2. God hath not taken this course. He hath continued the race of mankind for a long season on the earth ; he hath watched over them with his providence, and exercised exceeding patience, forbearance, and long-suffering toAvards them. Thus the apostle Paul at large discourseth on. Acts xiv. 15-17, xvii. 24-30, as also Kom. ii. 4. And it is open and manifest in their event. The Avhole Avorld is every day filled Avith tokens of the poAver and patience of God ; every nation, every city, every family is filled Avith them.
3. That there is a common abuse of this ixitience of God visible in the Avorld hi all generations. So it Avas of old: God -saw it to be so, and complained of it. Gen. vi. 5, 6. All the evil, sin, wickedness, that hatl) been in the Avorld, Avhich no heart can conceive, no tongue can express, hath been all an abuse of this patience of God. This, Avith the most, is the consequent of God's patience and forbearance. Men count it a season to fulfil all the abominations that their evil hearts can suggest unto them, or Satan draAV them into a combina- tion Avith himself in. This the state of things in the Avorld proclaims, and every one's experience confirms.
4. Let us, therefore, consider what is the true and x^roper end of this patience of God towards the world, enduring it in sin and Avickedness for so long a season, and siiftering one generation to be multiplied after another. Shall avc think that God hath no other design in all this patience towards mankind, in all generations, but
Ver. 4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 4-i9
merely to suffer tliem, all and every one, without exception, to sin against him, dishonour him, provoke him, that so he may at length everlastingly destroy them all? It is confessed that this is the con- sequent, the event of it with the most, through their perverse wicked- ness, with their love of sin and pleasure. But is this the design of God,— his only design ? Hath he no other purpose but merely to for- bear them a while in their folly, and then to avenge himself upon them? Is this his intendment, not only towards those who are obsti- nate in their darkness, ignorance, and rebellion against him, whose " damnation is just, and sleepeth not," but also towards those whom he stirs up by his grace to seek after a remedy and deliverance from the state of sin and death ? God foi-bid ; yea, such an apprehension would be contrary to all those notions of the infinite wisdom and goodness of God which are ingi'afted upon our hearts by nature, and Avhicli all his works manifest and declare. Whatever, therefore, it be, this cannot be the design of God in his patience towards the world. It cannot be but that he must long since have cut off the whole race of mankind, if he had no other thoughts and purposes towards them.
5. If this patience of God hath any other intention towards- any, any other effect upon some, upon any, that is to be reckoned the principal end of it, and for the sake whereof it is evidently extended unto some others, consequentially unto all. For those concerning whom God hath an especial design in his patience, being to be brought forth in the world after the ordinary way of mankmd, and that in all ages during the continuance of the world, from the be- ginning unto the end thereof, the patience which is extended unto them must also of necessity reach imto all in that variety wherein God is pleased to exercise it. The whole world, therefore, is conti- nued under the patience of God and the fruits of it, for the sake of some that are in it.
6. Let us, therefore, see what is the end of this patience, and what it teacheth us. Now, it can have no end possible but only that be- fore rejected, unless there be forgiveness of sins with God. Unless God be ready and willing to forgive the sins of them that come to him according unto his appointment, his patience is merely subser- vient unto a design of wrath, anger, severity, and a resolution to destroy. Now, this is an abomination once to suppose, and would reflect unspeakable dishonour upon the holy God. Let a man but deal thus, and it is a token of as evil an habit of mind, and perverse, as any can befall him. Let him bear with those that are in his power in their faults, for no other end or with no other design but that he may take advantage to bring a greater punishment and revenge upon them ; and what more vile affection, what more
VOL. VI. 29
450 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.4.
wretched corruption of heart and mind, can he manifest ? And shall we think that this is the whole design of the patience of God? God forbid.
It may be objected " That this argument is not cogent, because of the instance that lies against it in God's dealing with the angels that sinned. It is evident that they fell into their transgression and apostasy before mankind did so, for they led and seduced our first parents into sin; and yet God bears with them, and exer- ciseth patience towards them, to this very day, and will do so unto the consummation of all things, when they shall be cast into the fire 'prepared for the devil and his angels;' and yet it is granted that there is no forgiveness in God for them : so that it doth not neces- sarily follow that there is so for man, because of his patience towards them."