7 ò The Patience of God. Vol. 1: As for the feverity of God towards impenitent Sinners in the next Life, this Both not at all contradiót the Patience of God, hecáufe the very nature of Pati- ence, and forbearance, and long-fuffering, does fuppofe a determinate time, and that they will not laft always ; this Life is the day of God's Patience, and in the next World his juftice and feverity will take place. And therefore the punifhment of Sinners in another World, after God hath tried them in this, and expelled their Repentance, is no ways contrary to his Patience and Goodnefs, and very agreeable to his Wifdom and Juftice ; for it is no part of Goodnefs, to fee it felf perpetually abufed ; it is not Patience, but ftupidiry and infenfiblenefs, to endure to be always trampled upon, and to bear to have his holy and juft Laws for ever defpifed and contemned. And as for his feverity to Tome Sinners in this Life ; as to Lot's Wife, to the If- ràelite that gathered flicks on the Sabbath-day, to Nadab and Abihu, to Uzza, to Ananias and Sapphira, and to Herod Agrippa ; in all which Instances God feems to have made quick work, and to have executed Judgment fpeedily ; to thefe I anfwer, That this Severity of God to force few, doth rather magnify his Patience to the reft of Mankind ; he may be fevere to force few, for example and warn- ing to many, thatthey may learn to make better ufe of his Patience, -and not to trefpafs fo boldly upon it ; and perhaps he hath exercifed much Patience already towards thofe, to whom at lafl he is fo levere; as is plain in the cafe of Herod, and it may well be fuppofed in moft of the other Inflances; or elfe the Sin fo fuddenly and feverely punifht, was very heinous and prefumptuous, of a contagi- ous and fpreading nature, and of dangerous Example. Lots Wife finned very prefumptuoufly againft an exprefs and an eafie Command , and whilft God was taking care of her deliverance in a very extraordinary manner. That of Nadab and Abihu, and of the Man that gathered Sticks on the Sabbath-day, were prefently after the giving of the Law ; in which cafe great feverity is ne- ceffary ; and that of Ananias and Sapphira, at the first publiihing of the Gofpel, that the Majeflyof the Divine Spirit, and the Authority of the firft publifhers of it might not be contemned. That of Uzza was upon the return of the Ark of God from among the Philiflines, that the People might not lofe their reverence for it after it had been taken Captive ; fo that thefe neceffary Severities to a few, in comparifon of thofe many that are warned by them, are rather Arguments of God's Patience, than Objetions againfl it. II. It is objet ed, That if God do not delire the ruin of Sinners, but their re. pentance, whence comes it to pats, that all are not brought to repentance ? for who hath refifled his Will ? To this I anfwer, 1. That there is no doubt but God is able to do this. He can, if he pleafeth, conquer and reclaim the moll obftinate Spirits ; he is able out of flouts to raife up children unto Abraham. And fometimes he exerts his Omnipotence herein, as in the Converfion of St. Paul, in a kind of violent and irrefiftible manner : but he hath no where declared, that he will do this to all; and we fee plainly in ex- perience, that he does not do it. a.. God may very well be fàid, not to k willing that any fhould perifh, but that allfhauldcome to repentance, when he does on his part what is fufticient to that end; and upon this ground the Scripture every where reprefents God as defiring the re- pentance of Sinners, arid their obedience to his Laws, Deut. S. 2.9. 0 that there wereEach a heart in them, that they wouldfear me, andkeep all my commandments al- ways, that it might k well with them! So 3er. 13. 2,7. 0 5erufalem , wilt thou not kmade clean? when_hall it once be ? Ifa. S. 3, 4. we find God there folemnly ap- pealing to the People of Ifrael, whether there had been any thing wanting on his part that was-fit to be done ; Andnow, 0 inhabitants of yerufalem, andmen of 3udah, judge I prayyou, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that 1 have not done to it ? wherefore when I looked it fhould` king forthgrapes, brought itforth wildgrapes? God may juttly look for the Fruits ofRepentance and Obedience from thofe, to whom he affords a fut ciency of Means to that End. And if fo, then 3. The
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