Yet knowing that there are often great difficulties in the way of holding fast a good conscience, we will in the next chapter inquire, by what means they may be surmounted.

CHAPTER XIV.

ON THE MEANS ESSENTIAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

Character is to be judged by habits rather than by solitary acts.-St. Paul appeals to his habits in his own vindication.-It was his constant effort to keep both tables of the moral law. A conscience void of offence towards God, must be maintained-1. By prayer-in spirit-in act.-2. By vigilance.-3. By serious meditation-Scott, Taylor.-4. By close self-examination.-5. By carrying the suggestions of conscience into immediate practice, especially by imitating the example of Christ.-A conscience void of offence towards man, will follow without difficulty; for duty to our fellow creatures is resolvable into duty to God.-Christian principles require a strict attention to every claim of humanity-the love of Christ is the constraining motive to the love of man-yet attention to moral duties is a test of our spiritual state.-Time, talents, property, influence must be used to benefit mankind-prayer must be offered for them -sin must be reproved, and a good example set.

HABITUAL pursuits are the true index of character. To pass judgment upon any one in consequence of a solitary and insulated act, is culpable precipitation; to infer that such an act implies a correspondent prevailing habit, is highly uncharitable; and to pronounce decidedly upon the gene

ral character of any man, without knowing what habits he has formed, and without being able to trace those habits to their first principles, is palpably unjust.

If a single action in the life of a man be ever so brilliant, it affords no satisfactory evidence of his real worth; or if it be ever so blameworthy, it must not be set in opposition to the otherwise useful and consistent tenor of his life, as a proof of his moral turpitude. The man really is what his habits are, and from these alone can an accurate estimate of his character be formed, either by himself or others.

When St. Paul would vindicate himself before his enemies, he does it, by an appeal to his habits. He asserts that the bent and purpose of his mind was towards one great end, the maintenance of an unoffending conscience in reference both to God and man. For the attainment of this end, he was willing to submit to the most severe toil, to bear the greatest hardships, to forego the highest earthly enjoyments. He left it to others to frame and execute projects of ambition and of avarice. He turned away from the fascinations of a deceitful world; he sought no honour from man; he "coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel; he regarded nothing on earth, in comparison with a good conscience; and to this point all his thoughts were directed, in this mould all his habits were cast: "Herein do I exercise myself"to the exclusion of every rival and every opposing

pursuit,—" to have always a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards man."1

The sacred writer here briefly refers, to both the tables of the divine law, that which respects our duty towards God, and that which respects our duty towards our fellow-creatures.

With regard to the former, he certainly does not mean to maintain his absolute innocence in the sight of God, nor does he seek to establish a claim to a comparative and imperfect righteousness, by which he might pacify conscience, and in some degree justify himself in the presence of his Judge. He freely acknowledges himself to be "the chief of sinners," and he entirely renounces all confidence in the flesh, though he could not pretend to be ignorant, that he had long possessed a fairer pretext than others, for self-confident exultation. 66 If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." But while he rejects with abhorrence all such ground of trust, exclaiming, "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ;" immediately adding, "Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

1 Acts xxiv. 16.

Lord;" he can, from strictly evangelical motives, labour to acquire and to keep a conscience "void of offence toward God."

2

After the explanation given of the properties of a good conscience, it will be unnecessary to enlarge on the meaning of the corresponding term, "a conscience void of offence." A good conscience is the only unoffending conscience. To keep the one, therefore, is to keep the other; and our only subject of inquiry now is, how this good and inoffensive conscience is to be maintained, first in reference to God, and then in reference to man.

I. What is necessary, in order to maintain a conscience void of offence towards God?

We have not attempted to conceal or to dissemble the fact, that the work is one of considerable difficulty. Our natural inclinations are opposed to it; our outward circumstances often conspire with our inward propensities, to render it an arduous task. Temptations of various kinds, are suggested to weaken our resolution, or to withdraw us from our purpose. Let us then calmly survey the scene of toil, of conflict, and of danger, that we may be prepared to enter upon it, with a reasonable prospect of ultimate success.

A remark or two on the spirit of zeal and earnestness, with which we must pursue this great object, will form a suitable preliminary to the directions which will be given for the maintenance

1 Phil. iii. 4-7.

2

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