[1.] Common and general to all creatures, especially to mankind : Ps. cxlv. 9, ' The Lord is good to all, his tender mercy is over all his works.' Upon all things and all persons he bestoweth many common blessings, as natural life, being, health, wealth, beauty, strength, and supplies necessary for them. There are none of God's creatures but taste of his bounty, and have sufficient proof that a good God made them and preserveth them. The young ravens: Ps. cxlvii. 9, 'He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry,^ inrt- iSdWeL Tov'i veorrovi ?; Kopa^. So the wicked : Mat. v. 45, ' He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust ;' Acts xiv. 17, 'Nevertheless he left not him- self without witness, in that he did good, dyaOoTroicov, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' These common mercies argue a good God that giveth them, though not always a good people that receiveth them. This goodness of God showeth itself daily and bountifull3^
[2.] Special ; God is good to all, but not to all alike. So he is good to his people, whom he blesseth with spiritual and saving benefits. So Lam. iii. 25, ' The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the
VeR. 68.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 23^
soul that seeketh him.' So Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, ' For thou, 0 Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.' For this kind of goodness, a qualification is necessary in the receiver. Satan will tell you God is a goodi3rod, but lie leaveth out this — to those that love and fear him, and wait upon him. This- l)ecuHar goodness yieldetli spiritual and saving blessings, such as pardoning of sins : Isa. Iv. 7, ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon ; ' instruction in the ways of God in the text, ' Thou art good, and doest good : teach me thy statutes.' And, in short, ail the means and helps that are necessary unto everlasting glory : 2 Thes. i. 11, ' Wherefore also we pray always for you, that God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.' Once more, to the objects of his peculiar love common blessings are given in love, and with an aim at our good : Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' So that the ordinary favours which others enjoy are sanctified to them. They are from love, and in honum, for good. God is ready to help them onwards to their everlasting hopes, and that estate which they expect in the world to come, where, in the arms of God, they shall be blessed for evermore.
Thirdly, Why ought those that come to God to have a deep sense of this ?
1. What is this deep sense ?
[1.] It must be the fruit of faith, believing God's being and bounty, or else it will have no force and authority upon us : Heb. xi. 6, ' He that Cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' If we have but cold notions or dead opinions of the goodness of God, they will have little power on us. It is faith sets all things awork ; there must be a sound behef of these things if we would practically improve them.
[2.] It must be the fruit of constant observation of the effects of his goodness vouchsafed to us, so that we may give our thanks and praise for all that good we do enjoy. Careless spirits are not sensible of the hand of providence, never take notice of good or evil ; therefore the Psalmist saith, Ps. cvii. 8, ' Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men ! ' He repeateth the same, ver. 15, 21, 31, and concludeth all ver. 43, ' Whoso is wise, and will observe those things, even they shall under- stand the loving-kindness of the Lord.' We are more backward to the observation of the goodness of God than we are to any duty ; therefore doth the Psalmist stir up all sorts of persons to note the invisible hand of providence that reacheth out supplies to them : whether they have business by sea or by land, whether in sickness or in health, in all the varieties of the present life, he is still stirring them up to mind their mercies, and inviteth them by God's late favours to the praise and acknowledgment of his goodness, his communicating his goodness so freely to undeserving and ill-deserving persons, and following them with more and more mercies. There are none of us but have reasons enough and obligations enough lying upon us to make observations in
240 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXXVII.