now this faith is cherished and confirmed by the daily exercises of inuocation and repentace, which be, to humble our selues, to bewaile and to confesse our sinnes to God, to condemne our selues for them, to pray for pardon & strength against sinne, to praise God & giue him thanks for his daily benefits. Now by the unfained & serious practise of these duties, repentance and faith are daily renued and confirmed. The second preseruatiue is the maintaining of the righteousnesse of a good conscience: which righteousnesse (as I haue said) is nothing els but a constant endeauor and desire to obey the will of God in all things. That this righteousnesse may be kept to the end, we must practise three rules. The first is, that wee are to carry in our hearts a purpose neuer to sinne against God in any thing: for where a purpose is of committing any sinne wittingly and willingly, there is neither good faith nor good conscience. The second is to walke with God, as Enoch did, Genes. 5. v. 24. which is, to order the whole course of our liues as in the presence of God, desiring to approoue all our doings euen unto him. Now this perswasion that wheresoeuer we are, we do stand in the presence of God, is a notable meanes to maintaine sinceritie. Genes. 17. v. 1. I am God all sufficient, vvalke before

me and be perfect: And the want of this is the occasion of many offences: as Abraham saide, Because I thought, surely the feare of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wiues sake. Gen. 20. 11. The third rule is, carefully to walke in our particular callings, doing the duties therof to the glory of God, to the good of the common wealth and the edification of the Church; auoiding therein fraud, covetousnesse, and ambition, which cause men oftentimes to set their consciences on the tenters, and make them stretch like cheverill.

Thus we see how good conscience may be preserued. Reasons to induce vs hereunto are many. I. Gods straight commandement. 1. Tim. 1. v. 19. Keepe faith and good conscience. And Prover. 4. 23. Keepe thine heart vvith all dili gence. II. The good conscience is the most tender part of the soule like to the apple of the eye; which beeing pearced by the least pinne that may be, is not onely blemished, but also looseth his sight. Therefore as God doeth to the eye, so must wee deale with the conscience. God giues to the eye certaine liddes of flesh, to defende and couer it from outwarde iniuries: and so must wee vse meanes to auoide, whatsoeuer may offend or annoy conscience. III. Manifold benefits redound

vnto us by keeping good conscience. First so long as we haue care to keepe it, we keepe and enioy all other gifts of Gods spirit. Good conscience and the rest of Gods graces are as a paire of turtle dowes, when the one feeds the other feedeth, when the one likes not the other likes not, when the one dies the other dies: so where good conscience is maintained, there are many other excellent giftes of God flourishing: and where conscience decayes, they also decay. Againe good conscience giues alacrity vnto vs & boldnesse in calling on Gods name. 1. Ioh. 3. 21. If our heart condemne vs not, we have boldnesse towardes God. Thirdly it makes vs patient in affliction and comforts vs greatly: and when by reason of the grievousnesse of our affliction, we are constrained to kneele on both knees & take up our crosse, regenerate conscience as a sweete companion layes too his shoulder, and helpes to beare one end of it. Lastly when none can comfort vs, it will be an amiable comforter and a friend speaking sweetely vnto vs in the very agony and pang of death. IV. Not to preserue the conscience without spot is the way to desperation. It is the pollicie of the deuill to vse meanes to cast the conscience into the sleepe of security, that he may the more easily bring men to his owne destruction. For as diseases, if they

be long neglected become incurable: so the co science much and often wounded admitts no comfort. Neither will it alwaies boote a man after many yeres to say at the last cast, Lord be mercifull to me, I haue sinned. Though some be receiued to mercy in the time of death, yet farre more perish in desperation, that liued in their sinnes wittingly & willingly against their owne conscience. Pharao, Saul, and Iudas cried all peccavi, I haue sinned against God; yet Pharao is hardened more & more & perisheth, Saul goeth on in his sinnes and despaireth, Iudas made away him-selfe. And no maruell, for the multitude of sinnes oppresse the conscience and make the heart to ouerflowe with such a measure of griefe, that it can fasten no affiance in the mercy of God. Lastly they that shall neglect to keepe good conscience, procure many hurtes, and dangers, and iudgements of God to themselues. When a ship is on the sea, if it be not well gouerned, or if there be a breach made into it, it drawes water and sinkes: and so both men and wares and all in likelihood are cast away. Now, we all are as passengers, the worlde is an huge sea through which we must passe: our shippe is the conscience of euery man. 1. Tim. 1. 19. & 3. 12. the wares are our religion and saluation and all other giftes of God. Therefore it

stands vs in hand to be alwaies at the helme, and to carry our ship with as even a course as possibly we can, to the entended port of happinesse, which is the saluation of our soules. But if so be it we grow carelesse, and make breaches into the shippe of conscience by suffering it to dash upon the rockes of sinne, it is a thousand to one, that we in the end shall cast away our selues and all we haue. And in the meane season, as conscience decayes, so proportionally all grace and goodnesse goes from vs: Gods commaundements begin to be vile unto vs; the knowledge thereof, as also faith, hope, and the invocation of Gods name decay. Experience sheweth that men of excellent giftes through the vsing of bad conscience, lose them all.