A7+reatìfe ofConfcience. ¡ 75 any point inGods word with joy and delight. A wicked heart can hear pointsofinercy and comfort with joy : fo long his peace lafteth : Everyman that callethupon the name offthe Lord fhall befaved ; Ifwe confef feour finnes, God is jug to forgive to ourfinnes ; l f any man finne, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jefua ChriJl the righteous ; Whover 'hall confere that Jeftu is the Sonneof god, God de\A'elleeh in him and he in God : Snch points as thefe a wicked heart can read with delight (though if they were truly opened and expounded they would yield him cold comfort, yet he can hear them with delight in the lump :) But if a fearching point or fame terrible point cometh, he is afraid to hear that. Ahab had a quiet confcience but only when Mice iiah did preach : Felix had a quiet con- fcience nodoubt ; yet he trembled to hear Paulpreachof death andof judgment, -Ads 24. 25. One would have thought that Paul ( a prifoner) fhould rather have been afraid : but Paul had true peace of confcience, and therefore he could think and fpeak ofdeath with great comfort, and ofjudgment with joy ; So could not Felix, Beloved, this is a ffrong flgne of a falle peace, when force points ofGods word lay us flat and bereave' us of our hold. Ye (hall have many fay, O they have fuch peace, and theyhave fuch a good confcience, .cs quiet as can be, and as heart-whole as can be : By and by a found fearching point corn- eth and ranfacketh them to the quick, and they are gone. I confefre they go and get Tome untempered morter or other, and dawb up their consciences again ; but they are gone for the time. This is a fl:rong ligne of a rotten peace. Bat a child of God can hear any point, hear ofdeath, ofjudgment, of any thing contained in the word, with delight and comfort. It is true, he may be amazed thereat : but he is glad at heart that he heareth it, and will make ufe of it, be it mercy or judgment. Sweet or bitter points all are welcome to him : even the bit- terefi points are fweet tohim, becaule God and he are at peace; and therefore he knoweth there is no news from God but it is good. IV. If our peace ofconfcience be good,it will heal that bale L 2 fearful- i
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