Senn. XCVII. The Longfuffering'ofGod. 727 But becaufe thofe who argue thus are but few in comparifon, therebeing not many in the World arrived to thatdegree of blindnefsand height of impiety, as to disbelieve a God and a Providence, and I think none have attained to that per- fed conqueft of Confcience, as to have loft all fenfe of good and evil ; therefore I fhall rather infifti II. Upon thofe kind of Reafonings which are more ordinary and common a- mong bad Men, and whereby they cheat themfelves into everlafting Perdition ; and they are fach as thefe. I. Becaufe lenience againff an evil work is not fpeedily executed, therefore Sin is not fo great an Evil. 2. Therefore God is not fo highly offended and provoked by it. Or, 3. God is not fo fevere in his own Nature, as he is commonly reprefented. 4. Therefore the punilhment of fin is not fo certain. S. Or however it is at a diflance, and may be prevented time enough, by á future Repentance, in our old Age, or at the hour of Death ; by föme fach falfe Reafonings as thefe, which Men think may probably be collected from the Pati- ence and long- fuffering of God, they harden and encourage themfelves in an evil courfe. z. Becaufe the punifhment of fin is deferr'd, therefore they conclude it is not fo great an Evil ; they do not feel the ill Effects of it at prefent, all things go well and profperoufly with them, no lefs than with thofe who are fo firid and confcientious ; and therefore they hope there is no filchgreat Evil in Sin, as me- lancholy Peopleare apt to fancy to themfelves. For anfwer to this, (r.) Confider ferioufly what Sin is; and then thou wilt fee reafon enough to call it a great Evil. To fin againft God, is to contemn the greateft Authority in the world, . to contradict the greateft Holinefs and Purity, to abufe the greateft Goodnefs, and to provoke AlmightyJuflice to take Vengence upon thee, and to make thee as miferable as thou art capable ofbeing. To fin againft God, is to be difobedient to thySovereign, and unthankful to thy bell Benefaétor and to ac`1 contrary to the greateft Obligations againft thybeft Reafon and trueft Intereft; to difoblige thykindeft Friend, and togratifie thy worft and bittereft Enemy ; it is to diforder thy felf, to create perpetual difquiet to thy own Mind, and to do the greateft rnifchief poffible to thy felf; to deprive thy felf of the greateft Happi- nefs, and to draw down upon thy felf extream and eternal Mifery. And what dowe call a great Evil, if this be not, which contains in it all the kinds, and all the aggravations of' Evil that can be, and bath all the circumftances of uglinefs and deformity in it that can be imagined ? (2...) Whatever Sin be in it felf, yet from hence we can in no wife conclude, that it is not a great Evil, becaufe the punifhment of it is defered fora while; from hence indeed it follows, that God is very good in deferring the punifhment which is due to thee for thy fins, but by no means that Sin is not very Evil. The Reprieve of a Traytor does indeed argue the goodnefs and clemency of the Prince, but doth not at all abate of the heinoufnefs of the Crime for which he is fen- tenced. The great evil ofSin, is evident, becaufe the holy and juft Gad bath forbidden it, and declared his hatred_and deteftation of it, and threatned it with mofi fevere and direful punifhment ; but that God refpites the punifhment which is due to fin, and does not immediately take vengence upon Sinners, but affords them a fpace, and means, and opportunity of repentance, this doth not at all lef- fen the Evil ofSin, but is rather an aggravation of it ; that we fhould offend and provoke that God, who is fo patient and long- fuffering towards us, fo very loth to bring tholeEvils upon us, which we are fo rath and forward to pull downupon ourfelves. z. If God doth not immediately punifh fin, upon the commiflion ofit, and inftantly let fly at the Sinner, this they would conftrue to be a figs that he is not fo highly offended and provok'd by it ; if he were, he would manifeft his difpleafure againft it, by the fudden and violent effufions of his Wrath. For an- fwer to this; I delve thefe two things may be confidered. (t.) That God himfelf is his Word every where plainly declares to us his great difpleafure
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