54 1 ATreatife o fCantience. ries offered unto it,begìnneth to provide for its own cafe, & fo Exod, io. either it is filent and faithnothing,or elle is loon anfwered and $, rebuked ; as it was with Mores : When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Mores, but Hill fell to excufes, and at laff to de, ny all, he would not let lfrael go, notwithffanding all that .Mfes'could urge, but Paid to Mofes, Get thee fromme ; take, ! i heed to thyfelf ; fee my face no more ; Moires then anfwered, Thou haftfpokenwell ; 1 willfee thy face no more. So it is with confcience; When men have been obffinate, and have refufed tohear ir, and would have it (peak no more. Thou hafíx well- (pokrn, faith confcience : hencforthIwill trouble you no more, but let you alone to takeyour courre: I willadvireyou no more; or if I do, T -trill not be any more importunate. 4, A fourth caufe is, that men do wilfully flop the mouth of confcience : If it beginneth to fpeak, prefently they bulge them- felvesabout other things ; or if that will not do, they run into company, and there fpend their time, that the howlings of confcience may not be heard ; and if f}ill it be loud, they {hike up the drum, and ring all the bels, that the voice of it may be utterly drowned ; and fo confcience at laff is content to Rand by, toheare and fee and fay nothing. By this means many times it falleth out that thofe who have had very turbulent and clamorous confiiences not futfering them to be quiet, have at !aft tamed them andput them quite to filence ; or if they do fpeak, it is fo coldly and remiffely that they care not whether they be obeyed or no. Ohthefe are damnable and de- villsíh devices ! Whoever ye be that do thus, ye are in a dange_ gerous eftate, and yecarry the brands ofhell and damnation upon you. Ifever you delire to avoid this dangerous efface, then fhun the caufe : Labour to have your confcience throughly illightned and informed by the Word ofGod, that it may read you your duty. A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counfel. Again, give heed evermore to the counfel of confcience. You know Achitophel took it ill that his counfel was not followed ; therefore he made away himfelf in dii- pleafure : So confcience will take it very ill if its counfel be not followed
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