The Remaining Discourses on the Attributes of God, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.Vol. VII. The Patience of God.
2 PET. III.9.
The Lord is not ſlack concerning his Promiſe, as ſome Men count ſlackneſs; but is long-ſuffering to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance.
I Have made entrance into theſe words, in the handling of which, I propos'd to do theſe three things.
Firſt, To conſider the patience and long-ſuffering of God, as it is an Attribute and Perfection of the Divine Nature; God is long ſuffering to us-ward.
Secondly, To ſhew that the Patience of God, and the delay of his Judgment, is no juſt ground why Sinners ſhould hope for impunity; God is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, as ſome men count ſlackneſs.
Thirdly, To conſider the true reaſon of God's patience and long-ſuffering towards Mankind; He is long-ſuffering to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance. I have already ſpoken to the
Firſt of theſe, namely, The patience and long-ſuffering of God, as it is an Attribute and Perfection of the Divine Nature. I proceed now to the
Second thing I propoſed, namely, To ſhew that the Patience of God, and the delay of Judgment, is no juſt ground why Sinners ſhould hope for impunity; God is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, as ſome men count ſlackneſs; that is, as the Scoffers here mentioned by the Apoſtle, did ignorantly and maliciouſly reaſon, that becauſe our Lord delayed his coming to Judgment ſo long, therefore he would never come.
There was indeed ſome pretence for this Objection, becauſe the Chriſtians did generally apprehend, that the day of Judgment was very near, and that it would immediately follow the deſtruction of Jeruſalem; and it ſeems the Diſciples themſelves were of that perſwaſion before our Saviour's death, when our Saviour diſcourſing to them of the deſtruction of the Temple, they put theſe two queſtions to him, Mat. 24.3. And as he ſat upon the mount of Olives, the diſciples came unto him privately, ſaying, When ſhall theſe things be? and what ſhall be the ſign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? When ſhall theſe things be? That is, the things he had been ſpeaking of immediately before, viz. the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and the diſſolution of the Temple; that is plainly the meaning of the firſt queſtion, to which they ſubjoined another, And what ſhall be the ſign of thy coming? that is to Judgment; and of the end of the world? which in all probability, was added to the former; becauſe they ſuppoſed that the one was preſently to follow the other, and therefore the ſame anſwer would ſerve them both; and it appears by our Saviour's anſwer, that he was not concerned to rectifie them in this miſtake, which might be of good uſe to them, both to make them more zealous to propagate the Goſpel, ſince there was like to be ſo little time for it; and likewiſe to wean their affections from this World, which they thought to be ſo near an end.
One thing indeed our Saviour ſays, which (had they not been prepoſſeſt with another Opinion) does ſufficiently intimate that there might be a conſiderable ſpace of time, betwixt the deſtruction of Jeruſalem and the day of Judgment; and this we find only in St. Luke, Ch. 21.24. where ſpeaking of the Miſeries and Calamities that ſhould come upon the Jews, he ſays, They ſhall fall by the edge of the ſword, and be carried into captivity into all nations; and Jeruſalem ſhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. So that here were a great many Events foretold, betwixt the deſtruction of Jeruſalem and the end of the World, the accompliſhment whereof might take up a great deal of time, as appears by the Event of things, Jeruſalem being at this day ſtill trodden down by the Gentiles, and the Jews ſtill continuing diſperſt over the world: but the Diſciples it ſeems did not much mind this, being carryed away with a prejudicate conceit that the end of the World would happen before the end of that Age; in which they were much confirmed, by what our Saviour, after his Reſurrection, ſaid of St. John, upon occaſion of Peter's queſtion concerning him; John 21.21, 22. Lord, what ſhall this man do? Jeſus ſaith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Upon which words of our Saviour concerning him, St. John himſelf adds, v. 23. Then went this ſaying abroad among the brethren, that that diſciple ſhould not die, that is, that he ſhould live till the coming of our Lord, and then be taken up with him into Heaven; from all which they probably (as they thought) concluded, that the day of Judgment would happen before the end of that Age, whilſt St. John was alive; but St. John, who writ laſt of all the Evangeliſts (as Euſebius tells us) and lived till after the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, as he acquaints us with this miſtake, which was currant among the Chriſtians, ſo he takes care to rectifie it, telling us, That Jeſus ſaid not, he ſhould not die; but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? He tells us, that our Saviour did not affirm that he ſhould not die; but to repreſs St Peter's Curioſity, he ſays, If it were my pleaſure that he ſhould not die at all, but live till I come to Judgment, what is that to thee? And St. Peter likewiſe (or whoever was the Author of this ſecond Epiſtle, or at leaſt of this third Chapter, which ſeems to be a new Epiſtle by it ſelf) takes notice of this miſtake, about the nearneſs of the day of Judgment, as that which gave occaſion to theſe Scoffers to deride the expectation of a future Judgment among the Chriſtians, becauſe they had been already deceived about the time of it; and this the Scoffers twitted them with in that Queſtion, Where is the promiſe of his coming? And therefore the learned Grotius conjectures very probably, that this laſt Epiſtle (contained in the third Chapter) was written after the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, which was the time fixt for Chriſt's coming to Judgment, and therefore there could be no ground for this Scoff till after that time. St. Peter indeed did not live ſo long, and therefore Grotius thinks, that this Epiſtle was writ by Simeon, or Simon, who was Succeſſor of St. James, in the Biſhoprick of Jeruſalem, and lived to the time of Trajan.
I have been the longer in giving an account of this, that we might underſtand where the ground and force of this Scoff lay; namely in this, That becauſe the Chriſtians had generally been very confident, that the coming of Chriſt to Judgment would be preſently after the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and were now found to be deceived in that, therefore there was no regard to be had at all to their expectation of a future Judgment; becauſe they might be deceiv'd in that, as well as in the other.
But herein they argued very falſly, becauſe our Saviour had poſitively and peremptorily foretold his coming to Judgment, but had never fixt and determined the time of it; nay, ſo far was he from that, that he had plainly told his Diſciples, that the preciſe time of the day of Judgment God had reſerved as a Secret to himſelf, which he had not imparted to any, no, not to the Angels in Heaven, nor to the Son himſelf; Mark 13.32, 33. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. So that if they preſumed to make any conjectures about the time when the day of Judgment would be, they did it without any Warrant from our Lord; it was great preſumption in them to determine the time of it, when our Saviour had ſo expreſly told them, that the Father had reſerved this as a Secret, which he had never communicated to any, and therefore if they were miſtaken about it, it was no wonder. But their miſtake in this, was no prejudice to the truth of our Saviour's clear Prediction of a future Judgment, without any determination of the time of it, for that might be at ſome thouſands of Years diſtance, and yet be certain for all that; and the delay of it was no ſign of the uncertainty of our Saviour's Prediction concerning it, but only of God's great Patience and long-ſuffering to Sinners, in expectation of their Repentance; God is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, as ſome men count ſlackneſs, but is long-ſuffering to us-ward. And this brings me to the
Third, and laſt Particular in the Text, namely, The true Reaſon of God's Patience and long-ſuffering to Mankind; He is long-ſuffering to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance. And for this St. Peter cites St. Paul, v. 15th of this Chapter; And account that the long-ſuffering of the Lord is ſalvation, that is, that the great End and Deſign of God's goodneſs and long-ſuffering to Sinners, is that they may repent and be ſaved; Account that the long-ſuffering of our Lord is ſalvation, even as our beloved brother Paul alſo, according to the wiſdom given unto him, hath written unto you. Now theſe words are not expreſly found in St. Paul's Writings; but the Senſe and Effect of them is, viz. in Rom. 2.4. Deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to repentance? God hath a very gracious and merciful deſign in his Patience to Sinners; he is good, that he may make us ſo, and that his goodneſs may lead us to repentance; he defers Puniſhment on purpoſe, that he may give Men time to bethink themſelves, and to return to a better Mind; He winks at the ſins of men, that they may repent, ſays the Son of Sirach. The Patience of God aims at the cure and recovery of thoſe, who are not deſperately and reſolutely wicked.
This is the primary End and Intention of God's Patience to Sinners; and if he fail of this End through our hardneſs and impenitency, he hath other Ends which he will infallibly attain. He will hereby glorifie the riches of his Mercy, and vindicate the righteouſneſs of his Juſtice; the damned in Hell ſhall acknowledge, that the Patience of God was great Mercy and Goodneſs to them, tho' they abuſed it; for God does not loſe the glory of his Patience, tho' we loſe the benefit of it, and he will make it ſubvervient to his Juſtice one way or other. Thoſe great Offenders whom he ſpares, after there are no hopes of their amendment, he many times makes uſe of, as Inſtruments for the puniſhing of others, as rods of his wrath for the diſcipline of the world; and he often reſerves thoſe who are incorrigibly bad for a more remarkable ruin. But however, they are reſerved to the Judgment of the great Day; and if after God hath exerciſed much Patience towards Sinners in this World, he inflict Puniſhment on them in the next, it muſt be acknowledg'd to be moſt juſt; for what can he do leſs, than to condemn thoſe who would not be ſaved, and to make them miſerable, who ſo obſtinately refuſed to be happy?
Before I come to apply this Diſcourſe concerning the Patience and long-ſuffering of God to Sinners, I muſt remove an Objection or two.
I. The Severity of God to ſome Sinners in this Life, and to all impenitent Sinners in the next, ſeems to contradict what hath been ſaid concerning God's Patience and long-ſuffering.
As for the ſeverity of God towards impenitent Sinners in the next Life, this doth not at all contradict the Patience of God, becauſe the very nature of Patience, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, does ſuppoſe a determinate time, and that they will not laſt always; this Life is the day of God's Patience, and in the next World his Juſtice and Severity will take place. And therefore the puniſhment of Sinners in another World, after God hath tryed them in this, and expected their Repentance, is no ways contrary to his Patience and Goodneſs, and very agreeable to his Wiſdom and Juſtice; for it is no part of Goodneſs, to ſee it ſelf perpetually abuſed; it is not Patience, but ſtupidity and inſenſibleneſs, to endure to be always trampled upon, and to bear to have his holy and juſt Laws for ever deſpiſed and contemned.
And as for his Severity to ſome Sinners in this Life; as to Lot's Wife, to the Iſraelites that gathered Sticks on the Sabbath-day, to Nadab and Abihu, to Ʋzza, to Ananias and Sapphira, and to Herod Agrippa; in all which Inſtances God ſeems to have made quick work, and to have executed Judgment ſpeedily; to theſe I anſwer, That this Severity of God to ſome few, doth rather magnify his Patience to the reſt of Mankind; he may be ſevere to ſome few, for Example and warning to many, that they may learn to make better uſe of his Patience, and not to treſpaſs ſo boldly upon it; and perhaps he hath exerciſed much Patience already towards thoſe, to whom at laſt he is ſo ſevere; as is plain in the caſe of Herod, and it may well be ſuppoſed in moſt of the other Inſtances; or elſe the Sin ſo ſuddenly and ſeverely puniſht, was very heinous and preſumptuous, of a contagious and ſpreading nature, and of dangerous Example. Lot's Wife ſinned very preſumptuouſly againſt an expreſs and an eaſie Command, and whilſt God was taking care of her deliverance in a very extraordinary manner. That of Nadab and Abihu, and of the Man that gathered Sticks on the Sabbath-day, were preſently after the giving of the Law; in which caſe great ſeverity is neceſſary; and that of Ananias and Sapphira, at the firſt publiſhing of the Goſpel, that the Majeſty of the Divine Spirit, and the Authority of the firſt publiſhers of it might not be contemned. That of Ʋzza was upon the return of the Ark of God from among the Philiſtines, that the People might not loſe their reverence for it after it had been taken Captive; ſo that theſe neceſſary Severities to a few, in compariſon of thoſe many that are warned by them, are rather Arguments of God's Patience, than Objections againſt it.
II. It is objected, That if God do not deſire the ruin of Sinners, but their repentance, whence comes it to paſs, that all are not brought to repentance? for who hath reſiſted his Will? To this I anſwer.
1. That there is no doubt but God is able to do this. He can, if he pleaſeth, conquer and reclaim the moſt obſtinate Spirits; he is able out of ſtones to raiſe up children unto Abraham. And ſometimes he exerts his Omnipotence herein, as in the Converſion of St. Paul, in a kind of violent and irreſiſtible manner: but he hath no where declared, that he will do this to all; and we ſee plainly in experience, that he does not do it.
2. God may very well be ſaid, not to be willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance, when he does on his part what is ſufficient to that end; and upon this ground, the Scripture every where repreſents God as deſiring the repentance of Sinners, and their obedience to his Laws; Deut. 5.29. O that there were ſuch a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them! So Jer. 13.27. O Jeruſalem, wilt thou not be made clean? when ſhall it once be? Iſ. 5.3, 4. we find God there ſolemnly appealing to the People of Iſrael, whether there had been any thing wanting on his part that was fit to be done; And now, O inhabitants of Jeruſalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? wherefore when I looked it ſhould bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? God may juſtly look for the Fruits of Repentance and Obedience from thoſe, to whom he affords a ſufficiency of Means to that End. And if ſo, then
3. The true Reaſon why Men do not repent, but periſh, is becauſe they are obſtinate, and will not repent; and this account the Scripture every where gives of the impenitency of Men, and the ruin conſequent upon it. Pſal. 81.13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Iſrael had walked in my ſtatutes! But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Iſrael would none of me. Ezek. 33.11. Why will ye dye, O houſe of Iſrael? Prov. 1.29, 30, 31. They hated knowledge, and did not chuſe the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counſels, they deſpiſed all my reproof. Therefore ſhall they eat the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices. The ruin of Sinners does not proceed from the counſel of God; but from their own choice. And ſo likewiſe our Saviour every where chargeth the ruin and deſtruction of the Jews upon their own wilful obſtinacy.
The Inferences from this Diſcourſe concerning the Patience and long-ſuffering of God towards Mankind, ſhall be theſe three.
I. To ſtir us up to a thankful acknowledgment of the great Patience of God towards us, notwithſtanding our manifold and heinous provocations. We may every one of us take to our ſelves thoſe words, Lam. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions fail not. They are renewed every morning. When ever we ſin (and we provoke God every day) it is of his Patience that we are not deſtroyed; and when we ſin again, this is a new and greater Inſtance of God's Patience. The mercies of God's Patience are no more to be numbred than our ſins; we may ſay with David, How great is the ſum of them? The goodneſs of God in ſparing us, is in ſome reſpect greater than his goodneſs in creating us; becauſe he had no provocation not to make us, but we provoke him daily to deſtroy us.
II. Let us propound the Patience of God for a pattern to our ſelves. Plutarch ſays, That God ſets forth himſelf in the midſt of the World for our Imitation, and propounds to us the Example of his Patience, to teach us not to revenge Injuries haſtily upon one another.
III. Let us comply with the deſign of God's Patience and long-ſuffering towards us, which is to bring us to repentance. Men are very apt to abuſe it to a quite contrary purpoſe, to the encouraging themſelves in their evil ways. So Solomon obſerves, Eccl. 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: But this is very falſe reaſoning; for the Patience of God is an enemy to ſin, as well as his Juſtice, and the deſign of it is not to countenance ſin, but to convert the Sinner; Rom. 2.4. Deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to repentance? Patience in God ſhould produce Repentance in us; and we ſhould look upon it as an opportunity given us by God to repent and be ſaved; 2 Pet. 3.15. Account that the long-ſuffering of God is ſalvation. They that do not improve the Patience of God to their own Salvation, miſtake the true meaning and intent of it. But many are ſo far from making this uſe of it, that they preſume upon it, and ſin with more courage and confidence becauſe of it; but that we may be ſenſible of the danger of this, I will offer theſe two or three Conſiderations.
1. That nothing is more provoking to God, than the abuſe of his Patience. God's Patience waits for our Repentance, and all long attendance, even of Inferiors upon their Superiors, hath ſomething in it that is grievous; how much more grievous and provoking muſt it be to the great God, after he hath laid out upon us all the riches of his Goodneſs and long-ſuffering, to have that deſpiſed! after his Patience hath waited a long time upon us, not only to be thruſt away with contempt, but to have that which ſhould be an argument to us to leave our ſins, abuſed into an encouragement to continue in them! God takes an account of all the days of his Patience and forbearance; Luke 13.7. Behold, theſe three years I come ſeeking fruit, and find none; cut it down; why cumbreth it the ground?
2. Conſider that the Patience of God will have an end. Tho' God ſuffers long, he will not ſuffer always; we may provoke God ſo long, till he can forbear no longer without injury and diſhonour to his Wiſdom, and Juſtice, and Holineſs; and God will not ſuffer one Attribute to wrong the reſt; his Wiſdom will determine the length of his Patience; when his Patience is to no purpoſe, when there is no hopes of our amendment, his Wiſdom will then put a period to it; then the Patience of his Mercy will determine. How often would I have gathered you, and you would not? therefore your houſe is left unto you deſolate. And the Patience of God's Judgments will then determine. Why ſhould they be ſmitten any more? they will revolt more and more. Yea, Patience it ſelf, after a long and fruitleſs expectation, will expire. A Sinner may continue ſo long impenitent, till the Patience of God, as I may ſay, grows impatient, and then our ruin will make haſte, and deſtruction will come upon us in a moment. If Men will not come to repentance, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, as it follows in the next Verſe after the Text; the Judgment of God will ſuddenly ſurprize thoſe who will not be gained by his Patience.
3. Conſider that nothing will more haſten and aggravate our ruin, than the abuſe of God's Patience. All this time of God's Patience, his Wrath is coming towards us, and the more we preſume upon it, the ſooner it will overtake us; Luke 12.45, 46. The wicked ſervant, who ſaid his Lord delayed his coming, and fell to rioting and drunkenneſs, our Saviour tells us, That the Lord of that ſervant will come in a day when he looks not for him.
And it will aggravate our ruin; the longer puniſhment is a coming the heavier it will be; thoſe things which are long in preparation, are terrible in execution; the weight of God's wrath will make amends for the ſlowneſs of it, and the delay of Judgment will be fully recompenſed in the dreadfulneſs of it when it comes.
Let all thoſe conſider this who go on in their ſin, and are deaf to the voice of God's Patience, which calls upon them every moment of their lives. There is a day of Vengeance a coming upon thoſe who trifle away this day of God's Patience; nothing will ſooner and more inflame the wrath and diſpleaſure of God againſt us, than his abuſed Patience, and the deſpiſed riches of his Goodneſs. As Oyl, tho' it be ſoft and ſmooth, yet when it is once inflamed, burns moſt fiercely; ſo the Patience of God, when it is abuſed, turns into Fury, and his mildeſt Attributes into the greateſt Severities.
And if the Patience of God do not bring us to Repentance, it will but prepare us for a more intolerable ruin. After God hath kept a long indignation in his Breaſt, it will at length break forth with the greater violence. The Patience of God increaſeth his Judgments by an incredible kind of proportion; Levit 26.18. And if you will ſtill (ſays God to the People of Iſrael) walk contrary to me, and if ye will not be reformed by all theſe things, I will puniſh you yet ſeven times more. And v. 27. I will bring ſeven times more plagues upon you, according to your ſins. At firſt God's Juſtice accuſeth Sinners; but after a long time of Patience, his Mercy comes in againſt us, and inſtead of ſtaying his hand, adds weight to his blows; 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 for deſtruction. They, upon whom the Patience of God hath no good effect, are veſſels of wrath, preapred and fitted for deſtruction. If ever God diſplay his wrath, and make his anger known, he will do it in the moſt ſevere manner upon thoſe who have deſpiſed and abuſed his Patience; for theſe, in a more peculiar manner, do treaſure up for themſelves wrath againſt the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
To conclude, Let us all take a review of our lives, and conſider how long the Patience of God hath waited upon us, and born with us; with ſome twenty, forty, perhaps ſixty Years, and longer. Do we not remember how God ſpared us in ſuch a danger, when we gave our ſelves for loſt? and how he recovered us in ſuch a ſickneſs, when the Phyſician gave us up for gone? and what uſe we made of this Patience and long-ſuffering of God towards us? It is the worſt temper in the World, not to be melted by kindneſs, not to be obliged by benefits, not to be tamed by gentle uſage. He that is not wrought upon, neither by the patience of his Mercy, nor by the patience of his Judgments, his caſe is deſperate and paſt remedy. Conſider this all ye that forget God, left his Patience turn into Fury; for God is not ſlack, as ſome men count ſlackneſs; but long-ſuffering to ſinners, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance.