A 7 reatife o f Con fcience. then, and they go about to (hake it off. Alas ! why do von go about that which is utterly impoflible? Ye may fùppreffe it for a while, and gagge it for a while : but ye can never !hake it off. Confcience flicketh fo clofe that a man may a(foon (hake off himfelf as his confcience. And indeed his confcience is him Pelf : Let a man examine himfelf, that is, in his confcience, ?udse in your felves,that is, Judge in your confciences. Thirdly, this confuteth that drunken opinion. That confci- ence is nothing but a prefent fit of melancholy. No : it caufeth it may be the prefent melancholick fit, but it is not it. Con. fcience is a ffanding power in a man that is evermore with him, and will evermore judge him and condemne him if he be guil- ty before God. It will be with him when his dumpifh fit is over. Let him laugh and be merry ; yet confcience lies at the bottome of all, and will fpoil all the mirth. Let the drunkard be never io jovial; I will not believe but confcience in the midfl< of that drunken mirth caufeth fome fadneffe within, and telleth him this is a very wicked life. I.et the carnal hypocrite daub up the matter with good duties, and good Prayers, and good hopes ; I cannot believe but there is a confcience lieth at the bottome and telleth him he is rotten for all this. You may fee this in Cain: He had been at a good duty facrificing to the Lord ; but his countenance fell when he had done, con- fcience did lie at the bottome, and did tell him God did not ac- cept him. Confcience is with evil men at Church, at Sermon, at Sacrament, and telleth them fecretly that they are not the perlons to whom the bleffing of thefe ordinances be- long. Laflly, this may be for exhortation to the godly ; That they would confider this, that they have ever a confcience within them, and that therefore they would labour always to keep it void of offence : which was Paul; exercifè, A/is 24. 16. Take heed you offend not your confciences in duties of piety towards God in your prayings,hearings,&c.no nor in your cal- lings, eating, drinking, liberties, recreations : Look always to your con(çiençes that you offend them not, becaufe they are D 2 ever r Cor. I s . 28. Verle t 3. 2J fe 3. Prow. 14, x3. Gen, 4.5
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