24 III. Pro- pofition. The ofí-ice of confc i- cnce is to beat wit- nee, Rom. 9. r. ATreatife of Gonfcience. other which was propounded fall to be the third in the hand- ling, and it is this. Propofition III. The office of Con[cience is to bearWitne ff'e,to accufe or ex cule. ViOnfcience is put into this office by God himfelf. It is Gods officer ; not onely his regiflerbook chat (hall be opened at the day of judgment , wherein is let down our thoughts, words and deeds ; but it is a preacher alto to tell us our duty both towards God and towards man ; yea, it is a powerful' preacher ; it exhorteth, urgeth, provoketh; yea,the moll pow - erfull preacher that can be ; it will caufe the floutefl and flub - bornefl heart under heaven to quake now and then ; it will ne- ver let us alone till it have brought us either to God or to the Devil. Confcience is joyned in commilfion with Gods own fpirit to be an inílru tour unto us in the way we fhould walk ; fo that the fpirit and it are refilled or obeyed together, grieved or delighted together; We cannot (Mile againfl confcience but we finne alto againft Gods fpirit ; we cannot check our owne confciences but we check and quench the holy fpirit of God. The office of confcience to our felves is, to bear witneffe; My confcience beareth meWitneffe, faith Paul. Confcience is aiwayes ready to do this office, if it (hall at any time be invited unto it ; For confcience looketh fometimes for inviting; fome- times it will not bear witneffe unleffe we invite it and call upon it fo to do. But there will come a time when it will do it and muff do it, and (hall do it, namelyat death or at judgment;then it will bear witneffe wether men invite it or no. Now it may be fuppre(fed and filenced and kept under from witne(fing; but then it muff bear witneffe and (hall, either excufing or accufing, acquitting or condemning, when God Jball judge the fecrets of mens hearts, as the Apoflle fpeaketh. The properties that are given unto confcience in the dif- charge of its office, are four ; i. It is fupreme ; a. It is impar- tiall; 3. It is faithfull; 4 It is privie. I. It Foure . Proper- ties of Confci- ence.
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