Patience Of God
Patience Of God [1]
Is his long suffering or forbearance. He is called the God of patience, not only because he is the author and object of the grace of patience, but because he is patient or long suffering in himself, and towards his creatures. It is not, indeed, to be considered as a quality, accident, passion, or affection in God as in creatures, but belongs to the very nature and essence of God, and springs from his goodness and mercy, Romans 2:4 . It is said to be exercised towards his chosen people, 2 Peter 3:9 . Romans 3:25 . Isaiah 30:18 . 1 Timothy 1:16 . and towards the ungodly, Romans 2:4 . Ecclesiastes 8:11 . The end of his forbearance to the wicked, is, that they may be without excuse; to make his power and goodness visible; and partly for the sake of his own people, Genesis 18:32 . Revelation 6:11 . 2 Peter 3:9 . His patience is manifested by giving warnings of judgments before he executes them, Hosea 6:5 . Amos 1:1 . 2 Peter 2:5 . In long delaying his judgments, Ecclesiastes 8:11 . In often mixing mercy with them. There are many instances of his patience recorded in the Scriptures; with the old world, Genesis 6:3; the inhabitants of Sodom, Gen. xviii; in Pharaoh, Exod. v; in the people of Israel in the wilderness, Acts 13:18; in the Amorites and Cannaanites, Genesis 15:15 . Leviticus 18:28 . in the Gentile world. Acts 17:30; in fruitless professors, Luke 13:6; Luke 13:9; in Antichrist, Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 13:6; Revelation 18:8 .
See Charnock's Works, vol. 1: p. 780; Gill's Body of Divinity, vol. 1: p. 130; Saurin's Sermon's vol. 1: ser. 10 and 11, 148, 149; Tillotson's Sermons.
