iv 'eranvTh a. that believers have need of much finglenefs and felf denial here ; yet they cannot have peace, unlefs they thus diffinguith. And by the way (which might be a difin& doctrine) let me fay, That a believer's not ad- mitting of the tefimony of his Confcience for him, when he hath ground for it, is the caufe of much heart - lefnefs, and a mighty obftru &ion of his peace, comfort and joy, when he knows not how to wail out the teili- mony of a good Confcience, from a crowd and heap (as it were) of challenges for much guilt. ¡thly, Obferve, That whoever would found peace and joy on the teftimony of his Confcience, would be fure that it be a well- grounded teftimony ; therefore Paul, in afferting the teftimony of his Confcience here, and his rejoicing on that ground, proves, That he had fuffici- ent ground and warrant for his doing fo ; and brings fe- veral proofs of it, viz. That, in fimplicity and godly fin- eerily, not with fltJhly wifdom, but by the grace of God, he had his converfation in the world, and more abundantly to them -ward. And indeed, if we confider, i. Of what mighty concernment it is, and how great and vaff a buil- ding is built on it, we will find there is much need to have the ground well and deeply laid. 2. If we confi- der what rains, floods and winds of temptations, troubles and challenges, may defcend, beat and blow upon our building, and put it to the trial,whether it be fOunded,and be built on the rock,or on the fand ; we had need to look well on what ground we build, and that it be fblid and durable. We find many that will have a fort of peace in health and profperity, who, when ficknefs, adverfity and death come, have their peace to leek, having been all the while but building (as it were) cailles in the air. 3. If we confider how eafy and ordinary it is for people here to go wrong, to be miftaken, and to think that all is well, when,alas! it is nothing fo, but all quite, wrong, it fays, we had need to be ficker ; it cries aloud to us, to look about us, and to make fure, folid and ficker work. For further profecuting of this point, I fhall, i. Shew how perlons may flppofe that they have a good te(i- mony of their Confcience without a ground, or upon feem=
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