An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

The First Note may be this: That God may have a hand ¹in things wherein men sin exceedingly. They sinned in getting a King, they sinned exceedingly in setting up Jeroboam, and yet God hath such a hand in it, as he saith he, gave them these things. I remember Mr Calvin hath an excellent Note upon this very Scripture. And I rather name it, because the Adversaries would cast that aspersion on him, That he held that God was the author of sin. Saith he, ^*From this place we learn, That God doth so exercise his judgments, that whatsoever evil there is, it is to be ascribed to men; whatsoever good, to himself: God seems to direct this work wholly to his own Providence: from hence let us learn soberly to admire the secret Judgments of God; neither let us imitate those impure dogs; Impure dogs, what are they that do therefore grin and bark at God, because they cannot understand how God doth use wicked men; Because they understand not this, they conclude that God is the cause of sin. He calls them the impure dogs, because they understand not how God doth work in making use of wicked men, that God is the author and cause of sin. His spirit was was much against this, and therefore it was an extreme slander upon him, as if he should hold such an opinion. That's the first. God may have an hand in things wherein men sin extremely, and yet he remain holy.

The First Note may be this: That God may have a hand ¹in things wherein men sin exceedingly. They sin'd in geting a King, they sin'd exceedingly in setting up Jeroboam, and yet God hath such a hand in it, as he saith he, gave them these things. I remember Mr Calvin hath an excellent Note upon this very Scripture. And I rather name it, because the Adversaries would cast that aspersion on him, That he held that God was the author of sin. Saith he, ^*From this place we learn, That God doth so exercise his judgments, that whatsoever evil there is, it is to be ascribed to men; whatsoever good, to himself: God seems to direct this work wholly to his own Providence: from hence let us learn soberly to admire the secret Judgments of God; neither let us imitate those impure dogs; Impure dogs, what are they that do therefore grin and bark at God, because they cannot understand how God doth use wicked men; Because they understand not this, they conclude that God is the cause of sin. He cals them the impure dogs, because they understand not how God doth work in making use of wicked men, that God is the author and cause of sin. His spirit was was much against this, and therefore it was an extream slander upon him, as if he should hold such an opinion. That's the first. God may have an hand in things wherein men sin extreamly, and yet he remain holy.