The Christian Completely Armed, Lecture 9
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. 9give 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 its 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 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 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 foreign 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. Its 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 Ʋriah, 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. Its 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. Whereever 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 ſee Satan 1. Ʋſe.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.