The Goodness of God
Psalm 119:68
You are good, and do good; teach me your statutes.


I. DESCRIBE IT.

1. It is absolutely pure, and free from everything of a selfish or sinful nature.

2. Permanent and immutable as His existence.

3. Universal.

II. SHOW THAT IT MOVES HIM TO DO GOOD.

1. The goodness of God must have moved Him to form, before the foundation of the world, the best possible method of doing the greatest possible good. His goodness must have moved Him to employ His wisdom in the best possible manner.

2. It must have moved Him to bring into existence the best possible system of intelligent creatures.

3. It continually moves Him to exert His power and wisdom in governing all His creatures and all His works in the wisest and best manner.

4. It must move Him to make the intelligent universe as holy and happy as possible, through the interminable ages of eternity.

III. IMPROVEMENT.

1. The goodness of God is discoverable by the light of nature. Actions speak louder than words.

2. Then all the objections that ever have been made, or ever can be made, against any part of His conduct, are objections against His goodness, which must be altogether unreasonable and absurd.

3. Then no creature in the universe ever has had, or ever will have, any just cause to murmur or complain under the dispensations of Providence.

4. Then it is owing to the knowledge, and not to the ignorance of sinners, that they hate God.

5. Then He will display His goodness in the everlasting punishment of the finally impenitent.

6. Then those who are finally happy will for ever approve of the Divine conduct towards the finally miserable.

7. Then while sinners remain impenitent, they have no grounds to rely upon His mere goodness to save them.

(N. Emmons, D. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

WEB: You are good, and do good. Teach me your statutes.




Pain and Pity
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