Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. He doth exercise Patience for the propagation of Mankind. If God punished every sin presently, there would not only be a period put to Churches, but to the World; without Patience Adam had sunk into Eternal anguish the first moment of his provocation; and the whole World of Mankind in his loins, had perished with him, and never seen the light. If this perfection had not interposed, ⟨p. 812⟩after the first sin, God had lost his end in the Creation of the World, which he Created not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. Isa. 45.18. It had been inconsistent with the wisdom of God to make a world to be inhabited, and destroy it upon sin, when it had but two principal inhabitants in it; the reason of his making this earth had been insignificant; He had not had any upon earth to Glorify him, without erecting another World, which might have proved as sinful, and as quickly wicked as this; God should have always been pulling down, and rearing up, creating and annihilating, one world would have come after another, as wave after wave in the Sea. His Patience stepped into support the honour of God, and the continuance of men, without which one had been in part impaired, and the other totally lost.

3. He doth exercise Patience for the propagation of Mankind. If God punished every sin presently, there would not only be a period put to Churches, but to the World; without Patience Adam had sunk into Eternal anguish the first moment of his provocation; and the whole World of Mankind in his loynes, had perished with him, and never seen the light. If this perfection had not interposed, ⟨p. 812⟩after the first sin, God had lost his end in the Creation of the World, which he Created not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. Isa. 45.18. It had been inconsistent with the wisdom of God to make a world to be inhabited, and destroy it upon sin, when it had but two principal inhabitants in it; the reason of his making this earth had been insignificant; He had not had any upon earth to Glorifie him, without erecting another World, which might have proved as sinful, and as quickly wicked as this; God should have alwayes been pulling down, and rearing up, creating and annihilating, one world would have come after another, as wave after wave in the Sea. His Patience stept into support the honour of God, and the continuance of men, without which one had been in part impaired, and the other totally lost.