A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

CAP. XIII.

Of a good Conscience, which is a maine ground of a godly life; what it is, and the causes of it.

§. Sect. 1 What a good conscience is; and of the cause efficient which workes it in vs.

IN which regard, conscience thus corrupted and disabled, cannot be a sufficient ground of a godly life, till after our regeneration, it be renewed and restored in some measure, vnto that integrity and perfection which it had in our first creation. And this we call good conscience, which is a maine foundation of godlinesse, guiding and inabling vs to the performance of all good duties which God requireth. In speaking whereof, we will first shew what it is, and then the causes of it, the effects and fruits which spring from it, the properties and signes whereby wee may know it, and the meanes by which we may obtaine it, if it bee wanting; or preserue and keepe it, if we already haue it. Concerning the first; A good conscience is that, which being renewed by Gods Spirit, and a liuely faith, applying vnto vs the vertue of Christs death and obedience, doth speake peace, and truly testifie vnto vs, according to the Scriptures, that we are redee∣med out of the hands of all our enemies, reconciled vnto God, iustified, sanctified, and shall perseuere in grace vnto saluation, and that all our actions are warranted by the Word, and accepted of God in Iesus Christ, though in themselues imperfect; whereby we are comforted in all things, made cheerefull and diligent in Gods seruice, and willing to doe all things which may be pleasing vnto him. The causes of a good conscience are diuers. The principall efficient is God the Father, Sonne, and holy Spi∣rit. The Father bestoweth this gift vpon vs, who as in the beginning he first created, and placed it in vs, as an vncorrupted Iudge, and vnpartiall witnesse betweene him and vs; so it is he alone that doth renew and repaire the ruines thereof, contracted through the fall of our first parents, by which, together with all other faculties, conscience was corrupted, and either so deadded, seared, and benummed, that it had no sense and feeling at all; or when it awakened out of this deadly swowne, did nothing but accuse and terrifie vs, or vniustly excuse and incourage vs in our sinfull courses, by presenting vnto vs false comforts.

§. Sect. 2 Of the merito∣rious cause of a good consci∣ence.

The meritorious cause of it, is God the Sonne, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ, who satisfying Gods iustice, and appeasing his wrath by his death and obedience, freed vs from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes, re∣conciled vs vnto God, and made our peace with him; vpon which, follow∣eth peace of conscience, and freedome from the accusations and terrours of it. For when by the Law of God, or light of nature, it is set a-worke to

affright and disquiet vs in regard of our sinnes, then shewing our pardon sealed by the blood of Christ, it is calmed and quieted, hauing nothing to lay to our charge, which Christ our surety hath not satisfied for vs. Whereof it is that our Sauiour was prophetically named, The Prince of peace, and prefigured vnder the type of Melchizedech, because hee is not onely the King of righteousnesse, by whom we are iustified, but also King of peace, as the Apostle speaketh, who making our peace with God, did thereby also procure for vs peace of conscience. For the Iudge hath no authority to condemne, nor the witnesse to accuse, nor the Iaylour to im∣prison, nor the executioner to punish and torment, when the supreme Soueraigne King of heauen and earth, being satisfied by the sufferings of his Sonne, hath sent vs his free pardon, and wee haue pleaded it in the Court of conscience: Yea, rather the Iudge doth then acquit and absolue vs, and the witnesse saith nothing against vs, but as a messenger of good things, doth testifie vnto vs this ioyfull tydings. And hence it is, that our Sauiour was no sooner borne vnto vs, but the holy Angels were sent as Gods Heralds to proclaime this peace; Glory bee vnto God in the highest, and in earth peace, good will towards men. The which peace, our Sauiour wrought as a Mediatour betweene God and vs, by satisfying his iustice, and offering himselfe as an all-sufficient sacrifice for the sinnes of all his elect. So the Apostle saith, It pleased the Father, that in him should all ful∣nesse dwell; And (hauing made peace through the blood of his Crosse) by him to reconcile all things to himselfe. And else-where he affirmeth, that we were without Christ, being alients from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the Couenant of promise, hauing no hope, and without God in the world; but that now in Christ Iesus, we, who sometimes were farre off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For hee is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene God and vs; Hauing aboli∣shed in his flesh the enmity, euen the Law of Commandements contained in ordi∣nances, to make in himselfe of twayne, one new man, so making peace: And that he might reconcile both vnto God, in one body by the crosse, hauing slaine the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace vnto vs, both them which were a farre off, and to them that were nigh. And thus working our peace with God, he brought also peace to our consciences, when as by his blood hee had clensed them from the guilt and punishment of sinne; for if the blood of Bulls and Goates, sanctified to the outward purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through his eternall Spirit, offered himselfe without spot to God, purge our consciences from dead workes, to serue the li∣uing God? Finally, the conscience is renewed and sanctified by God the holy Ghost, whilest he applieth Christ and all his benefits, the vertue of his death and precious blood, and maketh them effectuall for the purging of our consciences from all sinnefull corruption, and spirituall defile∣ments, that wee may be inabled to performe pure and acceptable seruice vnto God.

§. Sect. 3 Of the instru∣mentall causes of a good con∣science.

For the effecting whereof, he vseth as his instruments, the preaching of the Gospell, and administration of the Sacraments, and a liuely faith, which by them both, made effectuall by the inward operation of the Spi∣rit, is begotten and also confirmed and increased in vs. First, the preaching

of the Gospell is the instrument which the Spirit vseth, whereby a good conscience is wrought in vs; for when the Law preached, and the curse threatned, like a strange winde and tempest, hath rent the mountaines, and broken in pieces the rockes of our proud and hard hearts, and as the earthquake and fire, which Elias saw and felt, hath terrified the conscience with the guilt of sinne, and caused vs to hide our faces from Gods presence, then the still voice of the Gospell, causing these stormes to cease, doth quiet and calme the conscience, so as wee can without terrour, yea with much ioy and comfort, heare the voyce of God speaking peace, and offe∣ring vnto vs reconciliation, grace, and saluation in Iesus Christ, assu∣ring vs vpon the condition of a liuely faith, bringing forth the fruits there∣of in vnfained repentance, that all Gods gracious promises, respecting this life and the life to come, doe belong vnto vs. In which regard it is cal∣led glad tidings, which cause, euen the very feete of those that bring them, to seeme beautifull vnto vs; and the Gospell of peace, which Christ himselfe first preached. Peace I leaue with you, my peace I giue vnto you, not as the world giueth, giue I vnto you: Let not your heart be troubled, neyther let it be afraide. And when he had reconciled vs vnto God by his Crosse, and slaine enmity thereby; he came also and preached this peace vnto vs: And after∣wards sent his Disciples as his Heralds to proclaime it, to all who by faith receiued it, yea as his Ambassadours to beseech vs, in his stead, to be reconciled vnto God. By which meanes when the peace of a good con∣science is begunne in vs, it is thereby more and more confirmed and in∣creased; as also by the vse of the Sacraments, which being as seales an∣nexed to the couenant of grace, doe confirme our faith in God promises, and so worke peace and ioy in our consciences, out of this assurance that Christ and all his benefits are ours, and that wee in him are reconciled vnto God.

§. Sect. 4 That a good conscience springeth from a liuely faith.

For neither the Gospell, nor the Sacraments, no nor yet Christ him∣selfe, will bring vnto vs this peace of conscience, vnlesse wee receiue and apply them by the hand of faith: as the best salue will not heale, vnlesse it be applied to the wound, nor meate nourish vs, vnlesse it be receiued in∣to the stomake; nor the purest water purge vs from our filth, vnlesse we be washed in it. But when this precious balsam is applied to our wounded consciences, and when by the hand of faith they are washed in the Lauer of his precious blood, then they are healed of the sores of sinne, and being rified from the guilt, punishment, and power of it, do speake peace vnto vs, and are the messengers of such ioyfull tydings as cannot be damped with any worldly tribulation. According to that of the Apostle, Being iustified by faith, we haue peace with God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom also we haue accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and reioyce in hope of the glory of God; And not onely so; but we glory in tribulation also, &c. Where∣of it is, that in the Scriptures, faith and a good conscience, are as the cause and effect ioyned together, so that one of them cannot miscarry in the storme of tentations, but we shall make shipwracke of them both, and, together with our faith, lose both our peace with God, and our peace of conscience. Wheras our assurance of faith will embolden vs to drawneere to the Throne of Gods grace, with a true heart, hauing our hearts sprinkled

from an euill conscience, and our soules washed with pure water. But yet we must take heede, that we doe not attribute that to the instrument, which is pe∣culiar to the principall cause, nor imagine that faith, by any vertue that is in it selfe, doth purifie our consciences, or worke peace in them. For this it can no more doe, then the hand it selfe can cure a sore by touching it, or nourish the body, and keepe it warme, without food or clothes, though it be the instrument to apply and put them on: but it is onely our good Ionas, which, being cast into the raging Sea of our troubled consci∣ences, maketh them cleane and still; it is the wood of his Crosse a∣lone, that is, the vertue of his death and passion, which being cast into these waters embitterd with the guilt of sinne, that can make them to yeeld vnto vs the sweete and pleasant waters of ioy and consolation: Al∣though he will doe no more good to pacifie the stormes, and sweeten the bitter torments of a raging conscience, if he be not applied by a liuely faith, then Ionas in the ship, or the branches still growing vpon the tree, and not at all cast into the tempestuous Sea, and bitter waters.

Notes

• Rom. 8. 1, 33, 34.
• Esa. 9. 6.
• Heb. 7. 2.
• Luk. 2. 14.
• Col. 1. 19, 20.
• Eph. 2. v. 12. to 18.
• Heb. 9. 13, 14.
• 1. King. 19. 11, 12
• Rom. 10. 15. Iohn. 14. 27.
• Ephes. 2. 17. Luke 10. 5. 2. Cor. 5. 20.
• Heb. 5. 2.
• Rom. 5. 1, 2, 3.
• 1. Tim. 1. 19.
• Heb. 10. 22.