صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Truth, forgiving Iniquities, and Tranfgreffion, and Sin? Exod. xxxiv. 6,7. What amiable Displays hath he made of his wonderful Love, and the exceeding Riches, of his Grace in the Redeemer! Behold that God, who is Love itself, feated on a Throne of Grace, ready to receive thee upon thy penitent Return. Come to him therefore as under this amiable Character, for he delighteth not in the Death of Sinners, but rather that they should turn from their evil Ways, and live. Caft thyfelf wholly on his fovereign Grace and Goodnefs; yield thyself to him the God of Love through Jefus Chrift the Son of his Love, and thankfully lay hold on the Offers of his Grace upon the moft reasonable and merciful Terms of the new Covenant. O give Thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his Mercy endureth for ever. Rejoice in the glorious Riches of his Grace, faying with a humble and grateful Admiration, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquity, and palleth by the Tranfgreffion of the Remnant of his Heritage? he retaineth not his Anger for ever, because he delighteth in Mercy. Micah vii. 18.

3dly, The last Reflection I would make on this Subject, is, that it highly concerneth us to take Care that we do not abufe the divine Goodness, or take Encourage

T 4

ment

ment from this to go on in a Course of prefumptuous Sin and Difobedience. There is nothing that fetteth the Evil of Sin in fo ftrong a Light as its being committed against the Love and Goodness of the best of Beings, our most gracious and bountiful Benefactor. If any Man fhould declare in exprefs Words, Because God is kind and good, and is daily loading me with his Benefits, therefore will I offend and difhonour him, and trample his Laws and Covenant under my Feet; I fay, if we should hear any Man openly declare this, it would appear fo monftrous, that it would be apt to fill our Souls with Horror. And yet, whatever obftinate prefumptuous Sinners may profess in Words, this is the real Language of their Practice. They prefume upon his Mercy and Indulgence, and flatter themselves that he is good, that he will not be fevere to punish them for their Tranfgreffions; and therefore they allow themselves in a Courfe of wilful Difobedience to his known Commands, and venture to fly in the Face of his Authority and Government. Thus they defpife the Riches of his Goodness, and Forbearance, and Long-suffering, not knowing, i. e. not confidering, that the Goodness of God leadeth to Repentance, as the Apoftle expresseth it, Rom. ii. 4. But let fuch Perfons confider,

that

that the Love and Goodnefs of God is not a foft paffionate Tendernefs, like that of a too fond and indulgent Parent, or of a weak and unsteady Prince, but it is a Goodness ever in Conjunction with infinite Wisdom, and with the most unspotted Rectitude and Purity, and the most impartial Juftice and Righteousness.

God is

merciful, infinitely merciful, but his Mercy is exercised in fuch a Way as is confiftent with the Glory of his infinite Perfections, and the Order and Authority of his Government. His Goodnefs is fuch as becometh the wife and holy Governor of the World, and therefore will not fail to punish the obftinate Despisers of his Authority and Laws. Thofe who are fo bafe and difingenuous as to continue in Sin becaufe Grace hath abounded, fhall find in the Iffue that abused Goodness is the most dreadful Thing in the World. By wilful Impenitency and Difobedience we shall shut up our Souls against the Infiuences and Irradiations of the fupreme Love and Goodness. And then, though God be infinitely good, we shall be miferable, we shall banish ourselves from the Joys of his beatific Prefence, and fhall draw down upon us the most awful Effects of his righteous Displeasure. It is only in a Course of fincere Piety and Virtue that we

can

can hope to be admitted to the facred Intimacies of Communion with the God of Love, and may, upon good Grounds, look forward with Joy to that glorious State where infinite Love fhall take us into its nearest Embraces, and we fhall be perfectly happy in the immediate Vision and Fruition of God to all Eternity.

On

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The Truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praife ye the Lord.

T

HE Attributes and Perfections of God furnish a Subject for our Meditations, which is both in itself the most noble and glorious that can enter into the Mind of Man, and is alfo of the highest Ufe. Efpecially it is of great Advantage to us frequently to turn our Thoughts and Views to his moral Attributes and Excellencies, the Contemplation of which not only tends to fill our Minds with an

Esteem

« السابقةمتابعة »