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

That men in the time of their going about any thing would advert and take heed to that sense which Conscience hath of their actions; And seeing it hath some-thing to say, they would be lending to their ear all along the time of their performing the action, and hear what it saith; As before they undertake, they would advise with Conscience that they be right; so in the time of performance, there would be a reflecting on Conscience, to know its sense of our doing; Paul is now speaking and asserting somewhat, and he reflecteth on his Conscience to hear what it will say, and that he may get its testimony, that he is speaking sincerely; he is not now advising with Conscience, to know what he should do; nor to get its censure of what he hath done; but in the very time of his doing, he reflecteth and taketh notice what it saith; He asserteth that he is speaking truth, and taketh a look into his Conscience, to see if it be not so, that he is indeed speaking the truth, and truly; Or we may take the Doctrine thus, it is a main piece of a tender walk in a Christian, not only to deliberate with Conscience before he do any thing, and when he hath done it, to take its censure if it be rightly done, but also to reflect upon his Conscience in the very time of his doing of it, and to hear what it will say of that which he is now ⟨p. 167⟩a-doing, and of himself in the doing of it, And we conceive that this is one of the main things meant by the testimony of Conscience; When Conscience is put to it in the performance of a duty, to know what it will say concerning the man and his action; for if so be that Conscience hath something to say concerning every duty, for or against the man (as it is, Rom. 2. 15▪ Their Conscience bearing them witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another) Then it will clearly follow that it is a main piece of a Christians duty to keep fair with his Conscience here▪ and to take good heed what it saith, in the very interim and mean time of his performing every action; Yea, it is not only a main piece of a Christians walk, but a main evidence of a tender walk in a Christian, viz. When he doth not only aim to be clear in undertaking a duty, but to carry Conscience along with him, and to know what it saith in following forth the duty. Take these two or three words for clearing it.