SERMON XIII.

The Objections against the Divine Goodness drawn from the Abundance of natural Evil, and from the Scripture Account of future Punishments, examined and anfwered.

HEBREWS xii. 10.

For they verily for a few days chaftened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his boliness.

N the two preceding difcourfes, I have dis

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tinctly examined and answered the objections, which fome have urged against the goodness of God, on account of the moral evil abounding in the world. It remains, that I vindicate the Divine Goodness with regard to the natural evils, which he hath permitted

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or appointed, and the punishments he hath threatned to finners in a future ftate. The text read is a proper foundation for such a difcourfe. In it the Apostle recommends fubmiffion to God amidst prefent evils and afflictions, from the confideration of the fubmiffion we yielded to our earthly parents, when they corrected us. Although their prudence and kindness were mixed with imperfections, yet as they intended our good when they chaftifed us, it was reasonable to be fubmiffive; how much more reasonable then is it, to acquiefce in the corrections dispensed by the Father of our Spirits, whofe effential benignity certainly defigns our benefit in thofe afflictions which he appoints; and whofe infallible wisdom will certainly chufe the best means for advancing our profit, our improvement in piety and holiness, and our happiness in eternity.

The text offers to our thoughts two important confiderations, in vindication of the Divine Benevolence; as permitting that variety of natural evils, of which men fo loudly complain. The cne is, that they are

the best means of promoting our improvement in holiness, and thus our final perfection and felicity. The Father of our fpirits, whose wisdom cannot err, by these chaftenings intends our profit; and the uneasiness which they occafion is of a short continuance for a few days, whereas the blessedness for which they prepare us, by making us partakers of the divine holiness, is everlasting. I fhall have regard to both these reafons, in the following vindication of the Divine benignity against the

II. Great objection, which hath been urged as inconfiftent with it; and which is taken from the abundance of natural evil. And as to the evils which fometimes arife out of the frame of the material world, 'tis but justice to the Creator to make this general obfervation; that none of these are the proper refult of any general established laws, originally defigned to produce these evils, but appear to be effects of the occafional interfering of laws, in their prevailing nature and tendency beneficial. The ge

See Dr. John Clarke on Natural Evil.

neral established laws of nature are all of the beneficial kind, and each is productive of innumerable benefits; infinitely prepollent to the few evils, of which they are fometimes the occafions. Such are the laws of attraction and gravitation, the laws by which the fituation and motions of the earth in regard to the fun, and the fucceffion of the feafons are determined; the laws of diver gency, reflection and refraction, by which the fun-beams are regulated; the laws of elaflicity, attraction, repulfion, fermentation, and the like, on which the motions and qualities of the air, and of the various particles which float in it, and the fertility of the earth, depend. The evident general tendency of all thefe laws is beneficial, and they conftantly in their execution produce innumerable benefits. The prefervation, fupply and enjoyments of innumerable creatures, are the conftant, natural and defigned effects of thefe laws; and the mischiefs, which by occafionally interfering they produce, are few and inconfiderable in comparifon. Storms and tempefts, the occasional effects of thofe eftablished beneficial laws, by which the qualities and motions of the

ait are regulated, are not only infinitely lefs mifchievous, than the regular execution of thefe laws is beneficial, but by purifying the air, and keeping it healthful, immediately produce benefits, in number and value.incomparably fuperior; to the accidental evils occafioned by them. The like may be ob ferved of earthquakes, which are efforts of the internal conftitution of our globe to remove occafional obftructions, that if they continued, might end in the extinction of the fubterraneous fires, on which the due temperament and fertility of the earth may greatly depend. And to name but one instance more, are not plagues in confequence of occafional and irregular mixtures and fermentations in the air; the effects of laws, in their general tendency and execution productive of innumerable more benefits: èven hould we omit the important moral pur pofes and advantages, to which, under the direction of an infinitely wife and good Providence, this and the former apparently fevere difcipline are made fubfervient.

For as a fecond general obfervation, of fered to take off the force of this objection, A a 2

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