[Of itself indeed it cannot guide, but only according to rules which before exist in the mind. It does not so much tell us what is right or wrong, as whether our actions corre- spond with our apprehensions of right and wrong. But as we are apt to be biassed by interest or passion to violate our acknowledged obligations, conscience is intended to act as a guide or monitor, warning us against the commission of evil, and inciting us to the performance of what is good. True it is indeed that it often stimulates to evil under the notion of good: for St. Paul followed its dictates in persecuting the Christians, when " he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus a :" and our blessed Lord informs us, that many who would kill his disciples would do it under an idea that they were rendering unto God an acceptable ser- vice15. The fault of these persons consists not in following the dictates of their conscience, but in not taking care to have their conscience better informed. A thing which is evil in itself cannot be made good by any erroneous conceptions of ours respecting it : but things which are of themselves inno- cent, become evil, if they be done contrary to the convictions of our own minds c : for we ought to be fully persuaded of the propriety of a thing before we do itd; and "whatsoever is not of faith is sin e."]
2. A judge —
[Conscience is God's vicegerent in the soul, and autho- ritatively pronounces in the soul the judgment which God himself will pass on our actions f. It takes cognizance not of our actions only, but of our principles and motives, and brings into its estimate every thing that will form the basis of God's judgment. Of course, in this, as well as in its suggestions, it may err: for, if it form a wrong judgment of the qualities of our actions, its judgment must be wrong also as to the conse- quences of them. It may promise us God's approbation upon grounds that are very erroneous: but when its apprehensions of our duty are themselves just, its award respecting our per- formance of it is a prelude of God's final judgment : for St. John says, " If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things : " but " if our heart con- demn us not, then have we confidence toward Gods."]
But, as its operations are by no means uniform, we proceed to mark,
II. Its insensibility, when dormant —
a Acts xxvi. 9. h John xvi. 2. c Rom. xiv. 14.
d Rom. xiv. 5. e Rom. xiv. 23. f Rom. ii. 15.
g 1 John hi. 20, 21.