A funeral-sermon for the reverend, holy and excellent divine, Mr. Richard Baxter who deceased…

2. The Divine Truth affords a strong Security to the Children of God, to commend their Souls to him at last. Truth is an Attribute as essential and dear to God as any of his Perfections. And in the Accomplishment of our Salvation, he ordered all ⟨p. 27⟩things becoming to his Wisdom, that is for the illustration of all his principal Attributes, and accordingly designed the Glory of his Truth equally with the Honour of his Mercy. Thus he declares to his chosen People, Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, ¹which keepeth Covenant and Mercy, with them that love him, and keep his Commandments. The Attribute that is set next to the Deity, as most sacred, is the Faithful God; and that further expressed, keeping Covenant and Mercy; for he delights in fulfilling his Promises, as in the freest Acts of Mercy. The Psalmist breaks forth with the affectionate Praises of these Attributes,² I will worship towards thy holy Temple, and praise thy Name for thy loving Kindness and thy Truth: for thou hast magnified ⟨p. 28⟩thy Word above all thy Name. His Word here immediately signifies his Promise, that has its rise from his loving Kindness, and its performance from his Truth. This he magnifies both with respect to the matter of his Promises that are exceeding great and precious, and the fulfilling them above all that we can ask or think. God cannot repent or lie; his Counsels are unretractable, from the Immutability of his Nature; his Promises are infallible, from his Fidelity: they are as unchangeable as the Sun and Stars in their appointed Courses;³ nay, more stable than the Centre: for Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but not a tittle of his Promises, and our Hopes be unfulfilled. If the Frame of Nature were dissolved, it would be no loss to God, who is glorious and blessed ⟨p. 29⟩in his own Perfections: but if his Promises fail, the Honour of his Truth would be impaired and blemished. The Psalmist saith, Those that know thy Name, will trust in thee: Those who know the Creature, its Levity, Mutability and Mortality, will be discouraged from trusting in it; but those who know the eternal Constancy of God in his Nature and Promises, will securely rely upon him.