And St Paul saw a disposition in them to suspect the truth of God, as indeed, we are proner to believe the lies of our own hearts, and the sugges- tions of Satan, and the counsel of politicians, of carnal friends, than to be- lieve God himself. Therefore, partly for the indisposition in us ; and partly for the great exigence and necessity of the thing, to believe that God's word is his word, that it is truth, he seals it with an oath, ' God is true.' It is a point of great consequence.
Reason. The reason is, God can have no service else, and we can have no comfort.
If we do not believe the word of God to be undoubtedly true, in great temptations and assaults, what armour of proof shall we have ? We can have no comfort nor grace. For sometimes subtle and strong temptations to evil come, if the word of God be not more undoubted to me, than the present profit, or pleasure, or whatsoever ; if the temptation be ready, and I be not built on, and settled on some grounded truth that I know to be time as God is true. When the temptation is strong, and our faith weak, where are we ? A man presently yields to base lusts and temptations.
And so in matter of danger and despau'. When a man is tempted to despair, if he cannot build on this, ' God is true,' and his word is as true as himself, ' He wills not the death of a sinner,' &c., Ezek. xviii. 32, here a man is swallowed up.
It is no matter how strong the foundation be, if the building on that foundation be weak. If a strong man stand in a slippery place, down he falls ; if a man stand slippery, and have a weak standing on a strong place, on a strong foundation ; if he have a weak building on a strong foundation, he shall soon be cast off. So, the word of God is true in itself : but if we be not persuaded so, that it is infallibly true, that it is alway ' yea,' we shall be shaken with temptations. When we are tempted to sin, the temptation is present, we are sure of the temptation. If we be not more sure of some- what against the temptation, somewhat out of the word to beat back the darts of Satan, when we are tempted to sin, and to despair for sin, down we go ; and, therefore, it is a matter of infinite consequence to be persuaded of di\'ine truth.
What makes many as they are, in courses that are corrupt in their call- ings ? Nothing but this : they stagger, whether it be true or no that there shall be a judgment ; they stagger, whether it be true or no that the Scrip- ture saith. If they were persuaded that it were ' yea,' as true as God is in heaven, as true as they have souls, so their souls must be called to judg-
860 COMMENTARY ON
ment for that they speak and do, would they do as they do ? Therefore St Paul stablishcth them by an oath, ' God is true, and as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.'
Use. Therefore take in <:;ood p:irt with thankfulness the means that God hath ordained to strengthen our faith and assurance of the word of God, and the promises of God. Therefore he hath appointed the sacrament for that purpose. I say there is nothing,' in the world so strengthened as the soul of a Christian, if he give himself to God's truth to be ruled by it. For if we will believe God, we have his promise, that ' whosoever believes in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life,' 2 Pet. iii. 9; rich pro- mises, ' precious promises,' 2 Pet. i. 4, as the Scripture calls them. We have not only promises, but they are sealed with an oath. Now an oath is an unchangeable thing, Heb. vi. 16. We have promises and oath, that we might have ' strong consolation.' Wliatsoever might secure man we have. Besides his oath we have his seal, his sacrament. It was his love to condescend to make any covenant with sinful creatures, that upon any terms he would give them life everlasting. It was a higher degree of love to set Christ to be; the ibundation of this peace, and of this covenant, that now God and we may be at peace with satisfaction to divine justice, that he is the foundation of the peace between God and us. Now God may be merciful without wrong, without impeachment to his justice ; that is a higher degree of mercy, to enter into covenant, and to give Christ to be the foun- dation of all. And then it is a higher degree than that to secure us of the covenant, that Christ is ours, to seal the word with an oath, and with the sacrament which is the seal of the covenant ; what could God do more ?
What a horrible sin therefore is unbelief, that we should tremble at, to call God's love and truth in question ! But yet we are prone to it ; or else wh}^ did Christ ordain the sacrament to strengthen and stablish our faith, and to confirm us, but that he knew our propenseness to unbelief?