tempers, and be the directer and concern of your lives. It will then fupply noble fatiffactions, and continually improve our hope of everlasting bleffedness and our title to it. We shall then experience, that when God, commanded us to pray always, and, in every thing to give thanks; he as much confulted our happiness, as his own honour, and that his honour herein is to make us happy.

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This reflection would naturally introduce a variety of others intirely practical, which must be reserved for another difcourfe.

SERMON XV.

Practical Inferences from the Goodnefs of God.

MATTHEW vii. 11.

If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more Shall your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him.

I

Have chofen thefe words as an intro

duction to various inferences, doctrinal and practical; which I propofed to make from the preceding illuftration and proof of the Divine Goodness. In the former difcourse were presented to your thoughts feveral doctrinal inferences; in this I would recommend to your confideration several, which are more intirely practical. As this truth is the foundation of all rational religion, and liberal piety, you will not be furDd 3 prized

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prized if I call your attention to various interesting and practical truths, which offer themselves to the minds of those, who ferioufly confider the greatnefs and certainty of the Divine Benevolence.

1. Is God good, infinitely good; let us endeavour worthily to love and praise him. That our regard and love to the Deity might be a virtue, and greatly rewardable by the fupream Goodness, he hath retired behind fecond caufes; and attentive meditation, a diligent obfervation of the works of God, and ftudy of his word, and frequent reviews of his benefits, are neceffary to form and establish sutable convictions of his great kindness, warm refentments of his benefits, and a grateful love, exalted and conftant as his goodness. Though God be invisible to fenfe, yet reafon and revelation affure us, that he is always prefent, and infinitely benevolent; that he is the Author of all the

good we enjoy, fupports our lives, and supplies our returning wants. That he provides continually for an univerfe of creatures, bears with the follies and vices of mankind, to which he is a conftant witnefs, endea

endeavours by his providence and grace to train them for immortal bleffednefs, and accepts our fincere, though very defective returns; having by his Son's obedience unto death made way for our attaining to everlafting life; and that he profecutes the defign, with a mercy fuperior to our inconftancy, ingratitude and frequent offences.. Reafon and revelation affure us that God is thus kind, and that our obligations to his mercy are unfpeakably great; and shall we not by daily meditations, prayers and praises, cherish worthy fentiments of gratitude to infinite Goodness, ever furrounding us, ever attentive to our falvation, and defigning us, unworthy as we are, for a felicity, which after millions of years of poffeffion, will be ftill new, compleat and everlasting? Shall we not endeavour that our grateful love increase with his increafing benefits? Can we be fatisfied when we reflect upon ourselves, as always in the prefence of this gracious God, and under the greatest obligations; and at the fame time void of the gratitude we owe him?

If prevailing benignity of temper renders the perfon and character of a friend, a parent, a magiftrate, or a prince amiable, causes us to take part in their happiness, to be studious of their honour and intereft, and delighted when these are advanced, and especially when we ourselves can advance them; how strongly should the unbounded benignity of our Creator engage these affections, who is pure and unlimited Goodness, the Author of all the kind affections which others exert, and of all the good they bestow? And who, though he be infinitely exalted above us, and incapable of being profited by the children of men, concerns himself unweariedly for our welfare, bears with our folly and inconftancy, forgives our repeated tranfgreffions, follows us with undeferved benefits, averts deferved evils, cherishes, accepts and immenfely rewards our wavering and imperfect virtue and piety; and with long-fuffering, fuperior to the tranfgreffions of fo many generations, purfues the defign of their happiness; and who, although they forfeit the bounties of his providence, will yet employ the riches of his

grace