Effects of this trouble. Doth he find, that, when conscience is disquieted, he is apt to shift off the trouble by diverting it, and doing what he can to lull it asleep? doth he neglect prayer, reading the word, and other duties and means that God hath appointed to bring him to a true repentance for his sin? If it be so, this man hath great cause to fear, that the trouble of his conscience proceeds from the impurity and defilement of it. Where God will save the soul, this trouble of conscience works in another manner, and stirs up a man to pray, to hear, to meditate upon God's word, where his condition will be stated to his hand; to follow God in all his ways and ordinances, making him restless till he come to know that his sins are pardoned, and his wounds healed and closed up by the blood of Jesus Christ. Many there are, in whom the troubles of conscience never produce any good effects; but all their care is, how they may divert all troublesome and disquieting thoughts from them. selves; and so they wear off convictions: now this trouble can never produce any saving effect; and is itself produced merely from that corroding and gnawing guilt, that lies upon conscience, which a true and genuine trouble is a means by God appointed

to remove.

Secondly. "How may a man know when conscience is quiet, whether it be quieted upon God's grounds, because the guilt of sin is removed from it?"

To this I answer: It must be considered, whether quietness of conscience comes after trouble: and, if conscience be quiet after trouble, then you must consider how it came to be quieted. Did you wear it away with other businesses? or, did you seek to God by prayer, and applying of the promises to yourselves? Did you, in the way of God, obtain peace? Now if a man's quietness, that he hath, be got after trouble, and if got in God's way, that way which he hath appointed to still and quiet the conscience, you may then satisfy yourself in it. But, when as you never have been troubled, or having been troubled have worne it off, you may be assured such a peace of conscience is far worse and more dangerous, than the most horrid troubles and disquietments of conscience that can be.

III. I come now to the Third General Head propounded: and that was, to shew you, OF WHAT GREAT IMPORTANCE, AND OF WHAT BENEFICIAL CONSEQUENCE IT IS,

TO KEEP OUR CONSCIENCES CLEAR AND INOFFENSIVE.

And, in speaking unto this, I shall, at once, both give you the Reasons of the point, why it should be our continual endeavour to keep clear consciences; and, also, give you Motives to persuade you to the duty.

i. A Clear Conscience is THE MOST COMFORTABLE RELIEF UNDER FALSE REPROACHES AND ASPERSIONS, THAT ARE CAST UPON US.

A good conscience is in our own power alone; but, it is in the power of every slanderous tongue, to blast a good name : and, indeed, it is a thing almost impossible, to keep at once both a good conscience and a good name. The world is shattered and fractured into so many parties, and each of them of such different relishes of good and bad, that, unless our actions have as universal a gust, as, according to the Rabbins' tradition, the Israelites' manna had, that it had the taste of that which they best fancied; we must of necessity fall under mis-constructions, censures, and defamations. For, indeed, if we observe it, it is usually our similitude to others that makes them think and speak well of us whosoever commends another, commends him for somewhat, that he supposeth at least he hath in himself: and this is the reason of that woe, which our Saviour denounceth, Luke vi. 26. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you. When wicked men speak well of us, it is a sign that we are but too too like them: even a Heathen could say, when he was highly applauded by the vulgar rout, "What evil have I done, that these men praise me?" the very reproaches of ungodly men are the best testimonials that can be given of an excellent and singular Christian. In a strict and holy conversation, there is that contradiction to the loose profaneness of the world, as, at once, both convinces and offends them, reproves them and galls them: and if, as we ought, we thus reproach them by our lives, we must expect that they will again reproach us by their lying slanders. It is a sinful tenderness of our esteem among men, when we tack about to every popular breath that blows: such must needs prefer the praise of men, before the praise of God. And, let me tell you, this is as fruitless, as it is sinful; since this wind will always blow from contrary points: while some extol us, others will as much vilify and scorn us. It

is miserable to live upon the reports and opinions of others: let us not reckon what they say, but what reports our own consciences make: it is far better to offend the whole world, than God and conscience: and, if a storm of obloquy and reproaches, railings and curses, do at any time patter upon us; how sweet then is it, to retire inward into the calm innocency of our own hearts! there, a thousand witnesses will tell us, we have not deserved them: how comfortable is it, to remit our cause to God; and leave our vindication to him, for whose sake we suffer reproach! Thus Jeremiah appeals to God, Jer. xx. 10, 12. I have heard the defaming of many....Report, say they, and we will report it: that is, let us raise a disgraceful and reproachful report of him: But, says he, O Lord of Hosts, thou that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart....unto thee have! opened my cause. Thus, if, while wicked men are maliciously conspiring how to blot and sully our names, we can but keep our consciences clear; what need we much trouble ourselves how the wind blows abroad, since we are harboured under the retreat of a peacefull heart? They may, possibly, persuade others to believe their calumnies; but they can never persuade God to believe them: He, who searcheth the heart and conscience, knows that we are injured; and he is hastening forward a day, wherein he will clear up our righteousness: and, then, the testimony of a good conscience shall put ten thousand slanderers to silence.

ii. A Clear Conscience, as it enables a man to bear reproaches from others with patience, so IT GIVES HIM AN ADVANTAGE TO

REPROVE OTHERS WITH AUTHORITY.

It is a true rule, That he, who reproves another, ought himself to be free from the fault which he reproves : for, otherwise, the reproof neither comes with freedom from the reprover, nor with efficacy to the reproved.

1. A reproof, that comes from a guilty conscience, is but stam mering and timorous.

Such a man's own conscience must needs rise up in his throat, and choke his reproofs. Consciousness of the same miscarriages will retort whatsoever we can say against others, more forcibly against ourselves; and will suggest to us, that it is but a base piece of hypocrisy, to blame that which we ourselves practise.

* Κυβέντης αναγκη και ῥαδιεργον είναι, όςις, ενεχομενος τινι αυτος κακῳ, επιτι μÝCH TOL5 922015. Arriani Epictet. 1. ifi. c. 22.

With what face canst thou press others to repent and reform ? What arguments canst thou use, who, by continuing in the same sins, dost thyself judge that those arguments are of no force! Thus conscience suggests; and, thereby, tongue-ties reproof.

2. This too makes reproofs ineffectual.

It were a temper to be wished and prayed for, that we could only respect how righteous the reproof is, and not how righteous the person is that gives it; and be content to have the motes plucked out of our eyes, though it be by such as have beams in their own eyes. For, indeed, there is no more reason to reject sound admonition, because it comes from an unsound heart, than there is to stop our ears against good counsel, because it is delivered perhaps by an unsavoury breath. Yet so it is, that, when men of defiled consciences and conversations reprove others, they are apt to think, either that they are not in earnest, and do but personate what they speak; or, else, that they envy them their sins, and would engross all to themselves; and so the reproof takes no place upon them. But, when a man of a clear and unspotted conscience reproves wicked men, his reproof breaks in upon them with conviction and authority; and, if it doth not reform, it must at least daunt and silence them. "Here is one, that reproves me for sin, who doubtless believes it to be evil, by his own avoiding it. Here is one, that denounceth wrath if I repent not, who doubtless believes it to be as terrible as he represents it, by his own carefulness to escape it." And, thus, a clear conscience hath a great advantage to reprove sinners with success; at least to work conviction, if not amendment in them.

iii. A Clear Conscience GIVES US BOLDNESS OF ACCESS UNTO GOD.

Guilt abashes the soul, and makes it both ashamed and afraid to appear in the presence of God: and therefore Adam, as soon as he had sinned against his Maker, presently hides himself from him. We may observe in ourselves, what a slavish dejectedness seizeth us when we come to God in duty, after we have wronged him by any known sin: we come to him suspiciously; and with

Τοις βασιλέυσι και τυραννοις δι δορυφοροι και τα όπλα παρείχε το επιτιμαν τισι, και δυνασθαι και κολάζειν τὰς ἁμαρτανοντας, και αυτοίς εσι κακοις· τῳ δε XUVIX, αντί τῶν ὅπλων και των δορυφόρων, το συνειδος την εξέσιαν ταύτην παραδίδωσιν. Id.

ibid.

such a misgiving fear, as if we would not have God take notice that we are before him; and are still in pain, till the duty be over. But, when our consciences are clear, oh, with what delight do we haste to God, and with what content do we stay with him! How doth the soul dilate and spread itself under the smiles of God, beating full upon it! "Lo, O Lord, here is a heart, that I labour to make and keep void of offence: do thou fill it with thy promised Grace and Spirit. It is not, indeed, a mansion pure enough for the pure and holy God; yet is it such, as thou wilt accept of and dwell in. There are still many hidden corruptions in it, but do thou search them out; and thou, who hast kept thy servant from presumptuous sins, do thou also cleanse me from secret faults." Thus a clear conscience, with a holy and reverend boldness, addresseth itself to God; and sweetly closeth up every duty and every prayer, with full assurance of obtaining mercy from God. So the Apostle, Heb. x. 22. Let us draw near....in full assurance of faith: how may we gain this full assurance, when we draw near to God? by having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: get but a pure and clear conscience, and that will enable you to draw near to God in full assurance of faith. And so, in the like parallel place, 1 John iii. 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God: if conscience be not evil to accuse us, then have we confidence towards God: when the face of a man's conscience looks chearful; and hath not a frown nor a wrinkle upon it, this makes us joyfully to apprehend that God's face towards us is serene also, and that we shall be welcome at all times into our Father's presence: this conscience suggests to us, and makes us come with a holy, yet with an awful boldness unto God.

iv. A Clear Conscience is THE SWEETEST BOSOM FRIEND, WITH

WHICH WE MAY AT ALL TIMES FREELY AND INTIMATELY CONVERSE.

Wicked men, indeed, of all company in the world, dread and hate themselves most; they have a lowering, rumbling conscience within, that always threatens and disquiets them; and, therefore, they love to keep abroad: soliloquies and heart-discourses are a very torment to them; and they wonder that the Psalmist should ever bid them commune with their own heart, and be still; as it is in Psal. iv. 4: they are never less still, than when they discourse awhile with their own consciences; which, upon many high provocations given them, are grown so quarrelsome, and