The Worm that Dieth Not, Sermon (2 of 4)

The Worm that Dieth Not · Sermon (2 of 4)

p. 68Secondly, Conſider what a miſerable thing it is for a man to have a polluted Conſcience;

Firſt, It breaks a mans peace, the inward man is never quiet, Iſa. 57.21.Isa 57:21There is no peace ſays my God to the wicked; It is as Auſtin compares it to a bad wife, that when a man hath met with hard labour abroad, trouble and afflictions from without, and retires himſelf, and hopes to find ſome comfort at home, but there he has never a quiet hour; this is more troubleſome then any of his outward croſſes can be, for it is an evil Wife that's a continual droping, ſo is Conſcience, Fugiet ab agro ad civitatem, à publico ad domum, à domo ad cubiculum, & ſequitur tribulatio.

Secondly, It imbitters all a mans comforts, a good Conſcience will p. 69ſweeten every croſs, Paul and Silas can ſing in the ſtocks, Ubi cunque alibipaſſus eſt tribulationes illuc confugiet & ibi inveniet Deum, &c.and the Martyrs rejoyce a the ſtake; for whenſoever any man ſuffers tribulation for keeping a good Conſcience thither God haſtens and finds him, and makes him rejoyce in the teſtimony of his Conſcience; ſo an evil Conſcience will imbitter every comfort, Paul can ſtand with boldneſs at the Barr, when Felix doth tremble on the Bench; there is no ſtate can ſecure a man that has an evil Conſcience, his comforts will not ſecure him, they will all be imbittered, take the choyceſt pleaſures of ſin that any man of you doth injoy, it is this adds Water to your Wine, and adds a tincture of Gall and Wormwood to all your ſweetneſs and delicacies: There is an evil ſpirit that comes upon Saul from the Lord, and what is that, Turbatur i…i anima & Conſcientia, immoderata triſtitia a diabolo excitata, and when God did ſuffer Satan to come in and diſquiet his Conſcience, all the comforts of a kingdome could not ſweeten ſuch a mans ſpirit, neither can he p. 70have any ſweetneſs in them all.

Thirdly, It takes away a mans courage; a good Conſcience makes a man to be as bold as a Lyon, and he can ſet his face as a Rock, let the ſtorm come and yet the Rock ſhakes not, and he is not afraid of evil tideings; but the wicked flyes when none purſues them, and indeed they need no other purſuer; for there is within them Lethalis arundo, as a Deer that is ſhot may run, but ſtill carries his miſery with him, and as Cain, ſurely every one that meets me will ſlay me. Gen. 11.4. Herod when he heard of the fame of Jeſus, he ſays ſurely it is John the Baptiſt, he is riſen from the dead, and therefore mighty works ſhew forth themſelves in him.

Fourthly, It unfits a man for every duty; for the guilt of it ariſing in the Conſcience ſtops a mans mouth, and ſhuts up his heart before the Lord; brings him into the preſence of God as a Malefactor into the preſence of the Judg, with a vail upon his face, and pollutes all his ſervices, his prayer is turned into ſin, for all things are p. 71defiled unto them whoſe Conſciences are defiled. Tit. 1.15.

Fifthly, A man cannot promiſe himſelf any acceptance or ſucceſs in any thing he does; Mal. 3.4. He ſhall purge them as ſilver, and then ſhall their ſacrifices be pleaſant unto the Lord, &c. and Pſal. 51.13. Open thou my lips, then ſhall I teach tranſgreſſours thy way, &c. God may indeed work great things by men of polluted Conſciences; but they cannot promiſe themſelves ſucceſs in any thing that they undertake till their Conſciences be purged.

Sixthly, Thou art in a continual fear and expectation when God will awaken it, as he ſurely will do, for ſin lyes at the dore; but between a godly man and ſin, there is a wall that will never open, but between a wicked man and ſin there is a dore, that though it may be ſhut long, it will open at laſt: and an evil Conſcience it is that watcheth at the dore till the man dare look out, & miſerrimum eſt talem habere janitorum, Luther.

p. 72A Spirit of ſlumber upon a man, and a ſeared Conſcience is a great judgment, but it will not laſt allways, it is at fartheſt but for the time of this Life, and then the callumne upon Conſcience ſhall be worne off, and the ſlumber caſt away, and it ſhall be awakened ſo, as never to ſleep again. Read the ſtory of Cain and Belteſhazar, of Judas, and of Spira, &c. Nay, Lay your ears to Hell a while, and hear the clamours of polluted Conſciences there, and you ſhall ſee that the greateſt plague that can befall a man in this life, is to be left unto the power of an evil Conſcience; ſo that you had need to ſeek to have your Conſciences purged, and this is ſpecially to be conſidered of you that are grown old in wickedneſs, and whoſe bones are ſtill full of the ſins of your youth, having been laying in defilement into your Conſciences long, ſurely all this filth, the ſink and ſodoms of vanity that are there, cannot be eaſily purged, thoſe unclean ſtables cannot be ſoon ſwept; there is no power in nature to purge it, for we are dead in treſpaſſes and p. 73ſins, and what is more ſutable to dead men then dead works; and it is neceſſary to conſider, that if Conſcience is not purged here, it will never be purged, and there is but one means in the world will do it.

Firſt, Conſider the diſeaſe, and that is a Conſcience defiled with dead works; as all the works of an unregenerat man are, he being a dead man, &c. And Conſcience is defiled onelyonly by ſin, and there are two things in ſin that defile the Conſcience; Firſt, the guilt of it, Secondly, the defilement of it, and hence Divines ſay, that as a good Conſcience is either honeſte bona & pacate bona, purged from the filth, purified and and pacified in reſpect of the guilt: So there is a twofold evil Conſcience, either moleſte mala, a Conſcience diſquieted with the guilt of ſin, or elſe vitioſe mala, polluted with the defilement, the filth of ſin, and a mans Conſcience muſt be purged from both theſe.

Secondly, Here is the Medicine that muſt purge the Conſcience from both theſe, and that is the blood of p. 74Chriſt; by the blood of Chriſt is meant that perfect ſatisfaction that he did give unto the juſtice of God for the ſin of man, foreign 1 Tim 2.6 A price every way anſwerable to the debt that we did owe: Now there was a double debt that man did owe to God, a debt of obedience as he was a creature, and a debt of ſervice as he was a ſinner, a debt of ſuffering, the one anſwering the precept, and the other the curſe of the Law, and both are here meant by the blood of Chriſt, his whole and perfect ſatisfaction, his active and paſſive obedience: OnelyOnly, our whole redemption is attributed to his blood. Epheſ. 1.7. We have redemption through his blood, becauſe this was the laſt payment, for the debt that Chriſt did pay for us, was as a debt that men pay upon a bond by ſeveral parcels, a little at one time, and a little at another, but the debt is not paid, nor the bond cancelled till it be all paid; ſo though indeed all the acts of obedience that Chriſt did perform in our nature they were for us, and were part of that obedience that we did p. 75owe, all the acts of obedience that he performs in the dayes of his humiliation, takeing our nature upon him he did as our ſurety, and many of his ſufferings went before his death, for he was dying all the while; the thirty three years that he lived upon the earth, being indeed a man of ſorrows, a worm and no man, his ſuffering in his hunger and thirſt, labour and wearineſs, and all the perſecution that he ſuffered from men, after he ſet his foot upon this earth, they are to be counted as part of his ſatisfaction; but yet the ſhedding of his blood upon the Croſs, and being delivered unto death for us, this was the laſt and great act: and from the laſt payment which did fully ſatisfie the debt, and cancel the bond, hence it has its denomination; and ſo the whole ſatisfaction of Chriſt as our ſacrifice and ſurety is here meant by the blood of Chriſt.

Thirdly, The manner how this medicine doth work this Cure, it is by ſprinkling of it, a man muſt have his heart ſprinkled from an evil Conſcience; It is a Typical expreſſion p. 76taken from the ſacrifice under the Law, the ſacrifice muſt not onelyonly be killed, but the bloud muſt be ſprinkled alſo; where the paſcal Lamb was to be ſlain they muſt take the blood in the Baſin, and with a branch of Hyſope ſprinkle it upon the dorepoſts, not that the Angel had need to have a ſignal that he might paſs over their houſes, for he knew them well enough; but they had need of it, that they might thereby have their faith tried, and ſtrengthened, in the ſprinkling of that blood, of which the blood of the Lamb was but a Type: So Exod. 24.8. When they had offered the ſacrifice, Moſes took the blood and ſprinkled it upon all the people, Lev. 14.14.Lev 14:14and when the Leaper was cleanſed, he came to the door of the Tabernacle and brought a treſpaſs offering, and the Prieſt did take of the blood, and put it upon his right ear, and the thumb of his right hand: And in anſwer to all this Type, the blood of Chriſt is called the blood of ſprinkling. Heb. 12.24. And this ſprinkling is nothing elſe but the application of his merit, and ſatiſfaction p. 77of this blood, unto a mans own particular ſoul, for in Chriſt's ſacrifice there was a ſatisfaction and application, the one is in killing the ſacrifice, and the other in ſprinkling the blood; and this is done when by a mighty work of the Holy Ghoſt, the Conſcience affected, and afrighted with the guilt of ſin, doth rely and caſt it ſelf upon this ſatisfaction, to be a ſacrifice for him, then is this ſatiſfaction apropriated, and applied unto him; ſo this blood as ſprinkled is a ſpeaking blood, it ſpeaks better things then the blood of Abel (that is) it ſpeaks ſo in the Conſcience, non vindictam clamat ſed veniam; Conſcience is pacified, and a man thereby puts his ſins upon the head of the Beaſt: Our ſacrifice is a ſufficient ſatisfaction, and the Conſcience is not terrified with the guilt of ſin, as if it were his own, and as if he were to ſatisfie in his own perſon no more; for the ſoul ſaith he was made ſin for us, that knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him: Chriſt came into the World to ſave ſinners, of whom I am chief. p. 78And here are theſe ſix things taken in by the ſoul, to pacifie the Conſcience in reſpect of guilt.

Firſt, When the ſoul ſees by a ſpiritual and heavenly teaching, that the great plot and deſign of God under the ſecond Covenant, is to take away ſin; Heb. 10.4. foreign, To take ſin off the ſinner; for if God will be juſt he muſt puniſh the ſin, and if he be mercifull in ſparing the ſinner, there muſt be a way to ſeparate the ſin from the ſinner; and this the Lord will do by an act of Sovereignty, ſuch as he did never exerciſe unto perſons under the firſt Covenant, and that is by imputing of our ſin unto another, who was righteous, 2 Cor. 5.20.21.2 Cor 5:202 Cor 5:21and he was made ſin for us, who knew no ſin; he will be juſt, and therefore there ſhall not be commutatio juſtitiae, and he will be merciful, and therefore there muſt be à commutatio perſonae, there had been elſe no place for mercy to have come, onelyonly there is this one cauſe, the Lord will change the perſon, and by an act of abſolute ſovereignty, the Lord will count it ſo, that the ſin p. 79ſhall be in Gods account in the guilt of it taken off from the one, in foro divino and put upon another.

Secondly, When the ſoul ſees to this end God did call his ſon Chriſt, and did appoint him to be a publick perſon, and a repreſentative head, and our ſurety; for theſe two are very different conſiderations; Firſt, a ſurety is one that enters into bond, and engages himſelf for the dept of another, and ſo Chriſt is become our ſurety: therefore he was bound by our bond, and engageth himſelf for the dept of another, for our dept he was made under the Law, and ſo as a ſacrifice he ſtood in the ſtead of a ſinner, and the ſacrifice was to be offered for the man; and ſo ſome expound that place, 2 Cor. 2.21. Iſa. 53.2 Cor 2:21Isa 53he was made ſin for us, that is, a ſin-offering: therefore he doth take our ſins upon him as his own, and ſo doth confeſs them unto God, my iniquities have taken hold upon, Pſal. 40.12. and ſo the Lord doth impute them and lay them upon him as his own; for Iſa. 53.6. he did make to meet upon him the iniquities of us all, and the word p. 80doth ſignify hoſtile, congreſſu, they met with all their violence upon him, and therefore he was made ſin for us, that is, as a ſurety in our ſtead, he bears our ſins in his body, upon he tree, he was delivered for our tranſgreſſions, &c.

Secondly, Chriſt is a common perſon, a repreſentative head, one that repreſents another mans perſon, and acts the part of another, according to the appointment of the Law, the acceptation of the judge, that what is done by him, the perſon is ſaid to do; whoſe perſon he doth repreſent; and ſo was Adam a common perſon, and that by an act of Gods Soveraignty, appointing him in making a covenant with him ſo to be, and he did repreſent all man-kind, and hence it comes to paſs, that his ſin is imputed unto us, and made ours; ſo in our Law, an Atturney appears in the behalf of his Client, and ſo Chriſt is ſaid to be gone to Heaven as our Atturney foreign to appear before God for us; Heb 9.24.Heb 9:24ſo in paying a dept, or taking poſſeſſion, livery and ſeizin by an Atturney, it's all one as if done p. 81by the perſon himſelf, who is repreſented, and is as valed; ſo Kings are repreſented in their Ambaſſadors, and what is done unto them, or by them, is counted the act of the Prince; if they make peace the King makes peace, and if they denounce war, the King doth it, if an injury be offered to them, as to Davids Ambaſſadors, it is done to the Prince; becauſe they do repreſent his perſon; ſo the Lord Chriſt is a common perſon by an act of Gods ſoveraignty, repreſenting the perſon of all the elect of God, being appointed by God to be a ſecond Adam, and as the firſt Adam did repreſent all in him, ſo the ſecond Adam does repreſent all in him alſo: a…d therefore as judgment came upon all i… the firſt Adam, ſo righteouſneſs comes upon all in the ſecond Adam, ſo then ſayes the ſoul, he is my ſurety: and therefore is bound to pay my debt, and he is a common perſon, as in my ſtead: and therefore the ſatisfaction that is made unto God by him is in Law to be accounted mine as really as if my Atturney ſhould pay a debt for me, I ſhould p. 82reſt ſatisfied that the debt is paid, and in Law ſhall never be exacted of me, though it was not paid by my ſelf in perſon, but by another, who did perſonate me in that act, and did it for me and in my behalf.

Thirdly, This is a ſpecial ſervice that God the father call'd him unto, and for it he did promiſe him a reward; ſo that the plot of all is not Chriſts, but it is originally God the fathers, that he might make way for his mercy in pardoning ſin: and therefore Chriſt doth it as God the fathers ſervant, Iſa. 42.1. and in it he doth the fathers buſineſs, and he comes to do the fathers will in it, and not his own will, Heb. 10.7. and it is this will that is the ground of all the acceptation of all that Chriſt has done in our behalf, by which Will we are ſanctified; for if Chriſt had ſatisfied the juſtice of God, yet it was free with God to accept it or not, he might have choſe, and it's an act of grace, and yet of ſoveraignty, that he will grant a ſurety, and a commutation of the perſon: therefore it's ſaid, Joh 10.18John 10:18he did it by the fathers p. 83commandment, Joh. 17.2.John 17:2I have finiſhed the work thou gaveſt me to do, and the Lord gives him a reward for it, he gives him a name above every name, Phil. 2.9.Phil 2:9and an inheritance, he ſits down at the right hand of the Majeſty on high, Angels, Principalities and Powers being made ſubject to him.

Fourthly, This Chriſt undertook freely and readily, it was a thing that he could not have been compelled unto; for he was in the forme of God, & thought it no rohbery to be equal, with God, yet he came readily for the glory of his Father, Pro. 8 30.Prov 8:30and he was his delight before the world was, before there was an inhabitant; and Pſal 40. I delight to do thy Will, thy Law was within my bones, the Law of laying down his life as a ſurety, is in the middle of my bowels, the deareſt and tendereſt affections Chriſt had for it, Luke 12.56. I have a baptiſm, and I am pained till it be ended, he ſpeaks it of his ſacrifice, and though to ſhew what a great miſery it was in it ſelf, he manifeſted an averſneſs to it, voluntate naturae, p. 84yet as it was his Fathers will for our ſalvation, he cheerfully imbraced it, and drank off that bitter cup to the bottom, voluntate officii; therefore Chriſt became our ſurety, and repreſentative head for us, freely he did ſtrike hands with the Lord of his own accord willingly, and without regreet, he gave the hand to the Lord.

Fifthly, Iſa 5.3.10.Isa 5:3Isa 5:10The debt he hath payed, the chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him, Num. 11.8.Num 11:8for it pleaſed the father to bruiſe him; the word ſignifies conterere to break him to pieces as in a Morter, and he made his grave with the wicked; Rom. 6.10. In that he died, he died unto ſin once: and Heb. 9 28. And he was offered to bear the ſins of many, &c. And in teſtimony thereof he was taken from priſon and from judgment, Iſa. 5.3. His Priſon was the grave, and by judgment and condemnation paſſed upon him by God himſelf, and after ſatisfaction given, the Lord ſent an Angel and rowled away the ſtone from the grave; the debt being ſatiſfied, the Lord doth ſend an Officer p. 85to releaſe his perſon, for it was not to ſupply any defect of power in Chriſt that an Angel came; for he that could raiſe up himſelf from death, and thereby declare himſelf the Son of God with power, he that could looſe the pains of death, he could rowl away the ſtone from the grave, but it was done in a legal and judiciary way; and therefore he is ſaid to be juſtified: He is near that juſtifies me, 1 Tim. 3.16.1 Tim 3:16Iſa. 50.8. And by this he doth convince the World of righteouſneſs, becauſe the Lord delivered him from death. Becauſe he doth go to the Father.

Sixthly, For a Soul by an Almighty power of God to reſt upon this ſatiſfaction of his, and to plead it before God for himſelf, at his judgment ſeat.

Firſt, To look upon Chriſt as dying not for himſelf, but as a ſurety; for in juſtification and the purging of Conſcience from the guilt of ſin, the eye of Faith is mainly ſet upon Chriſt crucified, Chriſt as dying, and that as a ſurety, to make ſatisfaction: 1 Cor. 2.2. Heb 9.22.1 Cor 2:2Heb 9:22I deſire to know nothing but Chriſt, p. 86and Chriſt crucyfied, for without ſheding of blood there is no remiſſion. For though it is true, that the perſonal excellencies that be in Chriſt, are the objects of Faith; yet that Faith as it comes to Chriſt in the act of juſtyfication, and being quit of the guilt of ſin, it mainly looks upon Chriſt dying, Chriſt ſatiſfying.

Secondly, To look upon Chriſt as a repreſentative head, as one in whom I died as a ſurety, ſo as one in whome I roſe, he was juſtyfied and I in him, becauſe as he dyed for me, ſo for me he was juſtified alſo, and Chriſt was formerly condemned, therefore there muſt an act of aquiting paſs upon Chriſt, and therefore Heb. 9.28. That it was ſo apeared plainly, for he did bear the ſins of many in reſpect of the guilt of them, and he ſhall apear the ſecond time without ſin, that is, have the guilt of no ſin charged upon him in opoſition unto his former bearing our iniquities, he ſhall be aquitted before men and angels, and therefore he roſe as the firſt fruits, as a perſon repreſenting p. 87all the reſt of the elect, and he was juſtified in the ſpirit, that is, raiſed up by the power of the divine nature, thereby he was manifeſted to be juſtified, and as he is ſanctified as a common perſon, and receives an Image for us, that we muſt bear the Image of the heavenly there, is life eternal laid up in him, ſo he is juſtified as a common perſon from the guilt of ſin, that not any iniquity remains unſatisfied for in his behalf, that is, the ranſom in his death is fully paid, and as we were condemned in Adam a common perſon; ſo it is reaſon we ſhould be juſtified by Chriſt as in a common perſon alſo: now when a ſoul by an almighty work of the ſpirit of God looks upon all theſe acts of Chriſt, and the ſoul reſts upon them, in reſpect of the guilt of ſin, he doth put his ſins upon the head of his ſurety, and looks upon himſelf as acquitted in his juſtification and caſts himſelf upon it that he may attain it: thus the blood of Chriſt is ſaid by a mighty work of the ſpirit on Chriſts part, and faith on ours, to be ſprinkled p. 88upon our Conſciences, to purge them from the guilt of dead works.

Queſt. But how ſhall I know whether there be ſuch an almighty power put forth in me, that I may ſtay my ſoul upon Chriſts blood thus ſatisfying, that I might be able thereby to ſee my Conſcience purged, and pacified, and the terrour of ſin taken away?

Anſw. A man ſhall know this almighty work of the ſpirit, ſprinkling this blood of Chriſt upon the Conſcience by enabling a man unto that which all the power and improvement of a natural Conſcience cannot perform, and it will be ſeen in three things.

Firſt, When a mans Conſcience awakened and convinced of ſin, doth yet make after reconciliation with God, and union with Chriſt; for a natural Conſcience can find it eaſie to believe while he goes on ſtill in his ſins, and Conſcience is a ſleep, and indeed the faith of moſt men is but a good conceit of themſelves, from the p. 89ſelf flatery of their own hearts; but as ſoon as Conſcience is awakened, by and by they fly from God and look upon him as an enemy, Luke 3.5. there are Mountains to be made a plain, and there are Valleys to be fill'd: now when a ſoul conſiders himſelf under the condemnation of ſin, the curſe of the Law, and looks upon God as an angry judge, and yet ſaith, I have heard that the Lord of Iſrael is a mercifull God; and if mercy ſave me I ſhall be ſaved, and if mercy deſtroy me I ſhall but dye, I will fly to him whom I have offended, and lye down at his footſtool; there is nothing in the world that I deſire like unto reconciliation with him, and I would be reconciled to him in his own way, the way of union with Chriſt, I would he found in him, not having my own righteouſneſs, I would ſubmit to the way of the Goſpel: Oh, bleſſed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputes this righteouſneſs, and he is made the righteouſneſs of God in Chriſt, when a ſoul thus convinced of ſin, ſaith, God be mercifull to me a ſinner: I will p. 90now go to him, and leave my ſelf with him, let him do as it ſeemeth good to him, as David ſaid, if the Lord delight in me, he will ſave me, &c. truly all the power of nature improved, can never make men leave themſelves with God in this manner.

Secondly, When a mans ſins are diſcovered, and the Lord leads a man into the wardrope of Chriſts righteouſneſs, and enables him to ſee how there is enough therein to cover them all, and as God ſaw enough of Chriſts righteouſneſs to ſatisfie him in point of juſtice; ſo the Lord doth by a glorious light ſhew unto the ſoul enough of Chriſts righteouſneſs to ſatisfy alſo in point of guilt, that the ſoul can in ſome meaſure in Chriſt anſwer all the objections that Conſcience can make by ſome ſpiritual reaſonings drawn from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as when Conſcience objects, ſin is a tranſgreſſion of the Law; but the ſoul anſwers, the ſufferings of Chriſt are the humiliation of the Law-giver, ſin is a diſhonour to God in point of goods; but Chriſt that made all things with p. 91him, and had the ſame title unto all that God the Father had, he laid down all, and became poor, and took a new title unto all, he had more then a world to lay down, ſin did wrong God in point of honour, but he that was the brightneſs of his glory did abaſe himſelf, and made himſelf of no reputation, and did bring thereby more honour to God, he being ſubject to him, then the ſubjection of all the creatures could have done; it was a higher honour to the Soveraignty of God to have his ſon a ſervant, then could have been to have had the ſervice of all the creatures, and he can do him more ſervice, and bring him in more glory in an hour, then all the creatures could have done if man had ſtood to eternity; ſin did offend God, but Chriſts righteouſneſs did pleaſe him, in him his ſoul delights, and is well pleaſed ſin blotted out Gods Image in man, Chriſt reſtored it again, we were full of all unrighteouſneſs, and he fulfilled all righteouſneſs; my ſins are all hainous, but greater were charged upon Chriſt; he was a ſufferer p. 92as a Traytor, a blaſphemer, a Drunkard, a Seducer, a Conjurer, a Devil, he was made ſin for us, he made his grave with the wicked, and thy heart was very wicked, and full of enmity when thou didſt commit ſin; but Chriſts heart was holy, and full of love to God when he ſatisfied for it, thou didſt delight in ſin, and ſo did Chriſt delight to ſuffer, he was payned till his ſufferings were ended, thou didſt ſin openly at ſuch a time, and ſuch a place, &c. The Lord ſuffered without the gate openly in the view of all, and as thy ſin is the greateſt ſin, ſo is his moſt ſhamefull ſuffering in the moſt ſolemn time, as it were before all the world, and in a moſt infamous place, as the greateſt malefactor as it were at Tyburne; and for the company he ſuffered in it was between two Theeves, &c. when a ſoul is able to ſilence the guilt and clamour of his Conſcience by anſwering all that Conſcience can object, by finding out ſomething in the righteouſneſs and ſatisfaction of Chriſt to anſwer it, and faith is not nonpluſſed, truly this is a work of an almighty p. 93power; for while men go on in the pleaſures of ſin, ſo long ſin is nothing, ſin ſits with no weight upon them; but when their Conſcience is awakened to it, by and by their ſpirits are overwhelmed with it, as Judas was; now for a man to ſee ſin in its utmoſt dimenſions, and not to ſpare and be ſtreightned in his humiliation, and yet when Conſcience has ſaid its worſt, yet for him to be able to look into Chriſt, and ſee ſomething in him that ſhall anſwer all its accuſations, with as great ſtrength of ſpiritual reaſon as the other can be objected, and for a mans ſoul to be ſtay'd by ſuch thoughts, when he is even going down to the pit, this is an almighty power.

Thirdly, When a man is convinced of ſin and ſees himſelf to be an undone man, knows not whether God will be mercifull unto him or no; he walks in darkneſs in point of juſtification, and yet his heart is kept in a conſtant awe of ſinning againſt God, he would do nothing that ſhould diſpleaſe him for a world, his darling luſt doth yield and ſtrike ſail to the p. 94contrary grace, Sam. 50.10.11.he fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his ſervant, he would do nothing that ſhould diſpleaſe him for a world, and yet he knows not whether he ſhall find mercy with him or no, but his ſoul takes up an unchangeable reſolution againſt ſin, and ſayes, I will walk no more in a way of ſinning, ſaved or damned, I will be willing to obey him and count it my happineſs to do him ſervice, and I will be willing to wait upon him, let him do with me as it ſeems good in his ſight; if caſting a mans ſelf upon Chriſt make a man fear to ſin againſt him, there is an almighty power foreign that all the power of a natural Conſcience will never make the man to yield up his darling-luſt, as there is a Conſcience moleſte mala full of perplexity in reſpect of guilt, and the purging of the Conſcience therein lies in its pacification, when a man looking upon ſin in its greatneſs and exceeding ſinfulneſs, and yet can ſee foreign in the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, unto which as a City of refuge he flyes, being purſued, Heb. 6.18. and upon that p. 95he caſts himſelf and pleads it before the judgment ſeat of God, that the debt is paid, and the ſurety acquited, and this he doth either by an act of recombancy and reliance, or elſe by an act of aſſurance, as the Lord is pleaſed to clear his intereſt, and ſo the man is for ever perfected according to his Conſcience, that is, Heb. 9.6Heb 9:6though ſin doth cleave to him, and the guilt of ſin may by Satan be preſented to him, yet conſcience flying unto Chriſt for a refuge, and finding in him a perfect ſatisfaction, the man caſts all upon his ſurety, and his Conſcience is calm and ſerene, as a man himſelf indebted muſt needs be, when he knows that his ſurety hath paid his debt, and though there be a dayly application of this unto the ſoul, yet there is but one oblation, and the man upon this ground hath no more Conſcience of ſin, in reſpect of the guilt of it for ever, and this pacification of the Conſcience is the perfection of the man, &c.

But there is a Conſcience alſo that is vitioſe mala, full of the defilement p. 96and pollution of ſin, 1 Tit. 1.15. All evil is put under too heads, malum triſte, afflicting evil, or malum turpe, defiling evil; and ſin has in it both theſe, as it binds a man over unto all afflicting evil, ſo there is a guilt; and as it doth fill a man with all polluting evil, ſo there is a defilement, a macula, a ſtain, and filthineſs of ſin, and it hath all the filthineſs in the World in it, it is leproſy, pollution in blood, a ſepulcher, and the rottenneſs thereof, it is foreign the very excrement of wickedneſs, Jam. 1.21.Jas 1:21that if there could be any thing more filthineſs then naughtineſs it ſelf it is ſin, it has defaced the image of God, and the native beauty of the ſoul, and it hath brought upon a man poſitive filthineſs, even the image of the Devil, and the dreadful marks of helliſh deformity, that cannot be waſhed away with Niter and much Sope Jer. 17.1.

Though this be an univerſal pollution that overſpreads the whole man, defiles body and ſoul, and ſpirit, yet the main defilement of ſin p. 97lyes in the Conſcience; and where every ſin doth add to the pollution, as every act intends the habit, above all the faculties, the defilement of the Conſcience is increaſed thereby: Now, the great pollution of the ſoul lyes in a ſpirit of ſlumber, Conſcience letting a man commit evil and not to tell him it is evil, and in his ſenceleſneſs under ſin; Iſa. 29.10. Epheſ. 4.19. Being bribed by Luſt, and paſſions, and pleaſures, to give conſent to a ſin, and to plead for it; for Conſcience to paſs ſentence for a ſin, and that in the name of God, 1 Joh. 16.2and ſay that it is a duty, and ſtirs up a man to it, which it may be is one of the greateſt ſins of his Life, Conſcience pleads for ſin and excuſes a man, falſly ſpeaking peace to a man in a corrupt and curſed ſtate, ſaying, I ſhall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenneſs to thirſt, &c. In a reprobate ſenſe, to be in ſuch a mind that Conſcience approves things that are evil, and the falſe reaſonings of ſin in the Conſcience, the man cannot ſee, men are given over to p. 98believe the lyes of their own ſpirits, and cannot ſay is there not a lye in my right hand; and a ſeared Conſcience with a hot Iron, that man deſpiſes the threatning and judgment of God, 1 Tim. 4.9.1 Tim 4:9and is wholly inſenſible as ſeared fleſh: And all this defilement is not brought into the Conſcience from without, but grows out of it by cuſtome in ſinning. And the ground of it is, becauſe Conſcience is the higheſt faculty and has the higheſt office in the man, and therefore it is by corruption of the Conſcience that all the reſt of the faculties are ſo exceedingly corrupted as they are, becauſe Conſcience doth not its duty, and therefore God will mainly lay load upon the Conſcience after this life, as this had the main hand in defiling the man, ſo it ſhall be the great inſtrument in tormenting the man; for could men walk on in ſin as they do, if Conſcience did its duty, if it did inſtruct, ſuggeſt, accuſe truly, as in the name of God, and never excuſe but upon grounds from the judgment that God gives of things, &c. The great pollution of the whole ſoul p. 99flows from the pollution of the Conſcience, and therefore when the Papiſts, do crowd down the defilement of the ſoul unto the inferiour faculties, the affections and paſſions, as if they were the ſink of the ſoul, and all the filthineſs were ſwept down upon them, but as for the underſtanding & the will, they are in a great meaſure free, the Miſtreſs or Lady in the ſoul; and if a light be brought into the underſtanding, the will has a power to follow, and ſo ſay the Arminians alſo, and it is a doctrine that ſpreads much amongſt us; ſo when you hear Divines ſay that of all the faculties the Conſcience is the leaſt polluted, take heed of it, for the main filthineſs of thy ſoul lyes there. And the reaſon that is commonly given, is becauſe Conſcience in the worſt men doth many times take part with God againſt ſin, when Luſt carries a man and his will is very violently bent upon it; but conſider in an unregenerate man, this doth not proceed from the purity of his Conſcience, even at that time when it doth take part with God, but becauſe p. 100there is the ſpirit of God comes in and ſtirs up Conſcience, and lays a command upon it, and forceth it to do its duty, which it would be glad to let alone, and let Luſt revel in it without controle, it would ſurely gratify the affection it has to Luſt; but that the ſpirit of God comes in and over-aws the Conſcience, and doth awaken and terrify it, and force it to ſpeak, and therefore it doth not any more argue the purity of Conſcience, then Balaams bleſſing of the people of Iſrael in the wilderneſs, did argue his love to Iſrael whom he did earneſtly deſire to have curſed, and did greedily follow after the wayges of unrighteouſneſs, but that the Lord held a ſtrickt hand upon his Convcience that he durſt not ſin in it being over-awd; but it was no thanks to Balaam: And ſo it is here, no thanks to Conſcience which is corrupt and will by degrees grow inſencible, and incourage a man deſperately in a way of ſinning, even to deſpight of the ſpirit of Gods grace.

Now, How ſhall this defilement be purged, all theſe dead works how p. 101ſhall they be cleanſed? It is by the blood of Chriſt.

Firſt, From the Holyneſs of his nature as he is our Head; For by the blood of Chriſt, is meant all his active and paſſive obedience, and in his active obedience, the holyneſs of his nature muſt be taken in, as he was man he received the ſpirit; He had a union and an unction from the free grace of the Father, calling him to this great work, and by a glorious ſovereignty appointed Chriſt to be the head of his Church, and the ſecond Adam, to ſtand in their ſtead to perform all for them, and to receive all for them; &c. So he did receive the ſpirit as an unction from the Father, Iſa. 42.1. I will put my ſpirit upon him, he ſhall be cloathed with the Holy Ghoſt, and put it on as a garment, and this ſpirit he doth receive as a head, that he may diſperſe it; for the infinite holyneſs of the Divine nature could no more be communicated, then the infinite righteouſneſs of the Divine nature could be imputed, and therefore he muſt perform perfect obedience p. 102in his humane nature for our juſtification, that it may be imputed to us, and he muſt receive perfect holineſs in his humane nature for our ſanctification, that it may be imparted to us, John. 17.19. For their ſakes I ſanctify my ſelf, that is recieved a ſpirit of ſanctification, that it might be unto them a principle of holineſs, and the fountain of their ſanctification alſo, which I conceive to be meant by the Law of the ſpirit of life that is in Chriſt Jeſus has made me free from the law of ſin and death; Rom. 8.2.Rom 8:2What is the Law of ſin and death? It is the power of ſin to condemnation, defiling, and deſtroying, and what is the Law of the ſpirit of Life? it is put for the powerful and commanding work of the living, and the quickning ſpirit of Chriſt; and this Law, not as it is in us, but as it is in Chriſt, it is this that frees us both in reſpect of juſtification and of ſanctification alſo, from the law of ſin to defile, and rule, and alſo to condemn and to deſtroy, and thus from the holineſs of the nature of Chriſt it comes to paſs, that the ſame ſpirit p. 103that was in him is conveyed unto us, his union did abundantly ſanctifie him in himſelf, it being perſoual, and therefore there was an inpeccability, the actus eſt ſuppoſiti, but his unction was for us, he had a fulneſs of the ſpirit, as he was our ſurety, he paid our debt, and as our head, ſo he received a ſpirit for us, and diſpenced it to us, &c. thus you ſee the ſanctification of the humane nature of Chriſt doth purge a mans Conſeience from dead works, even the Law of the ſpirit of life that is in Chriſt Jeſus, makes us free from the Law of ſin.

Secondly, There is in the blood of Chriſt a cauſa meritoria, and it doth meritoriouſly purge the Couſcience; for though there was the fulneſs of all grace in the humane nature of Chriſt, yet it could never have been conveyed unto us without a ſatisfaction had gone before, God muſt be ſatisfied that men might be ſanctified; for there is in the ſufferings of Chriſt two things. Firſt, The payment of a debt. Secondly, There is a redundancy of merit, ſome thing p. 104muſt be procured for man, non ſolum inſtauratus eſt, Auſt.ſed & melioratus; à peccatis ablutus, inſtauratus eſt, in caeteris melioratus. Auſt. Tom. 4.9. 123. p. 613.

Firſt, It doth purchaſe the perſons of the elect: Acts 20.28.Acts 20:28therefore they are called a purchaſed people, 1 Pet. 2.9. foreign, Epheſ. 1.14. they are the ſeed that do ariſe from the travel of his ſoul; for he dyed as a grain, that he might not abide alone, John 12.32. when the Son of man is lifted up he will draw all men unto him, and the ſelecting of the Saints out of this world, is a fruit of his death, and a part of the purchaſe thereof, Gal. 1.4.

Secondly, All the graces and all the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt are part of his purchaſe, though in him they were free, he did not merit his unction no more then his union, the humane nature could not merit it, yet as they are beſtowed upon us, ſo they are the fruit of his merit; for they could never have conveyed this unto us, if he had not ſatisfied God, and laid down a price anſwerable p. 105unto all, and therefore, Epheſ. 4.9, 10. he that aſcended is the ſame that deſcended into the lower parts of the Earth, and he aſcended that he might fill all things, all the fruit of his aſcention comes from his humiliation, had he never deſcended he had never aſcended: therefore all the fulneſs of the graces and the gifts that the elect have it, is grounded upon this; the fruit of all his offices is grounded upon his Prieſt-hood, he does as a Prophet teach, but that he had never done, if he had not ſatisfied, he doth as a King diſpence gifts, but theſe gifts he gives to his people by his prieſthood, as an honour that the Lord has given him becauſe of his abaſement, and his humiliation, and thus our ſanctification and the purging of the Conſcience flows from the death of Chriſt, which is the meritorious cauſe thereof.

Thirdly, The active obedience of Chriſt is the pattern and the cauſa exemplaris of all that holineſs and purification that is required of us, our holineſs conſiſting in a conformity into Chriſt, he having received p. 106the Image of God in himſelf, and by beholding of his Image we are changed into the ſame, 2 Cor 7. laſt verſe, Chriſts life is a living Scripture, a viſible commentary upon the Law of God, whoſe actions we muſt follow, be you followers of me as I am of Chriſt; looking to Jeſus, and ſeting him before us, 1 Pet. 2.211 Pet 2:21as foreign a Copy for us to write after, and whoſe virtues we muſt ſhew forth, our happineſs being to be like him in glory, 1 John 3.3. we muſt reſemble him here as a child doth his father; for as we have born the Image of the earthly, ſo we muſt bear the Image of the heavenly, as we have born the one here in ſin and guilt, ſo we muſt bear the other here in grace, and hereafter in glory.

Fourthly, Chriſts blood doth cleanſe us by the precepts and the promiſes of the Goſpel, he doth ſanctifie us by his truth. John 17.John 17Firſt, by the precepts of it; for he ſaith, be you holy as I am holy, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, as obedient children: faſhion not your ſelves according to the luſts of your p. 107former ignorance, put off the old man and put ye on the new man, be not conformable to the World, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and all theſe precepts have a purging vertue, becauſe through the blood of Chriſt all the commands of the Goſpel carry grace with them, and a ſpirit that inables men to fullfil the command, jubet & juvat.

Indeed you may well queſtion, can a thing that is intrinſically unclean purge it ſelf, can a Black-moor change his skin? &c. It is true he cannot, but there is a creating word verbum factivum, ſuch as Chriſt ſaid unto the Leper, I will, be thou clean and by his commanding it, the ſoul is cleanſed, as when God by a way of command did cauſe the creatures to to ſtand up act of nothing, for the commands of the Goſpel they are as ſeed by which a man is begotten, and they are as a mold into which a man is transformed, Rom. 6.17. A man is caſt into it, as into a frame, that doth change him, and fides impetrat qu od lex **Auſt.imperat.

p. 108Secondly, In the promiſes of the Goſpel, and they are all grounded in the blood of Chriſt, for all the promiſes are in him, yea, and in him Amen; he is the center, and they are all as ſo many lines drawn from him, he is the great promiſe that gives being unto all the reſt of the promiſes and efficacy; it's the death of the Teſtatour that doth confirme the Teſtament, it were elſe a blank; and therefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is called the New Teſtament in his blood. Matth. 26.28. That is the whole New Teſtament and the promiſes thereof are offered and ſealed unto you in his blood, and if it were not a Teſtament in his blood, it were invalid and of none effect, and the promiſes of the Goſpel do purge the Conſcience.

Firſt, As they are objects of Faith, Chriſt having promiſed in them a purification, Iſa. 4.4. Zac. 13.1. There is a fountain open for ſin and for uncleanneſs; Iſa. 52.15.Isa 52:15it is aſperſi… doctrinae & juſtitiae. Mal. 3.1. He ſhall ſit as a refiner and ſhall ſanctify the ſons of Levi with refiners fire; p. 109&c. Exek. 36.25.37.I will ſprinkle clean water upon them, &c. They ſhall not defile themſelves any more with their Idols, and with their deteſtable things. Now the ſoul looking upon the faithfullneſs of God, and his goodneſs ingaged in theſe, ſayeth, having theſe promiſes let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs, both of fleſh and ſpirit, and theſe promiſes Faith turns into prayer, and obtains the mercy promiſed, becauſe all theſe promiſes are confirmed by the bloud of Chriſt.

Secondly, The promiſes do purge the Conſcience as they are grounds of hope, for they are onelyonly promiſes that are the grounds of hope to the ſaints, Pſal. 119.49.Ps 119:49eſtabliſh thy word unto thy ſervant upon which thou haſt cauſed me to hope, and a hope that is grounded upon a promiſe, is a hope that will never make a man aſhamed, and hope is a great ground of purging, Tit. 2.12.13. Looking for that bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, &c. who gave himſelf for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, p. 110and purify to himſelf a peculiar people. &c. The grace of God bringing ſalvation, teacheth us that denying ungodlineſs and worldly Luſts, &c. Looking for the bleſſed hope and the glorious appearing of God, as many as have this hope do purify themſelves even as he is pure, &c. Truly in all things the more lively a mans hopes are, the more ſpringing his endeavours are: And he doth take care to caſt away that which will cloud his hope, or defer it; Ph…l. 3.12.I have a hope of the prize of the high calling, and it is ſome ground that I have got already, ſomething that I have attain'd, but yet it is but a little; but upon a hope that I ſhall have him that indeed is foreign in my eye, therefore I ſtrive with all my might, and preſs hard to the mark &c. And thus the blood of Chriſt gives an efficacy unto all the precepts and the promiſes of the Goſpel, and they are all of them by this means of a cleanſing nature, they do purge the Conſcience, they have all a cleanſing property.

p. 111Fifthly, The blood of Chriſt doth purge the Conſcience, by ſprinkling all means that it ſhall tend unto a mans purification; that as by ſin all things do become means to defile the Conſcience, ſo by the blood of Chriſt all things ſhall become means to purge the Conſcience; Tit. 1.15. Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure, but even their mind and Conſcience is defiled: For under the law the ſprinkling of the blood was not onelyonly upon the perſon, but upon the book, and the tabernacle and all the veſſels of the miniſtery, Heb. 9.19 Implying that none of theſe would have been inſtruments of purging of the Conſcience, if they had not themſelves been firſt purged by the blood of Chriſt: But what are the means that thus purge the Conſcience.

Firſt, The word of God, Epheſ. 5.26. That he might ſanctify and cleanſe it with the waſhing of Water, by the word; and John 15.3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have ſpoken unto you. &c. Mens p. 112Conſciences are purged by it, but yet in it ſelf it will increaſe the defilement, as unto all unregenerate men it does; Heb. 6.7. The ground that drinks in the rain that comes oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dreſſed, receiveth bleſſing from God: But that which bears thorns, and briers, is rejected and is nigh to curſing. And yet if Chriſt ſprinkle it with his blood, it will ſurely purge the Conſcience, and all the purging vertue that the word has, is becauſe his blood was ſprinkled with the blood of the ſacrifice.

Secondly, All other ordinances alſo; 2 Cor. 3 3.2 Cor 3:3Firſt, that of the miniſtery, ye are our epiſtle, and though ye have Ten thouſand inſtructers, yet not many Fathers, but I have begotten you through the Goſpel: Now even this ordinance that was appointed for their cleanſing will but increaſe their pollution of themſelves, if their uncircumciſed heart ſhould riſe againſt the meſſage they bring them, to believe in the blood of Chriſt, and then God in judgment ſays to his miniſters go make the heart of this people p. 113fat, let their hearts be hardened and their ſpirits riſe againſt it, that hearing they may hear, and not underſtand, leaſt they be converted and I ſhould heal them; the Luſts of men are thereby the more exaſperated and drawn forth, as it did in the Phariſees under Chriſts miniſtery, their enmity did riſe to the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, beſides Blaſphemy againſt the ſon of man, but that the miniſtery is effectual to any ſouls, it is onelyonly the ſprinkling of the blood of Chriſt upon all the ordinances thereof, and it will purge if Chriſt in it ſit as a refiner of ſilver in his ſhop, and do concurr in the ordinances to their refinement.

Thirdly, The example of the Saints are a means of purging the Conſcience; Phil. 3.17. Be followers together of me, and mark them which walk ſo as ye have us for an enſample, &c. When a man doth obſerve unto what a pitch of holineſs and purification the Saints of God have attained, as the example of Chriſt ſo of the ſaints alſo, ſuch preſſing forward to more ſpirituality, p. 114ſuch growth in grace and in knowledg, ſuch love to all Saints, this is a great means to raiſe the hearts of them that fear God, to give all diligence to be as they were, holy in all manner of converſation: But yet they will be a means of pollution of themſelves, even theſe glorious examples of Chriſt and his followers, if not ſprinkled with the blood of Chriſt; and as the Phariſees looking upon the holyneſs of the Saints, they were the more inraged; ſo the more lively men do ſee holyneſs, in the practiſe of it they hate it ſo much the more.

Fourthly, Hoſ. 2.6. Jer. 31.18. Iſa. 18.Hos 2:6Jer 31:18Isa 18Afflictions, When the Lord ſends it upon any of his children, this is all their fruit to take away their ſin, but yet afflictions will of themſelves purge no mans Conſcience but rather defile it, as we ſee how the rage of mens ſpirits are drawn out by it, as King Ahaz ſin'd yet more, the more he was afflicted, and Revel. 16.9.10. They did gnaw their tongues with pain, and did blaſpheme the God of Heaven, but repented not of their evil p. 115deeds; bray a Fool in a Morter and yet his folly will not depart from him, but yet if Chriſts blood do ſprinkle our croſſes, they ſhall be as coraſives to eat out the proud fleſh, and they ſhall tend to heal him whom they had wounded.

Fifthly, Sometimes the Lord will do it by ſins, in giving him up to ſome publick open and ſcandulous fall, as he did with David, lets him fall into that great evil of murder and adultery, and that made him to waſh himſelf throughout, and it was a means to keep him low, and to preſerve him from ſin all his life time after, and we have the like inſtance in Peter, in denying the Lord, and curſing and ſwearing that he never knew him; when thou art converted ſays Chriſt to him, ſtrengthen thy bretheren, for he would be the ſtronger afterwards; as a bone broke &c. and the leſs apt to fall into ſin: Surely ſins of themſelves being filthineſs it ſelf, cannot purge but will defile, but yet ſprinkled with the blood of Chriſt they ſhall be an occaſion of purging.

p. 116Sixthly, Sometimes the Lord will do it by leaving a man to the winnowings of Satan, in ſome furious and violent temptation, Satans aim is thereby to ſift out all grace, and to leave nothing but chaff in the ſoul, for we fight not againſt fleſh and blood foreign, things that concerne Heaven and Eternity, and commonly men are foiled by them, and are the more filthy by a touch of the wicked one; 1 John. 5.19. But when the Lord doth ſprinkle a temptation with the blood of Chriſt, it ſhall be a means to purge the ſoul, and the poyſon of it ſhall be tempered into a wholeſome medicine as it was unto Paul **A Meſſenger of Satan, &c.2 Cor. 12.7.8. It is ſometime purging, and ſometimes preventing Phyſick, to keep the ſoul from being lifted up, &c. The ſame may be ſaid of mercies, and of all the diſpenſations of providence, for all ſhall work together for good (that is) for a mans ſpiritual and eternal good, becauſe they are all yours; Creatures and providences are as truly ſubordinate unto your good, as they are unto Gods glory … p. 117and the end of all is to take away the ſin, and to purge the Conſcience that is defiled by ſin, and to perfect holineſs in the fear of God.

Sixthly, The blood of Chriſt doth purge their Conſciences, as it is now ſprinkled in Heaven before the mercy Seat, by the interception of Chriſt; for there were under the Law two things that did perfect the ſacrifice, the offering of it, the killing of it, and the carrying the blood into the moſt holy place, and ſprinkling it upon the mercy Seat, and the ſacrifice was not perfect until both were done, and the blood was to remain before the mercy Seat; ſo the Lord Jeſus has offer'd himſelf a ſacrifice, but his blood is ſprinkled ſtill upon us, and remains, and it is a ſpeaking blood, it ſpeaks better things then the blood of Abel; now it doth ſpeak to us continually, for the end of his blood, and what is it but that we may be cleanſed, he gave himſelf for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie us to himſelf, Tit. 2.14.Titus 2:14&c. and the cry of this blood ſtill in Heaven, is, ſanctifie them by thy p. 118truth, keep them from the evil of the world, father keep through thy own name them that thou haſt given me, &c. But how ſhall I know my Conſcience is purged by the blood of Chriſt, &c.

Firſt, The more a mans Conſcience is afflicted with the ſpiritual riſing of luſt, and he loaths himſelf for it, as Paul for the Law of his members, warring againſt the Law of his mind; and Job I have ſeen thee; and therefore I abhor my ſelf.

Secondly, The more ready a man is to deny himſelf for God in any ſervice, and his Conſcience puts him forth to the uttermoſt in it, as Paul, I am willing to ſpend my ſelf, or to dye for the name of the Lord Jeſus, and Abraham roſe up early to obey the command of God, even to ſacrifice his only ſon; for the more the glory of God and his commands do ſway with a man, the more cauſe he has to be aſſured that the blood of ſprinkling has paſſed upon him, &c.

Thirdly, The more a mans Conſcience p. 119keeps down h is luſt in the preſence of the object of it, as Boaz, the woman lay at his feet, and yet his luſt did not riſe; and as Job to make a Covenant with his eyes, and not look upon a Maid, not have eyes full of adultery; a godly man may be tempted to ſin, it may be in the abſence of the object; but if it be preſent, and luſt have all the advantages that can be, and yet it cannot prevail, its an argument of a pure Conſcience: and try all theſe with reference unto your darling luſt; for anſwerable as the Conſcience is purged with reſpect unto that; ſo it is unto all other ſins whatſoever.

It will ſerve for exhortation unto all men to keep their Conſciences pure, Ʋſe 2 being once cleanſed in the blood of the Lamb, and this was the Apoſtle Pauls labour and his dayly exerciſe, Acts 24.16Acts 24:16in this I exerciſe my ſelf to to keep foreign a Conſcience void of offence before God and all men. Now we have formerly heard, that as there be two things in ſin, ſo there is a double defilement p. 120of the Conſcience, there is a guilt and a pollution, and a mans Conſcience can never be a good Conſcience, a pure Conſcience, without a ſtumbling block, unleſs it be kept pure in both theſe, and here I would ſpeak of a pure Conſcience according to the Apoſtles diſtinction; Firſt, before God; Secondly, before men: And firſt in reference unto the guilt of ſin, and a Conſcience polluted therewith, and this is a heart ſprinkled from an evil Conſcience, Heb. 10.22. that is, an accuſing and a condemning Conſcience, 1 John 3.21. if our hearts condemn us not, that is, if they have the guilt of no ſin lye upon them, for which they draw us before the judgment Seat of Chriſt, and paſs upon us the ſentence of condemnation; and ſo Paul, 2 Cor. 1.12. this is our rejoycing the teſtimony of our Conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, we have had our Converſation in the world, and more eſpecially towards you, and 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by my ſelf, it was a ſmall thing to him to be judged of by man, or p. 121in mans day; for men have their day of judgment alſo, as God has his, and the reaſon why he doth deſpiſe the judgment of all men is this; that he was conſcious to himſelf of nothing wherein he had misbehaved himſelf in his Apoſtleſhip towards them, many weakneſſes there were which he owned in himſelf, but yet the guilt of none of them did ſtick upon his Conſcience, and yet he refers himſelf unto the judgment of God, who knows more then a mans Conſcience can know by a mans ſelf, &c. and this was the great care of Job that his heart might not reproach him all his dayes, Job 27.6.

In reſpect of God, there is a two-fold good Conſcience, in regard of guilt; one in truth, and the other in ſhew and appearance only.

Firſt, There is a natural Conſcience that may have a great ſhew of goodneſs in it, not having the guilt of ſin riſing in it; but may with a great deal of boldneſs appear before God, and may lift up a mans face before him, and yet this not be a Conſcience truly good, as we ſee in p. 122the Heathen, Rom. 2.16. their thoughts do excuſe as well as ac…uſe, and that in the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of all men, &c. therefore there is the guilt of ſome ſins that Conſcience will acquit a man from, and will ſpeak for him in the preſence of the Lord, and ſo ſome do apply that ſpeech of Paul, as Act. 23.1. I have lived in all good Conſcience before God, even unto this day, it is conceived by ſome (as Cajetan, &c.) that it is ſpoken in reference unto all his dayes, even thoſe alſo before his Converſion, in which he did never ſin againſt his Conſcience and therefore he ſaith bona Conſcientia, non bono opere; for he thought that he did God good ſervice in all that he did, as Luther did ſay of himſelf; Nec ita eram glacies & frigus, ſicut Eccius & alii qui propter ventrem Papam defendere videbantur, ſed ego rem ſeriam agebam, ut qui diem extremum horribiliter timui, & ſalvus fieri ex intimis medullis cupiebam.

And the goodneſs of a mans Conſcience in not witneſſing guilt, is but a ſeeming goodneſs; it is ſometimes p. 123from a mans uprightneſs and good intention in a particular act wherein though he doth ill, yet he doth mean well and think alſo that he doth well, as it is the manner of many a miſled and deluded ſoul, as Gen. 20.5.6. Abimelech anſwered God, in the integrity of my heart, and the innocency of my hands have I done this, and God bears witneſs to him, that in the integrity of his heart he did it, not knowing her to be another mans wife, not with an intention to wrong her husband by taking her; there is, and may be, a moral integrity in a particular action, and a man may mean truly in that he doth, and do that which is evil, and yet not with an evil intention: Now will Conſcience excuſe the man in the preſence of God, and ſay, I intended no evil in that which I have done, Joh. 16.2. they ſhall think that they do God good ſervice; nay in the worſt and the moſt wicked actions, even perſecuting the Saints; a man may conceive therein that he has done God ſervice, and he may bleſs himſelf in his own heart, and Conſcience may p. 124not only acquit a man, but applaud him in that which he has done; and ſo there is many a man out of a blind zeal and a ſpirit of errour and deluſion, that looks upon thoſe things as great ſervices to God, and intends them ſo, which will be diſcovered to be the great ſins of their lives, at the laſt day, as it was in the Jews perſecuting of Chriſt, and the Deſciples ſetting up the Law againſt the Goſpel, going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſnes, and not ſubmiting unto the righteouſneſs of Chriſt therein, ſo Acts 13.50. there are devout and honourable women are ſtir'd up againſt the Apoſtles doctrine, they made uſe of that natural devotion that was in them, to perſecute the Goſpel, and as Beza doth obſerve they did raiſe the perſecution perſuaſis ſc. maritis, engaged their husbands in the quarrel, which is the condition of many a poor well meaning man, that is not acquainted with the depths of Satan, and the the deluſions of the times at this day.

Secondly, Sometimes it is from a p. 125mans ignorance and want of light, and ſo his Conſcience he thinks is good and ſpeaks peace to him, becauſe he doth not ſee the evil that is in him, Rom. 7. I was alive without the Law once, he ſpeaks it in reference to his ſtate of unregeneracy, and he ſaith, ſin was dead in reſpect of the guilt, and the accuſing and condemning power of it, and Paul was alive, full of preſumtious ſelf-confidence, and ſelf-excuſations, and acquitting himſelf, and his Conſcience did ſpeak peace unto him, and there is no guilt at all; but yet afterwards the commandment came in the ſpiritual and convincing power of it, and then the guilt of ſin revived in me, and I ſaw my ſelf a dead man; for without the Law ſin is dead: and therefore many a man that is quiet; becauſe the Law of God is not opened to him, he has the Law in the Letter, but not in the ſpiritual ſence of it; it is with ignorant ſouls in this reſpect, as with colours in the dark, there they are, but not ſeen till the light be brought in, ſo many a man is in the guilt of all abominations; p. 126but they are not diſcovered till the light be brought in, and then a man wonders how it was poſſible his Conſcience could be quiet, and hath ſuch a load lye upon it.

Thirdly, From a ſpirit of ſlumber that God pours out upon a man in judgment; his Conſcience being quiet through common works, and outward duties, a man having eſcaped the common pollutions of the world, and lives in no groſs way of ſinning and is exceedingly cenſorious, and ſeverely exclaims againſt others, and condemns and reproves thoſe ſins in others; he doth ſhine as a light, and is honoured by the Saints, as one that doth truly fear God, and is eminent in the profeſſion of Religion, as the fooliſh Virgins, and the thorny ground; have a lamp of profeſſion bring forth ſome fruit, has a name to live, and with this Conſcience is quieted, and its peace is not diſturbed; and ſo it is with many a temporarie believer, that had never more then a natural Conſcience, and ſome of them their Conſcience in reſpect of the guilt of them is never p. 127awakened, but they go out of the world even in a fools paradiſe with great hopes, and ſay, Lord, Lord, Mat. 7.22.Matt 7:22have we not propheſied in thy name, &c (as they are brought in ſaying at the day of judgment, &c. at death every mans eternal ſtate is caſt; for immediately after death comes judgment, Heb. 9.27. and in this day it is; for men ſhall have a particular ſentence paſſed upon them, and receive their doom for their eternal ſtate before the laſt day, but at death men ſhall ſay, Lord, Lord, open to me, &c. and from thence ſome of our divines ſay, that an hypocrite may live and dye with a quiet Conſcience in ſelf-deluſions, and yet miſs of Heaven in the height of his hopes, and therefore it's ſaid Rom. 2.17. of the hypocritical Jews, that they reſt in the Law, &c. and ſo they may do along time in the profeſſion and outward Priviledges of the Law, and an outward obedience thereunto, that when God ſhall awaken their Conſciences (as he doth many of them) ſome to conviction only, and ſome to converſion, they are p. 128ſurprized with the greateſt horrour and amazement of any other men in the world, and though there may be a great deal of quiet, and ſeeming goodneſs in Conſcience that is natural, yet it is not truly a good Conſcience; it has but a ſhew of goodneſs, and there is the guilt of ſin laid up in it that will ſurely ſhew forth it ſelf at the laſt and great day, ſin lyes at the door, and it will awaken and revive and condemn him: But there is away to keep the Conſcience pure from the guilt of ſin in the ſight of God, that a man ſhall have no more Conſcience of ſin, and there are three ways or ſteps to a pure Conſcience before God in this reſpect.

Firſt, In a mans Converſion, when the Lord Chriſt as a ſurety and as a ſacrifice is offered unto him, and he conſents to the terms upon which Chriſt is offered, that he may have an intereſt in the ſatisfaction that he has given, and that his ſins may be done away, and he ſtand righteous and aquited before God, and ſo at a mans Converſion, all his ſins in his p. 129unregenerate ſtate is pardoned, and the guilt of them is covered, ſo that they are unto his Conſcience as if they had never been; his ſins are by virtue of union, imputed to Chriſt, and Chriſts righteouſneſs imputed to him, and he is made the Lord our righteouſneſs, 2 Cor 5.21 1 Pet. 3.21.2 Cor 5:211 Pet 3:21and we are the righteouſneſs of God in him, which is by the anſwer of a good Conſcience, which I conceive to be an alluſion to the antient manner of baptiſing, wherein the people confeſſed their ſins, and did anſwer unto certain queſtions that were then asked, therein engaging themſelves by a publick profeſſion unto Chriſt to conſent to his Covenant, ſo when it was done ſincerely, then it is ſaid to be the anſwer of a good Conſcience; but if not, it was the anſwer of the lips only, as it was in Simon Magus, &c. and hence came thoſe forms in the primitive Churches of queſtions propounded unto the baptized perſons, to renounce the world, the fleſh and the Devil, their giving up of themſelves to Chriſt, with their ſolemn anſwer or ſtipulation thereunto; a man having p. 130thus accepted of Chriſt as his ſurety, and ſacrifice, being offered unto him in the Goſpel, and given up himſelf unto him, all his ſins in the guilt of them, that were committed by him in the days of his unregeneracy, are all done away, his ſins are all of them put upon the head of the ſacrifice, and are taken off the man in reſpect of the guilt of them before God, as if they had never been; ſo that they ſhall never be imputed to the man any more, for the Lord hath found a ranſome.

If we look upon ſin as a burden, it is taken off the ſinner, Pſal. 32.1.Ps 32:1and lyes upon him no more: Hoſ. 14.2. Take away our iniquity; It is to take the weight and the burden off the Conſcience, and lay it upon another that is able to bear it; if we look upon ſin as filthineſs, and ſo it is in pardon covered, there is a garment of Chriſts righteouſneſs drawn over the man; Zac. 4.take away the filthy garments, look upon ſin as an enemy, and as the guilt of it did domineer over us and inſlave us, and ſo Mich. 7.19. He will ſubdue our iniquities; p. 131and caſt them into the depth of the Sea. He will caſt them behind his back, as a thing that he will never look upon to puniſh or condemn the man for; they ſhall never be imputed unto him, Iſa. 38.17. N…m. 23.21.Isa 38:17and ſo will ſee no iniquity in Jacob; which is not meant, as if God did not behold the ſins of his people, and is angry with them, for he is ſo, as we ſee it in Moſes, and David, and the Church, Mich. 7.19. …ut he will not ſee them in a judicial way, ſo as to proceed againſt them, and condemn them for it: But be their ſins never ſo great, red as ſcarlet, he will drown them in the depth of the Sea, as far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt; Pſal. 113.12. Iſa. 1.18.Isa 1:18and Jer. 15 20. In thoſe days the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none, &c. Shall be ſought for by a judicial inquiry, as the Lord will make for blood, and all manner of iniquity, they ſhall not be found (that is in judgment) that ſhall not be found unto the mens condemnation, for they are all ſatiſfied for, and done away in Chriſt: So that a mans ſins ſhall never be p. 132imputed any more. For the righteouſneſs that is imputed unto the ſoul is everlaſting righteouſneſs; and they ſhall therefore be as if they had never been: So that what ever a mans ſins were before his converſion, when he hath laid hold on the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and accepted of his Covenant, tendering him pardon in him, the guilt of his ſin is totally and perfectly taken away, and is as it had never been: Pſal. 51.7. Waſh me, and I ſhall be whither then Snow, &c. Therefore the firſt way to have the Conſcience purged from the guilt … ſin, is by the anſwer of a good Conſcience. &c.

Secondly, Whereas a believer and a juſtified perſon doth ſin againſt God, and contract new guilt every day, there muſt therefore be a dayly repentance, and a dayly application of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt unto the ſoul, and a daily and a continu… imputation on Gods part of th… righteouſneſs; and here we m… take notice.

Firſt, That a juſtified perſon is not freed from ſin, but that he doth p. 133fall into ſin every day; we ſee it in Paul, and in David, and in the Saints.

Secondly, Their daily ſins do bring upon their perſons a guilt, Pſal. 51.10 Deliver me from blood-guiltineſs, O God, every new ſin, doth bring a new guilt, there is a double guilt of ſin; reatus perſonae & peccati, the one cannot be ſeparated from the ſin, but the other may, when the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is applied to the ſoul.

Thirdly, Lying under this guilt of a perticular ſin, God is really angry with him, not onelyonly in his own apprehenſion, but God hides the light of his Countenance from him: Pſal. 32.3.4. While I kept ſilence, my bones conſumed away; for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, and my moiſture is turned into the draught of Summer, Selah. He is filius ſub irae, though not ire, the Lord puts him upon a Rack and writes bitter things againſt him as if he were an enemy, and there is a ſuſpenſion, and an interdiction of all the effects of Gods juſtification, till he do repent.

p. 134Fourthly, Under this guilt and wrath every man ſhall lye ſo long as he continues in this ſin impenitently, when he doth believe and repent for that ſin, then it ſhall be pardoned and the guilt taken off the Conſcience, and the man reſtored unto his former ſtate to plead the priviledges of his juſtification, which he could not before; but was as it were under a ſtate of ſequeſtration, as the Leaper under the Law, though he had right unto all the ordinances, yet he had not the actual uſe and benefit, and injoyment of any of them; and therefore we read, that though repentance be not a cauſe of pardon, nor Faith a cauſe of pardon, yet it is the hand that receives it, and the quallification of the ſubject upon whom the Lord will beſtow it: And therefore we read of a dayly ſacrifice amongſt the Jews, even a continual burnt offering, ſo believers are to have recourſe unto Chriſt for their dayly failings, Job. 13.10.Job 13:10and he that is waſhed need not ſave to waſh his feet, for there is a fi…th contracted by a mans daily walking, that a man muſt apply the p. 135righteouſneſs of Chriſt for, that it may be done away, and therefore David till he repented his ſin, was not pardoned (as we read of) but when he did confeſs his ſin, then Nathan ſaid unto him, the Lord hath put away thy ſin; and Act. 3.19. Repent and be converted, that your ſins may be blotted out, &c. and Ezech. Repent and turn your ſelves from all your tranſgreſſions, ſo iniquity ſhall not be your ruine: And according to the Scripture, I know no ground that any man ſhould believe that his ſins are pardoned till he hath repented.

Fifthly, There is a daily application of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt unto us by Faith, and there is a continual and a daily imputation of it unto us by God, and therefore we are taught by Chriſt to pray daily, Forgive us our treſpaſſes; which unto a juſtified man, what can be the meaning, nothing but this, I know that my ſins are already pardoned, even all that ever I have, ſhall or can commit, let me onelyonly have the pardon of them witneſſed unto my p. 136ſoul; but I do conceive much rather, the meaning to be, as I ſin every day, and thereby do daily contract a new guilt, ſo grant that I may have the righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed unto me every day, and a penitent heart given me that thereby I may have the qualifications that God requires unto pardon, and my iniquities be blotted out: For though I conceive it a truth, that juſtification as far as it reſpects a mans ſtate is done at once, and is perfect in inſtanti, that a man is but once juſtified, that is put unto a ſtate of pardon and righteouſneſs, and acceptation, as ſoon as made one with Chriſt, yet I conceive the pardon of ſin to be a continued act, that as a man doth ſin daily, ſo he has an actual pardon daily, by the imputation of Chriſt's righteouſneſs unto him anew: The ſacrifice indeed was offered but once, and never to be repeated, but the imputation of it is continued to the end of the World and the application of it is the act of every day, and therefore ſome ſay that God does give us the ſame p. 137things over and over again daily, as we ſin daily, and ſtand in daily need of it; as he doth the Sun, it had as much light in it the firſt day it was made as it hath now, and God has not given us a new Sun, but the ſame daily ſhines; ſo it is with the imputation of Chriſts obedience, who is the Son of Righteouſneſs: So that though a man be for his ſtate once for all put into a ſtate of juſtification, yet remiſſion of ſins is an act that is continued daily, and ſhall never be perfected till ſin ſhall be done away, and till the ſoul ſhall ceaſe to ſay, Lord forgive us our treſpaſſes, and then God ſhall ceaſe forgiving; but while the Saints do ſin, ſo long there is a daily remiſſion upon a daily repentance, and a renewed application: So if a man ſins daily and would have the guilt of his ſins taken off his Conſcience, it muſt be by a daily confeſſion, a daily repentance and humiliation, a daily application of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and therein by prayer ſeeking unto God for pardon daily, for I know no other means to take the guilt of ſin off the p. 138Conſcience. Theſe things I ſpeak partly to awaken the people of God, that are juſtified freely by grace, that they might not dare to paſs a day in a way of ſinning, and that they may not dare to lye down with any ſin unrepented of alſo, and partly that thoſe abominable and dangerous doctrines that are now abroad in the world, to turn the grace of God, and the promiſes of the Goſpel into wantoneſs, may be avoided, when men ſay all our ſins are pardoned allready, and therefore though we may have ſin in our converſation, yet we have none in our Conſcience, God ſees no iniquity in his people, and he loves them in Chriſt, and therefore loves them never the worſe for all their ſins, &c. And therefore they need not pray for pardon, for they have it already; but onelyonly they muſt believe that they are pardoned, and muſt believe that they need not repent, for all is done away in Chriſt, and it is onelyonly for perſons that are unregenerate to repent for ſin, and to ask pardon; but for them that are in Chriſt their ſins are pardoned, &c: p. 139But let me tell you, and the Lord will make you know, that as you ſin every day, and contract a new guilt, ſo there is no way to get this guilt taken off thy Conſcience, but by a daily repentance for it, and a daily application of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, that thy ſins may be blotted out from the preſence of the Lord, for though thou be waſhed, yet thou haſt daily need to waſh thy feet; There is nothing that the heart of man is more willing and ready to ſhift off, then the duty of repentance, though as Tertullian ſaith he was, nulle rei niſi penitentiae natus; and yet it is with men, as Luther ſays of himſelf, there was no word that he did hate and abhor ſo much as that word, Repent; it is that, the heart of man goes againſt, and you have moſt need to be exhorted to it.

Thirdly, There is another way to keep the Conſcience pure from the guilt of ſin, and that is for a man to get aſſurance of Gods favour, the light of his countenance, and to walk in it all day long, Pſal. 89.15.Ps 89:15Bleſſed are the people that know the joyful ſound: They p. 140ſhall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. When a man hath the witneſſes either of blood and water, which are more remote, and the ſpirit of God ſpeaks in them, and in all ordinances of the Goſpel, or elſe when a man has a more immediate teſtimony from the ſpirit of God, the Lord ſaying to his ſoul, be of good cheer, thy ſins be forgiven thee; the Lord ſends his ſpirit that ſpeaks to the ſoul, as the prophet Nathan to David, God hath taken away thy ſin; and this is Gods ſpeaking to the ſoul pardon and peace, which is the portion of many of the Saints, when a mans ſoul draws near to the grave, and his life to the deſtroyers, and the Lord comes in and ſays deliver his ſoul from death, for I have found a ranſome; and truly there are ſouls that do walk in the light of Gods countenance all the day long, and their ſouls are as the upper Region, quiet, and are allways Calme, though ſin they do, yet they ſpeedily repent, and humble their ſouls for it, and their peace is never interrupted, nor the light of Gods p. 141Countenance taken from them, but they receive of his pardoning mercy dayly, and dayly bear witneſs to it that their ſins are done away, and ſo their Conſciences are never clogged with them.

But as ſoon as God withdraws the light of his countenance from any poor ſoul, by and by the guilt of ſin ariſeth, and Conſcience is terrified, and there is a thick cloud over ſpreads the whole ſoul, and a mans heart is like unto a troubled Sea, that cannot reſt, ſee what reſtleſs toſſings David was in while his ſin lay upon his Conſcience, and God hid his face day and night, they are ſo heavy upon me that all the night long I make my bed to ſwim with my tears, oh take me not out of thy preſence, will the Lord caſt off for ever, and his mercy is it clean gone, will he be gracious no more? Thus a man that would have a clear Conſcience in reſpect of guilt, muſt make it his buſineſs to walk in the light of Gods Countenance all the day.

Having thus far ſeen how a man may keep a Conſcience pure from the p. 142guilt of ſin. Let us now come to the ſecond, how a mans Conſcience may be preſerved pure, from the defilement and the pollution of ſin: And here we are to conſider, that there are two things in Conſcience, and anſwerable unto them there is a defilement that may befall a mans Conſcience.

Firſt, there is a foreign, as Conſcience is the ſeat of practical principles, as there is a judgment in Conſcience, that it can make of what is true, and what is falſe, what is good, and what is evil.

Secondly, There is foreign I knowing and a judging of mans perſon, and his wayes by theſe principles, and the acts of Conſcience that follow thereupon, and the corruptions of either of theſe will pollute the Conſcience.

Firſt, There is a Syntereſis which are the principles by which men are acted in their ways, which are the rules by which a man walks, and by which he doth judge of himſelf and of all his ways, and by which he doth direct and ſteer his whole courſe, if p. 143theſe be true, the Conſcience is ſo far kept pure, that though a man may ſin againſt his knowledge, and be carryed away by the violence of temptation, yet it is contrary unto the rule and the principle that is within him; there is ſomething in him that is contrary to it, and condemns it, and takes part with God and with duty; and the more a mans judgment and Conſcience is leavened with corrupt principles, the more is his Conſcience defiled; a man muſt hold the myſtery of faith in a pure Conſcience; 1 Tim. 3.9. 1 Tim. 1.19.1 Tim 3:91 Tim 1:19holding Faith and a good Conſcience, which ſome having put away concerning the Faith, have made ſhipwrack; for the myſtery of faith muſt be kept in a pure Conſcience; for if your judgments be leavened with corrupt principles, 1 Tim. 3.9. you will ſoon make ſhipwrack of the faith, which ſignifies a dangerous and an irrecoverable loſs of it: And here I will ſpeak to theſe three things. Firſt, That there is a great deal of danger that mens Conſciences may be defiled in their principles, and they corrupted in judgment. p. 144Secondly, The greatneſs of this danger, what an evil it is for a man to have his judgment defiled, and the foreign of that Conſcience corrupted. Thirdly, The means and rules how a man may be preſerved from a polluted Conſcience in this, how a mans judgment may be kept undefiled, and you had need to take heed; for there is a great deal of danger that your judgment may be corrupted.