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

The use of this Doctrine serves for instruction, to let us see, that to win at such a Testimony of our Conscience is possible; and from the consideration of the possibility of it, it serves also to encourage us to seek after it: If Conscience be made of self-examination, it is not a heartless, hopeless, and desperate business, as many take it to be, who think (and it may be they have just ground ⟨p. 259⟩for that thought, having so evil a Conscience) that it neither will, nor can speak good to them; but it will certainly speak, when there is ground for it.

The use of this Doctrine serves for instruction, to let us see, that to win at such a Testimony of our Conscience is possible; and from the consideration of the possibility of it, it serves also to encourage us to seek after it: If Conscience be made of self-examination, it is not a heartless, hopeless, and desperat business, as many take it to be, who think (and it may be they have just ground ⟨p. 259⟩for that thought, having so evil a Conscience) that it neither will, nor can speak good to them; but it will certainly speak, when there is ground for it.

6ly. Observe, That a Believer who hath the testimony of a good Conscience, would take with it, acknowledge it, and rejoice in it; Paul having, and finding this restimony of his Conscience, owns it, expresseth, professeth, and avoucheth it. That which I mean here is this, that a Believer would no less take with Conscience its testimony, when it speaks for him, then he takes with a Challenge when it speaks against him; and would be as well comforted by the one, as he is humbled under the other: the experience of the Saints clears and confirms this, Hezekiah▪ David, Paul here, and others of the Godly have comforted themselves from the testimony of a good Conscience: we will not, we dare not say, that it is either the greatest or most ordinary fault; but we are sure, it is a fault incident to Believers, that they do not (when studying to have a good Conscience in all things) take more with, acknowledge, and comfort themselves in the testimony of their Conscience; partly thinking that it is presumption for them to own it, or to comfort themselves in it, partly thinking that something else is more suitable for them; and that it becomes them rather to be humbled, because of the many evils that they find themselves to be guilty of, then to be thus comforted; thinking that they have never sufficient ground for a testimony of Conscience for them; which were very hard for Believers to conclude, for it were on the matter to deny that they have any thing of the grace of God in truth; for as far as Grace is in exercise, they have ground for this Testimony of their Conscience for them, and so good ground to be comforted, and made joyful from it.