First, ill directinri. This is such a truth in general, you ought to carry yourself thus and thus, to do this, saith conscience. f So it directeth, and is a monitor before it be a witness. Well, if the monitions of conscience be regarded and heard, from thence comes conscience to witness, that the general rule that directs in particulars hath been obeyed ; and so after it hath done its duty in directing, it comes to judge and to witness, this I have done, or this I have not done. So the witness of conscience comes in that manner.
Now if you would know what manner of witness conscience is. It is, 1. A witness that there is no exception ar/ainst. It is a witness that will say all the triith, and will say nothing but the truth. It is a witness that will not be bribed, it will not be corrupted long. For a time we may silence it, but it will not be so long, nor in all things. Some sins may be slubbered over, but there are some sins that by the general light in nature are so known to be naught| that conscience will accuse. Therefore it is a faithful judge and witness ; especially in great sins, it is an uncorrupt witness. It is a true register. It is alway writing and setting down, though we know not what it writes for the present, being carried away with vanities and lusts. Yet we shall know afterward, when the book of con- science shall be laid open.
It is a witness that we cannot impeach. No man can say, I had nobody
* That is, 'pre-judgment.' — Gr. t Margin-note here, ' Joseph's brethren.' — G. X That is, ' naughty, wicked.' — G.
212 COMMENTARY ON
to tell me. Alas ! a man's own conscience will tell him well enough at the day of judgment, and say to him when he is in hell, as Reuhen said to his brethren, when they were in Kg}'pt in prison, ' ])id not I tell you, hurt not the boy ?' (ien. xxxvii. '2'2, .sw/, meddle not with him. So conscience will say, Did not I witness '? did not 1 give you warning ? Yes, I did, but you regarded it not. It is a foithful witness. There is no exception against it.
2. And then it is an inivard witness, it is a domestic witness ; a chaplain in ordinary, a domestical divine. It is alway telling us, and alway ready to put good things into us. It is an eye-witness, and an ear-witness ; for it is as deep in man as any sin can be. If it be but in thought, conscience tells me what I think ; and conscience tells me W'hat I desire, as well as what I speak, and what I do. It is an inward and an eye-witness of everything. As God sees all, and knows all, who is all eye ; so conscience is all eye. It sees everything, it hears everything. It is pri\y to our thoughts.
As we cannot escape God's eye, so w^e cannot escape the eye of con- science. ' Whither shall I flee from thy presence ? ' saith David. ' If I go to heaven, thou art there ; if I go down into hell, thou art there,' Ps. cxxxix. 7. So a man may say of conscience, Whither shall I flee fi-om conscience ? If a man could flee from himself, it were somewhat. Con- science is such a thing as that a man cannot flee from it, nor he cannot bid it begone. It is as inward as his soul. Nay, the soul will leave the body, but conscience will not leave the soul. W^hat it writes, it writes for eternity, except it be wiped out by repentance. As St Chrysostom saith, whatsoever is written there may be wiped out by daily repentance.
You see, then, it is a witness, and how and what manner of wdtness con- science is.
Vse. Therefore, we should not sin in hope of concealment. What if thou con- ceal it from all others, canst thou conceal [it from] thy own conscience ? As one saith well. What good is it for thee that none knows what is done, when thou knowest it thyself ? What profit is it for him that hath a conscience that will accuse him, that he hath no man to accuse him but himself? He is a thousand witnesses to himself. Conscience is not a private witness. It is a thousand witnesses. Therefore, never sin in hope to have it con- cealed. It were better that all men should know it than that thyself should know it. All will be one day written in thy forehead. Conscience will be a blab. If it cannot speak the truth now, though it be bribed in this life, it will have power and eflicacy in the life to come. Never sin, therefore, in hope of concealment. Conscience is a witness. We have the witness in us ; and, as Isaiah saith, ' Our sins witness against us.' It is in vain to look for secrecy. Conscience wall discover all.
Use. Again, considering that conscience doth witness, and will witness, let us labour that it viay ivitnc&s ivell, let us labour to furnish it with a good testimony. Let us carry ourselves so in all our demeanour to God and men that conscience may give a good testimom^, a good wdtness. It will witness either for us or against us.