Answ. First, labour to get a heart inflamed with a sincere love to the truth ; this is only able to match the enemies of truth. The worst they can do is bonds or death, and 'love is stronger than death ;' it kills the very heart of death itself, it makes all easy. Commandments are not grievous to love, nor doth it complain of sufferings. With what a light heart did Jacob, for the love of Rachel, endure the heat of the day, and cold of the night. It is venturous. Jonathan threw a kingdom at his heels, and conflicted with the anger of an enraged father, for David's sake. Love never thinks itself a loser, so long as it keeps its beloved ; yea, it is ambitious of any hazardous enterprize, whereby it may sacrifice itself in the service of its beloved, as we see in David, who put his life in his hands for Michal ; how fnuch more, when our love is pitched upon so transcendent an object as Christ and his truth ! alas, they are but faint spirits, which are breathed from a creature ; weak beams that are shot from such sorry beauties. If these lay their lovers under such a law, that they cannot but obey, though with the greatest peril and hazard ; what constraint then must a soul ravished with the love of Christ be under ? This has made the saints leap out of their estates, relations, yea, out of their bodies with joy, counting it not their loss to part with them, but to keep them with the least prejudice to the truth ; Rev. xii. 11, it is said there, ' They loved not their lives unto the death.' Mark, not to the loss of some of the comforts of their lives, but ' to death ;' life itself the)' counted an enemy, when it would part them and truth ; as a man doth not love his arm or leg, when it hazards the rest, but bids cut it off. Cannot we live, say these noble spij-its, but to the clouding of truth, and calling our love to it and Christ into question ? Welcome then the worst of deaths. This kept up David's coiu-age when his life was laid for, Psa. cxix. 95 : ' The wicked have waited for me to destroy me, but I will consider thy testimonies.' A carnal heart would have considered his estate, wife, and children, or at least his life, now in danger; but David's heart was on abetter subject, he considered the testimonies of God, and so much sweetness pours in upon his soul, while he is rolling them in his meditation, that he cannot hold : ' O how I love thy law !' ver. 97. This made him set light by all the troubles he met with for his cleaving to the truth. It is a great mystery to the world, that men for an opinion, as they call it, should run such desperate hazard. Therefore Paul was thought by his judge to be out of his wits. And that question which Pilate asked Christ, seems rather to be slightingly, than seriously spoken, John xviii. Our Saviour had told him, ver. 37, that the end why he was born, and came into the world, was, that he should 'bear witness to theti-uth.' Then Pilate, ver. 38, asks Christ, 'What is truth?' and presently flings away, as if he had said, Is this now a time to think of tnith, when thy life is in danger? What is truth, that thou shouldst ventvire so much for it ? But a gracious soul may better ask in a holy scorn. What are riches and honours? What the fading pleasures of this cheating world ? Yea, what is life itself, that any, or all these, shovild be set in opposition to truth ? O sirs, look what has your love, that will command purse, credit, life, and all. Amor meus pondns meiim, every man goes where his love carries him. If the world has your love, on it you will spend your lives ; if truth has your hearts, you will catch the blow that is made at it in your own breasts, rather than let it fall on it. Only be careful that your love to truth be sincere, or else it will leave you at the prison door, and make you part with truth, when you should most appear for it. Three sorts of pretenders to truth, their love is not like to endure the fiery trial.
First, Such as embrace truth for carnal advantage. Sometimes truth pays well for her board in the world's own coin, and so long every one will invite her to his house. These do not love truth, but the jewel at her ear. Many were observed in Henry the Eighth's time to be very zealous against abbots, that
GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH. ggj
loved their lands more than they hated their idohitry. Truth finds few that love lier gratis. And tliose few only will sutler with trutli, and for it ; as for the other, when the worldly dowry that truth hrought be once spent, you will find they are weary of their match. This kitchen fire burns no longer than such gross fuel of profit, credit, and the like does feed it. If you cannot love naked truth, you will not have coiu-age to go naked for truth. If you cannot love disgraced truth, you will not endure to be disgraced for truth; and what usage truth finds, that her followers must expect.