A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. The third uſe is for Reproof.
FRom the Lamentation we proceed to Reproof; which Reproof, like the long flying Roule in Zachary, with his Curſe annexed, ſtriketh two ſorts of Perſons.Zach. 5. 3, 4
1. Thoſe that have no Conſcience yet as on this ſide.
2. Thoſe that have loſt their Conſcience as on that ſide.
Firſt, how many are juſtly to bereproved who have no care to get good conſciences, when as they are deſirous, as Auſtin ſaid, to get all other good things, ſaying, Who will ſhew us any good: Good Conſcience is not put into their Inventory, nor reckoned among their goods.
How do men enquire for good purchaſes, good bargains, good houſes, good wives, good portions, good wares, good credit, yea, a good ſervant, and a good horſe; they would have all good, yet care not what their conſcience is: they get rich cloathing on their backs (ſaith Bernard) but have miſerable Induuntur purpura & Byſſ…, & ſubinde conſcientia pannoſa jacet, fulgent monilibus, ſordent moribus. Ber. ad Vir. Soph.poor, ragged and tattered conſciences.
Now the godly man ſaith, there is nothing ſo neceſſary for me to get as a good conſcience, and therefore as he makes Solomon's choice, ſo his prayer, Give me a good heart rather then a Kingdom. Solomon was more ſolicitous how to carry himſelf in his Kingdom, then another would be how to get into the Throne; Lord give me a large heart, and a 1 Kings 3.ſpirit of wiſdom to guide me. So doth the godly man, Give me the heart to know how to goe in and out, rather then the great State: The godly man ſaith, there is no ſuch neceſſity for me to have two eyes, or two hands; there is no neceſſity of preſerving my credit, of ſecuring my ſtate, of providing for my family, no ſuch neceſſity of gathering riches, to live honoured, and ſo dye wealthy; but there is an abſolute neceſſity lyes upon me to fly hell, ſave my ſoul, lay hold on eternall life; and to this end to get a good conſcience.
If I have but a good conſcience left me (faith the Chriſtian) I have enough; while I have that, I can want nothing: I may be counted poor, yet am truly rich; I may be looked upon as outwardly ſorrowing, but behold I am alway rejoycing, as dying, but I live; 2 Cor. 6. Auſtin ſaid of ſome Chriſtians Amiſerunt omnia quae habebant nunquid fidem? nunquid pietatem? nunquid interioris hominis bona, qui eſt ante Deum dives? de civ. Dei, l. 1. c. 10.as unknown, yet well known; as a deceiver, yet true; as having nothing, yet poſſeſſing all things: I may have dirt caſt upon my face, good conſcience will wipe all off. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conſcience, that whereas they ſpeak evil, they may be aſhamed, who falſly accuſe your good converſation in Chriſt. I may lye under great preſſures, even to deſpair of help or life, good conſcience ſupports me, and makes all light 2 Cor. 1. 12. I may have my credit blaſted, yet repaired againe as Joſeph had; State ruined yet reſtored againe as Job had; life loſt, yet found againe as Chriſt Jeſus promiſed; but if conſcience be loſt I am a loſt man. The world may with their lightning (as the Philoſopher ſaith) Conſume the ſcabbard but not at all peirce the ſword, deſtroy and ſplit the caske but not ſpill the liquor, or wine in it, yet how ſad it is that the getting and uſing conſcience is ſo much among the moſt of men neglected.
Every one obſerveth his rule and way Si curtatus in aequali Ton ſore capillos. Vel ſi Toga diſſidet impar. Horat. Vide Domine quomodo diligenter obſervent filii bominum pacta literarum, & ſyllabarum accepta à prioribus locutoribus & à te acceptvae terna pacta perpetuae ſalutis negligant. Conf. l. 1. c. 18.of living, but the Chriſtian. Every Artificer ſtudieth to be exact in his kind, the Taylor hath his meaſure, or his patternes, the Carpenter heweth and Squareth his timber, the Maſon his ſtone by rule, he maketh his wall by Line and Plummet, & muſt not the Chriſtian obſerve his meaſure, his patterne, his rule, and line. The welbred Gentleman is aſhamed to be ſeene abroad in an undecent habit, if he be not dreſt from Top to Toe in the beſt faſhion, he thinkes he is not like himſelfe. And is not the Chriſtian to obſerve his faſhion, and demenour. Auſtin did obſerve and bewaile this exceeding Pathetically, the Grammarian obſerveth his Rules of ſpeaking given him by his maſter, and ſhall not we obſerve our Rules of doing given us by God himſelf; the Grammarian, or Orator obſerves his Construction, his Pronounciation, will not ſay, Inter hominibus for inter homines, will not loſe you a Letter, nor an accent, nor an aſpiration (ſaith he) which is no Letter, he will not commit ſuch a Verball fault as to ſay Ominem for Hominem, yet ſaith he, he that will not againſt the Rules of Grammer, & the Precepts of his Schoolemaſter pronounce, Ominem for hominem, dare againſt the Rules of Divinity and precept of God Hate a man, odiſſe Hominem. Yea ſaith he, you may obſerve the Eloquent Orator or Lawyer is more carefull of his words, when pleading againſt his Adverſary, and is more afraid to ſpeake one word improperly, then to aggravate his charge without all charity and Conſcience. Vigilantiſſimè Cavet ne Per linguae Errorem dicat inter hominibus, et ne per mentis furorem hominem auferat ex hominibus non eavet, yea he confeſſeth and bewaileth it as one of his owne ſins when he was a young Scholler, that he did abhor Barbarous Solaeciſines, and Incongruities of ſpeech more then abſurdities and incongruities in his actions.
But let all men know whereſoever Conſcience is wanting, or not attended, there is yet no Grace, nor ſhall there ever be glory. Firſt, there is yet no Grace at all in that heart, the firſt leſſon and the A. B. C. of a Chriſtian is, Make Conſcience. The firſt thing that God doth worke in that mighty change from nature to Grace, and Tranſlation from death to life, is the new heart. He begins ever with Conſcience, He a wakens it, he ſoftens it, enlightneth it, enliveneth it, He cleanſeth it, he Sanctifieth it, Ezek. 36. 25, 26.He dwelleth in it. The firſt worke of Grace is the Donation of a new heart, and the change of a ſtone into fleſh.
The ſenſe of Externall feeling is the firſt Indication of the life of nature, this ſenſe of Internall feeling is the firſt and beſt diſcoverie of the life of Grace, He that hath not his Conſcience ſprinkled, purged, quickned, renewed, and of a new impreſſion, is not at all of God yet, nor belongeth to him, Becauſe he neither hath his Image nor his Superſcription. Therefore neither ſhall he ever have Glory, which is the ſecond thing.
Secondly, where is yet no Good Conſcience There ſhall be no Glory. As in the New Creature where God worketh Grace, he begins with Conſcience, as was ſaid before. So in the new Covenant where God promiſeth Glory, he begins with Conſcience alſo. This is the Covenant of grace when God promiſeth to blot ſinnes out of his booke of Remembrance, He giveth unto man a New Conſcience for a Book of Remembrance unto duty and obedience, Heb. 8. 10. 11. 12. This is the Covenant I will make with the houſe of Iſrael, I will put my lawes into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they ſhall be to me a People, And they ſhall not teach every man his Neighbor, and every man his Brother, ſaying, know the Lord for they ſhall all know me from the leaſt to the greateſt, for I will be mercifull to their unrighteouſneſſe, and their ſinnes and iniquities will I remember no more. In which words the Lord alludeth to what he did to his people Iſrael, when he made the old Ceremoniall Covenant with them. He ſpake to them, gave them his mind in writing, delivered them the two Tables, containing the Tenor and duties of the Covenants, theſe Tables were to be layd up in the Arke. God will do much more now, he will ſpeake to the heart, write the law in new Tables, fleſhly Tables of the heart, and keepe them there as in the Arke. And there they ſhall be for a continuall monitor & remembrance, that they ſhall need the leſſe of outward teaching and humane Laws, they having an inward Directer, and Admoniſher, and a Divine Law within. God will pardon no mans ſinnes which is on part of the Covenant where this written Law is not in the heart, which is another and former part of the Covenant.
The High Prieſt might not go into the Sanctum Sanctorum, unleſſe Sanctified and ſprinkled outwardly with the bloud of the appointed expiation, nor ſhall any enter into Heaven whoſe Conſcience is not firſt ſprinkled and purified with the bloud, and Spirit of Chriſt. The Perſian King had none came in unto him, but they were firſt purified & prepared a whole twelve monethmonth before. There ſhall Eſther 2. 12.certainly be admitted into Gods preſence and Kingdome nothing that is defiled, and uncleane, But all muſt be in ſome good meaſure Reu. 21. 27purified, that they may be made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1. 12.
In the ſecond place it doth much more reprove thoſe that ſometimes had ſome kind of Conſcience, and have now loſt it. This is the loſſe of loſſes. If a man have loſſes at Sea he takes on, if loſt a child he mournes, if loſt an eye or an Arme he grieves, if by a Dead Palſie he hath loſt the uſe of a ſide, he ſees Death on himſelf and reckons himſelfe halfe dead, what is it thinkeſt thou to have loſt thy Conſcience? If Quae laedunt oculos feſtinas tollere, ſi quid eſt animumi differs curandi tempus in Annum.any Moat or Duſt be in the eye he Rubbes, and wipes his eye, and cannot be quiet till he get it out. If but a thief in the candle he takes it out, but who is ſenſible of the loſſe and ſpoyle of Conſcience, which is the greateſt loſſe? Now a man may recover moſt loſſes, or beare any loſſe but this and not be miſerable, This he cannot, ſight may be loſt, and recovered, a child may be loſt and thou mayſt have another, credit may be broken and regained, as Ioſephs, ſtate broken and repayred as Iobs, liberty loſt and regained as Iehoiakins, life loſt and be redeemed, and a better given for it, but this is the undoing loſs, this breaks a man for ever, and makes a Bankrupt of him, he never recovers. This was Iudaas's Rupture, This man falles downe Headlong, Breakes in pieces in the midſt, all his bowels fall out with this fall, and to his place he haſtens.
The man that hath loſt his Conſcience may juſtly cry out with Micha's complaint what have I moreto loſe? I have loſt my God, Jud. 18. 24I have loſt my Prieſt, I have loſt my Conſcience which was to me as both, and what have Ʋt in portum perueni amus regendus eſt bona Conſcientia navigationis noſtrae curſus.I more? I have loſt my Jewels and all my goods, ſhall any ſtop my mouth and ſay, what ayleſt thou? loſſe of Conſcience is like the loſſe of a Pylot to the Ship, or the loſſe of Card, Compaſſe, Sayles, Anchors to the Pylot, they are at mercy of the Sea, and in the next ſtorme in danger of being caſt away.
Its a ſad and fearefull ſight to ſee a man in a Phrenſie that hath run out of his wits, and hath loſt his underſtanding, he is now beſides himſelfe, he knowes not friend from foe, nor mindeth what he does, nor what comes of him, what a Phrenſie is the man in that is run out of his Conſcience, He hath loſt his Right minde indeed, and is quite Diſtracted and beſide himſelfe. A man cannot be called Compos mentis as a Chriſtian, if he be not Compos Gonſcientiae.
It is the Countrimans obſervation as a Prognoſtick of an Ill and ſtormy day to follow, If the Sun Riſe and appeare betimes, and go to bed againe (as they call it) then they looke for ill weather ere night, you may obſerve it while you will, it never fayles, If Conſcience in a young Profeſſor be up betimes, and then go to bed againe, ſuch a man hath ſorrowes, and miſeries following upon his ſpirit, and many an ill ſtorme he muſt expectere he die.
The loſſe of Conſcience to a man is like the loſſe of the ſting to the Bee, ſhee gathers no more Honey, but becomes a Drone, and is expelled out of the Hive.
Loſſe of Conſcience makes a man to be as Nabuchadnezar when he had loſt his Reaſon, It was the loſſe of his Kingdome, He was Depoſed from the Throne, driven away by Dan. 4 33, 34, 36.his people, acknowledged no more for a King, nor looked upon as a man, but a fit companion for Beaſts, till he looked up to God, and received his reaſon againe. A man rejecting Conſcience, is like Saul rejecting the word of God, rejected and caſt off by God for it, 1 Sam. 15. 26. Thou haſt rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee: Becauſe thou haſt deſpiſed knowledge, God hath deſpiſed thee, Hoſ. 4. 6.
The loſſe of Conſcience to a man ſome time acquainted with it, and guided by it, is like the loſſe of the Star to the Wiſe men; Mat. 2.it is as much as the loſſe of all thy Grace, and of all thy Peace, & all thy comfort is worth, It is the loſſe of Chriſt. They had not their joy againe till they ſaw the Star again, nor could they go to Chriſt without it.