SERM.my heart: The Lord will not spare him, XIV. but the Anger of the Lord shall smoke against that man, and all the Curfes that are written in this book, fhall lie upon him. And 'tis recorded in the book of Kings for an everlasting memorial, that when God pardoned Manaffeh upon his Repentance after many years wickedness, and he reigned in Jerufalem fifty and five years; his Son Amon prefuming upon the Goodness of God to imitate his Father's wickednefs, was cut off in his Sin after only two Years reign.

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5thly, THE Goodness of God, is an example for Us to imitate. Does He who has all Power abfolutely in his own hands, caufe his Sun to fine on the Evil and on the Good, and fend his rain on the just and on the unjust, doing good to All, and extending his mercy over all his works? And shall frail mortals, fhall vain and finful men, tyrannize over each other? Shall God forgive us freely ten thousand talents? and fhall We not forgive each other our one hundred pence? efpecially when in our daily Prayer, our Lord has taught us to make This the exprefs condition of our own defiring Forgivenefs? And the Reafon

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Laftly, THE confideration of the divine

1 Goodness is an incouragement to Repent

ance; seeing he requires of us no impof-
fible, no hard condition; but only faith
unto us, Wash and be clean, Amend and
be forgiven. Yet at the fame time it
fhows alfo to Sinners the abfolute Necef-
fity of their Reformation; seeing, without
fuch Reformation, even infinite Goodness
itself will not pardon them, tho' it waits
with much long-fuffering for their Repent-
ance and Amendment,

XIV.

Reason of the thing, is elegantly expreffed SER M.
by the Son of Sirach, Ecclus. xxviii. 3, 4,
One man beareth hatred against another,
and doth be feek pardon from the Lord?
He fheweth no mercy to a man which is like
himself, and doth he ask forgiveness of his own
Sins?

SERMON XV.

Of the PATIENCE of GOD.

Meer

ECCLES. viii. II.

Because fentence against an evil work is not executed fpeedily, therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men, is fully fet in them to do Evil.

XV.

ONCERNING the Goodness of SER M. God in general, I have difcourfed already upon another occafion: Concerning that particular Branch of Goodnefs, which confifts in deferring the Punifhment of evil-doers, and is properly diftinguished by the Name of Patience or Long-fuffering, I intend at this time to

treat

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SER M. treat, from the words now read unto you. XV. In which, it is obvious to observe; ist, The Character, or Defcription given, of the divine Patience and Long-fuffering; It confifts in This, that Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. 2dly, The ill Use that wicked and profane Men are too apt to make of the divine forbearance; Their Heart is thereby fully Set in them to do evil. 3dly, The Folly and Abfurdity of thus abufing the Patience of God; forafmuch as Sentence against every evil work, though it be not speedily executed, yet is certainly passed; and, if the Sinner amends not, will alfo certainly be executed; and That, the more feverely too, because not speedily.

I. HERE is a Character or Defcription given of the divine Patience and Longfuffering; It confifts in This, that Sentence against an evil work is not executed Speedily. The Defign and Reafon of which Delay is declared to us by St Paul, Rom. ii. 4. The Riches of the Goodness and Forbearance and Long-fuffering of God, which leadeth thee to Repentance; And St Peter, 2 Pet. iii. 9, 15. The Lord is not flack concerning his Promife,

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