The Fountain of Life Opened

Thirdly, And what need we seek evidence of this truth, further than our own conscience? Lo, it is a truth engraven legibly upon ⟨p. 592⟩every mans own breast. Every one hath a kind of little Tribunal, or privy Sessions in his own conscience, which both accuses, and excuses, for good, and evil; which it could never do, were there not a future Judgement of which it is now conscious to it self. In this Court Records are now kept of all that we do, even of our secret actions, and thoughts, which never yet took air; but if no Judgement, what need of Records? Nor let any imagine, that that this may be but the fruit of education and discourse. We have heard of such things, and so are scared by them. For if so, how comes it to obtain so universally? Who could be the Author of such a common deception?

¹Reader, bethink thy self a little; if thou hadst a mind (as one saith) to impose a lie upon all the world, what course wouldst thou take? How wouldst thou lay the design? or why dost thou in this case imagine, what thou knowest not how to imagine? 'Tis evident that the very consciences of the Heathens, have these offices of accusing and excusing, Rom. 2.15. And it's hard to imagine (as an ingenious Author speaks) that a general Cheat should bow down the backs of all mankind,² and induce so many doubts and fears, and troubles amongst them; and give an interruption to the whole course of their corrupt living, and that there should be no account of it? And therefore it's undoubted that such a day will come. But I shall rather choose in the

¹Reader, bethink thy self a little; if thou hadst a mind (as one saith) to impose a lie upon all the world, what course wouldst thou take? How wouldst thou lay the design? or why dost thou in this case imagine, what thou knowest not how to imagine? 'Tis evident that the very consciences of the Heathens, have these offices of accusing and excusing,