AT"reatifeof Con, (cience. J 57 humbled his foul before God, and obtained pardon, his con- fciencetelleth him as much,and abfolveth him, 71left, the Lord, PIi,o3.3 omy foul, &c. Whoforgiveth 411 thyfins. Nay, though a child of God have many infirmities daily and hourly, yet hisconfcience doth abfolve him : it-is nomore I that do it, faith his confcience, butfinne that dd'elleth inme. If1 diftruft, it is no morel; for I fight againft it : IfI be overtaken by any weakneffe, it isno more I ; for Ilaboured againft it, and dobelbail it. III. A mi a in confcience. g THe third part of confciences office in things done, is to miflike ifwehave done ill, There be imperfeaions in the heft obedience ofGods deareft frrvants : what I do I allownot, faith `Paul: His confcience mifliked fomething done by him. But that miflike of confcience which now I fpeak of, is of things that are ill done, that is, not done in truth and fincerity. thus it is in all that are not renewed by the Holy Ghoft : The officeof their confcience indeed is to miflike what they do : Rom. 7. When they have prayed, their confcience can miflikeit, and 15. fay, I have notprayedn'ith a heavenly mind, aholy heart: When theyhave beenat a Sacrament , confcience can truly miflike it, and fay , I have not been afit gueft at Chrifts Table, &c. When they are crofl'ed and tempted, their confciences truly miflike their carriage , and fay, I do not fight and re/ift , but rm. dily and willinglyyield toevery invitation to evil. Do ye not think that jeroboams confcience mifliked his altering Gods worfhip, his innovating religion, his making Ifrael to finne? do not ye think his confcience mifliked him for thefe things ? Do not ye think that Nabals confcience mifliked his griping ? and Doegs confcience mifliked his flandering ? and Pafhurs confcience mifliked his oppofing and mifiifing Ieremie ? and the old Prophets confcience mifliked his lying ? Who would have thought but Balaam Paid well, Whatfoever the Lord faith unto me that will I(peak , and, Icannot go beyond the command- ment oftheLord to do lefe or more ; no, notfor Balakshoufefull ofgold; who wouldhave thought but that this was well Paid yet his own confcience couldnot chufe but miflike it, being not I fpoken
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=