on Ac9s 24, A. 47 and their living in fuck peace and fifcurity, as if they had not a Confcience to difquiet them, many men and women know, and are as little acquainted with challenges and conviftions, and Rand in as little awe of Confcience, as if they had none at all : Hence we ufe to fay, That fuch a Man has not a Confcience, becaufe, tho he have it, he regards it not ; and fuch a man has a Confcience, becaufe he maketh ufe of it, and liflèns to what it fays. 3. That people feek more to approve themfelves in outward and feen duties, than in inward and fecret ones, and look more after mens approbation than God's, and lean more to, and lay more weight on outward teftimonies from men, than to and on inward ones from their own Corìfcia" ' ence. If Confcience were really believed to be, there would be as great awe of God, and as great lothnefs to .` o in fecret, as before many witneffes. But ye will ob jeet and fay, Seeing every c . h a Confcience, what can be the reafon that many care fo little for Confcience ? Anfaver I, What is the reafon that Men care fo little for God ? If they care not for the Lord and Mafter, tris no wonder they care fo little for the deputy and fervant ; shall we therefore think that there is not fuch a thing at all as a Confcience in fuch ? No,by no means; it will provo indeed, that 'they flight Confcienee, but not that they want a Confcience. a. There is in many men a conten- ding with, and provoking of Confcience, which, in God's righteous judgment, maketh a filent Confcience ; when the Lord maketh Confcienco quick, and fets it on to re- prove and check for fin, and men do not liften to its checks and reproofs, confcience ofFendeth, and will not reprove : Confcience being God's deputy, taketh or- ders from him, and when God will not vouchfafe.á word of reproof on a man, neither will it ; È',hraim is joined to idols, let him alone, faith the Lord, Hof 4. 17. And, from Rom. 1. zo, zi. we may fee the caufe why God' giveth up the heathen to a reprobate mind, to do things that are not convenient, to be their going crois to the light of nature,and their natural Confcience; and not only doing things finful, but taking. pleafure in them that did them
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