Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

on i -e1eA 3. zA.. l og not win out, and open another ; he would, in this cafe, take the way that God in his providence offers and points out to him : As fiippofe a perfon undertaking a journey or voyage, about his lawful affairs, and he knows not well what fellow travellers, or what fellow-voy- agers he may have ; filch a fair occafion is offered, and it may be, not another for going to fuch a place; he may quietly take that occafion, as that which provi- dence feems to point out to him : Thus the apoftle Paul, A &s 2a. finding a (hip going to or near the place whither Ine was bound, fleps in without asking what campany was in her. Such cafes are frequently, incident, when either, on the one fide, God in his providence opens this, or this way and door, and not another ; or, on the other fide, when he Teems to open two ways,. and they are both lawful, and like obvious : Then we would look which of there contributes molt to the glory of God, and which of there feems to be molt countenan- ced by divine providence, molt feafible, and liklie[l to to make the end eflèetual. A 3d Help is, in our fingle- nefs in our motions, and in our yielding to that which a& ter examination and deliberation we have found, or fup poled, to be moli agreeable to the general rule : So that, when Confcience has propofed the cafe, it hath a testimony in itfelf, that it hath made that propofal fincerely and impartialy ; that refpe& to the glory of God, and the edification of others, was the thing that mainly fwayed us, and inclined us to this or that hand, and that we apprehended this way to be molt conducing to that end : In this cafe, tho Confcience fpeak not fo directly for the clearnefs of fuch a thing, yet it can_, not readily quarrel with a perfon, who hath fingly endea- voured before -hand to fatisfy it, and who path its tefti- mony, that God's glory was the thing that mainly fway- ed him, and nothing elfe : This, we conceive, is that whereof the apoftle fpeaks, z Coy. a. a z. This is our re-, joking, the teftinlony of our Confcience, ate, Thefe three things being put together, the Confèience may have peace the thing itfelf being lawful ; becaufe this general rule will bear it out in fcripture- reafon, which Confcience will riot fpeak againft. There

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