"Thank you, no! I will keep my hands off that gunpowder-magazine. I know how you can go off sometimes when touched by a few odd matches. So, my charmer, your interview with me on the 18th of next month will be the last for a while." "Where are you going, Philip?" "We march to the Netherlands Border, and meet Prince Eugene. We are to be at Landrécies by the 10th of July."[6] "Mr. Philip, you shall not go hence without a Bible in your knapsack." "Thank you very much. Am I to read it when I am not firing?" "If I could help it, Sir, you would not go without one other thing, but that I cannot give you." "What thing may that be?" "The grace of God in your heart, Sir." "You think me entirely devoid of it?" asked Philip, gravely. "I do so, Mr. Philip," said Patient, looking him full in the face. "Well, you are candid, if not complimentary," said he. "'Tis fortunate for me that my conscience gives a rather fairer report than you do. I wish Edward were back. I should like to have gone into battle under dear old Ned's wing, and I'm in his own regiment, too. He must have got an awful furlough." "Your conscience, Sir!" exclaimed Patient, in a peculiar voice. "Do you think that when Adam fell he left his conscience out?" "My dear Patient, I wonder what you mean? God has given to every man his conscience as his ruler, counsellor, and guide. He who hearkens to his conscience is hearkening to God." Patient did not answer at once. Then she said: "Sir, I desire to speak with due reverence of the Lord's dealings. But 'tis my true belief that he did nothing of the kind you say. He gave, 'tis true, a guide to every man; but that guide was His own blessed Word and His own Holy Spirit, not the man's poor, miserable, fallen conscience. Truly, I would not take my conscience, which is myself, to be my 'ruler, counsellor and guide.' One is my Ruler, which is in heaven. One is my Counsellor--the Wonderful Counsellor.[7] And one is my Guide--the Spirit, in the Word which He hath written. Conscience given us for a guide, Mr. Philip! Why, Paul went according to his conscience when he kept the clothes of them that stoned Stephen.[8] Peter went according to his conscience when he withdrew himself from them that were not of the circumcision, and refused to eat with them.[9] Alexander the coppersmith very like went according to his conscience when he did the Church much evil.[10] To come to our own day, I dare be bold to guess that King Charles went according to his conscience,--Charles the First, I mean; I doubt his son had none. And Claverhouse, and this King Lewis, and the Pretender--ay, the Pope himself, poor old sinner!--I'll be bound they go according to their consciences. Nay, nay, Mr. Philip! When Adam fell in Eden, surely his conscience fell with him. And just as there can be nothing more sweet and gracious than an enlightened conscience and a sanctified will, so there is little worse than a blind conscience and a carnal will."