Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

46 A Treatife o f Confcience. Ipraying. I, ira, therefore reconcile confcience by humbling thy fèlf, and breaking thy heart, and refolving, I have fanned, I will do no more,When confcience can fay thy forrow and repentance, and refolution for new obedience is lincere, then thou art fit to pray, but not before. So whatever other duty thou goeft a boor, be lure to reconcile confcience; elfe all will mif- carry. 5,9 faith- full con- fcience. PrOv.1.0.6 P,operties: r. It is watchful'. V. A faithful Confcience. 11-'1-Us Ihave expounded the adjunct's of confcience, which {hew themfelves in the difcharge of its duty, namely, Poch as refpea confciences ability to the doing of it : Which, as ye have heard, are foure : r. An illightned confcience; z. An er- roneous confcience ; 3. A doubting confcience ; 4. A fcrupu- lous confcience. Now followeth thofe which do accompany it in the doing of its duty ; And they are two ; i. A faithful con- fcience ; z. An unfaithful confcience. A faithful confcience is that which doth always advife and counfel right when need is.This is a very rare confcience:It is rareto finda confcience every way faithful.For,to fay the truth, confcience is always faithful in it felf; for it knowech not how to deal deceitfully with any man: but yet I may fay, as Solomon, A faithful man who can find ? fo, ell faithful confcience who can find? It is a very rare thing. Not for any deceit that is in con- fcience it felf, but becaufe men commonly would have it un- faithful ; therefore a confcience that will not let men make it unfaithful though they would, Poch a confcience I call a faithful confcience : and I fay it is rare. But filch a confcience there is ; and it bath three properties : r . It is watchful; z. It is rigid and revere ; 3. It is importunate. r. A faithful confcience is watchful, always awake to appre bend every opportunity of doing and receiving good, or refift- ing evil. As when there is an opportunity to pray, ro heare, to Phew mercy, a faithful confcience will remember us of it, and put us upon it : as alto when there is any opportunity of quick- ning and edifying our felves or others. It was a watchful con- fcience

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