A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 14
Of the Truth of GOD,
THE next Attribute is God's Truth; Deut. 32.4.—A God of Truth, and without Iniquity, just and right is he. Psal. 57.10. For thy Mercy is great unto the Heavens, and thy Truth unto the Clouds. A God of Truth; Psal. 86.15. —Plenteous in Truth. God is foreign, the Truth. He is true, 1. in a Physical sence; True in his Being: he hath a real Subsistance, and gives a Being to others. 2. He is true in a Moral sence; he is true, sine errore, without Errours, & sine fallacia, without Deceit. God is prima veritas, the Pattern and Prototype of Truth. There is nothing true but what is in God, or comes from God. I shall now speak of God's Truth as it is taken for his Veracity, in making good of his Promises: 1 Kings 8.56. 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 his 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: 1. The Power of God, whereby he is able to fulfil the Promise. God hath promised to subdue our Corruption, Micha 7.19. He will subdue our iniquities. O! saith a Believer, my Corruption is so strong, that sure I shall never get the mastery of it: but the power of God can fulfil his Promise. Thus Abraham look'd at God's Power, Rom. 4.21. Being fully perswaded that what God had promised, he was able to perform. He believed that that God, who could make a World, could make dry Breasts give suck. This is Faith's support, there is nothing too hard for God. He that could bring water out of a Rock, is able to bring to pass his Promises.
2. The Truth of God in the Promises: God's Truth is the Seal set to the Promise. Titus 1.2. 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 13.34. God is not a man that he should repent, 1 Sam. 15.29. The word of a Prince cannot always be taken, but God'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. 23.5. 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 glorifie 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, Hebr. 6.17. 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 Sences so much, as we are to believe the Promises; foreign, &c. Our Sences 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 which cannot lie hath promised: He can as well part with his Deity, as his Verity. God is said to be abundant in Truth, Exod. 34.6. What is that? viz. if God hath made a Promise of Mercy to his People, he will be so far from coming short of his word, that he will be better than his word. God often doth more then 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 Promise. God's Promise may lye a good while, as Seed under ground, but at last it will spring up into a Crop. God promised 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 Lords Christ, Luke 2.26. 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 paid in.
2. God may change his Promise, but he will not break his Promise. Sometimes God doth change a Temporal Promise into a Spiritual. Psal. 85.12. The Lord shall give that which is good: Perhaps this may not be fulfilled in a Temporal Sence, but a Spiritual. God may let a Christian be cut short in Temporals, but God makes it up in Spirituals. If he doth not encrease the Basket and the Store, he gives encrease of Faith, and inward Peace; here he changeth his Promise, but he doth not break it, he gives that which is better. 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; Psal. 89.33. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail: in the Hebrew it is ve lo ashakka, to lye.
Object. 1. But how doth this consist with the Truth of God? he saith he will have all to be saved, 1 Tim. 2.4. yet some perish.
Resp. St. Austin understands it not of every Judicial 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.
Object. It is said, Christ died for all; He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World, Joh. 1.29. How doth this consist with God's Truth, when some are vessels of wrath? Rom. 9.22.
Answ. 1. We must distinguish of World. The World is taken either in a limited sence, for the World of the Elect, or in a larger sence, for both Elect and Reprobates. Christ takes away the sins of the world, that is, the world of the Elect.
2. We must distinguish of Christ's dying 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, but the virtue of it is applied only to such as believe; Christ's Blood is meritorious for all, not efficacious. All are not saved, because some put away Salvation from them, Acts 13.46. and vilifie Christ's Blood, counting it an unholy thing, Hebr. 10.29.
Use 1. 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 it self, and not a word he hath spoken shall fall to the ground: Truth is the object of Trust. The Truth of God is an unmoveable Rock, we may venture our Salvation here. Isa. 59.15. 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 be good to the Soul that seeks him, Lam. 3.25. he will give rest to the weary, Matth. 11.28. Here is a safe Anchor hold, he will not alter the thing which is gone forth of his Lips. The Publick Faith 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 faithfulness? There is nothing else we can believe 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; but the Truth of God is a golden Pillar for Faith to stay upon: God cannot deny himself; 2 Tim. 2.13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself. Not to believe God's Veracity, is to affront God; 1 Iohn 5.10. He that believeth not hath made God a lyar. A Person of Honour cannot be more affronted or provoaked, then when he is not believed. He that denies God's Truth, makes the Promise no better than a forged Deed; and can there be a greater affront offered to God.
Use 2. of Terrour to the Wicked. God is a God of Truth, and he is true in his Threatnings; the Threatnings are a flying Roll against sinners. God hath threatned to wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on still in his Trespasses, Psal. 68.21. He hath threatned to judge Adulterers, Hebr. 13.3. to be avenged upon the malitious; Psal. 10.14. Thou beholdest mischief and spight, to requite it with thy own hand: To rain fire and brimstone upon the sinner, Psal. 11.6. And God is as true in his Threatnings as his Promises; God hath oft (to shew his Truth) executed his Threatnings, and let his Thunder-bolts of Judgment fall upon Sinners in this Life: He struck Herod in the act of his Pride: He hath punished Blasphemers; Olympius, an Arrian Bishop, reproached and blasphemed the blessed Trinity, immediately Lightning fell down from Heaven upon him, and consumed him. God is as true in his Threatnings, as in his Promises. Let us fear the Threatning, that we may not feel it.
Use 3. 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, Cum vera loquuntur, when they speak Truth. It is the note of a Man that shall go to Heaven, Psal. 15.2. He speaketh the Truth from his heart. Truth in words is opposed, 1. to Lying, Eph. 4.25. Putting away lying, speak every one truth to his neighbour. Lying is when one speaks that for a truth, which he knows to be false. A Lier is most opposite to the God of Truth. There is, as Austin saith, two sorts of Lies, 1. Mendacium Officiosum, an Officious Lie, when a Man tells a Lie for his Profit, as when a Trades-man 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 lye in Hell. 2. Mendacium Iocosum, 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 your selves like the Devil; Iohn 8.44. The Devil is a lier, and the Father of it. He deceived our first Parents 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 read of a Woman (one Anne Averies) 1575. who being in a Shop, wished that she might sink if she had not paid for the Wares she took; she fell down speechless immeditately, and died in the place. A Lier is not fit to live in a Commonwealth. Lying 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. 22.25. 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 lye, Isa. 9.15. The Prophet that teacheth lies. He who broacheth Errour, 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 ones Face, and not to mean what one speaks, is no better then a lie; Psal. 55.21. His words were smoother than oil, but war was in his heart. Some have an Art at this, they can flatter and hate. Hierom speaking of the Arrians, saith, They pretended friendship, they kissed my hands, but plotted mischief against me. Psal. 29.5. A man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet. Impia sub dulci melle venena latent—Falshood in Friendship is a lie. Counterfeiting of Friendship is worse then counterfeiting 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. 4.24. Righteousness and true Holiness. Hypocrisie 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 a shew of Holiness, but hath no Truth of it; 'tis but the Face in the Glass. Ephraim pretended to be that which he was not, and what saith God of him? Hos. 11.12. Ephraim compasseth me about 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 Scripture makes it little better than Blasphemy, Rev. 2.9. I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Iews, 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 your Words, be true in your Profession; God's Children are Children that will not lie, Isa. 63.9. 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 towards you; Likeness draws Love.