The Life of Faith, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Image of Gods Goodneſs.
II. THE ſecond part of Gods Image on our Religion, is that of his matchleſs GOODNESS. The whole ſyſteme of it is, the harmonious expreſſion of GODS HOLINESS and LOVE. The particulars I muſt but name, leſt I be too long.
1. The Author of it, Jeſus Chriſt, was perfectly Good himſelf; being God and man; ſinleſs in nature, and in life; living, and dying, and riſing to do good; and making it his office and his work, even in Heaven, to do mankind the greateſt good.
2. The Matter of the Chriſtian Religion, is GOD himſelf the infinite Good. The uſe of it is, to teach men to know God, and to bring us to him. To which end it maketh a fuller diſcovery of his bleſſed nature, attributes and works, than is any where elſe to be found in this world.
3. The utmoſt End of it is the higheſt imaginable; the pleaſing and glorifying of God: For he that is the Beginning of all, muſt needs be the End of all.
4. It leadeth man to the higheſt ſtate of felicity for himſelf (which is an End conjunct in ſubordination to the higheſt.) There can be no greater happineſs imaginable, than the Chriſtian Religion directeth us to attain.
5. It placeth our happineſs ſo certainly and clearly in that which is happineſs indeed, that it directeth mans intentions, and deſires, and leaveth them no longer to the old variety of opinions about the chiefeſt good: Nature perfected, and working by its perfecteſt acts upon the moſt perfect object, and receiving the moſt full communications from him, and this for ever, muſt needs be the moſt perfect felicity of man. To have all our faculties fully perfect, and to live for ever in the perfect light and love of God, and to be accordingly beloved of him; this is the end of Chriſtianity.
6. To this end, the whole deſign of the Chriſtian Religion is to make man good, and to cure him of all evil, and to prepare him juſtly for that bleſſed ſtate.
7. To that end the great work of Jeſus Chriſt is, to ſend down the ſanctifying Spirit of God, to make men new creatures, and to regenerate them to the Nature of God himſelf, and to a heavenly mind and life: That they may not only have precepts which are good, but the power of God to make them good, and a heavenly principle to fit them for Heaven.
8. To that end, the principal means is, the fulleſt revelation of the love of God to man, that ever was made, and more than is any where elſe revealed. All the deſign of Chriſtianity is but to ſhew God to man, in the fulleſt proſpect of his Goodneſs and unmeaſurable Love, that ſo he may appear more amiable to us; and may be more beloved by us; that Loving Goodneſs may make us good, and make us happy.
9. To encourage us to Love and Goodneſs, God doth in the Goſpel give us the pardon of all our ſins, as ſoon as ever we turn to him by Faith and Repentance: Though we have deſerved Hell, he declareth that he will forgive us that deſert. If we had come to Hell before we had been redeemed, I think we ſhould have taken that Religion to be good indeed, which would have brought us the tydings of forgiveneſs, and ſhewed us ſo ready a way to eſcape.
10. And this mercy is given by an Ʋniverſal Covenant, offered to all, without exception: And the Conditions are ſo reaſonable, that no one can have any juſt pretence againſt them. It is but to accept the mercy offered with a believing thankfull mind, as a condemned man would do a pardon. And what can be more ſuitable to our miſerable ſtate?
11. And to bring us to all this, and make us holy, Chriſt hath given us a moſt holy word and doctrine: perfectly holy in its precepts, and in its prohibitions, and all the ſubſervient hiſtories and narratives: And he hath added the perfect pattern of his holy life, that our Rule and Example might agree.
12. So good is this word, that it calleth us to the higheſt degree of Goodneſs, and maketh Perfection it ſelf our duty; that our duty and happineſs may agree; and we may not have liberty to be bad and miſerable; but may be every way bound to our own felicity: And yet ſo good is this Covenant of Grace, that it taketh not advantage of our infirmities to ruine us, but noteth them to humble us, in order to our cure: And i… accepteth ſincerity, though it command perfection. And Chriſt looketh not at our failings, as a ſevere Judge, but as a Phyſician, and a tender Father.
13. So good is our Religion, that the great thing which it requireth of us, is to prefer the greateſt good, before the leſſer, and not to be like children who take it for their riches to fill their pin-box; or like fooliſh Merchants, who had rather trade for truth, th…n for gold. The great buſineſ… of Chriſtian precept… is, to make us know that we are capable of better things than meat, and drink, and luſt, and ſports, and wealth, and worldly honours; that the Love of God, and the felicity of the ſoul, in Grace and Glory, may be preferred before the pleaſure of a Swine. And is not that good, which calleth us up to the greateſt good, and will not allow us to be ſuch enemies to our ſelves, as to take up with the leſſer?
14. Yea, when we have moſt, it ſtill engageth us to ſeek more: And will not allow us to take up with a low degree of grace, or with a little meaſure of the greateſt good: But to ſhew that God would have us to be ſtill better, and to have more, it is made our duty ſtill to ask more, and ſtill to preſs higher, and labour to be better. Asking in prayer is made our daily work; and Gods giving, and our receiving may be our daily bleſſedneſs.
15. The mercies here provided for us, extend both to ſoul and body: For though we may not prefer the leſs before the greater; yet we ſhall have it in its place: If we ſeek firſt the Kingdom of God, and its righteouſneſs, and labour firſt for the food which never periſheth, all other things ſhall be added to us: We ſhall have then to do us good, but not to do us hurt. For godlineſs is profitable to all things, having the promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4.7, 8. & 6.6.
16. And the future perfect Goodneſs, may invite us to preſent imperfect Goodneſs, the Promiſes of the Goſpel do ſecond the Precepts, with the ſtrongeſt motives in the world: ſo that everlaſting bleſſedneſs and joy, is made the reward of temporal ſincerity, in faith, love, and obedience. And if Heaven it ſelf be not a reward ſufficient to invite men to be good, there is none ſufficient.
17. Yea the penalties and ſeverities of the Chriſtian Religion, do ſhew the Goodneſs of it. When God doth therefore threaten Hell to ſave men from it, and to draw them up to the obedience of the Goſpel: Threatned evil of puniſhment, is but to keep them from the evil of ſin, and to make men better: And he that will teſtifie his hatred of ſinful evil to the higheſt, doth ſhew himſelf the greateſt enemy of it, and the greateſt lover of good; and he that ſetteth the ſharpeſt hedge before us, and the terrible warnings to keep us from damnation, doth ſhew himſelf moſt willing to ſave us.
18. So good is Chriſtianity, that it turneth all our afflictions unto good: It aſſureth us that they are ſent as needful medicine, however merited by our ſin: And it directeth us how to bear them eaſily, and to make them ſweet, and ſafe, and profitable, and to turn them to our increaſe of holineſs, and to the furtherance of our greateſt good, Heb. 1, to 13. Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18.
19. It alſo ſtabliſheth a perpetual office, even the ſacred Miniſtry, for the fuller and ſurer communication of all this good forementioned. In which obſerve theſe particulars, which ſhew the greatneſs of this benefit. 1. The perſons called to it, muſt (by Chriſts appointment) be the wiſeſt and beſt of men that can be had. 2. The number of them is to be ſuited to the number of the people, ſo that none may be without the benefit. 3. Their work is, to declare all this forementioned Goodneſs and Love of God to man, and to offer them all this grace and mercy; and to teach them to be holy and happy, and to ſet before them the everlaſting joyes. 4. The manner of their doing it muſt be with humility, as the ſervants of all; with tender love, as Fathers of the flock; with wiſdom and skill, leſt their work be fruſtrate; with the greateſt importunity, even compelling them to come in, as men that are loth to take any denyal; and with patient enduring all oppoſitions, as thoſe that had rather ſuffer any thing, than the peoples ſouls ſhall be unhealed, and be damned; and they muſt conrinue to the end, as thoſe that will never give up a ſoul as deſperate and loſt, while there is any hope: And all this muſt be ſeconded with their own example of holineſs, temperance and love, Acts 20. 2 Tim. 2.24, 25. Matth. 22.8, 9.
20. So good is our Religion, that nothing but doing good is the work in which it doth employ us. Beſides all the good of piety and ſelf-preſervation, it requireth us to live in love to others, and to do all the good in the world that we are able, Epheſ. 2.10. Mat. 5.16. & 6.1, 2, &c. Titus 2.14. Gal. 6.7, 8, 9. Good works muſt be our ſtudy and our life: Our work and our delight: Even our enemies we muſt love and do good to, Mat. 5.44. Rom. 12.19, 20, 21. And ſure that doctrine is good, which is purpoſely to employ men in doing good to all.
21. So good is Chriſtianity, that it favoureth not any one ſin, but is the greateſt condemner of them all. It is all for knowledge againſt hurtful ignorance; it is all for humility againſt all pride; for ſelf-denyal againſt all injurious ſelfiſhneſs; for ſpirituality, and the dominion of true Reaſon, againſt ſenſuality and the dominion of the fleſh; for heavenlineſs againſt a worldly mind; for ſincerity and ſimplicity againſt all hypocriſie and deceit; for love againſt malice; for unity and peace againſt diviſions and contentions; for juſtice and lenity in ſuperiours, and obedience and patience in inferiours; for faithfulneſs in all relations: Its precepts extend to ſecret as well as open practices; to the deſires and thoughts, as well as to the words and deeds: It alloweth not a thought, or word, or action, which is ungodly, intemperate, rebellious, injurious, unchaſte, or covetous or uncharitable, Mat. 5.
22. All the troubleſome part of our Religion, is but our warfare againſt evil; againſt ſin, and the temptations which would make us ſinful: And it muſt needs be good, if all the conflicting part of it be only againſt evil, Gal. 5.17, 21, 23. Rom. 6. & 7. & 8.1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13.
23. It teacheth us the only way to live in the greateſt and moſt conſtant joy. If we attain not this, it is becauſe we follow not its precepts. If endleſs joy foreſeen, and all the foreſaid mercies in the way, are not matter for continual delight, there is no greater to be thought on. Rejoycing alwaies in the Lord, even in our ſharpeſt perſecutions, is a great part of Religious duty, Phil. 3.1, & 4.4. Pſal. 33.1. Zech. 10.7. Mat. 5.11, 12. Deut. 12.12, 18.
24. It overcometh both the danger and the fear of death; and that muſt be good, which conquereth ſo great an evil; and maketh the day of the ungodly's fears, and utter miſery, to be the day of our deſire and felicity, Rom. 6.23. 1 Cor. 15.55. Col. 3.1, 4. Phil. 3.21.
25. It obligeth all the Rulers of the world to uſe all their power to do good; againſt all ſin within their reach; and to make their ſubjects happy both in body and in ſoul, Rom. 13.3, 4, 5, 6.
26. It appointeth Churches to be Societies of Saints, that holineſs and goodneſs combined may be ſtrong and honourable, 1 Cor. 1.1. & 2.1. 1. Heb. 3.13. 1 Theſ. 5.12, 13. That holy Aſſemblies employed in the holy love and praiſes of God, might be a repreſentation of the heavenly Jeruſalem, Col. 2.5.
27. It doth make the Love and Ʋnion of all the Saints to be ſo ſtrict, that the mercies and joyes of every member, might extend to all: All the corporal and ſpiritual bleſſings of all the Chriſtians, (yea and perſons) in the world, are mine as to my comfort, as long as I can love them as my ſelf: If it would pleaſe me to be rich, or honourable, or learned my ſelf, it muſt pleaſe me alſo to have them ſo, whom I love as my ſelf. And when millions have ſo much matter for my joy, how joyfully ſhould I then live! And though I am obliged alſo to ſorrow with them, it is with ſuch a ſorrow only, as ſhall not hinder any ſeaſonable joy, 1 Cor. 12.
28. In theſe ſocieties, every member is bound to contribute his help to the benefit of each other; ſo that I have as many obliged to do me good, as there be Chriſtians in the world; at leaſt, according to their ſeveral opportunities and capacities; by prayer and ſuch diſtant means, if they can do no more. And the Religion which giveth every man ſo great an intereſt, in the good of all others, and engageth all men to do good to one another is evidently good it ſelf, 1 Cor. 12. Epheſ. 4.15, 16.
29. And all this good is not deſtroyed, but advantaged and aggravated accidentally by our ſin: So that where ſin abounded, there grace did ſuperabound, Rom. 5.15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Grace hath taken occaſion by ſin to be Grace indeed, and to be the greater manifeſtation of the goodneſs of God, and the greater obligation for gratitude to the ſinner.
30. Laſtly, All this Goodneſs is beautified by harmony; it is all placed in a perfect order. One mercy doth not keep us from another; nor one grace oppoſe another: nor one duty exclude another. As it is the great declaration of Mercy and Juſtice wonderfully conſpiring in God; (Mercy ſo uſed as to magnifie Juſtice; Juſtice ſo uſed as to magnifie Mercy, and not only ſo as to conſiſt) ſo alſo it worketh anſwerably on us: It ſetteth not Love againſt filial fear, not joy againſt neceſſary ſorrow, nor faith againſt repentance, nor praiſe and thanksgiving againſt penitent confeſſion of ſin, nor true repentance againſt the profitable uſe of the creatures, nor the care of our ſouls againſt the peace and quiet of our minds, nor care for our families, againſt contentedneſs and truſting God, nor our labour againſt our neceſſary reſt, nor ſelf-denyal againſt the due care of our own welfare, nor patience againſt due ſenſibility, and lawful paſſion, nor mercy to men againſt true juſtice, nor publick and private good againſt each, nor doth it ſet the duty of the Soveraign and the Subject, the Maſter and the Servant, the Paſtor and the Flock, nor yet their intereſt, in any contrariety; but all parts of Religion know their place; and every duty (even thoſe which ſeem moſt oppoſite) are helpful to each other; and all intereſts are co-ordinate; and all doth contribute to the good of the whole, and of every part, Epheſ. 4.2, 3, 15, 16.
And now peruſe all this together (but let it have more of your thoughts by far, than it hath had of my words) and then determine indifferently, whether the Chriſtian Religion bear not the lively Image and ſuperſcription of GOD the prime eſſential GOOD.
But all this will be more manifeſt, when we have conſidered how POWER hath in the execution, brought all this into effect.