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dingly it is promised to the Redeemer, Isa. Ix. 21. Thy people shall be all righteous.

3. Lastly, Men will be judged and sentence will be passed upon them before the tribunal of God, according to their works, Rev. xx. 12, 13. See Matth. xxv. Works of righteousness will be the evidence of a title to heaven; and unrighteous works the cause of damnation. I shall shut up this branch of the character of a citizen of Zion, with a word of improvement.

USE I. This may let us see that few in this world are safe for another world. Alas! how many are there, (1.) Who are not righteous towards men? (2.) Who make no conscience of giving God his due, and walking righteously with him? And, (3.) Though they may seem to be something in both these respects, yet are not righteous by faith, nor solicitous to be so?

USE II. Of exhortation. Study then to be workers of righteousness, in all the respects that have been declared, and so evidence yourselves to be citizens of Zion.*

THE CITIZEN OF ZION A SPEAKER OF TRUTH IN HIS HEART.

PSALM XV.

-And speaketh the truth in his heart.

HERE is the third character of the citizen of Zion, he is a follower of truth. It hath two parts clearly distinguished in the original. (1.) He speaketh truth; what he expresses in words, he is careful that it be consistent with truth. (2.) He speaketh truth in his heart. There is a speaking in the heart without words, Psal. iv. 1. Eccl. ii. 15. This is done by thoughts and reasonings, and much depends on their being consistent with truth. And both these go together to make up the character of one that shall be an inhabitant of heaven. The first part is but a negative mark: it is the addition of the latter that makes the positive mark.

Two doctrines are deducible from the text, viz.

DocT. I. Those that shall be inhabitants of heaven hereafter, are such as make conscience of speaking truth while they are in this world.

As the auther has not extended this USE in the MS. he probably, on this occasion, recapitulated what he had delivered more fully, on a former occasion, in the application of his exposition of the eighth commandment. There the reader will find it.

DocT. II. They who shall be inhabitants of heaven, are such as not only speak truth to others, but speak truth within their own hearts.

I shall prosecute each doctrine in order.

DOCT. I. They that shall be inhabitants of heaven hereafter, are such as make conscience of speaking truth while they are in this world.

In discoursing this doctrine, I shall,

I. Explain this character, or part of the character of a citizen of Zion.

II. Confirm the doctrine.

III. Make application.

I. The first head is to explain this part of the character of a citizen of Zion, That he is one who speaketh the truth. And here I will show,

1. What is truth.

2. What it is to be a speaker of truth.

First, I am to shew what is truth. This question Pilate proposed to Christ, but staid not for an answer, John xviii. 38. Truth is a sacred harmony or agreement of things. Anatomists have observed that the tongue in man is tied with a double string to the heart. And so in truth spoken there is necessary a double agreement of our words.

1. With our heart. That is, to the speaking of truth, it is necessary our words agree with our mind and thoughts about the thing. We must speak as we think, and our tongues must be faithful interpreters of our mind: otherwise we lie, not speaking as we think. So what is truth in itself may be spoken by a man, and yet he be a liar, viz. if he does not think as he speaks.

2. With the thing as it is in itself. Though we think a thing to be so, which is not so, we lie, when we affirm it; because it is not as we say, though we really think it is so. For our mistaken notions of things can never stamp lies to pass current for truths, 2 Thess. ii. 11.

Secondly, I shall shew what it is to be a speaker of truth, which is the character of a citizen of Zion. It lies in two things.

1. A citizen of Zion is one who makes conscience of speaking out the truth in the proper time and season thereof, John xviii. 37. As the head was, so will the members be on the side of truth in the world, 3 John, 8. It is for this end God has called his own people out of the world lying in wickedness and falsehood.

Solomon tells us, Eccl. iii. 7. that, "There is a time to keep

silence, and a time to speak." People may sin egregiously by an unseasonable speaking of the truth, Prov. xxix. 11. "A fool uttereth all his mind." This was Doeg's sin, Psal. lii. Nature has put a double bar on our tongues, and discretion, and much more the grace of God, will add a third. Those whose tongues are like a loose-window in wind, ever clattering, discover themselves to have very little either wit or grace, if any at all. Talkativeness is, (1.) A sign of little awe or dread of God upon the heart, Eccl. v. 2. "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few. God has given men two ears, and but one tongue, which says, that, "every man should be swift to hear, slow to speak," Jam. i. 19. (2.) The fool's badge, Eccl. v. 3. "A fool's voice is known by multitude of words. Prov. xiv. 33. Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding but that which is in the midst of fools is made known." It is the empty barrel that makes most noise; which made an orator ask a' double fee of a talkative scholar, one to teach him to speak well, another to teach him to hold his peace. Our words should be few, true, and seasonable.

Now the citizen of Zion is a speaker out of the truth in the season thereof, that is, when he is called of God to speak it. And a man is called to speak out the truth, when the glory of God, or the good of others make it necessary, or their own good, 1 Cor. x. 31; Rom. xiii. 9. Our tongue is called our glory, because thereby we must glorify God. And it is a bond of human society, whereby we ought to contribute to our power to remove those ills that are the plagues and pests of society. This call is twofold.

(1.) Private and providential, wherein men have the call of providence to declare the truth, though there is no human authority obliging them to it. This ordinarily occurs in conversation among men, where truth may be wronged, God dishonoured, ourselves or neighbours injured, if there is no body to speak out the truth. A good Christian will find himself obliged to speak the truth upon this call, though none is desiring him, 1 Sam. xix. 4.

(2.) Public and authoritative, when people are called either by the authority of the magistrate or of the church, judicially to declare the truth. This is a solemn call from God to that duty, which he gives by the mouth of those whom he has put in authority, either making them gods by office, or ambassadors for God. And therefore to decline the speaking out of truth in that case, is to decline God's solemn call to it, and to mar the course of justice, and the honour of God, Isa. lix. 14.

Now, one that shall be an inhabitant of heaven being thus called, will conscientiously as in the sight of God speak out the truth; and that,

[1] Fully, not daring to conceal the truth, nor any part of it known to them, which may contribute to the clearing of the matter in question. So did that prudent woman mentioned, 2 Sam. xiv. 18. -20. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead, for their doing otherwise in such a case, Acts v.

1

[2.] Freely, not being hampered in speaking out the truth by the awe of any person, or the dread of any thing which may befal them for doing their duty which God calls them to, 1 Sam. xix. 4, 5. The dread of God will be on the spirits of his own children, to carry them out in this; and will downweigh respect to all others, Job xxxii. ult.

[3.] Clearly, not equivocating, shifting, mincing, obscuring, and wrapping up the truth; so as they who hear it know not what to make of it, Josh. vii. 19, 20. Awful is that curse, Jer. xlviii. 10. "Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully."

[4.] Sincerely, 2 Chron. xix. 9. without feud or favour to any. The grace of God working in the heart will make gracious people to speak as in the sight of God, 2 Cor. ii. 17.

know, yet we are at

2. A citizen of Zion is one who makes conscience of speaking nothing but the truth at any time, Isa. lxiii. 8. Though we are not at every time to be blabbing out the truth we do no time to lie against the truth, 2 Cor. xiii. 8. There can be no call to lie, but from the devil, and men's own corrupt hearts, whatever circumstances we be in, Job xiii. 7, 8. There is no time to speak falsely. And we are to speak nothing but truth,

(1.) In speaking to God, in our professions, confessions, and prayers. Hypocrites lie to the Lord, Psal. lxxviii. 36. Sincere souls will speak truth.

(2.) In speaking to men, Eph. iv. 25. whether in private conversation, or in public appearances.

II. I come now to confirm the doctrine. It is evident, if ye consider,

1. That in the saints the image of Satan is defaced, and the power of the corruption of nature broken, Rev. xxi. ult. Corrupt men may call Satan father, for he abode not in the truth, but is the father of lies, John viii. 44. And the corruption of nature quickly vents itself in lying, being what the unrenewed heart as naturally brings forth, as the cursed ground brings forth thorns and thistles, Psal. lviii. 3. "The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray, as soon as they be born, speaking lies." So that wherever the grace of God comes, it must give a new set.

2. The image of God is repaired in them, which has truth for a shining lineament in it, Eph. iv. 24. It was a notable saying of a philosopher, That truth is so great a perfection, that if God would render himself visible, he would take light for his body, and truth for his soul. And the scripture assures us, that Christ shewing himself to the world, was the light and the truth. God is truth itself, and no lie can have place with him, Tit. i. 2; Numb. xxiii. 19. Where then the image of God is repaired, as it is in all the saints, no doubt the lying disposition will be broken in them.

3. The Christian life is a walking in truth, 3 John, 3. There is truth of heart in true Christians, and that makes truth of conversation. Yea, it is called a speaking of truth, Eph. iv. 15. the whole life of a Christian being an expressing of truth in practice. So that to walk in lies is the very reverse of Christianity.

4. Lastly, The Lord has expressly declared, that liars shall be the inhabitants of hell, not of heaven; that in their end they shall not be with God, who is the God of truth, but with the devil, the father of lies, Rev. xxi. ult. and xxii. 15.

I shall now make application of this subject.

USE I. This writes death on the faces of two sorts of people.

1. Those who are concealers of the truth, which God calls them to speak out. There are many who can set a brazen face against the truth, and cause their tongues go on in a course of lying against their consciences, and outface and bear down what God and their own consciences know to be truth: and though their confessing the truth would honour God, and be a mean to bring their souls out of the snare of the devil; yet, because it may be to their own shame before men, they will stifle and conceal the truth, Jer. ix. 3, 5. And there are not wanting others, who, however ready they may be to speak in other cases, have never a mouth to open in a good cause, for the suppressing of sin and wickedness. But though they be called of God to speak what they know to be truth, yet they will set their foot on it, and wickedly conceal it, or mince it, and shift the matter, as men who have no fear of God before their eyes. Do such believe there is a heaven and a hell? If they do, how can they think that ever they shall be inhabitants of heaven, in whom the character of a citizen of Zion is not to be found? Let all such remember that awful word, Rom i. 18. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." God will charge the iniquity on those who conceal it, Lev. v. 1. and that as consenting to it, Deut. xiii. 8. Truth is strong, and will prevail, and will set up its head at length, to the confusion of those who bear it down.

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