Existence and Attributes of God, Discourse 12 (1 of 5)

Existence and Attributes of God · Discourse 12 (1 of 5)

p. 577A DISCOURSE UPON THE Goodneſs of God.

Mark 10.18.

And Jeſus ſaid unto him, Why calleſt thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.

THE words are part of a Reply of our Saviour to the Young-mans Petition to him: A certain Perſon came in haſte, running, as being eager for ſatisfaction, to entreat his directions, what he ſhould do, to inherit Everlaſting Life; The Perſon is deſcribed only in general, verſ. 17. There came one, A certain Man: But Luke deſcribes him by his Dignity,**Luke 18.18.Luke 18:18 A certain Ruler; One of Authority among the Jews. He deſires of him an Anſwer to a legal Queſtion, [What he ſhould do?] Or, as Matthew hath it, What good thing ſhall I do, that I may have Eternal Life? **Mat. 19.16.Matt 19:16He imagin'd Everlaſting Felicity was to be purchaſed by the works of the Law; He had not the leaſt Sentiments of Faith: Chriſt's Anſwer implies, there was no hopes of the happineſs of another World by the works of the Law, unleſs they were perfect, and anſwerable to every Divine Precept. He doth not ſeem to have any ill, or hypocritical intent in his Addreſs to Chriſt; not to tempt him, but to be inſtructed by him. He ſeems to come with an ardent deſire, to be ſatisfi'd in his Demand; he performed a ſolemn act of Reſpect to him, he kneeled to him, foreign, proſtrated himſelf upon the ground; Beſides Chriſt is ſaid, verſ. 21. to love him, which had been inconſiſtent with the knowledge Chriſt had of the hearts and thoughts of Men, and the abhorrence he had of Hypocrites, had he been only a Counterfeit in this Queſtion.

But the firſt Reply Chriſt makes to him, reſpects the Title of Good Maſter, which this Ruler gave him in his Salutation.

1. Some think, that Chriſt hereby would draw him to an acknowledgment of him as God; You acknowledge me good, How come you to ſalute me with ſo great a Title, ſince you do not afford it to your greateſt Doctors? Lightfoot in loc. obſerves, that the Title of Rabbi bone is not in all the Talmud. You muſt own me to be God, ſince you own me to be good: Goodneſs being a Title only due and properly belonging to the Supream Being.

If you take me for a Common-man, with what Conſcience can you ſalute me in a manner proper to God? Since no Man is good, no, not one, but the heart of Man is evil continually. The Arrians uſed this place, to back their denying the Deity of Chriſt: Becauſe, ſay they, He did not acknowledge himſelf good, therefore he did not acknowledge himſelf God. **Eraſm. in loc.But he doth not here deny his Deity, but reproves him for calling him Good, when he had not yet confeſt him to be more than a Man.**Auguſtin. You behold my Fleſh, but you conſider not the fulneſs of my Deity; If you account me Good, account me God, and p. 578imagine me not to be a ſimple and a meer Man. He diſowns not his own Deity, but allures the Young-man to a confeſſion of it. Why call'ſt thou me good, ſince thou doſt not diſcover any apprehenſions of my being more than a Man? Though thou comeſt with a greater Eſteem to me, than is commonly entertain'd of the Doctors of the Chair, why doſt thou own me to …, unleſs thou own me to be God? If Chriſt had deny'd himſelf in this Speech to be good, he had rather entertain'd this Perſon with a frown and ſharp reproof for giving him a Title due to God alone, than have received him with that, courteſie, and complaiſance as he did**Henſius in Matth.. Had he ſaid there is none good but the Father, he had excluded himſelf; but in ſaying, there is none good but God, he comprehends himſelf.

2. Others ſay, that Chriſt had no intention to draw him to an acknowledg… … of his Deity, but only aſſerts his Divine Authority, or Miſſion from God.**Calvin in loc. For which interpretation Maldonat calls Calvin an Arrianizer. He doth not here aſſert the Eſſence of his Deity, but the Authority of his Doctrine: As if he ſhould have ſaid, you do without ground give me the Title of good, unleſs you believe I have a Divine Commiſſion for what I declare and act. Many do think me an Impoſtor, an Enemy of God, and a friend to Devils; you muſt firmly believe, that I am not ſo as your Rulers report me, but that I am ſent of God, and authorized by him; you cannot elſe give me the Title of good, but of wicked. And the reaſon they give for this interpretation, is, becauſe it is a queſtion, whether any of the Apoſtles underſtood him at this time, to be God, which ſeems to have no great ſtrength in it; ſince not only the Devil had publickly owned him, to be the Holy One of God **Luke 4.34.Luke 4:34, but John the Baptiſt had born Record, that he was the Son of God ††Joh. 1.32, 34.John 1:32John 1:34; and before this time Peter had confeſt him openly, in the hearing of the reſt of the Diſciples, that he was the Chriſt the Son of the living God ‖‖Mat. 16.16.Matt 16:16. But I think Paraeus his interpretation is beſt, which takes in both thoſe; Either you are ſerious or deceitful in this Addreſs; if you are ſerious, Why do you call me good, and make bold to fix ſo great a Title upon one you have no higher thoughts of than of a meer Man? Chriſt takes occaſion from hence, to aſſert God to be only and Sovereignly good; **Triſmegiſt. Paemand. c…p. 2.There is none good but God. God only hath the honour of abſolute goodneſs, and none but God merits the name of good. ‖‖Eugubin de Peren. Philoſ. lib. 5. cap. 9.A Heathen could ſay much after the ſame manner: All other things are far from the nature of good; call none elſe good but God, for this would be a profane Errour: Other things are only good in opinion, but have not the true Subſtance of Goodneſs: He is Good in a more excellent way, than any Creature can be denominated Good.

1. God is only Originally Good, Good of himſelf. All Created Goodneſs is a Rivulet from this Fountain, but Divine Goodneſs hath no Spring; God depends upon no other for his Goodneſs, he hath it in, and of himſelf: Man hath no Goodneſs from himſelf, God hath no Goodneſs from without himſelf: His Goodneſs is no more derived from another, than his Being: If he were Good by any External thing, that thing muſt be in being before him, or after him; If before him, he was not then himſelf from Eternity; If after him, he was not Good in himſelf from Eternity. The End of his Creating things then, was not to confer a Goodneſs upon his Creatures, but to partake of a Goodneſs from his Creatures. God is Good by and in himſelf, ſince all things are only Good by him; and all that Goodneſs which is in Creatures, is but the breathing of his own Goodneſs upon them. They have all their lovelineſs from the ſame Hand they have their Being from. Though by Creation God was declared Good, yet he was not made Good by any, or by all the Creatures. He partakes of none, but all things partake of him. He is ſo Good that he gives all, and receives nothing; Only Good becauſe nothing is Good but by him: Nothing hath a Goodneſs but from him.

2. God only is Infinitely Good.

A boundleſs Goodneſs that knows no limits, a Goodneſs as infinite as his Eſſence, not only Good, but beſt; not only Good, but Goodneſs it ſelf, the Supream unconceivable Goodneſs. All things elſe are but little Particles of God, ſmall Sparks from this Immenſe Flame, Sips of Goodneſs to this Fountain. Nothing p. 579that is good by his influence, can equal him, who is good by himſelf: Derived goodneſs, can never equal Primitive goodneſs. Divine Goodneſs communicates it ſelf to a vaſt number of Creatures in various degrees; to Angels, Glorifi'd Spirits, Men on Earth, to every Creature; and when it hath communicated all that the preſent World is capable of, there is ſtill leſs diſplay'd, than left to enrich another World. All poſſible Creatures are not capable of exhauſting the Wealth, and Treaſures, that Divine Bounty is filled with.

3. God is only perfectly good, becauſe only Infinitely good.

He is good without indigence, becauſe he hath the whole Nature of goodneſs, not only ſome beams that may admit of increaſe of degree. As in him is the whole Nature of Entity, ſo in him is the whole Nature of Excellency. As nothing hath an abſolute perfect Being but God, ſo nothing hath an abſolutely perfect goodneſs but God. As the Sun hath a perfection of heat in it, but what is warm'd by the Sun, is but imperfectly hot, and equals not the Sun in that perfection of heat, wherewith it is naturally endued. The goodneſs of God is the meaſure and rule of goodneſs in every thing elſe.

4. God only is Immutably good.

Other things may be perpetually good by Supernatural Power, but not Immutably good in their own Nature. Other things are not ſo good, but they may be bad; God is ſo good, that he cannot be bad.**Eugubin. Peren. Philoſ. lib. 5. cap. 9. p. 97. col. 1. It was the Speech of a Philoſopher, That it was a hard thing to find a good Man, yea impoſſible; but though it were poſſible to find a good Man, he would be good but for ſome moment, or a ſhort time: For though he ſhould be good at this inſtant, it was above the Nature of Man to continue in a habit of goodneſs, without going awry and warping. But the goodneſs of God endureth for ever ††Pſal. 52.1.Ps 52:1. God always glitters in goodneſs, as the Sun, which the Heathens call'd the viſible Image of the Divinity, doth with light. There is not ſuch a perpetual light in the Sun, as there is a fulneſs of goodneſs in God; no variableneſs in him, as he is the Father of Lights.**1 James 17.

Before I come to the Doctrine, that is the chief ſcope of the words, ſome remarks may be made upon the Young-mans Queſtion and Carriage, What muſt I do, to inherit Eternal Life?

1. The opinion of gaining Eternal Life by the outward obſervation of the Law, will appear very unſatisfactory to an inquiſitive Conſcience. This Ruler affirm'd, and certainly did confidently believe, that he had fulfill'd the Law:Verſ. 20. All this have I obſerved from my youth; yet he had not any full ſatisfaction in his own Conſcience; his heart miſgave, and ſtarted upon ſome Sentiments in him, that ſomething elſe was requir'd, and what he had done might be too weak, too ſhort to ſhoot Heavens lock for him. And to that purpoſe he comes to Chriſt, to receive Inſtructions for the piercing up whatſoever was defective. Whoſoever will conſider the Nature of God, and the Relation of a Creature, cannot with reaſon think, that Eternal Life was of it ſelf due from God as a Recompence to Adam, had he perſiſted in a State of Innocence: Who can think ſo great a Reward due, for having perform'd that, which a Creature in that Relation was oblig'd to do? Can any Man think another oblig'd to convey an Inheritance of 1000 l. per annum upon his payment of a few Farthings, unleſs any compact appears to ſupport ſuch a conceit? And if it were not to be expected in the integrity of Nature, but only from the goodneſs of God, how can it be expected ſince the Revolt of Man, and the Univerſal Deluge of Natural Corruption? God owes nothing to the holieſt Creature; what he gives is a preſent from his Bounty, not the Reward of the Creatures Merit. And the Apoſtle defies all Creatures from the greateſt to the leaſt, from the talleſt Angel to the loweſt Shrub, to bring out any one Creature, that hath firſt given to God;**Rom. 11.35.Rom 11:35 Who hath firſt given to him; And it ſhall be Recompenced to him again? The Duty of the Creature, and Gods gift of Eternal Life is not a Bargain and Sale.

God gives to the Creature, he doth not properly repay: For he that repays hath received ſomething of an equal value, and worth before. When God Crowns Angels and Men, he beſtows upon them purely what is his own, not what is theirs by Merit and Natural Obligation: Though indeed what God p. 580gives by virtue of a Promiſe made before, is upon the performance of the Condition due by gracious Obligation. God was not indebted to Man in Innocence, but every Mans Conſcience may now mind him, that he is not upon the ſame level as in the State of Integrity; And that he cannot expect any thing from God, as the Salary of his Merit, but the free gift of Divine Liberality.**Amyraut Morale. Man is oblig'd to the practice of what is good, both from the Excellency of the Divine Precepts, and the Duty he owes to God, and cannot without ſome Declaration from God, hope for any other Reward, than the ſatisfaction of having well acquitted himſelf.

2. 'Tis the Diſeaſe of Humane Nature ſince its Corruption, to hope for Eternal Life by the tenor of the Covenant of Works.

Though this Rulers Conſcience was not throughly ſatisfy'd with what he had done, but imagin'd he might for all that, fall ſhort of Eternal Life, yet he ſtill huggs the imagination of obtaining it by doing,††Verſ. 17. What ſhall I do, that I may inherit Eternal Life? This is natural to Corrupted Man: Cain thought to be accepted for the ſake of his Sacrifice; and when he found his miſtake, he was ſo weary of ſeeking Happineſs by doing, that he would court Miſery by Murdering. All Men ſet too high a value upon their own Services: Sinful Creatures would fain make God a Debtor to them, and be Purchaſers of Felicity; They would not have it conveyed to them by Gods Sovereign Bounty, but by an obligation of Juſtice upon the value of their Works. The Heathens thought God would treat Men according to the Merit of their Services; and it is no wonder they ſhould have this Sentiment, when the Jews Educated by God in a wiſer School, were wedded to that Notion. The Phariſees were highly fond of it, it was the only Argument they uſed in Prayer, for Divine Bleſſing: You have one of them boaſting of his frequency in Faſting, and his exactneſs in paying his Tithes ††Luke 19.12.Luke 19:12; as if God had been beholding to him, and could not without manifeſt wrong deny him his demand. And Paul confeſſeth it to be his own Sentiment before his Converſion, he accounted this Righteouſneſs of the Law gain to him **Phil. 3.7.Phil 3:7; he thought by this to make his Market with God. The whole Nation of the Jews affected it,††Rom. 10.3. Going about to Eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs.Rom 10:3 compaſſing Sea and Land to make out a Righteouſneſs of their own, as the Phariſees did to make Proſelytes.

The Papiſts follow their Steps, and Diſpute for Juſtification by the Merit of Works, and find out another Key of Works of Supererogation, to unlock Heavens Gate, than what ever the Scripture informed us of: 'Tis from hence alſo, that Men are ſo ready to make Faith as a Work, the cauſe of our Juſtification. Man fooliſhly thinks he hath enough to ſet up himſelf after he hath proved Bankrupt, and loſt all his Eſtate. This Imagination is born with us, and the beſt Chriſtians may find ſome ſparks of it in themſelves, when there are ſpringings up of joy in their Hearts, upon the more cloſe performance of one Duty than of another, as if they had wiped off their Scores, and given God a ſatisfaction for their former neglects. We have forſaken all and follow'd thee, was the boaſt of his Diſciples: What ſhall we have therefore? was a Branch of this Root††Mat. 19.27.Matt 19:27. Eternal Life is a gift not by any Obligation of Right, but an abundance of goodneſs; 'tis owing not to the dignity of our Works, but the magnificent Bounty of the Divine Nature, and muſt be ſued for by the Title of God's Promiſe, not by the Title of the Creatures Services. We may obſerve,

3. How inſufficient are ſome Aſſents to Divine Truth, and ſome Expreſſions of Affection to Chriſt, without the Practice of Chriſtian Precepts. This Man Addreſt to Chriſt with a profound Reſpect, acknowledging him more than an ordinary Perſon, with a more Reverential Carriage than we read any of his Diſciples paid to him in the day of his Fleſh; he fell down at his Feet, kiſt his Knees, as the Cuſtom was, when they would teſtifie the great Reſpect, they had to any eminent Perſon, eſpecially to their Rabbins. All this ſome think to be included in the word foreign;††Verſ. 17. Lightfoot in loc. He ſeems to acknowledge him the Meſſiah by giving him the Title of Good, a Title they did not give to their Doctors of the Chair; He breaths out his opinion, that he was able to inſtruct him beyond the ability of the Law; He came with a more than ordinary Affection to him, p. 581and expectation of advantage from him, evident by his departing ſad, when his expectations were fruſtrated by his own perverſity; it was a ſign he had a high eſteem of him, from whom he could not part without marks of his Grief. What was the cauſe of his refuſing the inſtructions, he pretended ſuch an affection to receive? He had Poſſeſſions in the World. How ſoon do a few drops of Wordly advantages quench the firſt Sparks of an ill grounded love to Chriſt? How vain is a complemental and cringing devotion, without a ſupream preference of God, and valuation of Chriſt above every outward allurement? We may obſerve this,

4. We ſhould never admit any thing to be aſcrib'd to us, which is proper to God. Why calleſt thou me Good? There is none Good but One, that is God. If you do not acknowledge me God, aſcribe not to me the Title of Good. It takes off all thoſe Titles which fawning Flatterers give to Men, Mighty, Invincible to Princes, Holineſs to the Pope. We call one another Good, without conſidering how Evil; and Wiſe, without conſidering how Fooliſh; Mighty, without conſidering how Weak; and Knowing without conſidering how Ignorant. No man but hath more of Wickedneſs than Goodneſs; of Ignorance than Knowledge; of Weakneſs than Strength. God is a jealous God of his own Honour, he will not have the Creature ſhare with him in his Royal Titles. 'Tis a part of Idolatry to give Men the Titles which are due to God; a kind of a Worſhip of the Creature together with the Creator. Worms will not ſtand out, but aſſault Herod in his Purple, when he Uſurps the Prerogative of God; and prove ſtiff and invincible Vindicators of their Creators Honor, when ſummoned to Arms by the Creators Word††12 Acts 22.23.Acts 22:23.

The Obſervation which I intend to proſecute is this:

Doct. Pure and Perfect Goodneſs is only the Royal Prerogative of God: Goodneſs is a choice Perfection of the Divine Nature.

This is the true and genuine Character of God; He is Good, He is Goodneſs, Good in Himſelf, Good in his Eſſence, Good in the Higheſt Degree, poſſeſſing whatſoever is Comely, Excellent, Deſirable; the Higheſt Good, becauſe the Firſt Good; whatſoever is perfect Goodneſs, is GOD; whatſoever is truly Goodneſs in any Creature, is a reſemblance of God**Ficin. in Dionys. de divin. nom. cap 511.. All the Names of God are comprehended in this one of Good. All Gifts, all variety of Goodneſs, are contained in him as one common Good. He is the efficient cauſe of all Good, by an over-flowing Goodneſs of his Nature; He refers all things to Himſelf as the end, for the repreſentation of his own Goodneſs; Truly God is Good ††Pſal. 73.1.Ps 73:1. Certainly it is an undoubted Truth, 'tis written in his Works of Nature; and his Acts of Grace**Exod. 34.6.Exod 34:6, He is abundant in Goodneſs.

And every thing is a Memorial, not of ſome few Sparks, but of his greater Goodneſs††Pſal. 145.7.Ps 145:7. This is often celebrated in the Pſalms, and Men invited more than once, to Sing forth the Praiſes of it**Pſal. 107.8.15.21.31.Ps 107:8Ps 107:15Ps 107:21Ps 107:31. It may better be admired than ſufficiently ſpoken of or thought of, as it Merits. 'Tis diſcovered in all his Works, as the Goodneſs of a Tree in all its Fruits; 'tis eaſie to be ſeen, and more pleaſant to be contemplated. In General,

1. All Nations in the World have acknowledged GOD Good, foreign was one of the Names the Platoniſts expreſt him by, and Good, and God are almoſt the ſame words in our Language. All as readily conſented in the Notion of his Goodneſs, as in that of his Deity. Whatſoever diviſions or diſputes there were among them in the other Perfections of God, they all agreed in this without diſpute, ſaith Syneſius **Empedocles. One calls him Venus, in regard of his Lovelineſs††Heſiod.. Another calls him foreign, Love, as being the Band which tyes all things together. No Perfection of the Divine Nature is more eminently, nor more ſpeedily viſible in the whole Book of the Creation than this. His Greatneſs ſhines not in any part of it, where his Goodneſs doth not as gloriouſly gliſter. Whatſoever is the Inſtrument of his Work, as his Power; Whatſoever is the Orderer of his Work, as his Wiſdom; yet nothing can be Ador'd as the Motive of his VVork, but the Goodneſs of his Nature. This only could induce him, to reſolve to Create: His VViſdom then ſteps in, to diſpoſe the Methods of what he reſolved; And his Power follows to execute, what his VViſdom hath diſpoſed, and his Goodneſs p. 582deſign'd. His Power in making, and his VViſdom in ordering, are ſubſervient to his Goodneſs; and this Goodneſs which is the end of the Creation, is as viſible to the Eyes of Men, as legible to the Underſtanding of Men, as his Power in forming them, and his VViſdom in tuning them. And as the Book of Creation, ſo the Records of his Government muſt needs acquaint them with a great part of it, when they have often beheld him, ſtretching out his Hand, to ſupply the Indigent, relieve the Oppreſſed, and puniſh the Oppreſſors, and give them in their Diſtreſſes, what might fill their Hearts with Food and Gladneſs. 'Tis this the Apoſtle **1 Rom. 20, 21.means by his Godhead, which he links with his Eternity and Power, as clearly ſeen in the things that are made, as in a pine Glaſs. For the inviſible things of him from the Creation of the World, are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead. The Godhead, which comprehends the whole Nature of God as diſcoverable to his Creatures, was not known, yea was impoſſible to be known by the VVorks of Creation. There had been nothing then reſerv'd to be manifeſted in Chriſt. But his Goodneſs, which is properly meant there by his Godhead, was as clearly viſible as his Power. The Apoſtle upbraids them with their Unthankfulneſs, and argues their inexcuſableneſs, becauſe the Arm of his Power in Creation made no due impreſſions of fear upon their Spirits, nor the Beams of his Goodneſs wrought in them ſufficient ſentiments of Gratitude. Their not glorifying God, was a contempt of the former, and their not being thankful, was a ſlight of the later. God is the Object of Honor, as he is Powerful, and the Object of Thankfulneſs properly, as he is bountiful.

All the Idolatry of the Heathens, is a clear teſtimony of their common ſentiment of the Goodneſs of God: Since the more eminently uſeful any perſon was in ſome advantagious Invention for the benefit of Mankind, they thought he merited a Rank in the number of their Deities. The Italians eſteemed Pythagoras a God becauſe he was foreign ††Iamblych vit. Pythag. lib. 1. col. 6. p, 43.: To be Good and Uſeful, was an Approximation to the Divine Nature: Hence it was, that when the Lyſtrians ſaw a reſemblance of the Divine Goodneſs in the charitable and miraculous Cure of one of their Crippled Citizens, preſently they miſtook Paul and Barnabas for Gods, and inferred from thence their right to Divine VVorſhip, inquiring into nothing elſe but the viſible Character of their goodneſs, and uſefulneſs, to capacitate them for the Honor of a Sacrifice††Acts 14 8, 9, 10, 11.Acts 14:8Acts 14:9Acts 14:10Acts 14:11. Hence it was that they adored thoſe Creatures, that were a common Benefit, as the Sun, and Moon, which muſt be founded upon a praeexiſtent Notion not only of the Being, but of the Bounty, and Goodneſs of God, which was naturally implanted in them, and legible in all Gods VVorks. And the more beneficial any thing was to them, and the more ſenſible advantages they received from it, the higher ſtation they gave it in the rank of their Idols, and beſtow'd upon it a more ſolemn VVorſhip. An abſurd miſtake to think every thing that was ſenſibly good to them, to be God, cloathing himſelf in ſuch a form, to be adored by them. And upon this account the Aegyptians worſhipped God under the figure of an Ox, and the Eaſt Indians in ſome parts of their Country Deifie a Heyfer, intimating the Goodneſs of God as their Nouriſher and Preſerver, in giving them Corn, whereof the Ox is an inſtrument in ſerving for Plowing, and preparing the Ground.

2. The Notion of Goodneſs is inſeparable from the Notion of a God.

VVe cannot own the Exiſtence of God, but we muſt confeſs alſo the Goodneſs of his Nature. Hence the Apoſtle gives to his Goodneſs the Title of his Godhead, as if Goodneſs and Godhead were convertible terms**Rom. 1.20.Rom 1:20. As it is indiſſoluby linkt with the Being of a Deity, ſo it cannot be ſever'd from the Notion of it: We as ſoon Undeify him by denying him Good, as by denying him Great: Optimus, Maximus, the Beſt, Greateſt, was the name whereby the Romans entitled Him. His Nature is as Good, as it is Majeſtick; ſo doth the Pſalmiſt join them**Pſal. 145.6, 7.Ps 145:6Ps 145:7. I will declare thy Greatneſs, they ſhall abundantly utter the memory of thy great Goodneſs. They conſidered his Goodneſs before his Greatneſs, in putting Optimus before Maximus; Greatneſs without Sweetneſs, is an unruly and affrighting Monſter in the VVorld; like a vaſt turbulent Sea, always caſting out Mire, and Dirt. Goodneſs is the brightneſs, and lovelineſs p. 583of our Majeſtical Creator. To fancy a God without it, is to fancy a miſerable, ſcanty, narrow-hearted ſavage God, and ſo an unlovely, and horrible Being: For he is not a God that is not Good, he is not a God that is not the higheſt Good: Infinite Goodneſs is more neceſſary to, and more ſtraitly joined with an infinite Deity, than infinite Power, and infinite VViſdom: We cannot conceive him God, unleſs we conceive him the higheſt Good, having nothing ſuperiour to Himſelf in Goodneſs, as he hath nothing Superiour to Himſelf, in Excellency, and Perfection. No man can poſſibly form a Notion of God in in his Mind, and yet form a Notion of ſomething better than God: for whoever thinks any thing better than God, fancieth a God with ſome defect: By how much the better he thinks that thing to be, by ſo much the more imperfect he makes God in his thoughts. This Notion of the Goodneſs of God was ſo natural, that ſome Philoſophers and others, being ſtartled at the Evil they ſaw in the World, fancy'd beſides a good God, an evil Principle, the Author of all Puniſhments in the World. This was ridiculous; for thoſe two muſt be of equal Power, or one inferiour to the other; If Equal, the Good could do nothing, but the Evil one would reſtrain him; and the Evil one could do nothing, but the Good one would contradict him: So they would be always contending and never conquering: If one were inferiour to the other, then there would be nothing but what that Superiour order'd. Good, if the Good one were Superiour, and nothing but Evil, if the Bad one were Superiour. In the proſecution of this let us ſee,

1. What this Goodneſs is.

2. Some Propoſitions concerning the nature of it.

3. That God is Good.

4. The manifeſtation of it, in Creation, Providence, and Redemption.

5. The Ʋſe.

1. What this Goodneſs is?

There is a Goodneſs of Being, which is the natural perfection of a thing; There is the Goodneſs of Will, which is the Holineſs, and Righteouſneſs of a Perſon; There is the Goodneſs of the Hand, which we call Liberality, or Beneficence, a doing good to others.

1. We mean not by this, The Goodneſs of his Eſſence, or the Perfection of his Nature. God is thus Good, becauſe his Nature is infinitely Perfect, He hath all things requiſite to the compleating of a moſt Perfect and Soveraign Being. All Good meets in his Eſſence, as all Water meets in the Ocean. Under this Notion all the Attributes of God, which are requiſite to ſo illuſtrious a Being, are comprehended. All things that are, have a goodneſs of being in them, derived to them by the Power of God, as they are Creatures; ſo the Devil is good, as he is a Creature of Gods making: He hath a natural goodneſs, but not a moral goodneſs: when he fell from God, he retained his natural goodneſs as a Creature; becauſe he did not ceaſe to be, he was not reduced to that nothing, from whence he was drawn; but he ceaſed to be morally good, being ſtript of his Righteouſneſs by his Apoſtaſie; as a Creature he was Gods Work, as a Creature he remains ſtill Gods Work, and therefore as a Creature remains ſtill good, in regard of his created Being. The more of Being any thing hath, the more of this ſort of natural goodneſs it hath; and ſo the Devil hath more of this natural goodneſs than Men have; becauſe he hath more marks of the Excellency of God upon him, in regard of the greatneſs of his knowledge. and the extent of his power, the largeneſs of his capacity, and the acuteneſs of his underſtanding, which are natural perfections belonging to the nature of an Angel; though he hath loſt his moral perfections. God is Soveraignly, and infinitely Good in this ſort of Goodneſs. He is unſearchably perfect,**Job 11.7.Job 11:7 nothing is wanting to his Eſſence, that is neceſſary to the Perfection of it; yet this is not that which the Scripture expreſſeth under the term of Goodneſs, but a Perfection of Gods Nature as related to us, and which he poureth forth upon all his Creatures, as Goodneſs which flows from this Natural Perfection of the Deity.

p. 5842. Nor is it the ſame with the Bleſſedneſs of God, but ſomething flowing from his Bleſſedneſs. VVere he not firſt infinitely Bleſſed, and Full in Himſelf, he could not be infinitely Good and Diffuſive to us; had he not an infinite abundance in his own Nature, he could not be overflowing to his Creatures.

Had not the Sun a fulneſs of Light in it ſelf, and the Sea a vaſtneſs of VVater, the one could not enrich the VVorld with its Beams, nor the other fill every Creek with its VVaters.

3. Nor is it the ſame with the Holineſs of God. The Holineſs of God is the rectitude of his Nature, whereby he is Pure, and without Spot in himſelf. The Goodneſs of God is the efflux of his VVill, whereby he is beneficial to his Creatures. The Holineſs of God is manifeſt in his rational Creatures; but the Goodneſs of God extends to all the VVorks of his Hands. His Holineſs beams moſt in his Law, his Goodneſs reacheth to every thing that had a Being from him**Pſal. 145.9.Ps 145:9. The Lord is Good to all. And though he be ſaid in the ſame Pſalm, v. 17. to be Holy in all his Works, 'tis to be underſtood of his Bounty, Bountiful in all his VVorks; The Hebrew word ſignifying both Holy and Liberal, and the Margent of the Bible reads it Merciful or Bountiful.

4. Nor is this Goodneſs of God the ſame with the Mercy of God. Goodneſs extends to more Objects than Mercy; Goodneſs ſtretcheth it ſelf out to all the VVorks of his Hands; Mercy extends only to a miſerable Object; for it is joined with a ſentiment of Pity, occaſioned by the Calamity of another. The Mercy of God is exerciſed about thoſe that Merit Puniſhment; the Goodneſs of God is exerciſed upon Objects that have not merited any thing contrary to the acts of his Bounty. Creation is an act of Goodneſs, not of Mercy; Providence in governing ſome part of the VVorld, is an act of Goodneſs, not of Mercy**Lombard lib. 1. diſtinct. 46. p. 286.. The Heavens, ſaith Auſtin, need the Goodneſs of God to govern them, but not the Mercy of God to relieve them; The Earth is full of the Miſery of Man, and the Compaſſions of God; but the Heavens need not the Mercy of God to pity them, becauſe they are not miſerable; though they need the Goodneſs, and Power of God to ſuſtain them; becauſe as Creatures they are impotent without him. Gods Goodneſs extends to the Angels, that kept their ſtanding, and to Man in Innocence, who in that ſtate ſtood not in need of Mercy. Goodneſs and Mercy are diſtinct, though Mercy be a Branch of Goodneſs; There may be a manifeſtation of Goodneſs, though none of Mercy. Some think Chriſt had been Incarnate, had not Man fallen: Had it been ſo, there had been a manifeſtation of Goodneſs to our Nature, but not of Mercy; becauſe Sin had not made our Natures miſerable. The Devils are Monuments of Gods creating Goodneſs, but not of his Pardoning Compaſſions. The Grace of God reſpects the rational Creature, Mercy the miſerable Creature, Goodneſs all his Creatures, Brutes, and the ſenſleſs Plants, as well as reaſonable Man.

5. By Goodneſs is meant the Bounty of God. This is the Notion of goodneſs in the World; when we ſay a good Man, we mean either a holy Man in his life, or a charitable and liberal Man in the management of his Goods. A righteous Man, and a good Man are diſtinguiſhed**Rom. 5.7.Rom 5:7. For ſcarcely for a righteous Man will one die; yet for a good Man one would even dare to die. For an innocent Man, one as innocent of the Crime as Himſelf would ſcarce venture his Life; but for a good Man, a liberal tender-hearted Man, that had been a common Good in the place where he lived, or had done another as great a benefit as life it ſelf amounts to, a Man out of gratitude might dare to die. The Goodneſs of God is his inclination to deal well and bountifully with his Creatures **Coccei. ſum. p. 50.. 'Tis that whereby he wills, there ſhould be ſomething beſides Himſelf for his own Glory. God is good in Himſelf, and to Himſelf, i. e. highly amiable to Himſelf; and therefore ſome define it a p. 585Perfection of God, whereby he loves himſelf and his own Excellency; but as it ſtands in Relation to his Creatures, 'tis that Perfection of God, whereby he delights in his Works, and is beneficial to them. God is the higheſt Goodneſs, becauſe he doth not act for his own profit, but for his Creatures welfare, and the manifeſtation of his own Goodneſs. He ſends out his Beams, without receiving any addition to himſelf, or ſubſtantial advantage from his Creatures. 'Tis from this Perfection that he loves whatſoever is good, and that is, whatſoever he hath made, For every Creature of God is good **1 Tim. 4.4.1 Tim 4:4; Every Creature hath ſome Communications from him, which cannot be without ſome Affection to them; Every Creature hath a Footſtep of Divine Goodneſs upon it; God therefore loves that goodneſs in the Creature, elſe he would not love himſelf.††Cajetan in ſecund' ſecundae Qu. 34. Ar. 3. God hates no Creature, no not the Devils, and Damn'd, as Creatures; he is not an Enemy to them, as they are the Works of his Hands: He is properly an Enemy, that doth ſimply and abſolutely wiſh Evil to another; but God doth not abſolutely wiſh Evil to the Damned; that Juſtice that he inflicts upon them, the deſerved Puniſhment of their Sin, is part of his Goodneſs, (as ſhall afterward be ſhewn.)

This is the moſt pleaſant Perfection of the Divine Nature; His Creating Power amazes us, His Conducting Wiſdom aſtoniſheth us, His Goodneſs, as furniſhing us with all Conveniencies, delights us, and renders both his amazing Power, and aſtoniſhing Wiſdom delightful to us.

As the Sun by effecting things, is an Emblem of Gods Power, by diſcovering things to us, is an Emblem of his Wiſdom, but by refreſhing and comforting us, is an Emblem of his Goodneſs; And without this refreſhing Vertue it communicates to us, we ſhould take no pleaſure in the Creatures it produceth, nor in the Beauties it diſcovers. As God is Great and Powerful, he is the Object of our Underſtanding; but as Good and Bountiful, he is the Object of our Love and Deſire.

6. The Goodneſs of God comprehends all his Attributes. All the Acts of God are nothing elſe but the Effluxes of his Goodneſs, diſtinguiſht by ſeveral names, according to the Objects it is exerciſed about. As the Sea, though it be one Maſs of Water, yet we diſtinguiſh it by ſeveral names, according to the Shores it waſheth, and beats upon, as the Brittiſh and German Ocean, though all be one Sea. When Moſes long'd to ſee his Glory, God tells him, he would give him a proſpect of his Goodneſs; ††Exod. 33.19.Exod 33:19I will make all my goodneſs to paſs before thee. His Goodneſs is his Glory and Godhead, as much as is delightfully viſible to his Creatures, and whereby he doth benefit Man; I will cauſe my Goodneſs or Comelineſs, as Calvin renders it, to paſs before thee; what is this, but the Train of all his lovely Perfections ſpringing from his Goodneſs? **Exod. 34.6.Exod 34:6The whole Catalogue of Mercy, Grace, long-ſuffering, abundance of truth, ſummed up in this one word. All are Streams from this Fountain; he could be none of this, were he not firſt Good. When it confers Happineſs without Merit, 'tis Grace; when it beſtows Happineſs againſt Merit, 'tis Mercy; when he bears with provoking Rebels, 'its long-ſuffering; when he performs his Promiſe, 'tis Truth; when it meets with a perſon, to whom it is not oblig'd, 'tis Grace; when he meets with a perſon in the World, to which he hath obliged himſelf by Promiſe, 'tis Truth**Herle upon Wiſdom, cap. 5. p. 41. 42.; when it Commiſerates a Diſtreſſed Perſon, 'tis Pity; when it ſupplies an Indigent Perſon, 'tis Bounty; when it ſuccours an Innocent Perſon, 'tis Righteouſneſs, and when it pardons a Penitent Perſon, 'tis Mercy; all ſumm'd up in this one name of Goodneſs: And the Pſalmiſt expreſſeth the ſame Sentiment in the ſame words:††Pſ. 145.7, 8.Ps 145:7Ps 145:8 They ſhall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodneſs, and ſhall ſing of thy righteouſneſs. The Lord is gracious and full of compaſſion, ſlow to anger, and of great mercy: the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. He is firſt Good, and then Compaſſionate. Righteouſneſs is often in Scripture taken, not for Juſtice, but Charitableneſs: This Attribute, ſaith one,††Ingelo Bentivolio, & Ʋran, Book 4. p. 260, 261. is ſo full of God, that it doth defie all the reſt, and verifie the Adorableneſs of him. His Wiſdom might contrive againſt us, His Power bear too hard upon us; one might be too hard for an Ignorant, and the other too mighty for an Impotent p. 586Creature; His holineſs would ſcare an impure and guilty Creature, but his goodneſs conducts them all for us, and makes them all amiable to us; Whatever Comelineſs they have in the Eye of a Creature, whatever Comfort they afford to the Heart of a Creature, we are oblig'd for all to his goodneſs. This puts all the reſt upon a delightful Exerciſe, this makes his Wiſdom deſign for us, and this makes his Power to act for us: This Vails his Holineſs from affrighting us, and this Spirits his Mercy to relieve us:††Daille Melang part 2. p. 704, 705. All his acts towards Man, are but the Workmanſhip of this. What moved him at firſt to Create the World out of nothing, and erect ſo noble a Creature as Man, endow'd with ſuch excellent gifts; was it not his goodneſs? What made him ſeparate his Son to be a Sacrifice for us, after we had endeavoured to raze out the firſt marks of his favour; Was it not a ſtrong bubling of goodneſs? What moves him, to reduce a Fallen Creature to the due ſenſe of his Duty, and at laſt bring him to an Eternal Felicity; is it not only his goodneſs? This is the Captain Attribute that leads the reſt to act. This attends them, and Spirits them in all his ways of acting. This is the Complement and Perfection of all his Works; had it not been for this, which ſet all the reſt on work, nothing of his Wonders had been ſeen in Creation, nothing of his Compaſſions had been ſeen in Redemption. The Second thing is ſome Propoſitions to explain the Nature of this Goodneſs;

1. He is good by his own Eſſence. God is not only good in his Eſſence, but good by his Eſſence: The Eſſence of every created thing is good, ſo the unerring God pronounced every thing which he had made**Gen. 1.31.Gen 1:31. The Eſſence of the worſt Creatures, yea, of the impure and Savage Devils is good, but they are not good per eſſentiam, for then they could not be bad, Malicious, and Oppreſſive. God is good as he is God, and therefore good by himſelf, and from himſelf, not by participation from another; He made every thing good, but none made him good: Since his goodneſs was not received from another, he is good by his own Nature. He could not receive it from the things he Created, they are later than he: Since they received all from him, they could beſtow nothing on him, and no God preceded him, in whoſe Inheritance and Treaſures of Goodneſs, he could be a Succeſſor: He is abſolutely his own goodneſs, he needed none to make him good; but all things needed him, to be good by him. Creatures are good by being made ſo by him, and cleaving to him: He is good without cleaving to any goodneſs without him. Goodneſs is not a Quality in him, but a Nature,**Ficini epiſt. lib. 11. epiſt. 30. not a Habit added to his Eſſence, but his Eſſence it ſelf; He is not firſt God, and then afterwards Good, but he is Good as he is God, his Eſſence being one and the ſame, is formally and equally God and Good. foreign, good of himſelf, was one of the Names the Platoniſts gave him. He is Eſſentially Good in his own Nature, and not by any outward action which follows his Eſſence. He is an Independent Being, and hath nothing of goodneſs or happineſs from any thing without him, or any thing he doth act about. If he were not good by his Eſſence, he could not be Eternally good, he could not be the firſt good, he would have ſomething before him, from whence he derived that Goodneſs, wherewith he is poſſeſſed; Nor could he be perfectly good, for he could not be equally good to that, from whom he derived his Goodneſs: No Star, no ſplendid Body that derives light from the Sun, doth equal that Sun by which it's enlightned.

Hence his goodneſs muſt be infinite, and circumſcrib'd by no limits: The Exerciſe of his goodneſs may be limited by himſelf, but his Goodneſs, the Principle, cannot; For ſince his Eſſence is Infinite, and his Goodneſs is not diſtinguiſhed from his Eſſence, 'tis Infinite alſo; If it were limited, it were Finite; he cannot be bounded by any thing without him; if ſo, then he were not God, becauſe he would have ſomething Superior to him, to put bars in his way; If there were any thing to fix him, it muſt be a good or evil Being; Good it cannot be, for it is the property of goodneſs to encourage goodneſs, not to bound it; Evil it cannot be, for then it would extinguiſh goodneſs, as well as limit it; it would not be content with the circumſcribing it, without deſtroying it; for it is the nature of every Contrary, to endeavour the deſtruction of its p. 587Oppoſite. He is Eſſentially good by his own Eſſence, therefore good of himſelf, therefore Eternally good, and therefore abundantly good.

2. God is the prime and chief Goodneſs. Being good per ſe, and by his own Eſſence, he muſt needs be the chief Goodneſs, in whom there can be nothing but good, from whom there can proceed nothing but good, to whom all good whatſoever muſt be referr'd as the final cauſe of all good. As he is the chief Being, ſo he is the chief Good. And as we riſe by ſteps from the Exiſtence of Created things, to acknowledge one Supream Being, which is God; ſo we mount by Steps from the Conſideration of the Goodneſs of Created things, to acknowledge one Infinite Ocean of Soveraign Goodneſs, whence the Streams of Created Goodneſs are deriv'd. When we behold things that partake of Goodneſs from another, we muſt acquieſce in one that hath Goodneſs by participation from no other, but Originally from himſelf, and therefore Supreamly in himſelf above all other things. So that as nothing greater and more Majeſtick can be imagin'd, ſo alſo nothing Better and more Excellent can be conceiv'd than God. Nothing can add to him, or make him better than he is, nothing can detract from him, to make him worſe, nothing can be added to him, nothing can be ſever'd from him; No Created Good can render him more Excellent; No Evil from any Creature, can render him leſs Excellent.††Pſal. 16.2.Ps 16:2 Our goodneſs extends not to him; Wickedneſs may hurt a Man, as we are, and our Righteouſneſs may profit the Son of Man, but if we be Righteous, what give we to him, or what receives he at our hands? **Job 35.7, 8.Job 35:7Job 35:8As he hath no Superior in place above him, ſo being chief of all, he cannot be made better by any Inferior to him. How can he be made better by any, that hath from himſelf, all that he hath? The Goodneſs of a Creature may be chang'd, but the Goodneſs of the Creator is immutable; He is always like himſelf, ſo Good that he cannot be Evil, as he is ſo Bleſſed, that he cannot be Miſerable.

Nothing is good but God, becauſe nothing is of it ſelf but God: As all things being from nothing, are nothing in compariſon of God, ſo all things being from nothing, are ſcanty and evil in compariſon of God. If any thing had been ex Deo, God being the Matter of it, it had been as good as God is; but ſince the Principle whence all things were drawn, was nothing, though the Efficient Cauſe by which they were extracted from nothing was God, they are as nothing in goodneſs, and not eſteemable in compariſon of God.††Pſal. 73.25.Ps 73:25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee, &c. God is all good, every Creature hath a diſtinct variety of goodneſs. God diſtinctly pronounced every days work in the Creation good. Food communicates the goodneſs of its Nouriſhing Virtue to our Bodies, Flowers the goodneſs of their Odors to our Smell, every Creature a goodneſs of Comelineſs to our Sight; Plants the goodneſs of Healing Qualities for our Cure. And all derive from themſelves a goodneſs of Knowledge, objectively to our Underſtandings. The Sun by one ſort of goodneſs warms us, Metals enrich us, living Creatures ſuſtain us, and delight us by another; All thoſe have diſtinct kinds of Goodneſs, which are eminently ſummed up in God, and are all but parts of his Immenſe Goodneſs. 'Tis he that enlightens us by his Sun, nouriſheth us by Bread.**Matth. 4.4.Matt 4:4 'Tis not by Bread alone, that we live, but by the Word of God. 'Tis all but his own Supream Goodneſs, conveyed to us through thoſe varieties of Conduit-pipes. God is all Good, other things are good in their kind, as a Good Man, a Good Angel, a Good Tree, a Good Plant; but God hath a Good of all kinds eminently in his Nature. He is no leſs All-good, than he is Almighty, and All-knowing: As the Sun contains in it all the Light, and more Light than is in all the cleareſt Bodies in the World; ſo doth God contain in himſelf all the Good, and more Good than is in the Richeſt Creatures. Nothing is Good, but as it Reſembles him; as nothing is Hot, but as it Reſembles Fire, the Prime Subject of Heat.

God is Omnipotent, therefore no Good can be wanting to him. If he were deſtitute of any which he could not have, he were not Almighty: He is ſo Good that there is no mixture of any thing, which can be call'd not Good in him; every thing beſides him wants ſome Good, which others have. Nothing can be ſo p. 588Evil as God is Good. There can be no Evil, but there is ſome mixture of Good with it. No Nature ſo Evil, but there is ſome ſpark of Goodneſs in it: But God is a Good which hath no taint of Evil; nothing can be ſo Supream an Evil, as God is Supream Goodneſs.

He is only Good without capacity of increaſe: He is all Good, and unmixedly Good; none Good but God. A Goodneſs like the Sun, that hath all Light, and no Darkneſs. That is the ſecond thing, He is the Supream and chief Goodneſs.

3. This Goodneſs is Communicative. None ſo Communicatively Good as God. As the Notion of God includes Goodneſs, ſo the Notion of Goodneſs includes Diffuſiveneſs; without Goodneſs he would ceaſe to be a Deity, and without Diffuſiveneſs he would ceaſe to be Good. The being Good is neceſſary to the being God: For Goodneſs is nothing elſe in the Notion of it, but a ſtrong inclination to do Good; either to find, or make an Object, wherein to exerciſe it ſelf, according to the Propenſion of its own Nature; And it is an Inclination of Communicating it ſelf, not for its own intereſt, but the good of the Object it pitcheth upon. Thus God is good by Nature, and his Nature is not without activity, he acts conveniently to his own Nature.††Pſ. 119.68.Ps 119:68 Thou art good, and doſt good. And nothing accrues to him, by the Communications of himſelf to others, ſince his bleſſedneſs was as great before the frame of any Creature, as ever it was ſince the Erecting of the World; ſo that the Goodneſs of Chriſt himſelf encreaſeth not the luſtre of his Happineſs:††Pſal. 16.2.Ps 16:2 My Goodneſs extends not to thee. He is not of a Niggardly and Envious Nature; He is too Rich to have any cauſe to envy, and too Good to have any will to envy: He is as liberal as he is Rich, according to the capacity of the Object about which his Goodneſs is exerciſed. The Divine Goodneſs being the Supream Goodneſs, is Goodneſs in the higheſt Degree of Activity; Not an idle, enclos'd, pent up Goodneſs, as a Spring ſhut up, or a Fountain ſealed, bubling up within it ſelf, but bubling out of it ſelf. A Fountain of Gardens to water every part of his Creation; He is an Oyntment powr'd forth: ††Cant. 1.5.Song 1:5Nothing ſpreads it ſelf more than Oyl, and takes up a larger ſpace, whereſoever it drops. It may be no leſs ſaid of the Goodneſs of God, as it is of the fulneſs of Chriſt,††Eph. 1.23.Eph 1:23 He fills all in all: He fills Rational Creatures with Underſtanding, Senſitive Nature with Vigor and Motion, the whole World with Beauty and Sweetneſs. Every Taſt, every Touch of a Creature is a Taſt and Touch of Divine Goodneſs. Divine Goodneſs offers it ſelf in one ſpark in this Creature, in another ſpark in the other Creature, and altogether make up a Goodneſs inconceivable by any Creature. The whole Maſs and extracted Spirit of it is infinitely ſhort of the Goodneſs of the Divine Nature, imperfect ſhadows of that Goodneſs which is in himſelf.

Indeed the more excellent any thing is, the more nobly it acts; How remotely doth Light, that excellent brightneſs of the Creation, diſperſe it ſelf? How doth that glorious Creature, which God hath ſet in the Heavens, ſpread its Wings over Heaven and Earth, roul it ſelf about the World, caſt its Beams upward and downward, inſinuate into all Corners, pierce the Depths, and ſhoot up its Rays into the Heigths, encircle the higher and lower Creatures in its Arms, reach out its Communications to influence every thing under the Earth, as well as dart its Beams of light and heat on things above, or upon the Earth? Nothing is hid from it; ††Pſal. 19.6.Ps 19:6not from its power, nor from its ſweetneſs. How Communicative alſo is Water, a neceſſary and excellent Creature? How active is it in a River, to nouriſh the living Creatures engendred in its Womb? Refreſheth every Shore it runs by, promotes the propagation of Fruits for the Nouriſhment, and beſtows a Verdure upon the Ground for the delight of Man; and where it cannot reach the higher Ground in its Subſtance, it doth by its Vapours mounted up, and concocted by the Sun, and gently diſtilled upon the Earth, for the opening its Womb to bring forth its Fruits.††Tom. 2. p. 926. God is more prone to communicate himſelf, than the Sun to ſpread its Wings, or the Earth to mount up its Fruits, or the Water to multiply living Creatures. Goodneſs is his Nature. Hence were there internal Communications of himſelf from Eternity; p. 589Diffuſions of himſelf without himſelf in time, in the Creation of the World, like a full Veſſel running over. He Created the World that he might impart his Goodneſs to ſomething without him, and diffuſe larger meaſures of his Goodneſs, after he had laid the firſt Foundation of it in its Being; And therefore he Created ſeveral ſorts of Creatures, that they might be capable of various, and diſtinct meaſures of his Liberality, according to the diſtinct capacities of their Nature; but imparted moſt to the Rational Creature, becauſe that is only capable of an Underſtanding to know him, and Will to embrace him. He is the higheſt Goodneſs, and therefore a Communicative Goodneſs, and acts excellently according to his Nature.

4. God is neceſſarily good. None is neceſſarily Good but God; he is as neceſſarily Good, as he is neceſſarily God. His Goodneſs is as inſeparable from his Nature as his Holineſs. He is Good by Nature, not only by will; as he is Holy by Nature, not only by will; he is Good in his Nature, and Good in his Actions; and as he cannot be bad in his Nature, ſo he cannot be bad in his Communications: He can no more act contrary to this Goodneſs in any of his actions, than he can un-God himſelf. 'Tis not neceſſary that God ſhould Create a World; he was at his own choice whether he would Create or no: But when he reſolves to make a World, 'tis neceſſary that he ſhould make it good, becauſe he is Goodneſs it ſelf, and cannot act againſt his own Nature. He could not Create any thing without Goodneſs in the very act: The very act of Creation, or Communicating being to any thing without himſelf, is in it ſelf an act of Goodneſs, as well as an act of Power: Had he not been Good in himſelf, nothing could have been endued with any Goodneſs by him. In the act of giving Being, he is Liberal, the Being he beſtows is a Diſplaying his own Liberality: He could not confer what he needs not, and which could not be deſerved, without being Pountiful. Since what was nothing, could not Merit to be brought into Being, the very act of giving to nothing a Being, was an act of choice Goodneſs.

He could not Create any thing without Goodneſs as the Motive, and the neceſſary Motive: His Goodneſs could not neceſſitate him to make the World, but his Goodneſs could only move him to reſolve to make a World; He was not bound to erect and faſhion it becauſe of his Goodneſs, but he could not frame it without his Goodneſs as the moving cauſe.

He could not Create any thing, but he muſt Create it Good. It had been inconſiſtent with the Supream Goodneſs of his Nature, to have Created only Murderous, Ravenous, Injurious Creatures: To have Created a Bedlam rather than a World. A meer heap of Confuſion would have been as inconſiſtent with his Divine Goodneſs, as with his Divine Wiſdom.

Again when his Goodneſs had moved him to make a Creature, his Goodneſs would neceſſarily move him to be beneficial to his Creature; not that this neceſſity reſults from any Merit in the Creature, which he had framed; but from the Excellency and Diffuſiveneſs of his own Nature, and his own Glory, the end for which he form'd it, which would have been obſcure, yea, nothing, without ſome degrees of his Bounty. What occaſion of acknowledgments and praiſe could the Creature have for its Being, if God had given him only a miſerable Being, while it was innocent in action? The Goodneſs of God would not ſuffer him to make a Creature, without providing conveniencies for it, ſo long as he thought good to maintain its Being, and furniſhing it with that which was neceſſary to anſwer that End for which he Created it; And his own Nature would not ſuffer him to be unkind to his Rational Creature, while it was Innocent. It had been injuſtice to inflict Evil upon the Creature, that had not offended, and had no relation to an offending Creature; The Nature of God could not have brought forth ſuch an act.††Cocceii ſum. Theolog. p. 91. And therefore ſome ſay, that God after he had Created Man, could not preſently annihilate him, and take away his Life and Being. As a Soveraign he might do it, as Almighty he was able to do it, as well as Create him; but in regard of his Goodneſs, he could not Morally do it: For had he annihilated Man as ſoon as ever he had made him, he had not made Man for himſelf, and for his own Glory; to be loved, worſhipped, ſought, and acknowledged by him: He would not then p. 550have been the end of Man; He had Created him in vain, and the VVorld in vain, which he aſſures us he did not**Iſa. 45.18, 19.Isa 45:18Isa 45:19. And certainly if the Gifts of God be without Repentance, Man could not have been annihilated after his Creation without Repentance in God, without any Cauſe, had not Sin entred into the World. If God did not ſay to Man, after Sin had made its entrance into the World, ſeek ye me in vain, he could not becauſe of his Goodneſs, have ſaid ſo to Man in his Innocence. As God is neceſſarily Mind, ſo he is neceſſarily Will; as he is neceſſarily Knowing, ſo he is neceſſarily Loving. He could not be Bleſſed, if he did not know Himſelf, and his own Perfection: Nor Good, if he did not delight in Himſelf, and his own Perfections. And this Goodneſs whereby he delights in Himſelf, is the ſource of his delight in his Creatures, wherein he ſees the footſteps of Himſelf. If he loves Himſelf, he cannot but love the Reſemblance of Himſelf, and the Image of his own Goodneſs. He loves himſelf, becauſe he is the higheſt Goodneſs, and Excellency; and loves every thing as it reſembles Himſelf; becauſe it is an efflux of his own Goodneſs: And as he doth neceſſarily love Himſelf, and his own Excellency, ſo he doth neceſſarily love any thing, that reſembles that Excellency, which is the Primary Object of his Eſteem. But,

5. Though he be neceſſarily Good, yet he is alſo freely Good. The neceſſity of the Goodneſs of his Nature hinders not the liberty of his Actions: The matter of his acting is not at all neceſſary, but the manner of his acting in a good and bountiful way, is neceſſary, as well as free**Gilbert de Dei Dominio, p. 6.. He Created the World and Man freely, becauſe he might chooſe whether he would Create it, but he Created them good neceſſarily, becauſe he was firſt neceſſarily good in his Nature, before he was freely a Creator. When he Created Man, he freely gave him a poſitive Law, but neceſſarily a Wiſe and Righteous Law; becauſe he was neceſſarily Wiſe, and Righteous, before he was freely a Lawgiver. When he makes a Promiſe, he freely lets the Word go out of his Lips, but when he hath made it, he is neceſſarily a faithful Performer; becauſe he was neceſſarily True and Righteous in his Nature, before he was freely a Promiſer. God is neceſſarily good in his Nature, but free in his Communications of it: To make him neceſſarily to communicate his Goodneſs in the firſt Creation of the Creature, would render him but impotent, good without liberty, and without will: If the Communications of it be not free, the Eternity of the VVorld muſt neceſſarily be concluded, which ſome Anciently aſſerted from the Naturalneſs of Gods Goodneſs, making the VVorld flow from God as Light from the Sun.

God indeed is neceſſarily good Affectivé in regard of his Nature, but freely good Effectivé in regard of the Effluxes of it to this or that particular Subject he pitcheth on. He is not ſo neceſſarily communicative of his Goodneſs as the Sun of his light, or a Tree of its cooling ſhade, that chooſeth not its Objects, but enlightens all indifferently, without any variation or diſtinction: This were to make God of no more Underſtanding than the Sun, to ſhine not where it pleaſeth, but where it muſt. He is an underſtanding Agent, and hath a Soveraign Right to chooſe his own Subjects. It would not be a Supream Goodneſs, if it were not a voluntary Goodneſs. 'Tis agreeable to the Nature of the higheſt Good, to be abſolutely free, to diſpence his Goodneſs in what methods, and meaſures he pleaſeth, according to the free determinations of his own VVill, guided by the VViſdom of his Mind, and regulated by the Holineſs of his Nature. He is not to give an account of any of his matters ††Job 33.13.Job 33:13. He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compaſſion on whom he will have compaſſion **Rom. 9.15.Rom 9:15. And he will be good, to whom he will be good: When he doth act, he cannot but act well, ſo it's neceſſary; yet he may act this good, or that good to this or that degree, ſo it is free. As it is the Perfection of his Nature, 'tis neceſſary; as it is the communication of his Bounty, 'tis voluntary. The Eye cannot but ſee if it be open, yet it may glance upon this or that colour, fix upon this or that object, as it is conducted by the VVill. God neceſſarily loves Himſelf, becauſe he is good, yet not by conſtraint, but freedom; becauſe his affection to Himſelf is from a knowledge of Himſelf: He neceſſarily loves his own Image; becauſe 'tis his Image, yet freely, becauſe not blindly, p. 591but from motions of underſtanding and will. VVhat neceſſity could there be upon him, to reſolve to communicate his Goodneſs? It could not be to make Himſelf better by it; for he had a Goodneſs uncapable of any addition: He confers a goodneſs on his Creatures, but reaps not a Harveſt of goodneſs to his own Eſſence from his Creatures. What obligation could there be from the Creature, to confer a goodneſs on Him to this or that degree, for this or that duration? If he had not Created a Man, nor Angel, he had done them no wrong. If he had given them only a ſimple Being, he had manifeſted a part of his Goodneſs, without giving them a right to challenge any more of him. If he had taken away their Beings after a time when he had anſwered his End, he had done them no Injury: For what Law oblig'd him, to enrich them, and leave them in that Being wherein he had inveſted them, but his ſole Goodneſs? Whatever ſparks of goodneſs any Creature hath, are the free effuſions of Gods Bounty, the Offspring of his Own inclination to do well, the Simple favor of the Donor; not purchaſed, not merited by the Creature. God is as unconſtrained in his Liberty in all his Communications, as infinite in his Goodneſs, the Fountain of them.

6. This Goodneſs is Communicative with the greateſt Pleaſure. Moſes deſir'd to ſee his Glory, God aſſures him, he ſhould ſee his Goodneſs ††Exod. 33, 18, 19.Exod 33:18Exod 33:19, intimating that his Goodneſs is his Glory, and his Glory his delight alſo. He ſends not forth his Bleſſings with an ill Will; He doth not ſtay till they are ſqueezed from him; He prevents Men with his Bleſſings of Goodneſs **Pſal. 21.3.Ps 21:3; He is moſt delighted, when he is moſt diffuſive, and his pleaſure in beſtowing, is larger than his Creatures in poſſeſſing; He is not covetous of his own Treaſures; He lays up his Goodneſs in order to laying it out with a complacency wholly Divine. The jealouſie Princes have of their Subjects, makes them ſparing of their Gifts, for fear of giving them Materials for Rebellion. Gods foreſight of the ill uſe Men would make of his Benefits, dampt him not in beſtowing his Largeſſes. He is uncapable of Envy: His own Happineſs can no more be diminiſh'd, than it can be encreaſed. None can over-top him in Goodneſs, becauſe nothing hath any Good, but what is derived from him; his Gifts are without Repentance: Sorrow hath no footing in him, who is infinitely Happy, as well as infinitely Good. Goodneſs and Envy are inconſiſtent. How unjuſtly then did the Devil accuſe God? What God gives out of Goodneſs, he gives with joy and gladneſs. He did not only will that we ſhould be, but rejoice, that he had brought us into Being. He rejoiced in his Works ††Pſal. 104.31.Ps 104:31. And his Wiſdom ſtood by him, delighting in the habitable parts of the Earth **Prov. 8.31.Prov 8:31. He beheld the World after its Creation with a complacency, and ſtill governs it with the ſame pleaſure wherewith he reviewed it. Infinite Chearfulneſs attends infinite Goodneſs. He would not give, if he had not a pleaſure that others ſhould enjoy his Goodneſs; Since he is better than any thing, and more communicative than any thing; He is more joyful in giving out, than the Sun can be to run its Race, in powring forth Light. He is ſaid only to repent, and grieve, when Men anſwer not the obligations and ends of his Goodneſs; which would be their own Felicity as well as his Glory. Though he doth not force greater degrees of his Goodneſs upon thoſe that neglect it, yet he denies them not to thoſe that ſollicite him for it. 'Tis always greater pleaſure to him to impart upon the importunities of the Creatures, than it is to a Mother to reach out her Breaſt to her crying and longing Infant. He is not wearied by the ſollications of Men, he is pleaſed with their Prayers; becauſe he is pleaſed with the imparting of his own Goodneſs. He ſeems to be in travel with it, longing to be delivered of it into the lap of his Creature. He is as much delighted with Petitions for his Liberality in beſtowing his beſt Goodneſs, as Princes are weary of the craving of their Subjects. None can be ſo deſirous to ſqueeze thoſe that are under them, as God is delighted to enlarge his hand towards them. 'Tis the nature of his Goodneſs to be glad of Mens ſollicitations for it: becauſe they are ſignificant valuations of it, and therefore fit occaſions for him to beſtow it. Since he doth not delight in the unhappineſs of any of his Creatures, he certainly delights p. 592in what may conduce unto their felicity. He doth with the ſame delight multiply the effects of his Goodneſs, where his Wiſdom ſees it convenient, as he beheld the firſt Fruits of his Goodneſs with a complacency upon the laying the top-ſtone of the Creation.

7. The diſplaying of this Goodneſs was the Motive and End of all his Works of Creation and Providence **Amyral Moral Tom. 1. p. 260.. God being infinitely Wiſe, could not act without the higheſt Reaſon, and for the higheſt End: The reaſon that induced him to Create, muſt be of as great an Eminency as Himſelf: The Motive could not be taken from without him; becauſe there was nothing but Himſelf in Being: It muſt be taken therefore from within Himſelf, and from ſome one of thoſe moſt Excellent Perfections, whereby we conceive him. But upon the exact conſideration of all of them, none can ſeem to challenge that Honour of being the Motive of them, to reſolve the ſetting forth any work, but his own Goodneſs; This being the firſt thing manifeſt in his Creation, ſeems to be the firſt thing moving him to a Reſolution to Create; VViſdom may be conſidered as directing; Power conſidered as Acting; but it is natural to reflect upon Goodneſs as Moving the one to direct, and the other to act: Power was the Principle of his Action, Wiſdom the Rule of his Action, Goodneſs the Motive of his Action; Principle and Rule are awakened by the Motive, and ſubſervient to the End. That which is the moſt amiable Perfection in the Divine Nature, and that which he firſt took notice of as the Footſteps of them in the diſtinct view of every days work, and the general view of the whole Frame, ſeems to claim the beſt right to be entitled the Motive and End of his Creation of things.

God could have no End but himſelf, becauſe there was nothing beſides himſelf. Again, the End of every Agent is that which he eſteems good, and the beſt good for that kind of action. Since nothing is to be eſteemed good but God, nothing can be the ultimate End of God but himſelf, and his own Goodneſs: What a Man wills chiefly is his End; but God cannot will any other thing but himſelf as his End, becauſe there is nothing Superior to himſelf in Goodneſs. He cannot will any thing, that Supreamly ſerves himſelf and his own Goodneſs as his End: for if he did, that which he wills, muſt be Superior to himſelf in Goodneſs, and then he is not God; or Inferior to them in Goodneſs, and then he would not be Righteous, in willing that which is a lower Good before a higher. God cannot will any thing as his End of acting but himſelf, without undeifying himſelf. Gods Will being Infinitely Good, cannot move for any thing but what is Infinitely Good; and therefore whatſoever God made, he made for himſelf,††Prov. 16.4.Prov 16:4 that whatſoever he made might bear a badge of this Perfection upon it, and be a diſcovery of his wonderful Goodneſs; For the making things for himſelf doth not ſignifie any indigence in God, that he made any thing to encreaſe his Excellency (for that is capable of no addition) but to manifeſt his Excellency. God poſſeſſing every thing eminently in himſelf, did not Create the World for any need he had of it; Finite things were unable to make any acceſſion to that which is Infinite. Man indeed builds a Houſe to be a ſhelter to him againſt Wind and Weather, and makes Clothes to ſecure him from Cold, and Plants Gardens for his Recreation and Health. God is above all thoſe little helps: he did not make the World for himſelf in ſuch a kind, but for himſelf, i. e. the manifeſtation of himſelf and the Riches of his Nature: Not to make himſelf Bleſſed, but to diſcover his own Bleſſedneſs to his Creatures, and communicate ſomething of it to them. He did not garniſh the World with ſo much Bounty, that he might live more happily than he did before; but that his Rational Creatures might have fit conveniencies. As the end for which God demands the performance of our Duty, is not for his own advantage, but for our good;**Deut. 10.13.Deut 10:13 ſo the end why he conferr'd upon us the excellency of ſuch a Being, was for our good, and the diſcovery of his Goodneſs to us: For had not God Created the World, he had been wholly unknown to any but himſelf; He produced Creatures that he might be known. As the Sun ſhines not only to diſcover other things, but to be ſeen it ſelf in its beauty p. 593and brightneſs. God would Create things, becauſe he would be known in his Glory and Liberality; Hence it that he Created Intellectual Creatures, becauſe without them, the reſt of the Creation could not be taken notice of: It had been in ſome ſort in vain; for no Nature lower than an Underſtanding Nature, was able to know the Marks of God in the Creation, and acknowledge him as God. In this regard, God is good above all Creatures, becauſe he intends only to communicate his Goodneſs in Creation, not to acquire any Goodneſs, or Excellency from them, as Men do in their framing of things. God is all, and is deſtitute of nothing, and therefore nothing accrues to him by the Creation, but the acknowledgment of his Goodneſs. This Goodneſs therefore muſt be the Motive and End of all his Works.

The third thing, That God is good.

1. The more excellent any thing is in Nature, the more of goodneſs and kindneſs it hath. For we ſee more of love and kindneſs in Creatures that are endued with Senſe, to their Deſcendents, than in Plants, that have only a Principle of Growth. Plants preſerve their Seeds whole that are encloſed in them; Animals look to their young only after they are dropt from them; yet after ſome time take no more notice of them than of a Stranger that never had any Birth from them. But Man, that hath a higher Principle of Reaſon, cheriſheth his Offspring, and gives them Marks of his goodneſs while he lives, and leaves not the World at the time of his Death without ſome teſtimonies of it; Much more muſt God, who is a higher Principle than Senſe or Reaſon, be good and bountiful to all his Offspring. The more perfect any thing is, the more it doth communicate it ſelf. The Sun is more excellent than the Stars, and therefore doth more ſenſibly, more extenſively diſperſe its liberal Beams than the Stars do. And the better any Man is, the more charitable he is. God being the moſt excellent Nature, having nothing more excellent than himſelf, becauſe nothing more ancient than himſelf, who is the ancient of days; There is nothing therefore better and more bountiful than himſelf.

2. He is the cauſe of all Created Goodneſs, he muſt therefore himſelf be the Supream Good. What Good is in the Heavens, is the Product of ſome Being above the Earth; and thoſe varieties of Goodneſs in the Earth, and ſeveral Creatures, are ſome where in their fulneſs and union: That therefore which poſſeſſes all thoſe ſcattered Goodneſſes in their fulneſs, muſt be all Good, All that Good which is diſplay'd in Creatures; therefore Soveraignly beſt. Whatſoever Natural or Moral Goodneſs there is in the World, in Angels, or Men, or Inferiour Creatures, is a line drawn from that Center, the bublings of that Fountain. God cannot but be better then all, ſince the Goodneſs that is in Creatures is the fruit of his own. If he were not good, he could produce no good: he could not beſtow what he had not. If the Creature be good, as the Apoſtle ſays, every Creature is **1 Tim. 4.4.1 Tim 4:4, he muſt needs be better than all, becauſe they have nothing but what is derived to them from him; And much more goodneſs then all, becauſe Finite Being are not capable of receiving into them, and containing in themſelves all that goodneſs which is in an Infinite Being; When we ſearch for good in Creatures, they come ſhort of that ſatisfaction which is in God.††Pſal. 4.6.Ps 4:6 As the certainty of a firſt Principle of all things, is neceſſarily concluded from the being of Creatures, and the upholding and ſuſtaining Power and Virtue of God is concluded from the mutability of thoſe things in the World; whence we infer, that there muſt be ſome Stable Foundation of thoſe tottering things, ſome firm Hinge upon which thoſe changeable things do move, without which there would be no Stability in the Kinds of things, no order, no agreement, or union among them: So from the goodneſs of every thing, and their uſefulneſs to us, we muſt conclude him Good, who made all thoſe things. And ſince we find diſtinct Goodneſſes in the Creature, we muſt conclude that one Principle whence they did ſlow, excels in the Glory of Goodneſs: All thoſe little glimmerings p. 594of Goodneſs which are ſcattered in the Creatures, as the Image in the Glaſs, Repreſent the Face, Poſture, Motion of him whoſe Image it is, but not in the fulneſs of Life and Spirit, as in the Original; 'Tis but a Shadow at the beſt, and ſpeaks ſomething more excellent in the Copy. As God hath an Infiniteneſs of Being above them, ſo he hath a Supremacy of Goodneſs beyond them: What they have, is but a Participation from him; what he hath, muſt be infinitely ſuper-eminent above them. If any thing be good by it ſelf, it muſt be Infinitely Good, it would ſet it ſelf no bounds; we muſt make as many Gods, as particulars of Goodneſs in the World: But being Good by the bounty of another, that from whence they flow muſt be the chief Goodneſs.**Fi…inus in Con. Amor. Orat 2. cap. p. 1326. 'Tis Gods Excellency and Goodneſs, which like a Beam pierceth all things: He decks Spirits with Reaſon, endues Matter with Form, furniſheth every thing with uſeful Qualities.

As one Beam of the Sun illuſtrates Fire, Water, Earth; ſo one Beam of God enlightens and endows Minds, Souls, and Univerſal Nature: Nothing in the World had its goodneſs from it ſelf, any more than it had its being from it ſelf. The Cauſe muſt be riches than the Effect.

But that which I intend is the Defence of this Goodneſs.

1. The goodneſs of God is not impair'd by ſuffering Sin to enter into the World, and Man to fall thereby. 'Tis rather a Teſtimony of Gods Goodneſs, that he gave Man an ability to be Happy, than any Charge againſt his Goodneſs, that he ſetled Man in a capacity to be Evil. God was firſt a Benefactor to Man, before Man could be a Rebel againſt God. May it not be enquired, whether it had not been againſt the Wiſdom of God, to have made a Rational Creature with Liberty, and not ſuffer him to act according to the Nature he was endowed with, and to follow his own choice for ſome time? Had it been Wiſdom to frame a Free Creature, and totally to reſtrain that Creature from following its Liberty? Had it been Goodneſs, as it were, to force the Creature to be happy againſt its will? Gods Goodneſs furniſht Adam with a power to ſtand; was it contrary to his Goodneſs, to leave Adam to a free uſe of that Power? To make a Creature, and not let that Creature act according to the freedom of his Nature, might have been thought to have been a blot upon his VViſdom, and a conſtraint upon the Creature, not to make uſe of that freedom of his Nature, which the Divine Goodneſs had beſtowed upon him. To what purpoſe did God make a Law, to govern his Rational Creature, and yet reſolve that Creature ſhould not have his choice, whether he would obey it or no? Had he been really conſtrained to obſerve it, his Obſervation of it could no more have been call'd Obedience, than the acts of Bruits that have a kind of Natural conſtraint upon them by the inſtinct of their Nature, can be called Obedience: In vain had God endow'd a Creature with ſo great and noble a Principle as Liberty. Had it been Goodneſs in God after he had made a Reaſonable Creature, to govern him in the ſame manner as he did Bruits by a neceſſary Inſtinct? It was the Goodneſs of God to the Nature of Men and Angels, to leave them in ſuch a condition, to be able to give him a voluntary Obedience, a nobler Offering than the whole Creation could preſent him with; And ſhall this Goodneſs be undervalued, and accounted mean, becauſe Man made an ill uſe of it, and turn'd it into wantonneſs? As the unbelief of Man doth not diminiſh the Redeeming Grace of God,††Rom. 3.3.Rom 3:3 ſo neither doth the fall of Man leſſen the Creating Goodneſs of God. Beſides, why ſhould the permiſſion of Sin be thought more a blemiſh to his Goodneſs, than the providing a way of Redemption for the deſtroying the works of Sin, and the Devil be judged the Glory of it, whereby he diſcover'd a goodneſs of Grace that ſurpaſt the bounds of Nature? If this were a thing that might ſeem to obſcure, or deface the Goodneſs of God, in the permiſſion of the fall of Angels and Adam, it was in order to bring forth a greater Goodneſs in a more illuſtrious pomp to the view of the World:**Rom. 11.32.Rom 11:32 God hath concluded them all in Ʋnbelief, that he might have Mercy p. 595upon all. But if nothing could be alledged for the defence of his Goodneſs in this, it were moſt comely for an ignorant Creature, not to Impeach his Goodneſs, but adore him in his proceedings, in the ſame language the Apoſtle doth, verſ. 33. Oh the depth of the Riches both of the Wiſdom and Knowledge of God! How unſearchable are his Judgments, and his ways paſt finding out?

2. Nor is his Goodneſs prejudic'd, by not making all things the equal Subjects of it.

1. 'Tis true all things are not Subjects of an equal Goodneſs. The Goodneſs of God is not ſo illuſtriouſly manifeſted in one thing as another. In the Crea…on he hath dropt Goodneſs upon ſome, in giving them Beings and Senſe; and powr'd it upon others, in endowing them with Underſtanding and Reaſon. The Sun is full of Light, but it hath a want of Senſe; Brutes excel in in the vigor of Senſe, but they are deſtitute of the Light of Reaſon; Man hath a Mind and Reaſon conferr'd on him, but he hath neither the acuteneſs of Mind, nor the quickneſs of Motion equal with an Angel. In Providence alſo he doth give abundance: and opens his hand to ſome, to others he is more ſparing; He gives greater gifts of knowledge to ſome, while he lets others remain in ignorance; He ſtrikes down ſome, and raiſeth others; He afflicts ſome with a continual Pain, while he bleſſeth others with an uninterrupted Health; He hath choſen one Nation wherein to ſet up his Goſpel Sun, and leaves another benighted in their own Ignorance. Known was God in Judaea; they were a peculiar People alone of all the Nations of the Earth **Deut. 14.2.Deut 14:2. He was not equally good to the Angels: He held forth his hand, to ſupport ſome in their happy Habitation, while he ſuffered others to ſink in irreparable Ruine; and he is not ſo diffuſive here of his Goodneſs to his own, as he will be in Heaven. Here their Sun is ſometimes Clouded, but there all Clouds and Shades will be blown away, and melted into nothing: Inſtead of Drops here, there will be above Rivers of Life. Is any Creature deſtitute of the open Marks of his Goodneſs, though all are not enricht with thoſe ſignal Characters, which he vouchſafes to others? He that is unerring pronounced every thing good diſtinctly in its Production, and the whole good in its Univerſal Perfection.††Gen. 1.4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31.Gen 1:4Gen 1:10Gen 1:12Gen 1:18Gen 1:21Gen 1:25Gen 1:31 Though he made not all things equally good, yet he made nothing evil; And though one Creature in regard of its Nature, may be better than another, yet an Inferior Creature in regard of its uſefulneſs in the order of the Creation, may be better than a Superior. The Earth hath a goodneſs in bringing forth Fruits, and the Waters in the Sea a goodneſs in multiplying Food. That any of us have a Being, is goodneſs; that we have not ſo healthful a Being as others, is unequal, but not unjuſt goodneſs. He is good to all, though not in the ſame degree. The whole Earth is full of his Mercy **Pſal. 119.64.Ps 119:64. A good Man is good to his Cattle, to his Servants; he makes a Proviſion for all, but he beſtows not thoſe Flouds of Bounty upon them, that he doth upon his Children. As there are various Gifts, but one Spirit ‖‖1 Cor. 12.4.1 Cor 12:4; ſo there are various Diſtributions, but from one Goodneſs; The Drops as well as the fuller Streams, are of the ſame Fountain, and reliſh of the Nature of it; And though he do not make all Men partake of the riches of his Grace after the corruption of their Nature, Is his Goodneſs diſgraced hereby? Or doth he merit the Title of Cruelty? Will any diminiſh the goodneſs of a Father, for his not ſetting up his Son after he hath fooliſhly and wilfully proved Bankrupt; or not rather admire his liberality in giving him ſo large a Stock to Trade with, when he firſt ſet him up in the World?

2. The goodneſs of God to Creatures, is to be meaſured by their diſtinct Ʋſefulneſs to the Common End. It were better for a Toad or Serpent to be a Man, i. e. better for the Creature it ſelf, if it were advanced to a higher degree of Being, but not better for the Univerſe: He could have made every Pebble a living Creature, and every living Creature a Rational one: But that he made every thing as we ſee, it was a goodneſs to the Creature it ſelf; But that he did not make it of a higher Elevation in Nature, was a part of his p. 596goodneſs to the Rational Creature. If all were Rational Creatures, there would have been wanting Creatures of an Inferior Nature for their conveniency; There would have wanted the manifeſtation of the variety and fulneſs of his goodneſs. Had all things in the World been Rational Creatures, much of that goodneſs which he hath communicated to Rational Creatures, would not have appear'd: How could Man have ſhew'd his skill in Taming and Managing Creatures more mighty than himſelf? What Materials would there have been to manifeſt the goodneſs of God, beſtowed upon the Reaſonable Creatures for framing Excellent Works, and Inventions? Much of the Goodneſs of God had lain wrapt up from Senſe and Underſtanding. All other things partake not of ſo great a goodneſs as Man; yet they are ſo ſubſervient to that goodneſs pour'd forth on Man, that little of it coul… have been ſeen without them. Conſider Man, every Member in his Body hath a goodneſs in it ſelf; but a greater goodneſs as referred to the whole, without which the goodneſs of the more noble part would not be manifeſted. The Head is the moſt excellent Member, and hath greater Impreſſions of Divine Goodneſs upon it, in regard that it is the Organ of Underſtanding: Were every Member of the Body a Head, what a deformed Monſter would Man be? If he were all Head, where would be feet for Motion? And Arms, for Action? Man would be fit only for Thought, and not for Exerciſe. The goodneſs of God in giving Man ſo noble a part as the Head, could not be known without a Tongue, whereby to Expreſs the Conception of his Mind; and without Feet and Hands whereby to act, much of what he conceives, and determines, and execute the reſolves of his Will: All thoſe have a goodneſs in themſelves, an honour, a comelineſs from the goodneſs of God,**1 Cor. 12.22, 23.1 Cor 12:221 Cor 12:23 but not ſo great a goodneſs as the nobler part: Yet if you conſider them in their Functions, and refer them to that excellent Member which they ſerve, their Inferior goodneſs is abſolutely neceſſary to the goodneſs of the other; without which the goodneſs of the Head and Underſtanding would lie in obſcurity, be inſignificant to the whole World, and in a great meaſure to the Perſon himſelf that wants ſuch Members.

3. The goodneſs of God is more ſeen in this inequality. If God were equally good to all, it would deſtroy Commerce, Unity, the Links of Humane Society; damp Charity, and render that uſeleſs which is one of the nobleſt and delightfulleſt Duties to be exerciſed here; It would cool Prayer, which is excited by wants, and is a neceſſary demonſtration of the Creatures dependance on God. But in this inequality, every Man hath enough in his Enjoyments for Praiſe, and in his VVants matter for his Prayer. Beſides the inequality of the Creature is the Ornament of the World: What pleaſure could a Garden afford, if there were but one ſort of Flowers, or one ſort of Plants? Far leſs than when there is variety to pleaſe the Sight, and every other Senſe.

Again, the freedom of Divine Goodneſs, which is the glory of it, is evident hereby; Had he been alike good to all, it would have lookt like a neceſſary, not a free act: But by the inequality, it is manifeſt that he doth not do it by a Natural neceſſity as the Sun ſhines, but by a voluntary Liberty, as being the entire Lord, and free Diſpoſer of his own Goods: And that it is the gift of the pleaſure of his VVill, as well as the Efflux of his Nature; That he hath not a Goodneſs without VViſdom, but a VViſdom as rich as his Bounty.

4. The goodneſs of God could not be equally communicated to all, after their ſettlement in their ſeveral Beings. Becauſe they have not a capacity in their Natures for it: He doth beſtow the Marks of his Goodneſs according to that natural capacity of fitneſs, he perceives in his Creatures: As the VVater of the Sea fills every Creek and Gulf with different meaſures, according to the compaſs each have to contain it; And as the Sun doth diſperſe Light to the Stars above, and the places below, to ſome more, to ſome leſs, according to the meaſures of their Reception. God doth not do good to all Creatures according p. 597to the greatneſs of his own Power, and the extent of his own VVealth, but according to the capacity of the Subject; Not ſo much good as he can do, but ſo much good as the Creature can receive. The Creature would ſink, if God would pour out all his Goodneſs upon it: As Moſes would have periſhed, if God ſhould have ſhewn him all his Glory**Exod. 33.18, 20.Exod 33:18Exod 33:20. He doth manifeſt more Goodneſs to his Reaſonable Creatures, becauſe they are more capable of acknowledging, and ſetting forth his Goodneſs.

5. God ought to be allow'd the free diſpoſal of his own Goodneſs. Is not God the Lord of his own Gifts; and will you not allow him the priviledge of having ſome more peculiar Objects of his love and pleaſure, which you allow without blame to Man, and uſe your ſelf without any ſenſe of a Crime? Is a Prince eſteem'd good, though he be not equally bountiful to all his Servants, nor equally gracious in pardoning all his Rebels; And ſhall the goodneſs of the great Soveraign of the World be impeacht, notwithſtanding thoſe mighty diſtributions of it; becauſe he will act according to his own VViſdom and Pleaſure, and not according to Mens fancies and humors? Muſt Purblind Reaſon be the Judge and Director, how God ſhall diſpoſe of his own, rather than his own Infinite VViſdom and Soveraign VVill? Is God leſs good, becauſe there are number leſs nothings, which he is able to bring into being? He could Create a VVorld of more Creatures than he hath done: doth he therefore wiſh evil to them by letting them remain in that nothing from whence he could draw them? No, but he denies that good to them, which he is able, if he pleaſed, to confer upon them.

If God doth not give that good to a Creature which it wants by its own demerit, can he be ſaid to wiſh evil to it; or only to deny that goodneſs which the Creature hath forfeited,††Camere p. 30. and which is at Gods liberty to retain or diſperſe? Though God cannot but love his own Image where he finds it, yet when this Image is loſt, and the Devils Image voluntarily received, he may chooſe whether he will manifeſt his goodneſs to ſuch a one or no. Will you not account that Man liberal, that diſtributes his Alms to a great company, though he rejects ſome? Much more will you account him good, if he rejects none that implore him, but diſpenſeth his doles to every one upon their Petition: And is he not good, becauſe he will not beſtow a Farthing upon thoſe that Addreſs not themſelves to him? God is ſo good, that he denies not the beſt good to thoſe that ſeek him: He hath promiſed Life and Happineſs to them that do ſo. Is he leſs good, becauſe he will not diſtribute his goodneſs to thoſe that deſpiſe him? Though he be Good, yet his VViſdom is the Rule of diſpenſing his Goodneſs.

6. The ſevere Puniſhment of Offenders, and the Afflictions he inflicts upon his Servants, are no violations of his Goodneſs. The Notion of Gods Vindictive Juſtice is as naturally inbred, and implanted in the mind of Man, as that of his Goodneſs, and thoſe two Sentiments never ſhockt one another. The Heathen never thought him bad becauſe he was juſt, nor unrighteous becauſe he was good. God being Infinitely good, cannot poſſibly intend or act any thing but what is good: Thou art good, and thou doſt good, i. e. whatſoever thou doſt is good, whatſoever it be, pleaſant or painful to the Creature:**Pſ. 119.68.Ps 119:68 Puniſhments themſelves are not a Moral Evil in the Perſon that inflicts, though they are a Natural Evil in the Perſon that ſuffers them.††Boetius. In ordering Puniſhment to the VVicked, Good is added to Evil; In ordering Impunity to the VVicked, Evil is added to Evil. To puniſh VVickedneſs is Right, therefore Good: To leave men uncontroul'd in their VVickedneſs, is Unrighteous, and therefore Bad. But again, Shall his Juſtice in ſome few Judgments in the VVorld, impeach his Goodneſs, more than his wonderful Patience to Sinners is able to ſilence the Calumnies againſt him? Is not his hand fuller of gracious Doles, than of dreadful Thunderbolts? Doth he not oftner ſeem forgetful of his Juſtice, when he pours out upon the guilty the Streams of his Mercy, than to be forgetful of his Goodneſs, when he ſprinkles in the VVorld ſome drops of his VVrath?

p. 598Firſt, Gods Judgments in the World, do not infringe his Goodneſs; For

1. The juſtice of God is a part of the goodneſs of his Nature. God himſelf thought ſo, when he told Moſes, he would make all his Goodneſs paſs before him**Exod. 33.19.Exod 33:19: He leaves not out in that enumeration of the parts of it, his reſolution, by no means to clear the Guilty, but to viſit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children††Exod. 34.7.Exod 34:7. 'Tis a property of goodneſs to hate evil, and therefore a property of goodneſs to puniſh it: 'Tis no leſs Righteouſneſs to give according to the deſerts of a Perſon in a way of Puniſhment, than to reward a Perſon that obeys his Precepts in a way of Recompence. VVhatſoever is Righteous is Good; Sin is evil, and therefore whatſoever doth witneſs againſt it, is good; His Goodneſs therefore ſhines in his Juſtice, for without being juſt he could not be good. Sin is a Moral Diſorder in the VVorld: Every Sin is Injuſtice: Injuſtice breaks Gods Order in the VVorld; there is a neceſſity therefore of Juſtice to put the VVorld in order. Puniſhment orders the Perſon committing the Injury, who when he will not be in the order of Obedience, muſt be in the order of ſuffering for Gods Honour. The goodneſs of all things which God pronounced ſo, conſiſted in their order and beneficial helpfulneſs to one another: When this order is inverted, the goodneſs of the Creature ceaſeth: If it be a bad thing to ſpoil this order, Is it not a part of Divine Goodneſs to reduce them into order, that they may be reduced in ſome meaſure to their goodneſs? Do we ever account a Governor leſs in goodneſs, becauſe he is exact in Juſtice, and puniſheth that which makes a diſorder in his Government? And is it a diminution of the Divine Goodneſs, to puniſh that which makes a Diſorder in the VVorld? As VViſdom without Goodneſs would be a Serpentine Craft, and iſſue in deſtruction; ſo Goodneſs without Juſtice would be impotent Indulgence, and caſt things into confuſion. When Abels Blood cryed out for Vengeance againſt Cain, it ſpake a good thing; Chriſts Blood ſpeaking better things than the Blood of Abel, implies that Abels Blood ſpake a good thing; the comparative implies a poſitive**Heb. 12.24.Heb 12:24. If it were the goodneſs of that Innocent Blood to demand Juſtice, it could not be a badneſs in the Sovereign of the World to execute it. How can God ſuſtain the part of a Good and Righteous Judge, if he did not preſerve Humane Society? And how would it be preſerved, without manifeſting himſelf by publick Judgments againſt publick Wrongs? Is there not as great a neceſſity that Goodneſs ſhould have Inſtruments of Judgment, as that there ſhould be Priſons, Bridewels, and Gibbets in a good Commonwealth? Did not the Thunderbolts of God ſometimes roar in the Ears of Men, they would ſin with a higher hand than they do, fly more in the face of God, make the World as much a Moral, as it was at firſt a Natural Chaos: The ingenuity of Men would be dampt, if there were not ſomething to work upon their fears, to keep them in their due order. Impunity of the Innocent Perſon is worſe than any Puniſhment. 'Tis a Miſery to want Medicines for the Cure of a ſharp Diſeaſe; and a Mark of goodneſs in a Prince to conſult for the ſecurity of the Political Body, by cutting off a Gangren'd and corrupting Member: And what Prince would deſerve the noble Title of Good, if he did not reſtrain by puniſhment thoſe Evils, which impair the Publick Welfare? Is it not neceſſary that the examples of Sin, whereby others have been encourag'd to Wickedneſs, ſhould be made examples of Juſtice, whereby the ſame Perſons and others may be diſcourag'd from what before they were greedily inclin'd unto? Is not a hatred of what is bad and unworthy, as much a part of Divine Goodneſs, as a love to what is Excellent, and bears a Reſemblance to himſelf? Could he poſſibly be accounted Good, that ſhould bear the ſame degree of Affection to a prodigious Vice, as to a ſublime Virtue? And ſhould behave himſelf in the ſame manner of carriage to the Innocent and Culpable? Could you account him Good, if he did always with pleaſure behold Evil, and perpetually ſuffer the Oppreſſions of the Innocent under unpuniſht Wickedneſs? How ſhould we know the Goodneſs of the Divine Nature, and his Affection to the goodneſs of his Creature, if he did not by ſome acts of ſeverity witneſs his implacable averſion againſt Sin, and his care to preſerve p. 599the good Government of the World? If corrupted Creatures ſhould always be exempt from the effects of his Indignation, he would declare himſelf not to be Infinitely Good, becauſe he would not be really Righteous. No Man thinks it a Natural Vice in the Sun by the power of its ſcorching heat, to dry up and conſume the unwholſom Vapours of the Air; nor are the demonſtrations of Divine Juſtice any blots upon his Goodneſs, ſince they are both for the defence and glory of his Holineſs, and for the preſervation of the beauty and order of the World.

2. Is it not part of the Goodneſs of God to make Laws, and annex Threatn ngs; And ſhall it be an impeachment of his Goodneſs to ſupport them? The more ſevere Laws are made for deterring Evil, the better is that Prince accounted, in making ſuch proviſion for the welfare of the Community. The deſign of Laws, and the deſign of upholding the honour of thoſe Laws by the puniſhment of Offenders, is to promote Goodneſs and reſtrain Evil; The Execution of thoſe Laws muſt be therefore purſuant to the ſame deſign of Goodneſs, which firſt ſetled them. Would it not be contrary to Goodneſs, to ſuffer that which was deſign'd for the ſupport of Goodneſs, to be ſcorn'd and ſlighted? It would neither be prudence nor goodneſs, but folly and vice, to let Laws, which were made to promote Vertue, be broken with impunity. Would not this be to weaken Vertue, and give a new life and vigor to Vice? Not only the Righteouſneſs of the Law it ſelf, but the Wiſdom of the Law-giver would be expoſed to contempt, if the Violations of it remained uncontroul'd, and the Violence offer'd by Men paſſed unpuniſhed. None but will acknowledge the Divine Precepts to be the Image of the Righteouſneſs of God, and beneficial for the common good of the World;**Rom. 7.12.Rom 7:12 The Law is holy, juſt and good, and ſo is every Precept of it: The Law was for no other end, but to keep the Creature in ſubjection to, and dependance on God; This dependance could not be preſerved without a Law, nor that Law be kept in Reputation without a Penalty; nor would that Penalty be ſignificant without an Execution. Every Law loſeth the nature of a Law, without a Penalty; and the Penalty loſeth its vigor, without the infliction of it: How can thoſe Laws attain their end, if the Tranſgreſſions of them be not puniſhed? Would not the wickedneſs of Mens hearts be encouraged by ſuch a kind of uncomely Goodneſs? And all the threatnings be to no other end, than to engender vain and fruitleſs fears in the minds of Men? Is it good for the Majeſty of God to ſuffer it ſelf to be trampled on by his Vaſſals? To ſuffer Men by their Rebellion to level his Law with the wickedneſs of their own hearts; and by impunity ſlight his own Glory, and incourage their Diſobedience? Who would give any Man, any Prince, any Father that ſhould do ſo, the name of a good Governor? If it were a fruit of Divine Goodneſs to make Laws, is it contrary to Goodneſs to ſupport the honour of them? 'Tis every whit as rational, and as good to vindicate the honour of his Laws by Juſtice, as at firſt to ſettle them by Authority; As much goodneſs to vindicate it from Contempt, as at firſt to Enact it; As it is as much Wiſdom to preſerve a Law, as at firſt to frame it: Shall his Precepts be thought by him unworthy of a ſupport, that were not thought by him unworthy to be made? The ſame reaſon of Goodneſs that led him to enjoyn them, will lead him to revenge them. Did Evil appear odious to him, while he Enacted his Law; and would not his own Goodneſs, as well as his Wiſdom appear odious to him, if he did never Execute it? Would it not be a denial of his own Goodneſs, to be led by the fooliſh and corrupt Judgment of his Creatures, and ſlight his own Law, becauſe his Rebels ſpurn at it? Since he valued it before they could actually contemn it, would he not misjudge his own Law and his own Wiſdom, diſcount from the true value of them, condemn his own Acts, cenſure his Precepts as Unrighteous, and therefore Evil and Injurious? Remove the differences between Good and Evil, look upon Vice and Virtue and Wickedneſs as Righteouſneſs, if he thought his Commands unworthy of a Vindication? How can there be any ſupport to the honour of his Precepts without ſometimes Executing the ſeverity of his Threatnings?