that will give him boldnefs, confidence and comfort; for feveral perlons may concur in one and the felf -fame good a &ion on the matter ; and yet force may have a good, and others an evil Confcience in it, were but as to a man's thought and opinion of hi mfelf; for, tis not he that commends bimfel f, but he whom God commends, that is approven. When Confcience (I fay) beareth witnefs for a man, it is a very ftrengthning, confirming and fatisfy- ing thing ; the reafons are, ill, Becaufe Confcience is the more fingle and impartial judge and witnefs, and therefore a man may lay the more weight on it. 2dly, Be- caufe Confcience fpeaketh, and beareth witnefs with re- fpe& to God ; and, when it teffifieth on folid grounds, it is God's teffimony : Now, when a debate arileth in a man about any of his anions, the man himfelf is the party ar- raigned, the challenge or tentation is the party accufang, , and Confcience is as the witnefs or judge that decideth ; and, being unbiaffed, it beareth witnefs, and paífeth the fentence truly and impartially ; it (as it were) faith, 'Tis true, he Paid fuch and fuch a thing,and that fincere- ly, and I know that his thoughts and intentions were honeff : And thus Confcience decides the debate in his favours, if fo be he hath it on his fide ; and fp c®nfirms and comforts him. The ufe is to exhort you to lay more weight on Con- fcience, and on its teftimony, and lets weight on any o- ther thing ; for it will not be your good meaning, nor good hopes (as ye ufe to fpeak) but a fan &ified Confci- ence, in a fanaified frame, that will be found fitteff to decide in any a &ion. 4thly, Obferve, That the teftimony of Confcience fpeak ing for a man, and his performing of a good a &on on the matter, are feparable; that is, a man may do that which is good in itfelf, and yet not have a pofitive and approbative teffimony from his Confcience concerning it ; otherwife Paul needed not to have atteiled his Con- fcience, if he had not known that Confcience its teffi mony might have been feparate from what he fpeaks e 'Tis well enough known, that he was faying his heart was grieved for the reje &ion of the etzvs ; but the que,.i Ilion was, If he had Paid it honeffily and fincerelÿ ; and N2 ho
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