If a natural conscience may go thus far, then what difference is there between this natural conscience in hypocrites and sinners, and a renewed conscience in believers? or, how may I know whether the working of my conscience be the working of nature only, or else of grace wrought in it?
Answer.—I grant that it is difficult to distinguish between the one and the other: and the difficulty hath a twofold rise.
1. It ariseth from that hypocrisy that is in the best saints. The weakest believer is no hypocrite, but yet there is some hypocrisy in the strongest believer. Where there is most grace, there is some sin; and where there is most sincerity, yet there is some hypocrisy.
Now it is very incident to a tender conscience to misgive and mistrust its state, upon the sight of any sin. When he sees hypocrisy break out in any duty or performance, then he complains "Surely my aims are not sincere! my conscience is not renewed! it is but natural conscience enlightened, not by grace purged and changed."[1]
It ariseth from that resemblance there is between grace and hypocrisy; for hypocrisy is a resemblance of grace, without substance; the likeness of grace, without the life of grace. There is no grace but a hypocrite may have somewhat like it; and there is no duty done by a Christian, but a hypocrite may outstrip him in it. Now, when one that hath not true grace shall go further than one that hath, this may well make the believer question whether his grace be true or not; or whether the workings of his conscience be not the workings of nature only, rather than of grace wrought in it.
But to answer the question—You may make a judgment of this in these seven particulars:—
1. If a natural man's conscience putteth him upon duty, he doth usually bound himself in the work of God. His duties are limited; his obedience is a limited obedience. He doth one duty, and neglecteth another. He picketh and chooseth among the commands of God; obeyeth one, and slighteth another. Thus much is enough; what need any more? If I do thus and thus, I shall go to heaven at last. But now, where conscience is renewed by grace, there it is otherwise. Though there may be many weaknesses which accompany its duties, yet that soul never bounds itself in working after God: it never loves God so much, but still it would love him more; nor seeks him so much, but still it would seek him more; nor doth it serve God so well at any time, but it still makes conscience of serving him better. A renewed conscience is a spring of universal obedience, for it seeth an infinite excellency, and goodness, and holiness in God; and therefore would fain have its services rise up towards some proportionableness to the object. A God of infinite excellency and goodness should have infinite love, saith conscience: a holy God should have service from a holy heart, saith conscience.
Now then, if I set bounds to my love to God, or to my service to God; if I limit myself in my obedience to the holy God; love one command, and slight another; obey in one point, and yet lie cross in another; then is all I do but the workings of a natural conscience. But, on the other hand, if I love
the Lord with my whole heart, and whole soul, and serve him with all my might and strength; if "I esteem all God's precepts concerning all things to be right," [Ps 119:128] "and have respect to all his commands;" [Ps 119:6] then is my love and service from a renewed conscience.
2. If a natural man's conscience check or accuse for sin, then he seeketh to stop the mouth of it, but not to satisfy it. Most of the natural man's duties are to still and stifle conscience. But now, the believer chooseth rather to let conscience cry, than to stop the mouth of it, until he can do it upon good terms, and till he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the blood of Jesus Christ, by fresh acts of faith apprehended and applied. The natural man seeketh to still the noise of conscience, rather than to remove the guilt. The believer seeketh the removal of guilt by the application of Christ's blood; and then conscience is quiet of itself. As a foolish man, having a mote fallen into his eye, and making it water, wipeth away the water, and labours to keep it dry, but never searcheth his eye to get out the mote; but a wise man mindeth not so much the wiping, as the searching his eye; somewhat is got in, and that causeth the watering, and therefore the cause must be removed. Now then, if, when conscience accuseth for sin, I take up a life of duties, a form of godliness, to stop the mouth of conscience; and if hereupon conscience be still and quiet: then is this but a natural conscience; but if, when conscience checks, it
will not be satisfied with any thing but the blood of Christ, and therefore I use duties to bring me to Christ; and if I beg the sprinkling of his blood upon conscience, and labour not so much to stop the mouth of it, as to remove guilt from it; then this is a renewed conscience.
3. There is no natural man, let him go never so far, let him do never so much in the matters of religion, but still he has his Delilah, his bosom-lust. Judas went far, but he carried his covetousness along with him. Herod went far; he did many things under the force of John's ministry; but yet there was one thing he did not; he did not put away his brother's wife;—his Herodias lay in his bosom still. Nay, commonly all the natural man's duties are to hide some sin; his profession is only made use of for a cover-shame. But now the renewed conscience hateth all sin, as David did: "I hate every false way." [Ps 119:104] He regardeth no iniquity in his heart: he useth duties, not to cover sin, but to help work down, and work out sin. Now, then, if I profess religion; if I make mention of the name of the Lord, and make my "boast of the law, and yet through breaking the law, dishonour God;" [Rom 2:23] if I live in the love of any sin, and make use of my profession to cover it, then I am a hypocrite, and my duties flow but from a natural conscience: but, on the other hand, if I "name the name of the Lord Jesus, and withal depart from iniquity;" [2 Tim 2:19] if I use duties, not to cover, but to discover and mortify sin; then am I upright before God, and my duties flow from a renewed conscience. [Matthew Mead--The Almost Christian Discovered]
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