SERMONS UPON ACTS XXIV. 11-16. 425
Secondly, The integrity of his obedience, set forth in all the neces- sary requisites.
1. There is sincerity asserted. For his conscience was in it, and a good conscience, ^ow conscience is that faculty which is apt to take God's part, and is the judgment a man maketh upon his actions, mor- ally considered, in order to praise and dispraise, reward and punish- ment ; and the goodness of conscience consisteth in its ability to do its oflSce, in its clearness, purity, tenderness, quietness, or peaceableness. For its clearness : a blind conscience is an evil conscience ; for ' with- out knowledge the heart is not good," Prov. ix. 2. As a judge that understandeth not the laws of the country is unfit to give judgment in any matter that cometh before him, or as a dim eye cannot do the office of an eye, so a blind conscience is no competent judge of our duty to God. So for the pmity of conscience : 1 Peter iii. 21, ' Not the putting away of the filthiness of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God ; ' and Heb. xiii. 18, ' We trust we have a good conscience, willing in all things to live honestly.' A good conscience is an heart set to please God in all things, an heart hating sin and loving holi- ness. Again, tenderness is another property of a good conscience when it is wakeful, and smiteth for sin upon all occasions offered. This property may be understood by what the apostle saith of heathens for gross sins : Eom. ii. 15, ' Which show the work of the law written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts in the meantime accusing or else excusing one another.' In David : 1 Sam. xxiv. 5, ' David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt ; ' and by what Job saith, chap, xxvii. 6, ' My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.' The opposite is a seared conscience that hath no feeling : 1 Tim. iv. 2, ' Having their consciences seared with a hot iron.' This we contract by frequent heinous sinning, or by a customary practice of that which is evil, by which the heart groweth as hard as the highway which is trod upon. Quietness of conscience is another property, whereby the goodness of it is discerned ; only this quietness must arise from the former properties, else it is a dead, sleepy, seared conscience. For in this we must consider not who hath most quiet, but who hath most cause ; as in buildings, not the fairness of the structure, but the foundation of it is to be regarded. There is a quiet evil conscience : Luke xi. 21, ' When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.' When wind and tide go together there is a calm, but the quiet good conscience is from faith in Christ : Eom. V. 1, 'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God; ' from a sense of our sincere dealing with God : 2 Cor. i. 12, ' For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sin- cerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.' A serenity resulting from our peace with God and close walking with him.
2. The strictness and exactness of the apostle's course. He would keep this good conscience ' void of offence.' It may be understood passively or actively. Passively, that conscience be not offended and suffer wrong ; actively, that we offend not, or offer wrong to others.
[1.] That conscience be not offended, or receiv3 wrong by any mis- carriage of ours, for it is a tender thing. The least dust in the eye
426 SERMONS UPON ACTS XXIV. 14-lG.
hindereth its use, so doth sin offend and trouble tlie conscience. Take those four notions before mentioned, Clearness : Mat. v. 8, ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' A dusty glass hindereth the sight of the image, so lust cloudeth the mind. In regard of purity ; so far as we give way to sin, conscience is defiled. The apostle speak- eth of some ' whose minds and consciences were defiled/ Titus i. 15. It is defiled by sin. In regard of tenderness, nothing bringeth a brawn upon conscience so much as frequent and allowed sinning in small things. First it is wounded, and then hardened, and so groweth dead and sleepy ; though it may write, it refuseth to speak ; it is a register when it is not a witness. So it is ofi'ended in regard of quietness. An offended conscience will offend us, and ' a wounded spirit who can bear ? ' Prov. xviii. 14. You may as well expect to touch the flesh with a burning coal without pain as to sin without trouble of con- science. Sin will bring shame and horror ever since Adam's experi- ence, who was afraid and ashamed. Gen. iii. 7.
[2.] The second sense, that we offend not, nor offer wrong to others, will fall in with the next head.
3. The impartiality of his obedience, ' Both towards God and towards men.' There are two tables, and we are to take care we do not give offenceto God or men, by neglecting our duty to either.