I.

SER M. or the particular affairs of men, being well examined and weighed, would afford reafon apt to perfuade, that the Governor of the world is graciously affected toward his creatures and fubjects. The general prefervation of things in their natural conftitution and order; the difpenfing constant viciffitudes of season, fo as may ferve for the fupply of our needs; the maintaining fuch a courfe of things in the world, that, notwithstanding the great irregularity of will, and violence of paffion in fo many perfons; yet men do ordinarily fhift fo as to live tolerably upon earth in peace and safety, and enjoyment of competent accommodations for life; with the aids and confolations arifing from mutual fociety; the fupports, encouragement, and rewards of virtue many times in a ftrange manner adminiftered; the restraints, difappointments, and seasonable chastisements of wickednefs, especially when it grows exorbitant and outrageous, unexpectedly intervening, with the like pafPfal. xxviii. fages of Providence, will, to him that fhall regard the works of the Lord, and the operation of his hands, fufficiently declare as the other glorious attributes (wif dom, power, and juftice), fo especially the goodness of him, who prefides over the world; affuring that he is a friend to the welfare, and diflikes the misery of mankind. He that fhall well obferve and confider how among fo many fierce and hard-hearted, fo many crafty and fpiteful, fo many domineering and devouring fpirits, the poor and weak, the fimple and harmlefs fort of people do however subsist, and enjoy fomewhat, cannot but fufpect that an undifcernible hand, full of pity and bounty, doth often convey the neceffary fupports of life to them, doth often divert imminent mifchiefs from them; cannot but acknowledge it credible, what the holy Scripture teacheth, that God is the friend, and patron, and Pfal. xiv. 6. protector of those needy and helpless people, redeemtot 14 ing their foul from deceit and violence (as the Pfalmift fpeaks); that he is (as the Prophet expreffeth it) a

5.

Ifai. v. 12.

1xxii. 12.

Strength

ult.

1.

frength to the poor, a ftrength to the needy in his diftrefs, s ER M. a refuge from the ftorm, a fhadow from the heat, when the blaft of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. He that shall remark, how frequently in an unac- Ifa. xxv. 4. countable way, fuccour and relief do fpring up to just and innocent perfons; fo that in a whole age (as the Pfalmift obferved) fuch perfons do not appear defti- Pfal.xxxvii. tute or forfaken; how alfo iniquity is commonly 25. stopped in his full career, and then easily receives a check, when its violence feemed uncontrollable; how likewise many times the world is rescued from confufions and distractions unextricable by any visible wit or force; with other like occurrences in human affairs; muft admit it for a reasonable hypothefis (fit to render a cause of fuch appearances) that a transcendent goodnefs doth fecretly interpofe, furthering the production of fuch effects: he muft upon fuch obfervation be ready to verify that of the Pfalmift : Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is Pfal. Iviii. à God that judgeth the earth. St. Paul inftructs us, Acts xiv. that in past times (that is, in all generations from 17. the beginning of things) God did atteft himself to be the Governor of the world: How? dyadorov, by his beneficence; giving to men fhowers from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling their hearts with food and gladness: competent evidences, it seems, thefe were of his providence, and withal (fuppofing that) certain demonftrations of his goodness: although fome have abused this kind of teftimony, or argumentation, fo valid in itself, unto a contrary purpose; alledging, that if God ruled the world, fo much wickedness and impiety would not be tolerated therein; that ingrateful and evil men could not fo thrive and flourish; that more speedy and more fevere vengeance would be executed; that benefits would not be scattered among the crowd of men, with fo promifcuous and undiftinguishing a freenefs. But fuch difcourfes, upon a juft and true account, do only infer the great patience and clemency, the unconfined mercy and bounty

B 4

I.

SER M. bounty of our Lord; that he is in difpofition very different from pettish and impatient man, who, fhould he have the reins put into his hands, and in his administration of things fhould be fo often neglected, croffed, abused, would foon overturn all things; and, being himself difcompofed with paffion, would precipitate the world into confufion and ruin. Things would not have subsisted hitherto, and continued in their orderly course, but by the moderation of an immense goodness; by that

Claud.

Lam. iii.

32.

-magni cuftos clementia mundi.

It is by the Lord's mercies that we (we, the whole body of finful men, fo guilty of heinous provocations and rebellions against our Maker) are not confumed. And what again God in the Prophet fpeaks concerning Ifrael, he might have applied to the whole nation of Hof. xi. S. men: How fhall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Ifrael? how shall I make thee as Admah? how fhall I fet thee as Zeboim? I will not execute the fierceness of my anger, I will not return to deftroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man. The reafon (for I am God, and not man) is obfervable; implying (upon parity of reafon in the cafes, concerning that one nation, and concerning the body of men) that it is an indulgence and forbearance above, if not contrary to the temper of man, and even beyond human conceit, whereby the state of things here doth fubfift, and is preferved from ruin.

-Exod.

xxxiv. 6.

אל

Thus nature, and thus Providence do bear witnefs concerning the difpofition of God. As for Scripture, there is nothing either in way of pofitive affertion more frequently inculcated, or by more illuftrious examples set forth, and made palpable, than this attribute of God. When God would impart a portraiture, or defcription of himself to his dearest friend and favourite, Mofes; the first and chief lineaments thereof are feveral forts, or several inftances of goodness; he expreffes himself Merciful and cious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness: (Merci

gra

ful:

&c.

I.

Micah vii.

ful: El rachum) a God of pitying, or ftrong in pity; S E R M. that is, moft apt to commiferate, and to fuccour those who are in need or diftrefs. Gracious, that is, ready both freely to forgive wrongs, and to difpenfe favours. Long-fuffering, or longus irarum, that is, not foon moved, or apt eafily to conceive difpleasure; not hafty in execution of vengeance, or venting his anger in hurtful effects. Abundant in goodness, that is, not fparing as to quantity or quality, either in the multitude or magnitude of his favours, but in all respects exceedingly liberal; conferring willingly both very many, and very great benefits. Such did God Pfal.lxxxvi. reprefent himself to Mofes, when he defired a fuller 5. ciii. 8, knowledge and nearer acquaintance with him, than ordinary means afford. The fame character in fubftance we have often repeated; and fometimes with advantage of emphatical expreffion, well deferving our obfervation and regard; as when the prophet Joel faith, that God is penitent, or forry, for evil in- Joel ii. 13. flicted; and Micah, that be delighteth in mercy; and 18. when Nehemiah calleth him a God of pardons; and Neh. ix. when Ifaiah reprefents him as waiting (or feeking oc- lai. xxx. cafions) to be gracious: and all this in the Old Tefta- 18. ment, where God feems to look upon man with a lefs ferene and debonair afpect. Indeed, as that dispensation (fuitably to the nature and condition of things under it) doth fet out God's mercy and goodness, with especial relation to this prefent world, or temporal eftate; fo the New one more abundantly dif plays his more excellent care and love of our fouls; his great tenderness of our fpiritual and eternal welfare. It is all of it in its nature and defign but as it were one entire declaration of the rò xensòv r Oe (the be- Rom. ii. 4. neficial difpofition, the benignity, or bountifulness of God, as St. Paul telleth us); it is a rare project of divine philanthropy; an illuftrious affidavit of God's wonderful propenfity to blefs and fave mankind; manifefted by the higheft expreffions and inftances of love and goodness that were poffible. (For his

17.

not

I.

11. i. 3.

Eph. ii. 4.

1 John iv.8.

S E R M. not sparing his own Son, the exprefs image of his fub ftance, the dearest object of his infinite love, the partaker of his eternal nature and glory, but delivering him up a facrifice for our offences; his moft earnest wooing our baseness and unworthinefs to reconciliation with him, and admiffion or acceptance of his favour; his tendering upon fo fair and eafy terms an endless life in perfect joy and blifs; his furnishing us with fo plentiful means and powerful aids for attainRom. v. 21. ing that happy ftate-how pregnant demonstrations are these, of unspeakable goodness toward us! whence) The ordinary titles in this difpenfation attributed unto 2 Cor. xiii. him, are, the God of love and peace, of hope, of patience; of all grace, of all confolation; the father of pities, rich in Jam. v. 11. mercy, full of bowels; love and goodness itself. Thus doth the Scripture pofitively affert God's goodness; thus it directly reprefents and describes his gracious difpofition toward us. And as for examples (which must serve as to illuftrate and explain, fo alfo to verify and affure matters of this nature), if we carefully attend to God's ordinary proceedings with men there recorded, we shall find this difpofition very confpiLuke vi. 35. cuous in them. Who can recount the number, or set out the value of those inftances wherein God's goodness is expreffed toward fuch as loved him? Of his admirable condefcenfion in drawing them to him; of the affectionate tenderness, with which he conftantly embraced them; of his merciful indulgence toward them, when provoked by their untowardly behaviour; of his kind acceptance, and munificent recompenfing their endeavours to please him; of his deep compaffionating their fufferings; of his vigilant carefulness over them, and over all their concernments? Methinks the higheft expreffions that language, affifted with all its helps of metaphor and refemblance, can afford, are very languid and faint in comparison of what they ftrain to reprefent, when Pfal.xxxvi. the good nefs of God toward them who love him, comes to be expreffed: As the heaven is high above

For be is kind un

to the unthankful, and to the evil.

6.

the