44G1 crAtir4 them to laugh it over, and to banï4ft that melancholious fit, and fo to bring the perlons to bear down this trouble of their Confcience, as a filly defpicable fancy, and as if it were for their good to do fo, I befeech you beware of binding up your Confience thus, elfe it may grow worfe on your hand; "tis even as if a man that bath a fore and aiking band Should cut it off, or as if a part of his flefh were pain- ed, and he Should clap a hot burning iron on it ; and yet, this is a way that is very frequently taken by men, who can- not endure to convene with their difqu.icted Confcience, And therefore they labour to quafh and quench any be- gun exercife in it, whether under flcknefs or any other crois difpenfation, or at a preaching or communion : it may be that many of you have had töme, fucli thing, and it bath been driven, or it hath worn away, and ye can_ not tell how. eddy, Another way is allo too ryff and or- dinary, and that is by leekiug to flop the mouth of Con- pence by tome other thing than by the blood of Chrift Hence, force under terrible convi&ions will promife and vow, if they drank exceilively before, that they will do fo no more ; that they will not go to fuch a tavern, nor to fuch a company for this and that long time : Some will, it may be, after the committing of finch or fuch a grofs fin, vow not to eat flefh on Such a day of the week, throughout their whole life ; they will, it may be, vow to be more religious ; but, fo loon as the convi&ion or trouble is over, they remain Hill the fame, and their Con- fcience lets them alone; they take their own Sinful latitudes, and are found to have been all along, and Hill the fame old carnal men; becaufe they aimed not Tingly at peace with God thro' Chrifl's blood, but for the time to flop the mouth of their Confcience. 3ddy, Some Peek to compenfe the Confcience, or to compenfe fin to the Confcience, and not to purge it ; they will, it may be, take fome penance on themfelves; and this is it that leads not only Papifdr to their penances, whippings, pilgrimages, &c. but ma- ny ignorant Prot/ants to make peace with their Confci» enre, by a covenant of works : They will pray, and feek after tears in prayer; they will invite, in a manner, them- felves to mourn; they will give fomething by ordinary to the poor, and let themfelves . to amend fore things for the
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