A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 25

A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold · Treatise · Chapter 25

p. 333CHAP. XXV. The Ʋſe of Exhortation.

NOw are we come to the laſt uſe, which is Hortatory, which I might make twofold; Firſt for Dehortation, Secondly of Exhortation. But I would now haſten to an end. Firſt, for Dehortation, let me charge thee in the Name of God, and upon thy Soul, to take heed of an ill Conſcience, what ever other evils thou mayeſt lie under. Pray with Auſtin, Deliver me Lord from the evill man, I mean my ſelf, and deliver me from an evill Conſcience, I mean my own. With Agur pray, Remove far from me vanitie and lies. With David, Deliver my ſoul O Lord, from lying lips. Pro. 30. 8. Pſal. 120. 2.Prov 30:8Ps 120:2and from a deceitfull tongue. Lord caſt out this unclean Spirit, and Create in me a clean heart, and renew in me a right ſpirit. No ſhipwrack ſo perilous, no diſeaſe ſo dangerous, no deceiver ſo deceitfull, n abyſſe ſo deep, no death ſo deadly, no hell ſo dark, no pit ſo ſteep to fall into, and ſo narrow to get out of, as the evill Conſcincee

But I come to the Exhortation, which contains a double charge. The text is no other then an Apoſtolicall Exhortation, or divine charge: therefore this Uſe muſt be made, or the chiefe Uſe is not made yet. Firſt to each Chriſtian, ſecondly to the Miniſter eſpecially.

p. 334Firſt to each Chriſtian, who makes Conſcience of any thing, that he eſpecially make it his care to get a good Conſcience, and to keep it. As Solomon of Divine Wiſdome, ſo I of Conſcience, wherein is all practical Wiſdome, Above all thy getting, get that ſaith he. Pro. 4. 5. 7.Prov 4:5Prov 4:7So ſay I above all gettings whatſoever, get a good Conſcience, and whatſoever thou getteſt more, get it ſtill with a good Conſcience, and with all keeping, keep thy conſcience, keep it pure, keep it clean, keep it in peace, keep it thy friend, keep it as thou wouldeſt keep the apple of thine eye: Life and Death are in the power of Conſcience, it is the principal thing, therefore above all getting and keeping, look to this, exerciſe thy ſelf daily with the Act. 24. 16.Acts 24:16Apoſtle herein, to have thy Conſcience alwayes on thy ſide, and have it without offence both to God and man.

What the Orator anſwered to one demanding what was principally neceſſary to make a good Orator? Pronounciation, ſaid he. What ſecond? Pronounciation. What third? Pronounciation he anſwered ſtill, as if Pronounciation did chiefly and wholly make a compleat Orator. So do you ask what is moſt neceſſary to make a good Chriſtian? I anſwer Conſcience. And what next if you ask? I anſwer ſtill Conſcience. And what again? Conſcience ſtill ſay I.

As of the Scholler comming from the Univerſity, when he hath been a Student for many years, the beſt Teſtimony which can be given him, is, that he hath profited Tam doctrinâ p. 335quam moribus, In Learning and Religion. So the beſt Teſtimony that can be given of a Chriſtan going from the Church, when he hath been a frequent hearer, is, That he hath profited tam ſcientiâ quam Conſcientiâ, both in ſcience, and in Conſcience.

To back and ſtrengthen this exhortation, I ſhall firſt lay down ſome Motives to inforce, then ſome Means to direct to the better attaining and retaining a good Conſcience.

Let this move firſt, that God doth weigh Motive 1 and try the Conſcience of a man. The Lord weigheth the Spirits ſaith Solomon. Gold and Pro. 16. 2.Prov 16:2Silver men do weigh, Grace and Spirits men cannot. God weigheth not Gold or Silver, or Honours, or Eſtates; but he onelyonly weigheth the Spirits and Conſciences of men. So much of Conſcience as is in any perſon, or duty, or action or ſuffering, ſo much of thank and worth with God. This is thankworthy with God, if a man for Conſcience ſuffer and take it patiently. That …ction is denominated good, that proceeds from a principle of Conſcience, that ſuffering good which is for Conſcience. So much Conſcience toward God, ſo much Comfort is coming to thee from God. So much Conſcience before God, ſo much confidence before God.

But on the other ſide, if Conſcience be Motive 2 wanting, a man ſhall ſuffer loſſe of all he hath, and loſe the thing he hath done or ſuffered, or expended. When a man ſhall ſay with Jehu, See my zeal for the Lord; I have faſted, I hove fought, I have been active, p. 336I have ſuffered. God will ſay, Have you faſted at all to me? have you done all this out of Conſcience? When you faſted, was it not to your ſelves? and when you did eat, was it not to your ſelves? therefore walk in the ſparks which you have kindled. If you have done well and truly, Conſcientiouſly and Religiouſly (as Jotham ſaid once) do you then rejoyce in Jud. 9. 19.Judg 9:19Conſcience, and let Conſcience rejoyce in you: but if otherwiſe, a fire will break out of that bramble the evil Conſcience, and conſume you and all your works. What a mighty ſtickler was Jehu, a man of an active and impetuous ſpirit? yet he loſt his reward for all his pains and ſeeming zeal, his Conſcience was not right. Ananias loſt his coſt & charges after he had contributed ſo much. Alexander loſt his reward and comfort after he had ſuffered ſo much Judas loſt al after he had followed Chriſt ſo long, and preached Chriſt to others ſo often.

Mot. 3 This leads a man to perfect and compleat happineſſe both here and hereafter.

Here in this world it brings two the greateſt benefits, being the onelyonly way

Ad bene beatè que vivendum.

Ad bene beatè que moriendum.

In Life.Ad bene beate que vivendum, A good Conſcience is the onelyonly way to the good and bleſſed life. This makes the good dayes, whether thou be in proſperity or in adverſity. Firſt, p. 337if in Proſperity, this will be as a hedge about all thou haſt. As the Candle of God in thy Tabernacle, as the widdowes Cruſe and Barrel will never fail of ſomewhat to ſupply and ſupport thee.

2. If in Adverſity, this will be like the good Houſwifes candle that goes not out by night; Or like Iſraels pillar of fire that will not leave thee in a wilderneſſe: This like Ruth to Naomi will ſtick to thee, ſtay by thee, goe with thee, where thou lieſt it will lie, and as thou fareſt it will take part with thee, when all other comforts and deareſt friends like Orpah lift up the voyce and weep, and take their leave of thee. This like Ittai the Gittite to David ſaith, 2 Sam. 15. 21.2 Sam 15:21as the Lord liveth, in what place ſoever thou art, be it in life or death; there will I be. This turns Reproach into Honour, takes up a ſtigmatizing invective as if it were a Garland, throwes the viper into the fire, and feels no harm. This fears neither fury of Tyrants, nor fire of furnace. It dreads neither Anakim, nor Emim, nor Zamzummim.

This makes a man more than a Conqueror, Rom. 8. 37. which is a very high and bold expreſſion of a poor Paul: why Paul, who art thou? A Conquerour is the higheſt Title, he gives Laws to Kingdomes, his place is above that of a King, it hath been held more glory to make a conqueſt than to wear a Crown. Al Kings have been crowned, all Kings have not been Conquerours; yet are we Conquerours, and more than Conquerours. Firſt, p. 338The Conquerour may overcome to day, yet be overcome to morrow of the ſame enemy. Victorem a victo ſuperari ſaepe videmus. Secondly, The Conquerour may find the ſame enemy increaſing by new Aſsociations, and then ſhake of his Yoke. Thirdly, The Conquerour cannot ſay, though he have the better Sword, but his enemy may have the better Cauſe, & that the other cauſe may after carry it. Fourthly, The Conqueror may pay ſo dear for his victory, that he doth not greatly joy in it. Ezek. 32. 27.Ezek 32:27Fifthly, The Conqueror may when all is done go down to Hell with his ſword by his ſide, and his weapons of war under his head, though he was the terror of the mighty in the land of the living, and then his iniquity ſhall lie heavie on his bones, But we are more than Conquerours, we have overcome to day, and ſhall to morrow, our cauſe is a victorious cauſe, carries not Fortunam Caeſaris, but Honorem Chriſti, therefore ſhall go forth conquering and to conquer; and let Satan and all his Confederates unite their forces, Principalities, Powers, height, depth, we fear them not all, we are ſecure of victory and ſafety. O glorious and happy condition! when a man hath loſt all, he is as if he had gained all the world, when killed all the day long, as if he was triumphing all the day long. I ſuffer and am bound, ſaith the Apostle, but the word of God is not bound; my Cauſe is not bound, my Conſcience Dr. Stoughton in his Sermon before K. James.is not bound; a man takes no hurt while Conſcience is ſafe. Excellently Dr. Stoughton to this purpoſe, "Job was more p. 339happy when he fate upon the dung-hill, than Adam when he ſinned in Paradiſe; becauſe though his body were diſſolved into worms, and every worm acted by a Devill (as Origen would have it) to increaſe his torment; yet he had not eaten the forbidden fruit, which bred this worm of Conſcience, and made him fly from God. The Bride that hath good Chear within, and good muſick, and a good Bridegroome with her, may be merry, though the hail chance to rattle upon the tyles without upon her wedding-day: Though the world ſhould rattle about his ears, a man may ſit merry, that ſits at the Feaſt of a good Conſcience. Nay, the Child of God by virtue of this, in the midſt of the waves of affliction, is as ſecure as that child which in a Shipwrack was upon a plank, in his mothers lap, till ſhe awaked him, ſecurely ſleeping, and then with his pretty countenance ſweetly ſmiling, and by and by ſportingly asking a ſtroke to beat the naughty waves, and at laſt when they continued boyſtrous for all that, ſharply chiding them, as though they had been but his play-fellowes- O the innocency! O the comfort of Peace! O the tranquility of a ſpotleſſe mind! There is no Heaven ſo clear as a good Conſcience. So that learned Doctor.

Good Conſcience is to a man his cloſeſt and deareſt friend, that like Baruch to Jeremy will viſit him in priſon, and will keep p. 340his Evidences ſafe for him in a time of common conflagration and calamity: Jer. 32. 11, & 14.Jer 32:11Jer 32:14Or rather it is that Earthen veſſel wherein alone our Evidences of our heavenly ſtate are put, and preſerved from being corrupted: both our Evidences, our ſealed Evidence, and our open Evidence, (for a Chriſtian muſt have two, the ſealed Evidence of Juſtification, and the open Evidence of Sanctification) are kept in this Ʋrne, as Baruch was commanded to put both Jeremies Evidences of his purchaſe, the ſealed and the open, in an Earthen veſſel.

Yea, good Conſcience is not onelyonly the Non eſt utilius remedium nec certius teſtimonium futerae beatitudinis bonâ Conſcientiâ. Bern. de int. domo.preſerver of Aſſurance, but is a part of it; for what is Aſſurance of Salvation? but in the originall an Act of Grace, paſſed in favour of a poor repenting and beleeving ſinner in the Court of Heaven, entred and ingroſſed in the Book of Life, which becauſe procured by the Price of Bloud, is written out in the precious Blood of Chriſt, ſigned and ſealed by the impreſſe of the Spirit of promiſe, which is the Fathers and the Sons Agent on this behalf, and atteſted by good Conſcience, as that which ſets to his his ſeal next God, and is then delivered into the hand of Faith, as Gods Act and Deed, for the ſole Uſe and Benefit of a rightly purified Conſcience. Or Aſſurance is a Tranſcript taken out of the book of life, that ſealed book, ſealed in the boſome and counſell of the Father, now unclaſped by the hand of the Lamb, written fair out in his Bloud, atteſted by the Spirit p. 341of God within, and endorſed without with the graces and fruits of the Spirit, and at laſt paſſed in the Court, and entred in the Office of good Conſcience. This, this is the Aſſurance of the Saints, when Gods Spirit atteſts to our Spirit, and again our Spirit doth withal conſent with the Spirit of God.

The other benefit of good Conſcience 2 At Deathhere, is at death, when as it enables and directs ad benè beatè que moriendum; an undertaking that all Philoſophy could never make good, nor did attempt, but did onelyonly promiſe the way ad benè beatè que vivendum, yet fell ſhort of that. Conſcience is the way to well-living, it is the onelyonly way to well-dying. This gives rejoycing (as the Apoſtle ſaith) to him that is under the ſentence and ſtroke of death, and is now deſpairing altogether of this life. 2 Cor. 1. 9.2 Cor 1:9Good Conſcience, as it is ſweeter than life, ſo it is ſtronger than death: and the good man and his Conſcience are like Saul and Jonathan, lovely in their life; and which is above all, in death they are not divided. Hujuſmodi comparandae ſunt opes, quae cum naufragio ſimul enatent Prideaux, Hiſtory pag. 247The goods embarqued in good Conſcience are the onelyonly goods which will be ſaved when there is any ſhipwrack of State or Life. And thoſe are the goods we ſhould get, ſaid the Emperour Lewes of Bavyer, which in a ſhipwrack can ſwim out as well as thy ſelf. A ſaying alſo which Q. Mary is ſaid to have Engliſhed and much delighted in.

Theſe are two great Benefits in this Life here.

p. 342But there are two greater for hereafter, Conſcience helping

Ad tutò intrepidè que comparendum.

Ad Gloriosè aeternè que triumphandum.

3 At judgment.Conſcience hath two other kindneſſes which it will doe for the Soule beyond thoſe two fore-named in life and death, It will ſtand a man in ſtead when he is to make his appearance before the Tribunal of God. Where Courage dares not ſhew his face, nor Eloquence open his mouth, where Majeſtie hath no reſpect, and Greatneſſe no favour, (and as the Martyr ſaid) Where money bears no maſtery; There good Conſcience is known and befriended, there it dares appear, thither it doth appeal, when the King, and the Captain, and the Great man, and the Mighty man, and the Chief Commander, and the Rich, and the Bond, and the Free, cry to the mountains to hide them, and to the rocks to fall Rev. 6. 15. 16.Rev 6:15Rev 6:16on them, that they may not appear. Then doth good Conſcience lift up his head, this is the day it hath longed for, and the place where it deſires to be heard. 1 Joh. 3. 20, 21.1 John 3:201 John 3:21Hereby we know ſaith the Apoſtle, that we are of the truth, and ſhall aſſure our hearts before him, for if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence (or boldneſſe) before God. foreign Libertatem aut audaciam quid vis dicendi.This will make the Godly man in that great Audit, to give up his account with joy and not with grief.

p. 3434. To all Eternity. Conſcientia bona, perfectè tranquilla et lae…a eſt formalis & eſſentialis beatitudo ſanctorum in vita futura. Ames de Conſ. l. 1. c. 15.Laſtly, which is above all, it leads him the way, ad Gloriosè Regnandum, aeternùm que Triumphandum. It is the ſtep to the higheſt glory, and is the ſtate of higheſt Beatitude. To be feaſted with the fruits of a good Conſcience, this is Angels food, and one of the ſweetmeats of Heaven. As the evil, accuſing and tormenting Conſcience is one of the greateſt miſeries in Hell, cauſing the fire never to be quenched, becauſe their worm never dieth: So the good Conſcience is one principal Delicate in Heaven. Therefore in that day Chriſt will not onelyonly tell the Godly how much he hath done and ſuffered for them; but he will tell his Father what they have done and ſuffered for him, I was hungry, theſe have fed me; thirſty, theſe gave me drink. Theſe have kept the word of my Patience. Theſe were not aſhamed of my Name where Satan had his Throne. Theſe have kept their Garments unſpotted; therefore they ſhall walk with me in white. Hence it is that the Crown of Glory is not onelyonly called a Crown of Grace, becauſe the gift of God; But the Crown of Righteouſneſſe, becauſe the Reward of this warfare for faith and good Conſcience. Then ſhall the Godly be ſatisfied from himſelf, and the fruit of his hands ſhall be given him: Then ſhall flow Pro. 12. 14Prov 12:14forth from the belly of each Beleever River… of living water, rivers of Peace, Joy, Comfort, to all Eternity: where Repentance, and Faith, and Hope, and Patience, and Knowledge, and Tongues, and Prophecying ſhall ceaſe, there ſhall good Conſcience continue, p. 344and in it Life, and Joy, and Glory.

Conſider on the other ſide, the miſeries of an ill Conſcience in every condition, both in Mot. 4 life, death, and after both. Firſt in life: In midſt of proſperity he can have no ſecurity, Job 20. per totum, read eſpecially ver. 16, 17, 22, 23, 24. He ſhall ſuck the poyſon of Aſps, the Vipers tongue ſhall ſlay him. He ſhall not ſee the Rivers, the Flouds, the Brooks of Honey and Butter. In the fulneſſe of his ſufficiency he ſhall be in ſtraights. Every hand of the wicked ſhall come upon him: when he is about to fill his belly, God ſhall caſt the fury of his wrath upon him, and ſhall rain it upon him while he is yet eating, &c. and ſo Job. 15. 21. A dreadful ſound is in his ears, in proſperity the deſtroyer ſhall come upon him. As Adonijah in the day of his Coronation, riſeth from the table, he and all his Gueſts fly and ſhift for themſelves, a ſhort Reign, a mourning Feaſt. Or as Belſhazzar in his Banquet, when he ſees the Hand-writing, dread and horrour ſeizeth on him. And as the Syrians upon a ſecret noiſe God cauſed 2 Kin. 7. 6.2 Kgs 7:6them to hear, fled diſorderly from their Tents, leaving all their wealth and good chear, a booty to the hunger-famiſhed Iſraelites. What torment like that of an ill Conſcience! of which that forenamed Authour Dr. Stoughton, ubi ſupra.excellently ſpeaks.

"All outward bleſſings (ſaith he) cannot make that man happy that hath an ill Conſcience, no more than warm cloathes can produce heat in a dead carkaſſe, if you would heap never ſo many upon it. There is no peace to the wicked.

p. 345"Aut ſi pax, bello pax ea deterior.

"For this man in his greateſt fortunes, is but like him who is worſhipt in the ſtreet with cap and knee, but as ſoon as he is ſtept within doors, is curſed and rated by a ſcolding wife: Like him that is lodged in a Bed of Ivory, covered with cloth of Gold, but all his bones within are broken: Like a book of Tragedies bound up in Velvet, all fair without, but black within, the leaves are Gold, but the lines are bloud. O the rack! O the torment! O the horrour of a guilty mind! There is no hell ſo dark as an evill conſcience.

Secondly but much more in adverſity, ill Conſcience that hath long lien ſilent and quiet, is apt to cry out and fly in the face, as Joſephs Brethren in their diſtreſſe were forced to cry out, Gods hand was juſt upon them: Their ſin which was before Peccatum ſuſurrans, is now Peccatum clamans: ſuch cry out as Saul in his diſtreſſe, I am ſore diſtreſſed, the Philiſtims make war upon 1 Sam. 28. 15.1 Sam 28:15me, and the Lord hath forſaken me, and anſwers me no more; then poor ſoul he goes to hell for comfort, and accordingly he ſped. Such have neither Joy in Life, nor Hope in death. Ʋtrin que timidi, as Euſebius Euſeb l: 6. cap. 42.ſpeaks of ſome in the time of the Perſecution under Decius, Cowardly and unſound Chriſtians, who were timidi cum ad moriendum, …um ad ſacrifi…andum; A lamentable caſe, neither would their Conſcience ſerve to let them Sacrifice to the Heathen Idols, p. 346nor would their heart ſerve them to die for refuſing. So were they in a miſerable ſtrait between two dangers, of loſing Life, and wounding Conſcience, and could no way ſatisfy themſelves: whereas good Conſcience had ſeen in ſuch a caſe, what was preſently to be choſen. Ill Conſcience never made good Martyr yet.

But there are three times eſpecially wherein ill Conſcience proclaimeth Terror, and Rev. 8. 13.Rev 8:13as the Angell in the Revelation, flies over the head of a ſinner, crying Woe, Woe, Woe. Firſt, One Woe in life. Secondly, Two Woes at death. Thirdly, But Three Woes at the day of Judgement.1 Woe in this life.

The firſt woe is in this life: But this, how dreadfull ſoever, is the leaſt becauſe the ſhorteſt, and hath an end in a little ſpace of a few dayes or years; therefore it is ſaid, the firſt woe is paſſed, but behold two worſe woes come ſhortly upon it, Rev. 9. 12.

The Second woe is at death; This is a great 2. Woe at death.woe, double to the former, the furnace is heated ſeven times hotter than it could be in this Life. And as the Apoſtle ſaith of the Godlies afflictions, all the ſufferings of this preſent time are not to be compared to that Glory that is to follow; ſo may we ſay, all the ſufferings of this life to the wicked, whether in Body or in Spirit, are nothing to be compared to thoſe that follow. This is a long laſting woe. But yet of the ſecond woe it is alſo ſaid, the Rev. 11. 14.Rev 11:14ſecond woe is paſt, to make way for the third the greateſt woe that cometh quickly, i. e. immediately upon it.

p. 347Many wicked eſcape the firſt woe in life, but as it befel them that ſcaped the ſword of 1 King. 19. 17.1 Kgs 19:17Hazael, there were two other worſe ſwords, of Jehu, and Eliſha, that ſhould diſpatch them after. The ſword of Hazael may ſpare the wicked in this life; but then the ſword of Jehu meets with them at death; and again the ſword of Eliſha at the day of judgement. He may flee from the iron ſword, but then Job. 20. 22.Job 20:22the how of ſteel ſhal ſtrike him thorough: Or as Amos hath it, He may fly from a Lion (in life) Am. 5. 19.Amos 5:19and a Bear meet him (at death,) and the Serpent bite him (at the day of judgement.)

This yet hath an end, though it be long firſt, at the day of judgement, the ſecond woe ends, but a greater ſucceeds. If a man live Eccl. 11. 8.Eccl 11:8many years (ſaith Solomon) and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the dayes of darkneſſe that they are many. The dayes of darkneſſe that is in hell are many, and long dayes they be, from thy death to the end of the world is but one day, and there are many more after which are longer; a thouſand years is but as one day, and every one of thoſe dayes are as a thouſand years: yet are there many of them, more than ten thouſands of ſuch dayes there are, for they are without number.

But the third woe payes for all, which is at 3 Woe at the day of Judgment.the day of judgement: then ſhall all the Cataracts of wrath be ſet open, and all the vials of wrath filled and emptied out upon the heads of the wicked. Then ſhall the Lord rain fire and brimſtone from the Lord out of p. 348Heaven. Then ſhall the ſealed book of Conſcience be unclaſped, and out of thy own mouth, and heart, and book ſhalt thou be judged. Then ſhall both Earth, and Sea, and Hell and Death, deliver up all their dead, but not to be annibilated, that they would account an unſpeakable mercy; but only to be Arraigned, tryed, ſentenced: Then ſhall Death and Hell be caſt again into the lake of fire, which is the ſecond and eternall death. Then ſhall a Hell in Conſcience be caſt into a Hell of deſpair: and an Hell of guilt into an Hell of pain. But of this third woe it is no where ſaid, the third woe is paſt. Life ends, and with it the firſt woe: The world ends, and with it the ſecond woe: But Etermity ends not, therefore the third woe never ends. Hence the judgement of that day is called Eternal Judgement, Heb. 6. 2. and the deſtruction of the wicked an everlaſting Deſtruction, 2. Theſſ. 1. 9.

The firſt woc may be a ſad one, yet it cannot be long, becauſe life is ſhort: The ſecond woe is more ſad, becauſe more long, but though long it is, it is not for ever: The third is the ſad and killing woe, becauſe it is both long and endleſſe. There is the great Gulfe fixed, that there is no comming over.

As the firſt woe leaves a man, the ſecond woe finde him; as the ſecond leaves him, the third finds him, but the third never leaves. Look how Life leaves, Death finds; as Death leaves, Judgement finds; as Judgement leaves, Eternity finds: But this Eternity p. 349leaves not his place to any other.

Eternity is a pit which hath no bottome, it is a large bottome that can never be unravelled, it is a Center which hath no circumference, no meaſure of times, or number of Ages can fathom or reckon the length of it. It hath ever a beginning of his dayes, hath never an end of his years: when Time ſhall be no more, Eternity is but beginning. It is a long and perpetuall night, which ſhall never have a morning to ſucceed it. Now to all Eternity thy evill Conſcience ſhall accompany thee, and fill thy heart with new tortures of Grief, and fear, and wrath, and bitterneſſe, and deſpair. But this third woe muſt never have an end.

Means.The means to be uſed, to the getting and keeping of good Conſcience, are—

Principal and they two.

Subſervient, and they many.

The Principal means, and without which 1. The Blood of Chriſt.all the reſt are inſufficient, are two. Firſt to get the bloud of Chriſt ſprinkled on the Conſcience by the hand of faith. As David ſaid of Goliah's ſword, There is none to that, give it 1 Sam. 21. 9.1 Sam 21:9me, So may we ſay of this bloud. This purgeth the Conſcience from all dead works, that it may ſerve the living God, Heb. 9. 14. All duties, gifts, obſervances, Performances, nothing to this: Other things may make the out-ſide clean before men, the bloud of p. 350Chriſt is that alone which maketh the Conſcience clean before God, that there is now no more Conſcience of ſin, as to the guilt and ſpot of it. So Heb. 10. 29. The bloud of the Covenant is that whereby the beleever is ſanctified. Whatſoever other means are uſed, & courſes are taken, as by confeſſion, contrition, ſatisfaction, reading, praying, faſting, building Alms-houſes or the like, they are no more (without this) to the commending of the Conſcience unto God, or taking away ſin from the Conſcience, than Adams Fig-leaves to take away the ſhame of his nakedneſſe; or the waſhing of Pilates hands in fair water to cleanſe his ſoul from the foul ſin of Bioud-guiltineſſe. He ſhould have waſhed his heart in the bloud of Chriſt, than had he been free from all his ſins, and not his hands in water, that he might be free from the bloud of Chriſt. His bloud is that Zach. 13. 1.Zech 13:1Fountain opened to the houſe of David, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem for ſin and for uncleanneſſe. This bloud of Chriſt we ſhould pray pathetically and fervently, as the Jewes did paſſionately and furiouſly, that it may be upon us and on our Children; not on our heads, but on our hearts, not to be charged upon us, but ſprinkled on us, not by Vulnera Chriſti eivitates refugii. Sanguis Chriſti ſons Bethlehemi. Joh. 6. 53. 54.John 6:53John 6:54way of imputation, but of expiation. The wounds of Chriſt are our City of Refuge, ſaid one: And the bloud of Chriſt is the well of Bethlehem, which we ſhould long for, and break through an hoſt of difficulties to come unto. Except we drink this bloud we have p. 351no life in us; But who ſo eateth his fleſh, and drinketh his bloud, hath eternal life, and Chriſt promiſeth to raiſe him up at the laſt day. Fly then to this City of refuge, and eſcape the Avenger: Sprinkle this blood on thy Doorpoſts, and eſcape the Deſtroyer: Look up to this Brazen Serpent, and be cured of all ſtings of Conſcience from the fiery Serpent, Caſt in this Jonah, and the raging Sea is calmed, both of Gods diſpleaſure, and Conſciences diſturbance: Go to this Samaritan for his Wine and Oyle to thy wounded Conſcience, his Wine to waſh, cleanſe, and ſearch it if defiled, his Oyl to mollifie, ſupple, and heal it if bruiſed & feſtered. This is the firſt and great Experiment to be uſed.

The ſecond is like unto it, namely this, 2. The Spirit of Chriſt.to get and ſeek the Spirit of Christ, which is the next principal ingredient in, or efficient of a good Conſcience. It is the Spirit of God with our Spirit, that makes the good Conſcience. In this ſenſe we may allow that of Origen, That Conſcience is another Spirit in the ſoul: therefore the Apoſtle ſaith of his Conſcience, that it did bear him Rom. 9. 1.Rom 9:1witneſſe in the Holy Ghoſt.

The ſingle Teſtimonie of natural Conſcience is not much to be regarded in many caſes; but when Conſcience is cleared by the Spirit, and ſeconded with the Spirit, the Teſtimony of theſe two is great and weighty, the Spirit of God witneſſing thus to our ſpirit, is the cleareſt Teſtimony of Rom. 8. 16.Rom 8:16of our Adoption and Salvation, which thy p. 352Conſcience alone is not to be credited in; for what could the light of our body (the eye) ſee and diſcern, if it were not for the light of the Heaven (the Sun?) we ſhould have a continuall Night. So without the Spirit, the light of God, what can Conſcience, our light, ſee and diſcern of the things of God? Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11, 12.1 Cor 2:101 Cor 2:111 Cor 2:12that God doth reveal unto his ſervants the deep myſteries of the Goſpel by his ſpirit; for the ſpirit ſearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of man which is in him? So the things of God knoweth no man but the ſpirit of God. Now we have received not the ſpirit of the world, but the ſpirit which is of God, that we may know the things which are freely given to us of Cod, &c. So that whereſoever the ſpirit of God is, there is the good Conſcience; where it is wanting Conſcience cannot be good. Where the naturall enlivening Spirit is abſent, or departed, there is no life, or vegetation, or ſenſe, or reaſon, or motion; but all death, darkneſs, coldneſſe, &c. So where the enlivening Spirit of Grace is wanting to the ſoul, there is no life, ſenſe, motion, comfort, but all is dead within, and all the works are but dead works. But where the Spirit is, there is life, there is light, there is liberty, and there is purity, there is peace, and there is grace, there is comfort and there is Conſcience, there is indeed all.2 Subſervient means.

The ſubſervient means are thirteen, whereof the firſt ſix direct us what to do, the other ſeven what to avoid.

p. 353Firſt of all thoſe ſubſervient means, next to Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, and his Spirit, which are the principal, Faith is to be ſought to 1. Faith.make thee a good Conſcience: Thefore how often do we find faith and good Conſcience joyned? This next to the bloud of Chriſt, and the purifying water of the Spirit hath the greateſt cleanſing virtue, Act. 15. 9. Chriſt hath given faith for this end, to purifie the heart. Where faith is pure, the Conſcience is pure: this makes the good, and mends the bad Conſcience. Faith and good Conſcience are made one for the other, as the woman and the man to be fellow-helpers each to other. Faith is Conſciences Keeper, Conſcience again is Faiths: Theſe two like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer, may diſcomfit a whole Hoſte 1 Sam. 14.1 Sam 14of Philiſtins; when they keep together, nothing is hard for them to undertake; or like Saul and Jonathan lovely in life, and undivided in death. Faith and good Conſcience do many a good office each for other, and are forced to unite in a league offenſive and defenſive: In an offenſive league, as Simeon and Judah, Jud. 1. 3. the one muſt help the other to expell the Canaanites out of his Coaſt firſt, and then proceed to expell them out of the others Coaſts after: Good Conſcience helps to expel the Canaanites of fear, diſtruſt, and deſpair out of Faiths coaſts, and to ſlay Sheſhai, Ahiman, and Talmai, theſe Jud. 1. 10▪Judg 1:10three ſons of Anak; and faith again layes to his helping hand to expel the Canaanites of fear, guilt, deadneſſe, dulneſſe, erroneouſneſſe, p. 354and Scrupulouſneſſe out of Conſciences coaſts. And in a defenſive league they are joyned, as David ſaid to Abiathar, Abide with me, fear not; ſo ſaith Faith to Conſcience, Abide with me Conſcience, for he that ſeeketh my life, ſeeketh thy life, but with me thou ſhalt be in ſafety. 1 Sam. 22. 23. Faith is the white Alabaſter-box, in which Conſciences pretious Oyntment is put; Faith is the bottle into which the wine of good Conſcience is poured: So again, Conſcience doth as much for Faith; Faith is the light, good Conſcience is Faiths lanthorn; the lanthorn ſhews forth the light within, the lanthorn defends the light from winds and weather without, that it be not blown out: Conſcience holds forth the light of Faith to be ſeen of men; Conſcience defends faith that it be not put out. Faith is the Apple or ſight of the eye, Conſcience is the eye-lid; no eye-lid can ſee, or doth it profit the body at all without the ſight within; nor can the eye ſee long, if it have not the eye-lids to defend it from Sun, duſt, ſmoak, and the like annoyances, and to keep the ſight clear. So what is Conſcience without Faith, but a blind and blundering Conſcience? And what is Faith without Conſcience, but as a naked, weak, raw, ſore eye?A three-fold faith neceſſary to good conſcience 1 Juſtifiing Faith.

Now this Faith that makes and keeps a good Conſcience is three-fold. Firſt, Juſtifying Faith, there muſt be apprehending and applying the bloud of Chriſt, Act. 15. 9. This is principally neceſſary to be ſought; this p. 355fides quâ creditur is the fides qua vivitur; the fides quae creditur is not ſufficient without this.

Secondly, Doctrinal faith, this is the faith 2 Doctrinal Faith.here ſpoken of, Hold faith and a good Conſcience, that is, the ſound Orthodox faith, contend for it, continue in it. From this Hymenaeus and Alexander ſwerved, and then left the plain path of good Conſcience. Say not any man is ſound in faith, and of a good Quam tu ſecretus es Deus ſolits magnus lege infatigabili ſpargens paenale …caecitates ſuper illicitas cupidita…e…! Aug. Conf. l. 1.Conſcience, who is unſound in Judgement, and opinions. Corrupt opinions breed corrupt Conſciences, and corruption in morals uſually follows the corruption in intellectuals: Here begins commonly the firſt ſtep backward to all Apoſtacy, and the firſt ſtep forward to all impiety. It is a ſad ſtory of the Emperour Valens, who while he was among the Orthodox, had gained much Glory in the Church; he had ſtood firme in the time of Julian the Apoſtate, together with his Brother Valentinian, chuſing rather to lay down all his Military Honours and imployments, than to diſſert the faith of Chriſt: yet afterwards by his wives means, ſhe being an Arrian, he was perverted; and being Co-Emperour with his Godly Brother Valentinian, he grew a Pſeudo-Chriſtian firſt, nec Arrianus, nec Chriſtianus, propemodum viſus eſt; He was neither perfect Arrian, nor a perfect Chriſtian, afterwards grew a Perſecutor, at laſt he went to enquire of the Devill who ſhould be his ſucceſſor; and upon the Ambiguous anſwer of the Diabolicall Oracle, p. 356that his ſucceſſours name ſhould begin with Theod, He put to death many a man, all ſuch whoſe name began with thoſe letters, as Theodorus, Mag Cent. 4. cap. 3.Theodotus, Theodoulus, Theodoſiolus, and the like.

The third kind of Faith neceſſary to good 3. A particular warranting Faith.Conſcience, is that particular warranting ſaith (as I may call it) to legitimate our actions, which particular warranting faith, may be alſo called a kind of Juſtifying faith in a certain ſenſe; I mean not juſtifying the perſon from all guilt, but that action from ſin. Every action that is good in it ſelf, hereby becomes ſanctified to the uſe of Conſcience by the word of God, the word of faith, as it is called. Of this particular warranting faith the Apoſtle ſpeaks, when in things of an indifferent and doubtfull nature, he ſaith, Let Every Rom. 14. 5.Rom 14:5one be fully perſwaded in his own mind; that is, let him be fully ſatisfied in his Conſcience concerning his wayes, whether for practiſing or forbearing this or that: Whatſoever is not of this faith is ſin, that is, whatſoever a man doth practiſe Conſcientià fluctuante, or much more Conſcientiâ reclamante, his Conſcience wavering, or gain-ſaying, muſt needs be ſinful in him, though it be not ſinful to another. Of this that Aphoriſm alſo in the ſame Chapter is to be underſtood, He that Rom. 14. 23.Rom 14:23doubteth is damned if he eat; he meaneth not that in what ever faith laying hold on Goſpel and ſaving promiſes, there is not full aſſurance (but many doubts yet ariſing, and fears yet remaining) that ſoul hath no true p. 357faith, and therefore is in the ſtate of Damnation; but his meaning is, that he who is bold in practiſing what he yet ſees no warrant for in the word, doth wound his Conſcience, having not that ſincerity and tenderneſſe of Conſcience which he ought to look after, and therefore is juſtly condemned and blamed.

Secondly, Repentance, and the daily renewing 2. Means, Repentance.thereof, is the next means to get, and keep the good Conſcience. This ever goes along with true faith, Mar. 1. 15. Repent, and beleeve the Goſpel. Repentance is as neceſſary to be taught and practiſed, as Remiſſion of ſins to be preached and beleeved, Luk. 24. 47. Paul where he came taught both, & this was the total ſum of all he taught, Act. 20. 21. They who would ſet your Conſcience free to the commiſſion of ſin, and yet keep it free from confeſſion and contrition for ſin, while they promiſe you liberty, they proclaim themſelves the very ſervants of all corruption. The Scripture rule is, Job 11. 14, 15. If Iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let not wickedneſſe dwell in thy Tabernacles. For then ſhalt thou lift up thy face without ſpot, yea, thou ſhalt be ſtedfaſt, and thou ſhalt not fear. But if thou do evil, ſin will lie at the doors, not to be driven away but by repentance, and there it will lie to keep in Terror, to keep out Comfort. If ſin and guilt have not yet come in, they lie at the door, when thou ſteppeſt out at death, they will fly at thy face, and tear out thy throat; therefore if thou loveſt thy p. 358own peace and ſafety, put it far away from thy Tabernacle, ſaith Zophar. Conſcience muſt ſhut all known ſin out of doors, or ſin will ſoon thruſt Conſcience out of doors. Conſcience well maintained reſiſts, and diſarmes ſin; ſin once entertained, and a while maintained, grows too hard for Conſcience. Take heed then of harbouring this Gueſt, or turning in to this Hoſt, ſin; it will Jael-like, after ſoft language, & ſugred entertainment, in thy ſleep aſſault thee, and faſten thee to the ground. Take not in this Jonah at a venture; though he pay his fare when he comes in, he will raiſe a ſtorm ere he be gotten out. Revive this diſcontinued duty, and work of repentance; Dream not of lodging ſin and peace together in the ſame heart, or at moſt with a ſmall partition, to have Peace within doors, and Sin without doors. David once thought without the labour of repentance to have ſecured himſelf from the trouble and infamy of his foul Adultery; what doth he? he ſends for Ʋriah, pretends buſineſſe with him, and after diſcourſes paſt, diſmiſſeth him home to his houſe: Ʋriah would not be gotten from Davids door: To prevent the ſhame that David would have ſmothered, ſin muſt be added to ſin; next day Ʋriah is made drunk, yet at the door he lies again: Then muſt he be made away, to ſend the ſhame packing. But did not Davids ſin find him out, break in upon him, and at laſt made his bed too hot to hold him, and too we… for him to ſleep in? He may now too late p. 359ſwim in tears, and waſh his defiled bed with weeping, ere he recover his Peace. So dangerous it is to play neer this Cockatrices Den, and to put the finger upon the hole of the Aſp.

See the like again in Amnon the ſon of David, who having committed that villanous act of an inceſtuous rape upon his Siſter Tamar, thought it was but driving her down ſtairs, and ſhutting the door upon her, and the ſin and danger was over. But did not his ſin lie at the door, and after two years come up and ſtab him?

Conſcience may be unkindly dealt withall, and turned out of doors, as the Levite did his Concubine, and then forced, raviſhed, abuſed, yet it will come home to thee again; and though it cannot get in, will lie at thy door, and be at thy Threſhold; if it cannot go, it will creep, and if it cannot cry out, Jud. 19. 27.Judg 19:27there it will lie, and in the morning when thou art to go out, there thou ſhalt find it lying to accuſe thy unkindneſſe, and to terrifie thee for thy ill uſage of ſuch a boſome friend. Zophar tels Job that ſin though ſweet in Youth, will lie downe with thee when old and ſick, and will not be beaten away. This makes a miſerable ſickneſſe, and death when ſin is in thy bed; This is an unquiet bed-fellow: Sin and guilt is the worſt bed-fellow; better death ſhould be thy bed-fellow, than ſin. Sickneſſe, poverty, yea death it ſelf may lie with thee in the ſame bed, and thou take no hurt, ſo that ſin and an ill Conſcience p. 358duplicate page p. 359duplicate page p. 360lie not in the middeſt between thee and Sickneſſe or Death; an ordinary bed may hold theſe two, but what bed can hold theſe three?

Obſerve, if thou wouldeſt have a good The third Means.Conſcience, what hints at any time thou haſt from Chriſt, and the Spirit. Good Conſcience muſt obſerve the eye, voice, beck, finger, and every motion of Chriſt. Judas hereby ſhewed himſelf to be a man of no Conſcience (unleſſe a ſeared) that he could ſtand all thoſe throwes, and never ſhrink for the matter: he was nothing moved at the ſop given, nor thoſe plaine expreſſions in words at length and not in figures, He to whom I give this dipped ſop is the man whoſe heart is dipped in Treaſon and Bloud to be my betrayer and murtherer. Wo be to him by whom the Son of man is betrayed; It had been good if that man had never been born: He ſtood all theſe, he ſtayed, he puts off all theſe with an impudent Is it I? He ſwallows the Sop, he could now drink up Jordan; out he goes, and out goes Conſcience, and in goes Satan, firſt haſtening him to his ſin, then poſting him to ruine. All this came upon a non-advertency to hints, and warnings, and checks, and reproofs. As it is a fearful judgement (Cains judgement) to fear where no fear is, ſo it is as foul a ſin (Judas his ſin) not to fear where fear ſhould be. What a hell is it for a man to be Conſcience-proof, or for Conſcience to be Sermon-proof, Terror-proof, Correction-proof? Thou haſt ſmitten them (O Lord) p. 361Jer. 5. 3.Jer 5:3but they have refuſed to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refuſed to return. Theſe come to be paſt reproof, and then to be given over to a reprobate Rom. 1.Rom 1mind: To be like the Smiths dog, who is ſo long accuſtomed to the ſparks flying, and the noiſe of the bellows, that he ſleeps under them: But Solomon hath a ſad warning to ſuch, He that being often reproved, hardneth Pro. 29. 1.Prov 29:1his neck, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and that without remedy.

But on the other ſide Peter recovers Conſcience by a wiſe obſerving theſe hints: Chriſt had fore-warned him Ere the Cock crow twice, thou ſhalt deny me thrice, he lays up theſe words, yet being ſurprized on the ſudden, through infirmity he falls; Repentance awakens him, he hears the Cock crow, his heart trembles, he reflects on himſelf, & caſts his eie back upon his Maſter, & then ſees his Maſters eye fixed on him: He minds the eye, he reads the meaning, he leaves the place, goes out, weeps, and recovers himſelf, and is again received by Chriſt. Obſerve thou ſtill the looks, and calls, and ſmiles, and frowns of Chriſt, and learn to ſay, This is the Voice of my Beloved, this is my duty, this is the voice of the Rod, and this is the meaning; this is the writing of Christ, and this is the reading.

Liſten as attentively (next to the hints 4. Means.of Chriſt) to the mutterings and whiſperings of thy own Conſcience; learn the language, and obſerve the diſcourſe of thy own Conſcience, mind what intelligence it brings p. 362thee home. There is more in this than every one is aware of.

Many deal with ſuggeſtions, and checks of Conſcience as Joſephs Brethren did with him, when he told them of his dreams; they accounted them one while as the wild notions of an idle brain, then they derided him; and called him the Dreamer; another while Gen. 37. 11.Gen 37:11they looked upon them as the malipert evaporations of an aſpiring mind, then they envied him: But his Father thought there was ſomething in it, therefore he marked and obſerved his ſayings. Take notice what news Conſcience brings thee home every day, as Joſeph did to Jacob of his ſons. Be not afraid to ſpeak with thy ſelf face to face.

Decline not this perſonal Treaty with thy ſelf; Send Amaziahs challenge to thy Conſcience, Come let us ſee one another in the face, 2 Chron. 25. 17. Commune often with thy own heart, Pſal. 4. and thus David tells us he himſelf did, Pſal. 77. 6. when he had been much out of order, his ſpirit overwhelmed, his mind troubled, he thought his Conſcience might have ſomewhat to ſay to him; he deſires a right Ʋnderſtanding may be had, therefore he ſeeks a conference. I communed with my own heart (ſaith he) and my ſpirit made diligent ſearch. I heard what Conſcience had to charge me withal, and Conſcience made a ſearch, and heard what I could ſay for my ſelf. Theſe Soliloquies are our beſt diſputes, and the moſt uſefull conferences. Such Solitude is better than Society ſometimes. Man is p. 363beſt company for himſelf. Be thou daily in this Counting-houſe, and take a turn every evening in old Iſaacs walks. Go out and meditate Gen. 24. 69Gen 24:69ſhall I ſay, or go in and meditate? Wee read, Gen. 1. that God viewed every dayes work, what it was before it paſſed out of his hands, and ſaw that it was good ere he left it, and before the Sabbath he took a review of all he had done in the ſix dayes before. Obſerve thou each day what were thy actions this day, what were thy paſſions: See what words fell from thee, what purpoſes, and thoughts were in thee: Didſt thou well or no to be ſo angry, or to be ſo merry? So to be ſilent, or ſo to ſpeak? Didſt thou not vainly diſcover thy ſelf as one of the vain fellowes uſe to diſcover themſelves? Eſpecially before 1 Cor. 11. 28.1 Cor 11:28the Sabbath, or the Sacrament, view all thy works, and take thy ſelf to task by a ſerious ſelf-examination.

Be not a ſtranger to thy ſelf; live much Non venitur ad bonam Conſcientiam niſi per cordis cuſtodiam. Bern.at home, nec te quaeſiveris extra. Fear not to be alone, whomſoever thou truſteſt to be thy Caſh-keeper, be thou thine own Conſcience-keeper. If any be ſo ungracious as to ſay, who made me my Brothers Keeper? Tremble thou to be ſo unnatural as to ſay, who made me my own Keeper? what an ill account of his Stewardſhip will that man give up, who can ſay, I have been diligent in all things which I took in hand, but my own Vineyard have I not kept? I preſſe this the more, becauſe Cant. 1. 6.Song 1:6it is ſo neceſſary and near a way to a good Conſcience.

p. 364I ſay again, be ſure to be well verſed in thy own heart, feel thy own pulſe how it beats; wind up this Watch every night, ſee how it goes every day, ſee if it be not down and have done going. Be not like the Elephant, who loves not (as they ſay) to ſee his own face, therefore never drinks but in muddy waters. Be not as was ſaid of Cain (Cordis tui fugitivus) A vagabond from God, and a runnagate from thy ſelf: Hear thou when Conſcience ſpeaketh, that God may hear thee when thou ſpeakeſt, elſe Conſcience will tell thee, though thou wilt not hear it ſpeak to thee now, he will be heard before thy betters another day what it hath againſt thee. What a ſhame is it to thee, if thy own Conſcience can give no better teſtimony of thee than Nabals ſervants did of him? Our maſter is ſuch a man of Belial that none i Sam. 25. 17.1 Sam 25:17may ſpeak to him. Be ſure to carry it fair with thy ſelf, and keep peace at home, that thy houſe be not divided againſt it ſelf, and ſo end in ruine. Miſerable it is if man and wife live at diſcord; God is not there. What is it when a man diſagrees with himſelf? Or be ſure if there be any diſcontent here, to get all compoſed. Deliver thy ſelf as the Roe; ſee whether thou be in fault, or thy Conſcience. Auſtin tels us how he had many Quae non ad me dixi quibus verberibus flagellavi animam meam?a round bout with himſelf, after that God had ſhewed him his ſin: He went aſide, and chode himſelf: Then into a private Garden he got, where none might interrupt him, and there his Conſcience and he were p. 365wrangling till God agreed them, and made them friends. Theſe fallings out breed the ſtrongeſt friendſhip both with God and thy ſelf.In hortum abiit—tum in illa grandi rixa domus interioris quam fortiter excitâram animam meam in cubiculo noſtro corde me…—in hortulum abſtulerat me tumultus pectoris mei, ubi nemo impediret ardentem litem quam mecum aggreſſus eram Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 7. & 8.

Fifthly, yet ſo we muſt hearken to, and The fifth Means. Ʋnicui que ſuus liber eſt Conſcientia &c. Et ideo ſcribi debent libri noſtri ad exemplar libri vitae, & ſi ſic ſcripti non ſint, ſaltem corrigantur; confer amus ita que libros noſtros cum libro vitae, … forte in illa ultima diſcuſſione abiiciantur ſi non fuerint emendati. de Conſc. lib. 1. cap. 9.confer with Conſcience, as alſo to confer Conſcience with the Scripture. That is the Book of life (as Bernard ſaith) and according to that our Conſcience muſt be copied, or corrected. Let us therefore (ſaith he) compare and confer our books with Gods book, leſt in that day our books be rejected as falſe and faulty, when they come to be examined. See therefore if thy Copy be according to the Original.

The Chriſtian grows judicious, when he reads not Scripture curſorily, but when he diligently conferreth place with place, and Scripture with Scripture. Conſcience is to be compared with the Bible, and examined by it. The able and expert Divine reſts not in peruſing a Tranſlation be it never ſo good, bur confers the Traſlation with the Original. Conſcience is but a Tranſlation at the beſt, and in moſt the moſt corrupt Tranſlation; this vulgar Tranſlation had not need p. 366be made authentick and Canonical: But thou must ſearch the Scriptures and not truſt thy own judgement too far. Keep thy Watch ſtill going, as I ſaid before; but ſee thou that it be right ſet, not by thy neighbours clock, or thy own gueſſe, but by the Sundial.

Conſcience is indeed unto a man a kind Solis Canonicis libris debetur fides, caeter is omnibus judicium. Luther.of Scripture, yet at moſt but Apocryphal, not Canonical. Apocryphal it is, therefore not to be denied reading; Canonical it is not, therefore not infallible.

Nothing is to be taken Dogmatically from the Apocrypha (ſay we) unleſſe it be contained in the Scripture; So far we receive them as they conſent with Scripture, no further. So far receive thy Conſcience, A foreign; it is not, ſo as it ſhould be heard for it ſelf: but it is ſecundariae authoritatis & lectionis, allowed it may be, when it holds a conſonancy with the written word. The groſſeſt Idolatry in the world, ſaith a learned Divine, is to make thy ſelf the Idol; and as bad a Rutherford.Papacy as that at Rome, to make a Pope of thy own Conſcience. Thy Conſcience is indeed thy Rule, but it muſt then be Regula Regulata, it may not be Regula Regulans et primaria, that is, it is a Rule ruled by another, not giving Rules, but when from that other Rule.

Conſcience is to every man his Law to himſelf, Rom. 2. 15. but this law is to be written out, as the King was commanded Deut. 17. 18. 19.Deut 17:18Deut 17:19to write his Copy out of Gods law, and then to read therein all the dayes of his life. Conſcience p. 367may be to thee thy Aaron, in ſtead of a Prophet; but it muſt then have his Moſes with it, to be to it in ſtead of God.

This conſideration alone well weighed, would reſolve what is to be done in many caſes, and may direct in many paſſages: Nothing is more ordinarily pleaded than Conſcience, Conſcience. It is my Conſcience ſay moſt, what ever is their practiſe or opinion; and if Joab take Sanctuary here, he thinks himſelf ſafe, ſecure, that none may remove 1 Kin. 2. 28, 31.1 Kgs 2:281 Kgs 2:31or trouble him; but a Solomon will fetch him thence, or he may die there. It is my Conſcience ſaith the Papiſt: the ſame ſaith the Jew, the ſame a Mahometan, and I will die for my Conſcience: The ſame may an Antinomian, an Arminian, or Anabaptiſt ſay, and I will not goe againſt my Conſcience, &c. I, but is it a good Conſcience? a well informed and enlightned Conſcience? My Conſcience bids me do thus, ſay men often; I, but what doth God bid Conſcience do? Had not Adam fallen, we ſhould have needed no other Rule but our own Conſcience: Now we have a Law written and Proclaimed, we muſt not make Conſcience the Supream Law, but the ſubordinate. In the integrity of my heart, may Abimelech ſay, when it was but Gen. 20. 3.Gen 20:3a blind integrity: And Jonah being challenged for his frowardneſſe, Doeſt thou well, Jonah to be angry? he replies, yea, ſo well as Jonah. 4.Jonah 4my Conſcience is ſatisfied that I could die in this mind, and thus I would do if it were the laſt thing I ſhould ſay or do.

p. 346Chryſoſtome blamed thoſe that are curious and choiſe what money they take, who will refuſe to take that which they know not, & Niſi ipſi videant numeros, & calculos conſtare.they wil look for the figures, and for the right Stamp. But in matters of Conſcience, and in points and practiſes of Religion, …re eaſily over-reached. Simpliciter ſe huc illuc ferri patiuntur.Cum ſint ab autore ſpiritu ſancto dicuntur. autoritatis foreign, veritatiſque foreign. Chamier de canon. fid. l 4. c. 1. Cui ſubjic ī oportet omnem pium intellectum. Aug. 6. Means. Vel Deum interpellet, inquirat, aut conſulat nam foreign vocat foreign.

It is the higheſt honour and perfection of the holy Scriptures, that they coming from an infallible hand, and written by the divine inſpiration of an un-erring Spirit, have this Prerogative above all other perſons, writings, and opinions, that they are of undubitate and unqueſtionable Authority, and of infallible certainty, to which every thought and reaſoning of man muſt be brought into ſubjection.

Conſcience is indeed to have a negative voice, ſo that nothing is to be done without his aſſent and good liking; But Conſcience muſt not challenge an Arbitrary and illimited power to act or determine any thing without advice with his great Councel, the Law and the Prophets.

The laſt of thoſe means to be uſed is Prayer, which is a great friend to good Conſcience. The good Conſcience makes many a good Prayer. There is the particular foreign and demand of a good Conſcience ſpoken of 1 Pet. 3. 21. which learned Beza underſtands of prayer. Quo fit ut bona Conſcientia interroget Deum, he renders it, The good Conſcience never undertakes any thing, ſaith p. 369he, without prayer and asking counſel at the mouth of God. Good Conſcience hath ever one eye Conſcientia ſanctificata ab uno Deo pendet, illum invocat, nihil niſi eo conſulto et ore ipſius interrogato aggreditur. Beza in 1 Pet. 3. 21. Act. 10. 2. Job. 27. 101 Pet 3:21Acts 10:2Job 27:10upon God to obſerve his precepts, and the other to beg his direction. Conſcience cannot be kept ſweet, but in this perfume of Prayer. Obſerve, and you will find the man frequent in prayer, ordinarily a man of Conſcience: But the man of Conſcience ever a man of Prayer. This was the Teſtimony given of Cornelius, that he was a Devout man, fearing God with all his houſe, gave much alms to the People, and prayed to God alwaies. But the Hypocrites (ſaith Job) doth not delight himſelf in the Almighty, nor pray alway to God. There can no Conſcience be made of any thing, where Conſcience is not made of Prayer. They call not upon God, ſaith David, what is Pſalm. 14.Ps 14he then leſſe than a practical Athiest? And Job again makes the higheſt pitch of impiety this, to ſay to God depart from us, we deſire Job. 21. 14 15.Job 21:14not the knowledge of thy wayes. What is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhall we have if we pray unto him?

Doſt thou then deſire a good Conſcience? Pray with Salomon, O Lord, give me above 1 Kin. 3. 9.1 Kgs 3:9all givings, a wiſe and underſtanding heart, that I may know how to go in and out before thee. And with David, Lord, Create in me Pſal. 51.Ps 51a new and a clean heart, and renew in me a right ſpirit. Lord, be thou ſtill ſearching and keeping this my heart, it is too much for me to keep, it is too deep for me to ſearch, it is too ſubtil, ſlippery, and deceitfull for me to p. 370know: Lord, try my reins, Lord make me know my ſelf. O Lord, keep me and my Conſcience with all keeping, keep me as thou wouldeſt keep the apple of thine eye, that thou keeping my Conſcience, my Conſcience may keep faith, that faith may keep Chriſt, that Chriſt may keep my ſoul in perfect peace. Without peace, what is life worth? Without Chriſt I can have no peace, without faith no Chriſt, without Conſcience no faith, and without thy keeping, no Conſcience, and without prayer no hope of thy keeping. O Lord ſet thy Angel with his flaming drawn two-edged ſword, turning every way before the door of my Conſcience to keep and guard it from being either forced or defiled.

Prayer and Conſcience make ſuch another aſſociation as Judah and Simeon did. Help me Jud. 1. 3.Judg 1:3good Prayer ſaith Conſcience, to drive out the Canaanites out of my Coaſts, to expell Erroneouſneſſe, deadneſſe, and hardneſſe, the three ſons of Anak out of my Lot and Territory; and I will help thee Prayer, to drive out fear, diſtruſt, and deſpondency out of thy Lot.

As thoſe ſix already mentioned are to be practiſed to the getting or keeping of the Seven things to be avoidedgood Conſcience; ſo there be ſeven other things to be avoided.

1. Beware even of committing ſmalleſt Non ſolum gravia, ſed et levia peccata ſuntſins, and of many things which go for lawfull. Wink not at ſmall faults in thy ſelf, for p. 371ſo ſaith Piety. In others thou muſt often, ſo commandeth Charity. The leaſt ſpark may conſume the greateſt houſe; the leaſt leak vitanda. Bern.ſink the greateſt ſhip; One unclean ſpirit makes way for ſeven worſe. Call not Faith and Troth ſmall Oaths, they are more then yea and nay: Refrain idle words, raſh anger, vain mirth, fooliſh jeaſting, yea to ſay ſo much as Racha to thy brother, that is ſaith Spanhemius, Chryſoſtomus et illius abreviator Bulga…orum Epiſcopus ſtatuerunt Raca deſignare idem quod TU per contemptum. Spanhem in Dub. Bern.to ſay ſo much as Thou to him in contempt. Conſcience muſt beware not onelyonly of telling a malicious lie, but of the officious alſo; not onelyonly the pernicious lie to be deteſted, but even the joculatory, to lie in jeſt, to pleaſe thy companion, to excuſe thy friend, to ſave thy ſelf, is to be refrained. Every kind of lying is ſinfull, becauſe no lie is of the truth: Abhor not onelyonly to calumniate and back-bite thy worſt enemy, but to flatter and ſooth thy beſt friend.

The greateſt ſpoil made in Conſcience, had at firſt but ſmall beginnings. Qui otioſum verbum non reprimit, ad noxia citò tranſit, et vanus ſermo eſt vanae Conſcientiae index.

Davids careleſſe glance and roving eye corrupts his heart; there the fire begins; he is drawn away preſently after and enticed; then luſt conceives and brings forth ſin, ſin ſhortly becomes perfect and bringeth forth death: A dart ſtriketh through his liver, death ſeizeth on his ſouls vitals, and ſo low is he brought by this Conſumption as to the duſt of death. Principiis obſta is a good rule.

p. 372How ſoon were all Peters good purpoſes, promiſes, Proteſtations forgotten and laid aſide, he being once ingaged among ill company! They all ſpeak againſt Chriſt, he reſolveth not to ſtand up one againſt ſo many to ſpeak in his defence. They deny him, he denies him, they ſwear he ſwears; they curſe, he curſeth as faſt. How ſoon doth the thief in the candle conſume it? How faſt do leſſe ſins not thrown out vaſtare Conſcientiam, and make it flare out preſently? Peters faint denial firſt time, fetcheth out an Oath next time to back it; then he that hath once pawned his Faith to hell by a falſe oath, may now ſell his Maſter for nothing, and himſelf for nought. Pèter caſts off fear, he cuts off his own legs, & drinketh dammage. Lie! Swear! Curſe! Lord it is time for the Cock to crow, and for thee to look, and for Peter to be gone.

Oh look to beginnings, caſt out (as Pharaoh did the young Children) motions to Exo. 1. 16,Exod 1:16ſin when they are firſt born: Shun occaſions: Come not nigh unto her corner: Stick at a thread, and a latchet.

There are more ill husbands undone (as I ſaid before) by loſſe of time neglecting their callings, by a little ſleep, and a little ſlumber, by ſlight expences, now a penny and then a penny, then by a hundred pound at a clap: theſe ſink ſuddenly, none pittying them; the other fall at length, but by degrees, none obſerving them.

Bernard tels us how inſenſibly by degrees p. 373ſin grows upon the ſoul: A man well bred at firſt looks upon ſin as importable; once overtaken, ſin is not now importable, but onelyonly Primo importabile proceſſu temporis grave, paulo poſt leve, poſtea placet & dulce eſt. Ad extremum quod erat impoſſibile ad faciendum, eſt impoſſibile ad continendum Bern. de conſ. c. 3. Ex voluntate perverſa facta eſt conſuetudo, & dum conſuetudini non reſiſtitur facta eſt neceſſitas. Aug. Conf. l. 8.heavy; next time ſin is not heavy at all, but eaſie; a while after not eaſie onelyonly, but light; next time ſweet and pleaſant; afterwards cuſtome becomes another nature; and what was importable at firſt to be committed, is impoſſible at laſt to be avoided.

And Auſtin tels us a ſtory of his mother, who by ſipping a little wine at firſt when ſhe filled the cup, came by degrees to be a tipling Goſſip, and to take her whole cups at laſt. Qui modica ſpernit; paulatim decidit, he ſaith upon it; Deſpiſe ſmall ſins, and thou art gone. Ad illum modicum quotidiana modica addendo in eam conſuetudinem lapſa erat, ut propè iam plenos mero caliculos inhianter hauriret. Conf. lib. 9.

2. Take heed again of adventuring upon one greater ſinfull act; I ſay any one ſinfull act deliberately preſuming upon Gods Remiſſion, and thy own Repentance, ſaying, I ſhall have peace though I do this: Such one act may for ever ſhut Conſcience out of doors, taking away the life and ſenſe of it, and ever after ſhut thee out of Conſciences doors, taking from thee its former peace. It was but one deliberate act of ſin that threw the Angels to all Eternity out of Heaven, and chained them up in everlaſting chains of darkneſſe. That one ſin deliberately committed by our firſt Parents againſt an expreſſe Precept caſt p. 374them out of Paradiſe, and cauſed the Cherubim and flaming ſword to be ſet at the gate, for ever denying any recovery, & re-entry.

See what became of Judas when he had once projected in his heart that prodigious act of murder and treaſon, and was reſolved to make good his bloudy engagement to the Prieſts.

He is now at preſent with Chriſt and his Diſciples, yet intendeth anon to be with the High-Prieſts: He takes the Sop from Chriſt now, and reſolves the ſame hand ſhall take the High-Prieſts money too: He hath a bag that can hold all that Chriſt can give, and Satan offer. Oh Lucifer, how art thou fallen! Oh Judas how art thou running headlong to deſtruction! Judas, what if Chriſt ſhould diſclaim thee for ever, as he did, for a ſon of perdition! All thoſe which thou gaveſt me have Joh. 17.John 17I kept, hut that one which is loſt. Judas! what if thou ſhouldeſt be given over to Satan that thou ſhalt never repent? Judas! what if God ſhould give thee over that though thou repent thou ſhalt not be received to mercy, that thou, and thy money, and thy repentance periſh together, and God ſwear in his wrath, that thou ſhalt never enter into his Reſt? The like you may ſee in Ananias and Sapphira, who having deliberately concluded to try the Spirit of God in the Apoſtles, never were called to Repentance after: But when Peter had rebuked them with their ſin, Why hath Satan filled your heart? they died in their ſin.

p. 3753. Take heed of living under, or following after a looſe, and cold, man-pleaſing Miniſtery, which preacheth liberty, not ſtrictneſſe of Conſcience; which ſoweth pillows under thine Arm-holes, and layeth feather-beds under thy feet to tread upon; cries Peace, Peace, ſo that none departeth from his ſinfull way. The voice of a faithfull Preacher Eſa. 40. 3. Eſa. 58. 1. Ecc. 12. 11.Isa 40:3Isa 58:1Eccl 12:11is the voice of a Cryer; His ſound the ſound of a Trumpet; his words like ſharp nails, and piercing Goads; his preaching is heart-pricking; his dividing the Text and Doctrine, the Heb. 4. 12, 13.Heb 4:12Heb 4:13dividing of the Spirit and Marrow, and cutting down the Back-bone, and he layes all open. This is the beſt Miniſtery, that which is ſharper than the two-edged ſword, and diſcovers the thoughts of the heart, and makes the man quake and tremble, and fall down before the word, and cry out God is here of a truth. Our bleſſed Saviour who had the Tongue of the learned to ſpeak the word Eſay. 50. 4. Eſa. 49. 2. Pſal. 45. 2. Rev. 1. 14. Mal. 3. 2. Eſ. 11. 4.Isa 50:4Isa 49:2Ps 45:2Rev 1:14Mal 3:2Isa 11:4in ſeaſon to him that was weary, was alſo as a poliſhed ſhaft, and his mouth as a ſharp ſword. He who had grace poured into his lips, and ſpake ſo as never man did, his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his comming into his Temple none was able to abide: He was as a Refiners fire, and the Fullers ſoap, and with the breath of his lips he did ſlay the wicked.

The Prophets of old, the Apoſtles in their time, and all Godly Miniſters ſince, have been ſons of Thunder; their work hath been to fall roundly upon Conſcience: They p. 376have applyed all their engines to batter downe, or take in this ſtrong hold for Chriſt. They have laid ſiege to the diſobedient, and refractory Conſcience, ſought to Block it up, to take away all proviſions from it, to force it to yeeld, and call out for mercy. They have ſurrounded Jericho's high walls day after day, ſounding with their Trumpets, till they have fallen downe flat to the ground, that Joſhuah might enter as a Conqueror. They ſtill ſought by loud and unceſſant Alarums, to ſtartle the ſecure Conſcience, to awaken the ſleepy, to burne the ſeared, to terrifie the obdurate. And the only care they had, was to comfort the afflicted, to Joſh. 6 22. Heb. 11 31Josh 6:22Heb 11:31quiet the troubled, to ſtrengthen the weake Conſcience; And to reſcue one beleeving Rahab, from periſhing among thouſands of them that beleeved not.

Theſe were the weapons of the old miniſteriall Warfare. Theſe the Stratagemes of Chriſt and his ſervants, to undermine and blow up Satans Kingdom, and to preſſemen into the Kingdome of Heaven. But this Age will not endure this kinde of preaching, no more then the Iſraelites could indure the ſhrill ſound of the Trumpet ſounding loudder and louder; and that terrible fire, and Heb. 12. 19 20Heb 12:19that voice of words, which they deſired they might heare no more off. We muſt have no legall teaching, we. Soft and Effaeminate Rehoboam muſt have young and complying Counſellors of his owne humour. The Samaritan p. 377muſt not come with his Wine to ſearch, and cleanſe, and waſh; but onelyonly with his gentle Oyle to heale, and comfort. Phyſitians of no value: Say not this is to preach Chriſt Jeſus, free Grace, the Kingdome of Heaven, Goſpell, Promiſes, Priviledges. Is the Son of peace there? Are thy hearers Loaden, Weary, Luk. 4. 18Luke 4:18Pricked, Wounded, Bruiſed, Sick? When the Goſpell Commiſſion was firſt opened, the inſtructions were to preach the Goſpel Eſ. 61. 1. 2.Isa 61:1Isa 61:2to the poore, to heale the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, recovering of ſight to the blind, to ſet at liberty them that are bruiſed, to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord. And withall, to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God.

But it is noted of them that bleſſed the people, they cauſed them to erre; and they who were ſo bleſſed were deſtroyed. Chriſt commanded repentance to be preached, and Eſ. 9. 16.Isa 9:16then remiſſion of ſinnes to be promiſed. And Lu: 24. 47 Acts 20.Acts 20Paul tells us all his Doctrine was bound up in two Chapters: The firſt, repentance towards God; The ſecond, faith in Jeſus Chriſt.

But Luther tells us, he obſerved two ſorts Theologus Crucis dicit id quod res eſt. Theologus gloriae dicit malum bonum, & bonum malum.of Divines, in his time; there was one the poore Divine, whom he called Theologus Crucis, the Divine for the Croſs; he (ſaith Luther) preacheth plainly, and tells men how things ſtand. The other Divine, is Theologus Gloriae, the Divine for the Crowne, for preferment, Praiſe; The Glorious Divine, This ſaith he, is a dangerous, and unſound p. 378Divine; he calls evill good, and darkneſſe light. And Luthers prayer was, that God would deliver his Church from ſuch glorious A theologo gloriae & paſtore contentioſo, & …nutilibus queſtionibus liberet ſuam Eccleſiam Dominus. LutherDivines. The men of thy peace, ſaid Obadiah, v. 7. Have deceived thee, and prevailed againſt thee, they of thy bread have laid a wound under thee, &c.

See therefore, if thou wiſheſt well to thy ſoul, whom thou muſt chuſe for thy miniſter; him that is moſt faithfull, moſt powerfull, whoſe fan is in his hand, who is a conſcience-convincing, a Conſcience-ſcouring, and ſearching man, ſuch a one is like to be well skilled in the art of curing and comforting Conſcience, who ſeekes to diſcover the diſeaſes and maladyes of Conſcience. Affect that miniſtry then that ſpeaketh more to thy heart then to thy fancy, that preacheth more to thy Conſcience then thy concupiſcence; and whoſe Preaching driveth more at Purity then Liberty.

But in theſe dayes how few are found, who at all ſtand upon the miniſtry of the Word, what it is, whether Preaching, or non-Preaching; whether ſound, or unſound Preaching. Heretofore the queſtion was, Where dwels the Seer? Now a dayes, if any be to make a remove, and to change his 1 Sam. 9. 9, 18.1 Sam 9:91 Sam 9:18dwelling, They make Lots choice, enquiring what the Earth is for their Cattle, not Gen. 13. 10Gen 13:10what the Ayre is for their Soules; and ſo prefer a Sodom before a Canaan: or doe as the Num. 32. 4. 5.Num 32:4Num 32:5Reubenites, who becauſe of their Cattle and p. 379little ones, deſired to ſit downe on the other ſide of Jordan; though they were further off from the Tabernacle and Temple, preferring a Baſhan before Jeruſalem.

And if any doe at all regard the Preaching Miniſter; yet how doe they then for the moſt part, make choice of that Miniſtery that will prophecie to them of Peace, and ſpeake ſmooth things.

In the firſt dayes of the Goſpell, when Chriſt was new borne, there were ſome Mat. 2.Matt 2Chriſtian-Gentiles (the wiſe men) who that they might finde our Saviour, obſerved diligently the direction of that moving Star of Heaven, which went before them, and when that not ſeene, enquired for further directions from the ſtanding Stars on Earth, the Scriptures; they followed both, and ſo were conducted to the place where Chriſt was, whom they found, ſaw and worſhipped. But now in theſe laſt dayes of the Goſpel, wee have ſome whom we may call Gentile-Chriſtians, who neither regard the moving Stars (the Miniſters) or the ſtanding fixed Stars, (the Scriptures) But without both theſe, Rev. 2. 1.Rev 2:1finde out new wayes, and follow ſtrange new lights, as thoſe who (when the Son of man was to be betrayed into the hands of men) followed a falſe Apoſtle with Lanthorns, Torches, Fire-brands and weapons, as if they meant not to worſhip, but apprehend Chriſt. The former did finde,, theſe loſt Chriſt; They did honour, theſe put him to open p. 380ſhame; they Deify, Theſe Crucifie him; they Adore, theſe Deſtroy him, They opened their Treaſures, and give him all they had; theſe ſtrip Chriſt of all he hath; They uſherd him into his Kingdome, and into the hearts of the Godly; theſe drive him out of the world; they prefer'd an Infant obſcure Chriſt, before a King, before Herod; theſe prefer before a Grown, Known, and a now famous Meſſias, an Infamous flagitious Barabas

About a ſeven yeares agoe, both Parliament and people came in the language of Act. 16. 9.Acts 16:9Macedonia to the Godly Miniſters, come over and helpe us, and then they were received Jam. 5. 35.Jas 5:35(foreign) as St. Joh. Baptiſt among the Jewes, or S. Paul among the Galathians, as an Angell of God; or as he and Barnabas at Act. 14 12Acts 14:12Lycaonia once, one was Jupiter, another Mercury. The double honour was then thought but due. There is ſince a ſad change ſom where, that the ſame men ſhould be looked upon as the chiefe troublers of Iſrael now, made a ſpectacle to the world, Angels 1 Cor. 4. 9, 11, 12, 13.1 Cor 4:91 Cor 4:111 Cor 4:121 Cor 4:13and Men, eſteemed (rather diſeſteemed) as the off ſcouring of all things, foreign. It is well enough. The diſciple is no worſe yet then his maſter, nor the ſervant then his Lord. Yet if duſt might ſpeak to duſt, and the Thiſtle in Labonon ſay any thing at all to the Cedar in Lebanon, I would ſay that there p. 381ſeemes to me, to be more danger to the men of this Generation, from the ſilent duſt of the feet of the deſpiſed Godly miniſters, who Jer. 17. 16Jer 17:16neither fight nor threaten, nor yet deſire the evill day, then from all the armed hands, and enraged hearts of the moſt deſperate malignants, which though they breath out ſlaughter and cruelty, have been but like the Eſ. 7: 4:Isa 7:4ſmoaking Tayles of eaſily quenched fire-brands

4 Take great heed to him whom thou makeſt thy boſome freind, know him well, and Oh nimis inimica amicitia! Aug.know him to be good. Mans wiſedome is not ſeen in any one thing more then in making choice of his company, and friend. Ill acquaintance hath undone many. The inſtance in the Text tells us, how one ſinner deſtroyes much good. One corrupt man corrupts another. Hymenaeus and Alexander coupled Vva que livorem conſpecta ducit ab uvâ.together: They had one infected the other. Hymeneus and Philetus. 2 Tim. 2. 17. Phygellus and Hermogenes. More ill couples ſtill, Alexander it is likely marred Hymenaeus. Hymenaeus marres Philetus, and ſo comes the Gangrene Gen. 7. 2:Gen 7:2to ſpread. Evill perſons and ſeducers, as Noabs unclean Beaſts, go together in couples. Simeon & Levi brethren in evill; Ananias and Sapphira conſpire together; Amnon had never accompliſhed his beſtial & unclean Luſt, if he had not had the head of Jehonadab, to ſet him in the way, Jehonadab was a very ſubtle man it 2 Sam: 13. 3is ſaid. Oh come not into the way of the ſinner, nor enter the Counſell of the ungodly, leaſt at laſt thou be ſet in the Chaire of the p. 382ſcorner. Evill company corrupts the beſt diſpoſitions: we ſee godly Jehoſaphat in company with a wicked Ahab, complementing 1 Kin. 22. 41 Kgs 22:4too farre, and complying too too much. I am as thou art ſaith he &c.

5 In things doubtfull be well adviſed, or forbeare, and take the ſurer and ſafer way. This is a neceſſary rule to be obſerved. I meane not the ſafer way in outward reſpect: This often blinds the eyes of the wiſe, and perverts the judgement of the judicious. But of inward ſafety before God I ſpeake. As for inſtance, Ʋſury ſome allow, moſt condemne it; now what is to bee done? Faith and Troth ſome ſay is no ſwearing; others ſay, they have too much appearance of evill: I am ſure thy Conſcience will ſay, they are more then Yea, Yea; Nay, Nay. Some ſay to Drink and pledge healths, to play at Cards, and Dice, to follow the faſhions of the times; The long haire of men, the naked necks, backs and breaſts of women, are all lawfull. Others are of another minde. Judge thou what is ſafeſt, and let thoſe be thy rules to judge by, Eph. 5. 11. Have no fellowſhip with the unfruitfull works of darkneſs, but rather reprove them. & Phi. 4. 8. Whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever are honeſt, whatſoever are pure, whatſoever are lovely, and whatſoever are of good report; thinke on theſe things and doe them &c.

Reſolve thou what is ſafeſt with thy ſelfe, p. 383when ſometimes thou mayeſt plainly ſee danger of ſin, lying on the one hand, and none at all on the othe

The wary traveller when night comes on, and he not perfect in his way, will rather chuſe to take up his lodging, and lye ſhort, then adventure to goe on, and wander in the darke, or be in danger to bee ſet upon. It is ſafe to lye ſhort often; goe not ever to the utmoſt of thy Liberty, Quodcun que Licere poteſt, Libere non debet.

6 Take heed of worldly-mindedneſſe, no enemy worſe to Conſcience. Theſe thornes choak the beſt ſeeds of Grace; and this Canker eates out the very bowells of Conſcience. For a piece of Bread, ſuch a one will tranſgreſſe; and for one ſmall morſell, ſell a Birth-right. Take heed of that maxime of the Mammoniſt foreign, Gaine is the Godlineſſe. This is the root of all evill, when the man is reſolved to bee rich, and will dye worth thouſands, leave his Children ſuch portions, become a purchaſer, drive a great Trade, though he dye Ditior quam Sanctior. Theſe reſolutions ſend Conſcience packing. Then is the wilde Boar broke into the field of Conſcience, all is rooted up. Theſe will break their word, betray their Truſt, deceive their Brother, violate their Faith, falſify their Wares, Weights, Meaſures, lye at catch for advantage; and for an accurſed wedge of Gold, bring the fire and curſe of God into their Tents and p. 384Families. What is become of that old honeſty, integrity and plain dealing, that was wont to be in the world? Where is that Breviary and Epitome of all juſtice (as Jerom call'd it) to be found? Whatſoever yee would that men ſhould doe to you, doe ye the ſame to them.

Men many times in bargaining, make more large and cheap Penni-worths of their Conſcience, Faith, Hope, Chriſtianity, yea ſalvation then of their wares; you ſhall have too much of them to helpe off with theſe. What more ordinary then to ſay as I am a Chriſtian, as I hope for mercy, if there be any faith in me, upon my Conſcience, upon my Salvation, and upon my Soul, ſuch have Venalem que fidem, Vendibilem que animam, a lowpriced faith, and a vendible ſoul.

Seldom doe riches and a good Conſcience dwell under the ſame Roofe. Satan knowes where to have ſuch at any turne; Balaam in purſuit of the wages of iniquity, will not be ſtopt by any Angell in the way, or a bruiſed Legge. Gehazi will ſteale out ſome private way, when he thinks his Maſters eye is not upon him. Satan knew who carryed the Bagge among the Apoſtles; and that thirty ſilver pieces would make him ſwallow the Soppe, and any the moſt opprobrious open reproofe too, yet goe on with his purpoſe, to ſell both his Saviours body, and his owne ſoul.

p. 385Take heed your hearts be not ſurcharged with cares of the world, and deceitfulneſſe of Lu. 21. 34.Riches as well as with ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe. More go to hell that are the worlds good husbands, buying, ſelling, building, planting, &c. than of perjury, blaſphemie, buggery, inceſt, Atheiſme, and malicious deſpighting the Spirit of Grace. Theſe are no light ſins, they were Sodomes ſins. This is no Goſpell life, it was the life of the old world whom God deſtroyed. The worlds beſt husbands are commonly heavens worſt husbands. The penny and Earthly wiſe, is the pound and the Pearle-fooliſh. How ſeldome are thoſe wiſe to Salvation, who are ſo over-wiſe in their Generation.

Finally take heed, and again I ſay take heed of an erroneus Conſcience. This is indeed as the wild-fire in the ſtanding corn; or as Sampſons Foxes with their fire-brands in their tails: Theſe are as the wild Boar, or as the ravening Bear. No ſtopping this Fool in his folly. A wild Aſſe uſed to the wilderneſſe, that ſnuffeth up the wind at her pleaſure, Jer. 2. 24.Jer 2:24in her occaſion who can turn her away? Saul, when an erroneous zealous Phariſee, thought no better ſervice could be done to God, than to make havock of the Chriſtians. This Alexander and Hymenaeus what Hereſies did they broach after they once fell away? and becauſe they found not Paul as vertiginous & mutable as themſelves, they hate, defame, and perſecute his perſon, and blaſpheme his p. 385Doctrine. Oh how ſad a ſight it is to behold, that many hopeful Profeſſours formerly, after they are once leavened with the bitter leaven of the Phariſees, how do they in their hearts undervalue and contemn, and it may be in their ſpeech openly cry out of, and ſeek to put all the diſgrace and diſeſteem upon ſuch faithfull Miniſters whom themſelves did moſt magnifie and prize, judging them worthy of their very eyes in their heads. Oh the unſavoury ſalt of Errour! how doth it infatuate and diſtaſte every thing, till it be caſt out to the dunghil.

It is a dolefull ſtory, that of Valens mentioned Poſtea nec Arrianus, nec Chriſtianus viſus eſt, licentiam omnibus dedit ſua ſacra celebrandi gentibus, ac Judaeis, nec non omnibus haere…icis, Idolatricas vanitate à Joviniano deſtructas refloreſcere permiſſit. Jovis cultum, Dionyſii Cereriſ que ſacra non in occulto celebrabant, ſed per medias plate… Bacchantes ubi que cur ſitabant: cum illis ſolum inimicum ſe praebebat qui Apoſtoliam doctrinam praedicare videbantur. Theod. l. 4. c. 24.before; who having been ſound and zealous in the true profeſſion in the time of Julian, yet afterwards being Emperour, having married an Arrian, wife; and being deluded and inchanted with Endoxius an Arrian Biſhop; he ſoon cooled in his affections, and ſo ſtaggered in his judgement, that they could not tell what to make of him; he was neither Fiſh nor Fleſh, neither Arrian not Chriſtian. But after he fell wholly from his Religion, and gave toleration to all manner of Religions (to every Nation his own Religion) Judaiſm, Paganiſm; all Idolatrous, and whatſoever wicked practiſes, were permitted freely, onelyonly to preach and profeſſe the Apoſtolick doctrine prohibited: a bitter p. 387Perſecutor he proved, and at laſt renouncing God, to the Oracle he went to enquire of the Devil who ſhould be his Succeſſor.

2. To draw to an end. The other part of the Exhortation concerns the Miniſter particularly. The Text being a charge or exhortation from a Miniſter to a Miniſter, from Paul to Timothy, to hold Faith and a good Conſcience.

Which the Miniſter muſt make good

1. Perſonally.

2. Doctrinally.

He muſt be a man of Conſcience for his perſon, a man for Conſcience in his doctrine.

1. In his perſonal carriage he muſt be Conſcientious, that he may be an exemplary pattern to his flock. If he be thus a Burning light, he ſhall alſo be a Shining light to others. The Miniſter muſt ſtrive to excel others in every ſpiritual gift, in this eſpecially. A City ſet on a hill cannot be hid: He muſt ſo walk that they may ſee the law in his ſteps as well as in his lips. He is to be as the Sun, the light of the inferiour world, is therefore to move regularly, ſteadily, uniformly, that the Dials and Clocks below may be ſet right, when they go along with this Sun.

It is ſaid that nothing cuts the Diamond, but the Diamond; I am ſure none is ſo fit to work upon the Conſcience of a man, as the man of Conſcience.

The miniſters lips then muſt diſperſe p. 388knowledge to the People, but his heart muſt retain Conſcience to himſelf. This little volume, Conſcience, he muſt be exactly read in: whatſoever other volumes he be a ſtranger to, whatſoever language he be defective in, he muſt be well acquainted with that of Conſcience. It was an excellent ſpeech, that of Jerome, Diſcamus in terra, quorum Ad Paulin.ſcientiá nobis perſeveret in Caelo. Thoſe things are worth learning on Earth, the knowledge whereof will be of uſe in Heaven. A ſaying which famous Paraeus ever had in his mouth, and cauſed to be written in the publike Schooles where he read his Divinity Lectures.

Learned Beza tels us what was Calvins counſell Cum te foreign non vulgari donatum eſſe videam, quâ ſaepe ad moximos decipiendos viros abuſus eſt Satanas velim te diligenter cavere, nè te ullis inanibus arguti is irretias.uſually to younger Divines; in whom he ſaw any pregnancy of parts; to take heed of abſtruſe Queſtions and unneceſſary controverſies, leſt they ſhould be catched and inſnared in the Toyles of wit, and ſo prove unhappy inſtruments of Satan to pervert others. And he further reports, he had given the ſame counſell to himſelf, which he had obſerved to his dying day, and did exceedingly bleſſe God for.

The want of obſerving this counſel, was the utter undoing of that Conradus Vorſtius, a man otherwiſe of much acumen, who carried away with the fleetneſſe of his wit, and the niceneſſe of his ſpirit, after he had read Socinus, and ſuch other corrupt writings, became a pernicious corrupter of the younger p. 389Students, who were his hearers, and an occaſion of much miſchief to the Church.

And ſince that I am ſpeaking to the Miniſter, I deſire to ſpeak two words apart to two ſorts of perſons that are now in the Miniſtery. The firſt is to our younger Timothies, who as they are to be the Succeſſors of our 1 A particular Exhortation to Timothy.elder Pauls when they die; ſo are they their hopes and delights, while they are alive. To theſe we can ſay nothing but good: Watch you in all things; ſtand faſt; quit you like men; be ſtrong; deſpiſe afflictions for the Goſpel: Look well to the Charge of God, the Charge of Faith, and of a good Conſcience. Take heed to your ſelves, and your doctrine: Avoid prophane jangling, vain bablings, oppoſitions foreign. 1 Tim. 6. 21. 1 Pet. 2. ult. 1 Pet. 5. 4.1 Tim 6:211 Pet 21 Pet 5:4of ſcience, Pſeudo ſcience. Study to ſhew your ſelves men of God, approved workmen, that need not to be aſhamed: Your work and charge is great, but your promiſed aſſiſtance greater, your reward and crown is greateſt; I mean not from men, but from the hand of the Arch-biſhop, and foreign (as he is called) in the day of his great viſitation. Remember that famous Apophthegm of Mr. Perkins which he wrote in the frontiſ-piece of all his books, Miniſter verbi es, hoc age: Thou art a Miniſter of the word, mind thy buſineſſe well. Be ſure to hold faſt the form of ſound words, as being wel nouriſhed up in the words of faith and good doctrine, wherin you have made ſo great a pro-proficiency. Read over & over your Directory, p. 390Pauls Epiſtles to Timothy and Titus.

It is the Jeſuites inſtruction to their younger Preachers when they have to do with ſome perſons, as Princes and great ones, to inſtill Principles into them, quae liberiorem reddunt Conſcientiam. Abominate ye ſuch policie and compliance as greateſt impiety. In freer and looſer times let your principles be the ſtricter, not the ſlacker. It is the reproach of ſome Lawyers, that it may be ſaid of them, they have venalem linguam, a tongue to ſet to ſale: Take heed that it be not ſaid of any Divine, that he hath linguam mercinariam, & animam venalem, a tongue to be hired, and a ſoul to be ſold.

Though you may be younger men for Cum ad edificium arbuſta ſuccidimus ut prius viriditatis humor exſiccari debeat expectamus; ne ſi eis recentibus fabricae pondus imponatur, ea ipſa curvarentur, & confracta citius corruant, quae immaturè in altum levata videbantur. Cur non in hominibus ad animarum curas admitiendis cuſtoditur quod in Lignis? Greg. l. 4. ep. 95.yeares, ſeek to grow paſt Neophytes, and younger plants which may be eaſily plucked up by the roots from the ground they ſtand upon, or be bent and bowed by any hand as they ſtand. Gregory very elegantly warneth concerning ſuch as are young and tender Plants, That they be not like green unſeaſoned Timber, which if put into a piece of building, will warp, and bow, and break, that no weight may be laid upon them.

Secondly here I muſt crave leave to give 2. To Hymenaeus and Alexander.an Item to Hymenaeus and Alexander, who of late Diſciples are now become all on the p. 391ſudden above their Maſters, more than ordinary Miniſters, who not ſent, yet run; not being called, yet they go; and having Jer. 23. 21.Jer 23:21left the Anvile and the Forge, have taken the ſacred Hammer in hand, Is not my Jer. 23. 29.Jer 23:29Word an Hammer that breaketh the Book in pieces?

1. Conſider who hath ſent you, and given you your Commiſſion. How can they Rom. 10. 15.Rom 10:15preach except they be ſent? Tell me, when the ſtorm comes, what anſwer thou canſt make to theſe interrogatories, Jonah 1. 8. Tell us, what is thine occupation? and whence commest thou? what is thy Country? and of what People art thou?

2. Conſider whether thy entrance upon the Miniſterial Office and imployment: can be called a fair entring by the door into the ſheep-fold, and not rather a climbing up ſome other way, by a preſumptuous invaſion, an audacious intruſion, or an impious irreption as Ʋzziahs was; to whom the Prieſts of the Lord ſaid, it did no wayes 2 Chro. 26. 16.2 Chr 26:16appertain to him to officiate in that Service▪ leſt Gods diſpleaſure break out upon thee, and ſmite thee with a Leproſie in thy head Lev. 13. 44. 2 Chro. 26. 19.Lev 13:442 Chr 26:19and fore-head, for which if thou be not driven out, or ſhut up, thou mayeſt infect all others with whom thou haſt to do.

I confeſſe ſometime, as Jerom ſaith, Ex Lacicis eliguntur Sacerdotes Hieron. ad Gerontiam.Out of Lay-men (as he cals them) ſome have been taken into the Mineſtery; but p. 392then they have been ſuch as were firſt approved by the Church; and ſecondly, ſuch as being once made Church-men, ceaſed after to be Secular, either Tradeſ-men, or States-men: They might not wear two Swords, and ſerve two callings; much De Civ. Dei. l. 1 c. 35. In gregibus et armentis aries & taurus corpore et animoſitate preſtantior alios antecedit, homo vero beſtiis aliis beſtialior tanto indiſcretius, et audacius, praeeſſe praeſumit, quanto minùs de virtutum ti…ulis, aut Conſcientiae ſinceritate confidit. Petrus Bleſenſis.leſſe, as Auſtin ſaid of ſome, Medo Theatra, medo Eccleſias replere. They muſt be men of approved Gravity and Holineſſe, and men of conſiderable abilities. Among the bruit-beaſts (ſaid one complaining of like diſorder) there is none doth lead and rule, but the ſtronger, and more generous: and ſhall he that hath leaſt of skill and Conſcience, take upon him to lead and teach men? Nazianzene ſadly complained that the Miniſtery was more diſhonoured than any other calling: none would take upon him to be a Painter, or a Taylor, but he who was inſtructed in thoſe Arts, and had ſerved his time in learning. But, ſaith he, ſhall any ſtep to the Miniſtery all at once. Non elaboratus, ſed recens ſimul ſatús, et provect us quemadmodum Gigantes finxerunt Poete. Ʋno die ſanctos fingimus eoſ que ſapientes et eruditos eſſe jubemus, qui nihil didicerunt, nec ad ſacer dotium quicquam antè contulerunt quàm ipſum velle. Shall a Saint of a few dayes ſtanding he put into the Miniſtery, who brings no other commendations to his works, but onelyonly a bare good will, and an impulſe of a private ſpirit. Jerome p. 393often complained in many places of his works of the inconſiderate taking in, and prepoſterous thruſting in of unmeet perſons to this imployment. Heri Catechumenus, foreign, foreign, foreign, heri ſacrilegi, bodiebodie Pontifex, heri in Amphitheatro, bodie in Eccleſia: Veſperi in circo mane in altari. Yeſterday ſchollers, to day teachers; Yeſterday at a Play-houſe, Tavern, or a Fight; to day in the Pulpit.

They underſtand not the Scripture, ſaith ſacrifici. Docent ſcripturas quas non intelligunt prins imperitorum magiſtri quam doctorum diſcipuli. Jerom. Antèa effundere quam infundi velint, loqui quam audire paratioces, prompti docare quod non didicerunt, &c.he, yet will they preſume to interpret Scriptures; and they firſt commence Doctors among the Ignorant, before they have been Diſciples of the Learned.

They may reckon themſelves full of Charity, ſaith Bernard, being very forward and liberal in teaching; but they ſhould not inſtruct till they have been inſtructed, nor teach till they have heard more, nor guide others till they have learned better to govern themſelves.

3. At thy peril howſoever thou art called, gifted, and approved, let me charge thee to take heed of two Rocks, which ſuch as thoſe of your cloth are ſubject to daſh upon; that thou corrupt not the Doctrine of the true Faith, and that thou caſt not away the care of a good Conſcience. That thou be not one among thoſe many Paſtors, to whoſe charge God layes it: That they have deſtroyed his Vineyard, Jer. 12. 10.

p. 394And that your manner of dealing with the Scriptures may not rather be called a paddling with your feet, rather than a fair handling of it, as Ezek. 34. 18, 19. Seemeth it a ſmall thing to you to have eaten up the paſture, but ye muſt tread down with your feet the reſidue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye muſt foul the reſidue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have troden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. And ſo you become not Paſtores, but Impoſtores, not Doctores, but Seductores; not Pontifices, but Pontii; not Prelati, but Pilati.

It was wittily ſaid of Luther, that the young and unskilfull Phyſitian, who Germanicum proverbium ut Lutherns de doctore medicinae juven…, opus ei eſſe, novo Caemiterio, &c. See M. Bowls in his Paſtor Evangelicus. l. 1. c. 13.did more hure than good by his Practiſe, had need have a new Churchyard, he would kill ſo many. And of the young and unexperienced Divine, Opus ei eſſe novo inferno. He had need have a new Region or Plantation in hell, for by his dangerous Preaching he would ſend a new Legion or Colonie thither to furniſh it, He would deſtroy ſo many.

Fourthly, let Hymenaeus & Alexander know this further, if they ſtill proceed to belch forth pernicious errours and blaſphemous doctrines, though now there be no Diſcipline on foot to deliver them to Satan; and though Paul and Timothy are dead p. 395and gone (forgottentoo almoſt by many) yet Pauls ſentence here ſhall reach and overtake them. They who have delivered up the Forts of Chriſt, and the ſtrengths of the Church, into the hands of Satan, ſtand (in foro Dei) delivered up to Satan themſelves.

Laſtly, becauſe I would not altogether deſpair of the return of the worſt of theſe. Paul had yet ſome hopes left that theſe might learn not to blaſpheme. And ſome poſſibility 1 Tim. 1. 20.1 Tim 1:20there is, that even they who are already taken captive by Satan, may recover themſelves by repentance, and come to the acknowledging of the truth, out of theſe ſnares of the Devil. 2 Tim. 2. 26.2 Tim 2:26So I intreat theſe men, if they have not altogether made a total ſhipwrack of faith and conſcience, to look well to themſelves, whether their preaching be not more out of envie and ſtrife, to add affliction to Pauls Phil. 1. 15. 16.Phil 1:15Phil 1:16hands, than out of love and ſincerity to ſtrengthen Pauls hands? and whether they ſeek not more to diſcourage the ſhepheards, and ſcatter the flocks, to draw Diſciples after themſelves, than to bring their Diſciples unto Chriſt Jeſus the great ſhepheard?

Curſed be he that doth the work of the Lord Jer. 48. 10.Jer 48:10negligently: But more accurſed he that doth it Deceitfully.

p. 396Secondly, To conclude, the other and laſt part of the Miniſters charge is, That he Doctrinally look to good Conſcience as the principall part of his Paſtorall Charge in reſpect of others. Take heed to thy ſelf, and to thy Doctrine. You that have entred the Liſts, ſee you make good this Warfare: Let this be your Study, Care, Buſineſſe, to be acquainted with the Nature, Offices, Work, Buſineſſes, Impediments, Helps, Friends, Enemies, Diſeaſes, Cures of Conſcience. Seek in all your Sermons, Conferences, Writings, Debates, Diſcourſes, to Inform, Direct, Convince, Satisfie, Reſolve and Stabliſh Conſcience. Still ſtrive to ſpeak to Conſcience, to thy own firſt, and then to thy Brothers.

This is the moſt prevalent and comfortable Preaching, when we do not beat the Aire, and ſtudy to ſpeak onelyonly foreign, or foreign: but foreign. Not face to face, and from the mouth to the ear, but heart to heart, and eye to eye. By this means, warmth comes upon the dead Shunamites ſon, from the greater warmth of the Prophet. This the lively and Evangelical preaching. Let Conſcience be thy Study, Library, Concordance. Let Conſcience be thy Text, thy Doctrine, thy Ʋſe. Let Conſcience be thy firſt and laſt and all. Eat up this little Book, and p. 397receive it into thy bowels, then Prophecy. To ſtudy Books makes the Scholler. To ſtudy Men makes the States-man. To ſtudy the Times makes the Politician. To ſtudy thy Conſcience makes the good Chriſtian. To ſtudy thine own Conſcience firſt, and then thy peoples, makes the able and accompliſhed Miniſter.

ERRATA.

PAg. 22. lin. 32. for Uniformity read Unanimity. p. 106. in the margin, read, Sed Phariſaei non-ſunt infirmi, ſed malitioſi calumniarores, pertinaces nebulones Jubet Dominus ne de eorum ſcandalo ſint ſoliciti. Other miſtakes will not much diſturb the ſenſe: what they be, either pardon or amend.

PErlegi hunc librum, cui titulus eſt Good Conſcience the ſtrongeſt Hold: In quo nihil reperio ſanae et Orthodoxae fidei contrarium, ſed quam plurima quae doctrinam de Conſcientia erudite acutè et perſpicuè illuſtrant, quae que ad vitam piè inſtituendam maximè conducunt. Faculatem igitur concedo ut typis mandetur.

Decemb. 17. 1649. THO: TEMPLE.

End of the text · John Sheffeild, A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold (1650)