his other perfections; for these also render him an amiable object: but love him chiefly for his holiness. It is not enough to love him because he is good and gracious to you, but you must love him also because he is holy in himself. It is chiefly his holiness that renders him amiable to himself; therefore this chiefly should render him lovely to you. Love to him for his holiness and purity is necessary to prove and make out the sincerity of your love. Corrupt nature inclines us the quite contrary way. Unrenewed men hate God especially for his holiness. They have a great aversion from him on the account thereof; and cannot endure any stamp or impress of this divine perfection. They hate his people because of their holiness; and they cannot be reconciled to his laws, because they are so pure and holy; and they' secretly wish in their hearts that God were not so holy, and that his laws were not so strict, and that he might approve of their way, and not hate their sins. I say then, that wicked men hate God especially for his holiness: therefore it will be a good evidence of the sincerity of your love, when you love God chiefly because he is a holy God, and because he cannot but be displeased at sin which is so contrary to his holy nature and will. But how shall we know if we love God for his holiness? If so, then you will love it in every stamp and impression thereof. You will love his law, not only for its usefulness to you, but chiefly for its innate purity and holiness, as the Psalmist did. "Thy word," says he,

"is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it." And you will love his people, not only because of your own interest in them, or for any benefit you have by them, but chiefly because you see a stamp of the divine holiness upon them.

Study to be like God in holiness; to be "partakers of his holiness." Pursue after a conformity to him therein. We have natures that are prone to

imitate, and are much led by example. Commands may be more instructive, but examples are more attractive. Therefore such as would excel in any art or science, propose unto themselves the most excellent in that kind for their pattern. Now, in our endeavours after holiness, what can be more attractive of our imitation than the holiness of God, which is the original and spring of all holiness in the creature? Therefore, it is not the holiness of the best men, nor the holiness of angels or archangels, that is proposed by the Spirit of God, as the chief and first object of our imitation, but the holiness of God. Hence the apostle exhorts, "As he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy."

All men desire to be like God in glory and blessedness, but not in grace and holiness. Satan's temptation to our first parents was, "Ye shall be as gods;" not in a holy conformity, but in a selfsufficiency, which for a creature to aspire after is a cursed thing. But that which I bring to you is no temptation, but a remedy to recover the loss you sustained by that first temptation. By our fall in Adam, we lost the image, favour, and fellowship of God. By losing his image, we lost his favour; and by losing his favour we lost his fellowship. Therefore the way to recover his favour and fellowship, is first to recover his image. This is that which I am now exhorting you unto. Labour to recover what you lost in Adam; to have the image of God's holiness stamped upon your hearts and lives; "to be holy as God is holy."

THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

When Moses desired to see the glory of God, he tells him," I will make all my goodness pass before thee." And by his goodness, we are to understand the train of his relative perfections springing from his goodness; as appears from the proclamation of his name, which was the performance of that he had promised. All the acts of divine grace, mercy, longsuffering, &c. are the effluxes of his goodness, distinguished by several names, according to the objects about which it is exercised. When it supplies the indigent, it is bounty; when it relieves the miserable, it is mercy; when it confers blessings on the unworthy, it is grace; when it bears long with rebellious sinners, it is long-suffering; when it bestows blessings on them to whom he hath obliged himself by promise, it is truth; and when it succours the innocent, and, by just punishment, restrains these evils that are destructive to men, it is justice and righteousness. It renders his other attributes amiable and delightful to us. Whatever comfort they yield to the hearts of believers, it is all owing to his goodness. This makes his wisdom contrive, and his power to act for us, and veils his holiness from affrighting us. It is this attribute that sets the rest on work for our good. So that this is the most pleasant perfection of the divine nature. It is the great inviting attribute. We admire God for his other attributes and perfections; but this allures and draws in our hearts to him. For this we love him, and make our addresses to him. His goodness is a strong invitation to come to him for all we need. The great ground of all our converse with him, is that he is a good God. Hence an old father says, 'The chief name by which we conceive of God is his goodness.'

The goodness of God is gloriously manifested in

our redemption by Christ. The whole of redemption is wrapped up in that one expression, "Good will towards men." O what astonishing goodness was it for God to give his only begotten Son to the death, for such vile rebels and enemies as we all are by nature? The goodness of God, under the name of his love, is rendered as the only cause of our redemption by Christ. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." This So is inexpressible; a So that all the angels in heaven cannot conceive or understand the dimensions of. God gave Christ for us, to commend his love, and to set it off with an admirable lustre. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." O what an expensive goodness was this! What cost was infinite goodness at for our redemption !

The goodness of God will be most signally manifested at the great day, when he will bountifully reward his people. It is in consideration of this especially that the psalmist cries out, "O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee." It is "laid up" in heaven. And, 0, who can tell how great goodness is laid up there! For " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." There is much goodness laid out upon believers in this life; but there is much more laid up for them in heaven. God communicates his goodness to them in this life, but scantily and sparingly; so that their most refreshing experiences of it are but “the first fruits,” some small beginning of the glory that is to come. that they get here is but a taste or sip of his goodness; but in heaven they shall have the full draughts, even as much as they can hold. Hence it is that the saints "long" and "groan earnestly" for their heavenly state. All that they get here doth not satisfy

All

their longing, but rather provoke their appetite for the full feast of glory. As the most eminent saints in this life are but narrow-mouthed vessels and of small capacity; so the means in and by which God communicates his goodness to them, are like narrow conduits from a full fountain: the ordinances cannot convey all the goodness of God to them. But in heaven, God will be “all in all,” and will do his work by himself. There the narrowness of the means shall not straiten him, nor the weakness of the vessel hinder him, to communicate his goodness fully. Here we enjoy God but at second or third hand, in ordinances and providences: but there God shall communicate himself immediately, and therefore in a greater latitude and fulness than now. Here we

get a little in this ordinance, and a little in that ordinance; though that little be sometimes as much as we can hold. But in heaven God will be "all in all," and we shall be filled with all the fullness of God. There every vessel shall be filled to the brim, and we shall hunger and thirst no more.

Labour to get a deep sense of the goodness of God upon your hearts. This will be of great advantage to you. It will quicken you to duty, and encourage your addresses to God, and enlarge your desires and expectations. It will promote thankfulness, and humble you for your unkindness and ingratitude to God. Therefore labour to have your hearts deeply possessed with a sense of the divine goodness. Get and entertain large thoughts of it. It greatly concerns you to look to it, what picture you draw of God in your minds. O, do not entertain hard thoughts of him, as if he were harsh and severe, or of a niggardly and envious nature. No, he is a good God. Meditate much upon his goodness, as it is displayed in all his works, and especially in the glorious work of redemption; and let your thoughts be deep and ponderous. Observe how freely God communicates