37.

10.

30.

II.

SER M. have preferved Sodom itself; fo that our Saviour could with a compaffionate grief deplore the unfuccefsfulness of his tender affection, and folicitous care Matt. xxiii. for their welfare, in these paffionate terms: How often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers ber chickens under her wing, but ye would not! That St. John the Baptift's fharp reproofs, his powerful exhortations, his downright and clear forewarnings of what would follow (Even now, faid he, the axe is laid to the root of the tree), attended with so remarkable circumftances of his perfon, and his carriage (which induced all the world about him to regard him as no ordinary man, but a fpecial inftrument of God, and meffenger from heaven) did yet find no effect confiderable: the Pharifees and Lawyers, thofe corrupt guides, whose authority managed the blind multiLuke vii. tude, defeating the counsel of God toward themselves, as St. Luke fpeaketh (that is, defeating his gracious pur-. pofe of reclaiming them from difobedience, and confequently of withholding the judgments imminent), they reviled the perfon of that venerable Prophet; Mat. xi. 18. He hath a devil, faid they: they flighted his premonitions, and rejected his advices, by obferving which, thofe dreadful mifchiefs, which fell upon their rebellious heads, might have been averted. We may add, that even those fearful judgments were tempered with mixtures of favourable defign, not only to the community of mankind (which, by so remarkable a vengeance upon the perfecutors of our Lord and the fcorners of his doctrine, was converted unto, or confirmed in, the chriftian faith), but even toward that people whom it ferved to convince of their errors and crimes; to induce them to repentance, to provoke them unto the acknowledgment and embracing of God's truth, fo palpably vindicated by him. So that I might here apply that paffage of St. Paul (if not directly and adequately according to his fenfe, yet Rom. xi. 11. With no incongruous allufion at leaft) Have they ftumbled, that they should fall? (or, was there no other

II.

defign of God's judgments upon them, but their s ER M. utter ruin?) un yévoiтo No fuch matter; but through their fall falvation came to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealoufy (or emulation). And, in effect, as our Lord in the midft of his fufferings did affectionately pray for God's mercy upon them, as the Apostles did offer reconciliation unto them all indifferently, who would repent, and were willing to embrace it; fo were fuch of them as were difpofed to comply with those invitations, received to grace, how deeply foever involved in the continued guilt of thofe enormous perfecutions, injuries, and blafphemies; as particularly St. Paul, that illuftrious example of God's patience 1 Tim, i. and mercy in this cafe. So that neither by this in- 16. ftance is any attribute of God more fignalized, than his tranfcendent goodness, in like manner as by the former inftances, and in analogy to them by all others, that may be affigned. By all of them it will appear that God is primarily and of himself difpofed to do all fitting and poffible good to men, not to inflict evil more than is fit and neceffary; that God is indeed optimus ex naturæ proprietate (moft good according De Refurr. to property of nature), although juftus ex caufæ neceffitate Carnis,. (fevere from the neceffity of the cafe), as Tertullian fpeaketh. To afflict men (either fome men fingly, or whole focieties of men) may be fometimes expedient upon feveral accounts; for vindicating the efteem, and fupporting the intereft of goodness, which may by impunity be difgraced, endamaged, endangered; for the difcrimination of good and evil men, in an obfervable manner; for the encouragement and comfort of the good, the reduction and amendment of the bad; for preventing the contagion, and stopping the progrefs of iniquity, whereupon greater guilts and worfe mifchiefs would enfue;* it may be as neceffary as fharp phyfic to cure public

* Bafil. Orat. Quod Deus non eft,caufa mali, eleganter et pulchre de hac re.

ог

14.

II.

thag. Cyril.

mafc.

SER M. or private diftempers; as an inftrument of rouzing us out of our finful lethargies; as that which may cause us better to understand ourselves, and more to remember God; as a ground of fearing God, and an inducement to believe his providence. For thofe and many fuch purposes, to bring upon men things diftasteful to sense may be very requifite; nor doth the doing it anywife prejudice the truth of divine goodnefs, but rather confirms it, commends it, and advances its juft efteem. It would be a fond indulgence, not a wife kindness; a cruel, rather than a wifd. i. 12. loving pity, to deal otherwife. In fine, we are to Carm. Py: confider, that all the mischiefs we undergo, God doth Hier. Da not fo much bring them on us, as we do pull them on ourselves*. They are avaigsтa rúμaτa, affected, or felf-chofen mifchiefs; they are xxxà Brasпμαтα пgоαsgioews, bad fprouts of our free choice (as a Father calls them); they are (as another Father faith) insoíwv nanŵr dxécia exyova, the unwilling offsprings of wilful evils; they are the certain results of our own will, or the natural fruits of our actions; actions, which (however God defire, advife, command, perfuade, entreat, excite) we do will, we are refolved to perform. We in a manner, as Salvian faith, do force God to do whatever he doth in this kind; violently plucking down vengeance on our own heads; compelling the kind and merciful Lord, against his nature and will, to afflict us; not so much as Miferos nos giving him leave to fpare us. God vehemently disclaims nec juranti himfelf to be the original caufe; to defign (accordmus. Hier. ing to abfolute or primary intention), to defire, to deEzek. xviii. light in our grief, or our ruin. As I live, faith the 30. xxxii. Lord (and furely when God fwears, we may believe

Deo credi

that he is very ferious), I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and

* Πάντα κονεῖ καὶ πραγματεύεται ὁ θεὸς, ὥσε ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξαι κολάσεως, Tiμwglas. Chryf. tom. 8. p.100.

Nos vim Deo facimus iniquitatibus noftris; nos nolentem ulcifci cogimus. Deus enim pius et mifericors eft, et qui neminem velit perire, vel lædere, &c. Salv. lib. 5. et 8.

II.

five. I call heaven to record this day against you, that ISER M. have fet life and death before you, therefore choofe life. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of

19.

Jer. v. 25.

He would have all men to be faved, and to come Deut. xxx. to the knowledge of the truth. He would not have any Lam. iii. 33. perish, but that all fhould come to repentance. He made Wild. i. 13. not death, nor bath be pleasure in the deftruction of the living. God then, if we may believe him, is not the firft author of our calamities. Who then? He tells us himself: 0 Ifrael, thou haft deftroyed thyfelf: thou haft Hof. xiii. 9. fallen by thine own iniquity. Your fins have withholden xiv. 1. good things from you. Our iniquities like the wind have it. Ixiv. 6. taken us away. How often would I have gathered you, Matt. xxiii. but ye would not! The defigns, and the endeavours of 37. God do tend to our welfare and falvation; it is our will and our actions which only procure our ruin: It is we, that (as the wife man faith) feek death in the Sap. i, 5error of our life; and pull upon our own felves deftruction. So that, to conclude this part of our difcourfe, even those paffages of providence, which at first glimpse appear most oppofite or disadvantageous to the goodnefs of God (or to our opinion and belief concerning it), do, being well fifted, no wife prejudice it, but rather ferve to corroborate and magnify it.

I fhall only farther briefly touch (or rather but' mention) the uses and effects, to the producing which, the confideration of God's goodness, in fo manifold ways declared, fhould be applied.

1. It should beget in us hearty love and reverence toward God, in regard to this attribute fo excellent and amiable in itfelf, fo beneficial and advantageous to us. What can we efteem, what can we love, if fo admirable goodness doth not affect us? How prodigiously cold and hard is that heart, which cannot be

St. Chryfoftom in divers places doth infift upon the goodness of God in making and threatening hell itself.

- Τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔλατίον, ἡ δὲ γείννης ἀπειλὴ δείκνυσιν αὐτῇ τὴν ἀγα θότητα, &c. ̓Ανδρ. ζ.

warmed

SER M. warmed and foftened into affection by fo melting a confideration?

II.

2. It should produce, as grateful fenfe in our hearts, fo real endeavours of thankful obedience in Col. i, 10. our lives. It should make us walk worthy of God, to

all well-pleafing, bringing forth fruit in every good work; taking heed of doing as did Hezekiah, of whom it is 2 Chron. faid; that he rendered not according to the benefit done xxxii. 25. unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore was wrath upon him; that we may not have that expoftuDeut. xxxii. lation justly applied unto us: Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwife

6.

4.

2

3. It fhould engage us the more to fear God; Hof. iii. 5. complying with the Prophet's admonition; Fear the Lord and his goodness. Confidering that intimation Pfal. cxxx. of the Pfalmift; There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayeft be feared; obferving that advice of Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. Only fear the Lord, and ferve him; for confider what great things he hath done for you. For that indeed nothing is more terrible, than goodness flighted, and patience abused.

24.

Neh. ix. 25,

26.

4. It should humble, afhame, and grieve us, for having croffed and offended fuch exceeding goodness and mercy. It should cause us greatly to deteft our fins, which lie under fo heinous an aggravation, to be deeply difpleafed with ourselves, who have fo unworthily committed them.

5. It should therefore render us wary and vigilant against the commiffion of any fin; that is, of incurring the guilt of fo enormous ingratitude and basenefs; making us cautious of doing like thofe, of whom it is confeffed in Nehemiah; They did eat, and were filled, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness; nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and caft thy laws behind their back.

6. It fhould also breed and nourish in us faith and hope in God. For what reafon can we have to diftruft of fo great goodness; that he will refufe to help us in our need; that he will fail in accomplishment

of