Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XIV.

Doctrinal Inferences from the Divine Goodness.

MATTHEW vii. 11.

If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more fhall your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him.

HUS reasons our Divine Master from

THU

the imperfect goodness of earthly parents, and the good fruits which it produces; and warrants his difciples to infer, that with much furer hope they may expect greater and better things, from the infinitely fuperior benevolence of their heavenly Father; who is alfo the Author of all the kind affections, which warm the hearts of earthly parents. And if they, deficient

as

as they are in kindness, cannot refuse the humble applications of their children, for those things which are neceffary and convenient; with firm confidence may the humble and pious apply to their Father in beaven, for what they really want ; whose power, whose treasures, and whose bounty are infinite. In thefe words our Lord directs us to reafon from the manifeft truth of the fupream benevolence of the Deity, and justifies us in reafoning from it. They are therefore a proper introduction to the following difcourfes; in which I fhall clofe the illustration and proof of the Divine Goodness, with feveral inferences doctrinal and practical, from this moft delightful and interesting truth, that the Creator and Lord of the universe is infinitely, unchangeably, and everlastingly good and beneficent.

*

I shall begin with inferences chiefly doctrinal, and conclude with others more entirely practical.

I. I would lead your thoughts to fome corollaries, or inferences chiefly doctrinal, which we may with justice draw from the

truth

truth before proved, that God our beavenly Father, and the Father of the universe, is good, and that his goodness is unbounded, unchangeable, and everlasting.

1. Hence we may infer, what great reafon we have to value our religion; and that we can have no reason at all to be ashamed of being thought religious, or of appearing to be fuch on all proper occafions. It is the real dignity, and diftinguishing perfection of our nature, that we have faculties which make us capable of religion. That we can discover a being of boundless, wifdom, benevolence and righteoufnefs, the Creator and Preferver of us and of all things; that we can venerate, praife, love and imitate him; can rejoice in an affurance of being guided, protected and supplied by him during this life, and expect everlasting bleffedness from his immenfe benignity, when our time of probation fhall be well concluded.

Is not the world which we inhabit full of the evidences of a great First Cause, of his alwife and almighty providence, and unfail

ing bounty? Must not that perfon be ftu pidly irrational who does not difcern, and who is not futably affected with these; when he hath conftantly presented to his observation, more proofs of the continual prefence and goodness of God, than of the prefence and affection of a parent, with whom he hath converfed, and to whofe care and bounty he hath been obliged all his life? Is it not a foul difgrace to a rational being, to be destitute of a tafte for the highest rational and moral excellencies, and to be regardless and insensible of the greatest benefits? And is it not our most honourable diftinction from the brutes, and ought we not to value ourselves upon it, and to cultivate it; that while they can only enjoy the effects of the divine benevolence, we can apprehend this glorious perfection, and admire and love, yea resemble the best of Beings, in the most amiable perfection of his nature? And in the name of reafon, is there any thing to be ashamed of in this religion, in the difcovery and belief of the perfections and providence of God, and in a fuitable temper and behaviour? Is it not a character to be gloried in?

For is not knowledge an excellence; and are not the knowledge and contemplation of the fupream perfection and goodness, the most excellent knowledge and study? Are not the truths included in the existence of infinite, alwife, unchangeable, and everlasting Goodness, or deducible from it, of all truths the most noble and delightful, and moft worthy our fearch and meditation? Would not the perfon, who bred in a court, amidst the greateft, wifeft, most virtuous and accomplished of the human race, was yet wholly unattentive to their merit, converfation and actions, and only delighted with the tricks of a monkey, or the chattering of a parrot, be judged most ridiculously stupid; and in fpite of his human form, to be of a rank not more noble than those animals, in whom alone he took delight? And is not he more ridiculously and more criminally ftupid, who in a world filled with the wonders of the divine beneficence, furrounded with the prefence, and continually enjoying the bounties of God, is yet wholly unattentive to the fupream wifdom and benevolence, and wholly poffeft by perfons actions and affairs, which at best Cc

are

« AnteriorContinuar »