Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

1 two that David goeth, Pfal. i S. to, a t, zz. qe Lord rewarded me according to my righteoufnefs, according to the cleannefs of my hands bath he recompenjed me ; for I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God : As if he had Paid, I halved not the Bible, nor the commands, nor did I mifinterpret them ; neither did I depart wickedly, I never refolvedly allowed my- felf in any fin, fo as to oppofe one fin, and to indulge and connive at another : For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his Jatutes from me, I endeavoured to Jet them always as a compafs before me, by which.I allowed myíèlfto Meer my whole courfe : I was a/fo up- right before him, and kept myfelf from mine iniquity ; the fin that I was moll given unto, that had molt power over over me, and to which 1 had the manyeft and firongett affaults of temptations, I kept myfelf mof} watchfully from that. A fecond property of a good Confcience, in a gofpel - fenfe, is, That it is a Confcience very Tingle, having a jufl regard for all thefe things required in a Chriftian walk, whereof we fpoke before ; 'tis very ob- fervant of the performance of all duties, looking not only, to the matter, but to the fpiritual manner of going about them : It is Engle in its motives and ends, laying due weight on that which Chrift faith, If thine eye be Jingle, thy è whole body _pall be full of light. That is a mark of a good Confcience indeed, when a man in his a&ings is swayed with refpe& to the honour of God, and cloth not what he doth to be feen of men, nor to have fome- what to boaft of before God, but he feeketh to have Chrift increafing, tho' he fhould decreafe ; and is con- tent to be trole upon, if it may contribute to the exalt- ing of him ; and would fain be up at the due manner of performing all called -for duties ; even to be in cafe with the apoftle, Reh. i 3. 18. to fay, ¡Ve trufl we have a good Confcience in all things, willingJo live honeflly ; this is our aim and defign ; and, if it be otherwife with us in any thing, we approve not ourfelves in it. A third property is, That fich a Confcience is delighted and made glad, or grieved and made fad, according as it is enabled to manage this great defign, and to profecute and at- Lain this ¡noble end, or not ; in this r'efpet, a believer may

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