Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

For Patience is properly a temporary sparing a person, with a waiting for his relenting, and a change of his injurious demeanour; The object of goodness is more extensive than that of Patience: Nor do they both consider the object under the same relation. Goodness respects things in a capacity, or in a state of Creation, and brings them forth into Creation, and nurseth, and supports them as Creatures. Patience considers them already Created, and fallen short of the duty of creatures; It considers them as sinners, or in relation to sinners. Had not sin entered, Patience had never been exercised; but goodness had been exercised, had the creature stood firm in its Created State without any transgression; Nay Creation could not have been without goodness: because it was goodness to Create; But Patience had never been known without an object, which could not have been without an injury. Where there is no wrong, no suffering, nor like to be any, Patience hath no prospect of any operation. So then goodness respects persons as creatures, Patience as transgressors; Mercy eyes men as miserable and obnoxious to punishment: Patience considers men as sinful, and provoking to punishment.

For Patience is properly a temporary sparing a person, with a waiting for his relenting, and a change of his injurious demeanour; The object of goodness is more extensive than that of Patience: Nor do they both consider the object under the same relation. Goodness respects things in a capacity, or in a state of Creation, and brings them forth into Creation, and nurseth, and supports them as Creatures. Patience considers them already Created, and fall'n short of the duty of creatures; It considers them as sinners, or in relation to sinners. Had not sin entred, Patience had never been exercised; but goodness had been exercised, had the creature stood firm in its Created State without any transgression; Nay Creation could not have been without goodness: because it was goodness to Create; But Patience had never been known without an object, which could not have been without an injury. Where there is no wrong, no suffering, nor like to be any, Patience hath no prospect of any operation. So then goodness respects persons as creatures, Patience as transgressors; Mercy eyes men as miserable and obnoxious to punishment: Patience considers men as sinful, and provoking to punishment.