SERMON 1. Heb, 9, :13,:14. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer fprinkling the unclean, fandifieth to the purifying of the flefh ; Row much more fall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered hiinfetf with - out fpot to God, purge your Confcience frond , dead works to ferve the living God T is the great bufinefs of Chrittians to walk fo as they may be in good terms with their Confcience, that from no untendernefs in their way there may be any juft ground of Challenge, at leaft none fuch as may wound the Confcience, and break or marr the peace and tranquillity of it, before God, or difturb or interrupt that fweet ferenity, and diftinft caimnefs of a fpiritual frame of foul, that he allows on believers in him, who are exercifing themfelves to have always a good Confci- ence : But, alas, 'tis not all profeffors of religion, 'tis not all gracious Chriftians that win at this ; who (I mean fe- nious Chriftians) partly through the unmortified remain- der of corruption Hill dwelling in them, and partly through their own unwatchfulnefs, fall often into fuch fins as defile the Confcience, and obaru& the clear light and ferene tranquillity thereof, when in any meafure at-. rained and therefore it is no lefs neceilary to know how a defiled' Confcience may be purged, and how we may recover lofed calmnefs and peace, than it is to know how a good Confcience may be win at : Fior indeed, if all our . peace and tranquil! ty of Confcience depended on our own holy walk only, it would be but a hearrlefs and com- fortlefs work to fpeak of a good and calm Confcience on that ground but this is the great, the very great advan- tage that we have by the gofpel of grace ; which, as it !hews the way how to prevent a quarrel from, and fo a wound unto, the Confcience ; fo it thews the way how a quarrel and controverfy drawn on may be removed. And this is the thing that now we would fpeak a little to, from thefe words ; wherein the apoftle's fcope is to hold out to the .7ews the weaknefs of their ceremonial worthip, facrifices and waihings; and the fufficiency of Chrift's fa- crif ce
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