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of conscience are justified by the highest reason, which is the law of God ; not occasioned by our melancholy conceits only. It is an. amazing consideration to us to think of entering into an unknown world, and to stand before the righteous bar of an impartial judge. That it is very hard to undergo death with a steady confidence, and to encourage our fearful and doubtful minds to launch out into eternity, common experience verifieth. I pray, consider, christians, that our present condition is a state of darkness and fear ; and these fears are caused by sin, and justified by the law of God, and revived by death and the thoughts of the other world. And therefore there is not a weightier business than to establish our fearful and doubtful minds in peace, that we may comfortably wait for the mercy of God unto eternal life.
Secondly, That is the best religion which doth most provide for this peace and rest of soul. So that if a man were at liberty to choose, and were consulting what religion he should choose, this consideration must guide him where he can find true peace and rest for his anxious soul. So the prophet directeth them : Jer. vi. 16, 'Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way ? and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls.' And by this argument Christ inviteth us to himself : Mat. xi. 28, 29, ' Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.' And the apostle com- mendeth the gospel upon this account : Kom. v. 1, ' Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus.' It is easy to lull conscience asleep for a while ; either — (1.) By carnal pleasures : Pro v. ix, 17, ' Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.' For a while they seem so, but the virtue of that opium is soon spent. Or (2.) By a false religion ; but within a while we shall soon find that is so far from being our cure, that it is a great part of our disease ; no false religion^is consistent with right thoughts of God. Therefore the woman of oamaria, as soon as sh€ began to have an awakened conscience, inquires after the true religion : John iv. 20, ' Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say in Jeru- salem is the place where men ought to worship.' An awakened con- science will be careful to lay the groundwork of religion sure. A false way of religion always breedeth scruples, and is accompanied with no sound peace. Or (3.) In the superficial observances of a true religion : Mat. xix. 20, ' All these things have I kept from my youth up. What lack I yet ? ' A false righteousness will not give true quietness to the conscience; there is something lacking, and the soul sits uneasy. Therefore nothing but coming under the power of the. true religion will give rest and quiet to the soul.
Thirdly, That the christian religion doth abundantly provide for true peace of conscience and ease of mind — (1.) Because it discovereth the matter of true peace ; (2.) The way how it may be attained.
1. The matter of true peace is pardon and life, or sufficient pro- vision to appease our guilty fears and satisfy our desires of happiness.
[1.] Man being God's creature, and therefore his subject, and having faulted in his obedience and subjection to him, and knowing the
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242 SEBMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9.
judgment of God, counteth himself ' worthy of death,' Eom. i. 32. And this fear of death and vengeance that ensueth is so engrained and implanted in the conscience, that unless some fit course of pardon and justification be propounded, and that with good authority, man is always restless and troubled, and knoweth not what to do to get rid of the sin of his soul : Micah vi. 7, ' Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? ' Now the great design which the scriptures travail with is, to set forth a grant of pardon upon gracious and commodious terms, if sinners will but accept of it. It is the excellency of the christian religion above all other religions : Micah vii. 18, * Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.' If the question were put to you, which was put to the spouse. Cant. v. 9, ' What is thy beloved more than another beloved ? ' what is there in Christ above other gods of the nations, that you make so much ado about him ? what is it draweth 5'^our hearts, so to love him, and cleave to him, in the greatest hazards and extremities ? — • this you might answer, He hath set afoot a pardoning covenant, so suited to the necessities of man and the nature of God, that all the world cannot show the like.