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

3ly. Observe, That a Believer who is tender in his walk, may win to be very clear, and throughly persuaded, that he hath a good Conscience; and may according to his measure say, as Paul doth here, We trust (or are confident) that we have a good conscience; who is •o very firmly persuaded, that he dare, Rom. 9. 1. (whence we spoke somewhat lately) take the Holy ⟨p. 283⟩Ghost to be witness; so a tender Christian may win to be so very clear and fully persuaded, that he hath a good Conscience, that he may boldly […] it, and lippen to it, as that which will abide the trial; yea, in some respect adventure, and hazard his very Soul on it, that it is so of a truth.

3ly. Observe, That a Believer who is tender in his walk, may win to be very clear, and throughly perswaded, that he hath a good Conscience; and may according to his measure say, as Paul doth here, We trust (or are confident) that we have a good conscience; who is •o very firmely perswaded, that he dare, Rom. 9. 1. (whence we spoke somewhat lately) take the Holy ⟨p. 283⟩Ghost to be witnes; so a tender Christian may win to be so very clear and fully perswaded, that he hath a good Conscience, that he may boldly 〈…〉 it, and lippen to it, as that which will abide the tryal; yea, in some respect adventure, and hazard his very Soul on it, that it is so of a truth.

But it may be asked, what is it that founds this persuasion, and makes it firm and solid? Answer, The latter part of the text will give ground to speak to it more fully; but for the time, and in the general, we say that these three do •ound it, ere ever a man can be thus persuaded that he hath a good Conscience; he must needs take a serious look, and view of his by-gone way, of his present frame, and of his purpose, and resolution for the future, that he may see that all these be in some measure right. 1. Then, for his by-past way, It supposeth that he hath singly endeavoured to have it tender, and conform to the rule, even that he hath been exercised to have a Conscience void of offence, and that he hath reflected, and searched, and found it in some measure to be so; the one of these lays the ground for the Testimony of a good Conscience, and the other draws forth the comfortable evidence of it. 2. As to the persons present frame, there must be Spirituality, Singleness, and some measure of Tenderness; otherwayes it will much obstruct this persuading testimony; for its not enough, that a man has been tender, if he be not in some measure so now; Paul says here, We have (not only we had) a good conscience. 3ly. There must be some deliberateness, and determinateness of his purpose, and resolution to walk with God for the time to come; for if a man do not dedicate and devote himself to the study of holiness for the future, though he be supposed to have had never so much of it in his by-gone life, this firm, and comfortable persuasion will be much marred and obstructed: So then these three must here go together, viz. Holiness in a mans by-past life; holiness in his present frame, and holiness in his purpose for the future: