SERM. And to raise our thoughts of God's goodness to us the fons of men yet higher, as he hath given us the creatures below us for our use and convenience; fo hath he appointed the creatures above us for our guard and protection, not to fay for our service: Pfal. xxxiv. 7. "The angel of the LORD encampeth "round about them that fear him, and deliver"eth them ;" and then it follows, "O tafte and tr fee that the LORD is good!" and Pfal. xci. 11, 12. "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways: they fhall bear thee up "in their hands." Nay, the apoftle speaks as if their whole bufinefs and employment were to attend upon, and be ferviceable to, good men; Heb. i. 14. "Are they not all miniftring fpirits, fent forth to minifter for them who fhall be heirs of falvation." 3. The goodnefs of GOD to men appears, in his tender love, and peculiar care of us above the reft of the creatures, being ready to impart and difpenfe to us the good that is fuitable to our capacity and condition, and concerned to exempt us from thofe manifold evils of want and pain, to which we are obnoxious: I do not mean an abfolute exemption from all forts and degrees of evil, and a perpetual te nure of temporal happiness, and enjoyment of all good things; this is not fuitable to our present ftate, and the rank and order which we are in among the creatures; nor would it be beft for us, all things confidered. But the goodness of God to us above other creatures, is proportionable to the dignity and excellency of our natures above them; for, as the apostle reasons in another case, " doth God take care " for oxen," and fhall he not much more extend his care to man? To this purpose our SAVIOUR refons; Mat. vi. 26. "Behold the fowls of the air: 6. "for you ?" for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor ga"ther into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth "them; are ye not much better than they ?" And ver. 30. Wherefore if GOD fo clothe the grafs of "the field, which to day is, and to morrow is caft in"to the oven, fhall he not much more clothe and chap. x. 29, 30, 31. "Are not two fparrows "fold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall "on the ground without your father. "hairs of your head are all numbred. Fear ye not "therefore, ye are of more value than many spar"rows." It is true God hath a special care of his people and fervants, above the reft of mankind; but our SAVIOUR ufeth thefe arguments to his difciples, to convince them of the providence of GOD towards them, as men, and of a more excellent nature than other creatures. But the very And indeed we are born into the world more destitute and helpless than other creatures; as if it were on purpose to fhew, that God had referved us for his more peculiar care and providence; which is fo great, that the fcripture, by way of condefcenfion, expreffeth it to us by the name of love; fo that what effects of care the greatest and tenderest affection in men is apt to produce towards one another, that, and much more, is the effect of God's goodness to us and this affection of GoD is common to all men, (though, of all creatures, we have least deserved it) and is ready to diffuse and shed abroad itself, whereever men are qualified for it by duty and obedience, and do not obftruct and ftop the emanations of it, by their fins and provocations. And though the greateft part of mankind be evil, yet this doth not wholly put a stop to his goodness, though it cause many abatements of it, and hinder SERM. CXLIV. CXLIV. SERM. many good things from us: but fuch is the goodnefs of GOD, notwithstanding the evil and undutifulnefs of men, that he is pleased still to concern himfelf in the government of the world, and to preferve the focieties of men from running into utter confufion and disorder; notwithstanding the violence and irregularities of men's wills and paffions, the commu nities of men fubfift upon tolerable terms; and notwithstanding the rage and craft of evil men, poor and unarmed innocence and virtue is ufually protećted, and, fometimes, rewarded in this world, and domineering and outragious wickedness is very often remarkably checked and chaftifed. All which inftances of God's providence, as they are greatly for the advantage and comfort of mankind, fo are they an effectual declaration of that goodness which governs all things, and of God's kind care of the af fairs and concernments of men; fo that if we look no farther than this world, we may fay with David, "Verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily "there is a GOD that judgeth the earth.” I know this argument hath been perverted to a quite contrary purpofe; that if goodness governed the world, and adminiftred the affairs of it, good and evil would not be fo carelefly and promiscuously difpenfed; good men would not be fo great fufferers, nor wicked men fo profperous as many times they are. ડ But this alfo, if rightly confidered, is an effect of God's goodness, and infinite patience to mankind, that "he caufeth his fun to rife, and his rain to fall upon the juft and unjuft;" that, upon the provocations of men, he does not give over his care of them, and throw all things into confufion and ruin : this plainly fhews, that he defigns this life for the 1 CXLIV. trial of men's virtue and obedience, in order to the SERM. greater reward of it; and therefore "he fuffers men "to walk in their own ways," without any great check and controul, and reserves the main bulk of rewards and punishments for another world: So that all this is fo far from being any objection against the goodness of GoD, that, on the contrary, it is an argument of GOD's immenfe goodness, and infinite patience, that the world fubfifts and continues, and that he permits men to take their courfe, for the fuller trial of them, and the clearer and more effectual declaration of his juftice, in the rewards and punishments of another life. Fourthly and laftly, the goodness of Gop to mankind most gloriously appears, in the provifion he hath made for our eternal happiness. What the happiness of man should have been, had he continued in innocency, is not particularly revealed to us ; but this is certain, that by wilful tranfgreffions we have forfeited all that happiness which our natures are capable of. In this lapfed and ruinous condition of mankind, the goodness and mercy of GOD was pleafed to employ his wisdom for our recovery, and to reftore us not only to a new but a greater capacity of glory and happiness. And in order to this, the fon of GoD affumes our nature for the recovery and redemption of man; and the pardon of fin is purchaf ed for us by his blood; eternal life, and the way to it, are clearly discovered to us. GOD is pleased to enter into a new and better covenant with us, and to afford us inward grace and affiftance, to enable us to perform the conditions of it; and graciously to accept of our faith and repentance, of our fincere refolutions and endeavours of holiness and obedience, for SERM. for perfect and complete righteousness, for his fake who" fulfilled all righteousness." CXLIV. This is the great and amazing goodness of GoD to mankind, that when we were in open rebellion against him, he should entertain thoughts of peace and reconciliation; and when he paffed by the fallen angels, he should fet his affection and love upon the finful and miferable fons of men. And herein is "the love of God to men perfected," that as he hath made all creatures, both above us, and below us, fubfervient and inftrumental to our fubfiftence and preservation; fo, for the ranfom of our fouls from eternal ruin and mifery," he hath not spared "his own fon, but hath given him up to death for "us," him, whom "he hath commanded all the "angels of GOD to worship," and to whom he hath made subject all creatures in heaven and earth ; him, "who made the world," and "who upholds "all things by the word of his power, who is the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of * his perfon." 66 And after fuch a ftupendous inftance as this, what may we not reasonably hope for, and promise our felves from the divine goodnefs? So the apostle hath taught us to reafon; Rom. viii. 32. He that fpar *ed not his own fon, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him alfo freely give us "all things?". L. 119: |