Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verse 18
VERSE 18. Therefore he hath mercy, on whom he will hauehave mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
THis Verſe is not a new obiection, as ſome hauehave thought: but a Concluſion of the two branches of the reaſon from Scripture, brought to proue that God is not vniuſt in electing and reprobating according to his will. Wherein is a ſhort repetition of the Argument: and may thus Syllogiſtically be concluded.
All the effects of the Diuine will are good.
But Election and Reprobation are effects of the Diuine will. Therefore.
Or thus.
He that by an abſolute right doth what hee will, dealeth not vniuſtly.
But God by an abſolute right electeth ſome, and ouerpaſſeth others. Therefore.
Here are two Emulations. The firſt of the Elect: Hee hath mercy on whom hee will. The ſecond of the Reprobate. Whom he will he hardeneth. The ſumme of theſe is before deliuered, wee will now conſider of them ſo, as wee ſhall note ſome things not before ſpoken of.
He hath mercy, on whom he will hauehave mercy. See of this before, verſe 15.
Whom he will hee hardeneth. This is very difficult, and to bee made plaine. All conſent, that here the Apoſtle treateth of Election and Reprobation, and that this Verſe compriſeth that which is before ſpoken, verſe 15, 16, 17. Therefore as that before is to be vnderſtood, ſo is this. And as large a ſenſe as Hauing mercy hath: ſo large muſt hardening hauehave. Then not onelyonly of Actuall hauing, but of the purpoſe it muſt bee vnderſtood.
He ſhould hauehave ſaid, He ſtirres vp to deſtruction whom he will: but he ſaith, he hardneth, that he may ſhew how he ſtirreth vp, namely by hardening.
Hardneſſe is an eſtate of a corrupt heart, whereby it is diſpoſed to all euill, yeelding no obedience to God: and it is threefold. Firſt, Naturall, which is the eſtate of all men. Secondly, that which is contracted by a cuſtome of ſinning, as a path is hardened by continuall trampling of paſſengers. Thirdly, Iudiciarie, which GOD inflicteth vponupon men as a Iudgement. This is here meant: for finding all in their naturall hardneſſe, hee hardeneth, that is, reprobates whom hee pleaſeth.
Q. But all hardneſſe is finne. How then can God be ſaid to harden?
A. There is a difference betweene hardnes and hardning. Hardnes is ſinne, but to harden is not alwayes ſo: and this is from God not as ſinne, but as his iuſt Iudgement. For it is not poſſible that by him we ſhould ſinne, by whom wee repent, and riſe from ſinne: euen as bitter water and ſweet iſſue not from the ſame fountaine. It is from God that we ſtand, from our ſelues that we fall.
God is ſaid to harden properly (not by making ſoft hearts to become hard, for Pharaohs heart was neuer but hard; nor by putting hardnes into the heart, as the Papiſts vniuſtly charge vsus to affirme; nor by only ſuffering vsus to be hardened, which is the opinion of the Papiſts, dreaming idlely of an idle permiſsion in God: making him like the Poets Iupitor, who was feaſting in Aethiopia, while things went out of order; but) three wayes.
1. By forſaking: not making it hard: but not taking the hardnes away. He hardneth, that is, he ſoftneth not. He hardneth, not by putting in hardnes, but by not putting in the ſoftning oyle of his mercy, as the Sunne cauſes darknes, by with-drawing his light.
2. By puniſhing: for finding the heart hard (if hee pleaſe not to pardon it, and to ſoften the heart) hee inflicteth a new hardnes, as a puniſhment of the former. And this he inſtilleth not, but effecteth three wayes. 1. Either by Satan, to whoſe power hee deliuereth ſuch a heart for him to worke vponupon. 2. Or by themſelues, giuing them ouer to their owne hearts …uſts. 3. Or by the preaching of the Word. For as the middle region of the Ayre, is more cold by the Anteperiſtaſis, ſo the heart of a Reprobate more hard by the Word; not properly, but accidentally, as a reſty horſe, the more hee is ſpurred forward, the more goes backward:
By actuating and exciting the preſent euill inclination of the Creatures, by propounding an occaſion to manifeſt it: as the Sunne, being in it ſelfe moſt cleane, by the force of his beames, draweth out of a dunghill ſtinking and vnpleaſant vapours.
Hardnes then is cauſed by the Commandement, Occaſionally, by our owne malice Meritoriouſly. By Satan, Efficiently. By God, Iudicially. So Satan is the Tormentor, a ſinfull man, the guilty perſon. God the Iudge, and that a Iuſt one, who knowes how to vſe euill meanes well; being no wayes the cauſe of ſinne, as ſinne; but alwayes ordering it for his glory, and the good of his Elect. For ſinne is like a Ship. Man the Mariner. Satan the ſpirit or winde. God the Pilot at the ſterne, directing all things to his glory.
doctrine The will of God is the cauſe of Election and Reprobation, as hath beene ſhewed before.
Ʋſe. 1.Our goodneſſe or ilneſſe is not the cauſe of Predeſtination.
In election, is excluded the merit of man, and the debt of God: and yet it is to bee confeſſed, that ſome way the goodneſſe of man is the cauſe of election: Praedeſtinatio quantum ad principium ſine nobis, non ſine nobis quantum ad finem. Paulus de Pala. Gran. in ca. 25. Math. Aliud eſt principium Actionis, abud Cognitionis.that is, not of the Action of God, Electing: but of our Cognition and knowledge, that we are elected. Conſider election Compoſitiuely: there is no cauſe, but Gods will, Conſider it reſolutely: and our Vocation is the cauſe, whereby we know it.
In Reprobation our ilneſſe is excluded, as a ſpeciall perſonall diſcretiue cauſe: but not as a neceſſary condition, or generall meritorious cauſe, without the which God will not reprobate any.
Vſe 2.Here alſo appeareth, that man falne, is the ſubiect of Predeſtination. Of election it is, becauſe it is called mercy, which preſuppoſeth miſery, and faultineſſe.
It is of Reprobation, becauſe it is called hardning. Now this is a Rule, that God hardens none, but ſuch as are hard before. Neither can it be auoided, by an interpretation of Actuall Hardnes: For here is to be remembred, that Paul ſpeakes of Gods purpoſe, as hath beene obſerued before out of Martyr. And, if hee actually harden none, but them which are hard, neither did hee euer purpoſe to harden but ſuch.
Alſo if it bee not here to be vnderſtood of the Decree of Reprobation, there is more in the Antecedent, then in the Conſequent. This verſe being the determination of the point, according to the meaning of that which is before deliuered: and thus doe moſt Interpreters vnderſtand this ſecret. Auguſtine often calleth the ſubiect of Gods Decree, The Damned Maſſe. Lege doctiſſimam Aug. Epiſt. quae eſt ad Sixt. preſb. num. 105.That Maſſe (ſaith Anſelme) Ibi gratuita eſt indulgentia, vbi iuſta poterit eſſe vindicta. Anſel.to which death is due. Hereby is perſpicuous both the Mercy and Iuſtice of God. Becauſe there is a free Indulgence, where there might hauehave beene a iuſt reuenge. He loued Iacob by a free Mercy; he hated Eſau, by a due and deſerued Iudgement.
They that againſt this pretend the abſolute right of God, obſerue not, how this way that Abſolute right is more excellently manifeſted, when Authoritie is attributed to him, among all mankinde being guilty, to ſaue or to damne all, or none, or ſome at his owne pleaſure.
An abſolute Monarch, who hath power of life and death; if his ſubiects ſhould rebell, hath by his abſolute power, iuſt right to pardon them all if hee will, or ſome, and not others; whereof hee needeth giuegive no other reaſon then his pleaſure: But ſure he could not be counted a iuſt Lord and Gouernour, if out of a plea of abſolute command, hee ſhould deuoid from his protection, and caſt off any his ſubiects without relation to any Rebellion, or other crime.
If you aske whether God can annihilate all things? I anſwere, Yes. If whether hee can reprobate good Angels, or Men (for Angels and men to bee neither good nor bad, is an idle fiction) I ſay hee cannot, by the perfection of his nature, which can not but louelove goodneſſe: as Auguſtine excellently: He rendreth good for good, becauſe hee is good. Euill for euill, becauſe he is iuſt. God for euill, becauſe hee is good and iuſt. OnelyOnly hee rendreth not euill for good, becauſe he cannot be vniuſt.
He that is elected, cannot boaſt of his merits, and hee that is reprobated, cannot complaine but of his merits.
Vſe 3.A hardened heart is a moſt heauy Iudgement, which the more it is vponupon a man, the leſſe he feeles it: and the further he is from the poſſibilitie of Repentance and Saluation. When God gaue the Diuell leaue ouer Iob, hee made hauocke: ſo when the heart is giuen ouer to the Diuell, he rages in it. Hee muſt needes runne headlong into all euill, whom the Diuell driues, as thoſe Swine of the Gergeſens into the Sea. Of all Iudgements, God deliuer me from this: Hell onelyonly is worſe then it. But thou wilt ſay, that this is ſpoken of Pharaoh, and that thou art an Elect. Shew then thy Election by thy works.
Vſe 4.The property of hardnes is not to yeeld either to the ſtroke of a hāmer, or to the dint of a ſword: That which neither can be bruiſed or broken with any ſtrokes, nor pierced with any ſharpenes, nor ſoftned with any moiſtning, is hard. Hereby know thy heart. If no Threatnings & Monitions of the Word, (which is a hammer) breaking the rockes, and a ſword piercing thorow can preuaile with thee; Ier. 23.29. Heb. 4.12. Eſa. 55.10,11.nor any exhortations or intreaties of the Word (which is as raine) can perſwade or ſoften thee; nor any Afflictions moue thee: but all theſe things are as an Arrow ſhot againſt a brazen wall, thy heart beeing as the ſcales of Leuiathan, who laughs at the ſhaking of the ſpeare: Surely thou haſt a heart hardened, which if it continue to the end, is a moſt certaine ſigne of Reprobation.
Seeke therefore a ſoft heart, which is a moſt ſingular bleſſing of God. The way to hauehave it, is 1. with reuerence to heare the Word. 2. to meditate of Gods mercy. The remembrance of his fathers houſe, made the heart of the Prodigall to relent. 3. To pray for a ſoft heart, for it is the gift of God.