V/D f. ;L.Va 1 i i G . helps much through grace to make him caff out with h°ìm_ fell, and his own way ; and fo makes Satan in a mannt. hopelefs of him. More particularly, we may of ign thefe caufes of it from peoples own pra &ice The if whereof is this, That many men and women live fo, that their life cannot abide the trial : He that doth evil (faith the Lord, yob: 3.) hates the light, neither cometh unto the light, left his deeds fbould be reproved. 'Tis no wonder that a male- s fa &or delire not to come before the judge ; and 'tis as little wonder that a man or woman, that liveth a fnfut and evil life, delre not to come before their Confi:ience Hence it is, that many dare not go to their Confcience,, becaufe it never fpeaks good, but evil to them, (as in- deed it bath no other reafon) and on that account they even hate it, as Ahab did the prophet Micaiah, of whom he laid, I bate him, becaufe he never prophe- fes good, but evil to me and that they will rather con- fuit flefh and blood, their own inclination and affe &i - on, than their Confcience in a particular ; becaufe they dread it will fpeak evil to them, efpecially when they know that there is fomething palpably wrong in their way : For, in that cafe, they conclude it will gloom on" them, and gall them, and even prick them in the quick A zd reafon is, Becaufe folks make not this work of ., fell examination habitual to themfelves, but delay and put off time, till their cafe become fo favelled and con- futed, that they are afraid to meddle with it : And, tho' they íhould, they grow heartlefs, and out of hope to get it righted ; juff Iike men that cannot endure to . adjuft their accounts, which they have fuffered negli- gently to run long on, and into great confufion. A 3d caufe may be this, (which refpets believers in Ghrif ) That, even where perfons make Confcience of their ways, there is a kind of foolifh precipitancy, and haffe- making ; they being difpofed to think, that examination of them- felves takes up much of their time, and that it is better s to fpend it in prayer, or in reading, than that way : Not confidering, that 'cis much better to have Lorne little thing of religion folid, than to have a great bulk of ma- ny duties without folidity, or with very little of 4 Ther
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