d treatie of Confcience. a19 ' There are two rules : the one is Gods word, which pointeth out both eftates ; and the ocher is everymans confcience,which is privie to the frame and flanding ofevery mans own heart, and 'Which of thele effaces his eflate is, confcience is privie to this, J will inflance in force fòrts ofmen. I.. The Jews, who con- tented themfelves with formality : they facrificed; they offered, they payd their tithes, they did that which Mofes commanded them for .the letter of it : now ye (hall fee their confcience could tell them that they were not perfecî nor upright with Gcd : All their duties, and formalities, and gifts, and fàcri- f ces could soot make them that did thefervice perfeEt, a per- te+Jng to the confcience, Heb. 9, 9. Mark ; Their corjfciences cot,lu Jay they were nor upright for all this. As they were not upright, fo their conscience could tell them they were not up- right. 2. Another inflanee we have in the Sçribes and Pharifees : When they wouldhave condemned the woman taken in adul- tery, their own conscience was privy that they were tanners themielves,John i8. 9. So also it is Withachild ofGod : His conference is able to inform him that he is a child of God, and that he Both truly ferve God, 7tbar0 God, fáath Paul, whom ,7 ferve 'with apure coufcien(e. His confcience told him.he was a true fètvaant,ot God, and that hewas Gods : whofe I etm tàith he. So Davids con!cience; 1am thine ; _rave nee : for I have fought thy Commandemeuts. So the Church ; illy beloved is melee, and Ism hie . Ye fee then how consciencecan inform and tell us what efface we are in, whether webe godly or carnali, vcl:ether our cenverfation be in heaven or on earth, whether vve be inChrifi or out of him. The fpirit ofman knoweth what is inliim. It is eafìe to know what our great thoughts ofheart are upon, what cur greatefi purhofcs and projeffi and ftudies be ; whether about God or the world : the fpirit of a man muff needs know it. And therefore every man may draw out from conscience a true conclufion how it is with him. The rea- Ions are thefe: 1 t. The fra is taken from the n^tcire of confcience, The natureof conscience is kuch, thot it :milt needs be able to knew D what
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=