Chapter XXIII. How great is the Goodness of our God in waiting for and bearing with the Sinner

TO know the greatness of the Goodness of our God in supporting the sinner, consider first, that as God loves holiness unutterably, so His hatred, on the other hand, of sin is infinite.

What Goodness, then, does God show in supporting the sinner, who before the eyes of His Purity and Majesty commits many sins, not once, nor twice, nor thrice, but over and over again. "I see well, O Lord (may the sinner say), that when I have sinned you have said to my heart: We will see which of the two will prevail, you in offending Me, or I in pardoning you."

This point well meditated upon, will, I believe, with the grace of God, inflame the heart of the sinner, and make him quickly turn to God; but if not, he will have great reason to fear the unsearchable judgments of God, from which oftentimes proceed blows of vengeance, sudden, tremendous and irremediable.