Sërlïi. XCIII. Goòdhefs ofGod. and good Prince, the greateft calamity and cänfdfion thát èoúldpoffiblÿ haVt Iáë- fallen theni. . If the EQidènce of God's Being were not fo clear as it is, yet the èonlderátibr Of his Gondnefs ought tit, cheek all inclination to Atheifm and Infidelity ; for if he be as goodas he is reprefented to us, both by natural Light and Divine Reve lation, (and he is fo, as (ere as he is) if he tender bur Welfare, and delire bur Happinefs, as much as we our (elves can do, and ufe all wife ways andproper means td bring it about, then it is plainly every Man'sIntetet, éven thine, O Sinner !, to whom after all thy Próvócatibris líe is willing to be reconciled, that there fhould be fuch a Being as God is; and whenever thou comèft to thy fe1f; thou wilt be fenfible of thy want of him, and thy Soil will thirfl for Gód, even the living God, and pant after him ai thehart pants after the rviter-brook's ; in the Day Of thÿ Afiliétion and Calamity, when iliflrefs and ànguìfi cometh upon thee thou wilt flee to God for Refuge, and flicker thy felf under his Prote&ion, and wòuldeft not for all the World, but there were fah a Being in it to help and de- liver thee. Deos nemo fanas timit (lays Seneca) furor eft nietuerefalutariá, . ti? Man in his Wits is afraid there is a God ; it is a madnefs to fear that, which ii ,rö much for Our berieft and advantage, Humane Nature is confcious to its felf Of its own weáknefs and infufficiency, and-óf its necefl'ary dependanee upon foniething without it felf for its Happinefs, and therefore in great Extremity and Diftrefs, the Atheift himfelf hath naturally recourfe to him, and he who denyed arid re- jedted him in his Profperity, clings to him in adverfity, as his only fupport and prefent help in time of trouble. And this is a fure Indication, that thefe Mtn, àf- ter all their endeavours to impofe upon themfelves, have not been able wholly tö extinguifh in their Minds the belief of God arid his Goodnefs ; nay it is a frgn, at the bottom of their Hearts they have a firm perfùafrón Of his goodnefs, when after all their infolent defiance of him, they have the Confidence CO apply them- felves to him for mercy, andhelp in timeof need ; and therefore our Hearts ought to rife with indignation againft thofe who go about to perfuade the belief of a thing fo prejudicial to our Intereft," to take away the Light of our Eyes, and the Breath of our No/lrils, and to rob us of all the Comfort and Support, which the belief of an Infinite Power, conduéìed by Infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs, is apt to afford to Mankind. II. We fhould take great care of perverting and abúfing this great goodnefs bY vain Confidence and Prefumption. This is a Provocation of an high .Nature, whichthe Scripture calls, turning the grace of God into wantonnefs, making that an encouragement to Sin, which is one of the ftrongeft Arguments in the World againft it. God is infinitelygood and merciful ; but we Mtnnot therefore think, that he is fond and indulgent to oùr faults ; but on the contrary, becaufe he is good, he cannot but bate evil. So the Scripture every where tells us, that He is of purer eyes than to beholdiniquity ; that the face of the Lord is againfl them that do evil ; he is not a God that bath pleafurein wickednefs, neither (ball evil dwell with him ; the foolifh (hall not fland in his fight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. He is ready to thew Mercy to thole, who are qualified for it by Repentance, and refolution of a better Courfe ; but as long as we continue impenitent, God is implacable, and will deal with us according to the tenor of his Laws, and the defert of our Doings. Defpair is a great Sin but Prefumption is a greater; De- (pair doubts of the Goodnefsof God, but Prefumption abufeth it ; Defpair disbeá lieves, but Prefumption perverts the belt thing in the World to a quite contrary purpofe fromwhat it wasintended. III. The confederation of God's Goódnefs is a mighty comfort and relief to our Minds, under all our Fears and Troubles. Great are the Fears and Jeald'uftes of many Devout Minds concerning God's Love to them, and their Evcrlaftirig Condition ; whichare commonly founded inone of there Two Caufes, a melan- choly Temper, or miftakenNotions and Apprehenfions of God ; and very of ten thefe two meet together, and hinder the cute and tetiioval df Oneanother. Melancholy as it is In efféèt of Bodily Temper, is à Difèafe not to be toted by Reafon and Argument, but by Phyfick and Time ; but the miftakes which it u u Meta
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