ACT. xxiv. 16.

And berein do I exercife myself, to have always a Confcience void of Offence to...ward GOD, and toward Men.

DOCTRINE.

WE

E ought to have a Confcience void of
Offence towards GOD and Man.

zi 1. What is Confcience?

3. For the Name;

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It is call'd Heart, 1 Sam. xxiv. 5. Ecclef vii. 22. 1 S. Joh. iii. 21. 1, Spirit, Prov. xviii. 14. 1 Cor. ii. 11.

2. Confcience, ourádnous, Tit. i. 15. which implies,

1. The Knowledge that feveral have of the fame Thing, fo GOD knows with us, Job xvi. 19. ouviswę μ8.

2. The Knowledge that we have of fever ral Things, 1 Sam. xxiv. 5.

Hic murus abeneus efto,

Nil confcire fibi, Hor. 1 Cor. iv. 4.

-2. The Thing. Confcience is a Habit of the practical Understanding, whereby the Mind of Man applies the Knowledge it hath, to its own particular Actions, by Difcourfe of Reafon.

.

1. It is a Habit, because a kind of Knowledge.
2. The Subject, in the practical Under-
standing of Man.

3. The Object, particular Actions.
4. The Act; it applies,

1. As a Witnefs.

2. As a Judge.

5. By Difcourfe of Reafon, fyllogistically,
S. Matt. xxvii. 3. 1 Sam. xxiv. 5.
Confcience in the major, is Lex.
in the minor, Teftis,

in the Conclufion, Judex.

II. What are the feveral Offices of the Confcience?

1. To apply general Truths to ourselves, 2 Sam. xii. 7. Fer. viii. 6.

2. To bear Witness of, Rom. ii,

1. GOD's Laws.

2. Our Actions.

15.

3. To comfort us in our Obedience, Ifa.xxxviii.3.
4. To accufe us of Sin, Rom. ii. 15. Rev. XX. 12.
5. To judge, Pfal. iv. 4.

1. Our Actions, Rom.xiv. 22, 23. Lam. iii. 40.
2. Our Perfons, 1 Cor. xi. 31.

III. What is it to have a Confcience void of
Offence ? απρόσκοπον συνείδησιν.

When our Confcience cannot accufe us of doing any thing Offenfive to G OD or Man.

1. Confcience is GOD's Vice-Gerent in the Soul,

2. Rightly enlighten'd, it dictates nothing but GOD's Commands.

3. All GOD's Commands concern Himself, or elfe our Neighbour, S. Matth. xxii. 37, 38.671 4. When we do what it commands, our Confcience excufeth and comforteth us, 2 Car. i. 12. 5. It accufeth for nothing but Sin.

6. Therefore when we do nothing Offensive to GOD or Man, then our Confcience is void of Offence, Act. xxiii. 1.

IV. How

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IV. How muft we carry ourselves towards GOD and Man, fo as to have a Confcience void of Offence to both.

1. To GOD.

1. Love Him, Deut. vi. 5.

2. Defire Him above all Creatures, Phil. iii. 8.

3. Seek Him before all Treasures, S. Matth. vi. 33.

4. Believe Him in all His Assertions.

5. Fear Him above all Powers, fer. v. 22. 6. Truft on Him in all Conditions, Pfal. lxii. 8.

That He will either,

1. Prevent the Afflictions you fear, Pfal. xci. 5.

2. Support you under them, 2 Cor. xii. 9. 3. Sanctify them to you, Rom. viii. 28. 4. Or remove them from you, 2 S.Pet.ii. 9. 7. Rejoice in Him more than in all Enjoyments, Phil. iv. 4. Habak. iii. 17, 18, 19. 8. Meditate on Him in all Occafions, Pfal. cxxxix. 18.

9. Pray to Him all your Days, 1 Theff. v. 17. 10. Praise Him for all your Mercies, 1 Theff.

V. 18.

11. Perform all His Commands, Ecclef.xii.13. 12. Aim at His Glory in all your Actions, 1 Cor. x. 31. Rom. xiv. 6. ·

1. Because He made all Things for Himself, Prov. xvi. 4.

2. He is the End of all Things, Rev. i. 8. 2. To Man.

1. To all..

1. Love all, S. Matth. v. 44. Hebr. x. 24° 2. Pray for all, 1 Tim. ii. 1.

3. Do Good to all, Gal. vi. 10.

4. Forgive all their Wrongs and Injuries which they do us, Col. iii. 13. S. Luk.

5. Be

xi. 4.

courteous to all, 1 S. Pet. ii, 17. and iii. 8. Rom. xii. 10.

6. Be juft to all, Mic. vi. 8. 1 Theff. iv. 6.

2. To good Men.

1. Love them above others, because they are,

1. More wife, Eph. v. 15.

2. More juft,

3. More lovely, Col.ii. 10. Eph.v. 26, 27. 4. More honourable, than others,1 Sam. ii. 30. Prov. xii. 26.

2. Do good to them efpecially,

1. By preventing their Dangers.
2. By comforting them under Afflictions.
3. Communicating to their Neceffities,
I S. Joh. iii. 17.

3. To evil Men.

1. Pity their fad Eftate, Cant. viii. 8.
2. Reprove them for their Sins, Lev, xix.
17. Mal. xviii. 15.

3. Ufe all Means to win them to Chrift.
1. By fhewing them good Examples,
S. Matt. v. 16. 1 S. Pet. iii. 1.

USE

2. By praying for them.

3. By wife Counfel and Advice.
Confider S. James V. 19, 20.

Keep your Confciences void of Offence.

DIRECTIONS.

प

1. Get your Confcience regulated by GOD's

Word, Pfal. cxix. 105.

2. Get your Conscience directed by His Spirit, Pfal. cxix. 133. S. Joh. xvi. 13.

3.

well-grounded and fettl'd, Rom. xiv.

5. 2 S. Pet. i. 12.

2

4. Do nothing against Confcience, Rom. xiv. 22, 23.

5. Do every thing out of Conscience, Rom. xiii. S.

6. Avoid fecret as well as open Sins, 1 S. Job. iii. 20.

7. Choose the greatest Sufferings, rather than do the least Sin; for,

1. There is more real Evil in the least Sin. 2. The leaft Sin deferves greater Sufferings. 8. Balk no Duty.

1. For Fear, A&t. iv. 18, 19.

2.

Favour, S. Joh. xii. 43.

3. Or Interest.

MOTIVES.

1. A good Confcience will be a Comfort to us in the midst of all our Troubles, Prov. xv. 15. 2 Cor. i. 12.

2. An evil Confcience will be a Trouble to us in the midst of all our Comforts, Prov. Xviii. 14.

3. Unless we keep our Confcience void of Offence here, it will witnefs againft us hereafter. 4. Be our Tormenter for ever, S.Mar, ix. 43,44. 5. But a good Confcience will be our eternal Joy.