286 Sermon ro private_ walk as Chriftians, and in our publick imploy- ment as minifters of the gofpel, in our fuffering for truth, and in our doing for it ; even in all things, we have a good. Confcience. z. There is the evidence or ex- plication of this, in the words following; becaufe it might be thought Eirange, that he fhould fo confidently of ert a good Confcience in all things, as if he had been without fin, he explains his meaning in other three words, (hewing what he takes to be a good Confcience The #fl word is 'willing, which holds out his kindly in- clination and the determinatnefs of his refoulion anent the thing ; it was his defire, defign and delight to be right in every thing, as Nehemiah was, To fear God'.a name: And, tho' he came fo far short, as that the evil which he would not, he did, and the good which he would fain have done, he could not aiñri at it ; yet he de- lighted not, he approved not himfelf in the evil, nei- ther did he defign it, but rather had it for his burden and affli -ion ; as fié gives us an account, Rom. 7. This then is the apoftie's meaning in that high affertion, viz that it was his defire, defign,endeavour and delight to have it fo. The fecund word is, Ìo live; which in the original, is to converfe, and looks to his whole converfaton. It was not only to be holy in fuch or fuch a duty, as in pray- ing, preaching, and the like, but in all manner ofcon- verfation. The third word is, Honefiily, which is the ad- verb of the fame word called good before, and lignifies to live pieafantly, definably,' worthily or honourably ; even to live fo, as the gofpel might not fuffer by any thing in his walk; and fo, as none of the feekers of God might be afhamed for his fake; and fo, as none might be fainted, difheartned or difcouraged to pray for him. As for the (cope of the words, you fee they are fub- joined to, and corinecied with, the immediately preceed -. ing. exhortation to pray for him, and are given as the reafon why they fhould do fo : Paul being made ufe of by the holy Ghoft, as his penman to write this epiftle,', he does (as'tis ordinary for him in others of his epifiles)- hommend himfelf to the prayers of the faints,' to whom,' he writes : And, becaufe he was ill fpoken of and mifre - prefenteda as an enemy to the law of Ales, and to the eci.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=