2.  These enemies should prosper, and that for along time, and carry on their course of error and wickedness with a high hand.

3.  There should be few found to befriend truth, and to own it in an evil day.

4.  Yea, many of those that did sometime own it, and plead for it, should at length turn their backs upon it, as did Demas.

5.  And such as continue constant and faithful, be loaded with reproaches, and pressed under with sore persecution, for adhering to truth, and owning constantly the good cause.

6.  Yea, though all things in providence should seem to say, that truth shall not rise again, but seem, on the contrary, to conspire against the same.

Ninthly, May we not hence read, what should be our way and course, in a time when a spirit of error is gone abroad, and many are carried off their feet therewith, or when we are doubtful what to do, and what side of the dispute to take.  O then is the fit time for us to employ truth, to live near to him who is the truth, to wait on him, and hang upon him, with singleness of heart.

Objection. But many even of his own people do err and step aside. Ans. That is true:  But yet, (1.) That will be no excuse to thee.  Nay,(2.) That should make thee fear and tremble more. (3.) And it should press thee to lie near to Christ, and to wrestle more earnestly with him, for the Spirit of light and of truth, and to depend more constantly and faithfully upon him, with singleness of heart, and to give up all thy soul and way to him, as the God of truth, and as the truth, that thou mayest be led into all truth.

Tenthly, This should stir us up to go to him, and make use of him as the truth in all cases, wherein we may stand in need of truth’s hand to help us; and for this cause we should mind those particulars: 

1.  We should live in the constant conviction of our ignorance, blindness, hypocrisy, readiness to mistake and err.  This is clear and manifest, and proved to be truth by daily experience; yet how little is it believed, that it is so with us?  Do we see and believe the atheism of our hearts?  Do we see and believe the hypocrisy of our hearts?  Are we jealous of them, as we ought to be?  O that it were so!  Let this then be more minded by us.

2.  Let us live in the persuasion of this, that he only, and nothing below him, will be able to clear our doubts, dispel our clouds, clear up our mistakes, send us light, and manifest truth unto us; not our own study, pains, prayers, duties, learning, understanding; nor ministers, nor professors, and experienced Christians, and the like.

3.  We should be daily giving up ourselves to him, as the truth, in all the forementioned respects, and receiving him into our souls as such, that we may dwell and abide there:  then shall the truth make us free; and if the Son make us free, we shall be free indeed, John viii. 36.

4.  There should be much single dependence on him for light, instruction, direction, and guidance in all our exigencies.