P 072 Romans 9. r. 179 rieafure outwardly 0E4-led, or under great perfecution; r"his is (f iys the Apofile, i Pet. 2. 19, 20.) thank worthy, if a man for Confcience toward God endure grief, fufering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye are buffeted for your faults, ye (ball take it patiently ? but if, when do well, and fuer for it, and take it patiently, this is accep table with God. 3. 'Tis ufefül and comfortable as to our own peace in the cafe of challenges for guilt ; it filenceth and íhoulders out all challenges, and giveth holy boldnefs; 1f our hearts (or Confciences) condemn us not (lays .7ohn, z . Ep. Chap. 3. 2.I., then have we confidence towards God. The Ufe ferves to teach us to be much in love with fuch a way, as we may have the teffimony of a good Con - fcience in it ; and to be much in love with fuch a Confci- ence, as may give us fuch a comfortable teflimony in all our (traits and difficulties. More particularly, we !hall fpeak to that which we mainly aim at, in there four or five Obfervations; confider then, .Fir I, What Paul is about here, he is alferting a truth, viz. That he was in great heavinefi for his brethren, and kinfinen according to the f efh And he atteffs his Con- fcience that it was fo, and that he was honeft and fin- cere in afferting ir. Whence obferve,That there is no a &iori of a man's life, but Confcience hash a concern in it, and lath fomething to fay to him concerning it. If it were but the fpeaking of a word, let be the doing of any bufinefs, Confcience hath always fomething to fay for him, or againft him ; fo that we may confidently fay, there is no a&ion of fo little moment, in thought, word or deed ; as whe- ther a man be called to do or forbear, to fpeak or to be filent, but, in all there, Confcience bath a fenfe and canf -. deration of it, and a tefiimony to give for, or again , the man about it. I aM not now fpeaking of things hnful or unlawful on the matter, but of fuch things as on the matter are lawful ; as when a man fpeaketh truth, whe- ther he fpeaketh it truly, and with an honeft intention, or not : Therefore, when Paul is fpeaking, a truth here, he looks to his Confcience, and hearkens what it faith. Put thefe four together, and ye will find it clear, that a fan etified Confcience, in a fan &ified and good frame, wilt M2, 2,dt
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