Of the Truth of God
The next attribute is God’s truth, Deut. xxxii. 4., “A God of truth, and without iniquity; just and right is he;” Ps. lvii. 10., “For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.” A God of truth, Ps. lxxxvi. I j., “Plenteous in truth,” God is the truth. He is true: 1. In a physical sense; true in his being; he hath a real subsistence, and gives a being to others. 2. He is true in a moral sense; he is true sine errore, without errors; et sine fallacia, without deceit. God is prima Veritas, — the pattern and prototype of truth. Ther.’ is nothing true but what is in God, or comes from God. I shall naw speak of God’s truth, as it is taken, from his veracity in making good his promises, I Kings viii. 56., “There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.” The promise is God’s bond, God’s truth is the seal set to Ids bond. This is
the thing to be explicated and discussed, God’s truth in fulfilling his promises.
There are two things to be observed in the promises of God to comfort us: I. The power of God, whereby he is able to fulfil the promise, God hath promised to subdue our corruj)tion, Micah vii. 19., “‘He will subdue our iniquities.” O! saith a believer, my corruption is so strong, that sure I shall never get the mastery of it. Thus Abraham looked at God’s ])owcr. Pom. iv. 21., “Being fully persuaded that what God had jHomised he was able also to ])erform.” He believed, that God, who could make a world, could make dry bretists give suck. This is faith’s support, there is nothing too hard for (iod. He that could bring water out of a rock, is able to bring to j)ass his promises. — 2. The truth of (iod in the promises: God’s truth is the seal set to the promise. Tit. i. 2., “In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised.” ‘Eternal life,’ there is the sweetness of the promise: ‘God which cannot lie,’ there is the certainty of it. Mercy makes the promise, truth fulfils it. God’s providences are uncertain, but his promises are the ’ sure mercies of David,’ Acts xiii. 24.; “God is not a man that he should repent,” 1 Sam. XV. 29. The word of a prince cannot always he taken, but (Jod’s promise is inviolable. God’s truth is one of the richest jewels of his crown, and he hath pawned this jewel in a promise, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5., ‘• Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.” Although my house be not so, that is, though I fail much of that exact purity the Lord requires, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, that he will pardon, adopt, and glorify me; and this covenant is ordered in all things sure: “The elements shall melt with fervent heat;” but this covenant abides firm and inviolable, being sealed with the truth of God; nay, God hath added to his word, his oath, Heb. vi. 17., wherein God pawns his being, life, righteousness, to make good the promise. If as oft as we break our vows with God, he should break promise with us, it would be very sad; but his truth is engaged in his promise, therefore it is like the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered. “We are not (saith Chrysostom) to believe our senses so much, as we are to believe the promises,” &c. Our senses may fail us, but the promise cannot, being built upon the truth of God; God will not deceive the faith of his people, nay, he cannot; “God, who cannot lie, hath promised;” he can as well part with his Deity, as his verity. God is said to be abundant in truth Exod. xxxiv. G. What is that? viz. If Ciod hath made a promise of mercy to his ])e()ple, he will ]je so far from coming short of his word, that he will be better than his word. God often doth more than he hath said, never less. He is abundant in truth.
1. The Lord may sometimes delay a promise, but he will not deny; he may delay a j)romise, Gpd’s promise may lie a good while as seed under ground, but at
last it will spring up into a crop. God ])romised to deliver Israel from the iron furnace, but this promise was above four hundred years in travail before it brought forth. Simeon had a promise that he should not depart hence, “till he had seen the Lord’s Christ,” Luke ii. 26., but it was a long time first, but a little before his death, that he did see Christ. But though God delay the promise, he will not deny. Having given his bond, in due time the money will be j)aid in.
2. God may change his promise, but he will not break his promise. Sometimes God doth change a temporal promise into a spiritual, Ps. lxxxv. 12., “The Lord shall give that which is good,” perhaps this may not be fulfilled in a tonipoial sense, but a spiritual. God may let a Christian be cut short in temporals, but God makes it up in spirituals. If he doth not increase the basket and the store, he gives increase of faith, and inward jieace; here he changeth his promise, but he doth not break it, he gives that which is bettor. If a man promiseth to pay me in farthings, and he pays me in a better coin, in gold, he doth not break his promise? Ps. lxxxix. 33., “I will not suffer my faithfulness (ofuil.” In the Hebrew, it is to lie.
Obj. 1. Bid how doth this consist icith the truth of Gud? He saith He will have all to he saved, 1 Tim. ii. 4., yet some perish.
Alls. St. Austin understands it, not of every individual person, but some of all sorts shall be saved; as in the ark, God saved all the living creatures, not every bird or fish were .saved, for many perished in the flood, but all, that is, some of every kind were saved, so God will have all to be saved, that is, some of all nations.
Obj. It is said, Christ died fur all; “’ he is the Lamb o, God that takes away the sins of the jcorld,” John i. 29., how doth this consist with God’s truth, when some are vessels of wrath, Rom. ix. 22.”
Ans. 1. We must distinguish of world. The word is taken either in a limited sense, for the world of the elect; or in a larger sense, for both elect and reprobates. “Christ takes away the sins of the world,” that is, the world of the elect.
A. 2. We must distinguish of Cluist’s
OF THE TRUTH OF GOD.
dyiiic: for the world. Christ died sufficiently for all, not effectually. There is the value of Christ’s blood, and the virtue; Christ’s blood hath value enough to redeem the whole world, hut the virtue of it is applied only to such as hclieve. Christ’s blood is meritorious for all, not efficacious. All are not saved, because some put away salvation from them, Acts xiii. 46., and vilify Christ’s blood, counting it an unholy thing, Heb. x. 29.
Use 1st. Here is a great pillar for our faith, the truth of God. Were not he a God of truth, how could we believe in him? Our faith were fancy; but he is truth itself, and not a word which he hath spoken shall fall to the ground. “Truth is the object of trust.” The truth of God is an unmoveablc rock, we may Venture our salvation here, Isa. lix. 15., ‘Truth faileth:’ truth on earth doth, but not truth in heaven. God can as well cease to be God, as cease to be true. Hath God said, he will do good to the soul that seeks him, Lam. iii. 25., He will “giA e rest to the weary?” Mat. xi. 28. Here is a safe anchor-hold, he will not alter the thing which is gone forth of his lips. The public faiih of heaven is engaged for believers: can we have better security? The whole earth hangs upon the word of God’s power, and shall not our faith hang upon the word of God’s truth? Where can we rest our faith but upon God’s faithfulticss? There is nothing else we can hclieve in, but the truth of God; we cannot trust in an arm of flesh, we cannot trust in our own hearts, this is to build upon the quicksands, hut the truth of God is a goldei! pilliir for faith to stay upon. God canrKit <k’ny himself, 2 Tim. ii. 13., “If we believe not, yet he ahideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” Not to believe God’s veracity, is to aflront God, 1 John v. 10., “He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar.” A person of honour cannot l)e more affronted or provoked, than when he is not believed. He that denies (iod’s truth, makes the prcunise no better than a forged deed; and can there be a greater affront otlered to God?
17»r 2(f. Of terror to the Aviekrd. God is a («(id of truth, and he is true in his threateuings; the threalcnings are a flying
roll against sinners. God hath threatened to “wound the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses,” Ps. lxviii. 21. He hath threatened to judge adulterers, Heb. xiii. 3. To be avenged upon the malicious, Ps. x. 14., “Thou beboldest mischief and spight, to recjiiite it with thy hand:” To “rain fire and brimstone” upon the sinner, Ps. xi. 6. And God is as true in his threateuings as lis promises; God hath oft, to shew his truth, executed his threateuings, and let his thunderbolts of judgment fall upon sinners in this life; he struck Herod in the act of his pride; he hath punished blasphemers: Olympius, an Arian bishop, reproached and blasphemed the blessed Trinity, immediately lightning fell down from heaven upon him, and consumed him. God is as true in his threateuings as in his promises; let us fear the threatening, that we may not feel it.
Use 3d. Is God a God of truth? let us be like God in truth. 1. We must be true in our words. Pythagoras being asked what made men like God? answered, “When they speak truth.” It is the note of a man that shall go to hcaA’en, Ps. xv. 2., “He that speaketh the truth in his heart.” Truth in words is opposed, (1.) To lying, Eph. iv. 25., “Putting away lying, speak every man truth to his neighbour.” Lying is when one speaks that for truth, which he knows to be false. A liar is most opposite to the God of truth. There are (as Austin saith) two sorts of lies: 1. An officious lie, when a man tells a lie for his profit; as, when a tradesman saith his commodity cost him so much, when perhaps it did not cost him half so much; he that will lie in his trade, shall lie in hell. 2. A jesting lie: when a man tells a lie in sport, to make others merry, he goes laughing to hell. When you tell a lie, you make yourselves like the devil, John viii. 4-i., “The devil is a liar,” and the fither of it. He deceived our first ])arents by a lie. Some are so wicked, that they will not only speak an untruth, but will swear to it; nay, they will wish a curse upon themselves, if that untruth be not true. As I have re;:d of a ()nian,.one Anne Avarie, 15T5, who being in a shii], wished that she might sink if she had not paid for the wares slic took; she fell down speeclilcss immediately, and died in the place. A liar is not fit to live in a commonwealth, r.yinq; takes away all society and converse with men; how can you converse with him whom you cannot believe what he saith? Lying shuts men out of heaven. Rev. xxii. 15., “Without are dogs, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” And as it is a great sin to tell a lie, so it is a worse sin to teach a lie, Isa. ix. 15., “The prophet that teacheth lies.” He who broacheth error teacheth lies; he spreads the plague; he not only damns himself, but helps to damn, others. (2.) Truth in words is opposed to dissembling. The heart and tongue should go together, as the dial goes exactly with the sun. To speak fair to one’s face, and not to mean what one speaks, is no better than a lie: Ps. Iv. 21., “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.” Some have an art at this, they can flatter and hate. Hierom, speaking of the Arians, saith, “they pretended friendship, they kissed my hands, but plotted mischief against me.” Prov. xxix. 5., “A man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet.” Impia subdulci melle venena latent, — falsehood in friendship is a
He. Counterfeiting of friendship is worse than coiAiterfeiting of money. This is contrary to God who is a God of truth.
2. We must be true in our profession of religion. Let practice go along with profession, Eph. iv. 21.., “Rightt’ousness and true holiness.” yypocrisy in religion is a lie; the hypocrite is like a face in a glass, there is the show of a face, but no true face, so he makes show of holiness, but hath no truth of it, it is but the face in the glass. Ephraim pretended to be that which he was not; and what saith God of him? IIos. xi. 12., “Ephraim compasseth me al)out with lies.” By a lie in our words we deny the truth; by a lie in our profession we disgrace it. Not to be what we profess to God, is telling a lie; and the scrij)ture makes it little better than bl.isphemy, Rev. ii. 9., “I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not.” O! I beseech you, labour in this to be like God; he is a God of truth; he can as well part with his Deity as his verity; be, I say, like God, be true in vour words, be true in your j)r()fession; God’s cliiidren are children that will not lie, Ps. li. 6. When God sees “Truth in the inward parts,” and “lips in which is no guile,” now he sees his own image in you; this draws God’s heart toards
you;
likeness draws love.