Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 9 · Section 3 · Subsection 23 – Subsection 24
23. Quest. Of the 22. v. What and if God would, &c.
1. What if God: some will hauehave the 30. verse to answer vntounto this, what shall we say then, &c. but then the sense should be suspended too long: Theodoret thus expoundeth; if thou are desirous to know, why God punisheth some, &c. know that he doth it iustly bearing with patience, &c. but here too much is inferted to make vp the sense; some giuegive this sense, quod Detu? what doth God? if he would, &c. but thus the order of the words is inverted, which stand thus, what if God would: therefore the sense is thus best explaned: if we vnderstand with Augustine, if God would, &c. what wouldest thou then answer or obiect to God: or with Calvin, Beza, Pareus, who can accuse God of iniustice, &c.
2. Concerning the occasion of the words, it is this: whereas the Apostle before insisted vponupon Gods absolute right and power ouer his creature, to dispose of it at his pleasure, as the porter doth his clay: least that the prophane might hauehave taken occasion hereby, to hauehave accused God of tyrannie, that he should cast off some vntounto euerlasting destruction of his owne will, now he sheweth, that Gods purpose in reiecting some, and electing others, is grounded vponupon most iust reasons: for none are cast off but worthily for their sinne: and so the Apostle here toucheth the reasons both why some are cast off, others elected: there are three reasons rendred of the former; because they are vessels of wrath, that is God is iustly offended with them for their sinnes; then he sheweth his power in iudging them, and further they abuse Gods patience, and therefore are iustly punished, the cause why God electeth others, is for the setting forth of the riches of his glorie.
3. Where they are called vessels, some of wrath, some of merciemercy: we are to consider, that this word vessel is vsed in a threefold respect, naturall, ciuill, spirituall, and eternall: in the first respect, the bodie is said to be a vessell with relation to the soule, because it is as the vessel thereof: as the Apostle saith, 1. Thes. 4.4. Let eueryevery one know how to possesse his vessel in holines: in the Second, some are said to be vessels, in respect of their calling publicke, as Paul was Gods chosen vessel, to carie abroad his truth, Act. 9.15. priuate, as the woman in the family is called the weaker vessel, 1. Pet. 3.7. But here they are called vessels in respect of Gods eternall purpose: that some should be ordained for wrath for euer, some for euerlasting glorie.
4. But where the Apostle saith, to shew his wrath: Origen here hath a note somewhat curious: he obserueth that in Scripture the Lord is said to manifest his wrath, but his goodnes he hideth, as Psal. 31.29. How great is thy goodnes, which then hidest for them that feare thee, &c. and the reason he saith is this, because it is expedient for men, esse sub … irae, to be vnderunder the feare of Gods wrath, &c. But the word tzaphan vsed in that place, signifieth as well to lay vp, as hide: and in this place the Apostle speaketh as well of the declaring of the riches of Gods glorie toward the vessels of merciemercy, as of manifesting his power towards the vessels of wrath.
5. Now whereas the Apostle calleth as well the reprobate as the elect, the vessels of God, the one of his merciemercy, the other of his wrath, thereby we see, that God vseth them both, as his instruments, though not in the same manner: for he powreth of his grace into the vessels of merciemercy, and so maketh them fit instruments for himselfe; the other he vseth also not by infusing that euilnes vntounto them, which they hauehave, but by moderating, ordering, and ouerruling the same, as it pleaseth him.
6. We must also consider that there are two kinds of vessels of wrath, there are some such in respect of their present state, which may become vessels of glorie, such was Paul: some are vessels of wrath in the eternall decree of reprobation, as Iudas was: and those the Apostle speaketh of here.
Quest. 24. In what sense the vessels of wrath are said to be prepared to destruction. v. 21.
1. Whereas the vessels of wrath are said to be prepared in the passiue, but it is said in the actiue, God hath prepared the vessels of merciemercy, Ambrose as Pet. Martyr citeth him, ascribeth the first vntounto God, that the vessels of wrath are prepared to destruction, and B…r thereunto consenteth: but the preparation of the vessels of merciemercy he referreth to Gods prescience: whereas God did not onelyonly foresee, but ordained also the vessels of merciemercy: but seeing that the one is vttered in the passiue, the other in the actiue, the vessels of wrath are not so prepared of God, as the vessels of merciemercy are.
2. Chrysostome goeth an other way, for he thinketh, that the vessels of wrath are made so propria iniquitate, by their owne iniquitie, and the vessels of merciemercy are made propria benevolentia, by their owne good will, and he addeth, licet potior pars sit Dei, modicum t…s ipsi attulerunt, for although the better part be Gods, yet somewhat they bring of their owne: and Origen thinketh that they are called vessels of merciemercy, quia seipsos emundaverunt, &c. because they hauehave purged themselues from the filthines of sinne: But in that they are called vessels of merciemercy, and God is said to prepare them, it is euident, that it is onelyonly in God merciemercy, that calleth them, and God prepareth them, not themselues.
3. But this is the reason of this different speach, because the vessels of merciemercy God onelyonly hath prepared, they hauehave nothing of themselues: but the vessels of wrath are partly prepared of God, partly of themselues and of Sathan: if we consider the nature of these vessels, they were created of God, or the end it is also ordained of God, but in respect of their sinne, they are prepared of themselues by the corruption of their owne nature, and by the malice of Sathan: So they are neither wholly prepared of God to destruction, nor of themselues, but partly by both, as hath beene shewed: See Pareus dub. 18.