012 2 Cor. x. I2, , Certaitly fpeak, IN hen there is ground for it. 6tbly, Obferve, That a believer, v4 ho hath a teflimonyv of a good Confcience, would take with it, acknowledge it, and rejoice in it. Paul, having and finding this tefti- mony of his Confcience, owns it, expreffeth, profefl"eth, and avoucheth it. That which I mean here is this, that a believer would no lefs take with Confcience its teftimony when it fpeaks for him, than he takes with a challenge when it fpeaks againft him ; and would be as well coin- forted by the one, as he is humbled under the other The experience of the faints clears and confirms this; He- zekiah, David, Paul here, and others of the godly, have comforted themfelves from the teftimony of a good Con- fcience. We will not, we dare not fay, that it is either the greareft or mòft ordinary fault but we are lure, it is a fault incident to believers, that they do not (when fiuclying to have a good Confcience in all things) take . more with, acknowledge, and comfort themfelves in the. teftimony of their Confcience; partly thinking that it is prefumption for them to own it, or to comfort themfelves in it ; partly thinking that fomething elfe is more fui- table for them, and that it becomes them rather to be humbled, becaufe of the many evils that they find them_ felves to be guilty of, than to be thus comforted; think- ing that they have never fufficient ground for a teftimony of Confcience for them which were very hard' for belie- vers to conclude, for it were on the matter to deny that they have any thing of the grace of God in truth : Faro as far as grace is in exercife, they have ground for this teftimony of their Confcience for them, and fo good ground to be comforted, and made joyful from it. But, for profecuting and clearing of this,' we !hall give you.fome rules or cautions, which may l e as fo many di- rections to walk by in this matter, for preventing of mi- ffakes : The frfl whereof is this, That the teftimony of a good Conícience to fojourning and militant Saints, doth not flow from perfe&ion in holinefs ; otherwife David, Paul, Hezekiab, and others,would never have had it But it flows from refleeting on the general tra& of a man's way, and his finding it to be in Tome meafure ftraight before the Lord ; as we fee it did in David, Pi. Iá. 211 22, and yob z3. I I, la. ° S tho
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