GOD'S GOODNESS VINDICATED. 5g9 of selfishness, and sensual or fleshly interest.' Alas ! poor men, that were made for their God, to rejoice wholly in pleasing him, and to-show forth the lustre of his glory, are fallen to themselves and flesh; and now they that should whollÿ devote and refer themselves to God; do strive to mike God a servant to themselves, and measure his goodness by the standard of their fleshly sense and interest; and God shall be with them no longer good, that is, no longer God, than he will give them their wills, and serve their flesh, and keep them from crosses, and losses, and pains, and govern the world according to their fancies ; and when they are committing this odious, self -exalting idolatry, and abasing God, even then.will they judge themselves both wiser and more mer- ciful than he. 'Yea, when a melancholy man despaireth in the sense of his own sin and badness, at that very time he thinketh himself more merciful than the God of infinite goodness, and accuseth his God,for being more cruel than he himself. O man, into what distraction and confusion art thou fallen, when thou de- partest from thy God, and sinkest into that blind and wretch- ed self1 I And tell me, what if but the wills of all the poor, the pained, the dying, &c., were but reconciled to their suffering state ? Would that which pleaseth the will be matter of any complaint ? You may see, then, that it is not God's providence, &c., but the wills and ways ofsinners, that are the diseased causes of all their wran- glings. And if our wills were cured, and reduced to God's will, we-should find nofault with him; if I can but be truly willing of imprisonment, poverty, or death, how can I feel any thing in it to complain of? When even sinners, as aforesaid, do obstinately here take their misery fpr their happiness, and are contented with it so far as it is voluntary. By that time these, twenty questions are answered, the accu- sations of God, as wanting goodness, will all turn to the accuser's shame. st. I am next briefly to detect the false opinions which do ordi- narily cause these persons' errors. 1. It is false doctrine to affirm that God condemneth the great- est part of his intellectual creatures, (as Ihave showed,) though he condemn never so many of this ungodly world. 2. It is not true that nod. decreeth to condemn any'man but for sin, for sin, I say; as the cause of his damnation.) 3. God decreeth to condemn none at age (which I add but to exclude foolish cavils) for Adam's sin only; nor for any other sin only that is not conjoined with an obstinate, final impemtency, and rejecting offered mercy, and neglecting means appointed for their salvation.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=