2. Again, when conscience looks to the humour. You are to live by faith, and not by the humour of melancholy. When the instrument of reason that should judge is distempered b,y melancholy, it reasons from thence falsely. Because melancholy persuades me that I am so, therefore conscience being led by the humour of the body, saith I am so. Who bade thee live by humour ? thou must live by rule. IVIclancholy may tell thee sometime when it is in strength, that thou art made of glass, as it hath done some. It will deceive thee in bodily things, wherein sense can confute melancholy, much more will it if we yield to it in matters of the soul. It will persuade us that we are not the children of God, that we have not grace and good- ness when wc have.
3. Again, hence it is that conscience doth not conclude comfort in God's children, because it looks to the ill, and not to the good that is in them ; for there are those two things in God's children. There is good and ill. Now in the time of temptation they look to the ill, and think they have no good, because they will not see anything but ill. They fix their eyes on the re- mainders of their rebellious lusts, which are not fully subdued in them, and they look wholly on them. Whereas they should have two eyes, one to look on that which is good, that God may have glory and they comfort. 4
Now they, fixing their eyes altogether on that which is naught, and be- cause they do not, or will not, see that which is good, therefore they have no comfort ; because they suffer conscience to be ill led that it doth not its duty.
And conscience in good men, it looks sometimes to that that it should not in others, in regard of others. It looks to the flourishing of wicked men, and therefore it concludes, ' Certainly I have washed my hands in vain,' since such men thrive and prosper in the world, Ps. xxxvii. 35, seq., and Ps. Ixxiii. 13. Who bade thee look to this, and to be uncomfortable from thence, that thy estate is not good, because it is not such an estate ? ' So foolish, and as a beast was I before thee,' saith David, because I re- garded such things, Ps. Ixxiii. 22. No marvel if men be uncomfortable that are led away by scandals. Look to ftxith, go to the word, to the sanctuary. * I went to the sanctuary,' saith he, ' and there I saw the end of these men,' ver. 17. So conscience must be suffered to have its work, to be led by a true rule.
4. Again, conscience sometimes concludes not comfort, when there is ground of comfort, from the reviaiiiders of corruptions and infirmities ; whereas we should be driven by our infirmities to Christ. And conscience sometimes in good men doth not exercise its work. It is drawn away with vain delights, even in the best of men.
And conscience, of its own unworthiness, and of the greatness of the things it looks for, being joined together, it makes a man that he joys not when he hath cause. As for instance, when the soul sees that God in Christ hath pardoned all my sins, and hath vouchsafed his Spirit to me, and will give me heaven in the world to come, to such a wretch as I am ; here being a conflict between the conscience and sense of its own miworthiness, and the
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 221
greatness of the good promised, the heart begins to stagger, and to doubt for want of sound faith.
Indeed, if we look on our own unworthiness, and the greatness of the good things promised, we may wonder ; but alas !* God is infinite in good- ness, he transcends our unworthiness ; and in the gospel, the glory of God's mercy, it triumphs over our unworthiness, and over our sins. "What- soever our sin and unworthiness is, his goodness in the gospel triumphs over all.
In innocency God should have advanced an innocent man ; but the gospel is more glorious. For he comes to sinners, to condemned persons by nature, and yet God triumphs over their sins and unworthiness. He regards not what we deserve, but what may stand with the glory of his mercy. Therefore we should banish those thoughts, and enjoy our own privilege, the promises of heaven, and happiness, and all comforts whatso- ever. So much for the answer of that objection.
Now if w^e would joy in the witness of a good conscience, we must espe- cially in the time of temptation live by faith, and not by feeling, not by what we feel for the present. But as we see Christ in his greatest horror, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Mark xvii. 34, he goes to my God still, we must ' live by faith and not by sense,' 2 Cor. v. 7.
And then if we would rejoice in extremities, remember that God works by contraries. God will bring us to heaven, but it must be by hell. God will bring us to comfort, but it must be by sense of our own unworthiness. He will forgive our sins, but it must be by sight and sense of our sins. He will bring us to life, but it must be by death. He will bring us to glory, but it must be by shame. God works by contraries ; therefore in con- traries believe contraries. When we are in a state that hath no comfort, yet we may joy in it if we beheve in Christ. He works by contraries.