Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

46 Sermon r. when men condemn, as we may fee in P' aul here ; when Men give in a lible and accule, it will difcharge, as . lets 2.3. z . Alen and brethren, I have lived in all good Con- fcience before God until this day. And, when Confcience bath abfolved, it maketh cheerful. as 2 Car. I. 12. our °ejoicing is this, the to fümony of our Confcience, &c. And 3. 5obn 3. 20. If cur heart condemn us rot, then have we confidence toward God. So then, we fee Confcience hath thefe three great ufes and ends, z. To keep people in awe of God, and of his greatnefs, and to keep them in mind that they muff give an account to him. 2. To hold them at their duty, and they Mould be very loth to con - tradi& it. 3. If duty be negle &ed, to record all their faults, and to accule and fentence them therefore, and írèver to leave purfuing them ; for Confcience will con - tinue as a worm in hell gnawing for ever and ever. The fry ft úfe ferves to hear in this truth on you, That there is filth a Thing as Confcience. The moil ignorant and profane and haughty of you all, whither young or old, one and other of you, have a Co7,fcience, that taketh particular notice of very thing in ycur walk, that recd. Meth all, that accufeth or excufeth; and the ye take not heed to it now, ye will on day be made to know it : Take it therefore for a certain truth, that ye have filch a thing within you, that ÿe have a knowledge with your knowledge, even a Confcience that remembreth when ye would forget° The minding of this is ufeful, 1. To make people calf out with fin rather than with their Confcience. 2. To make warry that they take not liberty in fecret to fin. 3. To make them take kindly with reproofs for fin; remember therefore that there is a Confcience in every One of you. Ye will poflibly think it needlefs to preis this, and I with it were fo but we may íhortly point at thefe evidences, to prove, that may On the matter think they have not a Confcience. The Firft is, That they take fo little pains to prevent a quarrel from there Confcience. How many omit, baulk and flep over duty, and go on in fin ? which they dfuríl not do, if they believed that they had a Confcience. n The few challenges that molt have under many fins,' and

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