In "The Soul's Looking-Glass", Fenner takes as his springboard Romans 2:15-"Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness"-and from that text (among others) unfolds one of the most searching and pastorally useful treatments of conscience in Puritan literature.
With penetrating biblical precision, Fenner explains what conscience is, how it functions, what binds it, how it accuses and excuses, why men mistake their spiritual estate, and how true peace of conscience is obtained only through Christ. He distinguishes between natural and renewed conscience, good and evil conscience, weak and strong conscience, troubled and quiet conscience, while carefully resolving practical cases that arise in the Christian life.
This work is invaluable for pastors, counselors, and thoughtful Christians alike. It exposes false assurance, comforts wounded believers, sharpens self-examination, clarifies the relation of God's law to conscience, and teaches how the soul may walk before God with holy tenderness and peace. Few books diagnose the inner man with such exactness while also directing the reader so carefully to the balm of Christ.
For any seeking a deeper understanding of the soul before God, the nature of spiritual assurance, or the biblical doctrine of conscience, "The Soul's Looking-Glass" remains a timeless and searching guide.
