U4 ATreitlje or neceffitie,asbeafs doe, and not of faith : becau(e they know not Gods will touching things to be done or left vndone. Theconfiderarion ofthis pointfhouldmake everymanmoil care full to fecke for knowledg ofGods word,and daily to increafe in it, that he may in all his affaires haueGods 'awes to bethe menofhiscounfell,PfaI. t t 6.24,.that he mayglue hcede to themas tothelight fhiningin a darke place , 2,Pet. t . I9. that he may fay wichPeter,when aria commanded.him tolanch forth into the deepe,and to call foorth his net:Lordws havebinallhight,and lute cacheds othin,:yet in thywordewill 1/et dorxne mynet,Luk.5.5 CHAP. III. Oft he idl ofcon f ience:arrdofcon- fcience regrrnerate. COofcience is either goodor bad. Good confcience is that which rightlyaccording toGods word, ex- cufeth and comforteth For th.eexcellencie,goodnes, and dignitie ofcoufci- ence, Bandes not in accufing,but inexcufing.And bydoingany thane what- foeuer togiueanoccafion to the confciencc to accu le andcondenme ,is to wounde it and tooffende it. Thus Paul faith that theCorinthians woun- ded the confciences of their weake brethren , when theyvied theirlibcrtie as anoccafionofoffencetothem,t.Cor.8.9,ra.Againe,he calleth agood confcience, aconlcience without offence that is, which bath no floppeot impedimentto hinder it fromexcufing,At.24. t 9. Good confcience, iseither good by creation or regeneration. Good by creation was the confcienceof Adam, s. hick in the cflare of innocëcie did only excufc and could not accuse him for any thing: though itmay be,an aptnes to accule was not wanting, if-afterward an occafion fhould be offered. And hence we haue further díret1ion to confider Vi hate b in refpe& good confcience is namely filch an one as by the order fetdowne in the of that excel- creation,excufeth onely without accufing.Yea to accule is a bdefea in the lent efface ïn confcience , after the fir! creation.. For naturallythere is an a which man f b Y was created, greement and harmony bet,venc the parts and the%whole: but if thecon- fcience fhould naturally accule there fhouldbe a dtfent and difágreennent anddiuifion betvveenethe confcience and the man himfelfe. Regenerate con fcience is that vvhich beeingcorrupt by nature3 is venu- ed andpurged by faith in the bloódeofChriff.For tothc regenerating of the confcience,there is required a converfionor change; becaufe by nature all mens confciences fince the fall areeuiil,and none aregood but by grace. The in1 rument feruing tomake thischange is faith,A6f.i S. r 9.Faithptcv - feththeheart.ThemeritoriouscaufeisthebloodofChrifl,Hebr.9.t4.low mach morejha ll theRoadofChrift, &c.pnsrge pi* coifcience fromdead zvorket toferalethe lieting God. Thepropertie ofregenerate confcience is tvvofold:Chriflian libertie,i& Certentieoffaluation. Becaufe both thefthaue their place ,not in the out- ',tear(' man,but in the fpirit andconfcieince. Chaam
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