doeth in this kind; violently plucking down vengeance on our own heads; compelling the kind and merciful Lord, against his nature and will, to afflict us; not so much as giving him leave to spare us.' God vehemently disclaims himself to be the original cause; to design, (according to absolute or primary intention,) to desire, to delight in our grief, or our ruin. As I live, saith the Lord,' (and surely when God swears, we may believe that he is very serious,) I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.' I call heaven to record this day against you, that I have set life and death before you: therefore choose life.' He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.' 'He would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowlege of the truth. He would not have any perish, but that all should come to repentance.' He made not death, nor hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.' God then, if we may believe him, is not the first author of our calamities. Who then? He tells us himself: O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself: thou hast fallen by thine own iniquity.' Your sins have withholden good things from you.' Our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.' How often would I have gathered you, but ye would not!' The designs and the endeavors of God do tend to our welfare and salvation; it is our will and our actions which only procure our ruin: It is we,' that, as the wise man saith, 'seek death in the error of our life, and pull on our own selves destruction. So that, to conclude this part of our discourse, even those passages of providence, which at first glimpse appear most opposite or disadvantageous to the goodness of God, (or to our opinion and belief concerning it,) do, being well sifted, nowise prejudice it, but rather serve to corroborate and magnify it.

I shall only farther briefly touch (or rather but mention) the uses and effects, to the producing which, the consideration of God's goodness, in so manifold ways declared, should be applied.

1. It should beget in us hearty love and reverence toward God, in regard to this attribute so excellent and amiable in itself, so beneficial and advantageous to us. What can we esteem, what can we love, if so admirable goodness doth not af

fect us? How prodigiously cold and hard is that heart, which cannot be warmed and softened into affection by so melting a consideration!

2. It should produce, as grateful sense in our hearts, so real endeavors of thankful obedience in our lives. It should make us' walk worthy of God, to all well-pleasing, bringing forth fruit in every good work ;' taking heed of doing as did Hezekiah, of whom it is said, that he rendered not according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore was wrath on him' that we may not have that expostulation justly applied unto us, 'Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise!'

3. It should engage us the more to fear God; complying with the prophet's admonition, Fear the Lord and his goodness;' considering that intimation of the psalmist, There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared;' observing that advice of Samuel, Only fear the Lord, and serve him; for consider what great things he hath done for you.' For that indeed nothing is more terrible than goodness slighted and patience abused.

4. It should humble, ashame, and grieve us, for having crossed and offended such exceeding goodness and mercy. It should cause us greatly to detest our sins, which lie under so heinous an aggravation: to be deeply displeased with ourselves, who have so unworthily committed them.

5. It should therefore render us wary and vigilant against the commission of any sin; that is, of incurring the guilt of so enormous ingratitude and baseness; making us cautious of doing like those, of whom it is confessed in Nehemiah; They did eat, and were filled, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness: nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy laws behind their back.'

6. It should also breed and nourish in us faith and hope in God. For what reason can we have to distrust of so great goodness; that he will refuse to help us in our need; that he will fail in accomplishment of his promises; that he will withhold what is convenient for us? It should preserve us from despair. What temptation can we have to despair of mercy, if we heartily

repent of our misdoings, and sincerely endeavor to please him?

7. It should on the same account excite us to a free and constant exercise of all devotions. For why should we be shy or fearful of entering into so friendly and favorable a presence? why should we be backward from having (on any occasion or need) a recourse to him who is so willing, so desirous, so ready to do us good? what should hinder us from delighting in oblations of blessing and praise unto him?

8. It ought to render us submissive, patient, and contented under God's hand, of correction, or trial, as knowing that it cannot be without very just cause, that such goodness seemeth displeased with us; that we are the chief causes of our suffering, or our want; so that we can have no good cause to repine or complain: for, Wherefore doth the living man complain? since a man (suffers) for the punishment of his sins;' since it is ' our sins that withhold good things from us;' since also we considering this attribute may be assured that all God's dispensations do aim and tend to our good.

9. It should also, in gratitude toward God and imitation of him, engage us to be good, kind, and bountiful, placable, and apt to forgive; meek and gentle, pitiful, and affectionate toward our brethren; to be good and merciful, as our heavenly Father is merciful and benign even' toward the wicked and ungrateful: to be kind unto one another, full of bowels, forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us.'

·

10. Lastly, we ought to have an especial care of perverting this excellent truth by mistakes and vain presumptions; that we do not turn the grace of God into wantonness,' or occasion of licentious practice. Because God is very good and merciful, we must not conceive him to be fond, or slack, or careless; that he is apt to indulge us in sin, or to connive at our presumptuous transgression of his laws. No; ἔπεται τῷ ἀγαθῷ, ἦ ἀγαθὸν, μoomovпpía, ( the hatred of wickedness is consequent on goodness even as such, 'as Clemens Alexandrinus saith,) God, even as he is good, cannot but detest that which is opposite and prejudicial to goodness; he cannot but maintain the honor and interest thereof; he cannot, he will not endure us to dishonor

The

him, to wrong our neighbor, to spoil ourselves. As he is a sure friend to us as his creatures, so he is an implacable enemy to us as impenitent rebels and apostates from our duty. The wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth.' As he is infinitely benign, so he is also perfectly 'holy, and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.' He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with him. foolish shall not stand in his sight; he hateth all workers of iniquity.' His face is against them that do evil.' Finally, as God is gracious to all such as are capable of his love, and qualified for his mercy; so he is an impartial and upright Judge, who will deal with men according to their deserts, according to the tenor of his laws and ordinances; according to his immutable decree and word: so that as we have great reason to trust and hope in him, so we have no true ground to presume on him, vainly to trifle, or insolently to dally with him. But I leave this point to be farther improved by your meditations.

'Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the words. which we have heard this day with our outward ears, may through thy grace be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honor and praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' Amen.

BAR.

VOL. IV.

F

SUMMARY OF SERMON LXX.

ROMANS, CHAP. II.-VERSE 11.'

IT is an ordinary conceit, that God deals partially with men; and this imagination often has an influence on our actions: proper consideration, however, will show that this is a great mistake, and that God in fact distributes his favors with an equal hand.

The advantages which one man possesses above another, estimated morally in respect to solid happiness, are none; at Jeast are not absolutely made by God, but framed by men themselves. For,

God is indifferently affected towards persons, as such; or as divested of moral qualifications and actions: this enlarged on. Such also in holy Scripture he represents himself on various occasions: testimonies on this head quoted.

This impartiality of God demonstrated by divers arguments, some proving it must be so, others showing it is so some inferring it, a priori, from God's attributes, others arguing it, a posteriori, from instances of his proceedings and providential dispensations. Of the first sort are these:

I. God is impartial, because he is perfectly wise, and thence he truly estimates persons and things: wherefore he cannot have any blind affection toward any person, grounded on no reason, or on prejudice. This argument is often used in Scripture: instances quoted.

II. God cannot be partial, because he is perfectly righteous, just, and holy which reason, joined to the former, makes up a complete demonstration: this explained.