Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

U7á 1WUTläL1S y. L. i4JL 2. 5.) beareth witnefs, and the Gentiles ,Jow the works of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their thoughts in the mean while ac euftng or elf, excujing one another : And there is no natural man, if he take heed to his Confcience in the doing of any anion, but will find Confcience, according to its light, fpeaking either for him or againft him, either accufing on elfe excufing him : But this is much more to be found in a fan&ified Confcience, becaufe it bath rnuch more light, and much more tendernefs to a& according to that light; and therefore it will find itfelf much more concerned in the a &ions of a believer. The firft ufe is for information and iniruiion in a main pra &ical point of religion relating to mens converfati- on : I1ofl men, alas, think that Confcience is not concer- ned except in force great things, fotne palpably finful things, or force things immediately relating to religion ; and that in all other things they may live as they like, without taking notice of Confcience : But I fay, and have cleared ir, that Confcience hath an intereft and concern in every a &ion, not only as to putting men to undertake ir, (whereof we fpoke before) but allo as to their man - ner of performing the fame ; it not only puts a man to think, (peak, or do ; but 'tis concerned in the manner of his thinking, fpeaking and doing ; Confcience, in every one of thefe, hath`fomewhar to fay, viz. That we are ei- ther right or wrong. The reafon is, becaufe all a Chri- ftian man's aEtions may be taken up in a twofold refpe &a or under a twofold confederation ; L, In refpe of the ex- ternal a &ion itfelf, or the matter of it, even rho' we con- Eder them as indifferent; as whether a man flay at home,or go abroad, eat now, or forbear eating, &c. z. As thefe a &ions are Chriflian, in which refpe& men are not only to look on the a &ion itfelf,materially confidered,but they are-allo to look to the rules given to direct them how to walk Chriftianly in that a &ion ; for there are many a&i- ons good in themfelves, or in the firft refpe&, that will not be found to be chriftianly and rel?gioufly good ; or good in this fecond refpe &. The Ôirifban íhould love God wit, all bis heart, foal, Jirength and mind} Mar; zz. M

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