Heaven Upon Earth, Sermons · Sermons on Acts 24.16 · Sermon 5
SERMON V.
ACTS 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
THere is no truth that will be more readily granted then this, which we proposed from these Words, namely, That all men, and more especially Believers ought so to live, and walk as in nothing to give their conscience cause of offence: And yet if we shall impartially put the matter to tryal, there is ground to fear, that the life of many will be found to be nothing else then a continued lie, and practical contradiction to the profession of this great Truth.
Because this is, (as we said) so tender and tickle a subject, and because there is so great need to be clear in the true meaning of it, we have been constrained beyond our purpose, to propose, and answer several Questions, and to move and dissolve several Doubts, concerning it, to make the fairer and easier access to the Use; It being so very ordinary for people to think that they have a good Conscience, when indeed they have it not; and so to baffle (to speak so) and abuse Conscience (that should be the most powerfull provoker to a tender and circumspect walk) as to make it a ground of security and un-tenderness.
We spoke a little the last occasion to that Question, whether not only un-regenerat men may think that to be Conscience▪ which is not? But also whether it be incident even to Believers themselves to think, and that with some sort of perswasion (I will not say with such grossness of delusion as may be in others) that they are right when yet they are wrong? In answer to which we shewed you, they might, and instanced several Cases, wherein.
Now though the last branch of the Question hath its own great difficulty to conceive of it a right; yet since it is …or our edification; (fo… if Believers may mistake, much more may others,) and since it will make way for confirming a subsequent Doctrine, viz. That it is a most difficult, exercising, and up-taking thing to keep a good Conscience; and since also it hath very great influence upon, and is very useful to our whole life, it being withall the main scope of the Text, to press the keeping of a good Conscience, and the sum and substance of a Christian walk to do so, we shall yet proceed therein a little further, and it will not, we hope, be found to be an impertinent, or wide digression, soberly to do so. That then which we spoke a little to, and will now further prosecute, is, That Believers (though not in reference to their state, yet) in the matter of duty (for both in thinking that to be truth which is not truth, and that to be duty which is not duty, Conscience acteth as the Judgement is informed) may err and go wrong.
In prosecuting of this, we shall First confirm it from some instances. 2dly. We shall touch on some Aggravations, or aggravating Circumstances of the thing, though not so much in reference to the sinfulness of it, which will make it the more wonderful. 3dly. We shall give some reasons of it. 4thly. We shall speak a word or two to the Use of it.
For the 1. That Believers may thus go wrong, we shall confirm it from 4. Instances; The 1. whereof is, That frequent and famous instance of Bigamy and Polygamy, or marrying of two or of moe wives, in the Old Testament amongst the Fathers and Saints; we are far from aggredging their failing in this▪ and from making it in them so very odious, yea, we think it may be in some respect justly extenuated, and far removed from that degree of sinfulness that it would be among us, and might possibly in some cases had a Dispensation in them; Yet considering 1. The nature of the thing, and the institution of marriage, and that of Mal. 2. 15. That he made but one man, and one woman for the man, that he might have a godly▪ seed, neither can the multiplication of mankind have sufficient weight to make it simply to be no sin. 2dly. Considering the frequency of it, or its being in so many, that it became almost ordinary; And 3dly. Considering the effects that followed on it, viz. The many discontents and heart-burnings amongst the Wives and Children in the Families of Abraham and Iacob; It cannot absolutely be excused, in all Cases and Circumstances, else it should make an extraordinary dispensiation (if indeed it was) to be very ordinary, which we have no warrand for. A 2d. Instance is in Iobs friends, who were (no question) gracious men, (as the Lords accepting of them, and Iob for them, Iob 42. 8. sheweth) yet that they Erred, and were wrong in a Truth in their Judgements, is clear from v. 7. of that Chapter, where the Lord telleth them that they had not spoken right as his servant Iob had done; And that they did very un-tenderly handle Iob, is also clear. The 3d. Instance is in the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord, They were Believers no doubt, according to Christ's own Testimony given them, Iohn 17. 8. And yet we will find them in several things thinking themselves to be right, and that with some sort of perswasion, when yet they were wrong; As in that one tenet concerning the nature of Christ's Kingdom, which they fancied was to be with some earthly Grandour and Pomp, and wherein they expected some Worldy Credit, and Greatness; and in that of Peter, Mat. 16. 22. Be it far from th…e, Lord, this shall not be unto thee; And if all the Apostles had been put to a Consultation, it is like they would have diswaded him as well as Peter did; As when he said, he was to go up to Ierusalem, they said, Master, the Iews sought of late to stone thee, and wilt thou go up thithe? And yet how hatefull this was to Christ, is clear from the whole strain of the Gospel, and from his checking of Peter, at that rate of holy severity, saving …o him, Get thee behind me Satan; And the two Sons of Zebedee, Mat. 20. 22. Telling them, That they knew not what they asked; And, Acts 1. 7. He declareth to them that it was not for them to know the times and seasons which the Father had put in his own power. A 4th. Instance is that which was the very common Tenet, and Opinion of Believers in the Primitive times, among the Iews▪ viz That the Ceremonial Law of Moses was not fully abrog…ted by the coming of Christ, and is clear from Acts 21. and Rom. 14. and, 1 Cor. 8. 9. and 10. Chapters, and that there was much un-clearness, in the matter of Christian Liberty; they being some way rooted in their Opinion, anent the distinction of Meats and Dayes, thinking that it was not taken away; And though the Apostles determined it, yet they could not easily be brought off from it.
For the 2d. Take some aggredging circumstances, which will make this the more wonderfull. As 1. That Believers may Err▪ be mistaken, and go wrong, when in a very tender Christian frame; As is clear in the forecited instances of the Patriarchs of Iob's Friends, and of the Apostles, and Believers in the Primitive Times, for, will any I pray deny, but they were in a good frame, when they had so much Liberty in Prayer, and Preaching, and such successe waiting on it? so that the Devils were subject to them, They were also singularly dauted, and dandled in a manner, by Christ Jesus himself; and had so much access to God, and so much of his countenance, yet continuing still for a great while in some of these their Errors, and Mistakes. 2. That this may be, not only among the more common sort of Believers, but even also amongst the most eminent; for, are there any more eminent then there we have named▪ viz. The Patriarchs, Apostles and Dis…iples of our Lord? And we may add that of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 15 36, 39. What the particular was about which the contest was, we shall not offer now to decide; it is sure in the matter, one of them was wrong, and it is like both in the manner, and yet both though themselves to be right. 3. There may be mistakes in very concerning and important Truths: Is not that a concerning Truth, about which Iobs Friends disputed with him, viz. That God would not temporally plague a godly man? And was not that a concerning Truth anent the nature of Christs Kingdom, wherein the Disciples were mistaken and wrong? And if we speak of matters of Fact, was not that of the Fathers, and other Saints, in the matter of Bigamy, and Poligamy a concerning thing? yet all of them thought themselves to be right, neither did they, (for any thing we know) go against an explicit challenge of their Conscience, in that matter. 4ly. It is not one or two, but many that may be under such mistakes, many of the Fathers were mistaken, Iob's Friends were so, all the Apostles were so, many thousands, yea, ten thousands of the Iews that believed (as it were almost all the Believers of that Countrey) were so, being all zealous of the cerimoniall Law, when yet it was abrogat. 5ly. They may be exceeding fervent and forward, & in that wherein they Err, very bent on it; how vehemently and eagerly did Iobs Friends pursue the Dispute, to beat him from a sound principle which they held against him? how serious were the Apostles in these things wherin they erred? How zealous were these sound believing Iews for these Cerimonies, even after the matter was otherwise determined by the Apostles? And how hot was the contention betwixt Barnabas and Paul? Even so hot, that they parted company. 6thly. They may continue in such mistakes, notwithstanding many evidences that might serve to bring them off, and against many relevant reasons given them to the contrary, how many un-answerable arguments were adduced by Iob to perswade his Friends of their mistake? And yet had not the Lord himself immediately interposed, it's like they might have dyed without taking with it; How often did Christ refute that Opinion touching the nature of his Kingdom, by preaching of suffering, and of the necessity of his Death, by telling his Disciples expresly, that his Kingdom was not of this World, and that they behove… …o become as little Children? And yet notwithstanding of all this, they continued in their Error, not only while Christ was with them before his Death, but even after his Resurrection, as is clear, Acts 1. And we know what were the decrees of the Synod held at Ierusalem, Acts 15. Concerning Christian Liberty, and how it was told the Believers in that time, That an idol was nothing, and yet they adhered to their mistake about their Liberty, and thought still something of the Idol, As Paul sheweth, 1 Cor. 19: 19. 7ly. Their Error, or mistake may be continued in long, and Believers may not only fall hastily, or on the sudden, in an Error of Judgement, or into a wrong practice, but they may live, and ly long in it; It's like that of Iobs Friends ended not in a day, nor in a monethmonth; and that of the Fathers was for many years together, and that also of the Apostles was for several; yea, they may continue so long, that they may die in it, and never come to so much clearness▪ as once to know that they were wrong; though I say not, that they may die in such an Error and mistake, un-pardoned, yet they may die in unclearness, as to the things being an Error, yet without prejudice to their Salvation, having an interpretative and virtual repentance of every thing that is wrong and sinfull in them, and so of all among the rest; As the Patriarchs and many Believers in Pauls time went to heaven, who, yet very probably did die without coming to be clear in that particular wherein they were mistaken, or differed from others, who were in the right: shall we think that two godly men, living and dying in some difference of judgement, about somewhat not necessary …o Salvation (wherein, yet the one of them must be wrong) die not well, and in the Lord for all that? God forbid; neither can there be any reason given, why they may not die in that wherein they lived so long, though indeed at death they may come to be more impartial in weighing the grounds of the difference, and mistake. 8ly. This may be for some generations; as was that mistake of the Patriarchs, and so it may continue not only in mens own lifetime, but in after generations the mistake may be propagat; as in the Primitive Times, some of their debates were not soon altogether hushed and worn out.
3dly. These things being wonderful in themselves, we shall come now to enquire a little into the reasons of this, and they are of Two sorts. 1. Some speak sinful infirmity in men, even godly men. 2dly. Others speak Soveraignity in the holy God
For the First sort that speak infirmity in us, and are culpable causes of the thing, They may be these, 1. Ignorance, and Unclearness in the Understanding and Judgement, for the most eminent Believer in his best Condition Knoweth but in part; and as his Judgement is mistaken, so readily will his Conscience be, which accuseth or excuseth according as the Judgement is informed; Conscience pre-requireth, and some way pre-supposeth Knowledge; And therefore the man that wanteth knowledge, is called weak, so the Conscience of the weak Brother is spoken of, Rom. 14. And 1 Cor. 8. that is, weak through want of Knowledge. 2ly. The best and most eminent Believers have a remainder of Corruption in them; and therefore are in hazard, and in a manner ready to side with, and intertain a mistake, if Believers were free of Corruption, it might be thought impossible that they should thus Err, but that will not be till the Soul be separated from the Body; so long as Corruption remaineth there will be a hazard, and readiness in so far, and in some things to mistake, and to follow the misguiding of a mis-informed Conscience. 3dly. Believers are sometimes rash and hasty in drawing a sudden Conclusion, and too negligent in previous trying; taking that for Gods mind, which is not so indeed; as may be seen in Samuel, who taketh Elia… for Gods anointed; and in Nathan, who approveth of Davids resolution to build the Temple, not only as it was a good work in it self, but as his present duty; much of their Error flowed from ha…e; As he sayeth in another Case, Psal. 116. v. 11. I said in my haste, all men are lyers. 4ly There may much of this evil arise from the suffering of a prejudice to sit down or setle, when a Believer is prejudged, he may hear many things, and not take them well up; so the Disciples had drunk in a prejudice at the Cross, and therefore, when Christ spoke of Suffering to them, it's said, they understood him not. 5ly. Believers are sometimes un-aware ingadged in a Conclusion, that byasseth their light, and maketh their Conscience partial, as in searching and finding out what might clear them, so in seeking out grounds to maintain their Opinion by; Thus Iobs Friends did first apprehend, and take up Iob to be an hypocrite, and accordingly thought it their duty to bear in the Conviction of it upon him; and to maintain that Conclusion, they wrest Gods providence, and dispensation, not against their present light, nor, it may be from a former Error so much, as from the prejudice they had drunk in. 6ly. Believers may think themselves to be right, when they are wrong, because of a general Custome, or Opinion of such a thing among other Believers; taking such a thing to be the Judgement of others they ingadge in it, without tryal or debate, which is given as the reason of the Patriarchs their so long continuing in Polygamy, viz. That it was become customary, and habitual. 7ly. Beside the instances we gave the last day (which might also be reasons) Believers out of their respect, and love to a good end, may think that such or such a mids is good and warrantable, without so particular examination of the nature of the mids, especially, if it be not grossely, or manifestly sinfull; because they think that such an end is warrantable, as it may indeed be, and yet every mids is not so; though, when the end is good, the midses are often with too little care, search and solicitude adventured on▪ as Nathan thought it a warrantable thing to build a Temple to God (and so indeed it was,) and so questioneth not but that it was Davids duty, and here he was mistaken.
For the 2d. sort of Reasons, They are such as are drawn from Gods Soveraignty, who hath some soveraign and holy ends and designs in such a Dispensation, viz. in suffering Believers to be and abide long under their mistakes. As, 1. It may be so ordered to humble all Flesh, and to make all know their nothingness, and to learn that lesson which is taught, Isa. 2. ult. Ceass ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of? It would seem that Believers might be laid weight upon and lipned to, if any might be so, but all flesh is grass, saith the Holy Ghost, which holds true in some respect, even of Believers, as well as of others: This preacheth and proclaimeth mans infirmity, when most eminent Believers are not exeemed from falling into mistakes, and from continuing therein. 2ly. It may …e so ordered to make all others walk in fear, and to study watchfulness the more, and withall to lippen less to themselves and more to God: These things (says the Apostle 1 Cor. 10▪ speaking before of the miscarriages of Gods professing people; from every degree whereof it's hard to say that the godly themselves were absolutely exempted) were written for our admonition; wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he …all: In his secret and deep wisdom he letteth something be discovered, and emerge as well as written, that all, even Believers as well as others, may take warning, l…st they slip and loss their feet when they are not taking heed. 3ly. The Lord may have some more particular designs in this, though they may be much out of our sight; and though men be under the rule of his Word, and should not walk by these things as rules; yet he will exercise his spotless adorable soveraignty in prosecuting his own holy ends and designs by mens slips, errors and fallings, without being reached with any the least …incture or touch of pollution by them, or of culpable accession to them: As in that failing of the Patriarchs, he often holily promoved the accomplishment of his promise to Abraham concerning the multiplication of his seed, though that end did not warrand them in their otherways-unwarrantable practice; for he made the promise of increase and multiplication, when there were but two; and it is not unworthy the remarking, that even these who had manyest wives, had fewest children sometimes; as we may see in Solomon; though yet at some other times God promoved his promise that way; even as sometimes from other things sinful; as in Iudahs falling in incest with Thamar his daughter in law, he promoved the performance of the promise concerning the Messiah his Incarnation. 2ly. For the exercise of his People, and particularly of his Ministers, he will sometimes suffer differences and mistakes to arise;; and indeed they prove to be very exercising now and then to his own, as it was a great part of Iobs exercise, that his friends condemned him for a hypocrite; and how often complaineth he, that they vexed his soul, and were a burden to him? yet if his godly friends had not been suffered thus to mistake and err, he had wanted that piece of profitable exercise, for no profane men would have had such access to table, and prosecute a dispute of that nature against him; but it exceedingly heightned his exercise, that his godly friends should have been thus at difference and in tops with him: This also furthered the exercise of the Apostles, and was the occasion and rise of Pauls being apprehended and▪ committed to prison▪ viz. when he condescended to purify himself, with these men that were under a vow, according to the Ceremonial Law, as the divine historian gives the account Acts 21. though the Lord had designed to send him to Rome, and in order to that end, Paul must come to Ierusalem, and be in the Temple; and to make way for that, so m…y Iews shall think, that these Ceremonies of Moses his Law are to be still observed; and the rest of the Apostles shall with all think it needful that Paul should condescend so far to please these overzealous Iews, which he did, and it may be condescended but too far. 3ly. The Lord by the rising of such differences and mistakes, may intend the further spreading of the Gospel, as he did in that instance of Pauls sending to Rome; and in the contention that fell in betwixt Paul and Barnabas; which made them part company; by which the Gospel came to be preached in moe places, when thus parted asunder, then it would probably have been, had they stayed together; and its not un…ke that they both had their wonted liberty in praying, and preaching▪ without any direct and explicite challenge breaking their peace on account of that their difference and parting. 4ly. It may be, to make all Flesh depend on himself, when they may not depend absolutely on their own Conscience, nor on the multitude of B…lievers, nay, nor on Apostles, as to some practices and opinions wherein they were not infallibly inspired; seing God may suffer them and Conscience too sometimes to mistake, that neither they nor it may be made the last and supream Judges, but may be keeped always subordinate to himself as such. 5ly. It may be ordered so, to shew the soveraignty and freedom of Grace, and also the necessity of it: the soveraignty and freedom of Grace, that will save such that may live long, and even perhaps die in a mistake; it's true we should by all means beware of abusing the freedom of Grace to sin; yet notwithstanding he will have it seen that these whom he saveth and eminently coun…nanceth are not without sin: and the necessity of Grace, for keeping them when they cannot keep themselves; yea it may be also for the praise of Grace; that if at any time the Believer is keeped right and free from errors and mistakes, the praise may not be to himself whether as to any thing of the truth or of the practice of Religion; because many more eminent, better gifted, and more tender then he, have fallen; wherefore it must be God that by his Grace maketh the difference, who therefore should only have all the praise. 6ly. That Believers may learn to glory and …oast alone in him and not in their agreement with others that are godly, nor in their own mind and Conscience simply, nor in their good frame, nor in their many gifts; and that they may not idolize any of all these, for if they were always in the right, in a good frame, &c. these things would readily be thought too much of; therefore the Lord sweepeth all these things away, that none may glory in any thing that is in themselves, or in others; but that they that glory may glory in the Lord, and be made to profess and proclaim the absolute necessity of having God, to be all; and eminently soveraign above all things, and to know, that though Christians were in the Mount with Christ; that yet it will not be that alone which will keep them right. 7ly. It may be thus ordered, that God may shew the special usefulness of his Word; and that his own people may know the necessity of studying it, and of cleaving to it; and that they may know, acknowledge and adore his deep and infinite wisdom, in giving that for a rule to walk by, when they see that the best, and in their best frame may err and mistake; and that the providences of God may be mis-interpreted and mistaken: The Lord will therefore have his people to esteem highly of his Word and of the preaching thereof; and to hold them closs by that, because any other way, they may go wrong; and indeed if men were not thus hedged in, they would very readily think that their own opinion, or the opinion and practice of others, were a sufficient rule for them, and would not care for the Word▪ Yea 8ly. The Lord may possibly have in his secret justice this design in the mistakes and errors of the godly, even that these who have prejudice and enmity at godliness in the Saints, may be judicially therein hardned; for if in another case it be just with God, to give men up to strong delusions, to believe lies, because they receive not the truth in love, why may it not also be just with him judicially to harden them in their unjust prejudice, who without all reason take up and entertain the same against godliness and the godly, by suffering some of them to slide sometimes into errors and mistakes? by which they come in his righteous judgment to be so …ar plagued, as to think that now they have reason for their prejudic…; and i… may be to say, we thought them always to be such and such persons, and now we see and find them to be so; who … more weight on the practice of any then on his Word; and who will be ready to cry more out against an infirmity in a godly person, then in others; and more, then they can be prevailed with to fall in love with their grace; how many a corrupt and wicked man hath justified and maintain'd his own bad practice from some failing in the Saints? not to excuse their sin, but rather thereby, to blind himself and to put out his own eyes more.
In the 4th place according to the method proposed, take a word or two of use. And 1. May not this instruct us that all Flesh is Grass, that when we look to our selves we should be humble; and that there is need, great need of fear and trembling in our Christian walk? whoever they be that dare to abuse this Doctrine anent the Saints infirmities, mistakes and errors, to foster themselves the more securely in their liberty of sinning, God shall (if continued in) one day make it turn to the aggravation of their guilt and to the heightning of their judgment; and however, for the time they heighten their sin exceedingly in proposing the Saints faults to follow them, and not their grace and vertues: whereas this is the genuine and kindly use that all should make of them, to be watchful, to walk in …ear, a…d to take heed lest we also fall, considering that if it hath been done …o in the green tree, what may we fear who in comparison are but dry trees, if the Lord shall leave us (as justly he may) to follow our own councils? it would become us to wonder that we go not wrong and further wrong, and to look well that we be not vain of our own standing.
The 2d use serves to teach us that we should not take every thing to be right where of for the time we may have a sor… of perswasion, neither that which many good people may think to be right: God hath given us another rule, that should be looked to and walked by, as Soveraign …nd infallibly regulating, according to which we should regulate our own, and the Consciences and Practices of others.
Therefore 3ly. Learn hence, so much the more accuratly and exactly to put every thing to proof and tryal, that we may see whither it be so in very deed as Conscience dictateth; By all means let Conscience be laid to the rule of the Word, let us betake our selves and our Conscience, to the law and to the testimony, and if it speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in it; at least in so far; and if even Believers may thus err and mistake, O! how much more and more sadly may others, who sleep on in their security, without fear of being mistaken and of going wrong in matters of greatest and most lasting moment, let be in lesser ones? putting nothing seriously to the trial, and will yet notwithstanding boast of a good Conscience.
The 4th use serves to teach Believers and all of you, that ye have need to walk near God, and in closs and constant dependance on him, not simply lipning or trusting to your own council or Conscience, but to him for direction and guiding.
The 5th. use, Serves to exhort Believers to be very thankful, and to take it for a great and singular mercy▪ when their Conscience challengeth them for sin; and stricks in closs with that which is the Spirits work, Iohn 16. 8. I will (saith Christ) send the spirit, and he shall convince the world of sin; O! but be it a merciful, profitable and comfortable thing, when God helpeth you impartially to search out sin, to hear the Conscience it's impartial verdict of it, and to be kindly and deeply humbled for it, and to flee to the blood of sprinkling for the pardon of it.
use 6th. See here the necessity of knowing Gods mind better, and of understanding his Word better, otherwise we may err, and go wrong, and not know it; Let me say in a word, that it will be impossible to reach, and attain the scope of this Text, if we study not to know Gods Word, and his mind in his Word better; The ignorance that is amongst us, may prove a great Rise, Occasion and Cause of many sad mistakes, and errors, if the Lord in mercy prevent not; Let God bless this Word, and make it to have it's own use, for our edification and warning.