treattfe of on tune. 1 If men command us againft the word of God, we know their authoritie is the ordinance of God ; and therefore if they go beyond that, they do not bind us in confcience: If God had not bound us in confcience to him, others might have taken it ill if we fhould not obey them : but now what caule have others to think ill of us ? What folly were it in us to leek to pl®eie men and to dilpleafc God ? if we were at libertie, then we might choofe whom we would obey : but now we are bound unto Gbd, and muff be obedient unto God, whatever men command to the contrarie, let us do it therefore with chear- fulneffe. By this we Phew our fnbmiflion to God ; by this we fatisfie confcience, which being bound unto God Both con- tinually urge us to obey him. Why fliould we omit part of the euaanefle of our obedience which the word of God. Goth require? We have more to do then ever we fall be able to perform : we fhould therefore be carefull to do all that we may. By our obedience to God in this kind we convince the confcience of others of our uprightneffe towards God : Though through the over - ruling dominion of their tufts & paflïons they r ge at us, and their mouths fpeak evil of us, yet we may have an evidence in their confciences within which may tefli'fie for us : their confciences will whifper with them, Surely they do well to pleafe God rather then noes : their confciences will be on our fide, though their afuions and tongues be 'againft us. We have a notable example of this Aas 4. r 1, r6.. When the rulers of the Jews had threatned the Apoflles, and had reviled them with many bitter words, and had bidden them go afide for a while, then they concluded among themfelves, Sorely an evident figne is done by then, and we cannot deny it : So that their confcaences acquitted them for good men. So when the wicked of this world have fpoken evil of the wayes of the righteous, and blafphemed the,holy name after which they are named : yet when they are alone, and their confci- ences at counfel within themlélves, then they conclude, In- deed they do well. Thus their confciehceg give a good evi- dence of us, and áccule them for not dòin the like. And 1 í a thus
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=