The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

Obj. If you say, How can all this stand with the infinite Goodness of God? I have answered it before: It showeth you, that it is not this World, which is the great demonstration of the Goodness or Love of God, from whence we must take our estimate of it by the effects. If you will judge of the Kings splendour, and bounty, and clemency, will you go seek for examples and demonstrations of it in the Gaol, and at the Gallows, or rather at the Court? Hell is as the Gallows, and Earth is as the Gaol: Measure not Gods bounty and mercy by these: It is no sign of unmercifulness in God that there are Flies and Worms, and Toads, and Serpents on Earth as well as Men: nor that Earth was not made as indefectible as Heaven: And when men have drowned themselves in sin, ⟨p. 250⟩it is no want of Goodness in God, but it is Goodness it self which causeth the demonstrations of his Justice on them. This World is not so much to all Gods Creation, as a wen or wart upon a Mans body is to the whole body: And if it were all forsaken of God, as it hath forsaken him, it were proportionably no more than the cutting off such a wart or Wen. God hath many thousand thousand thousand times more capacious Regions, which it's like have more noble and blessed Inhabitants: Look to them, if you would see his Love, in its most glorious demonstration: Justice also must be demonstrated if men will sin. And if Hell be quite forsaken, and Earth which is next it be partly forsaken of the favour of God, for all that God may gloriously demonstrate his Love, to a thousand thousand-fold more subjects (of the nobler Regions) than he doth demonstrate his Justice on in Hell or Earth.¹ But these two things I gather for the confirmation of my Faith. 1. That the sin and misery of the World is such, that it groaneth for a Saviour; And when I hear of a Physician sent from Heaven, I easily believe it, when I see the woeful World mortally diseased, and gasping in its deep distress. The condition of the World is visibly so suitable to the whole Office of Christ, and to the Doctrine of the Gospel, that I am driven to think, that if God have mercy for it, some Physician and extraordinary help shall be afforded it: And when I see none else but Jesus Christ, whom Reason will allow me to believe is that Physician, it somewhat prepareth my mind to look towards him with hope.

Obj. If you say, How can all this stand with the infinite Goodness of God? I have answered it before: It sheweth you, that it is not this World, which is the great demonstration of the Goodness or Love of God, from whence we must take our estimate of it by the effects. If you will judge of the Kings splendour, and bounty, and clemency, will you go seek for examples and demonstrations of it in the Gaol, and at the Gallows, or rather at the Court? Hell is as the Gallows, and Earth is as the Gaol: Measure not Gods bounty and mercy by these: It is no sign of unmercifulness in God that there are Flies and Worms, and Toads, and Serpents on Earth as well as Men: nor that Earth was not made as indefectible as Heaven: And when men have drown'd themselves in sin,