641 A&.2.;.1. x Cor,4.4 Hcb, 10.2 .ATreatifeofConfttencee will be obedient,but they areobedient,not indeed, not humbled indecd,not reform'd indeed.What it is tobe obedient indeed,fee exod. 2 3. a2.But if thou(halt indeed obey his voyce, anddoall that I Jhall(peak, &c.Mark;that is obedience indeed when wedo al that God fpeaketh,and areobedient in all things. This is an upright confcience,when the heart is bent toobedience in all things.An example we meet with in Paul ; I have lived in all good confci- ence before Goduntill this day. His confcience could not accufe him ofany root of wickednelfe and corruption allowed and cherifhed in him : That is an upright confcience. Haft thou fuch a confcience as this, My confcience can truly bear witnefe there is finne Ifavour my felfe in allow myfelfe in, but condemne all, rive againft all. i hus David proveth that his confcience was upright ; IfI regard iniquity in my heart, the LordWill not hear my prayer. The regarding of any iniquity will not Rand with uprightnefl'e. A fecond thing required to a true quiet confcience is purity. Though our heart be upright and (land generally bent to the Lords will, yet ifwe be guilty of Come particular finne this will hinder the quiet of our confcience. Therefore faith Paul, I knownothing bymy felf; that is, nothing Do accufe me; no cor- ruption, no root of unbeliefe reigning in him : Infirmities he had many , and frailties, hehad many, andhe knew them, but he knew nothing to accufe him. Whatever was amiffe in him, his confcience told -him he ufed all holy means againft it. If thy confcience can truly fay thus alfo of thee, then haft thou a truly quiet confcience. Thirdly, Aífurance of Gods love, favour, and pardon. Though we have fallen into great finnes, yet our confciences may havequiet ifwe can be truly affured of Gods love and fa- vour in the pardon of them. The Apoftle proveth that the fa. criflees of the lawcould not purge away finne; but onely Chrifts bloudcan do it. Hisargument to prove it is this. Becaufe thofe facrifices could not free a man from having confcience of fanne; they couldnot purge the confcience : but Chritts bloud can : After affurance of Pardon in Chrif}s bloud confcience can no more
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