76 i A Treatifi o fConfcie,nce. fearfulnes which is in many : who dale not be in the dark dare not go through a Churchyard in the night, some wi!1 quake at Job . t,2 c the very fhakingofa leaf, as the wicked in ?ob:nvhích is nothing but a guilty confcience.I grant this fearfulnes is natural to fome; yet I fay the true peace ofconfcience will cure it. I do not fay this is a reciprocal! figne of true peace ofconfcience : for many wicked men may be bold enough : but I fay true peace ofcon. fcience will cure this immoderate fearfulneffe in the godly. But here two queflions are to be asked, I. Whether every true child ofGod that hash true peace of confcience can think ofdeathwith comfort and be defirous to die. Anfw. K. Peaceofconfciencedoth not take away natural fear. It is the nature of every living creature to be very fearful! of death. The Philofopher calleth death goßsewv gpo'era-rev, the fearfuleft thing ofalfearfull things. Bildad calleth it the king ofterrours. Nature loveth its own prefervation ; and therefore feare,h the def'cruiion of it. Peace of confcience doth not Job.j8.i4. take away all this feare. 2. Belides, peaceof confcience doth not takeaway alwayes all degrees of flavifh fear ofdeath. The reafon is, becaufe peace ofconfcience may be weak,mixed with much troubles ofconfcience.For as faith may be very imperfeá , fo peace of confcience may be in Tome very imperfec`I: Goodold Hilarion was very fearfull to die : He cryed out to his foul when he lay on his death bed. O my foul, haft thou fer- ved Chrift therefourefcere years, andart thou no* afraid todie ? x loh 4,18 Again, a mans lovemay be very imperfe . Perfet love indeed cafteth outfeare; but imperfeet lovedoth not Hezekiah had peace of confcience : Remember Lord; faith he, I have walked` s Kings before thee in truth, and xvitha perfeet heart. Mark ; He had the iz.°' 3. peaceof a good confcience; his confcience cold him he had a fincere heart, and that his wayes pleafed God : yet he was afraid to die : I do not think it' was onely becaufe he had no iffue, though that might be fome reafon of it. 3. When a child of God is afraid to die, it is not fo much for love of this life as out Pfa.39.13 ofa desire tobe better prepared. This made David cryout, sureme, that I may recover ffrength, before 1go henceand be no more
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