The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

IV. We must act our Faith upon his Goodness and Bounty, for we must not only have high thoughts of Gods other Excellencies, but of his Goodness also, of his abundant willingness to do us good, and loathness to afflict us, for surely he never afflicts us but in case of necessity, 1 Pet. 1. If need be you are in many tribulations. When he afflicts us he only gives us necessaries, but when he bestows mercies, he gives us not only for our necessity, but richly to enjoy. When we go to a Covetous ⟨p. 341⟩man for money, he parts with every penny as with a drop of blood; for us to think God parts so with his Mercies, that he is hard to be entreated, and that he is an hard Master either for work or wages, are thoughts utterly unworthy, and shamefully dishonourable to the Goodness of God. If thy child, whose finger if it should but ache, thine heart aches, should think thou grudgest him every bit of meat he eats, thou wouldst think him a wretched child unworthy of thy tender affections; and must it not be far worse in thee to have such thoughts of God? since tam pius nemo, tam pater nemo. Was it so great a grief to Peter to have Christ question his love? John 21.17. though he had given but sad testimony of his Love but lately; and can it choose but much offend God for thee to question Gods Love to thee, nay his Goodness in it self, when God hath given thee no cause of either, Mal. 2.1. We should go to God with as much confidence of his Love, and readiness to do us good, as the child doth to the tenderest Parent, as we do to the dearest friend we have in the whole world, and much more abundantly: If we do not believe that the goodness of God is as much above the goodness and love of our dearest friend, as we account his Wisdom and Power above our friends, we have unworthy thoughts of that Attribute which God hath most abundantly manifested, and would have most glorified; and the love our friend bears us is but a drop from and of that Ocean that is in God. Doubtless God loves his enemies more then we love our friends; he loves us more (if we love him) then we love our selves or him. Surely God loves the weakest Saint on earth more than the highest Angel in heaven loves him; for when God saith that he So loved the world, it was such a Sic there was no Sicut for it, it might not be said as the Angels loved God.