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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26108 A sermon preached at Westminster-Abby by Thomas Aston, M.A. Aston, Thomas, b. 1649 or 50. 1691 (1691) Wing A4082; ESTC R29126 8,551 26

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A SERMON Preached at Westminster Abby March the 25th 1691. By THOMAS ASTON M. A. The 2d of Timothy the 4th and the 3d. For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine c. LONDON Printed ANNO 1691. A SERMON Preached at Westminster-Abby March the 25th 1691. Psalms LI. ver 6. But lo Thou requirest Truth in the inward Parts TO that Question Micha 6 8. O Man what does the Lord require of thee My Text gives a direct Answer God requires truth in the inward parts But what he requires he must first bestow so that in all our performances we may truly say with Holy David Of thine own Lord have we given thee This Truth is a Conformity of Man to his most Holy Creator God made Man in his own Image perfectly upright but he continued not in that Honour Rebelling against the VVorlds Monarch was disinherited lost himself and all his Posterity depraved their Nature disenabling them to perform that good some are inclin'd to Now though he cannot reach it in performance God requires that Man in his heart and affection should be according to what he was in his first Creation This Truth is four-fould 1st Of Judgment 2d Of Heart 3d. Of Speech and 4th Of Action First Truth of Judgment is a Conformity to the Word of God the Rule and Proof of Truth viz. when a Man informed by the Sacred Scriptures and enlightned by the Holy Spirit remaineth stedfast in that Doctrine the word of God teacheth then there is Truth in Judgment 'T is for this that St. Peter commends the scattered Tribes 2. Epistle 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things though you know them and are established in the present Truth And unto this settled Judgment St. Paul exhorts the Ephesians 4 14 15. Be not like Children tossed too and fro● with every wind of Doctrine but speak the Truth in Love Error and Unstableness is contrary to this Truth Secondly Truth of Heart is Godly Simplicity and Sincerity Mel Sine cera In 1 Pet. 2.2 We have this Expression The Sincere Milk of the Word Milk not mixed with Water And in 1 Cor. 5.8 Sincerity and Truth are conjoyned Let us keep the Feast with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth Contrary to this Truth is Hypocricy or Pretence Thirdly Truth in Speech is when the Tongue becomes a direct Interpreter of the Heart when a Man plainly speaks the Truth from his Heart Contrary to this is Lying speaking one thing and thinking another which St. Paul positively protests against I speak the Truth I Lye not VVe are dehorted from the one and earnestly advised to the other by the Apostle Eph. 4.25 Put away Lying and speak every Man Truth to his Neighbour Fourthly Truth in Action is a just and plain Dealing both with God and Man an honest rendering to every one what of right belongs to him Contrary to this Truth is Perfidiousness Collusion and ungodly encroaching upon the Right and Property of others Our Lord and Saviour not out of Complement but as he really deserv'd honoured Nathaniel with the Character of a Just Dealer An Isralite in truth in whom there is no guile These are the four Branches of Truth and we dare not to exclude any of them the whole lump of Man must be leavened with Truth His Judgment and Opinion must be sound His Affections Sincere his Speech Verity And his Coversation so plain that it cannot be blamed And that which Stears all is a true Judgment For though the Heart be sincere the Speech true the Actions never so just yet if the Judgment be missed there is no Truth in any An Error in the U●●●rstanding begets an Error in the Will in the Affections and Actions An instance hereof we have in St. Paul before his Miraculous Conversion He had a kind of Truth in Heart For he was Zealous towards God And for his Speech and Actions he was unblamable concerning the Righteousness of the Law anrebukeable He had no double Tongue nor unjust Hand At that time when he persecuted the Church He was very confident that that action was good and warrantable He wanted nothing but Truth in Judgment and upon the account of that Want notwithstanding all his Honour and Proficiency in the Law when he arrived at a true Judgment he despised them all Yea doubtless saith he I account all things loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. But though this Truth be the prime and absolutely necessary yet alone 't is not sufficient Religion doth not consist in Speculation A Man may acquire a right Judgment of things and yet be wanting in the practice of his Duty The Head may be well furnished with Knowledge and the Heart rotten and deceitful Judas whose very Name is odious for his unparrallel'd Treachery knew much and doubtless Preached the Truth and possibly did as much good thereby as another Disciple but he had a hollow false Heart he wanted this second Branch of Truth in the inward Parts viz. Truth in Affection and so got nothing by his outward Profession but a Sting of Conscience But if there be Truth in Judgment and Truth in Heart then the Speech will be true and the Actions just For the Heart dictates to the Tongue and prepares the Hands Out of the abundance of the Heart the Tongue speaks and the Hands act When the Heart Indites a good matter the Tongue will be like the Pen of a ready Writer to express it then the Bowels will be enlarged the Hands open to the necessities of the Saints the Feet will move to the place where his Honour dwelleth in brief all the Members of the Body will become Instruments of Righteousness unto Holiness Therefore King Solomon gives this excellent advice Keep thine heart with all diligence for out of it proceeds the Ishews of Life and of Death Prov. 4.23 Thus you see what God requires a sound Judgment without Error a sincere Heart without Hypocricy the speaking the Truth without a Lye and Just Dealing without Deceit Some render the words Thou delightest in Truth in the inward parts which is according to wise King Solomons Affirmation Such as are upright in their way are his Delight Prov. 11.2 This we may readily assent too when we remember that it is his own Image I am the Truth Truth hath made you free There is nothing Counterfeit in him or from him He is perfectly sincere in all his Proposals and will exactly perform his Promises and Threats He is not a Man that he should Lye his Veracity is Essential to him And the Truth that is in him is the Foundation of all the Truth that is in us Our Faith could have no ground without his Truth in promising Our Hope no ground without his Truth in performing Our Charity no ground without his Truth in Loving Our Repentance no ground without his Truth in Pardoning And what is in him