Therefore we should labour to know our estate, to ' examine ourselves whether we be in the faith or no, except we be reprobates and castaways,'
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 223
as the apostle speaks, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. A Christian should aim at this, to understand his own estate in grace upon good grounds.
Olij. But it may be objected ; how can we know our estate in grace, our virtues are so imperfect, our abilities are so weak and feeble.
A)is. I answer, the gi-ound of judging aright of our estate, it is not worthiness or perfection, but sincerity. We must not look for perfection. For that makes the papists to teach that there may bo doubting, because they look to false grounds ; but we must look to the ground in the covenant of grace, to grace itself, and not to the measure. Where there is truth and sincerity, there is the condition of the covenant of grace, and there is a gi'ound for a man to build his estate in gi'ace on.
The perfect righteousness of Christ is that that gives us title to heaven ; but to know that we have right in that title, is the simplicity and sincerity in our walking, in our conversation, as the apostle saith here, ' This is our rejoicing,' &c. Therefore Christians, when they are set upon by tempta- tions of their own misdoubting hearts, and by Satan, they must not go to the gi'eat measure of grace that is in others, that they have not so much as others, and therefore they have none ; nor to the great measure of grace that they want themselves, but to the truth of their grace, the truth of their desires and endeavours, the truth of their affections. ' Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren,'
Use. This should stir us up to have a good conscience, that we inaj/ rejoice. Why should we labour that we may rejoice ? Why ? what is our life with- out joy ? and what is joy without a good conscience ?
What is our life without joy ? Without joy we can do nothing. We are like an instrument out of tune. An instrument out of tune it yields but harsh music. Without joy we are as a member out of joint. We can do nothing well without joy, and a good conscience, which is the ground of joy. A man without joy is a palsy-member that moves itself unfitly, and uncomely. He goes not about things as he should. A good conscience breeds joy and comfort. It enables a man to do all things comely in the sight of God, and comfortably to himself. It makes him go cheerfully thi'ough his business. A good ' conscience is a continual feast,' Prov. xv. 15. Without joy we cannot suffer afflictions. We cannot die well without it. Simeon died comfortably, because he died in peace, when he had embraced Christ in his heart, and in his arms. Mat. ix. 36. Without joy and the gi-ouud of joy we can neither do nor suffer anything. Therefore in Psalm li. 12, David, when he had lost the peace and comfort of a good conscience, he prays for the free Spirit of God. Alas ! till God had enlarged his heart with the sense of a good conscience in the pardon of his sins, and given him the power of his Spirit to lead a better life for the time to come, his spirit was not free before. He could not praise God with a large spirit. He wanted freedom of spirit. His conscience was bound. His lips were sealed up. ' Open my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise,' Ps. li. 15. His heart was bound, and therefore he prays to have it enlarged. * Restore to me thy joy and salvation,' Ps. li. 12 ; intimating that we can- not have a free spirit without joy, and we cannot have joy without a good conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ, in the pardon of our sins.
If it be so, that we cannot do anything nor suffer anj'thiug as we should, that we cannot praise God, that we cannot live nor die without joy, and the ground of it, the testimony of a good conscience ; let us labour, then, that conscience may witness well unto us.
224 COMMENTARY ON
Especially considering that an ill conscience, it is the worst thing in the world. Thorc is no friend so good as a good conscience. There is no foe BO ill as a had conscience. It makes us either kings or slaves. A man that hath a good conscience, that witnesseth well for him, it raiseth his heart in a princely manner ahove all things in the world. A man that hath a had conscience, though he he a monarch, it makes him a slave. A had conscience emhitters all tilings in the world to him, though they he never so comfortahle in themselves. AVhat is so comfortahle as the })resenco of God ? What is so comfoilahle as the light ? Yet a had conscience, that will not he ruled, it hates the light, and hates the presence of God, as wo see Adam, when he had sinned, he fled from God, Gen. iii. 8.