I. The conduct reprobated —
It may be supposed impossible for men to strive with their Maker : but the fact is, that men may do it in a variety of ways :
1. By resisting his will —
[He has made known his will in his written Law
But men will not obey it Tell them that God has
enjoined this, and forbidden that ; and they will spurn at the restraint imposed upon them, and say, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ? I know not the Lord ; neither will
I obey his voice b" And what is this, but downright
rebellion ? Sure I am, that we should account it so, if we were so treated by our child or our servant : and no doubt God will impute it to us as a deliberate resistance of his will.]
2. By murmuring at his dispensations —
[God acts according to his sovereign will, in the dispen- sations both of his providence and grace. The rich and the poor owe to him their respective lots ; as do also all who are appointed to health or sickness, life or death0. There is not any trial with which man is visited, but it proceeds from him. But where do we find one who, in a state of trouble, has not been ready to murmur and repine? And what is that, but striving with our Maker ? So he construes itd: and so it will be found in the last day e. As to the sovereign exercise of his grace, that is still more offensive to our proud hearts. Though we claim for ourselves a right to dispose of our own property as we please, we refuse that right to him ; as if, in benefiting others, he did to us an injury f. The very case is stated by St. Paul ; who, having instanced, in the case of Pharaoh, and in the destinies of Jacob and of Esau, the uncontrolled sove- reignty of God, states the feelings of an ungodly man: " Thou wilt say unto me, Why then doth he find fault ? for who hath resisted his will ? " To which he indignantly replies, " Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God ? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" Here, then, we see indisputably in what light God views all such instances of murmuring and complaint: for, in all circum- stances whatever, our only wish should be, " Not my will, but thine, be done."]
3. By rejecting his Gospel —
b Exod. v. 2. and Ps. xii. 4. c Deut. xxxii. 39.
d The text. e 1 Cor. x. 10. f Rom. ix. 19—21.