When God paffed by Mofes, he made this declaration of himself, Exod. xxxiv. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, &c. And in Pfal. lxxxvi. 5. Thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive. And in Pfal. cxii. 4. He is gracious, and full of compassion. In these places of fcripture, you have either all these words, or as much faid of God; and indeed, nothing is more true of God, than that he is the first and chiefeft good; his prime perfection is goodness, and our trueft notion of him is, that he is almighty goodness. For what I have further to say, I shall observe this method. : I. I shall speak in point of Vindication, and give satisfaction to objections that arise against this great truth. II. I shall make Explication of the several phrases in the text. III. Proceed to Confirmation of it by fatisfactory argument. IV. To matter of Caution. V. And lastly, make some Application. I. For Vindication. There are three objections to be removed, and then the heart of man cannot ob ject any thing against this representation of the di vine goodness. 1. The several instances of feverity represented to us in scripture, and in other stories. 2. Some scriptures reprefent God very terrible. 3. The neceffity of justice; for, as some imagine, it is indispensible, and of absolute neceffity that fin be punished. 1. For the feveral instances of God's feverity in the fcripture, which seem contrary to this goodness and great kindness of God to man. We have the inftance of the deluge, wherein all mankind (except fome few) were swept away with the flood, Gen, vi. The instance of the seven nations which God commanded to be destroyed, Deut. vii. 23, 24. The Ifraelites, when brought out of Egypt, led up and down the wilderness, and at laft confumed. Nadab and Abihu, for their inadvertency, in offering strange fire, were confumed by fire, Lev. x. 1. 2. Uzzah, in his good will, meddling with the ark without God's express command, smitten dead, 1. Chron. xiii. 9, 10. Five hundred of the BethShemites, that rejoiced at the return of the ark from the Philistines, flain suddenly for looking into it, I. Sam. vi. 19. The instance of the desolation of the Jewish nation, Mat. xxiv. Ananias and Sapphira, who were great benefactors to the church, reserving part of what they fold to the use of the church, were punished with fudden death, Atts v. 1. &c. Herod who took the applause of the people to himself, died a most dreadful death, Acts xii. 23. And the dreadful destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. xix. 24. To which I answer in several propositions. ( 1. It is enough to be gracious, not to be wanting in neceffaries, for any ones good and he that doth so, may abound in his courtesies as he himself pleafeth. When neceffaries for our good are afforded, and by any neglected, the blame lies upon them. 2. 2. Sometimes the sins of nations and of persons are come to their height, and God forced to punish. 3. The judgments of God in this life are exemp lary and difciplinary, Luke xiii. 3, 5. and 1. Cor. x. 6. 11. And better a mischief should fall on particular persons, than that a general inconvenience should follow. 4. God sometimes lets us feel fomething of hell, here, to prevent it hereafter. Chastisements are exercifes of virtue not effects of vengeance Heb. xii. 10. 11. 5. There may be a particular account given in several cases. I will fingle out the hardest. As to Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, and the Bethshemites, Ananias and Sapphira; to these, particular reasons may be given. When Nadab and Abibu finned, the Mofaical institution was but newly set up and when Ananias and Sapphira finned, the gospel institution was new. Now when a new law is fet up, there is severe inflicting of punishment in case of tranfgreffion. For if authorityshould suffer it to go unpunished, it would be understood and thoughtan allowance of it; and therefore did God so severely punish these first tranfgreffions of his newinstitutions. Then, as for Uzzah and the Bethshemites, we must consider, that God had feverely plagued the Philistines (when the ark was in their hands) with emerods in their secret parts; and they net acquainted with the religion of the ark; therefore surely he would not pass by and overlook Uzzah and the BethShemites who did know it. It cannot be imagined, that God would allow a rashness and absurdity in them, having so severely punished the Philistines before. 6. Though 6. Though we do not know what time or leisure God will allow to sinners to repent, yet we certainly know God will grant forgiveness to penitents; which is enough to declare God gracious and merciful. : 7. If it be not the case of repentance, there is no other way for God's forgiveness; for this is the tenor of the Grace of God, Atts xi. 18. Repentance unto life. Acts v. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Ifrael, and forgiveness of fins. Lukexxiv. 47. And that repentance and remission of fins should be preached in his name. I cannot expect the subsequent act of forgiveness, where there is not the antecedent act of repentance, and converfion, and reformation. For what we have done amiss, and do not recal by repentance, we are thought to stand to. 8. We cannot competently judge concerning the proceedings of God to his creatures, when taken in iniquity; because we are not privy to the spirit in which men fin. This for anfwer to the first objection. The fecond objection is relating to such scriptures as represent God severe, by giving up to a reprobate sense, stupidity and hardness of heart, &c.Pfal. Ixix. 23. Let their eyes be darkned, that they may not fee, and bow down their back always. And Rom. xi. 10. To give an account of these places in short, see but againft what persons these are spoken; persons that were contumacious, and resolved to go on in an evil way: and where there is this case of wilful finning pursued with impenitency and contumacy; in this case I must say two things. 1. This T. This cafe hath no promise. And 2. It is not fit for the exercise of grace and mercy. 1. It hath no promise of God. For the grace of the gospel runs in this strain; repentance unto life, repentance and remission of fins, Acts xi. 18. Never remiffion promised without repentance; and this is the tenor of the grace of the gospel, Luke xxiv. 24. 2. This cafe is not fit for the exercise of grace and mercy; for this cafe is not compaffionable: for this finner would not have God to disturb him; he would be let alone; he makes no application to God at all; he doth not defire to be beholden to him. Now God cannot be faid to be wanting, though in this cafe he leaves men to their own hearts lufts, because it is to them according to their own hearts defire. For these sinners defire not the knowledge of God's ways; they choose the pleasures of fin, whatever follows upon it. But if any shall say, or think, God may if he please, by an irresistable power prevent all fin and mifery: I answer, is it reasonable, that God having made intelligent and voluntary agents should force them, and make them do either this or that; fo or fo; whether they will or no? fee what will follow. 1st. There would be no exercise of virtue, for all virtue is in choice, 2dly. Nohappiness, for we should be under force and constraint. 3dly. Of what use would our natural faculties then be? 4thly. It would alter the very state of God's creation. It could be no probation state; and it is the contrivance of wif-. dom, first that we should work, and then have a reward. 5thly. God hath made us of natures to be other |