proceed from force one Tentation or other ; or from our own finful diftemper ; or from our negligence and inad- vertancy, as I fhall /portly clear, in /hme cafes. t ft, As a finful ignorance in the perfon who der reth it to /peak, will make Confcience keep f lent ; fo there is a final' ignorance, that may and will make us miffake Confcience, when it anfwereth clearly ; and this cometh to pats, when through ignorance we know not, nor can take up, the voice of Confcience, as different from that of our affe&ions or inclinations, nor the grounds by which Confcience doth evidence its anfwer ;as when youngsamu- el took God's voice,at firff, for the voice of old Eli : Thus men have an impulfe, and force exercife of Confcience, about a thing, and, it may be, telling its mind to them ; and yet, through their ignorance and inadvertency, not difcerning and taking up what it faith, their exercife may continue, and they remain in the dark :anent the particular. A zd Cafe, wherein folks may remain unclear or mi- ffaken, where Confcience anfwereth clearly, is, When their inclinations, or affeaions fway to one fide, and Con- fcience fwayeth to another ; then readily the of e&ions make fuch a noire and clamour, and inclination and ten- tation fo fway and drive to the contrary, that the voice of Confcience is not taken up, yea,fcarcely heard : Even as when a cafe is propofed to a judge, and he fpcaketh foberly in determining the fame; the unfatisfied party raifeth fuch a clamour and noire, that his determination is not underffood, nor, it may be, fî much as heard ; fo it is, when men are biaffed with their own inclinations and affe&ions : Tho'Confcience fpeak,yet there will fpeak out anfwers to convince and perfwade to the contrary.; as it was with lalaam, who would not underftand, as it were, nor take the anfwer which he got, but went a- gain and again for another : Or,as the people of the Ye :vs did often, when the prophet told them clearly the mind of the Lord, yet they would needs contradi& him (as we fee they did, yer.43. z.) and fay, Ir was not the word of the Lord, but he was fet on by Tome other, to fpeak fo ; their inclination and affection being fwayed is (itch a f de. K 4 A
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