94 Sermon r. clear, that whoever are ferioufly and fuitably exercifed to have 'a Confcience void of offence towards God and towards men, they may, through God's bleffing, win at a clear, calm and pleafant Confcience ; the one was Paul's Ludy there, the other is his attainment here. If we compare the fíate of our Confcience with the (train of our former walk, it will very eafily be found, that the want of this calm and pleafant Confcience, flows from our not `being fuitably exercifed to godlinefs, and to the having a Confcience void of offence towards God and towards men. This, alas ! this is it that wounds our peace, and mars our fpiritual mirth, that makes us bow down and walk heavily, as it were, without the fim : If there were more ferious and hard prefling after holinefs in all man- ner of converfation among us, we would not readily be filch (rangers to the ferene tranquillity, comfort and refrefhing that flow from a good Confcience. idly, Obferve, That a believer, who is tender in his . walk, may win to be very clear and throughly perfwa- ded,that he bath a good Confcience ; and may, according to his meafure, fay, as Paul doth here, J' e trujt (or are confident) that we have a good Confcience ; who is fo very `firmly perfwaded, that he dare, Rom. 9. r. (whence we (poke foanewhat lately) take the holy Ghoft to be witnefs : So a tender Chriflian may win to be fo very clear and fully perfwaded, that he hath a good Confcience, that he may boldly affert it, and lippen to it as that which will abide the trial, yea, in force re- fpe&,adventure and hazard his very foul on it,that it is fo of a truth. But it may be asked, What is it that founds this per - fwalion, and makes it firm and falid ? Anfwer, The lat- ter part of the rext will give ground to (peak to it more fully But, for the time, and,in the general, we fay,That the f e three do found it ; Ere ever a man can be thus per- (waded that he path a good Confcience, he mu needs s' take a ferions look and of his bygone way, of his pre Pent frame, and of his purpofe and refolution for the future, that he may fee that all thefe be in fome meafure jrgbt. x . then, For his bypait way, it fuppofeth, that 0
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