Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

If God should presently execute his Justice, this perfection of patience which is a part of his goodness, would never have an opportunity of discovery. Part of his Glory, for which he Created the World, would lye in obscurity from the knowledge of his creature. His Justice would be signal in the destruction of sinners, but this stream of his goodness would be stopped up from any motion. One perfection must not cloud another, God hath his seasons to discover all, one after another. The times and seasons are in his own power. Act. 1.7. The seasons of manifesting his own perfections as well as other things; Succession of them in their distinct appearance makes no invasion upon the rights of any. If justice should complain of an injury from patience, because it is delayed, patience hath more reason to complain of an injury from justice, that by such a plea it would be wholly obscured and unactive. For this perfection hath the shortest time to act its part of any, it hath no stage but this World to move in; Mercy hath a Heaven, and Justice a Hell, to display it self to Eternity, but long suffering hath only a short lived earth for the compass of its operation.

If God should presently execute his Justice, this perfection of patience which is a part of his goodness, would never have an opportunity of discovery. Part of his Glory, for which he Created the World, would lye in obscurity from the knowledge of his creature. His Justice would be signal in the destruction of sinners, but this stream of his goodness would be stopt up from any motion. One perfection must not cloud another, God hath his seasons to discover all, one after another. The times and seasons are in his own power. Act. 1.7. The seasons of manifesting his own perfections as well as other things; Succession of them in their distinct appearance makes no invasion upon the rights of any. If justice should complain of an injury from patience, because it is delaid, patience hath more reason to complain of an injury from justice, that by such a plea it would be wholly obscur'd and unactive. For this perfection hath the shortest time to act its part of any, it hath no stage but this World to move in; Mercy hath a Heaven, and Justice a Hell, to display it self to Eternity, but long suffering hath only a short liv'd earth for the compass of its operation.