148 FORGIVENESS OF SIN, world is every day filled with tokens of the power and patience of God. Everynation, every city, every family is filled with them. 3. There is a common abuse of this patience of God visible in the world in all generations. So it was of old. God saw it to be so, and complained of it. Gen. 6 :5, 6. All the sin and wickedness that has been in the world, which no heart can conceive, no tongue can express, has been an abuse of this patience of God. This, with most men, is the consequence of God's patience and forbearance. They count this a season to fulfil all the abominations that their evil hearts can suggest to them, or Satan draw them into. This the state of things in the world proclaims, and every one's experience confirms. 4. Let us therefore consider what is the true and pro- per design of this patience of God towards the world, enduring it in sin and wickedness for so long a season, and suffe.ring one generation to be multiplied after an- other. Shall we think that God has no other design in all this patience towards mankind in all generations, but merely to suffer them, all and every one, without excep- tion, to sin against him, dishonor him, provoke him, that so he may at length everlastingly destroy ihem all 1 It is confessed that this is the consequence, the event with most men, through their perverse wicked- ness, with their love of sin and pleasure. But is this the design of God I his only design'? has he no other purpose but merely to bear with them awhile in their folly, and then to avenge himself upon them? Is this his intention, not only towards those who are obstinate in their darkness, ignorance and rebellion against him, whose damnation is just and sleepeth not, but also towards those whom he stirs up by his grace to seek deliverance from the state of sin and death? God for- bid ; yea, such an apprehension would be contrary to all those notions of the infinite wisdom and goodness
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