The Patience of God

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Nov 29, 1853

The Patience of God.

THERE is no subject more wondrous than this, “the Patience of God.” Think of the lapse of ages during which that patience has lasted—six thousand years! Think of the multitudes who have been the subjects of it. Millions on millions in successive climes and centuries! Think of the sins which have all that time been trying and wearying that patience—their number, their heinousness, their aggravation! The world’s history is a consecutive history of iniquity, a lengthened provocation of the Almighty’s forbearance! The Church, like a feeble ark; tossed on a mighty ocean of unbelief; and yet the world, with its cumberers, still spared! The cry of its sinful millions at this moment “enters the ears of the God of Sabaoth,” and yet, “for all this, His hand of mercy is stretched out still!” And who is this God of patience? It is the Almighty Being who could strike these millions down in a moment; who could, by a breath, annihilate the world!—nay, who would require no positive or visible forthputting of His omnipotence to effect this, but simply to withdraw his sustaining arm. Surely, of all the examples of the Almighty’s power, there is none more wondrous or amazing than “God’s power over himself.” He is slow to anger. “Judgment is his strange work.” “He visits iniquity unto the third and fourth generation.” He shows mercy unto thousands of generations. God bears for fifteen hundred years, from Moses to Jesus, with Israel’s unbelief; and yet as a pious writer remarks, He speaks of it as but a day. All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people. What is the history of all this tenderness? My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are, your ways my ways, saith the Lord! —Selected.