The Goodness of God

The goodness of God is not the primary attribute of the Divine nature ; for if it were so , this would represent him as a dependent Being ; but although goodness is not the first or primary exellence in God , yet it is peculiar to Him ; for according to the words of Jesus Christ , "there is none good but one , that is God ."  This benignity of God towards created beings , is the overflowing of that immense glory which is in the Godhead . Now , the healing work of Christ is a grand display of the goodness of the Divine mnature . We have already observed , that there are prejudices entertained by sinners against the justice and sovereignity of God ; but they also entertain prejudices with regard to his goodness . For men naturally reason in this manner, God is said in the scriptures to be a "Consuming fire,"- and they regard this and similar expressions , a defect in the character of God , as to his goodness . But when the soul , by faith, apprehends the grace and truth of God , in the accomplishment of the deliverance of men who are sunk in sin and misery ; it will then believe , that the permission of these evils did not arise or proceed from any defect in the goodness of God ; but that they were so permitted , for the accomplishment of his own holy ends , however dark these may appear to us . So it is said . James 1 : 13 " Let no man say when he is tempted , I am tempted of God ; for God cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man."

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