58 / 378
icience
loth
or
may
push
to
duty
?
We
anfwer
afiirma;
tively, Many
things
may
court
us,
which by their impulfe
do
often
thwart with Confcience;
hence
is
the inward
combate
in
the
Chrifiian betwixt
the
flefh
and the
Spirit;
the
fl.efh
doth pufh
to
one
thing,
and
Confcience
to the
contrary
:
Therefore,
Gal.
5.
17.
'tis
laid, fhe
flee
lujieth
againnfl
the
Spirit,
and
the Spirit
againfi
the
flefi,
and
thefe
two are
contrary
one to
another
;
and
Rom.
7.
2.3.
the A-
pofile
fpeaketh
of
a
law
in
his
members rebelling
againfl
the
law
of
his
mind,
and
leading him captive
to
the
law
of
fin
in his
members.
More particularly,
thefe things
(as
we
hinted
before)
may
have
an
impulfe
toward the
doing
of
duty
;
as,
firfl,
Mens
credit
hath
a
firong impulfe, where
any
thing
croffing
it
is
apprehended
to
occur.
2.
Mens
intereft hath
often an
impulfe,
fo
as
to
Gaary
on
a
felfifh
defign
;
it will make gain
Teem
to be
godnefs.
3.
Mens
natural
inclinations,
will
and
affections,
have
an
impulfe
alto ;
and
the impulfe
of
there
will fometimes
be
exceed-
ing
like,
to
the
impulfe
of
Confcience.
And here
we
may
confider
thefe
three
things which
they
have
influence
up-
on
;
i.
They
may have influence to
mar
a
mans
light,
and
pervert
his
underfianding
:
As
it
is
faid
of
a
gift,
It
blindeth the
eyes
of
the
wife,
and
perverteth
the
underfland-
ing
of
the
prudent;
fo mens
credit,
intereft, and natural
inclination,
may,
in
a
fort,
bribe
the
underftanding,
and
blind
the judgment
infenfibly,
and
the
man
not know
ofit
diflin&ly
at leaft,
a..
When
they have
perverted
the
judg-
ment, they
may engage
the
aflè
&ions,
and thefe
drive
vio-
lently.
3.
If
the
man
yield
not
to
fuch
a
thisg,his
credit or
intereft
will
vex
him like Confcience, and take refi
anti
quiet
from
him
;
as
we fee
in
Herod,
Matth. 14.9.
who,
when the dancing
damfel
fuited for the
head
of
fohn
the
Baptil,was
forry
(or
grieved)
neverthelefs
for
his
oath's
fake,
and for
them
who
fat
at
table with
him,
he
commanded
it
to
be
given
her.
Folk
would
have
thought that it
was
his Con-
fcience
that
made him
forry,
but
indeed
it
was
not
Con-
fcience,
but
credit
;
therefore it
is
faid,
not
only
for
his
aath's fake,
but
for
them
that
fat at
table
with
him.
'Tis
like,
if
his
oath had
been
given
in
private,
Confcience
would
not
much
have
troubled
him
;
antl
while
'tis
faid
be
was
ferry or
grieved)
it
iheweth
plainly
that
his
credit
fu%ered