The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise · Part 4
III. Examination, Whether we have a quiet conſcience.
COncerning a quiet conſcience I propounded three things: 1. What it is; 2. How it differeth from that quiet conſcience that is in the wicked; 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conſcience yea or no. The two former we have handled already: namely, What a quiet conſcience is; and, How it differeth from that quiet conſcience which is in the wicked. Let us paſſe on now unto the third, namely, to an examination of our ſelves whether we have a true quiet conſcience yea or no.
A quiet good conſcience is ſuch a marvellous bleſſing that it cannot poſſibly be but we muſt like it and wiſh, O that we had it. Let us then examine our ſelves and ſee whether we have it or no. Many have peace and quietneſſe (as hath been ſhewed alreadie) ariſing from falſe grounds: they have peace of conſcience becauſe they know not what belongeth to trouble of conſcience; or if they know that a little (as ſome of the wicked do) yet they do not conſider that ſorrow which one …y will burſt in upon them and ſink them utt…rly: Let us trie then our peace by theſe notes.
I. I… the quiet of our conſciences be good, it is ſuch as we have carefully ſought for at the mercies of God in the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, when being pinched with the burden of our ſinnes we did fly to the promiſes of God to ſeek comfort, to the bloud of Chriſt, to find eaſe and to get aſſurance of Gods favour. If our peace come not this way, it is naught, and we were better to be without it then have it. It may be we ſpeak peace to our ſelves; but doth the Lord ſpeak peace to our conſciences?Pſal. 35.8. I will heare what the Lord will ſpeak: for he ſhall ſpeak peace to his people, and to his ſaints: but let them not turn again to folly (for that will break all their peace.) O go to God then, and heare whether he ſpeaketh peace to your conſciences; whether it be God in Chriſt reeonciling the world to himſelf that ſpeaketh it to you. It is not true peace without we have ſought for it at the throne of grace, without it be peace of Gods making. Now the Lord ſpeaketh peace to his people who come to him for peace three wayes. 1. He ſpeaketh peace to them by his word. This ſpeaking is thus; When the word promiſeth peace to thoſe who walk by ſuch a rule, and they walk by that rule, then Gods word ſpeaketh peace to their ſouls. The rule is ſet down Gal. 6.15. In Chriſt Jeſus neither circumciſion availeth any thing nor uncircumciſion, but a new creature: and then followeth, As many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them. 2. God ſpeaketh peace to his people in their conſciences. This ſpeaking is thus; When the conſcience can ſay, I am in Christ, I am engraffed into Christ, then the Lord ſpeaketh peace by the conſcience, peace be with you all that are in Chriſt Jeſus:…. Pet. 5.14. ſo alſo when the conſcience can ſay, I hunger after righteouſneſſe, I truly mourn for ſinne, I deſire in all my wayes to pleaſe God. Thirdly, God ſpeaketh peace by his Spirit. This ſpeaking is thus; When the word hath ſpoken peace by the promiſe, and when the conſcience ſpeaketh, I am thus and thus qualified, and therefore I have peace, then the Spirit of God cometh in and witneſſeth, Yea, you ſay right; peace belongeth unto you indeed, and I ſay Amen to it. When the Spirit of God doth ſay thus, then the Lord ſpeaketh peace to the ſoul.Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. Peace is the fruit of the Spirit: it ſpeaketh it to the ſoul, breedeth it in the ſoul. Now, beloved, examine your ſelves: Is your peace of this ſtamp? do ye ſeek it of God, and get it in the bloud of Chriſt Jeſus? do ye get it by the word, and by your trueſpeaking conſcience, and by the holy Spirit of God? If ye get it on this wiſe, then it is true peace of conſcience indeed. If ye get it by your own vain hopes and by your good meanings, &c. this peace will not hold alwayes: when your conſciences come to be awaked, your peace will all vaniſh away and be no more. This is the firſt note to try and examine your ſelves by.
II. If our quiet and peace of conſcience be good, it is accompanied with ſuch a life as is agreeable to the will of God: it avoideth ſinne, as the thing that diſturbeth the peace. How can any man have true peace of conſcience when his life doth not pleaſe God but provoketh his wrath againſt him? It cannot be that he ſhould have true peace who in his heart doth regard ſinne: There is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God. No, whereever true peace of conſcience doth inhabit, it dwelleth with godlineſſe of life and unblamableneſſe of converſation; as the Apoſtle Peter joyneth them together, 2. Pet. 3.14. Wherefore, beloved, ſeeing ye look for ſuch things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without ſpot and blameleſſe. Mark the words; In peace, without ſpot and blameleſſe. If ever we would be found in true peace, we muſt live without ſpot and blameleſſe. A wicked mans conſcience may ſeem to have peace, and tell him he hath ſerved God;Prov. 7.14. This day I have paid my vowes, ſaith the conſcience of the whore: but this is a rotten and deceitfull peace. True peace of conſcience is ever accompanied with ſuch a kind of life as is agreeable to the will of God in his word.
III. If our peace be good, it will make us endure to heare any point in Gods word with joy and delight. A wicked heart can heare points of merciemercy and comfort with joy: ſo long his peace laſteth: Every man that calleth upon the name of the Lord ſhall be ſaved; If we confeſſe our ſinnes, God is juſt to forgive us our ſinnes; If any man ſinne, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous; Whoever ſhall confeſſe that Jeſus is the Sonne of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God: Such points as theſe a wicked heart can reade with delight (though if they were truly opened and expounded they would yield him cold comfort, yet he can heare them with delight in the lump:) But if a ſearching point or ſome terrible point cometh, he is afraid to heare that. Ahab had a quiet conſcience but onelyonly when Michaiah did preach: Felix had a quiet conſcience no doubt; yet he trembled to heare Paul preach of death and of judgement, Acts 24.25. One would have thought that Paul (a priſoner) ſhould rather have been afraid: but Paul had true peace of conſcience, and therefore he could think and ſpeak of death with great comfort, and of judgement with joy; So could not Felix. Beloved, this is a ſtrong ſigne of a falſe peace, when ſome points of Gods word lay us ſlat and bereave us of our hold. Ye ſhall have many ſay, O they have ſuch peace, and they have ſuch a good conſcience, as quiet as can be, and as heartwhole as can be: By and by a ſound ſearching point cometh and ranſacketh them to the quick, and they are gone. I confeſſe they go and get ſome untempered morter or other, and dawb up their conſciences again; but they are gone for the time. This is a ſtrong ſigne of a rotten peace. But a child of God can heare any point, heare of death, of judgement, of any thing contained in the word, with delight and comfort. It is true, he may be amazed thereat: but he is glad at heart that he heareth it, and will make uſe of it, be it mercy or judgement. Sweet or bitter points all are welcome to him: even the bittereſt points are ſweet to him, becauſe God and he are at peace; and therefore he knoweth there is no news from God but it is good.
IV. If our peace of conſcience be good, it will heal that baſe fearfulneſſe which is in many: who dare not be in the dark, dare not go through a church-yard in the night. Some will quake at the very ſhaking of a leaf, as the wicked in Job:Job. 15.21. which is nothing but a guiltie conſcience. I grant this fearfulneſſe is naturall to ſome; yet I ſay the true peace of conſcience will cure it. I do not ſay this is a reciprocall ſigne of true peace of conſcience; for many wicked men may be bold enough: but I ſay true peace of conſcience will cure this immoderate fearfulneſſe in the godly.
But here two queſtions are to be asked. I. Whether every true child of God that hath true peace of conſcience can think of death with comfort and be deſirous to die.
Anſw. 1. Peace of conſcience doth not take away naturall fear. It is the nature of every living creature to be very fearfull of death. The Philoſopher calleth death foreign, the fearfulleſt thing of all fearfull things. Bildad calleth it the king of terrours. Job 18.14.Nature loveth its own preſervation; and therefore feareth the deſtruction of it. Peace of conſcience doth not take away all this fear. 2. Beſides, peace of conſcience doth not take away alwayes all degrees of ſlaviſh fear of death. The reaſon is, becauſe peace of conſcience may be weak, mixed with much troubles of conſcience. For as faith may be very imperfect, ſo peace of conſcience may be in ſome very imperfect. Good old Hilarion was very fearfull to die: He cried out to his ſoul when he lay on his death-bed, O my ſoul, hast thou ſerved Chriſt theſe foureſcore years, and art thou now afraid to die? Again,1. Jo…n 4.18. a mans love may be very imperfect. Perfect love indeed caſteth out fear; but imperfect love doth not. Hezekiah had peace of conſcience: Remember Lord, ſaith he,2. Kings 20.3. I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart. Mark; He had the peace of a good conſcience; his conſcience told him he had a ſincere heart, and that his wayes pleaſed God: yet he was afraid to die: I do not think it was onelyonly becauſe he had no iſſue, though that might be ſome reaſon of it. 3. When a child of God is afraid to die, it is not ſo much for love of this life as out of a deſire to be better prepared. This made David cry out,Pſal. 39.13. O ſpare me, that I may recover ſtrength, before I go hence and be no more. Job 10.20, 21.And ſo Job; Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I ſhall not return. Theſe good men were then ſomething unwilling to die: They might have many reaſons; moſt likely this was one▪ That they might be better prepared, and more fit and ready for their departure. 4. Some of Gods people; as theſe, Job and David, at other times; I ſay, ſome of Gods people have ſuch marvellous peace with God as that if it were Gods will they had much rather die then live;Phil. 1.23. I deſire to be diſſolved, ſaith Paul, and to be with Christ; which is farre better. It may be in regard of the church, or the care of their children and charge God hath laid on them, they could be content to remain ſtill in the body: nevertheleſſe, they account their ſtate after death much better; and, were it put to them whether to die or to live longer here, they would chooſe death rather of the twain.1. Kings 19.4. Nay, Elias requeſted for himſelf that he might die: It is enough, Lord: take away my life. Not that they love death it ſelf; for death is evil in its own nature, contrary to nature, a badge of ſinne: but for the love they have to and the aſſurance they have of eternall life after death. 5. Nay there is no child of God but may truly be ſaid to love death, and to love the day of judgement and the appearing of Chriſt Jeſus. Divines uſe to put this as a ſigne of Gods children: Nay, the Apoſtle maketh this as a propertie of Gods children, to love Chriſts appearing: I have fought a good fight, ſaith Paul, I have finiſhed my courſe: There he telleth us of his own peace; and then he telleth us of his reward;2. Tim. 4.8. From henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the righteous Judge ſhall give me in that day; and not to me onelyonly, but to them alſo that love his appearing: that is, to all his children: For all the children of God love the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt to judgement. Though all do not deſire it with the ſame ſtrength of faith, yet all deſire it with faith.Heb. 2.14. They believe that Chriſt hath deſtroyed him that hath the power of death, which is the devil; they believe Chriſt hath taken away deaths ſting, which is ſinne, 1. Cor. 15.56, 57.and ſwallowed death up in victory; and may all ſay, Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Neither do they ſo much queſtion this as their faith to believe it; ſaying, Lord, help our unbelief. 6. Gods children have good reaſon to do ſo, and to check their own hearts whenever they do otherwiſe. Whenever any diſturſt cometh, they ſhould check it down again: whenever any fear ariſeth, they ſhould ſay,Pſal. 116.15. What? I fear death? which is a thing ſo precious? Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. Is death precious, and ſhall I be ſo vain as to fear it? Thus ye ſee an anſwer to the firſt queſtion, Whether every child of God that hath true peace of conſcience can be deſirous to die.
II. Queſt. Whether a wicked man that hath no peace of conſcience may not be deſirous to die too? Anſw. 1. The horrour of conſcience may make a wicked man deſirous to die. He may have ſo much horrour of conſcience as that he may think certainly hell cannot be worſe: (Hell is infinitely worſe; but he may not think ſo.) Thus Judas was deſirous to die, when he went and hanged himſelf:Matth. 27.5. Thus many in deſpair do make away themſelves. I confeſſe ſome in deſpair may be fearfull to die: as Cain was fearfull to die; it was fear of death made him ſpeak thus unto God, It ſhall come to paſſe that every one that findeth me ſhall ſlay me, Gen. 4.14. The reaſon was, becauſe, though he were in deſpair, yet he was not ſo ſenſible of his horrour as Judas was: for Cain could go and build for all this, and train up his children in muſick and the like for all this; but Judas was in a caſe more ſenſible of his miſery. 2. Dolour of pain may make a wicked man deſire to die. Thus it was with Saul: Saul had received his deaths wound, and was in moſt grievous pain: he could not die preſently, neither could he live; but lying in very great pain between both, deſired the Amalekite to ſtand upon him and ſlay him, 2. Sam. 10.9. (though Oſiander think the Amalekite lyed unto David to curry favour with him; but Joſephus and others think he ſpake the truth.) Sure it is, that many wicked wretches having no peace of conſcience to ſweeten and allay their torments, have been deſirous to die: nay ſome have haſtened their own death. 3. Malecontentedneſſe, & ſhame, and diſappointment of their aims may alſo make wicked men deſirous to die, and, if death come not ſoon enough of it ſelf, to diſpatch away themſelves with cruel ſelf-murder. Thus it was with Achitophel: when he ſaw his counſel was not followed he haltered himſelf:2. Sam. 17.22. He had no peace of conſcience to comfort him againſt all his dumps and diſcontents; and therefore he was deſirous to die. 4. Wicked men, being vexed at ſomething for the preſent, may ſeem to be deſirous to die; and yet if death ſhould come indeed, they would be of another mind, and be content death ſhould be further off. Nay, Jonas (that ſtrange man of a good man) O for a fit he would be dying, yea that he would, Lord, Jon. 4.3.take my life from me: for it is better for me to die then to live. I ſuppoſe if God had taken him at his word, he could have wiſhed his words had been in again. But thus it is often in the mouthes of wicked people; I would I were dead; and, I would I were out of the world: not for any peace of conſcience they have, nor for any deſire of death, but onelyonly for a momentany pang. If they were to die indeed, they would be loth enough to it. Like the man in the Fable: who being wearied with his burden of ſticks, lay down and called for Death; but when Death came indeed to take him, and ſaid, What ſhall I do, man? thou calledſt me: I pray thee, ſaid he, help me up with my burden of ſticks. When he was to die indeed, then he would rather have his own weariſome burden. It is but a fable; but this is the faſhion of many. 5. When wicked men are deſirous to die indeed ſometimes not out of diſcontent or any ſuch like reaſon, yet it cannot be out of any true peace of conſcience: They may go away like lambs, as we ſay; but it is in a fools paradiſe. It may be whileſt they lived they thought to go to heaven: but when they dy, then all their thoughts periſh, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh in another caſe.
To return therefore where we left; O beloved, is there any of you that want the peace of a good conſcience? and do ye know what you want? what a great benefit and bleſſing? That ye may ſee this, and fully know it, and by knowing it earneſtly deſire it, conſider,
Firſt, that it is the very head of all comforts. A worthy Divine calleth it Abrahams boſome to the ſoul: Ye know what a bleſſing it was unto Lazarus to be taken from his fores into Abrahams boſome: The peace of a good conſcience is like this boſome of Abraham: Who would not gladly lie in it? Such a man who hath it can never look upon another mans comfort, but a good conſcience will ſay, Yea, and I have my comfort too. When Paul was commending of Timothie, ſee how his own conſcience ſpake of himſelf at the ſame time:1. Cor. 16.10. He worketh the work of the Lord, as I alſo do. Mark; his conſcience would be putting in comfort for himſelf: Doth Timothie work the Lords work? yea and ſo do I too, ſaith his conſcience: It is Muſculus his obſervation upon the place.
Secondly, A quiet conſcience maketh a man to taſt the ſweetneſſe of things heavenly and ſpirituall: It maketh the word to be to him, as to David, Sweeter then hony, yea then the honycombe: I have not departed from thy judgements, O Lord, ſaith he (thus ſaith his conſcience:) now what followeth next?Pſal. 119.103. How ſweet are thy words unto my tast yea, ſweeter then hony unto my mouth. A good conſcience maketh a man taſt ſweetneſſe in prayer, when his conſcience telleth him he prayeth aright: It maketh him taſt ſweetneſſe in a Sabbath, when his conſcience telleth him he ſanctifieth it aright: ſo alſo in the ſacrament, when his conſcience can witneſſe he receiveth aright. What is the reaſon ſo few of you taſt ſweetneſſe in theſe things? The reaſon is this; Becauſe ye have not the peace of a good conſcience: It would find ſweetneſſe in every good dutie, in every good word and work.
Thirdly, A good quiet conſcience maketh a man taſt ſweetneſſe in all outward things, in meat, in drink, in ſleep, in the company of friends: it putteth a Better upon a very morſel, Prov. 17.1. Brown bread and a good conſcience, there is a Better upon it then upon all the coſtly fare of the wealthie without it. Bernard calleth a good conſcience a ſoft pillow: Another calleth it a dear boſome friend: Solomon calleth it a continuall feaſt. It maketh a man taſt ſweetneſſe in every outward thing. The healthy man onelyonly can take pleaſure in recreations, walks, meats, ſports, and the like: they yield no comfort to thoſe that are bedrid, or ſick, or half-dead. But when the conſcience is at peace the ſoul is all in good health; and ſo all things are enjoyed with ſweetneſſe and comfort.
Fourthly, It ſweetneth evils to a man, as troubles, croſſes, ſorrows, afflictions. If a man have true peace in his conſcience, it comforteth him in them all. When things abroad do diſquiet us, how comfortable is it to have ſomething at home to chear us? ſo when troubles and afflictions without turmoil and vex us and adde ſorrow to ſorrow, then to have peace within, the peace of conſcience, to allay all and quiet all, what a happineſſe is this? When ſickneſſe and death cometh, what will a good conſcience be worth then? Sure more then all the world beſides. If one had all the world, he would then give it for a peaceable conſcience. Nay, what think ye of judgement and the tribunal of Chriſt? Do but think what a good conſcience will be worth then? When Paul was accuſed and hardly thought of by ſome of the Corinthians, this was his comfort;1. Cor. 4.3, 4. I know nothing by my ſelf, ſaith his conſcience: I count it a very ſ…all thing to be judged of you. Nay, he goeth further: His conſcience telleth him he hath the Lord Jeſus (who juſtifieth him) to judge him; he hath a ſweeter Judge then his own conſcience, even his Saviour, to judge him. O there is no created comfort in the world like the comfort of a peaceable conſcience. The heathen Mena…der could ſay, foreign Conſcience is a little pettie god. We may not give it ſuch a big title: but this is moſt certain; The conſcience is Gods echo of peace to the ſoul: in life, in death, in judgement it is unſpeakable comfort.
Is there any then that want this?Exhortation. Let them above all things labour to get it: It is more worth then all things elſe. Whatever we neglect, let us not neglect this. It is ſafer to neglect bodie, health, means, maintenance, friends, and all that ever we have in the world then to neglect this. The more we have the worſe it is for us, if we have not this. Had we all this worlds good, it is like a ſtone in a ſerpents head or a toads head, or a pearl in an oyſter; not our perfection but our diſeaſe.
Again, you who have a peaceable conſcience, 1. Labour to maintain it. Be often in communion with God, be not ſtrangers to him, the light of whoſe countenance is the peace of your ſouls. It is the walking with God that breedeth true peace and preſerveth it. It is ſaid of Levi, that he walked with God in peace. Mal. 2.6.O let us ſtirre up our ſelves to walk cloſe with God, that ſo we may have peace: No ſweet peace but in ſo doing. 2. We muſt take heed we do not trouble nor diſquiet it, that we do not reſiſt it, or offer violence unto it by committing ſinne againſt the peace of it, but endeavour to maintain the peace of it by obeying the voyce of it. Get the fear of God, which is wiſdome; and to depart from evil, which is true underſtanding: All her paths are peace, Prov. 3, 17. We cannot walk in any one path of true wiſdome but we ſhall find in it peace: There is peace in humilitie, and peace in charity, and peace in godlineſſe, and peace in obedience, &c. Break any of theſe things, and ye break the peace. Ye heare what an admirable thing the peace of conſcience is: O then, if ye have it, make much of it: nay, if ye have it, ye will for certain make much of it. The very having of it will teach you the worth of it, and learn you to prize it, and make you above all things unwilling to leave it. And thus much of the firſt, viz. a quiet conſcience.