596 GOD's GOODNESS VINDICATED. God had not gone before it with any decree of the event, and as- muchmoral liberty as we have moral virtue or holiness. And these principles I have laid down in a little room, that tempted persons may see, that it is our dark and puzzled brains, and our selfish, diseased hearts, that are the cause of our quarrel- ing with God, his decrees and providences ; and as soon as we come to ourselves and are cured, theseodious apprehensions vanish, and God appeareth as the unclouded sun, in the lustre of his amiable goodness; and when we come to heaven, we shall see, to our joy, and his glory, that heaven, earth and hell declare him to be all perfectly good, without any mixture ofevil in himself, or in any of his word or works. And we shall find all our sinful suspicions and murmurings turned into a joyful consent to the angelical praises. Psalm cxxxvi. 1, 2. 26, &c. " O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy is forever." Rev. iv. 8. 11. " Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. vii. 12. "Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, unto our God forever andever: Amen: The Lord is good to ill, and his tender mercies are over all his works. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, andof great mercy ; " Psalm cxlv. 8, 9. "The word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done in truth : he loveth righteousness and judg- ment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord;" Psalm xxxiii. 4, 5. " O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ! which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men ! " Psalm xxxi..19. "O therefore that men (instead of quarreling with his unknown mys- teries) would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonder- ful works to the children of men ; ". Psalm cvii. 8. 15.. 21. 31. In the conclusion, I take it to be wholesome advice to those that are under this temptation, 1. That they will oft read over the Psalms of praise, and think, when they read them, whether Davidand the ancient church were not more likely to know what they said, than a self-conceited, or a melancholy, tempted sinner ? 2. That they would consider who it is that is the grand enemy of the glory of God's goodness, and they shall soon find that it is none other than the devil ; none but he that is most evil can most envy Infinite Goodnesshis honor. And is the devil fit to be believ- ed against God ? And that after the warning of our first parents'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=