CHAP. I.

THere is no complaint so ge­neral as this, that the world is Naught. His experience is short and slender, which will not iustifie the truth of this Com­plaint. [Page 2] And what, thinke we, may the Cause be of the generall wickednes of our Times? Surely nothing makes Ill Times, but Ill men, and nothing makes H [...]minum sunt ista nō Temporum▪ Senec. ep. 98 Ill Men, but Ill Consciences. Ill Consci­ence is the source, & the fountaine frō whence come all Iniquities, which make Times heere so ill. How well should he deserue that could amend Ill times? There is a course if it would be taken that would doe the deed, and so cease the common Complaint. Eli­shaes course must be taken in the hea­ling of the waters of Iericho. They say of their waters as wee of our Times; The water is naught, and the ground barren. 2. King. 2. 19. What course now takes Elisha for the healing of the waters? He went out vnto the spring of the waters, and cast the Salt in there, ver. 21. So the waters were healed, vers. 22. The spring, and fountaine of all acti­ons good or euill is the Conscience, and all actions and courses of men are as their Consciences. Out of the heart are the issues of life, Pro. 4. 23. The [Page 3] Heart▪ & Conscience is the fountaine, euery action of a mans life is an Issue, a little rivelet, & a water passage thence. Are these waters then that issue thence Naught? The way to heale them is to Non erit fructue bo­nus nisi ar­boris bonae Muta Cor, et mutabi­tur opus. Aug. de ver. Dom. Serm. 12. cast the salt into the spring. Mend the Conscience and all is mended. Good Consciences would make Good men, and Good men would make Good Times. Lo here a Proiect for the reformation of evill Times.

Were this Proiect set on foot, and a good Cōscience set vp, how should we see profanations of Gods holy Name, & Day, Iniustice, Bribery, Oppression, Deceit, Adulteries, and Whoredomes, and all other Iniquites; how should we see all these, as our Saviour saw Satan, falling down like lightning from heaven? How should wee see them come tum­bling downe like so many Dagons be­fore Gods Arke, yea tumbled downe, and broken to the stumps? The onely Arke that must dash, and ding downe these Dagons is a good Conscience.

And if we would wel weigh the matter [Page 4] what is there equally desirable with Ecce quid prodest plena bonis ar­ca cum sit Inanis Con­scientia! Bona vis habere, & bonus non vis esse; tū quid est, quod vis habere malū ▪ Nihil omni no, non vx­orem, non filium, non ancillā, villam, tunicā postremo nō caligam, et tamen vis habere ma­lā vitam. Rogo te▪ Praepone vitam tuam caligae tuae (sic Consci­entiā.) Aug. ibid. vbi supra. Ipsa ergo diuitiae bonae sunt sed istae omnia bona a bonis & malis habe­ri possunt. Et cū bona sint bonos tamē face­re non pos­sunt Aug. de verb. Dō Serm. 5. a good Conscience? What is that men would haue, but they desire to haue it Good? And yet amongst al other things they desire to haue Good, what little care to haue the Consciēce such? Wife children, servants, houses, lands, Ayre, food, rayment, who would not haue these Good? And yet that, without which none of all these are good, nor will yeeld vs any true good, that alone is neglected, and whilest men would haue all other things Good, yet their Consciences, & thēselues are Naught. Now alas what good, will all other goods doe vs whilest this one, and this mayne Good thing is wanting! How ex­cellent is this Good aboue al other good things? A good wife, good children, good land, &c. these may a man haue, and yet he himselfe not Good, these finde men sometimes Good, but make none so; these goods may a man haue and yet himselfe bee Naught. Not so with a good Conscience, which no evill man can haue, which whosoever hath, it [Page 5] makes him and all hee hath good. So great and so good a Good, why is it so much neglected?

Try we therefore, & let vs assay if by any means, Gods good blessing giuing assistance, we may be able to stirre vp men, and to worke them to regard so great & so excellent a good. It may be at least some few may be perswaded, & may set vpon this worke of getting a good Conscience. If but some few, if but one be wrought vpon, the labour is not in vaine. If none, yet our worke is with our God, to whom we are a sweet savour in Christ, in them that are saued, and in them that perish, 2 Cor. 2. 15.

This portion of Scripture then which I haue chosen for the ground of the following Discourse consists of three parts.

• 1. Pauls sober and ingenious Profes­sion, and Protestation, vers. 1.
• 2. Ananias his insolent, and Impetu­ous Iniunction, vers. 2.
• 3. Pauls zealous Answer, and Conte­station, vers. 3.

[Page 6]1. The first is Pauls Protestatiō in these words; Men and brethren, I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day. With this Protestation of a good Conscience Paul begins his Plea. And how euer to distinguish our selues from Papists, we beare the name of Protestants, yet wee shall neuer be sound, and good Prote­stants indeede, till we can take vp Pauls protestation, that our care, endeauour, & course is to liue in All good Conscience. A Protestant with a loose & a naughty Cōsciēce, hath no great cause to glory in his desertion of the Romish Religiō. As good a blind Papist, as a halting Pro­testant. The blind and the halt were e­qually abominable vnto the Lord.

Paul was here brought forth to an­swer for himselfe before the chiefe Priests and the Councel: And his Pre­face, as I said, to his entēded Apology, if he had not bin iniuriously interrup­ted, is a protestation of the Goodnes of his Conscience. And this his good Conscience, or the goodnesse of his Conscience he sets foorth.

[Page 7]1. From his Conversation, [...]; I haue lived, or conversed. A good con­versation is a good evidence of a good Conscience indeed, there can bee no good Conscience, where there is not a Conversing in good. It is not some moods & fits in some good actions, & duries, frō whence Conscience gaines the reputation of Goodnes, but a good conversation, godly & religious in the generall tenour therof, proues the con­science worthy such an honor, as to be holden Good. He may be said to haue a good conscience that can be said to liue in a good Conscience. Many a man is frequently in the Citie, and yet cannot be said to liue there. There a man liues where he hath his Converse and Resi­dence. A mans life is not to be measu­red by some few actions, in which at some time he may be found, but by his generall course and conversation. God will iudge euery man not according to his steps, but according to his waies. It were ouer-rigid censoriousnes to con­demne a righteous man, & to question [Page 8] whether his conscience were good, because some steps of his haue bin beside [...] the way. We know for the general his way is good wherein hee walkes, and therefore according to his good way we iudge his Conscience good. Con­trarily whē we see a mans way for th [...] generall to be evill, though some tim [...] he may tread a right step or two, an [...] chance to chop into the faire roade fo [...] a rod or two, for this to iudge a man Conscience good, were a bottomless [...] and boundlesse Charitie. Every man [...] Conscience is as his life is.

2. From the Generality of his care, & obediēce. In all good Conscience. It mus [...] be All good, or it is no good Cōscience a [...] all. There bee that liue in some goo [...] Conscience, yea, Herod seemes to haue much good Conscience, he did many things gladly, but yet Paul goes fur­ther, and liues not in some, not in much but in All good Conscience.

3. From the Sincerity and, Integritie of it before God. Before men how many haue their Consciences exceeding [Page 9] good, & yet their consciences are far short of goodnes, because they are not good before God, the Iudge of consci­ence. Whilest conscience is made only of the Capitals of the second Table, or of the externals & ceremonials of the first, which duty is not done out of obedience to God & his Commande­ments; but a mans selfe either in his gaine, or in his prayse is sought, & base ends are the first mouers to good du­ties, here the conscience what euer ap­plause it hath from, or before men for it goodnesse, yet of God shall not be so esteemed. For that is not a good con­science which is one outwardly, but which is one inwardly, whose prayse is not of men but of God. And that hath its prayse of God which is be­fore God.

4. From his continuance, & constancie, vntill this day. To begin a good life, and course, and to liue in all good con­science, & that before God, are excel­lent things; but yet one thing is wan­ting to make vp this goodnesse com­pleate. [Page 10] To bee so for a day, or some dayes will not serue, but when a man can say at his last day, I haue liued in al good conscience vntill this day, that man may bee safely iudged to haue a good conscience indeed. Thus in these foure particulars doth the goodnes of Pauls conscience appeare. It is not my purpose to confine my selfe & to keepe me within these bounds alone, but to take a larger latitude, within the com­passe whereof I will bring both those forenamed, and all other materiall points which this protestation doth af­ford.

CHAP. II.

THe maine subiect of this protesta­tion, and the ayme of this follow­ing discourse being concerning a good conscience, for the more orderly hand­ling thereof, consider these speci­alls.

• [Page 11]1. What Conscience is.
• 2. What a good Conscience is.
• 3. How a good conscience may bee gotten and kept. The meanes of it.
• 4. How a good conscience may bee knowne. The markes of it.
• 5. The motiues to get and keepe a good conscience.

1. What conscience is: It may be thus described. Conscience is a power and faculty of the soule taking knowledge, and bearing witnesse of all a mans thoughts, words & actions, & accordingly excusing or accusing, absoluing or condemning, comforting or tormenting the same. I know there be other definitions giuen by o­thers more succinct, and neat, but I ra­ther chuse this, though it may bee not altogether so formall to the rules of Art. The rules of [...]oue and profit many times may make bold to dispence with rules of Art. So I may be profitable, I care the lesse to bee artificiall. It may suffice that this description is answera­ble to that Auditory for whose sake it was first intended. A plaine familiar [Page 12] description agrees well enough with such a people. For the better concei­uing of it let it be taken in pieces, and euery parcell viewed seuerally.

It is a faculty, or power of the soule. It is therefore called the Heart, 1. Iohn. 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs. Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes that thou thy selfe like­wise hast cursed others, that is thine own conscience knowes. It is also called the spirit of man, 1. Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man, saue the spirit of man which is in him. And Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it selfe beares witnesse with our spirit, that is, with our cōscience. Not that conscience is a spirit distinct from the substance of the soule, as Origen mi­stooke, but because it is a faculty of the soule, therefore the name that is oft gi­uen to the soule, is giuen to it. If it bee asked in what part of the soule this fa­culty is placed, wee must know that Conscience is not confined to any one part of the soule: It is not in the vn­derstanding alone, not in the memory, will, or affections alone, but it hath [Page 13] place in all the parts of the soule, & ac­cording to the seuerall parts thereof hath seuerall Offices, or Acts.

Taking knowledge: Eccle. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes. Conscience is pla­ced in the soule as Gods spy, & mans superiour and ouerseer, an inseperable companion that is with a man at all times, and in all places; so that there is not a thought, word, or worke that it knowes not, and takes not notice of. So that that which Dauid speakes of God himselfe, Psal. 139. 3. 4. Thou com­passest my heart, & my lying downe, and art acquainted with all my wayes, for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether. Whither shall I goe from thy spirit! If I ascend vp to heauen, &c. The same may bee also said of conscience, Gods deputy; it is acquain­ted with all our waies, not a motion in the minde, not a syllable in the mouth, to which it is not priuy: yea it is thus inseperably present with vs not only to see, but also to set downe, to register, & to put downe vpon Record all our [Page 14] thoughts, words, and workes. Consci­ence Nam quo­cun (que) me verto vitia mea me s [...] quuntur, v­bicū (que) vado conscientia mea menon deserit, se praesens ad­sistit & quicquid facio scri­bit. Idcirco quanquam humana subterfugiā iudicia, iu­dicium pro­priae consc. fugere non vale [...]. Et si homi­niꝰ celo qucd egi, mihi tamē (qui noui malū quod gessi) celare nequeo. Ber. de Inter. Dom. c. 31. is Gods Notary, and there is no­thing passes vs in our whole life good or ill, which cōscience notes not down with an indeleble character, which no­thing can raze out but Christs blood. Conscience doth in this kinde as Iob wishes in another, Iob 19. 23. 24. Oh that my words were now written, Oh that they were printed in a booke, That they were grauen with an iron pen, and laid in the rocke for euer. Conscience prints and writes so surely, so indelebly, yea it writes mens sins as Iudah his sin was, with a pen of Iron, with the poynt of a dia­mond, and they are grauen vpon the Ta­ble of their hearts, Ierem. 17. 1. Consci­ence doth in our pilgrimage as trauel­lers in their iourney, it keepes a Diary, or a iournall of euery thing that passes in our whole course, it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend. In regard of this office consci­ence is placed in the memory, & is the Register and Recorder of the soule.

And bearing witnesse. This wee finde [Page 15] Rom. 2. 15. their conscience also bearing witnesse. Rom. 9. 1. My conscience also bearing me witnesse. 2. Cor. 1. 12. The testi­mony of our conscience. And this the end of the former office of the consci­ence. For therefore is it exact & pun­ctuall in setting downe the particulars of a mans whole life, that it may bee a faithfull witnesse either for him, or a­gainst him. For a faithfull witnes cannot lye. Pro. 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times of tryall, affliction, and Peccat [...] mea celare non possum quoniā quo­cū (que) vado consc. mea mecum est secum por­tans quod in ea posui siue bonum siue malū; seruat vi­no, restituet defuncto de positum quod ser­uandum a [...] ­cepit. Ber. medit. de vot. c. 13. most of all at the last day, the day of iudgement; when it shall be more so­lemnly called in to giue in euidence, Rom. 2. 15. 16. Their conscience bearing witnesse, &c. In the day when God shall iudge secrets of men. At that day it shal especi­ally witnes either for or against a man; if our life and actions haue been good, it will then doe like the true witnesse, Pro. 14. 25. A true witnesse deliuers soules. If wicked & vngodly, it wil deale with it as Iob complaines God did with him Iob. 10. 17. Thou renewest thy witnesses a­gainst me. It will testifie according to e­uery [Page 16] mans deeds. And this testimony of conscience is without all exception, for in the mouth of two or three wit­nesses euery word shall stand, and con­science (as our common saying is) is a thousand witnesses: for it is an ey-wit­nesse of all our actions, yea a pen-wit­nesse, bringing testimony from the au­thentique Records & Registers of the Court of Conscience. Concerning this testifying office of conscience that place is worth the noting, Isa. 59. 12. For our transgressions are multiplyed before thee, and our sinnes testifie against vs, for our transgressions are with vs, and as for our iniquities we know them. By which place wee may know the meaning of the word Conscience. Conscience is a knowledge together. How together? First, a knowledge together with ano­ther person, namely with God, when God and a mans heart know a thing, there is Conscience, knowledge toge­ther. Rom. 9. 1. My Conscience ( [...]) Co-witnessing, witnessing together. How together? God knowes it & [Page 17] witnesses, & my conscience together with him knows, & witnesses. Secōdly, a knowledge ioyned together with a­nother knowledge; for there is a dou­ble act of the vnderstanding. First, that whereby wee thinke or know a thing. Secondly, there is a reflecting act of the soule whereby wee thinke what we thinke, and know what we know, and this is the action of the Consci­ence; and this ioyning of this second knowledge to the first, giues it the name of Conscience. As here in this place, As for our iniquities we know them, that is, wee know that wee haue had euill thoughts, & our knowledge tels vs, and witnesses to vs that we haue done so. This agrees with Bernards de­finition, that Conscientia est cordis scien­tia; Conscience is the knowledge of the heart, namely passiuely. It is the knowing of what the heart knowes: which others in better tearmes haue expressed thus, Conscience is the re­coyling of the soule vpon it selfe. Suta­ble to that of the Apostle. 1. Cor. 4. 4. I [Page 18] know nothing but my selfe. As if hee had said, I know not any thing that I know against my selfe, my Conscience doth not witnesse against me. And this se­cond office of Conscience in bearing witnesse is also in the memory.

And accordingly accusing or excusing, absoluing or condemning] These acts of Conscience we finde. Rom. 2. 15. Their thoughts accusing or excusing one another. Rom. 14. 22. Happy is he that condemneth not himselfe in that which he allowes. The ground of these Acts is this, con­science, before actions are to be done, determines of their lawfulnes, and vn­lawfulnesse; iudges of them whether they be good or euill. And if it iudge them good, it inuites, stirres vp, vrges, & bindes to the doing of them. Rom. 13. 5. Yee must be subiect for Conscience sake, that is, because conscience deter­mines it to be good, & vrges, and binds thereunto. Hence that phrase in com­mon speech, my conscience vrgeth me to it, or he was vrged in conscience to do it, and I am bound in conscience to [Page 19] doe it. Certainely if it iudge and deter­mine actions to be euill and vnlawfull, then it binds from them. So much that speech implyes, 1 Cor. 10. 27. Eate, asking no question for Conscience sake. So that Conscience hath a power to binde to, and to binde from.

Now then when a man in his parti­cular actions doth follow the Prescrip­tions, Dictates, Iniunctions, Prohibiti­ons, & Determinations of conscience, and hearkens to the incitements there­of, then cōscience excuses him, acquits and absolues him. But if in his actions he goe against any of these, then con­science accuses him of offence, and con­demnes him for that offence. The accu­sation of conscience hath respect vnto a mans guilt, the condemnation of it vnto a mans punishment. Accusation is an act of Conscience passing sentence vpon a mans action, as when consci­ence tels him. This was ill done, this action was sinfull. Condemnation is an act of conscience, passing sentence not only vpon a mans action, but vpon a [Page 20] mans person, as when it tels him, Thou deseruest Gods wrath for this sin. Conscience in accusing shewes what is the quality; in condemning what is the de­sert of a mans action. And these acti­ons of Conscience are in the mind, and vnderstanding part of the soule. The act of Conscience in the memory de­termines de facto, and tels vs what wee haue done, or not done. The act of Conscience in the vnderstanding de­termines de iure, and tells vs whether we haue done well or ill, and so accor­dingly either excuses or accuses, ac­quits or condemnes.

Comforting or tormenting the same] these be the last acts of conscience fol­lowing the former. If Conscience de­termining, prescribing, and inciting to good, be hearkened vnto, then it excu­ses, acquits, and thereupon followes comfort, ioy, hope, 2 Cor. 11. 2. This is our reioycing, the testimony of our con­science. Contrarily if the dictates of conscience be not regarded, it accuses and cōdemnes, & then torments with [Page 21] feare, griefe, despaire, and violent per­turbations, in all which is that Worme. Mar. 9. 44. And these actions of the Conscience are in the will, and in the affections. And thus according to the diuers parts of the soule, the acts and office of Conscience are diuers. In the Sic sic in do mo propria & a pro­pria fam [...] ­lia habeo accusatores testes, iudi­ces, & tor­tores Accu­sat me con­scien▪ testis est memo­ria, volūtas carcer, ti­mor tortor, ablectamē ­tum tormē ­tum. Ber. med. de vot. c. 13. memory it hath the office of a Notary, Register, and witnesse. In the vnder­standing it hath the office of a Iudge, and an Accuser, of a Felix and a Ter­tullus. In the affections either of a Comforter, or a Tormenter.

The summe of all may be thus knit vp. Cōscience containes three things:

• 1. Knowledge practicall.
• 2. Applicatiō of that knowledge to our particular estates, and actions.
• 3. Those affections which arise thereupon.

Now the speciall worke of Consci­ence consists in the second, in the ap­plying our knowledge to our estates and actions. Now in this application it lookes on things past, or present, simply as things, and so it witnesses of [Page 22] them to be done, or not done, Eccles. 7. Super nos etiam posu­it ad custo­diendum si deliquissent qui accusa­rent, qui testificarē ­tur qui iudicarent, qui puni­ret: consc. quippe est accusatrix, memoria testis, ratio Iudex, ti­mor carni­fex. Ber. hom de vil­li. iniq. 22. Or else it lookes at the good or e­uill of things past, present, & to come. If thngs past, or present, seeme good it excuses; if euill it accuses, and bites, Rom. 2. 15. If things to bee done seeme good, it excites, vrges, and bindes to the doing thereof. If euill, it vrges, and bindes there from. Now according to these seuerall acts there follow in vs diuers affections, ioy, hope, feare, grief, and the like. The whole processe of the worke of Conscience falls within the frame of a practicall Syllogisme, as for example.

• Euery one that sinnes in betraying in­nocent
  Consciētia Synteresis est, qua victi vo­luptatib. vel furore ipsa (que) in­terdum ra­tionis de­cepti simi­litudine nos peccare sentimus. Hieronym in Eccl. cap. 1.
  blood is worthy of Gods wrath.
• But I (saith Iudas) haue sinned in be­traying innocent blood, therefore I am worthy of Gods wrath.

Here the Maior is knowledge practi­call, the rule and law by which Con­science keepes her Court. This is Syn­teresis.

The Minor that is Syneidefis, the pro­per Synteresis est promp­tuarium princip [...]orū seu regula­rum pra­cticarum: eius officiū est regulas legis diuinae proferre, & cōscien sub­ministrare vt illarum ope possit censorem agere de propriis actionib. Alsted. Theol. Cas. cap. 2. worke of conscience applying that knowledge, and generall rule for a mans particular estate, or action. Here Conscience witnesses concerning the fact, iudges of the quallity of it, and accordingly accuses or excuses.

The Conclusion is the sentence of Conscience absoluing or con­demning, and accordingly cheering or stinging, comforting or tormenting a man.

CHAP: III.

VVHat Conscience is wee haue seene; The second thing con­siderable, is what a good Conscience is. The Conscience that is good, must bee good with a double good­nesse.

• 1. With the goodnesse of Integrity.
• 2. With the goodnes of Tranquility

Vprightnesse, and Peace: these two are required to the constitution of a good Conscience.

First, it is good with the goodnes of Integrity, when it is an vpright consci­ence. This is that which Paul cals A pure Conscience, 2 Tim. 1. 3. which phrase a man would almost thinke in his con­science that the holy Ghost vsed on set purpose, to stop the mouth of the ini­quity of the later times, that should seeke to disgrace all good Conscience with the sarcasme of puritie. Now the Conscience is good with this good­nesse of Integritie, and puritie three wayes.

1. When it being informed & right­ly principled by the word of God, the only rule and binder of Conscience, it doth truly & sincerely Iudge, and de­termine euill to be euill, and good to be good. As contrarily, the conscience is sinfully euill, when it doth not deter­mine that to be euill which is euill, nor that to be good which is good, but cals euill good, and good euill. Such as are [Page 25] the Consciences of Ignorant persons, who wanting the knowledge of Gods word, and hauing their consciences blinded through ignorance, are not a­ble to iudge of good and euill, nor to discerne & determine which is which. So that knowledge is necessarily requi­red to the goodnesse of Conscience. Rom. 15. 14. Ye also are full of goodnesse fil­led with all knowledge. The conscience cannot be good where the soule is naught, and that the soule bee without knowledge, it is not good Prov. 19. 2.

2. When it doth excuse for that which is good, and accuse for that which is euill, being sanctified by the spirit of grace: for the accusation of conscience though it follow vpon sin, yet it is not sinfull, and euill in it selfe, but onely painefull and troublesome, and so op­posed to the goodnesse of peace, not to the goodnes of vprightnes, according to that trite distinction of Bernard of a good conscience, and not quiet, and a quiet conscience and not good. It is the propertie of a Conscience vpright­ly [Page 26] good, to accuse vpon any sinne com­mitted. As contrarily, the conscience is sinfully euill, when it doth not excuse for good, nor accuse for euill. The superstitious person, omitting his foppe­ries, should be excused by his consci­ence, whereas he rather receiues blame from his conscience, therefore his conscience is sinfully euill. The secure persons conscience is naught, because he hauing committed sinne, his Con­science is silent, & lets him alone, and brings in no accusation against him, therefore it is sinfully euill. It is a wit­nesse that hath seene, and knowne euill, and doth not vtter it, therefore it shall beare its iniquitie. Levit. 5▪ 1.

3. When it doth incite and vrge vs to doe good, and doth stay and hinder from euill. It is vprightly good when it spurs to good, & bridles from euill. Heb. 13. 18. For wee are assured that wee haue a good Conscience. viz. A Consci­ence that is neither silent to perswade to that which is good, or diswade from that which is euill. If a man goe about, [Page 27] or bee ready to yeeld to any thing that is sinfull, how will it muster vp legions of Arguments, how will it wrestle and struggle with a man? It will say as Ab­ner to Ioab. 2 Sam▪ 2, 26. Knowest thou not that it will be bitternes in the latter end? or as Abigail to Dauid. 1 Sam. 25. 31. It shall be no griefe, nor offence of heart vnto thee another time, not to haue done this euill. If a man be negligēt, or care­lesse and drowsie in good duties, it comes to him with that voyce, Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest; or with that Isa. 30. 21. This is the way walke in it. When it doth thus, it is vprightly good. Contrarily, it is sinfully euill when it doth not incite vs to that which is good, nor hinder vs from do­ing euill. This is a dead, and a seared conscience. 1 Tim. 4. 2. Hauing their con­sciences seared with an hot yron.

2. It is good with the goodnesse of Tranquility. And that is when the con­science is at Peace, and doth not accuse vs, because it hath not wherewith to accuse vs, either because not guilty of [Page 28] such or such a particular fact. 1 Cor. 4. 4 I know nothing by my selfe; or else be­cause it is assured of pardon, in the blood of Christ, by which we come to haue no more Conscience of sins. Heb. 10. 2 That is, no more Conscience to accuse or condemne for sinne, it being done away in the bloud of Christ. And this is the purged Conscience, Heb. 9. 14. which brings Hope, Ioy, Comfort, and Confidence with it▪ 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our reioycing, the testimony of our Con­science. Then is the Conscience good when it is peaceable. As contrarily, then is it euill, painefully euill, when it is turbulent, and troublesome in the ac­cusations thereof, and binds ouer to Iudgement, and so leaues vs in shame, feare, perplexity, and griefe. 1 Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart cōdemne vs. This is a woun­ded, a troubled conscience. This is oft the euill Conscience of euill men: Isa. 57. 21. There is no peace to the wicked, faith my God. Yet may a man haue his conscience vprightly good, which is painefully euill, for a good mans Con­science [Page 29] may bee vnquiet and troub­led. Thus then wee see what a good conscience is, that which is vprightly honest, and quietly peaceable. This being so, it serues to discouer the dan­gerous errour of diuers sorts of peo­ple, that are in a dreame of hauing good consciences, and yet hauing nothing lesse. There be three sorts of con­sciences, which because they are in some sort quiet, and sting not, their owners would haue to goe for good ones, and yet are starke naught, and they are, The Ignorant; The Secure, and the Seared Conscience.

1. The Ignorant conscience. Men iudge of their ignorant consciences, as they doe of their blind, dumbe, and ig­norant Ministers. Such neither do nor can Preach, can neither tel men of their sinnes, nor of their duties. Aske such a blind guides people, what their con­ceit is of him, and what a kinde of man their Minister is, and yee shall haue him magnified for a passing honest harmelesse man, and a man wondrous [Page 30] quiet amongst his neighbours. They may doe what they will for him, he is none of those troublesome fellowes that will be reprouing their faults, or complaining of their disorders in the Pulpit; oh, such a one is a quiet good man indeed. Thus iudge many of their Consciences. If their consciences bee quiet, and lie not grating vpon them, and telling them that their courses are sinfull and damnable, and that their persons are in a dangerous condition, but rather by their silence, ignorance, and vaine pretences doe iustifie them, and tell them all will be well enough. Oh then what excellent good consci­ences haue these men. They make no conscience of Familie duties, once in the yeere to come to the Sacrament serues the turne; they are common swearers in their ordinary communi­cation; make no conscience of sanctifi­ing Sabbaths, &c. and their conscien­ces lets them alone in all these, doe not giue them one syllable of ill language, oh what gentle, and good natured con­sciences [Page 31] thinke these men they haue? But alas what euill consciences haue they. A good conscience must be vp­right as well as peaceable. And an vp right conscience is enlightned with the knowledge of the Word, and by that light iudges what is good, and what is euill, and when it finds mens actions not to be good, & warrantable deales plainely, and lets them heare of it. A good conscience hath good eyes, and is able to discerne betweene good and euill. Now these mens consciences are quiet, & haue their mouthes shut, but whence is it? Because their eyes are shut, and they are dumbe, because they are blind. Right Idoll cōsciences▪ they want mouthes to speake, be [...]use they want eyes to see. So that it may be said of such consciences as the Pro­phet speakes of those Watchmen. Isa. 56. 10. His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are all dumbe dogs, they cānot bark. Their blindnes bred dumbnes, and their ignorance silence. Thus is it with ignorant Consciences. What [Page 32] is the reason they barke not, but are dumbe, and are thus quiet? Meerely because they are blind and ignorant.

But yet as good as men account these consciences now, the time will come that it shall fare with thē as it did with Adam & Eue after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, Then their eyes were o­pened. So the time shall come when these Consciences shall haue their eies opened, & then also shal their mouths by oyened, yea wide, & lowd opened, and these now quiet consciences shall both barke and bite too. Do not there­fore flatter thy selfe in thine Ignorāce, as if thy condition, & conscience were good, because quiet. Neuer account th [...] true Peace which is not ioyned with vprightnes. Integrity, & ignorāce can no more stand together, then light and darkenesse. Integrity of conscience may be without Peace, Peace can ne­uer be without Integritie. Dumbe Ministers goe in the world for good Mi­nisters, because quiet ones, but the day will come that men shall curse them [Page 33] for hauing beene so quiet. So Ignorant and tongue tyed consciences goe for good ones, but the time will come that men will curse this peace of their con­science, for bringing them so quietly to hell. The Masse goes for an excellēt good seruice, because Missa non mordet, honest toothles deuotion, it neuer fa­stens fang in the hearers flesh. So ma­ny haue Masse-like consciences, tooth­lesse, and tonguelesse consciences, but yet the time will come, that as Masse­mongers shall curse their toothlesse Masse, so ignorant persons that now glory in their peace, shall curse their toothlesse conscience, yea they shall gnash their teeth, because conscience had no teeth, & shal gnaw their tōgues for anguish of heart, because their con­sciences wanted tongues to tell them of the danger of their wicked wayes, that haue brought them to so misera­ble a condition.

2. The secure conscience. As the blind conscience was like the dumbe Minister, so the secure conscience is [Page 34] like the flattering Minister, that ( Ier. 6. 13.) heales the hurt of his people with sweete words, & cryes, peace, peace, where there is no peace. This conscience wants not an eye, but only a good tongue in the head. It sees its master to doe euill, and knowes it to bee euill, but either cares not to speake, or else is easily put off from speaking, sometime it cares not to speake, being sleepy, heauy, and drowsie, like those Prophets. Isa. 56. 10. They are all dumbe dogs, they cannot barke. What was the reason? Sleeping, lying downe, louing to slumber. A sleepy, and heauy-eyde Curre, though hee see one come into his Masters yard, or house, that should not, yet barkes not, as loath by his barking to disquiet himselfe. A sleepy secure Conscience sees many a sin to enter the soule that should not, and yet lies still, and sayes nothing, is loath to breake its sleepe. And yet such Consciences men count good.

Sometimes it may bee it offers to speake, as a sleepy dog may open once, [Page 35] or twise at a strāgers entrance, yet is soone snibd, the least word of the ma­ster of the house makes him whist, and quiet. So secure Consciences vpon the greene wound begin to smart, and vp­on the fresh commission of sinne begin to mutter, & to haue some grudgings, but their master answers them as the friend in his bed did his neighbour, de­siring to borrow three loaues. Luc. 11. 17. Trouble me not, for I am in bed. I pray thee be quiet, let vs haue no wrangling and brawling, it shall be so no more, I will cry God mercy, I will hereafter finde a time for repentance, &c. and so Consciēce being secure, is easily put of with a few good words, & so closing her eyes, and mouth againe giues her master liberty to take his rest. And thus the secure conscience because it is so easily husht, & stilld, is counted a good conscience, as Nurces count them good children which though they are ready to cry at euery turne, yet are ea­sily quieted with some toy.

But this conscience is as farre from a [Page 36] good Conscience, as Security is from Integritie. Sin indeede sleepes, but yet it sleepes but dog-sleepe, yea though it sleepe soundly, yet it cannot sleepe long. Gen. 4. 7. Sinne lies at the doore. Sin lies a sleepe in the conscience as a Ma­stife lyes at the doore. A place where a dog cannot sleepe long. The doore is the common passage into, & out of the house, euery one is passing to and fro that way, and keepe such a clattering with the opening, and shutting of the doore, that there can be no sound, or at least no long sleepe. No better is the sleepe of secure consciences, which at length like mad ban-dogs, and fell Ma­stifes, will fly in the face of the sinner, ready to plucke out the very throat and heart of him.

The secure Conscience can bee no good conscience, because it hath ney­ther vprightnes, nor peace, both which were before required to the temper of a good one. Vprightnes hath it none, for it is not faithfull in its office, it doth not witnesse, it doth not accuse, as it [Page 37] becomes an honest vpright conscience to doe. Peace it hath none. There is a great difference betweene a peace, and a truce. In peace there is a totall depo­sition, both of Armes and Enmitie, all hostile affections are put of: In a truce, there is but a suspension and a cessation of Armes for a season, so as during the same there is still prouision of more Forces, and a preparation of greater strength. A truce is but a breathing time to fit for fiercer impressions. The truce being ended, the assaults are ra­ther fiercer thē they were before. The secure consciences are quiet, not be­cause there is peace, for there is no peace to the wicked, saith my God. Isa. 57. 21. Quomodo tranquilla? cum mundi huius pro­speritus al­ludit, & illudit, cum laudatur peccator in desideriis animae suae. Bernard▪ de Consc. But because there is some truce, the world smiles vpon them, & they haue outward hearts ease, and this brings them asleepe, but if any affliction, crosse, or sicknesse come, then they see how farre they are from peace. Con­science is sometime at truce with se­cure sinners, but during this truce, con­science is preparing Armes, and Am­munition [Page 38] against them, is leuying of fresh Forces against them, and assoone as the truce is ended, be it sooner or be it later, haue at them with more vio­lence, fury, and fiercenesse then euer before. And the truce once ended, it will easily appeare, what a wide breadth of difference, there is be­tweene a secure & a good conscience.

3. A Seared conscience. That which Paul speakes of, 1 Tim. 4. 2. A cauterized Conscience. That is, as Beza translates and expounds it. A conscience cut off as it were with a Chirurgions Instrument. An arme, or a leg cut off from the body, stab it, gash it, chop it into gobbets, doe what you will with it, it is insensible, it feeles it not. Or else as our translation hath it, Hauing their consciences seared with an hot yron. A comparison borrowed from Chirur­gerie. When a lim is cut off, Chirur­gions vse to seare that part of the bo­dy from whence the other is taken with an hot yron, and sometimes they doe cures by searing the affected parts [Page 39] with hot yrons. Now these parts vpon their searing haue a kinde of crusty brawninesse, which is vtterly insensi­ble, which though it be cut, or pricked, it neither bleeds, nor feeles. Thus is it with many mens Consciences, cōmit they whatsoeuer sinnes they will, yet their hearts are so hardened through long custome in sin, that they seele no gripings, pinches, or bitings at all, but are growne to that dead, and dedolent disposition. Ephe. 4. 19. who being past fee­ling, &c. It is with such mens consci­ences, as with labouring mens hands, which through much labour haue a brawny hardnes growing vpon them, which is without any feeling. One may thrust pins into it, pare it with a knife, and yet without any trouble or griefe at all. Such callous Consciences haue many that though they bee wounded, and gashed with neuer such foule sins, yet their consciences shrinke not, feele not a whit. Their Consciences are like Gally-slaues backes, so be brawned o­uer with often lashing, that an ordina­ry [Page 40] lash will not make them so much as once shucke in their shoulders. You haue many that can sweare, not only your more ciuill oathes, of faith and troth, but those ruffianly, and bloody oathes, of blood and wounds, and it neuer wounds their hearts a whit. You haue many that can commit foule sins with lesse touch then others can heare of them. You shall haue black-Smithes that are vsed to the frequent and daily handling of hot yron, hold an hot fire-coale in their hands, and langh, whilst another would roare out. There bee those that can be drunk day after day▪ that consecrate whole Sabbaths to Ve­nus and Bacchus, can giue themselues vp to foule villanies, and yet not one twitch at the heart, not a snib, not a crosse word from their Consciences. Estrich-like they can concoct yron, & put it off as easily as another weake stomacke can doe gelly. They haue brought their hearts to that passe the drunkards body is in; Pro. 25. 35. They haue stricken mee and I was not sicke, they [Page 41] haue beaten me and I felt it not. Their seared Consciences haue no more fee­ling then our sotted Drunkards haue in their drunkennesse, who though they haue many a knocke, and sore bruise, yet feele it not. To this fearefull condition, and senslesse and seared stupidity of Conscience many grow, & when they haue thus crusted and brawned the same, then they haue their Consciences at a good passe, be­cause they heare them not brawling within them. Alas how farre are such from goodnes of Conscience. In some sense, those haue worse Consciences then the Diuell himselfe, who beleeues and trembles, whose Conscience yet is not so seared, but it trembles at the thoughts of his deserued damnation.

And howsoever these seared consci­ences are quiet, yet there will come a day that this seared crustinesse shall be scaled off, and those consciences which were not sensible of sinne, shal be most sensible of pain: though they were past feeling in the committing of sinne, yet [Page 42] they shall be all feeling in suffering pu­nishment for sinne. God will pare off that brawninesse from their conscien­ces, and will pare them so to the quick, that they shall feele and most sensibly feele that which here they would not feele. Tremble therefore at the hauing of such a conscience, in which there is neither vprightnesse, nor peace; neither integrity, nor tranquillitie, but a senslesse & feareful stupiditie. Thus we haue seene what a good conscience is.

CHAP. IV.

IT followes now to knowe how a man may get and keepe a good one, which is the third point which was propounded to bee handled. A point wel worth our enquiring after. A good Conscience is the most precious thing that a Christiā can haue: a thing of that esteeme that where it is wanting, we account a man without a conscience. So [Page 43] of a man that hath an ill Cōscience we vse to say, he is a man of no Cōscience. Not that he hath no Conscience, the Diuels themselues haue a Conscience, and happy it were for them they had none, but when a man hath not a good one, we esteeme of him as hauing none at all. There is no greater good we can seeke after then a good conscience. Let vs enquire then how we may get, and keepe this so great a good.

A good Conscience then consisting in Peace and Integrity, these two being gotten and kept, we shall get and keepe a good Conscience.

First then to make the Conscience peaceably good, these things are re­quired.

1. Faith in Christ, and his blood. The Conscience cannot be at peace til it be purged from its guilt. An impure Con­science cannot but be an vnquiet Con­science, and every guilty Conscience is impure. Guilt is the same to the consci­ence that the winds are to the seas, Isa. 27. 20. 21. The wicked are like the trou­bled [Page 44] Sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast vp mire and dirt, There is no peace to the wicked. Now that which makes the Sea so troublesome and ragingly rest­lesse, is the violence of the blustering winds that trouble and tosse it to and fro. The winds are not so troublesome to the sea, as guilt is to the Conscience. Therfore as the way to calme the Sea, is to calme the windes; so the way to quiet and calme the Conscience, is to purge and take away the guilt. Guilt is in the Conscience as Ionas in the Ship, out with him and Sea and ship are both quiet. But how then shall the guilt be purged out of the Conscience! That we find Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our cōsciences frō dead works? We cannot haue a good conscience till we be freed from an e­uill one. The way to be freed from an euill conscience, is to haue our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, Heb. 10. 22. But what is that wherwith the Cō ­science must be sprinckled to be made good with peace & quietnes? The same [Page 45] which we finde 1 Pet. 1. 2. The sprink­ling of the blood of Iesus Christ, and Heb. 12. 24. The blood of sprinkling which speakes better things then that of Abel.

So then the Conscience sprinckled with Christs blood ceases to be evill, becomes good and peaceable. The same Christ that calmed the rage of the Sea by stilling the winds, Mark. 4. 39. He arose & rebuked the wind, & said vnto the Sea, Peace & be stil, and the wind ceased, and there was a great calme. The same Christ it is that stils the rage of the conscience, by taking and purging away the guilt therof, with the sprink­ling on of his blood. His blood speakes, Heb. 12. 24. And speakes not onely to God, but speaks to the conscience. The voyce which it speakes, is Peace and be still, the same voyce which to his Dis­ciples after his resurrection, Peace be with you, & then follows a great calme, and peace makes the conscience good.

But here the conscience will inquire how it may come to get this blood sprinkled vpō it, to make it thus peace­ably [Page 46] good, and what is it that applies this calming blood of Christ. I answer therefore, That it is the grace of faith, therefore it was sayd before, that faith in Christs blood makes peace in the cō ­science. Faith is the hand of the soule, and as the hyssop sprinckle, by which Christs blood is sprinkled vpon our cōsciences, Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience. And being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God. Rom. 5. 1. Hence that coniunction of faith and a good conscience, 1. Tim. 1. 5. of a good conscience, & of faith vnfained, & v. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience. For faith it is that makes a good cōscience, by making a quiet conscience. Faith is not only a purifying grace, Act. 15. 9. but it is also a pacifying grace▪ Rom. 5. 1 It not onely purges our corruption, by applying the efficacy of Christs blood, but specially purges out guilt by ap­plying the merit of his blood. So that no faith, no peace; & no peace, no good [Page 47] conscience. A defiled conscience can be no good conscience, and what de­files the conscience? See Tit. 1. 15. Vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, nothing is pure, but even their minde and conscience is defiled. They that be defi­led haue their consciences defiled, but how come they and their consciences so? To them that are defiled and vnbelee­uing. Therefore an vnbeleeuing con­science is a defiled conscience, & a de­filed conscience is no good cōscience, because it can haue no peace so long as it is clogged with defiling guilt. But contrarily faith purifying not onely from corruption, but from guilt, by the application of Christs blood makes▪ the conscience pure, and peaceable both.

There can be no peace of conscience but where there is the righteousn [...]sse of the person. There is no peace to the wicked, Isa. 57. 21. as if he should say, an evil vnrighteous person cānot haue a good conscience, where the person is evill, there the conscience cannot bee good. Now faith in Christs blood [Page 48] makes a mans person good, and so the cōscience becomes good. It makes the person righteous, and the person being righteous, the conscience is at peace, for the worke of righteousnes is peace, and the effect of righteousnes, quietnes, and assurance for ever, Isa. 32. 17. with which that of the Apostle sweetly sutes, Reu. 7. 2. First, King of righteousnes, and af­ter that King of peace. Our persōs must first find Christ a King of righteousnes by iustifying them from their guilt. before our consciences can finde him King of Salem, pacifying them from their vnquietnes. Our persons once iu­stified by Christs blood frō their guilt, and vnrighteousnes, our consciences are pacified and freed from their vn­quietnesse.

Wouldst thou then haue a good con­science? Get the peace of Conscience. Wouldst thou haue peace in thy con­science? Get faith in thy soule; Beleeue in the Lord Iesus, and get thy soule sprinkled with his blood, and then, Heb. 10. 2. Thou shalt haue no more [Page 49] conscience of sin, thy conscience shall be at quiet, no more accusing thee, nor threatning thee condemnation for thy sinne.

2. Repentance from dead workes. Though Christs blood be that which purges the conscience frō dead works, and so workes peace; yet that peace is not wrought in our apprehension, nei­ther do we get the feeling of this faith without some further thing. Therefore to our faith must be ioyned our repen­tance, though not in the making of our peace, yet for the feeling of it. Many are ready to catch at Christs blood, & if that will make a good conscience, they are then fafe enough. But as thou must haue Christs blood, so Christ wil haue thine heart also bleed by repen­tance, ere he will vouchsafe the sense of peace. A conscience therefore that would be a cōscience in hauing peace, must not onely be a beleeuing, but a re­penting conscience. Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand, the kingdome of heauen shall be yours if [Page 50] you will repent, ye shall haue it imme­diately vpon your repentance. But wherein stands this kingdome offered to repentant consciences? The kingdom of God stands in peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. Repent, and ye shall re­ceiue the gift of the holy Ghost, Act. 3. 38. And what may that gift be. The fruits of the spirit are loue, ioy, peace, Gal. 5. 22. Which though it be to be vnderstood of peace between man & man, yet also that peace which is between God and man is the fruit of the Spirit, & the loue of God shed abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost. Rom. 5. 5. is the gift of the ho­ly Ghost, which he giues to all that by repentance seeke to get a good consci­ence. Blessed are they that mourn, that is, which repent, for they shal be comforted, Mat. 5. they shall haue the peace of a good Conscience, which is the grea­test and sweetest comfort in the world.

Many doe trust all to their supposed faith, as a short cut and a compendious way to a good cōscience, but he whose faith doth not as well purifie the heart [Page 51] as pacifie it, hath neither faith, nor a good conscience. It is idle to hope for peace by faith whilst thou livest impe­nitently in a sinfull course. Thou canst haue no peace of conscience so long as thou hast peace with thy sinnes. Peace with conscience will be had by warre with sin, in the daily practise of repen­tance. It is but a dreame to thinke of a good Conscience in peace, whilest a man makes no conscience of sin. They that haue a good cōscience by Christs blood, may be indeed sayd to haue no Conscience of sinne, as H [...]b. 10. 2. But yet there is a great difference between having no Conscience, and making no Conscience of sinne. To haue no Con­science of sinne, is to haue a peaceable good conscience, not accusing for sin, being sprinkled with Christs blood. To make no Conscience of sin, is for a man impenitently to liue, & lye in any sin. Now let any iudge whether these two can stand together, that a man may liue as he list, and make no Conscience of any sinne, and yet haue such peace by [Page 52] faith as that he hath no Conscience of sin. It is an vnconscionable thing in this sense to lay all vpon Christ, an vncon­scionable request to haue him take a­way our guiltines, and yet wee would wallow in our filthines still. How shall faith remooue the sting, when repen­tance remooues not the sinne.

Mē seeking peace by faith in Christs blood, and yet liuing and lying in their sinnes without repentance, God will giue them Iehues answere to Iehoram, 2 King. 9. 22. What peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother lezebel, & her witchcrafts are so many? So what peace of Conscience so long as thine oaths, Sabbath-breaches, whordomes, drun­kennes, &c. do remaine, & remaine vn­repented of, and vnreformed. It is true of all sinne, which is spoken of Romish Idolatry, Apoc. 14. 11. They haue no rest day nor night, that is, no peace of Con­science to any of that religion, so of all that liue in any sinne, they haue no true rest day or night, that is, as Isaiah inter­prets it, There is no peace to the wic­ked. [Page 53] Peace and wickednes liue not to­gether vnder one roofe. Wouldst thou then haue a peaceable heart? Get an humbled, a mourning, and a repentant heart for sin. The lesse peace with sin, the more peace with God and our own Consciences.

3. The constant and conscionable exercise of prayer. An excellent means to helpe vs to the sense of that peace which makes the Conscience good. He that hath a good Conscience wil make Conscience of prayer. And prayer will helpe to make a good Conscience bet­ter. Philip. 4. 7. In euery thing by prayer & supplication with thanksgiuing, let your requests be made knowne vnto God, and marke what shall be the fruite thereof, And the peace of God that passes al vnder­standing, shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. See Iob 33. 26. Hee shall pray vnto God, and he will be fauou­rable vnto him, & he shall see his face with ioy. It is many times with mens Consci­ences, as it was with Saul, he was vexed and disquieted with an euill spirit, but [Page 54] Davids Harpe gaue him ease. Praier is a Davids Harpe, the musicke whereof sweetly calmes, & composes a distem­pered and disquieted Conscience, and puts it into frame againe. As in other disquiets of the heart, after prayer Da­vid bids his soule returne vnto her rest, Psal. 116. 4. 7. So may we in these disq [...]iets of Conscience doe no lesse.

The way to get a good peaceable conscience, is to haue acquaintance with God; and when we haue acquain­tance with him, then shall wee haue peace. Iob 22. 21. Acquaint thy selfe now with him, and be at peace. Now acquain­tance is gotten with God by prayer. Zech. 13. 9. They shall call on my Name, and I will heare them, I will say, it is my people; and they shall say, the Lord is my God. Loe how in prayer acquaintance is bred betweene God and his people, and acquaintance breedes lone, and peace; and peace a good conscience. Iudge then what pitious Consciences they must needs haue, that make so lit­tle Conscience of seeking God in this [Page 55] duty: of wicked ones the Psalm speaks, They call not vpon God, Psal. 14. as much as Isaiah sayes, There is no peace to the wicked, they are vtterly voyd of good Conscience.

CHAP. V.

ANd thus wee haue 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 [Page 56] 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 haue God alwaies in our eye, wil make vs walke with vpright hearts. So Psal. 119. 168 I haue kept thy precepts, and thy testimonies, that is in effect, I haue 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 [Page 57] of. This well thought vpon, 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 vpon him Dirige 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. [Page 58] 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 haue crooked wayes, & crooked consciences, when they will not liue by Rule. Some againe liue by false rules, and that not onely Popish fictitious Regulars that liue by super­stitious [Page 59] Rules of their Dominick, Fran­cis, &c. but amongst our selues many haue a Rule they doe liue by, but that rule is not the Word, but some false Intercausas 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 vnto my feet, and a light vnto my path, and in euery action would haue an eye, & a respect vnto 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 euery spirituall action therefore haue 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, [Page 60] 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 haue 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 haue 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 [Page 61] of his people, Euery 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 haue 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 vnto 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 [Page 62] 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 euery 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 haue seen that his estate was not answerable to his con­ceit, and the knowledge of his miscon­ceit [Page 63] would haue made him haue liued at a more wary, and thrifty [...]ate, and haue kept himselfe with such a com­passe as might haue 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 haue seene that which Christ saw, that she was poore, blind, naked, and miserable, and the sight of this would haue made her to haue sought after that counsell which Christ there giues her. Reuel. 3. Men would haue 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 [Page 64] 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 onely surueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke, but at each dayes end made a particular surveigh thereof. Do thou Omni 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 onely at the weeks end, at thy lifes end search thine heart, and exa­mine thy course, but at euery 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 haue 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 vpon 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 vpon Dauids pillow, sleepe in peace? then hearken wee to Dauids counsell, to examine our selues vpon 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 vpon 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 vpon thy bed, and thou shalt [Page 66] not onely 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 vpon 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 [Page 67] 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 haue 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 haue 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 [Page 68] 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.

CHAP. VI.

IN the fourth place, Deale with thy Conscience as God would haue A­braham doe by Sarah, Gen. 21. 12. In all that Sarah shal say vnto thee hearken vnto her voice. So here. If we would get and keepe a good Conscience, in all that it shall say vnto vs being enlightened and directed by the Word, hearken vnto it. Conscience being enlightened hath a voyce, and no man but some time or o­ther shal heare this voice of consciēce. Conscience is Gods Monitor to speak to men when others cānot, or dare not speake. Sometimes men cannot speake [Page 69] as not being privie to other mens necessities & failings. Sometimes they may not be suffered to speake, as Ahab will not endure Micaiah to speake to him. Sometime if a man speak he may haue rough and angry answers, as the Pro­phet had from Amaziah. 2. Chro. 25. 16 Art thou made of the Kings Counsell? for­beare, why shouldest thou be smitten? God hath therefore provided every man, e­ven great men which may not bee spo­ken to, he hath provided them a bosom Chaplein, that will round them in the eare, and will talke roundly to them, one that will be of their counsell in de­spight of them; one that feares no fists, dreads no smiting, yea, one that feares not to smite the greatest, 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Dauids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people. It may bee many there were about Dauid that had not the hearts to smite Dauid with a graue reprofe, though he giues leaue to the righteous to doe so. Psal. 141. Let the righteous smite me, but yet whilest others, it may be, are fearefull▪ and ti­morous [Page 70] to doe him that good office, conscience is at no demurre vpon the poynt, that feares not, but smites Da­uid for his sinne.

Gods Ministers are oft slighted, and light set by, Preachers cannot be regarded, but God hath giuen men a Prea­cher in their own bosome, & this Preacher wil make many a curtaine Sermon will take men to taske vpon their pil­low, and will bee Preaching ouer our Sermons againe to them. And though many will not be brought to repetiti­ons of Sermons in their Families, yet they haue a Repeater in their bosome, that will be at priuate repetitions with them in spite of them, & will tel them, This is not according to that you haue bin taught, you haue bin taught other­wise, you haue bin reproved for, and convinced of this sinne in the publike Ministerie, &c. Why doe you not hear­ken & reforme? Thus then conscience having a voyce, and doing the office of a Preacher vnto vs, if wee would haue conscience good, then in all things that [Page 71] conscience enlightened shall say vnto vs, hearken vnto it. More distinctly Conscience hath a two-fold voyce.

1. A voyce of Direction, telling vs what is good or evill, what is lawful & vnlawfull, Isa. 30. 21. And thine eares shall heare a word behinde thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, That is vn­derstood Ita enim desuper in silēto sonat quiddā non auribus sed mentibus. August in Psal. 42. of the voyce of Gods spirit in the secret suggestions therof, & such is the voice also of conscience within vs, dictating to vs, and directing vs what duties are to be done, what courses to be avoyded. How many times doth conscience presse vs to repentance and reformation of our wayes, how often doth it call vpon vs to settle to such & such good courses, and so with Dauid, Psal. 16. 7. Our raynes doe teach it in the night season.

2. A voyce of correction, and accu­fation, checking and chiding, taking vp and snibbing vs when we do amisse. So Psal. 42. 5, 11. and Psal. 43. 5. Why art thou cast downe O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within me? And Psal. 77. [Page 72] 10. whilst in the foregoing verses he was complaining, and vsing some speeches that might savour of some diffidence, see how conscience doth her office by a correcting voyce: And I said, This is my infirmity; as if he had said, whilst I was vsing such diffident expostulatiōs, mine owne conscience told me, I did not doe well. Consciēce so speakes vn­to vs, as the Lord to Ionah, Iona. 4. 4. 9. Doest thou well to be angry? So saies con­science oft, Doest thou well to be thus earthly, thus eager vpō the world, thus negligent, and formall in holy duties? Thus conscience giues her privie nips, and her secret checks. This is that of which Iob speaks, Iob 27. 6. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I liue. Imply­ing that conscience after sinne hath a reproaching voice, as when it befooles a man, as foole that thou art to do this, to lose thy peace with God for a base sinfull pleasure. Thus Davids Consci­ence reproached him. 2 Sam. 24. 10. I haue done very foolishly, yea, Psal. 37. 22. it puts the foole and the beast both vpon [Page 73] him, So foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a heast before thee. This is the smiting of the conscience, 2 Sam. 24. 10. Con­science first points with the finger, and giues direction, if that be neglected, it smites with the fist, and giues corre­ction.

Now then that which I ayme at is this; If we would get and keepe a good Conscience, then neglect not, nor de­spise Conscience when it speaketh. Doth thy Conscience presse thee to a­ny workes of pietie, to the care of fa­mily, worship, and priuate devotion, to the reading of the Scriptures, sanctifi­cation on the Sabbath, &c. In any case be so wise as to hearken to the counsels to the vrgings, and to the Iniunctions which come out of the Court of Con­science. Hearken in any case to this Preacher whom thou canst not suspect of partialitie, malice, ill will, as thou dost others, thereby giving way to Sa­tans policie, that hereby stops vp the passages of thine heart, that the Word may not enter. Here can bee no such [Page 74] suspitious; Conscience cannot be sus­spected to be set on by others, though Ieremy be charged to be set on by Ba­ruch, Ier. 43. 3. Therefore hearken to the voyce of this Preacher, and this will helpe thee to a good Conscience.

Againe, doth thy conscience rebuke thee, doth it chide and checke thee, doth thy▪ heart reproach thee for thy wayes? Doth it say, doest thou well to liue in such and such sinnes? Doth it punctually reprove thee for thine evils? Ideo quan­tum potes, teipsum co­argue; in­quire in te accusatoris primū par­tibus funge­re, deinde Iudiciis no­vissime de­precatoris: aliquando offende te, Senec. ep [...]st. 28. Doe not answere Conscience as Ionas answered God, frowardly, Yea I doe well; but even close with Conscience, and do thou accuse thy selfe as fast as it accuses, acknowledge thy folly, yeeld promise, and couenant with thy conscience a present and speedy reforma­tion. This if it were done, how happy should men be in getting and keeping a good Conscience.

But alas, how few regard the voyce of Conscience, and once hearken to it, and the very want of this dutie is it which breeds so much ill conscience in [Page 75] the world. Men in this case are guilty of a double wickednesse. Either they deale as the Iewes with the Apostles, Act. 4. 18. and 1 Thes 2. 16. They either stop Consciences mouth, and labour to si­lence this Preacher, or else they deale with Conscience as the Iewes did with Stephen, Acts 7. 57. They stopped their eares: If they cannot stop Consciences mouth, they will at least stoppe their owne eares.

1. They labour to stoppe Consci­ences mouth. If conscience beginne to take them aside, and to say to them as Ehud to Eglon; Iudg. 3. 19. I haue a secret errand vnto thee: they answer, but in another sense, as hee did; Keepe silence. If conscience offer to be talking to them, they shuffle it off as Felix did Paul, they are not at lea­sure, they will finde some other time when their leasure will better serue. Yea many when their conscience re­proaches them, they againe reproach and reproove it, and answere it as the Dauites did Micah, Iudges 11. 23. [Page 76] What ayleth thee? and are ready to giue reproachfull language to their owne Conscience, that it cannot be quiet and let them alone.

2 But yet conscience will not often­times bee thus posted and shuffled off, she wil not be gagged, or suffer her lips to be sown vp, but wil deale with a man as the woman of Canaan did with our Saviour, Math. 15. She would not be put off with neglect, or crosse answers, but she still presies vpon our Sauiour, & growes so much the more importunate. So oftētimes conscience whē she sees men shuffle, growes the more im­portunate, and will dog and haunt men so much the more. Yea it deales like the blind men Math. 20. 31. who when the multitude rebuked them, they cryed the more. Now then when Conscience growes thus clamorous, and will not be silenced, then they will stoppe their owne eares, that if it will needs be pra­ting, it shall but tell a tale to a deafe man. To this end men put a double tricke vpon their Consciences.

[Page 77]1. Sauls tricke. Saul is vexed with an evill spirit, What must be the cure? seeke him out a minstrell. Thus many when the cry of Conscience is vp, be­take them to their merriments & iolli­ties. They try whether the noyse of the Harps▪ and Viols, and the roarings of good fellowes will not drowne the voyce and noyse of Conscience. They will try whether the dinne of an Ale­house, or the ratling and clattering of the Dice and Tables, cannot deaf their cares against the clamours of Conscience. Thus do many in the accusations of Conscience, giue themselues whol­ly vp to all manner of pleasures & de­lights, that so their minds beeing taken vp with them, there might be no lei­sure to giue conscience any the least au­dience. [...]. Chrys. in 1. ed Cor. hom. 7.

2. Cains tricke. Cain had a marke of God vpon him, Gen 4 15. And what might that mark be? Chrysostom thinks it was a continuall shaking and trem­bling of his body. If that were his marke, why might not that trembling [Page 78] come from the horrour of his guilty conscience, following him with a con­tinuall hue and cry for murther, & re­proaching him for a bloudy murtherer. How-euer, no question but his Consci­ence continually haunted him, and the cry of blood was euer in his ears. Now then what course takes he? ye shall see Gen. 4. 17. that hee falles a building of Cities, betakes himselfe to a multitude of imployments, that the noyse of the sawes, axes, and mallets might be low­der then the noyse of his conscience. If Conscience bee out of quiet with them, and will not cease to vrge and pinch them, then haue among their sheep, & oxen, that their blea [...]ing, and bellowing may keepe vnder the voyce of conscience, they do so possesse their heads and their thoughts, and so over­load them with much dealings in the world, that there is no spare time wherein their care can be free to heare the voyce of Conscience. The clutter of their many businesses make too great a noyse for Conscience to haue audi­ence. [Page 79] They deal with their consciences as the Ephesians dealt with Alexander, Act. 19. 33. 34. And Alexander beckned with the hand, and would haue made his defence vnto the people. But when they knew that he was a Iew, all with one voyce about the space of two houres cryed out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. If Alex­ander had had neuer so good lungs, & strong sides, hee might haue strayned his voyce till he had crazed the organs of language, and might haue spoken till he had been hoarse againe, before hee could haue been heard to haue spoken one syllable, though he had spoken all the reason in the world. Such a noyse of an outragious bellowing multitude had bin almost enough to haue drow­ned the voice of a Canon. Thus deale men with their conscience, if shee but prepare to speake and giue but a becke with the hand, presently thrust them­selues into a crowd of businesse that may out-cry, and ouer-cry the bawling noyse thereof. It was an hideous noyse that the shriking infants of Israel made [Page 80] when they were offered vp aliue in fire vnto Moloch. Now lest their parents bowels should earne with compassion, and be affected with the shrikes of their poore babes, therefore they had their Drummes and Trumpets strucke vp, and sounded in the time of sacrifice, to make such a noyse, that in no case the lamentable cries of the infants should be heard. The same tricke doe too ma­ny put vpon their consciences, if they wil be clamouring they will haue some Drum or other, whose greater noyse may deafe their eares from hearing the cryes of conscience.

But alas what poore Proiects are these? The time will come when men shal haue neither pleasures nor profits, neither delights nor businesse, to stop their eares. Though now men beat vp­on these Drumme-heads, and with the noise of their pleasures & profits, keepe conscience voyce vnder from beeing heard. Yet the day will come, when God will beat out these Drum-heads, and then the cries, & horrid, & hideous [Page 81] shrikes of Conscience shall be heard. God will one day strip thee of all thy pleasures and employments, and will turne thee single and loose to thy Con­science, and it shall haue full liberty to bait thee, and byte thee at pleasure. Oh how much better to bee willing to hearken to the voyce of Conscience here, then to be forced to heare it in hell, when the time of hearkening will be past and gone. Hearken to it now, & thou shalt not heare it hereafter. Hear­ken to the admonitions and reproofes of it now, and thus shalt thou get In­tegrity here, and shalt bee free from hearing the dolefull clamours of it in hell hereafter.

5. To get and keepe a good Consci­ence euer in cases of a doubtfull and questionable nature, be sure to take the surest side. Many things are of a questi­onable nature, and much may be sayd on either side in such cases, if thou wouldst haue a good Conscience take the surest side, that side on which thou mayst bee sure thou shalt not sinne. As [Page 82] for example. There bee diverse games and recreations whose lawfulnesse are questioned, yet much may be said for them, and possibly they may haue the iudgement of diverse reuerend & lear­ned men for their lawfulnesse. Now what shall a man doe in this case? Take the sure side. If I vse them it is possible I may sinne, it may be they are not sin­full, yet I am not so sure of it that I shall not sin if I vse them, as I am sure I shall not sinne if I doe not vse them. I am sure that not to vse such sports breakes none of Gods commandements, a man may be bold to build vpon that. Hee that liues by this rule, shall keepe his Conscience from many a flawe. Hee Tutiores igitur vi­uimus si to­tum Deo damus, Non autem nos illi ex par­te, & nobis ex parte committi­mus. Aug. de dono perseu. cap. 6. that sayles amongst rocks it is possible he may escape splitting, but he is not so sure to keepe his vessell safe and whole, as he that sayles in a cleare sea where no rocks are at all. It is good in matter of life and practice, to doe as Augustine speakes in case of doctrine. We liue more safely, saith he, if wee attribute all wholly to God, and do not commit our selues part­ly [Page 83] to God, and partly to our selues. In doc­trines it is good to hold the safest side, wherein there can be no danger, yea, Bellarmine himselfe after his long di­spute for iustification by merit, comes to this at last, That by reason of the vncer­tainty Propter in­certitudi­nem propriae Iustitiae & periculum inanis glo­riae tutissi­mum est fi­duciam to­tam in sola Dei miseri­cordia & benignitate reponere. Bellar de Iustific. lib. 5. cap. 7. of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine-glory, it is the most safe way to repose our whole confidence in the mercy and goodnes of God alone. Which way soeuer Bellarmine is gone himselfe, or any of his religion, I thinke common reason will teach a man so much wis­dome to goe the safest way to heaven, and that the safest way is the best way. The Lord that would haue vs make our calling and election sure, 2. Pet. 1. 10. would not haue vs put so great a matter as the saluation of our soules vpon Bellarmines hazard, and confessed vncertainty of our owne righteousnes. Now as in case of doctrine, so in case of practice it is great wisedome, and a great meanes of keeping a good Con­science, to do that wherin we may Tu­tiores vinere, and to take to that which [Page 84] Tutissimum est, to follow that which is safest, and to take to that side which is the surest, and the freest from danger.

CHAP. VII.

THus wee see how a good Consci­ence may be had; it followes wee consider how it may bee knowne, and be discerned to be had. The markes and notes by which a good Consci­ence may be knowne, are seven.

1. This in the text. In all good Conscience. 1. Nore of good con­science. Conscience in all things. It is a good note of a good conscience, when a man makes consci­ence of all things, all duties, & all sins. There bee that haue naturall Consci­ences principled by some generall grounds of nature, and it may bee so farre as these rules carry them may make some Conscience, but their prin­ciples comming short, they must needs also come as short of a good Consci­ence: I haue liued sayes Paul here, in all [Page 85] good Conscience, and Heb. 13. 18. Wee trust wee haue a good Conscience in all things. It is a good Conscience when a mans life, all his life is a life of Consci­ence, when in all his life, and the whole tenour thereof he makes Conscience of all that God commands, and for­bids, Psalm. 119. 6. Then shall I not bee ashamed (what breeds shame but euill conscience?) when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements. When all are respected there is no shame, because where all are respected there is good Conscience, and where good Consci­ence is, there is no shame. That argu­ed Davids good Conscience, Psal. 119. 101. I haue refrayned my feet from eve­ry evill way.

Try mens Consciences by this, and it will discouer a great deale of evill Conscience in the world. Many a mo­rall man makes Conscience of doing his neighbour the least wrong, hee will not wring or pinch any man, payes e­uery man his owne, deales fairely and squarely in his commerce, there is no [Page 86] man can say blacke is his eye, you shall haue him thanke God that he hath as good a Conscience as the best. These are good things, and such things as men ought to make Conscience of, but yet here is not enough to make a good Conscience. A good Conscience must be all good Conscience, or it is no good Conscience. Now indeed these men may haue good Consciences be­fore men, but my text tels vs that wee must liue in all good Conscience before God. And Paul ioynes them two toge­ther, Act. 24. 13. And herein doe I exer­cise my selfe to haue a good Conscience voyde of offence towards God, & towards men. Now be it that these haue good Conscience before men, yet what haue they before God? Alas they are mise­rably ignorant in the things of God, no Cōsciences to acquaint themselues with his truth, no conscience of prayer in their families, of reading the Scrip­tures, no conscience of an oath, and as little of the Sabbath, and the pri­vate duties thereof. How farre are [Page 87] these from good conscience.

Others againe seeme to make consci­ence of their duties before God, but in the meane time no Conscience of duties of Iustice in the second Table, make no conscience of oppression, rac­king rents, covetousnes, over-rea­ching, &c. these are no better conscien­ces then the former, neither are good because they liue not in all good Con­science. Thus may a man discover the naughtie Consciences of most. Iehu seemes wondrons zealous for the Lord, and seemes to be a man of a sin­gular good conscience in the demoli­shing the Temple of Baal, and putting to death his Priests. I but if Iehu make Conscience of letting Baals Temple stand, why doth he not as well make Cōscience of letting Ieroboams Calues stand. If Iehu had had a good consci­ence, he would as ill haue brookt Iero­boams as Iezebels Idolatry; he would haue purged the Land of all Idols.

Herod seemes to make some Consci­ence of an oath. Mark. 6. 26. For his [Page 88] oathes sake he would not reiect her. It is ioy of him that he is a man of so good Conscience. I, but in the meane time why makes he no Conscience of Incest and Murther? Hee feares and makes Conscience to breake an vnlawfull oath, but makes no Conscience to cut an holy Prophets throate. Who would not haue thought Saul to haue beene a man of a very good Conscience, see how like a man of good Conscience he speakes. 1. Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not against the Lord in eating with the blood. Hee would haue the people make Consci­ence of eating with the blood, and in­deed it was a thing to bee made Con­science of. I but he that makes Con­science of eating the flesh of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood, like a bloo­dy hearted tyrant, as he was, he makes no Conscience of sucking, and shed­ding the blood of fourescore and fiue of Gods Priests. Iust the conscience of his blood-hound Doeg. 1. Sam. 21. 7. Doeg was there that day deteyned before the Lord. How deteyned? eyther out [Page 89] of a religious Conscience of the Sab­baths, or by occasion of a vow, the man made conscience of going before the Sabbath were ended, or the dayes of his vow finisht. A thing indeed to be made conscience of, men ought not to depart from Gods house till holy ser­uices be finisht, a dutie that even the Prince must make conscience of. Ezek. 46. 10. Who therefore would not iudge this Edomite a conscionable Pro­selyte. I, but why then makes hee no conscience of lying. Psa. 25. Why no conscience of being instrumentall to Sauls Iniustice in that barbarous villa­ny of slaying, not onely innocent men, but innocent Priests of the Lord? Such were the consciences of the chiefe Priests. Mat. 27. 6. How like honest conscionable men they speake? It is not lawfull for to put them into the trea­sury, because it is the price of blood. Sure it is great conscience ought to be made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple treasure; Are they not then men of good Conscience, It is not law­full, [Page 90] ye see they will not doe that which is not lawfull. It is well, but tell me, is it not lawful to take the price of blood, and is it lawfull to giue a price for blood? Ought there not a conscience Qualis haec innocentiae simulatio? pecuniam sanguinis non mittere in Arcam, & ipsum sanguinem mittere in Conscienti­am. August. to be made of blood, as well as of the price of blood? They make a Consci­ence of receiuing the price of blood into the treasury, they make no Con­science of receiuing the guilt of blood into their Consciences. Iust such con­sciences as they had. Ioh. 18. 28. They would not goe into the Iudgement hall lest they should be defiled, but that they might eate the Passeouer. Indeed a man should make great conscience of prepa­ration to the Sacrament, and take great heed that he come not thither defiled; But see their naughtie conscience. They make conscience of being defi­led by going into the Iudgement hall, but make no conscience of being defi­led with the blood of an Innocent. Such was the conscience of the Iewes. Ioh. 19. 31. they make Conscience of the body of Christ hanging vpon the [Page 91] Crosse on the Sabbath, but with what Conscience haue they hanged it on the Crosse at all? This was iust like to those that Socrates speakes of, who made great conscience of keeping holy-dayes, yet made no conscience of vncleanenesse, that was but an indiffe­rent thing with them. As if Conscience were not rather to bee made of keeping our vessells in holines, our bo­dies, then dayes holy? Remarkeable in this kinde is that dealing of the Iewes with Paul. 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one. If we looke into the Law. Deut. 25. 1. 2. 3. it runs thus, If there be a Controver­sie, &c. and it shall be if the wicked man be worthy to bee beaten, the Iudge shall cause him to lie downe, and to bee beaten before his face according to his fault by a certaine number, fortie stripes hee may giue him and not exceed. Now see the good conscience of these Iewes, they might giue forty stripes, but not be­yond that number might they goe. Now they make so much conscience [Page 92] of exceeding the number of fortie, that they giue Paul but nine and thirtie. Thus they make Conscience of the number, but no conscience of the fact. They make conscience of giuing about fortie, but with what conscience doe they giue him any at all. The text not onely prescribes the number of stripes, but the condition of the person, name­ly, that he be worthy to be beaten, and he must be punished according to his fault. Now see these men make Conscience of the law for the number, but make no conscience of the law, that will haue only wicked men, and such as are worthy to be beaten, to bee so vsed. These be the good consciences of wic­ked men, they make seeme of making conscience in some one thing, but make no conscience of ten others, it may be of farre greater weight, and necessitie, and herein discover they the naughti­nes of their consciences. The consci­ence therfore is not to be iudged good for one, or some good actions. Ioab tur­ned not after Absolom, but he turned [Page 93] after Adoniah. 1 King. 2. 28. Whereas a good conscience that turnes neither to the right hand nor to the left, would haue turned neither after Adoniah no [...] Absolom. A good conscience and a good conversation must goe together. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience, that they may be ashamed that falscly ac­cuse your good conversation. One good action makes not a good conversation, nor a good Conscience, but then a mans conversation may be said to bee good, when in his whole course hee is carefull to doe all good duties, and to avoyd all sins, and such a good conversation is a signe of a good Conscience.

To doe some good things, & not all, Nune au­tem in hoc maior of­fensa est quod par­tem senten­tiae sacrae pro commo­dorum no­strorum v­tilitate de­ligimus, partem pro dei iniuria praeteri­mu [...], [...]t maxime cū & terre­stres domi­ni nequa quam aequo animo tole­randum pu­tent si ius­siones suas servi ex parte audi­ant, & ex parte con­temnant. Si enim pro arbitrio suo servi dominis obtem­perant, ne in iis qui­dem in quibus obtem­peraverint, obsequun­tur, &c. Salvian de provid 2. Note of a good con­science. Conscience of small Duties. is no more a signe of a good consci­ence, then to doe some things onely which his master requires, and to neg­lect other some, is no sign of a good ser­vant. A good servants commendation is to doe all his masters busines he en­ioynes him. Wee would hold him but an holy-day servant, and an idle com­panion, that when his master hath set [Page 94] him his severall workes to doe, he will doe which him pleases, and leaue the other vndone. This were not to doe his masters, but to doe his owne will, and to serue his own turne rather then his masters: So for a man to make choyce of duties, and to picke out some particulars, wherein hee will yeeld obedience to God, and to passe by others as not standing with his pro­fits, pleasures, and lusts, this will neuer gaine a man the commendation of a good Conscience, whose goodnesse must be knowne by making conscience of all things. Then haue Gods ser­vants good Consciences, when it can be said of them as Shaphan speakes of Iosiah his seruants. 2 Chron. 34. 16. All that was committed to thy seruants, they doc it.

2. To make conscience of small Duties, and small sinnes. This also ri­ses out of the text. All good Consci­ence. If of all things, then of small things. It might haue beene compre­hended vnder the former, but yet for [Page 95] Conviction sake I distinguish them. The good Conscience makes not con­science onely of great duties, and sins, but even of the least, knowing that as Gods great power and omnipotence is the same in the making of an Angell and a worme, so Gods authoritie, wise­dome and holinesse is the same in the least Commandements as in the grea­test of them all. It makes conscience specially of Iudgement, and the weightie matters of the law, but yet doth not therefore thinke it selfe dis­charged of all care in smaller things, doth not therevpon challenge a dis­pensation from obedience in meaner matters, as if it were needlesse scrupu­losity, and too much precisenesse to tythe Mint, Anise, and Cummin. A Cummin-seed indeed is but a small thing, a very toy, but yet as small a thing, and as light as it is, yet will it lye heavie vpon a good Conscience, being iniuriously and fraudulently deteyned from the Levites. The Pharises tythed Mint, Anise, and Cummin, but they [Page 96] neglected the weighty matters of the Law. It is no good Conscience that lookes to small, and neglects great du­ties, neither is it a good conscience on the other side that looks after the great and weightie duties, and makes no rec­koning of Mint and Anise. Our Savi­our sayes both ought to be done. Pha­raoh could be content that the people should goe sacrifice, but hee cannot a­bide that Moses should be so peevishly precise, that not an hoofe shall be left behinde. Alas, an hoofe is but a toy, not worth the mentioning, what need Moses be so strict as to stand vpon an hoofe? Yet a good Conscience will stand vpon it, having Gods Cōmande­ment, & will make Conscience as well of carrying away hoofs as of whole bo­dies of cattell. It is with a good Cōsci­ence as it is with the apple of the eye, of al the parts of the body it is the most tender, not onely of some great shiues, or splints vnder the eye-lid, but even the smallest haire and dust grieues, and offends it. It is so with a tender good [Page 97] conscience, not onely beames, but also moats disquiet the eye of a good con­science, and not onely greater, and fowler sins, but even such as the world counts veniall trifles doe offend it. A good Conscience straines not onely at a camell, but at a gnat also. Neither doth our Sauiour blame the Pharises simply for strayning at a Gnat, but for their hypocrisie, who would pretend Conscience in smaller things, & meane while made none in the greater; for o­therwise a good conscience indeede hath a narrow passage for a Gnat, as well as for a Camell. The least corn of grauell galles his foote that hath a streight shooe, but he that hath a large wide shooe, slopping about his foot, it is no trouble to him. It is iust so with Consciences good and euill.

A Gnat is but a small thing, yet Pope Hadrian the fourth was choakt with a Bal. pag. of Popes pag. 97. Gnat, and one fly though but a small thing to a whole box of oyntment, yet dead flies as small things as they are, cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to [Page 98] send forth a stinking savour. Eccl. 10. 1. & so doth a little folly, though but little doe a great deale of hurt. And therefore a good cōscience liues by Salomons rule, Giue not water a passage, no not a little. And takes not onely the Foxes, but the little Foxes, which spoyle not only the Vines, but the tender Grapes. Cant. 2. 15. It knowes a little will make way for much. Pharaoh is content that the peo­ple, the men should go Sacrifice, Exod. 10. but their little ones should not goe. he knew if hee had but their little ones with him, he should be sure enough of their returne, therefore Moses will not onely haue the men goe, but their lit­tle ones also. And therefore a good cō ­science deales with Satan as Marcus A­rethusius Putantes pauperē vel medietatē petebant pecuniarū, no vissime vel paucū aliquid ex­igebant. Quibus ait, nec obolum vnum pro omnibus da bo. Hist. Tripart. l. 6. c. 12. Ad impie­tatem in­quit, obolū conferre vnum per­inde valet ac si quis conferat omnia. Theodoroit. l. 3. cap. 7, dealt with his tormentours, who hauing pulled downe an Idola­trous Temple, & being vrged by them to giue so much as would build it vp againe, refused it; They vrged him to giue but halfe, he still refused; They vr­ged him at last to giue but a little to­wards it, but he refused to giue them [Page 99] so much as one halfe-penny, No not an halfe-penny sayes he, for it is as great wickednes to conferre one halfe-penny in case of Impietie, as if a man should bestow the whole. What was a poore half-pen­ny, it was a very small matter; specially considering in what torture hee was, from which an half-penny gift would haue released him. Indeed an half-pen­ny is but a little, but yet it is more then a good conscience dares giue to the maintenance of idolatrous worship. A good conscience will not giue so much as a farthing token to such an vse, as little a thing as it is. For he that is faithfull in that which is least, is faithfull also in much, & he that is vniust in the least, is vniust also in much Luc. 16. 10. Euen the least things are as great trials of a good conscience as the greatest. A good conscience will not gratifie Sa­tan, nor neglect God, no not in a little.

Put mens consciences now vpon this trial. Who cracks not of his good con­science, there be none if they may bee beleeued, but they haue goood con­sciences. [Page 100] But why are they good? They can swallow no Camells. Well yeeld them that, though if their entrals were well searcht, a man might finde huge bunch backt camells, that haue gone down their gullets. They can swallow no camells, but what say they to gnats, can they swallow them? Tush, Gnats are nothing, whole swarmes of them can goe downe their throats, and they neuer once cough for the matter. Fowle and grosse scandalls, such as are infamous amongst meere heathen, such Camels they swallow not, but what say they to vnsauory and naughtie thoughts, which their hearts prose­cute with delight, what say they to them? Gnatts doe not swarme more abundantly in the fennes, then such vile thoughts doe in their hearts. The prodigious oaths of wounds, & bloud, the damned language of Ruffians, and the Monsters of the earth, oh their hearts would tremble to haue such words passe out of their mouths, but yet what say they to the neater, and [Page 101] Civilified Complements of Faith & Troth, tush these are trifles, meere Gnatts, alas, that you shall stand vpon such niceties. To rob a man vpon the high way, or to breake vp a mans house in the night, this is a monstrous Camell, but in buying and selling to o­uer-teach a neighbour a shilling or two, a penny or two, what say they to that, oh God forbid they should be so strictly dealt withall, that is a small thing, their throats are not so narrow but these Gnats will goe downe easily enough. To beare false witnes in a o­pen Court of Iustice, or to be guilty of pillory periury, these be fowle things, but to lye a litle for a mans advantage, or to make another man merriment, what think they of this? This is a ve­ry Gnat, they are ashamed to strayne thereat. Tell many a man of his sinne in which he lyes, that his sinne and a good conscience cānot stand together, what is his answer, but as L [...]t of Zoar, It is not a little one. Gen. 19. 20. But the truth is, that these little ones are great [Page 102] euidences of euill Conscience. It is but a dreame to thinke our Consciences good that make no Conscience of smal sinnes, and duties.

The conscionable Nazarite, Now did not only make conscience of guz­zling and quaffing whole cups of wine, but of eating but an huske, and a ker­nell of a Grape. What a trifle is the kernell of a Grape, and yet a good cō ­science will care to please God as well in abstinence from the kernell as from the cup. Indeed when Dauid had defi­led and hardened his conscience with his adultery, then hee could cut V­riahs throat, and his heart smites him not for it, but when vnder his afflicti­on, his conscience was tender & good, his heart smites him but for cutting Sauls coate. 1. Sam. 24. 5. See the nature of a good conscience, it will smite not onely for cutting Sauls throat, but for cutting Sauls coat, but for an appea­rance, vpon a suspition, and but a iea­lousie of euill.

Paul speaks of a pure Conscience, 2 Tim [Page 103] 1. 3. Now it is with a pure conscience as it is with pure religion. Iam. 1. 17. Pure religion and vndefiled, is to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted of the world. It hates not onely wallowing with the Sow in the myre, but is shy of very spots; and hates not onely the flesh but the garment, not only that is grossely besmeared, but which is but spotted with the flesh. Iude 23. according to that Ceremoniall, Le­vit. 15. 17. And this is that which diffe­rences civilitie and a good conscience, Civiltie shunnes mire, but is not so trimme as to wash off spots, this is the pure Religion of a pure Conscience. Pure Religion and vndefiled, is to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted, therefore they who are not vnspotted, are not vn­defiled, but if their Consciences bee but spotted, yet are they defi­led. Mens Consciences are as their Religion is, and pure Religion is spotlesse.

Yea to close this point, the greatest evidence of a good cōscience is in ma­king conscience of smal things. Whilst [Page 104] men feare great sinnes, or are careful of Probat e­nim etiam in maiorib▪ si r [...] [...]xigat executorem se ido [...]eum fore à qu [...] minora cō ­pleantur. Salvi [...]n▪ de provid. l. 3. maine duties, it may bee their reputa­tion and credit may sway them, which otherwise would bee impeached. So that in them it may be a question, whether it be conscience or credite, that is the first moover, but in small things where there is no credit to be had, nay, for scrupling whereof, a man may ra­ther receiue some discredit from the world, heere it is more evident that good conscience sets a man on. This then is a note of a good conscience, to make Conscience, as of small duties, so of small sinnes, as he that feares poyson feares to take a droppe, as well as a draught, and men feare not onely whē a firebrand is thrust into, but when a sparke lights vpon their thatch.

CHAP. VIII.

A Third note of a good Conscience may be this. It loues and likes a [Page 105] Ministrie and such Ministers as preach 3. Note of good con­science. To loue a Ministry that speaks home to the Consci­ence. and speake to the Conscience. It likes such a dispensation of the Word as comes home to it▪ whether for directi­on or reproofe. The Word is the rule of conscience, and a good conscience is desirous to know the rule it must liue by. The Word must iudge the conscience, this euery good conscience knowes, and therefore grudges not to be reprooved by it, as knowing that if it will not abide the Words reproofe, it must abide the Words iudgement. Therefore a man with a good consci­ence speakes as Samuel, Speake Lord, thy seruant heares. He can suffer the words of exhortation, and not count himselfe to suffer whilst it is done. He is of Da­uids minde, Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be a kindnesse; let him reproue me and it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake mine head. Psal. 141. 5. It is with good conscience as with good eyes that can abide the light, and can delight in it, whereas sicke and sore eyes are troubled and offended there­with. [Page 106] A sound heart is like sound flesh that can abide not onely touching, but also rubbing and chafing, and yet a man will not bee put into a chafe thereby, whereas contrarily if the least thorne or vnsoundnesse bee therein, a Tu scis De­us noster quod tunc de Alipioab illa peste sa nando non cogitave­rim. At ille in se rapuit me (que) illud non nisi prop [...]er se dixisse cre­didit, & quod alius acciperet ad succen­sendum mi­hi accepit honestus a­dolescens ad succen­sendum si­bi, & ad me arden­tius dili­gendum. Aug. conf. li. 6. ca. 7▪ touch at vnawares prouokes a man, if not to smite, yet to angry words, and language of displeasure. Vnsound flesh loues to bee stroakt, and to be handled gently, the least roughnesse puts into a rage. That is the ingenuitie of a good Conscience, which was the good dis­position of Alipius, when hee was vn­wittingly taxed by Angustine for his Theatricall vanities; hee was so farre from being angry with him, though he conceined him purposely to ayme at him, that hee was rather angry with himselfe, and loued Augustine so much the better.

Put mens Consciences vpon this tri­all, and we shal see what the Conscien­ces of most men are. Let a man preach in an vnprofitable maner, let him spēd himselfe in idle curiosities & specula­lations, [Page 107] let him be in combate with ob­solete or forraine heresies, so long their Minister is a faire and a good Church­man. But let him do as God commāds Ezekiel to doe, Ezek. 14. 4. Answer them according to their Idols, preach to their necessities, let them call them & presse them to holy duties, and reprove them Scio me of fensurum quàm plu­rimos qui generalem de vitiis disputation [...]m in suam re­ferunt con­tumeliam, et dum mi­hi irascun­tur suā iu­dicant con­scientiam, multo (que) prius de se quam de me iudicant. Hieron. ad Rustic. Monach. for their vnholy practices, and make knowne vnto them what evill Consci­ences they haue: what then is their car­riage and behauiour? Euen that Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebukes in the gate, & they abhorre him that speakes vpright­ly. This Ministrie that comes to the Conscience will not down with them. It lets in too much light vpon them, & Ahab hates Michaiah for drawing the curteines so wide open, he cannot endure such punctuall and particular preaching that clappes so close to his Conscience. A plaine signe that Ahab hath a rotten and an vnsound Consci­ence. Michaiah could not be more pun­ctuall with Ahab then Isaiah was with Hezekiah, Isa. 39. 6. 7. And yet what [Page 108] sayes Ezekiah? Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken, as if he had said, a good Sermon, a good Preacher, all good. Whence comes this good en­tertainment of so harsh a message! He­zekiah had a good Conscience, and therefore though the message went a­gainst the hayre, yet hee could giue good words, Let the rightious smite me, and it shall be a kindnesse, Psal. 141. I, but that is when the righteous smites the righteous, what if the Prophet smite Amaziah? He will threaten to smit him againe, 2. Chron. 25. 16. For beare, why shouldest thou be smitten? What if Paul preach of a good Conscience, and so make Ananias his Conscience to smite him? Ananias will command the stan­ders by to smite him on the mouth. Now let all the standers by iudge whe­ther Ananias haue any good Consci­ence in him, who cannot brooke the preaching of good Conscience. Let men professe they know God as long as they wil, yet if they slight the word, or swell at it, or bee disobedient to it [Page 109] when it is layd to their Conscience, Paul makes it a manifest signe of a defiled conscience, Tit. 1. 15. 16. Their minde and their conscience is defiled. How ap­peares that? They professe they know God, but they are disobedient. When there­fore the Ministrie of the Word shall charge thee with dutie, or reproove thee for sin, and then thou shalt charge the Minister with rayling, and girding and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee, and thou likest not that Ministers should bee so particular, &c. In Gods feare bee advised to looke to thy Conscience, and know it that thou hast a naughty Conscience. When the Ministry of the Word smites thy con­science, then for thee to smite the Mi­nister with reproachfull, & disgracefull tearmes, to smite him with thy mouth▪ How is thy Conscience better then A­nanias his, that commands to smite Paul on the mouth. Hee that cannot brooke that Gods Ministers should not discharge a good Conscience in prea­ching to the Conscience, bee bold to [Page 110] challenge that man for a man of an e­vill conscience.

4. That is a fourth note of a good 4 4. Note of a good Con­science. To do duty for Conscienre sake. conscience, Rom. 13. 5. ye must be sub­iect for Conscience sake. To doe good or abstaine from evill meerely for consci­ence sake, is a note of a right good cō ­science indeede. Conscience as we saw before, doth excite and stirre vp, and bind to the doing of good, and bindes from the doing of evil. Now when the Conscience vpon iust information frō the Word shall presse, and forbid, and then a man shal, because cōscience for­bids, forbeare; or because it presses, per­forme obedience: thus to doe good, or not to do euill, for Conscience sake, is a note of a good Conscience. It evi­dences a good Conscience when the maine weight that sets the wheeles on work, is conscience of Gods comman­dement. When it is that, Psal. 119. 4. that sets a man on worke, Thou hast commanded vs to keepe thy precepts diligent­ly. The end of the commandement is loue, 1 Tim. 1. 5. And loue is the fulfilling [Page 111] of the commandement. Rom. 12. But what loue? From a pure heart and a good Con­science, 1 Tim. 1. 5. When conscience of the commandement caries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it, then doth such loue come from a good Consci­ence. Salomons description of a good man, Eccl. 9. 2. is that hee feares an oath. He sayes not, that swearth not; but that feares an oath. For a man not to sweare may be the fruit of good education, and of the a we a man hath stood in of his Gouernours, but to feare an oath, argues that a man feares the com­mandement, Pro. 13. 13, and to feare the commandement is the note of a good conscience.

Here let mens Consciences be tryed. Thou prayest in thy family, hearest the Word, keepest the Sabbath, &c. Now search thine heart, and make inquirie what it is that carries thee to these du­ties. Doest thou doe them for consci­ence sake? Doest thou find conscience to vrge and presse thee, & to giue satis­faction to the Conscience, and obedi­ence [Page 112] to the iniunctions thereof. Are these things done? If so, it is a signe of a good Conscience. But this discovers the naughtinesse of mens Consciences, who though they bee sound in some good duties, or in the auoyding of some evils, yet is it not conscience that workes them thereto. Yee must bee sub­iect not onely for wrath, that is, for feare of the Magistrates wrath and revenge, but for Conscience sake, Rom. 13. 5. It is no good Conscience when a man will bee subiect for his skins sake, and least hee smart by the Magistrates sword, but then a mans Conscience is good, when in obedience to Gods Word, and in conscience of his Commandement he subiects. The like may be said of all by-ends. Ye must doe good duties, not for profit, not for credit, not for vaine­glory, not for law, but for conscience sake; or else evill consciences ye haue in that ye doe. The Shechemites receiue circumcision, Gen. 34. And is not cir­cumcision Gods Ordinance? And is it not ioy of them that they will ioyne [Page 113] to the Church, and professe the true Religion? Yes surely, if it were done for conscience. I, but it is not done for conscience sake? Alas no such matter, but for Hamors sake the Lord of the Towne, and for Shechems sake their young Master, & for the hope of gaines sake. Shall not their cattell, and their sub­stance, and every beast of theirs bee ours? Gen. 34. 23. For the oxen sake, and not for conscience sake are the Shechemites circumcised. Shechem for Dinahs sake receiues the Sacrament. Oh the zeale and forwardnes that some wil professe on a sudden, What frequenters of ho­ly exercises? But what, is it for consci­ence sake? No such matter, but She­chem is in hope of a match with Dinah, & all these shewes of Religion are nei­ther for Gods sake, nor consciēce sake, but all for Dinahs sake, all vnder hope of preferment by a rich mariage. They were goodly shewes of zeale, Iohn 6. 22. 24. in seeking and following after Christ, but it was neither for Christ, nor conscience sake, but ver. 26. for the [Page 114] loaues, and the bread, and their bellies sake.

Many of the Heathens, Esth. 8. 17. tur­ned Iewes. Was not there ioy of such Proselytes? not a whit, for not the feare of God, but the feare of the Iewes fel vpon them, as many frequent the publike as­semblies more for feare of the statute, then for feare of the commandement. The Officers of the King helped the Iewes, Esth. 9. 3. Was it for conscience sake? Nothing lesse, but for wrath sake and for feare, because the feare of Morde­cai fell vpon them.

If the Pharisees had done all that ( Mat. 6.) for Conscience sake, which they did for vaine-glory sake, they had had the glory of good Conscien­ces. Many preached the Gospell in Pauls dayes, Phil. 1. Does not so good a worke argue a good conscience? Yes, if it had beene done for Conscience sake; but that was done for conten­tion sake, not to adde soules to the Church; but to adde sorrowes to Pauls afflictions.

It is a note of good Conscience when that which we doe is done with a respect vnto the commandement of God Psal. 119. 6. and not with a squint respect vnto our own private, for praise or profit. It was a good argument of those Bohemians good Consciences in Vtrine m [...] ­ioris h [...]re­tici illine qui pictas & lig [...]as an qui au­reas & ar­genteas i­magines [...] templis exi­gerent, & ad conflan­dam m [...]ne­tam igne adorerent? Dubra▪ hist. Bohem. l. 24. plucking downe Images, that they beate downe onely painted and wood­den Images, whilest Sigismund the Emperour pulled downe siluer and golden ones, to melt into money for pay for his souldiers, as they plead for themselues, when they▪ were held He­retiques for their fact. If they had puld downe such Images as hee did, they might haue beene thought to haue done it for gaine, and not for Conscience sake.

How great is often the zeale of ma­ny against fashions, and such vanities? How well it were if it were for Con­science sake, and not for envie against some particular person, whom they do distaste, and so for the person, the va­nity. For if it be for Consciences sake, [Page 116] how is it that those vanities, such great offences to their Consciences, found in some distasted persons are yet no trouble to their Consciences, being the very same, if not worse in their owne favourites, and associates? Iudge whe­ther such zeale come from Consci­ence, or from corrupt affection, whe­ther it be not more against the person, then against the sinne. 5 5▪ Note of a good con­science. Holy bold­nesse. B [...]na con­scientia prodire vult, & cō ­spici ipsas nequitia te­nebras ti­met, Senec. ep. 98. Qui non deliquit de­cet auda­cem esse & confidentēr prose, & proterve loqui. Plaut. in Aniph.

5. We haue a fift note of a good con­science in the text. And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell. Here is a marke of a good Conscience in his lookes, as well as in his words; in his face, as well as in his speech. Paul is here conven­ted before the Councell, With what face is he able to behold them? And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell. A good Conscience makes a man hold vp his head even in the thickest of his enemies. I can looke them in the fa­ces, and out-face a whole rabble of them assembled on purpose to cast dis­grace on it. That may bee sayd of a man with a good Conscience, which is [Page 117] spoken of some of Davids men, 1 Chron. 12. 8. Whose faces were like the fa­ces of Lions, for the righteous is bold as a Lion, Pro. 28. 1. Now might Paul truely haue said as David. Psal. 57. 4. My soule is among Lions, I lie among them that are set on fire. And now how fares hee? what is he all a mort? lookes he pale and blanke, doth hee sneake or hang downe his head, or droope with a de­iected countenance: No, Paul is as bold as a Lion, and can face these Ly­ons, and earnestly fixe his countenance vpon the best of them. A good Con­science makes a mans face as God had made Ezekiels. Ezek. 3. 8. 9. Behold I haue made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an Adamant harder then flint haue I made thy sorehead, feare them not, neither bee dismaid at their lookes. Such hartening and hardening comes also from a good Conscience. A good Conscience makes a man goe, as the Lord in another sense tells Israel hee had done for them, Levit. 26. 13. [Page 118] I haue made you goe vpright. A good conscience erects a mans face, and lookes, is no sneaking slinker, but makes a man goe vpright. As con­trarily guilt, deiects both a mans spi­rits, and his lookes, and vnlesse a man haue a Sodomiticall impuden­cie. Isa. 3. 9. or an whores forehead, Ierem. 3. 3. which refuses to bee a­shamed, makes him hang downe the head.

Paul fixes his eyes here, and lookes earnestly vpon them, but what if they had looked as earnestly vpon him? yet would not his good Conscience haue beene out-fac [...]d. See Act. 6. 15. All that sate in the Counsell looked stedfastly on him; namely on Steven. If but the high Priest alone had faced him, it had beene somewhat, but all that sate in the Councell looke sted­fastly on him. Surely one would thinke such a presence were able to haue damped, and vtterly to haue dashed him out of countenance. But how is it with him? Is hee appalled? [Page 119] Is hee damped? They saw his face as it had beene the face of an Angell, sayes the text. As wisedome, Eccl. 8. 1. so a good Conscience makes the face to shine. A good Conscience hath not onely a Lions, but an Angels face, it hath not onely a Lion-like boldnesse, but an Angelicall dazling brightnesse, which the sicke and sore eyes of malice can as ill endure to behold, as the Isralites could the shining brightnesse of Moses face. The face of a good Conscience tells enemies that they are malicious lyers. And no wonder that a good conscience hath such courage and con­fidence in the face, standing before a whole Councell, when it shall be able to hold vp it head with boldnesse be­fore the Lord himselfe, at that great day of the generall Iudgement. Euen then shall a good Conscience haue a bold face.

CHAP. IX.

A Sixt note of a good Conscience 6 6. Note of a good Con­science. To suffer for conscience. followes, namely, that which we haue, 1 Pet. 2. 19. When a man for Conscience towards God endures griefe, suffering wrong. A good conscience had rather that Ananias should smite, then it selfe should. Ananias his blowes are nothing to the blowes of Conscience. Ananias may make Pauls cheekes glowe, but conscience giues such terrible buffets, as will make the stoutest heart in the world to ake. That will pinch, and twitch, and gird the heart with such griping throws, that all the blowes, and tortures that Ananias his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them.

Now therefore a man that sets any store by a good conscience, will not part with the Peace or Integritie there­of [Page 121] vpon any termes. He rates the good­nes of his Conscience farre aboue all carthly things. Wealth, libertie, wife, children, life it selfe, all are vile, and cheape in comparison of it. And there­fore a man of a good Conscience, will endure any griefe, & suffer any wrong to keepe his conscience good towards God. Such a good Conscience had Daniel. Dan. 1. 8. Hee purposed in his heart that hee would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meat. That is, he was fully setled, & resolued in his Conscience, come what would come, he would not do that which would not stand with a good cōscience. But what if he could haue gotten no other meat? Without all doubt hee would rather haue starved, then haue defiled his Cō ­science with that meat. He would haue lost his life rather then haue lost the Peace, and Integritie of his Consci­ence. It seemes a question of great diffi­cultie, which was put to the three Children, Dan, 3. Whether they will giue the bowing of their bodies to the [Page 122] golden Idoll, or the burning of their bodies to the fiery Fornace. But yet they finde no such difficultie therein, they were not carefull to answer in that matter. ver. 16. Of the two fires they choose the coolest, & the easiest. The fire of a guiltie conscience is sea­ven times hotter, and more intollerable then the fire of Nebucadnezzars For­nace, though it be heated seauen times more then it is wont to be heated.

If the question come betweene life and good Conscience, that one of the two must bee parted withall, it is an hard case. Life is wondrous sweet and pretious. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he giue for his life. I [...]b 2. 4. What then should a man doe in such an hard case? Heare what is the reso­lution of a good Conscience. Act. 20. 24. My life is not deare vnto me, so that I may fulfill my Ministration with ioy. And wherein lay his Ioy, but in his good Conscience. 2. Cor. 1. 12. It is all one as if he had said, I care not to loose my life to keepe a good Conscience▪ [Page 123] A good Conscience in that passage of the Apostle. 1 Tim. 1. 19. is secretly com­pared to a ship. Now in a tempest at Sea, when the question is come to this, whether the goods shall be cast out, or the Ship be cast away, what doe the Marriners? See Act. 27. 18. 38. They ligh­tened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the Sea. The Marriners will turne the richest Commodities over boo [...]d to saue the ship, for they know if the ship be cast away, then themselues are cast away. Thus it is with a man that hath a good conscience, when the case comes to this pinch, that either his out­ward Comforts, or his inward Peace must wrack, he will chearfully cast the wheat into the Sea, will part with all earthly commodities & comforts, be­fore he will rush, and wrack his consci­ence vpon any rocke. He knowes if the ship be wrackt, if his Conscience bee crackt, that then himselfe, & his soule is in danger of being cast away, & there­fore he wil throw away all to saue con­science from being split vpon the rocks [Page 124] and being swallowed vp in the sands.

There is as great a difference between a good conscience, and all outward things even vnto life it, selfe, as is between the arme, & the head or heart. The brain and the heart are vitall parts, therefore when the head is in danger to bee cleft, or the heart to bee thrust through, a man will not stand questio­ning whether he were best adventure his hand, or his arme to saue his head, or his heart, but either of these being in danger, the hand & the arme presently interpose themselues to receiue the blow, and put themselues in danger of being wounded, or cut off, rather then the head or heart should be pierced. A man may haue his hand, or arme cut off, and yet may liue, but a wound in the braine or heart is mortall. It is so in this case. A good Conscience values its owne peace aboue all the world, It is that wherein a Christians life lyes, therefore he will suffer the right hand or foot to be cut off, and loose all rather then expose Conscience to danger▪ [Page 125] A man may go to heauen with the losse of a limbe, and though he halt. Mat. 18 8. but if a man loose his life, if Consci­ence be lost, all is lost. A man may goe to heauen though he loose riches, li­berty, life, but if a good Conscience be lost, there is no comming thither. All things compared to Conscience are as farre beneath it, as the least finger beneath the head. He were a mad man that would suffer his skull to bee cleft to saue his little finger, nay but the pa­ring of his nayle. And yet the world is full of such mad men, that suffer con­science to receiue many a deep wound and gash, to saue those things which in comparison of good Conscience, are but as the nayle parings to the head.

Try mens Consciences here, and we shall finde them exceeding short. A good Conscience will endure any griefe, and suffer any wrong rather then suffer the losse of its owne peace. God commands Amaziah. 2. Chro. 25 to put away Israel, oh! but what shall I [Page 126] doe for mine hundred Talents? Tush, what are an hundred Talents? A good Conscience in yeelding obedience to God is a richer treasure then the East and West Indies. And yet how many be there that will craze their Consci­ence an hundred times before they wil lose one Talent by obedience to God, out of a care to keepe a good Consci­ence. A talent? nay, that is too deepe, neuer put them to that cost, they will sell a good conscience, not for gaining, but for the taking of a farthing token. God and good conscience say, Sancti­fie the Sabbath. Possibly some halfe­penny customer comes to a Trades­mans Shop on a Sabbath, and askes the sale of such, or such a commodity. Now the mans conscience tels him of the commaundement, tels him what God lookes for, tels him it cannot stand with his peace to make markets on that day, &c. But then he tels con­science, that if he be so precise, he may loose a customer, and if hee loose his customers, he may shut vp his Shop­windowes. [Page 127] An Inne-keepers consci­ence tels him that it is fitter that hee should bee attending Gods seruice at his house on his day, thē that he should be wayting on his guests. But then hee replies to conscience, that then his ta­kings will be but poore, and this is the next way to plucke downe his signe. So here lyes a dispute between consci­ence and Gaine, which of these two must be parted with. If now in this case a man will growe to this resolution. By Gods helpe I am resolued to keepe a good conscience in keeping Gods Commandement, and Sabbath, I will rather loose the best customer I haue, & the best guest I haue, then the peace of a good conscience. If I beg, I beg, I I will say of my customers as Iacob of his children. Gen. 43. 14. If I am berea­ued of them, I am bereaued. I will trust God with my estate, before I will ha­zard my conscience; Giue mee such a man, such a Tradesman, and I will bee bold to say he is a man of a good con­science. But contrarily, when men are [Page 128] so set vpon Gaine, that so they may haue it they care not how they come by it, they will dispense an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had, if these haue good consciences let any iudge. How would such loose their blood & liues, that will not loose such trifling gaines for the safety of their conscience. We haue not yet resisted vnto blood, the more we owe to God, that know not what that resistance meanes. Alas, how would those resist vnto blood that set Conscience to sale vpon so base prises as they doe.

Peter speakes of a fiery triall. 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God should euer bring that tryal amongst vs, what a company of dros­sie consciences would it find out. We haue no fiery tryall, we haue but an ayrie tryall onely, and yet how many euill consciences it discouers. Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his fa­mily, to frequent good exercises, and company, hee is convinced in his con­science, that thus he should doe, and [Page 129] conscience presses him to it. But why then are not these things done? A Lyon is in the way. He shall loose the good word, and opinion of the world, hee shall haue so many frowns, & frumpes, and censures, and scoffers, that hee can­not buckle to this course. Many are in Zedekiah his case; he was conuinced in his conscience, that he ought, & it was his safest course to go out to the Chal­deans; questionles his conscience prest [...]im to it, and bids him goe out. Why then goes he not? He is afrayd. Ier. 38. 19. that he shall be mockt. Such consci­ences as will not preferre their owne good word & cōfort, before the good or ill words of the world, Such consci­ences as more feare the mockes and flouts of men on earth, then they doe the grinning mockes of the Diuells in hell, Such as will not prefer the peace of Conscience before all other things, are meere strangers to good Consci­ence.

The seventh and last note remaines. 7 7. Note of a good Con­science. And that is in the Text; Vntill this day. [Page 130] Constancy and perseverance in good, is a Constancy in good. sure note of a good conscience. Paul had beene young, and now was old, & yet was old Paul still, still the same ho­ly man he was. Time changes al things but a good conscience, and that is ney­ther changed by Time, nor with Time. Age changes a mans favour, but not a good mans faith, his complexion, not his religion, and though the head turn gray, yet the heart holdes vigorous still.

Vntill this day.] And this day was not farre frō his dying day. And how held he out to his last day. Heare as it were his last and dying breath. 2. Tim. 4. 7. I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith. He sayes not, I haue finished my faith, I haue kept my life, as many may, but I haue fi­nished my course, I haue kept the faith. He kept his faith till hee had finisht his course, not onely here, vntill this day, but there vntill his finishing day. So long he kept the faith, and therefore so long a good conscience, for as the loo­sing [Page 131] of them goe together. 1. Tim. 1. 19 so the keeping of them goe together, therfore keeping the faith, he also kept a good conscience till hee finisht his dayes.

Vntill this day. And yet one would wonder that he should keepe it to this day, considering how hardly hee had bin vsed before, vntill, and now at this day. The most of those things. 2. Cor. 11. 23. were before this day. Often vn­der stripes, in prisons oft, and yet stands constant in the maintenance of the li­berty of his Conscience. vers. 24. 25. Thrice I suffered shipwracke, &c. and yet made no shipwracke of a good consci­ence. vers. 26. 27. in a number of perils, in perill of false brethren, and yet his cō ­science plaies not false with God, nei­ther is it weary of going on in a religi­ous course.

Here then is the nature of a good conscience, and the triall of it.

A good conscience holds out con­stantly in a good Cause without de­flection, and in a good Cause with­out [Page 132] defection.

1. In a good Cause. Let a good con­science vndertake the defēce of a good Cause, and it will stand rightly to it, & neither grow weary, nor corrupt. It will not make shews of countenancing Pauls cause till he come before Nero, & then giue him the slippe, and giue him leaue to stand vpon his own bottome, and shift for himselfe as well as he can. A conscionable Magistrate, & a Iudge, who out of a cōscience of the faithfull discharge of his place, takes in hand the defence of a good, or the punishment of a bad cause, will not leaue it in the suddes, will not be wrought by feare or favour, to let Innocency bee thrust to the walles, and Iniquitie hold vp the neb, but will stand out stiffe, and mani­fest the goodnesse of his Conscience in his Constancie.

2. In a good Course. A man that is once in a good Course, hauing a good con­science, will neither be driven, nor bee drawne out of that good way to his dying day. There be tentations on the [Page 133] right hand, and there be tentations on the left, but yet a good Conscience wil turne neither way, Pro. 4. 27. but keeps on foreright, and presses hard to the marke that is set before it. Try it with tentations [...]t hand. Try it by the moc [...]s and derisions of others whom it sees in good wayes, will this stagger or stumble it, & make it start a­side? Not a whit, but it will go on with so much the more courage rather, Iob 17. 6. 7. 8. 9. He hath made me also a by­word of the people, and aforetime I was a Tabret. Was not this enough to shake others, to see such a prime man as Iob thus vsed, thus scorned and mocked? Not a whit; for all this. The righteous shal hold on his way, & he that hath clean hands, shall be stronger and stronger.

Try it by mockings and derision Si reddere beneficium non aliter quam per speciem in­iuria poter [...] aquissim [...] animo ad honestum consiliū per mediam in­famiam tē ­dam-Nemo mihi vide­tur pluris astimare virtutē, ne­mo illi ma­gis esse d [...] ­votus quā qui boni viri famam [...]erdidit ne conscienti­am perde­ret. Sence. epi. 82. personall, by personall infamy and re­proach, let a mans owne selfe bee de­rided, be defamed, this will goe nee­rer then th [...] former, what will this move him out of the way? No: He wil lose his good name, before his good [Page 134] Conscience. See Ps. 119. 51. The proud haue had me greatly in derision, yet haue I not declined from thy law. And though Michol. 2. Sam. 6. play the flouting foole, yet Dauid will not play the de­clining foole, but if to be zealous, be to be a foole, he will be yet more vile. And though Ieremy was in derision dai­ly, & euery one mocked him, yea, and de­famed him, yet he was rather the more then the lesse zealous. Ier. 20. 7. 9. 10. The righteous, Ps. 125. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued, but abides for euer. What likelihood that a puffe of breath should remoue a Mountain? When men can blowe downe Moun­taines with their breath, then may they scof a good▪ cōscience out of the wayes of godlines & sinceritie. Mount Sion, and a good conscience abide for euer.

But these happily may bee thought lighter tryalls, put a good conscience to some more smarting, and bleeding tryalls then th [...]se pe [...]tier ones are, and yet there shall we finde it as Constant as in the former▪

Let the Lord giue the Sabaeans, Chal­daeans, and Satan leaue to spoyle Iob of his goods, and children, will not then Iob giue vp his Integritie, doe ye not thinke that hee will curse God to his face? So indeed the diuell hopes. Iob 1. 1 [...]. But what is the issue? What gets the diuell by the tryall? Onely giues God argument of triumph against him in Iobs Constancy. Iob 2. 3. And still he hol­deth fast his Integrity. As if he had said, See for all that thou canst do, in spight of all thy spight, and mischieuous ma­lice, he holds fast his Integrity vntill this day. See the terrible▪ tryalls, to which they were put. Heb. 11. 37. They were stoned▪ sawne asunder, &c. and yet all could not make them shake hands with a good Conscience. The raine, floodes, and windes, could not bring downe the house founded vpon the rocke, Math. 7. Notwithstanding all tryals a good Conscience stands to it, and holds it owne, and speakes as one Father Rawlins did to the Bishop, Raw­lings Acts and Mon. you left me, Rawlins you find me▪ and [Page 136] Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue.

Try yet a good Conscience farther with the tentations on the right hand, which commonly haue as much more strength in them aboue the other, as the right hand hath aboue the left, and yet we shall finde the right hand too weak to plucke a good Conscience out of its station.

It was a sore tentation wherewith Moses was assaulted. The treasures, and pleasures, the honours and sauours of the Egyptian Court, and Princesse. All these wooe him, not to goe to the peo­ple of God. Had that people beene set­led and at rest in Canaan, yet had it bin a great tentation to preferre Egypt be­fore Canaan. But the people are in E­gypt, in affliction, in bondage, therfore so much the more strength in the ten­tation. What will you bee so mad to leaue all for nothing▪ certain honours, for certaine afflictions? who can tell but you may be raysed to this greatnes to bee an instrument of good to your people! you by your fauour in the [Page 137] Court may be a means to ease them of their bondage, and so you may do the Church seruice with your greatnesse, &c, Here was a tentation on the right hand, & with the right hands strength. Well and how speeds it? Is Moses able to withstand it? See Heb. 11. 24. 25. 26. He refused to be called the sonne of Pha­raohs daughter, &c. All would not do, nor stirre him a whit. Those faithfull Worthies before mentioned, could not bee stirred with all the cruelties their aduersaries could inuent. I, but it may bee a tentation on the right hand, might haue made them draw a­way the right hand of fellowship from a good Conscience. Well, their ene­mies therfore will try what good they can doe that wayes. Heb. 11. 37. They were tempted, that is, on the right hand, they were sollicited and enticed, and allured with faire promises of ho­nours, fauours, preferments, as B [...]n­ner vsed to deale with the Martyrs, hee had sometimes butter and oyle, as well as fire and faggot, in his mouth. [Page 138] Thus were they tēpted, but yet what auayled these tentations? Iust as much as their stones, sawes, swords, prisons, all alike. They for all these tentations keepe a good Conscience to their dy­ing day, and hold fast the faith & truth vnto the end.

A good conscience is of the mind of those trees in Iothams parable. Iudg. 9. It will not with the Oliue lose its fat­nesse, nor with the Figtree lose its sweet­nes, nor with the Vine its wine of cheer­fulnesse, to haue the fattest, and swee­test preferments and pleasures of the world, no though it were to raign ouer the trees.

It was an excellent resolution of Be­nevolus Benevolo Iustina prae­cepit vt ad­versus fidē patrū im­perialia decreta di­ctaret Illo vero se im­pia verba prolaturum abnuente celsiorem bonoris gradū spospon­dit si man­data perfi­ceret, cui Bonevolus. Quid mihi pro impie­tatis mer­cede altiorē promittis gradum? hune ipsum quē habeo, auferte dū integram fidei con­scientiam tuear. Ac protinus cingulum ante [...]pedes eius abiec [...] Sigon. de [...]c­cid. Imp l. [...]. pag. 200. in his answer to Iustina the Ar­rian Empresse, profering preferments to him to haue beene instrumentall in a seruice which could not bee done with a good Conscience. What doe ye promising me an higher degree of prefer­ment for a reward of impiety? yea euen take this from me which already I haue, so that I may keep a good Conscience. And [Page 139] so foorthwith he threw at her feet his girdle, the ensigne of his honour. Thus doth a good conscience throw and trample honour and preferment vnder foot to maintaine its owne integrity? Thus can nothing corrupt a good con­science. I haue been young, and now am old, and yet neuer saw I the righteous for­saken, to wit, of God, Psalm. 37. David out of his experience could haue sayd as much in this point, I haue bin young and now am old, yet never saw I God, and godlines forsaken by the righte­ous, by the man that had a good con­science. But the man that had a good conscience when he was young, will hold out & haue it when he is old. It is the great honour and grace of a good conscience which Walden thinks hee spake to the disgrace of Wickliffe, Ita vt Cano placeret quod inveni complacebat, He was young and old, one and the Fox Acts and Mon. same man. Old age decayes the body, the strength, the senses, but conscience it touches not, that holds out sound to death. As of Christ in another sense, [Page 140] Heb. 13. so may it be said of a good con­science in this, Yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever. A good Conscience is no changeling, but let a mans estate change from rich to poore, from poore to rich, or let the times change from good to evill, or from evill to worse; or a mans dayes change from young to old, let his haires and head change, yet among all these changes, a good con­science will not change, but holds it owne vntill its last day.

Now put mens Consciences vpon this tryall, and their inconstancy either in good causes, or courses, wil discouer their naugtinesse. In a good cause how many are like Darius? His conscience struggles a great while for Daniel, hee knew he was innocent, he knowes the action to be vniust, and therefore la­bours all day till the setting of the Sun for his deliuerance, Dan. 6. 14. but yet ouercome with the Presidents and Princes vrgencie, ver. 16. he commands him to the Lions Denne. Heere was a naturall Conscience standing for equi­tie [Page 141] and iustice, but yet no good con­science, it holds but till Sunne set, and his Conscience went downe with the Sunne. His Conscience yeeldes and is ouercome, though it know the act to be iniust.

Pilates Conscience makes him plead for Christ. In his conscience he acquits him, and thrice solemnly professes that hee findes no fault in him, and there­fore cannot in conscience condemne him, yea withall, seekes to release him, Iohn 19. 12. Is not heere now a good Conscience? Indeed it had bene so in this particular fact, if his Consci­ence had beene inflexible, and had held out. But when Pilate heares them say, that if he bee his friend, hee is no friend to Caesar, Ioh. 19. 12. and whilest withall hee is willing to content the people, Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one side, and a desire to curry favour on the other, Where now is his conscience? Now he presently delivers him to bee crucified, though hee knowes in his Conscience that [Page 142] there is no fault in him. What a good conscience hath many a Iudge, and Lawyer▪ How stiffely will they stand in, and prosecute a iust cause till a bribe come & puts out the very eies of their Conscience. Their Consciences are of so soft a temper, that the least touch of Siluer turnes their edge presently. They hold out well till their come a tentation on their right hand, that is, in their right hand. Psal. 144. 8. Whose mouth speakes vanitie, and their right hand is a right hand of falshood. If once the right hand be a right hand of fals­hood, the mouth will soone speake vanity, though before it spake Con­science. Who would not haue thought Baalam to haue beene a man of an ex­cellent Conscience? If Balak would giue me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, to doe lesse or more, Num. 22. 18. But yet besides that faltring in those words, I cannot goe, whereas the lan­guage of good conscience would haue beene, I will not goe; besides that I say, [Page 143] before he ends his speech, see how the hope of promotions worke, and works his Conscience like waxe before the fire, verse 19. Now therefore I pray you tarry heere also this night, that I may knowe what the Lord will say vnto mee more. A faltring inference: If his Conscience had beene good it would haue inferred strongly thus, Now therefore I pray get you gone, and trouble me no longer. He knew in his Conscience the people ought not to bee cursed, and that he ought not to goe, and yet comes in with, I pray tarry all night, &c. Truely Balak nee­ded not to haue beene so lauish and so prodigall, as to offer an house full, one handfull of his Siluer and Gold will frame Balaams Conscience to any thing.

The like tryall may be made of mens Consciences, by their inconstancy in good courses, and this will condemne three sorts as guilty of evill conscien­ces.

1. Such as sometimes being convin­ced [Page 144] of the necessity of good courses, do set vpon the practise of them, & begin to looke toward Religion, & religious duties, till meeting with some of their supposed wiser neighbours, they be advised to take heed, they may bring thē ­selues into greater note then they are aware of, they will incurre sharper cen­sures then they thinke of, &c. and so suddenly all is dasht, all is quasht and quencht. There is a disease among beasts they call the Staggers, and it is a disease too frequent in mens consci­ences, who sometimes are on, some­times off, one day begin, and next day cease good courses. That may be said of many mens consciences which Ia­cob speaks of Reuben, Gen. 49. 4. Vnsta­ble as water. The water mooves as the windes blow. If the winde blow out of the East, then it moves one way, if out of the West then it moves another, the cleane contrary, and vpon every new winde a new way. So many, let them heare a conuincing, & a good perswa­ding Sermon moving to good duties, [Page 145] then they will set vpon them; let them againe heare either some mocks, or re­proaches for those wayes, or some sage advise frō one they count wise, against the waies of conscience, they are as far off againe as euer. These staggering, ir­resolute, and watry consciences are far from good ones.

2. Such as in their youth, or when the world was low with them, were very zealous and forward; But what are they now at this day? True downe­right Demasses, zealous whē they were young, but now old and cold: zealous when they were meane, but now the world is come vpon them, Demas-like they haue forsaken goodnesse, and em­braced the world, haue gotten now worme-eaten, and world-eaten Con­sciences. The zeale of Gods house was wont to eate them vp, but now the world hath eaten vp them, and all their good Conscience.

3. Those that haue made good the profane Proverb, Young Saints and old Divels, whose hatred of Religion and [Page 146] good conscience is greater then ever was their loue thereto, as Ammons was towards Thamar, 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods house and ordinances; zea­lous enemies against swearing, and Sabbath-breaking, &c. But what are they at this day? Yesterday indeede zealous professors of holinesse, but what are they to day? To day malici­ous scoffers of godlinesse, haters and opposers of goodnesse, the onely swea­rers & drunkards in a Countrey. What kinde of consciences haue these? None of Pauls Conscience, I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day. What then? Iust the consciences of Hymenae­us and Alexander, 1 Tim. 1. 18, 19. They once made great profession of Confci­ence, but now enemies to Paul, and blasphemers, men, as Paul speakes, that had put away good Conscience, they did not through want of watchfulnes let it slip, or steale away; but as if it would ne­uer haue bene gone soone enough, they put and draue it away, [...], Be­za [Page 147] translates it, Qua expulsa. They v­sed their Consciences as Ammon did Thamar after his lust satisfied, 2 Sā. 13. 15. 17. Arise, be gone, sayes hee to her, and when she pleades for her felfe, he cals his seruant, and sayes vnto him, Put out this woman, and bolt the dore af­ter her, put her out so, as shee may bee sure not to come againe. They dealt with their Consciences as Colledges deale with Rake-hels, expelled them without all hope of re-entry. Thus ma­ny profane Apostatizing back-sliders cannot be content to lose good consci­ence, vnlesse Ammon-like they may put it away with violence, & expell it. And how can they haue good Conscience that haue put it away? He hath not his wife that hath put her away, and giuen her a bill of divorse. In the dayes of Popery and darkenes, the Divell it see­med walked very familiarly amongst them, and hence we haue so many sto­ries of fayries, & of children taken out of cradles, and others layde in their roomes, whom they called changelings. [Page 148] Since the light of the Gospell these Divels and Fairies haue not been seene amongst vs, but yet we are still trou­bled with changelings. Some, Priests and Iesuites haue changed, some, the world hath changed, some, goodfel­lowship and the Ale-house hath chan­ged. These haue plaid the fayries, haue taken and stolne away goodly, for­ward, and fervent Christians, and haue layd in their roomes Earthlings, Worldlings, Popelings, Swearers, Drunkards, malicious scorners of all goodnesse. Thus haue these fayries in stead of fayre and comely children, brought in these lame, blinde, defor­med, and wrizzled faced changelings, that any one may easily see them to be rather the birthes of some hobgob­lins, then the children of God. If therefore wee would evidence our Consciences good, labour to hold to the last, and rest not in a youth, but la­bour to haue age found in the way of righteousnesse. This is a crowne of glory, and this is right good Consci­ence [Page 149] to liue therein vntill our dying day. All the former sixe are nothing without this last.

CHAP. X.

WE are now come to the fift and last point which was pro­pounded: The motiues to perswade vs to get good Consciences. The mo­tiues therevnto may bee many, I will keepe my selfe within the compasse of fiue.

1. Motiue. The incomparable and 1. Motiue to a good Cōscience. vnspeakeable comfort, and benefit thereof in such cases and times as all other comforts faile a man, and wher­in a man stands most in need of com­fort. These Cases or times are fiue.

• [Page 150]1. The Time and Case of Disgrace and Reproach.
• 2. The Time of Common feare, and Common calamity.
• 3. The Time of Sicknesse or out­ward crosses in a mans goods.
• 4. The Time of Death.
• 5. The Time & Day of Iudgement.

In all these, or in any of these times, Interim e­lige socium qui cum [...]mnia sub­tracta▪ fue­rint fidem servat dile­ctoribus su­is me rece­dit in tem­pore angu­stiae. Ber. de Consc. it is good to haue such a friend or com­panion that will sticke to a man, and be faithfull to him when all other things faile him. Such a friend & such a companion, is a good Conscience. A friend loues at all times, and a brother is borne for adversity, Prov. 17. 17. But in some of these cases a brother and a friend may be false and will not, or may bee weake and cannot helpe nor pleasure a man, but a good Conscience is better then all friends and brethren whatsoever, when they will not, or cannot, or may not, yet then will a good Conscience sticke close to a man, and bee a sure friend to him. Let vs see in the particulars the truth of it.

[Page 151]1. In the Time and Case of Disgrace, The com­fort of a good Con­science in case of dis­grace and reproach, Infamie, Reproach, and wrongs of that kinde, the comfort and benefit of a good Conscience is vnspeakeable. When a man shall be traduced, slande­red, falsely accused and condemned, then in such wrongs will a good Con­science doe the office of a faithfull friend, will sticke to, & stand by a man, and will comfort and hearten him a­gainst all such iniuries. Paul is here cōvented before the Councell as a ma­lefactor, he hath an whole Coūcel bent against him. What now is his comfort, and his defence against such an heape of accusers as doe affront him? This it is, Men and brethren, I haue liued in all good Conscience. As if he had said, Im­peach, traduce, accuse, and condemne me as you please, yet be it knowne vn­to you, that I haue a good Conscience, and this my good conscience is it which shall comfort, and vphold me a­gainst all your iniurious, and vnequall proceedings. You may bring forth false witnesses against mee, but my [Page 152] Conscience doth, and will witnesse for me, you may condemne mee, yet my conscience acquits, and absolues me. And thus doth Paul shelter himselfe vnder his good Conscience.

The like wee may see in the next Chapter. Ananias, and the Elders come and bring Tertullus, and he is feed to be Pauls accuser, and he layes heauy and hainous things to Pauls charge. vers. 5. We haue found this man a pestilent fellow, and a moover of sedition among all the Iewes thr [...]ughout the world, a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarens, &c. Here be foule things, what will Paul be able to say to all this? Will not this be enough to sinke him downe vtterly, to see so many banded together, and such great ones combined to countenance such an accusation? How will he be able to subsist? Now then behold the benefit; and comfort of a good Conscience. He holds vp his former buckler, and smites Ananias, and the rest with his former weapon, vers. 16. Herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a Consci­ence [Page 153] voide of offence towards God, and to wards men. Ananias, and the Elders haue a mercenary Tertullus to accuse him, Paul hath no man dares bee seene to plead for him, none will be reteined in his cause, but yet now Conscience steps out, and stops the foule mouth of this slanderous Oratour, and puts spi­rit, and heart into Paul to plead his owne Cause against them all. Consci­ence seemes on this manner to animate him; Feare not Paul the accusations of this Tertullus, I witnes for thee thine Innocency. I iustifie it to the teeth of Tertullus, that he is one, whose malice, and Covetousnesse hath made him set his Conscience to sale; Stand vp there­fore, and speake boldly for thy selfe, dread them not. Well fare a good con­science yet, that will speake comfort to Paul, and make Paul speake with cou­rage, when none else dare bee seene in his Cause.

It was an ill case Dauid was in. Psal. 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath br [...]aken mine heart, and I am full of heavines, and I [Page 154] looked for some to take pittie, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none: They gaue mee also gall for my meate, and in my thirst they gaue mee vi­neger to drinke. A very hard case indeed. Where was now Davids famili­ar friend, his acquaintance with whom he was wont to take sweet counsell▪ what was become of him now? Possi­bly some of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth, & a foote out of ioynt. Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an vnfaithfull man is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of ioynt. Others it may be that had profest him loue, were rea­die to fasten a poysond tooth in him. This was Dauids case, and this may be any mans case, but now at such a time, and in such a pinch appeares the excel­lency, and benefit of a good Consci­ence. Though all a mans friends should proue Iobs friends, like the Winter-brookes of Teman, that in Winter ouer­swell the bankes, but in the scorching heat of Sommer proue drie ditches, yet then, e [...]en then well fare a good Con­science. [Page 155] That will heale Dauids heart bro­ken with reproach, that will cheere him vp in his heauines, that will swee­ten the gall, and take away the sharpnes of the vineger, which his enemies haue giuen him to drinke.

There is a generation Pro. 30. 14. whose teeth are as swords, and their iaw-teeth as kniues; and Prou. 12. 18. that generation speakes as the piercings of a sword. There is a generation, whose words are wounds that goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly. Prou. 18 8. These be dangerous generations. But what generations are they? Generations of Vipers. Ps. 140. 3. Ad­ders poyson is vnder their lips. Iunius translates it, Venenum ptyados, The poy­son of the spitting Serpent. They bee then generations of spitting serpents, even of fiery serpents, that haue their tongues set on fire from hell, & so they spit fiery poyson in the faces of Inno­cents. Now there is no man can liue in this world, at whom these adders will not spit, no man can be free from the sprikling of their poyson. The disci­ple [Page 156] is not aboue the master; If these snakes haue hissed at the Lord of the house; and if these spitting serpents haue cast their poyson in his face, why would they feare to doe it to the ser­vants? But is there then no balme a­gainst this poyson? no buckler against these swords? Yes, there is the sove­raign balme, & the impenetrable buck­ler of a good conscience. It is a balsome that will alay the poyson of these Ad­ders, that it shall never burst a mans heart, or if these swords pierce the very innermost bowels, yet this will so salue these wounds, that they shall not ranc­kle, nor become mortall. Oh! how mor­tal▪ is this adders poyson, how fatall are those swords, how [...]eene their edge, & how full of paine their wounds, where inward guilt giues strength vnto them? But Integritie, and goodnesse of Con­science, is a pretious balme of Gilead, that takes away the venome of this poyson, and the stinging smart of the wounds of these swords.

Let Paul liue with ever so good a [Page 157] conscience before God, and man. Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the spitting adder, and he will spit, yea, spue forth his poyson in his face, and in the face of an whole Court, will not spare o­penly to slander him for an arrant var­let, a lewd, pestilent, and a villanous fellow. Such drivell will the malicious world spit in the face of Godlines. But marke now the benefit, and comfort of a good Conscience. Either a good Cō ­science with Stephens Angelicall face wil dazle, & shame the divels oratours. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Hauing a good Conscience that they may be ashamed, or els like Paul it can shake off those vipers without swelling, or falling downe dead. Yea, if Satans oratours will needs be opening their mouths against Paul, yet so good is his Conscience, that as Iohn Hus ap­pealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander, namely, from him in his an­ger to him in his cold blood, & better advised, so dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus, Dauid from Shi­mei to Shimei, frō enemies to enemies, [Page 158] from their tongues to their hearts, from their mouthes to their Consci­ences, as knowing their owne integri­tie to bee such, as that their enemies owne hearts giues their tongues the lye, and tells them that against their consciences possessed with meere ma­lice, they are hurried on in Satans ser­vice. Tertullus knowes he lyes, and his owne Conscience tells him hee lyes in his throate, that Paul is an honester man then himselfe, yea, and the com­fort is, that Pauls Conscience com­forts him, and assures him that Tertul­lus his Conscience assures him all this. So vnspeakeably sweet is the comfort of a good Conscience.

Dauid complaines of a great afflicti­on. Psal. 35. 11. False witnesse did rise vp, they laid to my charge things that I knew not. What should a man doe in such a case, if he had not the comfort of a good Conscience witnessing for him. But now at such a pinch appeares the benefit of a good Conscience; Let ever so many rise vp falsely to wit­nesse [Page 159] against him, yet his conscience will witnesse as fast for him. My friends scorne me, sayes Iob, Iob. 16. 20. They witnessed against him to bee a wicked person, and an hypocrite, they censured and condemned him, but what was Iobs comfort? That same vers. 19. Behold my witnesse is in heaven, and my record is on high. That was one comfort, but that was not all▪ he had also a witnesse on earth, and his record below. Vpon whose re­cord, and witnesse, see with what so­lemnitie and with what confidence he stands, Iob. 27. 2. 6. As God liueth who hath taken away my iudgement, and the Almightie who hath vexed my soule, All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips shall not speake wickednesse, nor my tongue vtter deceit, God forbid that I should iu­stifie you, till I die I will not remoue mine integritie from me, my righteousnes I will hold fast, & will not let it goe, mine heart shall not reproach mee so long as I liue. As if he had said, As the Lord liues, [Page 160] whilest there is breath in my body, I Nam si in [...]s iniqui­bus me cri­minantur testimoniū Conscientia mea non stat contra me in con­spectu dei quo nullus oculus mor­talis inten­ditur non solum con­tristari non debeo verū etiam ex­ultare & gaudere quia merces mea multa est in coelis. Ne (que) enim intuendum est quam sit amarum sed quam falsum sit quod audio, & quam verax pro cuius nomi­ne hoc au­dio▪ Aug. Contra lit. Petil l 3. will not yeeld vnto your accusations, nor yet acknowledge my selfe guiltie of that you do charge me withall. Vrge me, and presse me what you will, yet will I never let goe mine hold. Why what is it that makes Iob thus stiffe, and resolute, what is it that supports him with such an excellent spirit? That ver. 6. Mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I liue. Indeed you reproach, censure, & condemne me, you lay heavie things to my charge. But I haue searched the records of my Conscience, I haue cal­led that vnpartiall witnes to testifie the truth, & I finde conscience witnessing strongly on my side, and therefore doe what you can, you shall neuer beare me downe. Iobs friends may proue fickle, and false, but his owne Conscience will proue true to him, that will plead for him, animate him, and comfort him against all their calumnious, and iniurious reproaches, and giue him cause of much ioy and triumph. Iob then had his witnesse in heaven, & Iob [Page 161] had his witnesse on earth, God and his own Cōscience, two witnesses beyond all exception; and in the mouth of two witnesses euery truth shall stand. Consci­ence is a thousand witnesses, and God is aboue Conscience. And what Con­science witnesses concerning matter of fact, God himselfe will Iustifie the same. He that hath a good conscience, hath a sure friend, that will neither slinke, nor shrinke at any hand. Nay he hath two good friends, and two sub­stantiall witnesses, whose testimonies, though secret, yet are such as sweetly solace the heart of man against open reproaches, slanders, false witnesses, & all wrongs, and iniuries of that kinde whatsoever. The testimony of Con­science is full of Comfort, because of the vndoubted certainty, and the vn­questioned infallibilitie thereof, so that it voycing on a mans side, strange­ly cheares his heart. Pro. 27. 19. As in water face answers to face, so doth the heart of a man vnto man; That is, as some expound it, As a man may see his [Page 162] face by looking in the water, so a man may see himselfe, and what he is by looking into his conscience. If a man should be told that he had some filth or bloach on his face, if he would go look In speculo Conscien­tiae status interioris hominis, & exterioris cognoscitur Non imme­rito Consci­entiam spe­culo com­paravit, quoniā in ea tanquā speculo ra­tionis, ocu­lus tam in­decens quā quod decens in se est claro aspe­ctu appre­hendere po­test Bern. de Consc. into the water, or especially into a loo­king-glasse, hee should easily see whe­ther it were so or no. And if looking into the water, or glasse, he could not see any such filth in his face, though an hundred should offer to beare him downe to the contrary, yet would hee beleeue his owne eyes before them al. So here, whē at any time foule mouths are open, and spare not to cast aspersi­ons vpon Innocency, and to lay [...]can­dalous things to a mans charge, then a man by looking into his conscience can see himselfe, and can finde whe­ther he be guilty or not, and seeing him­selfe in that water, or in that glasse, to be cleere from that filth & dirt which malice would cast in his face, it so fills his heart with comfort, and confi­dence, as makes him treade all re­proach, and false Iudgement of man [Page 163] vnder his foot. Non ideo bona est cō ­scientia mea quia vos illam laudatis. Quià enim laudatis quod nō vi­detis? Aug. de ver dom ser. 49. Si autem non aurem solam per­culit [...]ra­cund [...]a cri­minantis verū etiam conscientiā mordet ve­ritus cri­minis quid mihi pro­dest si me▪ continuis laudibus totus mū ­dus attol­lat▪ Ita nec malam Conscientiā sa [...]at pra­coniū [...]au­dantis nec bonā vulne­rat convi­ctantis opprobrium. Aug. contra lit. Petil. l. 2 In omni quod dicitur semper ta­cite occur­rere debe­mus ad mentem & interiorem testem, & iudicem re­quirere. Quid enim prodest si omnes lau­dans & cō ­scientia ac­cusat? aut poterit ob­esse si om­nes dero­gent, & so­lae Consci­entia defē ­dit? Greg. sup. 125. hom, 6,

This appeares by the contrary. Let a man be praysed, and magnified euer so, let euer so much good be spoken of him, and ever so much worth be attri­buted to him, yet if his owne heart tell him, that all is falsely spoken of him, and there is indeed no such matter in him, he hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world. Pro. 27. 21. As the fining pot for siluer, the fur­nace for gold, so is a man to his prayse, that is, a man is to try his praise that is gi­uen him, and if his conscience tell him it is vndeserved, hee is to seperate this drosse of flattery from himself. All the commendations, and admirations of the world, what cōfort can they yeeld, whilest a mans Conscience tells him, that they are all but lying and glave­ring flatteries. What though the poor multitude feeling the sweete, and re­freshment of a Pharisees almes, do ca­nonize a Pharise for a Saint, yet what is he the better, or what cōfort hath he the more, whilst his own cōscience re­proaches, [Page 164] and reproues him, and tells him that he is a vaine-glorious hypo­crite, and that though these whom he feedes, send him to heauen, yet he shall haue his portion with hypocrites, and vnbeleevers. What is a man the better for a flattering Funerall Commenda­tion, whilest in the meane time hee is vnder the reproach, and torture of his cōscience, in the place of torment. How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men, no man but speakes wel of him, but yet in the meane time, his own heart giues him bitter words, and rates him to his face. How well contented would such an one bee, and what an happy exchange would hee hold it, to haue all the world rayle on him, & slander him, so his own consci­ence would but speak friendly & kind­ly to him. So he could find hony from his Conscience, hee would not care what gall he had from the world.

Experience lets vs see that such as haue bin malevolent and iniurious a­gainst others innocency, though they [Page 165] haue bin abetted and born out by their vmpires, and advocates, that for hand­fuls of barley, and scraps, and crusts, haue laboured to maintaine ill causes, and worse persons, yet they haue had no peace nor rest of heart. Their advo­cates haue bid them sit downe with rest, and victory, the day is theirs, they haue cheered them, and strived to de­serue their fee, & yet their guilty cli­ents beeing netled with the inward guilt of their Consciences, haue still bin haunted with a restles & perplexed vnquiet spirit, whilest others made guilty, and censured for offenders by such mercenary vmpires, haue posses­sed their soules in patience, and haue bin cheerfull and merry-hearted, from the comfort of their own innocent and cleere Consciences.

So that looke as the naughty consci­ence can speake no comfort, though all the world speake well of it, so contra­rily though all the world reproach, censure, slander, &c. yet a good con­science can, and will speake peace, and [Page 166] comfort to a mans heart.

The Corinthiās did exceedingly slight Faelix con­scientia nō sibi in ali­quo con­scia, quae nō proprium iudiciū, nec alienum veretur. Bern de Consc. Beata plane quae non alienis aesti­matur▪ iu­diciis sed domesticis percipitur sensibus tā ­quam sui iudex. Ne (que) enim popu­lares opini­ones pro mercede a­liqua re­quirit, neq, prosupplicio pauet. Am­bros▪ de of­fic. l. 2. c 1. N [...]n possūt aliena ver­ba crimen affigere quod pro­pria non recepit Cō ­scia. Ambr­in Ps. 38. Paul, He was this, and he was that, but how was he affected with it? See how, 1 Cor. 4. 3. 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be iudged of you, I know full well what your censures are, & what sentēce you passe vpon me, but know ye that I no whit at all regard the same, I make no reckoning therof at all. Why? might the Corinthians say, do ye count vs so silly, & so iniudicious? Nay sayes Paul, I speak it not as if you were sillier then others, with me it is a small thing to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement, let them be the most wise, & iudicious that are in the world, or of mans Day, though by men convened in solemne maner for iudgement; I passe not what their censure is, I regard not their mis-iudgings of me. I, but what makes Paul thus slight mens iudge­ment of him? That in the fourth verse, I know nothing by my selfe, mine owne Conscience iudges me not, nor senten­ses me, that layes no such thing to my [Page 167] charge, and therefore so long as my Conscience is on my side, I regard not a whit what the world iudges.

Now then see what a motiue this is to get and keepe a good Conscience. As we would be glad to haue comfort and confidence against the malice of opprobrious tongues, as wee would haue a counter-poyson against their venome, so get a good Conscience. Here is that which may make vs in loue with a good Conscience. Reproach must full often be the portion of Gods deare children. Israelites shall bee for ever an abomination to Egyptians. And though the Egyptian dogges mo­ued not their tongues against Israel. Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Egyptians will moue their tongues, and their teeth too. The Apostles must be coun­ted the filth of the world, and the off­scowrings of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 13. The Lord Iesus himselfe dranke of this cup, Psal. 22. 6. 7. I am a worme and no man, a reproach of men, and dispised of the people, All they that see me laugh me to [Page 186] scorne, &c. The way to heauen is a nar­row way, and this narrow way is beset with snakes, spitting adders, barking, and biting, and mad dogs, and a man must passe to heauen through good and euill report. 2. Cor. 6. 8.

Well then it being so hard a passage, Currentem attrites su­per aspidas & basilis­eos declina­re senem vipera non poterit. prosp. dc Aug. Con­scia mens recti famae mendaci [...] ridet, Sed no [...] in viti­ūm credula treba fa­mus. Ovid. how may a man get himselfe so armed that hee may passe cheerfully through all these; get a good Conscience, and thou shalt regard these snakes, serpents, vipers, and dogs, no more then a straw vnder thy foot. If thou haue a good Conscience thou shalt laugh at the re­proaches of enemies, as Eliphaz speaks of destruction. Iob 5. A good consci­ence will say vnto thee, Goe on chee­rily in the wayes of God, what euer discouragements the diuell rayses by reproaches and slanders, feare them not, Behold I acquit and excuse thee, I will beare thee out, I will witnesse at Gods tribunall for thee. Lo, I giue thee balme against their poyson, a buckler a­gainst their swords. Let them curse, yet I will blesse thee; let thē reproach, [Page 169] yet I will [...]fort▪ let them condemn, fame thee, yet I will be thy compur­gator: let them cast dirt in thy face, yet I will wash it off; let them disqui­et, yet behold, I am ready to cheere thee. Oh the sweet and vnconceivable comfort that a good Conscience will speake, even in the middst of the cruell speakings of vngodly men, Iude 15. that will speake comfortably when they speake cruelly, and most comfortably, when they speake most cruelly. Such is the benefit of a good Conscience in case of reproach and disgrace.

CHAP. IX.

IN the second place, let vs see what the benefite and comfort of a good [Page 170] [...] & Common calamities. When the 2 fort of a good Con­science in the times of cōmon feares and calamities. world is full of scares▪ and dangers, and calamities breake in, how fares it then with an evil conscience, in what taking are they that want a good conscience? They are absorpt with feares, and the very tydings puts them to much perplexitie, Isa. 7. 2. Aha [...] is told of a con­fedracy between Syria & Ephraim, and see in what feares hee and his people were, His heart was moved, & the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. So deepely do re­ports and evill tydings affect them, the trees in the wood are not so shakē with the blustering windes, as evill Consci­ences are with evill tydings. When ill newes and ill Consciences meet, there is no small feare. The signes that prog­nosticate sorrowfull times, see how deepely they affect evill Consciences, Luke 21. 25. There shall be signes in the sun and the moone, and in the stars, and vpon the earth, distresse of Nations with per­plexity, mens hearts failing them for [Page 171] feare, and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth. But when calamity indeed comes, and not ill newes, but ill times, and ill consciences meete, how are they then? They are then either in the case the Egyptians were in the famine, Gen. 47. 13. They were at their wits end; or as those in a storme at Sea, Psa 107. 26. 27. Their soule is melted because of trouble, They reele too and fro, and stagger like a drun­ken man, and all their wisdome is swallowed vp. Excesse of feare puts them into as great distempers as excesse of wine, it vtterly stupifies them, and they by feare are as much bereft of the vse of their senses, wit, and wisdom, as a drun­kard is in his drunkennesse. Yea, their feares make them not onely drunk, but starke madde. Deut. 28. 34. Thou shalt be oppressed and cursed alway, so that thou shalt bee madde for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. The perplexities of an euill conscience in evill times, are vnspeakably grievous. Isay doth ex­ceeding lively describe them. Isa. 13. [Page 172] 7. 8. 9. Therfore shall all hands bee faint, and every mans heart shall melt, And they shall bee afraid, pangs and sorrowes shall take hold of them, they shall be in pain as a woman that travells, they shall be a mazed one at another, their faces shall be as flames, &c. Hence that same strange question of the Prophets, Ier. 36. 6. Aske ye now, and see whether a man doth tra­vell with childe? A strange question, what should make the Prophet aske it? Because he foresaw such strange beha­viour amongst them, carrying them­selues in the same fashion in the day of calamitie, that women vse to doe in the extremity of the pangs of child-birth. Wherefore doe I see every man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauell, and all faces are turned into palenesse? A­las, for that day is great, so that none is like it, it is euen the time of Iacobs trou­ble. When such wofull dayes befall a man, all his riches will not yeeld him a iot of comfort, Pro. 11. 4. Riches avayle not in the day of wrath. No that will no whit cheere a man at such a time, They [Page 173] shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be remooued, &c. Ezek. 7. 19. This shall be the miserable pickle a man shall bee in at such a time, that wants a good Conscience.

But now looke vpon a man with a good Conscience in such times, and how fares it with him? Let evil tydings & times come, how is he affected ther­withall? He will not be afraid of evill ty­dings, for his heart is fixed, Psal. 112. 7. feare he may, but yet his Heart shall be free from those restlesse, & perplexing distractions wherewith all others are vexed, Luke 21. 9. When yee shall heare of warres and commotions bee not terrified. And Prou. 3. 25. Be not afraid of sudden feare. There is nothing so armes and re­solues the heart against feares and evill tydings, as doth the peace and integri­ty of a good Conscience. For let there be outward peace abroad in the world and freedome from all feares of warrs and combustions, yet little ioy and cō ­fort can a man haue therein, whilest his conscience proclaimes warre against [Page 174] him, and as Gods Herald summons him to battell, Those inward warres, and rumors of warres, wofully distract him in the midst of his outward peace. So cōtrarily, let there be peace within in the Conscience, and all warres, and feares of warres husht there, and then what ever feares and troubles are like to bee without, yet there will bee a calme, a serenitie, and a sweet security within.

Becarefull, and so fearefull, for no­thing, Phil. 4. 6. To be fearefull in no­thing, is indeede an excellent happi­nesse of a well composed minde. How might one attain thereto? How might a man bring his heart to that fixed and stablisht temper? See verse 7. The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall guarde your hearts and mindes. [...], shall keepe with a guard, as Kings haue their guards about them to saue their persons from violence; shall guard your hearts, that is, your affections, that they run not into extremitie of impatience, distraction, desperation, [Page 175] when feares and terrours shal come, ye shall not be transported with such dis­tracting thoughts as shall depriue you of the freedome of your mindes, but that you shall haue them to attend vp­on God in the greatest of your dangers. So that a man with a good conscience in the middest of all feares and com­bustions can sing with Dauid, Psa. 116. 7. Returne vnto thy rest, O my soule. The peace of a good Conscience is like the ballast of a Ship. Let a Ship goe to Sea without ballast in the bottome, and e­uery blast of winde is ready to ouer­turne it, but being wel balasted, though the windes blow strong, yet it sayles steddily and safely. Every blast of ill newes, and tydings of feare, how full of terrible apprehensitions it filles an ill conscience, it miserably vnsettles and distracts it, whilest a good Conscience, what blasts soeuer blows, hath its heart steddy and at good command.

Methinkes when I consider Noab in his Cabine, or nest in the Arke, with what security and quiet of heart he sits [Page 176] there, notwithstanding the clattering of the raines vpon the Ark, the roaring of the waters, and the hideous how­lings and out-cries of those that were drowned in the flood, I see th [...] Em­bleme of a good conscience. Tubalcain, Lamech, Iabal, Iubal, with what horrid perplexities are their soules distraught. Some climbe vp this house top, some this high tree, others flee to some high mountaine, and there in what horror and amazement are they, whilest one sees his children sprawling, another his wise strugling for life vpon the face of the mercilesse waters, but especially whilest they behold the waters rising by little and little, and pursuing them to the house tops, and threatning to sweepe them off from the heads of the Mountaines, to which they had beta­ken themselues. These feares and a­mazements were worse then an hun­dreth deathes. But now all this while how is it with Noah, hee sits dry in his cabbin, and litterally was the saying of the Psalme verified of him, Surely in [Page 177] the floods of great waters they came not nigh vnto him. Psa. 32. 6. He hath his Ark pitcht within, & pitcht without, neither can the raines from aboue beate in, nor the waters from beneath leake in, let all fountaines of the great deepe bee bro­ken vp, and the flood-gates of heaven bee opened, yet not one drop of water comes at him, and though the waters prevaile fifteene cubites aboue the high hills and mountaines, so that they be covered, yet Noah hee is out of all feare, let them rise as high as they will, yet shall hee keepe aboue them still. Iust such is the condition, and happinesse of a man with a good Con­science in sad times. Whilest the high hils and mountaines are covered, the great and braue spirits of the world are overwhelmed with feare, are pos­sest with dreadfull apprehensions, so as they know not which way to look, nor which way to take, even then a man with a good conscience hath a strange quiet of heart, is full of sweet security and resolution, & amids all the shrikes, [Page 178] howlings, and wringing of hands of earthly men, by patience possesses his soule, is master of himselfe, and com­poses his soule to rest. His Ark is pitcht within & without. The peace of God, and the peace of a good Conscience, keeps the waterfloods from comming into his soule. The raine & the waues they beat vpon the Arke, but yet they pierced it not. A man with a good Cō ­science may fall into, & may be swept away with cōmon calamities: yet how euer it fare with his outward man, yet his soule is free from that horrour, and those madding perplexities wherwith­all wicked ones are overtaken. The peace of a good Conscience shall keep off these distracting feares from his minde, Though he cannot be free hap­pily from the common destructions, yet shall he be free from the common distra­ctions of the world. There be two things in common calamities, The sword with­out, and terror within, Deut. 32. 25. & the latter of the two is the worse by farre. Now here is the benefit of a good Cō ­science, [Page 179] though it doe not saue alwayes from the sword without, yet it deliuers alwaies from the terror within, which giues a terrible edge to the sword, and which being remoued, the sword is no­thing so terrible. When the Canaanites were destroyed by Israel, there was a double sorrow and smart vpon them. The sword of the Israelites, and Gods Hornet, Iosh. 24. 12. What was that Hornet? Nothing else but that distra­cting and perplexing feare and terror wherewith God filled their hearts, as appeares, Exodus 23. 27. 28. There is no Hornet can so vexe with his sting, as these terrors vexe evill Consciences in evill dayes. Now here is the privi­ledge of good Consciences, though they may smart with the sword, yet this hornet shall not sting them, nor fill their hearts with that throbbing an­guish, that these terrors in times of ca­lamitie put evill Consciences to.

A sweet motiue to make any in loue with a good Conscience. Whilest we looke vpon the evils of the times, wee [Page 180] cannot but looke for evill times. Look we vpon our sinnes, and Gods admini­stration abroad; vpon the malice and policies of the adversaries of Gods grace, and what doe these but progno­sticate heavie things. Now suppose a flood should come, would wee not be glad of an Arke, & such a cabbin there­in as should keepe out the wa [...]ers from our soules? Get then the pitch of a good Conscience, & thou shalt sit like Noah, if not free from the waters, yet free from the feares of Lamech, & Tu­balcain, which are worse then the wa­ters. For the feares of such evils are more bitter and vnsufferable then the evils themselues. Suppose, I say, a flood should come, who would not giue a kingdome for an Arke well pitcht? Suppose calamity should come, who would not giue a world for a good Conscience then? Iabal Gen. 4. 20. hee is busie in building of tents, and he is a­mong his flocks and cattell, and Iubal, Gen. 4. 21. hee is wholly vpon his merry pins, at his Harpe and Organs; He and [Page 181] his take the Timbrel, and the Harpe, and reioyce at the s [...]d of the Organ, Iob. 21▪ 12. And these iolly ioviall laddes giue poore Noah many a drie flout, many a scornfull scoffe whilest hee is building his Arke, & aske what this brainsicke and mad fellow meanes to make such a vessell, whether he meant to sayle on the dry land, or to make a Sea when he made his Ship? I, but when the flood is come, and the waters begin to bee chin deepe, then aske Iabal whether building of tents or building of an Ark be the wiser worke, then whether is better Noahs Arke, or Iubals pipes? Now that the flood is come, and these come perhaps wading middle deepe to the Arke side, and bellow and howle to Noah to open the Arke to them: Now would not Iabal giue all his tents, and all his cattell, but to bee but where Noahs dog lies, would not Iubal now giue all his pipes and merriment, to haue but the place that an hogge had in the Arke. Now Iubal let vs heare one of your merrie songs, [Page 182] pipe now and make your selfe merry with gybing at Noahs solly, in making a Ship to sayle on dry land. What ay­lest thou Iubal to howle and wring thine hands thus? where is thine Harp & Orgās now? cheer vp thy soule now with these vanities. Now the flood is come, now Noth is in the Arke, now Sirs, you that are such men of renowne, Gen. 6. 4. you that were the braue gal­lants of the earth, now tell me, who is the foole, & who is the wise man now?

How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Conscience, yea if they see others to bee but carefull in rigging of this Shippe, and pitching, and trimming vp such an Arke, how ready are they to spend their byting scoffes, and their tart iests vpon them; but if euer times of trouble and calami­ty, & a fire-flood of Gods wrath. Nah. 1. 6. 8, should breake in, then would a good cōscience hold vp the head with much comfort and resolution, whilest those that formerly made a ieast of a good Conscience, should haue a king, [Page 183] and quaking [...] of those vnmeasurable fears that shall cease vp­on them. A good Conscience will make a man musick, when Iubal shal be glad not onely to put vp, but with in­dignation & anguish of heart to throw away and curse his pipes. Well fare a good Conscience in euill dayes. Pitch and trim vp this Arke, there is no such prouision against euill dayes, as is a good Conscience. It will doe a man service, and support him, when all the braue spirits of the earth shal be blank, and at their wits end.

In the third place, the benefite and 3 The com­fort of a good Con­science in Time of Sicknesse. comfort of a good Conscience, is Conspicuous in the time of Sicknesse, or a mans priuate and personall crosses in his estate, &c. A sicke man with an hayle Conscience, is a cheary and a comfortable man, Pro, 13. 14. The spirit of a man will susteine his infirmitie; that is, the spirit it selfe being hayle, and sound, it will enable him to beare any bodily sicknes. But a wounded spirit who can beare, yea a wounded or a sicke bo­dy, [Page 184] who can cōfortably [...] But let the Conscience be good and sound, and it helps a man with great ease and com­fort, to beare the sicknes of the body. It is a shrewd burden to beare two sick­nesses at once, to haue a sick body, & a sick Cōscience. A man shal find enough of the easiest of them single and alone. But yet an bayle conscience in an in­firme body, sweetly helps our infirmi­tie. Let a man haue ever so hayle and healthfull a body, yet if the conscience be naught, & withal awakened, falls to galling, & griping, he shall finde but lit­tle ioy in his bodily health; so contrari­ly, let a mans Conscience be good, and though his body be sicke, & weake, yet is it a great deale of sweet refreshment that it shall receiue from the consciēce.

Sicknesse in it selfe is exceeding vn­comfortable, and in the time of sicknes commonly all bodily comforts, the comforts of meates, drinkes, & sleepe fayle; yea but then here is the benefit of a good conscience, that wil not then [Page 185] fayle, but as it is sayd, Eccl. 10. [...]9. Mo­ney answers all things, so a good consci­ence answers all things, the comfort of it supplies the want of all other com­forts. When in sicknes the comfort of meate, drinke, and sleepe is gone, they are all found againe in the comfort of a good Conscience, that will be meat, drinke, that will be rest and sleepe, that will make a mans sick-bed soft, and ea­sie, that shall be as the Angels were to Christ in his hunger in the Wildernes, they ministred vnto him, and so will a good conscience minister comfort in the want of all other comforts, so that a man may say of a good▪ Conscience, as we vse to say of some solid, substan­tial dish, that there are Patirdge, Phea­sant, and Quailes in it; so though out­ward comforts cease their office, and their work be suspended, yet a good conscience comes in their roome, & in it are meat, drinke, sleepe, ease, refresh­ment, and what not? A good consci­ence is an Electuary, or a Cordiall that hath all these ingredients in it. There [Page 186] is no such Cordiall to a sicke man, as the Cordiall of a good conscience. All Physitions to this Physition are but such Physitions as Iobs friends. Iob 13. 4. Ye are Physitions of no value. A mo­tiue of great weight to make men in loue with a good conscience. Who can be free from sicknes, and how tedious and wearisome a time, is the time of sicknes. Now who would not make much of a Cordiall that might cheare him then, of a receipt that might feede him then? As then we would be glad of a chearfull, and comfortable spirit vp on our sicke beds, so make much of a good Conscience. Whence is it that most men in their sicknesses haue such drooping spitits, lye groaning altoge­ther vnder their bodily paines, or lye sottishly and senselesly, no sense of any thing but paine, and sicknes? Meerely from the want of a good Conscience, they haue laid vp no Cordiall, no com­fortable Electuary for themselues in their health time against the day of sicknes. Indeed you shall haue the mi­serable [Page 187] comforters of the world on this maner chearing them; Why, how now man, where is your heart? Plucke vp a good heart man, neuer feare for a little sicknes, &c. True indeed, they should not need to feare, if they could plucke vp a good heart. But they that will pluck it vp when they are sick, must lay it vp when they are well. He that hath a good conscience to get when he lyes vpō his sick-bed, is like a man that hath his Aqua vitae to buy when he is fallen into a swoune; A wise man that feares swouning, would haue his hot-water­bottle hanging alwaies ready at his beds-head. But as in other crosles by sicknes and the like, so is the comfort of a good conscience, neuer more sweet, then when a man is vnder the crosse for conscience sake, & suffers af­fliction and vexation to keepe a good conscience. Then aboue al other times will conscience doe the office of a Cō ­forter, and will stand to him that will stand for it. When Nebuchadnezzar heates his Fornace seauen times hotter [Page 188] then at other times, then a good Conscience will speak comfort seuen times sweeter then at other times.

Are Gods Saints for good Consci­ence Fox Acts and Mon. Omnis no­bis vilis est poena, vbi purae comes est consci­entia Ti­burt apud Baron An 168. sake in prison? Good Conscience will make their prisons delectable hortiards, So doth Algerius an Italian Mar­tyr date a comfortable Epistle of his, From the delectable hortyarde of the Leo nine prison, a prison in V [...]nice so cal­led. So that as he said, that he had ra­ther be in prison with Cato, then with Coesar in the Senate house, so in this re­gard it was more cōfortable to be with Philpot in the Cole-house, then with Bonner in his Pallace. Bonners Consci­ence made his Pallace a Cole-house, and a Dungeon, whilst Philpots made the Cole-house a Pallace.

Are Gods Saints in the Stocks? Bet­ter it is, sayes Philpot, to sit in the Stocks of the world, then in the Stocks of a dam­nable Co [...]science. Therfore though they be in the Stockes, yet euen then, the righteous doth sing and reioyce, yea, e­uen in the Stockes, and prison; Paul [Page 189] and Silas sang in the Stockes. Sing in Hinc est quod è con­trarioinno­cens etiam inter ipsae tormenta fruitur Cō ­scientiae se­curitaete, et cum de poe­na metuat de inno­centia glo­riaetur. Hierony. ad Deme­tri▪ ad ep. 1. the Stockes? Nay more, they can sing in the flames, and in the midst of the fires. Is. 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires. And worthy Hawkes could clap his hands in the midst of the flames. So great and so passing all vnderstanding is the peace & comfort of a good con­science. So that in some sense, that may be sayd of it which is spoken of faith. Heb. 11. 34, By it they quenched the vio­lence of fire. Gods servants were so rapt, & rauisht with the sense of Gods loue, and their inward peace of Conscience, that they seemd to haue a kind of happy dedolency, and want of fee­ling of the smart of outward torments.

Who knowes what tryalls God may bring him to? We haue no patent for our peace, nor this free liberty in the profession of the Gospell. Suppose we should be cald to the stake for Christs sake. Would we be chearefull, would we sing in the flames? Get a good Cō ­science. The cause of Christ is a good cause, now with a good cause get a [Page 190] good conscience, and we shall be able with all cheerfulnes to lay downe our liues for Christ, and his Gospell sake.

CHAP. XII.

IN the fourth place, The time of 4 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 haue made it asleepe all their life, least Conscience [Page 191] 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 loue, as Nabal. But if conscience bee a­wakened, and haue 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 euery 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 vnto 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 [Page 192] 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 vpon 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 vpon his carkase. Ps. 49. 14. Death shall feede in them, euen as a ravenous beast: shall feed vpon his prey. Imagine in what a terrible plight the Samaritans were in, when the Lyons set vpon 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 vpon mee, fearefulnes▪ & trembling are come vpon 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 vp­on 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 vpon his death­bed? His end is peace; so full of ioy & comfort; so is he ravished with the in­ward and vnspeakable consolations of [Page 194] 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 onely 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 haue 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, [Page 195] 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 vpon death as the Israelites vpon the fiery Serpents, but lookes vpon 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 haue 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 [Page 196] 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 vpon death, as vpon the Sheriffe that comes to giue him possession of his Inheri­tance, or as Lazarus vpon 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 haue 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 haue wee here, to make vs labor for a good con­science. [Page 197] 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 haue liued in all good Consci­ence vnto this day. They that haue con­science in their life, shall haue 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 [Page 198] not hold the whole world an easie price for it then? Well then, would wee then haue 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 vpon him, can say with Hezekiah, Isa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord, I beseech thee, how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and haue 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 vpon his death-bed.

Euery 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. [Page 166] Alas how pittifull, and misera­ble a condition live most men in. All the dayes of their lifes, & healths, they haue 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 giue 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 haue them doe? Are they or your own courses in fault, that you want comfort at your death? What would you haue vs 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. [Page 200] If you would giue vs 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 vnto you, you must haue 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 haue hel­ped her, but he could not make Corne. So if men haue carryed any thing into their Consciences, if they them­s [...]lues haue Inned any provision and comfort, by being Conscionable in their lives, then we can helpe and com­fort [Page 201] them, but otherwise do not thinke that we can make comforts, and make good Consciences vpon your death­beds. If your Consciences can say for you, that you haue 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 haue vs to doe? What can we say, but as the Prophet to Zedekiah, Ier. 37. 19. Where are now your Prophets that prophesied vnto 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 haue you in those wayes, what comfort can these giue you now? [Page 202] 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 vs 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 haue our Consciences & Gods Mi­nisters thus to grate vpon vs, 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 vpon, & 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 vnto thee that the Angell was [Page 203] vnto Christ in his agony, Luk. 22. 43. and shall minister such comfort vnto 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 vpon, when thou shalt be vpon 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 loue therewith.

Fiftly and lastly, the benefit & com­fort 5 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 vnto 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 vs, cover vs, yea, dash and quash vs in a thousand pieces. When an ill Conscience is a­wakened, it is not to be imagined how [Page 204] 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 vnder 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? [Page 205] 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, [Page 206] 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 vnto 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 [Page 207] vnto iudgement bee, vnto 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 vnto 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 haue sought for God, and all your dayes yee haue sought to kpepe a good Conscience. How effectuall a motiue should this be, how strongly should this worke with vs. 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 [Page 208] anguish of spirit, so now whilst wee haue the day of life and grace, la­bour wee to get and keepe good Con­sciences.

CHAP. XIII.

THus haue wee seene the first mo­tiue, The secōd motiue to a good Con­science. from the benefite and com­fort of a good Conscience, in such ca­ses, and times, as a man stands most in need of comfort. A second motiue fol­lowes, and that is that we finde, Prov. 15. 15. A good Conscience is a continuall feast. 1. It is a feast. 2. Better then a feast. It is a continuall feast.

1. It is a feast. The excellency of a good Conscience is set forth by the same thing, by which our Saviour sets forth the happinesse of heauen. Luk. 14. Quo enim melius epu­lantur ani­mi quam bonis fact is, aut quid aliud iam facile po­test explere iustorum mentes quā boni operis conscientia. Ambr de offic. l. 1. c. 31 And well may both be set forth by the same metaphor, considering what a neere affinity there is betweene heauen [Page 209] and a good Conscience, & that there is no feasting in heauen, vnlesse there be first the feast of a good Conscience here on earth. But why a feast? A feast for three regards.

1. For the selfe sufficiency, and sweet satisfaction and contentment that a good Conscience hath within it selfe. Fea­sting & fasting are opposite. In fasting vpō the want of food there is an emp­tinesse and a griping hunger, which makes the body insatiably to craue. But at a feast there is abundance, and variety of all dishes and dainties, ready at hand to satisfie a mans appetite to the full, he can haue a mind to nothing but it is before him. The very best of euery thing that is to bee had is at a feast. A feast of fat things, Isa. 25. 6. of fat things full of marrow. Such is the sufficiency of satisfaction, the abun­dance of sweetnes, and contentment that is to be found in a good Consci­ence. It is a table richly furnisht with all varieties, and dainties. There is no pleasure, cōfort, or contentment that a [Page 210] mans heart can wish, but it may bee a­bundantly had in a good Conscience; as at a feast there is a collection of all the dainties and delicacies that sea and land can affoord.

2. For the mirth, and ioy of it. A feast is made for laughter, Eccles. 10. 19. At a feast there is mirth, musick, and delight in the comfortable vse of the creatures. Heauinesse of heart, pensinenesse, and sorrow, these are banisht frō the house of feasting. Fasting & feasting are op­posite, in fasting indeede there is wee­ping, mourning, and sorrowing, but in a feast contrarily, there is mirth, merri­ment and ioy.

There were vnder the Law appoin­ted so lemne holy feasts anniversarily to be celebrated, and at those solemne feasts were the silver trumpets soun­ded, Num. 10. 10. and the sound of the trumpets was a ioyfull sound. Psal, 89. 15. For their festivities were to bee kept with speciall ioy. Deut. 16. 10. 11. 13. 14. 15. Thou shalt keepe the feast of weekes vnto the Lord. &c. and thou shalt reioyce be­fore [Page 211] the Lord, &c. Thou shalt obserue the feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes, &c. And thou shalt reioyce in thy feast &c. Ther­fore thou shalt surely reioyce. And that extraordinary feast on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Ader, in memoriall of their deliuerance from Hamā, see how it was kept, Est. 9. 19. 22. They kept them dayes of gladnesse and feasting, of feasting and ioy. Euen such is the excel­lency of a good Conscience. All the merriment and musicke, wine & good cheere, will not make a mans heart so light and so merry, as the wine which is drunke at the feast of a good consci­ence will doe. This takes away all hea­uinesse and sadnesse of spirit, and hath the like effects with naturall wine. It makes a man forget his spirituall pover­ty, and remember that misery no more, Pro. 31. 7. Nay, as wine not onely takes away sadnes, but withall brings a natu­rall gladnes with it. Psal. 104. 15. Wine that makes glad the heart of man, so doth this wine at this feast. Psal. 97. 11. 12. Light is sowne for the righteous, and [Page 212] gladnes for the vpright in heart, Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous. None so glad an heart, as the vpright in heart. Nay, such is the vigour and strength of this wine, at this feast, that it not only glads a mans heart, but makes a man as not able to containe, euen to shout for ioy, Psal. 32. 11, Shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart, yea shout alowd for ioy, Psal. 132. 16. That looke as it is sayde of the Lord, Psal. 78. 65. The Lord awa­ked like a mighty man that shouts by rea­son of wine. So such is the plenty, abun­dance, sweetnes, and strength of the wine of this feast, that it makes men in a holy iollity, euen to breake forth into shouting, & singing. This wine being liberally drunken, wherein there is no excesse, fills a mans heart with such an ouerflowing exuberancy of ioy, as hee cannot hold, but he must needs shew it in Psalms, Hymns, and spirituall songs; and hence it is, that the righteous do sing and reioyce, Pro. 29. 6. So that what ioy a feast can yeeld, that can a good con­science yeeld much more, 2. Cor. 1. 12. [Page 213] This is our reioycing the testimony of our Conscience. Yea and that ioy com­manded, Deut. 16. At the feast of Ta­bernacles what was it but a type of that spirituall ioy, that the faithfull vn­der Christ should haue in keeping the feast of a good conscience? The feast of a good conscience is the true feast of Tabernacles, in which as in the other, there shall need no charge to reioyce, and be merry, this feast will put such spirit and life into a man, as shall make him sing, skip, and shout for ioy.

The feast of a good conscience is not like a funerall feast, where mirth and ioy are vnseemely, and vnseasonable guests, there are heauy hearts & looks, teares, and mourning (which by the way how well they suit with feasting, let the world iudge) but the feast of a good conscience is a nuptiall feast, a marriage feast, and the day of marri­age is the day of the ioy of a mans heart, Cant. 3. 11. Such a feast, euen a ioyfull marriage feast doth a good conscience make.

Oftentimes these bodily feasts are but heauy feasts, many for all their good cheere, company, and musicke, cannot put away the heavines of their hearts, but euen in their feast are sad hearted, and Sampsons wife wept all the dayes of the feast, Iudg. 14. 17. yea though a marriage feast. But in this feast of a good conscience here is no sorrow, heauines, or sad melancholly, but all ioy and gladnes.

3. For the societie & company. A feast is a collection, and a convention of many good friends together, whose so­ciety and fellowship is sweet each to o­ther. There is no feast can affoord the like company that a good conscience hath. Woe to him that is alone. Eccl. 4. that is the woefull and solitary condi­tion of euill consciences. But a good conscience hath euer good company, is not alone, for the Father is with him. Ioh. 16. 32. yea, the Sonne is with it, and Christ, and the man with a good con­science, they suppe, and feast together. Reu. 3. 20. Yea, and the Spirit is with it. [Page 215] 1. Cor. 13. 13. The Communion of the holy Ghost be with you. What feast in the world cā shew such cōpany? And good company is the chiefe thing in a feast. Thus a good conscience is a feast.

2. It is better then a feast. And that in three regards.

1. In regard of the continuance, and perpetuity of it. A continuall feast. Nabal made a feast, a feast like a King. 1. Sam. 25. but that feast lasted but one day. Sampson at his marriage had a feast that lasted seuen daies. Iudg. 14. 17. but yet that feast had an end, Ahashuerosh his feast was the longest feast that euer we reade of. Esth. 1. 4. He made a feast many dayes, an hundred and fourescore dayes. But yet, vers. 5. it is sayd, And when those daies were expired. So this long feast had an end. It was continued for many daies, but yet no continuall feast, it had an end. The feast of a good con­science is not like an Vniuersity Com­mencement feast. Great exceedings, & extraordinary good cheere and com­pany for one night, but the next mor­row [Page 216] to their bare Commons againe. Not like the feast of the Natiuity, at which time there is great feasting, and great cheere every where for twelue dayes, but when those dayes are ouer, many a man is glad of bread & cheese, glad to skip at a crust. But this is a con­tinuall feast all the year long, all a mans life long. Therefore 1. Thes. 5. 16. Re­ioyce euermore, keepe open house, and feasting all the yeare long. The ioy of a good conscience was figured by the ioy at the feast of Tabernacles. That feast lasted seuē daies. The ioy must be as long. Seuen the number of perfecti­on, denoted the whole course of a mans life, and so their seuen daies ioy, the continuall ioy and iollity of this con­tinuall feast of a good conscience.

Conscience, and a wife as they agree in many things, be they good, be they ill, so in this also. If the conscience be euill, it is like an euill wife, and she is a continuall euill. Pro. 27. 15. A continuall dropping in a very rainy day, & a conten­tious woman are alike. The contentions [Page 217] of a wife are a continuall dropping. Pro. 19. 13. A shrewish waspish wife, is a continuall vexation, and disquiet. Such is an evill Conscience▪ a continuall sor­row. Contrarily, a good Conscience is like a good wife. A good wife is a conti­nuall comfort, a comfort in health, in sicknesse, in peace, in distresse. Prov. 31. 1 [...]. She doth him good and not evill all the dayes of her life. Not some good, and a great deale of evill withall, but all good, good and not evill. Not good at sometime, and none at other times, but all the dayes of her life, she is a continuall comfort. Such is the comfort of a good conscience. It keepes holy day, & fea­sting every day; It is all feast; a feast for ever; there is no Lent, nor fasting daies that interrupt this feast. This is the pe­culiar priviledge of this feast to be con­tinual; belly feasting cannot be so: for

1. A man cannot alwaies feast though he would, a mans revenewes would be exhaust, his expenses would soone sinke his estate. Continuall feasting would soone begger & vndoe a man of good [Page 218] estate, Pro. 21. 17. He that loues Wine & Oyle shall not be rich. It is not so here; the revenew of a good Conscience is bot­tomles, it cannot be spent, and there­fore is able to keepe a rich, and a full furnisht Table all the yeare long. Here is a mystery in this feast, the larger expenses to day, the more layd in to keep the feast the better to morrow; a man growes rich by feasting.

2. Suppose a man might bee able to feast alwayes, or might feed at another mans Table continually, yet would it Voluptas tunc cum maxime de­lectat extin guitur. Nec multum lo­ci habet i­tae (que) cito implet et taedio est, & post primum im petum mar­cet Senec de vit beat. cap. 7. weary a man beyond measure. It would but gugge and cloy a man. All earthly pleasures haue a satietie, and breede a loathing by frequent vse. But this is the admirable excellency of this feast of a good conscience, here a man may feed, and cat with continuall delight. At this continual feast, here is a continual fresh appetite, and fresh delights; here is con­tinuall feasting without loathing and satietie.

3. Neither may belly-feasting be con­tinuall. There be sometimes wherein it [Page 219] is inconvenient, and vnlawfull. To speake with the fayrest, that day which God hath fanctified for his service, is not so convenient for feasting. It may be no lesse dangerous to devoure sancti­fied time, then sanctified things. And in this case hath that saying a truth, It i [...] not meet that we should leaue the Word of God, and serue Tables. Act. 6. 2. But now this feast without any doubt may bee on the Sabbath, yea, it is the special fe­stivall, & high day of the weeke, wher­in this feast is best kept. Againe, there bee times wherein God calles to so­lemne fasting and humiliation, as when the Church is either in danger, or dis­tresse, but this feast is not hindred by fasting, it will stand well with it, and many a speciall dainty dish is serued in­to this feast from a fast.

4. Suppose a man could and might feast alwayes, yet were it a brutish thing, and hog-like alwaies for a man to be cramming and crowding in belly cheere, alwayes to bee paunching and gutting. It is that for which the rich [Page 220] Glutton is taxed, Luk. 16. that he fared deliciously euery day. But here to feast at this Table every day, is that which makes a man euery whit as Angel-like, as belly-feasting euery day makes a man swine-like. Here it is a mans happi­nesse to be an holy Epicure.

2. It is better then other feasts, in re­gard Nunquam credideris faeilcem qui adventitio laetus est, exibit gau­dium quod intravit. Senec. ep. 99. of the Independencie of this feast vpon any other outward thing. This feast is able to maintaine it selfe of it selfe, & within it selfe. A man that hath a good conscience, hath a feast, though he haue nothing else but it. A good Conscience, though it haue nothing but browne bread and water, yet this hard fare marres not the feast; For this feast stands not in meats, and drinks, but in righteousnes, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. Quietnesse and a dry morsell is better then an house full of good cheare with strife, Pro. 17. 1. Though it be but outward quietnes, when a man is free from vniust vexations, & the mo­lestations of froward and contentious dispositions, even such quietnes makes [Page 221] a dry morsell good cheere, makes a feast of a crust. But when there is inward quietnesse of a good Conscience, and a mans heart is at quiet from his peace with his God, what excellent cheere is a dry morsell, then? Though a man have ever so good fare, yet to haue it sawced with the bitternesse of conten­tion, and to live in a continuall wrang­ling with peevish people, what poore content would a wel furnisht Table af­foord such a man? And what poore cheere, especially, would all the feasts in the world make, where there is brawling & contention from the cōsci­ence? Here then is the excellēcy of this feast above all other feasts. This feast is able to subsist, and to maintaine it selfe without other feasting; other fea­sting is nothing without this of a good conscience. Other feasting often hurts and hinders this feast, whilest men by their vaine & licentious carriage there­in, Feasting without al feare, Iude 12. do make the Conscience fast and sterue, and whilest their Quailes are betweene [Page 222] [...]heir teeth, leannesse enters into their soule. Psalm. 106. 15. So farre is bo­dily feasting from helping, that it hinders this feasting rather. Consci­ence, can haue mirth enough without a feast, but little is the comfort and con­tent that a feast can giue, where the Conscience is not good. Men may set a Sed non est ista hilaritas long a obser­va: videbis eosdē intra exiguum tē pus acerri­me ridere, et acerrime rudere. Se­nec. ep. 29. a face vpon it and bragge, laugh, and be iolly in their feasting, but yet in the middest of that laughter the heart is sor­rowfull, and the ende of that mirth is heauinesse, Prov. 14. 13. Conscience a­wakened even in the middest of the greatest iollitie, giues men many a bitter twitch at the heart, and in the middest of all their revillings, gives them Vineger and Gall to drinke. A good Conscience is it that sweetens and seasons all the dishes of a feast, that is the sawce that makes meate sa­voury, the sugar that sweetens Wine, that is the musicke that makes a mans heart daunce.

But let a man goe to the most sump­tuous, and delicious feastes without a [Page 223] good conscience, and how is it with him then? Iust as with Belshazzar, Dan. 5. where the hand-writing on the wall, marred all his mirth; or else it is in such a case as it was with Haman. The foole brags that he alone is invited to Esthers banquet with the King, Esth. 5. 12. Oh, how happy a man was he, vnder how fortunate a Planet was he borne, to be the King and Queenes Favourite both? But see what little reason hee had to brag. Chap. 7, 2. Even at the banquet of Wine, Esther giues him a cup of gall at the banquet of Wine. Doth she accuse Haman to the King. Oh! how many glory in their banquetting, & their fea­sting, but how often do their Conscien­ces put Easthers tricke vpon them, euen accuse them to God, and gall and girde them in the middst of their wine. Con­science serues many, as Absoloms villai­nies serued Ammon; when his heart was merry at Absoloms feast, then they stabd him to the heart. Conscience deales with them as the Isralites were dealt withall in their Quayle feast. They [Page 224] had their Quailes, and their daynties, but a man would rather want their good cheere, then haue their sawce. Their sweet meat had shrape sawce. Whilest the flesh was betweene their teeth, Gods anger brake in vpon them. So whilest many are chewing their dainties, conscience fills their mouth with gravell, and so sawces and spices their dishes, that they finde but little content therein. So miserable are all feasts and merryments of this world, when a man wants the imdependent feast of a good Conscience. So happy also are they that haue the feast of a good Conscience, although they neuer taste bitt of other feast whilst they liue, although they be denied the crummes that fall vnder the feasting Gluttons Table.

3. It is better in regard of the Vniuer­salitie of it. As for belly-feasts, it stands not with euery mans condition, and purse, to make them. It belongs onely to the richer & abler sort to feast. Fea­sting is a matter of charge & cost, and [Page 225] so is out of the reach of the poorer sort. But here is the excellency of this feast. The poorest that is may make it, and the poore haue as good priviledge to make it as the rich, & the poore in this respect may keepe as good an house as the best Nobleman, yea, for the most part the poorer sort keep this feast best. Nabal makes a feast like a King, but wretched man, in the meane time what feast keepes his Conscience? It may be many a poore Carmelite neighbour of his, that went in a poore russet coate, and liued in a poore thatcht cottage, kept that feast abundantly, and richly, whilest he poore sot had not the crums that fell from their Tables. Lazarus could not haue the crummes that fell from the gluttons table, but how hap­pie had it beene with the glutton, if in stead of his delicious fare hee might haue had but the reversions of Lazarus boord. Lazarus may not come to his feast, no nor yet to his fragments, nei­ther will Lazarus condition permit him to feast it as the glutton did, but yet [Page 226] this feast of a good Conscience, Laza­rus may make as well as he, and can, and doth keepe it, whilest the glutton feeles many an hunger-biting gripe. What an excellent feast is this, aboue all other feasts, wherein the russet hath as much priviledge as the velvet, the begger as the King, the poore tenant, as the rich Landlord? The rich Land­lord often so feedes vpon, and eates vp his poore tenant by oppression, that the tenant is kept low enough for feasting; It is well with him if he haue food, he had not need thinke of feasting. But loe now the excellent feast of a good Conscience; Here may the tenant keepe as good cheere as the Landlord, yea, and it may be may feast, whilest the rich Landlord is readie to sterue for want of this provision.

Now then all this considered, what a Motiue should it be to make vs in loue with a good Conscience. How power­fully should this perswade vs thereto? When God would perswade men to come to the ioyes of heaven, he vses [Page 227] no other argument then this, to invite them to a feast, as in that Parable. Luk. 14. Behold, here is the same argument, [...]o mooue you to bee in loue with a goo [...] Conscience, behold the Lord in­vites you [...]o a feast, and to a feast where [...]e shal haue sufficiency, without want, or loathing, where ye shall haue wine, [...]rth, musick, and good Company to [...]he full. The twelue dayes feast of the Nativitie, how is it longed for before hand, and how welcommed when it is come? And what may the reason be? But onely because it is a feasting time. This is counted a blessed good Time. And why a blessed good Time? As Christ was a blessed good man, and the Prophet that should come into the world, and therefore should be made a King, because he had fed, & filled their bellies. Ioh. 6. So the most make that a blessed time, not for the memoriall of Christs Incarnation, but because of the loaues Christ shall be a King, and be­cause of the feast, the Time is blessed. Well then, & is the world so desirous, [Page 228] and so glad of feasting? Are feasting Times such blessed Times? Loe then I invite you to a feast, to a blessed good feast indeed, that will make you bles­sed and truly happy. Not to a feast of twelue dayes, but to a feast th [...]t lasts all the twelue moneths of the yeere, to a continuing, and a continuall feast. How glad are many when they may goe to a feast? Loe a way to make feasts for your selues. What a credit is it counted in the world for a man to keepe a good, and a great house, to keep feasting and open house for all commers, during the Feastivitie of the twelue dayes. Would we haue this credit of good house­keeping, not for twelue dayes, but for all the yeere long, Get good Consci­ences, keepe good Consciences. There is no such good houfe-keeper, as is the good Conscience-keeper; for, a good Con­science is a feast, a continuall feast.

There is nothing that men desire more then to liue merrily, and how many stumble at Religion, and keeping of a good Conscience, vnder an idle [Page 229] conceit that it is the way to marre all their mirth, and to make a man lumpish & melancholly. Doe not beleeue the divell, do not beleeue his lying agents. It is a profane Proverbe, that Spiritus Calvinia [...]us est spiritus melancholicus. A good Conscience is a feast, a feast with all dainties, musicke, and wine. Can a man be melancholly at a feast, at so ioy­full, and so sweet a feast? Doth feasting make men melancholly, or make men merry? Make men weepe, or laugh? If a man should cry downe feasting with this argument, That it makes men me­lancholly, would not all men laugh him to scorne? And why then should a man feare melancholly more from a good Conscience, then from a feast? There is none liues so merry a life as he that keepes a good Conscience, he is e­very day at a feast, he is alwayes ban­quetting. Yea, the worst dishes of this feast, even those at the lower end of the Table, are better then the most choyce rarities of other feasts. The very teares that a good cōscience sheds haue more [Page 230] ioy and pleasure in them, then the worlds greatest ioyes. And if the teares of a good conscience be such, what is the mirth, & laughter of it? If weeping be so sweet, what is singing? If the courser dishes be so daintie, what are the best services? Would we then liue merrily, and passe our dayes Iocundly indeed? Get a good Conscience, and thou keepest a continuall feast, & that continuall feast will keepe thee in cou­tinuall mirth, and continuall ioy. Yea though thou be in affliction, and vnder crosses, so as thy dayes vnto the world may seeme exceedingly evill, yet shalt thou liue merrily as at a feast. Yea, this is the scope of that Scripture, All the dayes of the afflicted are evill, namely, in the eye and iudgement of the world: but a good Conscience, namely, to the af­flicted is a continuall feast. A good con­science feasts then, and turnes fasting dayes into feasting, dayes. A good conscience feasts a man in his poverty, in his sicknesse, in the prison, and cheeres vp a man with many a dainty [Page 231] bit. The wine of this feast makes them forget all their sorrow.

Now then that we would be so wise as to hearken to Gods invitation to this feast, Let vs keepe the feast with the bread of sincerity and truth, 1 Cor. 5. 8. Take heed now that we put not off God as these did, Luk. 14. invited to the feast, with the excuses of Farmes, Ox­en, and the like. So doe many, vrge them to the keeping of a good Consci­ence, & their answer is, If they should be so precise how shall they liue, they shall haue but poore takings if they take such a course, I pray haue mee excu­sed, I must liue. Thus they answer, as many good husbands, when invited to frequent feastings, doe; No beleeue me it will not hold out, if I goe every day a feasting, I may go one day a begging, I must follow my businesse and let fea­sting goe. And so say men here. But take heed of putting off God thus. The time will come that thou wouldest giue all thine Oxen to haue but the scraps & crums of this feast, and thou [Page 232] shalt not haue them, God will serue thee as he did them, Luk. 14. 24. None of those men which were bidden sh [...]ll taste of my supper. Those that care not to kepe the feast of a good Conscience, shall never come to Gods feast in heauen. If you refuse to come to this feast now, God will at the last day thrust you our of doores, when you will bee pressing and crowding in, and shall say to you Get you hence yee despisers of a good Conscience, you scorned the feast of a good Conscience, and therefore now the feast and guests of heauen scorne you, here is no roome for such to feast here, who haue made their consciences fast heretofore.

CHAP. XIIII.

COme wee now to a third motiue, The third motiue to a good Con­science. that may yet helpe to stirre vp our mindes to this necessary dutie of get­ting [Page 233] and keeping of a good conscience. Besides what hath been sayd, it is wor­thy of our consideration, that with­out a good Conscience all our actions, yea, our very best services to God are [...]o farre from goodnes and acceptance, that they are abominable and distate­full vnto the Lord. The formall goodnesse of every mans actions is to bee iudged, and esteemed by the goodnes of his Conscience, which being evill and defiled, makes all a mans actions to be such, 1 Tim. 1. 5. The ende of the commandement is loue. But what kinde of love doth the commandement re­quire, will any shewes or shadowes of obedience serue the turne, will the bare dutie doing passe for currant? No, but such loue to God and man, and such performance of obedience as proceedes from a pure heart and a good Conscience. So that let a man doe all outward actions of obedience, yet i [...] a good Conscience bee wanting all is nothing, For the ende of the Com­mandement is loue out of a good Con­science. [Page 234] As is a mans conscienc [...], so are all his workes, and therefore nothing acceptable that a wicked man doth, be cause he doth it with an ill conscience. To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled their Conscience is defiled, and that being defiled, it defiles all it med­dles with, as vnder the Law the Leper defiled all he touched. The best meate, disht and dressed with defiled & dirty hands, is lo [...]n some to vs.

The honest workes of a mans calling are good workes in themselues, but no good workes to him that doth them without a good conscience, Pro [...]1. 4. An high looke, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sinne. The calling of husbandry is counted the most honest calling of all others, yet where a good conscience is wanting, a mans very plowing is sinne. Come to holy duties of Religian and Gods ser­uice, and how is it with a man wanting a good Conscience in them? That curse of Davidss Psal. 109. 8. Let his prayer be turned into sinne, lies vpon the [Page 235] seruices of all evil consciences. See Pro. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked, that is, of him that hath an evill Conscience, is an abomination, but the prayer of the vp right, that is, of a man that hath a good and vpright Conscience, is his delight. Obserue the opposition, Hee sayes not the prayer of the wicked, and the praier of the vpright, nor the sacrifice of the wicked, and the sacrifice of the vpright, but the sacrifice of the wicked, and the prayer of the vpright. A sacrifice had prayer with it, but yet it was more sumptuous and more solemne then fin­gle prayer. Now who would not thinke but such cost should make a man welcome, yet the single prayer of the vpright is accepted, whilest this sacri­fice is an abomination, yea, and that a vile abomination, Isa. 66. 3. A man of evill Conscience delighting in his abo­minations, makes his holiest seruices such. Let such an one come to the Sa­craments, and how will it be with him there? even as in the former, To the impure, even the pure Sacraments are [Page 236] impure. Simon Magus rather defiles the waters of baptisme then they clense him, and it is not carnall baptisme that avayles any thing without the answere and stipulation of a good Conscience, 1 Pet. 3. 21. And for the Sacrament of the Supper whether doth it profit an vn­cleance Conscience, or such a Consci­ence pollute it? It may be iudged by a like case, resolued, Hag. 2. 11. 14. The vncleane p [...]son by a dead body touching the Bread, or Wine, or Oyle, makes these to be vncleane. The ceremoniall vncleannesse by the touch of a dead body, typified the morall vncleannesse of an euill conscience, vnpurged from dead workes. God lookes specially at the Conscience in all our seruices, and if hee findes that foule and filthy, hee throwes the dung of mens sacrifices in their faces, that come with the dung of their filthy Consciences before his face. See therefore how Paul serues God, 2 Tim. 1. 3. Whom I serue from my forefathers with pure Conscience. It is an impure seruice that is not performed [Page 237] with a pure Conscience, as slight as the world makes of purity. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your Con­sciences from dead workes. Heb. 9. 14. But to what end are they purged? To serue the liuing God. Therefore mark, that till the Conscience bee purged and made good, there is no seruing of God. So Heb. 10. 22. Let ve draw neere, that is, in pray­er, and the like duties; But how? Ha­uing our hearts sprinckled f [...]om an euill Conscience. Otherwise it is but a folly for vs to draw neere. for God will not be neer when a good conscience is far off. And therefore we are bid to purifie our hearts, when we are bid draw nigh to God. Iam. 4. 8.

Behold here then a speciall motiue to make a good Conscience beautifull in our eye. As we would be loath our ser­vices of God, our prayers & holy per­formances; should bee abominable in Gods eye, so labor for good conscien­ces. As we would haue comfort. in all our duties of obedience, so labour to make our conscience good. It is a great [Page 238] deale of confidence that silly ignorant ones haue in their good prayers, & their good seruing of God, as they call it, yea it is all the ground of their hope of sal­uation, when they are demanded an account of their hope: Now alas your good prayers, & your good seruing of God! Why what doe you talking of these things? Hath Christ purged your Consciences from dead workes? Haue you by faith got your Consciences sprinkled and wrinced in Christs bloud, and so haue ye made them good? If not, neuer talke of good prayers, and good seruing of God: your prayers cannot bee good whilest your Consciences are naught. An euill Conscience before God, and a good seruice to God cannot stand toge­ther. But would you haue your prayers good indeed, and your seruice accepta­ble indeed? Then let your first care be to make your Consciences good.

Fourthly, let this worke with vs as a The fourth motiue to a good Con­science. maine motiue to a good Conscience: That is the Ship and the Arke wherein the faith is preserued. The faith is a rich [Page 239] commodity, a precious fraight, and a good Conscience is the bottome, and the vessel wherein it is carried. So long as the Ship is safe and good, so long the goods therein are safe, but if the Ship split vpon the Rockes, or haue but a leake therein, then are all the goods therein in danger of being lost and cast away. So long as a man keepes a good conscience, there is no feare of loosing the faith, the integrity and sounduesle of the doctrine thereof. Constancie in the truth, is a fruit of good conscience. Psal. 119. 54. 55. I haue kept thy Law, he had not declined from, nor forsaken the truth of God, but what held and kept him? This I had because I kept thy precepts. Keeping of a good conscience will keepe a man in the truth: It is that which is the onely preseruatiue to saue from all errors, heresies, and false do­ctrines. The better Conscience, the sounder Iudgement, the sounder heart, the sounder head. As the better dige­stion in the stomach, the freer the head is from ascendent fumes that would [Page 240] distemper, and trouble the same. Iohn 7. 17. If any man will doe his will, hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. How shall a man come to haue a sound and a good iudgement, to bee able to iudge what is truth, and what is not? Let him get a good Conscience, and make conscience of doing the will of God, Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my com­mandements, and keepes them, &c. such a man hath, and keepes a good Consci­ence. And what benefit shall such a one haue by keeping a good Conscience? I will loue him, and I will manifest my selfe vnto him. And Psal. 50. 23. To him that orders his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God. God doth communicate himselfe and his truth to such as make Conscience of their wayes. The pure in heart shall see God, and the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him.

So that he that hath a good Consci­ence, hath the onely Antidote, the most excellent Amulet, and plague-cake at his breast that is in the world, to saue [Page 241] him from the pestilence, and infection of Popery, Arminianisme, Brownisme, Anabaptisme, &c. So long as the ship of Conscience is whole, so long the Iewell of faith is safe. Paul would haue a Bishop to hold fast the faithfull Word, and to be sound in doctrine, Tit. 1. 9. But yet marke it, that hee would first haue him bee a man of a good Con­science, in the two foregoing verses. And 1 Tim. 3. 9. hee would haue the Deacons hold the mistery of the faith in a pure Conscience.

Contrarily nothing so endangers the losse of the faith & truth, & sound­nes of doctrine, as doth the losse of good Conscience. A corrupt Consci­ence soone corrupts the iudgement. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Con­science which some hauing put away, con­cerning faith haue made shipwrack. If the ship of Conscience cracke, how soone will the merchandise of faith wracke? If once the Conscience cracke, the braine will soone proue crazie; and an vnsound Conscience makes a [Page 242] fearefull way for an vnsound and a rot­ten iudgement. 2. Tim. 3. 8. They resist the truth, there is their corrupt Con­science: what followes vpon it? Men of corrupt mindes, vnsound in their iudge­ment concerning the faith. How fre­quent a thing is it in experience to see men when they loose good Consci­ence, together with it either to loose their gifts, as the vnprofitable servant his masters talent, or else, to loose the truth, and to fall into pestilent and dan­gerous errors. So those Prophets that made not Conscience in faithfull and holy execution of their office, see what was the fruit of their evill Conscience. Mic. 3. 5. 6. 7. Therefore night shall bee vnto you that yee shall not haue a vision, and it shall bee darke vnto you that yee shall not divine, and the Sunne shall goe downe over the Prophets, and the day shall be darke [...]ver them, &c. Their dark­nesse in life should bee plagued with darknesse in iudgement. To which purpose that is notable, Zach. 11. 17. Woe to the idoll shepheard that leaues the [Page 243] flocke. There is an vnconscionable shepheard, a man that makes no Con­science to attend his ministery. What becomes of him? The sword shall bee vpon his right eye, his best eye. And his right eye (shall not be pore-blinde, or dimmed, but) shall bee vtterly dar­kened. The losse of good Conscience brings vpon men of knowledge and learning, that reproach that Nahash the Ammonite would haue brought vp­on all Israel. 1 Sam. 11. 2. It thrusts out their right eyes. Ill Consciences not onely make men looke a squint, but it blindes them, and takes away their sight.

And what is the reason that Popery gets ground so fast, and so many turne Papists so easily? Surely it is no won­der, how should it be otherwise, when men either hauing lost all good Con­science, or making no Conscience of their wayes, but living loosely, vi­ciously and licentiously, haue there­by prepared a way for Antichrist and his religion, to enter with all successe. [Page 244] No wonder that men turne Papists so fast, when long since they haue turned good conscience going. For that which Bellarmine speaks is in the gene­rall Cum areae ventilari incipiunt, non frumē ­ta sed paleae vento abri­piente sepa­rantur ab area▪ Ita prorsus cum Ecclesia per Ethnicorum persecutio­nes, vel Hae­reticorum deccptiones, Deo per­mittente, cribratur, aut venti­latur à so­tana: non viri sancti, & graues sed improbi leves, curi­osi, lascivi ab Ecclesia a volantes ad Ethnicos h [...]reticosue transfu­giunt, nec fere solet accidere, vt ante cir­ca fidem a­liquis nau­fraget, quam nau­fragare▪ coe­perit circa mores, Bel­lar. Orat. prefix. tom. 4. certainely true, though by him fals­ly and maliciously applyed, That they be not holy and graue men, but wic­ked, light, curious, wanton ones, that turne Ethnicks, or Hereticks, and that it seldome comes to passe, that any man makes shipwracke concerning the faith, that first makes not shipwracke concerning manners. See the truth of it in many of our backsliders to popery, especially such as haue beene zealous propugners of the truth. Where began the first declension, where the first flawe? Had not their Consciences first brusht vpon some rocke? was not the first leake there? and when they had first put away good Conscience, then there was a speedy banishing of truth, and a ready entertainement of error. And for the common sort of their converts, consider if many times they haue not bin the very riffe-raffe of our [Page 245] Church, swearers, grosse profaners of the Sabbath, vncleane and debauched drunkards, such as our Church was sicke of, and desired even to spue forth, and then when they haue become a prey to all vicious courses, through want of Conscience, thorow Gods iust iudgement they haue become a prey to Romish locusts, whose cōmission is onely to hurt such, & not those whom the sap of a good Conscience keepes fresh & flourishing as the greene grasse, and trees of the earth. Apoc. 9. 4. For as Salomon speakes of the bodily harlot, Eccles. 7. 26. so it is true of that spiritu­all whore of Babylon. Her heart is snares and nets, her hands as hands, her delusions strong; who so pleases God, and hath a care to keepe a good conscience shall escape from her, but the sinner, and hee that makes no Conscience of his wayes, shall be taken by her.

Well, let vs think well vpon this mo­tiue, we liue in dangerous & declining dayes, wherein men with a greedinesse turne to their Romish vomit againe. [Page 246] Besides, the factors of Antichrist are exceeding busie and pragmaticall to draw men from the faith of Christ, and the holy Ghost tells vs they shall come with strong delusions. Now then all you that be the Lords people, saue your selues from this dangerous gene­ration, all you that haue or would be knowne to haue the soale of God on your foreheads. Saue your selues from the seduction of these Locusts. I, but how may that be done? The delusion is strong, and it may be, wee are weake. Loe then here is a remedy against their danger. Get, and keepe a good Consci­ence, liue as Paul did, in all good Con­science, and thou shalt be safe from all their delusions. I haue kept the faith, sayes Paul, oh! let it be the care of vs, that that may be our closing voyce at our last day, and if we would keepe the faith, let vs keepe a good Conscience; Hee that in his life time can say, I keep a good Conscience, he at his death shall be able to say, I haue kept the faith. Faith, and a good Conscience are both in a bot­tome. [Page 247] Hold one, and hold both.

As therefore thou wouldest feare to turne Papist, or any other hereticke; so, be sure to hold a good Conscience, to hold on a good, honest, and a conscio­nable man. So long as thou standest vp­on that ground, thou art impregnable, and the gates of hell shall not be able to draw thee from the faith of the Lord Iesus. Pro. 6. 20. 22. 24. My sonne keepe thy Fathers commandement, &c. And it will keepe thee. So I may say here, Keepe a good Conscience, and it will keepe thee, it will keepe thee sound in the faith, it will keepe thee from being drawne a­way by the errour of the wicked, & it will keepe thee from the Wine of the fornications of the Whore of Babylon.

CHAP: XV.

THe last motiue remaines, and that The fift motiue to a good Con­science. is, The horrour and misery of an [Page 248] evill Conscience. If men did but truely know what the evill of an evill Consci­ence were, and how evill a thing, and bitter it will bee when Conscience a­wakens here, or shall be awakened in hell, a little perswasion should serue to moue men to liue in a good Consci­ence. We may say of the evill Consci­ence, as Salomon speakes of the drunkard. Pro. 23. 29. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath wounds, but not without a cause? Even the man whose Conscience is not good, even hee that liues in an evill Conscience.

An evill Conscience, how miserable it is, we may see by considering the mi­sery thereof, either in this world, or the world to come.

1. In this life. When an evill Consci­ence is awakened in this life, the sor­row, and smart, the horrour, & terrour is as the ioy of a good Conscience, vn­speakeable. An evill Conscience in this life is miserable, in regard of feare, perplexitie and torment. To liue [Page 249] in a continuall fear, and to haue a mans heart alwayes in shaking fits of feare, is a misery of miseries. And such is the misery of an euill conscience. Pro. 28. 1. The wicked flees when none pursues. One­ly his own guilt pursues him, & makes him flee. His owne guilt causes a sound of feare in his eares. Iob 15. 21. Which Proprium autem est nocentium trepidare. Male de nobis actū erat, quòd multa scelera legem & iudicem effugiunt, & scripta supplicia, nisi illa na­turalia & grauia de praesentibus solverent, & in locū patientiae timor cede­ret. Senec, ep. 98. makes him shake at the noyse of a shaken leafe, Lev. 26, 36. yea, that so scares him that terrours make him afraide on euery side, and driue him to his feete. Iob. 18. 11. Yea, there are they in great feare where no feare is. Psal. 53. 3. So that a man with an euill Conscience awake­ned, may be named as Pashur is. Ier. 2 [...]. 3. Magor-Missabib, feare round about, as being a terrour to himselfe, and to all his friends. verse 4.

An euill Conscience, euen makes those feare fearefull feares, of whom al other stand in fear. How potent a Mo­narch, and how dreadfull a Prince was Belshazzar, who was able to put him in to any fear, whom all the earth feared? And yet when his guilty conscience [Page 250] lookes him in the face, awakened by the palme writing on the wall, see where his courage is then. Dan. 5. 6. Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Who would haue had his feare, to haue had his kingdome? Let him now cloath himselfe with all his Maiesty, let him looke and speake as terribly as he can, let him threaten the vilest vassall in his Court, with all the tortures that tyran­ny can inflict, and let him try if he can for his heart, put his poorest subiect in▪ to that fright and feare that now his Conscience puts him into, in the ruffe, and middest of his iollitie. But I pray what ayles he to be in this feare, in this so extraordinary a feare? He can ney­ther reade, nor vnderstand the writing vpon the wall. Indeed it threatned him the losse of his kingdome, but he can­not reade this threatning, he knows not whether they bee bitter things that God writes against him, why may hee [Page 251] not hope that it may be good which is written, and why may not this hope ease, and abate his feare. No, no. Though hee cannot reade no [...] vnder­stand the writing, yet his guilty con­science can comment shrewdly vpon it, and can tell him it portends no good towards him His Conscience now tels him of his godles impieties, in profa­ning the vessels of the Temple of the true God, and that for this his sacrile­gious impropriation, and abuse of ho­ly things, God is now come to reckon with him. Thus can his Conscience do more then all his wise men. All the wise men came in, but they could not reade the writing, nor make knowne to the King the interpretation thereof. Dan. 5. 8. But his Conscience is wiser then all his wise­men, and when they are all puzzeld, that interprets to him, that this writing meanes him no good, and though hee cannot reade the syllables, yet his con­science giues a shrewd neere guesse at the substance of the writing, and ther­fore hence comes that ex [...]asie of feare, [Page 252] and those paroxysmes of horror.

It was no better with Adam after his fall. After his sinne committed, we find him in a great feare, Gen. 3. 8. 10. and he hides himselfe for feare. Now ob­serue how his feare is described, from the circumstance of the time. They heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the coole of the day. Lu­ther layes the Emphasis of the aggravation of his feare, vpon this word, the winde or coole of the day. The night in­deed is naturally terrible, and darke­nes is fearefull, whence that phrase. Ps. 91. The terrors of the night. But the day and the light, is a cheerefull, and a comfortable creature, Eccl. 11. 7. Truely the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne. How is it then, that in the faire day light, which giues courage and comfort, that Adam feares, and runnes into the thic­kets? Oh▪ his Conscience was become Grauis ma­l [...] Consci­entiae, lux est. Senec. ep. 123. evill, and full of darkenes, and the dark­nesse of his conscience turned the very light into darknesse, and so turned the [Page 253] comforts of the day into the terrours of the night. So that in this sense, it may be said of an evill Conscience, which of the Lord is sayd in another. Psal. 139. 12. Vnto it the darknes, and the light are both alike. As full of feare in the light, as in the darke. And besides, the Lord came but in a gentle wind, the coole breath of the day, now what a small matter is a coole winde, and that in the day time to, to put a man in a feare? Such small things breede great feares in euill consciences. In what a woefull plight would Adam thinke wee haue bin, if the Lord had come to him, at the dead, and darke mid-night with earth-quakes, thunder, and blustring tempest?

We may see the like in Gain. After hee had defiled his Conscience with his brothers blood, in what feares, yea, what idle feares liued he? Hee is so haunted with feares, that though hee had liued in Paradise, yet had he liued in a land of Nod, in a land of agitation, yea, of trepidation. Iudge what [Page 254] case his euill Conscience made him in by that speech. Gen. 4. 14. It shall come to passe, that euery one that findes me shall slay me. Surely, there could not bee many yet in the world, and those that were in the world, were either his pa­rents, brethren, sisters, or neere kinred. His feare seems to imagine multitudes of people that might meet him, yea, & that euery one he meetes would mur­ther him. What will his Father or Mo­ther bee his executioners? What if a­ny of his sisters meete him, shall they slay him, is not such a swash-buckler as he, able to make good his party with them? Loe what fearfull, & terri­ble things a guilty conscience proiects.

As an euill Conscience is miserable in its feares, so in those perplexities which this feare breedes. These per­plexities doe miserably, and restlesly distract a man. Is▪ 57. 20. The wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast vp mire and dirt. What is the reason of these troublesome per­plexities? The want of the peace of a [Page 255] good Conscience, vers. 21. There is no peace saith my God, to the wicked. The windes make the sea restles, and stirre it to the very bottome, so as the waters cast vp mire and dirt. See in the trou­bled Sea, the embleme of a troubled Conscience.

But the Torment exceedes all, and the main misery of an euill conscience lies in that. It is a misery to be in feare, a misery to haue inward turbulencies & commotions, but to be alwayes on the racke, alwayes on the Strapado, this is farre more truely the suburbs of Hell, then is the Popish Purgatory. Oh! the gripes, and girds, the stitches, and twit­ches, the throws, & pangs of a galling, and a guilty Conscience. So sore they are, and so vnsufferable, that Iudas seeks ease with an halter, and thinkes hang­ging Poena autē vehemens, et multo saeuior, illis Quas et Ceditiu [...] grauis in­venit & Rhadamā thus. ease, in comparison of the torture of his euill Conscience. All the rackes, wheeles, wilde horses, hot pincers, scalding leade powred into the most tender, and sensible parts of the bo­dy, yea, all the mercilesse, barbarous▪ [Page 256] and inhumane cruelties of the holy Nocte die­que suum gest are in pectore te­stem. Iuve­nal. Satyr. 3. house, are but flea-bitings, meere toyes, and May-games, compared with the torment that an euill conscience will put a man to when it is awakened. It is no wonder that Iudas hangs himselfe, it had beene a great wonder rather if he had not hanged himselfe.

The Heathens fabled terrible things Noliteenim putare quemadmo­dum in fabulis saepe­numero vi­detis, eos qui aliquid impie scele­rateque cō ­miserint, a­gitari, & perterreri furiarum taedis ardē ­tibus Sua quemque fraus, et suus terror maxime vexat su­um quem­que scelus agitat, a menti [...]que afficit. Suae malae cogi­tationes, Conscienti­aeque animi terrent. Hae sunt impiis assiduae, do­mesticaeque furiae, quae dies noctes­que paren­tum poenas à conscele­ratissimis filiis rep [...] ­tant. Circer pro Rosc. A mer. Suum quemque facinus, su­um scelus, suae audatia de sanitate, ac mente deturbat. Haec sunt impiorum furiae, flam­mae, hae fa­ces Id. m L. Pison. of their hellish Furies, with their snakes and fiery torches, vexing & tormenting haynous, and great offenders. These their Furies were nothing else, but the hellish torments of guilty Conscience, wherewith wicked persons were con­tinually haunted, as some of the wiser of themselues haue well obserued. All snakes, and torches, are but idle toyes, and meere trifles, to the most exquisite torment of a guilty and accusing Con­science.

The sting of Conscience is worse then death it selfe. Apoc. 9. 5. 6. Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man; And in those dayes shall men seeke death, and shall not finde [Page 257] it, and shall desire to dye, & death shall flee from them, Popish ones tormented in their consciences, by the terrible and vncomfortable doctrines of satisfacti­ons, Purgatory fire, &c. which those Locusts should so terrifie them withall, should rather choose death then liue in such vncomfortable condition: The sting of death not so smart, as the sting of a Scorpion in the conscience. The sting of an accusing Conscience, is like an Harlot, Prov. 7. 26. More bitter then death. And as Salomon there speakes of the Harlot, so may it be sayd of a tor­menting Conscience, Who so pleases God shall escape from it, but the sin­ner shall be taken by it.

Gods deare children themselues, ma­ny of them are not freed from trouble in their Consciences, but they haue their hells in this life, Ion. 2. 2. Out of the belly of hell I cryed vnto thee. God for their tryal speaks bitter things to them, and not onely denyes them peace but, causes their consciences to be at warre with them. Now when God puts his [Page 258] owne children to these trials, and dis­quiets of Conscience, they are so bit­ter, & so biting, that had they not the grace of God to vphold and preserue them, even they could not bee saved from dangerous miscariages. Iob was put to this triall, and his Conscience apprehended Gods anger, and we shall see what a case he was in. Iob 6. 8. 9. O that I might haue my request, and that God would grant me the thing I long for, even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off. Nay, worse. Iob 7▪ 14. 15. Thou scarest me with dreames, and terrifiest me through visions, so that my soule chooses strangling, and death rather then life. Gods grace preserues his Saints from selfe-murder, but yet not alwaies from impatient wishes; Iob wishes strangling, and chooses it of the two, but goes no further. What wonder then that Iudas doth strangle himselfe, when his Con­science stares him in the face, when as Iob, with whom God is but in iest in comparison, chooses strangling. If Iob [Page 259] wish it, what wonder that Iudas doth the deed. Conscience doth chastise the godly but with whips, but it lashes the wicked with scorpions. Now if the whips be so smarting to Iob, as makes him choose strangling, what wonder that the scorpions be so cutting, as makes Iudas seeke reliefe at an halter.

Yea, and that which addes to the mi­sery of an evill Conscience, being awa­kened, it is such a misery as no earthly comfort can asswage, or mitigate. Di­seases and distempers of the body, though they be terrible, yet Physicke, sleepe, & rest upon a mans bed, yeeldes him some ease, & some comfort. Some­time in some griefes the comforrable vse of the creatures, yeelds a man some refreshments. Prou, 31. 6. 7. Giue wine vn­to those that be of heauie hearts, let him drinke, and forget his pouertie, & remem­ber his misery no more. But Conscience being disquieted, findes no ease in these. Darius against his Conscience suffers innocent Daniel to be cast into the Lyons denne. What cheere hath [Page 260] he that night? He passed the night in fa­sting, Dan. 6. 18. Not in fasting in hu­miliation for his sinne, but conscience now began to gall him, and hee hauing marred the feast of his cōscience, Con­science also marres his feasting, none of his dainties will now downe, his wine is turned into gall and wormewood, no ioy now in any thing. Hee had marred the musicke of his conscience, and now he brookes not other musicke. The In­struments of musike were not brought be­fore him. His guilty cōscience was now awakened, and now he cannot sleepe; His sleepe went from him. So Iob in his conflict of Conscience hoped for ease in his bed, Iob 7. 13. My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint. But how was it with him? Either he could not sleepe at all, vers. 3. 4. Wearisome nights are appointed vnto mee, when I lye▪ downe I say when shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tos­sings to and fro vnto the dawning of the day. Needes must he tosse, whose con­science is like the Sea waues tossed [Page 261] with the windes, or else if Iob did sleepe, yet did not Conscience sleepe, vers. 14. but even in his sleepe presen­ted him with ghastly sights and visi­ons, When I say my bed shall comfort me, then thou scarest mee with dreames, and terrifiest me through visions.

At other times when conscience hath been good, Gods people though their dangers haue beene great, yet neither the greatnes, nor neerenes of their dan­gers haue broken their sleep. Psa. 3. 5. 6. I layd me downe and slept, I will not be a­fraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about. And yet if we looke to the title of the Psalme, A psalme of Dauid when hee fled from Absolom his sonne; one would thinke David should haue had little list, or leasure to haue slept. Peter thought to haue bin executed the next morrow by Herod, and though he also lodge betweene a company of ruffi­anly Souldiers, that happily one would feare might haue done him some mis­chiefe in his sleepe, yet how soundly [Page 262] sleepes he that night. Act. 12. And holy Bradford was found a sleep, when they came to fetch him to bee burnt at the stake. These fears brake not these mens sleepe. How might this come to passe? They did as Psal. 4. 8. I will lay me down in peace, and sleepe. He that can lie down in the peace of Conscience, may sleepe soundly, whatsoever causes of feare there be otherwise. But contrarily, he that cannot lie downe with, the peace of conscience, will find but little rest & sleepe, though his heart bee free from all other feares. Euill conscience being awakened will fill the heart with such feares, as a man shall haue little liberty to sleepe. Oh the sweet sleepe that Ia­cob had, and the sweet dream when he lay vpon the cold earth, and had an hard stone vnder his head for his pil­low. An hard lodging, and an hard pil­low, but yet sweet rest, and sweet com­munion with God. A good conscience makes any lodging soft and easie, but down-beds, and down-pillowes, if there bee thornes in the Confcience, [Page 263] are but beds of thornes, and beddes of nettles. The bitternesse of an evill con­science distastes all the sweets of this life, as when the mouth and tongue is furred in an hot Ague, all meates and drinkes are bitter to the sicke partie. This is the misery of an evill consci­ence awakened in this life?

2. But it may bee many never feele this misery here, there is therefore the more misery reserved for them in hell, in the world to come. Indeed more by many thousands goe to hell like Nabal, [...]han like Iudas; more die like sots in securitie, then in dispaire of Conscience. Death it selfe can not awaken some consciences, but no sooner come they into hell; but Conscience is there awa­kened to the full, never to sleepe more; and then she lashes and gashes to the quicke, & lets men learne that for­bearance was no payment. Tell many men of Conscience, and they are ready to flap one on the mouth with that prophane proverbe, Tush, Conscience was hanged many yeeres agoe. But the [Page 264] time will come, that they who haue li­ved in euill Conscience, shall finde that Conscience which they haue counted hanged, shall play the cruell hang-man and tormentor with them. They shall finde Conscience vnhanged when it shall hang them vp in hell, when day and night it shall stretch them there vpon the racke.

The torments which an evill Con­science puts the damned to in hell, are beyond the expression of the tongue, and the comprehension of mans con­ceit. There bee two speciall things in the torments of hell, wee haue them both thrice repeated together. Mark. 9. 44. 46. 48. Where their worme dies not, and the fire is not quenched. There is an e­ver-living worme, and never-dying fire. And marke that in all the three ver­ses the worme is set in the first place, as it were to teach vs, that the prime and principall torment in hell is the worme, rather then the fire. And what is the worme, but the guilt of an evill Consci­ence, that shall lie eternally gnawing [Page 265] and grapping, twiching, and gryping, the heart of the damned in hell. Men talke much of hell fire, and it were well they would talke more of it; but yet there is another torment forgotten, that would be thought on too. There is an Hell worme, as well as there is an hell-fire. And it may be a question whe­ther of the two is the greatest torment. And yet no great question neither. For as the Heaven of Heaven, is the peace and ioy of a good, so the very Hell of Hell, is the guilt and worme of an evill Conscience. A man may safely say, it is better being in Hel with a good con­science, thē to be in heauē if that might be, with an evill one. Heaven without a good cōscience, what is it better thē Hel? Paradise was an Heauen on earth, but when Adam had lost the Paradise of a good conscience, what ioy did Pa­radise and the pleasures of the Garden affoord him more, then if he had beene in some sad & solitary Desert? A good conscience makes a Desert a Paradise, an euill one turnes a Paradise into a De­sert. [Page 266] A good Conscience makes Hell to be no Hell, and an evill one makes Hea­ven to be no Heaven. Both the happi­nesse, & misery of Heaven and Hell, are from the inward frame of the Consci­ence. The Hell of Hell, is the worme of Hell, and that worme is the worme of an evill Conscience, which if it bee not wormed out, and so the conscience in this life made good, it will bee an immortall worme in hell.

The hellish dispaire wherewith the damned are ouerwhelmed, comes ra­ther frō this werme, then from the fire. Whose worme dies not, and whose fire is not quenched. The fire of Hell never quenches, because the worme of Hell never dies. If the worme of Hell would die, the fire of Hell would go out. For if there were no guilt there should bee no punishment. So that the very Hell of Hell, is that selfe-torment which an evill conscience breeds.

Now then all this considered, how powerfully should it move vs to labor for a good conscience. Thou that go­est [Page 267] on in thine euill courses, and hatest to be reformed and reclaimed, doe but bethinke thy selfe if God should awaken thy Conscience, in what misery thou shouldest liue here, what an Hell to haue a palsie Conscience? what an Hell on earth to be alwaies vnder the accusations, indictments, and ter­rors of Conscience, and to liue Caine­like in a land of Nod, in a continuall restlesse agitation. Vt ex cru­ditate fe­bres nos­cuntur, et vermes quando quis cibū sumit intemperā ­ter, it a si quis pecca­ta peccatis accumulet. nec deco­quat eae poe­nitentia sed misceat pec cata pecca­tis, cruditatem contra­hit veterū & recentiū delictorum igne adu re­tur proprio, et vernibus consumetur. Ignis est quem generat moestitia delicto­rum, ver­mis est eo quod irrati­onabilia a­nimi pecca­ta, mentem pungunt, et viscera ex­edant, ver­mes ex vno­quoque nas­cuntur tan­quā ex cor­pore pecca­toris, hic vermis non morietur, &c. Amb. lib. 7. in Luk-c. 14.

But especially as thou fearest that e­uerliuing, and evergrabbing worme, so haue a care to get a good Conscience. Greene and rawe fruits breed Chest­wormes, which if heede bee not taken will eat the very maw thorow. A dead body and a putrified corrupt carkasse, breedes wormes that lye gnawing at it in the graue. The forbidden and rawe fruits of sinne, are those which breede chest-wormes in the Conscience. The corruptions of the soule, and dead works, are those that breed this liuing worme, take hede therefore of med­ling with these fruits that will breede [Page 268] this worme, & get thy conscience pur­ged from dead works, get this worme killed with the soonest, for if thou let­test it liue till thou die, it will neuer die at all, and will put thee to those exqui­sit torments, from which to bee freed thou woldest willingly suffer ten thou­sand of the most cruell deaths that the wit of man were able to inuent.

As then I say thou fearest this worme of Hell, so get a good Conscience. Drinke down euery morning a hearty draught of Christs bloud, which may make this worme burst. And when once this worme is burst and voyded, & the cōscience well purged by Christs bloud, take heed ever after of eating those raw fruites that will breed new wormes. Lead so holy, so vpright, and so conscionable a life, that thou mayst not by thy fresh sins clog thy Consci­ence with fresh guilt. Get thy Consci­ence purged by Christs bloud, & thy conversation framed by Gods Word. Thy words were found by mee, and I did eat them. Ier. 15. 16. Doe thou so, [Page 269] eat no more the vnwholsome & worm breeding fruites of sinne; but drinke Christs bloud, and eate Gods word, and they both shall purifie and scoure thy Conscience from all such stuffe, as may breed and feede the Hell-worme of an evill Conscience.

CHAP. XVI.

ANd thus haue we hitherto seene Pauls Protestation. The second point followes, namely, Ananias his insolent & impetuous Iniunction. Verse 2. And the high Priest Ananias com­manded them that stood by him, to smite him on the mouth.

Paul had begunne his defence in the former verse, and that by authoritie & speciall command, as appeares in the former Chapter, at the 30. verse. But he had no sooner begun, but hee is in­terrupted aad cut off, and hath not only [Page 270] his mouth stopt, but stopt with Ana­nias fists, Hee commanded to smite him on the mouth. Out of which carryage and violence of his, wee may obserue di­uerse things. First learne;

Doctr. 1 What is the Reward and portion of a good Conscience from the world. It is the portion of a good Conscience full oft to be smitten, either on the mouth, or with the mouth. Blowes either with the fist, or with the tongue. To be smit­ten one way or other, is full often the lot of a good Conscience. Smite him on the mouth, sares Ananias. But let vs a little expostulate the matter with Ana­nias. Smite him on the mouth? But yet as Pilate speakes in Christs case? But what evill hath he done? or what evill hath he spoken? Smite him on the mouth? But as our Saviour answers, Iohn 18. 23. If he haue spoken evill, take witnesse of the e­vill, and proceed legally and formally: If he haue spoken well, or no manner of euil, Why commandest thou him to be smit­ten? What hath he spoken any treason against Caesar, or the Romane govern­ment? [Page 271] If he haue, then as the towne-Clerk of Ephesus speaks, Act. 19. 38. The law is open, & there are Deputies, let thē accuse him, & bring him to his answer. It is a base vsage of any ingenuous per­son, to bee smitten on the mouth in a Court of Iustice, a dishonorable vsage of a Romane. Surely it should seem by such base & bitter vsage, that Paul hath some way or other fowly forgotten & over-shot himself, that Ananias his spi­rit is thus embittered and provoked a­gainst him. What hath Paul given him any exasperating & disgraceful termes, hath he given him any open & personal girds, before the whole Councel? No, no: No such matter at all. Why what thē is the matter that Paul must be thus basely & thus despitefully vsed? Will ye know the cause? Men and brethren I haue lived in all good Conscience. Lo here is the quarrell. He hath made a profes­sion of a good Conscience, and for his good Conscience sake are Ananias fists about his eares. There is nothing so mads men of wicked Consciences, as [Page 272] the profession and practice of a good conscience doth. The very name and mention of a good conscience makes Ananias halfe mad, & like one besides himselfe, hee falles not onely to foule words, but to blowes also, and Paul must haue on the mouth for his good conscience sake.

Paul might haue blaphemed the bles­sed name of Christ, and rayled vpon the odious Sect of the Nazarens, hee might haue beene a drunkard, an adul­terer, or a murtherer, and none of all these things, would haue stirred Ana­nias his bloud, for none of all these should Paul haue beene smitten; but let him but once speake, or treat of, or any way meddle with good Consci­ence, and Ananias his bloud is pre­sently vp, hee cannot holde his handes, but Paul must haue on the mouth, there is no remedy. So odious a thing is good Conscience and the profession of it to wicked men. Therefore this is that which a good Conscience must expect, euen Ananias his dole, fistes, [Page 273] blowes, smiting, hard and iuiurious measure, from the world.

This is no new thing. It was our Sa­viours casc before it was Pauls, Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stoodby stroke Iesus with the palme of his hand, &c. Luk. 22, 63. 64. And the men that held Iesus, mocked him, and smote him, And when they had blinfolded him, they stroke him on the face. Hee felt the weight of their fists for the same quarrell that Paul did. So it was fore­prophecyed of him, Isa. 50. 6. I gaue my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire. It was the kind­nes that Zidkiah could afford Micaiah 1. Kin. 22. 24. He went neere & smote Mi­caiah on the cheeke, & it was the thankes the Prophet was like to haue for the discharge of a good conscience. 2. Chr. 25. 16. Forbeare, why shouldest thou bee smitten? It is that of which Iob cōplai­ned so long since, Iob 16. 10 Mine enemy sharpens his eyes vpon me, they haue gaped vpon me with the mouth, they haue smit­ten me vpon the cheeke reproachfully.

The same portion did the Prophet Ieremy meet withal, Ier. 20. 2. Then Pa­shur smote Ieremiah the Prophet. What was the quarrell? That in the former vers. He heard that Ieremiah had prophe­cied these things. Onely for discharging his conscience, for the conscionable dispensation of Gods truth. And as sometime they smote him on the mouth, so sometime they smote him with the mouth. Ier. 18. 18. Come let vs devise devices against Ieremiah, come let vs smite him with the tongue, and let vs not giue heed to any of his wordes. And why would they smite him with the tongue? Onely for his Conscience, and fidelity in his Ministry.

There is mention made of two false Prophets, against whom an heauy iudgement is threatned. Ier. 29. 21. 23. Ahab, and Zedekiah, two base scanda­lous debauched persons, who commit­ted villany in Israel, and committed adul­tery with their neighbours wiues. The Prophet Ieremy he out of conscience fulfills his Ministry, and see how light­fingred [Page 275] Pashur is, hee hath fists for Ie­remies face, and stockes for his heeles; but in the meane time Ahab and Zede­kiah they may whore, and play the villaines, and they feele not the waight of his little finger. If his fingers must needs be walking, there is worke for them, there he may strike, and stocke with credit. But there is no such zeale against them. No such dealing with them. Zedekiah and Ahab may bee in good tearmes of grace with Pashur, whilst Ieremiah must haue on the face. & lie by the heeles. So well can wicked men brooke villany, and any wretched courses better then they can a good conscience: Pashur can better endure an adulterous whore master, then an honest conscionable Prophet. Villains may walk at liberty, whilst a good cō ­science shal sit in the stocks. Here then is the portion a good Conscience, may looke for from the world. The better Conscience, the harder measure. For which of my good works doe ye stone mee, saith our Saviour, Ioh. 10. 32. A strange [Page 276] recompence for good workes, and yet ost-times the best recompence, and re­ward that the world can affoord good workes, & a good Conscience, stones and strokes. And if so be that feare of law, and happy gouernment binde their hands, yet then will they bee smiting with the tongue: and if the law keepe them in awe for smiting on the mouth, yet then will they doe what they dare, they will smite with the mouth.

Vse 1 A faire Item to all that meane to vn­dertake the profession and courses of good Conscience. Doe as many do in case of marriage, before they affect the person, they first consider how they like the portion. So here, before thou meddle with good conscience, thinke with thy selfe what is her portion, and if thou like not that, it is but a folly to thinke of a good Conscience. Doe as our Saviour advises, Luk. 14. 28. Sit down first and count the cost, and whe­ther thou be able to endure that cost or no. Ananias hath a fierce spirit, and a [Page 277] fowle heauy fist, Pashur is a club fisted fellow, and the spitting adders of the world will smite their sting deep. Sup­pose a good cōscience may speed bet­ter, as hauing the protection of Chri­an gouernment, yet this it must reckon vpon, and it must account of the har­dest. Therfore think before hand before you meddle with it, how you can beare the fists and blowes of smiters, if ever you should come vnder them.

I may say here as our Saviour did to the sons of Zebedeus, Mat. 20. 20. 21. 22. Ye knov not what ye aske. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, & to be bap­tized wich the baptisme that I am bapti­zed with? Many say they desire to enter the courses of good Conscience, but doe not well know nor well weigh what they desire. Consider with your selues, Are ye able to drinke of the cup that a good conscience shall drinke of? Can ye be baptised with the baptisme that a good cōscience must be baptised with? Can ye endure the smart of A­nanias blows? Can ye beare the load of [Page 278] Pashurs club-fist? Think vpō this afore hand, & weigh it well, this is that you must make account off, that will set vp­on the courses of a good conscience.

Vse 2 Is this the portion of a good Consci­ence, see then, what a great measure of Christian resolution they shall need to haue, that take the profession of it vpon them. Be shod with the shoes of the pre­paration of the Gospell. Ephes. 6. 15. Growe marveilous resolute, to harden thy selfe, and to harden thy face against all enemies fists, & blowes whatsoeuer, that though Ananias should dash thee on the face, yet he might not dash thee & thy good Conscience out of Coun­tenance. Thus did our Saviour. Isa, 50. 6. I gaue my backe to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hayre, I hid not my face from shame, and spitting. But how was he euer able to endure all this? See vers. 7. I haue set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not bee asha­med. So must thou doe that meanest to keepe a good Conscience. Get a face, and a forehead of flint, that ene­mies [Page 279] may as soone cracke a flint with their knuckles, as by their violence and iniuries driue thee from a good Con­science. Get an Ezekiels face. Ezek. 3. 9 Make thy forehead as an Adamāt, har­der then a flint. Steele, & flint thy face with all heroicall resolution. A face of flesh will neuer endure, but a face of flint wil hold Ananias fists tack, let him strike while he wil, he shall sooner bat­ter a flint with his fist, then stir a resol­ued conscience out of its station.

But beleeue mee, these be hard things to vndergoe, who will be able to abide Quaest. such hard measure, how therefore may one grow to such resolution, to abide the worlds fists, and the smart of their smiting.

Answ. 1. Consider that Conscience hath fists as well as Ananias. 1. Sam. 24. 5. and 2. Sam. 24. 10. Davids heart smote him. And what are Ananias his blowes on the face, to the blowes of Consci­ence at the heart? One blowe on the heart, or with the heart is more paine­full then an hundred on the face, and as [Page 280] Rehoboam speakes of himselfe. 1 King. 12. 10. so Consciences little finger is thicker, heavier, and more intollerable then both Ananias his hands, & loynes. Now then here is the case. If Paul will stand to his Conscience, then Ananias his fists will be about his eares. If Paul doe forsake or flawe good Conscience for feare, or for the favour of Ananias, then will consciences fists be about his heart. Now then if no remedie but a man must haue blowes, it is good wis­dome to chuse the lightest fist, and the softer hand, and to take the blow vpon that part that is best able to beare it with most ease▪ The face is better able to abide blowes then the heart, and A­nanias his blowes are but fillips to the clubbing blowes of Conscience. Wee would scarce iudge him a wise man, that to avoyd a cuffe on the eare, would put himselfe vnder the danger of a blowe with a club. Here is that then that may make vs to compose our selues to patience, and to growe to an hardines, and a Christian resolution. [Page 281] Better ten blowes one the face▪ then one on the heart. Better an hundred from Ananias, then one from Consci­ence, that will lay on loade; let the world smite, yet mine heart smites not, yea, that stroakes and comforts, whilest the world strikes & threatens. Therfore being smitten in case of con­science, rather then giue out, do as our Saviour bids in another case. Mat. 5. 39. Whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke, turne to him the other also.

2. Consider that in the next Verse, God shall smite thee. God hath smiting fists as well as Ananias. Let him smite, but yet there will come a time that God shall smite him: God will call smiters to a reckoning.

3. Consider that of Dauid. Psal. 3. 7. Thou hast smitten all mine enemies vpon the cheek bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the vngodly. God will not onely smite the enemies of his people, but will smite them with disgrace, as it is a matter of vile disgrace to haue a boxe on the cheeke, and he will giue them [Page 282] such a dust on the mouth as shall dash out their very teeth; he will lay heauy and disgracefull iudgements vpon them, as he did vpon Absolom, of whom Dauid speakes.

May it ever be thy lot to see good Conscience vnder the fists of smiters, be not discouraged, start not, stumble not at it. Bee not readie to inferre; It is in vaine to cleanse a mans consci­ence, and wash his hands in innocency. But consider, that this hath beene ever the worlds madnes, and the auncient lot of a good Conscience, either to be smitten with adversaries hands, or varlets tongues.

CHAP. XVII.

AS we haue seen the entertainment a good Conscience meets withall in the world, so wee may here further see the inordinate violences that the e­nemies and haters of good Conscience [Page 283] are carried with. Therefore out of this insolent Iniunction of Ananias, wee may in the second place obserue:

Doct. 2 The heady violence, and impetuous iniu­stice of the adversaries of good Conscience. Smite him on the mouth. A man would not imagine that hatred, and malice a­gainst goodnes, should so transport a man, as to make him run into so much, so open, so grosse Iniustice. Doe but examine the fact, and you shall see a strange deale of iniustice therein.

1. Who is he that bids smite? The high Priest. He had a better Canon to liue by. Mal. 2. 6. He walked with me in peace and equitie. So Leui walked, and so should Gods Priests walke also. And that Canon of Paul for the Ministry of the Gospell, held no lesse good for the Ministry of the Law, That he should not be soone angry, no striker. Tit. 1. 7. How haps it then that the high Priest is thus light fingred. Smite him on the mouth? Oh! shame that such a word should come out of a Priests, especially the high Priests mouth.

[Page 284]2. Who must be smitten? Paul an Inno­cent. Fowle iniustice. Questionlesse if Paul had offred such measure but to Ananias his dog, to haue smitten him for nothing, but out of meere spight, Ananias would haue iudged him a dogged fellow. And will Ananias vse an innocent person as he would be loth a man should vse his dog.

3. Where must this blow be giuen? In o­pen Court, where they were all Con­vened to do [...] iustice. Still the worse. If he had commanded him to haue been smitten in his private parlour, it had bin vniustifiable, but to smite him in open Court, and to doe iniustice in the place of Iustice, this is deepe iniustice. The place he sate in, the gravity of his person, Gods high Priest, the solemni­tie of the administration of iustice, all these might haue manacled his hands, and haue a little tempered, and bridled his spirit. A fowle indignitie for the Iudge of Israel to be smitten on the cheek. Mic. 5. 1. As fowle an iniquitie for a Iudge of Israel to smite on the mouth [Page 285] wrongfully, & in an open Court of Iu­stice. What an indecent thing for a Iudge to goe to cuffes on the Bench? What an intemperate, and a vindictiue spirit argues it? But what is the Inde­cency to the Iniustice? And what iniu­stice to that which is done vpon the Bench? Of all wormwood that is the most bitter, into which iustice is turned.

4. For what is the blow giuen? For a good Conscience. What? And hath Gods high Priest no more Conscience then so? His place teaches him to be a protector, defender, and an incourager of good conscience. His whole office is matter of Conscience, and will he that should teach, maintaine, and encou­rage good Conscience, will hee smite men for good conscience. What is this but Isa. 58. 4. To smite with the fist of wickednesse?

5. When is the blow giuen? When he is beginning to plead his owne innocen­cy, and to speake in his owne defence. More Iniustice yet. Did not Nicodemus [Page 286] speake reason. Ioh. 7. 51. Doth our law iudge any man before it heare him. Nay, if Ananias haue no regard to Gods law, as it seemes he hath but a little, that will smite a man for good Consci­ence, yet what will he say to Caesars law? Act. 18. 25. Is it lawfull for you to scourge, and so to smite, a man that is a Roman and vncondemned, and vnheard? To iudge & condemne a man vnheard, is deepe Iniustice, but farre deeper to punish, and execute him. Will he hang a man, and then try him? Loe here in­deed a right vnrighteous Iudge, that feares neither God, nor man, that re­gards neither Gods law, nor Caesars.

To haue done by Paul as Gallio did. Act. 18. 14. 16. When Paul was about to open his mouth, to driue him & the rest from the iudgement-seat, this had bin iniustice, but when Paul opens his mouth to speake for himselfe, for Ana­nias to stop his mouth, & to stop it with his fists, to stop his mouth, & smite him on the mouth both, when hee was to speake in his owne defence, what grea­ter [Page 287] depth of Iniustice can we imagine? An hundred to one but Ananias was one of the Sanhedrim, which at that time when the officers not having appre­hended Christ, fell a cursing the peo­ple, Ioh. 7. 49. This people that knowes not the law is cursed. Vpon which speech Nicodemus seemes to meet kindly with them, V. 51. Doth our law iudge any man before it heare, & know what he doth. As if he had said, Doe you glory in the knowledge of the law, & are they cur­sed that know not the law, what then are they that knowing the law goe di­rectly against it? Are the people, Ana­nias, cursed that know not the law, what art thou thy self then who know­est both Gods law and Caesars, and yet through malice against Paul, sinnest a­gainst both? Vniust & malicious pro­ceedings, God will not let them haue the honour so much as of the colour of formality, & legality in their courses. But they shall so bee carried, that the madnes & malice of thē, may lie mani­festly open to the view of al the world.

[Page 288]6. By what authority is the blow giuen? Ananias commanded them. Yea, but Mal. 2. 7. The Priests lips should preserue knowledge, & they should seeke the law at his mouth. And should they that should seeke the law at his mouth, against all law at his command, smite men on the mouth? It was too much that Gallio did, and the holy Ghost leaues a deepe disgrace vpon him for it. Act. 18. 17. that he would suffer others to smite Softhe­nes, and not to care for it. It was too much that Ahab suffers Zidkiah to smite Micaiah, and to breake the Kings peace in the Kings presence, he should haue condemned him at least to loose his hand, for striking before the King. But here is a worse matter, he not one­ly suffers it, but commands it to be done. Ananias commanded to smite. Vniustice suffred by authority is too much, but vniustice commanded by au­thoritie, that is farre worse.

Vse 1 It shewes the truth of Pauls phrase. Non est crudelior in orbe terra­rum ira, quā Ecole­sia sangui­nariae & hypocrita­rum: Nam in politica irâ est ali­quid huma­ni reliquū. Nullus tum immanis latro ad supplicium rapitur, quin aliquâ commisera­tione tan­guntur ho­mines: Sed cum falsa illa, et san­guinarid ecclesia in filium verae ecclesiae in­ciderit, non satis ei est effudisse sanguinem, etiam ma­ledicit, exe­cratur, de vouet, & in miserū ca­dauer saeuit ita (que) ira falsa eccle­siae, & fu­ror phaeri­saicus est furor planè diabolicus-Luther in Gen. cap. 4. Vse 2. 2 Thess. 3. 2. Vnreasonable men, or absurd men. Malice against the truth, and the [Page 289] Gospell, so hurries adversaries, that it transports them beyond all bounds of common equity, common honestie, the gravity of their persons, and places; so as neither law of God, nor law of man can restraine their violence, and impetuousnes. No boundes can keepe a malicious spirit within compasse. It makes men forget common ciuilitie, and carries men beyond all Decorum, e­ven that Decorum their place, and of­fice calls for. Bonner cannot content himselfe to iudge, and condemn Gods servāts to the fire, it satisfies him not to be their Iudge, but hee must be taking the Beadles, or the Hangmans office out of his hand to, & he must be whip­ping them with his owne hands; And malicious Story forgetting the grauity of his Doctourship, must be throwing Fagots at the faces of the Martyres, when bound to the Stake to bee bur­ned. What is to be absurde, and vnrea­sonable, if this be not? Murtherers, and bloody cut-throates shall finde more legall and formall proceedings at their [Page 290] hands, then the maintainers of the Gospell, and Gods truth shall doe at their tribunals. To bee sure Barabba [...] shall find more favour, and lesse ha­tred then Christ.

Iudge by this what may be lookt for, if euer the Romish Ananias should get head amongst vs again. Ananias his spi­rit liues stil in that chaire of pestilence. If ever therfore we should come vnder his fingers, looke neither for law nor reason, honesty, nor equity, look for nothing but the weight of his fists.

Thus haue wee seene enemies im­petuousnesse in this point, and we may yet see it a little more in the next. Therefore further in the third place obserue.

Doct. 3 Ananias commands to smite Paul. A false Priest to smite a true Apostle. Neuer do Gods faithfull servants suf­fer harder measure then from such. Who smites Micaiah, but that counter­feit Enthusiast Zidkiah? 1. Kin. 22. Well might he come in with his horns. They were emblematicall, and better sigues [Page 291] of the malice of his heart, then of the truth of his Prophecy. There bee no such horned beasts that push so dange­rously against Gods true Prophets, as Satans false Prophets are. Ier. 20. Ieremy is buffeted and stocked, and who is the deed-doer? Pashur the Priest. See Ier. 26. 8. 11. 16. The Prophet findes more reason and faire dealing from the Prin­ces, and the people, then frō the Priests and the Prophets. These were fiercely bent against him, and nothing would quench the Wolues thirst, but the Pro­phets blood. Pilate can finde no fault in Christ, yea seekes to deliver him, but the chiefe Priests and the Elders per­swaded the multitude that they should aske Barabbas, and destroy Iesus. Mat. 27 20. How woefull a case was it, that more Iuftice and equity should bee in an heathen Pilate, then in the Priests? How wel would it haue become them to haue sticked, and stoode for Christ, if Pilate had sought his life, rather then that an heathen should pleade for him, whilest those that glory that [Page 292] they are the Priests of God, should seeke the murther of Gods Son. What a pittifull case that Pilate should be the Iew, and the Priests the Heathens? Therefore is Pauls Preface in his an­swer before Agrippa worth the noting. Act. 26. 2. I thinke my selfe happy King Agrippa, because I shall answer for my selfe this day before thee, Why, what was Agrippa? Hee was an Heathen man. Why then should hee thinke himselfe happy to answer before him? Had he not been happier if he might haue an­swered the matter before the high Priest? No; for Agrippa giues him li­berty to speake for himselfe, Act. 26. 1. Then said Agrippa to Paul, Thou art per­mitted to speake for thy selfe. But Anani­as the high Priest layes him on the mouth when hauing leaue he begins to speake for himselfe. There is more hope of reason, and faire proceeding from heathen Agrippa, then from Ana­nias. There be no such virulent, and vi­olent enemies against Gods truth and servants, as are degenerate, & counter­feit [Page 293] friends, and amongst those stil they be the bitterest, whom it behooued to bee the best. The bitterest enemies a­gainst the Church, are those within her owne bowells.

Doct. 4 Ananias was an vsurper of the office of the Priesthood, and marke how he carries himselfe in the place. Hee com­mands Paul to bee smitten. Vsurpers commonly are smiters, and vsurpation is vsually attended with violence. Such as the entrance, such the administrati­on. We see it true in Abimelech, and A­thaliah. That as it is said of Pope Bonif. the eight, that he entred like a fox, raig­ned Integritas praesidenti­um est sa­lus subdito­rum, prin­cipatus au­tē quē am­bitus occu­pavit, eti­amsi mori­bus, atque actibus non offendit ip­sius tamen initii sui est perniti­osus exem­plo: & dif­ficile est vt bono pera­guntur ex­itu quaema­lo sunt in­ducta prin­cipio ex Decret. Doct. 5. like a lyon, &c. So was it with Ana­nias, he had a foxes entrance, hee came not to the Priesthood by an hereditary succession, but as the fashion then was, by simony, bribery, and flattery, and now see how he raigns like a Lion, and commands Paul to bee smitten on the mouth. An ill entrance into any place of office in Church, or Common­wealth, cannot promise any good in the administration thereof.

See what woefull times here were, what bitternesse, what madnesse against a good Conscience. And these were the times that did a little fore-run the fatall and fearefull ruine and desolation of Ieru­salem, and the Nation of the Iewes. A­nanias his deadly hatred of goodnesse, and a good Conscience was a bud of the fig-tree that the particular iudge­ment of Ierusalem was euen at the doores. When the rod is blossomed, and pride hath budded, and violence, special­ly against good conscience is risen vp into a rod of wickednes, then may it truly be said, Behold the day, behold it is come, The time is come, the day drawes neere. Ezech. 7. 10. 11. 12. By Bede describing the ancient destruction of this king­dome Odium in veritatis professoris tanquam subversores omnia tela & odium in hos. Bed. hist gent. Angl. l. 1. c. 14. of Brittaine, this is made a fore­runner thereof, The hatred of the profes­sors of the truth as of subuerters, all the the spite and hate was against them. Our Saviour tels his Disciples, Luk. 21. 11. of fearfull sights and great signs that should be from heauen, before the destruction of Ierusalem: And so there was a fear­full [Page 295] comet, and many other prodigious things before the same. Nowe if the Iewes had had hearts to haue conside­red it, this cordiall malignity on euery hand against good Conscience was as sad a Prognosticator of their approa­ching ruine, as any blazing star, or ter­rible sight whatsoeuer. It is an ill pre­sage of a Nation going downe, when once good Conscience is fisted down.

CHAP: XVIII.

THus haue we seene Paul fisted, and layd on the mouth. How doth Paul now take this blow at Ananias hands? He smites not againe, nor offers to repell one violence with another; he had learned of Christ rather to haue turned his other cheeke to him. But yet though he smite him not with the fist, yet hee smites with a checke [Page 296] and a iust reproofe for his violence. And so may a man smite without trans­gression, and without revenge. Ps. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me, it shall not breake mine head. So may a man smite, and yet bee a righteous man. These blowes are not to breake heads, as A­nanias his blowes are, but these are to breake hard hearts. Thus Paul smites without transgression of the bonds of meekenesse and patience. And so wee are now come to the third main point in the Text, Pauls zealous answer, and contestation.

Verse 3. Then sayd Paul vnto him, God shall smite thee thou whited wall.

The contestation is contained in the whole verse. And in this contestation we haue a denuntiation of iudgement, and that happily by a Propheticall and an Apostolicall spirit, prophecying to him what should befall him; not an imprecation out of a private spirit stir­red with a desire of revenge. God shall, or will smite, not, I pray God smite, or I hope to see the day when God shall [Page 297] smite, but God shall smite. As if he had sayd, well Ananias thou hast smitten me, heare now what thy doome from God is, I am sent to thee with heauy tydings, God will call thee to a recko­ning for this blow, and Gods hand is ouer thine head to pay thee in thine owne kinde. So then from the whole learne thus much.

Doct. Christian patience though it binde a mans hands, yet doth it not alwaies binde a mans tongue. Though it lay a law vp­on a man to forbeare violence, yet layes it not a law vpon him alwayes to enioyne him silence. Though a man in Pauls case may not strike, yet hee may speake. Though Religion pinion a mans armes from striking, yet doth it not sow and seale vp a mans lips from speaking. Ananias hath smitten Paul on the face, and if please him to haue another blow he will not resist him, he hath his other cheeke ready for him, if his fingers itch to be doing, but yet for all this, though Paul hold his hands, he doth not hold his peace. Indeed Christs [Page 298] precept is well knowne, Matth. 5. 39. Turne the other cheeke also, but yet for all that see what his practice was when he was smitten, Ioh. 18. 23. Iesus an­swered him, If I haue spoken evill beare witnesse of the evill, but if well, why smitest thou me? And yet his precept and practice doe not interferre, nor crosse shinnes. For though by his precept he forbids vs to retaliate, or recompence iniury with iniury, out of the heate of a vindictiue spirit: yet by his practice he warrants vs in cases of iniurie to make a manifestation both of our own innocency, and others iniustice. Reli­gion bindes no man to be a Traitor to his owne innocency, and the iustice of his cause, and by silence to abet others iniustice. With a good Conscience may a man speake, so long as he speaks as Paul did before Festus, Acts 26. 25. The words of truth and sobernesse. So a man answer truely, soberly without tackes of gall, and impatient touches of revenge. Christ and Religion say to man convented, and iniuriously pro­ceeded [Page 299] against, as Agryppa did to Paul Acts 26. 1. Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe. This in generall, more par­ticularly, in this Denunciation, Consi­der the iudgement denounced, that is this, God shall smite thee. From which we may obserue two things. First:

Doct. 1 See Gods iudgements, and the severity of his iustice against the enemies of a good Conscience, and his faithfull servants. A­nanias smites Paul, and for his good Conscience, and what gets hee by it? God will smite him, and giue him as good as he brings. God will smite smi­ters. Ananias smites Paul, and God wil smite Ananias; yea, and God did smite Ananias, for hee was afterwards slaine by Manaimus, one of Captaines of the Iewes.

It is a dangerous thing, not to smite when God commands, 1 King. 20. 35. 36. He that would not smite a Prophet when God commanded, was smitten with an heauy iudgement. It is no lesse dangerous to smite when God forbids smiting. God hath an heauy hand for [Page 300] those that are so light fingred, and hee will giue them blow for blow that will be smiting his for a good Conscience.

Touch not my annoynted, nor doe my Prophets no harme, Psal. 105. 15. Hee that touches them, touches the apple of Gods eye, Zach. 2. 8. So hee that smites them, smites the apple of his eye. The eye is a tender place, and sensible of a little blow. God will not take a blow on the eye, nor beare a blow on his face at the hands of the proudest enemies of them all, and though we must turne the other cheeke, rather then smite a­gaine, yet the Lord to whom venge­ance belongs, will take no blowes at their hands, but if they will be smiting, they shall bee sure to heare of him to their cost.

You finde Exod. 2. 11. an Egyptian smi­ting an Israelite. It becomes none bet­ter then Egyptians to be smiting Israe­lites. Moses spies an Egyptian smiting of an Hebrew. What gets the Egyp­tian in the end? See verse 12. God stirs vp the spirit of Moses to smite him, [Page 301] and to slay him. Thus will God teach Egyptians to be medling. Pashur smites Ieremy, Ier. 20. 2. What got he by it? The heavy stroake of Gods hand vpon himselfe, and all his friends, vers. 3. 4. 5. 6. Herod was a smiter too, Acts 12. 1. 2. Hee stretched forth his hands to vexe certaine of the Church, and he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword. And what became of him in the ende? See ver. 23. The Angell of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten vp of wormes, and he gaue vp the Ghost. It is said of Ionas his gourd that a worme smote it, and it withered Ion. 4. That was much that a worm should so soon smite the gourd. But when men will bee smiting Gods people, and his Prophets for a good Conscience, and when Herod will be so busie as to smite Apostles, God can send not onely an Angell, one of his most glorious creatures, but even a base worme, even one of the weakest creatures to smite Herod, and eate him both. Ieroboam stretches forth his arme against the Prophet, 1. King. 13. and his [Page 302] arme withers, he doth but threaten to smite, and God smites him. How much more when Herod stretches forth his hands to vexe the Church, & to smite Gods Ministers, will God not onely wither them, but smite him as Sampson smote the Philistims, hippe and thigh, and make them a rotten, and a stinking spectacle to all malicious smiters to the worlds end.

Thus is that true which the Prophet implyes in that speech, Esa. 27. 6. Hath hee smitten him as hee smote his smiter? Marke then Gods dealing, he vses to smite smiters.

Neither is this true onely of smiters with the fist, and with the sword, but it is also true of those smiters, Ierem. 18. 18. Come, and let vs smite him with the tongue. Euen such smiters will God smite also, as we may see there, verse 21 22. 23. Thus God met with Nabal. Da­vid sends for reliefe to him vpon his festival day, and he instead of an almes falls a rayling on him, and calls him, in effect, a Rogue, a Vagabond, [Page 303] and a runne-away. Thus he smote Da­vid with his tongue. What followes? See vers. 38. And it came to passe abou [...] ten dayes after, that the Lord smote Na­bal. And how smote he him? That he dyed. So Zach. 14. 12. Their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. What might the reason be of that iudgment? Because happily many that cannot, or dare not fight with their hands, for feare of the law, yet fight against Gods Ministers and his servants with their tongues: Well, God hath a plague to smite such smiters. Though they smite but with the tongue, yet God wil smite them, & giue them their portion with the rest of the adversaries of the Church. And if God will not spare such smiters, how much lesse will hee spare such as smite with the sword?

Vse 1 Terrour to all smiters, eyther with hand or tongue, Smite on, goe on in your malicions courses, doe so, but yet know that there is a smiter in heauen that will meet with you. Had Zimri peace who slew his Master? So said Iezabel [Page 304] to Iehu, and so may it bee said in this case. Search the Scriptures, search the Histories of the Church; Had euer any smiter peace which lifted vp either hand, or tongue against any of the Lords people? Did smiters euer scape scot-free? Had they any cause to brag in the end? Had they euer any cause to brag of the last blow? Did Herod prosper that smote Iames with the sword▪ Did Ananias prosper that smot Paul? Did the Egyptian prosper that smote the Hebrew? Did Doeg prosper who was a tongue-smiter as well as an hand-smiter, Psal. 52. Oh consider this you that dare lift vp your hands and tongues against a good Conscience, & be afraid of Gods smiting hand, trem­ble to meddle in this kind. Learne to hold your hands and tongues, vnlesse ye long to feele Gods smiting hand. Especially take heed of smiting Gods Ministers in any kinde. Deut. 33. 11. Levi hath a strange blessing, Blesse Lord his substance, and accept the worke of his hand, smite through the loynes of [Page 305] them that rise against him, & of them that hate him, that they rise not againe. God saw that of all others Levi would bee most subiect to the blowes of fists, and tongues, and therefore hee is fenced with a blessing for the nonce, to make smiters feare to meddle with him, or if they will needs meddle, yet to let them see that it were better to wrong any o­ther Tribe then that, God would smite them, and smite them to the purpose, that shall offer to smite him.

Vse 2 Here is that which may make Gods people comfortably patient, vnder all the wrongs & iniuries of smiters in any kinde. Here is that may make them by patience to possesse their soules, and may make them hold their hands, and their tongues from smiting. Smite not thou, God will smite smiters. Indeed when wee will be smiting, wee prevent Gods smiting, & so they haue the easi­er blowes by the meanes: For what are our blows to the Lords? Do as Christ did, 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not againe, but committed him­selfe [Page 306] to him that iudges righteously. It is best leaving them to the Lords hand. Pray for thy smiters, that God would giue them smiting hearts, that their hearts may smite them for their smi­ting, pray to God if hee see it good they may be so smitten. This is a re­venge will stand with charity. Yet if not, leaue them to God who best knowes how to smite smiters.

Vse 3 It is great comfort against the sore afflictions of Gods Church at this pre­sent. The enemies of the Gospell haue smitten Gods Church with a sore blow. Well, yet let vs not bee out of heart, the time will assuredly come, that God will smite these smiters. The time will vndoubtedly come, when God will smite that whited wall, that Romish Ananias, that scarlet whore that animates and sets a worke those smiters. It was low with Dauid when he fled from Absalom, and was glad to receiue reliefe from the childrē of Ammon, 2 Sam. 17. 27. But chap. 18. Ioab smites Absalom with three darts, and [Page 307] David returnes in peace, and Psal. 3. 7 blesses God for smiting his enemies vp­on the cheeke bone. How did the Egypti­ans oppresse, and smite the poore Isra­elites, Exod. 2. 11. and Exod. 5. 14. But at last Exod. 12. God smites the land of Egypt, and the first borne, & Exod. 15. 6. dashes in peeces these smiters. See how hardit went with Israel, 1 Sam. 4. 10. 11. And the Philistims fought, and Israel was smitten and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen, and the Arke of God was taken. Behold what a terrible blow here was given: The Priests slaine, and the Arke captived, as if God himselse had beene taken prisoner, and yet at last, 1 Sam. 5. 6. God smites these smi­ters, But the hand of God was heavy vp­on them, and smote them with Emerods, yea as Dauid sings, Psal. 78. 66. Hee smote his enemies in the hinder parts, he put them to a perpetuall reproach. Hee smites them reproachfully. Some­times he smites enemies on the cheeke bone, Psalm. 3. 7. Sometimes he smites [Page 308] them in the hinder parts, both are dis­gracefull and reproachfull, but the lat­ter the worse, a disgracefull thing to be scourged and whipt like boyes. Anti­christian smiters doe prevaile, and hap­pely may yet much more, and may giue yet sorer blowes, but yet as in Nebuchadnezzars dreame, Dan. 2. 34. 35. The stone cut out without hands smote the Image vpon the feet, and brake them to pieces, so that the iron, brasse, clay, gold, all became like the chaffe of the summer threshing floores; So will Christ in his good time smite these smiters, so that their place shall be no more found.

Doct. 2 God shall smite thee. Obserue the mar­uelous equity of Gods administration in the executions of his iustice. God fits his punishments to mens sinnes. Here we see the truth of that, Math. 7. 2. With what measure yee mete, it shall be measu­red to you againe. If Ananias smite Paul, God will smite Ananias. Smiting was his sin, smiting shall be his punish­ment. Paul sayes not God shall iudge [Page 309] thee, or plague thee, but God shall smite thee, to teach that God doth not only iustice vpon sinners, but that there is a retaliation in Gods iustice, a recom­pensing with the like. That looke as a­mongst the Iudicials of the Iewes there was a law of retaliation, Eye for eye, tooth for troth, hand for hand, That if a man wronged another with the losse of an eye, he was not onely to bee pu­nished, but to be punished in the selfe­same kinde, to loose an eye himselfe; so the Lord for the most part followes the same course in dispensation of Iu­stice. If men smite, God will not onely punish, but smite.

That looke as it is in the case of obe­dience, so is it in the case of sin. When men yeeld obedience to God, hee not onely rewards their obedience with a recompence, but with a recompence of Retaliation. Prov. 3. 9. Honouring God with the increase of the fruits, is honoured from God with recom­pence of the increase of the fruites. Abraham spares not his seed, therefore [Page 310] God will mul [...]iply his seed. Gen. 22. 16. 17. It was in Dauids heart to build God an house, therefore God will build him an house 2 Sam. 7. 2. 5. 11.

Thus it is also in the case of sinne; this is the rule the Lord proceeds by often in his Iustice, to meet with wic­ked men in their kinde. As with the mer­cifull he shewes himselfe mercifull, so with the froward hee will shew himselfe fro­ward. Psal. 18. 25. 26. And if men will walke contrary vnto him, he will walke contrary vnto them. Leuit. 26. And hee will crosse them that crosse him. And those that will not heare when he cals, he will not heare when they call. Pro. 1. 24. 28. For the better cleering of this point, we may see the truth of it in di­vers particulars.

1. Gods punishments are in the same manner. The same manner of sinne, the same manner of punishment. Ananias smites Paul in a barbarous and a mali­cious manner, he himselfe was cruelly smitten, and slaine. The sinne of the Sodomites was a [...]inne against nature, [Page 311] their punishment was after the same manner, fire descended from heauen. It is vnnaturall for fire to come down­wards. They sinne vnnaturally, fire comes downe vnnaturally. The Phili­stims not onely smite Israel, but they doe it with a spightfull heart, & meere­ly for Vengeance. Ezek. 25. 15. Therefore ver. 17. I will execute great vengeance vp­on them with furious rebukes. Vengeance for vengeance, manner for maner. Such was the late remarkable Iustice of God vpon that popish Conventicle in the Citie, many of that crue were fallen from God, and fallen from the truth; the Lord slaughters them by a fall. A fall was their sinne, a fall was their death, there was a fall for a fall.

2. Gods punishments are in the same kinde. Looke in what kinde the sinne is, of the same kinde is the punishment. Sodoms sinne was in fiery lusts, they were in their sinne set on fire from hel. Their punishment was of the same kinde. God raines downe fire from heaven vpon them. A fiery sinne, and a [Page 312] fiery punishment. Memorable in this kinde was the Iustice of God vpon that notorious, and fiery persecutor, Ste­phen Gardiner, who would not sit down to dinner till the newes came from Ox­ford Act and Mon. of the fire set to Ridley, and La [...]i­mer, but before his meale was ended, God kindled a fire in his body, which ere long dispatcht him, and made him thrust his tongue blacke out of his mouth. Such was Gods Iustice vpon Adonibezek. Iudg. 1. 7. in the cutting off his thumbes, and his great toes. Three­score & ten Kings, hauing their thumbes, and their great toes cut off, gathered their meate vnder my Table. As I haue done, so God hath requited mee; God hath met with me in mine owne kinde, hee hath paid me with mine owne coyne. Thus was Gods Iustice divers wayes vpon the Egyptians. They threw the Israelites children into the waters, and stayned the waters with blood, therefore God turnes their waters into blood. To which that place alludes. Apoc. 16. 4. 5. 6. And the third Angell powred out his [Page 313] viall vpon the waters, and fountaines of waters, and they became blood. And [...] heard the Angell of the waters say, Righ­teous art th [...]n O Lord, &c. because thou hast iudged thus, for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets; and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke. Where not onely the Iustice of God, but also the equity thereof is magnified, not only because God had Iudged, but be­cause he had iudged thus. Againe, the Egyptians destroy the males of the chil­dren, God meetes with them in their kind, he smites the first-born through out all Egypt. The Egyptians drowne the Israelites Infants in the waters, God payes them in their kinde, he drowns the Egyptians in the waters of the re [...] sea, there is drowning for drowning, and waters for waters, Nadab and Abihu, sinne by fire, and Levit. 10. 2. there went out fire from the Lord, and devou­red them.

How many fires hath the Whore of Babylon kindled, wherein she hath consumed to ashes the Saints of God, God [Page 314] will plague her with an end, suiting with her sinne, Apoc. 17. 16. she her selfe shall be burnt with fire; They shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire. There is fire for fire, Apoc. 9. 12. She there darkens the light of the truth, with the smoake of heresie, and superstition; There arose a smoake out of the pit, as the smoake of a great furnace, and the Sun and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit: And Apoc. 18. 9. 18. there wee finde the smoake of her burning. There is smoake for smoake. God will make her smoake in the end that hath brought such a deale of spirituall smoake into Fumo pere­et qui fu­mum ven­didit. his Church. And as that Emperor said, Let him perish with smoake that s [...]lde smoak; so shall she perish with smoak at the last, that hath put out the eyes of so many thousands with the smoake of heresie and superstition. This was that Iustice of God which the Papists Pow­der-Martyrs, Catesby, and some others of them were forced to acknowledge, when they who had thought to haue▪ blowne vp the State with Powder, [Page 315] were themselues spoyled with Powder, a sparke of fire flying into it, as they were drying it, and preparing for their defence.

Such is that Iustice of God threatned. Heb. 2. 15, 16. Woe vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke, that puttest thy bot­tle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest looke on their nakednesse, Thou art filled with shame for glory, drink thou also, and let thy fore▪ skinne be vnco­uered, the cuppe of the Lords right hand shall be turned vnto thee, & shamefull spu­ing shall be on thy glory. A good place for drunkards to thinke vpon, especi­ally such whose glory is their shame, whose glory is to make others drunke. They shall haue cuppe for cuppe, naked­nesse for nakednesse, spuing for spuing, As they haue made others spue and vomit, through oppression by drinke, so will God giue them such a draught of the bitter dregs of the cup of his wrath, that shall make them spue their very hearts out, as Ier. 25. 27. Drink, and be drunken, & spue and fall, & rise [Page 316] no more, because of the sword which I will send amongst you. Of this kinde was that Iustice of God vpon David him­selfe. He killes Vriah with the sword, therefore the sword shall not depart from his house; He defiles the wife of Vriah,, therefore his Concubines are defiled by Absalom. This is that Iu­stice, Apoc. 13. 10. He that leadeth into Captiuity, shall goe into Captiuity; he that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword. It was the most righteous hand of God vpon Saul, that hee that puts Gods Priests to the sword should fall vpon his owne sword; & iust with God that Elymas the Sorcerer, that would haue kept the Deputy in spiri­tuall, should himselfe be smitten with bodily blindnes.

3. Gods punishments are oft in the same part, and member of the bodie, wherewith men haue offended. That look as renowned Cranmer dealt with himselfe at his Martyrdome; That hand wherewith hee had subscribed to the sixe Articles, that hand hee [Page 317] first put in the fire, in an holy reuenge vpon himselfe; euen so deals the Lord very often in his Iustice; That which men haue made the instrument of their sinne, God makes the subiect of his Iudgements. Absaloms pride, and his weakenesse lay where Sampsons strength was. Absaloms haire was Absaloms pride, therefore Ab­saloms hayre, as it is conceiued, was Absaloms halter, and whilest hee will needes spare the Barber a labour, he also spares the Hangman a labour, Such was Gods Iustice vpon Sampson himselfe. He can finde none to bee the pleasure of his eyes, as the Prophet speaks of his wife, Ezek. 24. but Philistims. Iudg. 14. 1, 2, 3. and Chapt. 16. 1. and so in the loue of a Philistim, Dalilah, he abuses his eyes. What is the issue? At last the Philistims put out his eyes. God punisht the abuse of his eyes with the losse of his eyes, and those eyes that loued Philistims, were pluckt out by Philistims.

Memorable in this kinde was Gods [Page 318] iustice vpon that French King Henry the secōd, who in a rage against a Pro­testant Counsellor, committed him in­to the hands of one of his Nobles to bee imprisoned, and that with these words, That hee would see him burned with his owne eyes. But marke the iustice of God within a few dayes after, the same Noble man with a Launce put into his hands by the King, did at a Til­ting run the saide King into one of his eyes, whereof he dyed.

Of this kind was the Iustice of God, vpon Zachary, Luke 1. Offending with his tongue in that question, How can this be, he is punished with the losse of the vse of his tongue, and speech for a time. The rich gluttons tongue had de­nyed Lazarus a crum, therfore it is de­nyed a drop of water. The same glut­ton had abused his tongue in gluttony, and therefore his tongue hath a peculi­ar torment in hell. So those Zach. 14. 12. had their tongues consumed in their mouths, like enough as with their hands so with their tongues they had fought [Page 219] against Ierusalem.

Such was Gods Iustice vpon Iere boam, hee stretches forth his arme a­gainst the Prophet, and the Lord wi­thers it. He with his arme threatens to smite, and God smites him in his arme. Like that iustice which was done vpon the Emperour Aurelianus, who when hee was ready to subscribe, and se [...] Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 29. his hand to an Edict for the perse­cution of the Christians, was suddenly cramped in his knuckles, and so hindred from it by the iudgment of God.

I may not here omit that notable instance of Gods Iustice vpon Rodolph, Duke of SVEVIA, hee whom the Pope stirred vp against his lawfull Lord and Soueraign, against his Oath to vsurpe his Ctowne, and Empire. This Rodolph in his Warres for the Empire, was wounded in the right hand, of which wound hee dyed, and at his death acknowledged Gods Iu­stice in these words; You see, saith he to his friends, here my right hand [Page 320] wounded, with this right hand I sware to Videtis ma­num dexte­ram meam de vulnere sauciam. Haec ego iu­rauis Do­mino meo Henrico vt non nocerē ei nec insi­diar [...]r glo­riae eius. Sed iussio Apostolicae, Pontificū ­que p [...]titio n [...]e ad id adduxit, vt turamcntt transgres­sor honerē mihi inde­bitum vsur­parē. Quis igitur finis nos excepe­rit, videtis quiain ma­nu vnde iurame [...]ta violaui mortale hoc vulnus accepi, &c Morn. Myst [...]niq p. 256 my Lord Henry the Emperour. But the command of the Pope hath brought me to this, that laying a side the respect of mine Oath, I should vsurpe an honour not due to me. But what is now come of it? In that hand which hath violated mine Oath, I am wounded to death. And so with an­guish of heart he ended his daies. An example so much the rather to be mar­ked, that men may see how God bles­ses the Popes blessings, and his dispen­sations with Oathes, especially, when they are giuen to arme men to rebelli­on against their lawfull Soueraignes.

4. The equitie of Gods Iustice ap­peares in that. Prou. 26. 27. Who so dig­eth a pit shall fall therein, and hee that rolles a stone, it will returne vpon him. Such was Gods Iustice vpon Haman, he made a gallowes for his owne necke. Hitherto we may referre the iustice of God, when God turnes mens beloved sinnes into their punishments. Whore­dome was the Leuites Concubines sinne. Iudg. 19. 2. and Whordome was [Page 321] her death, verse 26. The Lord Deu. 28. 27. threatens the botch of Egypt, and how frequently is the sinne of vncleannesse smitten with the French botch, the fruit of the sinne? How frequent are the examples of Gods Iustice vpon drun­kards, drunkennesse their sinne, and drunkennes their death. And so that Proverbe is often verified. Prou. 5. 22. His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall bee bolden with the cordes of his sinnes.

5. The equitie of Gods Iustice ap­peares in this, when he makes the place of sinne, the place of punishment. Wee haue frequent examples of this in Scripture. This was threatned Ahab. 1 King. 21. 19. In the place where dogges licked the bloud of Naboth, shall dogs licke thy bloud. And this was made good. 2 King. 9. 26. In Tophet the place where they had slaine their Sonnes, and Daughters, would God slay the Iewes Ier. 7. 31. 32. And as their houses were the places of their sinns, so should their houses bee the places of their pu­nishment. [Page 322] Ier. 19. 13. And because the Sabbath was profaned in the gates of Ierusalem, therefore in the gates there­of would God kindle a fire. Ier. 17. 27. And remarkeable is that, Ezek. 6. 13. Their slaine men shall bee amongst their Idols round about their altars, and vnder euery thicke Oake, the place where they did offer sweet sauour to all their Idolls. Such was the Iustice of God in that late blowe vpon that Popish Compa­ny. In the very place where they vsed to dishonour God, the hand of God was vpon them, they were slaine, and their carkases crushed in the place of their Masse-worship, the first floore falling into their Massing place, and so they and their Crucifixes, & Images, all dashed together, God doing with them as with the Egyptians. Numb. 33. 4. Not onely smiting them, but also executing iudgements vpon their gods; yea, not onely so, but executed them and their gods, in the selfe-same place, where God had been by them so much dishonoured.

[Page 323]6. The equity of Gods iustice is to be seene in the time of his punishments. God oft makes that time wherein men haue sinned the time of his iudgements. At the time of the Passe-over did the Iewes crucifie Christ, and at the time of the Passe-over was Ierusalem taken. Heauy is the calamity that is befallen the Churches beyond the Seas, the time wherein the first blow was given, is not to be forgotten. The first blow was vpon the Sabbath, vpon that day was Prague lost. What one thing haue all those Churches fayled in more, then in that point of the religious ob­servation of that day? That day they neglected to sanctifie by obedience, vpon that day God would be sanctifi­ed in his iustice vpon them, and in the time would haue them reade one cause of their punishment. Neither is the time wherein God did that late iustice vpon those Popish persons to bee for­gotten. It is somewhat that after their Roman accoūt, it was vpon their fift of Nouember, God would let those of that [Page 324] Iesuited brood see how good it was to blow vp Parliament houses, and happi­ly would haue them learne more loy­altie and religion, then to scoffe at our new holyday.

Of this kind was Gods iustice vpon one Leaver, who rayling on that wor­thy Martyr and seruant of Christ, M ^r. Latimer, saying, that hee saw that evill fauoured knaue Latimer, when hee was burned, & that he had teeth like an horse, his sonne the same houre, and at the same time as neere as could bee gathe­red, wickedly hanged himselfe. And the same was Gods Iustice, ceazing vp­on Steven Gardiner, the same day that Ridley and Latimer were burned.

Since then there is such an equitie in Gods administration of iustice, let it be our care and wisdome to obserue the same. Learne to Coment vpon Gods works of Iustice, and to compare mens wayes, & Gods workes together. God is to haue the praise and glory of his Iustice vpon others, as well as of his mercy to ourselues. Now we shal then [Page 325] be best able to giue God this glory, when we so obserue his administratiō, that we may bee able not onely to say, The Lord is iust, but the Lord is iust in this, and that particular, when we can say, as Reuel. 16. 5. not onely Righteous art thou O Lord that iudgest, but righte­ous art thou O Lord that iudgest thus. Thus they sinned, and thus are they pu­nished. It is good to obserue all the cir­cumstances of Gods Iustice, that so not onely the iustice, but the wisdome and equity of Gods Iustice may bee seene; and this is to trace the Lord by the foote, Psal 68. 24. Especially we should be thus wise in personall evills that be­fall our selues, that by our punish­ment, and the circumstances thereof, we might bee led to the consideration of our sinnes, and so might say as Ado­nibezek; As I haue done, so hath God rewarded me.

2 Learne to giue God the prayse of his equitie as of his iustice. So doth Dauid, Psal. 7. 15. 16. 17. I will praise the Lord ac­cording to his righteousnesse.

Tremble and sinne not. Take heede how, and wherein we sinne, least by our sinnes we teach God how to punish vs▪ Take heede of abusing thy tongue in swearing, rayling, scoffing, least God lay some terrible iudgement vpon thy tongue here, or some peculiar torment vpon thy tongue in hell hereafter. Take heede what measure thou measure to others, least thou teach God to measure the same to thy selfe. Take heede that thou make not thine house a den of spuing drunkards, least God make thine house to spue thee forth. Take heede how thou vse thy wits, thy strength, take heede of sinning in thy Children, or any thing else thou hast, least God make the matter of thy sinne, the matter of thy punishment.