Severity, left there fhould be a God; as if no other Notion could be framed Vol. VII. of the Divine Nature, but of a rafh Fury, and impetuous Revenge, and an impotent Paffion, which when it is offended and provoked, cannot confain it felf, and forbear punishment for a moment. Juftice is not such a Perfection as doth neceffarily exclude Wisdom, and Goodness, and Patience; it doth in no wife contradict the Perfection of the Divine Nature, to bear with finners in expectation of their repentance and amendment; or if God forefees their final impenitency, to refpit their punishment to the moft fit and convenient feason. God may fuffer long, and yet be refolved, if finners perfift in the abuse of his Goodness and Patience, to execute Vengeance upon them in due time. It is a pitiful ground of Atheism, that becaufe God is fo much better than wicked Men deferve, they will not allow him to be at all.

2dly, Others infer from the delay of punishment, that there is no Providence that adminifters the Affairs of the World, and regards the good and bad Actions of Men. For tho' the Be

Ming of God be acknowledged, yet if Voi.VII, he do not regard what is done here below, nor concern himself in humane Affairs, fingers are as fafe and free to do what they please, as if there were no God; and upon this ground, the Scripture tells us, many encourage themselves in their wickedness; Pfal. 64. 3. They encourage themselves in an evil matter, they commune of laying fnares privately; for they fay, Who fball fee them? And more exprefly, Pfal. 944, 5, 6, 7. How long ball the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy People, O Lord, and afflict thine beritage, and lay the widow and the franger, and murder the fatherless; and yet they fay, The Lord fhall not fee, neither ball the God of Jacob regard it. And if this were fo, well might they encourage themselves. If it were true which Epicurus faith, "That God • "takes no knowledge of the Actions "of Men, that he is far removed from "6 us, and contented with himself, and 68 not at all concerned in what we "do; If this were true, the Inference which Lucretius makes, were very just; Quare relligio pedibus fubjecta viciffim Obteritur; "Men might trample

"Re

"Religion under their Feet, and live "without any regard to the Laws of Vol. VII ** it.

But let us fee how they infer this from the long-fuffering of God, that he neglects the Affairs of the World, and hath no confideration of the Actions of Men, because they fee the ungodly to profper in the World, equally with others that are ftrictly devout and virtuous, yea, many times to be in a more profperous and flourishing condition; they are not in trouble like other men, neither are they plagued like other men. So that if there be a God,it feems (fay they) that he connives at the Crimes of Men, and looks on upon that deal treacherously, and holds his peace, whilft the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than himself; as the Prophet expreffeth it, Hab. 1. 13.

them

For anfwer to this, I fhall only give this reasonable and credible Account of the long-fuffering of God, and the impunity of wicked Men in this Life, which not only the Scripture gives us, but the Heathen were able to give from the light of Nature,and is agreeable to the commonSense of Mankind; namely, That this Life is a ftate of pro

bation,

Vol. VII

bation and tryal, wherein God fuffers men to walk in their own ways without any visible check and reftraint, and does not ufually inflict present and remarkable punishments upon them for their evil deeds; because this being a ftate of tryal of the difpofitions and manners of Men, is rather the proper feafon of Patience, than of punishments and rewards; and therefore it is very reasonable to fuppofe, that God referves finners for a folemn and publick Tryal, at the great Affifes of the World, when he will openly vindicate the honour of his Juftice, upon the defpifers of his Patience and longfuffering, when he will make his judgment to break forth as the light, and his righteousness as the noon day. In the mean time the providence of God, when he fees it fit, gives fome remarkable Inftances of his Juftice upon great and notorious Offenders in this life, as a pledge and earneft of a future Judgment; and these fometimes more general, as in the deftruЯtion of the old World, by an univerfal Deluge, when he saw the wickedneẞ of men to be great upon the earth. And fuch was that. terrible Vengeance

which was poured down upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about Vol. VIL them; which, as. St. Jude tells us, are fet forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire, that is, of a perpetual deftruction by Fire.

3dly, Another grofs and Atheistical Inference, which Men are apt to make from the delay of punishment, is, that there is no fuch difference of good and evil as is pretended; because they do not fee the good and bad Actions of Men differenced in their rewards, becaufe Divine Juftice doth not prefently manifeft it felf, and every tranfgref fion and difobedience doth not immediately receive a just recompence of reward, therefore they cannot believe, that the difference between good and evil is fo great and evident.

For anfwer to this. Not to infift upon the difference which, the Providence of God fometimes makes between them in this life, I appeal to the Confciences of Men, whether they do not fecretly and inwardly acknowledge a clear difference between good and evil. Are not the worst of Men apt to conceive better hopes of fuccefs, when they are about a juft and ho

neft