MARCH 3.
BUT cannot God be true, and man be true also? Does the veracity of the one infer the falsehood of the other? Not absolutely, but in particular instances. There may be, and there often is an opposition between their testimony ; and when this is the case, we are not to hesitate a moment by whose claims we shall be decided. If the whole world was on one side, and He on the other, let God be true, but every man a liar. And comparatively, the credibility of the one must always be nothing to that of the other. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. And this will appear undeniable from four admissions.
The first regards the ignorance of man, and the wisdom of God. Man is fallible. he not only may err, but he is likely to err. He may be deceived by outward appearances, by the reports of others, by his own reasonings. His powers are limited; his researches, in every direction, are soon checked; there are depths which he cannot fathom, heights which he cannot scale, complications which he cannot unravel. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. How much of it is mere opinion and conjecture! With what follies have the greatest minds been charged! Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolishness the wisdom of this world? But his understanding is infinite. He knows all things. He cannot be mistaken.
The second regards the mutability of man, and the unchangeableness of God. Creatures, from their very being, are mutable. Many of the angels kept not their first estate. Adam fell from his original condition. Who needs to be told, that man never continues in one stay? New views gender new feelings, and these new pursuits. What pleases to-day may offend to-morrow. Many are unstable as water. No one is unchangdable. But God changes not. What he thinks now of any subject he always thought, and always will think, for "with him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
The third regards the weakness of man, and the all-sufficiency of God. Man may threaten in fury, but be unable to execute. He may promise sincerely, and his promises be vain words--he cannot fulfil them. In this respect, he is not always to be judged of by his conduct. There are cases in which we censure, when, if we knew all, we should only pity. The man struggles with difficulties which have unexpectedly come upon him, and yields to dire necessity, and provides things honest in the sight of the Lord, who has seen all his heart and his hardships, though not in the sight of men. But God is almighty. He who made and upholds all things by the word of his power, speaks every thing in the Scriptures.
The fourth regards the depravity of man, and the rectitude of God. Man goes astray from the womb, speaking lies. He often knowingly deceives. It is his aim and study, and he rejoices in his success. Even men who are influenced by religious principles, may be overcome of evil, and occasion our saying, Lord, what is man ! How far from truth was the sentiment of Jonah, "I do well to be angry, even unto death." How lamentable was the falsehood of Abraham, when he said of his wife, She is my sister! How dreadful was the perjury of Peter, when he sware, " I know not the man !" But God is holiness itself. He is incapable of a wrong bias; he cannot be tempted to deceive.
When, therefore, we look at man-ignorant and fallible, varying according to his excitements, often unable to make good his engagements, yea, accessible to the influence of evil motives-and then contemplate God, in all the glories of his wisdom, immutability, almightiness, and rectitude, each being an everlasting and infinite preservative of truth--who can view these competitors for our belief, and not join with the apostle, "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar."
The use to which this fact should be applied, is to reduce our confidence in man, and increase our confidence in God.
And yet the reverse of this is our practice. We Yield where we should be cautious, and we hesitate where it is impossible for us to err. We turn from the Rock of ages, and lean on the broken reed. What is the consequence? " Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
Let us cease, then, from man. Not that we are to become universally suspicious, and suppose that there is no sincerity in the world. It was David's error to say, in his haste, All men are liars. And when the Scripture says, There is no faithfulness in them--men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie--it must be taken with qualification. Yet instances of inflexible integrity are not abundant. And we should not implicitly rely upon any one, especially in divine things. Let us respect great and good men, but not be enslaved by them. Let us not pin our faith to the sleeve of any authority merely human. Let us suffer no man to have dominion over our conscience, always searching the Scriptures to see whether these thing's are so in the word of truth.
RETURN
TO REV. WILLIAM JAY'S HOMEPAGE
RETURN
TO REV. THOMAS BOSTON'S HOMEPAGE
For God is entitled to our absolute confidence. "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath he said, and shall lie not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall he not make it good ?" Let us trust him as He deserves. Let us always place a ready and unshaken reliance on his word. Let God be true in its doctrines, and let us receive them, however mysterious. Let God be true in its threatenings, and let us flee from the wrath to come. Let God be true in its promises, and let us be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Let God be true in its predictions, and, whatever difficulties stand in the way, believe that the whole earth shall be filled with his glory. YEA, LET GOD BE TRUE, BUT EVERY MAN A LIAR.