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SERMON I.

ON CONSCIENCE.

ACTS xxiv. 16.

And herein I do exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

THE deliberate assertion which the Apostle here makes of his laborious and constant efforts, "to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men," derives great additional interest from the consideration of the dangerous and perplexing circumstances in which he was now placed. He was standing at Cæsarea, in the presence of Felix, the Roman governor, and of the High Priest and elders, to answer the accusations which had been urged against him, at the instance of the Jewish nation, by the orator Tertullus, and was declaring before them all the nature of that hope which he had toward God.

He had already addressed to the council at Jerusalem, under circumstances scarcely less for

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midable, a vindication of himself, in terms similar to the present; and, as he earnestly looked upon that assembly, had said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." For this saying, we are told that "the High Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth1;" but, notwithstanding that act of violence and insult, upon the very next occasion which summons the Apostle to speak in his own defence, and in the presence of the same Ananias who had thus commanded him to be smitten, he not only repeats in substance the same assertion, but declares that the maintenance of "a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men," was the duty in which he always exercised himself.

Thus likewise, in the Epistles written by St. Paul, whether his object be to address whole churches, or individual members; whether to illustrate doctrines, or enforce duties, or warn against dangers; we continually meet with appeals made by him to the authority of conscience in his own breast, to the respect which should be paid to it in the breasts of others. In the Epistle to the Romans, for example, where he is speaking, in one place, of the sorrow which he felt for his brethren, his "kinsmen according to the flesh," his words are, "I say the truth

1 Acts xxiii. 1, 2.

in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost'; and in another, where he is pointing out the duty of obedience to lawful governors, he urges its observance "not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake 2." In like manner, the many cautions and directions which he gives, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, with respect to things lawful and things expedient, are regulated by the regard which ought to be paid to the same high and holy principle of conscience in other men; and he scruples not to tell the Corinthians that, when they "sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences," they "sin against Christ 3." Again, in the beginning of his Second Epistle to the same, he affirms the ground of his rejoicing to be "this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward 4." And afterwards, in describing the duties of those men who, with himself, had received the ministry, he declares that they handled "not the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth," commended themselves "to every man's conscience in the sight of God 5." To Timothy, likewise, in his First Epistle, he affirms

1 Rom. ix. 1.
3 1 Cor. viii. 12.

5 2 Cor. iv. 2.

2 Ib. xiii. 5.
4 2 Cor. i. 12.

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