and be as read}' to dwell upon the invitations, and precepts, and exhortations of the Gospel, as on these deeper mysteries, which may easily be strained too far, and may give occasion for inferences, plausible indeed, but erroneous, and contrary to the analogy of faith.]
2. How they are to be improved —
[The proper use of these deeper truths is to abase us with humility, as creatures destitute of all good ; and at the same time to exalt us, as creatures infinitely indebted to the grace of God. Make this improvement of them, and they can never do you any harm : yea, receive them for these ends, and there are no other truths whatever that will operate to an equal extent. Who ever maintained the doctrines of grace more strenuously than the Apostle Paul ? yet who ever so laboured in the cause of his adorable Redeemer ? Take him then for your pattern, both in your sentiments and conduct ; and then you will shew, that nothing so " constrains, as the love of Christ;" nothing so stimulates to a compliance with God's will, as a sense of obligation to the riches of his grace.]
god's sovereignty not to be arraigned by men.
Rom. ix. 19 — 24. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault ? For tvho hath resisted his will ? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God ? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour ? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power knoivn, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction : and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, ivhich he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles ?
THERE are some persons so partial to, what we may call, the high doctrines of the Gospel, that they can scarcely endure to hear any thing else : they are like persons whose taste is vitiated by strong drink or highly-seasoned food ; they have no appetite for any thing which does not savour of their favourite opinions. This is a great evil in the Church, not only as injuring the souls in whom it exists, but as
1886.1 god's sovereignty not to be arraigned. 359
tending exceedingly to strengthen the prejudices of others against the doctrines which are so abused. Those who are thus disposed towards " the deep things of God," fancy themselves edified, merely because their corrupt taste is gratified : but their edification is not real and scriptural ; for, if it were, it would incline them to receive with meekness and humility every word of God ; whereas they treat with contempt every thing which seems to savour of plain practical religion. We regret exceedingly that such persons exist : but we must not, on their account, run into an opposite extreme, and keep these doc- trines altogether out of sight : we must " not shun to declare unto men the whole counsel of God." What- soever is revealed in the sacred records must be brought forth in its season : nor are we at liberty to " withhold from men any thing that may be profitable unto them." We therefore address ourselves to every subject in its place : though on such subjects as that which is before us, we would do it with fear and trembling, conscious how unable we are to do justice to it, and fearful lest by any means we should make it an occasion of offence to those who are not prepared for the investigation of it. The sovereignty of God is to the proud heart of man an unpalatable subject ; but in the passage before us we are called to vindicate it against the objections of those who are disposed, like the Jew in our text, to contend against it.