Book IV. C 0 N S C I E N C E A W I T N E S S. 5· There is no bearing in this World the Pain and Torment of an accu:ing Con. fcience. 'fiberius the Emperor was fo followed with Gnef and Horror by 111S own Con– fcicnce, that he confelfed in the Senate-Houfe he fuffered Death daily; and Cl>arles the Ninth of France, that Monfter of Mortals, after the dreadful Malfacre, C·1ldd never endure to be awaked in the Night without Mulic, fuch wos the dreadful , .n. gui01 and H orror he found in his own Confcience. Francis Spira alfo may be here rt'cited among the refl, whofe Confcience te1 rified him at t!lJt rate, that the account of his fearful Cafe is left to Pofl:erity. It was Confcience that put 'Judas tnto fuch an A n·aze, and forced him to hang 'himfelf, after he had betrayed our blelfed Savior. And many other Examples, both ancient and modern, we meet with, bo;h of Mm and Women, that have deftroyed themfelves, as not being able to bear the cruel Tor– ments of an accufing Confcience; and others from hence have coofelfed their Guilt, and fo delivered themfdves into the Hands of Juftice. 6. That Man can never have good Days, th1t keeps an evil Confcience. 7· On the other band, be that hath a good Confc ence needs never be fad, nor Cafl he be without good Days; for as Trouble and Horror of Confcience is the greateft Trouble, fo Peace ofConfcience is the greatefl: Joy. That Man can neverwanr.Mulic, f.1irh Mr. Caryl, that fpeaks in contort, and is harmonious with himfelf. A good Con– Ltence is the poor Man's Riches, and the rich Mao's chiefefl: Jewel, a Jewel worth keepi rg le is, faith one, the beft Pillow to Oeep on, and the befl: Difh to feed on. A good Confcitnce is a continual Feaft, Prov. xv. I 5· fo the Gemva TranOation. A good Con 'cience with a Dinner of Herbs, is all Varieties; but a bad Confcier.ce makes all Feafh and Pleafures like the Hand-writing on Beljhazzar's Wall, DaJJ. v. 5· 8. Labor to get and keep a good Confcience, becaufe an evil one fpoils all the good and befl: A<'lions of thy Life, it renders thy Prayers linful. 9 · Confider, Confcience is privy to all thou thinkefl:, knoweth what Evil hath been" done by thee in private, feeth all the Evil thou hart committed, and all the Good thou h art omitted the doing of; and one day, if evil, it will lay all open befor·e the Eyes of God, Angels, and Men, and come in as a Wirnefs, to charge and condemn thee for ever, Rom. ii. '5· 0 therefore get a good Confcience. 10. Take heed how thou carnert thyfelftowards Confcience, becaufe it hath a re– gal Power in thy Soul, a Commiflion either to accufe or excufe: And if it cbndemn thee as an Unbeliever, or as a falle H)'pocrite, by the Light and Authority of God's ·word, God will alfo, alfurcdly, condemn thee, unlefs thou repent, in the great Day, I 'John iii. 20. 1 L · Confider what a glorious Mercy it will be, to have fuch a Friend as Confcience witnefs for thee, when thou art wrongfully accuf<d and condemned by Mrn. · This was that which bore up 'Job, and holy Paul, in their Troubles. 'jl<ij> Heart jhall not reproach me, &c. 'Job xxvii. 6. 'Ibis is our rejoicing, 1he 'fcjlimon)' of our Confcicnct, 2 Cor. i. 12. fi!!!eft. Some poffibly may enquire here, How a good Confcience ;,ay be known, or w hat Charaflers may lJe giv en of it ? A•fw. I n,.a give you fame Rules to judge of a good Confcience, both Negatively and Pojitively. Firft, N egatively. 1. A blind, ignorant, and rnifguided Confcience is not a good Confcience. Some tbink that God c0ncerns not himfelf with their Actions, takes no notice of their Hearts, Words, or Lives. Others think that God is made up wholly of Mercy, and tremble not at his Juttice, and fo conclude it is an eafy Thing to get to Heaven. One that I have heard of, faid, That if it were as eafy to get the Riches of this World, as it was to get H eaven, he would not care; or to that ~:ffeCI:: No.t remembering that it is as hard to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, efpecially for rich Men, as it is for a Camel to go through the Eye of an Needle, Matt. xix. 23. and that the Righteous !hall fcarcely be faved, I Pet. iv. tS. Others think, that thofe Men are Fools that make fuch a il:ir and ado about Religion, thinking that is the befl: Religion that is ealiefl: to the Flefh, and is moft free from outward Trouble; whereas the Scripture faith, that Whoever will live godly in Cbrijl 'Jefus muft fuffer Perfecution, 1 'fim. ii. I2. Some think the Laws of Men mu tt be their Rule in all Matters of Faith and Religion; and whatever Magi– fl:rates command, muft be done, &c. 3 2. A
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