But, poor self-cozening hypocrite, these things must not pass so; thy conscience, as well as the word, tells thee that it is not the place of worship, but the spirituality of it that God regards, John iv. 23, 21. That they are hypocrites in scripture-account who have God in their mouths, but he is far from their reins, Jer. xii. 2. and that hypocrites will have the hottest place in hell, Matth. xxiv. 51.
distance 3., A third instance of convictions cf ungodliness held in unrighteousness, is in declining or denying to coiifess the known truths of God, which we ourselves have prpfessed> when the con- fession of them infers danger.
In times of danger, conscience struggles hard with men to ap- pear for the truths of God, and upon no account whatsoever to dissemble or deny them ; and enforceth its counsels and warnings upon us with such awful scriptures as these, Luke ix. 62. " No man " having put his hand to the plough,, and looking back, is fit for '^ the kingdom of God.'' And Matth. x. 33. " But whosoever " shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my F^ " ther which is in heaven." In this case conscience useth to
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stpuggle hard with men, yet is many times overborne by the preva- lent temptations of the flesh : As,
1. By carnal fears. The fear of suffering gets the ascendant di iMe fear of God ; men choose rather to adventure their souls upon Twrath to come, than the present wrath of incensed enemies. They vainly hope to find mercy with God, but expect none from men. Thus the fear of man brings a snare, Prov. xxix. 25. and so the voice of conscience is drowned by the louder clamours and threats of adversaries.
2. As the fear of man^s threatenings, so the distrust of God'*s pro^ mises, defeats the design of conscience. If men believed the pro- mises, they would never be afraid of their duties ; faith in a pro- mise would make men as bold as lions, if such a word as that was minded, Isa. Ivii. 11. *' Of whom hast thou been afraid, or feared, *^ that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me.?"" Men would say, as Zuinglius in the like case. What death would I not rather dioose to die ? What punishment would I not rather under- go ? Yea, into what vault of hell would I not rather choose to be cast, than to witness against my own conscience .'*
3. The immoderate and inordinate love of the world, over- powers conscience, and drowns its voice in such an hour of temp- tation. So Demas found it, 2 Tim. iv. 10. O what a dangerous conflict is there in an hour of tenaptation, betwixt an enlightened head and a worldly heart ?
Lastly^ The example of others who comply and embrace the sinful terms of liberty to escape the danger, embolden men to fol- low their examples, and Satan will not be wanting to improve their examples. Do not you see such and such men, beating the road before you? Learned men, and prudent men, who, it may be, have less heart, but more wisdom than you. Why will you be singular, why mil you hazard all for that, for which others will hazard nothing ?
But certainly such sins as these will cost you dear, it is a dreadful tiling to betray the truths and honour of God for base, secular ends ; and 3^011 will find it so when you and your consciences shall debate it together in a calm hour.
Secondly^ There are also sins oi unrighteousness against the second table^ in which many live against the plain dictates and warnings of their ov/n consciences, though they know the wrath of God is re- vealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. To give some instances of this,
Instance 1. ^nd first, let me instance in that sin of defrauding and going beyond others in our civil commerce and dealings with them : over-reaching, cozening, and cheating the ignorant or un- wary, who, it may be^ would not be so unwary as they are, did
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thev not repose trust and confidence in your deceitful words and promises. Conscience cannot but startle at such sins, the very light of nature discovers the evil of it, and the sober HeatJiens ab- hor it : but we that live under the gospel cannot but feel some ter- ror and trembling in our c<)nsciences when we read suclra severe and awful prohibition, backed with such a dreadful threatening a£ that is in 1 Thess, iv. 6. " That no man defraud, or go beyond his '' brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all ^' such."" The word is, to /x?? y-rg^Sa/vs/i/, that no man overtop, viz. by power, or by craft and policy. To this sin a dreadful threaten- ing is annexed, the Lord is the avenger of all such. The word is, i%hrKo;, but once more, that I remember, used in the New Testa- ment, Rom, xiii. 4. and is there applied to the civil magistrate, who must see execution done upon malefactors ; but here the Lord himself v/ill do it, he will be this man's avenger. This rod, or rather this ax, conscience shews men, and gives warning of the danger, and yet its convictions are over-powered and bound as pri- soners, by
1. The excessive love of gain ; 1 Tim. vi. 9- " But they that *' will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare ; and into many ^' foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men m destruction *^ and perdition.*" When a resolution is made for the world, men will be rich by right or wrong ; this powerfully arms the temp- tation. Set gain before such a man, and he will break through the law of God and convictions of conscience, but he will have it ; this drowns them in perdition and destruction, that is, it surely, thoroughly, and fully ruins them : As he is a dead man that is only drowned ; but to be drowned in destruction, yea, in destruc- tion and perdition too, this must needs make his ruin sure, as sure as words can make it, and so all such persons shall surely find it, who persist in such a course.
2. Pinching necessities and straits over-bear conscience in others ; necessity hath no ears to attend the voice of the word and con- science. Here conscience and poverty struggle together, and if the fear of God be not exalted in the soul, it now falls a prey to temptation. This danger wise Agur foresaw, and earnestly en- treated the Lord for a competency to avoid the snare of poverty, Prov. xxx. 8, 9. Poor wretch ! how much better were it for thee to endure the pains of a griping stomacli than these of a griping conscience ? Such gains may be sweet in thy mouth, but bitter in thy bowels. ^
3. The examples of others who daily venture on such sins with- out scruple, and laugh at such squeamish consciences as keck at such things; this emboldens others to follow them, Psal. 1. 18. •and thus the voice of conscience is drowned, and convictions buried
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fcr a time ; but it will thunder at last, and thy buried convictions ■will have a resurrection, and it shall be out of thy power to silence them again.