Richard Baxter 2

Christian Directory

Directions 4 and 7

Keep a tender conscience, which will not make light of sin. It is those that have seared their consciences by infidelity or a course of sinning, who dare venture with Judas or Gehazi for the prey, and dare oppress the poor and innocent, and feel not, nor fear, whilst they cast themselves on the revenge of God.

Keep a tender conscience, which will do its office, and not suffer you to sin without remorse..A seared, senseless conscience will permit you to lie and steal and deceive, and will make no great matter of it, till God awaken it by his grace or vengeance. Hence it is that servants can deceive their masters, or take that which is not allowed them, and buyers and sellers overreach one another, because they have not tender consciences to reprove them.

William Gurnall 6

Better have a dog that will, by his barking, tell us a thief is in our yard, than one that will keep silent, and let us be robbed before we have any notice of our danger.

Susannah Wesley

Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish for spiritual things then it is sin for you, however innocent it may be in itself.

Tracy Chapman

Here I am waiting for a better day
A second chance
A little luck to come my way
A hope to dream a hope that I can sleep again
And wake in the world with a clear conscience and clean hands
'Cause all that you have is your soul

William Jay

I only add that I love a laugh when it leaves no sting in the conscience, or stain upon the mind; and that such a laugh cannot be disagreeable to your uncle in his long solitudes and (I love to hear him laugh, he does it so heartily) ....

(In a letter of 1838 found in his writings)

Wilhelmus a Brakel

It is not within the jurisdiction of the church ... to judge concerning any member's conscience, neither can a person's faith be founded upon the judgement. This is the jurisdiction of the Holy Spirit only. This Spirit speaks in and by means of the Word; and upon the Word alone may faith be founded.

The Christian's Reasonable Service 54

James Durham

A fifth characteristic of a deluded conscience is that it “is ordinarily bitter and cruel in the effects of it. As it is proud and vain, so it will persecute to the death them it differs from; hence were the persecutions of the apostles and of Paul especially. And we have seen it in poor deluded souls, who have thought themselves obliged to slay all that were against them or differed from them in these their delusions. Somewhat of this bitter spirit accompanied the delusion of the Galatians. Therefore the apostle says to them (Gal 5:15) If ye bite and devour one another, etc. And James speaks to the same purpose of such persons (Jas 3:14) If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth; this wisdom descendeth not from above. Bitter zeal and strife is an evil token, and a bitter conscience is readily no good conscience. When a man supposing himself to be in the right, is carried on with a spirit of bitterness ... it flows from pride in such persons, exalting themselves above all others. Therefore, as soon as they are deluded and go wrong, they must have a church by themselves, and will join with no other persons in Christian communion, but such as are of their mistaken opinion.

James Durham, Heaven upon Earth, 22 sermons on the joys of a good conscience (1685; Naphtali Press)

R M M'Cheyne 2

Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things. Read the Bible for your own growth first, then for your people.

R M M'Cheyne 1

A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God's Spirit, is worth ten thousands words spoken in unbelief and sin.

Charlotte Brontë

If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.

Helen Burns in Jane Eyre