A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 2

A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold · Treatise · Chapter 2

p. 26CHAP. II. What a good Conſcience is.

NOw I am next to ſhew what a good Conſcience is.

For there are two kinds of conſciences.

1 Evill conſcience Heb. 10 22.

2 Good, 1 Tim. 1. 19. This of which I ſpeake.

Or as Dr. Ames more clearely, viti ſé mala & moleſté mala.

And to a right good conſcience, there muſt a double goodneſs concur to the conſtituting of it. 1. A goodneſſe or ſincerity. 2. A goodneſſe of ſecurity; It muſt be hon ſté bona, & Pacaté bona. Ames. Or more plainely, it muſt be Purificatè bona, & Pacatè bona. And here I ſhall give you a full def…nition of a perfect good conſcience, when it hath both theſe goodneſſes in it.The good conſcience what it is.

That is the good conſcience which is rightly purified; and rightly pacified by the word, and blood and ſpirit of Chriſt; regularly performing all his Offices to which it is deſigned.

p. 27Firſt, I call it the Conſcience purified: Here is the firſt and principall part of Conſciences goodneſſe, though yet for the preſent it have not peace: Peace alone without purity makes not the Conſcience good at all: as purity alone without peace makes not a perfect well Conſcience.

Conſcientia aedifieanda ſed, prius mundanda, ſaid Bernard well, Conſcience is to be edified, but firſt to be purified. As the wiſdom that comes Security without ſincerity, is not ſecurity but ſtupidity. Jam. 3. 17.Jas 3:17from above, is firſt pure, then peaceable: So Conſciences firſt goodneſſe ſtands in purity, then in peace. The firſt goodneſſe of the eye, is the clearneſſe of ſight. It is but an inferiour goodneſſe, to ſay, it is not inflamed, or bloodſhotten: nor do we call it good at all, if it want its ſight: So neither is Conſcience good at all, though it rage not, be not inflamed, or bloodſhotten, if it want his purity. All negative goodneſſe is but a poor and heggerly goodneſſe.

Now that conſcience may be rightly purified, there are three things which it muſt be purified from, and three things which it muſt be purified by.Theſe things conſcience muſt be purified from.

The things it muſt be purified from, are

ignorance,

errour,

hardneſſe, or naturall deadneſſe.

Firſt, it muſt be purified from ignorance. The conſcience void of knowledge, is a conſcience void of goodneſſe. Rutherfurd. The blind From ignorance, Mat. 6. 23. Mat. 5. 13Matt 6:23Matt 5:13mans conſcience is ever an ill conſcience: his light is darkneſſe, how great then is that darkneſſe? p. 28His ſalt unſavoury, what then ſhall ſeaſon him? Conſcience in the beſt unregenerate Luk. 8. 16Luke 8:16perſon, is as a light whelmed under a buſhell, or thruſt under a bed, gives but a dim light, and reacheth not far. In things between man and man it can diſcern more clearly and like thoſe nightbirds which can with their weak Ex. 18. 19.Exod 18:19eyes ſee where better eyes ſometimes ſee not; a Jethro herein may be able to adviſe a Moſes: But in the Things of God he is little skilled, foreign blinde, and cannot ſee afar off. What a night-bird was Doctour Nicodemus, in conceiving of the neceſſity, nature, and manner 2 Pet. 1. 9.2 Pet 1:9of regeneration? Hence it is that the Scripture calls the naturall mans wiſdom fooliſhneſſe with God, (as Gods wiſdom is accounted fooliſhneſſe with him,) It is enmity to God, it is not ſubject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 1 Cor. 2. 14 Rom. 8. 71 Cor 2:14Rom 8:7The ignorant mans judgement therefore is no judgement, his peace no ſound peace; his hopes, no ſafe hopes; for his thoughts are not Gods thoughts. nor his wayes Gods wayes. Tit. 1. 15, To the unbeleeving and unpure is nothing pure, becauſe their very minde and conſcience is defiled. Good Conſcience muſt therefore firſt be purified from ignorance.

Secondly, it muſt be purified from errour. The From errorerroneous conſcience is ever a deſperate and dangerous conſcience. It is the peſtilence that walketh in darkneſſe. Erroneous conſcience Pſ. 91. 6.Ps 91:6maketh ſtrange work in the world, but worſe in the Church. Look what ſwine are to garden-beds, or a wilde Boar to a Ʋineyard, or wilde p. 29beaſts to Ʋines, or young Foxes to grapes; that is erroneous conſcience to Churches, to Doctrines, to Truths, to Graces, and to Duties. It overturns all. Erroneous Conſcience engaged Herod under opinion of piety, to deſtroy a holy man, to ſave a wicked oath, and gratifie a clamourous woman, Matth. 14. 9. for his oaths ſake the king commanded John Baptiſts head to be given her. Others Jerem. 44. 16. make no ſcruple to make voyd Gods Commands, becauſe they muſt make good their own vows. This is the Horſe that ruſheth headlong into the battle, impatient of all reſtraints: Puts men often upon dangerous wayes, and deſignes,, yet they ſay not once, what have I done? Jer. 8. 6. but ſuppoſe their ways are right wayes, and often they think they do God the greateſt ſervice, when they do the Church the greateſt diſſervice. Oh the groſſe miſtakes of erring conſcience! It embraceth a blear-eyed Leah, inſtead of an imagined Rachel: It climbes the Tree of Knowledge, and cuts down the Tree of Life. It taketh and chuſeth a Barabbas, but renounceth and condemneth Chriſt Jeſus. It Mar. 7. 8. 11. 12.Mark 7:8Mark 7:11Mark 7:12will make a Phariſee ſet more by an old Tradi…ion, then a divine Precept: and a Phariſees di…ciple Acts 16. 9. Gal. 1. 13. 14. Pſal. 3. 6. Mat. 23. 15Acts 16:9Gal 1:13Gal 1:14Ps 3:6Matt 23:15look more after the Corban, then his du…y to his aged and indigent Parents. This ſet Paul blindfold to perſecute and blaſpheme Chriſt, onelyonly that he might ſhew his zeal to God. This makes others compaſſe both ſea …nd land, to make one their Proſelyte, who when all is done, is but a double childe of hell.

p. 30Oh the wofull work erroneous Conſcience hath made in all Times, in the paſt Ages of the Church! And this my ſtory of iniquity worketh hitherto, and is ſtill working more miſchief, amidſt our ſad and diſmall diſtractions. This is one part of the ſpirituall wickedneſſe foreign,in heavenly things, or places, Epheſ 6. 12, 13. Againſt which muſt be taken the whole armour of God. This like Saul hath ſlain his thouſands, not of Philiſtines, but Iſraelites. This like that wood which in a bloody day, devoured more by erring, diſordering, and intangling them, then the ſword devoured, 2 Sam. 18. 82 Sam 18:8This deſtroys more then ignorance, or ſuperſtition, or prophaneſſe. This lets go Scripture duties, upon more credit given to Revelations. Upon this miſtake, a true Prophet once, contrary to expreſſe commands of God, gave up his faith, obedience, and withall his conſcience, upon a report of a later revelation, and an Angelicall apparition, to the old Prophets bare, but falſe aſſeveration, of a newer and cleerer light, 1. King. 13. 18. I am alſo a prophet as thou art, and an angel ſpake unto me by the word of the Lord, ſaying, Bring him back with thee to eat bread, and drink water: but he lied unto him. This above all other is the evil conſcience intended in this place. It was nothing but erring conſcience at firſt, that cauſed Hymenaeus and Alexander, to relinquiſh their former Profeſſion, and having put pure conſcience out of doors, they come to make a fearfull ſhipwrack of their faith totally, and o… p. 31their ſouls finally. Enlightened conſcience feareth, and departeth from evil, this fool rageth, and is confident, Prov. 14. 16. Englightened conſcience hath his eyes open, and ſeeth the angel in the way; erroneous conſcience like the ſeduced falſe Prophet, ruſheth forward into the midſt of danger. Erroneous conſcience, is he whoſe deceived heart turns him aſide, who feedeth on aſhes, as the Prophet ſaith, Eſay 44. 20. hath a lie in his right hand, ſo that he cannot deliver his ſoul. This is he whoſe plague is in his head, Levit. 13. 44. This is the man whom ye may bray in a mortar, with a peſtell among wheat, yet will not his folly depart from him, Prov. 27. 22. There is more hope of a fool, then of this man, becauſe he is wiſer commonly in his own conceit, then ſeven men that can render a reaſon, Prov. 26. 12, 16.

Erroneous conſcience is the eye that puts darkneſſe for light, and light for darkneſſe. It is the mouth that puts bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter. It is the traveller that leaveth the ancient paths, and the good way, to walk in new wayes, wayes not of Gods caſting up, and Scriptures chalking out, Jer. 18. 15

A good Conſcience muſt therefore be purified from Errour.

Thirdly, It muſt be purified from naturall From deadneſſe or hardnesdeadneſſe, or hardneſſe, which is as bad a diſeaſe as either ignorance, or errour: So that although thou mayeſt eſcape the fear of ignorance, by the inſtructions of Wiſdom; and-the ſnare of errour, by the light of the Goſpel, p. 32yet if thou be taken in the Pit of deadneſſe, and naturall hardneſſe, thou art never the neerer, thou haſt not yet a good conſcience, Heb. 9. 14. The conſcience muſt be purged from dead works, that it may ſerve the living God. A dead conſcience is not for a living God. One may be a knowing hypocrite, or an orthodox nonconvert; but what is he neerer to ſalvation, while in this deadneſſe? There is a generation pure in their own eyes, yet not cleanſed Pro. 30. 12Prov 30:12as to conſcience, from their own deadneſſe. God I thank thee, I am no Papiſt (ſay they) no Anabaptiſt, Antinomian, Sectary. I am a catholike Chriſtian; I am an old Proteſtant, but an unſanctified Chriſtian: and the common carnall Proteſtant is no better then they. He is blinde and cannot ſee afar off, and forgets that he is not yet cleanſed from his old ſins, 2. Pet. 1. 9. Except you be regenerate, and raiſed from naturall deadneſſe, you cannot ſee the kingdom of God. Al that are not ſeducers, as Jeſuits, falſe Teachers; or ſeduced, as common Papiſts, Antinomians, Libertines, Anti-ſcripturiſts, prophane Atheiſts, and Socinians, are not therefore neceſſarily ſaved. There is a plague in the heart, that every one muſt ſee and bewail, and get cured of, or elſe it is as pernicious to the 1 Kin. 8. 381 Kgs 8:38ſoul, and ſends more certainly to hell, then any plague or leproſie in the head, Levit. 13. 44. We call not that Arm, or Leg good, which is onelyonly not bruiſed, wounded, out of joynt, when it is benummed, or paralytick: It hath no pain indeed, but what uſe is there of it? p. 33So what though conſcience be not bruiſed, raging, and tormenting, and out of joynt by errour, if it be benummed, ſtupified, or dead? There is no uſe of ſuch a conſcience. Conſcience muſt therefore be purged from deadneſſe.

Secondly, There be three things which Conſcience muſt be Purified by, which are. 1 The Three things conſcience is purified by 1. The word of Chriſt.word. 2. Blood. 3. Spirit of Chriſt.

Firſt, The word of Chriſt is the Great heart Searcher, and Conſcience Purifier, Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and Powerfull,—and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, &c This is the Fanne with which Chriſt doth purge his Floore, Canſcience. John 15. 3. Now are you clean through the word which I have ſpoken to you, ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, and for them he prayes, Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth, thy word is that ſanctifying truth. This removes thoſe before named diſcaſes of conſcience. 1. This is that which removes ignorance, Pſal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths. What can the beſt eye ſee without a light of Sun, or candle? What can we know concerning God and his will, without his word? This written word is a more ſure diſcovery of the minde of God then all apparitions, or the moſt famous particular revelations, 2 Pet. 1. 19. To which we muſt take heed, and have recourſe, as to a light ſhining in a dark place. This giveth knowledge to the ſimple, Pſal. 119. 130. This is ſufficient to remove all ignorance and uncertainty p. 34in divine things. 2. This rectifies errour; being as a voyce behinde us, Eſay 30. 21. Thine ear ſhall hear a word behind thee, ſaying, This is the way, walk in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. This ends all controverſies, Eſay 8. 26. To the law, and to the teſtimony: if they ſpeak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them. This reſolves all doubts. How is it written in the law? how readeſt thou? Luke 10. 26. 3. This removes deadneſſe of conſcience, and hardneſſe. Is not this word an hammer to ſoften the heart? and is not this the immortall ſeed by which we Jer. 23. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 23 Pſal. 119. 25.Jer 23:291 Pet 1:23Ps 119:25are begotten again? Therefore David finding his conſcience in a dead frame, prayed; My ſoul cleaveth to the duſt, quicken me according to thy word. Again verſe 50. It is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. So verſe 93. I will never forget thy precepts, for with them thou haſt quickened me. The word is the firſt thing by which conſcience is purified, and ſet right. This makes the man of God perfect, and thorowly furniſhed to every good work, 2 Tim. 3. 17.

Secondly, By the blood of Chriſt is the conſcience 2. By the blood of Chriſt.further purified; we muſt not reſt in the word alone, without this blood, which cleanſeth both the book of Conſcience, and is ſprinkled on the book of Scripture, to give vertue to it, Heb. 9. 14. Shall not the blood of Chriſt, who through the eternall Spirit, offered himſelf without ſpot to God, purge your conſcience from dead works, to ſerve the living God? This p. 35is it that purgeth the defiled, and guilty conſcience from all his diſeaſes, and filthineſſe. Chriſts ſpittle opened the eyes of two blinde men once. His blood openeth the eye of Mark 8. 23 Joh. 9. 6.Mark 8:23John 9:6blinde conſcience ever. This is the blood of ſprinckling, which alone purifies the heart from an evil conſcience, Heb. 10. 22. So that the ſoul may now draw nigh to God, with boldneſſe and much aſſurance. Other blood, and obſervances Read the 9. and 10. chap. to the Hebr.might ſerve to make an Iſraelite under the Law legally pure, as to the fleſh; OnelyOnly this blood of Chriſt, typified by the purification water, the hyſſop, ſcarlet, blood of bulls and goats, can make a Chriſtian Evangelically pure before God, and Internally in the court of Conſcience. The book, and people, and all things pertaining to the Tabernacle, were conſecrated with blood, Heb. 9. 22. And almoſt all things by the Law were purged with blood: And without ſhedding of blood there is no remiſſion: To teach us what is more plainly expreſſed, 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt his Son, cleanſeth us from all ſin. Waſh me, O Lord, with this hyſſ…p, and I ſhall Pſal. 51. 7.Ps 51:7be clean: Purge me with this blood, and I ſhall be whiter then the ſnow.

Thirdly, Conſcience is purged by the Sperit 3 By the ſpirit of Chriſt.of Chriſt, together with the word, and blood: without there be a concurrence of all three, the work is not done: not the word alone without the blood and ſpirit, can effect it; no… the blood, without the word and ſpirit; nor yet the ſpirit without both the former. p. 36The word is ſprinkled on the Conſcience to inform, ſatisfie and purifie it: The blood of Chriſt is ſprinkled on the word (as Exod 24. 8. compared with Heb. 9. 20.) which it was not ſufficient to have read, but ſprinkled with the blood of the Covenant, to give vertue to it. And the blood it ſelf muſt be applyed by the ſpirit, that the vertue of it may be brought home to the conſcience. The blood of Chriſt without the ſpirit, is no better then his fleſh without the ſpirit. The fleſh profits nothing, It is the Spirit that quickeneth. The principall Jo. 6. 63.John 6:63part of the work of purifying Conſcience belongs to the Spirit. It was that eternal Spirit whereby Chriſt offered his Blood, Heb. 9. 14. which did commend our conſcience to God: And this Spirit applying the blood offered doth commend and ſeal Gods Covenant to our Conſciences. Thus the ſpirit heals thoſe three diſeaſes; It properly removes Ignorance, being the Spirit of Illumination, Eph. 1. 17, This rectifyes Errour, being the ſpirit of Truth, Joh 14. 17. This removes Deadneſs, being the ſpirit of life, Rom. 8. 2. This is the great Purifyer, this the Refiners fire, this the Fullers ſoape, Malach 3. 2. whereby Chriſt doth refine and purifie the ſons of Jacob. This the Spirit of Judgement and Spirit of burning, wherewith God hath promiſed to waſh away the filth of the daughter of Zion, Eſay 4. 4.