OF THE SECOND KIND OF TRUTH, TRUTH OF HEART, OR SINCERITY, WITH THE KINDS OF it; and IN PARTICULAR OF MORAL UPRIGHTNESS, TOGETHER WITH ITS DEFICIENCY; AND A DOUBLE CAUTION ABOUT THIS; THE ONE TO THE SAINTS, THE OTHER TO THE MORALLY UPRIGHT PERSON.
We come now to the second kind of ' tnith' commended to the Christian under the notion of the soldier's girdle, and that is 'truth of heart.' Where it would be known. First, What I mean by tnith of heart. Secondly, Why compared to a girdle. For the
First, By truth of heart I understand sincerity, so taken in Scripture, Heb. X. 22 : ' Let us draw near with a true heart ;' that is, with a sincere heart. We have them oft conjoined, the one explaining the other. Josh. xxiv. 14 : ' Fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth.' 1 Cor. v. 8, we read of ' the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.' Hypocrisy is a lie with a fair cover over it; an insincere heart is a false heart; the inward frame and motion of the heart comports not with the profession and behaviour of the outward man ; like a clock, whose wheels within go not as the hand points without.
Secondly, Sincerity, or truth of heart, may fitly be compared to a girdle, in regard of the twofold use and end for which a girdle, especially the soldier's belt, is worn.
First, The girdle is used as an ornament put on uppermost, to cover the joints of the armour, which would, if seen, cause some uncomeliness. Here, at the loins I mean, those pieces of armour for the defence of the lower parts of the body are fastened to the upper ; now, because they cannot be so closely knit and clasped, but there will be some little gaping betwixt piece and piece, there- fore they vised to put over those parts a broad girdle, that covered all that uncomeliness. Now sincerity doth the same for the Christian, what the girdle doth for the soldier. The saint's graces are not so close, nor his life so exact, but in the best there are foimd infirmities and defects, which are as so many gapings and clefts in his armour ; but sincerity covers all, that he is neither put to shame for them, nor exposed to danger by them.
Secondly, The girdle was used for strength ; by this the loins were staid and united, and the soldier made stronger to fight or march : as a garment, the closer it sits the wai-mer it is ; so the belt, the closer it is girt, the more strength the loins feel ; hence God, threatening to enfeeble and weaken a person or people, saith, 'Their loins shall be loosened,' Isa. xlv. 1 : 'I will loose the loins of kings;' and Job xii. 21, 'He weakeneth the strength of the mighty. ' He looseth the girdle of the strong.
Now sincerity may well be compared, in this respect, to the soldier's girdle. It is a grace that doth gird the soul with strength, and makes it mighty to do or suffer. Indeed it is the very strength of every grace ; so much h}'pocrisy as is found cleaving to our graces, so much weakness. It is sincere faith that is the strong faith ; sincere love that is the mighty love. Hypocrisy is to grace as the worm is to the oak, the rust to the iron,- — it weakens them, because it corrupts them. The metaphor thus opened affords these two doctrinal conclu- sions; in handling of which I shall comprise what I have to say further of this piece of armour.
DocL 1. That sincerity, or ti-uth of heart in our ways, covers all the Chris- tian's uncomeliness.
Doct. 2. That truth of heart, or sincerity, is of excellent use to strengthen the Christian in his whole course.
Doct. 1. To begin with the first, Sincerity covers all our uncomeliness. In handling of this point, this is our method :
First, To inquire which is the truth and sincerity that doth this.
Secondly, We shall inquire what uncomelinesses they are that sincerity covers.
Thirdly, How sincerity covers them.
Fourthly, Why sincerity doth this, or some account given for all (his.
First, of the first, Let us inquire which is that truth and sincerity that covers all uncomelinesses and deficiencies in the Christian. Here we must distinguish of a twofold sincerity; one moral, another evangelical.
GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH. 227