Qne^t. Now how shall a man know whether be doth things of conscience or no?
(1.) First, Whatsoever the answer of conscience is, it is towards God. If a man do things from reasons of religion, if a man be charitable to bis neighbour, if be be just and good, if it be from reasons of religion, because God commands him, this is a good conscience. A good conscience respects God and his command. What we do for company or for custom is not from a good conscience. A good conscience doth things from God, with reasons from God, because be commands it. It is God's deputy in our hearts.
(2.) Again, what we do from a good conscience we do from the inward man, from an inward principle, from the inward judgment, because we think it is so, and from an inward affection. When we have not a right judgment of what we do, and do it not out of love, and from the inward man, we do it not out of a good conscience. What is done out of con- science is done from the inner man. Therefore in all our performances let us examine ourselves, not what we do, but upon what ground we do it, in conscience to God, to obey him in all things. I cannot dwell upon these things.
The answer of a good conscience, that saves us, together with baptism; when there is the answer of a good conscience, then baptism seals salvation. To come more near to tbe answer of a good conscience in baptism.
Ohj. You will object. If tbe answer of a good conscience in baptism do all, and not tbe outward washing of tbe body, why are children baptized then ; they cannot make the answer of a good conscience ?
Ans. I answer, Tbe place must be understood of those of years of dis- cretion. For infants that die in their infancy we have a double ground of comfort concerning them. First, they are within the covenant. Have they not received tbe seal of the covenant, which is baptism? And however they actually answer not the covenant of grace by actual believing, yet they have the seed of believing, tbe Spirit of God in them, and God doth com- prehend them by bis mercy, being not able to comprehend him. Nay, we that are at years of discretion are saved by God's comprehending and embracing us. We are comprehended of him, as the child is of the
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nurse or of the mother. The child holds the nurse, and the nurse the child. The child is more safe from falling by the nurse and the mother's holding of it, than by its holding of them. Those that are at years must clasp and grasp about Christ, but Christ holds and comprehends them ; much more doth God comprehend those that are children, that are not able to comprehend him. For those that live to years of discretion, their bap- tism is an engagement and obligation to them to believe, because they have undertaken, by those that answered for them, to believe when they come to years; and if, when they come to years, they answer not the covenant of grace and the answer of a good conscience, if they do not be- lieve, and renounce Satan, all is frustrate. Their baptism doth them no good, if they make not good their covenant by believing and renouncing. It is spoken, therefore, of those that are of years of discretion. "Wo leave infants to the mercy of God, Those, therefore, that are at years of dis- cretion must have grace to answer the covenant of grace by believing and renouncing. To come, therefore, to ourselves.
We that will answer to the covenant made in baptism must perform it, especially that that we then covenanted. What was that? We answered that we would believe. Dost thou believe ? I believe every article of the faith. And do you renounce the devil and all his works ? I do. There- fore, unless now we believe in Christ, and renounce the devil, we renounce our baptism. It doth us no good. There are divers kinds of people that overthrow their own baptism.
Those that live in sins against conscience, they do renounce their baptism in some sort, those that feed their corruptions ; for in baptism we are consecrated in soul and body to God, we are given up to him, ' we are not our own,' 1 Cor. vi. 20; his name is called on us; we are called Christians. Therefore our eyes are not our own, our hands are not our own, our thoughts and affections are not our own. There must be a renouncing and a denial of all sin, as far as it is contrary to Christ's spirit. Those, there- fore, that labour to feed their corruptions, what do they else so far but renounce their baptism, and under the livery of Christ serve the enemy of Christ, the devil, that they should renounce ? Those that feed their eyes with seeing of vanity, and their ears with filthy discourse ; those that sufier their feet to carry them to places where they infect their souls ; those that, instead of renouncing their corruptions, feed them, and their hearts tell them they cherish those corruptions they should renounce by baptism : what shall we think of these ? And yet they think to be saved by Christ ; ' God is merciful,' and 'Christ died,' when they live in a continual renouncing of baptism.