en Rom. 9. . 189 performing of them, Confcience ought to be carried al ong, as having fomewhat to fay for br againft the perfor- mer. We thall now add fome four or five obfervation more from the words ; and the firft (which we may ei. ther take as an ufe of the former, or as a diflin& obfer- sration by itfelf) is this, That men, in the time of thei__ going about any thing, would advert and take heed to that fenfe which Conjèi_ ence hath of their actions ; and, Peeing it hath fomething to fay, they would be lending to their ear all along the time of their performing the a &ion, and hear what it faith. As, before they undertake, they would advife with Confcience that they be right ; fo, in the time of perfor- mance, there would be a refle &ing on Confcience, to know its fenfe of our doing. Paul is now fpeaking and afferting fomewhat, and he refleð on his Confcience to hear what it will fay, and that he may get its teftimo- ny that he is fpeaking fncerely : He is nor now advifzng. with Confcience, to know what he should do, nor to get its cenfure of what he hath done ; but, in the very time ,,of his doing, he refle ð and taketh notice what it faith : He afferteth that he is fpeaking truth, and taketh a look into his Confcience, to fee if it be not fo, that he is indeed fpeaking the truth, and truly. Or, we may _take the doCfrine thus, It is a main piece of a tender walk in a Chrillian, not only to deliberate with Confcience be- fore he do any thing, and, when he bath done it, to take its cenfure if it be rightly done ; but alío to reflex upon his Confcience in the very time of his doing of it, and to hear what it will fay of that which he is now a- doing, and of himfeif in the doing of it. And we con- ceive, that this is one of the main things meant by the tefimony of Confcience, when Confcience is pus to it in the performance of a duty; to know *hat it will fait concerning the man and his a &ìon : For, if fo be,that Con- fcience hath fomething to fay concerning every duty, for or againft the man, as it is, Rom. z. 15. (their Conicience bearing them witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while' accufing or elfe excuf ng one another ; then it will clearly follow, that it is a. main piece of a Chriftian's duty to keep fair with his Confcience here, and to take. good heed;
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