Body of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of Gods Vertues, Particularly of his Goodnesse.
SO much concerning the affections attributed to God, his vertues follow; which as they have their seat in man, in the will and affections; so it is not inconvenient for methods sake to refer them to the same in God. Gods vertues *Vertues in men are certain excellent and confirmed habits, by which they are made apt and prompt to use their faculties well and orderly. Deus est summum bonum simpliciter; & non solum in aliquo genere, vel ordine rerum. Aquinas. Luke 18. 19. Matth. 19. 17. Some say God comes from Good. for God onelyonly is essentially and perfectly good, Nos Germani usque à majoribus nostris (praeclarius perfectò & pulchrius quam ulla alia lingua) Deum à bonitatis vocabulo, sermone nobis vernaculo vocamus, quippe qui sons perennis sit & perpetuo scaturiens, affluentissimis bonis exundans, & à quo omne quicquid uspiam boni est dicitur & emana…. Lutherus in Catechismo majore.are his essence considered, as it always worketh orderly, fitly, and agreeably to perfect reason. They are not things differing from his essence as in us, but we must conceive of them according to our capacity, and handle them distinctly.
By vertues we understand first in general the idea of vertue, or the chiefest moral perfection, by which God is in himself absolutely the best, and in respect of which all the vertues of angels and men are onelyonly slender shadows and representations. For God is Summum bonum, the chiefest good, and most perfect goodnesse, both metaphysically and morally; so that his nature and will is the first rule of goodnesse and rectitude, with which, as far as things agree, so far they are, and are called good. 2. He is the cause of all goodnesse in the creatures, which have so much goodnesse as God works and keeps in them.
Gods Goodnesse is an essential property whereby he is infinitely, and of himselfExod 33. 19. Psal. 34. 8▪ 9. & 73. 1. & 117. 2. Rom. 2. 4. good, and the author and cause of all goodnesse in the creature.
Gods goodnesse is considered as he is good in himself, yea, goodnesse it self, Exod. 34. 6. Psal. 119. 68. or as he is good to his creatures, which is his bounty, which being referred to his creatures, either as having goodnesse communicated to them, is his love; or as being in misery, is his mercy, or as having deserved no good thing at the hands of God, but rather the contrary, is his Grace.
Goodnesse *Bonum est id quod omnes appetum, Aristotle Seu, quod natura sua appetibile est. Goodnesse is a property of things by which they are fit to produce actions requisite for their own and the common welfare. David seemeth to give us this description of Gods goodnesse, Psalm 119. 68. Bonitas Dei est, qua Deus in se maximè perfectus & appetibilis, omnium que extra se appetibilium & bonorum causa est. Wendelinus Goodnesse is the fitnesse of every thing for its own end, and for the actions which for that end it ought to perform. Whatsoever thing is excellent in the creatures, is much more in God, Iames 1. 17.is the perfection of things for which they are desirable; good and appetible are convertible: What is good is to be desired. God is to be desired of all, he is the chiefest good.
The properties of which are these:
1. It is propter se amabile, to be desired for it self; so onelyonly God.
2. It is able to satisfie the soul, and that satisfaction which it gives is perpetual. In God there is both satiety and stability; satisfaction of the appetite, and continuance of that satisfaction.
2. God is causally good, worketh all goodnesse in the creature, and doth good to them, Psal. 33. 5.
3. Eminently and absolutely good, the onelyonly good. There is a goodnesse in the creature, its nature is good, but goodnesse is not its nature; so there is none good but God; viz. Essentially, originally.
Our Saviour Matth. 19. 17. reproved one for calling him good; not that he is not so essentially, but because he thinking him to be no more then a Prophet, did yet call him so. God is onelyonly good essentially, independently; comparatively to God the creature is not good; as a drop is no water compared to the Ocean.Psal. 25. 8.
The Scripture proveth Gods goodnesse,
1. Affirmatively, when it affirmeth that God is good, and commends his goodnesse.
2. Negatively, when it denieth that there is any evil in him, Psal. 92. 16. Deut. 32. 4.
3. Symbolically, when it celebrateth the riches of his goodnesse, Rom. 2. 4.
4. Effectively, when it affirms that all the works of God are good, Gen. 1. 31. It was said of every thing particularly when it was made, The Lord saw that it was There are naturally the good Heavens, the good Sun, and Moon, good Food and Raiment; Spiritually, good Angels and Men, because there is a good God. God is abundant in goodnesse, Exod. 34. 6. This will appear by considering, 1. The various kindes or sorts of his goodnesse, in giving, Iames 1. forgiving, forbearing, and mitigating evil, Psal. 78. 38. 2. The freenesse of it, he gives where there is no obligation, nay, a disobligation, Matth. 5. 45. 3. His multiplying the acts of goodnesse, often giving, forgiving, many times sparing, mitigating evils. 4. The continuance of it, it is a lasting, nay, an everlasting goodnesse, Psal, 52. 1.good; and in the conclusion of the whole creation, God saw all his works that they were good, yea, very good; that is, commodious for the comfort of man, and all other creatures. He made all things good, therefore he is good himself. This may be proved by the goodnesse which still remains in the creatures; each creature hath yet remaining in him a power and fitnesse to do much good, and bring much comfort to man, as daily experience proves; therefore he, that notwithstanding the rebellion of man hath continued yet much good in the world, is surely good; the beasts do good to their yong, man to his children; this power they received from God.
5. God is to be loved, honored, praised, and served by man, therefore he is good; or else he were not worthy this respect from the creature.
The goodnesse of God is either considered ad intra and absolutely, or else ad extra and respectively. For the first, God in himself is good.
This appears:
1. In reckoning up all the kindes of good things that are; for there is 1. Bonum utile, the profitable good; now how happy must they needs be who have him, which can command all things; if thou hast him, thou hast all things elsePsal. 34. in him. 2. There is bonum jucundum, taste and see how sweet he is, At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. 3. Bonum honestum, he is the holy God, the Author of all holinesse, and the exemplar of it.
2. This goodnesse of his cannot be increased, it being his essence, it cannot be made better; for God hath in him, not onelyonly all the actual, but all the possible goodnesse that is in the creatures; any creature still may be better; thy riches, honors, comforts may be better, but thy God cannot be a better God; therefore we should infinitely affect him more then all creatures.
3. It is independent goodnesse, he is omnis boni bonum; hence he is said to be onelyonly good, that is, essentially and immutably.
4. It is essential; the essence and goodnesse of the creatures is different; goodnesse in the Angels the perfectest creatures, is a superadded quality to them, they may be good, but ille bonus suo bon est, He is good with his own goodnesse, he cannot be God if he be not good.
5. It is illimitted goodnesse, infinite, without all bounds, above all that can be conceived, he being essentially so, and not limited to this or that being, neither is his goodnesse.
6. It is immixed goodnesse, 1 Iohn 1. 5. he is light, and there is no darknesse in him, not the least evil of sin.
7. It is the samplar and form of all goodnesse in the creatures: So far a thing is good as it doth resemble him.
All the good of a creature is in God always:
1. Eminently, as you consider it in its kinde, without imperfection.
2. Efficiently, as he is the Author and cause of all the good the creature hath.
3. Exemplarily, as he is the rule and patern of all goodnesse.
4. Finally, as he is the chiefest good of all creatures, so that all terminate their desires in him.
Secondly, God is good respectively in what he doth to the creature: that appeareth in the good things bestowed upon them. He gives to all liberally, especially the rational creatures, as men and Angels, partake of his goodnesse, being made capable of enjoying him for ever. 2. In the evil he keeps off from the Elect; asJames 1. he will withhold no good things, so he will let no evil befal them.
Object. God is infinitely good (say the Arminians) therefore he cannot but naturally will good to the creature.
Sol It doth not follow; for out of his goodnesse he made the world, his goodnesse freely communicated, not out of necessity, then it will follow that he naturally made the world. 2. God is infinitely just, therefore he also naturally willsRhetor fortis. the perdition of all sinners, which they will not admit. 3. He is infinitely good in himself, not therefore so to his creatures, for so he should will all good to them, and actually communicate it, and so should save all. NotwithstandingBonitas Dei …ga creaturas …i merè volun…ri… atque ar…ri…, nisi quum … aliquid in creatura quod …rat De…ima…m qua sanctas est. …ion potest … creaturam suam non amet … qu… refulgere videt imaginem suam, at cum aliquid est in creatura ab i…la imagine abhorrens & ci repugnans, tum sa… moderatur bonitatem. Cameron praelect. in Matth. 16. 20. Gods goodnesse of nature, he suffered man to fall; but yet he was so good that he would not have suffered it, unlesse he could have shewed as much goodnesse to man another way; and indeed Christ is a greater good to us by faith, then Adams innocency could have been; but yet since that evil is come into the world, how many calamities might befal thee, did not Gods goodnesse prevent it? that the earth swallows thee not up tis Gods goodnesse. The goodnesse of God is so great, that no creature should suffer punishment, but that the justice of God doth require the same, or else some greater good may be drawn from thence, Ezek 33. 11.
Object. How doth it agree with Gods goodnesse, that it is said Psal. 18. 27. With the froward he will shew himself froward?
Answ. In the general, the meaning is onelyonly, that Gods judgements shall agree with mens manners, and David shews not how God is in himself, but relativelyConfectaries from Gods goodnesse. Two things make men happy in heaven: 1. Because they will nothing but what is good. 2. They enjoy what they will, Gal▪ 5. 22. Paul calls it The riches of Gods goodnesse, Rom. 2. 4. and maketh … is use of it, that i… should lead us to repentance, to consider, 1. What we were originally, good, the Creator be… creature must needs be; 2. What we are n…w, unlike him. how he is to us.
We should 1. Love God because of his goodnesse, for it is the proper object of love. That which is the chief good, ought to be the principal object of all the powers of our souls. God is the principal good: O that we could account him so, and accordingly carry our selves toward him. Sine summo bono nil bonum, there is no thing good, without the chiefest good, Psal. 73 25, 26.
2. Imitate him, be good as he is good, be like our heavenly father, good to all, Summae religionis est imitari quem Colis. Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 8. c. 27. It is a chief point of Religion to imitate him whom we worship, Rom. 12. 9. Cleave to that which is good, we should still be doing or receiving good.
3. Gods goodnesse will support his children in their calamities, Nehem. 1. 7. and arm them against poverty, and the fear of death it self. I do not fear to dye (said Ambrose) because we have a good Lord. Nec pudet vivere, nec piget mori, quia bonum habemus Dominum.
We are much to be blamed for sleighting, despising or neglecting him the fountainIsa. 5. 25. of all goodnesse. Man is a most loathsom creature that hateth, and foolish, that sleighteth this chief good.
Here is a ground of thankfulnesse to Gods people, which enjoy the goodnesse ofLuke 6. 36, God in part here in the creature, and shall hereafter immediately and fully. God is good to all in bestowing upon them gifts of nature, of body or of minde, but he is especially good to some, whom he hath chosen to life eternal.
We may see the great evil of sin; nothing is so opposite to this attribute of Gods goodnesse as sin; the Devils are not evil as creatures, but as sinful.