!i 7"reatif o f Gonfciersce. any thing that might give it advantage againft us. If we were to appear before an earthly judge to anfwer for our behaviour, and fhould have a companion prefent continually with us,mark- ing every thing in us telling us of every fault, and witneffing it againft us unto the judge, how careful would we be of doing any thing that might give him advantage againft us ? Lo, we have confcience as a continual wath -man , efpying out all our wayes, letting down what ever we do amifie, checking us for it for the prefent, and one day accufing us before God, and Pet- ting all things in order before our faces ; Oh how fhould we then labour to get into Chrift Jefus, that our confciences may be purged in his bloud,and Rudy all our life long to keep peace and friend [hip with them. Wo be to them who live in their finnes! They will need no other witneffe to come againft them to condemn them for ever, but this witneffe conicience which lyeth continually in their bofoms. This I have Ipoken for the office of confcience, which is to bear witneffeeither with us or againft us : Now the parts of this bearing witnefle are, firfl, its tingle witneffin ; fecondly, its judicial witneffing. By Jingle bearing nitne ff e, I mean that confcience beareth witneffe what we have done , and what we do, and what we intend to do, and what we are : By judi- ciall bearing witnefre, I mean that confcience doth paffe fentence on the fame whether it be good or evil, whether it be concern- ing the anion or the perfon, Firft, therefore of the tingle bearing witneffe of confcience; And that is about three things: i.Whatwe have done: 2.What we intend to do; 3. What is the frame and bent of our heart. T. It beareth witneffe what we have done; what in our childhood, what in our youth, what in our riper age, what o- penly, what fecretly. Thole things which teem to be forgorten, confcience will remember them to us : Like a writing in mar- ble, though it may be filled and choked with dnfl and covered with rubbifh, yet when that is done away, and the {lone fwept clean, then the writing will appear legible ; fo though mens deeds may for the prefent feem to be forgotten, yet they are E 2 written Of confci- ences fin- gle bear- ing wir. ne9i:.
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