1. The awakening of Conscience: this §1is to come. Conscience is Gods deputy in the soul, his viceroy; a wicked man doth what he can to unthrone conscience, and put it out of office. Conscience is Gods Echo, and sometimes it is so shrill and clamorous, that the sinner cannot endure the noise, but silenceth conscience, and at last by often sinning, conscience begins to be sleepy and seared; having their conscience seared with an hot iron, 1 Tim. 4.2. this conscience is quiet, but not good, *for the dumbness of conscience proceeds from the numbness of it*: It is with him as with a sick patient, who having a confluence ⟨p. 214⟩of diseases upon him, yet being asleep, is insensible of the pain. The conscience of many a man, is like the body of Dionysius, so gross and corpulent, that though they did thrust needles into his flesh, he felt no pain. Time was when conscience was tender, but by often sinning he is like the Ostrich, that can digest iron; or as it is said of Mithridates, that by often accustoming his body to poison, it never hurt him, but he could live upon it as his food. That sin which was before as the wounding of the eye, now is no more then the cutting of the nail. Well, there is a time coming when this sleepy conscience shall be awakened. Belshazzar was drinking wine in bowls, but there came out fingers on the wall, and his countenance changed*, there conscience began to be awakened. Conscience is like a looking-glass, if it be foul and dusty, you can see ⟨p. 215⟩nothing in it, but wipe away the dust, and you may see your face in it clearly: there's a time coming, when God will wipe off the dust from the glass of a mans conscience, and he shall see his sins clearly represented. Conscience is like a Lion asleep, when he awakes he roars and tears his prey: when conscience awakes, then it roars upon a sinner, and tears him, as the devil did the man into which he entered; Mark 9.22. he •ent him, and threw him into the fire. When Moses rod was turned into a Serpent, he was afraid, and fled from it; oh what is it when conscience is turned into a Serpent? Conscience is like the Bee, if a man doth well, then conscience gives honey, it speaks comfort; if he do ill, it puts forth a sting: it is called a worm, Mark 9.44. Where the worm never dies. It is like Prometheus's Vulture, it lies ever gnawing: it is Gods blood-hound that pursues a ⟨p. 216⟩man.
1. The awakening of Conscience: this §1is to come. Conscience is Gods deputy in the soul, his viceroy; a wicked man doth what he can to unthrone conscience, and put it out of office. Conscience is Gods Echo, and sometimes it is so shrill and clamourous, that the sinner cannot endure the noise, but silenceth conscience, and at last by often sinning, conscience begins to be sleepy and seared; having their conscience seared with an hot iron, 1 Tim. 4.2. this conscience is quiet, but not good, *for the dumbnesse of conscience proceeds from the numbnesse of it*: It is with him as with a sick patient, who having a confluence ⟨p. 214⟩of diseases upon him, yet being asleep, is insensible of the pain. The conscience of many a man, is like the body of Dionysius, so grosse and corpulent, that though they did thrust needles into his flesh, he felt no paine. Time was when conscience was tender, but by often sinning he is like the Ostrich, that can digest iron; or as it is said of Mithridates, that by often accustoming his body to poyson, it never hurt him, but he could live upon it as his food. That sinne which was before as the wounding of the eye, now is no more then the cutting of the naile. Well, there is a time coming when this sleepy conscience shall be awakened. Belshazzar was drinking wine in bowls, but there came out fingers on the wall, and his countenance changed*, there conscience began to be awakened. Conscience is like a looking-glasse, if it be foul and dusty, you can see ⟨p. 215⟩nothing in it, but wipe away the dust, and you may see your face in it clearly: there's a time coming, when God will wipe off the dust from the glasse of a mans conscience, and he shall see his sins clearly represented. Conscience is like a Lion asleep, when he awakes he roars and tears his prey: when conscience awakes, then it roars upon a sinner, and tears him, as the devil did the man into which he entred; Mark 9.22. he •ent him, and threw him into the fire. When Moses rod was turned into a Serpent, he was afraid, and fled from it; oh what is it when conscience is turned into a Serpent? Conscience is like the Bee, if a man doth well, then conscience gives honey, it speaks comfort; if he do ill, it puts forth a sting: it is called a worm,
- *Bernard.
- *Idèo te plango quia te ipsum non pla•gis. Hierom.
- *Dan. 5 5
