The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise · Proposition 1
Propoſition I. There is in every man a conſcience.
THere was a conſcience in all theſe heathen in the text;1. There is in every man a conſcience. their conſciences bearing them witneſſe. There was a conſcience in the Scribes and Phariſees:John 8.9. being convicted of their own conſciences. There is a conſcience in good men: as in Paul; Our rejoycing is this, 2. Cor. 1.12.the teſtimony of our conſcience. There is a conſcience in wicked men: their mind and conſcience is defiled. Tit. 1.15.As it is impoſſible the fire ſhould be without heat, ſo it is impoſſible that any man ſhould be without a conſcience. Indeed we uſe to ſay, Such an one hath no conſcience: but our meaning is, that he hath no good conſcience. But every one hath a conſcience, either good or bad. The Lord engraved conſcience in man when he created him at firſt. True it is, ſince the fall of man conſcience is miſerably corrupted; but man can never put it off: Conſcience continueth for ever in every man, whether he be in earth or heaven or hell. The moſt baſe and deviliſh profanelings in the world have a conſcience: Let them choke it or ſmother it as much as they can, let them whore it or game it or drink it away as much as they are able for their hearts; yet conſcience will continue in ſpite of their teeth.
1. No length of time can wear this conſcience out. What made Joſephs brethren to remember the cruel uſage they ſhewed him but conſcience? It was about tvventy years before; yet they could not vvear it out.
2. No violence nor force is able to ſuppreſſe conſcience but that one day or other it will ſhew it ſelf. What made Judas go and carry back the money that he betrayed our Saviour for, and alſo to cry out, I have ſinned, but conſcience? No queſtion but he laboured to ſuppreſſe it; but he could not.
3. No greatneſſe nor power is able to ſtifle conſcience, but that it will one day like a band-dog flie in a ſinners face. What made Pharaoh crie out, I am wicked, but conſcience? He vvas a great King; and yet he vvas not able to over-povver conſcience.
4. No muſick, mirth, or jovializing can charm conſcience, but it vvill play the devil to a vvretched ſoul for all that. What vvas the evil ſpirit of melancholy that came upon Saul, but conſcience? He thought to allay it with inſtruments of muſick; but it ſtill came again.
5. Death it ſelf is not able to part conſcience from a ſinner. What is that vvorm that ſhall never die, but onelyonly conſcience? and in hell conſcience is as that fire that never goeth out.
I confeſſe ſome ſeem to have loſt conſcience quite: They can omit good duties as though they had no conſcience at all: they can deferre repentance and turning to God as though they had no more conſcience then a beaſt: but one day conſcience vvill appear, and ſhevv plainly, that it vvas preſent vvith them every moment of their lives, and privie to all their thoughts and all their vvayes, and ſet before them all the things that they have done. Be men never ſo ſecure and ſenſeleſſe, and ſeared for the preſent, conſcience vvill break out either firſt or laſt: Either here or in hell it vvill appear to every man, That he hath and ever had a conſcience.
Novv the reaſons vvhy the Lord did plant a conſcience in every man living are,Reaſons
1. Becauſe the Lord is a very righteous Judge:1. And as he commandeth earthly judges not to judge vvithout vvitneſſe: ſo he himſelf vvill not judge vvithout vvitneſſe, and therefore he planteth a conſcience in every one to bring in evidence for him or againſt him at Gods tribunall.
2. Becauſe the Lord is very mercifull.2. We are vvonderous forgetfull and mindleſſe of God and of our ovvn ſouls, and have need to be quickned up to our duties: therefore the Lord hath given every one of us a conſcience to be a continuall monitour. Sometime vve forget to pray, and then conſcience putteth us in mind to go to God: ſometime vve are dull in the duty, and conſcience is as a prick to quicken us. Sometime our paſſions are diſtempered, and then conſcience checketh and commandeth us to bridle them. We ſhould never be kept in any order if it vvere not for conſcience: Therefore hath the Lord in mercy given us a conſcience.
The firſt uſe is,Ʋſe 1. to condemne that diabolical proverb common among men; Conſcience is hanged a great while ago. No, no; Achitophel may hang himſelf, but he cannot hang his conſcience: Saul may kill himſelf, but conſcience cannot be killed. It is a worm that never dieth. Mar. 9.44.As the reaſonable ſoul of man is immortall, ſo conſcience alſo is immortall.
Secondly,Ʋſe. 2. this condemneth ſuch as go about to ſuppreſſe conſcience: Their conſcience maketh them melancholick and lumpiſh now and then, and they go about to ſhake it off. Alas! why do ye go about that which is utterly impoſſible? Ye may ſuppreſſe it for a while, and gagge it for a while; but ye can never ſhake it off. Conſcience ſticketh ſo cloſe that a man may as ſoon ſhake off himſelf as his conſcience. And indeed his conſcience is himſelf:1. Cor. 11.28. Let a man examine himſelf, verſe 13.that is, his conſcience. Judge in your ſelves, that is, Judge in your conſciences.
Ʋſe 3.Thirdly, this confuteth that drunken opinion, That conſcience is nothing but a preſent fit of melancholy. No; It cauſeth it may be the preſent melancholick fit, but it is not it. Conſcience is a ſtanding power in a man that is evermore with him, and will evermore judge him and condemne him if he be guiltie before God. It will be with him when his dumpiſh fit is over. Let him laugh and be merry; yet conſcience lies at the bottome of all, and will ſpoyl all the mirth.Prov. 14.13. Let the drunkard be never ſo joviall; I will not believe but conſcience in the midſt of that drunken mirth cauſeth ſome ſadneſſe within, and telleth him this is a very wicked life. Let the carnall hypocrite daub up the matter with good duties and good prayers and good hopes; I cannot believe but there is a conſcience lieth at the bottome and telleth him he is rotten for all this.Gen. 4.5. You may ſee this in Cain: He had been at a good duty, ſacrificing to the Lord; but his countenance fell when he had done, conſcience did lie at the bottome, and did tell him God did not accept him. Conſcience is with evil men at church at ſermon, at ſacrament, and telleth them ſecretly that they are not the perſons to whom the bleſſing of theſe ordinances belong.
Laſtly,Ʋſe 4. this may be for exhortation to the godly; That they would conſider this, that they have ever a conſcience within them; and that therefore they would labour alwayes to keep it void of offence: which was Pauls exerciſe, Acts 24.16. Take head you offend not your conſciences in duties of piety towards God, in your prayings, hearings, &c. no nor in your callings, eatings, drinkings, liberties, recreations: Look alwayes to your conſciences, that you offend them not, becauſe they are ever with you. When two live ever together, they had need not offend one another; elſe there will be no quiet: You and your conſciences muſt ever live together: if ye offend them▪ ye are like to have very ill lives. Better live with a curſt ſcold then live with an offended conſcience: ye had better offend the whole world then offend conſcience. There are none whom ye are alwayes to live with; but conſcience ye are alwayes to live with. Ye are not alwayes to live with your husbands, nor alwayes with your wives, nor alwayes with your parents or maſters; there is a time when you muſt part: but conſcience and you will never part: Therefore labour to keep it void of offence. And thus much of the firſt propoſition▪ There is in every man a conſcience.