S f c?'. II. True Signa ofGrace. 69 Firlt, When we mho*eerilyfor gpietnef e ofconfcience, that it doth not accaf. Thuscivil) and formal) men not beinginlightned out of Gods Word, dear them- felvcs, think their hearts and intentions good, when if they did throughlyknow themtelves, they would be amazed. Thus Paulalfo;whofaidhe walkedwitb a goodeo.fsience, his conlcience wasgood in that it wasquiet, it did riot check him, whenas if truly informed out of GodsWord, it would havegiven him as fad buf- trtingsas thofeofSatana: In this fence tome of tare have exìufed anhe mirk, that is willing to lofeall rmporalladvantages for his conlcience fake, yea, to die in the molt exquifrce way of torments rather then to forfake their judgement r how can theft be judged any ocher (fay they) then fincere upright men ì But it is good toobferve that then only may Our hearts be laid to be upright in a godly manner, when they areaccording toGodsWord, which is the rule of uprightneife. There- fore if a man be now.to Cully perfwadedof an herefae, that is is the truthof God; and take up his croffe and follow this eccone, yet his heart. cannot be called up- right, for that is right which is according to the ruk, to the meafie, which is the Scriptures. Wegrant therefore, that a Papift, a Socinian, or Arminian, may for his conlcience fake endure joyfully the tpoiling of his goods, refufe all earthly ad- vantages that would china him sgainit this,and thereupon finde incredible joy and peace inhis foul, yet for all this, this mancannot be Paid to have anupright heart, becaufe there wants true light within, and if the eye be dark, the nnhoie body is dark alto. In thofe times therefore it is good to have it prclf_d again and again, that in matters ofopinionsand doetrines a man may have agreat deal of cafe and com- fort, and yet be in a very falfe way, and though facha man be not an hypocrite in a grolle fenfe, he clothnot walk agafntt the checks of his conlcience, yet he if an hypocrite in s morerefined fence, ashypocrite isgppofite to that whichis true, and unfeigned : As we fay a mandothmany times lye, mendacium dicere, tell that which is talfe (afin prohibited) when yet he lothnot menüri,go againft his minds, orthe light thereof. Therefore the confcience of every heretiquc, while under the faddeft calamities for his opinion, ispolluted and unclean, Secondly, WeJule this in going too low, When we limitfinceriyy to oneparticular fall, or toforce particularpaffaget only a For noweven a natural! man, though not regenerated, may do force things in a naturali integrity and uprightnefTeof his heart. Thus Abimelech gen. so.ç. Paid concerningSarah, Inehe integrity of mfr heart, and innocency of mybench have l done the. Thus fume take that Úolah whom the Prophet Efaycalled to be a fairkfull wienoffe unto him, to be the fame with that Vriah the groffe fdotater,who brought in the Altar ofDamaient : it fo, then as to that particular relpeet he wasan inureman; Indeed noman is to to judgeofhim- felt by any particular time, but the conáant courfe of his life is so be regarded. Hence a godlyman is laid to walk in the waits of uprightneté; It is Walking, and it is a way. Thirdly, We thew agogo too low when we judge of lincerity by the proxime and immediate emit of alliant, not at all attending to tieprincipdi andmain; Wbatfoever yedo, doall to theglory of god. Every gracious aftíon comes from God originally; and tends to him finally, now a man may do many glorious and good aftions, and that with reference unfeignedly to the immediateends, yet (hoot not tofarte as thentmott white and markof all, which is Godaglory t Take manyHeathens for example, Ariflides, Cato, ThemJtacles, and divers others, who didmany good things unfeignedly for the common, wealth; they fought not wealth, neither did they Ulrich chemlelves, but the publique good wastheir end, they went no higher; now as a naturals conlcience maymuch ditquiet and acculea man, witneIIe many Heathens, fo it may alto if obeyedgive great comfort and content, as tome ofthe Heathens alto had, but it isnot enough tomake an aftíon iupernatutallygood, to referre it to its proxime end, but it mutt beto the chiefelt. Inthe next place, let us confider what this uprightneffe is, and fo wherein it is a figa. Ift 3 And Hów Sinceri' ry may be un- fafely oled as a Ggn by the ill managing of it on the left hand. 2: 3.
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