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EXPOSITION. ROM. ix. 22, 23.

What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with

much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make

known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

Our beloved brother Paul, said Peter, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you-some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. What was true in the apostolic age, has been found equally so in succeeding times. The doctrines of the inspired Paul have been, and still are, wrested, to the injury of the uninstructed and unsettled in principle, who, carried about with every wind of doctrine in support of their idle visions, must torture the decisions of inspiration, to bring dislocated and mangled portions of the divine word, apparently to speak their language. This is peculiarly exemplified in the expositions of the ninth chapter of the epistle to the Romans. The supra-lapsarian Antinomian, and the self-righteous legalist, have appeared upon opposite sides, to inflict injury upon this deeply interesting document, compelling it, in broken accents, to give its testimony in favor of their preconceived, false, and contradictory theories of the plan of God's administrations.

Whatever the difficulty may be in apprehending the truth upon this subject, it can never justify the violent wresting of the word of God, from its proper import or connection. If the grandeur or

extent of the matter, or God's sovereign mode of expression, surpass the narrow bounds of our apprehension, let us humbly confess our littleness, and not presumptuously attempt to measure the ways of the Almighty by our ways, or think to bring down his thoughts to the meanness of our

own.

The great subject of this chapter, however, may be understood, so far as the understanding of it has a bearing upon the faith and practice of man. To effect this, indeed, two qualifications are indispensable: attention and humility. Let not the labor of attention be supplied by the rashness of indiscretion, nor the patience of humility by the presumption of indolence. We shall notice the connection of our text.

The apostle having pronounced upon the glories that shall be revealed in the saints, in the future life, described the certainty of that revelation in the language of triumph. But upon turning to the men of his country and kindred, he was deeply affected with sorrow of heart; for they, by rejecting Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, and Redeemer of sinners, had forfeited all claim to a participation in those glories, and likewise to the means conducting to the enjoyment of them. That he might assert the necessity of grace in men's salvation, and arouse to serious reflection the slumbering transgressors of Zion, he brings into view the sovereignty of Heaven, and the previously declared fact of Israel's apostasy. Neither of these positions were in accordance with the prejudices of the carnal Jew. Shall Israel, to whom God granted

favors, so many and so distinguishing, be rejected from the covenant, and degraded from the rank of the people of God? Shall their place be supplied by converts from the nations, so long estrayed from Jehovah, and, for so many ages, sunk in the basest idolatry? Such thoughts were of fensive to Jewish pride; yet they were true. God's right to act thus the apostle affirms, proves, and illustrates, by indubitable examples.

Upon the bounty of God, no sinner has any claim beyond the divine good pleasure. As the objects of his favor, among the unworthy, the Lord may make his own selection. Isaac was preferred to Ishmael, Jacob to Esau; and in the case of Pharaoh, the proud monarch of Egypt, is shown the mysterious purpose of a sovereign and righteous Providence. And, as regards the rejecting of Israel, and the calling of the Gentiles, the prophets of Israel had long before settled these as events infallibly certain. In these dispensations God is perfectly just. What if God, willing to show his wrath, &c.

In the prosecution of this subject, it is intended to lay down a few positions, a reference to which may facilitate the interpre. tation of the passage before us; then to explain it, and, in the third place, deduce such practical inferences as the discussion may suggest. We then proceed to lay down

1. Some positions respecting man, and the divine administrations towards him, in order to aid us in the exposition of the passage of scripture now before us.

Position I. The characters exhibited to view in this chapter, as objects of the divine decree, were in that decree, by the eye of God, contemplated as sinners, fallen, guilty, and helpless. Such were Ishmael, Isaac, Esau, Jacob, Pharaoh; and such, by nature, are all the descendants of fallen Adam. The Bible is a revelation from Heaven to fallen man, and the decrees of God respecting him, which it reveals, contemplate him as having fallen into sin, and consequently as having forfeited life and all its blessings. This truth carried along with us, and applied, will, on this subject, free from many an embarrassing thought.

Pos. II. In asserting the relation between the divine decree and human agency, a ground must not be assumed which would lead either to the impeaching of God's holiness, or to the impugning of the responsibility of man.

The providence of God is conversant about the acts of moral beings. His providence is not without a plan. That plan is the purpose of his own mind, and contemplates the agency of man, under those aspects which are perfectly consistent with the glory of the divine perfections and human responsibility. It is not necessary to the assertion of the truth on this point, that we should be able to touch the link which connects the sovereignty of God with the moral nature and acts of the rational creature. It is enough for us to know, that the infinite mind of the Divinity is adequate to all that the case requires.

The idea of conditional pur

poses of God, is absurd. Not so, however, of promises and threats. These must not be confounded with the decrees of the divine mind. Conditional purposes of God! Did he see the condition as certain? Then the event was certain, and the supposition removes no difficulty. Did he not see the condition to be certain? Then he did not see the event purposed as certain, and his knowledge was imperfect. This is atheism. The mind that does not comprehend all that is past, present, and future, is not infinite, is not perfect. To represent him who speaks of himself, as "know. ing the end from the beginning," purposing not to be perfect in his knowledge, is profane. He who is not perfect in knowledge, cannot be perfect in wisdom, goodness, and power. The purpose of God, as it regards human actions, is certain.

The prescience of God is proof of this assertion. His prescience is knowledge, and not conjecture. He, from eternity, knew all that should ever transpire in time; and if he saw all events with infallible certainty from the beginning, there was sufficient reason for that certainty; and we are authorized to conclude, that that reason and its certainty in relation to the event, did not infringe upon the moral freedom of the agent.

Moral evil exists in our guilty world. God has permitted it to exist, and he purposed to permit it. Acts xiv. 16. He suffered, ƐlaσƐ, PERMITTED-all nations to walk in their own ways. We must not entangle ourselves with attempts at explanation of what

lies beyond our ken; but by certain facts made known, we may abide, and in them our minds find rest. Among these the following appear clear and satisfactory: God has made man a voluntary being, capable of commencing and carrying on moral action; the providence and purpose of the Divine Being, in perfect accordance with each other, are conversant with the deeds of moral agents, but in different respects, according to the character of those deeds, as they are good or evil; that the prescience of God proves the certain futurition of all human acts; that there is a sufficient reason for this infallible prescience; that as that reason, whatever it is supposed to be, affects not the moral liberty of the agent, neither does the immutable purpose of God any more affect it; and that man, as possessed of the power of agency, is held accountable at the tribunal of God. Keeping by these facts, we are secure. To answer the objection when he inquires, How can these things be? we are under no obligation, more than we are to explain the mysteries of our own constitution, or the unsearchable things of the eternal Godhead.

Pos. III. God never formed. the purpose of punishing an innocent being, and, under his go. vernment, no example exists of the suffering of a moral agent, not liable to punishment, in the eye of his righteous law.

In the administrations of providence, indeed, pain is threatened and punishment is inflicted; but the subjects thereof are delinquents. The confidence of the

righteous is, that under the government of Almighty God, no injustice can be done by him to the works of his hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? When between him and man a controversy exists, he calls upon him to testify against his administration. What have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. The only apparent exception to this, is found in the sufferings of Him who is emphatically described as "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." The exception is scarcely sustained even by appearance. In nocent indeed he was, in himself, and yet no sufferings could be compared with his. The seeming difficulty vanishes, when we recollect that the Son of God interposed between the stroke of justice and guilty man. He as sumed our obligation to justice, as expressed by Jehovah's law. In the eye of that law, which is holy, just, and good, he was liable to suffer the just for the unjust. He assumed our guilt. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all. And therefore it pleased the Lord to bruise him. This part of the divine economy toward our Emmanuel, as the substitute of sinners, remarkably establishes the position before us.

Pos. IV. God never, by his efficiency, directly or indirectly infused into any of his moral creatures sinful principles or propensities, nor employed, in any manner, his agency to make them sinners, in order to display his power in their punishment.

This position is in correspon

dence with the record of our Creator, whether found in the pages of the book of nature, or in the inscriptions of the volume of inspired truth. It is, too, congenial with the sentiments of all who know and reverence the blessed name of Him who is glorious in holiness. He has forbidden every appearance of evil, he prohibits sin in all its forms, he threatens it with vengeance, he actually punishes it in the infliction of the terrible sanction of his violated law. He commands holiness in all its perfection, he provides means for its attainment, he encourages its practice; and with it, in his promises, his administrations, and the experience of the saint, he connects blessings of the highest character, and honors the most distinguishing and lasting. Defect of holiness unfits for heaven, and qualifies for hell; the possession of it is the meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light. Can the idea, the hor. rid idea, occupy a mind complete. ly sane, that the God of Israel could, by his own almighty hand, make his creature a sinner, for the purpose of displaying the power of that same hand, power without justice, in effecting his destruction? Do himself the deed and punish his creature for it! No, no.

The idea calls up every good sentiment of the mind and heart against it. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

It is, indeed, true, that "whom he will he hardeneth." His providence is universal. No event transpires independently of his

government; and that government perfectly accords, in its administration, with the powers, character, and acting of its subjects. Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, furnishes an example of this hardening process. Him the providence of God found a sinner ere he occupied the throne of the sons of Ham. Pharaoh the Lord purposed to leave in his sinful state. The depravity of his haughty heart taught that des. pot to abuse every favor bestowed upon him by the hand of Heaven. Pharaoh's heart needed no extrinsic influence to make it hard. Leave him to himself, as a distinct agent, under the power of sin, and the hardening process will go on. Hence we are repeatedly informed that he hardened his own heart; and took occasion from the acts of divine kindness toward him, to do so. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, as the Lord had said. Exod. viii. 15; and chap. ix. 34. He sinned yet more, and hardened his heart. God purposed not to interpose by his mollifying grace, and, in the idiom of the eastern language, employed in the Bible, and which, when viewed under established rules of fair interpretation, cannot be easily misunderstood, is therefore said to harden the ty

A VOYAGE OVER THE ATLANTIC. IRELAND-LETTER IV.

My dear S.

On the morning of the 16th March, I found myself beside the river Boyne, in the town of Drogheda, where I stepped out of the Belfast coach on the preceding evening. I sallied forth, according to habit, for an early walk. Historical recollections of the contest between the Orange-men and the native Irish, and of the triumphs of king William, excited to inquiry and observation, now while I was on the spot. The battle of the Boyne, 12th July, 1689, which decided the sove. reignty of Ireland, is not unknown or forgotten in America. in New York, on its anniversary, opposite parties banter one another; and they have sometimes 'fought the battle over again," until restrained by the strong arm of the law (our republican king), and compelled to keep the peace.

Even

DROGHEDA is an old, a handsome, and regularly built town, 24 miles from Dublin, on the road

he shall defile him. The priest did not pollute the leper; he only pronounced him unclean. Again, Gen. xli. 13. me he restored, and him he hanged. Joseph only foretold these events; he did not cause them. Once more: The Lord hath taken away, Job. i. 21. The Lord permitted the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and Satan, to do so, as the history shows. In the sense in which Joseph caused Pharaoh's butler to be restored, and the baker to be hanged, or that

rant's heart.* The purpose of in which the Lord took away the substance of God was not to prevent it.

To be continued.

*Upon the mode of expressiou used, Exod. vii. 3. and x. 1., let the reader remark, that the Hebrew idiom is often carried into our very literal version of sacred scripture. According to that idiom, verbs of action often signify no more than to know, declare, foretell, or permit, what is said to be affected. Thus Psalm cxix. 128., Ishereti, I make right, imports no more than I know or reckon thy precepts to be right. So Lev. xiii. 3, NDD Vethema, and

Job, did he harden Pharaoh's heart: he foretold the fact, he permitted the event. Man's agency, and that of God, are as distinct as their being or personality. Our acts are not his. Setting aside the blasphemy of asserting God to be the author of our sins, the moral tenden. cy of the revolting sentiment is to be depreca. ted. If God causes all our sins, he will not punish us for his doings. Man, if he believe all this, will not fear to sin. It is happy for our world that all the original principles of man's constitution are not obliterated. "The work of the law written in the heart," testifies against the wild notion of God being the author of sin.

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