osa Acts 24. I®. 79 differing from an honefl Gofpel-Confcience ? ..lnfw. r. In refpe& of its rife, there is a defeat in the judgment ;. for, if the eye be blind, if the underflanding be dark,the Confcience mull be fo too ; `They have (faith the apoflle of the Yew) a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge ; and being ignorant of the righteoufnefr of God, they go about to eftablifh their own righteoufnefs. However zealous they were of God, or others fuch may be, yet they are ig- norant in three things, z. In the extent and fpiritual meaning of the law : Suppofing ( for inflance ) that a man keepeth the Sixth Command, when he is not guilty of any grofs a& of murder ; and the Seventh, when he Both not a &ually commit adultery or fornication, not knowing or confidering, that a look, arifing from the flame of luflwithin, is a breach of that Command ; and fo proportionably in other Commands : Even as the Pha- ' r fees conformed the law in the meaning thereof to their own pra&ice, and not their pra &ice to the meaning of the law. z. They are ignorant of the way of God's righ- teoufnefs, and of that which giveth the Confcience folid ground to fpeak peace. Many, if they have an honeff meaning in their praying, reading of the fcripture,waiting on publick ordinances, if they put their bodies to force fort of penance, or be ready to give, if it were, the half of their effates to have their fouls fate ; and if they have -a fort of ferioufnefs in all this, think that all is well with them, and that they have a very good Confcience, If this piece of ignorance were well difcerned, never one foul out of Chrifl would have peace, becaufe none out of Chrifl have folid grounds of peace ; for none have their hearts fprinkled from an evil Confcience hut there that are in him. 3. They are ignorant of their particular cafe, they know not what fins they are guilty of,nor what Confcience faith of them, they think it fpeaketh better things to them than indeed it doth ; force gucfs at it,fome mifanterprete it, and fume repel it : Whereas, if they were foberly refle&ing on, and impartially looking to, their manner of proceeding in every thing, they would fee that they miftake their Confcience exceedingly. This then is the firft defeat, viz. a. defeat in the judgment. The fecund is a defeat as to finglenefs and fincerity in the
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