us to address Him; when he says, after this | dren, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him: manner pray ye, Our Father, &c. He is from whence it equally follows, that the love styled the Father of mercies, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. The stongest and most lively images are employed to represent this disposition of God towards us, the riches of his goodness and forbearance, the tender mercies of our God; and an apostle writing to the Ephesians, prays, "that they being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height thereof." of parents for their offspring is not void of all goodness. But if we admit this, how much more readily must we acknowledge, that the Saviour of the world, he who though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich, was pos sessed of goodness in an eminent degree? Yet it is the same Jesus, whose love surpasseth knowledge, that says, why callest thou me good, there is none good but one, that is God. What then must have been his meaning, what the sense of these sublime words? Manifestly this: that the goodness of God being absolutely infinite, unlimited and unbounded, can never be compared with the same quality in his creatures, how excellent soever they may be, because finite can bear no proportion to infinite. It is true that the goodness and the wisdom of God, may reside in his crea nicable perfections, but to possess these attributes infinitely, belongs to God alone, and is the exclusive privilege of a necessarily existent Being. He is called the only wise God, in the same sense in which our Saviour declares that he alone is good. But as it is not possible to select here all the passages of scripture that relate to this subject, I shall confine my observations to three, which have always appeared to me, expressive of peculiar energy. The first, is that in Isaiah, where God by the mouth of his prophet expostulates with and comforts his people. "Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a wo-tures in a limited degree, as they are commuman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee:" The love of a mother for her infant, is the strongest and most constant attachment we can conceive, I might say the most universal. For where is the animal, however weak and The third quotation I have in view are those timid on other occasions, that has not courage words of the disciple whom Jesus loved, and sufficient to defend its young? and do we not whose writings breathe so much of the spirit consider with aversion and horror as a mon- of his divine master: "he that loveth not, ster, a mother who by any other passion has knoweth not God, for God is love." Sublime, stiffed this sentiment of nature? But rare as affecting character! Love and goodness are these examples are, we are sometimes called then the essence of his will, the motives of all to behold them. They may forget, yet will his actions, on which we may with safety renot I. His love is then superior to the strong-pose the dearest interest of our souls! With est examples of it among men, it is constant, it is infinite; well then might the Psalmist declare with an unshaken confidence, "when my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." The second passage alluded to, is that in which our Saviour ascribes goodness in the superlative degree to God alone. "And behold one came and said unto him, good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." Here the only begotten Son of God, the Saviour of the world, refuses to be called good; and expressly declares that title to belong to God alone. Are we then to conclude from these remarkable words, that there is no such thing as goodness among men; that parents have no love for their children, and above all, that our blessed Redeemer was destitute of goodness, and had no love for us? it cannot be taken by any one in this sense. For had the Supreme Creator endowed us with a nature averse to the exercise of this celestial virtue, would he ever have made it our duty, or have proposed himself as an example for our imitation, commanding us to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful? And does he not condescend to borrow allusions from the tender tie of paternal affection whereby to express his own benevolent dispositions? Like as a father pitieth his chil respect to his divine intelligence, God is light, and in him is no darkness, no ignorance, no error; and in respect to his will, he is pure and infinite love, without any mixture of malevolence. If we admit this representation of the character and dispositions of God towards us, we cannot suppose hatred to reside in his nature, because to say, that love hates, is a contradiction in terms. The author of the book of wisdom, whoever he was, speaking of the Supreme Being, describes him in a manner too exalted, and at the same time too just, to be overlooked. Speaking of that mercy which he had upon all that they should amend, he says: "For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never wouldst thou have made any thing if thou hadst hated it." Thus if we have any knowledge of God, of his character and dispositions towards us, we must acknowledge that his love is the grand spring of all he has done, or ever will do for us. If we refuse to admit this, St. John tells us, that we have not known him, for God is love, and that this amiable disposition alone, which enables us to see him as he is, can entitle us to any resemblance to him. Though we have just been contemplating some of the most striking expressions of divine benevolence, yet as it is a truth upon which all religion is founded; so interesting in its nature, and so repeatedly urged both in the Old and New Testament; I shall not fear to incur the displeasure of my reader, by detaining him a few moments longer, on this delightful subject. What I would farther propose on this head, is taken from the gospel dispensation which discovers the good will of God to men, his paternal designs, and in a word, their glorious destination to perfect and everlasting felicity; this is clearly expressed, by the apostle, that "the living God, is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe" and "will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Such are the declarations of his will; who is called the Saviour of all men, and whose designs, purposes, and resolutions, cannot fail; because infinite wisdom sees the best means to accomplish them; and infinite power, enables him to employ them; thus it is impossible his determinations should be subverted. But had we not this argument drawn from his divine pefections, we should still have the positive assutances of Scripture, that "the counsel of the Lord endureth forever. My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure:" says the Supreme Jehovah by the mouth of his prophet Isaiah. In a word, it is him who worketh all things, after the counsel of his own will. Such is the immutability of his counsel; and constancy and immutability form the first characters of infinite goodness. The effect of this divine benevolence, the happy consequence that mortals are to derive from it, is salvation; perfect and universal salvation; for this is his will, when he calls himself the Saviour of all men. Now salvation is that life, that celestial happiness which the Author of life, and fountain of felicity has prepared for his creatures, and to which he will raise them all. This immortal and unutterable bliss, so worthy of him to bestow, and of us to aspire to, will consist in the perfection of our souls, in knowledge and holiness, and that of our bodies being raised incorruptible and glorious; in the magnificent abode and delightful society of angels and of the spirits of just men made perfect, and above all in our communion with the Son of God, our gracious Redeemer: finally, in our admission to the beatific vision of the Supreme Being, who will unite us to himself, and make us partakers of his nature and happiness; so that God will be all in all. And can we form to ourselves the idea of greater happiness, are our natures susceptible of more perfect, more exalted felicity, than that of which God himself will be the immediate, and inexhaustible source? Such is the short, but delightful sketch, of this salvation, which is to be our inheritance, the possession to which God by our Lord Jesus Christ has appointed us, and which, as it is prepared for us by him, must compre. hend all desirable good. Did I say, desirable? It must contain exceeding and abundantly more, than we are able to ask, or think; all the felicity of which our natures are suscepti ble; and which a Being infinitely powerful can confer upon us; in a word, all that is possible. Which comprehends the second character of infinite goodness, viz.: a disposition to do all possible good. We come next to consider the duration of infinite goodness, which is throughout all eternity. Thus the salvation he confers upon us, must be an eternal salvation; a life everlasting, an immortality, an eternal inheritance, an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us. An incorruptible crown; in a word, those things which are not seen, and which are eternal, whereas the things which are seen are temporal. If then our heavenly Father has reserved an eternal salvation for us, in the treasures of his munificence, he will forever bestow upon us, all possible good, because his goodness endureth forever: and thus we are come to the third character in infinite goodness. The fourth and last, is, that it is a disposition eternally to confer all possible good on all mankind, without exception. The passages above cited are full of the plainest and most positive declarations of this truth, it is the language of revelation in almost every page, that "the Lord is good unto all, and that his tender mercies are over all his works." Thus I have proved that the doctrine of Scripture with respect to our future destination, evidently demonstrates, that the goodness of God is indeed infinite; as I have distinctly shewn from the declarations of it, as his will, that all men should be saved; which necessarily implies all the characters of infinite goodness, and is perfectly equivalent with this proposition, that there is in the Supreme Being, a constant will, to confer all possible good upon all mankind, throughout all eternity. And does not this exactly correspond with the definition of infinite goodness, which I gave in the preceding chapter? Such has the Father of our spirits revealed himself to us, in his word: but he has yet another method of instruction, more sensible, more evident, and more universal, than the most perfect doctrine could ever be; and this is our experience: experience, when joined to that revelation which enlightens our reason, places this truth in so striking a light, that it becomes as it were palpable, and is an object of our senses. Thus when revelation proclaims the promise of eternal life, in which the treasures of divine munificence are displayed; it also appeals to a fact, to the most signal instance of infinite goodness, in the gift, the precious gift, that God has bestowed upon us in his Son, to call and to conduct us to happiness: that our faith being founded on experience, may lead us to place an unshaken confidence in all his assurances of salvation. Now as this fact is appealed to in proof of the infinite goodness of our Maker, let us ex amine how it is evidenced by it. The supreme Creator beholding the beings he had made, and destined to happiness, wan dering in the ways of sin, and departing from that celestial life, for the enjoyment of which they were created; appointed his own Son to be the Saviour of the world. And could the Eternal Father bestow on us a more excellent gift, than he who is the image of his own invisible Godhead, the first-born of every creature: by whom the world was made, his first born, his only begotten, his well beloved Son, in whom he declares himself well pleased, who was crowned with glory and happiness, in the bosom of the Father, before the world was?" But when he appointed this beloved. Son to be the deliverer of the human race; to the accomplishing this end, and the fulfilling of this divine commission; he gave him power over all men, power to raise them from the dead, and to judge them; authority to reign over them, that he might bring them all to God. But previous to the exercise of this mediatorial authority, it was necessary that he should become the light of the world, and not alone instruct us by his precepts, but shew us in his person, what those virtues were, which we were enjoined to practice, in order to fit ourselves to be partakers of this great salvation. He was therefore not only appointed to be the teacher, and deliverer; but the model, and guide, of the human race. To this end the Son of God, became the son of man, emptied himself and became like to us, by taking with our mortal nature all its infirmities and miseries; and submitting to death, that by his resurrection, and ascension to heaven, the glorious certainty of our future destination might appear. Now to accomplish this, it was necessary that the Divine Being should give his wellbeloved Son to a sinful world; that he should not spare him, but should deliver him up. Thus we behold our Saviour, in conformity to the will of his Father, quitting the celes tial abode of divine glory, condescending to be born of a virgin, living amongst us in a mean and abject condition, exposed to contradictions, to hatred, and to all the cruel malice of his enemies; becoming a prey to their machinations, abandoned to their barbarous rage, placed in the rank of a criminal, loaded with reproach, and indignity, and condemned to the most bitter sufferings: nailed to an infamous cross, and there expiring in grief and agony. And is it thus, O God of justice! that thou permittest thine innocent, and holy Son to become the victim of a wicked and corrupt world, a world of sinners, of unjust and cruel rebels! O the depth of the riches of the goodness and love of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. Such is the gift which God has bestowed upon us in his Son, such the striking and ever memorable act by which he has signalized his infinite goodness to us; and what goodness may we not discover, what evidence may we not draw from it? Two reflections sertainly merit our attention. First, Which way soever we turn our thoughts on this astonishing subject, we behold the traces of infinite goodness; and not the traces only, but the most resplendent and convincing marks of this amiable, this adorable attribute, in the great Author of our being. his gift, was that of the most excellent, the most sublime intelligence, and therefore the most tender object of his affection. He gave him in a manner not less surprising, he spared him not, but delivered him up to die upon an ignominious cross: if we next consider on whom he conferred so transcendent a favour, it was on a whole race of men, alienated from him, and enemies in their minds by wicked works. Or if we turn to the purposes for which he gave him, we shall discover, that he was designed to exhibit, even in his death, the most perfect model of all virtue, and that the consequences of that death, were to be our glorious destination to a happy, and eternal life. Need we then doubt that our salvation is his will, and our happiness his delight; when he employs such means to secure it? and after this wonderful token of his love, with what confidence may we not depend, that we shall forever remain the happy objects of his infinite compassion, and love; and that he will deny us nothing that can contribute to our everlasting well being? Such is the conclusion which St. Paul derives from this marvellous dispensation: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him, also freely give us all things?" Thus does experience discover to us the infinite love of our Maker; and how evident soever truths founded on reason may appear, the instruction we receive from experience, brings home to our hearts such strong and lively impressions, that we are unable to resist the conviction. The most positive declarations, the most immediate promises, from the mouth of God Himself, that he will neither leave nor forsake us, may put tranquillity into our minds, be cause they are the declarations of Him, who is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent; yet even these, were we destitute of all experience of their truth, could never create in our hearts, the intimate conviction, the perfect assurance which only that can give. For could I ever from these declarations, and promises, have inferred, the inestimable gift of such a Saviour? I might indeed have hoped, from the principles already established, that my Almighty Father would refuse me nothing which he saw necessary to my hap piness; but who could presume to expect such things, as eye has not seen, nor ear heard, surely they could never enter into the heart of man to concieve? But when to the express assurances, to the most magnificent promises of divine goodness, we are able to add that evident demonstration which arises from the experience of the infinite goodness of God in the gift of his Son, what strength does it not convey to them? not profess it: insomuch that the epithet of a good God, is in the mouth of every one? To all this I agree; mankind acknowledge and profess to believe the infinite goodness of God: it is preached, it is taught, and notwith standing all this, it is not known. But it is necessary here to explain what I a flood of light pours in upon the mind; the whole man lays hold on the delightful truth, by every faculty of his soul; he not only knows, comprehends, and believes it; but he sees, contemplates, tastes, and in a word feels, in the inmost recesses of his heart; that his Eternal Creator is a father infinitely kind. It is thus we may be filled with all the ful-advance, not only to make the propriety of ness of God. It was this consideration which this chapter appear, but of the whole of this led St. Paul to express himself with such treatise. For why write to explain and esheartfelt eloquence, and such strength and tablish a truth already known to all, and energy of language. "I am persuaded," which no one contests? says he, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." CHAPTER III. Consequences deduced from the infinite goodness of God. AFTER having in the two preceding chapters explained and proved, the infinite goodness of God, it should seem that this foundation of the system of his government of moral agents was sufficiently known, and that I might here terminate the first part of this work. But this sublime and delightful proposition, is a truth too interesting to content myself with having demonstrated it; we must stop and contemplate the most affecting object that can ever engage our attention: the Being who made us, and who is goodness itself; the eternal will, who is love, and breathes nothing but love! If the Psalmist said it was a good thing, O most High! to shew forth thy loving kindness every morning; how much reason have we to say it is a good thing to contemplate, to meditate, to reflect upon this ineffable goodness? Our minds no sooner employ themselves thus, but our hearts are touched, and penetrated, and we are ready to exclaim, O God of love! in thy presence is fulness of joy! But it is not only the beauty of the subject that detains me: I have another and more imtant reason, which makes it necessary that I should dwell upon it; and this is, that the infinite goodness of God is not known, or what amounts to the same, that it is ill known. I say that to know improperly, or not to know, amounts to the same thing. St. John does say, he that loveth not has improperly known God, but, he that loveth not, has not known him. And here I perceive that many of my readers will be alarmed at the apparent injustice of the accusation, and ask how this complaint can be made among Christians, when there is not a sect, a single communion amongst them, which does not profess to believe the infinite goodness of God? Is there a divine, of what denomination soever, who does not acknowledge and expressly teach this truth? is there even an individual in Christendom who does I say then first, that the goodness of God, is not known to all such, as attribute to him, a will, and actions, absolutely incompatible therewith, and which can only belong to infinite malevolence and cruelty. Secondly, it is not known to those, who have doubts, difficulties, and objections concerning it. Thirdly, it is not known to all such, as have not for the Supreme Being, for his providence and for his laws, the sentiments which infinite goodness deserves; for his providence and his laws are no other than his perfect and gracious will. And when tried by these rules, how many will be found who know thee not, O merciful God! how many labour under the dreadful misfortune of misconceiving thine adorable goodness, through the means of prejudice, ignorance, or passion! Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon them! Since such is the case, it was necessary to determine the precise idea, and to demonstrate the perfect certainty of this truth, as I have done hitherto; but this is not enough; I therefore devote this chapter to the enumeration of the principal consequences which flow from the infinite goodness of God; which will in the first place entirely refine it from the dross of error, which has corrupted, and even totally destroyed, our ideas of it. Secondly, reconcile it with every appear. ance, with every event in the course of nature, with every dispensation of providence, which may seem in contradiction to it. Thirdly shew, what are the sentiments which the knowledge of the infinite goodness of God infallibly produces in the heart, when the mind is rightly informed, and thoroughly convinced of it. This chapter will be divided into two sections; the first of which will contain the consequences respecting the theory; and the second, the practical consequences to be derived from it. SECTION I. THE first consequence resulting from the infinite goodness of God, is its incomprehensibility, or in other words, the utter impossibility of any finite creature ever comprehending the extent of this attribute, as possessed by the Supreme Being. And this must appear with the clearest evidence; for as this perfection is constantly em ployed in doing all the good, that is possible, | us then venerate our reason. Let us beware we must in order to comprehend it, know all of vilifying and degrading this candle of the the good which every creature, is, and will Lord in which consists the honour, and glory, ever be, capable of receiving; we must be of our nature. Let us fear to follow our preignorant of none of the works of our Maker, judices and passion, since it is they that renmust know the whole universe as he does, der us culpable and wretched; and let us remust know God himself; and this is to ad- member that we shall never be perfect and vance, that our knowledge must be infinite. happy, till our reason shall have acquired an Thus it is evident that the infinite goodness absolute, and habitual empire, over our sentiof God, is incomprehensible by us; because ments and conduct; that is, till we are truly we can never possess infinite knowledge. rational. Besides, we see that this attribute is con- I solicit my readers to pardon this digresneeted with his wisdom, and power: thus sion in favour of human reason, which I conwhen we say that his goodness is incompre-sidered necessary, since, under the pretext bensible, it is equal to saying that all the that the goodness of God is incomprehensible, attributes of our Creator are infinite, and that the ignorance and weakness of reason have be himself far exceeds the limits of our been exaggerated to such a degree, that some understanding. "Canst thou by searching might be tempted to infer, that it was a and out God? Canst thou find out the Al- treacherous and dangerous guide. It was mighty to perfection? It is high as heaven, therefore requisite to explain, how far it might what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what be deemed weak and imperfect, without precanst thou know?" judice to the excellence and dignity of this valuable faculty. But here some will say, if the goodness of God is incomprehensible to us, because it is infinite, have we not just reason to fear that all researches into it, will be vain, and all our arguments, uncertain conjectures? shall the lunited powers of man, his weak, and shortsighted reason, presume to advance any thing on a subject so dark, and impenetrable; and must not all the arguments of his feeble reason be uncertain and rash, if not absolutely false? How then are we to argue on an incomprehensible subject? Such are the declamations I have often heard, and sometimes even read. For when men will not admit the consequences that follow from the infinite goodness of their Maker, they think to avoid them by taking refuge in its unsearchable nature; and declaim on the darkness, the weakness, and temerity of hutuan reason. Let us for a moment examine what that faculty is, which we hear so often censured. It is true that it is originally covered with profound darkness; but it is also true, that it is the mean by which we may acquire light, and that, in an endless progression. It is true that in its first dawn it is weak and feeble; but it is not less so, that it acquires strength by exercise, and that the more it is exerted, the more vigorous it becomes. This reason, however obscure and feeble in its origin, is nevertheless the grand mark of distinction between us, and the brute creation; it is the faculty by which we are rendered capable of contemplating and resembling in any degree, the infinitely perfect God; in a word, therein can only consist his image stamped upon man. Reason is the excellence, the perfection, the dignity of human nature; and God addresses himself to it, in nature, and in revelation. He, who made us for happiness, determined to raise us from the dreadful wretchedness of ignorance, and sin, to perfection and felicity; and to accomplish this end he gives us the means, of developing, of exercising. of fortifying, and of enlightening it by the knowledge of the truth. Ah! let Let us now take up the question, How we are to reason on an incomprehensible subject? Now when we say that the Divine Goodness is unsearchable, we do not mean that the subject is so dark, and impenetrable, that we can form no ideas of it; that we cannot comprehend what goodness is; and that we do not perceive with the clearest evidence, that the Supreme Being is infinitely good. This would be a very false and absurd conclusion, and what the two preceding chapters are intended to overthrow; we mean therefore to express, that in the extent of Divine Goodness, there is, and will ever remain, infinitely more than we can comprehend; and thus, that the sublimest ideas we can form, will continue at an infinite distance from the reality of that attribute in our Maker. We mean also to signify, that we can never ascribe more goodness to God than he possesses, or exceed its bounds in our expectations of happiness from it. We cannot indeed determine the time, and manner, in which Infinite Wisdom may see fit to dispense his blessings; because our knowledge is finite; but we may with certainty affirm with the apostle, that "he is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more for us, than we can ask or think." Lastly, when we say that the infinite goodness of God is incomprehensible, we mean that it is inexhaustible with respect to us, and that our progress in the knowledge of it will last forever; for in the riches of his love consist those rivers of pleasure, of which he will cause us to drink. This is the true and interesting signification of the term, and first consequence that the infinite goodness of God is incomprehensible. The second, contains the absolute impossibility of there being any thing in the supreme mind contrary to his infinite goodness. This truth is so apparent, that many of my readers may call it a self evident proposition; as if I were to say, that it is impossible for a thing to be, and not to be at the same time. And yet evident as it certainly is, its discussion is both |