260 sermon 4. teflimony of Confcience as to this, and that, and the other particular: If it were not a great and difficult bu- finefs, Paul would not lay fuch weight on it as he doth. Now,when I fay 'tis a great and difficult bufinefs, I mean, i. That it is a rare thing, and fuch as every one doth not attain to ; nay, every believer bath it not, as to every part and piece of his carriage. 2. That it calls for much tendernefs and fincerity in the whole of a man's pra &ice to reach it : It will not be a coarfe and ordi- nary walk and frame of heart that will give a man ground for this refrefhing teftimony of his Confcience, but it re- quires much ferioufnefs and fincerity in the exercife of godlinefs, as is clear here. 3. That, befide much feri- oufnefs and fincerity in the univerfal exercife of godli- nefs, and much circumfpe&ion in the man's perfonal walk and converfation, much diligence is called for in fearching to find tout, and to come by, this teftimony of his Confcience ; for a man may have matter and ground for Confcience its teflimony, and yet, through the ne_ gl'e& of fuitable, ferions and narrow felt-examination, he may be at a great lofs as to its joyful teflimony for him ; even as one may be guilty of many fins, and yet be but very little, or not at all, challenged for .them, through the negle& of felf- examination, 4. That it re- quires much finglenefs in trying of Confcience's teftimo- ny, whether it be well - grounded or not ; for a man that hath his peace and joy to build on this teflimony, mutt not take every Phew and appearance of fuch a teflimony for the ground of his peace and joy, but Confcience would be put to fpeak dif }in &ly, and on good ground for it, that in this and that, and the other thing, there was fome fince- rity And this muff be put to the proof, and exa &ly tried by the word, whether it be fo or nor, as we feelhere the a- poftle did ; he trieth his way and converfation, and finds it to have been in f mplicity and godly fincerity, &c. from which premiffes (to fpeak fo) he draws the refrefhing con - clufion of his joy and rejoicing. Now, if we look to all there, or to any one of them, whether to the rarity of it amongf} moft men, yea even amongft believers in fome, refpe&, or to the exa&nefs and rendernefs of walk Char is requifite to be the ground of ir, or to the great diffi,
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