The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise · Section
A quiet conſcience.
COncerning a quiet conſcience three things are to be conſidered: 1. What a quiet conſcience is; 2. How it differeth from that quiet conſcience which is in the wicked; 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conſcience or no.
I. For the firſt, What a quiet conſcience is; It is that which neither doth nor can accuſe us, but giveth an honourable teſtimony of us in the courſe of our lives and converſations ever ſince we were regenerate (I put that in too: for 1. we do not begin to live till we be regenerate, and 2. we can never have a true quiet conſcience till then.) Such a quiet conſcience had good Obadiah; I fear the Lord from my youth, 1. Kings 18.12.ſaith his conſcience: This was a very honourable teſtimony that his conſcience gave him. Such a quiet conſcience had Enoch:H…b. 11.5. Before his tranſlation he received this teſtimony, that he pleaſed God. Haymo ſaith,Die…nte ſcripturâ inquit ille. this teſtimony was the teſtimony of Scripture, Gen. 5.24. where it is ſaid that he walked with God. This is true; but this is not all: The text ſaith not there was ſuch a teſtimony given of him, but he had it: and that before his tranſlation; but the teſtimony of Moſes was after his tranſlation: Therefore it was the teſtimony of his conſcience that bore witneſſe within that he pleaſed God. So that this is a quiet conſcience, which neither doth nor can accuſe us, but giveth an honourable teſtimony of us in the whole courſe of our life and converſation. Now to ſuch a quiet conſcience there be three things neceſſary: 1. Uprightneſſe, 2. Puritie, 3. Aſſurance of Gods love and favour.
Firſt, uprightneſſe is when a man is obedient indeed. Many will be obedient, but they are not obedient indeed, not humbled indeed, not reformed indeed. What it is to be obedient indeed ye may ſee Exod. 23.22. But if thou ſhalt indeed obey his voyce, and do all that I ſhall ſpeak, &c. Mark; that is obedience indeed when we do all that God ſpeaketh, and are obedient in all things. This is an upright conſcience, when the heart is bent to obedience in all things.Acts 23.1. An example we meet with in Paul; I have lived in all good conſcience before God untill this day. His conſcience could not accuſe him of any root of wickedneſſe and corruption allowed and cheriſhed in him: That is an upright conſcience. Haſt thou ſuch a conſcience as this, My conſcience can truly bear witneſſe there is no ſinne I favour my ſelf in, allow my ſelf in, but condemne all, strive againſt all. Thus David proveth that his conſcience was upright; If I regard iniquitie in my heart, the Lord will not heare my prayer. The regarding of any iniquity will not ſtand with uprightneſſe.
A ſecond thing required to a true quiet conſcience is puritie. Though our heart be upright and ſtand generally bent to the Lords will, yet if we be guiltie of ſome particular ſinne this will hinder the quiet of our conſcience. Therefore ſaith Paul, I know nothing by my ſelf; that is,1. Cor. 4.4. nothing to accuſe me; no corruption, no root of unbelief reigning in him: Infirmities he had many, and frailties he had many, and he knew them, but be knew nothing to accuſe him. Whatever was amiſſe in him, his conſcience told him he uſed all holy means againſt it. If thy conſcience can truly ſay thus alſo of thee, then haſt thou a truly quiet conſcience.
Thirdly, Aſſurance of Gods love, favour, and pardon. Though we have fallen into great ſins, yet our conſciences may have quiet if we can be truly aſſured of Gods love and favour in the pardon of them.Heb. 10.2. The Apoſtle proveth that the ſacrifices of the law could not purge away ſinne; but onelyonly Chriſts bloud can do it. His argument to prove it is this, Becauſe thoſe ſacrifices could not free a man from having conſcience of ſinne; they could not purge the conſcience: but Chriſts bloud can: After aſſurance of pardon in Chriſts bloud conſcience can no more condemne for ſinne, how many or how great ſoever the ſinnes were which have been committed. Theſe are the three things required to a true quiet conſcience.
Furthermore a quiet conſcience implieth two things: 1. A calmneſſe of ſpirit: 2. A chearfull, merry and comfortable heart. Theſe two I mean when I ſpeak of a quiet conſcience.
1. A calmneſſe of ſpirit, or a quietneſſe of mind, not troubled with the burden of ſinne nor the wrath of God, nor terrified with the judgements due unto ſinne. This quietneſſe and calmneſſe of ſpirit is promiſed to all them that truly hearken unto Chriſt and obey him;Prov. 1.33. Who ſo hearkeneth to me ſhall be quiet from fear of evil.
2. A chearfull, merry and joyfull heart. When our conſcience giveth a comfortable teſtimonie of us, it cannot but make our hearts joyfull. This is our rejoycing, 2. Co…. 1.12.the teſtimony of our conſcience, ſaith Paul: The comfortable teſtimony which his conſcience gave of him made him to rejoyce. A wicked man cannot truly rejoyce: no, though he be merrie and joviall and laugh, yet his carnall eſtate is a ſnare, he can have no true joy; but the righteous ſing and rejoyce, Prov. 29.6. No mirth like the mirth of a good conſcience. All other joy is but outſide, painted, ſeeming joy: That is onelyonly true joy that is rooted in the comfortable teſtimonie of an upright good conſcience, which telleth a man his peace is made with God, and that whether he be in ſickneſſe or in health God loveth him, whether he live or die he is the Lords. Thus ye ſee what a quiet conſcience is.