44. Sermon I. commanded and preferibed by him, and in abflaining from forbidden fins ; for, if there were not fome awe from confcience, what extravagancies would they loofly run into, who have no fear of God and of his word ? And thus Confcience bath a force to put men to duty, in thefe refpeCts; i. It difcovers duty, and holds it before them. When the Lord hath commanded to pray, read the feriptures, to keep the Church, and wait upon ordinances difpenfed there; to keep holy the Sabbath -day, &c. Confcience puts a man in mind of thefe ; and, when he negle &s any one of them, will fay to him, Thou fhouldíf be in another place, or about other work : So, when David's heart fmote him, it helped him to fee his duty. 2. There is an obligation to duty laid on by Confcience, fo that the man cannot shift it ; he cannot, he dare not fay, Such a thing is not my duty; for Confcience beareth it in, and layeth it on him convin- cingly. 3. There is an efficacy in Confcience to poufs to duty ; from this comes that reftlefuefs and difquiet that is often in men and women, when duty is omitted, that they can have no peace till it be gone about. 4. Confci- fnce inviteth to duty, by promifing peace upon the per- ormance of it. On the other hand, Confcience hath in- fluence to reffrain from fin, i. By difcoveripg fuch and fuch a thing to be fin; and though the foul would not - wirhftanding endeavour to digeff it, yet Confcience makes a challenge to go down with at. 2. By threatning the firmer when its warning is negle &ed, and not taken ; telliLg him, That he Shall repent it one day, and that it will make him repent it. 3. By taking away the fweetnefs of fin, and leaving a fling in place of it ; as when Ahab killed Naboth, it laid, Haft thou killed, and a fo taken poffefon ? And from this arifé challenges, and fears of the execution of threatned judgments, which quite mar the comfort the man expeCted in the enjoy - ment of fuch and fuch a thing ; in all which it keeps a majeffick and ftately divine way becoming God's deputy, and bears witnefs for him againft the firmer. A 3d. end is, To abbreviate (as it were) God's procefs n judging men, to juftify and clear him, and to make way for his feutencet whatever it be. i. It cotduceth,as it
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