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I. WHAT IS THE PROPER NOTION OF GOODNESS AS IT IS ATTRIBUTED TO GOD?

1. More general in opposition to all moral evil and imperfection, which we call sin and vice; and so the justice, and truth, and holiness of God are in this sense His goodness. But there is —

2. Another notion of moral goodness which is more particular and restrained; and then it denotes a particular virtue in opposition to a particular vice; and this is the proper and usual acceptation of the word goodness; and the best description I can give of it is this, that it is a certain propension and disposition of mind whereby a person is inclined to desire and procure the happiness of others; and it is best understood by its contrary, which is an envious disposition, a contracted and narrow spirit, which would confine happiness to itself, and grudgeth that others should partake of it or share in it; or a malicious and mischievous temper which delights in the harms of others, and to procure trouble and mischief to them.

II. THIS PERFECTION OF GOODNESS BELONGS TO GOD.

1. The acknowledgment of natural light. "The first act of worship is to believe the being of God; and the next to ascribe majesty or greatness to Him; and to ascribe goodness, without which there can be no greatness" ( Seneca).

2. The testimony of Scripture and Divine revelation (Exodus 34:5; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 119:68; Luke 18:19).

3. The perfection of the Divine nature.

(1) Goodness is the chief of all perfections, and therefore it belongs to God.

(2) There are some footsteps of it in the creatures, and therefore it is much more eminently in God.

III. THE EFFECTS AND THE EXTENT OF IT.

1. The universal extent of God's goodness to all His creatures.

(1) In giving being to so many creatures.

(2) In making them all so very good; considering the variety, and order, and end of them.

(3) In His continual preservation of them.

(4) In providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all of them, so far as they are capable and sensible of it.

2. The goodness of God to men.

(1) That He hath given us such noble and excellent beings, and placed us in so high a rank and order of His creatures.

(2) That He hath made and ordained so many things chiefly for our use.

(3) His tender love and peculiar care of us above the rest of the creatures, being ready to impart and dispense to us the good that is suitable to our capacity and condition, and concerned to exempt us from those manifold evils of want and pain to which we are obnoxious.

(4) The provision He has made for our eternal happiness.

(J. Tillotson.)

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KJV: The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

WEB: Yahweh is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works.