If therefore the truth of God, which will certainly accomplish his threatenings, be a present security for the glory of his holiness, it is not absolutely necessary that vindictive justice should be immediately exercised in the destruction of sinners, and so exclude the exercise of God’s forbearance and long-suffering.

And to this it may be added, that there are many terrible displays of God’s vindictive justice in his present dealing with sinners; as it is said, The Lord is known by the judgments which he executes, as well as by those he designs to pour forth on his enemies; the wicked are now snared in the work of their own hands, but in the end they shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, Psal. ix. 16, 17. If vindictive justice takes occasion to inflict many temporal and spiritual judgments upon sinners in this world, then the glory of God’s holiness is illustrated at the same time that his patience is prolonged. This may be observed in God’s dealing with his murmuring and rebellious people in the wilderness which gave him occasion to take notice of the abuse of his patience, and to say, Numb. xiv. 11, 18-21. How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? Upon this, justice is ready to strike the fatal blow; I will, says God, smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them; which gives Moses occasion to intercede for them, and plead the glory of God’s patience, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy; Pardon, says he, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt, even until now; by which he means, as I humbly conceive, spare thy people, as thou hast often done, when, by reason of their provocations, thou mightest justly have destroyed them; and God answers him in the following words, I have pardoned, according to thy word; but he adds, As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, that is, with the report of the glory of his vindictive justice, which should be spread far and near; and then he threatens them that they should not see the land of Canaan, viz. those who murmured against him; so that vindictive justice had its demands fulfilled in one respect, while patience was glorified in the other; on which occasion the Psalmist says, Psal. xcix. 8. Thou answeredst them, O Lord, namely, Moses’s prayer for them, but now mentioned, Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

Secondly, Consider the vindictive justice of God, as tending to secure his rights, as the governor of the world, and being ready to take vengeance for sin, which attempts to control his sovereign authority, and disturb the order of his government: now the stroke of justice may be suspended for a time, that it may make way for the exercise of patience, provided there be no just occasion given hereby for men to trample on the sovereignty of God, despise his authority, or rebel against him, without fear: but these consequences will not necessarily result from his extending forbearance to sinners; for we do not find that the delaying to inflict punishment among men is any prejudice to their government, therefore why should we suppose that the divine government should suffer any injury thereby; when a prince, for some reasons of state, puts off the trial of a malefactor for a time, to the end that the indictment may be more fully proved, and the equity of his proceedings more evidently appear, this is always reckoned a greater excellency in his administration, than if he should proceed too hastily therein; and we never find that it tends to embolden the criminal to that degree as impunity would do; for he is punished, in part, by the loss of his liberty, and if he be convicted, then he loses the privilege of an innocent subject; his life is forfeited, and he is in daily expectation of having it taken away. If such a method as this tends to secure the rights of a government, when a prince thinks fit to allow a reprieve to some for a time; may not God stop the immediate proceedings of vindictive justice for a time, without the least infringement made, either on his holiness, or his rectoral justice? Which leads us to consider,

(5.) How the patience of God is to be improved by us; and,

1st, Since it is a divine perfection, and there is a revenue of glory due to God for the display thereof, this should put us upon the exercise of those graces, which it engages us to. Some of the divine attributes tend to excite our fear, but this should draw forth our admiration and praise: and we have more reason to adore and admire the divine forbearance, when we consider,

First, How justly he might destroy us. The best man on earth may say, with the Psalmist, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O lord, who shall stand? Psal. cxxx. 3. He need not watch for occasions, or diligently search out some of the inadvertencies of life, to find matter for our conviction and condemnation, since the multitude and heinous aggravation of our sins, proclaim our desert of punishment, which might provoke, and immediately draw down, his vengeance upon us; and that which farther enhances our guilt is, that we provoke him, though laid under the highest obligations to the contrary.

Secondly, How easily might he bring ruin and destruction upon us? He does not forbear to punish us for want of power, as earthly kings often do; or because the exercise of justice may be apprehended, as a means to weaken their government, or occasion some rebellions, which they could not easily put a stop to. Thus David says concerning himself, that he was weak, though anointed king, and that the sons of Zeruiah were too hard for him, on the occasion of Joab’s having forfeited his life, when the necessity of affairs required the suspending his punishment, 2 Sam. iii. 39. but this cannot be said of God, who is represented as slow to anger, and great in power, Nah. i. 3. that is, he does not punish, though he easily could: it would be no difficulty for him immediately to destroy an ungodly world, any more than it is for us to crush a moth or a worm, or break a leaf: finite power can make no resistance against that which is infinite: what are briars and thorns before the consuming fire?

2dly, Let us take heed that we do not abuse this divine perfection; it is a crime to abuse the mercy of God in the smallest instances thereof, but much more to slight and contemn the riches of his forbearance, or mercy, extended to so great a length, as it has been to most of us; and this is done,

1. By those who infer, from his forbearing to pour forth his fury on sinners, that he neglects the government of the world; or take occasion from thence to deny a providence, and because his threatenings are not executed at present, therefore they do, as it were, defy him to do his worst against them; this some are represented as doing, with an uncommon degree of presumption, and that with a scoff; for they are termed scoffers, walking after their own lusts; saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation, 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4.

2. By those who take occasion from hence to sin presumptuously; and because he not only delays to punish, but, at the same time, expresses his willingness to receive returning sinners, at what time soever they truly repent, take occasion to persist in their rebellion, concluding that it is time enough to submit to him; which is not only to abuse, but, as it were, to wear out his patience, and provoke his indignation, like them, of whom it is said, that because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil, Eccl. viii. 11. But you will say, these are uncommon degrees of wickedness, which only the vilest part of mankind are chargeable with; therefore let us add,