s32 A firme confcience r Pet. 3. 15,16 treatife of Confèience, I. To a good confcience that is fóundly renewed five things are neceffary. I. Knowledge of Gods will,, and that which doth follow the true knowledge of his will, namely true humiliation and fear. By nature the confcience is blind and flurdy and ven- turous ; and therefore it is neceffary that it Lhould be illigb :ened to t.inderffand the will of God and to prefiè it : and again it is neceffary that the heart fhould be humbled, or elfe it will not floop to Gods will : and it is neceffary alto that this holy fear fhould fall upon the heart, that it may not dare to tranfgreffe. Sc.Peter being to fpeak ofa good confcience, premifeth all there as neceflàrie thereunto : Fiat he advifeth that Chrif}ians have knowledge tobe able togive a reafonofthe hope that i,r in them; and then that they fiaould have e neeknefe andfear, for to doit : with nneekneffe and fear, faith he , having a good confcience. Mark Knowledge and meeknefie and fear are required to make a good conicience ; without them theconfcience cannot be good. By nature we are all ,blind, and f+ubborn, and fear- leße of finning : and therefore till we becured of there evils, our confciences cannot begood. a. The fécond thing is a watchfulneffe and warfare agT infl finne : This is required too to a renewed good confcience. By nature we are drowfïe, and careleffe, and secure, and do not (landupon our guard towage warre againff our lußs and the derres of our flefli ; and fo long our coniciences can neve, be good : and therefore this fpirituall watehfulneffe and maintaining warre againft (inne is required to the having a good confcience : That thou maif warre a good warrefare , faith Paul toTimothie, havingfaith andagoodconfcience, I . Tim. i . 18, 19. Some who famed to have a good conièience, becaufe they did not maintain this holy warfare againf} finne and the flefh, they have loll it : Therefore this is another requifite required to a good confcience. 3. The third is tenderneffe of confcience. By nature_ our hearts are fealed, and dead, and unclean : and therefore we muff get us tender and pure hearts if wewould have good renewed ...
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