4. We proceed to speak of God as long-suffering, or as he is styled by the apostle, _The God of patience_, Rom. xv. 5. sometimes this attribute is set forth in a metaphorical way, and called a _restraining his wrath_, Psal. lxxvi. 10. and a _refraining himself_, and _holding his peace_, or _keeping silence_, Isa. xlii. 14. and Psal. l. 21. and, while he does this, he is represented, speaking after the manner of men, as one that is _weary with forbearing_, Isa. i. 13. chap. vii. 13. Mal. ii. 17. and he is said to be pressed, under a provoking people, _as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves_, Amos ii. 13. By all which expressions, this perfection is set forth in a familiar style, according to our common way of speaking: but that we may briefly explain the nature thereof, let us consider, in general; that it is a branch of his goodness and mercy, manifested in suspending the exercise of his vindictive justice, and in his not punishing in such a degree as sin deserves. But that we may consider this more particularly, we shall observe something concerning the objects thereof, and the various instances in which it is displayed; how it is glorified; and how the glory thereof is consistent with that of vindictive justice; and lastly, how it is to be improved by us. (1.) Concerning the objects of God’s patience. Since it is the deferring of deserved wrath, it follows from hence, that an innocent creature cannot be the object of it, inasmuch as vindictive justice makes no demand upon him; nor has it any reserves of punishment laid up in store for him; such an one is, indeed the object of goodness, but not of forbearance; for punishment cannot be said to be deferred where it is not due: and, on the other hand, they cannot be said to be the objects thereof, in whom the vindictive justice of God is displayed to the utmost, when all the vials of his wrath are poured forth. Whether the devils are, in some sense, the objects of God’s forbearance, as having ground to expect a greater degree of punishment after the final judgment, is disputed by some, who contend about the sense of the word _forbearance_; they are said, indeed, _to be reserved in chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day_, Jude, ver. 6. that is, though their state be hopeless, and their misery great, beyond expression, yet there is a greater degree of punishment, which they bring upon themselves, by all the hostilities they commit against God in this world: this farther appears, from what they are represented, as saying to our Saviour, _Art thou come to torment us before the time?_ Matth. viii. 29.[63] By which it is sufficiently evident that their misery shall be greater than now it is. However, this less degree of punishment, inflicted on them, is never called in scripture, an instance of God’s patience, or long-suffering, towards them; therefore we must conclude that they are not, properly speaking, the objects of the glory of this attribute.