» He argucth the Leſs to the Greater, That 1f a Potrer hath power over his Clay, tO form It as he pleaſeth, then God hath much more power over his Creatures, to form them, or o:der them as He liiteth. God's Azthoriry over his Creature, 15 greater than that of a Potter over his Clay. The Po:ter mauve not tus Clay, but both Clay and Potter are made by God. Here is ſomething implyed, that as there is no difference in the matter or Iump out of which the Po#-
>> frameth Civerfity of 7/5; Jo there is no diff:rence in Man- kind; all Men are alike by Nature, and in the ſame corrup? /tate; both thoſe who are Ele#cd, and thoſe who are RejeZea, tizat are made wv: of mercy, or v-/ſits of wrath. And here js this ex- preſſed, That as the Potrer maketh weſſils of konour or dijhonour, of noblzr or viler uſz, out of the ſame lump, as he liſteth ; and 1s not bound to give a Reaton of his fo doing to his Pers ; lo God may chaſe tome, and rcj-9 others, and give no account thereof unto his Creatures. The Portcr tukes nothing from the C/ay, of what Form ſozver h2 makes it; and the Creator doth no Wrong to the Crea- ture, however he doth diſpoſe of it.
22 /Vhat if God, willing to ſhew bz wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-lutter- 122 the veſlels of wrath | fitted to deſtruction x ?
Un this. and in the next Verſe, 1s a real Anſwer to the Cavil, in v.19. The Apoſtie having ſpoken before of God's ablolute Right and Prwer over his Creatures to diſpoſe of them at his Pleaſure, as the Porter doth his Clay, left any ſhou'd tax God with Tyranny and Partiality towards his Creatures, He ſubjoyneth the Reatons of his difletent proceeding; with the one, and with the other. 9.4. What hiſt thou to anſwer or obj=& againſt God, 1f he take a ſevere Courte with ſome? Seeing, 1. He thereby manifeſteth his great aiſp!ica- fare againt Sin, and his Power to take Vengeance of Sinners: Sec- ing, 2. He bears Jong with then 1n their Sins; exerciſcth great Pa- tience towards them, in the mid of their Provocations; giving them ſpace to Repent, if they can or will : And ſeeing, 3. They are YeſJels of Wrath, fitted to deſtruction : Partly by themfelves, and their own ſenſual Courles; partly by Goa'”s Righteos Fudgment, who gives them up thereunto. :
23 And that he might make known the riches of his
plory on thevelſcls of mercy, which he had atore pre- pared unto glory y. :
Y 9 d, Again, on the other ſide, What haſt thou to ſay, if he Proceed more Mercifully with others? Szeing, r. Hz thereby ma- niteſteth the Riches of his Glory, or his glorious Grace ; And ſeeing,
LON?
2. e. He had done it by Ejection from Erermry, and by Regenerari- ; on and SanQification of the Spirit in time. He ſpeaks here of two ſorts of F*ſi!: : ſome of wrath, and ſome of mercy, as he had before ſpoken of 7/5 of honour, and of diſhowour ; Concerning the latter, he ſpeaks paſſively, That they are firr-d ro deſtrufion, Concerning the farmer, he ſpeaks Adtively, That God hath prepa- red them unto Glory.
2.4 Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jewson- |,
ly, but alſo of the Gentiles &.
z Hitherto he hath been ſhewing, That the Promiſe was never made or meant to the Carnal Seed of 45raham, This Argument he began wer. 6, 7. and he continues it (uling ſeveral Apoſtrophes and Amplifications, which were to his parpoſe) till he comes to
A(raham, and the Children of the Promiſe; even the called of God of all Nations, whether Jews or Gentiles, And he takes occaſion ro ta!l into it, by ſpeaking of lome in the foregoing Verſe, that were Ye/- fels of mercy afore prepared unto glory : Now here in this Verſe, he tells you who thete are (and to be lure they are the Perſons he is en- quiring after, wiz. The ſpiritual ſeed of Abraham, and the Ch/ldren of the Promiſe) He ſays, They are ſuch as God called, 7. ce. Eff:&tually called, not of the Fews only, but of 3he Gentiles aljo ; and that this is fo, he farther proves in the following Verſe.
25 As he laith alſo in Ofee, *I will call them my people, which werenot my people ; and her, Beloved, which was not beloved
a Ire the Anoftle proves, That the Gentiles were children of the prom:ſe, or that the promiſe belonged to them, as well as to rhe Jews: And becauſe the F:ws could not endure to hear of this, he Cites ewo Teſtimonies out of Hoſea, to convince them : One 15 in this Verf?, and it is taken out of Hoſea 2. 23, The other 1s 1n the following Verſe.
26 And it ſhall come to paſs, :5a7 in the place where :t was {aid unto them, Ye are not my people; there nev be calied, The children of che living God 5.
6 This Teſtimeny is taken out of Hoſea tr. zo. And *tis as if he
A
2 32 © C4 4
has ſid, This that I affirm concerning the Converſion and cal- ting of the Gentiles, is Nothing elſe bur what rhe Propher Hoſea
long 20 did Preach to onr Fathers, Some think, theſe places in 17 Zjor 1 igcak primarily of the Jews, and but ſecondarily, or by
CUMESUEACE OE the Genrifer, Uihzrs Elink, that they ſpear Chieily
righreouſhefs : becauſe a ſhort work will the Lorg make.” COrgt
The Apoſtle in this, and in the other Citations follows the which was a received Trantlacion, and had been in Tequeſt abs... Three hundred Years, though in this and in other Places it is = different from the H:brew Text ; That which God is {aid tg fi and cz ſhore, i his work; the Greek is Aog9s, which font = word, or the Account, as fome read it. 6 Reaſon, why a remnant only ſhould be ſaved ; becanit God would ſhorten the Account, or (as we read it) make a ſhors wo;; in th, Fewiſh Worid. He would bring a ſudden deſtruction upon F wa people. Sennacherib, and the Afjrians, or Titus Veſpaſian and = Romans, ſhall make a compleat and ſpeedy Conqueſt of them , "I of them hall remain, the greater part being involved, Tres Infidelity, then in DeſtruCtion. . a Type of Goa"'s EleF among Faith 1n Jeſus Chriſt,
ſabboth + had left us a ſeed i, we had been as * Sodom; +1; and been made like unto Gomorrha k. ,
Creatures are, which executs his 7411 as Souldiers the Wil! of theix Commander. by a Remnaxt -; a ſmall number. Theſe were left as a little $:27 our of a great heap of Corn ; that which 1s choſen, and left for ſrg, j; little in compariſon of the whole Crop, & 5z. e. Utterly waſkdand deſtroyed; as they were, Jer. 50. go.
which followed not after righteauſneſs w7, have attained to righte2uſneſs, even the righteouſneſs which is of faith 2.