A Trear f ofConfcience. Now fo'.loweth its judicial bearing witneffe ; which is when it paflcth fentence upon the me,ral of onr aetions, whether they begood or evil, whether ble.led or turfed. This is performed by a Logical difcourfe; by way of reafoning on this manner, The word faith, Whoever look th on a woman to lu.s7after her, bath committed adultery in his heart : That is the Synterefis. Now the ai1umption ; But I have hadWanton eyes and lufful lookirgs after a Woman : That is the tingle bearing witneffe of confcience. 7 herefore I have committed adultery in my heart : That is the judiciary fentence ofconfcience which it paffeth on a mans Pelf, So again, WhQ%ever crucifieth the_efb with the afFeftions and lu.Its, he is in Chrifl : But, faith confcience, I cru- cifae the fiefbzvithits jet-lions and lufls: Therefore 1 am in Chrifi. Though there be not the forme of this difcourfe in our confciences, yet there is the force of it : for when confcience doth judicially witneffe againft any man or for any man, it loth it by the word, and proceedeth in the way which is pro, pounded. The ufe of this is, Firf} for comfort to the godly, who may hencegather the afrurance of their falvation from the ruleof Gods word, and the witneffe oftheit confcience that they walk by this rule. The word faith, He that hungreth and thir- fieth after righteoufne(fe fha11 be filled; He that doth thefe things fball neverfall, ey4'c.Get the ruleofyour hearts and lives tomeet and ye have what ye defire. Owhat infinite mercy is this to all godly fouls, that the Lord bath planted this confcience in their bofomes, that they need not go farre for their comfort ; their own confciences and the rule may preach it to them. Secondly, The wicked on the other fide, if they continue as they are, may h'ence gather arguments for their own damnati- on. Ifthe rule and confcience might be heard ,they would fpeak bitter things againfl them, and give a fearful fentence on them. It may be they can fmother their confciences now for a time; but they will one day lead them a fearful lecture.. I fpeaknot now only of thofe who drown their confciences in their cups, and fear their confciences by their groffe fins ; but of thole who would. 31 ring wit- nefiè of confi- ence. Vie r. Mattb. 5,6 t Pet, a, i o. 71fe2,
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