* And do good to us.' For so it is in the original, + but it is all one, ' Eeceive us graciously, and do good to us.' All the goodness we have from God, it is out of his grace, from his free grace and goodness. AH grace, every little thing from God is gi-ace. As we say of favours received of
* That is, the state-prison.— G. f See note b, vol. I. p. 289.— G.
J Seb note a. — G.
HOSEA XrV. 2. J THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. 265
great persons, this is his grace, his favour ; so this is a respect which is put upon all things which we receive from God, when we are in covenant, all is gracious. Take we the words as they are, the more plain, in the original. * Take good, and do good to us : ' take good out of thy treasure of goodness, and do good to us, bestow upon us thy own good. First, ' take away our iniquities,' and then take good out of thy bounty, ' and do good to us.' Whence we see —
Doct. That God's mercy to his children is comj)lete and full.
For he takes away ill, and doth good. Men may pardon, but withal they think that they have done wondrous bountifully when they have pardoned. But God goes further. He takes away ill, and doth good ; takes good out of his fountain, and doth good to us.
Use. Therefore, let us make this use of it, to be encouraged, when we have the first blessing of all, forgiveness of sins, to go to him for more and more, and gather upon God further and fm-ther still. For because he is a fountain of goodness that can never be di-awn dry, he is wondrously pleased with this. "We cannot honom" him more than by making use of his mercy in the forgiveness of sins ; and of his goodness, in going to him for it ; and having interested ourselves in his goodness, go to him for more. Lord, thou hast begun : make an end ; thou hast forgiven my sins ; I want this and that good ; together with the pardon of my sius, do me good. ' Receive us gi-aciously,' or, ' do us good.' Now, good is the loadstone of the soul, the attractive that draws it. Therefore, after forgiveness of sins, he saith, ' do good.' The petition is easy, God will soon grant it. For nothing else interposeth betwixt God and us, and makes two, but sin, which being removed, he is all goodness and mercy. ' All his ways are mercy and trath,' Ps. xxv. 10. Yea, even his sharpest ways are mercy, all mercy. "When sin is forgiven, there is goodness in aU, in the greatest cross and affliction. ' Do good to us.'
The soul, we see, desires good, and needs good. It is a transcendent word here, and must be understood according to the taste of God's people, of a sanctified soul. ' Do good.' Especially do spiritual good to us. Together with the forgiveness of sins, give us the righteousness of Jesus Christ, sanctifying grace, such good as may make us good first. For the desire must be such as the person is, who makes it. Wicked men, as it is said of Balaam, have good gifts, without the good God ; but we must not be so pleased with gifts, imless we be good oui'selves, and see God making us good. ' Can an evil tree bring forth good fi-uit ? ' Mat. vii. 18. Therefore, the apostle calls the regenerate person ' God's workmanship,' &c., Eph. ii. 10. We are God's good work, and then we do good works ; being made good, good comes from us. * Do good to us.'
It is an acknowledgment of their own emptiness, ' Do good to us.' We are bhnd in om- own understandings, enlighten us. We are perplexed, set us right. We are dull, quicken us. We are empty, fill us. We are dark, shine upon us. We are ready to go out of the way, establish us. Every way do good to us suitable to our wants. The best that we can bring to thee is emptiness. Therefore do thou good to us ; fill us with thy fulness. Do good to us every way, whereby thou usest to convey spiritual things to thy servants' souls. Give us first thy gi-ace, thy Spuit, which is the spring of all good things ; for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of direction, of strength, of comfort, and all. Therefore he who hath the SpMt of God hath the spring of all. That is begged in the first place. And then give us good magistrates, to rule us well, and good ministers, who are the dispensers of
266 THE EETUKNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON II.
grace, instruments of our salvation, the conduit pipes whereby thou derivest and conveyest good to us. When thou hast made us good, continue the means of salvation for our good every way. The church, when she saith, * Do good to us,' hath a large desire. Here be seeds of wondrous large things in these two short petitions, ' Take away all iniquity,' and ' do good to us.' A bono Deo, &c. From the good God nothing can come but what is good. Therefore do good to us in all spiritual things. The prophet David aims at this excellent good, saying that other men are for corn, wine, and oil, and say, ' Who will shew us any good ? But, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,' Ps. iv. 6, 7. Thy lovingkindness is better than life, therefore do good to us. When thou hast forgiven our sins, shine graciously upon us in Jesus Christ.