Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verse 22
VERSE 22. To ſhew his wrath, and to make his power known.
THe end of Gods longanimitie in regard of the Reprobates, is (according to theſe words) to declare his powerfull wrath in their condemnation.
In theſe words wee will firſt conſider certaine things here attributed to God, and then the matter it ſelfe in them contained.
There are two things attributed to God here, 1. Anger or Wrath: and 2. Power. For the firſt, Anger or Wrath is defined by Philoſophers, to be a deſire of reuenge with griefe and perturbation, through the boyling of the bloud about the heart. It is called of the Hebrues, Aph, becauſe it diſcouers it ſelfe in the dilating and contracting of the noſe thrills. Thus is it in vsus. Such a thing is in God, but not with perturbation; for God is not ſubiect to paſſion. As God doth not repent as man doth, yet repentance is attributed vntounto him: ſo alſo may it be ſaid of Anger. As repentance is in GOD without griefe or error: ſo vvrath, without paſſion or perturbation.
God is ſaid to repent, when hee changeth that which is done, and to be angry, when hee puniſheth that which is ill done; not beeing indeed angry, but ſeeming ſo to them which ſuffer. For as a man in his angry mood, woundeth and killeth; ſo when God puniſheth, he is ſaid to be angry: Anger noting in God, not an affection, but an effect of ſome diuine perfection: namely, his vindicatiue iuſtice.
Anger is attributed to God after the manner of men*foreign., but it muſt be conceiued after the maner of God*foreign.. For God doth that in his holy and quiet iudgement, which we doe in furie and rage. As there is difference between an Enemies cutting off a limbe, and a Surgeons: ſo God, as a Surgeon, without any paſſion, cuts off, that is, puniſheth euil men. As when we ſpeake to children, we liſp as childrenbQuotiens barbaros alloquimur ill…rū lingua vtimur, et cum pueris aliquid dicere volumus eorū more balbutimus, &c. Euthy. in Pſal. 6., ſo the Spirit ſpeakes to vsus of God, in termes ſutable to our capacity: calling his iuſtice, wrath, to make vsus afraid to ſinne.
doctrine The Scriptures deſcribe God angry with ſinners, Exod. 32.12. Numb. 11.1. Pſal. 7.6.
Ʋſe.Feare to offend God, for hee can be angry; and when angry, who knowes the power of his wrathbPſalm. 90.1.? As his grace is incomprehenſible toward his children: ſo is his anger toward his enemies. We deſire his Grace, let vsus eſchew his Anger. Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, ſaith Dauid cPſal. 5.1.: praying more againſt that, thē againſt bodily ſicknes. Gods frown is worſe then any puniſhment, yea, then hell torments. If his wrath be kindled, yea but a very little, bleſſed are all they that truſt in him dPſal. 2. vlt.. Doe they prouoke me to anger, and not themſelues to their owne confuſion, ſaith the LordeIere. 7.19.? For if the frowne of a Prince be the death of the ſubiectfProu. 20.2., much more the frown of God: who in very deed cannot frown as man: but if any thing could make him frowne, ſinne would doe it, it is ſo hatefull to him.
As Anger, ſo Power is attributed to God: but anger improperly, this properly. It is alwaies actiue in God. In him is principium agendi, not patiendi, to doe, but not to ſuffer: for this argues defect, as was ſaid before.
This power is Almightineſſe; and it is abſolute or ordinate. By the firſt, he is able to doe all he will, and more then he actually doth will: for as there is in God a knowledge of things which neuer were or ſhall be, ſo is there Abilitie to do that, which hee neuer will ſhall be done. Hee can raiſe vp of ſtones children to Abraham, and giuegive Chriſt more then 12. legions of Angels: but we neuer read he did ſo.
By the ſecond, he can doe all he will, notwithſtanding all oppoſition, and that in an inſtant.
Q. Can God doe all things?
A. It is a ſhamefull queſtion for the Creature to mooue of the Creator. Some things are in poſſible to God, becauſe he is God: of which a pious obſeruer of Gods maieſtie would hauehave vsus not to ſay, God cannot doe them, but, they cannot be done.
Thoſe things are impoſſible, which any waies imply a contradiction: *Aquin.as a thing to be, and not to be at the ſame time: for this is to make thoſe things which are true, in the ſame reſpect that they are true, to be falſegAudēter loquar Cū omnia poſsit Deus, ſuſcitare virginē non poteſt, poſt ruinam. Hieron. in ep. ad Euſta. de virg. Quiſquis dicit, Si omnipotens eſt Deus, faciat vt quae facta ſunt, facta nō fuerint: non videt hoc ſe dicere, ſaciat vt quae vera ſunt, eo ipſo quo vera ſunt, falſa ſint. Aug. lib. 26. cont. Fauſt. ca. 5.. So God cannot ly, or dy, not for want of ſtrength, but becauſe he wants no ſtrength; for theſe are works of weakenes, not of power. In theſe, the affirmation hath the force of a Negation, according to the thing.
Doct. There is in God an infinite power to doe what hee will. Luke 1,31. Math. 19.28. Hee is called Almighty, 2. Corin. 6.18.
Vſe. This doctrine is like the cloud, which was light to Iſrael, but darknes to Pharaoh and his hoſt.
If thou belongeſt to the Iſrael of God, remember God is Almighty. Many promiſe more then they can performe: GOD can giuegive beeing to all his promiſes. Pray vvith boldneſſe, truſt on him with boldneſſe, whatſoeuer thy owne reaſon, or the world obiect. He is able to giuegive, and to maintaine his gifts, that thou mayſt perſeuere.
I know in whom I hauehave beleeued, ſaith Paul; 2. Tim. 1.12.In vvhom Paul? In him who is able to keepe my ſoule, ſaith he. With this Chriſt comforts his ſheepe: Iohn 10.29.My Father is ſtronger then all, and none can take them out of my Fathers hand. If thou beeſt profane, remember that God is able to make good all his Threatnings. Doth it not affright thee to conſider? Doth it not make thy heart to ſhake? Vana ſine viribus ira.Anger without power is in vaine; but God hath anger and power. O humble thy ſelfe to this Almighty Iudge of the world, who infinitely hates & is offended with ſinne, and hath infinite power to execute his vengeance and diſpleaſure vponupon ſinners. Let all the ends of the earth feare him; ſo doth our bleſſed Sauiour admoniſh; Math. 10.28.Feare not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the ſoule: but rather feare him which is able to deſtroy both ſoule and bodie in Hell.
The matter it ſelfe in this end, is, that God lets vvicked men alone, and ſuffers them to hauehave a being here, which are not worthy to tread vponupon the earth, that all the world may take knowledge of his anger againſt ſinne, and of his power to execute the ſame.
doctrine God ſuffers Reprobates for the manifeſtation of his wrath and power: for this he ſuffered the Amorites many hundred yeeres, Gen. 15.13,16. To this purpoſe alſo is there a ſpeech vttered by our Sauiour to the Scribes and Phariſes, and the reſt of the Iewes, me thinks it is a fearefull one, Mat. 23.32. Fulfilye the meaſure of your fathers iniquitie. They were monſtrouſly wicked, yet hee bids them go on to fulfill their meaſure. Why? That they may be made examples, and that the world may ring of his iudgements which hee will bring vponupon them, for all the bloud which was ſhed vponupon the earth, from the bloud of Abel, to the bloud of Zachary, verſe 35.
Ʋſe. 1.There is no Iniuſtice in the reprobation of men; becauſe they deſerue it, and it ſerues to the ſetting forth of Gods glory, and for the getting himſelfe a name. It is moſt neceſſary that the Iuſtice and Power of God ſhould bee knowne: but without the Decree of Reprobation, and Execution thereof we could not ſo well know them. A man may know the ſweetneſſe of honey by reading, and by report: but a fuller knowledge is attained by taſte. So wee may know the Iuſtice and power of GOD by his Word: but when we ſee examples of theſe, this experimental knowledge is farre more excellent.
Vſe 2.Many times we ſee a wicked notorious wretch to bee aduanced, to liue long, to proſper, and to enioy an ouerflowing cup of outward bleſſings: while Gods children (a great deale better men,) are poore, deſpiſed, and croſſed on eueryevery hand. This is a ſore tentation. This is the Atheiſts Argument: If there be a God, or a prouidence: Why doe his enemies proſper? Why doth he not bleſſe his owne? This poſed Dauid, Pſul. 73.and troubled Ieremy. Ier. 12.But they and wee are taught that God heapes good things on wicked men, not that hee likes their courſes, or had giuen ouer the gouerning of the world, but to make them the more pregnant examples of his wrath and power: and that his children are afflicted here, that they may be prepared for the glory to come.
Grieue not then, nor grudge at bad mens thrift: it is conuenient: nay, it muſt be ſo. Theſe things are but preparatiues to their greater iudgement. But alas, wicked men thinke not ſo: they ſay, Let the Preacher ſay his mind: I am ſure, whatſoeuer I am, I thriue, I proſper, I hauehave good crops, &c. O, they know not, that they are as Oxen fatted for the ſlaughter. If thou beeſt rich, thou thinkeſt thy ſelfe happy, though a wicken man: but thou ſhalt pay deare for all one Day, when Diues will wiſh he had beene Lazarus: Nay, for the hope of that Day, the pooreſt man that feareth God, will not euen Now change ſtates with the richeſt vponupon earth: For Mary hath choſen the better part.Luke 10.42.
Further, if thou maruelleſt at the great power and pompe of the Turk, who waſtes Gods inheritance, filling the places of the Apoſtles chiefeſt labours with deteſtable doctrines; or at the pride of the Pope, who playes the Diuell, in burning and raging againſt the Saints: Remember there is a Day comming, wherein they ſhall be made examples; and that God will get himſelfe a name, glorious and magnificent in their deſtruction, fore-propheſied in the Reuelation.Reu. 17.
Vſe 3.Sinne not in hope of Impunity, which if it bee long, is a ſtrong inticement to offend: For GOD is patient, not that thou ſhalt quite eſcape, but that thou maiſt be made an example. Becauſe ſentence is not ſpeedily executed, vngodly men take courage to offend: Eccleſ. 8.11,12,13.But though a ſinner doe euill, and liue long, yet it ſhall not bee well with him in the end. The Drunkard, or vncleane perſon, &c. offend once, and feele no Iudgement, yea, a ſecond and a third time, and God takes them not in hand: Now they thinke God ſees not, hath forgotten, and will neuer marke. Ah, Fooles, which conſider not that the more they ſinne, and are not puniſhed, the more their reckoning increaſeth.
They deale with God, as the Birds with a Scar-crow, at firſt it makes them afrayd, but ſeeing it not to ſtirre, at length they come neere it, and light and ſit vponupon it. So at firſt, the wickedeſt man is afraid to offend, but through impunitie he hardens himſelfe to commit iniquitie. But though God hath woollen feet, yet he hath Iron hands. He ſpares them, to hauehave the greater ſtroke at them. All this while, hee is whetting his ſword, and eueryevery ſinne makes it the ſharper: he is preparing deadly Arrowes, and is long in drawing his Bow, becauſe he means to hauehave a ſpeeding ſhoote.
The old World is an example, ſo is Sodome, yea Ieruſalem, famous Ieruſalem is an example of this. There was neuer any place ſo abounded with bleſſings as Ieruſalem, (our vnthankfull England excepted.) How long did God ſpare▪ How often did he fore warne? And when nothing would ſerue, how was his patience turned to fury! and her mercy into Iudgement! Not a ſtone vponupon a ſtone! Her riuers flowing with milke and honey, turned into bloud! The ſuruiuing Inhabitants and their poſteritie, vagabonds, diſperſed this 1600. yeere, ouer the face of the earth. Let England, ſo long ſpared, ſo greatly bleſſed, looke to it; yea, let eueryevery one looke to it. This is a time of patience, without wrath. There is a day comming of wrath, without patience: Let the patience of God moue thee to Repentance.