which he hath brought us Thirdly The good which thereupon we do expect Fourthly The meanes whereby this is effected We were enemies unworthy of the lest mercy and liable to everlasting sorrowes But are advanced to union unto and communion with Christ Not to a moderate or mean estate of hapines of humanes or angelical happines natural But to be the sons of God the sons of the eternal King the heires of God and Coheires of Christ consorts of divine glory partakers of all divine good things with him we are made one with Christ not in conceit or imagination only for this conjunction is in truth a reall conjunction The prayer of Christ is John 17.22 That all beleevers may be one with him as he is one with the Father viz. by one and the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all members of Christ 1 Iohn 3.24 And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Perkins on the third to the Galatians Page 265. saith All the Saints in heaven and all beleevers upon earth having one and the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them are all one in Christ Not as if Christ and Saints were not destinct persons or as if the properties of the Godhead or qualities of his manhood were transformed into us or as if we were only by a bare consent as freinds are one or as if Christ and all the Saints were one substance I say none of these waies are we one with Christ But as all the Members of the body naturall have one soule So have all the Saints with Christ their head owne spirit And this comes to passe on Gods part by mercifull donation and on our part by faithfull reception Thus we see how we are one with Christ and so by consequence do possesse Christ and injoy him and his benefits partly in this life and fully in the life to come So that from our adoption we looke for such good so great joy so much glory as eie hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man O what a gulfe of distance is there betweene that estate from which we are taken 1 Cor. 2.9 and that whereunto we are brought And the meanes whereby all this commeth to passe ye have heard already is the sonne of man For first one man is taken to be Gods naturall son the fullnes of the God-head being substantially united to him By this man Christ Jesus God adopteth and maketh his sonnes Eodem spiritu vivunt nimirum membra Christi quo Deus ipse quo Christus filius Dei naturalis vivit et si hic spiritus diverso modo istis communicetur personis enim divinis communicator per identitatem idque vel immediata necessitate ut patri vel per aeternam generationem aut spirationem ut filio spiritui sancto huminitati verò Christi perhypostalicam vnionem nobis per quandam extensionem qua mediante dono gratiae justificantis incipit esse noster spiritus nostra vita nos inhabitans ornans movens ergens omnes vitales functiones Deo platentes in nobis excitans edens Less all those which are engrafted in to this trunke or stoke by the spirit of faith for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 81.4 This previledge is given to them that receive Christ to them that believe in his name to become the Sonnes of God John 1.12 And according to this priviledge of Adoption are we and all our weake endeavors looked upon esteemed O behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sonnes of God 1 John 3.1 Seventhly We have the benefit of all Christs merits All that Christ ever did or suffered is made over to us and we presented in him without blame in the sight of God From mercy it is so ordred and brought about that Christ did the work but we receive the wages Christ bore the Crosse but we weare the Crown Beloved we have the benefit of all Christs merits So that what Christ merited we are said to merit by meanes of our union that we have with him We are alwaies hereby in a capacity of pardon as often as we sinne and by true repentance turne unto God What Prince was ever so mercifull as to be in readinesse to pardon such as capitally offend or commit high treason every day But our God of his mercy is ready every minuit to pardon the sinnes of his people For if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father c. 1 John 2.1 Here is a most rich treasury here are merits that can never be Drawne out It is impossible so many sinnes should ever be committed as might be beyond the riches and worth of them Yet we must know that the worth of them is not drunke up by us Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis for we are not able so to receive them to our use as they are in Christ For not in the like measure is the spirit received by all that are justified Although each Saint hath the whole spirit yet not in an equall manner and measure And so although each Saint hath whole Christ made over to him withall his merits yet there is not one that hath sins enough to take him up holy by appropriation or to make a full proprotion between their misery and his merits but still there will be overflowings of the blood of Christ Eightly Mercy causeth the powering out of the spirit of grace By vertue of our union we do of his fullnes receive Joh. 1.16 and grace for grace So that as a litle child is answerable in every part to the tallest and stoutest man so the little measure of graces in the weakest Saints have a conformitie to the graces that are in Christ though the difference in regard of degrees be exceeding great There is wisdome patience meekenes c. Which God gives out and adornes his chosen ones withall Never did a Queene present her selfe so beautiful in the eyes of the greatest Monarck as the Church the Spouse of Christ is rendred lovely in the eyes of God Salomon Song cap. 7.1 c. How beautifull are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter Ye may at leasure read when ye please the rest But such as are proud scornfull passionate intemperate covetous c. It is impossible God should take pleasure or delight in them O how beautifull is the spirits work upon the soule a soft heart an obedient will and the gifts of saving and sanctifying grace A man in the state of nature saith one is like a pond full of toads a man in the state of grace is a paradise of God Beautifull in Gods eies is a gratious soule from top to toe O ye that wallow in the mire and dirt and filth of sinne do ye thinke God
may so expresse it evinceth this to be true that the Lord our God is holy And thus we may say the will of God the actings of God are conformable to the eternall law of God but yet the holines of God is of a far higher consideration then the holines of men or angles For the will of God and his actings are not to be thought to be conformable in an accidentary manner to an eternal law but essentially and from within himself not by diverse or various vertues but by his essence as it commeth under the consideration of a will he is holy even as the same one infinite essence comming under the consideration of a mind is said to be most wise yea wisdome it selfe so that is as it were the ordering of Gods actions according to his understanding which is called the holines of God There was never a wise action or word in the world but it came out of Gods head nor never a good right or holy action but came out at his heart Again whereas the eternal law doth spring from the divine essence which as it is the first originall of all entitative perfections so also of all morall perfection and of all the rectitude of the affection and conversation It then appeareth that as holines in men and Angles doth stand in conjunction with God in affection so God most conjoyned to himself both by nature and by the affection of love must needs be exactly holy according to the saying in the schools Amor Dei est sanctitate The love of God is holines because in men it ariseth from the knowledge of his excellency which draws their souls to God Now therfore no creature can be holy as God is because no man doth know God as he knows himself You know the saying ignoti nulla cupido of a thing unknown there is no desire The reason we love God no more is because we know him no better All our want of love to God flows from our ignorance of him he is holy among men that loves God most and he will love more then others that hath a greater knowledge of God then others God knows himselfe and loves himself and this is his holines Yea he so adhears to himselfe that he will cast downe all things rather then suffer his honour to be abased Lastly in the application of the acceptation of the word holines to God you must know that holines standeth in puritie of soule free from all contagion and spot of sin therefore God is holy in himself without regard to an eternal law to be measured by There is the holines of obeying a law and the holines of being a law There is a created holines and an uncreated holines There is a regulating holines and a regulated holines Holines in man is a compleate conformitie to the will of God but in God there is a compleate essentiall will and an essentiall freedom from the least spot of sinne In Christ as man was an exact conformitie and submission to his father wil even contray to his creaturely will But in God there is much more for he essentially is holy and therefore cannot be measured by a law By this time you perceive I trust what holines is which is an attribute of God yet for further Discovery of God unto you I will speake of the diverse wayes that God is said to be holy distinctly properly and perentically so as none but him can be so said to be holy as he is Lessius God is said to be holy five manner of waies according to the doctrine of the schooles First Radically because the devine nature is the first root and originall fountaine of all sanctitie and puritie For from the essence of God in our manner of conceiving things both the eternall law and all love in God of himself and all purity called by some the chastity of God doth flow and come Schaerpius For although there be not in God a priority of nature in any regard yet we must conceive in him a prioritie of order To clear up this by familiar instances or similitudes though the beames of the sun be assoone in in nature as the sun yet we must account the sunne to be the radicall cause of those beames So also assoone as there is fire there is light and heate yet is the fire in order to be conceived before either of them And so now you may see my meaning when I say holines is radically in God I meane the essence of God is the radicall cause roote and fountain of that holines which is in God As God the sonne hath alwaies been the sonne of God and begotten from everlasting and is called the wisdome and word of God So upon the same account the holy Ghost is the love and holines of the Godhead and divine essence and so proceedeth from the father and the sonne this helpeth us to discerne some what of the great mystery of the Trinitie And so although not the same truth yet a truth like unto this would I hold forth in this Doctrine of radicall sanctitie Secondly God is objectively holy because he is the object of all holines For not only it is true of the holines of angels men but even of the holines of God that it is placed in the love of and conjunction with God God is the supream of all things and most simple and pure and the cheifest purity is in cleaving to him and purity is holines or the chastity of God therefore God is holy objectively as the measure of all holines and the fit object of selfe love For as in men impurity commeth by touching things below as when our faces are soule or our garments dirty And in our soules there is defilement by cleaving inordinatly to the world and worldly things so purity springs by acquaintance with things above when our affections do ascend to high and more noble things and do stick to them And so God leaveth to himself and is the object and measure of his own holines Thirdly God is holy exemplarily in manner of a rule or coppy The conformitie of the soule and life of man to the eternal law is true holines such conformity is in God to himself and law though not because it is his law which is the rule of holines Fourthly formally God is holy he cleaves to himselfe who is most pure and is therefore formally holy God is the love of himselfe this is his holines and because he loveth himselfe infinitely as he is lovely infinitly therefore he is infinitely holy Yea God in the love of all his creatures is holy Psalme 145 17. He is holy in all his workes 1. He loves them for his own sake Sanctum esse est amare Deum et gloriam ipsius in omnibus procurare To be holy is to love God and to seeke his glory in all things And so he is holy in all his workes And Secondly he is holy in all his works because
they are exactly conformable to the rectitude of the eternall law Quia tam perfecte vult rectitudinem quam perfecte illam concipit He works as perfectly as he conceives perfectly As is Gods judgment so is his will And hence it is that the love of the Father is so passing great to Christ for the father loveth the son c. Joh. 5.20 Why should God love the son more then any other creature but because he saw more of himself wrought in the sonne then in any other creature Love is an inclination of the will to that thing which is good and thereupon the soul of God runs out to Christ who was altogether lovely this is formal holinesse in God this is the formality of this attribute in God he loveth himself in his love to the creatures All the actions of God proceede from an holy spirit from a spirit of holines As hath beene said already holiness is to love God to seek Gods glory to love ones selfe in God and in this sence God is certainly holy for he loves none as himselfe and seekes and aimes at his owne glory in every thing he doth And here by the way let me speake a word of the formality of the holines of Saints Is it not their love to God and Christ And the Saints that makes them to delight in beholding him whom their soule loveth Doubtles it is My beloved saith the spouse is whit and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Canticles 5.10 As it was said by the Queen of Sheba of Solomon 1 Kings 10.8 Happy are thy men Happy are those thy servants which stand continually before thee and which hear thy wisdom So much more may we say as the spirit of holines maketh us to say Blessed are they that know Christ and have of the graces of his Spirit And here I must needs say once againe if God be holy because he loveth good men which are his choice workmanship then so are the Saints therein holy also for they love wonderfully that choise master piece Christ and all the Saints which are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 And so by the rule of contraryes as it is said Psalme 45.7 by way of prophesy and mystically of Christ Thou lovest righteousnes and hatest wickednes c. God must needs hate sin with an infinite hatred for he loveth the rectitude of the eternall law and therefore hateth what is contrary to it for the sinfullnes of sinne is its contrariety to Gods eternall law And then Secondly God necessarily loveth his own goodnes and perfection and therefore necessarily hateth sinne which is contrary and repugnant to that goodnes Repugnant I say not as one forme to another but as an inordinate thing to its rule and measure Keep sinne up and God must go downe keepe God up and sinne must go down You may as well expect to see the Ocean sea burn to ashes or stones to fly upward as look to see an union betweene God and sinne or that God should not looke upon it with highest indignation What sinne is you should finde in every catechisme almost it is the transgression of the holy law of God even the least sinne doth turne aside Gods love and because he is holy it maketh his very soule to hate the persons in whom it is Sinne is like Coloquintida in the Pot and this I must tell you that when God smels it he cannot but throw away pot and all it is so contrary to his holines Where ever God sees sinne he runs at it presently If his owne son do but stand in the sinners steede though he had no sinne of his owne yet you see how the wrath of God ran out against him And the reason is Gods love of his law which is his holines of which sin is the transgression and upon this account God must needs hate it And this David a man of much acquaintance with God tells us Psalm 5.4 5. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednes neither shall evill dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquitie and so Isaiah 1.24 Ah saith the Lord I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies By which words the prophet meaneth that God will not be appeased he will ease himselfe here is an allusion to the disposition of men Calv. in loc for even as wrath is nothing else but a desire of revenge so revenge it selfe also is a kind of contentment for when any is revenged he is glad and satisfied Thus the Lord saith that he will satisfie himselfe in chastising his enemies as if it were a kind of recompence And because this holines of God doth so glorious shine-out in his hating of sin which is contrary both to his eternal law workings in both Church and world and also to the actings of Saints acted by the Spirit of holines I will a little fasten here and give you some evidence of the bitter hatred which is in God against sinne First Therefore when we shall see an all-mercifull God to deprive men and Angels of such an infinite good as himselfe Evidences of Gods hating sin certainly you must suppose there is some great cause reason for it why the fruition of God is the greatest good and Angells and men were his most excellent creatures yet such is Gods holines causing his hatred of sinne that he tumbles man out of Paradise and Angels out of heaven here is one evidence of Gods hatred of sinne and severitie against sinners But Secondly God doth not only deprive these prime creatures of such a goodnes to wit himself infinitly and eternally but also cast them into extreame sorrows pains and torments And the Angels which kept not their first estate or principalitie but lost their owne habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkenes unto the judgement of the great day Jud. ver 6. And for men who can be ignorant of these misteries sinne hath brought upon all sexes and ages even in this life besides those everlasting burnings to the which all wicked ones are reserved Thirdly God will blot out all the good that ever men did if that fall a sinning once If the righteous turneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie c. All his righteousnes that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse Ezek. 18.24 that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them he shall die If a man should live many a yeare in serving God and do great things for the people of God Yet if he give out and sin and persist and die in his sinne all his former good should be blotted out Q. A. But here comes a great question can a righteous man fall from his righteousnes To which I answer It is impossible Ratione Decreti promissionis in regard of Gods decree and promise Yet we
as are neare and deare unto them Gen. 19.29 And it came to passe when God destroyed the cityes of the plaine that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the middest of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt So this is one particular in which is seene Gods sparing mercy When God hides his people in times of indignation And also when he forgets their sinne and casteth them behind his back and doth not punish at all These phrases of passing by and not passing by are usuall in Scripture and to set forth the mercy of God in this head of sparing mercy as one breach thereof So also Gods adjourning his punishments to a farther day his suffring his Spirit to strive with men as he did with the old world The long suffring of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 When God was provoked by their sinns yet he waited one hundred and twenty yeeres This deferrings of judgment is a branch of that sparing mercy of God which we live under But Sirs the glasse is running all this while there is an appointed time for every purpose The time appointed will be expired and though God may seem to have leaden feet yet be sure he will have Iron hands at last Though he come slowly he will smite surely O Do not be bold in sin God is merciful to forbear to put off defer his plagues but it will not be wisdom for you to defer to put off your repentance His spirit will not alway strive He will be paid for forbearance ye will be left altogether in excusable if his forbearance work not at all with you And as if the Lord did study to be mercifull in his dealing towards the sons of men what moderations and rebates doth he shew in his punishments Psalme 78.38 But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquitie and destroyed them not but of this branch we have spoken already Marke therefore what followes yea many a time turned he his anger away Here is another branch of sparing mercy but yet further and did not stirre up all his wrath Here ye have all three in one verse But that which we have now in hand is the moderation that is in this God of judgment when he must needs punish he doth it in judgment not in fury He doth not make a full end but correct in measure even when he doth not leave his people altogether unpunished Jer. 46.28 Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not utterly consumed To wit his sparing mercy Lastly upon this point or branch of sparing mercy it is noted by some that God doth somtimes shew a kind of unwillingnes and loathnes to lay on stripes on the backs of his servants He doth not take delight in the putting of his servants to paine He doth not laugh at their calamitie But he is brought in groaning while he is whipping as a father correcting with weeping eies Hosea 11.8 How shall I give the up Ephraim how shall I deceive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Here is a conflict as it were in the very spirit of God O how shall I do it O what a sparing heart the Lord hath towards the sons of men Where he must needs corect them it is much against his will Truly he never dealt with Christ so as he doth with the sons of men He spareth not him in any regard at all He spared him not in the first way he tooke not away the punishment but he gave him up to death The cup did not passe away but it was drunk Neither was it deferred but when the houre was come he suffered he was sacrificed in the time set for it And that without mitigation He had not one drop taken out of this bitter cup. Neither was there any relunctancy in God against it He did not weepe over him when he was suffring He never cryed how should I suffer thee my sonne to dye How should I endure to see thee so used But it pleased the father Isai 53.10 yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him He had not only voluntatem but voluptatem He did as it were harden his heart upon him which made him cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Quest But you will say how standeth this with the love of the father It is said the father loved the son why then did he not spare him at all in his suffrings Ans I Tell you sirs there was great reason why God should not spare Christ Though he spare us continually For. First it delighted God to see his justice satisfied Reasons why God spared not Christ he would have a full satisfaction to it It was expedient that all the mercy should be towards the redeemed and none towards the redeemer As Christ stood in our steede he was to satisfie justice and so to have what he paid for Thus justice is exactâ—d which God could not indure should be trampled under foot This must needes be a pleasant sight in Gods eyes That we sinners might have all mercy he that saved us from our sinnes had no mercy Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of mercy yet this was denyed to Christ that he might pay every sort of mercy for us Secondly He knew what his sonne could do He laughed at the triall of him because he knew he would do well enough It pleased the Father to see his sonne tug with death so and all sorrows even as a Generall takes delight to see his souldiers play the men bravely But I am sensible of a digression and therefore returne to the matter in hand that mercy of all kinds is in God Ye have had a discourse of a fivefold mercy And now next I am to speake as I promised of that great manifestation of mercy to mankind fallen from his good estate I meane to the remnant elect to the little flocke for whose sake glorious doings and marveilous transactions have beene in the world For to the end that man so fallen in Adam so miserable every way as hath been heretofore shewed might be raised up and freed from all sorts of sorrows and deaths from griefe here and from eternall damnation hereafter and be made fit to enjoy grace mercy here and glory eternal in the heavens God hath diverse and sundry waies shewed his abundant goodnes and mercy as shall now be declared And Effects and acts of mercy First let us begin with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God In this God hath declared his infinite love and mercy to us Of this admirable effect of working bowells in God you mâ—y read John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Who considering
use God is the author of all things actions and his nature is absolutly and perfectly good All things that come to passe in the world are the fruit of that goodnes that is essentially in God I meane as they are naturall actions for I speak not now of the moralitie of them And therefore that doctrine of generall redemption as it must forsooth be called so much cryed up of late by some apostates and self conceited men Doth discover it selfe to be a meer sottish opinion And very much below the heart and judgment of a man that is a sound Christian or indeed learned For my part I cannot possible see God to be an infinite perfect and first-cause if this doctrine be true and sound I have been almost thirty years enquiring for one Reason that I cannot Answer and have not yet met with it But some may say this is strange doctrine that all things and creatures be good What is the devill good too we are sure he is called that evill one or wicked one Peccatum naturae Et artis In peccato nihil positivum 1 John 3.12 To which I Answer that God did not create the Devil as he is considered a Devil but an Angel The soundest and most judicious both Theologicians and Metaphysicians do hold that sinne is a Defect and hath in it nothing positive If ye be acquainted with the nature of the word Peccatum sinne as it is to be found in nature and in art ye will easily be satisfied in this thing It is in both when they do not attain that end for which either of them doth operate As in nature which never intendeth a monster yet sometimes such a birth comes And in arts both liberall and mechanicall Often times faults and sinnes do happen And a Physician doth somtimes kill when he should and would cure And a Carpenter somtimes spoyles his timber in hewing or cutting it which is a fault And so it is concerning the peccatum's committed daily against God's law There is a defect a swerving from the rule Sin as the Apostle John saith 1 Epistle 3.4 is an anomie that is a want of confirmitie to the law of God I have shewed you before now of Adams fall that three things are to be considered in it and in him first Viz. the substance of his body and soule the faculties and powers of his body and soule and the image of God consisting in a conformity of the affections and powers to Gods will So that as in Musick when the instruments are out of tune there is discord which is the want or abscence of harmony which we may call disharmony So is it ni the sinne of Adam there is only the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule There is present substance and faculties of soule and body But one question more Is there not sin besides the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule to the law of God something else viz. an habite or presence of evill I Answer If sin be considered by it selfe in its own nature Sinne is not an inclination or action but a want But if we consider it with its subjects it is an evill inclination or action As it is an action to take away a mans life to wit to move the body to lift up the weapon c. So it is no sinne properly for then the executioner that takes a way the life of a malefactour should sinne in so doing It is therefore the disorder and aberration in the action that maketh it a sinne The nature of the sinne then lies not in the action but in the manner of doing the action and sinne properly is nothing formally subsisting but it s a want of that which ought to be or subsist partly in the nature of man partly in the actions of nature So that still it remaineth a most certaine truth that God is the creatour and ordainer of every thing and action whether it be good or evill It is true lust doth draw the heart away from the service of God And James 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and intised and to intise or draw away is an action that cannot proceed from a meere privation But this is still by reason of the subject in which this defect is But I supose I have said enough to give satisfaction about this thing And to return to close up my use That of things and actions naturall and supernaturall God is the author and Orderer Vse 2 And Secondly Saith God is so good and perfect because he could not else be God if he were not so Let this be treasured up as the first truth of all God is perfect there is no defect in him If this were not nothing should be As if the heavenly bodies do not move there is no motion heere below So if God had not a perfect being nothing could ever have been at all And if this oracle this primū mobile in a gratious soul be wel lodged admirable effects will follow As for God his way is perfect why so because he is perfect and what then It followeth he is a buckler to all those that trust in him Psalme 18.30 And then againe This perfect God will make our way perfect 10 ver 32. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect He that sees Gods perfection must needes runne to him What David prayed for touching Gods law Open thou mine eies that I may behold the wonderous things of thy law Psalme 119.18 That should we pray for touching God himselfe Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wonderous things of thine essence and nature God saith our is great without quantity good without quality Infinite without number beautifull without shape or figure eternal without time unmeasurable or immense without multiplicity most high without scituation the center of the Uinverse to whom all things tend in whom they quiesce by whom they are sustained and let me adde with whom alone they can be satisfied In God is allurement of all love Consumation of all desire termination of all motion satiety of all appetite In God is the all of all Vse 3 Thirdly Seeing God is such a compleat goodness wo to the sons of men that do not seek for happines and good where it is to be had yet are there many that do live in the world without God Such are they as make not God their portion God complains of the Jews that they had committed two evils Thousands are guilty hereof even all such as forsake the Lord the fountain of living waters and hew out to themselves cisterns broken cisterns that will hold no water what fools are such as will run to spunfuls when they may enjoy the Ocean that forsake God in whom they may enjoy all things what would ye have that may make you happy that is not to be had in God would ye be safe His name is a strong
verse which will be the Sixth in order of the communicable attribute of God I shall now begin to speake of the goodnes of God as it is called by the name of benignity or sweetnesse or usefull goodnes out of these words For the Lord is good The vulgar latine hath it Quoniam suavis Dominus By some it is read for the Lord is sweet by others for the Lord is gracious All comes to one at last and will afford unto us a good ground to discourse of these three propositions as we have formerly done in handling the other attributes first that goodnes or benignitie or usefullnes or a readinesse to do good is an attribute of God Secondly That this attribute is communicable Thirdly that God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible For the first of these I shall not be long upon the proofe of it In the 36. Psalme the fifth verse For thou Lord art good c. Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him The Church of God was now brought to a low condition which was the cause of the making of this booke of the Lamentations Then did she yet bear up her selfe by this attribute of God his goodnes And this indeed is that Which encourageth God's people to seeke unto him in all their streights and in all their difficulties the remembrance of his goodnes This sets a gracious soule to seeke him because he never shutteth up his hand nor stoppeth his eare to them Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him And here by the way we are to take notice that there is a certaine kind of proportioning out of this goodnes according to the workings of the Holy Ghost in any For though God be good to all there is a goodnes of God over all his work Yet he is not good to all alike There is a generall goodnes particular goodnes or peculiar goodnes He is good to all men and to all things with a generall goodnes Just and unjust evill and good are under his showres and Sun-blasts For he maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and unjust Math. 5.45 And he heareth and feedeth the young ravens when they cry Psalme 147.4 But yet ther is a goodnes peculiarly appropriated unto his people that do waite upon him and seeks unto him For this same waiting upon God and seeking unto him is as it were a fetching up of the waters of goodnes out of the deepe well of that other goodnes lately spoken of the infinitenes I meane and perfection of God in which they ly Seeking God and waiting on him is as it were the applying of God Ye know that if a wounded man had never so good plaisters ly by him if he do not make use of them by applying them to his wounds they may fester and rot and so perish notwithstanding his good salves And although God be the most compleat utmost and absoluâ—e good at all to any unlesse he be applyed O this is the goodnes which is proper to the Saints that waite on him It ariseth from that which is called all his goodnes Exod. 33.19 And that is communicated in a double sense First as it is naturally communicated to his onely son and in this sence God is onely good to his son the second person in the God head to whom God naturally Communicates the divine essence and so he is from everlasting the begetting father and the second person is from everlasting the begotten son This essential goodnes is proper to the sonne of God Secondly there is a free communication of the goodnes of God unto his creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their severall capacities And therefore if the creature be not made capable it cannot receive of this goodnes from him and that is the reason that beasts partake not so much of the goodnes of God as men nor naturall men as they that are gracious Beasts have not the goodnes men have nor common men that goodnes the Saints have because they are not capable of it And not only specifically but gradually too is this goodnes of God communicated to the Saints For the wider the mouth of the bottle is and the more capacious the more is it able to take in and hold of any liquor A man can hold more in his hand then a child in his So according to the measure or degree of faith do we receive in from of the goodnes of God So that all our scantings straightnings are from our selves not from God God would still be giving out but our narrow hearts are not able to take in If we could open our mouths wide God would fill them full T is true faith is the same in justification be it weak or strong but it is not alike in enjoying good things from God The hand of a child or a palsiman serves to bring meat to his mouth to feed them but it cannot hold so fast nor work so well as stronger hands can God doth communicat many goodnesses to all his creatures and some peculiar to reasonable creatures but as ye are Sts. ye are capable of other goodnesses and have such choise favors as flie over the heads of other men and women because they are not capable of them For instance none are capable of the love of God in Christ unto salvation but such as have believed in Christ and received him and to as many only as have received him is power given to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.13 It is never the better that there is water in the Wels if you have not a Well bucket to draw it up for your use David hath a notable prayer Psal 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visite me with thy salvation And therefore let wicked men know this that though God be good yet it is never the better for them in this sence I meane in regard of the love which he beareth to his people Alas ye want faith ye are not of a perfect heart what will ye be the better for the waters that ly in the Well of Gods al-sufficient goodnes Sathan will tell you That God is a good God but he will leave out this to them that feare him and love him and waite upon him This is his Sophistry these be his tricks he dealt so with Christ in a quotation of Scripture as ye may see Math. 4.6 He leaves out those words in all thy waies He tels him of a promise to be kept and of a charge given to the Angels concerning him but if ye reade Psalm 91.9 Ye shall find the words are not faithfully alleadged by the devill He cares not though ye know that God is good but he would not