n terms of reckoning beside him for any worth. Moses
sees nothing to set beside God, that will appear in its own greatness and
native colours, but the creatures' evil and sin; and if this be not
infinite absolutely, or equal to his goodness, yet it comes nearest the
borders of infiniteness. So then, is God most perfect? Is he infinite in
goodness, in truth, in righteousness, &c.--and so infinite, that before him
nothing appears good?--"There is none good save one, that is God." Yet we
may find another infinite, and it is in evil sinful man; and these two
contraries set beside other, do much illustrate each other. It is true
that his grace superabounds, and his goodness is more than the creatures'
sinfulness; yet, I say, you shall not find anything that cometh nearer the
infiniteness and degrees of his goodness, than the sinfulness of men. How
much the more glorious he appears, so much the more vile and base doth it
appear.

If ye did indeed ponder and weigh these two verses in the balance of the
sanctuary, would not your heart secretly ask this question within you, Do
I thus requite the Lord? O foolish and unwise! Yea, would you not account
yourselves mad, to forsake the fountain of living waters, and dig broken
cisterns to yourselves? O of how great moment were this to humble
yourselves to-day! This day ye are called to mourning and afflicting your
souls. Now, I know not a more suitable exercise for a day of humiliation,
or a principle that may more humble and abase your souls, than the serious
and deep consideration of these two,--what God is, and hath been to us, and
what we are, and have proved to him; what hath made so many formal
humiliations that have provoked him to anger? Certainly we do not either
seriously think on any of these, or if one of them, yet not on both. The
most part of you know no more in such a day, but a name and ceremony of a
little abstinence. Is this to sanctify a day to the Lord,--when ye do not
so much as the people who bowed down their head for a day, and spread
sackcloth under them? I wonder how ye think to pacify his wrath, and are
not rather afraid of adding fuel and oil to the flame of his indignation.
Ye come here and sit as in former times, and what do ye more either here
or at home? There is no soul-affliction, no, not for a day. The most part
of you are no more affected with your sins and his judgments, than if none
of these things were. Now, I pray you, what shall the Lord say to us