The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 291

approbation, whether it respects the state of • pereon, the /r<1lfflte of his mind or the nature of _his ac_tions. Hence, vile pro:es~ore a.re compared to the alloy or &oee fre-- quently ml.Xed with metal, which on tnal 1e found to be baee or deficient in quality. therefore reprobate silver shall men call them, becawie God has rejected them (Jer. vi 30). Bo in the text, 'Know ye not that Christ ie in you, except ye be reprobates?• the apostle's obvious meaning ie that such are destitute of rt,Q,/, uxmh. For however splendid a profession be, yet, without Christ, all will be found mere refuse at last : therefore he puts them upon close examination, lest they should be deceived by appear- ances, thinking themselves something, wMle in fact they are nothing. Hence in the next ".~~se he adds, '~ut I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates• (2 Cor. xm. 5, 6); and m ver. 7 he says, 'Now I pray to God that ye do no evil. not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, th~nO'h we be as reprobates.' '£hue he considers reprobation and approl>atwn a.a na~l opposites. Again, men of corrupt minds are said to be reprobates concerning the faith i.e. destitute of a true understanding of the truth (2 Tim. iii 8). And the abominabl; and disobedient are unto every good work reprobate (Titus i 16). Agreeably, therefore, to this view of reprobation, those vile affections to which the Gentiles were given up a.re called a reprobate mind (Rom. i 26, 28, 29). Meaning that their dispositions and conduct were odious, and could not possibly be approved of, either by God or good men. From the above considerations, it evidently appears that election and reprobation a.re not inseparably connected, nor even so much as related as kindred ideas, and that reprobation does not intend an absolute appointment to eternal misery, for such may still find mercy as Paul did; but that it is the awful opposite to Divine approbation, whether it respect persons, principles, or proceedings." Hence we a.re not to think that either Esau or Pharaoh was unfairly dealt with. Their histories show that they had their fair chance of accepting God's plan and submitting to him. But preferring their own course, and to fight rather than submit, they became the object of God's righteous reprobation and leisurely wrath. God is slow to anger; but when it comes about, it is seen to be well deserved. At close quarters, the injustice charged ~ God is seen altogether to dieappear.-R. M. E.