682 The Goodnefs ofGad. Vol. T And this kind of neceffi ty is fo far from being any impeachment of the Divine Goodnefs, that it is the great Perfedion and Praife of it. The Stoick Philofo- phers miflaking this, do blafphemoufly advance their wife and virtuous man above God himfelf; for they reafón thus, " A wife man is good out of choice; when " be may be otherwife ; but God out of neceffity of nature, and when he cannot " poffibly be otherwife than good. But if they had confidered things aright, they might have known, that this is an imperfe&ion in their wife man, that he can be otherwife than good ; for a power to be evil is impotency and weaknefs. The higheft Chara&erthat ever was given of a man, is that which Yelleius Paterculur gives of Cato, that he was vir bonus, quia aliter efe non potuit, a goodman, becaufe he couldnot be otherwife; this applyed to a mortal Man, is a very extravagant and undue commendation ; but it lignifies thus much, that it is the higheft Per fe&ion, not to be able to be otherwife than good ; and this is the Perfé&ionof the Divine Nature that goodnefs is effential to it, but the expreflions and commu- nications of his goodnefs are fpontaneous and free, dfigned and directed by in- finite Knowledge and Wifdom. This is thefrrfl : the fecondparticular is, that God bath made all Creatures ve= ry good, confidering the variety, and order, and end of then/. But this I (hall referve to another opportunity. SERMONXCI. TheGoodnefs of God, P s A L. CXLV. 9. The Lord is good to all, and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. IN the handling of this Argument, I propofed to do thefefour things. Firfl, To confider what is the proper Notion of Goodnefs, as it is attribu: ted to God. Secondly, To ]hew that this Perfe&ion belongs to God. Thirdly, To confider the Effe&s of theDivine Goodnefs together with thelarge extent of it, in refped of its objeás. And, Fourthly, To anfwer Come Objedions which may feem to contradi&, and bring in queltion the Goodnefs of God. Ihave confidered the two fill' ; and in fpeaking to the third, I propofed the confidering thefe two things. I. the univerfal extent of God's Goodnefs to all his Creatures. II. More efpecially the Goodnefs of God to man, which we are more efpeci= ally concerned to take notice of, and be affe&ed with. The Firfi of thefe appears in thefe four Particulars. i. In his giving Being to fo many Creatures. z. In making them all fo very good, confidering the number and variety; the tank and order, the end and defign of all ofthem. 3. Ìn his continual prefervationofthem. 4. In his providing fo abundantly for the welfare and happinefs of all of them; fo far as they are capable and fenfibleof it. The Fir]l of thefe I fpoke largely to ; I proceed to (hew in the 2. Place, That the univerfal Goodnefs of God appears, in making all thefe Creatures fo very good, confidering the number and variety,.. the rank an4or- der
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