The Remaining Discourses on the Attributes of God, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.Vol. VII. The Goodneſs of God.
PSAL. CXLV.9.
The Lord is Good to all, and his tender Mercies are over all his Works.
I Have made ſeveral Diſcourſes upon this Argument of the goodneſs of God; ſhewing what it is; on what accounts we aſcribe it to God; what are the Effects and large extent of it to the whole Creation, and more particularly to Mankind; and, in the laſt place, conſidered the ſeveral Objections which ſeem to lie againſt it. I proceed now to the Application of this excellent Argument, the conſidederation whereof is ſo fruitful of uſeful Inferences, in relation both to our Comfort and Duty. And,
I. This ſhews us the prodigious folly and unreaſonableneſs of Atheiſm. Moſt of the Atheiſm that is in the World, doth not ſo much conſiſt in a firm perſwaſion that there is no God, as in vain wiſhes and deſires that there were none. Bad Men think it would be a happineſs to them, and that they ſhould be in a much better condition, if there were no God, than if there be one. Nemo deum non eſſe credit, niſi cui deum non eſſe expedit, no Man is apt to disbelieve a God, but he whoſe Intereſt it is that there ſhould be none. And if we could ſee into the Hearts of wicked Men, we ſhould find this lying at the bottom, that if there be a God, he is juſt and will puniſh ſin, that he is infinite in power and not to be reſiſted, and therefore kills them with his terror ſo often as they think of him; hence they apprehend it their intereſt, that there ſhould be no God, and wiſh there were none, and thence are apt to cheriſh in their Minds a vain hope that there is none, and at laſt endeavour to impoſe upon themſelves by vain reaſonings, and to ſuppreſs the belief of a God, and to ſtifle their natural apprehenſions and fears of him. So that it is not primus in orbe deos fecit timor, fear that firſt made Gods; but the fear which bad Men have of the Divine Power and Juſtice, that firſt tempted them to the disbelief of him.
But were not theſe Men as fooliſh as they are wicked, they would wiſh with all their Hearts there were a God, and be glad to believe ſo. And the Pſalmiſt gives them their true Character, who can entertain any ſuch thoughts or wiſhes; Pſal. 14.1. The Fool hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God; for they are Fools who do not underſtand nor conſult their true Intereſt: And if this be true which I have ſaid concerning the goodneſs of God, if this be his Nature, to deſire and procure the happineſs of his Creatures, whoever underſtands the true Nature of God and his own true Intereſt, cannot but wiſh there were a God, and be glad of any Argument to prove it, and rejoyce to find it true, as Children are glad of a kind and tender Father, and as Subjects rejoyce in a wiſe and good Prince.
The goodneſs of God gives us ſo lovely a Character of him, makes him ſo good a Father, ſo gracious a Governour of Men, that if there were no ſuch Being in the World, it were infinitely deſirable to Mankind that there ſhould be; he is ſuch an one, qualem omnes cuperent, ſi deeſſet, as if he were wanting, all Men ought to wiſh for. The Being of God is ſo comfortable, ſo convenient, ſo neceſſary to the felicity of Mankind, that (as Tully admirably ſays) Dij immortales ad uſum hominum fabricati penè videantur, if God were not a neceſſary Being of himſelf, he might almoſt ſeem to be made on purpoſe for the uſe and benefit of Men; ſo that Atheiſm is not only an Inſtance of the moſt horrible Impiety, but of the greateſt Stupidity; and for Men to glory in their disbelief of a God, is like the rejoycing and triumph of a furious and beſotted multitude, in the Murder of a wiſe and good Prince, the greateſt calamity and confuſion that could poſſibly have befaln them.
If the Evidence of God's being were not ſo clear as it is, yet the conſideration of his goodneſs ought to check all inclination to Atheiſm and Infidelity; for if he be as good as he is repreſented to us, both by natural Light and divine Revelation, (and he is ſo, as ſure as he is) if he tender our Welfare, and deſire our Happineſs, as much as we our ſelves can do, and uſe all wiſe ways and proper means to bring it about, then it is plainly every man's Intereſt, even thine, O ſinner! to whom after all thy Provocations he is willing to be reconciled, that there ſhould be ſuch a Being as God is, and when ever thou comeſt to thy ſelf, thou wilt be ſenſible of thy want of him, and thy ſoul will thirſt for God, even the living God, and pant after him, as the hart pants after the water brooks; in the day of thy Affliction and Calamity, when diſtreſs and anguiſh cometh upon thee, thou wilt flie to God for Refuge, and ſhelter thy ſelf under his Protection, and wouldeſt not for all the World, but there were ſuch a Being in it, to help and deliver thee. Deos nemo ſanus timet (ſays Seneca) furor eſt metuere ſalutaria, no man in his wits is afraid there is a God; it is a madneſs to fear that, which is ſo much for our benefit and advantage. Humane Nature is conſcious to it ſelf of its own weakneſs and inſufficiency, and of its neceſſary dependance upon ſomething without it ſelf for its Happineſs, and therefore in great Extremity and Diſtreſs, the Atheiſt himſelf hath naturally recourſe to him, and he who denyed and rejected him in his Proſperity, clings to him in adverſity, as his only ſupport and preſent help in time of trouble. And this is a ſure Indication, that theſe men, after all their endeavours to impoſe upon themſelves, have not been able wholly to extinguiſh in their Minds the belief of God and his Goodneſs; nay it is a ſign, that at the bottom of their Hearts they have a firm perſwaſion of his goodneſs, when after all their inſolent defiance of him, they have the Confidence to apply themſelves to him for mercy, and help in time of need; and therefore our Hearts ought to riſe with indignation againſt thoſe who go about to perſwade the belief of a thing ſo prejudicial to our Intereſt, to take away the Light of our eyes, and the Breath of our noſtrils, and to rob us of all the Comfort and Support, which the belief of an infinite Power, conducted by infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs, is apt to afford to Mankind.
II. We ſhould take great care of perverting and abuſing this great goodneſs by vain Confidence and Preſumption. This is a Provocation of an high Nature, which the Scripture calls, turning the grace of God into wantonneſs, making that an encouragement to Sin, which is one of the ſtrongeſt Arguments in the world againſt it. God is infinitely good and merciful; but we muſt not therefore think, that he is fond and indulgent to our faults; but on the contrary, becauſe he is good, he cannot but hate evil. So the Scripture every where tells us, that He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; that the face of the Lord is againſt them that do evil; he is not a God that hath pleaſure in wickedneſs, neither ſhall evil dwell with him; the fooliſh ſhall not ſtand in his fight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. He is ready to ſhew Mercy to thoſe, who are qualified for it by Repentance, and reſolution of a better Courſe; but as long as we continue impenitent, God is implacable, and will deal with us according to the tenor of his Laws, and the deſert of our Doings. Deſpair is a great Sin, but Preſumption is a greater; Deſpair doubts of the goodneſs of God, but Preſumption abuſeth it; Deſpair disbelieves, but Preſumption perverts the beſt thing in the world to a quite contrary purpoſe from what it was intended.
III. The conſideration of God's goodneſs is a mighty comfort and relief to our Minds, under all our Fears and Troubles. Great are the Fears and Jealouſies of many devout Minds concerning God's Love to them, and their everlaſting Condition; which are commonly founded in one of theſe two cauſes, a melancholy Temper, or miſtaken Notions and Apprehenſions of God; and very often theſe two meet together, and hinder the cure and removal of one another.
Melancholy as it is an effect of bodily temper, is a Diſeaſe not to be cured by Reaſon and Argument, but by Phyſick and Time; but the miſtakes which men have entertained concerning God, if they be not ſet on and heightned by Melancholy (as many times they are) may be rectified by a true repreſentation of the goodneſs of God, confirmed by Reaſon and Scripture. Many good Men have had very hard and injurious Thoughts of God inſtill'd into them, from Doctrines too commonly taught and received; as if he did not ſincerely deſire the happineſs of his Creatures, but had from all Eternity decreed to make the greateſt part of Mankind, with a ſecret purpoſe and deſign to make them miſerable; and conſequently were not ſerious and in good earneſt in his Invitations and Exhortations of Sinners to Repentance; and it is no wonder if ſuch Jealouſies as theſe concerning God, make Men doubtful whether God love them, and very ſcrupulous and anxious about their everlaſting condition.
I have already told you, that theſe harſh Doctrines have no manner of Foundation, either in Reaſon or Scripture; that God earneſtly deſires our Happineſs, and affords us ſufficient Means to that End; that he bears a more hearty good will to us, than any Man does to his Friend, or any Father upon Earth ever did to his deareſt Child; in compariſon of which, the greateſt Affection of Men to thoſe whom they love beſt, is but as the drop of the Bucket, as the very ſmall duſt upon the Balance. If we have right apprehenſions of God's goodneſs, we can have no temptation to deſpair of his kind and merciful Intentions to us, provided we be but careful of our Duty to him, and do ſincerely repent and forſake our Sins. Plainer Declarations no words can make, than thoſe we meet with in the holy Scriptures, That God hath no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he ſhould turn from his wickedneſs and live; that he would have all Men to be ſaved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; that he is long ſuffering to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance; that he that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſin ſhall have mercy; that if the wicked forſake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return unto the Lord, he will have mercy, and will abundantly pardon.
As for outward Calamities and Afflictions, the conſideration of God's goodneſs is a firm ground of conſolation to us, giving us aſſurance, that God will either prevent them by his Providence, or ſupport us under them, or reſcue us out of them, or turn them to our greater good and happineſs in this World or the next. St. Paul ſpeaks of it as the firm belief and perſwaſion of all good Men, that in the iſſue all their Afflictions ſhould prove to their advantage. We know (ſays he) that all things ſhall work together for good to them that love God; and one of the greateſt Evidences of our love to God, is a firm belief and perſwaſion of his goodneſs; if we believe his goodneſs, we cannot but love him, and if we love him, all things ſhall work together for our good.
And this is a great Cordial to thoſe who are under grievous Perſecutions and Sufferings,This Sermon was preach'd before the late happy Revolution. which is the caſe of our Brethren in a neighbour Nation, and may come to be ours, God knows how ſoon. But tho' the malice of Men be great, and backt with a power not to be control'd by any viſible means, and therefore likely to continue; yet the goodneſs of God is greater than the malice of Men, and of a longer duration and continuance. And thus David comforted himſelf, when he was perſecuted by Saul, Pſal. 52.1. Why boaſteth thou thy ſelf in miſchief, O mighty man? the goodneſs of God endureth continually. The Perſecution which Saul raiſed againſt him was very powerful, and laſted a long time; but he comforts himſelf with this, that the goodneſs of God endures for ever.
IV. The conſideration of God's goodneſs, is a powerful motive and argument to ſeveral Duties.
1. To the love of God. And this is the moſt proper and natural effect and operation of the goodneſs of God upon our Minds. Several of the Divine Attributes are very awful, but goodneſs is amiable, and without this nothing elſe is ſo. Power and Wiſdom may command Dread and Admiration; but nothing but Goodneſs can challenge our Love and Affection. Goodneſs is amiable for it ſelf, tho' no benefit and advantage ſhould from thence redound to us; but when we find the comfortable Effects of it, when the riches of God's goodneſs, and long-ſuffering, and forbearance, are laid out upon us, when we live upon that goodneſs, and are indebted to it for all that we have and hope for, this is a much greater endearment to us of that excellency and perfection, which was amiable for it ſelf. We cannot but love him who is good, and does us good; whoſe goodneſs extends to all his Creatures, but is exerciſed in ſo peculiar a manner towards the Sons of Men, that it is called Love; and if God vouchſafe to love us, well may this be the firſt and great Commandment, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy mind.
2. The conſideration of God's goodneſs is likewiſe an argument to us to fear him; not as a Slave does his Maſter, but as a Child does his Father, who the more he loves him, the more afraid is he to offend him. There is forgiveneſs with thee (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) that thou mayeſt be feared; becauſe God is ready to forgive, we ſhould be afraid to offend. Men ſhall fear the Lord, and his goodneſs, (ſaith the Prophet) Hoſea 3.5. And indeed nothing is more to be dreaded, than deſpiſed Goodneſs and abuſed Patience, which turns into Fury and Vengeance; deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and long-ſuffering, and forbearance, (ſays the Apoſtle) and treaſureſt up to thy ſelf wrath againſt the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God?
3. The conſideration of God's goodneſs, is a powerful motive to obedience to his Laws, and as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it, to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleaſing, being fruitful in every good work. This Argument Samuel uſeth to the People of Iſrael, to perſwade them to obedience, 1 Sam. 12.24. Only fear the Lord, and ſerve him in truth, with all your heart: for conſider what great things all he hath done for you.
And indeed the Laws which God hath given us, are one of the chief Inſtances of his goodneſs to us, ſince they all tend to our good, and are proper Cauſes and Means of our. Happineſs; ſo that in challenging our obedience to his Laws, as acknowledgments of our obligation to him for his. Benefits, he lays a new obligation, and confers a greater benefit upon us. All that his Laws require of us, is to do that which is beſt for our ſelves, and does moſt directly conduce to our own welfare and happineſs. Conſidering our infinite obligations to God, he might have challenged our obedience to the ſevereſt and harſheſt Laws he could have impoſed upon us; ſo that as the Servants ſaid to Naaman, Had the Prophet bid thee do ſome great thing, wouldſt thou not have done it? how much more when he hath only ſaid, waſh and be clean? If God had required of us things very grievous and burthenſome, in love and gratitude to him, we ought to have yielded a ready and chearful obedience to ſuch Commands; how much more, when he hath only ſaid, do this and be happy? In teſtimony of your love to me, do theſe things which are the greateſt kindneſs and benefit to your ſelves.
4. The goodneſs of God ſhould lead Men to Repentance. One of the greateſt aggravations of our Sins is, that we offend againſt ſo much goodneſs, and make ſo bad a requital for it; Do ye thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh People and unwiſe! The proper tendency of God's goodneſs and patience to Sinners, is to bring them to a ſenſe of their miſcarriage, and to a reſolution of a better courſe. When we reflect upon the bleſſings and favours of God, and his continual goodneſs to us, can we chuſe but be aſhamed of our terrible ingratitude and diſobedience? Nothing is more apt to make an ingenuous Nature to relent, than the ſenſe of undeſerved kindneſs; that God ſhould be ſo good to us, who are evil and unthankful to him; that tho' we be Enemies to him, yet when we hunger, he feeds us; when we thirſt, he gives us to drink; heaping as it were coals of fire on our heads, on purpoſe to melt us into Repentance, and to overcome our evil by his goodneſs.
5. The conſideration of God's goodneſs, is a firm ground of truſt and confidence. What may we not hope and aſſuredly expect from immenſe and boundleſs goodneſs? If we have right apprehenſions of the goodneſs of God, we cannot poſſibly diſtruſt him, or doubt of the performance of thoſe gracious promiſes which he hath made to us; the ſame goodneſs which inclined him to make ſuch promiſes, will effectually ingage him to make them good. If God be ſo good as he hath declared himſelf, why ſhould we think that he will not help us in our need, and relieve us in our diſtreſs, and comfort us in our afflictions and ſorrows? If we may with confidence rely upon any thing to confer good upon us, and to preſerve and deliver us from Evil, we may truſt infinite goodneſs.
6. The goodneſs of God is likewiſe an argument to us to patience and contentedneſs with every condition. If the Hand of God be ſevere and heavy upon us in any Affliction, we may be aſſured that it is not without great cauſe, that ſo much goodneſs is ſo highly offended and diſpleaſed with us; that he deſigns our good in all the Evils he ſends upon us, and does not chaſten us for his pleaſure, but for our profit; that we are the cauſe of our own Sufferings, and our Sins ſeparate between God and us, and with-hold good things from us; that in the final iſſue and reſult of things, all things ſhall work together for good to us; and therefore we ought not to be diſcontented at any thing which will certainly end in our Happineſs.
7. Let us imitate the goodneſs of God. The higheſt Perfection of the beſt and moſt perfect Being is worthy to be our Pattern. This the Scripture frequently propoſeth to us; Math. 5.48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. How is that? in being good, and kind, and merciful, as God is. But I ſay unto you (ſays our Lord) Love your enemies, bleſs them that curſe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which deſpightfully uſe you, and perſecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his Sun to riſe on the evil, and on the good, and ſendeth rain on the juſt, and on the unjuſt. And then it follows, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is heaven is perfect. The ſame Pattern St. Paul propoſeth to us, Eph. 4.32. and Ch. 5.1. Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted; forgiving one another, even as God for Chriſt's ſake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children, and walk in love. We cannot in any thing reſemble God more, than in goodneſs, and kindneſs, and mercy, and in a readineſs to forgive thoſe who have been injurious to us, and to be reconciled to them.
Let us then often contemplate this Perfection of God, and repreſent it to our Minds, that by the frequent contemplation of it, we may be transformed into the Image of the Divine Goodneſs. Is God ſo good to his Creatures? with how much greater reaſon ſhould we be ſo to our fellow Creatures. Is God good to us? let us imitate his univerſal goodneſs, by endeavouring the good of Mankind; and, as much as in us lies, of the whole Creation of God. What God is to us, and what we would have him ſtill be to us, that let us be to others. We are infinitely beholding to this Perfection of God for all that we are, and for all that we enjoy, and for all that we expect; and therefore we have all the reaſon in the World to admire and imitate it. Let this pattern of the Divine Goodneſs be continually before us, that we may be ſtill faſhioning our ſelves in the temper of our Minds, and in the actions of our Lives, to a likeneſs and conformity to it.
Laſtly, The conſideration of the Divine goodneſs, ſhould excite our praiſe and thankfulneſs. This is a great Duty, to the performance whereof we ſhould ſummon all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls, as the holy Pſalmiſt does, Pſal. 103. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within me, bleſs his holy Name. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and forget not all his benefits. And we ſhould invite all others to the ſame Work, as the ſame devout Pſalmiſt frequently does, Pſal. 106. O give thanks unto the Lord! for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. And Pſal. 107. O that men would therefore praiſe the Lord for his goodneſs, and for his wonderful works to the children of Men!
And we had need to be often call'd upon to this Duty, to which we have a peculiar backwardneſs. Neceſſity drives us to Prayer, and ſends us to God for the ſupply of our wants; but Praiſe and Thankſgiving is a Duty which depends upon our gratitude and ingenuity; and nothing ſooner wears off, than the ſenſe of Kindneſs and Benefits. We are very apt to forget the bleſſings of God, not ſo much from a bad Memory, as from a bad Nature; to forget the greateſt bleſſings, the continuance whereof ſhould continually put us in mind of them; the bleſſings of our Beings; So God complains of his People, Deut. 32. Of the God that formed thee, thou haſt been unmindful; the dignity and excellency of our Beings above all the Creatures of this viſible World; Job 35.10, 11. None ſaith, Where is God my Maker? who teacheth us more than the beaſts of the earth, and maketh us wiſer than the fowls of heaven? the daily comforts and bleſſings of our Lives, which we can continually receive, without almoſt ever looking up to the Hand that gives them. So God complains by the Prophet, Hoſea 2.8, 9. She knew not that I gave her corn, and wine, and oyl, and multiplied her gold and ſilver. And is it not ſhameful to ſee how at the moſt plentiful Tables, the giving of God Thanks is almoſt grown out of faſhion; as if Men were aſhamed to own from whence theſe Bleſſings came. When thanks is all God expects from us, can we not afford to give him that? Do ye thus requite the Lord, fooliſh people and unwiſe! It is juſt with God to take away his Bleſſings from us, if we deny him this eaſie tribute of Praiſe and Thanksgiving.
It is a ſign Men are unfit for Heaven, when they are backward to that which is the proper Work and Imployment of the bleſſed Spirits above. Therefore as ever we hope to come thither, let us begin this Work here, and inure our ſelves to that which will be the great buſineſs of all Eternity. Let us with the four and twenty Elders in the Revelation, fall down before him that ſits on the throne, and worſhip him that liveth for ever and ever, and caſt our crowns before the throne (that is, caſt our ſelves) and aſcribe all glory to God; Saying, thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power for thou haſt made all things, and for thy pleaſure they are, and were created.
To him therefore, the infinite and inexhauſtible fountain of goodneſs, the father of mercies, and the God of all conſolation, who gave us ſuch excellent Beings, having made made us little lower than the Angels, and crowned us with glory and honour; who hath been pleaſed to ſtamp upon us the image of his own goodneſs, and thereby made us partakers of a divine nature, communicating to us, not only of the effects of his goodneſs, but in ſome meaſure and degree of the perfection it ſelf; to him who gives us all things richly to enjoy, which pertain to life and godlineſs, and hath made ſuch abundant proviſion, not only for our comfort and convenience in this preſent life, but for our unſpeakable happineſs to all eternity; to him who deſigned this happineſs to us from all eternity, and whoſe mercy and goodneſs to us endures for ever; who when by willful tranſgreſſions and diſobedience, we had plunged our ſelves into a ſtate of ſin and miſery, and had forfeited that happineſs which we were deſigned to, was pleaſed to reſtore us to a new capacity of it, by ſending his only Son to take our nature with the miſeries and infirmities of it, to live among us, and to die for us; in a word, to him who is infinitely good to us, not only contrary to our deſerts, but beyond our hopes, who renews his mercy upon us every morning, and is patient tho' we provoke him every day, who preſerves and provides for us, and ſpares us continually, who is always willing, always watchful, and never weary to do us good; to him be all glory and honour, adoration and praiſe, love and obedience, now and for ever.