office is to testify to every man the quality of his past actions, and to regulate his conduct agreeably to some standard, of right and wrong. It does not so properly judge respecting the truth or falsehood of any position: (that is rather the office of the understanding) it regards rather actions than sentiments; and the good or evil that is in them, rather than any prudential considerations respecting them. It is a monitor in every man's own bosom that may be called, in a qualified sense, the voice of God within him. It is not wholly subject to his own control: for though much may be done to bribe, or silence it, yet sometimes it will speak out, and force the most obdurate sinner to listen to its voice.

The rules whereby it judges are various: where the light of revelation does not shine, it has no better rule than the law of nature, or the law of a man's own mind. It is then regulated by every man's own apprehensions of good or evil; and therefore must of necessity give a verdict more or less erroneous, as the person's mind is more or less instructed in moral truth. On this account, it would not be easy with respect to heathens to determine precisely what a conscience void of offence is; for certainly, allowances must be made for the different degrees of light which men enjoy. But with respect to us, who live under the clear dispensation of the gospel, these difficulties in a great measure vanish.-The following considerations may help to throw some light upon the subject.

The conscience is not to be judged void of offence merely because it does not accuse us. There are many so thoughtless and dissipated that they give themselves no time to reflect. They are engaged in a continual round of business or amusement; they shun all those scenes which would be likely to bring their sins to remembrance; they avoid all serious conversation; and thus they pass months and years without feeling any remonstrances of conscience: that faculty is lulled asleep; and, if by any means it be in the least degree awakened, every method is adopted to check its clamours, and restore its wonted tranquillity. Of such persons God speaks by the prophet Hosea, when he says, ་ They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness."

There are others who imbibe principles which are well

calculated to weaken the influence of conscience. They take it for granted, that there is no great evil in sin; that God will never execute his threatenings against it: that they cannot be obnoxious to his wrath, because they have not committed any heinous sins, or, if they have, they were only such as the fashions of the world, and the frailties of their nature might well excuse. By such principles as these they persuade themselves that they have no ground for fear: like some of the Jews of old, they "heal their wounds slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace," or, like others of them, they affirm boldly, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart."

There is yet another description of persons who have at times been harassed with remorse of conscience; but they have so often resisted their convictions, sinned against the light, and done violence to all their own feelings, that they have, as the apostle says, "seared their consciences as with a hot iron," and rendered themselves" past feeling."

Now it will be needless to prove that such persons have not a conscience void of offence; they may be rather said to have no conscience at all; or, if they have, it must be called, what the apostle does call it, an evil conscience.

As a conscience is not void of offence merely because it does not accuse, so neither is it necessarily so, even if it should approve.

Many propose to themselves a false standard of right and wrong. Even among those who bear the Christian name, how many are there who think that religion consists in penances and pilgrimages, and in the observance of superstitious rites and ceremonies; yea, who would think, that the extirpation of heretics was the most meritorious work they could effect! Yet, if they were to abound in such works as these, and thereby gain the approbation of their own consciences, must we therefore say that their consciences, were void of offence? Surely not. St. Paul has told us with respect to himself, that he verily "thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus:" but does he assert his innocence upon that ground? No: he calls himself "a blasphemer and injurious, and a persecutor, yea, the very chief of sinners." Our Lord tells his disciples, that many would think," who

soever 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."

That every true Christian labours to maintain this, is the IId. point which we proposed to establish.

Men in general are well pleased if they can secure the appropation 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 solicitious 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 con

temptible 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 rela. tion 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 occa sional: 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 in. formed; 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