[1.] Our chief care should be that we do not make a breach upon our love to God. Conscience standeth always in dread of God's eye and presence, to whom it is most accountable : Acts xxiii. 1, ' I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day ; ' O ' grieve not the Spirit ! ' Eph. iv. 30. Offend not the pure eyes of his glory.
[2.] That we do not offend men : Rom. xii. 17, rrpovoovjxevoL to, KoXa, ' Provide things honest in the sight of all men.' We must be careful of our conscience before God and frame with men, that we neither seduce them by our example nor grieve them by any unjust or uncharitable carriage of ours, but be blameless to men.
4. The constancy, hiaiTavTo^, ' always,' in all cases, by all means, at all times. A conscience brought forth at times, and for certain turns, is not a good conscience : Job xiii. 18, ' Behold now I have ordered my cause ; I know that I shall be justified.' A man is tried by his course, not by a step or two : 1 Peter i. 15, ' As he that hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation,' ev Trdarj avaarpot^rj ; in every creek and corner of your lives, not in an humour and in good moods. A christian is everywhere like himself, and never dareth to do anything knowingly against conscience.
Thirdly, The laborious diligence wherewith he carried it on : 'I exercise myself.' We must make it our constant labour and endeavour, by a diligent search into the mind of God : Eom. xii. 2, ' That we may prove what is the good and acceptable will of God ; ' Eph. v. 17, ' Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is ; ' Eph. v. 10, ' Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord,' that we may not offend him in worship or daily conversation. By a serious inquiry into the state of our own hearts and ways : Ps. iv. 4, ' Stand in awe, and sin not ; commune with your hearts upon your bed, and be still.' If we would have conscience speak to us, we must often speak to conscience : Jer. viii. 6, ' I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright ; no
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man repented bim of his wickedness, saying, What have I done ? ' Ask questions of your hearts. And also by a constant watchfulness and taking heed to our feet : Ps. xxxix. 1, ' I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue.' Many live as if they had no conscience, and by a broken-hearted making use of Christ's death : Kom. V. 1, ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, thi-ough our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' and 1 John ii. 1, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; ' and Heb. ix. 14, ' How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eter- nal Spirit ofi"ered himself to God without spot, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.' By a serious resistance and mortification of sin, cutting ofi" the right hand, and pulling out the right eye, Mat. v. 29, 30 ; and Gal. v. 24, ' They that are Christ's have cruci- fied the flesh with the aff'ections and lusts ; ' and by the use of all holy means which God hath appointed.
II. The reasons why this is true Christianity.
1. The necessity of it. It is a great question how far obedience be- longeth to faith, whether as a part, or as an end, fruit, and consequent ? I answer — Both ways. Consent of subjection is a part of faith, actual obedience a fruit of it. In the covenant there is a consent first before practice. Faith believeth the precepts as well as the promises : Ps. cxix. 66, 'Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments ; ' Heb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science, and our bodies washed with pure water.' It believeth the pro- mises to sweeten obedience to us ; it hath a persuasive oratory, as it worketh by love or hope. It worketh us to an observance of the precepts by the hopes of the resurrection, lest we be enticed from them either by things grateful or troublesome to present sense : 1 Cor. xv. 58, ' Be steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your work is not in vain in the Lord.' If you believe things written in the law and the prophets, you wiU see your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
2. The comfort of obedience to us. "We cannot make out our evi- dence and plea but by a uniform, constant, and impartial obedience. Principles are latent till they discover themselves by their fruit. Our faith and hope is but a fancy unless it prevail over sensitive inclina- tions to present things, that we may live in the patient and delightful service of God, and an entire obedience to his holy will. The sap is not seen, but the apples and fruit appear: Acts xxvi. 20, ' That they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance ; ' Mat. iii. 8, ' Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance ; ' we can else have no comfortable evidence of it.