Practical Reflections. (1.) How odious selfishness must be in the sight of God. (2.) Sinners directly opposed in their characters and feelings to God. Exod. 20:5, l.c. Rom. 8:7. (3.) The exceeding great evil of sin, as committed against infinite benevolence. (4.) The ingratitude and baseness of sinners. (5.) What the goodness of God should lead them to. Isa. 30:18. Rom. 2:4. (6.) What emotions the contemplation of the goodness of God should excite in the hearts of his children. Ps. 118. Isa. 63:7. Eph. 5:20. (7.) How we may apprehend the goodness of the Lord. Ps, 107:43.
6. The Justice of God. (1.) What justice is: First, as exercised by intelligent beings, whose relations will admit of mutual giving and receiving; Second, as exercised by a ruler towards his subjects; Third, as relates to all actions, with reference to the general good. (2.) Which of these relations God sustains to the universe. (3.) The disposition which would lead him to act justly in all these cases. (4.) How God is just as respects himself (5.) As respects his creatures. (6.) How the justice of God may be seen from the light of reason, and from the system of his providence. (7.) How from the Sacred History. (8.) The positive declarations of Scripture. Deut. 32:4. Isa. 45:21. Zeph. 3:5. Rev. 15:3. (9.) From the revelation of a future day of righteous retribution. Eccl. 12:14. Acts 17:31. 2 Cor. 5:10.
Practical Reflections. (1.) How, by this attribute, God is qualified to be the Supreme Governor. (2.) How terrible this renders him to the wicked. Exod. 34:7, l.c. Heb. 10:20-29. 12:29. (3.) How suffering the guilty to go unpunished, without satisfaction and reformation, would be doing injustice to the universe. (4.) Why we ought to look with complacency and delight upon this attribute.
7. The Truth of God. (1.) His veracity; or a disposition always to speak according to the real state of things. (2.) Faithfulness; or a disposition to conform his actions to previous declarations of his Word.
(1.) How the truth of God may be proved by reason. First, from his Benevolence. Second, from his Independence and Immutability. Third, from the excellence of truth and the turpitude of falsehood. Fourth, from the estimation in which truth is held by the intelligent creatures he has made.
(2.) How proved from the Scriptures. First, by direct declarations. Exod. 34:6, l.c. Ps. 117:2. 146:6, l.c. Second, by the accordance of the histories recorded in Scripture with the facts substantiated by other evidence. Third, by the predictions of events which have since been fulfilled. Fourth, from the doctrines contained in his Word. Fifth, by the agreement of Scripture with itself. Sixth, by the fulfilment of promises, threatenings, covenants, &c., recorded in his Word. Seventh, other proofs, as they may be suggested to the mind.
Practical Reflections. (1.) How God is qualified by this attribute to be the moral governor of intelligent creatures. (2.) How necessary is faith to acceptance with God. Heb. 11:6. (3.) How odious to a God of infinite veracity must be the sin of unbelief. 1 John 5:10. (4.) How terrible to the wicked this renders the threatenings of God's word. (5.) How valuable his promises to the righteous. (6.) At what an infinite expense God has sustained his truth, while pardoning rebels doomed to die. Ps. 85:10. Rom. 3:26.
8. The Mercy of God. (1.) What mercy is. (2.) Contemplate mercy as a disposition inherent in the Divine character. (3.) The only way in which mercy can be exercised by Him, towards those who have merited anger and punishment, consistent with the moral rectitude of his character, and the great ends of his government. Ps. 85:10. Isa. 53:5, 6, 10. Acts 4:12. 5:31. Rom. 3:25, 26. (4.) How this attribute is manifested in his providence. Matt. 5:45. (5.) How in his Word. Neh. 9:17. Ps. 3:8. Matt. 5:7. Rom. 5:6. (These two may embrace several subdivisions.) (6.) Consider whether by the light of nature we could discover any possible way for God to exercise mercy towards the guilty.
Practical Reflections. (1.) The loveliness and glory of this attribute. (2.) How we should feel in view of it. Ps. 118. (3.) The great guilt and danger of indulging an unmerciful or cruel disposition. Prov. 11:17, l.c. 21:13. Mark 11:26. Jas. 2:13. (4.) The advantage of being merciful. Ps. 18:25. Prov. 11:17, f.c. Matt. 5:7. Mark 11:25.
9. The Wisdom of God. (1.) What wisdom is. How it differs from knowledge. How from cunning or subtilty. Whether that is wisdom which does not design to accomplish a good end. Whether this is a natural or moral attribute, or both. (2.) How the wisdom of God is manifested in the works of creation. Ps. 104. Prov. 3:19. Examine particular objects and see how exactly everything is fitted for the end for which it is designed, and that a good end; such as the seasons; day and night; provision made for the wants and for the comfort and pleasure of men and animals; the body and mind of man; the laws which govern the material world, carried put in a great variety of ways; in the infinite variety, and yet extensive and convenient classification, of objects; human languages; moral agency of intelligent beings, &c. (3.) The wisdom of God, as exhibited in his Word; First, its perfect adaptation to the wants of the world; its variety of authorship, style, matter, manner, &c.; Second, the truths revealed; particularly the plan of redemption. Rom. 11:33.