EPC Australia

There is nothing of which men are more tenacious, than the honour of their veracity. How offended do they feel, if we seem to suspect the truth of their word, by requiring a pledge or voucher, before we can venture upon it! If a king were to address his subjects in a way of privilege, and they should say, We must try thy faithfulness before we can trust it, he would consider himself insulted, and, in wrath, have nothing to do with them. God is veracity itself, and magnifies his Word above all his Name. And he might justly say to us, Such are my declarations; dishonour me not, by requiring any confirmation; I am entitled to implicit credence, and if ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. But he knoweth our frame, and he knoweth the absolute importance of our confidence in him; and therefore he allows us to acquire it in our own way, and seems more concerned for our satisfaction, than for his own glory.

And yet hereby he glorifies himself too; for by this method he not only shows his kindness and condescension in accommodating himself to our infirmities, but obtains a sensible and satisfactory conviction in favour of his truth. In addition to testimony, we are furnished with experience. What we have read and heard, we have brought to trial, and have demonstrated ourselves. So that we do not merely believe. There must be, indeed, a degree of faith to induce us to make the trial; but when we have made it, and made it successfully, the proof increases the confidence of faith; and he that thus believeth hath the witness in himself.

Hence, when God invites us to prove him, it is not sinful to do it, yea, it would be sinful to refuse. We see this in the case of Ahaz. "Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord." He did not decline it from confidence in God, or from humility, but from desperation or indifference: "Not I; it is useless." Isaiah so understood it, as appears from his answer and complaint: "Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?" When He allows a privilege, it becomes us gratefully to use it; and we reflect upon his kindness and wisdom if we do not. Some, like Gallio, care for none of these things. They do not think religion or revelation worthy of proof. Hume said he had never read through the New Testament in his life. As much as to say, It is nothing to me, whether these things be true or false. I will take no pains to ascertain whether we have souls, as well as bodies; whether another world succeeds this; and whether, after death, there be a judgment.

There is, indeed, a censurable proving of God, and it is more than once charged upon the Jews of old. It was founded in unbelief, and led them to dare his judgments. Thus Pharaoh, and thus Adam and Eve, tried his word, in his threatenings. This is always wrong. First, because, if the trial proves the denunciation true, the proof is useless, for it is derived from the infliction of the evil itself, and we are not convinced by being punished. Secondly, we cannot put the menaces of God to the test, but by criminal conduct. It is only by sinning that we can try whether what he has threatened against sin will be accomplished, as the practice is the condition on which the penalty is suspended. But it is otherwise with the promises of God: if we find them true, we are saved and happy; and we can only seek the proof of their truth, in what is good and improving — in praying, in obedience, in the use of all the means which God has ordained.

Let us then prove him, and see whether his word will come to pass or not. Let us prove him with regard to the freeness of his mercy. For he hath said, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Let us prove him with regard to the efficacy of his grace. For he hath said, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Let us prove him with regard to the care of his Providence. For he hath said, "There is no want to them that fear him." "He careth for you." "The hairs of your head are all numbered." Let us prove him with regard to the advantage of benevolence. For he hath said, "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Let us prove him with regard to the blessedness of his service. For he hath said, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." "There is no man, that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

By how many millions has all this been proved. His word is a tried word. And it has never failed in the trial. And never will fail.

Let us make the trial for ourselves, and set to our seal that God is true. Thus we shall become his witnesses to others, and be able to say, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Morning Exercises For Everyday In The Year
By Rev. William Jay