Observation from all kind of employments of men that he may be compleatly fitted for this great Work But I come to the Particulars First The girdle of Truth Having your Loyns girt about with Truth In lumbis maxima vis est stantium His malè affectis contrahitur corpus aut certè vacillans vel modicè impulsum corruit Bullinger Therefore the Apostle begins with these which he would have girded with Truth Truth in the Scripture is used to fet out two things there is a two-fold Acception of Truth 1. It is used for the Doctrine of Truth That Doctrine which is held out and revealed to the sons of men in the written Word and thus Truth is opposed unto Errour In this sense it is used in many places as Gal. 3. 1. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth And 1 Tim. 2. 4. God will have all men saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth And 3. Ep. Joh. 4. I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in the truth 2. It is used for the grace of truth And so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie In this sense it 's used Psal 51. 6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts that is sincerity and integrity of heart so Josh 24. 14. Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth and so Joh. 4. 24. God is a a spirit and they that worship him must worship him inspirit and in truth Spiritual Worship is there opposed to Ceremonial and Truth of Worship is opposed to Hypocritical Worship Now amongst Interpreters there are some who expound this Text of the grace of truth so doth Calvin and others Others understand it as spoken of the Doctrine of truth Baldwin vera Doctrina Religione Zanchy Constantia in Doctrina veritatis Dickson 1. Both Interpretations are agreeable to the Analogy of Faith 2. Usefull Instructions may be gathered from both 3. There is nothing in the Text which doth necessarily limit and confine it to one and therefore I shall refer it to both for Vbi Scriptura non distinguit non est distinguendum And so I shall lay before you a two-fold Observation from this two-fold Interpretation 1. Understanding it of the Doctrine of Truth as some do we note this Doctrine viz. That firmness and stability in the Doctrine of 1. Doct. Truth is an excellent meanes to be preserved and to overcome Satan and his Instruments in the day of Temptation I say Firmness and Stability because the phrase of being girded about notes constancy and firmness in the Truth When the Loyns are fast tyed and compassed about with this girdle they are in a good way of security from the assaults of Satan when those who forsake and fall from the Truth are snared and overcome then shall those who adhere and stick fast to the Doctrine of Truth be delivered and escape This is promised to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia upon this very consideration Rev. 3. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth If a Church or Person be stedfast in the Doctrine of Truth God will either keep them from temptation or else he will preserve them in temptation that when others fall they shall stand I shall give you three Reasons of this viz. 1. Truth unites us to God and God to us It is of God and hath a Divine Strength God is truth and so far as a person hath the truth he hath God and so farre as he loseth the Truth he loseth God 'T is true a person may have the Truth of God sticking in his Judgment He may be very stedfast and constant in it so that he may willingly part not onely with his substance but even with his life to maintain it and yet not be savingly united to God by Christ for salvation 'T is not the fides quae creditur but the fides quâ creditur which is the bond of this Union But yet the very holding of the Doctrine of Truth gives a person some kind of union with God by which union he is more able to stand when any storm comes then he that is destitute of the Truth 2. Truth helpes a Christian both to discover a Temptation and to answer Arguments used to set on the Temptation The Truth of God in the Judgment is one of the Eyes of the Soul he that wants this is blind and cannot see afar off Now as a clear Eye is a very great help to the Souldier for the discovering of the Dart or the Bullet before it be upon him so is the clear distinct knowledg of the Truth a very great help to a Christian to discern the temptation before it be upon him He is better able by the power of Truth to see the reach of Satan and what it is that he drives at when he spreads his snare to surprize him then another can be who hath lost the Truth Any fallacy is easily put upon a person that is destitute of the truth of an Art or Science whereas he that hath the knowledge of that Art is able presently to avoid it and to answer it And therefore the Devil when he comes to tempt the woman to sinne first labours to blind her Understanding Ye shall not die but ye shall be as gods knowing good and evill Gen. 3. 4 5. and when he hath stollen that principle of truth out of her judgment We may not eat lest we die He doth without any difficulty perswade her to eat of the fruit 3. Truth doth much help a Christian in the managing of all other parts of his Armour aright He that hath lost the Doctrine of Truth will be unable to use the Bread-Plate of Righteousness For to the using of this after a right manner it is requisite that the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness to a sinner be tâ—roughly understood and firmly believed The Helmet of Hope will soon be knocked off the head of a Christian if he do not well understand the Nature of the Grace Hope The shield of faith will be presently pierced by Satan if he that weares it do not rightly understand the nature of faith and prayer will do but little good if he that makes the prayer be unsound in the truth Prayer is to be made in faith else it doth not prevail it is to be made not only with the grace of faith but also according to the Doct of faith A Doctrinal errour in prayers will nullifie them as well as want of the grace of Faith for this is the confidence we have in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14. Information We may from this Doctrine 1. Vse gather these three conclusions viz. 1. This shews us how necessary it is for a Christian
the judgement be rotten neither the heart nor the life can be sound We finde therefore in Scripture these two joyned together faith and a good Conscience Ever when men have been corrupted in the head they have been corrupted in their lives 1 Tim. 1. 19. holding faith and a good Conscience c. he that puts away faith must put away a good Conscience whether he will or no he that makes ship-wrack of faith will soon make ship-wrack both of Conscience and Conversation 2. Ex justo Dei judâ—cio It s Gods way to punish the rejection of truth with giving men up to ungodlineâ—s of life Thus God punished the Heathen Rom. 1. 25. 26 27 28 29. where you have both the sin and the just punishment of it So 2 Thes 2. 10. 11 12. Exhortation Let all Christians be careful to keep fast about them this Girdle We have a kinde of Popish Proverb among us ungirt unblessed There is a truth in it in this sense If Satan finde you without your Girdle upon your loyns he will easily prevail with you in the day of temptation Labour therefore to get and to keep this Girdle and if you see it grow weak labour to strengthen it Let me add a few helps by way of direction and I have done 1. Avoid the company and breath of known Seducers They will either quite take away your girdle or else they will much slacken it in a very short time if you have to do with them If any man come to your house and bring not this Doctrine receive him not nor bid him God speed 2 Joh. 9. 10. They have sleight of hand they can cut your purses while they look in your faces from such turn aside 2 Tim. 3. 5. 2. Do not think meanly of such Truths as are of an inferiour Nature and more remote from the Foundation He that cuts off every day a small shred from his girdle will very soon snap it quite asunder Though every Truth be not fundamental yet every Truth is a guard to the Foundation the outer skin of an Apple lies remote from the heart yet if you pluck that off the very heart will be sooner rotten The finger is not a vital part but a Gangrene in the finger will in a short time reach to the very Vitals and corrupt the blood and spirits 3. Be much in prayer to him that keepeth both the hearts and the feet of his Saints that he would keep the Truth in you and you in the Truth Holy Father saith our Saviour keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 11. Let us often pray this Prayer of Christ Holy Father keep us through thy Holy Name Tie on this girdle of Truth that it may neither slip off nor be taken off The Apostle Jude puts these two together ver 20. Building up your selves in your most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost 4. Take heed as of all sins so especially of the sin of Pride As Heresie is the mother of pride and scornfulness so Pride is the High-way to be Heretical A proud person will soon be an erroneous person If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words c. he is proud knowing nothing c. 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. Pride will make the Heart swell so bigge that the Girdle of Truth about your Loyns wil soon be knapt asunder Humility and Watchfulness are the best Buckles for this Girdle and the way to preserve Truth but Pride and Carelesnesse is the way to lose it 5. Keep a good Conscience in all things towards God and towards Man As the falling off from the Mystery of Faith will corrupt the Conscience so a corrupt Conscience and an ungodly Life will in time destroy the Mystery of Faith There is this Reason for it The Doctrine of godliness reproves the Deeds of ungodliness and therefore whoever goes on in ungodly Practices will at last cast off the Doctrine of godliness that he may not be a Reprover to himself Keep the Grace of Truth that you may preserve the Doctrine of Truth also Thus for the first Interpretation LECT IX Decemb. 5. 1649. Ephes 6. 14. Having your Loynes girt about with Truth c. IT old you the last Lecture that Expositors LECT 9 give a two-sold Interpretation of Truth in this place Some understand it as spoken of the Doctrine of Truth Others expounding it of the Grace of Truth We have gone over the former Interpretation already as it relates to the Truth of Doctrine From which we noted That firmness and stability in the Truth of Doctrine c. We have now to consider it as relating to the Grace of Truth for so it s used in Scripture as I shewed you the last day Psal 51. 6. Josh 24. 14. Joh. 4. 24. and so it is understood in this Text by many yea the most Interpreters that I have had opportunity to inquire into Calv. vocabulo veritatis sincerum animum intelligit Piscator veritatis vocabulo intelligit conscientiae integritatem c. Taking it in this sense the Doctrine is this viz. that Integrity and truth of heart is of special use to Doct. obtain vistory over Satan in the evil day of Temptation Whosoever would overcome the Devil must have his Loyns girded about with Truth in the inward parts He that wants this girdle may struggle for a while with a Temptation and may perhaps overcome a particular temptation but he can never hold against every temptation Sooner or later he wil be brought into bondage by the Temptations of the Devil By the help of this Girdle it was that Holy Job won and kept the field and got the day of Satan in that great Conflict and Dispute he had with him And by this Girdle it was that other of Gods assaulted servants did finally overcome In the handling of this Doctrine I shall do these three things 1. I shall briefly open the Nature of this Grace 2. I shall give you the Reasons of the Doctrine 3. I shall lay down a Caution or two for the understanding of the Doctrine 1. That we may find out what is meant by this Grace of Truth I shall bring several Texts of Scripture which do explain it First Partly by way of Opposition And Secondly Partly by Exposition or Illustration 1. By way of Opposition 1. We find it opposed to Deceitfulness and Fraudulency and False-heartedness So 2 Cor. 6. 8. As Deceivers and yet true He is a man of truth that is a man without deceit Thus our Saviour speakes of Nathanael Jo. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile An Israelite in truth or a true Israelite is one in whom guile and deceitfulness is not he is one that hath not two faces he will not juggle either with God or men or himself Not as if a man of truth might not sometimes fall into an act of deceitfulness Abraham had truth in the inward parts and yet
work and his desire is that he may make an even furrow that he may draw a strait line and keep himself in Gods way let come on him what will Not as if a Child of God might not warp from Gods way they have their deviations Peter and Barnabas two great Apostles they did not alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Gal. 2. 12. 13 14. but then they do not continue in their wandrings they do not justifie their turnings aside they do not compel others to turn aside after them or do say that they have done well in so doing They are not angry with such as reprove them for their deviations Neither Peter nor Barnabas so much as murmured much lesse reviled Paul because he told them of their present deviations but presently reformed 3. It s expounded by Sincerity and godly simplicity So ye have it 1 Cor. 5. 8. Therefore let us keep the feast c. with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Truth and sincerity are all one and sincerity and simplicity are one and the same thing also 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. That which is sincere is simple and unmixed like white wooll never died Mel sincerum is honey unmingled without wax Farina sincera is flower never leavened A heart of truth is a heart uncompounded a heart not double a man of truth hath not a heart and a heart one for God and another for Mammon one for sin and another for righteousness he hath but one tongue and one heart he is single tongued and single minded his tongue and heart go together as Companions And then sincerity notes soundness a sincere heart is a sound heart a heart not putrified with rottenness and hypocrisie Though all men have hypocrisie in them yet all men are not Hypocrites Now take up all these together and they will declare fully what is meant by the grace of truth with which the Apostle would have us to be girded Not false hearted not in pretence and appearance not in word and tongue but a perfect an upright a sincere uncompounded Christian 2. For Caution I shall lay down two Rules 1. Though truth be of such use c. yet may a sincere and true hearted Christian be foiled for a time by some prevailing temptation We are not to judge either our selves or others to be presently hypocrites because we are surprized and overcome by a Temptation Hezekiah was a man of a perfect heart 2 Reg. 20. 3. and yet he was vanquished in battel in the day of temptation 2 Chron. 32. 31. In the buisness of the Embassadors of the Princes of Babylon c. God left him to try him David was a man of an uncorrupt heart God gives him that testimony and yet in the matter of Vriah Satan overcame him As a hypocrite and wicked man may stand out in some temptation so may a single hearted Christian be overtaken and insnared It s true they will recover themselves again out of these snares as Hezekiah and David did but they may be for a time taken prisoners Noah was a perfect man and that in a perverse and crooked Generation Gen. 6. 9. yet Satan surprized him and drew him into the sin of drunkenness Gen. 9. 21. Lot was an upright man in the sink of Sodom and yet he was overcome by temptation and drawn into the foul sins of drunkenness and incest Gen. 19. 32 33 34 35. We may soon take away sincerity from the earth if we make such conclusions 2. Though truth be of such use c. yet no Christian stands in the day of temptation for the merit of his sincerity Though no man have a promise of standing without this grace of truth yet is not any mans truth of heart the meritorious cause of his standing We stand by our sincerity but not for our sincerity As the Apostle concludes concerning faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. so we may conclude concerning uprightness We are kept by the power of God through sincerity Sincerity is the instrumentall cause but the power of God is the efficient This Paul confesseth in his temptation 2 Cor. 12. 9. I will glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me III. The Reasons of the Doctrine how it is that truth of heart is so useful for this warfare 1. Because this is the strength of all other graces and of all Ordinances Some Divines look upon sincerity not as a distinct grace but as that which is the perfection of every grace Truth of love is the perfection of love Truth of faith is the perfection of faith Truth of obedience is the perfection of obedience c. All which is within a man without the grace of truth is but like rotten wood which will soon break and never do any service in the day of Battel All which a man doth without sincerity is to no purpose He can suck out no vertue from any of the Ordinances of God neither prayer word Sacraments c. 2. Sincerity is that which engageth God to take our part in all temptations Where-ever integrity is there God is by his speciall grace to assist and enable the soul He stands far off from the rotten hearted Christian but his countenance doth behold the upright Psal 11. 7. That is an excellent place to this purpose which we have in Gen. 20. 5. 6. In the integrity of my heart c. Yea I know thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart c. therefore suffered I thee not to touch her We cannot say of Abimelech that he was a sincere believer for he was a profane King his integrity or truth of heart was but a meer morrall integrity he would not have taken Sarah had he known her to be the Wife of another man and therefore he professeth what he had done was done in the simplicity of his spirit God bears him witness that he spake the truth and therefore saith God I have kept thee that thou hast not touched her God did so approve of that simplicity of his that he preserved him from falling into that great sin and delivered him from the Devills snare if naturall and morall honesty doth engage God to take part with a man how much more will the grace of sincerity engage him James 4. 7 8. Resist the Devill and he shall fly Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you c. Purifie your hearts ye double minded The Apostle in that place would have Christians to engage God on their part in the day of temptation There will be no prevailing if God be not on our part But how shall we obtain this assistance from God he tells us Purifie your hearts ye double-minded A single-hearted Christian shall not want either the presence or power of God in the day of Battel This is clear also Gen. 15. 1. with 17. 1. Information 1. Do not wonder to
speaks there of Christs coming in this life to avenge and deliver his elect the earth shall be so low and deliverance shall be so improfitable that the report of it will not be beleeved as the people of God in former time had not faith to beleeve their deliverance from Captivity Isa 63. 1. 2. So shall it be saith our Saviour when Christ comes to avenge his afflicted people under the Gospel that cry unto him And if there be so few that can beleeve a temporal deliverance how few are there that can beleeve for the saving of their souls No wonder then if Satan overcome so many 3. How needful it is for the Minister of the Gospell to be often preaching about the Doctrine of faith Those weapons and postures which are of greatest use to the Souldier the Captain ought to be most diligent in instructing the Souldier in them The Ministers of the Gospel are the Captains of the Lords Host they are to train and exercise all the spiritual Souldiers of Christ they are to teach them the use of their Arms and all their postures that they may be deetrous in the day of battel If any Souldier be wounded for want of arms or of skil to use them through their default God wil require it at their hands Now of all the pieces of spirituall Armour the shield of faith is the most necessary and therefore the Doctrine of faith should be most frequently preached 4. This shewes what necessarily lies upon the sons of men to prove and examine the truth of their faith If the shield of faith be rotten or counterfeit the soul is undone in the day of Temptation if the shield of faith be sound and armour of proof the strongest assaults of Satan will be repelled with comfort Prove your selves whether you be in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. T is necessary to try 1. Because there is not a man in the world which hath heard of Jesus Christ but thinks he beleeves in him To be accounted an Infidell or unbeleever is a matter of such reproach and infamy as that no man is willing to lye under it 2. Because the heart is very deceitful and in nothing more subject to be mistaken than in this case There is a false presumption and foolish fancy which would gladly be called by the name of faith John 2. 23. 24. When Jesus was at Jerusalem many beleeved in his name when they sawthe miracles wch he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men They did presume that they beleeved in Christ but Jesus Christ knew their faith was nothing else but a meer fancy and groundless presumption 3. Because the Devil useth all the skill he can to deceive the sinner and to make him confident that he doth beleive as he endeavours to perswade the true Beleiver that his fruit is rotten so he endeavours to perswade the unbeleiver that his presumption is faith That I may help them in this inquiry I shall do two things 1. Discover some mistaken grounds which men go upon thinking that to be an evidence of saving faith which is not so 2. Lay down some positive evidences of true faith 1. There are two great mistakes about faith by which many are deceived Viz. 1. Some are deceived in regard of knowledge and assent They think they have true justifying faith because they have the doctrine of the Gospel and give as they think a right assent to the same for the removal of this mistake I shall first shew that both these may be without saving faith Secondly I shall shew how the knowledge of an unbeleiver and his assent differ from the knowledge and assent of true faith 1. That Knowledge and Assent is not faith T is granted that there is no faith truely wrought without Knowledge and Assent but that there may be Knowledge and some Assent where saving faith is not appears by these two reasons 1. The most wicked and prophane persons in the world may have and many times do attain unto a more exact knowledge of the Doctrine of the Scriptures than many a true Beleiver And they may also assent unto those truths The Apostle speaks of some by way of supposition that may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and yet want saving faith 1 Cor. 13. 2. All this is but an historical faith Judas had the knowledge of the Scriptures and gave assent to them he preached the Gospel to others and yet wanted faith John 6. 64. There are some of you that beleive not you know what will be the plea of many in the latter day Math. 7. 22. and yet had not one drachm of saving faith I shall desire you to peruse but that one Scripture well Rom. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. and then you will conclude that neither the knowledge of nor the assenting to the doctrine of the Scriptures is saving faith but are ordinarily without it 2. The very Devils themselves are beyond the most intelligent Christians in all matters of knowledge They know the history of the Bible more exactly than we Satan was not ignorant of Scripture when he set upon our Saviour Math. 4. 6. And the Devil also gives assent to the truth of the Scriptures Jam 2. 19. He acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God Math. 8. 29. What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God as full a confession for the matter and substance of it as that which Peter made Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Now that which is fained in the worst of men and in the very Devils can neither be true faith nor an evidence of it 2. If we come to examine that knowledge and assent which is in wicked men with that which is in a true beleiver we shall find a vast difference for 1. concerning their knowledge there are three differences 1. The knowledge of a true Beleiver is an experimentall knowledge but the knowledge of an unbeleiver is meerly notional and speculative A Beleiver hath in his heart a lively sense and feeling of all those truths which he hath the knowledge of in his understanding They are truths in his heart as well as in his head That promise of God Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts is made good to every true Beleiver and to him alone His heart is an Index or Commentary by which through the Spirit of God he can understand divine truths 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of the heart This is the meaning of that of our Saviour John 7. 16 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 2. The knowledge of faith is
ariseth 1. from that Naturall Distemper which is in it by reason of sin The Fall of Man did so bruise and crack this golden Vessel that it doth leak ever since and cannot hold that which is put into it The Apostle in Hebr. 2. 1. speakes of this Distemper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The memory is like a Vessel which is rent and full of holes Those golden Hoopes which God in the first Creation did set about this Vessel are either quite broken off or much loosened And then there are secondly also other things which make it so lubrick and crazy as to the retaining of things Spiritual and Divine viz. First it 's over-charged with too many Three Causes of a weak Memory worldly and sinful things the world is so much laid up in this Treasury that there is very little room for Heavenly things to be stowed there Secondly want of Meditation and recollection by this means it comes to pass that many Truths which are recorded in the Memory are as if they had never been set down in regard of use and improvement because by meditation and discourse they are not revived There is an Act of the Memory proper unto man which the Philosopher calls Eustach Phys p. 261. Reminiscentia when a thing which hath been recorded and is forgotten is by the help of Discourse and Reasoning recovered again and made present and without this it is impossible to keep alive the remembrance of many things Now it 's a very general fault not onely amongst wicked men but even amongst the people of God that they neglect this Duty of Discourse and Meditation they do not chew the Cud as they are required and so quite lose many things which they have heard understood and sometimes remembred Isaac went into the fields to meditate Gen. 24. 63. David used to meditate on Gods Statutes as well as to read and hear them Psal 119. 15. Thirdly the Devil he pilfers out many Truths he comes with his false Key and picks the Lock of the Memory and so the soul is bereaved of many a precious Truth vid. Mat. 13. 19. He comes and searcheth the books and whatever he finds there that may be prejudicial to his Kingdom he either quite takes it off the File or else so blurs it with his black Lines that in a very short time the Record becomes altogether useless Therefore for the strengthning of the weak Memory it 's not without need that things of moment and concernment should be inculcated and repeated 3. in regard of the Will and that 1. from the deadness and slowness and untowardness of the Will and Affections to embrace and give entertainment to saving truths at first when offered The heart of man is like hard Marble harder then any Adamant Zech. 7. 12. Impressions are not made upon it with one blow the Iron is not heated through with once putting into the fire there is a reluctancy and contradiction in the Will against the receiving of things of this Nature Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. The Apostle speakes of many Remora's and Obstructions in the heart which hinder the effectual working of the Word 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Strong holds carnall reasonings things exalting themselves against the knowledge of God and high thoughts c. The soul is full of surmisings prejudices objections and strong opposings the strong man armed keeps the house and by force of Arms contends against divine Truths especially such as are of weightiest concernment And therfore there is need of urging and pressing the same things over and over and that with earnestness that these high Towers may be levelled And then 2. After that the heart hath submitted and yielded it doth in a very short time through the prevalency of indwelling corruption revolt and grow stiffe again and is very backward to practise Truths subjected unto It was the sad complaint of one of the Ancients that of all Trades and Imployments Chrysost that of the Ministry is most difficult as in other respects so in this that he can never finde his work as he leaves it Let a Carpenter or Mason or any other Crafts-man shape and square and polish his work and when he returns he findes it so but the Devil he mars a Ministers work as soone as ever he hath done When he hath digged a well of godly sorrow this Philistine comes and stops it up presently When he hath stubd up the thorns the Devill comes and plants them again or more in their room When he hath cast down the Wall in one week yea in one night he findes it set up again c. Every observing and selfe-searching Christian knowes the truth of this by sad experience When any holy Resolution hath been with much labouring begot in the heart Satan and his own corruption working together do soon cool check the form he brought with him from hearing the word is soon unfashioned again Oh Israel thy goodness is as the Morning dew and as the early Cloud it presently vanisheth away Hos 6. 4. Commands are not easily obeyed therefore there must be precept upon precept The consolations of the Gospel are not easily preserved therefore there must be promise upon promise It s a hard thing to go on in duty constantly the heart will backslide It s a hard thing to keep it light and constant and close c. The Church of Ephesus had left her first love Rev. 2. 4. 5. Ephraim was a back-sliding heyfer Hos 4. 16. they were revolted and gone Thy people saith God to Moses have soon corrupted themselves c. Exod. 32. 7. 8. Paul had faithfully preached the Doctrine of justification by faith to the Galathians when he was personally with them but in a very short time they were apostatized by the fraudulency and craftiness of false Teachers therefore he is forced to write to them the same things again vid. Gal. 1. 6. We see the Disciples of Christ though they were commanded and intreated by their Master to watch with him when he was in his Agony ready to die for them yet as soon as he was departed they fell asleep again and though he came and reproved them yet they fell asleep again vid. Matth. 26. 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45. A man would wonder that when Christ had told them that the pangs of death were upon him yet they should fall asleep c. We have a discovery in them of the hearts Apostacy Vse 2. This should be a Directory for the Ministers of the Gospel That they would not be contented onely once to name necessary truths but to be ever and anon as they observe the slackness and negligence of people in practising pressing and urging the same again and again There are some Doctrines which are as standing Dishes as the Doctrine of faith Repentance c. these are of necessary and daily use and people must be
we know once and a second time he fell into an act of gross Dissimulation once in Egypt Gen. 12. 13. and a second time at Gerar Gen. 20. 2. But a man of Truth doth not allow or approve of any such acts in himself it is not his Constitution it is not his Custome he hath his conversation in Integrity godly Simplicity as the Apostles speak of themselvs 2 Cor. 1. 12. and therefore he cannot be called a guilefull man or a false-hearted man though he may do a guileful act 2. It is opposed to Pretence Phil. 1. 18. The Apostle speaking of False-Teachers hath this expression Whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and therein I rejoyce and will rejoyce Pretence and Truth are there opposed one against another Now a man of Truth is such a one as is really what he pretends to be whose inwards and outward are of the same alloy and complexion when a man is Holy in Heart as well as in outward appearance The Apostle speakes of some that did glory in appearance but not in heart 2 Cor. 5. 12. Our Saviour chargeth the Scribes and Pharisees with this Ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which appear beautiful without but inwardly are full of rottenness and putrifaction Matth. 23. 27. When a man shall pretend to be a Saint and act the part of a Devil When a man like Joab shal pretend a friendly salute Art thou in health my brother and really intend to wash his hands in his blood 2 Sam. 20. 9. When a man shall pretend like Judas to kiss his Master and intend onely to betray his Master When men shall oppress and devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers Matth. 23. 14. Such kind of persons are utterly destitute of this Grace of Truth such a one was that wicked Ishmael the son of Nethaniah of whom you read Jer. 41. 6 7. He goes forth to meet a company of sad-hearted men and pretends to conduct them to Gedaliah the Governour but when he hath them in a snare cuts their throats and buries them in a Pit 3. It 's opposed to Word and Tongue 1 Joh. 3. 18. My beloved let us not love in Word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth When the Tongue and the Lips are as different from the Heart and Actions as the Jewes and Samaritans which have no Commerce one with another this Grace of Truth is not in such persons A man of truth is one whose hands and feet act what his lips and tongue profess The Prophet speakes of some men that had an oily Lip but a bloody Heart Psal 55. 20 21. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him he hath broken his Covenant The words of his mouth were smoother then butter but warre was in his heart His words were softer then oyl yet were they drawn swords this was a very truthless man such men as these we read of Jam. 2. 15 16. They had the language of the merciful man Go in peace and be warmed and filled Here is Charity in the Tongue and Lip but they gave nothing either to feed or refresh him this was not truth of Charity so we may say of other Graces 2. By way of Exposition or Illustration and so there are many synonymous words used to explain truth of Heart viz. 1. It 's explained by perfection 2 Reg. 20. 3. I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart A true hearted Christian is a perfect hearted Christian There is a two-fold Perfection The one is Legal The other is Evangelical The Legal Perfection is not to be found in any meer man since the Apostacy of Adam The Papists they dispute not onely for the possibility of the attainment of this perfection but they teach also that it is actually attained by many But that 's a meer Dream and purposely held by them to maintain their wicked Doctrine of Merit and Supererogation for the Scripture cleerly asserts the contrary and the servants of God in the highest form have utterly disavowed any such thought Job in the Old Testament Job 9. 20. If I justifie my self my mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it also shal prove me perverse And Paul in the New Testament though he might have stood upon his legal righteousness as much as any other Phil. 3. 2. yet Phil. 3. 12. he disclaimes Perfection Perfection of this kind is a thing to be much wished for but it is not attainable by any 2 Cor. 13. ver 10. The Evangelical Perfection is two-fold the one of Justification And in this respect every one who truly is in Christ by saving Faith is exactly perfect Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 7. Jesus Christ by one offering hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. The other is of Sanctification And in this respect the truly-godly are called perfect in three respects First because they are so in part there is in them a perfection of parts they are renewed throughout in every Faculty of the Soul the Understanding Will Conscience Affections c. are all sanctified truly though not throughly Secondly because they are in the progress of Perfection it 's that Mark they levell at they will not sit down without it so Paul Phil. 3. 14. I press towards the Mark for the prize of the high-calling c. this he cals Perfection v. 15. Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Thirdly because they allow in themselves none of their imperfections Their smperfections are their burthen their sorrow their shame they take no contentment or pleasure in them 2. It 's explained by uprightness of heart so ye have it 1. Reg. 3. 6. Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my Father great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth and in uprightness of heart and in righteousness Uprightness of Heart is a Heart without crookedness a Heart that doth not bend and bow this way and that way for gain for advantage sake A swarving Heart is opposed to an upright Heart Psal 125. 4 5. Do good ô Lord to those that are good c. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked wayes c. A Heart of Truth is a Heart that doth not warp to the right nor to the left hand he will not be swayed from his way for fear of men for hopes of preferment for the avoiding of outward detriment and loss He is a man that lookes right on and his eye-lids look straight before him he doth not turn to the right hand or to the left Prov. 4. 25 27 It 's a metaphor as some think taken from the Plow-man He hath his eyes not wandring this way and that way but he looks straight before him that he may make the furrow even so doth a man of truth he is fixed in his way and
see Satan 1. Vse prevail so much against hypocriticall and false hearted men The Heretique wants the Doctrine of truth therefore he is insnared the Hypocrite wants the Grace of truth and therefore he cannot stand the one wants soundness of head the other soundness of heart he is ungirt and unblest Satan may easily winde him any way he may make him carry any yoke he may make him to serve him in any kinde of employment though never so vile never so abominable contrary to the light of the word and light of nature vid. 2 Tim. 3. 1. 2. Men shall be lovers of themselves covetous proud boasters c. who are they that are drawn aside into such paths as these They are hypocriticall men that want the grace of truth having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof A man that wants the grace of sincerity if the Devill will have him to be proud he will be puffed up presently If Satan say Blaspheme his lips are full of blasphemies presently and those of the worst kinde doctrinal blasphemies If Satan command him to be incontinent he cannot withstand If he will have him break Covenant he hath no powerto oppose he wilnot only break Covenant but forswear it If he be tempted to commit treason he rebels presently and if to disobey Parents naturall or civill his hand is lifted up against his Father c. Satan can lead him into any path that wants this Girdle LECT 10. Decemb. 12. 1649. 2. HOw requisite it is for Christians to examine and prove themselves Lect. 10. whether they have this Grace of Truth in their hearts or no. The Holy Ghost here puts great stress upon it setting it in the first place He is like to be quite undone in that day of temptation that wants it Every Christian is willing to suppose that he hath it therefore it 's good to be at certainty about it I shall for the helping of you lay down these ensuing Rules by way of Evidences viz. 1. He that hath the Grace of Truth in his heart chuseth the Word of Truth to be the Rule of all his Actions He dares not make men his Rule because he knowes men of high degree are vanity and men of low degree are a Lie Psal 62. 9. He knowes wicked men are out of the way and good men may miss the way and therefore he dares not walk according to men Micajah would not say Go up and prosper though all the Prophets of Ahab had said the same with one consent Whatsoever God puts into my mouth that will I speak 1 Reg. 22. 14. This is that which David layes down Psal 119. 1. and this is that which he practised in himself Psal 119. 30. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me And as he dares not make men his Rule so neither dare he make any outward Dispensations of Providence his Rule He is a man that adores Providence and admires Providence and rests satisfied with all Acts of Providences and searcheth into Providence but he dares not make it the Rule to walk by the Glass to dress himself by 1. He knows all things come alike to all and that the worst men and worst causes have sometimes good success at least for a long time And 2. He also knows that the wayes of Providence are very often like the way of a ship in the Sea or of an Eagle in the Ayr they are full of Riddles and Labyrinths so that man cannot expound or trace them 3. He knows that the actings and workings of Providence are various these wheeles do not alwayes keep the same track therefore he dares not make them his Rule The Word of Truth is visible certain uniform given for a Rule and therefore this he chuseth from this he doth not willingly depart vid. Psal 18. 21 22 23. 3. He that hath the Grace of Truth in his heart useth true and warrantable meanes for the accomplishment of all his Actions He doth not think it lawfull to pass through all kind of formes that he may attain his desires he dares not put upon him any shape but one Not but that a sincere Christian may be hurried by a Temptation to use some meanes unjustifiable Jacob and his Mother Rebeckah both of them holy persons yet did use dissimulation to obtain the blessing from old Jacob Gen. 27. 6 7 8 c. But they were severely punished for this sinne Jacob was banished from his Fathers house served 20 years a hard Master where he had wages changed ten times and we do not read that he and his mother ever saw one another upon earth But though a child of God whose heart is sincere may fall into such a practice yet he dares not justifie any such action David durst not take away the life of Saul to come to the Crown though he was anointed King by that God who disposeth of all kingdoms he would not permit another to do it vid. 1 Sam. 26. 7 8 9 10 11. yea when an Amalekite came and told him that he had slain Saul and that by his own desire when he was full of anguish and could not have lived many hours David commanded him to be put to death for that wicked act 2 Sam. 1. 13 14 15. He that hath truth of heart knowes well that God hath forbid him to do evil that good may come thereby and that he must not lie for God Job 13. 7 8. He will not chuse sinne to escape affliction Elihu chargeth Job with this and useth it as an Argument to prove him unsincere Job 36. 21. A true-hearted man knowes that God hath prescribed meanes and lookes at them as much as ends and yet wicked means discredit and condemn the best ends vid. 1 Sam. 13. 8 9 10 11 12 13. there was a very good end c. not fighting without seeking Gods face c. So 1 Sam. 15. 15 16 21 22. This was a good end to sacrifice to God of the spoyl of his enemies c. but the meanes were nought therefore GOD abhorres it as an act of Rebellion 2. He that hath truth of heart doth all his Actions to a good end His aymes are sincere and incorrupt at least he desires they may be so and is much troubled that they are not so He knowes that a good Action is discredited if he that doth it have not a good end 2 Chron. 25. 2. Jehu failed in this 2 Reg. 10. He did very many good things put all the Priests of Baal to death c destroyed Baal out of Israel ver 28. God testifies for him that he had done that which was in his heart ver 38. unto the house of Ahab But all these things were done for base ends to establish himself in the Kingdom therefore Hos 1. 4. God threatens to avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu Our Saviour makes this a distinguishing Evidence between a painted Hypocrite and a real
Saint Mat. 6. 1 2 3 4 5. They may give as many and as great Almes They may give God as many and as long Prayers as a sincere Christian doth but they differ in their ends The end of the one is to get glory from men to satisfie the voyce of Conscience c. The end of the other is to approve his Heart to God to glorifie his Heavenly Father and to testifie his Obedience to the Command of God 4. He that hath the Grace of Truth in his heart is the same in private that he is in publike The Lining and the Out-side of his garment are both of one piece he is clean within as wel as without a spot upon his skin is as great a trouble to him as a stain upon his garment This is that which our Saviour makes a distinguishing Note between a Hypocrite and a sincere Christian Matth. 15. 7 8. the Hypocrite is onely for the out-side of Cup or Platter that that may be clean but the inward part is full of wickedness This is David's Character of himself Psal 18. 23. I was also uncorrupt before him and kept my self from mine iniquity i. e. from secret sinnes as well as publike And Psal 101. 2. I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart A sincere Christian is as good in his own house as in Gods house in the Closet as well as in the Streets in his secret Chamber as well as in the Church He desires to have a clean heart as well as clean hands Jam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded 5. He that hath truth will be the same in trouble and after trouble Psal 78. 34 35 36. Exhortation That all that profess themselves Christians would both carefully get and keep this girdle of Truth I shall here urge it by some Motives and then lay down some Helpes and Directions 1. For Motives 1. Sincerity is the best security Prov. 10. 9. He tbat walketh uprightly walketh surely but he that perverteth his wayes shall be known God knowes him already and men shall know him when the Mask of Hypocrisie is pull'd off his face his rough garment which he wore to deceive shall in due time be plucked off and then his deceit shall be made manifest He walkes under Divine Protection he walkes under the shadow of Divine Promises therefore he is in safety He may sometimes come into danger but he shall be delivered either in danger or from danger or by danger Yea sometimes God brings him into a lesser danger to preserve him from a greater vid. Jer. 38. 38. His imprisonment saved him from the danger he might have been in by the enemy when Jerusalem was taken The three Children Dan. 3. and Dan. 6. were preserved by their Integrity The Prophet David never was in such danger as when he warped a little and went into the Land of the Philistins He got a strong Hold of Zicklag from the King of Gath but that Fort was destroyed and he was never in such distress in all his troubles 1 Sam. 30. init His own guard had there been his Executioners had not God by a mighty hand staved them off 2. Integrity of Heart is the best Guide in straits and doubtful Cases This is promised Prov. 11. 3. The integrity of the Upright shall guide them but the perversness of Transgressors shall destroy them It 's a marvellous happiness to have a perfect and faithfull guide in dark and dangerous Travels It 's a priviledge belonging to the godly man to have Divine guidance Psal 32. 8. He that is sincere shall have this guidance It is evinced by what hath been said Integrity makes the Word his Rule And that Word is a Lantern yea 't is a Light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1. 19. and he that followeth this Light shall see his way when others are in obscurity vid. Isa 30. 21. The Spirit of God who is the Soules guide dwels in a sincere heart therefore he shall be led in the right path 3. Sincerity of heart will procure Gods acceptance of all your services Though they be very weak and very imperfect yet if they be seasoned with the Salt of sincerity they shall not be cast away Prov. 15. 8. The Sacrifice of the Wicked is abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the Upright is his delight It 's a marvellous comfort to a Child of God that his Duties find acceptance When they do but suppose that their services are rejected how are they cast down how are they disquieted Nothing can satisfie them in such a Case Well! if your hearts be sincere your prayers shall be as Incense and sweet Odours in the sight of God 4. The Services and Ordinances of God shall convey strength to you When the false-hearted Christian shall winder and molder away and all which he seemed to have shall come to nothing then shall the true hearted-Christian be as one anointed with fresh Oyl he shall be active vigorous and strong This is promised in many places Job 17. 9. The Upright shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall add to strength The meat and nourishment which is taken by a man whose vitals are consumed gives no true strength to him He may perhaps for a little time appear to be fat and in good liking but all his growth is but wind and emptiness which in a fit of sickness will soon wash off But the meat of a man that is sound turnes into nourishment and makes him grow so it is with the Soul the rotten Hypocrite he gets no nourishment by the Ordinances but the sound Christian gets strength by them He may not presently perceive his growth nor does he grow always alike in all graces but in some grace or other he increaseth and shall increase his Spirituall strength Prov. 10. 19. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity 5. God will pardon and graciously pass by many failings and infirmities if the heart be sound 1 King 15. 12 13 14. King Asa was guilty in many things there were very visible Defects found in him contrary to that which the Law of God required He took away the Sodomites which were in the Land he removed all the Idols which his Fore-fathers had made He deposed his Mother from her Regency because she had made an Idol in a Grove but the high places remained still Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his dayes And because he was a man of a sound heart God accepted what he had done well and graciously pardoned his Omissions And therefore it is that David makes the soundness of his heart an Argument to move God to forgive his sin Psal 51. 6. Behold thou requirest truth in the inward parts that is to say Lord although according unto the letter of the Law thou hast cause to cast me off
yet according to the tenour of the Gospel I hope thou wilt pardon me for thou knowest my heart is right in thy sight and Psal 7 8. he prayes that God would judge him according to his integrity and according to the righteousness that was in him 6. This Grace of Truth is the way to have fellowship and communion with God Hypocrisie and false-heartedness is a bar in the way of our Communion God will not shew his face with joy unto such whose hearts are rotten Hypocrites may tell you of much Communion they have with God and of great joyes they find in their spirits but this their joy is but like a Land-flood it is quickly dryed up again a few Sun-shine dayes sokes-in all this joy It is indeed but a false joy which comes from Satan transformed into an Angel of Light and it shall be but for a moment Job tels us Job 13. 6. that a hypocrite shall not come before him He shall not see the face of God with any joy No no Communion with God is onely promised to sincerity Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God c. Cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double minded And therefore David upon the profession of this integrity calls upon God for his presence Psal 101. 2. O when wilt thou come unto me I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart 7. Integrity is the way to dant all your enemies To warp from the wayes of God will much encourage your adversaries it will make them more bold and more violent but perseverance and holding on in your integrity will in due time make your hearts fail Herod was afraid of John Baptist because he was a sincere man Mark 6. 20. And it 's said of Saul that because David behaved himself wisely he was afraid of him 1 Sam. 18. 15. 8. Sincerity of Heart will be a strengthning Cordial to your soules in the day of affliction and trouble Integrity is the best way to keep you from trouble and to deliver you out of trouble but if at any time ye do fall and lie under trouble Integrity will be a soft Pillow to rest your heads upon in the evil day vid. 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. This was that which made the Martyrs so joyful in Prison This was that which kept up the heart of Job in his great sufferings and this made Paul and Silas sing with so much joy when their feet were fast in the stocks Act. 16. 9. Integrity will make the end of your life peaceable You may have Contentions and Warrings and unquietness in the way but you shall be sure to find calmness and serenity and peace in the end This is promised Psal 37. 37. Mark the upright man c. for the end of that man is peace The beginning and the middle of the Hypocrite may be in some kind of tranquillity but the end will be a storm Job had many a sore storm but his latter end was peaceable and serene That 's well that ends well the Hypocrites portion is to lye down in sorrow Esa 50. 10 11. Thus for Motives 2. For Directions to get and keep sincerity take these viz. 1. Study well and improve aright the Doctrine of Gods Omnipresence and Omniscience He that doth truly believe that Gods Eye is upon him will not give way to Deceitfulness and Hypocrisie in heart remember that God is a Heart-searching God This is that Direction which God himself gave to Abraham to keep his heart sound Gen. 15. 1. Walk before me and be upright This was that which kept David intire Psal 18. 23. I was upright before him or in his sight and kept my self from mine iniquity The want of this is made the reason of all the fals-hood of Ephraim Hos 7. 1 2. They consider not in all their hearts c. 2. Take heed of worldly policy Fleshly wisdome is like rust it will eat up sincerity if ye hearken to it The Apostle opposeth these two one unto another 2 Cor. 1. 12. In sincerity and godly simplicity not with fleshly wisdome The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is enmity with God God would have his people to be prudent and to hear the voyce of right reason Reason is not given in vain Be wise as Serpents c. but he would not have them make carnal Wisdom their Oracle He consults first the justum and then the commodum He that consults with flesh and blood will hardly keep upright in declining-Times Fleshly Wisdome would have dictated a hundred things to Daniel would he have hearkened to it 3. Be much in the Duty of self-searching Take heed of putting too much credit and confidence in your own hearts He that trusts in his own heart is a fool Prov. 28. 26. You have the seed of rottenness in your soules and if you do not keep them in a constant course of Physick they will grow corrupt before you be aware David's prayer should be your prayer Psal 139. 23. 24. Search me O Lord c. 4. Consider the end of Hypocrisie It will be your shame in this world Psal 119. 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes c. Hypocrisie is an in-let and door to all other sins 2 Tim. 3. init a man that hath the form of godliness without the power will be any thing in time It will be your sorrow in another world Hell is said to be made for Hypocrites Mat. 24. 51. Thus much for the first piece of this Armour The Girdle of Truth LECT 11. Decemb. 19. 1649. EPHES. 6. 14. Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth and having on this Breast-plate of righteousness V. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THese words contain the second piece of the spirituall Armour And this is fitly added to the former having your loins girt about with truth In lumbis maxima vis est stantium If the loyns be infirm the whole man is full of trembling and with the least violence presently falls to the ground Integrity and sincerity strengthen the loyns and make the body stable Deme Christiano veritatem corruet protinus Bullinger in locum Now the breast is as necessary for our sure standing as the loyns though the loyns be girded yet if the breast be open to violence the party comes suddenly to the ground All the vitall parts the heart liver lungs c. are in the breast and if those be not carefully secured and preserved death and falling doth suddenly ensue A little wound in the breast is mortall and incurable Therefore the Apostle would have his Souldier to make careful provision for that part he must be as careful to put on his Breast-plate as his Girdle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both the breast viz. the whole upper part of the body before from the neck to the thighs and it also signifies that Armour which
a practical transforming knowledge His knowledge is diffused into every step of his life into every action his life is reformed by his knowledge and conformed to the truths of God whereas the knowledge of an unbeleiver neither changeth his heart nor life except it be from evill to worse his knowledge puffeth him up 1 Cor. 8. 1. it makes him more proud and more sensual It s said of the Heathen that they retained nor God in their knowledge Rom. 1. 28. but became vain in their imaginations the one hath onely the form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. the other hath not onely the form but the power and the life also 3. The knowledge of faith is a knowledge which raises the heart nearer to God The knowledge of a Beleiver crucifieth the world unto him and him unto the world Gal. 6. 14. vide Phil. 3. 8. 10. whereas the knowledge of an unbeleiver bows down his soul nearer the earth 2. Concerning the assent of an unbeleiver it differs from the assent of true faith thus 1. The assent of faith is a chearful assent It s free But the assent of an unbeleiver is without joy Jam. 2. 19. The devils beleive and tremble so do the unbeleiver at least concerning some truths 2. The assent of faith is universal So is not the assent of an unbeleiver at least his chearful assent There are some truths in the Scripture which threaten ruine and destruction to all in his condition these he cannot assent to at least joyfully There are some truths which call him to the practise of such things which he hath no affection to the crucifying of sin the mortifying of corruptions cutting off the right hand c. he had rather these were not truths than real truths he hath secret wishes that these truths were either raced out or else that they had been propounded with a greater latitude 2. Mistake is about Application He that can truly apply Christ to himself hath true faith in Christ for this is the Ratio formalis the special act of faith Now many an unbeleiver thinks he can apply Christ as well as any other Those in Luk. 13. 25 26 come to Christ with much seeming confidence as if they had been of intimate acquaintance with him Lord Lord open to us and yet never had saving faith in him I shall here shew a threefold difference between the Application of a Beleiver and an unbeleiver 1. The Application of saving faith is from something of Christ wrought savingly within him He finds the Image of Christ in him he hath well grounded hopes of it and therefore applies Christ to him As Thomas in another case sees the print of the nails and then saith My Lord and my God So a true Beleiver sees upon his soul the print of the nails the dyings of the Lord Jesus the Characters of his death burial resurrection and therefore applies him to himself Whereas the application of Christ made by an unbeleiver is meerly from that discovery which is made of Christ in the Scripture and not from any intrinsecal worth which he finds upon his own heart vide Galat. 2 20. there you have Pauls application I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. What ground can you shew within you why Christ is yours 2. The Application of saving faith is alwayes agreeable to the tenor of the Promise and Covenant wherein Christ is held forth Vide Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. Faith applies the grace of Christ as well as the merit of Christ applies Christ for sanctification as well as for justification applies the water as well as the bloud the application which an unbeleiver makes is onely or chiefly of the comforts and of the purchase of Christ c. he applies the Merit of Christ not the Spirit of Christ the Promises not the Commands c. whereas true faith applies him universally his Kingly and Prophetical Office as well as his Priestly vide Phil. 3. 9 10. 3. The Application of faith is alwayes accompanied with self-Resignation The true Beleiver doth as chearfully surrender himself to Christ as applies Christ to himself So did the Apostle Phil. 3. 12. he would not onely apprehend but be apprehended And so the Church Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his He doth not onely apply the sin offering but he offers also the burnt Offering The Apostle Rom. 12. 1. would have Christians to yeeld themselves to God c. The unbeleiver he onely applies Christ to himself he doth not voluntarily yeeld himself to Christ he doth not dedicate himself to Christ by holiness and obedience 2. I shall now give some positive evidences of true faith I shall ground them upon several places of Scripture 1. That of the Apostle Acts 15. 9. Purifying your hearts by faith Heart purity is a necessary concomitant and consequence of saving faith Jesus Christ saith the Apostle is made unto us of God wisdom righteousness sanctification c. 1 Cor. 1. 30. If by faith thou hast Christ for thy righteousness he is also thy sanctification He whose heart is unpurified is destitute of the grace of faith Now the purification of the heart may be known by these five evidences 1. A purified heart is a heart that truly bewails all pollutions and impurities The most clean heart hath some pollution unmortified but he hath no defilement unlamented his stains and sores and spots are his greatest burthen his heaviest sorrow Pauls body of death put him to more grief than all the troubles which befel him in his whole life Rom. 7. 23 24. Is it so with thee Dost thou bewail the uncleanness of thy heart cordially sadly secretly Thou wouldest gladly be delivered from it Thou canst neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly with it The impurity of thy heart turns thy sweetnesses into bitternesse This is certainly an effect of true faith Vide Zech. 12. 10. Looking upon Christ is beleiving in him this beleiving is expressed by sorrowing And if thou wouldest in truth be rid of thy corruptions thou wilt then diligently make use of all meanes be they never so painfull never so costly that may cleanse them away 2. A purified heart will kindly accept of brotherly reproof for his impurity or any advice that may make him clean He will love a person better all his life for any faithful rebuke or counsel Psalm 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness c. David shews the purity of his heart by his accepting the rebukes of Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. A heart that is purified is best pleased with that Sermon that comes closest to his conscience he would have all his heart discovered to himself Hide nothing from me said Eli to Samuel 1 Sam. 3. 17. Yea he begs that God would search his heart for him Psalm 139. 23 24. Whereas a heart that is unclean cares not to have any spot discovered he either openly flies in the face or else secretly hates
any that makes his sin known to him 3. A purified heart both loves others for their purity and endeavours as far as he can to make others pure He loves purity in an enemy and his desire is that all others might be made pure and that out of love to God and to purity 4. A heart purified will be very cautious of defiling it self It is exceeding fearful of stepping aside he will very carefully pick every step of his way that he may not be polluted I have made a covenant with mine eyes c. Job 31. 1. A pure heart will abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. The Apostle makes carefulness an effect of true Repentance 2 Chron. 7. 11. 5. A purified heart will not rest in quietness after defilement till he be cleansed again He runs to the laver of Christs bloud and washeth himself with the tears of repentance that he may be clean again As it s said of Job concerning his children Job 1. 5. so doth a pure heart concerning himself Wash me throughly from mine iniquity c. Psalm 51. 2. 2. That of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that beleive he is pretious High appreciations of Jesus Christ are the effects of faith Christ is to a beleiver more pretious than all external priviledges Phil. 3. 8. Christ is more pretious to a Beleiver than life with all the accommodations thereof Acts 20. 24. Unbeleif rejects Christ as a vessel in which there is no pleasure 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Esay 53. 1 2 3. How shall I know whether Christ be pretious to me or no 1. If Christ be pretious to thee he shall raign in thee and rule over thee His precepts will be as desirable as his death and passion My yoake is easie and my burden is light Math. 11. 29. 2. His dishonours of any kind will pierce thy heart if he be pretious to thee If Christ suffer either in his Truths or Worship or Government thou wilt suffer with him by simpathy and endeavour to repair his honour 3. It will be thy meat and drink to do him service if he be pretious to thee Thou wilt lift him up in the world and say My beloved is white and ruddy c. Cant. 5. 10. 4. All his Ordinances and Institutions will be delightful to thy soul if Christ be pretious to thee His Word his Sacraments Cant. 1. 7. yea the very rebukes of Christ will be pretious to thy soul 3. That of the Apostle 1 John 5. 4. This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith The Apostle hath reduced all worldly things to three heads 1 John 2. 16. The lust of the flesh such things as the flesh desires sensual Bona corporis delights pleasures c. The lust of the eye that is Quicquid oculis spectabile est Divitiae fundi Bona fortunae Bona animi predia argentum aurum gemmae c. The pride of life that is Omnis dignitates quae in hoc vita desiderari possunt Honours Empires Dominations Preferments c. Now whosoever hath the grace of true faith hath got the mastery over these things This victory is not so perfect but that a true beleiver may sometimes be foiled by these things the victory will not be perfect till death but he hath got the victory 1. In point of Affection He loves none of these things comparably to heavenly things Phil. 3. 20. Rev. 12. 1. his affections are above them 2 In point of Contentation He doth not satisfie his heart with any of these things 3. In regard of purpose and resolution He is resolved to subdue them perfectly faith lets him see the emptiness of all these things and shews him far better things than these are and so brings him to a very low esteem of all these things How shall a man know whether he have overcome these things 1 When a Christian can bear the loss of these things without sinking and overwhelming When a man can loose a place or an estate c. and yet can say with Job Naked came I out of my mothers womb c. Job 1. all Job had got the victory over the world else he could not so undejectedly have stood under the loss of such an estate the loss of such things abate not his confidence in God Hab. 3. 17. 1 Sam. 30. 6. 2. When a man will not use any unlawful wayes either to get or keep such things When a man will not do any thing against a good conscience either to save or get any worldly advantage The purse will not have a lusting voice if the world be overcome Daniel shewd himself to be a conqueror over the world cap. 6. The loss of peerage and preferments would not make him to submit to a wicked Decree though established by lawful power and though it was but a bare Omission Moses his voluntary parting with the pleasures of Egypt when they were inconsistent with a good conscience was an evidence of his overcoming the world and so of his faith Heb 11. 24 25 26 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he was a child he pleased himself with such toyes but when he was of age he had learned better When a man will bow to any Idol to save his purse or skin he is a slave to the world 3. When a person places no confidence in any worldly thing He enjoyes the world without pride vain-glory and carnal confidence This man is the worlds master c. It s otherwise with him that is under the world the rich mans wealth is his strong City Vide Luke 12. 19. 4. When a person will lay them out for God and good uses with chearfulness and readiness of mind EPHES. 6. 16. Above all taking the shield of faith c. Lect. 20. Febr. 20. 1649. USE II. A Word of Exhortation I shall direct this 1. To all those who have this shield of faith to them I have two things to say 2. To such as are destitute of this piece of Armour to them I have onely one thing to say That which I would say to you that have obtained this pretious Armour of faith is comprised in these two words 1. Take heed that you do not suffer your selves to be disputed out of your faith The Devil useth all meanes to beguil wicked men into a fond perswasion that they have faith upon such evidences that will not hold for the prevention of that I did in the former Use both discover such mistakes and lay down some positive evidences On the other side Satan doth what he can to argue true Beleivers out of an opinion of their faith labouring to perswade them that they have not this grace in their hearts For the helping of the Servants of God against this stratagem I shall propound some of those arguings and give answers to them They are these three 1. Satan will argue a nullity of faith sometimes from the absence of assurance and