tI 1 realye fpeélis may fitly be compared to a Notarie , ora Register that hath alwaics the penneinhis hand, to note and record whatfoeuer is laid of done: who alfobecaufehe kcepes the rolles and records ofche,court,can tell what bath bcene Paid or donemany hundredyear-es pall. Touching the thirdpoint. low long confcience beares witnes, it doth it continually ; not for a tninut, or a day,or a rnoneth,or ayearc, but for euer: when a man dies, confcience diethnot; when thebogie is rotting in the graue,confcience liueth and is fateand found: andwhen we (hall rife again, confcience (hall comewith vs to thebarreolGods iudgewent,e ither to aca cute or excufevs before God,Rom.. a. z e,i 6. Their errsfcie7ce bear:ng'itnes ctt ths daywhen Cladfhail Judgethefecrets o frrenby lefiD Chrfl. By thisfirfl dutieofconfcience, we are to learnt three things. The firfr, that there isa God: and we may be led to the fight of this euen by :common reafo.n.For confcience beares witnes;Of v hat?Ofthy particulardoings.But againfl whome or with whome doth it_,giue teflilnoaic? thou maift fede spa thyheart that it doth it either with thee or againfl thee. And to whome is it a witnes?Tomenor Angels? that can not be,fbr theycannotheare the voice ofconfcieuce,they cannot receiuc confciences teGimonie,nay they can no fee what is in the heart ofman. Ir remaines thereforethat there is a ipirituall fubflance,mofl wife,mofl holy,mofl mightie, that fees all thingsto whome. confcience beares records and that is Godhimfelf.Let titheiffsbark agaiut this as long as theywill : they haue that in them which will conuincc thews, . ofthe truthofthe godhead, will theyhill they, either in life or death. Secondlywe learne,that G oddoth watchouer all menbv.a f e.nn n -ro. uidence. The maflercaf a prilonisknownebyrhis to haue ca' are os,cr foners,ifhe fend keeper; with them co watch them and to bring thcwi hone againe in time. conuenient: and fo Gods care to man is mani`elf in cilia, t'aat whenhe created andplaced him in theworld, he gaue him conlcierice tobe his keeper to follow him alwaics at the heeles, and to dogge him(as we fay)and ro prie intohis a&ions,and tobeare witnes ofthem all. Thirdly, hence wemayobferue Gods goodnes and loue to man. 'file doeany thing amifïTe,he fers his confcience firth ofall to tell him (alit lecret- ly: lichen he amend,God fotgiues it: ifnot,then afterward confciencemuff openly accufc him for it at the barreofGods iudgemët beforeall the Saints and Angels in heauen. The fecond worke ofconfcience,is togiue judgement ofthingsdone. 0.0f corn To giue judgement is to determine, that a thing isweil doneor ill done. fciences Herein confcience is liketo a Iudge that holdeth an affile, and takes notice lodgement, ofinditements,and caufeth the moll notorious tnalefaaour that is, tohold vp his hand at the baneof his 'lodgement. Nay it is(asit were)a little God fitting inthe middle amenshearts,arraigning them in this life as they (hail be arraigned for their offences at the tribunals featofthe euerliuing God in thedayofiudgement. VVherefore the temporarieiudggementthat is giuen by thecon lc.ience is nothing elsbut a beginningora forc.runnerofthe laíl it d ens nt. Hence
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=