on I Peter 7 other reify aim or intereft, fway and biafs them not; but that the matter be left betwixt God and their Confcience tingly, and that they be waiting on him for clearneís, in a humble fubmiffive and felf -denied way. SERMON III: I Peter 3. 21. (Not the putting away of the filth of the flefb, but the anfwer of a good Confcience towards God.) Br counfel every purpore is of ablifbed, and be that bearkm neth to counfel is wife, faith Solomon. There are two great counfellors that God hath given to all them that live within the vifible Church, to wit, his word without us, and our Confcience within us; that by them we may be helped clearly to know what is pleating to him, and profitable to ourfelves ; concerning which counfellors, we may, not only fafely, but with higheff affurance,fay, That they are happy who hearken to their advice and counfel. That which we have been fpeaking of from this verfe, is the right way of difcerning the advice and counfei which the Confcience gives, that fo we may be the more able clearly and diftinly to follow it. And, in profecution of this, ye may remember, we came to anfwer that cafe or queftion, What men are cal- led to, or what may be their duty, when, after fore pains taken to know Confcience's advice and counfel, they do not difcern and take it up ; Peeing experience tells us, that fometimes there may be darknefs, even when men would have light ? In anfwering of this, we gave you this dire &ion, in the firft place, after the premit- tmg of fore things for clearing of it, That fuck as arc thus in the dark, would once put themfelves to it, to try whether their darknefs proceed indeed from Confci- or from forme diftemper and tentation within, let- ting and hindring them from taking up that which Con- fcience fats Till once this be clear1 men cannot make great
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