1 Veritas vincit, Truth at last triumphs. Veritas stat in aperto campo, Truth stands in the open fields; ay, and it makes those souls stand in whom it dwells, when others fall as stars from heaven.
* Error as a glass is bright, but brittle, and cannot endure the hammer, or fire, as gold can, which, though rubbed or melted, remains firm and orient.
3 Major fait cura Crcsari libellorora quam purpuras.
4 One old piece of gold is worth a thousand new counters, and one old truth of God
2 Cor. II. 11.] against satan's devices. 59
such doctrines and opinions that require men to hold forth a strict- ness above what the Scripture requireth ; and all such doctrines and opinions that do advance anid lift up corrupted nature to the doing of supernatural things, ivhich none can do but by that supernatural power that raised Christ from the grave ; and such opinions that do lift our own righteousness in the room of Christ's righteousness, that place good works in the throne of Christ, and makes them co- partners with Christ, &c. And all those opinions and doctrines that do so set up and cry up Christ and his righteousness, as to cry down all duties of holiness and righteousness, and all those doctrines and opinions that do make the glorious and blessed privileges of believers in the days of the gospel to be lesser, fewer, and weaker, than they were in the time of the law. Ah, did your souls arise with a holy hatred, and a strong indignation against such doctrines and opinions, you would stand when others fall, and you would shine as the sun in his glory, when many that were once as shining stars may go forth as stinking snuffs.1
Remedy (5). The fifth remedy against this device of Satan is, To hold fast the truth. As men take no hold on the arm of flesh till they let go the arm of God, Jer. xvii. 5, so men take no hold on error till they have let go their hold of truth ; therefore hold fast the truth, 2 Tim. i. 13, and Titus i. 9. Truth is thy crown, hold fast thy crown, and let no man take thy crown from thee. Hath not God made truth sweet to thy soul, yea, sweeter than honey, or the honeycomb ? and wilt not thou go on to heaven, feeding upon truth, that heavenly honeycomb, as Samson did of his honeycomb.2 Ah, souls, have you not found truth sweetening your spirits, and cheering your spirits, and warming your spirits, and raising your spirits, and corroborating your spirits ? Have not you found truth a guide to lead you, a staff to uphold you, a cordial to strengthen you, and a plaster to heal you? And will not you hold fast the truth ? Hath not truth been your best friend in your worst days ? Hath not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you ? Hath not truth done more for you than all the world could do against you, and will you not hold fast the truth f Is not truth your right eye, without which you cannot see for Christ ? And your right hand, without which you cannot do for Christ ? And your right foot, without which you cannot walk with Christ? And will you not hold fast truth ? Oh ! hold fast the truth in your judgments and understandings, in your wills and affections, in your profession and conversation.
Truth is more precious than gold or rubies, ' and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her/ Prov. iii. 15.4 Truth is that heavenly glass wherein we may see the lustre and
is more than a thousand new errors. True hatred is tU ro <ysvee, to the whole kind ; it is sad to frown upon one error and smile upon another.
1 Gideon had seventy sons, and but one bastard, and yet that bastard destroyed all the rest (Judges viii. ] 3, et seq.). One turn may bring a man quite out of the way.
2 The priests of Mercury, when they ate their figs and honey, cried out (yA.B*S n aX^ua), Sweet is truth.
3 It is with truth as with some plants, which live and thrive but in warm climates.
4 Said of ' wisdom.' — G.
CO PRECIOUS REMEDIES [2 COR II 11.
glory of divine wisdom, power, greatness, love, and mercifulness. In this glass you may see the face of Christ, the favour of Christ, the riches of Christ, and the heart of Christ, beating and working sweetly towards your souls. Oh ! let your souls cleave to truth, as llutli did to Naomi, Ruth i. 15, 1G, and say, ' I will not leave truth, nor return from following after truth ; but where truth goes I will go, and where truth lodgeth I will lodge ; and nothing but death shall part truth and my soul.'1 What John said to the church of Philadelphia I may say to you, 'Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown,' Rev. iii. 11. The crown is the top of royalties : such a thing is truth : ' Let no man take thy crown.' ' Hold fast the faithful word,' as Titus speaks, chap. i. 9.2 You were better let go anything than truth ; you were better let go your honours and riches, your friends and pleasures, and the world's favours ; yea, your nearest and dearest relations, ay, your very lives, than to let go truth. Oh, keep the truth, and truth will make you safe and happy for ever. Blessed are those souls that are kept by truth.
Remedy (6). The sixth remedy against this device of Satan is, To keep humble. Humility will keep the soul free from many darts of Satan's casting, and erroneous snares of his spreading. As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the taller trees, so humble souls are free from those gusts and blasts of error that rend and tear proud, lofty souls. Satan and the world have least power to fasten errors upon humble souls. The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble ; and the more light and truth dwells in the soul, the further off darkness and error will stand from the soul. The God of grace pours in grace into humble souls, as men pour liquor into empty vessels ; and the more grace is poured into the soul, the less error shall be able to overpower the soul, or to infect the soul.3
That is a sweet word in Psalm xxv. 9t, 'The meek' (or the humble) ' will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.'* And certainly souls guided by God, and taught by God, are not easily drawn aside into ways of error. Oh, take heed of spiritual pride ! Pride fills our fancies, and weakens our graces, and makes room in our hearts for error. There are no men on earth so soon entangled, and so easily conquered by error, as proud souls. Oh, it is dangerous to love to be wise above what is written, to be curious and unsober in your desire of knowledge, and to trust to your own capacities and abilities to undertake to pry into all secrets, and to be puffed up with a carnal mind. Souls that are thus a-soaring up above the bounds and limits
1 Though I cannot dispute for the truth, yet I can die for the truth, said that blessed martyr.
3 'Avrt%iftivoi, Hold fast as with tooth and nail, against these that would snatch it from us.