Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

But if he delays the execution of a convict offender, for weighty reasons, either for the benefit of the state whereof he is the Ruler, or for some advantage to the offender himself, to make him have a sense of, and a regret for his offence, we account him not unjust for this. God doth not by his patience dispense with the holiness of his Law, nor cut off any thing from its due Authority. If men do strengthen themselves by his long suffering against his Law, 'tis their fault, not any unrighteousness in him. He will take a time to vindicate the Righteousness of his own commands, if men will wholly neglect the time of his patience, in forbearing to pay a dutiful observance to his Precept. If Justice be natural to him, and he cannot but punish sin, yet he is not necessitated to consume sinners, as the fire doth stubble put into it, which hath no command over its own qualities, to restrain them from acting; But God is a free agent, and may choose his own time, for the distribution of that punishment his nature leads him to. Though he be naturally just, yet it is not so natural to him, as to deprive him of a dominion over his own acts, and a freedom in the exerting them what time he judgeth most convenient in his Wisdom. God is necessarily holy, and is necessarily angry with sin, his nature can never like it, and cannot but be displeased with it; yet he hath a liberty to restrain the effects of this anger for a time, without disgracing his holiness, or being interpreted to act unrighteously; As ⟨p. 798⟩well as a Prince or State may suspend the execution of a Law, which they will never break, only for a time, and for a public benefit.

But if he delayes the execution of a convict offender, for weighty reasons, either for the benefit of the state whereof he is the Ruler, or for some advantage to the offender himself, to make him have a sence of, and a regret for his offence, we account him not unjust for this. God doth not by his patience dispense with the holiness of his Law, nor cut off any thing from its due Authority. If men do strengthen themselves by his long suffering against his Law, 'tis their fault, not any unrighteousness in him. He will take a time to vindicate the Righteousness of his own commands, if men will wholly neglect the time of his patience, in forbearing to pay a dutiful observance to his Precept. If Justice be natural to him, and he cannot but punish sin, yet he is not necessitated to consume sinners, as the fire doth stubble put into it, which hath no command over its own qualities, to restrain them from acting; But God is a free agent, and may choose his own time, for the distribution of that punishment his nature leads him to. Though he be naturally just, yet it is not so natural to him, as to deprive him of a dominion over his own acts, and a freedom in the exerting them what time he judgeth most convenient in his Wisdom. God is necessarily holy, and is necessarily angry with sin, his nature can never like it, and cannot but be displeased with it; yet he hath a liberty to restrain the effects of this anger for a time, without disgracing his holiness, or being interpreted to act unrighteously; As