so all things that are are truly the same which they are so gold is true gold opposed to that which is false and counterfeit but pretended to be gold And this truth of things is the conformity of things to the Divine intellect or knowledge of God And therefore by the way I conceive that those lies are untruths which are called mendacia iocosa or officiosa officiouslies or lies in jest if they be such as in no regard tend to our neighbours prejudice are not so fitly ranked under the 9. Command as reduced to the first because they contradict that Truth which is in the minde of God for the Lord in His infinite knowledge comprehendeth and as it were asserteth all truth and every untruth uttered by men is either a deniall of some Truth which God affirmeth or an affirming of some falsehood which God denyeth and so no man can utter any falshood though concerning matters of small moment but in so doing he giveth God the lie God His knowledge is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or originall Truth and the truth of things is their correspondency thereunto as the truth of a copy is its correspondency with the originall For Truth carrieth a respect to knowledge omne verum est intelligibile every Truth is in a capacity to be understood and the Truth of things is their conformity to a right understanding Now the truth of things may come under a two-fold Consideration 1. Metaphysicall 2. Morall and in both of these it still holdeth good their truth is their Conformity to the knowledge of God For 1. God knoweth what every person action or thing is and such it truely is as God knoweth it to be and no other and this I call a Metaphysicall Consideration Secondly God knoweth what every person Action or thing ought to bee and so farre as any of these crosse this knowledge of God they are false in a morall Consideration They are true in a Metaphysicall apprehension because they are such as God knoweth them to be but they are false in a Morall notion because they are not such as God knoweth they ought to be The Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous how with approbation This is true but I think there is more in it The Lord knoweth what is that good way wherein men are to walk and the way of the Righteous is sutable to this knowledge of God and so the Lord knoweth it that is looketh upon it as an object conformable to this knowledge of His on the other side He saith to the wicked I know you not I know what manner of persons ye ought to be but ye are men of another shape ye are not objects conformed to this knowledge of Mine Secondly There is Veritas scientiae or veritas in cognoscendo Truth of knowledge and that in the creature is twofold 1. Speculative which is a conformity of the understanding to the nature of things when the understanding of man so judgeth of things as they are and the notions or conceptions of his minde are the very images of those things this Conformity of his understanding to the nature of things apprehended by him is truth Things are true as they agree with the knowledge of God because his knowledge is the Fountaine of all truth as his essence is the Fountain of all being But the knowledge of man is true because it agreeth with the nature of things Secondly The practicall truth of mans knowledge is when together with a right apprehension of the true nature of things in the understanding there is a frame of heart and affections toward those things sutable to that apprehension when the understanding rightly judgeth of things good or evill and the will and affections are regularly guided by such a right apprehension loving imbracing desiring delighting in that which the understanding rightly judgeth to be lovely desirable c. Hating abhorring shunning c. According to that true intelligence which the understanding giveth in of the nature of things or actions then there is a practicall truth in that mans knowledge But when the understanding rightly apprehendeth and yet giveth way to the perversenesse of the will and distempers of the affections this knowledge though speculatively true is practically false Thirdly There is veritas signi Truth of expression Speeches writings gestures Actions when truth possesseth the minde and heart within and shineth out at the windowes as it were when a mans words and conversation are the very image and Characters of that truth which dwelleth in him when hee knoweth and loveth the truth and speaketh and walketh according to that truth which he knoweth and loveth Now then what is that truth which we must buy 1. The true knowledge of those things which serve for the perfecting of the inner and for the ordering of the outward man the true knowledge of God of Christ of the mysteries of grace of the wayes of God of the power of godlinesse of the will of God in things concerning the matter and manner of his worship and in those things that belong to our Places Callings Relations in ordinary and extraordinary occasions Secondly The Practicall truth of these things such a frame of heart as suiteth with the nature of these things rightly apprehended which cannot be without the possession of the things themselves Thou must have God dwelling in thee thou must possesse Christ and be made one with him thy body and soule must become a temple of the Holy Ghost otherwise thou hast not this Practicall through and effectuall knowledge of God and Christ thou hast a shadow of the truth rather then the truth it selfe Thou must have the truth of all saving Graces in thee otherwise thou canst not have an heart suited to a right apprehension of Divine truth Lastly thou must be so possest of the truth as to speak the truth from the heart and to walk in the truth The second thing to be enquired is what it is to buy truth To buy in generall is For a considerable value with consent of the owner to get the propriety and possession of something which formerly was not our own He then that will buy truth 1. Must look upon it as none of his own A man doeth not buy that which hee is born to That which hee hath by inheritance he needeth not purchase The simple inherit folly Such silly ones we are all by nature and our inheritance is folly falshood This inheritance we have by descent our first Parents changed the truth of God into a lye forfeited their possession of truth and left us lies to inherit after them and now if we will enjoy any of these forfeited and confiscated goods which the Lord hath justly seized into his own hands we must buy them as things which are no longer our own He that is not convinced of this is never likely to buy He that wil buy truth indeed must be of
the market though it be neere their owne doores who grossely neglect precious opportunities of hearing the word upon slight pretences Did they know the worth of truth and looke upon it as their life they would not think every petty inconvenience a just excuse A little change of weather or distemper of body will not keepe those within doores who are necessitated to seek out for that without which they cannot live Those that followed Christ sometimes three dayes together having nothing to eat might have had a fair plea in appearance to shift off their attendance Such as will suffer nothing in this case but make the hearing of the word a meere recreation when they can doe it with ease and at pleasure are not likely to go to the price of truth 4. Of those that come onely as meere spectatours rather than buyers who view many glorious Gospel-truthes openly proposed and freely tendred to all but are content to looke on whilst others buy Such are our common sort of ignorant hearers compared to the way side who hear the word and understand it not The seed lieth above ground then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart The father of lies easily robbeth such a one of the word of truth 5. Of such as seem to cheapen but doe not buy those who are somewhat affected with the truth and think it worth the carrying home if they might have it at their own price they hear it perhaps talk of it repeat it c. And of these there are two sorts the one compared to the stony the other to the thorny ground the former would own the truth were it not accompanied with the crosse but when persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended They never gave the truth rooting in their hearts and so when the Sun ariseth it is scorched and withered The latter suffer it to be overgrown and choaked with thornes there may be some stirrings in their spirits some springings of their affections upon the receiving of the seed of truth but then their unmortified lusts the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and pleasures of this life draw away the strength of their hearts from the truth and it becometh unfruitfull they will not renounce their earthly-mindednesse or their voluptuous ambitious corrupt affections to make a full purchase of truth Herod did many things and heard John gladly but would not yeeld so far to the commands of truth as to forsake his Herodias there was a thorny lust which choaked all The yong man also seemed willing to buy What good thing shall I doe that I may have eternall life what shall I give to buy truth again All these have I kept from my youth what lack I yet Thus much I have offered if this be not enough I am willing to give more I beleeve he thought hee offered like a chapman But when he heard Christ raise his demands so high Goe and sell all that thou hast and give to the poore he brake off went away sorrowfull as if the price had been unreasonable I feare many who countenance the cause of truth some who are great actours in it yea some who may venture their lives in the prosecution of it may deceive themselves There may be some thornes not rooted up some root of bitternesse not killed some corrupt principle which may carry men far this way some by-end which may poison all If I give my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing A man may seem to die for the truth and yet never buy it Use 2 2. This is for for exhortation 1. In generall to us all 2. In speciall to those whom the Lord hath honoured above others for the patronage and promoting of the great cause of his truth And 1. let me stir up you and my selfe by all meanes to make this purchase 2. Not to think any cost too much for that purpose concerning the former 1. Get a cleer and solid understanding of all the main and most necessary truthes Learn to be throughly acquainted with the Fundamentalls of Faith Great is the mystery of godlinesse And the knowledge of it is of great concernment it is a great mystery and requireth a deep search An overly slight and superficiall view of those great secrets which the Angels desired to looke into must not satisfie them who will indeed buy truth Labour for a right understanding of the Alsufficiency and infinite excellency of God in all his attributes as hee hath revealed himselfe in his word of the person natures offices of Christ of the covenant of grace of the fountain of all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ the eternall love and good purpose of God toward his and those glorious wayes and meanes whereby the Lord is pleased to bring poore lost soules to glory reconciling them to himselfe by the death of his Sonne calling them by his Word and Spirit uniting them to Christ adopting them for his children and heires justifying them freely by his grace sanctifying quickning and keeping them by his mighty power through Faith unto salvation These and the like are especially to bee studied and wee are to take heed lest Satan intangling us in doubtfull disputes about things of an inferiour nature should cunningly divert our thoughts from searching into these hid treasures I confesse the rents and divisions which follow upon contrariety of opinions are sad and such as we have cause to lament but I am perswaded this is not the onely nor the greatest mischiefe I feare Satan gaineth much advantage by engaging young beginners and wanton wits in the agitation of controversies ere they have laid the foundation much more before themselves have taken root in Christ or so much as proved themselves to be in Christ and Christ to be in them 2. Let us labour to make those Truths which we understand our owne 1. By mixing them with faith The word preached did not profit the unbeleeving Israelites not being mixed with faith in them that heard it they did but view not buy the truth we cannot make the truth our owne nor truly say we have bought it unlesse we so mixe and temper it with faith as that it becometh one with our soules or rather our soules become one with it faith strongly closing with the word digesting it and so leavening all the powers of the soule with the truth and causing them to relish of it 2. By receiving the truth in sincere love No man buyeth truth who doth not truly love it So much truth as thou lovest is thine owne Some may hastily conclude from hence Then all the promises of pardon are mine for these I love from my heart though not those precepts of obedience and qualifications of repentance morification and holinesse But know this It is easie to mistake lies of our owne coyning for God his
holy truth for those promises carrie a respect to their qualifications and are true in relation to them if thou seperatest what God hath joyned together thou huggest an Idoll of thine own braine and dost not embrace the truth of God as the Devill in his temptations mangleth the truth of God promissionem objicit conditionem abjicit he objecteth the promise rejecteth the condition But this is rather to prophane the truth then to buy it He that will buy must take the commodity with all the appurtenances This not receiving the truth in love was the roote of that great Apostasie of the world This beggered and undid them they played with the light and dallied with the Truth of God and did not buy it and enrich themselves with it by receiving the love of the Truth that they might be saved 3. Labour to abound in the knowledge of the truth A Merchant who hath made a good voyage finding such a commodity advantagious is encouraged to new adventures that man never bought any saving truth who sitteth down and thinketh he hath enough If once thou wert possest of the truth indeed thy desires would bee more and more enlarged toward it many seem to think they have got truth enough already more then they know what to do with so much that they are troubled with it it disturbeth their slumbring spirits disquieteth their consciences These men are far from buying the truth rather some truthes have surprised them against their wills and are as welcome to them as Elijah to Ahab Hast thou found me O mine enemy But all that will buy truth let them hearken to the Apostles Counsell Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome 4. They that will buy truth must subject themselves to the power and command of it A man must not buy truth as he purchaseth outward things to dispose of it at his pleasure thou must not buy it as men were wont to buy slaves to keep it in bondage to make it serve thy lusts and ends or to fetter it and imprison it by withholding the Truth in unrighteousnes but as a man would buy an office at Court a place of service and attendance upon a Prince in buying truth thou must sell thy self a servant to the truth give up thy self to be ruled guided by the truth Some I beleeve are troubled that they have more of the truth than they can well rule it meeteth and faceth them in many of their crooked by-pathes it is as a lighted torch to them when they are most of all retired in acting their works of darknesse it is apt to interpose yea and to controll it will not suffer them to bee private when they would these would have truth enslaved and lust predominant But to pretend to truth and not to allow it that Soveraignty which belongeth to its place and dignity is indeed to reject it Let truth rule thy judgement will and affections in all things 5. Do not rest in meere notions of truth but endeavour to have the truth of God realized to thy soul Labour to have thy heart possest with the substance and reality of Divine truth to furnish thy selfe with those very things which thou findest cloathed with the truth of God in Scripture Saith the Apostle Ye were sometime in darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord He doth not say ye have light but ye are light the light is realized in you ye are transformed into the light ye are become such indeed and in truth as the light discovereth those to bee who are children of light The word and truth of God hath many beames of light in it and we must seek to take them in so as to find the reall effects of them in our selves Beleeve and thou shalt be saved there is a beame of truth and then do we buy this truth indeed when we get that precious Faith of God his elect that Faith unfeigned which really uniteth the soul to Christ taketh root in him draweth life and spirit from him conformeth and subjecteth the soul unto him Take heed of Satans jugling lest he sell thee a counterfeit stone instead of this precious Pearl a false Faith a vaine fancy an empty shadow of Faith how many content themselves with this because it is of a low price or rather may bee had for nothing But if ever that caution be needfull it is in this case Caveat Emptor Let him that would buy truth beware It is not in this case as when a man would buy a thing to please a childe a slight toy of small value will serve as well as a better but it is as if a man were to buy a ship to transport himselfe his whole family and all his goods into a far-country were it not the extremity of folly to venture all in a rotten vessell for saving of charges rather then with greater cost to provide a substantiall bottome Oh let us tremble to embark our souls more precious then the world together with all our eternall hopes in a leaking ship of a rotten faith being to make so great a voyage among so many dangerous Rockes and sands through so many stormes and waves which were too much for the soundest Faith to breake through were it not kept by the power of God unto Salvation Again Except ye repent ye shall all perish Doe not think thou hast bought this truth so soon as thy judgement is informed that this grace of repentance is necessary to salvation thou hast but viewed it yet thou hast not purchased it If thou wilt buy it indeed thou must have a through change wrought in thy heart soul repentance from dead works repentance unto life thou must look upon thy sweetest sins as thy bitterest enemies and feel them as they heaviest burthens fleeing from them as from a Serpent inwardly loathing outwardly leaving them Thou must labour for the truth of mortification the reall destruction of thy lusts as it is said of Cassius Chaerea a Pretorian Collonel or Tribune when he and others conspired the death of that cruell tyrant Caligula the signall word agreed upon was Repete strike again So thou must not content thy self to make some faint attempts against thy sinnes or a light skirmish as souldiers at a muster but thou must do it with all thy might hast thou wounded them and do they yet resist Repete strike again and again hate them pursue them to the death give them no quarter spare them not so long as thou findest them stirre or breath Again the Apostle saith The Kingdom of God is righteousnesse peace joy in the Holy Ghost This is a most sweet and precious truth wouldst thou buy it If thou doest thou buyest a Kingdome yea a Kingdome more worth then all the Kingdomes of the world But if thou wilt buy it indeed thou must have this Kingdome set up in thy heart Righteousnesse must reigne there or
A SERMON PREACHED TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS At their late Solemne FAST Wednesday FEB 26. 1644. BY JOHN MAYNARD Minister of the Word of God at MAYFIELD in SVSSEX and a Member of the ASSEMBLY of DIVINES LONDON Printed by George Bishop for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brasen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1645. A SERMON Preached to the Honorable House of Commons at their late Solemne FAST Febr. 26. 1644. PROV. 23. 23. Buy the Truth and sell it not TRUTH is the great busines of these stirring Times enquiries after Truth discoveries of Truth contending for Truth This I suppose all parties pretend to though never so contrary each to other And among those who doe really aime at Truth and meete in the maine no wonder though there be differences in judgement and conflicts about some particulars the parts of Truth being so exceeding numerous the conceptions of men so various the eye of the inner man so dimme-sighted and apt to mistake whilest it looketh but through a glasse And indeede that the cause of Truth is of a transcendent nature and exceeding high concernement the Wiseman here sheweth so advancing the worth of it as to be bought at any rate so heightening the price of it as not to be sold upon any termes Buy the Truth c. This being one of those entire portions of Scripture as I conceive which have no necessary connexion with that which goeth before or followeth some time may be spared which otherwise should have been spent in shewing the Coherence Neither doe I discerne any such difficulty in the words as needeth much to retard our progresse Buy The Originall word may signifie either to buy or to possesse to get or keep possession and so the exhortation may suit all sorts Thou that wantest the Truth buy it thou that hast it keep it but the latter is manifestly included in the negative sell it not The Truth The Hebrew note used for emphasis demonstration specification is not in the Text and therefore I thinke our English particle The which answereth it may be omitted and we may read it Buy Truth as afterward Wisdome c. Not the Wisdome and so leave the word Truth in its just latitude Here then is a point of Heavenly negotiation or Spirituall traffique which the Holy Ghost commendeth to all who desire to make a wise improvement of that short span of time allotted them in this world and to give up their account with joy That sense which one Expositour giveth maketh this place parallell to that Gal. 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate c. though it be a truth cleerly held forth in Scripture and may be either included in this Text as a part of the sense or inferred from it as a consequent yet I conceive it is farre short of the full and direct meaning of the place I concurre with those who understand it thus Get possession of the Truth whatsoever paines it cost thee whatever hazard it may lead thee into whatsoever losse or suffering it may bring upon thee Sell it not Doe not part with it to gain a world leave it not lose it not for the greatest advantage under Heaven In the words ye may easily see two Propositions 1. An affirmative or precept Buy Truth Secondly A negative or prohibition Sell it not In these observe 1. The Acts. 2. The Object the Act enjoyned in the precept or affirmative is To buy the Act forbidden in the negative or prohibition is To sell The object is the same in both Truth The precept and prohibition of these two Acts in reference to the same object are both of them absolute and peremptory we are absolutely commanded to buy Truth peremptorily forbidden to sell it and so the parts of the Text mutually give light each to other shewing that Truth must be so bought as never to be sold that he who buyeth it cannot overbuy it that he who selleth it shall be sure to underfell it It can never bee bought too deare it can never be sold at the true value He that buyeth it at the highest rate shall be an happy gainer he that selleth it to the best advantage putteth it off with losse he maketh a miserable bargaine Object But it may be said the parts of the Text seem rather to crosse than to cleer each other for if there be no seller there can be no buyers If the prohibition be observed forbidding all to sell the precept cannot be performed commanding all to buy Answer I answer the precept and prohibition are of the same extent all men are commanded to buy all men are forbidden to sell but they are not commanded to buy of men who are forbidden to sell but of God who is the onely Proprietary of this rich treasure and doth not impose this Law of not selling upon himselfe And therefore Christ saith to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea I counsell thee to buy of Me gold tryed in the fire c. But the wise Virgins though they had oyl for their owne lampes yet they had none to fell or give From the precept or affirmative part to which at present I intend to confine my selfe give me leave to offer unto you this one point of Doctrine That Doctrine The purchase of Truth is of absolute necessity to all who will be wise for their Souls In trading for things of the world there is a latitude Merchants have their liberty they are not limited to one Port nor restrained to one Mart or to deal in one commodity so they make a good return it mattereth not much what kinde of wares they bring home But they who approve themselves free of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that glorious Corporation in heaven trade to purpose for the things above and not prove bankrupts in the great day of account a necessity lieth upon them and woe unto them if they buy not Truth Let their Ships seeme never so well fraighted their Shops and Ware-house never so richly furnished yet if they want this pearl of great price they are broken and undone for ever The foolish virgins had their lampes and it may be for a time made as faire a blaze in shew as those of the wise but they wanted Truth their oyl was spent their lamps were extinguished they went to buy when market was done they called and knocked when it was too late the doore was shut For the cleering and proofe of the point and our more orderly proceeding I desire you to consider with me these four things 1. What this Truth is which we are required to Buy 2. What it is to buy Truth 3. Of whom it must be bought 4. The necessity of making this purchase For the 1. Of these what this Truth is which we must buy 1. There is veritas rei or veritas in essendo The truth of things the truth of their essence or being and
Christ must reign there in righteousnesse and thou must have a soul subdued to his Scepter The Peace of God must rule in thy heart and that is peace in truth when sin reigneth the soul hath no peace with God it may be in a dead sleep Then hast thou this truth of peace with God when the Peace of God ruleth within thee suppresseth mutinous affections subdueth rebellious lusts when the winds and sea obey it and it hath power to calme all the turbulencies and disorders of thy spirit So concerning joy in the Holy Ghost Thou must have thy heart possest with this joy if thou wilt purchase this truth How many read and hear of joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable full of glory but yet content themselves with such joyes and delights as are full of shame at least full of vanity and end in mourning and misery these are false joyes as one saith Voluptates animi febres earthly joyes are soul-feavers carnall sensuall sinfull delights are even the agues of the inner man For what is the condition of a soul given up to pleasures of this nature but to be in a continuall agitation between hot paroxysmes or burning fits of lust and cold shaking fits of shame and horrour Now as there is a great difference between that unnaturall inflammation of a feaverish body drinking up the radicall moisture wasting the spirits and that kindly wel-tempered heat of an healthy body so there is a vast distance between those vaine and earthly or impure and sinfull delights which waste the conscience and those soul-ravishing sweet serene and heavenly joyes which flow from the bosome of Christ into the breasts of beleevers I might adde many other instances but I forbear Lastly if ye will buy truth ye must improve it It is none of those commodities which a man may buy and then suffer it to lie dead by him no man buyeth the truth but he that buyeth it for use I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth as we have received a commandment from the Father It is no arbitrary thing or matter of indifferency but one of the great commandments of God that we should walk in truth and Paul having told the Ephesians Ye are light in the Lord he inferreth walk as children of light Then a man hath bought the truth when he walketh in the light and power of Divine truth when he prayeth humbleth his soul heareth the word and performeth every act of Divine worship in spirit and truth out of such true principles in such a manner with such a frame of heart and such aimes as the truth of God his word requireth when in his place and calling he improveth the truth of God to all purposes Those things which men buy at high rates they desire to make the most of The truth of God being so exceeding precious and costly those that buy it should labour to improve it to the uttermost It is none of those things which are the worse for wearing 2. Let us be perswaded not to thinke any cost too much that we may buy truth And first consider I beseech you what we must cast away which otherwise might hinder us either in getting or keeping truth 2. What we must be content to resigne and yeeld up into the Lord his hands that wee may buy truth The former are such things as are better cast away then kept the very losse of them will be our gain 1. In generall our lusts and sinnes Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God an heart cleansed from the filthinesse of flesh and spirit is like a cleer glasse fittest to give a reflection of those beams of truth which shine from the face of God in Christ The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant They that will see cleerly must do away these scales from the eyes of the inner man 2. In speciall let us renounce our carnall and naturall wisdom 1. If any man among you seemeth to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God A spirit emptied of all self-sufficiency and selfe-conceitednesse is best fitted to receive the wisdom of God and to purchase His truth 2. Lay aside all prejudices against the truth and first quit all prejudices against the dignitie of Truth Take heede of thinking any Truth of God to be below thee too meane for thee to stoope to Do not thinke thy selfe thy place or parts too high for the least of God his holy Truthes Preach the word be instant in season out of season is a Truth of God which once was given in Charge to Timothy but some I beleeve who pretended to be of Timothy his Ranke looked upon this truth as a thing below their places On the other side when a cause of Religion was brought before Galliâ— he cared for none of these things he had no leisure to spend time about words and names his place ingaged him in Realities State-matters such as were worthy of a Proconsuls Cognizance 2. Take heede of prejudices against the necessity of truth looke not upon it as a matter of indifferency Regard it as that one thing necessary 3. Renounce all prejudicate opinions of dangers or inconveniences which seeme to attend or follow truth such as divisions and commotions these though accidentall to truth doe ordinarily throng in after it Suppose yee that I am come to send peace on Earth I tell you Nay but rather division and that betweene those of neere relations as it followeth there Hereupon some seeme to be as much afraid of the truth as of a ball of wilde-fire they dare not buy it they would rather banish it out of their Coasts whereas truth is no way the cause though the corruptions of some men and their malignity against it and the weakenes and mistakes of others often make it an occasion of those ruptures That there are oppositions betweene the friends and enemies of truth is not strange but that there are dissentions among some of those who unfainedly love and seek truth and agree in the most and principall parts of it is sad yet let not this prejudice hinder us from buying and imbracing truth Amongst those who in the Apostles daies received the Gospell and with joynt consent acknowledged the Lord Jesus to be the Christ there were differences about the observation of Mosaicall Rites and Ceremonies this prejudice did not keepe the faithfull from imbracing and holding fast the truth of the Gospell In Luthers time there were controversies betweene those who were newly come out of Babylon this prejudice did not so far prevaile with the Godly as to make them preferre their slaverie under Anti-Christ above the sweete yoake of Christ Let the unanimous and full consent of the Godly in many and those the most substantiall parts of truth encourage
called heresie as in Pauls time though the truth be scorned reproached evill spoken of though the wise men of the world thinke no better of those that buy truth than of such as pay dear for a trifle and say of them in their hearts A fool and his money are soon parted though thou must bee counted a fool and a mad man as Festus termed Paul yet buy it howsoever 5. Be content to buy Truth with expence of time though that be very precious esteem that time well bestowed which is laid out for Truth Doe not say Wherefore is this waste Though time cannot be bought with gold yet it is well spent for the purchase of Truth Apelles beholding a curious picture Drawne by Protogenes admired the wormanship but understanding that it had been seven yeers in hand he said the grace of the work was not answerable to the time and paines bestowed upon it But if those whom the Lord in his providence hath called together shall be able by the good hand of their God upon them to draw to the life that glorious body of Truth in all its lineaments for matter of doctrine worship government discipline I doubt not but in conclusion it would be found time well imployed though it should cost more moneths then some expected And as in this more publike enquiry after truth so in particular searchings after it bee carefull to redeem time from other occasions that thou mayest spare it for buying of truth It is part of the blessed mans description His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law he doth meditate day and night 6. Peace is one of the great blessings of God upon a people and yet if need be we must part with this also to purchase truth If peace may be hadwith truth it is exceedingly to be desired as in toher respects so for truths sake to which if well improved it may be very serviceable and usefull towards the opening of a free trade for truth which is many wayes obstructed and interrupted by war But when truth cannot be secured but by the sword and all wayes are tried which are consistent with the purity safety and honour of truth and recourse is had to warre as the last remedie in such a case peace it selfe must be broken that truth may be preserved and purchased Object Some may say there is no sufficient cause at this day in relation to truth Answ and the businesse of Religion to ground a necessary warre upon I answer 1. I doe not take upon me to assert that this warre was primarily and originally a warre of Religion But secondly if that were granted I desire that case betweene the Tribes of Israel may be considered The two Tribes and an halfe beyond Jordan built an Altar by the River tidings came to the rest of Israel who apprehended this as an Act tending to the falsifying and corrupting of the Truth of God and the Ordinances of his Worship This was conceived a just ground for a Warre For the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shilo to goe up to warre against them But yet desiring a peaceable accommodation if it might be had without prejudice to truth they resolve to treate with them and send Phineas a man of great eminencie and ten Princes with him These deale throughly in the businesse and presse it home upon them the Defendants make a free and candid declaration of their intentions shewing that this Altar was not erected for Burnt offering nor for Sacrifice but onely for a Monument of their interest in the God of Israel whereupon both the Ambassadours and at their returne the people were fully satisfyed Now suppose this Altar had beene built for sacrifice as was suspected and compare with this the many hundred Altars I beleeve lately erected in this Land to the darkning at least of those great Truths of the Gospel that Christ is the only Altar which sanctifyeth all the offerings of the faithfull that His Sacrifice of himself once offered by Himself is the onely Propitiation adde hereunto the Idolatrous bowings and cringings the Crucifixes and Images set up in many places the indeavours to corrupt the Truth and Doctrine of Christ in divers points of great importance the plots laid to stop the course of the Gospell propagating of the truth the obstinate resistance against such a Reformation as the Truth of God cleerely revealed in His Word requireth c. And see whether there were not many causes for a Warre against the Enemies of the truth in England for one which Israel had though that had beene such as was surmised Oh that the Lord would deliver our King from those that are Adversaries of his Truth and make him an Instrument to execute His wrath upon the great whore that so the Truth of God might have a free passage through the severall Regions of the World I have read of some Mariners who being tossed on the sea in a Tempest were so superstitiously slavish as to vow or promise at least upon their safe arrivall on the shore to build a Temple the mortar whereof should be tempered with Malmsey I desire it may be considered whether those be not more lavishly prophane who being terrifyed with the stormes of warre could be content to make the sacred Truth of God more precious then all the golden veynes in the bowells of the Earth to serve in stead of mortar for the cementing or rather daubing up an unsound peace with men Object But it may be said the losse of peace implyeth by consequence the losse of life the expence of bloud and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Answ I answer it is true and doubtlesse The Lord will make inquisition for their bloud And yet in the last place even this precious bloud of God his people is not too precious to be adventured or spent in the necessary defence of Gods Truth Did not Christ himselfe shed his most precious bloud worth more than all the best bloud under Heaven to seal the Truth of the Gospell the truth of all the promises of the new Covenant none of all which had been true if Christ had not shed his bloud to verifie them For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen The Law is true in it selfe but the Truth of the Gospell and Word of Promise dependeth wholly upon Christ The Law hath an intrinsecall and native truth Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Booke of the Law to doe them But the Truth of the Promise is borrowed the promise of the pardon of sinne of justifying the ungodly of being mercifull to unrighteousnesse passing by iniquity blotting out transgressions c. seemeth to crosse the Truth of God His Justice and Holinesse if ye consider it without reference to Christ It is true then onely in Christ the Truth of this Testament
dependeth wholly upon the death of the Testatour To this end saith he was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the Truth How many thousands of God his Saints have drunk of the same Cup in severall Ages It is appointed to all men once to dye and that is a blessed improvement of death when a man dyeth not onely in the Lord but for the Lord and His Truth He that loseth his life shall find it He shall find mortality swallowed up of life His life is hid with Christ in God far above the reach of any weapons of warre and when Christ who is his life shall appear then shall he also appeare with him in Glory And now give me leave Much honoured Worthyes to bespeake your selves in the Name of the God of Truth whom I looke upon as precious Instruments of the Lord for the advancing and promoting of His Truth Truth of doctrine of worship of discipline truth and power of Godlinesse Ye are farre engaged in this Cause of truth already and it concerneth you to goe on both in Conscience and in point of Honour but chiefely for the Honour of your God who hath so highly dignifyed and so many wayes encouraged you by notable testimonies of His Presence Let it appeare that ye are so possessed with the truth so overpowered by the truth that ye may justly apply that of the Apostle to your selves We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth and then Christ will not fayle to make good that title which he hath assumed to himself The Amen the faithfull and true witnesse The People of God have reposed a great trust in you and they expect truth from you And blessed be God they have had their desires in great measure already answered and the Worke is yet in your hands these first-fruits seeme to be pledges of a full Harvest if our sinnes doe not blast our hopes One of the cleerest evidences I conceive which ye can give of the truth of your hearts to the Publick Cause is Selfe-denyall and quitting of Private Interests Of this ye have given reall demonstration in your readines to devest your selves of militarie and civill dignities that ye might reserve your selves for your proper worke Hereupon yee may with greater Authority exact truth from those whom yee shall imploy a true accompt of the publick service and for the future at least a true accompt of the publick treasure though perhaps for the time past it may be difficult if not impossible in regard of those many sudden exigents confusions unexpected occurrences which have happened yea inasmuch as ye have made your selves such eminent precedents of self-denyall how can others in modesty refuse if you require them not to seeke great things for themselves in making over much advantage of the publick miseries especially such whose service is attended with no hazard and very little labour some redresse in these things might encourage the well affected to more cheerefulnesse in assisting the common Cause and stop the mouthes of others More particularly let me beseech you in the first place to examine every man the truth and sincerity of his owne heart in managing the great businesse which yee have in hand To professe a mans selfe engaged in the Cause of truth and yet to be salfe-hearted toward it and to harbour treacherous aimes against it is not onely contrary to the duty of a Christian but a thing far below the spirit and ingenuity of a Gentleman it suiteth better with the basenes of common cheaters then with men of place and worth A man who by his corrupt principles is led out of the way and put into a posture of defiance and open hostility against the truth is lesse odious by many degrees then a false brother I am perswaded there was more of the Devill in one Judas then in all the High Priests Cavaliers and that Christ resented more hellish malignity in that one Traytours kisse than in all their swords and staves Wherefore Let every man prove his owne worke and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe and not in another For every man shall bear his owne burden It is not enough to joyne with those who are sincere in the Worke of the Lord but every man must prove his own worke with what heart out of what inward principles to what end upon what grounds and motives in what manner he doth it that he may have rejoycing in himselfe and not in those with whom he joyneth in a good cause nor by comparing himselfe with those who either directly oppose or basely desert it For in the great day of account every man shall beare his owne burden men shall not be ranked on the right hand by whole Companies Corporations Regiments Brigades Armies Houses of Parliament but as in that search which was made in Achan his case they shall be singled out man by man and every mans worke shall be tried in particular 2. Be united among your selves in the great cause of Truth according to that of the Apostle Stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the Faith of the Gospel The expressions are strong he speaketh to them as to Champions of the Truth as the originall word importeth and to whom may it bee applyed if not to such â—oble Champions as your selves stand fast keep your ground Servate gradum as Beza maintain your station and that in one spirit in the power and strength of that Holy Spirit of Truth with one minde or one soul wrestling or striving together as if ye were a combination of many bodies associated and concentred together by one soul as one man with joynt forces contending for the Truth of the Gospel and for the cause of Truth so should ye be able to strengthen your spirits with that encouragement following In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Your uniting would be a terrour to the adversaries a strengthening to your selves an encouragement to those who are friends to the truth and your friends and servants for the Truthes sake If a noble Heathen out of a morall bravery of spirit could privatas inimicitias reipublicae condonare passe by private quarrells for the Common-wealthes sake far be it from any Member of a Christian Parliament not to lay down all private grudges and crosse designes at the feet of this afflicted Church and State far be it from them not to quit them for the truthes sake lest the cause of truth should miscarry through their default If the greatest persons who will approve their hearts to God must throw down their Crownes at the footstoole of Christ how much more their corruptions But especially let every one take heed of raising or fomenting divisions out of a secret desire to hinder the carrying on of the great work