,f1 Treatife of Confctence. ing, and reading, and hearing, and conferring will never be a- ble to do it : it is only in the power of him who made us to do it. Thy hand: have made and fafhioned me : O give me under - ftanding, that I may learn thy commandments. He who made our confciences, he only can give them this heavenly light of true knowledge and right underftanding : and therefore let us feek earneftly to him for it. 2. We muft leek it in humility, alwayes fufpeáing our own knowledge.We are not too confidently and prefumptuouffy to truft to our own judgment, and defpde or neglebt the judgment of others. The humble God Will teach: Pride and fellconceiiedneffe blindeth exceedingly. 3. We muff Peek with fobriety,always contenting our felves with that know- ledge which is molt necetiary , and not be curious about vaine and idle - brained que(tions, or folicitous to anfwer every obje- étion that [hall be railed up againft the truth. A lover of the truth fhould not be ready to entertain all objections againft it, and never be fetled till he can anfwer all that can be cart in; which will be never. It is not expected that there fhould be in every man fuch a ripeneffe of judgment and fuch a meafure of illumination as that he lhould be able to difpute with the molt learned, or anfwer every obje &ion that can be railed:: But we muff with that good Martyr fay , Though I cannot di- Poe for Chrift I can die for him : we muff be content with our meafure, to be wife unto fobriety. III. Thofe godly fouls that have weak confciences muff ufe them very gently : Scrupulofi non font rigide traEtandi, Thofe that are fcrupulous are not to be handled rigidly. \Vhen a mote is in the eye, it is not boiftroufly to be dealt withal: that will make it worfe. The eye is a tender part, and fo is the confci- ence. Again, we mutt take heed of offending w eak confciences. It may be thou knoweft thine own liberty that thou mayft do this or that ; butthy brother is weak, and he Both not know it to be lawful : O take heed of giving offence :. Confider the A poftles words,i Car. 8. 12 When ye fin againfi your brethren and wound.theirWeak confciences, yefin againfi Cbrift. Confider all() theaatce of the Apoftle, and the refolution that he had ; If meat
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