on Romans 9. L. ¡g1 the balance not jufily poifed, or force other Each caufee Even fo, tho' our heart were in a fuitable frame juf now, prefently, and ere we turn us about (as it were) it is out of frame, fo that we cannot well take our aim from it ; it is fo very deceitful, that it abides not in frame. Thirdly, Confider, that, unlefs this r. efle&ing . on Confci- ence, in the time of performing the a &ion or. duty, be, a man will be at a lofs of one of thefe two; he will ei- ther be at a lofs as to his fober,compofed and holy frame, and turn carnal, which is frequently and readily inci- dent even to believers ; or he will be at a lofs as to the confidence, boldnefs and peace that he might other - wife have in the performance of fuch an a &ion or duty: For, fiippofe a perfon to be in a good frame after he hath refolved on a duty, let it be for inftance, fpeaking to edification, going about prayer, or the making of force lawful bargain, or the like, and he hath abun- dant light and clearnefs in his call to the thing ; yet, if he look not to, and refle& not on, Confcience in the dif- charge of that duty, when a challenge cometh on the back of it, as if he had been wrong, he cannot well an- fwer nor repel it; his being right, being to him in that cafe (in force refpe&) little or no better than if he had been wrong, becaufe he obferved not Confcience in the time of the ktion. And this is one great reafon, no doubt, why believers have fo little pofirive peace when they have done a good turn, becaufe they do not ad.. vert what Confcience fays to them, in their going about it : They are hereby afro greatly at a lofs, as to many fweet experiences of God's kindnefs and condefcend- ing in afíifting them, and of their own finglenefs win at through grace in the performing of duties; and we think alto, that Chrilians living fo much by a negative peace (to (peak fo) flows much from this ground, viz, their little refle&ing in the time of their doing duty (if once they be clear in the thing) whether they be fuitably ferlons and fincere in it; and fo,letting the opportunity go by,they are not fo throughly clear in thefe things, that are evi- dences of a pofitive peace, in doing of fuch a duty rightly, as they might otherwife be. The
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