With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
And with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward - not that God is really so; but to the froward God seems so. Compare the words of the unprofitable servant, "Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an hard man" (Matthew 25:24; and Luke 19:21-22). What regarded by itself would seem perverse ("froward"), becomes altogether right, and the only thing worthy of the holiness of God, when viewed in relation to the sinner's perversitity. God's procedure toward men exactly accords with their procedure toward Him. See Leviticus 26:23-24; also Deuteronomy 32:1-52 throughout.