SERMON XIII.

ACTS xxiv. 16.

And herein do I exercife myself, to have always a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men.

T

HESE Words are part of the SERM. Anfwer which St. Paul gave to XIII. the Accufation brought against him by Tertullus. The whole Cafe is this: When he was fent from Jerufalem to Cefarea for fear of the Jews, who intended to deftroy him, and his Accufers were come, they employ'd a certain Orator, named Tertullus, to inform the GoVernor against Paul; who accordingly laid many grievous Crimes to his Charge; a mongst the reft, that he was a peftilent Fellow, a Sower of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the World, and a Profaner of the Temple. But now to prove.

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the Impro

bability

SERM. bability of this Charge, and how unlikely XIII. it was that he should raise any Tumults ac

cording to this Accufation, he fhews, that it was but twelve Days fince he went up to Jerufalem to worship, seven of which he spent there, until the Time of his Purification was accomplished, and the other five he had been in Cuftody, and at Cefarea; and, fays he, they neither found me in the Temple difputing with any Man, neither raising up the People, neither in the Synagogues, nor in the City, neither can they prove the Things whereof they now accufe me; and then he goes on ftrenuously afferting his Innocence and Integrity, and gives a fhort Account of his Religion, fhewing plainly that he worfhip'd no other God than the God of his Fathers, whom Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob had worshipped, and that he profess'd no other Religion than what was taught in the Law and the Prophets, from whence they themselves had received theirs; But this I confefs unto thee, that after the Way which they call Herefy, fo worship I the God of my Fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets, and have Hope towards God, which they themfelves alfo allow, that there fhall be a Refurrection of the Dead, both of the Juft and

Unjuft :

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Unjust: And herein do I exercise myself, to SERM have always a Confcience void of Offence XIII. towards God and towards Men; i. e. up

on Confideration of the Refurrection of the Dead, and that we fhall be rewarded or punish'd, according as we have done well or ill in this Life, I accuftom myself to live without Blame, without being confcious of having done any thing that fhall be an Of fence to God or Man. From the Words

of the Text I will fhew,

I. What it is to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men.

II. The Happiness that refults from it, and the Mifery that attends the Want of it.

III. I fhall lay down fome Rules and Directions in order to our obtaining such a Confcience.

Firft, I am to fhew what it is to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men. Now Confcience is the Judgment of a Man's own Mind concerning the Morality of his Actions; and as all Actions are either good or bad (as they are either commanded or forbidden by God) or elfe M m 2

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SERM. indifferent, as they are neither commanded XIII. nor forbidden, so it is the proper Business of Confcience to regulate them accordingly, and to approve or condemn us, according as we have obferv'd or tranfgrefs'd the Law of God: And to have a Confcience void of Of fence towards God and towards Men, is to make our Actions conformable to the Law of God; which takes in a vast Compass of Duty, because it includes in it all the Duties we owe to God and our Neighbour They can't be faid then to have a Conscience thus void of Offence, who are very diligent and induftrious in the Performance of fomè Duties, but are carelefs and neglectful of others; who will do only what is agreeable to their Inclinations, and hazard the Neglect of every thing else; obferve one Duty, and compound for the reft: But they who obferve a Uniformity in their Actions, and

take care to perform their Duty in all things; who are as careful in keeping one Commandment as another; who think it as much a Sin to be uncharitable and cenforious, as to rob or steal; to be an Extortioner or unjust, as to be a Sot or a Drunkard, &c. For indeed they who feem to be very confcientious in fome things, and the reverse of it in o thers; who feem to be rigid and zealous in

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the Performance of fome few Virtues, and SERM. shew an Abhorrence of fome particularVices, XIII. which don't happen to be agreeable to their Conftitution, tho' at the fame time they in dulge themselves in other Vices that are altogether as bad; who can fwear, lye and cheat, and yet at the fame time thank God they are not as other Folks are, Adulterers, Drunkards, &c. I fay, thefe have no Pretence to Confcience, because a truly confcientious Difpofition would direct them to a Uniformity in their Actions, and lead them to a stedfaft Adherence to all those Principles of Morality and Religion, which are either imprinted in them by Nature, of reveal'd to them by the Word of God; it would direct them to the ftrait Paths of Virtue, and teach them to avoid all Temptations that lie in the way of it; it would indeed teach them a general Rectitude, and a univerfal Obedience to all Parts of their Duty. But who, you'll fay, is fufficient for these things? Who can acquit and justify himself before God, as to the perfect Innocence and Integrity of his Life? Who can fay, I have made my Heart clean, I am free from my Sin? Now, tho' it is not in a Man's Power to obferve and do his Duty in all things, without fome Deviations, fome in

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