Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Integritie of Conſcience how procured.
ANd thus wee hauehave ſeene how the Conſcience may bee good for peace. It followes to conſider how it may become vprightly good, with the goodnes of Integritie. The goodneſſe of Integrity is gotten and kept by doing fiue things.
1. Walke and liue as Paul in this text, Before God, Set thy ſelfe euer in all thy wayes, as in the ſight and preſence of God, who is the Iudge & Lord of conſcience. Of Moſes it is ſayd, that he ſaw him that was inuiſible. Heb. 11. 27. Therfore it is that men walk with ſuch looſe and evill Conſciences, becauſe they thinke they walke inviſibly. And they thinke that God ſees not them, becauſe they ſee not God. An vpright Conſcience is a good conſcience, and this is the way to get an vpright one. Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me, and be vpright. To hauehave God alwaies in our eye, wil make vsus walke with vpright hearts. So Pſal. 119. 168 I hauehave kept thy precepts, and thy teſtimonies, that is in effect, I hauehave kept a good conſcience, but how came hee to doe it? for all my wayes are before thee. Cōſcience as we ſaw before, is a knowledge together, that is, together with God. Now then this is an excellent meanes to get and keepe a good conſcience, to bee carefull to do nothing, but that which we would bee content God ſhould know as wel as our ſelues. Thinke with thy ſelfe before every evill action. Am I content that God ſhould know of this? But how then may a man bring himſelfe to this? Set thy ſelfe alwayes in Gods preſence, & ſee the inviſible God, and ſee thy ſelfe viſible in his eye, and know that thou doeſt nothing which he takes not notice of. This well thought vponupon, and layd to heart, would make men make much conſcience of their wayes. The contrary to this is raſh walking, Lev. 26. when a man walks ſo looſely, & heedleſly as if there were no eye vponupon himDirige greſ ſus ſecundū verbū tuū. Quid eſt, dirige ſecū dum verbū tuum? Vt recti ſint greſſus mei, quia rectū eſt verbum tuum Ego, inquit, diſtortus ſum ſub pondere iniquitatis, ſed verbum tuum eſt regulae veritatis, me ergo diſtortum a me corrige tā quam adre gulam, hoc eſt, ad verbum tuum. Aug de ver. Ap…. ſer. 12▪ to view him in his actions.
2. Frame thy whole Courſe by the rule, and ſhape it by the direction of the word of God. Gods word is the Rule of Conſcience. Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this Rule. Men muſt then walke by Rule, & the Word muſt be this Rule. Pſal. 30. 23. To him that orders …is Conuerſation, all Chriſtians muſt be regulars, and muſt liue or derly. But what is that Rule by which their Conuerſation muſt be ordered? That ſame, Pſ. 119. 133. Order my ſteps in thy Word. He that orders his courſe by that Rule, which is the rule of conſcience, ſhall be ſure to keepe and get a good cōſcience. He that wil make good work will worke by his rule, wheras he that works by gueſſe muſt needs make but ill worke Whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſin. Rom. 14. 23. That is, whatſoeuer a man doth, and hath not warrant for it out of, and from the rule of the Word, makes a mans conſcience in that particular to be euil. And therfore v. 5. Let a man be fully perſwaded in his own mind. How happy ſhould m…n bee in getting and keeping good conſciences, if they would lay their liues and actions to the Rule. The want of this is it that makes men, men of ſo ill-Conſciences. Some liue by no Rule; ſome by falſe Rules, & hence come mens Conſciences to bee ſo Anomalous. Some liue by no Rule but doe whatſoeuer ſeemes good in their owne eyes, goe as their luſts lead them, and follow his beck that rules in the Ayre. This is alſo to walke raſhly. Leuit. 26. He that doth things without rule goes raſhly to worke. Hee that walkes irregularly, walkes raſhly, & no marvell if men hauehave crooked wayes, & crooked conſciences, when they will not liue by Rule. Some againe liue by falſe rules, and that not onelyonly Popiſh fictitious Regulars that liue by ſuperſtitious Rules of their Dominick, Francis, &c. but amongſt our ſelues many hauehave a Rule they doe liue by, but that rule is not the Word, but ſome falſeIntercauſas malorū noſtrorū eſt, quod vi vimus ad exempla, nec ratione cō ponimur, ſed conſue▪ tudine abducimur. Quod ſi pau ci facerent nollemus imitari, cū plures facere caeperūt, quaſi hone ſtius ſit, quia frequentius, ſequimur: et recti apud nos locū tenet error, vbi publicus factus eſt. Senec. ep. 124. Rules of their owne deuiſing. Such as are theſe; Great mens practiſe, or ſome learned mans opinion, the cuſtome of times and places wherein they liue, the examples of the multitude, or ſome ſecret blind and ſelfe-conceiued principles, which they keep to themſelues, and by which they liue. All which being crooked Rules, muſt needes make crooked Conſciences, whereas if men would liue by Dauids rule. Pſal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lampe vntounto my feet, and a light vntounto my path, and in eueryevery action would hauehave an eye, & a reſpect vntounto the Commandement, as he had, Pſal. 119. 6. then ſhould they make ſtreight paths for their feet. Heb. 12▪ 13. and keepe vpright conſciences. In eueryevery ſpirituall action therefore hauehave an eye to the Word, queſtion it whether it be iuſtifiable & warrantable by the Word or no, and meddle no farther then that will authorize, and beare thee out. If this courſe were taken, ſuch a good courſe would make and keepe a good Conſcience. And why ſhould not men be willing to take this courſe? why will we not make that Word our Rule, which muſt bee made our Iudge? The word which I ſpeake ſhall iudge you in the last day. Ioh. 12. 48. The Word ſhall iudge our cō ſciences, therefore let it rule, and order them. And if it hauehave the ruling of our conſciences, it will make them good conſciences, and when they are good, they neede not feare what Iudge they come before, nor what Iudgment they vndergoe. In ſumme, if we would hauehave good conſciences, we muſt make more conſcience then is commonly made of reading, and ſearching the Scriptures. The ignorance & neglect of this duty is it which banes ſo many conſciences in the world.
3. Keep a daily and a frequent Audit with thy conſcience, often examinatiō of the conſcience conduces much to the goodnes of it. The Prophet complaines of his people, EueryEvery one turned Integritatis tuae curioſus explorator vita tua in quotidiana diſcuſsione examina. Attēde diligēter, quā tum proficias, vel quātum de ficias, qualis ſis in moribus, qualis ſis in affectibus, quā ſimilis ſis Deo vel quam diſsimilis, quā prope vel quam lōge, &c. Redde ergo te tibi, & ſi non ſemper vel ſaepe, et ſal tē interdū. Ber. Medit Devot. c. 5.to his Courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the battel. ler. 8. 6. Here were men far from a good Conſcience, but what was the reaſon of it? He giues it in the former words, No man repented him of his wickednes, ſaying, what hauehave I done? There was no examination of their Conſciences and Courſes, what they were, nor how they were, and from hence comes this miſchiefe. This was Dauids courſe. Pſa. 119. 59. I conſidered my waies, and turned my feet vntounto thy teſtimonies. When a mans feet are in the wayes of Gods teſtimonies, then he walkes with an vpright Conſcience, and mark how Dauid came to doe ſo, I conſidered my wayes, he vſed to examine his Conſcience.
The firſt ſtep to get a good conſcience, is for a mnn to know that his cō ſcience before reformatiō is evill. How ſhall that be known without a ſearch? When a ſearch hath diſcouered what it is that maks the conſcience, & courſe euill, then will Conſcience be ready to labor a man to the reformation of that which is amiſſe, and will not ceaſe to vrge, and ply a man till it be done. Frequent examination as it helpes to the making of ſchollers, ſo to the making of Conſciences good. Hence mens lying in ſo groſſe neglects of good duties, in ſo many great euills, becauſe men and their Conſciences neuer reckon. Men take not themſelues aſide into their cloſets and chambers, & there ſet not vp a priuy ſeſſions to make inquirie into their owne hearts & waies, and therefore are their wayes & Conſciences ſo much out of order. Many a man thinkes his eſtate in the world to be very good, and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy, when his eſtate indeede is weake, and growes eueryevery day worſe then other. Now what is it that cauſes fo great a miſtake▪ Nothing but this, that he neuer looks ouer his books nor caſts ouer his reckonings. If he had done this, he ſhould hauehave ſeen that his eſtate was not anſwerable to his conceit, and the knowledge of his miſconceit would hauehave made him hauehave liued at a more wary, and thrifty …ate, and hauehave kept himſelfe with ſuch a compaſſe as might hauehave kept vp his eſtate, whereas now the not examining his bookes, puts him into a conceit of wealth, and this conceit beggers and vndoes him. It fares no better with too many in their Conſciences. Laodicea thought well of her ſelfe, thou ſayeſt I am rich. If ſhe had examined her Conſcience, ſhee ſhould hauehave ſeene that which Chriſt ſaw, that ſhe was poore, blind, naked, and miſerable, and the ſight of this would hauehave made her to hauehave ſought after that counſell which Chriſt there giues her. Reuel. 3. Men would hauehave far better Conſciences if they knew in what ill caſe their Conſciences ſtand, and examination would helpe them to the knowledge of this. If men would but ouer-looke the book of their Conſcience, and ſee how many omiſſions of good, how many ſinnefull commiſſions ſtand regiſtred there, it would both make them marveilous ſollicitous how to get thē wiped out, and wondrous wary how any more ſuch Items came there. Often reckonings would blot out, and keep off the ſcore. Here is then wiſedome for ſuch as deſire to keepe good Conſciences. Doe with the workes of thy conuerſation as God did with the works of his Creation. He not onelyonly ſurueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke, but at each dayes end made a particular ſurveigh thereof. Do thouOmni die cum vadis cubitum examina diligenter qùid cogitaſti, & quid dixiſti in die, & quomodo vtile tempus & ſpatium quod datum eſt ad acqui rendum vitamaeternā, diſpenſaſti. Et ſi bene tranſiuiſti lauda Deum, ſi male vel negligenter lugeas, et ſequenti die non differas confiteri. Sialiquid cogitaſti, dixiſti vel feciſti quod tuā Conſcientiā multum remordeat, non comedas antequam confitearis, Ber form. vit honeſt. Suauius dormiunt qui relinquunt curas in calceis. ſo, not onelyonly at the weeks end, at thy lifes end ſearch thine heart, and examine thy courſe, but at eueryevery daies end looke backe into the day paſt, and examine what thy carriage and behauiour hath beene. This being done, a man ſhal find his works either good or euil. If good, how ſhal his conſcience cheer him with its peace? If evill, then if cō ſcience hauehave any life, or breath in it, it will make a man fall to humiliation, & to a godly reſolution of watching ouer his wayes for the future, ſo ſhall Conſcience be much holpen for Integrity.
Dauids counſell is good. Pſ. 4. 4. Examine your hearts vponupon your beds, and his reſolution is alſo good, verſ. 8. of the ſame Pſalme, I will lay me down and ſleep in peace. Who would not be glad ſo to ſleepe, & to take his reſt ſo? Would we ſleepe vponupon Dauids pillow, ſleepe in peace? then hearken wee to Dauids counſell, to examine our ſelues vponupon our beds. There is nothing makes a mans bed ſo ſoft, nor his ſleepe ſo ſweet as a good cōſcience. It is with Sins as with Cares, both trouble a mans ſleep, both are troubleſome bed-fellowes, as they therfore ſleepe ſweetly that leaue their cares in their ſhooes, ſo they ſleep with moſt peace that let not ſinne lye down to ſleepe with them, who are ſo farre from lying downe in their ſinnes, that by their good will, will not let the ſun goe downe vponupon their ſin, but by examination ferret out the ſame. This being done it may be ſayd as Prov. 3. 24. thou ſhalt lye downe, and thy ſleepe ſhall be ſweete. Nay further, examine thy conſcience vponupon thy bed, and thou ſhalt not onelyonly ſleep in peace, but thou ſhalt awake & ariſe the next morning with an vpright frame of heart, diſpoſed to the more caution againſt ſinne the day following. So much Dauid ſeemes to intimate in that forenamed place. Tremble and ſin not. That is, be afraid to ſin, take heed ye ſinne no more. But what courſe may one take to come to that integrity of conſcience, as to feare to ſin? Take this courſe, Examine your hearts vponupon your beds.
But alas how rare a practiſe is this, & therfore are good conſciences ſo rare. Many thinke this an heauy burden, and a ſore taske, and count the remedy a great dea…e worſe then the diſeaſe, there is nothing they tremble at more then a domeſticall Audit, & this reckoning with their conſcience. They ſay of conſcience, as Ahab of Micaiah, and care as little to meddle with conſciēce as Ahab with Micaiah. I hate him for he neuer ſpeakes good to me. 1. King. 22. So they thinke their conſcience will deale with them. They know their conſcience will ſpeak as Iob ſayes God wrote, Thou writeſt bitter things againſt me. Conſcience hath ſuch a ſtinging waſpiſh tongue, that by no means they dare endure a parley with it. It is with many and their conſciences, as with men that hauehave ſhrewiſh wiues. Many a mā when he is abroad, hath no ioy at all to come home, nay, hee is very loath to come within his owne doores, he fears hee ſhall hauehave ſuch a peale rung him, that he had rather be on the houſe top, as Salomon ſpeakes, or in ſome outhouſe, and lodge as our Sauior at Bethlem in a cratch, or a Manger, then come within the noyſe of her clamorous, & clattering tongue. So many think conſcience hath ſuch a terrible ſhrewiſh tongue, that if they ſhall but come within the ſound thereof, they ſhall be caſt into ſuch melancholly dumpes, as they ſhall not bee able in haſt to clawe off againe. How much, and how ſeriouſly are they to be pittied that to preuent a few houres, or dayes ſuppoſed ſorrow, and ſadneſſe, by which they might come to procure both peace & integritie of conſcience, will adventure the racke and eternall torture of conſcience in Hell. Remember that there is no melancholly to the melancholly of Hell.