Serm. XCV. The Patience of God. 715 z. That God fpares us When it is in his power fo eafily to ruin us; when h Can with one word command us out of Being, and by cutting afutider ode lit- tle thread, let us drop into Hell. If God were difpofed to feverity, he could deal with us after anothermanner ; and as the expreflion is in the Prophet, eafe himfelfof his Adverfitries, andbe avengedofhis Enemies. 3 .Thar God exercifeth this Patience to Sinners, fiagrante bello, . while they areup in-Arms againft him, and committing Hoftilitiesupon him; he bearswithus 'even when we are challenging his Juftice to punifh us, and provoking his Power to defiroy 4. That he is fo yery flow and unwilling to punifh, and to inflid his Judg- irnents upon us. As for eternal Punifhments, God defers them a long while; and by all proper ways and Means endeavours to prevent therrf, arid to bringus tó repentance. And as for thofe temporal Judgments which God inflids upon Sit:- hers, he carries himfelf fo, that we may plainly fee all the figns of unwilling- fiefs that can be ; he tries to prevent them, he is loth to let about this work; and when he does, it is with much teludance; and then he is eafily perfwaded and prevaird withal not to do it ; and. when he does, he does it not rigoroufly, and to extremity ; and he i loon taken offafter he is engaged in it. All which are great inftances and evidences of his wonderful Patience to Sinners. (I. ) God's unwillingnefs to punifh appears, in that he labours to prevent punifhnient ; and that he may effeCtually do this, he endeavours to prevent fin; themeritorious Caufe of God's Judgments. To this end, he hath threatned it with fevere punifhments, that the dread of them may make us afraid to offend g andif ibis will not do, he does not yet give us over, but gives üs a fpace ofre- pentance, and invites us earneftly to turn to him, thereby to prevent his Judgments ; he eimoftulates with Sinners, and reams the cafe with them, as if he were more concerned not topunifh than they are not to be punifhed , and thus by his earneft defire ofour repentance, he thews how little he delires our ruin. (2. ) He is long before he goes about this work. gudgnient is in Scripture call'dhis flrange work ; as if he were not acquainted with it, and hardly knewhow to go about it on the furlden. He is reprefented as not prepared for fuch a work, Duet. 32.. 45. If whet myglittering Sword ; as ifthe Inftruments of Punifhment were not ready for us. Nay, by a ftrange kind ofcondefcention to out Capacities, and to fet forth to us the Patience of God, andhis flownefs to wrath, after the manner of Men, he is reprefented as keeping out oftheway, that he may not be tempted todeftroy us ; Exod. 33. 2, 3. where he tells Mofes, that he wouldfend an Angel before them, but Iwill not go up in the midfl of thee, confume thee in the way. At Works of Mercy he is very ready and forward. When Daniel prayed for the deliverance of the people of Ifrael out of Captivity, the Angel tells him, that at the beginning ofhis fupplication, the commandment cameforth, tobring him a pro-, mife of theirdeliverance. The mercy of God many times prevents our Prayers, and outruns our Willies and Defires: but when he comes to afflidion, he takes time to do it; he paffeth by many provocations, and waits long in expedation, that by our repentance we will prevent his Judgments; he hearkned and heard (faith God in the Prophet leremiah) but they fpake not aright, no man repented him of his wickedneff, flaying,. What have l done? He is reprefented as waiting and lift,- ning, to hear if any penitent word would drop from them; he gives the Sinner time to repent and refle& upon his adions, and to confider what he hath done, and fpace toreafon himfelf into repentance. For this reafon the Judgments of God do often follow the fins ofMen at a great diftance, otherwife he could eafi- ly make themmend their pace and confume us in a moment. (3.) When he goes about this work, he does it with much reludance. Amos II. 8, 9. flow fhall Igive thee up, Ephraim? how ¡bail I deliver thee, Ifrael? mine heart is turned within me,andmy repentings are kindled together. He is reprefent- ed as making many effays and offers before he came to it. Pfd. to6. z6. Many a time lifted he up his hand in the wildernefs to deflroy them. He made as if he would
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