072 Heb. ga. r. 293 excepted ; fo fpecial graçe hath a mighty powerful in fluence where it comes, and reaches the whole man, and the Confcience in particular, tho' not perfectly in this life Think not then, that all mens Confciences are alike ; and, as ye will not truft every man's word, fo fhould ye not truft every man's Confcience. zdly, Obferve, That there is fuch a thing attainable, as a good, or clear and pleafant Confcience ; otherwife, if it were amply unattainable, there could be no folid nor true ground for Paul's af'ertion here. This good Confcience, in thort, is come at thus ; Ili, There is an exercife, to have a Confcience void of offence toward God, and toward men ; whereof we fpoke from _derfs 24. 16. This is the tender Chriftian's defign which he drives. 2dly, When a man has been thus exercifed, to have a good Confcience, he is, in the next place, exercifed to know the fenfe of his Confcience, and to have its apó probative teftimony : And 'this we fpoke to from thefe words, z Cor. iz. This is our rejoicing, the to /limony of our Confcience, &c, ;dly, There is a clear and pleafant Confcience ; which flows from the former two : When a man has been exercifed to have a good Confcience, and to have the teftimony of his Confcience for him, and comes to difcern it ; there refults from thefe a clear, calm, ferene, fmiling and pleafant Confcience ; which is a molt heartfom and folacious thing to dwell with, a very defirable, delightfom, refrefhing, cheerful and fpiri- tually jovial companion. The ufe ferves to chew you, That you fhould not look on a good Confcience as an empty or airy fancy or no- tion, or as a thing that is not attainable, or as a thing that was never attained by any ; ye fee the faints have come a good length in it : And, next to the glory of God, this is the, end, for attaining whereof they take all the pains to have a good Confcience ; even, that they may win at this caimnefs and tranquillity, at this peace, corn.. fort and joy of foul, refulring from a good Confcte.nce,; even as men labour, and take pains to win at fomething in the world, that they may have a more convenient, commodious and comfortable life in it. And, comparing hc words of this text with thefe of AO/ 4. 16. 'tis very Ti clear
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