ATreati(eof Confcience. 12 I 2. Knowledge of our felves : This alto is the light that con- k fcience aftethby. There is inevery man force meafure ofknow- ledge of himfelf according to the meafure of knowledge that he bath of Gods law. Our confciences look backward and forward ; forward to Gods law, and backward onour felves. Whether we be fuch as Gods law requireth, yea or no. Fira, ye may finde this in good men. This light did theconfcience of Pf, i8.23 Davidgo by : Ivex upright before God, faith his confcience, and I kept my Pelffrom mine own iniquity. His confcience had a light wherebyhe knew what he did. Secondly, ye (hall finde this in wicked men.This light the confcience of llchar went by: ¡have finnedagainft the LordGod of Ifrael, and thus and thus jofh.7.zO. have Idone. Thefe are the two lights that every mans confcience goes by It hath light in fcmemeafure to know theLaw ofGod,what he fhould do and what he fhould not do; and it hath light in force meafure to knowhimfelf, what hebath done ornot done, whe- ther he hath done as he fhouldyea or no. Now thefe two lights are neceffary; as thus I prove. Firft, theknowledge ofGods Law is neceffary, for elfe con- fcience cannot work. A drunkardmight be drunkevery day in the yeere, and yet confcience could not trouble him nor con- demne him offin unleífe he knew the Law, That God hath for- bid drunkenneffe. And fò the f.vearer, And fo evill words and bad thoughts confciencecannot accufe for, unleffe there be fo much light as to know they are forbidden. And therefore Di- vines do all fay that the Synterefis isneceffarie to the exercife of confcience. The Sy raterefis is this; When a man keeps in his mînde the knowledge of the things contained in Gods Law o- namely, That we muff obey God, honour our parents, not commit adultery, not kill, not Beal, not lie, not covet, &c. Un- lefíe the knowledgeofthefe be kept in minde confciencecannot work. And therefore when we would ftirre a mans confcience, s Cor,6 9 we appeal to his knowledge; Knov' you not that the unrighte. ous fball not inherit the ,çingdome ofGod? As if he had laid, Your ownconfciences may condemnyou to the pit of hell if ye be unrighteous,
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