and guilty condition of man; suited to his wants, and capable of giving him the blessings which he needs. And, accordingly, it is announced to us as " glad tidings of great joy, declaring that God has so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life-that God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and not imputing unto men their trespasses." Its statements have been verified, in the delightful experience, and in the salvation of thousands. They have found in the Gospel a Saviour from sin, from guilt, from death, and from ruin. They have put the truth and faithfulness of the saying to the test, that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief;" for they found in it, that which all the knowledge of man cannot communicate, an assurance of peace and reconciliation with God, and the earnest and the hope of everlasting blessedness. It still continues widely to convey the same blessings, and to produce the same effects. To them that are called of every kindred, and of every condition, its great and wondrous theme, Christ crucified, is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. If in many cases it fails in producing these effects, the cause is not in it, but in the unbelief, the impenitence, and pride of the heart. For, if our Gospel, in its unspeakable glory, in its transforming grace and power, be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them.

III. We learn from this subject the extreme depravity of man. This depravity is shewn in the effort,

so constantly and universally exerted, to oppose the wisdom of God. What murmurings and rebellions are there on the part of sinful man against the arrangements of this wisdom in providence? Do those who acknowledge so readily that God does all things well, and who profess to believe in their own case, that he makes all things work together for their good,-do they cheerfully and thankfully, without complainings,' resign themselves to his disposal. Do they acquiesce in the dispensations that are painful, as well as in those that are pleasing? Do they practically, when reason is disposed to offer its discouraging interpretation, confide in the wisdom of God, and believe that he will make light to arise for them out of obscurity, and that in the end they will find that all his ways are mercy and truth towards them that fear him? How awfully is the corruption of man exhibited in the rejection of the Gospel! What must be the blindness, the unbelief, the insensibility of the heart, that shuts out from it the light of the wisdom of God, mysteriously displayed in the cross of our Lord Jesus! And, yet, how natural is this blindness, this unbelief, to us all, and how clearly and fatally are they shewn in those who are yet unregenerate, and who have no relish for the word of life, and no interest in its blessings! Consider, that the end of this neglect of a great salvation will be an everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power*.

* 2 Thes. i. 9.

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CHAPTER VII.

THE TRUTH AND FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

THE truth of God signifies the entire conformity of his word to his will, of his declaration concerning what either is or shall be, and reality. As he is the only living and true God in opposition to the imaginary gods of the heathen, so is he essentially and necessarily the God of truth, whether this term be understood as signifying reality, in opposition to that which is fancied or visionary; veracity, or a disposition to speak according to the actual state of things; faithfulness, or a disposition to fulfil promises and engagements. Truth, in these significations, or in whatever other meaning it can be applicable to a being of perfection, must belong to God to an infinite extent. These, in reality, are but different manifestations of the same attribute.

The truth and faithfulness of God may be fully proved from his character and attributes,—from his word, contained in divine revelation-and from his works, in the different departments of his government.

I. Let us consider his character and attributes, as they furnish proofs of the truth of God. It may be alleged that this source of evidence is liable to objection, since it is nothing more than presuming on the existence of an excellency from our knowledge of the existence of certain other excellencies in the character. It is by a similar induction, however, that we often

judge of the veracity and trust-worthiness of our fellowcreatures. We argue from the known benevolence, integrity, and general virtue of the man, in favour of his fidelity. We presume that he who possesses otherwise so much moral worth, cannot be wanting in that which gives to moral worth its highest respectability. We, therefore, repose confidence in the truth of his declarations, and do not question the fulfilment of his promises. In like manner are we entitled to reason from those attributes of God which we know to belong to him, in favour of his truth and faithfulness.

Each of the attributes of God, the existence of which has been amply proved, furnishes unanswerable evidence in support of his truth. We cannot suppose it possible, that he by whose will alone the present and future state of all things is fixed, should give to his creatures a representation different from the reality. All things have been framed after the counsel of his will; for he hath created all things, and for his pleasure they are and they were created. All his declarations, therefore, must be a just annunciation of the real state of things; for, were they otherwise, that is, were they different from the truth, they would oppose his pleasure. This argument is irresistible, when we take into account the independence and immutability of God. These attributes, which render his character unvariable, and his purposes unalterable, remove him beyond the possibility of entertaining a desire to vary them. His declarations and his plans must always be in entire accordance; and since his power to fulfil both is for ever the same, there cannot exist a temptation to deviate. A single falsehood

uttered by him in the long duration of eternity would imply mutability, and this is inconceivable and impossible in a Being of boundless perfection, who is from everlasting to everlasting, God.

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But this argument acquires still greater strength, when we consider the goodness, holiness, and righteousness of God. Imperfect as we are, we can discern the excellency of truth, and the baseness of falsehood. How much more clearly must the excellency of the one, and the turpitude of the other, appear to the Holy and Omniscient God!" He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." Man as a creature is mutable, and as a sinner is corrupt, and is, therefore, capable of deceit and of treachery; but the nature of God is necessarily and unchangeably pure and holy, and there cannot be any unrighteousness in him. He is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent; hath he said, and shall he not do it, or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" The perfect holiness of God renders it impossible for him to lie. Even we, his intelligent creatures, fallen and degenerate as we are, esteem and respect truth, and disesteem and despise falsehood; and were our nature as pure as it originally was, our practice would in this respect accord with our feelings. But he whose name is holy is incapable of doing but what he loves, or shunning but what he hates; and as his views of truth and of falsehood are the same as ours, he cannot but invariably act consistently with that character which he has taught us to adore,-the