[8.] It is the ground of prayer ; if we lack any good thing, he hath it, and is ready to communicate it. The goodness of God, as it doth stir up desire in us, so hope ; as it stirreth a desire to communicate of his fulness, so a hope that surely the good God will hear us. He is not sparing of what he can do for us : James i. 5, ' If any of yoti lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, Avho giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.' Our wants send us to the promises, and the promises to God.
Use 1. To press us to imitate our heavenly Father ; you should be good and do good, as he is good and doth good ; for every disposi- tion in God should leave an answerable character and impression upon their souls that profess themselves to be made partakers of a divine nature , therefore it should be our great care and study to be as good and do as much good as we possibly can. He is one like God that is good and doth good ; therefore still be doing good to all, especially to the household of faith : Gal. vi. 10, ' As we have therefore oppor- tunity, let us do good to all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith ;' with Mat. v. 44, 45, ' Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust ;' Luke vi. 35, 'But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again ; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest ; for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil ;' 2 Peter i. 7, 'Add to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity.' Kot doing good to our own party, or those of our friendship, but to all. So generally all good is to be done, as well as that of bounty and benefi-
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cence : Luke vi. 45, ' A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things \ and it is said of Barnabas, Acts xi. 24, ' He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.' A good man is always seeking to make others good, as fire turneth all things about it into fire. The title signifies one not only of a mild disposition, but of a holy, heavenly heart, that maketh it his business to honour God. So Joseph of Arimathea is said to be 'a good man, and a just ;' this is to be like God.
TJi>e 2. Direction to you in the business of the Lord's supper : God is good, and doetli good.
1. Here you come to remember his goodness to you in Christ. Now the goodness of God should never be thought on, or comme- morated, but your hearts should be raised in the wonder and admiration of it: Ps. xxsi. 19, 'Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ; which thou hast Avrought for them that trust in thee ! ' and Ps. xxxvi. 7, ' How excellent is thy loving- kindness, 0 God ! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.' This should be delightful work to you, and not gone about with dead and careless hearts. We cannot ex- press ourselves many times ; strong passions do not easily get a vent ; little things may be greatened by us, but great things indeed strike us dumb. However, our hearts should be deeply affected and possessed with this ; we should be full of such admiring thoughts.
2. We come for a more intimate and renewed taste. By taste, I mean spiritual sense, to have ' the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us,' Rom. v. 5. We come to the feast of the soul that our hungry consciences may taste of the fatness of God's house, Ps. Ixv. 4 ; that our thirsty souls may drink of the rivers of his pleasure, Ps. xvi. 11 ; to have some pledge of the joys of heaven, if not to ravishment and sensible reviving, yet such as may put us out of relish with carnal vanities ; some gracious experiences that may make us long for more, and go away lauding God.
3. To stir up our love to God as the most lovely and suitable object to our souls ; in him is nothing but good. God is goodness itself : he is one that has deserved your love, and will satisfy and reward your love. All the good we have in an ordinance it is from him, and to lead up our souls to him. Our business now is to 'love God, who loved us first,' 1 John iv. 19 ; to love him by devoting ourselves to him, and to consecrate our all to his service.