Sermon I. Confcience, had need to obferve carefully the languag of Confcience. It is not our purpofe to {:ay on the particular confide - ration of the fcope of this fcripture, nor fo much as to name, let be to profecute all the points of do &nine that may be drawn from it, but only to difcourfe a little from the words inelofed, and Phut up within a Parenthef s, as they relate to our end and defign. .PV, Then in a word, The apoffle is here putting a difference betwixt external fervice, and the internal power and efficacy of the work of the Spirit of God on the Conf fence : And when he is fpeaking of baptifm, he giveth this caveat and advertifement, That it is not the waffling of water in that ordinance that reacheth the great end of it, But the anfwer of a good Confcience. Secondly, He fheweth, that the diflerencing and march -ri. ding character of the one from the other is, in what an- fwer the Confcience giveth concerning the thing that the 'Than is about ; and declareth, that it is not fimply a good Confcience, but the anfwer of a good Confcience,that giveth ground of hope, and boldnefs of confidence to obtain the pro mife. From the words thefe three obfervations arife clearly; . That there is a faculty in Confcience that is able to give an anfwer to a man concerning his fpiritual !late and condition, and concerning his a &ions : So that, if the queflion about thefe, or any of them, be put to the Con- fcience, it can return anfwer, and fignify its fenfe, and give its verdi& concerning that which it is queffioned about : The anfwer of the Confcience implieth ío much. /. That the anfwer of the Confcience is different and di- ffi.n& from the outward anfwer of the mouth or profefíì- on ; for a man's mouth and profeffion, and the external engagement that he cometh under in baptifm, or any other ordinance or duty, may fay one thing, or give one anfwer, when the Confcience may fay another thing, or give another anfwer concerning the man's fincerity in the thing. 3. That the anfwer of a good Confcience, that is, an anfwer from the Confcience on good grounds tali. tying a man's fiucerity, is a moft excellent and comfortable tiling..0 1-
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