Truth and Righteousness.
By R. F. Cottrell
IN the fortieth psalm is a prophecy of Christ which Paul applies to his first coming into the world. Heb. 10:5-9. In this is foretold how he would regard the law of God, which is the truth, and also the fact that he would preach it. “Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation. . . . I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” Ps. 40:7-10. Righteousness is right doing; and the commandments are righteousness as well as truth. Ps. 119:172. Now let us see how Christ fulfilled the prediction by preaching truth and righteousness in the great congregation in his sermon on the mount, in other words, how he testified of the law which was in his heart. Said he, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” Matt. 5:17-20. Our Lord said to Pilate, “For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” And he did so by deeds as well as by words; for he could truly say, “I have kept my Father's commandments.” And we too may bear testimony in the same way. If we labor on “the six working days,” and rest on the seventh, the day on which the Creator rested, we say by our actions that God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh. And that is the truth. But if we rest on the first day and not on the seventh, are we not like the boy that told a lie with his finger by pointing the wrong road to the inquirer? The result of that lie was the death of the child which the surgeon might have saved had he not been delayed by being directed out of his way. And who knows how many souls will go to perdition by the false testimony concerning the day of God's rest, which he requires all men to celebrate. Those who will read Paul's testimony in Rom. 2:17-22, will find him in harmony with other scriptures concerning the law of truth. He says to those who “are instructed out of the law,” that they have “the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.” What law? That law that forbids theft and adultery. “Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?” The apostle teaches obedience to this law of truth as a condition of receiving eternal life. Says he, “To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.” Since “all unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17), and “sin is the transgression of the law” (chap. 3:4), it follows that to “obey unrighteousness” is to transgress the law, and that “well-doing,” or obedience to the truth, is obedience to the law. The apostle teaches in harmony with his Master, who said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Peter is another witness to the truth. Says he, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” 1 Pet. 1:22. It may be objected that he speaks of obeying the gospel. Admitted; but the first precept of the gospel is to repent of sin, which is the transgression of the law; and no repentance is genuine but that which turns from transgression to obedience. If the witnesses already cited are orthodox, so also is the apostle John. Listen to his testimony: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” This is plain testimony; but all can bear it who consider that it comes from the disciple whom Jesus loved, and who leaned upon his breast at the last supper. The testimony concerning the truth is harmonious throughout. R. F. COTTRELL.