Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

4. His Goodness is seen in taking care of the wickedest Persons. The Earth is full of his Goodness^*. The wicked as well as the good enjoy it; they that dare lift up their hands against Heaven in the posture of Rebels, as well as those that lift up their Eyes in the condition of suppliants. To do good to a Criminal, far surmounts that goodness that flows down upon an Innocent Object: Now God is not only good to those that have some degrees of goodness, but to those that have the greatest degrees of wickedness, to Men that turn his liberality into affronts of him, and have scarce an appetite to any thing but the violation of his Authority and Goodness. Though upon the fall of Adam we have lost the pleasant habitation of Paradise, and the Creatures ⟨p. 649⟩made for our use are fallen from their Original Excellency and Sweetness; yet he hath not left the World utterly incommodious for us, but yet stores it with things not only for the preservation, but delight of those that make their whole lives invectives against this good God. Manna fell from Heaven for the Rebellious as well as for the Obedient Israelites. Cain as well as A••l, and Esau as well as Jacob had the influences of his Sun, and the benefits of his Showers. The World is yet a kind of Paradise to the veriest Beasts among Mankind: The Earth affords its Riches, the Heavens its Showers, and the Sun its light to those that injure and Blaspheme him:^* He makes his S•n to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. The wickedest breath in his Air, walk upon his Earth, and drink of his Water as well as the best. The Sun looks with as pleasant and bright an Eye upon a rebellious Absalom, as a righteous David: The Earth yields its Plants and Medicines to one as well as to the other: 'Tis seldom that he deprives any of the faculties of their Souls, or any Members of their Bodies. God distributes his Blessings, where he might shoot his Thunders, and darts his Light on those who deserve an Eternal Darkness, and presents the good things of the Earth, to those that Merit the Miseries of Hell; for the Earth and the fullness thereof is the Lords; ^*