730 The Long-fuffering of God. Vol, L for threatnings lignifie very little, but upon this fuppofition, that in all probabi_ li ty they will be executed ; and if this be true, it is the greateft madnefs and foi ly in the World to run the hazard of it. (;.) As for thole large declarations which the Scripture makes of the bound- lefs Mercy of God to Sinners, we are to limit them, as the Scripture hath done, to the time and feafon of mercy, which is this life, and while we are in the way. This is the day of mercy and falvation, and when this life is ended, the oppor- tunities of Grace and Mercy are pall, and the day of recompence andvengeance will begin. Now God tries us, and offers Mercy to us ; but if we obflinately refute it, Judgment will take hold of us. And then we mutt limit the Mercy of God to the conditions upon which he offers it, which are repentance for fins paft, and fincere obedience for the future : but if Men continue obftinate and impenitent, and encourage themfelves in fin from the Mercy and Patience of God, this is not a cafe that admits of Mercy.; but, on the contrary, hisJuflice will triumph in the ruin and deflru4ion of thofe, who inftead of embracing the offers of his Mercy, do defpife and abufe them. He will laugh at their calamity, andmock when their fear comes ; when their fear comes as defolation, aad their dejirutlion as a whirl-wind ; when diJfrefs and anguifb cometh upon them ; then theymay call upon him, but he will not anfwer ; they may Peek him early, but they /hall not findhim. If we defpife the riches of God'sgood- nefs, and longfuffering, and forbearance, he knows how to handle us, and will do it to purpofe ; with the froward be will Phew himfelf froward, and will be in a more efpecial manner fevere towards thofe, who take encouragement from his Mercy, to disbelieve and defpife his threatnings. And this God hath asplainly told us, as words can exprefs any thing, Deut. 2.9. 19, 2.0. And if it cometo pals, that when heheareth the words of this curie, he blefs himfelf in his heart, faying, I fhall have peace, tho' I walk in the imagination of my heart, to adddrunkennefs to tbirfl : The Lordwill not fpare him but then the anger of the Lord; and hisjealou fie (hall fmoke againfi that man, anelall the curfes that are written in this book, JhalJ lie upon him, and the Lord_hall slot out his name from under heaven. Whatever right and power Godhath referved tohimfelf about the execution of his threat- flings, he hath plainlydeclared that ofall others, thofe who encourage themfelves in a finful courfe from the hopes ofGod's Mercy, notwithflandinghis threatnings, /hall find no favour and mercy at his hand ; whatever he may remit of his threatnings to others, he will certainly not (pare thofe, who believe fo largely concerning the Mercy of God, not with a mind to lùbmit to the terms of it, but to prefume fo much the more upon it. (q..) God hath not been wanting to thew force remarkable Inflances of his fe- verity towards Sinners in this World. As he is pleafed fometimes to give good Men Come fore-taftes of Heaven, and earnefls of their 'future happinels; fo like- wife by force prefent flroke to let Sinners feel what they are to expect hereafter, force fparksof Hell do now and then fall upon the Confciences of Sinners. That fear which is fometimes kindled in Men's Confciences in this life, that horrible anguilh and thofe unfpeakable terrors which force Sinners have had experience of in this World, may ferve to forewarn us of the wrathwhich is to come, and to convince us of the reality of thofe expreffìons of the Torments of Hell, by the worm that dies not, andthefire that is not quenched. That miraculous Deluge which fwallowed up the old World, that Hell which was rained down from Heaven, in thofe terrible fhowers of Fire and Brimftone, to confume Sodom and Gomorrah; the Earth opening her mouth upon Corah and his feditious company, to let them down, as it were, quick into Hell; thefe and many other remarkable. Judgments of God in leveral Ages upon particular Perlons, and upon Cities and Nations, may fatisfie us in force meafure of the feverity of God againfl fin, and be as it were Pledges to allure Sinners of the infupportable Mifery and Torments of the next life. (f.) The Argument is much ftronger the other way, that becaufe the punilh- ment of Sinners is delayed fo long, therefore it will be much heavier and feve- rer when it comes ; that the wrathof God is growing all this while, and as we fill up the meafures of our fins, he fills the vials of his wrath ; Rom. z. S. And according
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