titute of goodness, is no God. We find ||who can refrain from joy?

the law of God pronounced in scrip- To object to the reasonableness of ture, "Holy, just, and good." Holy, the penalties of the divine law is unbecause it has, and enjoins supreme reasonable: For, if when I am requirregard to God the supreme of being; ed by my Maker to receive the greatjust, because it inculcates justice, re-est happiness, I refuse it merely bequiring us to render to every one his cause it is not selfish but social; what due; and because the penalties annex-do I deserve? Or rather what do I not ed to the breach of it are just. Good, deserve? But I wander. The argubecause obedience to it tends to our ment turns on the divinity of God. If own good, to the good of other indi- he possess divine perfection he will viduals, and to the collective good of never inflict an undeserved punishment the intelligent universe. It inculcates on any creature. love as the native source of every word We may figure a dreadful idea of and action, and only spring of every eternal destruction, and tremble at the thought. And what is love but a foun-overwhelming thought. Our sinful, tain of life and delight? Every action partial hearts may deny our desert of of love gives pleasure to the author, such a punishment: but the moment and aims at the pleasure of its object. we deny this, we deny the justice of O how happy should we be, were we our judge, and of consequence, his diperfect in love! This would support us vinity. For, can there be divine perunder all the crosses of our selfish in- fection where justice is wanting? Inclinations; and blunt the stings with justice is a horrid imperfection in the which they are armed. It would di-creature; and could it be less so in the minish our cares and pains, almost in- Creator? If he be God, a just God; the finitely, and bring with it all the bless- devils themselves have no reason to ings of quietude and joy. Love is that complain. It is their indispensable duwater which Christ gives, and which ty to be still, under the dispensations becomes, in those who drink of it, a of divine justice. God doeth them no well of living water, springing up into|| wrong, and if no wrong, they have no eternal life. It is because of his love, that the good man is satisfied from himself. This is the earnest of the heavenly inheritance. Love is the life and heaven of heaven itself. God is love, and he, who dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. So III. Since God is God, we may rest that the law of God does no more than assured that he loves those who love require us to do that which is the most him. Though the Divine Being is exhappy for ourselves. Had it called on alted to the pinacle of glory, though us to pursue private happiness with all he is wholly independent of his creaour might; and to make ourselves our tures, and the owner and supporter of God, it had been infinitely less calcu- them all; and has it in his power to lated for our good. In short, it requires dispose of them at his pleasure: Yet us to partake of the blessedness of God, so condescending is he, that no beings angels, and saints, and enjoy the hap-ever exercised a friendly spirit toward piness of our very enemies, by rejoic- him, without finding their friendship ing in their good. Love is the parent met and rendered mutual by an infiof social joy; and while, in diffusive nitely stronger love in him. Witness goodness, it gives itself away to all, the divine conduct toward the heavenwithout design, it makes the joys of all ly host, and toward our first parents, others its own. while they continued friends to God, in Paradise. God exercises, not only a kind and benevolent regard toward

To whom can the government of God give just cause of offence? Nay;

reason to complain. The same may, with equal truth, be said of all the finally impenitent. Let us then be still, under a sense of the moral government of our creator, as being the government of him who is God in very deed.

tion of the most tender complacency || Hence it comes to pass, that wherevin them. His love to them is a pleas- er he observes a resemblance of his ing love. Therefore it is said by the own perfection, he delights in it, accorprophet Zephaniah, chap. iii. verse 17.ding to the degree in which it takes "The Lord thy God, in the midst of place. thee, is mighty, he will save, he will re- Love to that which is glorious, and joice over thee with joy; he will rest a conspiring to manifest it, is an inin his love, he will joy over thee with stance of righteousness, and of love to singing." Nor is this kindness of God righteousness. That is, it is right for to his friends, and delight in them, the us and all beings, to love that which is same with those affections sinners are excellent and glorious, and to do it represented as having towards their honor in every instance, and at all friends, when it is said by our blessed times. Hence it is right, that whether Lord, that they love those who love we eat or drink, or whatever we do, them. Sinners love those who love to do it all to the glory of God; that them, because the objects of their love is, to manifest the glory of God by evare visibly engaged to promote their ery means in our power. In this way, private interest; but the great God we exercise love to righteousness both loves those who love him, because in God and in ourselves. The true they are really engaged to promote the ground, therefore, on which God loves common good of the universe; or be- those who loves him, is their love to cause they seek his glory. The essen-righteousness. Hence he says to Jetial glory of God consists in his infinite sus Christ, “Thou hast loved righteabilities, and boundless, unconquerable ousness and hated iniquity; therefore inclination to improve all those abili- God, even thy God, hath anointed thee ties to the utmost, in doing good. His with the oil of gladness above thy feldeclarative glory is a manifestation of lows." those abilities and this disposition; or it is his essential glory brought into the view of creatures. God, in glorifying himself, only brings his perfection into view. All creatures being improved by God as means of his glory, glorify him in a passive way; while some of them, by aiming to make known his true character and perfection, do it likewise, in an active manner

Now, if God loves all those who love Him, and that, not on account of any partial affection they bear to Him, but because they are lovers of that in Him, which is right and glorious-and, if He will manifest this love on all occasions, what reason can there be to complain of His dealings? There is, on this supposition, every possible security and encouragement to those who do right It is in such a conduct, that friendship and love it. Hence God says to Cain, to God is both exercised and manifest-" If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ed. This friendship to God is pleas- accepted." What can reasonable creaing to him, not because it is, or implies, any partial attachment to his person, or personal private interest; but because it is an attachment to that in him which is, in itself, glorious and excellent. God seeks his own glory because it is glory, and not because it is his own glory. For, were it possible for another to possess the same glorious perfection with God himself, he would prize the same perfection in another, as he doth in himself, and seek the manifestation of it, as he doth the IV. Since God is God, there is nomanifestation of his own perfection.-thing in him either evil or imperfect to

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tures desire more? Can we desire that sin should be encouraged? Suppose all sinners should be banished from the Divine presence, and punished with deserved destruction; would this be any reason of complaint? Far be it. It is not only enough to still our complaints, that the Governor of the universe will forever encourage and secure virtue; but it is also matter of everlasting joy. Let us then be still and know that God is God.

excite în us one disagreeable apprehen-|| provocation. Looking through our sion. For great and unlimited as his souls, he saw that every imagination of power is, we need fear nothing. Indeed the thoughts of our hearts was only evil, the overgrown power of earthly poten- and that continually. He saw our hearts tates gives a just alarm to their sub-full of opposition to himself and his jects and neighbours. Not so, the pow-ways. We had forsaken the fountain er of God. For if he be God, his pow-of living water, and hewed to ourselves er is under the control of a godlike in-broken cisterns that could hold no waclination. It cannot, therefore, be ex- ter. He warns us of our folly, and that erted for any ungodlike purpose. So we must either return or perish. With that we may rest free from anxiety, what strength of affection; with what and rejoice in the divine power, since an ardent pathos did he call on us, it will be exerted in every instance for" Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die !" godlike purposes, and for those only. But we turned a deaf ear to the heayThe same may be said of every other enly charmer. Yet, astonishing! be divine attribute. did not whet his glittering sword. The V. God is not only kind to his friends, || heavens did not gather blackness, nor and just to all, but the divinity of his || did the thunder of divine wrath burst nature diffuseth mercy to the misera- upon us. ble, and grace to the ill deserving.- In him we have lived, and moved, Those, whose conduct toward him has and had our being. He has been inbeen the most provoking, have shared || finitely more attentive to us, than the largely in his bounty. Witness his deal-most affectionate parent ever was to a ings toward the fallen race of Adam. darling child, when in the utmost danThat God has done great things for the ger. Not a day has passed in which inhabitants of this apostate world can- he has not given us food and raiment. not be doubted. Sin has rendered this Nor a moment but he has given us world, in some respects, like the mel-breath. Infinite compassion has exciancholy dungeon in which criminals ted all his dealings: But the vilest inare confined from the time of their con- gratitude, rebellion and perverseness demnation till that of execution: a have marked all our actions. Such was mournful scene of woe! Yet, through the conduct of God toward us before the mercy and grace of God, it is be- his son came into the world, that hecome the anti-chamber of heaven. could exclaim with the greatest propriWe were miserable and God pitiedety, "What more could I have done us! We were sinful, he detested us:for my vineyard that I have not done yet his pity neither ceased nor abated. in it." Yet, after all, when he looked His bowels yearned towards us. His that it should bring forth grapes it heart melted with compassion-he re-brought forth wild grapes; the grapes solved to exert himself in our favor-of Sodom and the clusters of Gomorto open a way through which all who rah. Still, not all our perverseness, nor will may be saved, and hecome kings all our provocations of God could inand priests to himself. His heart was duce him to forsake the merciful so full of the gracious scheme, and so scheme of our recovery: No, nor those immoveably fixed in it, that be hesita-in connection with his infinite tenderted not at all, to sacrifice his own and ness for the darling of his soul; for in only begotten son, upon the accursed the fulness of time his son came into tree, by the hands of wicked men. He the world. This occurrence gave us freely gave him for us all. For us! an opportunity to discover the real Who are we? What have we done to sentiments of our souls towards the facall forth such an instance of kindness ther of spirits, and of nature. We did from the Deity? Alas! what indeed!not let slip the opportunity unimprovGod had loaded us with goodness, and ed; but, by murdering the son of God we have loaded him with contempt and in the flesh, discovered what farther

might be expected from us, had the which is so sensibly touched by the Eternal Father been equally in our miseries of others as to unhinge the power. Yet such were the bowels of soul from every principle of reason and his tender compassion, that he still pur-justice; and lead it to resolve, at all sued his merciful design. Well may we adventures, and by any means, howevcry out, What manner of love is this!er unjustifiable, to attempt the relief of What God says by the Prophet is most its wretched object. Thus when we see evidently true, "I have loved thee with a person, justly condemned to the giban everlasting love." Love that can bet, brought to the melancholy place triumph over so much opposition, must of execution; the doleful sight may diverily, be an everlasting, unchangeable vest us of rational fortitude. We canlove. It must too, agreeable to that not endure the awful thought of the of the Apostle, "I am persuaded that dismal catastrophy. It pushes us back neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor upon justice, and makes us an impediprincipalities, nor powers, nor things ment between her and her righteous present, nor things to come, nor height,||mark. We may ardently wish for the nor depth, nor any other creature shall || relief of the convict, though justice, be able to separate us from the love of and the good of our country, should be God which is Jesus Christ our Lord." sacrificed to effect it. Such compasIt must also be an unconquerable love.sion as this is ungodlike, unreasonable, For what but an unconquerable love, unjust, unmanly, and brands the subwould have retained its resolution to jects of it, as enemies of the common wade through blood, filial blood, the good, and to every good and wholemost precious and dear, to procure sal- some law. So that was the mercy of vation for whetched, self-ruined, God- God of this sort, though partial sinprovoking, Christ-killing, hell-deserv-ners, in whose favor it might be exerting sinners? That love which could do ed, would rejoice in it, because it would all this, must be boundless love. Hence render all the attributes of God subserthe Apostle argues, "He that spared || vient to their selfish, sinister designs; not his own son, but freely gave him it would excite grief in all the holy inup for us all; how shall he not, with habitants of heaven; because it would him, freely give us all things?" Where rob them of their God; and excite in there was such love as this, we might|| them a despicable idea of a being, cajustly conclude, even without any par-pable of such a disposition and conduct. ticular revelation, "That all things But, such are the noble grace and merwork together for good, to them that cy of God, that, infinitely tender as love God, to them that are called ac- they are, they still are wholly directed cording to his purpose." Now if God by a supreme regard to the good and be such a Being, who can complain of his government without at the same time fixing on himself the most odious character? Representing himself as not only dissatisfied with what is most glorious, but, also, deeply in love with that which is most abominable? Rea-God had so manifestly ordered all son itself bids us reprobate this character, and say to ourselves, in every condition, "Be still, and know that he is God."

perfection of the universe. These direct, and lead them on as far as they go, and prevent them from proceeding any farther. Agreeable to this, we hear the inspired Paul explaining to the Christian Corinthians the reason why

things for your sakes; namely, that this merciful conduct of his, might terminate in his glory, by giving occasion for the thanksgiving of many, even all the VI. Since Cod is God, his mercy is future inhabitants of the heavenly to be measured on a large scale. It is world. 2 Cor. iv. 15. "All things are the genuine offspring of universal kind-for your sakes, that the abundant grace ness; and not any partial affection.-might, through the thanksgiving of maThere is a kind of sympathy in man,ny, redound to the glory of God." The

divine character is the most respectable ness is inconsistent with divine perfecobject in the universe. It is so because tion. If, therefore, he be God, we may it aims most cordially, entirely, wisely, rest assured he will never deceive us. unchangeably and irresistibly at the All his promises shall be fulfilled, and highest possible good and perfection of all his predictions shall be accomplishthe universe. To manifest this charac-ed. There is no ground to doubt ter therefore, as the perfection of excel- whether he has told us the truth, nor lence, and source of rational delight,||whether he will adhere to his word.is the capital object of every divine Accordingly there is an unparalleled dispensation. In doing this, God doeth simplicity in the Bible. He has no other than seek his own glory; for, said nothing wantonly to torment his the manifestation of his glorious char- creatures. He has withheld no truth acter, is his declarative glory. To do for the sake of alluring them to his parthis he uses a variety of means; and ty. In how frank a manner doth the among others the thanksgivings of blessed Jesus treat with his disciples on heaven; which tend to fix in the minds, the subject of their adhering to him and both of those who give thanks, and in his cause. He informs them that they their minds who observe their thanks- must not expect any thing superior to giving a deep, lasting and growing their Lord, and that he had not where sense of the glorious perfection of God.to lay his head. He foretold them of He doeth all this, as has been before the opposition, contempt, hatred, perhinted, not because this character is secution and distress they should meet his own character, but because it is the with from the world; and exhorted most glorious object of knowledge; them to count the cost, and not to rush and the most refined boundless source thoughtless upon what would ensure of joy; the manifestation of which, af- them almost every temporal calamity. fords the most extensive, rational and What a generous, undisguised spirit of exalted happiness. This character is friendship and faithfulness breathed in the greatest good in nature, the diffu- this? Equally faithful has God appearsion of this, then, is the diffusion of the ed in the fulfilment of his promises.greatest good. They have indeed, in many instances God has in tender mercy given his been made long before they were acson to die for his church, and as a con-complished; but they have always sequence of his death, has ordered ev-been fulfilled at the time appointed.— ery thing in every world to work to- Here, then, is another endearing view gether for their good; not from any of the Lord Jehovah, which, in a very partial affection for them, but to sub-pathetic manner, calls on us to be still, serve the grand design of making and know that he is God. known his own character, that infinite fountain of rational delight. Here then we have a God, whose mercy is as pure as it is tender, regular as strong, 1. Because universal creation is his just as forgiving, as glorious to God as property. "The earth is the Lord's and it is happy to man. O! how infinitely the fulness thereof; the world and they different is this, both from that partial that dwell therein.” And it is a maxfondness which would rescue its ob-im both in heaven and earth, that every ject at all adventures, and that pusilla- one has a right to do what he will with nimity of spirit which cannot endure his own. We do not expect our neighto behold a criminal punished accor-bors to interfere in the management of ding to his desert! How doth it be- our business. We think we have a come us in this view to be still and right in such a case to act our own know that God is God. pleasure. Shall we then at once conVII. Since God is God, we are as-tradict our own maxims, and censure sured of his faithfulness. Unfaithful-infinite wisdom, by complaining of the

VIII. Since God is God, he has the best right to govern; and that in two respects.