142 d treatife of Confcience, .quick andpowerful! ; it pierceth even to the dividing afondar of foul ano! fptrit, and it a difcerner of the thoughts and in- tents of the heart. This btndeth a mans thoughts and in- tentions; he cannot be free in thefe : and thereafòn is given by the Apoflle ; All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. As if he had laid, We are con - fcious or Gods all - eeing power ; he teeth our hearts and our thoughts and all that is in us ! and therefore his word doth bind us, yea it bindcth all our ferrets : we cannot think a vain thought but our conlcience will crie guiltie before God, be- ,. caufe our cou_feienee doth know that God knoweth all. Be- tides, the conléience cannot fèar any law but onely Gods law. Ye know when conlcience is once in a doubt, iris fearful!, and beginneth to ask qucflions with it felt, May, 3 do this? or may r. tors 6- f not do it ? asking no quef ioni for eonfcience fake. The con - » tcicnce when it doubteth ufeth to ask queflions. Now this foppofeth the law -giver to be able to fee it : otherwife the 1 conlcience would not be thus afraid, if it were onely the com- mandment of a creature, that çould not larch the heart. Se that here ye fee one reafon why Gods law is the fùpreme bond ofconlcience ; Becaufe no eye can fee it but Gods. a. Becaufe God'oncly bath power over conlcience : It is his commandment onely that makes any thing finite or not Gnne unto us. Auguffine defïneth (inne to be A thought, or word or deed or lug againff the commandment of God. Againf thee againfi thee onely have 3 finned, faith David. He faith he p(,` 51 4 had finned onely x911,41 God,. why? you will fay, he finned alfo aping Barhfheba : Did not he commit adulterio? that was a linne againfl Bathfheba : and murder? that was a fine againf!Vriah. True, he finned againflman relatively, .in re- lation to the commandment which faith, Thou (halt not inure thy neighbour : but primarily and principally the Gnne was a- gai fl God. Confcience is like the kings fervant, whom none can arrefl or attach without leave From the king : fo no man can bind confeience without leave had from God for conlcience is onely (1.60 to his power : he onely path power over corifor ence. a." Becaufe
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