56 1 A Treatire ofGonfcience. probation of him i from henceforth, faith he, is laid up for me a CroWnofrighteoufneffe :'there is confciences judgement con- cerning the iffue of it. Confcience fo approveth every particu- lar good aelion done by a faithful man, that by is he may gather a teflimony of the uprightnefie of his heart : as Hezehiah ; Re- member, Lord, that I have walked uprightly before thee. Hereby we know that we are tranflatedfrom death to life, becaufe we love the brethren. Mark ; Love to Gods children is a fufficient tefti- mony, not only of our uprightneffe in that particular act, but alíò of the fimplicity of our hearts in the general, and that we are tranflated from death to Iife.So when good old Simeon had now even finifhed his days, fee what an approbation his con. fcience gave of him ; Lord, noW lettefl thou thy fervant depart in peace according to thy word. His confcience here gave a threefold bleffed approbation of him. r. That he had been Gods faithful fervant ;thy fervant, a. That he had walked in the ways oftrue peace and comfort; depart in peace. 3. That the promife of Gods word was his in particular; according to thy word. II, e/In abfolvitsg Confcience. THe fecond part of the office of confcience is to abfolve and acquit. Thus Samuel pleading his innocency,had his confci- ence teftifying for him, Whofe axe have I taken? or whom have 1 defrauded? and his confcience abfolved him as clear and free from thofe fns. Thus alto `fob ; If I have lifted up my hand a- gainfl the fatherleffe, when I fart my help in the gate; If Irejoy- ced becaufe my wealth is great ; If I have not given my bread to the hungry; or if I have rejoyced at the mifery of mineenemy: then let it be thus and thus to me.His confcience abfolved him as clear of thofe fins. Nay, the confcience of a child of God doth not only abfolve him from the guilt of thofe fins which he never committed, but alto from the guilt of thofe fins which he hath committed againft God or againft man. It can tell him he bath truly repented, and truly been humbled, and truly got pardon. Ye know David had committed divers fins : yet when he had hum-
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