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that generation, and faid, They are a Vol VII.people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways. And what was the iffue of all this? Upon this God takes up a fixt refolution to bear no longer with them, but to cut them off from the Bleffings he had promifed to bestow upon them; He fware in his wrath, that they should not enter into his reft. To whom fware he,that they should not enter into his reft, but to them that believed not? or as the word may be rendred, to them that were disobedient ? that is, to them who went on in their rebellion against him, after he had Suffered their manners forty years.

And as the abuse of God's Patience renders our deftruction more certain, fo more speedy and more intollerable. We think that because God fuffers long, he will fuffer always; and be caufe punishment is delayed, therefore it will never come; but it will come the fooner for this: So our Lord tells us, Luke 12. When the fervant faid, His Lord delayed his coming, the Lord of that fervant shall come in a day that he looks not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and shall cut him in funder, and appoint him his portion with

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the hypocrites. None fo like to be furprifed by the Judgment of God, as Vol. VII. those who trefpafs fo boldly upon his Patience.

III. To perfwade us to make a right use of the Patience and longfuffering of God, and to comply with the merciful end and defign of God therein.

1. It is the defign of God's longfuffering, to give us a space of repentance. Were it not that God had this defign and reasonable expectation from us,he would not reprieve a finner for one moment, but would execute Judgment upon him fo foon as ever he had offended: This our Saviour declares to us by the Parable of the Figtree, Luke 13. 6. Were it not that God expects from us the fruit of repentance, he would cut us down, and not fuffer us to cumber the ground; af ter he had waited three years, feeking fruit and finding none, he fpares it one year more, to fee if it would bear fruit.

2. The long-fuffering of God is a great encouragement to repentance. We fee by his Patience that he is not ready to take advantage against us; that he fpares us when we offend, is a 6 2 very

very good fign that he will forgive us Vol. VII. if we repent. Thus naturalLight would reason, and fo the King of Nineveh, a Heathen, reafons, Who can tell if God will turn and repent? But we are fully affured of this by the gracious declarations of the Gofpel, and the way of pardon and forgiveness which is therein establisht through faith in the blood of Jefus Chrift, who was made a propitiation for the fins of the whole world.

Therefore the long-fuffering of God fhould be a powerful argument to us to break off our fins by repentance: For this is the End of God's Patience; He is long fuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked fhould turn from his way and live. God every where expreffeth a vehement defire and earnest expectation of our repentance and converfion; Fer. 4. 14. O Ferufalem! wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayeft be faved. And Chap. 13. 27. Woe unto thee Jerufalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when fball it once be? He who is fo patient as to the punishment of our fins, is almoft impatient of our repentance

pentance for them; Wilt thou not be Vol. VII. made clean? when fhall it once be? And can we ftand out againft his earnest defire of our happiness, whom we have fo often and fo long provoked to make us miferable?

Let us then return into our felves, and think seriously what our cafe and condition is; how we have lived, and how long the Patience of God hath fuffered our manners, and waited for our repentance, and how inevitable and intollerable the mifery of those must be who live and dye in the contempt and abuse of it; let us heartily repent of our wicked lives, and fay, What have we done? How careless have we been of our own happiness, and what pains have we taken to undo our felves?

Let us speedily fet about this Work, because we do not know how long the Patience of God may laft, and the opportunities of our Salvation be continued to us. This day of God's Grace and Patience will have an end, therefore,as the Prophet exhorts, Ifa. 55.6. Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Now God graciously invites Sinners to S3

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come to him, and is ready to receive them; nay, if they do but move towards him, he is ready to go forth and meet them half way; but the time will come, when he will bid them depart from him, when they fhall cry, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and the door of mercy fhall be but against them.

All the while thou delayeft this neceffary work, thou vestureft thy immortal Soul, and putteft thy eternal Salvation upon a defperate hazard, and should God fnatch thee fuddenly away in an impenitent ftate, what would become of thee? Thou art yet in the way, and God is yet reconcileable, but Death is not far off, and perhaps much nearer to thee than thou art aware; at the beft thy Life is uncertain, and Death will infallibly put a period to this day of God's Grace and Patience.

Repentance is a work fo neceffary, that methinks no Man fhould lofe fo much time as to deliberate, whether he should fet about it or not; de neceffariis nulla eft deliberatio; no man de liberates about what he must do, or be undone if he do it not. 'Tis a work of fo great confequence and concernment,