ook IV. TaE BREAST-PLATE oF RIGHTEOUSNESS. s8g 4· It is lhong; Trmh is too hard and lhong for all its Oppofers ; a~ the young Man laid, Great is the Strength of 'l'ruth. There as no breakm_r of thas G~rdle. 5· Confider what God's Ptople have fuft'tred before they would part With Truth, what Tormenrs and Tonures rhey have ~tndured. 6. There is no managing the fp~ritual War without the Girdle of Truth. Marks of Sincerity. Firft, Negativefy. . . . , . 1. He is not a perfect and fincere Chnllaan, whofe Heart JS not changed, who IS not renewed, or who hath not a Pranciple of divine Grace or fpiritual Life in him. 2. He is not a pertdt and fincere Pcrlon, that wants any elfcntial P"rt of a Chrif– tian; as he is not a perfeCt natural Child, that wants an Arm, an Eye, or a l .fg. See Matt. xax. 20. One 'l'hing thou lackejl, if thou wouldejl be perfetl, or approve thyfelf finccre, go thy wa)', and fell what thou hajl, &c. 3· He is not a finctre Perf<>n, whole Heart is lifted up in him, Hab. ii. 4· 4· He is not a fincere Man. that is not ul'right in all his Dealings and Converfe with Men; if he w>nt moral Upriglunefs, his Rehgion is good for nothing. Secondly, In the Ajjirwative. r. A !incere and upright l'hriftian is known by the Way he goes in: 'l'he High-wal of the Upright is to depart from Evil, Prov. xvi. 17. ( 1. ' Hectl-hewerh all I:. vi I, the fmallcft, as well as the greatdl:. (>.) He lcaveth it willingly, he hares it; he doth not part with it as a Man parteth with his Friend, but as a M an parterh with 1115 moft deadly and mortal Enemy. 2. A finrne Perfon hath a ri,;ht Faith, and a good and wdl enlightened Judgment. Rortt'n Prin( ipks rnake rorren Chriltians. There are fome Mc:n who are of corrupt Minds. reprcbate, or of no J udgmtnt, concerning the Ji'aith, 2 'fim. iii. 8. 3· He h tth an holy and upright End, he ddires to live to God's Glory, and to ferve him in Sinw ity. Paul rdolved, Chrijl fhould be magnified in his Body, whether it 'l.Oere by L~,re, or by Death. 4- He walks by a true and exact Rule: As many as walk according to this Rule, Peace on them, and Mercy, and upon the lfrael of God, Gal. vi. 5· He labors to keep all God's Commandmtnts. Thus did David, who was a Man after God's own Heart, Pfal. cxix 9· and <hlls did Zachary and Elizabeth, who walked in all the Commandments of the L ord blame/eft, &c. Luke i. 6. 6. He defi« s to be lanClified, as well as to be favcd; to be made holy, as well as to be made happy. 7· He i1as willing to do for God, as to receive from God; for the Work, as well as the W agt:s. 8. H e tlrives as much again!! the Evils of his Heart, as he does againft the Evils of his L ife. 9· He is a Man always for God, in bad Tirnes as well as in aood Times. 10. He is the fame an private as in public; he is at hom';, what he feems to be abroJd, 1 '. He loves and !>refers God and Chrift above all. Thus David, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. anrl f'aui, Phi/. 1ii. 8, 9· 12. He can -g·> on in God's Ways and Services with abundance of Content, with– our n.fped t(~ <~ny ou; \ro.arJ Profit or Applaule, or being caken notice of by Men. I-lis S"n<f.•ch• n confi<fc·th not in the Approbation of Men, but by the Approbation and Com 1 end.UH;/l uf Gud. His own Conitience gives Tdlimony anrl Evidtnct: of the Sior,·ri<y of l.as li"art. Thus Paul, 'l'his is our rejoicing, the 'l'ejlimony of our Con– fcu..nce, &c. 2 Cor. xi. 12. THE BREAST-PLATE oF RIGHTEOUSNESS. And having 011 the Breafl·Piatc of Righteoufnefs, &c. Eph. vi. 14. 'T' . I. A HEHE is a Moral, L egal and Evangelicd! Righteoufncfs. , Now a mu•_al or legal Righccoufnefs will not fave or defend the Saint, or fpiritual Solclter or J dus Chnfr, frpm has Enemy : Except your Righteoufnefs exceed the Righ7 L leoufmfs
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