Christs Alarm to Drowsy Saints, Sermon 17
REVEL. 3. 2.
And art Dead.
WE are come to declare what it is to be a live Chriſtian, quickened up towards God, and all his holy wayes, and after ſundry paſſages we came to enquire what is the life of the ſoul; & here I propounded five things. Firſt, what is the life of the minde. Secondly, what is the life of the heart. Thirdly, what is the life of the conſcience. Fourthly, what is the life of the memory. And Fifthly, what is the life of the affections.
We have ſpoken of the firſt, what is the life of the mind; ye know by nature, the minde is alive to the things of the world, and dead towards God; and therefore we enquired what the life of the minde is; it cannot be the bare knowing of things; it may be dead to what it knowes; it cannot be the bare thinking of things, nor the bare approving of things, nor the bare ſtudying of things; the minde may performe all theſe acts to a thing that it is dead to; no, no; the life of the minde is, Firſt, the applying of the minde. Secondly, the meditating, and minding of the minde. Thirdly, the conſidering and weighing of the mind. Fourthly, the remembring of the minde. Fifthly, the deviſing and plotting, and projecting, and contriving of the minde. Sixthly, the Judgement of the minde. The foreign of the minde; looke where the minde is alive, there it puts forth theſe diſpoſitions; and therefore when the minde is alive towards God, it lets out theſe towards him.
Then in the ſecond place, we came to enquire what is the life of the heart; and this we ſpake of the laſt day; we ſhewed you the heart, may be ſomewhat towards a thing and yet be dead towards it for all that?
Firſt, there be ſhallow acts of the heart, the outſide acts1. of the heart; there may be ſo much heart, as to bring a man to good duties, to conſtant preaching, and hearing, and praying, and the like; and civill carriage, and the like; and yet the heart dead to them all. This is not the life of the heart, The life of the heart lies at the bottome of the heart; not in the outſide; no, it lies deep within; as Salomon ſayes, my Sonne keepe my ſayings in the midſt of thy heart; Prov. 4. 21.
Secondly, there be flitting acts of the heart. Though2 they be never ſo deep in the heart, yet if they be ſuch as doe not ſtay there; the heart is dead ſtill; for if it were alive it would keep them. Let thy heart retaine my words; keepe my Commandements and live; Prov. 4. 4. Though the word doe ſtirre one never ſo much for the preſent; This is no life except thou retaine it and hold it faſt; a man may have many flaſhes of life in him, but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead; when people are moved onelyonly by ſits, humbled by fits, ſtartled by ſits, their righteouſneſſe is onelyonly as a morning dew, a man may have ſits of quickening, ſits of awakening, ſits of enlargements, and ſits of humiliation, & remaine in a dead ſtate; what a fine fit had Iſrael? they remembred that God was their Rock, and that the holy God was their redeemer; Yet their heart was not right with him; they were not ſtedfaſt in his Covenant, Pſal. 78. 37. mark it was but a ſit; like Eſaus crying for a fit. Therefore, this is not it.
Thirdly, there be wouldings and wiſhings in the heart;3 and theſe cozen the world more then any other; theſe they thinke verily are effects of true life; I told you reaſons why people thinke verily theſe are arguments of life; and then I ſhewed you reaſons, why they are not; and then I ſhewed you the difference betweene the wouldings of a live heart, and the wouldings of a dead heart. But I let all theſe paſſe.
Then I proceeded to ſhew you what the life of the heart is; namely, when it puts forth an abſolute will to a thing; ſo that when the heart puts forth an abſolute will towards God and all his holy wayes, then it is alive towards God, when a man is at this paſſe, that he will beleeve, come what can come of it, he will beleeve, and he will repent and he will hate every ſinne, love God above all, feare God above all, and he will ſet God before his eyes, though it meet with never ſo many hinderances without and within; pul backes, rebellions, yet it will doe it for all them; now it's alive; as Paul ſayes, to will is preſent with me, Rom. 7. 18. when a man can ſay from the bottome of his heart, that to will is preſent with him; I will be ruled by God. I will deny my ſelfe, though the fleſh be never ſo violent, and may be many times and often, beares downe all before it, yet he hath a will preſent within that will ſtand it out, and that can never be borne downe, the act may be borne downe, and affections may be borne downe. I but this will is ſtill preſent; I will be for God; he is my chiefe good, his Law is my rule, his will is my will, and I wil be at his diſpoſe; as the Author to the Hebrewes; ſayes, His will was to live honeſtly, Heb. 13. 18. As ſoone as ever the prodigall Son was come to this paſſe, that he could unfeignedly ſpeake it; I will ariſe, and I will goe to my Father, Luk. 15. 18. you ſee the next newe; ye heare of him was, he was alive; his Father ſaid he was alive. This my Sonne was dead, but now he is a live; you will ſay, what if one had bound him hand and foot, that is all one now, he will goe; he will bite the cord aforeſaid if he can, if one ſhould hold, he'ele wraſtle, he ele bite, he will ſcratch, he'le ſpit in his face, if he cannot get looſe, he'le cry out, O how they bind me here; O my father, my father, I wil goe to my Father, he cannot be quiet without his Father, he will goe to his Father; if they ſhould cut off his Legges, he will crawle to his Father; I ſay▪ when the will is abſolute once towards God, then it is alive towards God.
I gave you reaſons of this, why this muſt needs be the life of the heart.
Firſt, Becauſe this is the perfecteſt operation of the heart; when it abſolutely willeth a thing. There be many operations of the heart, but none of them is perfect but this; as David ſaid to his Sonne, my Sonne, know thou the God of thy Fathers, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing minde, 1 Chron. 28. 9. q d. this is a perfect heart; when thy will is to ſerve him how ever things goe, thou wilt ſerve him; now thy heart is perfectly ſet towards him.
Secondly, becauſe this is the might and the ſtrength of2 the heart; ye know the heart is a very hard luſty thing, where it is abſolutely ſet; and therefore when a man will goe on in ſinne, what ever come of it, reprove him, threaten ſay what you will, he will ſtill goe on; we ſay he hath a hard heart; nay, the Scripture cals his heart a Rock, or a Stone; I ſay the reſolute will is the ſtrength of the heart; now therefore, when that is towards God, his ſtrength and might is to God; as God ſayes, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule, and with all thy might, Deut. 6. 5. a dead heart gives onelyonly a few ſick and weake acts towards God; How weake is thy heart, Ezek. 16. …0. therefore that is not it; an abſolute will that onelyonly is it; for that's the might of the heart.
Thirdly, becauſe this makes every thing poſſible; naturally3 a man cannot beleeve he cannot habitually reſiſt his owne fleſh, he cannot overcome the world, he cannot live godly in all his wayes, but now when the heart comes once to be willing towards God, now every thing is poſſible, I may ſay of this as Chriſt ſayes of faith; all things are poſſible to him that beleeveth, Mark. 9. 23. So all things are poſſible to him that willeth. And therefore thoſe that are godly in Chriſt Jeſus; are called foreign 2 Tim. 3. 12.
Fourthly, this takes in the manner of good duties too;4 as well as the matter, it's more a thouſand times, then the bare doing of them, a dead heart will ſerve for to doe them. But when the heart is made abſolutely willing, this is more then the naked deed; as Paul ſayes to the Corinthians about Almes, ye have begun not onelyonly to doe, but alſo foreign to be willing a yeare agoe, 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he ſayes of his preaching, if I did it willingly, I have a reward, but if againſt my will &c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. q. d. I may preach, I may have ſo much heart, and ſo much will as to preach, alas, that is nothing. But if I doe it willingly; that is, if my will be abſolutely thereunto, this is it. Brethren: This is the right manner too.
Fifthly, this is an argument that the heart hath an inward5 principle; what's the life of the heart, but an inward principle of acting? looke where the heart is alive, there it workes from within; There needs no compulſion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit: no; he regards it moſt willingly; he hath an inward principle to regard it; as a Stone hath an inward principle to tend down-wards; & therefore hee's alive to it; now when the heart puts forth its abſolute will towards God, now it hath an inward principle of agility; it needs no complaint, as Peter ſayes to Miniſters, feed the flock of God not by conſtraint but willingly, 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is, doe it very truly, doe it with an inward principle; not becauſe ye ſee others feed, not becauſe ye ſee it's a diſgrace not to feed, or becauſe your conſcience will not let you doe otherwiſe, alas ye may doe it thus with a dead heart; but doe it willingly, doe it out of an inward principle; no obedience is good without it be done with an inward principle; if ye be willing and obedient, Iſa. 1. 19. that is, if ye obedient with an inward principle of obedience; I this is it indeed. Thus you ſee an abſolute will is the life of the heart.
Now leaſt any ſhould be deceived, I ſhewed you what this abſolute will of the heart is.
I ſhewed you, firſt it is the inclination of the heart; ye1 know the heart that is alive to the world, all its inclinations are that way, and therefore the will runnes mainely out that way; but its averſe from God, backward to all heavenly things; now when the will is abſolutely ſet towards God, God inclines it towards him, and makes it incline it ſelfe; as David ſayes; I have inclined my heart to performe thy ſtatutes alwayes, even to the end, Pſal. 119. 112. it may be the world may wonder that any man ſhould be ſo ſtrict as ſome are, to forgo the pleaſures of the fleſh as ſome doe, be ſo preciſe and ſo taken up with God as ſome are; the reaſon is this, their wills are abſolutely ſet that way, the Lord hath inclined them.
Secondly, the intention of the heart; we have a ſaying2 in Divinity voluntas ut natura vult finem; the heart naturally wills it own ends; looke what men aime at, looke what they would have, what they beat at, what they drive at, that they will naturally, that they will eagerly; now when the hearts intentions are towards God, then the will is abſolutely towards him. Beloved what is it ye would have, what doe ye drive at a dayes, what is the ſouls ſcop? if that be God, if that be to commune with him, if that be to pleaſe him, doubtleſſe ye are alive towards God; for then the wills are abſolutely to him. This is a rare worke, and therefore true grace of life is a rare thing; for how few doe attaine this? you come to Church, if God were your aime, certainly ye would heare otherwiſe then ye doe many: would ye ſet in your pewes ſo as ye doe, if your aime were to pleaſe God, or that the word ſhould direct you? if this were your aime, ye would heare in another gats manner; ſo when ye diſcourſe, if your meaning and aime were, O now I will diſcourſe to be ediſied, would ye talke ſo looſely as ye do? nay ye would ſpeake more to the purpoſe a great deale? you may ſee this in Paul what made him ſo eager to deny himſelfe? I count all things droſſe and dung ſayes he; O ſayes he, the intention of my heart is to Chriſt; that I may know him, &c. Phil. 3. 10. But I muſt haſten.
Thirdly, the election of the heart; ye know all our life3 is in Bivio. There be two wayes in everything; there be two wayes of thinking; two wayes of ſpeaking; two wayes of doing; the one godly, the other not. There be two wayes in eating and drinking, in ſleeping and waking; in ſtudying, in praying, and in all our cariages, one gracious, and the other not; now which doe your hearts chooſe? if your hearts have ſuch a diſpoſition to chooſe the gracious way, then your wills are ſet abſolutely that way; there ye are alive, as David ſayes, I have choſen the way of truth, Psal. 119. 30. marke he had this diſpoſition in him to chooſe the true way.
Fourthly, the converſation of the heart; the heart ever4 ſhunnes ſomething, or other; every day and houre, the heart puts off ſomething or other; now what does thy heart ſhun every day? does it ſhun things offenſive to thee or things offenſive to God? if thy will be ſet abſolutely towards God, then thy hearts ſhunnings will run there, in things diſpleaſing to him; as the Prophet ſayes; I have refrained my feet from every evillway, that I may keep thy word, Pſal. 119. 101.
Fifthly the appreciatings of the heart▪ or the eſtimations5. of the heart; what's the hearts Jewell, that the hearts will is abſolutely to; now doe but thinke, what does thy heart prize moſt of all; what's deareſt to thee? O ſayes Paul, I doe not count my life deare; ſo that I may finiſh my courſe, Act. 20. 24. this was his hearts Jewell, how he might doe the worke that God ſet him to doe; how he might finiſh his courſe; Gods commandements were deareſt to him, not his owne credit but Gods glory.
Sixthly, the ſavouring of the heart; this is another6. piece of the hearts will; ſomething there is that the heart ſavours moſt. Now doth thy heart ſavour the things of God moſt; thou ſavoureſt a buſineſſe, where there is profit; I but doeſt thou ſavour Gods word moſt, canſt thou finde the beſt reliſh of all in holy duties, canſt thou ſavour life in them; as Paul ſayes, there's the ſavour of life in theſe things, 2 Cor. 2. 16.
Seventhly, the cares of the heart. This is another ſigne7 of the hearts abſolute will; worldly minded men are full of cares above the things of the world, but art thou full of cares about heaven; does heaven fill thy head full of cares about it, how thou mayſt get it, &c. Thus ye heard what an abſolute will is.
Now becauſe when the will is made abſolutely to be for God, yet there is an unwillingneſle in the ſame will in regard of the unregenerate part; therefore I ſhewed you there be other acts of life in the heart towards God, oppoſing that unwillingneſſe in the fleſh. But I muſt of neceſſity breake off; ſo much for the heart.
The next thing to be inquired about is the conſcience; what is the life of the conſcience; and here the world is deceived too; for the conſcience may be awakened very much, and yet never quickened indeed. Firſt, à conscience awakened, may like all good things. Secondly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may oblige a man to all manner of good things. Thirdly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may be troubled about his ſinnes. Fourthly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may urge one exceedingly to good things. Fifthly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may be very eager in this urging. Sixthly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may prevaile very farre with it's eagerneſſe. Seventhly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may make one looke at God, ſo farre as it prevailes; all this may be in conſcience, and yet the conſcience never quickened indeed, ſo that you ſee what need there is to enquire what the life of conſcience is.
Firſt, I ſay the conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may1. like of God, and all his wayes; it may like of Gods judgements, be they never ſo terrible; as we ſee there in Pharaoh, when God plagued Aegypt; his conſcience liked of Gods dealings he thought in his conſcience the Lord dealt very righteouſly with him. The Lord is righteous, ſayes he, and I and my people are wicked, Exod. 9. 27. So when Rehoboam was horribly beſet with Enemies, his conſcience juſtified God, O he deales very rightly with me. The Lord is righteous, 2 Chron. 1…. 6. ſo Adonibezek, when the Lord brought that lamentable judgement on his head, his conſcience lik… of Gods doings; as I have done, ſo God hath done to me; ſo againe the conſcience awakened may like of Gods commandements; as Moſes tels Iſrael, that God gave them no other Commandements but ſuch as were right, and wiſe and good in the ſight of the Heathen, Deut 4. 6, 7, 8. that is, they were ſuch commandements that the Heathens thought in their conſcience were good. Againe the conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may like of Gods people that walke according to thoſe Lawes and Commandements; you may ſee this in Balaane, O that I might dye the death of the righteous! Numb. 23. 10. his conſcience lik't of their courſes; ſo Sauls conſcience did approve Davids courſes. Thou art more righteous then I, 1 Sam. 24. 17. A conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may like of the beſt preaching; and the ſtricteſt preachers; never man ſpake like this man; O how mightily they lik't him! Herod lik't Iohn admirably, he was glad for to heare him; profane Iſrael did wonderfully like the Sacrament of Gods preſence; when the Arke of God came into the Camp; they ſhouted with a great ſhout, that the earth rang againe, 1 Sam. 4. 5. now when a carnall man perceives this work to be in him, he is apt to conceive, this is true grace of life. Beloved, you ſee this is very falſe, Thou mayſt like of Gods dealings with thee, yea, thou mayſt thinke in thy conſcience, he deales very rightly with thee, though it be never ſo bitter, thou mayſt thinke in thy conſcience, his commandements are good, though they be never ſo ſtrict, thy conſcience may like his Miniſters, and like his precepts, and like his Ordinances, and his Sacraments, and yet be a dead conſcience.
Secondly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may oblige2. a man to all manner of good things; it may lay the commandements of God to his charge, conſcience may make him ſay not onelyonly that the commandements are good, but that it is his duty to doe them; we ſee this by experience in many carnall people; tell them of any commandement, what is their anſwer? Oh you ſay well, I confeſſe it is my duty; every drunkard will ſay thus, I it is my duty never to be drunken, the ſwearer will ſay thus, you ſay right, it is very true, I confeſſe I ſhould not take Gods name in vaine; and therefore they are ſaid to be under the Law, Rom. 3. 19. that is, they are bound in conſcience to the Law; their conſcience tels them they ought to doe it; their conſcience layes it on them as a bond; as the mad Prophet ſaid; muſt I not take heed to ſpeake what God bids me ſpeake? Num. 23. 12. conſcience layed a muſt upon his ſoule. And this is the reaſon, why a naughty heart will put off a commandement of God, if he can, when he ſees it goes againſt his profit, or his eaſe, or his credit, for he knowes if he yeeld it to be a commandement of God, his conſcience will come over him and ſay, why then ye muſt doe it; as we read of the Prieſts and the Elders▪ they would not yeeld that Iohns Baptiſme was from heaven; O if we ſhould yeeld that, why then, Chriſt will ſay, why doe ye not beleeve? Mat. 21. 25. mark the conſcience comes over a man in all that he knowes God hath commanded, and it layes it to his charge; and you muſt doe this, and you muſt doe that, this is your duty; now when men ſee this, they are apt to conclude that their conſcience is alive; they thinke this is the life of their conſcience to lay Gods commandements to their charge. Alas brethren, the conſcience may be dead for all this, you ſee this in people that are dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes. All that the Lord ſpeakes, that muſt I doe, Num. 23. 26. it was the ſpeech of a very wretch; thou mayſt have this principle in thy conſcience, all that the Lord bids me, that muſt I doe; and yet be a dead man. O how does this beguile people: becauſe they feele ſuch a principle in their conſcience a dayes! O thinkes one, all that the Lord bids me, that muſt I doe; when people feele ſuch a principle as this, they thinke they are well; now if they doe offend at any time, they hold it to be but their infirmity; and there's an end. But this is very falſe; the conſcience may have this principle in it and be dead.
Thirdly, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may be3 troubled about his ſinnes; he may be troubled before he commits, he may be very loth to commit them; as we ſee there in Herod, when he was betrayed with his raſh Oath. and he was now tempted to behead John the Baptiſt, his conſcience made him very loth to doe it; the Text ſayes, … was exceeding ſorrowfull, Mark. 6. 26. and the contempt ſhewes it was meerely, becauſe he thought in his conſcience, he ſhould doe very ill to behead ſo good a man, and therefore he was very loth; he was troubled in conſcience about it; ſo was▪ Darius, when the Princes had wound him to caſt Daniel into the Lions Denne, he was moved & troubled in conſcience about it, he was very loth to doe it, he ſought a good while how to put off the temptation by getting away▪ how to avoyd this great ſinne, Dan. 6. 14. ſo was Pilot troubled in conſcience about the condemning of Chriſt, he went to it with a heavy heart; and as a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may be troubled before the committing of ſinne▪ ſo he may be troubled in the committing of it. An example of this we have in Saul, when he committed that ſin, in ſacrificing before Samuel came, he was troubled in conſcience in the very act. I forced my ſelfe and offered a burnt offering, 1 Sam. 13 12. Marke, he did not commit the ſinne hand-ſmooth, as ſome doe, but he felt a reluctancy, againſtit. Againe, a conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may be troubled exceedingly after the committing of ſinne; when Iudas had betrayed our Saviour, you ſee how his conſcience was troubled after he had done. O ſayes hee, I have ſinned, in betraying innocent blood, Matth. 27. 4. eſpecially at the hearing of a ſearching Sermon, or at a Faſt alſo, then the conſcience if it be onelyonly awakened a little, will be troubled exceedingly for his ſinnes; when Samuel kept a Faſt there at Mizpah, the Text ſhewes how they were ſmitten in conſcience for their ſinnes, in ſo much that they cryed out in the open congregation, we have ſinned againſt the Lord, 1 Sam. 7. 6. and yet many of theſe very men, by and by ſhewed the rottenneſſe of their hearts, ſo that this is another gall; when men feele a lothneſſe in them to commit ſinne, trouble of conſcience before, and at, and after, they thinke this is true grace doubtleſſe; doubtleſſe their conſcience hath life.
Fourthly, conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may urge4 one to good things, and no queſtion but many of you that are yet in your ſinnes have found this to be true, how often have your conſciences urged you to give over your ſinnes? to looke after the getting of Chriſt, to lead a godly life? how many heaves have your conſciences given at you? to hoyſe you up out of the ſtate ye wallow in, to make you more earneſt for heaven, more ſtrict in your walking, to provide for your latter end, when ye are at Prayer? how often does it urge you to dwell longer at it? As it is ſaid of Doeg, he was detained before the Lord, 1 Sam. 21. 7. he was held there, he would have gone away afore, but he was held, now what ſhould that be but his conſcience? his conſcience urged him to ſtay long; ſo your conſciences urge you to be more attentive in hearing▪ more mindfull of preaching, more humble in your mindes, leſſe worldly, more heavenly; you may thinke this is a lively conſcience; no, no; it is not, the truth is, the more your conſciences doe urge you a dayes, the greater is your ſin▪ if ye yeeld not. But this is ſo farre from life, that it argues you to be the more dead, if ye doe not obey; and urging conſcience is a great bleſſing, I, if men have eyes to ſee what the Lord does for them▪ to deliver their ſoules from the pit. This is the taking of men by the ſhoulders; now if thou pull away thy ſhoulder. They refuſed to hearken, and pull'd away their ſhoulder, Zach. 7. 11. that is, the Lord ſet conſcience upon them, and urged them to obey, as if a man ſhould take another by the ſhoulder, ſo dragge him and hale him, and yet they would not. So when Paul ſpake to Agrippa, he felt an urging in his conſcience, O let me be a Chriſtian, and he confeſt as much two, Paul, almoſt thou perſwadeſt me to be a Chriſtian; it was almoſt done; he had a great heave; he was urged. But it would not doe, ſo that this is no argument of life neither.
Fifthly, conſcience ſomewhat awakened may be very5 eager in urging, it may be very importunate, every day digging in his ſides, every day whiſpering in his boſome; O thinke of God, O conſider thy ſoule▪ O remember death; conſcience may be earneſt and wonderfull eager with a man, O doe not live as thou doeſt, O be not ſo careleſſe of God; what wilt thou dye and be damned? wilt thou to hell? wilt thou never have done? away with thy ſinnefull courſes; away with thy dreamings; O be ſtirre thy ſelfe; or thou wilt periſh; ſuch a conſcience had Pilat about Chriſt, it was eager with him not to condemne him. This conſcience is an admirable bleſſing; & woe be to thoſe that ſtand out againſt it; it is like Iacob with the Angell, He would not let the Angell goe till he bleſt him, Gen. 32. 26. like the man that was importunate with his friend, and knockt, and knockt, and would have no nay, Luk. 11. 8. I am in bed; never tell me of your being in bed; I pray let me have three loaves; my children are in bed, I pray trouble me not; that is all one, ſtill he knocks, he will have him up; ſo when conſcience is thus awakened▪ and is importunate and will not be anſwered &c. many a wretch hath ſuch an impudent conſcience as this. But this is ſo farre from an argument of life; as that it is a ſigne of a greater death.
Sixthly, conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may prevaile6. very farre by its eagerneſſe, it made the King of Iury doe many things; it made the Heathens doe the things contained in the Law, Rom. 2. 14, 15. when the Phariſees came to tempt Chriſt, with the woman taken in adultery, conſcience made them ceaſe and goe out one by one, Joh. 8. 9. it made Paul live ſo unblameably as he did; ye know concerning the righteouſneſſe that is in the Law, he was blameleſſe, Phil. 3. 6. now if ye looke into the 23. of the Acts and the firſt, you ſhall ſee it was his conſcience, that made him doe ſo; men and Brethren, I have lived in all good conſcience before God to this day; as ſince his converſion, his ſanctified conſcience made him live godlily in Chriſt, ſo before his converſion his naturall conſcience holpen by good education made him live unblameably; ſo that, what with one, and with the other▪ he could ſay he had lived in a good conſcience to that day; that is either morally good, or ſpiritually good. And therefore it was conſcience, that made him doe all that he did; people thinke, I indeed, if they did good duties for outward by reſpects, then they ſhould thinke they were unſound, but conſcience ſets them a worke, and therefore they gather, they are ſound and alive towards God; no beloved, conſcience may make a carnall man goe againſt all outward by-reſpects, and doe very good dutie; this we ſee in Balaam, he went againſt all outward ſelfe reſpects, and followed conſcience; for a houſe full of Silver and Gold, he would not goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe▪ leſſe or more, Num. 22. 18. ſo Iudas went againſt his credit, and his profit, and all; ye know, when his conſcience told him the money was unjuſtly taken, he went and threw it downe: ſo did Michah, the man was an▪ Idolater, and had ſtollen 1100 Peeces of Silver from his Maſter, yet when he heard his mother curſe, he reſtored all againe, O thought he, what ſhall I heare my mother curſe, his conſcience roſe up againſt that and made him make reſtitution; why doe carnall men pray in ſecret, no queſtion but it is conſcience that makes them; may be when they are tempted to a ſinne in ſecret, they will not doe it, and it is the conſcience that with holds them; in this ſenſe they doe good duties out of conſcience; now is this Conſcience alive? no, it does not follow, ye ſee this may be in naturall men and women.
Seventhly, conſcience ſomewhat awakened, may make7 one looke at God ſo farre as it prevailes; you may ſee this in Laban. the man was a wicked man; yet he lookt at God in not hurting of Jacob; though it were in the choyſe of his hand, yet he would not hurt Jacob; and he lookt at God in the thing. O ſayes his conſcience, the God of your Father ſpake to me yeſternight, Gen. 31. 29. he abſtained from hurting of Iacob, and he lookt at God in the abſtaining from it. Becauſe God had forbidden him, therefore he will not hurt him; ſo it was with King Cyrus, he was a naturall man too; yet when he tooke order for the building of the Temple at Ieruſalem his conſcience made him look at God in the thing. O ſayes he, the Lord God of Heaven and earth, hath charged me to build him a houſe, Ezek. 1. 2. ſo when Jehu deſtroyed Ahabs houſe, and Baals Prieſts, he himſelfe ſayes, how he lookt at God in the thing; come ſee how zealous I am for the Lord of Hoaſts; ſo when the Philiſtines ſent home the Arke of the Lord, they would ſend it home honourably, with a very rich preſent, and the Text ſayes, how they lookt at Gods glory in the thing. O ſay they, let us give glory to the Lord God of Iſrael, 1 Sam. 6. 5. Thus you ſee how the world are deceived about the life of the conſcience; when people have theſe operations of conſcience within them, they thinke their conſcience is alive and good towards God.
Now that theſe cannot be the life of conſcience, I prove it.
Firſt, becauſe all may be in naturall men, as ye have1 heard in Laban, in Pharaoh, in Balaam, in Micah, in Saul, in Darius, in Iudas, which were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; what life can be in a dead man? it is very true, the conſcience is leaſt dead of all the powers of the ſoule; the Pelagians ſay▪ the will is a pure virgin; that's as falſe, a… the devill is falſe; if any faculty be a pure virgin it's the conſcience; all the religion that is left in a naturall man, God hath planted there; there's the effect of the Law there, Rom. 2. 15. The whole nature of man is like a Countrey taken by the Enemy, except one little Fort; may be that's batter'd too▪ but it is not quite taken; ſo is the conſcience, after the whole man is quite vanquiſh't by ſinne, except onelyonly that and that's batter'd too in a wofull manner. But it is not quite taken, the Lord will ever keepe a part in that, to have the man at controll when he pleaſes, and as farre as he pleaſes. But yet it is ſo farre taken too, that there is no ſpirituall life left at all in it; man is dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, and ſo is the conſcience too.
Secondly, the conſcience notwithſtanding all theſe may2 be deader then ever it was. I confeſſe theſe are flaſhes of life, that God ſparkles into mens conſciences, but they uſe to goe out againe, and leave the conſcience as dead, and deader then ever before they came; we ſee it in Pharaoh, that hardened his heart worſe afterwards, Exod. 9. 34. ſo did Balaam, though his conſcience were ſo quick for a ſpurt, yet within a while, he could goe and lay a ſtumbling block before the Children of Iſrael to make them ſinne, Rev. 2. 14. and we ſee it to this very day, many ſmitten in conſcience for a time, afterwards their ſmitings ceaſe, and they grow more ſtiffe then ever they were; like water that hath beene heated, it freezes afterwards the more.
Thirdly, the conſcience notwithſtanding all theſe is ſoon3. pleaſed; though it ſeeme to be eager, and earneſt, and zealous for God, yet any little thing will content it; if it were alive nothing would content it, but meerely indeed, the favour of God, the Image of God, ſincere conforming to God. But this conſcience is ſoone pleaſed againe; it is but angry a while, if but halfe the Lords due be brought in, this conſcience is ſatisfied. Like the unjuſt Steward, that ſet downe 50 for a 100 Luk. 16. 6. When the man goes on praying, and doing good duties, may be, the conſcience is whiſt, though it be but a forme; when he hath reformed a little, conſcience thinkes it hath enough; we may ſee this in Balaam; when he had found that worke of conſcience, that he could deny Balac's houſe full of Silver and Gold, to ſtand for God, preſently he concluded that God was his God; if Balac would give me his houſe full of Silver and Gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God▪ Num. 22. 18. Like the wretched Jewes, they brought God the blinde and the lame, and the torne and the ſick, and then they thought much that they ſhould be called deſpiſers of God, Mal. 1. 6, 7, 8. Saul was commanded to deſtroy all the Amalekites, now though he ſpared ſome, his conſcience was content. I have done the will of the Lord ſayes he; ſuch a conſcience as this is ſoone pleaſed, like little Children, it cryes, it takes on▪ it ſets up its Pipes, but a little thing ſtills it; may be a Rattle, or an Apple, or a Braſſe Counter; ſo my brethren though a mans conſcience be thus as ye have heard, yet it is a very childe, it will be ſoone ſtilled; let him but beſtirre himſelfe a little towards God, and goe on in a pretty handſome way, this conſcience will quickly ſay it's well.
Fourthly, the conſcience that hath but theſe ſtirrings, is4 ſo farre from being alive, that many times it will be a help unto ones luſts; which if it were a live it could not be▪ But thus it is though, when theſe works are reall, it will ſerve to help a mans luſts; when a mans luſts would faigne have ſome thing or other don, then ſteps in thy conſcience, and will help the lame dogge over the ſtile; as we ſay Herod had a luſt to make away Iohn the Baptiſt. O but he's a good man ſayes his conſcience, and thou muſt not cut off his head, Mark. 6. 20. O but he was urged now to doe it, by Herodius her daughter; and he had ſworne to grant her hearts requeſt; now ſee how his conſcience helpt him to doe it. Thou haſt ſworne an Oath, and thou muſt make conſcience of that; therefore cut off his head. So it was with the Iewes, when they have a luſt to crucifie Chriſt, their conſcience found out a trick for it; we have a Law ſay they, and by our Law▪ he ſhould dye, becauſe he mado himſelf the Sonne of God, Iohn 19. 7. mark, they made it a matter of conſcience; what they murder Chriſt? they put him to death unjuſtly? no, God forbid; we have a Law, and are bound in conſcience to keepe it; ſo when a man hath a luſt, as to weare long haire; by and by he makes it a matter of conſcience to weare it; forſooth his head will ake; and he is bound in conſcience to have a care of that; ſo if a man have a luſt of covetouſneſſe, and not to give where is need; forſooth his conſcience findes a place in the Apoſtle to help it. He is worſe then an Infidell, that provides not for his owne; and ſo he will make conſcience of that; ſo when a man hath wronged him, he hath a luſt of revenge, anon he findes out a trick, O it may tend to the diſhonour of the Goſpell, if he put it up, the matter is not ſo. But he is willing to thinke ſo; and he will make conſcience of that; is he revengefull now? no God forbid. It was a diſgrace to religion, and he did it out of conſcience of that. Thus men will have what luſt they pleaſe, they can finde ſome Text or other, which they wreſt to make conſcience of that, O how common is this.
Fifthly, this conſcience is not all, it cals out onelyonly ſome5 particular ſinnes to be violent againſt, and lets alone others may be as bad; like Ahabs for the Vineyard; and let his Baaliſme alone; or if the conſcience be againſt all manner of ſinnes, it is but in a fume, cito redibit in gratiam. they are but like new Wine, in old Bottels; at laſt the Bottels break and the Wine is all ſpilt; ſo all theſe workes in an awakened conſcience, are onelyonly then while the conſcience cannot ſleep. But when it can fall aſleep againe, then the man can be quiet againe; the conſcience is an old conſcience and not renewed, and therefore it is not able to hold them; well then ye ſee theſe are not conſciences life.
What then is the conſciences life? for this ye muſt know. Firſt, the conſcience hath a Teſtimoniall life; a life whereof it lives▪ as the ſoul lives; for it is the reflexion of the ſoule, the ſoules privity to it ſelfe, betweene God and it ſelfe. And therefore if the ſoule be alive towards God, then the conſcience is alive too; as the Apoſtle ſayes; How much more ſhall the bloud of Chriſt, who through the eternall ſpirit offered himſelf, without ſpo… to God, purge your conſcience from dead workes, is to ſerves the living God, Heb. 9. 14. marke, when a mans dead workes are purged away, the conſcience is alive; when a mans ſelfe is alive, and his workes are alive, the conſcience is alive; as we ſay of the goodneſſe of conſcience, though the conſcience be never ſo good in it ſelfe, yet as long as the man is not good, his conſcience can never be good; conſcience is ſaid to be good, as a Meſſenger is ſaid to be good; namely when he bringeth good tydings; though he be never ſo good a man, yet if he doe not bring good tydings, we ſay he is an ill Meſſenger; he ſent evill Angels among them, Pſal. 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels; yet ſaid to be ill Angels, becauſe they brought evill Plagues upon Aegypt; ſo ſtands a good conſcience, that can bring good tydings of a man, that he is a good man; true, a wicked mans conſcience may report well of him, as Abſolon did of the people, O your matters are good ſayes he, when they were ſtark naught; ſo thy conſcience may flatter thee, and ſay thy matters are good. But when conſcience can ſay truly, thy matters are good. The conſcience is like a Regiſter or a Bill; now then it is a Bill of good Items, when all thy ſinnes are blotted out; ye know we call it a fowle bill, that hath fowle crimes written in it. Item this man ſtole a horſe. Item he brake into ſuch a mans houſe. Item he murdered ſuch a man; when ſuch a Bill as this comes in at the Aſſizes againſt a poore Priſoner, this is a black Bill; this is a fowle Bill; ſo as long as thy conſcience is a fowle Bill; Item I was born in ſinne; Item I have lived very looſely; Item I have heard ſo many Sermons, and gotten litte good; Item I was at ſuch a Sacrament and was nere the better, thy conſcience is a fowle Bill, this is a fowle conſcience; as the Apoſtle ſayes, a defiled conſcience, Tit. 1. 15. This is a bad conſcience; now when the conſcience is cleane, then it is a good conſcience; ſo I may ſay of a lively conſcience, the conſcience is alive, when the man is alive towards God, then it beares witneſſe, but that is not all, the conſcience hath other acts. Secondly, the conſcience hath another life of it's own, namely the conſcience is ſaid to be quickened up to its duty, when it quickens up the whole man to doe his. As the conſcience of the good people that offer'd to the Tabernacle, was a quick conſcience; their conſcience was quick to doe its duty, becauſe it quickened them up to doe theirs; their heart made them willing, Exod. 35. 29. that is, their conſcience made them willing; though the conſcience be never ſo eager, that is not it; it never does its duty with life, till it make thee doe thy duty with life. The conſcience of the godly, may be is not ſo eager, neither does it keep ſuch a doe, as many a wicked mans conſcience. The eagerer conſcience is faine to be, it's a ſigne the man is the more dead; when a man is alive, the conſcience ſtirres him up with more eaſe; like a man that is willing to pay his debts, the creditor need no more then aske; whereas when the debter is a ſlye fellow, there needs the more Bawling; ſo that if thou would'ſt know whether thy conſcience be quick, the queſtion is not whether it be eager or no; But whether does it quicken thee up to doe thy duty or no.
This then is the life of conſcience, when it makes a man doe his duty towards God and man; when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart, when it makes him love God with all his ſoule, and mind, to ſerve him in truth, to doe his holy will, to humble himſelfe ſoundly before God for all his ſinnes, to make his peace with God▪ daily to pleaſe him, and to walke before him in newneſſe of life. This is a living conſcience, this conſcience hath the grace of life in it, whether it doe it by eagerneſſe or not, that is not it; whether with much a doe, or little, that is all one.
Firſt, When the conſcience does not onelyonly check, but it1. checkes to ſome purpoſe, as when David had numbred the people, his heart ſmote him, 2 Sam. 24. 10. ſuch checks there may be in a wicked heart▪ when a man is made to doe the Lords will for conſcience ſake.
Secondly, When it does not onelyonly accuſe for ſinne, ſo a2 naturall conſcience may doe, but it pulls a man downe before God; and cites himſelfe effectually before God. The juſt man firſt accuſeth himſelfe; as the Greek, and the Latin read it Prov. 18. 17.
Thirdly, when it does not onelyonly condemne one for ſinne,3 for ſo the wicked have condemning conſciences; as the Apoſtle ſayes, if our heart condemneth, 1 Joh. 3. 20. that is, if we be wicked; as Paul ſayes; knowing that he that is ſuch, is ſubverted and ſinneth, being condemned ef himſelfe, Tit. 3. 11. that is, he is a wicked wretch, ſo that a wicked mans conſcience may and will, and ſhall condemne himſelfe. But I meane, when the conſcience does not onelyonly condemne one for ſinne; but it tramples upon ones ſelf as a damned wretch in himſelfe; to ſave God a labour; as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, if we would judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be Iudged, 1 Cor. 11. 31.
Fourthly, when it does not onelyonly pull a man a dayes;4 ſo it may doe the wicked and the ungodly; they feele many puls every day, and may be their conſcience makes them leave many particular ſinnes. But when the conſcience puls a man out of every known ſinne, withall the deteſtation and loathing; out of unbeleife, out of inpenitency and heardneſſe of heart, out of formality and all; this is a lively conſcience; as Iob ſayes, my heart ſhall not reproach me as long as I live, Job. 27. 6. Theſe are the lively acts of conſcience about ſinne.
The lively effects whereof are three.
The firſt, is penitent ſhame that ever he hath done it;1 conſcience makes him flye from it as a horrible ſhame and confuſion of face before God; as the Apoſtle ſayes, what fruit have ye of thoſe things, whereof ye are now aſhamed? Rom. 6. 21.
Secondly, another is penitent griefe, and compunction2. of heart; ſo ye may ſee this effect in the new converts. They were pricked in their hearts, Act. 2. 37.
Thirdly, another effect is penitentiall feare, whereby3. he is afraid to ſinne againſt God againe, 2 Cor. 7. 11.
Fourthly, another is humbling deſpaire in himſelfe, that4 he ſees nothing in him, but death and damnation and ſo he lies at Gods Gate, as a man utterly undone in himſelfe; having no hope but onelyonly in Chriſt; for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of his ſickneſſe, he brought him to deſpaire of life in himſelfe, 2 Cor. 1. 8. ſo does a lively conſcience in regard of miſery.
Thus ye ſee for ſinne.
Secondly, now for the lively acts of conſcience, in regard2 of good; when the conſcience hath life, it does not onelyonly excuſe in part, for ſo it may doe in a wicked heart, nay a wicked man hath ſuch an excuſing conſcience when he does good for the matter of it; as we read in the Heathens; Rom. 2. 15. But it does ſweetly excuſe him, and tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart, that he does beleeve, that he does truly repent, that he does in ſome meaſure, walke in new obedience from day to day; and that he ſtands guiltleſſe before God through Jeſus Chriſt.
When the conſcience does not urge a man onelyonly to that which is good. As it urged Agrippa, almoſt thou perſwadeſt me &c. 26. 28.
Thirdly, approbation, when the conſcience either may3 or does pronounce a man to pleaſe God.
The lively effects of theſe acts are 1 Ioy. 2 Cor. 1. 12.
The ſecond, is boldneſſe, & freedome from ſlaviſh feare. The righteous is bold as a Lyon, Prov. 28. 1.
Againe, a lively conſcience is a ſudden conſcience. Secondly a tender conſcience.