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A

rreatife

of

Confcience.

33

done

or

omitted

:

where

I fhali confider,

firfi,

the

office

of

confcience

in

this behalf,

viz.

L.

To

judge,

2.To

counfel

:

and

then the adjuncts

of

confcience

in

difcharging

this office.

r.

Confcience

judgeth

of

a

thing

to

be

done, whether

it

be

good

or

evil,

lawful

or

unlawful. As

we

try the weight

of

gold

by

a

pair

of

balances,

fo

confcience

trieth

all

our

actions

by

Gods

word.

It

is

the oracle of

God

:

As

the Jews went

to

Gods

oracle

to

enquire

of

the Lord,

fo

our

confcience

is

Gods

oracle

to enquire

of

and

to determine

of

things whether they

be

good

or

evill

:

It

is

a

judge

in

the bofome. When the queftion

in

Corinth

was;

whether women íhould

be

uncovered

when

they pray,

the Apoftle fendeth them

to

confcience

for

judge

-

ment.

judge

in your

(elves, faith

he,

whether it

be comely or

no

;

that

is,

Put it

to

the judgement

of

your own

confciences.

So

fay

the

difciples

to

the

Jews

;

Whether

it

be

better

to

obey

god

or

man,

judgeye

;

Put it

to

your own

confciences.

Thus

ye

fee

it

is

the

office

of

confcience

to judge

of

an

ac`fion

to

be

done

whether

it

be

good

or

bad

,

lawful!

or

unlawful!.

z. The

fécond

office

of

confcience

is

to

counfel

for

the

doing

of

that

which

is

good,forbearing

of

that

which

is

evil.

This

is

that

faithful! friend

in

our

bofome,

that

voice

within

us

and

be-

hind

us,

faying,This

is

the

way;

wall¿ in

it.

M;rk

the words

there;

ye

fec

tiefe

two

offices

of

confcience.

This

is the way

;

there

is

the judgement

of

confcience and

Walke

in

it;

there

is

the

counfel

of

confcience.

Nay,

confcience

Both

not

only

give

good

counfel,

but

if it

have

leave it

will bring

arguments

to

perfwade

to follow

it

:

it

will

tell

us

the thing

is

wet-

pleating

to

God,

of

good

report,

that

which will

bring peace

to

our

hearts. And

fo

on

the contrary,

if

it be

evil

,

confcience will

counfell

us

to

forbear,

yea

bring arguments

to

d

iffwade

; O

do

it

not

:it

will tend

to

the

difhonour

of

God,

and

be offenfive to

others,

and

Wound

our

fouls,

&c.

It

was confcience

that with

-held

David from killing

Saul,

and

pr

eft him

from

it by

a

flrong

ar-

gument,

O he is

the Lords annoynted.

It

was confcience

that

with

held

Iofeph

from

y

eilding

to

the

enticings

of

his

Miflretfe,

and

yeilded him

an

argument

to

difl'wade

him

from

it.

How

F

fh.ill

1

r.

Confcì..

encejudg.

eth.

I

Cor.

I

I.

1;.

y.

Confci-

encc

coun

fclleth.

I

Sam,z4.

IO.