CHAPTER VI: What is necessary to make conscience a good and holy conscience
not holy with that holiness which is proper to the law, for Quicquid dicitur de toto, non dicitur de qualibet parts, What is said of the whole law, take the spiritual part and literal part together, is not said of that one part, the letter only. Or suppose (as you will object) that, in some men, light of conscience imitates to represent the inwards, and so instruct and direct to the right end; yet still, as the inwards of a man have in anatomy their pictures cut and drawn, as well as the outwards of a man, so there is a literal knowledge even of the real spiritual knowledge, which is seen in the effects, that it sanctifies not the heart, nor the conscience in which it is. Some men's knowledge is more to the life (the Holy Ghost hath a curious pencil), and yet but μόρφωσις τῆς γνώσεως, the form of knowledge still, and wanting the light of life, as Christ calls it, John 8:12. These goodnesses I for my part shall ever acknowledge to be in the light of conscience and moral virtues; and I have the more amply insisted on it, that protestant doctrine may not be accounted so absurd, as to affirm that all in men unregenerate is esteemed by them so wholly sinful, as even the light of conscience, moral virtues and spiritual gifts, are in themselves sinfully corrupt; but only in the subject they do become such, and in respect of their hearts' management of them.
CHAPTER VI
What is necessary to make conscience a good and holy conscience, which the Scripture describes to be only in persons regenerate.
The inquiry next will be what goodness it is in the light of conscience that riseth up to the goodness of holiness; or, which is all one, when it is that a man's conscience, in the balance and proper language of the Scripture, is termed 'a good conscience.' To make way for the resolution of this, and clear my way for it, I must premise two things.
1. That a regenerate man is said to have a good conscience in two respects. 1. In respect of this justification of his person, and sprinkling the blood of Christ on his conscience, to clear him from the guilt of his sins. And a man is said oppositely to have an evil conscience—thus, Heb. 10:22, the sprinkling from an evil conscience is termed—when his sins are not pardoned, but himself remains in an unjustified state, with the guilt of all his sins abiding on him, and in his conscience, the register of all. Look, as a bill is called a foul bill when it contains many heavy articles of sad crimes and accusations, so is conscience named too. It is also called a good or evil conscience, as the state of the man is good or bad, for it is the representer of that state unto him; even as the urine is said to be good when it shews a healthy and good state and habit of the body, or to be a bad water when it represents a bad Κράσις, or distemper. For conscience is the sink of all sins, as the urine is the drain of all humours. Now, this kind of goodness or evilness of conscience belongs not unto this subject, this is but a relative goodness or badness of it.
But 2dly. The goodness we seek after is that of holiness, or in respect of sanctification. It is this inherent goodness of it I seek to define.
I premise two things.
1. You know that God himself alone is the fountain of all goodness, and the measure and standard of it.
2. In discoursing of the inherent goodness of the conscience, I am not to shew at large wherein the holiness of all light that is in a believer's heart doth consist, but I shall, punctually to my subject, confine myself to this consideration, in what the holiness of the light of the law in a regenerate man's conscience, and as it is properly seated in that faculty, doth consist.
You know God himself alone is the fountain of goodness, and the measure and standard of it, 1 Kings 14:13. It is spoken of a child of Jeroboam, to express the truth of that grace that was in him, that 'in
him only was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel.'
That alone is goodness, which respecteth and is pointed unto him who is only good, Mat. 19:17. And so the goodness in each faculty consists in what sets up God in it according to its kind. Now then, by the help of this general rule, let us proceed to the discovery of this goodness in conscience.
1. That light in conscience which sets up the knowledge of God, as God, is the light of life. This is certain; and it is common to the light in the conscience of all msn, good or bad, that it hath a knowledge of, and an eyeing God, and of a divinity; for from thence ariseth the power, the obliging or terrifying power, that conscience hath in any man. The Gentiles, so far as they had any conscience, so far did a glimmering of God rise up in their hearts. There is a holding the truth in unrighteousness which is spoken of, Rom. 1:18, whereby is signified their sinning against light; and the next verse tells us that the truth so sinned against was the τὸ γνωοτὀν τοῦ Θεοῦ, something of God known, or manifest in them. And yet it is said of all these
Gentiles, that they were 'without God in the world,' Eph 2, even as of Paul you heard it said, that he was 'without the law.' Wherein then did this light of theirs fall short? The apostle hath let fall that reduplication I even now mentioned, Rom 1:21, on purpose to discover their deficiency, when 'they glorified him not as God.' Their knowledge reached not unto that, but (as he says, Rom. 3:23) 'fell short of the glory of God.' He speaks it on purpose to give a distinction in the very case in hand. That knowledge they had in their consciences did not set God up, as God, in their knowledge, and so glorified him not therein. It gave not that real knowledge of him that was worthy of him, answerable or genuine to him, and to what he is in himself, and so glorified him not.
Two things I urge with much vehemency.
1. That all unregenerate men's practical light that works on them falls short of the knowledge of God as God. Carry it through the whole lump of them, their light, their virtues, their graces, zeal of and for
God, still fall short in this, that though some of these may be terminated upon God as an object of them, yet they rise not to glorify him as God. You may love and respect God, as you do your dead benefactors; but if it be not as God, that is, suitable to, worthy of, and as so great a God is to be loved withal (I speak for the kind of it), it is not that which he regards; and thus it is also in the knowledge of God. Yea, the cause of the defect why they fall short in sanctifying
God in their wills and affections, is because they fall short, proportionably, in their knowledge of him, which therefore directs them not to that spiritualness of love, joy, fear of God, that is suitable to his nature; for all these are conformed to the apprehensions we have of him. The fundamental defect lies here: all men have low thoughts of God, not only for the degree (so no creature can know him as he is), but for the kind; and this causeth the other defects in men's obedience. There were zealous men for sacrifices and the worship of the law (whom you read of among the Jews, Ps. 1; God spends that whole psalm upon them) that professed they knew him sufficiently, and yet served him but formally, and outwardly, and untowardly. God discovers the bottom defect, ver. 21, 'Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself,' and so thou didst imagine that thou mightest put him off with outward obedience and respects. Men that live under the light and revelation of the word, yet have but childish thoughts of God. All the word can say, represents him not as in himself genuinely (as they take the light thereof in), and so men come to think they can easily please and serve him. The apostle John throughout his Epistle resolves all the defects of loose profession and backsliders into this, 'They know him not.' He is peremptory in it; and Paul in like manner useth the same reduplication about knowing Christ which he had used about knowing God: Rom. 1, 'Knowing and glorifying God as God;' Eph.
4:20, 21, 'If so be you have learned the truth as it is in Jesus:' not the truth literally only, but of Christ, as Christ is in himself, which all unregenerate men's thoughts fall short of. Now then bring it to the point in hand; if natural conscience, whether by natural light, or from revelation, still falls short of knowing God as God, then all the obedience and all the effects of it, though very powerful and great
(because backed, urged with, and in the name and authority of a deity threatening wrath), yet rising not up to this knowledge of God as God, or of God, Heb. 9:14, as 'the living God,' and as the truth is in God, make not a God of him in the heart, like himself in the heavens, but must needs all fall short of holiness, the spirit of which is to exalt
God as God. You may observe it of the Jews, that their consciences were greatly awakened by reiterated sermons of Joshua's, which were very pungent, Josh. 23d and 24th chapters. And all the people, the multitude answered, chap. 24:16, 'God forbid we should be such wretches as not to serve the Lord,' or to 'forsake him;' ver. 18, 'We will serve the Lord, for he is our God,' say they; but says Joshua to the unregenerate rabble of them, ver. 19, 'You speak you know not what.' You know not what a God you have to do withal, and therefore you utter this, and speak thus slightly of serving him. 'Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is an holy God,' says he. He is holy, and his service must be answerably holy as he is; and his holiness is to exalt himself as God, but you (poor souls) take him not in as God. Men think of him, though as of a supreme power above them, yet of one like themselves, their prince or lord, and so think they may please him and serve him as they do such a one. You are mistaken, says
Joshua, 'He is an holy God.' Men run away with their natural notion of him, or with what is improved by the letter of the word, and so their conscience runs away with an under-obedience, below what is suitable to his nature, and due to him as God; and conscience works in the strength of that light it hath of God himself, and no further. So as if it falls short, all falls short.
2. The second thing I urge is that when God means savingly to convert a man, he doth not only, or primarily, actuate, and awaken and snuff the candle of the Lord, which he hath set up in the heart, nor doth he only add more oil to make that light burn brighter. All the notions of God that can be had out of the letter of the word, added as oil to that old light, will never cause him to know God, as God, and in himself, though these may wonderfully enlarge it in its kind. All the candles or tapers in the world will not help you to see the sun; but where God means to save he shines in with a new light
of faith, superior to that which conscience had before. God himself riseth anew upon the heart with the light of himself; and as the sun riseth with its own light, and is seen only by its own beams, so in God's light you see light. And therefore faith is still joined in (Paul's
Epistle to Timothy) with a good conscience; for it is the light which faith brings in that enlighteneth conscience with a new knowledge of God, which is holy and spiritual, as that which immediately cometh from, and so leadeth up to himself. It is a new and genuine light and knowledge, not from God only, but of God by faith. I speak not now of faith as justifying only, which is only terminated on Christ, and God's free grace as justifying, but I mean spiritual faith, which Paul,
Heb. 11, treats of. Conscience then receiving, by the means of faith, this true knowledge of God, as God, (for conscience is not the first suscipient of this light, but faith, as Paul in Heb. 11 instructs us), and participating thus thereof, this light, as soon as it comes into conscience, instantly puts and brings that spirit we speak of with it, and adds it to that literal knowledge which conscience had of the law in the outwards of it, and is as a soul breathed anew into a body or dead carcass. It instructs the heart what kind of inward worship, what spiritual affections and motions suitable to this God, must fill and inspire every outward duty; and it is content with no other but such in the service of God, for he knows now that none else will please that God whom he now clearly understands. It instructs the heart (without more ado) what love to, what zeal for God, what mourning, what sorrow for sin, what joy in, and fear to such a God is due, if he be exalted as God in the heart, and holy affections be stirred up by holy ends and motives; living affections for a living
God; spiritual affections for God that is a Spirit, and will in spirit be worshipped. Ho sees now it is not all the sacrifices in the world (as he in the 50th Psalm thought) will please him. But he cries out (as the holy convert David, Ps. 51), 'If sacrifice would please thee, I would offer it; but thou requirest truth in the inward parts,' thou requirest a clean, upright, and renewed heart, for thou art a God of truth and holiness, and wilt be served in truth. And this is the true meaning of that passage also (which you have, Hosea 6:6, and which our Saviour so pointed to for the legal Pharisee to learn), that 'God delights in the
knowledge of God more than sacrifices.' Why are these thus opposed, but because those persons who have not the true knowledge of God
(which they wanted) think to put God off with sacrifices and legal performances. And what satisfies their consciences, they think must needs satisfy God. But if once this genuine knowledge of God as God enters into their souls, it will call for the inwards of the soul to be offered up as a burnt-offering, and is not satisfied without it. This transforming of their minds will teach them to know that good and acceptable will of God, and to offer up themselves a holy, living, spiritual sacrifice unto God, as the apostle speaks, Rom. 12:1, 2.
And that such a new knowledge of God himself is the foundation of writing the law in the inward parts (of which Jer. 31:33 speaks), and of which knowledge the light of conscience falling short is not able to do, is evident by that very scripture, ver. 34, 'They shall all know me, from the least unto the greatest.' And so you have both texts of Paul and Jeremiah brought into a comparison. Look, as the defect in natural conscience in Jew and Gentile (spoken of, Rom. 2) is by Paul attributed to their not knowing, and not glorifying God as God, Rom.
1, though they did many things of the law, and were a law to themselves; so, on the contrary, the groundwork and foundation, the first thing taught, the first lesson written, when the law comes to be written in the heart, is to know God: 'They shall all know me, from the least to the greatest.' And this being first written in capital letters in the soul, then the whole law, not in the outward duties only, but that which is the spirit and the soul of all, is written there.
As when the sun riseth, a man looks on the world and all things in it, in a new hue, and sees all those things everywhere round about him, and on the face of the earth which he saw not till now; so is it in this case: what is it humbleth a man for sin, and convinceth him of it, but this new light of God shining upon, and actuating the knowledge of the law? It now sees sin as a spiritual evil in itself, contrary to this
God; yea, he now sees that contrariety which hath been in all, and every motion of the heart unto God as holy, and falls down and cries out, I was before without the law. So also he is hereby convinced of
judgment, that true holiness God as God requires in the spiritualness of it, and he sees the beauty that is in grace. Yea, by knowing God anew and aright he looks with a spiritual eye upon whatever relateth unto God any way.
So then it is not the natural light of conscience, nor that improved by the word, which converts any man to God (although this is the best spring of most men's practic part of religion), but it is faith bringing in a new light into conscience, and so conscience lighting its taper at that sun, which humbleth for sin in another manner, and drives men to Christ, sanctifieth, changeth, and writes the law in the heart. And this you will find to be the state of difference between Augustine and the Pelagians, semi-Pelagians, which the whole stream and current of his writings against them hold forth. They would have had the light of natural conscience and the seeds of virtues in men (as in philosophers, &c.) being improved and manured by the revelation of the word, to be that grace which the Scripture speaks of. He proclaims all their virtues, and their use of natural light (as in them) to be sins, because deficient of holiness, and requires not only the revelation of the objects of faith, which else natural light could not find out, but a new light to see them withal.
2. The second thing upon which I state the holiness of the light of conscience, which is proper to that faculty, and which is the office of it, is, that in directing the heart unto what is its duty, or in urging the matter of obedience, it insists on God's interest and glory as the principal motive, and doth both frame and press such motives as are drawn from thence. I take it for granted that true holiness in any or in all faculties lies in setting up God as our chiefest end. All the faculties in their motions, like the stars in their courses, fight for this interest; yet each according unto its kind in a way proper to it, which must be sot out and the measure of it taken from what is by nature's appointment proper to each faculty; for grace is ingrafted on, and works according to the nature and kind of each faculty. As in a man's body every part hath its proper office (as the apostle, 1 Cor. 12, speaks), so it is in the faculties of the soul.
1. Holiness ingrafted on the understanding works it towards God, and for God, according to what is its peculiar proper office, as to know God as God, and to admire him as God, &c.
2. Holiness in the will and affections influenceth them to love God and cleave to him.
Then 3. Answerably; the conscience must act for him according unto its kind, and that which is proper to it is to be the mover to obedience, chiefly for God and his glory. When the whole soul therefore by regeneration once hath received and admitted God as its supreme end, lord, and natural king, then the office of conscience as his attorney-general, or lord-chancellor, is to frame such pleas and motives on his behalf as shall sway the heart, and vigorously to press them. That this is the proper office of conscience, both reason and Scripture shew.
(1.) Reason shews it; for conscience is one part of practical reason; now the office assigned unto practical reason (which guides us in our actions in general of any kind) is to incite the heart to action, by motives drawn from what is a man's end. As the speculative understanding reasons from truths, to prove or clear one truth from another, so the practical understanding guides us in our actions, and fetcheth arguments to move us. Yet as this is but the office of practic reason in the general, so conscience being the top branch of praetic reason, hath this more eminent office assigned to it, viz., to urge such motives upon us in our actions as are drawn from moral goodness or ends. Conscience being the proper judge of all moral good or evil, and so the seat of moral ends, this is likewise the kind or office of conscience in general. If then it be inquired what should be the holiness proper to it according to this kind, the resolution is easy by the former principles.
[1.] The former law of holiness comes upon it, namely, to set up God as a man's end in its kind, and according to its kind.
[2.] The next work is to draw motives for all our actings from God's interest as our chiefest end, and to press them on the heart naturally and fully; for no man's reason deliberates about what concerns his chiefest end.
(2.) The Scripture evidenceth the same: Rom. 13:5, when the apostle exhorts Christians to obey, he useth this phrase, 'for conscience sake.' He speaks there of a regenerate man's conscience, and of what should move a true Christian. It is 'for conscience sake' (says he), which is a like and parallel phrase, as when the Scripture says we are justified by faith, which is all one as to say, by Christ's righteousness, which is the object of that faith; or which faith alone considers as that whereby a man is justified, and so faith is metonymically put for its object. So here, because to obey God as our chiefest end, is that which conscience, in moving obedience, ought to have in its eye, therefore to do a thing for conscience sake, and for God as a man's chief end, is all one; which when conscience hath performed, and swayed the heart unto it, it is termed, 'the answer of a good conscience towards God,' so far as that speech relates unto sanctification (in 1 Peter 3:21), it being God to whom conscience is to give its account, in which, when it hath been faithful to him as God, it is a good conscience, and can give an answer, a true and just one, as having discharged its trust on its* behalf. In like manner to be a 'servant of righteousness,' and a 'servant to God,' is in the apostle's language all one (Rom. 6:18, 22, compared), for take God out of a man's end, and it is not righteousness. Thus here, to obey God, and to obey conscience, and to obey for conscience sake, and for God's sake, as our utmost end, are equivalent. Now in a man that remains unregenerate, this essential property of holiness (as it is to be in the conscience), hath not as yet taken place in his conscience, nor hath it become the natural supreme law thereof. And the reason is clear.
For, I, until God himself hath been, by a work of regeneration on the whole heart, set up in the heart as a man's supreme end, and generally owned and proclaimed such in the heart, conscience
(whose office is to argue from what really is a man's end), cannot
heartily and naturally draw motives from it; for it would argue then from what is not, and so not have a foundation for its reasonings, such as to persuade the heart, and as should have power and force in them to prevail. And further, it is so because that, until regeneration comes, and makes this great alteration of a man's end, it is certain that self-love remaineth a man's supreme end, and the swaying principle in all. Self is the soul, the spirit of unregeneracy, that runs through, inspires, and leavens all the faculties. If therefore self be predominant in other faculties, then also in this. If self-love sways in the will, then self-respects, and motives must also be in the conscience; and everything moves according to that which is in itself, to its own centre.
Now it is certain that conscience in men unregenerate remains unsanctified, for these two reasons.
1. That else a man unregenerate might be said, in respect of that one faculty, to be a man regenerate, whenas there is not any one thing born of the flesh, but is flesh.
And, 2, because else, in a regenerate man, that one faculty needed no renewing; seeing, according to this supposition, it had the same light, as truly good for the kind of it, afore regeneration, as after; whenas 1
Thes. 5 ver. 23, the apostle prays, 'The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, your whole man, spirit, soul, and body,' &c., so as all are sanctified anew, and therefore conscience also. And the same apostle says, Eph. 4:23, 'Be renewed in the spirit,' in the very spirit, the purest part, 'of the mind.'
There is one query, or objection, the answer to which will further clear the meaning of this assertion. The query is this, Doth not natural conscience, in natural men, urge obedience to God, yea, and urge respect for God, as motives thereto?
Ans. 1. If conscience had not some eye to God, or at least to moral good, it were not conscience. Conscience, as such, keeps to this as its
own sphere or circle. To move for worldly outward ends or respects, pertains not unto conscience, as such, but is from lusts to such outward things; or at best, 2 Cor. 1:12, it is worldly, 'fleshly wisdom,' as the apostle calls it.
Ans. 2. There are many respects which natural conscience hath unto God, as an object of its thoughts, whilst it presseth obedience on us, and under the consideration of which it urgeth it; yet still if this one respect I insist on be wanting and left out, or not made the main of all other, then those other motives, which conscience useth, do not rise so high as to constitute the conscience holy. For though the subject, which in this case it is conversant about, be God, yet still it remains defective in what is proper to it, and truly constitutive of holiness, as it ought to be in conscience. For example, when conscience doth consider and present God to us as a supreme lawgiver and judge, who is 'able to save or to condemn,' as James
4:12, when yet the heart hath not entertained this God as its natural Lord and liege-king: in this case, though obedience be urged indeed for God, and unto God, yet not for God, as the chief motive. So that, as speaking of the knowledge of God, I said, men might have large and great literal knowledge of God, yet if they knew not God as God in himself, they wanted a holy knowledge of him; so say I in this case, though conscience may eye God in many respects, under which he is revealed unto us, as a judge, or a sovereign, yet if not under this, as he is set up as our chiefest end, the conscience is not holy in respect thereof.
3. For the clearing of this I add, that natural conscience being leavened with self-love, doth naturally and heartily urge only such motives on the heart as do concern self, and in such a way as selfinterest is rather spoken for than God's. The meaning is, that when such motives only are urged, and professed, as are but fitted and suited to self, although those considerations be taken from God, yet in this case, not God's interest, but our own, is pleaded for. There are many considerations may be drawn from God as presented to us in Scripture, which alone considered are fitted but to move self-love in
us, which is naturally our chiefest end. As for example, the consideration had of God as a lawgiver, a commander, a judge, able to save and to condemn, doth more properly speak for self than for God; for they urge but what is in God, in relation unto self. And although God and his name be materially used, and objectively, yet finally, and so formally and really, self-love is more regarded and spoken to in them, than God's interest.
Obj. But you will yet say to me, May not, and doth not, natural conscience hold forth to men unregenerate, that God ought to be a man's utmost end, and that it is the duty of the heart to be moved with arguments drawn from thence?
The answer in general is, that if the meaning be that such thoughts and considerations do materially come to mind, that is, that natural conscience hath such flying thoughts under its consideration at times, it cannot be denied, for it cannot indeed avoid them. For if God himself be the enlightener of conscience, as hath been declared, then surely he will, to the end of leaving all men without excuse, cause at times such thoughts to pass through men's hearts, as flashes of lightning use to do through natural darkness. And natural conscience is not only capable thereof, but cannot resist their being the matter of its thoughts. But now in the acting and management of these, and such other considerations, darted in by God, is the goodness or holiness of conscience itself seen and discovered. The apostle hath this saying, 1 Cor. 1:21, speaking of the heathen, that 'by the wisdom of God the world knew not God.' Which implies two things: 1. That there were suggested to their thoughts, by God's
Spirit, many divine considerations, leading on to, and tending to discover God unto them, which is therefore termed the wisdom of God, that is, which he suggested to their thoughts as object matter for their thoughts to work on. But, 2, their spirits, which took in these notions of God, did make use thereof according to the predominant principles within itself, and not according to the tendency of the things themselves suggested by God unto them; and so they through their own wisdom or corrupt principles knew not
God; no, not by those notions that God suggested unto them. Here you see the wisdom suggested by God is received and made use of according to the qualification of the receivers. Now what the apostle speaks there of natural wisdom, of the knowledge of God, I apply unto natural conscience in the thing in hand. It is true, natural conscience doth take in such suggests as these, that God ought to be a man's utmost end, and that it is the duty of the heart to set him up as such. But still these are made use of but according to the temper and disposition of conscience itself (which is the receiver of these) which is poisoned with self; so that although these suggests, as to the matter of them, be good, yet the conscience itself, that is the suscipient of them, maybe, and is, in the management thereof, deficient of holiness; yea, and the motives or motions themselves, which conscience maketh from hence, are (as they come from it) deficient of that holiness is proper thereto. So then, if the conscience be holy, it must not only take in the matter of such considerations and suggest them to the heart, but it must urge and enforce them with that vigour and strength which is answerable unto the virtue, spirit, and power that is in them, and worthy of the motives themselves.
This deficiency of natural conscience herein is discovered by these particulars.
1. Inasmuch as conscience being prepossessed with self-love's interest, as its chiefest end, it thereby becomes weak and faint in the pressing and urging of God's interest as a man's chiefest end, for these two are inconsistent. It gives not the due accent, puts not the weight, the emphasis thereon; it cries Shiboleth in the pronouncing, and so dishonours, spoils, enervates, and withers them in the propounding. Conscience being weak through the flesh, miscarries with them whilst it conceives them, and hath not strength to bring forth. Some motives perhaps drawn from God it may, and doth, with a powerful hand shoot up to the arrow-head, so as they pierce the soul through and through; but these motives drawn from God as a man's utmost end (which in their own nature and ordination are, and
should be the great artillery) natural conscience doth faintly and weakly pursue, lets them fall at the cannon's mouth, dischargeth them without powder, so as they make no impression or dint on the heart at all; yea, they never reach it.
2. If it urgeth such considerations, yet not constantly in the course of a man's life. Alas! they come in but now and then, and but as God is pleased to convince the soul of its defects; but this principle is not made natural and inlaid therein. And if such considerations do come in, they come unseasonably, post factum, after miscarriages, and at times of God's reckonings and accountings with us (as the prophet
Daniel urged upon Belshazzar, a profane, idolatrous heathen, that 'that God in whose hands were his breath and ways, him he had not glorified,' Dan. 5:23), so to continue* and condemn us. Whereas the right cure and season of such considerations (if the conscience were made holy) is before we act, or inter agendum, in the time of acting; otherwise they only come as witnesses against us in obedience. And the reason of this is, because they are not natural to such a conscience, but come in forcibly.
3. By urging motives of so high concernment so faintly, instead of giving demonstration of any true holiness to be therein, it discovers the greater sinfulness, falseness, and hypocrisy towards God. For insomuch as it taketh in and suggesteth the matter of such considerations, it pretends to be for God, and to discharge its trust committed to it; when yet, like a false-hearted pleader at the bar, who is bribed by the adverse party (for such is self-love in a man unto God), it pretends to this and that, but urgeth nothing home, and his tongue falters whilst he seems to plead for him whose cause he hath undertaken. Now this is really and in truth the greatest dishonour that can be put upon God; as, in the like case, any sovereign prince would esteem it, if his agent or minister, that appears for his interest, should either urge any lower interests or properties than those of a king (as such which he stands upon), or urge his proper interest, as of a king, coldly and faintly. Docet negare, dum urget timide. His name, and the greatest glory due to it,
is taken in vain, whilst it is mentioned to no higher or more efficacious purpose.
4. And, lastly, such motives so used deserve not the name of motives.
They fall from that denomination, and they are receptions or motions rather made in conscience, than motives made by conscience. As imperfect wishings and wouldings in the will we term velleities, so proportionally are these in the conscience. Now no power or faculty in a man can be said to act for God as its utmost end, unless it acts with a strength some way suitably. It is an observable phrase, Col. 3:23, 'Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, or with all your might, as to the Lord.' The import of which is this: that whatsoever is truly done to God, and for God, he being so great a God, and the nature of his service (as they say of a king), being such, as it falls short and is deficient of what deserves the name of service in respect to him, or by way of motive for him, if it be not performed with vigour and strength answerable; it is therefore not done to the Lord, unless it be heartily. And this is true of all the motions conscience makes for God; they are not for him, nor worthy of him, nor indeed motives as for God, unless prosecuted predominantly for him above all other ends.
So then two deficiencies, or fallings short of holiness, have been discovered to be in natural conscience.
1. That it falls short in an effectual direction to, or instruction in, the right manner of obedience to the law. It either not knows, or practises not, what are the inwards of duties, because it was never elevated to the knowledge of God as God in himself, and so is ignorant how to call for a worship or obedience suitable unto him, which consists in spirit and in truth.
2. It also falls short in that which is the eminent part and office of it, namely, faithfulness to God, to try vigorously on the heart such motives as are drawn from God's interest, set up therein as our utmost end. And these defects lie in the very light of conscience, and
in conscience itself, besides what deficiency is discovered in the effects themselves, which are answerable to these defects in the cause itself.
3. I shall make this additional remark to complete this head, that this deficiency in the light itself, from conscience to true holiness, appears and manifests itself in the effect; namely, that the light that is in natural conscience maketh not the heart good, it sanctifieth not, and therefore itself is not good, with that goodness which is proper to that faculty. As that is a good tree which maketh the fruit good, so that is a good conscience which maketh the heart good. This is a certain truth, that the difference between saving light or knowledge, and common light raised up into a great blaze, are difficultly distinguished in themselves abstractly considered, compared with themselves, although the difference in itself is great, consequently, as by the fruits they are distinguished manifestly in the issue and event.
Insomuch as the difficulty in distinguishing them thus in themselves hath occasioned a great divine* to say, Non distinguuntur nisi consequenter, ad actum voluntatis, that they are not distinguished unless consequently, to the act of the will. Which indeed holds true in respect of discerning that difference, but not in the real distinction of the lights themselves; for the difference must needs be in the light itself as the cause, or else one faculty in an unregenerate man needed not sanctification and regeneration. Now, that that only is a good conscience which maketh the heart good, appears both by Scripture and reason.
1. By Scripture. Paul therefore said he had a good conscience, because he desired to live honestly in all things, Heb. 13:18. For else, had he had never so much light, which had still directed him and instigated him to good, yet had not wrought in him a desire to live accordingly, he could not have termed his conscience good. And therefore, also, having a good conscience is put for a holy conversation (by the apostle Peter, 1 Peter 3:16), as the cause for the effect; for so it follows, 'That speaking of you as evil doers, they may