Page:AceticLibraryV2PreparationForDeath.djvu/142

 thou wast offending God, He could have caused thee to die, but He waited for thee, and instead of chastising thee, He conferred His benefits upon thee. He preserved thy life and provided for thee. He feigned not to see thy sins, so that thou mightest repent. "Thou overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance." (Wisd. xi. 24.) But how is it, Lord, that Thou Who canst not endure the sight of a single sin, yet remainest quiet when Thou beholdest so many?"

Thou beholdest that dishonest one, that revengeful one, that blasphemer, whose offences increase daily; but yet Thou punishest them not, and why so much patience? " Therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you." (Isa. xxx. 18.) God waits for the sinner, so that he may amend his ways, and thus He may pardon and save him.

S. Thomas observes, That all creatures fire, earth, air, water would punish the sinner by instinct, to avenge the wrongs done to the Creator, for "all creation, in its service to Thee, the Creator, turns against the impious." Yet God in His mercy withholds them. But, Lord, Thou dost wait for these wicked ones that they may repent, yet dost Thou not see that they are making use of Thy mercy to offend Thee more? " Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, Thou hast increased the nation: Thou art glorified." (Isa. xxvi. 15.) And wherefore then so much patience? Because God willeth not the death of the sinner, but that he should be converted and live. " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) S. Augustine goes so far as to say, that if God were not God, " He would be unjust on account of the long-suffering that He shows towards shiners." To wait for that one who makes use of God's patience only to become more sinful, would appear unjust to the Divine honour. " We sin," the Saint goes on to say, "We sin, and are attached to it, and some make their peace with sin; they sleep in sin for months and for years; "We rejoice in sin," some even boast of their wickedness, " and art Thou appeased?"

It would seem as if we were striving with God we were provoking Him to punish us and He inviting us to pardon.