In the soul there is a treasure of rules by nature. The word doth add more inles, the law and the gospel. And that part of the soul that preserves rules is called intellectual, because it preserves rules. All men by nature have these graven in the soul. And therefore the heathen were exact in the rules of justice, in the principles which they had by nature, grafted and planted in them.
Now because the copy of the image of God, the law of God written in nature, was much blurred since the fall, God gave a new copy of his law, which was more exact. Therefore the Jews, which had the word of God, should have had more conscience than the heathen, because they had a better general rule. And now we having the gospel too, which is a more evangelical rule, we should be more exact in our lives than they.
But every man in the w^orld hath a rule. If men ' sin without the law, they shall be judged without the law,' Rom. ii. 12, by the principles of nature. If they sin under the gospel, they shall be judged by the word and gospel. So that conscience, it is a knowledge wdth a rule, and with the particular actions that I have done, and a knowledge with God.
In a word, to clear this further concerning the nature of conscience, know that God hath set up in man a court, and there is in man all that are in a com-t.
1. There is a rer/ister to take notice of what we have done. Besides the general rule (for that is the ground and foundation of all), there is con- science, which is a register to set down whatsoever we have done exactly. The conscience keeps diaries. It sets down everything. It is not for- gotten, though we think it is, when conscience is once awaked. As in Jer. xvii. 1, ' The sins of Judah are written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond ' upon their souls. All their wit and craft will not rase it out. It may be forgotten a while, by the rage of lusts, or one thing or other ; but there is a register that writes it down. Conscience is the register,
2. And then there are witnesses. ' The testimony of conscience.' Con- science doth witness, this I have done, this I have not done.
3. There is an accuse?- icith the witness. The conscience, it accuseth, or excuseth.
4. And then there is the judge. Conscience is the judge. There it doth judge, this is well done, this is ill done.
5. Then there is cm executioner, and conscience is that too. Upon accusation and judgment, there is punishment. The first punishment is within a man alway before he come to hell. The punishment of conscience, it is a prejudice* of future judgment. There is a flash of hell presently after an ill act. The heathen could observe, that God hath framed the
* That ia, ' pre-judgment.' — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, YER. 12. 211
heart and tlic brain so as there is a sympathy between them, that whatso- ever is in the understanding that is well and comfortable, the understanding in the brain sends it to the heart, and raiscth some comfort. If the iinder- standing apprehend dolorous things, ill matters, then the heart smites, as David's ' heart smote him,' 1 Sam. xxiv. 5. The heart smites with grief for the present, and with fear for the time to come.
In good things, it brings joy presently, and hope for the time to come, that follows a good excusing conscience.
God hath set and planted in man this court of conscience, and it is God's hall, as it were, wherein he keeps his first judgment, wherein he keeps his assizes. And conscience doth all the parts. It registereth, it witnesseth, it accuseth, it judgeth, it executes, it doth all.
Now you see in general, what the nature of conscience is, and why it is planted in us by God.
One main end among the rest, besides his love to us to keep us from sin, and then by smiting us to drive us to conversion and repentance, to turn from our sins to God, another main end, is to be a prejudice,* to make way to God's eternal judgment ; for therein things are judged before. When God lays open the book of conscience, when it is written there by this register, we shall have much to do to excuse ourselves, or to plead that we need many witnesses ; for our conscience will accuse us. We shall be self- accusers, self-condemners, as the apostle saith. Conscience will take God's part, and God will take part with conscience. And God hath planted it for this main end, that he might be justified in the damnation of wicked men at the day of judgment.
Now I come to the second particular, that conscience gives evidence or witness. * This is the evidence or testimony of our conscience.' The witness of conscience it comes in this order. Upon some general rules, that the conscience hath laid up in the soul, out of nature, and out of the book of God, the conscience doth apply those generals to the particulars.