The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
The Fourth Corollarie.] Admire the Patience of God in ſeeing ſo much Sin in the World, and yet bear it.
FOurthly, If this be ſo, that ſin is ſo much againſt God, doth ſo much wrong God, Hence then we have all cauſe to ſtand and admire at the infinite patience of the great God that ſhall behold ſo much ſin in the world from ſuch poor wretched vile Creatures, and yet ſhall bear it: 'Tis true, thoſe that do not know how ſin doth make againſt God, ſtrikes at him, and wrongs him; they are not ſo much taken with the patience of God, and with the long ſuffering of God: But now that man or woman that comes to know how ſin wrongs God, and comes to underſtand this, ſuch a one cannot but to amazment ſtand and wonder at Gods infinite patience; that ſuch a great God who ſeeth himſelf ſo ſtruck at, fought againſt, oppoſed, and wronged by ſuch wretched Creatures, that yet he doth forbear cruſhing them too pieces preſently. I beſeech you Brethren conſider, do but take along with you what I have ſaid about Sin, how it is againſt God, and then conſider, how all ſins that are committed, God is preſent at it, ſtands and looks upon it. Do but think ſomtimes with your ſelves, when you are among a great concourſe of people, among a company of prophane wretched people, as in Markets, Fairs, Taverns, Inns, and Ale-houſes, how is Gods Name blaſphemed there? What daring of the bleſſed God? what ſcorning and contemning of his Word and Sacraments and Ordinances? well, and now carry along that thought, how God is wronged in all theſe, ſtruck at in all this, and what an infinite God this is; and then think how God ſtands by them, heareth every Oath, ſeeth every filthy act of Uncleanneſs, ſeeth every Drunkard, and yet when the leaſt word of his mouth were enough to ſink them to the bottomleſs-pit; yet God is patient the firſt, ſecond, and third time; yea, a hundred times: Perhaps thou haſt been a Blaſphemer twenty years; forty years a Swearer: and when thou comeſt in company, Oh the wicked Oaths that come from thee! and hidious Uncleanneſs, and abominable wickedneſs! and yet God ſtands by, and looks upon the Swearer, and is patient all the while. Certainly Brethren, there is no man in all the world that is wronged as God is, and yet man is not able to bear wrong from his equal if he have power in his hand to prevent it. What! Shall he wrong me? I will make him know what it is to wrong me. You cannot bear any wrong from your fellow Creature; Oh conſider what wrong God hath born from you and others, ſtand and admire at the infinite patience and long-ſuffering of the Lord! Truly Brethren, when any mans Conſcience comes to be inlightened and awakened, then the greateſt wonder in the world to ſuch a Conſcience is the Patience and long-ſuffering of God. Oh! that God ſhould be ſo patient and long-ſuffering unto me all this time of my life that I am out of Hell, he ſtands and wonders that he is out of Hell, and wonders at others, that others ſhould not be affected with the patience of God. Certainly brethren, that wrong is done unto God by ſin, as that if any one man that had all the patience of all the men and women in the world, put into his heart; all the patience and meekneſs that ever was in all the Saints, ſince the beginning of the world, if it were all diſtilled into the heart of one man or woman, and ſuppoſe that this man or woman were but wronged as God is, it were impoſſible but that that man or woman ſhould break forth with revenge againſt thoſe wrongs done to him or her; it were impoſſible for ſuch an one to bear, ſo far as he can ſee himſelf able (I mean) to right himſelf, ſo far he could not bear the wrongs done to him: But now God ſhews himſelf here to be infinite in patience and long-ſuffering, as well as infinite in any other Attribute of his. Brethren it wil be an eſpecial part of the glory of the great day of Judgment, that when all the wrong that ever was done to God from the beginning of the world by ſinners, ſhal then be opened at the day of Judgment: Alas, we ſee but little wrong done to God now; we look upon notorious wretches and think they wrong God; now we ſee but little, but at the day of Judgment, then all the ſecret villanies and wickedneſs that ever was committed in ſecret places, ſince the beginning of the world, in all places of the world; then ſhal it all appear: And then how will it appear to Men and Angels how God was wronged by his Creature? and then there will be the patience of God ſeen that he ſhould be ſo patient ſo many thouſand years together, notwithſtanding there was ſo much wrong done to God and never diſcovered to man, but God ſees it all this whil… this will be a great part of the glorie of the day or Judgment. If our hearts were e…ed we would begin now to give God the glorie of … Patience which we ſhall ſee at that day.