And though we may reasonably fuppofe, that in the present degenerate State of Mankind, many Things are ordered for our Correction and Punishment, and as Marks of the divine Displeasure against us for our Sins; yet ftill it cannot be denied, that we are furrounded with a Profufion of Benefits. Abundant Provifion is made, not only for our Neceffity, but for our Delight. Every where may we behold the most illuftrious Evidence of the Goodnefs and Benignity of the great Author of Nature. For how can he but be good, from whom defcendeth every good and perfect Gift, and who communicateth Life and Happiness to numberless Orders of Beings, according to their various Natures and Capacities? Even among Men, degenerate as they now are, we may obferve admirable Inftances of extenfive Charity and Benevolence, which carrieth them to delight in fhewing Mercy, and in doing Good to all around them, as far as they have Ability and Opportunity. And those are justly esteemed the most valuable and lovely of the human Race, in whom thefe good and kind Affections most abound and prevail. And from these Distances of Goodness in Creatures like ourselves, we fhould afcend in our Thoughts to God, regarding them as imperfect Refemblances of his original uncreated

uncreated Goodness. We may reasonably conclude that this benevolent Disposition, which is fo amiable and praife-worthy in the Creatures, is to be found in the highest Degree of Eminency in the great Patent of the Univerfe, who hath implanted thofe kind Affections in our Hearts, and hath given us a ftrong Sense of the Beauty and Loveliness of fuch a Temper and Conduct. The Goodness that is in the best of Men is imperfect, it is in Danger of being over-ruled or restrained by irregular selfish Appetites and Paffions and private Interefts. But God's Benevolence is boundless as his Being, extending its Influence to every Part of this wide Univerfe. To him (as was before hinted) are no irregular Appetites, no narrow selfish Affections or Interefts to limit of overrule the perfect Benignity of his Nature. If therefore we often behold with Admiration the lovely Traces of Benevolence, which may be obferved in human Characters, though attended with manifold Defects, how amiable and admirable is the great, unlimited, underived Source of Goodness and Happiness? This Goodness of God may be confidered in various Views according to the various Ways in which i is exercised. It comprehendeth his free and diffusive Benignity towards all his

Creatures,

Creatures, his Mercy towards the miserable, his Patience and Long-fuffering towards the guilty, in deferring and moderating the Punishment they had incurred, and his Difpofition to pardon thofe of them that are proper Objects of Forgiveness, and as far as is confiftent with the great Ends of his Government. For it must be confidered that his Goodnefs, as to its Exercife, is always under the Direction of infinite Wisdom, and is exercifed towards Particulars in a regular Subferviency to the univerfal Good, which is what the fupreme Goodnefs as well as Wisdom, will always have principally in View. And there is none of the divine Attributes more frequently celebrated in the facred Writings than his Goodnefs. It is there declared, that the Lord is good to all, and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. Pfal. cxlv. 9. that he is full of Compaffion, and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth. Exod. xxxiv. 6. and that he delighteth in Mercy. Micah. vii. 18. We are called upon to give Thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his Mercy endureth for ever. Pfal. exxxvi. 1. He is defcribed to lie under that amiable Character, that God is Love. 1 John iv. 8. kind and loving, but infinite Goodness itself. His Goodness

2

Not only Love and is réprefented

fented to us in the Scripture as appear ing in the Benefits of a common boundless Providence, in that he caufeth his Sun to fhine and his Rain to defcend, and doeth Good even to the unthankful and the evil, filling Mens Hearts with Food and, Gladnefs. But especially, the most marvellous Scene of divine Love and Grace is there opened to us as fhining forth in all its Riches and Glory in the Methods of our Redemption through his well-beloved Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Him God hath fent into the World to feek and to fave that which was loft, to inftruct us by his Doctrine, to guide us by his Example, and to make Atonement for our Sins by his Sufferings and Death: And through him he hath condefcended to enter into a gracious Covenant with us, in which he hath promifed to pardon all our Iniquities upon our returning to him by a humble Faith and fincere Repentance, to grant us the Affistances of his Holy Spirit, and to admit us to all the Privileges of his Children, and to crown our fincere, though imperfect Obedience, with a glorious Resurrection and eternal Life in his immediate blissful Prefence and Kingdom above. There he will bestow on us a Happinefs far tranfcending all that we are able to express, or even to conceive.

With regard to the other moral Attributes of God, his impartial Justice and Righteousness, his fteady and invariable Faithfulness and Truth, and, that which comprehendeth all the reft under it, his Holinefs, these are alfo included in the Idea of the abfolutely perfect Being, the great Author and Parent of the Universe. To him it is originally owing, that there is an inward Senfe of the Worth and Excellency of these Things deeply fixed in the human Heart. As far as we act under the Influence of fuch Difpofitions, we feel an inward Complacency, and have the peaceful Testimony and Approbation of our own Minds, as acting up to the true Dignity of the reasonable Nature. And on the other Hand, we have a deep Conviction of the Bafenefs, the Evil, and Deformity, of a contrary Temper and Conduct. When we are conscious of it in ourfelves, it layeth the Foundation of inward Satisfaction and Remorfe; and we can scarce help disapproving it wherever we obferve it in others. We naturally esteem a Man of generous Probity, one that walketh uprightly, and worketh Righteousness, and Jpeaketh the Truth in his Heart, and who will not upon any Confideration be prevailed with to do a bafe, a falfe and unjuft Thing. But efpecially we are apt [VOL. I.]

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