nation in Blood: Yet often doth he forbear, and defer his Judgments. And if we amend our ways and our doings, and obey the voice of the Lord our God, he will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against us, Jer. xxvi. 13. And fo little defire hath God to inflict Judgment, that this is called his ftrange Work, which he never doth but when he is enforced by the Wickedness of Men. Ifa. xxviii. 21. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of Men, Lam. iii. 33.

AND when God in his Anger punifheth for Sin, in the midst of Judgment he remembereth Mercy, and retaineth not his Anger for ever. But though he caufe grief, yet will he have compaffion according to the multitude of his mercies, Lam. iii. 32. And when we are in tribulation, if then we feek the Lord with all our heart, we shall find him, Deut. iv. 29. For he is fo ready to fhew Mercy, that he no fooner fees our Repentance, than pities our Condition, and forgives our Sins. And though he hide his Face from us for a Moment; yet in Mercy will he turn unto us, when we turn from our Sins unto him.

THIS Attribute of God may excite us to perform these two Duties.

Firft, IF God be full of Compaffion, and doth not haftily use Severity, then we fhould acknowledge the Equity of his Dealings. The Lord is moft inclined to Mercy, and he hath no Pleasure in the Destruction of any, nor is he extreme to mark what is done amifs; but usually he trieth mild Means to reform us, before he proceeds to Judgment. And never doth he punish any above their Deferts. For which of us doth not enjoy more Bleffings than we can claim as our due? And who among us fuffereth half fo much as he

hath

hath most justly deferved? Surely our Stripes are not answerable to our Sins, nor are we afflictedaccording to our Iniquities. So that we have no Caufe to complain of hard Dealing from God; but in all our Miferies, we muft needs lay the Blame upon our felves.

Secondly, IF God be mild and gentle towards us, then we should be clement towards our Bretheren, and ready to forgive them. When we confider that God fpareth us, and is easie to be intreated of us, how fhould this mollify our Hearts, and make us willing to pardon our Bretheren? If God in Judgment remembereth Mercy, and keepeth not his Anger for ever; fhall we fuffer the Sun to go down upon our Wrath, and nourish Malice in our Hearts? We fin much oftener, and more hainoufly againft God, than any Man can do against us; and yet God is ready to forgive us upon our Repentance: And fhall not we also have Pity on our fellow Servants ? For he that would have God to be gracious unto him, and to pardon his Sins, muft behave himfelf gently towards others, and remit their Tref paffes. But how can he, that is cruel towards others, expect Mildness and Clemency from God? For with what Measure we mete to others, it hall be meafured to us again.

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CHA P. XXIV.

Of the PATIENCE of GOD.

HE eighth Relative Property of God is his Patience; which is an Attribute whereby he beareth with Sinners, and delayeth to punifh them, expecting their Amendment that he may have Mercy on them. The Lord is long-fuffering towards Men, and doth not execute Vengeance on them as foon as they deserve it; but he deferreth their Punishment, that they may have Time to amend their Ways. And by delaying to execute Wrath upon thofe that have moft juftly deferved it, God fheweth both how unwilling he is of Mens Deftruction; and also how juft he is, when he useth Severity, because they that fuffer it finned fo long against him. For the Lord is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all fhould come to repentance, 2 Pet. iii. 9. And as God hath no Pleasure in the Death of Sinners, but defireth their Converfion: So ufually he refpites Vengeance in Expectation of their Converfior, and beareth with them fo long as his Juftice will permit, that by his Patience and Forbearance they may be led to Repentance. Rom. ii. 4, And therefore will the Lord wait (faith the Prophet) that he may be gracious unto us; and therefore will he be exalted

exalted, that he may have mercy upon us, Ifa. xxx. 18. Nay fometimes when God hath fufficient Cause given him to confume obftinate Sinners in his Wrath, and to bring upon them fwift Deftrution Yet that he may leave nothing undone for their Recovery, he beareth for à Seafon with their evil Manners, expecting when they will confider their Danger, and amend their Ways.

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THE Duties which we are to practise in Reference to this Attribute of God, are these Two.

First, THE Patience of God towards us, should move us to repent and turn unto him without Delay: For God is patient towards us, and delays to punish us on purpose to bring us to Repentance. And if we are moved by his Forbearance to forfake our Sins, and walk in his Ways, he will receive us into Favour after all our Tranfgreffions. But if we weary his Patience by delaying our Amendment, he may, in his Juffice, deny us Time and Grace to repent at our own Seafon : For God will not always ftrive, by his Spirit, to convert us. But if we do not give Ear to God's Call, nor feek him while he may be found, 'tis uncertain whether he will hear us when we call on him in our Diftrefs, or whether he will afford us Means and an Opportu nity to amend in future.

Secondly, THE Patience of God towards us should make us take heed that we do not too much provoke him. If God fhould fpare us, and continue his Offers of Grace and Mercy to us, after great Tranfgreffions; yet what a bafe Ingratitude is it for us to continue in Sin, that Grace may abound? What can be more unreafonable

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fonable than to chufe to be eyil, becaufe God is good, and beareth with us? And if we defpife the Riches of God's Goodness and Forbearance, and are not thereby led to Repentance, what do we elfe but treasure up unto our felves Wrath against the Day of Wrath? For if we remain obftinate in our Sins, God's Delaying to punish will nothing avail us: But the longer he hath born with us, the more terribly will he punish. Though Vengeance cometh flowly, yet when it cometh, it will come with Fury on thofe that take no Care to escape it; and therefore let us in due Time take heed that we do not too much incenfe God's Wrath against us: But while he offers us Grace, and waiteth for our Return, let us confider and amend our Ways, that we may not perish in them.

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Of the JUSTICE of GOD.

HE ninth Relative Property of God is his Juftice; which is an Attribute whereby he is effentially juft in him

felf, and righteous in all his Dealings with his Creatures. The Juftice of God is as effential to him as his other Perfections; And all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, juft and right is be, Deut. xxxii. 4.

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