And to this it may be added, that there are many terrible displays of God’s vindictive justice in his present dealing with sinners; as it is said, _The Lord is known by the judgments which he executes_, as well as by those he designs to pour forth on his enemies; the wicked are now _snared in the work of their own hands_, but in the end they shall be _turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God_, Psal. ix. 16, 17. If vindictive justice takes occasion to inflict many temporal and spiritual judgments upon sinners in this world, then the glory of God’s holiness is illustrated at the same time that his patience is prolonged. This may be observed in God’s dealing with his murmuring and rebellious people in the wilderness which gave him occasion to take notice of the abuse of his patience, and to say, Numb. xiv. 11, 18-21. _How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?_ Upon this, justice is ready to strike the fatal blow; _I will_, says God, _smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them_; which gives Moses occasion to intercede for them, and plead the glory of God’s patience, _The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy; Pardon_, says he, _I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt, even until now_; by which he means, as I humbly conceive, spare thy people, as thou hast often done, when, by reason of their provocations, thou mightest justly have destroyed them; and God answers him in the following words, _I have pardoned, according to thy word_; but he adds, _As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord_, that is, with the report of the glory of his vindictive justice, which should be spread far and near; and then he threatens them that they should not see the land of Canaan, _viz._ those who murmured against him; so that vindictive justice had its demands fulfilled in one respect, while patience was glorified in the other; on which occasion the Psalmist says, Psal. xcix. 8. _Thou answeredst them, O Lord_, namely, Moses’s prayer for them, but now mentioned, _Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions._