Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

Truth primarily and eminently is a Divine Property; hence God is called a God of Truth, Psal. 31. 5. and Jesus Christ as he is God, is the Truth, John 14: 6. Now God is not only True in his Essence, and hence called, The only True God, John 17. 3. but he is also True in his Word and Works: and herein he makes the creature to communicate in his Truth; but still, it is Firstly in him, and in them only Derivatively. The Eternal Idea which God had in his own Infinite Understanding, of all things that were to be in time, and all the several managements of them, is the Exemplary Truth. That which they have in themselves, is but a Copy of this: Truth in the Creature being its Conformity unto that Idea which God had of it in himself. Now in this Idea there were contained, not only the Rules of their Creation, according unto which they were to be made; but the Rules also of Providence, by which the Creatures were to be guided to their ends, which are therefore Eternal Truths: and among these, in ⟨p. 9⟩special there was that Rule by which man was to be led as a Rational Agent, or cause by Counsel, to an Everlasting Estate: This is that which we call Divinity or Religion, and is comprised in the Plot-form of sound words, showing to man the way in which he may come to the favour of God, and a Kingdom of Glory. This Rule is contained in the Holy Scriptures, which are therefore called the Scriptures of Truth, John 17: 19. Col. 1. 5. Dan. 10. 21. the sum of what is contained in it, Solomon gives us in Old Testament Language, Eccl. 12. 13. fear God, and keep his Commandments, and Paul in New-Testament words, 2 Tim. 1. 13. Faith and Love▪