And so for the time to come, in evils threatened, a good conscience is bold : 'It fears no ill tidings,' Ps. cxii. 8. ' My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed,' saith David. ' Wicked men are like the trees of the forest. Wicked Ahaz,' his heart ' did tremble and shake as the leaves with the wind,' Isa. vii. 2. The noise of fear is alway in their ears. An ill conscience, when it is mingled with ill news, when there are two fears together, it must needs be a great fear.
2. And a good conscience, when it hath laid up grounds of joy in life, in the worst estate and condition of life, then it makes use of joy in death ; for when all comforts are taken from a man, when his friends cannot com- fort him, and all earthly things leave him, then that conscience that hath gone along with him, that hath been a monitor, and a witness all his life- time, now it comes to speak good things to him, now it comforts him, now conscience is somebody. At the hour of death, when nothing else will be regarded, when nothing will comfort, then conscience doth. ' "The righteous hath hope in his death,' as the wise man saith, Prov. xiv. 32. Death is
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 219
called the king of fears, because it makes all afraid. It is the terrible of tembles, saitli the philosopher ; but here is a king above the king of fears. A good conscience is above the king of fears, death. A good conscience is so far from being discouraged by this king of fears, that it is joyful even in death ; because it knows that then it is near to the place where conscience ehall be fully enlarged, where there shall be no annoyance, nor no grievance whatsoever.
Death is the end of misery, and the beginning of happiness. Therefore a good conscience is joyful in death.
8. And after death, at the day of jmhjment. There the witness of con- science is a wondrous cause of joy ; for there a man that hath a good con- science, he looks upon the Judge, his brother : he looks on him with whom he has made his peace in his lifetime before, and now he receives that which he had the beginnings of before, then he lifts up his head with joy and comfort. So you see how the witness of conscience causeth glory and joy in all estates whatsoever, in life, in death, after death. It speaks for a man there. It never leaves him till it have brought him to heaven itself, where all things else leave a man.
Therefore, how much should we prize and value the testimony and witness of a good conscience ! And what madness is it for a man to humour men, and displease conscience, his best friend ! Of all persons and all things in the world, we should reverence our own conscience most of all. Wretched men despise the inward witness of this inward friend, this inward divine, this inward physician, this inward comforter, this in- ward counsellor. It is no better than madness that men should regard that everything else be good and clean, and yet notwithstanding in the midst of all to have foul consciences.
Ohj. But to answer an objection, and to unloose some knots. It may be said, that when the hearts of people are good, yet there a good conscience concludes not alway for comfort. Where there is faith in Christ, and an honest life, conscience should conclude comfort. Here is the rule, this I have obeyed, therefore I should have comfort.
Now this we see crossed ofttimes, that Christians that live exact lives are often troubled in conscience. How can trouble of conscience stand with joy upon the witness of conscience ?
Ans. I answer, the witness of conscience, when it is a good conscience, it doth not alway breed joy.
1. It is because our estate is imjjerfect here, and conscience doth not alway witness out of the goodness of it. Sometime conscience is misled, and so sometimes good Christians take the error of conscience for the witness of conscience.
These things should be distinguished. Conscience sometime in the best errs, as well as gives a true witness.
If we take the error of conscience for the witness of conscience, there will come trouble of conscience, and that deservedly, through our own folly.
Now conscience doth err in good men, sometimes when they regard rules which they should not, or when they mistake the matter and do not argue aright. As for instance, when they gather thus, I have not grace in such a measure, and therefore I have none, I am not the child of God.
What a rule is this ? This is the error of conscience ; and therefore it must needs breed perplexity of conscience. A good conscience, when it is right, cannot witness thus, because the word doth not say thus. Is a nuUity and an imperfection all one ? No ; there is much difference in the whole
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kind. A nullity is notliing. An imporfection, tli(mi,'li it be but a little degree, yet it is sometliin^. This is the error of conscience, and from thence comes trouble of conscience, which makes men reason ill many ways. As for instance, I have not so much <j;race as such a one hath, and therefore I have no grace. Now that is a false reasoning ; for every one hath his due measure. If thou be not so gi'eat a rich man as the richest in the town, yet thou mayest be rich in thy kind.