Page:On the providence of God in the government of the world.pdf/20

 der before; they abused his patience that waited for, and now they feel the punishment of their in the exquisite torments of the soul: and, full of  and terror, expect greater at the resurrection of the. If it seem strange to you, that God should suffer righteous to be at the mercy of the wicked, behold  rich man in torment looking up to Abraham, and  for a drop of water to  his tongue; and, without any compassion of his son, defending  justice of God's dealing with him and the poor  that lay at his door.

Behold the goodness and severity of god!

'His goodness,' leading the righteous into all the of discipline and trial, proving their obedience in  most dangerous temptation, both from that  which their nature covets, and that pain which their  abhors: that when the world and the flesh, and  devil have assaulted them with all their weapons,  may get an entire and perfect victory, and their  may have the clearest evidence, and they may  confirmed in faith, and made strong, and constant,  persevering in virtue, and, after their good and  service, 'enter into their master's joy.

'His severity,' suffering the wicked sometimes to pampered with fulness of delight, and satisfied in  their desires, and sometimes to be afflicted with  and disappointments, and tempted with miseries  plagues to the utmost impatience, that they also may  tried, and that the wickedness which would lie  for want of occasion, may break out and be  to light, that in the variety of conditions, they may  led, if they will themselves, into the commission of  sins, and may add iniquity to iniquity till the  be full, that God may be glorified in the day of  and the revelation of that righteous  (which how hard soever they may seem now) will  resolve all the problems and riddles of Providence.

The sum of what hath been said, is, That it is necessary for things to fall out to the good  the bad indifferently and uncertainly: To no  can be made by what happens to men, of their