A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN, AT White-Hall, February the 27th 1690/1.  
By JOHN TILLOTSON, D. D. Dean of St. PAVL's, And Clerk of the Closet to His Majesty.  
Published by Her Maiesty's Special Command.  
LONDON: Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons over-against the Royal Exchange; and William Rogers, at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. MDCXCI.   

A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN.  ACTS xxiv. 16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men. 
THese words are part of the Defense which St. Paul made for himself, before Faelix the Roman Governor.  
In which he first of all vindicates himself from the charge of Sedition, ver. 12, They neither found me in the Temple, disputing with any man; neither raising up the People, neither in the Synagogue, nor in the City; that is, they could not charge him with making any disturbance either in Church or State.  
After this, he makes a free and open profession of his Religion, ver. 14. But this I confess, that after the way which they call Heresy, so worship I the God of my Fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets: Here he declares the Scriptures to be the Rule of his Faith, in opposition to the Oral Tradition of the Pharisees.  
More particularly he asserts the Doctrine of the Resurrection, which was a principal Article both of the Jewish and the Christian Religion; ver. 15, And I have hope also towards God, that there shall be a Resurrection, both of the just and the unjust.  
And having made this declaration of his Faith, he gives an account of his Life, in the words of the Text, ver. 16, And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence, towards God, and towards men.  
Herein, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, in this work, do I employ myself; or as others render it, in the mean time, whilst I am in this World; or as others, I think most probably, for this cause and reason, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for this reason, because I believe a Resurrection, therefore have I a conscientious care of my life, and all the actions of it.  
The Discourse I intent to make upon these words, shall be comprised in these following Particulars.  

I. Here is the extent of a good man's pious practice, to have a conscience void of offence, towards God, and towards men.  
II. Here is his constancy and perseverance in this course; to have always a conscience void of offence.  
III. Here is his earnest care and endeavour to this purpose, I exercise myself.  
iv Here is the Principle and immediate Guide of his actions, which St. Paul here tells us was his Conscience.  
V I shall lay down some Rules and directions for the keeping of a good Conscience.  
VI Here is the great motive and encouragement to this, which St. Paul tells us was the belief of a Resurrection, and of a future State of Rewards and Punishments consequent upon it; for this cause; because I hope for a Resurrection both of the just and unjust, I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. I shall speak but briefly to the three first of these Particulars, that I may be larger in the rest.   
I. Here is the extent of a good man's pious practice. It hath regard to the whole compass of his Duty, as it respects God and Man. I exercise myself, says St. Paul, to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. And this distribution of our Duty, under these two general heads, is very frequent in Scripture. The Decalogue refers our Duty to these two heads: And accordingly our Saviour comprehends the whole Duty of Man in those two great Commandments, the love of God and of our Neighbour, Matth. 22.38. Upon these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets, that is, all the Moral Precepts, which are dispersed up and down in the Law and the Prophets, may be referred to these two general Heads.  
II. Here is his constancy and perseverance in this course. St. Paul says, that he exercised himself to have always a conscience void of offence; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, continually, at all times, in the whole course of his life. We must not only make conscience of our ways by fits and starts, but in the general course and tenor of our lives and actions, without any baulks and intermissions.  
There are some that will refrain from grosser Sins, and be very strict at some Seasons; as during the Time of a Solemn Repentance, and for some days before they receive the Sacrament, and perhaps for a little while after it: And when these devout Seasons are over, they let themselves lose again to their former lewd and vicious course: But Religion should be a constant frame and temper of mind, discovering itself in the habitual course of our lives and actions.  
III. Here is likewise a very earnest care and endeavour to this purpose. Herein do I exercise myself, says St. Paul. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is here rendered exercise, is a word of a very intense signification, and does denote that St. Paul applied himself to this business with all his care and might, and that he made it his earnest study and endeavour: And so must we; we must take great care to understand our duty, and to be rightly informed concerning good and evil, that we may not mistake the nature of things, and call good evil, and evil good: We must apply our minds in good earnest to be thoroughly instructed in all the parts of our Duty, that so we may not be at a loss what to do when we are called to the practice of it: And when we know our Duty, we must be true and honest to ourselves, and very careful and conscientious in the discharge and performance of it. I proceed in the  
IVth place to consider the Principle and immediate Guide of our actions, which St. Paul here tells us was his Conscience; I exercise myself to have always a Conscience void of offence: By which he does not only mean a resolution to follow the dictate and direction of his Conscience, but likewise a due care to inform his Conscience aright, that he might not in any thing transgress the Law of God, and his Duty.  
Conscience is the great Principle of moral actions, and our Guide in matter of Sin and Duty. It is not the Law and Rule of our actions, that the Law of God only is; but it is our immediate Guide and director, telling us what is the Law of God and our Duty.  
But because Conscience is a word of a very large and various signification, I shall endeavour very briefly to give you the true notion of it. Now in common speech concerning Conscience, every man is represented as having a kind of Court and Tribunal in his own breast, where he tries himself and all his actions: And Conscience, under one notion or other, sustains all parts in this Trial: The Court is called the Court of a man's Conscience, and the Bar at which the Sinner stands impleaded, is called the Bar of Conscience: Conscience also is the Accuser; and it is the Record and Register of our Crimes, in which the memory of them is preserved: And it is the Witness which gives testimony for, or against us; hence are those expressions of the testimony of our Consciences, and that a man's own Conscience is to him instead of a thousand Witnesses: And it is likewise the Judge which declares the Law, and what we ought, or ought not to have done, in such or such a Case, and accordingly passeth Sentence upon us by acquitting or condemning us. Thus, according to common use of Speech, Conscience sustains all imaginable parts in this Spiritual Court: It is the Court, and the Bench, and the Bar; the Accuser, and Witness, and Register, and all.  
But I shall only at present consider Conscience in the most common and famous notion of it, as it is the Principle or Faculty whereby we judge of moral Good and Evil, and do accordingly direct and govern our actions: So that in short, Conscience is nothing else but the Judgement of a man's own mind concerning the morality of his actions; that is, the Good, or Evil, or Indifferency of them; telling us what things are commanded by God, and consequently are our Duty; what things are forbidden by Him, and consequently are sinful; what things are neither commanded nor forbidden, and consequently are indifferent. I proceed in the  
Vth place, to give some Rules and directions for the keeping of a Conscience void of offence. And they shall be these following:  
First, Never in any case to act contrary to the persuasion and conviction of our Conscience. For that certainly is a great Sin, and that which properly offends the Conscience and renders us guilty; guilt being nothing else but trouble arising in our minds from a consciousness of having done contrary to what we are verily persuaded was our duty: And though perhaps this persuasion is not always well grounded, yet the guilt is the same so long as this persuasion continues; because every man's Conscience is a kind of God to him, and accuseth or absolves him according to the present persuasion of it. And therefore we ought to take great care not to offend against the light and conviction of our own mind.  
Secondly, We should be very careful to inform our Consciences aright, that we may not mistake concerning our duty; or if we do, that our error and mistake may not be grossly wilful and faulty.  
And this Rule is the more necessary to be considered and regarded by us, because generally men are apt to think it a sufficient excuse for any thing, that they did it according to their Conscience. But this will appear to be a dangerous mistake, and of very pernicious consequence to the Souls of men, if we consider these two things.  

1st, That men may be guilty of the most heinous Sins in following an erroneous Conscience.  
2ly, And these Sins may prove damnable without a particular repentance for them.   
1st, That men may be guilty of the most heinous Sins in following an erroneous Conscience. Men may neglect and abuse themselves so far, as to do some of the worst and wickedest things in the world with a persuasion that they do well. Our Saviour tells his Disciples that the time should come when the Jews should put them to death, 
Joh. 16.2.  thinking they did God good service: Nay the Jews murdered the Son of God himself through ignorance and a false persuasion of mind: Father forgive them, says our Blessed Lord, when he was breathing out his Soul upon the Cross, 
Luk. 23.34.  for they know not what they do. And St. Peter, after he had charged the Jews with killing the Prince of Life, 
Acts 3.17.  he presently adds, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your Rulers. And St. Paul, in mitigation of that great Crime, says, Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of life and glory: And concerning himself he tells us, 
Acts 26.9.  That he verily thought with himself, that he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth: And yet notwithstanding that he acted herein according to the persuasion of his Conscience, he tells us that he had been a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, and a murderer, and in a word, the greatest of Sinners. So that Men may be guilty of the greatest Sins in following an erroneous Conscience. And  
2ly, These Sins may prove damnable, without a particular repentance for them. Where the ignorance and mistake is not grossly wilful, there God will accept of a general repentance; but where it is grossly wilful, great Sins committed upon it are not pardoned without a particular Repentance for them: And an error which proceeds from want of ordinary human care and due government of a man's self, is in a great degree wilful: As when it proceeds from an unreasonable and obstinate prejudice, from great pride and self-conceit, and contempt of counsel and instruction; or from a visible bias of self-interest, or when it is accompanied with a furious passion and zeal, prompting men to cruel and horrible things, contrary to the light of nature and the common sense of humanity: Anerrour proceeding from such causes, and producing such effects, is wilful in so high a degree, that whatever evil is done in virtue of it is almost equally faulty with a direct and wilful violation of the Law of God.  
The ignorance and mistake doth indeed make the person so mistaken more capable of forgiveness, which is the ground of our Saviour's Prayer for his Murderers, Father forgive them, for they know what they do: St. Paul likewise tells us, that he found mercy upon this account, Nevertheless, says he, I obtained mercy, 
1 Tim. 1.13.  because I did it ignorantly, and in unbelief, that is, through a false persuasion of mind, not believing it to be a Sin: And yet he did not obtain this mercy, without a particular conviction of his fault and repentance for it. And St. Peter after he had convinced, the Jews of their great Sin in crucifying Christ, though they did it ignorantly, yet he exhorts them to a particular and deep repentance for it, as necessary to the pardon and forgiveness of it: And therefore after he had said, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your Rulers, 
Act 3.19.  he immediately adds, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.  
So that it highly concerns men to consider what opinions they embrace in order to practise, and not to suffer themselves to be hurried away by an unreasonable prejudice and a heady passion, without a due and calm examination of things, nor to be overborne by pride, or humour, or partiality, or interest, or by a furious and extravagant zeal: Because proportionally to the voluntariness of our Error will be the guilt of our practice pursuant to that Error. Indeed where our Error is involuntary, and morally invincible, God will consider it, and make allowance for it; but where it is voluntary, and occasioned by our own gross fault and neglect, we are bound to consider, and to rectify our mistake: For whatever we do contrary to the Law of God and our duty, in virtue of that false persuasion, we do it at our utmost peril, and must be answerable to God for it, notwithstanding we did it according to the dictate of our Conscience.  
A Third Rule is this, That in all doubts of Conscience we endeavour to be equal and impartial, and do not lay all the weight of our doubts on one side, when there is perhaps as much or greater reason of doubting on the other: And consequently, that we be as tractable and easy to receive satisfaction of our doubts in one kind as in another, and be equally contented to have them overruled in cases that are equal: I mean, where our passions and interests are not concerned, as well as where they are. And if we do not do this, it is a sign that we are partial in our pretences of Conscience, and that we do not aim merely at the peace and satisfaction of our own minds, but have some other interest and design.  
For it is a very suspicious thing, when men's doubts and scruples bear all on one side, especially if it be on that side which is against charity, and peace, and obedience to Government, whether Ecclesiastical or Civil: In this case I think that a mere doubt, and much more a scruple, may, nay aught in reason to be overruled by the command of Authority, by the opinion and judgement of wise and good men, and in consideration of the public peace, and of the unity and edification of the Church.  
Not that a man is in any case to go against the clear persuasion and conviction of his own mind, but when there is only a mere doubt concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a thing, it seems to me in that case very reasonable that a man should suffer a mere doubt or scruple to be overruled by any of those weighty considerations which I mentioned before.  
The Fourth Rule is, That all pretences of Conscience are vehemently to be suspecled, which are accompanied with turbulent passion and a furious zeal. It is an hundred to one but such a man's Conscience is in the wrong. It is an excellent saying of St. James, 
Jam. 1.20.  The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, that is, the fierce passions of men are no proper instruments to promote Religion, and to accomplish any thing that is good. And therefore if any man be transported with a wild zeal, and pretend conscience for his fury, it is great odds but he is in an error: None are so likely to judge amiss, as they whose minds are clouded and blinded by their passions,  
Nubila mens est, 
Both.   
Haec ubi regnant.  
And if men would carefully observe themselves, they might almost certainly know when they act upon Reason and a true principle of Conscience. A good Conscience is easy to itself, and pleased with its own do; but when a man's passion and discontent are a weight upon his judgement, and do, as it were, bear down his Conscience to a compliance, no wonder if this puts a man's mind into a very unnatural and uneasy state.  
There can hardly be a broader sign that a man is in the wrong, than to rage and be confident: Because this plainly shows that the man's Conscience is not settled upon clear reason, but that he hath brought over his Conscience to his interest, or to his humour and discontent.  
And though such a man may be so far blinded by his passion as not to see what is right, yet methinks he should feel himself to be in the wrong by his being so very hot and impatient.  
Art thou sure thou art in the right? thou art a happy man, and hast reason to be pleased: What cause then, what need is there of being angry? Hath a man Reason on his side? What would he have more? Why then does he fly out into Passion? which as it gives no strength to a bad Argument, so I could never yet see that it was any grace and advantage to a good one.  
Of the great evil, and the perpetual mistake of this furious kind of Zeal, the Jews are a lively and a lamentable Example, in their carriage towards our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles: And more particularly St. Paul, when he persecuted the Christians from a false and erroneous persuasion of his Conscience. Hear how St Paul describes himself and his own do whilst he was acted by an erroneous Conscience: 
Acts 22.4.  I persecuted, says he, this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women: And in another Chapter, I verily thought with myself, 
Acts 26.9.  that I ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth: Here was his erroneous Conscience: Let us next see what were the unhappy concomitants and effects of it; ver. 10, 11: Which things, says he, I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the Saints I shut up in prison, and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them, and punished them oft in every Synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to strange Cities. When Conscience transports men with such a furious zeal and passion, it is hardly ever in the right; or if it should happen to be so, they who are thus transported, by their ungracious way of maintaining the truth, and their ill management of a good cause, have found out a cunning way to be in the wrong, even when they are in the right.  
Fifthly, all pretences of Conscience are likewise to be suspected, which are not accompanied with modesty and humility, and a teachable temper and disposition, willing to learn and to be better informed. A proud and conceited temper of mind is very likely to run into mistakes; because pride and fullness of a man's self does keep out knowledge, and obstructs all the passages by which wisdom and instruction should enter into men: Besides that it provokes God to abandon men to their own follies and mistakes; for God resisteth the proud, but the meek will he guide in judgement, and will give more grace and wisdom to the humble. When men are once come to this, to think themselves wiser than their Teachers, and to despise and cast off their Guides, no wonder if then they go astray.  
Lastly, Let us be sure to mind that which is our plain and unquestionable duty; the great things of Religion, wherein the life and substance of it doth consist; and the things likewise which make for peace, and whereby we may edify one another: And let us not suffer our disputes about lesser matters to prejudice and hinder our main duty: But let it be our great care not to fail in those greater things which are comprehended under the two great Commandments of the Law, the Love of God and of our Neighbour: Let us be strict and constant in our piety and devotion towards God; chaste and temperate in reference to ourselves; just and honest, kind and charitable, humble and meek, patiented and peaceable towards all men; submissive and obedient to our Superiors, Natural, Civil, and Spiritual. A due regard to these great Virtues of the Christian life is the way to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men: And surely the best means to have our doubts cleared about matters of lesser moment in Religion, is hearty to set about the practice of the great and unquestionable Duties of it: So our B. Saviour hath assured us, 
Job. 7.17.  that if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of his Doctrine whether it be of God. I come now in the  
VIth and Last place, to consider the great Motive and encouragement to this conscientious care of our Lives and actions; which St. Paul here tells us was his belief of a Resurrection, and of the Rewards and Punishments consequent upon it; I have hope, says he, towards God, that there shall be a Resurrection both of the just and unjust: For this cause therefore I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.  
If we believe the Resurrection of the dead, and a future Judgement, we ought to be very careful to discharge a good Conscience now, in order to the rendering of a good Account hereafter; that we may be sincere and without offence, with respect to the day of Christ, as the Apostle expresseth it. For when that great Day of Recompenses shall come, we shall most assuredly find that nothing will then raise our hearts, and make us to lift up our heads with joy, like the witness of a good conscience: And therefore we should make that our constant care and companion now, which will then be our great comfort and rejoicing, a good Conscience and the testimony of it, that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world.  
And on the contrary, when we come to appear before the Great Judge of the World, nothing will fill our minds with so much terror, and our faces with so much confusion, as the clamorous accusations of a guilty Conscience; which will be more than a thousand witnesses against us, and will anticipate our condemnation, and pass almost as severe a Sentence upon us as the Judge himself can.  
This is that which will make the sinner to droop, and to hang down his head for ever: And one of the principal ingredients of his misery and torment will be the perpetual regret and remorse of his own mind for his wilful wickedness and folly; which will kindle a fire within him as hot as that without him, and as hard to be quenched.  
This consideration ought to have a mighty operation upon us to make us very careful to have Consciences void of offence now, that they may be free from torment and anguish hereafter: That when we shall come into the other World, we may not be eternally displeased with ourselves, and enraged at our own do; but may carry with us thither Consciences clear of all guilt, either by Innocency, or by Repentance.  
The firm belief of a future state of eternal Happiness or Misery in another World is the great weight or spring that sets a going those two powerful Principles of human activity, the Hopes and the Fears of men; and is in its nature so fitted to raise these Passions to that degree, that did not experience show us the contrary, one would think it morally impossible for human Nature to resist the mighty force of it.  
All men are sensible, more or less, at one time or other of the true force of these Arguments; but the mischief is, that in some persons they work quite the wrong way, and instead of leading men to Repentance, they drive them to Infidelity: They cannot deny the force of these Arguments, if they were true; but that they may avoid the force of them, they will not believe them to be true: And so far they are in the right, that granting these things to be true, they cannot but acknowledge that they ought to live otherwise than they do: But here is their fatal miscarriage, that being resolved upon an evil course, since they cannot reconcile their practice with such Principles as these, they will fit their Principles to their practice; and so they will believe nothing at all of the Rewards and Punishments of another World, lest this should disturb them in their course: Vain men! as if Heaven and Hell must needs vanish and disappear, because some witty but wicked men have no mind to believe them.  
These men are Infidels in their own defence, and merely for the quiet of their own minds; that their Consciences may not perpetually rate them, and fly in their faces. For a right belief and an evil Conscience are but unsuitable companions; they are quarrelsome neighbours, and must needs live very uneasily by one another. He that believes the Principles of Religion, and yet is conscious to himself that he hath lived contrary to them, and still continues to do so, how can he possibly have any peace and quietin his mind? unless like Jonah he can sleep in a storm, and his conscience be, as it were, seared with a hot iron: For if his Conscience be awake, and in any degree sensible, the evident danger of eternal ruin, continually hanging over him, must in reason either drive him to repentance or to despair: If so forcible and violent an Argument can make no impression upon us, we are stupid and bewitched, we are lost and undone, we are wretched and miserable for ever.  
But besides the future Reward of a holy and conscientious course, which is unspeakable and full of glory; it hath also this present fruit, this earnest, as I may say, and ready money in hand, the peace and satisfaction of our own minds, which is much more valuable than thousands of gold and silver; the unspeakable comfort whereof every man will then find, when he hath most need of it: For it will be matter of great joy to him, not only under the sorest afflictions and calamities of Life, but even at the hour of Death; when the miseries of life oppress him, and the sorrows of death compass him about, and the pangs of it are ready to take hold of him.  
There is certainly no such comfort under the evils and afflictions of this life, as a faithful witness in our own breasts of our own innocency and integrity: When we are afflicted by God, or persecuted and reviled by men, it cannot but be a mighty consolation to us to be conscious to ourselves of our own sincerity. For though no man can acquit and justify himself before God as to the perfect innocency of his life, in which sense St. Paul says, 
1 Cor. 4.4.  that though he knew nothing by himself, yet was he not thereby justified; I say, though no man can plead perfect innocency, yet as to the general course and tenor of an unblameable life, a good man may appeal to God, and even when he afflicts him, may look upon Him as a tender and compassionate Father, and not as an angry and revengeful Judge.  
With this, holy and patiented Job, under all those terrible disasters and calamities which befell him, was able in some measure to comfort himself: After he had lost all, and he had a great deal to lose; when he was forsaken of all other comfort, even the charitable opinion of his best Friends concerning his sincerity. In these sad and disconsolate circumstances, what was it that bore up his spirit? nothing but the conscience of his own integrity. See with what resolution and constancy of mind he asserts and maintains it: 
Job 25.5, 6.  I will not, says he, remove mine integrity from me: my righteousness will I hold fast, and will not let it go: mine heart shall not reproach me, so long 〈◊〉 as I live: You see, that when every thing else mass gone, his integrity stuck by him, and supported him to the last.  
And as to persecutions and sufferings from men, our own innocency, and the goodness of our Cause, will be our best comfort under them: When we are not guilty to ourselves that we have deserved them from men, and are inwardly assured that whatever we patiently suffer for God and a good conscience, will all turn to our account another Day, and work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory.  
This was that which supported the first Christians, that noble Army of Martyrs, under all those bitter and cruel persecutions, which had otherwise been beyond all human patience to have endured: This comforted them in all their tribulations; Our rejoicing, says St. Paul, is this, the testimony of our consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world.  
So likewise under that inferior but equally malicious sort of persecution, of which this Age is so very profuse and prodigal, I mean the causeless calumnies and reproaches of men: If under these we can but approve our Consciences to God, the uncharitable Censures of men are not so much to be regarded by us: some impression they will make upon a tender mind, but we must not, if we can help it, let them sink too deep into our spirits: 
1 Joh. 3.21.  If our hearts condemn us not, we may have confidence towards God; and then surely much more towards men: If God and our own Consciences do but acquit us, methinks it should be no such difficult matter to bear the slanders and hard censures of men.  
But above all other times, the comfort of a good Conscience is most sensible, and most considerable, at the hour of Death: For as nothing dejects a man's spirit more, and sends him down with so much sorrow to the grave, as the guilt of an evil Conscience; what terror and anguish, what rage and despair do seize upon a Sinner at that time, when he reflects upon what he hath done, and considers what he is like to suffer? So on the other hand, there is nothing that revives and raises the fainting spirits of a dying man, like the Conscience of a holy and useful life, which hath brought glory to God, 
Prov. 14.32.  and good to men. The wicked, says Solomon, is driven away in his wickedness, that is, he is carried out of the World, as it were, in a storm and tempest: But the righteous hath hope in his death; he usually dies calmly and comfortably: Mark the perfect man, 
Psal. 37.37.  says David, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.  
If a man be conscious to himself that he hath sincerely endeavoured to keep the commandments of God, and to do the things which please Him; if he hath lived inoffensively and, as St. Paul 
Acts 23.1.  says of himself, in all good conscience before God, and men; what an unspeakable consolation must it be to him, in that dark and gloomy time, and when he is walking through the valley of the shadow of death, then to fear no evil? and to be able with our Blessed Saviour to say, though in a much inferior measure and degree, 
John 17.4.  Father, I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou hast given me to do: And to be able to look Death in the face with the like courage and constancy of mind as St. Paul did when he saw it approaching towards wards him: I am now, says he, 
2 Tim. 4.6, 7, 8  ready to be of fered, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day. A comfortable Death, that is free from the stings and upbraid, the terrors and tortures, the confusion and amazement of a guilty Conscience, is a happiness so , as to be well worth the best care and endeavour of a man's whole life.  
Let us then have a conscientious regard to the whole compass of our Duty, and, with St. Paul, Let us exercise to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men: And let us never do any thing whereby we shall offer violence to the light of our minds. God hath given us this Principle to be our constant guide, and companion; and whoever, after due care to inform himself aright, does sincerely follow the dictate and direction of this Guide, shall never fatally miscarry: But whoever goes against the clear dictate and conviction of his Conscience, in so doing he undermines the foundation of his own comfort and peace, and sins against God and his own Soul.  
And to the end we may keep our Consciences clear of guilt, we should frequently examine ourselves, and look back upon the actions of our lives, and call ourselves to a strict account for them; that wherein-soever we have failed of innocency, we may make it up by repentance; and may get our Consciences cleared of guilt by pardon and forgiveness: And if we do not do this, we cannot with confidence rely upon the testimony of our Consciences; because many great Sins may slip out of our memories without a particular repentance for them, which yet do require and stand in need of a particular repentance.  
Especially, we should search our Consciences more narrowly at these more solemn Times of repentance, and when we are preparing ourselves to receive the Holy Sacrament: And if at these Times our hearts do accuse and condemn us for any thing, we should not only hearty lament and bewail it before God, but sincerely resolve by God's grace to reform in that particular, and from that time to break off that Sin which we have then repent of, and have asked forgiveness of God for▪ For if after we have repent of it, we return to it again, we wound our Conscience afresh, and involve them in a new guilt.  
In the last place, We should reverence our Consciences, and stand in awe of them, and have a great regard to their testimony and verdict: For Conscience is a domestic Judge, and a kind of familiar God: And therefore, next to the Supreme Majesty of Heaven and Earth, every man should be afraid to offend his own Reason and Conscience, which whenever we knowingly do amiss, will beat us with many stripes, and handle us more severely than the greatest Enemy we have in the World: So that next to the dreadful sentence of the great Day, every man hath reason to dread the sentence of his own Conscience, God indeed is greater than our hearts, and knows all things; but under Him we have the greatest reason to fear the judgement of our own Consciences: For nothing but that can give us Comfort, and nothing can create so much trouble and disquiet to us.  
And though the judgement of our Consciences be not always the judgement of God, yet we have great reason to have great regard to it; and that upon several accounts, which I shall but briefly mention, and so conclude.  
First, Because the judgement of out Conscience is free from any compulsion. No body can force it from us, whether we will or no; and make us to pass sentence against ourselves, whether we see reason for it or not.  
Secondly, The sentence of our own Consciences is very likely to be impartial, at lest not too hard on the severe side; because men naturally love themselves, and are too apt to be favourable in their own case: All the World cannot bribe a man against himself: There is no man whose mind is not either distempered by melancholy, or deluded by false Principles, that is apt to be credulous against himself, and his own interest and peace.  
Thirdly, The judgement which our Conscience passeth upon our own actions, is upon the most intimate and certain knowledge of them, and of their true motives and ends. We may easily be deceived in our judgement of the actions of other men, and may think them to be much better or worse than in truth they are: Because we cannot certainly tell with what mind they were done, and what circumstances there may be to excuse or aggravate them; how strong the temptation was, or how weak the judgement of him that was seduced by it into error and folly.  
But we are conscious to all the secret springs, and motives, and circumstances of our own actions: We can descend into our own hearts, and dive to the bottom of them, and search into the most retired corners of our intentions and ends; which none, besides ourselves, but only God can do; for excepting Him only, none knows the things of a man but the Spirit of a man which is in him.  
Fourthly, The Sentence of our Conscience is peremptory and inexorable, and there is no way to avoid it. Thou mayest possibly fly from the wrath of other men to the uttermost parts of the Earth, but thou canst not stir one step from thyself: In vain shalt thou call upon the mountains and rocks to fall on thee and hid thee from the sight of thine own Conscience.  
Wretched and miserable man! when thou hast offended and wounded thy Conscience: For whether canst thou go, to escape the eye of this Witness, the terror of this Judge, the torment of this Executioner? A man may as soon get rid of himself, and quit his own being, as fly from the sharp accusations and stinging guilt of his own Conscience; which will perpetually haunt him, till it be done away by repentance and forgiveness.  
We account it a fearful thing to be haunted by evil spirits, and yet the spirit of a man which is in him, throughly affrighted with its own guilt, may be a more ghastly and amazing Spectacle than all the Devils in Hell: There is no such frightful Apparition in the World, as a man's own guilty and terrified Conscience staring him in the face: A spirit that is thus wounded, who can bear?  
To conclude; Let these confederations prevail with us always to live, not with regard to the opinion of others, which may be grounded upon mistake, or may not indeed be their opinion, but their flattery; but with regard to the judgement of our own Conscience, which though it may sometimes be mistaken, can never be bribed and corrupted: We may be hypocrites to others and base flatterers, but our Consciences whenever they are throughly awakened are always sincere, and deal truly with us, and speak to us as they think.  
Therefore whatever we say or do, let it be sincere: For though hypocrisy may for a while preserve our esteem and reputation with others, yet it can signify nothing to the peace of our own minds: And then what will it avail us to conceal any thing from other men, when we can hid nothing that we say or do from our own Consciences?  
The sum of all is this: If we would keep a Conscience void of offence, let us always be calm and considerate, and have the patience to examine things throughly and impartially: Let us be humble and willing to learn, and never too proud and stiff to be better informed: Let us do what we can to free ourselves from prejudice and passion, from self-conceit and self-interest, which are often too strong a bias upon the judgements of the best men, as we may see every day in very sad and melancholy instances: And having taken all due care to inform our Consciences aright, let us follow the judgement of our minds in what we do; and then we have done what we can to please God.  
And if we would always take this care to keep a good Conscience, we should always be easy, and good company to ourselves: But if we offend our Consciences, by doing contrary to the clear dictate and conviction of them, we make the unhappyest breach in the World; we stir up a quarrel in our own breasts, and arm our own minds against ourselves; we create an enemy to ourselves in our own bosoms, and fall but with the best and most inseparable Companion of our lives.  
And on the contrary, a good Conscience will be a continual Feast, and will give us that comfort and courage in an evil day which nothing else can: And than whatever happen to us, we may commit our souls to God in well-doing, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, To whom with our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, be all honour and glory, now and ever, Amen.  
FINIS▪