me quzetnets of a perfon's Confcience nes, viz. the fncerir ty of the purpofe, or a heart "willingnefs : And we may confider all thefe, either negatvety, fo that without this evidence there cannot be a good Confcience ; or pofitively, fo that where this evidence is, there is a good Conlcience. For the .Fir, What is an honeft walk ? if, We con- ceive it is not that which moff men count honefty, v z, for a man only to think or fancy himfelf to be honeff ; a man's own apprehenfion is not the rule of his trial, but that which will abide the trial before God. 2dly, Honeffy here, looks not to abfolute perfection, and fuch as hath no defe& ; it is a thing that is not ruled and meafured by our will, but by God's will revealed in his word, tho' it come not up the full length of that which his revealed will calls for : And we conceive, that it doth more par- ticularly confiff in thefe four; i. That, on the matter, it be in things allowed and approven of God: For there neither is, nor can be, any honeff living, except our fup- poled duties, and our praises be allowed and comman- ded of God ; and here a good intention, or an honeff mind, if the thing thwart the word of God, will not prove honefty, becaufe, as to the matter, it is not right; as Paul thews, Rom. i o. fpeaking of the 'Yews their zeal. 2. That there be an honett end, elfiá, tho' the aetion be good on the matter, if our end be sniffer or felfy, it will mar the honefty of the anion : Thus Chrift fays, Matth 26. io. of that good woman, She hath wrought cz good,or an honeff, work on me ; which he clears to be fo, from her end, in that he poured this ointment on my body, fbe did itfor my burial. It was not out of vanity and oftenta- tion, but from an inward heart- refpe& to me ; and,at leaft . in God's defign, fhe bath been fore-fignifying my burial. , I3onefty takes in reitude or ítraightnefs in the manner of our going about the duty ; for, if the manner be not right, as well as the matter, the aerion will not be honeff. The word hone Illy (as we Phew) lignifies honou- rily, pleafantly, defirably, worthily ; as that word, .Matth. z6. ao. doth. Now, a thing cannot be commen- dable and worthy, if it be not right for the manner, it is but hypocritical ; therefore it is Paid of the woman that brake the box of ointment on the Lord, I' bat libe did waft
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