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<DATE>2013-11-21</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed text and corrected markup.</ITEM>
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<BIBNO T="oclc">54532330</BIBNO>
<VID>180769</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>GOOD Con&s;cience: <HI>OR</HI> A TREATISE SHEWING THE Nature, Meanes, Marks, Be|nefit, and Nece&s;&s;itie thereof.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> IER: DYKE; <HI>Mini&s;ter of Gods Word at</HI> Epping <HI>in</HI> E&s;&s;ex.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Edition Corrected.</P>
<BIBL>Luke 10. 42.</BIBL>
<Q>One thing is nece&s;&s;ary.</Q>
<BIBL>Augu&s;t. de verb. dom. &s;erm. 18.</BIBL>
<Q>&V;niver&s;a inutiliter habet, qui vnum illud quo vniver&s;is vtatur, non habet.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON</HI> Printed for ROBERT MILBOVRNE, and are to be &s;old at his Shop, at the great South-dore of <HI>Pauls.</HI> 1626.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL S^r. FRANCIS BARRINGTON, Knight and Baronet, a Pa|tron and patterne of Pietie <HI>and Good Con&s;cience.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>RIGHT WORSIPFV<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">L,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THat which the Apo|&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peakes of a mans de&s;ire of the office of a Bi&s;hop, may bee truely &s;po|ken of euery one who de&s;ires to gaine men to the loue of a good
<PB REF="3"> Co~&s;cience, that <HI>he de&s;ires a worthy work.</HI> Yea it is the work which is, &amp; ought to be made the &s;cope &amp; drift of the worthy worke of the Mini&s;try. And therefore it is, that he, that de&s;ires the calling of the Mini&s;try, de&s;ires a worthy work becau&s;e of this worthy worke of bringing men to good Con|&s;cience. A worke at which all worke and bookes, &s;hould &s;pe|cially ayme: Con&s;cience is a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vnicuique liber e&s;t pro pria con&s;ci|entia, et ad hunc libru~ di&s;cutiendu~ et emenda~|dum omnes alii inventi &s;unt Bern. de Con&s;.</NOTE> booke, one of tho&s;e bookes that &s;hall bee opened at the la&s;t day, and to which men &s;hall bee put, and by which they &s;hall be iudg|ed. Therefore to the directing, informing, and amending of this booke, &s;hould all other bookes &s;pecially tend. Yea <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;eems to call men off from all other
<PB REF="3"> bookes, and &s;tudies to the &s;tudy of this &s;o nece&s;&s;ary a point, the keeping of a good Con&s;cience:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 1212 13.</NOTE> <HI>Of making many bookes</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>ther is no end, &amp; much &s;tudy is a wea+rines of the fle&s;h, Let vs heare the co~|clu&s;io~ of the whole matter, Feare God and keep his Co~mandements, for this is the whole duty of man.</HI> As if his ad+vi&s;e tended to this, to neglect all &s;tudies in co~pari&s;on of that &s;tudy, which aymes at the getting and keeping of a good Con&s;cience. It would be exceeding happy with vs if this &s;tudy were more in re|que&s;t among&s;t vs. Wee &s;eeme to liue in tho&s;e dayes fore-told by the Prophet, wherein <HI>the earth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 11. 9.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hould be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.</HI> We are ble&s;&s;ed that liue in &s;o cleare a Sun-&s;hine of Gods
<PB REF="4"> truth, but yet the griefe is, that through our owne default, our Sun-&s;hine is but like the winter light, all light, little or no heate, and we make no other v&s;e of our light, but onely to &s;ee by, not to walke and worke by. In the fir&s;t re-entrance of the Go&s;pell a|mong&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Antiqua &s;apientia nihil aliud qua~ facien|da &amp; vit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|da praecepit, et tunc lon|ge meliores erant viri. Po&s;tquam docti prodi|erunt bons de&s;unt Sim plex enim illa et aper|ta virtue t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ob&s;curam et &s;olerte~ &s;ci|entia~&punc; ver&s;a e&s;t, docemur&abque; di&s;puta|re, non vi|vire</HI> Sence. <HI>epist. 96.</HI></NOTE> vs, how devout, holy, zealous, and men renowned for Con&s;cience were our Martyres, and our fir&s;t Planters, Preachers, and profe&s;&s;ors of Religion. They had not generally the know|ledge and learning, the world now hath, nor the world now the Con&s;cience they then had. There be now better Schollars, there were then better Men: they were as excellent for Devo|tion, as our Times are for Di&s;pu|tation.
<PB REF="4"> It is an excellent &s;ight to &s;ee &s;uch Chri&s;tians as were the Romans, <HI>Full of goodne&s;&s;e, filled</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 15. 14</NOTE> <HI>with all Knowledge.</HI> It is pitty that ever &s;o louely a payre &s;hould bee &s;undred. Yet if they be parted, it is be&s;t being without that which with mo&s;t &s;afetie may be &s;pared. A good Con&s;cience is &s;ure to doe well, though it want the accom|pli&s;hment of Learning, and grea|ter mea&s;ures of Knowledge and Vnder&s;tanding. But take Lear|ning from a good Con&s;cience, and it is but a Ring of gold in a Swines &s;nout, or that which is wor&s;e, <HI>A thorne in a Drunkards</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 26. 9</NOTE> <HI>hand.</HI> Learning is to bee highly apprized; Riches, Honours, and all other earthly ble&s;sings are vile to it. But yet though it take
<PB REF="5"> place of all other things, yet mu&s;t it giue good Con&s;cience the wall and vpper-hand, as that which is farre before it in worth, v&s;e, and nece&s;sity. As <HI>Salomon</HI> of wi&s;dom, &s;o may it be &s;aid of good Con|&s;cience, <HI>Shee is more precious then</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 3, 15.</NOTE> <HI>Rubies, and all the things thou can&s;t de&s;ire are not to be compared to her.</HI> Gold and Rubies cannot &s;o en|rich a man as good Con&s;cience doth, and yet alas the blindne&s;&s;e of men, how willing are they in this ca&s;e, with <HI>a wilfull pouertie?</HI> Not Rubies, but handfulls of Barley, mor&s;els of Bread, and Cru&s;ts are preferred before the invaluable trea&s;ure of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>After the many worthy endea|vours therefore of &s;o many as
<PB REF="5"> haue bin before me in this work of laboring men to a good Con|&s;cience: I haue adventured al&s;o to lend my weak &s;trength to the &s;ame worke. If one or two wit|ne&s;&s;es prevaile not, yet who knowes what an whole <HI>clowd</HI> may doe? Though <HI>Eliah</HI> and <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> be the <HI>Hor&s;emen and Cha|riots of I&s;rael,</HI> yet the Footmen doe their &s;eruice in the Battell, and <HI>Apollos</HI> may without offence <HI>water,</HI> where <HI>Paul</HI> hath <HI>planted.</HI></P>
<P>Now the&s;e my poore endea|vours &s;uch as they are, I am bold to publi&s;h vnder your Wor&s;hip|full name, and to put them forth vnder your Patronage, entrea|ting you to countenance that in a Treati&s;e which you haue &s;o long countenanced in the prac|ti&s;e.
<PB REF="6"> None &s;o fit to bee a Patron of a Treati&s;e of good con&s;cience, as he that hath beene a religious both profe&s;&s;or, and protector of the Practi&s;e thereof. To haue a <HI>Naile fa&s;tned in a &s;ure place,</HI> the <HI>An|tiquitie</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 22. 23.</NOTE> of a long &s;tanding <HI>Name,</HI> and <HI>Family,</HI> to bee hewen out of the Quarry of the be&s;t Stocks of Parentage, to haue faire Lines, &amp; a faire lot in outward po&s;&s;e&s;sio~s, to bee ble&s;&s;ed with a fruitefull Vine, and Oliue plants, fairely growne &amp; planted round about a man, all the&s;e are to bee helde high honours, and great fauours from the God of heauen. And with all the&s;e hath the Lord ho|noured your &s;elfe. But yet your greate&s;t honour that hath given lu&s;tre to all the re&s;t, hath beene
<PB REF="6"> your loue to the Truth, Religion and a good Con&s;cience. <HI>Augu|&s;tine</HI> repented him that hee attri|buted more to <HI>Mallius Theodorus,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;plicit autem illic quod</HI> Mallio Theodoro, <HI>ad quem li|brum ip&s;um &s;crip&s;i, qua~|vis docto et Chri&s;tiano viro plus tribui quam deberem.</HI> Aug. <HI>Retr|lib. 1. cap. 2.</HI></NOTE> to whom he wrot a booke, then he &s;hould haue done, though o|therwi&s;e he were a Learned and Chri&s;tian man. A man may ea|&s;ily ouer&s;hoote him&s;elfe in the commendation of a good man, e&s;pecially, if a great man. It &s;hall &s;uffice therefore to haue &s;aid &s;o little, and that to this ende, that hereby the World may knowe the rea&s;on of my choice of your Patronage of this Treati&s;e. It would haue beene an incongru+ity to haue had the name of a per&s;on of an euill Con&s;cience, prefixed before a booke of good Con&s;cience. I de&s;ired a Patron
<PB REF="7"> &s;utable to my &s;ubiect. I pre&s;ume the very &s;ubiect &s;hall make the Treati&s;e welcome to you; Be you plea&s;ed to affoord your accepta~ce as I will affoord you my poore prayers, that the Lord who hath already &s;et vpon your head the <HI>crowne of the elders, Childrens Chil|dren,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 17. 6.</NOTE> and one <HI>crowne of glory</HI> here<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 16. 31.</NOTE> on earth, <HI>Age found in the wayes of righteou&s;nes,</HI> would al&s;o in his due time giue you that incorruptible <HI>crowne of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>eter|nall glory</HI> in the heavens, which that righteous Iudge &s;hall giue to you, and to all tho&s;e that in the waies of a good Con&s;cience waite for the ble&s;&s;ed appearance of the Lord Ie&s;us.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Wor&s;hips in all Chri&s;tian ob&s;ervance: IER: DYKE.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>The Contents of this TREATISE.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>The Text containes three Maine heads.</HEAD>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Maine head.</HI> Pauls <HI>Prote&s;tation of a good Con&s;cience, where fiue things con&s;idered.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>What Con&s;cience is.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>What a good Con&s;cience is. It is good with a two-fold goodne&s;&s;e.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>With the goodne&s;&s;e of Integritie, &amp; this Integritie is threefold.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>When being rightly principled by the Word, it &s;incerely iudges and determines of good &amp; evill.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>When it doth excu&s;e for good and accu&s;e for evill.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>When it vrges to good, and re|&s;traines from evill.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>With the goodnes of Tranquilitie, &amp; Peace. Here three &s;orts of Con&s;ci|ence di&s;couered not to be good.</HI> viz.
<LIST>
<PB REF="8">
<ITEM>1. <HI>The Ignorant Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>The Secure Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The Seared Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The meanes of getting and keeping a good Con&s;cience.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>To get and keepe the Con&s;cience good peaceably, or with the goodne&s;&s;e of peace, three things required.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Faith in Chri&s;ts bloud.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Repentance from dead works</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The Con&s;cionable exerci&s;e of Prayer.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>To get and keepe the Con&s;cience Good, with the goodne&s;&s;e of Inte|gritie, and to haue it vprightly good, fiue things required,</HI> viz.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Walking before God.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Framing ones Cour&s;e by the Rule of the Word.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Frequent examination of the Con&s;ci|ence.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>Hearkning to the voice of Con&s;cie~ce.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>In ca&s;es of que&s;tionable nature, to take the &s;ure&s;t and the &s;afe&s;t &s;ide.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<PB REF="8">
<ITEM>4. <HI>The markes, and notes of a good Con|&s;cience; and they be &s;eauen.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>To make Con&s;cience of all &s;innes, and duties.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>To make Con&s;cience of &s;mall &s;innes, and duties.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>To affect a Mini&s;try that &s;peakes to the Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>To doe dutie, and avoide &s;inne for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>Holy Boldne&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>6. <HI>To &s;uffer for Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>7. <HI>Con&s;tancie, and Per&s;euerance in Good.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>The Motiues to a good Con&s;cience, and they are fiue.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>The incomparable Comfort and Benefit of it in all &s;uch Times and Ca&s;es, as all o|ther Comforts fayle a man, and wherein a man &s;tands mo&s;t in neede of Comfort. The&s;e Ca&s;es or Times are fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</HI>
<PB REF="9">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>The Time, and Ca&s;e of Di&s;grace, and Reproach.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>The Time of Common feare, and Common Calamitie.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The Time of Sickene&s;&s;e, or other cro&s;&s;es.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>The Time of Death.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>The Time, and day of Iudgement.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>That a good Con&s;cience is</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>A Fea&s;t for</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Contentment, and &s;a|tisfaction.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Ioy and Mirth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Societie.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Better then a fea&s;t for</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>The Continuance.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Independencie.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>&V;niuer&s;alitie.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Without a good Con&s;cience, all our be&s;t duties are naught.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>It is the Ship and Arke of Faith.</HI></ITEM>
<PB REF="9">
<ITEM>5. <HI>The mi&s;ery of an euill one,</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>In this world in re&s;pect of</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Feare.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Perplexity.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Torment.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>In the world to come.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Maine Head.</HI> Ananias <HI>his in&s;olent In|iunction. Whereout is ob&s;erved.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>What is the re&s;pect a good Con&s;cience findes in the world.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>The impetuous Iniu&s;tice of the ene|mies of good Con&s;cience,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Who commonly be the bittere&s;t Ene|mies of good Con&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>That V&s;urpers are Smiters.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>What is a &s;aid forerunner of a Nati|ons Ruine.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Maine Head.</HI> Pauls <HI>An&s;wer and Con|te&s;tation. Whereout is ob&s;erved.,</HI>
<PB REF="10">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>That Chri&s;tian Patience muzzles not a good Con&s;cience from pleading it own Innocency.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>The &s;everitie of Gods Iudgements vp|on the enemies and &s;miters of good Con|&s;cience.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The equitie of Gods admini&s;tration in his execution of Ju&s;tice.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="10">
<HEAD>A Table of the &s;everall <HI>Chapters of this Treati&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Chapter I. <HI>The Introduction to the Di&s;cour&s;e following.</HI> Folio 1</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter II. <HI>Con&s;cience De&s;cribed.</HI> 10</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter III. <HI>A good Con&s;cience what it is. Fal&s;e ones di&s;couered.</HI> 24</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter IV. <HI>Peace of Con&s;cience how gotten.</HI> 43</ITEM>
<PB REF="11">
<ITEM>Chapter V. <HI>Integrity of Con&s;cience how procured.</HI> 56</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter VI. <HI>Two further meanes to procure Inte|gritie of Con&s;cience.</HI> 69</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter VII. <HI>Two markes of a good Con&s;cience.</HI> 86</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter VIII. <HI>Three other&punc; Notes of a good Con&s;ci|ence.</HI> 106</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter IX. <HI>The two la&s;t Notes of a good Con&s;ci|ence.</HI> 121</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter X. <HI>The comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;cience, in the ca&s;e of Di&s;|grace, and Reproach.</HI> 150</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XI: <HI>The comfort and benefit of a good
<PB REF="11"> Con&s;cience in the times of com|mon feares and calamities, and in the times of &s;ickene&s;&s;e, and other per&s;onall evils.</HI> 171</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XII. <HI>The comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;cience, at the dayes of Death and Iudgement.</HI> 192</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XIII.<HI>A &s;econd Motiue to a good con&s;cience, That is a continuall Fea&s;t.</HI> 210</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XIV. <HI>A third and fourth Motiue to a good Con&s;cience.</HI> 235</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XV. <HI>The la&s;t Motiue to a good Con&s;cience,</HI> viz. <HI>The mi&s;erie of an euill one.</HI> 250</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XVI. <HI>The portion and re&s;pect, that a good Con&s;cience findes in the world.</HI> 272</ITEM>
<PB REF="12">
<ITEM>Chapter XVII. <HI>The impetuous Iniu&s;tice, and malice of the Aduer&s;aries of a good Con|&s;cience.</HI> 286</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chapter XVIII. <HI>The &s;everitie of Gods Iu&s;tice vpon the enemies of good Con&s;cience, and the v&s;uall equitie of Gods Admini&s;tration in his executions of Iu&s;tice.</HI> 299</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="1" REF="12">
<HEAD>GOOD CONSCIENCE.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>ACTS 23.</BIBL>
<Q><P N="1">1. And <HI>Paul</HI> earne&s;tly beholding the Councell, &s;aid; Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Con&s;cience vntill this day.</P>
<P N="2">2 And the high Prie&s;t <HI>Ananias</HI> comman|ded them that &s;tood by, to &s;mite him on the mouth.</P>
<P N="3">3. Then &s;aid <HI>Paul</HI> vnto him, God &s;hall &s;mite thee thou whited wall.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The Introduction to the Di&s;cour&s;e following</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_THere is no complaint &s;o ge|neral as this, that the world is Naught. His experience is &s;hort and &s;lender, which will not iu&s;tifie the truth of this Com|plaint.
<PB N="2" REF="13"> And what, thinke we, may the Cau&s;e be of the generall wickednes of our Times? Surely nothing makes <HI>Ill Times,</HI> but Ill men, and nothing makes<NOTE PLACE="marg">H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">minum &s;unt i&s;ta no~ Temporum&punc; Senec. ep. 98</NOTE> <HI>Ill Men,</HI> but <HI>Ill Con&s;ciences.</HI> Ill Con&s;ci|ence is the &s;ource, &amp; the fountaine fro~ whence come all Iniquities, which make Times heere &s;o ill. How well &s;hould he de&s;erue that could amend Ill times? There is a cour&s;e if it would be taken that would doe the deed, and &s;o cea&s;e the common Complaint. <HI>Eli|&s;haes</HI> cour&s;e mu&s;t be taken in the hea|ling of the waters of <HI>Iericho.</HI> They &s;ay of their waters as wee of our Times; <HI>The water is naught, and the ground barren.</HI> 2. King. 2. 19. What cour&s;e now takes <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> for the healing of the waters? <HI>He went out vnto the &s;pring of the waters, and ca&s;t the Salt in there,</HI> ver. 21. <HI>So the waters were healed,</HI> ver&s;. 22. The &s;pring, and fountaine of all acti|ons good or euill is the Con&s;cience, and all actions and cour&s;es of men are as their Con&s;ciences. Out of the heart <HI>are the i&s;&s;ues of life,</HI> Pro. 4. 23. The
<PB N="3" REF="13"> Heart&punc; &amp; Con&s;cience is the fountaine, euery action of a mans life is an <HI>I&s;&s;ue,</HI> a little rivelet, &amp; a water pa&s;&s;age thence. Are the&s;e <HI>waters</HI> then that <HI>i&s;&s;ue</HI> thence <HI>Naught?</HI> The way to heale them is to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non erit fructue bo|nus ni&s;i ar|boris bonae Muta Cor, et mutabi|tur opus. Aug. de ver. Dom. Serm. 12.</NOTE> <HI>ca&s;t the &s;alt into the &s;pring.</HI> Mend the Con&s;cience and all is mended. <HI>Good Con&s;ciences</HI> would make <HI>Good men,</HI> and <HI>Good men</HI> would make <HI>Good Times.</HI> Lo here a Proiect for the reformation of evill Times.</P>
<P>Were this Proiect &s;et on foot, and a good Co~&s;cience &s;et vp, how &s;hould we &s;ee profanations of Gods holy Name, &amp; Day, Iniu&s;tice, Bribery, Oppre&s;&s;ion, Deceit, Adulteries, and Whoredomes, and all other Iniquites; how &s;hould we &s;ee all the&s;e, as our Saviour &s;aw Satan, <HI>falling down like lightning from heaven?</HI> How &s;hould wee &s;ee them come tum|bling downe like &s;o many <HI>Dagons</HI> be|fore Gods Arke, yea tumbled downe, and broken to the &s;tumps? The onely Arke that mu&s;t da&s;h, and ding downe the&s;e <HI>Dagons</HI> is a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>And if we would wel weigh the mat+ter
<PB N="4" REF="14"> what is there equally de&s;irable with<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ecce quid prode&s;t ple+na bonis ar|ca cum &s;it Inanis Con|&s;cientia! Bona vis habere, &amp; bonus non vis e&s;&s;e; tu~ quid e&s;t, quod vis ha+bere malu~&punc; Nihil omni no, non vx|orem, non fi+lium, non ancilla~, vil+lam, tunica~ po&s;tremo no~ caligam, et tamen vis habere ma|la~ vitam. Rogo te&punc; Praepone vi+tam tuam caligae tuae (&s;ic Con&s;ci|entia~.</HI>) Aug. <HI>ibid. vbi &s;upra. Ip&s;a ergo di+uitiae bonae &s;unt &s;ed i&s;tae omnia bona a bonis &amp; malis habe|ri po&s;&s;unt. Et cu~ bona &s;int bonos tame~ face|re non po&s;|&s;unt</HI> Aug. <HI>de verb. Do~ Serm. 5.</HI></NOTE> a good Con&s;cience? What is that men would haue, but they de&s;ire to haue it <HI>Good?</HI> And yet among&s;t al other things they de&s;ire to haue <HI>Good,</HI> what little care to haue the Con&s;cie~ce &s;uch? Wife children, &s;ervants, hou&s;es, lands, Ayre, food, rayment, who would not haue the&s;e <HI>Good?</HI> And yet that, without which none of all the&s;e are good, nor will yeeld vs any true good, that alone is neglected, and while&s;t men would haue all other things <HI>Good,</HI> yet their Con&s;ciences, &amp; the~&s;elues are <HI>Naught.</HI> Now alas what good, will all other goods doe vs while&s;t this one, and this mayne <HI>Good</HI> thing is wanting! How ex|cellent is this <HI>Good</HI> aboue al other good things? A <HI>good</HI> wife, <HI>good</HI> children, <HI>good</HI> land, &amp;c. the&s;e may a man haue, and yet he him&s;elfe not <HI>Good,</HI> the&s;e finde men &s;ometimes <HI>Good,</HI> but make none &s;o; the&s;e goods may a man haue and yet him&s;elfe bee Naught. Not &s;o with a good Con&s;cience, which no evill man can haue, which who&s;oever hath, it
<PB N="5" REF="14"> makes him and all hee hath <HI>good.</HI> So great and &s;o good a <HI>Good,</HI> why is it &s;o much neglected?</P>
<P>Try we therefore, &amp; let vs a&s;&s;ay if by any means, Gods good ble&s;&s;ing giuing a&s;&s;i&s;tance, we may be able to &s;tirre vp men, and to worke them to regard &s;o great &amp; &s;o excellent a good. It may be at lea&s;t &s;ome few may be per&s;waded, &amp; may &s;et vpon this worke of getting a good Con&s;cience. If but &s;ome few, if but one be wrought vpon, the labour is not in vaine. If none, yet our worke is with our God, to whom <HI>we are a &s;weet &s;avour in Chri&s;t, in them that are &s;aued, and in them that peri&s;h,</HI> 2 Cor. 2. 15.</P>
<P>This portion of Scripture then which I haue cho&s;en for the ground of the following Di&s;cour&s;e con&s;i&s;ts of three parts.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;ober and ingenious <HI>Profe&s;|&s;ion,</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tation,</HI> ver&s;. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Ananias</HI> his in&s;olent, and Impetu|ous <HI>Iniunction,</HI> ver&s;. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Pauls</HI> zealous <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> and <HI>Conte|&s;tation,</HI> ver&s;. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1"><PB N="6" REF="15">1. The fir&s;t is <HI>Pauls Prote&s;tatio~</HI> in the&s;e words; <HI>Men and brethren, I haue liued in all good Con&s;cience vntill this day.</HI> With this Prote&s;tation of a good Con&s;cience <HI>Paul</HI> begins his Plea. And how euer to di&s;tingui&s;h our &s;elues from Papi&s;ts, we beare the name of <HI>Prote&s;tants,</HI> yet wee &s;hall neuer be &s;ound, and good Prote|&s;tants indeede, till we can take vp <HI>Pauls prote&s;tation,</HI> that our care, endeauour, &amp; cour&s;e is to liue in <HI>All good Con&s;cience.</HI> A Prote&s;tant with a loo&s;e &amp; a naughty Co~&s;cie~ce, hath no great cau&s;e to glory in his de&s;ertion of the Romi&s;h Religio~. As good a <HI>blind Papi&s;t,</HI> as a <HI>halting Pro|te&s;tant.</HI> The <HI>blind</HI> and the <HI>halt</HI> were e|qually abominable vnto the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> was here brought forth to an|&s;wer for him&s;elfe before the chiefe Prie&s;ts and the Councel: And his Pre|face, as I &s;aid, to his ente~ded Apology, if he had not bin iniuriou&s;ly interrup|ted, is a <HI>prote&s;tation</HI> of the Goodnes of his Con&s;cience. And this his good Con&s;cience, or the goodne&s;&s;e of his Con&s;cience he &s;ets foorth.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="7" REF="15">1. From his <HI>Conver&s;ation,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; I haue lived, or conver&s;ed. A good con|ver&s;ation is a good evidence of a good Con&s;cience indeed, there can bee no good Con&s;cience, where there is not a Conver&s;ing in good. It is not &s;ome moods &amp; fits in &s;ome good actions, &amp; duries, fro~ whence Con&s;cience gaines the reputation of Goodnes, but a good conver&s;ation, godly &amp; religious in the generall tenour therof, proues the con|&s;cience worthy &s;uch an honor, as to be holden Good. He may be &s;aid to <HI>haue a</HI> good con&s;cience that can be &s;aid to <HI>liue</HI> in a good Con&s;cience. Many a man is frequently in the Citie, and yet cannot be &s;aid to liue there. There a man liues where he hath his Conver&s;e and Re&s;i|dence. A mans life is not to be mea&s;u|red by &s;ome few actions, in which at &s;ome time he may be found, but by his generall cour&s;e and conver&s;ation. God will iudge euery man not according to his <HI>&s;teps,</HI> but according to his <HI>waies.</HI> It were ouer-rigid cen&s;oriou&s;nes to con|demne a righteous man, &amp; to que&s;tion
<PB N="8" REF="16"> whether his con&s;cience were good, be+cau&s;e &s;ome &s;teps of his haue bin be&s;ide<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the way. We know for the general his way is good wherein hee walkes, and therefore according to his good way we iudge his Con&s;cience good. Con|trarily whe~ we &s;ee a mans way for th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> generall to be evill, though &s;ome tim<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> he may tread a right &s;tep or two, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> chance to chop into the faire roade fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a rod or two, for this to iudge a man Con&s;cience good, were a bottomle&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and boundle&s;&s;e Charitie. Every man<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Con&s;cience is as his life is.</P>
<P N="2">2. From the <HI>Generality</HI> of his care, &amp; obedie~ce. <HI>In all good Con&s;cience.</HI> It mu&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be <HI>All good,</HI> or it is <HI>no good</HI> Co~&s;cience a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> all. There bee that liue in <HI>&s;ome</HI> goo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Con&s;cience, yea, <HI>Herod</HI> &s;eemes to haue <HI>much</HI> good Con&s;cience, he did many things gladly, but yet <HI>Paul</HI> goes fur|ther, and liues not in <HI>&s;ome,</HI> not in <HI>much</HI> but in <HI>All</HI> good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="3">3. From the <HI>Sincerity</HI> and, <HI>Integritie of it before God.</HI> Before men how many haue their Con&s;ciences exceeding
<PB N="9" REF="16"> good, &amp; yet their con&s;ciences are far &s;hort of goodnes, becau&s;e they are not good <HI>before God,</HI> the Iudge of con&s;ci|ence. While&s;t con&s;cience is made only of the Capitals of the &s;econd Table, or of the externals &amp; ceremonials of the fir&s;t, which duty is not done out of obedience to God &amp; his Commande|ments; but a mans &s;elfe either in his gaine, or in his pray&s;e is &s;ought, &amp; ba&s;e ends are the fir&s;t mouers to good du|ties, here the con&s;cience what euer ap|plau&s;e it hath from, or before men for it goodne&s;&s;e, yet of God &s;hall not be &s;o e&s;teemed. For that is not a good con|&s;cience which is one outwardly, but which is one inwardly, who&s;e pray&s;e is not of men but of God. And that hath its pray&s;e of God which is be|fore God.</P>
<P N="4">4. From his <HI>continuance,</HI> &amp; <HI>con&s;tancie, vntill this day.</HI> To begin a good life, and cour&s;e, and to liue in all good con|&s;cience, &amp; that before God, are excel|lent things; but yet one thing is wan|ting to make vp this goodne&s;&s;e com|pleate.
<PB N="10" REF="17"> To bee &s;o for a day, or &s;ome dayes will not &s;erue, but when a man can &s;ay at his la&s;t day, I haue liued in al good con&s;cience <HI>vntill this day,</HI> that man may bee &s;afely iudged to haue a good con&s;cience indeed. Thus in the&s;e foure particulars doth the goodnes of <HI>Pauls</HI> con&s;cience appeare. It is not my purpo&s;e to confine my &s;elfe &amp; to keepe me within the&s;e bounds alone, but to take a larger latitude, within the com|pa&s;&s;e whereof I will bring both tho&s;e forenamed, and all other materiall points which this <HI>prote&s;tation</HI> doth af|ford.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Con&s;cience de&s;cribed:</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THe maine &s;ubiect of this prote&s;ta|tion, and the ayme of this follow|ing di&s;cour&s;e being concerning a <HI>good con&s;cience,</HI> for the more orderly hand|ling thereof, con&s;ider the&s;e &s;peci|alls.</P>
<LIST>
<PB N="11" REF="17">
<ITEM>1. What <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> is.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. What a <HI>good Con&s;cience</HI> is.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. How a good con&s;cience <HI>may bee gotten and kept.</HI> The meanes of it.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. How a good con&s;cience <HI>may bee knowne.</HI> The markes of it.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The <HI>motiues</HI> to get and keepe a good con&s;cience.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. <HI>What con&s;cience is:</HI> It may be thus de&s;cribed. Con&s;cience <HI>is a power and faculty of the &s;oule taking knowledge, and bearing witne&s;&s;e of all a mans thoughts, words &amp; actions, &amp; accordingly excu&s;ing or accu&s;ing, ab&s;oluing or condemning, com+forting or tormenting the &s;ame.</HI> I know there be other definitions giuen by o|thers more &s;uccinct, and neat, but I ra|ther chu&s;e this, though it may bee not altogether &s;o formall to the rules of Art. The rules of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oue and profit many times may make bold to di&s;pence with rules of Art. So I may be profitable, I care the le&s;&s;e to bee artificiall. It may &s;uffice that this de&s;cription is an&s;wera|ble to that Auditory for who&s;e &s;ake it was fir&s;t intended. A plaine familiar
<PB N="12" REF="18"> de&s;cription agrees well enough with &s;uch a people. For the better concei|uing of it let it be taken in pieces, and euery parcell viewed &s;euerally.</P>
<P><HI>It is a faculty, or power of the &s;oule.</HI> It is therefore called the <HI>Heart, 1. Iohn. 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs. Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes that thou thy &s;elfe like|wi&s;e ha&s;t cur&s;ed others,</HI> that is thine own con&s;cience knowes. It is al&s;o called the <HI>&s;pirit of man, 1. Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man, &s;aue the</HI> &s;pirit of man <HI>which is in him.</HI> And <HI>Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it &s;elfe beares witne&s;&s;e with our &s;pirit,</HI> that is, with our co~&s;cience. Not that con&s;cience is a &s;pirit di&s;tinct from the &s;ub&s;tance of the &s;oule, as <HI>Origen</HI> mi|&s;tooke, but becau&s;e it is a faculty of the &s;oule, therefore the name that is oft gi|uen to the &s;oule, is giuen to it. If it bee asked in what part of the &s;oule this fa|culty is placed, wee mu&s;t know that Con&s;cience is not confined to any one part of the &s;oule: It is not in the vn|der&s;tanding alone, not in the memory, will, or affections alone, but it hath
<PB N="13" REF="18"> place in all the parts of the &s;oule, &amp; ac|cording to the &s;euerall parts thereof hath &s;euerall Offices, or Acts.</P>
<P><HI>Taking knowledge: Eccle.</HI> 7. 22. Thine owne heart <HI>knowes.</HI> Con&s;cience is pla|ced in the &s;oule as Gods &s;py, &amp; mans &s;uperiour and ouer&s;eer, an in&s;eperable companion that is with a man at all times, and in all places; &s;o that there is not a thought, word, or worke that it knowes not, and takes not notice of. So that that which <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;peakes of God him&s;elfe, <HI>P&s;al. 139. 3. 4. Thou com|pa&s;&s;e&s;t my heart, &amp; my lying downe, and art acquainted with all my wayes, for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowe&s;t it altogether. Whither &s;hall I goe from thy &s;pirit! If I a&s;cend vp to heauen, &amp;c.</HI> The &s;ame may bee al&s;o &s;aid of con&s;cience, Gods deputy; it is acquain|ted with all our waies, not a motion in the minde, not a &s;yllable in the mouth, to which it is not priuy: yea it is thus in&s;eperably pre&s;ent with vs not only to &s;ee, but al&s;o to &s;et downe, to regi&s;ter, &amp; to put downe vpon Record all our
<PB N="14" REF="19"> thoughts, words, and workes. Con&s;ci|ence<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nam quo|cun&abque; me verto vitia mea me &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> quuntur, v|bicu~&abque; vado con&s;cientia mea menon de&s;erit, &s;e prae&s;ens ad|&s;i&s;tit &amp; quicquid facio &s;cri|bit. Idcirco quanquam humana &s;ubterfugia~ iudicia, iu|dicium pro|priae con&s;c. fugere non vale<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Et &s;i homi|ni&abus; celo qucd egi, mihi tame~ (qui noui malu~ quod ge&s;si) celare nequeo. Ber. de Inter. Dom. c. 31.</NOTE> is Gods Notary, and there is no|thing pa&s;&s;es vs in our whole life good or ill, which co~&s;cience notes not down with an indeleble character, which no|thing can raze out but Chri&s;ts blood. Con&s;cience doth in this kinde as <HI>Iob</HI> wi&s;hes in another, <HI>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.</HI> Con&s;cience prints and writes &s;o &s;urely, &s;o indelebly, yea it writes mens &s;ins as <HI>Iudah</HI> his &s;in was, <HI>with a pen of Iron, with the poynt of a dia|mond, and they are grauen vpon the Ta|ble of their hearts, Ierem.</HI> 17. 1. Con&s;ci|ence doth in our pilgrimage as trauel|lers in their iourney, it keepes a Diary, or a iournall of euery thing that pa&s;&s;es in our whole cour&s;e, it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend. In regard of this office con&s;ci|ence is placed in the memory, &amp; is the Regi&s;ter and Recorder of the &s;oule.</P>
<P><HI>And bearing witne&s;&s;e.</HI> This wee finde
<PB N="15" REF="19"> <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 15. their con&s;cience al&s;o <HI>bearing witne&s;&s;e. Rom.</HI> 9. 1. My con&s;cience al&s;o <HI>bearing me witne&s;&s;e. 2. Cor. 1. 12. The te&s;ti|mony</HI> of our con&s;cience. And this the end of the former office of the con&s;ci|ence. For therefore is it exact &amp; pun|ctuall in &s;etting downe the particulars of a mans whole life, that it may bee a faithfull witne&s;&s;e either for him, or a|gain&s;t him. <HI>For a faithfull witnes cannot lye. Pro.</HI> 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times of tryall, affliction, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Peccat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mea celare non po&s;&s;um quonia~ quo|cu~&abque; vado con&s;c. mea mecum e&s;t &s;ecum por|tans quod in ea po&s;ui &s;iue bonum &s;iue malu~; &s;eruat vi|no, re&s;tituet defuncto de po&s;itum quod &s;er|uandum a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|cepit. Ber. medit. de vot. c. 13.</NOTE> mo&s;t of all at the la&s;t day, the day of iudgement; when it &s;hall be more &s;o|lemnly called in to giue in euidence, <HI>Rom. 2. 15. 16. Their con&s;cience bearing wit+ne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. In the day when God &s;hall iudge &s;ecrets of men.</HI> At that day it &s;hal e&s;peci|ally witnes either for or again&s;t a man; if our life and actions haue been good, it will then doe like the true witne&s;&s;e, <HI>Pro. 14. 25. A true witne&s;&s;e deliuers &s;oules.</HI> If wicked &amp; vngodly, it wil deale with it as <HI>Iob</HI> complaines God did with him <HI>Iob. 10. 17. Thou renewe&s;t thy witne&s;&s;es a|gain&s;t me.</HI> It will te&s;tifie according to e|uery
<PB N="16" REF="20"> mans deeds. And this te&s;timony of con&s;cience is without all exception, for in the mouth of two or three wit|ne&s;&s;es euery word &s;hall &s;tand, and con|&s;cience (as our common &s;aying is) is a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es: for it is an ey-wit|ne&s;&s;e of all our actions, yea a pen-wit|ne&s;&s;e, bringing te&s;timony from the au|thentique Records &amp; Regi&s;ters of the Court of Con&s;cience. Concerning this te&s;tifying office of con&s;cience that place is worth the noting, <HI>I&s;a. 59. 12. For our tran&s;gre&s;sions are multiplyed before thee, and our &s;innes te&s;tifie again&s;t vs, for our tran&s;gre&s;sions are with vs, and as for our iniquities we know them.</HI> By which place wee may know the meaning of the word Con&s;cience. Con&s;cience is a <HI>knowledge together.</HI> How together? Fir&s;t, a knowledge together with ano|ther per&s;on, namely with God, when God and a mans heart know a thing, there is Con&s;cience, knowledge toge|ther. <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 1. My Con&s;cience (<GAP DESC="foreign">) Co-witne&s;&s;ing, witne&s;&s;ing toge+ther. How together? God knowes it &amp;
<PB N="17" REF="20"> witne&s;&s;es, &amp; my con&s;cience together with him knows, &amp; witne&s;&s;es. Seco~dly, a knowledge ioyned together with a|nother knowledge; for there is a dou|ble act of the vnder&s;tanding. Fir&s;t, that whereby wee thinke or know a thing. Secondly, there is a reflecting act of the &s;oule whereby wee thinke what we thinke, and know what we know, and this is the action of the Con&s;ci|ence; and this ioyning of this &s;econd knowledge to the fir&s;t, giues it the name of Con&s;cience. As here in this place, As for our iniquities we know them, that is, wee know that wee haue had euill thoughts, &amp; our knowledge tels vs, and witne&s;&s;es to vs that we haue done &s;o. This agrees with <HI>Bernards</HI> de|finition, that <HI>Con&s;cientia e&s;t cordis &s;cien|tia;</HI> Con&s;cience is the knowledge of the heart, namely pa&s;&s;iuely. It is the knowing of what the heart knowes: which others in better tearmes haue expre&s;&s;ed thus, Con&s;cience is the re|coyling of the &s;oule vpon it &s;elfe. Suta|ble to that of the Apo&s;tle. 1. <HI>Cor. 4. 4. I
<PB N="18" REF="21"> know nothing but my &s;elfe.</HI> As if hee had &s;aid, I know not any thing that I know again&s;t my &s;elfe, my Con&s;cience doth not witne&s;&s;e again&s;t me. And this &s;e|cond office of Con&s;cience in bearing witne&s;&s;e is al&s;o in the memory.</P>
<P><HI>And accordingly accu&s;ing or excu&s;ing, ab&s;oluing or condemning</HI>] The&s;e acts of Con&s;cience we finde. <HI>Rom. 2. 15. Their thoughts accu&s;ing or excu&s;ing one another. Rom.</HI> 14. 22. Happy is he that <HI>condemneth</HI> not him&s;elfe in that which he allowes. The ground of the&s;e Acts is this, con|&s;cience, before actions are to be done, determines of their lawfulnes, and vn|lawfulne&s;&s;e; iudges of them whether they be good or euill. And if it iudge them good, it inuites, &s;tirres vp, vrges, &amp; bindes to the doing of them. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 5. Yee mu&s;t be &s;ubiect <HI>for Con&s;cience &s;ake,</HI> that is, becau&s;e con&s;cience deter|mines it to be good, &amp; vrges, and binds thereunto. Hence that phra&s;e in com|mon &s;peech, my con&s;cience vrgeth me to it, or he was vrged in con&s;cience to do it, and I am bound in con&s;cience to
<PB N="19" REF="21"> doe it. Certainely if it iudge and deter|mine actions to be euill and vnlawfull, then it binds from them. So much that &s;peech implyes, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 27. Eate, asking no que&s;tion <HI>for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> So that Con&s;cience hath a power to binde to, and to binde from.</P>
<P>Now then when a man in his parti|cular actions doth follow the Pre&s;crip|tions, Dictates, Iniunctions, Prohibiti|ons, &amp; Determinations of con&s;cience, and hearkens to the incitements there|of, then co~&s;cience <HI>excu&s;es</HI> him, acquits and <HI>ab&s;olues</HI> him. But if in his actions he goe again&s;t any of the&s;e, then con|&s;cience <HI>accu&s;es</HI> him of offence, and <HI>con|demnes</HI> him for that offence. The <HI>accu|&s;ation</HI> of con&s;cience hath re&s;pect vnto a mans <HI>guilt,</HI> the <HI>condemnation</HI> of it vnto a mans <HI>puni&s;hment. Accu&s;ation</HI> is an act of Con&s;cience pa&s;&s;ing &s;entence vpon a mans action, as when con&s;ci|ence tels him. This was ill done, this action was &s;infull. <HI>Condemnation</HI> is an act of con&s;cience, pa&s;&s;ing &s;entence not only vpon a mans action, but vpon a
<PB N="20" REF="22"> mans per&s;on, as when it tels him, Thou de&s;erue&s;t Gods wrath for this &s;in. Con+&s;cience in accu&s;ing &s;hewes what is the <HI>quality;</HI> in condemning what is the <HI>de|&s;ert</HI> of a mans action. And the&s;e acti|ons of Con&s;cience are in the mind, and vnder&s;tanding part of the &s;oule. The act of Con&s;cience in the memory de|termines <HI>de facto,</HI> and tels vs what wee haue done, or not done. The act of Con&s;cience in the vnder&s;tanding de|termines <HI>de iure,</HI> and tells vs whether we haue done well or ill, and &s;o accor|dingly either excu&s;es or accu&s;es, ac|quits or condemnes.</P>
<P><HI>Comforting or tormenting the &s;ame</HI>] the&s;e be the la&s;t acts of con&s;cience fol|lowing the former. If Con&s;cience de|termining, pre&s;cribing, and inciting to good, be hearkened vnto, then it excu|&s;es, acquits, and thereupon followes comfort, ioy, hope, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 2. This is <HI>our reioycing,</HI> the te&s;timony of our con|&s;cience. Contrarily if the dictates of con&s;cience be not regarded, it accu&s;es and co~demnes, &amp; then torments with
<PB N="21" REF="22"> feare, griefe, de&s;paire, and violent per|turbations, in all which is that <HI>Worme. Mar.</HI> 9. 44. And the&s;e actions of the Con&s;cience are in the will, and in the affections. And thus according to the diuers parts of the &s;oule, the acts and office of Con&s;cience are diuers. In the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sic &s;ic in do mo propria &amp; a pro|pria fam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|lia habeo accu&s;atores te&s;tes, iudi|ces, &amp; tor|tores Accu|&s;at me con|&s;cien&punc; te&s;tis e&s;t memo|ria, volu~tas carcer, ti|mor tortor, ablectame~|tum torme~|tum. Ber. med. de vot. c. 13.</NOTE> memory it hath the office of a Notary, Regi&s;ter, and witne&s;&s;e. In the vnder|&s;tanding it hath the office of a Iudge, and an Accu&s;er, of a <HI>Felix</HI> and a <HI>Ter|tullus.</HI> In the affections either of a Comforter, or a Tormenter.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all may be thus knit vp. Co~&s;cience containes three things:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Knowledge practicall.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Applicatio~ of that knowledge to our particular e&s;tates, and actions.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Tho&s;e affections which ari&s;e thereupon.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Now the &s;peciall worke of Con&s;ci|ence con&s;i&s;ts in the &s;econd, in the ap|plying our knowledge to our e&s;tates and actions. Now in this application it lookes on things pa&s;t, or pre&s;ent, &s;imply as things, and &s;o it witne&s;&s;es of
<PB N="22" REF="23"> them to be done, or not done, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Super nos etiam po&s;u|it ad cu&s;to|diendum &s;i deliqui&s;&s;ent qui accu&s;a|rent, qui te&s;tificare~|tur qui iu+dicarent, qui puni|ret: con&s;c. quippe e&s;t accu&s;atrix, memoria te&s;tis, ratio Iudex, ti|mor carni|fex. Ber. hom de vil|li. iniq.</NOTE> 22. Or el&s;e it lookes at the good or e|uill of things pa&s;t, pre&s;ent, &amp; to come. If thngs pa&s;t, or pre&s;ent, &s;eeme good it excu&s;es; if euill it accu&s;es, and bites, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 15. If things to bee done &s;eeme good, it excites, vrges, and bindes to the doing thereof. If euill, it vrges, and bindes there from. Now according to the&s;e &s;euerall acts there follow in vs diuers affections, ioy, hope, feare, grief, and the like. The whole proce&s;&s;e of the worke of Con&s;cience falls within the frame of a practicall Syllogi&s;me, as for example.</P>
<LIST TYPE="syllogism">
<ITEM>Euery one that &s;innes in betraying in|nocent<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;cie~tia Syntere&s;is e&s;t, qua victi vo|luptatib. vel furore ip&s;a&abque; in|terdum ra|tionis de|cepti &s;imi|litudine nos peccare &s;entimus. Hieronym in Eccl. cap. 1.</NOTE> blood is worthy of Gods wrath.</ITEM>
<ITEM>But I (&s;aith <HI>Iudas</HI>) haue &s;inned in be|traying innocent blood, therefore I am worthy of Gods wrath.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Here the <HI>Maior</HI> is knowledge practi|call, the rule and law by which Con|&s;cience keepes her Court. This is <HI>Syn|tere&s;is.</HI></P>
<PB N="23" REF="23">
<P>The <HI>Minor</HI> that is <HI>Syneidefis,</HI> the pro|per<NOTE PLACE="marg">Syntere&s;is e&s;t promp|tuarium princip<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oru~ &s;eu regula|rum pra|cticarum: eius officiu~ e&s;t regulas legis diuinae proferre, &amp; co~&s;cien &s;ub|mini&s;trare vt illarum ope po&s;sit cen&s;orem agere de propriis actionib. Al&s;ted. Theol. Ca&s;. cap. 2.</NOTE> worke of con&s;cience applying that knowledge, and generall rule for a mans particular e&s;tate, or action. Here Con&s;cience witne&s;&s;es concerning the fact, iudges of the quallity of it, and accordingly accu&s;es or excu&s;es.</P>
<P>The Conclu&s;ion is the &s;entence of Con&s;cience ab&s;oluing or con|demning, and accordingly cheering or &s;tinging, comforting or tormenting a man.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP: III.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>A good Con&s;cience what it is: fal&s;e ones di&s;couered.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>VVHat Con&s;cience is wee haue &s;eene; The &s;econd thing con|&s;iderable, is what a good Con&s;cience is. The Con&s;cience that is good, mu&s;t bee good with a double good|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. With the goodne&s;&s;e of <HI>Integrity.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. With the goodnes of <HI>Tranquility</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB N="24" REF="24">
<P><HI>Vprightne&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Peace:</HI> the&s;e two are required to the con&s;titution of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, it is good with the goodnes of <HI>Integrity,</HI> when it is an vpright con&s;ci|ence. This is that which <HI>Paul</HI> cals <HI>A pure Con&s;cience, 2 Tim.</HI> 1. 3. which phra&s;e a man would almo&s;t thinke in his con|&s;cience that the holy Gho&s;t v&s;ed on &s;et purpo&s;e, to &s;top the mouth of the ini|quity of the later times, that &s;hould &s;eeke to di&s;grace all good Con&s;cience with the &s;arca&s;me of puritie. Now the Con&s;cience is good with this good|ne&s;&s;e of Integritie, and puritie three wayes.</P>
<P N="1">1. When it being informed &amp; right|ly principled by the word of God, the only rule and binder of Con&s;cience, it doth truly &amp; &s;incerely Iudge, and de|termine euill to be euill, and good to be good. As contrarily, the con&s;cience is &s;infully euill, when it doth not deter|mine 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
<PB N="25" REF="24"> the Con&s;ciences of Ignorant per&s;ons, who wanting the knowledge of Gods word, and hauing their con&s;ciences blinded through ignorance, are not a|ble to iudge of good and euill, nor to di&s;cerne &amp; determine which is which. So that knowledge is nece&s;&s;arily requi|red to the goodne&s;&s;e of Con&s;cience. <HI>Rom. 15. 14. Ye al&s;o are full of goodne&s;&s;e fil|led with all knowledge.</HI> The con&s;cience cannot be good where the &s;oule is naught, and <HI>that the &s;oule bee without knowledge, it is not good</HI> Prov. 19. 2.</P>
<P N="2">2. When it doth excu&s;e for that which is good, and accu&s;e for that which is euill, being &s;anctified by the &s;pirit of grace: for the accu&s;ation of con&s;cience though it follow vpon &s;in, yet it is not &s;infull, and euill in it &s;elfe, but onely painefull and trouble&s;ome, and &s;o op|po&s;ed to the goodne&s;&s;e of peace, not to the goodnes of vprightnes, according to that trite di&s;tinction of <HI>Bernard</HI> of a good con&s;cience, and not quiet, and a quiet con&s;cience and not good. It is the propertie of a Con&s;cience vpright|ly
<PB N="26" REF="25"> good, to accu&s;e vpon any &s;inne com|mitted. As contrarily, the con&s;cience is &s;infully euill, when it doth not excu&s;e for good, nor accu&s;e for euill. The &s;u+per&s;titious per&s;on, omitting his foppe|ries, &s;hould be excu&s;ed by his con&s;ci|ence, whereas he rather receiues blame from his con&s;cience, therefore his con&s;cience is &s;infully euill. The &s;ecure per&s;ons con&s;cience is naught, becau&s;e he hauing committed &s;inne, his Con|&s;cience is &s;ilent, &amp; lets him alone, and brings in no accu&s;ation again&s;t him, therefore it is &s;infully euill. It is <HI>a wit|ne&s;&s;e</HI> that hath <HI>&s;eene,</HI> and <HI>knowne</HI> euill, and doth <HI>not vtter it,</HI> therefore it <HI>&s;hall beare its iniquitie.</HI> Levit. 5&punc; 1.</P>
<P N="3">3. When it doth incite and vrge vs to doe good, and doth &s;tay and hinder from euill. It is vprightly good when it &s;purs to good, &amp; bridles from euill. <HI>Heb. 13. 18. For wee are a&s;&s;ured that wee haue a good Con&s;cience.</HI> viz. A Con&s;ci|ence that is neither &s;ilent to per&s;wade to that which is good, or di&s;wade from that which is euill. If a man goe about,
<PB N="27" REF="25"> or bee ready to yeeld to any thing that is &s;infull, how will it mu&s;ter vp legions of Arguments, how will it wre&s;tle and &s;truggle with a man? It will &s;ay as <HI>Ab|ner</HI> to <HI>Ioab. 2 Sam&punc; 2, 26. Knowe&s;t thou not that it will be bitternes in the latter end?</HI> or as <HI>Abigail</HI> to <HI>Dauid.</HI> 1 Sam. 25. 31. <HI>It &s;hall be no griefe, nor offence of heart vnto thee</HI> another time, not to haue done this euill. If a man be neglige~t, or care|le&s;&s;e and drow&s;ie in good duties, it comes to him with that voyce, <HI>Ephe&s;. 5. 14. Awake thou that &s;leepest;</HI> or with that <HI>I&s;a. 30. 21. This is the way walke in it.</HI> When it doth thus, it is vprightly good. Contrarily, it is &s;infully euill when it doth not incite vs to that which is good, nor hinder vs from do|ing euill. This is a dead, and a &s;eared con&s;cience. 1 <HI>Tim. 4. 2. Hauing their con|&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot yron.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It is good with the goodne&s;&s;e of <HI>Tranquility.</HI> And that is when the con|&s;cience is at Peace, and doth not accu&s;e vs, becau&s;e it hath not wherewith to accu&s;e vs, either becau&s;e not guilty of
<PB N="28" REF="26"> &s;uch or &s;uch a particular fact. 1 <HI>Cor. 4. 4 I know nothing by my &s;elfe;</HI> or el&s;e be|cau&s;e it is a&s;&s;ured of pardon, in the blood of Chri&s;t, by which we come to haue no <HI>more Con&s;cience of &s;ins.</HI> Heb. 10. 2 That is, no more Con&s;cience to accu&s;e or condemne for &s;inne, it being done away in the bloud of Chri&s;t. And this is the <HI>purged Con&s;cience,</HI> Heb. 9. 14. which brings Hope, Ioy, Comfort, and Confidence with it&punc; 2 <HI>Cor. 1. 12. This is our reioycing, the te&s;timony of our Con|&s;cience.</HI> Then is the Con&s;cience good when it is peaceable. As contrarily, then is it euill, painefully euill, when it is turbulent, and trouble&s;ome in the ac|cu&s;ations thereof, and binds ouer to Iudgement, and &s;o leaues vs in &s;hame, feare, perplexity, and griefe. 1 <HI>Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart co~demne vs.</HI> This is a woun|ded, a troubled con&s;cience. This is oft the euill Con&s;cience of euill men: <HI>I&s;a. 57. 21. There is no peace to the wicked, faith my God.</HI> Yet may a man haue his con&s;cience vprightly good, which is painefully euill, for a good mans Con|&s;cience
<PB N="29" REF="26"> may bee vnquiet and troub|led. Thus then wee &s;ee what a good con&s;cience is, that which is vprightly hone&s;t, and quietly peaceable. This being &s;o, it &s;erues to di&s;couer the dan|gerous errour of diuers &s;orts of peo|ple, that are in a dreame of hauing good con&s;ciences, and yet hauing no+thing le&s;&s;e. There be three &s;orts of con|&s;ciences, which becau&s;e they are in &s;ome &s;ort quiet, and &s;ting not, their owners would haue to goe for good ones, and yet are &s;tarke naught, and they are, The <HI>Ignorant;</HI> The <HI>Secure,</HI> and the <HI>Seared</HI> Con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Ignorant</HI> con&s;cience. Men iudge of their ignorant con&s;ciences, as they doe of their blind, dumbe, and ig|norant Mini&s;ters. Such neither do nor can Preach, can neither tel men of their &s;innes, nor of their duties. Aske &s;uch a blind guides people, what their con|ceit is of him, and what a kinde of man their Mini&s;ter is, and yee &s;hall haue him magnified for a pa&s;&s;ing hone&s;t harmele&s;&s;e man, and a man wondrous
<PB N="30" REF="27"> quiet among&s;t his neighbours. They may doe what they will for him, he is none of tho&s;e trouble&s;ome fellowes that will be reprouing their faults, or complaining of their di&s;orders in the Pulpit; oh, &s;uch a one is a quiet good man indeed. Thus iudge many of their Con&s;ciences. If their con&s;ciences bee quiet, and lie not grating vpon them, and telling them that their cour&s;es are &s;infull and damnable, and that their per&s;ons are in a dangerous condition, but rather by their &s;ilence, ignorance, and vaine pretences doe iu&s;tifie them, and tell them all will be well enough. Oh then what excellent good con&s;ci|ences haue the&s;e men. They make no con&s;cience of Familie duties, once in the yeere to come to the Sacrament &s;erues the turne; they are common &s;wearers in their ordinary communi|cation; make no con&s;cience of &s;anctifi|ing Sabbaths, &amp;c. and their con&s;cien|ces lets them alone in all the&s;e, doe not giue them one &s;yllable of ill language, oh what gentle, and good natured con|&s;ciences
<PB N="31" REF="27"> thinke the&s;e men they haue? But alas what <HI>euill</HI> con&s;ciences haue they. A good con&s;cience mu&s;t be <HI>vp|right</HI> as well as <HI>peaceable.</HI> And an vp right con&s;cience 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, &amp; warrantable deales plainely, and lets them heare of it. A good con&s;cience hath good eyes, and is able to di&s;cerne betweene good and euill. Now the&s;e mens con&s;ciences are quiet, &amp; haue their mouthes &s;hut, but whence is it? Becau&s;e their eyes are &s;hut, and they are dumbe, becau&s;e they are blind. Right Idoll co~&s;ciences&punc; they want mouthes to &s;peake, be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">u&s;e they want eyes to &s;ee. So that it may be &s;aid of &s;uch con&s;ciences as the Pro|phet &s;peakes of tho&s;e Watchmen. <HI>I&s;a. 56. 10. His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are all dumbe dogs, they ca~not bark.</HI> Their blindnes bred dumb+nes, and their ignorance &s;ilence. Thus is it with ignorant Con&s;ciences. What
<PB N="32" REF="28"> is the rea&s;on they barke not, but are dumbe, and are thus quiet? Meerely becau&s;e they are blind and ignorant.</P>
<P>But yet as good as men account the&s;e con&s;ciences now, the time will come that it &s;hall fare with the~ as it did with <HI>Adam</HI> &amp; <HI>Eue</HI> after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, <HI>Then their eyes were o|pened.</HI> So the time &s;hall come when the&s;e Con&s;ciences &s;hall haue their eies opened, &amp; then al&s;o &s;hal their mouths by oyened, yea wide, &amp; lowd opened, and the&s;e now quiet con&s;ciences &s;hall both barke and bite too. Do not there|fore flatter thy &s;elfe in thine Ignora~ce, as if thy condition, &amp; con&s;cience were good, becau&s;e quiet. Neuer account th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> true Peace which is not ioyned with vprightnes. Integrity, &amp; ignora~ce can no more &s;tand together, then light and darkene&s;&s;e. Integrity of con&s;cience may be without Peace, Peace can ne|uer be without Integritie. Dumbe Mi+ni&s;ters goe in the world for good Mi|ni&s;ters, becau&s;e quiet ones, but the day will come that men &s;hall cur&s;e them
<PB N="33" REF="28"> for hauing beene &s;o quiet. So Ignorant and tongue tyed con&s;ciences goe for good ones, but the time will come that men will cur&s;e this peace of their con|&s;cience, for bringing them &s;o quietly to hell. The Ma&s;&s;e goes for an excelle~t good &s;eruice, becau&s;e <HI>Mi&s;&s;a non mordet,</HI> hone&s;t toothles deuotion, it neuer fa|&s;tens fang in the hearers fle&s;h. So ma|ny haue Ma&s;&s;e-like con&s;ciences, tooth|le&s;&s;e, and tonguele&s;&s;e con&s;ciences, but yet the time will come, that as Ma&s;&s;e|mongers &s;hall cur&s;e their toothle&s;&s;e Ma&s;&s;e, &s;o ignorant per&s;ons that now glory in their peace, &s;hall cur&s;e their toothle&s;&s;e con&s;cience, yea they &s;hall gna&s;h their teeth, becau&s;e con&s;cience had no teeth, &amp; &s;hal gnaw their to~gues for angui&s;h of heart, becau&s;e their con|&s;ciences wanted tongues to tell them of the danger of their wicked wayes, that haue brought them to &s;o mi&s;era|ble a condition.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>&s;ecure</HI> con&s;cience. As the blind con&s;cience was like the dumbe Mini&s;ter, &s;o the &s;ecure con&s;cience is
<PB N="34" REF="29"> like the flattering Mini&s;ter, that (<HI>Ier.</HI> 6. 13.) heales the hurt of his people with <HI>&s;weete words, &amp; cryes, peace, peace, where there is no peace.</HI> This con&s;cience wants not an eye, but only a good tongue in the head. It &s;ees its ma&s;ter to doe euill, and knowes it to bee euill, but either cares not to &s;peake, or el&s;e is ea&s;ily put off from &s;peaking, &s;ometime it cares not to &s;peake, being &s;leepy, heauy, and drow&s;ie, like tho&s;e Prophets. <HI>I&s;a. 56. 10. They are all dumbe dogs, they cannot barke.</HI> What was the rea&s;on? <HI>Sleeping, lying downe, louing to &s;lumber.</HI> A &s;leepy, and heauy-eyde Curre, though hee &s;ee one come into his Ma&s;ters yard, or hou&s;e, that &s;hould not, yet barkes not, as loath by his barking to di&s;quiet him&s;elfe. A &s;leepy &s;ecure Con&s;cience &s;ees many a &s;in to enter the &s;oule that &s;hould not, and yet lies &s;till, and &s;ayes nothing, is loath to breake its &s;leepe. And yet &s;uch Con&s;ciences men count good.</P>
<P>Sometimes it may bee it offers to &s;peake, as a &s;leepy dog may open once,
<PB N="35" REF="29"> or twi&s;e at a &s;tra~gers entrance, yet is &s;oone &s;nibd, the lea&s;t word of the ma|&s;ter of the hou&s;e makes him whi&s;t, and quiet. So &s;ecure Con&s;ciences vpon the greene wound begin to &s;mart, and vp|on the fre&s;h commi&s;&s;ion of &s;inne begin to mutter, &amp; to haue &s;ome grudgings, but their ma&s;ter an&s;wers them as the friend in his bed did his neighbour, de|&s;iring to borrow three loaues. <HI>Luc. 11. 17. Trouble me not, for I am in bed.</HI> I pray thee be quiet, let vs haue no wrangling and brawling, it &s;hall be &s;o no more, I will cry God mercy, I will hereafter finde a time for repentance, &amp;c. and &s;o Con&s;cie~ce being &s;ecure, is ea&s;ily put of with a few good words, &amp; &s;o clo&s;ing her eyes, and mouth againe giues her ma&s;ter liberty to take his re&s;t. And thus the &s;ecure con&s;cience becau&s;e it is &s;o ea&s;ily hu&s;ht, &amp; &s;tilld, is counted a good con&s;cience, as Nurces count them good children which though they are ready to cry at euery turne, yet are ea|&s;ily quieted with &s;ome toy.</P>
<P>But this con&s;cience is as farre from a
<PB N="36" REF="30"> good Con&s;cience, as Security is from Integritie. Sin indeede &s;leepes, but yet it &s;leepes but dog-&s;leepe, yea though it &s;leepe &s;oundly, yet it cannot &s;leepe long. <HI>Gen. 4. 7. Sinne lies at the doore.</HI> Sin lies a &s;leepe in the con&s;cience as a Ma|&s;tife lyes at the doore. A place where a dog cannot &s;leepe long. The doore is the common pa&s;&s;age into, &amp; out of the hou&s;e, euery one is pa&s;&s;ing to and fro that way, and keepe &s;uch a clattering with the opening, and &s;hutting of the doore, that there can be no &s;ound, or at lea&s;t no long &s;leepe. No better is the &s;leepe of &s;ecure con&s;ciences, which at length like mad ban-dogs, and fell Ma|&s;tifes, will fly in the face of the &s;inner, ready to plucke out the very throat and heart of him.</P>
<P>The &s;ecure Con&s;cience can bee no good con&s;cience, becau&s;e it hath ney|ther <HI>vprightnes,</HI> nor <HI>peace,</HI> both which were before required to the temper of a good one. <HI>Vprightnes</HI> hath it none, for it is not faithfull in its office, it doth not witne&s;&s;e, it doth not accu&s;e, as it
<PB N="37" REF="30"> becomes an hone&s;t vpright con&s;cience to doe. <HI>Peace</HI> it hath none. There is a great difference betweene a peace, and a truce. In peace there is a totall depo|&s;ition, both of Armes and Enmitie, all ho&s;tile affections are put of: In a truce, there is but a &s;u&s;pen&s;ion and a ce&s;&s;ation of Armes for a &s;ea&s;on, &s;o as during the &s;ame there is &s;till proui&s;ion of more Forces, and a preparation of greater &s;trength. A truce is but a breathing time to fit for fiercer impre&s;&s;ions. The truce being ended, the a&s;&s;aults are ra|ther fiercer the~ they were before. The &s;ecure con&s;ciences are quiet, not be|cau&s;e there is peace, for <HI>there is no peace to the wicked, &s;aith my God.</HI> I&s;a. 57. 21.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quomodo tranquilla? cum mundi huius pro|&s;peritus al|ludit, &amp; illudit, cum laudatur peccator in de&s;ideriis animae &s;uae. Bernard&punc; de Con&s;c.</NOTE> But becau&s;e there is &s;ome truce, the world &s;miles vpon them, &amp; they haue outward hearts ea&s;e, and this brings them a&s;leepe, but if any affliction, cro&s;&s;e, or &s;ickne&s;&s;e come, then they &s;ee how farre they are from peace. Con|&s;cience is &s;ometime at truce with &s;e|cure &s;inners, but during this truce, con|&s;cience is preparing Armes, and Am|munition
<PB N="38" REF="31"> again&s;t them, is leuying of fre&s;h Forces again&s;t them, and a&s;&s;oone as the truce is ended, be it &s;ooner or be it later, haue at them with more vio|lence, fury, and fiercene&s;&s;e then euer before. And the truce once ended, it will ea&s;ily appeare, what a wide breadth of difference, there is be|tweene a &s;ecure &amp; a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="3">3. A <HI>Seared</HI> con&s;cience. That which <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peakes of, 1 <HI>Tim. 4. 2. A cauterized Con&s;cience.</HI> That is, as <HI>Beza</HI> tran&s;lates and expounds it. A con&s;cience cut off as it were with a Chirurgions In&s;tru+ment. An arme, or a leg cut off from the body, &s;tab it, ga&s;h it, chop it into gobbets, doe what you will with it, it is in&s;en&s;ible, it feeles it not. Or el&s;e as our tran&s;lation hath it, <HI>Hauing their con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot yron.</HI> A compari&s;on borrowed from Chirur|gerie. When a lim is cut off, Chirur|gions v&s;e to &s;eare that part of the bo|dy from whence the other is taken with an hot yron, and &s;ometimes they doe cures by &s;earing the affected parts
<PB N="39" REF="31"> with hot yrons. Now the&s;e parts vpon their &s;earing haue a kinde of cru&s;ty brawnine&s;&s;e, which is vtterly in&s;en&s;i|ble, which though it be cut, or pricked, it neither bleeds, nor feeles. Thus is it with many mens Con&s;ciences, co~mit they what&s;oeuer &s;innes they will, yet their hearts are &s;o hardened through long cu&s;tome in &s;in, that they &s;eele no gripings, pinches, or bitings at all, but are growne to that dead, and dedolent di&s;po&s;ition. <HI>Ephe. 4. 19. who being pa&s;t fee|ling, &amp;c.</HI> It is with &s;uch mens con&s;ci|ences, as with labouring mens hands, which through much labour haue a brawny hardnes growing vpon them, which is without any feeling. One may thru&s;t pins into it, pare it with a knife, and yet without any trouble or griefe at all. Such callous Con&s;ciences haue many that though they bee wounded, and ga&s;hed with neuer &s;uch foule &s;ins, yet their con&s;ciences &s;hrinke not, feele not a whit. Their Con&s;ciences are like Gally-&s;laues backes, &s;o be brawned o|uer with often la&s;hing, that an ordina|ry
<PB N="40" REF="32"> la&s;h will not make them &s;o much as once &s;hucke in their &s;houlders. You haue many that can &s;weare, not only your more ciuill oathes, of faith and troth, but tho&s;e ruffianly, and bloody oathes, of blood and wounds, and it neuer wounds their hearts a whit. You haue many that can commit foule &s;ins with le&s;&s;e touch then others can heare of them. You &s;hall haue black-Smithes that are v&s;ed to the frequent and daily handling of hot yron, hold an hot fire-coale in their hands, and langh, whil&s;t another would roare out. There bee tho&s;e that can be drunk day after day&punc; that con&s;ecrate whole Sabbaths to <HI>Ve|nus</HI> and <HI>Bacchus,</HI> can giue them&s;elues vp to foule villanies, and yet not one twitch at the heart, not a &s;nib, not a cro&s;&s;e word from their Con&s;ciences. E&s;trich-like they can concoct yron, &amp; put it off as ea&s;ily as another weake &s;tomacke can doe gelly. They haue brought their hearts to that pa&s;&s;e the drunkards body is in; <HI>Pro. 25. 35. They haue &s;tricken mee and I was not &s;icke, they
<PB N="41" REF="32"> haue beaten me and I felt it not.</HI> Their &s;eared Con&s;ciences haue no more fee|ling then our &s;otted Drunkards haue in their drunkenne&s;&s;e, who though they haue many a knocke, and &s;ore brui&s;e, yet feele it not. To this fearefull condition, and &s;en&s;le&s;&s;e and &s;eared &s;tupidity of Con&s;cience many grow, &amp; when they haue thus cru&s;ted and brawned the &s;ame, then they haue their Con&s;ciences at a good pa&s;&s;e, be|cau&s;e they heare them not brawling within them. Alas how farre are &s;uch from goodnes of Con&s;cience. In &s;ome &s;en&s;e, tho&s;e haue wor&s;e Con&s;ciences then the Diuell him&s;elfe, who beleeues and trembles, who&s;e Con&s;cience yet is not &s;o &s;eared, but it trembles at the thoughts of his de&s;erued damnation.</P>
<P>And how&s;oever the&s;e &s;eared con&s;ci|ences are quiet, yet there will come a day that this &s;eared cru&s;tine&s;&s;e &s;hall be &s;caled off, and tho&s;e con&s;ciences which were not &s;en&s;ible of &s;inne, &s;hal be mo&s;t &s;en&s;ible of pain: though they were pa&s;t feeling in the committing of &s;inne, yet
<PB N="42" REF="33"> they &s;hall be all feeling in &s;uffering pu|ni&s;hment for &s;inne. God will pare off that brawnine&s;&s;e from their con&s;cien|ces, and will pare them &s;o to the quick, that they &s;hall feele and mo&s;t &s;en&s;ibly feele that which here they would not feele. Tremble therefore at the hauing of &s;uch a con&s;cience, in which there is neither vprightne&s;&s;e, nor peace; nei+ther integrity, nor tranquillitie, but a &s;en&s;le&s;&s;e &amp; feareful &s;tupiditie. Thus we haue &s;eene what a good con&s;cience is.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Peace of Con&s;cience how gotten.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>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 Con&s;cience is the mo&s;t precious thing that a Chri&s;tia~ can haue: a thing of that e&s;teeme that where it is wanting, we ac+count a man without a con&s;cience. So
<PB N="43" REF="33"> of a man that hath an ill Co~&s;cience we v&s;e to &s;ay, he is a man of no Co~&s;cience. Not that he hath no Con&s;cience, the Diuels them&s;elues haue a Con&s;cience, and happy it were for them they had none, but when a man hath not a good one, we e&s;teeme of him as hauing none at all. There is no greater good we can &s;eeke after then a good con&s;cience. Let vs enquire then how we may get, and keepe this &s;o great a good.</P>
<P>A good Con&s;cience then con&s;i&s;ting in <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Integrity,</HI> the&s;e two being gotten and kept, we &s;hall get and keepe a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then to make the Con&s;cience peaceably good, the&s;e things are re|quired.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Faith</HI> in Chri&s;t, and his blood. The Con&s;cience cannot be at peace til it be purged from its guilt. An impure Con|&s;cience cannot but be an vnquiet Con|&s;cience, and every guilty Con&s;cience is impure. Guilt is the &s;ame to the con&s;ci|ence that the winds are to the &s;eas, <HI>I&s;a. 27. 20. 21. The wicked are like the trou|bled
<PB N="44" REF="34"> Sea when it cannot re&s;t, who&s;e waters ca&s;t vp mire and dirt, There is no peace to the wicked.</HI> Now that which makes the Sea &s;o trouble&s;ome and ragingly re&s;t|le&s;&s;e, is the violence of the blu&s;tering winds that trouble and to&s;&s;e it to and fro. The winds are not &s;o trouble&s;ome to the &s;ea, as guilt is to the Con&s;cience. Therfore as the way to calme the Sea, is to calme the windes; &s;o the way to quiet and calme the Con&s;cience, is to purge and take away the guilt. Guilt is in the Con&s;cience as <HI>Ionas</HI> in the Ship, out with him and Sea and &s;hip are both quiet. But how then &s;hall the guilt be purged out of the Con&s;cience! That we find <HI>Heb. 9. 14. How much more &s;hall the blood of Chri&s;t purge our co~&s;ciences fro~ dead works?</HI> We cannot haue a good con&s;cience till we be freed from an e|uill one. The way to be freed from an euill con&s;cience, is to haue <HI>our hearts &s;prinkled from an evil con&s;cience, Heb.</HI> 10. 22. But what is that wherwith the Co~|&s;cience mu&s;t be &s;princkled to be made good with peace &amp; quietnes? The &s;ame
<PB N="45" REF="34"> which we finde 1 <HI>Pet. 1. 2. The &s;prink|ling of the blood of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Heb. 12. 24. The blood of &s;prinkling which &s;peakes better things then that of Abel.</HI></P>
<P>So then the Con&s;cience &s;princkled with Chri&s;ts blood cea&s;es to be evill, becomes good and peaceable. The &s;ame Chri&s;t that calmed the rage of the Sea by &s;tilling the winds, <HI>Mark. 4. 39. He aro&s;e &amp; rebuked the wind, &amp; &s;aid vnto the Sea, Peace &amp; be &s;til, and the wind cea&s;ed, and there was a great calme.</HI> The &s;ame Chri&s;t it is that &s;tils the rage of the con&s;cience, by taking and purging away the guilt therof, with the &s;prink|ling on of his blood. His blood <HI>&s;peakes, Heb.</HI> 12. 24. And &s;peakes not onely to God, but &s;peaks to the con&s;cience. The voyce which it &s;peakes, is <HI>Peace and be &s;till,</HI> the &s;ame voyce which to his Di&s;|ciples after his re&s;urrection, <HI>Peace be with you,</HI> &amp; then follows a great calme, and peace makes the con&s;cience good.</P>
<P>But here the con&s;cience will inquire how it may come to get this blood &s;prinkled vpo~ it, to make it thus peace|ably
<PB N="46" REF="35"> good, and what is it that applies this calming blood of Chri&s;t. I an&s;wer therefore, That it is the grace of faith, therefore it was &s;ayd before, that faith in Chri&s;ts blood makes peace in the co~|&s;cience. Faith is the hand of the &s;oule, and as the hy&s;&s;op &s;princkle, by which Chri&s;ts blood is &s;prinkled vpon our co~&s;ciences, <HI>Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full a&s;&s;urance of faith, having our hearts &s;prinkled from an evil Con&s;cience.</HI> And <HI>being iu&s;tified by faith we haue peace towards God. Rom.</HI> 5. 1. Hence that coniunction of faith and a good con&s;cience, 1. <HI>Tim. 1. 5. of a good con&s;cience, &amp; of faith vnfained,</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 19. Holding faith and a good con&s;cience.</HI> For faith it is that makes a good co~&s;cience, by making a quiet con&s;cience. Faith is not only a purifying grace, <HI>Act.</HI> 15. 9. but it is al&s;o a pacifying grace&punc; <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 1 It not onely purges our corruption, by applying the efficacy of Chri&s;ts blood, but &s;pecially purges out guilt by ap|plying the merit of his blood. So that no faith, no peace; &amp; no peace, no good
<PB N="47" REF="35"> con&s;cience. A defiled con&s;cience can be no good con&s;cience, and what de|files the con&s;cience? See <HI>Tit. 1. 15. Vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, nothing is pure, but even their minde and con&s;cience is defiled.</HI> They that be defi|led haue their con&s;ciences defiled, but how come they and their con&s;ciences &s;o? <HI>To them that are defiled and vnbelee|uing.</HI> Therefore an vnbeleeuing con|&s;cience is a defiled con&s;cience, &amp; a de|filed con&s;cience is no good co~&s;cience, becau&s;e it can haue no peace &s;o long as it is clogged with defiling guilt. But contrarily faith purifying not onely from corruption, but from guilt, by the application of Chri&s;ts blood makes&punc; the con&s;cience pure, and peaceable both.</P>
<P>There can be no <HI>peace</HI> of con&s;cience but where there is the <HI>righteou&s;n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e</HI> of the per&s;on. There is no peace to the wicked, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 57. 21. as if he &s;hould &s;ay, an evil vnrighteous per&s;on ca~not haue a good con&s;cience, where the per&s;on is evill, there the con&s;cience cannot bee good. Now faith in Chri&s;ts blood
<PB N="48" REF="36"> makes a mans per&s;on good, and &s;o the co~&s;cience becomes good. It makes the per&s;on <HI>righteous,</HI> and the per&s;on being <HI>righteous,</HI> the con&s;cience is at <HI>peace,</HI> for <HI>the worke</HI> of righteou&s;nes is peace, <HI>and the effect</HI> of righteou&s;nes, quietnes, <HI>and a&s;&s;urance for ever, I&s;a.</HI> 32. 17. with which that of the Apo&s;tle &s;weetly &s;utes, <HI>Reu. 7. 2. Fir&s;t, King of</HI> righteou&s;nes, <HI>and af|ter that King of</HI> peace. Our per&s;o~s mu&s;t fir&s;t find Chri&s;t a King of <HI>righteou&s;nes</HI> by iu&s;tifying them from their guilt. before our con&s;ciences can finde him King of <HI>Salem,</HI> pacifying them from their vnquietnes. Our per&s;ons once <HI>iu|&s;tified</HI> by Chri&s;ts blood fro~ their guilt, and vnrighteou&s;nes, our con&s;ciences are <HI>pacified</HI> and freed from their vn|quietne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Would&s;t thou then haue a good con|&s;cience? Get the peace of Con&s;cience. Would&s;t thou haue peace in thy con|&s;cience? Get faith in thy &s;oule; Beleeue in the Lord Ie&s;us, and get thy &s;oule &s;prinkled with his blood, and then, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 2. Thou &s;halt haue no more
<PB N="49" REF="36"> con&s;cience of &s;in, thy con&s;cience &s;hall be at quiet, no more accu&s;ing thee, nor threatning thee condemnation for thy &s;inne.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Repentance</HI> from dead workes. Though Chri&s;ts blood be that which purges the con&s;cience fro~ dead works, and &s;o workes peace; yet that peace is not wrought in our apprehen&s;ion, nei|ther do we get the feeling of this faith without &s;ome further thing. Therefore to our faith mu&s;t be ioyned our repen|tance, though not in the making of our peace, yet for the feeling of it. Many are ready to catch at Chri&s;ts blood, &amp; if that will make a good con&s;cience, they are then fafe enough. But as thou mu&s;t haue Chri&s;ts blood, &s;o Chri&s;t wil haue thine heart al&s;o bleed by repen|tance, ere he will vouch&s;afe the &s;en&s;e of peace. A con&s;cience therefore that would be a co~&s;cience in hauing peace, mu&s;t not onely be a <HI>beleeuing,</HI> but a <HI>re|penting</HI> con&s;cience. <HI>Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand,</HI> the kingdome of heauen &s;hall be yours if
<PB N="50" REF="37"> you will repent, ye &s;hall haue it imme|diately vpon your repentance. But wherein &s;tands this kingdome offered to repentant con&s;ciences? <HI>The kingdom of God &s;tands in peace, and ioy in the holy Gho&s;t, Rom. 14. 17. Repent, and ye &s;hall re|ceiue the gift of the holy Gho&s;t, Act.</HI> 3. 38. And what may that gift be. <HI>The fruits of the &s;pirit are loue, ioy, peace, Gal.</HI> 5. 22. Which though it be to be vnder&s;tood of peace between man &amp; man, yet al&s;o that peace which is between God and man is the fruit of the Spirit, &amp; <HI>the loue of God &s;hed abroad into our hearts by the holy Gho&s;t. Rom.</HI> 5. 5. is the gift of the ho|ly Gho&s;t, which he giues to all that by repentance &s;eeke to get a good con&s;ci|ence. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that mourn,</HI> that is, which repent, <HI>for they &s;hal be comforted, Mat.</HI> 5. they &s;hall haue the peace of a good Con&s;cience, which is the grea|te&s;t and &s;weete&s;t comfort in the world.</P>
<P>Many doe tru&s;t all to their &s;uppo&s;ed faith, as a &s;hort cut and a compendious way to a good co~&s;cience, but he who&s;e faith doth not as well purifie the heart
<PB N="51" REF="37"> as pacifie it, hath neither faith, nor a good con&s;cience. It is idle to hope for peace by faith whil&s;t thou live&s;t impe|nitently in a &s;infull cour&s;e. Thou can&s;t haue no peace of con&s;cience &s;o long as thou ha&s;t peace with thy &s;innes. Peace with con&s;cience will be had by warre with &s;in, in the daily practi&s;e of repen|tance. It is but a dreame to thinke of a good Con&s;cience in peace, while&s;t a man makes no con&s;cience of &s;in. They that haue a good co~&s;cience by Chri&s;ts blood, may be indeed &s;ayd to haue no Con&s;cience of &s;inne, as <HI>H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b.</HI> 10. 2. But yet there is a great difference between <HI>having</HI> no Con&s;cience, and <HI>making</HI> no Con&s;cience of &s;inne. To <HI>haue</HI> no Con|&s;cience of &s;inne, is to haue a peaceable good con&s;cience, not accu&s;ing for &s;in, being &s;prinkled with Chri&s;ts blood. To <HI>make</HI> no Con&s;cience of &s;in, is for a man impenitently to liue, &amp; lye in any &s;in. Now let any iudge whether the&s;e two can &s;tand together, that a man may liue as he li&s;t, and <HI>make no Con&s;cience</HI> of any &s;inne, and yet haue &s;uch peace by
<PB N="52" REF="38"> faith as that he <HI>hath no Con&s;cience</HI> of &s;in. It is an vncon&s;cionable thing in this &s;en&s;e to lay all vpon Chri&s;t, an vncon|&s;cionable reque&s;t to haue him take a|way our guiltines, and yet wee would wallow in our filthines &s;till. How &s;hall faith remooue the &s;ting, when repen|tance remooues not the &s;inne.</P>
<P>Me~ &s;eeking peace by faith in Chri&s;ts blood, and yet liuing and lying in their &s;innes without repentance, God will giue them <HI>Iehues</HI> an&s;were to <HI>Iehoram, 2 King. 9. 22. What peace &s;o long as the whoredomes of thy mother lezebel, &amp; her witchcrafts are &s;o many?</HI> So what peace of Con&s;cience &s;o long as thine oaths, Sabbath-breaches, whordomes, drun|kennes, &amp;c. do remaine, &amp; remaine vn|repented of, and vnreformed. It is true of all &s;inne, which is &s;poken of Romi&s;h Idolatry, <HI>Apoc. 14. 11. They haue no re&s;t day nor night,</HI> that is, no peace of Con|&s;cience to any of that religion, &s;o of all that liue in any &s;inne, they haue no true re&s;t day or night, that is, as <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> inter|prets it, There is no peace to the wic|ked.
<PB N="53" REF="38"> Peace and wickednes liue not to|gether vnder one roofe. Would&s;t thou then haue a peaceable heart? Get an humbled, a mourning, and a repentant heart for &s;in. The le&s;&s;e peace with &s;in, the more peace with God and our own Con&s;ciences.</P>
<P N="3">3. The con&s;tant and con&s;cionable exerci&s;e of prayer. An excellent means to helpe vs to the &s;en&s;e of that peace which makes the Con&s;cience good. He that hath a good Con&s;cience wil make Con&s;cience of prayer. And prayer will helpe to make a good Con&s;cience bet|ter. <HI>Philip. 4. 7. In euery thing by prayer &amp; &s;upplication with thank&s;giuing, let your reque&s;ts be made knowne vnto God,</HI> and marke what &s;hall be the fruite thereof, <HI>And the peace of God that pa&s;&s;es al vnder|&s;tanding, &s;hall keep your hearts and minds through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> See <HI>Iob 33. 26. Hee &s;hall pray vnto God, and he will be fauou|rable vnto him, &amp; he &s;hall &s;ee his face with ioy.</HI> It is many times with mens Con&s;ci|ences, as it was with <HI>Saul,</HI> he was vexed and di&s;quieted with an euill &s;pirit, but
<PB N="54" REF="39"> <HI>Davids</HI> Harpe gaue him ea&s;e. Praier is a <HI>Davids</HI> Harpe, the mu&s;icke whereof &s;weetly calmes, &amp; compo&s;es a di&s;tem|pered and di&s;quieted Con&s;cience, and puts it into frame againe. As in other di&s;quiets of the heart, after prayer <HI>Da|vid</HI> bids his &s;oule <HI>returne vnto her re&s;t, P&s;al.</HI> 116. 4. 7. So may we in the&s;e di&s;+q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iets of Con&s;cience doe no le&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The way to get a good peaceable con&s;cience, is to haue acquaintance with God; and when we haue acquain|tance with him, then &s;hall wee haue peace. <HI>Iob 22. 21. Acquaint thy &s;elfe now with him, and be at peace.</HI> Now acquain|tance is gotten with God by prayer. <HI>Zech. 13. 9. They &s;hall call on my Name, and I will heare them, I will &s;ay, it is my people; and they &s;hall &s;ay, the Lord is my God.</HI> Loe how in prayer acquaintance is bred betweene God and his people, and acquaintance breedes lone, and peace; and peace a good con&s;cience. Iudge then what pitious Con&s;ciences they mu&s;t needs haue, that make &s;o lit|tle Con&s;cience of &s;eeking God in this
<PB N="55" REF="39"> duty: of wicked ones the <HI>P&s;alm</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>They call not vpon God, P&s;al.</HI> 14. as much as <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;ayes, There is no peace to the wicked, they are vtterly voyd of good Con&s;cience.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. V.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Integritie of Con&s;cience how procured.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>ANd thus wee haue &s;eene how the Con&s;cience may bee good for peace. It followes to con&s;ider how it may become vprightly good, with the goodnes of Integritie. The goodne&s;&s;e of Integrity is gotten and kept by do|ing fiue things.</P>
<P N="1">1. Walke and liue as <HI>Paul</HI> in this text, <HI>Before God,</HI> Set thy &s;elfe euer in all thy wayes, as in the &s;ight and pre&s;ence of God, who is the Iudge &amp; Lord of con|&s;cience. Of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> it is &s;ayd, that he &s;aw him <HI>that was inui&s;ible.</HI> Heb. 11. 27. Ther|fore it is that men walk with &s;uch loo&s;e and evill Con&s;ciences, becau&s;e they thinke they walke invi&s;ibly. And they
<PB N="56" REF="40"> thinke that God &s;ees not them, becau&s;e they &s;ee not God. An vpright Con&s;ci|ence is a good con&s;cience, and this is the way to get an vpright one. <HI>Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me, and be vpright.</HI> To haue God alwaies in our eye, wil make vs walke with vpright hearts. So <HI>P&s;al. 119. 168 I haue kept thy precepts, and thy te&s;timonies,</HI> that is in effect, I haue kept a good con&s;cience, but how came hee to doe it? <HI>for all my wayes are before thee.</HI> Co~&s;cience as we &s;aw before, is a know|ledge together, that is, together with God. Now then this is an excellent meanes to get and keepe a good con|&s;cience, to bee carefull to do nothing, but that which we would bee content God &s;hould know as wel as our &s;elues. Thinke with thy &s;elfe before every e|vill action. Am I content that God &s;hould know of this? But how then may a man bring him&s;elfe to this? Set thy &s;elfe alwayes in Gods pre&s;ence, &amp; &s;ee the invi&s;ible God, and &s;ee thy &s;elfe vi&s;ible in his eye, and know that thou doe&s;t nothing which he takes not no|tice
<PB N="57" REF="40"> of. This well thought vpon, and layd to heart, would make men make much con&s;cience of their wayes. The contrary to this is <HI>ra&s;h walking,</HI> Lev. 26. when a man walks &s;o loo&s;ely, &amp; heed|le&s;ly as if there were no eye vpon him<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dirige gre&s; &s;us &s;ecundu~ verbu~ tuu~. Quid e&s;t, dirige &s;ecu~ dum verbu~ tuum? Vt recti &s;int gre&s;&s;us mei, quia rectu~ e&s;t verbum tuum Ego, inquit, di|&s;tortus &s;um &s;ub pondere iniquitatis, &s;ed verbum tuum e&s;t regulae ve|ritatis, me ergo di&s;tor|tum a me corrige ta~|quam adre gulam, hoc e&s;t, ad ver|bum tuum. Aug de ver. Ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. &s;er.</HI> 12&punc;</NOTE> to view him in his actions.</P>
<P N="2">2. Frame thy whole Cour&s;e by the rule, and &s;hape it by the direction of the word of God. Gods word is the Rule of Con&s;cience. <HI>Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this Rule.</HI> Men mu&s;t then walke by Rule, &amp; the Word mu&s;t be this Rule. <HI>P&s;al. 30. 23. To him that</HI> orders <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is Conuer&s;ation,</HI> all Chri&s;ti|ans mu&s;t be regulars, and mu&s;t liue or derly. But what is that Rule by which their Conuer&s;ation mu&s;t be ordered? That &s;ame, <HI>P&s;. 119. 133. Order my &s;teps in thy Word.</HI> He that orders his cour&s;e by that Rule, which is the rule of con|&s;cience, &s;hall be &s;ure to keepe and get a good co~&s;cience. He that wil make good work will worke by his rule, wheras he that works by gue&s;&s;e mu&s;t needs make but ill worke <HI>What&s;oeuer is not of faith is &s;in.</HI>
<PB N="58" REF="41"> Rom. 14. 23. That is, what&s;oeuer a man doth, and hath not warrant for it out of, and from the rule of the Word, makes a mans con&s;cience in that parti|cular to be euil. And therfore <HI>v. 5. Let a man be fully per&s;waded in his own mind.</HI> How happy &s;hould m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n bee in getting and keeping good con&s;ciences, if they would lay their liues and actions to the Rule. The want of this is it that makes men, men of &s;o ill-Con&s;ciences. Some liue by no Rule; &s;ome by fal&s;e Rules, &amp; hence come mens Con&s;ciences to bee &s;o Anomalous. Some liue by no Rule but doe what&s;oeuer &s;eemes good in their owne eyes, goe as their lu&s;ts lead them, and follow his beck that rules in the Ayre. This is al&s;o to <HI>walke ra&s;hly.</HI> Leuit. 26. He that doth things without rule goes ra&s;hly to worke. Hee that walkes irregularly, walkes ra&s;hly, &amp; no marvell if men haue crooked wayes, &amp; crooked con&s;ciences, when they will not liue by Rule. Some againe liue by fal&s;e rules, and that not onely Popi&s;h fictitious Regulars that liue by &s;uper|&s;titious
<PB N="59" REF="41"> Rules of their <HI>Dominick, Fran|cis, &amp;c.</HI> but among&s;t our &s;elues many haue a Rule they doe liue by, but that rule is not the Word, but &s;ome fal&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Intercau&s;as maloru~ no|&s;troru~ e&s;t, quod vi vi|mus ad ex|empla, nec ratione co~|ponimur, &s;ed con&s;ue&punc; tudine ab|ducimur. Quod &s;i pau ci facerent nollemus i|mitari, cu~ plures face|re caeperu~t, qua&s;i hone &s;tius &s;it, quia fre|quentius, &s;equimur: et recti a|pud nos locu~ tenet error, vbi publi|cus factus e&s;t. Senec. ep. 124.</NOTE> Rules of their owne deui&s;ing. Such as are the&s;e; Great mens practi&s;e, or &s;ome learned mans opinion, the cu&s;tome of times and places wherein they liue, the examples of the multitude, or &s;ome &s;ecret blind and &s;elfe-conceiued prin|ciples, which they keep to them&s;elues, and by which they liue. All which be|ing crooked Rules, mu&s;t needes make crooked Con&s;ciences, whereas if men would liue by <HI>Dauids</HI> rule. <HI>P&s;al. 119. 105. Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet, and a light vnto my path,</HI> and in euery action would haue an eye, &amp; a <HI>re&s;pect vnto the Commandement,</HI> as he had, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 6. then &s;hould they <HI>make &s;treight paths for their feet.</HI> Heb. 12&punc; 13. and keepe vpright con&s;ciences. In euery &s;pirituall action therefore haue an eye to the Word, que&s;tion it whether it be iu&s;tifiable &amp; warrantable by the Word or no, and meddle no farther then that will autho|rize,
<PB N="60" REF="42"> and beare thee out. If this cour&s;e were taken, &s;uch a good cour&s;e would make and keepe a good Con&s;cience. And why &s;hould not men be willing to take this cour&s;e? why will we not make that Word our Rule, which mu&s;t bee made our Iudge? <HI>The word which I &s;peake &s;hall iudge you in the last day.</HI> Ioh. 12. 48. The Word &s;hall iudge our co~|&s;ciences, therefore let it rule, and order them. And if it haue the ruling of our con&s;ciences, it will make them good con&s;ciences, and when they are good, they neede not feare what Iudge they come before, nor what Iudgment they vndergoe. In &s;umme, if we would haue good con&s;ciences, we mu&s;t make more con&s;cience then is commonly made of reading, and &s;earching the Scriptures. The ignorance &amp; neglect of this duty is it which banes &s;o many con&s;ciences in the world.</P>
<P N="3">3. Keep a daily and a frequent Audit with thy con&s;cience, often examinatio~ of the con&s;cience conduces much to the goodnes of it. The Prophet com|plaines
<PB N="61" REF="42"> of his people, <HI>Euery one turned</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Integrita|tis tuae cu|rio&s;us ex|plorator vi|ta tua in quotidiana di&s;cu&s;sione examina. Atte~de di|lige~ter, qua~ tum profi|cias, vel qua~tum de ficias, qua|lis &s;is in moribus, qualis &s;is in affectibus, qua~ &s;imilis &s;is Deo vel quam di&s;si|milis, qua~ prope vel quam lo~ge, &amp;c. Redde ergo te tibi, &amp; &s;i non &s;emper vel &s;aepe, et &s;al te~ interdu~. Ber. Medit Devot. c. 5.</NOTE> <HI>to his Cour&s;e, as the hor&s;e ru&s;heth into the battel. ler.</HI> 8. 6. Here were men far from a good Con&s;cience, but what was the rea&s;on of it? He giues it in the former words, <HI>No man repented him of his wic|kednes, &s;aying, what haue I done?</HI> There was no examination of their Con&s;ci+ences and Cour&s;es, what they were, nor how they were, and from hence comes this mi&s;chiefe. This was <HI>Dauids</HI> cour&s;e. <HI>P&s;a. 119. 59. I con&s;idered my waies, and turned my feet vnto thy te&s;timonies.</HI> When a mans feet are in the wayes of Gods te&s;timonies, then he walkes with an vpright Con&s;cience, and mark how <HI>Dauid</HI> came to doe &s;o, <HI>I con&s;idered my wayes,</HI> he v&s;ed to examine his Con&s;ci|ence.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t &s;tep to get a good con&s;ci|ence, is for a mnn to know that his co~|&s;cience before reformatio~ is evill. How &s;hall that be known without a &s;earch? When a &s;earch hath di&s;couered what it is that maks the con&s;cience, &amp; cour&s;e euill, then will Con&s;cience be ready to
<PB N="62" REF="43"> labor a man to the reformation of that which is ami&s;&s;e, and will not cea&s;e to vrge, and ply a man till it be done. Fre|quent examination as it helpes to the making of &s;chollers, &s;o to the making of Con&s;ciences good. Hence mens ly|ing in &s;o gro&s;&s;e neglects of good du|ties, in &s;o many great euills, becau&s;e men and their Con&s;ciences neuer rec|kon. Men take not them&s;elues a&s;ide in|to their clo&s;ets and chambers, &amp; there &s;et not vp a priuy &s;e&s;&s;ions to make in|quirie into their owne hearts &amp; waies, and therefore are their wayes &amp; Con|&s;ciences &s;o much out of order. Many a man thinkes his e&s;tate in the world to be very good, and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy, when his e&s;tate in|deede is weake, and growes euery day wor&s;e then other. Now what is it that cau&s;es fo great a mi&s;take&punc; Nothing but this, that he neuer looks ouer his books nor ca&s;ts ouer his reckonings. If he had done this, he &s;hould haue &s;een that his e&s;tate was not an&s;werable to his con|ceit, and the knowledge of his mi&s;con|ceit
<PB N="63" REF="43"> would haue made him haue liued at a more wary, and thrifty <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ate, and haue kept him&s;elfe with &s;uch a com|pa&s;&s;e as might haue kept vp his e&s;tate, 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 Con&s;ciences. <HI>Laodicea</HI> thought well of her &s;elfe, <HI>thou &s;aye&s;t I am rich.</HI> If &s;he had examined her Con|&s;cience, &s;hee &s;hould haue &s;eene that which Chri&s;t &s;aw, that &s;he was poore, blind, naked, and mi&s;erable, and the &s;ight of this would haue made her to haue &s;ought after that coun&s;ell which Chri&s;t there giues her. <HI>Reuel.</HI> 3. Men would haue far better Con&s;ciences if they knew in what ill ca&s;e their Con|&s;ciences &s;tand, and examination would helpe them to the knowledge of this. If men would but ouer-looke the book of their Con&s;cience, and &s;ee how many o|mi&s;&s;ions of good, how many &s;innefull commi&s;&s;ions &s;tand regi&s;tred there, it would both make them marveilous
<PB N="64" REF="44"> &s;ollicitous how to get the~ wiped out, and wondrous wary how any more &s;uch Items came there. Often recko|nings would blot out, and keep off the &s;core. Here is then wi&s;edome for &s;uch as de&s;ire to keepe good Con&s;ciences. Doe with the workes of thy conuer&s;a|tion as God did with the works of his Creation. He not onely &s;urueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke, but at each dayes end made a particular &s;urveigh thereof. Do thou<NOTE PLACE="marg">Omni die cum vadis cubitum examina diligenter q&ugrave;id cogi|ta&s;ti, &amp; quid dixi&s;ti in die, &amp; quomodo v|tile tempus &amp; &s;patium quod datum e&s;t ad acqui rendum vi|tamaeterna~, di&s;pen&s;a&s;ti. Et &s;i bene tran&s;iui&s;ti lauda De|um, &s;i male vel negli|genter lu|geas, et &s;e|quenti die non diffe|ras confite|ri. Sialiquid cogita&s;ti, dixi&s;ti vel feci&s;ti quod tua~ Con&s;ci|entia~ mul|tum remor|deat, non comedas antequam confitearis, Ber form. vit hone&s;t. Suauius dormiunt qui relin|quunt cu|ras in cal|ceis.</NOTE> &s;o, not onely at the weeks end, at thy lifes end &s;earch thine heart, and exa|mine thy cour&s;e, but at euery daies end looke backe into the day pa&s;t, and exa|mine what thy carriage and behauiour hath beene. This being done, a man &s;hal find his works either good or euil. If good, how &s;hal his con&s;cience cheer him with its peace? If evill, then if co~|&s;cience haue any life, or breath in it, it will make a man fall to humiliation, &amp; to a godly re&s;olution of watching ouer his wayes for the future, &s;o &s;hall Con|&s;cience be much holpen for Integrity.</P>
<PB N="65" REF="44">
<P><HI>Dauids</HI> coun&s;ell is good. <HI>P&s;. 4. 4. Exa|mine your hearts vpon your beds,</HI> and his re&s;olution is al&s;o good, ver&s;. 8. of the &s;ame <HI>P&s;alme, I will lay me down and &s;leep in peace.</HI> Who would not be glad &s;o to &s;leepe, &amp; to take his re&s;t &s;o? Would we &s;leepe vpon <HI>Dauids</HI> pillow, &s;leepe in peace? then hearken wee to <HI>Dauids</HI> coun&s;ell, to <HI>examine</HI> our &s;elues <HI>vpon our beds.</HI> There is nothing makes a mans bed &s;o &s;oft, nor his &s;leepe &s;o &s;weet as a good co~&s;cience. It is with Sins as with Cares, both trouble a mans &s;leep, both are trouble&s;ome bed-fellowes, as they therfore &s;leepe &s;weetly that leaue their cares in their &s;hooes, &s;o they &s;leep with mo&s;t peace that let not &s;inne lye down to &s;leepe with them, who are &s;o farre from lying downe in their &s;innes, that by their good will, will not let the &s;un goe downe vpon their &s;in, but by exa|mination ferret out the &s;ame. This be|ing done it may be &s;ayd as <HI>Prov. 3. 24. thou &s;halt lye downe, and thy &s;leepe &s;hall be &s;weete.</HI> Nay further, examine thy con|&s;cience vpon thy bed, and thou &s;halt
<PB N="66" REF="45"> not onely &s;leep in peace, but thou &s;halt awake &amp; ari&s;e the next morning with an vpright frame of heart, di&s;po&s;ed to the more caution again&s;t &s;inne the day following. So much <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;eemes to intimate in that forenamed place. <HI>Tremble and &s;in not.</HI> That is, be afraid to &s;in, take heed ye &s;inne no more. But what cour&s;e may one take to come to that integrity of con&s;cience, as to feare to &s;in? Take this cour&s;e, <HI>Examine your hearts vpon your beds.</HI></P>
<P>But alas how rare a practi&s;e is this, &amp; therfore are good con&s;ciences &s;o rare. Many thinke this an heauy burden, and a &s;ore taske, and count the remedy a great dea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e wor&s;e then the di&s;ea&s;e, there is nothing they tremble at more then a dome&s;ticall Audit, &amp; this reck|oning with their con&s;cience. They &s;ay of con&s;cience, as <HI>Ahab</HI> of <HI>Micaiah,</HI> and care as little to meddle with con&s;cie~ce as <HI>Ahab</HI> with <HI>Micaiah. I hate him for he neuer &s;peakes good to me.</HI> 1. King. 22. So they thinke their con&s;cience will deale with them. They know their con&s;ci|ence
<PB N="67" REF="45"> will &s;peak as <HI>Iob</HI> &s;ayes God wrote, <HI>Thou write&s;t bitter things again&s;t me.</HI> Con&s;cience hath &s;uch a &s;tinging wa&s;|pi&s;h tongue, that by no means they dare endure a parley with it. It is with ma|ny and their con&s;ciences, as with men that haue &s;hrewi&s;h wiues. Many a ma~ 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 &s;hall haue &s;uch a peale rung him, that he had rather be on the hou&s;e top, as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;peakes, or in &s;ome out|hou&s;e, and lodge as our Sauior at <HI>Beth|lem</HI> in a cratch, or a Manger, then come within the noy&s;e of her clamorous, &amp; clattering tongue. So many think con|&s;cience hath &s;uch a terrible &s;hrewi&s;h tongue, that if they &s;hall but come within the &s;ound thereof, they &s;hall be ca&s;t into &s;uch melancholly dumpes, as they &s;hall not bee able in ha&s;t to clawe off againe. How much, and how &s;eri|ou&s;ly are they to be pittied that to pre|uent a few houres, or dayes &s;uppo&s;ed &s;orrow, and &s;adne&s;&s;e, by which they
<PB N="68" REF="46"> might come to procure both peace &amp; integritie of con&s;cience, will adven|ture the racke and eternall torture of con&s;cience in Hell. Remember that there is no melancholly to the melan|cholly of Hell.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN the fourth place, Deale with thy Con&s;cience as God would haue <HI>A|braham</HI> doe by <HI>Sarah, Gen. 21. 12. In all that Sarah &s;hal &s;ay vnto thee hearken vnto her voice.</HI> So here. If we would get and keepe a good Con&s;cience, in all that it &s;hall &s;ay vnto vs being enlightened and directed by the Word, hearken vnto it. Con&s;cience being enlightened hath a voyce, and no man but &s;ome time or o|ther &s;hal heare this voice of con&s;cie~ce. Con&s;cience is Gods Monitor to &s;peak to men when others ca~not, or dare not &s;peake. Sometimes men cannot &s;peake
<PB N="69" REF="46"> as not being privie to other mens nece&s;+&s;ities &amp; failings. Sometimes they may not be &s;uffered to &s;peake, as <HI>Ahab</HI> will not endure <HI>Micaiah</HI> to &s;peake to him. Sometime if a man &s;peak he may haue rough and angry an&s;wers, as the Pro|phet had from <HI>Amaziah. 2. Chro. 25. 16 Art thou made of the Kings Coun&s;ell? for|beare, why &s;houlde&s;t thou be &s;mitten?</HI> God hath therefore provided every man, e|ven great men which may not bee &s;po|ken to, he hath provided them a bo&s;om Chaplein, that will round them in the eare, and will talke roundly to them, one that will be of their coun&s;ell in de|&s;pight of them; one that feares no fi&s;ts, dreads no &s;miting, yea, one that feares not to &s;mite the greate&s;t, 2 <HI>Sam. 24. 10. And Dauids heart &s;mote him after that he had numbred the people.</HI> It may bee many there were about <HI>Dauid</HI> that had not the hearts to &s;mite <HI>Dauid</HI> with a graue reprofe, though he giues leaue to the righteous to doe &s;o. <HI>P&s;al. 141. Let the righteous &s;mite me,</HI> but yet while&s;t others, it may be, are fearefull&punc; and ti|morous
<PB N="70" REF="47"> to doe him that good office, con&s;cience is at no demurre vpon the poynt, that feares not, but &s;mites <HI>Da|uid</HI> for his &s;inne.</P>
<P>Gods Mini&s;ters are oft &s;lighted, and light &s;et by, Preachers cannot be regar+ded, but God hath giuen men a Prea|cher in their own bo&s;ome, &amp; this Prea+cher wil make many a curtaine Sermon will take men to taske vpon their pil|low, and will bee Preaching ouer our Sermons againe to them. And though many will not be brought to repetiti|ons of Sermons in their Families, yet they haue a Repeater in their bo&s;ome, that will be at priuate repetitions with them in &s;pite of them, &amp; will tel them, This is not according to that you haue bin taught, you haue bin taught other|wi&s;e, you haue bin reproved for, and convinced of this &s;inne in the publike Mini&s;terie, &amp;c. Why doe you not hear|ken &amp; reforme? Thus then con&s;cience having a voyce, and doing the office of a Preacher vnto vs, if wee would haue con&s;cience good, then in all things that
<PB N="71" REF="47"> con&s;cience enlightened &s;hall &s;ay vnto vs, hearken vnto it. More di&s;tinctly Con&s;cience hath a two-fold voyce.</P>
<P N="1">1. A voyce of Direction, telling vs what is good or evill, what is lawful &amp; vnlawfull, <HI>I&s;a. 30. 21. And thine eares &s;hall heare a word behinde thee, &s;aying, This is the way, walk ye in it,</HI> That is vn|der&s;tood<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ita enim de&s;uper in &s;ile~to &s;onat quidda~ non auribus &s;ed mentibus. Augu&s;t in P&s;al. 42.</NOTE> of the voyce of Gods &s;pirit in the &s;ecret &s;ugge&s;tions therof, &amp; &s;uch is the voice al&s;o of con&s;cience within vs, dictating to vs, and directing vs what duties are to be done, what cour&s;es to be avoyded. How many times doth con&s;cience pre&s;&s;e vs to repentance and reformation of our wayes, how often doth it call vpon vs to &s;ettle to &s;uch &amp; &s;uch good cour&s;es, and &s;o with <HI>Dauid, P&s;al. 16. 7. Our raynes doe teach it in the night &s;ea&s;on.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. A voyce of correction, and accu|fation, checking and chiding, taking vp and &s;nibbing vs when we do ami&s;&s;e. So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 42. 5, 11. and <HI>P&s;al. 43. 5. Why art thou cast downe O my &s;oule, and why art thou di&s;quieted within me?</HI> And <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 77.
<PB N="72" REF="48"> 10. whil&s;t in the foregoing ver&s;es he was complaining, and v&s;ing &s;ome &s;peeches that might &s;avour of &s;ome diffidence, &s;ee how con&s;cience doth her office by a correcting voyce: <HI>And I &s;aid, This is my infirmity;</HI> as if he had &s;aid, whil&s;t I was v&s;ing &s;uch diffident expo&s;tulatio~s, mine owne con&s;cience told me, I did not doe well. Con&s;cie~ce &s;o &s;peakes vn|to vs, as the Lord to <HI>Ionah, Iona. 4. 4. 9. Doe&s;t thou well to be angry?</HI> So &s;aies con|&s;cience oft, Doe&s;t thou well to be thus earthly, thus eager vpo~ the world, thus negligent, and formall in holy duties? Thus con&s;cience giues her privie nips, and her &s;ecret checks. This is that of which <HI>Iob</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Iob 27. 6. My heart &s;hall not reproach me &s;o long as I liue.</HI> Imply|ing that con&s;cience after &s;inne hath a reproaching voice, as when it befooles a man, as foole that thou art to do this, to lo&s;e thy peace with God for a ba&s;e &s;infull plea&s;ure. Thus <HI>Davids</HI> Con&s;ci|ence reproached him. 2 <HI>Sam. 24. 10. I haue done very fooli&s;hly,</HI> yea, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 37. 22. it puts the foole and the bea&s;t both vpon
<PB N="73" REF="48"> him, <HI>So fooli&s;h was I and ignorant, I was as a hea&s;t before thee.</HI> This is the &s;miting of the con&s;cience, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24. 10. Con|&s;cience fir&s;t points with the finger, and giues direction, if that be neglected, it &s;mites with the fi&s;t, and giues corre|ction.</P>
<P>Now then that which I ayme at is this; If we would get and keepe a good Con&s;cience, then neglect not, nor de|&s;pi&s;e Con&s;cience when it &s;peaketh. Doth thy Con&s;cience pre&s;&s;e thee to a|ny workes of pietie, to the care of fa|mily, wor&s;hip, and priuate devotion, to the reading of the Scriptures, &s;anctifi|cation on the Sabbath, &amp;c. In any ca&s;e be &s;o wi&s;e as to hearken to the coun&s;els to the vrgings, and to the Iniunctions which come out of the Court of Con|&s;cience. Hearken in any ca&s;e to this Preacher whom thou can&s;t not &s;u&s;pect of partialitie, malice, ill will, as thou do&s;t others, thereby giving way to Sa|tans policie, that hereby &s;tops vp the pa&s;&s;ages of thine heart, that the Word may not enter. Here can bee no &s;uch
<PB N="74" REF="49"> &s;u&s;pitious; Con&s;cience cannot be &s;u&s;|&s;pected to be &s;et on by others, though <HI>Ieremy</HI> be charged to be &s;et on by <HI>Ba|ruch, Ier.</HI> 43. 3. Therefore hearken to the voyce of this Preacher, and this will helpe thee to a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Againe, doth thy con&s;cience rebuke thee, doth it chide and checke thee, doth thy&punc; <HI>heart reproach thee for thy wayes?</HI> Doth it &s;ay, doe&s;t thou well to liue in &s;uch and &s;uch &s;innes? Doth it punctually reprove thee for thine evils?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ideo quan|tum potes, teip&s;um co|argue; in|quire in te accu&s;atoris primu~ par|tibus funge|re, deinde Iudiciis no|vi&s;sime de|precatoris: aliquando offende te, Senec. ep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t. 28.</NOTE> Doe not an&s;were Con&s;cience as <HI>Ionas</HI> an&s;wered God, frowardly, <HI>Yea I doe well;</HI> but even clo&s;e with Con&s;cience, and do thou accu&s;e thy &s;elfe as fa&s;t as it accu&s;es, acknowledge thy folly, yeeld promi&s;e, and couenant with thy con+&s;cience a pre&s;ent and &s;peedy reforma|tion. This if it were done, how happy &s;hould men be in getting and keeping a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>But alas, how few regard the voyce of Con&s;cience, and once hearken to it, and the very want of this dutie is it which breeds &s;o much ill con&s;cience in
<PB N="75" REF="49"> the world. Men in this ca&s;e are guilty of a double wickedne&s;&s;e. Either they deale as the Iewes with the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Act.</HI> 4. 18. and 1 <HI>The&s;</HI> 2. 16. They either <HI>&s;top Con&s;ciences mouth,</HI> and labour to &s;i|lence this Preacher, or el&s;e they deale with Con&s;cience as the Iewes did with <HI>Stephen, Acts 7. 57. They &s;topped their eares:</HI> If they cannot &s;top Con&s;ciences mouth, they will at lea&s;t &s;toppe their owne eares.</P>
<P N="1">1. They labour to &s;toppe Con&s;ci|ences mouth. If con&s;cience beginne to take them a&s;ide, and to &s;ay to them as <HI>Ehud</HI> to <HI>Eglon; Iudg. 3. 19. I haue a &s;ecret errand vnto thee:</HI> they an&s;wer, but in another &s;en&s;e, as hee did; <HI>Keepe &s;ilence.</HI> If con&s;cience offer to be talking to them, they &s;huffle it off as <HI>Felix</HI> did <HI>Paul,</HI> they are not at lea|&s;ure, they will finde &s;ome other time when their lea&s;ure will better &s;erue. Yea many when their con&s;cience re|proaches them, they againe reproach and reproove it, and an&s;were it as the <HI>Dauites</HI> did <HI>Micah, Iudges</HI> 11. 23.
<PB N="76" REF="50"> <HI>What ayleth thee?</HI> and are ready to giue reproachfull language to their owne Con&s;cience, that it cannot be quiet and let them alone.</P>
<P N="2">2 But yet con&s;cience will not often|times bee thus po&s;ted and &s;huffled off, &s;he wil not be gagged, or &s;uffer her lips to be &s;own vp, but wil deale with a man as the woman of Canaan did with our Saviour, <HI>Math.</HI> 15. She would not be put off with neglect, or cro&s;&s;e an&s;wers, but &s;he &s;till pre&s;ies vpon our Sauiour, &amp; growes &s;o much the more importu+nate. So ofte~times con&s;cience whe~ &s;he &s;ees men &s;huffle, growes the more im|portunate, and will dog and haunt men &s;o much the more. Yea it deales like the blind men <HI>Math.</HI> 20. 31. who when the multitude rebuked them, <HI>they cryed the more.</HI> Now then when Con&s;cience growes thus clamorous, and will not be &s;ilenced, then they will &s;toppe their owne eares, that if it will needs be pra|ting, it &s;hall but tell a tale to a deafe man. To this end men put a double tricke vpon their Con&s;ciences.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="77" REF="50">1. <HI>Sauls tricke. Saul</HI> is vexed with an evill &s;pirit, What mu&s;t be the cure? &s;eeke him out a min&s;trell. Thus many when the cry of Con&s;cience is vp, be|take them to their merriments &amp; iolli|ties. They try whether the noy&s;e of the Harps&punc; and Viols, and the roarings of good fellowes will not drowne the voyce and noy&s;e of Con&s;cience. They will try whether the dinne of an Ale|hou&s;e, or the ratling and clattering of the Dice and Tables, cannot deaf their cares again&s;t the clamours of Con&s;ci+ence. Thus do many in the accu&s;ations of Con&s;cience, giue them&s;elues whol|ly vp to all manner of plea&s;ures &amp; de|lights, that &s;o their minds beeing taken vp with them, there might be no lei|&s;ure to giue con&s;cience any the lea&s;t au|dience.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Chry&s;. in 1. ed Cor. hom. 7.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Cains tricke. Cain</HI> had a marke of God vpon him, <HI>Gen</HI> 4 15. And what might that mark be? <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> thinks it was a continuall &s;haking and trem|bling of his body. If that were his marke, why might not that trembling
<PB N="78" REF="51"> come from the horrour of his guilty con&s;cience, following him with a con|tinuall hue and cry for murther, &amp; re|proaching him for a bloudy murtherer. How-euer, no que&s;tion but his Con&s;ci|ence continually haunted him, and the cry of blood was euer in his ears. Now then what cour&s;e takes he? ye &s;hall &s;ee <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 17. that hee falles a building of Cities, betakes him&s;elfe to a multitude of imployments, that the noy&s;e of the &s;awes, axes, and mallets might be low|der then the noy&s;e of his con&s;cience. If Con&s;cience bee out of quiet with them, and will not cea&s;e to vrge and pinch them, then haue among their &s;heep, &amp; oxen, that their blea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ing, and bellowing may keepe vnder the voyce of con&s;cience, they do &s;o po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e their heads and their thoughts, and &s;o over|load them with much dealings in the world, that there is no &s;pare time wherein their care can be free to heare the voyce of Con&s;cience. The clutter of their many bu&s;ine&s;&s;es make too great a noy&s;e for Con&s;cience to haue audi|ence.
<PB N="79" REF="51"> They deal with their con&s;ciences as the <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> dealt with <HI>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 &s;pace of two houres cryed out, Great is Diana of the Ephe&s;ians.</HI> If <HI>Alex|ander</HI> had had neuer &s;o good lungs, &amp; &s;trong &s;ides, hee might haue &s;trayned his voyce till he had crazed the organs of language, and might haue &s;poken till he had been hoar&s;e againe, before hee could haue been heard to haue &s;poken one &s;yllable, though he had &s;poken all the rea&s;on in the world. Such a noy&s;e of an outragious bellowing multitude had bin almo&s;t enough to haue drow|ned the voice of a Canon. Thus deale men with their con&s;cience, if &s;hee but prepare to &s;peake and giue but a becke with the hand, pre&s;ently thru&s;t them|&s;elues into a crowd of bu&s;ine&s;&s;e that may out-cry, and ouer-cry the bawling noy&s;e thereof. It was an hideous noy&s;e that the &s;hriking infants of I&s;rael made
<PB N="80" REF="52"> when they were offered vp aliue in fire vnto <HI>Moloch.</HI> Now le&s;t their parents bowels &s;hould earne with compa&s;&s;ion, and be affected with the &s;hrikes of their poore babes, therefore they had their Drummes and Trumpets &s;trucke vp, and &s;ounded in the time of &s;acrifice, to make &s;uch a noy&s;e, that in no ca&s;e the lamentable cries of the infants &s;hould be heard. The &s;ame tricke doe too ma|ny put vpon their con&s;ciences, if they wil be clamouring they will haue &s;ome Drum or other, who&s;e greater noy&s;e may deafe their eares from hearing the cryes of con&s;cience.</P>
<P>But alas what poore Proiects are the&s;e? The time will come when men &s;hal haue neither plea&s;ures nor profits, neither delights nor bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, to &s;top their eares. Though now men beat vp|on the&s;e Drumme-heads, and with the noi&s;e of their plea&s;ures &amp; profits, keepe con&s;cience voyce vnder from beeing heard. Yet the day will come, when God will beat out the&s;e Drum-heads, and then the cries, &amp; horrid, &amp; hideous
<PB N="81" REF="52"> &s;hrikes of Con&s;cience &s;hall be heard. God will one day &s;trip thee of all thy plea&s;ures and employments, and will turne thee &s;ingle and loo&s;e to thy Con|&s;cience, and it &s;hall haue full liberty to bait thee, and byte thee at plea&s;ure. Oh how much better to bee willing to hearken to the voyce of Con&s;cience here, then to be forced to heare it in hell, when the time of hearkening will be pa&s;t and gone. Hearken to it now, &amp; thou &s;halt not heare it hereafter. Hear|ken to the admonitions and reproofes of it now, and thus &s;halt thou get In|tegrity here, and &s;halt bee free from hearing the dolefull clamours of it in hell hereafter.</P>
<P N="5">5. To get and keepe a good Con&s;ci|ence euer in ca&s;es of a doubtfull and que&s;tionable nature, be &s;ure to take the &s;ure&s;t &s;ide. Many things are of a que&s;ti|onable nature, and much may be &s;ayd on either &s;ide in &s;uch ca&s;es, if thou would&s;t haue a good Con&s;cience take the &s;ure&s;t &s;ide, that &s;ide on which thou may&s;t bee &s;ure thou &s;halt not &s;inne. As
<PB N="82" REF="53"> for example. There bee diver&s;e games and recreations who&s;e lawfulne&s;&s;e are que&s;tioned, yet much may be &s;aid for them, and po&s;&s;ibly they may haue the iudgement of diver&s;e reuerend &amp; lear|ned men for their lawfulne&s;&s;e. Now what &s;hall a man doe in this ca&s;e? Take the &s;ure &s;ide. If I v&s;e them it is po&s;&s;ible I may &s;inne, it may be they are not &s;in|full, yet I am not &s;o &s;ure of it that I &s;hall not &s;in if I v&s;e them, as I am &s;ure I &s;hall not &s;inne if I doe not v&s;e them. I am &s;ure that not to v&s;e &s;uch &s;ports breakes none of Gods commandements, a man may be bold to build vpon that. Hee that liues by this rule, &s;hall keepe his Con&s;cience from many a flawe. Hee<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tutiores igitur vi|uimus &s;i to|tum Deo damus, Non autem nos illi ex par|te, &amp; nobis ex parte committi|mus. Aug. de dono per&s;eu. cap. 6.</NOTE> that &s;ayles among&s;t rocks it is po&s;&s;ible he may e&s;cape &s;plitting, but he is not &s;o &s;ure to keepe his ve&s;&s;ell &s;afe and whole, as he that &s;ayles in a cleare &s;ea where no rocks are at all. It is good in matter of life and practice, to doe as <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;peakes in ca&s;e of doctrine. <HI>We liue more &s;afely,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>if wee attribute all wholly to God, and do not commit our &s;elues part|ly
<PB N="83" REF="53"> to God, and partly to our &s;elues.</HI> In doc|trines it is good to hold the <HI>&s;afe&s;t</HI> &s;ide, wherein there can be no danger, yea, <HI>Bellarmine</HI> him&s;elfe after his long di|&s;pute for iu&s;tification by merit, comes to this at la&s;t, <HI>That by rea&s;on of the vncer|tainty</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Propter in|certitudi|nem propriae Iu&s;titiae &amp; periculum inanis glo|riae tuti&s;si|mum e&s;t fi|duciam to|tam in &s;ola Dei mi&s;eri|cordia &amp; benignitate reponere. Bellar de Iu&s;tific. lib. 5. cap. 7.</NOTE> <HI>of our owne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and the danger of vaine-glory, it is the mo&s;t &s;afe way to repo&s;e our whole confidence in the mercy and goodnes of God alone.</HI> Which way &s;oeuer <HI>Bellarmine</HI> is gone him&s;elfe, or any of his religion, I thinke common rea&s;on will teach a man &s;o much wi&s;|dome to goe the <HI>&s;afe&s;t</HI> way to heaven, and that the <HI>&s;afe&s;t</HI> way is the be&s;t way. The Lord that would haue vs make our <HI>calling and election &s;ure, 2. Pet.</HI> 1. 10. would not haue vs put &s;o great a matter as the &s;aluation of our &s;oules vpon <HI>Bellarmines</HI> hazard, and confe&s;&s;ed <HI>vncertainty</HI> of our owne righteou&s;nes. Now as in ca&s;e of doctrine, &s;o in ca&s;e of practice it is great wi&s;edome, and a great meanes of keeping a good Con|&s;cience, to do that wherin we may <HI>Tu|tiores vinere,</HI> and to take to that which
<PB N="84" REF="54"> <HI>Tuti&s;simum e&s;t,</HI> to follow that which is &s;afe&s;t, and to take to that &s;ide which is the &s;ure&s;t, and the free&s;t from danger.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Two markes of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus wee &s;ee how a good Con&s;ci|ence may be had; it followes wee con&s;ider how it may bee knowne, and be di&s;cerned to be had. The markes and notes by which a good Con&s;ci|ence may be knowne, are <HI>&s;even.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. This in the text. In <HI>all</HI> good Con+&s;cience.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Nore of good con|&s;cience. Con&s;cience in all things.</NOTE> It is a good note of a good con&s;cience, when a man makes con&s;ci|ence of all things, all duties, &amp; all &s;ins. There bee that haue naturall Con&s;ci|ences principled by &s;ome generall grounds of nature, and it may bee &s;o farre as the&s;e rules carry them may make &s;ome Con&s;cience, but their prin|ciples comming &s;hort, they mu&s;t needs al&s;o come as &s;hort of a good Con&s;ci|ence: <HI>I haue liued</HI> &s;ayes <HI>Paul</HI> here, <HI>in all
<PB N="85" REF="54"> good Con&s;cience,</HI> and <HI>Heb. 13. 18. Wee tru&s;t wee haue a good Con&s;cience in all things.</HI> It is a good Con&s;cience when a mans life, all his life is a life of Con&s;ci|ence, when in all his life, and the whole tenour thereof he makes Con&s;cience of all that God commands, and for|bids, <HI>P&s;alm. 119. 6. Then &s;hall I not bee a&s;hamed</HI> (what breeds &s;hame but euill con&s;cience?) <HI>when I haue re&s;pect vnto all thy commandements.</HI> When <HI>all</HI> are re&s;pected there is no &s;hame, becau&s;e where all are re&s;pected there is good Con&s;cience, and where good Con&s;ci|ence is, there is no &s;hame. That argu|ed <HI>Davids</HI> good Con&s;cience, <HI>P&s;al. 119. 101. I haue refrayned my feet from eve|ry evill way.</HI></P>
<P>Try mens Con&s;ciences by this, and it will di&s;couer a great deale of evill Con&s;cience in the world. Many a mo|rall man makes Con&s;cience of doing his neighbour the lea&s;t wrong, hee will not wring or pinch any man, payes e|uery man his owne, deales fairely and &s;quarely in his commerce, there is no
<PB N="86" REF="55"> man can &s;ay blacke is his eye, you &s;hall haue him thanke God that he hath as good a Con&s;cience as the be&s;t. The&s;e are good things, and &s;uch things as men ought to make Con&s;cience of, but yet here is not enough to make a good Con&s;cience. A good Con&s;cience mu&s;t be <HI>all</HI> good Con&s;cience, or it is no good Con&s;cience. Now indeed the&s;e men may haue good Con&s;ciences <HI>be|fore men,</HI> but my text tels vs that wee mu&s;t liue in <HI>all</HI> good Con&s;cience <HI>before God.</HI> And <HI>Paul</HI> ioynes them two toge|ther, <HI>Act. 24. 13. And herein doe I exer|ci&s;e my &s;elfe to haue a good Con&s;cience voyde of offence towards God, &amp; towards men.</HI> Now be it that the&s;e haue good Con&s;cience before men, yet what haue they before God? Alas they are mi&s;e|rably ignorant in the things of God, no Co~&s;ciences to acquaint them&s;elues with his truth, no con&s;cience of prayer in their families, of reading the Scrip|tures, no con&s;cience of an oath, and as little of the Sabbath, and the pri|vate duties thereof. How farre are
<PB N="87" REF="55"> the&s;e from good con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Others againe &s;eeme to make con&s;ci|ence of their duties before God, but in the meane time no Con&s;cience of duties of Iu&s;tice in the &s;econd Table, make no con&s;cience of oppre&s;&s;ion, rac|king rents, covetou&s;nes, over-rea|ching, &amp;c. the&s;e are no better con&s;cien|ces then the former, neither are good becau&s;e they liue not in <HI>all good</HI> Con|&s;cience. Thus may a man di&s;cover the naughtie Con&s;ciences of mo&s;t. <HI>Iehu</HI> &s;eemes wondrons zealous for the Lord, and &s;eemes to be a man of a &s;in|gular good con&s;cience in the demoli|&s;hing the Temple of <HI>Baal,</HI> and putting to death his Prie&s;ts. I but if <HI>Iehu</HI> make Con&s;cience of letting <HI>Baals</HI> Temple &s;tand, why doth he not as well make Co~&s;cience of letting <HI>Ieroboams</HI> Calues &s;tand. If <HI>Iehu</HI> had had a good con&s;ci|ence, he would as ill haue brookt <HI>Iero|boams</HI> as <HI>Iezebels</HI> Idolatry; he would haue purged the Land of <HI>all</HI> Idols.</P>
<P><HI>Herod</HI> &s;eemes to make &s;ome Con&s;ci|ence of an oath. <HI>Mark. 6. 26. For his
<PB N="88" REF="56"> oathes &s;ake he would not reiect her.</HI> It is ioy of him that he is a man of &s;o good Con&s;cience. I, but in the meane time why makes he no Con&s;cience of Ince&s;t and Murther? Hee feares and makes Con&s;cience to breake an vnlawfull oath, but makes no Con&s;cience to cut an holy Prophets throate. Who would not haue thought <HI>Saul</HI> to haue beene a man of a very good Con&s;cience, &s;ee how like a man of good Con&s;cience he &s;peakes. 1. <HI>Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not again&s;t the Lord in eating with the blood.</HI> Hee would haue the people make Con&s;ci|ence of eating with the blood, and in|deed it was a thing to bee made Con|&s;cience of. I but he that makes Con|&s;cience of eating the fle&s;h of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood, like a bloo|dy hearted tyrant, as he was, he makes no Con&s;cience of &s;ucking, and &s;hed|ding the blood of foure&s;core and fiue of Gods Prie&s;ts. Iu&s;t the con&s;cience of his blood-hound <HI>Doeg.</HI> 1. Sam. 21. 7. <HI>Doeg was there that day deteyned before the Lord.</HI> How deteyned? eyther out
<PB N="89" REF="56"> of a religious Con&s;cience of the Sab|baths, or by occa&s;ion of a vow, the man made con&s;cience of going before the Sabbath were ended, or the dayes of his vow fini&s;ht. A thing indeed to be made con&s;cience of, men ought not to depart from Gods hou&s;e till holy &s;er|uices be fini&s;ht, a dutie that even the Prince mu&s;t make con&s;cience of. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 46. 10. Who therefore would not iudge this <HI>Edomite</HI> a con&s;cionable <HI>Pro|&s;elyte.</HI> I, but why then makes hee no con&s;cience of lying. <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 25. Why no con&s;cience of being in&s;trumentall to <HI>Sauls</HI> Iniu&s;tice in that barbarous villa|ny of &s;laying, not onely innocent men, but innocent Prie&s;ts of the Lord? Such were the con&s;ciences of the chiefe Prie&s;ts. <HI>Mat.</HI> 27. 6. How like hone&s;t con&s;cionable men they &s;peake? <HI>It is not lawfull for to put them into the trea|&s;ury, becau&s;e it is the price of blood.</HI> Sure it is great con&s;cience ought to be made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple trea&s;ure; Are they not then men of good Con&s;cience, <HI>It is not law|full,</HI>
<PB N="90" REF="57"> ye &s;ee 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 con&s;cience<NOTE PLACE="marg">Qualis haec innocentiae &s;imulatio? pecuniam &s;anguinis non mittere in Arcam, &amp; ip&s;um &s;anguinem mittere in Con&s;cienti|am. Augu&s;t.</NOTE> to be made of blood, as well as of the price of blood? They make a Con&s;ci|ence of receiuing the price of blood into the trea&s;ury, they make no Con|&s;cience of receiuing the guilt of blood into their Con&s;ciences. Iu&s;t &s;uch con|&s;ciences as they had. <HI>Ioh. 18. 28. They would not goe into the Iudgement hall lest they &s;hould be defiled, but that they might eate the Pa&s;&s;eouer.</HI> Indeed a man &s;hould make great con&s;cience of prepa|ration to the Sacrament, and take great heed that he come not thither defiled; But &s;ee their naughtie con&s;cience. They make con&s;cience of being defi|led by going into the Iudgement hall, but make no con&s;cience of being defi|led with the blood of an Innocent. Such was the con&s;cience of the Iewes. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 19. 31. they make Con&s;cience of the body of Chri&s;t hanging vpon the
<PB N="91" REF="57"> Cro&s;&s;e on the Sabbath, but with what Con&s;cience haue they hanged it on the Cro&s;&s;e at all? This was iu&s;t like to tho&s;e that <HI>Socrates</HI> &s;peakes of, who made great con&s;cience of keeping ho+ly-dayes, yet made no con&s;cience of vncleanene&s;&s;e, that was but an indiffe|rent thing with them. As if Con&s;ci+ence were not rather to bee made of keeping our ve&s;&s;ells in holines, our bo|dies, then dayes holy? Remarkeable in this kinde is that dealing of the <HI>Iewes</HI> with <HI>Paul. 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie &s;tripes &s;aue one.</HI> If we looke into the Law. <HI>Deut.</HI> 25. 1. 2. 3. it runs thus, <HI>If there be a Controver|&s;ie, &amp;c. and it &s;hall be if the wicked man be worthy to bee beaten, the Iudge &s;hall cau&s;e him to lie downe, and to bee beaten before his face according to his fault by a certaine number, fortie &s;tripes hee may giue him and not exceed.</HI> Now &s;ee the good con&s;cience of the&s;e <HI>Iewes,</HI> they might giue forty &s;tripes, but not be|yond that number might they goe. Now they make &s;o much con&s;cience
<PB N="92" REF="58"> of exceeding the number of fortie, that they giue <HI>Paul</HI> but nine and thirtie. Thus they make Con&s;cience of the number, but no con&s;cience of the fact. They make con&s;cience of giuing about fortie, but with what con&s;cience doe they giue him any at all. The text not onely pre&s;cribes the number of &s;tripes, but the condition of the per&s;on, name|ly, that he be <HI>worthy to be beaten,</HI> and he mu&s;t be puni&s;hed <HI>according to his fault.</HI> Now &s;ee the&s;e men make Con&s;cience of the law for the number, but make no con&s;cience of the law, that will haue only wicked men, and &s;uch as are worthy to be beaten, to bee &s;o v&s;ed. The&s;e be the good con&s;ciences of wic|ked men, they make &s;eeme of making con&s;cience in &s;ome one thing, but make no con&s;cience of ten others, it may be of farre greater weight, and nece&s;&s;itie, and herein di&s;cover they the naughti|nes of their con&s;ciences. The con&s;ci|ence therfore is not to be iudged good for one, or &s;ome good actions. <HI>Ioab</HI> tur|ned not after <HI>Ab&s;olom,</HI> but he turned
<PB N="93" REF="58"> after <HI>Adoniah. 1 King.</HI> 2. 28. Whereas a good con&s;cience that turnes neither to the right hand nor to the left, would haue turned neither after <HI>Adoniah</HI> no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Ab&s;olom.</HI> A good con&s;cience and a good conver&s;ation mu&s;t goe together. 1 <HI>Pet. 3. 16. Having a good con&s;cience, that they may be a&s;hamed that fal&s;cly ac|cu&s;e your good conver&s;ation.</HI> One good action makes not a good conver&s;ation, nor a good Con&s;cience, but then a mans conver&s;ation may be &s;aid to bee good, when in his whole cour&s;e hee is carefull to doe all good duties, and to avoyd all &s;ins, and &s;uch a good conver+&s;ation is a &s;igne of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>To doe &s;ome good things, &amp; not all,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nune au|tem in hoc maior of|fen&s;a e&s;t quod par|tem &s;enten|tiae &s;acrae pro commo|dorum no|&s;trorum v|tilitate de|ligimus, partem pro dei iniuria praeteri|mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t maxime cu~ &amp; terre|&s;tres domi|ni nequa quam aequo animo tole|randum pu|tent &s;i iu&s;|&s;iones &s;uas &s;ervi ex parte audi|ant, &amp; ex parte con|temnant. Si enim pro arbitrio &s;uo &s;ervi domi+nis obtem|perant, ne in iis qui|dem in qui+bus obtem|peraverint, ob&s;equun|tur, &amp;c. Salvian de provid</HI> 2. Note of a good con|&s;cience. Con&s;cience of &s;mall Duties.</NOTE> is no more a &s;igne of a good con&s;ci|ence, then to doe &s;ome things onely which his ma&s;ter requires, and to neg|lect other &s;ome, is no &s;ign of a good &s;er|vant. A good &s;ervants commendation is to doe all his ma&s;ters bu&s;ines he en|ioynes him. Wee would hold him but an holy-day &s;ervant, and an idle com|panion, that when his ma&s;ter hath &s;et
<PB N="94" REF="59"> him his &s;everall workes to doe, he will doe which him plea&s;es, and leaue the other vndone. This were not to doe his ma&s;ters, but to doe his owne will, and to &s;erue his own turne rather then his ma&s;ters: So for a man to make choyce of duties, and to picke out &s;ome particulars, wherein hee will yeeld obedience to God, and to pa&s;&s;e by others as not &s;tanding with his pro|fits, plea&s;ures, and lu&s;ts, this will neuer gaine a man the commendation of a good Con&s;cience, who&s;e goodne&s;&s;e mu&s;t be knowne by making con&s;cience of <HI>all</HI> things. Then haue Gods &s;er|vants good Con&s;ciences, when it can be &s;aid of them as <HI>Shaphan</HI> &s;peakes of <HI>Io&s;iah</HI> his &s;eruants. 2 <HI>Chron. 34. 16. All that was committed to thy &s;eruants, they doc it.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To make con&s;cience of &s;mall Duties, and &s;mall &s;innes. This al&s;o ri|&s;es out of the text. <HI>All good Con&s;ci|ence.</HI> If of <HI>all</HI> things, then of <HI>&s;mall</HI> things. It might haue beene compre|hended vnder the former, but yet for
<PB N="95" REF="59"> Conviction &s;ake I di&s;tingui&s;h them. The good Con&s;cience makes not con|&s;cience onely of great duties, and &s;ins, but even of the lea&s;t, knowing that as Gods great power and omnipotence is the &s;ame in the making of an Angell and a worme, &s;o Gods authoritie, wi&s;e|dome and holine&s;&s;e is the &s;ame in the lea&s;t Commandements as in the grea|te&s;t of them all. It makes con&s;cience &s;pecially of Iudgement, and the weightie matters of the law, but yet doth not therefore thinke it &s;elfe di&s;|charged of all care in &s;maller things, doth not therevpon challenge a di&s;|pen&s;ation from obedience in meaner matters, as if it were needle&s;&s;e &s;crupu|lo&s;ity, and too much preci&s;ene&s;&s;e to tythe Mint, Ani&s;e, and Cummin. A Cummin-&s;eed indeed is but a &s;mall thing, a very toy, but yet as &s;mall a thing, and as light as it is, yet will it lye heavie vpon a good Con&s;cience, being iniuriou&s;ly and fraudulently deteyned from the Levites. The <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> tythed Mint, Ani&s;e, and Cummin, but they
<PB N="96" REF="60"> neglected the weighty matters of the Law. It is no good Con&s;cience that lookes to &s;mall, and neglects great du|ties, neither is it a good con&s;cience on the other &s;ide that looks after the great and weightie duties, and makes no rec|koning of Mint and Ani&s;e. Our Savi|our &s;ayes both ought to be done. <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> could be content that the people &s;hould goe &s;acrifice, but hee cannot a|bide that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;hould be &s;o peevi&s;hly preci&s;e, that not an hoofe &s;hall be left behinde. Alas, an hoofe is but a toy, not worth the mentioning, what need <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> be &s;o &s;trict as to &s;tand vpon an hoofe? Yet a good Con&s;cience will &s;tand vpon it, having Gods Co~mande|ment, &amp; will make Con&s;cience as well of carrying away hoofs as of whole bo|dies of cattell. It is with a good Co~&s;ci|ence as it is with the apple of the eye, of al the parts of the body it is the mo&s;t tender, not onely of &s;ome great &s;hiues, or &s;plints vnder the eye-lid, but even the &s;malle&s;t haire and du&s;t grieues, and offends it. It is &s;o with a tender good
<PB N="97" REF="60"> con&s;cience, not onely beames, but al&s;o moats di&s;quiet the eye of a good con|&s;cience, and not onely greater, and fowler &s;ins, but even &s;uch as the world counts veniall trifles doe offend it. A good Con&s;cience &s;traines not onely at a camell, but at a gnat al&s;o. Neither doth our Sauiour blame the <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> &s;imply for &s;trayning at a Gnat, but for their hypocri&s;ie, who would pretend Con&s;cience in &s;maller things, &amp; meane while made none in the greater; for o|therwi&s;e a good con&s;cience indeede hath a narrow pa&s;&s;age for a Gnat, as well as for a Camell. The lea&s;t corn of grauell galles his foote that hath a &s;treight &s;hooe, but he that hath a large wide &s;hooe, &s;lopping about his foot, it is no trouble to him. It is iu&s;t &s;o with Con&s;ciences good and euill.</P>
<P>A Gnat is but a &s;mall thing, yet Pope <HI>Hadrian</HI> the fourth was choakt with a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Bal. pag. of Popes pag. 97.</NOTE> Gnat, and one fly though but a &s;mall thing to a whole box of oyntment, yet <HI>dead flies</HI> as &s;mall things as they are, <HI>cau&s;e the oyntment of the Apothecary to
<PB N="98" REF="61"> &s;end forth a &s;tinking &s;avour.</HI> Eccl. 10. 1. &amp; <HI>&s;o doth a little folly,</HI> though but little doe a great deale of hurt. And therefore a good co~&s;cience liues by <HI>Salomons</HI> rule, <HI>Giue not water a pa&s;&s;age, no not a little.</HI> And takes not onely the <HI>Foxes,</HI> but the <HI>little Foxes,</HI> which &s;poyle not only the <HI>Vines,</HI> but the <HI>tender Grapes.</HI> Cant. 2. 15. It knowes a little will make way for much. <HI>Pharaoh</HI> is content that the peo|ple, the men &s;hould go Sacrifice, <HI>Exod.</HI> 10. but their <HI>little ones</HI> &s;hould not goe. he knew if hee had but their <HI>little ones</HI> with him, he &s;hould be &s;ure enough of their returne, therefore <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> will not onely haue the men goe, but their <HI>lit|tle ones</HI> al&s;o. And therefore a good co~|&s;cience deales with Satan as <HI>Marcus A|rethu&s;ius</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Putantes paupere~ vel medietate~ petebant pecuniaru~, no vi&s;sime vel paucu~ aliquid ex|igebant. Quibus ait, nec obolum vnum pro omnibus da bo. Hi&s;t. Tripart. l. 6. c. 12. Ad impie|tatem in|quit, obolu~ conferre vnum per|inde valet ac &s;i quis conferat omnia. Theodoroit. l. 3. cap. 7,</NOTE> dealt with his tormentours, who hauing pulled downe an Idola|trous Temple, &amp; being vrged by them to giue &s;o much as would build it vp againe, refu&s;ed it; They vrged him to giue but halfe, he &s;till refu&s;ed; They vr|ged him at la&s;t to giue but a <HI>little</HI> to|wards it, but he refu&s;ed to giue them
<PB N="99" REF="61"> &s;o much as one halfe-penny, <HI>No not an halfe-penny</HI> &s;ayes he, <HI>for it is as great wickednes to conferre one halfe-penny in ca&s;e of Impietie, as if a man &s;hould be&s;tow the whole.</HI> What was a poore half-pen|ny, it was a very &s;mall matter; &s;pecially con&s;idering in what torture hee was, from which an half-penny gift would haue relea&s;ed him. Indeed an half-pen|ny is but a little, but yet it is more then a good con&s;cience dares giue to the maintenance of idolatrous wor&s;hip. A good con&s;cience will not giue &s;o much as a farthing token to &s;uch an v&s;e, as little a thing as it is. <HI>For he that is faithfull in that which is lea&s;t, is faithfull al&s;o in much, &amp; he that is vniu&s;t in the lea&s;t, is vniu&s;t al&s;o in much</HI> Luc. 16. 10. Euen the lea&s;t things are as great trials of a good con&s;cience as the greate&s;t. A good con&s;cience will not gratifie Sa|tan, nor neglect God, no not in a little.</P>
<P>Put mens con&s;ciences now vpon this trial. Who cracks not of his good con|&s;cience, there be none if they may bee beleeued, but they haue goood con|&s;ciences.
<PB N="100" REF="62"> But why are they good? They can &s;wallow no Camells. Well yeeld them that, though if their entrals were well &s;earcht, a man might finde huge bunch backt camells, that haue gone down their gullets. They can &s;wallow no camells, but what &s;ay they to gnats, can they &s;wallow them? Tu&s;h, Gnats are nothing, whole &s;warmes of them can goe downe their throats, and they neuer once cough for the matter. Fowle and gro&s;&s;e &s;candalls, &s;uch as are infamous among&s;t meere heathen, &s;uch Camels they &s;wallow not, but what &s;ay they to vn&s;auory and naughtie thoughts, which their hearts pro&s;e|cute with delight, what &s;ay they to them? Gnatts doe not &s;warme more abundantly in the fennes, then &s;uch vile thoughts doe in their hearts. The prodigious oaths of wounds, &amp; bloud, the damned language of Ruffians, and the Mon&s;ters of the earth, oh their hearts would tremble to haue &s;uch words pa&s;&s;e out of their mouths, but yet what &s;ay they to the neater, and
<PB N="101" REF="62"> Civilified Complements of Faith &amp; Troth, tu&s;h the&s;e are trifles, meere Gnatts, alas, that you &s;hall &s;tand vpon &s;uch niceties. To rob a man vpon the high way, or to breake vp a mans hou&s;e in the night, this is a mon&s;trous Camell, but in buying and &s;elling to o|uer-teach a neighbour a &s;hilling or two, a penny or two, what &s;ay they to that, oh God forbid they &s;hould be &s;o &s;trictly dealt withall, that is a &s;mall thing, their throats are not &s;o narrow but the&s;e Gnats will goe downe ea&s;ily enough. To beare fal&s;e witnes in a o|pen Court of Iu&s;tice, or to be guilty of pillory periury, the&s;e 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 ve|ry Gnat, they are a&s;hamed to &s;trayne thereat. Tell many a man of his &s;inne in which he lyes, that his &s;inne and a good con&s;cience ca~not &s;tand together, what is his an&s;wer, but as <HI>L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t</HI> of <HI>Zoar, It is not a little one.</HI> Gen. 19. 20. But the truth is, that the&s;e little ones are great
<PB N="102" REF="63"> euidences of euill Con&s;cience. It is but a dreame to thinke our Con&s;ciences good that make no Con&s;cience of &s;mal &s;innes, and duties.</P>
<P>The con&s;cionable <HI>Nazarite,</HI> Now did not only make con&s;cience of guz|zling and quaffing whole cups of wine, but of eating but an huske, and a ker|nell of a Grape. What a trifle is the kernell of a Grape, and yet a good co~|&s;cience will care to plea&s;e God as well in ab&s;tinence from the kernell as from the cup. Indeed when <HI>Dauid</HI> had defi|led and hardened his con&s;cience with his adultery, then hee could cut <HI>V|riahs</HI> throat, and his heart &s;mites him not for it, but when vnder his afflicti|on, his con&s;cience was tender &amp; good, his heart &s;mites him but for cutting <HI>Sauls</HI> coate. 1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 24. 5. See the nature of a good con&s;cience, it will &s;mite not onely for cutting <HI>Sauls</HI> throat, but for cutting <HI>Sauls</HI> coat, but for an appea|rance, vpon a &s;u&s;pition, and but a iea|lou&s;ie of euill.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of a <HI>pure Con&s;cience, 2 Tim</HI>
<PB N="103" REF="63"> 1. 3. Now it is with a pure con&s;cience as it is with <HI>pure religion.</HI> Iam. 1. 17. <HI>Pure religion and vndefiled, is to keepe a mans &s;elfe</HI> vn&s;potted <HI>of the world.</HI> It hates not onely wallowing with the Sow in the myre, but is &s;hy of very &s;pots; and <HI>hates</HI> not onely the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> but the <HI>garment,</HI> not only that is gro&s;&s;ely be&s;meared, but which is but <HI>&s;potted with the fle&s;h. Iude</HI> 23. according to that Ceremoniall, <HI>Le|vit.</HI> 15. 17. And this is that which diffe|rences civilitie and a good con&s;cience, Civiltie &s;hunnes mire, but is not &s;o trimme as to wa&s;h off &s;pots, this is the pure Religion of a pure Con&s;cience. <HI>Pure Religion and vndefiled, is to keepe a mans &s;elfe vn&s;potted,</HI> therefore they who are not vn&s;potted, are not vn|defiled, but if their Con&s;ciences bee but &s;potted, yet are they defi|led. Mens Con&s;ciences are as their Religion is, and pure Religion is &s;potle&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Yea to clo&s;e this point, the greate&s;t evidence of a good co~&s;cience is in ma|king con&s;cience of &s;mal things. Whil&s;t
<PB N="104" REF="64"> men feare great &s;innes, or are careful of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Probat e|nim etiam in maiorib&punc; &s;i r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">xigat executorem &s;e ido<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eum fore &agrave; qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> minora co~|pleantur. Salvi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n&punc; de provid. l. 3.</NOTE> maine duties, it may bee their reputa|tion and credit may &s;way them, which otherwi&s;e would bee impeached. So that in them it may be a que&s;tion, whe+ther it be con&s;cience or credite, that is the fir&s;t moover, but in &s;mall things where there is no credit to be had, nay, for &s;crupling whereof, a man may ra|ther receiue &s;ome di&s;credit from the world, heere it is more evident that good con&s;cience &s;ets a man on. This then is a note of a good con&s;cience, to make Con&s;cience, as of &s;mall duties, &s;o of &s;mall &s;innes, as he that feares poy&s;on feares to take a droppe, as well as a draught, and men feare not onely whe~ a firebrand is thru&s;t into, but when a &s;parke lights vpon their thatch.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Three other notes of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>A Third note of a good Con&s;cience may be this. It loues and likes a
<PB N="105" REF="64"> Mini&s;trie and &s;uch Mini&s;ters as preach<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Note of good con|&s;cience. To loue a Mini&s;try that &s;peaks home to the Con&s;ci|ence.</NOTE> and &s;peake to the Con&s;cience. It likes &s;uch a di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word as comes home to it&punc; whether for directi|on or reproofe. The Word is the rule of con&s;cience, and a good con&s;cience is de&s;irous to know the rule it mu&s;t liue by. The Word mu&s;t iudge the con&s;cience, this euery good con&s;cience knowes, and therefore grudges not to be reprooved by it, as knowing that if it will not abide the Words reproofe, it mu&s;t abide the Words iudgement. Therefore a man with a good con&s;ci|ence &s;peakes as <HI>Samuel, Speake Lord, thy &s;eruant heares.</HI> He can &s;uffer the words of exhortation, and not count him&s;elfe to &s;uffer whil&s;t it is done. He is of <HI>Da|uids</HI> minde, <HI>Let the righteous &s;mite me, and it &s;hall be a kindne&s;&s;e; let him reproue me and it &s;hall be an excellent oyle which &s;hall not breake mine head. P&s;al.</HI> 141. 5. It is with good con&s;cience as with good eyes that can abide the light, and can delight in it, whereas &s;icke and &s;ore eyes are troubled and offended there|with.
<PB N="106" REF="65"> A &s;ound heart is like &s;ound fle&s;h that can abide not onely touching, but al&s;o rubbing and chafing, and yet a man will not bee put into a chafe thereby, whereas contrarily if the lea&s;t thorne or vn&s;oundne&s;&s;e bee therein, a<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tu &s;cis De|us no&s;ter quod tunc de Alipioab illa pe&s;te &s;a nando non cogitave|rim. At ille in &s;e rapuit me&abque; illud non ni&s;i prop<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er &s;e dixi&s;&s;e cre|didit, &amp; quod alius acciperet ad &s;uccen|&s;endum mi|hi accepit hone&s;tus a|dole&s;cens ad &s;uccen|&s;endum &s;i|bi, &amp; ad me arden|tius dili|gendum. Aug. conf. li. 6. ca.</HI> 7&punc;</NOTE> touch at vnawares prouokes a man, if not to &s;mite, yet to angry words, and language of di&s;plea&s;ure. Vn&s;ound fle&s;h loues to bee &s;troakt, and to be handled gently, the lea&s;t roughne&s;&s;e puts into a rage. That is the ingenuitie of a good Con&s;cience, which was the good di&s;|po&s;ition of <HI>Alipius,</HI> when hee was vn|wittingly taxed by <HI>Angu&s;tine</HI> for his Theatricall vanities; hee was &s;o farre from being angry with him, though he conceined him purpo&s;ely to ayme at him, that hee was rather angry with him&s;elfe, and loued <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;o much the better.</P>
<P>Put mens Con&s;ciences vpon this tri|all, and we &s;hal &s;ee what the Con&s;cien|ces of mo&s;t men are. Let a man preach in an vnprofitable maner, let him &s;pe~d him&s;elfe in idle curio&s;ities &amp; &s;pecula|lations,
<PB N="107" REF="65"> let him be in combate with ob|&s;olete or forraine here&s;ies, &s;o long their Mini&s;ter is a faire and a good Church|man. But let him do as God comma~ds <HI>Ezekiel</HI> to doe, <HI>Ezek. 14. 4. An&s;wer them according to their Idols,</HI> preach to their nece&s;&s;ities, let them call them &amp; pre&s;&s;e them to holy duties, and reprove them<NOTE PLACE="marg">Scio me of fen&s;urum qu&agrave;m plu|rimos qui generalem de vitiis di&s;+putation<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m in &s;uam re|ferunt con|tumeliam, et dum mi|hi ira&s;cun|tur &s;ua~ iu|dicant con|&s;cientiam, multo&abque; prius de &s;e quam de me iudicant. Hieron. ad Ru&s;tic. Monach.</NOTE> for their vnholy practices, and make knowne vnto them what evill Con&s;ci|ences they haue: what then is their car|riage and behauiour? Euen that <HI>Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebukes in the gate, &amp; they abhorre him that &s;peakes vpright|ly.</HI> This Mini&s;trie that comes to the Con&s;cience will not down with them. It lets in too much light vpon them, &amp; <HI>Ahab</HI> hates <HI>Michaiah</HI> for drawing the curteines &s;o wide open, he cannot endure &s;uch punctuall and particular preaching that clappes &s;o clo&s;e to his Con&s;cience. A plaine &s;igne that <HI>Ahab</HI> hath a rotten and an vn&s;ound Con&s;ci|ence. <HI>Michaiah</HI> could not be more pun|ctuall with <HI>Ahab</HI> then <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> was with <HI>Hezekiah, I&s;a.</HI> 39. 6. 7. And yet what
<PB N="108" REF="66"> &s;ayes <HI>Ezekiah? Good is the Word of the Lord which thou ha&s;t &s;poken,</HI> as if he had &s;aid, a good Sermon, a good Preacher, all good. Whence comes this good en|tertainment of &s;o har&s;h a me&s;&s;age! <HI>He|zekiah</HI> had a good Con&s;cience, and therefore though the me&s;&s;age went a|gain&s;t the hayre, yet hee could giue good words, <HI>Let the rightious &s;mite me, and it &s;hall be a kindne&s;se, P&s;al.</HI> 141. I, but that is when the righteous &s;mites the righteous, what if the Prophet &s;mite <HI>Amaziah?</HI> He will threaten to &s;mit him againe, 2. <HI>Chron. 25. 16. For beare, why &s;houlde&s;t thou be &s;mitten?</HI> What if <HI>Paul</HI> preach of a good Con&s;cience, and &s;o make <HI>Ananias</HI> his Con&s;cience to &s;mite him? <HI>Ananias</HI> will command the &s;tan|ders by to &s;mite him on the mouth. Now let all the &s;tanders by iudge whe|ther <HI>Ananias</HI> haue any good Con&s;ci|ence in him, who cannot brooke the preaching of good Con&s;cience. Let men profe&s;&s;e they know God as long as they wil, yet if they &s;light the word, or &s;well at it, or bee di&s;obedient to it
<PB N="109" REF="66"> when it is layd to their Con&s;cience, <HI>Paul</HI> makes it a manife&s;t &s;igne of a defi+led con&s;cience, <HI>Tit. 1. 15. 16. Their minde and their con&s;cience is defiled.</HI> How ap|peares that? <HI>They profe&s;&s;e they know God, but they are di&s;obedient.</HI> When there|fore the Mini&s;trie of the Word &s;hall charge thee with dutie, or reproove thee for &s;in, and then thou &s;halt charge the Mini&s;ter with rayling, and girding and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee, and thou like&s;t not that Mini&s;ters &s;hould bee &s;o particular, &amp;c. In Gods feare bee advi&s;ed to looke to thy Con&s;cience, and know it that thou ha&s;t a naughty Con&s;cience. When the Mini&s;try of the Word &s;mites thy con|&s;cience, then for thee to &s;mite the Mi|ni&s;ter with reproachfull, &amp; di&s;gracefull tearmes, to &s;mite him with thy mouth&punc; How is thy Con&s;cience better then <HI>A|nanias</HI> his, that commands to &s;mite <HI>Paul</HI> on the mouth. Hee that cannot brooke that Gods Mini&s;ters &s;hould not di&s;charge a good Con&s;cience in prea|ching to the Con&s;cience, bee bold to
<PB N="110" REF="67"> challenge that man for a man of an e|vill con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="4">4. That is a fourth note of a good<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 4. Note of a good Con|&s;cience. To do duty for Con&s;cienre &s;ake.</NOTE> con&s;cience, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 5. ye mu&s;t be &s;ub|iect <HI>for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> To doe good or ab&s;taine from evill meerely for con&s;ci|ence &s;ake, is a note of a right good co~|&s;cience indeede. Con&s;cience as we &s;aw before, doth excite and &s;tirre vp, and bind to the doing of good, and bindes from the doing of evil. Now when the Con&s;cience vpon iu&s;t information fro~ the Word &s;hall pre&s;&s;e, and forbid, and then a man &s;hal, becau&s;e co~&s;cience for|bids, forbeare; or becau&s;e it pre&s;&s;es, per|forme obedience: thus to doe good, or not to do euill, for Con&s;cience &s;ake, is a note of a good Con&s;cience. It evi|dences a good Con&s;cience when the maine weight that &s;ets the wheeles on work, is con&s;cience of Gods comman|dement. When it is that, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 4. that &s;ets a man on worke, <HI>Thou hast com+manded vs to keepe thy precepts diligent|ly.</HI> The end of the commandement is loue, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 5. And <HI>loue is the fulfilling
<PB N="111" REF="67"> of the commandement. Rom.</HI> 12. But what loue? <HI>From a pure heart and a good Con|&s;cience, 1 Tim.</HI> 1. 5. When con&s;cience of the commandement caries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it, then doth &s;uch loue come from a good Con&s;ci|ence. <HI>Salomons</HI> de&s;cription of a good man, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 9. 2. is that <HI>hee feares an oath.</HI> He &s;ayes not, that &s;wearth not; but that feares an oath. For a man not to &s;weare may be the fruit of good educa+tion, and of the a we a man hath &s;tood in of his Gouernours, but to <HI>feare an oath,</HI> argues that a man <HI>feares the com|mandement, Pro.</HI> 13. 13, and to feare the commandement is the note of a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Here let mens Con&s;ciences be tryed. Thou praye&s;t in thy family, heare&s;t the Word, keepe&s;t the Sabbath, &amp;c. Now &s;earch thine heart, and make inquirie what it is that carries thee to the&s;e du|ties. Doe&s;t thou doe them for con&s;ci|ence &s;ake? Doe&s;t thou find con&s;cience to vrge and pre&s;&s;e thee, &amp; to giue &s;ati&s;|faction to the Con&s;cience, and obedi|ence
<PB N="112" REF="68"> to the iniunctions thereof. Are the&s;e things done? If &s;o, it is a &s;igne of a good Con&s;cience. But this di&s;covers the naughtine&s;&s;e of mens Con&s;ciences, who though they bee &s;ound in &s;ome good duties, or in the auoyding of &s;ome evils, yet is it not con&s;cience that workes them thereto. <HI>Yee mu&s;t bee &s;ub|iect not onely for wrath,</HI> that is, for feare of the Magi&s;trates wrath and revenge, <HI>but for Con&s;cience &s;ake, Rom.</HI> 13. 5. It is no good Con&s;cience when a man will bee &s;ubiect for his skins &s;ake, and lea&s;t hee &s;mart by the Magi&s;trates &s;word, but then a mans Con&s;cience is good, when in obedience to Gods Word, and in con&s;cience of his Commandement he &s;ubiects. The like may be &s;aid of all by-ends. Ye mu&s;t doe good duties, not for profit, not for credit, not for vaine|glory, not for law, but for con&s;cience &s;ake; or el&s;e evill con&s;ciences ye haue in that ye doe. The <HI>Shechemites</HI> receiue circumci&s;ion, <HI>Gen.</HI> 34. And is not cir|cumci&s;ion Gods Ordinance? And is it not ioy of them that they will ioyne
<PB N="113" REF="68"> to the Church, and profe&s;&s;e the true Religion? Yes &s;urely, if it were done for con&s;cience. I, but it is not done for con&s;cience &s;ake? Alas no &s;uch matter, but for <HI>Hamors</HI> &s;ake the Lord of the Towne, and for <HI>Shechems</HI> &s;ake their young Ma&s;ter, &amp; for the hope of gaines &s;ake. <HI>Shall not their cattell, and their &s;ub|&s;tance, and every bea&s;t of theirs bee ours? Gen.</HI> 34. 23. For the oxen &s;ake, and not for con&s;cience &s;ake are the <HI>Shechemites</HI> circumci&s;ed. <HI>Shechem</HI> for <HI>Dinahs</HI> &s;ake receiues the Sacrament. Oh the zeale and forwardnes that &s;ome wil profe&s;&s;e on a &s;udden, What frequenters of ho|ly exerci&s;es? But what, is it for con&s;ci|ence &s;ake? No &s;uch matter, but <HI>She|chem</HI> is in hope of a match with <HI>Dinah,</HI> &amp; all the&s;e &s;hewes of Religion are nei|ther for Gods &s;ake, nor con&s;cie~ce &s;ake, but all for <HI>Dinahs</HI> &s;ake, all vnder hope of preferment by a rich mariage. They were goodly &s;hewes of zeale, <HI>Iohn</HI> 6. 22. 24. in &s;eeking and following after Chri&s;t, but it was neither for Chri&s;t, nor con&s;cience &s;ake, but <HI>ver.</HI> 26. for the
<PB N="114" REF="69"> loaues, and the bread, and their bellies &s;ake.</P>
<P>Many of the Heathens, <HI>E&s;th. 8. 17. tur|ned Iewes.</HI> Was not there ioy of &s;uch Pro&s;elytes? not a whit, for not the feare of God, but <HI>the feare of the Iewes fel vpon them,</HI> as many frequent the publike a&s;|&s;emblies more for feare of the &s;tatute, then for feare of the commandement. The Officers of the King helped the Iewes, <HI>E&s;th.</HI> 9. 3. Was it for con&s;cience &s;ake? Nothing le&s;&s;e, but for wrath &s;ake and for feare, <HI>becau&s;e the feare of Morde|cai fell vpon them.</HI></P>
<P>If the Phari&s;ees had done all that (<HI>Mat.</HI> 6.) for Con&s;cience &s;ake, which they did for vaine-glory &s;ake, they had had the glory of good Con&s;cien|ces. Many preached the Go&s;pell in <HI>Pauls</HI> dayes, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. Does not &s;o good a worke argue a good con&s;cience? Yes, if it had beene done for Con&s;cience &s;ake; but that was done for conten|tion &s;ake, not to adde &s;oules to the Church; but to adde &s;orrowes to <HI>Pauls</HI> afflictions.</P>
<PB N="115" REF="69">
<P>It is a note of good Con&s;cience when that which we doe is done with a re&s;pect vnto the commandement of God <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 6. and not with a &s;quint re&s;pect vnto our own private, for prai&s;e or profit. It was a good argument of tho&s;e <HI>Bohemians</HI> good Con&s;ciences in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vtrine m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|ioris h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re|tici illine qui pictas &amp; lig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">as an qui au|reas &amp; ar|genteas i|magines <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> templis exi|gerent, &amp; ad conflan|dam m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne|tam igne adorerent? Dubra&punc; hi&s;t. Bohem. l. 24.</NOTE> plucking downe Images, that they beate downe onely painted and wood|den Images, while&s;t <HI>Sigi&s;mund</HI> the Emperour pulled downe &s;iluer and golden ones, to melt into money for pay for his &s;ouldiers, as they plead for them&s;elues, when they&punc; were held He|retiques for their fact. If they had puld downe &s;uch Images as hee did, they might haue beene thought to haue done it for gaine, and not for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</P>
<P>How great is often the zeale of ma|ny again&s;t fa&s;hions, and &s;uch vanities? How well it were if it were for Con|&s;cience &s;ake, and not for envie again&s;t &s;ome particular per&s;on, whom they do di&s;ta&s;te, and &s;o for the per&s;on, the va|nity. For if it be for Con&s;ciences &s;ake,
<PB N="116" REF="70"> how is it that tho&s;e vanities, &s;uch great offences to their Con&s;ciences, found in &s;ome di&s;ta&s;ted per&s;ons are yet no trouble to their Con&s;ciences, being the very &s;ame, if not wor&s;e in their owne favourites, and a&s;&s;ociates? Iudge whe|ther &s;uch zeale come from Con&s;ci|ence, or from corrupt affection, whe|ther it be not more again&s;t the per&s;on, then again&s;t the &s;inne.<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 5&punc; Note of a good con|&s;cience. Holy bold|ne&s;&s;e. <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">na con|&s;cientia prodire vult, &amp; co~|&s;pici ip&s;as nequitia te|nebras ti|met, Senec. ep. 98. Qui non deliquit de|cet auda|cem e&s;&s;e &amp; confidente~r pro&s;e, &amp; proterve loqui. Plaut. in Aniph.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P N="5">5. We haue a fift note of a good con|&s;cience in the text. <HI>And Paul earne&s;tly beholding the Councell.</HI> Here is a marke of a good Con&s;cience in his lookes, as well as in his words; in his face, as well as in his &s;peech. <HI>Paul</HI> is here conven|ted before the Councell, With what face is he able to behold them? And <HI>Paul</HI> earne&s;tly <HI>beholding the Councell.</HI> A good Con&s;cience makes a man hold vp his head even in the thicke&s;t of his enemies. I can looke them in the fa|ces, and out-face a whole rabble of them a&s;&s;embled on purpo&s;e to ca&s;t di&s;|grace on it. That may bee &s;ayd of a man with a good Con&s;cience, which is
<PB N="117" REF="70"> &s;poken of &s;ome of <HI>Davids</HI> men, 1 <HI>Chron. 12. 8. Who&s;e faces were like the fa|ces of Lions,</HI> for the <HI>righteous is bold as a Lion, Pro.</HI> 28. 1. Now might <HI>Paul</HI> truely haue &s;aid as <HI>David. P&s;al. 57. 4. My &s;oule is among Lions, I lie among them that are &s;et on fire.</HI> And now how fares hee? what is he all a mort? lookes he pale and blanke, doth hee &s;neake or hang downe his head, or droope with a de|iected countenance: No, <HI>Paul</HI> is as bold as a Lion, and can face the&s;e Ly|ons, and <HI>earne&s;tly</HI> fixe his countenance vpon the be&s;t of them. A good Con|&s;cience makes a mans face as God had made <HI>Ezekiels. Ezek. 3. 8. 9. Behold I haue made thy face &s;trong again&s;t their faces, and thy forehead &s;trong again&s;t their foreheads. As an Adamant harder then flint haue I made thy &s;orehead, feare them not, neither bee di&s;maid at their lookes.</HI> Such hartening and hardening comes al&s;o from a good Con&s;cience. A good Con&s;cience makes a man goe, as the Lord in another &s;en&s;e tells I&s;rael hee had done for them, <HI>Levit.</HI> 26. 13.
<PB N="118" REF="71"> <HI>I haue made you goe vpright.</HI> A good con&s;cience erects a mans face, and lookes, is no &s;neaking &s;linker, but makes a man goe vpright. As con|trarily guilt, deiects both a mans &s;pi|rits, and his lookes, and vnle&s;&s;e a man haue a Sodomiticall impuden|cie. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 3. 9. or an whores forehead, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 3. 3. which refu&s;es to bee a|&s;hamed, makes him hang downe the head.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> fixes his eyes here, and lookes earne&s;tly vpon them, but what if they had looked as earne&s;tly vpon him? yet would not his good Con&s;cience haue beene out-fac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d. See <HI>Act. 6. 15. All that &s;ate in the Coun&s;ell looked &s;tedfa&s;tly on him;</HI> namely on <HI>Steven.</HI> If but the high Prie&s;t alone had faced him, it had beene &s;omewhat, but all that &s;ate in the Councell looke &s;ted|fa&s;tly on him. Surely one would thinke &s;uch a pre&s;ence were able to haue damped, and vtterly to haue da&s;hed him out of countenance. But how is it with him? Is hee appalled?
<PB N="119" REF="71"> Is hee damped? <HI>They &s;aw his face as it had beene the face of an Angell,</HI> &s;ayes the text. As wi&s;edome, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 8. 1. &s;o a good Con&s;cience makes the face to &s;hine. A good Con&s;cience hath not onely a <HI>Lions,</HI> but an <HI>Angels</HI> face, it hath not onely a Lion-like boldne&s;&s;e, but an Angelicall dazling brightne&s;&s;e, which the &s;icke and &s;ore eyes of malice can as ill endure to behold, as the I&s;ralites could the &s;hining brightne&s;&s;e of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> face. The face of a good Con&s;cience tells enemies that they are malicious lyers. And no wonder that a good con&s;cience hath &s;uch courage and con|fidence in the face, &s;tanding before a whole Councell, when it &s;hall be able to hold vp it head with boldne&s;&s;e be|fore the Lord him&s;elfe, at that great day of the generall Iudgement. Euen then &s;hall a good Con&s;cience haue a bold face.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="120" REF="72">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Two other, and the la&s;t notes of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>A Sixt note of a good Con&s;cience<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 6. Note of a good Con|&s;cience. To &s;uffer for con&s;cience.</NOTE> followes, namely, that which we haue, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 19. When a man <HI>for Con&s;cience towards God endures griefe, &s;uffering wrong.</HI> A good con&s;cience had rather that <HI>Ananias</HI> &s;hould &s;mite, then it &s;elfe &s;hould. <HI>Ananias</HI> his blowes are nothing to the blowes of Con&s;cience. <HI>Ananias</HI> may make <HI>Pauls</HI> cheekes glowe, but con&s;cience giues &s;uch terrible buffets, as will make the &s;toute&s;t heart in the world to ake. That will pinch, and twitch, and gird the heart with &s;uch griping throws, that all the blowes, and tortures that <HI>Ananias</HI> his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them.</P>
<P>Now therefore a man that &s;ets any &s;tore by a good con&s;cience, will not part with the Peace or Integritie there|of
<PB N="121" REF="72"> vpon any termes. He rates the good|nes of his Con&s;cience farre aboue all carthly things. Wealth, libertie, wife, children, life it &s;elfe, all are vile, and cheape in compari&s;on of it. And there|fore a man of a good Con&s;cience, will endure any griefe, &amp; &s;uffer any wrong to keepe his con&s;cience good towards God. Such a good Con&s;cience had <HI>Daniel.</HI> Dan. 1. 8. <HI>Hee purpo&s;ed in his heart that hee would not defile him&s;elfe with the portion of the Kings meat.</HI> That is, he was fully &s;etled, &amp; re&s;olued in his Con&s;cience, come what would come, he would not do that which would not &s;tand with a good co~&s;cience. But what if he could haue gotten no other meat? Without all doubt hee would rather haue &s;tarved, then haue defiled his Co~|&s;cience with that meat. He would haue lo&s;t his life rather then haue lo&s;t the Peace, and Integritie of his Con&s;ci|ence. It &s;eemes a que&s;tion of great diffi|cultie, which was put to the three Children, <HI>Dan,</HI> 3. Whether they will giue the bowing of their bodies to the
<PB N="122" REF="73"> golden Idoll, or the burning of their bodies to the fiery Fornace. But yet they finde no &s;uch difficultie therein, they were not carefull to an&s;wer in that matter. <HI>ver.</HI> 16. Of the two fires they choo&s;e the coole&s;t, &amp; the ea&s;ie&s;t. The fire of a guiltie con&s;cience is &s;ea|ven times hotter, and more intollerable then the fire of <HI>Nebucadnezzars</HI> For|nace, though it be heated &s;eauen times more then it is wont to be heated.</P>
<P>If the que&s;tion come betweene life and good Con&s;cience, that one of the two mu&s;t bee parted withall, it is an hard ca&s;e. Life is wondrous &s;weet and pretious. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he giue for his life. <HI>I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b</HI> 2. 4. What then &s;hould a man doe in &s;uch an hard ca&s;e? Heare what is the re&s;o|lution of a good Con&s;cience. <HI>Act. 20. 24. My life is not deare vnto me, &s;o that I may fulfill my Mini&s;tration with ioy.</HI> And wherein lay his Ioy, but in his good Con&s;cience. 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12. It is all one as if he had &s;aid, I care not to loo&s;e my life to keepe a good Con&s;cience&punc;
<PB N="123" REF="73"> A good Con&s;cience in that pa&s;&s;age of the Apo&s;tle. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 19. is &s;ecretly com|pared to a &s;hip. Now in a tempe&s;t at Sea, when the que&s;tion is come to this, whether the goods &s;hall be ca&s;t out, or the Ship be ca&s;t away, what doe the Marriners? See <HI>Act. 27. 18. 38. They ligh|tened the &s;hip, and ca&s;t out the wheat into the Sea.</HI> The Marriners will turne the riche&s;t Commodities over boo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d to &s;aue the &s;hip, for they know if the &s;hip be ca&s;t away, then them&s;elues are ca&s;t away. Thus it is with a man that hath a good con&s;cience, when the ca&s;e comes to this pinch, that either his out|ward Comforts, or his inward Peace mu&s;t wrack, he will chearfully <HI>ca&s;t the wheat into the Sea,</HI> will part with all earthly commodities &amp; comforts, be|fore he will ru&s;h, and wrack his con&s;ci|ence vpon any rocke. He knowes if the &s;hip be wrackt, if his Con&s;cience bee crackt, that then him&s;elfe, &amp; his &s;oule is in danger of being ca&s;t away, &amp; there|fore he wil throw away all to &s;aue con|&s;cience from being &s;plit vpon the rocks
<PB N="124" REF="74"> and being &s;wallowed vp in the &s;ands.</P>
<P>There is as great a difference between a good con&s;cience, and all outward things even vnto life it, &s;elfe, as is between the arme, &amp; 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 thru&s;t through, a man will not &s;tand que&s;tio|ning whether he were be&s;t adventure his hand, or his arme to &s;aue his head, or his heart, but either of the&s;e being in danger, the hand &amp; the arme pre&s;ently interpo&s;e them&s;elues to receiue the blow, and put them&s;elues in danger of being wounded, or cut off, rather then the head or heart &s;hould 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 &s;o in this ca&s;e. A good Con&s;cience values its owne peace aboue all the world, It is that wherein a Chri&s;tians life lyes, therefore he will &s;uffer the right hand or foot to be cut off, and loo&s;e all rather then expo&s;e Con&s;cience to danger&punc;
<PB N="125" REF="74"> A man may go to heauen with the lo&s;&s;e of a limbe, and though he halt. <HI>Mat.</HI> 18 8. but if a man loo&s;e his life, if Con&s;ci|ence be lo&s;t, all is lo&s;t. A man may goe to heauen though he loo&s;e riches, li|berty, life, but if a good Con&s;cience be lo&s;t, there is no comming thither. All things compared to Con&s;cience are as farre beneath it, as the lea&s;t finger beneath the head. He were a mad man that would &s;uffer his skull to bee cleft to &s;aue his little finger, nay but the pa|ring of his nayle. And yet the world is full of &s;uch mad men, that &s;uffer con|&s;cience to receiue many a deep wound and ga&s;h, to &s;aue tho&s;e things which in compari&s;on of good Con&s;cience, are but as the nayle parings to the head.</P>
<P>Try mens Con&s;ciences here, and we &s;hall finde them exceeding &s;hort. A good Con&s;cience will endure any griefe, and &s;uffer any wrong rather then &s;uffer the lo&s;&s;e of its owne peace. God commands <HI>Amaziah.</HI> 2. Chro. 25 to put away <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> oh! but <HI>what &s;hall I
<PB N="126" REF="75"> doe for mine hundred Talents?</HI> Tu&s;h, what are an hundred Talents? A good Con&s;cience in yeelding obedience to God is a richer trea&s;ure then the Ea&s;t and We&s;t <HI>Indies.</HI> And yet how many be there that will craze their Con&s;ci|ence an hundred times before they wil lo&s;e one Talent by obedience to God, out of a care to keepe a good Con&s;ci|ence. A talent? nay, that is too deepe, neuer put them to that co&s;t, they will &s;ell a good con&s;cience, not for gaining, but for the taking of a farthing token. God and good con&s;cience &s;ay, <HI>Sancti|fie the Sabbath.</HI> Po&s;&s;ibly &s;ome halfe|penny cu&s;tomer comes to a Trades|mans Shop on a Sabbath, and askes the &s;ale of &s;uch, or &s;uch a commodity. Now the mans con&s;cience tels him of the commaundement, tels him what God lookes for, tels him it cannot &s;tand with his peace to make markets on that day, &amp;c. But then he tels con|&s;cience, that if he be &s;o preci&s;e, he may loo&s;e a cu&s;tomer, and if hee loo&s;e his cu&s;tomers, he may &s;hut vp his Shop|windowes.
<PB N="127" REF="75"> An Inne-keepers con&s;ci|ence tels him that it is fitter that hee &s;hould bee attending Gods &s;eruice at his hou&s;e on his day, the~ that he &s;hould be wayting on his gue&s;ts. But then hee replies to con&s;cience, that then his ta|kings will be but poore, and this is the next way to plucke downe his &s;igne. So here lyes a di&s;pute between con&s;ci|ence and Gaine, which of the&s;e two mu&s;t be parted with. If now in this ca&s;e a man will growe to this re&s;olution. By Gods helpe I am re&s;olued to keepe a good con&s;cience in keeping Gods Commandement, and Sabbath, I will rather loo&s;e the be&s;t cu&s;tomer I haue, &amp; the be&s;t gue&s;t I haue, then the peace of a good con&s;cience. If I beg, I beg, I I will &s;ay of my cu&s;tomers as <HI>Iacob</HI> of his children. <HI>Gen. 43. 14. If I am berea|ued of them, I am bereaued.</HI> I will tru&s;t God with my e&s;tate, before I will ha|zard my con&s;cience; Giue mee &s;uch a man, &s;uch a Trade&s;man, and I will bee bold to &s;ay he is a man of a good con|&s;cience. But contrarily, when men are
<PB N="128" REF="76"> &s;o &s;et vpon Gaine, that &s;o they may haue it they care not how they come by it, they will di&s;pen&s;e an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had, if the&s;e haue good con&s;ciences let any iudge. How would &s;uch loo&s;e their blood &amp; liues, that will not loo&s;e &s;uch trifling gaines for the &s;afety of their con&s;cience. We <HI>haue not yet re&s;i&s;ted vnto blood,</HI> the more we owe to God, that know not what that re&s;i&s;tance meanes. Alas, how would tho&s;e re&s;i&s;t vnto blood that &s;et Con&s;cience to &s;ale vpon &s;o ba&s;e pri&s;es as they doe.</P>
<P><HI>Peter</HI> &s;peakes of a <HI>fiery triall.</HI> 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God &s;hould euer bring that tryal among&s;t vs, what a company of dro&s;|&s;ie con&s;ciences would it find out. We haue no <HI>fiery tryall,</HI> we haue but an <HI>ayrie tryall</HI> onely, and yet how many euill con&s;ciences it di&s;couers. Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his fa|mily, to frequent good exerci&s;es, and company, hee is convinced in his con|&s;cience, that thus he &s;hould doe, and
<PB N="129" REF="76"> con&s;cience pre&s;&s;es him to it. But why then are not the&s;e things done? <HI>A Lyon is in the way.</HI> He &s;hall loo&s;e the good word, and opinion of the world, hee &s;hall haue &s;o many frowns, &amp; frumpes, and cen&s;ures, and &s;coffers, that hee can|not buckle to this cour&s;e. Many are in <HI>Zedekiah</HI> his ca&s;e; he was conuinced in his con&s;cience, that he ought, &amp; it was his &s;afe&s;t cour&s;e to go out to the <HI>Chal|deans;</HI> que&s;tionles his con&s;cience pre&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">im to it, and bids him goe out. Why then goes he not? He is afrayd. <HI>Ier. 38. 19. that he &s;hall be mockt.</HI> Such con&s;ci|ences as will not preferre their owne good word &amp; co~fort, before the good or ill words of the world, Such con&s;ci|ences 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 Con&s;cience before all other things, are meere &s;trangers to good Con&s;ci|ence.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh and la&s;t note remaines.<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 7. Note of a good Con|&s;cience.</NOTE> And that is in the Text; <HI>Vntill this day.
<PB N="130" REF="77"> Con&s;tancy</HI> and <HI>per&s;everance</HI> in good, is a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;tancy in good.</NOTE> &s;ure note of a good con&s;cience. <HI>Paul</HI> had beene young, and now was old, &amp; yet was old <HI>Paul</HI> &s;till, &s;till the &s;ame ho|ly man he was. Time changes al things but a good con&s;cience, and that is ney|ther 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 &s;till.</P>
<P><HI>Vntill this day.</HI>] And this day was not farre fro~ his dying day. And how held he out to his la&s;t day. Heare as it were his la&s;t and dying breath. 2. <HI>Tim. 4. 7. I haue fought a good fight, I haue fini&s;hed my cour&s;e, I haue kept the faith.</HI> He &s;ayes not, I haue fini&s;hed my faith, I haue kept my life, as many may, but <HI>I haue fi|ni&s;hed my cour&s;e, I haue kept the faith.</HI> He kept his faith till hee had fini&s;ht his cour&s;e, not onely here, <HI>vntill this day,</HI> but there vntill his fini&s;hing day. So long he kept the faith, and therefore &s;o long a good con&s;cience, for as the loo|&s;ing
<PB N="131" REF="77"> of them goe together. 1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 19 &s;o the keeping of them goe together, therfore keeping the faith, he al&s;o kept a good con&s;cience till hee fini&s;ht his dayes.</P>
<P><HI>Vntill this day.</HI> And yet one would wonder that he &s;hould keepe it to this day, con&s;idering how hardly hee had bin v&s;ed before, vntill, and now at this day. The mo&s;t of tho&s;e things. 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 23. were before this day. <HI>Often vn|der &s;tripes, in pri&s;ons oft,</HI> and yet &s;tands con&s;tant in the maintenance of the li|berty of his Con&s;cience. <HI>ver&s;. 24. 25. Thrice I &s;uffered &s;hipwracke, &amp;c.</HI> and yet made no &s;hipwracke of a good con&s;ci|ence. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26. 27. in a number of perils, in <HI>perill of fal&s;e brethren,</HI> and yet his co~|&s;cience plaies not fal&s;e with God, nei|ther is it weary of going on in a religi|ous cour&s;e.</P>
<P>Here then is the nature of a good con&s;cience, and the triall of it.</P>
<P>A good con&s;cience holds out con|&s;tantly in a good <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> without <HI>de|flection,</HI> and in a good <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> with|out
<PB N="132" REF="78"> <HI>defection.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In a <HI>good Cau&s;e.</HI> Let a good con|&s;cience vndertake the defe~ce of a good Cau&s;e, and it will &s;tand rightly to it, &amp; neither grow weary, nor corrupt. It will not make &s;hews of countenancing <HI>Pauls</HI> cau&s;e till he come before <HI>Nero,</HI> &amp; then giue him the &s;lippe, and giue him leaue to &s;tand vpon his own bottome, and &s;hift for him&s;elfe as well as he can. A con&s;cionable Magi&s;trate, &amp; a Iudge, who out of a co~&s;cience of the faithfull di&s;charge of his place, takes in hand the defence of a good, or the puni&s;hment of a bad cau&s;e, will not leaue it in the &s;uddes, will not be wrought by feare or favour, to let Innocency bee thru&s;t to the walles, and Iniquitie hold vp the neb, but will &s;tand out &s;tiffe, and mani|fe&s;t the goodne&s;&s;e of his Con&s;cience in his Con&s;tancie.</P>
<P N="2">2. In a <HI>good Cour&s;e.</HI> A man that is once in a good Cour&s;e, hauing a good con|&s;cience, will neither be driven, nor bee drawne out of that good way to his dying day. There be tentations on the
<PB N="133" REF="78"> right hand, and there be tentations on the left, but yet a good Con&s;cience wil turne neither way, <HI>Pro.</HI> 4. 27. but keeps on foreright, and pre&s;&s;es hard to the marke that is &s;et before it. Try it with tentations <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">t hand. Try it by the moc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">s and deri&s;ions of others whom it &s;ees in good wayes, will this &s;tagger or &s;tumble it, &amp; make it &s;tart a|&s;ide? Not a whit, but it will go on with &s;o much the more courage rather, <HI>Iob 17. 6. 7. 8. 9. He hath made me al&s;o a by|word of the people, and aforetime I was a Tabret.</HI> Was not this enough to &s;hake others, to &s;ee &s;uch a prime man as <HI>Iob</HI> thus v&s;ed, thus &s;corned and mocked? Not a whit; for all this. <HI>The righteous &s;hal hold on his way, &amp; he that hath clean hands, &s;hall be &s;tronger and &s;tronger.</HI></P>
<P>Try it by mockings and deri&s;ion<NOTE PLACE="marg">Si reddere beneficium non aliter quam per &s;peciem in|iuria poter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> aqui&s;sim<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> animo ad hone&s;tum con&s;iliu~ per mediam in|famiam te~|dam-Nemo mihi vide|tur pluris a&s;timare virtute~, ne|mo illi ma|gis e&s;&s;e d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|votus qua~ qui boni vi+ri famam <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">erdidit ne con&s;cienti|am perde|ret. Sence. epi. 82.</NOTE> per&s;onall, by per&s;onall infamy and re|proach, let a mans owne &s;elfe bee de|rided, be defamed, this will goe nee|rer then th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> former, what will this move him out of the way? No: He wil lo&s;e his good name, before his good
<PB N="134" REF="79"> Con&s;cience. See <HI>P&s;. 119. 51. The proud haue had me greatly in deri&s;ion, yet haue I not declined from thy law.</HI> And though <HI>Michol. 2. Sam.</HI> 6. play the flouting foole, yet <HI>Dauid</HI> will not play the de|clining foole, but if to be zealous, be to be a foole, he will <HI>be yet more vile.</HI> And though <HI>Ieremy</HI> was in <HI>deri&s;ion dai|ly, &amp; euery one mocked him,</HI> yea, <HI>and de|famed him,</HI> yet he was rather the more then the le&s;&s;e zealous. <HI>Ier.</HI> 20. 7. 9. 10. The righteous, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 125. 1. are <HI>like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued, but abides for euer.</HI> What likelihood that a puffe of breath &s;hould remoue a Mountain? When men can blowe downe Moun|taines with their breath, then may they &s;cof a good&punc; co~&s;cience out of the wayes of godlines &amp; &s;inceritie. Mount <HI>Sion,</HI> and a good con&s;cience abide for euer.</P>
<P>But the&s;e happily may bee thought lighter tryalls, put a good con&s;cience to &s;ome more &s;marting, and bleeding tryalls then th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tier ones are, and yet there &s;hall we finde it as Con&s;tant as in the former&punc;</P>
<PB N="135" REF="79">
<P>Let the Lord giue the <HI>Sabaeans, Chal|daeans,</HI> and Satan leaue to &s;poyle <HI>Iob</HI> of his goods, and children, will not then <HI>Iob</HI> giue vp his Integritie, doe ye not thinke that hee will cur&s;e God to his face? So indeed the diuell hopes. <HI>Iob</HI> 1. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. But what is the i&s;&s;ue? What gets the diuell by the tryall? Onely giues God argument of triumph again&s;t him in <HI>Iobs</HI> Con&s;tancy. <HI>Iob 2. 3. And &s;till he hol|deth fa&s;t his Integrity.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, See for all that thou can&s;t do, in &s;pight of all thy &s;pight, and mi&s;chieuous ma|lice, he holds fa&s;t his Integrity vntill this day. See the terrible&punc; tryalls, to which they were put. <HI>Heb. 11. 37. They were &s;toned&punc; &s;awne a&s;under, &amp;c.</HI> and yet all could not make them &s;hake hands with a good Con&s;cience. The raine, floodes, and windes, could not bring downe the hou&s;e founded vpon the rocke, <HI>Math.</HI> 7. Notwith&s;tanding all tryals a good Con&s;cience &s;tands to it, and holds it owne, and &s;peakes as one Father <HI>Rawlins</HI> did to the Bi&s;hop, <HI>Raw|lings</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts and Mon.</NOTE> <HI>you left me, Rawlins you find me&punc; and
<PB N="136" REF="80"> Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue.</HI></P>
<P>Try yet a good Con&s;cience farther with the tentations on the right hand, which commonly haue as much more &s;trength in them aboue the other, as the right hand hath aboue the left, and yet we &s;hall finde the right hand too weak to plucke a good Con&s;cience out of its &s;tation.</P>
<P>It was a &s;ore tentation wherewith <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was a&s;&s;aulted. The trea&s;ures, and plea&s;ures, the honours and &s;auours of the Egyptian Court, and Prince&s;&s;e. All the&s;e wooe him, not to goe to the peo|ple of God. Had that people beene &s;et|led and at re&s;t in Canaan, yet had it bin a great tentation to preferre Egypt be|fore Canaan. But the people are in E|gypt, in affliction, in bondage, therfore &s;o much the more &s;trength in the ten|tation. What will you bee &s;o mad to leaue all for nothing&punc; certain honours, for certaine afflictions? who can tell but you may be ray&s;ed to this greatnes to bee an in&s;trument of good to your people! you by your fauour in the
<PB N="137" REF="80"> Court may be a means to ea&s;e them of their bondage, and &s;o you may do the Church &s;eruice with your greatne&s;&s;e, &amp;c, Here was a tentation on the right hand, &amp; with the right hands &s;trength. Well and how &s;peeds it? Is <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> able to with&s;tand it? See <HI>Heb. 11. 24. 25. 26. He refu&s;ed to be called the &s;onne of Pha|raohs daughter,</HI> &amp;c. All would not do, nor &s;tirre him a whit. Tho&s;e faithfull Worthies before mentioned, could not bee &s;tirred with all the cruelties their aduer&s;aries could inuent. I, but it may bee a tentation on the right hand, might haue made them draw a|way the right hand of fellow&s;hip from a good Con&s;cience. Well, their ene|mies therfore will try what good they can doe that wayes. <HI>Heb. 11. 37. They were tempted,</HI> that is, on the right hand, they were &s;ollicited and enticed, and allured with faire promi&s;es of ho|nours, fauours, preferments, as <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n|ner</HI> v&s;ed to deale with the Martyrs, hee had &s;ometimes butter and oyle, as well as fire and faggot, in his mouth.
<PB N="138" REF="81"> Thus were they te~pted, but yet what auayled the&s;e tentations? Iu&s;t as much as their &s;tones, &s;awes, &s;words, pri&s;ons, all alike. They for all the&s;e tentations keepe a good Con&s;cience to their dy|ing day, and hold fa&s;t the faith &amp; truth vnto the end.</P>
<P>A good con&s;cience is of the mind of tho&s;e trees in <HI>Iothams</HI> parable. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 9. It will not with the Oliue lo&s;e its <HI>fat|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> nor with the Figtree lo&s;e its <HI>&s;weet|nes,</HI> nor with the Vine its <HI>wine</HI> of cheer|fulne&s;&s;e, to haue the fatte&s;t, and &s;wee|te&s;t preferments and plea&s;ures of the world, no though it were to raign ouer the trees.</P>
<P>It was an excellent re&s;olution of <HI>Be|nevolus</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Benevolo Iu&s;tina prae|cepit vt ad|ver&s;us fide~ patru~ im|perialia decreta di|ctaret Illo vero &s;e im|pia verba prolaturum abnuente cel&s;iorem bonoris gra+du~ &s;po&s;pon|dit &s;i man|data perfi|ceret, cui Bonevolus. Quid mihi pro impie|tatis mer|cede altiore~ promittis gradum? hune ip&s;um que~ habeo, auferte du~ integram fidei con|&s;cientiam tuear. Ac protinus cingulum ante<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pedes eius abiec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Sigon. de <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">c|cid. Imp l. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. pag. 200.</NOTE> in his an&s;wer to <HI>Iu&s;tina</HI> the Ar|rian Empre&s;&s;e, profering preferments to him to haue beene in&s;trumentall in a &s;eruice which could not bee done with a good Con&s;cience. <HI>What doe ye promi&s;ing me an higher degree of prefer|ment for a reward of impiety? yea euen take this from me which already I haue, &s;o that I may keep a good Con&s;cience.</HI> And
<PB N="139" REF="81"> &s;o foorthwith he threw at her feet his girdle, the en&s;igne of his honour. Thus doth a good con&s;cience throw and trample honour and preferment vnder foot to maintaine its owne integrity? Thus can nothing corrupt a good con|&s;cience. <HI>I haue been young, and now am old, and yet neuer &s;aw I the righteous for|&s;aken,</HI> to wit, of God, <HI>P&s;alm. 37. David</HI> out of his experience could haue &s;ayd as much in this point, I haue bin young and now am old, yet never &s;aw I God, and godlines for&s;aken by the righte|ous, by the man that had a good con|&s;cience. But the man that had a good con&s;cience when he was young, will hold out &amp; haue it when he is old. It is the great honour and grace of a good con&s;cience which <HI>Walden</HI> thinks hee &s;pake to the di&s;grace of <HI>Wickliffe, Ita vt Cano placeret quod inveni complacebat,</HI> He was young and old, one and the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Fox</HI> Acts and Mon.</NOTE> &s;ame man. Old age decayes the body, the &s;trength, the &s;en&s;es, but con&s;cience it touches not, that holds out &s;ound to death. As of Chri&s;t in another &s;en&s;e,
<PB N="140" REF="82"> <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. &s;o may it be &s;aid of a good con|&s;cience in this, <HI>Ye&s;terday, and to day, and the &s;ame for ever.</HI> A good Con&s;cience is no changeling, but let a mans e&s;tate change from rich to poore, from poore to rich, or let the times change from good to evill, or from evill to wor&s;e; or a mans dayes change from young to old, let his haires and head change, yet among all the&s;e changes, a good con|&s;cience will not change, but holds it owne vntill its la&s;t day.</P>
<P>Now put mens Con&s;ciences vpon this tryall, and their incon&s;tancy either in good cau&s;es, or cour&s;es, wil di&s;couer their naugtine&s;&s;e. In a good cau&s;e how many are like <HI>Darius?</HI> His con&s;cience &s;truggles a great while for <HI>Daniel,</HI> hee knew he was innocent, he knowes the action to be vniu&s;t, and therefore la|bours all day till the &s;etting of the Sun for his deliuerance, <HI>Dan.</HI> 6. 14. but yet ouercome with the Pre&s;idents and Princes vrgencie, <HI>ver.</HI> 16. he commands him to the Lions Denne. Heere was a naturall Con&s;cience &s;tanding for equi|tie
<PB N="141" REF="82"> and iu&s;tice, but yet no good con|&s;cience, it holds but till Sunne &s;et, and his Con&s;cience went downe with the Sunne. His Con&s;cience yeeldes and is ouercome, though it know the act to be iniu&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Pilates</HI> Con&s;cience makes him plead for Chri&s;t. In his con&s;cience he acquits him, and thrice &s;olemnly profe&s;&s;es that hee findes no fault in him, and there|fore cannot in con&s;cience condemne him, yea withall, &s;eekes to relea&s;e him, <HI>Iohn</HI> 19. 12. Is not heere now a good Con&s;cience? Indeed it had bene &s;o in this particular fact, if his Con&s;ci|ence had beene inflexible, and had held out. But when <HI>Pilate</HI> heares them &s;ay, that if he bee his friend, hee is no friend to <HI>Cae&s;ar, Ioh.</HI> 19. 12. and while&s;t withall hee is willing to content the people, <HI>Marke</HI> 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one &s;ide, and a de&s;ire to curry favour on the other, Where now is his con&s;cience? Now he pre&s;ently delivers him to bee crucified, though hee knowes in his Con&s;cience that
<PB N="142" REF="83"> there is no fault in him. What a good con&s;cience hath many a Iudge, and Lawyer&punc; How &s;tiffely will they &s;tand in, and pro&s;ecute a iu&s;t cau&s;e till a bribe come &amp; puts out the very eies of their Con&s;cience. Their Con&s;ciences are of &s;o &s;oft a temper, that the lea&s;t touch of Siluer turnes their edge pre&s;ently. They hold out well till their come a tentation on their right hand, that is, in their right hand. <HI>P&s;al. 144. 8. Who&s;e mouth &s;peakes vanitie, and their right hand is a right hand of fal&s;hood.</HI> If once the right hand be a right hand of fal&s;|hood, the mouth will &s;oone &s;peake vanity, though before it &s;pake Con|&s;cience. Who would not haue thought <HI>Baalam</HI> to haue beene a man of an ex|cellent Con&s;cience? <HI>If Balak would giue me his hou&s;e full of &s;ilver and gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, to doe le&s;&s;e or more, Num.</HI> 22. 18. But yet be&s;ides that faltring in tho&s;e words, <HI>I cannot goe,</HI> whereas the lan|guage of good con&s;cience would haue beene, <HI>I will not goe;</HI> be&s;ides that I &s;ay,
<PB N="143" REF="83"> before he ends his &s;peech, &s;ee how the hope of promotions worke, and works his Con&s;cience like waxe before the fire, <HI>ver&s;e 19. Now therefore I pray you tarry heere al&s;o this night, that I may knowe what the Lord will &s;ay vnto mee more.</HI> A faltring inference: If his Con&s;cience had beene good it would haue inferred &s;trongly thus, Now therefore I pray get you gone, and trouble me no longer. He knew in his Con&s;cience the people ought not to bee cur&s;ed, and that he ought not to goe, and yet comes in with, <HI>I pray tarry all night, &amp;c.</HI> Truely <HI>Balak</HI> nee|ded not to haue beene &s;o laui&s;h and &s;o prodigall, as to offer an hou&s;e full, one handfull of his Siluer and Gold will frame <HI>Balaams</HI> Con&s;cience to any thing.</P>
<P>The like tryall may be made of mens Con&s;ciences, by their <HI>incon&s;tancy</HI> in good cour&s;es, and this will condemne three &s;orts as guilty of evill con&s;cien|ces.</P>
<P N="1">1. Such as &s;ometimes being convin|ced
<PB N="144" REF="84"> of the nece&s;&s;ity of good cour&s;es, do &s;et vpon the practi&s;e of them, &amp; begin to looke toward Religion, &amp; religious duties, till meeting with &s;ome of their &s;uppo&s;ed wi&s;er neighbours, they be ad+vi&s;ed to take heed, they may bring the~|&s;elues into greater note then they are aware of, they will incurre &s;harper cen|&s;ures then they thinke of, &amp;c. and &s;o &s;uddenly all is da&s;ht, all is qua&s;ht and quencht. There is a di&s;ea&s;e among bea&s;ts they call the <HI>Staggers,</HI> and it is a di&s;ea&s;e too frequent in mens con&s;ci|ences, who &s;ometimes are on, &s;ome|times off, one day begin, and next day cea&s;e good cour&s;es. That may be &s;aid of many mens con&s;ciences which <HI>Ia|cob</HI> &s;peaks of <HI>Reuben, Gen. 49. 4. Vn&s;ta|ble as water.</HI> The water mooves as the windes blow. If the winde blow out of the Ea&s;t, then it moves one way, if out of the We&s;t then it moves another, the cleane contrary, and vpon every new winde a new way. So many, let them heare a conuincing, &amp; a good per&s;wa|ding Sermon moving to good duties,
<PB N="145" REF="84"> then they will &s;et vpon them; let them againe heare either &s;ome mocks, or re|proaches for tho&s;e wayes, or &s;ome &s;age advi&s;e fro~ one they count wi&s;e, again&s;t the waies of con&s;cience, they are as far off againe as euer. The&s;e &s;taggering, ir|re&s;olute, and watry con&s;ciences are far from good ones.</P>
<P N="2">2. Such as in their youth, or when the world was low with them, were ve+ry zealous and forward; But what are they now at this day? True downe|right <HI>Dema&s;&s;es,</HI> zealous whe~ they were young, but now old and cold: zealous when they were meane, but now the world is come vpon them, <HI>Demas</HI>-like they haue for&s;aken goodne&s;&s;e, and em|braced the world, haue gotten now worme-eaten, and world-eaten Con|&s;ciences. The zeale of Gods hou&s;e was wont to eate them vp, but now the world hath eaten vp them, and all their good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="3">3. Tho&s;e that haue made good the profane Proverb, <HI>Young Saints and old Divels,</HI> who&s;e hatred of Religion and
<PB N="146" REF="85"> good con&s;cience is greater then ever was their loue thereto, as <HI>Ammons</HI> was towards <HI>Thamar, 2 Sam.</HI> 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods hou&s;e and ordinances; zea|lous enemies again&s;t &s;wearing, and Sabbath-breaking, &amp;c. But what are they at this day? Ye&s;terday indeede zealous profe&s;&s;ors of holine&s;&s;e, but what are they to day? To day malici|ous &s;coffers of godline&s;&s;e, haters and oppo&s;ers of goodne&s;&s;e, the onely &s;wea|rers &amp; drunkards in a Countrey. What kinde of con&s;ciences haue the&s;e? None of <HI>Pauls</HI> Con&s;cience, <HI>I haue liued in all good Con&s;cience vntill this day.</HI> What then? Iu&s;t the con&s;ciences of <HI>Hymenae|us</HI> and <HI>Alexander, 1 Tim.</HI> 1. 18, 19. They once made great profe&s;&s;ion of Confci|ence, but now enemies to <HI>Paul,</HI> and bla&s;phemers, men, as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peakes, that had put <HI>away good Con&s;cience,</HI> they did not through want of watchfulnes let it <HI>&s;lip,</HI> or <HI>&s;teale away;</HI> but as if it would ne|uer haue bene gone &s;oone enough, they <HI>put</HI> and <HI>draue it away, <GAP DESC="foreign">, Be|za</HI>
<PB N="147" REF="85"> tran&s;lates it, <HI>Qua expul&s;a.</HI> They v|&s;ed their Con&s;ciences as <HI>Ammon</HI> did <HI>Thamar</HI> after his lu&s;t &s;ati&s;fied, 2 <HI>Sa~. 13. 15. 17. Ari&s;e, be gone,</HI> &s;ayes hee to her, and when &s;he pleades for her felfe, he cals his &s;eruant, and &s;ayes vnto him, <HI>Put out this woman, and bolt the dore af|ter her,</HI> put her out &s;o, as &s;hee may bee &s;ure not to come againe. They dealt with their Con&s;ciences as Colledges deale with Rake-hels, expelled them without all hope of re-entry. Thus ma|ny profane Apo&s;tatizing back-&s;liders cannot be content to lo&s;e good con&s;ci|ence, vnle&s;&s;e <HI>Ammon</HI>-like they may put it away with violence, &amp; expell it. And how can they haue good Con&s;cience that haue put it away? He hath not his wife that hath put her away, and giuen her a bill of divor&s;e. In the dayes of Popery and darkenes, the Divell it &s;ee|med walked very familiarly among&s;t them, and hence we haue &s;o many &s;to|ries of fayries, &amp; of children taken out of cradles, and others layde in their roomes, whom they called <HI>changelings.</HI>
<PB N="148" REF="86"> Since the light of the Go&s;pell the&s;e Divels and Fairies haue not been &s;eene among&s;t vs, but yet we are &s;till trou|bled with <HI>changelings.</HI> Some, Prie&s;ts and Ie&s;uites haue changed, &s;ome, the world hath changed, &s;ome, goodfel|low&s;hip and the Ale-hou&s;e hath chan|ged. The&s;e haue plaid the fayries, haue taken and &s;tolne away goodly, for|ward, and fervent Chri&s;tians, and haue layd in their roomes Earthlings, Worldlings, Popelings, Swearers, Drunkards, malicious &s;corners of all goodne&s;&s;e. Thus haue the&s;e fayries in &s;tead of fayre and comely children, brought in the&s;e lame, blinde, defor|med, and wrizzled faced <HI>changelings,</HI> that any one may ea&s;ily &s;ee them to be rather the birthes of &s;ome hobgob|lins, then the children of God. If therefore wee would evidence our Con&s;ciences good, labour to hold to the la&s;t, and re&s;t not in a youth, but la|bour to haue age found in the way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. This is a crowne of glory, and this is right good Con&s;ci|ence
<PB N="149" REF="86"> to liue therein vntill our dying day. All the former &s;ixe are nothing without this la&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. X.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;ci|ence in the ca&s;e of Di&s;grace and Reproach.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WE are now come to the fift and la&s;t point which was pro|pounded: The <HI>motiues</HI> to per&s;wade vs to get good Con&s;ciences. The <HI>mo|tiues</HI> therevnto may bee many, I will keepe my &s;elfe within the compa&s;&s;e of fiue.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Motiue.</HI> The incomparable and<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Motiue to a good Co~&s;cience.</NOTE> vn&s;peakeable comfort, and benefit thereof in &s;uch ca&s;es and times as all other comforts faile a man, and wher|in a man &s;tands mo&s;t in need of com|fort. The&s;e Ca&s;es or times are fiue.</P>
<LIST>
<PB N="150" REF="87">
<ITEM>1. The Time and Ca&s;e of <HI>Di&s;grace</HI> and <HI>Reproach.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Time of <HI>Common feare,</HI> and <HI>Common calamity.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Time of <HI>Sickne&s;&s;e</HI> or out|ward cro&s;&s;es in a mans goods.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Time of <HI>Death.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The Time &amp; <HI>Day of Iudgement.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In all the&s;e, or in any of the&s;e times,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Interim e|lige &s;ocium qui cum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mnia &s;ub|tracta&punc; fue|rint fidem &s;ervat dile|ctoribus &s;u|is me rece|dit in tem|pore angu|&s;tiae. Ber. de Con&s;c.</NOTE> it is good to haue &s;uch a friend or com|panion that will &s;ticke to a man, and be faithfull to him when all other things faile him. Such a friend &amp; &s;uch a companion, is a good Con&s;cience. <HI>A friend loues at all times, and a brother is borne for adver&s;ity, Prov.</HI> 17. 17. But in &s;ome of the&s;e ca&s;es a brother and a friend may be fal&s;e and will not, or may bee weake and cannot helpe nor plea&s;ure a man, but a good Con&s;cience is better then all friends and brethren what&s;oever, when they will not, or cannot, or may not, yet then will a good Con&s;cience &s;ticke clo&s;e to a man, and bee a &s;ure friend to him. Let vs &s;ee in the particulars the truth of it.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="151" REF="87">1. In the Time and Ca&s;e of <HI>Di&s;grace,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The com|fort of a good Con|&s;cience in ca&s;e of di&s;|grace and reproach,</NOTE> <HI>Infamie, Reproach,</HI> and wrongs of that kinde, the comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;cience is vn&s;peakeable. When a man &s;hall be traduced, &s;lande|red, fal&s;ely accu&s;ed and condemned, then in &s;uch wrongs will a good Con|&s;cience doe the office of a faithfull friend, will &s;ticke to, &amp; &s;tand by a man, and will comfort and hearten him a|gain&s;t all &s;uch iniuries. <HI>Paul</HI> is here co~vented before the Councell as a ma|lefactor, he hath an whole Cou~cel bent again&s;t him. What now is his comfort, and his defence again&s;t &s;uch an heape of accu&s;ers as doe affront him? This it is, <HI>Men and brethren, I haue liued in all good Con&s;cience.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Im|peach, traduce, accu&s;e, and condemne me as you plea&s;e, yet be it knowne vn|to you, that I haue a good Con&s;cience, and this my good con&s;cience is it which &s;hall comfort, and vphold me a|gain&s;t all your iniurious, and vnequall proceedings. You may bring forth fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es again&s;t mee, but my
<PB N="152" REF="88"> Con&s;cience doth, and will witne&s;&s;e for me, you may condemne mee, yet my con&s;cience acquits, and ab&s;olues me. And thus doth <HI>Paul</HI> &s;helter him&s;elfe vnder his good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>The like wee may &s;ee in the next Chapter. <HI>Ananias,</HI> and the Elders come and bring <HI>Tertullus,</HI> and he is feed to be <HI>Pauls</HI> accu&s;er, and he layes heauy and hainous things to <HI>Pauls</HI> charge. <HI>ver&s;. 5. We haue found this man a pe&s;tilent fellow, and a moover of &s;edition among all the Iewes thr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ughout the world, a ring leader of the &s;ect of the Nazarens, &amp;c.</HI> Here be foule things, what will <HI>Paul</HI> be able to &s;ay to all this? Will not this be enough to &s;inke him downe vtterly, to &s;ee &s;o many banded together, and &s;uch great ones combined to countenance &s;uch an accu&s;ation? How will he be able to &s;ub&s;i&s;t? Now then behold the benefit; and comfort of a good Con&s;cience. He holds vp his former buckler, and &s;mites <HI>Ananias,</HI> and the re&s;t with his former weapon, <HI>ver&s;. 16. Herein doe I exerci&s;e my &s;elfe to haue alwayes a Con&s;ci|ence
<PB N="153" REF="88"> voide of offence towards God, and to wards men. Ananias,</HI> and the Elders haue a mercenary <HI>Tertullus</HI> to accu&s;e him, <HI>Paul</HI> hath no man dares bee &s;eene to plead for him, none will be reteined in his cau&s;e, but yet now Con&s;cience &s;teps out, and &s;tops the foule mouth of this &s;landerous Oratour, and puts &s;pi|rit, and heart into <HI>Paul</HI> to plead his owne Cau&s;e again&s;t them all. Con&s;ci|ence &s;eemes on this manner to animate him; Feare not <HI>Paul</HI> the accu&s;ations of this <HI>Tertullus,</HI> I witnes for thee thine Innocency. I iu&s;tifie it to the teeth of <HI>Tertullus,</HI> that he is one, who&s;e malice, and Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e hath made him &s;et his Con&s;cience to &s;ale; Stand vp there|fore, and &s;peake boldly for thy &s;elfe, dread them not. Well fare a good con|&s;cience yet, that will &s;peake comfort to <HI>Paul,</HI> and make <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peake with cou|rage, when none el&s;e dare bee &s;eene in his Cau&s;e.</P>
<P>It was an ill ca&s;e <HI>Dauid</HI> was in. <HI>P&s;al. 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aken mine heart, and I am full of heavines, and I
<PB N="154" REF="89"> looked for &s;ome to take pittie, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none: They gaue mee al&s;o gall for my meate, and in my thir&s;t they gaue mee vi|neger to drinke.</HI> A very hard ca&s;e in+deed. Where was now <HI>Davids</HI> famili|ar friend, his acquaintance with whom he was wont to take &s;weet coun&s;ell&punc; what was become of him now? Po&s;&s;i|bly &s;ome of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth, &amp; a foote out of ioynt. <HI>Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an vnfaithfull man is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of ioynt.</HI> Others it may be that had profe&s;t him loue, were rea|die to fa&s;ten a poy&s;ond tooth in him. This was <HI>Dauids</HI> ca&s;e, and this may be any mans ca&s;e, but now at &s;uch a time, and in &s;uch a pinch appeares the excel|lency, and benefit of a good Con&s;ci|ence. Though all a mans friends &s;hould proue <HI>Iobs</HI> friends, like the Winter-brookes of <HI>Teman,</HI> that in Winter ouer|&s;well the bankes, but in the &s;corching heat of Sommer proue drie ditches, yet then, e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">en then well fare a good Con|&s;cience.
<PB N="155" REF="89"> That will heale <HI>Dauids</HI> heart bro|ken with reproach, that will cheere him vp in his heauines, that will &s;wee|ten the gall, and take away the &s;harpnes of the vineger, which his enemies haue giuen him to drinke.</P>
<P><HI>There is a generation</HI> Pro. 30. 14. <HI>who&s;e teeth are as &s;words, and their iaw-teeth as kniues;</HI> and <HI>Prou.</HI> 12. 18. that generation <HI>&s;peakes as the piercings of a &s;word.</HI> There is a generation, who&s;e <HI>words are wounds that goe downe into the innermo&s;t parts of the belly.</HI> Prou. 18 8. The&s;e be dangerous generations. But what generations are they? <HI>Generations of Vipers.</HI> P&s;. 140. 3. <HI>Ad|ders poy&s;on is vnder their lips. Iunius</HI> tran&s;lates it, <HI>Venenum ptyados,</HI> The poy|&s;on of the <HI>&s;pitting Serpent.</HI> They bee then generations of &s;pitting &s;erpents, even of fiery &s;erpents, that haue their tongues &s;et on fire from hell, &amp; &s;o they &s;pit fiery poy&s;on in the faces of Inno|cents. Now there is no man can liue in this world, at whom the&s;e adders will not &s;pit, no man can be free from the &s;prikling of their poy&s;on. The di&s;ci|ple
<PB N="156" REF="90"> is not aboue the ma&s;ter; If the&s;e &s;nakes haue hi&s;&s;ed at the Lord of the hou&s;e; and if the&s;e &s;pitting &s;erpents haue ca&s;t their poy&s;on in his face, why would they feare to doe it to the &s;er|vants? But is there then no balme a|gain&s;t this poy&s;on? no buckler again&s;t the&s;e &s;words? Yes, there is the &s;ove|raign balme, &amp; the impenetrable buck|ler of a good con&s;cience. It is a bal&s;ome that will alay the poy&s;on of the&s;e Ad|ders, that it &s;hall never bur&s;t a mans heart, or if the&s;e &s;words pierce the very innermo&s;t bowels, yet this will &s;o &s;alue the&s;e wounds, that they &s;hall not ranc|kle, nor become mortall. Oh! how mor|tal&punc; is this adders poy&s;on, how fatall are tho&s;e &s;words, how <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eene their edge, &amp; how full of paine their wounds, where inward guilt giues &s;trength vnto them? But Integritie, and goodne&s;&s;e of Con|&s;cience, is a pretious balme of <HI>Gilead,</HI> that takes away the venome of this poy&s;on, and the &s;tinging &s;mart of the wounds of the&s;e &s;words.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Paul</HI> liue with ever &s;o good a
<PB N="157" REF="90"> con&s;cience before God, and man. <HI>Act.</HI> 24. 16. yet <HI>Tertullus</HI> will play the &s;pitting adder, and he will &s;pit, yea, &s;pue forth his poy&s;on in his face, and in the face of an whole Court, will not &s;pare o|penly to &s;lander him for an arrant var|let, a lewd, pe&s;tilent, and a villanous fellow. Such drivell will the malicious world &s;pit in the face of Godlines. But marke now the benefit, and comfort of a good Con&s;cience. Either a good Co~|&s;cience with <HI>Stephens</HI> Angelicall face wil dazle, &amp; &s;hame the divels oratours. 1 <HI>Pet. 3. 16. Hauing a good Con&s;cience that they may be a&s;hamed,</HI> or els like <HI>Paul</HI> it can &s;hake off tho&s;e vipers without &s;welling, or falling downe dead. Yea, if Satans oratours will needs be opening their mouths again&s;t <HI>Paul,</HI> yet &s;o good is his Con&s;cience, that as <HI>Iohn Hus</HI> ap|pealed from Pope <HI>Alexander</HI> to Pope <HI>Alexander,</HI> namely, from him in his an|ger to him in his cold blood, &amp; better advi&s;ed, &s;o dares <HI>Paul</HI> appeale from <HI>Tertullus</HI> to <HI>Tertullus, Dauid</HI> from <HI>Shi|mei</HI> to <HI>Shimei,</HI> fro~ enemies to enemies,
<PB N="158" REF="91"> from their tongues to their hearts, from their mouthes to their Con&s;ci|ences, as knowing their owne integri|tie to bee &s;uch, as that their enemies owne hearts giues their tongues the lye, and tells them that again&s;t their con&s;ciences po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with meere ma|lice, they are hurried on in Satans &s;er|vice. <HI>Tertullus</HI> knowes he lyes, and his owne Con&s;cience tells him hee lyes in his throate, that <HI>Paul</HI> is an hone&s;ter man then him&s;elfe, yea, and the com|fort is, that <HI>Pauls</HI> Con&s;cience com|forts him, and a&s;&s;ures him that <HI>Tertul|lus</HI> his Con&s;cience a&s;&s;ures him all this. So vn&s;peakeably &s;weet is the comfort of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>Dauid</HI> complaines of a great afflicti|on. <HI>P&s;al. 35. 11. Fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e did ri&s;e vp, they laid to my charge things that I knew not.</HI> What &s;hould a man doe in &s;uch a ca&s;e, if he had not the comfort of a good Con&s;cience witne&s;&s;ing for him. But now at &s;uch a pinch appeares the benefit of a good Con&s;cience; Let ever &s;o many ri&s;e vp fal&s;ely to wit|ne&s;&s;e
<PB N="159" REF="91"> again&s;t him, yet his con&s;cience will witne&s;&s;e as fa&s;t for him. <HI>My friends &s;corne me,</HI> &s;ayes <HI>Iob,</HI> Iob. 16. 20. They witne&s;&s;ed again&s;t him to bee a wicked per&s;on, and an hypocrite, they cen&s;ured and condemned him, but what was <HI>Iobs</HI> comfort? That &s;ame <HI>ver&s;. 19. Behold my witne&s;&s;e is in heaven, and my record is on high.</HI> That was one comfort, but that was not all&punc; he had al&s;o a witne&s;&s;e on earth, and his record below. Vpon who&s;e re|cord, and witne&s;&s;e, &s;ee with what &s;o|lemnitie and with what confidence he &s;tands, <HI>Iob. 27. 2. 6. As God liueth who hath taken away my iudgement, and the Almightie who hath vexed my &s;oule, All the while my breath is in me, and the &s;pirit of God is in my no&s;trils, my lips &s;hall not &s;peake wickedne&s;&s;e, nor my tongue vtter deceit, God forbid that I &s;hould iu|&s;tifie you, till I die I will not remoue mine integritie from me, my righteou&s;nes I will hold fa&s;t, &amp; will not let it goe, mine heart &s;hall not reproach mee &s;o long as I liue.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, As the Lord liues,
<PB N="160" REF="92"> while&s;t there is breath in my body, I<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nam &s;i in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s iniqui|bus me cri|minantur te&s;timoniu~ Con&s;cientia mea non &s;tat contra me in con|&s;pectu dei quo nullus oculus mor|talis inten|ditur non &s;olum con|tri&s;tari non debeo veru~ etiam ex|ultare &amp; gaudere quia merces mea multa e&s;t in coelis. Ne&abque; enim intuendum e&s;t quam &s;it amarum &s;ed quam fal&s;um &s;it quod audio, &amp; quam verax pro cuius nomi|ne hoc au|dio&punc; Aug. Contra lit. Petil l 3.</NOTE> will not yeeld vnto your accu&s;ations, nor yet acknowledge my &s;elfe guiltie of that you do charge me withall. Vrge me, and pre&s;&s;e me what you will, yet will I never let goe mine hold. Why what is it that makes <HI>Iob</HI> thus &s;tiffe, and re&s;olute, what is it that &s;upports him with &s;uch an excellent &s;pirit? That <HI>ver. 6. Mine heart &s;hall not reproach me &s;o long as I liue.</HI> Indeed you reproach, cen&s;ure, &amp; condemne me, you lay heavie things to my charge. But I haue &s;earched the records of my Con&s;cience, I haue cal|led that vnpartiall witnes to te&s;tifie the truth, &amp; I finde con&s;cience witne&s;&s;ing &s;trongly on my &s;ide, and therefore doe what you can, you &s;hall neuer beare me downe. <HI>Iobs</HI> friends may proue fickle, and fal&s;e, but his owne Con&s;cience will proue true to him, that will plead for him, animate him, and comfort him again&s;t all their calumnious, and iniurious reproaches, and giue him cau&s;e of much ioy and triumph. <HI>Iob</HI> then had his witne&s;&s;e in heaven, &amp; <HI>Iob</HI>
<PB N="161" REF="92"> had his witne&s;&s;e on earth, God and his own Co~&s;cience, two witne&s;&s;es beyond all exception; and in the <HI>mouth of two witne&s;&s;es euery truth &s;hall &s;tand.</HI> Con&s;ci|ence is a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es, and God is aboue Con&s;cience. And what Con|&s;cience witne&s;&s;es concerning matter of fact, God him&s;elfe will Iu&s;tifie the &s;ame. He that hath a good con&s;cience, hath a &s;ure friend, that will neither &s;linke, nor &s;hrinke at any hand. Nay he hath two good friends, and two &s;ub|&s;tantiall witne&s;&s;es, who&s;e te&s;timonies, though &s;ecret, yet are &s;uch as &s;weetly &s;olace the heart of man again&s;t open reproaches, &s;landers, fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es, &amp; all wrongs, and iniuries of that kinde what&s;oever. The te&s;timony of Con|&s;cience is full of Comfort, becau&s;e of the vndoubted certainty, and the vn|que&s;tioned infallibilitie thereof, &s;o that it voycing on a mans &s;ide, &s;trange|ly cheares his heart. <HI>Pro. 27. 19. As in water face an&s;wers to face, &s;o doth the heart of a man vnto man;</HI> That is, as &s;ome expound it, As a man may &s;ee his
<PB N="162" REF="93"> face by looking in the water, &s;o a man may &s;ee him&s;elfe, and what he is by looking into his con&s;cience. If a man &s;hould be told that he had &s;ome filth or bloach on his face, if he would go look<NOTE PLACE="marg">In &s;peculo Con&s;cien|tiae &s;tatus interioris hominis, &amp; exterioris cogno&s;citur Non imme|rito Con&s;ci|entiam &s;pe|culo com|paravit, quonia~ in ea tanqua~ &s;peculo ra|tionis, ocu|lus tam in|decens qua~ quod decens in &s;e e&s;t claro a&s;pe|ctu appre|hendere po|te&s;t Bern. de Con&s;c.</NOTE> into the water, or e&s;pecially into a loo|king-gla&s;&s;e, hee &s;hould ea&s;ily &s;ee whe|ther it were &s;o or no. And if looking into the water, or gla&s;&s;e, he could not &s;ee any &s;uch filth in his face, though an hundred &s;hould offer to beare him downe to the contrary, yet would hee beleeue his owne eyes before them al. So here, whe~ at any time foule mouths are open, and &s;pare not to ca&s;t a&s;per&s;i|ons vpon Innocency, and to lay <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">can|dalous things to a mans charge, then a man by looking into his con&s;cience can &s;ee him&s;elfe, and can finde whe|ther he be guilty or not, and &s;eeing him|&s;elfe in that water, or in that gla&s;&s;e, to be cleere from that filth &amp; dirt which malice would ca&s;t in his face, it &s;o fills his heart with comfort, and confi|dence, as makes him treade all re|proach, and fal&s;e Iudgement of man
<PB N="163" REF="93"> vnder his foot.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non ideo bona e&s;t co~|&s;cientia mea quia vos illam laudatis. Qui&agrave; enim laudatis quod no~ vi|detis? Aug. de ver dom &s;er. 49. Si autem non aurem &s;olam per|culit <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ra|cund<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a cri|minantis veru~ etiam con&s;cientia~ mordet ve|ritus cri|minis quid mihi pro|de&s;t &s;i me&punc; continuis laudibus totus mu~|dus attol|lat&punc; Ita nec malam Con&s;cientia~ &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">at pra|coniu~ <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">au|dantis nec bona~ vulne|rat convi|ctantis op+probrium. Aug. contra lit. Petil. l. 2 In omni quod dicitur &s;emper ta|cite occur|rere debe|mus ad mentem &amp; interiorem te&s;tem, &amp; iudicem re|quirere. Quid enim prode&s;t &s;i omnes lau|dans &amp; co~|&s;cientia ac|cu&s;at? aut poterit ob|e&s;&s;e &s;i om|nes dero|gent, &amp; &s;o|lae Con&s;ci|entia defe~|dit? Greg. &s;up. 125. hom, 6,</NOTE></P>
<P>This appeares by the contrary. Let a man be pray&s;ed, and magnified euer &s;o, let euer &s;o much good be &s;poken of him, and ever &s;o much worth be attri|buted to him, yet if his owne heart tell him, that all is fal&s;ely &s;poken of him, and there is indeed no &s;uch matter in him, he hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world. <HI>Pro. 27. 21. As the fining pot for &s;iluer, the fur|nace for gold, &s;o is a man to his pray&s;e,</HI> that is, a man is to try his prai&s;e that is gi|uen him, and if his con&s;cience tell him it is vnde&s;erved, hee is to &s;eperate this dro&s;&s;e of flattery from him&s;elf. All the commendations, and admirations of the world, what co~fort can they yeeld, while&s;t a mans Con&s;cience tells him, that they are all but lying and glave|ring flatteries. What though the poor multitude feeling the &s;weete, and re|fre&s;hment of a Phari&s;ees almes, do ca|nonize a Phari&s;e for a Saint, yet what is he the better, or what co~fort hath he the more, whil&s;t his own co~&s;cience re|proaches,
<PB N="164" REF="94"> and reproues him, and tells him that he is a vaine-glorious hypo|crite, and that though the&s;e whom he feedes, &s;end him to heauen, yet he &s;hall haue his portion with hypocrites, and vnbeleevers. What is a man the better for a flattering Funerall Commenda|tion, while&s;t in the meane time hee is vnder the reproach, and torture of his co~&s;cience, in the place of torment. How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men, no man but &s;peakes 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 &s;uch an one bee, and what an happy exchange would hee hold it, to haue all the world rayle on him, &amp; &s;lander him, &s;o his own con&s;ci|ence would but &s;peak friendly &amp; kind|ly to him. So he could find hony from his Con&s;cience, hee would not care what gall he had from the world.</P>
<P>Experience lets vs &s;ee that &s;uch as haue bin malevolent and iniurious a|gain&s;t others innocency, though they
<PB N="165" REF="94"> haue bin abetted and born out by their vmpires, and advocates, that for hand|fuls of barley, and &s;craps, and cru&s;ts, haue laboured to maintaine ill cau&s;es, and wor&s;e per&s;ons, yet they haue had no peace nor re&s;t of heart. Their advo|cates haue bid them &s;it downe with re&s;t, and victory, the day is theirs, they haue cheered them, and &s;trived to de|&s;erue their fee, &amp; yet their guilty cli|ents beeing netled with the inward guilt of their Con&s;ciences, haue &s;till bin haunted with a re&s;tles &amp; perplexed vnquiet &s;pirit, while&s;t others made guilty, and cen&s;ured for offenders by &s;uch mercenary vmpires, haue po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed their &s;oules in patience, and haue bin cheerfull and merry-hearted, from the comfort of their own innocent and cleere Con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>So that looke as the naughty con&s;ci|ence can &s;peake no comfort, though all the world &s;peake well of it, &s;o contra|rily though all the world reproach, cen&s;ure, &s;lander, &amp;c. yet a good con|&s;cience can, and will &s;peake peace, and
<PB N="166" REF="95"> comfort to a mans heart.</P>
<P>The <HI>Corinthia~s</HI> did exceedingly &s;light<NOTE PLACE="marg">Faelix con|&s;cientia no~ &s;ibi in ali|quo con|&s;cia, quae no~ proprium iudiciu~, nec alienum veretur. Bern de Con&s;c. Beata pla+ne quae non alienis ae&s;ti|matur&punc; iu|diciis &s;ed do+me&s;ticis percipitur &s;en&s;ibus ta~|quam &s;ui iudex. Ne&abque; enim popu|lares opini|ones pro mercede a|liqua re|quirit, neq, pro&s;upplicio pauet. Am|bro&s;&punc; de of|fic. l. 2. c 1. N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n po&s;&s;u~t aliena ver|ba crimen affigere quod pro|pria non recepit Co~|&s;cia. Ambr|in P&s;. 38.</NOTE> <HI>Paul,</HI> He was this, and he was that, but how was he affected with it? See how, 1 <HI>Cor. 4. 3. 4. But with me it is a very &s;mall thing that I &s;hould be iudged of you,</HI> I know full well what your cen&s;ures are, &amp; what &s;ente~ce you pa&s;&s;e vpon me, but know ye that I no whit at all regard the &s;ame, I make no reckoning therof at all. Why? might the <HI>Corinthians</HI> &s;ay, do ye count vs &s;o &s;illy, &amp; &s;o iniudicious? Nay &s;ayes <HI>Paul,</HI> I &s;peak it not as if you were &s;illier then others, with me it is a &s;mall thing to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement, let them be the mo&s;t wi&s;e, &amp; iudicious that are in the world, or of <HI>mans Day,</HI> though by men convened in &s;olemne maner for iudgement; I pa&s;&s;e not what their cen&s;ure is, I regard not their mi&s;-iudgings of me. I, but what makes <HI>Paul</HI> thus &s;light mens iudge|ment of him? That in the fourth ver&s;e, <HI>I know nothing by my &s;elfe,</HI> mine owne Con&s;cience iudges me not, nor &s;enten|&s;es me, that layes no &s;uch thing to my
<PB N="167" REF="95"> charge, and therefore &s;o long as my Con&s;cience is on my &s;ide, I regard not a whit what the world iudges.</P>
<P>Now then &s;ee what a motiue this is to get and keepe a good Con&s;cience. As we would be glad to haue comfort and confidence again&s;t the malice of opprobrious tongues, as wee would haue a counter-poy&s;on again&s;t their venome, &s;o get a good Con&s;cience. Here is that which may make vs in loue with a good Con&s;cience. Reproach mu&s;t full often be the portion of Gods deare children. <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> &s;hall bee for ever an abomination to <HI>Egyptians.</HI> And though the <HI>Egyptian</HI> dogges mo|ued not their tongues again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged <HI>Egyptians</HI> will moue their tongues, and their teeth too. The Apo&s;tles mu&s;t be coun|ted the <HI>filth of the world, and the off|&s;cowrings of all things, 1 Cor.</HI> 4. 13. The Lord Ie&s;us him&s;elfe dranke of this cup, <HI>P&s;al. 22. 6. 7. I am a worme and no man, a reproach of men, and di&s;pi&s;ed of the people, All they that &s;ee me laugh me to
<PB N="186" REF="96"> &s;corne, &amp;c.</HI> The way to heauen is a nar|row way, and this narrow way is be&s;et with &s;nakes, &s;pitting adders, barking, and biting, and mad dogs, and a man mu&s;t pa&s;&s;e to heauen <HI>through good and euill report. 2. Cor.</HI> 6. 8.</P>
<P>Well then it being &s;o hard a pa&s;&s;age,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Currentem attrites &s;u|per a&s;pidas &amp; ba&s;ili&s;|eos declina|re &s;enem vipera non poterit. pro&s;p. dc Aug. Con|&s;cia mens recti famae mendaci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ridet, Sed no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in viti|u~m credula treba fa|mus. Ovid.</NOTE> how may a man get him&s;elfe &s;o armed that hee may pa&s;&s;e cheerfully through all the&s;e; get a good Con&s;cience, and thou &s;halt regard the&s;e &s;nakes, &s;erpents, vipers, and dogs, no more then a &s;traw vnder thy foot. If thou haue a good Con&s;cience thou &s;halt <HI>laugh</HI> at the re|proaches of enemies, as <HI>Eliphaz</HI> &s;peaks of de&s;truction. <HI>Iob</HI> 5. A good con&s;ci|ence will &s;ay vnto thee, Goe on chee|rily in the wayes of God, what euer di&s;couragements the diuell ray&s;es by reproaches and &s;landers, feare them not, Behold I acquit and excu&s;e thee, I will beare thee out, I will witne&s;&s;e at Gods tribunall for thee. Lo, I giue thee balme again&s;t their poy&s;on, a buckler a|gain&s;t their &s;words. Let them cur&s;e, yet I will ble&s;&s;e thee; let the~ reproach,
<PB N="169" REF="96"> yet I will <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">fort&punc; let them condemn, fame thee, yet I will be thy compur|gator: let them ca&s;t dirt in thy face, yet I will wa&s;h it off; let them di&s;qui|et, yet behold, I am ready to cheere thee. Oh the &s;weet and vnconceivable comfort that a good Con&s;cience will &s;peake, even in the midd&s;t of <HI>the cruell &s;peakings of vngodly men, Iude</HI> 15. that will &s;peake comfortably when they &s;peake cruelly, and mo&s;t comfortably, when they &s;peake mo&s;t cruelly. Such is the benefit of a good Con&s;cience in ca&s;e of reproach and di&s;grace.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;ci|ence in the times of common feares and calamities, and in the times of per&s;onall evils, as &s;ickne&s;&s;e, and afflictions, for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN the &s;econd place, let vs &s;ee what the benefite and comfort of a good
<PB N="170" REF="97"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> &amp; <HI>Common calamities.</HI> When the<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 fort of a good Con|&s;cience in the times of co~mon feares and calamities.</NOTE> world is full of &s;cares&punc; and dangers, and calamities breake in, how fares it then with an evil con&s;cience, in what taking are they that want a good con&s;cience? They are ab&s;orpt with feares, and the very tydings puts them to much per+plexitie, <HI>I&s;a. 7. 2. Aha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> is told of a con|fedracy between <HI>Syria</HI> &amp; <HI>Ephraim,</HI> and &s;ee in what feares hee and his people were, <HI>His heart was moved, &amp; the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.</HI> So deepely do re|ports and evill tydings affect them, the trees in the wood are not &s;o &s;hake~ with the blu&s;tering windes, as evill Con&s;ci|ences are with evill tydings. When ill newes and ill Con&s;ciences meet, there is no &s;mall feare. The &s;ignes that prog|no&s;ticate &s;orrowfull times, &s;ee how deepely they affect evill Con&s;ciences, <HI>Luke 21. 25. There &s;hall be &s;ignes in the &s;un and the moone, and in the &s;tars, and vpon the earth,</HI> di&s;tre&s;&s;e <HI>of Nations with</HI> per|plexity, <HI>mens hearts</HI> failing <HI>them</HI> for
<PB N="171" REF="97"> feare, <HI>and for looking after tho&s;e things which are</HI> comming <HI>on the earth.</HI> But when calamity indeed comes, and not ill newes, but ill times, and ill con&s;ci+ences meete, how are they then? They are then either in the ca&s;e the Egypti+ans were in the famine, <HI>Gen. 47. 13. They were at their wits end;</HI> or as tho&s;e in a &s;torme at Sea, <HI>P&s;a 107. 26. 27. Their &s;oule is melted becau&s;e of trouble, They reele too and fro, and &s;tagger like a drun|ken man, and all their wi&s;dome is &s;wallow+ed vp.</HI> Exce&s;&s;e of feare puts them into as great di&s;tempers as exce&s;&s;e of wine, it vtterly &s;tupifies them, and they by feare are as much bereft of the v&s;e of their &s;en&s;es, wit, and wi&s;dom, as a drun|kard is in his drunkenne&s;&s;e. Yea, their feares make them not onely drunk, but &s;tarke madde. <HI>Deut. 28. 34. Thou &s;halt be oppre&s;&s;ed and cur&s;ed alway, &s;o that thou &s;halt bee madde for the &s;ight of thine eyes which thou &s;halt &s;ee.</HI> The perplexities of an euill con&s;cience in evill times, are vn&s;peakably grievous. <HI>I&s;ay</HI> doth ex|ceeding lively de&s;cribe them. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 13.
<PB N="172" REF="98"> 7. 8. 9. <HI>Therfore &s;hall all hands bee faint, and every mans heart &s;hall melt, And they &s;hall bee afraid, pangs and &s;orrowes &s;hall take hold of them, they &s;hall be in pain as a woman that travells, they &s;hall be a mazed one at another, their faces &s;hall be as flames, &amp;c.</HI> Hence that &s;ame &s;trange que&s;tion of the Prophets, <HI>Ier. 36. 6. Aske ye now, and &s;ee whether a man doth tra|vell with childe?</HI> A &s;trange que&s;tion, what &s;hould make the Prophet aske it? Becau&s;e he fore&s;aw &s;uch &s;trange beha|viour among&s;t them, carrying them|&s;elues in the &s;ame fa&s;hion in the day of calamitie, that women v&s;e to doe in the extremity of the pangs of child-birth. <HI>Wherefore doe I &s;ee every man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauell, and all faces are turned into palene&s;&s;e? A|las, for that day is great, &s;o that none is like it, it is euen the time of Iacobs trou|ble.</HI> When &s;uch wofull dayes befall a man, all his riches will not yeeld him a iot of comfort, <HI>Pro. 11. 4. Riches avayle not in the day of wrath.</HI> No that will no whit cheere a man at &s;uch a time, <HI>They
<PB N="173" REF="98"> &s;hall ca&s;t their &s;ilver in the &s;treets, and their gold &s;hall be remooued, &amp;c. Ezek.</HI> 7. 19. This &s;hall be the mi&s;erable pickle a man &s;hall bee in at &s;uch a time, that wants a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>But now looke vpon a man with a good Con&s;cience in &s;uch times, and how fares it with him? Let evil tydings &amp; times come, how is he affected ther|withall? <HI>He will not be afraid of evill ty|dings, for his heart is fixed, P&s;al.</HI> 112. 7. feare he may, but yet his Heart &s;hall be free from tho&s;e re&s;tle&s;&s;e, &amp; perplexing di&s;tractions wherewith all others are vexed, <HI>Luke 21. 9. When yee &s;hall heare of warres and commotions bee not terrified.</HI> And <HI>Prou. 3. 25. Be not afraid of &s;udden feare.</HI> There is nothing &s;o armes and re|&s;olues the heart again&s;t feares and evill tydings, as doth the peace and integri|ty of a good Con&s;cience. For let there be outward peace abroad in the world and freedome from all feares of warrs and combu&s;tions, yet little ioy and co~|fort can a man haue therein, while&s;t his con&s;cience proclaimes warre again&s;t
<PB N="174" REF="99"> him, and as Gods Herald &s;ummons him to battell, Tho&s;e inward warres, and rumors of warres, wofully di&s;tract him in the mid&s;t of his outward peace. So co~trarily, let there be peace within in the Con&s;cience, and all warres, and feares of warres hu&s;ht there, and then what ever feares and troubles are like to bee without, yet there will bee a calme, a &s;erenitie, and a &s;weet &s;ecurity within.</P>
<P><HI>Becarefull,</HI> and &s;o fearefull, <HI>for no|thing, Phil.</HI> 4. 6. To be fearefull in no|thing, is indeede an excellent happi|ne&s;&s;e of a well compo&s;ed minde. How might one attain thereto? How might a man bring his heart to that fixed and &s;tabli&s;ht temper? See <HI>ver&s;e 7. The peace of God that pa&s;&s;es all vnder&s;tanding &s;hall</HI> guarde <HI>your hearts and mindes.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;hall keepe with a guard, as Kings haue their guards about them to &s;aue their per&s;ons from violence; &s;hall guard your <HI>hearts,</HI> that is, your affections, that they run not into extremitie of impatience, di&s;traction, de&s;peration,
<PB N="175" REF="99"> when feares and terrours &s;hal come, ye &s;hall not be tran&s;ported with &s;uch di&s;|tracting thoughts as &s;hall depriue you of the freedome of your mindes, but that you &s;hall haue them to attend vp|on God in the greate&s;t of your dangers. So that a man with a good con&s;cience in the midde&s;t of all feares and com|bu&s;tions can &s;ing with <HI>Dauid, P&s;a. 116. 7. Returne vnto thy re&s;t, O my &s;oule.</HI> The peace of a good Con&s;cience is like the balla&s;t of a Ship. Let a Ship goe to Sea without balla&s;t in the bottome, and e|uery bla&s;t of winde is ready to ouer|turne it, but being wel bala&s;ted, though the windes blow &s;trong, yet it &s;ayles &s;teddily and &s;afely. Every bla&s;t of ill newes, and tydings of feare, how full of terrible apprehen&s;itions it filles an ill con&s;cience, it mi&s;erably vn&s;ettles and di&s;tracts it, while&s;t a good Con&s;cience, what bla&s;ts &s;oeuer blows, hath its heart &s;teddy and at good command.</P>
<P>Methinkes when I con&s;ider <HI>Noab</HI> in his Cabine, or ne&s;t in the Arke, with what &s;ecurity and quiet of heart he &s;its
<PB N="176" REF="100"> there, notwith&s;tanding the clattering of the raines vpon the Ark, the roaring of the waters, and the hideous how|lings and out-cries of tho&s;e that were drowned in the flood, I &s;ee th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Em|bleme of a good con&s;cience. <HI>Tubalcain, Lamech, Iabal, Iubal,</HI> with what horrid perplexities are their &s;oules di&s;traught. Some climbe vp this hou&s;e top, &s;ome this high tree, others flee to &s;ome high mountaine, and there in what horror and amazement are they, while&s;t one &s;ees his children &s;prawling, another his wi&s;e &s;trugling for life vpon the face of the mercile&s;&s;e waters, but e&s;pecially while&s;t they behold the waters ri&s;ing by little and little, and pur&s;uing them to the hou&s;e tops, and threatning to &s;weepe them off from the heads of the Mountaines, to which they had beta|ken them&s;elues. The&s;e feares and a|mazements were wor&s;e then an hun|dreth deathes. But now all this while how is it with <HI>Noah,</HI> hee &s;its dry in his cabbin, and litterally was the &s;aying of the P&s;alme verified of him, <HI>Surely in
<PB N="177" REF="100"> the floods of great waters they came not nigh vnto him. P&s;a.</HI> 32. 6. He hath his Ark <HI>pitcht within,</HI> &amp; <HI>pitcht without,</HI> neither can the raines from aboue beate in, nor the waters from beneath leake in, let all <HI>fountaines of the great deepe bee bro|ken vp, and the flood-gates of heaven bee opened,</HI> yet not one drop of water comes at him, and though the waters prevaile fifteene cubites aboue the high hills and mountaines, &s;o that they be covered, yet <HI>Noah</HI> hee is out of all feare, let them ri&s;e as high as they will, yet &s;hall hee keepe aboue them &s;till. Iu&s;t &s;uch is the condition, and happine&s;&s;e of a man with a good Con|&s;cience in &s;ad times. While&s;t the high hils and mountaines are covered, the great and braue &s;pirits of the world are overwhelmed with feare, are po&s;|&s;e&s;t with dreadfull apprehen&s;ions, &s;o as they know not which way to look, nor which way to take, even then a man with a good con&s;cience hath a &s;trange quiet of heart, is full of &s;weet &s;ecurity and re&s;olution, &amp; amids all the &s;hrikes,
<PB N="178" REF="101"> howlings, and wringing of hands of earthly men, by patience po&s;&s;e&s;&s;es his &s;oule, is ma&s;ter of him&s;elfe, and com|po&s;es his &s;oule to re&s;t. His Ark is pitcht within &amp; without. The peace of God, and the peace of a good Con&s;cience, keeps the waterfloods from comming into his &s;oule. The raine &amp; the waues they beat vpon the Arke, but yet they pierced it not. A man with a good Co~|&s;cience may fall into, &amp; may be &s;wept away with co~mon calamities: yet how euer it fare with his outward man, yet his &s;oule is free from that horrour, and tho&s;e madding perplexities wherwith|all wicked ones are overtaken. The peace of a good Con&s;cience &s;hall keep off the&s;e di&s;tracting feares from his minde, Though he cannot be free hap|pily from the <HI>common de&s;tructions,</HI> yet &s;hall he be free from the <HI>common di&s;tra|ctions</HI> of the world. There be two things in common calamities, <HI>The &s;word with|out, and terror within, Deut.</HI> 32. 25. &amp; the latter of the two is the wor&s;e by farre. Now here is the benefit of a good Co~|&s;cience,
<PB N="179" REF="101"> though it doe not &s;aue alwayes from the <HI>&s;word without,</HI> yet it deliuers alwaies from the <HI>terror within,</HI> which giues a terrible edge to the &s;word, and which being remoued, the &s;word is no|thing &s;o terrible. When the Canaanites were de&s;troyed by I&s;rael, there was a double &s;orrow and &s;mart vpon them. The <HI>&s;word</HI> of the I&s;raelites, and Gods <HI>Hornet, Io&s;h.</HI> 24. 12. What was that <HI>Hornet?</HI> Nothing el&s;e but that di&s;tra|cting and perplexing feare and terror wherewith God filled their hearts, as appeares, <HI>Exodus</HI> 23. 27. 28. There is no <HI>Hornet</HI> can &s;o vexe with his &s;ting, as the&s;e terrors vexe evill Con&s;ciences in evill dayes. Now here is the privi|ledge of good Con&s;ciences, though they may &s;mart with the &s;word, yet this <HI>hornet</HI> &s;hall not &s;ting them, nor fill their hearts with that throbbing an|gui&s;h, that the&s;e terrors in times of ca|lamitie put evill Con&s;ciences to.</P>
<P>A &s;weet motiue to make any in loue with a good Con&s;cience. While&s;t we looke vpon the evils of the times, wee
<PB N="180" REF="102"> cannot but looke for evill times. Look we vpon our &s;innes, and Gods admini|&s;tration abroad; vpon the malice and policies of the adver&s;aries of Gods grace, and what doe the&s;e but progno|&s;ticate heavie things. Now &s;uppo&s;e a flood &s;hould come, would wee not be glad of an Arke, &amp; &s;uch a cabbin there|in as &s;hould keepe out the wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ers from our &s;oules? Get then the pitch of a good Con&s;cience, &amp; thou &s;halt &s;it like <HI>Noah,</HI> if not free from the waters, yet free from the feares of <HI>Lamech,</HI> &amp; <HI>Tu|balcain,</HI> which are wor&s;e then the wa|ters. For the feares of &s;uch evils are more bitter and vn&s;ufferable then the evils them&s;elues. Suppo&s;e, I &s;ay, a flood &s;hould come, who would not giue a kingdome for an Arke well pitcht? Suppo&s;e calamity &s;hould come, who would not giue a world for a good Con&s;cience then? <HI>Iabal Gen.</HI> 4. 20. hee is bu&s;ie in building of tents, and he is a|mong his flocks and cattell, and <HI>Iubal, Gen.</HI> 4. 21. hee is wholly vpon his merry pins, at his Harpe and Organs; He and
<PB N="181" REF="102"> his take <HI>the Timbrel, and the Harpe, and reioyce at the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">d of the Organ, Iob.</HI> 21&punc; 12. And the&s;e iolly ioviall laddes giue poore <HI>Noah</HI> many a drie flout, many a &s;cornfull &s;coffe while&s;t hee is building his Arke, &amp; aske what this brain&s;icke and mad fellow meanes to make &s;uch a ve&s;&s;ell, whether he meant to &s;ayle 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 <HI>Iabal</HI> whether building of tents or building of an Ark be the wi&s;er worke, then whether is better <HI>Noahs</HI> Arke, or <HI>Iubals</HI> pipes? Now that the flood is come, and the&s;e come perhaps wading middle deepe to the Arke &s;ide, and bellow and howle to <HI>Noah</HI> to open the Arke to them: Now would not <HI>Iabal</HI> giue all his tents, and all his cattell, but to bee but where <HI>Noahs</HI> dog lies, would not <HI>Iubal</HI> now giue all his pipes and merriment, to haue but the place that an hogge had in the Arke. Now <HI>Iubal</HI> let vs heare one of your merrie &s;ongs,
<PB N="182" REF="103"> pipe now and make your &s;elfe merry with gybing at <HI>Noahs</HI> &s;olly, in making a Ship to &s;ayle on dry land. What ay|le&s;t thou <HI>Iubal</HI> to howle and wring thine hands thus? where is thine Harp &amp; Orga~s now? cheer vp thy &s;oule now with the&s;e vanities. Now the flood is come, now <HI>Noth</HI> is in the Arke, now Sirs, you that are &s;uch <HI>men of renowne, Gen.</HI> 6. 4. you that were the braue gal|lants of the earth, now tell me, who is the foole, &amp; who is the wi&s;e man now?</P>
<P>How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Con&s;cience, yea if they &s;ee others to bee but carefull in rigging of this Shippe, and pitching, and trimming vp &s;uch an Arke, how ready are they to &s;pend their byting &s;coffes, and their tart ie&s;ts vpon them; but if euer times of trouble and calami|ty, &amp; a fire-flood of Gods wrath. <HI>Nah.</HI> 1. 6. 8, &s;hould breake in, then would a good co~&s;cience hold vp the head with much comfort and re&s;olution, while&s;t tho&s;e that formerly made a iea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience, &s;hould haue a king,
<PB N="183" REF="103"> and quaking <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> of tho&s;e vnmea&s;urable fears that &s;hall cea&s;e vp|on them. A good Con&s;cience will make a man mu&s;ick, when <HI>Iubal</HI> &s;hal be glad not onely to put vp, but with in|dignation &amp; angui&s;h of heart to throw away and cur&s;e his pipes. Well fare a good Con&s;cience in euill dayes. Pitch and trim vp this Arke, there is no &s;uch proui&s;ion again&s;t euill dayes, as is a good Con&s;cience. It will doe a man &s;ervice, and &s;upport him, when all the braue &s;pirits of the earth &s;hal be blank, and at their wits end.</P>
<P>In the third place, the benefite and<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 The com|fort of a good Con|&s;cience in Time of Sickne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> comfort of a good Con&s;cience, is Con&s;picuous in the time of Sickne&s;&s;e, or a mans priuate and per&s;onall cro&s;&s;es in his e&s;tate, &amp;c. A &s;icke man with an hayle Con&s;cience, is a cheary and a comfortable man, <HI>Pro, 13. 14. The &s;pirit of a man will &s;u&s;teine his infirmitie;</HI> that is, the &s;pirit it &s;elfe being hayle, and &s;ound, it will enable him to beare any bodily &s;icknes. <HI>But a wounded &s;pirit who can beare,</HI> yea a wounded or a &s;icke bo|dy,
<PB N="184" REF="104"> who can co~fortably <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> But let the Con&s;cience be good and &s;ound, and it helps a man with great ea&s;e and com|fort, to beare the &s;icknes of the body. It is a &s;hrewd burden to beare two &s;ick|ne&s;&s;es at once, to haue a &s;ick body, &amp; a &s;ick Co~&s;cience. A man &s;hal find enough of the ea&s;ie&s;t of them &s;ingle and alone. But yet an bayle con&s;cience in an in|firme body, &s;weetly helps our infirmi|tie. Let a man haue ever &s;o hayle and healthfull a body, yet if the con&s;cience be naught, &amp; withal awakened, falls to galling, &amp; griping, he &s;hall finde but lit|tle ioy in his bodily health; &s;o contrari|ly, let a mans Con&s;cience be good, and though his body be &s;icke, &amp; weake, yet is it a great deale of &s;weet refre&s;hment that it &s;hall receiue from the con&s;cie~ce.</P>
<P>Sickne&s;&s;e in it &s;elfe is exceeding vn|comfortable, and in the time of &s;icknes commonly all bodily comforts, the comforts of meates, drinkes, &amp; &s;leepe fayle; yea but then here is the benefit of a good con&s;cience, that wil not then
<PB N="185" REF="104"> fayle, but as it is &s;ayd, <HI>Eccl. 10. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">9. Mo|ney an&s;wers all things,</HI> &s;o a good con&s;ci|ence an&s;wers all things, the comfort of it &s;upplies the want of all other com|forts. When in &s;icknes the comfort of meate, drinke, and &s;leepe is gone, they are all found againe in the comfort of a good Con&s;cience, that will be meat, drinke, that will be re&s;t and &s;leepe, that will make a mans &s;ick-bed &s;oft, and ea|&s;ie, that &s;hall be as the Angels were to Chri&s;t in his hunger in the Wildernes, <HI>they mini&s;tred vnto him,</HI> and &s;o will a good con&s;cience mini&s;ter comfort in the want of all other comforts, &s;o that a man may &s;ay of a good&punc; Con&s;cience, as we v&s;e to &s;ay of &s;ome &s;olid, &s;ub&s;tan|tial di&s;h, that there are Patirdge, Phea|&s;ant, and Quailes in it; &s;o though out|ward comforts cea&s;e their office, and their work be &s;u&s;pended, yet a good con&s;cience comes in their roome, &amp; in it are meat, drinke, &s;leepe, ea&s;e, refre&s;h|ment, and what not? A good con&s;ci|ence is an Electuary, or a Cordiall that hath all the&s;e ingredients in it. There
<PB N="186" REF="105"> is no &s;uch Cordiall to a &s;icke man, as the Cordiall of a good con&s;cience. All Phy&s;itions to this Phy&s;ition are but &s;uch Phy&s;itions as <HI>Iobs</HI> friends. <HI>Iob 13. 4. Ye are Phy&s;itions of no value.</HI> A mo|tiue of great weight to make men in loue with a good con&s;cience. Who can be free from &s;icknes, and how tedious and weari&s;ome a time, is the time of &s;icknes. 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 &s;pirit vp on our &s;icke beds, &s;o make much of a good Con&s;cience. Whence is it that mo&s;t men in their &s;ickne&s;&s;es haue &s;uch drooping &s;pitits, lye groaning altoge|ther vnder their bodily paines, or lye &s;otti&s;hly and &s;en&s;ele&s;ly, no &s;en&s;e of any thing but paine, and &s;icknes? Meerely from the want of a good Con&s;cience, they haue laid vp no Cordiall, no com|fortable Electuary for them&s;elues in their health time again&s;t the day of &s;icknes. Indeed you &s;hall haue the mi|&s;erable
<PB N="187" REF="105"> 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 &s;icknes, &amp;c. True indeed, they &s;hould not need to feare, if they could plucke vp a good heart. But they that will pluck it vp when they are &s;ick, mu&s;t lay it vp when they are well. He that hath a good con&s;cience to get when he lyes vpo~ his &s;ick-bed, is like a man that hath his <HI>Aqua vitae</HI> to buy when he is fallen into a &s;woune; A wi&s;e man that feares &s;wouning, would haue his hot-water|bottle hanging alwaies ready at his beds-head. But as in other cro&s;les by &s;icknes and the like, &s;o is the comfort of a good con&s;cience, neuer more &s;weet, then when a man is vnder the cro&s;&s;e for con&s;cience &s;ake, &amp; &s;uffers af|fliction and vexation to keepe a good con&s;cience. Then aboue al other times will con&s;cience doe the office of a Co~|forter, and will &s;tand to him that will &s;tand for it. When <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> heates his Fornace &s;eauen times hotter
<PB N="188" REF="106"> then at other times, then a good Con+&s;cience will &s;peak comfort &s;euen times &s;weeter then at other times.</P>
<P>Are Gods Saints for good Con&s;ci|ence<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Fox</HI> Acts and Mon. <HI>Omnis no|bis vilis e&s;t poena, vbi purae comes e&s;t con&s;ci|entia Ti|burt apud Baron An 168.</HI></NOTE> &s;ake in pri&s;on? Good Con&s;cience will make their pri&s;ons delectable hor+tiards, So doth <HI>Algerius</HI> an Italian Mar|tyr date a comfortable Epi&s;tle of his, <HI>From the delectable hortyarde of the Leo nine pri&s;on,</HI> a pri&s;on in V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nice &s;o cal|led. So that as he &s;aid, that he had ra|ther be in pri&s;on with <HI>Cato,</HI> then with <HI>Coe&s;ar</HI> in the Senate hou&s;e, &s;o in this re|gard it was more co~fortable to be with <HI>Philpot</HI> in the Cole-hou&s;e, then with <HI>Bonner</HI> in his Pallace. <HI>Bonners</HI> Con&s;ci|ence made his Pallace a Cole-hou&s;e, and a Dungeon, whil&s;t <HI>Philpots</HI> made the Cole-hou&s;e a Pallace.</P>
<P>Are Gods Saints in the Stocks? <HI>Bet|ter it is,</HI> &s;ayes <HI>Philpot, to &s;it in the Stocks of the world, then in the Stocks of a dam|nable Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;cience.</HI> Therfore though they be in the Stockes, yet euen then, <HI>the righteous doth &s;ing and reioyce,</HI> yea, e|uen in the Stockes, and pri&s;on; <HI>Paul</HI>
<PB N="189" REF="106"> and <HI>Silas</HI> &s;ang in the Stockes. Sing in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hinc e&s;t quod &egrave; con|trarioinno|cens etiam inter ip&s;ae tormenta fruitur Co~|&s;cientiae &s;e|curitaete, et cum de poe|na metuat de inno|centia glo|riaetur. Hierony. ad Deme|tri&punc; ad ep. 1.</NOTE> the Stockes? Nay more, they can &s;ing in the flames, and in the mid&s;t of the fires. <HI>I&s;. 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires.</HI> And worthy <HI>Hawkes</HI> could clap his hands in the mid&s;t of the flames. So great and &s;o pa&s;&s;ing all vnder&s;tanding is the peace &amp; comfort of a good con|&s;cience. So that in &s;ome &s;en&s;e, that may be &s;ayd of it which is &s;poken of faith. <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 34, By it <HI>they quenched the vio|lence of fire.</HI> Gods &s;ervants were &s;o rapt, &amp; raui&s;ht with the &s;en&s;e of Gods loue, and their inward peace of Con+&s;cience, that they &s;eemd to haue a kind of happy dedolency, and want of fee|ling of the &s;mart of outward torments.</P>
<P>Who knowes what tryalls God may bring him to? We haue no patent for our peace, nor this free liberty in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pell. Suppo&s;e we &s;hould be cald to the &s;take for Chri&s;ts &s;ake. Would we be chearefull, would we &s;ing in the flames? Get a good Co~|&s;cience. The cau&s;e of Chri&s;t is a good cau&s;e, now with a good cau&s;e get a
<PB N="190" REF="107"> good con&s;cience, and we &s;hall be able with all cheerfulnes to lay downe our liues for Chri&s;t, and his Go&s;pell &s;ake.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The comfort and benefit of a good Con&s;ci|ence in the dayes of Death &amp; Iudgment.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN the fourth place, The time of<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 The Com|fort of a good Con|&s;cience at the day of Death,</NOTE> death is a time wherein the benefite and comfort of a good Con&s;cience is exceeding great. Death hath a gha&s;tly looke and terrible, able to daunt the proude&s;t &amp; braue&s;t &s;pirit in the world, but then hath it a gha&s;tly look indeede when it faces an euill con&s;cience. In|deed &s;ometimes, and mo&s;t commonly, Con&s;cience in many, is &s;ecure at the time of death. God in his iu&s;tice &s;o pla|ging an affected &s;ecurity in life, with an inflicted &s;ecurity at Death. And the Lord &s;eemes to &s;ay as once to the Pro|phet, Goe make their Con&s;ciences a|&s;leep at their death, as they haue made it a&s;leepe all their life, lea&s;t Con&s;cience
<PB N="191" REF="107"> &s;hould &s;ee and &s;peake, and they heare, and be &s;aued. God deales with con&s;ci|ence as with the Prophet. <HI>Ezek. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth, that thou &s;halt be dumb;</HI> Ther|fore they die though not de&s;perately as <HI>Saul,</HI> and <HI>Achitophel,</HI> yet &s;otti&s;hly without comfort, and feeling of Gods loue, as <HI>Nabal.</HI> But if con&s;cience bee a|wakened, and haue its eyes, &amp; mouth opened, no heart can imagine the de&s;|perate, and vn&s;ufferable di&s;tre&s;&s;es of &s;uch an heart <HI>Terrors take holde of him as waters,</HI> Iob. 27. 20. <HI>Terrours make him afraide on euery &s;ide.</HI> Iob 18. 11. Then is that true. <HI>Iob 25 23. 24. He knowes that the day of darknes is ready at hand. Trou|ble and angui&s;h &s;hal make him afraid, they &s;hall preuaile again&s;t him as a King ready to the battell.</HI> And no wonder, for hee is now brought vnto the <HI>King of Ter|rours,</HI> as Death is called. <HI>Iob</HI> 18. 14. A man that hath an ill Con&s;cience, if his eyes be opened, and his Con&s;ci|ence a wakened, he &s;ees death in all the terrible &s;hapes that may bee. Some|times
<PB N="192" REF="108"> he &s;ees death comming like a mercile&s;&s;e Officer, and a cruell Serge|ant, to arre&s;t, and to drag him by the throat to the pri&s;on and place of Tor+ment. <HI>P&s;. 55. 15. Let death cea&s;e vpon them;</HI> They &s;ee it comming like that cruell &s;ervant in the Parable to his fel|low, <HI>Math.</HI> 18. catching them by the very throat.</P>
<P>Sometimes he &s;ees death in the &s;hape of &s;ome greedy Lyo~, or &s;ome rauening Wolfe ready to deuour him, &amp; to feed vpon his carka&s;e. <HI>P&s;. 49. 14. Death &s;hall feede in them,</HI> euen as a ravenous bea&s;t: &s;hall feed vpon his prey. Imagine in what a terrible plight the <HI>Samaritans</HI> were in, when the Lyons &s;et vpon the~. 2. <HI>Kin.</HI> 17. &amp; by it imagine in what ca&s;e an ill con&s;cience is, when it beholdes the face of death. It puts an ill Con&s;ci|ence into that ca&s;e in good earne&s;t that <HI>David</HI> was in, in the ca&s;e of tryall. <HI>P&s; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">. 4. 5. My heart is &s;ore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee, fearefulnes&punc; &amp; trembling are come vpon me, and horrour hath over whelmed me.</HI></P>
<PB N="193" REF="108">
<P>Sometimes again he &s;ees death as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> the fiery Serpents with mortal &s;tings; Sometimes as a merciles Land|lord, or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of <HI>Firmae eiectione,</HI> to throw him out of hou&s;e and home, and to turne him to the wide Common, yea he &s;ees death as Gods executioner, and me&s;&s;en+ger of eternall death, yea, he &s;ees death with as much horrour as if hee &s;aw the Diuell. In &s;o many fearefull &s;hapes ap|peares death to an evill con&s;cience vp|on the death-bed. So as it is indeed the <HI>King of Terrors</HI> to &s;uch an one that hath the Terrours of Con&s;cience within. There is no one thought &s;o terrible to &s;uch an one, as the thought of death, nothing that he more wi&s;hes to avoyd. Oh! how loath, and how vnwilling is &s;uch an one to dye.</P>
<P>But come now to a man that hath li|ued as <HI>Paul</HI> did in all good con&s;cience, and how is it with him vpon his death|bed? His end is peace; &s;o full of ioy &amp; comfort; &s;o is he ravi&s;hed with the in|ward and vn&s;peakable con&s;olations of
<PB N="194" REF="109"> his Con&s;cience, that it is no wonder at all that <HI>Balaam</HI> &s;hould wi&s;h to dye the death of the righteous, the death of a man with a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>The day of a mans marriage <HI>is the day of the ioy</HI> of a mans <HI>heart, Cant.</HI> 3. 11. and the day of marriage is not &s;o ioy|full a day, as is the day of death to a good con&s;cience. There are but fewe that can marry with that ioy wherwith a good con&s;cience dyes.</P>
<P>It enables a man, not onely to looke <HI>Ananias</HI> and the Councell in the face, but even to looke death it &s;elfe in the face, without tho&s;e amazing terrours, yea, it makes the face of death &s;eeme louely and amiable. He who&s;e con&s;ci|ence is good, and fees the face of God reconciled to him in Chri&s;t, he can &s;ay as <HI>Iacob</HI> did when he &s;aw the face of <HI>Io|&s;eph, Gen. 46. 30. Now let me dye, &s;ince I haue &s;eene thy face.</HI> It is the priviledge of a good Con&s;cience alone, to goe to the grave, as <HI>Agag</HI> did to <HI>Samuel,</HI> and to &s;ay that truely, which he &s;pake be&s;ides the booke, 1 <HI>Sam. 15. 32. He came plea&s;antly,
<PB N="195" REF="109"> And he &s;ayd, Surely the bitterne&s;&s;e of death is pa&s;t.</HI> He was deceived, and therefore had no &s;uch cau&s;e to be &s;o plea&s;ant, but a good Con&s;cience can, yea, cannot chu&s;e but be &s;o plea&s;ant, even when go+ing out of the world, becau&s;e the gilt of &s;in being wa&s;hed away in Chi&s;ts bloud; it knowes that the bitternes of death is pa&s;t, and the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of life eternall is at hand.</P>
<P>A man who&s;e debts are paid, he dares goe out of dores, dare meete and face the Sergeants, and the con&s;cience pur|ged by the bloud of Chri&s;t, can looke as vndau~tedly on the face of death. He that hath gotten the &s;ting, that is, the guilt of co~&s;cience, taken away by faith in Chri&s;t, he lookes not vpon death as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> vpon the fiery Serpents, but lookes vpon it as <HI>Paul</HI> doth, 1. <HI>Cor. 15. O death where is thy &s;ting?</HI> Who feares a Bee, an Hornet, a Snake, or a Serpent, when they haue lo&s;t their &s;ting. The guilt of &s;inne is the &s;ting of Con&s;cience, is the &s;ting of death that &s;tings the con&s;cience. <HI>The &s;ting of death
<PB N="196" REF="110"> is &s;inne. 1 Cor.</HI> 15. Plucke then &s;inne out of the con&s;cience, and at once the con|&s;cience is made good, and death made weake, and is di&s;armed of his weapon. And when the co~&s;cience &s;ees death vn|&s;tingd and di&s;armed, it is freed of feare, and even in the very act of death, can ioyfully tryumyh over death, oh Death where is thy &s;ting?</P>
<P>A good Con&s;cience lookes vpon death, as vpon the Sheriffe that comes to giue him po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of his Inheri|tance, or as <HI>Lazarus</HI> vpon the Angels that came to carry his &s;oule into <HI>Abra|hams</HI> bo&s;ome, and therefore can well|come death, and entertain him ioyful|ly. And wheras an ill con&s;cience makes a man &s;ee death as if he &s;aw the Devill, a good con&s;cience makes a ma~ &s;ee the face of death, as <HI>Iacob</HI> &s;aw <HI>E&s;aues</HI> face, <HI>Gen. 33. I haue &s;eene thy face, as, the face of God;</HI> they &s;ee the face of death with vn&s;peakable ioy, raui&s;hment of heart, and exultation of &s;pirit.</P>
<P>Well now, what a motive haue wee here, to make vs labor for a good con|&s;cience.
<PB N="197" REF="110"> Even <HI>Balaam</HI> him&s;elfe would faine make a good end, &amp; dye in peace, and who wi&s;hes not his deathbed may be a Mount <HI>Nebo,</HI> from whence he may &s;ee that heavenly <HI>Canaan?</HI> Lo here, <HI>Ba|laam,</HI> the way to dye the death of the righteous, <HI>I haue liued in all good Con&s;ci|ence vnto this day.</HI> They that haue con|&s;cience in their life, &s;hall haue comfort, at their death; They that liue con&s;cio|nably, &s;hal die comfortably; They that live in all good Con&s;cience til their dy|ing day, &s;hall depart in the abundance of comfort at their dying day.</P>
<P>There will come a day wherein we mu&s;t lay downe the&s;e Tabernacles, the day of death will a&s;&s;uredly come. How lamentable a thing will it then be, to be &s;o de&s;titute, &amp; de&s;olate of all comfort, as to be driven to that extremity, as to cur&s;e our birth day? oh! what would Comfort be worth at our la&s;t houre, at our la&s;t ga&s;pe, while&s;t our deare&s;t frie~ds &s;hall be weeping, wringing their hands and lamenting, then, then what would inward co~fort be worth? Who would
<PB N="198" REF="111"> not hold the whole world an ea&s;ie price for it then? Well then, would wee then haue Comfort and Ioy, oh then, get a good co~&s;cience now, which wil yeeld comfort, when all other comforts &s;hall vtterly faile, and &s;hal be life in the mid|de&s;t of death. How happy is that man, that when the &s;entence of death is pa&s;|&s;ed vpon him, can &s;ay with <HI>Hezekiah, I&s;a. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord, I be&s;eech thee, how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and haue done that which is good in thy &s;ight.</HI> Indeed the Text &s;ayes, that <HI>Hezekiah</HI> wept &s;ore but yet, not as fearing death, for hee could not feare death, who had thus feared God, but becau&s;e the promi&s;e was not yet made good to him in a &s;on and Heire of his kingdome, hence came tho&s;e teares. It is otherwi&s;e an vn&s;peak able ioy, that &s;uch a Con&s;cience as <HI>He|zekiahs</HI> was, will &s;peake to a man vpon his death-bed.</P>
<P>Euery one profe&s;&s;es a de&s;ire to make a good ende: Here is the way to make good that de&s;ire, to live in all good co~|&s;cience.
<PB N="166" REF="111"> Alas how pittifull, and mi&s;era|ble a condition live mo&s;t men in. All the dayes of their lifes, &amp; healths, they haue no regard of a good Con&s;cience. Notwith&s;tanding that men are pre&s;&s;ed continually to this one care, by the in|&s;tancy and importunity of Gods Mini|&s;ters, yet how mi&s;erably is it neglected? Well, at la&s;t the day of death comes, &amp; then what would they not giue for a comfortable end? If the gold of Ophir would purcha&s;e comfort, it &s;hould fly then. Then poa&s;t for this Mini&s;ter, and runne for the other, as in the &s;weating|&s;ickne&s;&s;e in King <HI>Edwards</HI> dayes, then for Gods &s;ake but one word of co~fort, then O ble&s;&s;ed men of God, one word of peace. Now alas what would you haue them doe? Are they or your own cour&s;es in fault, that you want comfort at your death? What would you haue vs doe? Wee mu&s;t referre you to your owne Con&s;ciences, wee cannot make oyle of flint, nor cru&s;&s;e &s;weete Wine out of &s;owre Grapes, wee dare not flatter you again&s;t your con&s;cien|ces.
<PB N="200" REF="112"> If you would giue vs a world, we cannot comfort you when your owne Con&s;ciences witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, that &s;uch comforts belong not to you. Doe not idlely in this ca&s;e hope for Com|fort from Mini&s;ters, be it knowne vnto you, you mu&s;t haue it from your owne con&s;ciences. Many on their death-bed cry to the Mini&s;ter, as &s;hee did to the King, 2 <HI>Kings 6. 26. 27. Helpe my Lord, O King.</HI> But marke what he an|&s;wers, <HI>If the Lord doe not helpe thee, whence &s;hall I helpe thee, out of the barne-floore, or out of the wine pre&s;&s;e?</HI> So wee mu&s;t an&s;were to &s;uch as cry, Helpe, helpe O man of God; If God and your owne Con&s;ciences helpe you not, whence &s;hall wee helpe you? If there had beene Corne within the barnes, the King could ea&s;ily haue hel|ped her, but he could not make Corne. So if men haue carryed any thing into their Con&s;ciences, if they them|&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lues haue Inned any provi&s;ion and comfort, by being Con&s;cionable in their lives, then we can helpe and com|fort
<PB N="201" REF="112"> them, but otherwi&s;e do not thinke that we can make comforts, and make good Con&s;ciences vpon your death|beds. If your Con&s;ciences can &s;ay for you, that you haue bin carefull in your life time to know God, to walke holily &amp; religiou&s;ly before him, &amp;c. then we dare be bold to comfort, &amp; cheere you, then dare we &s;peake peace confidently to you But if your Con&s;ciences accu&s;e you of your ignorance, your oathes, Sabbath breaches&punc; worldline&s;&s;e, rebel|lion, vncleanene&s;&s;e, oppre&s;&s;ion, drun|kenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. and finally impenitency: What is it you would haue vs to doe? What can we &s;ay, but as the Prophet to <HI>Zedekiah, Ier. 37. 19. Where</HI> are now <HI>your Prophets that prophe&s;ied vnto you, &s;aying, The King of Babylon &s;hall not come again&s;t you.</HI> So, where be tho&s;e that in your life time told you, yee need not be &s;o care|full, and preci&s;e to keepe good Con&s;ci|ences, le&s;&s;e adoe will &s;erue the turne, <HI>now</HI> what thinke yee of them? <HI>now</HI> what peace haue you in tho&s;e wayes, what comfort can the&s;e giue you <HI>now?</HI>
<PB N="202" REF="113"> Or el&s;e what can we &s;ay when men in angui&s;h of Con&s;cience lie to&s;&s;ing on their beds, but what <HI>Reuben</HI> &s;ayd to his brethren when they were in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, <HI>Gen. 42. 21. 22. Did not I warne you, &s;aying, Sinne not, &amp;c.</HI> So mu&s;t we&punc; what doe ye call to vs for comfort, Did not wee warne you many a time &amp; oft, &s;aying, &s;inne not, nor liue in tho&s;e dangerous cour&s;es? Did not we warne you? Oh to haue our Con&s;ciences &amp; Gods Mi|ni&s;ters thus to grate vpon vs, what an vncomfortable condition will this be? Would we then prevent &s;uch &s;orrow, and be cheerfull, and cheered at our latter ends, lay vp a good Con&s;cience then, lay in &s;omewhat for Con&s;cience, and Gods Mini&s;ters to worke vpon, &amp; from which they both may be able to ray&s;e comfort to you. Get a good Con&s;cience, and liue in it all thy daies, and then though thou &s;houlde&s;t want the benefit of a comforting Mini&s;ter, yet thy Con&s;cience &s;hall doe the office of a comforting Mini&s;ter, and &s;hall be the &s;ame vnto thee that the Angell was
<PB N="203" REF="113"> vnto Chri&s;t in his agony, <HI>Luk.</HI> 22. 43. and &s;hall mini&s;ter &s;uch comfort vnto thee, as &s;hall make thee ready to leape into thy graue for ioy. This &s;hall be as another <HI>Iacobs</HI> &s;taffe for thee to leane and re&s;t vpon, when thou &s;halt be vpon thy death-bed. If men knew but the worth of a good Con&s;cience at the houre of death, we &s;hould need no o|ther motiue to worke mens hearts to be in loue therewith.</P>
<P>Fiftly and la&s;tly, the benefit &amp; com|fort<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 The com|fort of a good Con|&s;cience at the day of Iudgement.</NOTE> of a good Con&s;cience is great at the day of Iudgement. Oh the &s;weet comfort and confidence of heart that a good Con&s;cience will yeeld vnto a man at that day. What will become of all the Gigantean &s;pirits, and the braue fellowes of the earth then? Alas for their yellings, and cur&s;ings of them|&s;elues, and their companions? What howling &amp; crying to the mountaines, as they did, <HI>Revel. 6. Hide</HI> vs, <HI>cover</HI> vs, yea, da&s;h and qua&s;h vs in a thou&s;and pieces. When an ill Con&s;cience is a|wakened, it is not to be imagined how
<PB N="204" REF="114"> &s;mall a thing will ga&s;tre it. <HI>The &s;ound of a &s;haken leafe &s;hall cha&s;e them, and they &s;hall flye as flying from a &s;word, and they &s;hall fall when none pur&s;ues. Levit. 26. 36. A dreadfull &s;ound is in his cares, Iob</HI> 15, 21. Hee heares nothing, but he thinkes he heares alwayes &s;ome terrible and dreadfull noy&s;e. Now then if a &s;haken lea&s;e &s;hall cha&s;e, and &s;hall put them in|to a &s;haking feare, what ca&s;e will &s;uch be in, when as <HI>Iob</HI> &s;peakes, <HI>Iob 26. 11. The pillars of heauen &s;hall tremble,</HI> and when <HI>the powers of heaven &s;hall bee &s;ha|ken, Luk.</HI> 21. 26. When the heauens &s;hall &s;hake, and flame aboue them, when the earth &s;hall quake, and tremble vnder them, what ca&s;e will they be in then? If meere imaginations fill their eares with <HI>dreadfull &s;ounds</HI> where there is no &s;ound at all: Oh what a dreadfull &s;ound &s;hall be in their eares when the <HI>Sea &s;hall raore, Luk.</HI> 21. 25. when <HI>the la&s;t trumpe &s;hall &s;ound, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. when they &s;hall heare the <HI>&s;hout and voyce of an An|gell, 1 The&s;.</HI> 4. 16, What dreadfull &s;ounds will the&s;e be in the cares of ill Con&s;ci|ences?
<PB N="205" REF="114"> How will the&s;e dreadfull &s;ounds confound their &s;oules with horrour and amazement.</P>
<P>But now for a good Con&s;cience, how is it with it then? Euen amid&s;t all the&s;e dreadfull &s;ounds it <HI>lookes vp,</HI> &amp; <HI>lifts vp the head, Luk.</HI> 21. 28. and enables a man with a cheery confidence <HI>to &s;tand be|fore the Sonne of man, Luk.</HI> 21. 36.</P>
<P>The malefactor who lookes for the halter, how dreadful is the iudges com|ming to the A&s;&s;izes, attended with the troups of halberds, in his eye; but the pri&s;oner that knowes his owne inno|cency, and that he &s;hall be quit and di&s;|charged, his heart leapes at the Iudges approach, how terribly &s;oever he come attended to the bench, it glads his heart to &s;ee that day, which &s;hall be the day of his liberty and relea&s;e. <HI>An hypocrite &s;hall not come before him, Iob</HI> 13, 16. much le&s;&s;e, &s;hall <HI>looke vp,</HI> &amp; <HI>lift vp his head,</HI> or <HI>&s;tand before him, P&s;a.</HI> 1. 5. But the righte|ous, and the man with a good Con&s;ci|ence, hee &s;hall hold vp, and cheereful|ly lift vp his head, when all the &s;urly,
<PB N="206" REF="115"> and proud <HI>Zamzummins</HI> of the earth, that here lifted vp their heads and nebs &s;o high, &s;hall become howling and trembling &s;uitors to the deafe moun|taines to hide them from the pre&s;ence 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.</P>
<P>It will be with good and evill Con|&s;ciences at that day, as it was with <HI>Pha|roahs</HI> Butler, and Baker, on <HI>Pharaohs</HI> birth-day. The Butler hee knew hee &s;hould be re&s;tored to honour, and goe from the pri&s;on to the pallace, there|fore he comes out of the pri&s;on full of ioy, and iollity, he holds vp his head, and out-faces the proude&s;t of his ene|mies. But the Baker hee knowes his head &s;hall be lift from off him, and therefore when <HI>Pharaohs</HI> birth-day comes, wherein all others are in iolli|ty, yet hee droopes and hangs downe the head, hee knowes it would proue an heavy day of reckoning with him.</P>
<P>Such will the apparition of Chri&s;t
<PB N="207" REF="115"> vnto iudgement bee, vnto good &amp; evill Con&s;ciences, as was the apparition of the Angell, <HI>Math. 28. 2. 3. 4. 5. There was a great earthquake, for the Angell of the Lord de&s;cended from heaven, his coun|tenance was like lightning, and his ray+ment white as &s;now.</HI> Here was a terrible &s;ight, but yet not alike terrible to all the beholders. For, <HI>for feare of him the keepers did &s;hake, and became as dead men.</HI> But the <HI>Angell &s;aid vnto the women, feare not yee, for I know that yee &s;eeke Ie&s;us.</HI> So at the la&s;t day when Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudgement, evill Con&s;ciences &s;hall be as the Keepers, while&s;t all good Con&s;ciences &s;hall heare that comfor|fortable voyce, <HI>Feare not yee,</HI> for I know that you haue &s;ought for God, and all your dayes yee haue &s;ought to kpepe a good Con&s;cience. How effectuall a motiue &s;hould this be, how &s;trongly &s;hould this worke with vs. As wee would bee glad to hold vp our heads, when the glorious ones of the earth &s;hall hang them downe, to leape for ioy, when others &s;hall howle for bitter
<PB N="208" REF="116"> angui&s;h of &s;pirit, &s;o now whil&s;t wee haue the day of life and grace, la|bour wee to get and keepe good Con|&s;ciences.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>A &s;econd motiue, A good Con&s;cience is a continuall fea&s;t.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus haue wee &s;eene the fir&s;t mo|tiue,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;eco~d motiue to a good Con|&s;cience.</NOTE> from the benefite and com|fort of a good Con&s;cience, in &s;uch ca|&s;es, and times, as a man &s;tands mo&s;t in need of comfort. A <HI>&s;econd motiue</HI> fol|lowes, and that is that we finde, <HI>Prov. 15. 15. A good Con&s;cience is a continuall fea&s;t.</HI> 1. It is a <HI>fea&s;t. 2. Better</HI> then a fea&s;t. It is a <HI>continuall</HI> fea&s;t.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>It is a fea&s;t.</HI> The excellency of a good Con&s;cience is &s;et forth by the &s;ame thing, by which our Saviour &s;ets forth the happine&s;&s;e of heauen. <HI>Luk.</HI> 14.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quo enim melius epu|lantur ani|mi quam bonis fact is, aut quid aliud iam facile po|te&s;t explere iu&s;torum mentes qua~ boni operis con&s;cientia. Ambr de offic. l. 1. c. 31</NOTE> And well may both be &s;et forth by the &s;ame metaphor, con&s;idering what a neere affinity there is betweene heauen
<PB N="209" REF="116"> and a good Con&s;cience, &amp; that there is no fea&s;ting in heauen, vnle&s;&s;e there be fir&s;t the fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience here on earth. But why a <HI>fea&s;t?</HI> A fea&s;t for three regards.</P>
<P N="1">1. For the <HI>&s;elfe &s;ufficiency,</HI> and &s;weet <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> and <HI>contentment</HI> that a good Con&s;cience hath within it &s;elfe. Fea|&s;ting &amp; fa&s;ting are oppo&s;ite. In fa&s;ting vpo~ the want of food there is an emp|tine&s;&s;e and a griping hunger, which makes the body in&s;atiably to craue. But at a fea&s;t there is abundance, and variety of all di&s;hes and dainties, ready at hand to &s;atisfie a mans appetite to the full, he can haue a mind to nothing but it is before him. The very be&s;t of euery thing that is to bee had is at a fea&s;t. <HI>A fea&s;t of fat things, I&s;a. 25. 6. of fat things full of marrow.</HI> Such is the &s;ufficiency of &s;atisfaction, the abun|dance of &s;weetnes, and contentment that is to be found in a good Con&s;ci|ence. It is a table richly furni&s;ht with all varieties, and dainties. There is no plea&s;ure, co~fort, or contentment that a
<PB N="210" REF="117"> mans heart can wi&s;h, but it may bee a|bundantly had in a good Con&s;cience; as at a fea&s;t there is a collection of all the dainties and delicacies that &s;ea and land can affoord.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the <HI>mirth,</HI> and <HI>ioy</HI> of it. <HI>A fea&s;t is made for laughter, Eccle&s;.</HI> 10. 19. At a fea&s;t there is mirth, mu&s;ick, and delight in the comfortable v&s;e of the creatures. Heauine&s;&s;e of heart, pen&s;inene&s;&s;e, and &s;orrow, the&s;e are bani&s;ht fro~ the hou&s;e of fea&s;ting. Fa&s;ting &amp; fea&s;ting are op|po&s;ite, in fa&s;ting indeede there is wee|ping, mourning, and &s;orrowing, but in a fea&s;t contrarily, there is mirth, merri|ment and ioy.</P>
<P>There were vnder the Law appoin|ted &s;o lemne holy fea&s;ts anniver&s;arily to be celebrated, and at tho&s;e &s;olemne fea&s;ts were the &s;ilver trumpets &s;oun|ded, <HI>Num.</HI> 10. 10. and the &s;ound of the trumpets was a <HI>ioyfull &s;ound. P&s;al,</HI> 89. 15. For their fe&s;tivities were to bee kept with &s;peciall ioy. <HI>Deut. 16. 10. 11. 13. 14. 15. Thou &s;halt keepe</HI> the fea&s;t <HI>of weekes vnto the Lord. &amp;c. and thou &s;halt</HI> reioyce <HI>be|fore
<PB N="211" REF="117"> the Lord, &amp;c. Thou &s;halt ob&s;erue the</HI> fea&s;t <HI>of Tabernacles &s;euen dayes, &amp;c. And thou &s;halt</HI> reioyce <HI>in thy</HI> fea&s;t <HI>&amp;c. Ther|fore thou &s;halt &s;urely reioyce.</HI> And that extraordinary fea&s;t on the fourteenth and fifteenth of <HI>Ader,</HI> in memoriall of their deliuerance from <HI>Hama~,</HI> &s;ee how it was kept, <HI>E&s;t.</HI> 9. 19. 22. They kept them dayes <HI>of gladne&s;&s;e and fea&s;ting, of fea&s;ting and ioy.</HI> Euen &s;uch is the excel|lency of a good Con&s;cience. All the merriment and mu&s;icke, wine &amp; good cheere, will not make a mans heart &s;o light and &s;o merry, as the wine which is drunke at the fea&s;t of a good con&s;ci|ence will doe. This takes away all hea|uine&s;&s;e and &s;adne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit, and hath the like effects with naturall wine. It makes a man <HI>forget his</HI> &s;pirituall <HI>pover|ty, and remember that mi&s;ery no more, Pro.</HI> 31. 7. Nay, as wine not onely takes away &s;adnes, but withall brings a natu|rall gladnes with it. <HI>P&s;al. 104. 15. Wine that makes glad the heart of man,</HI> &s;o doth this wine at this fea&s;t. <HI>P&s;al. 97. 11. 12. Light is &s;owne for the righteous, and
<PB N="212" REF="118"> gladnes for the vpright in heart, Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous.</HI> None &s;o glad an heart, as the vpright in heart. Nay, &s;uch is the vigour and &s;trength of this wine, at this fea&s;t, that it not only glads a mans heart, but makes a man as not able to containe, euen to &s;hout for ioy, <HI>P&s;al. 32. 11, Shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart,</HI> yea <HI>&s;hout alowd for ioy, P&s;al.</HI> 132. 16. That looke as it is &s;ayde of the Lord, <HI>P&s;al. 78. 65. The Lord awa|ked like a mighty man that &s;houts by rea|&s;on of wine.</HI> So &s;uch is the plenty, abun|dance, &s;weetnes, and &s;trength of the wine of this fea&s;t, that it makes men in a holy iollity, euen to breake forth into &s;houting, &amp; &s;inging. This wine being liberally drunken, wherein there is no exce&s;&s;e, fills a mans heart with &s;uch an ouerflowing exuberancy of ioy, as hee cannot hold, but he mu&s;t needs &s;hew it in P&s;alms, Hymns, and &s;pirituall &s;ongs; and hence it is, that <HI>the righteous do &s;ing and reioyce, Pro.</HI> 29. 6. So that what ioy a fea&s;t can yeeld, that can a good con|&s;cience yeeld much more, 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12.
<PB N="213" REF="118"> <HI>This is our</HI> reioycing <HI>the testimony of our Con&s;cience.</HI> Yea and that ioy com|manded, <HI>Deut.</HI> 16. At the fea&s;t of Ta|bernacles what was it but a type of that &s;pirituall ioy, that the faithfull vn|der Chri&s;t &s;hould haue in keeping the fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience? The fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience is the true fea&s;t of Tabernacles, in which as in the other, there &s;hall need no charge to reioyce, and be merry, this fea&s;t will put &s;uch &s;pirit and life into a man, as &s;hall make him &s;ing, skip, and &s;hout for ioy.</P>
<P>The fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience is not like a funerall fea&s;t, where mirth and ioy are vn&s;eemely, and vn&s;ea&s;onable gue&s;ts, there are heauy hearts &amp; looks, teares, and mourning (which by the way how well they &s;uit with fea&s;ting, let the world iudge) but the fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience is a nuptiall fea&s;t, a marriage fea&s;t, and the day of marri|age is <HI>the day of the ioy of a mans heart, Cant.</HI> 3. 11. Such a fea&s;t, euen a ioyfull marriage fea&s;t doth a good con&s;cience make.</P>
<PB N="214" REF="119">
<P>Oftentimes the&s;e bodily fea&s;ts are but heauy fea&s;ts, many for all their good cheere, company, and mu&s;icke, cannot put away the heavines of their hearts, but euen in their fea&s;t are &s;ad hearted, and <HI>Samp&s;ons</HI> wife <HI>wept</HI> all the dayes of the fea&s;t, <HI>Iudg.</HI> 14. 17. yea though a marriage fea&s;t. But in this fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience here is no &s;orrow, heauines, or &s;ad melancholly, but all ioy and gladnes.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the <HI>&s;ocietie</HI> &amp; <HI>company.</HI> A fea&s;t is a collection, and a convention of many good friends together, who&s;e &s;o|ciety and fellow&s;hip is &s;weet each to o|ther. There is no fea&s;t can affoord the like company that a good con&s;cience hath. <HI>Woe to him that is alone. Eccl.</HI> 4. that is the woefull and &s;olitary condi|tion of euill con&s;ciences. But a good con&s;cience hath euer good company, <HI>is not alone,</HI> for the Father is with him. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 16. 32. yea, the Sonne is with it, and Chri&s;t, and the man with a good con|&s;cience, they <HI>&s;uppe,</HI> and <HI>fea&s;t</HI> together. <HI>Reu.</HI> 3. 20. Yea, and the Spirit is with it.
<PB N="215" REF="119"> 1. <HI>Cor. 13. 13. The Communion of the holy Gho&s;t be with you.</HI> What fea&s;t in the world ca~ &s;hew &s;uch co~pany? And good company is the chiefe thing in a fea&s;t. Thus a good con&s;cience is a fea&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is <HI>better</HI> then a fea&s;t. And that in three regards.</P>
<P N="1">1. In regard of the <HI>continuance,</HI> and <HI>perpetuity</HI> of it. <HI>A continuall fea&s;t. Nabal</HI> made a fea&s;t, a fea&s;t like a King. 1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 25. but that fea&s;t la&s;ted but one day. <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> at his marriage had a fea&s;t that la&s;ted &s;euen daies. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 14. 17. but yet that fea&s;t had an end, <HI>Aha&s;huero&s;h</HI> his fea&s;t was the longe&s;t fea&s;t that euer we reade of. <HI>E&s;th. 1. 4. He made a fea&s;t many dayes, an hundred and foure&s;core dayes.</HI> But yet, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. it is &s;ayd, <HI>And when tho&s;e daies were expired.</HI> So this long fea&s;t had an end. It was continued for many daies, but yet no continuall fea&s;t, it had an end. The fea&s;t of a good con|&s;cience is not like an <HI>Vniuer&s;ity</HI> Com|mencement fea&s;t. Great exceedings, &amp; extraordinary good cheere and com|pany for one night, but the next mor|row
<PB N="216" REF="120"> to their bare Commons againe. Not like the <HI>fea&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Natiuity,</HI> at which time there is great fea&s;ting, and great cheere every where for twelue dayes, but when tho&s;e dayes are ouer, many a man is glad of bread &amp; chee&s;e, glad to skip at a cru&s;t. But this is a con|tinuall fea&s;t all the year long, all a mans life long. Therefore 1. <HI>The&s;. 5. 16. Re|ioyce euermore,</HI> keepe open hou&s;e, and fea&s;ting all the yeare long. The ioy of a good con&s;cience was figured by the ioy at the fea&s;t of Tabernacles. That fea&s;t la&s;ted &s;eue~ daies. The ioy mu&s;t be as long. Seuen the number of perfecti|on, denoted the whole cour&s;e of a mans life, and &s;o their &s;euen daies ioy, the <HI>continuall ioy</HI> and iollity of this <HI>con|tinuall fea&s;t</HI> of a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Con&s;cience, and a wife as they agree in many things, be they good, be they ill, &s;o in this al&s;o. If the con&s;cience be euill, it is like an <HI>euill wife,</HI> and &s;he is a <HI>continuall euill.</HI> Pro. 27. 15. <HI>A continuall dropping in a very rainy day, &amp; a conten|tious woman are alike.</HI> The contentions
<PB N="217" REF="120"> of a wife are <HI>a continuall dropping.</HI> Pro. 19. 13. A &s;hrewi&s;h wa&s;pi&s;h wife, is a continuall vexation, and di&s;quiet. Such is an evill Con&s;cience&punc; a continuall &s;or|row. Contrarily, a good Con&s;cience is like a <HI>good wife.</HI> A good wife is <HI>a conti|nuall comfort,</HI> a comfort in health, in &s;ickne&s;&s;e, in peace, in di&s;tre&s;&s;e. <HI>Prov. 31. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. She doth him good and not evill</HI> all the dayes <HI>of her life.</HI> Not &s;ome good, and a great deale of evill withall, but all good, good and not evill. Not good at &s;ometime, and none at other times, <HI>but all the dayes of her life,</HI> &s;he is a continuall comfort. Such is the comfort of a good con&s;cience. It keepes holy day, &amp; fea|&s;ting every day; It is all fea&s;t; a fea&s;t for ever; there is no <HI>Lent,</HI> nor <HI>fa&s;ting</HI> daies that interrupt this fea&s;t. This is the pe|culiar priviledge of this fea&s;t to be con|tinual; belly fea&s;ting cannot be &s;o: for</P>
<P N="1">1. A man cannot alwaies fea&s;t though he would, a mans revenewes would be exhau&s;t, his expen&s;es would &s;oone &s;inke his e&s;tate. Continuall fea&s;ting would &s;oone begger &amp; vndoe a man of good
<PB N="218" REF="121"> e&s;tate, <HI>Pro. 21. 17. He that loues Wine &amp; Oyle &s;hall not be rich.</HI> It is not &s;o here; the revenew of a good Con&s;cience is bot|tomles, it cannot be &s;pent, and there|fore is able to keepe a rich, and a full furni&s;ht Table all the yeare long. Here is a my&s;tery in this fea&s;t, the larger ex+pen&s;es to day, the more layd in to keep the fea&s;t the better to morrow; a man growes rich by fea&s;ting.</P>
<P N="2">2. Suppo&s;e a man might bee able to fea&s;t alwayes, or might feed at another mans Table continually, yet would it<NOTE PLACE="marg">Voluptas tunc cum maxime de|lectat extin guitur. Nec multum lo|ci habet i|tae&abque; cito im+plet et taedio e&s;t, &amp; po&s;t primum im petum mar|cet Senec de vit beat. cap. 7.</NOTE> weary a man beyond mea&s;ure. It would but gugge and cloy a man. All earthly plea&s;ures haue a &s;atietie, and breede a loathing by frequent v&s;e. But this is the admirable excellency of this fea&s;t of a good con&s;cience, here a man may feed, and cat with continuall delight. At this continual fea&s;t, here is a continual fre&s;h appetite, and fre&s;h delights; here is con|tinuall fea&s;ting without loathing and &s;atietie.</P>
<P N="3">3. Neither <HI>may</HI> belly-fea&s;ting be <HI>con|tinuall.</HI> There be &s;ometimes wherein it
<PB N="219" REF="121"> is inconvenient, and vnlawfull. To &s;peake with the fayre&s;t, that day which God hath fanctified for his &s;ervice, is not &s;o convenient for fea&s;ting. It may be no le&s;&s;e dangerous to devoure <HI>&s;ancti|fied time,</HI> then <HI>&s;anctified things.</HI> And in this ca&s;e hath that &s;aying a truth, <HI>It i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> not meet that we &s;hould leaue the Word of God, and &s;erue Tables. Act.</HI> 6. 2. But now this fea&s;t without any doubt may bee on the Sabbath, yea, it is the &s;pecial fe|&s;tivall, &amp; high day of the weeke, wher|in this fea&s;t is be&s;t kept. Againe, there bee times wherein God calles to &s;o|lemne fa&s;ting and humiliation, as when the Church is either in danger, or di&s;|tre&s;&s;e, but this fea&s;t is not hindred by fa&s;ting, it will &s;tand well with it, and many a &s;peciall dainty di&s;h is &s;erued in|to this fea&s;t from a fa&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. Suppo&s;e a man could and might fea&s;t alwayes, yet were it a bruti&s;h 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
<PB N="220" REF="122"> Glutton is taxed, <HI>Luk.</HI> 16. that <HI>he fared deliciou&s;ly euery day.</HI> But here to fea&s;t at this Table <HI>every day,</HI> is that which makes a man euery whit as <HI>Angel-like,</HI> as belly-fea&s;ting euery day makes a man <HI>&s;wine-like.</HI> Here it is a mans happi|ne&s;&s;e to be an holy <HI>Epicure.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It is better then other fea&s;ts, in re|gard<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nunquam credideris faeilcem qui adventitio laetus e&s;t, exibit gau|dium quod intravit. Senec. ep. 99.</NOTE> of the <HI>Independencie</HI> of this fea&s;t vpon any other outward thing. This fea&s;t is able to maintaine it &s;elfe of it &s;elfe, &amp; within it &s;elfe. A man that hath a good con&s;cience, hath a fea&s;t, though he haue nothing el&s;e but it. A good Con&s;cience, though it haue nothing but browne bread and water, yet this hard fare marres not the fea&s;t; For this fea&s;t <HI>&s;tands not in meats, and drinks, but in righteou&s;nes, peace, and ioy in the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> Rom. 14. 17. <HI>Quietne&s;&s;e and a dry mor&s;ell is better then an hou&s;e full of good cheare with &s;trife,</HI> Pro. 17. 1. Though it be but outward <HI>quietnes,</HI> when a man is free from vniu&s;t vexations, &amp; the mo|le&s;tations of froward and contentious di&s;po&s;itions, even &s;uch quietnes makes
<PB N="221" REF="122"> a <HI>dry mor&s;ell</HI> good cheere, makes a fea&s;t of a cru&s;t. But when there is inward quietne&s;&s;e of a good Con&s;cience, and a mans heart is at quiet from his peace with his God, what excellent cheere is a <HI>dry mor&s;ell,</HI> then? Though a man have ever &s;o good fare, yet to haue it &s;awced with the bitterne&s;&s;e of conten|tion, and to live in a continuall wrang|ling with peevi&s;h people, what poore content would a wel furni&s;ht Table af|foord &s;uch a man? And what poore cheere, e&s;pecially, would all the fea&s;ts in the world make, where there is brawling &amp; contention from the co~&s;ci|ence? Here then is the excelle~cy of this fea&s;t above all other fea&s;ts. This fea&s;t is able to &s;ub&s;i&s;t, and to maintaine it &s;elfe without other fea&s;ting; other fea|&s;ting is nothing without this of a good con&s;cience. Other fea&s;ting often hurts and hinders this fea&s;t, while&s;t men by their vaine &amp; licentious carriage there|in, <HI>Fea&s;ting without al feare,</HI> Iude 12. do make the Con&s;cience fa&s;t and &s;terue, and while&s;t their Quailes are betweene
<PB N="222" REF="123"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">heir teeth, <HI>leanne&s;&s;e enters into their &s;oule. P&s;alm.</HI> 106. 15. So farre is bo|dily fea&s;ting from helping, that it hinders this fea&s;ting rather. Con&s;ci|ence, can haue mirth enough without a fea&s;t, but little is the comfort and con|tent that a fea&s;t can giue, where the Con&s;cience is not good. Men may &s;et a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sed non e&s;t i&s;ta hilaritas long a ob&s;er|va: videbis eo&s;de~ intra exiguum te~ pus acerri|me ridere, et acerrime rudere. Se|nec. ep. 29.</NOTE> a face vpon it and bragge, laugh, and be iolly in their fea&s;ting, but yet in the <HI>midde&s;t of that laughter the heart is &s;or|rowfull, and the ende of that mirth is heauine&s;&s;e, Prov.</HI> 14. 13. Con&s;cience a|wakened even in the midde&s;t of the greate&s;t iollitie, giues men many a bitter twitch at the heart, and in the midde&s;t of all their revillings, gives them <HI>Vineger</HI> and <HI>Gall</HI> to drinke. A good Con&s;cience is it that &s;weetens and &s;ea&s;ons all the di&s;hes of a fea&s;t, that is the &s;awce that makes meate &s;a|voury, the &s;ugar that &s;weetens Wine, that is the mu&s;icke that makes a mans heart daunce.</P>
<P>But let a man goe to the mo&s;t &s;ump|tuous, and delicious fea&s;tes without a
<PB N="223" REF="123"> good con&s;cience, and how is it with him then? Iu&s;t as with <HI>Bel&s;hazzar, Dan.</HI> 5. where the hand-writing on the wall, marred all his mirth; or el&s;e it is in &s;uch a ca&s;e as it was with <HI>Haman.</HI> The foole brags that he alone is invited to <HI>E&s;thers</HI> banquet with the King, <HI>E&s;th.</HI> 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 &s;ee what little rea&s;on hee had to brag. <HI>Chap.</HI> 7, 2. Even at the <HI>banquet of Wine, E&s;ther</HI> giues him a cup of gall at the banquet of Wine. Doth &s;he accu&s;e <HI>Haman</HI> to the King. Oh! how many glory in their banquetting, &amp; their fea|&s;ting, but how often do their Con&s;cien|ces put <HI>Ea&s;thers</HI> tricke vpon them, euen accu&s;e them to God, and gall and girde them in the midd&s;t of their wine. Con|&s;cience &s;erues many, as <HI>Ab&s;oloms</HI> villai|nies &s;erued <HI>Ammon;</HI> when his heart was merry at <HI>Ab&s;oloms</HI> fea&s;t, then they &s;tabd him to the heart. Con&s;cience deales with them as the <HI>I&s;ralites</HI> were dealt withall in their Quayle fea&s;t. They
<PB N="224" REF="124"> had their Quailes, and their daynties, but a man would rather want their good cheere, then haue their &s;awce. Their &s;weet meat had &s;hrape &s;awce. While&s;t the fle&s;h was betweene their teeth, Gods anger brake in vpon them. So while&s;t many are chewing their dainties, con&s;cience fills their mouth with gravell, and &s;o &s;awces and &s;pices their di&s;hes, that they finde but little content therein. So mi&s;erable are all fea&s;ts and merryments of this world, when a man wants the imdependent fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience. So happy al&s;o are they that haue the fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience, although they neuer ta&s;te bitt of other fea&s;t whil&s;t they liue, although they be denied the crummes that fall vnder the fea&s;ting Gluttons Table.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is better in regard of the <HI>Vniuer|&s;alitie</HI> of it. As for belly-fea&s;ts, it &s;tands not with euery mans condition, and pur&s;e, to make them. It belongs onely to the richer &amp; abler &s;ort to fea&s;t. Fea|&s;ting is a matter of charge &amp; co&s;t, and
<PB N="225" REF="124"> &s;o is out of the reach of the poorer &s;ort. But here is the excellency of this fea&s;t. The poore&s;t that is may make it, and the poore haue as good priviledge to make it as the rich, &amp; the poore in this re&s;pect may keepe as good an hou&s;e as the be&s;t Nobleman, yea, for the mo&s;t part the poorer &s;ort keep this fea&s;t be&s;t. <HI>Nabal</HI> makes <HI>a fea&s;t like a King,</HI> but wretched man, in the meane time what fea&s;t keepes his Con&s;cience? It may be many a poore Carmelite neighbour of his, that went in a poore ru&s;&s;et coate, and liued in a poore thatcht cottage, kept that fea&s;t abundantly, and richly, while&s;t he poore &s;ot had not the crums that fell from their Tables. <HI>Lazarus</HI> could not haue the crummes that fell from the gluttons table, but how hap|pie had it beene with the glutton, if in &s;tead of his delicious fare hee might haue had but the rever&s;ions of <HI>Lazarus</HI> boord. <HI>Lazarus</HI> may not come to his fea&s;t, no nor yet to his fragments, nei|ther will <HI>Lazarus</HI> condition permit him to fea&s;t it as the glutton did, but yet
<PB N="226" REF="125"> this fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience, <HI>Laza|rus</HI> may make as well as he, and can, and doth keepe it, while&s;t the glutton feeles many an hunger-biting gripe. What an excellent fea&s;t is this, aboue all other fea&s;ts, wherein the ru&s;&s;et hath as much priviledge as the velvet, the begger as the King, the poore tenant, as the rich Landlord? The rich Land|lord often &s;o feedes vpon, and eates vp his poore tenant by oppre&s;&s;ion, that the tenant is kept low enough for fea&s;ting; It is well with him if he haue food, he had not need thinke of fea&s;ting. But loe now the excellent fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience; Here may the tenant keepe as good cheere as the Landlord, yea, and it may be may fea&s;t, while&s;t the rich Landlord is readie to &s;terue for want of this provi&s;ion.</P>
<P>Now then all this con&s;idered, what a <HI>Motiue</HI> &s;hould it be to make vs in loue with a good Con&s;cience. How power|fully &s;hould this per&s;wade vs thereto? When God would per&s;wade men to come to the ioyes of heaven, he v&s;es
<PB N="227" REF="125"> no other argument then this, to invite them to a fea&s;t, as in that Parable. <HI>Luk.</HI> 14. Behold, here is the &s;ame argument, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o mooue you to bee in loue with a goo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Con&s;cience, behold the Lord in|vites you <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o <HI>a fea&s;t,</HI> and to a fea&s;t where <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;hal haue &s;ufficiency, without want, or loathing, where ye &s;hall haue wine, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">rth, mu&s;ick, and good Company to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he full. The twelue dayes fea&s;t of the <HI>Nativitie,</HI> how is it longed for before hand, and how welcommed when it is come? And what may the rea&s;on be? But onely becau&s;e it is a fea&s;ting time. This is counted a ble&s;&s;ed good Time. And why a ble&s;&s;ed good Time? As Chri&s;t was a ble&s;&s;ed good man, and the Prophet that &s;hould come into the world, and therefore &s;hould be made a King, becau&s;e he had fed, &amp; filled their bellies. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 6. So the mo&s;t make that a ble&s;&s;ed time, not for the memoriall of Chri&s;ts Incarnation, but becau&s;e of the loaues Chri&s;t &s;hall be a King, and be|cau&s;e of the fea&s;t, the Time is ble&s;&s;ed. Well then, &amp; is the world &s;o de&s;irous,
<PB N="228" REF="126"> and &s;o glad of fea&s;ting? Are fea&s;ting Times &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed Times? Loe then I invite you to a fea&s;t, to a ble&s;&s;ed good fea&s;t indeed, that will make you ble&s;|&s;ed and truly happy. Not to a fea&s;t of twelue dayes, but to a fea&s;t th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t la&s;ts all the twelue moneths of the yeere, to a continuing, and a continuall fea&s;t. How glad are many when they may goe to a fea&s;t? Loe a way to make fea&s;ts for your &s;elues. What a credit is it counted in the world for a man to keepe a good, and a great hou&s;e, to keep fea&s;ting and open hou&s;e for all commers, during the Fea&s;tivitie of the twelue dayes. Would we haue this credit of good hou&s;e|keeping, not for twelue dayes, but for all the yeere long, Get good Con&s;ci|ences, keepe good Con&s;ciences. There is no &s;uch <HI>good houfe-keeper,</HI> as is the <HI>good Con&s;cience-keeper;</HI> for, a good Con|&s;cience is a fea&s;t, a continuall fea&s;t.</P>
<P>There is nothing that men de&s;ire more then to liue merrily, and how many &s;tumble at Religion, and keeping of a good Con&s;cience, vnder an idle
<PB N="229" REF="126"> conceit that it is the way to marre all their mirth, and to make a man lumpi&s;h &amp; melancholly. Doe not beleeue the divell, do not beleeue his lying agents. It is a profane Proverbe, that <HI>Spiritus Calvinia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us e&s;t &s;piritus melancholicus.</HI> A good Con&s;cience is a fea&s;t, a fea&s;t with all dainties, mu&s;icke, and wine. Can a man be melancholly at a fea&s;t, at &s;o ioy|full, and &s;o &s;weet a fea&s;t? Doth fea&s;ting make men melancholly, or make men merry? Make men weepe, or laugh? If a man &s;hould cry downe fea&s;ting with this argument, That it makes men me|lancholly, would not all men laugh him to &s;corne? And why then &s;hould a man feare melancholly more from a good Con&s;cience, then from a fea&s;t? There is none liues &s;o merry a life as he that keepes a good Con&s;cience, he is e|very day at a fea&s;t, he is alwayes ban|quetting. Yea, the wor&s;t di&s;hes of this fea&s;t, even tho&s;e at the lower end of the Table, are better then the mo&s;t choyce rarities of other fea&s;ts. The very teares that a good co~&s;cience &s;heds haue more
<PB N="230" REF="127"> ioy and plea&s;ure in them, then the worlds greate&s;t ioyes. And if the teares of a good con&s;cience be &s;uch, what is the mirth, &amp; laughter of it? If weeping be &s;o &s;weet, what is &s;inging? If the cour&s;er di&s;hes be &s;o daintie, what are the be&s;t &s;ervices? Would we then liue merrily, and pa&s;&s;e our dayes Iocundly indeed? Get a good Con&s;cience, and thou keepe&s;t a continuall fea&s;t, &amp; that continuall fea&s;t will keepe thee in cou|tinuall mirth, and continuall ioy. Yea though thou be in affliction, and vnder cro&s;&s;es, &s;o as thy dayes vnto the world may &s;eeme exceedingly evill, yet &s;halt thou liue merrily as at a fea&s;t. Yea, this is the &s;cope of that Scripture, <HI>All the dayes of the afflicted are evill,</HI> namely, in the eye and iudgement of the world: <HI>but a good Con&s;cience,</HI> namely, to the af|flicted <HI>is a continuall fea&s;t.</HI> A good con|&s;cience fea&s;ts then, and turnes fa&s;ting dayes into fea&s;ting, dayes. A good con&s;cience fea&s;ts a man in his poverty, in his &s;ickne&s;&s;e, in the pri&s;on, and cheeres vp a man with many a dainty
<PB N="231" REF="127"> bit. The wine of this fea&s;t makes them forget all their &s;orrow.</P>
<P>Now then that we would be &s;o wi&s;e as to hearken to Gods invitation to this fea&s;t, <HI>Let vs keepe the fea&s;t with the bread of &s;incerity and truth, 1 Cor.</HI> 5. 8. Take heed now that we put not off God as the&s;e did, <HI>Luk.</HI> 14. invited to the fea&s;t, with the excu&s;es of Farmes, Ox|en, and the like. So doe many, vrge them to the keeping of a good Con&s;ci|ence, &amp; their an&s;wer is, If they &s;hould be &s;o preci&s;e how &s;hall they liue, they &s;hall haue but poore takings if they take &s;uch a cour&s;e, <HI>I pray haue mee excu|&s;ed,</HI> I mu&s;t liue. Thus they an&s;wer, as many good husbands, when invited to frequent fea&s;tings, doe; No beleeue me it will not hold out, if I goe every day a fea&s;ting, I may go one day a begging, I mu&s;t follow my bu&s;ine&s;&s;e and let fea|&s;ting goe. And &s;o &s;ay men here. But take heed of putting off God thus. The time will come that thou woulde&s;t giue all thine Oxen to haue but the &s;craps &amp; crums of this fea&s;t, and thou
<PB N="232" REF="128"> &s;halt not haue them, God will &s;erue thee as he did them, <HI>Luk. 14. 24. None of tho&s;e men which were bidden &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll</HI> ta&s;te <HI>of my &s;upper.</HI> Tho&s;e that care not to kepe the fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience, &s;hall never come to Gods fea&s;t in heauen. If you refu&s;e to come to this fea&s;t now, God will at the la&s;t day thru&s;t you our of doores, when you will bee pre&s;&s;ing and crowding in, and &s;hall &s;ay to you Get you hence yee de&s;pi&s;ers of a good Con&s;cience, you &s;corned the fea&s;t of a good Con&s;cience, and therefore now the fea&s;t and gue&s;ts of heauen &s;corne you, here is no roome for &s;uch to fea&s;t here, who haue made their con&s;ciences fa&s;t heretofore.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>A third and a fourth motiue to a good Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>COme wee now to a <HI>third motiue,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The third motiue to a good Con|&s;cience.</NOTE> that may yet helpe to &s;tirre vp our mindes to this nece&s;&s;ary dutie of get|ting
<PB N="233" REF="128"> and keeping of a good con&s;cience. Be&s;ides what hath been &s;ayd, it is wor|thy of our con&s;ideration, that with|out a good Con&s;cience all our actions, yea, our very be&s;t &s;ervices to God are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o farre from goodnes and acceptance, that they are abominable and di&s;tate|full vnto the Lord. The formall good+ne&s;&s;e of every mans actions is to bee iudged, and e&s;teemed by the goodnes of his Con&s;cience, which being evill and defiled, makes all a mans actions to be &s;uch, 1 <HI>Tim. 1. 5. The ende of the commandement is loue.</HI> But what kinde of love doth the commandement re|quire, will any &s;hewes or &s;hadowes of obedience &s;erue the turne, will the bare dutie doing pa&s;&s;e for currant? No, but &s;uch loue to God and man, and &s;uch performance of obedience as proceedes from <HI>a pure heart and a good Con&s;cience.</HI> So that let a man doe all outward actions of obedience, yet i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a good Con&s;cience bee wanting all is nothing, <HI>For the ende of the Com|mandement is loue out of a good Con|&s;cience.</HI>
<PB N="234" REF="129"> As is a mans con&s;cienc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, &s;o are all his workes, and therefore nothing acceptable that a wicked man doth, be cau&s;e he doth it with an ill con&s;cience. <HI>To the pure all things are pure,</HI> but to the defiled their Con&s;cience is defiled, and that being defiled, it defiles all it med|dles with, as vnder the Law the Leper defiled all he touched. The be&s;t meate, di&s;ht and dre&s;&s;ed with defiled &amp; dirty hands, is lo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;ome to vs.</P>
<P>The hone&s;t workes of a mans calling are good workes in them&s;elues, but no good workes to him that doth them without a good con&s;cience, <HI>Pro <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">1. 4. An high looke, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is &s;inne.</HI> The calling of husbandry is counted the mo&s;t hone&s;t calling of all others, yet where a good con&s;cience is wanting, a mans very plowing is &s;inne. Come to holy duties of Religian and Gods &s;er|uice, and how is it with a man wanting a good Con&s;cience in them? That cur&s;e of <HI>Davidss P&s;al. 109. 8. Let his prayer be turned into &s;inne,</HI> lies vpon the
<PB N="235" REF="129"> &s;eruices of all evil con&s;ciences. See <HI>Pro. 15. 8. The &s;acrifice of the wicked,</HI> that is, of him that hath an evill Con&s;cience, <HI>is an abomination, but the prayer of the vp right,</HI> that is, of a man that hath a good and vpright Con&s;cience, <HI>is his delight.</HI> Ob&s;erue the oppo&s;ition, Hee &s;ayes not the <HI>prayer</HI> of the wicked, and the <HI>praier</HI> of the vpright, nor the <HI>&s;acrifice</HI> of the wicked, and the <HI>&s;acrifice</HI> of the vpright, but the <HI>&s;acrifice</HI> of the wicked, and the <HI>prayer</HI> of the vpright. A &s;acrifice had prayer with it, but yet it was more &s;umptuous and more &s;olemne then fin|gle prayer. Now who would not thinke but &s;uch co&s;t &s;hould make a man welcome, yet the &s;ingle prayer of the vpright is accepted, while&s;t this &s;acri|fice is an abomination, yea, and that a vile abomination, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66. 3. A man of evill Con&s;cience delighting in his abo|minations, makes his holie&s;t &s;eruices &s;uch. Let &s;uch an one come to the Sa|craments, and how will it be with him there? even as in the former, To the impure, even the pure Sacraments are
<PB N="236" REF="130"> impure. <HI>Simon Magus</HI> rather defiles the waters of bapti&s;me then they clen&s;e him, and it is not carnall bapti&s;me that avayles any thing without the <HI>an&s;were</HI> and <HI>&s;tipulation of a good Con&s;cience, 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 21. And for the Sacrament of the Supper whether doth it profit an vn|cleance Con&s;cience, or &s;uch a Con&s;ci|ence pollute it? It may be iudged by a like ca&s;e, re&s;olued, <HI>Hag.</HI> 2. 11. 14. The vncleane p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;on by a dead body touch+ing the <HI>Bread,</HI> or <HI>Wine,</HI> or <HI>Oyle,</HI> makes the&s;e to be <HI>vncleane.</HI> The ceremoniall vncleanne&s;&s;e by the touch of a <HI>dead body,</HI> typified the morall vncleanne&s;&s;e of an euill con&s;cience, vnpurged from <HI>dead workes.</HI> God lookes &s;pecially at the Con&s;cience in all our &s;eruices, and if hee findes that foule and filthy, hee throwes the dung of mens &s;acrifices in their faces, that come with the dung of their filthy Con&s;ciences before his face. See therefore how <HI>Paul</HI> &s;erues God, 2 <HI>Tim. 1. 3. Whom I &s;erue from my forefathers with pure Con&s;cience.</HI> It is an <HI>impure &s;eruice</HI> that is not performed
<PB N="237" REF="130"> with a <HI>pure Con&s;cience,</HI> as &s;light as the world makes of purity. <HI>How much more &s;hall the blood of Chri&s;t purge your Con|&s;ciences from dead workes. Heb.</HI> 9. 14. But to what end are they purged? <HI>To &s;erue the liuing God.</HI> Therefore mark, that till the Con&s;cience bee <HI>purged</HI> and made good, there is no <HI>&s;eruing of God.</HI> So <HI>Heb. 10. 22. Let ve draw neere,</HI> that is, in pray|er, and the like duties; But how? <HI>Ha|uing our hearts &s;princkled f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">om an euill Con&s;cience.</HI> Otherwi&s;e it is but a folly for vs to draw neere. for God will not be neer when a good con&s;cience is far off. And therefore we are bid to <HI>purifie our hearts,</HI> when we are bid <HI>draw nigh</HI> to God. <HI>Iam.</HI> 4. 8.</P>
<P>Behold here then a &s;peciall motiue to make a good Con&s;cience beautifull in our eye. As we would be loath our &s;er|vices of God, our prayers &amp; holy per|formances; &s;hould bee abominable in Gods eye, &s;o labor for good con&s;cien|ces. As we would haue comfort. in all our duties of obedience, &s;o labour to make our con&s;cience good. It is a great
<PB N="238" REF="131"> deale of confidence that &s;illy ignorant ones haue in their <HI>good prayers,</HI> &amp; their <HI>good &s;eruing</HI> of God, as they call it, yea it is all the ground of their hope of &s;al|uation, when they are demanded an account of their hope: Now alas your good prayers, &amp; your good &s;eruing of God! Why what doe you talking of the&s;e things? Hath Chri&s;t <HI>purged your Con&s;ciences from dead workes?</HI> Haue you by faith got your <HI>Con&s;ciences &s;prinkled</HI> and wrinced in Chri&s;ts bloud, and &s;o haue ye made them good? If not, neuer talke of <HI>good prayers,</HI> and <HI>good &s;eruing</HI> of God: your prayers cannot bee good while&s;t your Con&s;ciences are naught. An <HI>euill Con&s;cience</HI> before God, and a <HI>good &s;eruice</HI> to God cannot &s;tand toge|ther. But would you haue your <HI>prayers good</HI> indeed, and your &s;eruice accepta|ble indeed? Then let your fir&s;t care be to make your <HI>Con&s;ciences good.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> let this worke with vs as a<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fourth motiue to a good Con|&s;cience.</NOTE> maine <HI>motiue</HI> to a good Con&s;cience: That is the <HI>Ship</HI> and the <HI>Arke</HI> wherein the <HI>faith</HI> is pre&s;erued. The faith is a rich
<PB N="239" REF="131"> commodity, a precious fraight, and a good Con&s;cience is the bottome, and the ve&s;&s;el wherein it is carried. So long as the Ship is &s;afe and good, &s;o long the goods therein are &s;afe, but if the Ship &s;plit vpon the Rockes, or haue but a leake therein, then are all the goods therein in danger of being lo&s;t and ca&s;t away. So long as a man keepes a good con&s;cience, there is no feare of loo&s;ing the faith, the integrity and &s;oundue&s;le of the doctrine thereof. <HI>Con&s;tancie</HI> in the truth, is a fruit of good con&s;cience. <HI>P&s;al. 119. 54. 55. I haue kept thy Law,</HI> he had not declined from, nor for&s;aken the truth of God, but what held and kept him? <HI>This I had becau&s;e I kept thy precepts.</HI> Keeping of a good con&s;cience will keepe a man in the truth: It is that which is the onely pre&s;eruatiue to &s;aue from all errors, here&s;ies, and fal&s;e do|ctrines. The better Con&s;cience, the &s;ounder Iudgement, the &s;ounder heart, the &s;ounder head. As the better dige|&s;tion in the &s;tomach, the freer the head is from a&s;cendent fumes that would
<PB N="240" REF="132"> di&s;temper, and trouble the &s;ame. <HI>Iohn 7. 17. If any man will doe his will, hee &s;hall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.</HI> How &s;hall a man come to haue a &s;ound and a good iudgement, to bee able to iudge what is truth, and what is not? Let him get a good Con&s;cience, and make con&s;cience of <HI>doing the will of God, Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my com|mandements, and keepes them, &amp;c.</HI> &s;uch a man hath, and keepes a good Con&s;ci|ence. And what benefit &s;hall &s;uch a one haue by keeping a good Con&s;cience? <HI>I will loue him, and I will manife&s;t my &s;elfe vnto him.</HI> And <HI>P&s;al. 50. 23. To him that orders his conver&s;ation aright, will I &s;hew the &s;alvation of God.</HI> God doth communicate him&s;elfe and his truth to &s;uch as make Con&s;cience of their wayes. The pure in heart &s;hall &s;ee God, and the &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that feare him.</P>
<P>So that he that hath a good Con&s;ci|ence, hath the onely Antidote, the mo&s;t excellent Amulet, and plague-cake at his brea&s;t that is in the world, to &s;aue
<PB N="241" REF="132"> him from the pe&s;tilence, and infection of Popery, Arminiani&s;me, Browni&s;me, Anabapti&s;me, &amp;c. So long as the &s;hip of Con&s;cience is whole, &s;o long the Iewell of faith is &s;afe. <HI>Paul</HI> would haue a Bi&s;hop <HI>to hold fa&s;t the faithfull Word,</HI> and to be &s;ound in doctrine, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 9. But yet marke it, that hee would fir&s;t haue him bee a man of a good Con|&s;cience, in the two foregoing ver&s;es. And 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 9. hee would haue the Deacons <HI>hold the mi&s;tery of the faith in a pure Con&s;cience.</HI></P>
<P>Contrarily nothing &s;o endangers the lo&s;&s;e of the faith &amp; truth, &amp; &s;ound|nes of doctrine, as doth the lo&s;&s;e of good Con&s;cience. A corrupt Con&s;ci|ence &s;oone corrupts the iudgement. 1 <HI>Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good Con|&s;cience which &s;ome hauing put away, con|cerning faith haue made &s;hipwrack.</HI> If the &s;hip of Con&s;cience cracke, how &s;oone will the merchandi&s;e of faith wracke? If once the Con&s;cience cracke, the braine will &s;oone proue crazie; and an vn&s;ound Con&s;cience makes a
<PB N="242" REF="133"> fearefull way for an vn&s;ound and a rot|ten iudgement. 2. <HI>Tim. 3. 8. They re&s;i&s;t the truth,</HI> there is their corrupt Con|&s;cience: what followes vpon it? <HI>Men of corrupt mindes,</HI> vn&s;ound in their iudge|ment concerning the faith. How fre|quent a thing is it in experience to &s;ee men when they loo&s;e good Con&s;ci|ence, together with it either to <HI>loo&s;e their gifts,</HI> as the vnprofitable &s;ervant his ma&s;ters talent, or el&s;e, to <HI>loo&s;e the truth,</HI> and to fall into pe&s;tilent and dan|gerous errors. So tho&s;e Prophets that made not Con&s;cience in faithfull and holy execution of their office, &s;ee what was the fruit of their evill Con&s;cience. <HI>Mic. 3. 5. 6. 7. Therefore night &s;hall bee vnto you that yee &s;hall not haue a vi&s;ion, and it &s;hall bee darke vnto you that yee &s;hall not divine, and the Sunne &s;hall goe downe over the Prophets, and the day &s;hall be darke <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ver them, &amp;c.</HI> Their dark|ne&s;&s;e in life &s;hould bee plagued with darkne&s;&s;e in iudgement. To which purpo&s;e that is notable, <HI>Zach. 11. 17. Woe to the idoll &s;hepheard that leaues the
<PB N="243" REF="133"> flocke.</HI> There is an vncon&s;cionable &s;hepheard, a man that makes no Con|&s;cience to attend his mini&s;tery. What becomes of him? <HI>The &s;word &s;hall bee vpon his right eye,</HI> his be&s;t eye. <HI>And his right eye</HI> (&s;hall not be pore-blinde, or dimmed, but) <HI>&s;hall bee vtterly dar|kened.</HI> The lo&s;&s;e of good Con&s;cience brings vpon men of knowledge and learning, that reproach that <HI>Naha&s;h</HI> the Ammonite would haue brought vp|on all I&s;rael. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 11. 2. It thru&s;ts out their <HI>right eyes.</HI> Ill Con&s;ciences not onely make men looke a &s;quint, but it blindes them, and takes away their &s;ight.</P>
<P>And what is the rea&s;on that Popery gets ground &s;o fa&s;t, and &s;o many turne Papi&s;ts &s;o ea&s;ily? Surely it is no won|der, how &s;hould it be otherwi&s;e, when men either hauing lo&s;t all good Con|&s;cience, or making no Con&s;cience of their wayes, but living loo&s;ely, vi|ciou&s;ly and licentiou&s;ly, haue there|by prepared a way for Antichri&s;t and his religion, to enter with all &s;ucce&s;&s;e.
<PB N="244" REF="134"> No wonder that men turne Papi&s;ts &s;o fa&s;t, when long &s;ince they haue turned good con&s;cience going. For that which <HI>Bellarmine</HI> &s;peaks is in the gene|rall<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cum areae ventilari incipiunt, non frume~|ta &s;ed paleae vento abri|piente &s;epa|rantur ab area&punc; Ita pror&s;us cum Eccle&s;ia per Ethnicorum per&s;ecutio|nes, vel Hae|reticorum deccptiones, Deo per|mittente, cribratur, aut venti|latur &agrave; &s;o|tana: non viri &s;ancti, &amp; graues &s;ed improbi leves, curi|o&s;i, la&s;civi ab Eccle&s;ia a volantes ad Ethnicos h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">retico&s;ue transfu|giunt, nec fere &s;olet accidere, vt ante cir|ca fidem a|liquis nau|fraget, quam nau|fragare&punc; coe|perit circa mores, Bel|lar. Orat. prefix. tom. 4.</NOTE> certainely true, though by him fal&s;|ly and maliciou&s;ly applyed, That they be not holy and graue men, but wic|ked, light, curious, wanton ones, that turne Ethnicks, or Hereticks, and that it &s;eldome comes to pa&s;&s;e, that any man makes &s;hipwracke concerning the faith, that fir&s;t makes not &s;hipwracke concerning manners. See the truth of it in many of our back&s;liders to popery, e&s;pecially &s;uch as haue beene zealous propugners of the truth. Where began the fir&s;t declen&s;ion, where the fir&s;t flawe? Had not their Con&s;ciences fir&s;t bru&s;ht vpon &s;ome rocke? was not the fir&s;t leake there? and when they had fir&s;t put away good Con&s;cience, then there was a &s;peedy bani&s;hing of truth, and a ready entertainement of error. And for the common &s;ort of their converts, con&s;ider if many times they haue not bin the very riffe-raffe of our
<PB N="245" REF="134"> Church, &s;wearers, gro&s;&s;e profaners of the Sabbath, vncleane and debauched drunkards, &s;uch as our Church was &s;icke of, and de&s;ired even to &s;pue forth, and then when they haue become a prey to all vicious cour&s;es, through want of Con&s;cience, thorow Gods iu&s;t iudgement they haue become a prey to <HI>Romi&s;h locu&s;ts,</HI> who&s;e co~mi&s;&s;ion is <HI>onely to hurt &s;uch,</HI> &amp; not tho&s;e whom the &s;ap of a good Con&s;cience keepes fre&s;h &amp; flouri&s;hing as the greene gra&s;&s;e, and trees of the earth. <HI>Apoc.</HI> 9. 4. For as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;peakes of the bodily harlot, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 26. &s;o it is true of that &s;piritu|all whore of Babylon. <HI>Her heart is &s;nares and nets, her hands as hands,</HI> her delu&s;ions &s;trong; <HI>who &s;o plea&s;es God,</HI> and hath a care to keepe a good con&s;cience <HI>&s;hall e&s;cape from her, but the &s;inner,</HI> and hee that makes no Con&s;cience of his wayes, <HI>&s;hall be taken by her.</HI></P>
<P>Well, let vs think well vpon this mo|tiue, we liue in dangerous &amp; declining dayes, wherein men with a greedine&s;&s;e turne to their Romi&s;h vomit againe.
<PB N="246" REF="135"> Be&s;ides, the factors of Antichri&s;t are exceeding bu&s;ie and pragmaticall to draw men from the faith of Chri&s;t, and the holy Gho&s;t tells vs they &s;hall come with <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ions.</HI> Now then all you that be the Lords people, &s;aue your &s;elues from this dangerous gene|ration, all you that haue or would be knowne to <HI>haue the &s;oale of God on your foreheads.</HI> Saue your &s;elues from the &s;eduction of the&s;e <HI>Locu&s;ts.</HI> I, but how may that be done? The delu&s;ion is &s;trong, and it may be, wee are weake. Loe then here is a remedy again&s;t their danger. Get, and keepe a good Con&s;ci|ence, liue as <HI>Paul</HI> did, in all good Con|&s;cience, and thou &s;halt be &s;afe from all their delu&s;ions. <HI>I haue kept the faith,</HI> &s;ayes <HI>Paul,</HI> oh! let it be the care of vs, that that may be our clo&s;ing voyce at our la&s;t day, and if we would <HI>keepe the faith,</HI> let vs <HI>keepe a good Con&s;cience;</HI> Hee that in his life time can &s;ay, <HI>I keep a good Con&s;cience,</HI> he at his death &s;hall be able to &s;ay, <HI>I haue kept the faith.</HI> Faith, and a good Con&s;cience are both in a bot|tome.
<PB N="247" REF="135"> Hold one, and hold both.</P>
<P>As therefore thou woulde&s;t feare to turne Papi&s;t, or any other hereticke; &s;o, be &s;ure to hold a good Con&s;cience, to hold on a good, hone&s;t, and a con&s;cio|nable man. So long as thou &s;tande&s;t vp|on that ground, thou art impregnable, and the gates of hell &s;hall not be able to draw thee from the faith of the Lord Ie&s;us. <HI>Pro. 6. 20. 22. 24. My &s;onne keepe thy Fathers commandement, &amp;c. And it will keepe thee.</HI> So I may &s;ay here, <HI>Keepe a good Con&s;cience,</HI> and it will <HI>keepe thee,</HI> it will keepe thee &s;ound in the faith, it will keepe thee from being drawne a|way by the errour of the wicked, &amp; it will keepe thee from the Wine of the fornications of the Whore of <HI>Babylon.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP: XV.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The la&s;t motiue to a good Con&s;cience; The mi&s;ery of an evill one.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THe <HI>la&s;t motiue</HI> remaines, and that<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fift motiue to a good Con|&s;cience.</NOTE> is, The <HI>horrour</HI> and <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> of an
<PB N="248" REF="136"> <HI>evill Con&s;cience.</HI> If men did but truely know what the evill of an evill Con&s;ci|ence were, and how evill a thing, and bitter it will bee when Con&s;cience a|wakens here, or &s;hall be awakened in hell, a little per&s;wa&s;ion &s;hould &s;erue to moue men to liue in a good Con&s;ci|ence. We may &s;ay of the evill Con&s;ci|ence, as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;peakes of the drun+kard. <HI>Pro. 23. 29. Who hath woe? who hath &s;orrow? who hath contentions? who hath wounds,</HI> but not <HI>without a cau&s;e?</HI> Even the man who&s;e Con&s;cience is not good, even hee that liues in an evill Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>An evill Con&s;cience, how mi&s;erable it is, we may &s;ee by con&s;idering the mi|&s;ery thereof, either <HI>in this world,</HI> or the <HI>world to come.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>In this life.</HI> When an evill Con&s;ci|ence is awakened in this life, the &s;or|row, and &s;mart, the horrour, &amp; terrour is as the ioy of a good Con&s;cience, <HI>vn|&s;peakeable.</HI> An evill Con&s;cience in this life is mi&s;erable, in regard of <HI>feare, perplexitie and torment.</HI> To liue
<PB N="249" REF="136"> in a continuall <HI>fear,</HI> and to haue a mans heart alwayes in &s;haking fits of feare, is a mi&s;ery of mi&s;eries. And &s;uch is the mi&s;ery of an euill con&s;cience. <HI>Pro. 28. 1. The wicked flees when none pur&s;ues.</HI> One|ly his own guilt pur&s;ues him, &amp; makes him flee. His owne guilt cau&s;es <HI>a &s;ound of feare in his eares.</HI> Iob 15. 21. Which<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proprium autem e&s;t nocentium trepidare. Male de nobis actu~ erat, qu&ograve;d multa &s;ce+lera legem &amp; iudicem effugiunt, &amp; &s;cripta &s;upplicia, ni&s;i illa na|turalia &amp; grauia de prae&s;entibus &s;olverent, &amp; in locu~ patientiae timor cede|ret. Senec, ep. 98.</NOTE> makes him &s;hake at the noy&s;e <HI>of a &s;haken leafe,</HI> Lev. 26, 36. yea, that &s;o &s;cares him that <HI>terrours make him afraide on euery &s;ide, and driue him to his feete.</HI> Iob. 18. 11. Yea, <HI>there are they in great feare where no feare is.</HI> P&s;al. 53. 3. So that a man with an euill Con&s;cience awake|ned, may be named as <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> is. <HI>Ier. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3. Magor-Mi&s;&s;abib, feare round about,</HI> as being a <HI>terrour to him&s;elfe,</HI> and to <HI>all his friends.</HI> ver&s;e 4.</P>
<P>An euill Con&s;cience, euen makes tho&s;e feare fearefull feares, of whom al other &s;tand in fear. How potent a Mo|narch, and how dreadfull a Prince was <HI>Bel&s;hazzar,</HI> who was able to put him in to any fear, whom all the earth feared? And yet when his guilty con&s;cience
<PB N="250" REF="137"> lookes him in the face, awakened by the palme writing on the wall, &s;ee where his courage is then. <HI>Dan. 5. 6. Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him, &s;o that the ioynts of his loynes were loo&s;ed, and his knees &s;mote one again&s;t another.</HI> Who would haue had his feare, to haue had his kingdome? Let him now cloath him&s;elfe with all his Maie&s;ty, let him looke and &s;peake as terribly as he can, let him threaten the vile&s;t va&s;&s;all in his Court, with all the tortures that tyran|ny can inflict, and let him try if he can for his heart, put his poore&s;t &s;ubiect in&punc; to that fright and feare that now his Con&s;cience puts him into, in the ruffe, and midde&s;t of his iollitie. But I pray what ayles he to be in this feare, in this &s;o extraordinary a feare? He can ney|ther reade, nor vnder&s;tand the writing vpon the wall. Indeed it threatned him the lo&s;&s;e of his kingdome, but he can|not reade this threatning, he knows not whether they bee bitter things that God writes again&s;t him, why may hee
<PB N="251" REF="137"> not hope that it may be good which is written, and why may not this hope ea&s;e, and abate his feare. No, no. Though hee cannot reade no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> vnder|&s;tand the writing, yet his guilty con|&s;cience can comment &s;hrewdly vpon it, and can tell him it portends no good towards him His Con&s;cience now tels him of his godles impieties, in profa|ning the ve&s;&s;els of the Temple of the true God, and that for this his &s;acrile|gious impropriation, and abu&s;e of ho|ly things, God is now come to reckon with him. Thus can his Con&s;cience do more then all his wi&s;e men. <HI>All the wi&s;e men came in, but they could not reade the writing, nor make knowne to the King the interpretation thereof.</HI> Dan. 5. 8. But his Con&s;cience is wi&s;er then all his wi&s;e|men, and when they are all puzzeld, that interprets to him, that this writing meanes him no good, and though hee cannot reade the &s;yllables, yet his con|&s;cience giues a &s;hrewd neere gue&s;&s;e at the &s;ub&s;tance of the writing, and ther|fore hence comes that ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;ie of feare,
<PB N="252" REF="138"> and tho&s;e paroxy&s;mes of horror.</P>
<P>It was no better with <HI>Adam</HI> after his fall. After his &s;inne committed, we find him in a great feare, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3. 8. 10. and he hides him&s;elfe for feare. Now ob|&s;erue how his feare is de&s;cribed, from the circum&s;tance of the time. <HI>They heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the coole of the day. Lu|ther</HI> layes the <HI>Empha&s;is</HI> of the aggrava+tion of his feare, vpon this word, <HI>the winde or coole of the day.</HI> The night in|deed is naturally terrible, and darke|nes is fearefull, whence that phra&s;e. <HI>P&s;. 91. The terrors of the night.</HI> But the day and the light, is a cheerefull, and a comfortable creature, <HI>Eccl. 11. 7. Truely the light is &s;weet, and a plea&s;ant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne.</HI> How is it then, that in the faire day light, which giues courage and comfort, that <HI>Adam</HI> feares, and runnes into the thic|kets? Oh&punc; his Con&s;cience was become<NOTE PLACE="marg">Grauis ma|l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Con&s;ci|entiae, lux e&s;t. Senec. ep. 123.</NOTE> evill, and full of darkenes, and the dark|ne&s;&s;e of his con&s;cience turned the very light into darkne&s;&s;e, and &s;o turned the
<PB N="253" REF="138"> comforts of the day into the terrours of the night. So that in this &s;en&s;e, it may be &s;aid of an evill Con&s;cience, which of the Lord is &s;ayd in another. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139. 12. Vnto it <HI>the darknes, and the light are both alike.</HI> As full of feare in the light, as in the darke. And be&s;ides, the Lord came but in a gentle wind, the coole breath of the day, now what a &s;mall matter is a coole winde, and that in the day time to, to put a man in a feare? Such &s;mall things breede great feares in euill con&s;ciences. In what a woefull plight would <HI>Adam</HI> thinke wee haue bin, if the Lord had come to him, at the dead, and darke mid-night with earth-quakes, thunder, and blu&s;tring tempe&s;t?</P>
<P>We may &s;ee the like in <HI>Gain.</HI> After hee had defiled his Con&s;cience with his brothers blood, in what feares, yea, what idle feares liued he? Hee is &s;o haunted with feares, that though hee had liued in Paradi&s;e, yet had he liued in a land of <HI>Nod,</HI> in a land of <HI>agitation,</HI> yea, of trepidation. Iudge what
<PB N="254" REF="139"> ca&s;e his euill Con&s;cience made him in by that &s;peech. <HI>Gen. 4. 14. It &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, that euery one that findes me &s;hall &s;lay me.</HI> Surely, there could not bee many yet in the world, and tho&s;e that were in the world, were either his pa|rents, brethren, &s;i&s;ters, or neere kinred. His feare &s;eems to imagine multitudes of people that might meet him, yea, &amp; that euery one he meetes would mur|ther him. What will his Father or Mo|ther bee his executioners? What if a|ny of his &s;i&s;ters meete him, &s;hall they &s;lay him, is not &s;uch a &s;wa&s;h-buckler as he, able to make good his party with them? Loe what fearfull, &amp; terri|ble things a guilty con&s;cience proiects.</P>
<P>As an euill Con&s;cience is mi&s;erable in its <HI>feares,</HI> &s;o in tho&s;e <HI>perplexities</HI> which this feare breedes. The&s;e per|plexities doe mi&s;erably, and re&s;tle&s;ly di&s;tract a man. <HI>I&s;&punc; 57. 20. The wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot re&s;t, who&s;e waters ca&s;t vp mire and dirt.</HI> What is the rea&s;on of the&s;e trouble&s;ome per|plexities? The want of the peace of a
<PB N="255" REF="139"> good Con&s;cience, <HI>ver&s;. 21. There is no peace &s;aith my God, to the wicked.</HI> The windes make the &s;ea re&s;tles, and &s;tirre it to the very bottome, &s;o as the waters ca&s;t vp mire and dirt. See in the trou|bled Sea, the embleme of a troubled Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>But the <HI>Torment</HI> exceedes all, and the main mi&s;ery of an euill con&s;cience lies in that. It is a mi&s;ery to be in feare, a mi&s;ery to haue inward turbulencies &amp; commotions, but to be alwayes on the racke, alwayes on the Strapado, this is farre more truely the &s;uburbs of Hell, then is the Popi&s;h Purgatory. Oh! the gripes, and girds, the &s;titches, and twit|ches, the throws, &amp; pangs of a galling, and a guilty Con&s;cience. So &s;ore they are, and &s;o vn&s;ufferable, that <HI>Iudas</HI> &s;eeks ea&s;e with an halter, and thinkes hang|ging<NOTE PLACE="marg">Poena aute~ vehemens, et multo &s;aeuior, illis Quas et Ceditiu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> grauis in|venit &amp; Rhadama~ thus.</NOTE> ea&s;e, in compari&s;on of the torture of his euill Con&s;cience. All the rackes, wheeles, wilde hor&s;es, hot pincers, &s;calding leade powred into the mo&s;t tender, and &s;en&s;ible parts of the bo|dy, yea, all the mercile&s;&s;e, barbarous&punc;
<PB N="256" REF="140"> and inhumane cruelties of the <HI>holy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nocte die|que &s;uum ge&s;t are in pectore te|&s;tem. Iuve|nal. Satyr. 3.</NOTE> <HI>hou&s;e,</HI> are but flea-bitings, meere toyes, and May-games, compared with the torment that an euill con&s;cience will put a man to when it is awakened. It is no wonder that <HI>Iudas</HI> hangs him&s;elfe, it had beene a great wonder rather if he had not hanged him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>The <HI>Heathens</HI> fabled terrible things<NOTE PLACE="marg">Noliteenim putare quemadmo|dum in fa+bulis &s;aepe|numero vi|detis, eos qui aliquid impie &s;cele|rateque co~|mi&s;erint, a|gitari, &amp; perterreri furiarum taedis arde~|tibus Sua quemque fraus, et &s;uus terror maxime vexat &s;u|um quem|que &s;celus agitat, a menti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">que afficit. Suae malae cogi|tationes, Con&s;cienti|aeque animi terrent. Hae &s;unt impiis a&s;siduae, do|me&s;ticaeque furiae, quae dies nocte&s;|que paren|tum poenas &agrave; con&s;cele|rati&s;simis filiis rep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|tant. Circer pro Ro&s;c. A mer. Suum quemque facinus, &s;u|um &s;celus, &s;uae audatia de &s;anitate, ac mente deturbat. Haec &s;unt impiorum furiae, flam|mae, hae fa|ces Id. m L. Pi&s;on.</NOTE> of their helli&s;h <HI>Furies,</HI> with their &s;nakes and fiery torches, vexing &amp; tormenting haynous, and great offenders. The&s;e their <HI>Furies</HI> were nothing el&s;e, but the helli&s;h torments of guilty Con&s;cience, wherewith wicked per&s;ons were con|tinually haunted, as &s;ome of the wi&s;er of them&s;elues haue well ob&s;erued. All &s;nakes, and torches, are but idle toyes, and meere trifles, to the mo&s;t exqui&s;ite torment of a guilty and accu&s;ing Con|&s;cience.</P>
<P>The &s;ting of Con&s;cience is wor&s;e then death it &s;elfe. <HI>Apoc. 9. 5. 6. Their torment was as the torment of a &s;corpion when he &s;trikes a man; And in tho&s;e dayes &s;hall men &s;eeke death, and &s;hall not finde
<PB N="257" REF="140"> it, and &s;hall de&s;ire to dye, &amp; death &s;hall flee from them,</HI> Popi&s;h ones tormented in their con&s;ciences, by the terrible and vncomfortable doctrines of &s;atisfacti|ons, Purgatory fire, &amp;c. which tho&s;e <HI>Locu&s;ts</HI> &s;hould &s;o terrifie them withall, &s;hould rather choo&s;e death then liue in &s;uch vncomfortable condition: <HI>The &s;ting of death</HI> not &s;o &s;mart, as the <HI>&s;ting of a Scorpion</HI> in the con&s;cience. The &s;ting of an accu&s;ing Con&s;cience, is like an Harlot, <HI>Prov. 7. 26. More bitter then death.</HI> And as <HI>Salomon</HI> there &s;peakes of the Harlot, &s;o may it be &s;ayd of a tor|menting Con&s;cience, Who &s;o plea&s;es God &s;hall e&s;cape from it, but the &s;in|ner &s;hall be taken by it.</P>
<P>Gods deare children them&s;elues, ma|ny of them are not freed from trouble in their Con&s;ciences, but they haue their hells in this life, <HI>Ion. 2. 2. Out of the belly of hell I cryed vnto thee.</HI> God for their tryal &s;peaks bitter things to them, and not onely denyes them peace but, cau&s;es their con&s;ciences to be at warre with them. Now when God puts his
<PB N="258" REF="141"> owne children to the&s;e trials, and di&s;|quiets of Con&s;cience, they are &s;o bit|ter, &amp; &s;o biting, that had they not the grace of God to vphold and pre&s;erue them, even they could not bee &s;aved from dangerous mi&s;cariages. <HI>Iob</HI> was put to this triall, and his Con&s;cience apprehended Gods anger, and we &s;hall &s;ee what a ca&s;e he was in. <HI>Iob 6. 8. 9. O that I might haue my reque&s;t, and that God would grant me the thing I long for, even that it would plea&s;e God to de&s;troy me, that he would let loo&s;e his hand, and cut me off.</HI> Nay, wor&s;e. <HI>Iob 7&punc; 14. 15. Thou &s;care&s;t me with dreames, and terrifie&s;t me through vi&s;ions, &s;o that my &s;oule choo&s;es &s;trangling, and death rather then life.</HI> Gods grace pre&s;erues his Saints from &s;elfe-murder, but yet not alwaies from impatient wi&s;hes; <HI>Iob</HI> wi&s;hes <HI>&s;trangling,</HI> and choo&s;es it of the two, but goes no further. What wonder then that <HI>Iudas</HI> doth &s;trangle him&s;elfe, when his Con|&s;cience &s;tares him in the face, when as <HI>Iob,</HI> with whom God is but in ie&s;t in compari&s;on, <HI>choo&s;es &s;trangling.</HI> If <HI>Iob</HI>
<PB N="259" REF="141"> wi&s;h it, what wonder that <HI>Iudas</HI> doth the deed. Con&s;cience doth cha&s;ti&s;e the godly but with whips, but it la&s;hes the wicked with &s;corpions. Now if the whips be &s;o &s;marting to <HI>Iob,</HI> as makes him <HI>choo&s;e &s;trangling,</HI> what wonder that the &s;corpions be &s;o cutting, as makes <HI>Iudas</HI> &s;eeke reliefe at an halter.</P>
<P>Yea, and that which addes to the mi|&s;ery of an evill Con&s;cience, being awa|kened, it is &s;uch a mi&s;ery as no earthly comfort can a&s;&s;wage, or mitigate. Di|&s;ea&s;es and di&s;tempers of the body, though they be terrible, yet Phy&s;icke, &s;leepe, &amp; re&s;t upon a mans bed, yeeldes him &s;ome ea&s;e, &amp; &s;ome comfort. Some|time in &s;ome griefes the comforrable v&s;e of the creatures, yeelds a man &s;ome refre&s;hments. <HI>Prou, 31. 6. 7. Giue wine vn|to tho&s;e that be of heauie hearts, let him drinke, and forget his pouertie, &amp; remem|ber his mi&s;ery no more.</HI> But Con&s;cience being di&s;quieted, findes no ea&s;e in the&s;e. <HI>Darius</HI> again&s;t his Con&s;cience &s;uffers innocent <HI>Daniel</HI> to be ca&s;t into the Lyons denne. What cheere hath
<PB N="260" REF="142"> he that night? <HI>He pa&s;&s;ed the night in fa|&s;ting,</HI> Dan. 6. 18. Not in fa&s;ting in hu|miliation for his &s;inne, but con&s;cience now began to gall him, and hee hauing marred the fea&s;t of his co~&s;cience, Con|&s;cience al&s;o marres his fea&s;ting, 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 mu&s;icke of his con&s;cience, and now he brookes not other mu&s;icke. <HI>The In|&s;truments of mu&s;ike were not brought be|fore him.</HI> His guilty co~&s;cience was now awakened, and now he cannot &s;leepe; <HI>His &s;leepe went from him.</HI> So <HI>Iob</HI> in his conflict of Con&s;cience hoped for ea&s;e in his bed, <HI>Iob 7. 13. My bed &s;hall comfort me, my couch &s;hall ea&s;e my complaint.</HI> But how was it with him? Either he could not &s;leepe at all, <HI>ver&s;. 3. 4. Weari&s;ome nights are appointed vnto mee, when I lye&punc; downe I &s;ay when &s;hall I ari&s;e, and the night be gone? and I am full of to&s;|&s;ings to and fro vnto the dawning of the day.</HI> Needes mu&s;t he to&s;&s;e, who&s;e con|&s;cience is like the Sea waues to&s;&s;ed
<PB N="261" REF="142"> with the windes, or el&s;e if <HI>Iob</HI> did &s;leepe, yet did not Con&s;cience &s;leepe, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14. but even in his &s;leepe pre&s;en|ted him with gha&s;tly &s;ights and vi&s;i|ons, <HI>When I &s;ay my bed &s;hall comfort me, then thou &s;care&s;t mee with dreames, and terrifie&s;t me through vi&s;ions.</HI></P>
<P>At other times when con&s;cience hath been good, Gods people though their dangers haue beene great, yet neither the greatnes, nor neerenes of their dan|gers haue broken their &s;leep. <HI>P&s;a. 3. 5. 6. I layd me downe and &s;lept, I will not be a|fraid of ten thou&s;ands of people that haue &s;et them&s;elues again&s;t me round about.</HI> And yet if we looke to the title of the <HI>P&s;alme, A p&s;alme of Dauid when hee fled from Ab&s;olom his &s;onne;</HI> one would thinke <HI>David</HI> &s;hould haue had little li&s;t, or lea&s;ure to haue &s;lept. <HI>Peter</HI> thought to haue bin executed the next morrow by <HI>Herod,</HI> and though he al&s;o lodge betweene a company of ruffi|anly Souldiers, that happily one would feare might haue done him &s;ome mi&s;|chiefe in his &s;leepe, yet how &s;oundly
<PB N="262" REF="143"> &s;leepes he that night. <HI>Act.</HI> 12. And holy <HI>Bradford</HI> was found a &s;leep, when they came to fetch him to bee burnt at the &s;take. The&s;e fears brake not the&s;e mens &s;leepe. How might this come to pa&s;&s;e? They did as <HI>P&s;al. 4. 8. I will lay me down in peace, and &s;leepe.</HI> He that can lie down in the <HI>peace</HI> of Con&s;cience, may <HI>&s;leepe</HI> &s;oundly, what&s;oever cau&s;es of feare there be otherwi&s;e. But contrarily, he that cannot lie downe with, the peace of con&s;cience, will find but little re&s;t &amp; &s;leepe, though his heart bee free from all other feares. Euill con&s;cience being awakened will fill the heart with &s;uch feares, as a man &s;hall haue little liberty to &s;leepe. Oh the &s;weet &s;leepe that <HI>Ia|cob</HI> had, and the &s;weet dream when he lay vpon the cold earth, and had an hard &s;tone vnder his head for his pil|low. An hard lodging, and an hard pil|low, but yet &s;weet re&s;t, and &s;weet com|munion with God. A good con&s;cience makes any lodging &s;oft and ea&s;ie, but down-beds, and down-pillowes, if there bee thornes in the Confcience,
<PB N="263" REF="143"> are but beds of thornes, and beddes of nettles. The bitterne&s;&s;e of an evill con|&s;cience di&s;ta&s;tes all the &s;weets of this life, as when the mouth and tongue is furred in an hot Ague, all meates and drinkes are bitter to the &s;icke partie. This is the mi&s;ery of an evill con&s;ci|ence awakened in this life?</P>
<P N="2">2. But it may bee many never feele this mi&s;ery here, there is therefore the more mi&s;ery re&s;erved for them in hell, in the world to come. Indeed more by many thou&s;ands goe to hell like <HI>Nabal,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">han like <HI>Iudas;</HI> more die like &s;ots in <HI>&s;ecuritie,</HI> then in <HI>di&s;paire</HI> of Con&s;cience. Death it &s;elfe can not awaken &s;ome con&s;ciences, but no &s;ooner come they into hell; but Con&s;cience is there awa|kened to the full, never to &s;leepe more; and then &s;he la&s;hes and ga&s;hes to the quicke, &amp; lets men learne that for|bearance was no payment. Tell many men of Con&s;cience, and they are ready to flap one on the mouth with that prophane proverbe, <HI>Tu&s;h, Con&s;cience was hanged many yeeres agoe.</HI> But the
<PB N="264" REF="144"> time will come, that they who haue li|ved in euill Con&s;cience, &s;hall finde that Con&s;cience which they haue counted hanged, &s;hall play the cruell hang-man and tormentor with them. They &s;hall finde Con&s;cience vnhanged when it &s;hall hang them vp in hell, when day and night it &s;hall &s;tretch them there vpon the racke.</P>
<P>The torments which an evill Con|&s;cience puts the damned to in hell, are beyond the expre&s;&s;ion of the tongue, and the comprehen&s;ion of mans con|ceit. There bee two &s;peciall things in the torments of hell, wee haue them both thrice repeated together. <HI>Mark. 9. 44. 46. 48. Where their</HI> worme <HI>dies not, and the</HI> fire <HI>is not quenched.</HI> There is an e|ver-living <HI>worme,</HI> and never-dying <HI>fire.</HI> And marke that in all the three ver|&s;es the <HI>worme</HI> is &s;et in the fir&s;t place, as it were to teach vs, that the prime and principall torment in hell is the <HI>worme,</HI> rather then the <HI>fire.</HI> And what is the <HI>worme,</HI> but the guilt of an evill Con&s;ci|ence, that &s;hall lie eternally gnawing
<PB N="265" REF="144"> 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 <HI>Hell worme,</HI> as well as there is an <HI>hell-fire.</HI> And it may be a que&s;tion whe|ther of the two is the greate&s;t torment. And yet no great que&s;tion neither. For as the Heaven of Heaven, is the peace and ioy of a good, &s;o the very Hell of Hell, is the guilt and worme of an evill Con&s;cience. A man may &s;afely &s;ay, it is better being in Hel with a good con|&s;cience, the~ to be in heaue~ if that might be, with an evill one. Heaven without a good co~&s;cience, what is it better the~ Hel? Paradi&s;e was an Heauen on earth, but when <HI>Adam</HI> had lo&s;t the Paradi&s;e of a good con&s;cience, what ioy did Pa|radi&s;e and the plea&s;ures of the Garden affoord him more, then if he had beene in &s;ome &s;ad &amp; &s;olitary De&s;ert? A good con&s;cience makes a De&s;ert a Paradi&s;e, an euill one turnes a Paradi&s;e into a De|&s;ert.
<PB N="266" REF="145"> A good Con&s;cience makes Hell to be no Hell, and an evill one makes Hea|ven to be no Heaven. Both the happi|ne&s;&s;e, &amp; mi&s;ery of Heaven and Hell, are from the inward frame of the Con&s;ci|ence. The Hell of Hell, is the worme of Hell, and that worme is the worme of an evill Con&s;cience, which if it bee not wormed out, and &s;o the con&s;cience in this life made good, it will bee an immortall worme in hell.</P>
<P>The helli&s;h di&s;paire wherewith the damned are ouerwhelmed, comes ra|ther fro~ this <HI>werme,</HI> then from the <HI>fire.</HI> Who&s;e <HI>worme</HI> dies not, and who&s;e <HI>fire</HI> is not quenched. The <HI>fire</HI> of Hell never quenches, becau&s;e the worme of Hell never dies. If the <HI>worme</HI> of Hell would die, the <HI>fire</HI> of Hell would go out. For if there were no guilt there &s;hould bee no puni&s;hment. So that the very Hell of Hell, is that &s;elfe-torment which an evill con&s;cience breeds.</P>
<P>Now then all this con&s;idered, how powerfully &s;hould it move vs to labor for a good con&s;cience. Thou that go|e&s;t
<PB N="267" REF="145"> on in thine euill cour&s;es, and hate&s;t to be reformed and reclaimed, doe but bethinke thy &s;elfe if God &s;hould awa+ken thy Con&s;cience, in what mi&s;ery thou &s;houlde&s;t liue here, what an Hell to haue a pal&s;ie Con&s;cience? what an Hell on earth to be alwaies vnder the accu&s;ations, indictments, and ter|rors of Con&s;cience, and to liue <HI>Caine|like</HI> in a land of <HI>Nod,</HI> in a continuall re&s;tle&s;&s;e agitation.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vt ex cru|ditate fe|bres no&s;|cuntur, et vermes quando quis cibu~ &s;umit intempera~|ter, it a &s;i quis pecca|ta peccatis accumulet. nec deco|quat eae poe|nitentia &s;ed mi&s;ceat pec cata pecca|tis, crudita+tem contra|hit veteru~ &amp; recentiu~ delictorum igne adu re|tur proprio, et vernibus con&s;umetur. Ignis e&s;t quem gene+rat moe&s;ti+tia delicto|rum, ver|mis e&s;t eo quod irrati|onabilia a|nimi pecca|ta, mentem pungunt, et vi&s;cera ex|edant, ver|mes ex vno|quoque na&s;|cuntur tan|qua~ ex cor|pore pecca|toris, hic vermis non morietur, &amp;c. Amb. lib. 7. in Luk-c. 14.</NOTE></P>
<P>But e&s;pecially as thou feare&s;t that e|uerliuing, and evergrabbing worme, &s;o haue a care to get a good Con&s;cience. Greene and rawe fruits breed Che&s;t|wormes, which if heede bee not taken will eat the very maw thorow. A dead body and a putrified corrupt carka&s;&s;e, breedes wormes that lye gnawing at it in the graue. The forbidden and rawe fruits of &s;inne, are tho&s;e which breede che&s;t-wormes in the Con&s;cience. The corruptions of the &s;oule, and dead works, are tho&s;e that breed this liuing worme, take hede therefore of med|ling with the&s;e fruits that will breede
<PB N="268" REF="146"> this worme, &amp; get thy con&s;cience pur|ged from dead works, get this worme killed with the &s;oone&s;t, for if thou let|te&s;t it liue till thou die, it will neuer die at all, and will put thee to tho&s;e exqui|&s;it torments, from which to bee freed thou wolde&s;t willingly &s;uffer ten thou|&s;and of the mo&s;t cruell deaths that the wit of man were able to inuent.</P>
<P>As then I &s;ay thou feare&s;t this <HI>worme</HI> of Hell, &s;o get a good Con&s;cience. Drinke down euery morning a hearty draught of Chri&s;ts bloud, which may make this worme bur&s;t. And when once this worme is bur&s;t and voyded, &amp; the co~&s;cience well purged by Chri&s;ts bloud, take heed ever after of eating tho&s;e raw fruites that will breed new wormes. Lead &s;o holy, &s;o vpright, and &s;o con&s;cionable a life, that thou may&s;t not by thy fre&s;h &s;ins clog thy Con&s;ci|ence with fre&s;h guilt. Get thy Con&s;ci|ence purged by Chri&s;ts bloud, &amp; thy conver&s;ation framed by Gods Word. <HI>Thy words were found by mee, and I did eat them.</HI> Ier. 15. 16. Doe thou &s;o,
<PB N="269" REF="146"> eat no more the vnwhol&s;ome &amp; worm breeding fruites of &s;inne; but <HI>drinke</HI> Chri&s;ts bloud, and <HI>eate</HI> Gods word, and they both &s;hall purifie and &s;coure thy Con&s;cience from all &s;uch &s;tuffe, as may breed and feede the Hell-worme of an evill Con&s;cience.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XVI.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The portion and re&s;pect that a good Con|&s;cience findes in the world.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>ANd thus haue we hitherto &s;eene <HI>Pauls Prote&s;tation.</HI> The &s;econd point followes, namely, <HI>Ananias</HI> his in&s;olent &amp; impetuous <HI>Iniunction.</HI> Ver&s;e 2. <HI>And the high Prie&s;t Ananias com|manded them that &s;tood by him, to &s;mite him on the mouth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> had begunne his defence in the former ver&s;e, and that by authoritie &amp; &s;peciall command, as appeares in the former Chapter, at the 30. ver&s;e. But he had no &s;ooner begun, but hee is in|terrupted aad cut off, and hath not on+ly
<PB N="270" REF="147"> his mouth &s;topt, but &s;topt with <HI>Ana|nias</HI> fi&s;ts, <HI>Hee commanded to &s;mite him on the mouth.</HI> Out of which carryage and violence of his, wee may ob&s;erue di|uer&s;e things. Fir&s;t learne;</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doctr."> What is the <HI>Reward and portion of a good Con&s;cience from the world.</HI> It is the portion of a good Con&s;cience full oft to be &s;mitten, either on the mouth, or with the mouth. Blowes either with the fi&s;t, or with the tongue. <HI>To be &s;mit|ten</HI> one way or other, is full often the lot of a good Con&s;cience. <HI>Smite him on the mouth,</HI> &s;ares <HI>Ananias.</HI> But let vs a little expo&s;tulate the matter with <HI>Ana|nias. Smite him on the mouth?</HI> But yet as <HI>Pilate</HI> &s;peakes in Chri&s;ts ca&s;e? <HI>But what evill hath he done?</HI> or what evill hath he &s;poken? <HI>Smite him on the mouth?</HI> But as our Saviour an&s;wers, <HI>Iohn 18. 23. If he haue &s;poken evill, take witne&s;&s;e of the e|vill,</HI> and proceed legally and formally: <HI>If he haue &s;poken well,</HI> or no manner of euil, <HI>Why commande&s;t thou him to be &s;mit|ten?</HI> What hath he &s;poken any trea&s;on again&s;t <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> or the Romane govern|ment?
<PB N="271" REF="147"> If he haue, then as the towne-Clerk of <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Act. 19. 38. The law is open, &amp; there are Deputies,</HI> let the~ accu&s;e him, &amp; bring him to his an&s;wer. It is a ba&s;e v&s;age of any ingenuous per|&s;on, to bee &s;mitten on the mouth in a Court of Iu&s;tice, a di&s;honorable v&s;age of a Romane. Surely it &s;hould &s;eem by &s;uch ba&s;e &amp; bitter v&s;age, that <HI>Paul</HI> hath &s;ome way or other fowly forgotten &amp; over-&s;hot him&s;elf, that <HI>Ananias</HI> his &s;pi|rit is thus embittered and provoked a|gain&s;t him. What hath <HI>Paul</HI> given him any exa&s;perating &amp; di&s;graceful termes, hath he given him any open &amp; per&s;onal girds, before the whole Councel? No, no: No &s;uch matter at all. Why what the~ is the matter that <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t be thus ba&s;ely &amp; thus de&s;pitefully v&s;ed? Will ye know the cau&s;e? <HI>Men and brethren I haue lived in all good Con&s;cience.</HI> Lo here is the quarrell. He hath made a profe&s;|&s;ion of a good Con&s;cience, and for his good Con&s;cience &s;ake are <HI>Ananias</HI> fi&s;ts about his eares. There is nothing &s;o mads men of wicked Con&s;ciences, as
<PB N="272" REF="148"> the profe&s;&s;ion and practice of a good con&s;cience doth. The very name and mention of a good con&s;cience makes <HI>Ananias</HI> halfe mad, &amp; like one be&s;ides him&s;elfe, hee falles not onely to foule words, but to blowes al&s;o, and <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t haue on the mouth for his good con&s;cience &s;ake.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> might haue blaphemed the ble&s;|&s;ed name of Chri&s;t, and rayled vpon the odious Sect of the Nazarens, hee might haue beene a drunkard, an adul|terer, or a murtherer, and none of all the&s;e things, would haue &s;tirred <HI>Ana|nias</HI> his bloud, for none of all the&s;e &s;hould <HI>Paul</HI> haue beene &s;mitten; but let him but once &s;peake, or treat of, or any way meddle with good Con&s;ci|ence, and <HI>Ananias</HI> his bloud is pre|&s;ently vp, hee cannot holde his handes, but <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t haue on the mouth, there is no remedy. So odious a thing is good Con&s;cience and the profe&s;&s;ion of it to wicked men. Therefore this is that which a good Con&s;cience mu&s;t expect, euen <HI>Ananias</HI> his dole, fi&s;tes,
<PB N="273" REF="148"> blowes, &s;miting, hard and iuiurious mea&s;ure, from the world.</P>
<P>This is no new thing. It was our Sa|viours ca&s;c before it was <HI>Pauls, Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus &s;poken, one of the officers which &s;toodby &s;troke Ie&s;us with the palme of his hand, &amp;c.</HI> Luk. 22, 63. 64. <HI>And the men that held Ie&s;us, mocked him, and &s;mote him, And when they had blinfolded him, they &s;troke him on the face.</HI> Hee felt the weight of their fi&s;ts for the &s;ame quarrell that <HI>Paul</HI> did. So it was fore|prophecyed of him, <HI>I&s;a. 50. 6. I gaue my back to the &s;miters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire.</HI> It was the kind|nes that <HI>Zidkiah</HI> could afford <HI>Micaiah 1. Kin. 22. 24. He went neere &amp; &s;mote Mi|caiah on the cheeke,</HI> &amp; it was the thankes the Prophet was like to haue for the di&s;charge of a good con&s;cience. 2. <HI>Chr. 25. 16. Forbeare, why &s;houlde&s;t thou bee &s;mitten?</HI> It is that of which <HI>Iob</HI> co~plai|ned &s;o long &s;ince, <HI>Iob 16. 10 Mine enemy &s;harpens his eyes vpon me, they haue gaped vpon me with the mouth, they haue &s;mit|ten me vpon the cheeke reproachfully.</HI></P>
<PB N="274" REF="149">
<P>The &s;ame portion did the Prophet <HI>Ieremy</HI> meet withal, <HI>Ier. 20. 2. Then Pa|&s;hur &s;mote Ieremiah the Prophet.</HI> What was the quarrell? That in the former ver&s;. <HI>He heard that Ieremiah had prophe|cied the&s;e things.</HI> Onely for di&s;charging his con&s;cience, for the con&s;cionable di&s;pen&s;ation of Gods truth. And as &s;ometime they &s;mote him on the mouth, &s;o &s;ometime they &s;mote him with the mouth. <HI>Ier. 18. 18. Come let vs devi&s;e devices again&s;t Ieremiah, come let vs &s;mite him with the tongue, and let vs not giue heed to any of his wordes.</HI> And why would they &s;mite him with the tongue? Onely for his Con&s;cience, and fidelity in his Mini&s;try.</P>
<P>There is mention made of two fal&s;e Prophets, again&s;t whom an heauy iudgement is threatned. <HI>Ier. 29. 21. 23. Ahab,</HI> and <HI>Zedekiah,</HI> two ba&s;e &s;canda|lous debauched per&s;ons, who <HI>commit|ted villany in I&s;rael, and committed adul|tery with their neighbours wiues.</HI> The Prophet <HI>Ieremy</HI> he out of con&s;cience fulfills his Mini&s;try, and &s;ee how light|fingred
<PB N="275" REF="149"> <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> is, hee hath fi&s;ts for <HI>Ie|remies</HI> face, and &s;tockes for his heeles; but in the meane time <HI>Ahab</HI> and <HI>Zede|kiah</HI> they may whore, and play the villaines, and they feele not the waight of his little finger. If his fingers mu&s;t needs be walking, there is worke for them, there he may &s;trike, and &s;tocke with credit. But there is no &s;uch zeale again&s;t them. No &s;uch dealing with them. <HI>Zedekiah</HI> and <HI>Ahab</HI> may bee in good tearmes of grace with <HI>Pa&s;hur,</HI> whil&s;t <HI>Ieremiah</HI> mu&s;t haue on the face. &amp; lie by the heeles. So well can wicked men brooke villany, and any wretched cour&s;es better then they can a good con&s;cience: <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> can better endure an adulterous whore ma&s;ter, then an hone&s;t con&s;cionable Prophet. Villains may walk at liberty, whil&s;t a good co~|&s;cience &s;hal &s;it in the &s;tocks. Here then is the portion a good Con&s;cience, may looke for from the world. The better Con&s;cience, the harder mea&s;ure. <HI>For which of my good works doe ye &s;tone mee,</HI> &s;aith our Saviour, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 10. 32. A &s;trange
<PB N="276" REF="150"> recompence for good workes, and yet o&s;t-times the be&s;t recompence, and re|ward that the world can affoord good workes, &amp; a good Con&s;cience, &s;tones and &s;trokes. And if &s;o be that feare of law, and happy gouernment binde their hands, yet then will they bee &s;miting with the tongue: and if the law keepe them in awe for &s;miting on the mouth, yet then will they doe what they dare, they will &s;mite with the mouth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> A faire Item to all that meane to vn|dertake the profe&s;&s;ion and cour&s;es of good Con&s;cience. Doe as many do in ca&s;e of marriage, before they affect the per&s;on, they fir&s;t con&s;ider how they like the portion. So here, before thou meddle with good con&s;cience, thinke with thy &s;elfe what is her portion, and if thou like not that, it is but a folly to thinke of a good Con&s;cience. Doe as our Saviour advi&s;es, <HI>Luk.</HI> 14. 28. Sit down fir&s;t and count the co&s;t, and whe|ther thou be able to endure that co&s;t or no. <HI>Ananias</HI> hath a fierce &s;pirit, and a
<PB N="277" REF="150"> fowle heauy fi&s;t, <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> is a club fi&s;ted fellow, and the &s;pitting adders of the world will &s;mite their &s;ting deep. Sup|po&s;e a good co~&s;cience may &s;peed bet|ter, as hauing the protection of Chri|an gouernment, yet this it mu&s;t reckon vpon, and it mu&s;t account of the har|de&s;t. Therfore think before hand before you meddle with it, how you can beare the fi&s;ts and blowes of &s;miters, if ever you &s;hould come vnder them.</P>
<P>I may &s;ay here as our Saviour did to the &s;ons of <HI>Zebedeus, Mat. 20. 20. 21. 22. Ye knov not what ye aske. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I &s;hall drink of, &amp; to be bap|tized wich the bapti&s;me that I am bapti|zed with?</HI> Many &s;ay they de&s;ire to enter the cour&s;es of good Con&s;cience, but doe not well know nor well weigh what they de&s;ire. Con&s;ider with your &s;elues, Are ye able to drinke of the cup that a good con&s;cience &s;hall drinke of? Can ye be bapti&s;ed with the bapti&s;me that a good co~&s;cience mu&s;t be bapti&s;ed with? Can ye endure the &s;mart of <HI>A|nanias</HI> blows? Can ye beare the load of
<PB N="278" REF="151"> <HI>Pa&s;hurs</HI> club-fi&s;t? Think vpo~ this afore hand, &amp; weigh it well, this is that you mu&s;t make account off, that will &s;et vp|on the cour&s;es of a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Is this the portion of a good Con&s;ci|ence, &s;ee then, what a great mea&s;ure of Chri&s;tian re&s;olution they &s;hall need to haue, that take the profe&s;&s;ion of it vpon them. Be &s;hod with the &s;hoes of the pre|paration of the Go&s;pell. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 15. Growe marveilous re&s;olute, to harden thy &s;elfe, and to harden thy face again&s;t all enemies fi&s;ts, &amp; blowes what&s;oeuer, that though <HI>Ananias</HI> &s;hould da&s;h thee on the face, yet he might not da&s;h thee &amp; thy good Con&s;cience out of Coun|tenance. Thus did our Saviour. <HI>I&s;a, 50. 6. I gaue my backe to the &s;miters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hayre, I hid not my face from &s;hame, and &s;pitting.</HI> But how was he euer able to endure all this? See <HI>ver&s;. 7. I haue &s;et my face like a flint, and I know that I &s;hall not bee a&s;ha|med.</HI> So mu&s;t thou doe that meane&s;t to keepe a good Con&s;cience. Get a face, and a forehead of flint, that ene|mies
<PB N="279" REF="151"> may as &s;oone cracke a flint with their knuckles, as by their violence and iniuries driue thee from a good Con|&s;cience. Get an <HI>Ezekiels</HI> face. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 3. 9 Make thy forehead as an Adama~t, har|der then a flint. Steele, &amp; flint thy face with all heroicall re&s;olution. A face of fle&s;h will neuer endure, but a face of flint wil hold <HI>Ananias</HI> fi&s;ts tack, let him &s;trike while he wil, he &s;hall &s;ooner bat|ter a flint with his fi&s;t, then &s;tir a re&s;ol|ued con&s;cience out of its &s;tation.</P>
<P>But beleeue mee, the&s;e be hard things to vndergoe, who will be able to abide<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quae&s;t.</NOTE> &s;uch hard mea&s;ure, how therefore may one grow to &s;uch re&s;olution, to abide the worlds fi&s;ts, and the &s;mart of their &s;miting.</P>
<P N="1"><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> 1. Con&s;ider that Con&s;cience hath fi&s;ts as well as <HI>Ananias.</HI> 1. Sam. 24. 5. and 2. Sam. 24. 10. <HI>Davids heart &s;mote him.</HI> And what are <HI>Ananias</HI> his blowes on the face, to the blowes of Con&s;ci|ence at the heart? One blowe on the heart, or with the heart is more paine|full then an hundred on the face, and as
<PB N="280" REF="152"> <HI>Rehoboam</HI> &s;peakes of him&s;elfe. 1 <HI>King.</HI> 12. 10. &s;o Con&s;ciences little finger is thicker, heavier, and more intollerable then both <HI>Ananias</HI> his hands, &amp; loynes. Now then here is the ca&s;e. If <HI>Paul</HI> will &s;tand to his Con&s;cience, then <HI>Ananias</HI> his fi&s;ts will be about his eares. If <HI>Paul</HI> doe for&s;ake or flawe good Con&s;cience for feare, or for the favour of <HI>Ananias,</HI> then will con&s;ciences fi&s;ts be about his heart. Now then if no remedie but a man mu&s;t haue blowes, it is good wi&s;|dome to chu&s;e the lighte&s;t fi&s;t, and the &s;ofter hand, and to take the blow vpon that part that is be&s;t able to beare it with mo&s;t ea&s;e&punc; The face is better able to abide blowes then the heart, and <HI>A|nanias</HI> his blowes are but fillips to the clubbing blowes of Con&s;cience. Wee would &s;carce iudge him a wi&s;e man, that to avoyd a cuffe on the eare, would put him&s;elfe vnder the danger of a blowe with a club. Here is that then that may make vs to compo&s;e our &s;elues to patience, and to growe to an hardines, and a Chri&s;tian re&s;olution.
<PB N="281" REF="152"> Better ten blowes one the face&punc; then one on the heart. Better an hundred from <HI>Ananias,</HI> then one from Con&s;ci|ence, that will lay on loade; let the world &s;mite, yet mine heart &s;mites not, yea, that &s;troakes and comforts, while&s;t the world &s;trikes &amp; threatens. Therfore being &s;mitten in ca&s;e of con|&s;cience, rather then giue out, do as our Saviour bids in another ca&s;e. <HI>Mat. 5. 39. Who&s;oeuer &s;hall &s;mite thee on the right cheeke, turne to him the other al&s;o.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Con&s;ider that in the next Ver&s;e, <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite thee.</HI> God hath &s;miting fi&s;ts as well as <HI>Ananias.</HI> Let him &s;mite, but yet there will come a time that God &s;hall &s;mite him: God will call &s;miters to a reckoning.</P>
<P N="3">3. Con&s;ider that of <HI>Dauid.</HI> P&s;al. 3. 7. <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;mitten all mine enemies vpon the cheek bone, thou ha&s;t broken the teeth of the vngodly.</HI> God will not onely &s;mite the enemies of his people, but will &s;mite them with di&s;grace, as it is a matter of vile di&s;grace to haue a boxe on the cheeke, and he will giue them
<PB N="282" REF="153"> &s;uch a <HI>du&s;t</HI> on the mouth as &s;hall da&s;h out their very teeth; he will lay heauy and di&s;gracefull iudgements vpon them, as he did vpon <HI>Ab&s;olom,</HI> of whom <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;peakes.</P>
<P>May it ever be thy lot to &s;ee good Con&s;cience vnder the fi&s;ts of &s;miters, be not di&s;couraged, &s;tart not, &s;tumble not at it. Bee not readie to inferre; It is in vaine to clean&s;e a mans con&s;ci|ence, and wa&s;h his hands in innocency. But con&s;ider, that this hath beene ever the worlds madnes, and the auncient lot of a good Con&s;cience, either to be &s;mitten with adver&s;aries hands, or varlets tongues.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XVII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The impetuous iniu&s;tice, and malice of the adver&s;aries of a good Con&s;cience.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>AS we haue &s;een the entertainment a good Con&s;cience meets withall in the world, &s;o wee may here further &s;ee the inordinate violences that the e|nemies and haters of good Con&s;cience
<PB N="283" REF="153"> are carried with. Therefore out of this in&s;olent Iniunction of <HI>Ananias,</HI> wee may in the &s;econd place ob&s;erue:</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>The heady violence, and impetuous iniu|&s;tice of the adver&s;aries of good Con&s;cience. Smite him on the mouth.</HI> A man would not imagine that hatred, and malice a|gain&s;t goodnes, &s;hould &s;o tran&s;port a man, as to make him run into &s;o much, &s;o open, &s;o gro&s;&s;e Iniu&s;tice. Doe but examine the fact, and you &s;hall &s;ee a &s;trange deale of iniu&s;tice therein.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Who is he that bids &s;mite?</HI> The high Prie&s;t. He had a better Canon to liue by. <HI>Mal. 2. 6. He walked with me in peace and equitie.</HI> So <HI>Leui</HI> walked, and &s;o &s;hould Gods Prie&s;ts walke al&s;o. And that Canon of <HI>Paul</HI> for the Mini&s;try of the Go&s;pell, held no le&s;&s;e good for the Mini&s;try of the Law, That he &s;hould <HI>not be &s;oone angry, no &s;triker.</HI> Tit. 1. 7. How haps it then that the high Prie&s;t is thus light fingred. <HI>Smite him on the mouth?</HI> Oh! &s;hame that &s;uch a word &s;hould come out of a Prie&s;ts, e&s;pecially the high Prie&s;ts mouth.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="284" REF="154">2. <HI>Who mu&s;t be &s;mitten? Paul</HI> an Inno|cent. Fowle iniu&s;tice. Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e if <HI>Paul</HI> had offred &s;uch mea&s;ure but to <HI>Ananias</HI> his dog, to haue &s;mitten him for nothing, but out of meere &s;pight, <HI>Ananias</HI> would haue iudged him a dogged fellow. And will <HI>Ananias</HI> v&s;e an innocent per&s;on as he would be loth a man &s;hould v&s;e his dog.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Where mu&s;t this blow be giuen?</HI> In o|pen Court, where they were all Con|vened to do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> iu&s;tice. Still the wor&s;e. If he had commanded him to haue been &s;mitten in his private parlour, it had bin vniu&s;tifiable, but to &s;mite him in open Court, and to doe iniu&s;tice in the place of Iu&s;tice, this is deepe iniu&s;tice. The place he &s;ate in, the gravity of his per&s;on, Gods high Prie&s;t, the &s;olemni|tie of the admini&s;tration of iu&s;tice, all the&s;e might haue manacled his hands, and haue a little tempered, and bridled his &s;pirit. A fowle indignitie for the <HI>Iudge of I&s;rael to be &s;mitten on the cheek.</HI> Mic. 5. 1. As fowle an iniquitie for a Iudge of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to &s;mite on the mouth
<PB N="285" REF="154"> wrongfully, &amp; in an open Court of Iu|&s;tice. What an indecent thing for a Iudge to goe to cuffes on the Bench? What an intemperate, and a vindictiue &s;pirit argues it? But what is the Inde|cency to the Iniu&s;tice? And what iniu|&s;tice to that which is done vpon the Bench? Of all wormwood that is the mo&s;t bitter, into which iu&s;tice is turned.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>For what is the blow giuen?</HI> For a good Con&s;cience. What? And hath Gods high Prie&s;t no more Con&s;cience then &s;o? His place teaches him to be a protector, defender, and an incourager of good con&s;cience. His whole office is matter of Con&s;cience, and will he that &s;hould teach, maintaine, and encou|rage good Con&s;cience, will hee &s;mite men for good con&s;cience. What is this but <HI>I&s;a. 58. 4. To &s;mite with the fi&s;t of wickedne&s;&s;e?</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>When is the blow giuen?</HI> When he is beginning to plead his owne innocen|cy, and to &s;peake in his owne defence. More Iniu&s;tice yet. Did not <HI>Nicodemus</HI>
<PB N="286" REF="155"> &s;peake rea&s;on. <HI>Ioh. 7. 51. Doth our law iudge any man before it heare him.</HI> Nay, if <HI>Ananias</HI> haue no regard to Gods law, as it &s;eemes he hath but a little, that will &s;mite a man for good Con&s;ci|ence, yet what will he &s;ay to <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> law? <HI>Act. 18. 25. Is it lawfull for you to &s;courge,</HI> and &s;o to &s;mite, <HI>a man that is a Roman and vncondemned,</HI> and vnheard? To iudge &amp; condemne a man vnheard, is deepe Iniu&s;tice, but farre deeper to puni&s;h, and execute him. Will he hang a man, and then try him? Loe here in|deed a right vnrighteous Iudge, that feares neither God, nor man, that re|gards neither Gods law, nor <HI>Cae&s;ars.</HI></P>
<P>To haue done by <HI>Paul</HI> as <HI>Gallio</HI> did. <HI>Act.</HI> 18. 14. 16. When <HI>Paul</HI> was about to open his mouth, to driue him &amp; the re&s;t from the iudgement-&s;eat, this had bin iniu&s;tice, but when <HI>Paul</HI> opens his mouth to &s;peake for him&s;elfe, for <HI>Ana|nias</HI> to &s;top his mouth, &amp; to &s;top it with his fi&s;ts, to &s;top his mouth, &amp; &s;mite him on the mouth both, when hee was to &s;peake in his owne defence, what grea|ter
<PB N="287" REF="155"> depth of Iniu&s;tice can we imagine? An hundred to one but <HI>Ananias</HI> was one of the Sanhedrim, which at that time when the officers not having appre|hended Chri&s;t, fell a cur&s;ing the peo|ple, <HI>Ioh. 7. 49. This people that knowes not the law is cur&s;ed.</HI> Vpon which &s;peech <HI>Nicodemus</HI> &s;eemes to meet kindly with them, <HI>V. 51. Doth our law iudge any man before it heare, &amp; know what he doth.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Doe you glory in the knowledge of the law, &amp; are they cur|&s;ed that know not the law, what then are they that knowing the law goe di|rectly again&s;t it? Are the people, <HI>Ana|nias,</HI> cur&s;ed that know not the law, what art thou thy &s;elf then who know|e&s;t both Gods law and <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> and yet through malice again&s;t <HI>Paul,</HI> &s;inne&s;t a|gain&s;t both? Vniu&s;t &amp; malicious pro|ceedings, God will not let them haue the honour &s;o much as of the colour of formality, &amp; legality in their cour&s;es. But they &s;hall &s;o bee carried, that the madnes &amp; malice of the~, may lie mani|fe&s;tly open to the view of al the world.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="288" REF="156">6. <HI>By what authority is the blow giuen? Ananias</HI> commanded them. Yea, but <HI>Mal. 2. 7. The Prie&s;ts lips &s;hould pre&s;erue knowledge, &amp; they &s;hould &s;eeke the law at his mouth.</HI> And &s;hould they that &s;hould &s;eeke the law at his mouth, again&s;t all law at his command, &s;mite men on the mouth? It was too much that <HI>Gallio</HI> did, and the holy Gho&s;t leaues a deepe di&s;grace vpon him for it. <HI>Act.</HI> 18. 17. that he would &s;uffer others to &s;mite <HI>Softhe|nes,</HI> and <HI>not to care</HI> for it. It was too much that <HI>Ahab</HI> &s;uffers <HI>Zidkiah</HI> to &s;mite <HI>Micaiah,</HI> and to breake the Kings peace in the Kings pre&s;ence, he &s;hould haue condemned him at lea&s;t to loo&s;e his hand, for &s;triking before the King. But here is a wor&s;e matter, he not one|ly &s;uffers it, but commands it to be done. <HI>Ananias commanded</HI> to &s;mite. Vniu&s;tice <HI>&s;uffred</HI> by authority is too much, but vniu&s;tice <HI>commanded</HI> by au|thoritie, that is farre wor&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> It &s;hewes the truth of <HI>Pauls</HI> phra&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non e&s;t crudelior in orbe terra|rum ira, qua~ Ecole|&s;ia &s;angui|nariae &amp; hypocrita|rum: Nam in politica ir&acirc; e&s;t ali|quid huma|ni reliquu~. Nullus tum immanis latro ad &s;upplicium rapitur, quin aliqu&acirc; commi&s;era|tione tan|guntur ho|mines: Sed cum fal&s;a illa, et &s;an|guinarid eccle&s;ia in filium verae eccle&s;iae in|ciderit, non &s;atis ei e&s;t effudi&s;&s;e &s;anguinem, etiam ma|ledicit, exe|cratur, de vouet, &amp; in mi&s;eru~ ca|dauer &s;aeuit ita&abque; ira fal&s;a eccle|&s;iae, &amp; fu|ror phaeri|&s;aicus e&s;t furor plan&egrave; diabolicus-Luther in Gen. cap. 4. V&s;e 2.</NOTE> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;. 3. 2. Vnrea&s;onable men,</HI> or <HI>ab&s;urd</HI> men. Malice again&s;t the truth, and the
<PB N="289" REF="156"> Go&s;pell, &s;o hurries adver&s;aries, that it tran&s;ports them beyond all bounds of common equity, common hone&s;tie, the gravity of their per&s;ons, and places; &s;o as neither law of God, nor law of man can re&s;traine their violence, and impetuou&s;nes. No boundes can keepe a malicious &s;pirit within compa&s;&s;e. It makes men forget common ciuilitie, and carries men beyond all <HI>Decorum,</HI> e|ven that <HI>Decorum</HI> their place, and of|fice calls for. <HI>Bonner</HI> cannot content him&s;elfe to iudge, and condemn Gods &s;erva~ts to the fire, it &s;atisfies him not to be their Iudge, but hee mu&s;t be taking the Beadles, or the Hangmans office out of his hand to, &amp; he mu&s;t be whip|ping them with his owne hands; And malicious <HI>Story</HI> forgetting the grauity of his Doctour&s;hip, mu&s;t be throwing Fagots at the faces of the Martyres, when bound to the Stake to bee bur|ned. What is to be <HI>ab&s;urde,</HI> and <HI>vnrea|&s;onable,</HI> if this be not? Murtherers, and bloody cut-throates &s;hall finde more legall and formall proceedings at their
<PB N="290" REF="157"> hands, then the maintainers of the Go&s;pell, and Gods truth &s;hall doe at their tribunals. To bee &s;ure <HI>Barabba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> &s;hall find more favour, and le&s;&s;e ha|tred then <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Iudge by this what may be lookt for, if euer the Romi&s;h <HI>Ananias</HI> &s;hould get head among&s;t vs again. <HI>Ananias</HI> his &s;pi|rit liues &s;til in that chaire of pe&s;tilence. If ever therfore we &s;hould come vnder his fingers, looke neither for law nor rea&s;on, hone&s;ty, nor equity, look for nothing but the weight of his fi&s;ts.</P>
<P>Thus haue wee &s;eene enemies im|petuou&s;ne&s;&s;e in this point, and we may yet &s;ee it a little more in the next. Therefore further in the third place ob&s;erue.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Ananias</HI> commands to &s;mite <HI>Paul.</HI> A fal&s;e Prie&s;t to &s;mite a true Apo&s;tle. Neuer do Gods faithfull &s;ervants &s;uf|fer harder mea&s;ure then from &s;uch. Who <HI>&s;mites Micaiah,</HI> but that counter|feit Enthu&s;ia&s;t <HI>Zidkiah?</HI> 1. Kin. 22. Well might he come in with his horns. They were emblematicall, and better &s;igues
<PB N="291" REF="157"> of the malice of his heart, then of the truth of his Prophecy. There bee no &s;uch horned bea&s;ts that pu&s;h &s;o dange|rou&s;ly again&s;t Gods true Prophets, as Satans fal&s;e Prophets are. <HI>Ier. 20. Ieremy</HI> is buffeted and &s;tocked, and who is the deed-doer? <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> the Prie&s;t. See <HI>Ier.</HI> 26. 8. 11. 16. The Prophet findes more rea&s;on and faire dealing from the Prin|ces, and the people, then fro~ the Prie&s;ts and the Prophets. The&s;e were fiercely bent again&s;t him, and nothing would quench the Wolues thir&s;t, but the Pro|phets blood. <HI>Pilate</HI> can finde no fault in Chri&s;t, yea &s;eekes to deliver him, <HI>but the chiefe Prie&s;ts and the Elders per|&s;waded the multitude that they &s;hould aske Barabbas, and de&s;troy Ie&s;us.</HI> Mat. 27 20. How woefull a ca&s;e was it, that more Iuftice and equity &s;hould bee in an heathen <HI>Pilate,</HI> then in the Prie&s;ts? How wel would it haue become them to haue &s;ticked, and &s;toode for Chri&s;t, if <HI>Pilate</HI> had &s;ought his life, rather then that an heathen &s;hould pleade for him, while&s;t tho&s;e that glory that
<PB N="292" REF="158"> they are the Prie&s;ts of God, &s;hould &s;eeke the murther of Gods Son. What a pittifull ca&s;e that <HI>Pilate</HI> &s;hould be the Iew, and the Prie&s;ts the Heathens? Therefore is <HI>Pauls</HI> Preface in his an|&s;wer before <HI>Agrippa</HI> worth the noting. <HI>Act. 26. 2. I thinke my &s;elfe happy King Agrippa, becau&s;e I &s;hall an&s;wer for my &s;elfe this day before thee,</HI> Why, what was <HI>Agrippa?</HI> Hee was an Heathen man. Why then &s;hould hee thinke him&s;elfe happy to an&s;wer before him? Had he not been happier if he might haue an|&s;wered the matter before the high Prie&s;t? No; for <HI>Agrippa</HI> giues him li|berty to &s;peake for him&s;elfe, <HI>Act. 26. 1. Then &s;aid Agrippa to Paul, Thou art per|mitted to &s;peake for thy &s;elfe.</HI> But <HI>Anani|as</HI> the high Prie&s;t layes him on the mouth when hauing leaue he begins to &s;peake for him&s;elfe. There is more hope of rea&s;on, and faire proceeding from heathen <HI>Agrippa,</HI> then from <HI>Ana|nias.</HI> There be no &s;uch virulent, and vi|olent enemies again&s;t Gods truth and &s;ervants, as are degenerate, &amp; counter|feit
<PB N="293" REF="158"> friends, and among&s;t tho&s;e &s;til they be the bittere&s;t, whom it behooued to bee the be&s;t. The bittere&s;t enemies a|gain&s;t the Church, are tho&s;e within her owne bowells.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Ananias</HI> was an v&s;urper of the office of the Prie&s;thood, and marke how he carries him&s;elfe in the place. Hee com|mands <HI>Paul</HI> to bee &s;mitten. V&s;urpers commonly are &s;miters, and v&s;urpation is v&s;ually attended with violence. Such as the entrance, &s;uch the admini&s;trati|on. We &s;ee it true in <HI>Abimelech,</HI> and <HI>A|thaliah.</HI> That as it is &s;aid of Pope <HI>Bonif.</HI> the eight, that he <HI>entred like a fox, raig|ned</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Integritas prae&s;identi|um e&s;t &s;a|lus &s;ubdito|rum, prin|cipatus au|te~ que~ am|bitus occu|pavit, eti|am&s;i mori|bus, atque actibus non offendit ip|&s;ius tamen initii &s;ui e&s;t perniti|o&s;us</HI> exem|plo: &amp; dif|ficile e&s;t vt bono pera|guntur ex|itu quaema|lo &s;unt in|ducta prin|cipio ex Decret. Doct. 5.</NOTE> <HI>like a lyon, &amp;c.</HI> So was it with <HI>Ana|nias,</HI> he had a foxes entrance, hee came not to the Prie&s;thood by an hereditary &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, but as the fa&s;hion then was, by &s;imony, bribery, and flattery, and now &s;ee how he raigns like a Lion, and commands <HI>Paul</HI> to bee &s;mitten on the mouth. An ill entrance into any place of office in Church, or Common|wealth, cannot promi&s;e any good in the admini&s;tration thereof.</P>
<PB N="294" REF="159">
<P><HI>See what woefull times here were, what bitterne&s;&s;e, what madne&s;&s;e again&s;t a good Con&s;cience.</HI> And the&s;e were the times that did a little fore-run the fatall and fearefull ruine and de&s;olation of <HI>Ieru|&s;alem,</HI> and the Nation of the Iewes. <HI>A|nanias</HI> his deadly hatred of goodne&s;&s;e, and a good Con&s;cience was a bud of the fig-tree that the particular iudge|ment of Ieru&s;alem was euen at the doores. <HI>When the rod is blo&s;somed, and pride hath budded, and violence,</HI> &s;pecial|ly again&s;t good con&s;cience <HI>is ri&s;en vp into a rod of wickednes,</HI> then may it truly be &s;aid, <HI>Behold the day, behold it is come, The time is come, the day drawes neere. Ezech.</HI> 7. 10. 11. 12. By <HI>Bede</HI> de&s;cribing the ancient de&s;truction of this king|dome<NOTE PLACE="marg">Odium in veritatis profe&s;&s;oris tanquam &s;ubver&s;ores omnia tela &amp; odium in hos. Bed. hi&s;t gent. Angl. l. 1. c. 14.</NOTE> of <HI>Brittaine,</HI> this is made a fore|runner thereof, <HI>The hatred of the profe&s;|&s;ors of the truth as of &s;ubuerters, all the the &s;pite and hate was again&s;t them.</HI> Our Saviour tels his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Luk. 21. 11. of fearfull &s;ights and great &s;igns</HI> that &s;hould be from heauen, before the de&s;truction of Ieru&s;alem: And &s;o there was a fear|full
<PB N="295" REF="159"> comet, and many other prodigious things before the &s;ame. Nowe if the Iewes had had hearts to haue con&s;ide|red it, this cordiall malignity on euery hand again&s;t good Con&s;cience was as &s;ad a Progno&s;ticator of their approa|ching ruine, as any blazing &s;tar, or ter|rible &s;ight what&s;oeuer. It is an ill pre|&s;age of a Nation going downe, when once good Con&s;cience is fi&s;ted down.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP: XVIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The &s;everity of Gods iu&s;tice vpon the ene|mies of good Con&s;cience, and the v&s;uall equity of Gods admini&s;tration in his ex|ecutions of iu&s;tice</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus haue we &s;eene <HI>Paul</HI> fi&s;ted, and layd on the mouth. How doth <HI>Paul</HI> now take this blow at <HI>Ananias</HI> hands? He &s;mites not againe, nor offers to repell one violence with another; he had learned of Chri&s;t rather to haue turned his other cheeke to him. But yet though he &s;mite him not with the fi&s;t, yet hee &s;mites with a checke
<PB N="296" REF="160"> and a iu&s;t reproofe for his violence. And &s;o may a man &s;mite without tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion, and without revenge. <HI>P&s;. 141. 5. Let the righteous &s;mite me, it &s;hall not breake mine head.</HI> So may a man &s;mite, and yet bee a righteous man. The&s;e blowes are not to breake heads, as <HI>A|nanias</HI> his blowes are, but the&s;e are to breake hard hearts. Thus <HI>Paul</HI> &s;mites without tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the bonds of meekene&s;&s;e and patience. And &s;o wee are now come to the third main point in the Text, <HI>Pauls</HI> zealous an&s;wer, and <HI>conte&s;tation.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e 3. <HI>Then &s;ayd Paul vnto him, God &s;hall &s;mite thee thou whited wall.</HI></P>
<P>The conte&s;tation is contained in the whole ver&s;e. And in this conte&s;tation we haue a denuntiation of iudgement, and that happily by a Propheticall and an Apo&s;tolicall &s;pirit, prophecying to him what &s;hould befall him; not an imprecation out of a private &s;pirit &s;tir|red with a de&s;ire of revenge. <HI>God &s;hall,</HI> or <HI>will &s;mite,</HI> not, I pray God &s;mite, or I hope to &s;ee the day when God &s;hall
<PB N="297" REF="160"> &s;mite, but <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite.</HI> As if he had &s;ayd, well <HI>Ananias</HI> thou ha&s;t &s;mitten me, heare now what thy doome from God is, I am &s;ent to thee with heauy tydings, God will call thee to a recko|ning 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.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Chri&s;tian patience though it binde a mans hands, yet doth it not alwaies binde a mans tongue.</HI> Though it lay a law vp|on a man to forbeare violence, yet layes it not a law vpon him alwayes to enioyne him &s;ilence. Though a man in <HI>Pauls</HI> ca&s;e may not &s;trike, yet hee may &s;peake. Though Religion pinion a mans armes from &s;triking, yet doth it not &s;ow and &s;eale vp a mans lips from &s;peaking. <HI>Ananias</HI> hath &s;mitten <HI>Paul</HI> on the face, and if plea&s;e him to haue another blow he will not re&s;i&s;t him, he hath his other cheeke ready for him, if his fingers itch to be doing, but yet for all this, though <HI>Paul</HI> hold his hands, he doth not hold his peace. Indeed Chri&s;ts
<PB N="298" REF="161"> precept is well knowne, <HI>Matth. 5. 39. Turne the other cheeke al&s;o,</HI> but yet for all that &s;ee what his practice was when he was &s;mitten, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 18. 23. Ie&s;us an|&s;wered him, <HI>If I haue &s;poken evill beare witne&s;&s;e of the evill, but if well, why &s;mi+te&s;t thou me?</HI> And yet his precept and practice doe not interferre, nor cro&s;&s;e &s;hinnes. For though by his precept he forbids vs to retaliate, or recompence iniury with iniury, out of the heate of a vindictiue &s;pirit: yet by his practice he warrants vs in ca&s;es of iniurie to make a manife&s;tation both of our own innocency, and others iniu&s;tice. Reli|gion bindes no man to be a Traitor to his owne innocency, and the iu&s;tice of his cau&s;e, and by &s;ilence to abet others iniu&s;tice. With a good Con&s;cience may a man &s;peake, &s;o long as he &s;peaks as <HI>Paul</HI> did before <HI>Fe&s;tus,</HI> Acts 26. 25. <HI>The words of truth and &s;oberne&s;&s;e.</HI> So a man an&s;wer truely, &s;oberly without tackes of gall, and impatient touches of revenge. Chri&s;t and Religion &s;ay to man convented, and iniuriou&s;ly pro|ceeded
<PB N="299" REF="161"> again&s;t, as <HI>Agryppa</HI> did to <HI>Paul</HI> Acts 26. 1. <HI>Thou art permitted to &s;peake for thy &s;elfe.</HI> This in generall, more par|ticularly, in this <HI>Denunciation,</HI> Con&s;i|der the iudgement denounced, that is this, <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite thee.</HI> From which we may ob&s;erue two things. Fir&s;t:</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>See Gods iudgements, and the &s;everity of his iu&s;tice again&s;t the enemies of a good Con&s;cience, and his faithfull &s;ervants. A|nanias</HI> &s;mites <HI>Paul,</HI> and for his good Con&s;cience, and what gets hee by it? God will &s;mite him, and giue him as good as he brings. <HI>God will &s;mite &s;mi|ters. Ananias</HI> &s;mites <HI>Paul,</HI> and God wil &s;mite <HI>Ananias;</HI> yea, and God did &s;mite <HI>Ananias,</HI> for hee was afterwards &s;laine by <HI>Manaimus,</HI> one of Captaines of the <HI>Iewes.</HI></P>
<P>It is a dangerous thing, not to &s;mite when God commands, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 20. 35. 36. He that would not &s;mite a Prophet when God commanded, was &s;mitten with an heauy iudgement. It is no le&s;&s;e dangerous to &s;mite when God forbids &s;miting. God hath an heauy hand for
<PB N="300" REF="162"> tho&s;e that are &s;o light fingred, and hee will giue them blow for blow that will be &s;miting his for a good Con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>Touch not my annoynted, nor doe my Prophets no harme, P&s;al.</HI> 105. 15. Hee that touches them, touches <HI>the apple of Gods eye, Zach.</HI> 2. 8. So hee that &s;mites them, &s;mites the apple of his eye. The eye is a tender place, and &s;en&s;ible 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 proude&s;t enemies of them all, and though we mu&s;t turne the other cheeke, rather then &s;mite a|gaine, yet the Lord to whom venge|ance belongs, will take no blowes at their hands, but if they will be &s;miting, they &s;hall bee &s;ure to heare of him to their co&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>You</HI> finde <HI>Exod.</HI> 2. 11. an Egyptian &s;mi|ting an I&s;raelite. It becomes none bet|ter then Egyptians to be &s;miting I&s;rae|lites. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;pies an Egyptian &s;miting of an Hebrew. What gets the Egyp|tian in the end? See ver&s;e 12. God &s;tirs vp the &s;pirit of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to &s;mite him,
<PB N="301" REF="162"> and to &s;lay him. Thus will God teach Egyptians to be medling. <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> &s;mites <HI>Ieremy, Ier.</HI> 20. 2. What got he by it? The heavy &s;troake of Gods hand vpon him&s;elfe, and all his friends, <HI>ver&s;. 3. 4. 5. 6. Herod</HI> was a &s;miter too, <HI>Acts 12. 1. 2. Hee &s;tretched forth his hands to vexe certaine of the Church, and he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the &s;word.</HI> And what became of him in the ende? See ver. 23. <HI>The Angell of the Lord &s;mote him, and he was eaten vp of wormes, and he gaue vp the Gho&s;t.</HI> It is &s;aid of <HI>Ionas</HI> his gourd that a worme &s;mote it, and it withered <HI>Ion.</HI> 4. That was much that a worm &s;hould &s;o &s;oon &s;mite the gourd. But when men will bee &s;miting Gods people, and his Prophets for a good Con&s;cience, and when <HI>Herod</HI> will be &s;o bu&s;ie as to &s;mite Apo&s;tles, God can &s;end not onely an Angell, one of his mo&s;t glorious creatures, but even a ba&s;e worme, even one of the weake&s;t creatures to &s;mite <HI>Herod,</HI> and eate him both. <HI>Ieroboam</HI> &s;tretches forth his arme again&s;t the Prophet, 1. <HI>King.</HI> 13. and his
<PB N="302" REF="163"> arme withers, he doth but threaten to &s;mite, and God &s;mites him. How much more when <HI>Herod</HI> &s;tretches forth his hands to vexe the Church, &amp; to &s;mite Gods Mini&s;ters, will God not onely wither them, but &s;mite him as <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> &s;mote the Phili&s;tims, <HI>hippe and thigh,</HI> and make them a rotten, and a &s;tinking &s;pectacle to all malicious &s;miters to the worlds end.</P>
<P>Thus is that true which the Prophet implyes in that &s;peech, <HI>E&s;a. 27. 6. Hath hee &s;mitten him as hee &s;mote his &s;miter?</HI> Marke then Gods dealing, he v&s;es to &s;mite &s;miters.</P>
<P>Neither is this true onely of &s;miters with the fi&s;t, and with the &s;word, but it is al&s;o true of tho&s;e <HI>&s;miters, Ierem. 18. 18. Come, and let vs &s;mite him with the tongue.</HI> Euen &s;uch &s;miters will God &s;mite al&s;o, as we may &s;ee there, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 21 22. 23. Thus God met with <HI>Nabal. Da|vid</HI> &s;ends for reliefe to him vpon his fe&s;tival day, and he in&s;tead of an almes falls a rayling on him, and calls him, in effect, a Rogue, a Vagabond,
<PB N="303" REF="163"> and a runne-away. Thus he &s;mote <HI>Da|vid</HI> with his tongue. What followes? See ver&s;. 38. <HI>And it came to pa&s;&s;e abou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ten dayes after, that the Lord</HI> &s;mote <HI>Na|bal.</HI> And how &s;mote he him? <HI>That he dyed. So Zach. 14. 12. Their tongue &s;hall con&s;ume away in their mouth.</HI> What might the rea&s;on be of that iudgment? Becau&s;e happily many that cannot, or dare not fight with their hands, for feare of the law, yet fight again&s;t Gods Mini&s;ters and his &s;ervants with their tongues: Well, God hath a plague to &s;mite &s;uch &s;miters. Though they &s;mite but with the tongue, yet God wil &s;mite them, &amp; giue them their portion with the re&s;t of the adver&s;aries of the Church. And if God will not &s;pare &s;uch &s;miters, how much le&s;&s;e will hee &s;pare &s;uch as &s;mite with the &s;word?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Terrour to all &s;miters, eyther with hand or tongue, Smite on, goe on in your malicions cour&s;es, doe &s;o, but yet know that there is a &s;miter in heauen that will meet with you. <HI>Had Zimri peace who &s;lew his Ma&s;ter?</HI> So &s;aid <HI>Iezabel</HI>
<PB N="304" REF="164"> to <HI>Iehu,</HI> and &s;o may it bee &s;aid in this ca&s;e. Search the Scriptures, &s;earch the Hi&s;tories of the Church; Had euer any &s;miter peace which lifted vp either hand, or tongue again&s;t any of the Lords people? Did &s;miters euer &s;cape &s;cot-free? Had they any cau&s;e to brag in the end? Had they euer any cau&s;e to brag of the la&s;t blow? Did <HI>Herod</HI> pro&s;per that &s;mote <HI>Iames</HI> with the &s;word&punc; Did <HI>Ananias</HI> pro&s;per that &s;mot <HI>Paul?</HI> Did the <HI>Egyptian</HI> pro&s;per that &s;mote the <HI>Hebrew?</HI> Did <HI>Doeg</HI> pro&s;per who was a <HI>tongue-&s;miter</HI> as well as an <HI>hand-&s;miter, P&s;al.</HI> 52. Oh con&s;ider this you that dare lift vp your hands and tongues again&s;t a good Con&s;cience, &amp; be afraid of Gods &s;miting hand, trem|ble to meddle in this kind. Learne to hold your hands and tongues, vnle&s;&s;e ye long to feele Gods &s;miting hand. E&s;pecially take heed of &s;miting Gods Mini&s;ters in any kinde. <HI>Deut. 33. 11. Levi</HI> hath a &s;trange ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>Ble&s;&s;e Lord his &s;ub&s;tance, and accept the worke of his hand,</HI> &s;mite <HI>through the loynes of
<PB N="305" REF="164"> them that ri&s;e again&s;t him, &amp; of them that hate him, that they ri&s;e not againe.</HI> God &s;aw that of all others <HI>Levi</HI> would bee mo&s;t &s;ubiect to the blowes of fi&s;ts, and tongues, and therefore hee is fenced with a ble&s;&s;ing for the nonce, to make &s;miters feare to meddle with him, or if they will needs meddle, yet to let them &s;ee that it were better to wrong any o|ther Tribe then that, God would &s;mite them, and &s;mite them to the purpo&s;e, that &s;hall offer to &s;mite him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Here is that which may make Gods people comfortably patient, vnder all the wrongs &amp; iniuries of &s;miters in any kinde. Here is that may make them by patience to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e their &s;oules, and may make them hold their hands, and their tongues from &s;miting. Smite not thou, God will &s;mite &s;miters. Indeed when wee will be &s;miting, wee prevent Gods &s;miting, &amp; &s;o they haue the ea&s;i|er blowes by the meanes: For what are our blows to the Lords? Do as Chri&s;t did, 1 <HI>Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not againe, but committed him|&s;elfe
<PB N="306" REF="165"> to him that iudges righteou&s;ly.</HI> It is be&s;t leaving them to the Lords hand. Pray for thy &s;miters, that God would giue them &s;miting hearts, that their hearts may &s;mite them for their &s;mi|ting, pray to God if hee &s;ee it good they may be &s;o &s;mitten. This is a re|venge will &s;tand with charity. Yet if not, leaue them to God who be&s;t knowes how to &s;mite &s;miters.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> It is great comfort again&s;t the &s;ore afflictions of Gods Church at this pre|&s;ent. The enemies of the Go&s;pell haue &s;mitten Gods Church with a &s;ore blow. Well, yet let vs not bee out of heart, the time will a&s;&s;uredly come, that God will &s;mite the&s;e &s;miters. The time will vndoubtedly come, when God will &s;mite that whited wall, that Romi&s;h <HI>Ananias,</HI> that &s;carlet whore that animates and &s;ets a worke tho&s;e &s;miters. It was low with <HI>Dauid</HI> when he fled from <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> and was glad to receiue reliefe from the childre~ of <HI>Am+mon, 2 Sam.</HI> 17. 27. But chap. 18. <HI>Ioab</HI> &s;mites <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> with three darts, and
<PB N="307" REF="165"> <HI>David</HI> returnes in peace, and <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 3. 7 ble&s;&s;es God for <HI>&s;miting his enemies vp|on the cheeke bone.</HI> How did the Egypti|ans oppre&s;&s;e, and &s;mite the poore I&s;ra|elites, <HI>Exod.</HI> 2. 11. and <HI>Exod.</HI> 5. 14. But at la&s;t <HI>Exod.</HI> 12. God &s;mites the land of Egypt, and the fir&s;t borne, &amp; <HI>Exod. 15. 6. da&s;hes in peeces</HI> the&s;e &s;miters. See how hardit went with <HI>I&s;rael, 1 Sam. 4. 10. 11. And the Phili&s;tims fought, and I&s;rael was &s;mitten and there was a very great &s;laughter; for there fell of I&s;rael thirty thou&s;and footmen, and the Arke of God was taken.</HI> Behold what a terrible blow here was given: The Prie&s;ts &s;laine, and the Arke captived, as if God him&s;el&s;e had beene taken pri&s;oner, and yet at la&s;t, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 5. 6. God &s;mites the&s;e &s;mi|ters, <HI>But the hand of God was heavy vp|on them, and &s;mote them with Emerods,</HI> yea as <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;ings, <HI>P&s;al. 78. 66. Hee</HI> &s;mote <HI>his enemies in the hinder parts, he put them to a perpetuall reproach.</HI> Hee &s;mites them reproachfully. Some|times he &s;mites enemies on the cheeke bone, <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 3. 7. Sometimes he &s;mites
<PB N="308" REF="166"> them in the hinder parts, both are di&s;|gracefull and reproachfull, but the lat|ter the wor&s;e, a di&s;gracefull thing to be &s;courged and whipt like boyes. Anti|chri&s;tian &s;miters doe prevaile, and hap|pely may yet much more, and may giue yet &s;orer blowes, but yet as in <HI>Nebuchadnezzars</HI> dreame, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2. 34. 35. The &s;tone cut out without hands <HI>&s;mote</HI> the Image vpon the feet, and brake them to pieces, &s;o that the iron, bra&s;&s;e, clay, gold, all became <HI>like the chaffe of the &s;ummer thre&s;hing floores;</HI> So will Chri&s;t in his good time &s;mite the&s;e &s;miters, &s;o that their place &s;hall be no more found.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite thee.</HI> Ob&s;erue <HI>the mar|uelous equity of Gods admini&s;tration in the executions of his iu&s;tice.</HI> God fits his puni&s;hments to mens &s;innes. Here we &s;ee the truth of that, <HI>Math. 7. 2. With what mea&s;ure yee mete, it &s;hall be mea&s;u|red to you againe.</HI> If <HI>Ananias</HI> &s;mite <HI>Paul,</HI> God will &s;mite <HI>Ananias. Smiting</HI> was his &s;in, <HI>&s;miting</HI> &s;hall be his puni&s;h|ment. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ayes not God &s;hall iudge
<PB N="309" REF="166"> thee, or plague thee, but <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite thee,</HI> to teach that God doth not only iu&s;tice vpon &s;inners, but that there is a <HI>retaliation</HI> in Gods iu&s;tice, a recom|pen&s;ing with the like. That looke as a|mong&s;t the Iudicials of the Iewes there was a law of retaliation, <HI>Eye for eye, tooth for troth, hand for hand,</HI> That if a man wronged another with the lo&s;&s;e of an eye, he was not onely to bee pu|ni&s;hed, but to be puni&s;hed in the &s;elfe|&s;ame kinde, to loo&s;e an eye him&s;elfe; &s;o the Lord for the mo&s;t part followes the &s;ame cour&s;e in di&s;pen&s;ation of Iu|&s;tice. If men <HI>&s;mite,</HI> God will not onely puni&s;h, but <HI>&s;mite.</HI></P>
<P>That looke as it is in the ca&s;e of obe|dience, &s;o is it in the ca&s;e of &s;in. When men yeeld obedience to God, hee not onely rewards their obedience with a recompence, but with a recompence of <HI>Retaliation.</HI> Prov. 3. 9. Honouring God with the increa&s;e of the fruits, is honoured from God with recom|pence of the increa&s;e of the fruites. <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;pares not his &s;eed, therefore
<PB N="310" REF="167"> God will mul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iply his &s;eed. <HI>Gen.</HI> 22. 16. 17. It was in <HI>Dauids</HI> heart to build God an hou&s;e, therefore God will build him an hou&s;e 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7. 2. 5. 11.</P>
<P>Thus it is al&s;o in the ca&s;e of &s;inne; this is the rule the Lord proceeds by often in his Iu&s;tice, to meet with wic|ked men in their kinde. As <HI>with the mer|cifull he &s;hewes him&s;elfe mercifull,</HI> &s;o with the <HI>froward hee will &s;hew him&s;elfe fro|ward.</HI> P&s;al. 18. 25. 26. And if men will <HI>walke contrary</HI> vnto him, he will <HI>walke contrary</HI> vnto them. <HI>Leuit.</HI> 26. And hee will cro&s;&s;e them that cro&s;&s;e him. And tho&s;e that will not heare when he cals, he will not heare when they call. <HI>Pro.</HI> 1. 24. 28. For the better cleering of this point, we may &s;ee the truth of it in di|vers particulars.</P>
<P N="1">1. Gods puni&s;hments are in the <HI>&s;ame manner.</HI> The &s;ame manner of &s;inne, the &s;ame manner of puni&s;hment. <HI>Ananias</HI> &s;mites <HI>Paul</HI> in a barbarous and a mali|cious manner, he him&s;elfe was cruelly &s;mitten, and &s;laine. The &s;inne of the <HI>Sodomites</HI> was a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">inne again&s;t nature,
<PB N="311" REF="167"> their puni&s;hment was after the &s;ame manner, fire de&s;cended from heauen. It is vnnaturall for fire to come down|wards. They &s;inne vnnaturally, fire comes downe vnnaturally. The <HI>Phili|&s;tims</HI> not onely &s;mite <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but they doe it with a <HI>&s;pightfull heart,</HI> &amp; meere|ly for <HI>Vengeance. Ezek.</HI> 25. 15. Therefore <HI>ver. 17. I will execute great vengeance vp|on them with furious rebukes.</HI> Vengeance for vengeance, manner for maner. Such was the late remarkable Iu&s;tice of God vpon that popi&s;h Conventicle in the Citie, many of that crue were fallen from God, and fallen from the truth; the Lord &s;laughters them by a fall. A fall was their &s;inne, a fall was their death, there was a fall for a fall.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gods puni&s;hments are in the <HI>&s;ame kinde.</HI> Looke in what kinde the &s;inne is, of the &s;ame kinde is the puni&s;hment. <HI>Sodoms</HI> &s;inne was in fiery lu&s;ts, they were in their &s;inne &s;et on fire from hel. Their puni&s;hment was of the &s;ame kinde. God raines downe fire from heaven vpon them. A fiery &s;inne, and a
<PB N="312" REF="168"> fiery puni&s;hment. Memorable in this kinde was the Iu&s;tice of God vpon that notorious, and fiery per&s;ecutor, <HI>Ste|phen Gardiner,</HI> who would not &s;it down to dinner till the newes came from <HI>Ox|ford</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Act</HI> and <HI>Mon.</HI></NOTE> of the fire &s;et to <HI>Ridley,</HI> and <HI>La<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i|mer,</HI> but before his meale was ended, God kindled a fire in his body, which ere long di&s;patcht him, and made him thru&s;t his tongue blacke out of his mouth. Such was Gods Iu&s;tice vpon <HI>Adonibezek.</HI> Iudg. 1. 7. in the cutting off his thumbes, and his great toes. <HI>Three|&s;core &amp; ten Kings, hauing their thumbes, and their great toes cut off, gathered their meate vnder my Table.</HI> As <HI>I haue done,</HI> &s;o <HI>God hath requited mee;</HI> God hath met with me in mine owne kinde, hee hath paid me with mine owne coyne. Thus was Gods Iu&s;tice divers wayes vpon the <HI>Egyptians.</HI> They threw the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> children into the waters, and &s;tayned the waters with <HI>blood,</HI> therefore God turnes their waters into <HI>blood.</HI> To which that place alludes. <HI>Apoc. 16. 4. 5. 6. And the third Angell powred out his
<PB N="313" REF="168"> viall vpon the waters, and fountaines of waters, and they became blood. And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> heard the Angell of the waters &s;ay, Righ|teous art th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n O Lord, &amp;c. becau&s;e thou ha&s;t iudged</HI> thus, <HI>for they haue &s;hed the blood of Saints and Prophets; and thou ha&s;t giuen them blood to drinke.</HI> Where not onely the Iu&s;tice of God, but al&s;o the equity thereof is magnified, not only becau&s;e God had <HI>Iudged,</HI> but be|cau&s;e he had iudged <HI>thus.</HI> Againe, the <HI>Egyptians</HI> de&s;troy the males of the chil|dren, God meetes with them in their kind, he &s;mites the fir&s;t-born through out all <HI>Egypt.</HI> The <HI>Egyptians</HI> drowne the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> Infants in the waters, God payes them in their kinde, he drowns the <HI>Egyptians</HI> in the waters of the re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ea, there is <HI>drowning</HI> for <HI>drowning,</HI> and <HI>waters</HI> for <HI>waters, Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abihu,</HI> &s;inne by fire, and <HI>Levit. 10. 2. there went out fire from the Lord, and devou|red them.</HI></P>
<P>How many fires hath the Whore of <HI>Babylon</HI> kindled, wherein &s;he hath con+&s;umed to a&s;hes the Saints of God, God
<PB N="314" REF="169"> will plague her with an end, &s;uiting with her &s;inne, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 17. 16. &s;he her &s;elfe &s;hall be burnt with fire; <HI>They &s;hall eate her fle&s;h, and burne her with fire.</HI> There is <HI>fire</HI> for <HI>fire, Apoc.</HI> 9. 12. She there darkens the light of the truth, with the &s;moake of here&s;ie, and &s;uper&s;tition; <HI>There aro&s;e a &s;moake out of the pit, as the &s;moake of a great furnace, and the Sun and the ayre were darkened by rea&s;on of the &s;moake of the pit:</HI> And <HI>Apoc.</HI> 18. 9. 18. there wee finde the <HI>&s;moake of her burning.</HI> There is <HI>&s;moake</HI> for <HI>&s;moake.</HI> God will make her <HI>&s;moake</HI> in the end that hath brought &s;uch a deale of &s;pirituall <HI>&s;moake</HI> into<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fumo pere|et qui fu|mum ven|didit.</NOTE> his Church. And as that Emperor &s;aid, <HI>Let him peri&s;h with &s;moake that &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lde &s;moak;</HI> &s;o &s;hall &s;he peri&s;h with <HI>&s;moak</HI> at the la&s;t, that hath put out the eyes of &s;o many thou&s;ands with the <HI>&s;moake</HI> of here&s;ie and &s;uper&s;tition. This was that Iu&s;tice of God which the Papi&s;ts Pow|der-Martyrs, <HI>Cate&s;by,</HI> and &s;ome others of them were forced to acknowledge, when they who had thought to haue&punc; blowne vp the State with <HI>Powder,</HI>
<PB N="315" REF="169"> were them&s;elues &s;poyled with <HI>Powder,</HI> a &s;parke of fire flying into it, as they were drying it, and preparing for their defence.</P>
<P>Such is that Iu&s;tice of God threatned. <HI>Heb. 2. 15, 16. Woe vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke, that putte&s;t thy bot|tle to him, and make&s;t him drunken al&s;o, that thou maye&s;t looke on their nakedne&s;se, Thou art filled with &s;hame for glory, drink thou al&s;o, and let thy fore&punc; skinne be vnco|uered, the cuppe of the Lords right hand &s;hall be turned vnto thee, &amp; &s;hamefull &s;pu|ing &s;hall be on thy glory.</HI> A good place for drunkards to thinke vpon, e&s;peci|ally &s;uch who&s;e glory is their &s;hame, who&s;e glory is to make others drunke. They &s;hall haue <HI>cuppe</HI> for <HI>cuppe, naked|ne&s;&s;e</HI> for <HI>nakedne&s;&s;e, &s;puing</HI> for <HI>&s;puing,</HI> As they haue made others &s;pue and vomit, through oppre&s;&s;ion by drinke, &s;o will God giue them &s;uch a draught of the bitter dregs of the cup of his wrath, that &s;hall make them &s;pue their very hearts out, as <HI>Ier. 25. 27. Drink, and be drunken, &amp; &s;pue and fall, &amp; ri&s;e
<PB N="316" REF="170"> no more, becau&s;e of the &s;word which I will &s;end among&s;t you.</HI> Of this kinde was that Iu&s;tice of God vpon <HI>David</HI> him|&s;elfe. He killes <HI>Vriah</HI> with the <HI>&s;word,</HI> therefore the <HI>&s;word</HI> &s;hall not depart from his hou&s;e; He defiles the wife of <HI>Vriah,,</HI> therefore his Concubines are defiled by <HI>Ab&s;alom.</HI> This is that Iu|&s;tice, <HI>Apoc. 13. 10. He that leadeth into Captiuity, &s;hall goe into Captiuity; he that killeth with the &s;word, mu&s;t be killed with the &s;word.</HI> It was the mo&s;t righteous hand of God vpon <HI>Saul,</HI> that hee that puts Gods Prie&s;ts to the &s;word &s;hould fall vpon his owne &s;word; &amp; iu&s;t with God that <HI>Elymas</HI> the Sorcerer, that would haue kept the Deputy in &s;piri|tuall, &s;hould him&s;elfe be &s;mitten with bodily blindnes.</P>
<P N="3">3. Gods puni&s;hments are oft in the <HI>&s;ame part,</HI> and member of the bodie, wherewith men haue offended. That look as renowned <HI>Cranmer</HI> dealt with him&s;elfe at his Martyrdome; That hand wherewith hee had &s;ub&s;cribed to the &s;ixe Articles, that hand hee
<PB N="317" REF="170"> fir&s;t put in the fire, in an holy reuenge vpon him&s;elfe; euen &s;o deals the Lord very often in his Iu&s;tice; That which men haue made the in&s;trument of their &s;inne, God makes the &s;ubiect of his Iudgements. <HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> pride, and his weakene&s;&s;e lay where <HI>Samp&s;ons</HI> &s;trength was. <HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> haire was <HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> pride, therefore <HI>Ab|&s;aloms</HI> hayre, as it is conceiued, was <HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> halter, and while&s;t hee will needes &s;pare the Barber a labour, he al&s;o &s;pares the Hangman a labour, Such was Gods Iu&s;tice vpon <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> him&s;elfe. He can finde none to bee the <HI>plea&s;ure of his eyes,</HI> as the Prophet &s;peaks of his wife, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 24. but <HI>Phili&s;tims.</HI> Iudg. 14. 1, 2, 3. and Chapt. 16. 1. and &s;o in the loue of a <HI>Phili&s;tim, Dalilah,</HI> he abu&s;es his eyes. What is the i&s;&s;ue? At la&s;t the <HI>Phili&s;tims</HI> put out his eyes. God puni&s;ht the abu&s;e of his eyes with the lo&s;&s;e of his eyes, and tho&s;e eyes that loued <HI>Phili&s;tims,</HI> were pluckt out by <HI>Philistims.</HI></P>
<P>Memorable in this kinde was Gods
<PB N="318" REF="171"> iu&s;tice vpon that French King <HI>Henry</HI> the &s;eco~d, who in a rage again&s;t a Pro|te&s;tant Coun&s;ellor, committed him in|to the hands of one of his Nobles to bee impri&s;oned, and that with the&s;e words, That <HI>hee would &s;ee him burned with his owne eyes.</HI> But marke the iu&s;tice of God within a few dayes after, the &s;ame Noble man with a Launce put into his hands by the King, did at a Til|ting run the &s;aide King into one of his eyes, whereof he dyed.</P>
<P>Of this kind was the Iu&s;tice of God, vpon <HI>Zachary, Luke</HI> 1. Offending with his tongue in that que&s;tion, <HI>How can this be,</HI> he is puni&s;hed with the lo&s;&s;e of the v&s;e of his tongue, and &s;peech for a time. The rich gluttons tongue had de|nyed <HI>Lazarus</HI> a crum, therfore it is de|nyed a drop of water. The &s;ame glut|ton had abu&s;ed his <HI>tongue</HI> in gluttony, and therefore his <HI>tongue</HI> hath a peculi|ar torment in hell. So tho&s;e <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. 12. had their <HI>tongues con&s;umed in their mouths,</HI> like enough as with their hands &s;o with their tongues they had fought
<PB N="219" REF="171"> again&s;t <HI>Ieru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>Such was Gods Iu&s;tice vpon <HI>Iere boam,</HI> hee &s;tretches forth his arme a|gain&s;t the Prophet, and the Lord wi|thers it. He with his arme threatens to &s;mite, and God &s;mites him in his arme. Like that iu&s;tice which was done vpon the Emperour <HI>Aurelianus,</HI> who when hee was ready to &s;ub&s;cribe, and &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eu&s;eb. lib. 7. cap. 29.</NOTE> his hand to an Edict for the per&s;e|cution of the Chri&s;tians, was &s;ud+denly cramped in his knuckles, and &s;o hindred from it by the iudgment of God.</P>
<P>I may not here omit that notable in&s;tance of Gods Iu&s;tice vpon <HI>Rodolph,</HI> Duke of SVEVIA, hee whom the Pope &s;tirred vp again&s;t his lawfull Lord and Soueraign, again&s;t his Oath to v&s;urpe his Ctowne, and Empire. This <HI>Rodolph</HI> in his Warres for the Empire, was wounded in the right hand, of which wound hee dyed, and at his death acknowledged Gods Iu|&s;tice in the&s;e words; <HI>You &s;ee,</HI> &s;aith he to his friends, <HI>here my right hand
<PB N="320" REF="172"> wounded, with this right hand I &s;ware to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Videtis ma|num dexte|ram meam de vulnere &s;auciam. Haec ego iu|rauis Do|mino meo Henrico vt non nocere~ ei nec in&s;i|diar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r glo|riae eius. Sed iu&s;sio Apo&s;tolicae, Pontificu~|que p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">titio n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e ad id adduxit, vt turamcntt tran&s;gre&s;|&s;or honere~ mihi inde|bitum v&s;ur|pare~. Quis igitur finis nos excepe|rit, videtis quiain ma|nu vnde iurame<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ta violaui mortale hoc vulnus accepi, &amp;c Morn. My&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">niq p. 256</NOTE> <HI>my Lord</HI> Henry <HI>the Emperour. But the command of the Pope hath brought me to this, that laying a &s;ide the re&s;pect of mine Oath, I &s;hould v&s;urpe 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.</HI> And &s;o with an|gui&s;h of heart he ended his daies. An example &s;o much the rather to be mar|ked, that men may &s;ee how God ble&s;|&s;es the Popes ble&s;sings, and his di&s;pen|&s;ations with Oathes, e&s;pecially, when they are giuen to arme men to rebelli|on again&s;t their lawfull Soueraignes.</P>
<P N="4">4. The equitie of Gods Iu&s;tice ap|peares in that. <HI>Prou. 26. 27. Who &s;o dig|eth a pit &s;hall fall therein, and hee that rolles a &s;tone, it will returne vpon him.</HI> Such was Gods Iu&s;tice vpon <HI>Haman,</HI> he made a gallowes for his owne necke. Hitherto we may referre the iu&s;tice of God, when God turnes mens beloved &s;innes into their puni&s;hments. Whore|dome was the Leuites Concubines &s;inne. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 19. 2. and Whordome was
<PB N="321" REF="172"> her death, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 26. The Lord <HI>Deu.</HI> 28. 27. threatens the <HI>botch of Egypt,</HI> and how frequently is the &s;inne of vncleanne&s;&s;e &s;mitten with the <HI>French botch,</HI> the fruit of the &s;inne? How frequent are the examples of Gods Iu&s;tice vpon drun|kards, drunkenne&s;&s;e their &s;inne, and drunkennes their death. And &s;o that Proverbe is often verified. <HI>Prou. 5. 22. His owne iniquities &s;hall take the wicked him&s;elfe, and he &s;hall bee bolden with the cordes of his &s;innes.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. The equitie of Gods Iu&s;tice ap|peares in this, when he makes <HI>the place</HI> of &s;inne, <HI>the place</HI> of puni&s;hment. Wee haue frequent examples of this in Scripture. This was threatned <HI>Ahab. 1 King. 21. 19. In the place</HI> where dogges licked the bloud of <HI>Naboth,</HI> &s;hall dogs licke thy bloud. And this was made good. 2 <HI>King.</HI> 9. 26. In <HI>Tophet the place</HI> where they had &s;laine their Sonnes, and Daughters, would God &s;lay the <HI>Iewes Ier.</HI> 7. 31. 32. And as their <HI>hou&s;es</HI> were the places of their <HI>&s;inns,</HI> &s;o &s;hould their <HI>hou&s;es</HI> bee the <HI>places</HI> of their pu|ni&s;hment.
<PB N="322" REF="173"> <HI>Ier.</HI> 19. 13. And becau&s;e the Sabbath was profaned <HI>in the gates</HI> of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> therefore <HI>in the gates</HI> there|of would God kindle a fire. <HI>Ier.</HI> 17. 27. And remarkeable is that, <HI>Ezek. 6. 13. Their &s;laine men &s;hall bee among&s;t their Idols round about their altars, and vnder euery thicke Oake,</HI> the place <HI>where they did offer &s;weet &s;auour to all their Idolls.</HI> Such was the Iu&s;tice of God in that late blowe vpon that Popi&s;h Compa|ny. In the very place where they v&s;ed to di&s;honour God, the hand of God was vpon them, they were &s;laine, and their carka&s;es cru&s;hed in the place of their Ma&s;&s;e-wor&s;hip, the fir&s;t floore falling into their Ma&s;&s;ing place, and &s;o they and their Crucifixes, &amp; Images, all da&s;hed together, God doing with them as with the <HI>Egyptians.</HI> Numb. 33. 4. Not onely &s;miting them, but al&s;o <HI>executing iudgements vpon their gods;</HI> yea, not onely &s;o, but executed them and their gods, in the <HI>&s;elfe-&s;ame place,</HI> where God had been by them &s;o much di&s;honoured.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="323" REF="173">6. The equity of Gods iu&s;tice is to be &s;eene in <HI>the time</HI> of his puni&s;hments. God oft makes <HI>that time</HI> wherein men haue &s;inned <HI>the time</HI> of his iudgements. At the time of the Pa&s;&s;e-over did the Iewes crucifie Chri&s;t, and at the time of the Pa&s;&s;e-over was Ieru&s;alem taken. Heauy is the calamity that is befallen the Churches beyond the Seas, the time wherein the fir&s;t blow was given, is not to be forgotten. The fir&s;t blow was vpon the Sabbath, vpon that day was <HI>Prague</HI> lo&s;t. What one thing haue all tho&s;e Churches fayled in more, then in that point of the religious ob|&s;ervation of that day? That day they neglected to &s;anctifie by obedience, vpon that day God would be &s;anctifi|ed in his iu&s;tice vpon them, and <HI>in the time</HI> would haue them reade one cau&s;e of their puni&s;hment. Neither is the time wherein God did that late iu&s;tice vpon tho&s;e Popi&s;h per&s;ons to bee for|gotten. It is &s;omewhat that after their Roman accou~t, it was vpon their <HI>fift of Nouember,</HI> God would let tho&s;e of that
<PB N="324" REF="174"> Ie&s;uited brood &s;ee how good it was to blow vp Parliament hou&s;es, and happi|ly would haue them learne more loy|altie and religion, then to &s;coffe at our new holyday.</P>
<P>Of this kind was Gods iu&s;tice vpon one <HI>Leaver,</HI> who rayling on that wor|thy Martyr and &s;eruant of Chri&s;t, M^r. <HI>Latimer,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>that hee &s;aw that evill fauoured knaue</HI> Latimer, <HI>when hee was burned,</HI> &amp; <HI>that he had teeth like an hor&s;e,</HI> his &s;onne the &s;ame houre, and at the &s;ame time as neere as could bee gathe|red, wickedly hanged him&s;elfe. And the &s;ame was Gods Iu&s;tice, ceazing vp|on <HI>Steven Gardiner,</HI> the &s;ame day that <HI>Ridley</HI> and <HI>Latimer</HI> were burned.</P>
<P>Since then there is &s;uch an equitie in Gods admini&s;tration of iu&s;tice, let it be our care and wi&s;dome to ob&s;erue the &s;ame. Learne to Coment vpon Gods works of Iu&s;tice, and to compare mens wayes, &amp; Gods workes together. God is to haue the prai&s;e and glory of his Iu&s;tice vpon others, as well as of his mercy to our&s;elues. Now we &s;hal then
<PB N="325" REF="174"> be be&s;t able to giue God this glory, when we &s;o ob&s;erue his admini&s;tratio~, that we may bee able not onely to &s;ay, The Lord is iu&s;t, but the Lord is iu&s;t in this, and that particular, when we can &s;ay, as <HI>Reuel.</HI> 16. 5. not onely <HI>Righteous art thou O Lord that iudge&s;t,</HI> but righte|ous art thou O Lord that <HI>iudge&s;t thus. Thus</HI> they &s;inned, and <HI>thus</HI> are they pu|ni&s;hed. It is good to ob&s;erue all the cir|cum&s;tances of <HI>Gods</HI> Iu&s;tice, that &s;o not onely the iu&s;tice, but the wi&s;dome and equity of <HI>Gods</HI> Iu&s;tice may bee &s;eene; and this is to trace the Lord by the foote, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 68. 24. E&s;pecially we &s;hould be thus wi&s;e in per&s;onall evills that be|fall our &s;elues, that by our puni&s;h|ment, and the circum&s;tances thereof, we might bee led to the con&s;ideration of our &s;innes, and &s;o might &s;ay as <HI>Ado|nibezek; As I haue done, &s;o hath God rewarded me.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Learne to giue <HI>God</HI> the pray&s;e of his equitie as of his iu&s;tice. So doth <HI>Dauid,</HI> P&s;al. 7. 15. 16. 17. <HI>I will prai&s;e the Lord</HI> ac|cording <HI>to his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<PB N="326" REF="175">
<P>Tremble and &s;inne not. Take heede how, and wherein we &s;inne, lea&s;t by our &s;innes we teach <HI>God</HI> how to puni&s;h vs&punc; Take heede of abu&s;ing thy tongue in &s;wearing, rayling, &s;coffing, lea&s;t <HI>God</HI> lay &s;ome terrible iudgement vpon thy tongue here, or &s;ome peculiar torment vpon thy tongue in hell hereafter. Take heede what mea&s;ure thou mea&s;ure to others, lea&s;t thou teach <HI>God</HI> to mea&s;ure the &s;ame to thy &s;elfe. Take heede that thou make not thine hou&s;e a den of &s;puing drunkards, lea&s;t <HI>God</HI> make thine hou&s;e to &s;pue thee forth. Take heede how thou v&s;e thy wits, thy &s;trength, take heede of &s;inning in thy Children, or any thing el&s;e thou ha&s;t, lea&s;t <HI>God</HI> make the matter of thy &s;inne, the matter of thy puni&s;hment.</P>
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</TEXT>
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</ETS>
