant of their particular case, they know not what sins they are guilty of, nor what Conscience sayeth of them, they think it speaketh better things to them then indeed it doth; some guess at it, some mis-interpret it, and some repe…l it: whereas if they were soberly reflecting on, and impartially looking to their manner of proceeding in every thing, they would see that they mistake their Conscience exceedingly. This then is the first defect, viz. a defect in the Judgment. The 2d. Is a defect as to singleness and sincerity in the natural mans best condition, such are never single when at their very best, even when they are most serious in Prayer, they are but going about to establish their own righteousness; when they fast, and give alms, and the like, it is that they may have some ground for a good opinion of themselves, or that others may have a good opinion of them, being always acted from selfy motives and for self-ends.
A 3d. defect, Is the want of unbyassed Affections, these being partial and byassed will put the man to reason and dispute for the silencing of his Conscience; and this eye not being single the whole body is full of darkness; Affections being inclined or sweyed to this or that side, they will seek to …way Conscience to that side they incline to: This is it that maketh some to follow after and to haunt the company of those who are erroneous in their judgment, notwithstanding that they have good reason to the contrary laid before them from the Word of God, which they reject, and that without challenge, being quite byas…ed and prejudged in their affections; thus many natural men lay this for a conclusion, that so much only, is Holiness, and that no more is needful, and what is more is but superfluous niceness, and so they prejudge their Conscience by that.
4. It is defective in this, that it maintaineth not its peace▪ nor answereth its challenges from Christs blood▪ it is not sprinkled with clean, but with foul Water (to say so); it may be▪ it putteth the man to take on some resolution, or to come under some vow, as to somewhat that it may be is no commanded duty of Religion, not hath any valuable influence upon it; or he will as it were sprinkle his Conscience with his tears; thus many will grant that they have sinned, but withall, they think and will be ready to say, that they have a good heart, or a good meaning, or that such and such a man well esteemed of, hath such a sin, and is as guilty as they are; or that many have had such si…s who yet have gone to Heaven; on such and others the like pitiful grounds they found their peace, and by such silly shifts they seek to quiet their Conscience; yea sometimes from the consideration of the possibility of pardon, many conclude confidently that they are actually pardoned; We shall forbear to say any thing further at this time, God bless what ye have heard, through Jesus Christ.