Benjamin Beddome 05

Every man has a right to judge for himself; and as far as we endeavour to deprive him of that right, we violate the great charter of mankind. There is no master of conscience but Christ. A diligent and impartial enquiry after truth is the duty of every one, though it neither secures from liability to mistake or warrants the assumption of infallibility.

Benjamin Beddome 04

Sometimes he [Jesus] knocks by the law ... Sometimes by alarms of conscience which says as Nathan to David Thou art the man. When conscience speaks by commission from God it will make the deaf to hear. Those who will not hearken to the voice of parents, ministers, law or gospel shall be made to hear the voice of conscience and in the great day it will speak so loud that both heaven and earth shall hear.

Benjamin Beddome 03

(The Spirit works on) The conscience, stirring it up to the faithful and vigorous discharge of its duty to instruct, reprove, applaud and condemn as the case requires and occasions offer. The Spirit of man, that candle of the Lord, often gives but a faint and glimmering light but the Spirit of God snuffs it that it may burn brighter. It is he that sets conscience to work at first making it fly in the face of the sinner saying, as Nathan to David, Thou art the man .And to him we owe all that facility and ease, faithfulness and integrity with which it acts in after life. It is he that makes the conscience tender and keeps it tender, bids it speak when it ought to speak and inclines us to hearken to its voice. To approve that which is right and condemn that which is otherwise is natural to and inseparable from every man's conscience. ... But then its ability and readiness to exercise this approving or condemning power is encreased by the quickening influence of the divine Spirit. He is the Lord of conscience and all its motions, like those of the wheels, are under his direction.

Benjamin Beddome 02

(Conscience) may fall asleep; but it will awake again: nay, though it sleep with respect to motion and operation, yet not with respect to notice and observation. So that when it does not actually call us to an account, yet it is making preparation for it. It is a witness that will not be bribed: like its Master, it accepts of no man's person. It deals impartially with the monarch and the slave: and though it may sometimes speak amiss, yet never contrary to its judgment.

    

It will be an eternal witness for the godly, and against the wicked. If all other witnesses were dead, yet conscience still lives, and will hereafter bear its testimony unrestrained and uncontrolled. When the sinner's mouth is stopped, the mouth of conscience will be open, and opened wider than it was before. The man without the wedding garment had nothing to say to his judge; but conscience had something to say to him: nay, it was the voice of conscience that made him speechless. This is that worm which never dies, but will be still tormenting. Its language will be, Son, remember! What bitter remorse, and severe reflections have some felt in this world! But these are nothing to what will be experienced in the next. And this, oh sinner, will be to ETERNITY ... to all ETERNITY !

Above all; let us have our hearts purged from an evil conscience, by the blood of Christ. This faculty, as well as others, is defiled, and we should seek to have it purified. If Christ speaks peace, and then conscience speaks it, we may be sure that peace is upon a solid foundation.

Benjamin Beddome 01

Conscience is an inward witness. Other witnesses are without a man, and so may be set aside. One witness may be produced against another, one testimony against another, or circumstances may be alleged to destroy the probability of the testimony given; but it cannot be so where conscience is concerned, for that is a witness within a man.

A man may as soon fly from God, as from his own conscience. It will follow him into all places into all worlds! Nay, he may as soon fly from himself. Wherever he goes, it haunts him, meets him, faces or pursues him; at home and abroad, alone and in company. It presents itself in his thoughts by day, in his dreams by night.

The court of conscience is the court of God, where it acts in his name, and by his authority; as judge, jury, and witness. It speaks when and what he bids it; and when he commands it to be silent, it holds its peace. It is the king's witness, and therefore must not be treated with contempt. It speaks by commission; so that he who heareth conscience, heareth God; he that heareth not conscience, heareth not God.