are the more hardened; thus he endueth them with knowledge, faveth them out of many inconveniencies, fpareth them from plagues, and maketh providence fmile upon them, fo that they encourage themfelves in their wickedness; and fends his curfe along with plagues and judgments that they meet with, fo as they profit them them not, Amos iv. 6. 8. Jer. ii. 30. and v. 3. and thus in a holy, wife, and unfpeakable manner, he acteth in their hardening, and carrieth it on, tho' we cannot well tell how, or what way, his judgments being a great depth: For this caufe bave I raised thee up; and he hardeneth whom he will; and thus he is faid to have hardened Pharaoh's heart, eight times over and more, Exod. iv. 21. and vii. 13. and ix. 12. and x. 1. 20. 27. and xi. 10. and xiv. 8. 17. fee alfo Deut. ii. 30. Jof. xi. 20. Ifa. vi. 9. 10. John xii. 39. Rom. xi. 8. XII. Tho' often-times we find in fcripture, that obduration, is inflicted as a terrible punishment, for former fins, as 2 Thef. ji. 11. Rom. i. 28. and fo is an effect of juftice, and flowing from the Lord as a righteous Judge, governing the world according to his own laws; yet if we confider the bufinefs complexly, and alfo, why, first and last, the Lord difpenfeth fo to one, and not to another; why he doth not remove the ftony heart from one, but denieth his grace, whereby a heart of flesh might be had in its ftead; and why he in his deep wisdom fo carrieth on the bufinefs, through all his difpenfations, as that that natural hardness of heart is ftill upon the growing hand, when as he difpenfeth juft contrary ways with another, removing their natural blindnefs and hardnefs of heart, and making every difpenfation, whether fweet or fharp, tend to their advantage: the prime caufe of all will be the Lord's abfolute will and good pleafure; He hardeneth whom he will. XIII. This act of the moft holy and wife God, whereby he hardeneth hearts, is not fuch a negative defertion, as leaveth it at man's door whether he will be hardened or not hardened; for then men might efcape God's plagues whether he would or not; contrary to 1 Sam. iii, 14. Amos ix. 2. 3. 4. Deut. xxxii. 39. and it fhould be no act terminated on the hardened; nor is it fuch an act as hath obduration following upon it by accident, but fuch (whatever way we name it) as hath the inful and culpable obduration of the hardened, infeparably following thereupon, and annexed thereto; for he hardeneth whom he will: and obduration doth infallibly follow thereupon, elfe he fhould be fruftrated in his end and expectation: For this caufe, fays he, I have raised thee up, that I might hew my power in thee; if Pharaoh, after God's act of obduration, had not been culpably and actually hardened, God's power had not been shown in him, nor his name thereby declared abroad. XIV. Albeit wicked tyrants and enemies of God may think that they are delivered to do all these abominations, and that they are countenanced and approven of God, when providence fmiles upon them, and every thing falleth out according to their own heart's defire; and the Lord is, in his wife providence, making things concur which will beft fuit with their depraved temper and wicked inclination; yet even then the Lord may be raining plagues upon their fouls, and pouring forth his judgment upon them: for he raifed up Pharaoh, and brought him to a kingdom; granted him some profit by the people of God's being under his feet; delivered him from many plagues; fuffered the magicians to feign the like miracles which Mofes wrought, and did not difcover their deceit unto him; brought his own people unto fuch a pafs, as that he might think they were undoubtedly all his prifoners, being (as we ufe to fay) into a hofe net: and yet in all this he was but judicially hardening his heart; for he thus raised him up, and thereby fheweth that he hardeneth whom he will. XV. XV. Albeit mercy be an effential property in God; yet it is regulate, as to its actual exercife, according to his good pleafure and will: He hath mercy on whom he will. XVI. Though God's goodness, in fome meafure and kind, extend to all his creatures; for all of them live, move, and have their being in him; and albeit the wicked do enjoy many external privileges and favours; yet his fpecial mercy, bring ing out of nature into grace, giving a foft and tender heart, and delivering from the plague of obduration, is not bestowed upon all; he hath mercy only on whom he will. XVII. The confideration of the Lord's leaving of fome in the gall of bitterness, and by other holy, hid and fublime acts of his, hardening their hearts, will much fet forth the wonderful goodness of God in having mercy upon others; therefore they are fet down together here, He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom be will be hardeneth. it would follow, that God was unjuft: and to this head the apostle has abundantly anfwered in the preceding verfes. The other head comprehendeth fuch as would hence infer, That thence it would follow, that man is innocent, and free from all iniquity, and not culpable before God. From this abfurdity, with which this doctrine is loaded, the apoftle freeth it here, in these verses, and in the next. He takes occafion to mention this objection from what he had said last, viz. That he hardeneth whom he will; that is, that as from all eternity, he hath appointed fo many to death; fo, in time, according to his own good pleasure, in his wife and holy providence, he effectually bringeth about these means whereby they are hardened infallibly. And thus it may be taken up, Thou wilt fay then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault, &c. that is, Seeing the Lord has from eternity, according to the good pleasure of his will. deftinated so many unto death, and hath fo ordered matters, as that these same perfons are in time actually hardened; how can the Lord lay any thing to their charge? how can he accufe, reprehend, threaten and punish? the verb fignifieth all thefe: the reafon of the ob jection is added, For who hath refifted his will; that is, feeing no man living is able to withstand God, to enter the lifts with him, to stand out against him, and to hin der or oppofe his efficacious decrees; and it is according to his decree, that such and fuch be hardened, and fo perifh for ever; how can he challenge man for that which is not in man's power to avoid? This is the objection, to which he giveth three anfwers: the first is, verfe 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God; hall the thing formed Jay unto him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? In which anfwer, illuding to Ifa. xlv. 9. he checketh the arrogance of carnal reason, that will have the Lord framing all his ways according to its model; Seeing, 1. whoever he be who is making and honour and mercy, and of the rest make veffels of dishonour and wrath: Thus the meaning of the words is clear. And here we find, that the apostle doth not fo much labour to fatisfy the objection, as to clear and confirm the point he was upon more, giving us to understand, that this truth must be believed, altho' carnal reason cannot fee thro' it; and that inconveniencies, which carnal wits can invent to loaden truth with, fhould not loofe our faith of them, having fufficient ground therefore in the word.. Thus therefore, by this fimilitude, the apoftle is clearing the business from the very fountain, by fhewing, that all mankind, whom God had a purpose to create in due time, were before the Lord as a lump of clay, neither pure nor impure; and out of this, the Lord, according to his own will, chofe fome to life, and others to death, and accordingly purpofed in time to bring the one to life, and the other to death, for his own holy ends, as being fupreme Potter, having undoubted power for that effect. and framing the objection, he is but a man, a poor, finful, bafe, crawling creature. And, 2. he is not contending, in fo arguing, with a man like himself; but he is engaging in difpute against the God of heaven and earth his Maker, a very unequal match, and it is unbefeeming proud man once to attempt fuch a thing. And, 3. it is altogether unhandfome, and no way feemly, for the creature, that is but a formed thing, to fay to him that formed it, Why halt thou made me thus? and this he fays to stop their mouth in all time coming; for carnal wits will never elfe give it over, but will still be barking against that truth, which they neither can, nor will understand; and what they love not to comply with, they will ftill be making exceptions against, to their own fhame and confufion. But, fecondly, left his adverfaries (as the Marcionites and Manichees, of old, blafphemoufly did) fhould fay, that the apoftle, when he could not anfwer the objection, took fuch a courfe as this, to drive the objectors from it therefore, in the next place, verse 21. he faith, Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veffel unto honour, and another to dishonour? Where he maketh use of a fimilitude, taken from a potter, who hath juft and lawful power to pitch upon what piece of the fame lump of clay which is under his hand, whereof to make a vessel for some high and honourable employment; and of the fame lump may take another piece, and of that frame a veffel for fome bafer employment and ufe; and hereby he doth clearly make out, that, feeing the potter hath fuch power, and may difpofe of the fame lump as he thinks fit, which lump of clay is not of his own creating, but rather his fellow-creature; much more may the Lord difpote of the fame mass of man- 1st, Because the apoftle starteth no obkind, which is his own creature, and fojections, but what have fome feeming footmore fubject to him than the clay to the ing in his words and expreffions, or docpotter; and choose, according to his own trine delivered by him; but there is no good pleasure, fome of it to be veffels of feeming ground for fuch an objection at So then the Arminian glofs muft, upon many fcores, be rejected, which is this: It is objected (fay they) thus, If God hardeneth fuch and fuch persons (viz. fuch as deferve it) as he willeth, then how can he be offended, if man be hardened by that will which no man can refift? how can God be angry at him, viz. by that will by which he will harden the impenitent who have defpifed his patience? And the apoftle's anfwer (they fay) is this, As the potter hath power over the clay, &c. fo the Lord hath power to make what laws he pleafeth; to make fuch vessels of wrath who will not believe, and fuch as do believe veffels of mercy. This is the fum of their glofs; which must be rejected for many caufes. all, all, if we take the former words according to their expofition: for when he faid, (as they would have) that he hardeneth fuch as believe not, how could any think, that they could go free at God's hand. 2dly, In our expofition, we fhewed how clearly the objection rifeth from what was faid, and how clear the connection is here; which, according to their expofition, we cannot find. 3dly, This objection feems to be a great bufinefs, and the apoftle's way of handling it, feems to fay that it is no easy matter for flesh and blood to get fatisfaction in it; and therefore he might come to it, with a nay but who art thou, O man, who dif putest against God? Now, fure the objection, as they propofed it, containeth no great matter of difficulty; for what great bufinefs is here? If the Lord decreeth to harden the impenitent, why is he then angry? Is it not a known thing, that any prince may make laws in his kingdom, and be angry when thefe laws are violated, or punish the breakers? 4thly, If this had been all, fure the apoftle would never have gone up to God's abfolute power and fovereignty, as he doth. 5thly, Yea, the apoftle might more eafily have fatisfied the objection than he did, if that had been the ground and meaning, by faying, that God may rule the world by his own laws, and who can blame him. 6thly, But the apoftle was fpeaking of the hardening of particular perfons, which infallibly followeth the Lord's decree; for he hardeneth whom he will: and hence it might be faid, If our hardening flow from his will merely, then we are free, and not guilty, and cannot jully be punished; and therefore faith he, Why doth be yet find fault: now this objection is a far different thing from what they fuppofe it to be. 7thly, And it is more clear, confidering the ground of it; For who hath refifted his will; hereby refering the hardnels folely unto the will of God, as flowing therefrom, and caused thereby, and that inevitably. And fo, 8thly, The apostle's answer, if fuitable, muft fpeak fomething to this, and not fhew what none questioneth. 9thly, But what can they understand here by the mafs? None can conjecture: The fimilitúde fays, there must be one lump, out of which part is put one way, and part another, or else the apoftle's comparifon is not appofite; and what this one lump is, who can tell? the parts of it indeed are thefe; the way to heaven by faith in Chrift, and the way to hell with out faith; and what the whole mafs is, who can tell? 10thly, Veffels of honour and veffels of difhonour, are meant of particular perfons, whom the Lord fits for heaven, or paffeth by; and is not taken for particular ways of bringing folk to heaven, as by faith, and not by works; Who can call the way of works a veffel of wrath, or dishonour; and to fay, that only fuch as feek righteousness by the works of the law, are fuch as they call veffels of wrath, is, 1. to fetch an expofition too far, and to use an intolerable licence in interpreting. 2. Veffels of wrath feem to be fuch as fhall perifh; but all that feek righteoufnefs by the works of the law fhall not perish, unless they break not off that course, but perfevere in it to the end; but according to their judgment, none can be veffels of wrath fo long as they live, because it is in their power to change when they will; and yet in the next verfe we hear of veffels of wrath, towards whom God exerciseth much patience: The like might be faid of the veffels of mercy, who are particularly known by the Lord, and fo are faid to be prepared unto glory, verfe 23. 11thly, By their opinion the will of, God may be refifted, the contrary whereof the apostle's anfwer feemeth to grant; for by it they underftand God's law, and this is daily violated; they deny any fecret 3 B will, will, by which he determineth of events: And if they fay, that by will here, they understand that purpofe and decree of his, by which he will damn all unbelievers, then by hardening here, they muft underftand damning; and if fo, what fenfe will there be in these words, Why doth be yet find fault? for it is as if it were faid, If he damn fuch and fuch, why finds he fault with them when damned according to his will? Is it any fault in them to be damned? or can God punish them becaufe he punifheth them? befide, that Pharaoh's hardening is not fo to be understood. And if they take hardening for refufing of mercy, it is a fin, and fo a tranfgreffing of the law; and to tranfgrefs the law, is to refift his will. 12thly They make always the apoftle to be concluding that which he no where fets down, viz. that God may fend fuch to hell as feek righteoufnefs by the works of the law. 13thly, Again, fure when he brings in the fimilitude of the potter, it would appear, that he afcribeth as much power to God over men, as the potter hath over the clay; and if fo, fure fomething more will follow hence, than this conclufion of theirs; If God hath as much power over man, as the potter over the clay, then he may lawfully damn fuch as feek heaven by the law. This indeed is true; but I think more may be concluded hence alfo, viz. That God may as justly make fome men to honour and others to difhonour, as the potter doth fome part of the clay for a honourable ufe, and other veffels to difhonour. Much more might be faid, if their expofitions were followed out; and it is no fmall difficulty to find out what they would be at, they are fo confuted and intricate; and labour mainly to keep up their mean ing, or at least so to exprefs it, as it fhould not easily be taken up; because the clear uptaking of it were a ready way to confute and caft it. OBSERVATIONS. I. It is a dangerous matter to confult with flesh and blood, and follow the judg ment of carnal reafon in the matters of God; corrupted reafon will go blind in the deep myftery of predeftination, and therefore will ftill be objecting: Thou wilt fay then unto me. II. When carnal reafon cannot found the depths of the myfteries of God, but is bemifted, and has any prejudice against the excellent truths of God; then, when it can do no more, it will load the truth with fuppofed inconveniencies and abfurdities, to make it lefs lovely, and, if it can, to make it lefs credible or feasible: 7 hou wilt fay then, Why doth he yet find fault? III. Among other things, which the corrupted wit of man loadeneth the doc trine of predeftination, without any forefight of works, and the effectual bringing of the bufinefs about, withal; this is one, that then man fhall be innocent and free, and God fhall have nothing to accuse him for; and corrupted reason thinks, that God's purpofes cannot ftand, if man go not entirely free, in this matter: Thou wilt fay then, Why doth be yet find fault. IV. Albeit the Lord's revealed will, whereby he lays forth unto us what is our duty, and what is good and acceptable in his fight, be oftentimes, both by good and bad, resisted and oppofed; yet his will, whereby he determineth the events of things, whether they fhall actually exift, or not exist, can never be refifted by any thing which man can do; He is of one mind, and who can turn him? and whatever bis foul defireth, that he doth, Job xxiii. 13. Who bath refifted his will? V. Natural reafon can conclude and acknowledge, that the purposes of God cannot fail; and that it is not in the power of weak man to oppofe or hinder the execution of the decrees and intentions of the Most High: for even the ob |