On the Goodness of God.

DISCOURSE XI.

T

I JOHN iv. 8.

God is Love.

HE Apoftle John, the Writer of this Epistle, is called the Disciple whom Jefus loved, John xxi. 20. He was particularly dear to him above any other of his Difciples, though he had a tender Regard for them all. This might probably be on account of the Sweetness and Excellency of his Difpofition, and because he more than any of the rest resembled his bleffed Lord in that Love and Goodness, that most amiable Temper which is the greatest Attraction of Love. Το him therefore with his dying Voice, as knowing his tender Affection and Care, he recommended his Virgin Mother. John xix. 26, 27. That divine Benevolence for [VOL. I.] which

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which this Apoftle was fo remarkable, together with a most beautiful, unaffected Simplicity, breathes in every Part of this excellent Epiftle. The Spirit of Love guided his Pen, and inspired his Heart. Love to God, and Love to Mankind, is the Sum of the Precepts he enjoins, and which he urgeth with the most affectionate Earneftness. He represents Love and Charity as the great Characteristic of a real Christian, and a Child of God, without which all our Profeffions of Religion will be ineffectual and vain. To this purpose he declares in the Words preceding the Text: Beloved, let us love one another, for Love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God. And then he adds, For God is Love. It is this fhort, but admirable and comprehensive Description here given of God, that I shall now confider. No Words can poffibly reprefent the Deity under a more amiable Character. The Manner of Expreffion is noble and fignificant, and hath a wonderful Beauty and Dignity in it. It is not merely faid, that God is good, and kind, and beneficent; but he is Love and Goodness itself; the fupreme, original, boundless Goodness and Benevolence. Love is effential to him, and in

feparable

feparable from him. It may be faid to conftitute his very Nature and Effence. As he is from everlasting to everlasting God, fo he is from everlasting to everlasting infinite unchangeable Love and Goodnefs. He was fo before the World was made, and can as foon ceafe to be God, as cease to be Love.

In treating of this Subject, I fhall first offer fome general Obfervations upon the Defcription here given of God, that God

is Love.

Secondly, I fhall proceed to a more diftinct Illustration of it, by mentioning fome of those Inftances in which the Love and Goodnefs of God is most eminently exercised and difplayed.

Thirdly, I fhall take fome Notice of those Things which feem to have a contrary Appearance, and which have been made use of as Objections against the divine Goodnefs.

And then I fhall conclude the whole with some proper Reflections.

First, I fhall offer fome general Obfervations for clearing and explaining the Character or Description here given of God, that God is Love.

God's Love may be confidered either as representing himself, or as refpecting his Creatures.

His Love, confidered as refpecting himfelf, fignifieth an infinite, eternal, immutable Complacency in his own glorious Perfections, and in the Fulness of his own Excellency. As he himself is the fupreme, the infinite Good, the first amiable, the great Fountain and Original of all Perfection, in whom is to be found whatfoever is perfect, excellent, and lovely, in the highest poffible Degree of Eminency; fo he is from everlasting to everlasting the Object of his own infinite Love and Delight. Here both the Object and Act of Love is infinite. As there are no Bounds to his Perfection, so neither are there to his Love and Self-complacency, and to the eternal Satisfaction which floweth from it. This is the most exalted Notion we can form of the divine Happiness. It is a pure eternal Source of infinite Joy, always equal and invariable, never capable of any Interruption, or of the leaft Acceffion or Diminution. In this Love of himself, i. e. Love of infinite Beauty and Excellence, he would have been unconceivably happy, if there had never been any Creature formed, and would be fo, though they were all annihilated. As nothing is equal to himself in amiable Excellence, fo nothing can equally be the Object of his infinite Love.

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