fpair doubts of the goodness of God, Vol. VII. but Prefumption abufeth it; Defpair disbelieves, but Prefumption perverts the best thing in the world to a quite contrary purpose from what it was intended.

III. The confideration of God's goodness is a mighty comfort and relief to our Minds, under all our Fears and Troubles. Great are the Fears and Jealoufies of many devout Minds concerning God's Love to them, and their everlafting Condition; which are commonly founded in one of these two causes, a melancholy Temper, or mistaken Notions and Apprehenfions of God; and very often these two meet together, and hinder the cure and removal of one another.

Melancholy as it is an effect of bodily temper, is a Disease not to be cured by Reason and Argument, but by Phyfick and Time; but the mistakes which men have entertained. concerning God, if they be not fet on and heightned by Melancholy (as many times they are) may be rectified by a true reprefentation of the goodness of God, confirmed by Reafon and Scripture. Many good Men

have had very hard and injurious Thoughts of God inftill'd into them, Vol. VII. from Doctrines too commonly taught and received; as if he did not fincerely defire the happiness of his Creatures, but had from all Eternity de creed to make the greatest part of Mankind, with a fecret purpose and defign to make them miferable ; and confequently were not ferious and in good earnest in his Invitations and Exhortations of Sinners to Repentance; and it is no wonder if fuch Jealoufies as thefe concerning God, make Men doubtful whether God love them, and very fcrupulous and anxious about their everlasting condition.

I have already told you, that these harth Doctrines have no mander of Foundation, either in Reafon or Scripture; that God earneftly defires our Happiness, and affords us fufficient Means to that End; that he bears a more hearty good will to us, than any Man does to his Friend, or any Father upon Earth ever did to his dearest Child; in comparison of which, the greatest Affection of Men to thofe whom they love belt, is but as the

drop

drop of the Bucket, as the very small Vol. VII. duft upon the Balance. If we have right apprehenfions of God's goodness, we can have no temptation to despair of his kind and merciful Intentions to us, provided we be but careful of our Duty to him, and do fincerely repent and forfake our Sins, Plainer Declarations no words can make, than thofe we meet with in the holy Scriptures, That God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live; that be would have all Men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; that he is lang fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perifb, but that all hould come to repentance; that he that confeffeth and forfaketh his fin fhall have mercy; that if the wicked forfake his ways, And the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return unto the Lord, he will have mercy, and will abundantly pardon.

As for outward Calamities and Afflictions, the confideration of God's goodnefs is a firm ground of confolation to us, giving us affurance, that God will either prevent them by his Providence, or fupport us under them, of refcue us out of them, or turn them

to

to our greater good and happiness in this World or the next. St. Paul) fpeaks of it as the firm belief and perfwafion of all good Men, that in the iffue all their Afflictions fhould prove to their advantage. We know (lays he) that all things fhall work together for good to them that love God; and one of the greatest Evidences of our love to God, is a firm belief and perfwafion of his goodness; if we believe his goodness, we cannot but love him, and if we love him, all things fball work together for our good.

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And this is a great Cordial to thofe' This Serwho are under grievous Perfecutions mon and Sufferings, which is the cafe of before the our Brethren in a neighbour. Nati- late happy on, and may come to be ours, God Revolutiknows how foon. But tho' the malice of Men be great, and backt with a power not to be control'd by any vifible means, and therefore likely to continue; yet the goodness of God is greater than the malice of Men, and of a longer duration and continuance. And thus David comforted himself, when he was perfecuted by Saul, Pfal. 52. 1. Why boafteth thou thy felf in mifchief, O mighty man? the goodness

of

Vol. VII of God endureth continually. The PerVol. VII. fecution which Saul raised against him

was very powerful, and lafted a long time; but he comforts himself with this, that the goodness of God endures for ever.

IV. The confideration of God's goodness, is a powerful motive and argument to feveral Duties.

1. To the love of God. And this is the moft proper and natural effect and operation of the goodness of God upon our Minds. Several of the Divine Attributes are very awful, but goodness is amiable, and without this nothing elfe is fo. Power and Wisdom may command Dread and Admiration; but nothing but Goodness can challenge our Love and Affection. Goodness is amiable for it felf, tho' no benefit and advantage should from thence redound to us; but when we find the comfortable Effects of it, when the riches of God's goodness, and long-suffering, and forbearance, are laid out upon us, when we live upon that goodness,

and are indebted to it for all that we have and hope for, this is a much greater endearment to us of that excellency and perfection, which was