The _communicative_, or relative goodness of God, or his goodness to his creatures, is his inclination or self-propension to deal well and bountifully with them. As the notion of God includes goodness, so the idea of goodness implies holy diffusiveness. Therefore, says the Psalmist, “Thou art good, and doest good.” All that we are, have, or hope for, that is good, proceeds from God as its fountain; hence he is called, “the fountain of living waters.” This communicative goodness implies, that, from his all-sufficiency, he is ready to impart to his creatures whatever their necessities require. This attribute is universal: “he is good to all” his creatures from the highest angel to the meanest reptile; especially, to his people, “Truly,” says the Psalmist, “God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” But, though God is good to all his creatures, yet he is not equally so in the same kind and degree of blessings. His munificence is regulated by his wisdom, and the different capacities with which he has formed his creatures makes this inequality necessary. [There is one vast and awful question which must occur to every reflecting mind--_What is God?_ As it regards his _Nature_, the Scriptures say, He is a _Spirit_. We must therefore, conceive the Creator to be, a _Living_, _Rational_, _Benevolent_, and _Spiritual_ ESSENCE; absolutely, necessarily, and naturally _perfect_, and, therefore, _immaterial_, _uncompounded_, _indivisible_, and _eternal_. It is necessarily understood that this essence is _peculiar_: that there is nothing in its nature which has any resemblance to _created_ substances, whether material or spiritual; and that it is _underived_, and consequently, _independent_. This Divine Essence being immaterial, impalpable, simple and indivisible, cannot have _body_ or _parts_: nor can it be said to be a _whole_, for this would imply an _aggregation_ of parts: but is itself a perfect, absolute, single, and eternal INDIVIDUALITY, incapable of self-multiplication, or increase; or of diminishing itself, or endangering its existence. This essence is a _living_ essence; and, therefore, has inherently the power and principles of _action_: It is a _rational_ essence, and therefore, must act according to the eternal principles of _reason_ and _right_: It is a _benevolent_ essence, and therefore, all its actions must be infinitely _good_ and _kind_. Absolute _perfection_, _infinitude_, and _sovereignty_ in all these respects, constitute the Being we call God.