A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 27 (Question 4 cont.)
SERMON XXVII.
2. THE Benignity of God, is God willing bountifully to beſt to the good things of this life upon Sinners, contrary to their deſerts. In the former he reſtrained their deſerve: execution; in this he pours out his undeſerved bounty upon them. For the illuſtration of this precious Attribute, let us obſerve,
(1.) THE ſubject of it, Sinners. It is true, this bounty is univerſal, the whole Creation are ſhearers in it, Pſa. 37.5. & 1459. all Mankind in particular, good & and bad partake of it, (Matth. 5.45.) but it is more peculiarly obſervable that Sinners, God's Enemies, Rebels that are up in Arms againſt him, have ſuch deep draughts of it: He hath better things for his Children, (as we ſhall hear afterwards;) but he is willing that for the preſent, the worſt of Men ſhould be made to know by their own experience that he is Good.
(2.) THE matter of it, the good things of this life. Or all thoſe things which are ſuitable for the maintenance, and comfort of their outward Man: whatſoever affords them preſent benefit or relief belong to this head, of which we may take a brief general ſurvey; hitherto then do theſe things belong, 1. THE Care which God hath of the Sinner in his Conception and Birth. He is made out of the corrupt maſs, he is conceived in Iniquity; he is a Sinner in the womb; and yet the hand of God's Providence extends kindneſs to him; he keeps him in his Mother's belly, preſerves him from all thoſe Caſualties which might prevent him from ever ſeeing the light of the Sun; makes the knees to prevent him: puts into him a reaſonable Soul, with all its faculties & powers; gives him an underſtanding, will & affections; making him a Cauſe by counſel, and giving him ability to exerciſe them, that he is not born a natural; gives him alſo the true ſhape and bodily perfection belonging to his kind, writes down all his Members in his Books, that there is none of them wanting, none ſuperfluous, and every one in their right ſhape and place, and they are fitted for their ſeveral uſes to which they were deſigned; he gives them a ſeeing eye, and an hearing ear; it might have been otherwiſe, and God ſometimes orders it ſo to be, to let ſinful Man know how much he is indebted to Divine Goodneſs for ſuch favours; Pſal. 139.14, &c. 2. THE Suſtentation & Preſervation of all the faculties & powers in Sinners. This alſo is of his benignity, that God keeps him alive, who deſerves to die as ſoon as he is born; that he not only ſhores up his life, by putting under the hand of his power, but he looks after all, that none of them ſuffer or are deſtroyed; that thoſe Caſualties he is liable to every moment, are kept off, which would impair the powers either of Soul or Body; there are innumerable of them and unſeen: the Sinner could not avoid them, if God did not watch over him, and guard him with his watchful Providential eye. He is defended from outward violence, and inward infections. Every ſtep might be a trip, and every trip a fall, every fall might break his bones. Every indiſpoſition might prove a ſickneſs, and every ſickneſs his Death; every one he meets might be his Enemy and ſlay him; that theſe things are not, is God's Goodneſs. David ſaw much in this; Pſal. 35.10. All my hones ſhall ſay, Lord, who is like unto thee, which delivereſt the poor from him that is too ſtrong for him, yea, the poor and needy, from him that ſpoileth him. 3. THE comfortable place which God hath provided for the Sinner to live in, and his making it ſo to him. This lower World was adapted for an habitation for Man, and made every way convenient and comfortable for him; and tho' Man's fall hath greatly impaired the excellency of it, and brought many inconveniences into it, yet it is ſtill a place of much delight to poor Man: and that God gives Sinners a room in his World, a place on this Earth, and liberty to breath in this Air, is a great favour. Hell is another manner of place where he deſerved to be, and God doth many things here to preſerve the conveniency of it; that he hath firm footing here to walk up and down, and the earth doth not cleave under his feet, and ſwallow him up, as it did Corah and his Complotters; that he keeps the Air pure and ſalubrious, and doth not poyſon it with thoſe infectious vapours, which ſhould make him to ſuck in his breath and bane at once, is Mercy; that the waters do not return and drown him; that the Sun, that great eye of the World, keeps its circuit to give him light; and the Moon and Stars lend him their benign influences, and do not fight againſt him. 4. THE ſuitable Proviſion that God makes for him in this place. A Faculty without an Object is miſerable, and it will be a great part of the infelicity of the damned, that their Faculties ſhall be deſtitute of all convenient Objects for them to act upon. But here in this life God gives to Sinners ſuch Objects as their outward man is delighted in, and they take much content in the enjoyment and uſe of them: he gives them food to live upon, and ſuch as their Palats reliſh, and in due ſeaſon; he affords them raiment to wear, to cover their nakedneſs, and defend them from the injuries of every ſeaſon; he is their great provider, the whole World is his Family, and what he gives, they have; Pſal. 104.27, 28. He ſpreads their Table, ſills their Cup, gives them Houſes to live in Eſtates to live upon, makes every Creature to pay them its ſervice; they have their Wives and Children and Friends to ſolace themſelves withal; gives them Callings to attend, and pr…ſpe… theſe Callings; keeps their Houſes and Ships and Warehouſes from burning; their Ships from miſcarrying, &c. 5. THE Fruition which they have of the good and comfort of all theſe good things: That their Faculties meet with their Objects, and take ſatisfaction in them; that they can ſuck out the ſweetneſs of them, and take pleaſure in them. God could either ſhut up the vertue of theſe things in them, that they ſhould not exert it; (there is bread, and there is the ſtaff of bread;) or he could impede the Faculty, that it ſhould not act upon its Object with delight. Give Meat and no ſtomach, and digeſtment or nutriment; Cloaths and no warmth; give Men abundance, and deny them a heart to make uſe of it, making themſelves miſerable in the midſt of plenty. That he gives them both the things to rejoice in, and enables them to joy and delight in them, is his great Benignity, Pſal. 65.8 Eccl. 2.24. There is nothing better for a man, than that be ſhould eat & drink, and that he ſhould make his ſoul enjoy good in his labour. This alſo I ſaw, that it was from the band of God.
(3.) THE manner of God's beſtowing theſe good things upon Sinners: He doth it bountifully. God's Eſſential Goodneſs appears in his communicative bounty. He had been Good in himſelf, yea Goodneſs it ſelf, if he had never willed any of his good things to the Creature; but we had not known him to be ſo, had he not in his Efficiency revealed himſelf to us in his Benignity. He doth not keep theſe treaſures lock'd up with himſelf; but he opens them and diſtributes them as the Sun diffuſeth its beams, and innate warmth; as the Fountain ſends abroad its waters in ſprings, and refreſhes with its ſtreams the thirſty lands. God unlocks his Store-houſes, and ſupplys his indigent Creatures; Deut. 28.12. The Lord ſhall open unto thee his good treaſure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his ſeaſon, and to bleſs all the work of thine hand: and thou ſhalt lend unto many nations, and thou ſhalt not borrow. And that which commends it is, that he doth it liberally, or bounteouſly; and there are two things implied in this, [1.] THEY are Riches of Goodneſs which God beſtows upon Sinners Rom. 2.4. Or deſpiſest thou the riches of his goodneſs—. There are a world of Mercies that they are made to participate in, in this World: God is heroically liberal, magnificently bountiful to them: He is not ſparing, near and cloſe of his treaſures; but they are poured out as a mighty Fountain vents it ſelf, not in ſmall ſprings; but great Rivers: And there are four things in which this appears, 1. HIS Bounty is manifold. It doth not conſiſt in ſome one good turn which he doth to the Sinner; but in an uncountable variety: He ſupplieth every ſort of want; he anſwers all his outward needs, gives him conveniences every way, anſwers them in all; Acts 17.25.— He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. Gives them a World to live in, Air to breath in, an harth to walk upon, Light to ſee by, Fire to warm them, Houſes to dwell in, Meat, Drink and Raiment; and theſe varieties, not for bare neceſſity, but delight to … All the Sinner …oh, … can ſpeak of … out of this Fountain or Treaſury. 2. HE beſtown all theſe things plentifully upon Sinners. He gives them great Store in every kind which they enjoy. Their Furrows are richly watered; Graſs grows plentifully, and Corn enough and to ſpare; Pſal. 65.9, &c. Thou viſitest the earth, and watereſt it: thou greatly enricheſt it with the river of God which is full of water: thou prepareſt them corn, when thou haſt ſo provided for it—. God is no niggardly Houſekeeper, but maintains his Family in the World, ſo as the Beaſts eat not all the Graſs, nor is all the Proviſion ſpent, neither need they to allowance themſelves. He might, as in Juſtice … ſometimes doth, make them eat their Bread by weight, and drink their Water by meaſure; but he doth not ordinarily do ſo, but they may out & drink their fill. 3. HE ſhowers down ſo much Goodneſs upon Sinners, that their hearts or deſires are filled with joy & gladneſs. They have even as much as they could wiſh for; Acts 14.17. Nevertheleſs, be bath not left himſelf without witneſs, in that be did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful ſeaſons, filling our hearts with food and gladneſs. (Pſal. 145.11.) They have even what they will, all things at pleaſure. God doth not croſs them in their wills, nor diminiſh them, but every thing goes on proſperouſly and merrily with them; Job. 21.7, &c. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? — That which the World declares to be Man's happineſs, they have it; Pſal. 144.12, &c. Yea, ſo as they can pronounce themſelves bleſſed in their enjoyments and ſing a Requiem to their Souls in the midſt of it; (Luk. 12.19.) 4. THE Goodneſs of God doth ſuperabound too … them: They have not only enough and to ſpare, not only to the utmoſt of their deſires, but beyond them; Pſal. 73.7. — They have more than heart can wiſh. The word is, that which paſſeth the thought of their heart. Had they contrived to themſelves a worldly condition, and ſet out in their thought what they would have, and what would give them moſt pleaſure and delight, they could never have laid it out to ſo much advantage, and ſo little of incumberance. They could not ſo much as in a dream have fancied for themſelves ſuch a plentifull ſupply of every good thing, and ſo much eaſe as they are poſſeſſed of. Their Cup is not only full, but it runs over, and they have ſo much that they cannot tell what to do with it, or how to make uſe of it; they ſurfeit upon earthly delights, and have a great deal; (Pſal. 17.14.) and all this is of God's Benignity. [2.] GOD beſtows all this Goodneſs upon Sinners freely … the coſt and charge which God is at, in holding up their Being, maintaining their Life, ſupplying them with all that neceſſity, convenience, or delight can poſſibly call for, and more than ſo, is all upon free coſt. The Sinner pays him nothing for all this … … vok… and … …rongs him, notwith ſta…g …. …here … ſervice do… ſo God, he is paying him …o homage, makes him no returns; nay, he is not ſo much as thankfull. Rom. 1.21. — Neither were thankful. And doth not ſo much as know whence it comes, or who is the owner of it; Hoſ. 2.78. Though he doth no good, but is an unprofitable burden upon the Earth, is a fruitleſs tree, that cumbers the ground, and therefore lays God under no obligation at all to him; yet he doth it for him, meerly to diſcover his own bountiful Nature.
(4) THAT which farther anhanceth the wonderment of this Attribute, is, that God doth all for him contrary to his deſerts. The Sinner, who is the Subject of all this Benignity, and ſwims in theſe Pleaſures and Delights, that hath all things at His Command, and is laden with God's Favours; if he had his own, and no more but his proper due, ſhould have had nothing at all, not a World to live in, or Air to breath in? much leſs a Table richly ſpread, an overflowing Cup, a ſoft Bed, a ricaly furniſhed Houſe, a lovely Wife, and deſirable Children; all manner of Recreations, Mirth, Muſick and Jollity, His proper place was to be all this while in Hell, naked and deſtitute of all that is Good, dwelling with the devouring fire, and everlaſting burnings, combating with the Wrath of God; and inſtead of laughter and pleaſure, filled with wailing and gnaſhing of teeth. And whilſt God hath been doing all this kindneſs for him, he hath been daring him to this, by his bold tranſgreſſions. God hath nouriſhed a Viper. fed a Rebel; beſtowed his good things upon an Enemy, one that hath armed them all againſt him, and miſimprov'd them to his great diſhonour. And what Orient Colours doth this conſideration put upon the Benignity of God.
USE 1. HENCE common Mercy is no evidence of God's ſpecial Love. Eccl. 9.1.—No man knoweth either love or barred, by all that is before them.
USE 2. THE conſideration of God's common Goodneſs. may ſerve to convince the Sinner of his horrible Ingratitude to God, in that he returns him nothing for all his Mercy, but Sin. Do you thus requite the Lord, Oh fooliſh and unwiſe! Think, vile Sinner, where thou hadſt been long eve this, had unmixed Juſtice taken place on thee, as ſoon as it had an advantage againſt thee; not where thou art; but in the bottomleſs Pit, there dwelling with Devils and damned Spirits, if Mercy had not ſtept in, and ſtopt the Execution. And hath God inſtead of pouring out his Wrath upon you, exalted his Mercy towards you? Hath his Clemency ſpared, you? hath he born with Patience all your inj…cious dealings with him? and drawn out his forbearance unto long-ſuffering towards you, uſing all means to reclaim you? and not only kept you out of Hell, but ſtrewed your paths with ſatneſs, and filled your bellies with the hidden treaſures of his Goodneſs; and do you ſtill go on in your Sins, diſhonouring & provoking God? is this the pay you make him for all his Coſt and Love to you? and can you ſtill depend for more, and ask it at his hands? How bruitiſh and unreaſonable is this; the Ox and the Aſs will riſe up in Judgment againſt you one Day. Ask your own reaſon, would you nouriſh a Viper which would gnaw out your Bowels? Is not this conſideration enough to put a ſtop to your Career in Sin, and make you aſhamed of your ways and doings.
USE 3. LET this Conſideration of God's common Goodneſs or Mercy, invite and encourage Sinners to Repentance. This is the rational tendency of it, and the thing which God looks that it ſhould work in the hearts of Sinners; Rom. 2.4. Or deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to repentance? … Pet. 3.9. The Lord is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, (as ſome men count ſlackneſs) but is long-ſuffering to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance. And the thing it ſelf ſpeaks a great deal of quickning and encouragement. It ſpeaks aloud.
1 THAT God deſerves all the ſervice of the Sinner. He that gives you your lives for a prey, that keeps you out of the Pit, that ſuſtains and maintains you with ſuch liberality; if he be not loved and ſerved by you, who ſhould? certainly, theſe are the Cords of a Man, and would bind you in affection to another, and why not to God? is God to be deſpiſed for that which you would think Men can be never enough acknowledged for?
2. THAT your ſinning againſt him hath been highly unreaſonable. Thus Daniel convinced that Heathen Emperour, Dan. 5.23. — The God in whoſe h…d thy breath is, and whoſe are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. May not God well expoſtulate with you and ſay, I have done you good, and not hurt all your days: I have beſtowed uncountable Favours upon you, ever ſince you had a Being; for which of all theſe is it that you thus diſhonour me, hate me, and take up Arms of Rebellion againſt me? ſo he pleads with them; Jer. 2.5. Thus ſaith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers ſound in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity and are become vain? And what rational Anſwer can you return to this demand?
3. THAT God doth not take delight in the Sinners deſtruction. Every living Sinner here preſent hath the conviction of it in himſelf: Juſtice might long ago have triumphed over you, if God had not been compaſſionate; if your ruin had been a pleaſure to him, he had advantage enough to have given himſelf ſatisfaction in it: no day paſſeth without one.
4. THAT God is willing the Sinner ſhould live. All his Patience and Bounty ſay, that he is a Merciful God, and that he is reconcilable to Sinners: He gives them thus a ſpace, and motive to Repent; neither of which are offered to thoſe whoſe day of Mercy is ſpent. And how loudly doth this cry to every Sinner, Oh repent, return, why will you dy? And there is not the youngeſt Sinner here preſent, but is under innumerable of theſe Obligations. Accept then of Mercy's Call, and harden not your hearts into impenitency, leaſt you turn treaſures of Goodneſs into treaſures of Wrath: and know it, common Goodneſs is an Attribute which hath choſen to expreſs it ſelf to you in time; its duration …s arbitrary; its time will ſhortly be over, and it will give place to unquenchible Fury. Be afraid … of … …unning its ſeaſon, but repent to day … it is called to day; and let this be an in…e further to it, to think, if God can beſtow ſo much upon me an Enemy; what glorious treaſures of ſpecial …, hath he to happily all th… withal, that accept of offered Mercy, and are reconciled to him through the Blood of CHRIST.
[JANUARY 28.1689.]