CHAPTER II: Natural light of conscience in unregenerate men hath a great influence on their actio
And by the way, let me add this, that those that say there is no use of the moral law to a Christian, may as well say that there is no more use of that faculty of conscience in the soul of a Christian. Put out that faculty out of man's heart, if you tear out that other, namely, the obliging part of the law. Even as if God would annul colours and light, he must also take away and close up the sense of sight.
CHAPTER II
That the natural light of conscience in unregenerate men hath a great influence on their actions.
Now these things being premised, there are three parts which fill up the body of that discourse which I intend.
I. That in men whom the Scriptures pronounce unregenerate, this principle of conscience hath had great and powerful effects upon their hearts.
II. That these effects men of all professions, Jews, heathens, or nominal Christians, are apt to mistake, in the judgments which they pass, concerning their own state and condition, when they think that an observance of the dictates of conscience will make them acceptable to God. Yea, and if they be professors of Christianity (that are unregenerate), and so here of grace and regeneration, they take this to be true holiness, or sanctification. I shall also herewith give the reasons and grounds of this mistake.
III. I shall make a discovery of this great counterfeit, and of its deficiency, and of its falling short of grace, in the light of it, and in the effects of it, together with a detection and conviction of those mistakes.
I. In discoursing of the first head, there are two things to be treated of.
1. I shall prove that in men whom the Scripture pronounceth unregenerate, there are such powerful effects of conscience to be found.
2. I shall shew what those effects particularly are.
1. To prove that, in unregenerate men, there are powerful effects of conscience, I shall give instance in three sorts of men, in whom God hath given demonstration thereof, how far, and how high, this principle of conscience may and hath been elevated, and what effects it may have, and yet fall short of the glory of God, thereby more to magnify his sanctifying grace.
(1.) The first instance is of heathens under mere nature, which the writings of the heathens are records of, and which are indeed the truest comments upon this treatise of Rom. 2.
(2.) The second instance is of Jews under the law, whereof the Pharisees, and the carnal Jews under the Old Testament, are evidences. All the Scribes and Pharisees (whatever some of them might be) were not gross hypocrites, but many were serious in what they did, and their consciences being greatly enlightened in the law, they acted according unto conscience. We have an instance, both of that young man, who said he had kept the commandments from his youth, and also of the scribe: Mark 12:32–34, 'And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one
God; and there is none other but he: and to love him with all thy heart, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.' He had in his light pitched upon the first commandment of duties to be directed immediately to God himself,
and his conscience rested not in outward performances, sacrifices and burnt-offerings, but the light in it had dictated to him further, although it was not able to mould his heart thereunto. For he says expressly, that 'to love God with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.' And Christ, that discerned his heart, gives him this approbation of him: 'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God;' which for that mere notion, if this scribe had been in his life a gross hypocrite, Christ would never have given. But yet this man, wanting that love to God whereof his conscience had the light (for conscience, never so much enlightened, will never work love to God), he fell short
(as the word elsewhere is), for otherwise there is not any that thus truly love God, who is far from the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 2:9. Paul also giveth this record of many of the Jews his countrymen: Rom.
10:2, 'I bear them record, they have a zeal of God;' that is, a study and care to please God in keeping of the law (of the works and righteousness whereof he there speaks, and had spoken, chap 9, the last foregoing verses), which zeal in their affections conscience had provoked and stirred up.
But the eminentest instance of all other in that kind is Paul himself, whom God did set up, before conversion, as the highest pattern in the Jewish religion; as after conversion, in the Christian. Paul speaking of himself, whilst a pharisee still, tells us how zealous his religion made him, as to the persecuting the opposite party, so to the observation of that righteousness of the law, Gal. 1:14, and Phil. 3:6,
'Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless:' that is, I was so truly zealous for the law, that I persecuted what way was opposite to it. Now, what made him so? It was conscience, Acts 26:9, he 'verily thought that he ought' to do so. Now that principle in us which convinceth that we ought to do a thing, is conscience, Acts 23:1. That apology which Paul, being set before the council, was about to make, but was broke off by the high priest, and the tumult, runs thus, 'Men and brethren,
I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.' Many of
you are not ignorant how most interpreters do understand this speech as relating to, and taking in the whole of his life, not of Christianity only, but even in Judaism also, for he doth not by any express word date it from his conversion. He doth not say, since I turned Christian, or was converted to the faith; but only says, 'until this day,' which indefinitely includes the whole of his life till then.
And his manner was, in telling the story of his conversion, to begin with his exactness in observing the law before his conversion (which he was about to relate, but that he is interrupted here), which outward obedience, because of its conformity to the principle of it, is frequently termed a good conscience, that is, a good or regular life conformed to and springing from conscience. And that which Paul here intendeth in reference to that part of his life under pharisaism, is all one and the same with what elsewhere he saith, Phil. 3:6,
'touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.'
But there were a third sort, in whom conscience enlightened may be supposed yet further improved in the effect of it, when yet it fell short of grace. There were those who were supernaturally enlightened by the gospel, of whom Paul, Heb. 6, and Christ's parables speak. Such light the understanding of man, not renewed, is capable of, and it lies exposed for God to shoot into it, without infusing a new habit, or spiritualising that faculty. It lies exposed also unto influences and effects of the promises of the gospel, working upon self-love in the will and affections, with tastings of the powers of the world to come. Now when the light of the gospel is added to the light of the law, and when a supernatural light of things revealed in the gospel is added to that of conscience in the law, conscience cometh to have its dominions enlarged, and is more strengthened and backed hereby. Now in such, so wrought on by the gospel, and also the law, and in whose hearts both these meet, the effects must needs be supposed more powerful and vigorous, because there is brought in a stronger light of God himself, in the efficacy of knowing whom, more or less, the obligation and power of conscience lies. An instance that mentions the conjunction of both these in express words is hard perhaps to meet withal; although, where such
supernatural enlightening in things of the gospel falls out to be in such as have fallen away, it must necessarily be supposed that there is a more vigorous actuating and stirring that light and principle of conscience that doth accompany the same; especially considering that the workings of the law upon conscience is that which prepares men's hearts (both that are saved or otherwise fall away) for their listening after, and so receiving in, the supernatural truths of the gospel. Howsoever, thus much is evident to the thing in hand, that these Jews, of all other, who were of the sect of the Pharisees, that made conscience of the law, when they came to be enlightened by the gospel, became the raisers and fomenters of that great opposition to the gospel which was the ruin of many professors in those primitive times. Of these Pharisees mention is made, Acts 15:5, 'There rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed' (and some, as in charity we are to think, savingly, who yet were the defenders of that great error), 'saying, It was needful to circumcise men that believed, and to teach them to keep the law of Moses;' that is, the whole of it, which circumcision did oblige unto. As these men had faith superadded, so I may say of them, as Paul of some Gentiles, they had a 'conscience of that idol,' the law, to that day; and their conscience having been inured to that yoke, knew not how to discharge itself so soon of that subjection (I speak as to that sense mentioned), and so by that addition of faith, conscience was more provoked to be zealous for the law, and to observe it, that they might keep in with God.
Now, what the estate of these particular persons there mentioned was, we know not, nor the issue of them as to God; yet this we are sure of, that many of the followers of that doctrine, which these there first did broach, and who had embraced the faith upon a supernatural light (for else none in those times would easily have professed it) did out of the same principle of conscience urge and profess obedience to that whole law of Moses, and set out therein with the same zeal in both (for the reality of it) that these Pharisees, that were the first authors of that opinion, did. It was the profession of making conscience, and of their obligation to God's command, which was the ground of that zeal; and yet we are sure that many of
them are branded to have been apostates to the faith in the end. And I observe that when Paul twice speaks of this kind of professors (as he vouchsafes to name them, Tit. 1:16), who thus urged the observation of the law as well as faith in the gospel, he still makes mention withal of faith and conscience. For the latter was that which these so much pretended; for the obligation of the law (they contended for) did principally respect conscience as the seal of it, and as subject to it, and over which it had dominion in men. Thus
Paul writes, 1 Tim. 1, concerning some at Ephesus who pressed the law in the sense these Pharisees had done, as well as they pressed faith, as appears by ver. 7, 8. And because they did urge this upon pretence of conscience, therefore, in opposition to that religion of theirs, which they made up both of law and gospel in an untoward mixture, Paul professeth the true religion (or that part of it which relateth to the commandments) to be this, ver. 5–7, 'Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: from which some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.' He by these cords* intimates to us, that though these men did profess the same faith in Christ, yet their zeal to the law, for which they pretended conscience, was the cause of their swerving from both, they never having had the true genuine or saving principle of either. And therefore, in his enumeration of the saving principles of faith and a good conscience, he upon occasion of them is forced to distinguish upon these principles, as is evident by those cords,* 'The end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, and faith unfeigned.' And why is it ho should use this distinction there, when he had occasion to speak of these men, but to put the difference between faith, and such a conscience, and principle of zeal in religion, which is defiled? In distinction unto which he calls the principle of true holiness, a good conscience, as he had characterised true and saving faith with this of her† 'unfeigned faith,' and a 'pure heart' as the effect of both these; for a purified heart is expressly made the effect of faith, Acts 15:9. So then there is a conscience zealous of religion, that is joined with a
pure heart, and there is a conscience that is joined with a defiled heart, and that in men enlightened in religion, which Paul, in his
Epistle to Titus, thus expresseth, in words near akin to those he useth in Timothy of the same sort of professors: 'Unto the pure are all things pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving,' that have a faith that purifies not the heart, but leaves it still in its natural defilements, and so as good as no faith, and therefore he terms them unbelievers still, 'even in their mind and conscience,' which yet are the supremest and purest part in them, even these 'remain defiled,' however enlightened, and whatever conscience of the law they do pretend. Now, therefore, if their consciences remain defiled, saith he, no wonder if in the end of their profession their lives prove also such, ver. 16; for as Christ says, 'If the light be darkness, how great is that darkness! But if the eye be single, the whole body is full of light.' And in these two discourses compared, Paul discovers and rips up the inwards of true profession and false. In the practice of religion mentioned in the one, viz., that of Titus, he resolves apostasy and falling away into its true causes. And in this other, to Timothy, speaking of the contrary, sincere obedience, that holds out to the end, he resolves his perseverance unto its true causes also. In the one he tells us that their consciences, which having been enlightened, had been the groundwork of their zeal for the law, and of obedience to it, had yet continued and remained defiled notwithstanding all that light. In the other he tells us that they have obtained such a 'good conscience' and 'faith unfeigned,' as had 'purified the heart.'
Neither is his scope in his Epistle to Titus only to shew what at present their consciences were become through sinning, but to resolve things into their causes (as in that of Timothy he had done), shewing that this defect had been in their profession from the first of it, in that their consciences and minds had remained in their natural defilement. And thence all their best actions, as well as their outward legal observations, had become defiled to them, and in the end had wrought out that light and goodness that had any impression upon them.
2. I come now to shew what effects a natural conscience may and doth produce in men unregenerate. The instances I give of these effects shall be only such as have been found in heathens and Jews, of whom it must needs be acknowledged that they were not renewed.
And such effects, even in professors of Christianity who are not savingly regenerated, are still but of the same kind, only are more heightened by the addition of gospel light, more clearly revealing
God; and also perhaps in such persons these effects are extended objectively unto more duties than came to the cognizance of either
Jew or Gentile. The reason why this addition of gospel and supernatural light must needs increase the same effects more powerfully, is because (as I said) conscience hath in all men two things still in its eye: 1. The law, or rule; 2. God as the judge giving that law; and from its eyeing, more or less, God as the judge, doth arise that authority that is in the dictates of conscience. And hence, as the conscience doth more clearly and fully take in light from God, and is thereby convinced of him and his greatness, and that the rules given are from him, proportionably must these effects of conscience become more powerful, and work more strongly upon the heart; yet so as still this light, and these effects, are but of the same kind with those that are found in heathens or Jews.
(1.) I shall give instances of these effects in respect of what is good.
[1.] Conscience in a natural and unregenerate man may and doth often pass an act, both of assent and approbation, to what is a good and holy duty, and to what the law says, or to the duties and commands thereof, that they are good, and just, and right; otherwise it could not accuse a man for what is evil, unless it secretly approved of what is good. Video meliora proboque, says Medea in Ovid: I see what is better, and approve of it, though I choose and pursue the worse. Seneca* also, speaking of the worst of men, says that virtue hath that amiableness in it that it is ingrafted in those that are most wicked, to approve the things that are good and best. They are heathens that speak these things; and as for the Jews, Paul expressly says, Rom. 2:18, 'Thou approvest the things that are more excellent,'
which is a phrase suitable to the other, Probo meliora. And this is one respect for which they are said to be under the law, and the law to have power or dominion over a man, as Rom. 7:1, 2, even because men have a principle in them capable of its love, and naturally subjected thereunto, which maketh them acknowledge and own it for their lord. Now, it could no way bring men under that subjection and bondage but by this, that there is something in this principle of conscience unto which this law approves its equity and justness; or, to use the apostle's phrase, 2 Cor. 4:2, 'commendeth itself to every man's conscience.' And thus the law, held forth in a godly man's life, in the concrete, approves itself to a wicked man. Saul could not but acknowledge of David, 'Thou art more righteous than I.' And in the abstract it doth it much more. In the story of the Acts, the apostle appeals to their consciences (as Socrates before had done to his heathen judges), whether it were not better to obey God than men; for their natural consciences could not but so adjudge it.
[2.] Natural conscience not only assents to what the law commands as good, but it commends it to a man as his duty, and lays it as an injunction upon him to do it. So says Paul, 'I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things,' &c., Acts 26:9. Therefore it is called conscientia by some, because it lays an obligation upon a man; and so it is quasi concludens scientia, which binds him to his good behaviour.
[3.] It provoketh, yea, prevails, with men to do what it shews them to be good, and their particular duty. It is not a sleeping, idle principle, but active; for so says the apostle of the heathens, Rom. 2:14, 'They did by nature the things of the law,' as instigated thereto by conscience. For he renders that as the ground of it, that 'they were a law unto themselves.' So Herod, as you know, 'did many things' which John the Baptist urged upon his conscience out of the word.
[4.] In these their acting what is good, the workings of conscience are the main engines which set them to work, and not simply outward respects. Thus Paul resolves what he did in his unregeneracy unto
this principle: 'I verily thought I ought to do it,' says he; and so did what he did, Acts 9:15. It also appears in this, that a man will go against all outward respects merely to satisfy his conscience, as Judas did, when he confessed and restored the money for which he had betrayed Christ; wherein he did an act cross to the dearest lusts in him, his credit and his covetousness. Conscientiæ satisfaciamus, says Seneca, nihil in famam laboremus: Let us satisfy conscience, no matter for credit.
[5.] Hence also natural conscience may in these actions have a real respect to God, to whom (as was said) conscience looks, and from whom it fetcheth its binding power; so as the man takes his command in, as a consideration that moves him: John 16:2, 'He that killeth you shall think he doth God good service,' that is, he shall look upon it as a service done to God, and have some respect to him in it.
And though this is spoken of such actions as materially in themselves were not service to God, but the contrary, yet the inward motive it proceeded from was, that they judged it a service unto God. And therefore when it falls to be in itself a duty, conscience presseth it much more, and urgeth it upon this motive, Rom. 10:1. The carnal
Jew is said to have a zeal of God, or for God. Thus also we read of carnal and wicked men who out of awe, and fear, and respect to him do forbear some sins: 'It is in my power,' says Laban to Jacob, Gen.
31:29: 'but the God of your father spake to me, saying, Take heed thou speak to Jacob neither good nor evil.' God commanded Balaam also that he should not curse the Israelites; and Balaam kept to that command, and durst not go outwardly cross to it, although inwardly he desired leave to have done it, that so he might be rewarded by Balak. Yea, he therefore durst not do it, because of the word of the Lord, Num. 22:18. So Cyrus says of Ezra, Ezra 1:2, that 'the God of heaven had charged him to build a house for him.'
[6.] When a man hath done what conscience, and God in his conscience, have commanded, he hath much peace in it, for it excuseth him, as the text, Rom. 2:15, says. Thus a heathen also could say, Recte fecisse merx est; it is reward enough to do well. Therefore
Paul's heart was kept alive, Rom. 7, in joy and peace, by doing what the law required; so also a man will be exceeding glad when such a sin is avoided, or if a sin take not full effect, as Darius was glad when
Daniel was alive, Dan. 6:23.
(2.) I shall give instances of the workings of conscience, in relation unto evil, either sins of commission, or omission of duties.
[1.] Conscience in natural men causeth a reluctancy and a commotion of affections against a sin, before the commission of it, and a displacency in committing of it. Thus Darius, a heathen, Dan.
6:14, was so displeased with himself, when he was put upon putting to death so just a man as his conscience told him that Daniel was. We may observe it in Herod also, Mark 6:26: when John the Baptist's head was required of him, you read what a reluctancy he had, and sorrow against it; 'he was exceeding sorry,' ver. 26, and it was his conscience that wrought that in him, for, ver. 20, it is said that 'he observed John, because he was a just and an holy man;' yet, for his oath's and lust's sake, he murdered him, though to have parted with half his kingdom would not have troubled him so much.
[2.] Conscience excites in men an endeavour to avoid and decline evil. So Darius set his heart to deliver Daniel, and he laboured till evening, Dan. 6:14; so Pilate did all he could, a great while, to free his hands of the guilt of Christ's death by saving of him.
[3.] It worketh much sorrow and repentance after sinning. So, of Darius we read, 6:18, that he was troubled all night, could not eat his meat, and his sleep departed from him; and thus the apostle, Rom.
2:15, says of the heathens, that their consciences do accuse them.
Thus Judas also, Mat. 27:4, 5, says, 'I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.' And (by the way) here are all the parts and ingredients that the papists require in repentance: 1. Contrition: 'He repented himself.' 2. Confession: 'I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.' 3. Restitution and