Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

A 6th. Character or Difference, is, That a good Conscience is holily jealous and suspicious, while an evil Conscience is presumptuously confident and bold; we say a good Conscience is suspicious, and therefore is often putting it self to proof and trial, taking the sentence of Conscience to the rule and trying it thereby, and taking the answer on deliberation, and not off-hand or by guess; because it knoweth Conscience is but a servant, and therefore will try if it speaketh its masters, even Gods language; to this purpose saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my self, yet am I not hereby justified; it will either have Consciences sentence and Gods sentence going together, or else it will reject and cast it; whereas the most part of men satisfy themselves with the sentence of Conscience, and look not after Gods sentence, and mis-interpret Conscience and take its first word (as it were) and put it not to the trial: Ah! is not this true of many of your Consciences? ye think ye have peace and that all ⟨p. 56⟩matters are clear and well betwixt God and you, notwithstanding ye be secure, ignorant or profane, but when do you put your Conscience to the trial? ask your Conscience if in all the Word of God peace be spoken to the Wicked, or to any that is not sincerely aiming and endeavouring to be holy? consider that word Psal. 85. vers. 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people and to his saints; there is not one word of peace for the profane and unholy: How then can your Conscience possibly speak peace? if it presume to do, it will most certainly beguile you; and therefore as ye would not be deceived, follow not, neither lay weight upon every word that Conscience speaketh as to your state, especially at first, but try it by the Word; or take its sentence to God and to the Word, and see how he approveth of it, and how his Word doeth warrant it; for (as Solomon saith, Prov. 30. 12.) There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, that are not cleansed from their filthiness.

A 6th. Character or Difference, is, That a good Conscience is holily jealous and suspicious, while an evil Conscience is presumptuously confident and bold; we say a good Conscience is suspicious, and therefore is often putting it self to proof and tryal, taking the sentence of Conscience to the rule and trying it thereby, and taking the answer on deliberation, and not off-hand or by guess; because it knoweth Conscience is but a servant, and therefore will try if it speaketh its masters, even Gods language; to this purpose saith the Apostle