mouth in a prayer for them to God, nor his ear to receive any petition from them, till he had given vent to his zeal in an act of justice upon the offenders. Now such, and such only, are the persons that are likely, when called, to suffer for the truth, who will not let it suffer if they can help it. But as for natural, Gallio-like spirits, that can see truth and error scuffling, and not do their utmost to relieve truth, by interposing their power and authority, if a magis- trate ; by preaching the one up, and the other down, if a minister; and by a free testimony to, fervent prayer for, and affectionate sympathizing with truth, as it fares ill or well, if a private Christian ; I say, as for such, who stand in this case as some spectators about two wrestlers, not caring much who hath the fall, these are not the men that can be expected to expose themselves to mucli suffering for truth. That magistrate who hath not zeal enough to stop tin- mouths of truth's enemies when he may, will he open his mouth in a Iree profession of it when death and danger face him ? That minister who hath neither love nor courage enough to apologize for truth in the pulpit, can it be thought he would stand to her defence at a stake ? In a word, that private Christian whose heart is not wounded through tinith's sides, so as to sympa- thize with it, will he interpose himself betwixt truth and the blow that bloody persecutors make at it, and choose to receive it into his own bodj', though to death, rather than it should light on truth ? If the fire of love within be out, or so little that it will not melt the man into sorrow for the wrongs done to truth by men of corrupt minds, where will the flame be found that should enable him to burn to ashes under the hand of bloody men ? He will never endure the fire in his body, that hath no more care to keep that sacred fire burning in his soul; if he cannot shed tears, much less will he bleed for truth.
Quest. If any now shoidd ask, how they may get their hearts inflamed with this heavenly fire of love to truth, I answer, First,
Ans. 1. Labour for an inward conformity of thy heart to truth. Likeness is the ground of love. A carnal heart cannot like truth, because it is not like to truth. Such a one may love tinxth, as he did Alexander, Regem iion Alcxan- drnm; ' the king, not the person that was king:' truth in its honour and dignity, when it can prefer him, but not naked truth itself. How is it possible an earthly soul should love truth that is heavenly ? An imholy heart, truth that is pure ? O it is sad indeed, when men's tenets and principles in their understandings do clash, and fight with the pi-inciples of their hearts and affec- tions ! When men have orthodox judgment, and heterodox hearts, there must needs be little love to truth, because the judgment and will are so unequally yoked ; truth in the conscience reproving and threatening lust in the heart, and that again controlling truth in the conscience. Thus, like a scolding couple, they may a while dwell together; but taking no content in one another, the wretch is easily persuaded to give truth a bill of divorce at last, and send her away, as Ahasuerus did Vashti, that he may espouse other principles, which will suit better with his corrupt heart, and not cross him in the way he is in. This, this I am persuaded hath parted many and truth in these licentious days. They could not sin peaceably while they kept their judgments sound ; truth ever 'and anon would be chiding them; and therefore, to match their judgments with their hearts, they have taken up principles suitable to their lusts. But, soul, if truth had such a power upon thee, to transform thee by the renewing of thy mind into its own likeness, that as the scion turns the stock into its own nature, so truth hath assimilated thee, and made thee bear fruit like itself, thou art the person that will never part with truth ; before thou canst do this, thou must part with that new natin-e, which by it the Spirit of God hath begot in thee. There is now such a near union betwixt thee and truth, or rather thee and Christ, as can never be broke. We see what a mighty power there goes along with God's ordinance of marriage, that two persons, who possibly a month before never knew one another, yet their aftections once knit by love, and their persons made one by marriage, they can now leave friends and parents for to enjoy each other; such a mighty power, and much greater, goes along with this mystical marriage between the soul and Christ, the soul and truth, that the same person, who, before conversion, would not have ventured the loss of a penny for Christ, or his truth, yet now, knit to Christ and his truth by a secret work of
GIUT ABOUT WITH TRUTH. 223