Conscience, therefore, is a high and awful power, it is solo Deo minor ; next, and immediately under God^ our Judge ; riding, as Joseph did in tlie second chariot. And concerning conscience, he saith to every man, as he once did to Moses, with respect ta Pharaoh, See^ I have made thee a God to Pharaoh, Exod. vii. 1. The voice of conscience is the voice of God. What it bindeth or looseth on earth, Clave non errante, is accordingly bound or loosed in heaven, 1 John iii. 21. the greatest difference and precise obe- dience is due to its command. Its consolations are, of all, the most sweet, and its condemnations (only excepting those by the moi-th of Christ in the last judgment) most terrible. Zuinglius spake not without ground, when he said, " What death would I ' not rather chuse ? What punishment would I not rather bear ? ' Yea, into what a profound abyss of hell would I not rather enter, ' than to witness against my conscience ?"" It is like he had felt the terrors of it to be more bitter than death* How many have chosen strangling, rather than life, under the terrors of conscience ? Wherever you go, conscience accompanies you ; whatever you say, do, or but think, it registers and records, in order to the day of account. AVhen all friends forsake thee, yea, when thy soul forsakes thy body, conscience Vv ill not, cannot forsake thee. When thy body is weakest and dullest, thy conscience is most vigorous and active .^^ Never more life in the conscience than when death makes its nearest approach to the body. When it smiles, cheers, acquits and comforts, oh, what a heaven doth it create within a man ! And when it frowns, condemns, and terrifies, how doth it becloud, yea, benight all the pleasures, joy, and delights of this world .^ O conscience ! how glad would the damned be to have taken their last farewell of thee, when they bid this world and all its, inhabitants farewell, at death! And what had become of all the sufferers and martyrs, when shut up from friends in dungeons, had it not been for the cheering cordials and comforts thou there administered to support them ! It is certainly the best of friends, or the worst of enemies in the whole creation. This is conscience, these are its powers and offices ; which was the first thing.
Secondhj^ Our next enquiry must be into the hght of conscience, and the various kinds of that light.
The Lord did not frame such an excellent structure as the soul of man, without windows to let in light, nor doth he deny the benefit of light to any soul ; but there is a twofold light which men have to inform and guide their consciences.
1 . The light of natural reason, which is common. S. The light of scripture revelation, which is special.
1. There is a common light of natural reason, which is connate, called by Solomon, Prov. xx. 9.1 " The candle of the Lord.
AN APPENDIX TO ENGLAND'S DUTY. 9^3
** TVie spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." Tliis is affirmed by him that had an extraordinary portion of intellectuals, a brighter lamp of reason, and wisdom, than other men ; and this is not only true of the soul in general, but of that special power of it, which is called coiisciencey which is God's spy, and man's overseer. The Heathens had this light shining to their minds, and consciences ; some of them, by the alone help of this natural light, made wonderful discoveries of the mysteries of nature ; yea, they found its efficacy and power^ great in their consciences, to raise their liopes or fears, according to the good or evil they had done. * Cmiscia mens ut cuique sua est, ita concipit intra Pectoraprojacto, spemque metumque suo. Ovid.
And to the shame of many that are called Christians, some among them paid great reverence to their own consciences.
-f- Imprimis reverere teipsum^
Turpe quid ausurus, te sine teste time.
But however, the generality of them did not so, and are taxed for it in the text ; and besides, this light can make no discoveries of Christ, and of the way of salvation by him. The most eagle- eyed pliilosophers among them were in the dark here. And there- fore,
2. God hath affiarded men a more clear, and excellent hght to shine into their minds, and consciences, even the light of the gospel, which, compared with the light of natural reason, is as the light of the sun to the dim moon-light. Psal. cxlvii. 19, 20. " He " sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments *' unto Israel : he hath not dealt so with any nation ; and as for '• his judgments they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord." Every creature hath the name of God engraven on it, but he hath, magnified his word above all his name, Psal. cxxxviii. 2. God, who best knows the rate and value of his own mercies, accounts this a singular favour and privilege to any nation. Without reve- lation we could never have known the cause of our misery, the fall of Adam, or the only way and means of our recovery by Christ : by this a people are lifted up to heaven, Matth. xi. 21. in respect of means and advantages of salvation; and consequently the contempt or neglect of such light and lov^e, will certainly plunge the guilty into proportionable misery. John iii. 19. " This is the condemna- " tion, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness " rather than light."
Moreover, God doth not only afford the light of natural rea-
* As is every man's conscience, so are his hopgs and fears.
f Principally revere thyself; tempted to any bate action, dread thyself, even when there is no other witness.
ST4 ax appendix to England's duty.
son and external gospel-revelation to some men in an eminent de- gree ; but to both these he super-adds the internal illumination of his Spirit, which is the clearest and most glorious light in the whole world. " He shineth into their hearts to give the light of the '^ knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. iv. 6. These are the three sorts of light that God makes to shine into the eouls and consciences of men to direct and guide them ; the first a common and general light, the two last the most clear and transcendent in excellency, especially that of the Spirit ^nth the gospel : For though the sun be risen, yet men may draw the curtains about them, and lie in darkness ; but the Spirit opens them, and makes it shine in.
Thirdly, How this light shining into the consciences of men obligeth them to obedience, and how men's lusts struggle against the obligations of an enhghtened conscience^ is the next thing to be spoken to.