SERM. CXLI.' Firft, from the dictates of natural light. 1 Firft, from the dictates of natural light. Natural light tells us, that truth and faithfulness are perfections, and confequently belong to the divine na ture; and that falfhood and a lie are imperfections, and to be removed from GOD. There is nothing that is efteemed among men a greater contumely and reproach, than to give a man the lie, to call him a liar, because it is an argument of fo much baseness, and of a low, and mean, and fervile fpirit; the usual temptation to it being fear of lofing fome advantage, or incurring fome danger. Hence was that faying,' that "it is the property of a flave to lie, but "of a free-man to fpeak truth" now, whatever argues bafenefs or imperfection, our reafon tells us is infinitely to be feparated from the moft perfect being. "GOD cannot be tempted with evil," the divine nature being all-fufficient, can have no temptation to be otherwife than good, and juft, and true, and faithful. Men are tempted to lie by advantage, and out of fear but the divine nature hath the fecurity of its fulness and all-fufficiency, that it cannot hope for any increase, nor fear any impairment of its eftate. Men are unfaithful, and break their words, either because they are rash and inconfiderate in paffing of them, or forgetful in minding them, or inconftant in keeping of them, or impotent and unable to perform them: but none of thefe are incident to GOD; his infinite wifdom, and perfect knowledge, and clear forefight of all events, fecure him both from inconfiderateness, and inconftancy, and forgetfulness; and his infinite power renders him able to perform what he hath fpoken, and to make good his word. And that these "are the natural dictates and fuggeftions of our minds, appears appears clearly from the reafoning of the heathens s ER M. in this matter, who were deftitute of divine revela- CXLI. tion. Plato de repub. 1. 2. lays down this as a certain truth, that lying and falfhood are imperfec"tions, and odious to GOD and men; To μšn τὸ μὲν ψευδοἢ μόνον ἀπὸ θεῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων a." And afterwards he tells us, "that the "divine nature is free from all temptation hereto, "either from advantage or fear; in ag isi "vEXO" ἂν θεὸς ψευδοιτο ; πάντη ἄρα αψευδὲς τὸ θεῖον;” and concludes, "therefore God is true, and deals plain ly with us, both in his words and actions, and is "neither changed himfelf, nor deceives us." Porphyry, in the life of Pythagoras, tells us, "that this was one of his precepts, μάλιςα δ' αληθεύειν ; τῇ το γὰρ μόνον δύνασθαι τὰς ἀνθρώπες ποιεῖν θεῷ Tapaλncies; and afterwards he adds, "that truth "is fo great a perfection, that if GOD would render "himself visible to men, he would chufe light for "his body, and truth for his foul." Secondly, from fcripture. The fcripture doth very frequently attribute this to GoD, 2 Sam. vii. 28. "And now, O LORD GOD, thou art that God, and iii. thy words be true." Pfal. xxv. 10. "All the "paths of the LORD are mercy and truth." Pfal. xxxi. 5. "Into thine hand I commit my fpirit; thou "haft redeemed me, O LORD GOD of truth." Rev. 7. "Thefe things faith he that is holy, he that "is true." Rev. vi. 10." How long, O LORD, holy and true?" xv. 3. Juft and true are thy ways, thou king of faints." xvi. 7. "True and righteous are thy judgments." Hither we may refer thofe texts which speak of the plenty and abundance of God's truth: Ex. xxxiv. 6. "Abundant "in goodness and truth." Pfal. lxxxvi. 15. " Plen r CXLI. SERM."teous in mercy and truth;" and those which speak of the duration and eternity of it: Pfal. c. 5. "And "his truth endureth to all generations." cxvii. 2. "And the truth of the LORD endureth for ever." cxlvi. 6. "Who keepeth truth for ever. As the fcripture doth attribute this perfection to GoD, fo it removes the contrary from him with the greatest abhorrence and deteftation: Num. xxiii. 19. "God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the "fon of man, that he fhould repent: hath he said, "and fhall not he do it? or hath he spoken, and "fhall he not make it good?" They are Balaam's words, but God put them into his mouth. 1 Sam. xv. 29. "The ftrength of Ifrael will not lie, nor "repent: for he is not a man that he should re"Yea let God be true, and pent." Rom. iii. Nay, the fcripture goes furremove lying, and falfhood, 66 every man a liar." ther; does not only 4. and inconftancy from God, but speaks of these as things impoffible to the divine nature: Tit. i. 2." In 66 66 hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Heb. vi. 18. "That by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a strong "confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us." And the fcripture doth not only in general attri bute this perfection to God, but doth more particubarly affure us of his fincerity and truth and faithfulnefs. Of his fincerity; that he deals plainly with us, and speaks what he intends, that his words are the image of his thoughts, and a true representation of his mind. God is very careful to remove this jealoufy out of the minds of men, who are apt to entertain unworthy thoughts cf God, as if notwithstandin al CXLI. all that he hath declared, he had a fecret defign to SERM. ruin men; therefore he interposeth his oath for our greater affurance, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. “As I live, faith "the LORD GOD, I have no pleasure in the death "of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." When GoD fpeaks to us, he fpeaks his mind, and hath no design to circumvent and poffefs us with error and delufion: if he offer life and happiness, we may believe he is real; and that if he did not intend to bestow it upon us, or if there were no fuch thing as a future glory, he would not have declared it to us; this was the temper of our SAVIOUR, who was "the exprefs image of the Father, full of grace and truth." John xiv. 2. "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it "were not fo, I would have told you." And as the scripture affures us of his fincerity, fo of his truth and faithfulness in the accomplishment of all his predictions, and performances of all his promifes. As for the truth of his predictions, and certain accomplishment of them, the scripture frequently useth this proverbial speech, to affure us of the certainty of their accomplishment; "Heaven "and earth fhall pass away, but my words shall "not pass away." Mat. xxiv. 35. For the faithfulness of GOD in his promises, the fcripture makes frequent mention of it: Deut. vii. 9. "Know there"fore that the LORD thy GOD, he is GOD, the "faithful GOD, which keepeth covenant and mer cy." Pfal. lxxxix. 33, 34. "I will not fuffer (6 my faithfulness to fail: my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." The fcripture doth record. God's punctual and full performance of his promises, particularly of that promife to Abraham, after four hundred years, SERM. years, to bring the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, CXLI. " and to give them the land of Canaan for an in❝heritance." Gen. xv. 13. The punctual accomplifhment you have recorded Ex. xii. 41. And "it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and "thirty years, even the felf fame day it came to "pass, that all the hofts of the LORD went out " from the land of Egypt." See likewise Jof. xxi. 44, 45, and xxiii. 14. 1 Kings viii. 56. And upon this account it is that God is fo frequently in fcripture ftyled "the GOD that keepeth covenant,' 1 Kings viii. 23. Neh. i. 5. ix. 32. and in several other places. And fo likewife of predictions of evil to come, GoD is true in fulfilling his word: 1 Sam. xv. 29. When the prophet had threatned Saul to rent the kingdom from him, he adds," the strength " of Ifrael will not lie, nor repent; for he is not a "man that he should repent." III. I come to remove fome objections that may be made against the truth and faithfulness of God. First, It is objected against the fincerity of GOD, and his plain dealing, that he is fometimes reprefented in fcripture, as infpiring prophets with falfe meffages, 1 Kings xxii. 20, &c. Jer. iv. 10. xx. 7: Ezek. xiv. 9. Anf. As to three of thefe texts, it is a known Hebraifm to exprefs things in an imperative and active form, which are to be understood only permissively. So where "the devils befought CHRIST, that he "would fuffer them to enter into the herd of fwine, " he said unto them, Go," Mat. viii. 31. he did not command, but permit them. And fo John xiii. 27. where our SAVIOUR fays to Judas, "what thou " doft do quickly;" we are not to understand, that he commanded him to betray him, though that |