Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERMON CXXXII.

The happiness of God.

I TIM. i. xi. The bleffed God-
The whole verfe runs thus :

According to the glorious gospel of the bleed God, which was committed to my trust.

[ocr errors]

Ince all men naturally defire happiness, and thirst after it, methinks we should all defire to know what it is, and where it is to be found, and how it is to be attained by us, in that degree in which creatures are capable of it. What Job fays of wisdom may be faid alfo of happiness, God un-. derftandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. He only, who is perfectly poffett of it himfelf, knows wherein it confifts, and what are the true ingredients of it.

So that to direct us in our fearch after happiness, the best way will be to contemplate and confider the divine nature, which is the perfect pattern and idea of happiness, and the original spring and fountain of all the felicity that creatures are capable of. And to that end, I have pitched upon thefe words, wherein the Apostle attributes this perfection of bleffednefs or happiness to God, The bleffed God.

And though this be as effential a part as any other of that notion which mankind have of God from the light of nature, yet I no where find in all the new teftament, this attribute of happiness given to God, but only twice in this epiftle. It is true indeed, the title of bleffednefs is frequently given both to God and Christ, but in another fenfe, and in a quite dirVOL. VI. B b ferent

ferent notion: as Mark xiv. 61. where the Highpriest asks our Saviour, Art thou the Chrift the fon of the Bleed? T evλoynte, of him that is celebrated and praifed; 2 Cor. xi. 31. The God and father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is blessed for evermore. So likewife, Rom. i. 25. The Creator bleffed for evermore: Which likewife is faid of Chrift, Rom. ix. 5. Of whom Chrift came, who is over all, God blessed for evermore; that is, for ever to be praised and celebrated. But in all these texts the Greek word is guxonTÒS, which though we tranflate bleffed, yet it is a quite different notion from the title of bleffednefs, which is given to God in the text, where the word is not εὐλογητὸς, but μακάριος, the bleed or happy God; and this title is not any where in all the New Teftament, (that I know of) given to God, but here in the text, and chap. vi. ver. 15. where our Lord Jefus Chrift (who alfo is God) is called the bleffed and the only potentate. And whether this title of the blessed or the happy God, be here in the text given to God the Father, or to his eternal Son, our Lord Jefus Christ, is not fo much material to my prefent purpose to enquire. For fuppofe it be Chrift, who is here called the bleffed God, this however is certain, that blessednefs or happiness is a title belonging to God, which is all that is neceffary for a foundation of my prefent difcourfe.

In fpeaking of this argument, I fhall do these three things:

I. Shew what we are to understand by the happinefs of God, and what are the effential ingredients of it.

II. That this title doth belong to God, and that the divine nature is perfectly bleffed and happy. III. How far creatures are capable of happiness, and by what ways and means they may be made takers of it: And fhall then make some inferences from my difcourfe upon this argument.

par

I. I will confider what we are to understand by the bleffednefs or happiness of God, and what are the Now the notion of happi

effential ingredients of it. nefs, taken at its highest pitch (as we must necef

farily do when we apply it to God) is no other than a fixed and immoveable state of contentment and fatisfaction, of pleasure and delight, refulting from the fecure poffeffion and enjoyment of all that is good and defirable, that is, of all excellency and perfetion; fo that thefe following ingredients must go to make up a perfect flate of happiness:

1. Perfect knowledge to understand what it is that conftitutes happiness, and to know when one is really poffeft of it. For as he is not happy, who is fo only in imagination or a dream, without any real foundation in the thing; for he may be pleased with, his condition, and yet be far enough from being truly happy fo, on the other hand, he that has all other neceffary ingredients of happinefs, and only wants this, that he doth not think himself fo, cannot be happy. For this we often fee in the imperfect felicity of this world, that many men who have all the materials and circumstances of a worldly happiness about them; yet, by the unskilful management of the matter, and from a lightnefs and injudicioufnels of mind, not knowing when they are well, they make an hard shift, even when they are in as good circum: ftances, as it is almoft poffible for men to be in this world, to be very difcontented and miferable in their own opinions. But God perfectly knows both what makes happiness, and that he is poffeft of it.

2. To perfect happiness is likewife required a full power to do whatever conduceth to happiness, and likewife to check and controul whatever would be an hinderance and disturbance to it; and therefore no being is as happy as it can be, that is not allfufficient, and hath not within its power and reach whatever is neceffary to an happy condition, and neceffary to fecure and continue that happiness against all attempts and accidents whatsoever.

3. There is wisdom alfo required to direct this power, and manage it in fuch a manner, as it may effectually conduce to this end; and this is very different from mere power abstractedly confidered; for one may have all the materials of happiness, and yet want the wisdom and skill to put them fo together, Bb 2

as

as to frame an happy condition out of them; and he is not happy, who doth not throughly understand the proper method and means of compaffing and fecuring his own happiness.

4. Another moft confiderable and effential ingredient of happiness is goodness; without which, as there can be no true majefty and greatnefs, fo neither can there be any felicity or happiness. Now goodnefs is a generous difpofition of mind to communicate and diffuse itself, by making others partakers of its happiness, in fuch degrees as they are capable of it, and as wisdom fhall direct: For he is not fo happy as he may be, who hath not the pleasure of making others fo, and of feeing them put into an happy condition by his means, which is the highest pleafure (I had almoft faid pride, but I may truly fay glory) of a good and great mind: For by fuch communications of himself, an immenfe and all-fufficient Being doth not leffen himself, or put any thing out of his power, but doth rather enlarge and magnify himself; and does, as I may fay, give great eafe and delight to a full and fruitful being; without the least diminution of his power and happiness. For the cause and original of all other beings can make nothing fo independent upon itfelf, as not ftill to maintain his interest in it, to have it always under his power and government; and no being can rebel against his Maker, without extreme hazard to himself.

5. Perfect happinefs doth imply the exercise of all other virtues, which are fuitable to fo perfect a Being, upon all proper and fitting occafions: that is, that fo perfect a Being do nothing that is contrary to, or unbecoming his holinefs and righteousness, his truth and faithfulness, which are effential to a perfect Being; and for fuch a Being to act contrary to them in any cafe, would be to create difquiet and disturbance to itself: For this is a certain rule, and never fails, that nothing can act contrary to its own nature without reluctancy and difpleafure, which in moral agents is that which we call guilt; for guilt is nothing elfe but the trouble and difquiet which arifeth in

one's

7

one's mind, from the confcioufnefs of having done fomething which is contrary to the perfective principles of his being, that is, fomething that doth not become him, and which, being what he is, he ought not to have done; which we cannot imagine ever to befal fo perfect and immutable a Being as God is.

6. Perfect happiness implies in it the fettled and fecure poffeffion of all thofe excellencies and perfections; for if any of these were liable to fail, or be diminished, fo much would be taken off from perfect and compleat happiness. If the Deity were fubject to any change or impairment of his condition, fo that either his knowledge, or power, or wisdom, or goodness, or any other perfection, could any ways decline or fall off, there would be a proportionable abatement of happiness. And from all thefe does refult in the

7th and last place, infinite contentment and fatisfaction, pleasure and delight, which is the very ef fence of happiness.

1. Infinite contentment and fatisfaction in this condition. And well may happiness be contented with itfelf; that is, with fuch a condition, that he that is poffeft of it, can neither defire it fhould be better, nor have any caufe to fear it fhould be worfe.

2. Pleasure and delight, which is fomething more than contentment: For one may be contented with an affliction, and painful condition, in which he is far from taking any pleafure and delight. No af"fliction is joyous for the prefent, but grievous, as the Apoftle fpeaks, Heb. xii. But there cannot be perfect 'happiness without pleasure in our condition. Full pleafure is a certain mixture of love and joy, hard to be expreffed in words, but certainly known by in ward fenfe and experience.

And thus I have endeavoured to defcribe to you, as well as I could, according to our imperfect conceptions and expreffions of God, the happiness of the divine nature, and wherein it confifts. I proceed to the.

Bb 3

II.

« PreviousContinue »