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Melancholy, as it is an effect of bodily temper, is a difeafe not to be cured by reafon and argument, but by phyfick and time: but the mistakes which men have entertained concerning God, if they be not fet on and heightened by melancholy, (as many times they are) may be rectified by a true reprefentation of the goodness of God, confirmed by reafon and fcripture. Many good men have had very hard and injurious thoughts of God instilled into them, from doctrines too commonly taught and received; as if he did not fincerely defire the happiness of his creatures, but had from all eternity decreed to make the greatest part of mankind, with a fecret purpose and defign to make them miferable, and, confequently, were not serious and in good earnest in his invitations and exhortations of finners to repentance; and it is no wonder if fuch jealoufies as these concerning God, make men doubtful whether God love them, and very fcrupulous and anxious about their everlasting condition.

I have already told you, that thefe harsh doctrines have no manner of foundation, either in reafon or fcripture; that God earnestly defires our happiness, and affords us fufficient 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 comparifon of which, the greatest affection of men to those whom they love beft, is but as the drop of the bucket, as the very small duft upon the balance. If we have right apprehenfions of God's goodness, we can have no temptation to defpair of his kind and merciful intentions to us, provided we be but careful of our duty to him, and do fincerely repent and for fake our fins. Plainer declarations no word can make, than those we meet with in the holy fcriptures, that God hath no pleafure 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 faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; that he is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any fhould perifh, but that all fhould come to repentance; that he that confeffeth and forfaketh his fin, fhall have mercy; that if the wicked for fake his ways, and the unrighteous

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man his thoughts, and return unto the Lord, he will have mercy, and will abundantly pardon.

As for outward calamities and afflictions, the confideration of God's goodness is a firm ground of confolation to us, giving us affurance, that God will either prevent them by his providence, or fupport us under them, or refcue us out of them, or turn them to our greater good and happiness in this world, or the next. St. Paul freaks of it as the firm belief and perfuafion of all good men, that in the iffue, all afflictions fhould prove to their advantage: We know, fays he, that all things fhall 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 perfuafion of his goodnefs: if we believe his goodness, we cannot but love him; and if we love him, all things foall work together for our good.

And this is a great cordial to those who are under grievous perfecutions and fufferings, which is the cafe of our brethren in a neighbouring nation, and may come to be ours, God knows how foon. But though the malice of men be great, and backed with a power not to be controlled by any vifible 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 himfelf when he was perfecuted by Saul; Pfal. lii. 1. Why bhafteft thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodnefs of God endureth continually. The perfecution which Saul raised against him was very powerful, and lafted a long time; but he comforts himself with this, that the goodness of God endures for ever.

IV. The confideration 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 fo. Power and wifdom may command dread and admiration; but nothing but goodnefs can challenge our love and affection. Goodnefs is amiable for itself, though no benefit and advantage should from thence redound to us: but when we find the comfort

fortable effects of it, when the riches of God's goodness, and long-fuffering, 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 itself. 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 fons of men, that it is called love; and if God vouchfafe to love us, well may this be the firft 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 goodness is likewife an argument to us to fear him; not as a flave does his master, but as a child does his father, who the more he loves him, the more afraid he is to offend him. There is forgiveness with thee, fays the Pfalmift, that thou mayefl be feared: Becaufe God is ready to forgive, we fhould be afraid to offend. Men fhall fear the Lord, and his goodness, faith the Prophet, Hofea iii. 5. And, indeed, nothing is more to be dreaded, than despised goodness, and abufed patience, which turns into fury and vengeance: Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and long-fuffering, and forbearance, fays the Apoftle, and treasureft up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?

3. The confideration of God's goodness is a powerful motive to obedience to his laws, and, as the Apostle 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 perfuade them to obedience; 1 Sam. xii. 24. Only fear the Lord, and Serve him in truth with all your heart; for confider how great things he hath done for you.

And, indeed, the laws which God hath given us, are none of the leaft inftances of his goodness to us, fince they all tend to our good, and are proper caufes and means of our happiness: 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 best for ourfelves, 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 feverest and harfheft laws he could have impofed upon us: fo that, as the fervants faid to Naaman, Had the prophet bid thee to do fome great thing, wouldeft thou not have done it? how much more, when he hath only faid, wafh, and be clean? If God had required of us things very grievous and burdenfome; 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 tetimony of your love to me, do these things which are the greatest kindness and benefit to yourselves.

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4. The goodness of God fhould lead men to repentOne of the greatest aggravations of our fins is, that we offend against so 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 finners, is to bring them to a fenfe of their miscarriage, and to a refolution of a better courfe. When we reflect upon the bleffings and favours of God, and his continual goodnefs to us, can we chufe but be ashamed of our terrible ingratitude and difobedience? Nothing is more apt to make an ingenuous nature to relent, than the fenfe of undeferved kindness; that God fhould be fo good to us, who are evil and unthankful to him; that though we be enemies to him, yet when we hunger, he feeds us; when we thirft, 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 goodness is a firm ground of truft and confidence. What may we not hope and affuredly expect from immense and boundless goodness! If we have right apprehenfions of the goodnefs of God, we cannot poffibly diftrust him, or doubt of the performance of those gracious promifes which he hath made to us; the fame goodnefs which inclined him to make fuch promifes, will effectually engage him to make them good. If God be fo good as he hath dẻ

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clared himself, why fhould we think that he will not help us in our need, and relieve us in our distress, and comfort us in our afflictions and forrows? If we may with confidence, rely upon any thing to confer good upon us, and to preferve and deliver us from evil, we may truft infinite goodness,

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 cause that fo much goodness is so highly offended and difpleased with us; that he designs our good in all the evils he fends to us, and does not chaften us for his pleasure, but for our profit; that we are the cause of our own fufferings, and our fins separate between God and us, and with-hold good things from us; that, in the final iffue and refult 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 fcripture frequently propofeth to us; Matth. v. 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 fay unto you, fays our Lord, love your enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven: for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil, and on. the good, and fendeth rain on the juft, and on the unjuft: And then it follows, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect. The fame pattern St. Paul propofeth to us, Eph. iv. 32. and chap. v. 1. Be ye kind one.to another, tender-hearted, forgiv ing one another, even as God, for Chrift's fake, bath for.. given you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear child ren, and walk in love. We cannot, in any thing, refemble God more, than in goodness, and kindness, and mercy, and in a readiness to forgive thofe who have been injurious to us, and to be reconciled to them,

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