362 Ishmael as types thereof; and though we fhould do this, yet we cannot find any fhew of ground why to take Jacob and Efau as fuch. (2.) The apostle indeed in his former difcourfe fpeaks of works, but never a word of feeking righteoufnefs and life by works. (3) When the apostle fpeaks of works, it is always in oppofition to God, and what he takes from them he gives to him: but by this opinion, what he takes from works he gives to faith. (4) The apostle has not a word of faith, nor of feeking righteoufnefs by faith. Yea, (5) he is fo far from taking in faith, when he lays works afide, that he excludes it no lefs than works; for he confidereth Jacob and Efau, not yet born, and fo as far from faith as from good works: he fays not, Not of works, but of faith, but, not of works, but of him that catleth. 2. By this glofs we fhall flatly con radict the apostle, yea, and make him to contradict himfelf; for it is moft clear that he confidereth Jacob and Efau as every way alike, when he faith, The children were not yet born, neither had done good or evil: but believers and unbelievers are not alike; fure believers and fuch as feek life by their believing, are inwardly renewed, and have the grace of God at their heart-roots. An Expofition of the Epifle to the Romans. 3. I wonder what feeming ground any could have to propofe fuch an objection as this? What thew of unrighteoufnefs is there here, to love fuch as flee in to the righteoufuefs of Chrift, having none of their own wherewith to fatisfy justice? and to caft fuch into hell who deferve it, and will not go out of themselves, to feek a price which will fatisfy juftice? And fhall we think that the apoftle would ftart objections which had no ground, and which no man could imagine? 4. And to fay, that there is an apparent ground for this objection, feeing God once made a covenant in which righteoufnefs and life was to be had by works, and now he debars fuch from life, who are feeking life that way, were to fay fomewhat, if, (1.) the apoftle Chap. IX. had been speaking any thing of the covenant of works; but he is fpeaking of par every way alike; but none are in a like caticular perfons, and of particular perfons pacity to get life, either by the covenant This were fomething, if, fuppofing it pofof life, or by the covenant of grace. (2.) able to keep that covenant, God would not fible, that any now, fince Adam's fall, were grant life to fuch, tho' they fhould fulfil the condition of that covenant in every point; but neither doth the apostle fay this, 5. But, you will fay, feemeth it not unrigh nor is there ground for any to imagine it. feeking it by the righteoufnefs of the law, teous to reject the Jews from life, who were I anfwer, To feek righteoufness by the law is one thing, and to fulfil the law perfectly is another thing. It would indeed feem unrighteous to exclude fuch from life, that had perfectly kept the law; but there is no feek after it, but cannot win to it; now the colour of injuftice in excluding fuch as Jews, whatever they endeavoured, yet never could keep this law perfectly, and fo cluding them from life. there could be no colour of injuftice, in ex apoflle's anfwer; according to their opi But, in the last place, let us confider he fes 15. 16. This change of the covenant nion, they take up his anfwer thus, verwho brake the covenant; and seeing it was was not through God's fault, but man's, fo that man brake that covenant, there could be no injuftice in God to take a new fome, and put what conditions in that coway, in his free mercy, whereby to fave word of a covenant here; nor 2. any word venant he pleaseth. But, 1. there is no of a change of a covenant at all: and ftle's anfwer to lie in the word mercy, 3. this makes the main ftrefs of the apo whereas it lieth in his will; he has mercy glofs is this, to fay, he hath mercy on whom on whom he will. 4. What a far-fetched he will, that is, he makes what conditions in a new covenant he pleaseth? 5. thus mercy here spoken of should not For, reach. reach particular perfons, but only fuch or fuch conditions. 6. And fo that place out of Exodus fhould have been impertinently cited; for there fure the Lord is not speaking of making the conditions of a new covenant, but is pointing forth his great fo vereignty in pardoning whom he thinketh fit, and executing justice upon others according to their demerits. 7. What an anfwer can this be to this doubt, How can God in juftice deny life to fuch who feek it according to the firft covenant? To fay, he may well do it, becaufe in his mercy he has fallen upon another way? Sure it feemeth not fatisfactory, feeing ftill the doubt remaineth; for though he fhould fall upon twenty diftinct ways, yet if he deny life to fuch as feek it the first way, he will fill feem unjuft. 8. And to fay there was a receffity for this change, feeing the old covenant was broken, and it was impoffible for man to get life thereby, is to fay indeed the thing which is true; but (1.) we have no other ground for this here, but what we may gather from the word mercy. And (2.) fhall we think that the apoftle, who labours to fatisfy consciences, would not have said so, if it had been to the purpose? fure it had been as foon faid, and more appofite; yea, and far more intelligible, to have faid, The Lord cannot be accounted unrighteous in this, because that covenant is broken, and fo useless as to life. Lastly, Though, we fhould grant all this, yet the main doubt remains, How comes it to pafs; that fome take the new way to life, and fo believe in Christ, and fome not? According to their exposition there is not a word of this here; and yet the caufe feems to be plainly held forth in these words, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And, to speak the truth, according to their opinion who make the prime caufe to be man's will, it might have come to pafs that all fhould have taken this new way, and there fhould have been no children of the flefli; but any bo dy may fee how this croffeth the word of the Lord, who faith, he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth; which importeth clearly that he has not mercy on all, and that fome are hardened. But to proceed to the 16th verfe, according to their fenfe the meaning must be this, if it have any argument with the preceeding verte; The covenant-making. is not of man's will nor man's endeavour, but of God's mercy; and how foolish this is, appeareth of itfelt: Who could once think that man could alter the covenant ? And if they fay the meaning is, The way. to heaven is not by man's doings, but by the new covenant, which mercy has found out, this were not to oppose man's doings to God, as if they ftood not in oppofition here, but man's doings unto the way by faith; and who can gather this new covenant out of thefe words, but God who hereth mercy? However this cannot be looked on as any conclufion depending upon the former verse, if we understand it as they would have it understood; for he faid before, he would have mercy on whom he would have mercy; that is, according to their fenfe, he takes what way in the new covenant he will; and fo it will not follow from thence, that it might not be of him that willeth and runeth; for according to his good-pleasure that was the way before. Finally, what wildness is in this interpretation, to fay the meaning is this; The way is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runeth, but of him that believeth, through the mercy of God! Is of God who fheweth mercy, all one with of him that believeth through mercy? Any body may thus pervert fcripture who please. From verfe 14. OBSERVE, I. Carnal reason cannot eafily take up and understand the deep and profound myfteries of God, they do fo far tranfcend the capacity and reach of the carnal mind; therefore always we find the apostle, when handling handling these mysterious points, meeting | who, notwithstanding of the objection, with a number of objections, and here goes on upon the fame purpose, and mainfaith, What shall we fay then? taineth what he had faid. II. Albeit carnal reafon be blind in the matters of God, yet it is so proud and arrogant, that it would still question the ways of the infinitely wife God, and have all the ways of his deep and unfearchable wifdom modelled according to its apprehenfion, or elfe declare its diffent and diffatisfaction for here carnal reafon objecteth, There must then be unrighteoufnefs with God. III. When carnal reafon cannot reach the myfteries of God, or findeth them not complying with its apprehenfions, fo confident is it of its own perfection, that it will never question its own weakness, but rather roll over the blame upon the infinitely wife God, and rather fay, that God's ways are not righteous, than acknowledge its own ignorance, in not being able to understand the ways of the Lord: for here they are readier to fay, that there is unrighteousness with God, than to queftion their own incapacity; for it is faid, Is there unrighteoufnefs with God? IV. It is no new thing to fee men of corrupt minds loadening the doctrine of predeftination of particular perfons, without the forefight of faith or good works, with a number of abfurdities; and in particular, it is an old trick of Satan to loaden it with this abfurdity, that it would give clear ground of blaming God of unrighteoufness if he took fuch a courfe as that; for even then it was objected, Is there unrighteoufnefs with God? V. Howbeit men of corrupt minds have a great prejudice against the myfteries of God, and truths tranfcending their reach and capacity, or not fuiting with their apprehenfions; yet truth fhould ftill be precious to us, and we should not flinch from it the more of that, nor labour to extricate ourselves by carnal diftinctions; but plainly declare the truth, and stand to it upon all hazards, as the apoftle doth here, VI. It is certain that the Lord was not moved at the forefight either of good in fome, or evil in others, when he predef tinated fome to glory and others to death; for if fo there had been no colour for this objection, Is there unrighteousness with God? VII. All God's ways, being founded on wisdom, are full of juftice and righteous nefs, being the ways of him who is righte ous altogether, and juft in all his actions; for to this objection he answereth, God forbid. VIII. However the Lord's purposes and decrees feem to us to be incompatible with the rules of justice and equity, and altho' we cannot tell how to reconcile the fame with the rules of righteoufnefs; yet we fhould reft fully fatisfied, when we know that fuch indeed are his purposes, and conclude, that certainly they must be righteous: God forbid, fays he. From Verfes 15. 16. OBSERVE, I. The most fure and perfect way of clear" ing and confirming truths, which carnal and corrupt reafon barks againft, is, not to reply to their corrupt ratiocinations, and think to fatisfy them according to their imagina tions, but to bring them to the law and to the teftimony, as that which all fhould fubmit unto, and which cannot lie, being the word of the Spirit of truth, and which is fully able to decide all controverfies, folve all queftions, and fatisfy all cafes; for the apoftle in profecuting the matter of predeftination, notwithstanding of what corrupt reafon had faid against it, appeals to the fcripture, and cites a paffage out of Excdus, where the Lord faid, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracicus. II. A truth may be agreeable unto the word of God, tho' it be not confirmed in as many words and fyllables out of God's word, if it be confirmed by good and ne ceffary ceflary confequence from the word; for by confequence only doth the apostle prove the point he is upon, from that place out of Exodus, as we thewed in the expofition. III. The Lord, in predeftinating fome to life, and others to deftruction, walks ac cording to the counfel of his own will, and as a ftately Prince, having fupreme authority over all men and women, who are his creatures, and unlimited fuperiority, having power to do with his creatures whatfo ever feemeth good in his eyes; fo that predeftination is an act of fovereignty; and therefore is faid to be according to the good pleafure of his will, Eph. i. 5. and according to bis purpofe, Eph. i. 11.: for he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. IV. Whatever the Lord doth by his tranfcendent and unlimited power, where in he is not tied to the fame rules by which he tieth his creatures, can no ways be accounted unrighteous; he being above all law is a law to himfelf, and his will is the rule of righteoufnefs: for to anfwer the objection that feemed to lay and impute unrighteousness to God in his predeftinaring, he anfwereth thus, that it is his will; fo that whatever he willeth, muft be accounted righteous: therefore he fays, For be fays to Mofes, I will have mercy on whom 1 will have mercy. V. As God did from all eternity predeftinate fome to everlafting life, fo hath he decreed that it fhall be brought about fo, as he fhall have the glory of his mercy hining eminently forth in the carrying on of his defign; and therefore hath purpofed that they fhall be in fuch a cafe as to need mercy: out of the depth of his wifdom hath he done this, that he might get the glory of his attributes: for he hath mercy even on the elect ones, and it is by a way of mercy that he brings them to life. VI. The elect, notwithstanding of God's everlasting love, whereby they are predeftinated unto life, before that in God's own time they be effectually called and juftified, are lying in a state of fin and mifery, under guilt, both original and actual, and God's curfe, and so stand in need of mercy: He bath mercy on whom he will, and compaffion on whom he will have compaffion: now mercy and compaflion do always prefuppofe mifery. VII. As before all eternity when God pitched his love and affection upon his own, he did it without any confideration of their good deeds, freely, according to his own good-will and pleafure; fo in time, when his everlasting love began to break up and appear above ground, it was free and undeferved, and without any forefight of their works, or the like; for he has mercy on whom he will have mercy. VIII. God's arbitrary way of walking, in fhewing mercy, in time, to whom he will, merely out of his own good pleasure, may abundantly confirm the truth of his arbitrary way of walking in his eternal acts and purpofes of his heart; for this is the apoftle's argument, as we fhewed in the expofition: He bath mercy on whom he will have mercy. IX. The mercy which God fheweth unto his own people is most tender, wonderful, and inexpreffible; he hath bowels of mercy, and not only fo, but he hath compaffion: He bath compofion on whom be will have compaffion and fo he ufeth two words to the fame purpofe. : X. As God's mercies are free and tender, fo are they infinite and large, anfwering all the cafes of a poor believer, pardoning all their offences of whatever nature; yea, and they are lafting alfo, and unchangeable: He has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he has compaffion on whom he will have compaffion; mercy and compaffion both: and his taying, he has mercy on whom be will, fays, that he is unchangeable in it. XI. As man has no ftrength by nature, nor free will for any thing that is good, being altogether averfe from good, and prone to what is evil, and fo has no hand in h's own bringing out of darkness into light, fo, far lefs could he have any hand the matter of election by fuch acts as tended to the actual execution thereof; fo doth he now labour to clear the matter of reprobation, by producing fuch acts as tend to the actual execution thereof; and fheweth, how in thefe the Lord walketh according to the counfel of his own wil. We may take up his argument thus; If God hardeneth, in his wife providence, whom he will, without any ground of inXIII. The rife of election and the car- juftice or wrong-doing to any, then he rying of it on, is only in the Lord; all may juftly appoint whom he will to everbred firft in his own breast, and all is folafting deftruction, without any ground of carried on, as the glory of it may wholly injuftice: But fo it is that God, in his hoand fingly be his own: But of God wholy and wife providence, so ordereth matfheweth mercy. ters as fome are really hardened, yet fo as none can blame the Lord of any act of inVERSES 17. 18. For the fcripture faith un-juftice; Therefore, &c. The major the to Pharaoh, Even for this fame purpofe apostle paffeth by, as being moft clear in have I raised thee up, that I might fhewitfelf; feeing, 1. this act, which is done in my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the in his own election; his free will, good difpofition and inclination were not required as meriting the fame: for it is not of him that willeth. XII. As a man's intentions and refolutions are altogether laid afide, both in the matter of election, and bringing them out of nature into grace; fo allo are his en.deavours, pains, and fweatings of all forts: Nor of him that runeth. A S before the apoftle fhewed, how, in the matter of predeftination, the Lord followed a way of abfolute fovereignty, and unlimited fupremacy, by demonftrating how in time, as to fuch acts which belong to the execution and actual bringing about of his everlasting purpofe of love and goodwill, he walketh according to the rule of his own abfolute will; in which acts, tho' moft obvious, yet none hath any juft ground thence, to blame the juft Lord of injuftice: So, in like manner, that the objection propofed, may be fully anfwered, he fheweth, how, in the matter of reprobation, the Lord alfo followeth an abfolute, way, and traceth a tranfcendent path of fovereignty, in paffing by and deftinating fo many un to everlasting deftruction, not following any laws or imaginations of vain man, who would hedge in the Moft High with their ewn laws and limits. And as he cleared time, would feem more liable unto the culous |