Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verses 14-16
VERSE 14. What ſhal we ſay then? Is there vnrighteouſneſſe with God? God forbid.
15. For he ſaith to Moſes bExod. 33.19.: I will hauehave mercy, on whom I will hauehave mercy, and I will hauehave compaſſion, on whom I will hauehave compaſſion.
16. So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that ſheweth mercy.
IN theſe Verſes, and ſo to the end of the 18. Paul anſweres an obiection, which fleſh and bloud make againſt the dealing of God with Iacob and Eſau, and with the Elect and Reprobates, which hath before beene auouched.
Here are two parts. Firſt, the obiection, verſe 14. Secondly, the anſwere, in the end of the 14. verſe, and in the 15. and 16.
The obiection challengeth God of iniuſtice; after this manner. If it bee ſo, that men are elected or reprobated before they are borne, and when they hauehave done neither good or euill, onelyonly according to the will of God: Then God is vniuſt. But God is not vniuſt: Ergo.
The full meaning of this obiection will the better appeare, if wee hit aright, againſt what the obiection is layd. Maſter Beza thinketh that God is by fleſh and bloud challenged of iniuſtice, if he proceede to election or reprobation, before men liue in the world, and manifeſt their deſerts: Conceiuing that GOD in Iuſtice ſhould ſtay his decreeing of men, till they be borne, and by their life hauehave manifeſted their goodneſſe or illneſſe.
Others, and the moſt are of minde, that the obiection ariſeth from Gods vnequall dealing with equals: Iacob & Eſau are equall in birth, in corruption, &c. neither hauing deſerued better or worſe then other, yet God loueth the one, and hateth the other. At this fleſh and bloud ſtumbleth, complaining of iniuſtice, and acception of perſons. For a iuſt Iudge dealeth iuſtly, when he dealeth alike, with like Malefactors: either then let them be both elected, or both reprobated, both ſaued, or both damned.
The firſt opinion raiſeth the obiection from the time of the Decree. This from the Perſons about whom the Decree is. I approue this to bee the beſt, vponupon a reaſon taken out of Pauls anſwere, verſe 15. the which is applyed to the Perſons, not to the Time. For if the obiection lay from the time, Paul would and ſhould hauehave anſwered, I will hauehave mercy, when I will hauehave mercy, and not, vponupon whom.
The anſwere vntounto this Obiection is two-fold: 1. Generall. 2. Speciall. foreign.The Generall in the latter end of the 14. verſe. GOD forbid: ſtrongly denying the Propoſition: as if hee ſhould ſay: This is to bee holden of all, that GOD is iuſt in his wayes, and the contrary not to bee ſo much as thought. For euen to thinke that God is vniuſt, is blaſphemy deſeruing execration rather then anſwere. The Syriake Tranſlator reades it, God forgiue, noting thereby the hainouſnes of ſuch thoughts.
The ſpeciall anſwere is verſe 15.16,17,18. and hath two parts. The firſt, prouing God is not vniuſt in electing, verſe 15, 16. The ſecond, that he is not vniuſt in reprobating, verſe 17, 18.
In the firſt, are two parts. The firſt, an Authoritie prouing that GOD is not vniuſt in electing, verſe 15. The ſecond, a Determination of the point, verſe 16. according to the truth of verſe 11. The Authoritie which Paul voucheth, is taken out of Exod. 33.19. & is the ſpeech of God to Moſes, either of the people rendring the reaſon why all that were guiltie of the Calfe were not handled alike, but ſome puniſhed, other ſpared: or of Moſes ſelfe, when hee ſhewed him his glory, declaring it to bee not for Moſes his merit, but of his owne mercy: which way ſoeuer you take it, the Queſtion is, wherein the force of the reaſon ſhould be, to proue that God is not vniuſt in. Election and Reprobation.
Interpreters ſay generally thus: It is mercy to bee elected, not Iuſtice: therefore God is not vniuſt, becauſe mercy violates no Iuſtice, but iniuſtice, as contrary vntounto it. The force of the argument is put in Mercy: but I take it, that it is better, and more plainely to be vnderſtood, if it be put in Iuſtice, or rather the authoritie of God.
For the vnderſtanding whereof, obſerue, that Iuſtice is taken two wayes. Either generally for the whole company of vertues, and ſo it is the Rectitude and Perfection of the Diuine Nature, or ſpecially for that which giues Suum Cui que , eueryevery man that which is his: and this is either Commutatiue or Diſtributiue: in both is equalitie. In the firſt; Arithmeticall, of Quantitie. In the ſecond; Geometricall; of Proportion.
Commutatiue Iuſtice is not in God, in as much as it confiſts in equalitie of giuing and taking. But none giuegive to God equall things, according to that they take; as a penny for a penyworth.
Neither is Diſtributiue Iuſtice properly in God, but according to ſimilitude. For he giueth to his creatures what he thinketh good, not according to their merite, but according to his owne pleaſure.
Now this giuing, according to this iuſtice, is to be conſidered in God, either as he is God, or a Iudge, or a Lord.
As God; Pſalm. 51.1.and ſo it is his goodnes, making and preſeruing all things: ſo communicating his goodnes, that thoſe things ſhould be which are not; and thoſe things be well which are. This is that goodnes and iuſtice which the Saints implore, being preſſed with their ſinnes, or with the croſſe.
As a Iudge of all; and ſo he puniſheth the wicked, and deliuereth the godly.
As a Lord; and ſo he will hauehave this to liue, and that to die: among men corrupt alike; this man to be choſen, that man to be reprobated; and in this laſt acception it is to be taken here. And ſo the force of the Argument lyeth in theſe words: On whom hee will. As if he ſhould ſay, I will hauehave mercy vponupon Iacob, and not vponupon Eſau, becauſe it ſo pleaſeth mee. I hauehave a meere authoritie ouer all, and it is in my power, to giuegive to one, and to deny to another, without iniury of either, which am bound to neither. I may doe with mine owne what I will.
The Obiection conceiues God to proceed in this buſineſſe as a Iudge; but Paul ſhewes that he proceeds as a Lord, who manumits of his bond-ſeruants whom he pleaſeth.
Saint Auguſtine compares God to a Creditor, and vsus to Debtors. Aug. ad Simplicianum. lib. 1. q. 2.We are all indebted to God: If thou payeſt not thy debt, thou haſt whereof to reioyce; if thou doeſt pay it, yet haſt thou not whereof to complaine.
I will hauehave mercy and compaſsion. This mercy and compaſſion, which in man is with a paſſion of the mind, grieuing for the harme of another, is in God a will without griefe or perturbation to help the miſerable. The firſt word ſignifieth freely to louelove, the other to put on motherly bowels, as the true mother did toward her child before Salomon.
So then, &c. v. 16. This is the concluſion; the ſum whereof is as if he ſhould ſay, That which God aſcribeth to himſelfe, is not to be aſcribed to the will or power of any Creature: but God aſcribeth wholly to himſelfe our Election and ſaluation: therefore, It is not in him that willeth or runneth, but in God that ſheweth mercy.
It is not in him that willeth or runneth. Some apply this to Eſaus running, but it ſerues not his turne, for Iacob by the mercy of God obtained the bleſſing. Some apply it to Iacobs: but it was not that, but Gods mercy which holp him. But the beſt is to vnderſtand it of Election: That Election is not of Iacobs, or of any mans willing, that is, free-will, or good deſires: or running, that is, good works; but of Gods will and merciemercy, which was auerred before, ver. 11. The cauſe of Gods mercy, is his mercy.
doctrine The Doctrine out of theſe three verſes. Though God ſaue ſome, and condemne others, yet is hee iuſt. Gene. 18.25. Rom. 3.5,6. Math. 20.
Ʋſe. 1.Imitate Pauls zeale when God is challenged by vniuſt perſons: God forbid, ſaith hee, hauing indignation. Alas our coldnes! If it be a matter touching our owne Reputation, wee are red-hot: but though God be a thouſand waies dishonoured, we are key-cold.
Vſe 2.In all things acknowledge God to be iuſt, though thou vnderſtand not the reaſon of things done by him. Search not into the reaſon of his will, but ſubmit thy ſelfe. For hee will hauehave mercy, on whom he will hauehave mercy. Hee iuſtifieth the Theeſe vponupon the Croſſe, and condemneth ſome Infant. Here chamber thy tongue, remembring that GOD is the chiefe Lord. Stat pro ratione voluntas is good in God: he willeth it ſo to be, therefore it is iuſt. For a thing is not Iuſt, and then God willeth it: but God willeth it, and then it is Iuſt: his will being the cauſe of things, and the rule of all right.
Say not, Why wil he elect this? and reprobate this? The thing is manifeſt, but not the reaſon. The manner of Gods dealing may ſometimes be hidden, but it can neuer be vniuſt. If hee reprobate ſinners, it is iuſt, becauſe it agrees with their deſeruings. If he elect the ſinfull, it is iuſt, becauſe it agrees with his goodneſſe.
A Carpenter hauing diuers trees before him of like bignes, marks one to be ſawne into boord, another into ſparrs, &c. If we aske him, why he lines out one tree thus, & another thus, hee will anſwere, that hee meanes to imploy one of them for timber for the roofe, another for other vſes in the building: But if you aske why he choſe this tree for ſuch vſe, rather then another, all being of like goodnes; he wil iudge the queſtion vnreaſonable, and alledge his will: ſo beyond the wil of God, no inquiry muſt be made of the cauſe of the Election and Reprobation of men.
To this wee may apply that of Auguſtine, Si non vis errare noli velle Iudicare. Aug. tract. 26. in Iohn.in a matter not much vnlike. God chuſeth this man, refuſeth that, both being a like guilty before him. If thou wouldeſt not erre, inquire not the reaſon. Let whoſo will ſearch this deepe, but let him take heed he break not his neck.
Thou ſeeſt ſome are rich, ſome are poore: ſome Engliſhmen, ſome Spanyards: ſome Noble, ſome baſe. Thou ſeeſt this, and accuſeſt it not: vvhy then accuſeſt thou God to be more vniuſt in willing this man to be an elect, that man to be a reprobate? Let vsus praiſe that which is done, becauſe it is ſafe to be ignorant why it is done, God hauing hidden the reaſon from vsus.
Vſe 3.Mercy preſuppoſeth miſery: therefore, when we were elected, we were conſidered as miſerable.
Vſe 4.The ſtate of the Elect is certaine, noted in this phraſe; I will hauehave mercy, vponupon whom I will hauehave mercy. Euen as Pilate by the like manner of ſpeaking, denied to change that which hee had written: Iohn 9.22.That which I hauehave written, I hauehave written. Which manner of ſpeech we vſe, both when we wil not hauehave the reaſons of our doings inquired after, nor that which wee hauehave done to be altered.
Ʋſe 5.Arminius, who holdeth that it is in mans power to be ſaued if he will, and that grace is effectuall, by the euent: is here confuted plainely; vvhen all is attributed to the will & mercy of God, and nothing to the wil of man. Grace is not effectuall becauſe free-will willeth: but free-will willeth becauſe grace is effectuall.