A35535:2396
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the book of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus near the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To clear the meaning in this Negative assertion, we must take in the highest affirmatives of the holiness and Justice, of the righteousness, truth, and faithfulness of God; For it sounds like a flat and low commendation of God, to say, he will not do wickedly; for so it may be said of every honest man, He will not do wickedly; but seeing in this Negative commendation given by man to God (as in all the Negative commandments given by God to man) all affirmatives are to be understood; what can be said more to or more sound out his praise and glory then this?
To cleare the meaning in this Negative assertion, we must take in the highest affirmatives of the holinesse and Justice, of the righteousnesse, truth, and faithfulnesse of God; For it sounds like a flat and low commendation of God, to say, he will not doe wickedly; for so it may be sayd of every honest man, He will not do wickedly; but seeing in this Negative commendation given by man to God (as in all the Negative commandements given by God to man) all affirmatives are to be understood; what can be sayd more to or more sound out his praise and glory then this?
God will not do wickedly?
God will not doe wickedly?
1The word here used for doing wickedly, signifies two things; First, to pronounce any person wicked; and Secondly, to do any thing which is wicked; both these often meet together. For in many cases to pronounce a person wicked, is to do a wicked thing; he that condemneth a just person, pronounceth him wicked, and what thing can be done more wickedly then that? Some take the word in that sense here, as a denial that God either hath done, or ever will condemn the innocent. There are two things wherein men do very wickedly, with respect to the persons of men, both which the Lord abhors. First, when they condemn the innocent. Secondly, when they acquit or clear the guilty. The former way of doing wickedly, is chiefly removed from God here by Elihu, as the latter is directly and expressly by himself (Exod: 34.7.) The Lord, the Lord, &c. that will by no means clear the guilty. To pronounce a guilty person innocent, or an innocent person guilty, if ignorantly done, is a great piece of weakness, and if knowingly done, is a great piece of wickedness.