(Concluded from page 216)

But the apostle goes still deeper into Israel's history to prove God's sovereignty. In verse 18 we read, "Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth." The first clause, which speaks of mercy, is a quotation from Ex. 33 :19. The reader will do well to read chaps. 19, 20, 32 and 33 of Exodus in connection with this subject. From these chapters it will be seen that Israel undertakes to have the promises on condition of obeying all that God would command, but before Moses came down from the mount, the golden calf was made and acclaimed as Israel's God; and thus Israel lost all title to every promise made on condition of obedience.

Now, had God merely acted in justice, they would have been destroyed or cast off there and then; but, acting in His sovereign grace and on Moses' intercession, God declares that He would have mercy on whom He pleased, in order that He might not cut them off. This explains the first clause of the verse.

As to the other clause, "Whom He will He hardeneth," the apostle takes the judgments on Pharaoh to illustrate this most solemn principle. What does God mean by this word " hardeneth ?" It is impossible that God can make, or tempt, a person to be wicked ; James i :13-16 is clear proof as to this; but He may "harden," that is, give up the sinner judicially to blindness, to his own will and lust, or to Satan's power. All this is clearly shown in Pharaoh's case, being an enemy of God and of His people-treating God's people in a barbarous, yea, in a devilish way-cruelly murdering the newborn babes of the mothers in Israel. And he not only defied man, but Jehovah Himself. "Who is Jehovah," he says, "that I should obey Him ? I know not Jehovah ; neither will I let Israel go" (Ex. 5:i, 2). Well, says Jehovah, thou shalt know, and all the earth too ; and Jehovah hardens Pharaoh's heart that he may be an example of God's judgments to those that defy His power.

Now notice the 22nd verse of Romans 9. It is not said God fitted the vessels of wrath for destruction, but that He " endured with much long sufferings the vessels of wrath;" the vessels which, by Satan's help, fitted themselves for destruction; while the 23rd verse emphatically claims that the vessels of mercy were prepared by God for glory-thus proving that whatever there is of good in man must come from God, as the evil is already in us. God's sovereignty, then, consists in His having mercy on whom He will, and leaving the rest to their own will. As to this latter principle, see Rom. i:18-32. I would especially call attention to vers. 24, 25, and 28 :"God gave them up." See also 2 Thess. 2:7-12 as to this judicial giving over by God. Reader, if you are an unbeliever, what a solemn thought it should be for you!

We have seen that if man is left to his so-called free-will, he will not have Christ. And now, when God commands "all men everywhere to repent," men will not believe what God says, nor repent. Therefore, if God leaves the matter to man's choice, none would be saved; for the natural man is so occupied with the things of this life-with commerce, with family affairs, with pleasures, etc., that there is no ear for God, and thus His gracious invitation is slighted (Luke 14 :16-24).

Some even go further, and show positive hatred toward God, or deny what they cannot see. What a solemn, yea, terrible condition all this shows! But, God be praised, He claims the prerogative of sovereign mercy, and in various ways compels some to take a low place, to see and confess their sins, their ruin, their need, and thus compels them to come. Therefore he who is saved cannot say it was because he was better than others. On the other hand, he who is condemned must acknowledge that he receives nothing more than the just recompense of his sins.

The reader will do well to note that when Scripture speaks of election, it is not only a question of our salvation, but that God had a certain purpose in view in calling us:" For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Christ) might be the first-born among many brethren " (Rom. 8 :28-30). How wonderful ! Out of this world which murdered His beloved Son, God has predestinated those whom He calls and justifies to be " conformed to the image of His Son." Thus the believer is not only saved from coming judgment, but is predestined to be with and like our blessed Lord! God has charged Himself with our salvation and glory in order that His Son should have with Himself in the glory, for all eternity, those who should be fit companions for Him-made so by the sovereign power and grace of God. (See Eph. i:10, 2:)

Puny man is only occupied with himself, but God is occupied with His Son, and if He takes up sinful man, it is in connection with, and for the glory of His Son, who glorified Him here below. God's character, His moral government, His truth, yea, everything that pertains to God in connection with man, has been wholly falsified in the thoughts and ways of man; but Jesus vindicated, yea, glorified God about it all (see John 17; Phil. 2 :5-11).

But, says the unbeliever, "Why doth God yet find fault? for who hath resisted His will ?" (Rom. 9 :19). You see the apostle states this human objection, well knowing it would be made. What is his answer ? He simply puts God in His place and man in his:" Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God ? " God, according to His sovereign will, can do as He pleases, as a potter can make of the same lump any vessel he likes. So can God make vessels to honor or dishonor. But, mark it well, the apostle does not say God has done so; and we have already shown that it is vessels for glory, which God fits; while the vessels to dishonor fit themselves to this. This is the way God answers any who enters into controversy with Him about His right and power. He will not reason with any as to it. Man has no right to judge God; it is God who will judge man. But thanks be to God, before He will judge He has the gospel of His grace freely proclaimed unto all :" That through this Man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:and by Him all that believe are justified from all things " (Acts 13:38, 39).

Alas, in spite of this gracious way of acting on God's part, only "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed " (ver. 48).

Now can any blame God if, in spite of all this, men will not receive the offer of grace ? God requires nothing from man. It is " without money and without price " that God offers salvation. He desires to gain man's confidence, in order that He may tell him of his ruin, and of His love, of His power and willingness to save. But instead, man listens to God's enemy, who says that God hates him, and that in the face of what Jesus Himself has said, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jno. 3 :16). And since that foulest deed of man in crucifying the holy Son of God between two thieves, He has sent His ambassadors to proclaim:" Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though GOD did beseech you by us:we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God " (2 Cor. 5:20). Mark, not God reconciled to us, but we reconciled to God. Oh, what grace! God taking the place of a beseecher, praying us to be reconciled to Him! And yet in spite of it all man is rejecting !

Again I ask, Is God to blame ? And let none say that Paul meant the elect, for he positively says in i Tim. 2 :4 that God our Saviour's will is "to have all men to be saved," just as Jesus says in John 3:16. Yes, Paul preached this word of loving invitation to all alike; he positively declared that "a/! who believe are justified; " thus there is absolutely nothing to hinder a truly anxious soul from getting peace with God, though a ruined sinner.

God never puts election before unsaved souls. To such, He says, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). The sinner's responsibility lies in this :Will he, or will he not, take what God so freely offers ? God knows we have no strength:that we are unable to perform that which He requires, if He would put us under the responsibility of earning salvation. But no; God says, Just listen to Me, believe Me-for He knows that it would break the spell that Satan, sin and the world hold over man. It is the merest folly, the folly of indifference, to say, " If I am one of the elect I shall be saved," while Christ beseeches, saying, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt, ii:28).

True it is that " man's extremity is God's opportunity."

But I close. I have not written in order to prove election, for there is no doctrine more plainly taught in Scripture. My desire has been to clear up a few difficulties which arise in man's mind-surely not in Scripture. If I have succeeded in this, I am thankful, and would give God the praise. H. P. Scholte.