This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.
1. SUCH is the voice of every true believer in Christ, so long as he abides in faith and love. He that followeth me, saith our Lord, walketh not in darkness: And while he hath the light, he rejoiceth therein. As he hath received the Lord Jesus Christ, so he walketh in him. And while he walketh in him, the exhortation of the apostle takes place in his soul day by day, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.
2. But that we may not build our house upon the sand, (lest when the rains descend, and the winds blow, and the floods arise and beat upon it, it fall, and great be the fall thereof) I intend, in the following discourse, to shew, what is the nature and ground of a Christian’s joy. We know, in general, It is that happy peace, that calmsatisfaction of spirit, which arises from such a testimony of his conscience, as is here described by the apostle. But in order to understand this the more throughly, it will be requisite to weigh all his words: whence will easily appear, both what we are to understand by conscience, and what, by the testimony thereof; and also, how he that hath this testimony rejoiceth evermore.
3. And, first, what are we to understand by conscience? What is the meaning of this word that is in every one’s mouth? One would imagine, it was an exceeding difficult thing, to discover this, when we consider, how large and numerous volumes have been from time to time wrote on this subject: and how all the treasures of ancient and modern learning have been ransack’d, in order to explain it. And yet it is to be fear’d, it has not received much light from all those elaborate enquiries. Rather, have not most of those writers puzzled the cause; darkening counsel by words without knowledge; perplexing a subject, plain in itself, and easy to be understood? For set aside but hard words, and every man of an honest heart will soon understand the thing.
4. God has made us thinking beings, capable of perceiving what is present, and of reflecting or looking back on what is past. In particular, we are capable of perceiving, whatsoever passes in our own hearts or lives; of knowingwhatsoever we feel or do; and that either while it passes, or when it is past. This we mean when we say, man is a conscious being: he hath a consciousness or inward perception both of things present and past relating to himself, of his own tempers and outward behaviour. But what we usually term conscience, implies, somewhat more than this. It is not barely, the knowledge of our present, or the remembrance of our preceding life.To remember, to bear witness either of past or present things, is only one, and the least office of conscience. Its main business is to excuse or accuse, to approve or disapprove, to acquit or condemn.
5. Some late writers indeed have given a new name to this, and have chose to stile it, a moral sense. But the old word seems preferable to the new, were it only on this account, that it is more common and familiar among men, and therefore easier to be understood. And to Christians it is undeniably preferable on another account also; namely, because it is scriptural; because it is the word which the wisdom of God hath chose to use in the inspired writings.
And according to the meaning wherein it is generally used there, particularly in the epistles of St. Paul, we may understand by conscience, a faculty or power, implanted by God in every soul that comes into the world, of perceiving what is right or wrong in his own heart or life, in his tempers, thoughts, words and actions.
6. But what is the rule whereby men are to judge of right and wrong? Whereby their conscience is to be directed? The rule of Heathens, (as the apostle teaches elsewhere) is the law written in their hearts. These, saith he, not having the (outward) law, are a law unto themselves: who shew the work of the law (that which the outward law prescribes) written in their heart, by the finger of God; their conscience also bearing witness, whether they walk by this rule, or not; and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or even excusing, acquitting, defending them, (ἤ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων) Rom. ii. 14, 15. But the Christian rule of right and wrong is the word of God, the writings of the Old and New Testament: all that the prophets and holy men of old wrote, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost: all that scripture which was given by inspiration of God, and which is indeed profitable for doctrine, or teaching the whole will of God; for reproof of what is contrary thereto; for correction of error, and for instruction (or training us up) in righteousness, 2 Tim. iii. 16.
This is a lantern unto a Christian’s feet, and a light in all his paths. This alone he receives as his rule of right or wrong, of whatever is really good or evil. He esteems nothing good, but what is here enjoined, either directly or by plain consequence. He accounts nothing evil but what is here forbidden, either in terms, or by undeniable inference. Whatever the scriptureneither forbids nor enjoins, (either directly, or by plain consequence) he believes to be of an indifferent nature, to be in itself neither good nor evil: this being the whole and sole outward rule, whereby his conscience is to be directed in all things.
7. And if it be directed thereby in fact, then hath he the answer of a good conscience toward God. A good conscience is what is elsewhere termed by the apostle, a conscience void of offence. So, what he at one time expresses thus, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day, Acts xxiii. 1. he denotes at another, by that expression, Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man, ch. xxiv. 16. Now in order to this, there is absolutely required, first, a right understanding of the word of God, of his holy and acceptable and perfect will concerning us, as it is revealed therein. For it is impossible we should walk by a rule, if we do not know what it means. There is, secondly, required (which how few have attained?) a true knowledge of ourselves: a knowledge both of our hearts and lives, of our inward tempers and outward conversation: seeing, if we know them not, it is not possible that we should compare them with our rule. There is required, thirdly, an agreement of our hearts and lives, of our tempers and conversation, of our thoughts and words and works with that rule, with thewritten word of God. For without this, if we have any conscience at all, it can be only an evil conscience. There is, fourthly, required, an inward perception, of this agreement with our rule. And this habitual perception, this inward consciousness itself, is properly a good conscience; or (in the other phrase of the apostle) a conscience void of offence, toward God and toward man.