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 it- self, 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 A^enture our sal- vation here, Isa. lix. 15., ' Truth failcth :' 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 bet- ter 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 tlie 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 can- not deny himself" Not to believe God's veracity, is to aflront God, 1 John v. 10., " He that helieveth 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 goetli on still in his trespasses," Ps. Ixviii. 21. He hath threatened to judge adulterers, Heb. xiii. 3. To be avenged upon the malicious, Ps. x. 14., " Thou be- boldest mischief and spight, to recjiiite it with thy hand :" To " rain fire and brim- stone" upon the sinner, Ps. xi. 6. And God is as true in his threateuings as l^is promises ; God hath oft, to shew his truth, executed his threateuings, and let his thun- derbolts of judgment fall upon sinners in this life ; he struck Herod in the act of his pride ; he hath punished blasphemers : O- lympius, an Arian bishop, reproached and blasphemed the blessed Trinity, immediate- ly lightning fell down from heaven upon him, and consumed him. God is as true in liis 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 ly- ing, speak every man truth to his neigh- bour." 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 per- haps 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 laugh- ing 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 on- ly speak an untruth, but will swear to it ; nay, they will wish a curse upon them- selves, 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
BUT ONE GOD.
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