150 COMING TO GOD WITHOUT CHRIST. 2. 0° Though the goodness of God be infinite in its nature, yet its exercises are all regulated and limitedby wisdom and jus- tice ;" and these are also infinite. Wisdom bath joined with divine goodness, and saved a multitude of sinners ; but is it bound to save them all ? Or is it obliged to save you ? Terrible Majesty, holiness and consuming fire are with our God ; and among rebellious creatures, his wisdom finds proper seasons and objects where these must have their exercise : And if you are sinners, why should not his just vengeance be let out upon you ? It is a dreadful word which is written Is. xxvii. 11. This is a people of no understanding ; therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and that formed themwill shew then no favour. 'Those who are so ignorant of God and his way of sal- vation in the midst of the brightest means of knowledge, deserve destruction from the Almighty, as the fool who says in his heart, There is no God ; Ps. xiv. 1. 3. " There is no promise in the gospel made to those that rest on infinite goodness, and refuse the means God has or- dained to salvation," that is, repentance towards God, andfaith in our Lord Jesus Christ ; Acts xx. 21. Goodness, when it is not bound by a premise, is perfectly free : And, indeed, if it were confined always to act to the utmost of its reach, it were not free, nor divine, nor worthy of God. And where there is no divine faithfulness engaged to support you by a promise, a sinner's hope in goodness itself will not be a suf- ficient and effectual security. 4. " Though the goodness of God is infinite, yet it cloth not express itself in all the ways that it can do in temporal things, and Why must it then be exercised in so unbounded a manner in things eternal ?" If divine goodness exerted itself to the utmost in this life, there would be, no pain, there would be no sickness among men, no heart-ache, no sorrow : But you see there is much sickness, sorrow and pain among us, notwith- standing the boundless goodness of God. There are ten thou- sandways for infinite goodness to express itself in, besides in forgiveness of the sins of men. How do you know that God will forgive any one sinner, or bestow upon him eternal life ? The light of nature cannot assure us of it, much lesscan the light of nature informus, that a God of infinite goodness will pardon every sinner, or save them from the punishment which is due by his righteous law. And I pm well assured the scrip- ture gives us no such general hope : Thousands and millions will be punished with everlasting destructionfrom the presence ofthe Jesus, e and from the glory of his power ; 2 Thess. i. 9. notwithstanding his own and his Father's unsearchable treasures of grace and goodness. The Lord is abundant in goodness, and let earth and iteli abound in miserable creatures.
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