Vse. This may serve to admonish us, alwayes, when we come to the hearing of Gods word, to endeavour to have circumcised eares and hearts, ready and willing to yeeld all obedience thereunto. Doct. 3. God useth much patience and long-suffering towards the disobedient.
This is gathered from verse 20.
Reason 1. Because by this meanes Gods clemency and mercy is manifested. 2. Because by this patience of God all are invited, and many are drawne unto the obedience of faith. 3. Because this patience makes those that are stubbornely disobedient altogether inexcusable, and so justifies God in his just judgements. Use 1. This may serve to direct us, to give the glory of this patience unto God, when we see sinners to go unpunished for a time. 2. To admonish us not to abuse this patience of God, but to make it a meanes for the amendment of our lives; and our own salvation, Rom. 2.4. Doct. 4. In the destruction of the disobedient, God hath a speciall eye over the faithfull; to save them from the destruction.
This is gathered from verse 20.
Reason 1. Because he disposeth his judgements according to his certaine and perfect counsell, not rashly or confusedly, therefore he passeth over whom he pleaseth. 2. Because the punishments of sinne should not fall alike upon the godly and wicked, for then he would not be a just disposer of them. 3. Because it stands upon Gods glory to save those that flye unto him, as he promised them in his covenant. Vse. This may serve to comfort us, in the time of publick calamities, wherein God revengeth the wickednesse of men. Doct. 5. God doth often times preserve those that are his, partly by the same meanes wherby he destroyeth others.
For it is said that the Arke saved Noah and those seven souls in the waters and by the waters. The same water that drowned others, by lifting up the Arke on high, was the meanes of their preservation. So Ieremy was delivered by the Babylonians, by whom the Iewes were oppressed.
