56 i s Johns 3. 14. Luke 2.2.9 A Treatife o fConjcience. proba-ion ofhim : from henceforth, faith he, is laid upfor me a CroWn of righ.teoufneJfe : there is cónfciences judgement con- cerning the iffue of it. Confcience foapproveth every particu- lar goadaction done bya faithful man, that by it he may gather a teftimonyof the uprightnefle of his heart : as Hezekiah ; Re- member, Lord, that Ihave walked uprightly before thee. Hereby we know that we are tranElatedfromdeath to life, becaufe we love the brethren. Mark; Love to Gods children is a fuEftcient tefti- mony, not only of our uprightneffe in that particular ad, but altoof the fitnplicity ofour hearts in the general, and that we are translated from death to life.So when good old Simeon had now even finifhed his days, fee what an approbation his con- fcience gave of him ; Lord, noW letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace according to thy word. His confcience here gave a threefold ()Idled approbation of him. i. That hehad been Gods faithful fervant ; thyfervant. 2. That he had walked its the ways of true peace and comfort, depart in peace. 3. That the promife ofGods wordwas his inparticular ; according to thy word. a. II, eírn abfolviug Confcience. He fecond part of theoffice ofconfcience is to abfolve and acquit, Thus Samuel pleading his innocency,had his confci- ence teftifying for him, Mo.ofe oxehave I taken? or whom have I defrauded? and his confcience abfolved him as clear and free from thofe fins. Thus alfo rob ; If I have liftedupmy hand a- gainfl thefatherleffe, when Ifain my help in the gate; If I rejoy- cedbecaufe my wealth is great ; 1 f .I have notgiven my bread to the hungry ; or ifI have rejoycedat the mifery ofmine enemy: then let it be thus and thus to me.His confcience abfolved him as clear of thofe fins. Nay, the confcience ofa childof God dothnot only abfolve him from the guilt of thofe fins which he never committed, but allo from the guilt of thofe fins which hehath committed againft God or againft man. It can tell him he bath truly repented, and truly been humbled, and truly got pardon. Ye knowDavidhad committed, divers fins : yet when he had hum-
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