i©6` M. M. ;E lek. I 8 26. ?a.COr.9.i6 lob 31.23. Pjai. 119. I20, I eb.x2.2.8 4 t7'eatife of :Confcieuce, r, the arrow of his wrath flicking in your fouls, this will adde lbrrow to forrow, and make your eflate much more uncomfor- table and unfiapportable. Beloved, peace of conicience is good at all times; but it is moll precious when calamities fall on us : Then to have the peace of a good conicience that may bring us good news from heaven, that all is well within, all peace there, this is fuch peace as all the world cannot give nor fell nor buy. sever more need oftlae peace of conlaicnce then now. As one Paid of the books of Faith, There be abundance of books written of faith : buy them all up, faith he ; ye wir7 need every one of them ere long : So may j lay of whatever may forward the peace of conicience ; Buy it, purchafè it, get it, as much peace as you can poffable : ye will have need of it all ere long. Take heed of troubling your confciences or clogging them with guilt, left the Lord caft you off, and left ye be hardned, and fo ye perifh from'the right way. Do not think thus,O we are believers, and have no need of fuch threatnings. He who is certain of his fat- vation knowech aff iredly he fhould be damned if he fhould go on in finne without repentance; This If is true enough ; If the righteousforfake has righteoufneffe, all his former righteouf- neffe_hall be forgotten. And, Woe is me, faith Paul, If J preach not thegorpel. In the (late of innocencie there was ufe of threat- nings : to is there now in the Rare of grace. The Lord threatned Adam in innocencie, If thou eat thereof thou _halt die the death. Job was awed by threatnings not to lift up his hand againa the fatherleffe ; for faith he, deffruflion from God :rat a terrour to me. My flefh, faith David, trembleth for fear of thee, and Jam afraid of thy judgements. Let as have grace, faith the Apoflle, whereby we may ferve God acceptaby with reverence and godly fear. Why ? for our God is a containing fire. For be it that Gods children ( that is, all believers (hall never fall finally away ; yet this threatniná is one of Chrifts inftruments whereby he keepeth them from falling : and they allo may tali of much bitterneffe if they grow indulgent to their corruptions. O therefore take heed of this curie, that your con - fciences may not dog you with the guilt dime and the appre- henGon
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