Of`froth. 441 tipin therent: fo there is no true receivingof the ;vord,vntill ourcorrupt wifdomebe rent alunderand the word ofGod doled op in t ead ofit : So that as there.is truthrcquired,fo a girdleoftruth : As Chrilt is our comfort,fo hemuttbe puton: As theword is recciued,fo it mutt be engrafted in vs. In more fenfìble thingswe are familiarly aèquainted with this matter.What profit is there in a plaitîer,be it neuer fo skilfullymade,enleaeit be applied? S imile. Wellnothingmdeedeis good without applying.TheSun neis comfortable,bat whatdoth itifwe be (hut op aoi t neuer corsieto vs What nourifhmentisinineate,whatere inap- parell,ifwe efeand apply tbeni not? So Chrift and the wordnot appliedarc nothing to vs though moilprofitable in thenifelues. a, Truth is a thing fpeciallyelteemed ofthe Lord,. and it is a feruice fo acceptable veto Truth hove hiin,thathe willnot bewithout it, and therefore a rentorpenlion due onto the:Lord. But greatfpeeiall why doth the Lord fo require trnch,!at our hands? TheProphet faith, The Lordhad,map arguments. nifiedhittruth andhisname abone all things, 'andhe hashpot onbim f lfe, ashis name,tobe called 1 theGadoftruth. Andatria the, second perfon in Trinitie witneflerh Ins death to this, in 'Father. calling himfelfe,not theGodoftr th, buttruthit lelfe,andliebarewitnesbe forePilat,that 5.0805. hefpecially carne into theworld to bearewitnes tothe truth,fo greatlyhe lotted ic. For the holy Gholt weread Io1).i4. He is faid tobe tire[pint oftrur!s. Sowe fbe howgreat a thing 3 Ray Chaff. thistruth iswithGod,for hemakes hiinfelfeglorious in thistitle,andMakes itthe Crownê ofhis head, his Sonne,hisSpirit, hisMinifters are glorified by it. In alecondrefpeEttruth a is deare,for that Adam being charged to bewareof theforbidden fruit, had hisfirltafláult of Sathan againft the Lords truth, and backe-lhding from it, he loft all hispofreflon in Paradife. Becaufeofthis dealingof the Dann inParadife, euer fincethe Lord bath been very jealous of histruth, and wils men fliould wliatfoeuer they doe remember to pay himtrueth. The third relpeet, why the Lord will hauetrueth, is, becaufe it is a thing 3 moll concerning vs, and comforteth vs in the agonieofa diftreffedconlcience. Forin this cale mercy cannot locomfort vs, for God bath iullice as well as tirerete, and hee is tuft as well ashee is merciful) ; and for Chrift hecannot comfortvo, for beh is not giuen toall, and itmay be not to thee, and thereforein thefet wooncly there is no comfort. But to chalenge the Lord his trueth is belt, andhis faitlifuhietfe in gluingChrift, whótii hee lathproniifed, is ourchiefefthold, and nothingcan put vs betide it. Titis isthefureli te- nourofourfaluation, becaufeby this wehold whatfoeuer wehold, and howfoeuer weare defeveìiue inother things, yet in relpeét:of truth we molt make muchair.. Thus in there rctpells, that truth is thediademe of the Lord, in relpe& that Sultandoth to aflauit it; and it is tire tenour of ourfaluation, it is lurethat it isa peirfion tobepapd. But to come neerer, whether this truthbee in vs or no, we fee die earth itfelfe is not onely true, but liberali tovs. And asit bath trueth and mercie, fo knowledge is in it to ; for it knoweth all timesand feafons, When torewires, when to retorne, itthewsitfelfracunningSchaller, andMen may be it keepesfucka comely courfe inailfeafons, asifithadperfeti k. oomledge, .and this isanother tea- eoe.;partdró fon,whywe mutt labourfortrueth. We may well becompared-toa land : For though there ¿oieSu earth. ka foule in vs ofthefubfiance ofkauen, and comming into our, bodies made ofearth, Amid °lo male them like toheauen, andfo heauen fhould lift vs vp to.heauenfrom the.earth, yet our bodies, which by the foule fhould bee more heauenly, bane fo weighed downe heauen as it were to the earth, and preffed downe the foule to things below, That we haue fit earth as it were about. hearten inallow attemptsand imaginations, and toour foules are become a veryground and lande, for all ourintent being earthly, wecare iultly called earth. 3 Thereare foundoutthreetruthes.Firft, Thetruth oflife,whichenery man mull labor rheresserbree for. The fecond is, Thetruth ofiufiice, which is incominon wealths. The third is, Truth in binder oficStb. dolln ne-andReligion,whicli is in theChurch.Forthat truthoflife,vwhicli ought to beamong even, thatwemaybettervnderltandit, wewill Biewitinmeafuresandweights. In a inca- . Purethere is a Standard, and in weight there isaSeale, and ifour meafurebe equalh wir li the ftaudard,and ifour weightsbe Tuft with the feale,fo as they be neither lighternor hea- vier then the ftandard weight : ourmeafnres and weightcs are true. Now to apply diefe things : the manic and ltandard truth is let downe, loha7. Thyword is the truth : Then here
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