The divine life in three treatises

3. The Infinite goodness of God, must call off our hearts from the inordinate Love of all created good whatever. Who would ⟨p. 68⟩stoop so low as earth, that may converse with God? And who would feed on such poor delights that hath tasted the graciousness of the Lord? Nothing more sure then that the Love of God doth not reign in that soul, where the Love of the world, or of fleshly lust, or pleasure reigneth, 1 John 2. 15. Had worldlings, or sensual, or ambitious men, but truly known the goodness of the Lord, they could never have so fallen in Love with those deceitful vanities. If we could but open their eyes to see the Loveliness of their Redeemer, they would soon be weaned from other Loves. Would you conquer the Love of Riches, or Honour, or any thing else that corrupteth your affections? O try this sure and powerful way! Draw nigh to God, and take the fullest view thou canst, in thy most serious Meditation of his Infinite goodness, and all things else will be vile in thy esteem, and thy heart will soon contemn them and forget them, and thou wilt never dote upon them more.

4. The Infinite goodness of God, should increase Repentance, and win the soul to a more resolute cheerful service of the Lord. O what a heart is that which can offend, and wilfully offend so good a God! This is the odiousness of sin, that it is an abuse of an Infinite good. This is the most heinous damning aggravation of it, that Infinite goodness could not prevail with wretched souls against the empty flattering world! but that they suffered a dream and shadow, to weigh down Infinite goodness in their esteem. And is it possible for worse then this to be found in man? He that had rather the sun were out of the firmament, then a hair were taken off his head, were unworthy to see the light of the Sun. And surely he that will turn away from God himself to enjoy the pleasures of his flesh, is unworthy to enjoy the Lord. Its bad enough that Augustine in one of his Epistles saith of sottish worldly men, that they had rather there were two stars fewer in the firmament, then one Cow fewer in their Pastures, or one tree fewer in their woods or grounds. But it is ten thousand times a greater evil that every wicked man is guilty of, that will rather forsake the Living God, and lose his part in Infinite goodness, then he will let go his filthy and unprofitable sins: O Sinners, as you love your souls, despise not the riches of the goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering of the Lord; but know that his goodness should lead you