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

The other thing in the Verse, whereof we began to speak the last day, is the Reason or Motive whereby Paul presses them to this Duty; by which an Objection is obviated; They might be-like say, at least think, that he was an aspersed, reproached, and ill-spoken of man; and that therefore they had but small ground of encouragement to pray for him; No, sayeth he, notwithstanding these aspersions (which are false and groundless) pray for us; for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things: And because this assertion might look big, he qualifies it in the words following, wherein he clears what he means, and proves that he spoke not at random, We have a good Conscience, willing in all things (sayeth he) to live honestly: We may, and do ⟨p. 288⟩fail and come short, as to the length we should be […] but its beside our purpose; our desire, design, and endeavour is faithfully to approve our selves to God in all things.

The other thing in the Verse, whereof we began to speak the last day, is the Reason or Motive whereby Paul presses them to this Duty; by which an Objection is obviated; They might be-like say, at least think, that he was an aspersed, reproached, and ill-spoken of man; and that therefore they had but small ground of incouragement to pray for him; No, sayeth he, notwithstanding these aspersions (which are false and groundless) pray for us; for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things: And because this assertion might look bigg, he qualifies it in the words following, wherein he clears what he means, and proves that he spoke not at random, We have a good Conscience, willing in all things (sayeth he) to live honestly: We may, and do ⟨p. 288⟩fail and come short, as to the length we should be 〈…〉 but its beside our purpose; our desire, design, and indeavour is faithfully to approve our selves to God in all things.

Observe 1. Here, that an honest and good Life, or Walk, and an honest and good Conscience go together; There is always a suitableness betwixt the testimony of a persons Conscience within, and the ordering of his Walk and Conversation without; Or thus, as a mans life is, so is his Conscience: If the Life and Conversation be honest, then a man may have, and hath an honest, and good Conscience; but if his Life and Conversation be untender, dishonest, profane and louse, he cannot possibly have a good Conscience, as the Apostle plainly affirms,