But now concerning the things that have been spoken, great caution is to be used. It is not a general notion of the nature of God that I have been insisting on ; but the good- ness and love of God to his in Christ .Tesus. Wherefore,
Y 2
324 THK STRKN'GTU OF FAITH.
farther to clear this whole business, and that a sure foun- dation may be laid of this great thing, I desire to add the followino; observations.
1st. I acknowledge that all that can be said, by all or any of the sons of men, concerning the goodness, loveliness, kindness of God in his own blessed nature, is inconceivably, infinitely below what it is in itself. What a little portion is it that we all know of his goodness ? Though we have all his works and his whole word to teach us ; yet as we have no affections large enough to entertain it, so no faculty to receive or apprehend it. Admiration, which is the soul's ' nonplus,' its doing it knows not what, the winding of it up until it stands still, ready to break, is all that we can arrive unto in the consideration hereof. His excellencies and per- fections in this kind are sufficient, superabundant for the engagement of the love and obedience of all rational crea- tures; and when they can go no farther, they may with the psalmist call in all their fellow-creatures to the work. Nor can any man exercise himself in a more noble contemplation, than that of the beauty and loveliness of God. * How great is his goodness! How great is his beauty!' They who have nothing but horrid, harsh apprehensions of the nature of God, that he is insupportably severe and wrathful, know him not. To have thoughts of him as cruel and sanguinary, to make use of his greatness and infinite excellencies only to frighten, ter- rify, and destroy the work of his hands, who is good, and doth good, who made all things good, in beauty and order, and who loves all the things he hath made, who hath filled all that we see, or can think on, with the fruits of his goodness, is unreasonable, unjust, and wicked. Consider God and his works together as he made them, and in the order by him assigned to them ; there is nothing in his nature towards you but kindness, benignity, goodness, power ej>certed to continue to you the goodness first imparted, grace and bounty in daily, continual additions of more.
But alas ! they are sinners of whom we speak. It is true, in God, as he is by nature, there is an abundant excel- lency and beauty, a ravishing goodness and love for the en- dearing of his creatures, as he made them, they could desire no more; the not loving him above all for his loveliness, for the suitableness of his excellencies to bind their hearts to
THE STRENGTH OF FAITH. 325
him as their chiefest and only good, was the sin of some of them: but now the whole state of things is changed, upon a supposition of the entrance of sin. God indeed is not changed, his excellencies and perfections are the same from eternity to eternity; but the creature is changed; and what was desirable and amiable before to him, ceases to be so to him, thouo;h it continue to be so in itself. He who whilst he stood in the law of his creation had boldness with God, was neither afraid nor ashamed, after he had sinned trem- bled at the hearing of his voice, yea, endeavoured to part with him for ever, and to hide himself from him. What property of God was more endearing to his creatures than his holiness ? How is he glorious, lovely, desirable above all to them who abide in his image and likeness ? But as for sinners, they cannot serve him, because of his holiness; Josh. xxiv. 19. In the revelation of God to sinners, together with the discovery of the excellencies before mentioned, of his goodness, kindness, graciousness ; there is also a vision given of his justice, wrath, anger, severity, and indignation against sin. These unconquerably interpose between the sinner and all emanations and fruits of goodness and love. Whence, instead of being endeared to God, their contrivance is that of Micah vi. 7, 8. and upon a conviction of the suc- cesslessness of any such attempts, they cry out, ' Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting; burnino;s V Isa. xxxiii. 14. A desire to avoid him to all eternity is all that a sinner's most choice consideration of God, in his own es- sential excellencies, can lead him to. For who will set the thorns in battle against him? Who will bring the stubble that is fully dry to a consuming fire ? And therefore it is, that those who propose general grace from a natural good- ness in God, as a ground of consolation to sinners, when they come to answer that objection. Yea, but God is just, as well as merciful; do, with many good words, take away with one hand just as much as they give with the other. Apprehend/say they, God's gracious nature, he is good to all, trust upon it, believe not them that say otherwise. But he is just also, and will not let any sin go unpunished, and therefore cannot but punish sin according to its demerit. Where is now the consolation spoken of? Wherefore observe.