The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 270

fl""'8Ilt t.o the DivineBide ofit. His answer, 6b..rn• and /Jo.S11.Etr6a,, of. Me.tt. l, 19); but m ve~ 20, 21. is 11imply to the effect that yet he me.y "find fault" with justice. It ia Goo has the l\bsolute right M well M power here a.pin evident th11,t it is not individuals, to deal with bis own orestion BB he pleas~&, but nations, that are in view e.11 along. and that man is in no position to "oontend The apostle goes on next to consider whether, with the Almighty" (see Job :d. 2). He in God's actual dealings with the "vessels bringi; in from the prophets the illustrotion unto dishonour," there me.y not be, not of the pott.er's power and right over the only great forbee.rance, but also e. meroifol clay, which he fsshions and deals with 68 purpose. he chooses. It will be seen, however, as we Vers. 22-24.-What if (literally, but if, go on, that this illustration bv no means involving an ana.ooluthon) God, willing to involves, 68 by some it has been supposed show his wrath, and to make his power to do, the ides of rejection and oondemnation known, endured with much long-suJl'ering irrespectively of desert. vessels (not, as in the Authorized Veraion, Vers. 20, 21.-Nay but, O man, who art the vessels) of wrath fitted to destruotion : thou that repliest against God t Shall the and that he might make known the riohea thillg formed say to him that formed it, of his glory on vessels of meroy whioh he Why hast thou made me thus t (IS&. xm. afore preps.red unto glory ; whom he also 16; :i;h-. 9). ll&th noi the potter power oa.lled, even us, not of the J'ews only, but (rather, avtJwrity) over the Cllay, of the also of the Gentiles. " And" at the begin- a.me lump to m&ke one vessel unto honour, ning of ver. 23 is omitted in the uncial B, and another unto dishonour! (Jer. xviii. and there is considerable authority of ver- 1-10). The figure of the clay, first intro- sions and Fathers for rejecting it. Without duced from Isaiah, is carried ont at length it the sentence runs better, and its drift in the passage from Jeremiah which is re- becomes more apparent. The purpose ex- ferred to. It is important, for understanding pressed in ver. 23 thus oomes out distinotly SI. Panl's drift, to examine this passage. as the /grand nltime.te Divine purpose, to The prophet, in order that he might under- which the display of wrath and power stand God's way of dealing with nations, spoken of in the previous verse is but sub- is directed to go down t.o the potter's house, sidiary ; and this drift becomes the more and watch the potter at his work. The apparent, if we supply in English, a.s we may potter is at work with a lump of clay, with do, "while" before " willing" in ver. 22. the new of making a vessel of it; but it is Thus the drift would be, "What if God, .. maITed in the hand of the potter ; " it does while willing to eJ:h.ibit his wrath and mani• not come out into the form intended ; so he fest his power, endured with muoh long- rejects it, and makes anew another vessel suffering vessels of wrath that had become after his mind, " as seemed good to the fitted for destruction, in order that he might potter to make it." The prophet's a.pplie&- manifest the riches of his glory," eto. The tion of the illustration is that, "as the clay idea. expressed by "endured," etc., seems is in the potter's hands, so a.re ye in mine suggested by Pharaoh's ce.se (see on ver. 17 hand, 0 house of Israel, saith the Loan;" with rege.rd to the word 61e'T71pf,B.,,s in the meaning that if the hOUBe of Isra.el failed LXX., which the apostle appears here to re- to &I1EWer to the LoBD's purpose, he conld tain the idea. of, though he varied from it); reject it at his plea.sure, as the potter did but it is the Jewish ne.tion of his own day the marred vessel; and in vem. 7-10 the that he has now in view. They were rejected new is extended to God's power over, and from inheritance of the promises, and under way of dt:a.ling wiili, all nations of man- Divine wrath; as he says in another place, kind; and then, in ver. 11, the men of " The wrath had come upon them to the J ndah are warned to return from their evil uUermost " (1 These. ii. 16). But they were ways, I.eat the LoBD should_so do unto them. still borne with; they were not finally out TLlll! it is by no means implied by the otf; and what if their present rejection were illustration that Israel, or any .:>ther nation, but subservient to the great purpose of mercy LW: 1-n formed with the primary and ine- t.o the true Israel? '£he t!Jought, hinted Bi.otible pnrpoee of rejecting it as e. "vessel here, is carried out in eh. xi., where even the unto cw;bonour," or that, when rejected, it idea is further enterte.ined of Israel itself ~ not had opportunity af being otherwise; ae a nation, after judgment endured, ooming but only that God has absolute power and into God's true fold at lost, o.ccording to right over it, t., reject it it proved unworthy. the design of God, through we.ye inscrutable It cannot then resist his will (flo611..,,µ.a., i.e. by us, to " have meroy upon all." The dw,rwination or resolve; DJt here 6111..,,µ,a. forma of expression used m the passage Tl,e primary Divinll el>..,,µ,a is ., that all !JrJfure us aro to bo noted In support of tlio n,1,u 1Lonld b(, eavoo., and come to a. know- view we have tu.ken of St. Paul's gonoml lhdg1, of the truth" (1 Tiw. iL 4); and thu mooning. " '£he vesaels of wrath" are Huid IW:II de, r ~ For <Wlti.nction between t,, be "1lttcd to destruction" (tcC1'T'T/p'T1trµ,ivrA 011. 1x. 1-33.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 269