Book IV. C 0 N S C I E N C E A W I T N E S S. METAPHO~ PARALLEL laid ro a Man's Charge, if he can it give in Tdlimony for a Man, that his Heart is· make it out that he is wronged, how finctre, and his Life holy, and that he truly loveth is fuch a Witnefs to be valued 1 and feareth God; norwithJlanding the falfe Charge of the Enemy; how is the TeflitClony of luc a Witnefs to be valued by a Chriflian 1 Hence Pau/Jaith, 'I'his is our rejoici;1g, the 'I'ef timony of our Confcience, 2 Cor. i. 12, IV. A good and faithful Wit– nefs will fpeak the whole Truth, and,clear the Matter, {o far as he knoweth, or can fpeak 10 ir, upon a 1Occafions. V. A good and faithful v\'icnefs will not be bribed m daunted, ·bur fpeak in behalf of a Man who is fa!Oy accufed, and to the utter Shame and Convifrion of the guilty l'erfon. Vl. A juf\ and :impartial Wit– nefs is great!ydreaded by a wicked und guilty P-erfon. IV. So a good and nvell-guided Confcience will fpeak all rhe Truth, and clear the Matter be– tween God and the Soul, fo far as he harh Light; .and will deceive no Man or vVoman., if they do but hearken 10 him. V. So Confcience, rightly guided by God~s Word, will fpeak Peace to a godly and fincere Perfon, let who will condemn him ; and wlil fpeak Terror to the wicked and impenirtm Sinner, let who will fpeak Peace and Comfort .to him. Con– fcience will deal p!Jirrly, if it may be heard, and 'be not ftifled, or pm out of a cca.paciry of bring– ing ia irs 'I'eftimony. VI. S0 Confcience,, who is ao .impartial vVit– nefs, is greatly .dreaded t>y fome un.godly Souls. 0 how fain .would they Ay from thofe rerri!)}e Ac– cufations of their own Confcien.ces, if they knew how '! Some from the ·Horror that arifeth fr0m hence have hlnged thernfdves, and others ·C'tlt their own Throats, and fame have fie vera! o.ther ways laid :violent Hands upon thernfdves. Vll. A great and faithful Wit– nefs, who ·hath perfeCt Knowledge ofThings, anti will not be bribed, who can and will as it jg believed, and found by Experience, fpeak fully to a Caufe though it be w the utter Shame and Ruin of all guilty Ptrfons, l.s many Times grievouily abufed by malicious Men, who hate that their abominable Deeds lhould be brought t0ltght, ,or laid at their Doors; nay, nor only fo, ,bur fame have been ftifled, .Orangled, and traiterouf1v m~m.lered; as t'he ever renowned Si r Edmund-Bury Godfrey was by bloody Papifls, the 12th ctf Oflober, 1678, whom they knew could wimefs many Things againft them to deteCt their curfed and ·never to ·be forgotten hdlifn P-lot. J,TJ1J. It ·is a very great Wick– ednefs, to lay violent H ands, or treacherouOy to abufe and flifle the King's faithful Wimeffes, efpeci– ally ·when called to give in their Evidence in Matters-of great Mo– ment, wb.erein the Honor and Sovereignty of the King is greatly concerned. VJL So poor Confcience, w'ho is known and daily found ro be a crue and faithful Wimefs, one that will not be bribed or corrupted by Frowns or Flatter-ies, who knowerh all the Jeerer Lulls, Pride, Malice, Treafons, Theft,, Adulceries, that lie in the Heart, and all manner of W ickedn<fs, that vile Sinners are guilty of, and layeth it daily to their Charg~, is hactd, a,nd much il:r.uck.at; nay, fuch is the ·Wickeclnefs of Men, rhey endeavor ro flifle it, and fear its Tongue with hot Irons ; nay, and put out its Eyes; na,y, fo far .as they can they endeavor to mmder it, that it may not be able to witnefs againft them any mure, ,b.ut .that they may fin wrthom controul. Of there the Apofrlt fpeaks: Who being p8jl feeling, have giwn themfeh-es O"cer unto all manner ofLaftiviouf;~efs, to work all Unc/emmefs with ·Greedinifs, Eph. iv. 19. Having their C•nJciences feared U;ith a bot Iron, .I Tim. iv. 2. Vlll. s~ it ·is a great ·and horrible Wicked– nefs, for any Soul or Sinner to go about to flop the Momh of, or treacherouny to abufe poor Confcience, who is the great Witnefs 0f the King of Heaven and Earth, in this lower Court, and that in Matters wherein his Honor, and glorious Hight and Sovereignty -is tmoch ·concerned; nay, not only his Witnefs, but Judge to fit upon the Bench, to hear and determine all Caufes, if rightly informed, according to the great Law– 'Book of the Gofpel, anc!-to lJafs Sentence of Life .and Death, or to acquit and difcharge. :8 B IX. So
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