The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

1. The Original is God: and the notion of a Deity includes infinite perfections, so that it necessarily follows that he hath no need of the creatures service to preserve or heighten his felicity.¹ If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? From Eternity he was without external honour, yet in that infinite duration he was perfectly joyful and happy. He is the fountain of his own blessedness, the Theatre of his own Glory, the Glass of his own Beauty. One drop increases the Ocean, but to God a million of Worlds •an add nothing. Every thing hath so much of Goodness as it derives from him. As there was no gain to him by the Creation, so there can be no loss by the annihilation of all things. The World proceeded from his Wisdom as the Idea and Exemplar, and from his Power as the efficient cause; and it so proceeds from him, as to remain more perfectly in him. And as the possession of all things, and the obedience of Angels and Men is of no advantage to God, so the opposition of impenitent Rebels cannot lessen his Blessedness. If thou sinnest, what do•t thou against him? or, ²if thy transgressions ⟨p. 148⟩be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? The Sun suffers no loss of its light by the darkness of the night, or an Eclipse, but the World lo•es its day: if intelligent Beings do not esteem him for his Greatness, and love him for his Goodness, 'tis no injury to him, but their own infelicity. Were it for his interest, he could by one act of Power conquer the obstinacy of his fiercest Enemies. If he require subjection from his creatures, 'tis not that he may be happy but liberal, that his Goodness may take its rise to reward them. Now this is the special commendation of Divine Love, it doth not arise out of indigency as Created Love, but out of fullness and redundancy. Our Saviour tells us there is none good but God: not only in respect of the perfection of that Attribute,³ as it is in God in a transcendent manner, but as to the effects of his goodness, which are merely for the benefit of the receiver. He is only rich in Mercy, to whom nothing is wanting, or profitable. The most liberal Monarch doth not always give, for he stands in need of his Subjects. And where there is an expectation of Service for the support of the giver, tis traffic and no gift.