A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 66. Of Conscience and the evill thereof.

THe third vertue required for a right manner of drawing neere to God is Sancti•…•…ie, which is thus expressed, having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. This sheweth that sanctification consisteth in the renovation of soul and body. The former is set down in these words, having our hearts sprinkled, &c. The latter in these, and our bodies washed, &c.

a 1.1 The heart is the innermost part of a man, as hath been shewed Chap. 3. v. 8. §. 79. It is here put for the whole▪ soul of a man, as is evident by the other part of a man from which this is there distinguished namely, the body.

He useth the plurall number b 1.2 hearts, because he giveth his advice to many, e∣ven to all that professe the Christian faith.

This metaphor of sprinkling hath reference to the Law whereby blood and water were sprinkled upon persons uncleane to clense them, See hereof Chap. 9. v. 13. §. 71, 72. A right applying of Christs blood to sinful souls is hereby intended. Fo•…•… nothing but Christs blood can cleanse mans heart from sin.

To be sprinkled from an evill conscience is by sprinkling to be freed or cleansed* 1.3 from an evill conscience.

To shew that his own heart needed clensing as well as others he useth, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 person plurall our hearts.

The filth from which he would have the heart to be clensed is here stiled c 1.4 〈◊〉〈◊〉 evill conscience.* 1.5

Of the notation of the word conscience, of the nature of it, of the kind•…•… of it, Good, Evill, and renewed, and of the extent of it, See Chap. 13. v. 18. §. 155.

The Conscience is evill when through sluggishnesse it neglecteth to performe the dutie for which it was placed in man: which was to check him and restrain him from sin: or otherwise i•…•… so out of measure clamorous, as it bringeth man to dis∣paire.

By this description it appeareth, that the very heart is polluted, See Chap. 3. v. 1•…•…. §. 127. But withall it is here manifested, that the blood of Christ applyed unto us, clenseth us from the pollution of conscience: As is shewed, Chap. 9. v. 1•…•…. §. 82, 83.

How great a benefit this is, i•…•… made evident in the recovery from Apostacy on

〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ 15. 31. §. 21. Where the damage of a restlesse and senselesse conscience is disco∣vered.

The evill of no other power of the soul, can more to the full set out mans mise∣ry, then the evill of conscience.

The conscience i•…•… evill in two respects.* 1.6

• ...

  1. In regard of the quality of it, for as all other powers of soul and parts of bo∣dy, it is deprived of that integrity wherein it was first created, and also depraved with a contrary qualitie.

  The depravation thereof is manifested either by not doing that dutie which pro∣perly belongeth to it, or by doing it amisse.

• 2. In regard of the object, when there remaineth evil in the soul, for the conscience to work upon, & that past, present, future: yet the conscience doth not that work which it should. For sin past and present, it believes not the pardon of them. And as for sin to come, there remaines a purpose to continue in it (as Ier. 44. 17.) and so no re∣•…•…. Thus is conscience accessary to all the evill of a mans soul, and in that re∣spect very evill in it self.

Hence it followeth, by just consequence, that it is necessary that a mans soul be p•…•…ged from an evill conscience. They who have retained an ill conscience have b•…•…n much blamed, 1 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 15. But men have rejoyced in the testimo∣ny of a good conscience, Heb. 13. 18. and of a clear conscience, Acts 23. 1. and of •…•… p•…•…re conscience, 1 Tim. 3. 9. with such kinds of conscience, an evil conscience can∣not stand, no more then darknesse with light.

There can be no peace where there is an evill conscience, Isa. 57. 21. The terror of an evill conscience will manifest its self either in this life, as it did in Iudas, Matth 27. 3. or in the world to come, Rev. 6. 15.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Aspersi•…•…ne pur∣gatis cordibus •…•… mala consci∣entia. Beza
• c 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  The evill of conscience the greatest.