4 treietífe of Conjcience, it-was in our own power, yet when we have pro:niied we have bound our own 'conlciene5 to the performance, bcçsu fc there is Gods íeal upon it ; Gods -law commandet.h us to be true of our words. Thefè are relative bonds, bonds onely in relation to Gods law : Gods law is Bill the fupreme bond of confcience. J will handle that firft. I. The law of God whereby he willsth and con inandeth andforbiddeth this-or that in his word, this is thé main bond of confcience Wlren this bindeth it, nothing elf: can Toole it; and con:rary, if this loofe it, nothing cile can bind it. It fo bindeth confcience as the obferving and Violating -of it is that which maketh confcience clear or guilty before God. This is it which maketh a man a debtour ; I am a debtour, faith Paid, both to the Grecians and to the ßarb,trians : That is, J am bound in confcience by Gods command to preach theGofpel unto both. This is it that denominatetha man th. bebound : igo bound in the fpirit unto 3erufalerm ; that is, J knowing it to be Gods will am bound in confcience w, ). This is that which layeth a neccfli:y upon a man A nccdi:y it laid upon me to preach ; i. J am bound in confcience by Gods word fo to do. This is that which layeth a kind of en- forcement upon' men; We cannot but fpedk the things which we bane feen and heard ; that is; If we fhould not, our con- ferences would fiie in our faces : We are bound by Gods will to do fo, and our conferences lay á charge upon us That we can- not go againl} it. The onely will and word of almighty God isthat which fupremely bindeth eonlcience. t. Becaufe God onely knoweth the heart; he feeth our thoughts, and he onely can reach to the fecrecs of our fpirits ; and therefore he onely can bind Our confcience. For who die can tell whether we make confcience of a thing yea or no ? perhaps we do, perhaps we do not. Nor man nor angel can tell certainly : but God knoweth certainly, and he onely ; and therefore he onely can bind our consciences. When the Lord loth command or forbid, the confcience is privy that God teeth it; and therefore now it is bound. ?he word of God is 5( Tit?. Iaw of God the ptini: bocci of i_op!ccncc Rom.r.r4 .tc`is4.2,0 Reafons Ieb.4.fr.
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