And so for truth, by which all comfort is conveyed unto us. When that is ready we are able to withstand temptations, but when that is to seek, mischief is ready to surprise us. Now if the word were engrafted in our hearts, then "we should have some divine truths upon every occasion, and we should be ready against every sin, as Joseph was. We should therefore labour for this spiritual leaven, to season all other truths, that we may savour of them in all our thoughts and actions, and so shall our garments be close about us.
There is another thing intended in this Scripture. These are dangerous times, and there are spiritual cheaters abroad in the world. Therefore we should keep our profession close, and keep our truth and our judgments close, and get love into our affections ; for we shall be set upon, and if we walk at large, then heretics and seducers will come between us and salva- tion, because our garments are not close. What a deal of loose profession have we ! Were it not for authority that establisheth it, how many thou- sands have we would fall off? and all because they keep not their garments close. They fasten not truth to their souls. Their garments are loose about them, that so hereby the Jesuits have some points ready to fall upon by reason of unready Christians, for so they are taken. Therefore, ' Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments close.'
So it is in the life and conversation ; for in all men sin and corruption are ready, and where truth is not invested grace is not in the heart, but only in the brain. Some have some knowledge of things, but it is not ready, and hereupon they yield unto any temptation.
Now you have many halters in religion between God and Baal, between Christ and Belial. Our religion, beloved, must be our house. It is that with which we must cover our souls. We must build upon a rock, and our profession is our building, and the soul must not be so unsettled or loose, as not to know whether it should serve God or Baal.
If a man will have any good by religion he must cleave to religion. No loose profession shall ever come to heaven ; for with the mouth we must
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confess, but v?e must believe witli the heart to salvation. You have a company that think they may be saved in any religion, but the Scripture is directly for those that follow the best. Therefore we must take heed of unsettledness in religion.
And so in conversation men think they may be ambitious and unjust, and good Christians too. This loose profession never doth a man good ; for we cannot join Christ and Mammon together. God will not be served ■with others. He will be served alone. He must be set up in our hearts and souls, and nothing with him. ' 0 Timothy, keep that which is com- mitted to thee safe,' 1 Timothy vi. 20. Even so that truth that is com- mitted to us, and that sacred depositance,* let us keep safe and close ; for if we keep truth, truth will keep us : ' Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will keep thee,' Rev. iii. 10. Oh but, saith some, if I keep truth I shall fall into this danger and that danger. No ; but because thou kept the word of my patience, of all others thou shalt be safe. Therefore keep that as a jewel.
* Lest they walk naked, and men see their shame.' All shame arises from this, that we do not keep our garments close. So long as truth and Christ by truth have a place in the soul, so long we are safe. You see Adam could not be prevailed over till he wrung the truth from him. Then he stripped him of all God's image. When the children of Israel had cast their earrings into a calf, it is said the people were naked, Exod. xxxii. 25. So people when they keep not their garments close are naked. What make men loathsome to themselves ? He hath in the eye of his soul his sin and his base courses. He hath not kept grace close in his heart, and that makes him naked. A man that hath grace in exercise he is a lovely object to himself, when he shall think with himself of his courses, how he hath abstained from such temptations, he is refreshed in the remembrance of them, as good Hezekiah said, * Remember, Lord, how I walked before thee in truth of heart,' Isa. xxxviii. 2, seq.
A gracious man is lovely to himself, and sin makes him loathsome to his soul, and afraid of his own condition.
Now to give some directions how to keep our garments close,
1. First, Labour /or convincing knowledge, because all grace comes into the soul by the light thereof. Grow therefore in grace and in the know- ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and often propound queries to our judg- ments about the word and sacraments. Am I able to maintain this truth I have been brought up in ? And do I find them true to my soul, &c.