THE HEAVENLY guide TO true PEACE OF CONSCIENCE. Wherein is observed in a most plain and Comfortable manner, 1. What Conscience is. 2. What a miserable thing an evil Conscience is. 3. What an happiness a good Conscience is. 4. How the estate of Conscience is truly discerned. 5. The means to procure a good Conscience. By H. V. V. I. 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, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Printed at London by Tho. Harper. 1641. The heavenly guide to the true peace of Conscience. I. What Conscience is. COnscience is the Act of a reasonable creature, apprehending the revealed will of God, takes notice of his own actions, and compasses it with the rule of God's Word, and so passeth sentence upon himself. 1. I say, Conscience is the act of a reasonable creature; not of a beast, or any creature save only such who are endued with reason; because creatures without reason are not capable to serve God in any other Heb. 9 14. way than they do. In which service, notwithstanding the evils they are incident unto, do yet serve God in their kind: But man, who is a reasonable creature, hath a conscience, which by sin is defiled, and being purged by the blood of Christ, is brought by the eternal Spirit, from dead works to serve the living God. Conscience doth exceedingly raise up the joys both of Saints and Angels in Heaven, and increaseth the horror of the devils and damned in hell. 2 Conscience is an act of apprehending the revealed will of God: it is not of the apprehension of man's will: it is not having an eye to profit, or pleasure, or favour; no, Conscience is an act proceeding from the revealed will of God, which being fully comforted with the assurance of the pardon of sin from God, is fully satisfied. We cannot Heb. 10. 2. begin to look into the conscience, till we look up to God. 3. Conscience takes notice of a man's own actions. It is not the applause which others give a man; it is not the commendations of companions, it is not any thing taken upon trust from men: but the taking notice of a man's own actions, bearing witness in the holy Ghost. This ariseth from Conscience. Rom. 9 1. 4. Conscience compares a man's actions with the rule of God's word; to look how others live, to have an eye to man's esteem, to look no further then outward carnal respects: this ariseth not from Conscience. But the renouncing even the secrets of dishonesty, by bringing of 2 Cor. 5. 11. the conscience to the manifestation of the truth: this doth truly arise from the Conscience. 5. Conscience passeth censure upon itself: It is not the stilling of the thoughts that arise by music, dancing, and such like vanities: it is not the slender looking on a man's life, and presently looking off again, and passing by Rom. 2. 15 it with an undaunted courage, as if a man would outface heaven, this conclusion is not of conscience: no, it is then of conscience when it shows the work of the Law written in the heart, the conscience also bearing witness, and the thoughts the mean while passing censure; that is, either accusing or excusing. II. What a miserable thing an evil Conscience is. There is no misery can exceed the misery of an evil Conscience, both in respect of wants that attend thereon, as also the woes belonging thereto: first, in respect of the wants that attend on an evil conscience, it is miserable, as may appear both by the present wants thereof, as also by its unprovidedness for the time to come. The present wants that attend an evil conscience, makes a miserable conscience; and that is always effected 1. either by being seared up with hardness, and fensing itself against the breathings and workings of God's Spirit: so that it will not bow nor bend, nor yield to come to trial in truth; but peremptorily persisteth in its 1 Tim. 4. ● own way, and will not be controlled: or else it becomes so fearful, that it casteth a man into utter desperation, so that it is as impossible for such a man or woman to look up to God with comfort, as for a blind man to behold the sun. Hence it hath come to pass, that some have been so far perplexed in this sad condition, that they have been so confident that they should be damned in hell, that though the Lord's Ministers have come after a most sweet and heavenly manner, with an olive branch of peace in their mouths, yet still they have cast off all, nothing could yield them any comfort, nothing but hell, nothing but damnation could appear before their eyes. So likewise also an evil Conscience is miserable in the future: for it is unprovided for the time to come. 2. For such is the misery of an evil conscience, that when it stands at the bar of God's judgement, before whose tribunal we must all appear, then will torments of an evil conscience be the greatest plague of all: this is the hottest coal in hell fire, even a defiled conscience full of unbelief and horror, and not able to behold any thing with comfort, but the devils, the damned, nay the very Saints, nay more, God himself is terrible for their conscience Tit. 1. 15. to behold. Secondly, the woes of an evil conscience makes a man exceeding miserable, and these woes are both temporal and eternal. Temporal woes incident hereunto, are, fears that arise from a polluted Conscience, fears of sickness, 1. fears of the plague, fears of death, fears where no fear is, still meets with them often in the way. Oh! thou that fearest the judgement so, why dost thou not Eccl. 12. 5. fear to sin? Why dost thou not trust in God? These fears, and troubles, and doubts, arise from thy want of faith: Thou hast a polluted conscience, and therefore thou art loath to come to trial; to have thy defiled conscience come to a trial before God, this is a terrible misery, therefore labour to come out of it. Those eternal woes that lie upon a polluted and evil 2. conscience, in case it be not purified, and brought to believing, are even such as the devils themselves Matth. 25. 41. are plagued with, eternal torments in hell, where is nothing but weeping, and gnashing of teeth, plagues upon plagues, torments and woes, and miseries for ever, never to have end. Thus may you see briefly the misery of an evil conscience. III. What an happiness a good Conscience is. The comforts of a good Conscience are exceeding great: And that may appear, First by the communion it hath with God's Spirit: Secondly, by the union it hath with Christ: Thirdly, by the unity it hath with God through Christ. Fourthly, by the promises of eternal life. First, the happiness and comfort of a good Conscience is great, by the communion it hath with God's Rom. 8. 26. Spirit; insomuch, that is there any weakness in us? the Spirit strengthens us. Do infirmities hang upon us? the Spirit helps us? Do we not know how to pray to God for something to do us good? The Spirit will pray for us. Are we weary with prayer? The Spirit will groan for us. Here is an happiness, here is a comfort beyond and above all the glories in the world. Secondly, the happiness and comforts are great also, that the conscience finds in its union with Christ; Joh. 17. 22. by which union the soul is knit to Christ, and Christ is united to the soul, and both made one, as Christ is one with God the Father, and man who is naturally (by sin) the heir of hell, is made by Christ, a joint heir of heaven, a son of God, a member of Christ by a glorious union with him. Thirdly, great is the comfort of a good Conscience, by reason of the unity it hath with God through Christ; insomuch, that were all the devils in hell pleading against him before God's tribunal, they could not keep him from laying claim to the promises of God, the greatest cross in the world is not able to overwhelm him with unbelief: but still he is 1 Tim. 3. 9 enabled, through the power of the holy Ghost, to hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. Fourthly, the comfort is also great, yea unspeakable is the comfort that ariseth to a good conscience, through the beholding of the promises of eternal life, by which a man lays claim to heaven, as an heir to his own inheritance, and therefore is not drawn away with the vanities of the world, which perish, nor through fear is overcome, nor led to delight in folly, or to deny his God: but going on from grace to grace, through faith and patience, passeth his days till he inherit the promise of eternal life. Heb. 6. 12. IV. How the estate of the Conscience is truly discerned. The Conscience may discover to man his estate and condition, either, First, under the cross: or, secondly, in the midst of pleasure, or earthly glory: or thirdly, under the promises. Fourthly, under Satan's temptations. Lastly, by the effect of the working of God's Spirit upon the conscience. First, the estate of Conscience may be discerned under the cross: when affliction comes upon a man, a good conscience may be discerned from an evil conscience, as followeth. An evil conscience in trouble, and under the cross, doth not set a man forward to seek to God in the chiefest place, but to some temporal means which 1 Sam. 16. 15. natural reason teacheth; whereby the heart is fixed upon the creature, as if there were no help but even by what ariseth from carnal reason; whereupon the mind comes to be troubled, and the heart discouraged until such time that fleshly reason doth perceive a redress begin. But on the contrary, a good conscience is fortified with patience and faith under the greatest cross, patience 2 Thess. 1. 4. & vers. 7 to endure with meekness, as concerning every present means, suitable (through God's blessing) to the present condition; & faith to believe undoubtedly THE REPORT Of the Bishop of Canterbury's dream, for an advertisement to all proud Lordly, persecuting, unpreaching, oppressing, tyrannising Prelates, who suppress the Preaching and progress of the gospel. IT is reported of his Arch-grace of Canterbury, that when he was a poor scholar in Oxford, he dreamed, that he should be a Bishop, than Archbishop of Canterbury, and a great persecuter of God's Ministers and people, (which we see all verified) and that at last he sunk down into Hell, whereupon he awaked, and then and since, oft related this dream; enough to have terrified and awaked his Lordship, if true. Oh that a man had but a view of Hell (saith Father Latimer in his Sermons) he should see on one side of it, a row of unpreaching Prelates in their square Caps, I warrant you as far, as between this and Dover. And no marvel since they have so hated, despised, and blasphemed both the word of God, the true Preachers and lovers thereof, driving away, and silencing God's faithful Ministers, and setting up in their rooms and places, Doct. Ignorance, Domine Drunkard, Sir William wild-oats that hunteth after Whores, and such also as can play dissembling Hypocrites, whereby the devil's empire of darkness exceedingly flourisheth: lest faithful Preaching should root it out. But the Churches hope is, that God in his good time, will now in this happy Parliament-time, hear the prayers of the people of this Land everywhere put up: That the Seas of those Lordly Prelates, Pope-successors, Tyrants, persecutors of Christ, &c. shall be, Nidos eorum ubique destruendos; or else put to some better uses. FINIS.