A plain and familiar exposition of the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eleuenth and twelfth chapters of the Prouerbes…

Verse 23. The desire of the righteous is only good, but the hope of the wicked is indignation.

WE must beware here that we justify not all the wishes and desires to be good, which righteous men conceive, not condemn all to be unrighteous which conceive any wishes and desires that be not good: for then should David be excluded out of the number of the righteous, or else his desire of having Bathsheba, or wishing to know the number of the people should be allowed. But he understandeth the main stream of their desires, the course and current of their hearts is to godliness and goodness, though sometimes they corrupt nature in themselves, and the tempestuous temptations of Satan do violently drive their thoughts another way; which is wholly contrary in the wicked. For they desire nothing but mischief and evil, and therefore in the end they shall receive nothing but misery and punishment, which will be so great and so grievous, as will make them rave and rage with madness and fury, especially because they looked for a better state. Thus then standeth the opposition: the desire of the righteous is only good, and therefore their hope shall end in consolation: but the desire of the wicked is only evil, and therefore their hope shall end in indignation.

WE must beware here that we iustifie not al the wishes and desires to be good, which righteous men conceiue, not condemne all to be vnrighteous which conceiue any wishes and desires that be not good: for then should Dauid be excluded out of the number of the righteous, or else his desire of hauing Bathsheba, or wishing to know the number of the people should be allowed. But he vnderstandeth the maine streame of their desires, the course and current of their hearts is to godlinesse and goodnesse, though sometimes they corrupt nature in themselues, and the tempestuous temptations of Satan doe violently driue their thoughts another way; which is wholly contrarie in the wicked. For they desire nothing but mischiefe and euill, and therefore in the end they shall receiue nothing but miserie and punishment, which will be so great and so grieuous, as will make them raue and rage with madnes and furie, especially because they looked for a better state. Thus then standeth the opposition: the desire of the righteous is onely good, and therefore their hope shall end in consolation: but the desire of the wicked is onely euill, and therefore their hope shall end in indignation.