A Good Conscience   

"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience" (2 Cor. 1:12). 

There can be no success in the Divine life without this all-important factor, viz., the testimony of a good conscience.

Paul exhorted Timothy to "hold faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck" (1 Tim. 1: 19). One of the first things God holds souls to, when they come to Him seeking pardon, is that of resurrecting conscience. When they were young and innocent, their conscience was so tender that the least wrong word or act would give them great distress. But as they continued to sin from time to time, they silenced conscience-so much so, that nothing they did (no matter how heinous) would give them the least distress. Hence God sets them to resurrecting conscience, by confessing and rectifying their past wrongs, even the smallest offences. Hence, by this means, conscience is resurrected to its normal state, so as to detect the smallest sin, even to the weight of a spider's web.

The question may arise here, "What is conscience" "It is an inward judge, under God, and above man; to commend when we do well, and to reprove and condemn when we do wrong," says Mr. Wesley. Again, it is the scale, or the testing station of the soul, at which we can weigh and test every transaction of life. When all is well, conscience hangs at an even poise, but the least wrong word or deed throws it from its equilibrium and makes us feel condemned and heavy-hearted.

Again, conscience reminds us of a strand of barbed wire on either side of the "Narrow Way." Hence, when we are about to stray from the path of righteousness, we feel it pricking our hearts, and reminding us that we are bordering on the line of danger.

There are three stages of conscience: First, a "good conscience." Second, a morbid, scrupulous conscience. Third, a "seared conscience."

First: Note some characteristics of a good conscience: 1. An inward clearness, consciousness of the Divine favor under all circumstances. 2. An inward contentment and restfulness, under the brightest gospel light, and the closest search of the word. 3. Composure, confidence and fortitude, under the closest investigation of the brethren or the most radical scriptural preaching. Not that a "good conscience" places one beyond the sphere of receiving new light, but it makes him measure up to all known light, and ever cheerfully ready for new light from God, even though He send it through a bootblack.

Second : Some characteristics of a scrupulous conscience. 1. An over-conscientious feeling regarding lawful things, things which the world does not condemn, such as killing a chicken, killing a bedbug, getting married, etc., etc. We once met a man who felt awfully condemned if he killed an insect in the home, or reproved his children. Such condemnation as this is the result of a morbid scrupulous conscience.

Another characteristic of a scrupulous conscience is the feeling that maybe you are wrong some way or somewhere, even though you are doing your very best, and walking in all known light-a feeling that you are not right because all the neighbors do not get saved. You must remember, all of the people did not get saved under the teaching and preaching of the Son of God, nor the apostles.

Third: Some characteristics of a seared conscience. A presumptous, non-scrupulous, careless, hard spirit. O, how many poor souls are now in this appalling condition, where conscience was once true to warn, reprove, and check! But they silenced and ignored it so many times, until it became numb; hence it can no more take the soft impressions of the Spirit, and warn the soul of impending danger. O, lamentable state of soul! 

There lives in me a faithful guide;

I'll ne'er go wrong while he abides.

When I obey, my sky is clear;

But when I don't, there's gloom and fear-

'Tis conscience.