Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

2. His Patience is manifest, in long delaying his threatened Judgements, though he finds no Repentance in the Rebels. He doth sometimes delay his lighter punishments, because he doth not delight in torturing his Creatures; but he doth longer delay his destroying punishments, such as put an end to mens happiness, and remit them to their final and unchangeable state; because he doth not delight in the death of a Sinner. While he is preparing his arrows, he is waiting for an occasion to lay them aside, and dull their points, that he may with honour march back again, and disband his Armies. He brings lighter smarts sooner, that men might not think him asleep, but he suspends the more terrible judgments, that men might be led to Repentance. He scatters not his consuming fires at the first, but brings on ruining vengeance with a slow pace; sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed. Eccles. 8.11. The Jews therefore say that Michael, the Minister of Justice, flies with one wing, but Gabriel the Minister of Mercy with two. An 120 years did God wait upon the old World, and delay their punishment, all the time the Ark was preparing. 1 Pet. 3.20. Wherein that wicked Generation did not enjoy only a bare patience, but a striving patience. Gen. 6.3. My Spirit shall not always strive with man, yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years, the days wherein I will strive with him; that his Long-suffering might not lose all its fruit, and remit the objects of it into the hands of consuming Justice. It was the Tenth Generation of the World from Adam, when the deluge overflowed it, so long did God bear with them. And the Tenth Generation from Noah wherein Sodom was consumed. God did not come to keep his Assizes in Sodom, till the cry of their sins was very strong, that it had been a wrong to his Justice to have restrained it any longer. The cry was so loud, that he could not be at quiet, as it were, on his Throne of Glory for the disturbing noise. Gen. 18.20, 21. Sin transgresseth the Law, the Law being violated, solicits Justice, Justice being urged pleads for punishment; the cry of their sins did as it were force him from Heaven to come down, and examine what cause there was for that clamour. Sin cries loud and long, before he takes his Sword in hand.