[4.] God's goodness is the life of our faith and trust. So long as the goodness of God endureth for ever, we have no cause to be dis- couraged. If we want direction, in the text it is said, ' Thou art good, and dost good; teach me thy statutes.' If we want support and deliverance, Kahum i. 7, ' The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.' In every strait the people of God find him to be a good God. When we feel the burden of sin, and fear God's wrath, Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, ' The Lord is good, and ready to forgive ; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call
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242 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXVII.
upon him.' David, when his old sins troubled him, the sins of his youth, Ps. XXV. 7, ' Ilemember not the sins of my youth, nor my trans- gressions : according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy good- ness' sake, 0 Lord.' When his enemies consulted his ruin, Ps. li. 1, ' Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, 0 mighty man ? the goodness of God endureth continually.' They cannot take away the goodness of God from you, whatever they plot or purpose against you. Thus may faith triumph in all distresses upon the sense of the goodness of God. In the agonies of death, the goodness of God will be your sup- port. Non sic vixi ut pudeat me infer vos vivere ; nee mori timeo, quia bonum habeo Dominum. We have a good master, who will not see his servants unrewarded. The goodness of God, and his readiness to be gracious to every one that cometh to him, is the fountain of the saint's hope, strength, and consolation.
[.5.] The goodness of God is the great motive and invitation to re- pentance : Rom. ii. 4, ' Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? ' How so ? God is good, but not to those that continue in their sins: Ps. Ixviii. 19-21, 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salva- tion, Selah. He that is our God is the God of salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death : but God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goetli on still in his trespasses.' If goodness be despised, it will be turned into fury. How great soever the riches of the Lord's bounty and grace offered in Christ are, yet an impenitent sinner will not escape un- punished. God is good ; oh ! come, try, and see how good he will be to you, if you will turn and submit to him. There is hope offered, and goodness hath waited to save you ; so that now you may seek his favour with hope to speed. While he sits upon the throne of grace, and alloweth the plea of the new covenant, do not stand off against mercies. God hath laid out the riches of his gracious goodness upon a design to save lost sinners ; and will you turn back upon him, and despise all his goodness provided for you in Christ? In point of gratitude, the least kindness done men melteth them as coals of fire. The borrower is servant to the lender. God hath not only lent us, but given us all that we have ; therefore it should break our hearts with sorrow and remorse that we should offend a God so good, so bountiful, so merciful. The odiousness of sin doth most appear in the unkind- ness of it ; that infinite goodness hath been abused, and infinite good- ness despised, and that you are willing to lose your part in infinite goodness, rather than not satisfy some base lust, or look after some trifling vanity. Saul wept at the thoughts of David's kindness, 1 Sam. xxiv. 16. Every man will condemn the wrongs done to one that hath done us no evil, but much good ; and will you sin against God, who is so good in himself, so good to all his creatures, and so good to you, and waiteth to be better and more gracious ; and return evil for all his good, and requite his love with nothing but unkindness and pro- vocation ? Oh, be ashamed of all these things ! What heart is that that can offend, and so willingly offend, so good a God ! Piom. xii. 1, * I beseech you by the mercies of God ' (there is argument and endear-
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ment enough in that) ' that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service,' that ye consecrate, dedicate yourselves to his glory, address yourselves cheer- fully to his service. Let the soul be Avarnied into an earnest resolution to please him for the future, lest you make goodness your enemy, and justice take up the quarrel of abused grace.