Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

Vreatife of Confcience. 31 Now foloweth its judicial bearing witneffe ; which is when iziffe ft- it paffeth fentence upon the moral of our anions, whether they conf i- be good or evil, whether bleiTed or turfed. This is performed cone. by a Logical difcourfe; by way of reafoning on this manner, The word faith, Whoever lookth on a woman to isoli after her, bath committed adultery in his heart : That is the Synterefss. Now the affumption ; Bat 1 have had wanton eyes and lu/lful lookngs after a Woman : That is the tingle bearing witneffe of confcience. 7 berefore I have committed adultery in my heart : That is the judiciary fentence of confcience which it paffeth on a'mans Pelf, So again, whofoever crucifieth the fleJh with the äf feFlions and ¡ails, he is in Chrifi : But, faith confcience, 1 cru- cifie the flefh with its affetlions and lulls: Therefore I am in Chrifi. Though there be not the forme of this difcourfe in our confciences, yet there is the force of it : for when confcience loth judicially witneffe againft any man or for any man, it doth it by the word; and proceedeth in the way which is pro- pounded. The ufe of this is, Fa for comfort to the godly, who may r. hence gather the affurance of their falvation from the rule of Vfe God's word, and the witneffe of their confcience that they walk by this rule. The word faith, He that hungreth and this.- Maah.9. flesh after righteoufnelfeJhall be filled; He that doth thefe things Matth.to. Jliall never fall, &c.Get the rule of your hearts and lives to meet and ye have what ye delire. O what infinite mercy is this to all godly fouls, that the Lord bath planted this confcience in their 6ofomes, that they need not go farre for their comfort ; their own confciences and the rule may preach it to them. Secondly; The wicked on the other fide, if they continue as a they are, may hence gather arguments for their own dampati- 2l f 2. on. If the rule and confcience might be heard, they would {peak bitter things againa them, and give a fearful fentence on them. It may be they can fmother their confciences now for a time ; but they will one day read them a fearful tenure. I fpeak not now only of thofe who drown their confciences in their cups, and feat their confciences by their groffefins ; but of tholewho would

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