84 Sermon 4. all thefe works and duties of his, as to the acceptation of them on their own account and for themfelves, he finds that they are in fome refpeca but dead, as wanting much of the foul and life of them, neither can he have peace till he betake himfelf to Chrift's blood : Tho' he were com- municating every day, praying every hour, &c. yet he hath no peace in thefe till Chrift's blood fpeak peace; as we may fee in David, who, tho' he had peace intimated by Nathan, yet is not thorowly quiet for all that, and therefore he prayeth, Pfal. 51. Gaufe me to bear the voice of joy and gladnefr ; there is no healing of his wound till a word from God himfelf do it. It is on the contrary an ill token, when a Confcience feeth fm, and can fpeak peace to itfelf on this ground, that there is mercy in God; and yet never applieth the blood of fprinkling to purge it from dead works, nor feeketh to have the word fpo.. ken, as it were, from God's own mouth. And, on the o- ther fide, the legal Confcience will make amends to God, will give him facrifices enough, and perform many duties to hirn, looking for his acceptance only on account of thefe, and that is as ill a token ; but a good Confcience refteth not on any of thefe, but, tho' it hath the facrifice of a broken and contrite fpirit to offer to God, yet it loth not reft on that nor any duty, but is put beyond thefe, to reft onCh rift and on his facrifice; Purge me with by op, &c. faith David, Pfal. 51. And this is a clear and certain differen- cing mark, even to confider well whereon Confcience re- fteth for peace after a challenge, and to make fore that it refteth thus on Chrift. A 3d Character is, That a good Confcience will both challenge and fpeak peace at one time ; it can (fand up and defend itfelf againft a challenge : Thus, when the law on the one hand comes and charges it with many defeets in duty,and denounceth wrath againft it becaufe of thefe, it will humbly take with them;. and yet,on the other hand, in the very time it can betake itfelf co Chrift,and produce a word of peace that it hath ready at hand from him ; this we may fee iii Paul, I Tim. z. is. I was (lays he) befor e a bal f phemer, a perfectstor, and iz%jurious ;. but I ob- tained mercy. It is an evil token, when men either have only challenges and no peace) or only peace anti no chal- lenges
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