Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. The time of patience will have an end. Though his Spirit strives with man, yet it shall not always strive. Gen. 6.3. Though there be a time wherein Jerusalem might know the things, that concerned her peace, yet there is another period wherein they should be hid from her Eyes. Luke 19.43. Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day? Nations have their day, and persons have their day, and the day of most persons is shorter than the day of Nations. Jerusalem had h•• day of forty years, but how many particular persons were taken off, before the last or middle hours of that day were arrived? Forty years was God grieved with the Generation of the Israelites. Heb. 3.11. One Carcass dropped after another in that limited time, and at the end not a man but fell under the judicial stroke, except Caleb and Joshua. One hundred and twenty years was the Term set to the mass of the old World, but not to every man in the old World; some fell while the Ark was preparing, as well as the whole stock, when the Ark was completed. Though he be patient with most, yet he is not in the same degree with all; every sinner hath his time of sinning, beyond which he shall proceed no further, be his lusts never so impetuous, and his affections never so imperious. The time of his patience is in Scripture set forth sometimes by years; three years he came to find fruit on the Fig-tree; sometimes by days, some mens sins are sooner ripe, and fall. There is a measure of sin, Jer. 51.13. Which is set forth by the Ephah, Zach. 5.8. Which when it is filled, is sealed up, and a weight of lead cast upon the mouth of it. When judgments are preparing, once and twice the Lord is prevailed with by the intercession of the Prophet. The prepared Grasshoppers are not sent to devour, and the kindled Fire is not blown up to consume. Amos 7. from ver. 1. to ver. 8. But at last God takes the plumb-line to suit, and measure punishment to their sin, and would not pass by them any more, and when their sin was ripe, represented by a basket of Summer fruit, God would withhold his hand no longer, but brought such a day upon them, wherein the Songs of the Temple should be howlings, and dead bodies be in every place.