oers, they may be ashamed that
falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." II. A good conscience is
a conscience calmed and quieted, that hath gotten an answer to all
challenges, the blood and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Pet. iii. 21. And this
we take to be meant here. The good conscience is the conscience that is
sprinkled with Christ's blood, from dead works, to serve the living God,
Heb. ix. 14. For the guilty man that comes to Christ, and washes in the
fountain opened for sin, hath no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2. And
therefore it is called a pure and clean conscience, 2 Tim. i. 3, "I thank
God, whom I serve from my forefathers, with a pure conscience," &c.; the
stain of guilt is taken away. Now I say, faith only gives the answer of a
good conscience. The man that comes to Christ hath an ill conscience, when
he hath examined himself according to the law, and given out faithful
witness of his own state and condition, and accordingly pronounced
sentence,--a sentence condemnatory. He finds himself lying under God's
curse, and so the conscience from a judge turns a tormentor, and begins to
anticipate hell, and prevent(476) the execution of wrath. All the world
cannot answer this challenge, or absolve from this sentence, until faith
come and give a solid answer, that may be a ground of peace. And its
answer is good and sure, because it dips the conscience in the blood of
the Son of God. For the blood of bulls and of goats could not do it, the
redemption of the soul was precious. Faith puts the soul over head and
ears in the fountain opened, and it comes out like snow, or wool, though
it were like scarlet or crimson. The law condemned, and the conscience
subscribed itself sinful, and concluded itself lost in sin; but faith in
Christ pleads before mercy's throne, where judgment and justice also sit.
It pleads its cause over again, and gets the former sentence repealed. The
conscience gave in the charge against the man, but faith sits down and
writes the discharge; and so he is as free as if all his debt was paid, or
never contracted. Faith puts the Cautioner in the creditor's hand, and
goes free. As the law writes down a charge of sin and curses, faith sets
against it as many sufferings in Christ, as many blessings in the Blessing
of all nations. And when the conscience that condemned itself by faith
again absolves itself, O what a calm, what a perfect peace is it then kept
in! What a continual feast doth it enjoy! P