Ps. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and doest good : teach me thy
statutes.
THE perfections of God, if considered only in a speculative view, must excite our admiration ; but, if contemplated in reference to our state and con- duct.
duct, tliey will be to us a source of unspeakable comfort, and a spring of incessant activity. What emotions a knowledge of the Divine goodness will produce in the soul, we see in the words before us ; in discoursing upon which we shall notice,
I. The goodness of God —
In conformity with the text, v/e shall call your attention to,
J . His essential goodness — [This is not an indiscriminate regard to all, whether they be good or evil ; for such a regard would not consist with justice, or holiness, or truth : but it is a general benevolence towards the whole creation, operating incessantly for the good of the whole. The manner in which it discovers itself is as various as the states of men ; but, however diversified its operations may be, it is the same principle in God. It is the sum of all his perfections : to- wards the undeserving it is grace; and to the ill-deserving, mercy : to the indigent it is bounty; to the distressed, pity and com- passion: towards the impenitent it is forbearance ; and to the obstinate and incorrigible it is justice. This is the view which God himself gives us of his goodness^; and, in this view, it resides in him necessarily, in him only, and in him continually.]
1. His communicative goodness —
[This he manifests to the ivorld at large. When first he created the world, he formed every thing " very good." And if we look around us, we shall be constrained to say, " The earth is full of his goodness."
Toivards man in particular, his goodness is more abundantly displayed. Towards the ungodly he has shewn it, by giving his only dear Son to die for them, and his good Spirit to instruct them : yea, he has set apart an order of men also to intreat them in his name to accept the proffered salvation. Towards the godly he has abounded yet still more in the exceeding riches of his grace: for, in addition to all that he has done for the ungodly, he has made his word effectual for their conversion; and he watches over them with paternal care, supplying all their wants, and protecting them in all their dangers ; and, to complete the whole, he will crown them finally with his glory''.]
Such a view of God as this cannot but lead us to adopt,
n. The
• Moses prays for a sight of God's glory ; God promises to shew him \\\% goodness ; and then represents it as consisting in an united exercise of all his perfections. Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19- & xxxiv. Q, 7-
" Ps.ciii. 1— 5.
414 PSALMS, cxix. 68. [423.
II. The petition grounded upon it —
The petition itself is such as all ought to offer for themselves —
[By " the statutes " of God we understand both the truths he has revealed, and the precepts he has enjoined. Of these we are by nature ignorant ; nor can we by me;-e human exer- tions ever acquire a right understanding of them"^. We must be taught of God: our eyes must be opened by his Spirit: then only shall we keep his statutes, when God himself shall *^ write them on the fleshly tables of our hearts."]
But the petition has peculiar force as grounded on a discovery of God's goodness ; for, in that, as in a glass, we see,
1. Our duties —
[The law of God primarily declares our duty towards him : but none ever attain a just knowledge of that duty from the law alone : they cannot see the necessity of loving God with all their hearts, till they have some idea of the obligations they lie under to him for the stupendous work of Redemption. But let the love of God in Christ Jesus be once clearly revealed to the soul, and the excellency of the law will instantly appear ; and obedience to it will be considered as perfect freedom.]