My next few posts will be some thoughts from Thomas Goodwin (1600 – 1679). Goodwin was a co-pastor with John Owen at a time of severe persecution of the Puritans. His courageous refusal to comply with the Church of England after the issuance of the Act of Uniformity is one of the many reasons that he was so admired by Forsyth.

‘The mercies of [God’s] nature, thus joined with the declarations of his gracious willingness to shew mercy to us men, is now become a just and meet ground and object for a sinner’s faith.’ The Object And Acts Of Justifying Faith

‘God’s shewing, or his actual exercising of mercy, dependeth upon an act of his will, and is not a mere, sole, single effect of his nature. For if it were solely and act of his nature, it would have been, and would still be necessary, for him to shew mercy on the devils … so some revelation or manifestation of his good will (at least indefinite to mankind) is necessary to our faith, and not merely the knowledge of the mercy in his nature.’ The Object And Acts Of Justifying Faith

‘All our faith for forgiveness may at any time be readily and finally resolved into the mercies of God, as the ultimum objectum in quod, as the ultimate object or foundation.’ The Object And Acts Of Justifying Faith