An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

When the devil knows he hath but a little time, he will do as much work as he can, and do it presently, he sees all will scape out of his hands else. Only the Lord hastens not, neither needeth he to hasten his work at any time upon this ground, because he hath but a short time. He can take what time he will, and make his day as long, and his days as many as himself pleaseth for the acting of his counsels, whether to punish or to show mercy. And hence it is that he delayeth, till wicked profane spirits wonder, yea scoff at his delay, and think, surely the Lord will never do any such thing as he hath threatened, or promised, because he stayeth so long before he doth it; whereas indeed to him that inhabiteth eternity, deferment is no delay, though to us it seem so, whose times are measured out by inches and hours, by moments, and by minutes. Those profane wretches (Isa. 5.19.) call the Lord, and provoke him to action, Let him ⟨p. 465⟩make speed and hasten his work, that we may see it. The Lord appears slow and slack to many men, but the Lord is not slack as some men count slackness (2 Pet. 3.9.) Men think he is slack, when he is only patient, and themselves ignorant, That a thousand years to the Lord are but as one day; God doth not measure time by our pole, nor cast it up by our Arithmetic. Eternity doth not only like the unjust steward, bid us write fifty for an hundred, but one for a thousand, and (which bears the disproportion of divers hundreds in every one of that thousand) one day for a thousand years. Time is not only a small thing, but nothing unto God, Mine age (saith David) is nothing unto thee (Psal. 39.5.) And if all Nations before him are as nothing, if they are counted to him less then nothing (Isa. 40.17.) Then not only the age of one man, but the ages of all men added together, are before him as nothing, and are counted to him less then nothing. Surely he cannot want time to do all things, before whom all times are nothing. He cannot want time to pour out his judgements, and to empty the vials of his wrath upon wicked men, nor can he want time to fulfil his promises, and to make good every word of blessing which he hath spoken to, or concerning his own people; Wicked men! Do not ye hope; Godly men! Do not ye fear, God will not do what he hath said, because he hath not already done it.