4 treatife of Confcience, 1I9 There are two rules : the one is Gods word, which pointeth out both elates; andihe other is every mans confeience,which is privie to the frame and (landing of every mans own heart, and which of thele eflates his eflate is, confcience is privie to this. J will inflance in force lbrts of men. i . The Jews, who con -, tented themfelves with formality : they facrificed, they offered, they pa yd their tithes, they did that which Mofes commanded them for the letter of it > now ye fhall fee their confcience could tell them that they were not perfecînor, upright with Ccd : All their duties, and formalities, and gifts and facri- fices could not make them ¡bat did the fervice perfect, ,f per- reining to the confcience, Heb. 9.9, Mark ; Their confciences could lay they were not upright for all this. As they were not upright, lo their confcience could tell then they were not up- right. a. Another inflance we have in the Scribes and Pharifees : When they would have condemned the woman taken in adul- tery, their own confcience was privy that they were (inners themfèlves. John 18. 9. So alto it is with a child of God : His confcience is able to inform him that he is a child of God, and that he doth truly ferve God, ,thank God, faith Paul, whom 1 z. rim, r, ferve with a pure cexjcience. His confcience told him he was a 9 true lérvant of God, and that he was Gods : whofe I am, fáith he. So Davids conscience; l am thine ; fave me : for I have fought thy Commandements. So the Church; ally beloved ù mine, and / am hie. Ye fee then how confcience can inform and tell us what effatewe are in, w hoher we be godly or carnall, whether our ccnverfation be in heaven or on earth, whether we he in Chrift or out of him. The fpirit of manktaoweth what is in him. It is eafie to know what our great thoughts of heart are upon, what our greateft purpofes and proje&ls and ffudies be ; whether about God or the world : the fpirit of a man muf4 needs know it. And therefore every man may draw out from confcience a true conclufion how it is with him. The rea- ions are there: I. The fluff is taken from the nature of confcience. The nature of confcience is such, that it muff needs be able to know , D d what
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