1Secondly, As every quiet Conscience is not a clear Conscience, so every troubled Conscience is not an evil Conscience. Hypocrites and wicked Men may indeed, and do often, so judge: Would God ever suffer such strange Terrors to seize upon Men, were they not notorious Sinners? As those Barbarians at Malta, spoken of in the Acts, when they saw the Viper fasten upon the Apostle's Hand, presently they concluded that he was some wicked Person, whom divine Vengeance would not suffer to live. So these Men, when they see the Worm of Conscience fasten upon others, presently they judge them guilty of notorious Crimes, such Crimes for which the Vengeance and Wrath of God pursues them; but this is a wrong Censure and most unjust. For the most part it is seen, that those that have the best Consciences are most troubled, at least for a time, until the Holy Ghost persuade them of the Love of God, and of the Pardon of their Sins. It is the greatest Fault of a tender Conscience, that it mis-interprets every thing against it self; and oftentimes when God rejoiceth over it, it apprehends he frowns ⟨p. 341⟩upon it, mistaking the firing of a Burn-fire for the firing of a Beacon, and give an Alarm when they should proclaim Peace and Joy; many times it is so with them that have tender Consciences; a Man may be long troubled for those Sins that are already pardoned to him. Nathan comes to David, and tells him, upon his Confession, that he had sinned, 2 Sam. 12.13. I have sinned, 2says he; and God by Nathan tells him, that he had put away his Sin from him; and yet his Conscience, though it were clear in respect of any Guilt that God charged upon him, yet it was not clear in respect of what he himself charged upon himself; he thought himself guilty in his own apprehension, as you may perceive by his penning of the 51st Psalm, yet he was not guilty in God's Account, for he assures him, by his Prophet, that he had pardoned him.
1Secondly, As every quiet Conscience is not a clear Conscience, so every troubled Conscience is not an evil Conscience. Hypocrites and wicked Men may indeed, and do often, so judge: Would God ever suffer such strange Terrors to seize upon Men, were they not notorious Sinners? As those Barbarians at Malta, spoken of in the Acts, when they saw the Viper fasten upon the Apostle's Hand, presently they concluded that he was some wicked Person, whom divine Vengeance would not suffer to live. So these Men, when they see the Worm of Conscience fasten upon others, presently they judge them guilty of notorious Crimes, such Crimes for which the Vengeance and Wrath of God pursues them; but this is a wrong Censure and most unjust. For the most part it is seen, that those that have the best Consciences are most troubled, at least for a time, until the Holy Ghost persuade them of the Love of God, and of the Pardon of their Sins. It is the greatest Fault of a tender Conscience, that it mis-interpretes every thing against it self; and oftentimes when God rejoyceth over it, it apprehends he frowns ⟨p. 341⟩upon it, mistaking the firing of a Burn-fire for the firing of a Beacon, and give an Alarm when they should proclaim Peace and Joy; many times it is so with them that have tender Consciences; a Man may be long troubled for those Sins that are already pardoned to him. Nathan comes to David, and tells him, upon his Confession, that he had sinned, 2 Sam. 12.13. I have sinned, 2says he; and God by Nathan tells him, that he had put away his Sin from him; and yet his Conscience, though it were clear in respect of any Guilt that God charged upon him, yet it was not clear in respect of what he himself charged upon himself; he thought himself guilty in his own apprehension, as you may perceive by his penning of the 51st Psalm, yet he was not guilty in God's Account, for he assures him, by his Prophet, that he had pardoned him.
- 12. Every troubled Conscience is not an evil Conscience.
- 22 Sam. 12.13.
