Chap 43. about Confciencegood andbd. 431 Ezek; 36.25. thé contritefpirit in which God delights , Ifa.66. 1,2. commend- ed in ofah , 2 King_.22.19,20. and David, I Sam.24.5. a Sam. z4.10, and in Ephraim,,]er.31.19. and in th Publican, Luk.18.13. Quell. But is therenot afaulty tenderneffe ofconfcience ? Anfw. Yes, as, r. When one is fo render that he cannot endure to be touch- ed with a reproof ; Prophetic to usfmooth things , fay they , Ifa.3o.xo. Giveus of your facet pillows , Ezek. 13. 18. Such was Amaz.iah, a lmos7. to. and they, f er.38.4. and they , Att.5.3 3. and 7.54 whereas the right tendernefs is to be very fenfible ofthe evil of fin , and the danger thereof : and thereupon impatient of the finne , but very patient of reproofe , Pfalm. 141. 5. Á .2.37. 2. When he is fcrupulous. Asvvhenone hath got gravel in his lhooe, he cannot fet his foot on the groundwithout complaint. The Apofles rule will help fuch , Rem. r4. 5. Let every sac be fullyperfwadeei in his own minde , i. e. rid himfelf ofunneceffary , and unprofitable fcruples : unneceffary fcruples are when a manmakes a llirre about things wherein Gods word is filenr, andmakes fin wherethe Scripture makes none : as the Priefis did about going into the judgementHall, 3-0h. 1 8.28. lea they fhould be defiled ceremonially, but made no fcruple todefile themfelves morally,by bringingupon them the guilt of in- nocent blood. Again, they made a great fcruple of putting the money into their holy Corban, becaufe it was the price of blood , but quellioned not the giving money for the fame , and taking the blood it felf upon themfelves and cnildren, Mat. z7. 25. fuch are condemned by Chria, Marrh.23. 23. Ci3lark_ 7. II. unneceffary and vaine fcruples. the Apofle would have us lay afide, I Corinth. Io. 25. asking no queflion ( in fuch cafes ) for confcience- fake. 3. When he is of too facile, and flexible a fpirit, fo as to yeeld to every one that counfels and entifes him to fin : _ For this Ephraim was broken in judgement, Hof.5.1s. Thus tender-hearted was Rehoboam, 2 Chron.13.7. and Zedekiah, .jet. 38. 5. 4. When the confcience is weakand Gckly, as Paul calls it , 1 Cor.S.t 2. and is eafily call down and difcouraged. This was the difeafe of the flony ground , it was fo tender as to b.:. offended at the Croffe, c.Matth.r 3.2 t. Outwardly ten- der, and inwardly hard whereas the good ground was inwardlyfoft togive root- ing to the feed, but outwardly hardy ro endure all weathers. This picks a quarrel at the Gofpel for fome circumaances, c.7llark,7. 2. Such was the confcienceof the mixt multitude, Numb.55.4. and ofthe fpies, Num6.13.3 s. that {tatted at thefight ofthe Anakims, and wouldnot have the people endanger themfelves r Theproperties of it are. Cs. Its apt to fcruple things lawfull. It eater nothing but herbs, ! Rom.14. 2. a. It puzzles andperplexes isfelfabout thingsofno great moment : asDays, meats, &c. Co1.2.21. 3. Its apt to judge him, that uponbetter grounds is not ofhis mande and pra- dtife, Rom.14.3. 4: Heisant toRumble, `Ilom.t 4.2r . L5. Or tobe grieved,and diftafted,Rom.14.2f . 5. When theconfcience is fo awakened that it cannot take any more refs, Pfal.77.2,3,4. So Pfal. 51. 3: my fnne is ever before me, and Pfal. 38.17. This is a fadand painful, ifnot fometitnès alfo, a finful tendernefs, when the fòul fees nothing but fin,guilt, and mifery in it felf, nothing but anger , wrath and fronts 'in God, and nohopes of redemptionby Chrifi , or ofrecovery by the fpirit of grace. But the right tendernefs is that due proportion of fenfe in
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