Let us therefore first look to our own conscience, and then to the con- science of others ; and if we cannot approve ourselves to our own con- science, and to the conscience of others, alas ! what will become of us ? how shall we approve ourselves to God and to Jesus Christ at the day of judgment ? There is no man but a sound Christian that approves himself to the conscience of another man. For any other man, it is just with God in his judgment to find him out first or last. He may wind himself into the conscience for a time, as the superstitious papists do, but first or last he is found out to be a dissembler, and to bring false wares.
And so for civil conversation, there is none that will have place in the conscience of other men, to think them and their courses good, but those that are sound Christians. For the most, those that are not led by the grace of God's Spirit, all mens' consciences condemn them. They are smit- ten, and censured there, and judged there. Besides, their own conscience, which perhaps they will not give leave to tell them somewhat in their ear that they would be loath to hear, this you are, this you did, and this j^ou spake amiss : they will not sutler conscience to speak, but drown it in sen- suality, and stifle it. They take this course, they think they are well enough, and they would never be themselves. A carnal man will hardly give conscience leave to speak, till it will, whether he will or no, at the hour of death, and the day of judgment, when God lets it loose upon him. But let them take this course as long as they will, yet in the conscience of other men they have no place : for they live not, as St Paul saith here, ' in simplicity and sincerity, not by carnal wisdom, but by the gi-ace of God.'
This is the benefit that a good man hath in this life, that howsoever he * That is = ' knowledge'. — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, \'ER, 13, 305
have the ill words of carnal men sometimes, and their humour is against him : yet notwithstanding if they be in the church, and have any illumina- tion, any judgment, he hath their conscience for him. Nay, I say more, they cannot but think reverently of a man of God, of a good Christian (I speak not of ministers only), they cannot but think reverently of them, and reverence them in their consciences, do what they can. For it is not in men's power to frame what conceits they will, to frame what opinions they will of men ; but as there is a necessity of reason, as the principles we say are so strong, that a man cannot say they are false, do what he can, because the light is visible to the miderstanding ; as a man cannot say the sun shines when it is night, when it is dark, because it is a sensible Msehood ; so a man cannot denj^ the principles of any art, if they be principles ; because there is such a light of truth that overpowers him, and as it were compels the inward man. So it is here : there is such a majesty ia grace, and good courses of a Christian, that another man that lives a wicked life he cannot think of him what he would. He may force himself to speak what he list, and force odd* opinions of him, but when he is sober himself, he must needs if he have any relics of conscience in him, if he be not altogether a sot, he must needs think well in his conscience of such a man's courses. This is the majesty and honour of good things, that however they may have the humour, and passion, and fancy of men against them, yet they have their conscience for them ; yea, of wicked men when they ai'e themselves.
Take the wickedest man at the hour of death, if he have himself at com- mand, that his spirits be not disturbed, and ask him whether he justify the courses of such and such men ? he will answer. Oh yes ! I would I had led them myself. What is that that besots them? Sensuality, and such courses ; for men that are not led by the grace of God, are led with outward things which besot the judgment for a time ; but when that dulness is past, when a wicked man is stripped of all, and is best able to judge, then he likes such com'ses.
If the worst men shall in their conscience acknowledge the best per- sons, and the best things one day, nay, they do now, if they will suffer themselves to be themselves, then let us take such courses as our own consciences may justify, as St Paul saith here, ' This is my glorying, the testimony of my conscience ; ' and likewise the conscience of those I hve with, ' I write no other thing,' but what you acknowledge in your con- sciences yourselves.
' And I trust you shall acknowledge to the end.' This word, ' Trust,' doth not imply, as usually it doth in common speech, an uncertainty of a thing, a moral conjecture, I trust, or hope it may be so ; it may be otherwise, but I hope well. It is not an uncertain conceit with the fear of the con- trary ; but the word implies a gracious, dependent disposition upon God, ' I trust in God,' as it is so expressed in some other places. f