on t Peter 3. 21. r 59 never go wrong to take with fin ; albeit yet they would not always bind it on God, as if he were quarrelling for it, the,' he might very juftly do fo. Therefore we fhall offer four differences, and then qualify them, and give force dire &ions, how to walk in every one of thefe cafès. Firfi then, We conceive, when the filence of Confci- ence, and God's refuting to intimate his mind by it, proceeds from a finful caufe procuring it, in a perfon, it will readily look more horrible like, and will have force impreffion of anger on it, when it comes out with fuch a word as that, fudges io. 14. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chofen, &c. And there is good reafon for this, that if it be an eflè& of fin, or of anger for fin, ât fhould look liker anger, than when it is an effè& of God's mere fovereignty, which may Rand well with his being in good terms with that perfon whom he fo tries. idly, We think, the hiding of God's face, and filence of Confcience, when it proceeds from fin as the caufe, readily point out forne particular ground of challenge for which the Confcience _keeps filence ; it bath a word of reproof with it for force particular fault, as in that fame place, Ye have done this, and this, faith the Lord: Tho' I have brought you out of the land of Egypt, yat ye h ave ferved other gods ; therefore now I will deliver you no more. Confcience tho' it will not in that cafe, give an anfwer to the thing that is asked at it, yet it will i give a reafon wherefore t anfwers not, and will point at fomewhát, that may make it known, that there is jut ground for its keeping tence. fob, being thus finit ten in holy fovereignity, lays to God, Chap. so. 2. Well me wherefore thou contends with me : He is indeed now fomewlaat jumbled, being exercifed by the fovereign holy Lord: and his exercife is not' fo much for this and that fin in particular, as to kno\v wherefore God deals fo with him. idly, When this filence of Confcience proceeds from a finful caufe, it leaves the fpirit of tha perfon in a far greater diftemper and confufiona than when it proceeds merely from God's fovereignty : For,this having its rife from fin, it hath the greater influence to ,
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