to the Reader. xxv them, or to untie any of the knots of that curled con - junetion) let him alone, let him fin on, and by finning rreafure up to himfelf wrath againft the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Be- fide, that fuch a filent, fleeping and ffupified confcience, through often treading challenges under foot, will at lait waken and flee in thé ungodly man's face, and, as a fierce maflive dog, or ravening wolf, take him by the throat, and became his Burrio and tormentor, and perhaps, for eviting the trouble and terror of it, put him (tho a poor and pitiful, defperate and diflra &ed shift) to be his own murderer and executioner ; or, if it fhould keep filence to death, and even then not difquiet him, yet it will in hell, as a never-dying worm, gnaw the heart of him, and, as a ravenous vulture, tear out as it were his very bowels; and by its yelling and roring, by its biting and renting the very caul of his heart, make him a hell to himfelf in hell, and fo make a double hell to':him: Alas ! even the godly themfelves, may, by fomewhat of this guilt, raife great florins of trouble and difquiet in their own confciences. Sixthly, We would by all means guard againft coun- teraBeing and running crof to the plain and downright di&}ates of our confciences, efpecially when clearly in- formed by the word ; for this is a high-daring, mala- pert, affronting, defpifing and difowing of God's depu- ty, and as it were a violent putting him off the bench ; the language whereof is, that if God himfelf the Lord of the confcience, were, or could poffibly be, as much in the man's reverence, as he fuppofeth his confcience to be, he would deal with him at the fame rate, and ferve him with the fame meafure : This brings on dedolency, flu - pidity and cauterizing of confcience, makes flout againft God, bold and impudent in finning ; it makes the man's heart harder then an adamant, it makes him to be ora brazen brow, and to put on a whore's forehead, fo that he will not at all think fhame, nay, not fo much as blush, but confidently wipe his mouth, and fay, What have I clone? and very readily it brings on all the dread- ful effe&s mentioned in the foregoing Caution ; and fills the world of the vifible Church with prodigies of pro - fanity
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