666 Of the Nature, Corruption and un:o. thee hAve I opemd my Caufe! vyhy thus if w hi!e wickc.d Men are malicioully confptrtng how to blot, fully and Ita m our Names, tf all thts while we can keep our Confciences clear, what need we much care how the Wind blows abroad fin cc ·we arc harboured und~r the re_treat of a_ peaceful Confciencc: They may pdffibly perfuadc ?thers to believe the1r Cal~~1mes; but G~d, who fearchcth the Heart and Confctence, knows that we arc IOJUred, and he IS hafrning forward a Day wherein he will clear up our Rightcoufnefs; and then the Tl!ftimony of one goodConfcience wiTI put ten thoufand Slanders ro filence. ~ . Secondly, A clear Confcienc~, M it will tnllhle a M~tn to bur Reproaches from other It gives a with Patience,Jo it gives him advt~ntage to reprove other; withAuthoriiy. It is a very tru~ ~:7/~~,0 Rule, that he that rc_Prov:cs another, 0~1ght himfclf .to .be free from the Fault he reprJeo~ r eproves ;, for otherwJfe Ins Reproofs neither come wHh freedom from the Reprovrbm wirb er, nor wtth efficacy to the Reproved . Authority, . (1.) Firfl:, A Reproof that C~mes from ag_uil~y Confcience, is ~ut·a. {J~mmering a11d a tzmorous Reproof. Such a Mans own Confctence mufl: needs nfe up 111 his Throat and choak ~1is Reproofs. Confcioufnefs of the fame Mifcarriages will retort what~ eVer w~ c~n fay aga infl: ~:>thcrs, more ftrongly upo~ our felvcs, and will fuggefi: to us that tt ISbut Hypocnfie for us to blame that whtch we our fclves praCtifc. With what Face cauft thou prefs o~her.s t? R~pent and Re~orm? \V hat Aq~umentscanft thou ufe to them, who by contmutng m the fame Sms, daft thy felt judge thofe Arguments are of no force at a) I? Thus Confcience will fuggeft, and hereby Tongueties Reproofs. (1.) Secondly, 'This alfo makes Reproofs ine/fo6tual. It were indeed a Temper to be wifh. 'd and pray'd for, that we could only refpet\: ho\V righteous the Reproof is, and not how righteous the Perfon is that gives it; and if we could be content to have the Motes pluck,d out of our Eyes, though it be by fuch as have Be 4mt in their onm Eyes; for indeed there is no more rcafon to rejet\: found Admonitions, becaufe they come from an unfound Heart, than there is to ftop our Ears againft good Counfel, becaufe delivereG it may be with an unfavoury Breath. But yet fo it is, when Men of polluted Confcicnces and dcflled Converfations come to reprove others, Men are apt to think of them, What,· is fuch a one in earneft? Doth he not perfonate his Reproof? Doth he no.c do as bad or worfe himfelf? Or, cloth he envy me my Sins, and would engrofs them all to himfelf? And fo the Reproof takes no place at all upon him. But now when a Man of a clear and unfpotted Confcience reproves wicked .Men, his Reproofs bteak in upon them with Convitl:ion, AuthoritY. and Power, If not ~o reform them yet at leaft to daunt and fileucc them : Her"! is one that reproves Stn, who doubtlefs believes it to be Evil by his own avoiding of it: Here is on~ that denounceth Wrath if I repent not, \\!ho, doubtlefs, believes it to be as ternblc as he reprefcats it to be, by his own carcfulnefs to cfcape it. And thus a dear Co'!fc.imce hath great. advantage to reprove !>inners fuccef~fully, at leaft to work ConvtChon upon them, Jf not to work . Reformation in them. Jt gives {3.) Thi1dly, A clear Conjcience gives boldnefs of accefs umo God. Guilt is the boldneft of only thing tha! abafhes the Soul, and makes it both afham'd and afraid to appear acce[s unto in the Prcfence of God; and therefore we find that as foon as Adam had finned Go:t. againft his Maker, he hides hi'!lfelf from him. We. may obfcrvc it in our felves: What Jl.avifh deadnefs and deJeCl:ednefs of Heart feJZeth upon us when we come to God in Duty, after that we have wronged him by any known Sin? We come with fuch a mifgivingkind of Fea:, ~s if ~e Y'ould not have God take notice that we are before him, and we are frill m pam till the Duty be over. ButwJ1en our Confciences are clear, 0 with what delight do we haft to God, and wich what contenl do we fray with him! How doth the Soul dilate and fprcad it felt under the Smiles of God, beating full upon it? Loe, 0 Lord, here's a .f/Mrt th11t 1 t.,bour to make and keep -uoid of Offince, do_ thou fill it with thy promifed Grace lf1:d Spirit ; _it U not indeed a Manfton. pure enough for the pure and holy G'od, yet is z:r fuc1 J 44 tilou • wilt accept of and dweU in ; there are fti-11 many hidden Corruptions in :r, i:i:1t do thou {earch them out, and thou wht> haft kept thy Ser-uant from pref umptuo;u Sim, do thfJu alfo c/e4nfe me from focret Faults. Thus a clear Confcience, with a holy and reverend Boldnefs, addreffes it felf to God, and fweerly clofeth up every Duty and every Prayer, with full aH'urance of being heard and accepted, and that It Jhall obtain Mercy
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