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

For the first, to wit, What Conscience is, we may for coming at the understanding of it, consider the name Conscience, which signifies a co-knowledge, or a knowledge going along with our knowledge: which we may consider, First, As looking to Gods knowledge going alongst with ours, and ours going alongst with his, and thus it implies as his knowledge of all our thoughts, words and ways, so our knowledge together with his of these, or our taking notice of them with respect to his knowledge. 2. We may consider it as reflex-knowledge joined with a direct ⟨p. 6⟩knowledge, as for instance when a man hath a direct knowledge of Prayer as his duty, and a reflex knowledge going along with the practise or exercise of the duty, whereby he sees and discerns himself, either to behave suitably in it, or to be faulty; in this respect Conscience is a practical knowledge taking notice by a reflex act of a mans ways. 3. We may consider it as comprehending a knowledge of Gods Law, and then it signifies a knowledge of our selves compared with the Law, it hath knowledge of the rule, and so of what is duty and what is sin, and withal it hath in it the knowledge of our selves and of our conformity or disconformity to the rule; Conscience then in this respect is a mans knowledge of Gods will and of himself as compared with it. 4. We may consider this co knowledge as it supposeth beside the knowledge of our selves, the knowledge of something taking notice of us, or of something deputed in us by God to keep a record of all our carriage and particular actions, and so it is looked on as some way different from us; hence it is called a Testimony, the testimony of our conscience. Hence also a man will appeal to his Conscience; and it doth when in any measure in exercise, impartially and incorruptly bear witness, and a man• Conscience will speak against him as if it were at all no part of him, neither can he command it silence; however then we call it, It's a power deputed in the soul of man by God, taking orders from Him and from▪ His revealed will and word, and accusing or excusing the man as He directs; It's called Prov. 20. 27. The candle of the Lord, it is above man in its sentencing and accusing, and will not be commanded by him.

For the first, to wit, What Conscience is, we may for coming at the understanding of it, consider the name Conscience, which signifies a co-knowledge, or a knowledge going along with our knowledge: which we may consider, First, As looking to Gods knowledge going alongst with ours, and ours going alongst with his, and thus it implyes as his knowledge of all our thoughts, words and ways, so our knowledge together with his of these, or our taking notice of them with respect to his knowledge. 2. We may consider it as reflex-knowledge joyned with a direct