454 VI. VII. VIII. ,IX. Ir Q.Lieft?onsvánd(afar ofConfcience Chap.45 fciences fcarce fmiting at all forit. Divines fay , that its an exceeding grea,t mercybf God that he hath left a confcience in man : for if that had not Tome aaings, there would beno humane focieties : Confcience being a curb to them: but when its fo corrupted that it cannot do its office , what hope then remaincs for filch ? as we fee in the example of Jofephs brethren, Gen. 17. zs. And as for the other act of excufing , confcience is turned into a Camelion, to be likeeve- ry object it Rands by : It excufesand flatters men in all they do : and makes them fay, God I tha4i ee, I amnot 1,ke other men, &c. Luk.i8.it. whereas,if confcience were well inlightned byCodsWord, it would inftead of excufing,ac- cure andcondemn. Sixthly,confcience is further polluted in the wings ofit:forwhen application, witneihng, and accufingwill not do, it fhould fmite and terrifie : It fhould fall from words CO blows,Aít.z.37. they are faid xaTivt yuuav : to be pricked in their hearts , as if a dabger had been flabbed in them : So it was with Ferlix, Cain, Ju- das, Pj c. Now confcience naturally is greatly polluted herein. For eitherit doth not at all give any blows , or if it do, its with flavifh and tormenting thoughts, which makes the (inner runne from Chrift , and indifpofeth him for mercy andcomfort. Seventhly, thereshould a tribunal be ereaed in every mans heart , wherein confcience fhould fit asJudge , and this court ofconfcience fhould bedaily kept: So , Pfal.4.4. weare commanded to commune withour own hearts : Tofearch and try our ways : To judge our felves that we be not judged , i Cot.'s.3 t. This the very Heathen commended : Nofce teipfum, and tecum habita : and com- plain of the negle& of it, In fenemo tentat defcendere ; and its frequently com- manded in Scripture as anintrodu&ion toconverfion, and as a confiant duty of the converted to prevent Apoflacy : But who is there that keeps this Court daily in himfelf ? who examines himfelf to fay , what have I done ? who calls his thoughts, words, and a&ions to this Bar , and gives judgement againft them ? Now this judgement of confcience is feen about a twofold obje&. 1. Our a&ions which are tobe judged whether they are agreeable to the Word of Cod, or no ? For whatfoever we undertake, and are not perfwaded of in con- fcience as lawful, is a fin; z. Our perfons., and the frame and conflitutión ofour fouls : andherein con- fcience is more unable to doits work then in theformer : For a&ions (at left ma- ny of them) arecondemnedby the lieht ofnature : but whenwe come to fcarch and judge our heart, much heavenly skill and prudence is required. If hypo- crites did thus judge themfelves, they would not biefs themfelves in their good condition as they do. God hath placed it in manas an Umpire to judge matters impartiallybetween God and thy own foul: But confcience being naturally pol- luted, is not ableto difcharge this office. Hence it is that thisCourt ceafeth, con- fcience Both not keep any Affize at all. Eightly, its defiledin that its afraidof light,and isnot willing to come to the word to be convinced : but defires to be indarknefl'e that fo a man may finne the more quietly , Jon. 3. 19, 20. Hence, John x6.7. Its the work ofGods Spi- rit to convince the world of rn : But the natural confcience cannot abide this, and therefore it hatesa fearching Minifiry, asAhab did Michaiah. Ninthly, its defiled in that its fubjeSt tomany difeuifes : It appears under fo many vifors that its hard to know when its confcience , or when its fomething elfe that is far 'enough from confcience : yet by reafon ofthis guile, men flatter themfelves with the name of confcience;when indeed is is corruption inhim : A devil in Samuels mantle. Que.'. Nom may a counterfeit confcience be difcovered? e/Ïnfw. Firfl, when it is not confcience, but a finful lu(tthat puts thee upon many things: This is a faddelufon, thus to have confcience, and fo God himfelf abufed
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