The Breastplate of Faith and Love

To this he answers, He is long suffering, that is, though you provoke him out of measure, though you have done it again and again, he continues patient, you cannot weary him out, but his mercy ⟨p. 41⟩endures for ever: you know that if there were an end of his mercy, that on your sinning, he should give over to be merciful, his mercy did not endure for ever, therefore it is said, He is long suffering, because though your sins be often repeated, yet the Lord as often repeats his mercy, therefore there is a multitude of mercies in him, as there is a multitude of sins in you, there is a spring of mercy in him, that is renewed every day, he opens a spring for Judah & Jerusalem to wash in, it is not a Cistern but a Spring, that is renewed as much as your sins, that as you are defiled daily, so the Lords mercy is renewed to wash away those sins, he is long suffering. But besides all this he goes yet one step further; he is abundant in kindness and in truth, that is, if you would know the Lord yet further, whereas you may think He is a terrible God, because of his great Majesty, and power, and therefore that those dishearten you, as wheresoever you find terribleness, that (you know) puts off, it is contrary to love: and therefore the Lord to win us the more, tells us: that though he be so great a God as he is, yet he is abundant in kindness, that is, He is exceeding ready to bear with us, that look what you find in a kind Husband, in a kind Father, or in a kind friend, that you shall find in the Lord, he is exceeding kind to you, he is not harsh, he is not stiff, he is not ready to observe all that you do amiss, if you will ask any thing at his hands, if you want it, (as therein kindness doth consist) he is ready to do it, whatsoever it is, he is a God hearing prayer, ⟨p. 42⟩he saith, whatsoever you ask at his hands he will do it, can you have a greater kindness than this? if kindness be an attractive to win love, he is kind, and he is abundant in it.

To this he answers, He is long suffering, that is, though you provoke him out of measure, though you have done it againe and againe, he continues patient, you cannot wearie him out, but his mercy ⟨p. 41⟩indures for ever: you know that if there were an end of his mercy, that on your sinning, hee should give over to be mercifull, his mercy did not indure for ever, therefore it is said, He is long suffering, because though your sinnes be often repeated, yet the Lord as often repeates his mercy, therefore there is a multitude of mercyes in him, as there is a multitude of sinnes in you, there is a spring of mercy in him, that is renued every day, he opens a spring for Iudah & Ierusalem to wash in, it is not a Cesterne but a Spring, that is renewed as much as your sinnes, that as you are defiled daily, so the Lords mercy is renewed to wash away those sinnes, he is long suffering. But besides all this he goes yet one step further; he is abundant in kindnes and in truth, that is, if you would know the Lord yet further, whereas you may thinke He is a terrible God, because of his great Majestie, and power, and therefore that those disharten you, as wheresoever you find terriblenesse, that (you know) puts off, it is contrary to love: and therefore the Lord to winne us the more, tells us: that though he be so great a God as he is, yet he is abundant in kindnesse, that is, He is exceeding ready to beare with us, that looke what you finde in a kinde Husband, in a kinde Father, or in a kinde friend, that you shall find in the Lord, he is exceeding kinde to you, he is not harsh, he is not stiffe, he is not ready to obserue all that you doe amisse, if you will aske any thing at his hands, if you want it, (as therein kindnes doth consist) he is ready to doe it, whatsoever it is, he is a God hearing prayer,