each PERSON dif>zinaly. 255 and (a) all thisby the creation. But yet there are fame properties of God, which all the works of creation cannot in any meafure reveal, or make known ; as his patience, long fuffering, and forbearance. For all things being made good (b), there could be no place for the exercife of any of thefe properties, or manifeftationof them. The whole fabrick of heaven and earth confidered in it felt, as at firi created,- will not difcover any fuch thing as Patience and Forbearance in God (c); which yet are eminent pro- rpeties of his nature, as himfelf proclaims and declares, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Wherefore the Lord goes further; and by the works of his providence in preferving and ruling the world which he made, difcovers and reveals thefe properties alfo. For whereas by curling the earth, and filling all the elementes oftentimes with figns of his anger and indignation, he bath as the Apollle tells us, Ruin. i. t8. revealedfrom heaven bis wrath againfl all un- godlinefs andunrighteoufnefs of anon, yet not proceeding immediately to de- {troy all things, he bath' manifefied his patience and forbearance to all, this Pad, Aft. xiv. r6, 17. tells us, he Juiered all nations to walk in their awn ways, yet he left not himfelf without witnefs, in that he didgood, and gave rain from heaven and traitfrd feafons, filling their hearts with food and gladnefs. A large account of his goodnefs and wifdom herein, the pfalmifl gives us, Pfd. civ. throughout. By thefe ways he bare witnefs to his own goodnefs and patience, and fo it is laid, he endures with much long- fullring, &c. Rom. ix, a2. But now here all the world is at a Band, by all this they hive but an ohfcure glimpfe of God, and fee not fo much as his back Darts. 7ì'ofesfaw not that until he was put into (d) the rock, and that rock was Chrift. There are fome of the mó(l eminent and glorious properties of God (I mean in the haanifeftation whereof he will be mofh glorious, otherwife his properties are not be compared) that there is not the lean glimpfe to be attained of, out of the Lord Chrift, but only by, andin him; and fome that comparatively we have no light of, but in him, and of all the rat notrue light, but by him. [i.] Of the firft fort, whereof not the lean guefs and imagination can en.: ter into the heart of man but only by Chrift, are love, and pardoning mercy. a.) Love, I mean love unto dinners. Without this man is of all crea- tures molt milerable; and there is not the lean glimpfe of it that can pof- fibly be dilcovered but in Chrif; the holy Ghoft fays, r John iv. 8, 16: God is love, that is, not only of a loving and tender nature; but one that will exercife himfelf in a difpenfation of his love, eternal lovetowards us; one that bath purpofes of love for us from of old, and will fulfil them all towards us in due feafon. But how is this demonftrated, how may we at- tain an acquaintance with it? he tellsus, verfe. 9. In this was manife/led the love'Aof God, becaafe God fens his only begotten fon into the world that we miglat live through him. This is the only difcovery that God haslt made, of any fuch property in his nature, or of any thought of exercifrng it to- wards (inners, in that he hath rent Jefus Chrift into the world that we might live by him; where now is the wife, where is th fcribe, where is (a) '2si ola ai a,etu, vev dxbaµs tie b J,uaxr, u viva, Ssrugruv vdzo de dxtteaaaep da7t, ebbgtA As,á,oaa.oö Sea Plotin. (b) Gen. I. aa. (r) Quamvis fpeciali cure argue indulgencia Dei, populum ¡f. ra eitirwm connac c:e&um, omnacquealias natios,, tuas vies lowedi, hoc eft, fecundumprapriam per- aaiff funs vivere voluncuem, non Ica cameo fe mterna Creamris boaicas ab illis hominibus avertir, at cos ad eognofbendum arque memendum nullis fignfficarioribus admonerer, Profp.de Varal. Gent. a. 4. cm- lum & terra, & omnia qac in cis tiny ecce vinique, mihi dictumus at arum, nec celfam dicere, omnes ur fins inexcufabiles, Augrf. Ca'nfe®: fib. so. asp. 6. (d) Exod.ansiii, 22, a Cor. nt q, the
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