A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Of the ſecond Application of the Point by way of Lamentation.
THe ſecond Uſe is of Lamentation: And it may 1. Be a Generall Lamentation carrying a Wo in the mouth of it for the Generall want of Good Conſciences in this age. And I may juſtly make it as large as that of our Saviour Matth. 18. 7. Wo to the world, ſaith he, becauſe of offences. All the world is faultie in this kinde more or leſs. So may we ſay, Wo to the world, becauſe of ill Conſciences. All the world in generall, and moſt called Chriſtians in particular herein being blame-worthy: Run to and fro into the Cities of Iſrael, and in the ſtreets of Jeruſalem, Jer. 5. 1.and enquire, and ſee if you can finde a man of Conſcience in this Generation. We may change Job's Quaere, Ʋbinam invenienda eſt ſapientia, Job 28. 12, 20.& ubinam est locus Intelligentiae? Where is wiſdom to be found, and where is the place of underſtanding? into ubinam invenienda eſt Conſcientia, & ubinam eſt Locus Integritatis? where is Conſcience to be found, and what is the Place of Integritie? The beſt of men that make Enquirie after her complain that ſhee is not ſeen ſo much abroad as ſhe was wont to be. The moſt of men ſay that ſhee is either departed, or drawing on toward her departure: And prophane ones ſay, that Conſcience was hanged many a day ago; indeed my Text tells us that ſhee was drowned long ago, and periſhed in ſhipwrack; but they are much miſtaken to ſay it was good Conſcience, for it was the ill Conſcience that periſhed. The Good Conſcience fears neither the Gallowes, nor Hell, it is the beſt Preſervative againſt both. But ſad it is that there is ſo little reckoning made of Conſcience now adaies. Bernards old complaint may be renewed, Multi Scientiam, pauci Conſcientiam quaerunt. Many are for Science, few for Conſcience. In ſtead of that Double Knowledge of which we ſpake at firſt (for ſuch is Conſcience) we have only ſingle, which is Speculation, and therefore in ſtead of ſingle dealing (ſuch is Sinceritie) we have too much of double, which is Diſſimulation. In former time we were wont to call the Godly man, The conſcientious man, The man of conſcience. Now we commend the man of Parts, and the able man; whereas when all is done, the Conſcionable man will be found the able man. And this better part is the beſt Parts. The man of wiſdom is the Prov. 24. 5.man of ſtrength, ſaid the wiſe man; though now we call the proud happie, and the bold, and daring man we call wiſe, judicious, prudent. But did not our fathers hearts, and Lives, and Dealings excell ours much more then our knowledge, gifts, and light exceed theirs? They might deſire to ſee our daies for Libertie of Profeſſion, and Puritie of Ordinances; and we may deſire to ſee their dayes again for ſtrictneſs of life, ſingleneſs of heart, and uprightneſs in their dealing. They had more Conſcience, though leſs Knowledge; we have more Knowledge, but leſs Conſcience; we have greater Scholars, they had better men; they were more for Devotion, we are more for Diſputation. As Seneca commended former times, when men ſtrove rather to do well and virtuouſly, then to ſpeak well, and eloquently; but blamed the following times, when men had got the art of ſpeaking accurately, but loſt the Habit of doing worthily. Ʋbi docti prodierunt, boni eſſe deſierunt. So may we ſay of our times compared with thoſe of late before us. We have all learnt to ſpeak the Language of Canaan, yet live the life of Canaanites.
We have yeelded up our two Forts, Faith and Good Conſcience, the Bulwarks of Chriſtendom (as I may call them, of Chriſtianitie they are) unto the enemie; That of Faith into the hands of infidelitie, errour, and hereſie; and that of Good Conſcience into the hands of hypocriſie, impietie, Libertiniſme.
Where is our old Engliſh Sinceritie to be found? Our firſt Love to old truths? Our zeal for God? Contending for the Faith? Our Humilitie of life? Our ſtrictneſs and exact walking? It was a great reproach to Iſrael, that there was more faith found in one Centurion, (him an Heathen) then in all of Luke 7. 9.them again; and what a diſhonor is it unto us that there was more of ſingleneſs of heart, more of Faith, of Love, of all Pietie to be found in our fathers in the daies of begun Reformation, then is to be found in a Land profeſſing righteouſneſs, and by Covenant engaged to Perſonall and Exemplarie Reformation? We may ſay Surgunt indocti, & rapiunt Regnum Coelorum, &c. They went into the Kingdom of Heaven before us, and we may fear to be ſhut out after them. They might well be ſaved though more ignorant, we may fear to periſh though more knowing. They were as it were in the night, but had the Pillar of fire among them, in which was heat more then light; we are indeed in the Sinite ergo, finite ſapientes hujus ſaeculi de ſpiritu hujus mundi …umentes, alta ſapientes, & terram lingentes, ſapienter deſcendere in infernum. de Vit. Sol.day, but have onelyonly a cloud, in which is more coolneſs and ſhade, then light and beautie. Bernard ſpeaks of ſome that were much wiſer, and more skilfull then others, yet all the uſe they made of their wiſdom was to go to Hell in a more neat and handſom manner: And let them go thither, ſaith he, with all their wiſdom, and fine Parts. How much is it to be lamented that all the uſe that many make of the preſent light of the Goſpel, is but to light them into the chambers of death, and this onelyonly benefit they have by it, that they do not go to Hell in the dark, as others have done. Theſe when they come at death to reflect on themſelves may take up Nero's words, and cry out, Quantus Artifex pereo! How great an Artiſt was I to undo my ſelf! and how great skill had I to go to Hell!
2. And here have we not juſt cauſe to proceed in our Lamentation further, when we take notice not onelyonly of the want of Conſcience in the moſt, and of the decay of Conſcience in the beſt; but when we have been beholders of the fatall and frequent ſhipwracks of good Conſcience that have been made in theſe tempeſtuous and Faith-trying times to the hazarding of the loſs both of Church and State, both of Truth and Peace!
Wracks and Loſſes at Sea, if many together and frequent, whether the Veſſels be taken by Pyrates, or caſt away by Tempeſts, tend to the decaying and impoveriſhing of the greateſt States and Kingdomes, All being concerned in ſuch a Loſs, Commodities thereupon growing more ſcarce, and dear. Though the Loſs be greateſt to the Adventurers and Owners, who are uſually undone thereby, and their backs broken, as we ſay.
How ſad and diſmall a ſight is it to behold a ſhip now neer her ſinking in the depth of the Sea, whether it happen through the Pilots careleſneſs ſplitting againſt a rock, or the Mariners ſlackneſs to do their dutie at the Pump, and ſtopping Leaks, or through the badneſs of the Veſſell? But what a lamentable Exoritur clamorque virum ſtridorque rudentum.ſpectacle is it exceeding all Expreſſion! what hideous noiſe is then made? what crying out? what taking on? what running up and down? what catching hold? But whether can they run? what can they catch hold of? They are all at their wits end: they periſh both young and old all together; buried all alive in one vaſt and inſatiable grave. What a ſudden? what a horrid? what a Totall? what an irrecoverable Loſs is there all at once? A ſudden Loſs of all their goods, a horrid Loſs of all their Perſons and Lives, a totall Loſs of the ſhip and all in her. An irrecoverable Loſs of All.
In one ſhipwrack a thouſand may be concerned, and very many utterly undone. A ſhipwrack is more dreadfull then the Calamitie of fire ordinarily; The water being the more mercileſs and maſterleſs Element of the two, though both dreadfull, and in many things alike amazing and undoing:
Yet 1. Fire doth not uſually break out on ſuch a ſudden: This may be in an inſtant.
2. From the Fire ſomewhat ordinarily may be reſerved by carrying away the goods off the Ground: What can be preſerved here?
3. From the Fire the man, whoſe houſe is conſuming, may eſcape, and ſave himſelf and his little ones, though he have not opportunitie to remove his goods: Here is no flying here.
4. In a dangerous Fire the Neighbours come neer offering their common contributions to help to ſtay it: Here who can come neer to reſcue?
5. In the fire one part of the houſe may be conſumed, and another end of it kept up ſtanding: But here no part of ſhip, or goods, or perſons preſerved, all fare alike, and periſh together.
6. There if friends cannot help, they can condole, and lament their impoveriſhed neighbours condition, which is ſome comfort to them: Here is none to help, none to comfort, none to pitie, or ſo much as to pray for thee.
7. There when the fire hath done his worſt, the ground yet remains, where a new houſe may be built again; ſomewhat there is to be ſeen (though but heaps of Aſhes) that tells the Paſſenger, Here ſtood ſuch a houſe. But here all is ſwallowed up in an inſtant, and their place no more ſeen.
8. There the man commonly out-lives his calamitie, and through the bleſſing of God, and charitie of neighbours, the houſe is rebuilt, the ſtate is repaired, the man recovers himſelf, and lives as well again as ever he did before. Here the man, and his goods, and his Veſſell periſh all together.
But yet if any ſhipwrack be in any thing more lamentable then fire, This metaphoricall and ſpirituall ſhipwrack is infinitely more dreadfull, undoing, and irrecoverable then any other ſhipwrack.
And yet how many ſuch ill Accidents (as we call them) have befallen this rich merchandizing Iſland in theſe late tempeſtuous times? Many fearfull ſhipwracks of Conſcience have been made by Perſons of all Qualities, and Profeſſions, not onelyonly to the hazard and loſs of all their own former comfortable ſtate, the loſs of Grace, and Peace, and Hopes, yea which is above all, their Souls ſinking in Eternall perdition, but alſo to the damage and detriment of the whole. What loſs hath there been of men who for their parts might have been exceeding uſefull in Church and State, had they not miſcarried? who can ſumme up the value our goods loſt amount unto? not onelyonly outward goods of Peace, Plentie, Riches, Wealth, Treaſure, Power, Credit loſt and gone; but of richer and choicer goods, goods of Grace, our former Faith, Love, Sinceritie, Unitie, Holineſs, Zeal, and common Intereſt in Church-Reformation, and withall the loſs of thoſe rich and precious Comforts they ſometimes had of inward Joy and ſpirituall Peace, beſides the hazard of their Souls eternall ſafetie. But which is of more common concernment, The Ship it ſelf in which we are all embarqued being endangered to be caſt away. Both Church and State by ſuch mens means put into ſo doubtfull a condition.
The truth is, our Ark is not yet ſettled upon the mountains of Ararat, Gen. 8. 4. And if we had not had a few names in our Rev. 3. 4.Sardian-like State, who have kept their Garments pure, and held faſt their Integritie: We had ere this both loſt our Crown and Candleſtick. The Lord Jeſus ſeemeth to ſay to us not onelyonly as to the Epheſine Angel, Remember whence thou art fallen, and repent, and Rev. 2. 5.do thy firſt works. But as to the Sardian, Strengthen thoſe things that remain that are ready Rev. 3. 1, 2, 3.to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Thou haſt a name that thou liveſt, and art dead. Remember therefore how thou haſt received; and heard, and hold faſt, and repent. If therefore thou ſhalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou ſhalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Chriſt will not onelyonly ſpew ſuch out of his mouth, as he threateneth the Laodicean Angel for their lukewarmneſs, but will become as a thief, or an enemie, to ſtrip us of all that we yet have left. Be zealous therefore and repent. And again, I ſay, remember how thou haſt received, and heard, and haſt been taught, and how thou haſt profeſſed and engaged, and hold faſt and watch. Or there will follow more Ʋſes, and greater Cauſes of Lamentation.
May not we paſſionately complain as Jeremie ſometimes did for their waſted Church. Lam. 2. 13. What thing ſhall I take to witneſs for thee, or what ſhall I liken to thee, or what ſhall I equall to thee, O daughter of Sion, or wherewithall ſhall I comfort thee: for thy breach is great, like the ſea? who can heal thee? thy loſs like a ſhipwrack, who can recover thee? they that paſſe by clap their hands, and hiſſe, and wag their head, ſaying, Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty. the joy of the whole Earth? Is this the perfection and beauty of a long Reformation? Surely we may take up more of his complaints, and ſay, How is the gold become dim! how is the moſt Lam. 4. 1, 2 7. 8.fine gold changed! The ſtones of the Sanctuary are in the tops of every ſtreet. The precious Sons of Sion, comparable to fine gold formerly, now eſteemed as earthen pitchers. Our gold proving now droſs and our wine corrupted with water.
Their Nazarites they ſaid, our Profeſſors we may ſay were purer then ſnow, they were formerly more white then milke, they were more ruddy in body then Rubies, their poliſhing was of Saphir; But now their vizage is blacker then a coal, they are not known in the ſtreets, their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is become like a ſtick. They who formerly were the beauty of the Churches, and the glory of Chriſt, & for a Diadem in the eyes of God and men for matchleſs Piety cannot now be known from common men, or ſons of Belial, their viſage is ſo much altered.