The Godly Person's Response to God

John Brown on Adding Godliness to Faith (continued).

Thus loving, fearing, and trusting in God, it is natural for the godly man to believe what God reveals, because He reveals it ; to do what He requires, because He requires it ; to sub­mit to what He appoints, because He appoints it. Whatever God says, he accounts undoubtedly true, for he knows that God cannot be deceived, and cannot deceive. He thinks no demonstration stronger than this : God has said it ; there­fore it is, it must be, true:¹ Regard for God makes him very careful not to receive anything as God's testimony, without satisfactory evidence, lest he give to fallible man that which is due only to the infallible God. Let him but see clearly that a statement is indeed the testimony of God, and, however strange it may be, however opposed to the opinions of the wisest of men, or to his own previous opinion, he unhesitatingly " sets to his seal" that God is true—saying, " Let God be true, and every man a liar."

Whatever God commands, the godly man does, because God commands it. He accounts His commandments "con­cerning all things to be right." He recognises His authority to be paramount ; and when the greatest among men com­mand what is inconsistent with His commands, his language is, " Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey man rather than God, judge ye." "I will hear what God the Lord will speak." "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." " 0 Lord, I am Thy servant."

Whatever God appoints, the godly man submits to, because God appoints it. He believes, that " His kingdom ruleth over all ;" that nothing occurs by chance—that all comes forth from Him who " worketh all things according to the counsel of His will ;" that He is " wonderful in counsel, excellent in working ;" and therefore he says, however painful the event may be to his feelings, however opposed to his worldly inte­rest, " The will of the Lord be done ;" "Good is the will of the Lord ;" " It is the Lord—let Him do to me what seemeth good in His sight ;" " Not my will but His be done ;" " Who shall say to Him, what dost Thou ?" "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" " Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight."