Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

072 Atts 24. 16. 5r we (poke more particularly to this do&rine, viz. That there is,jn all men and women a confcience that taketh ,w- tice of every pieceiof their carriage, and is accordingly affe- fted with, arid effeCtetb for it. Some thing which aife &eth them, as it is atfe &e:d ; if their carriage be good, it fpeaketh good to them ; if evil, it fpeaketh evil to them Hence'tis faid,Rom. 2.15. Their Con fcience bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accaijing or elfe excufng one another. Something alfö was fpoken to what Conference is, and what is its office : We !hall now add a third Do &rive (tho' it be not the third in the order that we propofed the do &rives at firff) which is this, That Chrians ought fo to walk, yea, if they be tender, they will aim and endea- voúr fo to walk, as in nothing they may give their Confcience o$enceo The foregoing do&rive is common to all,viz.To _ have a Confcience; but this, to walk friendly with the Con- Pence, fo as not to offend or wrong it, is not common to all, but peculiar to him who is a Chriftian in earneff ; as the apoftle fpeaketh of himfelf in the preceeding chapter, v. 1. Alen and brethren, I have lived before God in all good con- fcience until this day, (fuppofing him to mean fnce his converfion) and 2Cor. 1.12. Our rejoicing is this,the teflimony of our Confcience, &c. and Heb. 13. 18. We trull we have a good Confcience in all things willing to live hone ply : And his pitching on this as a great ground of his eonfolatiora in`ftraits, is a clear evidence that it is not a common thing, but peculiar to the tender Chriffian : Hence is the confident approaching of the faints to God, as we may fee in David through the Pfilms; in HeZekiah, Jfa. 38. 3, Remember, I befeech thee, how I have walked before thee it truth, and with a perfect heart ; and in yob, chapter 270 v. 6. So, i Yghn 3. 2.t. Beloved, if our hearts condemn 0. not, then have we confidence towards God. For further clearing of this point, we Thal! Thew, Pitifr8 What it is not to offend the Confcience. 2. That a be-h. liever ought to walk (and, if he be tender, will walk) fo, as he may not offend his Confcience. And, 3, Make of of the doctrine. For clearing of the fiifl, we (hall Brew, i. What ofl n Beth the Confcience. 2. What it is not to offend Confer ence, The firft of thefe may be comprifed in thefe three D .. gene

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