Imatges de pàgina
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❝ peculiar people, zealous of good works." And our Lord himself fays, John xv. viii. " Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much ❝ fruit."

Laftly, it is impoffible that the practice of univerfal virtue, abfolute or relative, fhould be more ftrongly enforced than it is in all the apoftolical epiftles, and especially towards the close of them. See Rom, ii. 4. &c. 12. 1 Cor. vi. 9. &c. Eph. i. 4. v. 2. &c. 1 Thef. v. 22. the epiftle of James throughout, 1 Pet. 11. II. &c. I John

iv. 20.

It is in vain that we look for any thing that can be compared with this in any fyftem of heathen religion. Almoft the beft that can be faid of them is, that they enjoin practices that are merely idle and infignificant; for too often they countenance the most destructive vices.

SECTION III.

Of the goodness of God.

THE goodness of God feems to be pretty clearly inferred from a view of the works of creation, a benevolent design being fufficiently manifeft in every thing that we understand. Indeed the great mixture that we see of apparent evil is apt to stag

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ger even well difpofed minds, efpecially when themfelves are affected by it; but in the fcriptures we fee all thefe doubts removed. All events are promifcuously afcribed to God; but his intention is reprefented as being good and kind, even when his proceedings are the moft fevere. David, addreffing himself to God, fays, Pf. cxix. 68. "Thou art

"good, and doeft good." Pf. cxlv. 9.

"The

"Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are "over all his works." Pf. xxxiii. 5.

"The

"earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." Pr. cxlv. 15. "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and "thou giveft them their meat in due feafon. Thou "openest thine hand, and fatisfieft the defire of "every living thing.

Our Lord fays, Matt. xix. 17: " There is none "good but one, that is God ;" and in his fermon upon the mount, he enforces the duty of univerfal benevolence by the confideration of that of our heavenly father, Matt. v. 45. "That ye may be "the children of your father who is in heaven, "for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on "the good, and fendeth rain on the just and on the "unjuft." The apostle John expresses himself in the most emphatical manner concerning this fubject, when he fays, 1 John iv. 16. "We have "known and believed the love that God hath to "us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, "dwelleth in God, and God in him." And the apostle

apostle James fays, ch. i. 17. "Every good gift, "and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh "down from the father of lights."

The feverity with which good men are fometimes treated, is always reprefented in the fcriptures as the correction of a tender father, intended to promote the reformation and good of his children; and what he always inflicts with reluctance. Jeremiah fays, Lam. iii. 31. “The Lord will "not caft off for ever. But though he caufe "grief, yet will he have compaffion, according 66 to the multitude of his mercies; for he doth not "afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." The prophet Hofea draws a most affecting picture of the painful reluctance with which the divine being has recourse to severity, after the most aggravated and repeated provocations, Hofea xi. 1. &c. "When Ifrael was a child, then I loved "him, and called my fon out of Egypt.

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They facrificed unto Baalim, and burnt incenfe "to graven images. I taught Ephraim alfo to go, taking them by their arms, but they knew "not that I healed them. I drew them with cords "of a man, with bands of love.My peo"ple are bent to backfliding from me: though

they called them to the moft High, none at "all would exalt him. How fhall I give thee up, "Ephraim? how fhall I deliver thee, Ifrael? how "fhall I make thee as Admah? how fhall I fet "thee

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❝thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within "me, my repentings are kindled together. I will "not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will "not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, " and not man, the holy One in the midst of "thee."

The author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, also, reminds the perfecuted chriftians of his age, of thefe conforming fentiments, fo peculiarly proper to their circumftances, Heb. xii. 5. &c. "Ye have 66 forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto "you as unto children, my fon, defpife not thou "the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou 66 art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth "he chasteneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he "receiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God deal"with you as with fons: for what fon is he whom

the father chafteneth not?- -Now no chaf66 tening for the prefent feemeth to be joyous, but "grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the "peaceable fruit of righteoufnefs, unto them who ❝are exercised thereby."

Laftly, the difpenfation of the gospel is always reprefented as an inftance of the exceedingly great love and goodness of God, John iii. 16. "God "fo loved the world, that he gave his only begot<< ten son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life." I John

iv. 9.

"In this was manifefted the love of God "towards

"towards us, because that God fent his only be

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gotten fon into the world, that we might live "through him. Herein is love, not that we loved "God, but that he loved us." Rom. viii. 32. "He that fpared not his own fon, but delivered "him up for us all, how fhall he not with him "alfo freely give us all things."

SECTION IV.

Of the mercy of God.

HE mercy of God to those who are difpofed to

THE

return to their duty, when they have once rendered themselves obnoxious to his displeasure by their offences, is a fubject of which mankind, especially those whofe minds were rendered timid and fearful by a consciousness of guilt, would be more apt to entertain doubts, than of the goodness of God in general. No proof by way of inference only, how short and plain foever, would be fufficient for such perfons; and yet it is easy to fee, that it is of the utmost importance, that fuch perfons fhould receive all poffible fatisfaction with refpect to it: left, through a diftruft of the mercy of God, they should be driven into abfolute despair. Befides, nothing is fo engaging, and furnishes fo powerful a motive to a return to duty, as a

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