Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…

Secondly, And then the next thing is the authority of conscience; if conscience have any enlightening, it is that that will discover very much of the mind of God unto thee; there is nothing will discover Gods mind more unto the heart of a man or woman, than an enlightened conscience, and it will discover it with power; a Minister speaks, and his words many times vanish in the Air, but when conscience comes to discover Gods mind, it comes with power, and speaks particularly to this soul, and the other soul, and conscience (when it hath light) will be pleading of Gods cause, and admonishing and plucking the soul out of the ways of death and perdition, and it will not easily be put off; you may easily put off the counsels of such and such friends, but conscience will not easily be put off, it will come with such majesty upon the heart of a sinner, that there is no gain-saying of it; conscience will not regard the vain shifts that people have, but still comes in a commanding power: Oh keep the authority of conscience, many men and women, because they cannot go on freely in the ways of sin, where conscience and the word have much authority over them, therefore they seek to cast off the authority of the word and conscience, but know this for a truth, that that soul that hath cast off the authority of the word and conscience, is going apace to Hell, is going apace to destruction; All the while the word and conscience kept thee under, thou wert in some forwardness towards the way of life, but if thou hast once cast off that, then Oh how doth the soul grow hardened in sin! how easily are the truths of God rejected! and then it goes with greediness to satisfy the lusts of the flesh, and ten thousand to one but such a soul perishes eternally. Oh, if there be ever a soul in this place that had the authority of Gods word and conscience ⟨p. 333⟩to be over them with power, and now through the violence of their lusts have cast it off; Oh let such a one take notice of what is said unto them in the Name of God, Oh thy soul is going apace to destruction; But as for you that begin to feel any authority of the word, or of conscience upon you, Oh keep it; for this it is that will carry and guide thee in the way that will bring to life at the last.

Secondly, And then the next thing is the authority of conscience; if conscience have any enlightening, it is that that will discover very much of the mind of God unto thee; there is nothing will discover Gods mind more unto the heart of a man or woman, than an enlightened conscience, and it will discover it with power; a Minister speaks, and his words many times vanish in the Air, but when conscience comes to discover Gods mind, it comes with power, and speaks particularly to this soul, and the other soul, and conscience (when it hath light) will bee pleading of Gods cause, and admonishing and plucking the soul out of the waies of death and perdition, and it will not easily bee put off; you may easily put off the counsels of such and such friends, but conscience will not easily bee put off, it will come with such majesty upon the heart of a sinner, that there is no gain-saying of it; conscience will not regard the vain shifts that people have, but still comes in a commanding power: Oh keep the authority of conscience, many men and women, because they cannot go on freely in the waies of sin, where conscience and the word have much authority over them, therefore they seek to cast off the authority of the word and conscience, but know this for a truth, that that soul that hath cast off the authority of the word and conscience, is going apace to Hell, is going apace to destruction; All the while the word and conscience kept thee under, thou wert in some forwardness towards the way of life, but if thou hast once cast off that, then Oh how doth the soul grow hardened in sin! how easily are the truths of God rejected! and then it goes with greediness to satisfie the lusts of the flesh, and ten thousand to one but such a soul perishes eternally. Oh, if there bee ever a soul in this place that had the authority of Gods word and conscience