Serm. XCVI. The Patience ofGod. 72I. 3. The trueReafon why Men do not repent, but perifh , is becaufe they are obftinate, and will not repent ; and this account the Scripture every where gives of the impenitency of Men, and the ruin confequent upon it. Pfal. 8r. 13. 0 that mypeople hadhearkened unto me, and Ifrael hadwalked in my flatutes l But my people would not hearken to myvoice, and Ifrael would, noneofme. Ezek. 33. s r. Why will ye dye, 0 houfe of Ifrael ? Prov. i. 29, 30, 3 I. rhey hated knowledge, and did not chufe thefear of the Lord. They wouldnone of my couarels, they defpifedall myre- proof. Therefore (hall they eat thefruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices. The ruin of Sinners does not proceed from the counfel of God, but from their own choice. And fo likewife our Saviour every where chargeth the ruin and deftrudion of the Yews upon their own wilful obflinacy. The Inferences from this Difcourfe concerning the patience and long- fuffering ofGod towards Mankind, fhall be thefe three. I. To flit us up to a thankful acknowledgment of thegreat Patience of God towards us, notwithflanding our manifold and heinous provocations. We may every one of us take to ourfelves thofe words, Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lorismercy that we are not corfumed, becaufe his compajions fail not. They are renewed every morning. Whenever we fin (and weprovoke God every day) it is ofhis patience that weare not deflroyed; and when we fin again, this is a new andgreater Inftance of God's Patience. The mercies ofGod's. Patience are no more to be numbred than our fins ; we may fay with David, Howgreat is thefum of them ? The Goodnefs of God in fearing us, is in Tome refped greater than his goodnefs in creating us; becaufe he had no provocation not to make us, but we provoke him daily to de-. ftroy us. II. Let us propound the Patience of God for a pattern to our felves. Plutarch lays, " That God Pets forth himfelf in the midft of the World for our Imitation, " and propounds to us the Example of his Patience, to teach us not to revenge " Injuries haftily upon one another. III. Let us comply with the defign of God's patience and long-fuffering towards us, which is tobring us to repentance. Men are veryapt to abufe it to a quite con- trary purpofe, to the encouraging themfelves in their evil ways. So Solomon ob- ferves, Eccl. 8. II. Becaufe fentence againfi an evil work is not executedfpeedily, therefore the heart ofthe fon: of men is fully fet in them to do evil : But this is ve- ry falfe reafoning; for the Patience of God is an Enemy to Sin, as well as hisJu- ftice, and the defign of it is not to countenance fin, but to convert the Sinner ; Rom. 2. 4. Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodnefs, andforbearance, and longfuffering, not knowing that the goodnefs of God leadetb thee to repentance ? Patience in God Mould produce Repentance in us ; and we fhould look upon it as an opportunity given us by God to repent and be Paved ; z Pet. 3. 15. Account that the long-fuf- fering of God is falvation. They that do not improve the Patience ofGod to their own Salvation, .miflake the true meaning and intent of it. But many are fo far from making this ufe of it, that they prefume upon it, and fin with more cou- rage and confidence becaufe of it ; but that we maybe fenfible of the danger of this, I will offer there two or ,three Confiderations. L. That nothing is more provoking to God, than the abufe of his Patience: God's Patience waits for our Repentance, and all long attendance, even of Infe-, riors upon their Superiors, hath fomething in it that is grievous ; how muchmore grievous and provoking muft it be to the great God, after he bath laid out upon us all the riches of his Goodnefs and Long-fuffering, to have that defpifed ! after his Patience hath waited a long time upon us, not only to be thruft away with contempt, but to have that which fhould be an argument to us to leave our fins, abufed into an encouragement to continue in them ! God takes an account of all the days of his Patience and forbearance; Luke 13. 7. Behold, thefe threeyears I come feekingfruit, and find none ; cut it down ; why cumbreth it theground? z. Confider that the Patience of God will havean end. Tho' God Puffers long, he willnot fuffer always; we may provoke God fo long, till he can forbear 'no longer without injury and difhonour to his Wifdom, and Juftice, and Holinefs and God will not fuller one Attribute to wrong the reft ; his Wifdom will deter- Zzzz mine
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