Sayings of Wise and Learned Men, Part 1
Aurea Legenda, OR APOTHEGMS, SENTENCES, AND SAYINGS OF MANY Wiſe and Learned men, USEFUL For all ſorts of Perſons. Collected out of many Authors by Sa. Clark, ſometimes Paſtor in B. F.
The Preacher ſought to find out acceptable Words, and that which was written, was upright, even Words of Truth. The words of the Wiſe are as Goads and as Nails faſtened by the Maſters of the Aſſemblies, which are given from one Shepherd, Eccle. 12. 10. 11.
London, Printed for Nathanael Ranew at the King's-Arms in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1682.
Some choice Sentences and Sayings concerning the Miſchiefs, and Miſeries which attend an impure, unquiet, and guilty Conſcience.
COnſcience is God's ſpy, and Man's overſeer: God's Deputy judg, holding its Court in the whole Soul, bearing witneſs of all a Mans doings and Deſires, and accordingly excuſing or accuſing, abſolving or Condemning, Comforting or Tormenting: What art thou then the better when none is by, ſo long as thy Conſcience is by?
Conſcience is the great Regiſter, or Recorder of the World. 'Tis to every Man his private Notary, keeping record of all his Acts and Deeds. It hath …he Pen of a ready Writer, and takes from …hy Mouth all that thou ſpeakeſt; yea, …rom thy Heart all thou Contriveſt; And tho its writing may be for the preſent (like to the writing with the juice of an Onion, or Lemon) illegible: Yet when thou comeſt to the fire of Diſtreſs, it will then appear; or at fartheſt, in the great Day of Judgment it will diſcover all.
Conſcience always keeps Centinel in a mans Soul, and, like a Regiſter, Records all our good and evil Actions. Tho the darkneſs of the Night may hide us from others, and the darkneſs of the Mind may ſeem to hide us from our ſelves, yet ſtill the Conſcience hath an Eye to look in ſecret upon what ever we do: and tho in many Men it ſleeps in regard of motion, yet it never ſleeps in regard of Obſervation and Notice: It may be hard and ſeared, but it can never be Blinded: That writing which in it now ſeems to be inviſible, when it's brought to the fire of Gods judgment will be moſt Clear.
There is nothing ſo much faſtened in the Memory as that which Conſcience writes. All her Cenſures are written with indelible Characters never to be bloted out. All, or moſt of our knowledge forſakes us in Death: Wit, acuteneſs, Variety of language, Habits of Sciences, Arts, Policies, Inventions, &c. only thoſe things which Conſcience imprinteth, ſhall be ſo far from being obliterated by Death, that, they ſhall thereby be much more manifeſt, whether they be impreſſions of Peace, or Horror.
Conſcience is a moſt bribeleſs Worker. It never know's how to make a falſe report of any of our ways: 'Tis Gods Hiſtorian (with reverence be it ſpoken) that writes not Annals, but Jornals: The words, Deeds, and Cogitations of Hours and Moments. Never was there ſo abſolute a Compiler of Lives as Conſcience is. It comes not with prejudice, or acceptation of Perſons, but dares ſpeak the truth of a Monarch, as well as of a Slave. Nero the Emperor ſhall find as great a Fire burning in his Boſom, as he dares wrap the poor Chriſtians in, to light him to his Luſts.
Before and in the acting of Sin we will hear nothing; but afterwards Conſcience will ſend forth a ſhrill and a ſharp Voyce which ſhall be heard all the Soul over, as was that of Reuben to his Breth'ren, did not I warn you, ſaying Sin not againſt the Child, &c.
It's as proper for Sin to raiſe Terrors in the the Soul, as for rotten Fleſh or Wood to breed Worms. That worm which never dieth is bred here in the froth of filthy Luſts, and flagitious Courſes, and it lyes grubbing and gnawing upon Mens inwards many times, in the Ruff of all their jollity. This made Saul to call for his Muſick, Belſhazzar for his carouſing Cups, Cain for his Workmen to build him a City; and others for other of the Devils Anodines to put by the Pangs of their wounded Spirits, and throbbing Conſciences.
One ſmall drop of an evil Conſcience will trouble a whole Sea of outward Comforts and Contentments; A confluence whereof would no more eaſe a wounded Conſcience, than a Silken Stoking will do a broken Legg.
As a little water in a Leaden Veſſel is heavy: So is a little trouble in an evil Conſcience.
An evil Conſcience is a burden importable, able to quail the Courage, and cruſh the Shoulders of the ſtrongeſt Hercules, of the mightieſt man upon Earth: Hence Job preferred, and Judas choſe ſtrangling before it. Daniel choſe rather to be caſt to the Lyons, than to carry a Lyon about with him in his Boſome an, enraged Conſcience. The primitive Chriſtians alſo uſed to cry out, Ad leones potius quam ad Lenones abjiciamur: Let us rather be caſt to the Lyons than to be thruſt into Brothel-houſes.
What good is there in a Cheſt full of Goods, when the Conſcience is empty of goodneſs? ſuch an one is like unto Naaman, a Rich man, but a Leper. For excellent Parts and Gifts, without a good Conſcience are but as ſo many ſweet Flowers upon a Dead man wrapped up in fair Linnen: Or like to ſounding Braſs, or a tinkling Cymbal.
Conſcience is God's greateſt Officer and Vice-gerent in Man, ſet by him to be, as it were thy Angel keeper, Monitor, Remembrancer, King, Prophet, Witneſs, Examiner, Judge, yea, thy lower Heaven. If thou ſlighteſt and wrongeſt it, it will be an Adverſary unto thee, and an informer againſt thee, an Accuſer, Witneſs, Judg, Jailor, Tormenter, a Worm, Wrack, Dungeon unto thee; yea, thy upper Hell.
An evil Conſcience makes the Wicked fly when none purſues, Prov. 28. 1. Such a fearful Fugitive was bloody Cain, ſuch were thoſe curſed Canaanites (Joſ. 24. 12.) that were chaſed by Gods Hornets among them, that is, by the Bloodhounds of their own Conſciences. Such were thoſe Syrians, who, ſtruck with a Pannick fear, fled for their Lives, and left their rich Camp for a Booty to the Hunger-ſtarved Iſraelites, 2 Kin. 7. 7. &c. The ſhadows of the Mountains ſeemed to be armed men to guilty Gaal, Judg. 9. 36. The Burgundians, when ready to joyn Battel with their Enemies, thought that long Thiſtles were Spears.
He that is delivered up to a ſeared Conſcience, to a dead and dedolent Diſpoſition, is in a manner in a deſperate condition. He heaps up wrath againſt the Day of Wrath, &c. Rom. 2. 5. this made a reverend Man ſay, I had rather be in Hell with a ſenſible Conſcience, than on Earth with a reprobate Mind.
Plutarch thought that the very Life of a vicious and a wicked man, was puniſhment enough for him without either Gods or mans revenging hand. For (ſaith he) if they examine their Lives, they find themſelves empty of Grace and Goodneſs, deſtitute of Hope, loaden with Fear, Sadneſs, uncheerfulneſs, and of Suſpicion of what will follow after. Their lives therefore are worſe than the life of a Dog: For a Dog lives without mental ſufferings, and dyes, and there is an end of him: But this wicked man is always upon the Rack whilſt he lives, being perpetually tormented with the laſhes of an Evil and accuſing Conſcience, which is worſe than Death.
As the Crocodile incautiouſly ſleeping with his Mouth open, receives into his Belly the Ichneumon, or Indian-Rat, which cauſes that he is never at quiet, his entrails never being free from gnawings and Pain. One while he plunges into the water, and anon runs again to the Land: No place will afford him caſe till Death hinders his Motion: So it is with ſuch as are tormented with the Worm of Conſcience; As we ſee in Nero, when he had murthered his Mother, and his Wives. And in Otho the Emperor, when he had ſlain Galba, and Piſo, In Herod, when he had cauſed his Wife Mariamne to be put to Death. And in our King Richard the third, when he had ſlain his two innocent Nephews in the Tower. In Spira; Latomus, and many others: all which were ſo gnawed and grub'd with this Worm that they could never be at reſt, till, being utterly tired with continual Vexation of Spirit, they either deſperately flew themſelves, or were dreadfully diſpatched by others.
In thy Commiſſion of evil, fear no man ſo much as thy ſelf; another is but one Witneſs, but they Conſcience is a Thouſand. Another thou may'ſt avoid, but thy Conſcience thou canſt not. Wickedneſs is its own Puniſhment.
No man is able to ſtand before a guilty Conſcience. The Conſcience awaken'd is like a Bear enraged; It tears a man in pieces: It falls upon him like ſome mighty Tower, and cruſhes him to Powder. It is like a Gouty joynt, ſo ſore and Painful, that it cannot endure it ſelf; as Bernard ſpeaks. How was David wounded, his Bones bruiſed by it, &c. Pſal. 32. 3. &c? How many have we ſeen to lye Panting and Groaning under the wounds of Conſcience? Oh what Horrors, Fears, apprehenſions have the Tongues and Faces of ſome of God's own Children implied to ſtanders by! And if their Agonies have been ſuch who have been but in part wounded, and withal, ſecretly ſuſtained, what then muſt the Caſe of the wicked needs be, when his Conſcience falls with a full weight upon him, and there is no ſupporting? Prov. 18. 14. A wounded Spirit who can bear? The Gout, Stone, and ſome other Diſeaſes are in themſelves almoſt inſufferable: Yet the Spirit of a man, ſuſtained with hope and ſtrengthened by God may ſomewhat tug with them: But when the Spirit which ſuſtains all, is it ſelf wounded; when God, that other where ſupports, becomes an Enemy, who can bear it? For
Here is not a Creature to a Creature, Weakneſs to weakneſs, but a finite Creature muſt encounter with an infinite Power; Weakneſs muſt fight with Strength; Man with God. Alaſs! when the Heavens fall upon a poor Worm, muſt he not needs down? when Judas ſhall have the Earth againſt him, and Hell againſt him, and Heaven againſt him, and himſelf againſt himſelf; muſt he not needs ſhrink, and fall?
Oh! How miſerable is the condition of every impenitent Sinner! Poor wretch, he goes on in a ſinful courſe and fears no harm. His Conſcience ſleeps, and he hopes it will never awake: But when he hath long purſued his Conſcience, his Conſcience will at laſt purſue him; and after a long ſilence it will at laſt ſpeak, and Ring him ſuch peal as will make him at his Wits end. Sometimes in this Life a ſpark of Hell falls upon his Soul, and then where is he? Can he quench this flame with the pureſt Wines? Shake of theſe fits with a peal of Laughter? Can he out-ride the ſhriches of his Conſcience as he follow's his Games? Can he drown that noiſe with his cryes, and Hubbubs? Can he forget thoſe gripings in his buſieſt Tales, and relations of News? Or can he leave his Conſcience behind him in any place?
No, no, his Conſcience is his conſtant Companion, and cryes upon him in the Night ſleeping, in the Day walking; In his greateſt Mirth; In his buſieſt Sports and Paſtimes: Nay, his Heart is now employed about another buſineſs: His deſires are full of Solitarineſs; His Thoughts as black as Hell it ſelf. The Devil (ſaith he) what Creature is he? My fleſh trembles at the thoughts of him, yet would I might ſee him. Hell (thinks he) what place is that? Sith thither I muſt, would I knew the worſt. Theſe, theſe be the thoughts of a deſperate Heart, and of a throbbing Conſcience. Witneſs Judas! He comes to the Prieſts, and looks upon them, but they cannot eaſe him. He takes his Money and looks upon that, but it cannot help him. He walks forth and looks upon the Light, and is weary of that. He paſſeth by men, he hath nothing to ſay; He is beſt alone, nay, not alone; If there be any hope it is in Hell; If any Comfort it is among the Devils; thither he will go to ſeek it. Oh miſery! Oh Death! Oh Hell! when a man muſt go to Hell for eaſe, to the damned Spirits for Comfort!
A guilty Conſcience as it will prove the moſt inmoſt, ſo the utmoſt Enemy, and that,
Firſt, unavoidable: Do what thou canſt, thou canſt not ſhake it off: It lyes with thee; it ſleeps with thee; it Rides with thee; it wakes with thee; it walks with thee, in every place, beyond all times; when thou goeſt it goes; when thou flyeſt it runs; ſtill it cries and raiſes the Country againſt thee. It meets thee in the dark and makes the leap: It meets thee in the Day, and makes the quake: It meets thee in thy Dreams and makes thee ſtart: It meets thee in every Corner and makes thee think every Buſh to be a man, every man a Devil, every Devil a meſſenger to carry thee quick to Hell?
Thou com'ſt to thy Chamber, there thy Conſcience frights the: Thou com'ſt to the Field there it turns thee: Thou turneſt again, and their it Croſſes the way upon thee: Thou turn'ſt it turns: Thou cryeſt it cries: thou dareſt not call, if thou doeſt Conſcience fears no Company.
Secondly, Unſufferable: An evil Conſcience ſtrips one of all Comfort at once: If a ſick Stomach will make one a weary of all Chairs, Beds, Meats, Drinks, Friends, All: Oh what will a ſick Conſcience do!
Thirdly, It puts one to intollerable Pains. It racks the Memory and makes it run back twenty years, as we ſee in Joſeph's Brethren; and Ariſtocrates in Plutarch. Yea, it twinges for Sins in youth as Job complain's. It racks the underſtanding, and carries it forward beyond the Grave, and makes it feel the very bittterneſs of Death and Hell before it ſees them: It racks the Phantaſie and makes it ſee Ghoſts in men, Lyons in Children, as it's ſtoried of ſome: It troubles the Eye, and makes a murthering Theodorick ſee the Face of a Man in the mouth of a Fiſh: It troubles the Ear, and makes a Beſſus hear the cry of Murther in the chattering of Birds: It racks all the Senſes quite out of joynt; it makes a Sanders to run over the Iriſh Mountains quite out of his Wits till he periſh of hunger. In brief, it ſo oppreſſes that it cauſeth the ſweating Soul to cry with David, Oh my Bones are broken! And with Moſes, who know's the power of his Wrath? And to joyn with Soloman, a wounded Spirit who can bear? what Man? what Angel? Who under Chriſt? Nay, this ſtroke upon the Soul, (ſeperated from all Sin) drew from the Lord of Life, thoſe ſad cryes, My God my God why haſt thou forſaken me? That which a Thouſand taunts, ten Thouſand racks could not have done, this one alone apprehended and felt, wreſted from him. And ſhall ſuch a thing as this, ſo near, ſo great a Neighbour be offended?
Be we then of St. Paul's mind: Set Conſcience at an high Price: Conſider what it will be worth in the Day of trouble, of Death, of Judgment, and reſolve to begg, ſtarve, burn, dye a Thouſand deaths to ſave Conſciences life.
As a good Conſcience (next to God its Maſter) is our beſt Friend in the World; ſo Conſcience offended is our foreſt Enemy. The greateſt Friends are bittereſt Foes when divided. No Wars to Civil Wars, to domeſtical Wars. The nearer the worſe; and therefore the Conſcience (being neareſt) if it become an Enemy, is the heavieſt of all others. For
Firſt, It's an unavoidable Enemy, other Enemies may be kept off with ſtrength, or put off with skill; but ſo cannot Conſcience; No Barrs, no Bolts, no Bulwarks can keep that from thy Table, or Bed. Dan. 5. 5. Belſhazzar may ſooner keep out ten Thouſand Medes and Perſians, than one Conſcience: That will paſs through all his Guards and Officers to his preſence, and in the Face of his Nobles and Concubines, arreſt him, and ſhake him in deſpight of his ſecurity. Nor will this Officer be bob'd with a bundle of Diſtinctions, and Evaſions. When God ſets it a work, it marches furiouſly (like Jehu) and will take thee up with his anſwer; What Peace ſo long as thy Whoredoms and ſins remain? As there is no Reſpondent like Conſcience, ſo there is no Objector like to that. A man may make a ſhift with a wrangling Sophiſter, yea, with the Devil himſelf, better than with his Conſcience. For no Devil knows that by me which I do by my ſelf. And the Conſcience ſhall have the hearing when the Devil ſhall not. For Conſcience is the Kings Solicitor, and ſpeaks for the great King.
Secondly, This Enemy is unſufferable. It ſtrips us at one ſtroke of all other Comforts; a ſick Stomach makes that meat which before much pleaſed, now to encreaſe the Diſeaſe: So doth a ſick Conſcience: It takes away the reliſh of all natural Comforts, and of all ſpiritual Exerciſes, and Ordinances, and makes a man a burden and terror to himſelf.
It fills one full of Horrors and unhappineſs; the Violenteſt diſeaſes may be born; but when the Pillers are ſhaken, when that which bears up all is wounded: when the Heavens fight againſt a man, and a poor Creature muſt wreſtle againſt infinite juſtice and power, Oh how hard a thing is this! The wrath of a King is terrible, and the rage of Seas, of Fire, of Lyons; but ſtill here is Creature againſt Creature, Weak to Weak; but who knows the power of Gods anger? Who can ſtand before that conſuming Fire? Not man: Not mountains: Not Angels. The terrors of God and anguiſh of Spirit caſt's the Devil himſelf into a frenzy and makes him mad.
As thoſe parts of the Nail next to the fleſh, at firſt are ſofter than the reſt, but after a while they grow into that hardneſs which is in the remoter parts: So the Conſciences of all men have thoſe ſeeds of inſenſibility in them, which makes them at laſt deaf to every Charm, and ſecure againſt all the thundering Judgments which are denounced againſt them.
As the operation of the Sun is always ſtrongeſt there where it is not at all ſeen; to Wit, in the Bowels of the Earth. So the judgments of God do oft lye heavieſt there where they are leaſt perceived, to Wit in an hard Heart, and ſeared Conſcience.
When men go about to extinguiſh and darken the light of direction which God hath put into their Hearts and Conſciences to guide their paths by, he puts out their light of Comfort, and leaves them to Darkneſs and Sorrow.
Other afflictions are but the taking ſome ſtars of Comfort out of the Firmament, when others are left ſtill to ſhine there: But when God's countenance is hid from the Soul, the Sun it ſelf (the fountain of Light) is darkned to ſuch, and ſo a general Darkneſs befalls them.
A light Load upon a raw Shoulder is very grievous: So is a little outward grief to a wounded Conſcience,
Every fowl that hath a beautiful Feather hath not the ſweeteſt Fleſh: Nor doth every Tree that beareth a goodly Leaf, bring good Fruit. Glaſs gives a clearer ſound than Silver, and many things gliſter beſides Gold: The wicked man's jollity is but the Hypocriſie of mirth; It may wet the Mouth but cannot warm the Heart: Smooth the Brow, but not fill the Breaſt. In the midſt of his greateſt mirth he hath many a ſecret gripe in his Conſcience, and little knows the World where his ſhooe pinches him. As Jezabel (no doubt) had a cold Heart under a painted Face. So many a mans Heart akes, and quakes within him, when yet his Face counterfeits a ſmile.
We have a cloud of Witneſſes, Prophets, Apoſtles, Martyrs who would hazard themſelves upon the angry Seas, Lyons, Flames, rather than upon a diſpleaſed Conſcience.
Collected out of the Works of B. Reynolds, Dr. Harris; and Dr. Stoughton, by S. C.