Existence and Attributes of God, Discourse 14 · Discussion

Existence and Attributes of God · Discourse 14 · Discussion

p. 788VERSE 3.

The Lord is ſlow to Anger,] Heb. foreign Of broad Noſtrils. The Anger of God is expreſt by this word, which ſignifies Noſtrils. As Job 9.13. If God will not withdraw his Anger, Heb. his noſtril. And the Anger whereby the wicked are conſum'd, is called the breath of Noſtrils, Job 4.9. and when he is angry, ſmoak and fire are ſaid to go out of his Noſtrils. 2 Sam. 2.9. and in the 74th. Pſalm 1. Why doth thy anger ſmoak, Heb. Why do thy Noſtrils ſmoak. So the rage of a Horſe when he is provokt in battle, is call'd the Glory of his Noſtrils. Job 39.20. He breaths quick fumes, and neighs with fury.

And ſlowneſs to anger is here expreſt by the phraſe of long or wide Noſtrils: Becauſe in a vehement anger the blood boyling about the heart, exhales mens Spirits, which fume up, and break out in dilated Noſtrils. But where the paſſages p. 789are ſtraiter, the ſpirits have not ſo quick a vent; and therefore raiſe more motions within. Or becauſe, the wider the Noſtrils are the more cool Air is drawn in, to temper the heat of the heart; where the angry ſpirits are gather'd. And ſo the paſſion is allay'd, and ſooner calm'd. God ſpeaks of himſelf in Scripture often after the rate of Men, Jeremy prays. Jer. 15.15. That God would not take him away in his long-ſuffering, Heb. in the length of his Nostrils. i. e. Be not ſlow and backward in thy anger againſt my Perſecutors, as to give them time, and opportunity to deſtroy me. The Noſtrils as well as other members of a humane Body are aſcribed to God. He is ſlow to anger, he hath anger in his nature, but is not always in the execution of it.

And great in Power.] This may referre to his Patience as the cauſe of it, or as a barr to the abuſe of it.

1. He is ſlow to anger, and great in power, i. e. his power moderates his Anger; he is not ſo impotent, as to be at the command of his paſſions, as men are. He can reſtrain his anger under juſt provocations to exerciſe it. His power over himſelf is the cauſe of his ſlowneſs to wrath. As Numb. 14.17. Let the power of my Lord be great, ſaith Moſes, when he pleads for the Iſraelites pardon. Men that are great in the World, are quick in paſſions, and are not ſo ready to forgive an injury, or bear with an offender, as one of a meaner rank. 'Tis a want of a power over a mans ſelf, that makes him do unbecoming things upon a provocation. A Prince that can bridle his paſſion, is a King over himſelf, as well as over his Subjects. God is ſlow to Anger, becauſe great in Power. He hath no leſs power over himſelf, than over his Creatures. He can ſuſtain great injuries without an immediate and quick revenge. He hath a power of Patience, as well as a power of Juſtice.

2. Or thus, he is ſlow to Anger, and great in Power. He is ſlow to Anger, but not for want of Power to revenge himſelf; his Power is as great to puniſh, as his Patience to ſpare. It ſeems thus, that ſlowneſs to Anger is brought in as an objection againſt the revenge proclaimed. What do you tell us of vengeance, vengeance, nothing but ſuch repetitions of vengeance? As though we were ignorant, that God is ſlow to Anger? 'Tis true, ſaith the Prophet, I acknowledge it as much as you, that God is ſlow to Anger; but withall great in Power. His Anger certainly ſucceeds his abus'd Patience; he will not always bridle in his Wrath, but one time or other let it march out in fury againſt his Adverſaries. The Aſſyrians who had captiv'd the Ten Tribes, and been victorious a little againſt the Jews, might think that the God of Iſrael had been conquered by their Gods, as well as the People profeſſing him had been ſubdued by their arms. That God had loſt all his power, and the Jews might argue from Gods Patience to his Enemies, againſt the credit of the Prophets denouncing revenge. The Prophet anſwers to the terror of the one, and the comfort of the other. That this indulgence to his Enemies, and not accounting with them for their Crimes, proceeded from the greatneſs of his Patience, and not from any debility in his power. As it refers to the Aſſyrian, it may be rendered thus: You Ninivites upon your Repentance after Jonahs thundring of Judgments are Witneſſes of the ſlowneſs of God to Anger, and had your puniſhments deferr'd. But falling to your old ſins, you ſhall find a real puniſhment, and that he hath as much Power, to execute his ancient threatnings, as he had then compaſſion to recall them. His Patience to you then was not for want of power to ruine you, but was the effect of his goodneſs towards you. As it refers to the Jews, it may be thus paraphraſed: do not deſpiſe this threatning againſt your Enemies, becauſe of the greatneſs of their might, the ſeeming ſtability of their Empire, and the terror they poſſe…s all the Nations with round about them. It may be long before it comes, but aſſure your ſelves, the threatning I denounce, ſhall certainly be executed, though he hath Patience to endure them a hundred thirty five years, (for ſo long it was before Nineveh was deſtroy'd after this threatning, as**p. 359. col. 1… Ribera in loc. computes from the years of the reign of the Kings of Judah) yet he hath p. 790alſo power to verifie his word, and accompliſh his will: aſſure your ſelves, he will not at all acquit the wicked.

He will not acquit the wicked.] He will not always account the criminal an innocent, as he ſeems to do by a preſent ſparing of them, and dealing with them as if they were deſtitute of any provoking carriage towards him, and he void of any reſentment of it. He will not acquit the wicked, how is this, who then can be ſaved? Is there no place for remiſſion? He will not acquit the wicked i. e. He will not acquit obſtinate ſinners. As he hath Patience for the wicked, ſo he hath Mercy for the penitent. The wicked are the ſubjects of his long ſuffering, but not of his acquitting grace. He doth not preſently puniſh their ſins, becauſe he is ſlow to anger; But without their Repentance he will not blot out their ſins, becauſe he is righteous in judgment. If God ſhould acquit them without Repentance for their crimes, he muſt himſelf repent of his own Law, and Righteous Sanction of it.

He will not acquit, i. e. he will not go back from the thing he hath ſpoken, and forbear, at long run, the puniſhment he hath threatned.

The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind,] The way of God ſignifies ſometimes the Law of God, ſometimes the providential operations of God. Ezek. 18.25. Is not my way equal? It ſeems there to take in both.

And in the Storm, and the Clouds are the duſt of his feet.] **Tirinus in loc.The Prophet deſcribes here the fight of God with the Aſſyrians, as if he ruſht upon them with a mighty noiſe of an Army, raiſing the duſt with the feet of their horſes, and motion of their Chariots. Symbolically, it ſignifies the multitude of the Chaldean, and Median forces invading, beſieging and ſtorming the City.

It ſignifies,

1. The rule of Providence. The way of God is in every motion of the creature; He rules all things, Whirl-wind, Storms, Clouds, his way is in all their walks, in the whirlings and bluſtrings of the one, in the raiſing and diſſolving the other. He blows up the Winds, and compacts the Clouds, to make them ſerviceable to his deſigns.

2. The management of wars by God. His way is in the ſtorm; As he was the Captain of the Aſſyrians againſt Samaria, ſo he will be the Captain of the Medes againſt Niniveh. As Iſrael was not ſo much waſted by the Aſſyrians, as by the Lord, who levied, and arm'd their Forces; So Niniveh ſhall be ſubverted, rather by God than by the Arms of the Medes. Their force is deſcrib'd not to be ſo much from Humane power as Divine; God is Preſident in all the commotions of the World, his way is in every Whirl-wind.

3. The eaſineſs of executing the judgment. He is of ſo great power that he can excite Tempeſts in the Air, and overthrow them with the Clouds, which are the duſt of his feet. He can blind his enemies, and avenge himſelf on them: he is Lord of Clouds, and can fill their womb with Hail, Lightnings, and Thunders, to burſt out upon thoſe he kindles his anger againſt. He is of ſo great force, that he needs not uſe the ſtrength of his Arm, but the duſt of his Feet, to effect his deſtroying purpoſe.

4. The ſuddenneſs of the judgment. Whirl-winds come ſuddenly without any harbingers to give notice of their approach; Clouds are ſwift in their motion. Iſa. 60.8. Who are thoſe that flie as a Cloud, i. e. with a mighty nimbleneſs; What God doth, he ſhall do on the ſudden, come upon them before they are aware, be too quick for them in his motion to over-run, and over-reach them. The winds are deſcrib'd with wings, in regard of the quickneſs of their motion.

p. 7915. The terror of judgments, The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind, i. e. in great diſpleaſure. The anger of the Lord is often compar'd to a ſtorm; He ſhall bring Clouds of judgments upon them, many and thick, as terrible as when a day is turn'd into night, by the muſtering of the darkeſt clouds, that interpoſe between the Sun and the Earth. Clouds and darkneſs are round about him, and a fire goes before him, when he burns up his enemies. Pſal. 97.2, 3. The judgments ſhall have terror without mercy, as clouds obſcure the light, and are dark masks before the face and glory of the Sun, and cut off its refreſhing Beams from the Earth. Clouds note multitude and obſcurity; God could cruſh them without a Whirlwind, beat them to powder with one touch, but he will bring his judgments in the moſt ſurprizing and amazing manner to fleſh and blood, ſo that all their Glory ſhall be chang'd into nothing but terror, by the noiſe of the bellowing winds, and the clouds like ink blacking the Heavens.

6. The confuſion of the Offenders upon God's proceeding. A Whirlwind is not only a boyſterous wind, that hurls and rouls every thing out of its place, but by its circular motion, by its winding to all points of the compaſs, it confounds things, and jumbles them together. It keeps not one point, but by a circumgyration toucheth upon all. Clouds like duſt ſhall be blown in their face, and gumm up their eyes. They ſhall be in a poſture of confuſion, not know what counſels to take, what motions to reſolve upon; Let them look to every point of Heaven and Earth, they ſhall meet with a Whirlwind to confound them, and cloudy duſt to blind them.

7. The irreſiſtibleneſs of the judgment. Winds have more than a Gyant like force, a torrent of compacted Air, that with an invincible wilfulneſs bears all before it, diſplaceth the firmeſt Trees, and levels the talleſt Towers, and pulls up bodies from their natural place. Clouds alſo are over our heads, and above our reach; When God places them upon his people for defence, they are an invincible ſecurity. Iſa. 4.5. And when he moves them as his Chariot againſt a people, they end in an irreſiſtible deſtruction; Thus the ruine of the wicked is deſcrib'd. Prov. 10.25. As the Whirlwind paſſes, ſo is the wicked no more. It blows them down, ſweeps them away, they irrecoverably fall before the force of it. What heart can endure, and what hands can be ſtrong, in the days wherein God doth deal with them? Ezek. 22.14. Thus is the judgment againſt Niniveh deſcrib'd; God hath his way in the Whirlwind to thunder down their ſtrongeſt Walls, which were ſo thick, that Chariots could march a-breaſt upon them, and batter down their mighty Towers, which that City had in multitudes upon their Walls.

They are the firſt words I intend to inſiſt upon, to treat of the Patience of God, deſcrib'd in thoſe words; The Lord is ſlow to anger.

Doct. Slowneſs to anger, or admirable Patience, is the property of the divine nature. As Patience ſignifies ſuffering, ſo it is not in God. The divine nature is impaſſible, uncapable of any impair, it cannot be touched by the violences of men, nor the eſſential Glory of it be diminiſht by the injuries of men; But as it ſignifies a willingneſs to deferr, and an unwillingneſs to pour forth his wrath upon ſinful creatures; He moderates his provoked juſtice, and forbears to revenge the injuries he daily meets with in the World. He ſuffers no grief by mens wronging him, but he reſtrains his arm from puniſhing them according to their merits; And thus there is Patience in every croſs a man meets with in the World: becauſe though it be a puniſhment, 'tis leſs than is merited by the unrighteous rebel, and leſs than may be inflicted by a righteous and powerful God.

This Patience is ſeen in his providential works in the World; He ſuffered the Nations to walk in their own way, and the witneſs of his Providence to them was his giving them Rain, and fruitful ſeaſons, filling their heart with food and gladneſs. Act. 16.17. The Heathens took notice of it, and ſignified it, by feigning their God Saturn, to be bound a whole year in a ſoft cord, a cord of wool, and p. 792expreſt it by this Proverb; The Mills of the Gods grind ſlowly; i. e. God doth not uſe men with that ſeverity that they deſerve: The Mills being uſually …nn'd by criminals, condemn'd to that work.**Rhodigi. l. 6. c. 14. This in Scripture is frequently expreſt by a ſlowneſs to anger, Pſal. 103.8. ſometimes by long ſuffering, which is a patience with duration; Pſal. 145.8. and Joel 2.13. He is ſlow to anger, he takes not the firſt occaſions of a provocation; He is long ſuffering, Rom. 9.22. and Pſal. 86.15. he forbears puniſhment upon many occaſions offer'd him. 'Tis long before he conſents to give fire to his wrath, and ſhoot out his Thunderbolts; Sin hath a loud cry, but God ſeems to ſtop his eares, not to hear the clamor it raiſes, and the charge it preſents. He keeps his Sword a long time in the ſheath; One calls the Patience of God, the ſheath of his ſword, upon thoſe words, Ezek. 21.3. I will draw forth my ſword out of his ſheath. **foreign Theodoret in loc.This is one remarkable letter in the name of God, he himſelf proclaims it; Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious and long ſuffering. And Moſes pleads it in the behalf of the people, Numb. 14.18. where he placeth it in the firſt rank; The Lord is long ſuffering, and of great mercy: 'Tis the firſt ſpark of mercy, and uſhers it to its exerciſes in the World. In the Lord's Proclamation, 'tis put in the middle link, Mercy and Truth together; Mercy could have no room to act, if Patience did not prepare the way; And his truth and goodneſs in his promiſe of the Redeemer would not have been manifeſt to the World, if he had ſhot his Arrows as ſoon as men committed their ſins, and deſerved his puniſhment. This perfection is expreſt by other phraſes, as keeping ſilence; Pſal. 50.21. Theſe things hast thou done, and I kept ſilence, foreign it ſignifies to behave ones ſelf as a deaf or dumb man. I did not fly in thy face, as ſome do with great a noiſe, upon a light provocation, as if their Life, Honour, Eſtates were at the ſtake. I did not preſently call thee to the bar, and pronounce judicial ſentence upon thee according to the Law, but demean'd my ſelf, as if I had been ignorant of thy crimes, and. had not been inveſted with the power of judging thee for them, Chald. I waited for thy Converſion. God's Patience is the ſilence of his Juſtice, and the firſt whiſper of his mercy.

'Tis alſo expreſt by not laying folly to men. Job 24.12. Men groan under the oppreſſions of others, yet God layes not folly to them, i. e. to the oppreſſors, God ſuffers them to go on with impunity. He doth not deliver his people, becauſe he would try them, and takes not revenge upon the unrighteous, becauſe in Patience he doth bear with them. Patience is the Life of his Providence in this World. He chargeth not men with their crimes here, but reſerves them upon impenitency for another tryal. This attribute is ſo great a one, that it is ſignally called by the name of perfection. Matt. 5.45, 48. He had been ſpeaking of Divine goodneſs, and Patience to evil men, and he concludes, be you perfect, &c. Implying it to be an amazing perfection in the divine nature, and worthy of imitation.

In the proſecution of this,

1. Let us conſider the nature of this Patience.

2. Wherein 'tis manifeſted.

3. Why God doth exerciſe ſo much Patience.

4. The ƲSE.

1. The nature of this Patience.

1. 'Tis part of the divine goodneſs and mercy, yet differs from both. God being the greateſt goodneſs, hath the greateſt mildneſs; Mildneſs is always the companion of true goodneſs, and the greater the goodneſs, the greater the mildneſs. Who ſo Holy as Chriſt, and who ſo meek? God's ſlowneſs to anger is a branch, or ſlip from his mercy. Pſal. 145.8. The Lord is full of compaſſion, ſlow to anger. It differs from mercy in the formal conſideration of the object; Mercy reſpects the creature as miſerable, Patience reſpects the creature as criminal: Mercy pities him in his miſery, and Patience bears with the ſin, which engender'd that miſery, and is giving birth to more.

p. 793Again, Mercy is one end of Patience, his long ſuffering is partly to glorifie his Grace, ſo it was in Paul. 1 Tim. 1.16. As ſlowneſs to anger ſprings from goodneſs, ſo it makes mercy the butt, and mark of its operations; Iſa. 30.18. He waites that he may be gracious; Goodneſs ſets God upon the exerciſe of Patience, and Patience ſets many a ſinner on running into the armes of mercy. That mercy which makes God ready to embrace returning ſinners, makes him willing to bear with them in their ſins, and wait their return.

It differs alſo from goodneſs, in regard of the object. The object of goodneſs is every creature, Angels, Men, all inferiour creatures, to the loweſt worm that crawls upon the ground. The object of Patience is primarily man, and ſecondarily, thoſe creatures that reſpect mens ſupport, conveniency and delight; But they are not the objects of Patience, as conſider'd in themſelves, but in relation to man, for whoſe uſe they were created, and therefore God's Patience to them is properly his Patience with man. The lower creatures do not injure God, and therefore are not the objects of his Patience, but as they are forfeited by man, and man deſerves to be depriv'd of them; As man in this regard falls under the Patience of God, ſo do thoſe creatures which are deſign'd for mans good. That Patience which ſpares man, ſpares other creatures for him, which were all forfeited by man's ſin, as well as his own life, and are rather the teſtimonies of God's Patience, than the proper objects of it. The object of God's goodneſs then is the whole Creation, not a Devil in Hell, but as a creature is a mark of his goodneſs, but not of his patience. There is a kind of ſparing exercis'd to the Devils, in deferring their compleat puniſhment, and hitherto keeping off the day, wherein their final ſentence is to be pronounced, yet the Scripture never mentions this by the name of ſlowneſs to anger, or long ſuffering. It can no more be call'd Patience, than a Princes keeping a Malefactor in chains, and not pronouncing a condemning ſentence, or not executing a ſentence already pronounced, can be call'd a Patience with him, when it is not out of kindneſs to the Offender, but for ſome reaſons of State. God's ſparing the Devils from their total puniſhment (which they have not yet, but are reſerved in chains, under darkneſs for it. Jude 6.) is not in order to Repentance, or attended with any invitations from God, or hopes in them: and therefore cannot come under the ſame title as Gods ſparing man; Where there is no propoſal of mercy, there is no exerciſe of Patience. The fall'n Angels had no mercy reſerv'd for them, nor any Sacrifice prepar'd for them, God ſpared not the Angels, 2 Pet. 2.4. but delivered them into chains of darkneſs, to be reſerved unto judgment, i. e. he had no Patience for them: For Patience is properly a temporary ſparing a perſon, with a waiting for his relenting, and a change of his injurious demeanour; The object of goodneſs is more extenſive than that of Patience: Nor do they both conſider the object under the ſame relation. Goodneſs reſpects things in a capacity, or in a ſtate of Creation, and brings them forth into Creation, and nurſeth, and ſupports them as Creatures. Patience conſiders them already Created, and fall'n ſhort of the duty of creatures; It conſiders them as ſinners, or in relation to ſinners. Had not ſin entred, Patience had never been exerciſed; but goodneſs had been exerciſed, had the creature ſtood firm in its Created State without any tranſgreſſion; Nay Creation could not have been without goodneſs: becauſe it was goodneſs to Create; But Patience had never been known without an object, which could not have been without an injury. Where there is no wrong, no ſuffering, nor like to be any, Patience hath no proſpect of any operation. So then goodneſs reſpects perſons as creatures, Patience as tranſgreſſors; Mercy eyes men as miſerable and obnoxious to puniſhment: Patience conſiders men as ſinful, and provoking to puniſhment.

2. Since 'tis a part of goodneſs and mercy, 'tis not an inſenſible patience. What is the fruit of pure goodneſs, cannot be from a weakneſs of reſentment; he is ſlow to anger; The Prophet doth not ſay, he is uncapable of anger, or cannot diſcern what is a real object of anger; It implyes, that he doth conſider every provocation, but he is not haſty to diſcharge his arrows upon the Offenders; He ſees all, while he bears with them: his omniſcience excludes any ignorance; He cannot but ſee p. 794every wrong; every aggravation in that wrong, every ſtep and motion from the begi…ing to the compleating it: For he knows all our thoughts; he ſees the ſin, and … ſinner at the ſame time, the ſin with an eye of abhorrency, and the ſinner with an eye of pity. His eye is upon their iniquities, and his hatred edged againſt them; while he ſtands with arms open, waiting a penitent return. When he publiſheth his patience in his keeping ſilence, he publiſheth alſo his reſolution, to ſet ſin in order before their Eyes. Pſal. 50.21. I will reprove thee, and ſet them in order before thy Eyes. Think me not ſuch a peice of phlegm and ſo dull as not to reſent your inſolencies; you ſhall ſee in my final charge, when I come to Judge, that not a wry look eſcap't my knowledge, that I had an eye to behold, and a heart to loath every one of your Tranſgreſſions. The Church was ready to think, that Gods ſlowneſs to deliver her, and his bearing with her oppreſſors, was not from any Patience in his nature, but a drowſie careleſsneſs, a ſenſeleſs Lethargy. Pſal. 44.23. Awake, why ſleepeſt thou, Oh Lord? We muſt conclude him an inapprehenſive God, before we can conclude him an inſenſible God. As his delaying his promiſe, is not ſlackneſs to his people, 2 Pet. 3.9. So his deferring of puniſhment, is not from a ſtupidity, under the affronts offered him.

3. Since 'tis a part of his Mercy and Goodneſs, 'tis not a conſtrained or faint-hearted Patience. 'Tis not a ſlowneſs to Anger, ariſing from a deſpondency of his own p…er to revenge. He hath as much power to puniſh, as he hath to forbear puniſhment. He that created a World in ſix days, and that by a word, wants not a ſtrength to cruſh all mankind in one minute; and with as much eaſe as a Word imports, can give ſatisfaction to his Juſtice in the blood of the offender. Patience in man is many times interpreted, and truly too, a cowardiſe, a feebleneſs of Spirit and a want of ſtrength. But i… … not from the ſhortneſs of the divine arm, that he cannot reach us, nor from th… … of his hand, that he cannot ſtrike us. 'Tis not becauſe he cannot lev… … duſt … us in peices like a Potters Veſſel, or conſume us as a Moth… … … tieſt, to fall before him, and lay the ſtrongeſt at his fe… … crime. He that did not want a powerful Word, to … want a powerful Word, to diſſolve the whole frame of … it out of being. 'Tis not therefore out of a diſtruſt of his own power, that he hath ſupported a ſinful World for ſo many ages, and patiently born the Blaſphemies of ſome, the neglects of others, and the ingratitude of all, without inflicting that ſevere Juſtice which righteouſly he might have done; he wants no thunder to cruſh the whole generation of men, nor waters to drown them, nor Earth to ſwallow them up. How eaſie is it for him to ſingle out this or that particular perſon, to be the object of his Wrath, and not of his Patience? What he hath done to one, he may to another; any ſignal judgment he hath ſent upon one, is an evidence, that he wants not power to inflict it upon all. Could he not make the motes in the Air to choke us at every breath, Rain thunderbolts inſtead of drops of water, fill the Clouds with a conſuming Lightning, take off the reverence and fear of man, which he hath imprinted upon the Creature, Spirit our domeſtick Beaſts to be our Executioners, unlooſe the Tiles from the houſe top to brain us, or make the fall of a houſe to cruſh us? 'Tis but taking out the pins, and giving a blaſt, and the work is done. And doth he want a power to do any of thoſe things? 'Tis not then a faint-hearted, or feeble Patience, that he exerciſeth towards Man.

4. Since 'tis not for want of power over the Creature, 'tis from a fulneſs of power over himſelf. This is in the Text; The Lord is ſlow to Anger, and great in Power; 'tis a part of his Dominion over himſelf, whereby he can moderate, and rule his own affections according to the holineſs of his own Will. As it is the effect of his power, ſo it is an argument of his power; the greatneſs of the effect demonſtrates the fulneſs, and ſufficiency of the Cauſe. The more feeble any man is in reaſon the leſs command he hath over his paſſions, and he is the more heady p. 795to revenge. Revenge is a ſign of a Childiſh mind; the ſtronger any man is in reaſon, the more command he hath over himſelf. Prov. 16.32. He that is ſlow to Anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his own Spirit, than he that takes a City. He that can reſtrain his Anger, is ſtronger than the Coeſars, and Alexanders of the World, that have fill'd the Earth with ſlain Carcaſſes, and ruin'd Cities. By the ſame reaſon, God's ſlowneſs to Anger is a greater argument of his Power, than the creating a World, or the power of diſſolving it by a Word. In this he hath a Dominion over Creatures, in the other over himſelf. This is the reaſon he will not return to deſtroy; becauſe I am God, and not Man. Hoſea 11.9. I am not ſo weak and impotent as man, that cannot reſtrain his Anger. This is a ſtrength poſſeſſed only by a God, wherein a Creature is no more able to parallel him, than in any other. So that he may be ſaid to be the Lord of himſelf; as it is in the verſe before the Text, that he is the Lord of Anger, in the Hebrew inſtead of furious as we tranſlate it, ſo he is the Lord of Patience. The end why God is Patient, is to ſhew his Power. Rom. 9.22. What if God willing to ſhew his Wrath, and to make his Power known, endured with much Long-ſuffering, the Veſſels of Wrath fitted to deſtruction? To ſhew his Wrath upon Sinners, and his Power over himſelf, in bearing ſuch indignities, and forbearing puniſhment ſo long, when men were veſſels of wrath fitted for deſtruction, of whom there was no hopes of amendment. Had he immediately broken in peices thoſe Veſſels, his power had not ſo eminently appear'd, as it hath done, in tolerating them ſo long, that had provoked him to take them off ſo often. There is indeed the power of his Anger, and there is the power of his Patience; and his power is more ſeen in his Patience, than in his Wrath. 'Tis no wonder that he that is above all, is able to cruſh all. But it is a wonder, that he that is provok't by all, doth not upon the firſt provocation, rid his hands of all. This is the reaſon, why he did bear ſuch a weight of provocations from veſſels of wrath, prepar'd for ruine, that he might foreign, ſhew what he was able to do, the Lordſhip and Royalty he had over himſelf. The power of God is more manifeſt in his Patience to a multitude of Sinners, than it could be in Creating Millions of Worlds out of nothing; this was the foreign, a power over himſelf.

5. This Patience being a branch of Mercy, the exerciſe of it is founded in the Death of Chriſt. Without the conſideration of this, we can give no account, why Divine Patience ſhould extend it ſelf to us, and not to the fallen Angels. The threatning extends it ſelf to us, as well as to the fallen Angels. The threatning muſt neceſſarily have ſunk man, as well as thoſe glorious Creatures, had not Chriſt ſtept into our relief.**Teſta…d. de natur. & Grat. Theſ. 119. Had not Chriſt interpoſed to ſatisfie the Juſtice of God, man upon his ſin had been actually bound over to puniſhment, as well as the fall'n Angels were upon theirs, and been fettered in chains as ſtrong as thoſe Spirits feel. The reaſon why man was not hurl'd into the ſame deplorable condition upon his ſin, as they were, is Chriſts promiſe of taking our nature, and not theirs. Had God deſign'd Chriſt's taking their nature, the ſame Patience had been exerciſed towards them, and the ſame offers would have been made to them, as are made to us. In regard of theſe fruits of this Patience, Chriſt is ſaid to buy the wickedeſt Apoſtates from him. 1 Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that bought them; ſuch were bought by him, as bring upon themſelves just deſtruction, and whoſe damnation ſlumbers not, ver. 3. he purchaſed the continuance of their lives, and the ſtay of their execution, that offers of Grace might be made to them. This Patience muſt be either upon the account of the Law, or the Goſpel; for there are no other rules, whereby God governs the World; a fruit of the Law it was not, that ſpake nothing but Curſes after Diſobedience, not a letter of Mercy was writ upon that: And therefore nothing of Patience.

Death and Wrath was denounced, no ſlowneſs to Anger intimated. It muſt be therefore upon the account of the Goſpel, and a fruit of the Covenant of Grace, whereof Chriſt was Mediator. Beſides this perfection being God's waiting that he might be Gracious. Iſai…h 30.18. that which made way for Gods Grace, made p. 796way for his waiting to manifeſt it. God diſcovered not his Grace, but in Chriſt: And therefore diſcovered not his Patience but in Chriſt; 'tis in him he met with the ſatisfaction of his Juſtice, that he might have a ground for the manifeſtation of his Patience. And the Sacrifices of the Law, wherein the Life of a beaſt was accepted for the ſin of a man, diſcovered the ground of his forbearance of them, to be the expectation of the great ſacrifice, whereby ſin was to be compleatly expiated. Gen. 8.21. The publication of his Patience to the end of the World is preſently after the ſweet ſavor he found in Noah's ſacrifice. The promiſed and deſign'd coming of Chriſt was the cauſe of that Patience God exerciſed before in the World. And his gathering the Elect together, is the reaſon of his Patience ſince his death.

6. The naturalneſs of his Veracity and Holineſs, and the ſtrictneſs of his Juſtice, are no barrs to the exerciſe of his patience.

1. His Veracity. In thoſe threatnings where the puniſhment is expreſt, but not the time of inflicting it prefixt, and determined in the threatning, his veracity ſuffers no dammage by the delaying Execution; ſo it be once done, though a long time after, the credit of his Truth ſtands unſhaken: As when God promiſes a thing without fixing the time, he is at liberty to pitch upon what time he pleaſes for the performance of it without ſtaining his faithfulneſs to his Word, by not giving the thing promiſed preſently. Why ſhould the deferring of Juſtice upon an offender, be any more againſt his Veracity, than his delaying an anſwer to the petitions of a ſuppliant? But the difference will lie in the threatning. Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt dye the death. The time was there ſetled, In that day, thou ſhalt dye; ſome referre day to eating, not to dying; and render the ſentence thus, I do not prohibit thee the eating this fruit for a day or two, but continually. In whatſoever day thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt dye; but not underſtanding his dying that very day he ſhould eat of it. Referring [day] to the extenſiveneſs of the prohibition, as to time. But to leave this as uncertain, it may be anſwered; that as in ſome threatnings, a condition is implyed, though not expreſt; as in that poſitive denouncing of the deſtruction of Niniveh. Jonah 3.4. Yet forty days and Nineveh ſhall be deſtroy'd; the condition is imply'd, unleſs they humble themſelves, and repent, for upon their Repentance, the ſentence was deferred. So here, in the day thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhall dye the death, or certainly dye, unleſs there be a way found for the expiation of thy crime, and the righting my honour; This condition in regard of the event, may as well be aſſerted to be implyed in this threatning, as that of Repentance was in the other. Or rather, thou ſhalt dye, thou ſhalt die ſpiritually, thou ſhalt looſe that image of mine in thy nature, that Righteouſneſs which is as much the Life of thy Soul, as thy Soul is the life of thy Body; that Righteouſneſs whereby thou art enabled to live to me, and thy own happineſs. What the Soul is to the Body, a quickning Soul, that the image of God is to the Soul, a quickning image. Or thou ſhalt dye the death, or certainly dye, thou ſhalt be liable to death.**Perer in loc. And ſo it is to be underſtood, not of an actual death of the Body, but the merit of death, and the neceſſity of death; thou wilt be obnoxious to death, which will be avoided, if thou doſt forbear to eat of the forbidden fruit; thou ſhalt be a guilty perſon, and ſo under a ſentence of death, that I may when I pleaſe inflict it on thee. Death did come upon Adam that day, becauſe his nature was vitiated. He was then alſo under an expectation of death, he was obnoxious to it, though that day it was not poured out upon him in the full bitterneſs and gall of it. As when the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 8.10. The Body is dead becauſe of ſin, he ſpeaks to the Living, and yet tells them, the body was dead becauſe of ſin; he means no more than that it was under a ſentence, and ſo a neceſſity of dying though not actually dead. So thou ſhalt be under the ſentence of death that day, as certainly as if that day thou ſhouldſt ſink into the duſt. And as by his Patience towards man, not ſending forth death upon him in all the bitter ingredients of it, his Juſtice afterwards was more eminent upon mans ſurety, than it would have been, if it had been then employ'd in all its ſevere operations upon man. So was his Veracity p. 797eminent alſo in making good this threatning, in inflicting the puniſhment included in it upon our nature aſſum'd by a mighty perſon, and upon that perſon in our nature, who was infinitely higher than our nature.

2. His juſtice and righteouſneſs are not prejudiced by his patience. There is a hatred of the ſin in his holineſs, and a ſentence paſt againſt the ſin in his juſtice, though the execution of that ſentence be ſuſpended, and the perſon reprieved by patience, which is implyed; Eccleſ. 8.11. Becauſe ſentence againſt an evil work is not executed ſpeedily: therefore the heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet in them to do evil; Sentence is paſt, but a ſpeedy execution is ſtopt.

Some of the Heathens who would not imagine God unjuſt, and yet ſeeing the villanies and oppreſſions of men in the World remain unpuniſht, and frequently beholding proſperous wickedneſs, to free him from the charge of injuſtice, denyed his providence, and actual Government of the World: for if he did take notice of humane affairs, and concern himſelf in what was done upon the Earth, they could not think an infinite goodneſs and Justice could be ſo ſlow, to puniſh oppreſſors, and relieve the miſerable, and leave the World in that diſorder under the injuſtice of men. They judged ſuch a patience as was exerciſed by him, if he did govern the World, was drawn out beyond the line of fit and juſt. Is it not a preſumption in men to preſcribe a rule of Righteouſneſs and conveniency to their Creator? It might be demanded of ſuch, whether they never injur'd any in their lives? and when certainly they have one way or other; would they not think it a very unworthy, if not unjuſt thing, that a perſon ſo injur'd by them ſhould take a ſpeedy and ſevere revenge on them? And if every man ſhould do the like, would there not be a ſpeedy diſpatch made of Mankind? Would not the World be a ſhambles, and men ruſh forwards to one anothers deſtruction, for the wrongs they have mutually received? If it be accounted a virtue in man, and no unrighteouſneſs, not preſently to be all on fire againſt an offence; by what right ſhould any queſtion the conſiſtency of Gods patience with his justice? Do we praiſe the lenity of Parents to children, and ſhall we diſparage the long ſuffering of God to men? We do not cenſure the righteouſneſs of Phyſitians and Chirurgeons, becauſe they cut not off a corrupt member this day as well as to morrow? And is it juſt to aſperſe God, becauſe he doth deferr his vengeance, which man aſſumes to himſelf a right to do? We never account him a bad Governour, that deferrs the tryal, and conſequently the condemnation and execution of a notorious offender, for important reaſons, and beneficial to the publick, either to make the nature of his crime more evident, or to find out the reſt of his complices by his diſcovery. A Governour indeed were unjuſt, if he commanded that which were unrighteous, and forbad that which were worthy and commendable; But if he delayes the execution of a convict offender, for weighty reaſons, either for the benefit of the ſtate whereof he is the Ruler, or for ſome advantage to the offender himſelf, to make him have a ſence of, and a regret for his offence, we account him not unjuſt for this. God doth not by his patience diſpenſe with the holineſs of his Law, nor cut off any thing from its due Authority. If men do ſtrengthen themſelves by his long ſuffering againſt his Law, 'tis their fault, not any unrighteouſneſs in him. He will take a time to vindicate the Righteouſneſs of his own commands, if men will wholly neglect the time of his patience, in forbearing to pay a dutiful obſervance to his Precept. If Juſtice be natural to him, and he cannot but puniſh ſin, yet he is not neceſſitated to conſume ſinners, as the fire doth ſtubble put into it, which hath no command over its own qualities, to reſtrain them from acting; But God is a free agent, and may chooſe his own time, for the diſtribution of that puniſhment his nature leads him to. Though he be naturally juſt, yet it is not ſo natural to him, as to deprive him of a dominion over his own acts, and a freedom in the exerting them what time he judgeth moſt convenient in his Wiſdom. God is neceſſarily holy, and is neceſſarily angry with ſin, his nature can never like it, and cannot but be diſpleaſed with it; yet he hath a liberty to reſtrain the effects of this anger for a time, without diſgracing his holineſs, or being interpreted to act unrighteouſly; As p. 798well as a Prince or State may ſuſpend the execution of a Law, which they will never break, only for a time, and for a publick benefit.

If God ſhould preſently execute his Juſtice, this perfection of patience which is a part of his goodneſs, would never have an opportunity of diſcovery. Part of his Glory, for which he Created the World, would lye in obſcurity from the knowledge of his creature. His Juſtice would be ſignal in the deſtruction of ſinners, but this ſtream of his goodneſs would be ſtopt up from any motion. One perfection muſt not cloud another, God hath his ſeaſons to diſcover all, one after another. The times and ſeaſons are in his own power. Act. 1.7. The ſeaſons of manifeſting his own perfections as well as other things; Succeſſion of them in their diſtinct appearance makes no invaſion upon the rights of any. If juſtice ſhould complain of an injury from patience, becauſe it is delaid, patience hath more reaſon to complain of an injury from juſtice, that by ſuch a plea it would be wholly obſcur'd and unactive. For this perfection hath the ſhorteſt time to act its part of any, it hath no ſtage but this World to move in; Mercy hath a Heaven, and Juſtice a Hell, to diſplay it ſelf to Eternity, but long ſuffering hath only a ſhort liv'd earth for the compaſs of its operation.

Again Juſtice is ſo far from being wrong'd by Patience, that it rather is made more illuſtrious, and hath the fuller ſcope to exerciſe it ſelf; 'Tis the more righted for being deferred, and will have ſtronger grounds than before for its activity. The equity of it will be more apparent to every reaſon, the objections more fully anſwered againſt it when the way of dealing with ſinners by patience hath been ſlighted. When this dam of long ſuffering is remov'd, the floods of fiery juſtice will ruſh down with more force and violence; Justice will be fully recompenc'd for the delay, when after Patience is abuſed, it can ſpread it ſelf over the offender with a more unqueſtionable Authority, it will have more arguments to hit the ſinner in the teeth with, and ſilence him. There will be a ſharper edge for every ſtroke, the ſinner muſt not only pay for the ſcore of his former ſins, but the ſcore of abus'd patience; ſo that juſtice hath no reaſon to commence a ſuit againſt God's ſlowneſs to anger. What it ſhall want by the fulneſs of mercy upon the truly penitent, it will gain by the contempt of patience on the impenitent abuſers. When men by ſuch a carriage are ripen'd for the ſtroke of juſtice, juſtice may ſtrike without any regret in it ſelf, or pull-back from mercy. The contempt of long ſuffering will ſilence the pleas of the one, and ſpirit the ſeverity of the other. To conclude, ſince God hath glorified his juſtice on Chriſt, as a ſurety for ſinners, his patience is ſo far from interfering with the rights of his juſtice, that it promotes it; 'Tis diſpenſed to this end, that God might pardon with honour, both upon the ſcore of purchaſed mercy, and contented juſtice; that by a penitent ſinners return his mercy might be acknowledg'd free, and the ſatisfaction of his Juſtice by Chriſt be glorified in believing: for he is long ſuffering from an unwillingneſs, that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance. 2 Pet. 3.9. i. e. All to whom the promiſe is made, for to ſuch the Apoſtle ſpeaks, and calls it long ſuffering to us ward; And Repentance being an acknowledgment of the demerit of ſin, and a breaking off unrighteouſneſs, gives a particular glory to the freeneſs of mercy, and the equity of Juſtice.

II. The 2d. thing; How this patience or ſlowneſs to anger is manifeſted.

1. To our First Parents. His ſlowneſs to anger was evidenced, in not directing his Artillery againſt them, when they firſt attempted to rebel. He might have ſtruck them dead, when they began to bite at the temptation, and were inclinable to a ſurrender; for it was a degree of ſinning, and a breach of Loyalty, as well, though not ſo much as the conſummating Act. God might have given way to the floods of his wrath at the firſt ſpring of man's aſpiring thoughts, when the monſtrous motion of being as God began to be curdled in his heart; But he took no notice of any of their Embryo ſins, till they came to a ripeneſs, and ſtarted out of the womb of their minds, into the open Air; And after he had brought his ſin to perfection, God did not preſently ſend that death upon him, p. 799which he had merited, but continued his Life to the ſpace of 930 years. Gen. 5.5. The Sun and Stars were not arreſted, from doing their Office for him. Creatures were continued for his uſe, the earth did not ſwallow him up, nor a Thunderbolt from Heaven raze out the memory of him. Though he had deſerved to be treated with ſuch a ſeverity for his ungrateful demeanour to his Creator and Benefactor, and affecting an equality with him, yet God continued him with a ſufficiency for his content, after he turned rebel, though not with ſuch a liberality as when he remain'd a Loyal Subject; And though he foreſaw; that he would not make an end of ſinning, but with an end of living, he uſed him not in the ſame manner, as he had uſed the Devils. He added dayes and years to him, after he had deſerved death, and hath for this 5000 years continued the propagation of Mankind, and derived from his loyns an innumerable poſterity, and hath crown'd multitudes of them with hoary heads; He might have extinguiſht humane race at the firſt, but ſince he hath preſerved it till this day, it muſt be interpreted nothing elſe, but the effect of an admirable Patience.

2. His ſlowneſs to anger is manifest to the Gentiles. What they were, we need no other witneſs than the Apoſtle Paul, who ſumms up many of their crimes. Rom. 1.29.30, 31, 32. He doth preface the Catalogue with a comprehenſive expreſſion, being filled with all unrighteouſneſs; And concludes it with a dreadful aggravation; They not only do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them. They were ſo ſoakt and naturaliz'd in wickedneſs, that they had no delight and found no ſweetneſs in any thing elſe, but what was in it ſelf abominable; All of them were plung'd in Idolatry and Superſtition: none of them but either ſet up their great men, or creatures beneficial to the World, and ſome the damned Spirits in his ſtead, and paid an adoration to inſenſible Creatures or Devils, which was due to God. Some were ſo deprav'd in their lives and actions, that it ſeem'd to be the intereſt of the reſt of the World, that they ſhould have been extinguiſht for the inſtruction of their contemporaries and poſterity. The beſt of them had turned all Religion into a fable, coyn'd a World of rites, ſome unnatural in themſelves, and moſt of them unbecoming a rational creature to offer, and a Deity to accept; Yet he did not preſently arm himſelf againſt them with Fire and Sword, nor ſtopt the courſe of their Generations, nor tare out all thoſe reliques of natural light, which were left in their minds. He did not do what he might have done, but he winkt at the times of that ignorance, Act. 17.30. their ignorant Idolatry: for that it referrs to, ver. 29. They thought the God-head was like to Gold or Silver, or ſtone graven by Art, and mens device; foreign overlooking them; He demean'd himſelf ſo, as if he did not take notice of them. He winkt as if he did not ſee them, and would not deal ſo ſeverely with them: the eye of his Juſtice ſeem'd to wink, in not calling them to an account for their ſin.

3. His ſlowneſs to anger is manifeſt to the Iſraelites. You know how often they are call'd a ſtiff-necked people; they are ſaid to do evil from their youth, i. e. from the time wherein they were erected a Nation and Common-wealth; and that the City had been a provocation of his anger, and of his fury from the day that they built it, even to this day, i. e. the day of Jeremiah's Propheſie, that he ſhould remove it from before his face. Jer. 32.31. From the dayes of Solomon ſay ſome, which is too much a curtailing of the Text, as though their provocations had taken date no higher than from the time of Solomon's rearing the Temple, and beautifying the City, whereby it ſeem'd to be a new Building. They began more early, they ſcarce diſcontinued their revolting from God, they were a grief to him 40 years together in the Wilderneſs, Pſal. 95.10. Yet he ſuffer'd their manners, Act. 13.18. He bore with their ill behaviour, and ſawcyneſs towards him; And no ſooner was Joſhua's head laid, and the Elders that were their conductors, gathered to their fathers, but the next Generation forſook God, and ſmutted themſelves with the Idolatry of the Nations; Judg. 2.7.10, 11. And when he puniſhed them by proſpering the Arms of their enemies againſt them, they were no ſooner delivered upon their cry and humiliation, but they began a new Scene of Idolatry. p. 800And though he brought upon them the power of the Babylonian Empire, and laid chains upon them, to bring them to their right mind. And at 70 years end he ſtruck off their chains, by altering the whole poſture of affairs in that part of the World for their ſakes; Overturning one Empire, and ſettling another for their Reſtoration to their antient City. And though they did not after diſown him for their God, and ſet up Baal in his Throne, yet they multiplyed fooliſh traditions, whereby they impaired the Authority of the Law; yet he ſuſtained them with a wonderful Patience, and preferred them before all other people in the firſt offers of the Goſpel; And after they had outrag'd not only his ſervants the Prophets, but his Son the Redeemer, yet he did not forſake them, but employed his Apoſtles to ſollicit them, and publiſh among them the Doctrine of Salvation. So that his treating this people, might well be call'd much long ſuffering, it being, above 1500 years, wherein he bore with them, or mildly puniſhed them, far leſs than their deſerts. Their coming out of Egypt being about the year of the World 2450, and their final deſtruction as a Common-wealth, not till about 40 years after the death of Chriſt; And all this while his Patience did ſometimes wholly reſtrain his Juſtice, and ſometimes let it fall upon them in ſome few drops, but made no total devaſtation of their Country, nor wrote his revenge in extraordinary bloody Characters, till the Roman conqueſt, wherein he put a period to them, both as a Church and State.

In particular this Patience is manifeſt.

1. In his giving warnings of Judgments, before he orders them to go forth. He doth not puniſh in a paſſion, and haſtily; He ſpeakes before he ſtrikes, and ſpeakes that he may not ſtrike. Wrath is publiſht, before it is executed, and that a long time; An 120 years Advertiſement was given to a debauch'd World, before the Heavens were open'd, to ſpout down a deluge upon them. He will not be accuſed of coming unawares upon a people; He inflicts nothing, but what he foretold either immediately to the people that provoke him, or anciently to them that have been their fore-runners in the ſame provocation. Hoſ. 7.12. I will chaſtiſe them, as their Congregation hath heard. Many of the leaves of the Old Teſtament are full of thoſe Preſages and Warnings of approaching judgment. Theſe make up a great part of the Volume of it in various Editions, according to the State of the ſeveral provoking times. Warnings are given to thoſe people that are moſt abominable in his ſight; Zeph. 2.1, 2. Gather your ſelves together, yea gather together Oh Nation, not deſired; 'tis a Meioſis, Oh Nation abhorr'd, before the decree bring forth. He ſends his Heralds, before he ſends his Armies; He ſummons them by the voice of his Prophets, before he confounds them by the voice of his Thunders. When a parley is beaten, a white flagg of Peace is hung out, before a black flagg of fury is ſet up. He ſeldom cuts down men by his Judgments, before he hath hewed them by his Prophets; Hoſ. 6.5. Not a remarkable judgment, but was foretold: the Floud to the Old World by Noah: The Famine to Egypt by Joſeph; The Earthquake by Amos. Amos 1.1. The ſtorm from Chaldea by Jeremy; The Captivity of the Ten Tribes by Hoſea; The total deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and the Temple by Chriſt himſelf; He hath choſen the beſt perſons in the World to give thoſe intimations; Noah, the moſt Righteous perſon on the earth for the Old World; And his Son the moſt beloved perſon in Heaven for the Jews in the later time. And in other parts of the World, and in the later times, where he hath not warned by Prophets, he hath ſupplyed it by Prodigies in the Air and Earth; Hiſtories are full of ſuch Items from Heaven. Leſſer judgments are fore-warners of greater, as Lightnings before Thunder, are Meſſengers to tell us of a ſucceeding clap.

1. He doth often give warning of Judgments. He comes not to extremity, till he hath often ſhaken the rod over Men; He thunders often, before he cruſheth them with his Thunder-bolt, He doth not till after the firſt and ſecond admonition puniſh a rebel, as he would have us reject a Heretick. He ſpeaks once, yea twice, Job 33.14. and man percieves it not; He ſends one Meſſage after another, and p. 801waits the ſucceſs of many meſſages, before he ſtrikes. Eight Prophets were order'd to acquaint the Old World with approaching judgment: 2 Pet. 2.5. He ſaved Noah the 8th. perſon, a Preacher of Righteouſneſs, bringing in the Flood upon the World of the ungodly, called the 8th. in reſpect of his Preaching, not in regard of his preſervation; He was the 8th. Preacher, in order from the begining of the World, that endeavoured to reſtore the World to the way of Righteouſneſs. Moſt indeed conſider him here, as the 8th perſon ſaved, ſo do our Tranſlators: and therefore add Perſon, which is not in the Greek. Some others conſider him here, as the 8th. Preacher of Righteouſneſs, reckoning Enoch the Son of Seth the firſt: grounding it upon Gen. 4.26. Then began men to call on the Name of the Lord, Hebr. Then it was began to call in the Name of the Lord; foreign. Sept. He began to call in the Name of the Lord, which others render, he began to preach, or call upon men in the Name of the Lord. The word foreign ſignifies to Preach, or to call upon men by Preaching. Prov. 1.21. Wiſdom cryeth, or preaches; And if this be ſo, as it is very probable, 'tis eaſie to reckon him the 8th. Preacher, by numbering the ſucceſſive heads of the Generations; Gen. 5. Beginning at Enoſh the firſt Preacher of Righteouſneſs,**Vid. Gells foreign. So many there were before God choakt the Old World with water, and ſwept them away; 'Tis clear he often did admoniſh by his Prophets, the Jews of their ſin, and the wrath which ſhould come upon them. One Prophet, Hoſea, Propheſied 70 years; for he Propheſied in the dayes of 4 Kings of Judah, and one of Iſrael, Jeroboam, the Son of Joaſh, Hoſ. 1.1. or Jeroboam the ſecond of that name. Ʋzziah King of Judah, in whoſe Reign Hoſea Propheſied, lived 38 years after the death of Jeroboam. The Second Jotham, Ʋzziah's Succeſſor, Reign'd 16 years, Ahaz 16, Hezekiah 29 years; Now take nothing of Hezekiah's time, and Date the beginning of his Propheſie from the laſt year of Jeroboam's Reign, and the time of Hoſea's Propheſie, will be 70 years compleat; Wherein God warned thoſe people, and waited the return particularly of Iſrael; **Sanctius. Prolegom. in Hoſea Prolog. the 3d.and not leſs than 5 of thoſe, we call the leſſer Prophets, were ſent to foretell the deſtruction of the Ten Tribes, and to call them to Repentance: Hoſea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Jonah; And though we have nothing of Jonah's Propheſie in this concern of Iſrael, yet that he lived in the time of the ſame Jeroboam, and Propheſied things, which are not upon record in the book of Jonah, is clear; 2 King. 14.25. And beſides thoſe, Iſaiah Propheſied alſo in the Reign of the ſame Kings, as Hoſea did; Iſa. 1.1. And it is God's uſual method, to ſend forth his ſervants, and when their admonitions are ſlighted, he Commiſſions others, before he ſends out his deſtroying Armies. Mat. 22.3, 4, 7.

2. He doth often give warning of Judgments, that he might not pour out his wrath. He ſummons them to a ſurrender of themſelves, and a return from their Rebellion, that they might not feel the force of his Armes. He offers peace before he ſhakes off the duſt of his feet, that his deſpiſed peace might not return in vain to him, to ſollicite a revenge from his anger. He hath a right to puniſh upon the firſt Commiſſion of a crime, but he warns men of what they have deſerved, of what his Juſtice moves him to inflict, that by having recourſe to his mercy, he might not exerciſe the rights of his Juſtice. God ſought to kill Moſes for not circumciſing his Son. Exod. 4.24. Could God, that ſought it, miſs of a way to do it? Could a creature lurch, or flie from him? God put on the garb of an enemy, that Moſes might be diſcouraged from being an inſtrument of his own ruine: God manifeſted an anger againſt Moſes for his neglect, as if he would then have deſtroyed him, that Moſes might prevent it, by caſting off his careleſneſs, and doing his duty. He ſought to kill him by ſome evident ſign, that Moſes might eſcape the judgment by his obedience. He threatens Niniveh by the Prophet with deſtruction, that Niniveh's Repentance might make void the Propheſie. He fights with men by the Sword of his mouth, that he might not pierce them by the Sword of his wrath. He threatens, that men might prevent the execution of his threatning; He terrifies, that he might not deſtroy, but that men by humiliation may lie proſtrate before him, and move the bowels of his mercy to a louder p. 802ſound, than the voice of his Anger. He takes time to whet his Sword, that men may turn themſelves from the edge of it. He roars like a Lion, that men, by hearing his voice, may ſhelter themſelves from being torn by his Wrath. There is patience in the ſharpeſt threatning, that we may avoid the ſcourge. Who can charge God with an eagerneſs to revenge, that ſends ſo many Heralds, and ſo often before he ſtrikes, that he might be prevented from ſtriking? His threatnings have not ſo much of a black flag, as of an Olive branch. He lifts his up hand, before he ſtrikes, that men might See and avert the ſtroke. Iſaiah 26.11.

2. His Patience is manifeſt, in long delaying his threatned Judgements, though he finds no Repentance in the Rebels. He doth ſometimes delay his lighter puniſhments, becauſe he doth not delight in torturing his Creatures; but he doth longer delay his deſtroying puniſhments, ſuch as put an end to mens happineſs, and remit them to their final and unchangeable ſtate; becauſe he doth not delight in the death of a Sinner. While he is preparing his arrows, he is waiting for an occaſion to lay them aſide, and dull their points, that he may with honour march back again, and disband his Armies. He brings lighter ſmarts ſooner, that men might not think him aſleep, but he ſuſpends the more terrible judgments, that men might be led to Repentance. He ſcatters not his conſuming fires at the firſt, but brings on ruining vengeance with a ſlow pace; ſentence againſt an evil work is not ſpeedily executed. Eccleſ. 8.11. The Jews therefore ſay that Michael, the Miniſter of Juſtice, flyes with one wing, but Gabriel the Miniſter of Mercy with two. An 120 years did God wait upon the old World, and delay their puniſhment, all the time the Ark was preparing. 1 Pet. 3.20. Wherein that wicked Generation did not enjoy only a bare patience, but a striving patience. Gen. 6.3. My Spirit ſhall not always ſtrive with man, yet his days ſhall be one hundred and twenty years, the days wherein I will ſtrive with him; that his Long-ſuffering might not loſe all its fruit, and remit the objects of it into the hands of conſuming Juſtice. It was the Tenth Generation of the World from Adam, when the deluge overflow'd it, ſo long did God bear with them. And the Tenth Generation from Noah wherein Sodom was conſumed. God did not come to keep his Aſſizes in Sodom, till the cry of their ſins was very ſtrong, that it had been a wrong to his Juſtice to have reſtrain'd it any longer. The cry was ſo loud, that he could not be at quiet, as it were, on his Throne of Glory for the diſturbing noiſe. Gen. 18.20, 21. Sin tranſgreſſeth the Law, the Law being violated, ſolicites Juſtice, Juſtice being urg'd pleads for puniſhment; the cry of their ſins did as it were force him from Heaven to come down, and examine what cauſe there was for that clamour. Sin cries loud and long, before he takes his Sword in hand. Four hundred years he kept off deſerved deſtruction from the Amorites, and deferr'd making good his promiſe to Abraham, of giving Canaan to his Poſterity out of his Long-ſuffering to the Amorites. Gen. 15.16. In the fourth Generation they ſhall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Their meaſure was filling then, but not ſo full as to put a ſtop to any further patience till four hundred years after. The uſual time in ſucceeding Generations from the denouncing of Judgments to the execution, is forty years, this ſome ground upon Ezek. 4.6. thou ſhalt bear the iniquity of the Houſe of Judah forty days, taking each day for a year. Though Hoſea lived ſeventy years, yet from the beginning of his propheſying Judgments againſt Iſrael to the pouring them out upon that Idolatrous People, it was forty years. Hoſea as was mentioned before, propheſied againſt them in the days of Jeroboam the ſecond, in whoſe time God did wonderfully deliver Iſrael. 2 Kings 14.26.27. From that time till the total deſtruction of the ten Tribes it was forty years, as may eaſily be computed from the Story, 2 Kings 15, 16, 17. chapters. by the Reign of the ſucceeding Kings. So forty years after the moſt horrid villany that ever was committed in the face of the Sun, viz. The Crucifying the Son of God, was Jeruſalem deſtroyed, and the inhabitants captiv'd; ſo long did God delay a viſible puniſhment for ſuch an outrage. Sometimes he prolongs ſending a threatned judgment upon a meer ſhadow of humiliation; ſo he did that denounced againſt Ahab. He turn'd it over to his poſterity, and adjourn'd it to another ſeaſon. 1 Kings 21.29. He doth not iſſue out an Arreſt p. 803upon one Tranſgreſſion, you often find him not commencing a ſuit againſt men, till three and four Tranſgreſſions. The firſt of Amos, all along that chapter, and the ſecond chapter; for three and four, i. e. ſeven. A certain number for an uncertain. He gives not orders to his judgments to march, till men be obſtinate, and refuſe any commerce with him. He ſtops them, till there be no remedy. 2 Chron. 36.16. It muſt be a great wickedneſs that gives vent to them, Hoſ. 10.15. Heb. your wickedneſs of wickedneſs. He is ſo ſlow to anger, and ſtays the puniſhment his enemies deſerve, that he may ſeem to have forgot his kindneſs to his Friends. Pſal. 44.24. Wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and forgetteſt our affliction, and oppreſſion? He lets his people groan under the yoke of their Enemies, as if he were made up of kindneſs to his Enemies, and anger againſt his Friends. This delaying of puniſhment to evil men, is viſible in his ſuſpending the terrifying acts of Conſcience, and ſupporting it only, in its checking, admoniſhing, and controuling acts. The patience of a Governour is ſeen in the patient mildneſs of his Deputy. Davids Conſcience did not terrifie him, till nine months after his ſin of Murder. Should God ſet open the Mouth of this power within us, not only the Earth, but our own bodies, and Spirits, would be a burden to us. 'Tis long before God puts Scorpions into the hands of mens Conſciences, to ſcourge them. He holds back the rod, waiting for the hour of our return, as if that would be a recompence for our offences, and his forbearance.

III. His Patience is manifeſt in his unwillingneſs to execute his Judgments, when he can delay no longer. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of Men. Lament. 3.33. Hebr. He doth not afflict from his Heart. He takes no pleaſure in it, as he is Creator. The height of mens provocations. and the neceſſity of the preſerving his rights, and vindicating his Laws, obligeth him to it, as he is the Governour of the World. As a Judge may willingly condemn a Malefactor to death out of affection to the Laws, and deſire to preſerve the order of Government, but unwillingly out of Compaſſion to the offender himſelf. When he reſolved upon the deſtruction of the old World, he ſpake it, as a God grieved with an occaſion of puniſhment, Gen. 6.6, 7. compared together. When he came to reckon with Adam, be walked, he did not run with his Sword in his hand upon him, as a mighty man with an eagerneſs to deſtroy him. Gen. 3.8. And that in the cool of the day, a time when men tired in the day, are unwilling to engage in a hard employment. His exerciſing judgment, is a coming out of his place. Iſaiah 26.21. Micah 1.3. He comes out of his ſtation, to exerciſe judgment; a Throne is more his place than a tribunal. Every propheſie loaded with threatnings, is call'd the Burden of the Lord, a burden to him to execute it, as well as to men to ſuffer it. Though three Angels came to Abraham about the puniſhment of Sodom whereof one Abraham ſpeaks to as to God, yet but two appear'd at the deſtruction of Sodom; as if the Governour of the World were unwilling to be preſent at ſuch dreadful work. Gen. 19.1. And when the Man that had the inkhorn by his ſide, that was appointed, to mark thoſe that were to be preſerved in the common deſtruction, return'd to give an account of the performing his commiſſion, Ezek. 9.10. We read not of the return of thoſe that were to kill, as if God delighted only to hear again of his works of Mercy, and had no mind to hear again of his ſevere proceedings.**Mercer in Gen. 1.5.Gen 1:5 The Jews to ſhew Gods unwillingneſs to puniſh, imagine that Hell was created the ſecond day: Becauſe that days work is not pronounced good by God, as all the other days works are, Gen. 1.8.

1. When God doth puniſh, he doth it with ſome regret. **Creſſol. Decad. 2. p. 163.When he hurles down his thunders, he ſeems to do it with a backward hand: Becauſe with an unwilling heart. He created, ſaith Chryſoſtom, the World in ſix days, but was ſeven days in deſtroying one City Jericho, which he had before devoted to be razed to the ground. What is the reaſon ſaith he, that God is ſo quick to build up, but ſlow to pull down? His Goodneſs excites his power to the One, but is not earneſt to perſwade him to the Other. When he comes to ſtrike, he doth it with a ſigh or groan. Iſaiah 1.24. Ah I will eaſe me of my adverſaries, and avenge me on my Enemies. foreign Ah, a note of grief. So Hoſ. 6.4. Oh Ephraim p. 804what ſhall I do unto thee? Oh Judah, what ſhall I do unto thee? 'Tis an Addubitatio a figure in Rhetorick as if God were troubled, that he muſt deal ſo ſharply with them, and give them up to their Enemies. I have tried all means to reclaim you, I have uſed all ways of kindneſs, and nothing prevails. What ſhall I do? my Mercy invites me to ſpare them and their ingratitude provokes me to ruine them. God had born with that people of Iſrael almoſt three hundred years, from the ſetting up of the Calves at Dan and Bethel; ſent many a Prophet to warn them, and ſpent many a rod to reform them. And when he comes to execute his threatnings, he doth it with a conflict in himſelf. Hoſea 11.8. How ſhall I give thee up Oh Ephraim? How ſhall I deliver thee, Iſrael? As if there were a pull-back in his own Bowels, he ſolemnizeth their approaching funeral with a hearty groan; and takes his farewell of the dying Malefactor with a pang in himſelf. How often in former times when he had ſign'd a warrant for their Execution, did he call it back? Pſal. 78.38. Many a time turn'd he his anger away. Many a time he recall'd, or order'd his Anger, to return again as the word ſignifies, as if he were irreſolute what to do. He recall'd it, as a man doth his Servant ſeveral times, when he is ſending him upon an unwelcome meſſage; or as a tender hearted Prince wavers, and trembles, when he is to ſign a Writ for the death of a Rebel, that hath been before his favorite, as if when he had ſign'd the Writ, he blotted out his name again, and flung away the Pen. And his method is remarkable, when he came to puniſh Sodom; though the cry of their ſin had been fierce in his ears, yet when he comes to make inquiſition, he declares his intention to Abraham, as if he were deſirous, that Abraham ſhould have helped him to ſome arguments, to ſtop the outgoings of his judgment. He gave liberty to the beſt perſon in the World, to ſtand in the gap, and enter into a treaty with him, to ſhew (ſaith one**Pierce ſinner implead. Pag. 227.) how willingly his mercy would have compounded with his juſtice for their Redemption. And Abraham interceded ſo long, till he was aſhamed for pleading the cauſe of patience and Mercy, to the wrong of the rights of divine Juſtice. Perhaps had Abraham had the courage to ask, God would have had the compaſſion to grant a reprieve juſt at the time of Execution.

2. His Patience is manifest, in that when he begins to ſend out his judgments, he doth it by degrees. His Judgments are as the Morning Light, which goes forth by degrees, in the Hemiſphere. Hoſ. 6.5. He doth not ſhoot all his thunders at once, and bring his ſharpeſt judgments in array at one time, but gradually, that a people may have time to turn to him. Joel 1.4. Firſt the Palmer-worm, then the Locuſt, then the Canker-worm, then the Caterpillar; What one left, the other was to eat, if there were not a timely return. A Jewiſh Writer**Kimchi. ſaith, theſe judgments came not all in one year, but one year after another. The Palmer-worm and Locuſt might have eaten all, but divine Patience ſet bounds to the devouring creatures. God had been firſt as a moth to Iſrael; Hoſ. 5.12. Therefore will I be to the houſe of Ephraim as a Moth; Rivet tranſlates it, I have been, in the Hebr. 'tis I without adding, I have been, or I will be, and more probably I have been; I was as a Moth, which makes little holes in a garment, and conſumes it not all at once; And as rottenneſs to the houſe of Judah, or a worm that eats into wood by degrees. Indeed this people had conſum'd inſenſibly, partly by civil combuſtions, change of Governours, Forreign Invaſions, yet they were as obſtinate in their Idolatry as ever; At laſt God would be no longer to them as a Moth, but as a Lyon, tear, and go away; ver. 14. So, Hoſ. 2. God had diſowned Iſrael for his Spouſe, ver. 2. She is not my Wife, neither am I her Husband, yet he had not taken away her Ornaments, which by the right of divorce he might have done, but ſtill expected her Reformation, for that the threatning intimates, ver. 3. let her put away her Whoredom, leaſt I ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day when ſhe was born. If ſhe returned, ſhe might recover what ſhe had loſt, if not, ſhe might be ſtript of what remained. Thus God dealth with Judah, Ezek. 9.3. The Glory of God goes firſt from the Cherub to the Threſhhold of the houſe, and ſtayes there, as if he had a mind to be invited back again; p. 805then it goes from the Threſhold of the houſe, and ſtands over the Cherubims, as if upon a penitent call it would drop down again to its antient Station and Seat, over which it hoverd; Ezek. 10.18. And when he was not ſollicited to return, he departs out of the City, and ſtood upon the Mountain, which is on the Eaſt part of the City, Ezek. 11.23. looking ſtill towards, and hovering about the Temple, which was on the Eaſt of Jeruſalem, as if loath to depart, and abandon the place and people. He walkes ſo leaſurely with his Rod in his hand, as if he had a mind rather to fling it away, than uſe it. His Patience in not pouring out all his Vials, is more remarkable than hi… wrath in pouring out one or two. Thus hath God made his ſlowneſs to anger viſible to us in the gradual puniſhment of us; Firſt, the Peſtilence on this City, then Firing our Houſes, Conſumption of Trade, theſe have not been anſwered with ſuch a carriage as God expects, therefore a greater is reſerved. I dare prognoſticate, upon reaſons you may gather from what hath been ſpoke before, if I be not much miſtaken, the 40 yeares of his uſual Patience are very near expired, he hath inflicted ſome, that he might be met with in a way of Repentance, and omit with honour the inflicting the remainder.

4. His Patience is manifeſt, in moderating his judgments, when he ſends them. Doth he empty his Quiver of his Arrows, or exhauſt his magazines of thunder? No, he could roul one Thunder-bolt ſucceſſively upon all Mankind; 'Tis as eaſie with him to Create a perpetual motion of Lightning and Thunder, as of the Sun and Stars, and make the World as terrible by the one, as it is delightful by the other. He opens not all his ſtore, he ſends out a light party to skirmiſh with men, and puts not in array his whole Army, He ſtirs not up all his wrath, Pſal. 78.38. he doth but pinch, where he might have torn aſunder; When he takes away much, he leaves enough to ſupport us. If he had ſtirred up all his anger, he had taken away all, and our lives to boot. He rakes up but a few ſparks, takes but one firebrand to fling upon men, when he might diſcharge the whole Furnace upon them; He ſends but a few drops out of the Cloud, which he might make to break in the groſs, and fall down upon our heads to overwhelm us; he abates much of what he might do. When he might ſweep away a whole Nation by deluges of water, corruption of the Air, or convulſions of the Earth, or by other wayes that are not wanting at his order. He picks out only ſome Perſons, ſome Families, ſome Cities, ſends a plague into one houſe, and not into another; here is Patience to the ſtock of a Nation, while he inflicts puniſhment upon ſome of the moſt notorious ſinners in it. Herod is ſuddenly ſnatcht away, being willingly flattered into the thoughts of his being a God; God ſingl'd out the chief in the herd, for whoſe ſake he had been affronted by the rabble. Act. 12.22, 23. Some find him ſparing them, while others feel him deſtroying them; He arreſts ſome, when he might ſeize all, all being his Debtors; And often in great deſolations brought upon a people for their ſin, he hath left a ſtump in the Earth, as Daniel ſpeakes, Dan. 4.15. for a Nation to grow upon it again, and ariſe to a ſtronger conſtitution. He doth puniſh leſs than our iniquities deſerve, Ezra 9.13. and rewards us not according to our iniquities. Pſal. 103.10. The greatneſs of any puniſhment in this Life, anſwers not the greatneſs of the crime. Though there be an equity in whatſoever he doth, yet there is not an equality to what we deſerve. Our iniquities would juſtifie a ſeverer treating of us; His Juſtice goes not here to the end of its line, 'tis ſtopped in its progreſs, and the blows of it weakned by his Patience; He did not curſe the Earth after Adam's fall, that it ſhould bring forth no fruit, but that it ſhould not bring forth fruit without the wearyſome toyl of man, and ſubjected him to diſtempers preſently, but inflicted not death immediately; while he puniſhed him, he ſupported him; And while he expelled him from Paradiſe, he did not order him not to caſt his eye towards it, and conceive ſome hopes of regaining that happy place.

5. His Patience is ſeen in giving great mercies after provocations. He is ſo ſlow to anger, that he heaps many kindneſſes upon a rebel, inſtead of puniſhment. p. 806There is a proſperous wickedneſs, wherein the provokers ſtrength continues firm; The troubles, which like Clouds drop upon others, are blown away from them, and they are not plagued like other men, that have a more worthy demeanour towards God. Pſal. 73.3, 4, 5. He doth not only continue their lives, but ſends out freſh beams of his goodneſs upon them, and calls them by his Bleſſings, that they may acknowledge their own fault, and his bounty, which he is not obliged to by any gratitude, he meets with from them, but by the richneſs of his own patient nature: for he finds the unthank fulneſs of men, as great as his benefits to them. He doth not only continue his outward mercies, while we continue our ſins, but ſometimes gives freſh benefits after new provocations: that if poſſible he might excite an ingenuity in men. When Iſrael at the Red Sea flung dirt in the face of God, by quarrelling with his ſervant Moſes for bringing them out of Egypt, and miſ-judging God in his deſign of deliverance, and were ready to ſubmit themſelves to their former oppreſſors, Exod. 14.11, 12. which might juſtly have urged God to ſay to them, take your own courſe; yet he is not only patient under their unjuſt charge, but makes bare his Arm in a deliverance at the Red Sea, that was to be an amazing monument to the World in all Ages; and afterwards when they repiningly quarrelled with him in their wants in the Wilderneſs, he did not only not revenge himſelf upon them, or caſt off the conduct of them, but bore with them by a miraculous long ſuffering, and ſupplyed them with miraculous proviſion, Manna from Heaven, and Water from a Rock. Food is given to ſupport us, and Cloaths to cover us, and Divine Patience makes the creatures, which we turn to another uſe, than what they were at firſt intended for, ſerve us contrary to their own Genius: For had they reaſon, no queſtion but they would complain, to be ſubjected to the ſervice of man, who hath been ſo ungrateful to their Creator, and groan at the abuſe of God's Patience, in the abuſe they themſelves ſuffer from the hands of man.

6. All this is more manifest, if we conſider the provocations he hath. Wherein his ſlowneſs to Anger infinitely tranſcends the Patience of any creature; nay the Spirits of all the Angels and Glorified Saints in Heaven, would be too narrow to bear the ſins of the World for one day, nay not ſo much as the ſins of Churches, which is a little ſpot in the whole World: 'tis becauſe he is the Lord, one of an infinite power over himſelf, that not only the whole Maſs of the Rebellious World, but of the Sons of Jacob (either conſidered as a Church and Nation ſpringing from the loyns of Jacob, or conſidered as the Regenerate part of the World, ſometimes called the Seed of Jacob,) are not conſumed. Mal. 3.6. A Jonah was angry with God, for recalling his Anger from a ſinful people; Had God committed the Government of the World to the Glorified Saints, who are perfect in Love and Holineſs, the World would have had an end long ago; They would have acted that, which they ſue for at the hands of God, and is not granted them. Rev. 6.10. How long Lord holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood, on them that dwell on the Earth? God hath deſigns of Patience above the World, above the unſinning Angels, and perfectly renewed Spirits in Glory. The greateſt Created long ſuffering is infinitely diſproportion'd to the Divine; Fire from Heaven would have been ſhowred down before the greateſt part of a day were ſpent, if a Created Patience had the conduct of the World, though that creature were poſſeſſed with the ſpirit of Patience, extracted from all the creatures which are in Heaven, or are, or ever were upon the earth. Methinks Moſes intimates this; for as ſoon as God had paſſed by proclaiming his Name gracious, and long ſuffering; As ſoon as ever Moſes had paid his Adoration, he falls a Praying, that God would go with the Iſraelites; Exod. 34.8, 9. For it is a ſtiffneck'd people: What an Argument is here for God to go along with them? He might rather, ſince he had heard him but juſt before ſay, he would by no means clear the guilty, deſire God to ſtand further off from them, for fear the fire of his wrath ſhould burſt out from him, to burn them as he did the Sodomites. But he conſiders, that as none but God had ſuch anger to deſtroy them, ſo none but God had ſuch a Patience to bear with them; 'Tis as much as if he ſhould have ſaid, p. 807Lord! if thou ſhould'ſt ſend the moſt tender hearted Angel in Heaven to have the guidance of this people, they would be a loſt people; A period will quickly be ſet to their lives, no Created ſtrength can reſtrain its power from cruſhing ſuch a ſtiff-neck'd people; Fleſh and Blood cannot bear them, nor any Created Spirit of a greater might.

1. Conſider the greatneſs of the provocations. No light matter, but actions of a great defiance: What is the practical Language of moſt in the World, but that of Pharaoh? Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey him? How many queſtion his being, and more, his Authority? What blaſphemies of him, what reproaches of his Majeſty? Men drinking up iniquity like water and with a haſt and ardency ruſhing into ſin, as the horſe into the battle. What is there in the reaſonable creature, that hath the quickeſt capacity, and the deepeſt obligation to ſerve him, but oppoſition and enmity, a ſlight of him in every thing, yea the ſervices moſt ſeriouſly performed, unſuited to the royalty and purity of ſo great a Being? Such provocations as dare him to his face, that are a burden to ſo righteous a Judge, and ſo great a lover of the Authority and Majeſty of his Laws; That were there but a ſpark of anger in him, 'tis a wonder it doth not ſhew it ſelf; When he is invaded in all his attributes, 'tis aſtoniſhing that this ſingle one of Patience and Meekneſs, ſhould with-ſtand the aſſault of all the reſt of his perfections; His being which is attack'd by ſin, ſpeakes for vengeance, his Juſtice cannot be imagin'd to ſtand ſilent, without charging the ſinner. His Holineſs cannot but encourage his Juſtice to urge its pleas, and be an Advocate for it. His Omniſcience proves the truth of all the charge; and his abuſed mercy hath little encouragement, to make oppoſition to the Indictment; Nothing but Patience ſtands in the gap to keep off the arreſt of judgment from the ſinner.

2. His Patience is manifeſt, if you conſider the multitudes of theſe provocations. Every man hath ſin enough in a day to make him ſtand amazed at Divine Patience, and to call it as well as the Apoſtle did, all long ſuffering. 1 Tim. 1.16. How few duties of a perfectly right ſtamp are performed? What unworthy conſiderations mix themſelves like droſs, with our pureſt and ſincereſt Gold? How more numerous are the reſpects of the Worſhippers of him to themſelves, than unto him? How many ſervices are paid him, not out of love to him, but becauſe he ſhould do us no hurt, and ſome ſervice; When we do not ſo much deſign to pleaſe him, as to pleaſe our ſelves by expectations of a reward from him? What Maſter would endure a ſervant that endeavoured to pleaſe him, only becauſe he ſhould not kill him? Is that former charge of God upon the Old World yet out of date, That the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man was only evil, and that continually? Gen. 6.5. Was not the New World as chargeable with it as the Old? Certainly it was; Gen. 8.21. And is of as much force this very minute, as it was then; How many are the ſins againſt knowledge, as well as thoſe of ignorance; Preſumptuous ſins as well as thoſe of infirmity? How numerous thoſe of Omiſſion and Commiſſion?**Leſſius pag. 152. 'Tis above the reach of any man's underſtanding to conceive all the Blaſphemies, Oaths, Thefts, Adulteries, Murders, Oppreſſions, contempt of Religion, the open Idolatries of Turks and Heathens, the more ſpiritual and refin'd Idolatries of others. Add to thoſe the ingratitude of thoſe that profeſs his name, their pride, earthlyneſs, careleſneſs, ſluggiſhneſs to divine duties; and in every one of thoſe a multitude of provocations; The whole man being engag'd in every ſin, the underſtanding contriving it, the will embracing it, the affections complying with it, and all the members of the body inſtruments in the acting the unrighteouſneſs of it; Every one of theſe faculties beſtowed upon men by him, are armed againſt him in every act: and in every employment of them there is a diſtinct provocation, though center'd in one ſinful end and object. What are the offences, all the men of the World receive from their fellow creatures, to the injuries God receives from men, but as a ſmall duſt of earth to the whole maſs of Earth and Heaven too? What multitudes of ſins is one prophane wretch guilty of in the ſpace of 20, 40, 50 years? Who can compute p. 808the vaſt number of his tranſgreſſions, from the firſt uſe of reaſon to the time of the ſeparation of his Soul from his Body; from his entrance into the World to his exit? What are thoſe, to thoſe of a whole Village of the like Inhabitants? What are thoſe, to thoſe of a great City? Who can number up all the foul mouth'd Oaths, the beaſtly exceſs, the goatiſh uncleanneſs committed in the ſpace of a day, year, twenty years in this City, much leſs in the whole Nation, leaſt of all in the whole World? Were it no more than the common Idolatry of former ages, when the whole World turn'd their backs upon their Creator, and paſſed him by to ſue to a Creature, a ſtock or ſtone, or a degraded ſpirit. How provoking would it be to a Prince to ſee a whole City under his Dominion deny him a reſpect; and pay it to his ſcullion, or the common Executioner he employs? Add to this the unjuſt invaſions of Kings, the oppreſſions exerciſed upon men, all the private and publick ſins that have been in the World, ever ſince it began. The Gentiles were deſcrib'd by the Apoſtle, Rom. 1.29, 30, 31. in a black character, They were haters of God; yet how did the Riches of his patience preſerve multitudes of ſuch diſingenuous perſons, and how many millions of ſuch haters of him breath every day in his Air, and are maintained by his bounty, have their tables ſpr…d and their cups fill'd to the brim, and that too in the midſt of reiterated belchings of their enmity againſt him? All are under ſufficient provocations of him to the higheſt indignation. The preſiding Angels over Nations could not forbear, in Love and Honour to their Governour, to arm themſelves to the deſtruction of their ſeveral charges, if Divine patience did not ſet them a pattern, and their obedience incline them to expect his Orders, before they act what their zeal would prompt them to. The Devils would be glad of Commiſſion to deſtroy the World, but that his patience puts a ſtop to their fury … well as his own Juſtice.

3. Conſider the long time of this patience. He ſpread out his hand… all the day to a rebellious World. Iſaiah 65.2. All mens day, all Gods day, which is a thouſand years, he hath born with the groſs of mankind, with all the Nations of the World in a long ſucceſſion of ages for five thouſand years and upwards already, and will bear with them, till the time comes for the World diſſolution. He hath ſuffered the monſtrous acts of men, and endur'd the contradictions of a ſinful World againſt himſelf, from the firſt ſin of Adam to the laſt committed this minute. The line of his patience hath run along with the duration of the World to this day; and there is not any one of Adams poſterity but hath been expenſive to him, and partaked of the riches of it.

4. All theſe he bears when he hath a ſenſe of them. He ſees every day the Roll and Catalogue of ſin increaſing, he hath a diſtinct view of every one from the ſin of Adam to the laſt, fil'd up in his Omniſcience; and yet gives no order for the arreſt of the World. He knows men fitted for deſtruction, all the inſtants he exerciſeth long-ſuffering towards them, which makes the Apoſtle call it not ſimply long ſuffering without the addition of foreign, much long-ſuffering. Rom. 9.23. There is not a grain in the whole Maſs of ſin, that he hath not a diſtinct knowledge of, and of the quality of it. He perfectly underſtands the greatneſs of his own Majeſty that is vilified, and the nature of the offence that doth diſparage him. He is ſollicited by his Juſtice, directed by his Omniſcience, and armed with judgments to vindicate himſelf, but his arm is reſtrained by patience. To conclude no indignity is hid from him, no iniquity is beloved by him, the hatred of their ſinfulneſs is infinite, and the knowledge of the malice is exact. The ſubſiſting of the World under ſuch weighty provocations, ſo numerous, ſo long time, and with his full ſence of every one of them, is an evidence of ſuch a forbearance and long-ſuffering, that the addition of Riches which the Apoſtle puts to it. Rom. 2.4. labours with an inſufficiency clearly to diſplay it.

III. Why God doth exerciſe ſo much patience.

1. To ſhew himſelf appeaſeable. God did not declare by his patience to former p. 809ages, or any age, that he was appeaſed with them, or that they were in his favour; but that he was appeaſable, that he was not an implacable Enemy, but that they might find him favourable to them, if they did ſeek after him. The continuance of the World by patience, and the beſtowing many mercies by goodneſs were not a natural revelation of the manner how he would be appeaſed: That was made known only by the Prophets, and after the coming of Chriſt by the Apostles; and had indeed been intelligible in ſome ſort to the whole World, had there been a faithfulneſs in Adams poſterity, to tranſmit the tradition of the firſt promiſe to ſucceeding Generations. Had not the knowledge of that dyed by their careleſneſs, and neglect, it had been eaſie to tell the reaſon of Gods patience to be in order to the exhibition of the Seed of the woman, to bruiſe the Serpents head.

They could not but naturally know themſelves ſinners, and worthy of death, they might be eaſie reflections upon themſelves, collect that they were not in that comely and harmonious poſture now, as they were, when God firſt wrought them with his own finger, and placed them as his Lieutenants in the World; they knew they did grievouſly offend him, this they were taught by the ſprinklings of his judgments among them ſometimes. And ſince he did not utterly root up mankind, his ſparing patience was a prologue of ſome further favours, or pardoning Grace to be diſplay'd to the World by ſome methods of God yet unknown to them. Though the Earth was ſomething impair'd by the curſe after the fall, yet the main pillars of it ſtood; the ſtrate of the natural motions of the Creature was not chang'd, the Heavens remain'd in the ſame poſture, wherein they were Created, the Sun and Moon and other heavenly bodies continued their uſefulneſs and refreſhing influences to man. The Heavens did ſtill declare the Glory of God, day unto day did utter ſpeech, their line is gone throughout all the Earth, and their words to the end of the World. Pſal. 19.1, 2, 3. 4. Which declar'd God to be willing to do good to his Creatures, and were as ſo many legible letters or rudiments, whereby they might read his patience, and that a further deſign of favour to the World lay hid in that Patience. Paul applies this to the Preaching of the Goſpel. Rom. 10.18. Have they not heard the word of God? yes verily their ſound went into all the Earth, and their words unto the end of the World. Redeeming grace could not be ſpell'd out by them in a clear notion, but yet they did declare that which is the Foundation of Goſpel Mercy. Were not God patient there were no room for a Goſpel Mercy, ſo that the Heavens declare the Goſpel, not formally but fundamentally in declaring the long-ſuffering of God without which no Goſpel had been fram'd, or could have been expected. They could not but read in thoſe things favourable inclinations towards them. And though they could not be ignorant, that they deſerved a mark of juſtice, yet ſeeing themſelves ſupported by God, and beholding the regular motions of the Heavens from day to day and the Revolutions of the ſeaſons of the year, the natural concluſion they might draw from thence was, that God was placable: Since he behav'd himſelf more as a tender Friend, that had no mind to be at War with them, than an enraged Enemy. The good things which he gave them, and the patience whereby he ſpar'd them, were no arguments of an imp…acable diſpoſition: And therefore of a diſpoſition willing to be appeaſed. This is clearly the deſign of the Apoſtles arguing with the Lyſtrians, when they would have offered Sacrifices to Paul. Acts 14.17. When God ſuffered all Nations to walk in their own ways, he did not leave himſelf without witneſs, giving Rain from Heaven, and fruitful ſeaſons. What were thoſe Witneſſes of? Not only of the Being of a God, by their readineſs to ſacrifice to thoſe that were not Gods, only ſuppoſed to be ſo in their falſe imaginations; but witneſſes to the tenderneſs of God, that he had no mind to be ſevere with his Creatures: But would allure them by ways of Goodneſs.**Amyrald. diſſert pag. 191. 192. Had not Gods patience tended to this end, to bring the World under another diſpenſation, the Apoſtles arguing from it had not been ſutable to his deſign, which ſeems to be a hindering the ſacrifices they intended for them, and a drawing them to embrace the Goſpel, and therefore preparing the way to it, by ſpeaking of the Patience and Goodneſs of God to them, as an unqueſtionable teſtimony of the reconcileableneſs of God to them, by ſome ſacrifice which was repreſented p. 810under the common notion of Sacrifices. Theſe things were not Witneſſes of Chriſt, or ſyllables whereby they could ſpell out the redeeming perſon; but Witneſſes that God was placable in his own nature. When man abuſed thoſe noble faculties God had given him, and diverted them from the uſe and ſervice God intended them for, God might have ſtript man of them, the firſt time that he miſ-employed them; and it would have ſeemed moſt agreeable to this wiſdom, and Juſtice, not to ſuffer himſelf to be abuſed, and the World to go contrary to its natural end. But ſince he did not level the World with its firſt nothing, but healed the World ſo favourably, it was evident, that his patience pointed the World to a further deſign of Mercy and Goodneſs in him. To imagine, that God had no other deſign in his long-ſuffering but that of vengeance, had been a notion unſuitable to the Goodneſs and Wiſdom of God. He would never have pretended himſelf, to be a Friend, if he had harboured nothing but enmity in his heart againſt them.

It had been far from his Goodneſs, to give them a cauſe to ſuſpect ſuch a deſign in him, as his patience certainly did, had he not intended it. Had he preſerv'd men only for puniſhment, 'tis more like, he would have treated men, as Princes do thoſe they reſerve for the Axe, or Halter, give them only things neceſſary, to uphold their lives till the day of Execution, and not have beſtowed upon them ſo many good things, to make their lives delightful to them; nor have furniſht them with ſo many excellent means to pleaſe their ſenſes, and recreate their minds; it had been a mocking of them to treat them at the rate, if nothing but puniſhment had been intended towards them. If the end of it to lead men to Repentance, were eaſily intelligble by them, as the Apostle intimates. (Rom. 2.4. Which is to be linkt with the former chapter, a diſcourſe of the Gentiles. Not knowing, ſaith he, that the riches of his forbearance and goodneſs leads thee to repentance.) it alſo gives them ſome ground to hope for pardon. For what other argument can more induce to Repentance than expectation of Mercy upon a relenting, and acknowledging the crime. Without a deſign of pardoning Grace, his patience would have been in a great meaſure exercis'd in vain: For by meer patience God is not reconcil'd to a ſinner, no more than a Prince to a Rebel by bearing with him. Nor can a ſinner conclude himſelf in the favour of God, no more than a Rebel can conclude himſelf in the favour of his Prince; only this he may conclude, that there is ſome hopes, he may have the grant of a pardon, ſince he hath time to ſue it out. And ſo much did the patience of God naturally ſignifie, that he was of a reconcilable temper, and was willing men ſhould ſue out their pardon upon Repentance; otherwiſe, he might have magnified his Juſtice, and condemned men by the Law of Works.

2. He therefore exerciſed ſo much patience to wait for mens Repentance. All the notices and warnings that God gives men of either publick or perſonal calamities, is a continual invitation to Repentance. This was the common interpretation the Heathens made of extraordinary Preſages and Prodigies, which ſhew'd as well the delays as the approaches of Judgments. What other notion but this, that thoſe warnings of Judgments witneſs a ſlowneſs to Anger, and a willingneſs to turn his arrows another way, ſhould move them to multiply ſacrifices, go weeping to their Temples, ſound out prayers to their Gods, and ſhew all thoſe other Teſtimonies of a Repentance, which their blind underſtandings hit upon. If a**Amyraldus moral. Tom. 2. p. 186. Prince ſhould ſometimes in a light and gentle manner puniſh a criminal, and then relax it, and ſhew him much kindneſs, and afterwards inflict upon him another kind of puniſhment as light as the former, and leſs than was due to his crime, what could the Malefactor ſuſpect by ſuch a way of proceeding, but that the Prince by thoſe gently repeated chaſtiſements, had a mind to move him to a regret for his crime? And what other thoughts could men naturally have of Gods conduct, that he ſhould warn them of great judgments, ſend light afflictions, which are Teſtimonies rather of a Patience, than of a ſevere wrath, but that it was intended to move them to a relenting, and a breaking off their ſins by p. 811working Righteouſneſs? Though Divine patience doth not in the event, induce men to Repentance, yet the natural tendency of ſuch a treatment, is to mollifie mens Hearts, to overcome their obſstinacy, and no man hath any reaſon to judge otherwiſe of ſuch a proceeding. The long ſuffering of God is Salvation, ſaith Peter. 2 Pet. 3.15. i. e. hath a tendency to Salvation, in its being a ſollicitation of men to the means of it: For the Apostle cites Paul for the confirmation of it, Even as our beloved Brother Paul hath written unto you, which muſt refer to Rom. 2.4. It leads to Repentance, foreign, it conducts, which is more than barely to invite, it doth as it were take us by the hand, and point us to the way wherein we ſhould go, and for this end it was exerciſed not only towards the Jews, but towards the Gentiles, not only towards thoſe that are within the pale of the Church, and under the dews of the Goſpel, but to thoſe that are in darkneſs, and in the ſhadow of death: For this diſcourſe of the Apoſtle was but an inference from what he had treated of in the firſt chapter concerning the Idolatry and ingratitude of the Gentiles; ſince the Gentiles were to be puniſhed for the abuſe of it as well as the Jews, as he intimates. ver. 9. 'tis plain that his patience which is exerciſed towards the Idolatrous Gentiles, was to allure them to Repentance as well as others; and it was a ſufficient motive in it ſelf to perſwade them to a change of their vile and groſs acts, to ſuch as were morally good. And there was enough in Gods dealing with them, and in that light they had to engaged them to a better courſe, than what they uſually walked in. And though men do abuſe Gods long-ſuffering, to encourage their impenitence, and perſiſting in their crimes, yet that they cannot reaſonably imagine that to be the end of God, is evident their own gripes of Conſcience; would acquaint them, that it is otherwiſe. They know that Conſcience is a principle that God hath given them as well as Underſtanding, and Will and other Faculties. That God doth not approve of that, which the voice of their own Conſciences, and of the Conſciences of all men under natural light, are utterly againſt. And if there were really in this forbearance of God an approbation of mens crimes, Conſcience could not frequently and univerſally in all men check them for them. What Authority could Conſcience have to do it? But this it doth in all men. As the Apoſtle. Rom. 1.22. They know the judgment of God, that thoſe that do ſuch things, which he had mentioned before, are worthy of death. In this thing the Conſciences of all men cannot err: They could not therefore conclude from hence Gods approbation of their iniquities, but his deſire that their Hearts ſhould be touched with a Repentance for them.

The Sin of Ephraim is hid. Hoſea 13.12.13. i. e. God doth not preſently take notice of it, to order puniſhment; he lays it in a ſecret place from the Eye of his Juſtice, that Ephraim might not be his unwiſe Son, and stay long in the place of the breaking forth of Children. i. e. That he ſhould ſpeedily reclaim himſelf and not continue in the way of deſtruction. God hath no need to abuſe any, he doth not lie to the Sons of men, if he would have men periſh, he could eaſily deſtroy them, and have done it long ago. He did not leave the woman Jezabel in being, nor lengthned out her time, but as a ſpace to Repent. Revelations 2.21. That ſhe might reflect upon her ways, and devote her ſelf ſeriouſly to his ſervice, and her own happineſs. His patience ſtands between the offending Creature and Eternal miſery a long time, that men might not fooliſhly throw away their Souls, and be damned for their impenitency; by this he ſhews himſelf ready to receive men to mercy upon their return. To what purpoſe doth he invite men to Repentance, if he intended to deceive them, and damn them after they Repent?

3. He doth exerciſe Patience for the propagation of Mankind. If God puniſhed every ſin preſently, there would not only be a period put to Churches, but to the World; without Patience Adam had ſunk into Eternal anguiſh the firſt moment of his provocation; and the whole World of Mankind in his loynes, had periſhed with him, and never ſeen the light. If this perfection had not interpoſed, p. 812after the firſt ſin, God had loſt his end in the Creation of the World, which he Created not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. Iſa. 45.18. It had been inconſiſtent with the wiſdom of God to make a world to be inhabited, and deſtroy it upon ſin, when it had but two principal inhabitants in it; the reaſon of his making this earth had been inſignificant; He had not had any upon earth to Glorifie him, without erecting another World, which might have proved as ſinful, and as quickly wicked as this; God ſhould have alwayes been pulling down, and rearing up, creating and annihilating, one world would have come after another, as wave after wave in the Sea. His Patience ſtept into ſupport the honour of God, and the continuance of men, without which one had been in part impaired, and the other totally loſt.

4. He doth exerciſe Patience for the continuance of the Church. If he be not patient toward ſinners, what ſtock would there be for believers to ſpring up from? He bears with the provoking carriage of men, evil men; becauſe out of their loynes he intends to extract others, which he will form for the glory of his grace. He hath ſome unborn, that belong to the election of Grace, which are to be the ſeed of the worſt of men; Jeroboam the chief incendiary of the Iſraelites to Idolatry, had an Abijah, in whom was found ſome good thing towards the Lord God of Iſrael. 1 King. 14.13. Had Ahaz been ſnapt in the firſt act of his wickedneſs, the Iſraelites had wanted ſo good a Prince, and ſo good a man as Hezekiah, a branch of that wicked predeceſſor. What Gardiner cuts off the thornes from the Roſe-buſh, till he hath gathered the Roſes? And men do not uſe to burn all the Crab-tree, but preſerve a Stock, to engraft ſome ſweet fruit upon. There could not have been a Saint in the Earth, nor conſequently in Heaven, had it not been for this perfection. He did not deſtroy the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs, that he might keep up a Church among them, and not extinguiſh the whole ſeed that were heirs of the promiſes and Covenant made with Abraham. Had God puniſhed men for their ſins as ſoon as they had been committed, none would have lived to have been better, none could have continued in the World, to honour him by their virtues? Manaſſeh had never been a convert, and many brutiſh men had never been changed from beaſts to Angels, to praiſe, and acknowledge their Creator. Had Peter received his due recompence upon the denyal of his Maſter, he had never been a Martyr for him; Nor had Paul been a Preacher of the Goſpel, nor any elſe: and ſo the Goſpel had not ſhined in any part of the world. No ſeed would have been brought into Chriſt, Chriſt is beholding immediately to this attribute, for all the ſeed he hath in the world; 'Tis for his Name ſake that he doth deferr his Anger, and for his praiſe, that he doth refrain from cutting us off. Iſa. 48.9. And in the next chapter follows a Propheſie of Chriſt. To overthrow Mankind for ſin, were to prevent the ſpreading a Church in the world. A woman that is guilty of a Capital Crime, and lies under a condemning ſentence, is reprieved from Execution, for her being with child. 'Tis for the Child's ſake, the Woman is reſpited, not for her own; 'Tis for the Elects ſake in the loyns of tranſgreſſors, that they are a long time ſpared, and not for their own. Iſa. 65.8, 9. As the new Wine is found in the cluſter, and one ſaith, deſtroy it not for a bleſſing is in it; So will I do for my ſervants ſake, that I may not destroy them all: as a Husband-man ſpares a Vine for ſome good cluſters in it. He had ſpoke of vengeance before, yet he would reſerve ſome, from whom he would bring forth thoſe, that ſhould be inheritors of his Mountains: that he might make up his Church of Judea, Jeruſalem being a Mountainous place, and the type of the Church in all Ages. What is the reaſon he doth not level his Thunder at the heads of thoſe, for whoſe deſtruction he receives ſo many Petitions from the Souls under the Altar; Rev. 6.9, 10. Becauſe God had others to write a Teſtimony for him in their own blood, and perhaps out of the loynes of thoſe for whom vengeance was ſo earneſtly ſupplicated;**Smith on the Creed, p. 404. And God, as the Maſter of a Veſſel, lies Patiently at Anchor, till the laſt Paſſenger he expects, be taken in.

5. For the ſake of his Church he is Patient to wicked men. The tares are Patiently, p. 813endured till the Harveſt, for fear in the plucking up the one, there might be ſome prejudice done to the other. Upon this account he ſpares ſome, who are worſe than others, whom he cruſheth by ſignal judgments; The Jews had committed ſins worſe than Sodom, for the confirmation of which we have God's Oath, Ezek. 16.48. and more by half than Samaria, or the Ten Tribes had done; ver. 51. Yet God ſpared the Jews, though he deſtroyed the Sodomites. VVhat was the reaſon, but a larger remnant of Righteous perſons, more cluſters of good grapes were found among them, than grew in Sodom. Iſa. 1.9. A few more Righteous in Sodom had dampt the Fire and Brimſtone deſign'd for that place; And a remnant of ſuch in Judea was a bar to that fierceneſs of anger, which otherwiſe would have quickly conſumed them. Had there been but Ten Righteous in Sodom, Divine Patience had ſtill bound the Arms of juſtice, that it ſhould not have prepared its Brimſtone, notwithſtanding the clamour of the ſins of the multitude. Judea was ripe for the ſickle, but God would put a lock upon the torrent of his judgments, that they ſhould not flow down upon that wicked place, to make them a deſolation and a curſe, as long as tender hearted Joſiah lived, who had humbled himſelf at the threatning, and wept before the Lord; 1 King. 22.19, 20. Sometimes he bears with wicked men, that they might exerciſe the Patience of the Saints. Rev. 14.12. The whole time of the forbearance of Antichriſt in all his intruſions into the Temple of God, invaſions of the rights of God, uſurpations of the Office of Chriſt, and beſmearing himſelf with the blood of the Saints, was to give them an opportunity of Patience. God is Patient towards the wicked, that by their means he might try the Righteous. He burns not the wiſp, till he hath ſcowred his veſſels; Nor layes by the hammer, till he hath formed ſome of his matter into an excellent faſhion. He uſeth the worſt men as rods to correct his people, before he ſweeps the twiggs out of his houſe. God ſometimes uſes the thorns of the World, as a hedge to ſecure his Church, ſometimes as inſtruments to try, and exerciſe it. Howſoever he uſeth them, whither for ſecurity or tryal, he is Patient to them for his Churches advantage.

6. When men are not brought to Repentance by his Patience, he doth longer exerciſe it, to manifeſt the equity of his future juſtice upon them. As Wiſdom is juſtified by her obedient children, ſo is juſtice juſtified by the rebels againſt Patience, the contempt of the later is the juſtification of the former. The Apoſtles were unto God a ſweet ſavour of Chriſt in them that periſh, as well as in them that were ſaved by the acceptation of their meſſage. 2 Cor. 2.15. Both are fragrant to God, his Mercy is Glorified by the ones acceptance of it, and his Juſtice freed from any charge againſt it by the others refuſal. The cauſe of mens ruin cannot be laid upon God, who provided means for their Salvation, and ſollicited their complyance with him. What reaſon can they have to charge the Judge with any wrong to them, who reject the tenders he makes, and who hath forborn them with ſo much Patience, when he might have cenſured them by his Righteous Juſtice, upon the firſt crime they committed, or the firſt refuſal of his gracious offers? Quanto Dei magis Judicium tardum eſt tanto magis justum. **Minuc Felix pag. 41.After the deſpiſing of Patience, there can be no ſuſpition of an irregularity in the acts of Juſtice. Man hath no reaſon to fall foul in his charge upon God, if he were puniſhed for his own ſin, conſidering the dignity of the injured perſon, and the meanneſs of himſelf the offender; But his wrath is more juſtified, when it is poured out upon thoſe whom he hath endured with much long ſuffering. There is no plea againſt the ſhooting of his Arrows into thoſe, for whom this voice hath been loud, and his arms open for their return. As Patience while it is exerciſed, is the ſilence of his juſtice, ſo when it is abuſed, it ſilenceth mens complaints againſt his juſtice. The riches of his forbearance made way for the manifeſting the treaſures of his wrath. If God did but a little bear with the inſolencies of men, and cut them off after two or three ſins, he would not have opportunity to ſhew either the power of his Patience, or that of his wrath; But when he hath a right to puniſh for one ſin, and yet bears with them for many, and they will not be reclaimed, the ſinner is more inexcuſable, divine Juſtice leſs chargable, and his wrath more powerful; Rom. 9. p. 81422. What if God willing to ſhew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long ſuffering, the veſſels of wrath fitted for destruction? The proper and immediate end of his long ſuffering, is to lead men to repentance, but after they have by their obſtinacy, fitted themſelves for deſtruction, he bears longer with them, to magnifie his wrath more upon them, and if it is not the finis operantis, 'tis at leaſt the finis operis, where Patience is abuſed. Men are apt to complain of God, that he deals hardly with them; The Iſraelites ſeem to charge God with too much ſeverity, to caſt them off, when ſo many promiſes were made to the fathers for their perpetuity and preſervation, which is intimated; Hoſ. 2.2. Plead with your mother, plead; by the double repetition of the word plead; Do not accuſe me of being falſe, or too rigorous, but accuſe your Mother, your Church, your Magiſtracy, your Miniſtry, for their ſpiritual fornications which have provoked me; For their foreign intimating the greatneſs of their ſins by the reduplication of the word; leſt I strip her naked. I have born with her under many provocations, and I have not yet taken away all her Ornaments, or ſaid to her according to the rule of divorce, res tuas tibi habeto. God anſwers their impudent charge, She is not my Wife, nor am I her Husband; He doth not ſay firſt, I am not her Husband, but ſhe is not my Wife; She firſt withdrew from her duty, by breaking the Marriage Covenant, and then I ceaſed to be her Husband. No man ſhall be condemned, but he ſhall be convinced of the due deſert of his ſin, and the juſtice of God's proceeding. God will lay open Mens guilt, and repeat the meaſures of his Patience, to juſtifie the ſeverity of his wrath, Hoſ. 7.10. Sins will testifie to their face. What is in its own nature a preparation for Glory, men by their obſtinacy make a preparation for a more indiſputable puniſhment. We ſee many evidences of God's forbearance here, in ſparing men under thoſe blaſphemies which are audible, and thoſe prophane carriages which are viſible, which would ſufficiently juſtifie an act of ſeverity; Yet when mens ſecret ſins both in heart and action, and the vaſt multitude of them, far ſurmounting what can arrive to our knowledge here, ſhall be diſcovered, how great a luſtre will it add, to God's bearing with them, and make his juſtice triumph without any reaſonable demurr from the ſinner himſelf! He is long ſuffering here, that his juſtice may be more publick hereafter.