on i Teter 3. z r, 149 they may Peek to have Confcience to be on their fide, to prevent a challenge from it ; and that they may entertain a carnally confident expe&ation of what they would be at r Thus carnally profane and wicked men have often fought advice of the Lord's prophets, as they did, fer. 42. i, 2. In thefe, and the like cafes, men may take pains to know the mind of Conscience, and yet the Lord may make it to keep filence, and not to anfwer them ; or, if it do, to anfwer there according to the idol of their own heart. idly, Another fort of reafons may be drawn fromGod's fovereignty, fo ordering it for his own wife and holy ends ; to wit, for the good of his people, and his own glory. As he afideth them in other things, tho' not without fin in them, yet not always with refpeet to their fin, as we may fee in yob's Trial: Even fo, when they are ta- king pains for clearnefs of Confcience, and to get God's mind in fuch a particular, he may, and fometimes dotti, blafl all their pains, fo as they attain not to the defired clearnefs in it: I fay, in fach or fuch a particular ; becaufe (as was hinted before) the main bufinefs of their eternal liate falleth not under thefe debates. And this, we fay, he doth in his fovereignty, for thefe and the like wife and holy ends; z ft, That he may empty and humble his own people, that, when they fee they cannot win to clearnefs and fa- tisfadion in a particular of fo little moment and cone quence, by making that to be fo much their exercife, he may bide pride from their eyes, and lay them low before him. idly, As in this he mindeth their humbling, fo their upflirring : By fuch means he putteth them to be more ferrous in feeking him; for oftentimes, when men find things go fo early with them, they are in hazard to betake themfelves unto, and fit down in, as earl/ a way of duty, and to flack their diligence. idly, He doth this for trial; to make difcovery of the unfoundnefs of fome, and to prove the fincerity of others. He will, by fufpen- ding light and clearnefs in fach a particular, take a proof of folks tendernefs, whether they will forbear, while they are unclear, or, whether `h: °, will untenderly go sad ; it being a main thing that rnak`th trial of mens ten- K3 de ,
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