A Golden Topaz — Francis Whiddon

A Golden Topaz · Francis Whiddon

The TOPAZ.

HEB. 13.18.

For we truſt we have a good Conſcience, Willing in all things to live honeſtly.

I Find it reported of Saint Auſtin long ſince that a great deſire poſſeſſed him of hearing Paul to Preach.

Another like affected with him, ſeconds his deſire with this of his own: which was, that his Theam or Text might be Conſcience. Doubtleſſe theſe good men were friends to Conſcience, they ſaw how the Cauſe ſtood with her, namely that ſhe was in a languiſhing condition, and ready to die: what their thoughts were we can onelyonly gueſſe: but in theſe dayes of ours, theſe laſt and worſt dayes, if we ponder the wayes and workes, the opinions and practiſes of the moſt, we have juſt cauſe to complaine, that Conſcience is not onelyonly ſick and dying, but dead and buried in the grave of habituall ſin, with the ſtone of hardneſſe rolled on the grave, and that ſhe hath laid ſo long in the duſt of oblivion, that her name is become unſavory, & the very mentioning of Conſcience, is nauſeated by every prophane Belialiſt.

It's high time, therefore, to crave the help of an Angel, yea the Angel of the Covenant Jeſus Chriſt the Saviour; to roll away the ſtone, and to raiſe up our dead friend Conſcience, as ſometimes he raiſed up his dead friend Lazarus.

This worke of raiſing the dead is proper unto God onelyonly, yet may an omnipotent God uſe impotent man in ſuch a worke; as Eliſha in raiſing the Shunamites dead ſon to life,2 King. 4.34. Act. 9.9. Act. 40. Paul in reſtoring Eutychus, and Peter in reviving Tabitha (aliàs) Dorcas. Now he that imployed men then, in raiſing dead bodies, can and will imploy men ſtill in raiſing dead ſoules, dead conſciences; who knoweth what God may do, if we do our parts? if the Hebrews pray, & Paul preach, and God come in with a bleſſing on both, what ſhall hinder but that the dead conſcience ſhould be revived, the drowſie awakened, the weake confirmed, the troubled quieted, the good bettered, and every elect ſoule returne to his reſt with ſome meaſure of Pauls conſidence, and ſay, I truſt I have a good Conſcience, willing in all things to live honeſtly?

The occaſion of Pauls pleading a good Conſcience, I find to be thus;Occaſion. there were certaine ill-affected perſons among the Hebrewes who calumniated Pauls doctrine,Theophilact in h. l. as tending to the ſubverſion of Moſes law; ſo that many, who had formerly given their Names to Chriſt began now to draw back from Paul as a Seducer and falſe Teacher, and ſo their Affections alienated from him. He therefore (to cleare himſelfe from ſuch falſe aſperſions and calumniations, and to confirme and eſtabliſh the Hebrewes in the truth,) gives them to underſtand, that he had not dealt fallaciouſly, but faithfully with them in what he had taught them: and therefore adviſeth them to continue conſtant in their obedience unto their Teachers, and in ſervent prayer unto God for them. For ſaith he, we are aſſured we have a good Conſcience, willing in all things to live honeſtly.

You may terme this Text Pauls Triumph, or his choice Jewel, with which the whole world compared and weighed in the Ballance, will be found as light as droſſe and vanity, and without this, all things are but loſſe, dung, and vexation of ſpirit.

1.Analyſis. Pauls Conſcience.

2. Pauls Conſidence.

In the firſt note the quality, it is a good Conſcience.

In the ſecond the propriety, it is his owne good Conſcience, I have a good conſcience.

In the ſecond, viz. his confidence, you have 1. his Aſſurance, (we truſt) 2. the grounds of it built on foure firme pillars,

1. His will, (deſiring.)

2. The Extent, (in all things.)

3. The Conſtancy of his will, (to walke or live.)

4. The Syncerity of it, namely (honeſty.)

Firſt of conſcience in generall; it would be very tedious to ſhew you the opinions of men upon the definition of conſcience, all varying in terme, Habitus multis diſpoſitionibus acquiſitus: Habitus intellectualis, quâ talis, officium eſt unicum, inclinare ad promptè agendum; Conſcientia verò multas habet operationes, quas immedtatè exercet, ergo non Habitus. Ames de Conſcien.and ſome in truth. Much adoe there is amongſt Divines to find out the Genus or generall terme of it, as alſo the difference.

Some calling it an act, ſome an habit, ſome a faculty, ſome a power. As for the two former, they are liable to juſt exception, that call it an act or habit.

1. It cannot properly be called an act, becauſe conſcience many times doth not act, as in ſleepy men and ſeared conſciences.

2. It cannot be properly termed an habit, becauſe conſcience is innate, not acquired.

The two latter, a faculty, or power, are generally imbraced, but eſpecially the laſt. Some leave out faculty, becauſe the Scripture hath not yet determined it to be a diſtinct faculty, but calling it ſometimes the ſpirit of a man, and ſometimes the ſpirit of the mind of man, therefore to avoid all exception, I ſhall pitch upō the laſt terme, namely power, as the true genus, and ſo define it.

Conſcience is an inbred light in the mind of man, teaching him to follow what is good, and to eſchew that which is evill: and it is called conſcientia, quaſi concludens ſcientia; and it hath a two-fold Act, the firſt is to give Teſtimony to things, whether we have done well or ill; if we have done them well, then it giveth teſtimony for us, Rom. 9.1. My Conſcience alſo bearing me witneſſe; and if we have done evill, then it teſtifieth againſt us. Therefore Nazianzen uſed to call the Conſcience Pedagogū animae; for as a Pedagogue waiteth upon a Child, and commendeth him when he doth well, and on the contrary whippeth him when he doth evill; ſo the conſcience, when a man ſinneth, it ſtingeth him like Hornets, Deut. 7.20. But when he doth well, it alloweth him, bids him go on, maugre all oppoſition, and to rejoice and ſing, though in a priſon with Peter, or in ſtocks with Paul. (vid. Weemſe divine exercitations.) But to define it more plainly and fully.

Conſcience is a Relative power in the reaſonable Creature,Definition which upon determination through the light of Gods law, doth either excuſe or accuſe.

1. A power, becauſe of the many operations and workings which it dayly exerciſeth in us.

2. Its a Relative power, not abſolute,Conſcientia i.e. ſcientia cum alia ſcientia. 1. Cum Deo ſcire. 2. Cum ſeipſo ſcire. 3. Cum aliis ſcire. 4. Cum rebus ipſis conſcire. becauſe what Conſcience doth, it doth it in Relation to another, and therefore called conſcience, becauſe it knoweth with another, with one that is of familiarity with it, and witneſſeth the truth with it, and this is God alone, who only knoweth the heart, and trieth the reines. Hence it is that Paul calleth the ſpirit of God to ſecond his conſcience, I ſpeake the truth in Chriſt, I lie not, my Conſcience bearing me witneſſe in the holy Ghoſt: where you may ſee 3 witneſſes produced by the Apoſtle, and all of them without exception, namely Chriſt, the holy Ghoſt, and Conſcience, which is mille teſtes a thouſand witneſſes.

3. The ſubject in which conſcience is ſeated, it is in the reaſonable Creature, I doe not ſay it is in the Creatour, for God being holineſſe and righteouſneſſe it ſelfe, needeth not Conſcience to order, governe and direct him. Neither do I ſay it is in the unreaſonable creature, becauſe Beaſts and Fowles wanting reaſon, muſt needs want conſcience: but this I affirme; conſcience is in the reaſonable creature only, whether they be men or Angels, good or evill, Saints or ſinners, bleſſed Angels or collapſed Divels, this power of Conſcience is in them all.

Q. In what part of man is this power ſeated?

A.Tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte. I will ſay of conſcience in the ſoule, as Philoſophers of the ſoule in the body. It is in every part or faculty of the ſoule.

1. It hath the underſtanding for its Throne and Pallace, where it is cheifly reſident, and keepeth a compleate Court in the whole ſoule, commonly called forum conſcientiae, and there as a Judge ſits determining and preſcribing, abſolving and condemning de jure.

2. Its in the memory, and there it acteth as Regiſter or Recorder, readily minding and recording, witneſſing and teſtifying de facto.

3. Its in the will and affections, and there Conſcience carries it ſelfe like a Jaylour or Executioner, rendring, rewarding, plaguing and puniſhing every one ſine respectu, without partiality.

The 4^th. thing in the definition of conſcience is determination; Conſcience determineth what is good, what evill, what is to be done, what not to be done, and ſo excites or diſwades accordingly. If conſcience ſay, this muſt be done, then muſt we do it for conſcience ſake. If conſcience tells us it is evill,Rom. 13.5. then muſt we forbeare for conſcience ſake, i.e. out of an holy feare of God, whereby our conſcience may be preſerved pure before him.

5. The rule by which conſcience acteth, namely, the light of Gods law; I do not ſay by the light of the word, Goſpell, or written Law, but more largely by the light of Gods law, I meane the law of Nature, written in mans heart before the word was written, or Goſpell revealed. For as man had a conſcience from the beginning, ſo he had light from the beginning to regulate conſcience, which was the law of Nature written in his heart.Rom. 2.15.

6. The laſt thing in the deſinition of conſcience is her acting or working upon the light received; which is twofold, either acquitting, or condemning: when by her light ſhe determines what is done, that it is good or evill; ſhe accordingly doth excuſe or accuſe, Rom. 2.15. And thus have you conſcience in generall defined and explained.

Having ſhewed you what conſcience is, and in whom, namely, in the reaſonable Creature; now in ſo much as every man hath reaſon, I may ſafely conclude that every man hath conſcience: The point of Doctrine is clearly this.

Doct. There is in every man a power or faculty called Conſcience.

1. That there is in man a conſcience, let our Apoſtle cleare up this truth in himſelfe, how often doth he call and appeale unto conſcience upon all occaſions, when he was convented before the Coūſell, & greiveous things charged upō him, he appeals to conſcience. Men and Brethren, I have lived (ſaith he) in all good Conſcience before God untill this day. Againe when Ananias commanded them that ſtood by to ſmite Paul on the mouth, Act. 23.1.2.and Tertullus with all his Rhetoricke before Foelix beſmeares him, calling him a peſtilent fellow, a mover of ſedition, a maintainer of the ſect of the Phariſees, a polluter of the Temple, and what not? He hath no way to caſt off all this filth, but by flying unto conſcience, ſhewing his enimies how far and free he was from theſe baſe aſperſions, that it was his conſtant practice to keep a Conſcience void of offence toward God and toward men.Act. 24.16.

And that you may not think it to be Pauls peculiar, but common to others with him, we approve our ſelves to every mans Conſcience in the ſight of God.2 Cor. 4.2.

Ob. Though good men have a conſcience, yet wicked men have not.

A. It is an uſuall ſaying indeed amongſt men here, when they meet with ſuch as are very hard in their dealings, or very vitious in living, to ſay this man hath no Conſcience.

But you muſt underſtand their meaning, when they ſay he hath no conſcience: they meane no good conſcience, or no working conſcience.

Be you therefore aſſured, that there is a Conſcience in every man and woman, be they good or bad. not only in Paul, but alſo in Pilate, not only in John, but likewiſe in Judas. John. 8.9. Rom. 2.15.The accurſed Jewes, wicked Phariſees, and Heatheniſh Idolaters will all acknowledge the being and working of Conſcience in them.

To hold therefore that ſome men have no Conſcience, is both diſhonourable to God, and injurious to man.

1. A diſhonour to God, as if he had given man not a perfect, but imperfect ſoule, defective in its principall power or faculty, we confeſſe that the body of man being generated, may be maimed, wanting a part or member,Gen. 2.7. as an eye, an eare, a hand or foot,Anima infundendo creatur, & creando infunditur. Tho: Aqu. 2. d. 3. q. 1.4.1. becauſe it comes mediately from man: but as for the foule, being created and infuſed by God, this cannot be defective but compleat in all this powers and faculties, and therefore a great diſhonour to God to queſtion his workmanſhip, as men do if they deny man to have a conſcience, Anima humana non eſeminis traduce propagatur, ſed immediatè à Deo creatur.which is a ſpeciall power or faculty in the ſoule.

2. An injury to man. 1. Deny man conſcience, you deny him reaſon, and ſo confound him with a beaſt: but grant him a conſcience, and you grant him reaſon, and ſet him in his proper place as a Lord or maſter over beaſts.Pſ. 8.7.

2. Againe deny him Conſcience, you deny him a Soule, one of his Eſſentials, and ſo confound his manhood, which were a great injury to him. We acknowledge ſin hath brought us to a great loſſe, but not to ſuch a loſſe as to looſe our being: we have by Adams ſin loſt our innocency, but not our eſſence; our Excellency, but not our exiſtence; our ſoule is defiled, not annìhilated; our powers depraved, not deſtroyed; man is man ſtill, hath body and ſoule, partes, members, powers and faculties, all good quoad bonum naturale; all naught quoad bonum morale. The truth then ſtill ſtands cleare, that there is in every man a power or faculty called Conſcience.

2. The Reaſons why God hath planted this power of conſcience in man are two.

1. R. To ſhew his Juſtice, that he will judge righteouſly. God commands judges here on earth to execute righteous judgment, Deut. 1.16to proceed ſecundum allegata & probata, to do nothing but upon good evidence and witneſſe. Now ſhall not the Judge of all the world do right? God hath therefore ſet this power in man, that when God comes to judge him, he may have ſufficient evidence in himſelfe, his owne Conſcience witneſſing for him or againſt him before Gods Tribunall. For God will not condemne without a witneſſe.

2. R. Is to ſhew his mercy unto man: He knowes man is very fraile, & labilis memoriae, apt to forget his God; and to forget himſelfe. Sometimes he goes forth and forgets to pray unto God for protection and direction, ſometimes he returnes home and neglects his duty of praiſe to God for his preſervation, therefore God hath placed in him this power of conſcience as a remembrancer unto him.

Againe ſometimes mens Paſſions are very high, as in Jonah,Jonah 4.9. who is ready to quarrell with God, and to fall out with him, as if he had greatly wronged him; God ſaith unto him, doeſt thou well to be angry? yea (ſaith he) I do well to be angry even unto death. His words are very high, words of a paſſionate ſpirit, blinded with anger, rather then with any expreſſe rebellion. Very needfull therefore is it that ſuch ſhould have conſcience as a Controuler to check them.

Againe, others their Affections are diſorderly placed on wrong objects, likeing thoſe whom they ſhould diſlike, and loving thoſe whom they ſhould loath; ſuch was the blind Affection of Jehoſhaphat to Ahab, I am (ſaith he) as thou art, 2 Chron. 18 3. 2 Chron. 19.2.my people as thy people: its needfull therefore that conſcience ſay to ſuch as Jehn to Iehoſhaphat, ſhouldſt then love them that hate the Lord?

Laſtly many mens appetites are very wanton, wholſome meates and drinkes content them not, their meates muſt be mixed with hurtfull condiments, and their drinke with noxious ingredients, therefore it is very requiſite that conſcience play the Monitor, and adviſe them not to looke on the wine when it ſparkles, Prov. 23.30, 31.nor to ſeeke after mixt wine: though it goe downe pleaſantly, yet at laſt it will bite like a Serpent, and hurt like a Cockatrice. And thus you ſee how juſt and how mercifull God is, to plant ſuch a power as conſcience within us.

Vſe. 1 Is there ſuch a power or faculty as conſcience in every man, then let every man learne to magnify his maker, not barely for being his Creature, but for being ſuch a Creature as none is like him.

Firſt look upon thy meaneſt part, namely, thy body, view that well, and thou ſhalt ſee ſuch an exellency in it, that no viſible creature is comparable unto mans body. If we look unto our firſt Creation, we find them very excellent creatures.

1. God made them with conſultation and deliberation,Gen. 1.26. (let us make man.) His advice argueth a worke of great weight and moment, and this word of plurality (us) intimates the Trinity,(a)Galen though a meere Naturaliſt, when he ſaw the admirable frame and ſtructure of mans body, was ſo taken with it that he could not but adiudge the honour of an Hymne to the wiſe Creator of it. and mindes us of the myſterie of the three perſons in one Godhead. God the father ſeemeth to ſpeak, as communicating by way of conſultation with God the Son, and God the holy Ghoſt in the worke of Creation.

2. The wonderfull endowments of the body in beauty, ſtrength, nimbleneſſe, activity, without deformity or mortality.

3. All other bodies made for the good of mans body, the heavenly to give light unto it, the earthly bodies to nouriſh, cheriſh, and comfort it.

Againe, if we conſider the recreation or regeneration of our bodies, we find them more excellent.

1. Purchaſed by Chriſts bloud, 1 Cor. 6.20.

2. Sanctified by Chriſts ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6.19.

3. Aſſumed by Chriſts perſon, Phil. 2.7. When he took our nature, he took our body, and was made like unto us in all things, ſin only excepted, ſo that we are as neer to Chriſt, as our bodies to our ſoules.

Having thus viewed our meaneſt part, namely, the body; let us in the next place conſider our beſt part, namely, our ſoule.

What the ſoule is: The ſoule of man is a ſpirit diſtinct, inviſible, immortall, infuſed by God.

1. A ſpirit. Thus much the Originall word declareth, as in John 11. 33. and John 12. 27. we find ſoule and ſpirit promiſcuouſly uſed by our Saviour, my ſoule is troubled, my spirit is troubled.

2. A diſtinct ſpirit, becauſe it hath its being not only in the body, but alſo out of the body,Eccl. 12.7. as it had its time of entrance into the body, ſo its time of returne out. As it is in us, ſo it can be without us, and will be after us.

3. Inviſible. Becauſe no more to be ſeen then an Angel or God himſelfe.

4. An immortall ſpirit. Eccl. 12.7. And Chriſt tells us, that men may kill our bodies, but not our ſoules, which made Anaxzarchus bold to ſpeak unto his Tormentors, who did beat him with clubs, laye on my Sachel, meaning his body, you cannot hurt Anaxzarchus, meaning his ſoule.

5. A ſpirit infuſed by God, Gen. 2.7. How Adam came by his ſoule we all know, namely, by inſpiration, but as for our owne ſoules we are at a great ſtand. Some think by participation,(b)Chryſippus de natur â. lib. 3. as one Candle lighteth another. Some thinke by generation,(c)Tertullian l. de anim â ch 5. that a man begets a man compleat. Others ſay it is by infuſion,(d)Thom. Aquin. 1 q. 75.6. 1 m. by a peculiar inſpiration, when the child is firſt quickened in the womb. Much is imagined little concluded concerning this queſtion,(e)St. Auſtin hath writ 4 bookes of the originall of the ſoule, in which he leaveth this queſtion undecided. And his ſecond booke of Retractions doth witneſſe that he continued in that doubt unto his death. cap. 56. and no marvell, for who knoweth the way of the ſpirit, Eccl. 11.5.

The Scripture ſeems to warrant the laſt opinion, calling God the Creator of the Spirit, Zach. 12.1. The giver of the Spirit, Eccl. 12.7. The Father of our ſpirits, Heb. 12.9. It is not without conſideration, if God by a peculiar elegy and ſtile, is called the father of ſpirits, that he might be oppoſed to the father of the fleſh; for if the ſoule be by traduction, then thoſe that are the fathers of the fleſh would alſo be the fathers of the ſpirits: neither would God by this title be diſtinguiſhed from the father of the fleſh, if he wrought alike in both, and did not forme mens ſoules otherwiſe then their bodies. So then conſider well your bodies & ſoules, and you may ſafely conclude that of all the creatures that ever God made, there is more to be ſeen of God in man then in them all, and in man, much in his body, more in his ſoule, but moſt of all in his conſcience, (as one ſaith) this ſmelleth more of God, then the heavens, the Sun, the Stars, or all the glorious things of the earth, gold, precious ſtones, Rubies, or ſweeteſt herbs, roſes, or lillies. Oh how ſhould we magnifie our maker,Pſ. 139.14. and with David ſay, I will praiſe thee O Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy workes and that my ſoule knoweth right well.

Object: Ob. Our conſcience were at firſt very pure and excellent, but now like our ſelves they are moſt ſinfull, yea our Soules and Conſciences are defiled, Tit. 1.15.therefore nothing worthy praiſe in them.

Anſw: A. Its very true that our conſciences which were pure and excellent at firſt, are by Adam's ſin become defiled and uncleane. But let me tell you there is no part, power or faculty in the whole man, that retaines ſo much of its excellency in it as conſcience doth, though the whole ſoule were defiled, and every part and power depraved, yet conſcience had ſo much life left in it, as (with Iobs meſſengers) to tell ſad tydings of mans great loſſe. There remaines in it ſcintilla rectae rationis, a little ſpark to ſhew what great light hath been extinguiſht, but now this alſo through affected blindneſſe and wilfull malice is ſo ſmothered and ſuffocated through a daiely cuſtome of ſinning, that I may ſay of conſcience in many as the Pſalmiſt of an Idol, it hath an eye and cannot ſee, an eare and cannot heare, a mouth and cannot ſpeak. Thus ſtands the cauſe whith many a hardned ſinner. The eye of their conſcience is as the eye of a mole, which ſerves only to decore the body, but not to guide the way. Their eares but as the eares of an Addar, wilfully ſtopt at the beſt counſell that the meſſenger of Chriſt can bring unto it, and the mouth of it as the mouth of a viper, that ſucks in and ſends out nothing but poiſon and poiſonous expreſſions. Yet notwithſtanding the naturall Conſcience will hold an excellency beyond all other powers & faculties in the ſoule. So that thy Maker ſtill deſerveth praiſe from thee.

Uſe. 2 Have all a conſcience, then let all acknowledge it and not dare to conceale what God hath given them. Its very dangerous to hide any Talent that God gives us in a Napkin, Luk. 19.what God beſtowes on man, man is to imploy and uſe it to the honour of him that gives it: therefore let conſcience appeare in a conſcientious walking before him, be holy to thy God,Tit. 1.12. upright to thy neighbour, and ſober in thy ſelfe, walke ſo circumſpectly in thy place and calling, that all may ſay thou art a man of conſcience. But woe unto us we ſojourne in Meſech, our habitations are in Kedar, we live among ſuch as are enimies to conſcience, yea open and profeſſed enimies unto it: yea the very naming of conſcience is very hatefull unto them, aske them where their conſcience is, and they will deſperately anſwer, what tell you me of conſcience? Conſcience (ſay they) was hanged long ago. But let me tell thee thou wretched Belialiſt, that ſaieſt that conſcience is hang'd, waſt thou the Hangman? If ſo; then know God will be avenged on thee for this cruell act, he will one day revive conſcience, and then aſſure thy ſelfe thy conſcience will hang thee.

But hear me (thou fooliſh man) that thus talkeſt of hanging conſcience, thou ſpeakeſt not only prophanely but moſt ignorantly thinkeſt thou it is in the power of any man to hang conſcience, know thou, it is impoſſible, the worke is too hard for all the hangmen in the world. The Hangman may hang thee as he did Haman, or thou mayeſt hang thy ſelfe as did Judas, but neither he nor thou art able to offer ſuch violence to conſcience. Wer'ſt thou to live as long as Methuſalem, it will outlive thee; go where thou wilt, it will go with thee, nec fugere nec fugare poteris, go up to Heaven, or go downe to Hell, 'twill never leave thee nor forſake thee.

Againe I find ſome who are ſo maliciouſly bent againſt conſcience, that they reſolve, if they cannot hang conſcience, they will beat out her teeth, and pluck out her tongue, ſo that ſhe ſhall neither bite nor barke, if the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eyes, the pride of life, if all the pleaſures of ſin will do it, they will ſurely effect it. They will call for the harp with Saul, for their Cup with Nabal, and their Harlot with Herod, and all to drowne the cryes and complaints of conſcience: but let me tell ſuch, that thus labour to make conſcience dumb, poſſible it is that by a long cuſtome in ſin, or greedy practice of it, men may prevaile ſo far, as to ſilence her for the preſent, ſo that ſhe ſhall not ſpeak: but know this, though you keep conſcience from ſpeaking, yet not from writing, ſhe will act the part of a Recorder and Regiſter, put downe exactly every daies deviations and aberrations, and when ſhee ſees her time, will produce her Bill and read it aloud, making thine eares to tingle, now a lie, and then an oath, this time drunkenneſſe, that time uncleaneſſe, ſuch a day thou tookeſt away thy Brothers goods, by oppreſſion and theevery; another day his good name, by ſlaunder and calumny. In fine the Bill will be ſo bigg, ſo black, that thou wilt not be able to endure to heare it read. And then thy conſcience whom thou haſt thus wronged, will be avenged for all her wrongs, and act the part of a Judge, a Jaylour, and a Tormentour, and joine with her God in that black and moſt juſt ſentence, take him, bind him hand and foot, and caſt him into utter darkneſſe, where there ſhall be nothing but weeping, wailing, gnaſhing of teeth, and that for ever. Oh conſider this ye that abuſe Conſcience, leſt ſhe teare you in pieces, when none ſhall deliver you.

3. Uſe of Conviction unto all Atheiſticall perſons that dare ſay with their tongue, or in their heart, there is no God. Tell me thou Atheiſt, haſt thou a conſcience in thee, and yet no God over thee? how can this be? if thou wilt ſuffer thy ſelfe to be lead by common reaſon, thou then wilt be forced to ſay there is a God. Conſider the operation of thy conſcience, if it be not ſeared; and thou ſhalt find that upon ſome groſſe ſin, it will be a witneſſe and give teſtimony againſt thee, but to whom? to men or Angels? that cannot be, for they cannot heare the voice of conſcience, nor receive conſciences teſtimony, neither can they ſee what is in the heart of man, It remains therefore that there is a ſpirituall ſubſtance, moſt wiſe, moſt holy, moſt mighty, that ſees & knows all things, to whom conſcience beares record, and that is God himſelfe. Let Atheiſts bark againſt this as long as they will: they have that in them that will convince them of the truth of the Godhead (will they, nill they) either in life or death. Let the dreaming Atheiſt conſider the great affliction that that ſevere Governeſſe of the life of man brings upon their ſoules by affrighting horrors of Conſcience, by puzzeling and befooling them in the free uſe of their Reaſon; by curbing them in their naturall and kindly injoyments in the life preſent, and making bitter all the pleaſures and contentment of it by ſome checks of Conſcience: by anxious cares and diſquieting feares concerning their ſtate in the life to come. Beſides thoſe ineffable agonies of mind, dampes and deadneſſe of ſpirit that they ſometimes undergoe, ſo that to be buried quick were leſſe torture by far, then ſuch dark heart-ſinking privations of all the joyes of life. And they cannot chuſe (did they not ſhut their eyes againſt the light) but ſee that there is a ſuperintendent principle over nature, which is all one as to confeſſe that there is a God.

If thou be not convinced by the working of thine owne conſcience, then conſider the workings of conſcience in others: what makes Adam to run into the thicket, sarah to ſtand behind the Tent door, Jonah to lurke downe in the ſide of the ſhip, Cain to feare a mortall blow from every man he meets, 1 King. 20 1 King. 22 25.and Benhadad and Zedekiah to be a terror unto themſelves, and to run from chamber to chamber to hide themſelves. It was their conſcience, and nothing but conſcience accuſing and teſtifying unto God againſt them.

Againe conſider, how is it, that when God is pleaſed to give out unto us a notable ſigne of is power and majeſty, as in thunder and lightning, that the very ſound of the one, and the very ſight of the other (though theſe be but from Naturall cauſes) ſhould make a Barbarian, a contemner of God, to ſhake and tremble. Againe whence is it that there is a Religions Adoration and propenſion to the worſhip of a Deity even in thoſe Heathens themſelves, who ſacrifice foreign, to the unknown God. There being no nation under heaven, that does not do divine worſhip to ſome thing or other, and in it to God as they conceive. So that they worſhip many of them but ſtocks and ſtones, and ſome particular piece of nature, as the Sun, Moone, or Stars, knowing that there is ſomewhat to whom worſhip belongs. Therefore according to the ordinary naturall light that is in all men, there is a God. Oh therefore bluſh and bewaile thy damnable Atheiſme. Conſider well theſe things, know and underſtand, ſee and ſay, verily there is a God that judgeth the earth. thus far of conſcience in generall.

Having ſpoken of the faculty, namely, conſcience, we now proceed unto the Qualitie, namely, a good conſcience. Had Paul onelyonly ſaid, I have, or I am aſſured I have a conſcience, he had ſaid no more then a Reprobate or Devill might have ſaid.

But in that he ſaith, he hath a good conſcience, and that he is fully perſwaded of the ſame, in this he goes beyond all reprobates and Devils, who neither have, nor ever ſhall have ſuch a boſome friend within them.

We muſt now diſtinguiſh conſcience into two ſpecies, namely, good and evill.

1.Honeſtè bona, pacatè bona. A good Conſcience, 1 Tim. 1.19. Holding faith and a good Conſcience. This good Conſcience is ſometimes quiet, ſometimes unquiet.

2.Vitiosè mala, moleſtè mala. Bern: Ames. An evill Conſcience Heb. 10.22. having our hearts ſprinkled from an evill Conſcience. This is likewiſe peaceable or turbulent. Now how theſe two do differ both in their peace and their trouble, I ſhall hereafter ſhew you.

I am now to ſpeak of the firſt, namely, a good conſcience, and more eſpecially of Pauls good Conſcience.

1. What a good conſcience is? I anſwer.

1. A good conſcience is a Conſcience rightly informed and principled by the word, ſo that it can truly judge and determine evill to be evill, and good to be good.

2. By a good conſcience I underſtand a conſcience ſanctified by the holy Spirit of God, whereby we are incited to good, and diſwaded from evill, and doth readily excuſe us for doing well, but accuſe us for doing evill.

3. By Pauls good conſcience in the Text, I underſtand a conſcience both purified and pacifyed by the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt, ſo that upon a true ſight and ſorrow for ſin, and a full perſwaſion of the remiſſion of the ſame in and for Chriſt, he enjoyed that peace which paſſeth all underſtanding, Phil 4.7. 2 Cor. 1.12.(i. e.) a true ſpirituall and incomprehenſible reſt and quietneſſe of mind, wrought by Gods ſpirit in his heart, and ſo preſerving him from terror, anxiety, and trouble.

But to draw unto ſome profitable point of Doctrine, you heare Paul glorying in a good conſcience; not as his peculiar, as if he only were the man thus bleſſed of God, but doth acknowledge the like mercy to be ſhewed by God unto others, and therefore mentioning thoſe that laboured with him in the Goſpell, ſpeaketh in the plurall number (we) are aſſured we have a good conſcience. So that we may ſafely conlude that as all men have a conſcience, ſo there are ſome that have a good conſcience.

Some there are, who have not only a Conſcience, but alſo a good Conſcience.

Of this ſome, I find Noah a juſt man and perfect in his generation, Gen. 6.9.and one that walked with God (i. e.) ſincerely in his profeſſion of Religion without hypocriſy. Moſes the meekeſt on the earth,Numb. 12.3. one that deſpiſed the vaine and vaniſhing honour, riches, pleaſures of the world, chooſing rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, Heb. 11.25.then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. Job a noneſuch, none like him on the earth, Job. 1.ſo perfect, ſo upright, that feared God and eſchewed evill; David a man after Gods owne heart; Nathaniel, a true Iſraelite indeed, in whom is no guile (i. e.) a man of ſimple integrity.1 John. Paul a continuall practitioner of a good Conſcience, making it his daiely practice to keep a conſcience void of offence both towards God & towards man. Act. 24.16.Thus might I tire you out with a long Catalogue of bleſſed Saints, who lived in all good conſcience from their converſion unto their diſſolution.Act. 23.1.

Q. How came theſe to have a good conſcience, ſeeing all by nature have their conſciences defiled.

A. 1. They had the bloud of Chriſt applied unto their conſciences, whereby they were purged from the impurity of dead workes, Heb. 9.14.it being the fountaine for ſin and for uncleanneſſe, (Zach. 13.1.) in which poor loathſome, leperous ſoules waſh and are cleanſed: they were put into this poole of Betheſda, and came out cleane, being made white in the blood of the Lamb.

2. They had the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt imputed unto them, whereby they were diſcharged from the debt of ſin, all hand-writings of accuſations being cancel'd, and they eſteemed holy and unblameable in the ſight of God, Rom. 5.1. Not for any thing wrought in them and done by them, but for Chriſts ſake alone. Not by imputing faith it ſelfe, or any other Evangelicall obedience, but by imputing the obedience and ſatisfaction of Chriſt as their righteouſneſſe, received and reſted on by faith.

3. They by diligence in Chriſtian watchfulneſſe do maintaine their Covenant with God, and if caſually by any ſlip they ſeemed to break the peace, they were carefull to renue their Covenant by true humiliation and reformation, earneſtly doing their firſt works and redeeming their former negligence with double diligence.Rev. 2.5.

2. Q. Whether a man may not have a good conſcience, yet the ſame to be very unquiet and much troubled?

Anſw: You muſt know that there is a 4 fold conſcience.

1. Good and quiet. Purifyed and pacifyed, which reſts in a ſweet feeling of the mercies of God in Chriſt. Such a conſcience had Paul that teſtifyed unto him, that in ſimplicity and Godly ſincerity he had his converſation. And Hezekiah when he was upon his death bed (as he thought) his conſcience gave him a teſtimoniall that commended him to God better then all the men in the world could, that he walked before the Lord in truth and in a perfect heart, and did that which was right in his ſight. Iſ. 38.3 This ſweet peace of a good Conſcience flowes from a certaine inexpreſſible aſſurance, that we are the ſons of God, a certaine ſecret manifeſtatiō that God hath receiv'd us & put away our ſins.

2. Neither good nor quiet. When the heart is as full of ſin, as hell of darkneſſe, and lies under a ſerious apprehenſion of Gods wrath, and a certaine looking for of vengeance and fiery indignation to devoure, Heb. 10.27. and is in a forlorn condition, not knowing where to go for help, but God is to him as the burning fire to the withered ſtubble, and as the ſcorching flame to the melted wax. Thus the cauſe ſtood with Judas, who after he had committed that curſed fact of betraying his Maſter, he was ſo gnawed by the worme conſcience, that nothing but an halter could eaſe him; he hang'd himſelfe. And certainly had not Hell gaped for him, he had got by the bargaine. This made Cain go in continuall feare of killing, and the perſecuting Tyrant to caſt up his bowels towards heaven and ſay, viciſti Galilaee, thou haſt overcome O Galilean.

3. Quiet but not good. This is common to the beſt of men, and they bleſſe themſelves in it, that they never had a bad word from conſcience all their daies, it doth not trouble nor terrify them; certainly ſuch a Conſcience is ſeared with an hot iron, and who ever is thus ſtigmatiz'd, is marked for a Rebbell againſt God. They ſleep in their ſins like Jonah in the ſtorme, though they are in greateſt danger to be caſt into the gulfe and ſea of Gods everlaſting wrath.

4. Good but not quiet. And ſuch doubtleſſe a child of God may have; Examples are many, as in Job chap. 6. 4. The Arrowes of the Lord are within me, Rev. 2.3.the poiſon whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of the Lord do ſet themſelves in array againſt me. So David, thine arrowes ſtick faſt in me, and thy hand preſſeth me ſore, Job. 6.4.there is no ſoundneſſe in my fleſh, becauſe of thine anger: neither any reſt in my bones, becauſe of my ſin. Conſcientia bona & turbata. Bern:For mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Thus Ezekiah and others. But at ſuch times though they have a good conſcience, yet do they faile in Aſſurance, Pſ. 38.2, 3, 4.they have Paul's conſcience, but not Pauls confidence, it is the latter, not the former that makes it quiet and inoffenſive: and ſuch was Pauls conſcience not only good, but quiet and inoffenſive. Chriſtians have ſomtimes Cleare Sunſhini dayes, and ſometimes darke cloudy daies, ſometimes they are under a cloud, and the light of Gods countenance doth not ſhine on them; ſometimes they behold the face of God in righteouſneſſe, and his favour is better to them then life. Sometimes (like Hannah) they are in the bitterneſſe of their ſoules, Conſcientia & honeſtè bona, & pacatè bona Ames.and drinke of the bitter waters of Marah, which makes them go mourning all their daies; ſo then it may ſtand with a child of God to have a diſquiet, troubled Conſcience.

1. Uſe for Tryall, whether we be of that ſome that have a good Conſcience, he that will not try, wants it; he that tries ſuperficially, hath cauſe to doubt it; but he that is exact and ſincere may ſafely conclude, I am aſſured I have a good Conſcience: therefore ſearch your ſelves as with Candles and Torches, whether you can find this precious Jewell of a good conſcience treaſurd up within you, yea or no. And the better to incite you to a true and diligent Triall, take theſe 2 Motives.

1. The neer reſemblance between a Naturall and Spirituall Conſcience,Motives to a diligent Triall. and that in divers reſpects. They both have their conflicts, both their loathing of ſin, they both ſeeme to turne a broad-ſide againſt ſin, and to complaine againſt it. The Naturall conſcience ſaith I ſee the better, but I follow the worſe; The Spirituall conſcience ſaith, the good which I would do, I do not, but the evill which I would not do, that do I. See here the difference, in the latter, there is a will ſtriving againſt ſin: but in the former no will, no ſtriving at all.

2. The Naturall conſcience is principled only by ſome generall grounds of Nature, acting and making conſcience; ſo far as his rules and principles will carry him, and ſo deceiveth the Naturall man, making him to boaſt of what he hath not, namely a good conſcience. Whereas the ſpirituall Conſcience rightly principled by Gods word, and ſanctified by his Spirit makes the perſon to have a good Conſcience in all things, Heb. 13.18. making conſcience of all that God commands or forbids, Pſ. 119.6.101. Be therefore carefull in trying your ſelves, 2 Cor. 13.5. And that you may not be deceived take theſe 5 markes.

1. He that hath a good conſcience, Notes of a good Conſcience.can truly ſay, that what he doth, he doth it for Conſcience ſake; Cōſcience ſtirrs him up unto the duty, and he cannot ſatisfy conſcience, if he neglect it: He ſubjects himſelfe to God, and he ſubjects himſelfe to man, and this not for wrath but conſcience. See well therefore to this, and the rather,Rom. 13.5. becauſe Many there are, whoſe Actions are very ſpecious, and yet without any regard to conſcience. Salomon deſcribing a good man, ſaith, he is one that feareth an oath; he doth not ſay that he is one that ſweareth not, but one that feareth an oath: poſſible it is that a man may not ſweare and why, becauſe he hath been well educated, or he ſtandeth in awe of his Parents or Governours, or feareth ſome mulct from the Magiſtrate; this is no teſtimony of a good Conſcience But if a man ſweare not, becauſe he feareth an Oath; this argueth that the man feareth the commandement, and to feare the commandement is a ſure note of a good conſcience. Prov. 13.13.The leaſt haire makes the eye weep, ſo the leaſt ſin makes the heart ſmite. Now as in avoiding of ſin, ſo in practiſing piety, a man reads the Scripture at home, heareth the word preached in publick, performes duties in his family. But why doth he thus? if to ſatisfy conſcience in obedience unto God tis well; but if baſe and ſiniſter ends to pleaſe and ſatisfy his owne carnall deſire, this is baſe and far from a good Conſcience. We find the Shechemites groſſe hypocrites in this, they will joine with Gods people, and doe as they doe; be circumciſed as they are; had this been done out of conſcience, it would have rejoyced the hearts of all godly ones; but here is no ſuch thing, they will be circumciſed indeed, but not to pleaſe God, but to pleaſe Hamor and Shechem their Rulers, and to enrich themſelves, (ſhall not their goods and their cattell be ours?)Ge. 34.23.

Thus many now adaies amongſt us will make ſome ſhew of religion, performe holy duties both publikely and privately, not out of conſcience but out of carnall policy. They have learned Matchiavels maxime, to ſeem religious is a credit, but to be neligious is a cumber. Its only a forme without power, a ſhew without ſubſtance. They ſet not God before their eyes, neither do they with Moſes ſee him that is inviſible: they look only unto men, and all their ayme is how they may pleaſe men, and advantage themſelves in earthly things. Therefore if you will be ſure your Conſcience is good, do what you do, for Conſcience ſake, not becauſe man thinks it fit, and you think it profitable or honourable, but becauſe God commands it.

2. Note. If you have a good conſcience then will you ſuffer what you ſuffer, for Conſcience ſake, yea to ſatisfy Conſcience. This is praiſe worthy ſaith the Apoſtle,1. Pet. 2.19. 1 Pet. 2.19. when a man for conſcience towards God endures greife, ſuffers wrong, and as his precept, ſo his practice; had rather be puniſhed for doing well, then praiſed for doing evill. See this in Daniel, he will ſuffer hunger, feed upon Pulſe, rather then defile his conſcience. Dan. 1.8.The three Children will chuſe rather to have their bodies burned in ſchorching flames, then to have them bowed to a baſe Idol. And Paul had rather that Ananias ſhould ſmite him, then that his conſcience ſhould ſmite him.

Try thy ſelfe therefore by this Note, doeſt thou ſuffer, and doeſt thou ſo ſuffer as to ſatisfy conſcience, patiently bearing it, becauſe God will have it ſo, as David in the railing of Shimei, he curſeth me, becauſe God hath ſaid unto him, curſe David. Not that God ſaid ſo much by word, but by a command of providence, ſo ordering and diſpoſing of Shimei his malice, as to make it a rod to correct and chaſtiſe David for his ſin;2 Sam. 16.20. but as a Scorpion to Shimei to ſting him to death and deſtruction. Thus did Job in all his troubles, beare with them with wonderfull patience, Job. 1.21.he will not charge God fooliſhly, but ſaith the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, praiſed be the name of the Lord.

But alas how many now amongſt us would be accounted men of a good conſcience, and yet will ſuffer nothing for conſcience. They will ſuffer no greife, no paine, no loſſe for it. See this in Amaziah King of Judah, he hires an Army of an 100000 men of valour out of Iſrael, 2 Chr. 25.6.for an hundred Talents of ſilver, but God diſlikes his hired men, and ſends a Prophet unto Amaziah to diſmiſſe them. The King tells the Prophet, what ſhall I do for the 100 Talents? as if he ſhould have ſaid, I have diſburſed a great ſumme of monyes, & ſhall I now looſe all? You may ſee how loath he is to looſe his money, 100 Talents of ſilver a great ſumme. But alas what is 100 Talents to a good conſcience? yet look abroad in the world, and you may then deſcend from Talents to pounds, from pounds to pence, and from pence to farthings, and find ſome yea a multitude, that if a farthing and a good conſcience ſtand in competition, they will looſe their Conſcience to ſave their farthing.

Heare this you Tradeſmen, Typlers, Retailers, and all that have any commerce in buying, and ſelling, witneſſe this truth with me; how often have you, and that upon the Lords day preferred your owne houſes before Gods houſe? your t…pling gueſts and prophane Cuſtomers before Gods miniſters and ſervants? chuſing rather to gaine a Triſle at home, then to gaine ſalvation abroad in attending on Gods holy ordinances. Yea let me ſay yet more unto you, how often hath your conſcience blamed you for ſo doing, and you, whereas you ſhould have hearkened unto conſcience voice, have ſtopt your eares and blamed conſcience for too much ſtrictneſſe, too much tenderneſſe; what mean theſe words of yours? If I ſhould be ſo ſtrict in my dealings as Preachers would have me to be, I might ſoon pluck down my ſigne, ſhut up my ſhop, & ſit ſtill and do nothing. Let me tell ſuch, theſe words ſavour not of a good, but an evill Conſcience. God puts none of his into ſuch ſtreights, as that they cannot live except they live unholily, unjuſtly. Believe it, as there is no calling, be it never ſo high, that muſt call thee from God, ſo there is no calling be it never ſo low, that muſt give thee a diſpenſation to diſhonour God. And as in the greateſt calling men may live both fully and faithfully; ſo in the meaneſt calling, if men uſe diligence with conſcience, they may live honeſtly and yet comfortably. Oh therefore my Beloved caſt off ſuch gaine, as filthy lucre; ſuch cuſtomers, as your great enimies: and take up this holy reſolution never to make haſt for wealth, nor to uſe any unlawfull meanes for this tranſitory Traſh, but ſay, if I begg I begg, if I ſtarve I ſtarve, I will looſe all, rather then looſe a good conſcience

3. Note of a good Conſcience is boldneſſe for God and in Gods cauſe. The righteous are as bold as a Lyon. Prov. 28.1Prov. 28.1. When the conſcience is good, the courage is great, it will make a man to have a Lions heart and an Angels face; ſuch an heart had Paul, when he looked on the Councell, Act. 23.1. ſuch a face had Stephen the Proto-Martyr,Act. 23.21 & 15.6. Act. 6.15. All that ſate in the Councell looking ſtedfaſtly on him, ſaw his face as if it had been the face of an Angel. This good conſcience will make a mans face as a flint againſt ſuch as rebell againſt God. Ez. 3.8, 9.Ezek. 3.8, 9.

Let but God call upon ſuch,Iſ: 41.10, 13.14. ſaying, feare not worme Jacob, for I am with thee, be not afraid, for I am thy God: or let him ſtand by them,Act. 23.11 as he did by Paul, and bid him be of good cheer: They preſently take ſuch courage unto them, that having God for them, they feare not who are againſt them. Pſ. 3.6.David will not feare an hoaſt of men, Athanaſius a world of men, and*Fox in the ſtory of Martin Luther. p. 849. Luther will not feare a multitude of Divels, were they in number as many, as there were Tiles upon the houſes of Wormes.

But alas where are theſe valiant ones become? we have many very couragious for themſelves, and in what makes for their owne intereſt: but as for God and in his cauſe they are very Cowards.

They are bold for ſin, but baſhfull for ſanctity; they can plead for Baal, but not for God: And yet ſuch would be accounted men of a good conſcience.

But let me tell ſuch they do much deceive themſelves, as they have not Pauls courage, ſo neither Pauls conſcience, and as they are ſtrangers to a good conſcience, ſo are they ſtrangers to a moſt good God, who will be ſo far from bleſſing them, that he will ſurely curſe them, and give ſuch timerous and fearfull perſons, which want the fire of zeale, their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimeſtone, which is the ſecond death. Rev. 21.8.Rev. 21.8.

A Childlike heart can never be patient under Gods diſhonour, though he is alwaies ſilent under his displeaſure. Moſes was coole in his owne cauſe, but hot when Gods credit lay at ſtake. When the children of Iſrael had wrought folly in the golden Calfe, the zeale of God did ſo eat him up, that he could as well containe fire in his boſome, as be patient, when Gods glory ſuffer'd.

Oh therefore try your ſelves upon this Note, and before you find your ſelves more bold for God, be not ſo bold as to boaſt of a good conſcience.

4. Note of a good Conſcience is to love a Conſcientious Teacher and Inſtructer: he deſires not to live under a cold, man-pleaſing miniſtry, which preaches liberty, not ſtrictneſſe of conſcience; which ſoweth pillowes under mens armeholes, and cryeth peace, peace, ſo that none departeth from his evill way. The good conſcience deſireth ſuch a Preacher, who is not ſhaken with feare, nor ſeduced with flattery, whoſe voice is the voice of a cryer; his ſound as the ſound of a trumpet; Vſai 58.1.his words like ſharp nailes and piercing goads; Eccl. 12.11. Heb. 4.12.his preaching an heart-pricking; his dividing of his Text and matter the dividing aſunder of ſoule and ſpirit, of the joints and marrow. Such we find amongſt the Prophets, that cryed aloud and did not ſpare to tell the people of their tranſgreſſions, and the houſe of Judah of their ſins. Such were amongſt the Apoſtles, who were ſons of Thunder, and threatned judgments againſt the wicked and rebellious: Yea Chriſt himſelfe, who had the tongue of the learned to ſpeake the word in ſeaſon to him that was weary, Iſai. 54.4.was alſo as a poliſhed ſhaft, Iſai. 49.2.and his mouth as a ſharp ſword, his eyes as a flame of fire, and his comming into the Temple none was able to abide: he was as a Refiners fire, and Fullers ſoap, Mal. 3.2. Iſa. 11.4.and with the breath of his lips he did ſlay the wicked. Iſ. 11.4.

Such are the Teachers that a good conſcience loveth and delights in. But our age can no more endure this kind of preaching, then the Iſraelites could endure the ſhrill ſound of the Trumpet, ſounding louder and louder; He. 12.19.and that terrible fire, and that voice of words, which they deſired they might heare no more. Chriſts Miniſters now are become Antichriſtian (ſay they) their doctrine only legall; though indeed they trace Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and obſerve their method, who firſt commanded Repentance to be preached, Lu. 24.47.and then remiſſion of ſins to be promiſed: and Paul drawes all his doctrine unto theſe 2 heads, firſt repentance towards God; the ſecond faith in Jeſus Chriſt. Act. 20.21.Yet men are now become ſo tender, that they will not have their Dalilahs toucht, you may not come unto them, as the good Samaritan, with wine to ſearch and cleanſe, but only with ſmooth oyle to heale and comfort; it muſt be all the riches of Chriſt, and a naked faith in Chriſt. If you touch with Obedience, you are legall, and Phiſitions of no value. But let me tell ſuch as follow ſuch Doctors, their cauſe is dangerous; when the blind lead the blind, Iſa. 9.16.you can eaſily conclude what will follow. The leaders of this people cauſe them to erre, and they that are lead of them, are deſtroied. Wherefore would you be aſſured that your conſcience is a good conſcience, do not with Ahab hate Micaiah, nor with Ananias ſmite Paul, do not vilify thoſe whom God doth honour; I meane zealous, honeſt and conſciencious miniſters, who labour in the word and doctrine, and are examples to the flock in faith and love, in ſpirit and purity; if you do, we are bold to challenge you for men of an evill conſcience, but on the other ſide if you honour them, as men ſent of God, and highly eſteeme them for their workes ſake, and readily obey their wholſome doctrine, following them as they follow Chriſt, you may then ſafely conclude, we are aſſured we have a good conſcience.

Laſt Note of good Conſcience is univerſall Obedience. This is an excellent diſtinguiſhing note between truth and error, a good and an evill conſcience. God calls for this, ſaying, in all things that I have commanded you, be circumſpect. Exod. 23.13. Caute eſtote 1. magnaGod will have conſcience to be good to all perſons, Act. 24.16. and good in all things, Heb. 13.18. and to be good at all times. attentione. ſervate vatabl.It muſt be our exerciſe daily to keep a conſcience void of offence both towards God and towards man. He that hath a good conſcience his heart is moulded into obedience, his will is caſt into Gods will. He is ready to do what God commands, and to leave undone what God forbids. Like the ſlower that opens and ſhuts with the Sun. So it opens to God and ſhuts to ſin. He deſires to do Gods will on earth, as the Angels do it in heaven, readily, ſincerely, conſtantly.

Let us now try our ſelves by this note, and we ſhall find a good conſcience to be very rare, we may run (with Jeremie) to and fro to find ſuch a man;Jer. 5.1. we may goe into many families, townes & pariſhes & perchance miſſe him at the laſt.

The prophane and vitious will not owne ſuch good conſcience; and the Civill Juſtitia and formall Hyprocrite care not.

Theſe two laſt have high conceits of themſelves, but yet upon tryall will be found too light.

Firſt the civill man thinks well of himſelfe becauſe he is kind unto his neighbour, defrauds no man, but payes every man to a penny, and as for the poor & needy, he is open handed ready to ſupply their wants at all times: and therefore doubts not but his conſcience is very good, but let me tell thee thou civill man, thou art much deceived, if thy Conſcience were good, thou wouldeſt be holy to God, as well as upright to man, how is it that thou art ſo ignorant in the things of God and of thine own ſalvation, that thou makeſt no conſcience of prayer in thy Familie, of reading the Word, of hearing it preached unto thee: no conſcience of an Oath, of a lie, and of keeping the Sabbath day, ſurelie if thy conſcience be not good to God as well as to man, it is void of goodneſſe.

Secondly, The formall Hypocrite is as high, if not higher, in his conceits of ſelf worthineſſe, He is one that labours to know God and to ſerve him, both publikely in the Congregation, & privately in his Familie, hee is a profeſſed onimie, unto Ignorance and prophanes and prayſeth God that he is not as other men and ſo concludes that he hath a good conſcience.

But I muſt tell thee thou Hyporite, thou art as much deceived as the former.Tit. 2.12. The Grace of God that bringeth ſalvation teacheth thee to be righteous as well as holy. If thy conſcience be good, how isit that thou art ſo deceitfull in bargaining; ſo falſe in promiſing; ſo unfaithfull in paying: what is thy diſhoneſt religion better then the civill mans irreligious honeſty, you both come ſhort of a good conſcience and if you thus perſiſt will come ſhort of heaven & all true happineſſe, let me threfore adviſe you to beware of others harmes, look upon Saul, Jehu, Hered, and the high prieſts, Theſe in their owne eyes were very conſcionable men.1 Sam. 14.34. Saul will not have the people to ſin againſt the Lord in eating with the bloud: Jehu will be Zealous for God in rooting out Ahabs poſteritie. Mark. 6.26Herod makes conſcience of his Oath to Herodias, the HIgh Prieſt will not put the price of bloud into the treaſury.

See and behold a Meſſe of Notorious Hypocrites, ahd theſe been ſyncere their conſciences would have been good to all, in all, and alwaies.

If ſaul had truly made conſcience of beaſt bloud he would not have been ſo prodigall of mans bloud, as to deſtroy 85. of the Lords prieſts that wore the lynnen Ephod.

If Jehu had truly made conſcience of pulling downe Ahabs Idols, he would not have left Jeroboams Calues.

If Herod had truly made conſcience of an Oath, he would not ſo eaſilie have granted John Baptiſts head unto his Herodias.

If the High prieſt had trulie made conſcienceof taking the price of bloud, they would not have beene ſo readie to give a price for bloud as 30 peices to Iudas to betray his Maſter, but as they ſowed, ſo they reaped: They ſowed ſin and reaped ſhame, and ſo ſhall all that anſwer Gods commands in parte but not in whole.

If therefore: thou wilt beapproved of God, approve thy ſelfe to God in an univerſall Obedience, be good to all, be good in all, or not good at all, and thus much of this firſt uſe namely the uſe of Triall.

2. Uſe, is for reproofe unto the ignorant and prophane, who though they never tryed, nor yet intend to try themſelves, by theſe fore-mentioned Notes or marks, yet will boldly tell you, they have a good Conſcience.

But will you know upon what ground they build this bould Aſſertion?

Anſwer: It is upon a very falſe ground, and upon a very ſandie foundation. That is upon the ſtillneſſe and quietneſſe of their Conſcience. Though they ſweare, lye, ſteale, oppreſſe, be drunke, and act uncleaneſſe and all manner of villanie; yet their conſcience doth not moleſt or trouble them.

They do not check, or ſay unto them what haſt thou done? Jer. 8.6.and therefore are ready to bleſſe themſelves to be moſt happie, and to condemne others whoſe conſciences do trouble them to be moſt unhappy.

But let me tell ſuch, that Quietneſſe or unquietneſſe are no infallible cha\racters of a good or evill conſcience: poſſible it is that a quiet Conſcience may carrie a man merrilie to Hell, and on the other ſide an unquiet Conſcience may carrie a man crying to Heaven. The one may never dreame of Hell afore they fall into it, The other never be aſſured of Heaven before they have the poſſeſſion of it.

The old world were eating and drinking, revelling and making merry, when the floud came and ſwept them away, Zimri and Coſbi in the very Act of uncleanneſſe, were thruſt through with a Iavelin, and how many in theſe unhappy warrs have ſuddenlie periſhed and come to a fearfull end, when they dreamed not of it. Their drunken health being their laſt draught, & their blaſphemeous Oaths their laſt words: ſo that we may trulie ſay they went merrily to Hell.

Againe on the other ſide, if men profeſſing Chriſt may dye without aſſurance and yet be ſaved (as Mr Chambers in Leiceſter, who cryed out that he was damned,Perkins Hilderſham and Francis Spira who would change his Condition with Cain, Sanl and Judas) If ſuch might be ſaved as ſome in Charity think, then may we ſay and that ſafelie that ſome go crying unto heaven.

Wherefore my Adviſe to ſuch, is not to preſume upon a ſtill and quiet conſcience, but to ſee from whence this ſtilneſſe & quietneſſe ariſeth, if from a true knowledg of Gods holineſſe and their owne vileneſſe, if from a true ſight and ſence of thier ſin and an unfained humiliation for the ſame, with an Aſſurance of Gods free pardon in Chriſt, then is their peace and quietneſſe of the right kind, ſuch a Quietneſſe as neither doth nor can accuſe, them but gives a Comfortable teſtimonie of their holy walking before God ſince their converſion.

Examples of ſuch, we find in Obadiah who told Elijah,1 Kin. 18.12. Heb. 11.5. Hujuſmodi conſcientia eſt inſtarferae alicujus quae quādin dormit videtur eſſe cicur, & neminē laedit, Sed excitata in bominem involat & dilacerat. Sic conſcientiacauteriata, aegritudine aliâ graviore, vel ctiam morte appropinquante excitaturà Deo, & truculenta ſuâ immanitate hominē terret. Alſt. Thecl. Caſuum. c. 2. that he feared the Lord from his youth, and Enoch who before his tranſlation had from God more then an ordinary Teſtimony, that he pleaſed god, ſo Paul I Have lived (ſaith he) in all good good Conſcience before God, untill this day. theſe had good Conſciences indeed, ſuch as ſpeak peace with Gods allowance.

But if thy quietneſſe or ſtilneſſe which is in thee, do ariſe out of an Ignorance of God and of thy ſelfe, not knowing the mind and will of God and how Croſſe their waies and workes have been unto the ſame. Or if out of impenitency, not regarding ſin, nor humbling thy ſelfe for ſin. Then let me tell thee thy conſcience is not good but evill, thy quiet conſcience is a ſleepie Conſcience, a dull and drowſie Conſcience, and if not timelie prevented will prove a dead, a ſeared & a caute riſed conſcience, 1 Tim. 4.2. & though for the preſentit ſleep like a churliſh maſtife and neither bite nor barke, yet at laſt it will be awakened and fly in thy face, and tare thee, as the Divell did the man in which he entred Mark. 9.22, He rent him and threw him into the fire. Belſhazer was drinking wine in Bowles: But there came out Fingers on the wall and his countenance changed, Dan. 5.5. When the eye of your conſcience ſhall be opened, and thou ſhalt ſee a diſmall hand-writing againſt thee, hell gaping, and the juſt Judge preparing Vengeance for thee, what prodigious horror will ſurprize thee? hadſt thou a world of worlds in thy poſſeſſion, thou wouldſt count them of too ſmall Value to purchaſe a freedome from theſe firſt fruits of Hell.

As a member that is Benumb'd with ſleepe, is ſenleleſſe and ſeems to be voide of all life. But yet when it gathers blood and awakens againe, it Shoots and pricks, and feeles as big as Ten. So conſcience may be paſt feeling; Epheſ. 4 19. foreign Remorſeleſſe, Stupid, like a member that is benumm'd, and hath no ſenſe in it (as the word ſignifies) like a dead man that feeles not the heavieſt Burden that is laid on him. But when it is awakned, Oh that Infinite unexpreſſable torments, that will ſurround thy pretious ſoule! At thy Right hand, thy ſins will be accuſing thee. At thy Left hand Infinite Devills expecting thee.

Ʋnder thee the fulneſſe of hell burning; Above thee an Angry Judg, and within thee hty Conſcience tormenting. So that to live will be a torment, to dye will be an Hell. Yea God himſelfe will rowſe it up, if not by his word as he did Ahabs Conſcience, or by his rod as he did Pharaohs, yet by his terrible preſence when thou ſhalt ſtand before his Tribunall, then ſhalt thou call unto the mountaines to fall upon thee, and the Hills to cover thee from the preſence of the Lord: Yea then ſhall thy conſcience like a vulture gnaw upon thy heart, and like a Scorpion ſting thy very ſoule, and that rigorouſlie, without Commsſeration: conſtantly, without intermiſſion: and continually, without ceſſation: then ſhalt thou feele that worme that never dyeth, and that fire that never goeth out. Oh therefore do not content thy ſelfe which a falſe peace, but labour for the peace which God approveth, give no reſt to thine eyes or ſlumber unto thine eye lids before thou haſt gotten a good conſcience. namely A Conſcience both purified and pacified by the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt.1 Cor. 6.11.

3. Uſe for Comfort to ſuch as have tried and upon a truetryall have found themſelves to be enriched with this precious Iewel namely a good conſcience, let ſuch magnifie God & ſay, the Lord hath dealt moſt bountifullie with me, praiſed be his great Name for his uuſpeakable gift. Elkanah could ſay to Hannah that he was better unto her then ten ſonnes. But thy good conſcience may truly ſay to the that ſhe is better then ten thouſand ſonnes then a world of earthlie freinds, for under God and his Chriſt, conſcience is the friend of friends the trueſt, ſweeteſt, conſtanſt and moſt faithfull friend.

1. The trueſt Friend, which will deale moſt truly with thee, earthly Frinds come ſhort both in reproofes and comforts, they doe what they do by halfe, ſpeak a little to thy face, but more behind thy back, and many times deale untruly with thee; when thou doeſt good, they will ſay thou doeſt evill, and when thou doeſt evill, They will ſay well done, but thy good conſcience will not do ſo, will not daub with untempered morter nor call good, evill, nor evill good; but will deal very plainly with thee, accuſing thee when thou doeſt ill, and ſo excuſing thee when thou doeſt well.

2. The ſweeteſt friend, Phil. 4.that will make thee ever merry, and alwaies rejoyce. to laugh under the whip, to ſing in the ſtocks, to joy even then when thy goods are ſpoyled, yea in the ſharpe tryalls to rejoyce that thou art accounted worthy to ſuffer for Chriſt and to Compleat thy Joy, thy Conſcience will feaſt thee, nor once or twiſe but every day, it will be a continuall feaſt unto thee.

3. The conſtanſt friend, In time of diſtreſſe, when carnall friends fayle thee, this will abide with thee. Art thou in diſgrace which men, hated traduced, accuſed, condemned, do the Abjects mock thee, the drunkards make ſongs upon thee, do Beliaſte charge thee with lies and Falſities, doth Tertullus withall his Art render thee an odious and peſtilent fellow. Againe, do thy own friends account thee an hypocrite as Iobs friends did him, and the world value thee as the filth and of-ſcouring of all things, Job. 16.19.yet comfort thy ſelfe in this; that thy teſtimony is on high, and thy witneſſe in heaven, yea thy witneſſe is on earth, in thine owne conſcience, ſay with Job, not with ſtanding all their ſpite and lies againſt me, I will hold faſt my righteouſneſſe and will not let it go, Job. 27.6.my conſcience ſhal not reproach me whilſt I live.

4. The faithfull'ſt friend, that will help at a pinch, and when thou art in greateſt need; Job tells us that he had friends, but they were unfaithfull, They deceived him as a brook deceiveth the wearie and thirſtie Traveller, he comes unto it in Summer to quench his thirſt and then behold it is dried up: againe he ſeeks unto it in the Winter ſeaſon, and then behold it is frozen, ſo that he is ſtill diſappointed of his hope. Thus deale my unfaithfull friends with me ſaith Job, when I have moſt need of their help, then they faile me.Job. 6.15. Solomon compares ſuch to a broken Tooth, Prov. 25.19.and a foot out of joynt, which will ſurely deceive ſuch as truſt unto them; for when they go to eate, their tooth will hinder them; or when to walke, their foot will paine them, and ſo to be of no uſe or profit unto them. But a good Conſcience is no ſuch falſe friend, no thou mayeſt truſt unto it in the greateſt preſſures, in times of diſgrace, poverty, ſickneſſe, death, and judgment: when all forſake thee, then will thy conſcience like a faithfull Jonathan ſtand by thee.Ruth. 1.17 Ruth's reſolution to ſtick to Naomi in all changes was more then ordinary to tell her that nothing but death ſhould part them: But here behold a better freind, death ſhall not part thee and thy Conſcience, ſhe will be with thee in ſickneſſe and in health, in life and death, in judgment and before Gods Tribunall. Therefore rejoice, and let thy God be ever magnified.

4. Uſe is to exhort all ſuch as have not this Heartejewell of a good conſcience, to labour above all things for the enjoyment of it. This is that unum neceſſarium, though generally neglected. Every man voluntarily of himſelfe deſires a good Wife, good Children, good Servants, good Cloathes, good houſes, yea all good; but as for a good conſcience which is worth all, and without which all theſe outward bleſſings will be but ſo many curſes unto us, yet alas how careleſſe are moſt in the getting of the one, how earneſt and laborious in the other. Let me therefore adviſe you in the firſt place to labour for a good conſcience, ſo ſhall all theſe outward bleſſings be ſweetned unto you. Now that you may not be deceived in this rich commodity, I will briefly ſhew you what it is.

A good conſcience is a conſcience both purified and paciſied;What a good Conſcience is. miſtake me not, I deny not but that Conſcience may be good, if only purified: but it cannot be well compleated, except it be alſo pacified, for without this latter, there is many a ſad ſoule ſo troubled, that they will not beleive they have what indeed they have, viz. a good Conſcience. They are ſo far from Pauls aſſurance of a good conſcience, that they rather beleive their conſciences to be very evill and defiled Therefore ſtrive to get them both, namely a conſcience truely parified, and truly pacified.Meanes.

Now followes the meanes both to purify and pacify conſcience.

1. For the purifying of conſcience, it is the part of every one profeſſing Chriſt, to conſider that his conſcience naturally is defiled, Tit. 1.15.and that there is a neceſſity of taking off this defilement, if we would be ſaved, namely the ignorance, error, and hardneſſe of conſcience wherewith it is polluted. The principall meanes are two.

1. The firſt means to effect it,Principall meanes. is the bloud of Chriſt: by this bloud we muſt have our hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience. Heb. 10.22. & 9.14.This is a ſingular way to have our Conſciences purged from dead works to ſerve the living God.

2. Meanes is the Spirit of Chriſt. This is that mundifying water mentioned Ezek. 36.25. I will ſprinkle cleane water upon you, and ye ſhall be cleant from all your filthineſſe. Theſe two, Chriſts bloud and Chriſts ſpirit will cleanſe the fouleſt ſinner and the moſt defiledſt conſcience. Paul writing unto the Corinthians tells them what filthy creatures they were,1 Cor. 6.9.10. namely Fornicators, Idolaters, effeminate, abuſers of themſelves with mankind, Theeves, Covetous, Drunkards, Railers, Extortioners, and then ſhewed them by what meanes they were cured and cleanſed, namely by the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt.v. 11. But ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified, in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of our God. This is the refiners fire and fullers ſope, Mal. 3.2.this is that hyſope which will make us as white as ſnow, yea more white then ſnow, Pſ. 51.7.

Other meanes there are, which though not comparable to the firſt, yet as ſubſervient, are likewiſe requiſite to this purifying of Conſcience, namely the Word, Faith, Repentance.Leſſe principal meanes.

1. The Word. Now are ye cleane (ſaith Chriſt) through the word that I have ſpoken unto you, John. 15.3. That is to ſay, the word accompanied with the power of my Spirit.

2. So Faith is of a cleanſing nature, it will purge the heart and cleanſe the converſation, Act. 15.9.

3. And as for repentance, we find that when Judah had defiled her ſelfe with ſin, God calls her to repentance as a way of cleanſing. Waſh ye, make you cleane, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes, ceaſe to do evill, learne to do well, and then though your ſins be as ſcarlet, they ſhall be as white as ſnow. Iſ. 1.16.Thus you ſee how a defiled conſcience may be purified.

2. Next followes how conſcience may be pacified. Conſider firſt of all what it is that troubles conſcience. Meanes.It muſt be one of theſe three, either ſin, or Sathan, or Gods anger. It was ſin that ſo troubled Paul, the law in his members that warred againſt the law of his mind, that ſo diſquieted him, that it made him to cry out,Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me. 2. It was Sathan that winnowed Peter, and withſtood Jehoſhus 3. Gods anger that ſo moleſted David, as to make him cry out, Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure, there is no ſoundneſſe in my fleſh becauſe of thine anger. Therefore unto ſuch as are troubled with the ſight of their ſin, the aſſaults of Sathan, or ſence of Gods diſpleaſure, if their conſciences be unquiet becauſe of theſe, either one or all, be carefull in the uſe of ſuch meanes as God hath ordained for pacifying conſcience.

Now that I may not be tedious, remember what were the meanes to purifie conſcience, and thou ſhalt find the very ſame meanes will pacify conſcience.

I told thee before that the bloud of Chriſt and the Spirit of Chriſt as principall. 2. The word, faith, and repentance as leſſe principall. Theſe would make a defiled conſcience to become pure.

So now I muſt tell thee againe to make thy conſcience quiet thou muſt have

1. The bloud of Chriſt. Paul tels us that Chriſt by the bloud of his Croſſe, Col. 2.20i. e. by his bloudy oblation made upon the croſſe, hath made peace and reconciled all things. Now rightly to underſtand this Text, you muſt know that by ſin, heaven and earth were ſet at variance, and the creatures in them: but by Chriſt there is unity ſet, not only betwixt God and man, but alſo betwixt men and the Angels that are in heaven, as alſo the creatures that are upon the earth, now if Chriſts bloud be ſuch a Catholicon to take off all enmity beween God and man, between men and Angels in heaven, men and creatures on earth, and to make peace, then let us acknowledge it an excellent means to pacify conſcience. This was typified in the bloud of the Paſcall lamb: where this bloud was ſprinkled upon any door-poſt, there was peace and ſecurity againſt the deſtroyer. So where the bloud of Chriſt is ſprinkled upon the ſoule, their conſcience is at peace, and hath ſecurity againſt all the remaining guilt and corruption of ſin, the rage of Sathan, & danger of Gods diſpleaſure.

This bloud givves the ſoule all boldneſſe to enter in into the holieſt of all by a new and living way, Heb. 10.19.and gives us aſſurance before God.

2. Meanes to pacify conſcience is the ſpirit of Chriſt, As his bloud is the procuring cauſe, ſo his ſpirit the producing cauſe. For this cauſe Chriſt and the holy Ghoſt are called by one and the ſame name, becauſe their end and buſineſſe is the ſame, namely to procure peace to the ſoule. They both are called foreign or Advocates, Chriſt is our Advocate and and the ſpirit is Gods Advocate. Chriſt is our Advocate to the father to procure us peace: The ſpirit againe is Gods advocate to us to produce peace. As the one prevailes with God for granting peace, ſo the other prevailes with us to entertaine peace. See this cleared in 1 Joh: 2.1. If any man ſin we have a Paraclete with the father Jeſus Chriſt the righteous. Here Chriſt is our advocate: againe Joh. 14.16. I will pray the father and he ſhall give you another Paraclete. In this place the holy Ghoſt is Gods advocate, ſo you plainly ſee how the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt muſt make up this true and full peace. Now for the cauſes or meanes leſſe principall and ſubſervient, as the word, faith, repentance.

Firſt the word, it is a word of reconciliation and pacification. Thus Peter to Cornelius and his company tells them, ye know (ſaith he) the word which God hath ſent to the children of Iſrael, Act. 10.36preaching peace by Jeſus Chriſt which is Lord of all. Now as the Scripture in generall may be ſaid to be a word of peace, ſo more eſpecially the Goſpell: This is called the word of peace. The Author of it the Prince of peace. The miniſter the Meſſenger of peace, Rom. 10.15.and his preaching the goſpell, the miniſtry of reconcitiation, 2 Cor. 5.18.yea as one ſaith it is Gods proclamation and our Charter of peace, containing the largeſt conceſſions of peace. It is Gods act of oblivion and his act of indemnity. Scheffeeld on conſe: p. 42.

2. Meanes of pacifying conſcience is faith. As the conſcience cannot ſpeak peace with Gods allowance before it be purged, ſo not peace after it is purged without faith; This is a grace that will doe both, i. e. purify and pacify.

1. That faith will purify is cleer, Act. 15.9. Faith purgeth the heart and cleanſeth the converſation. 2. That it will alſo pacify, this appeares Rom. 5.1. Being juſtifyed by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Peace is the daughter of faith: This is that Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace in its mouth, aed preſents God a pacified and reconciled father unto us. O how ſweet is that peace which faith breeds? It is a Chriſtians heaven upon earth. A bunch of Grapes that growes on the true Vine, joy in life, peace at death, proſperity in adverſity, ſtaffe in affliction, ankere in deſperation, therefore Chriſt calls it foreign, Anticipation of heaven.

3. The third and laſt ſubſervient meanes is Repentance. The Apoſtle tells us our conſciences muſt be purged from dead workes, Heb. 9.14and we muſt have repentance from dead workes. We muſt ſtill acknowledge that it is the bloud of Chriſt that muſt purge our conſciences from dead workes, and ſo worke peace; yet know this, that this peace is not wrought in our apprehenſion, neither do we feele this faith without further act. Therefore to our faith muſt be joined repentance, though not making of our peace, yet for the, feeling of this peace.

Let us now then breifly enumerate the cauſes principle and leſſe principle. 1. Chriſts bloud procuring. 2. Chriſts ſpirit producing. 3. His word proclaiming. 4. Faith aſſuming. 5. Repentance declaring and evidencing. All theſe in their order, not in a way of coordination, but in a way of ſubordination do effect the ſweet peace of conſcience, which paſſeth all underſtanding, Phil. 4.7. And is the ſweeteſt companion that ever accompanied man in this vale of mortality.

Hitherto of the goodneſſe of Conſcience and how it becomes good, namely by the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt, whereby it is both purified and pacified.

In the next place I muſt commend unto you theſe 3 things as ſpecially to be minded and endeavoured by you.

1. Having of Conſcience.

2. Holding of Conſcience.

3. Well uſing of Conſcience.

1. Firſt let it be your ſpeciall care to have this good conſcience, and that you may have it take theſe few directions.

1. Be ſenſeable of the want of it, albeit naturally we are all deſtitute of this jewell, yet very few complaine for want of it. Some are pure in their owne eyes, Prov. 30.12.yet were never purged from their filthineſſe, their conſciences as defiled as ever. Others openly profane and wicked, that adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt, yet when a curſe is pronounced againſt them, they will bleſſe themſelves ſaying, we ſhall have peace: I muſt ſay to ſuch, they are whole & need not the Phyſician. Thele are not as yet in a capacity of receiving this bleſſing.

Therefore I adviſe you, firſt to ſee the filthineſſe of your conſciences, how defiled with ignorance, error and hardineſſe: and having ſeen it, with the leper confeſſe it, and ſay Maſter, I am uncleane, I am uncleane: when thy diſeaſe is knowne, the cure is halfe wrought,Tit. 1.15. therefore I ſay by all meanes to ſee how thy ſoule and conſcience is defiled.

2. Seek out an able Phyſician that can cure thee, thinke not to find him here on earth, thou muſt go to heaven for him, it is God that firſt made thy conſcience, and he alone it is that can remake it: and therefore addreſſe thy ſelfe unto him, humbly and faithfully acknowledging his power, and in the lepers phraſe expreſſe the deſire of thy heart and ſay, Maſter if thou wilt thou canſt make me cleane. And to quicken thee in this, I will ſay unto thee, as the Diſciples unto the blind man, go he calleth thee.Mark. 10.49.

1. Chriſts invitation; Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refreſh you. All ye that more and more feel the burden of ſin, and can find no way to remove it, come you all to me, and I will eaſe you of your burden of ſin paſt, Pſ: 32.1, and free you from ſervitude of it hereafter. Sin ſhall not have dominion over you. Rom. 6.14. Therefore as blind Bartimeus, when Chriſt called him, forthwith caſt off his garment, roſe up and went to Chriſt; ſo thou who haſt an evill conſcience make no delay, ſhake off all impediments and run to Chriſt the true Phiſitian, and he will heale thee of thy diſeaſe, and give thee a pure and peaceable conſcience. There is water enough in Iordan; there is balme enopugh in Gilead to poure into your wounds. And there is a Phiſitian there too, and deſires thee to come, and will heale thee without money or moneyes worth. Tis but looking on this brazen ſerpent and be whole.

2. Motive. His promiſe is to cure thee, he hath ſaid he will give thee on heart, put a new ſpirit into thee, take away thy ſtony heart out of thy fleſh, Ezek. 11.18, 19.and give thee an heart of fleſh. Now what is this leſſe then to cure thy ſoule and conſcience, therefore thou mayeſt boldly go unto the Lord, plead the covenant between God and thee, tell him thou haſt it to ſhew under his hand, and ſo hold him to his promiſe. Lord thou haſt ſaid thou wilt give me a new heart, a new conſcience, therefore Lord create in me a new heart and renew a pure conſcience within me, let old things be done away and let all things become new.

3. Direction is to obſerve what thy Phiſitian ſhall adviſe thee, his directions are plainly ſet downe in his large Phiſick book, namely the book of Scriptures, there thou ſhalt find what thy diſeaſe is, the nature and ſymptomes of it, the meanes to cure it alſo, what diet thou muſt keep in the time of thy diſeaſe to be freed from it, and what diet afterwards to prevent a relapſe.

Take heed therefore when thy great Phiſitian hath adviſed thee what meanes to uſe to take off this leprouſy from thy ſoule. Doe not ſlight it as Naaman did Eliſha's advice about the leprouſy of his body: when he adviſed him to waſh in Jordan and be cured, the text ſaith he was wroth,2 King. 5.9.10. preferring his owne waters of Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damaſcus as better then all the waters of Iſrael. Take heed bee not wiſer then thy Doctor, credas medico ut valeas, follow his directions and thou ſhalt be healed. Eate and live, waſh and be cleane. Thus far by way of preparative, proceed we now unto the Phyſick it ſelfe, in which we find many ſimples compounded, as Naturals and Spirituals added.

1. We are to adde light to light, i. e. the light of Scripture unto the light of Nature, without knowledge the conſcience cannot be good, but as a blind man drinke poiſon as ſoon as wholſome liquor, and ſtand as ſecurely upon the brinke of a deep dungeon, as upon a broad pavement, and why, becauſe he ſeeth not the venome of the one, nor yet the danger of the other. Even ſo the blind conſcience drinks iniquity as water, and ſtands feareleſly upon the brinke of hell, without any fear of falling into it, and all becauſe he ſeeth not the vileneſſe of the one, nor yet the miſcheife of the other, into which he runneth, therefore adde I ſay unto the light of nature the light of ſcripture.

2. Adde bloud to bloud, i. e. the bloud of Chriſt, to thy ſin-bleeding ſoule, this is that bloud which muſt cure thee and no other bloud can do it. 1. Beaſts bloud will nto heale thy conſcience, the bloud of buls and goats cannot purge away ſin. 2. Mans bloud will not as the bloud of Abel, or the bloud of Martyrs. 3. Thine owne bloud will not cure thee, Saul having an evill conſcience might thinke to eaſe him ſelfe by falling on his owne ſword, and ſhedding his owne bloud; but alas this will not cure but kill. Ther's nothing can cure our ſick polluted conſciences, but only bathing in the poole of Betheſda. There is nothing can make us white, but the bloud of the lamb. It is Chriſts bloud only;Zach. 13. this is that fountaine for ſin and for uncleaneſſe; this is the bloud that muſt cleanſe thee from all ſin, 1 John 1.7, 8. See therefore thou adde unto thy bleeding ſoule this precious blood.

3. Adde ſpirit unto ſpirit, i. e. unto thy ſpirit Gods ſpirit. When Gods ſpirit comes into thy ſpirit, it will not only regenerate thy ſpirit, but witneſſe with thy ſpirits that thou art healed, and make thee with a joyfull voice to cry out Abba father, Rom. 8.16.

4. Adde faith to faith; unto thy generall faith an applicative faith, thou then wilt not only beleive that theſe former ſimples and ingredients thus compounded, and as it were mixed, will cure an evill conſcience, but will boldly ſay, my evill conſcience by theſe meanes is purged and quieted. Where theſe principles and ſimples are thus compounded and happily joined together, there is a perfect cure; the evill conſcience is become a good conſceence, the defiled conſcience a purged conſcience; the troubled conſcience, a peaceable conſcience: thou art made whole, therfore as our Saviour unto the Adultereſſe, when ſhe had received merecy, gave her this caveat, to ſin no more: ſo ſay I to thee that haſt a pure and peaceable conſcience, go ſin no more, but obſerve thy Phyſitians rules in keeping a good diet: be holy to God, upright to man, & ſober in thy ſelfe; if not, thou wilt fall back into thine old diſeaſe, & ſo thy condition will be more deſperate then ever.

Now for preſervatives, that conſcience may keep its purity and peace.

1. Abſtaine from all appearances of evill. Account no ſin little, but remember that a little leake may ſinke a ſhip, and one ſpark of fire may burne a city, it was but a wanton glance at firſt in David, when he looked on Bathſheba, but if you mark it, many ſins and many ſorrowes followed upon that glance of his, ſo that which James ſpeaketh is here moſt true, behold how great a flame a little fire kindleth, therefore abſtame from the appearance of ſin.

2. Beware of intimacy with any ungodly perſon, take heed whom thou makeſt thy companion, the ſweeteſt diſpoſitions are ſooneſt ſowred by evill ſociety, wicked Ahab is no fit companion for godly Jehoſhaphat, nor Cerinthus (the Heretick) for John the Divine. Take heed of ſuch as are either erroneous in judgment, or vitious in converſation, wilt thou joine with thoſe that are enimies unto God? doeſt thou not know that one diſeaſed ſheep may infect an whole flock, ſo on corrupt man may corrupt a multitude: as we find in Alexander, 2 Tim. 2.17.Hymeneus, Philetus, Phigellus, Hermogines, and others, whoſe word did eat as doth a Canker, which if not ſeaſonably prevented will grow incurable.

The Originall word is gangrene, foreign.which ſignifies to eate, as the diſeaſe called a wolfe or a canker doth, which conſumeth not only the part where it is, but ſpreadeth farther in the fleſh. Such is the Nature of Hereticall doctrine, if it be not ſtopt in the beginning & cured by ſolid confutations and Eccleſiaſticall cenſures, upon thoſe that are obſtinate; it will ſpread far, and run over the whole body of the Church. Beware of ſuch, a man that is an Heretick, Tit. 3.10, 11.after the firſt and ſecond admonition reject: knowing that he that is ſuch, is ſubverted, and ſinneth, being condemned of himſelfe, i. e. convinced in his owne conſcience, that he ſhuts his eyes againſt the light, and reſiſteth and oppoſeth the known truth.

The like I ſay for prophane and vitious perſons; though they entice thee, conſent thou not: and if they ſay, come with us, or be one of us, oh come not into the way of ſinners, Prov. 1.10nor enter into the counſell of the ungodly, Prov. 3.34leſt thou ſit in the ſeat of the ſcorner, and at laſt become a ſcorne and a deriſion unto God and the godly.

3. In doubtfull things take the ſureſt and ſafeſt way. All men have fleſh, and ſo conſequently error in them. Great differences ariſe in things practicall, one holds recreations on the Lords day, and another denies it: This man for uſury, that man againſt it; ſome ſay Faith and Troth are no Oathes, others will tell thee that they are more then yea and nay. The Multitude are for Cards, Dice, drinking of healths, Math. 5.37.long haire in men, and naked backs and breaſts in women, but the feweſt and wiſeſt are againſt all theſe. Judge thou therefore which is the ſafeſt way, to uſe all theſe, or to refuſe them, heare what the Spirit tells thee, abſtaine from all appearance of evill: have no fellowſhip with the unfruitfull workes of darkneſſe, but rather reprove them. Doubtleſſe it will be ſafer for thee to deny thy ſelfe in forbearing, Eph. 5.11.then to take liberty in uſing them. Give no offence to tender conſciences, but follow Paul, who was ſo wary of giving offence to Gods people, that even in things lawfull he would deny himſelfe, reſolving to eate no fleſh while the world ſtandeth, rather then to make his brother to offend (i. e.) to put a ſtumbling block before him,1 Cor. 8.13. or give an occaſion of ſin unto him. Wherefore walke on ſure ground, and be warranted from God for what thou doeſt. Whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, pure, lovely, whatſoever things are of good report, if there be any vertue, Phil. 4.8.if any praiſe, thinke on theſe things.

4. Take heed of falſe and phantaſticall Teachers, who boaſt of the ſpirit of God, when it is only their owne proud and lying ſpirit. Ezek. 13.3They are fooliſh prophets that follow their owne ſpirit and have ſeen nothing, i. e. they do medle with prophecying of their owne proper motion, being driven thereunto by their owne carnall affection, and declare nothing but their owne vaine imagination, and frothy inventions. They would be accounted Phyſicians for ſick ſoules and wounded conſciences, but as Job ſaith they are Phyſicians of no value. For they heale the hurt of Gods people ſlightly, ſaying, peace, Jer. 8.11.when there is no peace: they preach generally freedome and liberty, as freedome from confeſſion of ſin, and freedome to the commiſſion of ſin, but whilſt they thus preach liberty unto others, they themſelves are the ſervants of corruption, beware of ſuch: And beg of God Paſtors according to his owne heart, that may feed you with wiſdome and true underſtanding, whoſe lips may preſerve knowledge, Jere. 3.15.and ye may ſack it at their mouth, who may be enſamples unto the flock in life and doctrine, faith and love, ſpirit and purity. England could glory ſhe had ſuch Prophets ſuch Paſtors, and bleſed be God ſhe can yet ſay ſhe hath ſuch ſtill; true it is they lie under a cloud, but it is not many yeares ſince that they were highly eſteemed, thought worthy of double honour, and conſulted with upon matters of greateſt importment both in Church and State: yea Parliament and People invited them to come into Macedonia, namely London, to help on the great worke of Reformation: but now are caſt aſide as of no value, and by many accounted Antichriſtian, and enimies to the Kingdome of Chriſt, and to the power and purity of the Goſpel. A ſudden and ſtrange change, but we will lay it upon that envious one, whoſe rage is ſpecially againſt Gods faithfull Miniſters. You therefore that love a good conſcience make much of ſuch, and have them in high eſteeme for their works ſake, becauſe it is the Lords.

Thus far of having: 2. Holdingnow followes the holding of a good conſcience. foreign. 1 Theſ. 5.2.The Spirit of God doth frequently preſſe us to this holding. Try all things, and hold faſt that which is good, i. e. try exactly all doctrines concerning faith or manners, and as thou findeſt them ſound and ſaving, ſo hold them.Tit. 1.8, 9 Againe hold faſt the faithfull word, Heb. 4.14.hold faſt your Profeſſion, hold faſt till I come, hold faſt leſt another take thy crowne, Rev. 3.11.i. e. the honour and glory promiſed to ſuch as ſhall perſevere. So ſay I, (ye not I, but the ſpirit of God) hold faith, and a good conſcience, 1 Tim. 1.19. yea above all hold theſe, foreign hold againſt all adverſaries that would withhold.

Reaſons. 1. R. Becauſe the labour is as great in holding as having, non minor eſt virtus quàm quaerere, parta tueri. It coſt Paul deare to get a good conſcience, and ſo it did to hold it. Twas his daiely exerciſe to keep a good conſcience, void of offence toward God and man. Act. 24.16.

2. R. Becauſe many have made ſhipwrack of conſcience as Hymeneus and Alexander who giving the reines to a licentious courſe of life againſt the dictates of their owne conſcience, God puniſhed them accordingly, by taking away the light of his ſpirit, that in the middeſt of their courſe they ſhould loſe their moſt precious ſpiritual merchandiſe, and be drowned in error and hereſy,1 Tim. 1.19, 20. as thoſe who in a ſea-tempeſt ſuffer ſhip-wrack.

3. R. Becauſe the world cannot abide a good conſcience, as we may ſee in Zedekiah his behaviour toward Micaiah, and Paſhur toward Ieremie, how uncivilly and rudely do theſe men carry themſelves,1 King. 22, 24. Zedekiah he ſmites Michaiah on the cheeke, impudently and reproachfully before the King and whole aſſembly; ſaying unto him, which way went the ſpirit of the Lord from me to ſpeake to thee? pretending that himſelfe had the ſpirit of God, and thereupon inferres that Micaiah had it not, becauſe it could not be ſhewed how it ſhould paſſe from the one unto the other. So Paſhur ſmites Ieremie, and puts him in the ſtocks, and herein ſhewes himſelfe a prime inſtrument of Sathan, perpetrating that againſt the Lords Prophet, which neither King, nor Princes, nor people durſt formerly attempt.Jer. 20.2. Thus Amaziah the prieſt with Amos, and Ananias with Paul commands them that ſtood by to ſmite Paul on the mouth: Am. 7.10.what was the cauſe of this their rage and fury? had theſe men cōmitted any groſſe offence? ſurely no; it was only the goodneſſe of their conſcience that did thus exaſperate their rage againſt them. Theſe were the faithfull ſervants of the Lord, that boldly declared the mind and will of God unto them, as in conſcience they were bound, and therefore could not endure them. There is an irreconcileable Antipathy between the men of the world, and the Saints of God, they can no ſooner mingle, then oyle and water; nor better agree then light and darkneſſe. The Spirit that is in you the world cannot receive, ſaith Chriſt, John 14.17. they are convinced that they are conſcientious men, but as they were wont to ſay in former times, CAIUS SEIUS was a good man, but he was a Chriſtian. So now,Caius Seius bonus virſed Chriſtianus. ſuch are good men, but they are too ſtrict, too conſcientious, and therefore cannot away with them. Thus you ſee how the men of this world cannot endure a good conſcience.

4. R. Becauſe the Devill doth more envie a good conſcience then any other thing. Let men be never ſo high in honour, great in wealth, abound in wit and policy, the Devil diſlikes it not, he knowes the better how to make uſe of them to ſerve his turne, as we ſind in Pharaoh, Zenacherib, Achitophel, Herod, and others: who in their Pomp and power were higher then their brethren by head and ſhoulders, and accordingly more active and ready to do his work: That man I ſay have abundance of theſe outward things, it doth not diſquiet but pleaſe Satan; But when any have a good; a pure and a tender conſcience, this madds the Divel and makes him to ſet all his inſtruments on worke to bereave ſuch of their Heartjswell, namely a good conſcience; we may ſee this in Luther, his pure conſcience did vex both Pope and Devill; Melchior Adam in vitâ Luth.what would not they have done to have ſtrangled his conſcience, if honour, wealth, preferment, or any outward thing could have prevailed, the Pope would have collated all theſe upon him, but one tells the Pope, that all theſe would not doe, for (ſaith he) Germana illa beſtia aurum non curat, that German beaſt (meaning Luther) will not be won by any or all of theſe. And at another time when great gifts were ſent to him, he refuſed them with this moſt brave and excellent ſpeech. Valdè proteſtatus ſum me nolle ſic ſatiari ab eo: I did earneſtly proteſt that God ſhould not put me off with theſe things. Meaning that he would not be ſatisfyed with any thing here below: his ſpirit was too noble to be tempted with Gold to the loſſe of a good conſcience. Here then you ſee what need there is to hold a good conſcience, yea to hold it faſt, as Cynegrius his ſhip, with tooth and naile.

Meanes how to hold a good Conſcience.

1. Get more light into thy underſtanding, thou haſt already a double light, namely the light of nature and the light of Scripture, be carefull to encreaſe this latter light. There is and hath been many a tender hearted Chriſtian who for want of Scripture light hath neglected many a good duty, and ſo loſt much ſweet ſolace and comfort, which they might have enjoyed in the performance of it As for example; many of the 'Fatriarchs for want of a greater light fell into that ſin of Polygamy, not underſtanding that place of Scripture, Lev. 18.18. Thou ſhalt not take a wife to her Siſter to vex her. They underſtanding this only of a Naturall ſiſter, and not of a Nationall) took unto themſelves the liberty of many wives, and ſo it is amongſt us to this day, for want of a greater light, not only what we ought to do is omitted, but oftentimes what we ought not to do is practiſed, therefore labour for a greater light in thy underſtanding, let the word of God dwell in you plenteouſly. hide it within you even in the middeſt of your heart.

2. Beware of multiplicity of imploiments, be not a buſie body in other mens matters, or as the Proverb, deſire not to have an Oare in every mans Boat, ſuch buſie perſons are great enimies to their owne conſciences, and by their ſuperfluous wit and needleſſe activity, their heads are filled with Queries, and their hearts with cares.

3. Beware of unruly paſſions and diſorderly affections: theſe if let looſe are like wild horſes, which will never leave running till they have unhorſed their Riders, and given them a dangerous, if not a deadly fall. Thus Sauls paſſion towards 'David, and Ammons affection to his Siſter Thamar, they were ſo unruly, ſo diſorderly, that they made them loſe all working of conſcience, driving them headlong into ſin and Shame.

4. Beware of wounding conſcience afreſh with any allowed ſin: if thou be healed, ſin no more, leſt a worſe thing do befall thee. Relapſes are very dangerous; Bones, twiſe broken augment the paine, and difficilitate the cure: ſo ſhalt thou find in conſcience. Hath thy conſcience been formerly wounded, and hath God in mercy cured thee? take heed of wounding it againe, leſt thy paine be double, and thy cure made more difficult, and thou find in thy ſelfe no difference between thee and a reprobate. Oh therefore take heed of every ſin, free thy conſcience every day from the burden of ſin, know that a pure conſcience can better beare a mountaine of miſery, then a mole hill of ſin; if thou carefully uſe theſe meanes, thou ſhalt be ſure not only to have but alſo to hold a good conſcience.

I told you formerly of 3 things which were eſpecially to be minded & endeavoured by us. 1 The having of a good conſcience. 2. The holding of a good conſcience. 3. The uſing or exerciſing of a good conſcience. Of the having and holding, we have already ſpoken: now in the laſt place we are to ſpeak of the exerciſing of a good conſcience.

Paul having ſpoken of the goodneſſe of his conſcience and a aſſurance of the ſame leſt any ſhould judge him a vaine Boaſter, and that it was ſome phantaſticall opinion or fanaticall viſion, and no well grounded aſſertion, he goes to cleare it by 4 ſound Characters of a good conſcience, ſet down in the latter part of my Text, I know I have a good conſcience, and upon this ground I ſtand firme, becauſe I am willing in all things to live (or walke) honeſtly.

1. His will (he ſaith he is willing) 2. The extent or latitude of his will (in all things.) 3. The conſtancy of his will, (to walke or live.) 4. The ſyncerity of his will, (to walke honeſtly.)

If any ſhall come to Paul, as the Phariſees to Chriſt, ſaying, what doeſt thou do, that we may beleive thee, thou talkeſt much of the goodneſſe of thy conſcience, whereby doeſt thou demonſtrate the ſame, that we may beleive thee: to ſuch Paul readily anſwers, I am ſure of a good conſcience, for I am willing in all things to live honeſtly.

The firſt Character of his good conſcience is his will; you may not underſtand his naturall will, for this being corrupt and carnall cannot will any thing pleaſing unto God, it being like himſelfe altogether abominable. Mans naturall will is to pleaſe himſelfe or others like himſelfe, but not to pleaſe God, it is not ſubject unto the will of God, neither indeed can be. Examples hereof are many.

1. Firſt in Sauls Courtiers, they had a will to pleaſe themſelves but not God, our tongues are our owne, Pſ. 12.4.ſay they, and we will ſpeake, we have ſtill power and liberty to ſpeak and are able to perſwade to whatſoever we take in hand. The like we find in thoſe worldlings that James mentions,Jam. 4.13. to day or to morrow we will go into ſuch a city and continue there a year, and buy and ſeſt, and get gaine: Thus you ſee their will was wholly to pleaſe themſelves.

2. Their will is to pleaſe others like themſelves: as Pilate, Mark. 15.15.how willing was he to pleaſe the prophane multitude in releaſing Barrabas and delivering Jeſus to be cruciſied. So was Foelix very willing to pleaſe the Jewes, and to give them all content that ſo they might not follow him with complaints, his will was to leave Paul bound. Act. 24 27.Thus you ſee what our owne wills are, very corrupt, apt to pleaſe our ſelves, but not God; and therefore ſuch a will can be no character of a good conſcience.

Know therefore that Pauls will in the Texe is better principled, a will ſanctified by the ſpirit of God, a will freely willing to do what God requireth. Such a will we find in Joſhus, who aſſembling the Tribes at Shechem and declaring a briefe hiſtory of Gods benefits towards tehm,Joſh. 2.4 14. even from the daies of Terah, exhorteth them to the ſervice of this God, and to renew their covenant with him, ſaying, heare the Lord and ſerve him in ſyncerity and in truth, put away the Gods that your Fathers ſerved, and ſerve the Lord: If your wills bind not to the true God, know yee that my will doth; I am reſolved that I and mine houſhould ſhall ſerve the Lord. Such a will was in David, Pſ. 119: 106.I have vowed and will performe it to keep thy righteous judgments. And by this will came Paul to be aſſured of the goodneſſe of conſcience.

Uſe. Now Beloved, let us examine our ſelves whether there be ſuch a will and willingneſſe in us as was in Paul to pleaſe God. Me thinks I heare you ſay, I would pleaſe God; you ſay you would, but tell me is it the very bent of your heart and your conſtant endeavour ſo to doe? if not, I muſt tell you, your woulding is but a vaine wiſhing and nothing worth. There is not the pooreſt perſon, but he would be rich, the verieſt Bankrupt, but he would be thrifty, nor the vileſt perſon, but he will ſay, he would be honeſt; but will you beleive ſuch, becauſe they ſay they would be ſuch, when you ſee the bent of their heart and courſe of life is contrary? ſurely no; neither may we beleive ſuch to have a good conſcience, which have only a woulding without endeavouring.

2. The ſecond Character of a good conſcience appeares in the extent of his will; Paul doth not barely ſay: that he is willing in this or that particular to pleaſe God, or with Herod willing to doe many things, but he is willing in all things, i.e. in all duties divine & humane of piety and charity. This univerſall Obedience is an excellent diſtinguiſhing note between truth and error, yea between a good and an evill conſcience.Cauti eſtote. i.e. magnam attentionē ſervate.

1. God requires it, Exod. 23.13. ſaying unto his people, In all things that I have ſaid unto you be circumſpect, i.e. be carefull to obſerve withall attention,Audacia eſt de bo no divini praecepti diſputare, nec qula bonum eſt auſcultare debemus, ſed quia Deus praecepit. Tertul. de poenit. (Vatablus in H. C.) whatſoever I ſhall command you. There is reaſon enough in Gods will, and his meer command requires abſolute obedience.

2. Chriſt ſhewes us a neceſſity of it, and tells us that whoſoever is unjuſt in the leaſt, is unjuſt alſo in much: and James ſaith, if he offend but in one point, and allow himſelfe in it, he is guilty of all, and he ſhall be the leaſt in the kingdome of God; i. e. be of no account in Gods Church here,Luk. 16.10. Jam. 2.10 Mat. 5.19. nor have any part in heaven hereafter. So that you ſee that it is not enough to be willing in ſomething, but we muſt be willing in all things.

3. What is done for God muſt be done equally. If you doe this dutie and neglect that duty, they both being commanded by the ſame wiſe, and holy God,John 2.5. there is no equality in it, neither is it accepted. Therefore as Mary to the ſervants that waited on Chriſt, ſaid unto them, whatſoever he commandeth, ſee that you do it: So ſay I to all, that who ſo will have a ſure character of a good conſcience, his obedience muſt be univerſall, whatſoever he commands we muſt endeavour to do it. Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit. You muſt have an equall reſpect to all Gods commandements, Pſ. 119.6. You muſt (with David) fulfill all his will.foreign. The Originall word is in the plurall number; all his wills.

Uſe. This then may ſerve to undeceive all halfe hearted Chriſtians, who comming into Gods Tabernacle here below, doubt not but they ſhall aſcend his holy mountaine hereafter; and why, becauſe they are willing to heare many truths, and willing to performe many duties. I tell thee if thou be not willing to heare all, and doe all, thou wilt deceive thy ſelfe at laſt. Look upon Herod, Ananias, and Saphira, were they not Profeſſors, did they not heare much, and doe much, how was it then that they became ſuch ſad ſpectacles of Gods vengeance, that the one was eaten up with wormes, and the other ſmitten with ſudden death? I anſwer, though they were willing in many things, yet not in all things:Act. 5.2. Herod will keep his Herodias, and Ananias will keep back part of the price, and by reſerving a part loſe all. Oh take it to heart all civill men and hypocrites, you both are but halfe Chiſtians, you anſwer Gods voice but as the Eccho doth anſwer the voice of a man, only in part not in whole, but God will not be ſo anſwered, he will have all or none. Do not ſay with Naaman, The Lord be mercifull unto me when I goe into the houſe of Rimmon: The Lord be mercifull unto me if I ſweare raſhly, commit Adultery, oppreſſe my Brother., or act this or that wicked neſſe. Know God will have no reſervations, he will not have thee ſwallow a Camell, nor yet a gnat. As he will have thee to tremble at wounds and bloud. ſo will he have thee to feare faith and troth: As to abhorre Adulterie, ſo to hate Daliance. As to loath the ſhedding of bloud, ſo to ſhun the taking away of any part of thy Brothers livelihood. One ſpeaking of conſcience tells us it is a Bo… of precious oyntment, that muſt not be corrupted with the leaſt Fly. Sam: WardSoe I ſay, take heed of any thing that may offend God an conſcience, and let it be thy care with Zachariah and Elizabeth to walke in the commandements of God without reproofe, Luk. 1.6. ſo ſhalt thou diſcover the goodneſſe of thy conſcience with Paul, when thou art not only willing, but willing in all things.

3. Character of a good conſcience is conſtancy in wel-doing: Paul doth not ſay that he is willing to make a ſtep or two in holineſſe, and then leave off: no he is reſolved to walke on, to make it his conſtant practice, yea to live alwaies in and with a good conſcience. A little child may go a ſtep or two before he fall, yea a very drunkard may ſeeme togoe ſteddy at firſt, and yet if you obſerve him, he will at laſt reele and tumble, this is no argument of ſtrength or ſtreadineſſe. Even ſo if men ſhall do good duties for a fitt once or twice &c. and give over and fall off, this is no ſigne of a good conſcience, as there muſt be an univerſality, in all things, ſo a conſtancy, alwaies: as in Paul Act. 23.1. & 24.16. He lived in all good conſcience unto the laſt; he kept his conſcience inoffenſive alwaies, he walked without tripping, without ſtumbling, ever the ſame in all actions and in all conditions.

Uſe. Conſider this you hypocrites and time-ſervers who are conſtant in nothing but in inconſtancy, now for God, and then for Baal; this day holy, to morrow prophane; to day you will make a ſtep or two towards heaven, to morrow as many & more large ſtrides to hell. Will the hypocrite pray alwaies? will he be obedient in all things? ſurely noe: he is a ſtranger to univerſall obedience, a ſtranger to conſtant obedience, and ſo a ſtranger to a good conſcience. Oh therefore as thou deſireſt a good conſcience, ſo deſire of God a right way to walk in, begge of him to teach thee his way, i. e. ſuch a courſe of life as might be pleaſing unto him, and to lead thee in a plaine path, Pſ. 27.11.that thou mayeſt walk in it without tripping and ſtumbling. This way of God in which thou art to walke in, it is the way of Gods ſtatutes, if therefore thou once get into this way, take heed of going out of it, let that reſolution be in thee which was in David, Teach me O Lord the way of thy ſtatutes and I will keep it unto the end, Pſ. 119.33. Reſolve to be conſtant without tripping or turning either to the right hand or to the left: ſo ſhalt thou be aſſured that thy conſcience is good.

4. Character of a good conſcience is ſincerity, the word in the Originall is foreign, and our Tranſlators read it, honeſtly, the word is very comprehenſive and containes within it as much as any, or all other Adverbs in Scripture, namely worthily, decently, accurately, circumſpectly, lively, famouſly, and praiſeworthy. It notes unto us the luſtre of an action, and tells us that a good conſcience ſtands not ſo much in verbs, as in adverbs; not ſo much in doing, as in Welldoing; if a Magiſtrate, he rules diligently; if a Miniſter, he preacheth willingly; if a hearer, he heareth attentively; if a ſupplicant, he prayeth fervently; yea whatſoever he does in the worſhip of his God he doth it faithfully, Rom. 12.8. Phil. 2.20.

Uſe. Conſider this you carnall men and women, who content your ſelves with the bare doing of a duty, without reſpect to the manner of doing. If you eare the word, read, pray, and practiſe ſome good duty of piety or charity, you thinke you have done all, and all well: Oh remember that if it be not done honeſtly, (that is) ſyncerely, in obedience to God both for matter and manner and end, your conſcience is not good.

Let me therefore adviſe you in every duty that you do performe, obſerve an honourable decorum, I ſpeake to Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female, of what ranke and condition ſoever: reſt not ſatisfied in your doing of any duty, except it be done honeſtly, faithfully, and praiſe-worthily.

1. Magiſtrates be you in the higheſt place of Judicature, or in the loweſt place of office: minde your Oathes, your places your truſt, Jer. 48.10.doe not Gods work negligently, leaſt a woe befall you, and Gods curſe ſeize upon you, but have reſpect unto your owne conſcience, and unto the conſciences of others, that your owne may be preſerved: and the conſciences of others rectified.

2. Miniſters, I muſt ſpeak to you as the Coloſſians were to ſpeak to Archippus, Take heed to the Miniſtry which you have received, Gol. 4.17.that you fulfill it, ſee you doe your whole worke in delivering the whole truth, and in being an example in all holineſſe unto your flock, preach in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, do the worke of an Evangeliſt ſo fully and honeſtly, that you may appeare to be men allowed of God to preach the Goſpell: and that your preaching hath not been to pleaſe men but God which tryeth the heart. 1 Theſ. 2.4.Thus ſhall you evidence a good conſcience, when you ſeek to ſatisfy your conſcience in every duty of your calling.

3. Governours of Families, think it not enough that you have ſo many under your command, and that you can ſay to this ſervant goe, and he goeth, and unto that ſervant come and he cometh; ſee well unto it that your commands and countermands be all honeſt, doe that which is juſt & equall unto them. Doe you firſt with Joſhua ſerve God your ſelfe, Joſh. 24.and then reſolve that your Family ſhall doe the like. If any be ignorant, ſee with Abraham that you teach them. If any be unteachable, untractable, ſee with David you exclude them, let them not abide in your houſe, ſo ſhall your houſes be Bethels, houſes of God, and your ſelves men of God, and men of a good conſcience.

4. Private perſons, be you not Chams but Jonathans, Be you carefull of your owne conſciences, & then be carefull of the conſciences of your Brethren, hate not your brethren in your hearts, but reprove them plainely, & ſuffer not ſin to reſt upon them, Lev. 19 17. Yea thou muſt love thy neighbour as they ſelfe v. 18. there muſt be a conformity in quality, though not a correſpondence of equality, thy love to thy brother and to thy ſelfe muſt be like in kind for ſincerity without deceit, and for efficacy without defect. If thou do thus love thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, 1 John 3.18.thou loveſt thy God, and thou loveſt a good conſcience.

5. Laſtly to every one of what ſex or condition ſoever, whether rich or poor, let conſcience be your Totum, all that thou haſt to do is to look well to conſcience. Art thou rich, let conſcience be thy bagg: if poor, let conſcience by thy cruſe, if a wife, let conſcience be thy glaſſe; if a wayd, let conſcience be thy attire: whatſoever thou art, ſubmit to conſcience, let that command thee, be ruled by it, and it will not wrong thee, be familiar with it, and it will never deceive thee.

Thus you ſee what is to be done in the exerciſe of a good conſcience. 1. A willingneſſe to pleaſe God. 2. To pleaſe him in all things. 3. To pleaſe him alwaies. and 4. to do all this truly, ſincerely, and honeſtly. Thus to doe is the very life and ſoule of all practicall piety.

As thou loveſt thy ſoule, miſſe not one of theſe charecters, they are ſo many golden linkes faſtened by God himſelfe, that he that hath one of them, hath all, and if but one be wanting, aſſure thy ſelfe the reſt are miſſing. Acknowledge a neceſſity of them all, for as in a ſound body there muſt be a due mixture and compoſition of all the 4 elements and Humors: ſo in a ſound conſcience there muſt be a due compoſition of all theſe 4 characters.

1. Uſe to ſuch as have, hold, & thus exerciſe a good conſcience, to proclaime Gods bounty, that they with others may magnify God, we read that the 4 Lepers in Samaria, having found a ſudden & happy change from penury to plenty; they blamed themſelves for being ſilent and not divulging this great mercy:2 King. 7.9. We doe not well (ſay they) this day is a day of good tydings, and we hold our peace. So ſhall I ſay unto you that have found this great and gracious change in your ſelves, that your evill conſcience is become a good conſcience. You ſhall not do well to be ſilent, but with David, it is your part and duty ſpeedily to communicate unto others. Come unto me all you that feare God. and I will tell you what God hath done for my ſoule. Pſ. 66.18. I ſay againe its your duty and you are very faulty if you doe it not.

Acknowledge your miſery by nature, and likewiſe your happineſſe by Grace; ſay with all humility & thankfulneſſe, I was by nature as vile as the worſt, as deeply guilty in Adams ſin as any; as fouly polluted with Originall ſin as the verieſt Reprobate, and had in me the ſeed of all ſin, apt to be drawne unto the fouleſt and groſſeſt tranſgreſſions, and to run to the ſame exceſſe of riot with the worſt, tit. 1.15.yea my very ſoule and conſcience was defiled. But bleſſed by my good God that hath ſtriken Covenant with me in my bleſſed Saviour Chriſt Jeſus,Ezek. 11.19. & hath put into me a new Spirit, given me a heart of fleſh, and hath changed this defiled conſcience, Heb. 9.14.into a pure conſcience, a conſcience both purified and pacified by the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt.Col. 1.20. My greateſt foe is now become my greateſt friend, a moſt true friend, that will not flatter me, but deale plainly with me, a moſt ſweet freind that will comfort me in the ſaddeſt and darkeſt times and ſeaſons, yea a friend that will make me to laugh under the whip. Sing when my feet are in the ſtocks and rejoyce when I fall into many Temptations; In a word, a moſt conſtant friend, that will never leave me nor forſake me neither in this life nor in the life to come. Death may part Naomi and Ruth. David and Jonathan, but death ſhall never parte thee and thy conſcience, ſhe will be with the in reproach and povertie, in ſickneſſe and diſtreſſe, in priſon and reſtraint, in lyfe, in death, in Judgment, and before Gods Tribunall. Oh therefore relate thy happie and bleſſed change unto others that ſo thou, and they may unanimouſly prayſe God: Soe ſhall thy God be magnified and thine owne thankfull heart reallie and faithfull expreſſed.

2 Uſe; to ſuch as have a good conſcience to be ſuch a friend unto them, that they would be very Carefull, to deale friendly with this friend, It is Solomons Adviſe; Prov. 18.24. That he that hath friends muſt deale friendly: and that there is a friend that ſticketh cloſer then a Brother. Now conſcience is this cloſe friend, let Father, Mother, Husband, Wife, Child, and Neigbour, all leave thee, This friend will never leave thee nor forſake thee, as I told thee formerly; Oh therefore deale friendly with thy Conſcience, give not the leaſt offence unto her, but remember ſhe is very tender and will be ſenble of the leaſt wrong or injury done unto her: The Injurie of a friend doth ſtick cloſer then the wrong of an Enimie. David could ſay, had it been an Enimie, that had done me this wrong, I could have borne it, but it was thou my friend, Pſ. 41.9.yea my familiar friend, we tooke ſweet counſell. Pſ. 55.13.Take heed therefore do neither diſuſe conſcience, nor miſuſe conſcience (1) I ſay doe not diſuſe conſciene by eſtraunging thy ſelfe from her and refuſing her Adviſe and counſell. 2 Doe not miſuſe her (1) Some by making her a cloak for any erroneous opinion or ſinfull practice as too to many doe in theſe our daies, who dare to ſet Gods Image and Supſcription upon their owne baſe coine, Are there not many amongſt us who impudently, and blaſphemouſly affirme, that their Miſſion, Meſſage, Doctrine, and Spirit are all of God. They will tell you, they are ſent of God, the Doctrine they teach is the mind and will of God The Spirit by which they teach,Iſ. 8.20. it is the Spirit of God, But come you to the law and to the teſtimonie, conſult the word of God and you ſhall find, there is no light in them. They are very Traytors to the King of heaven, abuſing his Image and Superſcription, read but the 23 of Jer. and 13 of Ezek. and you ſhall find that notwithſtanding their great Braggs, they are but groſſe impoſtours and ſeducers. God tels them He never ſent them, never ſpake unto them, & calls them Dreamers whoſe Doctrine is but chaffe, and their Spirit, is not Gods Spirit, but their own proud, lying, and deluding ſpirit.

2. Others make conſcience a Cloak, for ungodly practices, that they may the more cloſſely oppreſſe, defraud and injure others, to the ſatisfying of their ambitious luſts and Covetous deſires, ſuch were the Scribs & Phariſees of old, of whom our Saviour gives us a Caveat, that wee beware of them and then deſcribes them, that people might the better know them. They are men ſaith Chriſt that carrie a great ſhew of Pyetie and holineſſe, they pray, Math. 23.14.yea make long prayers and performe other godlie exerciſes,Luk. 20.46. and all this they doe not ſyncerely but hypocritically, that they may the more eaſily devoure widdowes houſes, and conſume their eſtates, who entertaine them: and doubtles many ſuch there are amongſt us at this time, who have very faire pretences for moſt foule practices; as Jezabel had, who was never more zealous in prayer and faſting then when ſhe intended to to take away the life and livelihood of innocent Naboth; now what are theſe but great abuſers of Conſcience.

3. To theſe I may Adde a third ſort who having abuſed conſcience; by ſome ungodly Art of whordome, drunkenneſſe, blaſphemy or the like, will call for mercy and ſo be friends. It is reported of Lewes the eleventh King of France, that he wore in his Hat a Crucifix, and when at any time he had blaſphemed God or acted any wickedneſſe; He would preſently take downe his Crucifix and Kiſſe it, and then he had thought he had made ſatisfaction for all wrongs; even ſo is it amongſt us, There are many when they have done any thing againſt their conſcience, thinke it enough to Kiſſe Conſcience and cry God have mercy and all is well: but let me tell ſuch, they are enimies to conſcience, and let them be aſſured that at laſt they will find Conſcience an enimie to them, yea their greateſt enimie: Not only a witneſſe, But their Judge and Tormentor.

Uſe of Exhortatiō unto all to be very carefull how they deale with Conſcience not to dare to injure it in the leaſt degree, conſcience I muſt tell you is verie tender, ſoone ſenſible of the leaſt wrong: if therefore you will hold friendſhip with her you muſt reſolve to be tender alſo, and that with an holy tenderneſſe, I ſay an holy tenderneſſe, and the rather becauſe there is too much tenderneſſe in the world which is very hatefull unto a good Conſcience.

1. Some are very ready for the practice of ſin,Unholy Tenderneſſe. but they are ſo tender, as they cannot endure the leaſt touch of reproofe for ſin, They are like thoſe whole bodies being full of boyles and botches cry out unto ſuch as come neer them: Oh do not touch me and all becauſe of the ſoares and and the ulcers they beare about them.

Thus is it which many a wicked man and woman who having many ulcers of ſin running upon them will not indure their Chriſtian friends nor yet their faithful miniſters and Teachers but cry out, like thoſe in Iſaiah, who ſaid to the ſeers ſee not, & to the prophets prepheſie not unto us right things, but ſpeak ſmooth things, Iſ. 30.10.propheſy deceit, They cannot indure to heare the truth of God, but a lie, not to have Gods Judgmēts threatned, but themſelves to be ſlattered, though it turne unto their owne ruine: Such tender perſons were Amaziah the prince,2 Chr. 25.16. and Amaziah the prieſt. The firſt was reproved by the prophet of the Covenant: for ſetting up of falſe Gods: but the King tells the Prophet that he ſhould hold his peace, leaſt he were ſmitten, he was ſo tender he could not beare it. The like temper we find in Amaziah the prieſt when Amos propheſied the rejection of Iſrael and the deſtruction of Jeroboams houſe by the ſword, preſentlie. Amaziah goes to incenſe the King againſt Amos, and tells him that the land was not able to beare his words, and bids him ſlee away and not to come againe unto Bethel, for it was the Kings chappell, Amos 7.10.a place that he had Conſecrated to the worſhip of the Calves, & therefore not ſafe nor fitting for Amos to propheſie againſt him in that place.

2. Some are naturally tender, of ſuch a ſoft and tender Temper, that they readily yeeld unto any command of man, though countermaunded by god. Thus was it with Ephraim. Hoſ. 5.11. Ephraim is broken in Judgment: becauſe he willingly walked after the Commandement, what Commandements, the wicked commandements of their Idolatrous Kings and princes, therefore the Lord Threatens them that he would be to Ephraim as a Moth, & to the houſe of Judah rottenneſſe. i.e. He would conſume them by little and little as a Moth doth a garment, or as a worme doth a peice of Timber, and ſurely this may be ſaid to be our caſe: our preferring mans mandates before Gods Cōmands, hath broken us of this land in peices, and if God be unto us as he was to Ephraim a Moth and a worme gradually to ruine us, it is but His Juſtice.

3. Others there are which are ſcrupelouſly tender, They will ſtick at ſtrawes and leap over blocks, make that a ſin which God never made a ſin, and ſtirr moſt in that, in which God is ſilent, Thus the Prieſts ſcruple their going into the Praetorium, the houſe of an Heathen man, leaſt they ſhould be ceromoniallie defiled and ſoe held from the Paſſeover, but yet made no matter of de filing themſelves morally with the guilt of innocēt bloud: againe, they are troubled in putting the price of bloud into their holy Corbam, but not troubled to give a price to ſhed innocēt bloud. How carefull are they in waſhing of hands, of cups, pots, and platters, how careleſſe in waſhing their hearts and inſides from ſin. One ſaith well: ſuch as theſe, they can dance amongſt thornes and yet know not how to walke upon even ground; Herod had too much of this renderneſſe, when he had paſſed his word & given his oath to grant his wicked Herodias her unreaſonable requeſt, which was, to have John Baptiſt head in a charger. Note the tenderneſſe of this man, he may not breake his Oath, and therefore concludes that to go back from his word, would be perjurie: but to go on, though it were to ſhed the bloud of an innocent, this he accounts pietie. Many ſuch we have amonſt us who doe more ſcruple an egg then an Oath, and like Eſops dogg doe ſo greedily catch at ſhadowes, that they looſe the ſubſtance, therefore I would ſuch would be more wiſe, following the Advice of Paul, who in unneceſſarie and vaine ſcruples will have us to asks no Queſtion for conſcience ſake, 1 Cor. 10.25.Beware of all ſuch evill and ſinfull tenderneſſe, as enimies to a good conſcience, and labour for ſuch a tenderneſſe as is holy and faultleſſe which will make you watchfull againſt every ſin, that may any waies moleſt or diſquiet conſcience, thus far of an unholy tenderneſſe, which cannot ſtand with a good conſcience, Now followes an holy tenderneſſe which ſuits well with conſcience and keeps us and our conſciences at peace.

Holy tenderneſſe is ſuch a tenderneſſe as is wrought in us by the holy ſpirit of God,Holy Tenderneſſe. Sheff. whereby we are made very watchfull againſt whatſoever may moleſt or diſquet conſcience.

Such a tenderneſſe we find in Joſeph, who when his Miſtreſſe tempted him to lye with her, he preſently refuſed it, and ſaid unto her, behold my Maſter wotteth not what is in the houſe with me, Gen. 39.9.and he hath committed all to my hand, and there is none greater in his houſe then I, neither hath he kept any thing from me but thee, becauſe thou art his wife, how then can I doe this great wickedneſſe and ſinagainſt God. As if he ſhould have ſaid unto her, your deſire is very wicked and I may not yeild unto it, I may not act the leaſt ſin againſt God; how then may I commit ſo great a wickedneſſe as to defile my Maſters bed? is it not Adulterie, a complicated ſin that contains many evills within it. In ſo doing, 1. I ſhould be a Theefe in ſtealing from him the beſt jewell in his houſe, namely his wife. 2. Moſt injurious in mixing a baſtard brood with his legitimate children. 3. I ſhould be ſacrilegious in taking my body which is the temple of the holy Ghoſt, and to turne it to carnall pollution. 4. I ſhould be moſt ungracious toward my God and moſt ingratefull to my kind Maſter. The like we find in Job, a man very fearefull to offend conſcience, he was a Nonſuch by Gods owne teſtimony,Job. 1.8. not any one like him upon the earth, ſoe perfect, ſoe upright, fearing God and eſchewing evill. He was one that reſolved not to give conſcience the leaſt offence, and that it ſhould not reproach him all his dayes. Though men did reproach him as Eliphas, Bildad, Zophar, who charged him with hypos criſy, yet his conſcience which was more privy to his waies, and could teſtify more truly,Job. 27.6. that ſhould not reproach him, ſo tender was he.

Such muſt be our tenderneſſe; the like was that in Ioſeph, Job, and others: and that we may not be deceived, know how it ſhewes it ſelfe to God, to others, and to our ſelves.

1. To God, he that hath an holy tenderneſſe in him will ſtand for God in what ſhall make for his truth, honour, and glory of his name, if he ſee any thing unto which God is intitled or hath intereſt in, ſuch a one will not ſee his God wronged in the leaſt degree, but he will ſtand upon an hoof with Moſes, & upon an iota or title with Chriſt, he, will manifeſt his tenderneſſe in all things. As 1. to his precepts. 2.Exod. 10.26. To his Threats. 3. His Judgments. 4. His Mercies. Of theſe in their order:Math. 5.18 and Firſt of the firſt, namely, Gods precepts.Cauti eſto te. Vatab. in h. l.

1. He that hath this holy tenderneſſe in him will readily yeild unto Gods precepts, whatſoever he commands he will do it circumſpectly, conſcientia bona non ſolúm attendit quid praecipiat Deus, ſed quid velit, quae ſit voluntas Dei bona, beneplacens et perfect. Bern. de virâ ſolitariâ ad fratres de monte D…i p. 10 20.i. e. warily and with attention, Exod. 23.13. Thus Moſes is ſaid to be faithfull in all his houſe, i. e. the Church of God in his time, and wherein God was pleaſed to dwell; Moſes was in all things very exact to obey Gods precepts: Againe we find Joſias very tender in the obſervation of whatſoever the Lord commanded, ſoe that there was never a King before or after him that ſo turned unto the Lord with all his heart according to the law of Moſes. The like may be ſaid of Hezekiah and Nehemiah; the firſt walked before God with an upright heart; the latter ſhewed himſelfe a moſt zealous man againſt ſin and ſinners. How tender was he for the honour of his God, in the obſervation of the Sabbath, in the maintenance of the Prieſts, and howſoever againſt the prophaners of the Sabbath, and ſuch as oppreſſed their brethren by uſury. Read the 5th. of Nehemiah, and the 13th. of Nehemiah.

2. He that hath this holy tenderneſſe, will quickly yeild, melt, and break under any threat of Gods word or ſence of Gods diſpleaſure. If Joſias doe but heare the book read, in which the threats and menaces of Gods wrath are recorded; he preſently melts and thaws, he rents his cloathes, 2 King. 22 19.mournes and weeps, ſhall the Lyon roare, and the Beaſts not tremble? or a trumpet ſound, and the people not feare? Soe if God roare againſt a Nation and people, ſhall they not quake?Jer. 36.24. Let hard hearted Jehoiakim remaine obſtinate, yet good Ioſiah will rent his cloathes.

3. This holy tenderneſſe will make a man to mourne under Gos judgments: He that melts under Gos threats, will ſurely cry out under his judgments: Hezekiah if hee feele gods rod upon him,Jſ. 38.14. he will mourne like a Dove, and chatter like a Crane. Let God take Job by the neck anà ſhake him, and cauſe his Archers to compaſſe him about, i. e. many afflictions and troubles, it will make him to ſow ſackcloth upon his ſkin, Job. 16.12 15.and defile his horne in the duſt, yea it will make his face foule with weeping, and cauſe the ſhaddow of death upon his eyelids, i. e. to wax dimme and darke as if they were dying, and puts upon him ſuch a ſtamp of true ſorrow, as it makes him to cry out, I abhorre my ſelfe in duſt and aſhes. But on the contrary it is neither threat, nor judgment, that workes upon the uncircumciſed heart, he refuſeth the puniſhment of his iniquity, Job. 36.23and cryeth not when the Lord binds him, i. e. afflicteth him: but the more God afflicts, the harder he growes, and doth revolt more and more. Iſ. 1.5.

4. This holy tenderneſſe makes him humble under Gods mercies. The more mercifull that God is to him, the more tender he is for God, he feareth God and his goodneſſe. As Ice contracted with cold diſſolves of it ſelfe under the warme raies and beames of the Sun, ſo doth his Soule melt and thaw under the ſenſe of Gods favour,Ezra 9.14 like thoſe in Ezra who having received a great deliverance from thier enimies, ſaid one to another, ſeeing our God hath been ſo gracious, ſhall wee againe breake his commandes ments. Luk. 7.47.Thus in Mary Magdaline, we read how ſhe ſtood behind Chriſt and wept, that ſhe to wept and mourned for her ſins, as that ſhe waſht Chriſts feet with her teares, and wiped them with the haire of her head, yea kiſſed his feet, and anointed them with oyntment: and why ſo? how comes this tenderneſſe upon her? what ſhould cauſe it? truly, Chriſt his great mercy unto her, in pardoning her great and many ſins; this is the teſtimony which Chriſt gives of her, ſhe loved much, becauſe much was forgiven her. So that you ſee how holy tenderneſſe will yeild unto Gods mercies.

2. This holy tenderneſſe will ſhew it ſelfe to others; it will make a man very carefull not to offend others, it will give no offence to Jew nor Gentile, nor to the Church of God, i. e. no occaſion of offence of ſcandall unto Jew or Pagan or Chriſtian, neither within, nor yet without the Church.1 Cor. 10.32. As it was Pauls precept, ſo likewiſe his practice; who is offended (at leaſt through my default) and I bvrne not, i. e.2 Cor. 11.29. burne with ſorrow and holy indignation and ardent zeale for the glory of God, and falvation of thoſe that are ſcandalized? Paul was a man alwaies for peace, and preſſeth it upon others: As much as in you lyeth have peace with all men, but eſpecially with the godly; as for himſelfe his conſcience was ſo tender, that he would neither ſay nor doe any thing, that might give offence to weake Brethren, if eating of fleſh would offend, 1 Cor. 8.13.he reſolves to eat no fleſh while the world ſtandeth. So it is with all ſuch as are truly tender, if their meat, drink, apparrell, if their haire, carriage, company, or any other thing, ſhall give an offence unto their Brethren, they reſolve with Paul to cate no more fleſh, drinke no more wine, weare no more long haire, keep no more ſuch company, leave off all rather then give any offence or be a ſtumbling block unto their brethren.

And as this tenderneſſe appeares to all, ſoe eſpecially unto ſuch as ſtand in any neer relation unto them, as wife or child, and how tender was Joſeph of his wives reputation and ſalvation, when ſhe was with Child, and he knew not how it ſhould be ſoe, and fearing the ſcandall that might come upon ſo gracious a woman, and loath ſhe ſhould be made a publick example,Math. 1.19. his reſolution was to put her away privily, to leave her to the diſpoſing of her friends and not to conſummate the Marriage. The like tenderneſſe towards Children we find in Job, he fearing leaſt in their feaſting they had gone beyond their bounds,Job 1.5. and ſoe diſhonoured God. He offerd a burnt-offering for them unto God every morning. i. e. an offering of reconciliation. which declared his religion toward God and care of his children. So Auſtin reports of his Mother Monicha, that ſhe was ſo tender of the ſalvation of her children, that if ſhe heard that any one of them had diſhonoured God, it wrought ſuch an impreſſion of griefe upon her ſoule, that it pained her as much as the new bearing of another child. Thus you ſee how an holy tenderneſſe will ſhew it ſelfe to others.

3. How an holy Tenderneſſe appears to our ſelves. he that is tender indeed will not, diſpleaſe his owne conſcience, he reſolves with David to ſly all ſin and ſinners: I abhorre (ſaith he) every evill way, and I will not endure a wicked perſon: ſuch perſons and ſuch practices are very hatefull unto him; he cannot brook ſin, in any degree, great ſins, little ſins, apparent ſins, or ſins in appearance, he declines them all, he conſiders that remarkable ſpeech of our Saviours, Luk. 16.15. That which is highly eſteemed amongſt men, is an abomination in the ſight of God. And therefore he dares not alwaies to adventure upon that which hath appearance of good, but brings it to the touch,1 Theſ. 5.22. tries all things, and ſo holds faſt (not what ſeems good,) but What is good. laſtly the render conſcience will take heed of what he knowes to be lawfull, he dares not to do all that he may doe, leaſt he ſhould do what he ought not to doe. Conſider you that are Gamſters, merry come panions, faſhion-mongers. and all fleſh-pleaſers, which are lovers of pleaſure, more then lovers of God. I know you will ſtand upon your juſtification, and plead ſtrongly for your dicing, drinking, carding, your long haire, your fantaſticall faſhions, and pot companions, though there be enough recorded in Gods book againſt them in all of theſe. Me thinks I heare you ſay there are many great Schollers will maintaine the lawfulneſſe and that it is condemned only by a company of ſtrict lacea Puritans, and men of meane parts and learning. Give me leave to ſpeak the words of truth and ſoberneſſe: you ſay cards, dice, drinking, and merry company are things lawfull;1 Cor. 6.12. but anſwer me, 1. are they expedient. 2. Doe they edify you. 3. Are they not brought under the power of theſe things, theſe practices. Alas who ſees not ſuch as thus ſeek to pleaſe the fleſh that they do diſpleaſe God, their merry company makes them to diſtaſt the ſociety of Saints; their dicing and drinking makes them to loath the hearing and reading of Gods word; yea Bible and the pack of Cards are like the Arke and Dagon, they will not ſtand together. Let me therefore adviſe you not to be too preſumptuous upon the lawfulneſſe of theſe, but conſider expediency and edification, that all be done ſoe that God may have glory, and your ſelves may be edified more and more in Chriſt. If you look not to this, that which is lawfull in it ſelfe will be found unlawfull in you. You will ſoon be brought under their power & be captivated by what ſhould be your ſervants.

Remember therefore what on ſaith and that moſt truly, licitis perimus omnes, the Whole world is undone by lawfull things. i. e. lawfull things abuſed or miſeſteemed. Was it not ſo with the old world, when our Saviour ſpeaketh of the deſtruction of the old world by water, what doth our Saviour charge upon them as deſerving this great and generall judgement? he mentions only things that were both lawfull and neceſſary: They did eate, hey dranke, they bought and ſold, they built and planted, they married and were given in marriage: See you any unlawfulneſſe in any of theſe? notwithſtanding the giving themſelves up to theſe things,Luk. 17.27. ſuffering ſuch practices to call them off from God. God was highly diſpleaſed and themſelves fearfully periſhed. Oh therefore doe not preſume upon the lawfulneſſe of ſuch things, but if you have this holy tenderneſſe in thee, examine all circumſtances leaſt God be offended, and thy conſcience ſo wounded, as that thou canſt find no peace within, but in thy apprehenſion a very reprobate.

One word more by way of comfort unto you that are thus tender,Uſe of Comfort. poſſible it is that though you deſire tenderneſſe and to hold a firme peace with conſcience, yet your conſcience may frowne upon you, and ſo you conclude againſt your ſelfe that God is angry with you, according to that of the Apoſtle, 1. Joh 3.21. If our heart condemne us, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things, i.e. if our conſcience condemne us, then God will condemne us much more, but your Conſcience you ſay doth condemne you, and therefore your condition is very ſad before God. To give you ſatisfaction in this, I muſt confeſſe it is moſt true, that when conſcience doth check, accuſe, condemne, upon right information, there is no hope of avoiding the ſentence of God by any cloſe carriage by which we may thinke to ſhift and hide our ſelves and our actions from his eyes. Yet this hinders not but that ſometimes the conſcience may condemne, where God doth not. For though it always judge for God, and on his ſide, yet it doth not alwaies judge with God, and according to his direction: but ſometimes it may be that with Jobs friends it makes a lye or God: and yet not purpoſely, but through miſinformation or prejudice, while it lookes on the worſt and not on the beſt: that is to ſay on the preſent and particular indiſpoſition of the heart, and not on the ſincere and generall diſpoſition of it. Such for want of better light in that particular may feare where no feare is, but let me tell ſuch they have a moſt gracious God, that takes no notice of ſuch failings, but pardoneth and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſions of his people, as if he ſaw is not.Mic. 7.18 Therefore let ſuch tender ones ſupport their ſpirits upon that ſweet and gracious promiſe of Chriſt,Iſ. 42.3. not to breake the bruiſed reed, nor quench the ſmoaking flax, i.e. God will not deale harſhly with ſuch weake and feeable ones; but ſupport and comfort them: for though their light be little and burne dimlie, yet the Lord will not extinguiſh it, but ſnuffe it and make it burne more cleerly.

Conſider when your Conſcience doth accuſe, whether it proceed from ſufficient light out of the word of God, or from wrong information. If from light received out of the word of God, her ſentence is divine, and we are to regard it: but if otherwiſe upon wrong information, it is the error of conſcience, and our remedy is by ſending conſcience to ſeek the warrant of her ſentence out of the word of God.

Againe if conſcience preſent unto you ſins which you committed many years agoe, and whereof you have repented. (For we are to know, that albeit after Repentance the Lord forgives the guiltineſſe of ſin, yet he will have the memory thereof to remaine in that conſerving faculty of Conſcience, called foreign; that it may both ſerve to humble us for the evill we have done, as alſo to preſerve us from ſin for the time to come.

Againe if conſcience accuſe us for ſin committed and not repented, it is Gods great mercy, who by inward troubles wakens us to judge our ſelves here, that we may not be condemned of the Lord hereafter.

Obiect. Now if any prophane Belialiſt ſhall at laſt ſay, what need all this adoe concerning a good conſcience: have not all men a good conſcience?

Anſw. To ſuch I anſwer, in ſome ſence they have a good conſcience, namely a conſcience which is metaphyſically and naturally good: and ſo they may and yet go to hell.

But the conſcience that brings with it a continuall feaſt. and is accompanied with grace in this life, and glory in the life to come. It is more then metaphyſically or naturally good. It is ſpiritually and ſupernaturally good.

1. A conſcience purged and pacified by the bloud of Chriſt.Heb. 9.14

2. A conſcience habitually exerciſed to inoffenſiveneſſe both to God and man, Act. 24.16.

3. A conſcience that deſires to be compleatly good in all things and alwaies, Act. 23.1.

4. A conſcience that will approve it ſelfe good even in the ſight of God, Act. 23.1. 1 Pet 3.21.

5. A conſcience that will give teſtimony of thy hearts ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, and ſopport thee under greateſt troubles and diſtreſſes. 2 Cor. 1.8, 9.10, 11, 12.

Now if upon a ſerious ſearch, thou canſt evidence ſuch a conſcience, I muſt tell thee thou haſt obteined great favour from the Lord, and art enriched with ſo rich a Iewell, that far ſurpaſſeth all the wealth of the world, and can never be worne by the men of this world. Rejoice therefore in the Lord alwaies, and acquaint thy Chriſtian friends with it, that you may rejoice together, yea eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God hath accepted thee, Eccl. 9.7.

The concluſion is this,Concluſion. (Chriſtians) Concluſiour Conſciences are all obſcured, corrupted, and depraved through Adams fall. It is the part of every one to labour to reduce conſcience to its prime purity againe. When a Compaſſe is out of frame we touch the needle of the Compaſſe with a Loadſtone, that the ſtone may draw it right to the Pole againe: So let our minds be touched with the Loadſtone of the Spirit of grace, that they may come back to the Lord as to the Pole, and quiet themſelves in Chriſt as their true, ſole, and perfect Saviour. Let this be your daiely prayer unto God, and conſtant endeavour, who only can ſanctify us throughout in ſpirit, ſoule and body; who can make every part and member of our bodies, with every power and faculty of our ſoules, weapons of Righteouſneſſe to doe him ſervice.

Now unto him that is able to make you to ſtand upright before him, and to keep you from falling, Jud. 24.25.and to preſent you faultleſſe before the preſence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only Wiſe God our Saviour be Glory and Majeſty, Dominion and Power, now and for ever, Amen.

April: 5th. 1656.

FINIS.

End of the text · Francis Whiddon, A Golden Topaz (1656)

A Golden Topaz, Treatise

p. 1The TOPAZ.

The TOPAZ.