Posted at Reformation Scotland: Conscience is our ability to decide whether something is morally right or wrong according to some standard. Conscience needs information in order to judge accurately, but we are not always good at evaluating the information available to us, or indeed assessing whether we have done right or wrong ourselves, so as to take legitimate peace and comfort for well-doing and appropriate shame and trouble for evil-doing. Samuel Annesley published a sermon on the conscience with the aim of helping people come to the peace which comes from a good conscience. Conscience is basically either ‘good’ or ‘evil,’ but Annesley provides a further breakdown of different kinds of conscience. The four kinds discussed in the following extract from his sermon can belong to either the converted or the unconverted. Helpfully, Annesley provides an analysis of what causes each of these problems and how the troubling conscience can be remedied. THE ERRING CONSCIENCE An erring conscie
By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms: How the Tenth Commandment Teaches Us to Be at Rest Good Morning! We are at the last of the ten words God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai. Out of all the commandments this one is the only one without judicial punishments in the civil law. We’ll talk about why that matters next week. It is unique also in that it primarily asks questions of the heart and soul. To be found in violation of the Tenth is to sin in a way that might show itself in the breaking of other parts of the statutes of our Lord, but in effect is known only to our Creator. It is humbling, and pointed in that way. Because as we consider the blessings of our Savior’s gift and grant of faith they should each point us back to the glory of God and strengthen the hold we have on the gospel love. The question this week’s Q/A seeks to answer is are we thankful for what He has done, and if we are does it show in how we use the new life provided by Christ? At the hear