106 God hath a right to shew mercy to whom he will, SECT. XX. Rom. SECT. XX. The apostle shews, that the sovereign choice of some individuals to peculiar privileges, to which none had claim, and the sovereign appointment, from among many criminals, of some to peculiar and exemplary punishments, was perfectly consistent both with reason and scripture. Rom. IX. 14—24. ROMANS IX. 14. HAVE already shewn you how possible it ROMANS IX. 14. is that persons descended from Abraham. WHAT shall we say then? Is ness with God! God and even from Isaac, may be cut off from the there unrighteous. ix. 14 special promises of God; as the posterity, forbid. first of Ishmael, and then of Esau, evidently were. 15 For he saith to 記 What therefore shall we say to this? [Is there] unrighteousness with God in the proceedings and distributions of his providence, in this or any other instance to be produced? God forbid we should insinuate any thing of that nature. It is, in the highest consistence with justice, matter of the freest choice, to whom 15 such favours shall be granted. For he saith to Moses, (Exod. xxxiii. 19,) when intimating a Moses, I will have gracious purpose toward Israel, though they mercy on whom I had broke his covenant so soon after the first and I will have comwill have mercy, confirmation of it, and by an act of flagrant passion on whom I idolatry had just merited immediate destruc- will have compastion, I will have mercy on whomsoever I will have mercy, and will compassionate whomsoever I please to compassionate, so as to dispense acts of pardon according to my own sovereign pleas 16 17 ure. sion. runneth, but of God Jacob and Esau, of whom I was speaking 16 So then it is just above, may be farther considered as an il- not of him that willlustration of the sovereignty of the Divine dis- eth, nor of him that pensations in such cases: the latter of them, that she weth mercy. after he had foolishly sold his birthright, was exceedingly desirous of obtaining his father's blessing, and run out eagerly to hunt venison for him; (Gen. xxvii. 5-30;) nevertheless, it was bestowed upon Jacob. [It is] not therefore, you see, to be referred into the forwardness of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but it is of God that sheweth mercy, to one rather than another, on sovereign reasons, which we cannot penetrate, but must always believe to be worthy of himself. And moreover we may add, that such is the conduct of God in other instances, when of 17 For the scrip. earth. XX. Rom. and to make what sinners he will the monuments of his wrath. 107 ture saith unto Pha- various sinners he appoints one, rather than SECT. raoh, Even for this another, to be a monument of special vengeance. same purpose have For the scripture says to Pharaoh, (Exod. ix. I raised thee up, that I might shew 16,) "For this cause have I raised thee up, to ix. 17 my power in thee, that height of eminence in which thou gloriest,b and that my name that I may remarkably shew forth my power in might be declared throughout all the thee, and that my name, in consequence of distinguished judgments to be righteously inflicted upon thee, may be celebrated through all the earth, in the most distant nations and remotest ages." And accordingly he hardened his heart, that he should not let Israel go; that is, he took measures which he knew would be attended with that effect, and at last brought 18 Therefore hath the extremity of his wrath upon him. So then 18 he mercy on whom we must, after all our objections, rest the matbe will have mercy, ter here, that the blessed God, as he is uncontrollable, so he is also unaccountable in his dispensations that in choosing this or that creature to distinguished favours, or appointing this or that sinner to deserved punishment, he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he hardeneth and destroyeth whom he will. and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say But thou wilt perhaps be ready, while thou 19 then unto me, Why readest this declaration, to raise an objection doth he yet find against it, and say to me, If "God acts thus, why doth he then find fault, and blame his Moreover the scripture says, &c.] It is former plagues, that I might make thee a plain, that this is no proof of what imme- more remarkable example of vengeance; diately goes before; I therefore choose but though (as Dr. Shuckford, Connect. to render yap by moreover, which is con- Vol. II. p. 433, and many others observe,) sistent with making it introductory to that agree with inpans, the word used what proves something asserted at some by the LXX. in their version of the text in distance, if it come in as a coordinate question, and with the original pen proof. This is so important a remark in yet it does not answer to the Greek word the illustration of scripture, and clears an used by St. Paul, yuga. If, as some attentive reader of so many embarrass- writers suppose, the Pharaoh here spoken ments, that I hope I shall be excused re- of were an Egyptian king, (I think Apopeating it on different occasions. The phis,) who made his way to the throne by reader will observe, the apostle does not treason, incest, and murder, the words produce an instance of an innocent person had a singular weight, in the sense we being made an object of Divine displeas- have here given them. Mr. Taylor exure, out of mere sovereignty, but one of plains it of his having been recovered from the most insolent sinners that the world the plague of blains, which was indeed said to have been upon Pharaoh, Exod. ix. 15, 16, and this may possibly be the true sense; but I think the other stronger and ever knew. I have raised thee up.] Some would render it, I have made thee to stand, that is, I have supported thee during the nobler. 108 God may bear with hardened sinners, to make his power known, XX. Rom SECT. a prevailing occasion to it? Who hath ever, in fault? for who hatla any instance, resisted, or who can ever be able resisted his will? to resist his will? If he hath determined by ix. 19 such methods to destroy a nation, or a person, who can prevent it, or prevent those evils, which shall, according to his high appointments of Providence, be in fact the means of bringing on that destruction ?" 20 thus ? Nay, but let me rather reply, Who art thou, 20 Nay but, O O vain, weak and ignorant man, with all thy man, who art thou that repliest against boasted wisdom and penetration, who art thou God? shall the thing who thus arrogantly enterest into a debate with formed say to him the allwise, almighty and allgracious God, and that formed it, Why chargest his proceedings as arbitrary and un- hast thou made me just? Surely it becomes us, whenever we treat such a subject, to do it with the humblest reverence, and through the whole to remember the infinite distance between him and us. Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed [it,] Why hast thou made me thus? Let us remember he is our almighty Creator, and not imagine we can ever have any room or right to expostulate with him, or in any circumstance to 21 complain of him. Hath not the potter power 21 Hath not the over [his] clay, as God himself represents the potter power over case, (Jer. xviii. 4-6,) out of the same mass to the clay, of the same lump to make one make one vessel to uses of honour, and another vessel unto honour, to the basest offices of dishonour; and to break and another unto 22 and renew it at his pleasure? [What] then is it dishonour? to thee, or what right hast thou to find fault, if willing to shew his God resolving at last to manifest the terrors of wrath, and to make [his] wrath, and to make known his awful and his power known, tremendous power, in their aggravated de- endured with much longsuffering struction, hath in the mean time, endured with vessels of wrath fitmuch longsuffering those who shall finally ap- ted to destruction: pear to be the vessels of wrath which are fitted to destruction ?d Is he to account to thee for punishing them who justly deserve punishment, at what time, and in what manner he pleases, Potter power over [his] clay.] It is ob servable, that Plutarch uses the very same similitude with this before us; and Aristophanes, among other contemptuous expressions, by which he describes the frailty of human creatures, calls them Traquara anno, vessels of clay. See Bos. in loc. 22 What if God, the Endures with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath, &c.] The apostle seems here to have had the impenitent Jews in his thought, though he did not think it proper expressly to name them. It is certain, they were vessels of wrath, and that they were long borne with, under many advantages, which they ungratefully abused. and with the vessels of mercy to make known his glory. 109 XX. Rom. and to ask thy leave to delay or to execute the SECT. 23 And that he stroke of his righteous vengeance? And [what night make known if,] on the other hand, that he may make known the riches of his glory on the vessels in the most affecting and endearing manner ix. 23 of mercy, which he the riches of his glory, and display his compas had afore prepared sions in those whom he will make the vessels of unto glory? mercy, he graciously waits upon them, and [long endures] them, even [those] whom he hath, by the power of his own grace, previously prepared to glory, that they might in the most honourab'e manner be at length called to partake of it? 24 Even us whom Even us, whom he hath already called into the 24 be hath called, not happy number of his people, not only of the of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. Jews, but of the Gentiles too. Shall he make an apology to thee, O man,that he hath appointed some of our sinful race to such mercy, that he hath exercised much longsuffering towards them, that he hath at length wrought upon them by his effectual grace; or that determining to deal thus mercifully with some of Jacob's race, he hath added to their number others whom he hath taken from Gentile nations? Know thy place, and acquiesce in humble silence. Allow the blessed God to do what he will with his own, and let not thine eye be evil because he is good. IMPROVEMENT. LET us learn from the memorable section which we have now verse been reading, humbly to adore the righteousness and holiness of 14 God, in all the most amazing displays of his sovereignty, which weare sure are always consistent with it. Let us own his right to confer on whom he pleaseth, those favours which none of us can pretend to have deserved; and adore his wonderful goodness, in choosing to exercise mercy and compassion on any of the 15 children of men, yea, on many, who must own themselves in the number of those who had the least claim to it. He hath of his mere goodness given us those privileges, as Christians, and as Protestants, which he hath withheld from most nations under He waits and endures.] As it is certain, there is an ellipsis in these words, and that something must be supplied, it seems most natural to borrow a word or two from the preceding verse, to complete the sense. Every attentive reader will, I doubt not, infer for himself the great difference of phrase in which they who are vessels of wrath, and they who are vessels of mercy, are spoken of: it be. ing said simply of the former, that they were fitted for destruction, but of the latter, that God prepared them for glory. A distinction of so great importance, that I heartily wish we may ever keep it in view, to guard us against errors, on the right hand, or on the left. Compare Mat. XXV. 34, 41, and the note there. 110 Reflections on the righteousness of God in his dispensations. XX. verse SECT. heaven. And if we improve them aright, we have undoubtedly reason to look upon ourselves as vessels of mercy whom he is preparing for eternal glory. Let us adore his distinguishing favour 23 to us, and arrogate nothing to ourselves. It is neither of him 16 that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy, and worketh in us both to will, and to do, of his own good pleasure. 22 Long did his patience wait on us; and let that patience be for ever adored! It shall be glorified even in those that perish: for he is so far from destroying innocent creatures, by a mere arbitrary act of power and terror, that he endureth with much longsuffering, those who by their own incorrigible wickedness prove vessels of wrath, and whom the whole assembled world shall con18 fess fitted for the destruction to which they shall finally be consigned. That after long abuse of mercy they are hardened, and perhaps after long hardness are at length destroyed: yea that 17 some of the vilest of men are exalted by Providence to a station that makes their crimes conspicuous, as those of Pharaoh, till at length he shews forth his power the more awfully, and maketh his name the more illustrious, by their ruin, is certainly consistent with that justice which the Judge of the whole earth will never violate. But if in tracing subjects of this kind difficulties arise beyond 20 the stretch of our feeble thought, let us remember that we are men, and let us not dare to reply against God. Retiring into our own ignorance and weakness, as those that are less than nothing, 21 and vanity, before him, let us dread by any arrogant censure to offend him who has so uncontrollable a power over us. in the hand of the potter, so are we in the hand of the Lord our As clay God. Let us acquiesce in the form he has given us, in the rank he has assigned us; and instead of perplexing ourselves about those secrets of his counsels which it is impossible for us to penetrate, let us endeavour to purify ourselves from whatever would displease him; that so we may, in our respective stations, be vessels of honour, fit for the use of our Master now, and entitled to the promise of being acknowledged as his, in that glorious day when he shall make up his jewels. SECT. XXI. The apostle shews, that the admission of the Gentiles to the privileges of God's peculiar people, when Israel should be rejected, was so far from being inconsistent with scripture, that it had been actually foretold, both by Hosea and Isaiah. Rom. IX. 25, to the end. ROMANS IX. 25. I HAVE been remonstrating as to the unrea sonableness of quarrelling with the Divine ROMANS IX.25. A in Osee, I will |