amiable for it felf. We cannot but love him who is good, and does us good; whofe goodness extends to all his Creatures, but is exercised in fo peculiar a manner towards the Sons of Men,that it is called Love; and if God vouchfafe 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 foul, and with all thy mind.

2. The confideration of God's goodnefs is likewise an argument to us to fear him; not as a Slave does his Mafter, 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 (faith the Pfal. mift) that thou mayeft be feared; becaufe God is ready to forgive, we fhould be afraid to offend. Men fball fear the Lord, and his goodness, (faith the Prophet) Hofea 3. 5. And indeed nothing is more to be dreaded, than defpifed Goodness and abused Patience, which turns into Fury and Vengeance; defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and long fuffering, and forbearance, (fays the Apostle) and treafureft up to thy felf wrath against the day of

wrath,

Vol VII.

Vol. VII. wrath, and the revelation of the righteous ・judgment of God?

3.

The confideration of God's goodnefs, is a powerful motive to obedience to his Laws, and as the Apoftle expreffeth it, to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleafing, being fruitful in every good work. This Argument Samuel ufeth to the People of Ifrael, to perfwade them to obedience, 1 Sam. 12. 24. Only fear the Lord, and ferve him in truth,with all your heart: for confider what great things he hath done for you.

And indeed the Laws which God hath given us, are one of the chief Inftances of his goodness to us, fince they all tend to our good, and are proper Caufes and Means of our Happinefs; fo 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 beft for our felves,and does moft directly conduce to our own welfare and happiness. Confidering our infinite obligations to God, he might have challenged our obedience to the fevereft and harfheft Laws he could

could have impofed upon us; so that as the Servants faid to Naaman, Had Vol. VII. the Prophet bid thee do fome great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more when he hath only faid, wash and be clean? If God had required of us things very grievous and burthenfome, in love and gratitude to him, we ought to have yielded a ready and chearful obedience to fuch Commands; how much more, when he hath only faid, do this and be happy? In teftimony of your love to me, do these things which are the greatest kindness and benefit to your felves.

4. The goodness of God fhould lead Men to Repentance. One of the greateft aggravations of our Sins is, that we offend against fo much goodness, and make fo bad a requital for it; Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish People and unwife! The proper tendency of God's goodness and patience to Sinners, is to bring them to a fenfe of their miscarriage, and to a refolution of a better courfe. When we reAect upon the bleffings and favours of God, and his continual goodness to us, can we chufe but be ashamed of our terrible ingratitude and difobedience ?

ence? Nothing is more apt to make Vol. VI.an ingenuous Nature to relent, than the fenfe of undeserved kindness; that God fhould be. fo 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 confideration of God's goodnefs, is a firm ground of truft and confidence. What may we not hope and affuredly expect from immenfe and boundless goodness? If we have right apprehenfions of the goodness of God, we cannot poffibly diftruft him, or doubt of the performance of those gracious promifes which he hath made to us; the fame goodness which inclined him to make fuch promifes, will effectually ingage him to make them good. If God be fo good as he hath declared himself, why fhould we think that he will not help us in our need, and relieve us in our diftrefs, and comfort us in our afflictions and forrows? If we may with confidence rely upon any thing to confer good upon

us,

uš, and to preserve and deliver us Vol. VII. from Evil, we may truft infinite goodnefs.

6. The goodness of God is likewife an argument to us to patience and contentedness with every condition. If the Hand of God be fevere and heavy upon us in any Affliction, we may be affured that it is not without great caufe, that fo much goodness is fo highly offended and difpleased with us; that he defigns our good in all the Evils he fends upon us, and does not chaften us for his pleafure, but for our profit; that we are the cause of our own Sufferings, and our Sins feparate between God and us, and with-hold good things from us; that in the final iffue and refult of things, all things fball work together for good to us; and therefore we ought not to be difcontented at any thing which will certainly end in our Happiness.

7. Let us imitate the goodness of God. The higheft Perfection of the best and most perfect Being is worthy to be our Pattern. This the Scripture frequently propofeth to us; Math. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect How

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