The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise · Part 12 – Conclusion 1
Uſes.
1. This ſerveth to direct Miniſters how to convince the conſciences of their people.Uſe 1. If Miniſters deſire to work upon their hearers, they muſt ſpeak to the conſcience; they muſt ſhew them Gods authority, that it is Gods will and Gods command. Tell conſcience never ſo much, that we ſhould do thus or thus upon other grounds and inducements, it ſtarteth not at that, except it be convinced by the word of God that it is Gods will, the commandment of the great God of heaven, the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, who will look for our obedience: This maketh conſcience to ſtartle, this affecteth it and bindeth it. St Paul when he ſaid that he approved himſelf and his preaching to mens conſciences, 2. Cor. 4.2.what followeth? If our Goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that periſh, &c. As if he had ſaid, This maketh all the world to ſtartle, except they be reprobates and men delivered over to Satan. It is eaſie to ſee what miniſterie affecteth moſt and doeth the moſt good in the hearts of the people, namely that which bringeth the cleareſt voice of Gods Spirit calling to obedience and binding the conſcience. They can heare with eaſe and great pleaſure the ſermons of thoſe whoſe doctrines are ſtuffed with humane diſcourſes. Learning and policie never pierce conſcience. Nay, let carnall preachers preach never ſo much againſt peoples ſinnes, they can make a ſport of it, though they heare their ſinnes with humane learning declaimed againſt. When the preacher doth not clearly preach the Lords voyce, though he rip up ſinne, yet if it be not in the demonſtration of the Spirit of God, and ſhewing his clear authority, the heart will not be affected. Conſcience knoweth when it is bound, and when it is but dallied and jeſted with: And therefore if Miniſters deſire to have their miniſterie work upon the hearts of their people, they muſt ſhew them Gods authority, and confirm it by his word, and let them ſee that it is the commandment of the Lord, that which will one day judge them.… ▪ Cor. 14.37. Let him know, ſaith Paul, that the things that I write are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Lord of heaven and earth that biddeth thee yield, and commandeth thee to give over thy baſe luſts: It is he in whoſe hands thy breath is; thou hadſt beſt be obedient. I tell thee, thy conſcience obſerveth it; and if thou wilt not obey, it will rore like the roring of the ſea one day againſt thee, and ſting thee like a ſcorpion. The things that thou heareſt, know thou that they are the commandments of God: and if thou diſobey, thou doſt diſobey not men but God.
Uſe 2.2. Is it ſo that the word of God onelyonly is the ſupreme bond of conſcience? Then this teacheth us to have an eye to Gods word in that which we do, if we would ſatisfie conſcience. I ſay, have an eye to Gods word: not onelyonly to do that which it may be is in Gods word; conſcience counteth that to be nothing: but to have an eye to Gods word. Conſcience will not be ſatisfied with any obedience that we do if we have not an eye to Gods word. Whatever we have an eye to beſides, conſcience knoweth it is nothing, if in all we have not an eye to the commandment of God: Though we do obey it, conſcience looketh upon it as if we did not obey it. It is onelyonly Gods commandment and authoritie that bindeth conſcience: and therefore nothing ſatisfieth conſcience unleſſe we have an eye unto that. If we do not aim at Gods will in doing what we do, conſcience counteth our obedience as no obedience at all. As for example; Ye that are husbands, ye love your wives: but is it becauſe God commandeth it? It may be ye love them becauſe they love you, or becauſe your affections are to them: Alas, this is nothing: Pagans and reprobates can do ſo. But do ye aim at the doing of Gods will, who commandeth you? O ſay you, The Lord doth command me, I do it. What of that? Do ye look at his commandment when ye do it? If not; be humbled, and know ye muſt get grace to do ſo, or ye are not obedient to God, neither will conſcience ſet it down for obedience. Ye that are ſervants, ye ſerve your maſters: but do ye aim at Gods will? thus, O the Lord hath commanded me to be faithfull and painfull in my ſervice. Doth your ſoul look to this? It may be ye ſerve them becauſe they are kind, and becauſe they pay you your wages, and the like: This is nothing to conſcience: conſcience looketh at the commandment of God; and if your ſouls do not aim at the commandment of God, it will not ſatisfie conſcience. Ye that are neighbours, it may be ye love one another, and be friends one with another: but doth your ſoul look at Gods commandment? is it becauſe God hath commanded us to love one another? People ſeldome aim at God in theſe caſes: They are friends with their neighbours: why? Their neighbours are friends with them. But they do not trouble their thoughts to aim at Gods commandment in it. Let me tell you; Conſcience will not count this obedience: For conſcience feeleth no bond but Gods word: and if ye do not look at that, it is no obedience with conſcience; conſcience will never acquit you or abſolve you for this; it accounteth of this obedience as no obedience at all. See 1. Cor. 10.25. and ſo forward. There the Apoſtle handling that queſtion of conſcience, at laſt concludeth, Whether ye eat or drink or whatſoever ye do, do all to the glorie of God, verſ. 31. Let your hearts look at that, and aim at that; in whatſoever ye do, ſtill look at God: all is loſt with conſcience elſe. Though ye eat never ſo ſoberly, and drink never ſo moderately, pray never ſo duly, conſcience counteth it all nothing if ye do not look at God: It is God onelyonly and his word that doth bind it; and it will never give a diſcharge except your hearts look at him.
Uſe 3.3. This ſerveth to confute our Antinomiſts, ſuch as ſay the law of God bindeth not the conſcience of the regenerate. Ye ſee here that the law of God bindeth the conſcience: and therefore if the regenerate have any conſcience at all, (as certainly they have the beſt conſcience of all men) then it muſt needs bind their conſcience. We confeſſe the conſcience of the regenerate is freed from many things by Chriſt. Firſt,From what Chriſtians are freed. it is freed from the yoke and bondage of the ceremoniall law, Gal. 5.1. Stand faſt in the libertie wherewith Chriſt hath made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage. Every mans conſcience is freed from that yoke of the ceremoniall law, becauſe it ended in Chriſt. Secondly, the conſcience of the regenerate is freed from ſeeking juſtification by the deeds of the law. Indeed the firſt covenant was by the works of the law; He that doeth them ſhall live in them: But the ſecond covenant ſpeaketh better things; He that believeth ſhall be ſaved. It is true, if God had not ſent his Sonne we muſt have ſought juſtification by the works of the law: Though it were impoſſible to find it by reaſon of our ſinnes, yet conſcience was bound that way. But now that Chriſt Jeſus hath ſealed up a new covenant in his own bloud, conſcience is freed from that former: Rom. 3.28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is juſtified by faith without the deeds of the law. For though juſtifying faith never be without the ſincere doing of the law, yet the deeds of the law have no influence into juſtification: Conſcience is freed from ſeeking juſtification thereby. Thirdly, the conſcience of the regenerate is freed from the rigour of the law. They are bound in conſcience to uſe the law as a rule of their life, and in ſinceritie to obey it; but are not bound by the goſpel to the rigour of it: that they are freed from; and ſo they are not under the law but under grace. Rom. 6.14.I grant that all carnall people, who are yet out of Chriſt, do all lie under the rigour of the law: and as long as they ſubmit not to Jeſus Chriſt, nor get into him, they are bound in conſcience to keep it, though they cannot: They cannot ſinne in one tittle, but conſcience will condemne them before God. They ſhall be condemned for every vain thought, for every idle word, for every the leaſt ſinne, for every the leaſt luſt, for any the leaſt omiſſion of good. They lie under the rigour of the law, and they are bound in conſcience to keep it, and they ſhall be countable for every tranſgreſſion, becauſe they are under the law. But the conſcience of the regenerate is free from this rigour, becauſe they are under grace,Rom. 7.6. and therefore they are delivered from the law: The Lord hath deliverd them by the body of Chriſt; and therefore they are not bound by the goſpel to all that obedience that the law in rigour requireth. Fourthly, the conſcience of the regenerate is freed from the curſe of the morall law. For though the law doth condemne, yet their conſcience needeth not fear it,Rom. 8.1. becauſe they are in Chriſt: There is no condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus, which walk not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit. Indeed thoſe that are not regenerate, not ingraffed into Chriſt, they are ſtill in the mouth of the gunſhot: the law doth condemne them, and they have no ſhelter, and their conſcience is bound by it; and they ſhall find one day that by it their conſcience will condemne them to hell. It may be now for the preſent their conſcience is quiet, and they choke it, and ſo it letteth them alone: yet they are condemned in conſcience, and one day they ſhall find it. But the regenerate are by Chriſt freed in conſcience from all this condemnation. Thus farre we grant.
But the Antinomiſts and I know not what Marcionites would have more.Anti…miſ… They cannot abide to heare that a regenerate perſon is bound to any ſincere obedience to Gods law as the rule of their life: They crie out againſt the morall law as once the Babylonians did againſt Jeruſalem, Down with it, down with it even to the ground: O ye do not preach Chriſt if ye talk of the law. Beloved, theſe are drunken opinions, fitter to be preached among drunkards and Epicures and monſters then among the peculiar ones of God. The law of God doth bind the conſcience of all the people of God, ſo that they are bound to make it a rule of life. Nay the Scripture calleth it Christs bond whereby he bindeth his people to him:Pſal. 2.1, 2, 3 The Kings of the earth ſet themſelves, and the rulers take counſel together againſt the Lord and againſt his Anointed, ſaying, Let us break their bonds, and cast away their cords from us. Tuſh, we will not be tied by his laws, nor be ſo preciſely ſtraitlaced with ſuch commandments as theſe. Here the laws of the Lord are called bonds and cords: Gods people are bound to him by them: But the wicked they ſtand out and refuſe to be bound. Now if the law be called a bond, I pray what bond is it, but of conſcience? It is not a bond like a priſoners fetters, to be put about their legs: This is a ſpirituall bond that bindeth the conſcience. But let me prove it to you by arguments. There be ſundrie arguments to prove it.
Arguments. That Gods la… bindeth the conſcience of the regenerate. Arg. 1. Luke 17.10.Firſt, That which hath power to ſay to the conſcience of the regenerate, This is thy dutie, and this muſt be done, that bindeth the conſcience: But the law of God hath power to ſay thus to the conſcience, This is your dutie. Who can tell better then Chriſt? When ye have done all theſe things that are commanded you, ſay, We are unprofitable ſervants; we have done that which was our dutie to do. Mark; He ſpeaketh of Gods law, things commanded: now the law is nothing elſe but a …atalogue of thoſe things that God hath commanded us. When ye have done all theſe things, ſaith our Saviour, know it is your dutie. Here ye ſee the law hath power to ſay to the conſcience, This is your dutie. But ye will object, We are under faith; and do ye tell us of law? I anſwer, as Chryſoſtome anſwereth out of Paul,Rom. 3.31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: Yea, we establiſh the law. See how the Apoſtle doth abhorre this thought: God forbid, ſaith he. As if he had ſaid, Farre be it from me to teach ſuch an abominable doctrine: No, no; we establiſh the law. Heare what Chriſt ſaith himſelf, Think not that I am come to destroy the law: I am not come to deſtroy, but to fulfill it. O thought ſome, If we believe in Christ then we hope we ſhall have done with the law. No, no, ſaith Chriſt; ye ſhall as ſoon pull the heavens and the earth out of their place as diſannull one tittle of the law.
Arg. 2.Secondly, That which hath this authoritie that the breach of it is a ſinne, bindeth conſcience: but the law hath this authoritie, that neither regenerate nor unregenerate can tranſgreſſe it but they ſinne: therefore the law bindeth their conſciences. For the regenerate and all are bound in conſcience to take heed of ſinne:1. John 3.4. Whoſoever committeth ſinne tranſgreſſeth alſo the law. David was a regenerate man; yet when he had defiled Bathſheba, I have ſinned, ſaith he. Joſeph was a regenerate man; yet confeſſeth, if he ſhould tranſgreſſe the Lords commandment, he ſhould ſinne: How ſhall I do this great wickedneſſe, and ſo ſinne againſt God? But ye will object, This is old teſtament. What of that? I hope you will not take up the old damned hereſie again of the Cerdonians, and Cainites, and Apellites, and Manichees, and Severians, and other ſuch curſed hereticks condemned by the Church of God: Their hereſie was, To hedge out the regenerate from the old teſtament. And St Auguſtine proved it againſt them, That the morall law of God was ever the rule of obedience, and ſhall ſo continue with the goſpel to the end of the world; and every tranſgreſſion thereof is ſinne. The breach of the ceremoniall law was a ſinne once; but now it is not: becauſe once it bound the conſcience; now it doth not: But the breach of the morall law is ſtill ſinne: therefore ſtill it bindeth the conſcience. Do ye not remember what St James ſaith now under the Goſpel? he preſſeth it yet on mens conſciences: He that ſaid, Do not commit adultery, ſaid alſo, Jam. 2.11.Do not kill. Now though thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranſgreſſour of the law. And though ye may call it a law of liberty in what ſenſe ye pleaſe, yet he telleth you, Ye had beſt look to your words and deeds: for ye muſt be judged by this law of liberty: So ſpeak ye and ſo do as they that ſhall be judged by the law of liberty.
Arg. 3.Thirdly, That which being obſerved doth cauſe the conſcience of the regenerate to excuſe, and being tranſgreſſed to accuſe, that bindeth their conſcience: (For what elſe do you make binding of conſcience but this?) But the law of God being obſerved doth cauſe the conſcience to excuſe; being tranſgreſſed, to accuſe; In many things we ſinne all, ſaith the Apoſtle. Mark; Our conſciences do accuſe us: as we do ſinne in many things, ſo our conſciences do accuſe us when we do ſo. I am a ſinfull man, ſaith St Peter, Luke 5.8. His conſcience did accuſe him of ſinne.
Arg. 4.Fourthly, That which is the condition of Gods covenant of grace bindeth the conſcience, yea of the regenerate: but ſincere obedience to Gods law is a condition of Gods covenant of grace. See Luke 1.72. To remember his holy covenant, and the oath that he ſware that he would give us, That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might ſerve him without fear in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all the dayes of our life. Mark; Sincere and univerſall obedience is a condition of the covenant of grace, not onelyonly for a manifeſtation to our ſelves that we are truly juſtified; as theſe upſtart patritians do hold: but it is the condition of the covenant of grace. Every covenant hath its conditions annexed; and therefore it is called the book of the covenant, Exod. 24.7. the words of the covenant, Exod. 34.28. the tables of the covenant, Deut. 9.11. The reaſon is this; Becauſe when a covenant is made, the conditions are put into a book or a table and expreſſed in words. OnelyOnly here is the difference between the firſt covenant of works and the ſecond covenant of grace: Both have conditions; but here, I ſay, is the difference; In the one grace giveth the covenant, and grace giveth the condition of the covenant; but a condition is annexed though: Now hence we may argue (and none but enemies to the Goſpel can denie it) If the covenant of grace do bind a mans conſcience, then certainly the condition of the covenant bindeth a mans conſcience too: But the covenant of grace bindeth the conſcience of the regenerate; and therefore the condition of it bindeth. If you ask, What is this to obedience? the anſwer is, That obedience is the condition of the covenant of grace, as the forenamed Scripture expreſſeth, Luke 1.72. Thus ye ſee the law of God bindeth the conſcience of all the regenerate. This is the third Uſe.
4.Uſe 4. Hath the word of God ſupreme power to bind conſcience? Then hence we may learn, that no creature can diſpenſe with it, nor free conſcience from guilt when a man tranſgreſſeth the word. What a damned uſurpation is it in the Pope to offer to diſpenſe? The Canoniſts ſay he may diſpenſe de praeceptis veteris & novi teſtamenti, (They are their own words) he may diſpenſe with the commandments of the old and new teſtament. He diſpenſed with king Henry the eighth, and undertook to free his conſcience from guilt though he married his own brothers wife.Azorius the Jeſuite reports it. Gregorie the ſecond undertook to free ſubjects from being bound in their conſciences to keep their oaths of allegeance to Leo the Emperour. O theſe are damned aſpirings; and they plainly declare him to be Antichriſt, who exalteth himſelf in this manner. The word of God is the ſupreme binder of conſcience: And therefore not all the Angels in heaven can diſpenſe with one idle word.Pſal. 119.89. For ever, O Lord, thy word is ſettled in heaven. Gods word is ſettled for ever in heaven; and therefore ye may aſſoon remove the heaven from its place as one tittle of the word from binding conſcience. Doth the word ſay thus or thus? thou hadſt beſt do it: If thou wilt not, all the whole world cannot help thee; thy conſcience will condemne thee at the day of judgement without remedie. Hath the word convinced thee of thy ſinnes, and made thy conſcience ſay, I am a ſinner, and am guiltie before God? I tell thee then, Thy conſcience is bound, and all the world cannot looſe it. But haſt thou been humbled and emptied of thy ſelf, and doth the word pronounce pardon of thy ſinnes in Chriſts name, that thy conſcience can ſay, The Lord ſpeaketh peace to my ſoul? I tell thee, Thou art looſed, and nor hell nor devil nor, ſinne nor fleſh nor any thing can bind thee. Ye may ſee the power of Gods word in that ſpeech of our Saviour, Whatſoever ye ſhall bind on earth ſhall be bound in heaven, Matth. 18.18. That is, My word which ye preach is of that nature, that if that looſe your conſcience, it is looſed indeed, and nothing can bind it; if that do bind it, it is bound ſoundly indeed, and nothing can looſe it. O this is a terrour to the wicked! Doth the word of God ſay, He that hardneth his neck, Prov. 29.1.being often rebuked, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and cannot be cured? O fear and tremble ye that harden your necks againſt the reproofs of the Almightie: his word bindeth over your conſciences to Chriſts barre. Doth the word ſay. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge? If thou beeſt ſuch an one, thy conſcience is bound with this word, and it will apply it to the ſoul before the tribunal-ſeat of Chriſt. Doth the word crie out againſt any of thy courſes? thy conſcience is bound as with chains, and it is not all thy vain hopes and excuſes can looſe thee. Again, this is comfort to the godly: Gods word is the ſupreme binder of conſcience. O ye bleſſed of the Lord, the word of God tieth ſuch a faſt knot to your comforts that all hell cannot open it with their teeth: The word of the Lord Jeſus is with you, who hath the key of David, that openeth and no man ſhutteth, and ſhutteth and no man openeth. Yea, but ſayeſt thou, My ſinnes are against me: What then? mark what the word ſaith, We have an Advocate with the Father: Thy conſcience is bound to believe that. Yea, but I have a very naughtie heart, and I cannot tell what to do with it: Mark what the word ſaith; Believe in the Lord Jeſus, and thou ſhalt be ſaved: This bindeth thy conſcience. But I offend dayly: Mark ſtill what the word ſaith;Dan. 9.24. Chriſt bringeth in everlaſting righteouſneſſe. If thou beeſt unworthy to day, there is righteouſneſſe for thee to day; if unworthy worthy to morrow, there is righteouſneſſe for thee to morrow; if unworthy for ever, there is righteouſneſſe for thee for ever. This is Gods word, and thy portion; this bindeth thy conſcience to lay hold on it. But I have abundantly ſinned: What ſaith Chriſts word? I will abundantly pardon. O what comfort is this to every poore ſoul which the Lord Jeſus hath humbled! His word is the ſupreme binder of conſcience, above the law, above juſtice, above threatnings, above all the world beſides. His promiſing word is the ſupreme binder of thy conſcience, if thou beeſt one of Chriſts: And therefore fear not; onelyonly believe, and be thankfull, and give glory to God. This is the childrens bread; no ſtranger can intermeddle with it.
The ſecondary bond of conſcience.
YE have heard that the bonds of conſcience are of two ſorts: Firſt, there is a ſupreme bond of conſcience, and that is Gods word: of which I have already ſpoken. Secondly, there is a relative bond of conſcience, which bindeth conſcience indeed, but it is onelyonly in relation to Gods word, becauſe Gods word putteth authority upon it. And this latter is alſo of two ſorts: 1. Others may bind conſcience; 2. We our ſelves may bind our own conſciences.
1. Others may bind our conſciences.
1. Others may bind our conſciences, namely, when they have authority conferred upon them from God, and ſo their laws and commands receive vigour and force from Gods laws. Thus the laws and commands of Magiſtrates bind the conſcience of People; of Parents bind the conſcience of Children; of Maſters bind the conſcience of Servants: For though they do not bind conſcience as they are the commandments of men, yet having Gods ſeal and authority upon them they do. I will ſet down ſome concluſions whereby ye may know how farre the laws and commandments of others bind or not bind conſcience.
1. Concluſion.
1. Magiſtrates have power to command us. Let every ſoul be ſubject to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13.1. That chapter doth moſt clearly prove this concluſion unto us.
Out of the firſt part of the chapter we learn, 1. That Magiſtrates have power and authority to make laws, and to eſtabliſh orders among men; and therefore they are called powers: 2. We learn that theſe laws of Magiſtrates receive ſtrength and force from the law of God: For the powers that be are ordained of God, ſaith the text. 3. Thoſe laws made by the Magiſtrate and confirmed by God have power to bind conſcience, verſ. 5. Wherefore we muſt be ſubject not onelyonly becauſe of wrath but alſo for conſcience ſake. And the violating of them is ſinne. When their authority is confirmed by God, we cannot reſiſt them but we reſiſt the ordinance of God, ſaith the Apoſtle: nay, we may pull condemnation upon us if we do; They that reſiſt ſhall receive to themſelves condemnation, verſ. 2. So that this firſt concluſion telleth us what laws of men are to be obeyed; viz. 1. Such as do virtually flow from Gods word, though not expreſſely commanded in it; 2. Such as are good and wholeſome and profitable for the common-wealth: Theſe though they are not particularly commanded in Gods word, yet are they by virtue of it injoyned: and therefore to neglect them and be diſobedient unto them, is to neglect and be diſobedient to God. Again, ſo farre onelyonly are they to be obeyed (ſo farre onelyonly, I ſay) as they virtually do flow from Gods word: for ſo farre onelyonly they receive force from Gods law. This is the firſt concluſion.