;' sermon r. they may find out, and get a clear anfwer from their Confcience ? or what is called for from them, to find out the anfwer of Confcience ? we fhall anfwer this in thefe three ; 1 fl, Something is to be done before we put our felves to the fearch, or Confcience to give its anfwer," 2d1y. Something muff accompany this duty. 3diy Some- thing is called for after this duty is done. i, We are to do fomething before we put Confcience to it to give its anfwer. And (z) it is neceffary, that men be well in- formed of the truth of the thing in general ; for to come blindly to Confcience, is to tempt ir, and make it a fnare to our felves ; therefore (I fay) we fhould be well in- formed, to the end that Confcience may have ground to give a clear answer; for our Confcience is like the judge, and our underftanding like the advocate that maketh the caufe known : And if all things pro and contra, for and againft, be not propofed and difcuffed by the ad, vocate, Confcience, which is the judge, cannot give a dif}in& anfwer or verdi& ; this is the reafon why many Canfciences do err, becaufe there is no pains taken to inform them. (z.) When the judgment is informed, men fhould put the Confcience to it to anfwer : They should not content themfelves with this, that they have filled their heads with fo many arguments for fuch a thing, but should let them fink down to the Confcience, and Rudy to know what Confcience thinketh of them ; for Confcience (as we faid before) is fame way beyond bare light : Therefore, when we have gotten light in a thing, we thould not hold there, but take it alide, and com- municate the matter to Confcience ; as the word is, Pfal 4. 4, Commune avith your heart upon your bed. There is a communing with others in fpeaking with them, a communing with books in perufing them, a communing with our inclinations and affe &ions, and taking nonce what they would be at; and a communing with our light, if we be clear in the thing: But, bet de all thefe, there should be a communing with the heart, or Con - fcience, which we conceive is often negle&ed, and men often fart and ftrike in with things without deli- beration, thinking, if they have light for fuch a thing, to be duty that it is enough for making fuch or fuch a thing
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