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. xxxi. 29) forbare to hurt Jacob, having a respect to God s
charge given over-night. So likewise did Balaam, Num. xxii. 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. * Mallem famain boui viri perdeie quam conscientiam.
302 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK YI.
(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 obtempemnt, non obse-
quuntar. 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.
cxix. 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 com
mand, 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 them
selves 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 lis 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 per formed. 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. vii. 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 bsing in some regard a real respect.
[2.] They may further look to God as the author and efficient of the com
mand, 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 effectu
* They return (says God) but not to the Most High, Hosea
ally for God.
vii. 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. iii. 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
CHAP. XI.] IN OUR SALVATION. 303
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 com mand and use him. And when it is thus, then a man s works are said to be
wrought in God, Johniii. 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 mani
* do the truth, or
fest that they are wrought in God. Where you see to
to act sincerely, is all one as to work our works in God, that is, chiefly upon his interest. It is termed, 2 Cor. i. 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 xvi. 2, but farther, Isa. Ixvi. 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, Eom. x. 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, Kom. i. 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 glorify
ing 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.,
304 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK VI.
that if in the motion to any duty, the considerations of God and his com
mand 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 pre
rogative 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 by-ends 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 moved and set a-work by a
prophet, and by God and his conscience, to destroy idolatry and Ahab s
house, but it was respect to his kingdom which maintained the action, and
which fell in and carried him through in it. And yet, because conscience
had some hand in it, he in his deceitful thoughts ascribes all to it, entitleth
< See my zeal (says he) for the
zeal for God to be the only author of it :
Lord of hosts. Conscience often doth but cast in the bill, and make the
motion, and rule the suit ; and worldly by-ends follow it, bear the charges, and are the great promoters in it ; yet then it must needs be made an act
of conscience, and the verdict is given in its name alone, as the foreman of
that jury.