When the Lord in any Ordinance by the Truth, shall 1discover our sins, our Conscience shall come in as a witness to […], or as a Sergeant and Officer by Commission from the Almighty to arrest and condemn us for any evil, we should attend both; to see Gods mind to the utmost therein, and then it's certain we shall see. We must beware that neither out of carnal fear, nor sensual security of our sinful hearts, we be willing to lay aside the evidence of the truth as content not to hearken to the Verdict of it, […] desirous not to listen to the dictate of Conscience, but to shake off the Consideration of either, lest we should sink down in discouragement. It's certain, Truth is terrible, and the Dictates of Conscience are dreadful when they come with Commission from the Almighty; yet true it is, walking humbly under Gods hand, we should be so far from fearing the discovery of our sins, that we should be comforted in this, that they are discovered to us: and we should compose our hearts in quietness with the right consideration of the manner of Gods dealing in this kind, and commune with our selves on this manner: It's a fearful thing indeed to fall into the hands of the Almighty, who is a consuming fire, but yet herein the faithfulness of the Lord is seen, he deals so with me as he doth with those that he intends good unto; he makes His see their sins, and that […], before they ever see his pardon of them, or power against them: if he never convinceth, he never […]. He sent his holy Spirit into the World for this purpose, to perform the work; this is the way to Grace and Christ, I bless his Name I am in the way. I will hearken to the Evidence of the Truth that I may understand all that God intends, and listen to the checks of Conscience that I may know to the full the Nature of my sin; When we have a little inkling either by an Ordinance, or Conscience, take hold of the least intimation, and leave it not until you come to the bottom, and perceive the utmost ⟨p. 118⟩vileness in such a course. It was so with David who took hold of the reproof of the Prophet Nathan;
When the Lord in any Ordinance by the Truth, shall 1discover our sins, our Conscience shall come in as a witness to 〈…〉, or as a Sergeant and Officer by Commission from the Almighty to arrest and condemn us for any evil, we should attend both; to see Gods mind to the utmost therein, and then it's certain we shal see. We must beware that neither out of carnal fear, nor sensual security of our sinful hearts, we be willing to lay aside the evidence of the truth as content not to hearken to the Verdict of it, 〈…〉 desirous not to listen to the dictate of Conscience, but to shake off the Consideration of either, lest we should sink down in discouragement. It's certain, Truth is terrible, and the Dictates of Conscience are dreadful when they come with Commission from the Almighty; yet true it is, walking humbly under Gods hand, we should be so far from fearing the discovery of our sins, that we should be comforted in this, that they are discovered to us: and we should compose our hearts in quietness with the right consideration of the manner of Gods dealing in this kind, and commune with our selves on this manner: It's a fearful thing indeed to fall into the hands of the Almighty, who is a consuming fire, but yet herein the faithfulness of the Lord is seen, he deals so with me as he doth with those that he intends good unto; he makes His see their sins, and that 〈…〉, before they ever see his pardon of them, or power against them: if he never convinceth, he never 〈…〉. He sent his holy Spirit into the World for this purpose, to perform the work; this is the way to Grace and Christ, I bless his Name I am in the way. I wil hearken to the Evidence of the Truth that I may understand al that God intends, and listen to the checks of Conscience that I may know to the full the Nature of my sin; When we have a little inkling either by an Ordinance, or Conscience, take hold of the least intimation, and leave it not until you come to the bottom, and perceive the utmost ⟨p. 118⟩vileness in such a course. It was so with David who took hold of the reproof of the Prophet Nathan;
- 1Means 2.
