Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. God takes this Contempt of his Goodness heinously. He never upbraids Men with any thing in the Scripture, but with the abuse of the good things he hath vouchsafed them, and the unmindfulness of the Obligations arising from them. This he bears with the greatest regret and indignation. Thus he upbraids Eli with the preference of him to the Priesthood, above other Families^*: And David with his Exaltation to the Crown of Israel, ^†when they abused those Honours to carelessness and licentiousness. All Sins offend God, but Sins against his Goodness do more disparage him; and therefore his fury is the greater, by how much the more liberally his benefits have been dispensed. It was for abuse of Divine Goodness, as soon as it was tasted, that some Angels were hurled from their Blessed Habitation and more happy Nature: It was for this Adam lost his present Enjoyments, and future Happiness; for the abuse of Gods Goodness in Creation. For the abuse of Gods Goodness the old World fell under the fury of the Flood; and for the Contempt of the Divine Goodness in Redemption, Jerusalem once the darling City of the infinite Monarch of the World, was made an Aceldama, a Field of Blood. For this Cause it is, that Candlesticks have been removed, great Lights put out, Nations overturned, and Ignorance hath triumphed in places bright before with the Beams of Heaven. God would have little care of his own Goodness, if he always prostituted the Fruits of it to our Contempt: Why should we expect, he should always continue that to us, which he sees, we will never use to his Service? When the Israelites would Dedicate the Gifts of God to the service of Baal, then he would return, and take away his Corn, and his Wine, and make them know by the less, that those things were his in Dominion, which they abused, as if they had been Sovereign Lords of them^*. Benefits are Entailed up us no longer than we obey;^† If you forsake the Lord, he will do you hurt, after he hath done you good. While we obey, his Bounty shall shower upon us, and when we revolt, his Justice shall consume us. Present Mercies abused, are no Bulwarks against impendent Judgments. God hath Curses as well as Blessings, and they shall light more heavy, when his Blessings have been more weighty: Justice is never so severe, as when it comes to right Goodness, and revenge its quarrel for the injuries received.