dignity from that illustrious fountain. What is therefore in such high estimation with God, should have a proportionable measure of regard from man; and it should be a sufficient commendation of it to the one, that the other approves and loves it. If God be acknowledged as our Lord and Father, his forbearance and longsuffering should be ours also; for servants should be obedient to their Lord, and children should not degenerate from their father's virtues. Now we may hence take an estimate of God's long-suffering, that he bears so patiently with those continual and repeated affronts which are offered to his divine majesty by the superstitions of a gentile worship, their temples, their altars, and impious sacrifices; that, by his appointment, the day and the sun distribute their heat and their light equally and impartially among the evil and the good; and when he sendeth his rain to water and refresh the earth, all alike partake of the benefit without exception, and the just and the unjust are equal sharers in it. Thus we see that his merciful forbearance makes no distinction between the evil and the good; but the seasons are subservient in common to all their uses; and the winds, the waters, the harvest, the vintage, the fruits of the earth, the groves and meadows, unfold their respective treasures in equal proportions to them all. And though God is every day provoked with repeated offences, he restrains his anger, and patiently waits for the appointed day of retribution.

And though vengeance is always in his power, yet his long-suffering chooses to protract its awards; to see whether the delay of it may not produce some happy alteration; whether men, how long and deeply soever they may have been engaged in guilt, may not at last, though late, be turned to God, who hath thus encouraged them in the following words: "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways and live?" And again, by another of his prophets, saying, "Turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." The holy apostle hath likewise borne his testimony to this attribute of God, and thence endeavoured to persuade the sinner to repent and turn to him, saying, "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds." He calls the judgment of God righteous, because 'tis late, because 'tis a great while postponed and delayed; that so by means of God's long-suffering, man may have time and opportunity to seek for his salvation. Then punishment lights very properly upon the

ungodly and the sinner, when repentance is useless and unavailable.

3. Now for a farther proof to us that patience is a property of God, and that whosoever is meek, and kind, and patient, is like thereby unto God his father; we should consider those words of our Saviour when he was giving his disciples a scheme of more perfect duty, which should be sure to conduct them safe to heaven: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." This was the way whereby our Saviour judged that the children of God would become perfect; that after their new, their second birth, the measure of their stature would be hence completed; viz. if the long-suffering of God did indeed abide in them; if that heavenly image which Adam forfeited were clearly revived and exemplified in

their actions. Now how great, my brethren, must be the honour and the happiness of resembling God; of attaining to virtues, whose praises mix with those of our heavenly Father?

4. Nor did Jesus Christ our God and Lord teach us how to behave in this particular by word only; but his practice accompanied his instructions, and he led us by his example as well as by precept. And as the avowed design of his coming amongst us was to do the will of his Father; amidst the many wonderful and heavenly virtues, which proclaimed the Spirit and power whereby he acted, none was more conspicuous nor remarkable than that uninterrupted tenor of meekness and forbearance, which spread itself throughout his whole behaviour, and drew his Father's image to the life. Indeed, every circumstance relating to him bore this impression. If we begin with his first appearance in our flesh: It was no small proof of his meekness and condescension, to leave his glorious abode in heaven, to visit our poor earth ; for the Son of God to be clothed with our flesh; and for him, who did no sin, to bear the sins of others. He was content to divest himself for a while of his immortality, and to become like one of us mortals; that the punishment of an innocent and righteous person might avail for the pardon of the unrighteous and guilty. The master submitted himself to be baptized by his servant; and he, who was to confer upon us the remission of our

sins, himself vouchsafed to be washed in the laver of regeneration. He fasted forty days, through whose gracious supplies the hunger and thirst of others are answered even unto fulness; he disdained not to feel the pinches of want and famine, that such as should be destitute of the word of God's grace, might be filled with the bread of heaven. He entered the lists with the tempter; and when he had conquered his enemy, and had him at mercy, he pushed his advantage no farther, than only to silence him with a mild rebuke. He governed his disciples, not as a master doth his servants, with a lord-like authority; but treated them rather as brethren, and gained them to his will with the charms of a persuasive love. He even condescended so low as to wash his disciples' feet; by all these instances instructing us, that if a master so behaved to his servants, fellow-servants should not be wanting in any kind or condescensive offices towards each other. Nor need we wonder at our Lord for the lowly services he paid to those, who made him some returns by their obedience; since he even bore to the last with Judas, vouchsafed to eat with him, knew all along that he would betray him; yet never exposed him by any open discovery, and did not finally disdain the acceptance of that traitor's kiss. How signal also was his patience in his indulgent treatment of the obstinate and unthankful; in his mild and gracious answers to gainsayers; in his concessions and con