The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 3
Sect. 3.
3. LOng-ſuffering grace is Turned into Wantonneſs. Becauſe 3. Long ſuffering grace is turned into wantonneſſe.judgment is not executed ſpeedily, therefore the hearts of wicked ones are ſet in them to doe evil, Eccleſ. 8. 11. My Lord delays his comming, and then the evil ſervant is tempted to ſmite his fellow ſervant, and to be drunk, &c. Mat. 24. 28, 29. How often would Chriſt have gathered the Jewes under his ſaving wings as the Hen the Chicken under hers? Mat. 23. 37. But they proudly rejected ſubjection to him, ſalvation from him. God endures with much long ſuffering Veſſels of wrath, and they abuſively and fooliſhly are ſtill fillng up ſin and wrath. Rom. 19. 22. The foreign. i. e. Deus pro ſua lenitate expectabat poenitentiam at que emendationem eorum. Piſcat.gracious long-ſuffering of God waited for the Repentance and Amendment of the diſobedient old world. 1. Pet. 3. 20. and yet the holy wooing Spirit of God, ſpeaking by Noah, ſolliciting and ſtriving in gracious motions to reformation, was rejected. Gen. 6. 3. The whole earth was corrupt and filled with violence. v. 11. I gave Iezabel ſpace to repent of her fornication and ſhe repented not, Rev. 2. 21. As a Creditor gives his Debtor long time to pay his debts, and yet forbearing kindnes is abuſed, by a profuſe laviſhing intemperate life and running more in debt; and as a gracious Kings act of favour, that gives a Condemned Traytor, a long time to ſue out a pardon, is ſlighted and deſpiſed, when he ſpends it in whoring, drinking and gaming; ſo the mercyfull and liberall allowances of large ſeaſons of grace, the Lord grants out to deeply debted and Treaſonable ſinners, are ſignally wronged; when the more mercy forbeares, and God is ſlow to wrath, the more ſin abounds. Ah daring folly! is there not difference between Long ſuffering and Eternall ſuffering? are there not many ſad monuments of divine juſtice? becauſe Patience is laſting, will it be everlaſting? Long accounts are at length ſtated. The longeſt ſummer day of Gods ſufferance will have an end, and goe downe in an endles night of unappeaſed fury. Provoking, ſlight goſpellers are every day haſtning to the period of Gods reprieves. Writts of execution will be opened and ſerved upon incorrigible ſinners, the worſe for mercys warnings, and Judgments delay. The Lord Chriſt his pleading that barren Figg-trees may ſtand a yeere, or yeeres longer, neither Non nequitiae impreborum hominum qui incurabili malitiâ peccant Chriſtus Patronus eſt. Gualther. Deus non perpetuo parcit ſterilibus in ſuavinea arboribus. Gualth.ſpeaks him the Patron of uncurable wickednes, not aſſures their perpetuall ſecurity, they were at length cut down as withered trees, and God will likewiſe cut down withered Profeſſors: God doth not always ſpare barren trees in his vineyard. Thoſe Chriſtians that are the ſhame of Gods Husbandry; The abuſers of Chriſts Interceſſion; The contemners of the Goſpel they boaſt of, that bear the name of Believers, bear up in the repute of Chriſts domeſtick Family, that cumber the ground where they ſtand; uſeleſs to the purpoſes of holineſs and righteouſneſs in the World, as dead, twice dead, at beſt but flouriſhing in the leaves of a worthleſs profeſſion, ſhall at length be pluckt up by the roots, be caſt into hell fire, as the worſt of men; reproachers of God and his Goſpel; deſtroyers of their bodies and ſouls for ever. The Devil the Father of lies, keeps his children faſt bound in the chains of deſtroying lies. Amongſt the reſt this is a main one, and a common damning cheat: Poor deluded ſinners, that have numbred 40, 50 years forbearance in their ſins, at once collect Gods allowance of them and their own Neceſſe eſt ut ipſa prorogatae pietatis tempora quaſi damnationis tempora timeamus. Greg. Mor. l. 17. c. 3. Quanto vita noſtra eſt longier, tantoculpa noſtra fit numeroſior & gravior, &c. Otho. Caſmannus.Innocence, but without Book. After 400 years ſuffering the ſeed of the Amorites to oppreſs Gods Iſrael, Gen. 15. 13. black doomday put a period to their Proſperities and Perſecutions: A long lived Libertine under the days of Grace, hath more reaſon to fear his approaching deſtruction then ſalvation. The Counſel of an ancient is wholſome, well were it if accuſtomed ſlighters of Gods grace would lay it to heart, it would fire them out of their perilous ſecurity: It is neceſſary, ſaid he, that we fear and tremble, leſt the prolonged times of Gods mercy do prove the times of our damnation: It is the lamentation of a ſerious modern Writer: The longer we live, the more numerous is the account, and the more heavy the weight of ſin: Hence when the juſt Judge comes he will turn the indulged times of mercy into an eternity of wrath and penalty.