88 I .B treata¡e of Confcience, theconfciences of Gods people arevery much troubled when the Lord is thus angry with them. 2. The fécond degreeof.trouble of confcience is inch as is in the wicked, and yet not altogetherw ithout hope. The con- fcience is troubled, but yet fo as it conceiveth hope God is merciful' ; and, Chri f died forpoorefnners, &c. Thus many a wicked man is troubled and affrighted in cónfciei ce, nor for finne, but for the wrath of God againít it ; yet he conceiveth for the prefent that the finne is pardonable and may be for- given : Ghrift may forgive ; God may pardon. It is indeed but a poore ground ofhope and comfort upon pofli'bilities : but yet this lightneth the trouble in the mean time, and it maybe within a while filaketh it quite off : Like the wicked Jews, Ifa.57.I o. who were worried and wearied molt grievoufly yet they Paid not, There is nohope. There may be much horrour and difquiet in there conlciences for a time : but there is a higher degreeyet, a worfe troubled confcience then this. The third degreeofa troubled confcience iq, when it is for the pi-dint altogether hopeleflc ; fuch a con fcience as is fvval- lowed up in defpair : when men thinking of their manifold Cannes, of the direful' wrathof God,of the dreadfull torments of hell for ever, their confciences make them defpair of all hope or pofilbilitie of avoiding this ; bringing fuch thoughts as these, What a deal oftime have ffpent infinne, wherein f might have :made my peace with God, and have prevented all this? What a great and omnipotent God have f offended ? What an infinite Judge have J provoked, who is able to revenge hirnfelfon woe, andwho willbe myfoe to eternity ? Consciencealit bringing in thoughts of the torments and unfufferable pains to be endured in hell, and fuch fivallow up in defpair without all hope for the prefent or the future. Like the\vicked man which Eliphaz De(peratào f eaketh of, tie believeth not that he all return out ofdark_ efi ma. npeffe Job i z 2. So there have no h ofefcapiná epeck to da aim.. 5 p p Aug. perifh as Spira ; O, faith he, In envyCain andJudas t would J were in their cafes : They are damned ; but 3 fhall be worfe for evermore. Now though to there all hopes be gone for the I 3 prefent,
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