Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
The comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience in the dayes of Death & Iudgment.
IN the fourth place, The time of4 The Comfort of a good Conſcience at the day of Death, death is a time wherein the benefite and comfort of a good Conſcience is exceeding great. Death hath a ghaſtly looke and terrible, able to daunt the proudeſt & braueſt ſpirit in the world, but then hath it a ghaſtly look indeede when it faces an euill conſcience. Indeed ſometimes, and moſt commonly, Conſcience in many, is ſecure at the time of death. God in his iuſtice ſo plaging an affected ſecurity in life, with an inflicted ſecurity at Death. And the Lord ſeemes to ſay as once to the Prophet, Goe make their Conſciences aſleep at their death, as they hauehave made it aſleepe all their life, leaſt Conſcience ſhould ſee and ſpeake, and they heare, and be ſaued. God deales with conſcience as with the Prophet. Ezek. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth, that thou ſhalt be dumb; Therfore they die though not deſperately as Saul, and Achitophel, yet ſottiſhly without comfort, and feeling of Gods louelove, as Nabal. But if conſcience bee awakened, and hauehave its eyes, & mouth opened, no heart can imagine the deſperate, and vnſufferable diſtreſſes of ſuch an heart Terrors take holde of him as waters, Iob. 27. 20. Terrours make him afraide on eueryevery ſide. Iob 18. 11. Then is that true. Iob 25 23. 24. He knowes that the day of darknes is ready at hand. Trouble and anguiſh ſhal make him afraid, they ſhall preuaile againſt him as a King ready to the battell. And no wonder, for hee is now brought vntounto the King of Terrours, as Death is called. Iob 18. 14. A man that hath an ill Conſcience, if his eyes be opened, and his Conſcience a wakened, he ſees death in all the terrible ſhapes that may bee. Sometimes he ſees death comming like a mercileſſe Officer, and a cruell Sergeant, to arreſt, and to drag him by the throat to the priſon and place of Torment. Pſ. 55. 15. Let death ceaſe vponupon them; They ſee it comming like that cruell ſervant in the Parable to his fellow, Math. 18. catching them by the very throat.
Sometimes he ſees death in the ſhape of ſome greedy Lyō, or ſome rauening Wolfe ready to deuour him, & to feed vponupon his carkaſe. Pſ. 49. 14. Death ſhall feede in them, euen as a ravenous beaſt: ſhall feed vponupon his prey. Imagine in what a terrible plight the Samaritans were in, when the Lyons ſet vponupon thē. 2. Kin. 17. & by it imagine in what caſe an ill conſcience is, when it beholdes the face of death. It puts an ill Conſcience into that caſe in good earneſt that David was in, in the caſe of tryall. Pſ …. 4. 5. My heart is ſore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen vponupon mee, fearefulnes▪ & trembling are come vponupon me, and horrour hath over whelmed me.
Sometimes again he ſees death as the Iſraelites the fiery Serpents with mortal ſtings; Sometimes as a merciles Landlord, or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of Firmae eiectione, to throw him out of houſe and home, and to turne him to the wide Common, yea he ſees death as Gods executioner, and meſſenger of eternall death, yea, he ſees death with as much horrour as if hee ſaw the Diuell. In ſo many fearefull ſhapes appeares death to an evill conſcience vponupon the death-bed. So as it is indeed the King of Terrors to ſuch an one that hath the Terrours of Conſcience within. There is no one thought ſo terrible to ſuch an one, as the thought of death, nothing that he more wiſhes to avoyd. Oh! how loath, and how vnwilling is ſuch an one to dye.
But come now to a man that hath liued as Paul did in all good conſcience, and how is it with him vponupon his deathbed? His end is peace; ſo full of ioy & comfort; ſo is he raviſhed with the inward and vnſpeakable conſolations of his Conſcience, that it is no wonder at all that Balaam ſhould wiſh to dye the death of the righteous, the death of a man with a good Conſcience.
The day of a mans marriage is the day of the ioy of a mans heart, Cant. 3. 11. and the day of marriage is not ſo ioyfull a day, as is the day of death to a good conſcience. There are but fewe that can marry with that ioy wherwith a good conſcience dyes.
It enables a man, not onelyonly to looke Ananias and the Councell in the face, but even to looke death it ſelfe in the face, without thoſe amazing terrours, yea, it makes the face of death ſeeme louely and amiable. He whoſe conſcience is good, and fees the face of God reconciled to him in Chriſt, he can ſay as Iacob did when he ſaw the face of Ioſeph, Gen. 46. 30. Now let me dye, ſince I hauehave ſeene thy face. It is the priviledge of a good Conſcience alone, to goe to the grave, as Agag did to Samuel, and to ſay that truely, which he ſpake beſides the booke, 1 Sam. 15. 32. He came pleaſantly, And he ſayd, Surely the bitterneſſe of death is paſt. He was deceived, and therefore had no ſuch cauſe to be ſo pleaſant, but a good Conſcience can, yea, cannot chuſe but be ſo pleaſant, even when going out of the world, becauſe the gilt of ſin being waſhed away in Chiſts bloud; it knowes that the bitternes of death is paſt, and the ſweetneſſe of life eternall is at hand.
A man whoſe debts are paid, he dares goe out of dores, dare meete and face the Sergeants, and the conſcience purged by the bloud of Chriſt, can looke as vndaūtedly on the face of death. He that hath gotten the ſting, that is, the guilt of cōſcience, taken away by faith in Chriſt, he lookes not vponupon death as the Iſraelites vponupon the fiery Serpents, but lookes vponupon it as Paul doth, 1. Cor. 15. O death where is thy ſting? Who feares a Bee, an Hornet, a Snake, or a Serpent, when they hauehave loſt their ſting. The guilt of ſinne is the ſting of Conſcience, is the ſting of death that ſtings the conſcience. The ſting of death is ſinne. 1 Cor. 15. Plucke then ſinne out of the conſcience, and at once the conſcience is made good, and death made weake, and is diſarmed of his weapon. And when the cōſcience ſees death vnſtingd and diſarmed, it is freed of feare, and even in the very act of death, can ioyfully tryumyh over death, oh Death where is thy ſting?
A good Conſcience lookes vponupon death, as vponupon the Sheriffe that comes to giuegive him poſſeſſion of his Inheritance, or as Lazarus vponupon the Angels that came to carry his ſoule into Abrahams boſome, and therefore can wellcome death, and entertain him ioyfully. And wheras an ill conſcience makes a man ſee death as if he ſaw the Devill, a good conſcience makes a mā ſee the face of death, as Iacob ſaw Eſaues face, Gen. 33. I hauehave ſeene thy face, as, the face of God; they ſee the face of death with vnſpeakable ioy, rauiſhment of heart, and exultation of ſpirit.
Well now, what a motive hauehave wee here, to make vsus labor for a good conſcience. Even Balaam himſelfe would faine make a good end, & dye in peace, and who wiſhes not his deathbed may be a Mount Nebo, from whence he may ſee that heavenly Canaan? Lo here, Balaam, the way to dye the death of the righteous, I hauehave liued in all good Conſcience vntounto this day. They that hauehave conſcience in their life, ſhall hauehave comfort, at their death; They that liue conſcionably, ſhal die comfortably; They that live in all good Conſcience til their dying day, ſhall depart in the abundance of comfort at their dying day.
There will come a day wherein we muſt lay downe theſe Tabernacles, the day of death will aſſuredly come. How lamentable a thing will it then be, to be ſo deſtitute, & deſolate of all comfort, as to be driven to that extremity, as to curſe our birth day? oh! what would Comfort be worth at our laſt houre, at our laſt gaſpe, whileſt our deareſt friēds ſhall be weeping, wringing their hands and lamenting, then, then what would inward cōfort be worth? Who would not hold the whole world an eaſie price for it then? Well then, would wee then hauehave Comfort and Ioy, oh then, get a good cōſcience now, which wil yeeld comfort, when all other comforts ſhall vtterly faile, and ſhal be life in the middeſt of death. How happy is that man, that when the ſentence of death is paſſed vponupon him, can ſay with Hezekiah, Iſa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord, I beſeech thee, how I hauehave walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and hauehave done that which is good in thy ſight. Indeed the Text ſayes, that Hezekiah wept ſore but yet, not as fearing death, for hee could not feare death, who had thus feared God, but becauſe the promiſe was not yet made good to him in a ſon and Heire of his kingdome, hence came thoſe teares. It is otherwiſe an vnſpeak able ioy, that ſuch a Conſcience as Hezekiahs was, will ſpeake to a man vponupon his death-bed.
EueryEvery one profeſſes a deſire to make a good ende: Here is the way to make good that deſire, to live in all good cō ſcience. Alas how pittifull, and miſerable a condition live moſt men in. All the dayes of their lifes, & healths, they hauehave no regard of a good Conſcience. Notwithſtanding that men are preſſed continually to this one care, by the inſtancy and importunity of Gods Miniſters, yet how miſerably is it neglected? Well, at laſt the day of death comes, & then what would they not giuegive for a comfortable end? If the gold of Ophir would purchaſe comfort, it ſhould fly then. Then poaſt for this Miniſter, and runne for the other, as in the ſweatingſickneſſe in King Edwards dayes, then for Gods ſake but one word of cōfort, then O bleſſed men of God, one word of peace. Now alas what would you hauehave them doe? Are they or your own courſes in fault, that you want comfort at your death? What would you hauehave vsus doe? Wee muſt referre you to your owne Conſciences, wee cannot make oyle of flint, nor cruſſe ſweete Wine out of ſowre Grapes, wee dare not flatter you againſt your conſciences. If you would giuegive vsus a world, we cannot comfort you when your owne Conſciences witneſſe againſt you, that ſuch comforts belong not to you. Doe not idlely in this caſe hope for Comfort from Miniſters, be it knowne vntounto you, you muſt hauehave it from your owne conſciences. Many on their death-bed cry to the Miniſter, as ſhee did to the King, 2 Kings 6. 26. 27. Helpe my Lord, O King. But marke what he anſwers, If the Lord doe not helpe thee, whence ſhall I helpe thee, out of the barne-floore, or out of the wine preſſe? So wee muſt anſwere to ſuch as cry, Helpe, helpe O man of God; If God and your owne Conſciences helpe you not, whence ſhall wee helpe you? If there had beene Corne within the barnes, the King could eaſily hauehave helped her, but he could not make Corne. So if men hauehave carryed any thing into their Conſciences, if they themſ…lues hauehave Inned any proviſion and comfort, by being Conſcionable in their lives, then we can helpe and comfort them, but otherwiſe do not thinke that we can make comforts, and make good Conſciences vponupon your deathbeds. If your Conſciences can ſay for you, that you hauehave bin carefull in your life time to know God, to walke holily & religiouſly before him, &c. then we dare be bold to comfort, & cheere you, then dare we ſpeake peace confidently to you But if your Conſciences accuſe you of your ignorance, your oathes, Sabbath breaches▪ worldlineſſe, rebellion, vncleaneneſſe, oppreſſion, drunkenneſſe, &c. and finally impenitency: What is it you would hauehave vsus to doe? What can we ſay, but as the Prophet to Zedekiah, Ier. 37. 19. Where are now your Prophets that propheſied vntounto you, ſaying, The King of Babylon ſhall not come againſt you. So, where be thoſe that in your life time told you, yee need not be ſo carefull, and preciſe to keepe good Conſciences, leſſe adoe will ſerue the turne, now what thinke yee of them? now what peace hauehave you in thoſe wayes, what comfort can theſe giuegive you now? Or elſe what can we ſay when men in anguiſh of Conſcience lie toſſing on their beds, but what Reuben ſayd to his brethren when they were in diſtreſſe, Gen. 42. 21. 22. Did not I warne you, ſaying, Sinne not, &c. So muſt we▪ what doe ye call to vsus for comfort, Did not wee warne you many a time & oft, ſaying, ſinne not, nor liue in thoſe dangerous courſes? Did not we warne you? Oh to hauehave our Conſciences & Gods Miniſters thus to grate vponupon vsus, what an vncomfortable condition will this be? Would we then prevent ſuch ſorrow, and be cheerfull, and cheered at our latter ends, lay vp a good Conſcience then, lay in ſomewhat for Conſcience, and Gods Miniſters to worke vponupon, & from which they both may be able to rayſe comfort to you. Get a good Conſcience, and liue in it all thy daies, and then though thou ſhouldeſt want the benefit of a comforting Miniſter, yet thy Conſcience ſhall doe the office of a comforting Miniſter, and ſhall be the ſame vntounto thee that the Angell was vntounto Chriſt in his agony, Luk. 22. 43. and ſhall miniſter ſuch comfort vntounto thee, as ſhall make thee ready to leape into thy graue for ioy. This ſhall be as another Iacobs ſtaffe for thee to leane and reſt vponupon, when thou ſhalt be vponupon thy death-bed. If men knew but the worth of a good Conſcience at the houre of death, we ſhould need no other motiue to worke mens hearts to be in louelove therewith.
Fiftly and laſtly, the benefit & comfort5 The comfort of a good Conſcience at the day of Iudgement. of a good Conſcience is great at the day of Iudgement. Oh the ſweet comfort and confidence of heart that a good Conſcience will yeeld vntounto a man at that day. What will become of all the Gigantean ſpirits, and the braue fellowes of the earth then? Alas for their yellings, and curſings of themſelues, and their companions? What howling & crying to the mountaines, as they did, Revel. 6. Hide vsus, cover vsus, yea, daſh and quaſh vsus in a thouſand pieces. When an ill Conſcience is awakened, it is not to be imagined how ſmall a thing will gaſtre it. The ſound of a ſhaken leafe ſhall chaſe them, and they ſhall flye as flying from a ſword, and they ſhall fall when none purſues. Levit. 26. 36. A dreadfull ſound is in his cares, Iob 15, 21. Hee heares nothing, but he thinkes he heares alwayes ſome terrible and dreadfull noyſe. Now then if a ſhaken leaſe ſhall chaſe, and ſhall put them into a ſhaking feare, what caſe will ſuch be in, when as Iob ſpeakes, Iob 26. 11. The pillars of heauen ſhall tremble, and when the powers of heaven ſhall bee ſhaken, Luk. 21. 26. When the heauens ſhall ſhake, and flame aboue them, when the earth ſhall quake, and tremble vnderunder them, what caſe will they be in then? If meere imaginations fill their eares with dreadfull ſounds where there is no ſound at all: Oh what a dreadfull ſound ſhall be in their eares when the Sea ſhall raore, Luk. 21. 25. when the laſt trumpe ſhall ſound, 1 Cor. 15. when they ſhall heare the ſhout and voyce of an Angell, 1 Theſ. 4. 16, What dreadfull ſounds will theſe be in the cares of ill Conſciences? How will theſe dreadfull ſounds confound their ſoules with horrour and amazement.
But now for a good Conſcience, how is it with it then? Euen amidſt all theſe dreadfull ſounds it lookes vp, & lifts vp the head, Luk. 21. 28. and enables a man with a cheery confidence to ſtand before the Sonne of man, Luk. 21. 36.
The malefactor who lookes for the halter, how dreadful is the iudges comming to the Aſſizes, attended with the troups of halberds, in his eye; but the priſoner that knowes his owne innocency, and that he ſhall be quit and diſcharged, his heart leapes at the Iudges approach, how terribly ſoever he come attended to the bench, it glads his heart to ſee that day, which ſhall be the day of his liberty and releaſe. An hypocrite ſhall not come before him, Iob 13, 16. much leſſe, ſhall looke vp, & lift vp his head, or ſtand before him, Pſa. 1. 5. But the righteous, and the man with a good Conſcience, hee ſhall hold vp, and cheerefully lift vp his head, when all the ſurly, and proud Zamzummins of the earth, that here lifted vp their heads and nebs ſo high, ſhall become howling and trembling ſuitors to the deafe mountaines to hide them from the preſence of the Lambe on the throne. Oh! they that feare the Lambe on the throne, how dreadfull vntounto them will bee the Lyon on the throne.
It will be with good and evill Conſciences at that day, as it was with Pharoahs Butler, and Baker, on Pharaohs birth-day. The Butler hee knew hee ſhould be reſtored to honour, and goe from the priſon to the pallace, therefore he comes out of the priſon full of ioy, and iollity, he holds vp his head, and out-faces the proudeſt of his enemies. But the Baker hee knowes his head ſhall be lift from off him, and therefore when Pharaohs birth-day comes, wherein all others are in iollity, yet hee droopes and hangs downe the head, hee knowes it would proue an heavy day of reckoning with him.
Such will the apparition of Chriſt vntounto iudgement bee, vntounto good & evill Conſciences, as was the apparition of the Angell, Math. 28. 2. 3. 4. 5. There was a great earthquake, for the Angell of the Lord deſcended from heaven, his countenance was like lightning, and his rayment white as ſnow. Here was a terrible ſight, but yet not alike terrible to all the beholders. For, for feare of him the keepers did ſhake, and became as dead men. But the Angell ſaid vntounto the women, feare not yee, for I know that yee ſeeke Ieſus. So at the laſt day when Chriſt ſhall come to iudgement, evill Conſciences ſhall be as the Keepers, whileſt all good Conſciences ſhall heare that comforfortable voyce, Feare not yee, for I know that you hauehave ſought for God, and all your dayes yee hauehave ſought to kpepe a good Conſcience. How effectuall a motiue ſhould this be, how ſtrongly ſhould this worke with vsus. As wee would bee glad to hold vp our heads, when the glorious ones of the earth ſhall hang them downe, to leape for ioy, when others ſhall howle for bitter anguiſh of ſpirit, ſo now whilſt wee hauehave the day of life and grace, labour wee to get and keepe good Conſciences.