is one of the bafeft vices; and, certainly, ingratitude to the beft of Beings cannot be lefs bafe than any other kind of ingratitude. On the contrary; he ought to be the first object of our gratitude, and a difpofition to acknowledge him in all our ways ought to be the governing principle within us.Nothing bestows more dignity on a character than an unaffected and ardent piety; nor is any thing more reasonable and becoming. But how little of it do we fee? I have juft faid that the capacity of acknowledging the Deity is one of our chief distinctions from the lower animals; but multitudes about us choose to give up this distinction. They can enjoy the bleffings of life without lifting up their fouls to the Donor of them. They can think of the Being who is the caufe of all joy and the fountain of all good without being kindled into devotion. Thirdly. The goodness of God fhews us the folly and bafeness of fin. All moral evil is an abufe of the love, and difobedience to the authority of that Being who is always doing us good, and whofe character comprehends in it every excellence which can be a reafon for affection and veneration. It is flighting and offending our beft Benefactor, and turning the very bleffings we derive from him into inftruments of oppofition to him.-Had we a just ingenuity of temper, nothing nothing would have a stronger tendency to produce in us a deep contrition for our fins, than the reflection, that by them we have counteracted and affronted perfect goodnefs; nor would any thing imprefs us more in favour of virtue, than the confideration that it is a concurrence with the views of Infinite Goodnefs, and that by it we please and obey our all-benevolent Parent and Preferver. If we feel that we are not influenced by confiderations of this kind, we want one of the moft proper fprings of virtue, and we may be sure that our characters are fadly defective. Farther. The goodness of God ought to be imitated by us. It cannot but be his will that we should be merciful, as he is merciful, and do good to one another as he does good to us all. It fhould be our ambition to act thus; and, as far as poflible, to employ our little power in the fame manner that God employs his unlimited power. No being can have a higher or nobler ambition. What gives luftre to all God's attributes is his goodnefs. This chiefly is the excellence that makes him amiable. He has given us the power of acquiring fome degree of the fame excellence. Let us not neglect or abufe fo transporting a privilege of our natures. Let us rive to copy into our own hearts the benevolence of our Ma ker, by cultivating in ourselves every kind affection, and ftudying to relieve the pains and to increase the happiness of all about us. Thus fhall we be his genuine offspring, and fecure his particular favour and protection. Laftly. The goodnefs of God fhould engage us to put our trust in him. I am led particularly to obferve this by the latter part of the verfe I have taken for my text.Oh! tafte and fee that the Lord is good. Blefed is the man that trufteth in him.-God made us to make us happy. He directs all events in the best manner, and for the best purposes. The whole creation is his family, over which he is continually watching. Innumerable beings are every moment brought forth by him to exist forever the objects of his liberality. With what confidence fhould we commit our whole existence to this Being, and give up ourselves to his difpofal? How fhould the reflection that he reigns, revive our hearts, and diffipate our anxieties? What may we not hope for from his boundless goodness? How fafe are all our interefts under his management ?-Let us, however, take care not to forget an obfervation which was made at the beginning of this difcourfe. Let us remember, that our expectations from God ought to be regulated by a regard to his JUSTICE. Though he loves his creatures, he muft hate the wicked. wicked. Sin is the fubverfion of that order, and an oppofition to thofe laws by which the world fubfifts; and, for this reafon, even goodness requires that it should be punished, and that virtue should be made the univerfal ground and condition of happiness. An ill man, therefore, can buildno hopes on the goodness of God. To trust in him, at the fame time that we counteract his will, and live in guilt, would be a wretched folly and prefumption. But to conclude the whole.-Let us, with one heart, give glory to God, and celebrate his praises. Let us rejoice in his government, and never shrink from any thing our duty to him requires. Let us love him with all our fouls, and with all our strength, and let our love to him fhew itself by loving all his creatures.-His mercies are more than we can number; and it is not poffible for us to make him any adequate returns.Oh! fing unto the Lord a new fong. (Pfal. ciii.) Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord. Blefs his name. Shew forth his falvation from day to day. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth.-Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad. Let the fields be joyful and all that is therein. For the Lord is good; his mercy is from everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations. Bless |