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First, Confider what is the proper

Notion of Goodness, as it is attributed Vol. VII to God.

Secondly, Shew that this Perfection belongs to God.

Thirdly, Confider the Effects and the Extent of it.

Fourthly, Anfwer fome Objections, which may feem to contradict and bring in question the Goodness of God. First, What is the proper Notion of Goodness, as it is attributed to God.. There is a dry Metaphyfical Notion of Goodness, which only fignifies the Being and effential properties of a thing; but this is a good word ill bestowed; for in this fenfe, every thing that hath Being, even the Devil himself,is good. And there is a Moral Notion of Goodness; and that is twofold.

1. More general, in oppofition to all Moral evil and imperfection, which we call fin and vice; and fo the Justice and Trath, and Holiness of God, are in this fenfe his Goodness. But there is,

2. Another Notion of Moral Goodnefs, which is more particular and reftrained; and then it denotes a particu lar Virtue in oppofition to a particular Vice; and this is the proper and uB 2 fual

fual acceptation of the word Goodness; Vol. VII and the best description I can give of it is this; that it is a certain propenfion and difpofition of mind, whereby a perfon is enclined to defire and procure the happinefs of others; and it is beft understood by its contrary, which is an envious difpofition, a contracted and narrow Spirit, which would confine happiness to it felf, and grudgeth that others fhould partake of it, or fhare in it or. a malicious and mifchievous temper, which delights in the harms of others, and to procure trouble and mischief to them. To communicate and lay out our felves for the good of others, is Goodness; and and fo the Apostle explains doing good, by communicating to others, who are in mifery, or want, Heb. 13. 16. but to do good and to communicate forget not. The Jews made a diftinction between a righteous and a good man; to which the Apoftle alludes, Rom. 5. 7: fearcely for a righteous man, will one die; yet peradventure for a good man, one would even dare to die. The righteous man was he, that did no wrong to others; and the good man he, who was not only not injurious to others, but kind and

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beneficial to them. So that Goodness is a readiness and difpofition to commuficate the good and happiness which Vi enjoy, and to be willing others hould partake of it.

Vol. VII.

This is the Notion of Goodness among men; and 'tis the fame in God, only with this difference, that God is originally and tranfcendently good; but the Creatures are,the beft of them, but imperfectly good, and by derivation from God, who is the fountain and original of goodness; which is the meaning of our Saviour, Luke 18. 19. when he fays, there is none good fave one, that is God. But tho' the degrees of Goodness in God, and the Crea- · tures, be infinitely unequal, and that Goodness which is in us, be fo fmall and inconfiderable, that compared with the Goodness of God, it does not deserve that name; yet the effential Notion of Goodness in both, must be the fame; else when the Scripture fpeaks of the Goodnefs of God, we could not know the meaning of it, and if we do not at all understand what it is for God to be good, it is all one to us (for ought we know) whether he be good or not; for he may be fo, and

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Mwe never the better for it, if we do Vol. VII. not know what Goodness in God is, and confequently when he is fo, ard

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Besides that the Goodness of Gotfr very frequently in Scripture propounded to our imitation; but it is impoffible for us to imitate that, which we do not underftand what it is; from whence it is certain, that the goodness which we are to endeavour • after, is the fame that is in God, becaufe in this we are commanded to imitate the Perfection, of God, that is, to be good and merciful as he is, according to the rate and condition of Creatures, and fo far as, we, whofe Natures are imperfect, are capable of refembling the Divine Goodness.

Thus much for the Notion of goodnefs in God, it is a propenfion and difpofition in the Divine Nature, to communicate being and happiness to his Crea

tures.

Secondly, I fhall endeavour to fhew, in the next place, that this Perfection of Goodness belongs to God; and that from these three heads.

I. From the Acknowledgments of Natural Light.

II. From

II.From the Teftimony of Scripture, and Divine Revelation. And,

III. From the Perfection of the Divine Nature.

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I. From the Acknowledgments of Natural Light. The generality of the Heathen agree in it, and there is hardly any Perfection of God more univerfally acknowledged by them. ways except the Sect of the Epicureans, who attribute nothing but Eternity and Happiness to the Divine Nature; and yet if they would have confidered it, Happiness without Goodness is impoffible. I do not find that they do exprefly deny this Perfection to God, or that they afcribe to him the contrary; but they clearly take away all the Evidence and Arguments of the Divine Goodness; for they fuppofed God to be an immortal and happy Being, that enjoyed himself, and had no regard to any thing without himfelf, that neither gave Being to other things, nor concerned himfelf in the happiness or mifery of any of them; fo that their Notion of a Deity, was in truth the proper Notion of an idle Being, that is called God, and neither does good nor evil.

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