CHAPTER XI: Another deficiency in natural conscience
up and exercised out of conscience of God, and as it is acceptable to him (as the same Peter speaks in his second chapter) so it is 'an ornament of great price with God.' And then God himself is respected in it; for nothing takes with God but what relates unto himself.
To conclude; In all these there is conscience of an idol (as Paul speaks), be it virtue for itself, be it grace, but not conscience of God.
These are all conscionable respects, drugs only found in conscience's natural garden; but still the main ingredient that should set all awork is wanting.
CHAPTER XI
Another deficiency in natural conscience is, that it may eye the command, and yet not obey for the sake of the command, nor regard God as the utmost end in their obedience.
Another effect mentioned was that natural conscience, in its instigations to obedience, had a real respect unto God, and unto the command of God. Laban (Gen. 31:29) forbare to hurt Jacob, having a respect to God's charge given over-night. So likewise did Balaam,
Num. 22:18.
Of this I have spoken much before, what it is to have a conscience of God, and to do things from such a conscience. Yet here some things practical may be added for the discovery of this, both as to the difference in the thing itself, and also as to the deceits men run into in thinking they act for God and for his command. The foundation of which deceit lies in this, that corrupt nature in us thinks much at everything we do for God, and also having slight apprehensions and regards of God, we are apt to put him off with any kind of respects
had to him; and we thereby so easily come to deceive ourselves in a conceit that we act and do for him, when it is nothing less.
1. For that respect which men may have to the command.
(1.) Men may have an eye to the command, when yet they obey not for the sake of the command, and so (as one says) Deo obtemperant, non obsequuntur. If men take the command into their thoughts, if they look at the command as the material cause of their obedience, and the exemplary cause they are to square their actions to, they think they perform that regard to the command that is due to it, when yet they regard it not so as to do the thing because it is commanded. They look to it as their chart to direct, but not as the spring that should move and steer them in and unto their obedience.
A slave may diligently repeat over and over in his thoughts, and be careful to remember exactly, the command of his master, as well as a son the command of his father; but yet still in the slave it is not kindly obedience, such as is performed chiefly with respect to his command, as in a son it is; whereas David, describing a godly man and his obedience, Ps. 119:1, 2, 3, at the 4th verse shews the ground he looks at in his obedience: 'Thou hast commanded me to keep thy precepts diligently.' Others do it out of conscience so commanding, but not out of conscience of the command, which usually appears in this, that conscience lets us alone in some commands when it is vehement in urging others.
(2.) In looking at God in their obedience, men are willing to deceive themselves many ways.
[1.] They may have a real regard unto God as the object of the service they perform, and with this they do but delude themselves, if it be not also superscribed and directed to him. Now in all duties of worship performed by us, God is the person to whom intentionally a man directeth it; as in praying, the person spoken unto is God; in hearing, the person that speaks to us is God, and we give him the hearing, as making account that a God speaks to us. Now, this may
be, and yet still ourselves may be the final cause or end, for whose sake, and upon whose interest, the duty is performed. I may speak to a man, as the person to whom my speech is directed, when yet it is my own business for which it is intended, and so I speak but for myself. And thus a man may perform a service even to an enemy (as Laban and Balaam did), and intend and mind them as the object of their service, but not as the end. Conscience herein carries a man towards God, but this is not conscience of God. They pray toward him rather than to him. When it is said, Zech. 7:5, 'They fast, but not to me,' it cannot be so understood as if God was not the object of the duty, or the person it was directed and addressed unto (for they could not take on them to fast but that they dealt with him, and made their supplications to him), but the defect or default that is found is, that they made him not the end of those duties. 'They fast,' says God,
'but not to me.' And yet men are content to run away with this, as that regard which is due to God, in being in some regard a real respect.
[2.] They may further look to God as the author and efficient of the command, and the rewarder of the performance of it, and the punisher of the breach of it, when still they respect him not in their obedience as the final cause. They look to him as from whom the command comes, but they obey it not for his sake, and so conscience moves from God, but not effectually for God. 'They return' (says God)
'but not to the Most High,' Hosea 7:16. An unregenerate man's conscience looks to God the commander, as well as a regenerate man's, but then it is either as a slave hath an eye to his master, which is termed eye-service, as not being done heartily for him (Col. 3:22,
23, compared), or as an hireling on his master, or as a condemned man upon his judge. But a godly man looks at God as one whose interest he hath made his own, and is therefore glad that God will command him. A godly man loves the command the better because it comes from God, and loves God the better because he is pleased to command and use him. And when it is thus, then a man's works are said to be wrought in God, John 3:21. The want of which is oppositely that which makes other men's works evil: ver 20, 'For
every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.' Where you see to 'do the truth,' or to act sincerely, is all one as 'to work our works in God,' that is, chiefly upon his interest. It is termed, 2 Cor. 1:12, sincerity of God, as having respect to him, as if none else were concerned. And no other eyeing
God in his commands, as appears by that place, will satisfy a regenerate conscience.
[3.] Men may have a real respect to the glory of God, when yet not to that glory which is due to his name (which the Psalmist calls for), and so not glorify him as God. Haters and persecutors of the people and children of God, and so haters of God, yet relieve themselves with this pretence (as having some respect thereto in their consciences) not only that 'they think they do God good service,'
John 16:2, but farther, Isa. 66:5, 'say, Let God be glorified.' 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified. But he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.'
But, first, they do but say it, as there, and that faintly; and when their great zeal is in the prosecution of their lusts of malice, they colour it over with taking that respect into their thoughts, and so relieve themselves with the pretence of it.
And secondly; If the thought thereof rise up to a zeal of God, as in Paul and the Jews, Rom. 10:3, it did, and may do in others, in what is truly the service of God, yet it still comes in but secondarily, not as the predominant end and motive, but as an end taken in by the by.
They act as a man that at once can pleasure himself and another, and who will be glad it falls out so well, that what is done for himself chiefly is also a kindness to another. And thus a man may be glad when he can pleasure an enemy when withal he serves himself, and will make the best of such a kindness, as if he did it for him.
Thirdly; And again, men may aim at doing service to God, as far as they use to aim at serving men, as their king, as their country: as soldiers and subjects use to say that they do service to their king and country, as it is a common cause, magnified and cried up to do so; and in this service they use to spend their bloods. And after the same manner was Paul zealous for God and the religion of the Jews, as a man would be for his king or the cause of religion, as it is a cause in common. But thus only to aim at serving God is too low for him. It is not enough to aim at God thus far in thy service, as much as thou wouldst aim at men. But if thou glorifiest not God as God, Rom. 1:21; that is, as such a great God ought to be glorified, and transcendently set up above all creatures, even above thyself; thou dost not glorify
God as thou oughtest. Many aim at glorifying God as far as they would serve a man, a superior; but they must glorify him as God; that is, above all else, even themselves and all their own interests; not only by going against their interests for him, but when both fall in, yet to be moved by his above their own.
Fourthly and lastly; There is no deceit more general than is this, viz., that if in the motion to any duty, the considerations of God and his command were the first propounders or motioners thereof in a man's conscience, then the man thinks them to be the chiefest swaying motives. If these get but the start, and have but the priority of time, if they put forth the first hand out of the womb, men then put the birthright, the dominion, or prerogative upon them; and this they do, though worldly or other self-ends do carry the work on, and are the most effectual agents to bring it to the birth. You will find that when a man is to do any action that is good, upon the motion, twenty byends will come in about him, like so many beggars about a great man, if he offers to stir abroad. Now, the main repute of bringing forth the action will not be cast on that which was the first propounder, but on that which was the main and strongest stickler in it, and promoted it, and brought it forth to execution. Now, conscience is apt, in most such actions, if not to be the first in them, yet to shuffle in such considerations as wherein God should be respected, and then to cry, this is done for God. Jehu was indeed first