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SERMON CXXXII.

The happiness of God.

I TIM. i. xi. The blessed God

The whole verse runs thus :

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

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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 says of wisdom may be faid also of happiness, God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. He only, who is perfectly possest of it himfelf, knows wherein it consists, and what are the true ingredients of it.

So that to direct us in our search 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 these words, wherein the Apostle attributes this perfection of blessedness or happiness to God, The bleffed God.

And though this be as essential 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 testament, this attribute of happiness given to God, but only twice in this epistle. It is true indeed, the title of blessedness is frequently given both to God

and Christ, but in another sense, and in a quite dirVOL. VI. ferent

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ferent notion: as Mark xiv. 61. where the Highpriest asks our Saviour, Art thou the Christ the son of the Blessed ? τῷ εὐλογητέ, of him that is celebrated and praised; 2 Cor. xi. 31. The God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore. So likewife, Rom. i. 25. The Creator blessed for evermore: Which likewise is said of Christ, Rom. ix. 5. Of whom Christ 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 εὐλογητὸς, which though we translate bleffed, yet it is a quite different notion from the title of blessednefs, which is given to God in the text, where the word is not εὐλογητὸς, but μακάριος, the blessed or happy God; and this title is not any where in all the New Testament, (that I know of) given to God, but here in the text, and chap. vi. ver. 15. where our Lord Jesus Christ (who alfo is God) is called the blessed 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 Jesus Chrift, is not so much material to my present purpose to enquire. For suppose it be Christ, who is here called the blessed God, this however is certain, that blessedness or happiness is a title belonging to God, which is all that is necessary for a foundation of my prefent difcourse.

In speaking of this argument, I shall do these three things:

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

II. That this title doth belong to God, and that the divine nature is perfectly blessed and happy.

III. How far creatures are capable of happiness, and by what ways and means they may be made partakers of it: And shall then make some inferences from my discourse upon this argument.

I. I will confider what we are to understand by the blessedness or happiness of God, and what are the essential ingredients of it Now the notion of happiness, taken at its highest pitch (as we must necef

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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, resulting from the secure poffeffion and enjoyment of all that is good and defirable, that is, of all excellency and perfection; so that these 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 happiness, and only wants this, that he doth not think himself so, cannot be happy. For this we often see 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 lightness and injudiciousness of mind, not knowing when they are well, they make an hard shift, even when they are in as good circum: stances, as it is almost possible for men to be in this world, to be very discontented and miserable in their own opinions. But God perfectly knows both what makes happiness, and that he is possest of it.

2. To perfect happiness is likewise required a full power to do whatever conduceth to happiness, and likewise 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 necessary to an happy condition, and necessary to secure and continue that happiness againft all attempts and accidents whatsoever.

3. There is wisdom also required to direct this power, and manage it in such 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 so together, 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 compassing and securing his own happiness.

4. Another most confiderable and essential ingredient of happiness is goodness; without which, as there can be no true majesty and greatness, so neither can there be any felicity or happiness. Now goodness is a generous disposition of mind to communicate and diffuse itself, by making others partakers of its happiness, in such degrees as they are capable of it, and as wisdom shall direct: For he is not so happy as he may be, who hath not the pleasure of making others so, and of feeing them put into an happy condition by his means, which is the highest pleafure (I had almost said pride, but I may truly say glory) of a good and great mind: mi For by fuch communications of himself, an immenfe and all-fufficient Being doth not lessen himself, or put any thing out of his power, but doth rather enlarge and magnify himself; and does, as I may (fay, give great ease 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 so independent upon itself, as not still 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 happiness 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 so perfect a Being do nothing that is contrary to, or unbecoming his holiness and righteousness, his truth and faithfulness, which are essential to a perfect Being; and for fuch a Being to act contrary to them in any cafe, would be to create disquiet 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 displeasure, which in moral agents is that which we call guilt; for guilt is nothing else but the trouble and disquiet which arifeth in

one's

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

6. Perfect happiness implies in it the settled and secure poffession of all those excellencies and perfections; for if any of these were liable to fail, or be diminished, so much would be taken off from perfect and compleat happiness. If the Deity were subject to any change or impairment of his condition, so 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 these does refult in the

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

1. Infinite contentment and satisfaction in this condition. And well may happiness be contented with itself; that is, with such a condition, that he that is pofleft of it, can neither defire it should be better, nor have any cause to fear it should be worse.

2. Pleasure and delight, which is something more than contentment: For one may be contented with an affliction, and painful condition, in which he is far from taking any pleasure and delight. No affliction is joyous for the present, but grievous, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. xii. But there cannot be perfect happiness without pleasure in our condition. Full pleasure is a certain mixture of love and joy, hard to be expressed in words, but certainly known by inward sense and experience.

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