XIV. ment itself, abfolutely fpeaking, fhall at SER M. the day of judgment, in the nature and reafon of the thing, appear so just and neceffary, that every mouth, even of Sinners themselves, shall be stopped before God; ftopped, not by Force and Power, but by the clear evidence of Right and Reason. And God, when he cometh with C ten thousand of his Saints to execute judg ment upon All, fhall convince ungodly Sinners, not only of their ungodly deeds which they have committed, but of their hard Speeches alfo which they have spoken against him, Jude 15. And when the Punishment of the wicked fhall be actually inflicted upon them in the place of Torment, even This fhall be, not only in the prefence of God, but in the prefence of the Holy Angels alfo, and in the presence of the Lamb, Rev. xiv. 10. That is; it fhall be fuch as is, not only appointed by the infinite Majefty of God the righteous Judge of all, but approved moreover by Men and Angels, and by Him alfo himself, who loved us unto Death, even Chrift our merciful and compaffionate High-Prieft. 5thly, IT remains in the 5th and last place, that I draw fome practical Infe Z3 rences SER M.rences from this whole Doctrine, concernXIV. ing the Divine Goodness. And 1, THE Goodnefs of God, is a Ground of perpetual Praife and Thankfulness. Pf. ciii. 2. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits. Who forgiveth all thy Sin, and healeth all thy infirmities. Who faveth thy Life from defruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness. 2dly, IF God is infinitely Good; this makes him the most perfect Object, of our Love, as well as of our Fear. And though Obedience that proceeds from Fear, will be accepted to Salvation ; yet when it proceeds from Love, it is more easy and pleafant, more free from the danger of Superftition, and from erroneous Circumftances of all kinds. 3dly, A juft Senfe of the Goodness of God, is apt to raife in generous minds a very ftrong hatred and indignation against Sin; when they confider that 'tis an of fence, not only of Indignity against their Supreme Governour, but of Ingratitude alfo against their Benefactor Whofe Commands are all given them, not for bis own Sake, but for theirs; Not that their Obedience is of any Advantage to SER M. Him, but for their own Benefit only, and XIV. everlasting Happiness. 4thly, THOUGH the Goodness of God be, like all his other Attributes, truly infinite; yet let not Sinners prefume upon it to their own deftruction. For, infinite as it is, it extends not to Devils; it extends not to impenitent Sinners; it extends not to the deftruction of Justice and Virtue and good Government : Even as infinite Power, extends only to the Objects of Power, not to Impoffibilities. God loves And his Creatures, beyond the Love of the SERM.my heart: The Lord will not spare him, XIV. but the Anger of the Lord shall smoke ar guinft that man, and all the Curfes that true are written in this book, fhall lie upon him. And 'tis recorded in the book of Kings for an everlafting memorial, that when God pardoned Manaffeh upon his Repentance after many years wickedness, and he reigned in Jerufalem fifty and five years; his Son Amon prefuming upon the Goodness of God to imitate his Father's wickednefs, was cut off in his Sin after only two Years reign. 5thly, THE Goodness of God, is an example for Us to imitate. Does He who has all Power abfolutely in his own hands, caufe his Sun to fhine on the Evil and on the Good, and fend his rain on the just and on the unjust, doing good to All, and extending his mercy over all his works? And fhall frail mortals, fhall vain and finful men, tyrannize over each other? Shall God forgive us freely ten thousand talents? and fhall We not forgive each other our one hundred pence? efpecially when in our daily Prayer, our Lord has taught us to make This the exprefs condition of our own defiring Forgivenefs? And the Reafon XIV. Reason of the thing, is elegantly expreffed SER M. by the Son of Sirach, Ecclus. xxviii. 3, 4, One man beareth hatred against another, and doth be feek pardon from the Lord? He fheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself, and doth he ask forgiveness of his own Sins? Laftly, THE confideration of the divine Goodness is an incouragement to Repentance; seeing he requires of us no impoffible, no hard condition; but only faith unto us, Wash and be clean, Amend and be forgiven. Yet at the fame time it shows alfo to Sinners the abfolute Neceffity of their Reformation; seeing, without fuch Reformation, even infinite Goodness itself will not pardon them, tho' it waits with much long-fuffering for their Repentance and Amendment, SERMON |