The Sovereignty of God

With this, we are in hearty accord. Romans 9.22 does not say the vessels of wrath fitted themselves, nor does it say they are fit for destruction. Instead, it declares they are fitted to destruction, and the context shows plainly it is God who thus fits them, objectively by His eternal decrees. Though Romans 9 contains the fullest setting forth of the doctrine of reprobation, there are still other passages which refer to it, one or two more of which we will now briefly notice. What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not, but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Romans 11.7, Revised Version. Here we have two distinct and clearly defined classes which are set in sharp antithesis, the election and the rest. The one obtained, the other is hardened. On this verse, we quote from the comments of John Bunyan of Immortal Memory. These are solemn words. They sever between men and men. The election and the rest, the chosen and the left, the embraced and the refused. By rest, here must needs be understood those not elect, because set the one in opposition to the other, and if not elect, whom then but reprobate. Writing to the saints at Thessalonica, the apostle declared, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5.9 Now surely it is patent to any impartial mind that this statement is quite pointless if God has not appointed any to wrath. To say that God hath not appointed us to wrath clearly implies that there are some whom He has appointed to wrath, and were it not that the minds of so many professing Christians are so blinded by prejudice, they could not fail to clearly see this. A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them who stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. 1 Peter 2.8 The whereunto manifestly points back to the stumbling at the word, and their disobedience. Here then God expressly affirms that there are some who have been appointed. It is the same Greek word as in 1 Thessalonians 5.9, unto disobedience. Our business is not to reason about it, but to bow to Holy Scripture. Our first duty is not to understand, but to believe what God has said. But these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. 2 Peter 2.12 Here again every effort is made to escape the plain teaching of this solemn passage. We are told that it is the brute beasts who are made to be taken and destroyed, and not the persons here likened to them. All that is needed to refute such sophistry is to inquire within, lies the point of analogy between the these men and the brute beasts? What is the force of the as, but these as brute beasts? Clearly it is that these men, as brute beasts, are the ones who, like animals, are made to be taken and destroyed. The closing words confirming this by reiterating the same sentiment, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Jude 4. Attempts have been made to escape the obvious force of this verse by substituting a different translation. The revised version gives that there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation. But this altered rendering by no means gets rid of that which is so distasteful to our sensibilities. The question arises, where were these of old written of beforehand? Certainly not in the Old Testament, for nowhere is there any reference there to wicked men creeping into Christian assemblies. If written of be the best translation of Prografo, the reference can only be to the book of the divine decrees. So whichever alternative be selected there can be no evading the fact that certain men are before of old marked out by God unto condemnation. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship Him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Revelation 13.8, revised version. Compare Revelation 17.8. Here then is a positive statement affirming that there are those whose names were not written in the book of life. Here then are no less than ten passages which most plainly imply or expressly teach the fact of reprobation. They affirm that the wicked are made for the day of evil, that God fashions some vessels unto dishonor, and by His eternal decree objectively fits them unto destruction. That they are like brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, being of old ordained unto this condemnation. Therefore in the faith of these scriptures we unhesitatingly affirm, after nearly twenty-five years careful and prayerful study of the subject, that the word of God unquestionably teaches both predestination and reprobation, or to use the words of Calvin, eternal election is God's predestination of some to salvation and others to destruction. Having thus stated the doctrine of reprobation, as it is presented in Holy Writ, let us now mention one or two important considerations to guard it against abuse and prevent the reader from making any unwarranted deductions. First, the doctrine of reprobation does not mean that God purposed to take innocent creatures, make them wicked, and then damn them. Scripture says, God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. Ecclesiastes 7.29 God has not created sinful creatures in order to destroy them, for God is not to be charged with the sin of His creatures. The responsibility and criminality is man's. God's decree of reprobation contemplated Adam's race as fallen, sinful, corrupt, guilty. From it, God purposed to save a few as the monuments of His sovereign grace, and others He determined to destroy as the exemplification of His justice and severity. In determining to destroy these others, God did them no wrong. They had already fallen in Adam, their legal representative. They are therefore born with a sinful nature, and in their sins He leaves them, nor can they complain. This is as they wish. They have no desire for holiness. They love darkness rather than light. Where then is there any injustice if God gives them up to their own heart's lust? Psalm 81.12 Second, the doctrine of reprobation does not mean that God refuses to save those who earnestly seek salvation. The fact is that the reprobate have no longing for the Savior. They see in Him no beauty that they should desire Him. They will not come to Christ. Why then should God force them to? He turns away none who do come. Where then is the injustice of God for determining their just doom? None will be punished for their iniquities. Where then is the supposed tyrannical cruelty of the divine procedure? Remember that God is the creator of the wicked, not of their wickedness. He is the author of their being but not the infuser of their sin. God does not, as we have been slanderously reported to affirm, compel the wicked to sin as the rider spurs on an unwilling horse. God only says, in effect, that awful word, let them alone. Matthew 15.14 He needs only to slacken the reins of providential restraint and withhold the influence of saving grace and the apostate man will only too soon and too surely of his own accord fall by his iniquities. Thus the decree of reprobation neither interferes with the bent of man's own fallen nature nor serves to render him the less inexcusable. Third, the decree of reprobation in no wise conflicts with God's goodness. Though the non-elect are not the objects of his goodness in the same way or to the same extent as the elect are, yet they are not wholly excluded from the participation of it. They enjoy the good things of providence, temporal blessings, in common with God's own children and very often to a higher degree. But how do they improve them? Does the temporal goodness of God lead them to repent? Nay, verily, they do but despise his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering. And after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath. Romans 2, 4 and 5 On what righteous ground, then, can they murmur against not being the objects of his benevolence in the endless ages yet to come? Moreover, if it did not clash with God's mercy and kindness to leave the entire body of the fallen angels 2 Peter 2, 4 under the guilt of their apostasy, still less can it clash with the divine perfections to leave some of fallen mankind in their sins and punish them for them. Finally, let us interpose this necessary caution. It is utterly impossible for any of us during the present life to ascertain who are among the reprobate. We must not now so judge any man no matter how wicked he may be. The vilest sinner may, for all we know, be included in the election of grace and be one day quickened by the spirit of grace. Our marching orders are plain and woe unto us if we disregard them. Preach the gospel to every creature. When we have done so, our skirts are clear. If men refuse to heed, their blood is on their own heads. Nevertheless, we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one we are a savour of death, unto death, and to the other we are a savour of life, unto life. 2 Corinthians 2, 15 and 16 We must now consider a number of passages which are often quoted with the purpose of showing that God has not fitted certain vessels to destruction or ordained certain ones to condemnation. First we cite Ezekiel 18, 31. Why will ye die, O house of Israel? On this passage we cannot do better than quote from the comments of Augustus, a top lady. This is a passage very frequently but very idly insisted upon by Arminians, as if it were a hammer which would at one stroke crush the whole fabric to powder. But it so happens that the death here alluded to is neither spiritual nor eternal death. It is abundantly evident from the whole tenor of the chapter. The death intended by the prophet is a political death, a death of national prosperity, tranquility and security. The sense of the question is precisely this. What is it that makes you in love with captivity, banishment and civil ruin? Abstinence from the worship of images might, as a people, exempt you from these calamities and once more render you a respectable nation. Are the miseries of public devastation so alluring as to attract your determined pursuit? Why will ye die? Die as the house of Israel and considered as a political body? Thus did the prophet argue the case, at the same time adding, For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, wherefore turn yourselves and live ye. This imports, First, the national captivity of the Jews added nothing to the happiness of God. Second, if the Jews turned from idolatry and flung away their images, they should not die in a foreign hostile country, but live peaceably in their own land and enjoy their liberties as an independent people. To the above we may add, Political death must be what is in view in Ezekiel 18, 31 and 32 for the simple but sufficient reason that they were already spiritually dead. Matthew 25, 41 is often quoted to show that God has not fitted certain vessels to destruction. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. This is in fact one of the principal verses relied upon to disprove the doctrine of reprobation, but we submit that the emphatic word here is not for, but devil. This verse, see context, sets forth the severity of the judgment which awaits the lost. In other words, the above scripture expresses the awfulness of the everlasting fire rather than the subjects of it. If the fire be prepared for the devil and his angels, then how intolerable it will be. If the place of eternal torment into which the damned shall be cast is the same as that in which God's archenemy will suffer, how dreadful must that place be. Again, if God has chosen only certain ones to salvation, why are we told that God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent? Acts 17, 30. That God commandeth all men to repent is but the enforcing of his righteous claims as the moral governor of the world. How could he do less, seeing that all men everywhere have sinned against him? Furthermore, that God commandeth all men everywhere to repent argues the universality of creature responsibility. But this scripture does not declare that it is God's pleasure to give repentance. Acts 5, 31. Everywhere. That the apostle Paul did not believe God gave repentance to every soul is clear from his words in 2 Timothy 2, 25. In meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, per adventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Again, we are asked, if God has ordained only certain ones unto eternal life, then why do we read that he will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? 1 Timothy 2, 4. The reply is that the words all and all men, like the term world, are often used in a general and relative sense. Let the reader carefully examine the following passages. Mark 1, 5. John 6, 45. John 8, 2. Acts 21, 28. Acts 22, 15. 2 Corinthians 3, 2, etc. And he will find full proof of our assertion. 1 Timothy 2, 4. Cannot teach that God wills the salvation of all mankind or otherwise all mankind would be saved. What his soul desireth, even that he doeth. Job 23, 13. Again, we are asked, does not Scripture declare again and again that God is no respecter of persons? We answer, it certainly does, and God's electing grace proves it. The seven sons of Jesse, though older and physically superior to David, are passed by, while the young shepherd boy is exalted to Israel's throne. The scribes and lawyers pass unnoticed, and ignorant fishermen are chosen to be the apostles of the Lamb. Divine truth is hidden from the wise and prudent and is revealed to babes instead. The great majority of the wise and noble are ignored, while the weak, the base, the despised are called and saved. Harlots and publicans are sweetly compelled to come in to the gospel feast, while self-righteous Pharisees are suffered to perish in their immaculate morality. Truly God is no respecter of persons, or he would not have saved me. Thus the doctrine of reprobation is a hard saying, to the carnal mind is readily acknowledged. Yet, is it any harder than that of eternal punishment? That it is clearly taught in Scripture, we have sought to demonstrate, and it is not for us to pick and choose from the truths revealed in God's word. Let those who are inclined to receive those doctrines, which commend themselves to their judgment, and who reject those which they cannot fully understand, remember those scathing words of our Lord's, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Luke 24, 25 Fools, because slow of heart, slow of heart, not dull of head. Once more we would avail ourselves of the language of Calvin. But, as I have hitherto only recited such things as are delivered, without any obscurity or ambiguity in the Scriptures, let persons who hesitate not to brand with ignominy those oracles of heaven, beware of what kind of opposition they make. For if they pretend ignorance, with a desire to be commended for their modesty, what greater instance of pride can be conceived than to oppose one little word to the authority of God? As it appears otherwise to me, or I would rather not meddle with this subject. But if they openly censure, what will they gain by their puny attempts against heaven? Their petulance, indeed, is no novelty, for in all ages there have been impious and profane men who have virulently opposed this doctrine. But they shall feel the truth of what the Spirit long ago declared by the mouth of David, that God is clear when He judges. Psalm 51, 4 David obliquely hints at the madness of men who display such excessive presumption amidst their insignificance as not only to dispute against God, but to arrogate to themselves the power of condemning Him. In the meantime, he briefly suggests that God is unaffected by all the blasphemies which they discharge against heaven, but that He dissipates the mists of calumny and illustriously displays His righteousness, our faith also being founded on the divine word and therefore superior to all the world from its exultation looks down with contempt upon those mists. John Calvin In closing this chapter, we propose to quote from the writings of some of the standard theologians since the days of the Reformation, not that we would buttress our own statements by an appeal to human authority, however venerable or ancient, but in order to show that what we have advanced in these pages is no novelty of the twentieth century, no heresy of the latter days, but instead a doctrine which has been definitely formulated and commonly taught by many of the most pious and scholarly students of holy writ. Predestination we call the decree of God by which He has determined in Himself what He would have to become of every individual of mankind, for they are not all created with a similar destiny, but eternal life is ordained for some and eternal damnation for others. Every man therefore being created for one or the other of these ends, we say he is predestinated either to life or to death. From John Calvin's Institute, 1536 A.D. Book 3, Chapter 21, entitled Eternal Election or God's Predestination of Some to Salvation and of Others to Destruction. We ask our readers to mark well the above language. A perusal of it should show that what the present writer has advanced in this chapter is not hyper-Calvinism, but real Calvinism, pure and simple. Our purpose in making this remark is to show that those who, not acquainted with Calvin's writings, in their ignorance, condemn as ultra-Calvinism that which is simply a reiteration of what Calvin himself taught. A reiteration because that prince of theologians as well as his humble detour have both found this doctrine in the Word of God itself. Martin Luther, in his most excellent work, De Servo Arbitrio, Free Will a Slave, wrote, All things whatsoever arise from and depend upon the divine appointments whereby it was preordained who should receive the word of life and who should disbelieve it, who should be delivered from their sins and who should be hardened in them, who should be justified and who should be condemned. This is the very truth which raises the doctrine of free will from its foundations to wit that God's eternal love of some men and hatred of others is immutable and cannot be reversed. John Fox, whose Book of Martyrs was once the best-known work in the English language, alas, that is not so today when Roman Catholicism is sweeping upon us like a great destructive tidal wave, wrote, Predestination is the eternal decrement of God purposed before in Himself what should befall all men either to salvation or damnation. The larger Westminster Catechism, 1688, adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, declares God by an eternal and immutable decree out of His mere love for the praise of His glorious grace to be manifested in due time hath elected some angels to glory and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life and the means thereof and also according to His own will whereby He extendeth or withholdeth a favor as He pleases hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath to be for their sin inflicted to the praise of the glory of His justice. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress, wrote a whole volume on reprobation. From it we make one brief extract. Reprobation is before the person cometh into the world or hath done good or evil. This is evidenced by Romans 9.11. Here you find Twain in their mother's womb and both receiving their destiny not only before they had done good or evil but before they were in a capacity to do it they being yet unborn. Their destiny I say the one unto, the other not unto the blessing of eternal life the one elect, the other reprobate the one chosen, the other refused in his sighs from hell John Bunyan also wrote they that do continue to reject and slight the word of God are such for the most part as are ordained to be damned. Commenting upon Romans 9.22 what is God willing to show His wrath and to make His power known endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Jonathan Edwards, Volume 4, page 306, 1743 A.D. says How awful doth the majesty of God appear in the dreadfulness of His anger this we may learn to be one end of the damnation of the wicked Augustus Toplady, author of Rock of Ages and other sublime hymns wrote God from all eternity decreed to leave some of Adam's fallen posterity in their sins and to exclude them from the participation of Christ and His benefits and again we with the scriptures assert that there is a predestination of some particular persons to life for the praise of the glory of divine grace and also a predestination of another particular persons to death for the glory of divine justice which death of punishment they shall inevitably undergo and that justly on account of their sins George Whitfield, that stalwart of the 18th century used by God in blessing to so many wrote Without doubt the doctrine of election and reprobation must stand or fall together I frankly acknowledge I believe the doctrine of reprobation that God intends to give saving grace through Jesus Christ only to a certain number and that the rest of mankind after the fall of Adam being justly left to God to continue in sin will at last suffer that eternal death which is its proper wages fitted to destruction Romans 9.22 after declaring this a phrase amidst of two interpretations Dr. Hodge, perhaps the best known and most widely read commentator on Romans says the other interpretation assumes that the reference is to God and that the Greek word for fitted has its full participle force prepared by God for destruction this says Dr. Hodge is adopted not only by the majority of Augustinians but also by many Lutherans were it necessary we are prepared to give quotations from the writings of Wycliffe, Huss, Ridley Hooper, Cranmer, Usher, John Trapp Thomas Goodwin, Thomas Manton Chaplin to Cromwell John Owen, Witsius, John Gill predecessor of Spurgeon and a host of others we mention this simply to show that many of the most eminent saints in bygone days the men most widely used of God held and taught this doctrine which is so bitterly hated in these last days when men will no longer endure sound doctrine hated by men of lofty pretensions but who notwithstanding their boasted orthodoxy and much advertised piety are not worthy to unfasten the shoes of the faithful and fearless servants of God of other days O the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for what hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counselor or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever Amen Romans 11 33-36 Of him his will is the origin of all existence through or by him he is the creator and controller of all to him all things promote his glory in their final end Chapter 6 The sovereignty of God in operation for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be the glory forever Amen Romans 11 36 Has God foreordained everything that comes to pass? Has he decreed that what is was to have been? In the final analysis this is only another way of asking Is God now governing the world and every one and everything in it? If God is governing the world then is he governing it according to a definite purpose or aimlessly and at random? If he is governing it according to some purpose then when was that purpose made? Is God continually changing his purpose and making a new one every day or was his purpose formed from the beginning? Are God's actions like ours regulated by the change of circumstances or are they the outcome of his eternal purpose? If God formed a purpose before man was created then is that purpose going to be executed according to his original designs and is he now working toward that end? What saith the scriptures? They declare God is one who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephesians 1 11 Few who read this book are likely to call into question the statement that God knows and foreknows all things but perhaps many would hesitate to go further than this yet is it not self-evident that if God foreknows all things he has also fore-deigned all things? Is it not clear that God foreknows what will be because he has decreed what shall be? God's foreknowledge is not the cause of events rather are events the effects of his eternal purpose when God has decreed a thing shall be he knows it will be in the nature of things there cannot be anything known as what shall be unless it is certain to be and there is nothing certain to be unless God has ordained it shall be take the crucifixion as an illustration on this point the teaching of scripture is as clear as a sunbeam Christ as the Lamb whose blood was to be shed was foreordained before the foundation of the world 1 Peter 1 20 having then ordained the slaying of the Lamb God knew he would be led to the slaughter and therefore made it known accordingly through Isaiah the prophet the Lord Jesus was not delivered up by God foreknowing it before it took place but by his fixed counsel and foreordination Acts 2 23 foreknowledge of future events then is founded upon God's decrees hence if God foreknows everything that is to be it is because he has determined in himself from all eternity everything which will be known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15 18 which shows that God has a plan that God did not begin his work at random or without a knowledge of how his plan would succeed God created all things this truth no one who bows to the testimony of Holy Writ will question nor would any such be prepared to argue that the work of creation was an accidental work God first formed the purpose to create and then put forth the creative act in fulfillment of that purpose all real Christians will readily adopt the words of the psalmist and say O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all will any who endorse what we have just said deny that God purposed to govern the world which he created surely the creation of the world was not the end of God's purpose concerning it surely he did not determine simply to create the world and place man in it and then leave both to their fortunes it must be apparent that God has some great end or ends in view worthy of his infinite perfections and that he is now governing the world so as to accomplish these ends the counsel of the Lord standeth forever the thoughts of his heart to all generations Psalm 33 11 remember the former things of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure Isaiah 46 9 and 10 many other passages might be adduced to show that God has many counsels concerning this world and concerning man and that all these counsels will most surely be realized it is only when they are thus regarded that we can intelligently appreciate the prophecies of scripture in prophecy the mighty God has condescended to take us into the secret chamber of his eternal counsels and make known to us what he has purposed to do in the future the hundreds of prophecies which are found in the Old and New Testaments are not so much predictions of what will come to pass as they are revelations to us of what God has purposed shall come to pass what then was the great purpose for which this world and the human race were created the answer of scripture is the Lord hath made all things for himself Proverbs 16 4 and again thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Revelation 4 11 the great end of creation was the manifestation of God's glory the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork Psalm 19 1 and it was by man originally made in his own image and likeness that God designed chiefly to manifest his glory but how was the great creator to be glorified by man before his creation God foresaw the fall of Adam and the consequent ruin of his race therefore he could not have designed that man should glorify him by continuing in a state of innocency accordingly we are taught that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world to be the savior of fallen men the redemption of sinners by Christ was no mere afterthought of God it was no expediency to meet and on look for calamity no it was a divine provision and therefore when man fell he found mercy walking hand in hand with justice from all eternity God designed that our world should be the stage on which he would display his manifold grace and wisdom in the redemption of lost sinners to the extent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Ephesians 3, 10 and 11 for the accomplishment of this glorious design God has governed the world from the beginning and will continue it to the end it has been well said we can never understand the providence of God over our world unless we regard it as a complicated machine having 10,000 parts directed in all its operations to one glorious end the display of the manifold wisdom of God in the salvation of the church that is the called out ones everything else down here is subordinated to this central purpose it was the apprehension of this basic truth that the apostle moved by the Holy Spirit was led to right therefore I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory 2 Timothy 2, 10 what we would now contemplate is the operation of God's sovereignty in the government of this world in regard to the operation of God's government over the material world little needs now be said in previous chapters we have shown that inanimate matter and all irrational creatures are absolutely subjected to their creator's pleasure while we freely admit that the material world appears to be governed by laws that are stable and more or less uniform in their operations yet scripture, history and observation compel us to recognize the fact that God suspends these laws and acts apart from them whenever it pleases Him to do so in sending His blessings or judgments upon His creatures He may cause the sun itself to stand still and the stars in their courses to fight for His people Judges 5, 20 He may send or withhold the early and the latter rains according to the dictates of His own infinite wisdom He may smite with plague or bless with health in short, being God being absolute sovereign He is bound and tied by no laws of nature but governs the material world as seemeth Him best But what of God's government of the human family? What does scripture reveal in regard to the modus operandi of the operations of His governmental administration over mankind? To what extent and by what influence does God control the sons of men? We shall divide our answer to this question into two parts and consider first God's method of dealing with the righteous, His elect and then His method of dealing with the wicked God's method of dealing with the righteous 1. God exerts upon His own elect a quickening influence or power. By nature they are spiritually dead dead in trespasses and sins and their first need is spiritual life for, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God John 3.3 In the new birth, God brings us from death unto life John 5.24 He imparts to us His own nature, 2 Peter 1.4 He delivers us from the power of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Colossians 1.13 Now manifestly we could not do this ourselves, for we were without strength. Romans 5.6 Hence it is written we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2.10 In the new birth we are made partakers of the divine nature a principle, a seed, a life is communicated to us which is born of the spirit and therefore is spirit, is born of the Holy Spirit and therefore is holy. Apart from this divine and holy nature which is imparted to us at the new birth, it is utterly impossible for any man to generate a spiritual impulse, form a spiritual concept, think a spiritual thought, understand spiritual things still less engage in spiritual work. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord but the natural man has no desire for holiness and the provision that God has made he does not want. Will then a man pray for, seek for, strive after that which he dislikes? Surely not. If then a man does follow after that which by nature he cordially dislikes, if he does now love the one he once hated, it is because a miraculous change has taken place within him a power outside of himself has operated upon him, a nature entirely different from his old one has been imparted to him and hence it is written therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new 2 Corinthians 5 17 Such an one as we have just described has passed from death unto life, has been turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts 26 18 in no other way can the great change be accounted for the new birth is very very much more than simply shedding a few tears due to a temporary remorse over sin, it is far more than changing our course of life, the leaving off of bad habits and the substituting of good ones, it is something different from the mere cherishing and practicing of noble ideals it goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some popular evangelist by the hand, signing a pledge card or joining the church, the new birth is no mere turning over a new leaf but is the inception and reception of a new life it is no mere reformation but a complete transformation in short the new birth is a miracle the result of the supernatural operation of God it is radical, revolutionary lasting there then is the first thing in time which God does in his own elect, he lays hold of those who are spiritually dead and quickens them into newness of life he takes up one who was shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin and conforms him to the image of his son, he seizes a captive of the devil and makes him a member of the household of faith, he picks up a beggar and makes him joint heir with Christ, he comes to one who is full of enmity against him and gives him a new heart that is full of love for him he stoops to one who by nature is a rebel and works in him both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, by his irresistible power he transforms a sinner into a saint an enemy into a friend a slave of the devil into a child of God surely then we are moved to say when all thy mercies oh my God, my wandering soul surveys, transported with the view I'm lost in wonder love and praise two God exerts upon his own elect an energizing influence or power, the apostle prayed to God for the Ephesian saint that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened in order that among other things they might know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe Ephesians 1 19 and that they might be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man, chapter 3 verse 16 it is thus that the children of God are enabled to fight the good fight of faith and battle with the adverse forces which constantly war against them in themselves they have no strength they are but sheep and sheep are one of the most defenseless animals there is but the promise is sure he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Isaiah 40 29 it is this energizing power that God exerts upon and within the righteous which enables them to serve him acceptably said the prophet of old but truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord Micah 3 8 and said our Lord to his apostles he shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you Acts 1 8 and thus it proved for of these same men we read subsequently and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all Acts 4 33 so it was too with the apostle Paul and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing word of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power 1 Corinthians 2 4 but the scope of this power is not confined to service for we read in 2 Peter 1 3 according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue hence it is that the various graces of the Christian character love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness, temperance are ascribed directly to God himself being denominated the fruit of the spirit Galatians 5 22 and 23 compare Ephesians 5 9 3 God exerts upon his own elect a directing influence or power of old he led his people across the wilderness directing their steps by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and today he still directs his saints though now from within rather from without for this God is our God forever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psalm 48 14 but he guides us by working in us both to will and to do his good pleasure that he does so guide us is clear from the words of the apostle in Ephesians 2 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them thus all ground for boasting is removed and God gets all the glory for with the prophet we have to say Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Isaiah 26 12 how true then that a man's heart diviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Proverbs 16 29 compare Psalm 65 of 4 Ezekiel 36 27 4 God exerts upon his own elect a preserving influence or power many are the scriptures which set forth this blessed truth he preserveth the souls of his saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked Psalm 97 10 for the Lord loveth judgment and forsaketh not his saints they are preserved forever but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off Psalm 37 28 the Lord preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy Psalm 145 20 it is needless to multiply texts or to raise an argument at this point respecting the believers responsibility and faithfulness we can no more persevere without God preserving us than we can breathe when God ceases to give us breath we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time 1 Peter 1 5 compare 1 Chronicles 18 6 it remains for us now to consider God's method of dealing with the wicked in contemplating God's governmental dealings with the non-elect we find that he exerts upon them a fourfold influence or power we adopt the clear cut divisions suggested by Dr. Rice 1 God exerts upon the wicked a restraining influence by which they are prevented from doing what they are naturally inclined to do a striking example of this is seen in Abimelech king of Gerar Abraham came down to Gerar and fearful lest he might be slain on account of his wife he instructed her to pose as his sister regarding her as an unmarried woman Abimelech sent and took Sarah unto himself and then we learn how God put forth his power to protect her honor and God said unto him in a dream yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart for I also withheld thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her Genesis 26 had not God interposed Abimelech would have grievously wronged Sarah but the Lord restrained him and allowed him not to carry out the intentions of his heart a similar instance is found in connection with Joseph and his brethren's treatment of him owing to Jacob's partiality for Joseph his brethren hated him and when they thought they had him in their power they conspired against him to slay him Genesis 37 18 but God did not allow them to carry out their evil designs first he moved Reuben to deliver him out of their hands and next he caused Judah to suggest that Joseph should be sold to the passing Ishmaelites who carried him down into Egypt that it was God who thus restrained them is clear he made known himself to his brethren said he so now it was not you that sent me hither but God Genesis 45 8 the restraining influence which God exerts upon the wicked was strikingly exemplified in the person of Balaam the prophet hired by Balak to curse the Israelites one cannot read the inspired narrative without discovering that left to himself Balaam had readily and certainly accepted the offer of Balak how evidently God restrained the impulses of his heart is seen from his own acknowledgement how shall I curse whom God hath not cursed or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied behold I have received commandment to bless and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it Numbers 23 8 and 20 not only does God exert a restraining influence upon wicked individuals but he does so upon whole peoples as well a remarkable illustration of this is found in Exodus 34 24 for I will cast out the nations before thee and enlarge thy borders neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year three times every male Israelite at the command of God left his home and inheritance and journeyed to Jerusalem to keep the feasts of the Lord and in the above scriptures we learn he promised them that while they were at Jerusalem he would guard their unprotected homes by restraining the covetous designs and desires of their heathen neighbors God exerts upon the wicked a softening influence disposing them contrary to their natural inclinations to do that which will promote his cause above we refer to Joseph's history as an illustration of God exerting a restraining influence upon the wicked let us note now his experiences in Egypt as exemplifying our assertion that God also exerts a softening influence upon the unrighteous we are told that while he was in the house of Potiphar the Lord was with Joseph and his master saw the Lord was with him and in consequence Joseph found favor in his sight and he made him overseer over his house Genesis 39 2 3 and 4 later when Joseph was unjustly cast into prison we are told but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison Genesis 39 21 and in consequence the prison keeper showed him much kindness and honor finally after his release from prison we learn from Acts 7 10 that the Lord gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house and equally striking evidence of God's power to melt the hearts of his enemies was seen in Pharaoh's daughter's treatment of the infant Moses the incident is well known Pharaoh had issued an edict commanding the destruction of every male child of the Israelites a certain Levite had a son born to him who for three months was kept hidden by his mother no longer able to conceal the infant Moses she placed him in an ark of bulrushes and laid him by the river's brink the ark was discovered by none less than the king's daughter who had come down to the river to bathe but instead of heeding her father's wicked decree and casting the child into the river we are told that she had compassion on him Exodus 2 6 accordingly the young life was spared and later Moses became the adopted son of this princess God has access to the hearts of all men and he softens or hardens them according to his sovereign purpose the profane Esau swore vengeance upon his brother for the deception which he had practiced upon his father yet when next he met Jacob instead of slaying him we are told that Esau fell on his neck and kissed him Genesis 33 4 Ahab the weak and wicked consort of Jezebel was highly enraged against Elijah the prophet at whose word the heavens had been shut up for three years and a half so angry was he against the one whom he regarded as his enemy that we are told he searched for him in every nation and kingdom and when he could not be found he took an oath 1 Kings 18 10 yet when they met instead of killing the prophet Ahab meekly obeyed Elijah's behest and sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel verse 20 again Esther the poor Jewess is about to enter the presence chamber of the august Medo-Persian monarch which said she is not according to the law Esther 4 16 she went in expecting to perish but we are told she obtained a favor in his sight and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter Esther 5 2 yet again the boy Daniel is a captive in a foreign court the king appointed a daily provision of meat and drink for Daniel and his fellows but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the allotted portion and accordingly made known his purpose to his master the prince of the eunuchs what happened his master was a heathen and feared the king did he turn then upon Daniel and angrily demand that his orders be promptly carried out no for we read now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs Daniel 1 9 the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he will Proverbs 21 1 a remarkable illustration of this is seen in Cyrus the heathen king of Persia God's people were in captivity but the predicted end of their captivity was almost reached meanwhile the temple at Jerusalem lay in ruins and as we have said the Jews were in bondage in a distant land what hope was there then that the Lord's house would be rebuilt mark now what God did now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it in writing saying thus saith Cyrus king of Persia the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah Ezra 1 1 and 2 Cyrus it remembered was a pagan and as secular history bears witness a very wicked man yet the Lord moved him to issue this edict that his word through Jeremiah 70 years before might be fulfilled a similar and further illustration is found in Ezra 7 27 where we find Ezra returning thanks for what God had caused King Artaxerxes to do in completing and beautifying the house which Cyrus had commanded to be erected blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem Ezra 7 27 3 God exerts upon the wicked a directing influence so that good is made to result from their intended evil once more we revert to the history of Joseph as the case in point in selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites his brethren were actuated by cruel and heartless motives their object was to make away with him and the passing of these traveling traders furnished an easy way out for them to them the act was nothing more than the enslaving of a noble youth for the sake of gain but now observe how God was secretly working and overruling their wicked actions providence so ordered it that these Ishmaelites passed by just in time to prevent Joseph being murdered for his brethren had already taken counsel together to put him to death further these Ishmaelites were journeying to Egypt which was the very country to which God had purposed to send Joseph and he ordained they should purchase Joseph just when they did that the hand of God was in this incident that it was something more than a fortunate coincidence is clear from the words of Joseph to his brethren at a later date God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance Genesis 45 7 another equally striking illustration of God directing the wicked is found in Isaiah 10 5-7 O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the street how be it he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few a serious king had determined to be a world conqueror to cut off nations not a few but God directed and controlled his military lust and ambition and caused him to confine his attention to the conquering of the insignificant nation of Israel such a task was not in the proud king's heart he meant it not so but God gave him this charge and he could do nothing but fulfill it compare also Judges 7 22 the supreme example of the controlling directing influence which God exerts upon the wicked is the cross of Christ with all its attending circumstances if ever the superintending providence of God was witnessed it was there from all eternity God had predestined every detail of that event of all events nothing was left to chance or the caprice of man God had decreed when and where and how his blessed son was to die much of what he had purposed concerning the crucifixion had been made known through the Old Testament prophets and in the accurate and literal fulfillment of these prophecies we have clear proof full demonstration of the controlling and directing influence which God exerts upon the wicked not a thing occurred except as God had ordained and all that he had ordained took place exactly as he purposed had it been decreed and made known in Scripture that the Savior should be betrayed by one of his own disciples by his familiar friend see Psalm 41 9 and compare Matthew 26 50 then the apostle Judas is the one who sold him had it been decreed that the betrayer should receive for his awful perfidy thirty pieces of silver then are the chief priests moved to offer him this very sum had it been decreed that this betrayal sum should be put to a particular use namely purchase of the potter's field then the hand of God directs Judas to return the money to the chief priests and so guided their council Matthew 27 7 that they did this very thing had it been decreed that there should be those who bore false witness against our Lord Psalm 35 11 then accordingly such were raised up had it been decreed that the Lord of glory should be sat upon and scourged Isaiah 50 6 then there were not found wanting those who were vile enough to do so had it been decreed that the Savior would be numbered with the transgressors then unknown to himself Pilate directed by God gave orders for his crucifixion along with two thieves had it been decreed that vinegar and gall should be given him to drink while he hung up on the cross then this decree of God was executed to the very letter had it been decreed that the heartless should gamble for his garments then sure enough they did this very thing had it been decreed that not a bone of him should be broken Psalm 34 20 then the controlling hand of God which suffered the Roman soldier to break the legs of the thieves prevented him from doing the same with our Lord oh there were not enough soldiers in all the Roman legions there were not sufficient demons in all the hierarchies of Satan to break one bone in the body of Christ and why because the almighty sovereign had decreed that not a bone should be broken do we need to extend this paragraph any farther does not the accurate and literal fulfillment of all that scripture had predicted in connection with the crucifixion demonstrate beyond all controversy that an almighty power was directing and superintending everything that was done on that day of days for God also hardens the hearts of wicked men and blinds their minds God hardens men's hearts God blinds men's minds yes so scripture represents him in developing this theme of the sovereignty of God in operation we recognize that we have now reached its most solemn aspect of all and that here especially we need to keep very close indeed to the words of holy writ God forbid that we should go one fraction farther than his word goes but may he give us grace to go as far as his word goes it is true that secret things belong unto the lord but it is also true that those things which are revealed in scripture belong unto us and to our children he turned their heart to hate his people to deal subtly with his servants Psalm 105 25 the reference here is to the sojourn of the descendants of Jacob in the land of Egypt when after the death of the Pharaoh who had welcomed the old patriarch and his family there arose up a new king who knew not Joseph and in his days the children of Israel had increased greatly so that they outnumbered the Egyptians then it was that God turned their heart to hate his people the consequence of the Egyptians hatred is well known they brought them into cruel bondage and placed them under merciless task masters until their lot became unendurable helpless and wretched the Israelites cried unto Jehovah and in response he appointed Moses to be their deliverer God revealed himself unto his chosen servant gave him a number of miraculous signs which he was to exhibit at the Egyptian court and then bade him to go to Pharaoh and demand that the Israelites should be allowed to go to a three days journey into the wilderness that they might worship the Lord but before Moses started out on his journey God warned him concerning Pharaoh I will harden his heart that he shall not let the people go Exodus 4 21 if it be asked why did God harden Pharaoh's heart the answer furnished by scripture itself is in order that God might show forth his power in him Romans 9 17 in other words it was so that the Lord might demonstrate that it was just as easy for him to overthrow this haughty and powerful monarch as it was for him to crush a worm if it should be pressed further why did God select such a method of displaying his power then the answer might be that being sovereign God reserves to himself the right to act as he pleases not only are we told that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not let the Israelites go but after God had plagued his land so severely that he reluctantly gave a qualified permission and after that the firstborn of all the Egyptians had been slain and Israel had actually left the land of bondage God told Moses and I behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh and upon all his host upon his chariots and upon his horsemen and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh upon his chariots and upon his horsemen Exodus 14 17 and 18 the same thing happened subsequently in connection with Sihon king of Heshvon through whose territory Israel had to pass on their way to the promised land when reviewing their history Moses told the people that Sihon king of Heshvon would not let us pass by him for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into thy hand Deuteronomy 2 30 so it was also after that Israel had entered Canaan we read there was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon all other they took in battle for it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses Joshua 11 19 and 20 from other scriptures we learn why God purposed to destroy utterly the Canaanites it was because of their awful wickedness and corruption nor is the revelation of this solemn truth confined to the Old Testament in John 12 37-40 we read but though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him that in order that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed therefore they could not believe because that Isaiah said again he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them it needs to be carefully noted here that these were eyes God blinded and whose heart he hardened were men who had deliberately scorned the light and rejected the testimony of God's own son similarly we read in 2 Thessalonians 2 11 and 12 and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed in not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness what God did unto the Jews of old he is yet going to do unto Christendom just as the Jews of Christ's day despised his testimony and in consequence were blinded so a guilty Christendom which has rejected the truth shall yet have sent them from God a strong delusion that they may believe a lie is God really governing the world is he exercising rule over the human family what is the modus operandi of his governmental administration over mankind to what extent and by what means does he control the sons of men how does God exercise an influence upon the wicked seeing their hearts are at enmity against him these are some of the questions we have sought to answer from scripture in the previous sections of this chapter upon his own elect God exerts a quickening and energizing a directing and a preserving power upon the wicked God exerts a restraining softening directing and hardening and blinding power according to the dictates of his own infinite wisdom and unto the outworking of his own eternal purpose God's decrees are being executed what he has ordained is being accomplished man's wickedness is bounded the limits of evil doing and of evil doers have been divinely defined and cannot be exceeded though many are in ignorance of it all men good and bad are under the jurisdiction of and are absolutely subject to the administration of the supreme sovereign for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth revelation 19 6 reigneth over all chapter 7 God's sovereignty and the human will it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Philippians 2 13 concerning the nature and the power of fallen man's will the greatest confusion prevails today and the most erroneous views are held even by many of God's children the popular idea now prevailing and which is taught from the great majority of pulpits is that man has a free will and that salvation comes to the sinner through his will cooperating with the Holy Spirit to deny the free will of man that is his power to choose that which is good his native ability to accept Christ is to bring one into disfavor at once even before most of those who profess to be orthodox and yet scripture emphatically says it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy Romans 9 16 which shall we believe God or the preachers but someone may reply did not Joshua say to Israel choose you this day whom ye will serve yes he did but why not complete his sentence whether the gods which your fathers served which were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell Joshua 24 15 but why attempt to pit scripture against scripture the word of God never contradicts itself and the word expressly declares there is none that seeketh after God Romans 3 11 did not Christ say to the man of his day ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5 40 yes but some did come to him some did receive him true and who were they John 1 12 and 13 tells us but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God to them that believe on his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God but does not scripture say whosoever will may come it does but does this signify that everybody has the will to come what of those who won't come whosoever will may come no more implies that fallen man has the power in himself to come than stretch forth thine hand implied that the man with the withered arm had ability in himself to comply in and of himself the natural man has power to reject Christ but in and of himself he has not the power to receive Christ and why because he has a mind that is enmity against him Romans 8 7 because he has a heart that hates him John 15 18 man chooses that which is according to his nature and therefore before he will ever choose or prefer that which is divine and spiritual a new nature must be imparted to him in other words he must be born again this Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available free and for sale in audio video and printed formats it is likely that the sermon or book that you just listened to is also available on cassette or video or as a printed book or booklet our many free resources as well as our complete mail order catalog containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books, tapes and videos at great discounts is on the web at assume too much wisdom, when they devise what he never required, nay what he never knew.