Ps. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and doest good: teach me thg
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 conduct, they 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, we shall call your attention to,
1. His essential goodness — vol. vi. z
[This is not an indiscriminate regard to all, whether they be good or evil ; for such a regard would not consist with jus- tice, 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 ope- rations may be, it is the same principle in God. It is the sum of all his perfections : towards the undeserving it is grace ; and to the ill-deserving, mercy : to the indigent it is bounty ; to the distressed, pity and compassion : 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 a ; and, in this view, it resides in him necessarily, in him only, and in him continually.]
2. His communicative goodness —
[This he manifests to the world 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."
Towards man in particular, his goodness is more abundantly displayed. Towards the ungodly he has shewn it, by giving his only clear Son to die for them, and his good Spirit to in- struct them : yea, he has set apart an order of men also to entreat them in his name to accept the proffered salvation. Towards the godly he has abounded yet still more in the ex- ceeding 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, sup- plying all their wants, and protecting them in all their dangers ; and, to complete the whole, he will crown them finally with his glory b.]
Such a view of God as this cannot but lead us to adopt, 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 mere human exer- tions ever acquire a right understanding of them c. We must be taught of God : our eyes must be opened by his Spirit :
a Moses prays for a sight of Gtod's glory ; God promises to shew him his goodness ; and then represents it as consisting in an united exercise of all his perfections. Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19. andxxxiv. 6,7.
b Ps. ciii. 1 — 5. c 1 Cor. ii. 14.