Truth Is Great, and Will Prevail

Truth is great, and will prevail.

THIS maxim has been assented to in all countries, and in all ages; but the grand question has been, WHAT IS TRUTH? Pilate asked it, but waited not for the answer. So far from it, that the fear of man moved him to give sentence against the eternal SON OF GOD, who came into our world on purpose to bear witness unto THE TRUTH. Jews and Gentiles were confederates in this hellish act, and all nations and denominations ever since have been more agreed in opposing the truth, than in any other point: Yet truth prevails still.

That there is one supreme BEING, whose kingdom ruleth over all, is the first and capital article of truth, which no nation upon earth were ever able to erase entirely out of their minds; for no government could ever be established among themselves, without appeals to HIM for the truth of what was asserted, and to avenge injustice, and the violation of contracts and engagements.

That it is the indispensable duty of every man to love his creator and preserver with all his faculties and powers, and to love his neighbour as himself, is a truth inseparably connected with the other: For while JEHOVAH remains infinitely and unchangeably good, and we remain his offspring, our obligation to love him can never be disannulled or abated; and his command, to love our neighbours as ourselves, is as immutable as his perfections are.

That all mankind, in their natural condition, are in a state of revolt from this heavenly ruler, is a truth as evident as the other; what need else could there be for p. 4these appeals and restraints? The attempts that have often been made against this truth, have always confirmed it, and have demonstrated the corruption of the authors of those attempts. Nothing can discover a more mean and dishonest disposition, than for a person to steal the property of another, and then to labour to adorn and exalt himself therewith, while he tries hard to sink the credit of the true owner, so as to set self above him: Yet this is the very practice of all those who set up their reason above divine revelation. The writings of the greatest men in Pagan countries are full of the intrigues, adulteries, thefts and murders, of their imaginary deities; which, by God's righteous judgment, and from their natural tendency, have produced like abominations in their worshippers; because they changed the truth of God into a lie. Rom. i. 18—32. And those who were favoured with the oracles of God, and yet did the same thing, thereby brought upon themselves a much greater condemnation than the others did. Rom. ii. 1—24. If so, then what advantage can it be to have those oracles? Answer, much every way: For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? The thought is to be rejected with the utmost abhorrence. Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Rom. iii. 1—4. This is the exact state of the controversy. Men have assumed the judgment seat, and have arraigned the sayings of God to their bar. This practice began near the forbidden tree, Gen. iii. 1—6; and from that day to this men have been ever learning, and yet, of themselves, were never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; and that because the judge is the criminal, who cannot live in that way any longer than he is kept in darkness; p. 5for whenever the authority of truth takes place in his conscience, sin revives, and he dies; and his only way of relief is by faith in the perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice of our great surety, who offered himself without spot to God. Rom. vii. 1—12, Heb. ix 14, and x. 1—14. Unassisted reason could never go any farther in this respect, than to move men to imbrue their hands in the blood of their own children, by offering the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul: Yet many are now guilty of stealing a finer dress for human nature, from the oracles of God, and then of improving the same against the authority of the book they took it from; so that instead of saying, let God be true, but every man a liar; their argument is, that every man is not a liar, therefore in several points God does not speak the truth! And it is a common thing for these reasoners, to claim a power for themselves which they deny to JEHOVAH; and daily to practise that, under his name, which, with reverence be it spoken, was never within HIS POWER to do! Num. xxiii. 19, John x. 35, 2d Tim. ii. 13, Heb. vi. 18.

p. 5They often insist upon it, that men cannot deserve praise for doing right, nor blame for doing wrong, unless they have power within themselves to act with motive or against motive, as they please. If their voluntary actions are not determined by what is within them, they say they are not free. Yet the same men are positive, that God's choice of some to salvation, while he leaves the rest to peris;h in their sins, must be determined by what he sees in them, and not in himself; or else, say they, he would be a respecter of persons. Thus self-determination is claimed for man, but is denied to God; directly in the face of Christ, and the inspired apostle. Matt. xi. 26, Rom. xi. 33—36. The evident cause of this horrid impiety, is a secret conceit, p. 6that there is a good to be obtained which is better than truth, and for which truth may be dispensed with, and contradicted; therefore, though it is impossible for God to lie, or to deny himself, yet men often do it, in hopes of obtaining that imaginary good. Indeed Christ calls us to deny ourselves, and to take-up our cross daily; but it is only that corrupt and delusive self, which is set up against the revealed will of God. He requires us daily to cross our lusts, and self-righteous conceits; while Satan tempts us to cross the truth, and the light of our own consciences; and can any rational soul hesitate a minute upon which of them is to be regarded!