76 Sermon z. with his Confcience ; tho' he cannot quiet, pacify and fatisfy it in a legal way, yet in a gospel way he m y And this is even it, that the faints have in their ap eal-a ing to their Confcience, for the great ground of heir peace, viz. the fincerity of their pro &ice, and that their fleeing to Chriffs blood, to the blood of fprinkling, for quieting their Confcience in the crowd of challenges for their shortcomings and failings in pra&ìce, and that ve- ry warrantably from the word of God whoever fncere- ly take this way, tho' they have challenges of Confci- ence, they have yet, notwithffanding, a good Con- fcience : Such a Confcience challengeth by the law, yet abfolveth by the gofpel ; challengeth on account of the rebellion of the law in the members, and yet abfolveth in refpeet of the law in the mind ; it condemneth the man as lothfom in himfelf, and in his own duties and righteoufnefs, and yet abfolveth him as founding his peace on Chriff, and finking and putting to Menu all challenges and accufations in that blood of fprinkling, that fpeaking blood, that bath a cry to outcry the loudeft cries of the moft clamorous and guilty Confcience : And what can be juftly faid againff this, f nce Chrift's righte- oufnefs is perfe &, and God's promife faithful, and Chriff's blood of force and efficacy, to quiet and give the anfwer of a good Confcience ? But it may be asked here, May not a natural unrç- newed perfon, or a hypocrite, have the teffimony of a good Confcience ? or, how far may his Confcience be good, and wherein lieth the difference betwixt his good Confcience, and the believer's good Confcience ? I know this is a piece of the fpiritual pride and vanity of many of you to boaft of a good Confcience, and really it would make a tender Confcience fomeway to lothe to hear you fpeak fo confidently of it. I shall therefore in the Fírfi ply., anfTer to the guelion, How far the Confci- ence of a natural man, or an hypocrite may be good ? and then spew you .how and wherein it is defe&ive, and what are the differences betwixt it and the believer's good Confcience. For the Firß9 I would fay this in general in the Fr, place, That we are not now freaking of fleepy, er ing,
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