The Renewed Conscience
By Mead
If a natural man's conscience putteth him upon duty, he doth usually bound himself in the work of God. His duties are limited; his obedience is a limited obedience. He doth one duty and neglecteth another. He picketh and chooseth among the commands of God; obeyeth one and slighteth another. Thus much is enough; what need of any more? If I do thus and thus, I shall go to heaven at last. But now where conscience is renewed by grace, there it is otherwise. Though there may be many weaknesses which accompany his duties, yet that soul never bounds itself in working after God: it never loves God so much, but still it would love him more; nor seeks him so much, but still it would seek him more; nor doth it serve God so well at any time, but it still makes conscience of serving him better. A renewed conscience is a spring of universal obedience: for it seeth an infinite excellency, and goodness, and holiness in God; and therefore would fain have its service bear some proportionalness to the object. A God of infinite excellency and goodness, should have infinite love, saith conscience; a holy God should have service from a holy heart, saith conscience. Now then, if I set bounds to my love to God, or to my service to God; if I limit myself in my obedience to the holy God; love one command and slight another; obey in one point and lie cross in another; then is all I do but the workings of a natural conscience. But on the other hand, if I love the Lord with my whole heart, and whole soul, and serve him with all my might and strength; if I esteem all God's precepts concerning all things to be right, and have respect to all his commands, then is my love and service from a renewed conscience.—Mead's Almost Christian.