36 Ehap.22. An Expofition upon the Beek of Jo B. Netts, former : though the word fometimes fignifies the evill of afflidi. on, yet he e I fhall take it for theevill of fin, or as we tranflate, nick dntffe, which denotes not ordinary but great fin;for though every wicked man be a finner, yet every firmer is not properly a wicked man. Further, wickedneffe in the former, and iniquity in the latter part of the verfe, may be thus diftinguifhed ; wiekedneffe fpecially relpecgs thofe as by which wehurt, and wrong others, iniquity ¿bofe in which we paffe by or negle$ the duty which we pkratitiam dill' owe to others; and therefore Eli haz calls his wickedneffe lurimam, fed P 7nrjurrarer rnfr- great, but his iniquities infinite; bccaufe fins ofomillion are more ,afar , pia to in number then fins ofcommiflion ; Man fayles oftner by not pluribur percat doing the good required,then by doing the evil forbidden.Nature horn otniaendo can taller forbeare that which it likes, or leafeth it, then be con. ?.tram ro m't- verfant in that which it likes not, or withwhich it is difpleafed, Is not thy wickednefegreat ? The word fignifies both magnitude and multitude, and it may be taken bothwayes here, for great in bulk, and great in number. But it may be Paid, whole wickedneffeis not great ? or is any finne little Why then doth Elipbaz fatten this upon lob, Is thy wickseinefsgreat ? 1 anfwer, f tit, that it is unbecoming any man, to fay his fins, are little ; we fhould not little, or leffen our finnes, or have low thoughts of hem : as we ought not to have low thoughts ofany ofthe mercies of God, but to think them all great to us, yea too great forus, towe fhouldnot have light thoughts ofany ofour fi 's, but judge the leaft of themgreat, and the lighteft of them heavy, yea even too great and too heavy for us to beare. Nor doth any thing more greaten a mans fin, thenhis opinion that it is little. Secondly, Ianfwer, that indeed no finne is little s in the leaf' finne that ever was committed, there is a greatneffe, as corrimitted againft the great God, as it is a breach oftheLaw, and an abufe of the love of the Great God. Neverthelefl°e, thotigh every finne, thus confidered, is great yet comparative. ly some finnea are but little, and fines being weighed one with.
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