FRAGMENT I.

THE GOOD CONSCIENCE.

It is comparatively of little consequence what our fellow creatures say of us; the grand ques

tion is, how does it stand between God and our souls-what evidence have we that we are well before Him that judgeth righteously? Even that finely beaming sun which makes the day, and animates more worlds than ours, knows nothing of the vast designs for which its great Creator fixed it in the skies; but conscience gives man to know good from evil in some degree, while it prompts him to do aright. Hence, bad as the world is, it would be ten thousand times worse, if conscience did not in some measure influence the generality of mankind. But it is under the leading of divine grace, that every faculty of the mind is brought into exercise to the praise and glory of Him, by whose regenerating grace and power they all are put into lively exercise. O, thanks be to God who

illuminates the dark understanding, and gives me to see the wisdom, and excellency, and goodness of having the impress of his image communicated to my heart; and blessed be his name for every dispensation by which evil affections are mortified, and holy affections are brought into activity.

Conscience, under the regulation of divine grace, performs offices in our hearts of a most excellent tendency. We should take it with us as our inward and familiar friend; as our guide and confidential companion wherever we go. It should regulate our lives, and direct us how to act before God, that we may never be made ashamed, by being unable to appeal to our integrity before God and before man. We should have "a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man." The first great duty is to have a good conscience towards God; but he who has the one will have the other. If a man's conscience be right with God, he will never do wrong to any one. Let this conscience be in the heart of every servant; let this conscience be in the heart of every master. Let this conscience be in the heart of every minister, and he will never want fidelity in the pulpit for fear of man. O let me carry about

with me an upright conscience in my dealings with the souls of men; and when you come to hear, the Lord make you honest to yourselves.

You cannot adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour more than by a truly conscientious deportment, in your dealings and intercourse with the world. For want of this, religion is sometimes sadly disgraced. There should be a fulfilment always of our Lord's command, to owe one another nothing but love. If we look into our bibles, we should look into our actions also. What says the scripture concerning conscience? It bears different names. Sometimes we are directed to have "a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of us as of evil doers, they may be ashamed"-if they have any shame in them "who falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ." It is not, therefore, a small blessing to have what the bible calls "a good conscience." If I have a good conscience, I have a companion in my bosom that will be no stranger to me. I desire, therefore, to inquire into the character of my conscience, and to attempt nothing which it does not give me leave to do. A good conscience gives us excellent advice, and will keep us from innumerable 1 1 Pet. jii, 16.

evils into which we might fall without consulting it. The best advice is that which prompts us to a holy conduct; and methinks the apostle makes a very fine remark, when he says, "we trust we have a good conscience in all things." We should look over every portion of our conduct, and see that we can call God to witness that we do all "in simplicity and godly sincerity," and that it is not "with fleshly wisdom that we have our conversation in the world."

But I observe again, that a conscience cannot be good, except it is a willing conscience, which has not even an inclination to that which is evil, but longs to leave all ungodly ways, and all ungodly desires, and to lie at the foot of the cross of Christ. It is a noble thing to have a pure conscience, and could we be always guided thereby we should never err. What a blessing would it be in itself; what a blessing would it be to our neighbour, if a pure and perfect conscience directed all we did.

But how are we to obtain such a conscience? We believe that if a man has an evil conscience, the Lord can give him a good one. The apostle confirms this when he speaks of "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and 2 Heb. xiii, 18.