was great upon the Earth, a general Vol. VII. deluge was threatned, but God was patient, and delayed his Judgment a great while; hereupon they grew fe cure in their impenitency, and went on in their course, as if they had no apprehension of danger, no fear of the Judgment threatned. So our Saviour tells us, Matth. 24. 38, 39. As in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,, until the day that Noah entred into the Ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. And fo it was with Sodom, Luke 17. 28. And likewife alfo as it was in the days of Lot, they eat, they drank, they bought, they fold, they planted, they built. And fo our Saviour tells us it will be in the end of the World; Even thus fhall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. So likewife the Apoftle St. Paul, Rom. 2. 4, 5: Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-fuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardneẞ and impenitent heart, treafureft up to thy felf wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. The good

nefs

nefs and long-fuffering of God, which ought in all reafon to lead Men to repentance, is to many an occafion of greater hardness and impenitency. So alfo St. Peter foretels, 2 Pet. 3. 3. that in the last days there should come fcoffers, who fhould walk after their own hearts lufts, faying, Where is the promise of his coming? And we fee in daily experience, that the greatest part of finners grow more obftinate and confirmed in their wicked ways, upon account of God's Patience, and because he delays the punishment due to them for their fins. Let us confider in the

Second place, whence this comes to país, and upon what pretence and colour of Reason, Men encourage themfelves in fin, from the long-fuffering of God. And there is no doubt but this proceeds from our ignorance and inconfiderateness, and from an evil heart of unbelief, from the temptation and fuggeftion of the Devil, one of whofe great arts it is, to make Men question the threatnings of God, and to infinuate, as he did to our firft Parents, either that he hath not denounced fuch threatnings, or that he will

Vol. VII.

not execute them fo feverely. Ali Vol. VII. these Caufes do concur to the produ

cing this monftrous Effect; but that which I defign to enquire into, is, from what pretence of Reafon,grounded upon the long-suffering of God, finners argue themselves into this confidence and prefumption. For when the wife Man faith, that becaufe fentence against an evil work is not executed fpeedily, therefore the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil, he does not intend to infinuate, that God's long-fuffering fills the hearts of Men with wicked defigns and refolutions, and does by a proper and direct efficacy, harden finners in their course; but that wicked Men upon fome account or other, do take occafion from the long-fuffering of God, to harden themselves in fin; they draw falfe conclufions from it to impofe upon themselves, as if it were really a ground of encouragement; they think they fee fomething in the forbearance of God and his delay of punishment, which makes them hope for impuni ty in an evil courfe, notwithstand. ing the throatnings of God.

And

And therefore I fhall endeavour to hew, what thofe falfe conclufions Vol. VII are, which wicked Men draw from the delay of punishment, and to dif cover the fophiftry and fallacy of them; and I fhall rank them under two Heads; thofe which are more grofs and atheistical, and those which are not fo grofs, but yet more common and frequent.

I. Those conclufions which are more grofs and atheistical, which bad Men draw to the hardening and encourageing of themselves in fin, from the delay of punishment (which we who believe a God, call the patience or long-fuffering of God) are these three; either that there is no God; or if there be, that there is no Providence; or that there is no difference between Good and Evil.

I fhall speak more briefly of thefe, because I hope there are but few in the World of fuch irregular and befotted understandings, as to make fuch Infe. rences as thefe from the delay of punishment.

ft. From hence fome would fain conclude, that there is no God. That fome are fo abfurd as to reafon in this

man

manner, the Scripture tells us, Pfal. Vol. VII. 14. 1. The fool hath faid in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt, and have done abominable works. Now the Argument that thefe Men frame to themfelves, is this; God doth not take a speedy course with finners, and revenge himself immediately upon the workers of Iniquity, therefore there is no God; for if there were, he would fhew himself, and not bear the affronts of finners, when it is fo eafie for him to vindicate himself by a fwift and speedy Vengeance. Thus the Poet represents the Atheist arguing, Nullos effe deos, inane cœlum, affirmat Selius, probatque, quod fe factum, dum negat hoc, videt beatum.

"Selius

"affirms there are no Gods, and that "Heaven is an empty place, and proves it, because whilft he denys "God, he fees himself in a very happy "and profperous condition.

And here it is worthy our notice, at what a contradictious rate these Men reason. Firft they would have no God, left he fhould be juft and punish them as they deferve; and then in another mood, they would have him to be nothing but Justice and