Part 750 (1/2)

9:6. Not as though the word of G.o.d hath miscarried. For all are not Israelites that are of Israel.

All are not Israelites, etc... Not all, who are the carnal seed of Israel, are true Israelites in G.o.d's account: who, as by his free grace, he heretofore preferred Isaac before Ismael, and Jacob before Esau, so he could, and did by the like free grace, election and mercy, raise up spiritual children by faith to Abraham and Israel, from among the Gentiles, and prefer them before the carnal Jews.

9:7. Neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

9:8. That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of G.o.d: but they that are the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.

9:9. For this is the word of promise: According to this time will I come. And Sara shall have a son.

9:10. And not only she. But when Rebecca also had conceived at once of Isaac our father.

9:11. For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil (that the purpose of G.o.d according to election might stand):

Not yet born, etc... By this example of these twins, and the preference of the younger to the elder, the drift of the apostle is, to shew that G.o.d, in his election, mercy and grace, is not tied to any particular nation, as the Jews imagined; nor to any prerogative of birth, or any forgoing merits. For as, antecedently to his grace, he sees no merits in any, but finds all involved in sin, in the common ma.s.s of condemnation; and all children of wrath: there is no one whom he might not justly leave in that ma.s.s; so that whomsoever he delivers from it, he delivers in his mercy: and whomsoever he leaves in it, he leaves in his justice.

As when, of two equally criminal, the king is pleased out of pure mercy to pardon one, whilst he suffers justice to take place in the execution of the other.

9:12. Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger.

9:13. As it is written: Jacob I have loved: but Esau I have hated.

9:14. What shall we say then? Is there injustice with G.o.d? G.o.d forbid!

9:15. For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy.

9:16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of G.o.d that sheweth mercy.

Not of him that willeth, etc... That is, by any power or strength of his own, abstracting from the grace of G.o.d.

9:17. For the scripture saith to Pharao: To this purpose have I raised thee, that I may shew my power in thee and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

To this purpose, etc... Not that G.o.d made him on purpose that he should sin, and so be d.a.m.ned; but foreseeing his obstinacy in sin, and the abuse of his own free will, he raised him up to be a mighty king, to make a more remarkable example of him: and that his power might be better known, and his justice in punis.h.i.+ng him, published throughout the earth.

9:18. Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will. And whom he will, he hardeneth.

He hardeneth... Not by being the cause or author of his sin, but by withholding his grace, and so leaving him in his sin, in punishment of his past demerits.

9:19. Thou wilt say therefore to me: Why doth he then find fault? For who resisteth his will?

9:20. O man, who art thou that repliest against G.o.d? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it: Why hast thou made me thus?

9:21. Or hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour?

The potter... This similitude is used only to shew that we are not to dispute with our Maker, nor to reason with him why he does not give as uch grace to one as to another; for since the whole lump of our clay is vitiated by sin, it is owing to his goodness and mercy, that he makes out of it so many vessels of honor; and it is no more than just, that others, in punishment of their unrepented sins, should be given up to be vessels of dishonor.

9:22. What if G.o.d, willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction,

9:23. That he might shew the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory?

9:24. Even us, whom also he hath called, not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles.