3. Conscience is easily offended, but not easily appeased ; as the eye ' is easily offended v,'ith the least dust or mote, which soon gets in, but
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434 SERMONS UPON ACTS XXIV. 14-16.
is not easily gotten out. But then to appease it costs a great deal of trouble. Therefore, if we would, as Paul, keep a conscience void of offence, there needeth much tenderness and watchfulness, for by the commission of deliberate and wilful sins you may raise a tempest that is not easily laid again ; as David felt broken bones after his foul fall : Ps. li. 8, ' Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.' Before the action conscience showeth what is to be done ; in the action it guideth us in doing ; after the action it censureth it as well or ill done ; and so either comforteth us with hopes of a reward, or terrifieth us with fear of punishment. As a man acteth, so conscience is a party ; as the action is censured, so conscience is a judge. After the action the force of conscience is usually seen more than before the fact or in the fact, because before and in the action the judgment of reason is not so clear and strongs the affections raising mists and clouds to darken the mind and trouble it, and draw it on their side by their pleasing violence. By the treachery of the senses and revolt of the passions the mind is betrayed ; but as the violence of the affections ceaseth, and is by little and little allayed, guilt flasheth in the face of conscience, and reason hath the greatest force to affect the mind with grief or fear. The act being over, and the affection satisfied, the soul giveth place to reason, which was before contemned ; and when it recovereth the throne, it striketh through the heart with a sharp sentence and i-eproof for obeying appetite before itself, and brings in terror and trouble, which causeth the soul to sit uneasy : Mat. xxvii. 4, ' I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood;' Kom. i. 32, 'Knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.' There- fore do not go like an ox to the slaughter, nor a fool to the correction of the stocks.
4. Conscience is the best friend and the worst enemy. It is the best friend, partly for its comfort : Prov. xv. 15, ' He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast ; ' 2 Cor. i. 12, ' For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience ; ' no bird sings so sweetly as the bird in the bosom. Partly for its nearness ; it is always with us, in health and sickness, in life and in death. Husbands and wives, who are most together, yet because they live a distinct life, they are often apart; death looseth the bond and knot, but this remaineth with us. So it is the worst enemy. Partly for its universal nearness. It is sad for a man to be at odds with himself, and fall out with his own heart. It is a domestical tribunal, which always remaineth with us ; and there- fore Job could bear the reproaches of others, but his own heart should not reproach him as long as he lived, Job xxvii. 6. Partly because of the grievousness of the wound and stroke : Prov. xviii. 14, ' A wounded spirit who can bear ? ' It is no less than the fear of the wrath of the eternal God. A man cannot run away from his conscience, no more than he can run away from himself ; and therefore for a man to please others and offend his conscience, what folly is that ! or to please a lust to wound his conscience. A lust or vain appetite is an unjustifiable thing, and will soon appear so, but the fears of conscience are justified by the highest reason, the law of God. The satisfaction of a lust is a poor vanishing pleasure, but the observing and keeping a good con-
SERMONS UPON ACTS X5IV. 14-16. 435
science breecleth a solid joy, which will stick by thee to the very last, and when thou comest to die, will be a support to thee : Isa. xxxviii. 3, ' Eemember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a pei'fect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight/ When thou must leave riches, honours, and pleasures, which are the baits of thy lust, this will stick by thee : 1 John ii. 17, ' The world passeth away, and the lust thereof ; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.' Therefore now thou shouldst mortify thy lust and gi^atify thy conscience.
5. Thy conscience is the beginning of heaven and hell. A good conscience is the beginning of heaven, and peace and joy in believing is a foretaste of that fulness of joy and pleasure which we shall have when we come into God's immediate presence. The glorified spirits carry a good conscience with them to heaven ; ' their works follow them,' Eev. xiv. 13 ; and the damned carry their stings and convictions with tliem to hell : Mark ix. 44, ' Their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' Oh, think of this ! The joys of the Spirit are an antepast of glory, called often an earnest in scripture : 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.' And the horrors of conscience are the suburbs of hell. Oh ! therefore be sure to keep all quiet within, and whatever be your temptations, do not offend conscience, but unfeignedly discharge your duties to God and men.