Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/179

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Of Truth and Uprightnesse.
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and fraud they translate injustice;Job 27.4.
Deu. 19.18.
Levit. 5.22.
Psal. 44.17.
Jer. 5.31.
Amos 8.5.
Hos. 12.7.
as a false-witnesse, is in them, a witnesse of injustice, or an unjust witnesse, they sweare falsely, is, they sweare unjustly: the Prophets prophecy false things, unjust things they render it: a false ballance, is a deceitfull ballance, or unjust ballance, or ballance of injustice. And injustice is opposed to truth, and iniquity or unrighteousnesse put for falshood or deceit: the Mammon of iniquity,Luk. 16.9,11. that is, deceitfull riches, is set against the true treasure, which will not deceive. Iniquity was not found in his mouth,Mal. 2.6. saith the Prophet, that is, guile1 Pet. 2.22. or deceit. The deceitfull, the Septuagint translates, the unrighteous and guilefull man, Psal. 43. 1. So that these foure, Truth, Uprightnesse, Righteousnesse1 King. 3.6. and Integrity, doe signifie the same thing for substance, and most certaine it is, they be so conjoyned, that where one is, the other cannot be wanting. But though the thing be one for substance, that is signified by all these, and they be sometimes used indifferently, yet they note formall and distinct conceits, and so may be considered.

Truth implieth or presupposeth these things;

1. Knowledge of Gods will. Truth of judgement goeth before truth of heart: for corrupt doctrine is as sowre leaven,Mat. 16.12. that leaveneth the whole masse, maketh the whole to savour of it.

2. Soundnesse or solidity in grace, opposite to those superficiall and shallow-planted graces, that may be found in temporary Christians, enduring but for a time. This is truth in the reines or inward parts,Psal. 51.6. which seasoneth the heart throughout, and makes it true, whereas the heart of the temporary is false and unsound; because his graces are superficially or sleightly rooted.

3. Sincerity or godly simplicity without fraud, craft or guile, where the in-side and out-side are one, the heart and mouth equall and well consenting. Truth is an ingenuous life without deceit and dissimulation, Ephes. 4. 15. Holinesse of truth is true or sincere holinesse, Ephes. 4. 24. To keepe the truth, Isa. 26. 2. is to imbrace true piety and true vertue without hypocrisie, without lying, or perfidiousnesse. To serve God in truth, Josh. 24. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 24. is to serve God unfainedly, from the heart,1 King. 2.4. according to his will. To walke in the truth, Joh. 3. 3, 4. is to walke sincerely or in godly simplicity. For truth is ingenuous, void of simulation. And in this sence some understand that of the Apostle, Love rejoyceth in the truth,1 Cor. 13.6. that is, love sincerely or in truth rejoycethwith