[God gave them up to idolatry, and to their own hearts'
lusts ; and left them to " walk in their own counsels0"
And this is the curse which he denounces against us also. " His spirit will not always strive with us." If he see that we are bent upon our evil ways, he will abandon us to our own delusions", and will say, " He is joined to idols, let him alone q"
A greater curse than this God cannot inflict, because
our remaining days will be occupied only in augmenting our
guilt and aggravating our condemnation1 Were the
judgment only to deliver our bodies to Satan now, that might lead to our final salvation : but to give us over to the uncon- trolled influence of self, is a certain prelude to our everlasting damnation. It is, in fact, the very beginning of hell, where it will be said to the unhappy souls, " He that is filthy, let him be filthy still ; and he that is unjust, let him be unjust still s."]
Hence it appears,
1. Whose will be the fault, if any be lost — [None can lay it to the charge of God that he is unwilling
to save them. He has sworn with an oath that he willeth not the death of any sinner*. And in the psalm before us he takes up a lamentation over those who obstinately compel him to give them upu. Thus did our blessed Lord over the murderous Jerusalem* : and thus does he over all impenitent transgressors ; " Ye will not come unto me that ye may have lifey." " Often would I have gathered you, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings; but ye would not2." And what a bitter source of self-condemnation will this be to us, that God would have saved us, but we would not be saved by him ! The language which God now uses over us, we shall then use in reference to ourselves : " O that I had hearkened to his voice ! O that I had walked in his ways !" How should I have been at this instant triumphing over my cruel adversary, and feasting on all the richest fruits of paradise, instead of dwelling with everlasting burnings, without one drop of water to cool my tongue ! Surely this reflection will be the bitterest ingredient in that bitter cup, which they who perish will be drinking of to all eternity.]
2. Whose will be the glory, if any be saved —
[We never come to Christ, till the Father, by the mighty working of his power, draws us to him. Such is the pride of the human heart, that no man will submit to be saved by grace alone, till God has made him " willing in the day of his power."
° See Rom. i. 24, 26, 28. " So I gave them up."
P 2 Thess. ii. 10—12. 1 Hos. iv. 17. r Rom. ii. 5.
s Rev. xxii. 11. l Ezek. xxxiii. 11. 1 Tim. ii. 4.
u ver. 13. x jjUke xjx. 40, 41.
y John v. 40. z Matt, xxiii. 37.