Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 9 · Excursus 7
¶Whether we can reſiſte the grace of God, or no.
BVt now ariſeth an other doubt, as touching our nature, as it is now fallen, & corrupt, whether it can reſiſte the grace of God, & his ſpirite beyng preſent, or no?There ar ſundry degrees of grace of God, I thinke we muſt cōſider that there are as it wer ſundry degrees of the helpe or grace of God: for his might & aboūdance is ſometymes ſo great, that he wholy boweth the will of man, & doth not onelyonly Counſel, but alſo perſuade. And when it ſo commeth to paſſe, we can not departe from the right waye, but we are of Gods ſide, and obey his ſentence. Wherfore it was ſayd vntounto Paul: It is hard for thee to kycke agaynſt the prycke.
There is no violēce or coaction inferred to mans will.And yet muſt we not thinke that when it is ſo done, there is any violence or coaction brought vntounto the will of man: for it is by a pleaſaunt mouyng and conuerſion altered, and that willing, but yet ſo willing, that the will therof cōmeth of God: for it is it, which willeth, but God by a ſtronge and moſt mighty perſuaſion maketh it to will. But ſomtymes that power of God and ſpirit is, more remiſſe: which yet (if we wil put therunto our endeuor & apply our will) we ſhould not reſiſte: yea we ſhould obey his admoniſhmentes and inſpirations: and when that we do it not, we are therfore ſayd to reſiſte him, and oftentymes fall. And yet this is not to be vnderſtand as touching the firſt regeneration, but as concerning thoſe whiche are regenerated, whiche are now endewed with grace and ſpirite. For the will of the vngodly is ſo corrupt and vitiate, that except it be renewed, it can not geue place vntounto the inſpirations of God, and admoniſhynges of the holy ghoſt: & it in the firſt immutatiō of mās conuerſion, it onelyonly ſuffreth: and before the renewyng, it continually (as much as in it is) reſiſteth the ſpirite of God. But the firſt parentes whileſt they were perfect, if with ye helpe of grace beyng ſomewhat remiſſe, they had adioyned theyr endeuor, they might hauehave perfectly obeyed the commaundementes of God. But we although we be renewed, ſeyng grace is more remiſſe, remitting nothing of our endeuor, we ſhall not be able conſtantly and perfectly to obey the commaundementes of God, but yet we may be able to containe our ſelues within the boundes or limites of an obediēce begon: whiche thyng bycauſe we do not, therfore oftentymes we ſinne, and greuouſly fall.
Why the grace of god worketh not alyke alwayes in vsus.But why God geueth not his grace alwayes to his electe after one ſorte, and one increaſe, but ſometymes he worketh in them more ſtrongly, and ſometymes more remiſſedly, two reaſons may be aſſigned: Firſt, leaſt we ſhould thinke the grace of God to be naturall ſtrengthes, which remayne alwayes after one ſorte. Wherfore god would moſt iuſtly alter the degree & efficacy of his helpe: wherby we myght vnderſtand that it is gouerned by hys wil, & not as we luſt. Moreouer it oftentimes happeneth yt our negligence & ſlouthfulnes deſerueth this variety.
Laſtly let vsus conclude the matter, that if we wil ſpeake properly, it is not to be ſayd that God either willeth or bringeth forth ſinne, in that it is ſinne: for what ſoeuer God willeth, & whatſoeuer he doth, it is good. But ſinne, in yt it is ſinne, is euil. Wherfore god neither willeth nor doeth it, in that it is ſinne: yea he deteſteth, prohibiteth, and puniſheth it by his lawes. And if at any tyme it be ſayd in the Scriptures, that he either willeth or worketh ſinne in men, that muſt be referred vntounto other conſiderations, whiche I hauehave declared both in an other place, and alſo now here. And this is ſufficient as touching this queſtion.
And God ſent an euil ſpirit. By an euil ſpirit I vnderſtād either the deuill,What is vnderſtād vp an euil ſpirite. or wicked affections, or cruelty ſtirred vp to reuenge iniuryes, but the end was to take vengeaunce for the bloud of the ſonnes of Ierubbaal.
The men of Sechem layd wayte agaynſt hym. The cauſe of ye lying in waytThere may be three cauſes of their lying in wayte. Firſt, bycauſe they would ſlay him as he paſſed by. And an other was, bicauſe they would not hauehave his ſouldiers to go to and fro. The third was, to ſhake of their yoke, and to declare that they were free. This was as much as to ſay, as they now nothing paſſed vponupon his kyngly power.
It was tolde Abimelech. A ſhort ſentence & cut of: wherby yet we vnderſtand that Abimelech paſſed not that way, for feare of fallyng into their ſnares.