Serm. XCVI. The Pdtiencé of God. Befides all thefe, there are many Inflances of God's Patience to particular Per- fons; but it were endlefs to enumerate thefe ; every one of us maybe an inflame to our felves of God's long- fuffering. I ihàll only add, as a farther advantage to fet off the Patience of God to Sin- ners, that his forbearance is fo great,thathe bath been complained of for it by his own Servants. lob, who was fo patient a Man himfelf, thought much at it ; Id zr. 7, 8. Wherefore doth the wicked live, yea, become old ? Their feed is efia- bli/hed in their fight, and their poflerity before their eyes. Ionah challengeth God for it, Ch. 4. z. Was not this that which 1 faid when Iwas yet in my own country ? and therefore 1 fled before unto Tarfhi/h, becaufe Iknew thou art agracious God, and merciful, flow to anger, &c. yonah had obferved God to be fo prone to this, that he was loth to be fent upon his Meffäge left God thould difcredit his Prophet, in not being fo good (than I fay) fo fevere as his word. L:have done with the firft thingI propofed to.fpeak to, viz. The great Patience and long-fufferingof God to Mankind. 717 SERMON. XC Is The Patience of God. 2 PET. III. 9. The Lord is not flack concerning bis Promife, as fame Men count flack- nefs ; but is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that anyfhould perifh, but that all fhould come to Repentance. Have made entrance into thefe words, in the handling of which, I propos'd to do thefe three things. Firfl, To confider the Patience and Long- Suffering of God, as it is an Attri- bute and Perfe&ion of the Divine Nature ; God is Longfuffering to us-ward. Secondly, To thew that the Patience of God, and the delay of his Judgment, isno juft ground whySinners thould hope for impunity ; God is not flack concern- ing his promife, as fame Men countflacknefs. Thirdly, 'To confider the true reafon.of God's Patience and Long-fuffering to- wards Mankind ; He is longfuffering to us-ward, not willing that any fhouldperifh, but that all fhould come to repentance. I have already fpolien tothe Firfi of thefe, namely the Patience and Long flittering of God, as it is an At- tribute and Perfeaion of the Divine Nature. I proceed now to the Second thing I propofed, namely, To thew, that the Patience of God, and the delay of Judgment, is nojuft ground whySinners fhould hope for impunity. God is not flack concerning his promife, as fome men count flacknefs ; that is, as theScof- fers here mentioned by the Apoftle, did ignorantly and malicioufly reafon that becaufe our Lord delayed his coming to Judgment fo long, therefore he would ne- ver come. There was indeed fome pretence for this Objection, becaufe the Chriftians did generally apprehend, that the Day of Judgment was very near, and that it would immediately follow the deftruélion of 1erufalem ; and it feems, the Difciples them- felves were of that perfuafion before our Saviour's death ; when our Saviour dif- courting to themof the deftruétion of the Temple, they put thefe two Queftions tohim, Mat. z4. 3. Andas he fatupon themount ofOlives, thedifeiples came unto him privately, faying, When"hall theft things be ? and what "hall be the fign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? When "hall theft thingsbe ? that is, the things he had been (peaking of immediately before, viz. the deftruáion of yerufalem, and the diffolution
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