injurious, and a persecutor, yea, the very chief of sinners." Our Lord tells his Disciples, that many would think," whosoever killed them would do God service" but could this conceit excuse their murderous acts? No. If we act upon wrong principles, our actions must be bad: nor can our error change the quality of our actions: it may indeed extenuate our guilt; but it can never render that good, which is in its own nature evil.

To speak then immediately to the point-There are two things necessary to constitute a conscience void of offence; it must have a clear discovery of the rule of duty; and it must testify upon good grounds, that there is a correspondence between that rule and our actions.

It must have a clear discovery of the rule of duty. The rule of duty is concise and plain: we are to "love God with all our heart and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves: on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Now this rule, in theory, is universally acknowledged; but, through the influence of our carnal interests and passions, we lose sight of it entirely, and imagine ourselves conforming to it, when we are violating it in every point of view. We suppose that the love of this present world will consist with a good conscience, though God himself has told us, that "if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." We think we may indulge pride, envy, selfishness, and a thousand other malignant passions, and yet conform to the law of love.

While the eyes of our understanding are thus blinded, we cannot be said to have a conscience void of offence; because the conscience being unenlightened with respect to the rule of judging, it cannot possibly give a just verdict on our case. It must be acquainted with the several relations in which we stand to God and man: it must see what is required of us as creatures, as sinners, as redeemed. It must know that God claims our entire dependence, supreme regard, unreserved obedience. It must feel the

necessity of abasing ourselves before God in dust and ashes, and of " fleeing for refuge to the hope set before us." In short, it must be convinced, that "a life of faith on the Son of God," and "a cleaving to him with full purpose of heart," are the distinguishing features of the true Christian. But besides this, it must be acquainted also with the several duties which we owe to our fellow-creatures, as superiors, equals, and inferiors; and that too not only in their civil capacity, but in their relation to us as members of Christ's mystical body. When it is thus enlightened, then, and then only, is it capable of being void of offence toward God and man.

But it is yet further necessary that conscience should be able to testify, upon good grounds, that there is a correspondence between this rule of duty and our actions.

Its testimony must proceed from a watchful observation of all our motives and principles of action. It must be in the habit of bringing our conduct to the touchstone, and of discerning between the pure metal and the most specious counterfeits. It must be on its guard against the bias it receives from prejudice and passion; and must be able to appeal to the heart-searching God for the truth of its testimony. Not that it need testify, that there is no sin in us; for then who could ever receive a favourable verdict, seeing "that in many things we all offend?" But its testimony must be to this effect; that, after searching the sacred records, after praying for the teachings of God's Spirit, after carefully investigating not only our actions, but our motives and principles, and after comparing these with the rule of duty, it cannot discern that there is any one sin habitually indulged, or any one duty allowedly neglected.

This is the true import of what is called in our text, "a conscience void of offence:" and this every true Christian labours to maintain.

We now come to shew,

II. The vast importance of it to every child of man— Men in general are well pleased if they can secure

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the approbation of their fellow-creatures, and maintain a character for probity in the world. They are therefore chiefly attentive to their external conduct, and not very solicitous about the thoughts or desires of their hearts. But this will not satisfy the true Christian. He knows that the eye of God is upon his heart, and that the most secret thought is "naked and open before him." Like the Apostle, he accounts it "a small matter to be judged of man's judgment;" he says, What good can the applause of men do me, if I be condemned of my Judge? Or, why need I regard the opinion of the world, if I am accepted and applauded by my God?' Seeing how contemptible every testimony is in comparison of that of his Maker, he "studies to approve himself to God, a servant that needeth not to be ashamed." In whatever relation of life he stand, he endeavours to fulfil the duties of it. Is he in authority? he conscientiously improves his influence for the good of men and for the glory of God. More especially, if he sustain that weighty office of a minister of Christ, he will not be a faithless steward, or a slothful servant, but will "be instant in season and out of season," and will "watch for souls as one that must give account." On the other hand, is he in an inferior station? he will perform his duties, "not with eye-service, as a man-pleaser, but as unto God." He will not esteem himself at liberty to yield a partial obedience: he will not think that his observance of relative duties supersedes the necessity of delight in God: nor, on the other hand, will he imagine, that the devoutest exercise of prayer and praise can absolve him from his obligation to equity and mercy. Every duty both to God and man occupies his attention, and is performed in its season, "without partiality and without hypocrisy." Nor is this strictness merely occasional: it does not exist only in a time of sickness, or during a season of preparation for the Lord's supper: no: he is "always" engaged in the same "exercise:" the law of God is written in his heart; obedience to it is his delight; nor can any consideration whatever divert

him from his purpose. He is not insensible how hard it is to flesh and blood to "cut off a right hand, and to pluck out a right eye:" but no regard to carnal ease will induce him to spare his idol. He expects not that the world should love or honour him, when he recollects how it treated his divine Master: he is well assured that, "if he will live godly in Christ Jesus, he must suffer persecution." But so far from being terrified at the cross, he takes it up and glories in it. He reverences himself, his conscience I mean, more than he does the whole world. He studies by meditation and prayer to get his conscience well informed; and then he confers not with flesh and blood: he asks only, "What is duty? How shall I maintain a good conscience? How shall I please my God?" These questions satisfactorily determined, he can say with the Apostle, "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in the path of duty, for the name of the Lord Jesus."

That this is no exaggerated statement, but really the character of every true Christian, will appear from the clearest declarations of Holy Writ.

St. Paul repeatedly speaks of Christians in this light he represents them as being "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they shine as lights in the world:" and he prays for them that they may be "sincere and without offence until the day of Christ;" yea, "that their whole spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." And David, giving the character of those who are accepted of God, expressly declares that they are "without guile." "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."

If it would afford us any additional satisfaction to find men of like passions with ourselves who have attained to this character, the Scriptures afford us many striking instances. St. Paul himself could testify

before the Jewish Sanhedrim, that he had "lived in all good conscience before God until that day." And in another place he speaks of the testimony which his own conscience bore to his character in these respects, as a source of most exalted pleasure to his soul: "our rejoicing," says he, " is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world." A similar testimony was given by our Lord himself to a man of far less attainments than St. Paul: of Nathanael he said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."

But it may be said, 'We acknowledge that Christians are so described, and that some eminent persons have attained to that character:' but still the question recurs, Cannot a man be a true Christian, without having such a conscience as has been described? Before we give a precise answer to this, we should observe, that it is possible a man may be a Christian, and yet not enjoy the comfort of such a conscience; the corruptions of his heart, the temptations of Satan, an occasional commission of sin, and even certain disorders of the body, may prevent his conscience from yielding such a testimony; yea, may cause it to accuse and condemn him, notwithstanding he be a real Christian. But if any ask, whether any one can be a true Christian without having a just ground for such a testimony, or in other words, whether he can be in a state of salvation without possessing real integrity of heart? we answer, that, if there be any truth in the word of God, HE CANNOT. What says David with respect to this? "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." This cannot mean that if he have iniquity in his heart, God will not hear him: but that if he harbour it, or allow it in any instance, it will be in vain for him to hope for any mercy from God. St. John speaks yet more strongly to the same effect: "He that committeth sin is of the devil: whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God: in this the