Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

Since he behaved himself more as a tender Friend, that had no mind to be at War with them, than an enraged Enemy. The good things which he gave them, and the patience whereby he spared them, were no arguments of an implacable disposition: And therefore of a disposition willing to be appeased. This is clearly the design of the Apostles arguing with the Lystrians, when they would have offered Sacrifices to Paul. Acts 14.17. When God suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways, he did not leave himself without witness, giving Rain from Heaven, and fruitful seasons. What were those Witnesses of? Not only of the Being of a God, by their readiness to sacrifice to those that were not Gods, only supposed to be so in their false imaginations; but witnesses to the tenderness of God, that he had no mind to be severe with his Creatures: But would allure them by ways of Goodness.^* Had not Gods patience tended to this end, to bring the World under another dispensation, the Apostles arguing from it had not been suitable to his design, which seems to be a hindering the sacrifices they intended for them, and a drawing them to embrace the Gospel, and therefore preparing the way to it, by speaking of the Patience and Goodness of God to them, as an unquestionable testimony of the reconcilableness of God to them, by some sacrifice which was represented ⟨p. 810⟩under the common notion of Sacrifices. These things were not Witnesses of Christ, or syllables whereby they could spell out the redeeming person; but Witnesses that God was placable in his own nature. When man abused those noble faculties God had given him, and diverted them from the use and service God intended them for, God might have stripped man of them, the first time that he mis-employed them; and it would have seemed most agreeable to this wisdom, and Justice, not to suffer himself to be abused, and the World to go contrary to its natural end. But since he did not level the World with its first nothing, but healed the World so favourably, it was evident, that his patience pointed the World to a further design of Mercy and Goodness in him. To imagine, that God had no other design in his long-suffering but that of vengeance, had been a notion unsuitable to the Goodness and Wisdom of God. He would never have pretended himself, to be a Friend, if he had harboured nothing but enmity in his heart against them.