God's Patience Abused

Gods patience is seen in His providential works in the world He suffered the nations to walk in their own way and the witness of His providence to them was His giving them rain and fruitful seasons, filling their heart with food and gladness Acts 16 17. His patience is manifested to our first parents. His slowness to anger was evidenced in not directing His artillery against them when they attempted to rebel. God did not presently send that death upon man which he had merited but continued his life to the space of 930 years. The earth did not swallow him up nor a thunderbolt from heaven raze out the memory of him. Though he had deserved to be treated with such a severity for his ungrateful demeanor to his Creator and benefactor and affecting an equality with Him yet God continued him with a sufficiency for his content after he turned rebel though not with such a liberality as when he had remained a loyal subject. And though He foresaw that he would not make an end of sinning but with an end of living He used him not in the same manner as He had used the devils.