7 1 4 The Patience ofGad. Vol. I. where there is noPower, it is vain and to no purpole. So that Patience is every where a Perfe&ion, both in God and Man. I proceed to the III. Thing I propofed, which was to givefome proofand denionftration of the -great Patience and Long-fuffering of God to Mankind. And this will evidently appear, if we confider thefe two things. 1. How Men deal with God. a. How notwithstanding this, God 'deals with them. I. HowMen deal with God. Every day we highly offend, and provoke him, we grieve and weary himwith our Iniquities, as the Expreffion is in the Prophet, Ifa. 43. 2.4. Thou hall made me to ferve with thy fins, thou haft wearied me with thine iniquities. Every Sin that we commit, is an affront to the Divine Majefty, and a contempt of his Authority. By denying fubmiffion.to his Laws, we queftioñ his Omniprefence, and fay, Doth Godfee ? and is there knowledge in the moll high? Or if we acknowledge-his Omniprefence, and that he regards what we do, the provocation isfhll the greater, becauCe then we affront him to his face ; we dare hisJuftice, and challenge his Omnipotency, and provoke the Lord to jealoufe, as if we were.Jlronger than he. Is not God patient, when the whole world lies in wickednefs, and theearth is over- fpread with violence, and is full of the habitations of cruelty? when he who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and is fo highlyoffended at the fins of Men, hath yet the Patience to lookupon them that deal treacheroully, and to hold his peace? when the wicked perfecutes anddevours theman that is more righteous than he ? when even that part of the World which profeffeth the Name of God and Chrift, do by their vile and abominable lives, blafpheme that holy and glorious name whereby they arecalled? Every moment God bath greater injuries done to him, and more affronts put upon him, than were ever offered to all the Sons of Men; and furely provo- cations are tryals of patience, efpecially when they are fo numerous and fo hei- nous ; for if offences rife according to thedignity of the perfon injured, and the tlleannefs of him that doth the injury,- then no offences are fo great as thofe that are committedby Men againfl God, no affronts like to thole which are offered to the Divine MajeJly by the continual provocations of his Creatures. And is not this an argument of God's Patience, that the glorious Majefty ofHeaven should bear fuch multiplyed indignities from fuch vile Worms? that he who is the For- mer of all things, should endure his own Creatures to rebel against him, and the work ofhis hands to firike at him ? that he who is our great Benefador fhould putup fuchaffronts from thofe who depend uponhis bounty, and are maintained at his charge? that he, in whofe hands our breath is, should fuller Men to breathe out Oaths, and Curies and Blafphemies against him t Surely thefe prove the Pa- tience of God topurpofe, and are equally tryals and arguments of it. z. The Patience ofGod will farther appear, ifwe confider how, notwithfand- ing all this, God deals with us. He is patient to the whole World, in that he doth not turn us out of Being, and turn the wickedtogether into hell, with all the nations that forget God. He is patient to the greateft part ofMankind, in that he makes but a few terrible Examples of his Juftice, that others may hear andfear, and take warning by them. He is patient to particular perlons, in that, notwith- flanding our daily provocations, he prevents us daily with the Wing of his good- nefs, prolonging our lives and vouchfafing fomany favours tous, that by this great gooduefs we may be led to repentance. But the Patience of God will more illuftrioufly appear, ifwe confider thefe following particulars, which are fo many Evidences and Inftances of it. a. That God is not obliged to fpare and forbear tis at all. It is patience that he doth not furprize us in the very ad of fin, and let IIy-at us with a Thunder- bolt fo Coon as ever we have offended; that the wrath ofGod doth not fall up- on the intemperate perfon, as it did upon the Ifraelites, whilethe meat and drink is yet intheir mouths; that a Man is not firuck dead or mad whilft'he is telling a Lye; that the Soul of the Prophane and falfe Swearer -does not expire with his Oaths and Perjuries. z, That
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