A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

3. The Scripture representeth God as exercising mercy, though with some present disadvantage to his Glory: As mercy to the Ninevites, though the credit of his Message lay at stake; Nineveh shall be destroyed in forty days; yet God spared it; and therefore Jonah in a pet challengeth him for it; Jon. 4. 2. Lord, was not this my saying when I was in my Country? •or I knew that thou wert a gracious God: As if he said, I knew 'twould come to this, that the Prophets of Israel should be disgraced before the men of Nineveh; and to threaten Judgments in his Name, is to expose our selves to derision; when we have done our errand, free-grace will make us all liars: To this effect did he expostulate with God. God might easily destroy sinners with much honour to himself; but he is long-suffering, even then when his patience for a while seemeth to impair the revenues of Heaven. The World suspects his Being, the Saints quarrel his Justice and question his Love, and all because the wicked are prosperous, and God keepeth silence. The great stumbling block at which most have dashed the foot of their faith, is the suspension of due Judgments. What was the effects of his patience to them of Assyria and Babylon? The Lord himself telleth you, Isai. 52. 5. My Name every day is blasphemed; that was all he got by it: his people suffered in person, and God himself in his reputation; all that he got was blasphemies, and reproaches, and injuries. So Psal. 50. 21. I kept silence, and thou thoughtest that I was every way like thy self; that was the effect; gross conceits of his Glory and Essence: When Judgments are quick and speedy, the World is under greater awe, the confidence of the Saints is strengthened and supported, and Gods honour is more clear and unstained; yet with all these disadvantages to his Glory (if we may speak so) God forbeareth: Certainly his heart is much set upon the honour of his ⟨p. 75⟩Mercy, that God will glorify it, though other Attributes seem to suffer loss.

3. The Scripture representeth God as exercising mercy, though with some present disadvantage to his Glory: As mercy to the Ninivites, though the credit of his Message lay at stake; Niniveh shall be destroyed in forty days; yet God spared it; and therefore Jonah in a pet challengeth him for it;