The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise · Part 3
How a quiet conſcience in the godly differeth from the quiet conſcience that is in the wicked
THe ſecond thing propounded to be conſidered about a quiet conſcience, is, How it differeth from that quiet conſcience which is in the wicked. 1. I confeſſe that the wicked ſeem to have a very quiet conſcience: Many thouſands of carnall people ſeem to live and die in quiet. Look into alehouſes, lewd houſes, into all places; who ſo merrie and brisk, and heart-whole (as they ſay) as they who have no ſaving grace? Yet 2.Job 21.23. this quiet conſcience in them muſt needs differ from the quiet conſcience of the children of God. Certainly the Lord will not give the childrens bread unto dogs; neither will he ſmile upon their ſouls; neither doth he pardon the ſinnes nor accept the perſons of the ungodly: And therefore if they have a quiet conſcience, it muſt needs differ from that in the godly. Muſt not copper needs differ from gold? And we who are the Lords meſſengers muſt teach you the difference:Ezek. 44.23 They ſhall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane. Now the queſtion is this, Wherein lieth the difference between the quiet conſcience of the righteous and the quiet conſcience of the wicked? Anſw. The difference between them lieth in foure things: 1. In the thing it ſelf; 2. In the cauſe; 3. In the effect; 4. In the continuance.
I. In the thing it ſelf. The quiet conſcience in the godly is double; not onelyonly apparentiall and nominall, but reall and ſubſtantiall: It is quiet and quiet too, peace and peace too: I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace. Mark;Iſai. 57.19 peace and peace too; peace in appearance, and peace in truth and ſubſtance alſo. But the peace and quiet of conſcience which the wicked have is not ſuch peace: It is peace and no peace; peace in appearance, but no peace in truth. Their god is the god of this world, and he perſwadeth them they have peace: But my God, ſaith the prophet,verſ. 21. ſpeaketh otherwiſe; There is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God. They talk of a good conſcience ſometimes, and boaſt they have a good conſcience; but the truth is, they cannot have true peace within: for ſaith the prophet, the wicked is like the troubled ſea which cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt. So doth a wicked mans conſcience ſecretly caſt up mire and dirt in his face: His peace can onelyonly be outward and apparentiall.
II. There is a difference in the cauſe. The quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from one cauſe, and the quiet of a bad conſcience ariſeth from another.
1. The quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from a diſtinct knowledge of the word of God, and of the precepts and promiſes conteined in it: But the quiet of an evil conſcience ariſeth from ignorance: When men know not God nor his holy word, which ſhould bind conſcience, they fear nothing becauſe they ſee nothing; they know not the danger of ſinne: Like a blind man ſtanding before the mouth of a cannon, he feareth no danger becauſe he ſeeth none: ſo carnall men fear not becauſe they know not what cauſe they have to fear. Their very prayers that they make are an abomination to God, and they know it not: their good duties they do are all like cockatrices egs, and they know it not; they know not that they are in the bond of iniquitie, in the ſnare of the devil. Their conſciences are quiet becauſe they know not what cauſe they have to be otherwiſe. This is one difference; The quiet and peace of a good conſcience ariſeth from light and from knowledge; the quiet and peace of an evil conſcience, from darkneſſe and ignorance.
2.Heb. 10, 22. The quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from a due examination of our ſelves by the word, and purging of our conſciences. Conſcience never can be good without purging and ſprinkling; no nor without a due examination: the quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from this. Whereas the quiet of a wicked mans conſcience ariſeth from want of this: He never examineth his conſcience, but letteth it ſleep till God awake it with horrour. I ſay, a wicked mans conſcience ſleepeth, and that maketh it quiet, and he is not troubled nor moleſted with it. Like a baillif or ſergeant fallen aſleep by the way; the deſperate debtour whom he lieth in wait for may paſſe by him then, and find him very quiet, and not offer to arreſt him: or like a curſt dog fallen aſleep; a ſtranger may paſſe by him then and not be meddled with: Such like is this quiet evil conſcience.
3. The quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from a good ground, from the works of Gods Spirit, from true ſaving grace, from righteouſneſſe. Rom. 14.17. we reade of righteouſneſſe and peace: True peace of conſcience ariſeth from righteouſneſſe: Whereas the falſe peace of the wicked ariſeth onelyonly from vain hopes and conceits; They are not guiltie of ſuch and ſuch great ſins; or, They are not ſo bad as ſome others: As the Phariſee's conſcience was quiet; why? God, I thank thee, I am not as other men are, no drunkard, extortioner, nor like this publicane. Or perhaps from this ground their peace ariſeth; The Lord is very mercifull; and, The Lord Jeſus died for ſinners. Or perhaps this is their plea, They are good comers to church; They have prayers in their families; They have been profeſſours of Christ Jeſus ſo many years: From hence they dream of peace upon falſe grounds, whenas the way of peace they have not known. When conſcience ſhall be awaked, then it will tell them how they have by flattery deceived their own ſouls, and that having no true righteouſneſſe they could have no true peace.
4. The quiet of a good conſcience ariſeth from tenderneſſe and from life. Therefore the Apoſtle joyneth together, life and peace, Rom. 8.6. True peace of conſcience ariſeth from life: whereas the quiet of a wicked conſcience ariſeth from ſearedneſſe and benumbedneſſe and deadneſſe, when men being paſt feeling of ſinne are not troubled at the committing of it. Thus ye ſee the ſecond thing wherein the difference lieth, namely in the cauſe.
III. They differ in the effect. Firſt, The effect of the quiet of a good conſcience is comfort and rejoycing:Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. What followeth? By whom we have acceſſe by faith, rejoycing, &c. Mark; The peace of conſcience bringeth forth rejoycing.Rom. 15.13. Gal. 5.22. And ſo in other places peace and joy are joyned together. But the evil conſcience, though quiet, wanteth this rejoycing. If carnall men had no more mirth then what the quiet and peace of their conſciences doth help them to, they would not be ſo merrie as moſt of them be. Secondly, Another effect of true peace of conſcience is, It ſanctifieth the ſoul, it purgeth the heart, purifieth the life, and reformeth the whole man. It is the inſtrument whereby God ſanctifieth his people more and more:1. Theſſ. 5.23. The God of peace ſanctifie you wholly. Obſerve the title which the Apoſtle there giveth unto God when he ſanctifieth his people, he calleth him the God of peace; he ſanctifieth his people by peace: It maketh them think thus, We muſt not do thus or thus as others do; we ſhall loſe the peace of our conſcience if we do. This maketh them ſtrive againſt ſinne, denie their own wills and carnall appetites; If I ſhould not do ſo I ſhould have no peace. This peace ſanctifieth: But the peace which carnall men ſeem to have doth not ſanctifie the ſoul: they are never the more holy for the ſame. Again, another effect of the peace of a good conſcience is, to put life into us in the performance of good duties: it maketh us with gladneſſe and delight perform the duties of our generall and particular callings: But the falſe peace of an evil conſcience ſuffereth the wicked to be dead and dull to good duties. The true peace keepeth our hearts and our minds: We ſhould loſe our minds in the things of this life, but this peace doth keep them upon God; we ſhould loſe our hearts upon our profits and pleaſures and affairs in the world, but the peace of conſcience doth keep them upon heaven: Phil. 4.7. The peace of God which paſſeth all understanding, ſhall keep your hearts and minds. This doth the peace and quiet of a good conſcience: but the quiet of a wicked mans conſcience doth not do thus; it keepeth not his mind in this manner, but it is upon earthly things for all that.
IV. They differ in reſpect of duration and continuance. The quiet of a good conſcience is ſettled and grounded in the godly; it never faileth them nor forſaketh them: the other peace is fading. Let a feeling ſermon come and rifle carnall men, it taketh away their peace from them; their conſciences then flie in their faces, and then they ſee they are not right: Let loſſe of outward things come a… light upon them, or any other affliction, it taketh their peace from them; conſcience then breaketh out upon them and ſheweth them how they have deceived themſelves with falſe peace, eſpecially at their death, then an evil conſcience (that hath been quiet before) in ſtead of comforting will affright and amaze them. But if we have the quiet of a good conſcience, it will make us heare the word with comfort, and not be troubled and diſquieted by a ſearching ſermon or the threatnings of Gods judgements: Nay, if we be in trouble, this will quiet us; if in affliction, this will comfort us: It will endure all our life, and be preſent at our death; then eſpecially it will ſhew it ſelf a friend unto us, in ſtanding by us to chear and refreſh us.Pſal. 119.165. Great peace have they which love thy law, & nothing ſhall offend them, ſaith David: nothing ſhall offend them or take away their peace: it is an eternall and everlaſting peace. Thus you have ſeen how the true and falſe peace of conſcience differ.
But here cometh a queſtion to be anſwered, & it is this; Have all Gods children this peace of conſcience? I dare ſay ſome of you look for this queſtion, and long to have it anſwered. I anſwer therefore, No; they have it not alwayes. Job ſeemed one while not to have it:Job. 7.20. I have ſinned, ſaith his conſcience: what ſhall I do unto thee, O thou preſerver of men. David ſeemed one while not to have it: Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie burden; they are too heavie for me, Pſal. 38.4. His ſinnes lay heavie upon his conſcience for a fit. Hezekiah one while ſeemed not to have it: Behold, for peace I had great bitterneſſe. And therefore I ſay the children of God have it not alwayes. But let me tell you; They might have it alwayes. 1. It is poſſible they ſhould have it alwayes: Their ſinnes of ignorance and infirmitie do not break the peace of their conſciences: cannot; for if they could, then no man ſhould have true peace of conſcience at any time. Nothing but willing and witting ſinnes, ſinnes againſt conſcience, can break the peace of conſcience: and as it is poſſible for the children of God to live without theſe, ſo it is poſſible for them alwayes to have peace; yea, they may have daily more and more peace. 2. As it is poſſible for the children of God alwayes to have peace, ſo they are commanded to keep their peace alwayes; and it is their own fault if at any time they loſe it: Acquaint thy ſelf with God, and be at peace, Job. 22.21.ſaith Eliphas. So,Col. 3.15. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, unto which ye are called. We are not onelyonly commanded to have peace in our hearts, but alſo that it may rule there, that no corruption perk over it to hinder it: we are called to this peace, and commanded to have it; and therefore as it is a ſinne in the commonwealth when one breaketh the peace, ſo it is a ſinne in the ſpirit to break the peace of conſcience: we are all bound to the peace. 3. If the children of God have it not alwayes, then they feel the want of it: and in the want of that comfort nothing elſe will comfort them. It is not all the peace and proſperitie of the world that can comfort their hearts as long as they have not this peace; not all the mirth in the world can content them untill they enjoy this peace again, the peace and quiet of a good conſcience: they faint for it, and long after it, they can have no ſtrength without it;Pſal. 29.11. The Lord will give ſtrength unto his people; the Lord will bleſſe his people with peace. It is not ſo with corrupt hearts: they can be without peace, and yet never faint; they can eat and drink for all that, and ſleep and be merry for all that, yea and go about their profits and their earthly buſineſſes as roundly as ever for all that: But the children of God if they want the peace of conſcience, they have no ſtrength to do any thing almoſt, they faint till they have it again. 4. The godly alwayes have the ſeeds of it in them:Pſal. 97.11. L…ght is ſown for the right…ous, and gladneſſe for the upright in heart. Mark; it is ſown in their hearts, and it will ſpring up at one time or other to chear them and to comfort them. As it is with the wicked; they may ſeem now and then to have true peace, but they have the ſeeds of horrour alwayes in them, which will ſprout forth at laſt, and then they ſhall find the worm of an evil conſcience again: ſo on the contrarie ſide, the godly may ſeem now and then to have no peace, but yet they have alwayes the ſeeds of true peace in them, which will in time ſhew themſelves, and ſolace their ſouls for ever. 5. They never want peace as the wicked do want it: The wicked want it, and have no poſſibility of having it: they go in ſuch paths as wherein they ſhall never know peace, Iſai. 59.8.ſuch paths as will never lead them unto it: ſtill their conſcience is able to ſay, they are not right, they are carnall and not ſpirituall; they know no true peace of conſcience, neither can they: But the children of God walk in ſuch wayes as will bring them to true peace of conſcience ere they have done.
By this ye ſee what a good and quiet conſcience is. It cannot be but that all muſt like it, and wiſh, O that we had it! Beloved, let us labour to get it and the aſſurance of it. No bleſſing under heaven is like it: It is a heaven upon earth. Happie are they who can ſhew they have it: and miſerable are they who have it not. Dulce nomen pacis, Sweet and pleaſant is the very name of peace, eſpecially of the peace of a good conſcience: If ye have it, no miſery can make you miſerable: and if ye have it not, no happineſſe can make you happie. It is Chriſts legacy which he bequeathed to his Church;John 14.27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. It is glorious and honourable: Beeſt thou never ſo mean in the world, thou art glorious if thou haſt this peace: beeſt thou never ſo deſpiſed and diſgraced among men, thou haſt honour enough if thou haſt this peace: Rom. 2.10. To every one that doth good, glory and honour and peace. Mark how it is accompanied; namely, with glory and honour: But ſhame and confuſion and diſhonour is upon all them that have it not.