A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Thirdly, There is the aggravation of this mercy; God will do this, Though the imagination of mans heart be evil; This clause is to be considered, first as a Reason, then Absolutely in it self. If as a reason, then here is the difficulty taken notice of, how it can be made the ground why God will not destroy the world, seeing formerly Chap. 6. 5. it is there made the only reason why he would destroy it, can it be the motive for two contrary effects? Some therefore do not make it a reason at all, but part only of the description of Gods promise, he will not destroy the earth again for this sinful disposition, but there must necessarily be some reason, either expressly or tacitly implied, for God is here declaring his purpose to take a more gracious and merciful way, now that he had given such a dreadful demonstration of his justice and anger against sin already: Some then make the reason to be ab incommdo, that if God should destroy the world, because of mans original corruption breaking forth daily, there would never be an end, we should have floods upon floods; Therefore as the Psalmist saith, He remembereth that we are but dust, he knoweth our frame (Psal. 103. 14.) therefore he will not always pour cut his wrath. Thus (say they) it is here, and this is probable: Others make it an Argument ab aeqno, to which Pererius inclineth, as if God did hereby declare, That being man is thus originally polluted, and incurably sinful, as to his own power, therefore God would pity him; so that though formerly God looked upon it, as the matter of his wrath; now as the matter of pity being sin maketh us miserable, so some think David, Psal. 51. urgeth his natural corruption, as an Argument to move God to pity him, but this is not so probable, because this doth directly contradict Gods former proceedings, when his wrath was poured out on the world, because of this sin breaking forth into actual rebellions; I rather therefore go with those that take the particle Ci adversatively, Although, God would not again destroy the world, although mankind was of such a corrupt frame; and thus it is to be taken in many places, the neglect whereof hath caused many Disputes about some Texts of Scripture, whereas the rendering of this particle adversatively, would easily have cleared it, as might be showed, if it were to my purpose. (Vide Tarn. Exerc.)

Thirdly, There is the aggravation of this mercy; God will do this, Though the imagination of mans heart be evil; This clause is to be considered, first as a Reason, then Absolutely in it self. If as a reason, then here is the difficulty taken notice of, how it can be made the ground why God will not destroy the world, seeing formerly Chap. 6. 5. it is there made the only reason why he would destroy it, can it be the motive for two contrary effects? Some therefore do not make it a reason at all, but part only of the description of Gods promise, he will not destroy the earth again for this sinfull disposition, but there must necessarily be some reason, either expresly or tacitly implied, for God is here declaring his purpose to take a more gracious and mercifull way, now that he had given such a dreadfull demonstration of his justice and anger against sinne already: Some then make the reason to be ab incommdo, that if God should destroy the world, because of mans original corruption breaking forth daily, there would never be an end, we should have flouds upon flouds; Therefore as the Psalmist saith, He remembreth that we are but dust, he knoweth our frame (