02.21. Man's Infirmity Doubts God's Goodness

21. MAN’S INFIRMITY DOUBTS GOD’S GOODNESS.

He regards doubt of God’s universal and unending goodness as an infirmity of man, founded on no reality in God’s purpose or disposition. Hence he declares:

"Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? does his promise fail for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High" (Psalms 77:7-10). For he says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever" (Psalms 103:8-9). "For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalms 30:5). "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes, nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail" (Psalms 89:30-33).