cos'. K. r2. 209 (as I have often raid) to deliberate and advife with Co; - /éience before, and to carry Confcience along in the time of the a &ion ; but when the thing is paff, it may be ma. ny years fince, and as to the courfe of his life, to be looking in, and refleâing on what Confcience faith, for or agairìft him. This is Paul's PraEice here ; he cannot have the telimony of his Confcience, till he have asked it, and tried it, and laid his converfation in the general, and his carriage among the Corrinthians in particular`, before it. And, if the former do &rive be a truth, this will follow, that a tender Chriffian will be refle&ing on his bygone way, and trying what his Confcience faith òf it, and of his a&ions: Except we will fay that a man may be ten- der, and not take heed to his Con.fcìence ; to which, for this end, God bath given it this refleBeing power or fa- culty (to fay fo).. It will alto be more clear, if we look to the pra &ice and experience of the faints, who, the more tender they have been, the more they have been in refle&ing this way : If we look to yob, we will find, that moff of all the difcourfes he bath, are fo many re. views of his Confcience ; particularly, Chap', 2,3. r he faith, My foot bath held his fleps, bis way have I kept, and not declined, neither have I gone back from the commandment of bis lips ; I have efleemed the words of hir mouth more than my necefary food. How is it that he fpeaketh fo confi- dently, but from refleEting on, and from the teflimony cf his Confcience ? Therefore, Chap. 27. 3, 4, ÿ he faith, .411 the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my notrill, my lips "ball not (peak wickednefs, nor My tongue utter deceit ; I will not remove my integrity, my righteoufnefs will I bold far, my heart thall not reproach me fo long as I live ; importing, that he cannot find his Con- fcience challenge him as to that wherewith his friends,, did charge him, So likewife, Chap. 31. r. he rays, I' made a covenant 4witb mine eyes, why then "hould I look upon a maid ? And he goeth on through the Chapter, particularly making it to appear, that he had been.fearch- ing, and trying, and taking notice of his way; and of alÏ the pieces and parts of it; and that therein hi's.Corifci- ence had given him a good teffimony. Thus` David,. 114. 7.3. faith, Lord, my God, if I have done tbis, if O
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