Loyalty and Peace, Discourse 1 – Title page 2

Loyalty and Peace · Discourse 1 – Title page 2

p. 11 Sam. Chap. XXIV. Verſe 5.

And it came to paſs afterwards, that David's heart ſmote him; becauſe he had cut off Saul's Skirt.

MY Text is part of a Remarkable Story, referring to David and Saul. Saul had been poſſeſt with an Implacable Spirit of Envy (ſuch as no Harp could lay) from the time that the Women ſang in their Dances, Saul has ſlain his thouſands, and David his ten thouſands. Little did thoſe ſweet Singers of Iſrael, if they may be ſo called, think, how great a Diſcord that their praiſing Melody, which gave the preference to David, a Son and Subject, above Saul, his Father and Sovereign, would make in the heart of Saul againſt David; in ſo much that ever after he hunted him like a Partridge upon the Mountains. Thinking p. 2no ſacrifice great enough, to expiate for that his Crimen Alienum, or other folks fault, in over-commending him; but the life and heart-blood of him that was ſo commended: Which ſheweth us, that Solomon ſpoke like an Oracle, when he ſaid, Who can ſtand before Envy?

Saul returning from following the Philiſtins (I had almoſt ſaid like a Lyon, that hath taſted blood and thirſts for more) was told that David was in the Wilderneſs of En-gedi, ver. 1. Forthwith he took three thouſand choſen men out of all Iſrael, and went to ſeek David and his men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats. No Rock, but he who is called the Rock of Ages, was ſufficient for David's ſecurity, or can be for ours. In ver. 3. it is ſaid, that Saul came to the Sheep-Cotes by the way; thinking poſſibly that the Shepherds, of whoſe Profeſſion David formerly was, could inform concerning him; where, ſaith the Text, Was a Cave, which Saul went into, to cover his feet. It followeth, that David and his men remained in the ſides of that Cave; and no wonder, becauſe as Strabo tells us, there were ſome Spelunca or Caves, eſpecially towards Arabia and Iturea, where, in time of War, Shepherds hid themſelves and their flocks; yea whereunto p. 3all the Inhabitants of Villages and ſmall Cities, did repair for ſhelter; ſome of them being able to contain at once four thouſand men. The Mouths of ſome of thoſe Caves were ſo ſmall and full of Windings, that no man at his Entrance could eſpy thoſe that were within; but thoſe that were within could eſpy thoſe that were entring: ſo that David and his men ſaw Saul coming, but he ſaw not them; whereupon he went on ſecurely, little ſuſpecting that he was within one ſtep of death, if God and David had ſo pleaſed. And poſſibly he laid by his uppermoſt Garment, the Skirt whereof David was ſaid to have cut off, and might be more prone to do, when it was ſeparated from that ſacred Body to which it did belong, than when Gods Anointed had it on; to whoſe holy Anointing David had ſpecial regard, though his followers had none; Witneſs their words, ver. 4. And the men of David ſaid unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord ſaid unto thee, I will deliver thine Enemy into thine hands; that thou mayeſt do to him as it ſhall ſeem good to thee: meaning that thou mayeſt kill him. Counſel worthy of ſuch Councellors as they, who were a parcel of Runnagates, men in debt, and in diſtreſs, p. 4and of deſperate fortunes; who looked for nothing but a Jail or worſe, if Saul ſhould live to be reconciled to David. Men likely enough to have been Saul's Executioners, if David had but ſaid the word, Strike off his Head, or, Cut his Throat: For of that ſort of men I preſume are all the Executioners of Horrid and Bloody Edicts. But as bad and faithleſs men as they were, they prefume not to give ſuch counſel, as that, without a religious pretext and colour for what they ſaid. They countenanced this their ſanguinary Advice with three ſpecious things, viz. Divine Prophecy, Promiſe, and Providence. For, ſay they, Behold the day of which the Lord ſaid unto thee, Behold I will deliver thine Enemy into thine hand. Which words ſeem to refer to ſome Prophecy and Promiſe of that Nature, which God had made, to David, by the mouth of Nathan, Gad, or Samuel; though there be no ſuch Prophecy or Promiſe recorded in Scripture; which cauſeth ſome to think that Providence was the onelyonly Argument which David's Ragged Regiment and Outlawed Crew of Deſperadoes made uſe of, to ſtir him up to take away the life of Saul. And then they read the words thus, Behold the Day of which the Lord ſaith p. 5unto thee; putting in the Preſent Tenſe per Enallegen temporis, for the Preterperfect: Carrying the ſenſe thus, Behold this is the day in which the Lord by the plain voice of a ſignal Providence, hath told thee, that he hath put King Saul into thine hand, to do with him what ſeems good in thine Eyes. Having now ſo tempting and charming a Providence before thee, be not thou like the Deaf Adder, that hearkeneth not to the voice of the Charmer, though he charm ever ſo ſweetly. Yea methinks I hear ſome of them ſay unto David, as the King of Iſrael ſaid unto Eliſha, concerning thoſe Enemies whom he had led blind-fold into Samaria, My Father ſhall I ſmite? ſhall I ſmite? Or as he ſaid, Let me ſmite but once, and I will not ſmite again. Behold a Price is put into the hand of a Fool, if he have not the heart to improve it.

So plain and powerful was the Argument taken from Providence, always amongſt thoſe, whoſe Fingers itched to be doing, and whoſe mouths watered at that, for which they had no better Arguments. The force and ſtreſs of which Argument lies here, What may be done, may be done. That is, what may be done de facto, may be done p. 6de jure; or whatſoever God makes poſſible by an unuſual ſeries of Providence (as is the cutting off a Kings Head when it is once brought to the Block) is thereby intimated to be lawful, yea neceſſary and our duty. So opportunity makes a Thief, and a good opportunity makes it a Judges Duty to condemn him, and an Executioners to put him to death. But poſſibly theſe Subterranean or Cave Councellors of Davids, that they might have three ſtrings to their Bow; did really intend to urge alſo a Prophecy, and Promiſe from God in the Caſe (whether there were any or no) a Practice uſual in more modern Ages, to encourage Rebellion by ſome pretended Prophecy of ſucceſs in the Caſe. When men that intend Rebellion, can alledge ſignal Providences purſuant of Prophecies, and Promiſes for their purpoſe, as alſo Prophecies, foretelling thoſe things, which a train of ſucceſsful providences ſeem to make way for; they ſeem then to ſail before Wind and Tide, doubt not but to get ſafely, yea, and honeſtly too, into the harbour of their deſigns, and to get Complices enough to bear them company.

But ſince that providence hath tackt about like the Wind (though it held for above p. 7twenty years in one Corner) I do imagine that the Engliſh Logicians (who formerly made more uſe of that Topick than of any other, could wiſh that an Index Expurgatorius might paſs upon it. Becauſe that Wind, which for ſo many years paſt was with and for them, is now as much againſt them. And if they will ſtill hold that old Argument taken from Providence, it is to be hoped it will make them good and loyal Subjects; becauſe as miraculous a ſeries of Providence as any they could ever pretend to, hath given us the happy Reſtauration of His Majeſty, and firmly ſetled him upon his Throne.

But to proceed, The Counſel of David's followers ſeemed to make ſome Impreſſion upon him, and that ſomething did ſtick; (as they ſay there will, when men do fortiter calumniari) for that he adventured to cut off Saul's Skirt: as who ſhould ſay he would try whether the Ice would bear him, before he would venture to walk or ſlide upon it; but finding it to Give, Thaw, or Crack under him, I mean his Heart to fail him when he had done no more but ſo, he preſently ſtarted back, his Conſcience recoiled upon him, and gave occaſion to the words of my Text, And Davids p. 8Heart ſmote him becauſe he had cut off Saul's Skirt.

Which words do plainly conſiſt of three general parts, viz. firſt of all David ſmitten, ſecondly, that which ſmote him, viz. his Heart; thirdly, the reaſon why his Heart ſmote him, becauſe he cut off Saul's Skirt.

I ſhall ſpend but a few words to explain the ſeveral parts of the Text. By Davids Heart we are to underſtand his Conſcience, for ſo ſome Interpreters render it, Redarguit Davidem Conſcientia ſua. Now the Conſcience of Man may well be called his Heart, becauſe Naturalliſts give this account of the Heart of Man; that it is, Primum vivens ultimus moriens: ſo is the Conſcience of Man, viz. The firſt thing that lives, when man begins the Life of Religion, and the laſt thing that dies, when a man forſakes that Life; for whilſt a man has one ſpark of Religion abiding in him, it remains in his Conſcience. As for the word ſmote him, though it be a Metaphor, I hope it may be pardoned, becauſe I find few Texts of Scripture in which is no Metaphor; and the ſenſe of it is plainly this, That Davids Heart did rebuke him. As for the laſt words, becauſe he cut off Saul's p. 9Skirt; they are ſo plain nothing can make them plainer.

It is moſt eaſie to eſpy, in theſe words thus divided and explained, theſe Four Propoſitions, viz. Firſt of all, That Conſcience is a Smiter, or one that will ſmite men firſt or laſt, if they give occaſion. Secondly, That Conſcience doth ſmite men ſometimes for ſins comparatively ſmall, as Davids Heart did for cutting off but Saul's Skirt. Thirdly, That the ſame Conſcience hath and doth ſometimes ſmite men for ſmall ſins, which for a time hath given them no rebuke for much greater tranſgreſſions; witneſs the Heart of David, which for a conſiderable time rebuked him not for his Adultery with Bathſheba, nor yet for murthering her innocent Husband Ʋriah, and yet now ſmote him for but cutting off of the Lap of Sauls Skirt. Fourthly, That Affronts and Injuries offered to Superiours are ſins, for which Conſcience is as apt to ſmite men, as for moſt that are committed againſt either Table. Of which I ſhall give an account hereafter.

But now for the firſt of theſe Propoſitions, It may take in the two Later, to which I ſhall therefore apply my ſelf; and in purſuance of it, inquire into Nine Particulars (or whether I ſhould rather call them Generals, I am not as yet ſatisfied) p. 10viz. Quid, Or what is Conſcience; ſecondly, Quod, the foreign, Or that Conſcience is a ſmiter; Thirdly, Propter quod, Or for what it is that Conſcience uſeth to ſmite: Fourthly, Quos, Or who they are that Conſcience takes the boldneſs, or uſeth to ſmite: Fifthly, Quibus, Or by what means and methods Conſcience is ſtirr'd up to ſmite men: Sixthly, Quando, When and at what ſeaſons Conſcience uſeth to ſmite: Seventhly, Quamdiu, How long Conſcience holds on Chiding: Eighthly, Quomodo, How or in what manner Conſcience uſeth to ſmite: Ninthly, Quare, Why or by what Authority Conſcience preſumes to ſmite.

Now theſe Nine Particulars will take up all we mean to ſay upon the Doctrinal part of this Text, which we intend to finiſh in a ſhort Application. We begin with the firſt of theſe, namely the Quid, or to ſhew what Conſcience is. Conſcience is well defined by Ameſius, to be Judicium Hominis de ſemetipſo prout ſubjecitur Judicio Dei. That is the Judgment of a Man concerning himſelf, as it is ſubjected to the Judgment of God, Iſa. 5.3. 1 Corinth. 11.31. But more plainly Conſcience is, that which excuſeth when we do well; condemneth us when we do ill: If our Hearts condemn us, ſaith the Apoſtle, p. 11&c. Commendeth us when we do well; Confounds us, or rather puts us to ſhame and confuſion of Face, when we leave undone the things we ought to do, or do the things we ought to leave undone; and on the other hand comforts us, and fills us with joy, when we leave undone what we ought to leave undone, and do the things which we ought to do, and as we ought to do them. Hence thoſe words of the Apoſtle, 2 Corinth. 1.12. For our Rejoycing is this, The teſtimony of our Conſcience; that in godly ſincerity we have had our converſation in the world, &c.

Conſcience is a Court ſet up by God in every mans Breaſt, and hath a three-fold Office aſſign'd it, viz. That of a Plaintiff or Accuſer; Secondly, Of a Witneſs or Evidence; Thirdly, Of a Judge; for Conſcience is all theſe in one. If any man put the Queſtion, What is Conſcience? as Pilate of old, What is Truth? Methinks I ſee Conſcience it ſelf ſtand ready to anſwer him: Knoweſt not thou who, and what I Conſcience am, whence I come, and whether I would? Art thou ſo much a ſtranger at home, ſo much a ſtranger to thy ſelf, of whom I am part? I am nearer to thee than he or ſhe that is Fleſh of thy Fleſh and Bone of p. 12thy Bone; than the Husband or Wife of thy Boſome: I was brought up with thee in thy Nonage, and was thy Boſome Companion from the time thou didſt firſt know thy right hand from thy left; I have been with thee early and late, talked with thee many an hour in thy Bed, and in the ſtill and dead of the night; I have kept thee waking many an hour when thou wouldſt fain have ſlept, calling thy ſins to remembrance; and ſeting them in order before thee: Many a time have I made thee bluſh, many a time have I made thee cry, and water thy Couch with thy tears; ſometimes have I made thee quake and tremble, and make thy very Bed to ſhake under thee; And knoweſt thou me not all this while? Other times have I ſpoken good and comfortable words to thee; come to thee with an Olive Branch of Peace in my Mouth, and ſaid to thee in Gods Name, whoſe vicegerent I am, Well done good and faithful Servant: Or as the Angel of God ſaid to Cornelius in a Viſion, Acts 10.4. Thy Prayers and thy Alms are come up for a Memorial before God; or as the words are Eccleſ. 9.7. Go thy way, eat thy Bread with joy, and drink thy Wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy Works. Sometimes p. 13have I made thee a Feaſt of Fat Things, and of Wines refined on the Lees; for a good Conſcience, thou knoweſt is a continual Feaſt; of Fat Things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees well refined. Hence forward ask no body but thy ſelf who I am; Who ſhould know the things of a Man, but the Spirit of Man which is in him? as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. And ſurely among the things of a Man, I Conſcience am the greateſt; I am that Spirit of Man, which Solomon calleth the Candle of the Lord, Searching all the inward parts of the Belly: I am that great thing which ſome have called a god; for it is an old ſaying, foreign. Though indeed I am but Gods Vice Roy, or one of thoſe that are called gods. In a word, I'll ſay no more what I am, for I am ſo inconſiderable when my Saviour is but once mentioned, that I am not worthy ſpeaking of; yet I am not juſt nothing at all: therefore let him that was writing of me, proceed and tell you how it doth appear that I am that Smiter, that Reprover, that Bonarges, that Son of Thunder, that he has told you I am; and that will bring him from the Quid to the Quod; which is the next thing to be ſpoke to.

p. 14Secondly, I am obliged in the next place to prove that which may as eaſily admit a proof as any thing, yea indeed needs no proof at all, viz. That Conſcience is a faculty in the Soul of Man, that will ſmite firſt or laſt if occaſion be given. I ſay it ſeems to need no proof, for what need is there for any man to prove by Reaſon and Arguments, that there is ſuch a thing as the Gout, Stone, or Collick; or that theſe things are painful when they ſeize People violently: ſeeing the ſenſe and woful experience of every man that has been under the ſmart diſcipline of all or any of theſe, aſſures him that ſo it is. What the Apoſtle ſaith of Afflictions, may be applied to the chaſtiſings of Conſcience: If you are without Chaſtiſement, whereof all are partakers, ye are Baſtards and not Sons. The Scripture ſaith, That by the mouth of two or three witneſſes, every word is confirmed. We ſhall therefore alledge Three credible Witneſſes, viz. Scripture, Experience, and Sound Reaſon; whereby ex abundanti, to eſtabliſh the point in hand. It is none of the foreign, or things but once written in the Holy Scriptures; That Conſcience is a Smiter: for this we find aſſerted over and over, both in the Old and New Teſtament: p. 15Witneſs firſt the famous inſtance of this truth, in the firſt Adam; Gen. 3. v. 10. And he ſaid, I heard thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid, becauſe I was naked; and and hid my ſelf. The meaning whereof is, That when Adam had eaten of the forbidden Fruit, his Conſcience did forthwith fly or ſpit in his Face, and put him into a pannick fear, and to a woful ſhame; ſo that he could almoſt have buried himſelf alive, or gone down to Hell; could he there have been hid from the preſence and diſpleaſure of an angry God. Our next inſtance ſhall be in Cain. Did his Conſcience ſmite him or did it not? Yea almoſt as mortally as he ſmote his Brother Abel; witneſs thoſe words of his Gen. 4.13. And Cain ſaid unto the Lord, My puniſhment is greater than I can bear; behold thou haſt driven me out this day from the Face of the Earth, and from thy Face ſhall I be hid; and I ſhall be a Fugitive and a Vagaboud in the Earth: and it ſhall come to paſs that every one that findeth me ſhall ſlay me; v. 14. See here the doleful Bodings of a guilty ſmiting Conſcience.

The Third Witneſs that we ſhall call, ſhall be that paſſage in Gen. 42.21. And they (viz.) Joſeph's Brethren) ſaid one to another, p. 16we are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoul, when he beſought us and we would not hear; therefore is this diſtreſs come upon us.

A Fourth inſtance would be one more than I promis'd, but you may have it in Judges 1.7. And Adoni-Bezek ſaid, threeſcore and ten Kings, having their Thumbs and their great Toes cut off, gathered meat under my Table; As I have done, ſo God hath requited me.

Let the famous inſtance of Judas bring up the Rear, Matth. 27.3. Then Judas, which had betrayed him (viz. our Saviour) when he ſaw that he was condemned, repented himſelf; ſaying, I have ſinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood: And he caſt down the pieces of Silver in the Temple, and went and hanged himſelf; verſe 4, 5. If Conſcience had not ſmitten him ſo as it were with fiery Scorpions, ſurely his ſoul had not choſen ſtrangling rather than life.

We have been already compaſſed about with a ſufficient Cloud of Scriptural Witneſſes. In the next place you may find thoſe Witneſſes backt with Experience, I mean the Experience not of one, but of all Ages; which need not be preſſed, but will come in, in the Quality of Volunteers, p. 17and offer its ſervice to atteſt this truth. That there is a God, hath not more ſuffrages from the light of Nature, and common Experience of Mankind; then that there is a Smiter, or Reprover in every Mans Breaſt, called Conſcience; I had almoſt ſaid I appeal to every mans Conſcience that there is a Reprover in his Breaſt, which when he ruſheth into Sin as the Horſe into the Battle, and drinketh in Sin, as the Fiſh doth Water; Curbs and checks him for ſo doing, tells him he ought not to miſpend his precious time, to waſte thoſe golden ſands of time, which once run out, can never be recalled: Tells him that he ought to mind the Errand for which God ſent him into the World, and ſet all men upon the face of the earth, viz. To ſeek after God, if hapily they might feel after him, and find him, Acts 17. v. 27. And tells him in caſe he doth otherwiſe, that he plays Jonah, who ſet ſail for Tarſhiſh, when God ſent him to Nineveh; and may juſtly expect, that a ſtorm of Divine Wrath will purſue him, that he ſhall be caſt into the Deep, into the midſt of the Seas; and all Gods Billows and Waves ſhall paſs over him: as it is Jonah 2.3. Tells him that ſith he names the name of Chriſt, he ſhould depart from all p. 18iniquity; ſhould deny all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts; live righteouſly, ſoberly, and godly, in the preſent world; and that tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be upon every ſoul that obeys not the truth: Ʋpon the Chriſtian firſt, and then upon the Heathen; for this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world; and men love darkneſs rather than light, becauſe their deeds are evil.

Now I doubt not but every man is capable of this Appeal to himſelf or to his Conſcience, or to that which the Quaker calls, The Light within him: Unleſs there be ſome few, that have ſerved their Conſciences, as deſperate Perſons ſometimes do thoſe Bayliffs and Serjeants which come to Arreſt them in the Kings Name, viz. kill them out-right, which yet I think is hard to do by Conſcience; for thoughſome have laid their Conſciences in Swanes and Trances, or caſt them into a dead ſleep, as did Herod, in reference to Herodias, with whom he lived in Inceſt; yet they do generally awake and come to themſelves again, as appeareth by that famous inſtance of Herod, Mark 6.16. of whom it is ſaid, When he heard of the fame of Chriſt, he ſaid, It is John whom I beheaded, he is riſen from the dead.

p. 19Now to Scripture and Experience, the two fore-cited witneſſes; I ſhall add a third, viz. Reaſon: That three-fold Cord can ſurely never be broken: Hear then what Reaſon can ſay on the behalf of Conſcience, it being a Smiter: I know, ſaith Reaſon, it muſt needs be ſo, becauſe the frame and make of Conſcience is ſuch as it is; as well as I know that a keen Axe muſt needs be apt to cut, becauſe it hath ſo ſharp an Edge. Conſcience is a Natural Logician, Apta Natu, that is, naturally fitted to frame Syllogiſmes; concerning which 'tis a conſtant and infallible Rule, That the Concluſion doth alwayes follow the worſe and weaker part of the Premiſes. Concluſio ſemper ſequitur partem deteriorem. If then Conſcience ſhall thus ſyllogize (as often it doth) he that believeth not in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he that loveth not Jeſus Chriſt ſincerely and ſuperlatively, he that forſaketh not his Sins, he that mortifieth not the Fleſh, with the Luſts and Affections thereof, is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth upon him; and then aſſumes or takes this for his minor Propoſition: But thou, O my Soul, believeſt not, thou loveſt not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, thou haſt not forſaken thy Sins, &c. Then will it p. 20be forced to fall foul upon a Man, with this Concluſion, Ergo or therefore, thou art condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on thee.

I hope by this time, I have proved the foreign or Quod ſit, beyond all exception (viz.) that Conſcience is a Smiter, &c. Which brings me to the third particular, namely, to the Propter quod, or to ſhew what it is that Conſcience doth uſually ſmite men for. In general it is for ſin, real or ſuppoſed, moſt commonly real. Now though Conſcience doth many times wink at ſmall faults (though not alwayes ſo neither) give me leave to tell you, it ſeldome forbears to ſmite for great and crying Abominations, ſuch are, firſt of all ſins committed againſt the clear Light of Nature, as well as of Scripture; ſuch as the Apoſtle chargeth them with Rom. 1. v. 32. Who knowing the Judgment of God, that they who commit ſuch things are worthy of death; not onelyonly do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them. When Chriſtians venture to do thoſe things, which even Heathens know ought not to be done, namely, to do to others what they would nor others ſhould do unto them; to tell pernicious Lies, to perjure, or ſuborn Perjury, to the undoing of others, &c. When p. 21Conſcience ſmites for ſuch faults as thoſe, will it not fetch blood, and make every blow it gives pierce to the very heart? Secondly, Thoſe ſins whereto even corrupted Nature ſeems to have an antipathy, averſation and abhorrence, as namely, Horrid ingratitude towards our beſt Friends, recompencing Evil for Good; as Chriſt ſaith, I have done many good works among you, for which of theſe do you go about to ſtone me? John 10.32. Cruelty to a mans own Fleſh and Blood, as in Parents towards Children, and Children towards Parents, and in other near Relations one towards another; Inceſt and the like: When Conſcience ſmites ſuch Fools as theſe, doth it not, as it were Bray them in a Morter, break them upon the Wheel, put them upon a Rack, give no Quarter, and Refuſe to …ure for their much crying.

Thirdly, Thoſe ſins which are at once a manifeſt breach of both the Tables of Gods Law, and which either ſmite at men, as it were through the Loyns of God Almighty, or at God Almighty through the Loyns of Men: As for Example, When Jezebel ſuborned Witneſſes to forſwear themſelves againſt Naboth, that ſhe might take away his Life; What was that but a ſmiting of Naboth, p. 22through the Loyns of God Almighty: And on the other hand, When wicked men have perſecuted the Saints and Servants of God, ſpilt their Blood as Water upon the Ground, becauſe they bore the Image of their Heavenly Father; What was that but to ſmite at God himſelf, through the Loyns of Men? To crucifie our Saviour again in Effigie, and to tell the World, (but that the Heaven of Heavens muſt contain him till the reſtitution of all things) they would have done as much to him, as they have done to his Friends and Followers. Now Conſcience is wont to ſtir up all its Wrath as it were, to heat the Furnace of its Indignation ſeven times hotter than at other times, when ſuch Miſcreants as theſe are to be caſt into it.

Fourthly, Thoſe ſins which are of dreadful and horred conſequence, which produce amazing and aſtoniſhing evil Effects; which imbrew Nations in Blood, and pluck down Divine Vengeance upon Cities and Kingdoms; like the ſins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which laid thoſe famous Cities all in Aſhes; or like Davids numbring the People, which expoſed his Subjects to one of three dreadful Judgments (chooſe him whether) the leaſt whereof was the Plague or Peſtilence; p. 23when Conſcience ſmites for ſuch things as theſe it even breaks Mens Bones, it makes them Magor Miſſabibs, that is Terrors round about to themſelves, ready to fall into the jaws of deſpair, curſing the day of their birth; as did Job, Chap. 1.3. upon an other account, and crying out as he v. 11. Why died I not from the Womb? Why did I not give up the Ghoſt when I came out of the Belly? When Conſcience ſmites at this rate, ah who can live?

But Fifthly and laſtly (to name no more) Preſumptuous ſins, that is, ſins committed againſt full Conriction of their real and hainous ſinfulneſs againſt the Lord; Out-cryes of Chriſtian Friends, Holy Miniſters, and above all, of Mens own Conſciences, crying out and ſaying, O do not this abominable thing which the Soul of God hateth; ſins againſt faireſt warnings, given by Gods ſignal Judgments, executed upon ſinners of the like nature, ſins againſt the higheſt obligations of ſtupendious mercies, obliging men to the contrary; and aggravated by whatſoever other circumſtances do aggravate the ſins of men: Theſe preſumptious ſins (as I call them) do make the Conſciences of Men to ſmite, till even themſelves be ſick with ſmiting; and to give the ſinner little or no reſt day or night, cauſing him to cry out, p. 24My wounds ſtink and are corrupt, becauſe of my fooliſhneſs; there is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh becauſe of my ſin; mine iniquites are gone over my Head, and are a burthen too heavy for me to bear, &c.

Now that Conſcience ſhould ſmite for ſuch crying and crimſon ſins as theſe is no wonder; but what ſhould be the meaning of its ſmiting men, as now and than it doth, for ſmall ſins, for motes in their eyes, for meer Peccadillo's: When poor Jonathans have taſted but a little Honey upon the tip of their Staves, Why muſt they die for ſo doing? Why muſt Ʋzza's Hand wither but for ſtretching it forth, and that with a good intention to ſtay Gods tottering Ark? Why muſt the Carkaſſes of ſo many Beth-ſhemites fall, onelyonly for the moſt pardonable curioſitie, as it may ſeem, viz. To look into Gods Ark, whilſt the Angels of God themſelves are allowed foreign, that is, to ſtoop down and to pry into Gods Miſteries? Why muſt David loſe ſo great a number of his innocent Subjects, as he call'd them, when he ſaid, What have theſe Sheep done? onelyonly becauſe their King and Shepherd made bold to number them: Why ſince it is a Maxim in the Laws of England. Lex non curat de minimis. The Law p. 25troubles not it ſelf with trivial faults. I ſay, Why doth the All-merciful God either ſmite himſelf, or ſuffer Conſcience to ſmite at ſo great a rate for ſmall Tranſgreſſions; for cutting off not the Head of a King, but meerly the Skirt of his Garment? Or how can he be ſaid to be merciful that does ſo? Hath he appointed Conſcience not onelyonly not to ſwallow Camels, but to ſtrain at Gnats? Is this the manner of Men that are accounted mild and merciful?

Anſ. It were eaſie for me to take up the Authors of this objection very ſhort, ſaying no more than this: Who art thou O man that replieſt againſt God? But ſince it may eaſily be done, I ſhall gratifie them with a more full and ſatisfactory account of this matter, in the following Particulars: Firſt of all, God doth therefore puniſh ſmall ſins (ſuch I mean in compariſon of others) with great temporal Puniſhments, and ſet Conſcience at work ſometimes to chide for them at a great rate, to let the World know there is no ſin ſmall abſolutely but comparatively. For as much as every ſin is committed againſt God, who is infinitely good; and in that reſpect is Ex parte objecti, a kind of infinite evil. As there is no wilful Murther, Inceſt, Sodomy, Beſtiality, Perjury, or p. 26Treaſon, which is in it ſelf a ſmall crime; yet there are ſome of all theſe which are ſmall in compariſon of other faults of the ſame denomination, clothed with much more aggravating circumſtances, as we commonly hear of Petty Treaſon, in oppoſition to High Treaſon; ſo there are Petty Thefts, Petty Oaths, of which ſins we may ſay, as of the Stars of Heaven, viz. They are all great, though not all of the ſame magnitude; for all Stars are not Stars of the firſt magnitude. Secondly, God ſometimes ſmites ſeverely, both by himſelf and by Conſcience (his Vice-Roy) for ſmall ſins, to let men know that the ſmalleſt ſins deſerve, though not the greateſt of eternal, yet of temporal Puniſhments; though not the worſt place in Hell, yet the worſt condition can be undergone in this World: elſe God had been unrighteous, in laying what he did lay upon Job; whoſe ſins were meer Motes in compariſon of the ſins of many other Men, which were like Beams; and yet his Afflictions were like great Beams, whilſt theirs were but little Motes or Atomes, dancing in the Sun. To puniſh any man one grain above his demerit, were one grain of Injuſtice, which is altogether incompatible with the Righteouſneſs of God: Surely the greateſt p. 27of temporal Judgments are but finite, and therefore the leaſt of ſins being infinitely evil, Ex parte objecti, or as it is, againſt an infinite good, cannot but deſerve it.

Thirdly, Therefore doth God ſuffer men to be ſmitten at a very great rate, both by himſelf and their own Conſciences, for ſmall ſins (which they uſe to call Zoar's, ſaying they are but little ones and their Souls ſhall live) to declare his infinite Purity and Holineſs; as being ſo great a hater of all ſin, that he cannot behold the leaſt without indignation; as if the Apple of his Eyes were thereby touched: and a very Mote will diſturb the Apple of ones Eye.

Fourthly, We may humbly conceive that God puts a Rod into the hands of Conſcience, in order, to its ſmiting men for ſmall ſins, for this merciful end, that he may reſtrain them from committing greater. He whoſe Heart ſmote him for cutting off but Sauls Skirt, was in no danger of ever adventuring to cut off his Head.

Laſtly, God may be ſuppoſed by Conſcience and by himſelf, to ſmite men ſeverely for ſmall ſins, that thereby he may make other men afraid of committing greater; and they who have committed greater to quake and tremble, when they conſider what God hath done by p. 28thoſe whoſe ſins were far leſs than theirs; ſaying within themſelves, If this be done to the green Tree, what ſhall be done to the dry? And if Judgment thus begin, as it were, at the Houſe of God, where ſhall the wicked and ungodly appear?

I hope by this time my Reader is ſatisfied in the reaſons why God doth ſometimes puniſh ſins comparatively but ſmall, with great and grievous Judgments, and particularly with ſharp ſtings and reflections of Conſcience.

If any ſhall now ask me why God doth not puniſh all ſins alike in this Life, and every ſmall tranſgreſſion as ſeverely as he did Davids numbering the People? I might anſwer him by another Queſtion, namely, Why do not Magiſtrates put to death all condemned Perſons, Thieves and others; but onelyonly tranſport ſome, whilſt they hang others; and while ſome are executed within a day or two, give others a long reprive, and poſſibly in concluſion a pardon? Is there any Injuſtice in ſo doing? No ſurely, for Juſtice and Mercy do not interfere, but do ſweetly accord and kiſs each other▪ whilſt Mercy keeps within its Zodiack (to allude to the motion of the Sun) though it hath an Ecliptick Line, which ſeems not p. 29ſo ſtrait, yet it treſpaſſeth not upon the Bounds or Land-marks of Juſtice: Take it in the caſe of Pharoah, who though he hanged his Baker, that had diſpleaſed him, was not unjuſt, though his pleaſure was to lift up the Head of his Butler, who poſſibly was in the ſame Tranſgreſſion, as well as in the ſame Priſon with him; not upon the Gallows, as he did the Baker, but in the Preferments of his Court. A Creditor, who having two Debtors, ſhall caſt one of them into Priſon, who all things conſidered, deſerves to be ſo dealt with; is not unjuſt, though at the ſame time he ſhall freely forgive the other as great or greater a Debt.

It is highly comporting with Wiſdom and the ends of Government, that ſmall ſins be ſometimes ſeverely puniſhed (eſpecially at the firſt making Laws) to give them ſanction: So God commanded him to be ſtoned to death, who gathered ſticks upon the Sabbath day; and ſent fire from Heaven to conſume Nadab and Abihu, for offering ſtrange fire.

And it is on the other hand as agreeable to Wiſdom and other Perfections, that ſmall faults ſhould generally receive but ſmall puniſhments, that the work and reward, p. 30as well bad as good, ſhould bear a manifeſt proportion each to other.

But the Riddle of all Riddles, as it may ſeem to ſome, is, that which is yet behind, namely, Why doth God ſometimes ſuffer the Conſciences of men to be quiet and not to ſmite them at all after they have ſinned with a very high hand, when yet the Conſciences of thoſe very men are ſometimes appointed by God to fall foul upon them, for meer Peccadillo's? Of which we have an inſtance in David, whoſe Heart ſmote him, not for the matter of Bathſheba and Ʋriah (the two grand faults of his Life, and greateſt blot sin all his Eſcutheon) till ſuch time as Nathan the Prophet came to him, which was ſuppoſed to have been one or more years afterwards, and opened his Eyes with the Eye-ſalve of a Parable; whereby he was honeſtly trapann'd (if I may ſo ſay) into giving ſentence againſt himſelf. There are principally two reaſons which offer themſelves to ſatisfie us in this point, One taken from the Nature of great Sins, the other from the Juſtice and Wiſdom of God. That from great Sins is this, 'Tis the nature and property of great ſins, to ſtun and ſtupiſie the Conſciences of Men, and as it were to ſtrike them dead; as a great blow is apt to p. 31put a man paſt all feeling for the preſent: to deliver him up to an Apoplexy, whilſt a ſmall blow ſhall fill him with Smart and Pain. 'Tis commonly and truly ſaid, Leves loquuntur curae Ingentes ſtupent. And it is moſt certain, that all things which are a great deal too big and too much for us, do naturally aſtoniſh and confound us, be they Griefs or Joyes, Fears or Hopes, Good or Evil Things; which ſutes well with what Naturaliſts ſay, viz. that Nimium ſenſible ledit ſenſorium. As we ſee too much Light dazzles and blinds our Eyes (though nothing ſo pleaſing to the Eyes as that meaſure of Light which they can bear) and too much noiſe (though moderate ſounds, are the muſick of the ear) do not pleaſe but deafen us; ſo it fareth with Men, who by great ſins have ſtun'd their Conſciences, and lain them as it were ſprauling at their feet; they become as the Apoſtle calls it, Paſt feeling, Epheſ. 4.19. foreign, or as it is expreſſed, 1 Tim. 4.2. foreign; that is, having their Conſciences ſeared with a hot Iron. Conſcientias Cauterio reſectas, like Veins or Arteries burnt in two; which have no more ſenſe or perception of any thing.

Secondly, The reaſon of this, which is p. 32taken from the Juſtice of God; may be thus explained, 'Tis a righteous thing with God, when Men have ſlighted the frequent and earneſt motions of their Conſciences, to give them up to their own hearts luſts; and to ſay unto Conſcience, Let them alone, as of old concerning Ephraim; Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone: Hoſea 4.17. or as it is in the 14 of that Chap. I will not puniſh your Daughters when they commit Whoredom, nor your Spouſes when they commit Adultery, &c. Or as it is in Pſal. 11. v. 11, 12. But my People would not hearken to my voice, and Iſrael would have none of me; ſo I gave them up to their own hearts luſt, and they walked in their own counſels, &c. This is now the ſoareſt of all Puniſhments in this Life. As nothing afflicts a Sick Man ſo much as to hear his Phyſician ſay, Let him eat and drink what he will, riſe and go abroad when and where he will; for then he concludes that he has given him over, and looks upon him as paſt all cure; and ſo an foreign, or pleaſant Paſſage out of the World, is all he aims at for him.

I forbear to add a third reaſon, viz. That Conſcience, when it has found it ſelf often repulſed, reſiſted and baffled, begins to grow weary of admoniſhing, takes pet, and p. 33ſaith in effect, as the words are, Rev. 22.11. He that is unjuſt, let him be unjuſt ſtill; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill; or as God himſelf, Iſaiah 1.5. Why ſhould you be ſtricken any more, you will revolt more and more; the whole Head is ſick, and the whole Heart is faint, &c.

Let us now paſs to the fourth thing, which I propounded to ſpeak of; viz. The Quos, or who they are that Conſcience doth make bold to ſmite. In anſwer to that let me tell you, 'Tis much eaſier to declare whom Conſcience hath preſumed to ſmite, than whom it hath not; for doubtleſs Conſcience fears the Face of no man: it hath ſmitten as Wiſe Men as ever were in the World, not doubting to make good its charge againſt them: witneſs Solomon for one, if the Book of Eccleſiaſtes be his recantation, as it is generally ſuppoſed to be. It hath ſmitten as valiant Men and brave Souldiers as ever drew a Sword; witneſs David, who feared not the Face of Goliah, that mighty amazing Gyant; he who undauntedly encountered with a Lion and a Bear; and gave Saul, as a Dowry for his Daughter, two hundred Foreskins of the Philiſtines, ſlain by his hand; yet was his Conſcience too much and too p. 34hard for him, humbled him, laid him grovelling in the Duſt at its pleaſure.

Nay it hath ſmitten as great, rich, and powerful men, as moſt ever were; witneſs David, aforeſaid, and his Son Solomon, a greater Prince than he, both in Wiſdom and Wealth; both of which Conſcience, when time was, made to lay their mouths in the duſt, if there might be hope: Did not Conſcience make its part good with Nebuchadnezzer, though a kind of Univerſal Monarch; Dan. 3.4. c. As alſo with Belſhazar ſpoken of, Dan. 5.6. In theſe words, Then the Kings Countenance was changed, and his Thoughts troubled him, ſo that the Joynts of his Loins were looſned, and his Knees ſmote one againſt another; namely, when he ſaw the hand-writting upon the Wall, Thou art weighed and found too light. And ſo I have diſpatched the fourth thing, or the Quos, ſhewing whom Conſcience makes bold to ſmite, viz. As well High as Low, Rich as Poor, Wiſe as Fooliſh, Learned as Unlearned, Princes as People, Men that have the faireſt forms of Godlias well as thoſe that are openly Prophane; for Conſcience is no Child or Coward, to fear Masks and Vizards: and no Changling to be taken with Painted Faces p. 35and Artificial Beauties. The next or fifth Head to be ſpoken too, is the Quibus, or by what things Conſcience is ordinarily ſtirr'd up to ſmite and chide; and ſome of them are as follow, viz. By the Word of God Read or powerfully Preached: which is the reaſon why ſome Perſons, conſcious to themſelves of great ſins wherein they lived, have ſtudiouſly refrained coming to Church, leſt they ſhould meet with rebukes; and others have as generally abſtained from Reading the Holy Scriptures, leſt they ſhould find the Word of God to be quick and powerful, and ſharper than a twoedged Sword, and a diſcerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart: Saint Auſtin Reading the Holy Scriptures, was ſmitten to the purpoſe, with that Text, Rom. 13.13. Let us walk Honeſtly as in the day, not in Rioting and Drunkenneſs, not in Chambering and Wantonneſs, &c. Secondly, Conſcience is ſometimes ſet to work or ſet a work by the private admonition of ſome faithful friend, Miniſter, or other good Chriſtian: So David's ſleepy Conſcience was rouſed and awakened by the Prophet Nathan, his convincing Parable of the Ewe-Lamb, &c. Hence that Expreſſion of the Holy Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 141.5,. Let the righteous ſmite me, it p. 36ſhall be a kindneſs; and let him reprove me, it ſhall be an excellent Oyl, which ſhall not break my Head: That is, by the figure Meioſis, which ſhall prove ſanative and healing to me; meaning that the wholeſome reproofs of a faithful friend, like thoſe Medicines, which take off the ſtagnation of Blood and Spirits in the Veins and Arteries of Men; and do put them into a free motion and equal circulation, would as it were ferment his Conſcience; and by ſo doing, cauſe it to do him a kindneſs. Thirdly, Gods chaſtiſements upon men, ſet their Conſciences a ſmiting. For when God ſmites, Conſcience though it lay ſtill before, is apt to ſmite too; as we ſee in the caſe of Joſephs Brethren, who when he ruffled with them, and ſwore by the Life of Pharoah they were ſpyes, which might make them to expect to be uſed accordingly; then, and not till then, they ſaid one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his Soul, and we would not hear; therefore this diſtreſs is come upon us. In the 33. Chap. of Job, where we read of Gods chaſtning Man with Pain upon his Bed, and the multitude of his Bones with ſtrong Pain; ſo that his Life abhoreth Bread, and his Soul dainty Meat; p. 37his Fleſh is conſumed away that it cannot be ſeen, and his Bones that were not ſeen, ſtick out; his Soul draws near to the Grave, and his Life to the Deſtroyers: then as it is v. 16. God openeth the Ears of Men, and ſealeth their Inſtruction: then as it is v. 23. If there be a Meſſenger with him and an Interpreter, one among a thouſand; which may partly be meant of an awakened Conſcience, by what followeth, v. 27. To ſhew to man his uprightneſs, then God is gracious to him, &c. I ſay the 27. v. may countenance the referring thoſe words to Conſcience, or intending it by the Interpreter there ſpoken of; becauſe the words there are, He looketh upon Men, and if any ſay, I have ſinned and perverted that which is right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his Soul from going into the Pit, &c. Fourthly, Thoſe Afflictions or Judgments, above all others, which carry the Mark and Signature of our Sins upon them, are moſt apt to ſet Conſcience a ſmiting; for read, ſaith Conſcience (as he that runs may) thy ſin in thy ſuffering: behold the plain Prints and foot-ſteps of it, that Face doth not more exactly anſwer to Face in the Glaſs: So in the caſe of Adoni-Bezek, p. 38Judges the 1.7. Threeſcore and ten Kings, ſaith he, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, ſo God hath requited me, &c. So ſaid Samuel to Agag, 1 Sam. 15.33. As thy Sword hath made Women Childleſs, ſo ſhall thy Mother be Childleſs among Women; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord, &c. Fifthly, When men are ſpectators of Gods ſmiting others for the ſame ſins, which themſelves have committed or do commit from day to day; but eſpecially, if for leſs degrees of thoſe ſins than they themſelves are guilty of; then and thereby is Conſcience ſtirr'd up to ſmite them, and doth cauſe them thus to bethink themſelves: If this be done to the green Tree, what ſhall be done to the dry? As for Example, If Ananias and Saphira, were ſtruck dead upon the place for telling one lie a-piece, and that but a kind of equivocation neither: O what ſhall become of me, who have told thouſands of lies, who walked in the way of lying, who compaſſed God about with lies and deceipt; as it is, Hoſea 11.12. Who have preſſed the God of Truth with Lies, as a Cart is preſſed with Sheaves? What can I expect but that the Earth ſhould open its p. 39Mouth and ſwallow me quick? Now theſe are ſome of the things, for I ſhall not pretend to call all to remembrance, which do by the Conſcience of Men, as the Marriners did by Jonah, when faſt aſleep in the Ship, viz. Call upon them and awaken them, which poſſibly would otherwiſe never awake, till they awoke in Hell, or till Men were drowned in the bottomleſs Pit of Deſtruction. Sixthly, the next thing we propoſe to query, is the Quamdiu, or how long the ſmitings of Conſcience uſe to laſt; how long it uſeth to be before an angry Conſcience become pacified; or before Conſcience, having fallen out with Men about ſome great Sin or Sins, become Friends again and give over ſmitting? Now to that I reply, No Man can tell, there is no Prophet, that in this caſe knows how long; for it is with the ſmitings of Conſcience, as it is with the Diſeaſes of the Body: Sometimes it ſmites Men without any intermiſſion, and that from day to day; and gives them no reſt day or night: but makes them cry out with David, Their iniquity is alwayes before them; or ſay with Job, Chap. 7. v. 13, 14. When I ſay my Bed ſhall comfort me, and my Couch ſhall caſe my Complaint; then thou p. 40ſcareſt me with Dreams, and terrifieſt me through Viſions: Whereas others again have their hot and cold fits, and between while their well days, wherein they are perfectly exempted from the ſmitings of Conſcience.

Again, Some have onelyonly now and then a fit or two of Conſcience and away, which ſome call their Dumps or Melancholies, and they are up again; the ſmiting of their Conſciences is but as the Morning Dew, or early Cloud, which ſoon paſſeth away; 'tis but April with them, now and then a Cloud and a Shower, and then the Sun preſently ſhines out again; but in others the ſmitings of Conſcience, are like a Burning Hectick Feaver, never off them. Their Conſciences ſeem to be implacable towards them, and and reſolve to admit of no reconciliation; but to have War with Amalek for ever (if I may ſo allude)

It were not hard, it may be, to tell you of thoſe who have been under the ſmitings of Conſcience Seven years together, or more, I think that was Mrs. Honywoods Caſe; nay of thoſe whoſe Conſciences have killed them with ſmiting, or provoked them ſo long and ſo lamentably, till they kill'd themſelves; or thoſe p. 41who leapt out of the flames of Conſcience into thoſe of Hell. Neither can I ſay that ſome who have been none of the greateſt Sinners, nor guilty of any enormous Crimes, have been kept a great while in the Furnace of a ſmiting Conſcience; witneſs Mrs. Honywood aforeſaid: though ordinarily I do ſuppoſe it is the lot and portion of ſinners of the firſt and ſecond rate to be ſo ſerved, rather than others; witneſs thoſe words, Pſal. 39.11. When thou with rebukes doth correct Man for Iniquity, thou makeſt his Beauty to conſume away like a Moth; as alſo thoſe, Ezek. 33.10. Thus ye ſpeak, ſaying, If our Tranſgreſſions and our Sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how ſhould we then live? Now Lord what ſhall we ſay to this, if the ſmitings of Conſcience be ſo ſharp, and the ſhorteſt of them be ſo long, compared with Humane Corrections; and even to be given not onelyonly to Children but Malefactors: who can bear them long, and who can live when God does this? unleſs ſupported by that Arm which keeps even the damned in Hell alive?

We now proceed to the Seventh query, viz. the Quando, namely, When or at what times it is, that Conſcience doth uſe to ſmitein reference to ſin? Whereto I reply, p. 42Firſt of all, Many times before a ſin be committed, when Men have as yet but ſin in deliberation, or are but ſitting upon it, like the Cockatrice upon her Eggs, having yet hatch'd nothing, and are yet but parling with the temptation, and liſtning to the tempter; even at that time of day, 'tis uſual with Conſcience to ſhoot off her Warning Piece, and to bid men take heed what they do; and to do by them as Pilate's Wife did by him, Matth. 27.19. When he was ſate down on the Judgment Seat, ſent unto him, ſaying, Have thou nothing to do with that Juſt Man, for I have ſuffered many things concerning him in a Dream, &c.

Yea it is not unuſual with Conſcience to ſmite Men, meerly for parling with a temptation, or lending their ears more or leſs to the tempter; for looking at the bait, though they have not yet bit of it, much leſs received the hook into their mouths; and to give ſuch Counſel as Solomon doth, Proverbs 23.31. Look not thou upon the Wine when it is Red, when it giveth its Colour in the Cup; when it moveth it ſelf aright; at laſt it biteth like a Scrpent, and ſtingeth like an Adder. Thus in my Text, Davids Heart ſmote him, but for entertaining a Thought of Killing Saul (as ſome p. 43ſuppoſe he had done) or but for lending an ear to thoſe diſloyal Miſcreants, who counſelled him ſo to do. Secondly, Conſcience ſometimes ſmites men foreign, in the very act of ſin; (as Zimri and Cosby were ſmitten by another hand.) Thus while Belſhazzar was carouſing in the Bowles of the Temple (which he ought not to have ſo prophaned) and probably debauched himſelf and his Nobles round about him; at that very inſtant appeared the Hand-writing upon the Wall, in theſe words, Dan. 5. S5. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Ʋpharſin, &c. They are much miſtaken, who think that great ſins, if long adoing, are committed without great regret in the very doing of them: Conſcience poures in Gall and Wormwood into the ſtollen Waters, which Men thought would have been altogether ſweet; imbittering them in the very drinking of them, and mixeth Colliquintida, which is a very bitter thing, with that ſweet bread, (as men hope to find it) which is eaten in ſecret. Conſcience doth purpoſely diſturb and interupt the pleaſures of Sinners, and to ſpoil their ſport, doth as it were ſet a Deaths-Head by them, in the midſt of their Feaſting and Jollity; and doth caſt their Sins in their Diſhes, whilſt they are p. 44Feeding without fear; and maketh them now and then to drink a Cup of Aſtoniſhment, and of the wrath of God; and to be like the Citizens in Eſop's Fables, Who whilſt they were Banqueting, are repreſented ſcared and affrighted with the noiſe in the Key-hole, viz. Some Creditor or Creditors came to attaque them.

Now Conſcience ſeems to do this, not onelyonly to imbitter ſo much of the Sin as is paſt, but to make Men break off preſently; like Souldiers quaffing and carouſing, when they hear the Drums and Trumpets of an approaching Enemy. David ſeems to have been approaching towards the Murthering of Saul, when he cut off his Skirt: It ſeems to imply he was trying what his Conſcience would permit him to do in that caſe; but bleſſed be God, he had ſuch a check from hs God and his Conſcience, for doing but that, that he durſt proceed no farther.

Thirdly, More eſpecially Conſcience is wont to ſmite Men after Sin committed, and that ſometimes ſooner, ſometimes later: I had almoſt compared Conſcience to an Ʋſurer, who though he long forbear his Money, when it is well ſecured, as by Motrgage of Houſe and Lands; yet at laſt will be ſure to call for Principal p. 45and Intereſt, yea for Ʋſe upon Ʋſe; or to take the forfeiture of what is engaged for his ſecurity.

There are particular reaſons to be given why Conſcience ſometimes doth not ſmite men, either before the Commiſſion of a great Sin, or in the very Act, nor yet preſently after; but as ſure as Old Age will come upon Men (I mean the infirmities of it) if they live to be an hundred years Old; ſo certainly Conſcience will call Men to an account, if not in Health yet in Sickneſs; if not Living; yet Dying, yea if not dying ſo ſoon as they are Dead; for Conſcience is a King that never Dies: as they ſay in Law, Rex nunquam moritur: And they will find it in the next World, by the Name and Nature of a Never dying Worm; and as the Proverb ſaith, Nullum Tempus occurr…t Regi. The Kings time never lapſeth. Some Men will find that Conſcience hath not lapſed or loſt any time; like Creditors that loſe their Debts and Priviledge of ſuing for them, for want of demanding them within ſuch a term of years; but will recover all its Arrears. and ſue them till they have paid the uttermoſt farthing.

We proceed in the next place to the p. 46Eighth Query, which I propoſed to ſpeak of, viz. The Quomodo, Or how and in what manner it is thas Conſcience doth uſe to ſmite men for ſin? To which I anſwer, That Conſcience doth it foreign, at ſundry times, and in divers manners. Firſt of all, Conſcience doth ſometimes ſmite men very gently and eaſily; with light and ſoft touches, as Old Ely did his Sons; when he ſaid, It is not a good report which I hear of you my Sons; you make the Lords People to tranſgreſs; 1 Sam. 2. Chap. v. 24. It whips Men ſometimes as Mothers uſe to do their Infant Children, with a ſmall Twig and a ſoft hand, whereby they are rather ſcared than hurt: and toucheth them with that tenderneſs as one would touch the Apple of ones Eye.

But Secondly, Conſcience doth many times correct Men ſmartly, ſmite them ſeverely, yet not ſo but that they are able to bear it; as you ſhall hear ſome Men ſay of thoſe fits of the Stone, Gout, or Collick, which they have felt, that they were very painful indeed; but they thank God, ſuch as they were able to undergo, and but able. It is as much as ever ſome Men can do to bear that burthen of a wounded Conſcience, which lies upon them, but they make a p. 47hard ſhift, with much a-do rub along; a little more weight added to them, would ſink and over-whelm them: their Conſciences correct them in full meaſure, though not above meaſure; and this it may be is the caſe of thouſands; their Conſciences give them their full Doſe, though they deſtroy them not with a Hypercatharſis.

Thirdly, But ſome there are (a caſe two frequent in the World, though not ſo common as the former) whoſe Conſciences do ſmite them; Ad extremum viriuna, and lay on upon them with all their might; whoſe Conſcience thunder and lighten upon them, as God did upon the Iſraelites, from Mount Sinai, Exodus 19.16. And it came to paſs that there were Thunder and Lightnings, and a thick Cloud upon the Mount, and the Voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud, ſo that all the People that was in the Camp trembled; and Mount Sinai was altogether on a Smoak, becauſe the Lord deſcended upon it in Fire; the Smoak thereof aſcended as the Smoak of a Furnace; and the whole Mount quaked greatly: With ſuch like Terrour, ſo far as a Creature may imitate his Creator; ſo doth Conſcience ſometimes cloath it ſelf: If a Beaſt doth but touch the Mountain (to allude to the paſſages at Mount Sinai) it is ſtoned or p. 48ſtruck through with a Dart, Heb. 12.20. I mean if a bruitiſh thought do but touch a mans mind, ſo terrible is the ſight thereof, as aggravated by Conſcience, that he may ſay as Moſes 21. I exceedingly quake. Look with how grim a Countenance, and with how incens'd a Heart Ahaſuerus lookt upon Haman, when coming out of his Garden, he found that proud Traytor fallen upon the Bed, where Heſter his Queen was; and ſaid of him, Will he force the Queen alſo before me in the Houſe? Heſter 7.8. With ſuch an aſpect, and with ſuch a rage doth Conſcience accoſt ſome Men; cauſe their Faces to be covered preſently with ſhame and confuſion: Doth it not fall upon ſome Men like a Bear robbed of her Whelps, or like a Man under Jealouſie, upon him whom he ſuſpects? Of which Solomon ſaith, It is the rage of a Man, he will not ſpare in the day of his wrath.

Conſcience ſeems ſometimes to vie with Death in the point of Terror, and to make it ſelf more a King of Terrors than he; for Sin is the ſting of Death, and Conſcience is as it were the ſting of Sin. That Death is leſs terrible than an inraged Conſcience is manifeſt, becauſe thouſands fly or have fled from a purſuant Conſcience, p. 49to hide themſelves in the valley of the ſhadow of Death; and have choſen rather to fall into their own Bloody and Murtherous Hands, than to remain in the hands of Conſcience. How many purſued by Conſcience, have repaired to a Melancholly Beam (as one calls it) or any thing they could make a Gallows of, as it were to a City of Refuge, or to the Horns of an Altar, that is, have choſen ſtrangling rather than life. The Jews allow but Thirty nine Stripes to be given, even to Malefactors, 1 Cor. 11. But Conſcience will give Thouſands and Millions, fetching Blood at every ſtroak. Stone, Collick, Strangury, are the names of three little Tortures, compared to that of a wounded and wounding Conſcience (for ſo it is that a wounded Conſcience will wound) if we wound it, it will wound us, that ever Gnawing Worm if we tread upon it will ſurely turn again. Nothing can make the Torment of Racking and Burning ſeem ſmall, but the greater Torment of a Tormenting Conſcience.

All I have ſaid is eaſie to believe, if we but conſider ſome men have preferred Hell it ſelf before the ſmitings of an incenſed Conſcience; ſo Judas when he went p. 50and hanged himſelf, though others it may be have been preverted from doing the ſame thing, chiefly by conſidering that what is ſaid of God, may as truly be ſaid of and to Conſcience, Pſal. 139. If I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there. Some it may be fear that never dying Worm in Hell, more than the Fire and Brimſtone we read of, as ſuppoſing that the Torments of Conſcience are all in all, as to the Pena ſenſus, or the poſitive Puniſhment which the damned do there undergo.

Say not the Lion is not ſo terrible as he is Painted, or Conſcience as I have deſcribed it, for it alone can tell thee how terrible it is. Of it as of the great God, may be ſaid, Who knoweth the power of his wrath, according to his fear; ſo is his wrath. The terrors of Conſcience are as boundleſs as the extent of Fear, which is a paſſion that knows no limits. The Sea is bounded by Sands, but the dreads of Conſcience hardly by any thing; no Boanarges or Son of Thunder like to Conſcience; no high Court of Juſtice, nor yet of Injuſtice ſo terrible as that. Two Witneſſes ſerve in other Courts, Conſcience is a thouſand Witneſſes; that which makes it more dreadful p. 51is, In the Court of Conſcience a man becomes a thouſand Witneſſes againſt himſelf, yea, a Man becomes that Judge that paſſes the Sentence of eternal Death on himſelf; as the Apoſtle ſaith, Acts 13.46. Yea, viz. Jews have put away the Goſpel from you and judged your ſelves unworthy of everlaſting Life. Were there ever a Francis Spiro in our days (as it is like ſome ſuch there are) he would tell you that all that I have ſaid of the terror of a ſmitting Conſcience, were but one half of what is true; yea, but a Flea-biting to what he himſelf had felt, that eye had never ſeen, ear heard, or it ever entered into the heart of man to conceive, how terrible the ſmitings of Conſcience ſometimes are; and that whereas 'tis ſaid that Deus & Eternitas non patiuntur Hyperbolen, id eſt, that God and Eternity can admit of no Hyperboles, or cannot be out-languaged. The ſame may be truly ſaid of a Conſcience ſet upon ſmiting. I ſhall conclude this Head with thoſe words of Solomon, The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtain his infirmities; but a wounded Spirit who can bear, Prov. 18.14.

Ninthly, Come we now to ſpeak of the ninth and laſt Query propounded to be ſpoken to (viz.) Quare, Why it is that Conſcience p. 52doth ſmite men when they do, or have ſinned againſt God? I anſwer, of that there are principally two reaſons to be given: firſt of all, becauſe God hath given Conſcience a Command and Commiſſion ſo to do; ſaying to Conſcience, as to his Prophet of old, Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, tell the people their tranſgreſſions. Conſcience is God's Attorney-General (if I may ſo call it) God's Advocate to plead for God againſt man, to exhibit God's Indictments againſt man, as the matter doth or ſhall require. Conſcience is alſo Gods Executioner, God's Lictor (if I may ſo call it) and therefore muſt ſmite when God bids it ſmite; it hath God's faſces, and ſecures, that is, God's Rods and Axes in his hands, and muſt not bear thoſe enſigns of Authority in vain, but do execution with them, as the great Conſul or Dictator of the world ſhall appoint. So much for the firſt reaſon. Secondly, The next is this, God hath every way fitted and framed Conſcience in its own fabrick, nature, and conſtitution, for ſuch a work as this, (viz.) to ſmite men in reference to ſin. Unto ſo doing it is conducted as it were by inſtinct from God, as is the Sun to know its due time of Riſing and Setting, and ſeveral Creatures void of underſtanding, to know their proper ſeaſons: p. 53yea, things without life act according to that frame and make which Art hath given them: ſo Clocks do ſtrike, and Alarms go, and ſound at ſuch ſeaſons as they are made to do: But for ſmitings of Conſcience, there is further reaſon; for Conſcience is at once both a Law, a Witneſs, and a Judg, appointed of God ſo to be, and qualified accordingly. As it is a Law of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 2.14, 15. Theſe (ſpeaking to the Gentiles) having not the Law, are a Law to themſelves; which law is Conſcience, that foreign, or Law written in their hearts: Now Conſcience as ſuch is by Divines called Syntereſis, being a Store-houſe of Maxims and Principles, informing us of the Eternae & indiſpenſabiles rationes boni & mali, which Divines do ſo much ſpeak of, engraven with the foreign or common notions of good and evil.

Secondly, Conſcience is a witneſs, yea a thouſand witneſſes, as we learn from Rom. 2.15. by theſe words, which ſhow the works of the Law written in their hearts, their Conſcience alſo bearing witneſs, and their thoughts mean while accuſing or elſe excuſing one another. Now as Conſcience is a witneſs, Divines call it Syneideſis. Laſtly, Conſcience is a Judg, and as ſuch is by Divines called p. 54Criſis: witneſs 1 John 3.20, 21. If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things: if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God: which words do ſhow Conſcience to be a Judg; for it is the office of a Judg to paſs ſentence either of Condemnation or Abſolution. Moreover, in thoſe words are intimated, that God hath given to Conſcience, as it were, the power of the Keys, and had ſaid unto it as unto Peter and his Succeſſors, Matth. 16.19. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever thou ſhalt bind on earth ſhall be bound in heaven, and whatever thou ſhalt looſe on earth ſhall be looſed in heaven.

But now methinks I have to encounter with a very grand Objection; namely this, How can Conſcience be ſaid to be qualified as a reprover or ſmiter for ſin, ſith it ſometimes ſmites men for that which is no ſin? at other times when men do really ſin againſt God, it ſmites not at all, but rather applauds and commends them; as did the Conſcience of St. Paul, which told him he ought to do many things againſt Jeſus of Nazareth; and that it was true zeal in him to perſecute the Churches of Chriſt. Sith Conſcience ſometimes puts darkneſs for light, and light for p. 55darkneſs; evil for good, and good for evil: what matter is it for its ſmitings, unleſs it were wiſer, and knew how at all turns never to juſtifie the wicked, and condemn the righteous. Can it be, may ſome ſay, that God ſhould give a Commiſſion to Conſcience to ſmite thoſe which ought not to be ſmitten, or to chide thoſe which ought rather to be comforted, or to comfort and commend thoſe who ought rather to be ſoundly chid and condemned. If Conſcience trifle at this rate, may ſome ſay, ought it not to be ſlighted like a perfidious Jury, that brings in thoſe guilty that are not guilty, and thoſe not guilty that are guilty. This Objection ſeems to ſtand like a Mountain, if not like Mount Sion it ſelf, which can never be removed; yet wait but a while, you may ſee it made a Plane, if not turned into a Valley. I premiſe a word or two by way of Conceſſion; namely, that Conſcience in this corrupt degenerate eſtate of all humane faculties, doth ſometimes miſtake comforting thoſe which it ought to chide, and chiding thoſe whom it ought to comfort: but thanks be to God, there is a way to prevent thoſe miſtakes. Time was when Conſcience might have ſerv'd as a Law to us, and of it ſelf, a kind of regula pure regulans: But now it p. 56is a regula regulata, (viz.) a rule to be ruled by the word of God; which is to Conſcience as a light ſhining in a dark place; to which the Conſciences of men ought to take heed as to that which is a light to their feet, and a lanthorn to their paths. There is a crookedneſs which hath happened in part to the Conſciences of men by Adam's fall, and their fall in him, but is ſuch as may be rectified, or made ſtreight, by attending to the word of God; as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, A young man may cleanſe his way by taking heed to Gods Word. Look how a raw and unskilful Compoſer may do well enough, if he ſhall but follow the advice of an able and careful Corrector of the Preſs; ſo may the Conſciences of men produce a correct edition of their lives, if they make but ſuch amendments as the word of God doth direct. Far be it from us to charge the holy God ſo fooliſhly, as if he did ſuborn and inſtigate the Conſciences of men, to condemn them for what they ought to be commended, or to commend them for what they ought to be condemned: for ſhall not the judg of all the earth do righteouſly? is not Jehovah a God that cannot lye? This premiſed, it muſt needs be ſaid, that God never did, doth, or can give to Conſcience, a p. 57Commiſſion, or command, to ſmite when it ought not to ſmite, or to ſtrike when it ought rather to ſmile upon us: but it cannot be denied, but that God doth ſometimes give ſuch a permiſſion as that to the Conſciences of men, and leaves them (as he is free to do) to miſ-repreſent things according to their corrupt and perverſe inclinations.

That paſſage in the firſt of Kings 22.22. which ſeemeth of all other Texts, moſt pregnant to prove that God Almighty doth ſometimes give forth his command and commiſſion to inſtruments, to do that which is evil, as namely to lye, &c. will be found upon due examination to ſignifie juſt nothing to that purpoſe: the words are theſe, And the evil ſpirit ſaid, I will go forth, and I will be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all his, that is, of Ahab's Prophets: And (he that is the Lord) ſaid, thou ſhalt perſwade and prevail alſo; go forth and do ſo. But upon due ſearch it will be found that thoſe words of God (go forth and do ſo) are not words of command, and Commiſſion, but a bare permiſſion, and ſufferance; like thoſe words of our Saviour to Judas, John 13.27. And after the ſop Satan entered into him, That thou doeſt, do quickly. As if he had ſaid, now the p. 58fulneſs of time is at hand, in which the Son of man is to be betrayed, I will not hinder thee, but ſuffer thee to do what I know is in thy heart to do as ſoon as thou pleaſeſt. Again, I ſay the words forecited, Go, and do ſo, ſignifie no more than did the words of Chriſt to the Devils who beſought him to ſuffer them to go into the Herd of Swine, Matth. 8.31. And he ſaid unto them, go, ver. 32. that is not I command and appoint, but I permit and ſuffer you to do. Moreover, it is to be noted, that ſo the Hebrew Language doth often put the Imperative Mood for the Future Tenſe; as in Prov. 4.4. Keep my Commandments and live: where vive is put for vives, live inſtead of thou ſhalt live. So Prov. 9.6. Forſake the fooliſh and live (that is, and thou ſhalt live) of which there are many more inſtances in the holy Scriptures. In like manner the words, go forth and do ſo, in the Text I am explaining, ſignifie no more but this, I will not be thy hindrance, if thou wilt thou ſhalt for me; thou ſhalt have my permiſſion to go forth and do ſo.

By what I have ſaid, it doth plainly appear, that unleſs God were bound, as ſurely he is not, to hinder all the ſin, that is, or ever was, or ever ſhall be poſſible for him to p. 59hinder, that is, all ſin that ever was or ſhall be in the world, there is no fault to be charged upon God for permitting, and but barely permitting the degenerate purblind Conſciences of men, like Ahab's falſe Prophets to delude and deceive them. When the Conſciences of men have defiled and debauched themſelves, it is at Gods pleaſure and liberty whether hewill, or will not reſtore and rectifie them. However this may ſerve for ever to ſtop the mouths of men, that though their Conſciences in this fallen ſtate be not a light ſufficient to guide them in all their ways, that they turn not aſide from God more or leſs, to the right or to the left hand, yet God hath given another auxiliary or ſupplemental light, if I may ſo call it (viz.) the Holy Scriptures, which are ſaid to be profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inſtruction in righteouſneſs, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furniſh'd unto all good works. For as man could not plead ignorance after that God had given him the Ten Commandments, written in Tables of Stone, though he had defaced the Law which was at firſt written in his heart, this new edition of the Law in Tables of Stone, reſtoring to him what was obliterated in the ſtony p. 60table of his heart: ſo neither now, can men plead excuſe for their ſins, from the miſdirectings of their Conſciences: ſith, God hath given his holy Word, as it were another Conſcience and guide to men, to ſhow them the way, in the which they ought to walk, and to pleaſe God. What if the torch of natural light or Conſcience hath been well nigh blown out, ſo long as there are the Sun Beams of Divine Revelation contracted in the holy Scriptures, as in a Burning-glaſs wherewith to light it again? Put Conſcience and Scripture together, and where they two meet, there's light enough to make a mans way plain to heaven; and if he will but mind his Compaſs, to bring him ſafe to the port of everlaſting happineſs. So I have done with the doctrinal part of the firſt doctrine (viz.) that Conſcience is a ſmiter, or a thing that will ſmite men firſt or laſt, if they give occaſion.

I ſhall conclude this diſcousſe with a few Corolaries or Ʋſes. Uſe 1. Then God hath not left himſelf without a witneſs in the breaſts of men, nor men without warning. Sometimes Conſcience witneſſeth for God and againſt men; other times Conſcience witneſſeth for men, and with God; ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks, The Spirit of God witneſſeth p. 61with our ſpirits that we are the children of God. Conſcience is Gods Ambaſſador, lying leager in the ſouls of men, by which God is wont to give men notice, when he is whetting his ſword, bending his bow, making ready his arrow upon the ſtring, and preparing for them inſtruments of death if they turn not, as in Pſalm 7.12. God doth not uſually ſurprize men, or come upon them unawares, before ſuch time as he hath ſhot off his warning-piece. Nineveh had notice given it by the Prophet Jonah of its approaching ruine, if Repentance prevented not. God by the preaching of Noah warn'd the old world of that Flood which did await it, and was to fall upon it not till a hundred and twenty years after. God would have men forewarned that they might be forearm'd, Amos 4.12. Thus will I do unto thee, O Iſrael; and becauſe I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael. God threatens that he may not ſmite, wiſhing rather to ſcare men than to hurt them, and cauſeth Conſcience to ſmite them, that if that will ſerve the turn, he may hold his hand; for it is better to fall into the hand of Conſcience, than into the hand of God. If God had not ſuch a witneſs as Conſcience is, how could he convict men at the day of Judgment p. 62of ſecret ſins, as the Text ſaith, God will bring every ſecret thing to light, whether it be good or whether it be evil; and in the 1 Corinth. 4.5. is ſaid, God will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs and make manifeſt the counſels of the heart.

What but Conſcience can witneſs againſt Men at the day of Judgment; their Heart Murthers, Heart Adulteries; as Solomon ſaid to Shimei, 1 Kings 2.44. Thou knoweſt all the wickedneſs which thy Heart is privy to.

Now Conſcience is ſuch a witneſs as none can withſtand or deny its teſtimony. If two credible witneſſes are ſufficient even in matter of Life and Death, much more Conſcience which is a thouſand witneſſes: Hence it is that we read of him, who coming to a Wedding Feaſt, without a Wedding Garment; that when the King ſaid unto him, Friend. How cameſt thou in hither, not having a Wedding Garment? he was ſpeechleſs; Matth. 22.12. Hence alſo we read of, Every Mouth being ſtopt, and all the World becoming guilty before God; Rom. 3.19. Hence it was that no reply was made to our Saviour, when he ſaid, He that w… without ſin, let him caſt the firſt ſtone at her; for the Text ſaith, John 8.9. They which heard it, being convicted in their own Conſciences, went out one by one.

p. 63Now whereas ſome are brought in pleading thus for themſelves, at the day of Judgement; When did we ſee thee Hungry and fed thee not, Naked and clothed thee not, Sick, and in Priſon, and did not adminiſter unto thee? Matth. 25.44. The reaſon is, becauſe they knew not that which Chriſt tells them of; in the next verſe, In as much as you did it not to one of the leaſt of theſe, you did it not to me. If their Conſciences had been ſooner convicted of their unkindneſs to their Saviour; expreſſed in their unkindneſs to his Diſciples and Followers; they would not have had one word to ſay for themſelves, or preſumed to open their Mouths.

It can never be doubted whether the Meſſage were left with thoſe Perſons, whom Conſcience was appointed to warn; becauſe Conſcience alwayes ſpeaks with the Parties themſelves, and leaves its errand in their own Breaſts: Indeed when Chriſt ſhall come to judge the World, it is ſaid, He will come like a Thief in the night. Yea when God comes to ruine Perſons or Nations, after fair warnings given, but never taken, he oft-times doth it ſuddenly: Hence Deſtruction is ſaid to come as a whirlwind, or as ſorrow up…n a Woman in Travel, p. 64who are ſometimes never better at eaſe, or more light-ſome or cheerful, than juſt before their Pains: hence thoſe words of Solomon, Prov. 29.1. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his Neck, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and that without remedy: There we read indeed of ſudden deſtruction; but of frequent reproof going before it. Now Conſcience is the great Reprover, and a man is never throughly convicted as to himſelf, till he be ſo of his own Conſcience; ſo I have done with the firſt uſe. Second Ʋſe, The next Uſe or Corollary is this, If Conſcience be ſuch a Smiter, as hath been ſhewed, then it is no argument that ſinners ſcape ſcot-free, or go unpuniſhed; becauſe their ſins do not go before to Judgment, that is, are kept ſecret from men; and conſequently exempted from Humane Puniſhment, Pain, and Shame; becauſe it is Puniſhment enough, God wot, for a Man to run the Gantlet, and undergo the Rack of his own Conſcience: If God ſhall but ſay, take him Conſcience, take him by the Throat, clap Irons upon him, throw him in thy Dungeon, feed him with the Bread of Spiritual Affliction, and give him thoſe Waters to drink, which are more bitter than the Waters of Marah. If the great p. 65Judge ſhall thus deliver up a man to the ſevereſt of Jaylors, and ſay, throw him in Priſon, and give him no hope to come out till he pay the utmoſt farthing: Handle him as thou didſt Cain, Judas, Francis Spira, (for thou canſt do it) teach him as Gideon taught the Men of Succoth, with Bryers and Thorns; tear him in pieces and let none deliver him; Pſal. 15.22. If ſuch a ſentence as that ſhall come forth from the great God, he upon whom it is paſt, needs no Poverty, no loſs of near and dear Relations, no Bodily Sickneſs or Pain; no Temporal Priſon, no Reproach or Diſgrace from Men to make him miſerable; nay he ſhall be ſo in ſpight of Riches, Honour, Power, the beſt of Wives and Children, the kindeſt of Relations and Friends, and what ever elſe this World can give him; he ſhall tremble, as did Belſhazzar, even when quaffing and carouzing with all his Friends about him; he ſhall fit Uneaſie, and as it were upon Thorns, though he ſit upon a Throne with his Crown on his Head, and his Scepter in his Hand; and Thouſands of Nobles ſtanding bare before him: he ſhall not be heartily merry, though upon his Wedding day, nor at the Birth and Baptizing of a brave Son, long deſired; nor at a Princelike p. 66Feaſt, when he hath all his Kindred and Friends about him; the rareſt Wines ſhall not be able to make him merry, till they have made him not himſelf; and then how he can be ſaid to be merry who is not himſelf. I know not. Wine commonly makes the Brute or Brutal part of Man merry; but what is that to the Man, or to the Soul of Man, which is himſelf? God knows, if Conſcience be wounded, a Man can poſſeſs no Mirth, but what is rather to be called Madneſs; or like the Laughter, or Dancing of thoſe who are ſtung with a Tarantula; and let the Beaſt or Beaſtial part of Man be never ſo Brisk and Jocond, that which is properly called the Soul, viz. The Humane rational Soul or Spirit of a Man, intermeddles not with its joys; which makes me think of the Apoſtles words, The Widow which liveth in Pleaſure is Dead while ſhe lives; for what is Death but a ſeparation of Soul and Body? and in this caſe Soul and Body are ſeparated; for her animated Body hath Pleaſure, but her Soul hath none.

Reader, If thou hadſt ever known what the ſmitings of Conſcience mean, I need not tell thee that they are ſufficient to give a man a very Hell upon Earth, whilſt p. 67they who behold his outward Proſperity, not knowing where the Shooe pinches him, do think him as it were in Heaven (if there be any ſuch thing as Heaven upon Earth.) So I have done with the ſecond Ʋſe. The Third Ʋſe is this, If Conſcience be ſo great and terrible a ſmiter, it muſt needs be great folly in Men, needleſly to provoke and inrage it (as too many do) from day to day; for there are a ſort of Men, of whom David ſpeaks, Who are wont to tranſgreſs without a cauſe, Pſal. 25.3. David ſpeaks of ſome, who were his Enemies without a cauſe, Pſal. 7. and without Cauſe had hid their net for him in a Pit; which without cauſe they digged for him; Pſal. 35.7. May it not be ſaid of ſome, that they are Enemies to God, and to the Peace of their own Minds, by making work for Conſcience, and for Repentance, without any conſiderable cauſe: Of this ſort are thoſe, who abound in needleſs Oaths and Execrations, crying at every turn, I will be hang'd if this or that be not ſo. Yea, here and there you have a Monſter of a Man, that fears not upon every ſlight occaſion, to cry, God damn me, as if he defied his maker; and ſcorned that Tophet which was prepared of old, for ſuch as he; p. 68which God hath made deep and large; the Pile whereof is much Wood, and the Breath of the Lord like a ſtream of Brimſtone doth kindle it, Iſa. 30.33. Or as if they could cheerfully drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God, which is poured out with mixture into the Cup of his Indignation; and endure to be tormented with Fire and Brimſtone, in the preſence of the Holy Angels, and in the preſence of the Lamb; and to have the ſmoak of their torment aſcending for ever, and ever, and to have no reſt day nor night; Rev. 14.10, 11. Or as if when the queſtion is put, Who can dwell with the conſuming Fire, who can dwell with everlaſting Burnings? as it is Iſa. 33.14. they could roundly anſwer; That can we do: If ſo, they have ſtouter hearts than ſinners in old time were wont to have; for the Text ſaith, The ſinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulneſs hath ſurprized the Hypocrites, ſaying, Who ſhall dwell with devouring Fire, &c. Methinks I can reſemble theſe Perſons to nothing ſo much as to the Prieſts of Baal, ſpoken of 1 Kings 18.28. of whom it is ſaid, They cried aloud, and cut themſelves after their manner, with Knives and Launces, till the Blood guiſhed out upon them. Many who laugh at the Papiſt for whipping themſelves p. 69on Good-Friday, do worſe; for that Papiſts do in point of Devotion, aiming foreign, to beat down their Bodies (as we tranſlate it) by beating them Black and Blew; but Atheiſts ſlaſh and gaſh their Souls with ſevere ſtroaks; for no good intent at all, but out of meer Irreligion and wanton Prophaneneſs.

Lord I can but think, how theſe men will look when Conſcience ſhall come to reckon with them, and they find themſelves not able to anſwer it one of a thouſand? I can but think how pale they will look, or rather how black in the Face with fear and aſtoniſhment: what a dreadful eccho thoſe Oaths and bloody Curſes will have in Mens Ears when they come to be reſounded upon a Sick-bed or Death-bed: Or rather in what a pickle thoſe men will be when the Lord Jeſus ſhall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and they ſee themſelves puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction, from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Theſ. 1.7, 8, 9. If it be ſo terrible as it is, to hear but a zealous Miniſter, warmly diſcourſing of the p. 70Torments of Hell, eſpecially if a Mans Conſcience at the ſame time ſecond what he ſaith, and joyn iſſue with the Preacher, as did the Conſcience of Felix, of whom it is ſaid, Acts 24.25. That when Paul reaſoned of Righteouſneſs, Temperance, and Judgement to come, Felix trembled: I ſay, if the bare hearing of Hell be ſo terrible, as to make a Heathen Judge, upon the Bench, tremble at the words of his poor Priſoner at the Bar, ſtanding there to await his Sentence; how intollerable will it be to feel ſuch things? And who can chuſe, when in the midſt of thoſe Flames, but cry out, as did the Sinners and Hypocrites in Zion; Who can dwell with devouring Fire? Who can dwell with everlaſting Burnings? You would be loath conſtantly to ſit under the Miniſtry of a Boanerges, that would be alwayes thundring and lightning; preaching of Hell and Damnation; flaſhing Hell-fire in your Faces, with every Sermon, as if Mount Sinah were his Pulpit; but were your Miniſter ſuch, you could make a ſhift and an excuſe to go out of the Church, as oft as he came to his uſe of terrour; and ſtay out of his way till the ſtorm were over; but if you provoke your Conſciences, and make them burning as well as p. 71ſhining Lights within you (as that phraſe may be taken) whether will you fly from thoſe flames, and whereunto will you betake your ſelves? Go whither you will Conſcience will follow you, and if you have Ears to hear will make you hear, yea will find you Ears, if you make as if you had none; yea, ſpeak loud enough to be heard, though you were almoſt dead, or were diſpoſed to turn a deaf Ear upon it.

Conſcience will have acceſs to you at all hours, even in the dead and ſtill of the night; it will come ſtealing upon you like a Thief in the night: nay, that it need not do neither, for it will make bold with greateſt noiſe to burſt your Iron Bars, break open your Doors, and make a loud and forcible entrance upon you, when it pleaſes, and look upon it ſelf to be always at home when it is where you are; yea to be Maſter of the Houſe, and to have full authority to ſpeak and do within your Breaſts what it liſteth: Conſcience is as it were every Mans Chamberlain, and carrieth the Key of every Mans Breaſt, as it were, at his Girdle, and therefore can go or get into a Man when it pleaſeth; and if they do, as it were, bolt or bar the Door on the inſide, it is able to make even Braſs p. 72or Iron Grates, to fly open before it; for nothing can keep Conſcience out. Now Conſcience being ſuch a thing as I have deſcribed, what Solomon ſaith, viz. He that paſſeth by and medleth with ſtrife, that belongeth not to him, is like one that taketh a Dog by the Ears; may be applied to Conſcience.

And therefore it muſt needs be folly and madneſs in any Man, needleſly to provoke his Conſcience, and without great cauſe and temptation to make work for it; as he were mad that would rouze up a ſleepy Lion or Maſtiff, when he had no occaſion ſo to do. So much ſhall ſerve for the 3. Ʋſe. Fourth Ʋſe ſhall be this, Sith it is the office of Conſcience to ſmite Men, as in reference to ſin, it muſt needs behove us to keep our Conſciences alwayes in ſmiting caſe; I do not mean to give them cauſe to ſmite us, for that we ſhould by no means do; but to keep them in an aptitude and fitneſs to ſmite us when juſt cauſe is given. What is a Dog good for, if he will not ſo much as bark? Or what does a Sword ſignifie if it be ruſty and has loſt all its edge? Chyrurgeons can asill ſpare their ſmarting as their healing Plaiſters; becauſe proud Fleſh muſt be taken off by Corroſives. Give me a Fever rather than a Lethargy, ſith it is the manner p. 73of Phyſicians to cure Men of Lethargies by caſting them into Fevers: It is better to be bliſtered than ſtupified, therefore Epiſpaſtick Plaiſters are applied when ſtupefaction is feared, but eſpecially when incumbent. Let my Conſcience rather raiſe Bliſters on me from Head to Foot, than ſuffer me to fall into a dead ſleep of Security, and fall into Hell in a Golden Dream of Heaven and Happineſs.

Now that Conſcience may be in ſmiteing caſe, as the matter ſhall require, and have that ſharp edge which is due to it, take the following directions:

Dir. 1. Keep the Eye of Conſcience alwayes open and clear, that it may be able to ſee when cauſe is given to ſmite. The will indeed is Coeca potentia, a blind faculty, truly ſo called; and if not led by the underſtanding, will fall into many a Ditch; hence 'tis commonly ſaid, that Voluntas ſequitur ultimum dictamen intellectus practici. But as for the Conſcience, that to be ſure ought to be no blind faculty, for that is underſtanding it ſelf, therefore called, Intellectus practicus; it does belong to it not to be led, but to lead; it is the very eye of a Soul, I had almoſt ſaid the very Apple of its Eye: therefore let not ſo much as a Mote get into it, to dim and obſcure it.

p. 74Direct. 2. Keep alwayes a tenderneſs upon thy Conſcience, though not a perplexing ſcrupulouſneſs. What ſaid God to Joſiah, 2 Kings 22.19. Becauſe thine heart was tender, I alſo have heard thee; ſaith the Lord, &c. A tender Conſcience is ſoon wounded, and a Conſcience that is wounded will certainly wound and ſmite. Conſcience of all things is not to be expoſed to hardſhip; for what Divines ſay of the Holy Ghoſt, viz. That Spiritus Dei eſtres delicatula. That he is a tender thing ſoon grieved and quenched. The ſame in its meaſure may be ſaid of Conſcience, it is a moſt tender thing. 'Tis preternatural, when thoſe parts of the Body that ought to be ſoft and tender, become hard and callous; as when a Mans Kidneys become petrified and turned into meer Stones; ſo it is when the heart of a Man becomes a heart of ſtone, which ought to be a Heart of Fleſh.

Direct. 3. Labour to eſcape the frequent and more fervent ſmitings of Conſcience, for by means of them it is, that the hearts of Men become perfectly hardned. Juſt like School-Boys, who having often felt the ſmart of the Rod or Ferula, and are feeling of it from day to day, are wont to deſpiſe thoſe Corrections, and to become Rod and Ferul…

p. 75Direct. 4. Encourage Conſcience to ſmite thee by mending upon it as often as it tells thee thy faults; remembring that paſſage, Job 34.31, 32. Surely it is meet to be ſaid unto God, I have born chaſtiſement, I will not offend any more; that which I ſee not, teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Conſcience will have little heart to ſmite a man any more, but rather conſent that he be reſerved to the day of Judgment to be puniſhed, if when ſmitten, he revolt more and more; and if he be not manifeſtly worſe, is not one jot the better for all its ſmitings.

Direct. 5. Be much in contemplation of Death and Judgment, and of the world to come; or if thou wilt, of the quatuor noviſſima, or the four laſt things, viz. Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell; for they are as it were the four wheels which draw the Chariot of Conſcience; and when they or any of them is quite taken off, Conſcience draws but heavily. Commend me to the good man that ſaid, I bleſs God I carry my dying thoughts always about me, and do uſe to try my moſt ſolemn enterpriſes by the touch-ſtone of this queſtion: Will this or that give me comfort when I come to die? How will Conſcience look upon this or that, through the perſpective of Death and approaching Judgment? To p. 76think often of our dying, and coming to judgment, is an excellent way to keep our Conſciences alive and awake, and in ſmiting caſe; ſo I have done with the 5. Direction and 4. Uſe. The 5. Ʋſe or Corollary is this, Sith Conſcience is ſo terrible a Smiter, and ſo like to the Hand and Rod of Moſes, which could fetch Water out of a Rock (as has been ſhewed) it behoves every Man to ſtand in Awe of his own Conſcience, and to take that advice as in reference to God himſelf, viz. Stand in awe and ſin not. It was an old and a good ſaying, D…ſce revereri teipſum. That is, That a Man ſhould learn to reverence, reſpect, and dread himſelf. Sure I am, There is no part of a Mans ſelf, which he ought more, or yet ſo much to dread, as his Conſcience: But for Conſcience, no one faculty in the Soul of Man would be terrible to him, nor yet all his faculties put together, but Conſcience infuſeth terrour into every one of them. Who could not look upon the Regiſter of his Memory without any trouble or fear, were it not that Conſcience did ſeverely reflect upon the evil action therein regiſtred? Who could not exerciſe his ſpeculative underſtanding, in contemplating the worſt things he hath done, without regret, p. 77or remorſe, were it not that Conſcience, that Practical Intellect, did make ſuch terrible uſe of them? Who could not diſport himſelf with his Fantaſie and Imagination, and pleaſantly act over all his former enormities upon that ſtage; were it not for Conſcience, that is apt to ſpoil the Sport, to look a Man out of Countenance, and to ſpeak to him in thoſe words of Solomon, Eccleſ. 11.9. Rejoyce, O Young Man, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart cheer thee in the days of thy Youth, and walk in the wayes of thine heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all theſe things God will bring thee into judgment. They had wont to ſay, Cave Cato videt. Take heed Cato ſees you. But I ſay, Cave Conſcientia videt. Take heed Conſcience ſees you; get out of Conſciences ſight if you can and do your worſt; but I had almoſt ſaid, you may as eaſily fly from God himſelf, who is Omnipreſent, as from Conſcience, which is Gods Deputy; though it be not every where preſent as God is, and preſent to all Creatures as God is, yet it is preſent to every Mans ſelf; and I was about to ſay of it, in reference to every Mans Soul, as is ſaid of the Soul in reference to the Body; that Conſcientia eſt tota in toto & tota in qualibet p. 78parte. That is, Intirely in all and every part and faculty of the Soul. Say often to thy ſelf, It is more to me, that my Conſcience is privy to what I do, though all the World beſides be ignorant of it, than if all the World beſides knew it, and my own Conſcience knew nothing of it; for if Conſcience be diſpoſed to take vengeance on me, and to call me to a ſtrict account for what I have done; I know it can create puniſhments for me beyond all that men can inflict, or that can be inflicted by any hands ſave his, who is able to caſt Soul and Body into Hell Fire; and in that regard is the onelyonly Perſon whom I ought to dread and reverence more than my own Conſcience: for as Self Murther is the worſt and cruelleſt of all Murthers, ſo Self-ſmitings (and what are they but reflections of Conſcience) are the terribleſt of all ſmiteings. They are thoſe Arrows of the Almighty that ſtick in Mens hearts, and the venom thereof drinketh up their Spirits. What pity is it, that many men never learn to fear themſelves enough till they come to feel themſelves ſo ſharp upon, and ſo uneaſie to themſelves, that they can bear it no longer; that they ſeem a greater Hell to themſelves than Hell it ſelf would be: p. 79(which was Spira's caſe.) It is one good anſwer wherewith to ſtop the mouth of the tempter, How can I do this wickedneſs and ſin againſt my own Conſcience? How can I look my Conſcience in the face if I comply with ſuch a temptation; or rather how dreadfully will Conſcience ſtare me in the face when I have done it? I had rather diſpleaſe the whole World than diſpleaſe that part of my ſelf, which is called Conſcience; for if that once be angry and continue ſo, I ſhall have no joy in my Life; all my comforts will be imbittered; it will give me for Beauty Aſhes, for the Oyl of Joy, Mourning; for the Garment of Praiſe, the Spirit of Heavineſs; it will be Colloquintida, or Death in the pot of all my Injoyments: They feel Conſcience leaſt who fear it moſt; and they who in one ſenſe are moſt afraid of Conſcience, are uſually leaſt hurt by it (as Parents love not to ſtrike thoſe Children, whom they can ſufficiently over-awe and deter from miſ-doing without ſtriking them.) So I have done with the 5. Ʋſe.

A Sixth ſhall be this: Sith Conſcience is ſo dreadful a Smiter, it muſt needs be every mans concern to maintain Peace, Amity, and a good Correſpondence with his own Conſcience; p. 80that it may either not ſmite him at all, or in meaſure, ſo as he may be able to bear it; ſtaying (if I may ſo ſpeak) its rough Wind in the day of the Eaſt-wind; not thraſhing out the Fitches with a thraſhing Inſtrument, nor turning about the Cart Wheel upon the Cummin, but beating out the Fitches with a Staff, and the Cummin with the Rod: To allude to what is ſaid of God, Iſaiah 28.27. Correct him but in meaſure, though it leave him not altogether unpuniſhed; as God promiſed his People; Jer. 30.11: School Boys who have Maſters eminently ſevere, are concerned to make as few faults as ever they can, and to pleaſe them as much as ever lies in their power, as ever they hope to ſleep in a whole skin: ſuch a Maſter is Conſcience if it ſet on.

Now the way to give it content, and to keep it quiet with us, is as followeth:

Direct 1. See that Conſcience it ſelf be well adviſed and informed, like a Jury that have received full inſtructions from the Judge; elſe it may chance to chide us ſometimes upon pure miſtake, as the weakeſt People are uſually the moſt querulous. What ſerves the Word of God for, what more proper uſe can be made, of pious and able Miniſters, of our acquantance with Judicious and experienced p. 81Chriſtians, than that by the help of all theſe our Conſciences might be guided into the way of truth? Neither is it eaſie for us to imagine, that in caſe we did uſe all theſe means to inform our Conſciences aright, that God would ſuffer them to err in any great and dangerous inſtances.

Direct. 2. When we have got our Conſciences well adviſed, our next buſineſs ſhould be to conſult and adviſe with our Conſciences. When Conſcience hath heard what God hath to ſay to it, we ſhould hear what Conſcience had to ſay to us: As God gave his Law to Moſes, and Moſes to his People, ſo God ſpeaks firſt to Conſcience, or gives his Law to Conſcience; and Conſcience in Gods Name gives Law to us: If we pay not that reſpect to our Conſciences to conſult with them, they will never be at peace with us, but think themſelves ſlighted and affronted: Conſcience expects that every Man ſhould ſay to it, By your leave, and may it ſtand with your good liking; before he enterpriſeth any matter of concernment. When a Man hath any thing in deſign, the firſt queſtion to be asked, is, Is it lawful to be done? And of whom ſhould a Man ask that but of his Conſcience, p. 82leaving thar to inform it ſelf the beſt it can, by all the wayes and means aforeſaid: For as God took it ill when the Iſraelites ſate down to eat and drink with the Gibeonites, and asked not Counſel of the Lord: So will Conſcience when we do any thing of importance, and do not firſt ask its Counſel, and repair to it as to an Oracle.

Direct. 3. If thou wouldſt not have Conſcience ſmite thee, then when Conſcience is yet in doubt and ſuſpence, be thou in ſuſpence alſo; ſuſpend acting till Conſcience become reſolved: according to that good old ſaying, Quod dubitas, ne facias. Remembring the Apoſtles Words, He that doubteth is damned if he eat, becauſe he eateth not of faith; for whatſoever is not of faith is ſin, Rom. 14.23. As alſo the Exhortation which the ſame Apoſtle giveth; v. 5. Let every man be fully perſwaded or aſſured in his own mind: Meaning of the lawfulneſs of that which he taketh in hand. He that would maintain peace and friendſhip betwixt Conſcience and himſelf, or rather that would have his Conſcience good friends with him; let him await the full reſolution and ſatisfaction of Conſcience before he preſumes to act.

Direct. 4. He that would eſcape the ſevere ſtroaks and ſmitings of Conſcience, let him p. 83take heed of doing any thing contrary to the expreſs distates and commands of thereof; of going (if I may ſo expreſs it) to Tarſhiſh, as did Jonah, when Conſcience would ſend him to Nineveh; of going to the Weſt, when the Commiſſion which he hath received is for the Eaſt. Conſcience is very impatient of being contradicted; and that Men and Women ſhould proceed point blank, contrary to its Counſel and Command. Next to that indignation wherewith you may imagine the great God reſented it, when the Iſraelites of old made this ſtubborn reply to his Prophet Jeremy, Jer. 44.16. viz. As for the Word that thou haſt ſpoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatſoever thing goes forth out of our own Mouth; to burn Incenſe unto the Queen of Heaven, &c. You may conceive that indignation to be wherewith Conſcience reſents it; when any Man ſaith to it, either in words or in effect, As for what thou haſt ſpoken to me in the Name of the Lord, I will not do it; but whatſoever proceedeth out of my own Heart and Mouth, that will I do. The day is yet to come, in which Conſcience ever did, or ever will ſpeak peace to thoſe that are in flat rebellion p. 84againſt it: and as the Text ſaith, Had Zimri peace who ſlew his Maſter? So may it be ſaid, Had ever any Man peace whilſt he was in actual Arms and Hoſtility againſt his Conſcience? No, no, The way to peace and tranquility of Mind, is to do nothing but by full and free leave and conſent of our well informed Conſciences.

Direct. 5. If thou wouldſt ſhun the ſmiteings of Conſcience, being ſo terrible as thou haſt heard they are; give thy Conſcience the preferrence and preheminence above all other faculties of thy Soul; yea above all other Creatures intereſt and conſiderations whatſoever. The intereſt of God and Conſcience is one and the ſame; and therefore that Intereſt ſhould take place of all others. Say not my Will and Affections, nor yet my Pleaſure, Profit, nor Honour, do incline or invite me, this or that way: If Conſcience ſuggeſt other things, and ſay, O do not that thing whereto thy will and affections are ſo much inclined, or thou ſo much tempted by thy worldly intereſt: for Conſcience is more than all the reſt. All other Sheaves ought to bow to the Sheave of Conſcience; to allude to what was propheſied, and as it were tipified, concerning Joſeph and his Brethren; that they p. 85ſhould be ſubject to him. We have a Proverb, My Mind to me a Kingdom is: To be ſure every Mans Conſcience is his Kingdom. So long as any Man holds the poſſeſſion of a good and unvanquiſhed Conſcience, he may be ſaid to be in his Kingdom; for ſurely among thoſe Kings of whom God ſaith, By me Kings Reign; Conſcience is one Dejure; and he admits of Tyrany and Ʋſurpation in his Soul, who ſuffers any other Creature to rule over him, or any being, but he that is The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: One ſaith well, That Peace is every thing in Gods Order; and that there is not rue Peace but where it is ſo: you may therefore conclude that where the ſoveraignty of Conſcience, next and immediately under the great God, is not owned and ſubmitted to, there can be no Peace; for ſo long as Conſcience can hold a Scepter in his Hand, he will ſmite all ſuch Perſons, or do what is worſe.

Direct. 6. If thou wouldſt diſable COnſcience from ſmiting or arreſting thee, labour alwayes to carry a pardon about thee, ſigned and ſealed with the Blood of Jeſus: have thy Diſcharge and Acquittance from the great God, alwayes in readineſs to produce; then mayeſt thou preſently ſtop the mouth p. 86of Conſcience if it begin to accuſe thee with ſuch words as thoſe, Rom. 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect, it is God that juſtifieth; who is he that condemneth, it is Chriſt that died; nay, rather that is riſen again, &c. Then may you ſay, uſing the Apoſtles words, 1 Cor. 6.11. And ſuch (meaning ſuch great ſinners) were ſome of you: but you are waſhed, but you are ſanctified, but you are juſtified in the Name of our Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of our God. Laſtly, Thou mayeſt build upon it, that a well informed Conſcience will never ſmite thee, ſo as to do thee any great hurt, if thou canſt but ſincerely ſay of thy ſelf what Saint Paul ſaith of himſelf; Acts 24.16. Herein do I exerciſe my ſelf, to have alwayes a Conſcience void of offence towards God and towards Man. Nay let me tell you, the fore-going Directions, well obſerved and practiſed, will not onelyonly prevent the ſtripes and ſmitings of Conſcience, but alſo procure the ſmiles thereof, and cauſe it to ſpeak to thee in ſuch Language, as the great Judge will to all true believers, at the great day, ſaying, Well done good and faithful ſervant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.

FINIS.

The Second DISCOURSE OF No Conſcience, OR Of the Murthering OF King Charles I. Calculated more eſpecially to be Read on any Thirtieth Day of JANƲARY.

BY DOCTOR SAMUEL ROLLS One of His Majeſties Chaplains in Ordinary.

LONDON, Printed 1678.