4:Jc7 I/4CW 5 Will not prove a folid ground of the teflimony of a good Confcience Therefore we fee that God plagues Abimi- ecb, notwithftanding his moral honefly and fincerity. It is true, it may extenuate, and in fome refped excufe a Sean's fault, as it does Paul's perfecution, who did it ig. íorantly, and out of unbelief ; and the Yews their zeal, Which was not`accordîng to knowledge : Bur, as the thing it- fell was not warrantable, fo no fuck thing can be a fo- lid ground of peace ; therefore the yews zeal does not warrant them in that they did, nor Paul's` perfecution to be no fn, as neither the one nor the other, nor both of them together, warrant there fpoken of, i John 16. who, in killing the fervants of thrift, thought they did God good fervice : The matter mutt be right, otherwife there can never be ground for a good tefdimony of the Confcience. There is"fornewhat of this kind of fincerity in many merchants and tradefinen, which makes them, if they be any way morally honeft in their dealings, to think, that they have religion' enough, and fufficient ground for a good teftimony from their Confcience But, alas, this will not do the bufinefs, nor obtain fuch a tè- ftimony ; it is not lure for nought, that Paul puts in this word for a ground of his teftmony, godly fin- .. , eerily. The 2d fare groun4 is implied i;i thefe words, not with flefhly wifdom ; wherein ye may take notiee, i o That there is a flefhly wifdom, providence or policy, whereby many men fquare their alions and ways, fo as the mean they pitch ón may reach their end ; and they May carry the matter fo fmoothly and handfomly, as not çpenly to offend, the,' they make but little Confcienee in the choice of means But it is not from a principle of Confcience, it is but worldly wifdom, which will come to nought. 2. Ye may notice here, That, tho' this may keep a man fometimes from outward trouble, and in a fort of quietnefs of mind, and may yield him force ground of expe&arion to gain his point yet it will not give him folid peace, nor be the ground of a good re- ñimonp from his Confcience. .indeed,' where a tender well-informed 'Confcience rules and bears fway, natúral , ifdom is a ferviceable and ufeful handmaid ; butt when i. z
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