146 Sermon 2. they come not to it with an abfolute fubmiffion (fuppam ling it to be throughly informed by the word) concerning the thing they would have clearnefs in ; and therefore they take the anfwer in part, or but a part of the anfwer, and fuppofe the reif, or leave it to Confcience to be deter- mined : As when men firff refolve to do fuch or fuch a thing, and leave only the timing of it to their Confcience; here the Confcience may be limited, and made indiffin& in its anfwer, becaufe it is prejudged, and not left free. It might poffibly have been fomewhat not altogether un- like this that was in the reff of the tribes of Ifrael, their asking of God about the war againff Benjamin, fudg. 20. 18. where they do not fay at firif, Shall we go up, or (hall we forbear ? but firff they fay, Who pall go up? A third cafe is, When Confcience is provoked by mens firmer mifcarriages, then it may be filent, and not an- fwer. Now the Confcience may be provoked thefe two ways amongf1 others; i . When people ufe not ordina- rily to confult Confcience, but at fome particular and fo- Iemn times only, and when they are brought to fome pinch, or put to a {land ; but , as for the ordinary courfe of their life, they follow inclination, or a common light, without advifing with Confcience. In that cafe, when fuch perlons come to advife with Confcience, and to leek clearnefs from it about fuch a thing ; the Lord may fày to them, as he did to his people, Judges 10. 19. Go and sry to the gods whom ye have chofen, go advife with them ; or as Elifha faid to the king of Ifrael, z Kings 3. 3 T that have I to do with thee ? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother : Even fo, if Con- fcience be paffed by, and miskent by people in the ordi- nary courfe of their life, it will readily misken and flight them when they are in a ffrait, and come to leek counfel and clearnefs from it, and will, on the matter, fay to them, Ye followed the counfel of fiefn. and blood, in your ordinary walk, and courfe of life ; therefore, in this particular, I will not anfwer you, go and leek clear- nefs from them whom ye ufe to confult. 2. Could - cke is provoked, when men have formerly thwarted with fome clear intimations or anfwers of Confcience, and
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