The Souls Looking-glass, lively representing its Estate before God: with A Treatise Of Conscience; wherein the definitions and distinctions thereof are unfolded, and several Cases resolved: By that reverend and faithful Minister of the Word, WILLIAM FENNER, B. D. sometimes Fellow of Pembroke-hall in Cambridge, and late Parson of Rochfort in Essex.  ACTS 24.16. 
I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.  
CAMBRIDGE: Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to the University; for John Rothwell at the Sun in Paul's churchyard. 1640.   

To the RIGHT HONOURABLE ROBERT Earl of Warwick.  
THe late wife of the deceased, in thankful acknowledgement of your Lordships many favours to her dear husband, humbly presents this small treatise.   

To the Christian Reader.  
IT was the saying of Solon, That there were many good laws made, but there wanted one law to make us put all those laws in execution: The like may be said concerning the books that are written now a days, 
Ille verè Scripturas legit qui verba vertit in opera.  There are many good books written, but there wanteth one book to make us to put those good books in practice. Such a book were worth writing, and worth reading. And I know no reason but that this book (if the Spirit of God writ it in our hearts) may have this happy effect: For it is a book that will teach us how to get into the State of grace, and how to get and keep a good Conscience. And whosoever readeth a book with a good conscience will make conscience to practise what he readeth: For a good conscience is, as Aristotle saith of Justice, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a Synopsis and Epitome of all virtues: It is a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, à sanandis omnibus morbis.  Panacea to cure all soul-diseases: It is 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a medicine to digest all book-surfetting.  
There are four sorts of Consciences: Some bad and unquiet, some bad and quiet, some good and unquiet, some good and quiet. For a conscience to be bad and quiet is the worst temper that can be: Better have a bad unquiet than a bad and quiet conscience: better have a tormenting Tophet in the soul than a fools paradise: The best frame of Conscience is the good and quiet conscience: This is a 
* Laetitia bonae conscientiae paradisus est animarum, gaudium angelorum, hortus deliciarum, ager benedictionis, templum Solomonis, aula Dei, habitaeculum Spiritûs sancti, Bernard.  Paradise upon earth, * a pregustation and prelibation of heaven, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a mansion for the Trinity to dwell in. Now this ensuing treatise will teach us how to purchase this precious jewel of a good and quiet conscience. A treatise very necessary in these unconscionable days, wherein most people make no conscience to sin against conscience; and some have sinned so long against conscience as that they have lost all conscience of sin. As 
* Multi Christianum nomen ad judicium habent non ad remedium.  S. Augustine saith of the name of a Christian, so may I say of conscience, Multi conscientiam habent, non ad remedium sed ad judicium, Many have a conscience for their condemnation and not for their salvation. Conscience 
* Domus animae, Guil. Parisiens'.  it is the house of the soul: But this house lieth waste and is much ruinated and decayed in these times, wherein 
* Dum tempora superiora cum nostris comparo, dicere consuevi plus▪ illos conscientiae minus habuisse; nos contrà, scientiae plus, conscientiae minus habere, Beza.  never more science but never less conscience. Conscience 
* Praejudicium judicii, Tertull.  it is a private judgement-day before the public day of judgement: And it is an ill presage that most people will never stand upright in the court of heaven, because they stand accused and condemned in the court of conscience. Conscience is God's preacher in our bosoms: And it is a most certain rule; That that man that will not regard the preacher in his bosom will never regard the preacher in the pulpit. And the reason why the preacher in the pulpit doth no more good, is because the preacher in the bosom is so much despised and neglected. And therefore I doubt not but this book (these motives considered) will be very acceptable to all those that have or desire to have a good and quiet conscience. For as 
* Vnicuique liber est propria conscientia; & ad hunc librum discutiendum & emendandum omnes alii invenli sunt.  S. Bernard most excellently saith, Every man's conscience is his book; and all books are written to discover and amend the errors of the book of conscience. Let those that read this book of conscience look into the book of their own conscience, and amend all the faults of that book by this book.  
The Reverend Author of this book was a Minister very conscientious, and one that had a great ability given him by God to preach unto and work upon the consciences of people, to awaken the sleepy conscience, to inform the erroneous conscience, to settle the doubtful conscience, and to comfort the wounded conscience: his sermons were all dipped in conscience: And therefore a subject of Conscience must needs be welcome from such a preacher. It is true that this birth is Posthumum opus, and cometh out after the death of the Author: But I hope it will be the more pleasing, to revive the memory of him whose life and labours were deservedly precious in the esteem of God's people. And if conscience, though for a while blind, and dumb, and seared, and put out of all office, will notwithstanding at last be put into office, and made to see, speak and feel to the utter destruction of an impenitent sinner; why may not a discourse of Conscience, though long ago preached, be suffered to revive and live for the salvation of those that shall have grace to read it aright? especially considering that these sermons were perfected by himself in his life-time?  
Much I could say in commendation of this worthy Divine, both in regard of his unwearisome pains in preaching, consuming his own body to save the souls of others, 
Praelucendo pereo.  as also of his learning and exemplary piety: but I forbear. All that I will say is this; They that fully knew him did love and reverence him: and if any did disesteem him, it was because they did not fully know him. He is now a shining star in the firmament of heaven. And there are hundreds of people that will bless God to all eternity for his pains. He needeth not our praises, but our imitation.  
All that I desire from you that read this short treatise is this; That ye would either get a good conscience by the reading of this book, or bring a good conscience to the reading of it. Labour to make an addition to the heavenly joys of this faithful servant of God by making this book a means to bring thy soul to those heavenly joys which are at God's right hand for evermore: which are joys unspeakable and glorious, so great that, 
* Tanta est dulcedo coelestis gaudii, ut si una guttula difflueret in infernum, totam amaritudinem inferni absorberet.  as S. Augustine saith, If one drop of the joys of heaven should fall into hell, it would swallow up all the bitterness of Hell. And that God would make you heirs of this joy, is the prayer  
of your soul-friend Edm. C.   


An Enquiry after a man's estate before God. Coloss. 4.8.  
WHat a man's estate before God is pag. 1  
Ministers are to inquire after the estate of their people pag. 4  
Every man is either in an estate of grace or sin pag. 11  
This estate may be known pag. 16  
Why every man ought to inquire after his own estate pag. 20  
Means whereby a man may come to know what estate he is in pag. 23  
Impediments which hinder this knowledge pag. 27  
Motives to be diligent in this enquiry pag. 29   

2. A treatise of Conscience. Rom. 2.15.  
WHat conscience is pag. 31 

I. Proposition.  
There is in every man a conscience pag. 33  
Why the Lord did plant a conscience in every man pag. 36   

II. Proposition.  
The light that conscience acts by is knowledge 

1. of God's law;  
2. of ourselves.   pag. 41  
The great necessity of knowledge pag. 43   

III. Proposition.  
The office of conscience is to bear witness, accusing or excusing pag. 49 

1. Four properties of this witness-bearing It is 

1. Supreme pag. 51  
2. Impartial pag. 52  
3. Faithful pag. 53  
4. Privy pag. 55    
2. The parts of this witness-bearing: 

I. It's single witnessing 

1. What we have done pag. 57  
2. What we intent to do pag. 58  
3. What is the bend of our hearts ibid.    
II. It's judicial bearing witness pag. 64 

1. About things to be done or omitted: Where are considered 

1. It's Office, 

1. To judge pag. 68  
2. To counsel pag. 69    
2. Its Adjuncts: It is either 

1. Enlightened pag. 76  
2. Erroneous pag. 78  
3. Doubting pag. 85  
4. Scrupulous pag. 88  
5. Faithful pag. 95. or  
6. Unfaithful pag. 104      
2. About things already done or omitted: and here also 

1. It's Office is, 

1. To approve pag. 116  
2. To absolve pag. 117  
3. To mislike pag. 119  
4. To condemn pag. 121    
2. Its Affections: It is either 

1. Tender pag. 125  
2. Sleepy pag. 126  
3. Benumbed pag. 127. or  
4. Seared pag. 128        
From all these proceed two other Adjuncts; 

I. A quiet conscience: concerning which is considered 

1. What it is pag. 132  
2. How that in the godly differeth from that in the wicked pag. 137  
3. How to know whether we have it or no pag. 152 

Where is handled; 

Whether a child of God may fear death, and how fare pag. 159  
Whether a wicked man may be desirous to die, and in what cases pag. 164  
The great benefit of peace of conscience pag. 167        
II. An unquiet conscience 

What it is, and the causes of it pag. 173  
The degrees of it pag. 178  
The difference of it in the godly and in the wicked pag. 184    
How a man may keep peace of conscience pag. 200  
How it dependeth upon obedience pag. 205  
What manner of obedience that is which peace of conscience dependeth upon? pag. 211  
What a man must do to be freed from a burdened and troubled conscience pag. 215    
As conscience beareth witness of our actions so of our persons pag. 222 

It can and doth inform every man what estate he is in pag. 223  
How it doth this pag. 229  
When it doth this pag. 232  
Why many nevertheless are deluded about their estate pag. 239  
What a good conscience sound renewed is pag. 247  
What a weak and infirm good conscience is pag. 256         

IU. Proposition.  
The bond of conscience is the law of God pag. 267 

1. The primary and supreme, is God's word pag. 270 

Gods law bindeth the consciences of the regenerate pag. 281    
2. The Secondary and relative; 

others, or  
ourselves pag. 296 

1. Others may bind our consciences, as Magistrates, Superiors; and how fare pag. 297  
2. We may bind our own consciences by lawful vows and promises pag. 314      
What vows are unlawful and not binding pag. 315  
Of the vow made to God in baptism, how great it is, and how much to be regarded pag. 318        

An Enquiry after a man's estate before God.  COLOSS. 4.8. 
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he may know your estate and comfort your hearts.  
THE estate of a man before God is the relation that he standeth in unto God, 
What a man's estate before God is.  as God is the free fountain of spiritual life and salvation, and the ●terminer of men's everlasting condi●ons either in heaven or hell: So that ●en we question about a man's estate, 〈◊〉 question, Whether he be in Christ 〈◊〉 not; Whether he have true grace, 〈◊〉 or no; Whether he be one of God's ●ldren or no, or whether he be yet 〈◊〉 better than a reprobate.  
There be three things to be considered in this definition of every man estate. First, it is a relation unto God not as a man is in himself, it may b● rich, it may be poor in the world; bu● I speak here as he is in relation toward God, Whether he be rich toward God, yea or no. I do not speak as man is in regard of others; it may b● he is a father or a son, a master o● a servant, a king or a subject: but i● relation to God, Whether God's servant or no, 
Rom. 16.10.  God's child or no. Salu● Apelles, saith Paul; and he telleth us i● what estate Apelles was in before Go● namely, in an estate of approbation approved in Christ. And the same Apostle speaketh on the contrary of th● unconverted Gentiles, that they wer● strangers from the life of God, Ephes. 4▪ 18. 
Ephes. 4.18.  Secondly, As it is a relation unt● God, so it is a standing relation: Tha● wherein he standeth towards God, tha● is a man's estate before God. There a difference between one that doth 〈◊〉 and one that is in the state of sin: 〈◊〉 child of God may sin, but he is n●● in a state of sin; you cannot call hi● a wicked man. So also there is difference between one that doth. some good actions and one that is in a good estate: A carnal man may do some good ●hings, but he is not in a good estate. The estate of a man is a standing thing, it is the relation that he standeth in towards God. Thirdly, It is the relation that a man standeth in towards God as he is the free fountain of spiritual life and salvation. It is not every standing relation towards God: For a man may be considered in relation to God as a Creator, and so the heavens and the earth and the very brute beasts stand in relation to God as they are his creatures; but they have not this estate that we speak of, which is a relation to God as the free giver of spiritual life and salvation (He is free, he may choose whether he will give it or no.) Now this is a man's estate, the relation he standeth in unto God, Whether the Lord hath given him his saving grace, yea or no; spiritual life in Christ Jesus, yea or no; title to heaven and salvation, yea or no? this is the meaning when we speak of a man's estate. It is said of Sodom, 
Gen. 13.13.  They were sinners before God: that is, they were in a bad estate, a state of sin. It is said of Zachary and Elisabeth, 
Luke 1.6.  They were both right●●●s before God; that is, they were both in a very good state.  

Observe. Ministers are to inquire after the estate of their people.  All Christians believe that there is a God: It behoveth every one now to consider in what estate he standeth to this God. This is a great question that we which are ministers ought to demand of our people, to know their estates.  
Reasons 1 First, because we are shepherds, and are bound to look well how it standeth with our flock. If we do not labour to know your estates, we can never look well to your souls. Consider that place in the Proverbs, 
Prov. 27.23.  Be diligent to know the state of thy flock, and look well to thy herds. Where the wise man first requireth that we should look well to our flocks, and then directeth us in the manner how, viz. by being diligent to know their estate how it standeth with them.  
Reasons 2 Secondly, we are Gods labourers ● and we must know in what estate our work standeth: else we may labour and labour and all in vain; we may preach and ●●hort and call upon our people to hear and to believe and obey, and all this may still be in vain, if we do not inquire in what estate they are. This is the reason why Paul could not forbear sending and enquiring how it stood with the Thessalonians, 
1. Thess. 3.5.  in what estate they were in, how it went with their faith, whether they kept it or no, lest the tempter had tempted them, and his labour should have been in vain; for so it had been for all his preaching and reaching them if they had not been in a good estate: therefore he sent to know.  
Reasons 3 Thirdly, we are to take the care and the charge of your souls: Now then how can we be quiet if we do not know in what estate your souls be? A good father cannot be at quiet if he do not know how it is with his children: How if they should be sick? how if undone? Oh it would comfort a good father to know his children to be in good case: But if it were otherwise with them, though it would grieve him much, yet he had rather know it then not; for if he know it he can better tell what to do. So it was with the Apostle; his very bowels yerned upon the Philippians, 
Philip. 2.19.  Oh my poor people, thought he, I wonder what estate they be in. How if they totter? how if they miscarry? how if the devil have tempted them to sin and to apostatise? how if they be in trouble of conscience? He could never be at quiet till he knew their estate: I trust in the Lord Jesus, saith he, to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your estate. He had a great care of their souls, and therefore it would comfort his heart to know what estate they were in.  
Reasons 4 Fourthly, we are teachers, and therefore we must know the estate of our people: otherwise we are ignorant what doctrine to provide for them, what points to handle among them. Paul in this epistle to the Colossians, knowing only their estate in the general, delivereth abundance of general precepts and exhortations unto them: ●he describeth unto them the mystery of Christ, admonisheth them to continue steadfast therein, to embrace the preaching of the word, to beware of philosophy and the vain traditions and sophistry of men, to take heed of doting upon ceremonies, which are all ended in Christ, to set their affections on heaven, to mortify the deeds of the flesh, to put off the old man; he warneth them to be loving and humble: he biddeth wives do their duties to their husbands, and husbands to love their wives; children to obey their parents, and parents to encourage their children; servants to obey their masters, and masters to deal well with their servants; all to continue in prayer, watchfulness, thanksgiving, to walk wisely towards them that are without, to be careful of godly and holy communication: Thus knowing their estate only for the general he teacheth them in general, and therefore now he concludeth, as if he should say, 
Col. 4.8.  I speak somewhat generally because I do not know your estates in particular; and therefore I send to you Tychicus, a faithful good minister, that he may learn your estates in particular, and deal with you answerably. It may be some of you want corrosives; it may be some of you want cordials; it may be some have need to be searched and humbled, some of you to be encouraged and comforted: I have sent him to inquire into your estates in particular, that he may do accordingly. Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he may know your estate and comfort your hearts.  

Uses.  The use of this is threefold.  

1. Instruct.  First, for instruction. Hence we may see that a minister doth but his duty when he enquireth into men's estates how they stand before God: It is not prying into other men's matters; it is not busie-bodinesse in other men's affairs; it is not a spirit of meddling: No, a minister doth but his duty when he doth it. How can a Physician apply true and proper physic unless he inquire into the state of men's bodies? Now a minister is a physician to men's souls; 
Jer. 8.12.  and therefore he is to inquire of the state of men's souls how they stand before God. They are men of Belial that say, What? must the minister know ●ll? and, Can there be nothing done but the minister must hear of it? These are ve●y evil speeches. The minister doth but his duty when he is inquisitive.  
The second use may be for reproof. 
2. Reproof.  If it be the duty of a minister to inquire of men's estates before God, than those people are too blame that will not make known their estates. What is the rea●on that so many men abide in a rotten state, but because they are loath to o●en truly and fully what they are to God's ministers? Nay many are like ●hem in the prophet, who say to the seers, 
Isai. 30.10.  ●ee not. They would not have God's ministers see what they do, nor see ●hat they are. I confess there be ●ome that will open something about ●heir estates, but not all they know ●y themselves: They keep in the main; ●●ke some foolish clients who mis●●form their Counsel, making their ●ase better than indeed it is, and so ●heir cause miscarrieth: So some keep in that which would give most light to judge of their estates: But this ought not so to be. I can tell you an example of one that being troubled about his estate before God, and some ministers being by, Oh, saith he, I will tell you all that I know of myself; I'll not hid a syllable from you: and, if I be yet no better than a wretch, I beseech you tell me plainly that I am so; and if I be in Christ, I beseech you prove it plainly unto me. This man took a right course, and thereby through God's mercy came in a little space to the assurance of his own blessed estate and condition.  

3. Exhortation.  Thirdly, for exhortation. Let God's ministers know of your estates, that they may be able to speak to you accordingly. By this means they may speak words in due season, and like wise householders' give every one his portion. If you had but a cut finger, would not you be glad to have the right plastre? and if you had a burning fev●● would you not desire the right remedy? how much more in the curing the sickness of the soul?  
Now from the text itself without ●ny cutting up of the words we may ●ather four propositions:  
1. That there is an estate that every man is in, either an estate of grace or an ●state of sin.  
2. That this state may be known.  
3. That every man should be wil●ing to have his estate examined, that it may be known whether it be good or ●o.  
4. That a man can never have true comfort till it be known that he is in a ●ood estate.  
1. For the first, 
Observe. 1.  That there is an estate that every one is in, either of grace or sin; See this in Simon Magus: 
Acts 8.23.  I perceive, saith S. Peter, thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. See, he telleth him what estate he was ●n, viz. a very bad estate, in a desperate and damnable condition. In this state of sin and misery are all they that are not renewed by Christ Jesus. And for the other see an example, Rom. 16.7. Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord: 
Rom. 16.7.  The text there telleth us what estate he was in, a very good estate; He was a man in Christ, a choice man, that is, a man in the state of grace and salvation. In this estate are all they that are called and sanctified and made new creatures unto God. Every man is in one of the two estates: there is no middle estate which is neither the one nor the other, but in one of these two are all the whole world. The reason is,  
1. From everlasting the world was divided only into two ranks, either Elect or Reprobates.  
2. Here in this life the world is divided only into two companies, either Godly or Ungodly.  

Matth. 25.32.  3. At the day of judgement the Lord will divide the whole world only into two sorts, either Sheep or Goats.  

2. Prop. Election may be known.  II. For the second proposition, This estate may be known: Especially every man may come to the knowledge of his own estate before God. I do not say that every man may know whether he be elect or reprobate: yet this I say too, That a godly soul may know th●● ●is elected to life. The Apostle exhor●th all that are godly to give diligence ● make their election sure, 2. Pet. 1.10. ●e that attaineth to that faith which ●e Apostle calleth the faith of God's e●t, Titus 1.1. and receiveth the word ● God, as Paul saith the Thessalonians ●d, and thence concludeth they were ●osen of God, 1. Thess. 1.4, 5. he ●ay attein to much assurance of his e●●tion. But though a godly man may ●ow he is elected of God, yet for reprobation the case is not alike: 1. Because ungodliness is not always joyn● with perseverance. 2. Besides, ●od hath many reasons why he doth ●t reveal men's reprobation unto ●m: They would then be outrageous ● evil, desperate in wickedness; ●ere could be no order or government humane life: Besides that, the form ● Christ's administration of his kingdom could not be so as it now is: for ●hrist hath bid his ministers preach the gospel to every creature, to whole ●rishes and towns, and except none: ●hrist will not tell his ministers which be reprobates and which not, that the may preach unto all, and labour t● work upon every soul; and there i● none in a parish but the minister mu● look upon him as one who may be saved: Christ will not tell his people which be reprobates, that they ma● look upon every one as one that may b● won to the faith for any thing the● know: Christ will not tell the reprobates themselves that they are reprobates, that every one of them ma● come to the use of the means; Ho● do they know but they may find grace yea, and the Lord doth seriously ca● them; and it is their fault if they obe● not. It is Gods infinite mercy, that ●lection, which is such a comfortabl● point, may be revealed to God's children; and that reprobation, which i● so intolerable and bitter, is not reveale● to the reprobate. Nevertheless let m● add, That some particular men hav● known their own reprobation, as Ca● and Judas, etc. And there be shrew● signs of it: 
Shrewd signs of it.  (I do not speak it as though I meant to persuade any man that ●e ●ne, but only that he may take heed ●f them.)  
1. Malicing the known truth is a ve● shrewd sign: As, when men know ●at godliness is pleasing to God, and ●et they hate a man for it; when men ●ow the minister is commanded to rebuke sin, and yet they will spite him ●or so doing: this is a very shrewd agne. Paul persecuted the truth; but ●t, saith he, I obtained mercy, because I ●d it ignorantly, 1. Tim. 1.13. intima●ng that if he had done it against knowledge he had been in danger to have ●und no mercy. And therefore ye ●hat mock and hate those ways which ●od hath commanded, I beseech you, ●ke heed lest ye sin unpardonably.  
2. Absolute apostasy is a shrewd agne too of reprobation: When men ●ave been very forward in the profession of the truth, and fall totally away ●nd prove miserably profane, as the Apostle showeth, Heb. 6.6.  
3. Final impenitency. This is an ●nfallible sign of reprobation, when a man liveth in sin dieth in sin, and goeth away without repentance. Luke 13. ● Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish There be many of us have stood ou● long in impenitency; let us take hee● lest if we stay any longer we fall upo● this great evil.  

That a man may know his estate, proved.  I return to the point: A man may come to the knowledge of his own estate before God. I do not mean, Whether he be in the state of election or reprobation; but he may know, Whether he be in the state of salvation or damnation, that is, Whether he be in the way that leadeth to heaven o● hell, Whether he be in such a case tha● if he die now he shall be saved or no● saved: Every man may thus know in what estate he is;  
Reasons I 1. Because the word of God showeth a man this: 
1. John 3.8.  As for example, He tha● committeth sin is of the devil. Mark; the Apostle telleth us what estate that man is in that liveth in sin, in a very bad estate. 
1. John 3.3.  So on the contrary; He that hath this hope purgeth himself. Mark; the Apostle telleth us what estate that man is in who purgeth himself; he is in very good estate, in a state of true hope in Christ. And so 1. Cor. 6.10. the Apostle nameth divers who are not ●n the state of salvation but of damnation: if they die in such case they cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. So ●hat if a man will but search the word, ●nd believe that God doth say true, he may know his estate.  
Reasons TWO 2. Without this knowledge a man cannot have an accusing or an excusing conscience in respect of his estate: but ●en may have, yea many men have, a conscience accusing them of being in a ●ery bad estate; and many men have ●n excusing conscience that plainly ●oth witness that they are in a very ●ood and gracious estate. 
Exod. 9.27.  I and my people are wicked, saith Pharaoh. His conscience did accuse him of being in a bad state. I am holy, saith David; 
Psal. 86.2  I am thy ●rvant. His conscience told him he ●as in the state of grace. So that ye ●eed not go fare to know what estate ●ou are in: there is that in your bo●ome that can decide the matter.  
Reasons III 3. Men cannot desire nor fly from an unknown estate: But men are commanded to fly from a bad estate, and seek out a good one: Therefore they may know the one and the other. 
Matth. 3.7, 8.  O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance, saith John to the Pharisees. He supposeth these men might easily know that they were in a very bad estate, or else how could he say thus unto them?  
Before I come to the Uses let us consider these three things:  
1. That every man living is born in a very bad estate. We all know it well; but oh that we would consider it! 
Eph. 2.3.  We are all by nature children of wrath. Now here lieth the question, When did we change our estates? We are in the same state of damnation wherein we were born except we are come out of it. I say, here lieth the question, Whether we are come ou● of it or no, whether we have mended our estate.  
2. Consider that the greatest part o● the world never mend their estates▪ But as they were born in a cursed estate, ●o they live and die in it. And I speak ●ot this of heathen only; but alas! ●ow many in the visible church do so? ●ow many were there in the church of Philippi whom the Apostle could not ●hink of without weeping when he considered in what estate they were. 
Phil. 3.17  So ●n the church of Corinth, 
1. Cor. 1.26.  not many wise, not many rich, not many noble ●alled; but commonly the meanest in ●he eye of the world were in the best e●●ate towards God. Nay more than so; Many of them who seek to get into a ●ood estate miss of it and perish. See, ●uke 13.24. Strive to enter in at the straight ●te: Mark; it's a straight gate, and letteth ●ut few in: for many shall seek to enter in ●ad shall not be able. Here and there a few ●en where the constant ministry is.  
3. Consider that it is a marvellous ●●rd thing to pass from state unto ●●ate, from a bad to a good estate. There 〈◊〉 a very vast gulf between the state of ●nne and the state of grace, and it is marvellous hard to pass it. These ●hings premised, the uses follow.  
estate; they were in a state of justification: & from the knowledge thereof they had peace. We are bound to get tru● peace to our consciences: Oh, what ● lamentable maze are we in till our consciences have peace! and this they cannot have until we are fully acquainted in what case we stand before God: 
Job 22.21  Acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace.  
3. Thirdly, we can never be fit fo● any duty of God's worship as long a● we know not what estate we are in● We can never be fit for any holy duty to hear, pray, receive the sacrament Let a man examine himself, 
1. Cor. 11.28.  and so let him eat, etc. First he must examine in wha● estate he is before he can be fit for tha● high service. 
Lam. 3.40.  So for repentance: Le● us search and try our ways, and turn gain to the Lord: first find ourselves i● an ill estate, and then return. So fo● joy; It is a duty to rejoice in th● Lord: But we are never fit for rejoicing till we have proved what estate w● are in: 
Gal. 6.4.  Let every man prove his ou● work; so shall he have rejoicing. We ca● never be fit for any duty until we know ●n what estate we are in, because every duty varieth according as the estate of every man is. To instance in prayer; He that is not in the state of grace must ●ray one way, and he that is in the state of salvation must pray another way: the one, that he may be converted and brought home to God; the other, that he may be strengthened and increased in grace. And so for the duty of hearing, etc.  
The second use is for direction; 
Use 2. Of Direction. Means to know what estate we are in.  to let us understand by what means we may know what estate we are in. There be four means to know this.  
1. By our outward and inward actions. I do not say, by our outward actions: For a man may be in the state of hypocrisy, and yet his outward actions may be good. Neither do I say by our inward actions alone: For a man may be in the state of self-deceit, and yet say his heart is good and his meaning and mind good. But I say, by them both put together. Our Saviour setteth it out by a tree; 
Matth. 7.17.  Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit. So if the hear● bringeth forth the fruit of righteousness, joy in good things, patience meekness, gentleness, love, obedience, godly conversation, etc. these evidence a good estate: but if the heart bringeth forth deadness, earthliness, impatience, evil conversation, etc. these are corrupt fruits and signs of a very bad estate.  
2. Ye may know what estates ye are in by your inclinations and dispositions, from whence these actions proceed. 
Psal. 119.112.  Are your hearts inclined heaven-ward and God-ward, as david's? are ye bend to holiness and self-denial, etc. as a bow is bend to shoot the arrow? This is a sign of a good estate: as 1. Chron. 22.19. there is speech of setting the heart to seek God. Ye know when a man will do a thing indeed, we say he is set on't. It may be ye do some good duties, make some fair offers of seeking God; but are your hearts set on't? or are they set on the world and inclined earth-ward? The inclinations of every creature in the world do ever show what the creature is. How do we know that a stone is heavy? Because it inclineth downward. How do we know a man is choleric? Because he ●s inclined unto wrath. So a man's estate may be known by his constant inclination either to good or evil.  
3. One may know what estate he is in by that reflexive act which is proper only to man. There is an act in man's soul (we call it a reflex act) which no creature hath but only man, whereby he can perceive what himself is and doth. When a man thinketh or speaketh, he can reflect upon himself and perceive what he thinketh or speaketh: when he prayeth, he can reflect upon his own heart, and perceive how it carrieth itself all along in his prayers. I say, no creature in the world hath in it ●his reflexive act but only man. The ●ire burneth, but it cannot reflect upon its own burning: Oculus non videt se ●videre, The eye seethe, but it doth not see that it doth see; that is, That creature doth not perceive what it doth when it seethe. But every man hath this reflexive act in him, whereby he is privy to what himself thinketh, doth, is None knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him. 
1. Cor. 2.11.  This is the reason why some know not what estate they are in, because they choke their own spirit and hoodwink their consciences. Thine own heart knoweth how it is with thee, and would faithfully tell thee if thou wouldst inquire of it and hearken unto it. Search with God's candle, and thou mayst easily find what is in thee. 
Prov. 20.27.  The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.  
4. Ye may know what estate ye are in by a certain kind of feeling. As there is a kind of bodily feeling whereby every man knoweth the estate of his body whether he be sick or in health, so there is a spiritual feeling. 
Luke 24.32.  The two disciples did feel their hearts burn: Paul did feel a great combat in him between the flesh and the spirit: 
Eph. 4.19.  So if men be covetous and worldly, they may feel it. Yet indeed some men be past feeling; Their case is the worse because they cannot feel how bad it is: But for the most, they may easily feel what their estate is.  
The third use is, 
Use 3. Impediments.  to show you the impediments that hinder this knowledge. If you would attein to know what estate you are in, then remove the impediments; which are  
1. Vain thoughts. Men who are in a state of sin and wrath, yet have many vain thoughts lodging within them keeping them from knowing it: God is merciful; and Christ died for sinners; and, There be worse sinners than they; why should they think so ill of themselves? and, they may be better all in good time: These vain thoughts hoodwink their eyes that they cannot see their estate, nor resolve that it is so dangerous as indeed it is. O Jerusalem, 
Jer. 4.14.  wash thy heart from wickedness: how long shall these vain thoughts lodge within thee? They were in a very bad estate; and yet they had such vain thoughts that they could not see it.  
2. Presumption is another impediment. Men pray, and hear, and do other good duties, and so take all to be well without serious examining. This was the case of the Laodicean people: They thought they had that in them which they had not, 
Rev. 3.17.  and that their estate was good, when it was nothing so.  
Another let are the Cares of this life: Whereby the heart is so occupied that it doth not find time to search its own estate. Therefore our Saviour saith, 
Luke 21.34.  Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with the cares of this life, lest that day come upon you unawares; intimating that these cares are great lets from considering our estates.  
4. Another let is an Evil conscience: which affrighteth a man so soon as he beginneth to stir, and maketh him afraid to go on to look sound into his estate. 
John 3.20. Rom. 3.11.  He that doth evil hateth the light.  
5. Another let is Ignorance. There is none that understandeth, none that seeketh after God. Mark; they did not seek in what case they stood before God because they did not understand.  
6. Another let is Spiritual sloth and sluggishness of heart. Men cannot en●ure to take pains with their own hearts till they have made out a true judgement in what case they are: They begin and quickly give over; and so for ●●●vant of diligence and painstaking ●ake nothing sure.  
The last use is for exhortation; 
Use 4. Of Exhortation.  That all men would bestir themselves and set in earnest upon this enquiry. That we may every one know in what state we stand  
1. Consider, this is an enquiry about our souls. We inquire about our outward man, about the estate of our bodies, and worldly affairs, etc. oh, let us not neglect this main enquiry, Am I in Christ, yea or no? Am I a new creature, yea or no? Doth my soul live to God or ●●o?  
2. Consider, this is a question about our everlasting estate. We can never have comfort until we have put this out of question: and therefore this is a question which all questions must give way unto. If ye be not in Christ, ye had need lay aside all and look about it only. How can men eat, drink, sleep &c. sigh the wrath of God abideth upon all unbelievers? Me thinks ou● souls should take no content, do no thing else but faint after Christ, until we know our interest in him. I say again, This is the grand enquiry, that business which all businesses must give place unto. Oh, the sloth of our souls! Let us in time awake and rouse them up, and never rest until we know our own estate to be good before God, that so our hearts may have comfort, and that with God.   

A treatise Of Conscience.  ROM. 2.15. 
Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing them witness, and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.  
I Have showed you, 
What Conscience is.  That every man is in an estate before God. And that hath made way now to a treatise of conscience; which will show us what estate ●e are in before God. I desire to handle common-place-wise: And first I will ●●l you in brief what the conscience of ●ery man is. I say, of every man: For ●ngels and devils have a conscience ●o: ye may see it in the speech of the ●ngel to John when John would have worshipped him, 
Rev. 19.10.  I am thy fellow-ser●ant, saith he: see thou do it not. Mark; He had a conscience that could say, I am a servant, and therefore must not ta●● worship to me. So for the devils: Whe● our Saviour bade them come forth o● the possessed, 
Matth. 8.29.  they say, Art thou com● to torment us before our time. See; the● had a conscience that told them ther● would be a time when they should b● further tormented. But I am not t● speak of such consciences, but of th● conscience of man. Now the conscience of man is the judgement of ma● upon himself as he is subject to God judgement. Divines use to express i● in this Syllogism, He that truly believeth in Christ shall be saved: My conscience telleth me this is God's word. But I believe truly in Christ: My conscience telleth me this also. Therefore I shall be saved. And so also on the contrary side. So that conscience is a man's true judgement of himself: 
1. Cor. 11.31.  If we would judge ourselves; that is, If we would bring ourselves before the tribunal of conscience to receive its judgement.  
Four propositions are contained in that portion of Scripture which I have chosen to make the subject of this ensuing treatise, Rom. 2.15.  
1. 
Four Propositions.  That there is in every man a conscience. [Their consciences bearing them ●itnesse,] Every one of them had a conscience bearing them witness.  
2. That the light which conscience directed to work by is knowledge. written in their hearts.]  
3. That the bond that bindeth a man's conscience is God's law. [which ●hew the effect of the law written in their ●●arts.]  
4. That the office and duty of con●●●ence is to bear witness either with ourselves or against ourselves, accusing or excusing ourselves or actions. bearing witness, and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another.] I begin ●ith the first.  

Proposition I. There is in every man a conscience.  
THere was a conscience in all these heathen in the text: 
1. There is in every man a conscience  their consciences ●ring them witness. There was a conscience in the Scribes and Pharisees: 
John 8.9.  being convicted of their own consciences There is a conscience in good men: as in Paul; 
2. Cor. 1.12.  Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience. There is a conscience in wicked men: 
Tit. 1.15.  their mind and conscience is defiled. As it is impossible the fire should be without heat, so it is impossible that any man should be without ● conscience. Indeed we use to say, Such an one hath no conscience: bu● our meaning is, that he hath no good conscience. But every one hath a conscience, either good or bad. The Lord engraved conscience in man when he created him at first. True it is, since the fall of man conscience is miserably corrupted; but man can never put it off: Conscience continueth for ever in every man, whether he be in earth or heaven or hell. The most base and devilish profanelings in the world have a conscience: Let them choke it or smother it as much as they can, let them whore it or game it or drink it away as much as they are able for their hearts; yet conscience will continue in spite of their teeth.  
1. No length of time can wear this conscience out. What made joseph's brethren to remember the cruel usage they shown him but conscience? It was about twenty years before; yet ●hey could not wear it out.  
2. No violence nor force is able to suppress conscience but that one day ●●r other it will show itself. What made Judas go and carry back the money that he betrayed our Saviour for, ●nd also to cry out, I have sinned, but conscience? No question but he laboured to suppress it; but he could ●ot.  
3. No greatness nor power is able do stifle conscience but that it will one ●ay like a band-dog fly in a sinner's face. What made Pharaoh cry out, I am ●icked, but conscience? He was a great King; and yet he was not able to over●ower conscience.  
4. No music, mirth or jovializing ●an charm conscience, but it will play ●he devil to a wretched soul for all ●hat. What was the evil spirit of melancholy that came upon Saul but conscience? He thought to allay it with instruments of music; but it still came again.  
5. Death itself is not able to part conscience from a sinner. What is that worm that shall never die but only conscience? and in hell conscience is as that fire that never goeth out.  
I confess some seem to have lost conscience quite: They can omit good duties as though they had no conscience at all; they can defer repentance and turning to God as though they had no more conscience than a beast: but one day conscience will appear, and show plainly that it was present with them every moment of their lives, and privy to all their thoughts and all their ways, and set before them all the things that they have done. Be men never so secure and senseless, and seared for the present, conscience will break out either first or last: Either here or in hell it will appear to every man, That he hath and ever had a conscience.  

Reason's  Now the reasons why the Lord did plant a conscience in every man living are,  
1. Because the Lord is a very righ●ous Judge: And as he commandeth ●rthly judges not to judge without ●itnesse; so he himself will not judge without witness, and therefore he planteth a conscience in every one to bring in evidence for him or against him at God's tribunal.  
2. Because the Lord is very merciful. We are wondrous forgetful and endless of God and of our own souls, and have need to be quickened up to our duties: therefore the Lord hath ●iven every one of us a conscience to ●●e a continual monitour. Sometime ●e forget to pray, and then conscience ●●tteth us in mind to go to God: sometime we are dull in the duty, and con●●●ence is as a prick to quicken us: some●ne our passions are distempered, and ●en conscience checketh & commands us to bridle them. We should ne●r be kept in any order if it were not ●r conscience: Therefore hath the ●ord in mercy given us a conscience.  
Use 1 The first use is, to condemn that diabolical proverb common among men Conscience is hanged a great while ago. No, no; Achitophel may hang himself, bu● he cannot hang his conscience: Sa● may kill himself, but conscience canno● be killed. 
Mar 9.44.  It is a worm that never dieth As the reasonable soul of man is immortal, so conscience also is immortal.  
Use 2 Secondly, this condemneth such a go about to suppress conscience: The● conscience maketh them melancholic● and lumpish now and then, and they g● about to shake it off. Alas! why do y● go about that which is utterly impossible? Ye may suppress it for a while and gag it for a while; but ye can never shake it off. Conscience sticketh s● close that a man may as soon shake o● himself as his conscience. And indeed his conscience is himself: 
1. Cor. 11.28.  Let a man examine himself, that is, his conscience Judge in yourselves, 
verse 13.  that is, Judge i● your consciences.  
Use 3 Thirdly, this confuteth that drunk opinion, That conscience is nothing ●ut a present fit of melancholy. No; It causeth it may be the present melancholic fit, but it is not it. Conscience 〈◊〉 a standing power in a man that is evermore with him, and will evermore ●dge him and condemn him if he be guilty before God. It will be with him when his dumpish fit is over. Let him laugh and be merry; yet conscience lies 〈◊〉 the bottom of all, and will spoil all the mirth. 
Prov. 14.13.  Let the drunkard be ne●er so jovial; I will not believe but conscience in the midst of that drunken mirth causeth some sadness within, and telleth him this is a very wicked life. Let the carnal hypocrite daub up the matter with good duties and good prayers and good hopes; I cannot believe but ●here is a conscience lieth at the bothome and telleth him he is rotten for all ●his. You may see this in Cain: 
Gen. 4.5.  He had ●een at a good duty, sacrificing to the Lord; but his countenance fell when ●e had done, conscience did lie at the bottom, and did tell him God did not accept him. Conscience is with evil men at church, at sermon, at sacrament, and telleth them secretly that they an● not the persons to whom the blessing of these ordinances belong.  
Use 4 Lastly, this may be for exhortation to the godly; That they would consider this, that they have ever a conscience within them; and that therefore they would labour always to keep i● void of offence: which was Paul's exercise Acts 24.16. Take heed you offence not your consciences in duties of piety towards God, in your prayings, hear, etc. no nor in your callings, eatings, drink, liberties, recreations: Look always to your consciences, that yo● offend them not, because they are eve● with you. When two live ever together, they had need not offend one another; else there will be no quiet: You and your consciences must ever live together: if ye offend them, ye are like to have very ill lives. Better live with a cursed scold then live with an offended conscience: ye had better offend the whole world then offend conscience. There are none whom ye are always to live with; but conscience ye are always to live with. Ye are not always to live with your husbands, ●r always with your wives, nor al●ayes with your parents or masters; ●ere is a time when you must part: but conscience and you will never part: ●herefore labour to keep it void of of●nse. And thus much of the first proposition, There is in every man a conscience.   

Proposition II. The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge.  
THis knowledge is twofold; 
II. Proposition  1. Of God's law, 2. Of ourselves.  
1. The knowledge of God's law. To know God's will what is good, what is ●ad; what God commandeth, what he forbiddeth. Every man under heaven hath this law of God in some measure writ in his conscience. I confess, God's children only know God's law to purpose, ●as it is a light to guide them in the way of salvation: but all the world have some measure of knowledge, whereby they may gather that there is a Go● and that he ought to be worshipped a● obeyed, and that he hath power ov● life and death. All the world ha● knowledge in some measure what 〈◊〉 good and what is not, what is to b● done and what not, what is according to conscience and what not: All th● world have this knowledge in som● measure; I do not say, enough for salvation, but enough to make them inexcusable before God for not following that light and not living according to that knowledge which they have. I● there were not some light in this behalf, some knowledge of the law o● God in every man, conscience could do● nothing.  
2. Knowledge of ourselves: This also is the light that conscience acteth by. There is in every man some measure of knowledge of himself according to the measure of knowledge that he hath of God's law. Our consciences look backward and forward; forward to God's law, and backward on ourselves, Whether we be such as God's law requireth, yea or no. First, ye may find this in good men. This light did the conscience of David go by: 
Psal. 18.23.  I was upright be●e God, saith his conscience, and I kept 〈◊〉 self from mine own iniquity. His conscience had a light whereby he ●ew what he did. Secondly, ye shall ●d this in wicked men. This light the conscience of Achan went by: 
Josh. 7.20.  I have ●ed against the Lord God of Israel, and ●us and thus have I done.  
These are the two lights that every ●ans conscience goes by: It hath light in some measure to know the law of God, what he should do and what he should not do; and it hath light in some measure to know himself, what he hath done or not done, whether he hath done ●s he should yea or no. Now these two ●ights are necessary; as thus I prove.  
First, the knowledge of God's law is necessary. For else conscience cannot work. A drunkard might be drunk every day in the year, and yet conscience could not trouble him nor condemn him of sin unless he knew the law,  
That God hath forbid drunkenness. And so the swearer. And so evil wo● and bad thoughts conscience cannot accuse for, unless there be so much lig● as to know they are forbidden. A● therefore Divines do all say that th● Synteresis is necessary to the exercise 〈◊〉 conscience. The Synteresis is this: Whe● a man keeps in his mind the knowledge of the things contained in God's law namely, That we must obey God, honour our parents, not commit adultery not kill, not steal, not lie, not covet, &c Unless the knowledge of these be kep● in mind conscience cannot work. And therefore when we would stir a man● conscience, we appeal to his knowledge; 
1. Cor. 6.9.  Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? As if he had said, Your own consciences may condemn you to the pit of hell if ye be unrighteous, because your Synteresis can tell you that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is the reason why we say that there is a natural conscience and there is an illuminated conscience; because some have no light but only the light of nature, some have besides the light of ●s word, which showeth that which ●re showeth, and much more clearly, reaches many things more which ●e cannot teach: And hence the science of the enlightened condemns for such things as the natural conduce never stirreth about.  
●econdly, the knowledge of our ●●lves is needful; else conscience can●●t neither. Though we know what ●s law requireth and what not, ●t is good and what not, yet un● we know whether we go with it 〈◊〉 against it conscience cannot accuse nor excuse. As for example; A close hypocrite, he knoweth well enough that the Lord hath condemned hypocrisy, and that hypocrites must have their ●●tion in hell: yet if he do not know ●●self to be an hypocrite, his conscience can never condemn him for being ●e. And therefore both these know●●●ges are necessary, as well the knowledge of a man's self as of God's law. ●any who had a hand in crucifying our ●●viour, sinned grievously; yet they sinned not against knowledge became they knew not what they did: 
Luke 23.34.  Fath● forgive them, they know not what they 〈◊〉  
Thirdly, It is a contradiction to 〈◊〉 a blind conscience in act. The conscience cannot be blind and yet actual condemn. Indeed the conscience it s● may be blind, but it can never act and 〈◊〉 blind: If it truly accuse or excuse must have some light. It is true, it ma● erroneously excuse or accuse, and y● have no true light: Seeming light 〈◊〉 enough to do that: seeming knowledge is enough to make conscience erroneously excuse: As they who killed th● Apostles, 
John 16.2  their consciences excuse● them, and told them they did Go● good service: they seemed to know i● was good service to God, and therefore their consciences excused them, &c▪ Thus ye see that the light that conscience workerh by is knowledge.  
Use 1 The use of this point is first, to le● us see the infinite necessity of knowledge. As good have no conscience a● all as conscience without knowledge: for it cannot act and perform its office. ●is is the reason why so many thou●ds go on in their sins without re●tance, because being ignorant they ●e no conscience to prick them thereto: as Jer. 8.6. No man repenteth him ●his wickedness, saying, What have I ●e? Why, what was the reason that ●nscience did not prick them, and say, ●is thou hast done and that, Thus ye ●e rebelled, & c? The text answereth 〈◊〉 the next verse, My people know not 〈◊〉 judgement of the Lord. The stork sweth her time, and the turtle, and the allow; but my people do not know their ●ies.  
Use 2 Another use is, to exhort us that we would labour to perfect the light of conscience, that it may be able to guide 〈◊〉 and direct us unto heaven. Our conscience hath knowledge enough by the ●ght of nature to make us inexcusable, ●nd to clear the justice of God though ●e should damn us for ever: but there ●ust be a greater light than that, that ●ust guide us to heaven. O let us ●ray to Christ the true light to set up ●his light in us, that we may never be at a loss in our way to happiness, n●ver step out of the right path but o● conscience may be able to put us in ●gain, never go slowly but our conscience may spur us on faster; that o● conscience may not be like the s●● of a candle in a socket, that flameth 〈◊〉 now and then and then is dark aga● and again it flameth out and is dark ●gain: A man may see his book by i● but he cannot see to read; he may se● his pen and ink by it, but he cannot se● to write; a woman may see her need● and cloth by it, but she cannot see t● work: so it is with some men's consciences: Their light is so dim tha● they can see the duties, but they canno● see to do them; they can see the commandments of God, but they canno● see to obey them. O labour to perfect the light of your consciences, that ye● may see to walk by them. And thu● much also of the second proposition, The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge.  
Now I should come to the third proposition which as I first propounded ●hem was this, The bond that bindeth conscience is God's law: But I will now a little ●ter the method, and make the other ●hich was propounded last to be the ●ird in the handling; and it is this,   

Proposition III. ●he office of Conscience is to bear witness, to accuse or excuse.  
COnscience is put into this office by God himself. It is God's officer: 
III. Proposition. The office of Conscience is to bear witness.  ●ot only his register-book that shall 〈◊〉 opened at the day of judgement, ●herein is set down our thoughts, words and deeds: but it is a preacher also to tell us our duty both towards ●od and towards man: yea, it is a powerful preacher; it exhorteth, urith, provoketh: yea, the most power●ll preacher that can be; it will cause ●e stoutest and stubbornest heart un●r heaven to quake now and then; it ●ill never let us alone till it have ●ought us either to God or to the de●. Conscience is joined in commission with Gods own spirit to be an instructor unto us in the way we should walk; so that the spirit and it are resisted or obeyed together, grieved or delighted together: We cannot sinne against conscience but we sinne also against God's spirit; we cannot check our own consciences but we check and quench the holy spirit of God.  
The office of conscience to ourselves is, 
Rom. 9.1.  to bear witness: My conscience beareth me witness, saith Paul. Conscience is always ready to do this office, if it shall at any time be invited unto it: For conscience looketh sometimes for inviting; sometimes it will not bear witness unless we invite it and call upon it so to do. But there will come a time when it will do it and must do it and shall do it, namely at death or at judgement: than it will bear witness whether men invite it or no. Now it may be suppressed and silenced and kept under from witnessing; but than it must bear witness and shall, either excusing or accusing, acquitting or condemning, when God shall judge the secrets of men's hearts, as the Apostle speaketh.  
The properties that are given unto conscience in the discharge of its office are four: 
Four Properties of Conscience.  1. It is supreme; 2. It is impartial; 3. It is faithful; 4. It is privy.  
1. It is supreme: It hath highest authority; it is the most uncontrollable and ablest witness that can be: the greatest, weightiest witness in the world; better than ten thousand witnesses. Though all the world do condemn us, yet if our own conscience do not, we need not fear: And so on the contrary, if conscience do condemn us, it will be small comfort though all the world flatter and commend and excuse us. It is a supreme witness: Though all the Angels in heaven should come and bear witness, their witness is not so uncontrollable as conscience is. There is no appealing from the witness of conscience; we must be tried by it. If conscience do accuse and condemn us, the Lord only is greater than our conscience, 1. John 3.20. and will give judgement with it when it doth its office. And if our conscience do not and commend us and applaud us when we are naught, and call us good men and good women when we are nothing so: but this will tell us plainly how vile and sinful we are; and if we say we are good when we are not, it will tell us plainly we lie. 
1. John 2.4.  He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar. Mark; though he say it, yet his conscience giveth him the lie. It is faithful again in excusing. It beareth witness of every good duty we perform and of whatsoever good is in us. Though all Jobs friends spoke evil of him, and God himself by his outward judgements seemed to condemn him for a wicked man, yet still his conscience (like a faithful witness) did not forsake him, nay, it offered to reason with God himself, 
Job 13.3.  I would reason with God: I know I shall be justified, and I will never forsake mine innocency till I die. Still his conscience stood for him and excused him. Thus on both sides conscience is a faithful and sincere witness: it will not be corrupted to speak otherwise then it knoweth the matter is.  
4. It is most privy to what it doth witness. It is more privy to what we have done then all the world: It can say more for us or against us then all the world. Thou knowest all the wickedness that thy heart is privy unto, saith Solomon to Shimei 1. Kings 2.44.  
The use of all this is; 
Use.  Seeing conscience is so supreme, so impartial, so faithful, so privy, we should take heed ●ow we do any thing that might give ●t advantage against us. If we were to appear before an earthly judge to answer for our behaviour, and should have a companion present continually with us, marking every thing in us, telling us of every fault, and witnessing it ●gainst us unto the judge, how careful would we be of doing any thing that might give him advantage against us? Lo, we have conscience as a continual watchman, espying out all our ways, ●etting down  we do amiss, checking us for it for the present, and one day accusing us before God and ●etting all things in order before our faces; Oh how should we then labour it two years after: 
Gen. 41.9.  I remember my faults this day, saith his conscience. Adonibezek had forgot his cruelty; but his conscience brought it to his mind: As I have done so God hath requited me, 
Judg. 1.7.  saith his conscience.  
2. Conscience beareth witness of what we intent and purpose to do, whether against God or man. It will testify every purpose and project of the heart though it be never acted, though it die in the heart and never come to light. Men little think of this: Tush (saith one) I never did such a thing, though I once intended it, or had some thoughts about it. Mark; those very thoughts will conscience bring forth and testify what they were. Hear the Apostle; 
Rom. 2.16.  in that day God shall judge the secrets of men, etc. The most hidden things conscience shall bring to light, and Christ shall judge them.  
3. Conscience beareth witness of the bent and frame of our hearts, what we affect most and love most, and rejoice and delight in most, and desire most and grieve for most, what our affections run upon most, whether upon God or the world, whether upon heaven or the things of this life. Conscience bare witness to David, 
Psal. 119.77.  that his delight was in the law of the Lord, that God was his portion, that God's statutes were his counsellors. Conscience bare witness to the false teachers in Christ's time, that they affected vainglory and the praise of men more than the praise of God. Conscience bare witness to Demas, that notwithstanding his fair profession his heart was set upon the world. Conscience bare witness to Jehu, that for all his seeming zeal his heart was not upright.  
But it may be objected, 
Obj. 1. Jer. 17.9.  How can this be? The heart is deceitful above all things: who can know it?  
Who can know it? That is, 
Answ.  Who else can know it but a man himself? None under God can know the heart of man but a man's own conscience, the spirit of man that is in him. I confess a man may be ignorant of some secret and particular deceit in his heart: but who knoweth not the general standing of God small; and so we are deceived, no● seeing the radical power of this love of God, which in regard of its virtue is stronger than the other: As a fool, if he should feel hot water, would conclude that there is no cold at all in it; whereas there is radical cold in that water, such as will expel all that heat in a little space. Or else this ariseth from anguish of spirit, which so disturbeth the mind that it cannot see its own condition nor be capable of the comforts belonging unto it; as it was with the Israelites, Exod. 6.9. otherwise doubtless we may know our own hearts; and when our conscience beareth witness its witness is right.  
Use 1 I. Use, of reproof to those who stand out against the witness of their conscience, and like hard-hearted felons plead still, Not guilty, though never so much evidence come against them, though conscience oft tell them, this they have done, thus they do, such they are. Oh stop not your ears against conscience; stand not out against it, but believe its testimony, and make use of it to repent of the evil it accu●●●h of while mercy may be had, before ●od himself cometh and joineth with conscience to condemn for ever.  
Use 2 II. It serveth for singular encouragement to all to abound in good works. Conscience will bear witness of them all to our unspeakable comfort in the time of afflictions, yea at death and judgement. Job felt it a sweet thing to have conscience give in testimony of his integrity and uprightness: When his friends proved miserable comforters, and God himself seemed to write bitter ●hings against him, yet his conscience witnessed that he had been eyes to the ●lind, and feet to the lame, he had fed ●he hungry and clothed the naked and comforted the fatherless. There is not ● good thing that ever we do but conscience will afford us the sweetness and comfort of it in our troubles: 
Isai. 38.3.  Remember, O Lord, saith Hezekiah, that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart.  
We have spoken of consciences single bearing witness: Now followeth its now only of those who drown their consciences in their cups, and fear their consciences by their gross sins; but of those who would seem godly and perform good duties, but with hypocritical hearts and carnal minds. O that they would hear but conscience argue a little in this manner; To be carnally minded is death, that is, is an evident sign of a man that is in the state of death and damnation: But, saith conscience, I am carnally minded; or we are carnally minded: Therefore we have an argument about us of death and damnation. And so also for all other sins; There is not a wicked man under heaven but he may argue out of his own miserable estate by his conscience, or he might if it were awaked, as one day it will be.  
Use 3 Thirdly, this may serve for instruction. No matter what opinions me● have of us in the world: The question is, What is the judgement of our ow● consciences upon us? It may be thou art taken for a man of great knowledge and a forward man in godliness; it may b● the godly dare not judge otherwise o● thee: but the question is, What is t●● judgement of conscience? Doth nor thy conscience tell thee thou art but a proud fool, conceited of thy knowledge, and ●ovest to hear thyself talk? And so for thy performance of good duties, what testimony doth conscience give of the manner of doing of them? The testimonial of conscience is above all testimonials in the world: 
2. Cor. 1.12.  all the good opinions of the world are not worth a ●ush without this: If conscience can ●ay that in our ways we seek to please God, and allow not ourselves in any ●vil way, this testimony is full and satisfactory, and only this.  
Yet further concerning this judicial witness of conscience: It is either about ●hings to be done or omitted, or things already done or omitted. The judicial witness of conscience about things to ●e done or omitted is double: 1. To ●dge out of God's law whether it be ●ood or evil; 2, To counsel out of ●ur own judgements either to do it or forbear it according as the nature of the action is: If it be good, conscience will so on the contrary, if it be evil, conscience will counsel us to forbear, yea bring arguments to dissuade; O do it not: it will tend to the dishonour of God, and be offensive to others, and wound our souls, etc. It was conscience that withheld David from kill Saul, and pressed him from it by a strong argument, 
1. Sam. 24 10.  O he is the Lords anointed. It was conscience that withheld Joseph from yielding to the entice of his mistress, and yielded him an argument to dissuade him from it, How shall I do this great wickedness, and so sin against God? It was conscience that dissuaded Nehemiah from flying, 
Neh. 6.11.  Should such a man as I fly? And if one argument will not serve, conscience will use more.  
Use 1 The use of this may be first for Instruction. Hence we learn that natural men may have a conscience urging to good and restraining from evil. There is no man so evil or ignorant but he hath naturally some light with him by which conscience is set on work to advise and to counsel, and to say, This is very good; do it: This is very sinful; forbear it. This therefore is no sign of grace in any man to have his conscience calling upon him to do good or dissuading him from evil: The very heathen had so according to their light; yea and in many of them it was forcible to restrain them from many sins which they were inclined unto. And so may many men be put upon many good duties, not for any love or liking of that which is good, but because they would please and satisfy conscience, which otherwise will not suffer them to be quiet. It was conscience that kept Abimelech from defiling Sarah, and yet a carnal man.  
Here then a question may be asked, 
Obj.  Whether a mere natural man can avoid sin for conscience sake.  
I answer, 
Answ.  That this expression, for conscience sake, may be taken two ways: either 1. for conscience of the commandment of God and love to it; and so none but God's children do obey for conscience sake: and so it is meant when Paul speaketh of being subject for conscience sake, 
Rom. 13.5 1. Pet. 2.19.  and Peter speaketh of suffering science may not reproach him all his days for not following it: Whereas it is otherwise with the wicked.  
Use 3 3. The third use is this; Seeing conscience is appointed by God to be our guide and our counsellor, it should be our practice in every thing we do to ask counsel of conscience whether we were best do it or no. I say that conscience is God's oracle: Whatsoever we are to do we should (as David) inquire of God's oracle, 
1. Sam. 23.2.  May I go this way to work, or shall I take an other course? Hear counsel and receive instruction, 
Prov. 19.20.  saith Solomon, that thou mayst be wise at thy latter end. Conscience is a faithful counsellor; hear it. It is the great mercy of God that thou hast such a privy counsel: Thou canst go nowhere but it is about thee to advise thee. Therefore as Rehoboam said to his green heads, What counsel give you? so say thou to thy conscience, What advice givest thou, Conscience, in this case? my carnal friends counsel me thus and thus; mine own carnal heart and lusts would have me go this way: but, Conscience, what counsel givest thou?  
Use 4 4. The fourth use is to reprove ●he custom of most men, who with Ahab refuse the counsel of that one ●rue wholesome prophet, & have four ●undred other counsellors who will ●ive counsel as they would have it: They regard not this good Michaiah; ●hey slight the counsel of conscience; ●heir lusts and their carnal reason and ●●esh and blood are their counsellors; The counsel of conscience, they say, is not ●ood at this time, as he said of Achito●hels: They will hear conscience at ●nother time, but not now. But take ●eed; for if you reject the counsel of conscience, it is because the Lord hath ● purpose to destroy you.  

The Adjuncts of conscience, which show themselves in the discharge of this duty of judging and counselling.  
THe adjuncts are of two sorts: 
The adjuncts of conscience.  1. such as respect consciences ability to ●ischarge its duty; 2. such as accompany conscience in the discharge thereof.  
darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35. O labour therefore to get a conscience enlightened. It is true, a man may have an enlightened conscience and yet go to hell: but this is most certain; without an enlightened conscience a man cannot go to heaven. And if thy conscience be something enlightened, yet labour for more light. It will prevent many a stumble, save thee from many a knock. Thou knowest not what case thou mayest be in, what difficult straits thou mayest be put unto: if thou hast not light in thy conscience to direct thee, what wilt thou do?  

II. An erroneous conscience.  
SEcondly, an erroneous conscience is, 
2. An erroneous conscience  when conscience not understanding God's law, or misapplying it, doth judge amiss and direct amiss. So joseph's conscience for a while was in an error when Mary was found with child: 
Matth. 1.19.  His conscience informed him that he must either make her a public example or put her away privily. Here his conscience erred about this particular until the Angel had better informed him. There is a question 
Quest.  here rai●ed by Divines, and it is, Whether we ●ught to follow conscience erring or ●o? A question very necessary to be ●andled, partly because of men's ignorance in this kind, and partly because of ●●e frequency of the case. I answer ●●us;  
Ans. 1 First, we must not obey conscience ●●ing or counselling to that which is ●●l; For our error of conscience doth ●t make the transgression of the law 〈◊〉 be no sin; though an erroneous conscience lead us to transgress it.  
Because the law of God is above conscience; and therefore the commandment of God's law standeth in full ●●rce though conscience command ●●ntrary to it. Suppose a man should ●●ink in his conscience he might not ●●ke an oath though never so lawfully ●●lled thereunto by the magistrate and 〈◊〉 never so necessary a case, when as the ●ord of God commandeth us to swear 〈◊〉 truth, in righteousness, and in judgement; I must follow the commandment different to do or not to do which yet is not indifferent but absolutely commanded, than it is always a sin not to do it, but it is no sin to do it. The third proposition is this, If conscience hold a thing necessary which God hath left indifferent, as if a man in conscience thought that he ought to pray four times a day (which thing yet God hath left indifferent;) in this he is bound to obey conscience though it err. And it is no sin to obey conscience thus erring; though it be a sin in conscience thus to err.  
Use 1 The use of this is, I. to let us see what a sacred sovereign thing a man's conscience is. It is always a sin to disobey conscience whether it err or no, as it is always a sin to disobey God. A man can never go against his conscience but he sinneth. 1. Because conscience is our guide: It is our inward and our inseparable guide; we can never come by any direction but by conscience; we can never let in the commandment of God but only by conscience: and therefore the Lord hath made it a very sovereign thing. 2. Because we break a commandment through the loins of a sin, when we go against conscience. Ajax light upon a beast and slew it: his conscience thought verily it was a man; Kill it not, saith conscience, it is a man: he goeth against his conscience and killeth it. His conscience here was in an error, yet he as truly guilty of murder before God as if he had indeed slain a man, because he slew a man through the loins of this beast: His bloody mind looked at a man, and smote at a man, and slew a man. So when conscience is erroneous, and thinketh this is a commandment of God; it is not so, but he thinketh it so in his conscience; if he do contrary he breaketh a commandment though it be none, because the error of his conscience made it one to him. Was not Herod truly guilty of the murder of Christ? He thought in his conscience that Christ had been among the infants slain at Bethlehem. Thus conscience is a sovereign thing: It is always a sin to go against it, err or not err: and if it be a sin to go against one doubteth of the lawfulness of playing at cards and dice; he is sure it is no sin not to play, but whether he may lawfully play he doubteth: in this case he is bound not to play. So when one doubteth whether it be a sin not to call his family together every day to prayer; God's ministers tell him he must or he sinneth: I doubt of that, saith he. Do you so? but you are sure it is no sin to do it: Therefore you are bound to do it, because you are bound to decline the doubtful part and take that which is certain. And so of all other the like particulars.  
Rule 2 2. When conscience doubteth on both sides which is the sin and which not, than a man ought to do that which is most void of offence. As for example; Say an Anabaptist amongst us doubteth whether it be a sin in him to bring his child to church to be baptised, or a sin to refuse; here his rule is, That that which is most void of offence, and most agreeable to brotherly unity and concord, is to be taken, the balance hanging otherwise even; and the arguments to urge both the one or the other seeming of like weight, than this must be put into the scale and resolve the doubt.  
Rule 3 3. It is lawful to do some things when yet our conscience doubteth of the lawfulness of them. For we must consider there are two kinds of doubting: there is a speculative doubting, and there is a practical doubting. Speculative doubting is to doubt of the lawfulness of the thing itself to be done: Practical doubting is to doubt of the lawfulness of the doing of it. Now this latter is not always a sin, but the other is: As for example; If a servant be commanded of his master to attend on him on the Lord's day, he knoweth not what his business should be, and perhaps doubteth it is not of such moment as to be done on that day; yet he hath no reason to deny his attendance: in this case though he doubt of the lawfulness of the thing done, yet he need not doubt of the doing of it, because he knoweth not what the business is, and hath no reason whereby he is able to doubts and scruples whether he is right or no, especially in matters of greatest moment. It is a great misery to have our consciences blind, which should be our guides, and which it is a sin to disobey. This is the reason why St Paul doth so often speak, I would not have you ignorant, 1. Cor. 10.1. and 11.3. It is a very great misery that ones conscience should be ignorant what to do, what to hold, what to follow: I say, it is a lamentable misery, that many who have followed the directions of conscience, should by it be led to death and damnation, to do things contrary to God's word. What a misery was it for the Jews to have zeal and not according to knowledge? etc.  
Use 2 II. This should teach us to use the means truly to inform conscience▪ Without knowledge the heart is not good; 
Prov. 29.1  that is, it is most profane. There be three means to get knowledge. 
Means to get knowledge.  1. Let us pray unto God that he would ope● our understandings; that as he hath given us consciences to guide us, so also he would give our guides eyes that they may be able to direct us aright. The truth is, it is God only that can sound illighten our consciences: and therefore let us pray unto him to do it. All our studying, and reading, and hearing, and conferring will never be able to do it: it is only in the power of him who made us to do it. 
Psal. 119.73.  Thy hands have made and fashioned me: O give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. He who made our consciences, he only can give them this heavenly light of ●rue knowledge and right understanding: and therefore let us seek earnestly to him for it. 2. We must seek it in humility, always suspecting our own knowledge. We are not too confidently and presumptuously to trust to our ●wn judgement, and despise or neglect ●he judgement of others. 
Psal. 25.9.  The humble ●od will teach: Pride and self-conceitedness blindeth exceedingly. 3. We must ●eek with sobriety, always contenting ●ur selves with that knowledge which ●s most necessary, and not be curious a●out vain and idle-braind questions, or solicitous to answer every objection ty, offendeth conscience; and conscience will keep a grudge a long time, and will give many a secret wound, deading the heart to duty, making faith and confidence in God dull: we cannot pray with courage, nor come before God with boldness. If our hearts condemn us not, we have confidence, saith John. 
1. John 3.21.  An erroneous conscience will defile you; a doubting conscience distract you; a scrupulous conscience unsettle you: but above all other, an enlightened conscience, if it have any thing against you will exceedingly disable you; this stabbeth at the heart your confidence towards God. Go then and labour to purge conscience, else conscience will hinder you; whether you pray, or hear or receive the Sacrament, etc. it will deprive you of comfort. 
Matth 5.23.  If thou bring th● gift to the altar, and there remember'st tha● thy brother hath aught against thee, leav● there thy gift before the altar: first go an● be reconciled to thy brother, and then com● and offer thy gift. The case is greater an● more dangerous when conscience hat● something against us: there is no offering will be accepted until conscience be satisfied. If thou shouldest be about to pray, and conscience should stand up against thee as an adversary, and tell thee thou hast been vain, and lose, and carnal all this day, thou hast not set thyself to keep close to God this day, thou hast fallen into this and that sin this day; thou art not fit to pray till thou hast reconciled thyself to conscience: Alas, thy conscience will secretly undermine all thy praying. First, ●herefore reconcile conscience by humbling thyself, and breaking thy heart, and resolving, I have sinned, I will do no more. When conscience can say thy sorrow, and repentance, and resolution for new obedience is sincere, than thou ●●rt fit to pray, but not before. So whatever other duty thou goest about, be ●ure to reconcile conscience; else all will miscarry.   

V A faithful conscience.  
THus I have expounded the adjuncts of conscience which show themselves in the discharge of its duty, every motion and inclination to evil: it is awake to see when evil is conceived, to tell us of it, to oppose it, and to dissuade us from it: like a watchman on the top of a tower, always awake to see when any danger approacheth. It is God's minister with eyes on every side, to espy seasons of good, and stir up to make use of them; and of evil, and give warning to avoid them.  
2. As a faithful conscience is watchful, so also it is rigid and severe. 
2. It is severe.  In every cause it delivereth its judgement: nothing can escape its sentence: it will not favour our lusts in any particular. If there be any opportunity of duty to God or man, it maketh us to hear of it; though it be such a duty as none other will call upon us for, or it may be dare not put us in mind of; as of love, and care, and help towards inferiors: yet conscience will: It titheth mint and cumine, and will tell us of the least duty. And so on the other side, it will not swallow the least sin. As it will not swallow a camel, 
Luke 16.10.  so it will strain at ●gnat. A faithful conscience is faithful in the least. If David sinne but in the lap of a garment, conscience smiteth him for it. It made Abraham so precise to a thread or a shoe-latchet; he would not take so much as that of the king of Sodom. It made Moses strict to a very hoof: It made Paul find fault with the Corinthians about their hair: It made Augustine condemn himself for an apple.  
3. As a faithful conscience is watchful and severe, so also it is importunate 
3. It is importunate.  〈◊〉 all its counsels. It doth not only deliver its judgement, but doth with importunity urge the following of its counsel. It will have no nay, but will be obeyed. It leadeth us bound in the Spirit to do it; as Paul said, 
Acts 20.22.  I go bound 〈◊〉 the spirit. See how importunate this faithful conscience was with the Psalmist: I will not give sleep to mine eyes, 
Psal. 132.4.  nor ●●mber to mine eyelids, until I find out a ●●ace for the Lord. It will not take any ●●y, say we what we will: say we be ●●epie, say we be busy, say we be loath ●●d full of excuses, it will be importunate, and that with vehemency. It will omitting good or committing evil, will not let thee slumber and sleep in security, but continually joggeth and awaketh thee? Hath he given thee a severe, a precise conscience, that will not favour thee in the least evil? It is a most comfortable sign that the Lord meaneth well unto thy soul.  
Use 3 III. Labour to be a friend unto conscience, that it may continue faithful unto thee. True friends will deal faithfully and plainly one with another, and will be importunate to do one another good: Conscience will not deal thus with thee unless thou be a friend unto conscience. Now then are we friends unto conscience when we do what conscience requireth. As our Saviour said to the Disciples, 
John 15.14.  Ye are my friends if y●● do whatever I command you; So I may say of conscience. For conscience if i● be truly enlightened will command nothing but what Christ commandeth. I● we deal so in our constant course with conscience, be willing to hearken to it and be ruled by it, then if we be out o● the way now and then, conscience will be true to us, and be importunate with us for our good.  
Use 4 IU. Be sure thou stand not out against conscience when once it is importunate. It is a great sin to stand ●ut against conscience though it be not importunate; but it is a sin a thousand ●●mes greater to stand out against it when it is importunate. 
Maxima violatio conscientiae est maximè peccatum.  The greatest standing out against conscience is the greatest sin: it is a sin which cometh nearest that against the holy ●host, which accompanied with some other adjuncts is the greatest standing out against conscience. There is no sin that doth more harden the heart then to do evil when conscience is importunate to dissuade from it. This sin ●as the cause why Saul was rejected of ●od; I forced myself, saith he: 
1. Sam. 13.12.  He for●●d his conscience; his conscience was ●●portunate to have him stay according to the commandment of God, but 〈◊〉 forced himself to the contrary. I ●●nfesse, if conscience be importunate ●o the utmost, as it is with God's children, men cannot with any force put it zealous in God's cause against the house of Ahab and the priests of Baal; 
2. Kings 10.29.  but it suffered him to maintain the high places which Jeroboam had set up. Thus Gamaliel's conscience made him speak well for Paul, and yet continue (it seemeth) in much other evil. This conscience will restrain from great staring sins, or from such sins as the man hath no natural propensity unto: but others which seem of a lower nature, or which are suitable to a man's particular desires, these conscience will swallow without remorse. As civil people, that cannot swallow down cozenage and injustice, and yet neglect of prayer and other religious duties never troubleth them. And so some professors, who cannot omit hearing sermons and talking of religion, and yet can rest without the power thereof.  
3. It is remiss; 
3. It is remiss.  that is, though it doth counsel and direct, yet it doth it with such coldness & remissness that it is easily answered and put off. Thus it was with David. It cannot be thought but his conscience said, Plot not against Vriah's life: But he would; and so conscience let him do it. This conscience will be answered with every slight and ●dle excuse: As when conscience tel●eth one, Your ways are not good: I wish you to repent, and make your peace with God; it may be the man answereth, Yea, so I mean to do; but I cannot yet intent it: when I have dispatched such and such business than I will do it. If conscience speak again, Yea, but you were best to do it now; True, saith he, I know it, I know it. If God would give me repentance I would repent: It is his gift; of myself I cannot do it. Or when it telleth him of family-duties, it may be he answereth, I have no leisure; so long as I go to God by myself, I hope it will serve turn. Or when it telleth him of his wickedness, ●t may be he answereth, Many worse than I have found mercy; and I hope so shall I. This is the conscience that letteth a man's heart say, I shall have peace. 
Deut. 29.19.  Now conscience being remiss and cold, it is ●asily put off and answered with these idle and foolish excuses, or with some other pretences like these, and so letteth the man go and live as before. This conscience is like Eli, which said, Ye do not well, my sons, but exercised no severity to cause them to do otherwise.  

Use.  By this we see the dangerous estate of those men who have such a conscience. There be many who live in many sins, in carnal courses, some in company-keeping and drunkenness, some in hatred and variance, some in chambering and wantonness, some in covetousness & love of this present world● your consciences no question can say Ye should do well to be more godly, to look more after Christ and after heaven, and ye should do well to get the truth of saving grace; yet it may be they say nothing or nothing to the purpose in this behalf. Therefore is these men's case so dangerous because their consciences are so silent and so remiss. They have lost the most sovereign remedy, namely conscience. Conscience is the most sovereign means (under God and his holy Spirit) to work repentance in men that can be; and is it not dangerous to have it prove traitorous and unfaithful? What good can the ministry of the word do unto you when every idle and false excuse or pretence which the wisdom of the flesh can devise can stop ●he mouth of your conscience when it falls upon you to do what the word requires? It must needs be dangerous, ●nd so much the more because it is so pleasing unto you: ye take delight in such silent, and large, and remiss unfaithful consciences; ye love not to have your consciences too busy with ●ou; ye like not that your consciences ●hould be too clamourous and importunate with you; ye would have them not too rigid and vehement against your sins. It fareth with you as with many young men who have sold themselves unto folly, and think none their friends but parasites that flatter them, or those who connive and wink at their folly: but such friends will soon prove foes, and so will such moderate and quiet consciences. It is a dangerous ●hing to have such a silent conscience; to want the chief means under God of doing a man good. It was conscience that told the lepers, 
2. Kings 7.9.  We do not well to hold our peace: It was conscience that never would let the prodigal son be quiet till he returned to his father, and said unto him, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: It is conscience that is the most powerful means under God to quicken a man up●● to repentance and obedience; and therefore they are in a miserable case that want this great help.  

Quest.  But what are the causes why men's consciences be so evil and unfaithful?  

Answ.  The causes hereof are chief these four:  
1. Ignorance is one cause why a man's conscience is unfaithful, when we do not labour to have conscience throughly enlightened and informed. Who are more careless and negligent of their duties both to God and man? who can with more freedom lie, steal, covet, sin, etc. then those that are ignorant of the law of God? They know not that they do so much hurt to their own souls as they do. An ignorant mind hath always an evil conscience. ●t is impossible conscience should be faithful where it is not enlightened: and ●ence it cometh to pass that conscience i● so negligent and unfaithful, because ●e have been so careless of informing 〈◊〉. Thy conscience must needs be silent 〈◊〉 long as thou art ignorant. 
1. Pet. 2.15.  Ignorance 〈◊〉 soon put to silence.  
2. A second cause is often slighting of conscience. It may be conscience speaketh not, or but coldly and remissely, because when it hath advised, and counselled, and admonished, thou hast neglected it and disregarded it from time to time. Though it judge and counsel, yet thou wilt not listen: Like Cassandra the prophetess, who though her predictions were true and certain, ●●t were they never believed: so though conscience speaketh true, yet men follow it not; and therefore it becometh ●ent when it is not regarded, but all 〈◊〉 counsel, and advise, and persuasions ●●ghted and neglected. Hence, I say, it ●●meth to pass that for want of employment it is still and falleth asleep, till the time come that it must be awaked.  
3. The third cause is that violence that is often offered unto it. Many times when conscience persuadeth to any good duty, or dissuadeth from any evi● course, men will do against it and withstand it violently, & put off the wholesome advice of it: hence it cometh to pass that conscience having so many injuries offered unto it, beginneth to provide for its own ease, and so either it is silent and saith nothing, or else i● soon answered and rebuked; as it was with Moses: When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Moses, but still fell to excuses, and at last to deny all, he would not let Israel go notwithstanding all that Moses could urge, but said to Moses, 
Exod. 10.29.  Get thee from me; take heed to thyself; see my face no more; Moses then answered, Thou hast spoken well: I will se● thy face no more. So it is with conscience; When men have been obstinate and have refused to hear it, and woul● have it speak no more, Thou hast wel● spoken, saith conscience: henceforth I will trouble you no more, but let you alone to take your course: I will advise you no more; or if I do I will not be any more importunate.  
4. A fourth cause is, that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience: ●f it beginneth to speak, presently they ●usie themselves about other things; or if that will not do, they run into company, and there spend their time, that the howl of conscience may not be heard; and if still it be loud, they strike up the drum, and ring all ●●e bells, that the voice of it may be ●●terly drowned: and so conscience at last is content to stand by, to hear and see & say nothing. By this means many ●●mes it falleth out that those who ●ave had very turbulent and clamou●us consciences not suffering them 〈◊〉 be quiet, have at last tamed them ●●d put them quite to silence; or if ●●ey do speak, it is so coldly and re●issely that they care not whether they ● obeyed or no. Oh these are damnage and devilish devises! Whoever ye ●e that do thus, ye are in a dangerous estate, and ye carry the brands of hell and damnation upon you. If ever you desire to avoid this dangerous estate, then eat the cause: Labour to have your conscience throughly enlightened and informed by the word of God, that it may read you your duty. A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counsel. Again, give heed evermore to the counsel of conscience. You know Achitophel took it ill that his counsel was not followed; therefore he made away himself in displeasure: So conscience will take it very ill if its counsel be not followed: it will strangle itself, and smother itself; you shall hear no more of it. Especially take heed you do not reject conscience, nor offer violence to it: If you do, you will make it unfaithful and remiss; and than you lose the best means under heaven of your good: Then deadness of spirit succeedeth, and hardness of heart taketh place, and you deprive your souls of all possibility of cure. As long as a sick man hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope; but if ever he lost that he is gone: Conscience is the possibility of the soul to amendment; and therefore if you dull conscience, and make conscience remiss and unfaithful, you take the ready way to deprive yourselves of all possibility of rising again. Consider these things, and have a care of your consciences.  
And thus we have handled the office of conscience about things to be done and omitted, with its adjuncts, affections, and properties in that behalf. I ●ome now to consider the office of conscience about things already done or omitted, together with the affections of conscience in the discharge of that office.    

The office of conscience about things already done or omitted.  
THis hath four parts: 1. To approve; 2. To absolve; 3. To ●islike; 4. To condemn, according ●o the good or evil of our actions or ●omissions. The judgement is not only of the things, what they are; but whither they tend, and what they will produce.  

I. An approving conscience.  
FIrst, when that which is done is good, conscience approveth it: as Paul saith, This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, 2. Cor. 1.12. When he had lived uprightly and sincerely, his conscience approved of it: so when he had great sorrow and heaviness for his brethren, his conscience approved it; 
Rom. 9.1.  my conscience bearing me witness, saith he. So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the whole course of his life: 
2. Tim. 4.7, 8.  I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, etc. there is consciences approbation of him: from henceforth, saith he, is laid up for me a crown of righteousness: there is consciences judgement concerning the issue of it. Conscience so approveth every particular good action done by a faithful man, that by it he may gather a testimony of the uprightness of his heart: as Hezekiah; Remember, Lord, that I have walked uprightly before thee. 
1. John 3.14.  Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. Mark; Love to God's children is a sufficient testimony not only of our uprightness in that particular act, but also of the simplicity of our hearts in the general, and that we are translated from death to life. So when good old Simeon had now even finished his days, see what an approbation his conscience gave of him; 
Luke 2.29.  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace according to thy word. His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbation of him. 1. That he had been Gods faithful servant: thy servant. 2. That he had walked in the ways of true peace and comfort: depart in peace. 3. That the promise of God's word was his in particular; according to thy word.   

II. An absolving conscience.  
THe second part of the office of conscience is to absolve and acquit. ●hus Samuel pleading his innocency, ●d his conscience testifying for him, ●hose ox have I taken? 
1. Sam. 12.3.  or whom have I demanded? and his conscience absolved ●m as clear and free from those sins. Thus also Job; If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate; If I rejoiced because my wealth is great; If I have not given my bread to the hungry; or if I have rejoices at the misery of mine enemy: then let i● be thus and thus to me. His conscience absolved him as clear of those sins▪ Nay, the conscience of a child of God doth not only absolve him from th● guilt of those sins which he neve● committed, but also from the guilt o● those sins which he hath committe● against God or against man. It can tel● him he hath truly repent, and trul● been humbled, and truly got pardon Ye know David had committed dive● sins: yet when he had humbled 〈◊〉 soul before God, and obtained pardo● his conscience telleth him as much an● absolveth him, Psal. 103.3. Bless t●● Lord, O my soul, etc. who forgiveth 〈◊〉 thy sins. Nay, though a child of Go● have many infirmities daily and hou●ly, yet his conscience doth absolve him: It is no more I that do it, saith 〈◊〉 conscience, but sin that dwelleth in 〈◊〉 If I distrust, it is no more I; for I fight ●gainst it: if I be overtaken by any weakness, it is no more I; for I laboured against 〈◊〉, and do bewail it.   

III. A misliking conscience.  
THe third part of consciences office in things done is to mislike if we ●ave done ill. There be imperfections in the best obedience of God's dearest servants: What I do I allow not, 
Rom. 7.15.  saith ●aul: His conscience misliked some ●●ing done by him. But that mislike of conscience which now I speak of is of ●●ings that are ill done, that is, not done in truth and sincerity. Thus it is 〈◊〉 all that are not renewed by the holy Ghost: The office of their conscience ●●deed is to mislike what they do: When they have prayed, their conscience can mislike it, and say, I have not ●ayed with a heavenly mind, a holy heart: When they have been at a Sacrament, conscience can truly mislike it, and say, ● have not been a fit guest at Christ's ta●●e, etc. When they are crossed and tempted, their consciences truly mislike their carriage, and say, I do not fight and resist, but readily and willingly yield t● every invitation to evil. Do ye no● think that Jeroboams' conscience misliked his altering Gods worship, hi● innovating religion, his making Israe● to sin? do not ye think his conscience misliked him for these things? Do no● ye think that Nabals conscience misliked his griping? and Doegs' conscience misliked his slandering? and Pashurs' conscience misliked his opposing and misusing Jeremy? and the old prophet's conscience misliked his lying▪ Who would have thought but Balaa● said well, Whatsoever the Lord saith unto me that will I speak, and, I canno● go beyond the commandment of the Lor● to do less or more; no, not for Bala●● house full of gold? who would hav● thought but that this was well said yet his own conscience could no● choose but mislike it, being not spoke● in sincerity. Many a man hath goo● for a Christian twenty or thirty years and every one liketh him; and yet i● may be his conscience hath disliked him all the while.   

iv A condemning conscience.  
THe fourth part of consciences office in this behalf is to condemn ●f we have done evil and contrary to God's law. Conscience hath an office ●ot only to mislike us but also to con●emne us: nay, it will hasten more to condemn us then God. We see it in Adam: 
Gen. 3.7.  When Adam had sinned his conscience condemned him before God did: he knew he was naked, that 〈◊〉 had made his soul shamefully naked; ●●s conscience condemned him for an ●●ostate before the Lord came to pass ●●ntence upon him. Nay, it condemneth us oftener than God: God will condemn a sinner but once for all, viz. 〈◊〉 the last day; but conscience condemneth him many thousand times be●●re that. Many men and women who 〈◊〉 seem godly in the world's eyes, God ●●oweth how many of them have con●●mning consciences in their bosoms, 〈◊〉 all their civilities, and formalities, ●●d crying God mercy, and patched●● hopes; many who would say that man were uncharitable who should condemn them for such and such, who (it may be) find conscience within so uncharitable, and saying plainly, Ye are so; like the conscience of Paul's heretic, 
Tit. 3.11.  who is said to be condemned of himself.  
Use 1 I. This serveth for the praise of the justice of God: That he may be just when he judgeth, the Lord needeth no other witness against us but our own consciences: they make way for the just judgement of God. Ye may see this in this portion of Scripture which we have in hand; 
Rom. 2.15.  wherein is showed both that God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world, vers. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men according to my Gospel: and then in the verse going before the Apostle showeth that now in the mean while every man's conscience maketh way for this just judgement of God; their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts in the mean time accusing or excusing one another. At the last day every man shall be judged according to his conscience; a child of God according to his; a carnal man according to his. The Lord shall absolve all his children, and their own consciences shall absolve them. The Lord shall condemn all the rest, and their own consciences shall condemn them. This is the book that every man's life is set down in? Every passage of conversation both of the godly and the wicked is recorded daily in this book: And according to what is written therein will the Lord judge every soul at the last day, as Rev. 20.12. The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book according to their works. The Apostle there speaketh prophetically, and putteth the past time for the future; they were judged, that is, they shall be judged. So that ye see that by the judgement of conscience way is made for the just judgement of God.  
Use 2 II. This should be a means to keep us from sin, and to keep us in a holy life: for according to our works so will be the evidences of our consciences, whether they be good or evil. We had need to take heed what we writ in our consciences; for according to what is written there so shall we be judged. Therefore if any sin standeth upon record in our consciences, we had need get it blotted out by the blood of Christ. Repent, be humbled, beg for pardon, rest not till thou seest this debt-book conscience crossed, and thy sins stand there canceled and discharged.  
THus I have showed you the offices of conscience about things heretofore done. Now let me show you the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices. Ye have heard that conscience hath four offices in things heretofore done; 1. an office to approve; 2. an office to absolve; 3. an office to dislike; 4. an office to condemn; The two former when we have done well▪ and lived well; then the office of conscience is to approve and absolve: The two latter when we have done ill and lived ill; then the office of conscience is to mislike and to condemn. Now followeth the affections of conscience in the discharge of these offices; and they are four: 1. A tender conscience; 2. A sleepy conscience; 3. A benumbed conscience; 4. A seared conscience.  
First, a tender conscience; 
1. A tender conscience.  that is, a conscience touched with the least sin, ●nd checking us for the least sin; as for vain thoughts, exorbitant passions, ●dle words, and the like. 
1. Sam. 24 5.  Such was David's conscience, which smote him for ●utting off the lap of saul's garment. Such was Zaccheus his conscience, which troubled him for supposed sins: ●f I have wronged any man, saith he. He ●id not know; but his conscience was so ●ender that it made him careful of Ifs. This tender conscience is a singular blessing of God: And if we desire to ●ttein unto it we must labour to see the odiousness of sin, yea the malignity ●nd exceeding evil there is in the least ●inne: this will make us tender of it. Secondly, we must labour to mourn for very sin though it seem little: this also will keep our consciences tender. And we have great cause to prize a tender conscience. What got the Bethshemites by not being tender in conscience? They looked into the Ark, and because they durst venture upon it th● Lord smote fifty thousand of them a● once. 
1. Sam. 6.19. Numb. 15.32, 36.  What got the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath for not being tender in conscience? He was stoned t● death. Conscience should tender th● least commandment of God, and so b● tender of the committing the least sin● This conscience is a great blessing.  
The second affection of conscience is sleepiness. A sleepy conscience 
2. A sleepy conscience.  i● not so quick in smiting us as it ought either it checks not, or else with suc● faintness that it worketh not upon us it maketh us never the more watchful against sin. This we see by many wh● can commit such sins without trouble or disquiet as would bring others on their knees and make the● walk heavily long after. This sleep● conscience is very dangerous: it maketh men as ready to fall into the same sinne● tomorrow as to day, and next day as tomorrow: it letteth them see their faults, but amendeth none; because this is such a conscience as doth not cause men to feel the burden of their sins. A man can never come to Christ as long as he hath a sleepy conscience; because it doth not cause sin to be burdensome. They who have this conscience ●an sleep for all it, and eat and drink and ●e merry for all it: Now a man can ne●er come to Christ that is not burdened with his sin, that he cannot bear 〈◊〉, cannot be quiet for it, cannot sleep ●or it: then Christ calleth him, Come un●o me, 
Matth. 11.28.  all ye that are weary and heavy la●en, and I will ease you.  
A benumbed conscience; that is, 
3. A benumbed conscience  ●●ch a conscience as is in a deep sleep. This differs from the former in degree. You know there is a less sleep, and ●ere is a greater sleep: There is a less ●eep, when only the outward senses ●●e bound; and there is a sleep when ●●e inward senses are bound too. Now benumbed conscience is a conscience ●hat is in a deep sleep; Preach to it, it ●ourneth not; cry to it, it listeneth not: This is a benumbed conscience. Nor the greatness of sin, nor the wrath of God denounced against it can move it. Men can know themselves guilty of such and such sins, and yet not lay them to heart: conscience never telleth them about it. Thus the Apostle speaketh of those who knew th● judgement of God, 
Rom. 1.32.  that they which commi● such things are worthy of death, yet no● only do the same, but have pleasure i● them that do them: Their conscience● though informed, and in some measure knowing the evil of their courses and the severity of God's judgement, yet le● them go on still, and not only commi● the evil themselves, but delight to se● others as bad as themselves. Such ar● our swearers, and drunkards, and company-keepers, etc. This is a ver● wretched conscience: the Lord deliver us from it.  

4. A seared conscience  Fourthly, a seared conscience; tha● is, such a conscience as speaketh not 〈◊〉 jote; seared with a hot iron, as the Apostles phrase is, 1. Tim. 4.2. a sense less conscience, a past-feeling conscience: when men can swallow down sin like drink, oaths, contempt of God, his word and worship, mockage of God's servants, hating to be reform; such as sin without any remorse. This kind of conscience is in four sorts of men: 1. In dissolute and profligate persons; who like common strumpets have their souls lie open to every sin that cometh by. 2. In obstinate sinners, such as, like Ahab, have sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. 3. In scoffers and jeerers; who speak evil of them who run not in the same excess of riot with themselves, and nickname the godly. 4. In Apostates and backsliders; who speak lies through hypocrisy, and have fallen from the profession of the truth: All these men have a conscience seared with a red-hot iron. This is a great judgement of God: greater than this there cannot ●e: No outward judgement that can fall upon us is like unto it: not the plague, nor shame, nor beggary, no nor any curse besides hell itself is equal to it. By this the only means under God of repentance is taken away. Such may come to repent; but it is a thousand to one if ever they do. It is like a grave-stone lying upon their consciences, which keepeth them under until the day of judgement: at which time God will awaken their consciences, and then they will be more furious in tormenting then the very devils themselves.  

Use.  Ye that are not yet fallen upon this wretched conscience, I beseech you take heed that ye never do. But ye will ask me, How may we avoid it? Avoid it? alas, ye may avoid it if ye be careful: for conscience never seareth itself: If ever it be seared, it is ye yourselves that do fear it. Indeed the mind of man may blind its own self, and the heart of man may corrupt its ownself; and the affections of man may defile their own selves: but conscience never corrupteth itself, never seareth itself. But you will say, What must I do to avoid this searing of conscience?  
First, listen to conscience well, that whatever it saith to thee from God thou mayst do it. This was the course of the Psalmist; I will hearken what the Lord God will say in me (so some translate it.) Hear then and listen what the Lord God will say in thee, what thy conscience enlightened saith in thee, and do it.  
Secondly, whenever this conscience is quick follow it. Nothing more seareth conscience then suffering quickneings to die. Blow the coals if they do but smoke. As the Apostle saith, quench not the Spirit; so quench not conscience.  
I have hitherto shown you that every man hath a conscience, and the reasons why God hath given us a conscience, the light that it acteth by, the offices of it, and the affections of it. Now from all these proceed two other adjuncts of conscience: 1. A quiet conscience; 2. An unquiet conscience.    

A quiet conscience.  
COncerning a quiet conscience three things are to be considered: 1. What a quiet conscience is; 2. How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked; 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conscience or no.  
I. For the first, What a quiet conscience is; It is that which neither doth nor can accuse us, but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the course of our lives and conversations ever since we were regenerate (I put that in too: for 1. we do not begin to live till we be regenerate, and 2. we can never have a true quiet conscience till then.) Such a quiet conscience had good Obadiah; 
1. Kings 18.12.  I fear the Lord from my youth, saith his conscience: This was a very honourable testimony that his conscience gave him. Such a quiet conscience had Enoch: 
Heb. 11.5.  Before his translation he received this testimony, that he pleased God. 
Dicente scripturâ, inquit ille.  Haymo saith, this testimony was the testimony of scripture, Gen. 5.24. where it is said that he walked with God. This is true; but this is not all: The text saith not there was such a testimony given of him, but he had it: and that before his translation; but the testimony of Moses was after his translation: Therefore it was the testimony of his conscience that bore witness within that he pleased God. So that this is a quiet conscience, which neither doth nor can accuse us, but giveth an honourable testimony of us in the whole course of our life and conversation. Now to such a quiet conscience there be three things necessary: 1. Uprightness, 2. Purity, 3. Assurance of God's love and favour.  
First, uprightness is when a man is obedient indeed. Many will be obedient, but they are not obedient indeed, not humbled indeed, not reform indeed. What it is to be obedient indeed ye may see Exod. 23.22. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I shall speak, etc. Mark; that is obedience indeed when we do all that God speaketh, and are obedient in all things. This is an upright conscience, when the heart is bend to obedience in all things. An example we meet with in Paul; 
Acts 23.1.  I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. His conscience could not accuse him of any root of wickedness and corruption allowed and cherished in him: That is an upright conscience. Hast thou such a conscience as this, My conscience can truly bear witness there is no sin I favour myself in, allow myself in, but condemn all, strive against all. Thus David proveth that his conscience was upright; If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer. The regarding of any iniquity will not stand with uprightness.  
A second thing required to a true quiet conscience is purity. Though ou● heart be upright and stand generally bend to do the Lords will, yet if we be guilty of some particular sin this will hinder the quiet of our conscience. Therefore saith Paul, 
1. Cor. 4.4.  I know nothing by myself; that is, no thing to aco● me; no corruption, no root of unbelief reigning in him: Infirmities he ha● many, and frailties he had many, and h● knew them, but he knew nothing 〈◊〉 accuse him. Whatever was amiss i● him, his conscience told him he use● all holy means against it. If thy conscience can truly say thus also of thee, than hast thou a truly quiet conscience.  
Thirdly, Assurance of God's love, favour, and pardon. Though we have fallen into great sins, yet our consciences may have quiet if we can be truly assured of God's love and favour in the pardon of them. 
Heb. 10.2.  The Apostle proveth that the sacrifices of the law could not purge away sin; but only Christ's blood can do it. His argument to prove it is this, Because those sacrifices could not free a man from having conscience of sin; they could not purge the conscience: but Christ's blood can: After assurance of pardon in Christ's blood conscience can no more condemn for sin, how many or how great soever the sins were which have been committed. These are the three things required to a true quiet conscience.  
Furthermore a quiet conscience implieth two things: 1. A calmness of spirit: 2. A cheerful, merry and comfortable heart. These two I mean when I speak of a quiet conscience.  
1. A calmness of spirit, or a quietness of mind, not troubled with the burden of sin nor the wrath of God, nor terrified with the judgements due unto sin. This quietness and calmness of spirit is promised to all them that truly hearken unto Christ and obey him; 
Prov. 1.33  Whoso hearkeneth to me shall be quiet from fear of evil.  
2. A cheerful, merry and joyful heart. When our conscience giveth a comfortable testimony of us, it cannot but make our hearts joyful. 
2. Cor. 1.12.  This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, saith Paul: The comfortable testimony which his conscience gave of him made him to rejoice. A wicked man cannot truly rejoice: no, though he be merry and jovial and laugh, yet his carnal estate is a snare, he can have no true joy; but the righteous sing and rejoice, Prov. 29.6. No mirth like the mirth of a good conscience. All other joy is but outside, painted, seeming joy: That is only true joy that is rooted in the comfortable testimony of an upright good conscience, which telleth a man his peace is made with God, and that whether he be in sickness or in health God loveth him, whether he live or die he is the Lords. Thus ye see what a quiet conscience is.  

How a quiet conscience in the godly differeth from the quiet conscience that is in the wicked.  
THe second thing propounded to be considered about a quiet conscience, is, How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked. 1. I confess that the wicked seem to have a very quiet conscience: Many thousands of carnal people seem to live and the in quiet. Look into alehouses, lewd houses, into all places; who so merry and brisk, and heart-whole (as they say) as they who have no saving grace? 
Job 21.23.  Yet 2. this quiet conscience in them must needs differ from the quiet conscience of the children of God. Certainly the Lord will not give the children's bread unto dogs; neither will he smile upon their souls▪ neither doth he pardon the sins nor accept the persons of the ungodly: And therefore if they have a quiet conscience, it must needs differ from that i● the godly. Must not copper needs differ from gold? And we who are the Lords messengers must teach you the difference: 
Ezek. 44.23.  They shall teach my people th● difference between the holy and the profane. Now the question is this, Where in lieth the difference between the qui● conscience of the righteous and th● quiet conscience of the wicked? Answ The difference between them lieth i● four things: 1. In the thing itself 2. In the cause; 3. In the effect; 4. I● the continuance.  
I. In the thing itself. The quiet conscience in the godly is double; not only apparentiall and nominal but rea● and substantial: It is quiet and qui● too, 
Isai. 57.19.  peace and peace too: I create t● fruit of the lips, peace, peace. Mar● peace and peace too; peace in appearance and peace in truth and substance also But the peace and quiet of conscience which the wicked have is not such peace: It is peace and no peace; peace ●n appearance, but no peace in truth. Their god is the god of this world, ●nd he persuadeth them they have peace: But my God, saith the prophet, speaks otherwise; 
vers. 21.  There is no peace to ●he wicked, saith my God. They talk of a good conscience sometimes, and boast they have a good conscience; but the ●ruth is, they cannot have true peace within: for, saith the prophet, the wick●d is like the troubled sea which cannot ●est, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. So doth a wicked man's conscience secretly cast up mire and dirt in his face: His peace can only be outward and apparentiall.  
II. There is a difference in the cause. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth ●rom one cause, and the quiet of a bad conscience ariseth from another.  
1. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from a distinct knowledge of the word of God, and of the precepts and promises contained in it: But the quiet of an evil conscience ariseth from ignorance: When men know not Go● nor his holy word, which should bin● conscience, they fear nothing because they see nothing; they know not th● danger of sin: Like a blind ma● standing before the mouth of a cannon, he feareth no danger because h● seethe none: so carnal men fear not because they know not what cause the● have to fear. Their very prayers th● they make are an abomination to Go● and they know it not: their good duties they do are all like cockatrices eg● and they know it not; they know no● that they are in the bond of iniquity, i● the snare of the devil. Their conscience● are quiet because they know not wha● cause they have to be otherwise. Thi● is one difference; The quiet and peac● of a good conscience ariseth from light and from knowledge; the quiet an● peace of an evil conscience, from darkness and ignorance.  

Heb. 10.22.  2. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from a due examination of ourselves by the word, and purging of ou● consciences. Conscience never can be● good without purging and sprinkling; ●o nor without a due examination: the quiet of a good conscience ariseth from ●is. Whereas the quiet of a wicked ●ans conscience ariseth from want of ●is: He never examineth his conscience, but letteth it sleep till God awake ● with horror. I say, a wicked man's conscience sleepeth, and that maketh it quiet, and he is not troubled nor mo●sted with it. Like a baillif or sergeant ●●llen asleep by the way; the desperate ●btour whom he lieth in wait for may ●sse by him then, and find him very ●iet, and not to offer to arrest him: ●r like a cursed dog fallen asleep; a ●anger may pass by him then and not 〈◊〉 meddled with: Such like is this quiet ●il conscience.  
3. The quiet of a good conscience ●iseth from a good ground, from the ●ork of God's Spirit, from true saving ●ace, from righteousness. Rom. 14.17. ●e read of righteousness and peace: ●rue peace of conscience ariseth from ●ghteousnesse: Whereas the false peace ●f the wicked ariseth only from vain hopes and conceits; They are not guil● of such and such great sins; or, Th● are not so bad as some others: As the Ph●risee's conscience was quiet; why ● God, I thank thee, I am not as other m●● are, no drunkard, extortioner, nor li● this publican. Or perhaps from thi● ground their peace ariseth; The Lor● is very merciful; and, The Lord Jes●● died for sinners. Or perhaps this i● their plea, They are good comers to church They have prayers in their families; Th● have been professors of Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 many years: From hence they drea● of peace upon false grounds, when ● the way of peace they have not know● When conscience shall be awaked, the● it will tell them how they have by flattery deceived their own souls, and tha● having no true righteousness they could have no true peace.  
4. The quiet of a good conscience ariseth from tenderness and from life▪ Therefore the Apostle joineth together life and peace, Rom. 8.6. Tru● peace of conscience ariseth from life ● whereas the quiet of a wicked conscience ariseth from searedness and be●mbednesse and deadness, when men ●eing past feeling of sin are not trouped at the committing of it. Thus ye ●e the second thing wherein the diffe●nce lieth, namely in the cause.  
III. They differ in the effect. First, ●he effect of the quiet of a good conscience is comfort and rejoicing: 
Rom. 5.1.  Be●●g justified by faith, we have peace with ●od through our Lord Jesus Christ. What followeth? By whom we have ac●sse by faith, rejoicing, etc. Mark; The ●eace of conscience bringeth forth re●ycing. And so in other places peace ●nd joy are joined together. 
Rom. 15.13. Gal. 5.22.  But the ●vil conscience, though quiet, wanteth his rejoicing. If carnal men had no ●ore mirth than what the quiet and ●eace of their consciences doth help ●hem to, they would not be so merry ●s most of them be. Secondly, Another effect of true peace of conscience ●, It sanctifieth the soul, it purgeth the ●eart, purifieth the life, and reformeth ●he whole man. It is the instrument whereby God sanctifieth his people more and more: 
1. Thess. 5.23.  The God of peace sanctify you wholly. Observe the title which the Apostle there giveth unto God when he sanctifieth his people, he calleth him the God of peace; he sanctifieth his people by peace: It maketh them think thus, We must not do thus or thus as others do; we shall lose the peace of our conscience if we do. This maketh them strive against sin, deny their own wills and carnal appetites; If I should not do so I should have no peace. This peace sanctifieth: But the peace which carnal men seem to have doth not sanctify the soul: they are never the more holy for the same. Again, another effect of the peace of a good conscience is, to put life into us in the performance of good duties: it maketh us with gladness and delight perform the duties of our general and particular callings: But the false peace of an evil conscience suffereth the wicked to be dead and dull to good duties. The true peace keepeth our hearts and our minds: We should lose our minds in the things of this life, but this peace doth keep them upon God; we should lose our hearts upon our profits and pleasures and affairs in the world, but the peace of conscience doth keep them upon heaven: Phil. 4.7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds. This doth the peace and quiet of a good conscience: but the quiet of a wicked man's conscience doth not do thus; it keepeth not his mind in this manner, but it is upon earthly things for all that.  
iv They differ in respect of duration and continuauce. The quiet of a good conscience is settled and grounded in the godly; it never faileth them nor forsaketh them: the other peace is fading. Let a feeling sermon come and rifle carnal men, it taketh away their peace from them; their consciences then fly in their faces, and then they see they are not right: Let loss of outward things come & light upon them, or any other affliction, it taketh their peace from them; conscience then breaketh out upon them and showeth them how they have deceived themselves with false peace, especially at their death, than an evil conscience (that hath been quiet before) in stead of comforting will affright and amaze them. But if we have the quiet of a good conscience, it will make us hear the word with comfort, and not be troubled and disquieted by a searching sermon or the threaten of God's judgements: Nay, if we be in trouble, this will quiet us; if in affliction, this will comfort us: It will endure all ou● life, and be present at our death; then especially it will show itself a friend unto us, in standing by us to cheer and refresh us. 
Psal. 119.165.  Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offe●● them, saith David: nothing shall offend them or take away their peace: it is an● eternal and everlasting peace. Th● you have seen how the true and false peace of conscience differ.  
But here cometh a question to 〈◊〉 answered, and it is this; Have all God children this peace of conscience? I dare say some of you look for this question, and long to have it answered I answer therefore, No; they have it not always. Job seemed one while not to have it: I have sinned, 
Job 7.20.  saith his conscience: what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men. David seemed one while not to have it: Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden; they are too heavy for me, Psal. 38.4. His sins lay heavy upon his conscience for a fit. Hezekiah one while seemed not to have it: Behold, for peace I had great bitterness. And therefore I say the children of God have it not always. But let me tell you; They might have it always. 1. It is possible they should have it always: Their sins of ignorance and infirmity do not break the peace of their consciences: cannot; for if they could, than no man should have true peace of conscience at any time. Nothing but willing and witting sins, sins against conscience, can break the peace of conscience: & as it is possible for the children of God to live without these, so it is possible for them always to have peace; yea, they may have daily more and more peace. 2. As it is possible for the children of God always to have peace, so they are commanded to keep their peace always; and it is their own fault if at any time they lose it: 
Job 22.21.  Acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace, saith Eliphas. 
Col. 3.15.  So, Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, unto which ye are called. We are not only commanded to have peace in our hearts, but also that it may rule there, that no corruption perk over it to hinder it: we are called to this peace, and commanded to have it; and therefore as it is a sin in the commonwealth when one breaketh the peace, so it is a sin in the spirit to break the peace of conscience: we are all bound to the peace. 3. If the children of God have it not always, than they feel the want of it: and in the want of that comfort nothing else will comfort them. It is not all the peace and prosperity of the world that can comfort their hearts as long as they have not this peace; not all the mirth in the world can content them until they enjoy this peace again, the peace and quiet of a good conscience: they faint for it, and long after it, they can have no strength without it; 
Psal. 29.11.  The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. It is not so with corrupt hearts: they can be without peace, and yet never faint; they can eat and drink for all that, and sleep and be merry for all that, yea and go about their profits and their earthly businesses as roundly as ever for all that: But the children of God if they want the peace of conscience, they have no strength to do any thing almost, they faint till they have it again. 4. The godly always have the seeds of it in them: Light is sown for the righteous, 
Psal. 97.11.  and gladness for the upright in heart. Mark; it is sown in their hearts, and it will spring up at one time or other to cheer them and to comfort them. As it is with the wicked; they may seem now and then to have true peace, but they have the seeds of horror always in them, which will sprout forth at last, and then they shall find the worm of an evil conscience again: so on the contrary side, the godly may seem now and then to have no peace, but yet they have always the seeds of true peace in them, which will in time show themselves and solace their souls for ever. 5. They never want peace as the wicked do want it: The wicked want it, and have no possibility of having it: they go in such paths as wherein they shall never know peace, 
Isai. 59.8.  such paths as will never lead them unto it: still their conscience is able to say they are not right, they are carnal and not spiritual; they know no true peace of conscience, neither can they: But the children of God walk in such ways as will bring them to true peace of conscience ere they have done.  
By this ye see what a good and quiet conscience is. It cannot be but that all must like it, and wish, O that we had it! Beloved, let us labour to get it and the assurance of it. No blessing under heaven is like it: It is a heaven upon earth. Happy are they who can show they have it: and miserable are they who have it not. Dulce nomen pacis, Sweet and pleasant is the very name of peace, especially of the peace of a good conscience: If ye have it, no misery can make you miserable: and if ye have it not, no happiness can make you happy. It is Christ's legacy which he bequeathed to his Church; 
John 14.27.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. It is glorious and honourable: Be'st thou never so mean in the world, thou art glorious if thou hast this peace: be'st thou never so despised and disgraced among men, thou hast honour enough if thou hast this peace: Rom. 2.10. To every one that doth good, glory & honour and peace. Mark how it is accompanied; namely, with glory and honour: But shame and confusion and dishonour is upon all them that have it not.   

III. Examination, Whether we have a quiet conscience.  
COncerning a quiet conscience I propounded three things: 1. What it is; 2. How it differeth from that quiet conscience that is in the wicked; 3. The examination whether we have this quiet conscience yea or no. The two former we have handled already: namely, What a quiet conscience is; and, How it differeth from that quiet conscience which is in the wicked. Let us pass on now unto the third, namely, to an examination of ourselves whether we have a true quiet conscience yea or no.  
A quiet good conscience is such a marvellous blessing that it cannot possibly be but we must like it and wish, O that we had it. Let us then examine ourselves and see whether we have it or no. Many have peace and quietness (as hath been showed already) arising from false grounds: they have peace of conscience because they know not what belongeth to trouble of conscience; or if they know that a little (as some of the wicked do) yet they do not consider that sorrow which one day will burst in upon them and sink them utterly: Let us try then our peace by these notes.  
I. If the quiet of our consciences be good, it is such as we have carefully sought for at the mercies of God in the blood of Jesus Christ, when being pinched with the burden of our sins we did fly to the promises of God ●o seek comfort, to the blood of Christ to find ease and to get assurance ●f God's favour. If our peace come not ●his way, it is naught, and we were bet●er to be without it then have it. It may be we speak peace to ourselves; ●ut doth the Lord speak peace to our consciences? 
Psal. 85.8.  I will hear what the Lord ●ill speak: for he shall speak peace to his ●●ople, and to his saints: but let them not ●rn again to folly (for that will break 〈◊〉 their peace.) O go to God then, and ●eare whether he speaketh peace to ●our consciences; whether it be God in Christ reconciling the world to himself ●at speaketh it to you. It is not true ●eace without we have sought for it at ●e throne of grace, without it be peace 〈◊〉 Gods making. Now the Lord speak●h peace to his people who come to ●m for peace three ways. 1. He speaks peace to them by his word. ●his speaking is thus; When the word promises peace to those who walk by such a rule, and they walk by that rule, than God's word speaketh peace to their souls. The rule is set down Gal. 6.15. In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature: and the● followeth, As many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them▪ 2. God speaketh peace to his people in their consciences. This speaking i● thus; When the conscience can say, ● am in Christ, I am engrafted into Christ then the Lord speaketh peace by th● conscience, 
1. Pet. 5.14.  peace be with you all that 〈◊〉 in Christ Jesus: so also when the conscience can say, I hunger after righteo●nesse, I truly mourn for sin, I desi● in all my ways to please God. Thirdly God speaketh peace by his Spirit. Th● speaking is thus; When the word hat● spoken peace by the promise, and wh● the conscience speaketh, I am thus a● thus qualified, and therefore I have pe● then the Spirit of God cometh in a● witnesseth, Yea, you say right; peace belongeth unto you indeed, and I say A●● to it. When the Spirit of God do● say thus, than the Lord speaketh peace ●o the soul. 
Gal. 5.22.  The fruit of the Spirit is ●ve, joy, peace. Peace is the fruit of ●e Spirit: it speaketh it to the soul, ●reedeth it in the soul. Now, beloved, examine yourselves: Is your peace of ●is stamp? do ye seek it of God and ●et it in the blood of Christ Jesus? do 〈◊〉 get it by the word, and by your true-●eaking conscience, and by the holy ●irit of God? If ye get it on this wise, ●en it is true peace of conscience in●ed. If ye get it by your own vain ●pes and by your good meanings, etc. ●s peace will not hold always: when ●ur consciences come to be awaked, ●ur peace will all vanish away and be 〈◊〉 more. This is the first note to try ●d examine yourselves by.  
II. If our quiet and peace of con●ence be good, it is accompanied ●th such a life as is agreeable to the ●ll of God: it avoideth sin, as the ●ng that disturbeth the peace. How ●n any man have true peace of conscience when his life doth not please God ●t provoketh his wrath against him? It cannot be that he should have tru● peace who in his heart doth regard sin: There is no peace to the wicke● saith my God. No, where ever tru● peace of conscience doth inhabit, 〈◊〉 dwelleth with godliness of life and unblameableness of conversation; as th● Apostle Peter joineth them together 2. Pet. 3.14. Wherefore, beloved, seen● ye look for such things, be diligent th● ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. Mark the words In peace, without spot and blameless. 〈◊〉 ever we would be found in true peac● we must live without spot and blameless. A wicked man's conscience ma● seem to have peace, and tell him he ha● served God; 
Prov. 7.14.  This day I have paid 〈◊〉 vows, saith the conscience of the who●● but this is a rotten and deceitful peac●▪ True peace of conscience is ever accompanied with such a kind of life as is agreeable to the will of God in his wo●▪  
III. If our peace be good, it w● make us endure to hear any point 〈◊〉 God's word with joy and delight. 〈◊〉 wicked heart can hear points of merc● and comfort with joy: so long his peace ●steth: Every man that calleth upon the ●ame of the Lord shall be saved; If we con●sse our sins, God is just to forgive us our ●ns; If any man sin, we have an Advocate ●ith the Father, Jesus Christ the righte●s; Whoever shall confess that Jesus 〈◊〉 the Son of God, God dwelleth in him ●d he in God: Such points as these a ●icked heart can read with delight ●hough if they were truly opened and ●pounded they would yield him cold ●mfort, yet he can hear them with ●light in the lump:) But if a search●g point or some terrible point comes, he is afraid to hear that. Ahab ●d a quiet conscience but only when ●icaiah did preach: Felix had a qui●conscience no doubt; yet he trem●d to hear Paul preach of death and 〈◊〉 judgement, Acts 24.25. One would we thought that Paul (a prisoner) ●ould rather have been afraid: but ●ul had true peace of conscience, and herefore he could think and speak of ●ath with great comfort, and of judgement with joy: So could not Felix. Beloved, this is a strong sign of a sa● peace, when some points of God's wo● lay us flat and bereave us of our hol●▪ Ye shall have many say, O they ha● such peace, and they have such a good conscience, as quiet as can be, and as hea● whole as can be: By and by a sou● searching point cometh and ransacke● them to the quick, and they are go● I confess they go and get some untempered mortar or other, and dawb 〈◊〉 their consciences again; but they 〈◊〉 gone for the time. This is a stro●● sign of a rotten peace. But a child ● God can hear any point, hear ● death, of judgement, of any thing co●teined in the word, with delight a● comfort. It is true, he may be a●zed thereat: but he is glad at heart t●● he heareth it, and will make use of● be it mercy or judgement. Sweet 〈◊〉 bitter points all are welcome to hi● even the bitterest points are sweet 〈◊〉 him, because God and he are at peace's and therefore he knoweth there is 〈◊〉 news from God but it is good.  
iv If our peace of conscience 〈◊〉 good, it will heal that base fearfulness ●hich is in many: who dare not be in ●e dark, dare not go through a ●urch-yard in the night. Some will ●ake at the very shaking of a leaf, as ●e wicked in Job: 
Job 15.21.  which is nothing ●t a guilty conscience. I grant this ●rfulnesse is natural to some: yet I 〈◊〉 the true peace of conscience will ●re it. I do not say this is a recipro●ll sign of true peace of conscience; ●r many wicked men may be bold ●ough: but I say true peace of con●ence will cure this immoderate fear●nesse in the godly.  
But here two questions are to be ask●. I. Whether every true child of ●od that hath true peace of conscience ●n think of death with comfort and 〈◊〉 desirous to die.  
Answ. 1. Peace of conscience doth ●t take away natural fear. It is the stir of every living creature to be ve● fearful of death. The Philosopher ●lleth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the fear●llest thing of all fearful things. Bildad ●lleth it the king of terrors. 
Job 18.14.  Nature loveth its own preservation; and therefore feareth the destruction of it. Peace o● conscience doth not take away all th● fear. 2. Besides, peace of conscience doth not take away always all degre● of slavish fear of death. The reason i● because peace of conscience may 〈◊〉 weak, mixed with much troubles 〈◊〉 conscience. For as faith may be ve● imperfect, so peace of conscience m● be in some very imperfect. Good o● Hilarion was very fearful to die: H● cried out to his soul when he lay on h● deathbed, O my soul, hast thou serum Christ these fourscore years, and art th● now afraid to die? Again, a man's lo● may be very imperfect. 
1. John 4.18.  Perfect love indeed casteth out fear; but imperfect love doth not. Hezekiah had pea● of conscience: Remember Lord, saith 〈◊〉 I have walked before thee in truth, 
2. Kings 20.3.  〈◊〉 with a perfect heart. Mark; He had t● peace of a good conscience; his conscience told him he had a sincere hea● and that his ways pleased God: y● he was afraid to die: I do not thinks was only because he had no issue though that might be some reason of it. ●. When a child of God is afraid to ●ie, it is not so much for love of this ●ife as out of a desire to be better prepared. This made David cry out, O spare me, that I may recover strength, 
Psal. 39.13.  be●ore I go hence and be no more. And so ●ob; Let me alone, 
Job 10.20, 21.  that I may take com●ort a little, before I go whence I shall not ●eturn. These good men were then something unwilling to die: They ●ight have many reasons; most likely ●is was one, That they might be bet●er prepared, and more fit and ready for ●eir departure. 4. Some of God's people; as these, Job and David, at ●ther times; I say, some of God's people have such marvellous peace with ●od as that if it were Gods will they ●ad much rather die then live; 
Phil. 1.23.  I desire 〈◊〉 be dissolved, saith Paul, and to be with ●hrist; which is fare better. It may be ● regard of the church, or the care of ●eir children and charge God hath laid ●n them, they could be content to re●ain still in the body: nevertheless, ●hey account their state after death much better; and, were it put to them whether to die or to live longer here, they would choose death rather of the twain. 
1. Kings 19.4.  Nay, Elias requested for himself that he might die: It is enough, Lord● take away my life. Not that they lov● death itself; for death is evil in its ow● nature, contrary to nature, a badge o● sin: but for the love they have to an● the assurance they have of eternal lif● after death. 5. Nay there is no chil● of God but may truly be said to lov● death, and to love the day of judgement and the appearing of Christ Jesus Divines use to put this as a sign of God● children: Nay, the Apostle maketh thi● as a property of God's children; to lov● Christ's appearing: I have fought a goo● fight, saith Paul, I have finished m● course: There he telleth us of his ow● peace; and then he telleth us of his reward: 
2. Tim. 4.8.  From henceforth is laid up for 〈◊〉 a crown of righteousness, which the Lor● the righteous Judge shall give me in th●● day; and not to me only, but to them also that love his appearing: that is, to al● his children: For all the children o● God love the appearing of Jesus Christ to judgement. Though all do not desire it with the same strength of faith, ●et all desire it with faith. They believe that Christ hath destroyed him that ●ath the power of death, 
Heb. 2.14.  which is the de●il; they believe Christ hath taken ●way deaths sting, which is sin, 
1. Cor. 15.56, 57  and 〈◊〉 allowed death up in victory; and may ●l say, Thanks be unto God who hath gi●en us victory through our Lord Jesus ●hrist. Neither do they so much que●on this as their faith to believe it; ●ying, Lord, help our unbelief. 6. God's ●ildren have good reason to do so, ●d to check their own hearts when●er they do otherwise. Whenever any ●strust cometh, they should check it ●wn again: whenever any fear arieh, they should say, What? I fear ●●th? which is a thing so precious? 
Psal. 116.15.  Pre●us in the sight of the Lord is the death ●his Saints. Is death precious, and shall I ●so vain as to fear it? Thus ye see 〈◊〉 answer to the first question, Whe●er every child of God that hath true ●ace of conscience can be desirous to ●e.  
II. Quest. Whether a wicked man that hath no peace of conscience may not be desirous to die too? Answ. 1. The horror of conscience man make a wicked man desirous to die. H● may have so much horror of conscience as that he may think certainly he● cannot be worse: (Hell is infinitely worse; but he may not think so.) Th● Judas was desirous to die, 
Matth. 27.5.  when he we● and hanged himself: Thus many in d●spair do make away themselves. I co●fesse some in despair may be fearful to die: as Cain was fearful to die; ● was fear of death made him spea● thus unto God, It shall come to pass th● every one that findeth me shall slay m● Gen. 4.14. The reason was, because though he were in despair, yet he w● not so sensible of his horror as Jud●● was: for Cain could go and build 〈◊〉 all this, and train up his children 〈◊〉 music and the like for all this; b● Judas was in a case more sensible of h● misery. 2. Dolour of pain may ma● a wicked man desire to die. Thus ● was with Saul: Saul had received b● deaths wound, and was in most grievous pain: he could not die presently, ●either could he live; but lying in very ●reat pain between both, desired the Amalekite to stand upon him and slay ●im, 2. Sam. 10.9. (though Osiander ●hink the Amalekite lied unto David ●o curry favour with him; but Jose●hus and others think he spoke the ●ruth.) Sure it is, that many wicked ●retches, having no peace of conscience to sweeten and allay their tor●ents, have been desirous to die: nay, ●ome have hastened their own death. ●. Malecontentednesse, and shame, and disappointment of their aims may also ●ake wicked men desirous to die, and, 〈◊〉 death come not soon enough of it ●elf, to dispatch away themselves with ●ruel self-murder. Thus it was with A●hitophel: 
2. Sam. 17 23.  when he saw his counsel was was not followed he haltered himself: He had no peace of conscience to com●ort him against all his dumps and discontents; and therefore he was desirous to die. 4. Wicked men, being ●exed at something for the present, may seem to be desirous to die; and ye● if death should come indeed, they would be of another mind, and be content death should be further off. Nay▪ Ionas (that strange man of a good man● O for a fit he would be dying, yea tha● he would; 
Jon. 4.3.  Lord, take my life from me● for it is better for me to die then to live. ● suppose if God had taken him at hi● word, he could have wished his word● had been in again. But thus it is ofte● in the mouths of wicked people; ● would I were dead; and, I would I were o● of the world: not for any peace of conscience they have, nor for any desire o● death, but only for a momentany pang● If they were to die indeed, they would be loath enough to it. Like the man i● the Fable: who being wearied with his burden of sticks, lay down and called for Death; but when Death came indeed to take him, and said, What shal● I do, man? thou called'st me: I pray thee, said he, help me up with my burden of sticks. When he was to die indeed, than he would rather have his own wearisome burden. It is but a fable; but this is the fashion of many. 5. When wicked men are desirous to die indeed sometimes not out of discontent or ●ny such like reason, yet it cannot be out of any true peace of conscience: They may go away like lambs, as we ●ay; but it is in a fools paradise. It may be whilst they lived they thought ●o go to heaven; but when they die, then ●ll their thoughts perish, as the Psalmist speaks in another case.  
To return therefore where we left; O beloved, is there any of you that want the peace of a good conscience? ●nd do ye know what you want? what ● great benefit and blessing? That ye may see this, and fully know it, and by ●nowing it earnestly desire it, con●ider  
First, That it is the very head of all comforts. A worthy Divine calleth it Abraham's bosom to the soul: Ye know what a blessing it was unto Lazarus to be taken from his sores into Abraham's bosom: The peace of a good conscience is like this bosom of Abraham: Who would not gladly lie in it? Such a man who hath it can never look upon another man's comfort, but a good conscience will say, Yea, and I have my comfort too. When Paul was commending of Timothy, see how his own conscience spoke of himself at the same time: 
1. Cor. 16.10.  He worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Mark; his conscience would be putting in comfort for himself: Doth Timothy work the Lords work? yea, and so do I too, saith his conscience: It is Musculus his observation upon the place.  
Secondly, A quiet conscience maketh a man to taste the sweetness o● things heavenly and spiritual: It maketh the word to be to him, as to David, Sweeter than honey, yea then the honeycomb: I have not departed from thy judgements, O Lord, saith he (thus saith his conscience:) now what followeth next? 
Psal. 119.103.  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey unto my mouth. A good conscience maketh a man taste sweetness in prayer, when his conscience telleth him he prayeth aright: It maketh him taste sweetness in a Sabbath, when his conscience telleth him he sanctifieth it aright: so also in the sacrament, when his conscience can witness he receiveth aright. What is the reason so few of you taste sweetness in these things? The reason is this; Because ye have not the peace of a good conscience: It would find sweetness in every good duty, in every good word and work.  
Thirdly, A good quiet conscience maketh a man taste sweetness in all outward things, in meat, in drink, in sleep, in the company of friends: it putteth a Better upon a very morsel, Prov. 17.1. Brown bread and a good conscience, there is a Better upon it then upon all the costly fare of the wealthy without it. Bernard calleth a good conscience a soft pillow: An other calleth it a dear bosom-friend: Solomon calleth it a continual feast. It maketh a man taste sweetness in every outward thing. The healthy man only can take pleasure in recreations, walks, meats, sports, and the like: they yield no comfort to those that are bedrid or sick, or half-dead: But when the conscience is at peace, the soul is all in good health; and so all things are enjoyed with sweetness and comfort.  
Fourthly, It sweeteneth evil to a man, as troubles, crosses, sorrows, afflictions. If a man have true peace in his conscience, it comforteth him in them all. When things abroad do disquiet us, how comfortable is it to have something at home to cheer us? so when troubles and afflictions without turmoil and vex us and add sorrow to sorrow, then to have peace within, the peace of conscience, to allay all and quiet all, what a happiness is this? When sickness and death cometh, what will a good conscience be worth then? Sure more than all the world besides. If one had all the world, he would then give it for a peaceable conscience. Nay, what think ye of judgement and the tribunal of Christ? Do but think what a good conscience will be worth then? When Paul was accused and hardly thought of by some of the Corinthians, this was his comfort; I know nothing by myself, 
1. Cor. 4.3, 4.  saith his conscience: I count it a very small thing to be judged of you. Nay, he goeth further: His conscience telleth him he hath the Lord Jesus (who justifieth him) to judge him; he hath a sweeter Judge than his own conscience, even his Saviour, to judge him. O there is no created comfort in the world like the comfort of a peaceable conscience. The heathen Menander could say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Conscience is a little petty god. We may not give it such a big title: but this is most certain; The conscience is God's echo of peace to the soul: in life, in death, in judgement it is unspeakable comfort.  
Is there any then that want this? 
Exhortation.  Let them above all things labour to get it: It is more worth than all things else. Whatever we neglect, let us not neglect this. It is safer to neglect body, health, means, maintenance, friends, and all that ever we have in the world then to neglect this. The more we have the worse it is for us, if we have not this. Had we all this world's good, it is like a stone in a serpent's head or a toads head, or a pearl in an oyster, not our perfection but our disease.  
Again, you who have a peaceable conscience, 1. Labour to maintain it. Be often in communion with God, be not strangers to him the light of whose countenance is the peace of your souls. It is the walking with God that breedeth true peace and preserveth it. It is said of Levi, 
Mal. 2.6.  that he walked with God in peace. O let us stir up ourselves to walk close with God, that so we may have peace: No sweet peace but in so doing. 2. We must take heed we do not trouble nor disquiet it, that we do not resist it, or offer violence unto it by committing sin against the peace of it, but endeavour to maintain the peace of it by obeying the voice of it. Get the fear of God, which is wisdom; and to departed from evil, which is true understanding: All her paths are peace, Prov. 3.17. We cannot walk in any one path of true wisdom but we shall find in it peace: There is peace in humility, and peace in charity, and peace in godliness, and peace in obedience, etc. Break any of these things, and ye break the peace. Ye hear what an admirable thing the peace of conscience is: O then, if ye have it, make much of it: nay, if ye have it, ye will for certain make much of it. The very having of it will teach you the worth of it, and learn you to prize it, and make you above all things unwilling to leave it. And thus much of the first, viz. a quiet conscience.    

An unquiet conscience.  
I Have already handled a quiet conscience. I come now to speak of a troubled and unquiet conscience: Concerning which I shall show you three things: 1. What it is; 2. The degrees of it; 3. The difference of the trouble that may be in a good and that may be in a bad conscience.  
I. What a troubled conscience is. 
What it is  It is a conscience accusing for sin, and affrighting with apprehensions of God's wrath. And here I would have you consider two things: 1. What are the causes of it; 2. Wherein it consisteth.  
First, The causes of it are these five. 1. The guilt of sin: When a man hath done evil, and his conscience doth know it, then doth the conscience cry guilty: 
Leu. 5.4.  when he knoweth it, saith the text, than he shall be guilty. This is it which woundeth and pierceth conscience; this is the sad voice of conscience. Like Judas; I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood: Like Cain; My sin is greater than can be forgiven. So the brethren of Joseph; 
Gen. 42.21.  We are guilty, say they, concerning our brother. It is like the head of an arrow sticking in the flesh, or like a dreadful object continually presenting itself before our eyes: My sin is ever before me, 
Psal. 51.3.  saith David. When we have transgressed God's law, and our conscience can cry guilty, when the guilt of sin lieth upon conscience, this is one cause of the trouble of it.  
2. Another cause is the apprehension of God's wrath for sin: When knowing that we have sinned and offended God, we apprehend his wrath in our minds, and behold the revenging eye of his justice against us. This is a very grievous thing, so terrible that no man or angel is able to abide it: As we see the kings and potentates, the mighty men of the earth, call for the mountains ●o fall upon them, and the hills to cover ●hem from the wrath of God, Rev. 6.15, 16. When we have incurred God's displeasure and our consciences see it, when his anger resteth upon us and our consciences feel it, this is another cause of the trouble of conscience.  
3. A third cause of the trouble of conscience is the fear of death and of ●ell: When we know we have offended God's law, and we know also what our sins do deserve, namely death and ●udgement and damnation for ever; ●his doth most trouble and disquiet conscience, when it fasteneth on the apprehension of it. The Apostle calleth ●t a fearful looking for of judgement. When conscience looketh for nothing else but for hell and damnation, this must needs trouble conscience.  
4. Another cause is privative, want of supportance; when God doth withhold from conscience the help of his Spirit. Ye know the Spirit can enable conscience to undergo all its troubles; the Spirit can prompt it with mercies and the promises of God, and hold it up: but when the Lord bereaveth the conscience of this help, and doth no● at all support it, this must needs also trouble conscience.  
V When God doth fasten on the conscience such thoughts as may affright and terrify it; as thus, God doth not love me; Christ will not own me; 〈◊〉 have sinned, I am a reprobate, past hope, etc. When such thoughts as these fasten o● the conscience, it cannot choose then but be troubled. Thus I have showed you what are the causes of the trouble of conscience.  
Secondly, This trouble of conscience consisteth in two things: First, in want of comfort: It cannot apply to itself neither the promises of this life nor of that which is to come. Conscience crieth, This belongeth not to me: This mercy, this comfort is not my portion. Secondly, In a terror and anguish of mind from these three heads: 1. From the guilt of sin; 2. From the apprehension of God's wrath; 3. From fear of death and of judgement. This is the three-stringed whip wherewith conscience is lashed. These ye shall find upon the conscience of Adam and Eve, when they had sinned against God. Their conscience was whipped 1. With the guilt of sin; they saw they were naked, Gen. 3.7. 2. With the apprehension of God's wrath; they hide themselves from the presence of God, verse 8. 3. With the fear of some vengeance which they began to look for; I was afraid, saith Adam, verse 10. This three-stringed whip ye may see also was upon the conscience of Cain after he had slain his brother: His conscience was whipped 1. With the guilt of sin; My sin is greater ●hen can be forgiven: 2. With the apprehension of God's wrath; From thy face, O Lord, am I hid: 3. With the expectation of death and of judgement; It shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me. Thus I have showed you what a troubled conscience is.  

The degrees of a troubled conscience.  
II. THe next thing I promised to show is the degrees of a troubled conscience. A troubled conscience hath divers degrees: For some conscience are more troubled than other some. 1. The first degree is such a degree as may be in God's children: and this ariseth not so much from the apprehension of God's wrath as from the guilt of sin: Their consciences grieve an● are troubled to think that they have sinned and offended the Lord God. Thu● we see David could not be at quiet: Although Nathan had told him from Go● that his sin was forgiven, yet his conscience still troubled him: 
Psal. 51.4.  Against the only have I sinned, and done this evil i● thy sight; saith he. I grant the consciences of God's children are troubled a● the apprehension of God's anger; but than it is his fatherly anger, not the anger of an enemy. Though for a s●● they may seem to apprehend that too, yet mostly it is for that they have provoked their loving Father to anger against them. A father may be angry with his child out of love; and so the Lord may be with his dear children. The Lord was angry with me too, saith Moses, Deut. 1.37. O let not my Lord be angry, saith Abraham the father of the faithful. O God of hosts, 
Psal. 80.4.  how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth, saith the Psalmist. Sometimes ●he Lord is angry with the prayers of his people; but it is in love, because he would have them pray better, and obey better, and look to their standing ●etter. Now the consciences of God's people are very much troubled when ●he Lord is thus angry with them.  
2. The second degree of trouble of conscience is such as is in the wicked, ●nd yet not altogether without hope. The conscience is troubled, but yet so ●s it conceiveth hope: God is merciful; and, Christ died for poor sinners, ●c. Thus many a wicked man is troubled and affrighted in conscience, not ●or sin, but for the wrath of God against it; yet he conceiveth for the present that the sin is pardonable and may be forgiven: Christ may forgive; God may pardon. It is indeed but a poor ground of hope & comfort upon possibilities: but yet this lighteneth the trouble in the mean time, and it may be within a while shaketh it quite off: Like the wicked Jews Isa. 57.10. who were worried and wearied most grievously; yet they said not, There is no hope. There may be much horror and disquiet in these consciences for a time: but there is a higher degree yet, a worse troubled conscience then this.  
3. The third degree of a troubled conscience is, when it is for the present altogether hopeless; such a conscience as is swallowed up in despair: when men thinking of their manifold sins, of the direful wrath of God, of the dreadful torments of hell for ever● their consciences make them despair of all hope or possibility of avoiding this bringing such thoughts as these, Wha● a deal of time have I spent in sin wherein I might have made my peace with God an● have prevented all this? What a great and omnipotent God have I offended? What an infinite Judge have I provoked, who is able to revenge himself on me, and who will be my foe to eternity? conscience also bringing in thoughts of the torments and unsufferable pains to be endured in hell, and such swallow up in despair without all hope for the present or the future. Like the wicked man which Eliphaz speaketh of, 
Desperatio est homicida animae, Aug.  He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, Job 15.22. So these have no hope of escaping, expect to perish as Spira; O, saith he, I envy Cain and Judas: I would I were in their cases: They are damned; but I shall be worse for evermore. Now though to these all hopes be gone for the present, yet some of these troubled consciences scramble up again with vain hopes, and some do not. Cain got ●p again, it should seem: but Judas did not. Those that never get up again, ei●her 1. they live in intolerable horror and vexation of spirit, 
Desperare est in infernum descendere, Isid.  as if they had a devil in them to put them to anguish, and often (being weary of their lives) do make away themselves, and so leap quick into hell: or else 2. they run desperately into all abominable courses: Their consciences telling them there is nothing to be expected but damnation, they give themselves desperately to commit sin with greediness, saying with them in Jeremy, There is no hope; therefore we will wall after our own devises. Jer. 18.12. Or else 3. they grow senseless of it. They see they are wrong, but they are not sensible of it. It may be they pray and read and hear; but their consciences secretly whisper, All is to no purpose. Conscience eateth and eateth like a worm, and they pine away in their iniquities, 
Ezek. 4.23.  as th● prophet speaketh. A kind of sorrow they have, but they cannot mourn; ● kind of sad dolour, but they canno● weep: Ye shall not moon nor weep, b●● pine away in your sins, saith the text I confess there be more presumers i● the world, who promise themselves that all shall be well with them: but yet there be despairers too, and very many, whose consciences are troubled with secret despair; though it may be not apparently to others.  
Now the causes of these despairing consciences are these. 1. The greatness of sin; when the heart thinketh secretly thus, Certainly the Lord cannot find in his heart to forgive me. As it was with Cain: When he had lived in earthly-mindedness, and then in formality, and then in discontent and in hatred, and then in hardness of heart, the Lord rebuked him, and yet his heart was so hard that still he went on in evil; then he murdered his brother; and lastly he despaireth; 
Gen. 4.13.  My sins are greater, saith his conscience, then can be forgiven. He thought God could not find in his heart to forgive him. So when men sin and sin, and the Lord doth rebuke them, and yet they do sin, and their consciences do check them, and yet they go on, at last they come to have secret despairs in their heart, that God now will not look towards them; whereas if yet they had a mind to stoop to Jesus Christ, they might be forgiven. 2. A second cause of despairing is multitude of temptations. Indeed the godly should not be so apt to think themselves forsaken of God by reason of temptations as sometimes they are; they should rather count it joy, as James speaketh, chap. 1.2. But yet many of the wicked despair finally by this means: Because they do so often fall into temptations, therefore they conclude they are forsaken of God. 3. Ignorance of God's word. When the guiltiness of sin meeteth with minds not instructed in the doctrine of free grace and reconciliation by Christ, this is a cause of despair. 4. So also enured custom of sinning is another cause. When men are often quickened, and grow dead again; then quickened again for a fit, and then hardened again: in the end they fall to despair. These and the like are the causes of despairing consciences. And thus I have showed also the second thing propounded to be handled, namely, the sundry degrees of troubled consciences.  
III. The third thing is the difference between the troubled conscience in the godly and in the wicked. The consciences of God's children may be troubled, and are many times; and the consciences of the wicked they are troubled too: now the question is, How do they differ? I answer,  
1. That trouble in the conscience of wicked men is accompanied with impenitency, and sometimes with blasphemy: I would I were able to resist God, saith Francis Spira: like those in the Revelation who blasphemed God because of their torments. Sometimes it is accompanied with curse, as Isai 8.21. sometimes with infinite murmuring. But in God's children it is not so: When their conscience is troubled, they justify God, and clear God, and give him the glory of all, and submit under his hand, and subdue their hearts unto him: as David in his trouble did not fret and murmur against God, but saith he, If God have no pleasure in me, lo, 
2. Sam. 15.26.  here I am: let him do with me what seemeth him good. So that the trouble of conscience in the children of God and in the wicked doth much differ in this first respect  
2. The trouble of conscience in the wicked ariseth only from the apprehension of God's wrath and fear of judgement for sin, not for the sin itself and from the love of holiness: But that in God's children ariseth chief for sin, and the want of the apprehension of God's love unto them: How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hid thy face from me? Psal. 13.1. Mark whence the trouble of the Psalmist came: This was his trouble, that God did hid his face.  
3. Trouble of conscience in the wicked never maketh them part with sin, never breedeth a hatred of sin in them; but that in God's children doth. True it is that a wicked man's troubled conscience may make him vomit up his sin, like a dog that vomiteth up his troublesome meat: but he doth not vomit up his stomach to that meat; for when the trouble is over he returneth to his vomit again. So a carnal man returneth to his deadness of heart again, and to his security again, when the trouble is over. Pharaoh, whilst his conscience was troubled at the sense of God's judgements, O then saith he, I have sinned: I pray, Moses, let me have your prayers; and I will let you go. If the children of Israel could have packed up and departed while this trouble had lasted, they might have been gone. But when he saw there was respite, 
Exod. 8.15  he hardened his heart again. Mark; His trouble of conscience did not make him part with his sin: But that in God's children doth.  
4. That in the wicked driveth them from God: They have little heart to come unto him: They see nothing but wrath; and they rather go about to seek ease in other things then to seek his favour: as Saul sought ease in music, and Cain in building castles and cities, and Judas in a desperate course. Their trouble fetcheth them not to God. But the trouble in God's children worketh otherwise: In the midst of trouble of conscience they rest upon God: as Heman crieth, 
Psal. 88.1.  O Lord God of my salvation, in the midst of the troubles of his soul. The eyes of God's children are still towards heaven; they think still they should have some help from God: They pray and cry, and though God seemeth to neglect them, yet they cannot give over: They will not be beaten off from waiting on God when he will speak comfort to them.  
5. That trouble that is in the wicked maketh their heart sullen: but that in the godly melteth their heart: My soul is like melting wax, saith David in his troubles of conscience. His soul melted before God, and was even poured out before him, Psal. 22.13. This is a kindly working. Thus ye see the difference.    

Uses.  
Use 1 1. BY this we see what a miserable thing it is to have such a troubled conscience. It is the greatest misery that can be: it is even a hell to men here upon earth: it is like a dismal ghost to terrify the soul: it is like a burning furnace in the bosom: it maketh the life bitter. In a word, the spirit of man is not able to bear it: The spirit of man will sustain its infirmities: 
Prov. 18.14.  but ●a wounded spirit who can bear? As long as a man's spirit is sound, it will bear any thing. Some have born agues, fevers, stones, colicks, convulsions, rackings, torturings: as long as a man's spirit is sound he is able to bear any of them, all of them: but a wounded spirit who can bear? Never was there man that was able to bear a wounded spirit. We may see by many of God's children how heavy it is: David roared with the anguish of it: a strange phrase. He man was ready even to run out of his wits with it: While I suffer thy terrors, saith ●he, I am distracted, Psal. 88.15. Moses putteth himself into the number; We are even consumed by thine anger, Psal. 90.7. Ethan complaineth that it was like a burning fever: How long, O Lord, wilt thou hid thy face? for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? Psal. 89.46. If it be thus with God's children, what may we think of the wicked? If we could search into the bosoms of some wicked men who are enemies to God, than we might see and understand the true weight and burden of this troubled conscience. Cain crieth out of more than he can bear. Judas thought to find more ease in hell then in his own heart: So terrible was the torture of his troubled conscience, that he murdered himself, thinking verily that hell could not be worse.  
Use 2 2. See here what an infinite misery every sinner shall one day be in. Though he be not troubled with this harpy for the present, though he be not yet gastered with this furious hag; yet the day will come when he shall: I say, the time will come when all ye that are wicked shall be haunted with this hellish agony of a troubled conscience; either here before ye die, or when ye die, or at furthest when your souls are departed out of your bodies: This is unavoidable to all that live and continue in sin. Though for a while ye live in mirth and pleasure and security, and conscience letteth you alone; though like Nabal to day ye feast and make merry; yet there is a conscience within you, an Abigail which to morrow will tell you of it, and then your hearts will die within you and be like stones, 
1. Sam. 25.37.  as cold and as heavy as a stone within you. As Samuel met with Saul, 
1 Sam. 15.26.  Because thou hast forsaken the Lord, the Lord also hath forsaken thee: so conscience will find you out. However for a while ye slight and neglect it, or else perhaps suppress it, yet it will find you out, as Eliah did Ahab, and then ye will say as he did, Hast thou found me, 
1. Kings 21.20.  O mine enemy? yea, I have found thee: Thou hast sold thyself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord: thou hast been a profane beast, thou hast run against heaven, and against God and Christ; and thy life hath been full of rebellions, etc. now I have found thee out. The day will come when thy conscience shall be like Jobs messenger. Ye know what news the messengers brought Job; first news of one great evil, and then of another greater, and then of a third worst of all;  and goods taken away, servants dead, sons and daughters dead, I only am left alive to tell thee: So, I say, the time will come when conscience shall thus report, Thy pleasures are dead; thy profits are dead; thy comforts are dead; thy heart is dead; thy soul is cursed, and must die for ever: and I only am left alive to tell thee: And then he shall cry our, Cursed was I that ever I was born: and cursed be the womb that bore me, and the paps that gave me suck. Then shalt thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and thy conscience shall say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof? I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ears to them that instructed me. Such doleful messages conscience will bring in one day; and than it shall hisse like a snake in thy bosom, Know now that for all these things thou shalt come to judgement. And so thy conscience shall bray thee like a fool in a mortar, as it were with a pestle, and it shall pounce thee and beat thee and distress thee for evermore. This is the moth that getteth into the cloth, and doth eat it: 
Psal. 39.11.  When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like as when a moth fretteth a garment. This will make thy face gather blackness, and thy spirit be overwhelmed for evermore.  
I must add another use yet: For all this is the law: and until ye be in Christ ye are all under the law, the curse of it, the rigour of it: And we are bound to tell you how ye shall find it if ye do not submit to the righteousness of Christ. But though we do preach the law, yet we do preach it in the hand of a mediator, saith Paul, Gal. 8.19. a terrible kill law, but yet in a merciful hand, in the hand of a mediator, to drive us to seek for mercy: and therefore  
Use 3 The third use shall be, to call upon you to be humbled, and to see that there is no living for you in your sins. Go and stoop to Christ Jesus, who only can purge your guilty consciences by his blood. I beseech you, consider, ye who yet abide in your sinful estates and are yet in the flesh: I beseech you, consider what the event will one day be. If ye will not look out, your consciences will find you out at the last, and then woe be to you. Your consciences will make all things grievous and bitter to you, even those things which in themselves are most sweet and good: When ye hear of heaven, of mercy, of the blood of Christ, these will but increase your misery: conscience will say, You have no part in them. When you hear the word, any promise or comfortable passage in it, your conscience will say, Yea, this is my misery, I have no share in these things. This will be a hell unto you, and will torment you before your time. This will also make all outward good things bitter unto you: When you see wife and children and friends, than conscience will whisper and say, I shall not have these long: ere long I shall have none but damned company. When you see your goods, estates, and the like, conscience will mutter, Alas, ere long I shall be in a place where a drop of water shall not be afforded me to cool my tongue. When you see the light and other comfortable objects, O woe is me; I shall shortly be in a place where I shall see nothing but darkness, utter and everlasting darkness. Conscience will make your afflictions intolerable, your sickness intolerable, your deathbed intolerable, the face of death intolerable. I beseech you, brethren, consider these things, you that have not felt a troubled conscience until this hour. Ye hardly know yet what it is: ye will know it to your sorrow, if you do not consider it. There is a phrase in Ezek. 30.24. where God saith he will make Pharaoh groan with the groan of a man deadly wounded: So it will be with you, if you will not hearken and submit to Jesus Christ: conscience will make you groan with fearful groans; O woe is me, I am undone, without hope, without remedy. Consider this therefore, and be wise, before the things which concern your peace be hidden from you.  
And let me the rather exhort 
Exhortation.  you to this in regard of the danger of the times. The Lord's wrath is gone out, and his judgements do fly through the earth, and his plagues do fall on every side of us: What will your guilty consciences do now? oh you can never endure them. Ye had need of purged consciences now, lest ye be quite comfortless in the day of visitation. How miserable is their case who want the peace of conscience in the time of distress? When troubles and afflictions are without, then how grievous is it to want peace and comfort within? When Gods mortal arrows are in your bodies, then to have the arrow of his wrath sticking in your souls, this will add sorrow to sorrow, and make your estate much more uncomfortable and unsupportable. Beloved, peace of conscience is good at all times; but it is most precious when calamities fall on us: Then to have the peace of a good conscience that may bring us good news from heaven, that all is well within, all peace there, this is such peace as all the world cannot give nor sell nor buy. Never more need of the peace of conscience then now. 
M. M.  As one said of the books of faith, There be abundance of books written of faith: buy them all up, saith he; ye will need every one of them ere long: So may I say of whatever may forward the peace of conscience; Buy it, purchase it, get it, as much peace as you can possible: ye will have need of it all ere long. Take heed of troubling your consciences or clogging them with guilt, lest the Lord cast you off, and lest ye be hardened, and so ye perish from the right way. Do not think thus, O we are believers, and have no need of such threaten. He who is certain of his salvation knoweth assuredly he should be damned if he should go on in sin without repentance; This If is true enough; 
Ezek. 18.26.  If the righteous forsake his righteousness, all his former righteousness shall be forgotten. And, Woe is me, saith Paul, 
1. Cor. 9.16  if I preach not the gospel. In the state of innocence there was use of threaten: so is there now in the state of grace. The Lord threatened Adam in innocence, If thou eat thereof thou shalt die the death. Job was awed by threaten not to lift up his hand against the fatherless; for, saith he, 
Job 31.23  destruction from God was a terror to me. My flesh, saith David, trembleth for fear of thee, 
Psal. 119.120.  and I am afraid of thy judgements. Let us have grace, saith the Apostle, 
Heb. 12.28.  whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Why? for our God is a consuming fire. For be it that God's children (that is, all believers) shall never fall finally away; yet this threatening is one of Christ's instruments whereby he keepeth them from falling: and they also may taste of much bitterness if they grow indulgent to their corruptions. O therefore take heed of this curse, that your consciences may not dog you with the guilt of sin and the apprehension of God's wrath. You will never be able to bear it, much less in the time of affliction. O it is good being in a dry house when a great tempest is up: and it is safe being in a good harbour when a storm beateth hard. A good conscience is good at all times; but O how sweet then! When Jonah fell into affliction, the want of peace in his conscience made him look upon his affliction as upon hell, as though he had been in the belly of hell: They who follow lying vanities, forsake their own mercies, saith he. Mark; his conscience dogged him with his fleeing from God, and forsaking his own mercies. Ye see he was miserably distressed by it till the Lord did deliver him. Be chary then of conscience, and get it purged, that it may speak peace to you in trouble.   

4 Questions.  
NOw I have declared unto you, What a troubled conscience is; What is the cause of it, and wherein it consisteth; How many degrees there be of it; How the troubled conscience of the godly differeth from the troubled conscience of the wicked; the misery of a troubled conscience; and, What a deal of mischief it doth one, especially in affliction: now I should leave this point, but that there be sundry questions to be answered about it.  
I. Suppose a man be rid of this trouble, and have peace of conscience, how shall he maintain it, and keep out troubles from it?  
II. Whether and how the peace of our conscience dependeth upon our care and obedience?  
III. What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience doth depend on?  
iv If a man have no peace, but only a burdened conscience, what must such a man do to be freed from it and to attein true peace?  

I. Question; How a man may keep peace of conscience.  
I begin with the first: Suppose a man have peace of conscience, what must he do to keep and maintain it? I answer,  
First, We must labour to prevent troubles of conscience by taking heed that we do nothing contrary to conscience. We must not be drawn by friendship, or credit, or the love of any lust, to do that which conscience forbiddeth. Nothing should be so dear unto us as the peace of conscience: nothing for the love of it should make us do aught against our conscience. How miserable are those comforts, delights, satisfactions which we get to ourselves in such courses as our own hearts do condemn! However they seem comforts for a while, and contentments for a while, and delights for a while, yet at last it will appear that miserable comforts are they all. Nothing that we get in any evil way will cheer and comfort us in a time of need. What said Francis Spira at the time of his death, when seeing his wife and children about him, and thinking on the goods and estate which he had got for them by denying the truth which he had before maintained against the Romish errors, he cried out in the horror of his conscience, How terrible is the sight of these unto me! However before they had been comforts to him, yet now he could not endure the sight of them. O, thought he, I recanted for your sake; I yielded to superstition, and it was long of you: Therefore he abhorred now the sight of them. Wretched is he that alloweth himself in any course which his conscience findeth fault with. It is a good rule the Apostle giveth, 
Rom. 14.22.  Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth: that is, Blessed is he that hath not a condemning conscience, that alloweth not himself in any course wherein his conscience doth condemn him. So that if we have peace of conscience, and desire to maintain it, let us never allow ourselves in any course that our conscience may condemn us in. That is the first answer.  
Answ. 2 Secondly, If we will maintain our peace, we must labour to have our hearts grounded in the assurance of the love of God: alas, it will fail us else, and leave us in trouble and perplexity in time of greatest need. Observe how the Apostle joineth love and peace together, 2. Cor. 13.11. The God of love and peace be with you. If he be the God of love to us, it is sure enough he will be the God of peace also: If we know once that God loveth us, than we may set our hearts at rest: As long as we doubt of his love our conscience can never have true peace: And therefore if we would maintain true peace of conscience let us labour to be assured of God's love.  
Answ. 3 Thirdly, We must use the exercise of faith in applying the blood of Christ; we must labour to purge and cleanse our consciences with it. If we find that we have sinned, we must run presently to the blood of Christ to wash away our sin. We must not let the wound fester or exulcerate, but presently get it healed. As there is a fountain of sin ●n us, so there is a fountain of mercy ●n Christ, 
Zech. 13.1.  set open for Judah and Jerusalem, and for every poor soul to wash ●n. As we sinne daily, so he justifieth daily, and we must daily go to him for ●t: As every day we run into new debts, so the Lords prayer teacheth us every day to beg forgiveness: We must every day eye the brazen serpent. Justification is an ever-running fountain, and therefore we cannot look to have all the water at once. A fountain ever runneth anew; so justification ever floweth anew, and we must go to it. Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. O let us sue out every day a daily pardon of course! Let us not sleep one night without a new pardon. Better sleep in a house full of adders and venomous beasts than sleep in one sin. O then be sure with the day to clear the sins of the day: Then shall our conscience have true peace. 
Object.  But how if I have relapsed? what shall I do then? 
Sol.  I answer, Every man that falleth doth not fall on all four, as we use to say; he doth not fall quite: There be degrees of falling. As in a sick man, though he be ill yet he is not by and by dead; some life remaineth still, which will look out towards health again: so there is so much life in justification as to recover thee again. Be constant therefore in this course: Ever go to Christ, ever wash in this fountain, ever bring thy soul hither to be cleansed; and then thy conscience ever shall have peace.  
Answ. 4 Fourthly, If we would maintain our peace, then let us labour to be constant in obedience to Jesus Christ. Whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the word of God perfected; and hereby know we that we are in him, 1. John 2.5. Mark; Hereby our conscience may tell us that we are right, and speak peace to us, if we keep his word.   

II. Question; How the peace of our conscience doth depend upon our care and our obedience.  
The reason why I raise this question is this, Because as our justification is only in Christ, so our peace is only in him; how then doth the peace of our conscience depend on obedience? The place of scripture that occasioneth the doubt is, 1. Pet. 3.21. The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is by Christ; how dependeth it then on our obedience?  
Answ. 1. A good conscience doth not depend upon our obedience as the principal cause of it, but upon justification which we have by Christ if we be in him: Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ye see then that our peace is grounded upon our justification as the principal cause of it. If we should seek for peace from our works and obedience, alas, they are sinful and defective; there is no peace to be found in them: Our conscience would be troubled at our best duties, at our weakness in prayer, our frailties in hearing, our slips in every holy service: There is nothing we do but our conscience might find fault with it, and pick a hole in it; and therefore we had need to fly unto Christ for true peace. No wonder then that Papists have not true peace, but professedly say that every man must doubt, and no man can be sure of his salvation. They must needs doubt indeed who trust to their own works: which can never bring true peace. The conscience must ever be quarrelling and finding of fault, and be without peace, if we trust to the best works. So that this is the first answer, All true peace dependeth upon justification by faith in Christ as the principal cause.  
Secondly, We answer, That our peace dependeth upon our obedience in this sort, that we can have no peace except we be given to obedience. Those men that can sin and yet be at peace, were never justified in their lives. A child of God when he sinneth; as for example, if he should be tempted to lie, or to omit a good duty, which he knoweth he is bound to perform; yet this would much trouble his conscience; his soul would be ashamed, his heart perplexed, he would not know how to look the Lord in the face; I have sinned: what shall I do unto he, O thou preserver of men? When David had sinned against God, 
Psal. 38.6.  I am troubled, saith he; and I go mourning all the day long. And therefore peace of conscience doth depend thus fare on obedience, as that a man cannot have peace ●nlesse he be obedient, and take heed of sin, and labour in all things to be up●ight before God. Now if you ask me, But how doth our peace depend upon our obedience? I answer, 
Dub. Sol.  It dependeth upon obedience as the removing cause: It removeth that which would hinder our peace. Sin would interrupt our peace: now obedience removeth sin. To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1. John 3.18, 19 My little children, let us not love in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth: For hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before God: Hereby we shall assure our consciences that we are in him, if we take heed of hypocrisy: If we love in truth, and be obedient in truth, we shall thereby remove all our doubts and our fears, our troubles and perplexities of conscience. So that peace doth depend on obedience as the removing cause: It removeth that which otherwise would hinder peace. This is the first. Again, our peace of conscience dependeth upon our obedience as the witnessing cause of it. Obedience is one of the witnesses of true peace; it witnesseth that we have peace with God. 
2. Cor. 1.12.  This is our rejoicing, even the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world. See here, it is the witnessing cause of it: Paul had peace of conscience; his conscience was able to make him rejoice: How? Because it gave testimony that his conversation was godly and simple and gracious. Though we be in Christ, yet we can have no peace unless holy obedience doth witness the same. Obedience is not the cause of the peace of our consciences before God, but it is the cause of our perceiving the same: We know we have peace by reason of our obedience: 
1. John 2.29.  We know that every one that doth righteousness is born of God: We know we are passed from death to life, 
1. John 3.14. 1. John 4.13.  because we love the brethren: Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us, by the spirit that he hath given us. Mark; we come to know it by obedience and by the fruits of obedience. Take away obedience, we can never know peace. They that walk by this rule, 
Gal. 6.16.  peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God, saith the Apostle. Thirdly, our peace of conscience dependeth on our obedience as the confirming cause: Christ confirmeth our peace to us by making us walk close to him and obedient unto him. Paul showeth how it preserveth peace, as a shoe preserveth the foot: ye know if we should walk without shoes, barefoot, our feet would be in danger of pricking and hurting. So doth obedience to the Gospel preserve our peace: Stand, 
Ephes. 6.15.  saith the Apostle, having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Mark; he compareth it to a shoe, which he would have us shod with; and than it will be the Gospel of peace to us, and our peace shall be in safety. Fourthly, our peace dependeth upon our obedience, not only as a sign of true peace, nor only as a guard to it, but as a thing pleasing to God, without the which we displease God. For though God be pleased with his children always in Christ, yet he is not pleased that any in Christ should be disobedient to him. 
1. Thess. 4.1.  Ye have received of ●● how ye ought to walk and to please God, saith the Apostle. When Gods children walk in obedience, that is pleasing unto God. So that peace of conscience doth greatly depend on obedience: For otherwise conscience will be troubled; O I do not please God; This is displeasing unto God; and, This doth provoke God. Not as though there were any such perfection in our obedience that can satisfy any tittle of God's law; but because when our persons are pleasing to God in Jesus Christ, than our obedience to God is pleasing too in Jesus Christ, and conscience will say it. Thus much shall suffice for answer to the second question.   

III. Question; What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience dependeth upon?  
The reason of this question is this; Because it should seem there is no such obedience in this life as any peace of conscience should depend on. Doth not James say, In many things we sinne all? Doth not our Saviour say, When ye have done all that ye can, say, We are unprofitable servants.? If our conscience can still say that we are unprofitable, and that we do sin in every thing that we do, yea in many things, in all the duties we go about; if our consciences can say thus, How can any peace depend upon obedience? What obedience do you mean that peace of conscience dependeth upon?  
I answer, 1. Absolute perfection in obedience is not required unto evangelical peace. For if it were, no man could have peace; no not Paul, nor Abraham, nor any of the holiest of God's children: and therefore absolute perfection is not required. If we say we have not sinned, we make Christ a liar, and his word is not in us, 1. John 1.10. Our conscience can still say we have sinned; and it can still say our obedience is imperfect: A halting leg can never go perfectly. A Jacob is called he that halteth; and every godly soul halteth: Though he do not halt between two, as wicked people do, yet he halteth in following after God. What purblind eye can see perfectly? or thick ear hear perfectly? He that hath these imperfections of body can neither go nor see nor hear perfectly: So the best of God's children have imperfections of heart and spirit and mind: their faith is imperfect, their love is imperfect; and therefore their obedience must needs be imperfect. But absolute perfection is not required to true peace of conscience; and therefore this doth not hinder it. 2. Though absolute perfection be not required to peace, yet such obedience is required as may be acceptable to God. So saith the Apostle, 
2. Cor. 5.9.  We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him. Such obedience we must show as may be accepted of him, or we cannot have true peace. If our endeavours be not acceptable, our conscience will quickly hear of it, and tell us so: If we pray coldly, or hear unprofitably, or live loosely, if we do not do that which is acceptable to God, our consciences will soon complain. Nay though we do do the duties, if we do not do them in an acceptable manner, conscience will have matter against us still. 3. This acceptableness of obedience lieth in this, when our obedience is sincere, universal, and total, and proceeding from the spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling in us. The Apostle giveth it this phrase, When we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.4. That is our fulfilling the law, when Christ hath fulfilled the law for us, and maketh us sincerely to walk by it, not after the flesh but after the Spirit: when we do not favour ourselves in one lust, nor suffer ourselves in any beloved sin; but whatever it be that is evil, our conscience can say we truly do hate it and labour to avoid it; whatever it be that is commanded us, be it never so contrary to our nature, yet our conscience can say we sincerely set ourselves to do it. So walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit, this is sincerity of obedience, and this is required unto peace. 4. This sincerity of obedience maketh us to bewail our very infirmities, and to be humbled for them: not only to be humbled for greater sins, but also to be humbled for our infirmities. If we be not sound humbled for our very infirmities also, they will hinder the peace of our conscience: We can have no peace except our conscience can witness that our infirmities do humble us and drive us to Christ and cause us to sue out a pardon. If conscience have not a pardon sealed for infirmity also, it will not be at peace, Christ bore our very infirmities: 
Matth. 8.17.  therefore we must be humbled for them, 
Matth. 8.17.  and go to him for pardon of them too, or conscience will not be at peace. Thus I have answered also this third question.   

iv Question; How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience, what must he do to be freed from it?  
The reason of this question is this; Because men are ignorant about it. When men are troubled in conscience and burdened a little that way, presently they daub all with peace, and go a wrong way to work. This course the Lord doth complain of in the false prophets who preached too much peace; They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace, 
Jer. 8.11.  when there is no peace. And so they do more hurt than good: Like a chirurgeon that skinneth the wound before he giveth searching salves to kill the matter of it: afterwards it breaketh out worse, and it is a hundred to one but it will cost the patiented his life: So it is with many men: A man cannot roar a little for his sins, I have been a sinner, and what shall I do? I have been a beast, etc. But, O, say they, believe man, Christ died for thee, and the promise is to thee, and God will pardon thee. Thus they heal him slightly with Peace, peace, and it may be there is no peace to him yet; he had need to be searched more deeply: they skin the wound, and it is a thousand to one but it loseth the man's soul, by giving a cordial where a corrosive was necessary. And therefore great reason that this question should be answered, If a man have a burdened troubled conscience, what must such a man do to be freed from it?  
I answer, 1. Let him take heed that he meddle not too much with the secret will of God, what his decree and purpose is from eternity. As soon as an arrow is shot into the conscience, & the conscience cometh to be humbled, commonly the heart layeth about it, And how if God have reprobated me? and what if he have appointed me to wrath? how then? Beloved, ye must take heed of this: If your hearts fasten upon reprobation, that will mar all; that will quite discourage a poor soul from going to God.  
2. Understand the word right. Do not think that because God hath not in particular named thee, therefore he hath excluded thee. God's promises are made in general to all that believe; and they are to be applied in particular to all them that believe: why then shouldst thou exclude thyself when God doth not exclude thee? Wouldst thou have Christ? Christ to justify thee? Christ to sanctify thee? Christ to rule thee? Wouldst thou be under Christ's regiment, and live at his will? Come and welcome: no soul is excepted. Whosoever will, 
Rev. 22.17.  let him take of the water of life freely. Ye see there is a Quicunque vult, Whosoever will. Indeed if thou hast not a will to be in Christ; but thou wilt do thus and thus, and thou wilt have thy will, and this lust, and that friend, and such a course, and, Tush, this is too strict; nay, if you be there thou art not for Christ: I have nothing for thee but hell and damnation. But if thou wouldst have Christ indeed, and be in Christ indeed, thy heart in Christ, thy will in Christ, thy whole self in Christ; then arise, he calleth thee. Thus understand the word right, the gospel doth not exclude thee whosoever thou art.  
3. Thou must not for fear of shame or loss, etc. keep from restitution wheresoever thou hast done wrong, or satisfaction wheresoever thou hast cozened, or reformation wheresoever thou art accustomed to any evil, or the doing any thing that may procure ease and quiet to thy conscience. It may be one is troubled in conscience for his wronging his neighbour in twenty pounds, and if he would make restitution he might have sound peace: but he will not; no, he daubeth up his conscience some other way. Another it may be suffereth disorders in his family and foul abuses, which if he would redress he might have peace: but he will not. Another, if he would down with his pride, another, if he would be acquainted with God's servants, or if he would take any pains in good duties, be more diligent for the work of repentance, etc. but these things will not be done: Men plaster up their consciences (I know not how) some other way, and so go to hell for not taking the right way. But if any of you be troubled in conscience, keep back nothing, hold back nothing that may make for your true peace and quiet.  
4. Thou must wait on God: Cast thyself at his feet, humbly desire him to give thee the true peace of conscience. But wait God's leisure, knowing thou hast deserved to be utterly deprived of it: and thus doing thou shalt find it to thy great comfort at last. 
Isai. 30.18.  Blessed are all they that wait for him; that is, when the Lord will be merciful. He will do it with judgement, he will do it when it may do thee the most good, when it may bring himself most glory: therefore it is fit thou shouldst wait for his time of comforting. Now because many do misconstrue this waiting Gods leisure, (As for example, one is dead to all good duties, O, saith he, I wait the Lords leisure till he quicken me: My heart is much hardened, saith another; but I wait the Lords leisure till he be pleased to soften it. Thus men are lazy in the mean while; and yet they think they wait the Lords leisure. O beloved, this is not the waiting the Lord meaneth; this will not stay conscience; conscience is guilty for all this waiting) therefore I beseech you consider what waiting I mean. 1. Wait upon the Lord, and keep his way; thou dost not wait else, unless thou keep praying, and striving, and meditating, and enquiring, and watching thine own heart lest it should slip aside. 2. Thou must wait as a servant waiteth upon his master: If his master calleth, he cometh; if he sendeth, he goeth; if he beckeneth, he taketh notice: 
Psal. 123.2.  So thou must wait. As servants wait upon their masters, so our eyes wait upon the Lord till he have mercy upon us. Be obedient in the mean time: go when he sendeth; come when he calleth; observe when he beckeneth; be diligent to be doing his pleasure. 3. Thou must wait only upon God, not upon thy lusts too, and upon other things too; but thou must wait only upon God: My soul, wait thou only upon God, saith David, Psal. 62. ●5. If thou wait upon any thing else, this is not to wait upon God. One waiteth a time to be revenged; another waiteth a time to satisfy this or that lust: this is not to wait upon God at all. 4. Take heed of healing thyself, and comforting thyself, or daubing up thy conscience thyself: If thou dost so, thou dost not wait upon God to do it: If thou dost it thyself, and snatchest at comfort thyself before he do give it, than thou dost not wait till he give it. Suppose a man hath done thee an injury; the Lord he will right thee if thou wilt wait: but if thou go and recompense evil for evil, and right thyself, thou dost not wait upon God, as Solomon adviseth, 
Prov. 20.22.  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he will save thee. Mark; thou must not save thyself, thine own credit, etc. by revenging, but wait on God for all. So here if thy conscience be troubled, thou must wait upon God to comfort it: If thou goest and daubest up the matter thyself, and criest, Peace, peace, to thyself, thou dost not wait upon God. Thus I have answered the last question, How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience, what must such a man do to be freed from it? And hitherto we have spoken of the two last adjuncts of conscience, a Quiet conscience, and an Unquiet conscience; What they be, and, How they differ: and we have resolved and answered the questions and difficulties about them.    

Conscience beareth witness of our persons.  
COncerning the witness of conscience, I told you that conscience beareth witness of two things: 1. It beareth witness of our actions; 2. It beareth witness of our persons. The former hath been declared unto you at large: I come now to the latter; Conscience beareth witness also of our persons, whether we be good or evil, whether in Christ or in sin: And here I will show you four things:  
1. That every man's conscience may inform him what state he is in, whether of salvation or damnation, whether of grace or of nature.  
2. How conscience doth it.  
3. When conscience doth it.  
4. How it cometh to pass then that so many thousands mistake and are ignorant and deluded about their estates.  
I. For the first, That every man's conscience may inform him what estate he is in, 
1. Every man's conscience may inform him in what state he is.  whether good or bad; (I speak especially of such as live under the light of the Gospel of Christ.) There are two rules: the one is Gods word, which pointeth out both estates; and the other is every man's conscience, which is privy to the frame and standing of every man's own heart, and which of these estates his estate is, conscience is privy ●o this. I will instance in some sorts of men. 1. The Jews, who contented themselves with formality: they sacrificed, they offered, they paid their tithes, they did that which Moses commanded them for the letter of it: now ye shall see their conscience could tell them that they were not perfect nor upright with God: All their duties, and formalities, and gifts, and sacrifices could not make them that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, Heb. 9.9. Mark; Their consciences could say they were not upright for all this. As they were not upright, so their consciences could tell them they were not upright. 2. Another instance we have in the Scribes and Pharisees: When they would have condemned the woman taken in adultery, their own conscience was privy that they were sinners themselves, John 18.9. So also it is with a child of God: His conscience is able to inform him that he is a child of God, and that he doth truly serve God. 
2. Tim. 1.3.  I thank God, saith Paul, whom I serve with a pure conscience. His conscience told him he was a true servant of God, and that he was Gods: whose I am, saith he. So David's conscience; I am thine; save me: for I have sought thy commandments. So the church; My beloved is mine, and I am his. Ye see then how conscience can inform and tell us what estate we are in, whether we be godly or carnal, whether our conversation be in heaven or on earth, whether we be in Christ or out of him. The spirit of man knoweth what is in him. It is easy to know what our great thoughts of heart are upon, what our greatest purposes and projects and studies be; whether about God or the world: the spirit of a man must needs know it: And therefore every man may draw out from conscience a ●rue conclusion how it is with him. The ●easons are these:  
1. The first is taken from the nature ●f conscience. The nature of conscience is such that it must needs be able ●o know what is with a man. Now his welldoing or his illdoing are with ●im: he was with himself when he did ●hem. When thou art proud, or impatient, or careless in any duty, thou art with thyself when thou art so: All thy illdoing are with thee: and therefore thy conscience must needs know what thou art. 
Isai. 59.12.  Our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities we know them. Take a curser; and, as Solomon saith, Thine own heart knoweth that thou hast used to curse others. 
Eccles 7.22.  So it is with a godly soul: Thine obedience is with thee, and thy self-denial is with thee, and thy care to walk before God, all is with thee; and therefore thou must needs know it. This is the nature of conscience; It is privy to what is with one.  
2. The second reason is taken from the equity of God's judgements on the wicked. The Lord he will judge none to hell, but his conscience shall confess he was one that walked in the way to hell and death. Ye may read it in the man that had not on the wedding-garment: When Christ did charge him with his not having on a wedding-garment, and did condemn him to utter darkness, the text saith, 
Matth. 22.12.  he was speechless; that is, his conscience confessed that Christ's judgement was just: I have not on a wedding-garment, saith his conscience; and it is my fault that I have none; and I am rightly condemned. Thus his conscience did know it; otherwise he could not have been speechless in his own defence. As Festus told Agrippa that he answered the Priests, 
Acts 25.16.  It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before that he who is accused have his accuser's face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him: So may I say, that the great Judge of quick and dead will not judge any man to hell but he will have his accuser's face to face, and if he can answer for himself he may. Now if conscience be not privy to what estate soever a wicked man is in, his conscience could never accuse him face to face at the last day, nor justify the Lord Jesus, and make the sinner stand speechless before God. He might answer, Lord, I do not know any such thing as is laid to my charge: I am not convinced that the case is thus and thus with me, that I am in such an estate as I am accused of. No wicked man shall be able to say thus: Therefore conscience can inform a man in what estate he is.  
3. The third reason is taken from the Lords manner of judging the godly. He will judge them and absolve them secundùm allegata & probata, as we say, according to the word and their own consciences. Ye may see the true form of judgement which the Lord will go by Matth: 25. Where the Lord convinceth the whole world who were righteous and who not, who to be judged to punishment and who to life for ever; at last he concludeth, The wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. As if he had said, Your consciences can say ye are wicked: ye did not feed, nor cloth, nor visit me: Go your ways to hell. So for the righteous: Your consciences can say ye are righteous: Go ye to heaven. Thus the Lord will do. Now this could not be if conscience could not inform every one that is godly that he is so: If conscience could not witness what estate they are in, this could not be. Thus ye see the truth of the first thing.  
II. The second thing that I promised to show you is, How conscience doth this. 
2. How conscience doth this.  Ye have heard that it is able to inform every one what estate he is in before God: Now it followeth to consider, how conscience doth it. This it doth by comparing the word of God with our hearts, and our hearts with the word: As for example; 
Psal. 119.6.  They who have respect to all God's commandments shall never be ashamed, saith the word: But, saith conscience, I desire to know all my duty to God and man, and to perform all that I know: and therefore I shall not be ashamed. 
Prov. 11.18.  To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward, saith the word: But, saith conscience, I plough up my nature and all the fallow-ground of my heart, and I sow righteousness: and therefore to me shall be a sure reward. So, To be spiritually minded is life and peace, saith the word; But, saith conscience, I am spiritually minded; my mind is set upon things that are spiritual: therefore I have life and peace. So conscience also judgeth of the state of sin. 
Rom. 8.6.  Those that live after the flesh shall die, saith the word: But, saith conscience, my life is led after the flesh and the lusts of it: therefore I shall die. 
Rom. 8.13.  He that believeth not is condemned already, saith the word: But, saith conscience, I do not believe: therefore I am in the state of condemnation. The word saith, 
John 3.18  A good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and a corrupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit: But, saith conscience, My works and my courses are corrupt and naught: therefore so is my heart. Thus ye see that conscience doth it by reasoning: And this conscience can very well do; 1. Because conscience hath a very good judgement. It is a very wise and judicious faculty in the soul of man. Some make it an act of judgement. We do not take it so: It is not an act of judgement, but it is a reflexive faculty of the soul having a very good judgement. Whether it be right to obey you rather than God, judge ye, saith Peter, Acts 4.19. appealing to their own consciences to judge in the point. So that conscience is a faculty of a good judgement. Now if it be judicious, it must needs be able to reason and to argue about our estates, and find out whether they be good or no. It is the judgement of man that is able to argue, and able to hold an argument: We thus judge, saith the Apostle, that if one died for all, then are all dead, 2. Cor. 5.14. Mark; His proposition he would prove was, That all the believers in Christ are dead to themselves and alive unto God. Now ye may see how his judgement maketh here an argument; If Christ died for them all, than they are all dead: but Christ died for them all: therefore they are all dead. Judgement is able to make arguments: and therefore if conscience be a reflexive faculty that hath a very good judgement, it must needs be able to frame arguments, and so make out what our estates are. 2. Because there is natural logic in every man's conscience: It can frame syllogisms, thus, As many as be led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God, saith the word: But, saith a godly man's conscience, I am led by God's spirit, and I am careful to follow the leading of God's holy spirit: therefore I am one of God's sons. And so on the other side. Ye will say, How can a countryman's conscience make syllogisms? It is only for scholars and such as have studied logic in the schools to make syllogisms. I answer, It is true; Artificial logic is only among scholars. But there is natural logic in conscience, which doth not stand upon forms. The godly people at Rome were never brought up at University: yet the Apostle telleth them they had logic enough to argue themselves to be dead unto sin and alive unto God through Christ; 
Rom. 6.11.  Likewise also, saith he, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The original is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Exercise so much logic in yourselves; Like good logicians prove yourselves to be dead unto sin and alive to God. So that ye see there is natural logic in conscience: and therefore conscience is able to frame arguments about our estate, and to inform us what it is.  

3. When conscience doth this.  III. The third thing I propounded to consider is, When conscience doth ●his. This is a very necessary point: ●nd indeed so they are all; but this ●ore especially. I have showed that conscience is able to inform us what ●state we are in, whether of grace or ●ature: but when doth it perform this? ● answer, I need not so much speak of ●he godly, because they do mark conscience. But let me speak of such ●s are foolish, disobedient, serving di●ers lusts, who never had yet the washing of regeneration nor the renewing ●f the holy Ghost: I answer about ●hem; 1. Their conscience must needs ●ave a time when to do it. I do remember my faults this day, saith Pharaohs ●utler, Gen. 41.9. His conscience did ●nform him; and there was a time when ●is conscience did inform him. 2. Conscience would choose a time by itself: ● would inform a wicked man solemnly and punctually of his rotten and cur●ed estate he is in. I say, it would have ● solemn time by itself for this, if it ●ould have it: but a wicked man taketh ●n order with his conscience that it ●hall not tell him solemnly how it is with him; neither will he find a time t● suffer it: As it was with Felix; Whe● his conscience began to grumble against him, when Paul had told him ● righteousness and of judgement, h● trembled, his conscience began to stir and would then have solemnly dea● with him indeed: but he shuffled it o● and would not find time; 
Acts 24.25.  Go thy way ● this time, saith he to Paul; I will hea● thee at a more convenient time. And ● he said to his conscience too. Conscience would take a solemn and set tim● to inform men what their estates an● but men will not suffer them: an● therefore conscience is fain to tak● such sudden times as it can get. Y● will ask, What times be they?  
I answer, First, when conscience interlineth: 
Conscience interlineth.  As for example, in the hea●ing of the word: While men are hearing the word, it may be the preache● preacheth of holiness, and a wicke● man heareth it; But I have it not, sait● his conscience. Mark; his conscience interlineth. It may be the preacher i● preaching how desperately careless men are of their souls, how they look ● every thing more than to them; conscience interlineth, This is my ●se. It may be he is preaching against adultery; This sin I have committed, saith a guilty conscience: or ●gainst rushing upon God's ordinances without preparation; This is my constant ●urse, saith an evil man's conscience. ● may be the preacher is preaching of conversion and becoming a new creature in Christ; This I am yet to seek in, ●ith conscience. Thus conscience in●erlineth: Though the man heareth on, ●●d it may be taketh little to heart, yet conscience interlineth a sudden information of his wretched estate. Like a 〈◊〉 bird that flieth by, or like a swift●ot arrow, that is presently out of ●●ght, so it may be a man taketh very ●ttle notice of it. 
Acts 24.25.  Like the forenamed ●elix: as Paul was preaching of righteousness and temperance, I have it not, ●ith his conscience; and of judgement ●o come, What shall I do then? saith his conscience? Thus conscience interlined, and made him tremble on a sudden, like a sudden shivering of a co● or a sudden startle of a man affrighte● and away it was gone quickly. I beseech you observe your own bosom Do ye not feel this now and then at sermon, when ye hear it? do not yo● consciences interline our sermons, a● put in parentheses now and the● When ye hear such and such a sin● reproved, condemned, And this is ● sin, saith conscience: when ye hea● these and these graces commended, An● I never had these, saith conscience: whe● ye hear these and these marks of a carnal estate, And these or some of these a● in me, saith conscience? do not you consciences interline in this manner▪ As Paul was speaking to the ship-me● concerning God, his conscience di● sweetly interline thus, 
Acts 27.23.  There stood by me● this night an Angel of God, whose I am, saith his conscience. And as he was writing to the Romans, 
Rom 1.9.  God is my witness, saith he, whom I serve in my spirit. But do not your consciences interline otherwise with you? If they do, I beseech you consider it: Your consciences do then truly inform you of your ●●ten estates: listen to them.  
Secondly, when conscience falleth a ●oking. 
Conscience choketh.  As for example, in prayer: wicked man prayeth; But I do not ●●y right, saith his conscience. I humbly ●eech thee, O Lord: Nay, but I do not ●eech humbly, saith his conscience. I ●ire to be sanctified and purged from my ●nes: Nay, but I do not hunger after any ●h thing, saith conscience. I do not con●e ●e my sins right, nor beg for grace right. 〈◊〉 your consciences choke you thus? ●ow your consciences inform you of ●ur estates. Peradventure ye hardly ●rceive this choking at all: It is done a moment, and it presently ceaseth, 'cause ye are not willing to hear it: ●d therefore it may be conscience doth by sudden flashes. 
Num. 12.4  It is said the Lord ●●ke suddenly to Moses: so often conscience speaketh suddenly to men, a word ●d away. As David saith of the wic●d, God shall shoot an arrow at them, and ●ey shall be wounded on a sudden: So con●ience shooteth a quick arrow, and it soundeth men in the twinkling of an eye, and it is gone. Lord, have m●● upon us, said one: But I should not sa● vainly and in ordinary talk, saith conscience. I do not hate this man for his ho●●nesse and strictness: But you do, sai● conscience. And so when men are defending evil by arguments; But this false, saith conscience. Thus conscient choketh on a sudden, and is gone. confess, generally the men of the wor● mark not these things: They are suc● sudden sparklings of conscience th● men for the most part do not he● them: But these are God's witnesse● and men shall know one day they we truly informed of their estates by the● instantaneous Items of conscience.  
Thirdly, when conscience shooter like a stitch in a man's side. As for example; Sometimes when men are abo● their callings and their worldly business, then cometh conscience like ● sudden stitch in ones side, and giveth them a twitch, O how worldly am I! saith conscience: Shall I never get this worldly-mindedness cured? Many times conscience speaketh while men are working, or playing, or eating, or buying, or ●ling.  
Fourthly, so likewise when conscience commenteth upon the judgements 〈◊〉 God. Let an adulterer fall sick; Yea, ●is is for mine adultery, saith conscience. Let a company-keeper be in ●ant of outward things; Yea, this is my ●unkennesse, saith conscience: 
Jer. 4.18.  This is ●y wickedness, my way, my do which ●ve procured me these things; this ague, ●is poverty, this shame, this discomfort. ●hus I have showed you how conscience doth inform the wicked of their wretched estate; and, when it doth it. 〈◊〉 remaineth now that I speak something of the fourth point.  
IU. How cometh it to pass then ●hat so many thousands mistake, and ●re ignorant and deluded about their estates? 
4. Why many are deluded about their estate.  The reason of this doubt is this; Seeing conscience is able to inform e●ery one what his estate is, whether it be blessed or cursed; and seeing also ●hat conscience doth it; and doth it by argument; and hath its time when it doth it: a man now would wonder that any should be ignorant of his esta●● when his own conscience doth tell hi● how it is with him. For answer I wil● explain unto you two things: 1. Th● reasons why men are mistaken; 2. Th● reasons why they are mistaken though conscience inform them.  
First, They build upon false ground which are not in God's word. Som● are so foolish that they build upon onward things, as health, peace, prosperity, success, and the like. They prosper, and all things go well with them and therefore sure God is at peac● with them: This is not so; but they think so though. Some again buil● upon grounds which men of corrupt minds do give them, or which they take from the common opinion o● most, thinking that to be faith and repentance which the most take so to be▪ or which a teacher fit for their pala●● taketh so to be. On the contrary side, weak Christians oftentimes mistake themselves by judging their estates to be bad because God letteth them be poor and mean and comfortless in the world: Therefore they conclude God is angry with them, or that they are not that which they seem to themselves to be, because they are so crossed in all outward things. This is the first reason of error in this kind.  
Reas. 2 2. A second reason is the not-right understanding of God's word: As when men judge of themselves by such places of Scripture as were not intended to be rules and to be of use to such ends as they apply them: as, Whosoever calleth upon the Lord shall be saved, Rom. 10.13. Hence the wicked may false●y conclude, I call upon the Lord, and I pray unto him; therefore I shall be saved. And so on the contrary, a weak Christian who findeth not in himself those degrees of grace which some places of Scripture seem to require concludeth from thence against himself, Therefore I have no grace at all. This is a second 'cause of mistaking.  
Reas. 3 3. A third cause is the not trying ●nd examining our own hearts. Some ●re loath to trouble themselves about it: They are loath to think so bad of themselves as that they are in such a course as wherein God will not love them. Nay, they cannot endure that others should discover their hearts unto them: They had as lief they should show them the pit of hell as show them themselves. They look to some common gifts and graces that are in them, such gifts and graces as may be in a reprobate, but they will not think so; as illumination, knowledge, the gift of prayer, of temperance, etc. These they look to, and these they speak of, though they have reigning lusts within in their hearts: As Jehu; Come, see my zeal, saith he, 2. Kings 10.16. He doth not say, Come, see my pride and hypocrisy; but, my zeal. Jehu looked at his zeal, and so thought he was right. So on the contrary, weak Christians may sometimes look only at their sins and infirmities, and take no notice of God's graces that are in them, and so may mistake their own selves, and conclude amiss of their estates. Thus I have showed you the reasons why men are mistaken about their estates. Now I will show you the reasons why men are mistaken though conscience do tell them.  
1. Because the speeches of conscience in the wicked many times, yea most times, are low speeches. The gnawings of conscience whereby they are told they are in a bad and a damned estate are like the gnawings of a very little worm that a man can hardly feel. Where their worm dieth not: 
Isa. 66.24.  The word in the original, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifieth a very little worm that breedeth in scarlet, that a man can very hardly see or perceive: so men sometimes do hardly see or perceive the condemning and gnawing of conscience. Again, conscience biteth suddenly, as I told you; it giveth a little nip, and away: Like a sparrow that flieth by; it flieth so fast by a man's eye that he can scarce tell whether it be a sparrow or no: So it is not easily perceived whether it be a condemning conscience or no: it giveth such sudden nips, and away, that men seldom take notice. Beloved, there is never a wicked man under heaven, unless he be delivered up absolutely to a reprobate sense, but hath a thousand of these sudden momentany nips every day in the year. Had he the heart to observe them: (but he hath not) he might see his wretched estate, to trouble him, and provoke him to Christ, and to be converted that God might heal him; I say, had he a heart he might see it: but these nips are so secret and sudden that he doth not. So likewise it is with the godly in regard of true comfort: Their conscience suddenly flasheth in comfort, and they many times do not observe it. As Job speaketh of God, Lo, 
Job 9.11.  he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, and I perceive him not: So doth the Lord go by his children in the sudden flashes of comfort in their conscience, but many times they see him not, perceive him not.  
2. Because the devil blindeth men's eyes, therefore they do not see what their consciences do show them. Ye may read this of the wicked people in Corinth: 
2. Cor. 4.2.  St Paul saith he commended himself and the Gospel to every man's conscience in the sight of God; that is, He did so preach, and so live, that every man's conscience could not choose but say, Certainly Paul preacheth the truth, and Paul liveth right, and we must live as he speaketh and doth. He made their consciences say thus, and to tell them they were not right if they did not. But mark what followeth: Some did not see this: Why? The god of this world, saith he, hath blinded their eyes. So the god of this world blindeth the eyes of the wicked that what their consciences show them they do not see it nor observe it. So for God's people; Though they be in a good and a blessed estate, and their consciences can say it, yet Satan oftentimes hindereth them that they do not perceive their own comfort.  
3. Men do not love conscience. We should love conscience better than the dearest friend we have under heaven. We would do much for a friends sake: but we should do a thousand times more for conscience sake: 
Rom. 13.5.  Obey Magistrates for conscience sake: suffer disgrace, reproaches, any thing, for conscience sake. It is better than all the friends in the world. But the wicked they do not love conscience: let conscience speak, they care not to hear it. They will hear friends, but they will not hear conscience. Let their lusts call, and their profits and pleasures call for this and that thing, they hear all: but they love not to hear conscience. Nay, many wicked men are angry to hear talk of it. When Paul had made mention of conscience, Ananias commanded he should be smitten: 
Acts 23.1.  Men and brethren, saith Paul, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. Smite him on the mouth, saith the high Priest Ananias. He was angry to hear him talk of a good conscience. This is most certain; men do not love conscience, nor to be kerbed by conscience, nor informed by conscience: They had as lief see the devil as that their consciences should inform them of their estates, and tell them thus and thus they are. They are told rightly, and yet they are mistaken, because they do not love to hear conscience of that theme.   

Of a good and bad conscience.  
YE have heard concerning the witness-bearing of conscience about our estates. The next thing to be spoken of is that welknown distinction of ● Good and a Bad conscience. This distinction we read of in Scripture: Concerning a good conscience see Heb. 13.18. We trust we have a good conscience. Concerning a bad conscience see Heb. ●0. 22. Having our hearts sprinkled from ●n evil conscience. There be both the members. Of the distinction of them both briefly and in order; and first of a good conscience.  
The goodness of conscience is twofold; natural, and renewed. 
Concerning a good conscience  1. The natural goodness of conscience consisteth in those relics of goodness which it retaineth since the creation. Ye know man depraved and corrupted his conscience by his fall: yet there be some relics left, as reason, and knowledge, and reflection. I do not mean relics of any spiritual goodness in conscience: For as there is no spiritual goodness left in the other faculties of the soul, so neither in conscience. But the natural goodness which I mean is nothing else but the veracity of conscience, whereby it is enforced according to the knowledge it hath to tell the truth. Thus every wicked man hath a good conscience: Their conscience is good in that sense; their conscience hath this natural goodness, that it telleth them the truth how it is with them. Nay, it is essential to conscience to be good in this sense. It is the essential property of conscience to speak according to its knowledge. It is the best faculty a wicked man hath: it is better than his mind, or heart, or will. There is more goodness in a wicked man's conscience then in any other of the powers of his soul: His conscience speaketh more for God than himself doth, and standeth more for God than himself will. Not but that as all the powers of the soul are desperately corrupted by sin, so conscience is desperately corrupted as well as any of them: but I speak of the essential goodness of it, which can never be lost. The de●ls in hell have not lost the goodness ● their essence: Nay, their essence is ●etter than the essence of God's Saints: ●●eir essence must be good because that ● Gods creature; nay, better than any ●ans essence, because the Lord made ●●em a degree above man. And as man ● a degree above beasts, so angels are degree above man: so conscience is a ●egree above other powers of the soul ● its natural goodness. That conscience hath such a natural goodness in it, ●e it in those cursed Scribes and Phari●es, hypocrites, who brought the wo●an taken in adultery to Christ: Their conscience was good; 
John 8.9.  they were convict●● of their consciences: their consciences dealt honestly with them, and told ●hem the truth that they were wicked ●●nners themselves. This is the natural ●oodnesse in conscience.  
2. A renewed good conscience. I ●ll it a renewed good conscience, because when a man is renewed, all the ●an is renewed; all his mind and the spirit of it is renewed, Ephes. 4.23. That ye may be renewed in the spirit of you mind. If the man be renewed, all th● mind must be renewed; and therefore the conscience must be renewed too for the mind and the conscience ever g● together: nay, conscience is mainly seated in the mind; and therefore if th● mind be renewed, so is the conscience and if the mind be defiled, so is the conscience. Tit. 1.15. To them that are defiled is nothing pure, but their mind's a● consciences are defiled. Mark; When the● are defiled, they are defiled together so when they are washed and renewed they are washed and renewed together Now this renewed conscience is either perfect or defective. 1. Perfect. I mea● not perfect in every degree of goodness: For so no man's conscience in th● world is perfect: But I mean perfect i● every part and condition of goodness 2. A defective good renewed conscience is that which faileth in some conditions of goodness. We call it a we● conscience, which is apt to be pollute● and defiled again. 1. Cor. 8.7. Their conscience being weak is defiled. This is a defective good conscience, a conscience ●ewed, but imperfectly renewed.  
I. To a good conscience 
A firm conscience  that is endly renewed five things are neces●●●y.  
●. Knowledge of God's will, and ●t which doth follow the true knowledge of his will, namely true humilia● and fear. By nature the conscience ●lind and sturdy and venturous; and ●●●refore it is necessary that it should be ●ghtened to understand the will of ●d and to press it: and again it is necessary that the heart should be humid, or else it will not stoop to God's ●l: and it is necessary also that this ●y fear should fall upon the heart, ●t it may not dare to transgress. St●●●ter being to speak of a good conscience, premiseth all these as necessary ●●●reunto: First he adviseth that Christians have knowledge to be able to give ●●ason of the hope that is in them; and ●n that they should have meekness and 〈◊〉, for to do it: 
1. Pet. 3.15, 16.  with meekness and ●, saith he, having a good conscience. ●●rk; Knowledge and meekness and fear are required to make a good conscience; without them the conscience cannot be good. By nature we are al● blind, and stubborn, and fearless of sinning: and therefore till we be cured o● these evils, our consciences cannot be good.  
2. The second thing is a watchfulness and warfare against sin: Thi● is required too to a renewed good conscience. By nature we are drowsy, and careless, and secure, and do not stand upon our guard to wage war against our lusts and the desires of our flesh; and so long our consciences can never be good: and therefore this spiritual watchfulness and maintaining war against sin is required to the having a good conscience: That thou mayst war a good warfare, saith Paul to Timothy, having faith and a good conscience, 1. Tim. 1.18, 19 Some who seemed to have a good conscience, because they did not maintain this holy warfare against sin and the flesh, they have lost it: Therefore this is another requisite required to a good conscience.  
3. The third is tenderness of conscience. By nature our hearts are seared, ●nd dead, and unclean: and therefore we must get us tender and pure hearts ●f we would have good renewed consciences. The end of the commandment is ●ove, out of a pure heart and good conscience ●nd faith unfeigned, 1. Tim. 1.5. See ●ow the Apostle compoundeth them together, a pure heart and a good conscience. We must get our hearts purged ●nd quickened, that they may be sensible of the least evil; and then our consciences will be good and be as a bridle to hold us from evil. A hard heart and a good conscience can never stand together.  
4. The fourth is the cleanness of conscience by the washing of Christ's blood. This is the main and the principal of all: Yea indeed the blood of Christ is the sole and only cause of a good conscience. I would not be mistaken: I named indeed other causes; Knowledge, and Humbling, and a holy Fear, a Combat against sin, and Tenderness: but I do not mean as though a good conscience were part beholding to them and partly to Chri●● blood: For it is wholly and only beholding to Christ's blood for its goodness; his blood is the only price of ● But my meaning is this, That though Christ's blood be the one only cause ● redemption, yet in the application of redemption the Lord useth all those fo●● named graces while he applieth it ● the conscience. Therefore this now 〈◊〉 add; The washing of Christ's blout this is chief required to the goodness of conscience. We have two places o● Scripture to prove it: The one, Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the blood ● Christ purge your consciences from dea● works? It is that only can do it. Th● other text is 1. Pet. 3.21. The answer of 〈◊〉 good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Where the Apostle first giveth this title to a renewed conscience, to be called a good conscience▪ Secondly, he nameth the cause that maketh it to be good, the power of Christ's resurrection: When the resurrection of Christ Jesus is powerful upon us, than conscience becometh good.  
5. The fifth is quietness. By nature ●othing is so fierce and violent, if it be ●nce awaked, as conscience is: O it is unspeakably furious. Thus is conscience by nature: and therefore it can ne●er be good until we get it appeased with the assurance of the pardon of our ●innes, and so true peace and comfort established in it. This is the reason why ●he Scripture joineth a good conscience and faith so often together: as ●. Tim. 3.9. Holding the mystery of faith ●n a pure conscience. It cannot be a pure or good conscience if faith be not held ●n it. As long as the conscience is not underpropped by faith, the conscience must needs be in a wilderness: Perhaps my sins are imputed unto me; perhaps ●hey are pardoned: Perhaps they are covered, perhaps not. As long as the conscience lieth under these uncertainties, it cannot be firm and fondly good indeed: therefore we must labour for assurance of pardon by faith. Thus much of a good renewed conscience that is perfectly and sound renewed.  

An infirm conscience  II. Secondly, There is a good conscience renewed but not sound renewed, very much as yet defective and imperfect. The former conscience is called conscientia firma, a firm conscience: This is called conscientia infirma, an infirm conscience. Rom. 15.1. We that are strong aught to bear the infirmities of the weak. This infirm conscience is a good conscience too, and renewed, but cumbered with sundry imperfections; which in process of time by growth in grace are, for the most part, conquered in the godly. True faith is required unto this: For the Apostle calleth such an one a brother in Christ, one that hath this infirm conscience: 
Rom. 14.21.  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth. And we must not set such an one at nought Tush, what care I for him? I know I may lawfully do thus: and this is my Christian liberty; and shall I lose it for him, because of his conscience? Nay saith the Apostle, 
Rom. 14.10.  Why dost thou set at nought thy brother? Mark; The Apostle counteth such an one a Christian brother, and not to be set at nought: and therefore this is a good conscience too, differing as much as white from black from such consciences as are weak through superstition of mind and through pride of heart because they will not be otherwise, or through affected ignorance because they love not to be better informed. These weak consciences are wicked; I speak not of these: I speak of a good conscience, a conscience renewed, but renewed imperfectly, having yet sundry defects and imperfections. The imperfections of it are  
1. Imperfection of knowledge. It doth not yet sound and clearly understand what is lawful and what is pure, and what is by Christian liberty indifferent. Paul saith, 
Rom. 14.14.  I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. He speaketh of things that are indifferent: The Apostle had knowledge: but there were others who did not know this; O I may not eat this meat; I may not play at bowls, or use any other recreation: I should sinne if I should, etc. This is one weakness in this kind of conscience, weakness of knowledge.  
2. The second imperfection is to be grieved where it needeth not be grieved: As when it seethe other do that which itself through mistake doth judge to be evil, it is apt to be grieved and troubled to see it; 
Rom. 14.15.  If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. It may be thou thinkest it lawful to eat such meat; but he thinketh otherwise, and so is grieved to see thee eat. This is another imperfection in this conscience, to be grieved and offended without just cause.  
3. A third imperfection is in judgement: It is apt to judge and condemn another man's liberty: 1. Cor. 10.29. Why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? He speaketh of a weak conscience. It is apt to be judging and condemning my liberty, saith he; but why so? This is a fault and an imperfection indeed; O such an one sinneth, he doth so and so: yet it may be the thing is not unlawful, but a weak conscience is apt so to judge it, and to condemn him that doth it. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not: and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth, Rom. 14.3.  
4. A fourth imperfection is this: A weak conscience is apt to be misled. So the Apostle intimateth; Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block unto them that are weak: for if any man see thee who hast knowledge sit at meat in the idols temple, shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols? and through thy knowledge shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died? 
1. Cor. 8.9, 10, 11.  Where ye see that weak consciences are apt to be misled. The reason is this, Because when they see others whom they know to be more learned and judicious than themselves to do so and so, that may soon tempt them to do it though their conscience be against it.  
Use 1 The first use is this; If any have weak consciences let them labour to strengthen them. Ye see what imperfections are in a weak conscience; how apt it is to be offended and to judge other men's liberty, how prone to misleading: therefore let every good soul labour to be strengthened.  
Use 2 The second use is this; Those that be strong must be careful that they offend not the weak. Though they do believe such and such Christian liberties they have, yet if they know the use of them will offend their weak brother, they should be careful to abstain. 
Rom. 14.13.  Let no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.  
Use 3 Thirdly, if it be such a sin to sin against the conscience of the weak, than what a sin is it to sin against the conscience of all that are godly, whether weak ones or strong ones? Ye who walk after the flesh, and can have disorders in your families, and vanity in your mouths, and apparent corruptions in your lives; Ye who can drink and be drunken and keep company and profane the Lords days; ye offend the consciences of all that are godly: it is a grief to their souls to see it. Let me tell you; It is a sin to be wicked however, and the highway to hell: but to be wicked when ye have godly neighbours about you, your sin now is double: For as you offend God, so you offend them too. Ye may remember what Christ saith, Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea, Matth. 18.6. Ah ye vile wretches! ye little imagine what fearful vengeance ye pull on your own heads: It were better for you that a millstone were hung about your necks, and ye thrown into the sea, then that ye should offend one of these little ones. Ye may call them what ye will; call them puritanes, precisians, uncharitable people, censurers; ye may call them as Satan teacheth you to call them: but it is certain, it were better a millstone were hung about your neck, and ye thrown into the sea, then that ye should offend any one of Christ's little ones: The Lord open your eyes that ye may repent and believe the gospel yourselves and be saved.  
4. Lastly, be exhorted, brethren, to labour after a good conscience. How excellent a thing is it that hath so many good ingredients! Illumination is one ingredient, and Faith is another, and Tenderness another, and Pureness another, and Quietness another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ another. It is like Aaron's composition, which smelled sweetly when he went into the sanctuary: It is compounded of excellent conditions, such as smell swee● when we come before God: the Lord loveth that such should come nea● him. We may come with assurance t● speed if we come with a good conscience; 
Heb. 10.22.  Let us draw near with assurance o● faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Mark; we may draw near with assurance if we come with t● good conscience. It will comfort us in all troubles, and support us in all dangers: It maketh us happy: nay, there is no happiness without it. It will make us with quietness and contentedness of spirit undergo whatever it shall please God to lay upon us. How can they want comfort that have this? It is a spring of comfort within them. This will remain with us when all other comforts will forsake us: When friends fail, and estate faileth, when credit and health and strength and all fail, than a good conscience, if we have it, will speak peace to us, yea and it will effect it in us, comfort us, and fasten comfort upon us. Friends may speak words of comfort and peace to us; but it may be we are not able to receive it: the minister may preach peace; but it may be we are not able to take it: But a good conscience speaketh peace and effecteth it; it doth not only speak it but it putteth it into our hearts. It proppeth us up in all miseries, in sicknesses, yea in death itself. A good conscience than maketh us hold up our heads when all the world shall be confounded: A good conscience will bear us out against the King of terrors: It is only a good conscience that can look death in the face, 
1. Cor. 15.55, 57  and say, O death, where is thy sting? thanks be to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea, at the day of judgement, when the whole world shall be burning before us, when the great men of the world who go in silks and scarlet and broidered hair shall fear and shiver as a reed shaken with the wind, this will make us with boldness undergo the terror of it. This will make us happy in all our distresses: When crosses pelt us, and sickness paineth us, and death attacheth us, we are happy men. What if we have the tokens of God's wrath upon our bodies so we have the marks of his love upon our souls? What outward calamity soever happeneth to us, yet if we have this good conscience we are happy. O then let us labour to get it by faith and a holy life. If we would be safe in the floud-time, in the day of God's wrath, we must be busy now about the ark, we must provide beforehand for it: Nothing but this ark will save us in the deluge of God's anger. It is in vain to trouble ourselves about other things: Jubal was a merry man; 
Gen. 4.20.  he made pipes and organs: Jabal built tents; others planted vineyards: but Noah provided his ark. Many desire comfort in sickness, in death; but they do not provide for it beforehand: They look after their sports or businesses in the world; but this ark is neglected, this good conscience, without which all men's labour is vain. Be they what they will be, in never so much credit and esteem, they are yet most miserable when troubles and afflictions come on them, as one day they shall and shall not tarry; then all their comforts will forsake them: When death looketh them in the face, than their hearts die within them. How full of pride and haughtiness soever they were before, yet when they come to die, if their consciences be awaked, they will with Saul fall down to hear the name of death, 
1. Sam. 28.20.  and no spirits be left in them. Nay, if we want a good conscience when we lie on our deathbeds, & desire good people to pray for us, Good sir, I beseech you let me have the benefit of your prayers to God for me: Alas, if thou hast not a good conscience, all the prayers under heaven will not help thee. See Heb. 13.18. Brethren, pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience. Mark; The Apostle telleth them they may pray for him with comfort, because he had a good conscience. As if he had said, If we had not a good conscience, it were in vain for you to pray for us. If ever God hear the prayers made for us, we must have a good conscience. Those that have not this good conscience shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven: Though they had Moses, Daniel, and Job to pray for them, yet all their prayers could not help them in the time of their distress.    

The bond of conscience.  
NOw we must look back unto the four propositions which at the beginning I observed in the text I am upon;  
1. That there is in every man a conscience.  
2. That the light which directeth conscience is knowledge.  
3. That the bond which bindeth conscience is God's law.  
4. That the office of conscience is to bear witness, to accuse or excuse.  
I have in the handling of these a little altered the method, and spoke of the two first and the last. Now followeth the third, and that is consciences bond, which is God's law: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, etc. It is only the work of God's law that it beareth witness of, that it accuseth or excuseth for: 
The bond of conscience is God's law.  The law of God is consciences bond. Nevertheless we must here distinguish: The bonds of conscience are either primary & supreme, or secondary and relative.  
1. The primary and supreme bond of conscience is only God's word and law: that only is the supreme bond of conscience: There is one lawgiver, 
Jam. 4.12.  who is able to save or to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? that is, There is but one supreme lawgiver to bind the consciences of men, and that is God. And the reason is given, Because it is God only who is able to save and to destroy. As if he had said, God only hath power over life and death, either to save a man for ever, or destroy a man for ever, and to judge a man according to all that he hath done: and therefore he only can make laws to bind the consciences of men.  
2. Now the secondary or relative bond of conscience is, when others who have authority from God bind conscience to this or that. I call this a relative bond, because it is only in relation to the authority of God. For though men cannot challenge any do or omissions contrary to their law to be sins, yet if they have authority from God to command any thing, than they become beams and parts of God's law, and do by virtue of that bind a man's conscience.  
This relative bond of conscience is twofold. First, other men may bind our consciences; as magistrates, and masters, and parents: who though they cannot bind conscience as they are men, yet when they have authority from God, their commands have Gods seals upon them, and do bind, I say, in relation to God's law, which biddeth us obey them; Rom. 13.5. Ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. The Apostle there speaketh of Magistrates; and he telleth us that their laws bind our consciences in relation to Gods, and therefore we must be subject unto them for conscience sake. Thus others may bind our consciences. Secondly, we ourselves may bind our own consciences; and that is by vows which we make unto God, or by our promises which we lawfully make unto men. The vows which we freely make unto God, these bind conscience to keep them: Numb. 30.4. the vow of a woman is called the bond wherewith she hath bound her soul. Mark; she bindeth her soul and her conscience with it. So the promises which we lawfully make unto men, these also bind conscience: For though before we promise it was in our own power, yet when we have promised we have bound our own consciences to the performance, because there is God's seal upon it; God's law commandeth us to be true of our words. These are relative bonds, bonds only in relation to God's law: God's law is still the supreme bond of conscience. I will handle that first.  

The law of God the prime bond of conscience.  I. The law of God whereby he willeth and commandeth and forbiddeth this or that in his word, this is the main bond of conscience: When this bindeth it, nothing else can lose it; and contrary, if this lose it, nothing else can bind it. It so bindeth conscience as the observing or violating of it is that which maketh conscience clear or guilty before God. This is it which maketh a man a debtor; 
Rom. 1.14.  I am a debtor, saith Paul, both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians: that is, I am bound in conscience by God's command to preach the Gospel unto both. This is it that denominateth a man to be bound: 
Acts 20.22.  I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem; that is, I knowing it to be God's will am bound in conscience to go. This is that which layeth a necessity upon a man; A necessity is laid upon me to preach; 
1. Cor. 9.16.  i. I am bound in conscience by God's word so to do. This is that which layeth a kind of enforcement upon men; 
Acts 4.20.  We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard; that is, If we should not, our consciences would fly in our faces: We are bound by God's will to do so, and our consciences lay a charge upon us that we cannot go against it. The only will and word of almighty God is that which supremely bindeth conscience.  
1. Because God only knoweth the heart; he seethe our thoughts, 
Reason's  and he only can reach to the secrets of our spirits; and therefore he only can bind our conscience. For who else can tell whether we make conscience of a thing yea or no? perhaps we do, perhaps we do not. Nor man nor angel can tell certainly: but God knoweth certainly, ●nd he only; and therefore he only ●an bind our consciences. When the Lord doth command or forbidden, the conscience is privy that God seethe it; and herefore now it is bound. The word of God is quick and powerful; 
Heb. 4.12.  it pierceth even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. This bindeth a man's thoughts and intentions; he cannot be free in these things: and the reason is given by the Apostle; 
vers. 13.  All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. As if he had said, We are conscious of Gods all-seeing power; he seethe our hearts and our thoughts and all that is in us: and therefore his word doth bind us, yea it bindeth all our secrets: we cannot think a vain thought but our conscience will cry guilty before God, because our conscience doth know that God knoweth all. Besides, the conscience cannot fear any law but only God's law. Ye know when conscience is once in a doubt, it is fearful, and beginneth to ask questions with itself, May I do this? or may I not do it? 
1. Cor. 10.27.  ask no questions for conscience sake. The conscience when it doubteth useth to ask questions. Now this supposeth the lawgiver to be able to see it: otherwise the conscience would not be thus afraid, if it were only the commandment of a creature, that could not search the heart. So that here ye see one reason why God's law is the supreme bond of conscience; Because no eye can see it but Gods.  
2. Because God only hath power over conscience: It is his commandment only that maketh any thing sin or not sin unto us. Augustine defineth sin to be A thought, or word, or deed, or lust against the commandment of God. 
Psal. 51.4.  Against thee, against thee only have I sinned, saith David. He saith he had sinned only against God. Why? you will say, he sinned also against man: Did not he commit adultery? that was a sin against Bathsheba: and murder? that was a sin against Vriah. True, he sinned against man relatively, in relation to the commandment which saith, Thou shalt not injure thy neighbour: but primarily and principally the sin was against God. Conscience is like the king's servant, whom none can arrest or attach without leave from the king: so no man can bind conscience without leave had from God: for conscience is only subject to his power: he only hath power over conscience.  
3. Because conscience is God's book. Now no creature can add to God's book or diminish from it. Ye may remember that dreadful anathema at the end of God's book; 
Rev. 22.18, 19  If any man shall add to this book, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall diminish from this book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. Now conscience is also God's book wherein his law is written. Nay, conscience is called God's law: For it is said, 
Rom. 2.14.  that when the Gentiles which have not the law do the things contained in the law, they having not the law are a law unto themselves: that is, Their conscience is God's law unto them. Like as the Bible containeth God's law for us Christians, so did their consciences contain the law of God to them: yea, to us Christians much rather: For we are not to let God's law be written only in our Bibles, but we must get it written in our consciences: our consciences are to be God's books wherein his laws are to be written. And therefore if it be a sin to add a new law in the material book to bind men, than it must needs be a sin for any creature to put a new law into conscience, which is the spiritual book of God. It is God only who can write laws in this book: his book is above all the laws in the world; and none but God can put in and put out: and therefore none but he can bind conscience. I speak still of this absolute, & supreme bond of conscience: For Magistrates may bind relatively; but not as they are their laws, but by the law of God before made. Thus ye see the necessity of this truth, That God's law is the absolute and supreme bond of conscience.  

Uses.  
Use 1 1. This serveth to direct Ministers how to convince the consciences of their people. If Ministers desire to work upon their hearers, they must speak to the conscience; they must show them Gods authority, that it is Gods will and Gods command. Tell conscience never so much, that we should do thus or thus upon other grounds and inducements, it starteth not at that, except it be convinced by the word of God that it is Gods will, the commandment of the great God of heaven, the God of the spirits of all flesh, who will look for our obedience: This maketh conscience to startle, this affecteth it and bindeth it. St Paul when he said that he approved himself and his preaching to men's consciences, 
2. Cor. 4.2.  what followeth? If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish, etc. As if he had said, This maketh all the world to startle, except they be reprobates and men delivered over to Satan. It is easy to see what ministry affecteth most and doth the most good in the hearts of the people, namely that which bringeth the clearest voice of God's Spirit calling to obedience and binding the conscience. They can hear with ease and great pleasure the sermons of those whose doctrines are stuffed with humane discourses. Learning and policy never pierce conscience. Nay, let carnal preachers preach never so much against people's sins, they can make a sport of it, though they hear their sins with humane learning declaimed against. When the preacher doth not clearly preach the Lord's voice, though he rip up sin, yet if it be not in the demonstration of the Spirit of God, and showing his clear authority, the heart will not be affected. Conscience knoweth when it is bound, and when it is but dallied and jested with: And therefore if Ministers desire to have their ministry work upon the hearts of their people, they must show them Gods authority, and confirm it by his word, and let them see that it is the commandment of the Lord, that which will one day judge them. Let him know, 
1. Cor. 14.37.  saith Paul, that the things that I writ are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Lord of heaven and earth that biddeth thee yield, and commandeth thee to give over thy base lusts: It is he in whose hands thy breath is; thou hadst best be obedient. I tell thee, thy conscience observeth it; and if thou wilt not obey, it will roar like the roaring of the sea one day against thee, and sting thee like a scorpion. The things that thou hearest, know thou that they are the commandments of God: and if thou disobey, thou dost disobey not men but God.  
Use 2 2. Is it so that the word of God only is the supreme bond of conscience? Then this teacheth us to have an eye to God's word in that which we do, if we would satisfy conscience. I say, have an eye to God's word: not only to do that which it may be is in God's word; conscience counteth that to be nothing: but to have an eye to God's word. Conscience will not be satisfied with any obedience that we do if we have not an eye to God's word. Whatever we have an eye to besides, conscience knoweth it is nothing, if in all we have not an eye to the commandment of God: Though we do obey it, conscience looketh upon it as if we did not obey it. It is only God's commandment and authority that bindeth conscience: and therefore nothing satisfieth conscience unless we have an eye unto that. If we do not aim at Gods will in doing what we do, conscience counteth our obedience as no obedience at all. As for example; Ye that are husbands, ye love your wives: but is it because God commandeth it? It may be ye love them because they love you, or because your affections are to them: Alas, this is nothing: Pagans and reprobates can do so. But do ye aim at the doing of Gods will, who commandeth you? O say you, The Lord doth command me, and I do it. What of that? Do ye look at his commandment when ye do it? If not; be humbled, and know ye must get grace to do so, or ye are not obedient to God, neither will conscience set it down for obedience. Ye that are servants, ye serve your masters: but do ye aim at Gods will? thus, O the Lord hath commanded me to be faithful and painful in my service. Doth your soul look to this? It may be ye serve them because they are kind, and because they pay you your wages, and the like: This is nothing to conscience: conscience looketh at the commandment of God; and if your souls do not aim at the commandment of God, it will not satisfy conscience. Ye that are neighbours, it may be ye love one another, and be friends one with another: but doth your soul look at God's commandment? is it because God hath commanded us to love one another? People seldom aim at God in these cases: They are friends with their neighbours: why? Their neighbours are friends with them. But they do not trouble their thoughts to aim at God's commandment in it. Let me tell you; Conscience will not count this obedience: For conscience feeleth no bond but God's word: and if ye do not look at that, it is no obedience with conscience; conscience will never acquit you or absolve you for this; it accounteth of this obedience as no obedience at all. See 1. Cor. 10.25. and so forward. There the Apostle handling that question of conscience, at last concludeth, Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God, vers. 31. Let your hearts look at that, and aim at that; in whatsoever ye do still look at God: all is lost with conscience else. Though ye eat never so soberly, and drink never so moderately, pray never so duly, conscience counteth it all nothing if ye do not look at God: It is God only & his word that doth bind it; and it will never give a discharge except your hearts look at him.  
Use 3 3. This serveth to confute our Antinomists, such as say the law of God bindeth not the conscience of the regenerate. Ye see here that the law of God bindeth the conscience: and therefore if the regenerate have any conscience at all, (as certainly they have the best conscience of all men) than it must needs bind their conscience. 
From what Christians are freed.  We confess the conscience of the regenerate is freed from many things by Christ. First, it is freed from the yoke and bondage of the ceremonial law, Gal. 5.1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage. Every man's conscience is freed from that yoke of the ceremonial law, because it ended in Christ. Secondly, the conscience of the regenerate is freed from seeking justification by the deeds of the law. Indeed the first covenant was by the works of the law; He that doth them shall live in them: But the second covenant speaketh better things; He that believeth shall be saved. It is true, if God had not sent his Son, we must have sought justification by the works of the law: Though it were impossible to find it by reason of our sins, yet conscience was bound that way. But now that Christ Jesus hath sealed up a new covenant in his own blood, conscience is freed from that former: Rom. 3.28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. For though justifying faith never be without the sincere doing of the law, yet the deeds of the law have no influence into justification: Conscience is freed from seeking justification thereby. Thirdly, the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the rigour of the law. They are bound in conscience to use the law as a rule of their life, and in sincerity to obey it; but are not bound by the gospel to the rigour of it: that they are freed from; 
Rom. 6.14.  and so they are not under the law but under grace. I grant that all carnal people, who are yet out of Christ, do all lie under the rigour of the law: and as long as they submit not to Jesus Christ, nor get into him, they are bound in conscience to keep it, though they cannot: They cannot sinne in one tittle, but conscience will condemn them before God. They shall be condemned for every vain thought, for every idle word, for every the least sin, for every the least lust, for any the least omission of good. They lie under the rigour of the law, and they are bound in conscience to keep it, and they shall be countable for every transgression, because they are under the law. But the conscience of the regenerate is free from this rigour, because they are under grace, and therefore they are delivered from the law: 
Rom. 7.6.  The Lord hath delivered them by the body of Christ; and therefore they are not bound by the gospel to all that obedience that the law in rigour requireth. Fourthly, the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the curse of the moral law. For though the law doth condemn, yet their conscience needeth not fear it, because they are in Christ: There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, 
Rom. 8.1.  which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Indeed those that are not regenerate, not ingraffed into Christ, they are still in the mouth of the gunshot: the law doth condemn them, and they have no shelter, and their conscience is bound by it; and they shall find one day that by it their conscience will condemn them to hell. It may be now for the present their conscience is quiet, and they choke it, and so it letteth them alone: yet they are condemned in conscience, and one day they shall find it. But the regenerate are by Christ freed in conscience from all this condemnation. Thus fare we grant.  
But the Antinomists 
Antinomists.  and I know not what Marcionites would have more. They cannot abide to hear that a regenerate person is bound to any sincere obedience to God's law as the rule of their life: They cry out against the moral law as once the Babylonians did against Jerusalem, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground: O ye do not preach Christ if ye talk of the law. Beloved, these are drunken opinions, fit to be preached among drunkards and Epicures and monsters then among the peculiar ones of God. The law of God doth bind the conscience of all the people of God, so that they are bound to make it a rule of life. Nay, the Scripture calleth it Christ's bond whereby he bindeth his people to him: 
Psal. 2.1, 2, 3.  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds, and cast away their cords from us. Tush, we will not be tied by his laws, nor be so precisely straitlaced with such commandments as these. Here the laws of the Lord are called bonds and cords: God's people are bound to him by them: But the wicked they stand out and refuse to be bound. Now if the law be called a bond, I pray what bond is it, but of conscience? It is not a bond like a prisoners fetters, to be put about their legs: This is a spiritual bond, that bindeth the conscience. But let me prove it to you by arguments. There be sundry arguments to prove it.  

Arguments, That God's law bindeth the conscience of the regenerate.  Arg. 1 First, That which hath power to say to the conscience of the regenerate, This is thy duty, and this must be done, that bindeth the conscience: But the law of God hath power to say thus to the conscience, This is your duty. Who can tell better than Christ? When ye have done all these things that are commanded you, 
Luke 17.10.  say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do. Mark; He speaketh of God's law, things commanded: now the law is nothing else but a catalogue of those things that God hath commanded us. When ye have done all these things, saith our Saviour, know it is your duty. Here ye see the law hath power to say to the conscience, This is your duty. But ye will object, We are under faith; and do ye tell us of law? I answer, as Chrysostome answereth out of Paul, 
Rom. 3.31.  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbidden: Yea, we establish the law. See how the Apostle doth abhor this thought: God forbidden, saith he. As if he had said, Fare be it from me to teach such an abominable doctrine: No, no; we establish the law. Hear what Christ saith himself, Think not that I am come to destroy the law: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil it. O thought some, If we believe in Christ, than we hope we shall have done with the law. No, no, saith Christ; ye shall as soon pull the heavens and the earth out of their place as disannul one tittle of the law.  
Arg. 2 Secondly, That which hath this authority that the breach of it is a sin, bindeth conscience: but the law hath this authority, that neither regenerate nor unregenerate can transgress it but they sin: therefore the law bindeth their consciences. For the regenerate and all are bound in conscience to take heed of sin: 
1. John 3.4.  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law. David was a regenerate man; yet when he had defiled Bathsheba, I have sinned, saith he. Joseph was a regenerate man; yet confesseth, if he should transgress the Lords commandment, he should sinne: How shall I do this great wickedness, and so sin against God? But ye will object, This is old testament. What of that? I hope you will not take up the old damned heresy again of the Cerdonians, and Cainites, and Apellites, and Manichees, and Severians, and other such cursed heretics condemned by the Church of God: Their heresy was, To hedge out the regenerate from the old testament. And St Augustine proved it against them, That the moral law of God was ever the rule of obedience, and shall so continue with the gospel to the end of the world; and every transgression thereof is sin. The breach of the ceremonial law was a sin once; but now it is not: because once it bond the conscience; now it doth not: But the breach of the moral law is still sin: therefore still it bindeth the conscience. Do ye not remember what St James saith now under the Gospel? he presseth it yet on men's consciences: He that said, 
Jam. 2.11.  Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now though thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. And though ye may call it a law of liberty in what sense ye please, yet he telleth you, Ye had best look to your words and deeds: for ye must be judged by this law of liberty: So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.  
Arg. 3 Thirdly, That which being observed doth cause the conscience of the regenerate to excuse, and being transgressed to accuse, that bindeth their conscience: (For what else do you make binding of conscience but this?) But the law of God being observed doth cause the conscience to excuse; being transgressed, to accuse; In many things we sinne all, saith the Apostle. Mark; Our consciences do accuse us: as we do sin in many things, so our consciences do accuse us when we do so. I am a sinful man, saith St Peter, Luke 5.8. His conscience did accuse him of sin.  
Arg. 4 Fourthly, That which is the condition of God's covenant of grace bindeth the conscience, yea of the regenerate: but sincere obedience to God's law is a condition of God's covenant of grace. See Luke 1.72. To remember his holy covenant, and the oath that he swore that he would give us, That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. Mark; Sincere and universal obedience is a condition of the covenant of grace, not only for a manifestation to ourselves that we are truly justified; as these upstart patritians do hold: but it is the condition of the covenant of grace. Every covenant hath its conditions annexed; and therefore it is called the book of the covenant, Exod. 24.7. the words of the covenant, Exod. 34.28. the tables of the covenant, Deut. 9.11. The reason is this; Because when a covenant is made, the conditions are put into a book or a table and expressed in words. Only here is the difference between the first covenant of works and the second covenant of grace: Both have conditions; but here, I say, is the difference; In the one grace giveth the covenant, and grace giveth the condition of the covenant; but a condition is annexed though: Now hence we may argue, (and none but enemies to the Gospel can deny it) If the covenant of grace do bind a man's conscience, then certainly the condition of the covenant bindeth a man's conscience too: But the covenant of grace bindeth the conscience of the regenerate; and therefore the condition of it bindeth. If you ask, What is this to obedience? the answer is, That obedience is the condition of the covenant of grace, as the forenamed Scripture expresseth, Luke 〈◊〉 72. Thus ye see the law of God bindeth the conscience of all the regenerate. This is the third use.  
Use 4 4. Hath the word of God supreme power to bind conscience? Then hence we may learn, that no creature can dispense with it, nor free conscience from guilt when a man transgresseth the word. What a damned usurpation is it in the Pope to offer to dispense? The Canonists say he may dispense de praceptis veteris & novi testamenti. (They are their own words.) he may dispense with the commandments of the old and new testament. He dispensed with king Henry the eighth, and undertook to free his conscience from guilt though he married his own brother's wife. 
Azorius the Jesuit reports it.  Gregory the second undertook to free subjects from being bound in their consciences to keep their oaths of allegiance to Leo the Emperor. O these are damned aspire; and they plainly declare him to be Antichrist, who exalteth himself in this manner. The word of God is the supreme binder of conscience: And therefore not all the Angels in heaven can dispense with one idle word. 
Psal. 119.89.  For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. God's word is settled for ever in heaven, and therefore ye may assoon remove the heaven from its place as one tittle of the word from binding conscience. Doth the word say thus or thus? thou hadst best do it: If thou wilt not, all the whole world cannot help thee; thy conscience will condemn thee at the day of judgement without remedy. Hath the word convinced thee of thy sins, and made thy conscience say, I am a sinner, and am guilty before God? I tell thee then, Thy conscience is bound, and all the world cannot lose it. But hast thou been humbled and emptied of thyself, and doth the word pronounce pardon of thy sins in Christ's name, that thy conscience can say, The Lord speaketh peace to my soul? I tell thee, Thou art loosed, and nor hell nor devil nor sin nor flesh nor any thing can bind thee. Ye may see the power of God's word in that speech of our Saviour, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, Matth. 18.18. That is, My word which ye preach is of that nature, that if that lose your conscience, it is loosed indeed, and nothing can bind it; if that do bind it, it is bound sound indeed, and nothing can lose it. O this is a terror to the wicked! Doth the word of God say, 
Prov. 29.1.  He that hardeneth his neck, being often rebuked, shall suddenly be destroyed, and cannot be cured? O fear and tremble ye that harden your necks against the reproofs of the Almighty: his word bindeth over your consciences to Christ's bar. Doth the word say Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge? If thou be'st such an one, thy conscience is bound with this word, and it will apply it to the soul before the tribunal-seat of Christ. Doth the word cry out against any of thy courses? thy conscience is bound as with chains, and it is not all thy vain hopes and excuses can lose thee. Again, this is comfort to the godly: God's word is the supreme binder of conscience. O ye blessed of the Lord, the word of God toeth such a fast knot to your comforts that all hell cannot open it with their teeth: The word of the Lord Jesus is with your, who hath the key of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. Yea, but sayest thou, My sins are against me: What then? mark what the word saith, We have an Advocate with the Father: Thy conscience is bound to believe that. Yea, but I have a very naughty heart, and I cannot tell what to do with it: Mark what the word saith; Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved: This bindeth thy conscience. But I offend daily: Mark still what the word saith; Christ bringeth in everlasting righteousness. 
Dan. 9.24.  If thou be'st unworthy to day, there is righteousness for thee to day; if unworthy to morrow, there is righteousness for thee to morrow; if unworthy for ever, there is righteousness for thee for ever. This is God's word, and thy portion; this bindeth thy conscience to lay hold on it. But I have abundantly sinned: What saith Christ's word? I will abundantly pardon. O what comfort is this to every poor soul which the Lord Jesus hath humbled! His word is the supreme binder of conscience, above the law, above justice, above threaten, above all the world besides. His promising word is the supreme binder of thy conscience, if thou be'st one of Christ's: And therefore fear not; only believe, and be thankful, and give glory to God. This is the children's bread; no stranger can intermeddle with it.   

The secondary bond of conscience.  
YE have heard that the bonds of conscience are of two sorts: First, there is a supreme bond of conscience, and that is God's word: of which I have already spoken. Secondly, there is a relative bond of conscience, which bindeth conscience indeed, but it is only in relation to God's word, because God's word putteth authority upon it. And this latter is also of two sorts: 1. Others may bind conscience; 2. We ourselves may bind our own consciences.  

I. Others may bind our consciences.  
I. Others may bind our consciences, namely, when they have authority conferred upon them from God, & so their laws and commands receive vigour and force from God's laws. Thus the laws and commands of Magistrates bind the conscience of People; of Parents bind the conscience of Children; of Masters bind the conscience of Servants: For though they do not bind conscience as they are the commandments of men, yet having Gods seal and authority upon them they do. I will set down some conclusions whereby ye may know how fare the laws and commandments of others bind or not bind conscience.  

1. Conclusion.  
1. Magistrates have power to command us. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13.1. That chapter doth most clearly prove this conclusion unto us.  
Out of the first part of the chapter we learn, 1. That Magistrates have power and authority to make laws, and to establish orders among men; and therefore they are called powers: 2. We learn that these laws of Magistrates receive strength and force from the law of God: For the powers that be are ordained of God, saith the text. 3. Those laws made by the Magistrate and confirmed by God have power to bind conscience, vers. 5. Wherefore we must be subject not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake. And the violating of them is sin. When their authority is confirmed by God, we cannot resist them but we resist the ordinance of God, saith the Apostle: nay, we may pull condemnation upon us if we do; They that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation, vers. 2. So that this first conclusion telleth us what laws of men are to be obeyed; viz. 1. Such as do virtually flow from God's word, though not expressly commanded in it; 2. Such as are good and wholesome and profitable for the commonwealth: These though they are not particularly commanded in God's word, yet are they by virtue of it enjoined: and therefore to neglect them and be disobedient unto them, is to neglect and be disobedient to God. Again, so fare only are they to be obeyed (so fare only, I say) as they virtually do flow from God's word: for so fare only they receive force from God's law. This is the first conclusion.  

2. Conclusion.  
2. The commandments of Magistrates and those that are in authority lose their power of binding the conscience in four cases:  
1. When they command that which though in itself it be not simply and absolutely sinful and unlawful, yet it doth put us upon a necessity of sinning: As for example, If a Magistrate command single life to all Ministers, this thing is not in itself simply unlawful, (for it is lawful to marry, and it is lawful not to marry) yet this commandment is unlawful, because it would put Ministers upon a necessity of sinning: The reason is, because all have not this power. And therefore such a commandment as this would not bind conscience: For the conscience cannot be bound to impurity, or an apparent danger of impurity: and therefore though the thing be not simply unlawful, yet the commandment is simply unlawful, and doth not bind conscience. The Apostle maketh such a commandment to argue a seared conscience in the commander: and therefore none but a seared conscience can think it is bound by it, 1. Tim. 4.2, 3.  
2. The commandments of Magistrates lose their power of binding the conscience when they command things that are unlawful in themselves and contrary to the word of God. In this case they do not bind conscience, because God's seal is not on them. We have an example of this in the three blessed children; 
Dan. 3.16.  Who when the king commanded them to worship the image that he had set up, they did not conceive themselves bound in conscience to obey: they would rather suffer torment then obey it. So also Daniel, when he was commanded not to ask any petition of God for thirty day's space, but only of the king, Daniel did not conceive himself bound in conscience, nay he chose rather to be cast into the den of lions then obey. 
Dan. 6.16.  In this case the answer of the Apostles is necessary; who when they were commanded not to preach any more in the name of the Lord Jesus, thus they answered, Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey men rather than God, judge ye.  
3. When men's laws and commands overthrow the liberty of Christianity, that Christian liberty which Christ hath purchased for us, than they lose their power of binding the conscience. But here I must tell you of a caution; viz. That this liberty may be considered in a double respect: 1. In regard of itself, the liberty itself; 2. In regard of the exercise or use of this liberty. Now there is a very great difference between these two considerations; as there is a great difference between a man's having a sword and a man's wearing a sword. The Magistrate may restrain a man from wearing a sword at such or such a time, though he do not take his sword from him: so there is difference between the having our liberty and the using our liberty. There is a liberty purchased for God's children, whereby all things are become lawful unto them: All things are lawful unto me, saith Paul 1. Cor. 6.12. and there is nothing evil in itself: 
Rom. 14.14.  (he speaketh of indifferent things.) God's children are freed from the observation of meats, and drinks, and times, and garments. Now whatsoever commandment is made by the Magistrate contrary to this liberty doth not bind conscience: for nothing can bind conscience when Christ doth lose it: Yet there may be a restraint of the use of this liberty: as for example, the Magistrate may command us to forbear some kinds of meats at some certain times; and so also for garments, and the like: namely, when the doctrine about meats and drinks and garments is pure. And therefore in such a case the command of the Magistrate bindeth the conscience; otherwise not.  
4. When they command things indifferent to be absolutely necessary, to make them idolatrous or superstitious, then in this case they are unlawful and bind not the conscience to obey them. But when are they idolatrous? I answer; 1. When they are commanded either as absolutely necessary to Christianity, to the very being of religion and the worship of God, and with as much necessity as holiness itself, than they are made superstitious and idolatrous: And in this case the caveat of St John is strongly to be kept, Babes, 
1. John 5.21.  keep yourselves from idols. 2. When they are commanded as things meritorious, as pleasing to God for themselves, and to merit of him, than they are idolatrous. 3. When they are commanded for the substantial perfection of religion, as though religion were imperfect without them, than they are made idolatrous, and lose their virtue of binding the conscience. But all such commands of things that are indifferent, which are commanded without respect to make them idolatrous, they may be obeyed. This is our second conclusion.   

3. Conclusion.  
3. Those laws and commandments of Magistrates which want the authority of God's law to confirm them (and therefore bind not the conscience) ought not to be disobeyed for all that with scandal or contempt and by unreverent slighting or despising the Magistrate or his laws. He must be acknowledged a Magistrate under God for all that: 1. Tim. 2.1, 2. I exhort that supplications be made for Kings and those that are in authority. He speaketh there of heathen Kings; yet he calleth them Kings, and saith they have authority; and we ought to pray for them: and therefore how much more when Kings and Magistrates subscribe to Christian religion? Nay, though they command that which is utterly unlawful, we must not rise up against them: for if we do, we rise up against God. We must obey them one way or other, either actively or passively: When they command that which is lawful for us to do, we must obey them by doing: when they command that which is unlawful for us to do, & threaten punishment, than we cannot actively obey them by doing, because they command against God; yet we must passively obey by suffering and submitting to their penalties, because the Lord hath given them authority over us. This is our third conclusion.   

4. Conclusion.  
4. Those laws of Magistrates which by God's law do not bind conscience, do yet in matter of scandal bind us to obedience. If the Magistrate shall command any thing beyond his power to command yet not unlawful for us to do, though such a command do not bind to obedience in case of conscience, yet in case of scandal it doth. Thus Christ was content to pay tribute though he needed not to have done it: The children, saith he, are free: 
Matth. 17.27.  nevertheless, lest he should offend the Magistrate, he did pay it. I will put an example of another nature: In a private wrong, though we are not expressly bound to it, yet rather than scandalously to contend, conscience doth bind us to yield. Needed Abraham to have condescended so fare unto Lot as to let him take his choice before him? No, rather than scandal of religion should arise, ye may read that he did it. Thus I have briefly made it manifest how fare the commands of the Magistrate do not bind conscience, and how fare they do.    

Objections.  
Obj. 1 1. But it may be objected; Conscience hath only relation to God.  

Answ.  I answer, It is true, as the supreme and absolute binder of conscience: but it hath a relation also unto men in the second place, inasmuch as God putteth upon men such terms as conscience hath relation to, Acts 24.16. Herein I have always endeavoured myself, to have always a clear conscience both towards God and towards men. Mark; Conscience hath relation to both: For though it have its main relation to God and his word, yet in him it hath relation unto men.  
Obj. 2 2. Again it may be replied; The Magistrates do not undertake, nor can they, to meddle with men's invisible spirits; for they are not able to see whether the spirit of man be obedient or no: and therefore how do their laws bind us in conscience. The Magistrate only looketh at the body: men's thoughts and affections and consciences are naked only to God.  
It is true, 
Answ.  the Magistrate doth not undertake but only to bind the outward man: nevertheless the conscience of the subject feeleth itself to be bound to obedience under pain of sinning against God, who giveth this general precept, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake, to the King, etc. 
1. Pet. 2.13.  The conscience feeleth this, and so it cometh to be bound.  
Obj. 3 3. Again it may be replied; The conscience is not bound but only by way of religion. If I make conscience of a thing, than I make a matter of religion of it: but what religion is there in the commandments of Magistrates? suppose the Magistrate commandeth us to get our armour in readiness, to mend our highways, to moderate expenses at nuptials, or the like; these are civil things and not religious, and therefore how can they bind conscience? We make conscience only of religion and the worship of God.  

●nsw.  Such laws do not bind conscience under the name of religion, but under the name of civil discipline. And again, though they do not bind conscience per se and immediately, yet they do per aliud and as subjoined to an higher law. For though the breach of such laws be only a civil fault in itself, yet in another respect it may be a moral sin, if the powers that are ordained of God be neglected and disobeyed. And therefore though the conscience do not regard civil laws as they are civil; neither do we make conscience of them as they are civil: yet as they are made by the minister of God, & backed by his authority which the Lord hath set on them, so they do take hold of conscience; and not to perform them is contrary to justice and charity and the profit & safety of the commonwealth, and so a sin.   

Uses.  
Use 1 1. This confuteth the Anabaptists, who deny that any obedience is to be given to the secular power. Ye see here that the laws of Magistrates have Gods seal upon them; and therefore we must yield obedience unto them: for they bind in conscience. Again, this confuteth the Papists, who teach that their Pope's laws and commandments are of supreme authority, and require equal submission of spirit with God's laws: and also that the omission of them is death and damnation. Our doctrine and religion goeth between both: For we teach that God's authority is only supreme, and that he only can make laws under pain of death and damnation; and that the authority of Magistrates is secondary, and secondary obedience is to be given unto them. The Papists speak blasphemy in saying their Pope can make laws under pain of damnation to be kept: Our Saviour Christ maketh this a property only of God; Fear not him that can kill the body, and there is all that he can do: but fear him who can cast both body and soul into hell: I say unto you, Fear him, Luke 12.4. As if he had said, Men can reach no further than the body, and their punishments can go no further than the death of the body.  
Use 2 2. This teacheth us what to do if men should command any thing which is unlawful for us to perform: (Suppose there should be any such humane commands as are repugnant to Gods.) In this case ye see we must obey God rather than men; nay, suffer loss of goods, loss of liberty, yea loss of life, rather than obey the commandments of men in case they be contrary to the commandments of God. Ye may read a lamentable example in Ephraim; They were utterly destroyed for obeying their King rather than their God: The King commanded to worship the calves, and to go unto Bethel & not to Jerusalem to worship: they yielded to his commandment, and did so; O thought they, We shall displease the King if we do not. For this sin of theirs they were broken in judgement, Hos. 5.11. Ephraim is destroyed and broken in judgement, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Beloved, God's commandment is sovereign, and the supreme binder of conscience: Whatever commandment is repugnant to God's word, woe to us if we do it; nay, though it be to save our goods or our lives. It is true, we must give to Cesar the things that are Caesar's; but so as withal we must be sure to give to God the things that are Gods.  
Use 3 3. This comforteth God's people against the calumnies and slanders of wicked and ungodly men that upbraid them for their obedience to God. O say they, Ye are irregular and despisers of authority. I say, this is comfort to the godly, that God is able to bear them out in obeying him rather then men. God's word is the supreme binder of conscience; and therefore, whatever men think of such, they are absolutely bound to obey God. If men command us against the word of God, we know their authority is the ordinance of God; and therefore if they go beyond that, they do not bind us in conscience. If God had not bound us in conscience to him, others might have taken it ill if we should not obey them: but now what cause have others to think ill of us? What folly were it in us to seek to please men and to displease God? If we were at liberty, than we might choose whom we would obey: but now we are bound unto God, and must be obedient unto God, whatever men command to the contrary, let us do it therefore with cheerfulness. By this we show our submission to God; by this we satisfy conscience, which being bound unto God doth continually urge us to obey him. Why should we omit part of the exactness of our obedience which the word of God doth require? We have more to do then ever we shall be able to perform: we should therefore be careful to do all that we may. By our obedience to God in this kind we convince the conscience of others of our uprightness towards God: Though through the overruling dominion of their lusts and passions they rage at us, and their mouths speak evil of us, yet we may have an evidence in their consciences within which may testify for us: their consciences will whisper within them, Surely they do well to please God rather than men: their consciences will be on our side, though their actions and tongues be against us. We have a notable example of this Acts 4.15, 16. When the rulers of the Jews had threatened the Apostles, and had reviled them with many bitter words, and had bidden them go aside for a while, than they concluded among themselves, Surely an evident sign is done by them, and we cannot deny it: So that their consciences acquitted them for good men. So when the wicked of this world have spoken evil of the ways of the righteous, and blasphemed the holy name after which they are named; yet when they are alone, and their consciences at counsel within themselves, than they conclude, Indeed they do well. Thus their consciences give a good evidence of us, and accuse them for not doing the like. And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of other men's binding of conscience.    

II. We may bind our own consciences.  
II. We ourselves may bind our own consciences: And that is by those vows and promises which we make to God of any thing lawful and in our power. Those vows and promises which we make unto God according to the warrant of his word they do bind our conscience. They are our own before we have made them: as Ananias and Sapphira their gift was their own before they vowed it to the church; While it remained was it not thine own? and when it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Acts 5.4. We need not vow unless we will: but after we have vowed our vows are Gods bonds, and do bind the conscience to the performance of them. Nay, we lie unto God, as the text saith they did, if we do not stand to the performance of them.  
But it may be demanded, What vows are they which are unlawful, and do not bind conscience? I answer;  
1. Such as we make of things impossible and beyond our power: These are unlawful, and do not bind conscience.  
2. Such as we make of things unlawful; when we vow to do that which is contrary to God's law: such as david's was when he vowed the destruction of Nabals' family: 
1. Sam. 25.22.  This doth not bind conscience: nay, we are bound in conscience to break it.  
3. Such as though they be of things lawful and possible, yet we want freedom in the performance of them: as for a wife or a servant or a child to make a vow, when their relation to such as are over them will not suffer them to perform it: 
Numb. 30.3.  This bindeth not conscience. Nothing bindeth conscience but that which hath God's seal upon it: but this hath not God's seal on it; and therefore it doth not bind conscience: indeed it bindeth us in conscience to repent of it.  
4. Such as though they be lawful and profitable and in our own freedom, yet if there fall a greater consequence before the time of performance, we are not bound in conscience to perform them: as if a man upon the receipt of some mercy should in testimony of his thankfulness vow a hundred pounds to good uses, in the mean time his estate so decayeth as that he shall undo himself and his family if he perform it; this is so great a consequence, and contingently happened, that it freeth his conscience from performing what he had vowed: Or if a man should promise marriage to a woman, and before the time of nuptials she be found unchaste; this is a fare greater consequence, and he is not bound in conscience to marry her. These kinds of vows do not bind in conscience: But all other do bind us.  
1. Use; We may learn from hence never to vow but with good judgement and counsel. For either we must keep our promise, or not: If we must, that is a sign it is good, and therefore had need of deliberation: If we must not keep it, than it is a sign of rashness and inconsiderateness; and besides it may prove scandalous and offensive to them to whom we make it, and also to them that shall hear of it: And therefore it requireth good judgement and advise to vow. What a rash vow was that of good Jephthah? 
Judges 11.30.  If thou wilt deliver Ammon into my hand, whatsoever meeteth me I will offer it for a burnt-offering. How if a dog had first met him? what a sin had it been? How if his daughter? what a thing had that been? And indeed it proved to be his daughter. Vows without judgement do but increase our sins and aggravate our transgressions against God.  
2. Use; This teacheth us to keep our good vows whatsoever they be that we make. Indeed it is hard to keep a good, yea it is hard to make a good vow in that manner as we should: It requireth a great deal of faith and self-denial and humility and strength of resolution: But when we have made it, our sin is the greater if we do not then keep it; 
●cles 5.5  Better it is not to vow then that thou shouldst vow and not pay. Hast thou vowed a vow? then defer not to pay it: God hath no pleasure in fools. As if the holy Ghost had said, It is the part of a fool to vow before he consider and be absolutely resolved to perform, to be off and on with the Lord God of hosts: The Lord hath no pleasure in fools: Therefore pay all thy good vows, and be humbled for thy rash vows. But we are fallen into bad times, when truth and equity is perished from among men: Every one is a deceitful bow; yea, the best (almost) is a briar: Nothing so common as vows and promises; but few make conscience of performing them. Nay, men are careless of their grand vow which they have made unto God in their baptism. 
baptism.  O this is a very fearful sin! Ye have all made a vow unto God in your baptism that ye would live otherwise then ye do, and ye make no conscience to keep it. Baptism is a very weighty thing: If there were no other thing to bind you to holiness and obedience and faith but only the vow ye entered into in your baptism, did ye consider what a vow it is, it would move you alone. It is said of Apollo's that he was fervent in spirit though he knew nothing but the baptism of John: 
Acts 18.25.  Apollo's considered what a vow he had made unto God in his baptism, that, though he knew nothing else, it made him zealous for God. Baptism is a very great binder of conscience: It bindeth a man to believe, and to go out of himself, and to submit to Jesus Christ. The wicked Pharisees saw this to be true: 
Matth. 21.25.  If we shall say that John's baptism was from heaven, he will say, Why did ye not then believe? Beloved, was not your baptism from heaven? was it not an ordinance of God? and did ye not solemnly then vow unto God? Why then do ye not believe? why do ye not deny yourselves, your works, your ways, and take up Christ's cross? As Christ saith of John Baptist, Among them that are born of women there hath not been a greater than John the Baptist; 
Matth. 11.11.  so may I say of bonds and of vows and covenants, Among all the vows and covenants that ever were made there hath not been a greater than this of Baptism: And therefore ye had best look to the performing of what ye then vowed: If ye do not, ye are grievous breakers of covenant with God; which sin will surely stand against you for evil. It is most certain, that Baptism doth greatly bind us in conscience to walk answerably to it in all righteousness and true holiness: And we can never be saved (though we are baptised) except we can answer with a good conscience that we live as we vowed in our Baptism: 1. Pet. 3.21. The like figure whereunto, even Baptism, doth also now save us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. Mark; Unless we can answer with a good conscience that we live according to our promises in it, our Baptism cannot save us. I pray, consider that speech of St Paul; 
〈◊〉. 6.4.  We are buried with Christ by baptism into his death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Mark; There is the vow that we made unto God in our Baptism: And the Apostle ●ere telleth us we are bound in con●ience to keep this vow; otherwise we ●nd better have been without our Ba●tisme. Do not think that God will ●e mocked: Ye are content to go for Christians: but if ye be Christians, ●●nsider ye are under a great vow; and 〈◊〉 ye do not keep it, God's covenant ●●th a quarrel against you, and ye ●all be broken in judgement. There is ●o sin that ye live in, no lust that ●our conscience telleth you hath entertainment in your hearts, but it is sacramental perjury against the vow that 〈◊〉 made unto God in your Ba●tisme. Are ye dead to good du●●es? Ye vowed in your Baptism ye would not be so. Do ye not daily ●ortifie and subdue your affections? 〈◊〉 vowed in your baptism ye would. 〈◊〉 ye not daily fight against sin and calesh, like the faithful soldiers of Christ? Ye vowed in your Baptism ye would. What a horrible perjury is this? Nay, it is worse: it is a sacramental perjury. When the Apostles saw any sin in the people, presently they tell them of Baptism: as if they should say, Do ye live thus and thus, when ye vowed the contrary in your Baptism? When there were divisions in Corinth; Some would be of Cephas, and some of Apollo's, and some of Paul: Paul then telleth them of their Baptism, Were ye baptised in the name of Paul? 
1. Cor. 1.13.  As if he had said, I pray, consider how contrary this is unto your Baptism: Ye were baptised into Christ; and are ye that divided among yourselves? So when there was corruption crept into the people of Galatia, St Paul telleth the● of their Baptism: 
Gal. 3.27.  As many of ye saith he, as have been baptised into Chr●●● have put on Christ. As if he had sai● This corruption of yours is contrary to your baptism: Ye were baptised into Christ, & ye have vowed to put on Christ & do ye yield to such corruptions as these▪ So also when there was want of love and unity and affection between one another among the Ephesians, St Paul telleth them of their Baptism: O saith ● There is one God, one faith, 
Ephes. 4.5.  one ba●●●sme. As if he should say, This is contrary to your baptism: Ye were all bapti●●d with one baptism, and do not ye live 〈◊〉 peace? and is there not unity of spirit ●e with another among you? What? and are all baptised with one baptism? Beloved, ye never do that which is not ●●od but ye go clean contrary to your ●●ptisme. What? were ye baptised into ●hrist, and do thus? baptised into ●hrist and pray thus? baptised into ●hrist, and hear the word of Christ ●●●us? serve God no better than thus? Your Baptism bindeth you in conscience against every sin and every evil ●ay: O let us take it to heart and con●●ler it.     
FINIS.   

Imprimatur Cantabr.  
R. Brownrig, Procan.