An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

Thirdly, Evil doers in their doing evil are ordered by God. Wicked men (in every sinful act) run beyond the line of obedience, but they cannot run beyond the line of providence. God limits and circumscribes the acts of wicked men, for otherwise every wicked man would be a monster, a none-such in wickedness, if he could; every one would be a Cain, an Ahab, a Nero, a Cal• gula, &c. The sinfulness of men would be, not only out of measure sinful intensive, in regard of the quality of it, but out of measure sinful extensive, in regard of the quantity of it, it would break all bounds, carry all down before it, did not the Lord order and direct the disorders and confusions of it. There is a sea of wickedness in the heart of a wicked man, which is as boisterous and unruly as the natural sea, and if the Lord did not set bounds to that sea of wickedness, and say, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, it would overwhelm all. Thus far also God hath to do in the ⟨p. 130⟩sinfulness of men, to limit and stay them, to restrain and keep them in compass, while they sin. Every sin goes without the compass of that law which God hath given, but no sin can get beyond the compass of that leave which God gives.

Thirdly, Evil doers in their doing evil are ordered by God. Wicked men (in every sinfull act) runne beyond the line of obedience, but they cannot runne beyond the line of providence. God limits and circumscribes the acts of wicked men, for otherwise every wicked man would be a monster, a none-such in wickednesse, if he could; every one would be a Cain, an Ahab, a Nero, a Cal• gula, &c. The sinfulnesse of men would be, not only out of measure sinfull intensive, in regard of the quality of it, but out of measure sinfull extensive, in regard of the quantity of it, it would break all bounds, carry all down before it, did not the Lord order and direct the disorders and confusions of it. There is a sea of wickednesse in the heart of a wicked man, which is as boysterous and unruly as the naturall sea, and if the Lord did not set bounds to that sea of wickednesse, and say, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, it would overwhelm all. Thus farre also God hath to doe in the ⟨p. 130⟩sinfulnesse of men, to limit and stay them, to restrain and keep them in compasse, while they sinne. Every sinne goes without the compasse of that law which God hath given, but no sinne can get beyond the compasse of that leave which God gives.